Question Could assessment of purchase behaviour h Essays - Bacteria

Question: Could assessment of purchase behaviour help to identify the contaminated food commodity? Introduction to the case Most cases occurred in elderly males. June 2009 to January 2010 Signicance of the case The main route of transmission is known to be through consumption of contaminated food. However, infection can also (in very rare cases) be transmitted directly from infected animals to humans. The bacterium is particularly successful in causing foodborne disease, because it survives food processing technologies that rely on acidic or salty conditions, and, unlike many other pathogens, can continue to multiply slowly at low temperatures, allowing growth even in properly refrigerated foods Regulatory aspects -EU Directive 2073/2005. -Regulation states that L. monocytogenes must be absent from food, but can be present up to a limit of 100 CFU/g if the physicochemical prole of a food commodity prevents growth (the bacteria must not exceed 100 CFU/g food at the end of shelf-life; Anonymous, 2006). Since listeriosis is usually caused by a higher number of L. monocytogenes (10 5 CFU/g), the search began for a food item that fosters growth and that is predominantly eaten by elderly persons. smoked sh products, soft cheeses and cooked sausages What made outbreak investigations difcult? incubation period of listeriosis in humans can be up to 70 days, the outbreak pattern is quite scattered foodstuffs have usually been eaten or already thrown away before an outbreak investigation starts. -Collected grocery receipts of purchases made by seven patients in December 2009, and screened them for a common food item. -The survey of the purchase behaviour allowed us to generate a hypothesis that was then tested by a case-control study using case-case comparisons. - Patients were asked about consumption of 12 cheese products in the six-month period prior to disease onset. - Persons in the control group were requested to provide information on consumption of the same products and a parameter called the odds ratio' was computed Resolution and outcomes Clinical dynamics -Median age of the cases was 72 years (range: 57-89 years), and 26 patients were male. There were no materno-neonatal(-) cases. Prevalence of underlying disease in the case group was not different from the prevalence of underlying disease in the control group. Contamination rates of samples and recalled lots of Quargel Three out of 16 L. monocytogenes positive lots showed a contamination rate of 100 CFU/g at the beginning of the shelf-life when stored at 4 C. Nevertheless, by increasing the storage time or the storage temperature (15 C, 22 C) the contamination rate could be raised to 10. In general, storage at 4 C resulted in an average of 5.6 log units, a signicantly minor contamination rate compared with storage at 15 C or 22 C with mean log values of 7.2 and 6.8, respectively. Lower storage temperatures are supposed to slow down bacterial growth and may restrict amounts to non-harmful doses. This was not the case in this outbreak. Although there was an overall higher variation in the samples stored at 4 C than in samples kept at 15 C or 22 C, and even though the mean values differed signicantly, maximum levels were similar. This nding indicates a high potential for growth even when Quargel is stored at 4 C At-site contamination scenarios An environmental L. monocytogenes 1/2a isolate from the suspect production plant, from a gully (drainage pit) sample collected in December 2009, became available on 19 January 2010 and proved indistinguishable from the outbreak strain by genotyping. Commentary and personal reections -majority of outbreak investigations do not found the source. - The outbreak dynamics show clearly that a decline in case numbers does not necessarily imply that the underlying problem has disappeared. - a L. monocytogenes isolate from an environmental sample taken by the quality manager in the facility in May 2009 was the rst evidence of a contamination problem. - We hypothesize that L. monocytogenes was introduced into the plant during major construction work. -From 23 February 2009 until 27 May 2009, a ripening room in direct proximity to the central production facility was remodeled, and this coincides with the time of the rst documented detection of L. monocytogenes in a smear sample, allegedly after years of no microbiological proof of L. monocytogenes in the facility. - This nding emphasizes the unequivocal need for implementing a self-control system capable of detecting contamination -This strong recommendation becomes

Free Essays on Holograms And Holography

I. Introduction Holograms are objects that exist in a two dimensional state, but can be perceived by the human eyes to be in a three dimensional state. They make you want to reach out and touch it, but only come to find this two dimensional object. This is the entire purpose of a hologram, to convince the human eye that there is an object where one does not exist. Holograms have been a known technology for a while, but understanding how they work is a whole other story. You hold a hologram up to yourself and look at it thinking, â€Å"Am I seeing things?....Is someone pulling a Jedi Mind Trick on me?†¦.Is there really an object there?† How is this possible? This paper will cover how this is possible and various other aspects of holography. II. Creating Holograms A. The Idea Holograms are kept on a holographic film sheets. This film is similar to regular photography film, only with special properties in its chemical make up that allow multiple different angle patterns to be recorded onto the film. The film does not record light waves. If it recorded light waves, then it would be nothing more than photographic film. What is of interest about this hologram film is collecting interference patterns of light. After this pattern of interference is recorded onto the film it can be called a hologram. The film acts like a lens after it has been developed with the interference pattern of the object you want to create a hologram of. This lens stores the information about the object like the data stored on a computer, except in this case it is stored as a pattern of interference on the film. When light is passed through this â€Å"lens† it uses a process of diffraction upon the recorded interference pattern to reproduce the object recorded. This eff ect can be achieved by either reflecting light from the surface of the film, or shining light through the film from the opposite side. Metallic films require that you reflect the lig... Free Essays on Holograms And Holography Free Essays on Holograms And Holography I. Introduction Holograms are objects that exist in a two dimensional state, but can be perceived by the human eyes to be in a three dimensional state. They make you want to reach out and touch it, but only come to find this two dimensional object. This is the entire purpose of a hologram, to convince the human eye that there is an object where one does not exist. Holograms have been a known technology for a while, but understanding how they work is a whole other story. You hold a hologram up to yourself and look at it thinking, â€Å"Am I seeing things?....Is someone pulling a Jedi Mind Trick on me?†¦.Is there really an object there?† How is this possible? This paper will cover how this is possible and various other aspects of holography. II. Creating Holograms A. The Idea Holograms are kept on a holographic film sheets. This film is similar to regular photography film, only with special properties in its chemical make up that allow multiple different angle patterns to be recorded onto the film. The film does not record light waves. If it recorded light waves, then it would be nothing more than photographic film. What is of interest about this hologram film is collecting interference patterns of light. After this pattern of interference is recorded onto the film it can be called a hologram. The film acts like a lens after it has been developed with the interference pattern of the object you want to create a hologram of. This lens stores the information about the object like the data stored on a computer, except in this case it is stored as a pattern of interference on the film. When light is passed through this â€Å"lens† it uses a process of diffraction upon the recorded interference pattern to reproduce the object recorded. This eff ect can be achieved by either reflecting light from the surface of the film, or shining light through the film from the opposite side. Metallic films require that you reflect the lig...

Profile of Major General Smedley Butler

Profile of Major General Smedley Butler Major General Smedley Butler was a decorated war veteran. He is best known for serving in the Carribean and abroad during World War I. Early Life Smedley Butler was born in West Chester, PA on July 30, 1881, to Thomas and Maud Butler. Raised in the area, Butler initially attended West Chester Friends Graded High School before moving on to the prestigious Haverford School. While enrolled at Haverford, Butlers father was elected to the US House of Representatives. Serving in Washington for thirty-one years, Thomas Butler would later provide political cover for his sons military career. A gifted athlete and a good student, the younger Butler elected to leave Haverford in mid-1898 to take part in the Spanish-American War. Joining the Marines Though his father wished him to remain in school, Butler was able to obtain a direct commission as a second lieutenant in the US Marine Corps. Ordered to the Marine Barracks in Washington, DC for training, he then joined the Marine Battalion, North Atlantic Squadron and took part in operations around Guantnamo Bay, Cuba. With the withdrawal of the Marines from the area later in the year, Butler served aboard USS New York until being discharged on February 16, 1899. His separation from the Corps proved short as he was able to secure a first lieutenants commission in April. In the Far East Ordered to Manila, Philippines, Butler took part in the Philippine-American War. Bored by garrison life, he welcomed the opportunity to experience combat later that year. Leading a force against the Insurrecto-held town of Noveleta in October, he succeeded in driving off the enemy and securing the area. In the wake of this action, Butler was tattooed with a large Eagle, Globe, and Anchor which covered his entire chest. Befriending Major Littleton Waller, Butler was selected to join him as part of a Marine company on Guam. En route, Wallers force was detoured to China to aid in putting down the Boxer Rebellion. Arriving in China, Butler took part in the Battle of Tientsin on July 13, 1900. In the fighting, he was hit in the leg while trying to rescue another officer. Despite his wound, Butler assisted the officer to the hospital. For his performance at Tientsin, Butler received a brevet promotion to captain. Returning to action, he was grazed in the chest during fighting near San Tan Pating. Returning the United States in 1901, Butler spent two years serving ashore and aboard various vessels. In 1903, while stationed in Puerto Rico, he was ordered to aid in protecting American interests during a revolt in Honduras. The Banana Wars Moving along the Honduran coast, Butlers party rescued the American consul in Trujillo. Suffering from a tropical fever during the campaign, Butler received the nickname Old Gimlet Eye due to his constantly bloodshot eyes. Returning home, he married Ethel Peters on June 30, 1905. Ordered back to the Philippines, Butler saw garrison duty around Subic Bay. In 1908, now a major, he was diagnosed with having a nervous breakdown (possibly post-traumatic stress disorder) and was sent back to the United States for nine months to recover. During this period Butler tried his hand at coal mining but found it not to his liking. Returning to the Marines, he received command of 3rd Battalion, 1st Regiment on the Isthmus of Panama in 1909. He remained in the area until being ordered to Nicaragua in August 1912. Commanding a battalion, he took part in the bombardment, assault, and capture of Coyotepe in October. In January 1914, Butler was directed to join Rear Admiral Frank Fletcher off the coast of Mexico to monitor military activities during the Mexican Revolution. In March, Butler, posing as a railroad executive, landed in Mexico and scouted the interior. As the situation continued to worsen, American forces landed at Veracruz on April 21. Leading the Marine contingent, Butler directed their operations through two days of fighting before the city was secured. For his actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. The following year, Butler led a force from USS Connecticut ashore on Haiti after a revolution threw the country into chaos. Winning several engagements with the Haitian rebels, Butler won a second Medal of Honor for his capture of Fort Rivià ¨re. In doing so, he became one of only two Marines to win the medal twice, the other being Dan Daly. World War I With the US entry into World War I in April 1917, Butler, now a lieutenant colonel, began lobbying for a command in France. This failed to materialize as some of his key superiors deemed him unreliable despite his stellar record. On July 1, 1918, Butler received a promotion to colonel and command of the 13th Marine Regiment in France. Though he worked to train the unit, they did not see combat operations. Promoted to brigadier general in early October, he was directed to oversee Camp Pontanezen at Brest. A key debarkation point for American troops, Butler distinguished himself by improving conditions in the camp. Postwar For his work in France, Butler received the Distinguished Service Medal from both the US Army and US Navy. Arriving home in 1919, he took command of Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia and over the next five years worked to make what had been a wartime training camp into a permanent base. In 1924, at the request of President Calvin Coolidge and Mayor W. Freeland Kendrick, Butler took a leave from the Marines to serve as Director of Public Safety for Philadelphia. Assuming oversight of the citys police and fire departments, he tirelessly worked to end corruption and enforce Prohibition. Though effective, Butlers military-style methods, impolitic comments, and aggressive approach began to wear thin with the public and his popularity began to drop. Though his leave was extended for a second year, he frequently clashed with Mayor Kendrick and elected to resign and return to the Marines Corps in late 1925. After briefly commanding the Marine Corps Base at San Diego, CA, he embarked for China in 1927. Over the next two years, Butler commanded the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. Working to protect American interests, he successfully dealt with rival Chinese warlords and leaders. Returning to Quantico in 1929, Butler was promoted to major general. Resuming his task of making the base the showplace of the Marines, he worked to increase the publics awareness of the corps by taking his men on long marches and re-enacting Civil War battles such as Gettysburg. On July 8, 1930, the Commandant of the Marines Corps, Major General Wendell C. Neville, died. Though tradition called for the senior general to temporarily fill the post, Butler was not appointed. Though considered for the permanent position of command  and supported by notables such as Lieutenant General John Lejeune, Butlers controversial track record along with ill-timed public comments regarding Italian dictator Benito Mussolini saw Major General Ben Fuller receive the post instead. Retirement Rather than continue in the Marine Corps, Butler filed for retirement and left the service on October 1, 1931. A popular lecturer while with the Marines, Butler began speaking to various groups fulltime. In March 1932, he announced that he would run for the US Senate from Pennsylvania. An advocate of Prohibition, he was defeated in the 1932 Republican primary. Later that year, he publically supported the Bonus Army protesters who sought early payment of the service certificates issued by the World War Adjusted Compensation Act of 1924. Continuing to lecture, he increasingly focused his speeches against war profiteering and American military intervention abroad. The themes of these lectures formed the basis for his 1935 work War Is a Racket which outlined the connections between war and business. Butler continued to speak on these topics and his views of fascism in the US through the 1930s. In June 1940, Butler entered the Philadelphia Naval Hospital after being ill for several weeks. On June 20, Butler died of cancer and was buried at Oaklands Cemetery in West Chester, PA.

The Uses and Abuses of Nationalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Uses and Abuses of Nationalism - Essay Example The religious systems influenced the way commerce and trade has been done since the ancient times. During the 17th Century, there was a disagreement in establishing what was right according to the religious beliefs at the time. A rift had emerged between the Protestants and the Catholics, leading to the northern European nations’ interest in â€Å"trade and commerce† (896). The transition from Catholicism to Protestant among many Europeans created a transformation in commerce. Watson says, â€Å"New mercantile classes were replacing the traditional military and landowning aristocracies as the main political force.† (896).This demonstrates the influence of religion on trade and commerce during the ancient times. However, the influence of religious systems has continued to be minimal with time. In the modern day society, the input of the religious systems in matters of commerce and trade is almost inexistent. The change has been characterized by religious tolerance and freedom of religion as enshrined in the bill of rights. Colonization helped shape trade and commerce in the European countries as well as those of their colonies. Courtesy of British colonization, America sprung to become a giant economy partly because most of the individuals who embarked on building the country had a great background. Watson supports this argument by mentioning that, â€Å"Britain had her American colonies†¦ she had emerged as the most powerful of the maritime nations† (897). Some of the Britain’s benefits came from the trade and taxes that were levied on its colonies, an aspect that facilitated the growth of the economy. Slavery was a key component of economic growth, in an attempt to maintain supremacy and high economic output western countries pioneered by Portugal engaged in slave trade. It began around 1444 despite criticism from several quarters, especially from key

Demographic Decline, Black death, and the Ottoman Turks Essay

Demographic Decline, Black death, and the Ottoman Turks - Essay Example The worst illness to strike during this time was the Black Death or the bubonic plague. Fleas that arrived in Europe from Asia spread this disease. Most people that contracted the disease died, leading to population decline. The Ottoman Turks played a peripheral role in the history of Western Europe. The loss of the Byzantine Empire and a Christian lineage stretching back to the Emperor Constantine was more psychological than anything else. Trade continued to flow through Constantinople, now called Istanbul. The Turks did press into areas in Southeastern European areas such as Bosnia, Herzegovina, Serbia and Morea. This provides much of the ethnic tension still present in the Balkan region to this day. But most of the Turkish expansion was Southwest into the lands of the Arabian Peninsula. After they captured the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, the Ottoman Turks importance was elevated throughout the Muslim world. The Ottoman Turks were important in Western European history as a peripheral

Iraq and Palestine Essay Example for Free

Iraq and Palestine Essay Since 2003, after the four devastating years of Iraq invasion, Bill Moyers’ journal on â€Å"Buying the War† stabbed to grasp the mainstream US media held responsible for its connivance in advertising the ‘war on Iraq’ to the public of US. Moyers recognized how the US media, with the main role of ‘The New York Times’, yielded to fiscal and political stress, gave ways to an environment of nationalism and trepidation of terrorism, and naively reported bogus US government assertions. Sadly, despite all the terrible results of 60 years of Israelis bullying the Palestinians, there is still no major movement to grab the US mainstream media held answerable for an equivalent, incredible failure in covering Israelis and Palestinians conflict and for its involvement in the U. S. naive backing for Israel. Moyers’ study of the US media breakdown on Iraq was costly, yet imperfect. He elucidated that to instigate the assault on Iraq â€Å"high officials†¦ needed a compliant press, to pass on their propaganda as news and cheer them on. our press largely surrendered its independence and skepticism to join with our government in marching to war. † Bob Simon of CBS put in plain words to Moyers that the U. S. administration used selling skills to put up war for sale: â€Å"Just repeat it and repeat it and repeat it†¦ Keep that drumming going. † Media columnist Norman Solomon informed Moyers that he thought these [news] managers were scared stiff of being called yielding on terrorism. Moyers gave many instances of ‘The New York Times’ conveying fake shrewdness on Iraq to the public of US. However, still Moyers stated that the now villainous ‘neoconservatives’ had long sought to change the Middle East, starting with the exclusion of Saddam Hussein, Moyers passed over a central reason for why the administration’s case for war echoed with both the US media as well as public. It was based in broadly-held typecasts about Arabs, Muslims and the Middle East, statements which are also necessary to realize US policy in Israel and Palestine. In his classic 1978 book â€Å"Orientalism†, Palestinian-American scholar Edward Sa’id asserted: The Western understanding of Arabs, Muslims and the Middle East is a product of colonialism, and that Westerners outlook the East as innately substandard and reliant on salvation. The US case for ‘war in Iraq’ hinged on orientalists statements that the Middle East was an undistinguished province of Arabs and Muslims who, lacking any history account or valid complaints, are overcome by an illogically aggressive nature as well as loathing of the West, Israel,’ freedom and democracy’ (Edward Sa’id 1978). Though Moyers didn’t, the neo-cons repeatedly sketched the relationship between Iraq and Israel, stating: â€Å"The way towards Jerusalem crosses Baghdad†. And in Israel, the other main settlement in â€Å"the war on terror,† chauvinistic philosophy and politically spoiled intelligence are also hard-pressed by the administration and gullibly reported by US media channels like ‘The New York Times’ – as, an April 11, 2007 Times news article by Isabel Kershner titled improvable assertions by Israel’s Shin Bet that it had disenchanted a huge Hamas suicide-bombing planned for Passover. The article mainly overlooked Palestinian rebuffs reported on the same day in the Israeli paper Ha’aretz Daily. The Shin Bet assertion appeared to value uncertainty considering the Palestinian refutations and Hamas’ verdict two years ago to stop the progress of sweeping attacks. Certainly, Hamas’ implication on such a huge-scale bombing plan would have approached at a fitting moment for Israel. Following the 16 months throughout which 27 Israelis were murdered by Palestinians, the lowest sum in over 6 years, Israel is thrashing about to stop the breakup of the global boycott of the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority and to see off continual peace proposals from the Palestinian Authority, Syria, Saudi Arabia and the Arab League. The Israeli administration has been feeding the media narratives saying that the calm is a trick, which Hamas is making use of it to support and prepare invasions and that Israel will then be enforced to rise a major attack of Gaza soon. The Times has published at least 4 other articles rumbling these Israeli administration claims since March 2007 .

Medicine During the Civil War Essay -- essays research papers fc

Medicine During the Civil War 1861-1865   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Walt Whitman wrote that he believed the â€Å"real war† would never get into the books, this is the side he was talking about (Belferman 1996). Yet, it is important that we remember and recall the medical side of the conflict too, as horrible and terrifying as it was (Adams 1952). Long before doctors and people knew anything about bacteria and what caused disease was the time of Civil War medicine. Doctors during the Civil War (always referred to as â€Å"surgeons†) were incredibly unprepared. Most surgeons had as little as two years of medical school because very few pursued further education. At that time, Harvard Medical School did not even own a single stethoscope or microscope until well after the war. Most Civil War surgeons had never treated a gun shot wound because they were accustomed to treating minor head colds and sore throats. Many had never performed surgery or even held a scalpel. Medical boards let extremely unqualified students practice medicine due to much needed help for wounded soldiers on the battlefield. â€Å"Some ten thousand surgeons served in the Union and about four thousand served in the Southern Confederacy (Cunningham 1958).†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By far, the deadliest thing that faced the Civil War soldier was disease and infection. For every soldier who died in battle, two died of disease (Cunningham 1958). Among the long list of terminal and fatal diseases that plagued the battlefield as well as the operating table and hospitals were dysentery (a severe form of diarrhea which was very common among the soldiers), measles, small pox, malaria, pneumonia, and â€Å"camp itch† which was caused by skin disease and insects. Malaria was usually brought on by camping in damp areas, where mosquitos were prone to. There were many factors that came into play which explained why disease spread so rapidly. Among the explanations were as follows: inadequate physicals before entering the Army, the fact many troops came from rural areas, neglect of camp hygiene, insects and rodents in the area, exposure to other infected individuals, lack of clothing and shoes, and poor conditions of food and water. Many unqualifi ed recruits entered the Army and diseases cruelly weeded out those who should have been excluded by physical exams prior to recruiting (Shildt 1986).   Ã‚  &... .... The many men and women, North and South, who served in the hospital and sanitary services during the war were proud of their achievements (Adams 1861-1865). The morbidity and mortality rates of both armies showed marked improvement over those of other 19th century wars. The physicians and sanitarians held down the disease fatalities to levels that their generation considered more than reasonable. It was a gruesome business for doctors and patients alike; yet without the doctors and nurses in blue and gray, much of the young manhood of America at mid century might not have survived for the work of rebuilding. (Adams 1861-1865) Works Cited Adams, George W. Doctors In Blue,†Medical History of the Union† Baton Rouge:University of Louisiana Press, 1952 Belferman, Mary â€Å"On Surgery’s Cutting Edge in the Civil War† The Washington Post, June 13, 1996 Cunningham, H.H. Doctors in Gray, Baton Rouge: University of Louisiana Press, 1958 Coco, Gregory A. A Strange and Blighted Land-Gettysburg, The Aftermath, 1995 Schildt, John W. Hunter Homes McGuire:Doctor in Gray, 1986 Adams, George W. â€Å"Fighting for Time† The National Historical Society’s-The Image of War 1861-1865 Volume IV

Thirty Minutes Later: Are You Smarter Yet?

Each and every night millions upon millions of people turn on their televisions and tune in to their favorite programs. Most people think that this behavior is perfectly normal and that nothing is either exceptionally good or detrimentally bad about doing so. Others actually think that watching television can and sometimes does make you smarter. I feel that the general statement â€Å"tv makes you smarter† is not specific enough when talking about such an issue. I think that some television programs can help you gain some knowledge but I do not believe that all television makes you smarter.So, does watching television make you smarter, dumber, or does it have no affect at all? In Steven Johnson’s essay â€Å"Watching TV Makes You Smarter† he argues that watching television â€Å"alters the mental development of young people for the better (291)†. Meaning that when young people watch television it can aide in the development of their minds. In a nutshell, h e is saying that watching television can actually make a person smarter. In his essay, Johnson uses the popular show 24 to support his claim. He states that â€Å"to make sense of an episode of 24 you have to pay attention, make inferences, and track social relationships†(279).Johnson refers to this as part of what he calls the Sleeper Curve. Johnson believes that the Sleeper Curve is the single most important new force altering the mental development of young people today, and it is largely a force for good†(279). He agrees that the media may indeed contain more negative messages but he doesn't think that is the only way to evaluate whether our television shows are having a positive impact or not. In one part of his essay, Johnson compares the intellectual strain of watching shows like Frasier, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show to the physical strain of watching Monday Night Football.With that comparison he is basically saying that the viewer doesn't have to think about th e content of the show in order to follow the storyline the same way a person doesn't have to actually play football in order to enjoy a game. Throughout his essay, Johnson even goes as far as to say that even â€Å"bad† television has gotten better. To validate this point he talks about Joe Millionaire and The Apprentice.He discusses how in order how in order to win the show contestants had to overcome certain obstacles, figure out â€Å"weak spots† in the game, and use everything they learned to complete the last  challenge which usually contained a twist. This goes to say that on the surface it may seem like these shows are easy to follow but they contain surprises that may interrupt what the viewer thought was going to happen. Johnson states that â€Å"traditional narrative also trigger emotional connections to the characters† (291). He explains this by talking about the largely popular show Survivor, and how because our emotions are involved it becomes eas y to vote someone off the island as opposed to someone else.I think that only certain types of television shows makes you smarter, so part of me agrees with Steven Johnson’s argument. I think that people can learn things from certain kinds of shows. When a person watches show on the Food Network, the person will most likely learn how to prepare a new dish, or improve upon a technique that they are having trouble with. Another example would be when children watch â€Å"Dora the Explorer†. Some people might only see a show like this as way to keep children quiet and occupied.What they would realize if they actually sat down and watched an episode or two is that children can earn many things like; shapes, colors, numbers, letters and even some Spanish, all within the thirty minute runtime of the show. There may be some sitcoms or reality shows out there that you can learn from but I have yet to find one that I learned a lesson from. The reason I don't fully agree with his argument that television makes you smarter is because I think only certain types of shows make you smarter. I think in his essay he is referring to all television shows and genres.I think he is referring to all genres in his argument because he doesn’t say that any specific genre or show is excluded. I don't think a person can learn anything from a football game, or an episode of Family Guy because, in my opinion, these shows have the sole purpose of entertaining the people that watch them. Family Guy is an animated series about a family and all of the crazy situations they get themselves in to. By the way, one member of the family is a talking baby. In Dana Stevens’ essay, Thinking Outside the Idiot Box, she blatantly disagrees with Johnson.She even goes as far as to mock him saying, â€Å"If watching television really make you smarter, as Steven Johnson argued in an article†¦ then I guess I need to watch a lot more television†¦because†¦I could make n o sense of Johnson’s piece†(295). I think this comment used logos because she is saying that since she wasn’t able to understand Johnson’s argument maybe she doesn’t watch enough television. Of course this comment was a sarcastic one. In order to make this point clearer she references the popular children’s show Teletubbies, saying that it is â€Å"essentially a tutorial instructing toddlers the basics of vegging out† (Stevens 296).She thinks that the show 24 teaches you nothing except to watch further episodes of the show. Stevens also states that Johnson’s claim for television as a tool for brain enhancement seems deeply and hilariously bogus (297). So, clearly Stevens is a part of the group of people that do not think television makes you smarter. I don’t think Stevens is totally watching television. I think instead she is against people watching television all the time and thinking it will make them smarter. She think s that adults should monitor the amount of television they watch, the same way they monitor the number f alcoholic drinks they consume at a bar.Stevens ends her essay by giving readers a way to test Johnson’s theory: â€Å"National Television Turnoff Week† (298). Even if the participant’s IQ doesn’t drop from not watching television, it would still give people’s minds a break from watching television and give them the opportunity to tune back in with real people, real problems, and real life. She also mentions a handheld device that can switch off any television set within twenty to twenty-five feet. The difference between this remote and any other remote already on the market is that this remote would have the ability to control all television sets within its radius.Like with any new technology there are both proponents and opponents. Proponents think that this device will restore peace and calmness to public places such as airports and bus statio ns. Opponents think this just another way for people to try to control their lives. I think the device is very invasive and controlling. If people want to watch television for twenty-four hours straight, they are adults and they should be able to do that. This device relates to the debate about television because people that think television is watched too much would want this remote to be used.But for people that think television is useful as well as entertaining, the use of this device would seem like an invasion of privacy. I am personally on the fence of this issue. I think some television programs have educational value. I also think people should watch less television, and perhaps pick up a book- which are proven to make you smarter. I think shows such as Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire make you smarter because you can’t help but immerse yourself in the show and try to get the answers right.Even if you get the answers wrong, or never use the information you gained, you sill learned something. On the other hand, I don’t think reality television shows can teach you anything at all. Think of your favorite reality show, now take a few seconds to make a mental list of the things you have learned from watching that show. If you can think of anything at all, the list is probably very short. This is ok because the sole purpose of television is not to educate people. I think television is supposed to be watched for entertainment purposes.If you were to take a poll of the television shows people watch on a regular basis, most of the answers would probably be; Scandal, Teen Mom, and NCIS. These shows I would have to say contain very little to nothing to teach a person. Some shows can even encourage bad behaviors and influence people to do bad things. Let’s take the popular MTV show Teen Mom for instance; before the show first premiered, when teens would get pregnant they didn’t think it was cool, or cute, and they definitely were not posting pictures on Facebook with their pregnant friends.When teenage girls saw all of the fame the stars of the show were getting, it somehow registered in their minds that if they got pregnant at a young age they would somehow become the star of a show, get paid for it, and live a happy life. What they don’t realize until it’s too late is that most of the stuff on â€Å"reality† shows are staged and fake. One of my personal favorite shows was Jersey Shore, which was a reality show about a group of strangers living in a house together for a number of months.The show followed all of the drinking, smoking, drama, and sex that went on in that house. What young teens seemed to forget was that the people on that show were of legal drinking age that were held accountable for their own actions, so when they went out trying to mimic the cast members behavior they and their parents ended up in trouble. This supports my claim that some telev ision programs are for entertainment purposes because when things are imitated that shouldn’t be the consequences are much worse in real life than they are on the show.I also feel as though the time people spend watching television could be spent doing more productive things such as exercising, working, reading, or having and actual conversation with someone. If people sent half as much time doing things like that as they do watching and recording their favorite shows I think people would be a lot healthier and happier. In my opinion watching television is like a double-edged sword. Watching television sometimes for entertainment purposes is a good way to relax and connect with friends and family.I think the trouble happens when people become consumed with their favorite shows and totally disconnect from the real world. I admit. There have been a few times when I have been doing something and I just dropped everything because I knew the season premiere of my favorite show wou ld be starting son. But some people drop everything for every episode of their favorite show. That kind of behavior can actually hurt relationships because no one wants to be constantly tuned out by a show that will most likely come on multiple times within the next few days.I think until someone does some sort of definitive research on whether or not watching television makes a person smarter, this will be an ongoing debate. Things like remote devices that can control any television aren’t going to change people’s opinions. If anything it will only make them feel angry towards the people trying to control a part of their lives. Television just like anything else in the world has its positive and negative points. I just don’t think one of those positives is making people smarter.

Should You Speak Your Mind on an Important Point If You Know It Will Upset Your Manager

Should you speak your mind on an important point if you know it will upset your manager or should you hold back your thoughts in the name of making a good impression? Explain your answer. Response: Speaking from experience, as I am currently a consultant and have been a Fielding Director, Program Manager and a team lead as well as spending 20 years in the U. S. Navy; this question hits very close to home. I have made a living on speaking my mind and being completely honest.I am well known for always telling the truth whether it gains me something or not. However, I have learned in the last 10 years since I have retired, speaking your mind is great but there is a time and place for it. The first and foremost is don’t ever embarrass your boss. It’s ok to speak your mind but make it the correct time and place because if you embarrass your boss, even if you are correct in what you are saying, you are wrong for doing it.I have learned over the years that speaking your mind, while it may upset your boss at the beginning, if you do it with professionalism it will always work out. You also have to learn to sometimes agree to disagree. Meaning if they heard what you said but still are not going to go in the direction you feel it should go, learn to let it go. So my response is yes; it’s ok to speak your mind at the risk of upsetting your boss but learn to pick your battles and never embarrass your boss.

The Use of Listing in Composition

The Use of Listing in Composition In composition, listing is a discovery (or prewriting) strategy in which the writer develops a list of words and phrases, images and ideas. The list may be ordered or unordered. Listing can help overcome writers block and lead to the discovery, focusing, and development of a topic. In developing a list, observes Ronald T. Kellogg, [s]pecific relations to previous or subsequent ideas may or may not be noted. The order in which the ideas are placed in the list can reflect, sometimes after several attempts to build the list, the order needed for the text (The Psychology of Writing, 1994). How to Use Listing Listing is probably the simplest prewriting strategy and is usually the first method writers use to generate ideas. Listing means exactly what the name implies- listing your ideas and experiences. First set a time limit for this activity; 5-10 minutes is more than enough. Then write down as many ideas as you can without stopping to analyze any of them. . . . After you have generated your list of topics, review the list and pick one item that you might like to write about. Now youre ready for the next listing; this time, create a topic-specific list in which you write down as many ideas as you can about the one topic you have selected. This list will help you look for a focus for your...paragraph. Dont stop to analyze any of the ideas. Your goal is to free your mind, so dont worry if you feel youre rambling.(Luis Nazario, Deborah Borchers, and William Lewis, Bridges to Better Writing. Wadsworth, 2010) Example Like brainstorming, listing involves the unmonitored generation of words, phrases, and ideas. Listing offers another way of producing concepts and sources for further thought, exploration, and speculation. Listing is distinct from freewriting and brainstorming in that students generate only words and phrases, which can be classified and organized, if only in a sketchy way. Consider the case of a postsecondary academic ESL writing course in which students are first asked to develop a topic related to modern college life and then to compose a letter or editorial piece on the subject. One of the broad topics that emerged in freewriting and brainstorming sessions was The Benefits and Challenges of Being a College Student. This simple stimulus generated the following list: Benefitsindependenceliving away from homefreedom to come and golearning responsibilitynew friendsChallengesfinancial and social responsibilitiespaying billsmanaging timemaking new friendspracticing good study habits The items in this preliminary list overlap considerably. Nonetheless, such a list can offer students concrete ideas for narrowing a broad topic to a manageable scope and for selecting a meaningful direction for their writing. (Dana Ferris and John Hedgcock, Teaching ESL Composition: Purpose, Process, and Practice, 2nd ed.Lawrence Erlbaum, 2005) An Observation Chart A type of list that seems especially appropriate for poetry writing instruction is the observation chart, in which the writer makes five columns (one for each of the five senses) and lists all the sensory images associated with the topic. Composition instructor Ed Reynolds [in Confidence in Writing, 1991] writes: Its columns force you to pay attention to all of your senses, so it can help you do a more thorough, specific observation. We are accustomed to relying on our sight, but smells, tastes, sounds, and touch can sometimes give us more important information about a subject. (Tom C. Hunley, Teaching Poetry Writing: A Five-Canon Approach. Multilingual Matters, 2007) Pre-Writing Strategies ExpeditioList, Listicle, and SeriesOutline

Analysis of Investment Proposition on Cochlear Limited

Cochlear Limited is a biotechnology-based company with listings in the Australian Securities Exchange and global operations in all five continents. CEO Chris Smith heads the company with its board of directors headed by Chairman Rick Holiday-Smith (Cochlear.com. 2016). Cochlear Limited provides hearing solutions through its implantable surgical and non-surgical hearing products. The company has extensive sets of patents and applications numbering over 1000 upon hearing aid and sound processing technology. The company’s major manufacturing base is located in Australia and Sweden while supplies and distribution chains in over 100 countries with its headquarters located in Sydney (Cochlear.com. 2016). The company’s global operations are mainly segmented onto three different sets of geographical areas comprising of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Americas (both North America and Latin America) and Asia Pacific. The company generated a revenue of A$ 925 million for th e financial period ended 31.12.2016 (Markets.ft.com. 2016).   The company provides solutions ranging from minimal degree of hearing constraints to sensory-neural hearing loss. Its primary products comprises of cochlear implants, bone conduction implants and acoustic implant solutions. In terms of its products that are to be surgically implanted, Nuclear 6 is of primary significance owing to its ability to restore hear-ability in cases of complete hearing loss in both ears. The Cochlear Hybrid offered by the company provides hearing solutions for people unable to hear high frequency sounds through providing simulations using electronic synapses. The Hybrid processor offered by Cochlear assimilates and synthesizes external sounds and converts them into electrical and acoustics outputs for the patient’s ears.   The company develops the Cochlear Baha by taking into account people with high quantum of conductive hearing loss and one-sided deafness. Baha comprises of titanium hearing aids that are implanted surgically at the back of patientà ¢â‚¬â„¢s ears (Bloomberg.com. 2016). In terms of revenue generation, the company has displayed steady growth over the past four financial periods with reported revenues of A$ 752.72 million for 2012-13, A$ 804.94 million for 2013-14, A$ 925.63 million for 2014-15 (Markets.ft.com. 2016).The revenues for the period 2015-16 was to the tune of A$ 1.13 billion. The revenues generated in the current year displayed a increase of 22.14% over the past year, thereby highlighting efficient sales management and product pricing strategy. The forecasted revenues for the years 2017 and 2018 stands at 1.244 billion and 1.37 billion respectively at the average growth rate of 10.17%. Figure 1: Current and Prospective Revenues of Cochlear Limited The beta of a particular stock showcases the degree of volatility that the stock experiences as compared to prevalent market volatility. A beta that equals 1 displays same degree of risks as experienced by the market whereas a beta that is lower that 1 shows lesser degree of volatility and therefore is less susceptible to financial risks. On the other hand, a beta that is above 1 shows a high degree of volatility coupled with high prospects of returns. Figure 2: Stock price volatility between June 2016 and October 2016 Cochlear limited has a beta of 1.2, which specifies the fact that in case the financial markets raises by a margin of 100, the stocks of Cochlear will rise by 120. This also reiterates the fact that a fall in the market by margin of 100 will result in shares of Cochlear falling by 120 points. For investors that are seeking to earn high degree of returns, Cochlear presents prospective investments. Whereas in case of risk averse investors, including Cochlear in their investment portfolio may result in increasing the levels of portfolio risk The company has a market capitalization of A$ 7.234 billion as of October, 2016 with the total number of shares outstanding at 57.42 million. The company has an Altman Z Score of 2.989, thereby leading to an inference that the company is unlikely to be filing for bankruptcy in the near future based upon financial metrics. It is because an Altman score of 1.8 is considered the threshold below which the probability of filing for bankruptcy increases substantially. Whereas, on the other hand, a corporate entity with Z score of 3 or above has low or negligible probability of going bankrupt or filing for insolvency. Therefore, based on the parameters as regards to credit risks it can be construed that the company is likely to display satisfactory levels of solvency during the financial periods. Dividend yield is considered another parameter for taking investment decisions because of the fact that it displays whether the stocks of a particular company are overpriced or not. Hirshleifer, Hsu and Li (2013) mentions that stocks with high dividend yields are overpriced as compared to those having a low degree of dividend yields. Risk averse investors seek investments with low dividend yield thereby at a dividend yield of 1.8% it can be inferred that the stocks of Cochlear are underpriced. However, at dividend of A$ 1.2 for each outstanding share it can be displayed that for investors seeking returns from their investment in Cochlear, the company’s stocks are not an attractive proposition. The analysis upon the revenue generating capability of Cochlear Limited shows that at average revenue growth of over 10% the company has efficient operations and sales management. The genre of providing hearing aid solutions has lesser degree of competition for Cochlear globally. The Altman Z score of nearly 3 shows the fact that the company has virtually negligible risks of going bankrupt. Thereby, investors can be advised towards including shares of Cochlear onto their investment portfolio based upon their degree of solvency. Moreover, analysis of the stock’s beta, belonging to Cochlear, shows that the beta stands at 1.2 which therefore displays the fact that the company’s stocks are subjected to high degree of volatility. Based solely on the beta levels it can be construed that the stocks posses high degree of risks with probability of gaining high degree of returns. Overall, judging by the different sets of parameters it can be concluded that in case of investors seeking lesser degree of risks in their investments Cochlear can be construed as a attractive investment proposition. This is owing to high revenue growth, satisfactory levels of dividend yield and sustainable degree of returns despite a beta of above 1. Allen, E.J., Larson, C.R. and Sloan, R.G., 2013. Accrual reversals, earnings and stock returns.  Journal of Accounting and Economics,  56(1), pp.113-129. Bloomberg.com. (2016). COH:ASE Stock Quote - Cochlear Ltd. [online] Available at: https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/COH:AU [Accessed 31 Oct. 2016]. Cochlear.com. (2016). Cochlear Hearing Implants | Official Website | Cochlear International. [online] Available at: https://www.cochlear.com/wps/wcm/connect/intl/home [Accessed 31 Oct. 2016]. Fama, E.F. and French, K.R., 2012. Size, value, and momentum in international stock returns.  Journal of financial economics,  105(3), pp.457-472. Google.ca. (2016). Cochlear Limited: ASX:COH quotes & news – Google Finance. [online] Available at: https://www.google.ca/finance?cid=671051 [Accessed 31 Oct. 2016]. Hirshleifer, D., Hsu, P.H. and Li, D., 2013. Innovative efficiency and stock returns.  Journal of Financial Economics,  107(3), pp.632-654. Intelligent Investor. (2016). COH. [online] Available at: https://www.intelligentinvestor.com.au/company/Cochlear-Limited-COH-249441 [Accessed 31 Oct. 2016]. Markets.ft.com. (2016). Cochlear Ltd, COH:ASX summary - FT.com. [online] Available at: https://markets.ft.com/data/equities/tearsheet/summary?s=COH:ASX [Accessed 31 Oct. 2016]. Sorescu, A. and Sorescu, S.M., 2016. Customer Satisfaction and Long-Term Stock Returns.  Journal of Marketing,  80(5), pp.110-115. Getting academic assistance from

Six Principles by Morgenthau Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Six Principles by Morgenthau - Essay Example Morgenthau’s work â€Å"Principles of Political Realism: A Masculine Perspective?† gives six philosophic concepts of modern realism in the world, which include the importance of objectivity or rationality of decisions and interest defined in terms of power that brings rational order into politics, which is void of any emotions. The principles also describe power as an objective category that is universally legitimate, not without a fixed meaning assigned to it, and recognizes the tension that can be felt between the moral command and what may be required for a viable and triumphant political action. Morgenthau argues there are moral laws that preside over the world but being self-centred saves human beings from the excesses of morals and political idiocy. According to Tickner, the argument by Morgenthau is just a small argument of the description of international politics as it is based on assumption of the nature of human beings that are skewed towards a male point of view. Therefore as a feminist, Tickner argues that it is difficult to find a common and objective foundation for knowledge and that knowledge is only constructed socially. Consequently, the author castoffs the disagreement that supports self-sufficiency of the social sphere, arguing that personal is political. As a feminist reformulation of Morgenthau’s work, Tickner argues that there should be a dynamic objectivity that offers a more connected view of objectivity with less chance for domination and national interest is defined contextually and multi-dimensionally (Art and Jervis 22-34). Power that is in the world should not be fused with a meaning that is universally accepted and all political actions must bear moral significances. Tickner proposes that common moral elements inherent in the aspirations of human beings should be put into place in solving international conflicts and build an international community. Question Two Globalization has come with different impacts on developing nations due to the increased reliance on market driven economy currently present in the world coupled with renewed growth of private capital and other resources. The World Bank through its structural adjustment programs and other international organizations has also played role spreading globalization in developing countries. Globalization has come with it several opportunities to the developing countries as they are now able to access the markets in the developed nations plus the advantage of transfers in technology that is translated into improved productivity and living standards. However, globalization has also brought with it challenges like the increase in inequality amongst citizens in a nation, volatility in the financial markets and environmental concerns such as degradation and deterioration of the environment. Globalization may also not benefit developing countries as most of them are always removed from the process of globalizing their markets either through barriers such as trade barriers. In India, globalization has had the effect of intensifying interdependence and competition between it and other markets within the world. The increased trade in goods and services as well as services and the movement of capital can show the interdependence from one market to the other. The result of this is that domestic economic developments in the economy are not only determined by domestic policies and market conditions but also international policies. The effect of this is that most developing nations including India lose their domestic policy-making autonomy, as the policies they make must be in consonance with