Arts Essays

Arts Essays Arts Paper Arts Paper Over the past few months, the media has drawn attention to the inhumane treatment of women in many Muslim societies.As a result of an influx of technological advances, Muslims societies are more aware of customs in other cultures.This awareness is slowly changing many Muslim beliefs.The atrocities that are portrayed by way of the media often represent extreme and isolated events, thereby depicting the plight of women as more harsh and widespread than it may actually be. The Muslim culture considers women to be inferior to men; women have been treated like second-class citizens for centuries.Many Muslims believe that a man is superior to a woman in both intellect and spirituality.This custom is based on verses from the Quran (Koran), the following verse reinforces these views.Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath men the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women) (Yusufali 4: 34). Muslim women are often referred to as s hadows, because they rarely speak and are seldom seen.It is held that a womans place is home, where she can pray frequently.Because it is considered shameful for a woman to expose any part of her body publicly, she covers her face and body with what is referred to as a burqa during the isolated occasions where she leaves her home.It is believed that a woman who is lacking beauty will not sexually temp a man, for this reason, some societies will allow her to expose her face.It is an honor to be chosen as a Muslim wife, for this honor, a wife is expected to strive to please her husband.Traditionally, Muslim women are raised to be completely submissive to their husbands.The wishes of a husband must never be denied, doing so could result in a beating.A man has the legal right to beat his wife if she violates any of the

Aitken Spence Hotel

Aitken Spence Hotel The situation The Aitken Spencer hotel is a successful project that has achieved its purpose and goals beyond the initial expectations. Like many projects undertaken in ecologically sensitive places, the project initially generated controversy and invoked resistance among the population of Kandalama community.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Aitken Spence Hotel specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, the current picture speaks differently about the attitude of the people of Kandalama towards the projects and the awards and recognitions too are a proof that the hotel has lived to its pre construction billing as environmental friendly. The hotel has engaged the surrounding community in different ways which has won their trust and ensured continued support. Corporate social responsibility activities like characterize the current partnership between the people and the project management. First priority job offers to the local youths, scholarships and study centers have ensured the villagers gain first hand from hotel business. Also, the fact that minimal environmental damage has occurred in the environment where the hotel is situated coupled with green waste management techniques have ensured critical support from the stakeholders including employees and even guests. The hotel looks set to continue with the policy of involving the locals in its operations and pursuing green initiatives to conserve the environment and also to cut costs involved in waste disposal. Different location Though there was minimal damage to the environment in Kandalama, the bottom-line remains that the advantages the environment has gained from the project far more exceeds the negative impacts. A different location in Sri Lanka could have undergone changes same way Kandalama did. The time and careful planning that the hotel management ensured minimal damage to the surrounding. The policies that were adopted ensured more merits than demerits for the environment. Given that people anywhere in the country could have raised objections to the environment, Aitken Spencer Hotel management could have made the same adjustments to suit to the community needs and concerns. Therefore, building the hotel anywhere else could have been beneficial to the environment.Advertising Looking for article on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, it is difficult to say for sure if the construction in another place could have been better. The current situation in Kandalama is good. The policies and management practices that have been adopted by the hotel leadership could have been applied in another place just like Kandalama. Improved Quality of Life The construction of the hotel came with many advantages for the locals than they had anticipated. The social and community development initiatives that the hotel management put in place helped in greatly turning around the lives of the villagers in Kandalama (Geok Buche, 2008, p 8). The strategies targeted sustainability by focusing on quality, productivity and corporate social responsibility. The quality of life has further been boosted by the bottom up approach with heavy grassroots involvement. The Social and Environmental committee of the hotel implemented projects that touched on public works, education, healthcare, community projects and the environment. Many locals have secured employment, their literacy levels have improved and the environment is still preserved. Perhaps the biggest benefit that the people of Kandalama have had so far is the employment that has come with the setting up of the hotel. The resort has in place a policy to recruit 60% of its staff locally from a radius of 35 miles. Some of the locals who had joined the business in its early days have even risen to the rank of managers giving it a strong local feel on the staff. Locals now enjoy better roads built through the funds contributed by the hotel. There is plenty of water available to schools through the wells drilled by the resort’s support. The village population and the schools also enjoy electricity that was brought to the area thanks to the construction of the hotel. Provision of healthcare is another benefit that the people have enjoyed from establishment of the Hotel in Kandalama. The local population has benefited from the donation of numerous pairs of spectacles by the hotel. Besides, there have been various health campaigns involving glaucoma testing, blood donations and major hospitals repairs thanks to the donations of the Kandalama resort (Geok Buche, 2008, p 8). Before its establishment, the local population faired badly in their international language skills especially English. However that did not deter the management from employing the locals while providing them with the necessary assistance to learn the language.Advertising We w ill write a custom article sample on Aitken Spence Hotel specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Educational facilities that have been developed include libraries, an English Language training centre and also a home science theatre. Locals have enrolled in these centers where they are trained in different disciplines equipping them with the necessary skills to work in the hotel and elsewhere. Besides, there have been donations of books, toys and other supplies and equipment. They have employed professionals to coach for sports and sports (Geok Buche, 2008, p 8). Various sponsorships of exhibitions, debates and art competitions while providing schools with maintainace and repairs grants (Geok Buche, 2008, p 8). Community projects focusing on the sensitive and social needs of the community of Kandalama have been commissioned by the hotel, greatly improving the lives of the people. Charitable events such as clean up campaigns, hosting of orphans and disabled people and soldiers from the Sri Lankan war have characterized the community activities that have impacted widely on the community. There are also the donations of housing equipment to the poor, building houses for homeless villagers, and provision of maintainace to building works to temples and other public places. The environment that had generated controversy at the beginning of the projects was also given priority. Besides the locals enjoying the benefits highlighted above, there environment got constant care through the hotels, corporate social responsibility initiatives. The main advantage here is the continuous monitoring of the environment that did not exist before, a boost to the people who rely on it for their survivals and religious needs. The archaeological reserves have been cleaned up while more trees have been donated and planted in the available spaces of the forest. The local population has gained through continuous education on environmental awareness by holding events in public schools. The waste that used to be disposed wholly is now turned into composite waste through the 3R’s and 7R’s management systems (Geok Buche, 2008, p 9).Advertising Looking for article on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There are other cash donations that from the hotel guests and management to the local community. Other items that have been donated include lunch packets for the needy people and for school children, curtains and mattresses to hospitals, roofing materials for families and hospitals. Effectiveness of the Environmental protection systems The success of any environment protection measures can only be determined if its judged against the original concerns, how they were addressed and how the outcomes were. The concerns were; deforestation, soil erosion and increase in the production of solid waste in the environment. Very few trees were cut to make way for the construction of the hotel In fact the architect had to modify the hotel design to make sure very few trees were cut during the construction. There were no trees cut. Where necessary, trees were relocated using the â€Å"the root ball† technique that ensured trees survived in their new locations (Geok Buche, 2008, p 4). Wat er did not reduce in the village since forests were not destroyed and the architect’s decided to sink tube wells to access ground water. Even then caution was taken to ensure the vibrations did not harm the environment in any way, especially the soil. This water proved much easier to treat and was a lot more pure which required less energy to treat. Waste management was one of the areas where success was recorded. Initially the focus was on the 3R techniques while later on, the focus shifted to the 7R technique. Through these techniques, recycling has ensured the Kandalama place is solid waste free and almost 100% of the refuse is reused or processes to more useful forms of waste that is beneficial to the community. Hypothesis â€Å"Building the Aitken Spence Hotel increased tourism while having little impact on the local environment and improving the local economy.† The above statement pretty much summarizes the whole case study about the Kandalama resort. Tourism in the Kandalama and Sri Lanka in general increased after the lull in violence and the construction of facilities like the Kandalama Hotel. Many guests arrived in Sri Lanka and used the facility a clear sign that tourism improved after the construction. For instance, there was a group of 135 guests from Lebanon who had visited the place and greatly helped in renovating a school besides donating money to support it. The environment suffered little damage and the waste management initiatives taken after the hotel started its operations ensured an almost zero negative impact on the environment. No trees were cut during and after the construction. The tank that supplied water to the farmers was spared as the hotel sought alternative means of obtaining water and the sacred places of the Monks and Buddhists were unaffected during and after the construction (Geok Buche, 2008, p 5). There was no waste dumped in the village since all was recycled or reused in the hotel and the village. The hot el management formed various committees that sought environmental friendly practices on areas such as water usage, air and sound pollution, solid waste management, ecosystem management and social and cultural development (Geok Buche, 2008, p 8). These committees were responsible for the positive developments that the environment underwent during the construction and after the completion of the project. An environmental management system was integrated into the hotel’s operations and financial management systems highlighting the importance of conserving the environment to the managers and staff. They were trained to incorporate environment conservation into their daily routines (Geok Buche, 2008, p 8). The local economy too improved tremendously after the hotel was constructed in Kandalama. Many youths from the village secured jobs while access to basic amenities like electricity and water was improved. Basic infrastructure like roads, schools and hospitals greatly improved the literacy an d health of the population that in turn helped boost the economy of the region (Geok Buche, 2008, p 9). SWOT Analysis A SWOT analysis on the Kandalama hotel is necessary to shed some light on the direction and future of the business in Sri Lanka. Strengths There are many advantages that play to the hotel’s favor and which easily gives the business an upper hand in the tourism sector in Kandalama and the country generally. The friendliness of the surrounding community towards the business is one such advantage. Initially the people were opposed to the project on the grounds that it was going disrupt the natural system and the way of life of the people. However, their change of heart and eventual embracing of the business became a plus to the hotel. The locals were happy with the integration strategies and community development initiatives that the management pursued. Any expansion plans the business may have are therefore likely to enjoy goodwill from the comm unity given that they have already proves their worthiness. The green initiatives put in place to manage the environment are also another strength that Kandalama hotel enjoys in the area. They have helped the hotel cut costs in waste management practices and also helped in the conservation of the environment. Any project they may have on the cards will not depend on initiatives that will start from scratch hence a strength that can be utilized. Weaknesses Though the hotel has many advantages, some factors may not play to its favor. There is risk of creating overdependence among the surrounding population. Any withdrawal of the policies that the locals consider beneficial to them may lead to a backlash. It will be difficult to change the policies that benefit whether they make business sense or not. Compared to other hotels that have not deeply integrated with the surrounding population and can therefore make decisions without fear of backlash, Kandalama hotel is at a disadvantage. O pportunities There are many spots in the country that are underdeveloped or completely undeveloped and offer good prospects for tourists. The hotel can develop the vast areas of the country that have tourism potential. Because of the success of the project, the authorities are likely to agree to such a project. Threats Though conserving the environment, there is a threat of the environmental factors dictating the direction of the business too much. It is almost impossible for hotel management to modify the hotel by eliminating part of the environment where it stands, even if the modification is absolutely necessary. Conclusion The construction of Kandalama hotel can be termed as a success and an exemplary way of involving corporate socials responsibility and business. Its serves to demonstrate how businesses can involve the population to ensure success is achieved and both financial and social goals are achieved. Reference Geok, B Buche, I. (2008). Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings Plc of Sri Lanka: A sustainable tourism as competitive strategy (B). Heritance Kandalama: Asian Business Centre.

Behaviouralism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Behaviouralism - Essay Example All throughout its short history, behaviouralism and the definitions appended to it had always caused disagreements and confusion. Waldo for instance, stated that the even the concept itself emerged as confounding and vague.2 Easton admitted that those who endeavoured to define the idea only strove to bestow it his own personal definition3 and concluded that it was useless to classify behaviouralism using a definite categorization system4. A similar warning has been put forth by David Truman who argued that those who generalise the definition of behaviouralism commit blunders, as the concept was a rebellion against orthodox methodologies utilised in the study of politics.5 This is the difficulty in interpreting the meaning of behaviouralism, since authorities, to whom we can always base our interpretations, on this concept abound.6 The confusion brought about by the definition or the lack of it, led many to contend that behaviouralism did not seem to exist, at all. ... dedness'.7 The term itself became more associated with various scholars, majority of them Americans, who showed disappointment on the achievements of orthodox political science, which based its study on history, philosophy and the 'descriptive-institutional approach'.8 These 'rebels' in the field asserted that other approach could either subsist or could be advanced in order to assist political science in providing it empirical methodology and systematic theories which would employ close, direct and 'rigorously controlled observations of political events'.9 At this time, the concept of political behaviour became more familiar after Charles E. Merriam initiated the call for research in this field. The call also included those involved in the study of political behaviour referred to as 'behaviouralists' although there were those who were more comfortable being labelled with the expression 'behaviourist'.10 However, David Easton insisted that it was significant to discriminate the 'beha viouralists' from the 'behaviourists'.11 The development of the concept spread more rapidly near the end of the 1940's and the start of the 50's, its period of rapid emergence and propagation. American political scientists of the era began to draw their theories and thoughts on these experiences. 12 Writings and literature on the subject continued to appear in the first half of the 20th century.13 In his book, Dwight Waldo first used the word 'behaviouralism' in the introductory text but there existed a few who used it much earlier. Scholars and political scientists began to use the expression more widely after 1956.14 However, the concept became more popular as more works appeared in that era in which the term 'behaviouralism' was mentioned in various publications. Critics against

Jet Star Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Jet Star - Essay Example The research shows that the core product offered by Jetstar, is low cost fares without compromising on quality. This has been successful so far, largely due to an operational model which consists of a network of point to point services. Via a SWOT analysis, it was found that the strengths of the company centre on its product range, affiliation with Qantas and expansion through joint ventures. Weaknesses centre on negative customer reviews, reputation issues and poor employee relations. It was found that the threats to the company primarily surround its competitors; Tiger Airways and Virgin Australia, as they offer a similar product. The opportunities available to Jetstar currently centre on market opportunities and growth, potential Asian customers and an increasing consumer reliance on the internet. It is recommended that in order for continued market success, the company focus on service and reliability at a low price, in order to increase their customer base and differentiate themselves from competitors. It is also recommended that the company expand further within Asia and develop and a loyalty program. This report finds that Jetsar Airlines currently enjoy a lucrative position within its domestic market, with strong potential to enjoy success internationally. The product offered by the company, that of low-cost fares without compromising on quality has so far been received well by the consumer. This has also been supplemented by a range of other products. Using Jetstar.com as the single distribution channel for the company has also been successful, due to the ever increasing numbers of consumers which are using the internet. As the external analysis highlights, the competitor situation for Jetstar primarily focuses on Tiger Airways and Virgin Australia, as both airlines offer a similar low-cost product. However, the macro-environmental situation for the company appears extremely positive due to its healthy domestic

Compare and contrast the responses of Japan, China, and India to Essay

Compare and contrast the responses of Japan, China, and India to Western Imperialism - Essay Example China sort of made the rules and had the technology and was powerful, so they were able to fend off Western intervention for a long time. But when their defenses finally broke down in the nineteenth century, China collapsed. Japan fended it off almost entirely. That's why Japan is the one area of the Third World that developed. That's striking. The one part of the Third World that wasn't colonized is the one part that's part of the industrialized world. That's not by accident† (Chomsky, 1993). India, China and Japan demonstrate that there is a direct correlation between degree of involvement and colonization and ultimate success. India is the most colonized of the three: It was largely controlled by the British by the 1700s (Keay, 2001; Chomsky, 1993). In the 16th century, it was already dealing with extensive incursions from Portugal, the Netherlands, France and Britain, and the Europeans eventually emerged victorious over Muslim and Hindu kings, with the East India Company ta king much of the country's control until the Sepoy Mutiny brought it under direct control of the crown (Keay, 2001, 250-500). India is a very complex country: A leader of the non-aligned movement, one that tried to balance between Communism and capitalism, Leninism and free markets... (Khilnani, 1999). Nonetheless, it was in many ways uniquely devastated by colonization. It had burgeoning industries of large-scale sophistication, with good quality in crops and shipbuilding and prosperity in many ways comparable to the Europeans (Keay, 2001; Chomsky, 1993). That was consciously destroyed. The result is that â€Å"India's rural landscape looks rather different from that of most tropical ex-colonies† (Keay, 2001, 448). Two crops were developed, indigo and poppy, across the country, and tea and cotton is still grown in Assam and Kerala, but in most areas, small cottages still produce without much capitalization or integration (Keay, 2001, 448-449). Nehru, in a review of Indian de velopment, found a direct correlation between poverty and length of European control: â€Å" When the British first moved into Bengal, it was one of the richest places in the world. The first British merchant warriors described it as a paradise. That area is now Bangladesh and Calcutta—the very symbols of despair and hopelessness† (Chomsky, 1994, 56). Of course, it's an important point to make that at least in India, the native population wasn't simply exterminated, like in North America. India is a growing economy now, but with a billion people, it is still nowhere near as prosperous as countries with one-fifth or less of its population size. In 2009, the United States had $45,989 per capita, the UK had $35,165 and India had $1,134. For comparison, China has $3,744 GDP per capita and Japan $39,738 (World Bank, 2009). Per capita income variation among these three countries is thirty fold: India was totally integrated and is now a Third World country; China resisted to some extent and is a Second World country; and Japan kept the Europeans at bay almost entirely and is a First World country. India was explored because of tea, cotton, indigo, and for the standard reasons for colonization: A market for cheap goods and cheap employment (Keay, 2001). However, unlike many other colonies, India was also colonized to destroy its native industries so as to prevent competition (Chomsky, 1993). Meanwhile, China was not fully colonized, but major efforts were made

Gibbs-Donnan Effect on Resting Membrane Potential

Gibbs-Donnan Effect on Resting Membrane Potential How the Gibbs-Donnan equilibrium conditions and diffusion through a semipermeable membrane are involved in creating the resting membrane potential Introduction The resting membrane potential (RMP) is an electrical potential difference in cells, occurring across their plasma membranes. The cytoplasm of the cell is electrically negative in comparison to the surrounding extracellular fluid, this difference in electrical charge gives rise to the RMP. The RMP is essential for the functioning of many electrically excitable cells including, neuronal cells, smooth and skeletal muscle cells, as well as cardiac myocytes, which through electrical impulses control the contractility of the heart. During this essay the generation of the resting membrane potential will be explored, including the effects of the Gibbs-Donnan equilibrium conditions, the structure and function of the plasma membrane, and how, with the diffusion of ions through a semi permeable membrane they give rise to the RMP. (Levy, N. et al.2006) Plasma Membrane The plasma membrane asserts tight control over the interstitial environment of the cell, this is achieved through the formation of a phospholipid bilayer containing protein constituents (ref). Phospholipids are distributed into two leaflets within the bilayer, with the hydrophobic portions facing inwards and the hydrophilic tails of the phospholipids facing the aqueous environment, the presence of phospholipids give the membrane its capacitance. Integral membrane proteins and ion channel proteins span the length of the membrane, like that of the Na+-K+ pump and Sodium-Potassium leak channels discussed later, which aid in the conductance of the cell membrane. The inter and extracellular surfaces of the membrane are negatively charged, due to the presence of acidic phospholipids and the anionic nature of proteins at biological pH, this negative charge on the outer membranes with respect to extra and intracellular fluid is known as the zeta potential, which causes the formation of a sma ll electrical field (ref); This electrical field works to achieve electroneutrality with opposing charged particles, and by doing so aids in the formation of concentration gradients. Changes to surface charges within the plasma membrane, such as ionic concentrations, can therefore effect the resting membrane potential and the ability of a cell to reach threshold (Sperelakis, N. 1998). Concentration gradient and Electrical Potential To understand how the flow of ions contribute to the RMP, the formation of a concentration gradient and electrical potential must first be understood. Molecules diffuse from an area of high concentration to an area of lower concentration, if two aqueous compartments separated by a membrane were formed, containing equal concentrations of the X molecule then no diffusion would occur between compartments (Figure 1). However if the concentration of X increased in compartment A, then the ion would flow down its concentration gradient into compartment B until equilibrium is reached between compartments. However diffusion is more complexed in biological compartments as ions are found in the form of cations and anions. If an X+ion was placed in compartment A, which contained a higher concentration of X+than compartment B, then X+ would again flow down its concentration gradient into compartment B, however X+ now also flows against its concentration gradient back into compartment A, due to th e electrical potential difference across the membrane, generated by the loss of cations from compartment A, causing an increase in negativity, and an increase in X+in compartment B, increasing electrical charge opposing cations (Figure 2); This movement of ions causes a potential difference to arise between compartments, increased movement of X+ down its concentration gradient, increases the potential difference, and decreases the ability of X+ to move against its electrical gradients, thus an equilibrium is reached between the concentration gradient and electrical gradient, known as the equilibrium potential (Aidley, D.1989). Gibbs-Donnan Equilibrium The cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells contain permeable ions as well as many impermeable ionised molecules that cannot penetrate the cell membrane, such as proteins, nucleic acids and glycoproteins. Many of these intracellular molecules are negatively charged at physiological pH, causing a notable effect on the concentration gradient and electrical potential of permeable cations and anions across the plasma membrane. The effect of impermeable intracellular anionic molecules therefore influences the resting membrane potential, this is known as a Gibbs-Donnan equilibrium. Again consider two aqueous compartments separated by a semi permeable membrane, compartment A contains Na+ and proteins (Pr-), compartment B contains Na+ and Cl- (Figure 3a). The semi permeable membrane is permeable to Na+, Cl- and Water but impermeable to Pr-. Compartment A and B contain 0.1 molar solutions of Na protinate and NaCl respectively, as the concentration of Cl- is higher in compartment B it diffuses down its concentration gradient into compartment A, this is turn causes the creation of an electrical potential as compartment A increases in negativity due to the anionic properties of Cl-, prompting a flux of K+ down its electrical gradient from compartment B to A. Equilibrium will eventually occur between compartments so that the concentration of Na+ and Cl- are equal (Figure 3b): [Na+]A[Cl-]A= [Na+]B[Cl-]B This is known as Gibbs-Donnan equilibrium conditions (Sperelakis, N.1998). However it must be noted from the equations that only the permeate ions satisfy the gibbs-donnan equilibrium conditions, the impermeable Pr- are not included as they are unable to diffuse and reach equilibrium (Sperelakis, N.1998). Applying the Nernst equation for either Na+ or Cl- results in a negative electrical potential, this is due to the impermeable protein ions in chamber A (Sperelakis, N.1998), these negative impermeable intracellular anions therefore contribute to the negativity of the cytoplasm in relation to the extracellular fluid, contributing to the resting membrane potential (Donnan, F). Another property of Gibbs-Donnan equilibria should be noted, looking at figure 3b it can be seen that the net concentration of NaCl in chamber A is greater than that of chamber B, this is due to the presence of protein anions in chamber A when establishing electrochemical equilibrium between ions, and is a general property of Gibbs-Donnan equilibria (Levy, N. et al.2006). Finally it is important to mention the equilibrium state of water, as previously mentioned chamber A contains a higher concentration of ions than chamber B, therefore there is a large osmotic gradient between the two chambers; This leads to a flux of water from chamber B to A, however, the osmotic effects of water influx on chamber A acts to dilute ion concentrations building up within the chamber, therefore hydrostatic pressure in chamber A would be insufficient to oppose water influx, leading to a depletion of water and NaCl ions from chamber B (Sperelakis, N.1998); However this situation does not resemble true Gi bbs-Donnan equilibrium conditions, where by the build up of osmotic pressure in chamber A would resist the further osmotic influx of water, resulting in swelling of the chamber, if it were to be enclosed, such as a living cell (Sperelakis, N.1998). If unopposed gibbs-donnan equilibrium would cause the cytoplasm of living cells to have an osmotic pressure greater than that of the surrounding extracellular fluid, as water enters cells, control over cell volume may be lost (Sperelakis, N.1998). However this is not the case due to the cells ability to transport ions (Levy, N. et al.2006). Ion transport The resting membrane potential within skeletal muscle cells is around -80mV, this is due to the differing ion concentrations between the cytoplasm and surrounding extracellular fluid (ref), this difference in ion concentrations is maintained by the active transport of ions against there electrochemical gradient, powered by metabolic energy (ref). The ion pump of most importance to preserving potential difference across the cell membrane is the Na+/K+ATPase, this pumps out three Na+ in exchange for two extracellular K+, through the hydrolysis of a membrane bound ATPase, this ratio of 3:2 leaves the cytoplasm negative in respect to the extracellular fluid, and is therefore termed an electrogenic pump (Huang, F.et al.2009). Although the Na+/K+ATPase is responsible for only a small amount of the RMP between 12-16mV in skeletal myoblasts (Sperelakis, N.1998), overtime inhibition can lead to lack of cell excitability due to the accumulation of small depolarisations. Ion Diffusion To understand how Na+, K+ diffuse across the plasma membrane causing the RMP, their intra and extracellular concentrations must be established (Figure 4). Each ion is capable of establishing a RMP, therefore the potential depends on several factors, the permeability of the membrane to each ion, the intra and extracellular concentrations of each ion and the polarity of the ions (Guyton and Hall.2000). Firstly if the membrane is only permeable to a certain ion then that ion will be solely responsible for the generation of the RMP, for example, in a nerve fibre K+ concentration is greater in the cytoplasm than the extracellular fluid, if the membrane were only permeable to K+, then K+ would diffuse down its concentration gradient into the extracellular fluid until opposed by its electrical gradient, this would leave the cytoplasm with a negative charge of around -94mV with respect to the extracellular fluid, thus K+ would be responsible for a resting membrane potential of -94mV, as this is the Nernst potential for K+ (Guyton and Hall.2000). However the RMP cannot be caused by one ion alone, as the nerve cells has a RMP of -90mV, and the Nernsts potentials for K+ and Na+ are -94mV and +61mV respectively, therefore if the RMP was caused by one univalent ion it would be equal to that of their Nernst potential (Guyton and Hall.2000). Due to the Nernst potential of K+, it can be assumed that this ion is the major contributor to the RMP, the cytoplasmic concentration of K+ is 35times higher than that of its extracellular concentration, and it diffuses through the membrane via Potassium-Sodium leak channels in which its is 100 times more permeable to than Na+ (Guyton and Hall. 2000). However Na+ also contributes to the RMP by low amounts of Na+ diffusing through the Potassium-Sodium leak channels, this small amount of diffusion leads to a ratio of 0:1 Na+ in the cytoplasm to the extracellular fluid, giving a Nernst potential of +61mV (Guyton and Hall. 2000). Using the Nernst potentials for Na+ and k+ in theGoldman-Hodgkin-Katz equationtheir contribution to the RMP can be established, this results in an internal membrane potential of -86mV (Guyton and Hall. 2000). The remaining -4mV comes from the contribution of the previously mentioned electrogenic Na+-K+ pump, leading to a RMP of -90mV in nerve fibres (Guyton and Hall. 2000). Conclusion To conclude, the RMP arises due to a combination of several factors most of which have been covered in the preceding discussions. The cell membranes structural properties allow for the capacitance and conductance of electrical charges, as well as the generation of electrical fields due to the negatively charged outer membrane, this works to aid in the formation of concentration gradients by which ions flow. In the presence of ionic species which are unable to permeate the cell membrane, such as anionic intracellular proteins, a Gibbs-Donnan equilibrium occurs, in which the distribution of permeable ions favour the intracellular environment due to the presence of impermeable anionic molecules, this disruption of ionic concentrations across the plasma membrane coupled with the presence of impermeable anionic molecules, brings about a negative intracellular environment, and thus a potential difference across the membrane. However in a closed system such as the eukaryotic cell, the Gibbs -Donnan equilibrium leads to a greater intracellular osmotic pressure, if unopposed this would lead to a loss of control over cell volume, therefore ion transporters are in place to dissipate ion concentration, like that of the Na+-K+ ATPase. The exchange ratio of 3:2 potassium for sodium respectively, performed by the Na+-K+ ATPase also contributes to the electronegative intracellular environment, and thus the resting membrane potential. The major cause of the RMP is however down to the diffusion of potassium into the extracellular fluid via Sodium-Potassium leak channels, coupled with the low extracellular diffusion of sodium and the aforementioned Na+-K+ ATPase and Gibbs-Donnan equilibrium conditions, the resting membrane potential is formed. References Sperelakis, N. 1998. Cell Physiology Source Book. Second edition. Californa: Academic Press. Aidley, D. 1989. The Physiology of Excitable Cells. Third Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Levy, N. et al. 2006. Principles of Physiology. Fourth edition. Philadelphia: Elsevier Mosby. Huang, F. el al. 2009. Distribution of the Na/K pumps turnover rates As a function of membrane potential, temperature, and ion concentration gradients and effect of fluctuations.Journal of Physical Chemistry B113(23), pp. 8096-8102.

Complex Visual Hallucinations and Macular Degeneration :: Optometry Psychiatry Neurology Essays

Complex Visual Hallucinations and Macular Degeneration Located in the center of the retina, the sensitive macula provides us with sight in the center of our field of vision. When we look directly at something, the macula allows us to see the fine details. This sharp, straight-ahead vision is necessary for driving, reading, recognizing faces, and doing close work, such as sewing. Macular degeneration is the impairment of this central macular area. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of vision loss in the Western world in the over 50 age group. It most commonly affects those of northern European descent and is uncommon in African-Americans and Hispanics. The prevalence increases with age. It affects about 15% of the population by age 55, and over 30% are affected by age 75 (Miller, 1992). In macular degeneration a layer beneath the retina, called the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), gradually wears out from its lifelong duties of disposing of retinal waste products. Eventually the capacity of the RPE layer to handle these metabolic products is overwhelmed and the RPE begins to degenerate (Miller, 1992). Other deep layers involved in development of macular degeneration are Bruch's membrane and the choroid layer. Additional factors that may hasten loss of the RPE layer, and the resulting degeneration of the central retina (macula) include hereditary factors, ultraviolet rays from sunlight, and blue iris color (more UV rays reach the retina in blue-eyed patients, probably because of the lower pigment density in the eye). There are basically two forms of macular degeneration. So-called dry (or atrophic) macular degeneration, which accounts for 90% of cases, is caused by the aging and thinning of the tissues of the macula (Miller, 1992). This type is characterized by tiny yellowish deposits under the macular part of the retina. These deposits are known as drusen and may increase in size and number over time. Areas of loss of retinal and RPE layers in the macula may gradually appear. Small clumps of brown pigment from the degenerating RPE layer also are commonly seen. The other major form of this disease is wet (or exudative macular degeneration) which is a much greater threat to vision loss even though it accounts for only 10% of cases. This type can be associated with a more sudden loss of vision due to leakage or bleeding under the macula from abnormal vessels, called the choriocapillaris, arising from one of the deeper layers.

Globalization and Perception on War

Globalization and International Organizations Assignment Submitted By A. S. M. Iqbal Bahar Rana. ID # 103-0007-085 MPPG Programme, North South University Date: 14. 11. 2011 Do you think the advent of information revolution has changed the way war is perceived by the West? If so, what are the implications of such changes for poorly-governed countries of the world? Introduction: The German philosopher Hegel held that revolutions are the locomotive of history. According to his theory, every social, political, and economic system builds up tensions and contradictions over time. Eventually these explode in revolution. One cannot create a revolution in the way that an architect designs a building. Nor is it possible to control revolutions like a conductor leads an orchestra. Revolutions are much too big and complex for that. Those who live in revolutionary times can only make a thousand small decisions and hope that they move history forward in the desired direction. Around the world today we see the growing sophistication and rapid international diffusion of powerful new information technologies, the mergers of huge communication empires, strategic alliances across borders, and the doubling of power and the halving of the price of computing every 18 months (Moore's Law). The Information Revolution, ethno-political conflicts, globalization — each of these three mega-trends is individually important for all nations' future; together, they are redefining the global context within which governments and citizens must make daily decisions in the years to come. Thus, their intersection should constitute a central concern of scholars, policy makers, and citizens. In an era of globalization, national security has a different meaning. Nation-states no longer have a monopoly on the means of coercion. Even if nuclear weapons had a deterrent value during the Cold War, today they have none as the causes of insecurity, more often than not, are economic collapse and internecine conflict, and not external aggression. The information age has revolutionized the instrument of soft power and the opportunities to apply them. The ability of a nation to project the appeal of its ideas, ideology, culture, economic model, and social and political institutions and to take advantage of its international business and telecommunications networks will leverage soft power. In simple terms, the information revolution is increasing inter-connectedness and escalating the pace of change in nearly every dimension of life. This, in turn, shapes the evolution of armed conflict. Whether in economics, politics, or war-fighting, those who are able to grasp the magnitude of this will be the best prepared to deal with it. The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in warfare scenarios has been of central interest to governments, intelligence agencies, computer scientists and security experts for the past two decades (Arquilla and Ronfeldt 1997; Campen and Dearth 1998; Singer 2009). . ICTs gave rise to the latest revolution in military affairs (RMA) by providing new tools and processes of waging war – like network-centric warfare (NCW), and integrated command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR). This RMA concerns in the premise of military forces, as they have to deal with â€Å"the 5th dimension of warfare, information, in addition to land, sea, air and space†. Classical Perception of War: Clausewitz is under significant challenge. It is clearly alive and well in the military colleges of Western states but outside these corridors other philosophies are in the ascendancy. A debate continues to rage over the extent to which Clausewitzean thinking is still relevant to today’s wars. From today’s vantage point, several developments have eroded the appeal and power of the political philosophy of war. First, the concept of the battlefield, so central to the way in which Clausewitz understood warfare, has dissolved. The 9/11 attacks, for instance, demonstrated that today’s battlegrounds might be Western (or other) cities while the US-led ‘War on Terror’ – now rebranded as the ‘long war’ – conceives of the battlefield as literally spanning the entire globe. In the future, however, battles are unlikely to be confined to planet Earth as the US in particular will be forced to militarize space in an effort to protect the satellites upon which its communication and information systems depend (Hirst 2002). Second, as the speeches of both Osama bin Laden and US President George W. Bush make clear, the leadership cadres on both sides of the ‘War on Terror’ have often rejected political narratives of warfare. Instead, they have adopted eschatological philosophies in their respective rallying cries for a global jihad and a just war against evildoers where ideology played a significant role in waging war. A third problem for advocates of the political philosophy and one which Clausewitz obviously never encountered is war involving information technology. Information technology brings the Finally, when confronted by ‘revolutionary’ wars which cry out for counterrevolutionary responses, Clausewitz’s injunction to destroy the military forces of the adversary is problematic not just because such ‘military forces’ are often indistinguishable from the local populace but also because one can never be sure they have been eliminated ‘unless one is ready to destroy a large portion of the population’ (Rapoport 1968: 53; see also Chapter 26, this volume). As we have seen, it is fair to say, however, that the political philosophy has been the most prominent in the traditionally Anglo-American-dominated field of security studies (on the ethnocentric tendencies of security studies see Booth 1979, Barkawi and Laffey 2006). All that can be said in general terms is that whatever approach to understanding warfare one chooses to adopt will have consequences, leading the analysis in certain directions and forsaking others. Within International Relations and security studies warfare has commonly been defined in ways that highlight its cultural, legal and political dimensions. Information Revolution and information Warfare: ICTs are used in several combat activities, from cyber attacks to the deployment of robotic weapons and the management of communications among the fighting units. Such a wide spectrum of uses makes it difficult to identify the peculiarities of this phenomenon. Help in respect to this will come from considering in more detail the different uses of ICTs in warfare. An attack on the information system called smurf attack is an implementation of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. A DDoS is a cyber attack whose aim is to disrupt the functionality of a computer, a network or a website. This form of attack was deployed in 2007 against institutional Estonian websites, and more recently similar attacks have been launched to block the Internet communication in Burma during the 2010 elections. The use of robotic weapons in the battlefield is another way to use ICTs in warfare. It is a growing phenomenon, coming to widespread public notice with US army, which deployed 150 robotic weapons in Iraq’s war in 2004, culminating in 12,000 robots by 2008. Nowadays, several armies around the world are developing and using tele-operated robotic weapons, they have been deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and more sophisticated machines are being used at the borders between Israel and Palestine in the so-called ‘automatic kill zone’. These robots are trusted to detect the presence of potential enemies and to mediate the action of the human soldiers and hence to fire on potential enemy’s targets when these are within the range patrolled by the robots. Several armies also invested their resources to deploy unmanned vehicles, like the MQ-1 predators, which have then been used to hit ground targets, and to develop unmanned combat air vehicles, which are designed to deliver weapons and can potentially act autonomously, like the EADS Barracuda, and the Northrop Grumman X-47B. One of the latest kinds of robotic weapon – SGR-A1 – has been deployed by South Korea to patrol the border with North Korea. This robot has low-light camera and pattern recognition software to distinguish humans from animals or other objects. It also has a color camera, which can locate a target up to 500 meters, and if necessary, can fire its built-in machine gun. Up until now, robotic weapons were tele-operated by militaries sitting miles away from the combat zone. Human were kept in the loop and were the ones who decided whether to shoot the target and to maneuver the robot on the battlefield. The case of SGR-A1 constitutes quite a novelty, as it has an automatic mode, in which it can open fire on the given target without waiting for the human soldier to validate the operation. Finally, the management of communication among the units of an army has been revolutionized radically by the use of ICTs. Communication is a very important aspect of warfare. It concerns the analysis of the enemy’s resources and strategy and the definition of an army’s own tactics on the battlefield. NCW and C4ISR represent a major revolution in this respect. An example of such revolution is the use of iPhone and Android devices. Today, the US army is testing the use of these devices to access intelligence data, display videos made by drones flying over the battlefields, constantly update maps and information on tactics and strategy, and, generally speaking, gather all the necessary information to overwhelm the enemy. Changing Nature of Conflict: States have been resilient in the face of technological change, and despite the increasingly rapid diffusion of information, states still shape the political space within which information flows (Keohane and Nye 1998; Herrera 2004). Yet state power has been diminished too. States have lost much of their control over monetary and fiscal policies, which are often dictated by global markets (Castells 1996, pp. 245, 254). The rapid movement of currency in and out of countries by currency speculators can extract a devastating cost on countries that do not have large currency reserves. States no longer monopolize scientific research. The Internet allows a global scientific community to exchange information on topics that can be easily exploited by terrorist organizations (Castells 1996, p. 125). The Internet has made it impossible for states, dictatorships as well as democracies, to monopolize the truth (Castells 1996, pp. 384, 486-487). Nor can they monopolize strategic information (Keohane and Nye 1998) – the information that confers great advantage only if competitors do not possess it – because states no longer control encryption technologies. Most critically, IT has made the most technologically advanced and powerful societies by traditional indices the most vulnerable to attack. A distinguishing hallmark of the information age is the â€Å"network,† which exploits the accessibility and availability of information, and computational and communicative speed, to organize and disseminate knowledge cheaply and efficiently (Harknett 2003). The strength of the network lies in its degree of connectivity. Connectivity can increase prosperity and military effectiveness, but it also creates vulnerabilities. Information-intensive military organizations are more vulnerable to information warfare because they are more information-dependent, while an adversary need not be information-dependent to disrupt the information lifeline of high-tech forces. Information-dependent societies are also more vulnerable to the infiltration of computer networks, databases, and the media, and to physical as well as cyber attacks on the very linkages upon which modern societies rely to function: communication, financial transaction, transportation, and energy resource networks. The same forces that have weakened states have empowered non-states. The information revolution has diffused and redistributed power to traditionally weaker actors. Terrorists have access to encryption technologies which increase their anonymity and make it difficult for states to disrupt and dismantle their operations. (Zanini and Edwards 2001, pp. 37-8) Global markets and the Internet make it possible to hire criminals, read about the design and dissemination of weapons of mass destruction, and coordinate international money laundering to finance nefarious activities (Kugler and Frost, eds. 001; Castells 2000, pp. 172, 180-182). Terrorists can now communicate with wider audiences and with each other over greater distances, recruit new members, and diffuse and control their operations more widely and from afar. Non-state actors also have increasing access to offensive information warfare capabilities because of their relative cheapness, accessibility and commercial origins (US GAO 1 996; Office of the Under Secretary for Defense for Acquisition and Technology 1996). Globalization, and the information technologies that undergird it, suggest that a small, well-organized group may be able to create the same havoc that was once the purview of states and large organizations with substantial amounts of resources. The availability off-the-shelf commercial technologies benefits smaller states and non-state actors, to be sure, but only the wealthiest and most powerful states will be able to leverage information technology to launch a â€Å"revolution in military affairs. The ability to gather, sort, process, transfer, and disseminate information over a wide geographic area to produce dominant battle space awareness will be a capability reserved for the most powerful (Keohane and Nye 1998). In this respect, information technology continues trends already underway in the evolution of combat that have enhanced the military effectiveness of states. IT makes conventional combat more accurate, thereby improving the efficiency of high explosive attacks. On the other hand, IT also continues trends in warfare that circumvent traditional military forces and which work in favor of weaker states and non-states. Like strategic bombing and counter-value nuclear targeting, efforts to destroy or punish an adversary by bypassing destruction of his armed forces and directly attacking his society, predate the information technology age. Techniques of information warfare provide attackers with a broader array of tools and an ability to target more precisely and by non-lethal means the lifelines upon which advanced societies rely: power grids, phone systems, transportation networks, and airplane guidance systems. Information is not only a means to boost the effectiveness of lethal technologies, but opens up the possibility of non-lethal attacks that can incapacitate, defeat, deter or coerce an adversary, attacks that can be launched by individuals and private groups in addition to professional militaries. Warfare is no longer an activity exclusively the province of the state. Information is something that states, organized for success in the industrial age, do not have a comparative advantage in exploiting. John Arquilla and David Ronfeldt argue that the information revolution is strengthening the network form of organization over hierarchical forms, that non-state actors can organize into networks more easily than traditional hierarchical state actors, and that the master of the network will gain major advantages over hierarchies because hierarchies have a difficult time fighting networks. (Arquilla and Ronfeldt 2001, pp. 1, 15. ) States are run by large hierarchical organizations with clearly delineated structures and functions. By contrast, a more efficient organizational structure for the knowledge economy is the network of operatives, or â€Å"knowledge workers† not bound by geographic location. This is precisely the type of organizational structure being adopted by terrorist groups as they adapt to the information age. There is evidence that adaptation is quicker in flat hierarchies or matrix organizations than it is in the steep pyramidal hierarchies that run the modern nation-state; that flatter networks have a much shorter learning curve than do hierarchically networked organizations (Areieli 2003). The higher the hierarchy, the faster it operates if it is doing something it has already foreseen and thus for which it is prepared. If, on the other hand, a scenario requires the development of new processes that were not foreseen, the flatter organization is better at learning. Matrix organizations are more creative and innovative. According to Castells, the performance of a network depends on two fundamental attributes: â€Å"its connectedness that is its structural ability to facilitate noise-free communication between its components; its onsistency, that is the extent to which there is sharing of interests between the network’s goals and the goals of its components† (Castells 1996, p. 171). On both criteria, large state bureaucracies suffer serious disadvantages. Informal war: Informal war is armed conflict where at least one of the antagonists is a non-state entity such as an insurgent army or ethnic militia. It is the descendent of what became known as low intens ity conflict in the 1980s. Like today, future informal war will be based on some combination of ethnicity, race, regionalism, economics, personality, and ideology. Often ambitious and unscrupulous leaders will use ethnicity, race, and religion to mobilize support for what is essentially a quest for personal power. The objectives in informal war may be autonomy, separation, outright control of the state, a change of policy, control of resources, or, â€Å"justice† as defined by those who use force. Informal war will grow from the culture of violence which has spread around the world in past decades, flowing from endemic conflict, crime, the drug trade, the proliferation of weapons, and the trivialization of violence through popular culture. In many parts of the world, violence has become routine. Whole generations now see it as normal. In this setting, informal war will remain common, in part because of the declining effectiveness of states. Traditionally, governments could preserve internal order by rewarding regions or groups of society which supported the government, punishing those which did not, and, with wise leadership, preempting conflict and violence through economic development. In a globalized economy, the ability of governments to control and manipulate the economy is diminished, thus taking away one of their prime tools for quelling dissent and rewarding support. In regions where the state was inherently weak, many nations have large areas of territory beyond the control of the government. And, as political, economic, and military factors constrain traditional cross border invasion, proxy aggression has become a more attractive strategic option. Regimes unwilling to suffer the sanctions and opprobrium that results from invading one’s neighbors find that supporting the enemies of one’s neighbors is often overlooked. This is not likely to change in coming decades. Finally, the combination of globalization and the Cold War have fueled the growth of an international arms market at the same time that the international drug traffic and the coalescence of international criminal networks have provided sources of income for insurgents, terrorists, and militias. With enough money, anyone can equip a powerful military force. With a willingness to use crime, nearly anyone can generate enough money. Informal war is not only more common than in the past, but also more strategically significant. This is true, in part, because of the rarity of formal war but also because of interconnectedness. What Martin Libicki calls â€Å"the globalization of perception†Ã¢â‚¬â€the ability of people to know what is happening everywhere—means that obscure conflicts can become headline news. There are no backwaters any more. As suffering is broadcast around the world, calls mount for intervention of one sort or the other. Groups engaged in informal war use personal and technological interconnectedness to publicize their cause, building bridges with a web of organizations and institutions. The Zapatista movement in southern Mexico is a model for this process. The Zapatistas, in conjunction with a plethora of left-leaning Latin Americanists and human rights organizations, used of the Internet to build international support with web pages housed on servers at places like the University of California, Swarthmore, and the University of Texas. This electronic coalition-building was so sophisticated that a group of researchers from the RAND Corporation labeled it â€Å"social netwar. Undoubtedly, more organizations will follow this path, blending the expertise of traditional political movements with the cutting-edge advertising and marketing techniques that the information revolution has spawned. A defining feature of the information revolution is that perception matters as much as tangible things. This will certainly hold for informal warfare. Future strategists will find that crafting an â€Å"image assessment† or â€Å"perception map† of a conflict will be a central part of their planning. In failed states, informal war may be symmetric as militias, brigand bands, and warlord armies fight each other. At other times, it may be asymmetric as state militaries, perhaps with outside assistance, fight against insurgents, militias, brigands, or warlord armies. Future insurgents would need to perform the same functions of defense, support, and the pursuit of victory, but will find new ways to do so. In terms of defense, dispersion is likely to be strategic as well as tactical. There will be few sanctuaries for insurgent headquarters in an era of global linkages, pervasive sensor webs, nd standoff weapons, so astute insurgents will spread their command and control apparatus around the world. Information technology will make this feasible. Right wing anti-government theorists in the United States have already developed a concept they call â€Å"leaderless resistance† in which disassociated terrorists work toward a common goal and become aware of each other’s action s through media publicity. The information revolution will provide the opportunity for â€Å"virtual leadership† of insurgencies which do not choose the anarchical path of â€Å"leaderless resistance. The top leadership might never be in the same physical location. The organization itself is likely to be highly decentralized with specialized nodes for key functions like combat operations, terrorism, fund raising, intelligence, and political warfare. In many cases, insurgent networks will themselves be part of a broader global network unified by opposition to the existing political and economic order. Informal war in the coming decades will not represent a total break with its current variants. It will still entail hands on combat, with noncombatants as pawns and victims. Insurgents, militias, and other organizations which use it will seek ways to raise the costs of conflict for state forces. Gray Area War: As the Cold War ended defense analysts like Max G. Manwaring noted the rising danger from â€Å"gray area phenomena† that combined elements of traditional war-fighting with those of organized crime. Gray area war is likely to increase in strategic significance in the early decades of the 21st century. To an extent, this is a return to historical normalcy after the abnormality of the Cold War. Today, gray area threats are increasing in strategic significance. Information technology, with its tendency to disperse information, shift advantages to flexible, networked organizations, and facilitate the creation of alliances or coalitions, has made gray area enemies more dangerous than in the past. For small or weak countries, the challenge is particularly dire. Not only are their security forces and intelligence communities less proficient, but the potential impact of gray area threats is amplified by the need to attract outside capital. In this era of globalization and interconnectedness, prosperity and stability within a state are contingent on capital inflows. Except in nations that possess one of the very rare high-payoff natural resources like petroleum, capital inflows require stability and security. In places like Colombia, South Africa, Central Asia, and the Caucuses, foreign investment is diminished by criminal activity and the insecurity it spawns. This makes gray area threats a serious security challenge. Gray area war involves an enemy or a network of enemies that seeks primarily profit, but which has political overtones and a substantially greater capability for strategic planning and the conduct of armed conflict than traditional criminal groups. Like future insurgents, future networked gray area enemies may have nodes that are purely political, some political elements that use informal war, and other components that are purely criminal. This greatly complicates the task of security forces that must deal with them. Because gray area enemies fall in between the realm of national security and law enforcement, the security forces that confront them must also be a â€Å"gray† blend of the military and the police. Like the military, security forces must have substantial fire power (both traditional and informational), and the ability to approach problems. But these security forces also must have characteristics of law enforcement, working within legal procedures and respecting legal rights. Even though the objective will be monetary rather than purely political, violence will be goal-oriented. Astrategic gray area war will consist primarily of turf battles between armed gangs or militias. It may be related to refugee movements, ethnic conflict, ecological degradation, or struggles for political power (as in Jamaica in the 1990s, where political parties used street gangs to augment their influence). When astrategic gray area war is linked to struggles for political power, the armed forces (such as they are) will be serving as mercenaries only partially controlled by their paymasters, rather than armed units under the actual command of political authorities. Strategic Information warfare: Formal, informal, and gray area war are all logical extensions of existing types. Technology, though, could force or allow more radical change in the conduct of armed conflict. For instance, information may become an actual weapon rather than simply a tool that supports traditional kinetic weapons. Future war may see attacks via computer viruses, worms, logic bombs, and trojan horses rather than bullets, bombs, and missiles. This is simply the latest version of an idea with recent antecedents in military history. Today strategic information warfare remains simply a concept or theory. The technology to wage it does not exist. Even if it did, strategists cannot be certain strategic information warfare would have the intended psychological effect. Would the destruction of a state’s infrastructure truly cause psychological collapse? Would the failure of banking, commercial, and transportation systems crush the will of a people or steel it? But until infrastructure warfare is proven ineffective, states and non-state actors which have the capacity to attempt it probably will, doing so because it appears potentially effective and less risky than other forms of armed conflict. Future infrastructure war could take two forms. In one version, strategic information attacks would be used to prepare for or support conventional military operations to weaken an enemy’s ability to mobilize or deploy force. The second possible form would be â€Å"stand alone† strategic information warfare. This might take the form of a sustained campaign designed for decisive victory or, more likely, as a series of raids designed to punish or coerce an enemy But should cyber-attacks, whether as part of strategic information warfare or as terrorism, become common, the traditional advantage large and rich states hold in armed conflict might erode. Cyber-attacks require much less expensive equipment than traditional ones. The necessary skills exist in the civilian information technology world. One of the things that made nation-states the most effective organizations for waging industrial age war was the expense of troops, equipment and supplies. Conventional industrial-age war was expensive and wasteful. Only organizations that could mobilize large amounts of money flesh, and material could succeed at it. But if it becomes possible to wage war using a handful of computers with internet connections, a vast array of organizations may choose to join the fray. Non-state organizations could be as effective as states. Private entities might be able to match state armed forces. While substantial movement is underway on the defense of national information infrastructure, offensive information warfare is more controversial. Following the 1999 air campaign against Serbia, there were reports that the United States had used offensive information warfare and thus â€Å"triggered a super-weapon that catapulted the country into a military era that could forever alter the ways of war and the march of history. According to this story, the U. S. military targeted Serbia’s command and control network and telephone system. The Future Battlefield: The information revolution is transforming warfare. No longer will massive dug-in Armies, armadas and Air Forces fight bloody attritional battles. Instead, small highly mobile forces, armed with real time information from satellites and terrestrially deployed battlefield sensors, will strike with lighteni ng speed at unexpected locations. On the battlefield of the future, enemy forces will be, located, tracked and targetted almost instantaneously through the use of: * Sensors and their fusion with a view to presenting an integrated highly reliable intelligence picture in real time. * Surveillance devices that unceasingly seek and shadow the enemy. * Data-links and computer-generated battle picture, task tables and â€Å"maps that change scale and overlay differing types of information in response to voice requests. † * Automated fire control, with first round kill probabilities approaching near certainty. Simulation, visualization and virtually in planning, and testing concepts and weapon effectiveness. This would balance out the need for large forces to overwhelm the opponent physically. Control function will be decentralized and shared at all levels of command. Combat will be in tandem to intelligence gathering. Non-lethal, soft-kill electronic weapons will assume as much importance as highly lethal, hard-kil l weapons. Intelligent command posts and paperless headquarters will be the form. A Commander will be of a different breed-priding more in his lap-top than his baton. He will be his own staff officer. Changing Perception of War and its implications on poorly governed country: The idea that weak states can compromise security — most obviously by providing havens for terrorists but also by incubating organized crime, spurring waves of migrants, and undermining global efforts to control environmental threats and disease — is no longer much contested. –Washington Post, June 9. 2004 A majority of states in the contemporary security environment can be classified as weak. These states exhibit a limited ability to control their own territories because, in part, they do not have a monopoly on the use of force within their borders. They also struggle to provide security or deliver major services to large segments of their populations. These vulnerabilities generate security predicaments that propel weak regimes—both democratic and authoritarian—to act in opportunistic ways. Because they lack conventional capabilities, out of necessity, weak states will have to be opportunistic in their use of the limited instruments they have available for security and survival. The threat of information warfare should be understood within a broad vision of global power that is based on an up-dated version of Mao Zedong’s theory of the ‘Three Worlds’. Just as Mao believed that the world was divided into three tiers of states, with the superpowers at the top, the developed states in the middle and the developing states at the bottom, in the information age is also supposed to be three types of state. At the top of the pile is the ‘information hegemony state’, asserting its control by dominating the telecommunications infrastructure, software development, and by reaping profits from the use of information and the Internet. After this comes the ‘information sovereign state’, exemplified by those European states that have accumulated sufficient know-how to exert independent control over their information resources and derive profits from them, and to protect themselves from information hegemony. At the bottom of the pile are the ‘information colonial and semi-colonial states’, which have no choice but to accept the information that is forced on them by other states. They are thus left vulnerable to exploitation because they lack the means to protect themselves from hegemonic power. In recent years, the nature of conflict has changed. Through asymmetric warfare radical groups and weak state actors are using unexpected means to deal stunning blows to more powerful opponents in the West. From terrorism to information warfare, the Wests air power, sea power and land power are open to attack from clever, but much weaker, enemies. The significance of asymmetric warfare, in both civilian and military realms become such an important subject for study to provide answers to key questions, such as how weaker opponents apply asymmetric techniques against the Western world, and shows how the West military superiority can be seriously undermined by asymmetric threats. Conclusion: It is said that nothing is permanent except change. This is particularly true in the information age. It is important to understand the nature of the new world information order in order to be effective in foreign policy initiatives and to conduct the international relations. The information revolution throws up various contradictory phenomena. It includes the strengthening of the forces of anarchy and control. The revolution empowers individuals and elites. It breaks down hierarchies and creates new power structures. It offers more choices and too many choices, greater insight and more fog. It reduces the risk to soldiers in warfare and vastly increases the cost of conflict. It can lead to supremacy of the possessors of information technologies while it leads to vulnerabilities to the same possessors from weaker nations. It cedes some state authority to markets, to transnational entities and to non-state actors and as a result produces political forces calling for the strengthening of the state. However, a mere look at some of the manifestations of the arrival of information technology in international relations, clearly brings out how the nature and exercise of power have been permanently altered. Benjamin Barber describes a world that is both coming together and falling apart in his book Jihad Against McWorld. He describes a world where the nation state is losing its influence and where the world is returning to tribalism, regionalism, and the ethnocentric warfare that characterized much of the earlier human history. This problem is most apparent in the developing world where we continue to see the spread of disease, continuing humanitarian crisis, political and economic instability, and ethnic, tribal, civil, and drug related war. There are several themes that are consistent across these global futures. The first is conflict. The negative effects of globalization will continue to promote regionalism, tribalism, and conflict in the developing world. Secondly, nations with uncontrollable population growth, a scarcity of natural resources, and poor government systems will fail to benefit from globalization regardless of its effects on the rest of the world. Thirdly, technology will continue to be exploited to benefit developed nations and illicit criminal/terrorist networks, and will have little affect on the developing world. In all scenarios the power of the state will weaken and the power of the non-state networked actor will continue to expand with the help of the tools of globalization. References: Paul D. Williams. (2008). War. In: Paul D. Williams Security Studies: An Introduction. New York: Routledge. p151-p171. Akshay Joshi. (2010). The Information Revolution and National Power:Political Aspects-II. Available: www. idsa. org. Last accessed 13rd November 2011. Alvin and Heidi Toffler, War and Anti-War: Survival at the Dawn of the 21st Century, Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1993. Robert O. Keohane and Joseph S. Nye, Jr. , â€Å"Power and Interdependence in the Information Age,† Foreign Affairs, Vol. 77, No. 5, September/October 1998. Steven Metz. (2010). ARMED CONFLICT IN THE 21st CENTURY:. Strategic Studies Institute. 01 (1), 65-119. Arquilla, J. (1998). Can information warfare ever be just? Ethics and Information Technology, 1(3), 203-212. Floridi, L. (2009). The information Society and Its Philosophy. The Information Society, 25(3), 153-158. Steven, Doglous, 2002. Information Warfare: a Philosophical Perspective. 1. London: University of Hertfordshire. Robert O. Keohane and Joseph S. Nye, Jr.. (1998). Power and Interdependence in the Information Age. Foreign Affairs. v. 77 (5), 1-10 David J. Rothkopf, â€Å"Cyberpolitik: The Changing Nature of Power in the Information Age†, Journal of International Affairs, Spring 1998, p. 27. Akshay Joshi, â€Å"The Information Revolution and National Power: Political Aspects-I†, Strategic Analysis, August 1999. Jessica Mathews, â€Å"Powershift†, Foreign Affairs, January/February 1997, pp. 50-55. Carl von Clausewitz, On War, edited and translated by Michael Howard and Peter Paret (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1976). The seminal discussion of the political philosophy of war. Emily O. Goldman and Leo J. Blanken, 2011, THE ECONOMIC FOUNDATIONS OF MILITARY POWER, California, University of California-Davis

Classroom Observation Essay

The opportunity that was given for our class to visit Ozark Elementary was so great. Being able to see how other surrounding districts conduct their business is such great insight. I have been to three other schools in the past. Each time that I visited a new school, I would pick up something new to stick in my tool belt to use in my own classroom one day. Having seen a variety of classrooms during my visit at Ozark Elementary was very beneficial to me. Each teacher conducted themselves in a different but professional ways. Their teaching styles were different, their classroom setups were different and so were many other things. One thing that all the teachers had in common was they were all working towards being a strong support system for their students by guiding them on their journeys to becoming proficient readers and writers. During my visit I was paying close awareness to how the classrooms were arranged. None of the classrooms that I was able to observe in was messy or cluttered. The classrooms felt homey and welcoming. Some rooms had the desks in rows, some in groups and a few classes had their desks in a â€Å"U† shape. I really like how organized the rooms really were, it makes for a better learning climate in the classroom. The main classroom that I was in had only a few anchor charts up on the walls. When it was time for me to observe a whole group mini lesson I noticed the anchor chart that connected with the spelling lesson. Along with a few educational anchor charts on the walls, this teacher had a huge bulletin board dedicated strictly about the different corners in her classroom. The students were able to use this board to direct them to where they need to be. The board had a picture of each corner that was in the room for the children to use. I did not get to witness the whole group lesson in this class but I did come in during the guided reading time. When it became the time to split up during guided reading the students were able to come look up at the board and figure out which area they needed to be in by finding where their name was on the board. Each corner also was labeled by color. The color card that was next to the child’s name was the area that they were to be in until the bell rang. During the time that the students had in their corners, the teacher was working with a small group of about 5 for their guided reading time. She was evaluating the students as they read through their books that she picked out for them. As they were reading she was writing down notes about each child. I thought it was so neat to see that time play out. The students were all mostly on task. They knew what they were supposed to be working on and that she was off limits so that way she could direct her attention better towards the students in small group. Much differentiation took place in these corners that the students were in. She had areas that appeased those auditory learners, kinesthetic, and visual learners. Throughout the areas in the class the children were able to learn the way that they feel most confident about. The auditory learners were able to listen to a book on a CD and follow along in the book. Kinesthetic students were able to get their hands on words to make sentences. The visual learners were able to use the smart board to do activities that helped them learn a concept better. I could tell that she had spent a lot of time building this routine with her students. It was like clock work watching her students do what they were supposed to be doing. When the bell went off, the students knew that meant it was time to clean up and switch areas. I definitely know that this was a positive community atmosphere. The students all had low voices and were collaborating with one another when they needed help so that way the teacher would not be interrupted during her small group time. The teacher created this in her classroom to insure that all of her students feel comfortable and supported as they grow in becoming independent readers. The word that kept popping up in my head while the students were all working like they were supposed to was â€Å"self-regulated†. This allowed the learning in the areas of Reading and Writing and also allowing her to assume a facilitators role during their experiential learning opportunities. In the mix of all the things I was learning, I noticed the teachers focusing more on positive behavior rather then only the students misbehaving. During a kindergartens whole group learning time, they were all sitting on the carpet together next to the teacher. They were working on sounding out sentences that the teacher had written out. I kept hearing, â€Å"I like the way _______ is sitting criss-cross applesauce and the way _____ is not tapping their friends shoulders† etc. I remember being in the younger grades and always hearing the words: no, stop, and don’t do that. I love that way the teachers are handling the different behaviors now. I also noticed that instead of always pointing out the negative when the student is misbehaving that the teacher would just use close proximity. Several teachers I seen that day use this method. They would walk up close to the student and nicely put hand on shoulder. That student then knew ok it was time to stop and listen. I think a lot of the positive behavior I seen when observing was coming from the PBIS program that Ozark has implemented. I noticed as I left each room, by the door inside each classroom is a chart of how to act in each area of a school. All the classrooms said the same thing. I think this does a lot with eliminating the confusing that students have on how to act with whom and what is or is not expectable during certain times. I really hope to work for a district that implements this support program. I see the effects of it being more positive then anything else I have ever observed. In visiting a lot of different classrooms that day I really loved the third grade class I got to observe the most. It was so fun to see the kids actively engaged in what they were learning. The class was participating in learning the parts of a letter. Before all the students came to the carpet for instruction they had the chance to get their wiggles out. The teacher played the best Youtube video that had Sid in it from Ice Age. He was doing the Sid Slide. It was a 2-3 minute video playing music to where the students had to dance out to. It was so fun to watch them really get in the groove and let out some energy. This was very useful because as the students went to the carpet for instruction they were not as wiggly as they would have been without having the time to let it all out. During the instruction carpet time the students were engaged in learning the part of a letter by standing up using their bodies to form a letter. This was a way for the students to be active and have a device to remember the parts. It turned into a game between the teacher and the students. She would say â€Å"date† and they would grab their head, and then say â€Å"signature† and they would touch their feet and so on. Not only were they being active and learning it but each part of a letter was listed on the anchor chart being used on the board. I think after the students went back to their seats it would have been a good time for the teacher to give the students 30-60 seconds to re-teach to a shoulder partner what they learned. This would have gone along with cooperative teaching and given the students a chance to recap what they just learned. The teacher then could have gone around and listened to hear some of the things the students were saying to their partner and used that time as an evaluation. The students did not care that we were in the classroom at all. I do not even think they knew we were there; they were so focused and engaged. I gained a lot of knowledge and ideas during the short time we were observing. I would really like to go back again. I know when I have my own classroom I will have to develop a structured and fluid reading model that will maintain productivity while I meet with students in small groups for guided reading. I also now see the importance of the details of scaffolding necessary to turn emergent readers into fluent readers. Above all, I learned that my student’s overall well-being will be of the greatest consideration in the planning and performance of precise and engaging learning activities. These teachers have mastered what works and I can not wait to execute all these ideas and activities.

Innovative New Business Models in Telecommunications Mobil essays

Innovative New Business Models in Telecommunications Mobil essays Project: Innovative New Business Models in Telecommunications Mobile Commerce Mobile Commerce is any transaction with a monetary value that is conducted via a mobile telecommunication network. According to this definition, mobile commerce represents a subset of all E-Commerce transactions, both in the Business-to-Business and Business-to-Consumer area. In other words it is a retail outlet at customers hand to access and transact business 24 hours non stop anywhere. Attributes of Mobile Commerce Mobile Commerce Market Drivers Accessing Internet facilities M-Commerce Enabling Technologies M-Commerce Business Models and Applications Key Success Factors of M-Commerce and other related issues M-Commerce Indian Perspective Barely before Internet-facilitated e-commerce has begun to take hold, a new wave of technology-driven commerce has started - mobile (m-) commerce. Fueled by the increasing saturation of mobile technology, such as phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs), m-commerce promises to inject considerable change into the way certain activities are inducted. Equipped with micro-browsers and other mobile applications, the new range of mobile technologies offer the Internet in the consumer's pocket for which the consumer possibilities are endless, including banking, booking or buying tickets, shopping and real-time news. (The Mobile commerce value chain : Analysis and future developments, international Journal of Information management, Stuart J Barnes, Apr 2002) Advances in wireless technology increase the number of mobile device users and give pace to the rapid development of e-commerce using these devices. The new type of e-commerce, conducting transactions via mobile terminals, is called mobile commerce. Due to its inherent characteristics such as ubiquity, personalization, flexibility, and dissemination, mo...

Leader-Management-Exchange (LMX) Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Leader-Management-Exchange (LMX) - Coursework Example   However, since these leaders do not have much time and power on their hands, they seek to narrow down their radar to focus their attention on those members who seem to capitalize on the leadership outcome that is the extent of the relationship. The theories prior to the leader-member-exchange theory either focused too much on the leader or on the members. The LMX, on the other hand, has a different approach, whereby it considers the relationship between the leaders and the members as an important element that contributes to leader effectiveness. Also unlike other theories that considered the entire group of members as a whole, the LMX judges each individual separately. According to the dealings and agreements between the members and the leaders, the theory identifies two different types of relationships. The two distinct relationships that are found after application of the LMX include the in-group and the out-group. There is a set of people within the members' group that tend to go further than and achieve more than what their expected roles would limit them to, this set of people also take up a more productive and comprehensive approach to the tasks they need to complete. This set of people makes up the in-group that is shown as the high quality of the LMX with positive results. Characteristics of the in-group consist of negotiations by the members to develop and increase their role ahead of their job prescriptions, mutual trust, respect and concern between the leaders and the members.... The out-group is formed by the set of members who work hard enough, only to complete the contractual requirements of their job prescriptions, nothing more. There is a low degree of enthusiasm compared to the in-group and they do not receive any form of special attention from the leaders, nor any additional perks or promotions. Even though the leader tries to better the degree of interaction, the out-group member does not show much interest and remains self-concerned. Therefore, the out-group is a low quality LMX and provides average level outcomes. It is argued that the existence of these two unique groups is somewhat discriminating and de-motivating, however they will continue to exist and the leader must constantly make an effort to expand the in-group of the organization. The quality of outcomes that the LMX is able to provide is under effect of several factors that may enhance it if controlled properly, however, if these factors are left casually undecided, they may very well res ult in average or possible less than average LMX outcome. Communication plays an important element in deciding the quality of the LMX. Individual interaction and communication with the leaders and the coworkers allows for a sense of belonging for the subordinates to build, making them feel like a significant part of the organization that matters. This results in a high quality LMX. When the leader of a group has authority that reaches higher on the ladder of an organization enabling him/her to have a good say in managerial decisions, task assignment and performance review, the members tend to be more motivated and confident, eventually leading to a good LMX. Sometimes

Brain Cancer Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Brain Cancer - Research Paper Example The growth of cancer cells in the brain tissue is termed as brain cancer. A tumor or mass of cancer tissue is formed by the cancer cells. These tumors affect the functions of the brain, such as memory, muscle control and memory. Tumors are classified as malignant, when they are comprised of cancer cells. On the other hand, tumors consisting of non – cancerous cells are termed as benign (Davis & Stoppler, 2013). Furthermore, cancer cells resulting from brain tissue are termed primary brain tumors; whereas the cancer cells that spread to the brain from other sites in the body are termed as metastatic brain tumors. It has been projected, by the available statistics that brain cancer could develop in approximately 22,000 individuals per year. Moreover, 13,000 deaths could occur due to cancer (Davis & Stoppler, 2013). Symptoms Individuals with glial origin tumors depict general, non – focal signs and symptoms, or focal manifestations pertaining to the specific region of the brain where the tumor is located. The most frequently observed symptoms among such individuals include headache, nausea, vomiting, generalized seizures and alterations in the level of consciousness. Headache tends to accompany several instances of brain tumors; nevertheless, only a few individuals with headache have a brain tumor (Pan & Prados, 2003). Headache tends to be the sole symptom in a fifth of the patients with brain tumors. Such headaches vary between moderate to severe, tend to be intermittent, and pronounced to a greater degree in the early morning, or increase with coughing and other actions that enhance the intracranial pressure. Headaches that are associated with increased intracranial pressure tend to be generalized, non – focal and non – lateralizing to the location of the tumor. Furthermore, tumors can be localized by headaches that are not associated with enhanced intracranial pressure (Pan & Prados, 2003). In 15% of the cases, the initial manifestat ions of brain tumors are seizures. In addition, 30% of the individuals with brain tumors could develop seizures in the long run. Usually, seizures transpire along with the slower developing and superficial tumors that involve the sensorimotor cortex (Pan & Prados, 2003). Some of the rapidly developing brain tumors may not present seizures as a distinguishing feature, but may do so eventually. With respect to adults, the onset of a new seizure necessitates neuroimaging, so as to eliminate the presence of a brain tumor as the underlying cause. Brain tumors have been seen to prevail to the extent of 10% among patients suffering with generalized seizures (Pan & Prados, 2003). With regard to children, seizures had been observed to result from intracranial tumors in less than a hundredth of the instances. This could be indicative of the fact that the majority of the central nervous system lesions in children transpire infratentorially. All the same, if a child exhibits seizures that tend to be difficult to control, then magnetic resonance imaging techniques have to be used, in order to evaluate the condition. In general, the brain tumors that cause seizures in children tend to be slow growing neoplasms (Pan & Prados, 2003). Increase in intracranial pressure can cause vomiting in a patient with glial tumors. On rare occasions, such vomiting can be due to invasion by the tumor of the vagal nucleus in the posterior fossa. Sometimes, a rapid