Wednesday, December 25, 2019

The Holocaust Of The Concentration Camp - 2097 Words

What is genocide? Is what some people want to know. Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation. It happens everywhere all around the world. In my opinion, I don t agree with the acts of genocide. They were too harsh on those people who didn t even deserve to be treated that way. The holocaust started in January 30, 1933. The president during the time was Adolf Hitler Chancellor of Germany. In march 20, 1933 an officers opened the Dachau concentration camp outside of Munich. The camp was help for people like jews to be tortured and it wasn t any good thing about the concentration camp. The Dachau concentration camp was the first regular concentration camp established by the National Socialist government. This camp was located on the grounds of an abandoned munitions factory near the northeastern part of the town of Dachau. During the first year the camp held about 4,800 prisoners. In the early 1937 the SS was using prisoner labor and began construction of a large complex of buildings on the grounds of the original camp. The prisoners were forced to do the work starting with the destruction of the old munitions factory. It was under terrible conditions. The construction was completed in mid August 1938 and camp wasn t changed until 1945. The number of Jewish prisoners at Dachau rose with the increased persecution of jews and on November 10 to 11, 1938 in the aftermath of Kristallnacht. There wasShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Concentration Camps On The Holocaust931 Words   |  4 PagesSam Gaglias English I Mrs. Novik 14 October 2014 Summer camps are fun, but Concentration Camps aren’t History is like a huge puzzle. People can keep find missing pieces to the story as they learn more about it. The Holocaust was one of those moments in history that has lead our minds to curiosity about why such a thing would occur at some point in time. For example, concentration camps. Concentration camps are one of those moments in history that make people’s jaws drop because of how flabbergastedRead MoreEssay on The Holocaust: The Concentration Camps1484 Words   |  6 PagesHolocaust is the most terrible human action in the history. It absolutely marks the ending of the previous mentality of human-beings. Therefore, a new round of discovery of evilness of human nature has been established. Best uncovering the truth of Holocaust will help prevent the furthur destuction of humanism, which is the most important mission of the society after World War II. There are many sources of Holocaust trying to best uncover the truth, such as the inhabitant’s experience of the immediateRead MoreEssay on Concentration Camps and The Holocaust647 Words   |  3 PagesThe Holocaust was a horrifing event where many innocent humans were hopelesslt slaughtered in concentration camps or just shot. Thats why we study about the Holocaust, so it doesnt happen again. It started with Hitler. Hitler was a solider in the first World War and was injuredmultiple times in combat. When Germany lost the war, Hitler was enraged because he put himself in the face of danger and was injured for his country and they lost. This event combined with some childhood events was the startRead More Holocaust-concentration Camps Essay610 Words   |  3 Pages Concentration Camps nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Concentration Camps were a big part of the Holocaust. My first topic is the concentration camp Dachau. Then I will talk about another concentration camp called Bergen-Belsen. After that, I will tell you about the concentration camp Treblinka. Finally, the last concentration I will talk about is Auschwitz-Birkenau. Describing these camps will inform you that concentration camps were a huge part of the Holocaust. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;DachauRead MoreThe Concentration Camps During The Holocaust1516 Words   |  7 PagesEleven million people died during the Holocaust of these eleven million people 2.4 million died from medical experiments conducted by German forces. These experiments were conducted mainly for three reasons. The first of which was to help the Germans gain knowledge that would help them better understand things that would have been viewed as threats or weaknesses to their military (Holocaust Museum). For example the Germans knew little of hypothermia and the weather located on the eastern front,Read MoreConcentration Camps During The Holocaust1675 Words   |  7 PagesImagine being pried away from your family. Not only that, but being left at the concentration camps, knowing that you are about to face the dreaded word â€Å"death†. Concentration camps broke people’s hearts and changed them forever. They had to encounter many terrifying and petrifying medical e xperiments. Alongside that, the so called â€Å"concentration camps† were basically almost becoming, or were, actual death camps. The things that they had to endure were heartbreaking and agonizing. They were starvedRead MoreThe Concentration Camps During The Holocaust1508 Words   |  7 PagesThe concept of conducting camps used to incarcerate, degrade and essentially murder millions of innocent people who were deemed ‘unsuitable’ would be barbaric, nonsensical and deranged to nearly any person. But what was truly intriguing was the fact that these camps were at a point in time supported and encouraged by many. The formation of these camps known as â€Å"Concentration Camps† were notorious for being one of the most unnerving events in not only WWII, but even world history. The treatment thatRead MoreThe Holocaust Of The Nazi Concentration And Death Camps939 Words   |  4 Pages Holocaust survivors give great insight to the realities of what the life w as like within the gates of the Nazi concentration and death camps. Not to say that the research of historians, writers, and professors does not provide pivotal information to the study of the Holocaust; but their research provides secondary sources and accounts. Primary sources for historic moments allows a reader to get into the mind and psyche of the writer who is sharing his or hers experiences. The ability to becomeRead MoreConditions of the Concentration Camps During the Holocaust Essay1077 Words   |  5 Pagesand forcing them into concentration camps all across Europe, Hitler and his Nazi advocates began one of the most destructive and horrifying genocides in history, known today as the Holocaust. Only after being introduced to the conditions of these concentration camps, the hatred and abuse put towards the Jewish, and the gruesome lifestyle they were trapped into living can one understand why the Holocaust affected so many as it did. What exactly were the conditions of th ese camps, and how did a few luckyRead MoreThe Holocaust The holocaust was the genocide of Jews and disabled humans in concentration camps600 Words   |  3 PagesThe Holocaust The holocaust was the genocide of Jews and disabled humans in concentration camps during World War 2. The Nazi’s were a political party that started with a few men who wanted to see the rise of Germany. 1933, Adolf Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany when the party was elected. Hitler and his party and the philosophy that Germans were a superior race and all other ethnic groups were not. They blamed the Jews and the disabled for the trouble that Germany had after World War 1. Therefore

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

A Good Man Is Hard To Find And Al Roosten Analysis

Would you consider yourself good or evil? â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find,† written by Flannery O’Connor, is a short story written about a grandmother and her son’s family traveling on vacation, coming into contact with some trouble. The grandmother and her family are killed by fugitives, the Misfit and his accomplices, while waiting for help after a car crash. â€Å"Al Roosten,† written by George Saunders, is a short story written about a man, Al Roosten, who is a businessman that is at a charity event participating in an auction, precipitating awareness for drug use and abuse. While participating in the charity auction, Roosten rambles his thoughts and gives his views on each man being auctioned. Throughout, â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find† â€Å"Al†¦show more content†¦One can witness the following allegations due to Roosten thought process. Roosten is thinking before walking out for the charity auction, â€Å"Whoops? Cheers? Would he get cheers? Whoops? He doubt it. Who whooped/cheered for the round bald guy in the gondolier costume?†(93). In the quote, one can observe Roosten questioning himself and his confidence on his appearance. Roosten having a sense of insecurity and having to question himself, demonstrates his lack of confidence. In the short story â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find,† O’Connor brings in the focus of the the Misfit, and how he displayed a perception of good vs. evil, when he and the grandmother had a conversation. During the conversation with the grandmother, the grandmother convinced the Misfit that he may be one of her own bringing out an emotional side in him. O’Connor states, â€Å"His voice seemed about to crack and the grandmother’s head cleared for an instant. She saw the man’s face twisted close to her own as if he were going to cry and she murmured,’Why you’re one of my babies. You’re one of my own children!’ She reached out and touched him on the shoulder. The Misfit sprang back as if a snake had bitten him and shot her three times through the chest†(132). The one on one conversation between the grandma and The Misfit resulted in an effect to The Misfit’s feelings, proving he still had feelings due to his evil, dark background. The sensitive statement the grandmother said shocked the Misfit,

Monday, December 9, 2019

Philosophy of Music Education in the Indian Context Essay Example For Students

Philosophy of Music Education in the Indian Context Essay Transformed to Transform: An Outlook on the Philosophy of Music that Serves the Indian Community. The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives. * Robert M. Hutchins * The goal of education should be to widen ones view of life, to deepen insight into relationships, and to counteract the provincialism of customary existence * Philip Phoenix These goals must be the first and foremost reason why we teach music. To instill an even greater understanding and love of the domain thus enabling our students evolve a genuine interest and continue a life long Journey thats undertaken in varying degrees and through diverse roles. Phoenix (1986) stress on the fact that knowledge of methods makes it possible for a person to continue learning and undertake inquiries on his own (p. 1 1). Estelle Jorgensen in her book Transforming Music Education eloquently describes the need for music education to be transformed for the very reason that children be able to continue developing their knowledge beyond the classroom. Effective music education is built of a foundation that encompasses discussions, goals, materials and strategies, based on a teachers knowledge and experience of music and child development, educational guidelines and overarching, and developing philosophy of music education (Fiske, 2012). Before I elucidate my philosophy about music, I recognize the need to clarify my stand as a music educator who is passionate and determined to elevate the status of music education within classrooms around India. My Musical Experiences Music has always been a part of me for as long as I can remember. My earliest memories of music, especially the performance aspect, goes back to when I was three years old and sang a solo for a Christmas Concert that was organized by the radio taxation that my father worked at. I have memories of him kneeling on one knee and playing the guitar for me while I sang after which I was delighted to receive a big present from Santa. Ever since, I have enjoyed performing, and have so felt so comfortable on stage. All along I grew up listening to Christian gospel music and many contemporary arrangements of hymns. Supplementary to that my father offered me a rich experience of Indian Hindustan devotional music. I learned songs by ear and didnt realize what I was missing at this point, imagining what I learned in Philosophy of Music Education in the Indian Context By sandblasters I enjoyed doing and it came naturally to me, partly because of my early initiation into leading worship at church. My true test of endurance came about when I was introduced to Western Classical Music at the age of 14, through the study of two years of piano. My teacher, like many others around, displayed an extremely formalistic approach and didnt do much to expand my understanding of music beyond what was on the page and how I was supposed to read it. In response to this method I didnt enjoy learning from the pages of notated music books, as much as I id learning by ear, and I continued to develop as a musician who played by ear and improvised at will. Studying opera during undergrad was a trying phase for me because of my inability to connect the dots as easily as I should have been able to. My aural skills remained excellent and I sometimes relied on that to carry me through certain phases. Hard work and determination became my motto, and I spent hours to understand and perfect music that was assigned to me, as I wanted to do my very best. Although I had composed songs earlier, without notating them, the study of music theory opened up a whole new world for me. I could now add variety and richness to my music through the concepts I was learning. Music became a new language for me; I was captivated by the way it lent itself to diverse experiences through different musical roles (something that I wasnt aware of or didnt pay attention to earlier). As a Music Teacher Although I initially Joined a conservatory to study vocal performance, I found myself deeply drawn towards music education, and during my second semester decided to learn more about devising meaningful and persuasive strategies to improve the standard of music education in India. This thought emerged from an understanding that I had felt almost cheated for having lost out on so many years of studying music formally, yet effectively. I didnt have a choice because structured music instruction simply wasnt available at all the schools that I studied in, or the quality of instruction didnt serve the purpose of educating or informing students like me. What gave the impression of a music class/lesson at school was in reality an enthusiastic way of keeping students occupied for forty minutes in simple singing, with a concert for parents every once a year. We learned songs by rote to perform them, year after year. During those years though, I didnt realize the limitations that this system came with and continued to enjoy the fact that I was in choir and able to sing. This vacuum remains largely visible and unattended to in schools today, although some music educators in the recent past have taken huge steps towards improving the quality and effectiveness of their instruction in classrooms around India. Their efforts however remain predominantly an enthusiastic endeavor. What is urgently required is certainly something much more than sincere teaching. It calls for a transformation of the present system, giving room for every child to receive superior music education that fits into the whole. The need of every student being met in a transformed educational framework that constantly reshapes itself to accommodate new ideas and strategies. After all, as Restless (2003) rightly points out that music (music education) is for everyone and not Just for an elite few. The turning point in old daughter, Tiara, for after-school piano lessons. I hoped to give her a head start, with the understanding that she neednt have to face the same challenges in learning music, like I had to. However, after a few classes, I realized to my complete dissatisfaction that there was no structure, no thought and imagination, and no clarity in what was being thought to her. Her fingering on the piano was all over the place for the two songs that her teacher worked on Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. And Baa Baa Black Sheep Her teacher (l later learned wasnt introduced to classical notation), taught her these songs by writing letters in a book and instructing her to commit it to heart. Lesson after lesson they would follow the same outline with no emphasis on any other musical aspects whatsoever. I decided I wasnt going to take his lying down! I had to do all within my capacity to change the face of music education, as the vast majority of people understand it. I began studying about music education as well, to inform and equip myself for the task at hand. Around this period, my voice teacher encouraged me to coach students in voice, and I began shying away from it believing I was under qualified and needed many years of study to begin teaching. However, with a newfound passion and vigor, I accepted to coaching some of his voice students and also began to teach small groups of students on the history of music (because I loved learning about it). Meanwhile, I started training both my young daughters at home constantly developing new ideas and strategies to introduce musical concepts to them. A friend noticed my teaching style and asked if I would teach her daughter too, and thus began my professional journey as a music educator. Four years since then, I find myself accountable for the music instruction I offer to over 250 children across various age groups, who are part of my school. The need is so great within schools, and only a few educators are willing to take the extra effort of educating themselves and being channels of period music instruction-catalysts of sorts. I am blessed to have a team often teachers who share in my vision and work alongside me in imparting music to the children who are part of our music school, Harmony. My long-term vision is to enhance the music programs in India for the betterment of as many children as possible. Individuals dont realize what theyre missing until theyve been given a taste of it, a glimpse of the bigger picture (much like my case). Through our school performances I aim on providing a window for the change to take place. A transformation that not only affects my students, but others around them as ell through their personal interactions with each other and the community as a whole. My Personal Philosophy A field or discipline without philosophical guidance, without critically examined ideals and commitment to their revision in light of the diverse and changing needs of those it seeks to serve, is more akin to an occupation than a profession (Bowman ; Freer, 2012, p. 23). For my vision to bear fruit and show evidence of becoming something concrete, I realize the need to develop my philosophy of music to an seek after. In the words of Jorgensen (2008), l want to excavate beneath the Percival and demonstrable skills to think about the ideas and principles of music teaching, the things that drive and shape. According to Kiwi (2002), A practice or discipline or body of knowledge, then, seems to become eligible (If that is the right word) for philosophy, properly so-called, when it becomes for us a way of life: when it cuts so deeply into our natures as human beings that we are impelled to explore and reveal its innermost workings (p. 7). It is necessary for me to clarify the major dimensions of musical experience so I can effectively offer them to, and nurture them within, my students (Reamer, 2003, p. ), this despite the passion and conviction with which I teach and advocate the need for arts in schools. I have begun to develop a synergistic mindset in my philosophy of music education after my reading and researching the literature, coupled with practical experiences over the last few years. Reamer (2003) points out A synergistic mind-set is one open to cooperation as an alternative to contention, to searching for points of agreement or confluence as an alternative to fixating on disc ord, to recognizing nuances in which seemingly opposed views are capable of some level of contention (p. 30). Music in My Life Persuasive EssayJorgensen (2008) identifies about eight ways of being a listener-intellectually, sensually, experientially, formatively, contextually, scenically, peripherally, and repetitively (p. 114). It is then evident that individuals have different capacities/levels of intelligence and varied areas of interest, that is genetically determined, based on the cultural milieu and available opportunities to name a few. Gardner (2006) discusses the possibility of identifying an individuals intellectual profile (or proclivities) at an early age and then draw upon this knowledge to enhance that persons educational opportunities and options. Introducing students to different roles in music and identifying areas that they may be interested s certainly beneficial and yields promising results with the passage of time. In my school, I have group lessons where I focus on introducing children to as many musical roles as possible. We call this the Core Music Program, and work with the group on composing, performing, improvising and listening. Although lessons are structured with the Western Classical system in mind, I have begun to think of ways to introduce an informal adaptation of these musical roles as well. Over time, my teachers and I identify certain areas that some children show a keen interest in, and monomaniac with their parents to schedule private lessons so that these areas may be nurtured with an understanding that each role requires its own way to educate for the developing of the intelligence upon which it calls (Reamer, 2003, p. 220). I realize the need to feed into each of these areas, guiding students to make connections and discriminations so that the students can show a steady growth in new knowledge; its a creative reorganization of thought (Keith Sawyer, 2012). I am conscious that each of these roles can be approached with an emphasis on creativity and have explained them below in that context. Music and Creativity Young children are constantly creating songs in their games, even unknowing focusing on the so, m, la relationships in their singing. As they gradually develop physically, mentally and emotionally, they respond to the world around them in many interesting ways. There comes a time when they live in a world of make believe and enjoy taking on different roles, pretending they are fairies, princesses, super heroes etc. Very often they create songs that they feel fit into their new roles thus revealing a creative ability within themselves. Children create songs in their bedrooms and on the playground. Some are quiet songs lulling dolls and teddy bears to sleep. Others are declaratively triumphant works underpinning flying machines and wizard duels (Chubb Smith, 2009, p. 3). Although children have always created music, music education has placed a greater emphasis on the quality of performances than on opportunities for children to develop their creative abilities (Chubb Smith, 2009). My most vivid and treasured music experiences during childhood involved opportunities to be creative within the home environment and performances outside. Although the schools that I was enrolled in didnt offer a impressive view of music, I believe that students in India must receive consistent music education during their developing years, along with plentiful opportunities to develop creative decision-making skills. Classrooms today can provide opportunities for students to think in sound, and students can be led to realize how meaningful and pleasurable music creating can be. Webster (2002) defines creativity in music as the engagement of the mind in the active, structured process of thinking in sound for the purpose of producing some product that is new for the creator (p. 26). He lives creative thinking can be identified in all individuals and can occur at various levels, from the spontaneous songs of the very young child to the products of the greatest minds in music (p. 27). Reamer (2003) echoes this sentiment, declaring all humans are capable of being creative to some degree and are capable of improving that degree if they are helped to do so (p. 09). When I witness my youngest students explore the sounds of new or different classroom instruments, experimenting with rhythmic and melodic patterns, I am reminded of the truth in these statements. I believe creativity can be experienced through improvising, performing, composing, and listening at any age. Performing and Improvising. Performers are artists-are creative in imagining and producing musically expressive sounds-precisely because they must make creative decisions with the materials (compositions) with which they are engaged (Reamer, 2003, p. 113). Since I encourage children in the act of performing, it is my duty to engage the them in making creative decisions about the music as they perform. Reamer discusses the reality that creativity of musical performance is often a shared act (p. 14). Even in student individually and contributing that individuality to the conjoint musical expression emerging, can be experienced genuinely (p. 115). Although students must follow the demands of the conductor and music and blend with sections, Reamer believes creativity in the performance ensemble/chorus/band is achievable. When conducting my chorus in the past, I tended to make most of the decisions for my students. I plan to engage the students more in class discussion on the individual creative decisions that must be made when performing a piece, emphasizing each students unique opportunity to contribute and giving them a voice within the choir. Improvisation, or creating in the moment, is also an important activity. In prior teaching, I have engaged students who are part of contemporary band, in simple Jazz improvisation that included various scales and chord changes. I wish to incorporate more improvising into their performance setting, and to include all students. There is a certain thrill and beauty in knowing that each improvised performance will be unique. Composing. The act of composing is a process that allows the child to grow, discover, and create IM- or herself through artistic and meaningful engagement with sounds (Chubb ; Smith, 2009, p. 7). I consider the work of Michele Chubb and Janice Smith fundamental as I explore ways to engage students creatively through composition. They believe compositional opportunities should be given to every child because the process of composing: challenges children to consider their understanding of the world in new ways, Allows children to exercise their generative potential in music, Develops a way of knowing that complements understandings gained through other direct experiences of music, and Invites the child to draw together the full breadth of his or her musical knowledge (p. 4/5). I have given opportunities in the past for students to compose warm-ups for rehearsals and write down more lengthy compositions at the end of a theory lesson but will be engaging students in more substantial creations of original works in the future. Chubb and Smith recommend the use of logs, reflective Journals, notebooks, sketchbooks, blobs, bedposts, or websites to display students work and encourage reflection. The classroom must be a safe place in which students can explore, share, make mistakes, ND reflect as they create. Composition can be a powerful tool, for The voices of young composers hold thousands of incredible explanations for the thinking and the actions that contribute to their musical knowledge and their music making (p. 47). Listening. I am impacted greatly by Reamers (2003) view on creative listening. All people, often willingly and enthusiastically choose to listen-to immerse themselves in listening to their chosen music for all the diverse pleasures musical meaning affords (p. 118). This statement reminds me that many of my students may choose to stop playing heir instruments outside of the classroom, but they will continue to listen. Since listening is the most common music experience, this aspect of music must be improvisers make are saturated with potential musical meanings-potential significant undergoing of mind, body, and feelings. Listeners are called on to make sense of the music, to put it together with mind, body, and feelings. (p. 117) Instead of listening simply to absorb music, students must create meanings out of what is being heard. Activities involving analyzing music, describing music, and tooting music that is heard will be implemented into my curriculum. Students may respond to listening through reflection Journals or music critic assignments that encourage students to evaluate and make sense of the music. Whatever the level of ones capacity to be creative at something, that level can be better achieved by educational interventions designed to improve ones thinking and doing so as to make them more creative (Reamer, 2003, p. 109). Creative opportunities must be present in the instrumental music classroom to further the abilities that all children posses. Creating in my classroom will be a chance for students to make sense of their feelings and experiences as they discover themselves. Musical creativity is the skilled search, by mind, body and feelings, for musical meanings (Reamer 2003). Reamer beautifully brings out this point by saying, Meaning making, after all, in music as well as everything else people do, is a core need in human condition. The meaning making-the creative responsiveness-of musical listening is by far the most common way people involve themselves in musical creativity, and that includes those who, in addition, choose to be creative as Caucasians. World Music and Multiracial Approaches For students to remain motivated in class the music needs to be relevant and meaningful (Campbell, 2002). She argues that music education that emphasizes music theory and musical skills without considering the role of music in its coloratura context is inadequate. I believe music from cultures around the world as well as music that surround our own culture and subcultures should be integrated into the instrumental music curriculum. There was a time when I associated multicultural music as being strictly oral music, but now recognize the music of my school and community culture, which includes popular music, Plywood music is also multicultural in nature and must be present in my classroom. I have not explored the full capacity of Indian music in the classroom assuming that there are a lot of schools around that teach this style. However, I am now establishing ideas to incorporate this music in the present curriculum. World Music. John Blackings work with music in other cultures is an has impacted my philosophy on multicultural music (Campbell, 2000). He believed the inclusion of world music in

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Stereotypical kind Essay Example For Students

Stereotypical kind Essay The next character we meet is Torvald Noras husband and puppet master. Torvald is a very strong character and believes that Nora should obey his requests. This is because of an old tradition that a woman should honour her husband. Torvald is a very rich, helpful, ignorant, stereotypical kind of character because even though he thinks he loves Nora he knows love isnt what he feels. We can tell that by the way he treats her. I wouldnt have you any different. Dear little bird, little darling. But what is it? Theres something, isnt there? There is. We will write a custom essay on Stereotypical kind specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now There is alot of Irony between the couple due to the nature that Henrik Ibsen makes Torvald use throughout the play. For instance Henrik has Torvald compare Nora to squirrels, Skylarks, Singing birds all of which are flight mammals. They are free unlike Nora who is trapped in her own home. Torvalds rhythm of speech is very formal and business like because he sees himself as the leader of his family. He is the type of man that believes his family should be seen not heard but even though he is stern and strict he is also caring and hardworking. His rhythm remains constant throughout the play until the very end where his sentence lengths shorten and he becomes less dominant then Nora. I found this through the practical assessment I did in class I played the part of Helmer and I seen him as a broken man by the end of the play. I and my partner represented the less dominant Torvald by having Nora standing and Torvald sitting so he had to look up at Nora. For the first time at the very end of the play we see Torvald for what he really is, a caring man who was blinded by control. Tell me the miracle. I believe. Tell me. If we changed. If we-All of a sudden Torvald begins to treat Nora as an equal but she feels it is too late to amends. The third character we meet is Mrs Linde a friend of Nora. Mrs Linde is the exact opposite of Nora because Nora has been spoon fed everything her whole entire life whereas Mrs Linde has had to fight and work hard for everything she has achieved. Mrs Lindes language is very formal and mature throughout the play. The audience realises the reason Mrs Linde is played like this is because of what she has been through like losing her husband and being left nothing to live on. Mrs Linde then went into business for herself and has worked hard for everything she achieved. Mrs Linde like Torvald treats Nora as a child because of the way Nora acts but when she finds out about the loan Mrs Linde begins to realise how grown-up Nora is and starts to treat her equally. When Mrs Linde is talking to Krogstad she suddenly becomes all kind hearted and begins to see her life with him. I need someone to mother; your children need a mother; you and I need each other. I trust you, Nils, the man you really are. At first Krogstad thinks that Mrs Lindes kindness is an attempt of saving Noras relationship with Torvald but Mrs Linde genuinely still likes Krogstad and wants to rekindle what they had many years ago. Mrs Linde believes that Torvald must see the letter Krogstad wrote so that Nora and Torvald can understand each other. When Mrs Linde is talking to Krogstad her vocabulary is quite sophisticated but her sentence lengths are small. This is probably because she is trying to get straight to the point quickly but at the same time she doesnt want to say what she means to say all in one breathe. .u200a960051db8fb317d321f1782bbc38 , .u200a960051db8fb317d321f1782bbc38 .postImageUrl , .u200a960051db8fb317d321f1782bbc38 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u200a960051db8fb317d321f1782bbc38 , .u200a960051db8fb317d321f1782bbc38:hover , .u200a960051db8fb317d321f1782bbc38:visited , .u200a960051db8fb317d321f1782bbc38:active { border:0!important; } .u200a960051db8fb317d321f1782bbc38 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u200a960051db8fb317d321f1782bbc38 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u200a960051db8fb317d321f1782bbc38:active , .u200a960051db8fb317d321f1782bbc38:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u200a960051db8fb317d321f1782bbc38 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u200a960051db8fb317d321f1782bbc38 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u200a960051db8fb317d321f1782bbc38 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u200a960051db8fb317d321f1782bbc38 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u200a960051db8fb317d321f1782bbc38:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u200a960051db8fb317d321f1782bbc38 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u200a960051db8fb317d321f1782bbc38 .u200a960051db8fb317d321f1782bbc38-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u200a960051db8fb317d321f1782bbc38:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: 1984 Analytical Journal EssayMrs Linde is quite a clever character as she knows what people want her to do like, Nora asking her to persuade Krogstad to take the letter back but, her intentions are exactly the opposite. This is because Mrs Linde is a caring character and sees things for what they really are, she feels not saying anything is a bad thing because then Nora gets to carry on living a lie and she will never see her true relationship with Torvald. Whereas if Torvald knew he would show his true colours towards Nora and she would figure out if her miracle could come true. The fourth character introduced is Dr. Rank; he is a very good friend of the Helmers who visits them daily. Dr. Rank is the opposite of Torvald as he treats Nora as an intelligent human being and she in return speaks more openly to him than she does to her husband. Dr Rank is dying. He refrains from telling Torvald of his death because it is too ugly an idea for Torvald to tolerate, but he does tell Nora, this shows a strong bond between them. He talks with her about his coming death in a code that excludes Torvald and protects him from harsh reality. However, Dr Rank is not entirely the straightforward truth-teller of dramatic tradition. His real motive for visiting the Helmers is that he is in love with Nora. However Nora isnt aware of this until Dr. Rank confesses to her. As Rank is a dr. His use of language is formal and direct when talking to anybody. He tries to keep his personal side professional especially when it comes to his friendship with Nora. However when he learns that he is going to die, he feels that he cant leave without admitting his true feelings. I swore Id tell you before I..went. Now. Nora, now you know. And you know that you can rely on me, as on no-one else. The only time we see Dr. Rank come out of his professional character and into a regular average everyday person is the scene in which he acts as a smitten teenager with Nora. This is a very flirtatious scene between them and it holds great lust between the pair. In this scene the audience begin to realise that Dr. Ranks feelings for Nora are more than just friendship by the way he speaks and behaves. Ive no possible way of telling! Tut tut you bad boy! The pair both act immaturely but at the same time they are both thinking different things will come of their carrying on with each other. The fifth character is Nils Krogstad. Krogstad is an employee at the bank which Torvald is made manager. Krogstad is a mean clever character who leant Nora the money to take Torvald to Italy to recover. He has committed an offence in the past involving a crime similar to Noras forging a signature on a document. Since then, he has struggled to regain and maintain his respectability in the eyes of society. His job at the bank is a major part of this respectability. So when Torvald, who sees Krogstad as an irresponsible repulsive man, decides to give his job to Mrs Linde, Krogstad then resorts to blackmailing Nora about the loan. Unless Nora persuades Torvald to keep Krogstad in his job and give him a promotion, he will tell Torvald about her loan and her forgery of her fathers signature. At first, Krogstad appears to be a grasping and vindictive villain. But as soon as Mrs Linde tells him that she has always loved him and asks him to resume their relationship, he reveals himself as a more loving, joyful and merciful character. .uf1e7a33a2784c016aa822efb5b21aa7b , .uf1e7a33a2784c016aa822efb5b21aa7b .postImageUrl , .uf1e7a33a2784c016aa822efb5b21aa7b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf1e7a33a2784c016aa822efb5b21aa7b , .uf1e7a33a2784c016aa822efb5b21aa7b:hover , .uf1e7a33a2784c016aa822efb5b21aa7b:visited , .uf1e7a33a2784c016aa822efb5b21aa7b:active { border:0!important; } .uf1e7a33a2784c016aa822efb5b21aa7b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf1e7a33a2784c016aa822efb5b21aa7b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf1e7a33a2784c016aa822efb5b21aa7b:active , .uf1e7a33a2784c016aa822efb5b21aa7b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf1e7a33a2784c016aa822efb5b21aa7b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf1e7a33a2784c016aa822efb5b21aa7b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf1e7a33a2784c016aa822efb5b21aa7b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf1e7a33a2784c016aa822efb5b21aa7b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf1e7a33a2784c016aa822efb5b21aa7b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf1e7a33a2784c016aa822efb5b21aa7b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf1e7a33a2784c016aa822efb5b21aa7b .uf1e7a33a2784c016aa822efb5b21aa7b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf1e7a33a2784c016aa822efb5b21aa7b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Confessor as a failure EssayMrs Linde, unlike Torvald, believes that Krogstad can change for the better, and indeed, from this point on, his life appears to be set on a positive course. Krogstads use of questions throughout the play is mainly interrogation and cross examination questions. I left the date blank. Your father was to fill it in: the date he signed the document. You remember that, Mrs Helmer? Lets keep to the point, Mrs Helmer. That must have been a very difficult time for you. Krogstad is a very cunning and clever character he knows how to manipulate his opposition. Nora is the innocent victim which he chooses to blackmail because of her child like factor which is good at persuading Torvald to get Krogstad what he wants. It is all about control and whether or not he chooses to use the power he has over Nora or just give -up and build his respectability in society back-up from square one. Near the end Krogstad chooses to do exactly that with the help of Mrs Linde he realises his mistakes and his tone becomes alot softer and language simpler. The final character is Anne-Marie. Anne-Marie has brought up Nora since she was a young girl herself and is now helping to bring up Noras children. Having a child of her own with no help from her partner meant that she couldnt support her own child so she considers herself lucky to have been offered her job, even though she had to give up her own child in order to take up her position. Anne-Marie exemplifies the self-sacrificial role of women that Ibsen highlights in this play. Nora finally leaves her children in Anne-Maries care, believing that they will be better off with Anne-Marie than they would be with her. Anne-Marie is a very strong respectable woman who knows her place within the Helmers household. However Nora is the only one who sees her as more than a nanny she sees Anne-Marie as her motherly figure. Anne-Marie isnt a very main character in the play and only has one major scene which is between herself and Nora where there is alot of subtext present. Anne-Marie speaks to Nora quite casually whereas to every-one else she is formal and acts like a worker of the household where she is seen but not heard. Nora feels quite strongly for Anne-Marie and is entirely grateful for all she did for her when Nora was younger. Dear old Anne-Marie. You were such a good mother to me when I was little. The overall use of language within the play is quite formal the only child within the play is Nora who learns to grow up to a respectable woman. The sentence lengths are short and sweet at the beginning but by the end are long and explanative. This is to show the progression in complexity within the play. Nora, Torvald, Mrs Linde and Krogstad all grow as characters throughout the play and by the end come out being better and stronger people. Nora and Torvald mainly because of all the deceit and lies that are told and Mrs Linde and Krogstad through the love they still held for each other. The main Character who grew within this play is Nora as her short sentences became long ones. Her vocabulary went from simple to complex. Her speech pattern changed from unnatural to a constant natural pattern and finally her overall woman broke through her child like self changing her from a doll to a person.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Privacy and Freedom essays

Privacy and Freedom essays The Fourth Amendment search and seizure is mainly about privacy, and has been implemented to protect against unreasonable searches and seizures by State or Federal law enforcement agencies. This amendment has been changed many times to suit the needs of the people. There are unlawful searches going on every day by sheriffs, police officers, undercover agents and other city officials. Some of those are searching cars, mobile homes, trash cans and even cell phones that are meant to be conducted with consent. The Fourth Amendment states that: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. The Fourth Amendment can be broken down into three sections, first is to provide protection for a person, their home and belongings, second, to prohibit unreasonable searches and seizures, and thirdly, warrants must be based on probable cause and specifically describe as to what must be seized. These guidelines set in our U.S. Constitution are constantly challenged and regularly broken. In the case of Spinelli v. United States (1968) agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were issued a search warrant to assist in uncovering evidence of defendant William Spinelli, who was suspected of conducting illegal gambling activities. FBI agents stated the defendant was known to "local law enforcement officials as a bookmaker." The agents later stated they "had been informed by a confidential informant that William Spinelli is operating a handbook and accepting wagers and disseminating wagering information by means of the telephones." These agents were granted a search warrant fo r Mr. Spinelli's property on the testimony of one single man, with no true evidenc ...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Definition and Examples of a Lingua Franca

Definition and Examples of a Lingua Franca A lingua franca (pronounced LING-wa FRAN-ka) is a language or mixture of languages used as a medium of communication by people whose native languages are different. It is from the Italian, language Frankish and also known as a trade language, contact language, international language, and global language. The term English as a lingua franca (ELF) refers to the teaching, learning, and use of the English language as a common means of communication for speakers of different native languages. Examples and Observations Where a language is widely used over a relatively large geographical area as a language of wider communication, it is known as a lingua francaa common language but one which is native only to some of its speakers. The term lingua franca itself is an extension of the use of the name of the original Lingua Franca, a Medieval trading pidgin used in the Mediterranean region. (M. Sebba, Contact Languages: Pidgins and Creoles. Palgrave, 1997) English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) The status of English is such that it has been adopted as the worlds lingua franca for communication in Olympic sport, international trade, and air-traffic control. Unlike any other language, past or present, English has spread to all five continents and has become a truly global language. (G. Nelson and B. Aarts, Investigating English Around the World, The Workings of Language, ed. by R. S. Wheeler. Greenwood, 1999)Even though everybody around the world speaks Englishsort ofin their dealings with American media and business, politics, and culture, the English that is spoken is a lingua franca, a Bodysnatched English to be carefully scrutinized as to its meanings when it is used by a foreign culture. (Karin Dovring, English as Lingua Franca: Double Talk in Global Persuasion. Praeger, 1997)But what do we mean by the term English as a lingua franca? The term lingua franca is usually taken to mean any lingual medium of communication between people of different mother tongues, for whom i t is a second language (Samarin, 1987, p. 371). In this definition, then, a lingua franca has no native speakers, and this notion is carried over into definitions of English as a lingua franca, such as in the following example: [ELF] is a contact language between persons who share neither a common native tongue nor a common (national) culture, and for whom English is the chosen foreign language of communication (Firth, 1996, p. 240).Clearly, the role of English as the chosen foreign language of communication in Europe is an extremely important one, and one that is on the increase. . . . It is important to note that this means that both in Europe as well as in the world as a whole, English is now a language that is mainly used by bi- and multilinguals, and that its (often monolingual) native speakers are a minority. (Barbara Seidlhofer, Common Property: English as a Lingua Franca in Europe. International Handbook of English Language Teaching, ed. by Jim Cummins and Chris Davison. Spr inger, 2007) Globish as a Lingua Franca I want to draw a distinction between a language which is spread through nurture, a mother tongue, and a language that is spread through recruitment, which is a lingua franca. A lingua franca is a language that you consciously learn because you need to, because you want to. A mother tongue is a language that you learn because you cant help it. The reason English is spreading around the world at the moment is because of its utility as a lingua franca. Globisha simplified version of English thats used around the worldwill be there as long as it is needed, but since its not being picked up as a mother tongue, its not typically being spoken by people to their children. It is not getting effectively to first base, the most crucial first base for long-term survival of a language. (Nicholas Ostler quoted by Robert McCrum in My Bright Idea: English Is On the Up but One Day Will Die Out. The Observer, October 31, 2010) Cyberspace English Because the cyberspace community, at least at the moment, is overwhelmingly English speaking, it is appropriate to say that English is its unofficial language. . . .The colonial past, imperialistic stealth, and the emergence of other language blocs in cyberspace as it grows will minimize in due time the preeminence of English as the de facto language of cyberspace. . . .[Jukka] Korpela sees another alternative to cyberspace English and a constructed language. He predicts the development of better language machine translation algorithms. Such algorithms will result in efficient and sufficient quality language translators, and there will be no need for a lingua franca. (J. M. Kizza, Ethical and Social Issues in the Information Age. Springer, 2007)

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Response Week 13 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Response Week 13 - Essay Example For example, she has mentioned the training employees on how to avoid and the effects of money laundering, implementation of money laundering laws and the need for Money Service Businesses (MSBs) to know how money laundering schemes work. In addition to what she has mentioned, I believe there are other techniques that organizations or the government can do to prevent these criminal activities. For example, more countries or organizations should meet to coordinate and share their models of legislation, trends and multilateral agreements. Currently only a few countries are active in these discussions. If all countries were to meet for such discussions, it would work because certain financial watchdogs such as the Financial Action Force (FATF) emerged from member countries having such international discussions. According to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2003), the establishment of FAFT took place in year 1989 and it is an inter-governmental body. Its objective is to promote effective implementation of laws and measures that combat threats related to financial systems of member states (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2003). However, this is a preventive measure that would occur on a large-scale level. On a small-scale level, the due diligence for individuals matters. To remove ambiguity from a lower level, customers should prove their identity when carrying out financial transactions with valid personal identification documents, not only by using payment cards. When it comes to organizations, White (2013) asserts that businesses with legal documents of operations also engage in money laundering. Therefore, the best technique would be to have rules that require businesses to provide information about their intended transactions, nature of transactions and purpose of the business

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Performance Measures Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Performance Measures - Research Paper Example Forensic Psychology is understood as a mixture of both psychology of the brain and the legal psychology in any given location. The field is important in that it assists in the assessment and the understanding of people that may be diagnosed with a mental condition and involved in crimes (Ryan, 2007, 98). The field developed after the acknowledgement of the fact that many people had been sent to prison and were not in the proper state of mind. This has had scientists involved in finding means through which these sick people can be sent to mental institutions for the resolution of their issues other than send them to prison to suffer. This is from the fact that they do not deserve a sentence and their mental conditions should stand up in court. Diversion is a major part of Forensic Mental Health (Samuels, 2011, 167). This is a term that is used to refer to the change of custody of a patient with extreme mental conditions from the legal Justice System and straight to the health system for assistance. Psychosocial issues have been of great importance with relation to forensic mental health. Psychosocial issues are the ones that relate to the mind in a psychological manner and thus directly link to Forensic Mental Health. Most of these issues involve the engagement of various job descriptions and locations in an effort to assist people with severe mental conditions. Association of the community with these mentally impaired people is very important for the maintenance of the patient’s character (Candice, 2010, 109). This is a major psychosocial issue in that when these people do not feel at ease with the person, he begins having ideas that he is all alone and that nobody is interested with his company. This may put the person in a worse mental state and drive him to committing another crime of which the justice system does not act on as leniently as the first case. Another sector that has a big role to

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Historical experience leader was not trusted Essay Example for Free

Historical experience leader was not trusted Essay Terry finished from college as an engineer with excellent grades. He got jobs with several companies within the space of two years after graduation. He decided to change job because of harsh environment conditions of the location of the companies. After staying at home for three months, he got another job with a university as an IT assistant, in charge of networking and system repairs. He was enjoying himself in this company: a young university graduate with bright future. He was very dedicated to the discharge of duties. Because of dedication to duty, he was loved by all and sundry. He actually also had good human relationships. During his stay in the company, he had three major plans: settle down for a family with his girl-friend. He wanted to continue his education by bagging a postgraduate degree in Information and communication technology. He also had a business plan to accomplish that would be open the door for his self-employment and own his company. Because of these, he was ready to get as much experience as possible. He was poised to learn as mush as would come his way. And he did. However, he started developing problems with his Unit director who felt he was outshining him in the Unit. They argued on several occasions about they had to do on network problems affecting the University Internet access. At last, he got a sack letter. He left the company. He did not particularly see the sack as a major problem: it was an opportunity for him to actually work on his plans. So, he set forth. He drew up his business plan: got fund from the savings and investments he had made while gainfully employed, from friends and family members. He got a vantage position for his IT Company that provides information and services on Website designs, PC sales and repairs, Internet access and Computer training. He got started with a number of hardworking staff. He made them understand that since the business is new, they had to see themselves as part of a team that must work hard to see that customers are satisfied, their requirements met and services delivered effectively. These workers understood and dedicated their time and energy to the progress of the Company. They trusted his knowledge and managerial skills. They were also ready to make sacrifices for the Company. I got employed into the company as a Customer Service agent in charge of customer relations and keeping a journal of order delivery status. I noticed that Terry had a problem with his girlfriend and he had to break up. This affected his mood and outlook to work in the office. During this time, he lost his vigor and strength. We got talking about many things, including our personal lives. He was articulate and intelligent. But he could not keep to schedule nor meet appointments. A lot of customers and some members of staff complained on this. He promised to change. But he did not. Apart from this, he refused to pay salaries for the first two months. This was not surprise to us as we knew that the Company was getting up and we understood that a lot of money had to go into the running of a new company. After the third month, we met to discuss why salaries had not been paid. The Accounting unit reported that the Company could pay its workers. Against his will, they also told those present that some people have been selectively paid. This got the ‘unpaid’ workers annoyed and seriously vexed. We demanded for an explanation form the Boss. He was ready, as usual to give excuse and sweet-tongued us into this same old story: the Company is just catching up, and soon, all will be well. He supported his point with facts and figures convincing those paid are on special contract. He also used the opportunity to chastise workers who had not been working, especially those he had proposed to and they refused his advances. It later dawned on us that the company leader was making advances to many female workers in the office; those who agreed got paid and those who did not were chastised for their disobedience and were also not paid salaries. I was disappointed to come to this conclusion. I was learning a lot on the job, so I did not want to leave. After five months of endurance, we were paid for three months. I make proposal to opt out of the company because the situation grew worse daily. I called him several times to advise him but he would tell me I was young and had limited experience. Complaints by staff intensified daily. He sacked some, and others opted out willingly . The Situation became embarrassing: virtually everybody in the company knew about the ordeal. After series of threats, all salaries were paid. By then, he had lost a lot of resourceful workers. I also left the Company but not without lessons: little disappointments add up to big distrust. Trust is a major tool that makes communication effective. Anyone that loses this all-important trait is building a castle on sand, it would not last. It’s only a matter of time: it would fall. The company no longer exists. It has now been closed down. Terry had to get a paid job to pay his debts.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Perspective of Plato and Aristotle on the Value of Art Essays

The Perspective of Plato and Aristotle on the Value of Art    As literary critics, Plato and Aristotle disagree profoundly about the value of art in human society. Plato attempts to strip artists of the power and prominence they enjoy in his society, while Aristotle tries to develop a method of inquiry to determine the merits of an individual work of art. It is interesting to note that these two disparate notions of art are based upon the same fundamental assumption: that art is a form of mimesis, imitation. Both philosophers are concerned with the artist's ability to have significant impact on others. It is the imitative function of art which promotes disdain in Plato and curiosity in Aristotle. Examining the reality that art professes to imitate, the process of imitation, and the inherent strengths and weaknesses of imitation as a form of artistic expression may lead to understanding how these conflicting views of art could develop from a seemingly similar premise.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Both philosophers hold radically different notions of reality. The assumptions each man makes about truth, knowledge, and goodness directly affect their specific ideas about art. For Plato, art imitates a world that is already far removed from authentic reality, Truth. Truth exists only in intellectual abstraction, that is, paradoxically, more real than concrete objects. The universal essence, the Idea, the Form of a thing, is more real and thus more important than its physical substance. The physical world, the world of appearances experienced through the senses, does not harbor reality. This tangible world is an imperfect reflection of the universal world of Forms. Human observations based on these reflections are, therefore, highly suspect. At b... ... the definition derived by each philosopher is profoundly different. In order to construct a coherent, wide-ranging philosophy, art and its impact on society must be reckoned with, whether as an imitation of a system far removed or a system in our midst. The process of imitation is used in both cases to promote the particular version of reality espoused by each man. While such a study is beneficial in tracing the philosophical conflict regarding the usage and importance of imitation in art, what is most apparent, perhaps, is the discovery that language itself is an imperfect imitation of meaning, capable of fostering such conflicts. Works Cited: Aristotle. "Poetics" The Critical Tradition. Ed., David H. Richter, New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989. Plato. "Republic, Book X" The Critical Tradition. Ed., David H. Richter, New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Year-Round Schooling

Year-round school presents a very controversial issue that school districts struggle with every year. The same arguments, facts, and statistics are presented annually, and somehow a conclusion is never reached. Many people believe that year-round school would be a step in the right direction. Although there are many positive innovations to year-round school, the advantages do not outweigh the disadvantages of cost, breaks, vacations, employment, and scheduling. The traditional school calendar as been the same since the 1800s. This calendar is the traditional 180-day system with a two month break for summer. It was not operated on the year-round system way back when because farmers needed their children in the summertime to help tend the farms. Many people believe that this traditional style should change because it is outdated, but why should we change the schedule that our ancestors made if it still works without any flaws? Year-round school operates on a 180-day system, the same as the traditional calendar. The main difference between the two systems is the amount of time on break. There are many forms of the year-round calendar, as each individual school district may choose whichever plan they believe will fit their schools the best. The most popular examples of these schedules include: 45-15, 60-20, and 90-30 (Kelly). These represent the number of days attending school to the number of days off. These schedules would repeat over and over year-round, so the students would only get small breaks periodically throughout the year. Although these periodic breaks would add up to the same amount of days students would get off during a summer break, research says it would not help the academic achievement of the students. In other words, it is not how long the kids are in the classroom, it is how engaged in learning they are while there are there (Morin). Another example of why year-round schooling would not be a good idea is because it would separate American families that are used to traditional summer vacations. Families have always been accustomed to planning summer activities like vacations, reunions, and summer camps. If students were in school for the greater part of the summer, it would make it very difficult for families to plan these activities and typical childhood memories would get lost in the shuffle of year-round school. It is very important for children's development to spend quality time with family and friends and with year-round schooling, this simply would not happen. Not only would it make hurt your average family during the summer, it would also hurt the school's employees. Year-round school would put more demand on school staff such as cafeteria, custodial and maintenance services because they would have to make special accommodations for events such as graduation and dances. Also, teachers who would usually continue their own educational careers during the summertime would have to find alternate forms of education due to their now unusable schedule (Vandewater). Along with significant disadvantages, there are also distinct advantages associated with year-round schooling. Some year-round school advocates suggest that a shift in the time designated for teaching and learning will help students achieve more by minimalizing summer learning loss, allowing for innovation and implementation of creative programs, and by providing the time needed to assist children who need extra help (Lynch). By having breaks that are more consistent, some say that shorter vacations might also help students retain information they would've forgot over a two-month break. Basically, shortening breaks will improve student achievement. Another pro would be how year-round schooling could replace summer school, which many districts have cancelled due to budget cuts. For students that traditionally attend summer school because they need remediation, year-round school allows remediation to be addressed throughout the year. In conclusion, schools shouldn't convert to year-round schooling because it wouldn't help any with learning loss over summer break, it would separate families by discontinuing the traditional childhood summer, and it would hurt the schools' employees. Although year-round schooling sounds as if it might have some potential, there are too many flaws involved with it right now to confirm that it would making schooling better.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Performance Measurements Essay

Performance measurements are used to characterize and define performance in a project. They are used to track and manage progress toward achieving specific project goals. Performance measurements help determine how decision-making processes of a project led to its success or failure, understanding these can help organizations make future improvements. It is a project manager’s responsibility to measure performance based on the triple constraints of time, budget, and quality of a project. There are many performance measurements a project manager can use based on the type of project at hand, this paper compares and contrasts the following measurements – * Earned Value * Customer Satisfaction * Requirements Performance Earned Value Earned Value measures work performed in terms of schedule and budget of a project. It helps identify schedule and budget mishaps in all areas of a project. â€Å"Earned Value is an approach where you monitor the project plan, actual work, and work-completed value to see if a project is on track. Earned Value shows how much of the budget and time should have been spent, with regard to the amount of work done so far† (Haughey, 2013). It measures current performance in a project, which helps project managers determine what the future performance will be. Using earned value, project managers can determine how much work is completed vs. , how much was expected to be completed at a certain point in a project. Based on the earned value, project managers can make changes to the way the project is progressing in terms of specific tasks, schedule, and budget to bring it back on track for successful completion. Earned Value provides the project manager with an objective way of measuring performance and predicting future outcomes. This can enable him or her to report progress with greater confidence and highlight any overrun earlier. This in turn, enables the management team to make cost and time allocation decisions earlier than would otherwise be the case†Ã¢â‚¬  (Haughey, 2013). Customer Satisfaction Customer satisfaction is a performance measure that determines if customer expectations are being met. At the end of a project, customer satisfaction is what determines if a project was a success or a failure. Project-driven organizations must consider customer satisfaction as a critical success factor. Organizations that deliver projects that disregard customer needs create negative experiences and ultimately cause huge problems for the organization† (Karim, 2012). Project managers must make sure customer expectations and requirements are in line with the project continually during the life of a project. Following are some of the steps he or she can take to ensure customer satisfaction – * Balance customer needs with company’s customer service needs. Make sure customer requirements are deliverable and clearly communicate those that aren’t. * Gather continual feedback from customers to measure their satisfaction and improve current processes. * Customer satisfaction should be given as much importance as time, budget, and quality in project. * Include and inform customers when any changes are made in a project. * Effective communication between the customer and Project manager, and between the project manager and project team is very important. Requirements performance Meeting requirements is a key factor in measuring project performance. It is important to make sure that the right requirements have been gathered, and they are detailed as clearly as possible. Requirements in a project can be both functional and non-functional. If a project is meeting all of its requirements, it can be a key factor that indicates if it will be a successful one. â€Å"To measure this factor you need to develop measures of fit, which means the solution completely satisfies the requirement. A requirements performance index can measure the degree to which project results meet requirements†¦ Fit criteria are usually derived some time after the requirement description is first written† (Pennypacker, n. d. ). In conclusion, there are many ways to measure project performance and each project has its unique set of performance measurements. Performance measurements are important to track the progress of a project and to make sure the project is on target. Performance measurements are used to monitor and control a project to ensure its successful completion.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Toyota Production System and 5s Essay Example

Toyota Production System and 5s Essay Example Toyota Production System and 5s Essay Toyota Production System and 5s Essay Introduction Brief outline of the organization Implementation of 5S with respect of TQM and complement ISO Organizational culture and change undertaken in implementing 5S Content Define 5S Importance of 5S in the organization Culture that supports the 5S in the organization Methodology of 5S implementation How it can complement TQM and ISO certification Recommend organizational change that can to be undertaken to further improve quality Conclusion Outlook of 5S for the organization Evaluate the organizational culture and change in implementing quality. Management prospective on 5S in regards to quality. An example of 5S by Toyota Definition of 5S 5S, the brainchild of Hiroyuki Hirano from Japan, is widely considered as being the basis for Lean Manufacturing as it is concerned with stability and standardization to bring about improved safety, quality, delivery performance and cost control. Why a basis for Lean? Lean Manufacturing is a methodology derived from the Toyota Production System TPS) which originated in post World War II Japan. It came about when Kiichiro Toyoda and Taiichi Ohno amongst others explored means of making a high variety of quality cars at minimal cost, given the lack of capital expenditure available at the time. The fundamental principle of TPS is to increase productivity and generate product flow through the value stream by a disciplined and focused effort on eliminating waste. The foundation for TPS is stability, i. e. minimal process variation, this being achieved by standardization of work practices. What is Waste? Waste (Muda) in lean terms is described perfectly by Wikipedia as being any expenditure of resources for means other than the creation of value for the presumed customer. Waste can include anything from excessive motion and transport of materials to defects, over-production and inventory. Most literature now describes the 8 wastes, although Toyota have classified many more. What are the 5Ss? 5S is a systematic approach to workplace organization. The 5Ss are: 1. Sort (Seiri) sort out what is needed and get rid of what isnt 2. Set (Seiton) a place for everything and everything in its place 3. Shine (Seiso) clean and maintain so always looks like the photo 4. Standardize (Seiketsu) make it the standard and instill discipline 5. Sustain (Shitsuke) audit the system and improve it (start again) It should be mentioned for accuracy that Toyota uses 4S. Sustainability, the fifth S, is already encompassed within the TPS continuous improvement culture. Beside the improvements on safety, quality, delivery and cost mentioned above, there are also additional behavioral benefits associated with 5S, such as increased pride and sense of ownership in the workplace, increased discipline and higher employee motivation. Where does 5S succeed? Hirano is reported to have said that good workplaces begin with 5S and bad workplaces fall apart beginning with 5S. So why is this? 5S only works when there is top-down commitment from senior management to operator level. Without this any 5S program is doomed from the outset. Also there needs to be an infrastructure in place for sustainability and continuous improvement (time and resources, ideas scheme etc. ) otherwise the best youll achieve is 4S before the system stagnates. 5S will not work if it is not correctly understood. It is not simply a tidying up exercise and if it is believed as such then the program will only succeed to the second S before eventually being considered a failure. It works when management understand 5S as being fundamental to good performance rather than secondary to it. 5S succeeds in environments where there is discipline and self regulations in place to ensure standards are kept, this being owned by the workforce itself. Standards are typically maintained through a simple daily auditing system of different areas, or zones, with a person or small team being responsible for each. Even with all this in place, long term sustainability will only be possible if the system is continually measured and improved and if members of senior management carry out periodic inspections of each area. One common error by senior management is never being visible on the factory floor. How to Implement 5S 1. Sort The first step, Sort, begins with selecting a dedicated area for focus (could be an office environment, not only a factory floor) and assigning red tags to items that are either no longer needed or their usefulness is unknown. A quarantine area needs to be assigned for all red tagged items if they cannot be thrown away immediately, or if there is a lot of uncertainty as to whether items are still required. This both frees up space in the workplace and provides time to decide whether to keep or discard the items in question. Theres a tendency at this stage for magpies to want to hang onto stuff that hasnt been used for a long time. Critical reflection is required to ensure that emotional ties do not get in the way of logic. 2. Set The second step, Set, involves finding a place for everything that is left over after Sort, keeping in mind work place effectiveness, safety and ergonomics. The following questions should be answered: Where should the item be located? Ease of access is required. Keep passageways clear and avoid cables and piping on floor. How large and heavy is the object? Avoid reaching, bending and lifting where possible. How frequently is the item used? Organize by frequency of use and keep frequently used items close to hand. Set involves providing means for organizing items such as shadow boards, shelves, cabinets and containers. It also involves implementation of visual management to highlight to anyone whether a normal or abnormal state exists. The simplest of examples is a petrol gauge in a car. Green signals good, red signals bad. Another would be floor markings and labels indicating where an item should be found if not being used. 3. Shine The third step, Shine, requires items and the workplace to be cleaned and in a good state of repair. It is also about inspecting, as during inspection you will tend to find risks to safety and quality, for example due to damaged tools or faulty equipment. Shine does not just apply to material objects, but also people. Ensuring good condition of the correct clothing and that the correct PPE is being worn is equally important. For example gloves, hard hats, safety glasses and steel toe caps. 4. Standardize The forth step, Standardize, is about putting in place procedures and ensuring that a workplace is always how it should be. It provides visual management aids and daily checks in order to easily recognize whether the standard developed in the first three steps is being maintained. Visual management display boards in the work areas, creation of an address system and labelling of all equipment are key parts of this step. 5. Sustain The final step, Sustain is essentially about involving and motivating all members of the organization in assuring that the standards are applied and improved through employee empowerment and autonomy. Lean Manufacturing is as much about engaging and empowering the full intellectual capacity of the organization as it is about tools and methods. The PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) or Demin Cycleis the methodology adopted by most lean organizations for continuous improvement activity. Sustain not only involves daily auditing of the workplace by those that work in it, but also periodic inspections by all management levels. For example by local managers on a weekly basis to ensure all check sheets are signed off, and by the senior managers on a monthly basis. Many companies have recognition or reward schemes in place to encourage healthy competition between work areas or between factories within the same organization. This also serves to help generate and turn improvement ideas into action.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Definition and Examples of Deep Structure in Grammar

Definition and Examples of Deep Structure in Grammar In transformational and generative grammar, deep structure (also known as  deep grammar  or  D-structure)  is the underlying syntactic structure- or level- of a sentence. In contrast to surface structure (the outward form of a sentence), deep structure is an abstract representation that identifies the ways a sentence can be analyzed and interpreted. Deep structures are generated by phrase-structure rules, and surface structures are derived from deep structures by a series of transformations. In  The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar  (2014), Aarts, Chalker, and Weiner point out that, in a looser sense: deep and surface structure are often used as terms in a simple binary opposition, with the deep structure representing meaning, and the surface structure being the actual sentence we see. The terms deep structure and surface structure were popularized in the 1960s and 70s by American linguist Noam Chomsky, who eventually discarded the concepts in his minimalist program in the 1990s.   Properties of Deep Structure Deep structure  is a level of syntactic representation with a number of properties that need not necessarily go together. Four important properties of deep structure are: Major grammatical relations, such as  subject  of  and  object  of, are defined at deep structure.All  lexical  insertion occurs at deep structure.All transformations occur after deep structure.Semantic  interpretation occurs at deep structure. The question of whether there is a single level of representation with these properties was the most debated question in  generative grammar  following the publication of  Aspects  [of the Theory of Syntax, 1965]. One part of the debate focused on whether transformations preserve meaning.(Alan Garnham,  Psycholinguistics: Central Topics. Psychology Press, 1985) Examples and Observations [Noam] Chomsky had identified a basic grammatical structure in Syntactic Structures [1957] that he referred to as kernel sentences. Reflecting mentalese, kernel sentences were where words and meaning first appeared in the complex cognitive process that resulted in an utterance. In [Aspects of the Theory of Syntax, 1965], Chomsky abandoned the notion of kernel sentences and identified the underlying constituents of sentences as deep structure. The deep structure was versatile insofar as it accounted for meaning and provided the basis for transformations that turned deep structure into surface structure, which represented what we actually hear or read. Transformation rules, therefore, connected deep structure and surface structure, meaning and syntax.(James D. Williams, The Teachers Grammar Book. Lawrence Erlbaum, 1999)[Deep structure is a] representation of the syntax of a sentence distinguished by varying criteria from its surface structure. E.g. in the surface structure of Children are hard to please, the subject is children and the infinitive to please is the complement of hard. But in its deep structure, as it was understood especially in the early 1970s, is hard would have as its subject a subordinate sentence in which children is the object of please: thus, in outline [please children] is hard.(P.H. Matthews, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Linguistics. Oxford University Press, 2007) Evolving Perspectives on Deep Structure The remarkable first chapter of Noam Chomskys Aspects of the Theory of Syntax (1965) set the agenda for everything that has happened in generative linguistics since. Three theoretical pillars support the enterprise: mentalism, combinatoriality, and acquisition... A fourth major point of Aspects, and the one that attracted most attention from the wider public, concerned the notion of Deep Structure. A basic claim of the 1965 version of generative grammar was that in addition to the surface form of sentences (the form we hear), there is another level of syntactic structure, called Deep Structure, which expresses underlying syntactic regularities of sentences. For instance, a passive sentence like (1a) was claimed to have a Deep Structure in which the noun phrases are in the order of the corresponding active (1b): (1a) The bear was chased by the lion.(1b) The lion chased the bear. Similarly, a question such as (2a) was claimed to have a Deep Structure closely resembling that of the corresponding declarative (2b): (2a) Which martini did Harry drink?(2b) Harry drank that martini. ...Following a hypothesis first proposed by Katz and Postal (1964), Aspects made the striking claim that the relevant level of syntax for determining meaning is Deep Structure. In its weakest version, this claim was only that regularities of meaning are most directly encoded in Deep Structure, and this can be seen in (1) and (2). However, the claim was sometimes taken to imply much more: that Deep Structure is meaning, an interpretation that Chomsky did not at first discourage. And this was the part of generative linguistics that got everyone really excited- for if the techniques of transformational grammar could lead us to meaning, we would be in a position to uncover the nature of human thought... When the dust of the ensuing linguistic wars cleared around 1973 . . ., Chomsky had won (as usual)- but with a twist: he no longer claimed that Deep Structure was the sole level that determines meaning (Chomsky 1972). Then, with the battle over, he turned his attention, not to meaning, but to relatively technical constraints on movement transformations (e.g. Chomsky 1973, 1977).(Ray Jackendoff, Language, Consciousness, Culture: Essays on Mental Structure. MIT Press, 2007) Surface Structure and Deep Structure in a Sentence by Joseph Conrad [Consider] the final sentence of [Joseph Conrads short story] The Secret Sharer: Walking to the taffrail, I was in time to make out, on the very edge of a darkness thrown by a towering black mass like the very gateway of Erebus- yes, I was in time to catch an evanescent glimpse of my white hat left behind to mark the spot where the secret sharer of my cabin and of my thoughts, as though he were my second self, had lowered himself into the water to take his punishment: a free man, a proud swimmer striking out for a new destiny. I hope others will agree that the sentence justly represents its author: that it portrays a mind energetically stretching to subdue a dazzling experience outside the self, in a way that has innumerable counterparts elsewhere. How does scrutiny of the deep structure support this intuition? First, notice a matter of emphasis, of rhetoric. The matrix sentence, which lends a surface form to the whole, is # S # I was in time # S # (repeated twice). The embedded sentences that complete it are I walked to the taffrail, I made out NP, and I caught NP. The point of departure, then, is the narrator himself: where he was, what he did, what he saw. But a glance at the deep structure will explain why one feels a quite different emphasis in the sentence as a whole: seven of the embedded sentences have sharer as grammatical subjects; in another three the subject is a noun linked to sharer by the copula; in two sharer is direct object; and in two more share is the verb. Thus thirteen sentences go to the semantic development of sharer as follows: The secret sharer had lowered the secret sharer into the water.The secret sharer took his punishment.The secret sharer swam.The secret sharer was a swimmer.The swimmer was proud.The swimmer struck out for a new destiny.The secret sharer was a man.The man was free.The secret sharer was my secret self.The secret sharer had (it).(Someone) punished the secret sharer.(Someone) shared my cabin.(Someone) shared my thoughts. In a fundamental way, the sentence is mainly about Leggatt, although the surface structure indicates otherwise... [The] progression in the deep structure rather precisely mirrors both the rhetorical movement of the sentence from the narrator to Leggatt via the hat that links them, and the thematic effect of the sentence, which is to transfer Leggatts experience to the narrator via the narrators vicarious and actual participation in it. Here I shall leave this abbreviated rhetorical analysis, with a cautionary word: I do not mean to suggest that only an examination of deep structure reveals Conrads skillful emphasis- on the contrary, such an examination supports and in a sense explains what any careful reader of the story notices.(Richard M. Ohmann, Literature as Sentences. College English, 1966. Rpt. in Essays in Stylistic Analysis, ed. by Howard S. Babb. Harcourt, 1972)

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Evaluate change management in Telecommunications sector omantel in Essay

Evaluate change management in Telecommunications sector omantel in Sultanate of Oman - Essay Example For example, a country with many international companies and businesses could be perceived as an economically progressing organization that employs highly technical and skilled employees. This indicates that the country is highly advanced and privatizations of government owned corporations indicate a liberalization of government economic and trade policies. However, not all organizations keep up with the social, economic and political changes in the country, there are those who remain in touch with methods and resist change. But if an organization wants to achieve progress and growth, it must remember that change is inevitable. Change in the organizational structure, management and use of technology indicates that the organization is moving towards better measures of effectiveness and paving its way towards progress and prosperity. â€Å"Change will not disappear nor dissipate; technology, civilizations and creative thoughts will maintain their ever-accelerating dive onwards† (Paton & McCalman 2008, p. 5). As with any process involving transition and transformation, change in the structure and strategies of an organization is often met with negativity and apprehension. Even if the change is for the greater good of the company, there will always be those who will remain anxious about its consequences. Organizational change is brought about by a number of factors; this could be from mergers and acquisitions, a government take-over or the privatization of the organization. The anxiety provoking aspect in any organizational change is not actually the transformation of the organization or the change in management but the fact that the employees have to leave their old ways of doing things; it is the learning of new tasks, new protocols and new operating procedures that threaten employees. By definition, change means discarding the old and embracing the new, and the new may not always be accepted and appreciated by the employees. â€Å"Traditionally, analysis of organizational change has been built around the organism metaphor in which organizations are analyzed as if they were living organisms operating in an environment to which they need to adapt to ensure survival† (Lesson 37: Organizational Change n.d., p. 1). Anxiety and apprehension to some extent is the natural reaction to change, as our body responds to external stimuli both physically and psychologically. This response or reaction to change is welcomed by the agents of change as an opportunity to make the employees aware of the undertakings taking place in the organization. It is the time when questions could be answered, when professional thirsts could be quenched, when fears and doubts could be placated and when employees are engaged as advocates of the process of change as they now possess the knowledge and information that they can share with other employees who face the same challenges. Change Management in an organization is all about the actions necessary for an o rganization to recognize, organize, execute and take

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Technology Strategies. Kudler Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Technology Strategies. Kudler Company - Essay Example The aspect of selection and implementation of relevant changes in technological advancements for the improvement of the company needs expert opinions as it would flop if it were to be done without following the due process as stipulated in rules and guidelines that provide the guidance on the way forward. In light of this fears, an approach is proposed that will be good in a contingent way as well as in a way that accommodates a socio-technical approach (Floyd, 2010). One of the mostly applied strategies includes the Initial Public Offering. This is also referred to as the IPO. This strategy is often resorted to by new companies that are out to facilitate the expansion of their operations. The IPO serves such crucial functions that are elementary and of significant importance to the company. It occurs when the firm offers common shares openly to the public. There can always be possibility to raise capitals through commissions of exchanges that are registered to undertake the public offering. When the company takes this step, it must be ready to face an obvious amount of public scrutiny. The company however faces increased responsibility that are accompanied by opportunities to strengthen the relations between the firm owners and the major stakeholders that make the wheels of change turn and move forward. (Floyd, 2010) One such company that practices IPO is the Kudler Fine Foods. The company has made immense growth on the competitive field of busin ess. The company tends to issue preferred securities or common stocks and that in the long run create essential growth of capital and its acceleration. Kudler Company can achieve accelerated growth through hiring of new personnel, expanding development and the forms of research that are involved. The major effect of this strategy is to enable the company penetrate into global investment base to facilitate large investment of capital. Kudler Fine Foods is now required to keep the stakeholders up to date on the management strategies of the company as well as the business operations and legal obligations as they arise. Working under public examination works well to keep the company on toes. (Paul, 2007) The second strategy that a firm can opt for in bringing in a new perspective of seeing things is that of acquisition. Through acquisition, a company acquires on or more of the companies that work within the same market. Acquisitions often get done with the main aim of growing and expand ing the firm. One such firm that practices such form of strategy is the BOC gases. They have acquired other smaller manufacturers of gases and put them under the same umbrella. (Lawson, 2006) Acquisition can happen in two possible ways. One way is that of mutual understanding whereby the companies agree to join hands or to be acquired. The other form is that of forceful takeover which can mostly just be done by companies that are publically traded. When the latter happens, more than 50 % of the acquired company is taken under control by the big company that forcefully takes over. However it looks more than obvious that the situation for BOC gases. The other smaller firms that are under the umbrella were mostly acquired in a willing seller and willing buyer basis whereby the small firms opted for this option as they may have noticed their profits going down. The companies’ desire for growth can now be achieved from a comfortable position whereby they are secure. This form of s trategy also enables the bigger company to venture into new geographic locations and to expand their base for doing business hence increasing opportunities. (Floyd, 2010) The third strategy that a firm can apply in the growth and expansion is that of merger.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

War Songs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

War Songs - Essay Example War Songs The modern society just like the ancient society used music to express to warm, teach, praise, and console the society. War is like a double aged sword that cut with both edges. In the same way, war has devastating effects to the parties involved in it. Though war may be necessary in the society, it is always wise to choose peace. With this understanding, this paper explores the effects of war in the society. Quest for political supremacy is a major factor that contributes to war in the world. Political wings, which crave for power, may sometimes fail to identify the need for peace, thus instigating war in the society. In many cases, war has many negative impacts to the world than positive impacts. War has psychological, physical, economical, and social effects to the society. War period is a difficult time for the soldiers and the civilians. People abandon their normal activities and search for peaceful environment. Children and women usually face the worst time in their lives during war because they are weak. Running from one battleground to the other would be difficult for women and children. When mothers and children flee from war torn regions, the males would be walking into the battlefield. I oppose war because of effects it has to the community. These effects include destruction of property and life. War is a destroyer of human efforts. Many social norms advocate for human rights, but war destroys human life. Bob Dylan song, With God On Our Side, portrays how quest for power can lead to war.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Episodic Dystonia and Hallucinations Due to DLAT Genes

Episodic Dystonia and Hallucinations Due to DLAT Genes Title: Carbamazepine responsive Episodic Dystonia and Hallucination due to Pyruvate Dehydrogenase E2 (DLAT) gene mutation Fatema J Serajee1, Salman Rashid2, and AHM M Huq1 ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: PDH E2 deficiency due to DLAT mutations is a very rare condition with only 4 reported cases to date. METHODS: We describe a 15-year-old girl with mild intellectual disability, paroxysmal dystonia and bilateral basal ganglia signal abnormalities on brain MRI. Additional neurophysiological, imaging, metabolic and exome sequencing studies were performed. RESULTS: Routine metabolite testing, and GLUT1 and PRRT2 mutation analysis were negative. A repeat brain MRI revealed Eye-of-the-tiger-sign. Exome sequencing identified homozygous valine to glycine alteration at amino acid position 157 in the DLAT gene. Bioinformatic and family analyses indicated that the alteration was likely pathogenic. Patients s dystonia was responsive to low dose carbamazepine. On weaning carbamazepine, patient developed hallucinations which resolved after carbamazepine was restarted. CONCLUSIONS: PDH E2 deficiency due to DLAT mutation has a more benign course compared to common forms of PDH E1 deficiency due to X-linked PDHA1 mutations. All known cases of PDH E2 deficiency due to DLAT mutations share the features of episodic dystonia and intellectual disability. Our patients dystonia and hallucinations responded well to low dose carbamazepine. Introduction: Pyruvate Dehydrogenase (PDH) E2 deficiency is a rare pediatric neurometabolic disease due to mutation in DLAT gene (Head et al., 2005; McWilliam et al., 2010). Only 4 cases with DLAT gene mutations have previously been reported (Head et al., 2005; McWilliam et al., 2010). All share the features of dystonia and some degree of developmental delay and characteristic globus pallidus signal abnormalities on brain MRI. This disease tends to have more benign course as compared to PDH E1 deficiency (Head et al., 2005; Huq et al., 1991; McWilliam et al., 2010; Patel et al., 2012). We report an additional case with DLAT mutation with new phenotype and treatment information. Case Report A 15-year-old girl presented with paroxysmal episodes of left lower extremity weakness and stiffening for the last 8 years. These episodes were triggered by exercise but no exacerbating or relieving factors were noted. There was no associated aura, alteration of consciousness, incontinence or other associated neurological symptoms. Her parents were second cousins, but family history was negative for known genetic disorders. Birth and past medical histories were also unremarkable. Patient had a speech delay but met her other childhood milestones appropriately. Later, she developed academic difficulties and at 15 years of age she was performing at a 4th grade level. At presentation, the patient had a normal examination except for some cognitive and reading difficulties. At the time of initial presentation to a pediatric neurologist at 7 years of age, an MRI of the brain revealed bilateral T2 hyperintensities in the basal ganglia. In addition, she was found to have decreased NAA peak an d the suggestion of a lactate peak on MR spectroscopy. EEG, EMG and nerve conductions studies were unremarkable. Over the years the patient was considered to have paroxysmal kinesiogenic dyskinesia and was treated with carbamazepine (100 mg daily). The patient was initially evaluated by us at age of 14 years. Metabolic work up for serum lactate, serum amino acids, acyl carnitine profile, serum copper and ceruluplasmin and GLUT1 or PRRT2 mutation analysis were unremarkable. Repeat MRI revealed basal ganglia signal changes including Eye of the tiger sign (Figure 1). MR spectroscopy studies were suboptimal. Exome sequencing was performed through Ambry laboratory as previously described (Serajee and Huq, 2015). The patient had homozygous c.470T>G (p.V157G) alteration in the DLAT (Dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase (PDHC E2) gene suggesting the diagnosis of pyruvate dehydrogenase E2 deficiency, a rare cause of pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency. Both parents and one brother were heterozygous carriers and another brother was homozygous normal. The p.V157G alteration (c.470T>G), is in coding exon 3 of the DLAT gene, results from a T to G substitution at nucleotide position 470. The valine at codon 157 is replaced by glycine, an amino acid with dissimilar properties. The V157 amino acid position is highly conserved in all available vertebrate species. The p.V157G alteration is predicted to be probably damaging by Polyphen and deleterious by SIFT in silico analyses. The V157 amino acid is located within the biotin/lipoyl attachment domain of the DHAT protein. The DLAT c.470T>G alteration was n ot observed in healthy cohort databases such as NHLBI Exome Sequencing Project (ESP) or the 1000 Genomes Project or the Database of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (dbSNP). Based on data from the HGMD, only the four alterations reported by Head et al. (2005) and McWilliam et al. (2010) have been observed within the DLAT gene to date (Head et al., 2005;McWilliam et al., 2010). These include one missense alteration, two splice alterations, and one small in-frame deletion. Based on the above evidence, the homozygous c.470T>G (p.V157G) alteration was considered pathogenic. Her parents refused treatment with the ketogenic diet. When carbamazepine was weaned off due to parental concerns of side effects, within few weeks, patient developed hallucinations. Parents reported resolution of symptoms after carbamazepine was restarted. Discussion: The Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex functions in the oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate to acetyl coenzyme A. The complex contains three subunits: E1, E2 and E3 (Patel and Roche, 1990). The most common form of pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency is due to mutations affecting the E1 subunit, and results in a variety of clinical manifestations depending upon the residual function of the enzyme (Huq et al., 1991;Patel et al., 2012). E1 subunit is encoded by PDHA1 gene of X chromosome. Most patients present in infancy with lactic acidosis, ataxia and hypotonia, either chronically or episodically (Huq et al., 1991;Patel et al., 2012). The mutation in our patient is in the E2 subunit (dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase), which forms the structural core of the enzyme and functions in accepting the acetyl groups and transferring them to coenzyme A, an essential step preceding the entrance of glucose into the TCA cycle (Head et al., 2005;Patel and Roche, 1990). E2 subunit is encoded by DLAT g ene located on chromosome 11q23.1. To date, however, there are only four reported cases of pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency caused by alterations in the DLAT gene, making it a very rare cause of the condition (Head et al., 2005;McWilliam et al., 2010). In addition, Robinson et al reported an additional patient with reduced E2 dihydrolipoyl transacetylase enzyme activity (32% of the control and undetectable E2 immunoreactive protein (Robinson et al., 1990). For this patient, no gene mutation data is available (Robinson et al., 1990). The patient reported by Robinson et al. had a different phenotype compared to our patient and four other genetically confirmed DLAT mutation cases and had profound retardation and microcephaly (Robinson et al., 1990). Head et al. (2005) first described two unrelated individuals with PDH deficiency caused by homozygous non-protein truncating mutations in the DLAT gene (Head et al., 2005). One patient demonstrated a deletion of glutamic acid in the outer lipoyl domain of the protein, whereas the second expressed a missense mutation in the catalytic site, leading to a substitution of leucine for phenylalanine. Both patients were male children born of first-cousin parents. These patients presented with a less severe phenotype compared to individuals with the more common type of PDH caused by alterations in the PDHA1 gene encoding the E1 subunit, and their common features included episodic dystonia, hypotonia, ataxia, and developmental delay(Head et al., 2005). Episodes of dystonia were often triggered by stress or fever, and developmental progress appeared to slow after the episodes as well. Additional reported features included inconsolable crying, nystagmus and abnormal eye movements, ptosis, drooli ng, jerky head movements, arching of the body, bottom shuffling, stiffening of the limbs, episodic clenching of the hands, head lag and hypotonia. Brain MRI findings in each patient included focal signal abnormality in the basal ganglia with high T2 signal and low T1 signal in the globus pallidus which was compatible with an abnormality of energy metabolism (Head et al., 2005). The authors concluded that mutations in the DLAT gene are an extremely rare cause of PDH deficiency and that patients with this type of PDH may be more likely to respond to a ketogenic diet (Head et al., 2005). McWilliam et al. (2010) also described two sisters born of non-consanguineous parents affected with pyruvate dehydrogenase E2 deficiency caused by compound heterozygous splice mutations in the DLAT gene (McWilliam et al., 2010). Clinical features were like those described in Head et al. (2005), including progressive episodic dystonia, cognitive impairment, and globus pallidus hyperintensity on brain MR I. Both patients were treated with a modified ketogenic diet and the parents reported improvements in concentration, fine motor control, and decreased fatigue (McWilliam et al., 2010). Previous reports noted the phenotypic overlap to patients with PKAN, and suggested investigation for PDH E2 deficiency in patients suspected to have atypical PKAN with negative genetic testing (Head et al., 2005;McWilliam et al., 2010). PKAN is one of several diseases classified under the umbrella of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA). It is caused by a mutation in the pentothenate kinase 2 gene, an abnormality of coenzyme A metabolism (Zhou et al., 2001). CoPAN (Coenzyme A synthetase protein-associated neurodegeneration) is another NBIA that affects the synthesis of coenzyme A. It is caused by a mutation in coenzyme A synthetase (COASY) gene (Schneider, 2016;Tonekaboni and Mollamohammadi, 2014). Clinical features of PKAN and CoPAN also include ataxia, dystonia, chorea and Parkinsonism, cognitive decline and psychiatric manifestations (Schneider, 2016;Tonekaboni and Mollamohammadi, 2014). In NBIA, whether iron accumulation is a cause or an effect of the disease pro cess is still not known (Schneider, 2016;Tonekaboni and Mollamohammadi, 2014). In our patient, the pattern of MRI changes in the bilateral globus pallidus is remarkably like that seen in PKAN and CoPAN, revealing the eye-of-the-tiger sign . On brain MRIs of patients with PKAN and CoPAN, the central hyperintensity of the eye-of-the-tiger sign is thought to be due to the tissue necrosis, while the surrounding hypointensity is attributed to the iron accumulation (Dusi et al., 2014;Kumar et al., 2006). Other diseases including cortical basal degeneration, multisystem atrophy, multiple sclerosis and neurofibromatosis may have similar neuro-radiological findings. However, these diseases differ from PKAN in their clinical behavior and pattern of MR abnormalities (Kruer et al., 2012). PKAN and CoPAN also affect the substantia nigra (Kruer et al., 2012); however, the involvement of the substantia nigra has not yet been reported in cases of PDH E2 deficiency due to DLAT mutations. Out of the four previously reported cases of PDH E2 deficiency due to DLAT mutation, only t wo patients had serial MRI scans. In one patient, the brain MRI was normal at one year of age but follow up at 6 years-old showed an abnormal hyperintense T2 signal in the bilateral globus pallidus. In the other patient, similar lesions were noticed at 15 months-old that remained unchanged on follow up at 2 and 6 years of age (Head et al., 2005). As opposed to the eye-of-the-tiger sign seen in our patient, all the previously reported cases showed homogenous basal ganglia hyperintensities (Head et al., 2005;McWilliam et al., 2010). As discussed above, PKAN and CoPAN result from a defect in coenzyme A synthesis (Schneider, 2016;Tonekaboni and Mollamohammadi, 2014). PDH E2 deficiency due to DLAT mutations, on the other hand, affects the transfer of acetyl group formed by decarboxylation of pyruvate to coenzyme A (Kumar et al., 2006;McWilliam et al., 2010;Patel and Roche, 1990). It is possible that the clinical and radiological similarities of PKAN, CoPAN and PDH E2 deficiency are due t o shared abnormalities in the acetyl-CoA metabolism. Like our patient, the 4 previously reported DLAT mutation cases presented with dystonia and intellectual disability, with a more benign course than those affected with the PDH E1 subunit deficiency (Head et al., 2005;McWilliam et al., 2010) . In this regard, PDH E2 deficiency due to DLAT mutation is like PDH deficiency due E3 binding protein deficiency (Head et al., 2005). Serum and CSF lactate were elevated in only one patient, but all demonstrated characteristic hyperintense T2 and hypointense T1 signal in the bilateral globus pallidi on brain MRI. In 3 out of the 4 patients, ketogenic diet was helpful in alleviation of the disease symptomology(Head et al., 2005;McWilliam et al., 2010). Our patients had hallucination, which was not described in other 4 reported patients. Her dystonia and hallucinations responded to low dose carbamazepine. Our case thus expands upon the phenotype for PDH E2 deficiency associated with the DLAT gene mutation. Reference List Dusi, S., Valletta, L., Haack, T.B., Tsuchiya, Y., Venco, P., Pasqualato, S., Goffrini, P., Tigano, M., Demchenko, N., Wieland, T., Schwarzmayr, T., Strom, T.M., Invernizzi, F., Garavaglia, B., Gregory, A., Sanford, L., Hamada, J., Bettencourt, C., Houlden, H., Chiapparini, L., Zorzi, G., Kurian, M.A., Nardocci, N., Prokisch, H., Hayflick, S., Gout, I., and Tiranti, V. (2014). 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Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation. Curr. Neurol. Neurosci. Rep. 16, 9. Serajee, F.J., and Huq, A.M. (2015). Homozygous Mutation in Synaptic Vesicle Glycoprotein 2A Gene Results in Intractable Epilepsy, Involuntary Movements, Microcephaly, and Developmental and Growth Retardation. Pediatr. Neurol. 52, 642-646. Tonekaboni, S.H., and Mollamohammadi, M. (2014). Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation: an overview. Iran J. Child Neurol. 8, 1-8. Zhou, B., Westaway, S.K., Levinson, B., Johnson, M.A., Gitschier, J., and Hayflick, S.J. (2001). A novel pantothenate kinase gene (PANK2) is defective in Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome. Nat. Genet. 28, 345-349. Figure 1 Legend:   Ã‚   MRI of the brain: A. Axial T2 image showing hyperintensity in bilateral globus pallidus, which is surrounded by a hypointense signal B. Axial T1 image showing hypointensity in bilateral globus pallidus C. Coronal T2 FLAIR image showing hyperintensity in bilateral globus pallidus, which is surrounded by a ring of hypointense signal (eye-of-the-tiger sign)