Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Tobacco Smoking Is The Largest Single Preventable Cause Of...

Overview ‘’ Tobacco smoking is the largest single preventable cause of death and disease in Australia† (Cancer Council, 2006). The 2003 Australian Burden of disease study considers tobacco smoking as a leading cause of disease burden in Australia (Begg S, 2003). Anti-Cancer Council of Australia conducted its first national survey which shows that during the middle of last century, large numbers of males aged 16 and over were smokers and compared to females. However, in the following decades, the prevalence of smoking decreased among males due to publicity regarding health effects of smoking which first started in 1950s and early 1960s (Gray N and Hill D, 1975). According to the survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of statistics in†¦show more content†¦These campaigns include media- based and other strategies to raise awareness among public about risk associated with smoking. â€Å"Australia has been considered as a world’s leader in production and broa dcasting of mass media campaigns to reduce smoking and first employed tobacco control mass media campaign in 1970s†. During 1980s, mass- media led anti-smoking campaign was conducted in Sydney and Melbourne (Pierce JP, 1986) . During the first year of the campaign, Sydney showed a marked decrease of 2.5 % in prevalence of smoking rate (Dwyer T, 1986). A similar result was seen in Melbourne campaign in its first year of campaign. This decline continued over the next 4 years for men in both cities (Pierce JP M. P., 1990). In Australia, led mass media campaigns have resulted in reduction in prevalence of smoking both in terms of smokers to quit smoking and in reducing the uptake of smoking among children. National Tobacco Campaign: During 1980s and early 1990s a steady reduction in smoking prevalence was observed, therefore a National Tobacco campaign was developed (Hill DJ, 1998). This campaign targeted smokers aged 18- 40 years. The evaluation of National Tobacco campaign shows significant reduction in prevalence of smoking among Australian adults (AIHW, 2005) . A decline from 23.5 % in May 1997 to 20.4% in November 2000 was seen in campaign survey (Wakefield M, 2004). Overall the campaign survey shows

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

What I Learned from Studying the Rise and Fall of Enron

In an ideal world there would be no corruption, no conflict, and no need for regulations. But this is not an ideal world and these problems happen every day. The business world is not exempt from this problem. Many businesses rely on ethics to help guide their company successfully. Our textbook Business Ethics: How to Design and Manage Ethical Organizations Denis Collins defines ethics as, â€Å"the set of principles a person uses to determine whether an action is good or bad† (5). All over the world there are businesses that take part in unethical behavior for many different reasons. Some countries even allow these unethical conducts, such as bribery, as a part of the norm. But for the United States, we have a stricter set of principles in place to try and stop unethical business practices from happening. That doesn’t mean that they don’t happen. Collins discusses a 2009 survey conducted by The Ethics Resource Center on 3,010 employees. Collins states that, â₠¬Å"approximately half of the respondents observed at least one type of major ethical misconduct in the workplace during the past year, and nearly half of these violated the law† (6). If uncovered these corruptions are not tolerated and can lead to the fall of anything from a small mom and pop business to massive a Corporation. That is exactly what happened to the Enron Corporation back in 2001. In this essay I will discuss what exactly Enron is, the unethical business practices that occurred, and my opinion on the scandal andShow MoreRelatedBernard Madoff Scandal3036 Words   |  13 Pagesthe Financial Markets were riddled with corruption and fraud. At the beginning of the decade we saw the likes of Enron and WorldCom become insolvent due to accounting frauds of epic proportions. 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Monday, December 9, 2019

Lecture Notes For Never Events Required of The CMS Reimbursement Rules

Questions: 1. Helen Thomson who is also a nurse, and discuss the importance of their role as advocate for improving health care delivery. What specific bill(s) have they sponsored or supported that has/have influenced health care? 2. Discuss how the CMS reimbursement rules for never events required a shift in the patient care delivery model in inpatient facilities. Answers: 1. Helen Thomson, RN who is a nurse by profession serves as a representative in the California State Assembly. The relationship between a nurse and politics looks vague but in reality, nurses are capable of representing the entire health care sector in the United States of America. The legislation passes many laws, which affect the day-to-day routine, and practices of a nurse, which may affect the nursing practice and the entire health care sector negatively if its not considered from a point of view of a person serving the industry. Helen Thomson states that nurses have various leadership qualities, which are not usually recognized, this quality makes them a good candidate for various public office. Nurses have a lot of experience in working under serious situations; have excellent communication skills and experience in working with families, which makes them very suitable for politics (Ressler Glazer, 2010). Helen Thomson was registered as a nurse in the United States of America i n 1961 and was elected as a representative in the legislation in the year 1996. After her representation in the legislation, she has worked very hard to amend legislations on working condition of the nurses and to broaden the health care sector regarding nursing care. Helen has also motivated nurses all over the United States of America to come forward and speak about all the problems the nursing system in the United States of America faces. Helen Thomson introduced a Bill in the legislation to allow privileges to for nurses in Pennsylvania along with this Helen Thomson is working on a bill which will introduce the whistle blower protection for all nurses and health care professionals in the United States of America (Aiken et al., 2010). Helen Thomsons effort brought a revolution in the working conditions of the nursing services in the United States of America. The said bill is waiting for its final approval before it becomes a law. After the introducing of the said law, Helen Thoms ons work will surely be surely be very beneficial in improving the working conditions of the nurses in United States of America. 2. Never events are severe and preventable patient safety situations that can be prevented from occurrence if the available preventable care and measures are implemented. Never events include wrong side surgery, wrongful after care services, etc. The Nurses working in the United States of America have a very important role to play to prevent the never events. Health care centres and hospitals increase the number of nurses, which in return improves the quality of health care and reduces the incidents of never events. However, the term never events is a very negative term which affects a patient and the health care professionals physiologically (Castle Ferguson, 2010). Therefore, the said term never events need to be changed to make it always events, which will make the negative term sound positive and hopeful. This policy can be implemented by a number of efforts like disclosure of side effects and transparency policies with patient and families, guaranteed after care facilities, med ication error reduction techniques and mandatory readback for high-alert medication. The introduction of these policies in legislation in the United States of America will attract a positive long-term approach in the sector of health care and patient safety, which can be passed to the next generation of health care professionals. Thus the Centres of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) suggests to adopt a always events approach and let go of the never event approach in the health care sector in United States of America (Kuo et al., 2013). Reference List Aiken, L. H., Sloane, D. M., Cimiotti, J. P., Clarke, S. P., Flynn, L., Seago, J. A., ... Smith, H. L. (2010). Implications of the California nurse staffing mandate for other states.Health services research,45(4), 904-921. Castle, N. G., Ferguson, J. C. (2010). What is nursing home quality and how is it measured?.The Gerontologist,50(4), 426-442. Kuo, Y. F., Loresto, F. L., Rounds, L. R., Goodwin, J. S. (2013). States with the least restrictive regulations experienced the largest increase in patients seen by nurse practitioners.Health Affairs,32(7), 1236-1243. Ressler, P., Glazer, G. (2010). Legislative: Nursings engagement in health policy and healthcare through social media.OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing,16(1), 1-5.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Pesticides Effects Essays - Biocides, Soil Contamination

Pesticides Effects There are many important issues in the world regarding the environment and it's affects on the average person. Though, the one that hits closest to home, worldwide, is the trust that individuals have in the food that they consume. Yet pesticides are still found daily in foods all around the world. Pesticides are toxins that are used by produce growers universally to control pests that can destroy crops. These toxins are being ingested by humans in the forms of fruits and vegetables that have remaining toxins on them. How safe are these toxins to humans and what is being done to safeguard the environment as well as the health of individuals? Does the average person consume harmful amounts of poison at every meal? If the levels are unsafe, why is this problem continuing to get a blind eye from the people who are supposed to protect society? These questions when asked only lead to more questions. Until things are done to change the systems of pesticide usage universally, society can never be sure as to the long term effects on our environment and what they are eating or giving to the future of our world, the children. In some foreign countries pesticides are used more frequently with legislative control than in the United States. In Mexico and South America, for example, many of the pesticides that the United States and Europe have banned, wind up being used on a majority of their produce crops. The largest problem with this is that Europe and the United States import from South America for produce all of the time. What good does it do to ban harmful agricultural chemicals to be used on domestically grown crops if crops in other countries are grown with these same harmful chemicals, and are then allowed to be imported? Mexico and South America are the leading suppliers of produce for the earth's population because their climate is very conducive to year around crops. Unfortunately those countries are also known for their large amount of insects of all varieties. These insects are steadily becoming more and more immune to toxins that are sprayed on crops. More than five hundred insects, one hundred and fifty plant diseases and two hundred and seventy weeds are now resistant to pesticides. Results are that U.S. growers as well, are steadily forced to apply more and stronger toxins. As the amount and the strength of the toxin increases, the immunity of the targeted insects to these toxins also increases. Total U.S. crop losses from insect damage has nearly doubled since 1945. Insecticide use during this same time has increased tenfold. This war will go on being waged until the game plan is changed. The produce export trade in some cities and countries constitutes the majority of their economy and they will protect the resulting income at all costs. These places have very little legislation to control chemical usage, and follow up on almost none of its effects. Officials do not care how it affects consumers, being adults or children. Even their own agricultural worker's health is of no concern. These officials only care about producing crops and exporting them with as little overhead as possible. The bottom line is, always has been, and always will be money. In Villa Juarez, Mexico, many children who work in the produce fields are coming down with mysterious illnesses and some people in this region put the blame directly on those children's contact with the chemical acephate and other pesticides that are used in that area. The use of acephate is illegal in the United States, but is perfectly legal in Mexico. Doctors in Juarez are treating unusually high amounts of cancer and also fifty to eighty cases of chemical poisoning per week in their agricultural workers. This continues to happen because the government and the growers do not take these illnesses seriously; the workers are expendable. Growers in Culcan Valley, Mexico use chemicals to increase production of produce sold in the U.S. every winter. Unfortunately, studies that were preformed by the Government Accounting office in Mexico showed that at least six pesticides that are illegal in the U.S. were still on the produce when it was exported. Moving on to South America, in Chile there are no clear guidelines governing the use of agricultural chemicals on produce crops. In the city of Rancaga, a large fruit growing region, a study was done to check the risks that rural workers face, and what they found was astounding. Dr. Maria Mella found that there is

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Free Essays on A Young Mans Admiration

A YOUNG MAN’S ADMIRATION My grandfather is a very wise and interesting man. His name is Tom Angel. My grandpa has a medium build. He is about 6’0 feet tall and weighs 180 pounds. He has a baldhead and blue eyes. He was born in Crown City, Ohio way up on top of a big hill. Grandpa will be celebrating his birthday Saturday September seventh, and he will be sixty-three years old. That really does not matter to him. He said that it was â€Å"just another day†. Grandpa ran heavy equipment his entire life. He finally decided to retire last year. I was glad to see him finally decide to take a break from working. Even though he did retire, he still works everyday. He is always into something, whether it is working in hay or tobacco or just fooling around with the cows. His dad always taught him to be a hard worker. So far, he is teaching me the same thing. I try to get him to take a break sometimes, but he just says, â€Å"when a man quits working he will more than likely die†. Back in his younger day’s I guess that he was a little bit wilder than what he is now. He used to drink a lot. Now though he has straightened up a lot, and goes to church every Wednesday and Sunday. He is all the time trying to make sure that I am behaving myself. I am his only grandson, so he tries to keep a good-eye out on me. He tells me that I am young, and he understands how young men are. He is trying to do what is best for me. The outdoors is another one of his specialties. Between him and my dad teaching me everything that they know, they have made me twice the outdoorsman. I remember when grandpa used to have to carry me into the woods squirrel hunting. He has shared his fishing skills with me too. Introducing me to the outdoors is one of the greatest things that he has ever done for me. It has probably kept me out of a lot of trouble. I can never thank him enough for this. My grandpa is also a very excellent farmer. If it is... Free Essays on A Young Mans Admiration Free Essays on A Young Mans Admiration A YOUNG MAN’S ADMIRATION My grandfather is a very wise and interesting man. His name is Tom Angel. My grandpa has a medium build. He is about 6’0 feet tall and weighs 180 pounds. He has a baldhead and blue eyes. He was born in Crown City, Ohio way up on top of a big hill. Grandpa will be celebrating his birthday Saturday September seventh, and he will be sixty-three years old. That really does not matter to him. He said that it was â€Å"just another day†. Grandpa ran heavy equipment his entire life. He finally decided to retire last year. I was glad to see him finally decide to take a break from working. Even though he did retire, he still works everyday. He is always into something, whether it is working in hay or tobacco or just fooling around with the cows. His dad always taught him to be a hard worker. So far, he is teaching me the same thing. I try to get him to take a break sometimes, but he just says, â€Å"when a man quits working he will more than likely die†. Back in his younger day’s I guess that he was a little bit wilder than what he is now. He used to drink a lot. Now though he has straightened up a lot, and goes to church every Wednesday and Sunday. He is all the time trying to make sure that I am behaving myself. I am his only grandson, so he tries to keep a good-eye out on me. He tells me that I am young, and he understands how young men are. He is trying to do what is best for me. The outdoors is another one of his specialties. Between him and my dad teaching me everything that they know, they have made me twice the outdoorsman. I remember when grandpa used to have to carry me into the woods squirrel hunting. He has shared his fishing skills with me too. Introducing me to the outdoors is one of the greatest things that he has ever done for me. It has probably kept me out of a lot of trouble. I can never thank him enough for this. My grandpa is also a very excellent farmer. If it is...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Santas Lap Christmas Improv Drama Game

'Santas Lap' Christmas Improv Drama Game Santas Lap is a variation on a theater game called Surprise Guests. As with that character guessing game, one person will leave the stage area and be out of earshot. The remaining cast members will then gather suggestions from the audience by asking them: Who should I be? The audience may suggest generic character types: cowboy, opera singer, cheerleader, or other suggestions. They may also suggest specific individuals: Walt Disney, Vladimir Putin, Queen Elizabeth, or characters from books or movies. Or, the audience can be encouraged to offer bizarre suggestions, such as: A man without any bonesA woman who is madly in love with pastaA child who fears candy How to Play After each cast member has received a character, all then form a single-file line. The person playing Santa enters in character, and the scene begins. Santa may be played in a very genuine sort of way (think Miracle on 34th Street), or he may be portrayed as a disgruntled mall Santa (as in A Christmas Story). After Santa interacts with the audience or perhaps with an elf employee, the first character in line sits on Santas lap. (Or they can just approach Santa if sitting is not appropriate to the character.) As Santa asks what the person wants for Christmas, he will also engage in a conversation that will deliver funny little clues about the identity of the character. As with Surprise Guests, the goal isnt so much to correctly guess the character. Instead, the performers should focus on humor and character development. Make the most of the interaction between Santa Claus and his mystery lap-sitter. After the lap-sitter has been identified, then Santa moves on to the next person in line. Note: In order to make the improv game more dynamic, Santa should feel free to move from his chair, taking the characters to see his workshop, sled, or reindeer barn. Tips To help plan a successful improv event, check out these tips: You wont need a ton of space for this question-and-answer guessing game, but you will want at least five people to play. If you have that few, you can rotate people in and out of the audience and can rotate the people being Santa in different rounds, as each round will move quickly. If you have a lot of people, you can still rotate Santa after a particular number of characters guessed, such as every 10, or after a certain length of time, say 15 or 20 minutes, depending on how Santa is doing.If children are involved in the game, take their knowledge of famous people or characters into account when choosing the subjects.When coming up with your subjects, the more creative you can be, the more lively the game will be. Having someone pretend to be a data entry clerk, for example, will not be as spirited for the actor as, say, a skydiver with a fear of heights. Get an emotional element into the character suggestion when possible. This can also help the actor to think up what he or she wan ts from Santa for Christmas, as the character will have a need of something built into his or her role from the start.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Exercise is Good for Your Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Exercise is Good for Your Health - Essay Example remote controls, automatic garage door openers, power screwdrivers, bread machines, electric pencil sharpeners, etc., etc. etc. We have created this easy and comfortable life. Unfortunately this trend in workplaces and living areas is taking our lives into pitfalls by making us lethargic and passive. We are going against our health that too, without much realisation. Overuse and overview of these items restricting our diverse physical movements, and still we are calling it as a wonderful life. This wonderful life has many bad implications due to lack of regular physical activity. To slip into an inactive lifestyle is very easy. Irony is that, do we really want our life to be dull, lazy with all ill health effects Id like to tell you in detail why Im so concerned about our inactivity. I would like you to show how exercise can pay off? This would persuade you to go out and do some exercise. A. Cardiovascular disease is the second leading cause of mortality worldwide, is caused by lack of enough exercise. Clogged arteries and veins are a result of inactivity. Our sedentary lifestyle is a major contributing factor, which increase chances of high blood pressure. It is estimated that in the UK, about 36% deaths in men are from heart disease and in women this number goes to 38%. And these deaths are associated with physical inactivity (http://www.sscn.nhs.uk/Your%20Heart/Exercise.htm). B. Our eating habits like fat diet and our failure to exercise our body leads to unwanted overweight. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated 400,000 obesity-related deaths annually in United States in 2004 (Sullum, 2006). High fat diet produces high levels of cholesterol in our blood, which in turns leads to plaque in our arteries. Overweight people have high risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and psychological illness (factual example - Camenzind). C. The incidences of bad implications of sedentary

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Comparison Between Macy's And Polo Specialty Store Essay

Comparison Between Macy's And Polo Specialty Store - Essay Example The invention of the black and white television in 1949 gave a substantial boost to the children wear industry. Children wear shows become popular programs and their licensing made quite a substantial amount of money for the children wear manufacturers. This money was in return re-invested back into the industry thereby enlarging and making it bigger. 1958 and 1959 were also noteworthy years for the fashion industry as the Hush Puppies shoes, and the Barbie Doll were invented respectively. The puppies' shoes were necessary for protecting the feet of the children as walking or working without shoes was not only stressful but also painful and full of discomfort. The invention spirit did not stop as several other new trends in children wear continued to be invented. During the entire 1960's, a whole lot of a variety of colors, patterns, and prints were produced. Some of these colors were light blue, light pink and light green. 1n 1970, various textiles including polyester were invented. Since the invention of the sewing machine, the discovery and subsequent use of manufactured fiber in apparel was another enormous development in the children wear industry. By this time, children wear was also beginning to look like adult wear. In 1980, a crucial shift occurred from manufactured fiber to more natural fiber such as cotton and linen among others. Naturals fibers were of immense preference over the manufactured fibers were either cheap, readily available or simply made better children's clothes.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Christianity Essay Example for Free

Christianity Essay Trade and merchants play a major role in Christianity and Islam from their origins to the 1500’s, and even though both had similar attributes yet differed as well. Christians and Islam both had a negative outlook, both had their religious viewpoints, as well as both changed their views towards trade. Despite this, Christianity began to open up to trade, even tolerating it, while Muslims became stricter on merchants and trade. Furthermore, Both Islam and Christianity had a negative attitudes for instance, in the Bible, Jesus preaches to his disciples how a rich man will never reach heaven. This is due to their behavior, for merchants are greedy and lying people whose only content is to get rich, which goes against Christianity’s belief. Moreover, Thomas Aquinas explains how unfair and unjust merchants are for they price their goods higher than what the product actually cost. By the tone of the document as well as how he explains trade and its problems show his dislike. Likewise Ibn Khaldun describes merchants as weak, and disgusting men and how they negatively affect the government. His tone is harsher however, which indicates his anger towards the merchants. Merchants constants rip-off of the people by selling their goods at a high price as well s giving their all their goods to those who pay more. The Islamic Court in Ankara had to deal with a case in which merchants would give all their cotton to a single person, if they pay extra high price in addition to the merchant’s high prices. Document seven contains quotes from that of the people who have complained about the merchants. Both Christianity and Islam share the same pessimistic attitude towards merchants and trade because of their behavior and how they sell their goods. Anyways, I would have like to see a document from a merchant, it would have help me better indicate if merchants were really sneaky and unfair as spoken in the documents given. Some looked to the Christianity’s and Islam’s beliefs, to determine their view on merchants and trade for both religions impacted all their followers. In the Bible, Jesus says that no rich man will ever reach heaven. The small passage comes from the bible, which heavily every Christians view. Which is also why he emphasized how the quote from the bible and how i t fit into the situation. The Muslim Qur’an also circled around honesty and truthfulness which the Muslims and Muslim merchants had to follow if they wanted to reach paradise. Thomas Aquinas who was also heavily influence by Christianity, and its bible, for he states a line out of the bible. He indicates the bible  because he knows that adding the bible would persuade many of the Christians which was his intended target audience. Reginald, a monk of Durham also says explains the life of Godric and how he became a successful merchant, only to become tired of it and soon devoted himself to God giving away all his possessions to the poor. Reginald’s attended audience was Christian followers, he also helps justify document 1 in Godric went from rich to poor in order to devote himself to god. I would have liked a document from a person not Christian or Islam because it would have allow me to understand how much both religions influence the views of its subjects. Despite the similarities Christianit y religious views seem to rather negative and stricter than the Muslims were lighter and positive. Merchants and trade in the eyes of Christianity and Islam began to change significantly overtime. Ibn Khaldun says how beneficial the merchants are to the capital, for they buy goods in one area, only to sell at a higher price in an area in demand. Which the Qur’an also depicts, however it encourages trade as long as it is fair and truthful. Yet Ibn Khaldun gives us evidence of laws which were established in order to control merchant’s behavior. In addition, document 7 shows how the Islamic court had power over merchants and could affect their behavior as well as. Unlike Islam which began to become stricter, Christianity began look towards it positively, such as, letter C of document 6 describes an order being canceled for English wool, and the consumer seemingly brings god name into it, which suggest the consumer does not think of trade conflicting with Christianity. Which letter A also identify for both letters show how the merchant’s goal is to make a profit, and they see no problem with. In conclusion, Christianity and Islam attitudes towards trade and me rchants were similar in certain aspects as, of the beginning both viewed it negatively, and on a religious level. However, both began to change their views on trade and merchants. For Christianity began approving trade, while Islam began harsher treatment towards trade and merchants.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Colonialism in India Essay -- British Invasion, Massive Boycotts

The British invasion formed into a historical development of British colonialism in India. Despite India under the British rule, Mahatma Gandhi played an important role in gaining Independence. He not only changed India but also strongly fought for India's independence, using various strategies. The British Empire ruled as long as they could to reform India both politically and socially. India was the first major Asian civilizations to fall victim to European predatory activities (Duiker 31). With conquering India, the British had various purposes behind it. Their main purpose was to achieve a monopolistic trading position (The Economic and Social Impact of Colonial Rule in India). The second purpose was the control of India; this was a key element in the world power structure, in terms of geography, logistics and military manpower (The Economic and Social Impact of Colonial Rule in India). When the East India Company continued to trade under the British, huge armies were created, largely composed of Indian sepoys (Marshall). The armies were used to defend the Company’s territories protect the Indian states (Marshall). With major control over India, the British used a combination of firepower & guile to consolidate their power over the country by expanding from their base areas along the coast into the interior (Duiker 31). Some territories were also taken over the privately run East India Company, which at the time was given authority to administer Asian territories under British occupation, while others were ruled by local maharajas (Duiker 31). British governance brought order and stability to a society that had recently been wrecked by the wars from the different empires (Duiker 31). Since the British wanted to refo... ...tween the Hindus and Muslims, Jinnah felt that Muslims had no future in India (Overfield 216). With the end of British rule in 1947, not only did India gain its independence but also along with it was born an other country, Pakistan where Jinnah served as the first governor (Overfield 216). With the gain of India’s independence, Gandhi was shot the following year in 1948 by a Hindu zealot who resented his commitment to Hindu – Muslim harmony (Overfield 212). Despite numerous conflicts with the British and with the Muslims, India fought for its rights by doing what they felt was right. India under the British rule had some benefits as the new school system and outlawing sati but they did manage to trouble the Indians with taxation and other laws. Gandhi who was an outstanding, important figure in India’s way for independence who taught to fight with nonviolence.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Naturalistic Observation of Social Interaction

Naturalistic observation is a form of data collection where the researcher assumes the role of an observer, which may be participative or non-participative (Gonnerman, 2007). Either way, this method aims to make studies on organisms’ (i.e. human) behaviors in their natural environment, unhindered by control parameters that studies in a laboratory, for example, impose. It is understandable that human beings, just like other organisms, act differently under the watchful eye of any observer, most especially due to self-consciousness. However, it is also understood that even as we are not under scrutiny (there is an absence of outside scrutiny), in the external environment, in a world beyond our own comfort zone, we still experience a â€Å"feeling of being watched†, or the so-called spotlight effect. Hence, naturalistic observation does not guarantee the absence of behavioral alteration, and the best that could probably be hoped for is a decrease in such that may lead to objective conclusions. In this project, the researcher—myself—chose to make behavioral observations on subjects who are unaware that they are being observed, in the hopes of avoiding possible alterations in their behavior pattern. The setting is the department store, where two girls are shopping for clothes. The behaviors observed during the first twenty minutes are that Girl One is phlegmatic and submissive, in her attempt to avoid conflict; while Girl Two is demanding. A hypothesis, therefore, was made that Girl Two would speak more often and in a louder voice than Girl One. The results of the second observation, however, show that Girl Two spoke more often but in hushed tones, and Girl Two was the one who spoke less but in a louder voice. It is therefore concluded that the hypothesis is wrong, and that human behavior could not be readily predicted, only justified. Naturalistic Observation of Social Interaction I observed a conversation between two girls shopping for clothes on [please insert time and date of â€Å"observation†]. We are at a department store [should the client wish to insert a particular department store, please do so], standing amid racks of clothing. One has dark hair cropped short near her chin; she was wearing a plain, light-blue, long-sleeved shirt, whom I shall refer to as Girl One. The other girl, Girl Two, has curly, shoulder-length, brown hair, and she was wearing a pink sleeveless shirt with a butterfly embroidered across the chest. There are only a few people about, including myself and the sales lady. Girl Two picks up a purple sleeveless dress with gray stripes and holds it against herself for her friend to see.   Girl One circles around the clothes racks, but does not pick any item out. Girl One slowly turns back around when Girl Two calls her. Girl One goes with Girl Two to the dressing room; Girl One waits outside, leaning on the wall with her feet stretched out in front of her as Girl Two takes her time inside the dressing room. When Girl Two emerges from the dressing room, Girl One looks at her from head to toe and nods her head. All of this takes place during the first ten minutes of the observation. During the second ten minutes, the conversation went like this: Girl One: â€Å"The dress looks okay, you should buy it.† Girl Two: â€Å"Are you sure? Or are you just telling me that so we can go now?† Girl One: â€Å"No I’m not. Come on, just buy it.† Girl Two: â€Å"You wouldn’t be pushing me into buying this if it was alright with you to go shopping. You shouldn’t have come.† Girl One: â€Å"Alright, maybe you’re right. I wanna go now but I don’t wanna spoil your fun so just get on with it and take all your time if need be.† Girl Two: â€Å"Alright then, just let me choose another dress to compare with this one and we’ll go.† Girl One: â€Å"Sure, whatever.† Based on the narrated observations, I have reached a possible hypothesis that one of the girls, Girl Two is probably a demanding sort of person, a domineering persona who can manipulate people like Girl One into doing what she wants. A parallel hypothesis is that Girl Two is a phlegmatic, and slightly submissive persona who simply does not want to be bothered or does not want any conflict, and so goes along with whatever Girl One asks of her. In line with this, I decided to gather observation that would enable me to determine which of the girls would eventually become more exasperated by the other and raise her voice more often, and this girl would be Girl Two, with the demanding character. The parameters I used are of course the number of times that the subject spoke, and the number of times the voice was raised within the 20 minutes of observation. I followed the girls two their next destination which was a coffee shop, bringing with me a few of my friends to cover me. We sat on the booth next to them, and I proceeded with my 20-minute observation. Based on my notes, Girl Two spoke more often, having used eight opportunities to talk in twenty minutes, whereas Girl One spoke less often, speaking only three times within the time span. However, Girl One raised her voice at all speaking opportunities, while Girl Two never raised her voice and spoke in a lowered voice. I therefore conclude that the hypothesis is wrong—Girl Two, even with her demanding personality, did not raise her voice, and did not seem exasperated by Girl One’s passive attitude. Instead, it was Girl One who got â€Å"fed up†. The exercise was extremely challenging because first and foremost, I had to pretend that I did not exist. Or at least, assume a role that did not directly participate in their world. In other words, it was as if I was stalking them or spying on them. I had to persuade my friends to come with me and serve as my â€Å"cover†. I was also nervous because if I did not do well with pretending I was also looking at the dresses, or recording some descriptions about the clothes in my notebook and not about them, I probably would be blacklisted in that department store. It was challenging also, to keep my mind off formulating biased opinions; I had to concentrate on being the â€Å"unattached† social scientist role. One insight I have learned is that even some personalities that seem to clash all the time somehow complement each other and form what they call a â€Å"love-hate† relationship that defies all odds and expectations. And another is that human behavior, although inferences may be made out of them, can never be truly predicted by an outside observer because there are other factors to consider than the setting, and whatever is in the natural environment of observation at that point in time. One has to consider what happened before the trip to the mall which upset Girl One so greatly, so much so that she belied expectations. Through this exercise, I have learned that nonverbal behavior is hard to observe and describe without biases, or forming opinions about them. However, when I do try to formulate opinions, I find that nonverbal behavior gives an insight into what the subject may be thinking as much the same way as verbal behavior would. Either way, human behavior can never be predicted; we can only understand the why’s and how’s surrounding a certain action and reaction. Reference Gonnerman (2007). Surveys and Naturalistic Observation. Retrieved February 9 2008 from http:// fp.uni.edu (2007)

Saturday, November 9, 2019

4 main threats to Antarctica

Tourism: Strange as it may be Antarctica is gradually developing into a popular tourist destination. This is because people who have been around the world and seen places like Niagara falls and Ayers rock and other natural phenomena's like the idea of going to Antarctica and getting photos of penguins etc. The problem with this is that it upsets the local wildlife and can make disrupt mating season with certain species. Some of the ecosystems are so delicate that even the slightest human interference might disrupt them. These ecosystems must be protected at all costs and to protect them we cannot have tourists looking at them taking pictures getting involved with these animals who until recently had never seen a human before. Another bad thing about humans is wherever we go we tend to leave a mess and litter could severely damage the environment. Can you imagine a lichen/moss has taken hundreds of years to grow to finally get above the ice and survive only for a human to step on it and kill it? This is something that we cannot risk but tourism has a plus side. For instance it will provide another source of income that could help scientific equerries and if the proposed tourist building is built it will allow the scientists to work and do something different apart from research. It is hoped that this building would help tourism to expand from the present 2500 tourists a year. But how to protect animals from tourists? Is a very good question and a set of rules has been developed so that visitors can get a good experience without disturbing the wildlife too much. There is not much we can do to discourage tourism but we can set a limit to the amount of people allowed on the continent and make sure that they f ollow a set of guidelines so that they do not interfere with the wildlife. Mining: This is another big threat because things like oil and coal and minerals like copper and iron will not last forever. And the problem is that Antarctica has the worlds' largest coal deposits and possibly huge stores of oil that could be used to extract tens of billions of barrels of oil. It also contains several large deposits of iron ore and even some of gold and silver. This leaves a dilemma because if the resources run out then Antarctica could well be the answer to the problems but; there are many downsides to mining in Antarctica. It would be very, very expensive because all food, water and equipment would have to be imported and then on top of that the minerals would have to be exported but to where, and how? It is a very hard problem to resolve. As well as the problem with transport as hard as that is obtaining the minerals. Most are buried beneath tonnes of ice and it would be extremely dangerous trying to retrieve them. Another point is that the minerals and coal are very low quality and not worth risking lives and money for. The treaty has banned mining for 50 years and even after that time it may not even be considered. But by that time someone may have developed a way of getting the materials cheaply and quickly who can tell? Currently there seems no need for a solution so it is not yet a problem but some time in the future it may be so we have to be prepare. Global warming: this is a big threat because if the ice caps were to melt then sea levels would definitely rise considerably. Also it is not just melting ice caps that are dangerous but moving ice caps. Huge sections of ice are breaking off from the main mass of ice and drifting away on the currents. Could you imagine what would happen if a section of ice with a colony of penguins went floating away to a warmer continent where they could not find food? It is unsatisfactory but at the present time there is nothing we can do to completely halt global warming but reducing will help slow down the melting ice although there is little that can be done. Fishing: There is a danger that krill and other small fish will be over fished and that mean a huge danger for all the animals in the Antarctic. Krill provide food for nearly every sea animal and if they are over fished then the other will starve. This means that the krill must be protected at all costs and made sure that their numbers are not allowed to drop. It takes 20 years for a fish to mature and so over fishing is a great danger. By lowering fishing quotas and the time the boats are allowed to fish in the waters will help to keep up krill numbers and not over fish. Opinions: we interviewed several different people and asked what they thought about the Antarctic and what should be done. Japanese whale hunter: ‘Hunting whales is my livelihood and my family and I would starve if I couldn't hunt whales. Around the Antarctic there are lots of whales and we should be able to hunt them. I know we may put them in danger but there would be too many jobs lost if we weren't allowed to do it.' Australian fisherman: ‘I know that over fishing is a danger but we have to get enough fish to make money. I agree limiting the fish quota would help stop over fishing but they must not lower the fishing quota too much or we won't be able to make any money.' Scientist: ‘I am totally against any form of development, mining and even tourism because Antarctica, as the last wilderness on earth, cannot afford to be ruined by human corruption. If we allow too many tourists too come or too many fish to be caught then the whole eco-system that has survived for so long with no human interference will collapse.' Politician: ‘It is my view that eventually some development on Antarctica should be considered but for now we should look to preserve it. Although it will require an income and many people may not get as much pay as they did this cannot be helped if he purity that is Antarctica is to be kept safe. In my opinion I believe that Antarctica should be kept the way it is although maybe making it into a huge wildlife preserve or a world park seem like very reasonable ideas. Every precaution must be taken to prevent over fishing and the animals life from being disturbed. I leave you with this thought. In a hundred years the world's population could have doubled and every spare inch of land will be taken up by housing. Would you see a place like Antarctica filled up with houses? It may happen; so I suggest we try to keep it perfect while we still can and try to find out as much as we can before it's too late.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Sample - User Manual for Snapchat

Sample - User Manual for Snapchat This report outlines the initial proposal for the Snapchat user manual. This report should cover some of the broad and basic information that first-time users of the Snapchat application need to know. This report shall also cover the unique stylistic components that the author shall use in his final report- which would be the actual Snapchat user manual. The purpose of this report then is to guide the author in planning and writing what to write, how to write the contents, and where to place them in the actual manual. Needs Assessment The focus of the project would be on the application Snapchat. Snapchat is a social media application that allows users to share videos called snaps. This is, in fact, a new trend in the digital arena because as of the moment it is the process of sharing photos that is most prevalent. What Snapchat is all about, however, is the process of sharing videos. It is important to note, however, that users may also take and share photos, drawings, and texts and then send them to a controlled list of people (i.e. the recipients). Essentially, Snapchat is a messaging tool that has a high level of multimedia sharing capability. Considering all of these features, it can be said that Snapchat is virtually intended to be used (and can actually be used) by everyone; from businessmen to casual and professional photographers and graphic and video artists. Students may also take advantage of the enhanced sharing capability of Snapchat. What is unique with Snapchat, however, is the fact that it enable s the users to specify how long the snaps (i.e. the sent videos and photographs) can be viewed by their recipients and actually stay in the company’s servers- after which the developers of the app claim that it would already be deleted. Additional Research One of the latest features that Snapchat users can enjoy is the Snapchat Lenses. With lenses, users can take snaps using real-time special effects, sounds, and filters. This way, they would not have to edit their snaps. Whenever there are updates, new filters (e.g. rewind, slow-motion, force touch) and effects may get released so it would be best to frequently update the version of Snapchat installed on the smartphone or a tablet computer. Audience Analysis The intended audience for the Snapchat user manual would be all of the potential users of the application. Some of the specific examples include: Business men Professional and casual photographers Professional and casual graphic artists Students and teachers Government agencies, departments, and organizations For-profit and non-profit organizations Researchers The application user manual that will be published shall cater to all the users’ needs. No separate version of the user manual will be released for a particular group or audience. The target audience for the user manual would be those who have basic to intermediate smartphone and internet navigation skills; those who actually own a smart phone or a tablet computer equipped with a decent camera capable of taking pictures and recording videos- because these are the main hardware requirements for an individual to utilize Snapchat. Suggested Table of Contents About the Manual Acknowledgement Table of Contents Glossary Introduction Wiki Section Wiki Contents Basics Intermediates Advanced Using Snapchat How to take a picture How to take a video How to create a text message How to organize a list of recipients How to send texts, pictures, videos How to store your contents Snapchat Terms, Policies, and Conditions How to Install and Uninstall the Application Setting up and Account Troubleshooting Frequently Asked Questions Participating in the Snapchat users’ community and forum Frequently Asked Questions The most basic information about Snapchat shall be placed within a consolidated FAQ section. The purpose of the FAQ section would be to enable the users to get started in using the Snapchat application. This may contain instructions on how to install the application, where the download links may be obtained, and how to set up the application on their device after installation. This can be presented within any section of the user manual. In any case, the most important component would be the content. This section has to be simple and easy to understand. Design Layout The purpose of the Snapchat user manual is to get the users started on how to use the application. The focus of the writing process should then be on the content because it is the most important component that would determine the success of the project. The design process should, however, be not taken for granted. The design and layout should embody the following characteristics: elegance, professionalism, and neatness. The design should be creative but not to the point that it would look untidy and too artistic. After all, this was not intended to be an art project. The design and layout should make it easier for the readers to read and understand all sections of the content; this is where the neatness component should be factored in. The layout should follow the outline of the contents provided earlier where each section should have its own design in order for the readers to understand how each section is independent of each other.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

In Absentia Used As An Adjective

In Absentia Used As An Adjective â€Å"In Absentia† Used As An Adjective â€Å"In Absentia† Used As An Adjective By Maeve Maddox A reader has asked me to comment on the following uses of the Latin phrase in absentia (â€Å"in his/her absence†) in The Harvard Crimson: Headline: FAS Relaxes In Absentia Rules Text: Undergraduates studying abroad in spring 2007 will be able to take their fall exams early- if their instructors approve- rather than having to lug their books overseas for in absentia exams. The reader feels that the phrase should not be used to describe a noun: This usage looks incorrect to me. M-W describes [in absentia] only as an adverb. Regardless of what it says in the dictionary, in absentia is often used as a qualifier in academic and legal contexts: Fallows intended his in  absentia  program as a vehicle for reaching adults, not as  an option for the conventional, youthful collegiate audience. All degree requirements must be completed or in progress before the student can begin the in absentia graduation process. The in absentia registration fee is $25. If a defendant takes off during the pretrial phase, however, he may be able to elude an  in absentia conviction. In general usage, there’s no reason to use in absentia as anything but an adverb phrase: The degree was conferred upon the deployed soldier in absentia. The man was condemned in absentia. The new program chairman was elected in absentia. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Synonyms for â€Å"Meeting†Social vs. Societal20 Slang Terms for Law Enforcement Personnel

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Smart City Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Smart City - Essay Example identifies that majority of these individuals still live in slums (2011). Comparatively, although cities only occupy 2 to 3 percent of the total earth’s surface, they are responsible for about 75 percent of carbon secretions and 80 percent of the total energy consumption (Haftor, Mirijamdotter & Bradley, 2010). It is thus in this context that, to be livable in the future, cities require efficient urbanization plans with a huge emphasis placed on the concepts of sustainability, smart, and livability. Essentially, there are various factors which characterize and define Smart Cities. According to Sanseverino, these factors include smart economy, sustainability, smart mobility, economic development, smart people, a high quality of life and smart governance among others (2014). Thus, these factors are essential for the improvement of lives of individuals residing in cities. It is worth noting that these factors can be enhanced through the appropriate and effective use of infrastructure, Information Computer Technology (ICT), as well as social capital (Galbraith, 2014). As such, a Smart City creates an environment that not only presents the residents with numerous opportunities to be tapped, but also a broad range of actions and activities as embraced in its voluminous definitions. According to Giffinger, et al., a Smart City can be defined as â€Å"an innovative city† which makes use of ICTs and other strategies to increase urban competition, improve efficiency in the service s offered and improve the general quality of city life (2007). It is however worth noting that in order to achieve this, it is important to not only meet the needs of the present generation but also the future generations. Notably important, there are six important dimensions that are key to the creation of a Smart City. These dimensions can be identified as smart mobility, smart economy, smart people, smart environment, smart governance

Thursday, October 31, 2019

The Recipe Book as a Tradition in the Family Essay

The Recipe Book as a Tradition in the Family - Essay Example Different families have different items among their possessions that they hold most dear. These items usually have some special meaning to the members of the family and they seldom give out these items outside the family. Among the many possessions in my family, there is one that has incomparable value. It reminds everyone of our past and is the basis of some of our traditions in the family. This special item is a recipe book that my grandmother wrote. The recipe book contains several recipes that my grandmother developed. These recipes have been in use in my family for such a long time that some of the meals have become our identity among friends and relatives. It is a tradition in the family to cook a meal from the recipe book at least once a week. We always look forward to meals prepared from the recipe book, as they are usually special. Our family also uses the book when we have guests and during special events and occasions. Owing to this tradition, the recipe book has become so special in our family. My family intends to keep the recipe book for generations to come. That is to keep the recipes a family secret down the years and ensure we maintain our uniqueness when it comes to preparing special meals. Only select members of the family will inherit it down the generations to keep the traditions going. Currently, the book is under the custody of my mother who, when the time comes, will decide whom to give it. Everyone in the family hopes to inherit it and be the master of those rich meals in their own family.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Cranialfacial reconstruction - pre op surgical technologist tech Research Paper

Cranialfacial reconstruction - pre op surgical technologist tech - Research Paper Example In such cases, the reconstruction is carried out immediately once the problem is analyzed. The need for craniofacial reconstruction depends on the complexity of the patient. The other situations may arise when the patient has met with an accident where the facial bones or skull is broken. In certain cases it may be done to reconstruct the facial and skull bones for cancer patients if they have undergone any bone removal during cancer treatment. Another possibility of facial reconstruction is when the patient suffers from cleft lip disorder. (Hardt, 2007).In this case, the patient’s bones of the upper lip do not fuse properly with that of the lower lip. In any case, this option is preferred only if the patient’s skull or face cannot be modified using any other surgery. It is done to modify a child’s skull if the child is detected with abnormalities during the birth. The abnormalities may be due to genetic problems or disorders. This surgery is done keeping in mind the future problems and issues. Depending on the growth of bone, the original bone must be restructured. Since craniofacial surgery involves more risk, doctors opt for it only when there is no other way to treat the patient. Craniofacial reconstruction involves various pre-operative procedures. The reconstruction surgery is done based on these reports. The initial step in the pre-operative process is skull examination. This is done based on the x-ray and scan report of the patient’s skull. The patient’s skull is examined to analyze its shape and dimensions. (Barone, 2004).This helps in easy reconstruction of the damaged skull. Once the skull is examined, the reconstruction plan is implemented. In the reconstruction plan, the dental and facial structures are analyzed. The next step is to match the tissues of the patient. The tissues are tested and then selected in equivalence with the patient’s skull and facial tissues. This will ensure that the

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Methods for Short and Long Term Memory Formation

Methods for Short and Long Term Memory Formation The purpose of the experiment was to determine which Learning Method was the most effective for short- and long-term memory formation. Method efficacy was tested via a Short-Term Memory (STM), and Long-Term Memory (LTM), glyph recall test. There were four groups, each using a different Learning Method which varied in two factors: written repetition (10X/none) and movie viewing (before/after STM test). The Learning Method was used to introduce the symbols, and there was a short maths test before the STM test. Symbol recall was assessed again in the LTM test, three weeks later. As the LTM test was taken after the STM test, all students had watched the movies. Analysis suggested that Learning Method 1 produced higher scores; students who wrote the symbol 10X and viewed the movie prior to taking the STM test had significantly greater glyph recall compared to those who used the other methods (p While Learning Method 1 appeared to be the most effective, it is possible that the results were affected by experimental design flaws; notably, the non-standardised test conditions. The degree of symbol retention demonstrated on the LTM test may be related to memory consolidation, which is aided by hippocampal ripple oscillations. The Learning Methods for each group were as follows (for the method code definitions and full method, see the Appendix): Group 1 (Learning Method 1): WB-1X_MB_10X Group 2 (Learning Method 2): WB-1X_MA_10X Group 3 (Learning Method 3): WB-1X_MB Group 4 (Learning Method 4): WB-1X_MA The independent variable is the Learning Method and the dependent variable is the number of symbols recalled correctly on the memory tests (STM and LTM). Method 1 was the most involved (writing 10X, and watching the movie beforehand). The alternative hypotheses are: Ha: if Short-Term glyph recall is related to the Learning Method (Method 1, 2, 3, 4), then students in Group 1, who used Method 1 (WB-1X_MB_10X), will recall a greater number of symbols correctly on a Short-Term Memory test. Ha: if Long-Term glyph recall is related to the Learning Method used for the Short-Term Memory test (Method 1, 2, 3, 4), then students in Group 1, who used Method 1, will recall a greater number of symbols correctly on a Long-Term Memory test. For the STM data, Levene’s test established that there was an effect of variance (p p p p p = 0.8790) and those in Groups 3 and 4 (p = 0.9260). For the LTM data, Levene’s test established that there was no effect of variance (p > 0.05). As the variance is not significant, a One-way ANOVA and Tukey post-hoc test can be used to test the hypothesis. The One-way ANOVA established that LTM test scores differed as a function of Learning Method used [F(3, 124) = 66.0280, p p p = 0.6160). The results support the alternative hypotheses that if glyph recall is related to the Learning Method used, then students in Group 1 (who used Method 1) will recall a greater number of symbols correctly on both a STM and LTM test. As the test scores for students who used Method 1 were significantly higher in both the STM and LTM tests, at a significance level of 0.05, the alternative hypothesis is favoured. By adopting the alternative hypotheses there is a possibility of Type 1 error in both cases. The hippocampus contributes critically to memory formation, organisation, and storage Memory consolidation, a process that transforms newly acquired information into long-term memory, also depends on the hippocampus. Through consolidation, labile newly formed memory traces are progressively strengthened into long-term memories and become more resistant to interference. However, it is suggested that they remain susceptible to updating and modification The hippocampus generates high-frequency ripple oscillations in local-field potentials (LFPs), observed most prominently in the hippocampal CA1 pyramidal layer Ripples participate in strengthening and reorganising memory traces, possibly by mediating information transfer to neocortical areas Memory traces are represented by assemblies of principal neurons that are activated during ripple-associated network states There is evidence suggesting that memory consolidation is enhanced during sleep and resting (â€Å"off-line†) states Sleep is a state which optimises the consolidation of newly acquired information in memory, depending on the specific conditions of learning and the timing of sleep It induces long-lasting cellular and network modifications responsible for memory stabilisation A proposed neural mechanism for sleep-dependent memory consolidation, is reactivation of awake experience (neuronal replay) in the hippocampus which is associated with sharp wave-ripple (SPW-R) events that occur primarily during off-line states SPW-Rs are â€Å"aperiodic, recurrent instances of large deflections (sharp waves) in the hippocampal LFP†, and they are associated with synchronous fast-field oscillations (ripples) During SPW-R events, hippocampal cell firing closely follows the pattern that took place during the initial experience Theta (4-8 Hz) oscillations and ripples (~200 Hz) occurring during sharp waves may mediate encoding and consolidation, respectively. Pyramidal neurons replay previous waking activity in a temporally compressed manner, thus reactivated firing patterns occur within shorter time windows propitious for synaptic plasticity within the hippocampal network and in downstream neocortical structures. Slow-wave sleep (SWS) supports system consolidation and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep supports synaptic consolidation through specific patterns of neuromodulatory activity and electric field potential oscillations. During SWS, there is a diminution in cholinergic activity and the ripples stimulate the redistribution and transfer of hippocampus-dependent memories to the neocortex The thalamocortical spindles generated by the thalamus arrive at the neocortex at the same time as the hippocampal memory information, due to the slow oscillations which facilitate the transfer, and this synchronisation is thought to be vital to the long-term storage of memories within neocortical networks During REM sleep, at high cholinergic and theta activity, local increases in plasticity-related immediate-early gene activity may promote synaptic consolidation of memories in the cortex Incoming signals move through the hippocampus via a ‘trisynaptic loop’ consisting of synapses between principal cells in the dentate gyrus (DG), CA3 and CA1 Hofer et al investigated the cellular and network properties of SPW-Rs with simultaneous laminar multielectrode and intracellular recordings in a rat hippocampal slice model. Spontaneous SPW-Rs were generated in the DG, CA3, and CA1 regions During the memory encoding phase, the hippocampus binds neocortical representations to local memory traces. Then, during the off-line periods, the traces are concurrently reactivated in the hippocampus and cortex to potentiate the corticocortical connections underlying stored representations Studies show that disruption of ripples during post-learning SWS impairs memory consolidation and learning In an experiment conducted by Ego-Stengel and Wilson rats were trained daily in two identical tasks, each followed by a one hour rest period. Following one of the tasks, neuronal activity associated with ripple events was disrupted, without changing the sleep-wake structure, via selective stimulation of hippocampal afferents. It was found that the rats learned the control task significantly faster than the task followed by the stimulation, which suggests that interfering with hippocampal processing during sleep led to decreased learning Similarly, Nokia et al. found that disrupting hippocampal ripples using electrical stimulation either during training in awake animals, or during sleep after training, had a negative impact on learning A study by Wang et al indicated that the median raphe region (MnR) is important for regulating hippocampal ripple activity and memory consolidation. A fear conditioning procedure was used to determine this relationship, via interruption of ripple activity. Simultaneous in vivo recording in the MnR and hippocampus of mice showed that, when a group of MnR neurons was active, ripples were absent; ripple activity was related to the activity of MnR neurons. Additionally, MnR may regulate memory consolidation via its projections to thalamocortical regions, which facilitate interactions between the hippocampus, thalamus and cortical regions during SWS. Under the assumption that there was little deliberate reactivation of memory traces for the symbols in the three weeks following the STM test, the degree of retention of the symbols on the LTM test may be related to memory consolidation via hippocampal ripples occurring during sleep and rest. There were a number of limitations which may have affected the validity of the results. The major limitation was the non-standardised test conditions. Since different groups took the test at different times of the day, and different individuals have performance peaks at different clock times randomisation of subjects is important. This also leads to the possibility that students in an earlier group may have informed others of the symbols or experimental procedures. Knowledge of the tests could have influenced the students’ concentration, with those who knew being more likely to apply themselves to the Learning Method. While all students would be likely to undergo some degree of memory consolidation following the STM test, those who were aware of the experimental design would likely have greater retention. If all students took the test at the same time under standardised conditions, it would be less likely for this issue to affect the results. Additionally, the small sample size, and the fact that the participants were all students of one course (Neuroscience), also means that the external validity of the experiment, and thus the generalisability to groups other than the experimental group, cannot be established. There was also only one group per Learning Method, so it is unknown if the results are repeatable.

Friday, October 25, 2019

mission statement analysis :: essays research papers

Analysis Of Mission Statements By Group V-(Sankalp) Anupam Jha(51/04) Rahul Jhamb(53/04) Gitartha Bhuyan(57/04) Bikash Tewari Munesh Shyam  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   FMS Mission Academic excellence and leadership in university based management education in India through high quality teaching, research, case development, innovative courses and pedagogy of learning. FMS’s vision is to provide world class management education in India through high quality teaching, research, innovative courses & state of the art pedagogy tools. To create leaders for the future that will take India to new heights. To be seen as an institute whose students have sound principles and ethics in them. Components  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Score 1. Customers  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 2. Products/Services  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3 3. Geographic Markets  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3 4. Technology  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2 5. Concern for Survival  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2 6. Philosophy  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 7. Public Image  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 8. Employees  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 9. Distinctive Competence  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 Average Score  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.66 IMI,delhi Mission IMI, India provides a world-class, internationally oriented management education with a difference in content, delivery, focus, presence and students. Components  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Score 1. Customers  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 2. Products/Services  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3 3. Geographic Markets  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2 4. Technology  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2 5. Concern for Survival  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 6. Philosophy  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 7. Public Image  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 8. Employees  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 9. Distinctive Competence  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2 Average Score  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.55 IIM Ahemadabad Mission IIMA's mission is to help India and other developing countries improve their managerial practices both in the private and in the public sectors, and adopt superior public policies. It seeks to do this through producing risk-taking leader-managers who will pioneer new managerial practices and set new standards; through producing teachers and researchers who will generate new ideas of International significance; and through purposeful consulting aimed at helping client organizations scale new heights. Components  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Score 1. Customers  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 2. Products/Services  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2 3. Geographic Markets  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2 4. Technology  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 5. Concern for Survival  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3 6. Philosophy  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 7. Public Image  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2 8. Employees  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2 9. Distinctive Competence  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2 Average Score  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.77 LBSIM, delhi Mission To develop a center of excellence for value based management and information technology, education and research comparable with the best in the world through continous learning, societal responsiveness and strategic partnership with the industry. Components  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Score 1. Customers  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 2. Products/Services  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3 3. Geographic Markets  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 4. Technology  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 5. Concern for Survival  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3 6. Philosophy  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2 7. Public Image  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2 8. Employees  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 9. Distinctive Competence  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 Average Score  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.66 IIFT, Delhi Mission To globally strengthen, sustain and professionalise business knowledge through creative research and teaching and learning and by integrating with organisations, institutions and universities both within and beyond national boundary.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

My Thoughts About “Do You Speak American?”

After watching this video, I asked myself â€Å"Do I speak American? † Absolutely, the answer was no. In the past, I thought American English was only a language which pronounced â€Å"r† heavily. Surprisingly, according to the map of dialect, America can be divided by seven parts. They are Eastern New English, NYC,Philadelphia, The North, The Midland, The South and The West. And different regions of America have different dialects. In terms of the dialect of American English, I have a re-understanding of this language. I find it is interesting, even surprising, and I am more curious about that.The dialects of American English is really interesting. Honestly, when I hear a conversation or a speech, I can hardly recognize the accents without special note, although sometimes I can recognize the obvious accents according to the meaning of the sentence. For example, most young California say [? ] to replace [? ], say â€Å"like† as â€Å"lake†. According to my personal experience, when I traveled to Miami, Florida, I heard that most people in there said â€Å"lift† as â€Å"left†. Moreover, Net English used among young people is another part of interest.For example, â€Å"das kool† equals â€Å"that is cool†, â€Å"lol† means â€Å"laugh out loud†, â€Å"How ya doin hun† is â€Å"how are you doing honey? †, â€Å"g2g† means â€Å"got to go†, etc. Maybe they think typing English in this way is more convenient and fashionable, however, I do not think so. Furthermore, experts recommend that TV series is a good way to recognize and learn dialects since the actors of a program are come from different regions. At last, teenagers prefer to use some new words of phrases to express an common meaning, such as â€Å"bling bling† refers to expensive jewelry.This is popular and sometimes I also use that to express myself. Actually, I am surprised about the dialects of Americ an English in the following aspects. Firstly, in North America, people will laugh at lobsterman’s dialect and make fun with the way they speak. As far as I am concerned, we should respect different languages and cultures. Even though we cannot understand the way of communication, every dialect must has its own value to exist. Moreover, although people dislike some dialects, they can always imitate those dialects they hate. It is unbelievable.In addition, I watched these three DVDs without subtitle. So when I watched the CD2 which introduced the dialects in the mid-land, I found it was difficult for me to understand what people said. However, it is easier to understand what the north and west people said. I think it means that the people of mid-land and south have strong accents. Frankly, there are some points that I do not know before I watching this video. First of all, Philadelphia shakes the American speech more than any other city. Secondly, the Black and the White cannot communicate with each other by using English at the beginning.Thirdly, some people who come from the mid-land consider New Yorker speak bad English, since New Yorker say â€Å"water† as â€Å"[w? :d? ]†. To be honest, as for me, I like the dialect of New York. Fourthly, some pronounciation of dialect are totally different from the original pronounciation. For example, in Ohio and Michigan, â€Å"yins† means â€Å"you†, and in north, â€Å"ayuh† is equal to â€Å"yes†, etc. Finally, looking at magazines to find new words is a job, its purpose is to update the dictionary. To sum up, I don’t think I am speaking American even though I am in New York now.The dialects in United States are diverse. In my opinion, dialect is a component of cultural activities. And some dialects are related to history, some are related to the life style of different region. There are a variety of expressions for dialects. Those include the differences of pron ounciation, the new words for common meaning, net English, etc. Most important, no matter what kind of language we say, we should respect all of them and admit the existence value of them. At last, I think watching different American TV series is a good way for me to improve my American English.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Media Commercialization

Commercialization of Indian media The media industry across the globe has witnessed spectacular changes in the recent years. There has been a considerable change in the perception of media in the olden times, as revolutionary instruments and powerful political players. Today, the media is perceived more as businesses with a motto of `remaining profitable'. The growing competition along with the trend of confinement of media ownership to a few major transnational conglomerates has further intensified the commercial pressure in the terrain.This has also resulted in media proliferation, wherein numerous emerging media products embark on catering to the needs of a more fragmented market. Commodification of news has become a serious issue today. â€Å"The news has become a product, packaged and sold to the economic elite, designed to satisfy the needs of the advertiser first, and audience second. † The mounting competition adds on to this connotation which stimulates the media genr e to adopt strategies which may even disfigure and deface the relationship between editorial content and advertising.As the media dome becomes commercial, it relies more on advertising revenue for its survival, which, in turn increases pressure to develop media content that appeals to the advertisers. This, in fact, results in an elevated amount of conflicts with the media's accountability towards public in terms of supplying information, in public interest. In fact, the very purpose of the existence of the media, i. e. , informing the public is overshadowed by such commercial concerns.The increasing pressure also leads the media houses to be choosy about their audiences with regard to the advertiser appeal, and hence the focus is shifted to wealthy, elite audience. In India, the media careens between froth, marketing, reporting, opinion, and reacting. Seriousness is often dislodged by commercialism: editor of leading national daily turned gourmand and celebrity interviewer; front p age coverage of celebrity weddings, gastric troubles; fatter â€Å"lifestyle† supplements; hour long adulatory shows on news channels about an Indian superstar who frankly claims to have no ambitions other to have fun and entertain the masses etc.Predictably, the preponderance of coverage of the attacks and its aftermath is superficial too: trending to human interest, pandering to mass emotional outrage, instead of focusing on systemic problems. â€Å"Serious† reporters are doing talk shows of sorts, calling on their guest panel former soap stars, actors, and socialites. Reports are rife with accusations of the administration's callousness, dropped balls, and self-righteous calls for more heads to roll. Journalism in the face of a real crisis is laced with passionate rhetoric, not real questions and solutions.The strength and importance of media in a democracy is well recognized. Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution, which gives freedom of speech and expression includes within its ambit, freedom of press. The existence of a free, independent and powerful media is the cornerstone of a democracy, especially of a highly mixed society like India. Media is not only a medium to express once feelings, opinions and views, but it is also responsible and instrumental for building opinions and views on various topics of regional, national and international agenda.The pivotal role of the media is its ability to mobilize the thinking process of millions. But in today’s highly commercialized market, the press is losing its main focus. Journalism had deviated from the path of responsible journalism to more saleable journalism. There is more news about the â€Å"rich and the happening† rather than the poor and dying. The gap between mass media and mass reality is growing at an alarming pace. Nowadays media is primarily focusing only â€Å"the elite† section of society. How much does the unforgettable tour of the Bachchans affect us?An d how much would a disaster like Bihar floods affect the people? Yet, the media is more interested in focusing on what should be printed on page 3. Ask yourself, does page 3 mean more than the realities of life? Though the role and importance of media is increasing in our lives today, it’s sad that its accountability and professionalism is dwindling. â€Å"With great power comes great responsibility†. Television channels in a bid to increase their TRP ratings are resorting to sensationalized journalism with a view to earn a competitive edge over the others.Sting operations have now become the order of the day. We are a democracy of a billion plus people with the largest youth population in the world, large sections poor and uneducated, inadequate social services, and a country in transition. It is imperative that our influential intelligentsia focus unfailingly on meaningful issues since the opportunity cost is enormous. The government is increasingly sidelined by priv ate enterprise; unprepared peasants are migrating to straining cities; and the nouveau riche anxious to express their nascent individuality is turning to incongruous consumption.Our academia is intently focused on the graduate's financial remuneration, and naturally, commercial interests don't provide any discipline. Entertainment czars consume our attention, shape public opinion, and increasingly control our daily life by forming a nexus with private industry, and entering the administration. We have mall adjacent to mall adjacent to mall, and almost no democratic recreational space. Mostly the middle-class Indian comes in contact with one another to consume, an individualistic pursuit, thus developing no collective voice or opinion.Further, democracy in India has many pitfalls: the educated vote counts as much (or as little) as the uneducated. Nepotistic, political power is concentrated; political will is weak, and further emasculated by our coalition government structure. Any one can start a new political party, garner a few electoral votes, cobble together a patchwork government, and sporadically threaten to fell the government if their personal demands aren't met. As a country we can't afford to feed or educate our children. We use our poorest as cattle, carting heavy burden on their backs in crowded urban markets.Our farmers are committing mass suicide. Religion is a recurring flash point. There is so much going on in India that we can't afford to dilute our focus on the important issues with front page/prime time coverage of entertainment. Moreover, print media, especially national newspapers are newspapers of record, and the current news standards will leave many important events that shape our country undocumented for our future generations. The state runs on taxes, and is liable to its citizenry, however the individual is unable to demand accountability.The Indian citizen has no serious platform to voice her concerns, of harnessing institutional powe r to fight systemic battles. Consequently, we now have a country where citizen activism is either all or nothing. It's an all out battle, which the common person struggling just to survive, exhausted amid the delays, chaos, chronic infrastructure shortfall/failure and pollution cannot wage. Activism cannot and should not be at the exclusionary cost of personal life, and livelihood. Media must provide serious relevant coverage, accurate information, and emocratic access to voice public concerns. This is media's non-negotiable obligation to society, by virtue of preferential access, mass reach and the ability to shape public opinion. Yes, the Mumbai attacks are a wake up call to our government, but also to our media, one of the original and last bastions of democracy. India urgently needs renewed civic engagement, and it is the media's responsibility to create that platform, not as a temporary reaction to some outrage, but as a permanent social structure. India is witnessing a rapid  commercialization  and  diversification of media  (news).One only needs to glance at the leading national dailies and 24/7  channels  to understand the extent of its impact. Reality is nothing more than a series of moments. And in these very moments one can find  elements of all that is strange, frightening, colourful, funny, ludicrous and fantastic. Who needs fiction when fact offers it all! But when it comes to the Indian media, there is sometimes simply too much being offered. Johann Wolfgang Van  Goethe  had felt that very few people have the imagination for reality.One wonders what the great thinker would have felt compelled to say after an evening spent surfing contemporary  Indian news  channels. Would he perhaps have concluded that too much imagination can mist reality, shrouding it in unnecessary layers of melodrama and exaggeration? Our so-called news  channels  fall into this erroneous routine with alarming regularity. The concept of ‘break ing news' in the age of 24/7 broadcasting has led to a tectonic shift in the paradigm- the spotlight has shifted from what matters to what sells. So the media is constantly on the prowl for fresh fodder-anything that exhibits potential to arrest eyeballs will do.Minor matters such as the relevance of the story, sensitivity towards the subject or the viewers, news prioritization, etc. get relegated to corridors of obscurity. Here are some moments from the recent past which were pounced upon with glee by the story-starved ‘infotainment' networks; moments which made the day for India TV and its ever-growing brethren; in short, moments which were made for the media Terrorism, terrible as it may sound, is made for television. The dawning sense of horror, the magnitude of destruction, the agony of human loss is captured with maximum precision and lasting imagery through the electronic media.The terrorist needs the oxygen of publicity to survive and TV provides with him that. 26/11 h aunts our collective imagination both because of the scale of terror and TV's explosive coverage of the attacks. The commercialization of the Indian media takes many forms. It has been known for some time that a few of India’s leading media conglomerates — including Bennett, Coleman & Co. , the publisher of The Times of India and The Economic Times — offer what that company calls â€Å"innovative† and â€Å"integrated† marketing strategies that blur the traditional line between advertising and article content.Bennett, Coleman’s Medianet division, for example, lets advertisers place articles on certain pages in the paper without clearly marking them as advertising. One of the company’s more aggressive offerings is a product known as a Private Treaty, which offers companies a certain amount of advertising space in exchange for equity stakes in those companies. According to the Private Treaties Web site, Bennett, Coleman now holds such e quity stakes in more than 100 companies. Officially, the companies are only given advertising space.But at least one businessman confirmed to me that it was made clear that he could also expect favourable news coverage. At the very least, it seems evident that Private Treaties set up a very serious conflict of interest, a point highlighted last year when the Indian stock market regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India, wrote a letter to the chairman of the Press Council expressing concern about the business practice. Private Treaties are an example of the commoditisation of business news. But much of the recent attention in India has focused on paid political content.Over the past year or so, there have been a growing number of reports of politicians paying media houses for favourable coverage or to skirt restrictions on campaign financing. Embracing commercialization seems to pose a threat to the quality of content communicated by the media, which, in turn, is question ing the fundamental objective of its very existence. Commercialization has a positive impact on the financial performance of media in the market, but it indeed shows the way to certain unpleasant upshots, mainly on the quality of the content of dissemination.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Moment of peace Gregorian Essays - Lottery, Free Essays, Term Papers

Moment of peace Gregorian Essays - Lottery, Free Essays, Term Papers 2014-03-18 Moment of peace Gregorian The statistician David J. Hand on eerie coincidence and playing the lottery (your latest book, "The Improbability principle," aims to prove that extremely improbable events are in fact commonplace. Can you explain that a bit?) Things like roulette wheels coming up in strange configurations or the same lottery numbers hitting two weeks in a row are clearly very rare events, but if you look at the number of lotteries and the number of roulette wheels, then you realize that you should actually expect these sorts of things to happen. I think within the statistical community people accept this. They're aware of the impact of the law of truly large numbers. (Why do you think this book will appeal to people outside the mathematics world?) Most people have had some experience like that: bumping into a friend in a strange city, thinking of someone just before they phone you - we've all had that sort of experience, and they do make you think: Wow, how did that happen? Is there's something funn y going on? Is somebody in control, guiding us through these things? (You're pretty harsh with people who believe that there's some kind of magic or divine intervention that makes these coincidences happen. Do you think that this takes the whimsy out of strange occurrences?) All I'm doing is saying, Look, you can explain these things using natural laws. Whether it takes the whimsy out of it - I don't think so. I don't think it taller the magic away - the psychological magic, I mean. I think the wonder is still there. (You use gambling a lot to prove your points. Are you a good poker player?) No, I've been to Las Vegas a couple of times, and I haven't played because I know that the house has the edge and will win - they'll gradually take my money away from me. The first time I went, my wife came with me. She insisted on playing some low stakes same, and I said, "Don't, you will just lose gradually." Guess what? She ended up winning. It was most frustrating for me. (Any advice for pla ying the lottery?) Funny enough, one of the most common combinations is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6. So you buy that ticket it comes up, you think, Wow. I've won! And you tell your boss what you think of him, and you leave your job and then you discover 5,000 other people chose the same number. That's not so good. If you look at the lottery card and go across the top or down a diagonal or something, or use birthdays or something like that, other people are likely to do the same thing. The best thing to do is to use a random selection of numbers, and most of winning New York Powerball and 1 in 175 million - probably one of the worst I've come across. (You also write that geographical clusters of people with diseased might not necessarily be a result of environmental issues. It could just be a coincidence. Well, they could be due to some sort of pollution of infectious disease or something like that, but you can expect clusters to occur just by chance as well. So it's an interesting statistic al problem to tease these things out. Is this a genuine cluster in the sense that there's a cause behind it? Or is it a chance cluster? (So we shouldn't dismiss those coincidences) No, but if you do see such a cluster, then you should work out the chance that you would see such a cluster purely randomly, purely by chance, and if it's very low odds, then you should investigate carefully. (I was really surprised to read that 24,000 people die from lightning strikes each year. That seems like a lot.) That's worldwide, so it includes people in less-developed countries who spend a lot of time in the open and in fields and things like that. We tend to think about our own experience, and you're probably like I am, sitting in an office block, and the chance of us getting struck by lightning is pretty small. (That's good point. How about the

Monday, October 21, 2019

Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, Saxon Ruler

Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, Saxon Ruler Aethelflaed (Ethelfleda) was the eldest child and daughter of Alfred the Great and sister of Edward the Elder, king of Wessex (ruled 899-924). Her mother was Ealhswith, who was from the ruling family of Mercia. Who She Was   She married Aethelred, lord  (ealdorman) of Mercia,  in 886. They had a daughter, Ælfwynn. Aethelflaeds father Alfred put London in the care of his son-in-law and daughter. She and her husband supported the Church, giving generous grants to local religious communities. Aethelred joined her husband Aethelred and her father in fighting against Danish invaders. How Aethelred Died In 911 Aethelred was killed in battle with the Danes, and Aethelflaed became the political and military ruler of the Mercians. She may have been the de facto ruler for a few years during her husbands illness. After her husbands death, the people of Mercia gave her the title Lady of the Mercians, a feminine version of the title that her husband had held. Her Legacy She built fortresses in western Mercia as a defense against invading and occupying Danes. Aethelflaed took an active role, and led her forces against the Danes at Derby and captured it, and then defeated them at Leicester. Aethelflaed even invaded Wales in retribution for the killing of an English Abbott and his party. She captured the wife of the king and 33 others and held them as a hostage. In 917, Aethelflaed captured Derby and was able to take power in Leicester. The Danes there submitted to her rule. Final Resting Place In 918, the Danes in York offered their allegiance to Aethelflaed as protection against Norwegians in Ireland. Aethelflaed died that year. She was buried at the monastery of St. Peter at Gloucester, one of the monasteries built with funds from her Aethelred and Aethelflaed. Aethelflaed was succeeded by her daughter Aelfwyn, whom Aethelflaed had made a joint ruler with her. Edward, who already controlled Wessex, seized the kingdom of Mercia from Aelfwyn, took her captive, and thus solidified his control over most of England. Aelfwyn is not known to have married and may have gone to a convent. Edwards son, Aethestan, who ruled 924-939, was educated at the court of Aethelred and Aethelflaed. Known for:  defeating the Danes at Leicester and Derby, invading Wales Occupation:  Mercian ruler (912-918) and military leader Dates:  872-879? - June 12, 918 Also known as:  Ethelfleda, Ethelflaed,  Aelfled, Æthelflà ¦d, Aeoelfled Family Father: Alfred the Great (Ælfred), ruled Wessex 871-899.  He was the son of  Ãƒâ€ thelwulf, King of Wessex and his first wife, Osburh (Osburga).  Mother: Ealhswith of the Gaini, daughter of  Ãƒâ€ thelred Mucil  of the Gaini tribe and Eadburh, a Mercian royal.  As was Saxon custom, she was not crowned or titled queen.Brother: Edward the Elder, king of Wessex (ruled 899-924)Sister: Aethelgiva, Abbess of ShaftesburyBrother: Aethelwaerd (three sons with no descendants)Sister:  Aelfthryth, married Baldwin, Count of Flanders (Aelfthryth was the 4th great-grandmother of  Matilda of Flanders, married to William the Conqueror, and thus an ancestor of later British royalty)Husband: Aethelred (Ethelred, Æthelrà ¦d), Earl of MerciaDaughter: Aelfwyn (Aelfwynn, Ælfwynn, Ælfwyn,  Elfwina)