The Cost Advantage And Differentiation Advantage Commerce Essay

With the aid of company ‘s resources and the full capablenesss a company can make these distinction scheme and cost scheme for accomplishing the competitory advantage. It is of import for the house to make up one's mind on choosing a peculiar scheme that should the house focal point on distinguishing the merchandise or should the house attempt to follow the cost scheme, it wholly depends on the company and the type of company it is. Achieving both the cost and distinction advantage helps the company to accomplish positional advantage which mean that the company is a leader in its ‘ industry.    R? µsourc? µs D-st-nct-v? µ Comp? µt? µnc-? µs Cost dv & A ; deg ; nt & A ; deg ; g? µ or D-ff? µr? µnt- & A ; deg ; t-on dv & A ; deg ; nt & A ; deg ; g? µ V & A ; deg ; lu? µ Cr? µ & A ; deg ; t-on C & A ; deg ; p & A ; deg ; b-l-t-? µs       Forming the market scheme When explicating the existent selling scheme the company really formulates its scheme in many different ways but the astonishing portion is that all of the ways includes dimension. The degree at which the investing should be included or turn a concern Focus on the merchandise or better the service market where the company has to vie Improvement of the merchandise line, positioning the merchandise, or concentrating on the pricing determination or execution of the distribution schemes which are needed to accomplish competitory advantage. Skills needed or the assets to implement the scheme and accomplish competitory advantage. The company where situated, in the long term to be a leader in the market the best manner to accomplish leading is by making the nucleus competences. The betterments in engineerings are doing the domestic trade and the international trade more competitory. Harmonizing to Kotlar, 2004 a company can outdo set up a scheme by understanding globalization and analyze it to explicate schemes. All the factors such as globalization and engineerings are all interconnected. It is because of engineering that there are huge sum of communicating taking topographic point which helps companies to happen other companies where they can make concern. In these ways competition around the universe is increasing and therefore the companies need to explicate schemes which will impact the company in positive and assist the company to be a leader in their industry. Economicss of graduated table Achieving economic sciences of graduated table is really of import for a company because it is related to the cost that is needed to bring forth a peculiar merchandise or services. There are two types of schemes that a company can implement and which can be allowed by lone economic sciences of graduated table. These two schemes are low cost scheme and market pricing scheme. In the low cost scheme the company reduces the merchandise or services doing cost which helps them ear more net income by giving the merchandise to the client at a lower cost for which the company enjoys the economic sciences of graduated table which leads them to accomplish competitory advantage. In the low cost scheme all the company have to make is to maintain the fixed cost of the merchandise or services unchanged and cut down the variable cost which is possible for the administration if they have adequate assets and good direction to command the cost of their services. The other scheme for the company through economic sciences of graduated table would be to maintain the monetary value which is set by the market but cut down the cost of bring forthing the services for which the company will hold cut down the variable cost. After cut downing the variable cost the company the company can bear down the merchandise at the market monetary value but gaining more net income than the other companies. This is why economic sciences of graduated table is needed for a company to accomplish. Value concatenation To make more offers for the consumers a company besides needs to concentrate on the value concatenation which will intern offer clients more expeditiously and assist to company to use the cost more efficaciously. This will ensue for the company to supply services in much more inexpensive manner or at a lower cost which will distinguish the merchandise from that of the rivals. Harmonizing to Rajnandan ( 2007 ) claims that concentrating on the value concatenation does non intend merely seeking it or merely to add value ; it besides means adding values such as betterment of the substructure of the company, engineerings and other critical functions which helps the company to accomplish the competitory advantage. When a company needs to make up one's mind on outsourcing so value concatenation is needed. . ( Porter, 1999 ) Harmonizing to Lancaster, 2002, it is necessary for a company to concentrate on the rival ‘s scheme, how the other companies in the same industry are carry oning or implementing their scheme. This allows the company to roll up information which will take to pass on the competitory variables. All the variables may include how the other company works in footings of viing with their challengers and it will assist the company who is conveying the study will hold the cognition of how the other company is working. After holding the information on the other company, the company can analyze and implement a much more different scheme which will assist them to accomplish competitory advantage via communicating effectivity. Both the upstream and the downstream providers are connected to the value concatenation which consequences in an addition in the value concatenation and it is known as value system. Concentrating on value system is really of import and a company should non merely concentrate on the value concatenation which will do company accomplish more competitory advantage. This is necessary because for the consequence of globalization and the promotion in the engineerings, deregulating led to the addition in competition. In this consequence the administration had to cut cost but first of all the best manner to vie is to concentrate on the value watercourse. ( Kiichiro Fukasaku, 2007 ) Focus on the market For the administrations that are wholly marketing oriented, who can be merchandise or service based or net income or non net income based has to concentrate on the client satisfaction and fulfill their demands and wants. Harmonizing to Lancaster, 2002 the chief key to concentrate and accomplish the administration end expeditiously and efficaciously in the instance of the selling concept the best manner is by wholly being client oriented, being focused on the profitableness and besides co-ordinate selling. To convey this market scheme it is of import for the company to implement a market research through which the company will acquire to cognize the best manner to be competitory and increase net income. Market research is simple an analysis of the entire market of a peculiar industry where there are model-building and facts which will assist the company to do peculiar determination which will intern assist the company to accomplish administration ends efficaciously ( Kotler, 1999 ) . To back up the schemes that are implemented by the companies, the scheme capablenesss are needed. To prolong the competitory advantage the strategic capablenesss are besides needed, some of the links that are needed as a tool and patterns of accomplishing competitory scheme are given below. ( Susman, 1992 ) Figure: The nexus between design tools and patterns and competitory scheme The company needs to larn both its ‘ external and internal environment and this is the manner how the company will hold the ability to entree and capture the information. All this processes can be easy simplified which may be merely done minimising the complexness of information while roll uping and treating them. Through this the company will be able to larn the purchasing behavior of the seller and the client and how the clients behave while buying a peculiar merchandise or services. Both the clients and the sellers get full satisfaction after implementing the study and entree the information, because now the client will be provided with better services and merchandises and at the same the the seller will able to gain more net incomes. ( Lancaster, 2002 ) Awareness KNOWLEDGE Liking Preference Conviction Purchase Figure: The Innovation/Adoption theoretical account ( Lancaster 2002 ) The schemes which are implemented by the companies can be looked at as wide visions which may dwell of consistent constellation of activities are taken by the competitory advantage. The model of competitory advantage may assist the company to supply with some of the tools that may be used to ticket and look at the drivers of the cost and the place of the cost that the company is in. The model besides helps the company to acquire the strategically section the market in an industry. ( Porter, 1998 ) E-Trading These yearss about everyone in the developed and the developing states trusts and have full entree to computing machines for which E-Trading has increased. It is non merely making concern with the clients merely but it besides involves making concern with the other concern. It may be making concern with the providers or making concern with the direct Sellerss or the retail mercantile establishment via cyberspace. This occurred because of the engineering promotion, globalization and the huge usage of cyberspace. The tendency is ever of latest manner when the company have to travel with the tendencies and the latest manner for the company to cover with certain alterations so the company must non keep back. For a company the best option would be to follow up the tendency and convey in alterations for which the companies have to put in all the recent engineerings and develop the company ‘s proficient substructure. This will let the company to cover with the client online and do con cern online and there are many advantages when companies get involved in E trading. It is said that E trading is the fastest and the quickest manner to buy goods from the providers and sell the goods to the clients. These twenty-four hours all the established Bankss have the option for doing dealing through cyberspace hence if a company have Tocopherol trading option so the company can do easy and safe minutess with the Bankss with really small mistakes because the security of online banking is really rigorous but quicker. ( Balthasar, 2010 ) Changing Nature of Consumer Behaviour The clients are the 1s who want to take control of accepting the service that are given by any fiscal establishment. This is because all the clients are smart and the get all the information about which bank or establishment is giving the best offers to the client through the promotion of media and other intelligence documents. Therefore the clients will merely be interested in those Bankss and establishments from which clients will acquire the best services and single demands and satisfaction. ( CMA Management, 2006 ) All the Bankss who want to go celebrated and achieve market leading so the Bankss have to concentrate on the client ‘s wants and demands. By concentrating on the client needs the Bankss should plan and make schemes which will assist the bank to command the clients. For farther hereafter success of the bank, the bank needs to take advanced attacks which will alter the concern design, work force direction and IT. ( Sunny Banerjea, 2009 ) The services clients look for largely is how secure is the security of their money, the demand of protagonism, and stabilization of the control of banking relationships. In this decennary for the promotion in invention and engineerings there are great Numberss of variegations in the concern. In this epoch the Bankss are the 1s who are prosecuting more into the investing, underwriting of securities, prosecuting in insurance concern and portfolio direction. For this the Bankss have to ever remain equipped and when the client looks in to Bankss side concern they start experiencing more safer and salvage tier money into the that bank. Data Management Since this is the epoch of engineering and latest invention the Bankss has to be updated continuously and all the informations should be stored carefully when shifted from one engineering to the other. All the informations should ever be incorporated right through sellers which allows the bank to maintain the right information and the informations related to the client, their histories, client balance, day-to-day dealing of many clients and the bank ‘s personal informations which are related to bank ‘s concern. Harmonizing to Wall Street Arrow Market Insights, 2009 claimed that the more sophisticated the data direction substructure is at that place the more hard it is for the bank to command them. Therefore the Bankss have to do certain that their system which manages that informations are non excessively sophisticated or excessively simple, it has to be a standard one. Economic Convulsion Due to the economic catastrophe the assurance of the bank was lost because the menaces the full bank faced because of the recession was still acquiring deeper instead than demoing any betterment. Some the Bankss were backed by the authoritiess but the others had to go forth the baking concern or sell the concern to some other party who had the power to salvage certain Bankss. The consequence of crisis is easy diminishing but the companies who survived are seeking their best to retrieve every bit fast as possible for which the Bankss are became more competitory and competition between Bankss has increased. There are monolithic competitions in the market and the company has to believe first analyse the market and the rivals so use a suited scheme. In this manner the Bankss that are in debt can acquire out off debt and earn net income. All the schemes that were discussed supra are really of import for the Bankss to follow so that the Bankss can come out of the job that was caused by the economic catastrophe.

Examples of institutional racism Essay

Although subtler than it has been in Western society, IR is still prevalent as a social factor. For example, Stephen Lawrence, a black teenager ‘was unlawfully killed in a completely unprovoked racist attack by five white youths on April 22, 1993’ (Macpherson, 1999). What was disturbing about this incident is that the inquest took 6 years to be scrutinized and police refused to help Mr. Lawrence even though he was in a pool of his own blood. Police were also given defining information that could have led to arrests, and they refused to accept that information. When one of the attackers was picked out from a criminal line-up pool, the police suggested that the survivour of the attack, Mr. Brooks who positively identified the assailant, was at best, guessing. The police would later confess that one of their officers could not remember anything he was told and later when called upon to testify he indicated that he had no record of any notes he may have taken. Video surveillance of the suspected attackers caught them on tape boasting how they were going to ‘cut black people up’. The case against the suspects was dropped after the police claimed that the eyewitness account of the survivour was unreliable. Subsequently, they arrested Mr. Brooks while he was protesting the fate of his friend and police promptly charged him. A judge would later throw out the case. Seeking justice the parents of Stephen Lawrence attempted to further prosecute the suspects. However, when that failed they launched a campaign for a public inquiry into the way that police handled the investigation of their son’s murder. It was only then that the above facts became publicly available. After the embarrassment of the police service and a lengthy inquiry, this led to the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry: The Stephen Lawrence inquiry gave rise to the study of police stop-and-search in London which follows on from a report published by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). The Interim Report presented the results of the first year of a programme of action to improve police searches covered by section1 of PACE (the 1984 Police and Criminal Evidence Act). The programme began in April 1998 and was implemented in seven areas of London – Charing Cross, Limehouse, Brixton, Plumstead, Hounslow, Kingston and Tottenham. The pilot sites varied in the populations they served, the main crimes they had to deal with and the number of searches they recorded. Over the year, each showed significant improvement in supervising officers’’ use of the power and in the proportion of searches which produced an arrest. (http://www. met. police. uk/publications/stop_search/report. htm) The perception of acknowledgement of social responsibility by the police and their creation of policy with regards to their policing standards has left many in the black community on edge. The black community does not trust police to act appropriately regardless of how they portray themselves (Macpherson, 1999). This has led to further conflict and clashes with police. Conflict theorists believe that conflict is a normal part of institutional practices. This approach to the analysis of racism proposes that the whole society, not just the police, still survives on the historical wrongs done to ethnic minorities and that the dominant ethnic groups seek to maintain the marginalized in positions of inferiority by perpetuating ‘sets of advantages or privileges for the majority group and exclusions or deprivations for minority groups’ (Rodrieguez, 1987). Institutional racism ‘is so embracing an operating principle that it no longer requires conscious or overtly racist acts to sustain it’ (Rodrieguez, 1987). The overt apathy that is displayed by police is inherent in control systems (Axelson, 1998). Further, the inability or lack of want to acknowledge that institutionalised racism even exists creates a veiled illusion that everything is fine. Another event that the world cannot forget is the Rodney King beating that took place in Los Angeles, California. Rodney King, a black man was severely beaten by a group of Los Angeles police officers. This unfortunate event was videotaped. When this event was dispersed to the various news agencies public dissent ensued. Los Angeles had riots. The whole incident led Mr. King to be awarded a sum of $100 million dollars. However, this award did nothing to quell the distrust of police by blacks nor has it substantially improved relations between blacks and police. Both are seen a necessary evils (http://archives. cnn. com/2001/LAW/03/02/beating. anniversity. king. 02/). Institutional Racism is Not Acknowledged The problem of institutional racism in the police force is not simply a problem of racist attitudes held by individual ‘bad police constables’ but exposes a deeper problem of the reliance on outdated police policy that has become routine in an apathetic way. It is only through exposing the results of institutional racism through such acts as police brutality, the lack of ethnic minorities in positions of power, the lack of ethnic minority business ownership and the lack of ethnic faces in mainstream media can resistance to the belief that IR exists and is a reality. A fundamental question arising from this is, â€Å"How damaging is it when media, schools, legislatures and other institutions call racist myths true? † The cultivation of an inability to voice, express or even acknowledge that institutional racism exists and more overt forms of discrimination are the basis of which the prevailing Western culture maintains its influence is denigrating at the least and a cause for riots and increased violence at its worst. This attitude and lack of acknowledgement that IR exists, creates those who are perceived as inferior, and they may internalize the other’s perception as valid and behave accordingly. The person perceived as inferior may develop a self-fulfilling prophecy in relation to this, until this cycle is broken. The effects of IR include lowered self-esteem and inadequate self-concept. The Pygmalion effect is a self-fulfilling prophecy where people conform to others’ expectations regardless of their true abilities. IR may become a state of mind and a set of emotions and values, and a set of behaviours. Institutionalised racist modes range from hostile domination to passive acceptance (defined as avoiding, ignoring or pretending to be correct and polite). In the social changes of the last twenty years, change, like the reduction of outward hostility has occurred, yet more understanding is needed before equal acceptance and good will can occur (Axelson, 1998). Institutionalised racism is an indirect and largely invisible process which can be compared with the glass ceiling. It is a term encompassing the often unintentional barriers and selection/promotion procedures which serve to disadvantage members of ethnic minority groups. Braham, Rattansi, Skellington, 1992, pp.100-120) suggest that widening our definition of discrimination to include indirect or ‘institutional’ racism gives a much better understanding of the barriers faced by ethnic minorities. Braham et al. caution that it is important to acknowledge the wide range of practices involved – some much more obvious than others. Rejecting the proposition that all institutions are uniformly racist, they argue that ‘the kind of procedures†¦ that disadvantage black people also disadvantage other groups’. The British Civil Service is a good illustration of the existence and strength of institutionalised disadvantage. A Cabinet Office report in 1995 concluded that it was a bastion of the white, male middle-classes, making it difficult for ethnic minorities to progress into its upper reaches. The report concluded that the main barriers to career development were prejudice and/or ignorance among managers and a lack of confidence among ethnic minority staff. These barriers were derived from attitudinal or cultural stereotypes which limited expectations and opportunities on both sides. Conclusion In conclusion, institutional racism as defined has had serious deleterious effects on culture and society. These effects are manifested in language, ideas, schools, language policies, economic stratification social segregation, housing markets, hiring and promotional schemas, ethnic minority’s’ psychological issues and ethnic minority access to a variety of social services and opportunities. The continuation of institutional racism, though discouraging, can be seen as a positive development from the perspective of the decline of the more overt forms of racism. However, the lack of knowledge or the denial of the more subtle forms of racism can be extremely detrimental to both majority and minority group members. Institutional forms of racism may include police practices, unemployment, housing and education issues, discriminatory practices and inadequate welfare programs. IR may rear its head through the decision by Western culture to arbitrarily decide what is socially valuable. People tend to take as valuable what is most familiar to them. Prejudiced attitudes can be found in many elements, including language, education, religion, norms of morality, economics and aesthetics. A mental and emotional connection of the majority group with superiority and connecting minority cultures to inferiority makes IR pervasive and difficult to eradicate (Axelson, 1998). At an international level, institutional racism may be considered as a product of colonialist and imperialist strategies. These strategies employ racism as an important element in the justification and maintenance of relations of exploitation and unequal exchange with subordinate populations who happen to be physically different. Research of racism focuses on the condition that the rise and fall of racial stereotypes and racial prejudice is closely linked to the changing historical relations between different populations and to the interests of dominant groups (Seymour-Smith, 1986). A clear assessment of the attitudes, beliefs, social norms and corporate culture is required of the institution if it is to recognize policies, practices and procedures that may be exclusive to ethnic minority groups. It is through asking, seeing and acknowledging that institutional racism exists will create a forum for awareness. The lessons of Stephen Lawrence and Rodney King serve as societal reminders that a subtle, pervasive form of racism does indeed exist. Those attitudes are so ingrained and accepted that they are our social norm. Our unwillingness to formally acknowledge that anything these beliefs and attitudes are indeed incorrect will create more tension and unrest. It is through the constant reminder and education that though the practice of institutional racism may be part of the social fabric, it is not acceptable. It is not acceptable because although it is believed to not exist or acknowledged, the consequences of not acknowledging IR are seen through the disregard of humanity as in the cases of Stephen Lawrence and Rodney King. It shall only be through the forthright acknowledgement that something is inherently biased in our social framework will IR ever be diminished and eradicated. References viewed January 10, 2006. viewed January 8, 2006. viewed January 8, 2006. viewed January 9, 2006. viewed January 9, 2006. Axelson, J. A. (1998). Counseling and development in a multicultural society. Belmont, CA. Wadsworth Publishing. Braham, P. , Rattansi A. , and Skellington, R. 1992. (eds. ), Racism and Antiracism: Inequalities, Opportunities and Policies. Sage. p. 100-120. Green, D. G. 2000. Institutional Racism and the Police: Fact or Fiction. Civitas. London. Macpherson, Sir William (1999). The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry: The Report of an Inquiry. London: HMSO. Massingale, Fr. Bryan. 1998. â€Å"The Ethics of Racism. † Origins vol. 28, iss. 24, p. 26. Massey, D. S. , Fischer, M. J. (1998, December). Where We Live, in Black and White. The Nation, viewed January 9, 2006, . Myers, D. G. (1993). Social psychology (4th ed), McGraw-Hill, Columbus, OH. Jefferson, T. (1992). ‘The racism of criminalisation: policing and the reproduction of the criminal other’, in Gelsthorpe. L (ed. ). Cropwood Roundtable on Ethnic Minority Groups and the Criminal Justice System. Cambridge: Institute of Criminology. Price, A. J. (1997) Human Resource Management in a Business Context, International Thomson Business Press, Ch. 9. Rodrieguez, A. M. (1987). ‘Institutional racism in the organisational setting: an action-research approach’, in Shaw J. (eds. ). Strategies for Improving Race Relations. Manchester: Manchester University Press. Seymour-Smith, C. 1986. Macmillan Dictionary of Anthropology. The Macmillan Press. lastname, initial. 2006. I felt that a more comprehensive definition was needed.

GENE THERAPY, HUMAN GENOME PROJECT, CLONING Assignment

GENE THERAPY, HUMAN GENOME PROJECT, CLONING - Assignment Example These retroviruses then help to code for the infected DNA which can then form or remove a gene accordingly. In general there are two types of gene therapies known as the germ line therapy and the somatic gene therapy. In germ line therapy a gene is directly inserted into the egg or sperm so that the gene is incorporated into the original genes. In somatic gene therapy the genes are inserted into the somatic cells which are spermatozoa and ova cells (Kelly 2007). Gene Therapy has yet not proved to be successful but it can be used in hereditary diseases such as cancer and nervous tissue disorders. Although gene therapy drugs have yet not been introduced in the market as a full, China has allowed a gene therapeutic to be allowed in their market to treat cancers. Gendicine is the name of the drug which can be used for treating cancers in China. Gene Therapy is originally targeted for diseases like leukemia, anemia, hemophilia and other cancers (Guo & Xin 2006; Peng 2005). Human Genome Project was a project launched in the year 1990 by international authorities to find out the sequencing of the human genome along with the identification of the chemical base pairs. The project was completed in 2003 and helped to know much about the structure of the human genome. It is this human genome project which helped to know a lot about the structure of chromosomes, the proteins coded by the genes, and the number of genes in a human being. Human Genome Project has had worldwide recognition but many of the individuals living in the world have also become concerned regarding the results of the project. In some of the societies the project is not ethically accepted because of different reasons. Many individuals believe that the results of the project would help the scientists to make their way through to cloning and other experimentation involving human beings. It is this Human Genome Project which can further excel the

Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Japanese Internment Essay

Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Japanese Internment - Essay Example movement by Japanese Americans also brought about the involvement of other ethnic minority groups like the Asian Americans and African Americans, who also pushed for its repeal. Several of these organizations pointed out internment was not the only issue with regards to the repeal but rather it encompasses other concerns such as â€Å"past and present racism, discrimination, urban poverty, violence, social unrest and other problems that the minority communities faced† (Masumi 186). The argument presented in this article is that the Japanese American internment played a major role in the repeal of the Emergency Detention Act, Title II of the Internal Security Act of 1950. More than anything else, the repeal of Title II was a way of indirectly apologizing for the atrocities brought about by the internment of the Japanese. Yes, I was convinced by the evidence that supported the argument because the move to repeal Title II became a venue for Japanese Americans to break their silence and talk openly about their experiences in the internment camps. This has led to an awareness by the American public; thus, the support for the repeal increased. Furthermore, during the time when the move to repeal Title II was initiated, the fears of an imminent communist threat already subsided (Masumi 170). Masumi, Izumi. "Prohibiting "American Concentration Camps": Repeal of the Emergency Detention Act and the public historical memory of the Japanese American internment." Pacific Historical Review 74.2 (2005):

Assessment of Technology centric Strategies for information security Essay

Assessment of Technology centric Strategies for information security in an organization - Essay Example It is a "best practices" strategy in that it relies on the intelligent application of techniques and technologies that exist today. The strategy recommends a balance between the protection capability and cost, performance, and operational considerations." [National Security Agency] Fahey (2004) graduated from the SANS GSEC course and uses their systematic approach to addressing risk through defense in depth. The SANS approach promulgates an efficient and cost effective methodology for improving security. The organization for which he works already had a number of policies, each designed to address a multi-layered approach to IT security such as operations security, physical security and contingency and disaster recovery. Furthermore external security personnel routinely came to the organization to perform security audits. He was concerned that one area which had not been addressed was: "a systematic procedure designed to protect against electronic attacks from hackers. This was due in part to the false sense of security which comes from being behind a firewall and partly from a lack of experience in the information security field." (Fahey, 2004, p3) In putting together a Defense in Depth security policy one must consider the characteristics of one's adversary, the motivation behind an attack and the class of attack. An adversary may be anyone from a competitor to a hacker. They may be motivated by theft of intellectual property, denial of service or simply pride in bringing down a target. Classes of attack include passive or active monitoring of communications, identity theft or close-in attacks. Besides deliberate attacks there may also be inadvertent attacks on the system, such as fire, flood, power outages - and most frequently - user error. Information Assurance is achieved when information and information systems are protected against such attacks through the application of security services such as: Availability, Integrity, Authentication, Confidentiality, and Non-Repudiation. The application of these services should be based on the Protect, Detect, and React paradigm. This means that in addition to incorporating protection mechanisms, organizations need to expect attacks and include attack detection tools and procedures that allow them to react to and recover from these attacks. No system is perfectly secure, and it has been argued that no system needs to be. To achieve Information Assurance focus must be balanced on three elements: People, Technology and Operations. "Security goals have their own contradictions because confidentiality, integrity, privacy, accountability, and recovery often conflict fundamentally. For example, accountability requires a strong audit trail and end-user authentication, which conflicts with privacy needs for user anonymity." (Sandhu 2004, page 3) Fahey's methodology for evaluating risk used the confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA) approach which emphasizes the importance to the organization of a particular information asset. This approach focuses budget managers on the real threats to reputation and therefore the business' ability to survive against its competitors. Fahey focuses on 3 security risks in his article: passwords, policies and patches. Fahey's risk assessment relies heavily on SANS assessment of the top 20 risks for networks in 2003/4. This brings to light the

Web 2 Tools to Enhance Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Web 2 Tools to Enhance Education - Essay Example Indeed, while the use of technology in classroom has addressed the individual needs and requirements of students, its application in myriad formats has opened huge possibilities for students and teachers alike to exploit their potential for higher learning. The advancing technology and Web 2 tools have increasingly emerged as key elements to impact students’ learning outcome and made acquisition of knowledge highly interesting. They have therefore, widened their horizon of educational scope and outcome. Statement of problem In the current times, not using Web 2 tools could pose serious problems for students. Technology is intrinsically linked to development processes and its huge impact on education system has necessitated its inclusion within the curricula to enhance learning outcome. Valdez has emphasized that educators must be ready for technology rich future and promote dynamic strategies and tools within the curricula so that the students are prepared to meet the challeng es of the 21st century (1). The current generation of tech savvy students is no more satisfied with classroom teaching and is constantly seeking real time learning through new tools which can challenge their abilities to explore new avenues of knowledge acquisition (Akyeampong 3860). Web 2 provides the students with interactive media to share their knowledge and at the same time, facilitate their learning processes by sharing experience, opinions and views on different areas and issues (Greenhow et al., 247). Thus, Web 2 has wide ramifications on individual learning and its inclusion within curricula becomes key element of motivation. They help individuals with varying needs to optimize their learning outcome and ensure higher achievement. Thus, not using Web 2 tools could seriously hinder students’ personal and academic achievements. Purpose of the study The major purpose of the study is to explore how the use of Web 2 tools influence learning process and enhance education o utcome. Today, technology has become part and parcel of education system and the use of internet and online learning tools have increasingly become popular within and outside classroom. But the efficacy of the Web 2 tools like social networking, blogging and use of video sharing websites etc. needs to be explored within the academia to study their impact on students’ learning outcome. Most importantly, how it can be exploited for enhancing students’ learning is vital issue that must be explored and evaluated to ensure students’ continued interest in the core academic areas. The huge possibilities of internet based learning offers tremendous scope of growth that needs to be used by educators for enhancing students’ education outcome. Research questions 1. What are the main elements of Web 2 that make it attractive for students? 2. Do the Web 2 tools offer different challenges for students with varying skills? 3. How does Web 2 help to influence the learnin g processes of students with varying needs? 4. How does the interactive platform of Web 2 help to widen the understanding of different issues? 5. Do the web 2 platforms promote global values and improve and improvise learning outcome across the geographical boundaries of class, color, race and culture? 6. How do Web 2 tools encourage greater interaction amongst students and teachers? 7. How does it impact reading, writing and comprehension skills of students? 8. How does it keep the students motivated in the academic learning? 9. How can teachers exploit the vast potential of Web 2 tools for enhancing students’ education outcome? What is Web 2.0? According to O’Reilly the Web 2 tools are internet based technologies and platforms of

Using Humor to Survive Tragedy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Using Humor to Survive Tragedy - Essay Example Not a single character in the play profits from propriety. The not so serious characters are the ones who  benefit  in the end; and it is because of their  frivolous  behavior all through the play. This indicates that there is little, if any,  benefit  to being modest. In bill Cosby’s words, when one finds laughter, they can survive some of the worst moments in life.  By using humor, one can  stand  up to the challenges that life brings, no matter tragic they may be.  Situations in life are always changing; once one finds an  intriguing  way to survive a  dark  session, they will make it to the happy parts. In The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar puts the conventions in the Victorian times aside and presents us the absurdity of such an  ardent  attachment  to seriousness. The  play  presents two young men, Algernon and Jack. Algernon is the symbol of un-earnestness, and Jack is his  ward  in jocularity and deceit. Marriage is of utmost significance in The Importance of Being Earnest. This is because it is what drives the  plot  and is the  primary  subject  for  philosophical  debate and speculation. We  are introduced  to the nature of marriage for the first time when Algernon is talking to his butler, Lane. The subject of marriage stays on for the most part of the  play  as it develops. Jack and Algernon talk about the important things in marriage, and what matters in it. They  talk  of it as either a matter of â€Å"pleasure† or â€Å"business†. During Victorian times, there were conventions on marriage; with  regard  to its  purpose  and  nature. These include such things as the social position of a person, the  income  the person had as well as the person’s  character. Algernon and jack are remarkably in the know of these assumptions, as well. Society expects them to follow these conventions, but they do not. They ridicule th ese customs, and, in situations where they cannot, they assume the

The Coca-Cola Company Struggles with Ethical Crises Essay

The Coca-Cola Company Struggles with Ethical Crises - Essay Example The Belgian government ordered Coca-Cola to recall all its products, a move that was also witnessed in the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Coca-Cola at first underestimated the gravity of the matter, and took several days before correcting the situation or even going to the press about the issue. As a result of this delay, other people continued to suffer from the contaminated products, which had been determined to be the result of a consignment of carbon dioxide that had been improperly processed. France also reported about a hundred people had become ill after consuming coke, which led to all Coca-Cola products being banned from the country (Ferrell, Ferrell & Fraedrich ,2011) . The situation escalated and culminated in December the same year, when Belgium ordered Coca-Cola to halt a campaign it had launched to re-introduce its products in the country. Coca-Cola market eminence in Europe reduced significantly after this scandal, due to the incapability of the corporation to handle the cases professionally and with the seriousness they deserved. Coca-Cola was also accused of unfair competition in the international arena especially in European countries. In 1999, Coca-Cola sought to expand its market in France by trying to purchase a beverage company. The government intervened and stopped Coca-Cola from acquiring the company, under the antitrust laws of the European Union. Other countries such as Italy also accused Coca-Cola of anticompetitive prices and won a case against the company on the same. Other companies such as Pepsi also accused Coca-Cola of using discounts and refunds to get more consumers, something that was against European laws. Allegations of racial discrimination also plagued the Coca-Cola Company in 1999, after about 1500 employees of African-American descent sued the company on grounds of racial discrimination. The employees complained that favoritism was evident, in terms of payment, performance analysis and promotion. These allegations caused a lot of unrest in the company, and Coca-Cola had to pay 193 million dollars to settle the case (Griffin & Moorhead, 2011). Another case was in store for Coca-Cola, when it was accused of shipping more inventories to its supplies before a quarter was over, against business law. Afterwards, the company would count the shipments as sales, despite such goods remaining in the warehouses or being returned. These sales were then counted as revenue, thus creating the impression of a strong company, therefore, fooling investors who believed the inflated profits. Distributors of Coca-Cola products in the U.S sued the company in early 2006, after the company started using delivery agents to supply its products to warehouses. This move according to the distributors was against antitrust laws, and Coca-Cola had to find a way to settle this dispute. In Colombia, accusations surfaced between 2001 and 2004 that Coca-Cola had been intimidating its employees since 1989. Statistics showed that eight w orkers had died, 48 forced into hiding, and 65 issued with death threats in the Colombian bottling plant. The workers union sought compensation for the affected families, although Coca-Cola maintains that these allegations were unfounded. In India, the Coca-Cola subsidiary was accused of using contaminated ground water to make soft drinks, resulting in excess levels of pesticides in these drinks. In addition to this,

Lap report Lab Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Lap - Lab Report Example Apart from playing an important role in the maintenance of homeostasis in a constantly regenerating population of cells, such as the colonic epithelium, apoptosis also functions to destroy cells with DNA damage and prevent neoplasia. Inhibitor of apoptosis or IAP proteins are a class of anti-apoptotic regulator proteins which are characterized by the presence of baculoviral IAP repeat (BIR) domains. IAPs inhibit the activation caspases which are the key effector proteases of apoptosis, by directly binding to them through the BIR domains. Extensive evidence exists to show the involvement of the IAP family of proteins in oncogenesis, via their efficient suppression of apoptosis (Hunter et al., 2007). Survivin is a novel member of the IAP family of proteins with a potential dual role in apoptosis inhibition and regulation of mitosis. Survivin inhibits apoptosis by interfering with the function of caspase-3, caspase-7 and caspase-9 (Shin et al., 2001; Dohi et al., 2004). In addition to a poptosis inhibition, survivin is implicated in the regulation of the mitotic spindle checkpoint and the promotion of angiogenesis, and chemoresistance (Altieri, 2003; Mita et al., 2008). Several mitotic kinases, including the three Aurora kinases, Aurora-A, -B and –C kinases regulate the progression of the cell through mitosis. Lens et al. (2006) have provided evidence to show that survivin acts as a mitotic regulator. It functions as a subunit of the chromosomal passenger complex, which is essential for proper chromosome segregation and cytokinesis. In this complex, Aurora B acts as the enzymatic core, while survivin dictates chromosomal passenger complex localization. Survivin is uniquely placed at the border of both the cell-death machinery and mechanisms of cell cycle progression and microtubule stability (Dan et al., 2004). Survivin is a highly conserved 16.5Â  kDa protein with 142 amino acids. X-ray crystallography has revealed the protein to be an unusual bow tie-shap ed dimer with two ?-helical extensions (Chantalat et al., 2000). It interacts with the microtubules through the ?-helical extension at the carboxyl terminal. Expressed in the G2/M phase (Li et al., 1998), survivin is up-regulated in almost all cancers, including colon cancer, but has low or no expression in most normal, differentiated adult tissues (Duffy et al., 2007). Expression of survivin in cancer cells has been shown to promote tumorigenesis (Li, 2005), cancer progression, poor prognosis, shortened patient survival and resistance to chemo- and radiation therapies (Li and Ling, 2006). A number of signaling molecules, transcription factors and other ligands modulate survivin expression and/or function in cancer cells through transcriptional and/or posttranscriptional mechanisms (Zhang et al., 2006). Of these, regulation of its gene transcription is an important mechanism for the modulation of survivin expression. Sp1, a transcription factor is reported to be involved in the tran scriptional activation of survivin (Li and Altieri, 1999). According to Kim et al. (2003), an aberrant TCF/? catenin might cause the stimulation of survivin expression leading to enhanced cell proliferation and resistance to apoptosis, thereby promoting the molecular pathogenesis of colorectal cancer. Zhang et al. (2000) demonstrated that APC mutation causes

Effects of Music Essay Example for Free

Effects of Music Essay Music and Its Effects on Our Emotions: Can Music Really Change Your Mood? Music can control a much larger part of your life than most people would like to believe. Music can affect us in ways in which were not even aware of, and for this reason, music is simply amazing. There is a large number of studies behind music. Not even just the typical music you hear on the radio or that you download from the Internet, but any sounds and the way they can affect your mood and reflect your personallity. It has been proven that certain types of music can evoke sadness, while others can give you an excitement. Music is used in millions of places for this reason. Advertisements. Advertisements and movies are based around the audio! Certain types of music are more likely to evoke emotions in people which will in turn make them feel a certain way. Sometimes this is great for producers in the economy because they can use music in their advertisements to help produce more profits, because people will become much more interested in the products that theyre offering. This works the same in the film industry. The film industry is interested in inflicting some sort of mood on its audience. If a movie is able to inflict an emotion into people, then the movie is looked upon as a much better movie, and therefore is more likely to make more money. Music can really affect more parts of the economy than you would ever even take into consideration. One amazing thing, that Im sure youve never even stopped to think about, is the music in a casino. They tend to play very uplifting music, music that will make you want to stay longer. Theoretically, the longer you stay in a casino, the more money the casino will make from you. The casino wants to keep you in their business for as long as they can. Music is one way the owners can go about this. Another irrelevant yet interesting method they have is to release scents that cause people to become more satisfied with what theyre doing, and will make them in turn be more comfortable in the environment and want to stay longer, making the casino more money in the long run. Pop, lighter rock, and most dance music tends to be a very uplifting type of music. If youre ever looking for a booster, listen to some of this music! I actually enjoy listening to this music every day before going to take classes, because it lifts my spirit and helps me make it through the day. Downbeat music such as death metal and rap music tends to affect peoples emotions in a much darker form. However, this is all personal preference and you cannot  base all of this on my opinion. Overall, music has a much greater affect on you than you would believe. Experiment. Listen to new music all the time. See what music gives you chills down your spine. See what music you cant understand and hate. Theres something out there for everyone. The Effects of Music In some way, music affects everyone. Whether it is, a young girl’s favorite song on the radio, a college student’s escape from reality or a form of entertainment to a married couple, music brings everyone together. Music definitely affects the lifestyles of people in many different ways. The diverse styles of music makes people look and act differently. Music has many different levels. To me, levels meaning; the more independent and progressive the music is, the more the fans take it to the extreme. Music creates style. It causes people to talk, act, and dress the way they do. I hope to discover how much music influences people, especially college students. Also, the more fascinated they are the more influences it has to them. I would like to prove, that to some, music is nothing more than the pop song playing on the radio in the car, and to others, it is a major part of their life. It is very interesting to me, to learn the effects music has toward people. Music impacts everyone in some way (positive or negative), but I think it impacts college students the most. I would like to know the reasons people are listening to music they buy and support. Also, the reasons certain groups are more popular than others. I used a couple various methods of research to conduct my research. I wrote up ten surveys with some questions about gender, age, what they buy, do they attend concerts, and do they support local music. I passed these surveys out to completely random students so there was no imbalance of the results. I hope to find out certain things like: are males affected more than females from music; who buys more clothing/ accessories; is local music important to college students. Another form of research was done by making some observations. I observed places that college students live. I observed a few of my friends apartments very closely and also observed a couple other houses that I was  invited to over the past month. By doing this, I hope to generalize what they like and how it influences them. For example, posters of music groups hanging everywhere will indicate a more of an influence than paintings, by say Picasso. Clothing, jewelry, and actual speech from people may also provide some interesting details. While making these observations, I had also done a couple interviews. A couple were formal, sit-down interviews and the others were just conversations that I thought would be helpful to making my research complete. After giving some thought to my results, I decided to add a section about my personal history. Throughout my life music has affected me in many different ways. It has helped me through some very important decisions, such as, how I feel, who I am with, where I am going to go. When I was ten years old, I got my first guitar. It was an acoustic guitar. I loved to play it, but dreaded going to the lessons. My parents forced me because I couldn’t play a single note. After a year or two things started to come together and I could play some songs. Then I decided to purchase an electric guitar. For me, this was the greatest thing to ever happen to me. I played everyday at any time that I could. My favorite group was the Beastie Boys. My friends and I would pretend we were them and put on shows pretending to be them. As I got older, I would purchase any music that I could; cassette tapes, records, videos, posters, anything that dealt with music. Around seventh or eighth grade, I purchased a used drum set. My other friends all played, so we decided to form a band. We would practice in the garage as much as often until my parents said enough, until it became an obsession. We played a couple of parties (nothing big, because this was the eighth grade), but still a major part of my life at the time. One day during practice, I remember my good friend, the lead singer, telling me booked a real gig, in downtown Pittsburgh. We got a set ready and about a month to practice our songs. The place was called the Electric Banana, it was real dive bar. Most people there were friends and family, but still a nice turnout. Since then I haven’t been playing in a band, but still love making music. Most of my friends are really into music too. We swap music  with each other and talk about it all the time. When I switched schools in high school, music really helped me make some friends. Without music my life would be totally different and a lot more boring, so I’m glad it turned out this way. I am very happy with the results that I got from the surveys. There were ten surveys filled out. Of the ten, six were females and four were males. Eight of the ten all liked rap/hip hop music or said rap along with some other forms. The other two liked rock, punk, or emo. No one put classic rock as their choice (which I found to be very interesting, because I like classic rock). There were two other questions I found to be very much related. Everyone that collects music, any form, (CD, cassette tape, or vinyl) has clothing and/or accessories that support music, for instance, posters, T-shirts, and hats. Four out of ten said they regularly attend concerts. I was very pleased to hear that eight of ten support local musicians/bands. I am a music lover, (as you know) so the local scene is very important to me. Here is a graph I constructed from the surveys. Females Males 60% 40% The interviews came out to be very useful also. I talked to a music lover/musician/collector. His name was Neil and he was very cooperative. We talked about the unusual styles of music he liked. He has a very wide range of music in his collection. We talked about some of his favorite artists, some being Pittsburgh based groups. He loves live music and goes to as many shows as possible. He said â€Å"it’s hard to get to places without a car and with classes† He also said â€Å"I just saw The Roots play for my sixth time last week, at a little place in Oakland.† We were talking about how they are definitely one of his favorites, if he had to pick. I asked him why he was so into music. He replied â€Å"It’s a stress reliever. It takes my mind off school, work, and people’s pettiness.† Another interview that I performed was not as formal. This one was with my dad at the dinner table. It was pretty short and to the point. I asked him if he likes music. He said â€Å"No.† I then asked him if he ever listens to it and he said â€Å"No, when I am in the car I listen to the news or talk radio and when I’m home I’m either working or watching TV.† After doing this research, I realized that by doing interviews you can really feel the emotion from the answers compared to reading a survey. I think that interviews did help me make certain things easier to understand on the survey. The Effects of Music on Peoples Emotions By Rachel Mattison, eHow Contributor , last updated July 02, 2012 Movie producers and recording artists use music to manipulate the emotions of audiences to feel everything from excitement to sadness during movies and performances. No one can deny that music has either positive or negative effects on the emotions of listeners. However, music therapy or the study of music’s impact on emotions examines how music cause positive changes in listeners and patients for areas including early childhood development, healing and recovery, and overcoming negative emotions. 1. Early Childhood Development * Music plays an important role in early childhood emotional and intellectual development, according to information compiled by Brad Kennedy and Jennifer Durst. Their research confirms that even while in the womb, babies can tell the differences between certain types of music. Also called prenatal stimulation this technique has many positive effects including higher levels of intelligence and creativity, along with the ability to calm down when listening to music. Suggested usages for music in early childhood development include teaching children to analyze songs so they can learn how to express and identify their emotions, though processes, behaviors and situations as a way of developing cognitive and motor skills. Healing and Recovery * The American Music Therapy Organization states music therapy can  allow emotional intimacy with families and caregivers, relaxation for the entire family, and meaningful time spent together in a positive, creative way.† Additional studies show that music therapy can cause changes in physiology by releasing brain chemicals including melatonin, norephinephrine, epinephrine, serotonin and prolactin, which help to reduce depression, regulate mood and make patients feel calm and more able to sleep. Doctors have used music therapy to help stroke, cerebral palsy and Parkinson’s patients improve. Dr. Suzanne Hasner says head trauma and dementia patients retain music ability because â€Å"deep in our long-term memory is this rehearsed music. It is processed in the emotional part of the brain, the amygdala. Here’s where you remember the music played at your wedding, the music of your first love, that first dance. Such things can still be remembered even in people with progressive diseases. It can be a window, a way to reach them. * Negative Emotions and Fear Management * Dr. Zbigniew Kucharski, from the Medical Academy of Warsaw, has studied the effects of music when used for fear management in dental patients. He discovered that children who listened to 30 minutes of music preceding and following dental procedures were less likely to experience negative feelings. Another study, â€Å"Quantification of the effects of listening to music as a noninvasive method of pain control,† conducted in 1992 found that relaxing music helped to reduce anxiety and pain in patients undergoing certain medical procedures including painful gynecological procedures and pediatric surgical burn units. How Music Affects Us and Promotes Health Music is one of the few activities that involves using the whole brain. It is intrinsic to all cultures and can have surprising benefits not only for learning language, improving memory and focusing attention, but also for physical coordination and development. Of course, music can be distracting if its too loud or too jarring, or if it competes for our attention with what were trying to do. But for the most part, exposure to many kinds of music has beneficial effects: 1Music heals Effective therapy for pain Overall, music does have positive effects on pain management. Music can help reduce both the sensation and distress of both chronic pain and postoperative pain. Listening to music can reduce chronic pain from a range of painful conditions, including osteoarthritis, disc problems and rheumatoid arthritis, by up to 21% and depression by up to 25%, according to a paper in the latest UK-based Journal of Advanced Nursing29. Music therapy is increasingly used in hospitals to reduce the need for medication during childbirth, to decrease postoperative pain and complement the use of anesthesia during surgery30. There are several theories about how music positively affects perceived pain: * 1. Music serves as a distractor * 2. Music may give the patient a sense of control * 3. Music causes the body to release endorphins to counteract pain * 4. Slow music relaxes person by slowing their breathing and heartbeat Reducing blood pressure By playing recordings of relaxing music every morning and evening, people with high blood pressure can train themselves to lower their blood pressure and keep it low31. According to research reported at the American Society of Hypertension meeting in New Orleans, listening to just 30 minutes of classical, Celtic or raga music every day may significantly reduce high blood pressure. Medicine for the heart music is good for your heart. Research shows that it is musical tempo, rather than style. Italian and British researchers32 recruited young men and women, half of whom were trained musicians. The participants slipped on head phones and listened to six styles of music, including rap and classical pieces, with random two-minute pauses. As the participants kicked back and listened, the researchers monitored their breathing, heart rates and blood pressure. The participants had faster heart and breathing rates when they listened to lively music. When the musical slowed, so did their heart and breathing rates. Some results were surprising. During the musical pauses, heart and breathing rates normalized or reached more optimal levels. Whether or not a person liked the style of music did not matter. The tempo, or pace, of the music had the greatest effect on relaxation. Speeds Post-Stroke Recovery A daily portion` of ones favorite pop melodies, classical music or jazz can speed recovery from debilitating strokes, according to the latest research. When stroke patients in Finland listened to music for a couple of hours each day, verbal memory and attention span improved significantly compared to patients who received no musical stimulation, or who listened only to stories read out loud, the study reports33. Chronic headaches migraine remedy Music can help migraine34 and chronic headache35 sufferers reduce the intensity, frequency, and duration of the headaches. Music boosts immunity Music can boost the immune function. Scientists explain that a particular type of music can create a positive and profound emotional experience, which leads to secretion of immune-boosting hormones22. This helps contribute to a reduction in the factors responsible for illness. Listening to music or singing can also decrease levels of stress-related hormone cortisol. Higher levels of cortisol can lead to a decreased immune response23-24. 2Effects of music on the brain Music enhances intelligence, learning and IQ The idea that music makes you smarter received considerable attention from scientists and the media. Listening to music or playing an instrument can actually make you learn better. And research confirms this. Music has the power to enhance some kinds of higher brain function: * Reading and literacy skills11-13 * Spatial-temporal reasoning14-15 * Mathematical abilities16-17 Even children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder benefit in mathematics tests from listening to music beforehand. *Emotional intelligence The Mozart effect Earlier it has been thought that listening to classical music, particularly Mozart, enhances performance on cognitive tests. However, recent findings18 show that listening to any music that is personally enjoyable has positive effects on cognition. Music improves memory performance The power of music to affect memory is quite intriguing. Mozarts music and baroque music, with a 60 beats per minute beat pattern, activates the left and right brain. The simultaneous left and right brain action maximizes learning and retention of information. The information being studied activates the left brain while the music activates the right brain. Also, activities which engage both sides of the brain at the same time, such as playing an instrument or singing, cause the brain to be more capable of processing information. Listening to music facilitates the recall of information19. Researchers have shown that certain types of music are a great keys for recalling memories. Information learned while listening to a particular song can often be recalled simply by playing the songs mentally. Musical training has even better effect than just listening to classical music. There is clear evidence20, that children who take music lessons develop a better memory compared with children who have no musical training. Note: For learning or memory performance, its important that music doesnt have a vocal component; otherwise youre more likely to remember the words of the background song than what youre supposed to be recalling. Music improves concentration and attention Easy listening music or relaxing classics improves the duration and intensity of concentration in all age groups and ability levels. Its not clear what type of music is better, or what kind of musical structure is necessary to help, but many studies have shown significant effects21. 3Music improves physical performance Music improves athletic performance Choosing music that motivates you will make it easier to start moving, walking, dancing, or any other type of exercise that you enjoy. Music can make exercise feel more like recreation and less like work. Furthermore, music enhances athletic performance6-8! Anyone who has ever gone on a long run with their iPod or taken a particularly energetic spinning class knows that music can make the time pass more quickly. The four central hypotheses explaining musics facilitation of exercise performance include: * Reduction in the feeling of fatigue * Increase in levels of psychological arousal * Physiological relaxation response * Improvement in motor coordination Music improves body movement and coordination Music reduces muscle tension and improves body movement and coordination25-26. Music may play an important role in developing, maintaining and restoring physical functioning in the rehabilitation of persons with movement disorders. 4Music helps to work more productively Fatigue fighter Listening to upbeat music can be a great way to find some extra energy. Music can effectively eliminate exercise-induced fatigue9 and fatigue symptoms caused by monotonous work10. Keep in mind that listening to too much pop and hard rock music can make you more jittery than energized. Vary what you listen to and find out what type of music is most beneficial for you. You could try classical music one day, pop the next day and jazz the third. Music improves productivity Many people like to listen to music while they work and I am certainly one of them. How about you? Did you know you can perform better at your work with music? Whilst there may be many reasons for wishing to listen to music in the workplace, it really improves your productivity27! According to a report in the journal Neuroscience of Behavior and Physiology28, a persons ability to recognize visual images, including letters and numbers, is faster when either rock or classical music is playing in the background. 5Music calms, relaxes and helps to sleep Relaxing music induces sleep Relaxing classical music is safe, cheap and easy way to beat insomnia1. Many people who suffer from insomnia find that Bach music helps them. Researchers have shown that just 45 minutes of relaxing music before bedtime can make for a restful night2. Relaxing music reduces sympathetic nervous system activity, decreases anxiety, blood pressure, heart and respiratory rate and may have positive effects on sleep via muscle relaxation and distraction  from thoughts. Music reduces stress and aids relaxation Listening to slow, quiet classical music, is proven to reduce stress3. Countless studies have shown that musics relaxing effects can be seen on anyone, including newborns. One of the great benefits of music as a stress reliever is that it can be used while you do your usual deeds so that it really doesnt take time. How does music reduces stress? * Physical relaxation. Music can promote relaxation of tense muscles, enabling you to easily release some of the tension you carry from a stressful day. * Aids in stress relief activities. Music can help you get into the zone when practicing yoga, self hypnosis or guided imagery, can help you feel energized when exercising and recover after exercising, help dissolve the stress when youre soaking in the tub. * Reduces negative emotions. Music, especially upbeat tunes, can take your mind off what stresses you, and help you feel more optimistic and positive. This helps release stress and can even help you keep from getting as stressed over lifes little frustrations in the future. Researchers discovered4 that music can decrease the amount of the cortisol, a stress-related hormone produced by the body in response to stress. 6Music improves mood and decreases depression Prescription for the blues Musics ability to heal the soul is the stuff of legend in every culture. Many people find that music lifts their spirits. Modern research tends to confirm musics psychotherapeutic benefits5. Bright, cheerful music (e.g. Mozart, Vivaldi, bluegrass, Klezmer, Salsa, reggae) is the most obvious prescription for the blues. The 5 Weirdest Ways Music Can Mess With the Human Brain By: C. Coville, Kathy Benjamin February 11, 2011 1,619,046 views The entire reason music exists is because of its almost magical ability to push your buttons. An upbeat song gets you going, a sad song makes you cry and drink. But the more science studies musics effect on the human brain, the more bizarre things we discover. For instance #5. It Changes Your Ability to Perceive Time  old music the stuff you hear on the line when you call everyone from the bank to your local bail bond agency didnt fall into Americas phone lines by accident. Its designed specifically to reduce the amount of time you think youre waiting, so that youre less likely to hang up in anger. Other places that involve waiting, such as doctors offices, use a similar trick. Time shrinkage is also the aim of most retail stores, which is why youll rarely enter a mall, supermarket or clothing store without hearing some sort of music in the background. How the hell does music do that? To understand why exactly music makes it seem like less time has passed, think of the human brain as a mountain lion that is eating a bag of money. It doesnt matter what the zookeepers distract it with food, shiny objects or just shouting and yelling. All that matters is that they give another zookeeper the chance to sneak up and retrieve the money while the lion is busy deciding which one of them to eat. Similarly, when your brain is steadily distracted, youll be less likely to notice things around you in detail, and this includes the passage of time. Our brains have limited input capacity, and when something else is using up that capacity, were less likely to think things like, Ive been standing in line to get Richard Molls autograph for three goddamn hours or Do I really need this Garfield alarm clock? But it works the opposite way, too. In some situations, listening to music can actually expand perceived time. For example, listening to music while performing tasks that require concentration will usually cause us to overestimate the amount of time that has passed. The theory is that as your mind switches back and forth between perception of the music and concentration on the challenging tasks, it forms separate events, or distinct memories. When your brain thinks about what youve been doing for the past hour, youll remember more of these events and recall that the hour was quite long. Experiments have found that time also expands when were listening to familiar music that we dislike. When we hear the opening chords of a song, our brain remembers the whole thing and immediately skips ahead and plays it mentally. This fake mind-music is  extremely vivid, working on exactly the same parts of the brain as actual music does. So the effect is that you take a few moments to vividly imagine that youre sitting through five minutes of that damn New Radicals song before you come back to reality only to realize that you still actually have to sit through it. #4. It Taps Into Primal Fear OK, imagine how you would sound for a second if you saw your friend Jason across the street and wanted to get his attention by yelling his name. Now imagine you see your friend Jason across the street, suddenly realize a car is careening down the road about to hit him, and shout his name to warn him.Despite the fact that you are yelling the same thing both times, even in your head you can hear how the two sound different. Human beings have a very good, very nuanced sense of what kind of noise indicates a greeting and what kind of noise indicates you are about to be mauled by a honey badger. And that sense is being used against you in every scary movie you have ever seen. There is a reason that horror films scare the crap out of us, and its not just the creepy settings, dramatic buildup and sudden reveal of the bad guy RIGHT BEHIND YOU. Its the music. How the hell does music do that? There are certain sounds that humans will automatically associate with sudden and painful death because they tap into our evolutionary fear of the screams of other animals (and other human beings). Screams of fear in almost any animal are made up of what scientists have dubbed discordant noises. Any noise that makes you feel very unpleasant falls into this category. We know if we hear other living things making those discordant noises that we have to get the fuck out, because something bad is going to happen. Movie directors know this and make good use of it when deciding on the score for a film. That dramatic buildup and subsequent scary reveal is almost always accompanied by really freaky music or somebody screaming his ass off (or both). But this technique is hardly limited to horror movies. For instance, in his original draft of The Social Network, Andy Sorkin wanted a song called Love of the Common People to play over the opening credits scene. Heres what that would have looked like: That poppy calypso music makes you feel that everything is dandy. Sure, Mark Zuckerberg has just been dumped,  but its all OK! Hes running through the Harvard campus and is about to invent Facebook and become a billionaire. Yay!Listen to that lower-level background music throughout. It sounds like random, angry notes played behind a simple piano tune, and those notes are creating discordant sound. Suddenly youre apprehensive, feeling like something really bad is about to happen (were talking getting sued for $64 million bad). So next time youre getting a little too freaked out by a movie, remember that muting the television is a far better decision than looking away. #3. It Makes You Stronger Its no secret that many people prefer to listen to music when they work out. But music doesnt just make physical activity more pleasant it actually makes our physical performance measurably better. When listening to music, people are able to hold heavy weights for longer than when theyre standing in silence. They can also complete sprints in smaller amounts of time and are even able to reduce their oxygen intake. How the hell does music do that? Similar to the time-perception effect we referenced above, one element is just plain old distraction. Obviously, if your mind is listening to music, its not thinking about how much your legs hurt or how much longer youve got to run before the treadmill makes that final beeping noise. But theres much more to it than that. First, theres synchronicity. When you match your movements to a steady musical tempo, you spend less time and effort on the inefficient slowing down and speeding up that happens when youre going by your own rhythm. Music also increases the incidence of flow states states of meditation-like calm in which everything works right for an athlete and that is strongly linked to enhanced performance. Music can even make you feel less pain. Patients listening to music after surgery need less sedatives, report less pain and have lower blood pressure. As if thats not impressive enough, doctors have found that specially selected melodic music dramatically reduces stress in patients during unsedated brain surgery. In some cases, music caused patients to relax so much that many of them fell into a deep sleep, while people sliced into their exposed brains with fucking scalpels. And even if youre lucky enough to be asleep during  surgery, theres a good chance the doctors working on you are listening to music, since most surgeons believe it improves their performance, too. So the next time youre about to go under a general anesthetic, consider the fact that the guy with the scalpel might soon be timing his incisions to Whitesnake. #2. It Changes Your Drinking Habits Did you ever wake up in the back of a taxi after a long night of tossing down cognac and prune juice and wonder how your pants got replaced by a thick but clumsily applied coat of colorful body paint? Well, now theres something to blame it on besides your bad childhood: music. What they play in the bar doesnt just affect how much you drink, but what you drink. How the hell does music do that? Did you know you can make a person buy more expensive wine just by playing classical music? Experiments prove it. It makes people feel like theyre in a wine commercial or in a movie depicting refined, snooty rich people. OK, that one sort of makes sense we doubt anyone ever drank Wild Irish Rose while listening to Vivaldi. But in another blind study, different types of music playing in the background caused drinkers to change how theyd described the drinks they already had. Laid-back music led people to rate drinks as mellow, and upbeat music resulted in more people calling their drinks refreshing. Even stranger, in another study researchers placed German and French wines in supermarkets, with small flags next to each display so customers could tell which countries they came from. They then played some unobtrusive international music in the background. When German music was played, the percentage of German sales rose, and vice versa. This wasnt because customers thought to themselves, Ah! Germany! I will celebrate the Fatherland with some nice wine! Questionnaires showed that customers couldnt recall what type of music was playing and thought theyd chosen a particular wine simply because theyd felt like it. The people selling you the drinks know all of this stuff or at least, the successful ones do. Weve pointed out before that bars and nightclubs often play fast music to increase alcohol-based profit. But other establishments, particularly upscale restaurants, prefer slow, relaxing music, which,  believe it or not, can also make you drink more. The tempo of music is linked to your bodys arousal level, or the speed at which your nervous system operates. Fast music heightens arousal (heh), so patrons will do everything more quickly, including eating and drinking and leaving their infant by the salad bar. Which is good for a restaurant owner if hes just concerned with getting you out the door so he can serve more (and presumably better) people. On the other hand, slower music means that you eat at a more leisurely pace. Maybe youll even stay to chat with your companions after youre done with your meal. All this time passing means youre likely to buy more drinks every time the waiter comes around to ask, and at a restaurant thats charging $70 a bottle, that makes up for any lost table space. Some restaurants go as far as to purchase a personalized selection of songs specially designed by sound branding companies, which select songs based on whatever tempo or atmosphere the restaurant is aiming to achieve. #1. It Makes You a Better Communicator How does a narcissistic ass like John Mayer, who isnt even that attractive, still have hot women of all ages throwing themselves at him? Its the guitar, isnt it?Actually, a trained musician like Mayer would probably be able to talk a woman into his bed without ever even playing a note. It turns out that studying music gives you an advantage when it comes to perceiving the emotions of others, so all those years of being chained to a piano as a child are finally going to work in your favor. People who can play instruments at near-professional level can detect subtle emotional changes and intonations in the vocal tones of others. In other words, they know whether you are actually sad when you say youre fine, even when most non-musicians would have no idea. Not only that, but the fact that they studied music makes them better able to tune out background noise, so they are even better at paying attention to what you are saying in that crowded restaurant or bar. How the hell does music do that? Research shows that people who have studied music actually have brains wired differently than non-musicians. This rewiring makes them better able to express emotions they are feeling, but it also makes them more able to understand the emotions others express. Music is very emotional, and people  wired to understand those subtle emotional changes can also detect them in the vocal tones of someone talking. The emotion of the music translates to knowing when your boss is secretly mad or your mother is secretly disappointed. The sooner you start learning music, the more pronounced this re-wiring is. Scientists think that teaching children music might help kids with autism better understand vocal cues and encode speech. The fact that this brain re-wiring helps them tune out background noise could also help kids stay focused in noisy classrooms. It is also something that gets better the more you play, so sticking to your piano lessons now could lead to a powerful advantage in your future dating world. Read more: http://www.cracked.com/article_19006_the-5-weirdest-ways-music-can-mess-with-human-brain_p2.html#ixzz0MMCXjaIv Music is one of many important parts of our lives because it can be an approach not only to reduce each of our mental tension but also to inspire our feelings in artistic sense. Then, there are only two subtopics to develop into two paragraphs in the body: 1) music is an approach to reduce peoples mental tension 2) music inspires peoples feelings in artistic sense

What Is Empirical Knowledge Philosophy Essay

What Is Empirical Knowledge Philosophy Essay Posteriori knowledge, or empirical knowledge is propositional knowledge obtained by experience or sensorial information. Posteriori knowledge is a contrast to priori knowledge, which is knowledge that is gained through the apprehension of innate ideas, intuition or pure reason. Debate has focused on analyzing the nature of knowledge and how it relates to similar notions such as truth, belief, and justification. It also deals with the means of production of knowledge, as well as skepticism about different knowledge claims. The traditional analysis of empirical knowledge states that you know that P if and only if you have empirically justified true belief that P.  [1]   You dont know why or have any idea of why reaction A follows situation B but you have seen it happen so many times that you know that is what is going to happen. I know how to drive a car in so far as I know that I use the accelerator to go and brake to stop and use the steering wheel to manoeuvre. I can get from A to B. In that respect I know how it functions in practice, but have little knowledge how cars actually work. Is it important to have knowledge of how things work? A person who knows how a car works doesnt automatically know how to drive or may not be a better driver because of his particular knowledge. Many people and animals live quite a happy existence oblivious to knowledge or complicated thought process. I have gained knowledge over the last eighteen years without knowing about empirical knowledge. The notion of innate ideas proposes that certain knowledge is present from birth. Empiricists would not want to deny that all bachelors are unmarried is a truth independent of experience, however they would deny that such a truth could be innate. For empiricists, the mind is a blank slate, Tabula Rasa. They believe that when we learn or experience things, it is as if the mind is being written on. Rationalists believe that the mind is similar to a computer, in which the hardware already has some functions, innate ideas, before the software, specific knowledge is loaded onto it. John Locke believed that our experiences provided us with what he termed simple and complex ideas. A fine example of a simple idea may include the redness of a rose. We thereafter use these ideas in order to understand the world. An example Locke gives, is If someone burnt their hand on a flame but also on a extremely cold piece of ice, then one would form the conclusion that it is not heat that is responsible for the burns, but the difference in temperature. Thus, Locke thinks that the simple sensations and experiences for the basis for more abstract ideas. Locke believed that knowledge could be of certain types depending on how ideas could be compared. Locke considered that the idea of black could be contrasted with that of white; and other ideas which share a common source, such as light and fire, which often go together. These ways of building up information, Locke thought are the main means by which we turn simple ideas into complex ones. Locke considered that there are three main types of knowledge. Intuitive, Demonstrative and Sensitive. Intuitive knowledge, black is not white is the most certain form of knowledge because it is the most difficult to doubt, and Locke argues that they are so obvious that we except them intuitively, as a priori. Demonstrative knowledge is when we begin to put simple ideas together and form complex ones, demonstrating something. Comparing the heat of the sun to the heat of a fire, one would be able to demonstrate that they are both made of similar substances. Locke argues that this form of knowledge i s posteriori. Sensitive knowledge, Locke argues, is the most uncertain because it relies merely on the evidence of senses. If I look to see how many chairs there are in another room, I am relying on sensitive knowledge, which although considered a posteriori, can easily be mistaken Rationalists argue by asking the question, that if one was to reject the idea that all of our knowledge comes from rational principles, how could we tell which of our perceptions are real or true? Lockes answer to this lies in the existence of primary and secondary qualities that an object has. Applying this theory to a table, Locke considers the tables primary qualities to be its size and shape, whereas the tables secondary qualities are produced by powers in the object itself, which act on our senses to produce sensations and impressions. The colour, taste, and temperature of the table are all examples of a tables secondary qualities. George Berkeley pointed out that if all we ever see are primary or secondary qualities, how do we know that substance really exists? Berkley believed that there may be no such thing are matter, a view called Idealism. Berkley thought that Locke and other philosophers had potentially opened the door to atheism and scepticism by this view of knowledge. Berkley attempted to show that rather than sensations of objects arising from powers in the object itself, the experiences were actually in the perceiver. Berkley argues that the object does not need to possess any powers with which it produces effects on our senses, because the object does not exist apart from our perception of it. Berkley adopts the sceptical argument that we do not see objects as they really are. Berkleys main argument was intended to show that it is possible for something to exist without being perceived. Berkley argues that it we cannot imagine what the perception of something must be like, we cannot really say that it exists. Berkley uses the idea to attack the notion of substance or matter, for if all the qualities that we ascribe to it are either primary or secondary qualities, can we actually say that the substance itself exists? David Hume disagreed with such philosophers as Descartes that the mind contained innate ideas. He also disagreed with the idea that we could be certain about anything outside our experience or the true nature of the world. Hume divided knowledge into what he termed relations of ideas and matters of fact. Relations of ideas are analytic truths or priori statements that we cannot conceive of being otherwise, such as the statement 2 + 2 = 4 and All bachelors are unmarried. Matters of fact, however can be falsified. The statement The sun will rise tomorrow is extremely likely, however it is not impossible that it will not. considered the answer to this is to suggest the existence of what he calls primary and secondary qualities. Hume argues that all our knowledge of cause and effect came through habit. So, for instance, if we see the Sun rise it is not because it corresponds to some eternal and unchangeable law, but because we have seen it rise countless times what he terms, constant conjunction. Therefore, the more we have experienced things, the more certain they will be. Theoretical and practical knowledge and understanding and experience are different types of knowledge. I think there is an important distinction between knowing that and knowing how. People knew that things fell down long before they knew why or there was an explanation of gravitation. Such knowledge was empirical. Most assumed knowledge or studies of things are known as theories. Peoples ideas or take on things. Theory of evolution. Theory of relativity. Over time opinions are developed, they can be tested and become theories. Some theories become more certain and may become factual, but some remain doubtful or perceptions can alter, new light comes to ground that changes ones knowledge. Once it was thought that the earth was flat, and people could fall of the edge. Edmund Gettier called into question the theory of knowledge and the traditional definition of knowledge. Gettiers argument is that there are situations in which ones belief may be justified and true, yet fail to count as knowledge. He contended that while justified belief in a true proposition is necessary for that proposition to be known, it is not sufficient. According to Gettier, there are certain circumstances in which one does not have knowledge, even when all of the above conditions are met. Gettier proposed two thought experiments, which have come to be known as Gettier cases, as counter examples to the classical account of knowledge. He argued it is possible to arrive at an assumption based on belief which is deemed justified, but happens to be true only by chance, because the outcome was predicted for the wrong reason and so cant be classed to be knowledge. Responses to Gettier have been varied. Usually, they have involved substantive attempts to provide a definition of knowledge different from the classical one, either by redefining knowledge as justified true belief with some additional fourth condition, or as something else altogether. We are left a legacy of knowledge from those who have lived before us and thus accumulated knowledge over thousands of years. It would be impossible for any individual to experience all this knowledge first hand. I have learned that there is a difference between knowing that (facts and information) and knowing how (the ability to do something), because it is one thing to know what empirical knowledge is, but another to have the ability to convey this in an essay, to show this knowledge. In conclusion from continued observation things should become obvious. For things to become factual I guess they should be observed by several people and the same conclusion be deducted. Should one believe or trust other peoples conclusion of events? Or is it necessary to observe and test theories oneself in order to form ones own conclusions and gain knowledge. Im not really sure there is one conclusion to be made. It is possible to judge some things for ourselves but not all things because we dont have the means, time or inclination it would take forever, or longer ad infinitum. But is there such a thing as infinity anyway? One thing is certain I will never find out.