Wednesday, November 27, 2019

The Science of Curing Grey Hair

The Science of Curing Grey Hair The current cures for gray hair range from the truly promising to being downright snake oil in nature. The products and procedures that are for real are based on real science and recent research on the causes of gray hair. So recent, that as of this writing any real solutions for reversing gray hair are still pending, however, they are definitely in the works to manifest for the consumer during the next few years. What Causes Grey Hair Each individual hair follicle has pigment-producing cells called melanocytes. As the hair strand is being formed, the melanocytes cells inject pigment (melanin) into cells containing keratin, the protein structures that makes up our hair follicles, skin, and nails. Throughout our lifetime, our melanocytes continue to inject pigment into our hairs keratin, giving it color, however, after a certain amount of years of producing, our melanocytes go on strike so to speak and stop making as much melanin which causes grey hair, or make no melanin at all which causes white hair. When you ask a scientist why this happens, the common answer given us is usually genetics, that our genes regulate the predestined exhaustion of the pigmentation potential of each individual hair follicle. However, there is a more in-depth explanation about what happens when our hair turns gray or white, and understanding the science behind that is leading to innovations that will change the inevitability of having to put up with a loss of hair color. Stem Cell Research: Reversing Grey Hair In 2005, Harvard scientists were the first to propose that a failure of melanocyte stem cells to maintain the production of melanocytes caused the graying of hair. They were correct, and other scientists have expanded on their research. The simplified definition of a stem cell is a cell whose job is to make more cells. Stem cells repair and build our bodies. As explained above in this article, two different types of cell production occur when our bodies produce a non-grey strand of hair. The melanocytes stem ​cells produce the hair color, and other stem cells produce the hair follicle. Scientists have researched this coordinated production between the two different stem cell types, and have discovered a signaling protein called Wnt. Think of Wnt as a type of work foreman that oversees the production of hair and tells each different stem cell type how fast to work. Wnt has everything to do with why our hair turns gray. When our melanocytes stem cells do not have enough Wnt protein, they do not get the signal to produce hair color. Professor Mayumi and a team of researchers at the New York University Medical Center have successfully restored hair color in mice by manipulating the Wnt signaling proteins. Mayumi is confident that the research will lead to solutions of melanocyte related issues both serious and cosmetic in humans, including skin diseases such as melanoma, and of course gray hair. Researchers at the Tokyo University of Science, have also experimented with stem cells in attempts to regrow hair and restore color. The researchers injected a bald and otherwise colorless mouse with stem cells from live hair follicles and were able to grow dark tufts of hair on the injection site. The research is intended to lead to solutions for both baldness and gray hair in humans. LOreal Research: Preventing Grey Hair Doctor Bruno Bernard is the head of hair biology at LOreal in Paris. LOreal, a company known for hair and beauty products, is currently supporting research into innovative methods of preventing hair from turning gray. Bernard and his team have been studying the melanocyte stem cells found in our skin that are responsible for making skin the pigment that it is. The researchers wanted to know why our skin doesnt turn gray with age but our hair does. They discovered an enzyme called TRP-2 that is present in our skin stem cells but is missing in our hair follicle stem cells. They observed that TRP-2 helped protect the melanocyte stem cells in skin from damage, and so helped those stem cells to last longer and function better. The TRP-2 enzyme provided an advantage to our skin cells that the cells involved with hair production do not have. LOreal intends to innovate a topical treatment, such as a shampoo for hair, that will replicate the effect of the TRP-2 enzyme and give the melanocyte stem cells in hair follicles the same advantage that skin stem cells have, thereby preventing and delaying gray hair from happening in the first place. The End of Grey Hair The majority of all people, over three-quarters of the population, will have some gray hair by the age of fifty. Surprisingly, one in ten people over the age of sixty still have no gray hair. For those of us who just dont want the look, hair dye to cover the gray has always been the only option, if you exclude hats. Viable alternatives may be on the horizon.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Hypothesis Test Example of Calculating Probability

Hypothesis Test Example of Calculating Probability An important part of inferential statistics is hypothesis testing. As with learning anything related to mathematics, it is helpful to work through several examples. The following examines an example of a hypothesis test, and calculates the probability of type I and type II errors. We will assume that the simple conditions hold. More specifically we will assume that we have a simple random sample from a population that is either normally distributed or has a large enough sample size that we can apply the central limit theorem. We will also assume that we know the population standard deviation. Statement of the Problem A bag of potato chips is packaged by weight. A total of nine bags are purchased, weighed and the mean weight of these nine bags is 10.5 ounces. Suppose that the standard deviation of the population of all such bags of chips is 0.6 ounces. The stated weight on all packages is 11 ounces. Set a level of significance at 0.01. Question 1 Does the sample support the hypothesis that true population mean is less than 11 ounces? We have a lower tailed test. This is seen by the statement of our null and alternative hypotheses: H0 : ÃŽ ¼11.Ha : ÃŽ ¼ 11. The test statistic is calculated by the formula z (x-bar - ÃŽ ¼0)/(ÏÆ'/√n) (10.5 - 11)/(0.6/√ 9) -0.5/0.2 -2.5. We now need to determine how likely this value of z is due to chance alone. By using a table of z-scores we see that the probability that z is less than or equal to -2.5 is 0.0062. Since this p-value is less than the significance level, we reject the null hypothesis and accept the alternative hypothesis. The mean weight of all bags of chips is less than 11 ounces. Question 2 What is the probability of a type I error? A type I error occurs when we reject a null hypothesis that is true. The probability of such an error is equal to the significance level. In this case, we have a level of significance equal to 0.01, thus this is the probability of a type I error. Question 3 If the population mean is actually 10.75 ounces, what is the probability of a Type II error? We begin by reformulating our decision rule in terms of the sample mean. For a significance level of 0.01, we reject the null hypothesis when z -2.33. By plugging this value into the formula for the test statistics, we reject the null hypothesis when (x-bar – 11)/(0.6/√ 9) -2.33. Equivalently we reject the null hypothesis when 11 – 2.33(0.2) x-bar, or when x-bar is less than 10.534. We fail to reject the null hypothesis for x-bar greater than or equal to 10.534. If the true population mean is 10.75, then the probability that x-bar is greater than or equal to 10.534 is equivalent to the probability that z is greater than or equal to -0.22. This probability, which is the probability of a type II error, is equal to 0.587.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

National Branding vs Private Label Branding Essay

National Branding vs Private Label Branding - Essay Example Usually, it is hard to know, without the aid of chemical analysis or other forms of tests, whether private brands match national brands. Uncertainty may occur due to many reasons. For example, a bread company produces many private-label breads. This however does not mean that private brands are of the same quality as the name (national) brand. The bread company may differ in its formula when producing private brands, and we should also consider that the private brands may not be as fresh as the national brands (Kis 10). Similarly, we can also look at the case of say the largest brewer of beer in your region under its own national label; can also be among the biggest supplier of private-label brand of beer. Many private-label brands of wines and spirits as you have witnessed are produced by well-known national-brand companies. Consumers are usually willing to pay more for national brands, because they are confident in their quality. This way they evade the risk of purchasing a low-qua lity product, which is usually a private label brand. Hence, if they can be convinced to try out cheaper brands and find out that their quality is similar to the national brand they are accustomed to, they may switch (Lincoln 23). In a Gallup Poll, it was discovered that about 80% of consumers who tried a product with a private-brand label like a store brand, instantly became regular buyers. Store-brand customers are typically well-informed people, who pay attention to the labels. The Gallup Poll also showed that many consumers make an effort to study the labels and prices. The Poll indicated that 40% of shoppers are selective: this means that they compare products on different dimensions considering the quality, price and special offers; therefore they do not just choose the national brand. Most national-brand products are known to be of a superior quality; therefore, they are usually sold for significantly higher prices than private labels. In June 1984, the Private Label Manufact uring Association conducted an independent research where they compiled a "Market Basket List" for 17 staple items. Private labels’ total cost was found to be lower compared to national brands. It was found that private-label shoppers generally pay less as compared to national brand shoppers. Private-label strength is highly susceptible to economic conditions and will vary depending is this factor. This means that private-label market shares goes up when the economic situation is not good and down when the economy is good (Mennen 23). The main reason for the existence of brand names is because consumers usually need to be sure of quality when they lack the time, opportunity, or ability to examine other options. Brand names simplify the selection process, since you will find that the products are cluttered. A survey by DDB Needham conducted in 1994 indicates that 60% of consumers prefer factors pertaining to national brands, for example, security, value and comfort, as opposed to private label brands. National brand-name goods have better competitive advantage over private labels, due to their solid foundation. They have a running start. The strongest national brands have been in existence for decades and have consistent quality. National brands have value for retailers, which mean that retailers must have them, since consumers expect to find them widely distributed. If consumers fail to find them, they are

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Is Response Intervention effective in Autistic Children Case Study

Is Response Intervention effective in Autistic Children - Case Study Example Response to Intervention in Autistic Children Response-to-Intervention is a popular object of present day research. Much has been said about the benefits and principles of RTI models for children with special needs. Psychologists welcome the implementation of RTI models and principles for exceptional children, including those with autism. Unfortunately, the effects of RTI on autistic children and their behaviors remain unclear. This paper reports the results of RTI usage in children with autism. A brief review of literature is performed. Methods and results of the intervention are discussed. The goal of the study is to see whether RTI can be successfully applied to enhance emotional stability and behaviors in children and adolescents with autism. Literature Review Response-to-Intervention (RTI) is a popular object of present day research. RTI is claimed to be an innovative approach to delivering learning and psychological/ emotional services in schools (Barnes & Harlacher, 2008). RTI is fairly regarded as a relevant, proactive response to the emotional and behavioral difficulties faced by school children in their striving to meet at least the basic learning objectives (Barnes & Harlacher, 2008). ... According to Barnes and Harlacher (2008), RTI relies on the five main principles. First, the model is both proactive and preventative (Barnes & Harlacher, 2008). Second, RTI ensures a strategic emotional and instructional fit between the student, student’s needs, and the curriculum and instruction (Barnes & Harlacher, 2008). Third, RTI builds on data-based decision-making and is problem-solving-oriented (Barnes & Harlacher, 2008). Fourth, RTI relies on the use of effective instructional practices; and fifth, it is a systems-level approach (Barnes & Harlacher, 2008). To a large extent, the use of RTI does not merely allow identifying students with special learning needs but creates the basis for improving their learning outcomes (Barnes & Harlacher, 2008). Barnes and Harlacher (2008) specify that the principal features of RTI are (1) multiple tiers; (2) a complex system of assessment; (3) a sophisticated protocol; and (4) evidence-based instruction. Here, the complex relationsh ip between features and principles of RTI becomes evident. Multiple tiers reflect and reinforce the proactive nature of the model and create a foundation for achieving the instructional match between the student, student’s needs, and instruction/ curriculum. The assessment system inherent in the RTI is integrally linked to the model’s problem solving orientation. The protocol as the third most important feature of RTI is inseparable from the principle of effective practices, whereas evidence-based instructions and practices support the systems-level character of RTI (Barnes & Harlacher, 2008). The current state of literature offers arguments to defend and expand the use of RTI in various instructional situations. Barnett, VanDerHeyden and Witt (2007) list a set of arguments and

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Listening and Paraphrasing Essay Example for Free

Listening and Paraphrasing Essay The first person I interviewed was my sister’s friend who is nineteen years old and is in college. She works part-time a crew in a coffee shop just outside our village. I asked her about her job and how she was able to manage her time juggling work and studies. According to her, what she is doing is tiresome but she was able to do both activities since it is not simultaneous and that, she really has to be able to do so. She mentioned how she prioritizes work over her studies. She attends to her class regularly but admits that, most of the time, she isn’t attentive. She said that she had to miss some of her morning classes because she’s too tired to get up in the morning. She gets to miss several classes but never miss even a minute of work. She told me that she doesn’t resent having to work while studying unlike other students because she believes that she is learning more and is getting personally better when she is forced to work and study at the same time. She takes everything as a training for what else worse that could happen. She said she feels like there’s nothing that she won’t be able to get through because she has gotten stronger after all the early struggles in her life. She also said that her job as a crew is not all about the money she is earning. She said that she is also enjoying the work because she wants to put up business someday and she is planning to pursue food business. She has been learning a lot by working and feels more unfortunate than other students because she was able to directly apply what she learns from school. In this interview, I would have to repeat some of her answers to make it appear that I am deeply interested in what she is saying. I have learned that paraphrasing also eliminates bars between two communicating parties because it makes one believe one is interested with the other’s tales (USDVA, 2004). When I repeat what she tells me, I say it in a different manner like this one time when she said, â€Å"I really don’t mind if I don’t get too good grades. Passing is enough for me. I just know that I am more knowledgeable than them and I understand exactly what the principles are saying. They only know it by words! † I would say, â€Å"You are no longer after the high grades because you know you understand the subject very well and school grades are just evaluation of school performance. † And I would follow it immediately with a question to keep our conversation going. The next person I interviewed is my grandfather who is already seventy-eight. We’ve talked about his life as part of the navy, how he met my grandmother and who is his favorite among his children. The talked about who is his favorite child is the most interesting part of our conversation. He said, â€Å"Your father wouldn’t lift a hand to reach something and would wait for his siblings or his mother or me to pass by so we could reach it for him. † I said, â€Å"My dad wouldn’t bother himself trying to reach something and would have to rely on someone else so he could get that something. † Having to repeat their words would mean understanding the matter more clearly (RMIT, 2005). It is also a tool for clarifying ideas. In communication, it is very effective because when one feels that the other understands him, he feels more comfortable to talk about anything without any hesitations (Rowley, 2002). I was able to demonstrate it when I was able to extract information from my sister’s friend that is in a more personal level and when I was able to let my grandfather to bring back the memories he had with my father. References: RMIT University. 2005. Paraphrasing. Study and Learning Center, RMIT. Retrieved February 10, 2009 from http://www. dlsweb. rmit. edu. au/lsu/content/4_WritingSkills/writing_tuts /paraphrase_LL/index. html. Rowley, Richard. 2002. Active Listening. Retrieved February 10, 2009 from http://www. aligningaction. com/activeli. htm. U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 2004. Listening to Paraphrase. Retrieved February 10, 2009 from http://www1. va. gov/adr/page. cfm? pg=46.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Lady Macbeth, Macbeths Forceful Woman Essay -- Macbeth essays

Macbeth's Forceful Woman      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shakespeare's Macbeth presents to the audience a woman who is more man than woman. Her masculine virtues (or vices) outweigh her feminine strengths. Let us look at her character in this paper.    A.C. Bradley in Shakespearean Tragedy explains wherein lies the greatness of Lady Macbeth:    The greatness of Lady Macbeth lies almost wholly in courage and force of will. It is an error to regard her as remarkable on the intellectual side. In acting a part she shows immense self-control, but not much skill. Whatever may be thought of the plan of attributing the murder of Duncan to the chamberlains, to lay their bloody daggers on their pillows, as if they were determined to advertise their guilt, was a mistake which can be accounted for only by the excitement of the moment. But the limitations appear most in the point where she is most strongly contrasted with Macbeth - in her comparative dullness of imagination. (340)    In The Riverside Shakespeare Frank Kermode enlightens the reader regarding the murderous mind of Lay Macbeth:    The fatal dismissal from consideration of "the life to come" disables the case for the real as against the apparent good to such a degree that Lady Macbeth, even less aware of the spiritual issues and ridiculing as effeminate the merely human reasons against murder, and showing, as against her husband's view, that the thing is possible.   (1309)    Samuel Johnson in The Plays of Shakespeare underscores how ambition by the protagonists leads to detestation on the part of the readers:    The danger of ambition is well described; and I know not whether it may not be said in defence of some parts which now seem improbable, that, in Sh... ...Blakemore Evans. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1972.    Knights, L.C. "Macbeth." Shakespeare: The Tragedies. A Collectiion of Critical Essays. Alfred Harbage, ed. Englewwod Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1964.    Mack, Maynard. Everybody's Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies. Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press, 1993.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. http://chemicool.com/Shakespeare/macbeth/full.html, no lin.    Siddons, Sarah. "Memoranda: Remarks on the Character of Lady Macbeth." The Life of Mrs. Siddons. Thomas Campbell. London: Effingham Wilson, 1834. Rpt. in Women Reading Shakespeare 1660-1900. Ann Thompson and Sasha Roberts, eds. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 1997.    Wilson, H. S. On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1957.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Isaac Asimov: Envisioning the Future of Our Own Humanity

â€Å"If it brings me humanity, that will be worth it. If it doesn't, it will bring an end to striving and that will be worth it, too. † (The Bicentennial Man 22). Isaac Asimov, a dreamer who with humble beginnings pushed science fiction into the beginnings of reality. There is no one quite like Asimov. He has written more on more subjects, and better on more subjects, and more unexpectedly on most subjects, and in more ways on more subjects, than anyone else in the field. He writes poetry, limericks, short stories, novels, essays, articles, nonfiction books, trilogies, jokes and so on-more of them than anyone else could imagine (The Bicentennial Man 1). With all his intelligence, and all his heart, he fought for a world in which his ideas could become reality. His humanity was found in his struggle to educate us all, encouraging us to expand our horizons beyond our own lack of knowledge. This fact is alluded to in an article he wrote to Newsweek in the 1980s, â€Å"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge’† (â€Å"A Cult of Ignorance† 19). His view of the world included us understanding. His oppression was caused by our ignorance. Isaac Asimov was born sometime between October 4, 1919 and January 2, 1920 (In Memory Yet Green 1). His parents did not remember the exact date of his birth but claim it to be around that time. He himself celebrated it on January 2nd (In Memory Yet Green 1). He was born to Anna Rachel Berman Asimov and Judah Asimov, a Jewish Russian couple. At the age of three, his whole family immigrated to the United States to the city of Brooklyn, New York (Biblio). Asimov graduated high school early, starting college and writing his first published novel which he completed by the end of college (http://psu. edu). Asimov was a man who spent his entire life writing. His earliest writings were found in magazines. His friend and publisher John W. Campbell saw his early stories as rough but promising (http://psu. edu). The story that really launched his career was Nightfall. Nightfall was a simple story, written about how a society could potentially collapse if great change occurs even if that change is not inherently negative. In Nightfall and Other Stories, he writes, â€Å"The writing of ‘Nightfall' was a watershed in my professional career †¦ I was suddenly taken seriously and the world of science fiction became aware that I existed. As the years passed, in fact, it became evident that I had written a ‘classic'† (Nightfall and Other Stories). His career and fame continued to grow as the years passed. Beginning in 1942 and ending in 1945 he worked for the Philadelphia Naval Air Experimental Station (Biblio). During this time he started work on five novelettes and four novellas that are now known as the Foundation Trilogy. Of the trilogy, Charles Elkins of DePauw University wrote, â€Å"Among SF series, surely none has enjoyed such spectacular popularity as Isaac Asimov’s Foundation stories† (http://psu. edu). The Foundation series received numerous awards for its quality and content, eventually ending up in a Hugo award for Asimov (WorldsWithoutEnd). In the Foundation series, through the use of science fiction he tackled the issues he was passionate about. In his novel Pebble in the Sky he writes about racism. The story is written in the view of humans of other worlds holding a prejudice against Earth-dwellers because they â€Å"simply do not like the Earth† (http://psu. edu). He also tackled another issue that lays claim to how he lived his life. In book three of the foundation series, The Mayors, he begins to describe a religion that focuses on science (Foundation). As an atheistic humanist minority in a culture that was vastly overpoweringly theist, the best approach he took to tackling the issue of religion was through science fiction. As an educator at heart, he just wanted us to challenge the status quo with what we understand. In The Mayors, the religion of science worships a mythical galactic spirit. It is strikingly similar in some respects to modern religion, as this storybook religion had both a prophet, a story of how it all began, and a book of rules to live by (Foundation). His views on religion can be read inside the stories that he wrote. The life of Asimov cannot simply be summed up in a short phrase or story. He was an influential writer, attacking literature in many different writing formats. He fought for the rights of others, shaping our belief systems through the use of storytelling. He pushed for greater desire to learn in all of us, by writing of a robot that learned to become human (The Bicentennial Man 22). The call to be human and to remind us to be human was the goal of Asimov.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Palestine vs Orientalism Essay

Joe Sacco’s Palestine is a journalist’s journey throughout the Palestinian lifestyle, Israel and other facets of the state. Not only does Sacco voluntarily put himself into a dangerous occupied territory but he also assembles himself as a character in his engaging novel. Sacco is collecting the stories of the Palestinians and the destruction that Israelis have brought to their lives and families. Edward Said’s Orientalism provides a parallel to Sacco’s novel, as he conveys a plethora of false assumptions underlying Western attitudes toward the East. Said examines the different aspects of orientalism and gives light to the fact that because orientalism has lasted in our world this long, it has no . Although Said’s Orientalism is similar to Sacco’s Palestine, Said’s description of the Western world and its view of the East require one to rely on Sacco’s examples of true life stories to determine one’s own definition of orientalism. Sacco’s Palestine gives readers an inside look into the diminishing Palestinian life during the first intifada in which Sacco was present. The first intifada was a very powerful and liberating time in Palestine, as the citizens were revolting against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories Israel had control over. After witnessing the horrific tragedy that many Palestinians experience each day from Israel, Sacco interviews a family that has lost their stable income and family heritage. An older man explains â€Å"The olive tree is our main source of living†¦we use the oil for our food and we buy clothes with the oil we sell†¦a good roman tree can produce 20-30 liters in a year†¦ here we have nothing else but the trees†¦ The Israelis know that an olive tree is the same as our sons†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Sacco 61-62). Not only did the Israeli soldiers cut down all of the families olive trees leaving them with nothing, the soldiers also forced the older man Sacco interviewed to cut some of his own olive trees down by himself. This incident is extremely powerful and moving, knowing that for a lifetime this man had a stable income and knew that his family would always be taken care of with these trees and now he is being over powered by the soldiers to take that all away. This provides a clear example of the helplessness that Palestinians experience under Israeli occupation of their home land. Both readings prove to be valid in their explanations of orientalism and anti-orientalism although, Edward Said’s idea of orientalism is indefinite which is obtained in Sacco’s Palestine and the day-to-day lives of the Palestinians that Sacco presents. The western influence has burrowed into the lives of the orient and created turmoil between Israelis and Palestinians. The Western support of Israel has only heightened the resentment toward Palestinians. As an Israeli business woman states her Orientalist view toward Palestine â€Å"Maybe, if I were a Palestinian I’d be a terrorist, too, to get back my land† (Sacco 254). It is evident that these Western ideas of the said â€Å"Terrorists† have spread so rapidly into Israel, when in reality Israel and the aggressive techniques their soldiers are taught to use against the Palestinians are in fact terrorist attacks in themselves. Despite the similarities; Said’s Orientalism stands out beyond the true context of Sacco’s Palestine. â€Å"†¦ in short, Orientalism is a Western style for dominating, restructuring, and having authority over the Orient† (Said 3). Because of the agreement between the Western states and Israel, the Israeli army and governmental views are very similar to the ones the Western world has, thus, creating authority over the Israeli Orient. On the other hand Sacco’s Palestine shows readers the evil and more or less terrorist like views of Israel. Taha, a Palestinian expresses his anger towards Israel when his friend, Shreef, admits that he wants a visa in able to work in Israel. Shreef states that he â€Å"has no problem with the Israelis†¦they are like Europeans† (Sacco 2). Taha reacts abruptly, slamming his over-sized clenched fist down onto the game table that had before held chess pieces. With saliva connecting between his teeth, with wide mouth, Taha lets out a startling. Palestine is an underdeveloped and vulnerable state; Israel is able to build a stronger built army with powerful tactics in order to take advantage of the weak and pacific (peaceful) manner of the Palestinians. Throughout Sacco’s journey he soon realizes that what he has encountered is now more of a pilgrimage. He even goes as far as to name a sub-chapter Pilgrimage, showing the reader that they’ve been on this pilgrimage with him. The families that let this American journalist, Joe Sacco, into their lives are very brave in showing him their true pain and struggle. Many of the interviewees struggle with the question is Sacco going to do anything to help them after they let him into their lives. The facts and stories that are full forcibly thrown at Sacco and the readers make it hard to not spread the word about the occupy happening in Palestine and the torture that the innocent Palestinians must go through every day. Even if Sacco’s novel doesn’t make a significant change in Palestine how they are treated it may although, make a significant change in a person of any race, and allow that person to examine their own life and be thankful for what they have. Ultimately, Said’s careful and precise wording provides a better standpoint for the argument of â€Å"the other† within Orientalism. With â€Å"the other† conclusively being someone of another race, nationality, religion and/or gender. Orientalism will continue to exist be taught and learned, until the western and the east come to an underline consensus about each other. A reason for the westerns view about the east and vice versa is a lack of knowledge about one other. Sacco made a lasting impression with his work in Palestine in order to more accurately educate those who know nothing more than bias, orientalism views.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Definition and Examples of Americanisms

Definition and Examples of Americanisms An Americanism is a word or phrase  (or, less commonly,  a feature of grammar, spelling, or pronunciation)  that (supposedly) originated in the United States or is used primarily by Americans. Americanism is often used as a term of disapproval, especially by non-American language mavens with little knowledge of historical linguistics. Many so-called Americanisms come from the English, Mark Twain accurately observed more than a century ago. [M]ost people suppose that everyone who guesses is a Yankee; the people who guess do so  because their ancestors guessed in Yorkshire.   The term Americanism was introduced by the Reverend John Witherspoon in the late-18th century. Examples and Observations [F]ew of the grammatical differences between British and American are great enough to produce confusion, and most are not stable because the two varieties are constantly influencing each other, with borrowing both ways across the Atlantic and nowadays via the Internet.(John Algeo, British or American English? Cambridge University Press, 2006)As pioneers, the first Americans had to make up many new words, some of which now seem absurdly commonplace. Lengthy, which dates back to 1689, is an early Americanism. So are calculate, seaboard, bookstore and presidential. . . . Antagonize and placate were both hated by British Victorians. As members of a multiracial society, the first Americans also adopted words like wigwam, pretzel, spook, depot and canyon, borrowing from the Indians, Germans, Dutch, French and Spanish.(Robert McCrum et al., The Story of English. Viking, 1986)Americanisms in British English- Most Americanisms coined [during the 19th century] havent stood the test of time. Wh en a woman disposes of an unwanted admirer we no longer say that she has given him the mitten. We still call experienced travellers globetrotters, but tend to say theyve bought the T-shirt rather than seen the elephant. We prefer more elegant metaphors for a cemetery than a bone-pit. Our dentists might object if we called them tooth carpenters. And if a teenager today told you theyd been shot in the neck you might ring for an ambulance rather than ask what theyd had to drink the previous night.Lots, however, have become part of our everyday speech. I guess, I reckon, keep your eyes peeled, it was a real eye-opener, easy as falling off a log, to go the whole hog, to get the hang of, struck oil, lame duck, face the music, high falutin, cocktail, and to pull the wool over ones eyes―all made the leap into British usage during the Victorian period. And theyve stayed there ever since.(Bob Nicholson, Racy Yankee Slang Has Long Invaded Our Language. The Guardian  [UK], Oct. 18, 201 0)- A list of fully assimilated English words and expressions that started life as American coinages or revivals would include antagonise, anyway, back-number (adjectival phrase), back yard (as in nimby), bath-robe, bumper (car), editorial (noun), fix up, just (quite, very, exactly), nervous (timid), peanut, placate, realise (see, understand), reckon, soft drink, transpire, washstand.In some cases, Americanisms have driven out a native equivalent or are in the process of doing so. For instance, in no particular order, ad has pretty well replaced advert as an abbreviation for advertisement, a press clipping is driving out cutting as a piece taken from a newspaper, a whole new ballgame, that is a metaphorical game of baseball, is what meets the harried circumspect eye where once a different kettle of fish or a horse of another color furnished the challenge, and someone quit his job where not so long ago he quitted it.Such matters probably indicate nothing more than minor, harmless lin guistic interchange, with a bias towards American modes of expression as likely to seem the livelier and (to adopt an Americanism) smarter alternative.(Kingsley Amis, The Kings English: A Guide to Modern Usage. HarperCollins, 1997) American and British CompoundsIn American English, the first noun [in a compound] is generally in the singular, as in drug problem, trade union, road policy, chemical plant. In British English, the first element is sometimes a plural noun, as in drugs problem, trades union, roads policy, chemicals plant. Some noun-noun compounds that entered American English at a very early stage are words for indigenous animals, like bullfrog a large American frog, groundhog a small rodent (also called woodchuck); for trees and plants, e.g. cottonwood (an American poplar tree); and for phenomena like log cabin, the kind of simple structure many early immigrants lived in. Sunup is also an early American coinage, parallel to the Americanism sundown, which is a synonym for the universal sunset.(Gunnel Tottie, An Introduction to American English. Wiley-Blackwell, 2002)Prejudice Against AmericanismsDocumenting the sustained prejudice  against American English over the past century and a half is not dif ficult since the only alteration in the complaint involves  the particular expressions that have come to the attention of the reviewers. So we will leap ahead to 21st century examples parallel to most of the complaints of the past.In 2010, the expressions targeted  for criticism included ahead of for before, face up confront, and fess up for confess (Kahn 2010). A counterargument has often been that these expressions are historically English, but the truths of historical linguistics are seldom persuasive or even seen as germane to the dispute. Americanisms are simply bad English in one way or another: slovenly, careless, or sloppy. . . . Reports like these seethe with disapproval.The same metaphors are used elsewhere in the English-speaking world. In Australia, new forms of language believed to derive from America are seen as a contagion: suffering the creeping American disease is a way to describe a situation the critic deplores (Money 2010). . . .The expressions that give rise to such complaints  are not such ordinary Americanisms as blood type, laser, or minibus. And some are not Americanisms at all.  They share the quality of being racy, informal, and perhaps a little subversive. They are usages that poke fun at pretense and gibe at gentility.(Richard W. Bailey, American English.  English Historical Linguistics, ed. by  Alexander Bergs. Walter de Gruyter, 2012) Passing PrejudicesThe playwright Mark Ravenhill recently tweeted irritably: Dear Guardian sub please dont allow passing. Here in Europe we die. Keep the horrible euphemism over the Atlantic. . . .Ravenhills . . . complaint about passing is that it is an Americanism, one that should be kept over the Atlantic by the verbal equivalent of a ballistic-missile shield, so as to preserve the saintly purity of our island tongue. The trouble with this is that its not actually an Americanism. In  Chaucers Squires Tale, the falcon says to the princess: Myn harm I wol confessen er I pace, meaning before it dies. In Shakespeares Henry VI Part 2, Salisbury says of the dying Cardinal: Disturbe him not, let him passe peaceably. In other words, the origin of this use of passing is firmly on this side of the Atlantic. Its as English as the word soccer―at first spelled socca or socker, as an abbreviation of association football.A lot of other supposed Americanisms arent Americanisms either. Its sometimes thought that transportation instead of the good old transport is an example of that annoying US habit of bolting on needless extra syllables to perfectly good words, but transportation is used in British English from 1540. Gotten as the past tense of got? English from 1380. Oftentimes? Its in the King James Bible.(Steven Poole, Americanisms Are Often Closer to Home Than We Imagine. The Guardian [UK], May 13, 2013) Americanisms in The Telegraph [U.K.]Some Americanisms keep slipping in, usually when we are given agency copy to re-write and do an inadequate job on it. There is no such verb as impacted, and other American-style usages of nouns as verbs should be avoided (authored, gifted etc). Maneuver is not spelt that way in Britain. We do not have lawmakers: we might just about have legislators, but better still we have parliament. People do not live in their hometown; they live in their home town, or even better the place where they were born.(Simon Heffer, Style Notes. The Telegraph, Aug. 2, 2010)

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Battle of Cedar Mountain - Civil War - Northern Virginia Campaign

Battle of Cedar Mountain - Civil War - Northern Virginia Campaign Battle of Cedar Mountain - Conflict Date: The Battle of Cedar Mountain was fought August 9, 1862, during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Armies Commanders Union Major General Nathaniel Banks8,030 men ​Confederates Major General Thomas Stonewall Jackson16,868 men Battle of Cedar Mountain - Background: In late June 1862, Major General John Pope was appointed to command the newly formed Army of Virginia. Consisting of three corps, this formation was tasked with driving into central Virginia and relieving pressure on Major General George B. McClellans beleaguered Army of the Potomac which was engaged with Confederate forces on the Peninsula. Deploying in an arc, Pope placed Major General Franz Sigels I Corps along the Blue Ridge Mountains at Sperryville, while Major General Nathaniel Banks II Corps occupied Little Washington. An advance force from Banks command, led by Brigadier General Samuel W. Crawford, was posted to the soth at Culpeper Court House. In the east, Major General Irvin McDowells III Corps held Falmouth. With the defeat of McClellan and the Union withdrawal to the James River after the Battle of Malvern Hill, Confederate General Robert E. Lee turned his attention to Pope. On July 13, he dispatched Major General Thomas Stonewall Jackson north with 14,000 men. This was followed by an additional 10,000 men led by Major General A.P. Hill two weeks later. Taking the initiative, Pope began driving south towards the key rail junction of Gordonsville on August 6. Assessing the Union movements, Jackson elected to advance with the goal of crushing Banks and then defeating Sigel and McDowell in turn. Pushing towards Culpeper on August 7, Jacksons cavalry swept aside their Union counterparts. Alerted to Jacksons actions, Pope ordered Sigel to reinforce Banks at Culpeper. Battle of Cedar Mountain - Opposing Positions: While waiting for Sigels arrival, Banks received orders to maintain a defensive position on the high ground above Cedar Run, approximately seven miles south of Culpeper. Favorable ground, Banks deployed his men with Brigadier General Christopher Augers division on the left. This was composed of Brigadier Generals Henry Prince and John W. Gearys brigades which were placed on the left and right respectively. While Gearys right flank was anchored on the Culpeper-Orange Turnpike, Brigadier General George S. Greenes under-strength brigade was held in reserve. Crawford formed to the north across the turnpike, while Brigadier General George H. Gordons brigade arrived to anchor the Union right. Pushing across the Rapidan River on the morning of August 9, Jackson advanced with three divisions led by Major General Richard Ewell, Brigadier General Charles S. Winder, and Hill. Around noon, Ewells lead brigade, led by Brigadier General Jubal Early, encountered the Union line. As the remainder of Ewells men arrived, they extended the Confederate line south towards Cedar Mountain. As Winders division came up, his brigades, led by Brigadier General William Taliaferro and Colonel Thomas Garnett, deployed on Earlys left. While Winders artillery rolled into position between the two brigades, Colonel Charles Ronalds Stonewall Brigade was held back as a reserve. The last to arrive, Hills men were also retained as a reserve behind the Confederate left (Map). Battle of Cedar Mountain - Banks on the Attack: As the Confederates deployed, an artillery duel ensued between Banks and Earlys guns. As the firing began taper around 5:00 PM, Winder was mortally wounded by a shell fragment and command of his division passed to Taliaferro. This proved problematic as he was ill-informed as to Jacksons plans for the impending battle and was still in the process forming his men. In addition, Garnetts brigade was separated from the main Confederate line and Ronalds troops had yet to come up in support. As Taliaferro struggled to take control, Banks began an assault on the Confederate lines. Badly beaten by Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley earlier in the year, he was eager to obtain retribution despite being outnumbered. Surging forward, Geary and Prince slammed into the Confederate right prompting Early to return from Cedar Mountain to take personal command of the situation. To the north, Crawford attacked Winders disorganized division. Striking Garnetts brigade in the front and flank, his men shattered the 1st Virginia before rolling up 42nd Virginia. Advancing into the Confederate rear, the increasingly disorganized Union forces were able to push back the lead elements of Ronalds brigade. Arriving on the scene, Jackson attempted to rally his former command by drawing his sword. Finding that it had rusted in the scabbard from lack of use, he instead waved both. Battle of Cedar Mountain - Jackson Strikes Back: Successful in his efforts, Jackson sent the Stonewall Brigade forward. Counterattacking, they were able to drive back Crawfords men. Pursuing the retreating Union soldiers, the Stonewall Brigade became overextended and was forced to retreat as Crawfords men regained some cohesion. Despite this, their efforts permitted Jackson to restore order to the entire Confederate line and bought time for Hills men to arrive. With his full force on hand, Jackson ordered his troops to advance. Pushing forward, Hills division was able to overwhelm Crawford and Gordon. While Augers division mounted a tenacious defense, they were forced to retreat following Crawfords withdrawal and an attack on their left by Brigadier General Isaac Trimbles brigade. Battle of Cedar Mountain - Aftermath: Though Banks attempted to use Greenes men to stabilize his line, the effort failed. In a last gasp attempt to rescue the situation, he directed part of his cavalry to charge the advancing Confederates. This attack was repulsed with heavy losses. With darkness falling, Jackson elected not to conduct a long pursuit of Banks retreating men. The fighting at Cedar Mountain saw Union forces sustain 314 killed, 1,445 wounded, and 594 missing, while Jackson lost 231 killed and 1,107 wounded. Believing that Pope would attack him in force, Jackson remained near Cedar Mountain for two days. Finally learning that the Union general had concentrated at Culpeper, he elected to withdraw back to Gordonsville. Concerned about Jacksons presence, Union general-in-chief Major General Henry Halleck directed Pope to assume a defensive posture in northern Virginia. As a result, Lee was able to take the initiative after containing McClellan. Coming north with the remainder of his army, he inflicted decisive defeat on Pope later that month at the Second Battle of Manassas. Selected Sources Civil War Trust: Battle of Cedar MountainFriends of Cedar Mountain CWSAC Battle Summaries: Battle of Cedar Mountain

Sunday, November 3, 2019

The Capital Asset Pricing Model is a very useful model and it is used Essay

The Capital Asset Pricing Model is a very useful model and it is used widely in the industry even though it is based on very strong assumptions. Discuss in the light of recent developments in the area - Essay Example recent developments to see if it can be considered a credible and reliable model for asset pricing and forecasting for today’s dynamic business environment. The CAPM is seen as an asset pricing method which gives a theoretical determination of the required rate of return of an asset, given the condition that the asset is being added to an existing well-diversified portfolio (Berk, 1995). This means that estimating the rate of return of an asset based on the CAPM requires that the asset in question will not be an independent asset being invested but part of a portfolio considered to be well-diversified. Again, Fama & French (2002) stressed that the use of CAPM in asset pricing must be based on the use of assets which are considered non-sensitive to non-diversified risks which come as either systematic risk or market risk. In short, the asset must be a risk-free asset which guarantees the repayment of interest and principal with absolute certainty (Banz, 1981). There are several determinants and variables used in the calculation of CAPM and hence the CAPM formula. There are generally traditional and modified formulas for CAPM but this pap er is limited to the use of the traditional formula. Fama & French (1992) stressed that for CAPM usage, it is important that the expected return on the capital asset E(Ri), which can only be known when the risk-free rate of interest Rf, sensitivity of the expected excess asset or beta ßi, expected return of the market E(Rm), and market premium E(Rm) – Rf are all known. With these known, it is possible to obtain the CAPM given as For the actual applicability of the equation and SML to function, there are very important assumptions that must hold. In all, CAPM makes use of nine assumptions which are briefly analysed as follows. The first is that investors aim to maximise economic utilities. Based on this assumption, investors would only want to go into investments that have asset quantities that are known and fixed so that the

Friday, November 1, 2019

William Caslon typeface analysis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

William Caslon typeface analysis - Term Paper Example The process of type founding by William Caslon constituted four separate tasks. The first stage in this intricate step was punch cutting which involved carving the mirror image of a character, letter or figure in relief. This process was done on the end of shank annealed steal that was later tempered. The second process in production of type entailed chasing which involved ornamenting metal by tools and a hammer crafted for indenting. Following this process was casting which entailed placing the matrix in mold hand and consequently the chamber mold was realigned to fit the dimensions of the cast character. The eventual pieces were designed to be a three dimensional product of the character cast from the punch. The final operation consisted of dressing the type which included type press preparation such as breaking off the jet and filing off mold protrusions. It is of importance to note that the Caslon types symbolized functionality, strength and presence of legibility. Calson proceeded to cut very many non-Latin types such as Armenian, Coptic, Arabic, Greek and Hebrew. Some of the notable fonts by William Caslon included the ; Big Caslon, Caslon Graphique, Caslon Old Face, ITC Caslon no. 224, ITC Founders Caslon, ITC Founder’s Caslon Ornaments. The fonts designed by Caslon exhibited a modelling delicacy and a design variety that was not evident in the Dutch types. One of the distinct differences between the Caslon types and Dutch types was monotony. In effect, the Caslon types were less monotonous compared to the Dutch types which were characteristically monotonous. To this end, the smaller size Caslon letters when analyzed were not perfect individually. However, their mass effect was agreeable. The Caslon Old style no. 471 is regarded as the metal version that is considerably related to William Caslon’s originals. Furthermore, the Caslon Old style Italics and Romans are produced from the original