U OF T PROFESSORS DEVISE BETTER WAY TO TEST SIGHT IN BABIES In A Darke Essay Example For Students

U OF T PROFESSORS DEVISE BETTER WAY TO TEST SIGHT IN BABIES In A Darke Essay U OF T PROFESSORS DEVISE BETTER WAY TO TEST SIGHT IN BABIES In a darkened room at Torontos Hospital forSickChildren, a baby, its head dotted with electrodes, sits in itsmothers lap and watches flashing black and white checkerboardsand stripes on a television screen. Soon after the test, doctorswill know if the child can see and how well it can see. The testing procedure, which involves measuring brain waveactivity prompted by visual stimuli (also called visual evokedpotentials or VEPs) has been perfected by Drs. Barry Skarf ofthe Department of Ophthalmology and Moshe Eizenman of U of TsInstituteTheir procedure is more accurate than tests used elsewherebecause Eizenman has developed a novel,real-time computerprogram to extract brain wave responses from extremely smallpatterns (similar in size to the bottom line of a standard eyetest) which produce much more reliable results.Until now,doctors would have to extrapolate the babys ability to seesmall stimuli from test results using large stimuli. In Effect,Dr. We will write a custom essay on U OF T PROFESSORS DEVISE BETTER WAY TO TEST SIGHT IN BABIES In A Darke specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Eizenman has developed a way of looking at brain waves thatis more sensitive than methods previously available, saysSkarf.At the HSC,VEPs are used in a number of clinicalapplications:to determine whether avisualproblemiscognitive; to assess whether babies who dont appear to see wellwill see better in the future;to determine a course oftreatment for such problems in which one eye turns in or isweaker than the other eye. The second aspect of the researcherswork involves the development of a stimulator for stereopsis, orbinocular vision, which is the fusing of images from both eyesinto one picture that has depth.The problem with testingbinocular vision, explains Skarf,is that most stimulipresented to young children have other cues that can be seenwith one eye alone. We wanted to devise stimuli that can only beseen by both eyes together and would produce specific brainwaves to the stimuli.Based on a binocular stimulus invented by an Americanresearcher, Eizenman had developed a stimulus that generates apattern on a tv screen which looks like distortion (a snowstorm) when viewed with only one eye, but when viewed throughspecial glasses with both eyes emits a distinctive three-dimensional pattern.Skarf and Eizenman are now testing binocular VEPs onyoung children. They are examining children with normal sightand evaluating eye function in children with visual disorders. This is the first test of binocular vision to be carried outwith large numbers. Using this binocular stimulus with the verysensitive detector system for analyzing responses,we hope tohave a system which will allow us to test binocular vision inyoung babies, quickly and easily, and to measure responses in abetter way than before.In addition to this clinical research, Skarf now wants todirect his attention to some basic research questions about thedevelopment of vision. We are interested in more than justdeveloping tools. We want to know how binocular vision developsand which factors interfere with development. We want to findout what wheels turn in the brain to produce lazy eyes andimpaired binocular vision. Skarf and Eizenman receive funding from the MedicalResearch Council of Canada. CONTACT:Barry Skarf(416)598-6133Moshe Eizenman (416)978-5523

The Politcal Correctness problem essays

The Politcal Correctness problem essays Political correctness, a concept originally meant to protect minorities and the under represented and thus strengthen the country, has in todays America become no more than a necessary evil and catalyst for the cult of ethnicity. In theory political correctness sounds like a very reasonable idea and when looked at very shallowly this remains the case. When it is more thoroughly looked at thought it dangers become more and more apparent. By creating a set of correct terminology and assigning each ethnic background a name that separates them from the main culture of America we run the risk of further exaggerating the potentially volatile situation created by the cult of ethnicity in the country today. So a balance between extreme political correctness that drives groups apart and a complete lack of social regulation as to what is acceptable, that causes groups of people to be oppressed, must be reached. Note not all aspects of political correctness are as potentially corrosive as those that pertain to race and ethnicity; some, such as those which are used for gender related issues and handicaps to name a few, are helpful while other terms, which there are to many to list, are downright comical. Words can and have been used to harm and oppress people and races in this country and abroad. America has long been a melting pot for various ethnicities and taking the good with the bad has also experienced many different waves of racism. Before this century, and more accurately before the civil rights movement, many ethnicities, and African-Americans in particular, were held down by highly negatively loaded language. From the time of slavery African-Americans where held down by various words that today hold such engrained meanings and are so hate charged that mentioning them even for analytical purposes in this essay would be risky. Later on new groups got exposed to these types of words as Irish, Italian and w ...

How Roche Diagnostics Develops Global Managers Research Paper - 1

How Roche Diagnostics Develops Global Managers - Research Paper Example It is for this reason that the acquisition of global leadership is being considered as a salient feature in business success both at the national and international levels and private and public sectors. 1. Discussing the Responsible Party for Producing Global Leaders The human resources (HR) department is the party with the responsibility to produce global leaders. This is because, it is the HR department that can and should plan, designate, train and also provide compensation plans for engagements with international personnel. The HR department can also make arrangements to have an organisation be able to handle global differences among countries which affect organisational decisions. Apart from extending its recruitment drives to an international market, it is also true that it is the HR department which can persuade a rigid and conservative management into accepting recruitment drives to be made a multinational affair. 2. The Possible Ramifications of Not Having Global Leaders The failure to have global leaders within an organisation is likely to inhibit the organisation’s chances for broadening its opportunities to an international level. This is because the presence of global leaders will help the HR department and managers understand the principles and practices that prevail in the global markets. At the same time, the absence of global leaders in an organisation will not help the locals in a foreign market identify with the organization. This is because, organizations which have their rank and file coming from the mother country are almost always deemed as foreign corporate entities. This is to the effect that if an organisation fails to mingle its personnel with people from different races, religion or country, then the same organisation is likely to carry state-specific stigma. This may inhibit the speed and ease with which the organisation is to penetrate the market and get legally registered. Again, the same failure and subsequent stigma will help cripple the organisation’s volume of sales and stunt its market share (Griffiths, 137). 3. Roche’s Perspectives Program Based on the O’Toole chapter on public policy, the possible changes that can be made in the U.S. to encourage companies to become global leaders must include and take cognisance of the Perspectives Global Accelerated Talent Development Programme (PGATDP). This will portend, the targeting of individuals who are passionate about bringing significant contributions to their industry, but are still at a nascent stage of career development. This will also elicit the need for the factoring and use of experiential learning and development on these talented young professionals. At the same time, the US government and American businesses should work closely to craft new, more effective and broader global networks. Similarly, there should be the rejuvenation of employee exchange and transfer programmes, with emphasis being placed on the aforementione d young employees. This will help these young employees to build broader global networks, experience different areas of entrepreneurship, gain experience on how to manage different networks and accrue skills that will be needful for the advancement of one’s career. The US government can then in turn take to extend business incentives to organisations that practice the PGATDP programme (Griffiths, 137). It may also be imperative for the US government to expand its education, training and community development

A critical evaluation of the methodology approach contained within a Assignment

A critical evaluation of the methodology approach contained within a journal article of student's own choosing( related to education) ---1000 words - Assignment Example The survey showed that schools welcomed the idea of partnership and collaboration with other organizations and individuals offering support services. However, they were not short of challenges as expected especially in engaging mainstream schools in collaboration concerning sharing facilities. The article has utilized an analytical approach to study the educational partnerships between schools and service providers. It has laid out the methods used to get the data and all those involved in details. It has also gone ahead and assessed the results of the findings enabling the author to inform the reader of the similarities across educational institutions in England. The article has also pointed out the advantages of partnerships and the challenges faced by the special schools in attaining their objectives. However, the author fails to offer informed solutions to the bottlenecks faced. Instead, she refers greatly to the Green Paper as a way out. Overall, the strengths of the article outweigh the weaknesses. In the research, only four institutions were interviewed. The author admits that small school faced most of the challenges due to their size. It would have been appropriate to interview two small schools and two large schools. This would have given a more realistic picture on the state of partnerships among schools (Rose, 2012). In the contrary, readers have a biased notion of the state of affairs among educational institutions in England due to the sampling method used in the research (Lawson, Waite, & Robertson, 2005). Therefore, the audience cannot tell the extent of the challenges faced by large special institutions. The purpose of a study is to gather facts, make assessments, and provide possible solutions based on the finding. This article does not provide much headway to reduce the challenges faced by the special institutions. In addition, the author does not provide convincing argument concerning organizations seek partnership. Unpredictably, the paper

Robots Memorandum Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Robots Memorandum - Assignment Example Of recent are the scientists and researchers from Harvard University who designed a construction crew of infinitesimal robots that have ability to construct complex structures without any external aid. It is realizable that the designation of the robots took four years. Scientists and robotics researchers are exploring ways of integrating the aspect of swarm intelligence from the termites into the robots to permit large groups of simple robots to team up. In this context, each robot is expected to work independently however, at the end they build something together. The scientists apply this intelligence. The robotics researchers and scientists used simple laws attributed to the termite’s behaviour to programme the robots. The laws enable the robots to act free of human sense of intelligence from a non- centralized location or point of view. The scientists propose complex programming and coding of the robots to increase the intelligence of collaboration, accuracy and speed of working. As an example, a robot swam has an ability to construct form-bricked castles, towers and pyramids. The structure of the robots involves a height of 8 inches and width of 4.5 inches, with a pinwheel shaped tires. An infrared sensor, accelerator and an ultrasound sensor are equipped in each robot to help in responding to the dynamism of the surrounding. The robots have ability to sense and correct a mistake. The robot walk independently around the building severally to ensure that everything that needs to be done has been done. There are numerous thoughts of making the robots more efficient and less costly in terms of their construction. Numerous researchers have come up with diverse opinions on the materials to be used and the level of integrity they should possess. For the purposes of understanding the kind of material and the cost in

Strategies to Control Exposure to Harmful Substances

Strategies to Control Exposure to Harmful Substances Control of exposure to substances harmful to health by the UK government was first implemented during the late 19th century (Piney 2001). Today, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) assessments are used to address the risk associated with chemicals and how they may be used safely. This report considers three cleaning products which are used on a daily basis in the office environment in which I work: Freshline Bleach, Lifeguard 3 Way Toilet Cleaner and Mr Muscle Professional Kitchen Cleaner. COSHH assessments for these products are included in Appendix I. 1. Chemicals used in office cleaning products and the processes involving these products The three cleaning products assessed in this report contain a number of different chemicals. The components of each of these products are listed in Table 1, together with their toxicity, targets organs/organ systems and the recommended occupational exposure limits for these chemicals. The main targets organs for the chemicals in these products are the eyes and skin but the respiratory and digestive systems may also be affected if these products are inhaled or ingested. Freshline Bleach is used for general cleaning and disinfecting purposes. In the office, it is used dilute for cleaning floors (e.g. corridors and toilet floors). A working solution is typically prepared in a mop bucket using tap water for dilution and the floors mopped. At the end of the procedure, the dilute solution is emptied down the drain and both mop bucket and mop rinsed in clean tap water. This bleach is also used neat for cleaning toilets and drains into which it is poured straight from the 5 litre container. Lifeguard 3 Way Toilet Cleaner is a cleaner, disinfectant and deodorizer that is used in the office to remove limescale and uric acid deposits on toilet bowls and urinals. The product is typically poured neat into the toilet bowl/urinal from the 1 litre container. Mr Muscle Professional Kitchen Cleaner is a cleaning spray used to clean all kitchen work surfaces, utensils and other equipment. This is sprayed neat onto surfaces and then wiped off using a disposable cloth. 2. Potential hazards for workers during handling of chemicals The COSHH assessment included in Appendix I identifies the risk associated with the chemicals in each of the three cleaning products. There is the potential for all workers (both cleaning staff and office workers) to be exposed to these chemicals in the workplace. Cleaning staff are at the greatest risk of exposure at they will be handling the concentrated products. There is a risk of splashback from the bleach and toilet cleaner when pouring this into the toilet. There is also the potential for individuals to come into contact with undiluted chemicals during disposal of empty containers. Workers using bleach may inhale vapour if this is used in a poorly-ventilated area. If cleaning cloths are used for multipurposes with a variety of different cleaning products without being properly rinsed between uses, there is also the potential for reactions to take place between chemicals in the different products which could be hazardous for workers. For example, if bleach comes into contact with acid, toxic gas may be liberated which could then be inhaled. There is also the potential for chemical reactions to take place if different cleaning products are used together, e.g. when cleaning toilets. 3. Monitoring workplace exposure and minimising the risk of exposure The COSHH assessment identified Freshline Bleach and Lifeguard 3 Way Toilet Cleaner as medium hazards and Mr Muscle Professional Kitchen Cleaner as low hazard. For both the bleach and toilet cleaner in particular, it is essential that correct safety precautions are taken during the handling, use and disposal of these products. Monitoring workplace exposure to the chemicals in these products is difficult and levels of exposure cannot be measured qualitatively. Regular inspections of the office kitchen and toilets will detect spillages that have not been cleaned up thoroughly which could mean workers are exposed to higher than normal levels of concentrated products. Keeping a record of the quantities of each product used (e.g. by asking staff to complete a log when they take a new container) would provide an indicator of the amounts being used within the office as a whole on a monthly/annual basis which may provide some indicator of occupational exposure levels. There is a designated health and safety officer within the office but regular inspections are not conducted and no formal training sessions are held to ensure that new staff joining the company are familiarised with correct office safety procedures. A number of measures can be taken to minimise the risk of exposure. The COSHH assessments for all chemicals should be kept in a place where they can be found easily and all workers should familiarise themselves with these assessments and be aware of first aid measures and correct procedures for cleaning up spillages and disposal of solid waste. Training sessions for staff should be arranged if necessary. All workers using cleaning products must wear suitable personal protective equipment as detailed in the COSHH assessment (e.g. eye protection when working with concentrated toilet cleaner and eye protection, PVC/rubber gloves and protective overalls when working with concentrated bleach). Regular inspections would monitor whether correct working procedures are being followed and written reports from each inspection would provide a record over time. In case of spillage of concentrated bleach or toilet cleaner on clothing, bags should be available to contain the soiled article(s) of clothing to send for cleaning and these should be clearly labelled with the hazard. PVC or rubber gloves should be replaced regularly and should be rinsed well with water if they have come into contact with concentrated solutions of bleach or toilet cleaner ensuring that no door handles or other surfaces are touched and contaminated with concentrated product. All spillages should be cleaned up thoroughly to minimise the risk of workers exposure to concentrated product and both spilt product and any solid waste associated with the spillage disposed of safely. The risk of splashing is reduced by using spray containers (as in the case of Mr Muscle Professional Kitchen Cleaner), rather than the larger bottles or containers which hold the bleach and toilet cleaner, and less of the product is likely to be used with these types of containers. If concentrated bleach or toilet cleaner is spilt on toilet seats, it is important that this is cleaned up thoroughly to minimise the risk of skin contact. In all cases where concentrated bleach has been used in sinks, this should be rinsed thoroughly with copious amounts of water to reduce the risk of workers’ exposure and also to ensure safe disposal of the product. Previously, cleaning staff used to clean the office in the early evening when many staff were still working. This meant that neat bleach or toilet cleaner would be poured into toilet bowls or urinals and workers may then wish to use them, which significantly increased the likelihood of exposure to concentrated products. We have now req uested that cleaning staff work later in the evening two nights per week when staff have already left and it is only on these occasions that the toilets are cleaned. Cloths used for cleaning the kitchen should be rinsed thoroughly at the end of each use and not left where workers or even food could come into contact with concentrated products. Empty containers should be rinsed out well with water before disposal and the top of the container should be replaced to minimise the risk of individuals (i.e. office workers or waste disposal workers) coming into contact with undiluted chemicals. Products should be used in a well-ventilated area, particularly in the case of bleach. The office kitchen is poorly ventilated and has no windows that can be opened but the windows in the toilets can be opened before using products in these areas. Correct storage of products will minimise the risk of workers’ exposure to chemicals. These products should ideally be stored in a locked storage area for which only suitable trained staff have access, and all products stored in original, closed containers, kept upright, in a cool place away from direct sunlight. 4. Plan of action for improvement An audit showed that many staff were not aware of the risks from chemicals in cleaning products used in this office and that correct procedures for their safe use, disposal and storage were not being followed. Following this, a number of new measures have been, or will be, implemented. Training sessions have been arranged for all existing office staff to ensure they are familiar with COSHH assessments and safety procedures and these will be repeated when new staff join the company. Ensuring cleaning staff are correctly trained poses a greater challenge as these staff are recruited from an external agency who are responsible for their own training and quality control; however, the health and safety officer has worked with this agency to ensure that staff are familiar with safety procedures. No sand or other inert absorbable material was available in the office in case of large spillages. This has now been obtained and all staff are familiar with where this is stored. A small, lockable cupboard was previously used for storing cleaning products but this was sometimes left unlocked. Furthermore, containers of kitchen cleaner were left in the cupboard under the sink in the kitchen close to where clean crockery is stored, and toilet cleaner was also frequently left in toilet cubicles. The COSHH assessment identified that Lifeguard 3 Way Toilet Cleaner should be kept away from chlorine-releasing agents and sodium hypochlorite; therefore bleach and toilet cleaner should not be stored together in the same cupboard as there is a risk that they may come into contact (e.g. in case of spillage). A second, lockable cupboard suitable for the storage of these chemicals will be purchased with one month and the two products stored separately. Staff will be trained to ensure that no products are left lying around in the kitchen or toilet areas and are returned to the storage area after each use, which should always be kept locked. The disposable cloths used for cleaning the kitchen were previously being rinsed with water after use, left to dry and re-used. In order to minimise the risk of exposure of office staff to the cleaning product, these cloths will now be disposed of after a single use. Protective overalls worn by cleaning staff will be washed on a weekly basis and PVC/rubber gloves changed regularly. Regular inspections are now carried out by the office health and safety officer on a monthly basis to ensure correct procedures are being followed. Conclusions Everyday cleaning products used in the office can pose a potential hazard to workers. It is therefore important that COSHH assessments are performed to assess the risk posed by the chemicals contained within these products. All workers should be aware of the correct procedures for the safe handling, use and disposal of these chemicals and should take the necessary precautions to minimise their risk of exposure (e.g. through use of personal protective equipment where appropriate). Reference list Health and Safety Executive 2007. List of approved workplace exposure limits. Retrieved 26th September 2008 from: http://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/table1.pdf Piney, M. 2001, ‘OELs and the effective control of exposure to substances hazardous to health in the UK (version 3)’. Retrieved 26th September 2008 from: http://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/oel.pdf The Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory 2008, Chemical and other safety information. Oxford University. Retrieved 26th September 2008 from: http://msds.chem.ox.ac.uk Bibliography Health and Safety Executive 2008. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health – COSHH. Retrieved 26th September 2008 from: http://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/ Health and Safety Executive 2008. COSHH: A brief guide to the regulations. Retrieved 26th September 2008 from: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg136.pdf Table 1. Chemicals used in office cleaning products: toxicity, target organs and recommended exposure limits (Health and Safety Executive 2007). Assessment Reference: Date:26th July 2008 Review Date: 25th July 2009 1) Assessor Details [Client: please complete Section 1] 2) Process Description [Client: I’ve included all three products in one assessment – you may prefer to put each on a separate COSHH assessment pro forma] [Client: the codes for both risk phrases and safety phrases are standard for COSHH assessments and were taken from The Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Oxford University website, accessed from: http://msds.chem.ox.ac.uk/] 3) Specific Considerations 4) Hazard Category I have familiarised myself with the risks created and safe working practices during the use and handling of chemicals. I shall adhere to COSHH regulations and safe laboratory practices as explained to me during the COSHH assessment. Signature: Date:

Research on Marijuana Essay -- Papers Argumentative Weed Essays

Research on Marijuana Everyone believes Marijuana is a gateway drug. However, some people think it is not because they believe they will not use anything else. If we do not fide some form of way to get rid of this drug or if we make it legal our future generations will suffer. As of now our brains get affected. A solution would be to find away to get rid of this drug and not to make it legal. Marijuana has been around for centuries now and it still grows in use. People say it is good for the body because it helps the body fight of disease and many other things like pain. Marijuana is a very powerful drug and it is believed that it is a gateway drug. This simply means that once your tolerance is so high you will look towards other drugs so that you can get the same feeling as when you first started using marijuana. I know that there is no evidence of such a thing happening but I do believe this is the drug that helps you look toward other drugs. I?ve heard of stories in my high school that kids have tried other drugs because of this one drug they started with. ...

Mobile Ip

Checkpoint – Current State of Mobile IP Lori J. Babler IT241 September 29, 2011 Richard Pierce Checkpoint – Current State of Mobile IP After completing some internet research on Mobile IP, I discovered that it is currently being used in situations where a Mobile Network is required. A Mobile Network is a completely wireless network in which its devices are continuously moving and never really in one particular place. A completely Mobile Network requires that the devices within it have two simultaneous IP Addresses one of which is used for local networking off of the local router and another which is used when roaming into other networks. The obvious advantage to this technology is that mobile devices can have continuous connection with the internet or a mobile network without any interruption of service. The disadvantage that I felt was important is that the foreign IP address hosts must be configured as such (GANGULY, 2009). I feel that what is holding Mobile IP back is the fact that this technology is not seen by the user it isn’t knowledge to the user. Only the network administrators or engineers are aware of the configuration required to implement this technology. I also feel that because the foreign IP Hosts require configuration to become Mobile IP that there is a lapse in its popularity. Another strong reason is that the technology is still being perfected (GANGULY, 2009) and once that occurs I feel it will boom. I do think that this technology will become a standard for mobile computing eventually but just as with all technology, society needs to catch up with it first. Reference GANGULY, K. (2009). The Study of Mobile IP Retrieved from www. cs. wichita. edu/~chang/lecture/cs843/project/†¦ /kg-mobile_ip. do†¦

Reading Motivation - Activities for Elementary Students

Reading Motivation - Activities for Elementary Students Teachers are always looking for ways to boost their students reading motivation. Research confirms that a childs motivation is the key factor in successful reading. You may have noticed students in your classroom who are struggling readers, tend to have a lack of motivation and do not like to partake in book-related activities. These students may have trouble selecting appropriate texts, and therefore do not like to read for pleasure. To help motivate these struggling readers, focus on strategies that will help spark their interest and boost their self-esteem. Here are five ideas and activities to increase your students reading motivation and encourage them to get into books. Book Bingo Motivate students to read a variety of books by playing Book Bingo. Give each student a blank bingo board and have them fill in the squares with some of the suggested phrases: I read a mystery bookI read a funny bookI read a biographyI read an animal storyI read a book about friendship Students can also fill in the blanks with I read a book by..., or I read a book about... Once they have their bingo board labeled, explain to them that in order to cross off a square, they must have met the reading challenge that was written(Have students write the title and author of each book they read on the back of the board). Once the student gets bingo, reward them with a classroom privilege or a new book. Read and Review A great way to make a reluctant reader feel special, and motivate them to want to read, is by asking them to review a new book for the class library. Have the student write a brief description of the plot, main characters, and what he/she thought of the book. Then have the student share his/her review with their classmates. Thematic Book Bags A fun way for younger students to boost their reading motivation is to create a thematic book bag. Each week, select five students to be chosen to take home a book bag and complete the assignment thats in the bag. Inside each bag, place a book with theme-related contents in it. For example, place a Curious George book, a stuffed monkey, a follow-up activity about monkeys, and a journal for the student to review the book in the bag. Once the student returns the book bag have them share their review and activity that they completed at home. Lunch Bunch A great way to pique your students interest in reading is to create a reading lunch bunch group. Each week select up to five students to participate in a special reading group. This entire group must read the same book, and on a determined day, the group will meet for lunch to discuss the book and share what they thought about it. Character Questions Encourage the most reluctant readers to read by having them answer character questions. In the reading center, post a variety of character pictures from the stories your students are currently reading. Under each photo, write Who am I? and leave space for children to fill in their answers. Once the student identifies the character, they must share more information about them. Another way to do this activity is to replace the photograph of the character with subtle hints. For example His best friend is a man in a yellow hat. (Curious George). Additional Ideas Enlist parents to come in and be a mystery reader.Participate in the Pizza Hut Book-It program.Have a Read-a-Thon.Pair students together with a book buddy.Play Name That Book where students have to guess the title of the book you just read to them.

Arts and Literature essays

Arts and Literature essays Art, Literature and Society from 1955-1970 Fear and Loathing in a Clockwork Age Ah! The noble search for identity. That intangible achievement that all artists lust after and lay in torment over. And during the post war era that struggle reached incredible magnitudes. The world cried out for legions of anti-heroes, who were only virtuous in their unapologetic and brutally honest lack of virtue. And the art world provided as many counter culture messiahs as was needed to "Damn the Man". The Beats, hippies, and punks are evidence that behind the white picket fence of suburbia lay an America that wanted more out of life than the sugar coated portrayals of domesticity and patriotism it received from pop culture. The unfortunate side of authenticity often lead to the conclusion that autonomy was an impossible dream and that just mere existence required an individual to compromise his integrity. The post-war generation developed an interesting love-hate relationship with the mass culture of its time. Some, like Andy Warhol, embraced the inevitability of mass cultural ization in order to control the beast (yes, this is a reference to Revelations). While others recognized the American Dream as being a hypocrisy and so chose the Golden Eternity instead. The Beat generation and early hippies sought to separate themselves from mainstream society where they believed they could start anew and fully experience life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The flower child philosophy was in fact very Transcendental, minus the stuffy New England mentality. The sexual, spiritual, and intellectual freedom and autonomy that characterized the Haight-Ashberry scene were closer to the Whitmanesque ideal than anything achieved during his life time. Postwar America was extremely prosperous from the stand point of the middle class white suburbanite. The only problem was that not everyone fit that mold. And even those who were born into that envir ...

Japan Civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Japan Civilization - Essay Example rpretation of culture and history, the Tokugawa period was unique with regards to the way in which Edo-art, theater developed, and government sponsored and supported arts flourished during this time. Firstly, with regards to art during this particular period, it is something of a deviation from traditional Japanese art; yet, at the same time, it was a movement that sought to re-integrate an understanding and appreciation for the most traditional aspects of Japanese culture. Whereas the arts were not officially supported by the government prior to this period, the Tokugawa period saw a time in Japanese history in which landholders were the ones that were ultimately the pinnacle of society. Within such an interpretation, these landholders had to shoulder the majority of the tax burden. As such, once these taxes were received by the government, artists were supported, at least in small part by the proceeds of these taxes. In such a way, it comes as little surprise that the portraits and etchings that they engaged invariably were concentric upon the subject matter of harvesting, planting, and the manual labor that is oftentimes evidenced in fields or on farms. As a result of the growth of wealth derived from a thriving merchant culture, a desire for amusement was born within Tokugawa society. One of the most prominent outgrowths of this desire for amusement is with regards to the theater that came to such a level of prominence during this period of Japanese history known as the Kabuki (Nenzy 12). Within this theater, lavish displays of passion, costumes, and intrigue were represented directly to a new class of people who had grown as a direct result of the policies and constraints that the shogun had encouraged by the development and evolution of this â€Å"new† society. Many have argued that no other aspect of culture represents the Tokugawa era better than the Edo woodblock images that were churned out in such volume during these times. These images would,

The concept of first mover advantage is widely used in gametheoretical Essay

The concept of first mover advantage is widely used in gametheoretical models and international trade theories. Discuss it in th - Essay Example A perfect example of first movers includes companies such as, Coca-cola and eBay, who were the first companies to enter their respective market. Where Coca-cola was first company to produce cola and made their products available to the public in 1886, eBay was the first company to introduce the auction process online in 1995. Both these companies have been a recurrent powerhouse in their respective industries ever since they were founded. It has been witnessed very often that first movers are generally pursued by competitors who try to capitalize on the original company’s success, brand value and recognition. They try and acquire the market that has already been penetrated by the first moving company (Poulsen, 2007). The competitors try and bring about certain modifications and improvements in their product line and make them available to the public in order to market their products, as being better than the products offered by the first moving company. However, by the time th e competitors lay their foundation in the already penetrated market, the first mover has already accumulated huge market share, customer loyalty, satisfaction and expertise in this particular field of work, which is required to stay at the pinnacle (Markides and Sosa, 2013). ... One of the crucial characteristics as far predicting the second mover’s reaction is concerned, is the second mover’s payoff function. First mover advantage is associated with pioneering products that benefit from advantages attained from a long-term market share. In addition to that, they also enjoy advantages in distribution of those products, the improved product-line, breadth, and quality (Chen and Pereira, 1999). First mover advantages are characterized by a pioneering firm’s ability to earn positive economic profits (profits in excess of the cost of capital). First mover advantages transpire endogenously within multi-stage process (Lieberman and Montgomery, 2002). The multi stage process is depicted in figure 1. The first stage involves the generation of an asymmetry that enables a particular company to gain competitive advantage over the rival companies. This opportunity to make the first move is a result of the firm’s possession of some unique infor mation sources or foresight or may be simply out of luck. Once this asymmetry is established, a firm may be able to exploit its advantageous position by following variety of mechanisms. These mechanisms thereby enhance the durability and magnitude of the first mover profits. Figure 1: Endogenous generation of first mover advantages (Source: Lieberman and Montgomery, 2002) Game theory Game theory is the process of modelling the strategic interaction between two or more players in a situation containing set rules and outcomes (Heap and Varoufakis, 2004). While used in a number of disciplines, game theory is most notably used as a tool within the study of economics. The economic application of game theory can be a valuable tool to aid the fundamental