Personal reflection on CFA level 2 financial reporting and analysis Essay

Personal reflection on CFA level 2 financial reporting and analysis - Essay Example Another important lesson learnt is on how to improve the manner in which organizations are able to improve the quality of their financial reporting. This information was very useful to me. This is because it would help me in the identification of proper accounting procedures that can help in the prevention of fraud. Companies such as Enron were able to fall, mostly because they were not using proper accounting procedures that could reflect the true value of their transactions or assets. Other lessons that were of critical importance was on the analysis of multi-national operations, and on inter-corporate investments. Of particular concern to me, was on the analysis of multi-national operations. We are in the age of globalization, and hence there is a need of understanding the manner in which international trade is carried out (Lee & Lee, 2005). As an analyst for an international investment company, the knowledge derived from this class was very important to me, and this is because it gave me an understanding on how multi-national companies behave, and why there is a need of developing an international accounting system that can be used throughout the world. IFRS is an example of such an accounting system, and this was well covered in the class (Albrecht, Stice & Stice, 2011). It is important to explain that the most challenging concepts, while studying in this class, touched on inter-corporate investments. This was a very difficult concept to me, and this is because I failed to understand how a company could invest in the equity or debts of other companies. However, I managed to bridge this gap, by carrying out further research on this aspect of inter-corporate investment. The materials used were from financial journals, books, and various financial websites. In the end, I acquired knowledge on inter-corporate investments, and I knew the reasons companies

Fiction Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fiction Analysis - Essay Example In the very time, she takes the opportunity to go out and to her surprise she meets her husband contrary to the news the sister had delivered to her a short while. The experience led to her collapse and eventual death. This short story begins with who apparently is the main character in the story and the sister to the woman described in the story. She is referred to as sister of Louise; the woman on the other side is referred to as Josephine. Josephine is depicted as a woman with great traits as kindness, nurturing, and strength. The traits attributed to Josephine in a way had been experienced by the author who in the story was raised by the mother and other nuns in Katechopin.org a catholic school (Chopin, 18). It can then be deduced that the traits in this story was part of her life initially. The author’s (Kate Chopin) father died in a railroad accident in the early days and presumably this is why the story in this book has been framed in away that thee sister fictitiously tell the accident story to the woman (Chopin, 27). Because the father died when she was young, it may have appeared to her in a dream that her father was not hurt as it really was and that he one day came home-this may have had some influence in the orientation of the story. The woman described in this story equally was widowed in her prime age and from this, she learnt on how to earn a living from writing without depending on anybody (Chopin, 32). The story did not exempt the engagement of irony and satire in which the sister to the woman, Louise made the all radical decision to be free as a woman who is entitled to herself to exhaust the experiences in life. She decides to triumph in her bid and finally lived see this happen. The hidden lesson of the story is rather hidden in the sense that even no reference is made to the historical event, it tends to communicate a

Constitutional Rights and Discrimination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Constitutional Rights and Discrimination - Essay Example Although not actually irritating to the others, seeing Abdul pray to his god, Clyde was specifically disliking this fact, as a result, the collision between the two started. However, being the one in the lower level, Abdul knows retaliating to the actions of his boss would simply bring him into a rather complicated situation with his boss. So what he did was to simply allow time to pass through the possibility that somehow his boss might someday give him a break from the discriminative treatment that he is receiving. With the patient dealing of Abdul with the situation, Clyde on the other hand never stopped hatred and continued to discriminate Abdul’s being that later on resulted to more damaging effects on Abdul when he was pushed by Clyde resulting to having three injured bones and causing Abdul’s hospitalization with a high amount of payment needed to complete the medication needs. After which, the worse yet came when he received a pink slip indicating that he was al ready terminated from his job. The Constitution of Civil Rights had been rather established to secure the rights of the human individuals living in the human society as they deal with the different people from different races. This set of laws and regulations are all designed to assist each and everyone to realize their worth as persons and realize the fact they are worthy of respect no matter what race or religion they come from. 1Within the paragraphs that follow, the constitutional issues that were raced during the case’s discussion shall be presented so as to give a clear picture as to how or where the situation of Abdul and Clyde could actually be questioned by the law and have the oppressor pay for the damages that he may have caused his victim. The constitutional laws on human rights had been established practically to protect each person from any particular form

American National Identity And National Parks History Essay

American National Identity And National Parks History Essay Natural identity can be simply defined as the individuals sense of belonging to a nation. It is the thread that binds the citizens of a particular nation together and gives them the pride of belonging to the country. According to Smith national identity serves three important functions; it provides an answer to the fear of personal oblivion through identification with a nation since the nation is far greater and stronger than the individual; is this your language? national identity offers the individual personal renewal and self-worth by being a member of a super family politically and thirdly it promotes the realization of fraternity feelings more so through the use of symbols and ceremony  [1]  . Remember: punctuation inside of note numbers! Make sure you really paraphrase or quote directly. This seems not like your language. Every nation around the world has its main national identity. For some, it could be talking the same language as it happens in most European countries where nations are defined by their language such as France for the French speakers, Spain for the Spanish speakers, Portugal for the Portuguese speakers among others. [awk and unclear] In other countries national identity is defined by ethnic composition for example Slovakia for the Slovaks, Albania for the Albanians and Armenia for the Armenians. In other countries national identity is defined by religion such as in the Muslim countries and in Israel. [I think this is pretty simplistic national identity is much more complicated than this] America however is unique because it is a mixture of all. The Americans cannot be judged by race because all races are represented, neither by language because virtually all major languages are represented, neither by culture because America is a boiling [melting?] pot of all major cultures nor by r eligion because all major world religions are represented in America by a substantial number  [2]  . [awk] is this a point you are making or one that someone else has made that you are using. Make that clear. Americans often face the great task of establishing national identity for themselves. [think about that different types of national identity coexist there are battles in all countries about what constitutes Britishness or Americanness or Frenchness. Maybe its more complicated in the US, but Im not sure, but I dont think American are unique in having to choose among different ideas of the nation which are presented in a variety of ways] Because of the importance of nature to American self-identity, [you need to show this, not assert it] environmentalism questions have always tended to take on ideological and national significance. Preservation of natural spaces in America has involved both the creation of an alternative cultural space for the nation and creation of America as a nation  [3]  . [unclear] Americans found in national parks a unifying factor; a national identity that is to America what culture [culture is a vague term here] is to Europe. Therefore national parks are c entral to Americas national identity. This paper is going to evaluate the relationship that exists between Americas national identity and national parks. The paper concludes that national parks are the national identity of the United States of America. National parks express a certain aspect of the national identity of the US? To say they are equivalent may be stretching it . . . The first national park in the world was established in 1872  [4]  . This is Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone National Park became the first large scale wilderness conservation in the interest of the public and more so the generations to come. The rest of the world learnt the idea of national parks from America. Each country launched its own version of parks but the American model was the one that was largely used. To Americans, wilderness is not only idea but rather it is the objective of many who are seeking outdoor recreational activities. [clarify] According to Roderick Nashi, wilderness is a state of mind; the feeling of being far from civilization, from the environment that humans have polluted.  [5]   Natural landscapes which form the national parks are fundamental subjects in the understanding of national identity. This is so because nature as opposed to culture has increasingly become a source of national identity. National identity therefore can be seen as a heritage of nature. You need to make these connections clearer maybe talk about the issue of the frontier thesis? According to Howard and Graham  [6]  , the role of the natural landscapes in shaping national identity is increased by the fundamental link between ideas of the national, the native and the natural in which the prefix nat refers to a notion of birthing. Howard and Graham argue that the nation is therefore logically made up of the natives who have been born as a community of nature that gives the nation its common identity. Cite and make sure this is your language. A large number of national songs sing in praise of the nations natural landscape, for example America the Beautiful which celebrates Americas purple mountain which stands majestically above the plains and stretching from sea to sea  [7]  . There are also a great number of museums and theatres that are decorated using landscape images of natural scenes. Such as? You need to set up a more systematic organization at the outset here : introduction with your thesis; historiography how have historians written about national parks; and then perhaps background. Right now I feel like you are jumping around a bit too much. When the European settlers arrived from Europe they settled in the eastern shores of what would become the United States. However with time the population grew rapidly and with it came the need to push further west. This led the settlers into what was referred to as the Wild West. The settlers portray the Wild West as an area that had not been occupied, though we know that the Native Indians occupied the area. By so doing the settlers saw themselves as a new nation in which different people from diverse nationalities were reborn as one nation in the wild nature of the new continent. Citations! The importance of the Wild West in the history of the U.S cannot be overemphasized. Many Americans identified themselves as Americans from having been born in the continents Wild nature. Can you show this with primary sources? Due to the importance of the wild nature in rebirth of the U.S [?] it became essential to conserve part of the wilderness undisturbed in order to act like a reminder of the countrys rebirth. [could be clearer] This need acted as the ideological basis for forming national parks in the 1880s. The national parks were started in large areas with wild nature. The aim was to preserve these areas for future generations. Citations! The national parks exist to protect salient natural areas from threat of human destruction through political social and economic development. This preserves the wilderness as it was when the European settlers took possession of the land. Indeed it is this wilderness that defined Americas national identity from the time the nation was established  [8]  . [you need to SHOW this through analysis -not assert it] Construction of the American national identity is rooted deeply in nature that the two are inseparable. Awk This is in contrast to European nations, whose national identity is derived from sharing a common language, ethnic or racial heritage, religion or cultural history. America is a nation of diverse languages, diverse ethnic groups, of all races race, with virtually every religion represented and of a people with diverse cultural background  [9]  . Repetitive Race, language, ethnic group, religion and culture could not therefore be the American national identity. Amer icans found a rallying call in nature, in exploring the wilderness in the west and when much of it was getting depleted, the government started the idea of national parks aimed at protecting large swathes of the untamed wilderness for future generations. This gets repetitive youve made all these points in different places already. The national park concept has been said to be the most successful idea yet conceived in the protection of the environment.who said this? It is an American idea that spread around the globe  [10]  . The national parks were started to preserve natural and cultural heritage. Americans were particularly concerned about preservation of the natural environment for the sake of those who would want to vacation outdoors. Nature and sceneries were to be protected for the enjoyment of all human beings. In these wildernesses, people would find a serene atmosphere to relax away from the pollution that civilization engineered. Connect these themes to national identity a way for Americans to experience their land? Seeing the true America rather than the cities? The Wild West had been largely cleared by settlers and conservationists realized that unless action was taken, the whole land would be taken over by civilization denying future generations a chance of learning the history of their founding further or the culture. [unclear] Therefore preservationist and conservationist started creating awareness of the need to set aside large portions of the remaining wilderness. This process did not gain momentum until the latter half of the 19th century. From thence the first national park was established in 1872 with others following albeit at a slow pace  [11]  . [repetitive] Not all the areas that were designated as national parks were without human habitation; some areas were already inhabited by either the Native Indians or by white settlers also called frontier farmers. When the boundaries of the national parks were drawn, some of these groups met themselves [?] inside the area that had been demarcated as a national park. The federal government had then to move them out. With some resisting to be taken out of what was their rightful possession, the Federal government was forced to apply force in removing them. [awk] This resulted in long standing grudges between the communities that were forcibly removed from the designated parks and the government  [12]  . In Yellowstone national park, for example, the Indians were forcibly relocated. This caused long standing grudge between the federal government and the Indians and between the Indians and the white population whom they viewed as the government. The Indians responded by firing at tourists who visited the park. Tourists visiting the park had to do so under protection from security agencies  [13]  . The sheepherders and lumbermen had to look for new ways to feed their families. The activities that were legal, the source of livelihood that they had lived on and not only them but the generations of descendants back there was declared illegal and refused. This was of course. Youve got good secondary sources Im waiting to see what you do with the primary sources. To these Indians and frontier whites whose farms were taken away as part of parks, they would not understand how the same thing that they were living on in the days gone by could now be declared illegal. Awk The lives of the Indians were shattered. This is because their way of life had been interrupted and declared illegal henceforth. Hunting and fishing, that had always been part of their lives was termed as poaching while foraging would now be termed as trespass both of them now acts punishable by law. Cite. Examples? The deep-seated anger this action brought to the Indians is manifest today. Some Native Indians that like the Blackfeet, representing about on, have running cases against Glacier national park. They are demanding recognition according to 1895 legislation  [14]  . Awk; and you cite a source from 1901, so Im not sure how this reflects feelings of today. Obsession with pristine and uninhabited wilderness provided many misconstrued ideas and facts that led to brutal confrontations between those for conservation and preservation and those trying to provide a decent meal for them and their children. unclearThe National Park Service Act of 1916 established the dogma for park management, the chief policy for philosophy, policies and decision-making  [15]  . And? What do you want to say in this paragraph? The use of national parks as a symbol of national identity is based on two-fold role in reinforcing national identity: the national park system helps to passively express that national identity and to passively transmit it. Im not sure what this means. The national parks are an integral part of American life. Their use is extensive; they are used in post cards, in picture movies, depict and symbolize what America is  [16]  . Yes The initial impetus for starting the national parks system was the desire to have a unique national identity. Was that stated explicity? Sources? Preservation of the best scenic sites in the U.S was seen as what would create a differentiation between the United States and the European Countries. Parks would be a way for the young United States to compete with European countries which already had established national identities based of their cultures that they had build over thousands of years. The adventurers nature of the American people and their love for the wild would also blend well with national parks as a national symbol. Parks express the American identity. In addition to expressing the goals shared by society, parks play a major role in transmitting those values to the society at large and members of the national community  [17]  . I think all these points are interesting but you are essentially repeating the same things, and you havent illustrated your points with supporting evidence from primary sources. National parks are created through a political process and may even reflect the political thought of the day. Having realized the political dimension involved the establishment of national parks; conservationists have devised ways of engaging politicians in nature conservation. When? The relationship between politics and national parks is further demonstrated in the construction of nation-states, more so the evolution of national identity. Totally unclear Identity development involves the mobilization of images, myths and so on  [18]  . [is this your language?] The concept of wilderness was central in the evolution of American identity, with Yellowstone National Park representing American cultural iconography while at the same time creating confidence among the members of the public in the industrializing nation  [19]  .[watch language] A common political concept of national parks has developed in the area of national identity. Unclear This is not a surprise because earlier c oncepts of national parks have been permeated with nationalist aspirations. The American landscape, in fact, emerged as a strong source of national identity construction  [20]  . This paragraph is unclear to me, and it also repeats points youve made earlier. The appropriation of national parks as an American national symbol, like all other nationalism, was exclusionary. Native Americans were not included in a nationalism that had been established on the very land they occupied. In that sense, Yellowstone National Park was symbolic of a nation that was divided between the settlers and the natives. Interesting point Beinart and Coates argue that Americans attempted to create national identity out of natural grandeur because the United States found it difficult to compete with Europe in high cultural stakes. Youve said this. Citation? To get a deeper insight into the relationship between America national identity and national parks, it is important to pay closer attention to a number of parks. This is not a paragraph. Yellowstone national park is the first national park in the world. By next year, the park will be celebrating its 140 years. The park measures 2.2million acres  [21]  . The area was sparsely populated at the time of starting the park but the government had an oversight that of how things will be in future. unclear Inside the designated area there was human settlings mostly made up of Native Indians and a few Frontier farmers. Youve said this already The government acquired all private land within the demarcated area and evacuated the people. The Native Indians having lived in this area did not welcome the relocation. However the government ensured they do. [?] This left the Indians bitter. To revenge the Indians continued hunting in the protected area as if unaware the new change of status. They also attacked the tourist who came to visit. This prompted the government to send the Calvary troops there in 1886 to stop poaching and to protect the tourist  [22]  . The Calvary sol diers went to Yellowstone and built Fort Yellowstone where they stayed until 1916 when the National Park Service (NPS) was established through the Organic Act of 1916. Youve said much of this already. Please combine the same points in one area of the paper. Yellowstone was used by the 19th century American Indian belonging to the Crow, Blackfoot, Shoshone and Bannock tribes  [23]  . unclear Some continued to live in the park even after it was designated. However in 1877 there were troubles which occasioned three hundred deaths. The Indians were forcibly removed to the Wind River Reservation. The Calvary soldiers were brought in and they protected the park between 1886 and 1918. Basically repetitive The removal of Indians follows a pattern of their removal from their farmlands to give way for settler farmers only that this time they were removed to provide vacation sites for tourists majority of them who were whites. Were the parks explicitly established for tourism? You need to bring in primary sources to discuss this. The African Americans and the Latinos did not go to the national parks often because they did not find them welcoming  [24]  . When? sources? Yellowstone is home to over 1100 structures associated with Euro-American occupation and management of the park. The legacy of early civilian and army administration and the history of concessions in national parks are preserved. ? Some of the historic landmarks are; Fishing Bridge Trailside Museum, Madison Junction Trailside Museum, Obsidian Cliff, Northeast Entrance Station, Norris Geyser Basin Trailside Museum and Old Faithful Inn. Why do you need to list these? The park has four National Historic Districts: Lake Fish Hatchery, Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful and Roosevelt Lodge. The park is also home to five National Historic Sites: Lake Hotel, Lamar Buffalo Ranch, Obsidian Cliff Kiosk, Queens Laundry Bath House and the U.S Post Office at Mammoth Hot Springs. The park is also home to 200,000 natural and cultural objects including artwork, ethnographic and archeological artifacts  [25]  . Im not sure why you need this paragraph. A substantial history of the United States is kept in the national parks. These are central to the national identity of the nation. How? What is the history that is preserved there? As seen above the history of Yellowstone national park is closely intertwined with the history of the United States to the extent that the nation can be seen through the park. But you havent illustrated this with primary sources. Its a good point, but you need to demonstrate it, not assert it. Glacier National Park with its many peaks, clear waters, and glacial curved mountains reflects Americas identity. As previously mentioned, Americas national identity is defined by her landscape the most spectacular being protected in national parks. Awk Throughout history, people visited Glacier National Park for the adventure it provides. Evidence of human habitation in this area goes back to 10,000 years ago. By the time of Europeans arrival, the area was inhabited by Native Indians of the Blackfeet, Salish and Kootenai tribes. They travelled to the mountains to hunt various kinds of game that were available in this place. Citations? Significance? The Europeans were attracted to the area primarily for economic gain. Some came as explorers, others as miners and eventually the settlers arrived. The Great Northern Railway reached Montana in 1891 and from thence great number of people flocked to the area attracted by prospects of mining and other economic activities  [26]  . Around the turn of the century, people began to look at Montana region as an area that was suitable for something more than farming or mining. They recognized that the area was exceptionally beautiful in reference to the landscape. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, influential leader led by George Grill began pushing for the establishment of a national park. Their desire was granted in 1910 when President Taft signed into law the bill establishing Glacier as the 10th national park  [27]  . But why is this significant in terms of your argument? The park has many historic buildings that are listed by the National Register of Historic Places. The park is home to 375 historic properties including six that are designated as National Historic Landmarks. The parks museum houses around 6,000 items related to its natural and cultural history  [28]  . These historic properties tell the history of the United States. What history do they communicate? Glacier as a national park is therefore related to the national identity of the United States because it is home to some of the most iconic landscape in North America. You cant just state this. . . . Yosemite is one of the United States most well-known National Parks. It largely covers the eastern parts of Tuolumne, Madera and Mariposa counties of California and covers an area of 761,268 acres  [29]  . The national park is governed by National Park Service and is recognized worldwide for its clear streams, groves, granite cliffs, waterfalls and its biological diversity. The park has a range of 648 to 3,997 meters above sea level and is divided into five major vegetation zones: chaparral/oak woodland, lower montane, upper montane, subalpine and alpine. There are more than 160 rare plants in the park. Most of the landforms in Yosemite are cut from the granitic rock of the Sierra Nevada Batholiths. About 5% of the parks landforms are metamorphosed volcanic and sedimentary rock. The valleys, canyons, domes and other features seen in the park were formed as a result of erosion acting upon different types of uplift-created joints. Citations? Significance? Yosemites most outstanding features include the tunnel view, which is the most visited area and also the most photographed; a prominent granite cliff that looms over the valley, the El Captain, which is has diverse range of climbing routes and full-yearly accessibility thus making it the most popular rock climbing destination in the world. The high parts of Yosemite contain spectacular areas such as: Dana meadows, Tuolumne meadows, the Clark range, the Cathedral Range and the Kuna crest. In addition, the park has three groves of ancient Giant Sequoia trees, the Mariposa Grove, the Tuolumne Grove and the Merced Grove. These tree species grow larger in volume than any other and is one of the tallest and longest lived. Citations? I just found some of this information on a website, and you are not citing . . . Yosemite falls under a Mediterranean climate with mean daily temperatures ranging from 25 to 53 degrees Fahrenheit. Most precipitation occurs during the mild winter, and the remaining seasons stay almost dry. Snow accumulates all winter and into March and April. It however does not persist on the ground until November in the high country. At areas above 8,000 feet, the hot and dry temperatures are moderated by frequent thunderstorms, during summer, along with snow in July. This combination of low relative humidity, dry vegetation and thunderstorms results in frequent lightning-caused fires  [30]  . The park contains about 3200 lakes, two reservoirs and 1,700 miles of streams. Landforms in the park have been created as a result of hydrologic processes, including glaciations, flooding and fluvial geomorphic response. Yosemite is popular for its high concentration of waterfalls in a small area. These include: Yosemite falls and Ribbon falls both found in the Yosemite Valley, Bridal veil fall that is seen from the Tunnel View viewpoint and Wapama Falls in Hetch Hetchy Valley  [31]  . Paiute and Sierra Miwok are the people who lived in Yosemite area long before the whites explored into the region. The Ahwahneechee, who were Native Americans, lived in Yosemite Valley when the first foreign people entered .White travel increased in the area in the mid-19th century due to the California Gold Rush  [32]  . Jim Savage of the States Army led the Mariposa Battalion in 1851 to the west end of Yosemite Valley in while pursuing around 200 Ahwahneechees led by Chief Tenaya as part of Mariposa wars. Chief Tenaya founded the Pai-Ute colony of Ah-wa-nee. The Miwoks, most white settlers, saw the Ahwahneechee as violent owing to frequent territorial disputes. Tenaya and all the Ahwahneechee were later captured and their village burned; they were moved to a reservation in California near Fresno  [33]  . When some were later allowed to return to Yosemite Valley, they attacked a group of gold miners, which got them into trouble. They flew to the east and sought refuge with the Mono tribe at Mono Lake but were tracked down and most killed by Mono Paiutes after they stole some of their hosts horses in 1853.Chief Tenaya was killed in the attack and survivors were taken back to Mono Lake and they were absorbed into Mono Lake Paiute tribe. An Indian Village of Ahwanhee was reconstructed and is located behind the Yosemite Museum next to Yosemite Valley  [34]  . In 1855, James Masons Hutchings, an entrepreneur and artist Thomas Ayers toured the Yosemite Valley area. They created articles and magazine issues about Yosemite Valley thus responsible for most of the earliest publicity about Yosemite  [35]  . Wawona was an Indian encampment, now in the southwestern part of the park. Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoia was discovered Galen Clark, a settler. Simple lodgings and roads were built in the area. The number of trails and hotels increased as tourism increased. Prominent citizens including Galen Clark and Senator John Conness, concerned by the effects of commercial interests, advocated for protection of the area. A park bill was passed by both houses of the U.S congress and was signed by President Abraham Lincoln on June 30, 1864, creating the Yosemite Grant. The park was to be set aside specifically for public use and thereby creating the first national park. It is believed that man lived in the Rocky Mountains about 10,000 years ago. The Utes lived in the mountains of West Colorado. As the Arapaho, who were plains Indians who came to the Estes Park frequently in summer to hunt, migrated westwards the Americans moved out from Appalachian  [36]  . With the arrival of Americans, Indians avoided Estes Park and Grand Lake area. Rufus Sage is the first American to have visited the region. He spent three years exploring the Rockies. Joel Estes, a Kentuckian, was the first settler. He brought his family in 1859 and eventually settled as a farmer near Fort Lupton. A few homes were set up in the upper Colorado Valley in 1879 and by 1880 people moved in to Lulu city where some gold discoveries had been made. A few homes were set up in the upper Colorado Valley in 1879 and by 1880 people moved in to Lulu city where some gold discoveries had been made  [37]  . In 1883 the town was deserted. As a result of publicity and political pressure, a b ill was passed in 1915 and signed by President Wilson to establish the Rocky Mountains National Park the Parks dedication was conducted in September 4, 19

Cryogenics: Is It Worth Waiting For? :: essays research papers fc

Cryogenics: Is It Worth Waiting For Imagine being frozen in time to escape a deadly illness, then getting warmed when a cure is found. There is question on whether cryogenic methods should be used. To fully understand cryogenics a knowledge of cold, background information on some branches of cryogenics, some problems with cryopresevation, and different peoples views towards cryogenics is needed. "Cold is usually considered hostile to mankind. Most people hate cold and with reasons." If not careful, cold can be deadly to animal and human life, but it can also help cure, because cold bodies perform functions slower (Kavaler 16- 17). Measurement of temperature is extremely important in cryogenics and the temperatures must be exact. The standard for scientific temperature measurement is the Kelvin scale. On the Kelvin scale absolute zero has a value of zero degrees on the thermometer. In theory no substance can be lowered to or below zero degrees Kelvin or absolute zero. Temperatures in cryobiology range from zero degrees Celsius--water freezes--to just above negative two hundred and seventy three point sixteen degrees Celsius--absolute zero. The word "Cryogenics" comes from the Greek word â€Å"kryos† meaning cold (â€Å"Cryogenics† Raintree 127, Kavaler 16). The science of cryobiology was first recognized in the early nineteen sixties. Cryobiology is the study of the effects of extremely low temperatures on living animals and plants. The chief concern in cryobiology is to preserve living matter for future use. This method can also be called cryopreservation. Cryotherapy is the use of extreme cold in treatment. The first trials of cryotherapy proved with great results (â€Å"Cryobiology† Comptons 1, McGrady 97). Frozen cells can be kept alive for very long periods of time in a state of â€Å"suspended animation.† Almost immediately after rapid thawing, the frozen cells regain normal activity. Cooling of the body causes a loss of feeling, therefore it can be used as anesthesia in surgery. Since certain drugs don’t affect healthy cells at low temperatures, the drugs can be safely used against cancerous tumors in the body. Cryogenics also helps in the preservation and storage of human tissues. Tissues such as eye corneas, skin, and blood that were rapidly frozen can be stored in â€Å"banks† for later use. Then skin can be grafted to burn victims and eye corneas can replace damaged ones. Thanks to Cryobiology blood can be frozen and stored for indefinitely for many years as opposed to only three weeks as it was before cryogenic technology was used. Surgeons can use a cryoscapel, freezing tips, to deaden or destroy tissue with great accuracy and little bloodshed (â€Å"Cryogenics† Academic 350, â€Å"Cryobiology† World Book 929).

The World from Brown’s Lounge

With The World from Brown's Lounge: An Ethnography of Black Middle-Class Play Michael J. Bell provides a narrative and interpretation of the play behavior of middle class blacks within the context of Brown's Lounge, a neighborhood bar in West Philadelphia. At the time he did his field research at Brown's, Bell was a white, male, doctoral candidate at the University of Pennsylvania. The book appears to be either his original dissertation or a somewhat edited dissertation.The prose is accessible and not marked by the frequent subordinate clauses and qualification of statements that mars a good deal of academic writing (Bell xi, 1-7). According to Bell The World from Brown's Lounge is a â€Å"study in black American folklore† (Bell ix). However he does not use the word folklore in the traditional sense of myths, tales, and traditions usually passed on orally or through folk art, but rather as the â€Å"artistic communication . . . used by ordinary people . . .[that] links us tog ether in our day-to-day interactions† (Bell ix). This folklore is studied in context, not merely as an academic exercise that might be done by reading a textbook about the folk beliefs of a people without regard to their lives. Bell describes what he saw in Brown's and claims that it is folklore but pointedly refuses engage in an argument as to whether or not the material in the book is in fact folklore. For the purposes of The World from Brown's Lounge the reader must assume that the book is folklore.Frankly, this distinction seems artificial; the text can and should be judged on its methodology and analysis and not on attempts to fit the book to a particular niche genre. Bell claims that the black middle class is (or at least was at the time the book was written) largely ignored in research with the focus being on the behavior and lifestyle of the poorer class. Even when the middle class has been addressed it has tended to interview individuals who â€Å"exemplified† their race and not observe members of the black middle class acting with each other.In essence Bell contends that at that time the research was done, the literature failed to recognize that the black middle class existed at all (Bell 1-5). The methodology Bell used was to sit in Brown's Bar at various times throughout the day, observing the patrons and participating in their interactions for a period of about eighteen months beginning in 1972. The observation periods were typically three hours each. Bell describes himself as an active participant as he engaged in the discussions that occurred at Brown's as well as participating in the consumption of alcohol.The regular patrons were aware of what he was doing and that descriptions of their activities might appear in his doctoral dissertation and possible a subsequent book. Bell recorded the conversations that occurred so that he might study them later. In addition any individual who wished to could listen to any tapes, but no one cho se to do so. Although Bell was aware that his presence in the â€Å"black† bar would affect the patrons, by being up front with them he hoped to minimize his affects on the patrons.In the process Bell did extended interviews with some of the key patrons (Bell 1-5). Interestingly he received a grant to engage in this research, which is good work if you can get it. Bell intended that his work describe how the day-to-day activities in a neighborhood bar reflect the values of the members of the neighborhood. He claims the study describes how the activities at Brown's allow the patrons to conform to â€Å"their desire to create and live within a world that allows them to be both black and middle class† (Bell 5).To do this he describes interactions between the patrons, at times actually quoting entire conversations and then attempts to classify and analyze them. These conversations are, at times, interesting, but are common to many social situations and not indications of mi ddle class black behavior in the 1970s. Bell tries to make them so however. He claims that this behavior is an example of middle class blacks playing with each other verbally and non-verbally by â€Å"talking shit,† â€Å"styling,† and â€Å"profiling† (Bell). Bell writes that these conversations are improvisations with deep, sophisticated meaning for middle class blacks.For example in a discussion on page 110 and analyzed on page 111 Bell offers the following. The bartender Harriet asks the customers generally, â€Å"was a . . . was a . . . (four-second silence) Jimmy Sailor in here yesterday? † One of the patrons, Gill replies, â€Å"I didn't see him. † From these two sentences Bell draws the following analysis. Harriet was seeking direct information. Gill responded in the same fashion as â€Å"if it were a request for information and nothing else. † This is straightforward enough and patently obvious.However Bell is not satisfied with thi s explanation and seeks a deeper meaning, â€Å"[i]n asking after Jimmy, Harriet made it clear that she believed that it was appropriate for her to know his whereabouts. † One feels the need to ask why Bell decide would emphasize such a point. Fundamentally he may be correct, but a simpler, more straightforward conclusion seems to be preferable; Harriet was curious about Jimmy. It is difficult to believe that at anytime during this process that Harriet consciously assumed it was proper for her to know where Jimmy was the day before.Similarly, Bell analyzes other conversations throughout the book. Instead of taking the discussions at face value Bell appears to believe each â€Å"interaction is a continuous exchange of images of self—of who and what one is—in order to convince the others present that all present are capable of acting coherently and correctly† (Bell 8). This belief implies that each person at Brown's is taking part in an improvisation perfor mance determined to establish himself as an individual person and as a member of the group.In reality, it is far more likely that such conversations at Brown's and similar ones at other bars and coffee shops are just that, conversations between people trying to relax and have a good time. The book suffers from a variety of problems besides the over analysis mentioned above. While reading the book one feels that Bell was describing a species that he is completely unrelated to in the same way that a zoologist might describe the behavior of a species of bird or mammal.Although the motivation for this distance appears to be an attempt to be as neutral as possible, certainly a laudable goal, when Bell describes or analyzes the activities in Brown's and fails to place them within the contact of being middle class, black, or even human the book suffers. In fact, Bell states this is what he is doing in the preface, instead of limiting his study to a particular ethnic group, age group, or oc cupation Bell defines his study to a particular place, Brown's (Bell x). This tightly focused limitation seems to greatly restrict the relevance of Bell's work to other situations or people.Despite this self-imposed limitation, Bell makes frequent references to the behavior the middle class, though in Brown's it is not the middle class, it is the only class. Bell's research lacks a clearly defined identity. Although Bell purports to be providing a description of description of the black middle class at play, he provides no insight as to how the behavior of the middle class patrons differs from or is similar to the behavior of lower or upper class blacks as well as the behavior of classes of other races in their own neighborhood bar.Much of the behavior Bell describes seems to be no different than one might see in any local bar or coffee shop for even by watching a rerun of the television comedy Cheers. As pointed out in â€Å"A Note on the Author† in the last page of the book , Bell received his PhD and at the time of publication was an associate professor of English and folklore at Wayne State University. In addition he has published a variety of articles on urban folklore in a number of scholarly journals.A quick search of the databases at Questia reveal a number of books that referred to The World from Brown's Lounge, but for the most parts these were merely listings in the bibliographies at the back of these books, although Loic Wacquant refers to it in 2004 as a â€Å"fine book† in Body & Soul: Notebooks of an Apprentice Boxer (181). All in all, Bell has adequate, if not impressive academic credentials in this area. The book could do with more careful editing. Although naturally the conversation among the patrons should not be edited, when Bell is providing narrative he should maintain consistent, grammatically correct standards.An example of a failure to do so is his inconsistent of his treatment of some words. For example, the term â€Å"m iddle-class† appears in the book's title and on page 1 and â€Å"middle class† on page 5 even though both are used to describe the same thing. Occasionally Bell uses questionable grammatical constructions that should be corrected as well. To his credit, Bell uses occasional inline citations and provides an extensive bibliography that is useful. The World from Brown's Lounge has no index, a feature that would prove useful to students and scholars using the text for literary searches.Due to the unusual meanings of many of the words used in the context of Brown's a glossary would be helpful as well. Ultimately the book is not particularly satisfying. Perhaps in 1972 when the research was done or in 1983 when the book was published the book had more impact, but in today's world The World from Brown's Lounge seems remarkably flat and uninteresting. One questions just what if anything Bell contributed to anthropological academic knowledge that justified his receiving a PhD wi th this dissertation supporting his candidacy, much less what justified its subsequent publication as a book.Although some of the play was interesting to read, Bell's over analysis reduced it the trivial. Bell's attempts to provide significance to ordinary conversations in a bar read more like long academic stretches in hopes of securing a doctorate than to do meaningful work. Works Cited Bell, Michael J. The World from Brown's Lounge: An Ethnography of Black Middle-Class Play. Urbana, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1983 Wacquant, Loic. Body & Soul: Notebooks of an Apprentice Boxer. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.

The Effects of HIV on the Body

HIV is a fascinating disease because of the fact that you do not actually die from the disease itself; you die from another, potentially harmless, disease, which your body cannot protect against due to its weakened immune system. In order to understand this better, it is important to understand how HIV affects the body. HIV weakens the body’s immune system by attacking T4 lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. These T4 helper cells are called this because they have a receptor molecule on their surface called, CD4. The T4 cells don’t create antibody but they are responsible for chemically communicating, using chemokine, with other white blood cells in order to â€Å"launch an attack† on a virus. The HIV cells contain two viral proteins that are directly involved in the process of infecting someone, these proteins are called gp41 and gp120. The â€Å"CD4 on the surface of the T cell allows for the docking of gp120; once docked, the gp120 changes its shape so that it can bind to the chemokine receptor (called CCR5), and fusion and entry of HIV take place after binding. Sherman p. 178)† It is not known exactly how the viral proteins deplete T4 cells but it is believed to â€Å"involve a depression in the ability to expand their numbers. (Sherman p. 178)† Once the T4 cells reach 400 to 800 cells/mm^3, as opposed to the healthy 1,000 or more T4 cells/mm^3, the first opportunistic infections can arise. This refers to infections that would normally not cause a disease, or a t least nothing life threatening, but given the bodies weakened immune system begins to cause serious health problems for the individual. After this point things become dangerous, but can still be turned around, however if a persons T4 count reaches 200, they officially have AIDS. Once someone has gotten AIDS, there is little to nothing a doctor can do because their immune system is so damaged that they can barely fight off a cold. At this point the person’s immune system is so damaged that they could very easily die from something like pneumonia or meningitis. As the infected decline further they become more and more susceptible to disease and even something like herpes, which is almost always not fatal, can cause death. Once a person reaches the 100 T4 cells/mm^3 mark there is no telling what could kill them, it could even be something as simple as a cold or influenza. The good news is that, although there are no cures for AIDS, there are some options for controlling HIV before it reaches the AIDS state. The first AIDS treatment, which is still used today, is an antitumor compound called azidothymidine (AZT). AZT was developed in 1964 by a pair of chemists-pharmacologists named George Hitchings and Gertrude Elion who had created several other antitumor drugs. AZT works by delaying â€Å"the onset of AIDS by inhibiting viral multiplication†¦AZT jam’s the cell’s copier and, in do doing, blocks the synthesis of new virus particles. (Sherman p. 184)† There are several other drugs called nucleoside analogs that also block the synthesis of viral nucleic acids, and are generally used along with AZT to make the famous â€Å"drug cocktail. † Another treatment option is a combination of protease inhibitors and reverse transcriptase inhibitors. The protease inhibitors work by preventing the viral enzyme, protease, from cutting viral proteins into shorter pieces. If short viral proteins cannot be produced then a complete virus cannot be assembled. The reverse transcriptase inhibitors work by blocking viral replication. This combination of drugs is able to significantly reduce virus production, up to 90-99%. The only problem with these treatments is that they are expensive and need to be taken daily. Although there is no cure for HIV/AIDS there is constant research being done on the possibility of creating some sort of vaccine that would be able to prevent HIV and, at least, slow the development of new HIV cell in those who are already infected. So far there have been some advancements but nothing has been created that would be effective or stable enough. That being said, the continuing efforts of the medical field and breakthroughs in treatment, we are moving closer and closer to the possibility of having some kind of vaccine and maybe someday a cure.