Saturday, November 30, 2019

Jonathan Kozol, Savage Inequalities Essays - Education Reform

Jonathan Kozol, Savage Inequalities The new millennium brings many advances in our children's learning. The introduction of technology and breakthrough teaching methods display a positive outlook for the educational system our children count on. Yet, this optimistic view is believed by many to be looked at through rose-colored glasses. Jonathan Kozol's Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools looks at the ways the government, the society, and the educational system fail poor children, especially poor African-American children, in the United States. Kozol's work, which examines six cities where he finds common problems, illustrates the key shortcomings that work against the education of the less fortunate. Kozol's major argument focuses on the notion that the United States government does not provide enough funding for the schooling of poor children; yet is generous with spending in districts where wealthier families reside. Therefore, the primary problem lies not with the children's capabilities, but within the structure of the system, which has let them down. This spending pattern is a fundamental part of public policy at all levels of government. Additionally, this financial inequality limits the rights of low-income children to obtain a solid education and limits their opportunities to become successful adults. Three major points need to be illustrated in the analysis of Kozol's work. First, it is important to express societies view of ?low income equals low performance', which translates into less obligation of the government to put forth a true effort to support education. Second, this analysis will show the low-income cities are not capable of surviving in the community with the support of the funds needed for a good education. This is further revealed through the political area that further perpetuates the problem. Third, this analysis will expose the separation of children in schools by income compounds the issue of segregation by forcing minority children to be surrounded by other low-income minority children, which creates a resentful, negative cycle. The nation is caught in a brutal cycle of educational, racial and socioeconomic inequity. Kozol argues that the only solution to this problem is the increased role of the government in the financial support of the less fortunate children and the under funded schools they attend. The prosperous families will not voluntarily help the poor, who cannot assist themselves in this case. This solution will be a difficult one to achieve, since the trend in the country is to cut back on government spending in all areas. Another trend is to have private resources fill in the gaps left by government cutbacks. However, as Kozol points out, Cutting back the role of government and then suggesting that the poor can turn to businessmen who lobbied for such cuts is cynical indeed (Kozol 82). Kozol's outlook is gripping because it takes aim at both the mind and the heart of the reader. He appeals to intellect by using statistics, which show that the nation has a segregated, and imbalanced school system, in which the rich receive better educations and the poor, especially minorities, receive less of an education. For example, he compares poor and wealthy school districts in San Antonio. The poor district spends $2800 yearly on each child's education, and 72 percent of children [in that district] read below grade level. In the wealthy district, $4600 is spent yearly on each child. In that district, virtually all students graduate and 88 percent of graduates go on to college (Kozol 224). He appeals to the heart by showing how this unjust school system is also an ethical and spiritual failure that will eat away at the soul of the nation. He also appeals to the heart of the reader by, as has been previously expressed, letting the children speak for themselves for the reason that the children are the victims of this system. One 14-year-old girl says, We have a school in East St. Louis named for Dr. King. The school is full of sewer water and the doors are locked with chains. Every student in that school is black. It's like terrible joke on history. (Kozol 35). Kozol is most effective because he shows his own fear and despair: East St. Louis will likely be left just as it is for a good many years to come: a scar

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

An Introductory History of Zambia

An Introductory History of Zambia The indigenous hunter-gatherer occupants of Zambia began to be displaced or absorbed by more advanced migrating tribes about 2,000 years ago. The major waves of Bantu-speaking immigrants began in the 15th century, with the greatest influx between the late 17th and early 19th centuries. They came primarily from the Luba and Lunda tribes of southern Democratic Republic of Congo and northern Angola Escaping the Mfecane In the 19th century, there was an additional influx by Ngoni peoples from the south escaping the Mfecane. By the latter part of that century, the various peoples of Zambia were largely established in the areas they currently occupy. David Livingstone at the Zambezi Except for an occasional Portuguese explorer, the area lay untouched by Europeans for centuries. After the mid-19th century, it was penetrated by Western explorers, missionaries, and traders. David Livingstone, in 1855, was the first European to see the magnificent waterfalls on the Zambezi River. He named the falls after Queen Victoria, and the Zambian town near the falls is named after him. Northern Rhodesia a British Protectorate In 1888, Cecil Rhodes, spearheading British commercial and political interests in Central Africa, obtained a mineral rights concession from local chiefs. In the same year, Northern and Southern Rhodesia (now Zambia and Zimbabwe, respectively) were proclaimed a British sphere of influence. Southern Rhodesia was annexed formally and granted self-government in 1923, and the administration of Northern Rhodesia was transferred to the British colonial office in 1924 as a protectorate. A Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland In 1953, both Rhodesias were joined with Nyasaland (now Malawi) to form the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. Northern Rhodesia was the center of much of the turmoil and crisis that characterized the federation in its last years. At the core of the controversy were insistent African demands for greater participation in government and European fears of losing political control. The Road to Independence A two-stage election held in October and December 1962 resulted in an African majority in the legislative council and an uneasy coalition between the two African nationalist parties. The council passed resolutions calling for Northern Rhodesias secession from the federation and demanding full internal self-government under a new constitution and a new national assembly based on a broader, more democratic franchise. A Troubled Start for the Republic of Zambia On December 31, 1963, the federation was dissolved, and Northern Rhodesia became the Republic of Zambia on October 24, 1964. At independence, despite its considerable mineral wealth, Zambia faced major challenges. Domestically, there were few trained and educated Zambians capable of running the government, and the economy was largely dependent on foreign expertise. Surrounded by Oppression Three of Zambias neighbors – Southern Rhodesia and the Portuguese colonies of Mozambique and Angola- remained under white-dominated rule. Rhodesias white-ruled government unilaterally declared independence in 1965. In addition, Zambia shared a border with South African-controlled South-West Africa (now Namibia). Zambias sympathies lay with forces opposing colonial or white-dominated rule, particularly in Southern Rhodesia. Supporting Nationalist Movements in Southern Africa During the next decade, it actively supported movements such as the Union for the Total Liberation of Angola (UNITA), the Zimbabwe African Peoples Union (ZAPU), the African National Congress of South Africa (ANC), and the South-West Africa Peoples Organization (SWAPO). The Struggle Against Poverty Conflicts with Rhodesia resulted in the closing of Zambias borders with that country and severe problems with international transport and power supply. However, the Kariba hydroelectric station on the Zambezi River provided sufficient capacity to satisfy the countrys requirements for electricity. A railroad to the Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam, built with Chinese assistance, reduced Zambian dependence on railroad lines south to South Africa and west through an increasingly troubled Angola. By the late 1970s, Mozambique and Angola had attained independence from Portugal. Zimbabwe achieved independence in accordance with the 1979 Lancaster House agreement, but Zambias problems were not solved. Civil war in the former Portuguese colonies generated refugees and caused continuing transportation problems. The Benguela Railroad, which extended west through Angola, was essentially closed to traffic from Zambia by the late 1970s. Zambias strong support for the ANC, which had its external headquarters in Lusaka, created security problems as South Africa raided ANC targets in Zambia. In the mid-1970s, the price of copper, Zambias principal export, suffered a severe decline worldwide. Zambia turned to foreign and international lenders for relief, but as copper prices remained depressed, it became increasingly difficult to service its growing debt. By the mid-1990s, despite limited debt relief, Zambias per capita foreign debt remained among the highest in the world. Source Text from Public Domain material, US Department of State Background Notes.

Friday, November 22, 2019

How to Create and Use DLLs in Delphi

How to Create and Use DLLs in Delphi A Dynamic Link Library (DLL) is a collection of routines (small programs) that that can be called by applications and other DLLs. Like units, they contain code or resources that can be shared between multiple applications. The concept of DLLs is the core of the Windows architectural design, and for the most part, Windows is simply a collection of DLLs. With Delphi, you can write and use your own DLLs and even call functions regardless of whether or not they were developed with other systems or developers, like Visual Basic, or C/C. Creating a Dynamic Link Library The following few lines will demonstrate how to create a simple DLL using Delphi. For the beginning start Delphi and navigate to File New DLL to build a new DLL template. Select the default text and replace it with this: library TestLibrary;uses SysUtils, Classes, Dialogs;procedure DllMessage; export;begin ShowMessage(Hello world from a Delphi DLL) ; end;exports DllMessage;beginend. If you look at the project file of any Delphi application, you’ll see that it starts with the reserved word program. By contrast, DLLs always start with library and then a uses clause for any units. In this example, the DllMessage procedure follows, which doesnt do anything but show a simple message. At the end of the source code is an exports statement which lists the routines that are actually exported from the DLL in a way that they can be called by another application. What this means is that you can have, say, five procedures in a DLL and only two of them (listed in the exports section) can be called from an external program (the remaining three are sub procedures). In order to use this DLL, we have to compile it by pressing CtrlF9. This should create a DLL called SimpleMessageDLL.DLL in your projects folder. Finally, lets take a look at how to call the DllMessage procedure from a statically loaded DLL. To import a procedure contained in a DLL, you can use the keyword external in the procedure declaration. For example, given the DllMessage procedure shown above, the declaration in the calling application would look like this: procedure DllMessage; external SimpleMessageDLL.dll The actual call to a procedure is nothing more than: DllMessage; The entire code for a Delphi form (name: Form1), with a TButton (named Button1) that calls the DLLMessage function, looks something like this: unit Unit1;interface uses Windows, Messages, SysUtils, Variants, Classes, Graphics, Controls, Forms, Dialogs, StdCtrls; type TForm1 class(TForm) Button1: TButton; procedure Button1Click(Sender: TObject) ;private{ Private declarations }public{ Public declarations }end;var Form1: TForm1; procedure DllMessage; external SimpleMessageDLL.dllimplementation {$R *.dfm} procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject) ;begin DllMessage; end;end.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

SUMMARY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

SUMMARY - Essay Example Alternatively a light meal on a fasting day may make this approach more viable. During Ramadan Muslims desist from eating between dawn and dusk. An assessment was conducted and its aim was to scrutinize the effects of fasting on behavioral and physiological variables in healthy subjects (Rocky, et al., .2004). It was noted that Ramadan fasting did not have any impact on the metabolism of proteins, lipids or carbohydrates. Some studies have however shown that this kind of fasting affects the circadian supply of body temperature, melatonin, glycemia, and cortisol. Occurrences of road accidents are high during this period a factor that can be attributed to Biological and behavioral changes common during Ramadan. Rocky et al., (2004) conducted a study, on the effect of alternative fasting on aerobic and anaerobic exercise performance in judo athletes, continuing their usual training. The results that obtained showed that the fasting had a small impact on aerobic performance. It was also observed that experienced athletes can preserve enough energy and train normal during the fasting period. Kumar & Kaur (2013) conducted a research on how dietary restriction negatively affected reproduction. The study was intended to explore the effects of negative energy occasioned by intermittent fasting on young female and male rats. It was noted that, changes in body weight, testeron and blood glucose showed the negative role of diet restriction on the reproduction of this animals. It was concluded that the fasting regimen negatively impacts reproduction in young animals, and this was also able to explain the basis of nutritional infertility. It was also noted that women who fail to eat enough food to match their energy expenditure often develop clinical cases of anorexia nervosa. Monica, et al., (2012) conducted a research to determine the level at which weight loss can be boosted if alternate fasting is combined with calorie restriction. The study examined the effects

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Mortality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Mortality - Essay Example Mortality affects humans only when alive and upon losing an acquaintance, partner, or family member. Mortality is the darkest concept a human can contemplate. Humans go to great lengths to avoid their mortality. Countless searches for objects to prolong an individual’s life such as the Fountain of Youth, the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Grail, and other objects that will allow a human’s immortality. â€Å"Epic of Gilgamesh† tells of Gilgamesh’s effort to stay awake or walking on the bottom of the sea in order to obtain immortality. If Gilgamesh part God is searching for immortality, then mere mortals searching is understandable. Humans are willing to pay for immortality. Twilight, Highlander, and other immortal creatures lose something for their immortality. Vampires must walk in the dark with an undying thirst for blood. The Immortals of Highlander must constantly battle other Immortals and live longer than the humans they loved. Still most humans think they want immortality despite the cost. One of the pros of mortality is a short lifespan. For an example, many individuals want more life. Imagine the possibilities of men like Bill Gates, Martin Luther King, Socrates, Alexander the Great, Abraham Lincoln along with many others if they had lived an immortal life. The possibilities would be endless. The pain at losing individuals like the ones above and other important people is another con of mortality. The hurt of a loved one dying is strong. The heartbroken often want to die in order to be with a loved. The dead are not concerned anymore. A short life and pain during times of death are cons of mortality. Illness and pain are another pro of mortality. Enkidu languished from an illness in pain for awhile before expiring. A cancer patient, mentally ill individual locked away, or anyone else with a painful disease prays for death upon a daily basis. Mortality is an escape from the pain of their failing bodies.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Case Analysis Essay Example for Free

Case Analysis Essay This case focuses on how Toyota as a vehicle manufacturer is looking to get more people to migrate from gas powered vehicles to environment friendly hybrid car variety. The case looks at the automobile market and specifically the hybrid and fuel cell category market in great detail. The automobile industry in general is highly dependent on government regulations and legislatures. There were a lot of pro hybrid and pro Fuel cell legislations that were passed by the California State government which the experts felt that was a matter of time before it would be adopted by other states and would soon become Federal Law. The general trend amidst American customers has been to move from larger cars of American manufacturers to the smaller and better fuel efficiency Japanese cars. It has also been noted that with time the acceptability of hybrid vehicles has been increasing and some states like California are adopting it more easily than others like Memphis. Technologically, whilst Fuel Cells were the cleanest form of vehicle power available, studies had proved that the total impact of extracting hydrogen and then using it in a cell was even greater than a gas powered vehicle. Also, experts felt that it will be 10-20 more years before the fuel cell technology is strong enough. Toyota had invested and committed to developing capacity for the hybrid vehicles while its competition had only looked at hybrids as a temporary fix and were lobbying against certain laws. If imposed, these laws would result in a much higher demand of hybrids. The new hybrid technologies put in place by Toyota also ensured the same driving experience as with other American muscles cars. Problem Definition : The Problem in front of Toyota was simple. Although the Prius had done reasonably well , it was still largely a niche product. Toyota now wanted to move from that stage into mainstream acceptance. It wanted to move up the bell curve into the growth phase of its PLC. Most of the Prius buyers were â€Å"Innovators and Early Adopters – people who had the understanding of technological products and those belonging to urban and semiurban areas. As a company Toyota now had to take Prius and make it more acceptable to the late adaptors and induce people to buy hybrids. Alternatives : The advertising and marketing campaigns of Prius have always revolved around its technical superiority over all other gas powered vehicles while still maintaining the basic performance attributes. However at this stage of the PLC, Prius has to communicate and connect to new customers at an emotional level. Since Late adopters and laggards usually tend to have a delegatory buying behavior, they often tend to make decisions based less on technical aspects of the product. Thus the marketing campaign should focus on portraying the act of being caring about the planet a desirable trait in people. It should also depict the ownership of Prius as a point of Pride – as a medallion of one’s contribution to the planet’s wellbeing. To overcome geographical and demographic biases, the ads should depict different kinds of people, men and women from different states, professions and backgrounds displaying their pride at owning a Prius. Owning a Hybrid should be portrayed as a patriotic duty of every car owner in order to protect the environment and thereby the future of the nation. The more interior states of Memphis and others could use some American Celebs who the people identifies with become brand ambassadors for promoting Hybrid technology. The other possible method could be to focus the attention of the customer to the overall benefit of shifting to a Hybrid both in financial terms and otherwise. The advantage of using such a strategy will be that the differences will be highly tangible and therefore very easy to communicate. At the same time, it will continue to focus on technicalities alone and may be continue to appeal to the technical bent of innovators and early adopters only, in which case it will be difficult to graduate to the next phase of the PLC. Also, we need to understand that the American consumer is not very much price sensitive when it comes to cars, and therefore might not respond to the financial benefit appeal. Recommended Alternatives: The more sensible foot forward would be to primarily work on consumer’s acceptance of the product at a psychological level. This can be achieved if the product can establish an emotional connect with the consumers and then move ahead from there. Thus Toyota has to work on making Prius a preferred brand my making it more American and a more responsible choice. Implementation plans : ? ? ? ? Shift from a technical attribute focus to a more emotional focus Work on advertising campaigns along different media channels to project Prius as the obvious least that one could do to keep the planet clean. Reach out to the semi urban and rural consumer by focusing on how a hybrid makes sense for consumers of different ages, class and category. Make the brand more acceptable to them by using local celebs and building confidence and identity with the brand product.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

A lEsson Befor dying Essay -- essays research papers

A Lesson Before Dying For my final book review I read the novel A Lesson Before Dying By Ernest J. Gains. The book took place in the 1940 right after the great depression. A society stricken by poverty is depicted early in the book. The atmosphere in the first chapter is leading us into the idea of: how can justice prevail in a society dominated by a single group of people? If this story took place in modern day I believe that question would not be as relevant as it is in the forty’s.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Grant Wiggins, one of the main characters is a teacher at an elementary school, Grant is a very bitter man for being so young, maybe it is because he has known nothing but segregation and racisms his whole life, growing up in Louisiana. Over the course of the novel, he learns to accept responsibility for his own life, for his relations with other people, and for the condition of Southern society. Jefferson is another one of the main characters; Jefferson is a black man who is described as being sensitive and kind of stupid. Jefferson is accused for a murder and faces the death penalty, he becomes very depressed waiting on death row because he feel so worthless in a white dominate world, but Grant befriends him and helps him out before he dies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jefferson is convicted of murder, while in his cell the hears his own lawyer call him a hog, this upsets him very much and he realizes how the white dominate the world and that justice can no...

Monday, November 11, 2019

Black Mans Burden

It's has been a very discussed topic whether the color of ones skin still can be a burden in today's society or not. For Instance are the black people, and especially In South America racism Is a big Issue. Thus racism Is weakened compared to centuries ago, it is still present in not only a big part of America but in the rest of the world as well. Racism is one of the main issues, that the American author Kisses Layman is dealing with in his writings.Layman is black himself and in his work â€Å"How to slowly Kill Yourself and Others In America† he shows us his personally story, which Is filled tit trials and reflections that lightens under-appreciated aspects of the modern American life. In the following essay will be examining a remembrance of Layman's essay from the web magazine Gawkier, which was published the 28 of July 2012, to see how Layman gets his intention across. Layman grew up in Mississippi with a childhood embossed of racism and violence. This was a part of his everyday life.To outline the central problem that this text is dealing with, it is important to emphasize that ones skin color is still very important In many societies today. For Instance there Is the real life episode with the Police Officer Darrel Wilson who shot and killed the arrear old young black unarmed man named Michael Brown. These racially issues are the ones Layman has been struggled with during his upbringing. It is therefore these issues he wants to draw attention to In his essay. Layman speaks of personal experiences In his works, and this type of argumentation Is called ethos.He Is using ethos to emphasize the burden that comes with for blacks in a white-controlled society. I believe that Layman's intention with his writings is to make people live their lives as they wish and intend to. That is why freedom† Is a very Important point In Layman's writings. This is further shown In the essay: â€Å"How free can you be If you really accept that white folks are the traffic cops of your life? Mama tells me that she is not talking about freedom. She says that she is talking about survival. 1 This quotation is very important, because it highlights Layman's life values compared to Layman's mother, who always taught him to be well behaved In a society controlled by white people. Layman was well behaved In his early years, but after several years of being treated badly, Just because of his skin-color, Layman had had enough. Layman became a boy with a lot of anger and frustration, and I think that through his writings he got vent for his feelings. First of all he starts in medias race: â€Å"I've had guns pulled on me by four people under Central Mississippi skies†¦ 2 This dramatic and brutal start is very catchy. Secondly the language in his essay is very brutal and dramatic as well. He Is using words like gun, Niger and buck, which have a negative connotation. Thirdly he Is using flashbacks In a way that I haven't read before. Layman is over all writing about his young days in Mississippi, but sometimes he is OFF further shown in the essay: â€Å"16 months later, I'm 18, three years older than Edward Evans will be when he is shot in the head behind an abandoned home in Jackson. 3 By using this very unspectacular way of writing, he gets to his audience with the way of persuasion called pathos, where he is relating to the feelings. These parallels that he is using are episodes, which have happened in the last couple of years. He therefore achieves to make his past familiar with the racially issues that goes on today. The only difference is that he has survived, and the kids he is relating to have men killed. Likely because of racially issues.One of the persons who did not support his strong opinions was his mother. Layman therefore took distance to his mother, when she once pulled a gun to his face. To Layman this complex of problem was about the freedom that the black people weren't in possession of in Mississippi. To L ayman's mother it was a matter of survival, and therefore it was very important to her that they would fit in as much as possible. Thus Layman has gotten death treats; it has not stopped him from writing or drawing attention to these issues.Overall, Layman is using ethos to make his audience relate as much as possible through his personal experiences during his upbringing in Mississippi. An episode that Layman uses and which supports the theme racism is when an undercover â€Å"white† cop once pulled a gun at him. We most assume that this cop, called John Deere, pulls a gun at Layman, Troy, Cleat and Leighton because of their skin color since Deere shouts â€Å"Niger lovers† at them. By using ethos Layman achieves to get his audience attention since Layman's personal experiences are truthful, chocking and provocative.His writings however are aimed to a wide American target audience, and since Layman is a very intelligent and proficient writer, I think, that he achieves to get a lot of peoples' attention. He writes in a very special way, which catches the audience attention very quickly. All in all, the remembrance is a display of Layman's personal life where racism and violence is still present. Layman wants to draw attention to racism and violence. He wants people to say yes to life instead of letting some people being the â€Å"traffic cops† in your life, because of the burden that comes with when you are colored.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Music Therapy Essay

Music therapy is the use of music by health care professionals to promote healing and enhance quality of life for their patients. Music therapy may be used to encourage emotional expression, promote social interaction, relieve symptoms, and for other purposes. Music therapists may use active or passive methods with patients, depending on the individual patient’s needs and abilities. The idea of music as a healing influence which could affect health and behavior is as least as old as the writings of Aristotle and Plato. Native Americans and other indigenous groups have used music to enhance traditional healing practices for centuries. Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners have used music for healing. Traditional ragas (â€Å"melodic modes† used in classical music in India) have also been used to create different states of mind for healing. The 20th century profession formally began after World War I and World War II when community musicians of all types, both amateur and professional, went to Veterans hospitals around the country to play for the thousands of veterans suffering both physical and emotional trauma from the wars. The patients’ notable physical and emotional responses to music led the doctors and nurses to request the hiring of musicians by the hospitals. It was soon evident that the hospital musicians needed some prior training before entering the facility and so the demand grew for a college curriculum. A very brief historical glimpse of this fascinating profession follows, below. The earliest known reference to music therapy appeared in 1789 in an unsigned article in Columbian Magazine titled â€Å"Music Physically Considered.† In the early 1800s, writings on the therapeutic value of music appeared in two medical dissertations, the first published by Edwin Atlee (1804) and the second by Sam uel Mathews (1806). Atlee and Mathews were both students of Dr. Benjamin Rush, a physician and psychiatrist who was a strong proponent of using music to treat medical diseases. The 1800s also saw the first recorded music therapy intervention in an institutional setting (Blackwell’s Island in New York) as well as the first recorded systematic experiment in music therapy (Corning’s use of music to alter dream states during psychotherapy). Early associations with the interest in music therapy continued to gain support during the early 1900s leading to the formation of several  short-lived associations. In 1903, Eva Augusta Vescelius founded the National Society of Musical Therapeutics. In 1926, Isa Maud Ilsen founded the National Association for Music in Hospitals. And in 1941, Harriet Ayer Seymour founded the National Foundation of Music Therapy. Although these organizations contributed the first journals, books, and educational courses on music therapy, they unfortunately were not able to develop an organized clinical profession. In the 1940s, three persons began to emerge as innovators and key players in the development of music therapy as an organized clinical profession. Psychiatrist and music therapist Ira Altshuler, MD promoted music therapy in Michigan for three decades. Willem van de Wall pioneered the use of music therapy in state-funded facilities and wrote the first â€Å"how to† music therapy text, Music in Institutions (1936). E. Thayer Gaston, known as the â€Å"father of music therapy,† was instrumental in moving the profession forward in terms of an organizational and educational standpoint. The first music therapy college training programs were also created in the 1940s. Michigan State University established the first academic program in music therapy (1944) and other universities followed suit, including the University of Kansas, Chicago Musical College, College of the Pacific, and Alverno College. I was going to pick a few of these and talk about them but, all in all, music therapy helps so many people that I will talk about the overall outcome of what music therapy does for everyone I have listed: Children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly with mental health needs, developmental and learning disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease and other aging related conditions, substance abuse problems, brain injuries, physical disabilities, and acute and chronic pain, including mothers in labor, plus soldiers with PTSD. Scientific studies have shown the value of music therapy on the body, mind, and spirit of children and adults. Researchers have found that music therapy, when used with anti-nausea drugs for patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy, can help ease nausea and vomiting. A number of clinical trials have shown the benefit of music therapy for short-term pain, including pain from cancer. Some studies have suggested that music may help decrease the overall intensity of the patient’s experience of pain when used with pain-relieving drugs. Music therapy can also result in decreased need for pain medicine in some patients, although studies on this topic have shown  mixed results. In hospice patients, one study found that music therapy improved comfort, relaxation, and pain control. Another study found that quality of life improved in cancer patients who received music therapy, even as it declined in those who did not. No differences were seen in survival between the 2 groups. A more recent clinical trial looked at the effects of music during the course of several weeks of radiation treatments. The researchers found that while emotional distress (such as anxiety) seemed to be helped at the beginning of treatment, the patients reported that this effect gradually decreased. Music did not appear to help such symptoms as pain, fatigue, and depression over the long term. Other clinical trials have revealed a reduction in heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, insomnia, depression, and anxiety with music therapy. No one knows all the ways music can benefit the body, but studies have shown that music can affect brain waves, brain circulation, and stress hormones. These effects are usually seen during and shortly after the music therapy. Studies have shown that students who take music lessons have improved IQ levels, and show improvement in nonmusical abilities as well. Other studies have shown that listening to music composed by Mozart produces a short-term improvement in tasks that use spatial abilities. Studies of brain circulation have shown that people listening to Mozart have more activity in certain areas of the brain. This has been called the â€Å"Mozart effect.† Although the reasons for this effect are not completely clear, this kind of information supports the idea that music can be used in many helpful ways. Music affects people in ways that no other art or therapy can match; it distracts the mind, slows the body’s rhythms, alters moods, and influences behavior. It seems that music holds universal appeal and provides a bridge in a non-threatening setting between people and individuals within their environment. It facilitates relationships, learning, self-expression and communication. Music captures and helps maintain attention, it is highly-motivating and can be used as a natural â€Å"fortifier† for desired responses. Music therapy can enable people without verbal communication to communicate, participate and express themselves nonverbally. It also ass ists in the development of verbal communication, speech, and language skills. Music provides concrete, multi-layer/sensory stimulation, in visual, tactile, vestibular, and auditory. Researchers have shown that the power of rhythmic drumming helps  those with motor control illnesses, such as Parkinson’s disease. In that it uses regular tempo and rhythms to overcome their fast, slow and sometimes frozen moments. Using music in labor and delivery, helps the mother with improved abilities to walk and decreased pain in labor. In children fighting cancer exposed to singing showed an increase of the antibody IgA – a key component in stimulating immune system that helps the body fight the disease. For those with profound cognitive impairments, autism, and mental and physical disabilities, their brains respond more easily to music therapy than to speech. When in tachycardia, cardiac patients were able to reduce their heart rates to 50-60 beats per minute when listening to music that was exactly 50-60 beats a minute. Mentally handicapped children participating in music therapy programs has increased concentration, performance, self-control, and improved speech. For chronic pain patients, bringing into resonance the vibrations of pain with the vibrations of music alters the psychological perception of pain – even altering the pain or eliminating it. Increasing brainwaves has proven effective for people with ADHD and ADD, and various other learning disabilities. Slowing down the brainwaves has shown to help patients get to sleep, relax, find passion and happiness. The ability of music to change our mood seems to be related to the production of different chemicals in the brain. Endorphins triggered by music listening and music-making provide a kind of natural pain relief, where dopamine leads to feelings of buoyancy, optimism, energy and power. Impacts are even more potent for group music-making, because shared, positive experiences also release oxytocin, a brain tool for building trust. In this way, musical relationships develop encouraging non-verbal and emotional expression and building self-esteem, motivation and confidence. Symposium organizer Gabe Turow, a visiting scholar at the time in Stanford’s Department of Music, compared the effects of music therapy to taking medication. â€Å"We may be sitting on one of the most widely available and cost effective therapeutic modalities that has ever existed†, he also stated â€Å"Systematically, this could be like taking a pill. Listening to music seems to be able to change brain functioning to the same extent as medications, in many circumstances.†

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Human Resources Management Example

Human Resources Management Example Human Resources Management – Article Example Human Resources Management Affiliation: The gay rights factor in the societal context continues to elicit mixed reactions all over the world. This contentious issue has critically been integrated into the human resource domain. Over the years, gay rights have evolved to encompass employment rights and nondiscrimination of the gay based on sexual orientation. In his article, Exxon Defies Calls to Add Gays to Anti-Bias Policy, Stewart (2013) explores gay rights in the human resource context using Exxon Mobil as the casing point.Protection of employees against discrimination is a practice that many states in the U.S. advocate for. This advocacy has essentially become socially sensitive to encompass gay rights in the employment environment. However, this has not deterred some companies from defying the call to formulate and implement policies that safeguard gay persons against discrimination in employment. Exxon Mobil is one of those companies. The company has persistently defied the cal l to include gays in its anti-bias policy in the United States (Stewart, 2013).Exxon Mobil continues to act against social pressure in the United States. Mounting social pressure in the United States has progressively supported nondiscriminatory policies relative to gay rights. In this respect, there is a persistent call by the society to have discrimination of the gay at work eliminated. However, employers like Exxon Mobil have argued their case for or against discrimination of gays based on their sexual orientation. Interestingly, the company defies the gay employees’ rights call in the United States but supports the same bid in other countries across the globe.ReferenceStewart, J. B. (2013). â€Å"Exxon Defies Calls to Add Gays to Anti-Bias Policy†. New York Times, May 24. Available online at: nytimes.com/2013/05/25/business/a-corporate- giants-missing-support-for-gay-rights.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Eutectic Definition and Examples

Eutectic Definition and Examples A eutectic system is a homogeneous, solid mixture of two or more substances that form a super-lattice; the mixture either melts or solidifies at a lower temperature than the melting point of any of the individual substances. The phrase most commonly refers to a mixture of alloys. A eutectic system only forms when there is a specific ratio between the components. The word comes from the Greek words eu, meaning good or well and tecsis, meaning melting. Examples of Eutectic Systems Several examples of eutectic systems or eutectoids exist, in metallurgy and in various other fields. These mixtures typically have useful properties that are not possessed by any single constituent substance: Sodium chloride and water form a eutectoid when the mixture is 23.3% salt by mass with a eutectic point at -21.2 degrees Celsius. The system is used to make ice cream and to melt ice and snow.The eutectic point of the mixture of ethanol and water is nearly pure ethanol. The value means there is a maximum proof or purity of alcohol that can be obtained using distillation.Eutectic alloys are often used for soldering. A typical composition is 63% tin and 37% lead by mass.Eutectoid glassy metals exhibit extreme corrosion resistance and strength.Inkjet printer ink is a eutectic mixture, permitting printing at a relatively low temperature.Galinstan is a liquid metal alloy (composed of gallium, indium, and tin) used as a low-toxicity replacement for mercury. Related Terms Concepts and terms related to eutectic systems include: Eutectoid: Eutectoid refers to a homogeneous solid mixture that forms from cooling two or more melted metals to a certain temperature.Eutectic Temperature or Eutectic Point: The eutectic temperature is the lowest possible melting temperature for all of the mixing ratios of the component substances in a eutectoid. At this temperature, the super-lattice will release all of its components and the eutectic system will melt into a liquid as a whole. Contrast this with a non-eutectic mixture, in which each component will solidify into a lattice at its own specific temperature until the whole material eventually becomes solid.Eutectic Alloy: A eutectic alloy is an alloy formed from two or more components that exhibits eutectic behavior. A eutectic alloy melts at a distinct temperature. Not all binary alloys form eutectic alloys. For example, gold-silver does not form a eutectoid, as the valence electrons are not compatible with super-lattice formation.Eutectic Percentage Ratio: This is defi ned as the relative composition of the components of a eutectic mixture. The composition, particularly for binary mixtures, is often shown on a phase diagram. Hypoeutectic and Hypereutectic: These terms apply to compositions that could form a eutectoid, but do not have the appropriate ratio of component substances. A hypoeutectic system has a smaller percentage of ÃŽ ² and a greater percentage of ÃŽ ± than a eutectic composition, while a hypereutectic system has a greater percentage of ÃŽ ± and a lower percentage of ÃŽ ² than a eutectic composition.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Grounding for the metaphysics of morals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Grounding for the metaphysics of morals - Essay Example can only be achieved when individuals in a community act in such a way, as they would expect others to act towards them thus resulting in a free community with members serving their purpose. In such a community, each individual lives by the same set of rules that he applies to others (the law is applied universally and there are no exceptions). As a result, each individual acts as the law and at the same time cooperates harmoniously with others to achieve autonomy. This he called the kingdom of ends which has law as its formal ordering principle. A categorical imperative whereby any action commanded should be done because it is the right thing and not because the action will be rewarded should be incorporated. Members of a community should not be the subjects to the rule of law but the lawmakers because of the universal way by which they act. Any member can impose on another member a law that they would impose on themselves and not treat another as a means to an end rather as an equal entity. Morally, one is required to conform to the rule of law freely to enable the community to be self-regulating and enable the members to be free. Any action that is unjust is deemed