Friday, November 29, 2019

Assess the view that Rousseaus social contract is totalitarian

Introduction Many theorists suggest that a family forms the first model of political society. This is mainly because parents are relieved of their duties of caring for children once they reach adulthood. Similarly, children are relieved of complete obedience to their parents at adulthood. Moreover, family bonds and obligations are practically broken. In fact, whatever remains is voluntary. It signifies an opportunity for children to be masters of their own destiny.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Assess the view that Rousseau’s social contract is totalitarian specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is the basic unit of political society, in which people are born free but everywhere they remain in chain. The expression is according to Rousseau who asserts that modern states have the habit of repressing freedom, which is everyone’s birthright. Moreover, he faults them for neglecting civil freedom, which is the main reason for joining civil society. He therefore believes that legitimate political power can only be achieved through social contract. This paper will assess the view that social contract is totalitarian (Rousseau, 1762 p. 1). Rousseau’s social contract According to Rousseau, people are denied freedom, which is their birthright. He therefore believed that for considerable freedom to be exercised in any given society, it requires a legitimate government or political authority. Moreover, this authority must be attained through social contract. It is also quite important to note that the social contract must be accepted by all residents for mutual protection. In this regard, he defines sovereign as a collective grouping of all individuals of a political society and maintains that it should be taken like an individual. In this sense, as far as an individual has a particular aim or goal in life for his or her best interest, a political society or sovereign have a gener al will that aims or fights for a common goal. Therefore, as much as the sovereign is absolute in its authority, it also has authority on issues of public interest or concern. In conclusion, Rousseau’s verdict to those who violate social contract is death. According to Rousseau, an alien lawgiver is mandated with the responsibility of creating abstract as well as general laws. Moreover, it is in these laws that the general will is clearly expressed. In addition, he alludes to the fact that a government is required to perform executive duties along with sovereign in exercising legislative powers. The government is therefore mandated with the responsibility of running day-to-day activities in society. There are several forms of governments namely, monarchy, democracy and aristocracy, among others. However, the form of government lies heavily on its size. For instance, monarchy is considered as the strongest of all forms of government. Moreover, according to Rousseau, it serves the largest population and is suited for hot climates. He also argues that aristocracies are the best form of government and usually more stable than the rest. Rousseau also maintains those sovereigns is always distinct from government and therefore are always in constant friction. In this regard, this friction has the propensity of destroying a state. It is therefore important that the state remains healthy for stability and longer reign, which may last centuries.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Rousseau continues by pointing out that citizens implement their sovereignty through periodic and regular meetings. It is quite important to note that rarely does everyone attend these meetings; however, this is necessary for a healthy state. He also insists that use of representatives in these meetings endangers well being of a state especially since the general will cannot be heard. In ess ence, he thinks that citizens should note vote for their personal needs, rather they should do so in the interest of general will. Furthermore, results attained from these votes ought to approach unanimity. This is where the rule of supermajority links as it ensures that the general will is heard. Rousseau uses an example of Roman republic to sink his view of social contract and the concept of general will. Social Contract can thus be defines as an agreement that enables an individual to join a civil society. It therefore binds that individual into society or community that exists in the interest of communal protection. In this respect, such individuals loose the right to do whatever they want albeit they get civil freedom, which allows them to act and think morally and rationally. Therefore, Rousseau maintains that we can achieve human status by going into social contract (Schwartzberg, 2008, p. 403-423). The general Will Rousseau uses the concept of general will to assert his argu ment on a legitimate political society. He believes that a general will can only be achieved through inclusion of all members of society. This is contradictory to the current practices where representatives are elected to vote on behalf of citizens. He believes that this form of law making is contradictory to the needs of a people and therefore acts to serve personal needs and not the general will. In this regard, he defines general will, as that will of sovereign, which aims at achieving a common good even though each member of a society is known to have his/her will. This is not expressed in the general will. In fact, general will express the will of a state, which covers everyone. No wonder, he insists that everyone should be involved in such decisions since representatives may at times forward their own personal interests as is witnessed all over the world’s democracies. The general will is thus described as will of all, which can refer to the sum total of individual will . However, this is only possible in a healthy state. In a state experiencing friction between sovereign and government, the general will differs from will of all. This is mainly because what is known to be general will, may sometimes be infiltrated by personal interests at the highest levels. This causes jittery and animosity between sovereign and government and may lead to fall of a state. General will is therefore very important and must concur with will of all, in order to achieve a healthy state (Schwartzberg, 2008, p. 403-423).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Assess the view that Rousseau’s social contract is totalitarian specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Democracy There are several forms of governments in the contemporary world. These include democracy, aristocracy, and monarchy, among others. According to Rousseau, the form of government depends on its size. For example, monarchy is considered as st rongest of all the various forms of government. Furthermore, he maintains that Monarchy serves the largest population and is suitable for hot climates. In addition, Rousseau argues that aristocracies are the best form of government, which last for centuries. Rousseau faults modern democracies for demeaning their subjects and sovereign. For instance, modern democracies have representatives that are supposed to enact laws on behalf of citizens. However, this is not entirely true. In fact, while some legislators go for their own interests, other push for ideologies over and above what their constituents want. This has caused jittery and acrimony in most countries with continual replacement of representatives during elections. Nonetheless, it continues to haunt them, as the trend of presenting personal thoughts continues. Rousseau tries to determine the possibility of achieving freedom, as it should be and not in its present form where self interest takeover power and utilize it, as the y want. In fact, it is for this reason that he goes for concurrence between the general will and will of all. However, current democracies do not offer such provisions. In fact, they claim that Rousseau’s theories are impracticable in modern world and require an ideal world that can heed to most people’s wants. In essence, as much as democracy tries to achieve concurrence in issues and freedom, it fails to reach its minimum threshold in Rousseau’s view (Estlund, Waldron, Grofman Feld, 1989, p. 1317-1340). Super majority Will of all refers to the total sum of all individuals will. When this total sum or will of all exceeds other factors, it can be described as a simple majority. In essence, a simple majority may encompass many variables but only the winner is taken as absolute even if the sum total of other losers exceeds that of the winner. However, this is quite different from super majority. In fact, this is where the will of all can be achieved in Rousseauâ €™s view. Therefore, super majority can only be achieved if the winner exceeds the sum total of all other losers. In this respect, it may be right to say that general will concurs with will of all if it is represented by a super majority. According to Rousseau, general will, must approach unanimity for it to be inclusive of all participants. This can only be achieved through votes that make up for a super majority. Some theories have however, linked Rousseau’s view on votes with epismestic reasons (Cohen, 1986, p. 257-297).Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Discussion This discussion is aimed at assessing whether Rousseau’s social contract is totalitarian. According to Rousseau’s social contract, people should be guided by a general will attained through super majority votes. In light of this, it can be a wonderful system of government if everyone has the same line of thought. However, this is not the case in modern world, where capitalism makes people unequal. To some extent, it can apply in an aristocratic form of government where everyone seems to know where they belong and therefore gives up their freedom to a stronger power. The mere fact that one gives up his or her right to a general will, which may at times differ from the will of all, makes it dependent the executive. However, this has proven to be a failure even though it acts to achieve common goals. The Romans used a similar system and it helped them achieve most of their goals. However, it denied basic rights to captives as well as citizens. To this extent, I can say that Rousseau’s social contract is totalitarian. Furthermore, the fact that those who do not follow social contract are punishable by death makes it totalitarian. True liberty can be achieved through freedom. This allows creativity and innovation, among others. Designing basic line of thought, behavior and action can act to deny deserving people their right to participation in critical activities. Moreover, the states agenda should be well represented in the community, with the possibility of letting variant views to prove their worth. Besides, it is not true that majority are always right. In fact, it has been shown beyond doubt that geniuses are very few, and this is same for significant ideologies. This is mainly because general will, may suffer from group psychology, which at times renders critical analysis useless. In this sense, use of Rousseau’s social contract in a state is likely to skew them towards a totalitarian government (Cohen, 1986, p. 257-297) . Totalitarian Regimes Different regimes have emerged over the years. However of great concern is the links between authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. Authoritarian regimes are those that dictate what its subject does. In this sense, orders are channeled from the executive for people to follow. It is quite important to note that totalitarian regimes usually rule by amassing total support from all its citizens. This is usually achieved through many ways, some of which include threatening their lives and propaganda, among others. In this regard, it is essential to note that totalitarian rule may be detrimental to society especially if infiltrated by personal needs of those tasked with exercising government duties. This is mainly because people come from different backgrounds, cultures and lines of thought. It is therefore impossible for them to think in the same line and submit completely to a super majority general will. This has the propensity of denying some people their right to thoughts and freedom of speech, among others (Rousseau, 1762 p. 1). Assertion I tend to think that Rousseau’s social contract is inclined towards a totalitarian government. This is mainly because people have different views in life. Therefore forcing them to give up their right to some government without credibility of sustaining such rights can lead to totalitarian government. Most regimes that run totalitarian government claim to derive support from all their subjects. This has led to conflicts when it matures. For instance, Libyan governments as well as those of the Far East like China and North Korea tend to skew towards totalitarian government. However, they claim to have majority support from people who suffer daily to make ends meet. It is quite necessary to note that such regimes usually come as result of social contract. They may begin in an exceptional manner but later on turn into totalitarian government. In other words, Rousseau’s social contract is clo sely linked to a totalitarian government than the freedom it claims to provide. This is because people have different views due to varying backgrounds. Therefore, tying them to a common goal, which may be one person’s interest, denies them their basic freedom of choice. Moreover, not everyone has the capacity to understand common goals of a state. In most cases, the elite propose such ideologies based on their interests, which may be to exploit others. Rousseau’s social contract is therefore skewed towards a totalitarian government (Levine, 2002, p. 28). Conclusion According to Rousseau, people are denied their birthright, which is freedom. In this regard, he suggests a legitimate political authority, which comes to power through social contract. This, he believes would provide the freedom that people deserves. Social contract is an agreement that enables an individual to join civil society. It therefore binds the individual into society in the interest of communal pro tection. However, this is tantamount to totalitarian rule since everyone is bound completely to one solid government. Besides, human nature states that people differ in thoughts, needs, and ideologies, among others. Social contract therefore has the propensity to deny them the right of choice hence leading to a totalitarian government (Rousseau, 1762 p. 1). Reference List Cohen, J 1986, ‘Reflections on Rousseau: Autonomy and Democracy’, Philosophy and Public Affairs, Vol.15, No.3, pp. 257-297. Estlund, DM Waldron, J Grofman, B Feld, SL 1989, ‘Democratic Theory and the Public Interest: Condorcet and Rousseau Revisited’, American Political Science Review, Vol.83, No.4, pp. 1317-1340. Levine, A 2002, Engaging Political Philosophy: From Hobbes to Rawls, Blackwell, Oxford. Rousseau, JJ 1762, The Social Contract or Principles of Political Right, Translated by G. D. H. Cole. Available from: http://www.constitution.org/jjr/socon.htm. Schwartzberg, M 2008, ‘V oting the General Will: Rousseau on Decision Rules’, Political Theory, Vol.36, No.3, pp. 403-23. This essay on Assess the view that Rousseau’s social contract is totalitarian was written and submitted by user Kody D. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. 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Monday, November 25, 2019

Irony in The Workbox essays

Irony in The Workbox essays In the Workbox by Thomas Hardy, there are many ironic points in which the author has given us. This poem is filled with irony, yet there are mainly two types of irony that I see happening again and again. These two types of irony are verbal and cosmic irony. I have still yet to find dramatic and situational irony even though I have read this poem many times. I believe that the author put so many ironic points in it because he wanted the reader to think. In order for us to even get a glimpse of what he is trying to express, we must use critical thinking. I will first start off with the cosmic irony. Cosmic irony is a twist of fate, fate with a sense of humor. In this poem it seems to me that the cosmic irony was at first where a man made a workbox out of some wood that he got from someones coffin. He then gave the workbox to a woman who knew the dead guy in the coffin. I warrant it will. And longer too. Tis a scantling that I got Off poor John Waywards coffin, who Died of they knew not what. That is very ironic because out of anyones coffin she had to know that guy. Not only know him but he came from her native town. We see that she knows him when she says The shingled pattern that seems to cease Against your boxs rim Continues right on in the piece Thats underground with him. This shows that she knows him because how else would she know what his coffin looks like unless she was at the funeral. The key to this irony is not that she just knew him, but that she killed him. And out of every piece of wood that he would use, he used J ohn Waywards . Now that is cosmic irony. Now to the verbal irony, there is much verbal irony that helps us more understand the poem. Unless you were an uncritical thinker in which verbal irony will only confuse you more, as It did to me in the beginning. Verbal irony is where you say something but mean the opposite. The verbal...

Friday, November 22, 2019

Effect on Restaurant Tipping of a Helpful Message Written on the Back Research Paper

Effect on Restaurant Tipping of a Helpful Message Written on the Back of Customers Checks - Research Paper Example icle entitled Effect on Restaurant Tipping of a Helpful Message Written on the Back of Customers’ Checks written by Rind & Strohmetz (1999) aimed to determine the effect of a written message at the back of customer’s checks on the amount of tips given to restaurant servers. The participants of the research were eighty one dining parties who ate at a northern New Jersey restaurant. The study was conducted over a three-week time period from March to April of 1997 with only one female server as actively involved in the process. The findings revealed a consistency with the author’s hypothesis that writing at the back of the customers’ checks would increase the amount of tips given to the server. The article based its theoretical framework from previous researches in the field of restaurant operations, particularly on tipping as additional sources of income for servers (Lynn & Mynier, 1993; Schmidt, 1985). Found at the beginning of the article, right after the introductory paragraph, the conceptualization stage presented references to various previous researches on the subject. An article (Statistical Abstracts, 1990) was cited to indicate the number of people working in the United States as waiters or waitresses. Other studies mentioned factors affecting tipping in the restaurant industry (Rind & Bordia, 1996) and server-diner interactions which entailed writing simple messages, like â€Å"Thank You† at the back of the customers’ checks as having influenced the amount of tip percentages given to servers (Rind & Bordia, 1995). The current research aims to present a parallel study on check manipulation by designing two conditions: written message by one female server with the message informing the customers of a good deal in future dining experience; versus no message written at the back of the check. The study employed an experimental method of research with statistical and correlational analysis. The experimental method was designed according to two

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Case Study Of The Dsu In Operation - From Complaint To Resolution Dissertation

Case Study Of The Dsu In Operation - From Complaint To Resolution - Dissertation Example The study relies on primary qualitative data in the form case studies constructed out of selected resolved disputes by the Dispute Resolution Body, and primary quantitative data in the form of statistical profiles drawn from the summary reports of the WTO. In the analyses of the case studies and the statistical profiles, significance was drawn from the disputes between developing and developed countries, as either complainant or respondent, the success rates in the pursuit of these disputes for either side, and the agreements most often cited as bases of the disputes. These observations provided an insight into the manner of implementation of the DSU procedures, in so far as it affects the balance between developing and developed countries. Aside from providing commentary on the implementation of the dispute settlement process, the study also examined the provisions of the DSU and the process as it was envisioned. The findings show that the DSU provisions manifested an intention to create a procedural advantage in favour of developing countries in the creation of a legal structure in dispute settlement, mandating reverse consensus, and setting of deadlines to expedite the process. Deficiencies are still seen, however, in terms of the cost of dispute settlement, the need for expert knowledge of procedure, lack of standards in setting the duration of reasonable time for compliance, and the perceived inadequacies of trade retaliation and other remedial measures. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Table of Contents 3 1.1 Background of the research 5 1.2 Statement of the research objective 7 1.3 Research questions 7 1.4 Criteria for evaluation 8 1.5 Significance of the research objective 9 1.6 Scope and limitations 9 Chapter 2: History and background 11 2.1 International Trade Law 11 2.2 International Dispute Settlement 13 Chapter 3: Analysis of the WTO Dispute Settlement Procedures 15 3.1 The Dispute Settlement Procedure 15 3.2 Functioning of Dispute Settlement Body under WTO 19 3.3 Aim of the dispute settlement procedure 20 3.4 Commentary on the dispute settlement implementation 22 3.5 Examination of the application of Article 21.5 24 3.6 Effectiveness of trade retaliation measures: the inadequacy of remedies 27 3.7 Effectiveness of compensation measures 31 Chapter 4: Developing Countries and WTO dispute settlement procedure 36 4.1 Developing country defined 37 4.2 Uruguay Round reforms in favour of developing countries 38 4.3 Provisions that fav our developing countries. 41 4.4 Issues in the implementation of DSU involving developing countries 43 4.5 Two case studies involving disputes between developing and developed countries 48 4.6 Profiles of disputes between developing and developed (industrialized) countries 52 4.7 Analysis of the foregoing data 63 4.8 Comparison between dispute resolution under the GATT and under WTO-DSU 66 Chapter 5: Summary and Conclusion 68 5.1 Summary of findings 68 5.2 Conclusion 74 5.3 Recommendations for future research 74 Bibliography 76 Appendix A 79 Summary Table of Cases and Results 79 Appendix B 86 Table of Cases with Determination of â€Å"Reasonable Period of Time† 86 Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Background of the research Globalization is probably one of the most contentious concepts in the present-day political-economic landscape.1 Both extolled and disparaged, global trade has both its merits and its pitfalls; whether one is in favour of it or not, however, is no longer the que stion, as most countries have committed to liberalized international trade by virtue of their accession as signatories to multilateral trade agreements that promote global trade and commerce. The question now is the manner in which global trade must be

Monday, November 18, 2019

Foreshadowing in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men Research Paper

Foreshadowing in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men - Research Paper Example Steinbeck himself cared deeply about the lives of migrant workers as evidenced by his compassionate tone and creation of complex characters struggling in a competitive society. Steinbeck combined styles of modernism and realism to explore the lives of people living in and traveling through Southern California. Steinbeck’s parents, a Monterey treasurer and a school teacher/stay-at-home mom, taught him a love of literature from an early age. Although he did attend Stanford University for three years, he left without completing his degree. These years, as well as his journalism job, provided the formative substance of his writing career for he worked and traveled throughout California as a short-term hired hand at mills, farms, and larger estates. During these years he came face to face with the resilience with which migrant workers faced their destitute, unstable lives. Throughout the rest of Steinbeck’s career he focused Name 2 on the plight of the underdog within an inc reasingly unfair, capitalistic world. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his monumental novel, The Grapes of Wrath, focused on the dreams and tragedy of the Joad family, and for his combined works he was awarded the 1963 Nobel Prize. All of Steinbeck’s characters face issues equally derived from competitive social forces, the economic downfall known as the Great Depression, and the seasonal nature of the farming economy. The 1930s saw vast technological advances in farm machinery that drastically reduced the number of men needed to operate a farm. In 1900, about 125, 000 workers traveled from Minnesota to Washington searching for work, but by the 1930s the numbers of out-of-work men looking for positions had doubled. Farms were becoming corporate industries with the absent owners living in cities hiring managers to run the farms. Migrant workers, nicknamed â€Å"bindle-stiffs† as they packed up and followed the seasonal harvests, were severely underpaid, had no unio n or legal representation, or stable homes. In the later 1930s, violent strikes broke out in several areas leading to some improvements, yet most farm owners continued to treat their migrant workers as disposable. This lifestyle continued until World War II dramatically altered the lives of all Americans as itinerant workers had the option to enlist and the defense industry expanded to insure food rations for citizens and soldiers. Steinbeck’s social experience of living with migrant workers and journalistic knowledge of the economics of itinerant life greatly influenced his novella Of Mice and Men. The very title indicates the central question considering the value of life as it links the smallest burrowing creature’s life to the hopeful pride found in the positive view of Name 3 American manhood. The novella begins with George and Lennie on the run. They are escaping their recent post at a farm called Weeds where Lennie scared a young woman by inappropriately but inn ocently feeling her dress causing her scream as if she were being physically assaulted. This situation introduces readers to the roving nature of their farm work, Lennie’s inability to control his actions, and the tight protective relationship between these two men. These two protagonists create a symbiotic relationship as they feed each other’s dreams of a owning a farm while making their migrant life bearable. â€Å"

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Nutrient Cycle of an Isolated Cave

Nutrient Cycle of an Isolated Cave Introduction The caves are simple natural laboratories. The climate of the cave is very stable and easy to define. Cave environment is composed with a twilight part close to the entrance, a middle part of full darkness and unstable temperature, finally a part of full darkness and stable temperature in deeper. The twilight part is the biggest and most diverse fauna container. The middle part contains some common species which can move to the earth. The deeper dark sides, which are the unique aspect of the cave environment and contain obligate (trolobitic) fauna. Green plant can’t live in stable darkness. So, the food reserve here in other forms (Poulson and White, 1969). Animal communities in the caves look remarkable chances for the investigation of community dynamics because of their relative simplicity. A comparatively small number of species is involved in even in most complex cave community but exceptionally large numbers of colonies of bats are present here. In absence of light, prima ry producers are absent or at least limited to chemosynthetic autotrophs. Sulfur and iron bacteria are present in some caves but their quantitative significance as producers has not yet been established (Barr Jr, 1967). The superficial nutritive part of cave clay in the blind amphipods of the genus Niphargus show that juvenile stages burrow widely and probably eat the clay in the bottom of cave pools. Presumably the juveniles utilize the bacterial content of the clay rather than the mineral material itself; and in any case, continued survival of the adults is dependent upon the presence of additional food (Barr Jr, 1967). In addition to absence of light, the physical environment of a cave is characterized by silence, relatively constant temperature which approximates the mean annual temperature of the region where the cave is located, high relative humidity except near entrances, is accompanied by an exceptionally low rate of evaporation (Barr Jr, 1967). Cave Habitats and Ecology Different types of caves contain variety of habitats within them and differ in amount and types of energy level. Cave supports heterotrophic microbial populations in the presence of huge input of organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus due to accumulation of guano and dead bats, if a cave has substantial or modest populations of bats (Cheeptham, 2012). Guano is a organic deposit common in cave derived from mainly feces of a variety of animals specially bats that visit or live and provide habitat rich in nitrogen, carbon and phosphorus that’s are nutrients for many insects (Cheeptham, 2012; IUCNSSC, 2014). Ecological classification of cavernicoles was first prepared by (Schiner, 1853)and improved and promoted by (Racovitza, 1907).They splits them into (1) troglobites, which are obligate species to the cave; (2) troglophiles, which live and reproduce not only in caves but also in cool, dark, moist microhabitats outside of caves they termed as facultative species; (3) trogloxenes , species those use caves for shelter throughout the day but feed outdoor at night; and (4) cave accidentals, which Confused with those species that certain small troglobites are also phreatobites (Barr Jr, 1967). Figure-Different zones of a cave The major energy sources of cave ecosystems are (a) organic matter flounced underground by sinking streams, and (b) the feces, eggs, and dead bodies of animals those are persist in the cave for shelter but feed outside (trogloxenes). In temperate region caves flooding and the entering of cold air throughout winter and initial spring interrupt the comparatively constant physical conditions of the cave environment (Barr Jr, 1967). The security of roosting sites is a vital element of any policy for the conservation of bats. Since caves are the foremost roosts for numerous bat species (Dalquest and Walton, 1970; Kunz, 1982). There are various types of bat species and large number of bats found in different cave, Seventeen species of bats roost in the caves of Yucatan, Mexico. The conservation of these types of sites should be of principal attention for the protection of chiropteran species (Arita, 1996). Cave communities Connectivity among communities is continued by the rearrangement of biomass, frequently by mobile animals that eat resources in one habitat and then reproduce, urinate, and/or defecate in other surroundings. This transmission of organic material affects the nutrient budget of a community and effects population and food web dynamics (Emerson and Roark, 2007). Cave-roosting species spent half of their lives inside the caves (Kunz, 1982). The security of cave atmospheres is essential to guarantee their conservation. In a parallel fashion, the presence of bats might be an essential state for the existence of cave environments. In channels with no bats, biomass thickness in a typical North American cave can be as little as 1 g/ha in ponds or 20-30 g/ha in terrestrial zones (Poulson and White, 1969). In contrast, passageways covered with bat guano present an excess of nutrients and provide very diverse groups of arthropods (Barr Jr, 1968; Harris, 1970; Poulson, 1972). For endogenous primar y manufacture by chemosynthetic bacteria is insignificant, cave communities depend completely on exogenous origins of nutrients for their maintenance (Culver, 1982). Figure-Cave communities and feeding cycle Nutrients can be occupied into a cave in the form of detritus and plant material passed by watercourses, as dissolved organic matter infiltrating through minute cracks or exuding from tree roots (Howarth, 1972; Howarth, 1983), otherwise they can be placed inside caves as feces of trogloxenes, for example cave crickets, bats, birds, and other animals (Harris, 1970; Poulson, 1972; Culver, 1982). In various tropical caves, bat guano is by far the most significant source of nutrients. By carrying tons of organic matter to the caves, bats act as transferable links concerning cave environments with the external world (Arita, 1996). Any animal existing in a cave can be said as a cavernicole. Troglobites, which are obligate cavernicoles, are the emphasis of this appraisal. Many troglobites are offspring of troglophiles. Facultative cave populations are able to alive in or outside caves. Trogloxenes are consistent cave inhabitants that return intermittently to the exterior for food; bats and cave-crickets are examples. Main taxonomic collections of animals with various troglobitic species comprise collembolans, turbellarians, millipedes, spiders, pseudoscorpions, gastropods opilionidsisopods, amphipods, diplurans, decapods, beetles (Pselaphidae, Carabidae, Leiodidae), salamanders and fishes.(Barr and Holsinger, 1985) Cave Nutrient Cycle Food contribution into a cave ecosystem is attributable to two chief sources- sinking watercourses, which wash twigs, logs, bacteria, leaves and epigean animals (including zooplankton) into caves; and trogloxenes, which deposit their eggs and feces in caves and frequently die there and donate their bodies to the ecosystem (Barr Jr, 1967). Species from exterior sources include the bulk of the plankton in the Cave (Scott, 1909) and rivers inside Cave (Kofoid, 1899). Smaller individuals of the blind cavefish, Amblyopsis spelaea, feed mainly on copepods in this plankton (Poulson, 1963). Plant fragments are placed along the banks of subterranean streams, where they are gradually decomposed by bacteria and fungi. The decomposers provide food for detritus-feeding animals (e.g., diplurans, milli-pedes, and collembolans) which are then eaten by predators (e.g., opilionids, spiders, carabid beetles, pseudoscorpions). Bats and the eastern cave crickets of the genus Hadenoecus (Park and Barr, 19 61) are important guano manufacturers in caves of the United States. Few troglobites are able to use the guano directly, while guano is usually populated by a characteristic assemblage of troglophiles which may be eaten by predatory troglobites (Jeannel, 1949). Seasonal differences in the physical atmosphere and food supply of temperate zone caves are often unexpectedly drastic. During late winter and spring overflowing of rivers Cave, typically raises the water level 5 or 6 m, and a maximum rise of nearly 15 m has been recorded. Additionally the flood is a drop in temperature of the water and small increases in pH, entire alkalinity, and dissolved oxygen (Barr Jr, 1967). A much longer existence time in a riparian species of cave beetle when the riparian species and another species usually found in drier, higher cave galleries were immersed in water. Many species of Pseudanophthalmus and Ameroduvalius (troglobitic Carabidae) normally feed on little tubificid annelids in the damp sil t along cave streams (Barr Jr and Peck, 1965). The effects of flooding on aquatic cavernicoles, suggesting that spring floods may trigger their reproductive cycles (Poulson, 1964). Winter poses additional hazards for terrestrial troglobites. Food supplies vary seasonally in caves. Guano deposition by bats is limited to summer months, and Hadenoecus spp. feed outside the caves less often throughout winter than in summer, so there is minimum guano supply in winter. Conversely, deposition of organic detritus by watercourses is improved in winter because of flooding, but decomposition of the fragments takes place gradually over the time of several months or years. A great plankton count in Echo River of Mammoth Cave occurs only throughout late spring or summer floods, when plankton manufacture in Green River, which provides the flood waters, is great (Barr Jr, 1967). The genus Pseudanophthalmus covers about 175 species (many of them not yet described) and is known from Indiana, Kentucky , Illinois and Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio (Barr Jr and Peck, 1965). Ameroduvalius, limited to south- east Kentucky, has only three species; Nelsonites, from the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee and Kentucky, has two; and Neaphaenops and Darlingtonea, from many parts of Kentucky, are monobasic. All of these beetles are predatory troglobites and are supposed to be remnants of a well-known soil-and-moss-dwelling periglacial fauna (Barr Jr, 1965). Figure- The cave food pyramid Guano Bat guano supports an accumulation of organisms that differs depending on the species of bat manufacturing it. Alterations in guano composition propose that guano from bats in unlike feeding guilds can affect ecosystem configuration and dynamics differently (Emerson and Roark, 2007). Allochthonous effort of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which are found in comparatively high concentrations in bird guano, increases primary productivity in terrestrial ecosystems by improving the quality and quantity of vegetation (Polis et al., 1997). Nutrient input through guano deposition by seabirds has also been shown to increase the abundance of organisms such as detritivorous beetles on islands used by roosting seabirds (Sà ¡nchez-Pià ±ero and Polis, 2000). In addition to its effects on primary and secondary productivity, allochthonous nutrient input can also influence community structure the presence of birds and nutrient-rich guano significantly alters the structure of intertidal communities by enhancing algal growth and settlement of invertebrates in dense algalmats (Bosman and Hockey, 1986). Such consumer-driven nutrient recycling via fecal deposition by bats also affects community structure in guano-based ecosystems. Bat guano forms the basis of a food web consisting of bacteria, fungi, protozoans, nematodes, and arthropods (Harris, 1970). Cave salamanders consume guano of grey bats (Myotis grisescens) and incorporate the nutrients they obtain through coprophagy into body tissues (Fenolio et al., 2006). The diversity of organisms associated with guano has been shown to vary depending on the diet of the bat producing it, with guano of sanguivorous, insectivorous, and frugivorous bats supporting different assemblages of invertebrates (Ferreira and Martins, 1998). Differences in guano composition (C, N,P, and mass ratios) most likely resulted from dissimilarities in nutrient composition of the diets of each bat species (Studier et al., 1994). Variation in nu trients and stoichiometric nutrient ratios of guano from bats in different feeding guilds could have considerable effects on producers, consumers, and decomposers living on or in guano. Figure- Collection of guano from cave As highlighted by (Sterner and Elser, 2002) and subsequently in reviews by (Vrede et al., 2004) and (Moe et al., 2005), relationships among elemental nutrients have the potential to regulate processes at many ecological levels, including production, individual and population growth, coexistence of species, rates of decomposition of organic matter, and nutrient cycling. Primary production in terrestrial ecosystems (as in marine systems) is thought to be limited by the availability of N and P (Vitousek and Howarth, 1991), and the input of these nutrients by fecal deposition can have considerable bottom-up influences in detritus-based ecosystems. Ecosystem-level effects of different nutrient contents could also result from differences in rates of conversion of nutrients in guano from biologically unavailable to available forms (Vitousek et al., 1988). Differences in guano nutrient profiles could have considerable ecological consequences ranging from effects on the growth or productivity of individual residents of guano piles to effects on ecosystem-level processes like decomposition and nutrient cycling (Emerson and Roark, 2007). REFERENCE ARITA, H. T. 1996. The conservation of cave-roosting bats in Yucatan, Mexico. Biological Conservation, 76, 177-185. BARR JR, T. C. 1965. The Pseudanophthalmus of the Appalachian Valley (Coleoptera: Carabidae). American Midland Naturalist, 41-72. BARR JR, T. C. 1967. Observations on the ecology of caves. American Naturalist, 475-491. BARR JR, T. C. 1968. Cave ecology and the evolution of troglobites. Evolutionary biology. Springer. BARR JR, T. C. PECK, S. B. 1965. Occurrence of a troglobitic Pseudanophthalmus outside a cave (Coleoptera: Carabidae). American Midland Naturalist, 73-74. BARR, T. C. HOLSINGER, J. R. 1985. Speciation in cave faunas. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 313-337. BOSMAN, A. HOCKEY, P. 1986. Seabird guano as a determinant of rocky intertidal community structure. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 32, 247-257. CHEEPTHAM, N. 2012. Cave Microbiomes: A Novel Resource for Drug Discovery: A Novel Resource for Drug Discovery. Springer New York. Available: https://books.google.com.bd/books?id=QQuk4rk-OCgC. CULVER, D. C. 1982. Cave life: evolution and ecology. HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE, MA(USA). 1982. DALQUEST, W. WALTON, D. 1970. Diurnal retreats of bats. Southern Methodist Univ. Press, vii. EMERSON, J. K. ROARK, A. M. 2007. Composition of guano produced by frugivorous, sanguivorous, and insectivorous bats. Acta Chiropterologica, 9, 261-267. FENOLIO, D. B., GRAENING, G., COLLIER, B. A. STOUT, J. F. 2006. Coprophagy in a cave-adapted salamander; the importance of bat guano examined through nutritional and stable isotope analyses. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences, 273, 439-443. FERREIRA, R. L. MARTINS, R. P. 1998. Diversity and distribution of spiders associated with bat guano piles in Morrinho cave (Bahia State, Brazil). Diversity and distributions, 235-241. HARRIS, J. 1970. Bat-guano cave environment. Science, 169, 1342-1343. HOWARTH, F. G. 1972. Cavernicoles in lava tubes on the island of Hawaii. Science, 175, 325-326. HOWARTH, F. G. 1983. Ecology of cave arthropods. Annual Review of Entomology, 28, 365-389. IUCNSSC. 2014. IUCN SSC Guidelines for Minimizing the Negative Impact to Bats and Other Cave Organisms from Guano Harvesting. IUCN, Gland. Available: http://www.batcon.org/pdfs/GuanoGuidelinesVersion1.pdf#page=1zoom=auto,-82,842 JEANNEL, R. 1949. Les fossiles vivants des cavernes. Gallimard. KOFOID, C. A. 1899. Plankton Studies III. On Platydorina, A New Genus of the Family Volvocidae, from the Plankton of the Illinois River. KUNZ, T. H. 1982. Roosting ecology of bats. Ecology of bats. Springer. MOE, S. J., STELZER, R. S., FORMAN, M. R., HARPOLE, W. S., DAUFRESNE, T. YOSHIDA, T. 2005. Recent advances in ecological stoichiometry: insights for population and community ecology. Oikos, 109, 29-39. PARK, O. BARR, T. 1961. Some observations on a cave cricket (Abstr.). Bulletin of the Entomological Society of America, 7, 144. POLIS, G. A., ANDERSON, W. B. HOLT, R. D. 1997. Toward an integration of landscape and food web ecology: the dynamics of spatially subsidized food webs. Annual review of ecology and systematics, 289-316. POULSON, T. L. 1963. Cave adaptation in amblyopsid fishes. American Midland Naturalist, 257-290. POULSON, T. L. 1964. Animals in aquatic environments: animals in caves. Handbook of Physiology, 749-771. POULSON, T. L. 1972. Bat guano ecosystems. Bulletin of the National Speleological Society, 34, 55-59. POULSON, T. L. WHITE, W. B. 1969. The cave environment. Science, 165, 971-981. RACOVITZA, E. G. 1907. Biospà ©ologica: Essai sur les problà ¨mes biospà ©ologiques. I. Schleicher frà ¨res. Sà NCHEZ-PIÑERO, F. POLIS, G. A. 2000. Bottom-up dynamics of allochthonous input: direct and indirect effects of seabirds on islands. Ecology, 81, 3117-3132. SCHINER, I. R. 1853. Fauna der Adelsberger-Lueger-und Magdalenen-Grotte. SCOTT, A. 1909. The Copepoda of the Soboga Expedition. Late EJ Brill. STERNER, R. W. ELSER, J. J. 2002. Ecological stoichiometry: the biology of elements from molecules to the biosphere. Princeton University Press. STUDIER, E. H., SEVICK, S. H., RIDLEY, D. M. WILSON, D. E. 1994. Mineral and nitrogen concentrations in feces of some neotropical bats. Journal of Mammalogy, 75, 674-680. VITOUSEK, P. M., FAHEY, T., JOHNSON, D. W. SWIFT, M. J. 1988. Element interactions in forest ecosystems: succession, allometry and input-output budgets. Biogeochemistry, 5, 7-34. VITOUSEK, P. M. HOWARTH, R. W. 1991. Nitrogen limitation on land and in the sea: how can it occur? Biogeochemistry, 13, 87-115. VREDE, T., DOBBERFUHL, D. R., KOOIJMAN, S. ELSER, J. J. 2004. Fundamental connections among organism C: N: P stoichiometry, macromolecular composition, and growth. Ecology, 85, 1217-1229.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

My Journey :: fictional narrative

It was late afternoon, when I just stepped into the house. The silence had captured the room. I was tired. My body felt like dead, but my mind was beyond that. A blue, blue frame caught my eyes. The deep blue sank my thoughts deeper and deeper and made them flow away as the waves pushed them more into the magic, no ending space. I was looking at the world itself, and seemed like it was standing at the palm of my hand. Some things seemed awkward while this world was rotating. Lots of mysteries surrounded my boat, as I was going further in this magnificent journey.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fishes along with other ocean creatures were curios to know where this boat was going to bring us all. I was curios too. My curiosity reached to the point, where few houses appeared and beautiful palms seemed to wave at me from far. I left the boat closer to the shore and I followed the way that the palms were. The houses were one into another, very close to each other. The streets were narrow and everything seemed empty and lifeless. The darkness that surrounded the place, made it become more mysterious than it was.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As I was walking alone and looking at every corner of the place, I sow few old people. My thoughts went deeper than ever. My mind was telling me to continue my walk, but my body seemed frightened and frozen. But my curiosity to know that, how this beautiful place had only few people and that they were all old made my body to go on further. It was a very different place from others. I was thinking as I was going through this streets and looking at the houses, to knock in one of them, but my phone went off and my thoughts got stuck in that house. It was a big and very old house. It was my friend who called. I sow myself cutting the conversation with him to go back into the journey and get back my thoughts. I sat back at the same place I was, and the house appeared in front of me. I looked at the house, and its doors and windows and the whole house was trying to tell me something that I could not understand. In front of the house, was a beautiful girl. She was the first young person there.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Comparing Walton and Victor

Compare the characters of Victor and Walton as Shelley presents them in the early parts of the novel. What similarities are there between the characters and quests? In the early chapters of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley the character of Walton is introduced through a series of letters he is writing to his sister back in London (the whole novel is an epistolary structure) as he is on a voyage to the North Pole in hope of fulfilling his goal of a breakthrough scientific discovery and â€Å"discovering some of nature’s most profound secrets†.Walton is full of hope and scientific curiosity and a passionate determination that he will achieve his goals â€Å"I shall satiate my ardent curiosity with the sight of a part of the world never before visited, and may tread a land never before imprinted by the foot of man†; he wants to set himself apart from other scientists and discover something altogether new, something that will bring him fame and fortune and ensure that he is remembered forever- he is on a journey that-he learns later in the novel-may not turn out to be the success that he thought it was, and his â€Å"ardent curiosity† may be his downfall in the end.His loneliness (â€Å"I feel the bitter want of a friend†) is subsided when a man â€Å"on the brink of destruction† is brought upon the ship, half dead and â€Å"wretched†. The man they bring on board-Frankenstein- bears a lot of similarities to Walton, from their aspirations and complete obsession to discover the undiscovered.There is however, one major difference between these 2 characters-Frankenstein has already been in Walton’s shoes and has already experienced the consequences of his endeavours-and they were not pleasant, as he relays the story to Walton, warning him how he has â€Å"suffered great and unparalled misfortunes† through his â€Å"seeking of knowledge and wisdom† and seeing Walton do the same, he warns him of the danger s of knowledge and tells of his story-his parents, his wonderful childhood, his thirst for knowledge and, most important of all, his obsessive scientific curiosity that led him to make the choices he made that were ultimately his downfall.He has learned from them, a little too late, and he only hopes that Walton will heed his warning about the dangers of knowledge, and not make the same mistakes that he did, that led to his destruction. Shelley made the characters so similar in ambition and character that this evokes the thought of the ‘doppelganger’, a popular theme amongst gothic literature. Frankenstein is almost Walton’s doppelganger- everything he is, bright, mbitious-but also everything that he doesn’t want to become- a â€Å"wretch†, a man haunted by his choices and on â€Å"the brink of destruction†, all because of his desire to become recognised among the scientific world and leave his mark on the world. Because of Frankensteinâ€⠄¢s story Walton witnesses what the danger of knowledge can do and warns him-a kindness no one could do to Frankenstein-to not follow in his footsteps â€Å"exposing him to the same dangers† as he did.Frankenstein feels as he has unleashed such a horror into the world, the least he can do is to prevent another like-minded person making the same mistakes he did, and through that, not ruin his and countless lives, as if he has been so fortunate as to have someone relay their story about knowledge and destruction before he made the choices he did, he may have rethought his priorities and still be living a happy life after the novel’s end. In short, Frankenstein was doing Walton a kindness by retelling his tragic story; and that brings about another characteristic that Shelley wrote them to both have-they are both good men.They are deeply affectionate to their close ones â€Å"heaven shower down blessings on you my beloved sister†, â€Å"mine to love and cherishâ⠂¬ , and their obsession fuelled by a desire to benefit the world. This evokes sympathy both in the reader and Walton, when he hears Frankenstein’s tragic tale-how a good man with good intentions can make choices so catastrophic that they ruin the lives of those closest to them and themselves-maybe this is why in the end Walton decides to turn back? Both men are also linked with one massive similarity-they both have an incredibly obsessive, if somewhat selfish, nature.Some of Walton’s first words in the letters are â€Å"If I fail you will see me soon or never† he is determined that this voyage will be a success, and is prepared to die for the cause. This mirrors Frankenstein’s feelings later on in the novel â€Å"stars would often disappear in the night sky while I worked in my laboratory†-Frankenstein’s obsession with discovery had him pushing himself to the limit to accomplish his goals, sacrificing time and health, at any cost as long a s he succeeded.That cost, he finds out eventually, is too high, and seeing Walton with the same obsessive nature, going on a voyage that is potentially life-threatening, he wishes him to stop and think thoroughly about whether it is worth it, something that he failed to do, as no one had interfered when he was creating the creature and warned him of the dangers, and as it is too late to repair his mistakes, he can stop Walton from letting his obsessive nature rule him-â€Å"I imagine that you may deduce an apt moral from my tale†- as it did Frankenstein.Walton and Frankenstein are two very similar men-both have passion, drive and determination that set them apart from other men, and give them a dangerous obsessive edge. Frankenstein has learned from his mistakes and has accepted his fate â€Å"nothing can alter my destiny†, and wants to make sure that another good man, so much like himself does not make the same life altering decisions that he did, searching blindly fo r knowledge that may be dangerous to uncover, so he retells his story to Walton in the hope of preventing him destroying his life.Walton with his drive at first in the letters to his sister mentions that does he â€Å"not deserve to accomplish some great purpose? † he believes he deserves success and has worked and will work impossibly hard to ensure his labours do not go unrecognised. But Walton also mentions that he â€Å"feels the bitter want of a friend† â€Å"to approve or amend my plans†.His prayers were answered in the form of Frankenstein, and after his tale of woe Walton finally decides to turn back and abandon his voyage-he listened to Frankenstein, as a â€Å"brother of my heart† and as an older version of him that has failed. Now, the reader wonders, if Frankenstein had the same great luck as Walton to find someone with the same drive and obsession to retell his story to him and make him stop and think thoroughly if he is doing the right thing ? Would he have still made the creature?Or would he have stopped and be living happily with his living family long after the novel’s end? This, perhaps, is the greatest difference between Frankenstein and Walton. Walton had an older, wiser version of himself retelling his tale of misfortune that stopped Walton and potentially saved him. Frankenstein did not have that luxury of someone older and wiser intervening in his work, so he continued carrying out his work, putting in it all of his hopes and dreams, when in reality, he was creating his own destruction.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Free Essays on Brief Look at Robotic

for work and worker. Robots first appeared in a play, Rossum's Universal Robots, written in 1920 by the Czech playwright, Karel Capek. The play tells of an engineer who designs man-like machines that have no human weakness and become immensely popular. However, when the robots are used for war they rebel aga... Free Essays on Brief Look at Robotic Free Essays on Brief Look at Robotic Two years ago, the Chrysler corporation completely gutted its Windsor, Ontario, car assembly plant and within six weeks had installed an entirely new factory inside the building. It was a marvel of engineering. When it came time to go to work, a whole new work force marched onto the assembly line. There on opening day was a crew of 150 industrial robots. Industrial robots don't look anything like the androids from sci-fi books and movies. They don't act like the evil Daleks or a fusspot C-3P0. If anything, the industrial robots toiling on the Chrysler line resemble elegant swans or baby brontosauruses with their fat, squat bodies, long arched necks and small heads. An industrial robot is essentially a long manipulator arm that holds tools such as welding guns or motorized screwdrivers or grippers for picking up objects. The robots working at Chrysler and in numerous other modern factories are extremely adept at performing highly specialized tasks - one robot may spray ! paint car parts while another does spots welds while another pours radioactive chemicals. Robots are ideal workers: they never get bored and they work around the clock. What's even more important, they're flexible. By altering its programming you can instruct a robot to take on different tasks. This is largely what sets robots apart from other machines; try as you might you can't make your washing machine do the dishes. Although some critics complain that robots are stealing much-needed jobs away from people, so far they've been given only the dreariest, dirtiest, most soul-destroying work. The word robot is Slav in origin and is related to the words for work and worker. Robots first appeared in a play, Rossum's Universal Robots, written in 1920 by the Czech playwright, Karel Capek. The play tells of an engineer who designs man-like machines that have no human weakness and become immensely popular. However, when the robots are used for war they rebel aga...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

About The Deadly Tangshan Earthquake

About The Deadly Tangshan Earthquake At 3:42 a.m. on July 28, 1976, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit the sleeping city of Tangshan, in northeastern China. The very large earthquake, striking an area where it was totally unexpected, obliterated the city of Tangshan and killed over 240,000 people - making it the deadliest earthquake of the twentieth century. Fireballs and Animals Give Warning Though scientific earthquake prediction is in its nascent stages, nature often gives some advance warning of an impending earthquake. In a village outside of Tangshan, well water reportedly rose and fell three times the day before the earthquake. In another village, gas began to spout out the water well on July 12 and then increased on July 25th and 26th. Other wells throughout the area showed signs of cracking. Animals also gave a warning that something was about to happen. One thousand chickens in Baiguantuan refused to eat and ran around excitedly chirping. Mice and yellow weasels were seen running around looking for a place to hide. In one household in the city of Tangshan, a goldfish began jumping wildly in its bowl. At 2 a.m. on July 28, shortly before the earthquake struck, the goldfish jumped out of its bowl. Once its owner had returned him to his bowl, the goldfish continued to jump out of its bowl until the earthquake hit.1 Strange? Indeed. These were isolated incidents, spread across a city of a million people and a countryside scattered with villages. But nature gave additional warnings. The night preceding the earthquake, July 27-28, many people reported seeing strange lights as well as loud sounds. The lights were seen in a multitude of hues. Some people saw flashes of light; others witnessed fireballs flying across the sky. Loud, roaring noises followed the lights and fireballs. Workers at the Tangshan airport described the noises as louder than that of an airplane.2 The Earthquake Strikes When the 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Tangshan at 3:42 a.m. on July 28, over a million people lay sleeping, unaware of the disaster that was to befall them. As the earth began to shake, a few people who were awake had the forethought to dive under a table or other heavy piece of furniture, but most were asleep and did not have time. The entire earthquake lasted approximately 14 to 16 seconds. Once the quake was over, the people who could, scrambled out into the open, only to see the entire city levelled. After an initial period of shock, the survivors began to dig through debris to answer the muffled calls for help as well as find loved ones still under rubble. As injured people were saved from under the rubble, they were lain on the side of the road. Many of the medical personnel were also trapped under debris or killed by the earthquake. The medical centers were destroyed as well as the roads to get there. Survivors were faced with no water, no food, and no electricity. All but one of the roads into Tangshan was undrivable. Unfortunately, relief workers accidentally clogged the one remaining road, leaving them and their supplies stuck for hours in the traffic jam. People needed help immediately; survivors could not wait for help to arrive. Survivors formed groups to dig for others. They set up medical areas where emergency procedures were conducted with the minimum of supplies. They searched for food and set up temporary shelters. Though 80 percent of the people trapped under rubble were saved, a 7.1 magnitude aftershock that hit in the afternoon of July 28 sealed the fate for many who had been waiting under the rubble for help. After the earthquake hit, 242,419 people lay dead or dying, along with another 164,581 people who were severely injured. In 7,218 households, all members of the family were killed by the earthquake. Corpses were buried quickly, usually close to the residences in which they perished. This later caused health problems, especially after it rained and the bodies were again exposed. Workers had to find these impromptu graves, dig up the bodies, and then move and rebury the corpses outside of the city.3 Damage and Recovery Before the 1976 earthquake, scientists didnt think Tangshan was susceptible to a large earthquake; thus, the area was zoned an intensity level of VI on the Chinese intensity scale (similar to the Mercalli scale). The 7.8 earthquake that hit Tangshan was given an intensity level of XI (out of XII). The buildings in Tangshan were not built to withstand such a large earthquake. Ninety-three percent of residential buildings and 78 percent of industrial buildings were completely destroyed. Eighty percent of the water pumping stations were seriously damaged and the water pipes were damaged throughout the city. Fourteen percent of the sewage pipes were severely damaged. The foundations of bridges gave way, causing the bridges to collapse. Railroad lines bent. Roads were covered with debris as well as riddled with fissures. With so much damage, recovery was not easy. Food was a high priority. Some food was parachuted in, but the distribution was uneven. Water, even just for drinking, was extremely scarce. Many people drank out of pools or other locations that had become contaminated during the earthquake. Relief workers eventually got water trucks and others to transport clean drinking water into the affected areas. After the emergency care was given, the rebuilding of Tangshan began almost immediately. Though it took time, the entire city was rebuilt and is again home to over a million people, earning Tangshan the name Brave City of China. Notes 1. Chen Yong, et al, The Great Tangshan Earthquake of 1976: An Anatomy of Disaster (New York: Pergamon Press, 1988) 53.2. Yong, Great Tangshan 53.3. Yong, Great Tangshan 70. Bibliography Ash, Russell. The Top 10 of Everything, 1999. New York: DK Publishing, Inc., 1998. Yong, Chen, et al. The Great Tangshan Earthquake of 1976: An Anatomy of Disaster. New York: Pergamon Press, 1988.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Autism and Special Education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Autism and Special Education - Research Paper Example The paper is organized into several sections starting with the introduction, which provides an overview of the topic and purpose of review. The next section identifies positive behavior patters plans for autism. This will be followed by the section on PBS plans for special education teachers dealing with children with autism. The next section will identify and discuss evidence-based practices applied by special education teachers providing PBS interventions for children with autism. This will be followed by a section that presents related research studies. Finally, the paper will end with the discussion section that will identify the main implications for special education teachers providing PBS interventions for children with autism. As the report declares the success of the PBS program is based on several things. Some of these include administrative support, policy alignment, capacity and skills of support providers, consistency with overall vision, values, and mission of the system, collaboration among stakeholders, and availability of resources. All these factors can affect the implementation and success of the PBS intervention. Children with autism are unique in the sense that they are more vulnerable to acquiring challenging behaviors that could interfere with their development, learning, and functioning. Such challenging behavior can be categorized into disruptive behaviors or repetitive behaviors.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Central Asia Post 1991 The Oil Roads Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6250 words

Central Asia Post 1991 The Oil Roads - Essay Example In the discussion, we shall also enquire into the salient aspects of the 'state and society' and of 'religion and culture' in these countries and the 'new great game' with 'oil and oil roads' that is being played by those countries that hat have slipped into the new shoes of the old "imperial powers". First, then, what was the "silk road" The Silk Road had passed through the 'heart' of Asia, in the central region of the continent.1 It was the ancient route that took the trade across Asia to Europe and back and along with it, also the cultures of the East. The road was unsurpassed in the commercial and cultural contacts between the east and the west linked by 'the camel caravans and donkey trucks which trudged their way through the dust and heat of the central Asian region'. This region is an inhospitable area with very little vegetation, and almost no rainfall; and constantly visited by sandstorms which have claimed many lives. The climate is harsh; the daytime temperature in summer goes up to even 500 Celsius in the sub-sea level basin of Turfan; and in winter it comes down to below minus 20 degrees. Temperatures soar in the sun, but drop very rapidly at sundown. On the eastern and western sides of the region, the civilizations of China and the West developed. The Persian Empire was in control of the vast large area , extending from the Mediterranean Sea in the west as far as the borders of India in the east. Trade between these two neighbors strongly influenced the cultures of these regions. The Chinese exploration of the west began in 138 BC, when Zhang Qian was sent by the Han emperor on a mission to form an alliance with the Yuezhi tribe in the west. He could return only 13 years later, but brought with him important information about a new breed of horses and hitherto unknown tribes in the west. More expeditions were sent west to get horses and objects of beauty for the emperor. By this process, the route to the west was opened up. The Silk Road was not one single route, but many routes, roads, and paths that traverse in an east west direction. Some routes were well developed and relatively free from bandits, while others were less protected and suffered from plunder by bandits. As a measure of protection the Han rulers constructed forts and defensive walls along part of the route which we re later combined to form the 'Great Wall' which still stands today as a testimony to human achievement and suffering at the hands of strong-minded emperors. Silk was only one of many items that were traded through this Road. Gold, precious metals, ivory, precious stones, and glass went towards China, while firs, ceramics, gun powder, jade, bronze objects, lacquer, and iron went west carried by caravans each of which consisted of 100 to 1000 camels, and each loaded with about 500 pounds of goods. The most significant 'commodity' carried along this route was not silk, but religion. Buddhism came to China from India this way as early as the first century AD, and dotted the face of Silk Road towns with monasteries and pagodas. Later, Islam made it into the heart of China and established itself as the dominant religion in Central Asia; however, its ultimate effects contributed to the Silk Road's eventual decline.