Degrading Women Essay

Today in America there is a vast amount of lyrics that are extremely degrading women. These lyrics are found in many of Hip-Hop, Rap, and Pop music that portray women as objects, and not as an actual human being. Other popular music these days relate to women as tricks or other horrible names that no woman should ever be called. Sadly, since this epidemic of only thinking of women as objects has over come America today, it needs to stop. The teenagers and young adults of this country are hearing many of these degrading songs on the radio and having it engraved in their mind that women are only good for one thing, which is why this current phenomenon needs to be put to an end. Paragraph One: Song: â€Å"Candy Shop† by 50 Cent Lyrics: You can have it your way, how do you want it, You gon’ back that thing up or should I push up on it. Degrading why?: 50 Cent only sees this girl as using her for a one night stand and never having any contact with her ever again. Paragraph Two: Song: â€Å"Can’t Hold Us Down† by Christiana Aguilera Lyrics: This is for my girls all around the world who come across a man who don’t respect your worth. Thinking all women should be seen not heard, SSo what do we do girls? Shout out loud! Not Degrading: Every women should listen to these lyrics and know that even though they are bombarded with lyrics that make it okay for a man to see women as object, its not and no one can hold us down. Paragraph Three: Song: â€Å"Every Girl† by Lil’ Wyane Lyrics: And I’m in he mood to get faded so please bring your finest and what are all your names again? Degrading Why?: Lil’ Wyane obviously sees himself as a pimp who deserves every fine girl in the world, but only to use them for one thing. On top of that he will not remember their names and still relate to them as objects. Paragraph Four: Song: â€Å"A Woman’s Worth† by Alicia Keys Lyrics: ‘Cause a real man knows a real woman when he sees her. And a real woman knows a real man ain’t afraid to please her. And a real man just can’t deny a woman’s worth. Not Degrading: The man in this song sees Alicia as a future soul mate and not just a one night stand. He is not afraid to love her and care for her and that is what every woman should strive to find in a man.

A Report That Examines The Role Of Expert And Lay Knowledge In Understanding And Managing Risk

This report is going to examine how risks we face in our daily lives rely on different forms of knowledge to create an understanding of them and their consequences. This report will examine how people use expert and lay knowledge about risks in order to live with them. A brief description of risk is provided. The discussion focuses on how we live with risk and interpret expert and lay knowledge regarding risk and risk avoidance. It is also suggested that people make their own choice as to what and how they use information and to what degree of risk they consider acceptable in their lives. This is influenced by the knowledge they have and how they interpret that. Clearly an expert will be in a stronger position to accurately assess risk compared to a lay person. 1. Expert Knowledge – someone that has knowledge, skill and is qualified in a particular subject. 2. Lay Knowledge – someone who does not have specialized knowledge or training in a subject. This report will examine three examples of risk and will detail not only expert information but it will review lay opinion as well. 1. Firstly the cycling and the benefits of wearing helmet will be assessed. 2. Then a case study that detailed an allotment and the hazardous substances found in the soil. 3. The last risk to be observed will be sun exposure, sun tanning and risks and how consumerism can play apart in forming our choices. 1. Our Risky Lives 1. Risk – a state in which there is a possibility of known danger or harm, which if avoided may lead to benefits (Carter and Jordan, 2009). Almost everything we do in life comes with some degree of risk. It is how we interpret the risk that determines how we live. Some risk is taken without thinking, some risk is unavoidable, and in other cases we can reduce the risk or avoid the risk all together. 1. Cycling and the benefits of wearing a helmet Cycling will introduce the idea of risks and risk management in our material lives. Cyclists manage their risk with lights, occasional hand signals and helmets. Cyclists have to negotiate the use of the helmet, whether or not to wear one but not doing so means any injury sustained may be the cyclist’s own fault. One study shown 85 per cent reduction in the risk of head injury among cyclists who wore helmets (Thompson et al., cited in Carter and Jordan, 2009). Other research found that, when car overtakes a cyclist, the car comes significantly closer to a cyclist who wears a helmet (Walker, cited in Carter and Jordan, 2009). Taking both studies into account seems to suggest that if you wear a helmet then you are more likely to have an accident but if you have an accident then you are less likely to have head injuries. 1. Hazardous substances found in the soil Soil on an allotment will show how knowledge of an invisible risk is produced by experts but can be contested and how the allotment users used knowledge to manage the risks. The benefits of a social activity such as gardening were suddenly brought into question by publication of a scientific test on the soil. The material environment changed from being good into something that was dangerous. The soil was safe then became poisonous and then become safe again, all without the soil itself being changed. The existence of two soil tests confirms that even within science there are debates over how best to assess risk. In the case study, the same soil shifted from being safe to dangerous and back again solely as a result of different measurement practices (Carter and Jordan, 2009). This shows how the expert knowledge may or may not influence the decisions people make about managing risk. Gardener did not listen to expert knowledge about safe soil, because two contrasting results of the tests did not feel quite trustworthy. 1. Sun Exposure and expert knowledge of sun risk The last risk to be assessed will be sun exposure and sun tanning and risks. Increasingly over the last number of years dangers of sun exposure and tanning have come to the fore. Even though advice and evidence which has been produced people still continue to expose themselves to the harmful UVA rays. In this section we can look at a second case study of risk and risk management concerning holidaymakers and their attitudes to a tan. To understand the apparently risky practices connected with sun exposure we have to take seriously the ways in which people make sense of expert advice, and measure it against their own knowledge and experiences of the material world in which they live (Carter and   Jordan, 2009). The research conducted by Simon Carter used a mixture of interviews and focus groups with tourist aged 20 and 35 years of age who regularly travelled abroad for holidays. The first thing that this search found was that people could recall health education advice by seeking shade, using a sunscreen or covering the body. People knew what the expert advice said about the dangers of sun. However, people did not fully follow this advice because they had their own ways of understanding and making sense of the healthy and risky elements of their material lives. The knowledge produced by experts was different from that produced by holidaymakers. This distinction between expert and lay knowledge meant that expert knowledge was interpreted rather than followed to the letter by the public (Carter and Jordan, 2009). The expert knowledge does not straightforwardly determine public opinion. 1. Lay knowledge of symbolic risk The effects that the sun has on the body are both a source of material risk, from cancers, and of symbolic risk, such as being peely-wally (Carter and Jordan, 2009). Suntan became a material sign or symbol that is for the visual consumption of other tourists. 1. Beck’s thesis . The examples of sun exposure and of poisoned soil demonstrate how we may have entered into a particular kind of relationship to risk in society today. German sociologist Ulrich Beck examined the move from the Industrial Society in which political deliberations where concerns with the distribution of wealth to a Risk Society that focuses on the distribution of harm (cited in Carter and Jordan, 2009 p. 80). Beck also argues that we have become dependent on external information usually expert knowledge to assess the risks we face, instead of using personal experience or common sense. For example, the allotment holders could not determine the risks contained in their soil, they were told about potential danger by scientific experts. Similarly, the possible risk from sun exposure has to be made clear to people by expert evidence. One of Beck’s main concerns is the role of expert knowledge in defining the risks, whether that risk is nuclear radiation, arsenic in the soil or the sun. 1. Conclusion In modern society much more effort is being put into measuring risk. Experts aim to examine potential hazards and produce evidence that will allow us to make informed decisions. Assessing risk often relies on science and expertise. These are practices which involve choices and assumptions that can create debate. A risk society is one in which calculations of risk become increasingly prominent. Many modern risks are invisible and need experts to make them visible to the public.

Holographics and Virtual Reality

HOLOGRAPHICS AND VIRTUAL REALITY Major KVP Dhammika M. Phill(Electronic and Telecommunication)Engineering Mid Career Course -45 Military College of Signal Rawalpindi – Pakistan Nov 2011 CONTENT 1. Introduction 2. Aim 3. History and Background 4. Important Concepts 5. Type of Virtual Reality Systems 6. Few Virtual Reality Techniques that Actually Work at Present 7. The Extreme Future of Virtual Reality 8. Conclusion INTRODUCTION What is real? How do you define real? If you're talking about what you can hear, what you can smell, taste and feel, then real is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain. Morpheus (The Matrix) 1. It was my own belief next coming decade word virtual will be a very common to everyone since we all living in margin of real world and virtual world (Kind of dream world). When I started my high school studies in mathematics concept of imaginary numbers make me so confused but thought of its real existence me more confused. When I looked through a m irror I always thought imaginary world which was explained to me in complex numbers are exist inside the world that I am observing through a mirror. 2.When I was a kid TV show â€Å"Star Trek† and â€Å"Blake’s 7† induced my desire to study about Teleportation  (term that refers to a number of theories and notions concerning the transfer of  matter  from one point to another without traversing the physical space between them, similar to the concept  Ã¢â‚¬Å"apport†, an earlier word used in the context of spiritualism). Figure 1 Star Trek Teleportation Further my desire to learn concepts of Holography and Virtual Reality (VR) was stimulated due to two popular movies â€Å"Total Recall† and â€Å"Matrix†. . To day scientist had found that everything we experience in life can be reduced to electrical activity stimulating our brains as our sensory organs deliver information about the external world. This interpretation is what we consider to be â€Å"reality. † In this sense, the brain is reality. Everything you see, hear, feel, taste and smell is an interpretation of what's outside, and created entirely inside your head. We tend to believe that this interpretation matches very closely to the external world.Nothing could be further from the truth. 4. It is the brain that â€Å"sees†, and in some important ways what it sees does not reflect the information it derives from sensory input. For this reason, we are all living in our own reality simulations – abstractions – that we construct as a result of both what we perceive with our senses and how our brains modify this perception. Such things as color, smell and taste, for example are not properties of the outside world itself, but rather a category created by the process of perception.In order to experience the world in a meaningful way, the brain must act as a filter/interference between us and the â€Å"real† world. 5. Words have a lways been a crude method of relaying intent. VR holds out the promise of allowing us to literally show one another what we mean rather than merely describing it with crude verbal approximations. The limitation of words is that the meaning they convey is only as detailed as the definitions the reader or listener attaches to them.For this reason VR offers the possibility of evolving our communication into a kind of telepathy, ultimately bridging the gap between our discrete imaginations. â€Å"This is what virtual reality holds out to us – the possibility of walking into the constructs of the imagination. † – Terence McKenna 6. VR is the ultimate medium of syntactical intent; the only way to figuratively â€Å"show† someone exactly what you mean is to literally show them. Words are exceptionally ineffective at conveying meaning, as they are a low-bandwidth, lossy medium of knowledge transference.VR will let us remove the ambiguity that is the discrepancy b etween our internal dictionaries and bypass communication through symbolism altogether. The result will be perfect understanding, as all parties behold the same information. 7. Holography  is a technique that allows the  light  scattered from an object to be recorded and later reconstructed so that when an imaging system (a camera or an eye) is placed in the reconstructed beam, an image of the object will be seen even when the object is no longer present.The image changes as the position and orientation of the viewing system changes in exactly the same way as if the object were still present, thus making the image appear  three-dimensional. 8. Virtual reality is an artificial environment that is created with software and presented to the user in such a way that the user suspends belief and accepts it as a real environment. On a computer, virtual reality is primarily experienced through two of the five senses: sight and sound. Today its go beyond and planning to experience in all five senses. 9.The simplest form of virtual reality is a  3-D  image that can be explored interactively at a personal computer, usually by manipulating keys or the mouse so that the content of the image moves in some direction or zooms in or out. More sophisticated efforts involve such approaches as wrap-around display screens, actual rooms augmented with wearable computers, and  haptics (  tactile feedback  technology that takes advantage of a user's sense of touch by applying forces,  vibrations, or motions to the user)  devices that let you feel the display images. 0. Today we are in a world where human being reached their new electronic telecommunication advancement to practically feasible of projecting holographic images, virtual reality games and Telepresence (refers to a set of  technologies  which allow a person to feel as if they were present, to give the appearance of being present, or to have an effect, via  tele-robotics, at a place other than th eir true location). 11. These two field application can be expected in almost all the fields. Specially military, education, business and entertainment. AIM 12.Aim of this research work is to acquaint student officers immerging new two technologies, holography and virtual reality. HISTORY AND BACKGROUND 13. In mid 1950s visionary cinematographer Morton H Eilig built a single user console called â€Å"Sensorama† that included a stereoscopic display, fans, or emitters, stereo speakers and a moving chair. This enabled the user watch television in three dimensional ways. 14. In 1961, Philco Corporation engineers developed the first HMD known as the â€Å"Headsight†. The helmet consisted of a video screen along with a tracking system. Then they linked to a closed circuit camera system.Then somewhat similar HMD was used for helicopter pilots. While flying in the dark these were of great help. 15. In 1965, a computer scientist named Ivan Sutherland envisioned what he called t he â€Å"Ultimate Display. † After using this display a person imagines the virtual world very similar to the real world. During 1966, an HMD was built by Sutherland, which was tethered to a computer system. The thought of virtual reality has been around since 1965, when Ivan Sutherland expressed his ideas of creating virtual or imaginary worlds. At MIT, he conducted experiments with three dimensional displays.In 1969, he developed the first system to surround people in three dimensional displays of information. Between the '70's and late '80's, the concept of virtual reality was mainly used by the United States. The military used it as flight simulators to train pilots. The other countries in the world did not show any interest in this technology until the late 1980's. Since then, virtual reality has developed in many ways to become an emerging technology of our time. 16. To my own thought we experiencing some kind of virtual reality in our own dreams. When you are in deep s leep you see dreams that you may feel it real.Day dreams also plays very vital role, all form of these dreams help to create great sciences, fictions and all form of arts. In virtual reality technology we are trying to create dream world in real life where we won’t be able to identify margin between real world and virtual world. In other way round optical illusions we experiencing like mirage and rainbows also like holographic projection humans are about to experience. 17. Holography was discovered by the British-Hungarian scientist Dennis Gabor in 1947, though its full potential waited it seems, on the birth of the laser, 1963.Holography is defined as  the process of wavefront reconstruction. In considering one of the several methods of constructing a hologram, the principles we require for understanding the process are simple. IMPORTANT CONCEPTS 18. The concepts behind virtual reality are based upon theories about a long held human desire to escape the boundaries of the à ¢â‚¬Ëœreal world’ by embracing cyberspace. Once there we can interact with this virtual environment in a more naturalistic manner which will generate new forms of human-machine interaction (HMI).The aim is to move beyond standard forms of interaction such as the keyboard and mouse which most people work with on a daily basis. This is seen as an unnatural way of working which forces people to adapt to the demands of the technology rather than the other way around. But a virtual environment does the opposite. It allows someone to fully immerse themselves in a highly visual world which they explore by means of their senses. This natural form of interaction within this world often results in new forms of communication and understanding. 19.The experience of a virtual world mimics that of a real world scenario but often without many of its constraints. Virtual reality enables allows someone to do the following: a. Walk around a three-dimensional building b. Perform a virtual opera tion. c. Play a multi-user game. d. Take part in a theatre of war. e. Interact with an artwork. Plus the fact that they can do this in a 3D environment means that they replicate an experience similar to that in the real world but without many of the dangers. This is preferable to trying to simulate these experiences in a two-dimensional setting, e. g. a computer desktop. 0. Virtual reality also acts as a problem solving device in that it enables us to explore various options as a means of finding an answer to a problem. For example, an engineering company will use virtual reality to produce a prototype which is then tested and the results fed back to the design team. The advantage of this is that it enables the designers to make alterations to their design but at far less time and cost. This is a preferred option to building a physical prototype which is expensive to build and make changes to: especially if it undergoes several alterations as part of the design process.Holography Co ncept. 21. Holography is an image registered with use of coherent laser light. It allows preserving the 3-D information of a holographed subject. With a single source of white light, the image is â€Å"played back† and appears in 3-D exactly as it was registered in the studio. Image can project deep inside, or â€Å"stick† out of the picture. Virtually impossible to copy and displaying unique visual effects, they present themselves as an unbeatable security solution for brand protection and brand promotion. 22. The Holography is based upon Nobel Prize winner Dennis Gabor's theory concerning interference patterns.Gabor theorized in 1947 that each crest of the wave pattern contains the whole information of its original source, and that this information could be stored on film and reproduced. This is why it is called a Holography. 23. Holography is the only visual recording and playback process that can record our three-dimensional world on a two-dimensional recording med ium and playback the original object or scene, to the unaided eyes, as a three dimensional image. The image demonstrates complete parallax and depth-of-field.The image floats in space either behind, in front of, or straddling the recording medium The Universe as a Holography 24. In 1982 a remarkable event took place. Aspect and his team discovered that under certain circumstances subatomic particles such as electrons are able to instantaneously communicate with each other regardless of the distance separating them. University of London physicist David Bohm, for example, believes Aspect's findings imply that objective reality does not exist, that despite its apparent solidity the universe is at heart a phantasm, a gigantic and splendidly detailed Holography.To understand why Bohm makes this startling assertion, one must first understand a little about Holographys. A Holography is a three- dimensional photograph made with the aid of a laser. To make a Holography, the object to be phot ographed is first bathed in the light of a laser beam. When the film is developed, it looks like a meaningless swirl of light and dark lines. But as soon as the developed film is illuminated by another laser beam, a three-dimensional image of the original object appears. 24.If a Holography of a rose is cut in half and then illuminated by a laser, each half will still be found to contain the entire image of the rose. Indeed, even if the halves are divided again, each snippet of film will always be found to contain a smaller but intact version of the original image. Unlike normal photographs, every part of a Holography contains all the information possessed by the whole. 25. This insight suggested to Bohm another way of understanding Aspect's discovery. Imagine an aquarium containing a fish. This, says Bohm, is precisely what is going on between the subatomic particles in Aspect's experiment. 6. According to Bohm, the apparent faster-than-light connection between subatomic particles i s really telling us that there is a deeper level of reality we are not privy to, a more complex dimension beyond our own that is analogous to the aquarium. And, he adds, we view objects such as subatomic particles as separate from one another because we are seeing only a portion of their reality. Such particles are not separate â€Å"parts†, but facets of a deeper and more underlying unity that is ultimately as holographic and indivisible as the previously mentioned rose.And since everything in physical reality is comprised of these â€Å"eidolons†, the universe is itself a projection, a Holography. In addition to its phantomlike nature, such a universe would possess other rather startling features. If the apparent separateness of subatomic particles is illusory, it means that at a deeper level of reality all things in the universe are infinitely interconnected. 27. In a holographic universe, even time and space could no longer be viewed as fundamentals. What else the superHolography contains is an open-ended question.Bohm is not the only researcher who has found evidence that the universe is a Holography. Working independently in the field of brain research, Standford neurophysiologist Karl Pribram has also become persuaded of the holographic nature of reality. 28. Pribram was drawn to the holographic model by the puzzle of how and where memories are stored in the brain. In a series of landmark experiments in the 1920s, brain scientist Karl Lashley found that no matter what portion of a rat's brain he removed he was unable to radicate its memory of how to perform complex tasks it had learned prior to surgery. Then in the 1960s Pribram encountered the concept of holography and realized he had found the explanation brain scientists had been looking for. Pribram believes memories are encoded not in neurons, or small groupings of neurons, but in patterns of nerve impulses that crisscross the entire brain in the same way that patterns of laser light interference crisscross the entire area of a piece of film containing a holographic image. In other words, Pribram believes the brain is itself a Holography. 9. Pribram's theory also explains how the human brain can store so many memories in so little space. It has been estimated that the human brain has the capacity to memorize something on the order of 10 billion bits of information during the average human lifetime (or roughly the same amount of information contained in five sets of the Encyclopaedia Britannica). 30. Our uncanny ability to quickly retrieve whatever information we need from the enormous store of our memories becomes more understandable if the brain functions according to holographic principles.Because every portion of a Holography is infinitely interconnected with ever other portion, it is perhaps nature's supreme example of a cross-correlated system. 31. The storage of memory is not the only neurophysiological puzzle that becomes more tractable in light of Pribra m's holographic model of the brain. Another is how the brain is able to translate the avalanche of frequencies it receives via the senses (light frequencies, sound frequencies, and so on) into the concrete world of our perceptions.Encoding and decoding frequencies is precisely what a Holography does best. Just as a Holography functions as a sort of lens, a translating device able to convert an apparently meaningless blur of frequencies into a coherent image, Pribram believes the brain also comprises a lens and uses holographic principles to mathematically convert the frequencies it receives through he senses into the inner world of our perceptions. 32. An impressive body of evidence suggests that the brain uses holographic principles to perform its operations.Argentinian-Italian researcher Hugo Zucarelli recently extended the holographic model into the world of acoustic phenomena. Puzzled by the fact that humans can locate the source of sounds without moving their heads, even if the y only possess hearing in one ear, Zucarelli discovered that holographic principles can explain this ability. Pribram's belief that our brains mathematically construct â€Å"hard† reality by relying on input from a frequency domain has also received a good deal of experimental support. 33.Researchers have discovered, for instance, that our visual systems are sensitive to sound frequencies, that our sense of smell is in part dependent on what are now called â€Å"osmic frequencies†, and that even the cells in our bodies are sensitive to a broad range of frequencies. For if the concreteness of the world is but a secondary reality and what is â€Å"there† is actually a holographic blur of frequencies, and if the brain is also a Holography and only selects some of the frequencies out of this blur and mathematically transforms them into sensory perceptions, what becomes of objective reality? 4. We are really â€Å"receivers† floating through a kaleidoscopic se a of frequency, and what we extract from this sea and transmogrify into physical reality is but one channel from many extracted out of the superHolography. 35. This striking new picture of reality, the synthesis of Bohm and Pribram's views, has come to be called the holographic paradigm, and although many scientists have greeted it with skepticism, it has galvanized others. A small but growing group of researchers believe it may be the most accurate model of reality science has arrived at thus far.Numerous researchers, including Bohm and Pribram, have noted that many para-psychological phenomena become much more understandable in terms of the holographic paradigm. 36. In a universe in which individual brains are actually indivisible portions of the greater Holography and everything is infinitely interconnected, telepathy may merely be the accessing of the holographic level. It is obviously much easier to understand how information can travel from the mind of individual ‘A' to that of individual ‘B' at a far distance point and helps to understand a number of unsolved puzzles in psychology.In particular, Grof feels the holographic paradigm offers a model for understanding many of the baffling phenomena experienced by individuals during altered states of consciousness. TYPES OF VR SYSTEMS 37. This section describes some of the common modes used in VR systems. a. Window on World Systems (WoW) Some systems use a conventional computer monitor to display the visual world. This sometimes called Desktop VR or a Window on a World (WoW). This concept traces its lineage back through the entire history of computer graphics.In 1965, Ivan Sutherland laid out a research program for computer graphics in a paper called â€Å"The Ultimate Display† that has driven the field for the past nearly thirty years. â€Å"One must look at a display screen,† he said, â€Å"as a window through which one beholds a virtual world. The challenge to computer graphics i s to make the picture in the window look real, sound real and the objects act real. † b. Video Mapping A variation of the WoW approach merges a video input of the user's silhouette with a 2D computer graphic. The user watches a monitor that shows his body's interaction with the world.Myron Kruger has been a champion of this form of VR since the late 60's. He has published two books on the subject: â€Å"Artificial Reality† and â€Å"Artificial Reality II†. At least one commercial system uses this approach, the Mandala system. This system is based on a Commodore Amiga with some added hardware and software. A version of the Mandala is used by the cable TV channel Nickelodeon for a game show (Nick Arcade) to put the contestants into what appears to be a large video game. c. Immersive Systems The ultimate VR systems completely immerse the user's personal viewpoint inside the virtual world.These â€Å"immersive† VR systems are often equipped with a Head Mounted Display (HMD). This is a helmet or a face mask that holds the visual and auditory displays. The helmet may be free ranging, tethered, or it might be attached to some sort of a boom armature. A nice variation of the immersive systems use multiple large projection displays to create a ‘Cave' or room in which the viewer(s) stand. An early implementation was called â€Å"The Closet Cathedral† for the ability to create the impression of an immense environment. within a small physical space.The Holodeck used in the television series â€Å"Star Trek: The Next Generation† is afar term extrapolation of this technology. d. Telepresence Telepresence is a variation on visualizing complete computer generated worlds. This a technology links remote sensors in the real world with the senses of a human operator. The remote sensors might be located on a robot, or they might be on the ends of WALDO like tools. Fire fighters use remotely operated vehicles to handle some dangerous c onditions. Surgeons are using very small instruments on cables to do surgery without cutting a major hole in their patients.The instruments have a small video camera at the business end. Robots equipped with telepresence systems have already changed the way deep sea and volcanic exploration is done. NASA plans to use telerobotics for space exploration. There is currently a joint US/Russian project researching telepresence for space rover exploration. e. Mixed Reality Merging the Telepresence and Virtual Reality systems gives the Mixed Reality or Seamless Simulation systems. Here the computer generated inputs are merged with telepresence inputs and/or the users view of the real world.A surgeon's view of a brain surgery is overlaid with images from earlier CAT scans and real-time ultrasound. A fighter pilot sees computer generated maps and data displays inside his fancy helmet visor or on cockpit displays. The phrase â€Å"fish tank virtual reality† was used to describe a Canad ian VR system reported in the 1993 InterCHI proceedings. It combines a stereoscopic monitor display using liquid crystal shutter glasses with a mechanical head tracker. The resulting system is superior to simple stereo-WoW systems due to the motion parallax effects introduced by the head tracker. What Is Virtual World? 39.Virtual worlds are three dimensional environments in which you can interact with others and create objects as part of that interaction. How do you do that? You appear as an avatar in the virtual world: an avatar is a virtual representation of you (a ‘virtual ego’) which can take on any shape or form as you so wish. 40. There are a range of virtual worlds to choose from which include fantasy, sport, historical and science fiction. Some are loosely based upon the real world but others such as fantasy worlds are as the name says: they are completely disconnected from the real world which is also part of their attraction.With virtual worlds, men appear as women and vice versa. Some people choose an animal as their alter ego. Whatever you choose the aim is to socially interact with other people in new and exciting ways. This all adds to the experience. You can communicate with another person using text, sound, graphical images and gesture. Some of the more advanced worlds allow you to use voice or touch. FEW VIRTUAL REALITY TECHNOLOGIES THAT ACTUALLY WORK AT PRESENT 41. So far, virtual reality has mostly  been a colossal disappointment. But VR has had its share of breakthroughs and innovative applications.Here are few VR technologies that work and that may yet point the way to truly successful virtual reality. a. Anxiety Therapy For years now, virtual environments have been used to  treat anxiety problems  with exposure therapy. Psychologists treat phobias and post traumatic stress disorder by exposing the patient to the thing that causes them anxiety and letting the anxiety dissipate on its own. But this proves difficult if you r stressor is a battlefield in Iraq. Enter virtual reality. Military psychologists use simulated Iraq war situations to treat soldiers.Other therapeutic VR uses include treating a fear of flying, fear of elevators, and even a â€Å"virtual nicotine craving† simulator for smoking addiction. b. VR Training Programs Virtual reality environments have also been used for training simulators. The earliest examples were flight simulators but VR training has expanded beyond just that. There are many modern military examples, including Iraqi cultural situations and battlefield simulators for soldiers. Other examples include counter-terrorism, para-trooping, welding, and mining training simulators. c.Multiplayer Online Gaming One result of virtual-reality research is the existence of entirely separate virtual worlds, inhabited entirely by the avatars of real world users. These worlds are sometimes referred to as massively multiplayer online games, and the  World of Warcraft  is the largest virtual gaming world in use now, with 11. 5 million subscribers. Another example is  Second Life. The world of Second Life can't really be classified as a game, since the goal seems really just to be to wander around and interact with people, much like the real world.There is even a  Second Life Shakespeare Company  that performs Shakespeare's works within Second Life. d. The Nintendo Wii Probably the most successful cousin of virtual reality on the market today is the Nintento Wii. The Wii owes its motion capture and intuitive interaction concepts to the virtual reality technologies of the past. The controller is basically a simplified version of the â€Å"virtual reality glove. † Both the Wiimote and the Wii Fit offer users another way of interacting with their virtual environment without having to wear any bulky equipment. e. Medical ProceduresModern medicine has also found many uses for virtual reality. Doctors can interact with virtual systems to practice p rocedures or to do tiny surgical procedures on a larger scale. Surgeons have also started using virtual â€Å"twins† of their patients, to practice for surgery before doing the actual procedure. f. Project Natal The latest entry in the virtual reality inspired gaming world is  Project Natal, a new piece of technology under development now for the Xbox. Project Natal proposes a new way of interacting with games, and indeed with computer systems in general.In their demo video, they propose a system that requires no keyboard and no controller, where a user's voice and motions serve as their method for interacting with the system. The demo video is impressive, but the technology has not been completed and released yet. When it does get released, however, virtual reality will take another giant step towards total immersion and common home usage. g. The Cave The term â€Å"CAVE† refers to any virtual reality system that uses multiple walls with multiple projectors to immer se users in a virtual world. The first CAVE was built in 1992 as a method of showing of scientific visualizations.Now, many universities have their own CAVE systems. The CAVE is used for visualizing data, for demonstrating 3D environments, and for virtually testing component parts of newly developed engineering projects. THE EXTREME FUTURE OF VIRTUAL REALITY 42. When it comes right down to it, having a physical body in a reality constrained by the limitations of the physical laws has many drawbacks. Our bodies are extremely fragile and can be damaged or killed in an instant if we are not careful, or are just plain unlucky. If anything goes wrong with a critical body part, the entire body could die.Our physical bodies are also deteriorated by aging. Either way, for now, if your body dies, your brain dies right along with it. Every human brain contains an immense wealth of information, memories, experiences and relationships. Every time a human brain dies, that incredible, unique weal th of knowledge dies with it, and is forever lost. The world is a dangerous place to inhabit in a fragile human body, and there are a lot of other problems that come with having a physical presence in a physical world. Using the bathroom, body odor, difficulty traveling, limitation of possibilities, just to name a few.Up to this point, we have had no alternative to life, besides death. Due to nanotechnology, there may come a time when people will actually have a choice between life in the â€Å"real world,† an existence inside a computer generated simulation, or death. Vertebrane – Enter The Matrix 43. â€Å"Vertebrane† is the term for a speculative brain-computer interface technology first proposed by Marshall Brain in the bookManna. The technology consists of a computer system packaged as a replacement for one of the upper cervical vertebra in the human spine. The Vertebrane system taps into all sensory and motor nerve bundles flowing to and from the brain.Ver tebrane allows for augmented reality or a complete disconnection of the brain from the biological body and subsequent electronic reconnection to a virtual body typically inhabiting a virtual world. It would be the â€Å"ultimate videogame controller. † 44. Everything you enjoy about the real world and your real body it will be possible to duplicate exactly in the virtual environment. It will also be possible to improve everything you enjoy, and make virtually (pun intended) anything that was once impossible, possible for you. 45. The Vertebrane system itself would consist of a diminutive, yet extremely powerful nanocomputer.Power would come from a small onboard fuel cell that uses blood glucose to generate electricity. The system would be installed by a robotic surgeon which would sever the spinal cord and reroute it into the Vertebrane. All sensory nerve pathways (optic, auditory etc. ) would be tapped into the system. In pass-through mode, the Vertebrane would act as if it was not there, and you would be able to function completely normally. In â€Å"game† mode, the vertebrane would disconnect your brain from your body and reconnect it to your virtual avatar. The Day You Discard Your Body: 46. Given the choice of being in your real body vs. our avatar, you will choose your avatar every time. Therefore, your biological body will become redundant and irrelevant. It will become possible to discard your body and have only your brain housed in a Brain Storage Facility, connected to a vertebrane-type computer. Here, along with thousands of other brains, your brain will be encased in a protective, liquid-filled life-support system chamber. This will eliminate all of the risks that come along with having a body. It will also greatly increase longevity by keeping the environmental conditions perpetually at ideal levels, and removing almost all risk factors of your previous life.Brain Storage Facilities will be maximum security, reinforced buildings, imp ervious to earthquakes, hurricanes, bombs, etc. Electronic Transcendence 47. Incredibly, it is possible to envision something even more radical than disembodied human brains connected to a simulated reality. The ultimate in virtual reality involves discarding not only your physical body, but also your physical brain. â€Å"Mind uploading,† â€Å"whole brain emulation,† or â€Å"mind transfer† is the theoretical process of transferring the essence of a biological brain into a computer system. There are several proposed techniques by which mind uploading could be achieved.Many mainstream research funders are not convinced of its feasibility; however some scientists do believe that this hypothetical and futuristic technology will one day become reality, so to speak. 48. Once uploaded, a mind would achieve immortality, existing as pure information, disassociated from the biological body and brain. The upload would be considered a form of artificial intelligence, som etimes referred to as an â€Å"infomorph† or â€Å"noomorph. † A digital mind could theoretically be backed up, copied, or restarted at various set points, raising interesting questions regarding individuality and identity. CONCLUSIONS If A Picture is worth a 1,000 words – How much is a Holographic Image worth these days? † 49. Holographic and Virtual Reality Technology has endless applications, as far as the human mind can imagine. These technologies are indeed available and getting more robust in abilities each year. Holographic and Virtual Reality Technologies are not just about art or business communication, they are about safety, security, education, planning and the strength of our civilization here and beyond. 50. From entertainment to data visualization we can see a bright future for Holographic Projection and the bending and manipulation of light.Those areas of society which most often bring about research and development funding in technology are present amongst the many potential applications for this science. It therefore stands to reason and makes common sense that Holographic Technologies and Spectral Imaging will become a very integral part of human societies and civilizations in the future. I am certain of that. The day people show there advertisements on clouds are very near. One fine day my son may ask from me (â€Å"ThaTha†) are you real or virtual.

Explain how Machiavelli's discussion of virtue (virtu) in The Prince Essay

Explain how Machiavelli's discussion of virtue (virtu) in The Prince differs from that of the ancients like Plato and Cicero. Give examples - Essay Example It is immoral and unethical, maintains Plato, for a ruler to rule solely by might. Machiavelli has stated, ""A Prince, therefore should have no care or thought but for war, and the regulations and training it requires, and should apply himself exclusively to this as his peculiar province; for war is the sole art looked for in one who rules" (Machiavelli, P. 70)." Therefore, it is clear that Machiavelli's idea of virtu' is not one that is based on moral character, but rather, based on utility. For Machiavelli, virtu' outweighs morality when the needs of the situation demands it; for Plato, one must preserve morality at all times. Plato believes in utopian ideals and propositions; Machiavelli, was a realist. Cicero, on the other hand, maintains that there was no distinction between that which was morally good and what was useful to man. His concept of duty is directly opposite the concept of duty as forwarded by Machiavelli. Cicero believed that pleasure may be enjoyed by man, but that there is a right and moral way to enjoy pleasure. For example, sex is an enjoyable activity and may thus be engaged in by man, but it is wrong to have sex with another man's wife. To quote from Cicero, "Virtue is a habit of the mind, consistent with nature and moderation and reason." Even their concepts of government are markedly different. Machiavelli would be wont to argue for the top-down approach, i.e., a good ruler is essential, a ruler who must be feared, more than loved. Cicero, on the other hand, believes that people should work together for the betterment of the community. Hence, he espouses a bottom-top approach. Describe the role of virtue in friendship, according to Cicero. Cicero's work, "De Amicitia" (On Friendship) captures this thinker's thoughts on friendship, and particularly, the role that virtue plays. A very enlightening passage in this work, translated in English, reads: "I can only advise you to prefer friendship to all things else within human attainment, insomuch as nothing beside is so well fitted to nature, -- so well adapted to our needs whether in prosperous or in adverse circumstances. But I consider this as a first principle -- that friendship can exist only between good men." Much ado is made regarding the moral dimension of friendship - that it should be based on nature, and not on need, on love and not on benefit. To quote the good philosopher once again, "But in friendship there is nothing feigned, nothing pretended, and whatever there is in it is both genuine and spontaneous. Friendship, therefore, springs from nature rather than from need, -- from an inclination of the mind with a certain consciousness of love rather than from calculation of the benefit to be derived from it." Hence, Cicero believes that truth-telling is an important aspect of friendship, and that the truth must be told to a friend, even though the truth hurts. But perhaps the most important point made by Cicero is that virtue is the very framework of friendship, it is the very bulwark on which friendship rests - Virtue, I say to you, Caius Fannius, and to you, Quintus Mucius, -- virtue both forms and preserves friendships. In it is mutual agreement; in it is stability; in it is consistency of conduct and character. When it has put itself forth and

Alzheimers Disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Alzheimers Disease - Essay Example Alzheimer’s disease is defined as a progressive, degenerative brain disorder manifested by memory loss, impaired thinking, difficulty in finding the right word when speaking, and personality changes and which eventually lead to cases of dementia (Harvard Health Publications, 2009, p. 2). Continual loss of nerve cells and synapses and decreasing levels of neurotransmitters which are crucial to memory, mental functions, and relaying of complex messages to the nerve cells in the body affects not only the cognitive aspect but also the activities of daily living and one’s personality. The prevalence rate of diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease is approximately more than five million and by 2050, 11 to 16 million of the American population will be probably diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease; that is, one in eight people ages 65 and above is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease cause financial and emotional strain to families and is estimated to have caused the nation a $148 billion health costs annually (Lu & Bludau, 2011, 3). When a person was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, it usually takes 8-10 years to death. Because there is no cure or prevention for the disease, it is essential that different warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease are noted in order to prompt early diagnosis and care and to temporarily stabilize or delay worsening of symptoms through drug interventions. In line with this, the Harvard Health Publications (2009) identified seven warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease, which includes: trouble remembering things starting from short-term memory such as a new acquaintance then progressing to loss of long-term memory such as recognition of family members; mood or personality changes (very angry to sad, socially-outgoing to withdrawn, and signs of depression); trouble completing ordinary tasks such as simple tooth brushing; difficulty expressing thoughts particularly in language (e.g. ringer for telephone); impaired judgments such as inability to balance a checkbook; di sorientation manifested by losing track of date and time; and unusual behavior like wandering in the community (p. 3).

Create a value chain for Ryanair. Examine the extent to which Ryanairs Essay

Create a value chain for Ryanair. Examine the extent to which Ryanairs value chain represents a traditional value chain, as opposed to a revised value chain, - Essay Example These core competencies help in the creation of value chain. Porter’s traditional value chain focuses on the enterprise and its internal mechanisms and is recognized as an effective management tool for value analysis. This paper will examine how this traditional value chain differs from the revised value chain created by Deise et al., and create a value chain for Ryanair based on its core competencies. According to Porter, ‘every firm is a collection of activities that are performed to design, produce, market, deliver and support its product. All these activities can be represented using a value chain’. The porter’s model of value chain (Table I) describes generic activities undertaken by the firm to procure, transform and add value to the products and services delivered to the customer. These activities can be primary or support activities where the primary activities are concerned with the transformation of the input into output as services or after sales service. Support activities include procurement, HRM, technology and infrastructure. A firm’s value chain reflects its history, strategy, the approach to implementing the strategy and the economics of the activities themselves. In this traditional value chain each activity is an independent process and each activity sequentially adds value to the final outcome. Creating a value chain is with the objective to create a process or product that will lead to profits. Thus value chain analysis studies each link of the chain to ensure that economic value is added to it. According to Porter, adding value is a strategic means to achieve profit and competitive advantage. Traditionally different business functions perceived and created value differently but with Porter’s model each activity can be analyzed individually or collectively to asses their contribution to the enterprise. An analysis helps to eliminate the inefficient processes and add value. Mascarenhas, Kesavan and

Management Planning Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management Planning - Research Paper Example Selected Organization The organization whose planning function we are going to evaluate is Halliburton. Halliburton is a provider of different products and services to the energy sector of different countries. Some of the main activities of this company include managing geological data, locating hydrocarbons, construction of the wells, drilling, and managing lifecycle of the reservoirs. Planning For the managers at Halliburton, planning holds great importance in all processes of management. At Halliburton, planning means to recognize organizational goals and to develop proper strategies to meet those goals. Planning not only includes setting goals for the future but also includes development of tactics and strategies to meet those goals. Managers at Halliburton firmly believe that they cannot achieve desired goals without planning. For proper planning, managers consider many factors, such as, availability of resources, assessment of organizational environment, future trends of the oil and gas industry, assessment of industrial demands, and proper use of capital. At Halliburton, there are many kinds of planning which managers do for the success of the organization. Some of those types of planning include marketing planning, construction planning, production planning, event planning, and project planning. Marketing planning means to develop suitable strategies for the marketing of the company’s products and services.... For construction planning, managers consider different aspects of a project to develop a plan for that project. Some of the major aspects, which managers consider, include site of the project, needs of the client firm, geological survey, and feasibility of the project. Production managers also do proper planning to enhance production services, such as, pipeline process services, well intervention services, and oil and gas production services. For project planning, managers consider nature of the project, availability of the resources required to complete the project, due date of the project, and effective use of human resource and technology to meet the targets. Tatum (2011) states, â€Å"Like any type of business planning, project planning is about gaining the most benefit while making the wisest use of available resources†. Influence of Legal Issues, Ethics, and CSR on Planning There are many factors, which put a deep impact on the planning function of an organization. In ca se of Halliburton, some of the main factors, which influence the planning function of Halliburton, include legal issues, ethics, and corporate social responsibility. Let us discuss the impact of each of these three factors on the planning function of management at Halliburton. Legal Issues Legal issues are those issues, which revolve around a business’s policies, planning, and structure. â€Å"Business managers and owners must at all times be prepared to spend some time around legal issues that may arise† (Beck, 2011). Analyzing legal issues related to different business processes and policies is very critical for a company’s success. Managers at Halliburton focus towards all sorts of legal issues while doing any kind of business planning in order to ensure effective planning

Supply Chain and Operations Management of Ferruccio Lamborghini Essay

Supply Chain and Operations Management of Ferruccio Lamborghini - Essay Example From this study it is clear that   Lamborghini produces both engines and cars, Aventador being its latest mainstream product. Named after a well known Spanish bull, Aventador has incorporated Lamborghini’s trademark theme as a product; power and exquisiteness inspired from bulls and bullfighting. Priced at $376,000 and performing a 0-100 km/h acceleration in just 2.9 seconds, Aventador has gotten the interest of many sports car enthusiasts from the start of its production. The sales of the car were high enough to make its 1000th sale within 15 months   Like its predecessors, Aventador has continued to break the records of previous Lamborghini models and has shown the sales to be high enough to beat the model it replaced, Murcielago, within five years. Considering the challenges Lamborghini faces from its rivals, profitability from its expensive cars has to be kept in line with the performance and care has to be taken so as not to compromise the car’s high performanc e for the sake of higher sales. ... With the tight production and delivery schedules of a multitude of produced units, the suppliers get under enormous pressure from the manufacturers who want to keep their products on top of the market. In order to maintain the tight schedule, component suppliers have been pushed to set up their factories with the top commercial vehicle producers by their requisition of geographically feasible regions of Asia. This paper highlights that employing production systems like Kanban to fulfill customer oriented production to achieve just in time production, the commercial manufacturers have driven the market to an unlikely position for sports car manufacturers. Lamborghini’s production facility has 831 employees and is located at Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy. As such, the company gets to use the country’s vast automotive production set up and does not get affected by the production dynamics of the domestic usage cars. Yet, the sport car prod uction has its own competition to deal with. The tight schedule and intricate timings make the manufacturers outsource some parts of their supply chain to reduce the load while the rest are carefully managed by the company. Lamborghini also uses the best possible routes to manufacturing often outsourcing some noncore aspects of production or supply chain either to reduce load or to increase efficiency. The high sales, with the first year’s production of Aventador - the first new model introduced in 10 years - all sold out, have put a high demand strain on the company . Lamborghini announced at a press event in Sant’Agata that the production of Aventador had increased its production capacity to 3.5 cars a day.  

Keylogger Scam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Keylogger Scam - Essay Example ger pertains to hardware, a computer program, or a physical device, which aims at logging all the keystrokes that are input by the users and generated from the keyboard. These keystrokes are then secretly stored and logged without letting the computer users know that all that is being typed in can be seen by anyone else. Generally, the logs can be retrieved by the individual who has installed the key-logger into the computer only through the pressing of an arrangement of different keys at once and/or by inputting a confidential password. In numerous situations, the log cannot be transferred by the key-logger remotely through Bluetooth, email or any such methods. There are various ways in which the individuals can avoid being subject to the keylogger scams. For instance, it is essential to read all the terms and conditions when any offer is received over the Internet because claims made by extremely cheap offers have costs and threats hidden in them. Unsolicited or suspicious emails should not be opened, and no links in spam mails should be clicked. Above all, the software should be installed to protect the computer from unwanted programs or viruses. Any harmful gaming or music websites should not be opened as they may become a source of hidden viruses or scams (Scam watch, 2012). Public computers should never be used for making any transactions which expose private information. It is essential to keep the spyware updated, and an encrypted file should also be maintained to keep passwords. There are several types of computer crimes that are committed in the modern era. They include identity theft, bank frauds, theft of classified information, extortion, cyber stalking, phishing scams and many others. All these are the modern crimes that aim at spoiling an individuals identity or posing harms and dangers to the personal or financial assets. In both political and industrial espionage, keyloggers can be utilized as tools to access data which might include classified

Sports Scandals in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sports Scandals in America - Essay Example Slide 1 Sports Scandals in America Name of Presenter Instructor University Affiliation Date of Presentation Slide 2 Introduction ï‚ § In American history, sports persons are perceived as above human due to the high esteem accorded to them by fans ï‚ § Whereas athletes are required to be statesmen and women but they end up betraying â€Å"the states trust† accorded to them. This presentation highlights some of the major scandals in the Americans history: Slide 3 National Football League NFL is a multibillion league but the most corrupt and hypocritical in the American history Slide 4 NFL scandals On September 15, 2015, the league suffered a technological hitch leading to the radio call used by match officials being manipulated and hence received wrong instructions Some teams have been forced to play two games within five days. NFL allows player to use NFL branded merchandize and hence raising a lot of unaccounted money Slide 5 Other scandals -Compromising investigations -Domestic violence among players -Bribery to influence the transfer of athletes

Customer loyalty in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Customer loyalty in Business - Essay Example Customer loyalty is considered to be the propensity or inclination of the consumer to select a particular product or service, which meets his or her needs. In the business domain, customers are labeled as brand loyal as they are most likely to select a particular brand as compared to the alternatives available. Customer loyalty is the product of well structured, organized and planned programs, which concentrate on the retention of customers (East, Wright & Vanhuele, 2008, 45). Research suggests that customers, who become targets of customer loyalty programs, are most likely to remain loyal to a particular brand. For customer or brand loyalty, habit is considered to an important element. It is considered to be the main element, which can influence the overall progress and development of the organization. It is used by different organizations in order to retain existing customers and to win potential customers. As mentioned earlier, business is mainly dependent on it customers. Researc hers have identified five main types of customer loyalty, which are discussed below.Monopoly loyalty is considered to be that loyalty in which the choices of customers are restricted. It is rare and extreme case and the loyalty of the customer is away from loyalty and devotion. Research suggests that monopoly loyalty is considered to be resentful. From customer satisfactions surveys conducted, it was concluded that consumers were dissatisfied and discontented when their choices were restricted.(Reinchheld, 2006, 103). Cost of change loyalty In theory, each and every supplier is in competition with one another, which indicates that their customers may use substitutes. However, in actual practice, customers are most likely to remain loyal to their existing supplier because of difficulties they experience in switching suppliers. Turning to substitutes only takes place when the customers are dissatisfied with their existing product or service (Reinchheld, 2006, 105) . Incentivised Loyalty Incentivised loyalty is considered to be the result of excessive marketing to promote the product or service in the market. It might influence consumers, who are not using their own financial resources(Reinchheld, 2006, 109). Research suggests that majority of the people in United Kingdom are most likely to have more than one loyalty cards of different competing super markets, petrol stations or airlines. Loyalty points are considered to be discount tools, which would assist in meeting their needs and requirements that wider range. Habitual Loyalty Habitual loyalty is often termed as â€Å"everyday form of repeat business† (Reinchheld, 2006, 111). Time is considered to be an asset and therefore, several consumers resort to familiar habits and routines in order to achieve with maximum utilization of time. For instance, a weekly to the same superstore is conducted as it is convenient and habitual. Colleagues meet in the same restaurant for lunch(Reinchheld, 2006, 112). Consumers are most likely to visit the same petrol situation in order to save time. From this perspective,

Budgeting Process Is a Waste of Time and Valuable Resources Essay Example for Free

Budgeting Process Is a Waste of Time and Valuable Resources Essay A budget is a plan for financing an enterprise or government during a definite period, which is prepared and submitted by a responsible executive to a representative body (or other duly constituted agent) whose approval and authorization are necessary before the plan may be executed. In the case of Uganda, it is a financing plan for one year prepared by the president and approved by Parliament. Some scholars have argued that budgets are a waste of time and valuable resources. But this statement is not entirely true as the budget process has some very useful roles in public administration as shown below;- Financial control. Government needs to be able to exercise control over the ministries and departs i. e. to make sure that the ministries are keeping to plan and that necessary actions can be taken to put them back on track when needed. Government needs to have control tools to make sure that financial plans and targets are being achieved, and the best tool is the budget. The budget is a plan set out in numbers, which enables the government to exercise control. The difference between what is budgeted to happen and what actually happens is termed a variance. A favorable variance means that ministry or department is doing well while an adverse variance shows those that are not. Allocation of scarce resources. One of the biggest tasks of government is the allocation of scare resources. This is often done through the budget. Resource allocation refers to the distribution of resources, and in particular finance, from the center to peripheral levels. Because the budgetary process is often participatory, it enable the various ministries and local governments to identify their needs and present them to the centre. Programme Coordination. The budget process serves very well to coordinate government departments and ministries. It is at this budget process that the government can get to know who is doing what and at what cost. Government can for example be able to tell that water for irrigation has been covered under the Ministry of Agriculture and should therefore be omitted from the Ministry of Water and Environment. Communication. The public budget serves as a communication tool to a variety of audiences. The general public, civil society, and legislators all receive information from the budget process. Once the budget has been approved by the legislature and signed into law, the ministries and other agencies become the information recipients. Importantly, each of these actors perceives the budget differently. Budget also communicates upwards. Ministries and various agencies must prepare a budget that persuades the president that they support him and his manifesto. At this level of the process, the information in the budget document must explain why a program deserves continued support, how it meets the president’s policy priorities, and how well it is using the resources it has been given. After a ministry budget has been incorporated into the national budget the primary audience for communicating information shifts from the executive to the legislative branch of government. The primary goal at this stage is to provide information to legislature with the recommendations and analysis that serve as the basis for their decisions. Perhaps the most important purpose for public budgeting is to communicate a ministry’s intentions and performance to the citizens. The media also plays a major role in presenting budgets to the citizens. The key events in the budget processes and budget documents must serve to support a mass communication task. Successful communication helps to build legitimacy for the government and its programs. Budgeting as a Governing Tool. Public budgeting has become an increasingly central galvanizing force for both the administrative and policy side of governance. This process begins with the preparation of program-level, agency-level, and then ministry-level requests for the coming fiscal year. This budget process presents a political platform for the selection of policy choices and for the allocation of resources to support those choices. The development of a national budget provides the foundation from which to organize a coordinated response to these complex problems and needs. Financial Accountability. Reflecting its roots, the budget process provides the tools to ensure financial accountability. Legislative oversight and audit functions are important activities that provide an opportunity for ministries to demonstrate that they have complied with legislative directives. This compliance provides assurances to both elected officials and to the public that the ministry and its programs are serving the public interest. Influence on the Economy . The spending and taxation policies of the central government and local governments have economic impact. Of course, the central government, with its sh11 trillion for 2012/2013 has far more impact on the economy than billions the local governments spend. From an economist’s point of view, the budget serves the following combination of economic objectives: * funds social service programs for those in need, thus increasing the demand for private sector goods and services; * reflects tax policy that affects business and individuals; * reflects and funds the enforcement of commercial, transportation, land use and environmental regulations that affect the business climate; * funds education and other training programs that enhance the country’s human and economic resources; * funds routine purchases (like stationary) and capital projects (like Bujagali dam) that stimulate economic activity; * serves to redistribute wealth across the country’s residents; and * Supports the government as the largest single employer. Public Budgeting as Political tool. The budget process presents a series of opportunities for elected officials and interest groups. The perspectives and needs of elected officials and interest groups may fr equently contrast with the values and hopes of most public administrators. Understanding these contrasting needs is a useful key to understanding the budget process. Elected officials must respond to their constituent’s needs and demonstrate a record of leadership. MPs must demonstrate an ability to use government to solve problems in their constituencies. Survival of an MP rests on this ability. In contrast, civil servants often rely on public service and professional values to guide their sense of action and accomplishment. For example, at the ministry of finance, the minister (who is not elected) and budget analysts are primarily committed to acquiring the resources necessary to maintain the efficient and effective delivery of programs, not delivering on promises to constituents. The budget process provides leadership opportunities to bridge and reconcile these competing perspectives. The promises of an election campaign must be quickly translated into policies and programs. Campaign goals and visions must be translated into legislation and directives that can reform and reorient the ministries. The budget also provides an opportunity for the executive to engage with the legislature. When executive and legislative branches are divided, compromise is usually necessary to meet the constitutional duty shared by the Executive and legislative branches i. e the president must present a budget to the legislature and the parliament is constitutionally required to enact a budget. Waste of time. On many instances, however, budgets may appear of a waste of time when they are not adhered too. In Uganda for example, The Monitor newspaper reported that the budget for Sate House had jumped from Shs66. 1 billion approved in September last year to Shs204. 4 billion. On the day to day running, there always unforeseen consequences that governments have to cater for and often need extra resources beyond what is budgeted for. An example in Uganda was the Bududa landslides, In the US we have seen incidences such Hurricane Katrina that devastated New Orleans in 2005. But that is only a perception. Budgets play a very big role in public management and administration.

Hills Like White Elephants, Ernest Hemingway Essay

Hills Like White Elephants, Ernest Hemingway Essay This story consists of two main characters who are the girl and the American man. The waitress and people in the bar are the other characters who have superficial roles in the story. In my opinion the girl is the most important character and she has salient role in this story because the operation is going to happen for her and her decision is important in this case. The man said, its not really an operation at all (Hemingway: 2) .She is a protagonist who worries a lot about the future of her relationship. For instance she asks the man whether he will be happy and things will be like the past and he will love her again, if she did it (Hemingway: 1). Consequently, She has a round character because we get a lot of information about her and there are lots of gaps to fill (Abbott: 133). She is the person who cares a lot about keeping this relationship and being loved by the man. For example it can be traced in the following sentence in the story: Then Ill do it because I dont care about me (Hemingway: 2). She is also a type, She is dependent and emotional character. Whatever she wants to do she asks the mans idea. What should we drink? or could we try it? (Hemingway: 1). She is also very emotional because we see that she changes her mind constantly not according to logical principles and she makes decision by her heart not her mind. For example she says then Ill do it because I dont care about me (Hemingway: 2). Another round character is the man who seems to be selfish in forcing the girl to do abortion because he likes his current life style. The tags on the bags show that he enjoys travelling and seeing the world and he thinks having a baby doesnt let him follow his dreams. For instance he says that is the only thing that bothers us (Hemingway: 2). He tries to persuade the girl by repeatedly saying that its perfectly simple (Hemingway: 2, 3). He seems so worried and he wants to get to the conversation about abortion so when the woman talks about the other things he just gives short responses to show that he is not interested but when he starts to convince the girl to do the abortion he talks a lot and he becomes more active in the conversation. Unlike Jig who wants to be intimate, the man doesnt care about that and only worries about the unborn baby. He can also be a type because he is dominant and he wants to control the girl by telling her what to do. Its an awfully simple operation, J ig (Hemingway: 2). He wants to force the girl to do the operation. The woman and people in the bar are flat characters because we dont get much information about them and they dont play an important role in story. As Porter Abbott mentions that in flat characters there is not any complexity and depth feeling in their behaviors (Abbott: 133). They just give us a sense of setting in which the story happens. The most visible influence that the woman has in the story is when she comes and says about the time of next trains arrival. Hemingway tries to draw the readers attention towards the theme of the story which is abstract and can be extracted from the conflict of the main characters action. The technique applied in the story is conflict regarding values, ideas, feelings and ways of seeing the world in a society. (Abbott: 55). In the dialogue between the girl and the man, I got the impression that they had an ongoing conflict with each other, the man tries to persuade the girl that having a baby will make them unhappy and bother them but the girl thinks that if they lose the baby they will lose everything and they will never get it back (Hemingway: 2). By considering this issue, the theme focuses on different views towards the different worlds of the girl and the man. Escaping of responsibility and grasping the passing pleasure are the main issues that the readers have construed from the mans behavior through the narration. The main characters of this story who have controversial debate about getting rid of t he carrying baby. The man knows baby as a major obstacle to reaching long term happiness, also he insists on the choice of abortion to make him free from the responsibility. Its just to let the air in (Hemingway: 2). the fallowing example shows that the man disagrees with the birth of the baby. On the other hand, the girl shows uncertainty about abortion. She wants to keep this baby because she thinks this issue is an element for reaching stability in her love and life. If I do it youll be happy and things will be like they were and youll be happy and things will be like they were and youll love me? (Hemingway: 2). She thinks by losing the baby she may miss the fortune for having a family that can save her from rootlessness. By figuring out the motif in the story, the technique offered by Porter Abbott was used; looking at the subjects that repeatedly said throughout the story (Abbott: 95). Regarding this definition, it can be mentioned that drinking alcohol is as a motif which is repeated through the story, by hoping to get out of trouble and changing the atmosphere of conversation. Should we have another drink? All right (Hemingway: 1). They order beer again and they drink, they feel better and change atmosphere and the man starts to take the dialogue forward. The curtain that we mentioned above as a symbol is another motif which is a subject for communication between the couple with waitress and the way of passing. He went out through the bead curtain or The woman came out through the curtains (Hemingway: 3). Two is another motif, stopping of the train for two minutes, the station was between two lines of rail, carrying two bags (Hemingway: 1, 2, 3).In other words, it refers to existence of different desires and opinions between two characters of the story which, in a way, has caused the conflict through the story. There are a number of symbols which reader can realize the theme of the story by means of these symbols. At the beginning of story the girl looks at the line of hills and said: They look like white elephants. (Hemingway: 1). Hills symbolize the problem that the couple are involved in; the white color represents the innocence of unborn baby, elephant is a symbol of the belly of a pregnant woman. When the girl looks at the hills, she hopes to find the solution; meanwhile the American man looks at the hills and doesnt find any solution. Ive never seen one (Hemingway: 1). The lines of rails is another symbol which can show two choices of the decision by the different point of view of the couple. On one hand she sees fields of grains along the banks of the Ebro. Far away, beyond the river, were mountains. (Hemingway: 2). This part symbolizes fruitfulness and fertility and making hope in Jig by keeping the baby because after seeing this scene she says we could have all things. (Hemingway: 2). On the other hand there is lack of passion in life and everything is brown and dry by losing the baby there is no shade and no trees. (Hemingway: 1). The girl should choose an option by selecting the track of train during the limited time. When talking about forms of narration, it is important to stress out that narrator of this story is an omniscient , the direct and indirect styles are applied to the representation with shifts from direct to indirect style and, finally into the free indirect style (Porter Abbott : 71,77). The impressive feature of the story, is narrated almost by dialogue, also narrator uses quotation marks and then shifts from direct to indirect style: Ill scream, the girl said. The woman came out through the curtains (Hemingway: 3). We can observe third person narrator obviously narrates the story by means of free indirect style. In conclusion, the story posses with characters, themes, motifs and the conflict between the couple who are main characters in dialogue. As mentioned above the girl (Jig) and the American man have different types of characters. Narrator by repeating some symbols and describing the landscape of place draws attention of reader to the theme of the story. Hemingway illustrates different ways of thinking between the girl and American man on abortion; it also shows miscommunication between them. Regardless of the theme in this story the couple in the rail station should decide about their future whether leading to a new life, fertility and making family, or ending up to death and losing the opportunity in future. I suppose at the end, the girl found herself satisfied and joyous based upon the decision that they made. It brought her comfort in mind and happiness in soul as she said: I feel fine (Hemingway: 3). In my idea Hemingway has left some space in this story for the reader to think ab out different aspects of modern life in a consumer society and the conflicts that modern people experience in their lives in their ways to reach happiness.

Medicinal Properties of Fruits for Cancer

Medicinal Properties of Fruits for Cancer ABSTRACT Cancer a disease with high morbidity and mortality rates is a challenge to human life. The current therapeutic strategies are associated with adverse effects which necessitates alternate treatment with less adverse effects. In addition to this cancer prevention is desirable which has lead to a new concept called biochemoprevention. In this regard, medicinal properties of plants can be exploited for cancer prevention and management as they can be procured cost effectively and are less likely to produce adverse effects as they are diet derived. This article reviews the phytochemicals and evidence based preventive and therapeutic effects of some commonly used plants with medicinal properties against cancer. Key words: Cancer, phytochemicals, medicinal properties of plants, biochemoprevention. INTRODUCTION Cancer continues to be a challenge to human life as the disease has high morbidity and mortality rates. Though surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy remain the â€Å"Gold Standard† measures of cancer therapy they are associated with adverse effects. Despite the recent advances in therapeutic strategies, the five year survival rate of one of the most commonly occurring cancer like oral cancer is as low as 62% with no improvement in the quality of life of the affected individuals1. Hence a treatment modality with less adverse effects will be of great benefit to the affected patients. Also research in the field of oncology has lead to better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis that has revealed that caner is a largely preventable disease. Hence a new concept called biochemoprevention has evolved not only to prevent but also combat the shortcomings of cancer therapy. Chemoprevention or biochemoprevention refers to pharmacological intervention with syntheti c or natural compounds that may prevent, inhibit or reverse carcinogenesis. The use of medicinal plants for the management of various diseases including cancer has been carried out several hundred years ago during the period of Charaka, the Father of Medicine and Susrutha, the Father of Surgery. With the advent of Modern medicine, traditional medicine has lost its importance. Hence the medicinal properties of plants which are our natural resources must be re- explored to prevent and treat cancer. The advantages of utilizing medicinal properties of plants for cancer prevention and management include easy availability, cost effective and less likely to produce side effects as most of these plants or plant parts are diet derived. This article highlights evidence based preventive and therapeutic effects of some commonly used plants with medicinal properties against cancer. REVIEW NEEM Azadirachta indica commonly known as neem in English and Vembu in Tamil is native to our country and is known for several medicinal properties including antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic. It also finds its use in preparation of cosmetics, tooth brush, fertilizer, and tooth brush. This could be attributed to more than 140 compounds present in various parts of the plant. Recently research has been carried out to demonstrate the antineoplastic effects of this plant. Ethanolic extract of neem leaves caused both reduction in tumor size and decrease in tumor progression even after cessation of treatment with neem extract in N methyl N nitrosurea induced mammary tumors in Sprague Drawley rats. Molecular analysis revealed upregulation of proapoptotic genes and proteins such as p53, Bcl2 (B cell lymphoma 2), Bax, Caspases, PTEN (Phosphatase and tensin homologe), JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinases) and down regulation of oncogenes such as VEGF (Vascular endothelial growth factor), CDK1 (cycl in dependent kinase 1),Nuclear factor kappa B (NF kappa B), MAP 1 (mitogen activated protein kinase 1).2Glycoproteins present in neem leaves also exert anti- cancer effects by restricting tumor growth in murine, These proteins alter tumor microenvironment by increasing CD 8 T (cluster of differentiation ) cells, protect T cells from Anergy, decrease activation induced T cell death by decreasing expression of FAsR. (FAS receptor) Cytotoxicity of sarcoma cells were caused due to increased expression of performin, granzyme B in lymphocytes3. These results shed light on the fact that neem extracts posses immunomodulatory effects hence aid in targeted therapy against malignant cells, sparing normal cells. Hence these extracts are less likely to produce side effects. TULASI Oscimum sanctum commonly known as Tulasi in Tamil and Holy basil in English is a sacred plant of Hinduism. The aromatic plant has several medicinal properties and has been used several thousand years ago for the management of various diseases and ailments like common cold, fever, acne, headache, stress, aphthous ulcers, asthma, bronchitis, tuberculosis, ecema. It also has been used as an expectorant for management of cough, antimicrobial agent in preventing diarrhoea, analgesic for pain management. Other medicinal properties include immunomoduation, hypolipidemic and hepatoprotective. Phytochemical constituents that confer these properties are oleanic acid, urosolic acid, rosmatinic acid, eugenol, carvacol, linalool, beta carophyllene, beta elemene, germaserene. Oscimum sanctum possesses cancer preventive and therapeutic properties. Important phytochemicals such as eugenol, rosmarinic acid, apigenin, silosterol, carnosic acid, lutrolen, myrtenal present in tulasi prevent chemical ind uced cancers of skin, lung, oral cavity, liver by induction of apoptosis, prevention of angiogenesis and metastasis, antioxidant activity and alteration of genes4. Flavonoids such as ornitine, vicenin, protect normal tissue from therapeutic radiation and prevent radiation induced mortality in mice. Eugenol, rosmarinic acid and apigenin present in Holy basil prevent radiation induced DNA (deoxy ribonucleic acid) damage thereby acting as chemopreventive agent. Tulasi exerts radioprotective effects in oral cancer by causing significant reduction of glutathione in erythrocytes of oral cancer patients who were treated with radiotherapy and flavonoids of Oscimum sanctum in comparison with oral cancer patients who received only radiotherapy.5 ALLIUM VEGETABLES Allium vegetables like onion are used as flavouring and seasoning agent for food in many countries6. Interestingly two species of onion viz red onion (Allium cepa) and yellow onion (Allium flavum) possess medicinal properties. Bulb of Allium cepa contains flavonoids such as anthrocyanins and dihydroflavonols7. The sulphur containing active constituent of onion bulb occur mainly in the form of s alkaline cysteine sulfoxides which decompose into thiosulfinates and polysulfides8. Thiosulfinates are volatile sulphur compounds responsible for the pungent odour and medicinal properties9. Onion exerts chemopreventive activity. The ethyl acetate extract of onion has been shown to induce apoptosis in human breast cancer cell lines10. It also inhibits fatty acid synthase and lipid accumulation in adipocytes, thereby preventing obesity, one of the predisposing factors for breast cancer11. Yellow onion (Allium flavum) also has anticancer activity Allium flavum extract has significant phenolic content, antioxidant, antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillius subtilis and antiproliferative activity against HCT cell lines (Homo sapiens colorectal carcinoma cell lines)12. PINEAPPLE Annamas cosmous or pineapple is a tropical plant of Bromadiaceae family. Edible portion of this plant is the fruit which is made of coalesced berries. Pineapple has been used in South America, China, South East Asia for the management of various ailments like inflammation, burns as it exerts medicinal properties like anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, fibrinolytic, inhibition of platelet aggregation and skin debridement. In 1957, Bromelain was identified as the active principle present in the stem and unripe fruits of pineapple exerting the above mentioned activities. Bromelain, is a mixture of proteases13. Bromelain alters molecular pathways of carcinogenesis, tumor microenvironment hence could be used as an anticancer agent. Bromelain also exerts anticancer effects by immunomodulation and hemostatic mechasnism14. Pineapple extract in stage 2 mouse skin tumorigenesis model cause reduction in tumor size (65%) and volume. Molecular analysis revealed upregulation of p53,Bax,, caspase 3 ,9 and downregulation of Bcl2, inhibition of COX 2( cyclooxygenase 2), inactivation of NF kappa B (nuclear factor kappa B), MAP(mitogen activated protein linase) kinase, Erk (extracellular-signal-regulated kinases ) and Akt (protein kinase B)15,16. CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES Brassica oleracea belongs to the family Brassiaceae which are commonly known as cruciferous vegetables. In uncultivated form it is called as wild cabbage and is native to Europe. Cabbage (Brassica oleracea capita), Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea botrytis), Brocoli (Brassica oleraceaitalica) are some of the varieties of wild cabbage developed by various cultivars. These cruciferous vegetables are a part of diet in many countries including India. Recently research has been carried out to assess the phytochemical constituents and medicinal properties of these vegetables17. The leaves of Cabbage contain 2 pyrolidinone which has been isolated and identified by gas chromatography, mass spectrometry and High Performance liquid chromatography. This active constituent induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in GO/G1 phase in HeLa ( cervical cancer cell line taken from Henrietta Lacks) and BC-3 cell lines (body cavity-based lymphoma cell line ), hence possesses antitumor activity.18 Brassica o leracea also contains glucosinoates which on hydrolysis yields isothicyanates that exerts antineoplastic effects. Surforaphane is one such isothiocyanate that causes downregulation of Bcl2 and upregulation of p53, Bax, Caspase 3 in Hep 2 cell lines ( He La derivative )19. Isothicyanates has chemopreventive effects. These isothiocyanates modulate carcinogen metabolising enzymes, thereby limit formation of reactive intermediates that from DNA adducts. Both intact glucosinolates and isothiocyantes modulate Phase II detoxification enzymes such as Quinone reductases, GST,( Glutathione-S-transferases) EH (Epoxide hydrolase), UGT (Uridine 5-diphospho-glucuronosyltransferase). Intact glucosinolates modulate CYP cytochrome P450 enzymes line EROD (ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase) , MROD (ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase). Isothicyanates and glucosinolates like Phenyl isothiocyanates, erucin, sulforaphone are antagonists of Aryl hydrocarcobon receptor hence aid in cancer prevention17. APPLE Apple, the pomaceous fruit of Malus domestica tree belongs to the family Rosaceae. Malas sieversi, ancestor of this species is native to the mountains of Central Asia. It is one of the oldest known fruit that prevents lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cardiovascular disease (CVD), thrombosis and stroke. Polyphenols and flavonoids, the phytochemical constituents of apple fruit have antioxidant properties. The phytochemical components of apple can act as chemopreventive agent due to the antioxidant and antiproliferative property20. Triterpenoids of apple peel possesses antitumor activity. 2R-hydroxy-3à ¢-{[(2E)-3-phenyl-1-oxo-2-propenyl]oxy}olean-12-en-28-oic acid, 2R-hydroxyursolic acid and 3à ¢-trans-p-coumaroyloxy-2R-hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid , the triterpenoids isolated from apple peel exerts higher antitumor activity against HepG2 cell lines. Ursolic acid, 3à ¢-transp-coumaroyloxy-2R-hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid and 2R-hydroxyursolic acid are the terpenoids that has higher antineoplastic activity against MCF-7 (Michigan Cancer Foundation-7) cancer cells. Terpenoids such as 2R-hydroxy-3à ¢-{[(2E)-3-phenyl-1-oxo-2- propenyl]oxy}olean-12-en-28-oic acid, 2R-hydroxyursolic acid, maslinic acid, and 3à ¢-trans-p-coumaroyloxy-2R-hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid has higher anticancer effects against heterogeneoushumanepithelialcolorectaladenocarcinomacells (Caco2) cancer cells. Apple peel extracts exert anticancer effects by causing Go/G1 cell cycle arrest, decreasing expression of Proliferating cell nuclear antigen, increasing the levels of the tumor suppressor protein mapsin in human prostrate and breast carcinoma cells21,22. PAPAYA Carcia papaya commonly known as papaya of the family Caricaceae is cultivated throughout India. Leaves of papaya have been used to treat diseases and aliments like jaundice, asthma, colic, fever, beri beri. Recent studies have demonstrated that papaya leaf extracts could be used for cancer management. Significant growth inhibitory activity of Carica papaya leaf extract on a couple of cell lines including Raji and Ramos (Burkitt’s lymphoma cell lines) , Jurkat (T cell Lymphoma cell line), HepG2 and Huh-7 (hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines), K562 (chronic myelogenous leukemia cell line) PC14 (lung adenocarcinoma cell line), HeLa (cervical carcinoma cell line, Panc-1 (pancreatic epithelioid carcinoma cell line), Capan1 (pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell line), ARH77 (plasma cell leukemia cell line), H2452 (mesothelioma cell line) , Karpas-299 (anaplastic large cell lymphoma cell line), MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma cell line). Treatment of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMBC) with the extract caused increased production of antitumour cytokines with no change in viability of the cells. In addition, the peipheral blood mononuclear cells treated with the extract had increased cytotoxic activity against chronic mylogenous lukemia cell line23. Thus Carcia papaya exterts antitumour activity through grwoth inhibitory and immmunomodulatory mechanisms. This property could be attributed to the active constituent carpaine present in papaya leaves. Papaya Leaf also contains a remarkable protein-dissolving enzyme called papain that degrades fibrin that makes up the protective layer of cancer cells, making the cancer cells more susceptible to immune response or chemotherapy. Studies have revealed that mice immunized with papain possess serum antibodies which cross-react with cathepsin-B- and cathepsin-H-like endopeptidases isolated from B16 melanoma cells along with inhibition of growth rate, invasion and metastasis in B16 melanoma and the Lewis lung carcinoma .Thus t he compound hinders tumor growth and prevents it from spreading to other parts of the body24. In addition, papaya leaf has antioxidants like beta-carotene, flavonols, and vitamin C that scavenge free radicals which are responsible for carcinogenesis, which act as adjuvant for cancer therapy. Papaya seed has been used for the management of worm infestations in the gastrointestinal tract due to its antihelminthic activity. Papaya seeds contain benzyl isothiocyanate which exhibits antineoplastic effects by inhibiting of carcinogen-activating cytochrome P450 mono-oxygenases and cell cycle progression; inducing carcinogen-detoxifying phase 2 enzyme and apoptosis. Higher concentration of BITC (benzylisothiocyanate) has a better inhibition rate of cell proliferation on H69 cell, with IC(50) value of 6.5 ÃŽ ¼mol/L25. TOMATO Lycopersecon ecsculentum or tomato belongs to the night shade family called Solanaceae. Fleshy fruit of this plant is red in colour which is classified based on size and shape as slicing or globe tomato, beefsteak, oxheart, plum, pear, cherri, carpari. Lycopene is the chief active constituent having antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cardiovascular and immunomodulatory effects26. Lycopene is a better singlet oxygen scavenger than other carotenoids. Interestingly tomato leaves has anticancer activity. Extracts of tomato leaves have been shown to exert antineoplastic activity in MCF breast cancer cell lines by causing genetic alterations27. Lycopene promotes cell adhesion by increasing E cadherin expression, reduces cell proliferation by decreasing PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen) expression and confines proliferating cells to the basal and parabasal layer in 4NQQ (4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide )induced tongue carcinogenesis model in mice. Thus Lycopene could be used as a chemopreventive agent28. Bifunctional nucelases from tomato RTBN1 also has antitumor activity29. CONCLUSION Along with attempts to improve cure rate of cancer, concerted efforts to prevent the disease continuity should be undertaken. This is particularly true for the high risk population and high risk individuals. A targeted prevention in high risk individuals with high risk lesions using agents targeted to key molecules in the carcinogenesis process should have an impact in lowering the disease morbidity and mortality. Advances in molecular biology have helped to define these high risk individuals with high risk lesions and novel chemopreventive targets. In this regard targeted approach using medicinal properties of plants should overcome some of the earlier setbacks observed in cancer prevention and therapeutic research.

Dark Matter Essay -- essays research papers

There is perhaps no current problem of greater importance to astrophysics and cosmology than that of "dark matter". The controversy, as the name implies, is centered on the notion that there may exist an enormous amount of matter in the Universe that cannot be detected from the light that it emits. The evidence of dark matter is from the motions of astronomical objects, specifically stellar, galactic, and galaxy cluster/supercluster observations. The basic argument is that if we measure velocities in some region, then there has to be enough mass there for gravity to stop all the objects from flying apart. When such velocity measurements are done on large scales, it turns out that the amount of inferred mass is much more than can be explained by the luminous mass. Hence we infer that there is non-luminous matter in the Universe, i.e. there is dark matter. Dark matter has important consequences for the evolution of the Universe. According to standard cosmological theory, the Universe must conform to one of three possible types: open, flat, or closed. A parameter known as the "mass density" - that is, how much matter per unit volume is contained in the Universe - determines which of the three possibilities applies to the Universe. In the case of an open Universe, the mass density (denoted by the Greek letter Omega) is less than unity, and the Universe is predicted to expand forever. If the Universe is closed, Omega is greater than unity, and the Universe will eventually stop its expansion and recollapse back upon itself. For the case where Omega is exactly equal to one, the Universe is delicately balanced between the two states, and is said to be "flat". Dark matter candidates are usually split into two broad categories, with the second category being further sub-divided: baryonic and bon-baryonic. Then, under non-baryonic, hot dark matter (HDM) and cold dark matter (CDM) are its types. Depending on their respective masses and speeds, CDM candidates have relatively large mass and travel at slow speeds (hence "cold"), while HDM candidates include minute-mass, rapidly moving (hence "hot") particles. As leading possible candidates for baryonic dark matter, there are black holes (large and small), brown dwarfs (stars too cold and faint to radiate), sun-size MACHOs, cold gas, dark galaxies and dark clusters, ... ...e seeking them in a Stanford laboratory by watching for radiation as they excite crystals of germanium in a detector, but they haven't detected any yet. Soon they will try an even more exotic search by moving their equipment to an old iron mine 2,400 feet deep in northern Minnesota where one or two WIMPs, if they really exist, might very occasionally make their existence known. The detectors are hockey puck-sized superconducting crystals of germanium and silicon. These pure crystals are cooled to about 500 degrees below zero. A particle hitting a detector disturbs the molecular structure of the crystal and registers as a slight temperature increase. Because WIMPs easily pass through most matter, they can pass through the shields and register a signal. To date, the detectors at Stanford have registered a handful of signals, but an analysis suggests that these were caused by stray particles that originally came from cosmic rays and managed to penetrate the 35 feet of rock over the detectors. The ever-so important question what is dark matter will not be answered tomorrow. More data has to be taken, the theories have to tweaked, and many physicists must continue to work together.