Individuality in 20th Century Art Essay

20th Century art has spawned great art forms. Its evident transformation had triggered the question of whether or not the development was caused by the pure genius of the artist or by the preceding art that he was born into. This essay will discuss how the artists of the 20th century have made art almost indefinable (Nicolas Pioch, The 20th century) by looking into the quotes of Immanuel Kant (1790) and Andre Malraux (1953), as well as looking at some actual works before and after 1950 which would illustrate that art has clearly become an expression of an artist’s emotions and thoughts as honed by the past. As individuality steps in, we will closely look at how an individual’s person is actually affected by his experiences and orientation on various aspects of his existence such as how he could have been raised, how he may have been exposed to previous artworks and the like. Immanuel Kant, in his quote from the Critique of Judgment (1790) had clearly defined genius as, â€Å"a talent for producing that for which no definite rule can be given†. I believe that this is like how scientists are referred to as geniuses, they have defied popular beliefs or what had actually become a norm for their time or era. They would produce materials that are not usual for the majority. Similar to this, I believe that such was also the case as he may have found that an artwork, which proved to be unique for its genre, is already a product of a genius. A good example of what was said to be a work of a genius was that of Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Donatello’s Crucifix (images shown in the Documentation). These were considered unique and were painted outside the what was considered as standard during their time or era, as these works had clearly defied the usual idea of what our usual picture of the heavens is (Starry Night) as well as the common picture of how Christ was crucified. Texture of these creations also scream of individuality as was the case with Van Gogh’s work. As was said by I. Kant, â€Å"originality must be its primary property† for an art to be considered as the work of a genius. It is clear he meant that it was something that was not usually done but did not deduce it to not being influenced at all by artworks that came before them. Instead the focus was on how they have made their creations different from the others without necessarily straying from the same idea or thought. Like in Van Gogh’s work, there had already been paintings depicting the heavens at night but its form and texture as well as the colors utilized were clearly out of the ordinary and had been very original despite the presence of previous artworks that had been made. On the other hand, Andre Malraux’s, â€Å"The Voices of Silence† (1953) compared artwork to a child that matures. Meaning that art basically evolves. It does not necessarily veer away from its contemporaries but is created from what he may have experienced. Like a child that may have learned to walk more carefully after acquiring a scratch from a fall, an artist was also said to rise from their own conflicts and the achievements of their predecessors. A person that may have lived within a war-torn era may create an artwork that depicts what he had witnessed, at the same time picking out best practices from works that were previously done by others and using them as inspiration to put his experience or what he had witnessed into a work of art. As such, A. Malraux was right about picking them out â€Å"from their struggle with the forms that others have imposed on life†. We note though, that experiences do not necessarily remain within the context of a person’s personal struggles but can derive thoughts from their successes as well or the comfort that they may have had. A classic example is Jose Manuel Merello Arvilla’s â€Å"bodegon electrico†, which depicts Spain’s colorful yet subdued culture evident in the shades and texture utilized. Similar to this is Vijendra Singh Devra’s painting of a three-part series called the Blue Night, where the texture was actually smooth and the contrast was stark that may be an evidence of the painter’s experiences or social status. It may not be easy to defy the norms. An artist is faced with the risk of being singled out either as great or poor. The genre of which the artwork is in defines the product that the artist creates. As mentioned in â€Å"Necrophilic Logics and the revolt of the imagination†, http://www. geocities. com/kk_abacus/carp. html: A split between the rational and irrational is constructed by every rational system; each rationality creates a corresponding irrationality, that which does not fit inside of it. Therefore, each rational system has inherent limits. To break out of a rationality, one must also be capable of conceiving of that which lies beyond the limits of that system. Rational systems can be useful tools but they can also become mental prisons. There is a slim demarcation between the subconscious and the imagination of a person as it says that both are something that goes beyond the inherent limits of man’s rationality. As such, it is clear that an artist’s genius is based on how he creates a unique description of what he has undergone or experienced as well as his absorption of what had been proven effective and successful for other artists as well.

If Only She Had Listen to Me- Short Story

Friendship is a feeling of love of one person for another. Its not necessary to choose whom to be your friend,your best friend. The friendship between one person and another are always in different ways. The feelings, the sentiments are not similar.. I knew her since kindergarten. Her name is Kristen, she came from a rich family. She can easily have whatever she wants because she was the only child in her family. Her father is a successful business man. And her mother was a great spender. And I'm her best friend. She used to be a stubborn one and never listen to others.She always think that she is the perfect one and she was right. She would never listen to the advice. She is so herself. Because of her behavior , she seemed to be so lonely among friends. I bet nobody likes her in school , especially the discipline teacher. People were wondering how i could stand her behavior and still so good to her. What did she meant to me? Friend. I treat her as my best friend, because I knew that her attitude is different from her personalities. I knew that She has everything exept love. Kristen always turn up to amusement park instead of tuition class. he was lost in a materialistic life. Then she met a guy. She fell in love with a jobless guy. In my mind, true friend should involve in inspiring their friends to walk on the right path, no ridiculous mistakes. I've begging her not to simply fall I love with pleasure seeking guys. And I'm extraordinary sured that she was stepping on the thinnest ice. Which could ruin her in anytime. I told her to promise me that she would not do the wrong things, also respect her mother. â€Å"i promised, i will. † she had said. Of course, she wont. She started to absent for school. I were in her house on the day that her mum found out she played truant . Her mum loose control, then they scream and shout to each other after starting a conversation. The relationship between she and mother was very bad. No discussion between them but on ly quarreling all the time. I've been trying so hard to persuade her to be a obedient daughter , respect her mother. But she would never listen. Time after time she was trying to leave her house. I used to visit her so often , because I knew what she really lacked of. She was loosing her weight day after day. Get thin and thinner . Feature Article – Short Story  The Plane of the Sleeping BeautyI wondered why she dont satisfied of her body size. Until one Saturday night ! She hug and cried on my shoulder and babbling on everything's. That was the first time she did this to me since we met. I thought she was strong , but she wasn't . She felt she gain no love   but relatives and friends that looked down on her and parents that shouted to her oftentimes. The next morning, i had a sudden phone call from her mother, saying that she was missing. We tried so hard to find her on every single day. About one year later, Kristen returned in a thin, sick physical conditions.The scene in my mind is still so clear . Kristen was squatting on the floor in the kitchen,with hands on head. Her skin and lips were dry and her unfocused eyes filled with tears. She never stop snivel , and her nose was dripping like a water tap. I guessed I knew what had happened to her. My heart was suffocating , her mum cried on her :â₠¬  Kris ! I told you to behave ! And you! Why? Why did you do this ? † and I added , † I know you doesn't intend to become a drug addict . Kristen , come back back please. We will help you and your father is on the way home to help you !We will be with you. †Ã‚   Kristen spoke with a smile of despair † thank you ,my friend ,for everything. But , but it's too late , I'm pregnant . † she picked a knife from behind and stabbed herself on the stomach and blood ame out and she fell , faced Dow the floor. My heart stop beating for a few seconds and I heard she whispered . † I'm sorry , mother . † she close her eyes , blood dripping from her lifeless body . Death is simple , easy . Life is harder. What im thinking is, This incident won't go so bad if only she had listen to me.

E&J Gallo Winery study case Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

E&J Gallo Winery - Case Study Example this brand, company puts its marketing position at stake as a manufacturer of premium wine, while discontinuance would cause substantial losses to the company. Losses will affect profitability that is the main concern of stockholders. Since the problem is customers’ perception that Thunderbird as a low-end fortified ( LEF) wine, is of poor quality, a marketing strategy that calls for image building is called for. The perception on the product that has been created is that as a low-end fortified wine is not always the best. Perception is influenced by what customers think or feel on the product but is not always correct. A perfect example of image building is changing the brand’s packaging so that it would look expensive. Changing the packaging would be an add-on cost to the company, but image repair-building will have its benefits in the long run. A complete advertising package should be arranged on this. Advertising using endorsements of sports and movie personalities would help create a classy image of the product. Customers would feel that even it is low end fortified wine, its taste is yielding to personalities. Thunderbird, according to company’s experience is easy to sell and distribute. Customers look for it when the company once tried to stop selling it. They should maintain that while it is an LEF wine, they should assure the public that their LEF wines possess the best quality that company is proud off. It is a matter of mind-setting that low priced drink is not always

The Art of Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Art of Analysis - Research Paper Example Dependencies should not be partial on the combined key; this is the main task in this stage. The items in the table must depend on all the combined keys, attributes should not depend on only one of the keys. Sending of normal form fails if this is not attained. Item total price and order total price are derivatives, hence, they should not be a part of the database all these fields, apart from the item quantity, do not fully depend on both order id and item id, hence, the table fails the 2nd normal form standards or requirements. The solution to this is to split the table into two tables so that the items that depend on order id fall in the table with order-id as the primary key, while those items that depend on item-id fall in that table too. Given that item_qty fully depends on order id, item id field and order id field, which is also in the order-item table as primary forming a many to one relation indicated in the diagrams. After this, the table now passed to the 2nd normal form by having field which depends fully on the primary key in the orders table (Diagram 3) but in order-items table the item_price and item_descripition do not depend on order_id as in case with the primary key, hence, further splitting of this table is needed. With diagram 4 all the requirements for the 2nd normalization have been achieved.

South Africa Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

South Africa - Research Paper Example The cultural diversity influences the business practices, working relations, business hierarchy, and business etiquette within South Africa. In extending its services to South Africa, it is quite significant for Kelly Services to understand the aspects of cultural diversity in South Africa’s business platform (Macleod, 2002). This report will detail the cultural aspects in South Africa’s business field and explain why South Africa will be a good target for Kelly Services. South Africans encourage good working relationships coupled with honesty, trust, and politeness. They have utmost respect for all and derive their moral values from their diverse culture (Bruckner, 2001). South Africans prefer a conservative and formal dressing in all business meetings and practices. Men dress in suits and ties while women wear formal dresses and suits (Macleod, 2002). They prefer handshakes and business cards as they manifest commitment and formality in business (Gorill, 2007). They significantly observe time consciousness and expect honesty and fairness in all business dealings. South Africans business people have abject respect for their business leaders and business organizations. The mode of communication between the employees, employers, and the public is well established. There is sound cooperation between the employees and employers in carrying out business operations. Indeed, the views and interests of employees are highly considered in any organizational decision or change. Hence, all stakeholders participate in running the business enterprises though the management reserves the right of initiating new dimensions and making critical decisions in the business (Gorrill, 2007). South Africans value inclusiveness, fairness, and honesty in all business activities. They equally disregard titles such as Mister or Miss in the context of business operations. They regard them as sources of

Environmental Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

Environmental - Essay Example This means that France alone has a stronger economy almost compared to all the 22 countries put together. Germany (3,401.0) has a higher GDP than all the 22 countries combined. This is followed by Japan (5,964.0) and the biggest difference comes from USA (15,680.0) (CIA). This is to say that the USA has the strongest economy and has reliable economic power to exploit and control the oil in the Middle East. The 2012 GDP of Israel (240.9) lies way below that of the combined states in the Middle East. However, when compared to Gaza and Westbank combined (6.641) creates a very big difference. Israel lays a stronger economic position than the Westbank and Gaza by a minimum thirty six times. That translates to Israel having a lot of control in the region especially compared to its neighbour. The geo-political relations in the region have largely contributed to who owns much stake in the Middle East oil (Central Intelligence Agency). For instance, the USA, a world power and its allies (UK, France, Japan and Germany) therefore have a large stake in the control of oil in the Middle East. According to TÃ ©treault (2012), oil ownership and relations to the stronger powers have given some Middle East countries more power than others. TÃ ©treault, Mary Ann. "The Political Economy of Middle Eastern Oil." 2012. University of California Library. 30 January 2014

Lying Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lying - Essay Example However, sometimes in life, one is faced with situations that require some amount of lying, or rather twisting the truth. For instance, parents do relate white lies to children, by saying that a demon would come and kidnap the baby, if he or she does not eat. A teacher might threaten a student, to prevent him or her from getting attuned to what is not morally right. One is, sometimes, forced to lie due to the turn around of circumstances. At such a juncture, one might be troubled by the question, as to whether it is right to lie or not. When is it alright, to lie and when is it not This question is one that is ethically quite perception-oriented. What might seem right to some might not to the rest. In the Indian epic of Mahabharatha, Lord Krishna says that it is alright to lie, if it translates into being committed for the welfare of the others. This, is considered ethically appropriate. If lying does not bring about harm and is more so, good for the majority, it is alright to lie. According to Buddhist scriptures, there ar

Homework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 27

Homework - Essay Example Although the advancement of technology is so rapid that some programs or hardwares become easily outdated, there are still some activities that cannot be done using the Internet. In the future, I hope that there will be available programs where we can watch the stars or the galaxy through the telescopes used by astronomers in different parts of the world. It is like telescopes linked to each other through a computer and people all over the world can see through them through the internet real time. Location based services [LBS] is the capability to identify the location of a particular person or mobile device and connect with a different device or individual (Burgess, 2010). Currently, almost everyone uses LBS when they use different social media sites like blogs or when they check-in their locations using Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. LBS is also used to be able to navigate in areas that an individual may not be familiar with, and reduces the amount of time spent trying to locate establishments. Real time updates through Global Positioning System [GPS] also gives real time updates of traffic and accidents on the road so it will be really helpful so commuters can plan ahead and the time needed to travel will be more readily estimated. Even location of road constructions are provided, so a commuter can easily avoid these areas without having to run into traffic. To a certain extent, LBS is a good tool, because for certain applications it makes transportation more efficient and helps individuals plan properly, and this saves a lot of time, in a broader perspective. However, if the technology gets infiltrated by people with bad intentions, or terrorists, for that matter, LBS will no longer be beneficial at all. This may lead to threats, even security and safety issues because locations and activities of individuals may be monitored and mapped without the person being fully aware of it.

Life on Earth Worksheet Essay Example for Free

Life on Earth Worksheet Essay Taxa to explore – Elephants. 1. Review terms (write definitions for these terms) Extant Species, families, or groups still in existence Extinct Species, families, or groups no longer in existence, end or died out Genotype Genetic make-up of an organism Phenotype Physical attributes of an organism, observable or measurable traits Synapomorphy Shared characteristic that are inherited from most recent common ancestor Background: There are three extant species of elephant: Elaphas maximus (Asian elephants), Loxodonta africana (African elephants), and Loxodonta cyclotis (African forest elephants). Their taxonomic hierarchy is as follows: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Proboscidea Family: Elephantidae Genus: Elaphas Species: maximus Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Proboscidea Family: Elephantidae Genus: Loxodonta Species: africana Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Proboscidea Family: Elephantidae Genus: Loxodonta Species: cyclotis 2. Collect an image of each species. You will submit these as a part of your assignment. (see full assignment instructions) 3. Looking at these pictures, can you think of any EXTINCT animal or animals that might be a close relative of modern elephants? List it/them below. If you know the scientific name (genus and species) then you can put that. If you aren’t quite sure, just give the common name. Mammoth 4. Now think about EXTANT taxa. Identify 2 animals that you might expect to be the closest LIVING relative to the elephants. List it/them below. If you know the scientific name (genus and species) then you can put that. If you aren’t quite sure, just give the common name. Possible Relative A Possible Relative B Rock Hyrax Manatees 5. For the closest EXTANT relatives, what characteristic(s) of that animal or its habitat led you choose it as â€Å"probable closest relative†? (consider geographic location, size, anatomy, behavior etc). Be specific. Characteristics of Animal A Characteristics of Animal B -found across Africa and the Middle East -typically live in groups -has a prominent pair of long, pointed tusk-like upper incisors -In males, the testes are permanently abdominal -thick, wrinkled skin -Females have two teats, one under each flipper -teeth growing at the rear are continuously replaced throughout life Now to the science – Follow the link below to read about some of the extinct relatives of elephants http://palaeo.gly.bris.ac.uk/Palaeofiles/Elephants/firstelephants.html 6. How were the phenotypes of ancient proboscideans different from those of extant elephants? The ancient proboscideans differ from those of extant elephants because they have multiple pairs of molars and premolars, they do not possess tusks, and they retain canines on the upper jaw. 7. Based on the information in the web-site, where did the early proboscideans evolve? The early proboscideans evolved from Africa. More derived proboscideans (not ancient, but not extant either) also had a very different geographic distribution than elephants today: http://palaeo.gly.bris.ac.uk/Palaeofiles/Elephants/extinct_taxa.html http://palaeo.gly.bris.ac.uk/Palaeofiles/Elephants/mammoths.html 8. Which localities seem most surprising and why? North and South America because these locations were once abundant with these animals, such as mastodons, while having most of the animals originate from  the other side of the world. 9. Identify 4 synapomorphies that are shared between ALL of these extinct and extant taxa. 1. Tusks 2. Incisors and molar teeth 3. Trunk 4. Four column-like legs Molecular phylogeny In extant species, relationships can also be reconstructed based on DNA Think back to your best guesses of the closest EXTANT relatives of the modern elephants. Look at the .pdf named â€Å"Afrotheria†. The phylogeny described in this paper is based on molecular data (similarities in DNA sequences) 10. Based on that phylogeny, write in the sister taxon (taxon A) to Proboscidea. Give the formal name. Taxon A or Sirenia Proboscidea 11. Write in the taxon (taxon B) that is sister to the clade composed of (Proboscidea + Taxon A). Give formal name Taxon B or Taxon A Proboscidea Hyracoidea 12. Perform an internet search for these two taxa and find out their common names. What are their common names? Describe each.  The common name for Sirenia is Sea Cow. Sea cows are fully aquatic, herbivorous mammals that appear fat. They have forelimbs used for steering and a tail used for paddling. The common name for Hyracoidea are hyraxes. Hyraxes are well-furred animals with short tails and have poor internal temperature regulation. What was your thought/reaction upon discovering what these creatures are? My thought reaction was how can animals that look nothing alike be similar to an elephant if they visually look different. Believe it or not, there are morphological (phenotypic) similarities as well as dietary and behavioral similarities between all of these taxa. BEFORE molecular data was available, scientists already suspected that these groups were closely related. The DNA evidence only helped to confirm the relationships. We’ll do more on that in a moment. 13. Search the web to find at least two non-molecular synapomorphies between each of your modern taxa and the elephants: (be specific!) Animal #1 name Rock Hyraxes Rock Hyraxes are furry and have the soles of the feet with large, soft pads that are kept moist. Manatees have paddle like flippers and a snout. Animal #2 name Manatees 14. Which of the features you listed are more likely to survive in the fossil record? Explain why. Most likely to survive in the fossil record is the snout because it consists of the bones of the jaw which are very good for becoming fossils. 15. Which are less likely? Explain why. Less likely are the fur, soft pads at the feet, and the paddle-like flippers because all are more prone to decay rapidly because of being soft structures. The flippers are also more prone to not preserving quickly therefore eaten or broken down by aerobic microbes. Now for molecules: To see the actual molecular data used to create the phylogeny you saw, select the .pdf named â€Å"mammoth and sea cow†. 16. Go to page 409. Dots mean the base pair (A, C, T or G) is the same as is listed in the taxon that’s at the top (this saves ink!). Now compare the sequences for the African elephant and the Asian elephant in just the top row of page 409. How many molecular differences do you see in the sequence shown? There are 8 molecular difference in the sequence. How many molecular differences do you count between the African elephant and the hyrax? There are 11 molecular differences between the African elephant and the hyrax. 17. Based on anatomy alone (without the molecular evidence), would you have guessed that the animals in photos above represented the closest living relatives of elephants? Why or why not? Honestly, based on the anatomy alone, I would not have guessed that the animals represent close relatives of the elephants because of the physical anatomical characteristic they have. Most animals can have similar anatomy with slight differences that contribute to their survival in an environment. Initially, I thought that the animals had similar characteristics only because of natural selection and adaptation of their environment not because  of their common ancestor. This shows how molecular evidence can really help in seeing what animals belong in what lineages.

Technical Education and Its Importance in Pakistan Essay Example for Free

Technical Education and Its Importance in Pakistan Essay ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Professor David Bergin for providing me with support and guidance throughout my research. Through my experiences working with him I learned a great deal about the research process and how to structure my writing and feel better prepared to move forward with research in the future. I would also like to thank my thesis committee members who provided me with a lot of feedback on how to improve my research topic and gave me ideas to build on in future research studies. A great amount of thanks goes to the schools sampled in this study. The director of the Area Career Center was very welcoming and open to my research topic allowing me to gain as much exposure to career and technical education and their students as I wanted. Without the ACC’s interest in my study this research would not have been possible. I also want to thank the local high school that allowed me access to a few students even though they had very demanding schedules. Gaining insight from Advanced Placement students creating an interesting element to my study that I have found very valuable. ducation at an Area Career Center in mid Missouri. Newer programs that combine career and technical education courses with traditional high school instruction can benefit students in allowing them to connect their academic training with real world careers and practical concepts. This study looks at students’ perceptions of CTE, the sources of influence they reported on their decisions to take or not take CTE courses in high school and the role cultural capital played in their views. Utilizing a qualitative method of data collection eight high school seniors enrolled in either CTE only classes, AP only classes or a combined CTE and AP course load were interviewed about their views of CTE at the local area career center. All of the students were white and there were four boys and four girls interviewed in the study. Results show that all students in the study associated CTE with some form of hands on education, with students enrolled in CTE courses reacting more favorably to CTE instruction and its connection to careers and occupations. The most significant influences on students’ decisions to take or not take CTE classes were their future academic or career goals and how CTE knowledge would or would not help them. Other reported influences include teachers, family members and personal experiences. Finally, the role of cultural capital in students’ views of CTE is explored reaching the conclusion that more data and analysis is needed to find more arguable claims. 1 CHAPTER 1: Introduction In this study, I interview high school students in order to understand their thoughts on career and technical education programs in high school. One reason why this is important is that according to a 2002 survey by the U. S. Chamber of Commerce Center to Workforce Preparation, nearly 75 percent of employers report difficulty when trying to hire qualified workers. Forty percent say that applicants are poorly skilled and 30 percent say that applicants have the wrong skills for available jobs (The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) www. acteonline. org). I believe this means that career and technical education can play a vital role in helping promote this environment and help students succeed through hands on education coupled with challenging high school curriculum. The current high school curriculum in the United States faces challenges with the No Child Left Behind legislation that mandates a standards-based education. This initiative makes career and technical education harder to promote in public schools because CTE courses are elective classes. It rests on the students to enroll themselves in courses that will provide them with the best preparation for post high school opportunities. In this study, I ask students about their attitudes toward CTE courses. Research on comprehensive education programs suggests combining more rigorous forms of education, such as advanced placement (AP) with CTE (Association for Career and Technical Education, 2006; Stern, D. , Dayton, C. , Paik, I. -W. , Weisberg, A. , Evans, J. , 1988). Because of this I include students who are taking AP courses in this study to gauge their responses to CTE. While government statistics show that most high school students 2 take at least one â€Å"vocational† course in their high school careers such as typing or home economics. (http://www. ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/cte/index. html), it seems unfortunate that high school students do not pursue a more advanced career and technical education if it is available to them alongside their academic coursework. Students who are interested in a more academic route with AP courses can balance their studies with career and technical coursework. While benefits of career and technical education can appear obvious to some, it is not difficult to understand the rejection of this alternative form of education when at least a college degree is becoming a requirement for the majority of jobs. Purpose and Research Questions Newer programs that combine career and technical education courses with traditional high school instruction can benefit students in allowing them to connect their academic training with real world careers and practical concepts. Research on career and technical education in the U. S. has a history of highlighting the faults of CTE education such as not delivering on its promises and in some cases being a one-way ticket to a working class life (Claus, 1990). These out-dated reports are representative of Career and Technical Education programs in the older sense and not the newer, academically and career focused model being utilized in many high schools today. There is little research on why students take their chosen classes in high school and how students connect their high school curriculum to their post high school decisions and careers. There is also little research on how social class might impact students’ views and use of career and technical education. In this study I addressed students views of current high 3 school career and technical education programs in an Area Career Center (ACC) in Missouri. Area career centers fall under the umbrella of CTE housing career focused coursework and training in a separate building from local high schools. I investigated how students’ reports of cultural capital seem to influence these views. I chose to conduct a qualitative study because qualitative research allows one to investigate the idiosyncratic meanings that people construct about their lived experience. I was able to pursue in-depth reasons that the students give for their decisions, and was able to use follow-up questions to elaborate on understandings. The present study will address the following research questions: Research Question 1: How do students who are enrolled in CTE or AP classes perceive CTE? Research Question 2: What sources of influence do they report experiencing regarding academic versus CTE coursework? Research Question 3: What role does cultural capital play in students’ views of CTE coursework and their decisions to take or not take CTE classes in high school? Limitations to the Study There were a few limitations to my method of recruiting students and the transferability of the findings. First, there are over 1100 students from the high school enrolled in CTE classes at the Area Career Center so eight participants is not a very representative sample of students. However, qualitative research methods required that I keep my participant pool small. Second, at the local high school, I did not have as much control over the students selected for participation as I did at the ACC. the site counselor who helped me in my 4 recruitment process may have introduced bias into the process. Third, all of the participants were white and there were more males than females in CTE classes and more females than males in AP/Advanced classes. Also, the three AP students in this study were all interested in theatre, an area of study not offered at the ACC so there was probably a general feeling of lack of interest in CTE because no courses were offered in their specific area of interest. Future qualitative studies would benefit from more diverse students from underrepresented populations. Also, because student recruitment took place in the spring, it was hard to recruit students, especially those enrolled in AP courses (either AP only or CTE/AP combined), because end of the year AP exams take place during the spring. Recruitment of students in the fall might create a wider participant pool. 5 CHAPTER 2: Literature Review History of Career and Technical Education Career and technical education began as vocational education in Europe in the 19th century in response to the increase in demand for skilled workers who were educated in industrialized professions. Other factors that influenced the birth of career and technical education include the interest traditional European elites had in their children receiving both an education as well as certification in skills. They wanted their children to gain access to positions in law and theology, and the middle class parents wanted their children to attain the necessary educational credentials to help them enter careers in the civil service or managerial positions (Benavot, 1983). In the U. S. , federal funding for career and technical education was initiated with the passing of the Smith-Hughes Act in 1917. Over the next 65 years and four modifications to the act in 1947, 1958, 1963 and 1968, career and technical education increased funding, expanded programs to improve in the areas of science, math, and foreign languages, offered support for technical occupations related to national defense, and included work study programs. In 1968, a National Advisory Council on Vocational Education was initiated to start collecting information about the progress and development of vocational education programs and students. In  1984, the Vocational Education Act was renamed the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act (Perkins I, P. L. 98-524). While continuing federal support for vocational education, it established programs emphasizing the acquisition of job skills through both vocational and technical education. The act also sought to make vocational education 6 programs accessible to â€Å"special populations,† including individuals with disabilities, disadvantaged individuals, single parents and homemakers, and incarcerated individuals. The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act Amendments of 1990 (Perkins II, P. L. 101-392) made several revisions to the 1984 Act. Notably, the act created the tech-prep program designed to coordinate secondary and postsecondary vocational education activities into a coherent sequence of courses. Programs to eliminate sex bias were designed to prepare students for nontraditional training and employment (e. g. , training women to be welders or men to be nurses). Also, the law also required states to develop and implement performance standards and measures (e.g. , program completion and job placement) to assess gains in learning and in program performance. The Perkins Act of 1998 provided specific federal assistance for secondary and postsecondary vocational education (Skinner and Apling, 2005). The reauthorized 1998 Act also made modifications to performance standards and measures of the 1990 Act. A core set of performance indicators were included in the 1998 Act that resulted in sanctions if the level of performance was not reached or increased funding if performance exceeded the requirements. A key element of the 1998 Act was a greater focus on accountability with states required to â€Å"provide data for four core performance indicators focusing on: (1) student attainment; (2) credential attainment, (3) placement and retention, and (4) participation in and completion of non-traditional programs. † (CRS Report for Congress) Under its most recent amendment in 2006, the Carl D. Perkins Act became the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act. The 2006 amendment showed one of the most notable revisions to the act since it was established by replacing the term 7 ‘vocational education’ with ‘career and technical education. ’ This name change is especially significant in research on the influences student report in their decisions to take CTE classes because of the stigma associated with the world ‘vocational. ’ ‘Vocational’ education resonates with many as being representative of vocational education in the traditional sense and not academically focused or resulting in a college degree or high status occupations the way career and technical education can be perceived. Changing the name could help change the image of CTE towards a viable and legitimate option for secondary schooling. The 2006 revision also set in place a system of accountability to coincide with the No Child Left Behind Standards mandated for public education in the United States. Under this system of accountability, academic attainment and graduation rates of students enrolled in CTE at the secondary level will be measured. These new accountability measures create a greater need for research on how students perceive CTE in order to discover additional methods for recruiting new students and drawing greater attention from parents who steer their children towards a more college prep, academically focused course load. If students decisions not to take CTE classes rests in their view that to go to college and be a doctor they have to take advanced high school classes and CTE doesn’t look good on his transcript, administrators can use this information to create better recruitment methods. They can focus on educating students and parents on the goals of CTE and how these goals align with the traditional or advanced coursework. The subject areas most commonly associated with career and technical education are the following: Agriculture (careers related to food and fiber production and agribusiness); Business (accounting, business administration, management, information technology and  8 entrepreneurship); Family and Consumer Sciences (culinary arts, management and life skills); Health Occupations (nursing, dental, and medical technicians); Marketing (management, entrepreneurship, merchandising and retail); Technology (production, communication and transportation systems); and Trade and Industrial (skilled trades such as automotive technician, carpenter, computer numerical control technician). One difficulty in defining career and technical education coursework is the existence of district regulated definitions on what qualifies as a CTE course and how many courses a student needs to take to be classified as a CTE student. In the state of Missouri, there are 16 career clusters (See Appendix C, Table 1). â€Å"Career Clusters can give all students the academic preparation, guidance, careerrelated knowledge and flexibility to help them plan studies that are in line with their interests, abilities, and career goals. The Career Clusters framework offers a practical way for educators in all disciplines to create relevant contexts for their students learning. At the same time, it reinforces the schools fundamental objectives of academic accountability and improved achievement for all students. † (Source: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Division of Career Education http://dese. mo. gov/divcareered/career_clusters. htm). In response to the need for a redesigned educational system in U.S. public schools to fit the needs of the 21st century, the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) compiled a report on their views of how the remodeled education system should look (Association for Career and Technical Education, 2006). The report proposes that Career and Technical Education should be modified to do the following: (1) Support students in the acquisition of rigorous core knowledge, skills, habits and attitudes needed for success in9 postsecondary education and the high-skilled   workplace, (2) Engage students in specific career-related learning experiences that equip them to make well-informed decisions about further education and training and employment opportunities, and (3) Prepare students who may choose to enter the workforce directly after high school with levels of skills and knowledge in a particular career area that will be valued in the marketplace (Association for Career and Technical Education, 2006). Career and Technical Education Research Research on CTE tends to fall most often in two areas: the likelihood of students dropping out of school and how to serve at risk students (Plank, 2001; Stern, et al. , 1988; Catterall, 1986), and longitudinal effects of CTE programs (Plank, 2001; Arum Shavit, 1995). In 1986, Catterall and Stern looked at the use of alternative high school programs in preventing students from dropping out. They utilized the California sub-sample of the 1980 and 1982 High School and Beyond surveys (involving nearly 3,000 sophomores and 3,000 seniors) and studied the impact alternative education programs had on labor market outcomes for students. The High School and Beyond Survey in 1980 asked students how many courses they had completed in each of four CTE areas: business, office, or sales; trade and industry; technical courses; or other vocational courses. In addition to finding mixed support for alternative programs to prevent drop outs, they also found positive results on employment and wages. Stern, et al (1988) conducted a study in California that yielded similar results. Their 10 research reported the results from the first two years of an effort in 10 high schools to replicate the California Peninsula Academies. The students in the Academy school were identified by school counselors as â€Å"low performance students† with a high risk of dropping out of school (Stern, et al. , 1988). They were then placed into the Peninsula Academy, which was a school within a school, for grades 10 through 12. These low performing students took most of their remaining classes together at the school including coursework in English, math, and science as well as a course in the particular Academys focus (Stern, et al. , p. 163, 1988). The â€Å"Academy† model combines the core academic curriculum with technical instruction in a particular occupational field. Local employers representing that field participate in various ways by donating equipment to the school and serving as mentors to the students. For example, Hewlett-Packard contributed computer expertise and hardware. The companies also provide summer jobs for some of the students at the Academy school. â€Å"Having a paid summer job which is related to the Academy’s instructional focus creates a powerful connection between school work and â€Å"real† work† (Stern, et al. , p. 163, 1988). Academy students generally compiled better grades and more course credits than students in comparison groups at the same high schools. At three sites in particular, Academy students consistently out-performed comparison groups in the first two years. The authors also found that results were replicated at other sites and helped prevent students from dropping out of school. Claus (1990) conducted an ethnographic analysis of the student experience in a single CTE program, looking to answer two questions: (1) why did the students in the program report satisfaction and improved attitudes in association with their CTE program and (2) how  11 was CTE related to increasing the opportunity of these primarily working to lower class, academically-alienated youth? The CTE experience tended to reinforce class-related inequalities. â€Å"The ethnographic fieldwork and analysis suggest that while the students found their CTE program enjoyable and rewarding, this response was often rooted in a classroom experience which limited their development and reinforced their tendency toward working to lower class work and lives after school† (Claus, 1990, p. 13). Arum and Shavit (1995) utilized the 1987 â€Å"High School and Beyond† data to study individuals’ early labor market outcomes after high school and their track placement while in high school. They found that â€Å"vocational secondary education is neither as pernicious nor as detrimental as some of its opponents have maintained. † (p. 199) They found that CTE inhibited students in their decisions to continue on to college or achieve success in high prestige occupations, but also found that CTE programs serve as â€Å"a safety net for those high school graduates who are unlikely to go on to college. † (p. 199) Plank’s 2001 report for the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education looked at the balance between CTE and academic course-taking during high school for members of a longitudinal study beginning in 1988 with their eighth grade year. The students in the study were broken down into four groups: purely academic concentrators, purely CTE concentrators, dual concentrators who took both academic and CTE course work, and a group of students who took neither the purely academic or CTE coursework. Plank found the following: (1) academic concentrators showed the highest 1992 achievement, followed by dual (academic and vocational) concentrators, then students who fulfilled neither concentration, and then CTE concentrators; (2) almost all students were either in 12 postsecondary education or working, or both, in 1994, with academic concentrators most likely to be in full-time school and CTE concentrators most likely to be in full-time employment. The study concluded that further research is needed to determine what characteristics of CTE or academic education increase the risk of dropping out, and what types of integration  of academic and vocational education are most successful. Gaunt and Palmer (2005) conducted a quantitative study that investigated students’ attitudes towards career and technical education (CTE), what influenced their views, and their course selection decisions. They utilized the data from a previous study in Michigan of over 450 high school seniors. The were interested in the career and technical education funding crisis that is occurring in the wake of No Child Left Behind. Gaunt and Palmer (2005) found the majority of students citing social relationships with their friends and parents as the prime influencers of their views of career and technical education. In addition, students offered responses on how course structure, the benefits offered from each program, and advertising of the CTE programs affected their views of CTE. These results provide support for further research on the subject of career and technical education that puts an emphasis on academic training alongside CTE instruction in career-related fields. What was interesting about Gaunt and Palmer’s (2005) data was that more than half of the students not enrolled in career and technical education courses saw the courses as helping students prepare for college immediately after high school in comparison to 81% of students enrolled in CTE courses who saw this same connection. More than 80 percent of both groups of students saw the ACC as preparation for work after high school and close to 80 percent of all students saw the ACC in Michigan as designed for students of all ability levels. 13 Utilizing a qualitative methods approach with open ended interviewing methods, my study gives the students a greater opportunity to express their views of CTE education and how they compare it with their purely academic coursework. Gaunt and Palmer’s (2005) research is a big step forward in literature on career and technical education and I hope the dialogue of the participants in my study help take research even more forward. Sources of Influence How students perceive career and technical education and the their high school coursetaking decisions can be attributed to a variety of factors. In this study one of my research questions examined what are these factors and how do they influence student choices. Previous research on the influences students experience while choosing their high school classes include parents and friends, current labor markets, and school social networks including teachers and counselors. The most detailed account of influences that impact a student’s decisions to pursue a CTE curriculum in high school is Rossetti’s 1991 study about the influenced students who chose not to enroll in a Vocational School in Ohio. While evaluating the external factors that contributed to students’ decisions to enroll in CTE classes, Rossetti found that friends were the most influential with fifty-three percent stating that they had consulted their friends. (Rossetti, 1987) The next most influential figures were mother/female guardian (49%); father/male guardian (44%); brother/sister (39%); counselor (35%); girl/boyfriend (32%); other relative (32%); teacher(s) (28%); and athletic coach(es) (21%). A report by Dunham and Frome (2003) took a closer look at the role teachers and  14 counselors can play in encouraging and influencing students in their high school course selections. Their results were similar to Rossettis (1991). Current labor markets can also affect a students’ decision to enroll in CTE coursework. A publication by the National Center for Educational Statistics reported â€Å"students may be more likely to concentrate in vocational areas that prepare them for occupations with increasing job opportunities† (p. 1). In the case of the current U. S. job market, this would mean that students who take advanced courses in math and science and focus their studies towards engineering careers could be doing so not for their interest in those subjects but because they recognize the labor market’s shift to careers in engineering fields. This would also mean that these same students would specifically withdraw from involvement in courses focusing on low demand careers. This study was completed in 1998 and concluded that the reason for the decline in CTE courses was due to the job market not requiring those skills. New forms of career and technical education need to emphasize academics and career training in electronics and computer fields because the job market has made a turn towards careers of a more technical nature. Social Class and Cultural Capital The theoretical framework of this study relies upon cultural capital theory. Cultural capital can be defined as â€Å"high status cultural signals used in cultural and social selection† (Lamont and Lareau, 1988). According to Bourdieu’s definition, cultural capital â€Å"consists mainly of linguistic and cultural competence and that relationship of familiarity with culture which can only be produced by family upbringing when it transmits the dominant culture† 15 (Bourdieu, 1977). Cultural capital, according to Bourdieu, includes things such as going to museums, appreciating art and listening to classical music. â€Å"[Bourdieu] argues that individuals in privileged social locations are advantaged in ways that are not a result of the intrinsic merit of their cultural experiences. Rather, cultural training in the home is awarded unequal value in dominant institutions because of the close compatibility between the standards of child rearing in privileged homes and the (arbitrary) standards proposed by these institutions. † (Lareau, p. 276) In a dominant institution like education, the role of cultural capital translates to the practices of the school staff, teachers, organizational processes and authoritative relationships set in place as a method of exclusion for those who are unfamiliar with the institutional practices. In the U. S., children from high cultural capital backgrounds, according to cultural capital theory, have been taught directly or indirectly the value of raising one’s hand to be called on, working independently on homework assignments, and possessing a sense of entitlement to resources and extra help from teachers and other figures of authority (Lareau, 2000). It is argued that â€Å"children from higher social locations enter schools already familiar with these social arrangements† (Lareau, 1987, p. 288) and therefore succeed at a higher level than those not familiar with these practices. Being more familiar with the skills and knowledge valued by the dominant culture, students of the dominant culture are better able to adapt their skills to new settings to help negotiate their way to higher, more prestigious education and jobs. This creates a higher economic class position and allows their children to be exposed to the same culture, which is congruent with cultural reproduction theory (Aschaffenburg and Maas, 1997). 16 Bourdieu used the term â€Å"cultural reproduction† to describe the way society stratifies members of the population by reproducing the values, lif.

Recent Applications of Keratin

Recent Applications of Keratin Abstract This review discusses the recent applications of keratin and keratin-based materials. Keratin-Based Materials The keratin-based materials are produced from keratin fibers, such as human hair, skin, hooves, feathers, beaks, feet and horns (18). For biomedical and pharmaceutical purposes, human hair is a preferred major source of keratin for several reasons. First, it is available readily from barber and beauty salons. Also, human hair is less prone to cause undesired allergic or immune reactions in a human. Finally, a derived keratin material is able to be made from the hair of a person for whom the keratin-based material will be used (13). Animal feathers are also major resources for keratin extraction. Every year, there are 5 million tons of chicken feathers produced from chicken meat as a waste stream (8). Thus, feathers are abundant source of keratin that can be easily obtained. There are numerous methods to extract the keratin-based material from the keratin sources. One method includes partial oxidization of some disulfide linkages of the keratin with an oxidizing agent, such as peracetic acid, while remaining disulfide linkages are left intact. The partially oxidized hair is powdered and the remaining intact disulfide linkages are cleaved with a reducing agent. An insoluble part of keratin fraction is, then, removed by centrifugation (3, 15). The soluble part, including alpha keratin, is purified and oxidized to reform disulfide linkages between protein backbones (3, 19). The oxidized soluble part is easily dissolved and can form keratin solutions with controlled concentrations (19). The produced keratin solid can be used in a fibrous form when shredded, in a powder form when finely ground, in a hydrogel or viscoelastic hydrogel when hydrated by adding water, or may be used in certain embodiments (13). These materials are used for biomedical, pharmaceutical, biosorbent, and industrial applications. Wound Dressing The optimum wound dressing protects the injured tissue, maintains moisture while being water permeable, is easy to apply, and delivers effective healing agents to the wounded tissue (15). The keratin-based material acts as a non-antigenic wound healing material (3). The keratin-based film is appropriate to be used as a wound dressing. The porous sponge matrices of keratin can play an important role in absorbing wound exudates and in maintaining a healthy and moist environment for healing an injury (16). Also, a hydratable keratin solid powder that is also used in a form of a keratin hydrogel when added water is used as a wound dressing (13). These highly absorbent keratin solid fiber and powder provide an extra benefit along with the water absorbency. This benefit includes healing or soothing peptides associated with the keratin (18). Blanchard et al. (3) tested the keratin power, which would be used to produce a keratin hydrogel when hydrated, as wound healing agent with several donor sites. The sterilized keratin powder is applied on a half of a donor wound site and the other half is treated with a standard treatment. The result shows the halves treated with the keratin powder mature faster and epithelialize more rapidly. Also, the patients with the wounds have significantly less pain with the keratin power treatment (3). Than et al. (4) conducted a study focusing on the effects of the keratin dressing on chronic wounds of different cases. For one of the studied cases, a minimally exudative wound, which had been existed for 11.5 months, was treated with a matrix dressing produced from freeze-dried keratin protein. This dressing allows the rapid growth of new tissue by reabsorbing into the developed tissue. The wound was healed after 30 weeks (Figure 2). Also, the patient had experienced the repeated leg ulcers; yet, the patient stayed ulcer-free after the treatment (4). Figure 1 (1A) Ulcer under keratin-derived matrix dressing treatment at Day 0; (1B) Healed ulcer under keratin-derived matrix dressing treatment at Day 99 (4) Pharmaceutical Siller-Jackson et al. (13) and Van Dyke et al. (18) proposed an invention of the keratin material incorporated with nonwoven film, which can be used in several different applications. One of the applications is that the solid keratin with nonwoven film can form a beneficial drug delivery system when it is incorporated with active pharmaceutical agents. These pharmaceutical agents, including the compounds that may allow ion exchange with sulfonic acid groups of keratin, can be formulated as hydrochlorides, polar agents, protein agents, polypeptide agents, and peptide agents (18). Polypeptide agents include both native and recombinant polypeptides (13). Table 1 provides the list of the classes and types of pharmaceutical agents (13, 18). Table 1 Classes and Types of Pharmaceutical Agents (13, 18) The invention of Van Dyke et al. (18) suggests that the application of the drug delivery system with solid keratin provides several significant advantages. In this system, the properties of the dosage form of a drug can be determined by the chemical and material properties of the keratin, whereas with most delivery systems, the level of a drug is maintained at a consistent concentration with sustained or controlled release. Also, the nonwoven film drug delivery system is performed in non-aqueous media, which is a distinct advantage because non-water soluble drugs are usually troublesome to formulate into convenient dosage forms. Furthermore, keratin can play a dual role of wound dressing and drug delivery system simultaneously, allowing a less intrusive therapy than separate treatments (18). Hemostat Aboushwareb et al. (7) demonstrated the hemostatic characteristics of the human hair keratin hydrogel with the ability to absorb fluid and bind cells successfully. The experiments evaluate the efficacy of human hair keratin hydrogel in a lethal model of liver injury in a rabbit model, compared to other commercial hemostats. The study proved the efficacy of the keratin biomaterials in arresting hemorrhage and increasing the survivability in a model of liver injury, similarly to the compared commercial products.   Also, it was proved that the keratin hydrogel does not produce adverse cell and tissue responses (7). Implant Filler The keratin hydrogel can also be used as an augmentation of soft tissue, including augmentation of vocal chords in order to restore elasticity, and augmentation of breasts, lips, chin, gluteal area, and wrinkled or acne scarred skin in order to improve the appearance of a subject (25). The biocompatible viscoelastic keratin hydrogel is used as an implant filler (25). Such keratin hydrogel provides a natural-appearing and safe implant for reconstructing or filling the human breast, and other tissues. The implant may be used in several ways. One way is that the solid hydrogel implant precursor is hydrated before placing the filler into an implant envelope. Another way is that tissue expanders are contained in an envelope with the keratin hydrogel. This method allows the implant to absorb the body fluids through the envelope and increasing in a volume at a controlled rate, providing a more convenient and comfortable implant compared to traditional implants (18). The keratin hydrogel implants are less toxic than the silicone implants, in case of the risk of a leakage. Also, the keratin fillers give more natural appearance and feeling than saline implants do. Additionally, the keratin implants do not require a second invasive procedure to harvest tissue as fat cells do (18). Biosorbent The interest in the use of biomass for the dissolved metal removal from aqueous solutions has been increasing because of the relatively high cost of the traditional water treatment materials, the complex operational set-up, and the safety precautions (9). The keratin-based material can be used as the purification method of natural and waste water resources contaminated with metal (8). The keratin protein fiber is used to purify heavy metal-contaminated water. The wool keratin has been reported to uptake mercury, copper, silver, cadmium, lead, chromium, and aluminum. Also, mohair keratin has been reported to remove copper (9). Khosa and Ullah (10) have recently presented the application of the keratin biopolymer for the removal of arsenic. Also, Saucedo-Rivalcoba et al. (11) have proposed the use of polyurethane-keratin hybrid membranes in order to absorb and remove hexavalent chromium from water. Rubber Hergenrother et al. (12) has proposed the utilization of keratin as a filler in rubber compositions. This use of keratin in conjunction with coupling agents increases dynamic storage modulus (G) while not affecting the physical properties of the compounds. The keratin filler used is derived from avian feather or feather meal, which has higher bulk density than ground feather. The compounds of the filler are economical and easy to process. Also, these are environmentally friendly because even a small amount of avian feather used will allow the reduced amount of non-renewable fillers, such as carbon black, to be used (12). The keratin filler used for rubber is beta-keratin-based and water-insoluble. Keratin from feathers is relatively economic, is non-toxic, has a high melting point, is light-weight, and is a biodegradable renewable material. Therefore, the reinforcing keratin filler will help produce sustainable products that uses rubber, such as tires. Diapers / Feminine Hygiene Products The absorbent materials are capable of absorbing body fluids such as urine and menses. Thus, the absorbent materials are included in the products that are used next to the skin. Such materials can be derived from wood pulp, cellulosic fibers, or synthetically produced superabsorbent (13, 18). An inner core of diapers and feminine hygiene products is designed to absorb water and urine. It is commonly formed with a superabsorbent polymer that is dispersed in a larger amount of less absorbent material.   Yet, even the absorbent materials are separated from the skin with at least one layer of materials, the skin contact with such materials have been causing irritation and not beneficial (13, 18). The keratin-based absorbent or hydratable solid, in forms of powder or hydrogel, is a natural material that can absorb body fluids, and is beneficial with respect to diaper rash. The hydratable keratin solid can be coated either on a layer next to the skin of a subject or on a layer separated from the skin by a water permeable layer (13, 18). For both diapers and feminine hygiene products, the hydratable keratin solid can be used in an inner absorbent core. The keratin materials may be associated with a nonwoven layer of product, or coated on a layer of a product, or permeated into a layer of a product (13, 18). Keratin Hydrolysate Similar to the keratin-based material sources, keratin hydrolysates are prepared from human hair, wool, animal hair, feathers and horns (21). The recent method of the keratin hydrolysate production utilizes chicken feathers with Bacillus subtilis (21, 22). Vermelho et al. (21) and Villa et al. (22) have suggested that the useful bacterium for the production is Bacillus subtilis.   Villa et al. (22) proposed an effective method that produces a clear hydrolysate (22). Feathers are transformed into keratin peptides and amino acid by peptidases and keratinases, produced by Bacillus subtilis (Figure 2) (22).   From this process, the keratin hydrolysates are produced enzymatically (21). Figure 2 (A) Control: Bacillus subtilis in feather containing medium at Day 0; (B) Growth in feather medium at Day 5 (22) Such method is also environmental friendly because it recycles and helps reducing the feather waste, which is the byproduct of the poultry industry (27). The keratin hydrolysate is majorly used for cosmetics applications. Cosmetics The keratin hydrolysates can be used in various cosmetic applications, such as hair and skin applications (21). Villa et al. (22) effectively proved that the enzymatic production of keratin peptides from feathers is significantly affective in hair care products. The keratin peptides improve the hair fiber hydration and seal cuticles in the hair fibers with the hydrolysates, which increase the shine and softness of the hair (22). Barba et al. (24) conducted a long-term study to find the beneficial effect of the topical application of the wool keratin peptides. The study was performed on undisturbed kin to determine the efficacy of the two keratin peptide samples, one with an aqueous keratin formulation and another with liposome formulation mixed with the aqueous keratin solution. Both of the keratin peptide samples showed very close result with the increase of the hydration of the skin. Also, the treated skin with both samples was resulted with increased skin elasticity (24). The keratin-based hydrogel is capable of facilitating the regeneration of peripheral nerves. Sierpinski et al. (5) showed that the keratin hydrogel enhances the in vitro activity of Schwann cells, led from the increase of cellular proliferation and migration, and the upregulated gene expression. References 1. Rouse, J.G.; Van Dyke, M.E., A Review of Keratin-Based Biomaterials for Biomedical Applications, Materials 2010, 3 (2), 999-1014. 2. Silva, R.; Fabry, B.; Boccaccini, A.R., Fibrous Protein-Based Hydrogels for Cell Encapsulation, Biomaterials 2014, 35 (25), 6727-6738. 3. Blanchard, C.R.; Timmons, S. .; Smith, R.A., Keratin-Based Hydrogel for Biomedical Applications and Method of Production, U.S. Patent 6,379,690, April 30, 2002. 4. Than, M.P.; Smith, R.A.; Hammond, C.; Kelly, R.; Marsh, C.; Maderal, A.D.; Kirsner, R.S., Keratin-Based Wound Care Products for Treatment of Resistant Vascular Wounds, J. Clin. Aesthet. Dermatol. 2012, 5(12), 31-35. 5. Sierpinski, P.; Garrett, J.; Ma, J.; Apel, P.; Klorig, D.; Smith, T.; Koman, L.A.; Atala, A.; Van Dyke, M., The Use of Keratin Biomaterials Derived from Human Hair for the Promotion of Rapid Regeneration of Peripheral Nerves, Biomaterials 2008, 29 (1), 118-128. 6. Apel, P.J.; Garrett, J.P.; Sierpinski, P.; Ma, J.; Atala, A.; Smith, T.L.; Koman, L.A.; Van Dyke, M.E., Peripheral Nerve Regeneration Using a Keratin-Based Scaffold: Long-Term Functional and Historical Outcomes in a Mouse Model, J. Hand. Surg.2008, 33A, 1541-1547. 7. Aboushwareb, T.; Eberli, D.; Ward, C.; Broda, C.; Holcomb, J.; Atala, A.; Van Dyke, M., A Keratin Biomaterial Gel Hemostat Derived from Human Hair: Evaluation in a Rabbit Model of Lethal Liver Injury, J. Biomed. Mater. Res. Part B Appl. Biomater. 2008, 90B (1), 45-54. 8. Khosa, M.A.; Ullah, A., A Sustainable Role of Keratin Biopolymer in Green Chemistry: A Review, J. Food Processing Beverages 2013, 1 (1), 8-15. 9. Kar, P.; Misra, M., Use of Keratin Fiber for Separation of Heavy Metals from Water, J. Chem. Technol. Biotechnol. 2004, 79 (11), 1313-1319. 10. Khosa, M.A.; Ullah, A., In-situ Modification, Regeneration, and Application of Keratin Biopolymer for Arsenic Removal, J. Hazard. Mater. 2014, 278, 360-371. 11. Saucedo-Rivalcoba, V.; Martinez-Hernà ¡ndez, A.L.; Martinez-Barrera, G.; Belascco-Santos, C.; Rivera-Armenta, J.L.; Castaà ±o, V.M., Removal of Hexavalent Chromium from Water by Polyurethane-Keratin Hybrid Membranes, Water, Air, Soil Pollut. 2011, 218 (1-4), 557-571. 12. Hergenrother, W.L.; Shltz, L.L.; Lin, C.J., Keratin in Rubber Applications, U.S. Application 14/492,835, January 8, 2015. 13. Siller-Jackson, A.J.; Van Dyke, M.E.; Timmons, S.F.; Blanchard, C.R.; Smith, R.A., Keratin-Based Powders and Hydrogel for Pharmaceutical Applications, U.S. Patent 6,544,548 B1, April 8, 2003. 14. Kelly, R.J.; Ali, M.A.; Roddick-Lanzilotta, A.D.; Worth, G.; Hassan, M.M.; McLaughlin, J.R.; McKinnon, A.J., Composite Materials Containing Keratin, U.S. Patent 7,767,756 B2, August 3, 2010. 15. Timmons, S.F.; Blanchard, C.R.; Smith, R.A., Keratin-Based Tissue Engineering Scaffold, U.S. Patent 6,432,435 B1, August 13, 2002. 16. Kelly, R.J.; Roddick-Lanzilotta, A.D.; Ali, M.A., Wound Care Products Containing Keratin, U.S. Patent 7,732,574 B2, June 8, 2010. 17. Kelly, R.J.; Worth, G.H.; Roddick-Lanzilotta, A.D.; Rankin, D.A.; Ellis, P.; Mesman, J.R.; Summers, C.G.; Singleton, D.J., Production of Soluble Keratin Derivatives, U.S. Patent 7,148,327 B2, December 12, 2006. 18. Van Dyke, M.E.; Timmons, S.F.; Blanchard, C.R.; Siller-Jackson, A.J.; Smith, R.A., Absorbent Keratin Wound Dressing, U.S. Patent 6,270,793 B1, August 7, 2001. 19. Wu, C.; Li, J.; Wicks, D.; Morgan, S.; Smith, R.A., Hydratable Keratin Compositions, U.S. Application 11/920,456, August 11, 2011. 20. Van Dyke, M.E.; Blanchard, C.R.; Timmons, S.F.; Siller-Jackson, A.J.; Smith, R.A., Implantable prosthetic or Tissue Expanding Device, U.S. Patent 6,849,092 B2, February 1, 2005. 21. Vermelho, A.B.; Villa, A.L.V.; Mazotto de Almeida, A.M.; de Souza Dias, E.P.; dos Santos, E.P., Keratin Hydrolysates, Process for Their Production and Cosmetic Composition Containing the Same, U.S. Application 12/666,409, August 5, 2010. 22. Villa, A.L.V.; Aragà £o, M.R.S.; Santos, E.P.D.; Mazotto, A.M.; Zingali, R.B.; de Souza, E.P.; Vermelho, A.B., Feather Keratin Hydrolysates Obtained from Microbial Keratinases: Effect on Hair Fiber, BMC Biotechnol. 2013, 13 (1), 15 23. Weathersby, C.; McMichael, A., Brazilian Keratin Hair Treatment: A Review, J. Cosmet. Dermatol. 2013, 12 (2), 144-148. 24. Barba, C.; Mà ©ndez, S.; Roddick-Lanzilotta, A.; Kelly, R.; Parra, J.L.; Coderch, L., Cosmetic Effectiveness of Topically Applied Hydrolysed Keratin Peptides and Lipids Derived from Wool, Skin Res. Tech. 2008, 14, 243-248. 25. Van Dyke, M.E.; Blanchard, C.R.; Timmons, S.F.; Siller-Jackson, A.J.; Smith, R.A., Water Absorbent Keratin and Gel Formed Therefrom, U.S. Patent 6,316,598 B1, November 13, 2001. 26. Misra, M.; Kar, P.; Priyadarshan, G., Keratin Protein Nano-fiber for Removal of Heavy Metals and Contaminants, Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 2002, 702, 27. Cedrola, S.M.; de Melo, A.C.; Mazotto, A.M.; Lins, U.; Zingali, R.B.; Rosado, A.S.; Peixoto, R.S.; Vemelho, A.B., Keratinases and sulfide from Bacillus subtilis SLC to Recycle Feather Waste, World J. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 2012, 28, 1259-1269.

George Bass :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As I walked to the Daly Science Center from Benson Memorial with a stomach full of ridiculously expensive cheap food, I expected the lecture of Dr. Bass to be more or less of a rehashing of what he spoke to our class about earlier in the day, albeit with a few more and older people watching. My first surprise came as I opened the door of lecture hall 206 and saw all the students sitting on the stairs. I myself was relegated to sitting at the very top of the stairs, near the door, with other students sitting on nearly every stair all the way down. As soon as I sat down I was immediately drawn into the lecture by Dr. Bass’s immense passion and visible love for his field of work. My second surprise came as I listened to his tales of various escapades and adventures along the Turkish coast. The most impressive part of his lecture was his comfort in not only lecturing on the intellectual context of his work, but also his willingness to share his personal experi ences with a large group of strangers. The longer I listened to Dr. Bass speak the more honored I felt to be in the presence of a true legend of archaeology. At first I did not understand why he included the slide and story about the beach where him and his wife spent their honeymoon forty years ago. However, towards the end of the lecture when he brought us back to that same beach, I was amazed that it has come to be known as â€Å"the beach where the American’s were†. You notice I say brought â€Å"us† because that is exactly what Dr. Bass did Monday evening. He brought us as an audience with him on his trips to the Near East and down to the sea floor to look for amphoras and scarabs in shipwrecks, which before his work nobody knew existed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When he showed the slide of Queen Nefertiti’s scarab I though no other find he has made could top it. However, upon further reflection I believe his discovery of the oldest â€Å"book†, and glass were more historically significant items. In my humble opinion, Dr. Bass’s most extraordinary finding was his work outside of the dive sites. His theories regarding contact and trade between Egypt and the Near East, Greece, and the Middle East in the Bronze Age have gone from mere speculation to widely accepted academic fact as a direct result of his research and writing.

Essay example --

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a degenerative brain disease that involves dysfunctions and loss of nerve cells in central nervous system, was discovered by a German physician, Dr. Alois Alzheimer in 1907. As it is accounted for 50 to 75% of all cases of dementia, it is the most common form of dementia (Blennow et al., 2006) and it is known as a progressive neuropsychiatric disorder which involves memory loss, mood swing and loss of intellectual and social skills (Lee et al., 2010) and sufferer will progress through seven-stages of Alzheimer but with different rate (Reisberg et al., 2003). Prevalence of dementia increases exponentially with age from 60 to 85 years old or older, which is Senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, loss of synapses and degeneration of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons are the neuropathological hallmarks of this disease (Shen et al., 2005). It is a neurodegenerative disorder with unknown cause (Blennow et al., 2006). There are some hypotheses of pathogenesis of Alzheimer’... ... are able to interfere some metabolic pathways of choline metabolism. Hence, they have broad range on neurologic effects. From the experiment, monosubstituted 2-aminoethanols give the least inhibitory activity. There will be an increase in inhibitory activity when the degree of substitution and molecular size of the nitrogenous head of the molecule increase, due to the increase in the chance for van der Waals’ interaction with the protein surface, results in increased enzyme inhibition (Hartung, 1968). This complied with the principle of inhibitors with tertiary amino compounds act on PAS site. Enzyme inhibition occurs by steric blockade (Rosenberry et al., 1999) or allosteric activation (Auletta et al., 2010) will give low number of empty enzymes for further hydrolysis. Therefore, dialkylaminoflavonols shold be futher investigated in the discovery of better drugs.

The Relationship Between Journalism and Public Relations

The relationship between journalism and public relations has been described as tumultuous. Hitchcock (2012) says there is a shifting dynamic between the two and has found that journalists are starting to become more and more reliant on public relations ‘(PR)’, while Jackson (2009) says that up to 80% of media content has come from a public relations source. In this instance, Evans (2010) says, â€Å"it is time to admit that the two disciplines of journalism and PR are two sides of the same coin and that there is now complete freedom of movement between them† (p? ). FIND PAGE NUMBERThis essay will discuss the role of both public relations and journalism in the media, followed by an examination of the symbiotic relationship these two professions share. Differing views and issues surrounding the relationship will also be considered. Furthermore, media relations and new media technology will be examined regarding the tension between PR and journalism. A conclusion wil l then be summarized to support the idea that the relationship between public relations and journalism is symbiotic to an extent, however there are other factors also to consider when making such a statement.The Oxford Dictionary (2012) defines the term symbiosis as ‘a mutually beneficial relationship between different people or groups’. In this case we are examining the relationship between PR and journalism and how they mutually benefit from their day-to-day dealings with each other. According to Tench (2009), PR plays an important role in shaping the news by persuading other people to convey important messages to the organisations publics. This is done with support from media outputs and can also be described as ‘endorsement’.Furthermore, the PR practitioner should use sound media relations to gain editorial coverage in appropriate media channels. By doing this, Comrie (2007) elaborates that the organization’s reputation will impact positively by integrating a strategic plan in line with the company’s mission. Journalists in the media are wary of public relations practitioners, regardless of the fact that they deal with them daily. According to White and Hobsbawn (2007) they view PR practitioners as ambiguous sources to deal with and are often cautious and wary of whether the information given could be misleading or deceptive.Furthermore, Callad (2007) says that journalist’s gut reactions to ‘PR’ in general are almost immediately related to specific PR people in which they may have had a bad experience with, instead of the response to the profession its self. This type of stereotyping is a typical occurrence in their professional relationship. The relationship between PR and journalism is seen to mutually benefit both parties. Edward Bernays (in Evans, 2010) talks of the crucial importance of the press. This is because newspaper coverage can translate social ideas into facts, which in turn can infl uence the target publics of an organisation.Jackson (2009) also supports the idea that there is a symbiotic relationship of some kind existing between PR and journalism by saying â€Å"PR is a fact of life. Journalists should recognize it as an important channel† (p2). Jackson then elaborates on the role of PR by stating that there is a very significant amount of PR material in the media and that therefore plays an important role in news making. Furthermore, Grunig and Hunt (in Tench, 2009) underwent a survey in 2000 that indicated PR sources are responsible for around half of the news printed in newspapers.Press releases sent out by the Press Association are likely to include contribution from practitioners. (Mersham et al,. 2009) says that both sport and not for profit charities use emotional content in the promotion of their organisation, which in turn appeals to media outlets. These situations support the idea of symbiosis between PR and journalism, as journalists like to run stories with high emotional content, which will then in turn generate positive publicity for the organisation.Many journalists don’t like to admit that they do rely on PR in one way or another and unfortunately in this day and time, journalists are pushed for time as media channels have rapidly increased and budgets have been tightened. Because of this, little time is left for journalists to investigate stories independently. (Lewis et,. al 2008) found that up to 60% of stories coming from either articles or broadcast news contained elements of ‘pre packaging’. This can be described as a press release being regurgitated by a journalist into a news story, with very few facts missing.Callard (2011) further describes the symbiotic relationship that is evident between PR and journalism. These two professions interact with each other daily for the production of news. PR practitioners provide journalists with a suggested story and information shaped in the way the y would like it to be publicized in a specific media channel. Moreover, journalists then request information and sources from PR practitioners that may aid them in developing a story for the public. Although this seems both parties mutually benefit from each other’s presence, it doesn’t come without its controversies.Issues with credibility of both PR practitioners and journalists are said to always exist. Journalists should only post stories of interest to the audience, while PR practitioners should use media relations to get print or broadcast coverage without interference from the owners of the publication. (Tench, 2009) agrees with this by saying that these current priorities of confliction are said to describe the tension that exists between the agenda’s of these two competitors. Similar views are expressed such as (Mersham et al. 2009) with some journalists and PR practitioners seeing each other as allies, but are more frequently seen by each other as the enemy or people that they cannot trust. In saying this, PR practitioners are also wary of journalists. Gregory (2002) says that PR practitioners have a responsibility to keep a considerate distance between themselves and journalists but continue to provide them with material that reflects the truth. Moreover, we see that they continue to hold a symbiotic relationship in relation to the work they do, but whether they value each other on a personal level is very much debatable.According to (Davis, 2007) journalism traditionally was seen to hold power over PR as they had control over what was to be published. Due to cutbacks in resources and the continuing change in media channels, PR material and sources have developed which is resulting in a change over who holds that power. Moreover, Greenslade (2003) argues that this causes tension in the relationship as journalists like to think they are more powerful and rather believing that PR can benefit them, they feel conflicted to use posit ive, helpful sources of materials that PR practitioners provide them (Haller, 2007; Tilley & Hollings, 2008).Media relations must be understood as less about breaking news, and more about tactical work that is going to target the key stakeholders of your organisation. Gonring (in Comrie, 2007) suggests that it is also about â€Å"learning to strategize and manage press coverage to shape the opinions of important constituents† (p63). To put more simply, Tench (2009) mentions that we can view media relations as a relationship between an organisation and the press. The skilled practitioner needs to make sure they form sufficient relationships with journalists so that accurate, effective stories can be produced.This is important for both parties as White and Hobsbawm (2007) say â€Å"mutual exchange of information between these two groups of information gathers and providers is necessary, and not a matter for disapproval† (p290). New media developments are having an impact on both professions and the symbiotic relationship they share. White and Hobsbawm (2007) mention that journalism is heavily dependant on PR sources regardless of their personal relations and therefore more demands are needed to produce new and exciting material for new channels of media. The phenomenon of social media is changing the way we communicate.Because of the social aspect of new media, practitioners can present information that individuals can talk directly to each other and find truth themselves. There needs to be a more realistic approach to the relations between PR and journalism, as they may not possess the same interests, but they face the same threats and the context in which they operate is the same. The main points outlined above demonstrate that a symbiotic relationship between PR and journalism does exist. It is evident that both professions require some kind of reliance on each other.In saying this however it must be considered that although some symbiosis occur s, it doesn’t come with out scrutiny from both professions. White and Howsbawm (2007) elaborate by saying journalists are heavily dependant on PR practice in spite of the fact the views they hold of them. Media relations also contribute to the love-hate relationship in which they share, but also the need of each other for the growing world of technology. The above views suggest that although the relationship between PR and journalism is symbiotic, it is also seen as unstable, and that is not likely to change in the near future.References: Bailey, R. (2009). Media Relations. Harlow, England; New York: FT Prentice Hall Callard, H. (2011) Attitudes and perceptions of newspaper journalists towards public relations practitioners in New Zealand. Retrieved from http://scholar. google. co. nz/scholar? hl=en&lr=&q=related:Bcq7pKS7k_QJ:scholar. google. com/&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&ei=1cAwULHIMo2WiQf87oCoDw&ved=0CD0QzwIwAA Comrie, M. (2007, October 29). Media relations: From tactics to strat egy. Retrieved from  http://publicrelations4u. blogspot. co. z/2007/10/media-relations-from-tactics-to. html Davis, A. (2000). Public relations, news production and changing patterns of source access in British National Media. Media, Culture and Society, 22(1), 39-59. Evans, T. (2010). We are all in PR now. British Journalism Review  2010 21: 31 DOI: 10. 1177/0956474810374531 http://bjr. sagepub. com/content/21/2/31 Gower, K. (2007). Public relations and the press: The troubled embrace. Evanston, IL:Northwestern University Press. Greenslade, R. (2003) Press Gang: how newspapers make profits rom Propaganda, Basingstoke:Macmillan. Gregory, A. (2002). To Spin or Not to Spin? – The Ethics of Public Relations  [Lecture]. Retrieved from Leeds Metropolitan University. Grunig, J. E. , & Hunt, T. (1984). Managing Public Relations: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Haller, M. (2007). Symbiosis or antagonism: The neurotic double bind. In Merkel, B. , Russ-Mohl, S. , & Zavaritt, G. (Eds. ). A complicated, antagonistic and symbiotic affair: Journalism, public relations and their struggle for public attention (pp. 95-99). Lugano, Switzerland: European Journalism Observatory.Hitchcock, S. (2012, February 18). Tumultuous relationship between journalism and PR thawing says Waikato researcher. The University of Waikato. Retrieved August 19th, 2012, from http://www. waikato. ac. nz/news-events/media/2012/02tumultuous-relationship-between-journalism-and-pr-thawing-says-waikato-researcher. shtml Hollings, J. , Lealand, G. , Samson, A. , & Tilley, E. (2007). The big NZ journalism survey: Underpaid, under-trained, under-resourced, unsure about the future – but still idealistic.Pacific Journalism Review, 13(2), 175–197. Jackson, S. (2009, May 4). PR driving up to 80pc of content. The Australian. Retrieved August 19th, 2012, from  http://www. theaustralian. com. au Lewis, J. , A. Williams. , B. Franklin. , J. Thomas. , and N. Mosdell (2008). â€Å"The Quality a nd Independence of British Journalism’, Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies. Report found at http://www. cardiff. ac. uk/jomec/research/researchgroups/journalismstudies/fundedprojects/qualitypress. html Mersham, G. M. , Theunissen, P. , & Peart, J. G. M. (2009). Public

A visit to Seri Kasih Orphanage Home Essay

The first week of the last school holidays was a memorable and meaningful moments for the members of the English Language  Society of SMK Kampung Laut.The society has organized a special trip to Seri Kasih Orphanage Home on May 31st the first day of school holidays at Kampung Delima,Batu 8, Pasir Putih.There were a total of 75 students involved of whom 40 of are male students of form four and five while 35 female students comprising mainly of form 3 and 4 students.There were 4 accompanying teachers,Sir Rosdi,teacheradvisor of SMK Kampung Laut English Language Society,Teacher Madihah,our senior science teacher,Puan Marini,our Bahasa Melayu teacher and finally Mr Kim Lian Hing,our Physical Education  teacher.We started our 45 minutes journey with two special chartered buses sponsored by Dato’ Hj Karim,the chairman of PIBG of SMK Kampung Laut.We reached the orphanage home about 9.15 a.m.  We were greeted by the matron,Puan Seri Hajjah Maimunah and her delegations.The cheerful and estatic feelings of the orphans really touched our hearts.Puan Seri started with a welcoming speech.All eyes were on her and many wiped their tears at the end of her speech when many tragic stories of the orphans were revealed. We could see that there were a strong unity among the 95 orphans and they were really superb on their manners and etiquettes.We just loved the ways they behaved and lived within their circles.Sir Rosdi reciprocated with a short but very meaningful speech and then presented the cheque of RM1000 donated by the students of SMK Kampung Laut. The  morning activities started with a gotong royong project viz cleaning-up of surau and the main hall. The students were made up of 15 groups of 5 students each while some senior orphans were also lending their hands.Then the outdoor programme followed with telematches held for the female students while the male had a friendly volleyball matches. We had a short break at around 11.30a.m and later served with a light  refreshment.  The next programmae started when all the students and the orphans were requested to assemble at Seri Kasih main hall for the talentime show.We were entertained by the hidden talents of the orphans particularly on the group singing of nashid and coral speaking. Some of our students also joined the talent show by presenting some classical and  malay traditional songs aided by 3 plus one music. Then we had our lunch and dzohor prayer at around 1.30 p.m.We were served with very sumptuous and appetizing ikan bakar and beryani rice. Our next programme started at around 2.30 p.m with one hour tuition sessions where our form 4 and 5 students willingly broke up into small groups assisting the form 3 orphans mainly on Mathematics and English subjects. Then our own form 3 students were together with form 1 and 2 orphans discussing on some school works and  assignments.It was indeed a short but very helpful sessions.Most of the orphans were very hardworking and dedicated students.Some of them topped the classes and had flying colours results.  Our last programme was photograpy and souvenirs sessions.We brought beautiful souvenirs and presented to each and every orphans.   They were beaming with joy and many had agreed to treat our senior students as adopted brothers and sisters.Besides we also presented large hampers which consisted of chocolates,biscuits, nuts and fresh fruits.The matron,Puan Seri Hajjah Maimunah  presented her closing speech and invited all of us to come back next year for another great programmes.We left Seri Kasih Orphanage Home at about 4 p.m.Many of us had cherished the good memories and glad that we had performed our social responsibility with the residents of Seri Kasih Orphanage Home.We would certainly love to come back next year with many great programmes in hand.

Life Changing Disaster

It was the most terrifying moment of my life, a storm that I will never forget. It came to us as a surprise, in the middle of the night, when everyone was asleep. It was powerful and deadly for many. It changed my life completely when It left me and family with a destroyed home for months. Of course nobody knew what was going to come next and how things will be. It was dark and windy and nobody was awake In the house when I heard a loud bang outside my window.I woke up and saw a tree broken from Its roots lying on the driveway of my neighbors' house. Next thing I know, my mother ran to my room and opened the door. She had woken up from the sound of the tree falling as well. The first thing that came to our minds was to go straight to the basement in case a tornado was coming. My dad checked all the windows and locked all the doors while I and my mom collected water and food to bring to the basement in case we had to stay there for a while.The storm was roughly six or seven hours long during which e heard trees, houses' windows and other things breaking from the strong wind. Finally the storm had passed and we went upstairs to see nothing but broken windows and furniture thrown around the house by the wind. The storm was the most destructive one in the area recorded in nearly a hundred years according to statistics we heard on the news. It had left people without shelter for weeks and even months. Three of my neighbors were killed by the storm, along with hundreds more in the area which it had hit.Nobody knew where it came from or owe it happened to be so powerful but the outcome of it was horrifying. I was only seven years old and already had seen death and destruction. A psychological scar was given to me by the hands of the destructive wind. For months I was afraid of encountering another disaster like that one. I begged my parents to move our bedrooms to the basement Just to be safe. They knew it had a large Impact on my perception of storms and wind overall but chose to let me try and overcome my fear by facing it.The bedrooms stayed where they were but we had to eve out of the house and to a motel for a month while the house was being worked on by my dad and uncle. Even till this day the sound of wind Is more terrifying to me than death Itself. The loud whistling of the wind and the dancing of the trees makes me shiver Like a child. Days pass and people forget about what happened on that dark autumn night. Only the children who lost their parents and the people who lost their spouses still remember the terror. Now I know to always expect the unexpected and try to prepare for the worst so if it comes, I could be ready.Life Changing Disaster By denouncement September 24, 2010 was powerful and deadly for many. It changed my life completely when it left me and It was dark and windy and nobody was awake in the house when I heard a loud bang outside my window. I woke up and saw a tree broken from its roots lying on the large impact on my p erception of storms and wind overall but chose to let me try and Even till this day the sound of wind is more terrifying to me than death itself. The loud whistling of the wind and the dancing of the trees makes me shiver like a child.

Human factors and ergonometric Essay

Injuries and as well as illnesses are usual things in the workplace and back injuries is said to be about 20% of it. Around 20 to 50 billion dollars are also estimated to be lost because of back injuries per year. Due to the seriousness of the problem and its economic costs, companies are implementing different ways such as the use of back belts in order to reduce if not totally eliminate back injury cases. Today, most workers are depending on back belts, also known as back support in order to protect themselves from back injuries that may happen in the workplace. There had been some claims that the use of back belts reduces the force on the spine and increase intra-abdominal pressure that counters the force exerted on the spine. It is also said that back belts also stiffen the spine and restrict bending motion. It also helps in reminding the wearer to lift properly and thus, reduces injuries specifically back injuries in the workplace. However, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and health or NIOSH, these claims lack scientific support and the validity and truthfulness of these claims cannot be proven. Studies done by the NIOSH also asserts that the difference in back injury incidence between those who use back belts and those who do not have no statistical significance. NIOSH also added that the strongest risk factor is the history of back injury and that the rate of having back injury of those who have history of having back injury is almost twice as the rate of workers without back injury history. Results of the study also shows that through comparing the injury claims and as well as self-reported cases failed to show any significant difference that is associated with the use of back belts even for employees who does the most strenuous type of jobs. Thus, NIOSH does recommend the use of back belts in order to reduce the cases of back injuries in the workplace. Still, although the use of back belts lack scientific evidences that it lessen the cases or the risk of having back injuries there is also no concreter evidence that will totally prove that using back belt have no effect in the performance and safety of the workers and so I will still recommend the use of back belts in the work place to reduce such cases. It would be better than using nothing at all and it may also improve the performance of the workers because they will that the company does care for their needs and safety. In order to guard the safety of the workers against back injuries any gadget is not enough. The best way to really reduce if not totally get away with back injuries is through ergonomics program that will help the workers not just to ensure their safety but as well to maximize their capabilities. Such program may include the assessment of all work activities. This is to make sure the every task in the company can be done without exceeding the worker’s physical capabilities. It is also important to provide a surveillance program that will identify any musculoskeletal problems that are potentially work related cases. Knowing those problems that may occur in the workplace will help the workers to really be cautious in certain types of works wherein the problems may originate. A medical management program is also needed as well as to monitor the workers condition and health to ensure that the workers are in good condition and to prevent not just back injury cases but other injuries and illnesses as well. Preventing the case before it is even able to develop is still the best way to eliminate such cases. Another important step that must be taken is to have a comprehensive training for all workers regarding lifting mechanics and as well techniques not just to be able to do the job better but also to do the job in a safely manner. This is not just for those who are newly hired by the company but also for those who had been working in the company for a long time. The proper ways and techniques especially in lifting are very important to prevent cases of back injuries. The use of back may not have sufficient scientific basis for its effectiveness is reducing back injury cases but there is also no concrete evidence that will disprove the claims. Also, using back belts may not just help the company regarding the issue of back injuries but it may be able to help the company in other ways. Through the use of back belts and right practice, the cases of back injuries in the work place can surely be avoided. References CCOHS. (10, November 2005). Back belt. Retrieved January 11, 2008 from http://www. ccohs. ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/back_blt. html NIOSH. (10, June 1997). Back belts do they prevent injury? Retrieved January 11, 2008 from http://www. cdc. gov/Niosh/backbelt. html NIOSH. (February 2001). Back belts. Retrieved January 11, 2008 from http://www. cdc. gov/niosh/backfs. html.