Tourism Policy and Strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tourism Policy and Strategy - Assignment Example The British tourism industry also faces challenges. David Coleman summarised the problems now facing British countryside as changes to the scenery, e.g. with fewer animals, lack of investment in the countryside and its infrastructure, fewer countryside activities, such as events and shows and lack of enthusiasm from businesses and people. He cited that the local authorities can assist by working with the industry, reviewing the rural infrastructure, e.g. by ensuring temporary footpath closure signs are removed, promoting support for businesses and taking a positive attitude towards planning issues and rural development. ("Working for the Countryside". The growth of international and domestic tourism has been matched by a corresponding increase in the numbers of those who study tourism and its impacts. Indeed, it may even be said that tourism research is one of the academic growth industries of the late twentieth century. A specific example of tourism research is Tomorrow's Tourism To day or Tourism Prospectus. This Prospectus outlines plans for action and responsibilities for delivery for the Department of Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS) and its key partners in five areas. ... (Tomorrow's Tourism Today). The industry is aiming for an industry turnover of 100 billion as a minimum by 2010. The British tourism industry also faces challenges. David Coleman summarised the problems now facing British countryside as changes to the scenery, e.g. with fewer animals, lack of investment in the countryside and its infrastructure, fewer countryside activities, such as events and shows and lack of enthusiasm from businesses and people. He cited that the local authorities can assist by working with the industry, reviewing the rural infrastructure, e.g. by ensuring temporary footpath closure signs are removed, promoting support for businesses and taking a positive attitude towards planning issues and rural development. ("Working for the Countryside").

Discuss Chaucers poetic methods Essay Example for Free

Discuss Chaucers poetic methods Essay Discuss Chaucers poetic methods in presenting evil in the pardoners prologue and tale in the light of this comment.  In Chaucers time, the nature of evil related to any committing of the 7 deadly sins, consisting of greed, pride, blasphemy, sloth, avarice, wrath, lust and envy. The pardoners prologue and tale is comprised of many of these sins, the pardoner himself demonstrating the majority. Other characters, such as the 3 rioters also embody many of these sins. This essay will explore these characters as well as their evil natures and formulate an opinion how Chaucer presents evil in the pardoners prologue and tale. The pardoners evil nature is initiated from his physical description in the general prologue. He is described as having hair as yelow as wex and hood we wered noon a description immediately illustrating him as a rule breaker, as for most clergymen it was assumed they would cover their hair. In addition to this, he is described as having such glaryng eyen. In the medieval times, this amounted to the suggestion of evil; therefore, Chaucer has constructed the pardoner in such a way to ambiguously imply he may be somewhat evil. Critics, such as Spearing, have noted that the pardoners repellent outer appearance reflects his inner corruption. The description of his fake relics, such as the sayle that saint peter hadde and oure lady veyl are used to demonstrate his evil intentions; taking advantage of the peasants good faith by tricking them into buying fake relics, that are nothing more than pigges bones. From the onset, Chaucer has incorporated the theme of evil within the pardoner and has maintained this throughout the prologue and tale. The prologue outlines the pardoners admittance to his evil nature, and suggests he may even be proud of this. He boldly states that his sermons are constructed around the well-known Latin biblical phrase, radix malorum est cupiditas loosely translated as greed is the root of all evil. The missing word omnium from this is used to demonstrate his lack of biblical knowledge, which is emphasised by the repititon of this phrase throughout. In medieval times, it was common and often expected, for members of the church to know and practice in Latin. The pardoner admits to using pieces of Latin to saffron my predicacioun. This cooking imagery may suggest that he only uses Latin to reinforce his false position, and therefore highlighting his evil nature, and may relate to the sin of gluttony as he is referencing food, again reinforcing the evilness of his character. The pardoner states in the prologue, in the form of a confession, that he preche of no thyng but for coveityse. The repetition of this ironic language along with the shocking imagery that is portrayed through his rhetorical question will I live in poverte willfully? and his admittance to taking money from the povereste widye in the village paints an evil picture of the pardoner who is merely driven by greed. Some critics, such as Georgianna believe in the historical school of thought, and note that the pardoner is merely a vehicle for the substantial embodiment of the churchs abusement. It has been suggested and argued amongst several other critics that Chaucer had no other motive when constructing the pardoners character other than to criticize and highlight the wrongdoings of the medieval church. Many fake pardoners lived amongst the medieval audience, and carried out the same evil methods as the pardoner, all for the same motive; greed. As a result of this, anticlericalism grew popular amongst the peasants very quickly. Therefore, it can be suggested that the pardoners character was constructed in such a way to shine light on his evil nature and to draw parallels with the medieval church. The pardoners tale is a sermon against four particular sins; gluttony, blasphemy, gambling and drinking. He talks at length of each of these particular sins, giving biblical examples that he has twisted to his benefit, such as Adam and also his wyfe who were dryven for that vice. The pardoner is suggesting that gluttony was the downfall of Adam and Eve, when in fact it was temptation. To sermonize against drinking is massively ironic as the pardoner has admitted to needing a draughte before being able to think of a moral tale to tell the pilgrims irony in itself seeing as he should not have to think about a tale of morality. The fact that the pardoner is guilty of committing the very sins he preaches about only adds to his evil nature. Many critics, such as Ruth Nevo, suggest that the pardoner is a character in his own tale that he tells. The novelle that the Pardoner tells the pilgrims consist of three rioters. He begins by stating the setting of the three men; in the develes temple metaphorical for a tavern. The three rioters are established as sinners from the very beginning, already being guilty of committing two of the seven deadly sins; drinking and blaspheming. The repeated suggestion of a brotherhood and addressing each other as brethren has underlying irony as each rioter is ultimately killed by each others greed. It has been suggested that as the rioters are not named, and therefore are nt personally addressed, that they have been constructed to suggest the embodiment of sin. Their deaths are quick and do not have much effect; instead, the focus is on the sins that they do commit. This stresses that their evil natures are what caused their own deaths. However, it can be argued that although the pardoner presents evil in the pardoners prologue and tale, the fact that he acknowledges this suggests he is fully aware of his evil nature. Koff suggests that the pardoner is not so much evil as he is bold. This can be argued to an extent, as he does admit to being a ful vicious man, yet states that a morale tale yet I yew telle kan. This can be portrayed as being ironic, as he is fully aware of his evil nature, yet still believes that he can preach against the sins he so readily admits to committing. In addition to this, Chaucer does incorporate some good nature into the novelle in the form of the old man. It has long been questioned as to whether he is the personification of death himself, and therefore cannot die, or whether he is merely an instrument used to emphasise the evil nature of the three rioters. His addressing of the three rioters as sires in comparison to the rude greetings of the rioters compares and relates age and innocence; the old man may have been faithful during his lifetime and therefore God will not take his life. In contrast, the young sinful rioters quickly come to their death through their own lack of faith. To conclude, I believe that a sinister exploration of evil is truly presented in the pardoners prologue and tale. Chaucer uses characterization of the pardoner and three rioters to present how corrupt medieval society was, as well as how readily sins were committed. The pardoners simile of as dooth a dowve sittynge on a berne to describe how he sees himself is used as an antithesis of his own character; as a dove carries religious connotations of peace and purity; the opposite to what the pardoner is. Despite infiltrating some holy and pure characters, such as the Old man, he only further emphasises the lack of good in the other characters. Overall, Chaucer constructs the prologue and tale in such a way to present several layers of evil in the Canterbury tales.

History of RedMed and Developments for Sleep Apnea

History of RedMed and Developments for Sleep Apnea ResMed ResMed is a principal developer, manufacturer and distributor of pioneering medical equipment for the administration and treatment of respiratory disorders, with its major focus on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). It was started with a moto to commercialize a treatment for OSA in 1989. It has corporate offices in 26 countries distributing their range of products in around 100 countries throughout the world. History In 1981 Colin Sullivan and his colleagues introduced their invention of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). CPAP was a practical, effective, and dependable treatment for the millions of OSA victims around the world. Dr Peter Farrell who was the Vice-President of RD of Baxter Healthcare and Director of Baxter Centre for Medical Research Pty Limited (BCMR) in early 1980s is an expert in bioengineering area. He sensed tremendous business opportunities of CPAP when he meet Sullivan in an academic conference in 1986, and then CPAP treatment was commercialised by Peter Farrell and Colin Sullivan through BCMR. Three years later, Farrell planned to acquire the rights of certain technology relating to CPAP treatment from BCMR and as a result, ResCare Holdings Limited, which had a $1.2 million registered capital, was registered in Sydney in August 1989. In order to experience a better development, company changed its registration place to Delaware, USA in 1994 and changed its name to ResMed as the original name ResCare was already registered in USA. Through the CPAP technology, the company started gaining success in American medical market and got listed on the NASDAQ (1995) national stock market, New York Stock Exchange and Australian Securities Exchange (1999). As a result of these listings, ResMed became the biggest company in the sleep disordered breathing (SDB) marketplace in late 1999. With the success in SDB marketplace, company paid more attention to do research in newly related areas and in 2000. Clinical research showed that untreated SDB was very likely a pivotal factor in both stroke and cardiovascular diseases. This finding helped ResMed in conducting further research in stroke and congestive heart failure (CHF). The novel outcome of this research has attracted Australian Technology Award for the company in biotechnology area in 2000. Eventually, the company was ranked number I in Medical Products Company according to Investors Business Daily in 2001. Continuing innovation, the company has released a series of updated products between 2003 and 2005. Bubble Mask –Series 3 and Constant CPAP were released in 2003 and the historically significant product S8, which received Australian Design Award in 2006, was introduced in 2005. The extensive product line made company become the largest corporation that focused exclusively on providing therapies for improving the quality of sleep in late 2010. In order to adapt rapidly changing world market, company made changes to its management structure by creating a new strategic business unit. It revised roles in the contemporary commercial, manufacturing, supply and corporate staff sections in 2011. These measures improved the working efficiency and promoted the company to continue as a leader in SDB market. With the victory over the injunctions in Germany against patent infringing behaviours by APEX and BMC in 2013, ResMed finally become a global leader in SDB market and other respiratory disorders. 1.1 Financial results In fiscal year 2013 ended June 30 2013 (FY13), ResMed reported record financial results with an increase in net revenue to US$ 1,514.5 million, an increase of 11% when compared to fiscal year 2012 (FY12). Gross profit increased for FY13 to US$ 940.7 million, from US$ 820.7 million for FY12, an increase of US$ 119.9 million or 15%. ResMed’s net income for FY13 was US$ 307.1 million or US$ 2.10 per diluted share compared to net income of US$ 254.9 million or US$ 1.71 per diluted share for FY12. (http://www.resmed.com/us/en/consumer/news-and-information/news-releases/2013/resmed-quarter-ended-june-2013-financial-results.html) In more recent quarterly financial result ended March 31 2014, net revenue for the quarter was US$ 397.8 million, a 4 percent increase over the quarter ended March 31, 2013. ResMed’s Gross profit increased for the quarter to US$ 251.8 million, from US$ 239.4 million for the same quarter of last year, an increase of US$ 12.4 million or 5%. Net income was US$ 90.0 million, an increase of 6 percent compared to the same quarter of last year. Diluted earnings per share for the quarter were US$ 0.63, an increase of 9 percent compared to the same quarter of last year. (http://www.resmed.com/us/en/consumer/news-and-information/news-releases/2014/resmed-financial-results-quarter-ended-march-31-2014.html) Graph 1.1 Income statement evolution of ResMed from 2008 (Source from: http://www.zonebourse.com) The graph shows ResMed’s healthy financial growth in recent years and actively estimates a steady and consistent development of ResMed in the following several years. 1.2 Share price on stock market (ASX) Graph 1.2 ResMed’s share price fluctuation on ASX (Data source from: http://www.asx.com.au) The share price of ResMed on ASX fluctuated frequently within most recent one year, while it continues increasing from ~2.50 to ~5.50 since 2012. According to analysts’ report, the increase was majorly due to: Huge potential in SDB market: both patients and physicians are coming to realize high prevalence of SDB, and ResMed are expected to broaden its foothold in the market of SDB treatment. Increased focus on international market: In last quarter of FY14, revenue outside the Americas was $181.6 million, an increase of 8 percent over the prior years quarter, which represents ResMed’s big success on international market. And in most recent years, Europe witnessed ResMed’s international outperformance. Strong emphasis on product development: earlier in this fiscal, AirFit P10, latest nasal pillows system from ResMed, was introduced in line with its product innovation plan. The company also expects to launch two additional masks in the course of the remaining FY14. Strong return to shareholders: ResMed continues rewarding its shareholders via share repurchase programs and dividends. During last quarter, the company repurchased 1.6 million shares at a cost of $72.5 million, as part of its ongoing capital management program. (FreeZacksReport.pdf) (http://www.resmed.com/us/en/consumer/news-and-information/news-releases/2014/resmed-financial-results-quarter-ended-march-31-2014.html) 1.3 Investment in RD ResMed is committed to ongoing investment in RD and product enhancements. During FY13, they invested approximately US$120.1 million on research and development activities, which represents approximately 8% of net revenues. (http://www.resmed.com/us/en/consumer/news-and-information/news-releases/2013/resmed-quarter-ended-june-2013-financial-results.html) Furthermore, in quarterly financial result ended March 31 2014, RD expenses of ResMed were US$31.4 million for the quarter, or 7.6% of revenue. RD expenses increased by 12% compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2012. Such RD investment was even favorably impacted by the depreciation of the Australian dollar against the U.S. Dollar. (http://www.resmed.com/us/en/consumer/news-and-information/news-releases/2014/resmed-financial-results-quarter-ended-march-31-2014.html) Graph 1.3 The change of ratio of ResMed’s RD expenses to total operating expenses (Data source from: http://www.resmed.com) Business model ResMed is regarded a leader company in developing, manufacturing, and distributing the medical device for treating sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and other respiratory disorders. In spite of this, ResMed is highly competed with various companies in its principal markets, the US and Europe. ResMed’s fierce competitors may include Respironics, DeVilbiss, and Nellcor Puritan Bennett. ResMed relies on its four strategies below to compete with them. Continue Product Development and Innovation ResMed believes that the important competitive factors in all of the markets are product features, reliability and price, hence, ResMed continues product development and innovation. Since 1999, ResMed has started to develop the design of products and create additional accessories in oder to satisfy customers with the use of products. ResMed has not stopped making efforts on product development and innovation until now. Accordingly, approximately 12% of ResMed’s employees are assigned to work on product development and innovation. In addition, ResMed recently spent about $AU 25 million to the University of Sydney with a strong corporate partnership. The University of Sydney will help in the research of SDB-related chronic disease and bioinformatics. 2) Expand Geographic presence One of the strategies aims to develop market is expand geographic presence. ResMed markets its products in over 70 countries. ResMed sells their products by several approaches such as distribution network, direct sales force and independent manufacturers’ representatives. ResMed fills out its distribution network by acquisitions. For example, ResMed recently acquired Mediserv and Unimedis, which both are distributors of equipment for the treatment of SDB and respiratory disorders. These acquisitions help ResMed increase market opportunities and enhance the distribution of products in Europe. Similarly, ResMed had acquired some companies in the US to develop market and strengthen its competitiveness in local. This may suggest that ResMed expands the scope of market to increase the revenues by acquisitions. Despite ResMed’s frequent actions of acquisitions, ResMed decides to acquire which company for marketing their products based on regional awareness of SDB, physician r eferral patterns, consumer preferences and local reimbursement policies. Currently, ResMed has wholly owned subsidiaries in Australia, the UK, the US, Germany, France, Spain, Finland and Sweden. 3) Increase Public and Clinic Awareness ResMed expects the SDB market will grow up by increasing the awareness of the SDB among the general population and physicals because sleep clinics, home health care dealer and the third party who sells the products to patients are the primary customers. In addition, ResMed tends to deliver the knowledge and information of SDB to the interest groups or organisations such as the National Stroke Association, the American Heart Association and the National Sleep Foundation, which may help to spread the awareness of SDB in relation to other diseases and the importance of SDB. 4) Expand into New Clinical Applications ResMed is also seeking the potential applications of their technology. For example, the recent studies show that SDB has been confirmed as a cause of high blood pressure or relevant disease and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with both stroke and congestive heart failure. Followed by the more studies in medical journals, ResMed has more market opportunities of developing the new applications. Basically, ResMed pursues things to be simple and adopt the low-risk strategy by staying at the areas of their expertise. ResMed is in a strong competitive market, in which the consolidation is a trend inducing ResMed implemented the strategy of acquisition to maintain their competitiveness and broaden the scope of market. In order to seek more market opportunities and enhance reputation, ResMed puts a great effort on product development and innovation as well as increasing public and clinic awareness of SDB.

The Population Problem Essays -- essays research papers fc

The Population Problem Two hundred years ago, Thomas Malthus, in An Essay on the Principle of Population, reached the conclusion that the number of people in the world will increase exponentially, while the ability to feed these people will only increase arithmetically (21). Current evidence shows that this theory may not be far from the truth. For example, between 1950 and 1984, the total amount of grain produced more than doubled, much more than the increase in population in those 34 years. More recently though, these statistics have become reversed. From 1950 to 1984, the amount of grain increased at 3 percent annually. Yet, from 1984 to 1993, grain production had grown at barely 1 percent per year, a decrease in grain production per person of 12 percent (Brown 31). Also strengthening to Malthus' argument is the theory that the world population will increase to over 10 billion by 2050, two times what it was in 1990 (Bongaarts 36). Demographers predict that 2.8 billion people were added to the world population between 1950 and 1990, an average of 70,000 a year. Between 1990 and 2030, it is estimated that another 3.6 billion will be added, an average of 90,000 a year (Brown 31). Moreover, in the 18th century, the world population growth was 0.34%; it increased to 0.54% in the 19th century and in the first half of the 20th century to 0.84% (Weiskel 40). Neo-Malthusians base their arguments on the teachings of Thomas Malthus. Of the Neo-Malthusians, Garrett Hardin is one of the most prominent and controversial. Hardin's essays discuss the problem of overpopulation and the effects it will have on the future. In Lifeboat Ethics, he concludes that continuous increases in population will have disastrous outcomes. Neo-Malthusian arguments come under much scrutiny by those who believe that the population explosion is only a myth. Those who hold these beliefs state that the evidence Neo-Malthusians use to justify their views is far from conclusive. Critics hold that the Neo-Malthusian call for authoritarian control is much too radical. Thus, these critics belittle the theories of Neo-Malthusians on the basis that population is not a problem. However radical Hardin's theories may be, current evidence shows that he may not be too far off the mark. It is hardly arguable that the population has increased in the past few decades, for current statistics show that this a... ...gy, November 1993, pp. 88-92. Day, Henry C. The New Morality: A Candid Criticism. London: Heath Cranton Limited, 1924. Douglis, Carole, and Gaylord Nelson. â€Å"Images of Home.† Wilderness, Fall 1993, pp. 10-23. Hardin, Garrett. Stalking the Wild Taboo. Los Altos, California: William Kaufmann, Inc., 1978. Hardin, Garrett. The Limits of Altruism: An Ecologist's View of Survival. London: Indiana University Press, 1977. James, Daniel. â€Å"Close the Borders to all Newcomers.† Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Political Issues. Ed. George Mckenna and Stanley Feingold. 9th ed. Guilford, CT: Dushkin Publishing Group, Inc., 1995. Malthus, Thomas Robert. An Essay on the Principle of Population. Ed. Phillip Appleman. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1976. Mandel, Michael J., and Christopher Farrell. â€Å"The Price of Open Arms.† Business Week, 21 June 1993, pp. 32-35. Morganthau, Tom. â€Å"America: Still a Melting Pot?† Newsweek, 9 August 1993, pp. 16-23. Thomas, Rich, and Andrew Murr. â€Å"The Economic Cost of Immigration.† Newsweek, 9 August 1993, pp. 18-19. Weiskel, Timothy C. â€Å"Can Humanity Survive Unrestricted Population Growth?† USA Today Magazine, January 1995, pp. 38-41.

Frontline Digital Nation Essay

In the last half century of watching television many authors, critic, and people in general has had an opinion on weather watching television is a good thing or a bad thing. In a couple of recent articles that I’ve read one Author Steven Johnson, who wrote â€Å"Watching TV Makes You Smarter†. Tells us of how violent and gruesome shows of this era are as opposed to shows of the past. Steven also tells us of how there are some good shows that actually teach people and helps them to learn in a different way. The second article that I recently read was â€Å"Thinking Outside The Idiot Box† by Dana Stevens. Not only is Dana an author she is also a paid television critic who states that TV does not make us any smarter and that television is â€Å"brain-liquefying poison† for all but especially for children. Dana insist that Steven Johnson theory be put to the test by having everyone partake in a National TV Turnoff Week event to see if anyone gets any dumber. In my opinion Television has many different purposes, such as keeping us updated with the news, educating us on different species/creature inside and outside our planet, but the main purpose for television is soley for entertainment. When Television is being debated whether it is good or bad, I think that it should be taking into consideration just as any other subject we talk about when past/present is involved, and that consideration is â€Å"Evolution-Things forever evolving or changing†. Take for insistence the way countries would defend their land. In the 1700s militaries fought with swords, in the  1800s militaries were introduce too and fought with muffle rifles and one shot hand guns in which were probably a headache to deal with considering they could only fire their gun once and 2 step process to reload the guns, in the 1900s militaries fought with rockets, missiles, and nuclear bombs and today militaries have perfected the rockets, missiles, and nuclear bombs. â€Å"Evolution†, just as militaries have evolved over the past centuries so has our everyday life. If you can remember back when you was a adolescence the things that you did and/or cared about then such as playing outside with your friends all the time, getting junk food from the store, or just living a carefree world for the most part. As a teenager those adolescence things become less important to you because you are probably into dating, driving, sports or some other kind of school activity. When we became adults the things that we once knew really do not exist because we have evolved over the past years. So why would television b any different? In 1939 when the Television was first introduced the screen was black and white and had no sound. Over the years television became colorful, sound was added and the screen got bigger. Now televisions are in 3D huge and flat. In shows of today such as 24 and The Sopranos: Steven Johnson states how violent and gruesome the shows are and how the â€Å"Sleeper Curve† alters the mental development of young people today because you have to integrate far more information than you would have a comparable TV show decades ago. Dana Stevens believes that shows such as 24 and The Sopranos are the â€Å" great leap forward in human cognition: multi-threading† Which makes viewers behave like â€Å"rats in a behaviorist maze†. I believe that people are entitled to watch whatever show they please because that’s what television is for â€Å"entertainment† after working a long shift and attending school I like to go home and kick my feet up with the remote and watch Whatever show that I think is appealing to me at the time whether it’s a comedy, drama, horror, western, or sitcom. Steven Johnson also states in his article about shows associated with â€Å"quality† entertainment shows such as Murphy Brown and Frasierand how the intelligence arrives fully formed and the witty things that the actors say to one another to avoid lapsing into a tired sitcom but says that â€Å"You no more challenge mind by watching these intelligent shows than you challenge your body by watching Monday Night Football†. Steven also states how another televised intelligence is on the rise that has cognitive benefits ascribed to reading: attention, patience, and retention the parsing of narrative threads. Dana Stevens says shows such as The Teletubies which is a children program instructs toddlers the basics of vegging out. She also states how shows are â€Å"zapworthy† and watching TV only teaches us to watch more TV. I say of course TV makes you want to watch more TV but that is the same as if you were reading a good book. After finishing the book you want to read the sequels to that book because your attention has been hooked and you want to know how, when, and were it takes you. Television is the same way but more visual. Besides television is a multibillion dollar company made by the viewers and just for the viewers. In conclusion I have written to you about the â€Å"Evolution† of our past and present society as it may be related to the military, our everyday lives over time, or whether it’s Television. In any case as long the world spins then any/everything inside is subject to change and as this world change there will always be debates about that change. Some say and believe that Television makes people act out with what they see on the screen into reality. I am not one of those believers because television has only been around for 74 years so what/who was the blame for all of the violence and corruption before television was introduced? I do however believe that no Should be allowed to or allow their children to watch TV all day, As I stated earlier its main purpose is meant for entertainment.

The blowflies Essays

The blowflies Essays The blowflies Essay The blowflies Essay Background The insects that have been most extensively studied in relation to their forensic utilizations are the blow flies, members of the Calliphoridae fly household in peculiar their larvae because they are the insects most normally associated with cadavers. Blowflies are normally the first to colonize a organic structure after decease, frequently within hours. The larval phase is the chief period in which blow flies face limited nutrient resources, when the to the full adult 3rd instar larvae halt eating ; they normally migrate in hunt of a topographic point to pupate. Because blow fly pupae can supply utile forensic grounds it is of import to cognize where the pupae are likely to be located. Methodology This survey was carried out to look into a assortment of factors impacting the pupation behavior of two forensically of import species of blow fly larvae of Calliphora vomitoria and Lucilia sericata in dirt. The tunneling behavior of both species was studied in the research lab under controlled conditions. Larva of both Calliphora vomitoria and Lucilia sericata were used in six experiments for each status. Principle findings The chief findings were that most of the biological factors had an consequence on the burial behavior in Larvae of Calliphora vomitoria and Lucilia sericata. 1. Introduction Calliphora vomitoria and Lucilia sericata are two forensically of import species of blow flies since they can get within few proceedingss ( Payne 1965 ) or even few seconds ( DeJong 1995 ) following cadaver exposure. Because of this, the age of the oldest blow flies gives the most accurate grounds of the station mortem interval ( PMI ) . Many other species of fly, beetle and WASP are besides associated with cadavers ensuing in a sequence of insects geting at the organic structure, but as they tend to get after the blow flies, they are less utile in set uping a PMI. Blowfly infestations of human organic structures are a natural result of the flies function in the environment as primary decomposers. The larval infestations are an indispensable constituent of the natural recycling of organic affair and, on human organic structures ; they can supply critical grounds to the timing and cause of decease. Adult blow flies are good adapted to feeling and turn uping the beginnings of smells of decay, eggs are normally laid in dark and damp topographic points such as the eyes, oral cavity and unfastened sores. The eggs so rapidly hatch into first instar larvae which feed quickly, and shed their tegument twice to go through through 2nd and 3rd instars until they finish feeding, or one time the nutrient resource has become unavailable. After the to the full adult 3rd instar larvae halt eating and demo no farther response towards nutrient, depending on the species the larvae leave in hunt of a suited topographic point to pupate. They may travel many metres before tunneling into the dirt. The larva so contracts and the cuticle hardens and darkens to organize the puparium, within which the pupa transforms into an grownup fly. When the fly emerges, the empty puparial instance is left behind as grounds of the blow flies development. However, there are many biological factors that affect the pupation behavior of larvae in dirt. These factors include temperature, dirt wet content, dirt compression, every bit good as the consequence of pre entombment and high denseness. All the mentioned factors need to be considered when finding a PMI, nevertheless for many of them, small information is available. Furthermore, there are several surveies on the influence of temperature on the behavior of tunneling in larvae of blow flies such as the one done by Gomes ( 2009 ) . The survey of larvae burying behavior is of import to better apprehension of one of the procedure during larval scattering, and to seek and understand the influence of biological variables on this behavior The present survey was conducted to look into factors that influence the burial behavior in post-feeding 3rd instar blow fly larvae of Calliphora vomitoria and Lucilia sericata to measure if these two species have a different pupation form in the different interventions. 2. Materials and Methods C. vomitoria and L. sericata were collected ; one 1000 and 60 of each species in the concluding 3rd instar phase were used for these experiments. The dirt used was John Innes No 2 potting compost ; all six experiments were carried out utilizing the chief stuffs mentioned. 2.1. Determination of normal burial deepness and how this is affected by temperature Nine plastic containers were filled with dirt to a deepness of 24cm and were placed in an brooder so as to let the dirt to make the temperatures required. Three of the containers had to make 10AÂ °C, the other three had to make a temperature of 20AÂ °C, and the balance each at 28AÂ °C. Fifteen larvae of Lucilia were so placed onto the dirt surface of each of the containers ; three at 10AÂ °C, 20AÂ °C and 28AÂ °C. The same was done to the larvae of Calliphora, and the clip of how long it took the larvae to tunnel into the dirt was observed, i.e. , how long is it before the first and last larva burrows down. Similarly observations were made to see whether the larvae resurface and how if they do how shortly. A sum of 18 containers were so covered with muslin fabric kept steadfastly in place by a gum elastic set and left for seven yearss. 2.2. Determination of the consequence of wet content Six plastic containers were filled with dirt to a deepness of 24cm, so 100ml of H2O was added to three of the containers and these were labelled as moist. 500ml of H2O was added to each of the balance and these were labelled as moisture. The containers were so left for 40 proceedingss in order for the H2O to be absorbed, after which 15 larvae of Lucilia were added into each of the six containers, three moisture and three moist. The same was done to the larvae of Calliphora, and so the clip of how long it took for the larvae to tunnel into the dirt was counted and all twelve containers were placed into an brooder at 20AÂ °C. 2.3. Determination of the consequence of pre-burial 1 centimeter of dirt was added to the underside of a fictile container, and 15 larvae of Lucilia were added and covered with 10cm bed of dirt, and this was replicated twice. Besides 10cm bed of dirt was added to the underside of another container, and 15 larvae of Lucilia were added but this clip they were covered with 20cm bed of dirt and this was replicated twice. The exact same was done to the larvae of Calliphora. After the larvae were buried to a deepness of 10cm or 20cm, observations were made to look into how long it took for the first maggot to make the surface, and the figure of larvae on the surface was counted at 15, 30, 45 and 60 proceedingss. All 12 containers were so placed in an brooder at 20AÂ °C. 2.4. Determination of the consequence of dirt compression Dirt was compacted into six containers to a deepness of 24cm, and so 15 larvae of Lucilia were added to each of the three containers. Besides 15 larvae of Calliphora were added to the other three containers, and observations were made to look into how long it took for the larvae to tunnel into the dirt, i.e. , how long was it before the first and last larva were burrowed. All six containers were incubated at 20AÂ °C and so left for seven yearss. 2.5. Determination of the consequence of larval denseness Three fictile containers were filled with extremely heavy dirt to a deepness of 24cm, and 150 larvae of Lucilia were added to each container. The same was done to the larvae of Calliphora, and observations were so made to see how long it took for the first and last larvae to tunnel down. All six containers were covered with muslin fabric kept steadfastly in place by a gum elastic set and incubated at 20AÂ °C. 2.6. Determination of the distance moved by the post-feeding phase of C. vomitoria and L. sericata from their eating site 500 post-feeding larvae of the two species were released on a grassland country on the Byrom Street Campus, Liverpool John Moore University, UK. After 7 yearss dirt nucleus samples were taken from the environing dirt and were searched in order to turn up the pupae. After the larvae pupated in all of the experiments, they were located and removed from the dirt as follows: a line was drawn every 2cm on the side of all the containers up until a dirt deepness of 24cm utilizing a lasting marker pen, after which the figure of pupae found on the surface was counted and removed. Furthermore, each 2cm bed of dirt was so carefully removed utilizing a spatula and placed onto a fictile sheet where it was exhaustively searched, and the figure of all the pupae of all the containers of the five experiments was calculated. All five experiments were undertaken at a lab temperature of 20AÂ °C. However, there are many biological factors that affect the pupation behavior of larvae in dirt. These factors include temperature, dirt wet content, dirt compression, every bit good as the consequence of pre entombment and high denseness. All the mentioned factors need to be considered when finding a PMI, nevertheless for many of them, small information is available. Furthermore, there are several surveies on the influence of temperature on the behavior of tunneling in larvae of blow flies such as the one done by Gomes ( 2009 ) . The survey of larvae burying behavior is of import to better apprehension of one of the procedure during larval scattering, and to seek and understand the influence of biological variables on this behavior The present survey was conducted to look into factors that influence the burial behavior in post-feeding 3rd instar blow fly larvae of Calliphora vomitoria and Lucilia sericata to measure if these two species have a different pupation form in the different interventions. 2. Materials and Methods C. vomitoria and L. sericata were collected ; one 1000 and 60 of each species in the concluding 3rd instar phase were used for these experiments. The dirt used was John Innes No 2 potting compost ; all six experiments were carried out utilizing the chief stuffs mentioned. 2.1. Determination of normal burial deepness and how this is affected by temperature Nine plastic containers were filled with dirt to a deepness of 24cm and were placed in an brooder so as to let the dirt to make the temperatures required. Three of the containers had to make 10AÂ °C, the other three had to make a temperature of 20AÂ °C, and the balance each at 28AÂ °C. Fifteen larvae of Lucilia were so placed onto the dirt surface of each of the containers ; three at 10AÂ °C, 20AÂ °C and 28AÂ °C. The same was done to the larvae of Calliphora, and the clip of how long it took the larvae to tunnel into the dirt was observed, i.e. , how long is it before the first and last larva burrows down. Similarly observations were made to see whether the larvae resurface and how if they do how shortly. A sum of 18 containers were so covered with muslin fabric kept steadfastly in place by a gum elastic set and left for seven yearss. 2.2. Determination of the consequence of wet content Six plastic containers were filled with dirt to a deepness of 24cm, so 100ml of H2O was added to three of the containers and these were labelled as moist. 500ml of H2O was added to each of the balance and these were labelled as moisture. The containers were so left for 40 proceedingss in order for the H2O to be absorbed, after which 15 larvae of Lucilia were added into each of the six containers, three moisture and three moist. The same was done to the larvae of Calliphora, and so the clip of how long it took for the larvae to tunnel into the dirt was counted and all twelve containers were placed into an brooder at 20AÂ °C. 2.3. Determination of the consequence of pre-burial 1 centimeter of dirt was added to the underside of a fictile container, and 15 larvae of Lucilia were added and covered with 10cm bed of dirt, and this was replicated twice. Besides 10cm bed of dirt was added to the underside of another container, and 15 larvae of Lucilia were added but this clip they were covered with 20cm bed of dirt and this was replicated twice. The exact same was done to the larvae of Calliphora. After the larvae were buried to a deepness of 10cm or 20cm, observations were made to look into how long it took for the first maggot to make the surface, and the figure of larvae on the surface was counted at 15, 30, 45 and 60 proceedingss. All 12 containers were so placed in an brooder at 20AÂ °C. 2.4. Determination of the consequence of dirt compression Dirt was compacted into six containers to a deepness of 24cm, and so 15 larvae of Lucilia were added to each of the three containers. Besides 15 larvae of Calliphora were added to the other three containers, and observations were made to look into how long it took for the larvae to tunnel into the dirt, i.e. , how long was it before the first and last larva were burrowed. All six containers were incubated at 20AÂ °C and so left for seven yearss. 2.5. Determination of the consequence of larval denseness Three fictile containers were filled with extremely heavy dirt to a deepness of 24cm, and 150 larvae of Lucilia were added to each container. The same was done to the larvae of Calliphora, and observations were so made to see how long it took for the first and last larvae to tunnel down. All six containers were covered with muslin fabric kept steadfastly in place by a gum elastic set and incubated at 20AÂ °C. 2.6. Determination of the distance moved by the post-feeding phase of C. vomitoria and L. sericata from their eating site 500 post-feeding larvae of the two species were released on a grassland country on the Byrom Street Campus, Liverpool John Moore University, UK. After 7 yearss dirt nucleus samples were taken from the environing dirt and were searched in order to turn up the pupae. After the larvae pupated in all of the experiments, they were located and removed from the dirt as follows: a line was drawn every 2cm on the side of all the containers up until a dirt deepness of 24cm utilizing a lasting marker pen, after which the figure of pupae found on the surface was counted and removed. Furthermore, each 2cm bed of dirt was so carefully removed utilizing a spatula and placed onto a fictile sheet where it was exhaustively searched, and the figure of all the pupae of all the containers of the five experiments was calculated. All five experiments were undertaken at a lab temperature of 20AÂ °C. 3. Statistical Analysis The consequences were expressed as the mean and standard divergence ( S.D ) . The Chi-Square trial was performed to find whether the ascertained frequence distribution differs significantly from the expected one. 4. Results A ; treatment 4.1. Determination of normal burial deepness and how this is affected by temperature The larvae of Calliphora vomitoria burrowed themselves deeper at a temperature of 10AÂ °C to pupate, whereas the larvae of Lucilia sericata remained closer to the surface at the lower and higher temperatures used in this experiment. L.sericata shows normal distribution at 10AÂ °C, nevertheless it stops tunneling at a deepness of 14cm. In contrast, C.vomitoria continues to tunnel to a deepness of 24 but is non equally distributed. The Chi square trial was done for this experiment in order to see if there was a important difference between the specific temperatures used as the graph did nt demo clear differences. The consequences from the trial showed that the distribution of C.vomitoria and L. sericata at a temp of 10AÂ °C was important? 2 ( df 2 ) = 18.30 P gt ; 5.99, ? 2 ( df 2 ) = 17.85 P gt ; 5.99, besides at a temperature of 20AÂ °C for C.vomitoria it was found to be important? 2 ( df 2 ) = 6.49 P gt ; 5.99, and for L. Sericata? 2 ( df 2 ) = 18.30 P gt ; 5.99 important distribution. 4.2. Determination of the consequence of wet content The two species of larvae burrowed themselves up until a deepness of 10cm ; remained close to the surface to pupate in moisture and damp dirt conditions. However, the figure of pupae of C.vomitoria was high in wet dirt. In contrast, the figure of pupae of L.sericata was high in damp dirt. 4.3. Determination of the consequence of pre-burial 4.4. Determination of the consequence of dirt compression It is clear from the consequences that biological factors studied have a important consequence on the burying behavior of the two species of larvae studied in this experiment. The rate of development of all insects is straight dependent on the ambient conditions, chiefly temperature. Between upper and lower thresholds, which vary between species, the higher the temperature, the faster the insects will develop ; the lower the temperature, the slower they will develop. If the ambient temperatures during the period of development are known, so the minimal PMI can be determined. Temperature affected the tunneling behavior of larvae anterior to pupation ( Fig.1 ) . At low temperatures, the metabolic rate may be markedly reduced and this could ensue in greater organic structure weight and a inclination to tunnel deeper in order to get away low temperatures ( Grassberger and Reiter 2002 ) 5. Recognition I would wish to thank Dr Alan Gun for back uping the research reported by supplying the information and equipment. I would besides wish to thank Dr Jeri Bird for his aid in the information analysis. Thankss besides to my lab spouses and co-workers for their aid and support. 6. Mentions Clark, K. , Evans, L. A ; Wall, R. ( 2006 ) Growth rates of the blow fly Lucilia sericata on different organic structure tissues. Forensic Science International 156, 145-149 DeJong GD. An Annotated Checklist of the Calliphoridae ( Diptera ) Of Colorado, With Notes on Carrion Associations and ForensicImportance. Journal of Kansas Entomological Society, 1995 ; 67 ( 4 ) : 378-385. Gomes, L. , Gomes, G. , A ; Von Zuben, C.L. ( 2007 ) the influence of temperature on the behavior of tunneling larvae of blow flies, Chrysomya albiceps and Lucilia cuprina, under controlled conditions. Journal of insect science.9, 1536-2442 Gomes, L. , Sanches, M.R. A ; Von Zuben, C.J. ( 2004 ) Dispersal and Burial Behaviour in Larvae of Chrysomya megacephala and Chrysomya albiceps ( Diptera: Calliphoridae ) . Journal of insect behavior 18, 282-292 Grassberger, M. A ; Reiter, C. ( 2002 ) Consequence of temperature of development of the forensically of import holarctic blow fly Protophormia terraenovae ( Robineau-Desvoidy ) ( Diptera: Calliphordae ) . Forensic Science international 128, 177-182 Gunn, A. ( 2009 ) Essential Forensic Biology. 2nd edition, Wiley 214-251 Payne JA. A Summer Carrion Study of the Baby Pig Sus scrofa Linnaeus.Ecology, 1965 ; 46 ( 5 ) : 592-602. Singh, D. , A ; Bala, M. ( 2009 ) the consequence of famishment on the larval behavior of two forensically of import species of blow flies ( Diptera: Calliphoridae ) . Forensic Science international 193, 118-121 Tullis K and Goff ML. Arthropod Succession in Exposed Carrion in tropical Rainforest on Ohau Island, Hawaii. Journal ofMedical Entomology, 1987 ; 24: 332-339. Wooldridge, J. , Scrase, L. , A ; Wall, L. ( 2007 ) Flight activity of the blow flies, Calliphora vomitoria and Lucilia sericata, in the dark. Forensic Science International 172, 94-97 Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Blow fly life rhythm. Available: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.nlm.nih.gov/visibleproofs//education/entomology/blow_fly_life_cycle.pdf Accessed 09/01/2010

Impact of Science in the 1920s

Impact of Science in the 1920s Free Online Research Papers There were four critical contributions made by science during the 1920s: * Insulin is discovered by Sir Frederick Grant Banting during the winter of 1921-1922 * Penicillin is discovered by Sir Alexander Fleming (1928) * Prediction and discovery of the expanding universe * Niels Bohr wins Nobel for work on atomic theory. (1922) Insulin was discovered in 1921, and it became the most thoroughly studied molecule in scientific history. In the early 1920s, researchers suspected that diabetes was caused by a malfunction in the digestive system related to the pancreas gland, a small organ that sits on top of the liver. At that time, the only way to control diabetes was through a diet low in carbohydrate and sugar, and high in fat and protein. Instead of dying shortly after diagnosis, this diet allowed diabetics to live but only for about a year. The exact cause of diabetes was unknown, but researchers suspected something was missing in the sugar metabolism pathway of people with diabetes. The cause was determined when Canadian researchers purified insulin in 1921 and proved that diabetes is a disease of insulin deficiency. Meanwhile, an American scientist E. L. Scott was partially successful in extracting insulin with alcohol. R. C. Paulesco, a Romanian, made an extract from the pancreas that lowered the blood glucose of dogs. Some claim Paulesco was the first to discover insulin. The biggest breakthrough came in 1921 when Frederick Banting and Charles Best conducted a series of experiments one summer in the laboratory of J.J. R. Macleod at the University of Toronto. Like Minkowski and von Mering, they showed that removing the pancreas from dogs made them diabetic. In January, 1922, a diabetic teenager in a Toronto hospital named Leonard Thompson became the first person to receive an injection of insulin. He improved dramatically, and the news about insulin spread around the world like wildfire. For their work, Banting and Macleod received the Nobel Prize in Medicine the very next year, in 1923. Banting shared his part of the prize money with Best, and Macleod shared his with Collip. The University of Toronto immediately gave pharmaceutical companies license to produce insulin free of royalties. In early 1923, about one year after the first test injection, insulin became widely available, and saved countless lives. Thus Insulin became the miracle cure for diabetes in the era of great depression during the 1920s. Another important discovery in the 1920s was the discovery of penicillin. The discovery of penicillin is usually attributed to Scottish scientist Sir Alexander Fleming in 1928, though others had earlier noted the antibacterial effects of Penicillium. Fleming, at his laboratory in St. Marys Hospital in London, noticed a halo of inhibition of bacterial growth around a contaminant blue-green mold on a Staphylococcus plate culture. Fleming concluded that the mold was releasing a substance that was inhibiting bacterial growth and lysing the bacteria. He grew a pure culture of the mold and discovered that it was a Penicillium mold. Fleming coined the term penicillin to describe the filtrate of a broth culture of the Penicillium mold. Even in these early stages, penicillin was found to be most effective against Gram-positive bacteria, and ineffective against Gram-negative organisms and fungi. He expressed initial optimism that penicillin would be a useful disinfectant, being highly potent w ith minimal toxicity compared to antiseptics of the day. After further experiments, Fleming was convinced that penicillin could not last long enough in the human body to kill pathogenic bacteria and stopped studying penicillin after 1931, but restarted some clinical trials in 1934 and continued to try to get someone to purify it until 1940. The discovery of Penicillin set the stage for a major cure for infections from war wounds. During World War II, penicillin made a major difference in the number of deaths and amputations caused by infected wounds amongst Allied forces; saving an estimated 12-15% of lives. Availability was severely limited, however, by the difficulty of manufacturing large quantities of penicillin and by the rapid renal clearance of the drug necessitating frequent dosing. Penicillins are actively secreted and about 80% of a penicillin dose is cleared within three to four hours of administration. During those times it became common procedure to collect the urine from patients being treated so that the penicillin could be isolated and reused. Major discoveries in the 1920s included the structure of the light. In 1921 Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics for his 1905 publication on the photoelectric effect: On a Heuristic Viewpoint Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light. This paper alone was recognized by the Nobel committee because it was supported by the experimental evidence of the day, but the committee expressed the opinion that in due course all of Einsteins work would be confirmed. Niels (Henrik David) Bohr (October 7, 1885 – November 18, 1962) was a Danish physicist who made fundamental contributions to understanding atomic structure and quantum mechanics, for which he received the Nobel Prize in 1922. He was also part of the team of physicists working on the Manhattan Project. Niels Bohr is widely considered one of the greatest physicists of the twentieth century. In 1922, Bohr was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics for his services in the investigation of the structure of atoms and of the radiation emanating from them. Bohrs institute served as a focal point for theoretical physicists in the 1920s and 30s, and most of the worlds best known theoretical physicists of that period spent some time there. Probably the most important theory of the time was the Big Bang theory. It was important because it represented a new view on creation of universe, apart from religious understandings. Fundamentalists didn’t want to accept this theory because it was completely different than religious theory they believed in. According to the Big Bang theory explaining the birth of an expanding universe, the Universe originated in an extremely dense ball of pure matter. Since then, space itself has expanded with the passage of time, carrying the galaxies with it. Fundamentalists also opposed Darwin’s theory of evolution. Some states even banned teaching of that theory because it was unbiblical. They banned â€Å"any theory that denies the story of the Divine creation of the man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals† (source 2, pg 38). One biology teacher, John F. Scopes dared to oppose the law and he had a trial that bec ame a national sensation. Science discoveries of the 1920s weren’t always accepted by the large masses, but Nobel prices gave the sense of the importance to the new discoveries. Fundamentalist strongly opposed science and the fight between those two was constant. The difference between scientific and religious beliefs in the 1920s was huge and it affected the whole society, even the school system. Many private schools were open so that children can learn what they parents believe is true. Discoveries in the 1920s made path to the future wider and changed the society in something close to present state. Sources cited: 1. Lightman, Alan. The Discoveries. 1st ed. New York: Pantheon Books, 2005. 3-533. 2. Pietrusza, David. The Roaring Twenties. San Diego: Lucent Books, 1998. 6-96. 3. Wukovits, John F., ed. The 1920s. San Diego: Greenhaven P, 2000. 7-255. Research Papers on Impact of Science in the 1920sGenetic EngineeringPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseResearch Process Part OneCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males

Culture Specific Syndrome Essays

Culture Specific Syndrome Essays Culture Specific Syndrome Paper Culture Specific Syndrome Paper ultural Bound Syndromes Culture-bound syndrome The term culture-bound syndrome was included in the fourth version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) which also includes a list of the most common culture-bound conditions (DSM-IV: Appendix I). Included in DSM-IV-TR (4th. ed) the term cultural-bound syndrome denotes recurrent, locality-specific patterns of abnormal behavior and troubling experience that may or may not be linked to a particular DSM-IV-TR diagnostic category. Many of these patterns are naturally considered to be illnesses, or at least afflictions, and most have local names. Although presentations conforming to the major DSM-IV-TR categories can be found throughout the world, the particular symptoms, course, and social response are very often influenced by local cultural factors. In contrast, cultural-bound syndromes are generally limited to specific societies or culture areas and are localized, folk, diagnostic categories that frame coherent meanings for certain repetitive, patterned, and troubling sets of experiences and observations. In medicine, a culture-specific syndrome or culture-bound syndrome is a combination of psychiatric and somatic symptoms that are considered to be a recognizable disease only within a specific society or culture. There are no objective biochemical or structural alterations of body organs or functions, and the disease is not recognized in other cultures. While a substantial portion of mental disorders, in the way they are manifested and experienced, are at least partially conditioned by the culture in which they are found, some disorders are more culture-specific than others. The concept of culture-bound syndromes is very controversial and many psychologists, medical doctors, and anthropologists reject the concept. The identification of culture-specific syndromes: A culture-specific syndrome is characterized by: categorization as a disease in the culture (i. e. , not a voluntary behavior or false claim); widespread familiarity in the culture; complete lack of familiarity of the condition to people in other cultures; no objectively demonstrable biochemical or tissue abnormalities (symptoms); the condition is usually recognized and treated by the folk medicine of the culture. Some culture-specific syndromes involve somatic symptoms (pain or disturbed function of a body part), while others are purely behavioral. Some culture-bound syndromes appear with similar features in several cultures, but with locally-specific traits, such as penis panics. A culture-specific syndrome is not the same as a geographically localized disease with specific, identifiable, causal tissue abnormalities, such as kuru or sleeping sickness, or genetic conditions limited to certain populations. It is possible that a condition originally assumed to be a culture-bound behavioral syndrome is found to have a biological cause; from a medical perspective it would then be redefined into another nosological category. Western medical perspectives: An interesting aspect of culture-specific syndromes is the extent to which they are â€Å"real†. Characterizing them as â€Å"imaginary† is as inaccurate as characterizing them as â€Å"malingering†, but there is no clear way to understand them from a Western scientific perspective. Culture-specific syndromes shed light on how our mind decides that symptoms are connected and how a society defines a known â€Å"disease†. In contrast, culture-bound syndromes are generally limited to specific societies or culture areas and are localized, folk, diagnostic [comma sic] categories that frame coherent meanings for certain repetitive, patterned, and troubling sets of experiences and observations. Medical care of the condition is challenging and illustrates a truly fundamental but rarely discussed aspect of the physician-patient relationship: the need to negotiate a diagnosis that fits the way of looking at the body and its diseases of both parties. The physician may do any of the following: Share the way the patient sees the disorder, and offer the folk medicine treatment, recognize it as a culture-bound syndrome, but pretend to share the patient’s perspectives and offer the folk medicine reatment or a new improvised treatment, recognize it as a culture-bound syndrome but try to educate the patient into seeing the condition as the physician sees it. The problem with the first choice is that physicians who pride themselves on their knowledge of disease like to think they know the difference between culture-specific disorders and â€Å"organic† diseases. While the second choice may be the quickest and most comfortable choice, the physician must deliberately deceiv e the patient. Currently in Western culture this is considered one of the most unethical things a physician can do, whereas in other times and cultures deception with benevolent intent has been an accepted tool of treatment. The third choice is the most difficult and time-consuming to do without leaving the patient disappointed, insulted, or lacking confidence in the physician, and may leave both physician and patient haunted by doubts (â€Å"Maybe the condition is real. † or â€Å"Maybe this doctor doesn’t know what s/he is talking about. †). Root-work/Obeah: DSM IV-TR (2000), states that a set of cultural interpretations that ascribe illness to hexing, witchcraft, sorcery, or the evil influence of another person. Symptoms may include generalized anxiety and gastrointestinal complaints (e. g. , nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea), weakness, dizziness, the fear of being poisoned, and sometimes fear of being killed (voodoo death). DSM IV-TR site roots, spells, or hexes can be put or placed on other persons, causing a variety of emotional and psychological problems. The hexed person may even fear death until the root has been taken off, or eliminated usually through the work of the root doctor (a healer in this tradition), who can also be called on to bewitch an enemy. Roots is found in the southern United States among both African-American and European American populations and in the Caribbean societies. Obeah (sometimes spelled Obi) is a term used in the West Indies to refer to folk magic, sorcery, and religious practices derived from Central African and West African origins. Obeah can either be a form of dark magic or good magic. As such, Obeah is similar to Palo, Voodoo, Santeria, root-work, and hoodoo. Obeah (another name used in the Caribbean society) is practiced in Suriname, Jamaica, Haiti, the Virgin Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Belize, the Bahamas, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados and many other Caribbean countries. Obeah is associated with both benign and malign magic, charms, luck, and with mysticism in general. In some Caribbean nations Obeah refers to African diasporic folk religions; in other areas, Christians may include elements of Obeah in their religion. Obeah is often associated with the Spiritual Baptist church. Origins: In Jamaica, slaves from different areas of Africa were brought into contact, creating some conflicts between those who practiced varying African religions. Those of West African Ashanti descent, who called their priests Myal men (also spelled Mial men), used the Ashanti term Obi or Obeah meaning sorcery to describe the practices of slaves of Central African descent. Thus those who worked in a Congo form of folk religion were called Obeah men or sorcerers. Obeah also came to mean any physical object, such as a talisman or charm that was used for evil magical purposes. However, despite its fearsome reputation, Obeah, like any other form of folk religion and folk magic, contains many traditions for healing, helping, and bringing about luck in love and money. Elements (key features/symptoms) According to Hughes, Simons Wintrob, 1997 study, knowledge about a culture-bound syndrome, can address the relationship between the culture-bound syndrome and the more familiar psychiatric disorders, such as those in DSM-IV. These researchers call this the comorbidity question on the assumption that studying the culture-bound syndromes patterned relationship to psychiatric diagnoses is a more fruitful approach than attempting prematurely to subsume it into the DSM diagnostic categories. Systematic research has identified strong correlations between culture-bound syndromes and criteria for psychiatric disorder, but there is rarely a one-to-one relationship between culture-bound syndrome and psychiatric disorder. The culture-bound syndromes often coexist with a range of psychiatric disorders, as many psychiatric disorders do with each other. The comorbidity question brings culture-bound syndrome research in line with current approaches in psychiatric research. Differences in the symptomatic, emotional, and contextual aspects of cultural syndromes, in turn, may signal different comorbid relationships with psychiatric diagnosis or even the lack of such a relationship. Opinion The extra ordinary addition of culture-bound syndromes in DSM-IV provides the opportunity for improving the need to study such syndromes and the chance for developing a research to study them. The growing ethnic and cultural diversity of the U. S. population presents a challenge to the mental health field to develop truly cross-cultural approaches to mental health research and services. This addition will give researchers the chance to study the relationship between culture-bound syndromes and psychiatric diagnoses. In my opinion a research program based on key questions is still unanswered, which is understanding culture-bound syndromes within their cultural context and to analyze the relationship between these syndromes and psychiatric disorders. Reference DSM -IV-TR Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (2000). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (4th ed. ). Washington, DC: Author. Hughes CC, Simons RC, Wintrob RM: The Culture-Bound Syndromes and DSM-IV, in DSM-IV Sourcebook, vol 3. Edited by Widiger TA, Frances AJ, Pincus HA, Ross R, First MB, Davis W. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Association, 1997, pp 991–1000 Retrieved July 29, 2009 from American Journal of Psychiatry.

Research paper on Ethnomusicology Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

On Ethnomusicology - Research Paper Example The CD is one that fuses the Turkish pop scene into a sense of both cultural traditions and modern techniques to create a contemporary style to the rich culture of history. The instrumentation which is used to complete this style includes mandolin, large percussion sections, violins, guitar and a pop beat for the background sound (Putomayo Presents 2011). Musical Style The musical style of both CDs follows the traditional format of the origins of the groups while carrying influences by the rock and Western style of music. The style is then combined with specific sounds that are able to show the content attributed to each area. The attempt made by both artist groups working toward a fusion sound. For instance, in the song, La Difference, there is a fusion of the African and Western instruments. Electrical guitar is used throughout the piece, as well as a background of piano. There is also a pop-rock beat that is used as a secondary part of the rhythm to create stronger movement. The s ong also uses the phrase â€Å"Love is Serabande† in the chorus. This combines the culture of English, French and African cultures, all which are known in the region that Keita has recorded. All of the CD songs follow this same influence, similar to the group of The Middle East. The musical style of Turkish Groove shows the same contemporary influences. The violin serenades and background, mandolin which is used and the strong percussion line are all a part of the Turkish traditional music. This is the strongest part of the songs that are played. This is combined with the Turkish singing that is attributed to singing in the Turkish language. However, there is a back beat that is... The approaches that are now being taken with music combine the concept of fusion with a cultural context. The individual experiences, political and cultural approaches all make a difference in how artists are expressing their music. However, this is combined with a fusion of sounds that are influencing the globe and changing the approach many have to music. More important, there is the ability to have universal themes that artists are interested in, all which are displayed with the individual and political tensions that the artists are aware of and which creates the main similarities used in the music. When looking at the artists of Keita and Putomayo Presents, it can be seen that cultural influences drive forward the music. However, the themes of ending war, re-looking boundaries and of finding peace remain the same for both groups.

Indiana Geology and Landscapes Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Indiana Geology and Landscapes - Assignment Example The ice sheets carried with them sediments, which were a mixture of sand, silt, clay, and stones. When warmer weather finally arrived this mixed silt was left behind as the ice retreated north. arrived the advanced into Indiana and as outwash sand and gravel when the ice melted. The more uneven original bedrock was filled in with this accumulated debris finally producing a gently rolling, somewhat monotonous according to some, landscape. Â  There are hills and areas of higher land, as are shown in the relief map below but this is simply because these parts of the sedimentary rocks, which include limestone, dolomite, shale, sandstone, and siltstone, although they tip to the south west, were always higher in elevation than the intrusive ice sheets. This is especially so in the northeast of the state, although the highest point is actually in the south in Wayne County, near to the state’s eastern border. The rock there is the oldest in date, being from more than 440 million years ago. according to Indiana University, Department of Earth Sciences ( undated). Â  The same researchers state that the youngest rocks, mostly sandstone with some shale, coal, and limestone, referred to as the McLeansboro Group. This difference in the bedrock explains in part differences in the visible and invisible landscape. The dissolving of rocks such as limestone leads to karst landscapes with sinkholes and caves as in the Mitchell Plateau in Southern Indiana, as described by The Nature Conservancy, 2012. Stream rise and also disappear among a rolling landscape. The same site describes the Muscatatuck area with similar results from the dissolving of the bedrock, but in this case, the rocks concerned date from the Silurian and Devonian ages. ( See figure 4 ). Â  

Western civilization.The rise of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin. Rise Essay

Western civilization.The rise of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin. Rise of Islamic Fundamentalism - Essay Example The study of history can be tedious and cumbersome to most people but provides many of the important lessons and insights that learning from the past offers to anyone interested in it. This is because knowledge of the various social, economic and political events in the past gives and also provides a guide for the future events as well which prevents committing or repeating the same mistakes or errors. Interpretation of the past is a requisite to have a better grasp of today's events, putting them in the right perspective, context, or understanding enabled with the benefit of hindsight. This paper presents four major historical events which still influenced present events despite the passage of several years. Discussion The four major events were the rise of radical totalitarian dictatorships out of the chaotic political and economic conditions at the turn of the twentieth century, which in turn produced important political figures like Hitler and Stalin who took advantage of those c onditions to change the course of world history, the women's movement (sometimes termed as feminism) that originally grew out of the black American civil rights movement and aimed to improve the lot of women like the right of suffrage and lastly, the rise of Islamic fundamentalism or extremism that saw its culmination in the September 11 terrorist attacks and the war in Afghanistan today. The Rise of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin Totalitarian dictatorships are political systems in which only one person or a small group of just a few persons control the levers of political machinery and the government. Radical totalitarian dictatorships in this regard are political systems in which the government or the state controls all aspects of the life of its citizens, including their private lives, hence the term totality is a reference to state control of all sectors of society, everything for the state and nothing is against the state (as the saying goes). A dictatorship is a form of author itarianism, in which only a junta, a committee or a small group composed of members of the political elites, hold power by virtue of their authority but implies not all social institutions are totally under state control. The radical term as used here denotes only one person holds all the powers, like Stalin was in Russia. Adolf Hitler was a German politician who was born in Austria (1889-1945) and he rose to power through the Nazi Party of Germany (NSDAP). He was a decorated World War I hero; he was imprisoned briefly in 1923 for a failed coup d'etat but once released the next year, quickly rose in the party ranks due to his populist ideas of pan-Germanism (extreme nationalism), anti-semitism (hatred of Jews) and strong anti-communism views. He was also a terrific orator and is able to convince the German population of his ideas, especially those repudiating the terms of the Treaty of Versailles (peace treaty in WWI) as pretty onerous to the German economy. He went on re-arming Ger many in violation of this peace treaty and seized adjoining territories in pursuit of his Lebensraum policy (expanding the living space of Germans), with Germany becoming one party dictatorship under Nazism (nationalist socialism). Germany was able to control most of the European continent and North Africa during the height of its military successes, but Hitler and his wife committed suicide in April 1945 to avoid capture by Red Army forces prior to defeat. Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was one of the original Bolshevik revolutionaries who had fought in the Russian Revolution of 1917 that brought down the Russian monarchy and considers himself as the rightful heir of Vladimir Lenin by eliminating most of his serious rivals, primarily Leon Trotsky who was assassinated in Mexico City in 1940 as a threat to Stalin's own ambitions. Stalin was

Tourism Management Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tourism Management - Research Proposal Example The charm of Cancun lies in the fact that this secluded island offers all kinds of facilities within the island so that tourists do not need to leave the island in order to get any kind of necessities. It has hotels for all classes of tourists and caters to a variety of tastes and preferences as well. In fact, Cancun has 140 hotels, which translates to 24,000 rooms. There is something here that everyone can afford. In addition there 190 flights plying to and from Cancun daily - so getting there is not a problem. This is a definite draw for a large chunk of tourists. Further, it has over 600 restaurants which ensure that people with varied tastes can find their ideal kind of cuisine in this island. In this regard, sustainable tourism is an important feature that can be built into the tourism of the area as this area garners a major proportion of income from the tourism industry in Mexico. Sustainable tourism in this region can flourish mainly as this island has a rich heritage of dive rse vegetation and scenic beauty apart from sea world vegetation and rare species of fish and other such species. Sustainable tourism in a beautiful island like Cancun is like a dream come true for environmentalists as well as policy makers who believe in green politics and green economy. Premises Premises of Analysis: Hypothesis: The study of sustainable tourism in the island of Cancun will be based on the following aspect. The case of Benidorm in the South of Spain as a model upon which the sustainable tourism model for Cancun can be fashioned. Owing to the fact that the basic issue in the case of studying the South of Spain region in terms of scope for sustainable development with an eye on positive and negative impact of such a strategy on the physical environment as well as the socio economic structure of the region in context of legislations of the regional, national and supra national organisations, there has been a use of ontology. The questionnaire method will be the following: the tourist will have to evaluate the island from the following points of view: price, range of accommodation and exposure of tourists. Literature: For the reasons mentioned above, many literary sources attached a particular to this island. In context of the impact of sustainable tourism on the physical environment and socio economic structure in the region, an important book that has helped in setting the criteria for analysis is Mediterranean Tourism: Facets of Socio Economic Development and Cultural Changes. This book has covered 13 countries and has relevant factual information upon which the analysis was based in the dissertation. The chapter titled Towards a Sustained Competitiveness in Spanish Tourism is of special relevance to this dissertation as it creates a nexus between sustainable tourism management and competitive advantage in the tourism industry. The book titled The Tourism Area Life Cycle is another relevant work that helped gain an insight into specific areas and the tourism life cycles enjoyed by the same. (Butler, 2006). In context of tourism life cycles, this book has important and relevant infor mation on the various legislations by the various supra national, national and regional organisations in case of the tourism indus

Human trafficking in the United States and is Human trafficking Research Paper

Human trafficking in the United States and is Human trafficking related or associated to poverty - Research Paper Example f a questionnaire survey, data will be collected in order to create a mathematical resource for information that will suggest correlations between poverty and incidents of human trafficking in the United States. The biggest issue in curtailing human trafficking is the inability for law enforcement to track and prosecute the incidents. The following table shows the number of suspected cases of trafficking and their type of incarceration. The second table shows the number of prosecutions between the years 2001 and 2005. Because of the difficulty in prosecuting these cases and in creating a viable system of discovering the victims and freeing them from bondage, the best course is through prevention. Through examining the causes and the reasons behind how this activity is propagated, it might be possible to diminish and eliminate the modern day slavery that occurs. As a study in human trafficking, this research will explore the ways in which poverty contributes to the issue. The purpose of the research is to identify those factors in poverty that create an environment in which human trafficking can exist. These factors will include, but not be limited to, income level in the country of origin, sex, and age. Secondary research will be used to create a foundation for the primary research, providing statistics that are relevant to the subject. The primary research will be conducted using quantitative techniques that will assess the identified three variables which increase the level of human trafficking in the United States. The proposed research will be useful for creating an understanding of the issue of human trafficking as it relates to economic and demographic factors. The research for this proposal will be conducted using theories of exploratory research. According to Stebbins (2001), using exploratory research for social science is defined by â€Å"the discovery of generalizations leading to description and understanding† (p. 3). The selected methodology for

World Religions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

World Religions - Essay Example Usually, he owes no official obligation within the society to any group for the position he held. He is actually considered an equivalent among equals and continuously attempts to disseminate any power or authority that can be treated as an outcome of his abilities. This status diverges stridently from the status of priest, who develops power from his office in a recognized religious organization. The powers of shaman are immediate and personal. He directly tackles spirits which is of equal importance to him and his society. The expectations of acquiring prompt response for individual or group needs. On the other hand, the formal religion’s priest is typically concerned with group event’s conduct in which, all the way through ritual practice, a contributing public was brought into contact by him with holy forces which are supposed to seize universal authority. Furthermore, it is quite common in the religious ceremonies, that the priest directly encounters supernatural o r to anticipate instant consequences from them. As an alternative he acts as a mediator for the group which is participating with more remote religion whose holy power exceeds the elite significance of local communities. From religious studies, it is quite clear that in observance organized religions and shamanism are not equally exclusive. Role of Nature in Indigenous Religions The phrase â€Å"indigenous religions† used to refer people who are living in pre-contemporary form of continuation, several indigenous groups survived by selectively accepting modern technologies to safeguard their lands as well as ensuring their culture’s survival and adaptation. Looking at the above, this term refers to an idea that the religious and social lives of given inhabitants are deep-rooted in to a specified place. It can be seen clearly that there is no difference between the concerns of hunter-gatherers and today’s people. Everyone is fully aware of the fact that religion i s an essential part of evolutionary path for human. The practices of indigenous religions are now incorporated into some new religions appearing all over the globe (Fisher, 33-37). Earlier, Onondagas developed their very own food system so that they can survive. The Haudenosaunee were gathers as well as hunters. Beans, corns and squash were the basic food and were referred as three sisters by both Haudenosaunee and Onondaga. These were nature’s first three foods. Corn was used to dry and was added in soup, it was grounded so that flour can be made out of it which can help in making bread. This food was considered as the most essential and important food from the nature. People used to sing and dance while eating these special foods (Venables). For summer and spring the Onondagas consider that nature provide them fishes in plentiful streams. However, the thank nature for allowing them ti hunt rabbit, turkey and deer during winter and fall. They keep themselves warm during wint er by having the ample amount of meat gifted from nature. The hunters in return share their prey with rest of the community members. Strawberries are also considered as a gift from Mother Nature (Venables). Just like hunters, gatherers are also trained to catch only the things required. One should pay more attention to all this and consider it as a important message to learn that not all the resources should be depleted, there should be something left for tomorrow, for future, for our next generation. It’s not always wise to avail each and every opportunity utilizing the resources or opportunities carefully is a wise decision. Adolescent Initiation Rites are Common in All Societies There are some main initiation rites of African which are very

Tourism Management Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tourism Management - Research Proposal Example The charm of Cancun lies in the fact that this secluded island offers all kinds of facilities within the island so that tourists do not need to leave the island in order to get any kind of necessities. It has hotels for all classes of tourists and caters to a variety of tastes and preferences as well. In fact, Cancun has 140 hotels, which translates to 24,000 rooms. There is something here that everyone can afford. In addition there 190 flights plying to and from Cancun daily - so getting there is not a problem. This is a definite draw for a large chunk of tourists. Further, it has over 600 restaurants which ensure that people with varied tastes can find their ideal kind of cuisine in this island. In this regard, sustainable tourism is an important feature that can be built into the tourism of the area as this area garners a major proportion of income from the tourism industry in Mexico. Sustainable tourism in this region can flourish mainly as this island has a rich heritage of dive rse vegetation and scenic beauty apart from sea world vegetation and rare species of fish and other such species. Sustainable tourism in a beautiful island like Cancun is like a dream come true for environmentalists as well as policy makers who believe in green politics and green economy. Premises Premises of Analysis: Hypothesis: The study of sustainable tourism in the island of Cancun will be based on the following aspect. The case of Benidorm in the South of Spain as a model upon which the sustainable tourism model for Cancun can be fashioned. Owing to the fact that the basic issue in the case of studying the South of Spain region in terms of scope for sustainable development with an eye on positive and negative impact of such a strategy on the physical environment as well as the socio economic structure of the region in context of legislations of the regional, national and supra national organisations, there has been a use of ontology. The questionnaire method will be the following: the tourist will have to evaluate the island from the following points of view: price, range of accommodation and exposure of tourists. Literature: For the reasons mentioned above, many literary sources attached a particular to this island. In context of the impact of sustainable tourism on the physical environment and socio economic structure in the region, an important book that has helped in setting the criteria for analysis is Mediterranean Tourism: Facets of Socio Economic Development and Cultural Changes. This book has covered 13 countries and has relevant factual information upon which the analysis was based in the dissertation. The chapter titled Towards a Sustained Competitiveness in Spanish Tourism is of special relevance to this dissertation as it creates a nexus between sustainable tourism management and competitive advantage in the tourism industry. The book titled The Tourism Area Life Cycle is another relevant work that helped gain an insight into specific areas and the tourism life cycles enjoyed by the same. (Butler, 2006). In context of tourism life cycles, this book has important and relevant infor mation on the various legislations by the various supra national, national and regional organisations in case of the tourism indus

World Religions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

World Religions - Essay Example Usually, he owes no official obligation within the society to any group for the position he held. He is actually considered an equivalent among equals and continuously attempts to disseminate any power or authority that can be treated as an outcome of his abilities. This status diverges stridently from the status of priest, who develops power from his office in a recognized religious organization. The powers of shaman are immediate and personal. He directly tackles spirits which is of equal importance to him and his society. The expectations of acquiring prompt response for individual or group needs. On the other hand, the formal religion’s priest is typically concerned with group event’s conduct in which, all the way through ritual practice, a contributing public was brought into contact by him with holy forces which are supposed to seize universal authority. Furthermore, it is quite common in the religious ceremonies, that the priest directly encounters supernatural o r to anticipate instant consequences from them. As an alternative he acts as a mediator for the group which is participating with more remote religion whose holy power exceeds the elite significance of local communities. From religious studies, it is quite clear that in observance organized religions and shamanism are not equally exclusive. Role of Nature in Indigenous Religions The phrase â€Å"indigenous religions† used to refer people who are living in pre-contemporary form of continuation, several indigenous groups survived by selectively accepting modern technologies to safeguard their lands as well as ensuring their culture’s survival and adaptation. Looking at the above, this term refers to an idea that the religious and social lives of given inhabitants are deep-rooted in to a specified place. It can be seen clearly that there is no difference between the concerns of hunter-gatherers and today’s people. Everyone is fully aware of the fact that religion i s an essential part of evolutionary path for human. The practices of indigenous religions are now incorporated into some new religions appearing all over the globe (Fisher, 33-37). Earlier, Onondagas developed their very own food system so that they can survive. The Haudenosaunee were gathers as well as hunters. Beans, corns and squash were the basic food and were referred as three sisters by both Haudenosaunee and Onondaga. These were nature’s first three foods. Corn was used to dry and was added in soup, it was grounded so that flour can be made out of it which can help in making bread. This food was considered as the most essential and important food from the nature. People used to sing and dance while eating these special foods (Venables). For summer and spring the Onondagas consider that nature provide them fishes in plentiful streams. However, the thank nature for allowing them ti hunt rabbit, turkey and deer during winter and fall. They keep themselves warm during wint er by having the ample amount of meat gifted from nature. The hunters in return share their prey with rest of the community members. Strawberries are also considered as a gift from Mother Nature (Venables). Just like hunters, gatherers are also trained to catch only the things required. One should pay more attention to all this and consider it as a important message to learn that not all the resources should be depleted, there should be something left for tomorrow, for future, for our next generation. It’s not always wise to avail each and every opportunity utilizing the resources or opportunities carefully is a wise decision. Adolescent Initiation Rites are Common in All Societies There are some main initiation rites of African which are very

History of Brazil Essay Example for Free

History of Brazil Essay It is a matter of fact that Brazil is a country of contrasts. One can easily observe that the development of this nation is incredibly uneven. Taking into consideration their past experience, the Brazilians are seeing some very good times as a nation. Certainly, they have overcrowding problems. However, each country has its own difficulties and tries to overcome them. Thus, the diversity of this country and its amazing history has brought a â€Å"mixing bowl† of culture preparing a bright future for Brazil. It is widely known that four major groups make up the Brazilian population. They are the Portuguese, who colonized Brazil in the 16th century; Africans brought to the country as slaves; various European, Middle Eastern, and Asian immigrant peoples who have settled in Brazil since the mid-19th century; and indigenous people of Guarani and Tupi language. (Skidmore, 131) Brazil is the only Latin American nation that takes its language and culture mainly from Portugal. Intermarriage between indigenous people or slaves and the Portuguese was a common phenomenon. Despite the fact that the major European ethnic culture of Brazil was once Portuguese, waves of immigration have greatly contributed to a diverse ethnic and cultural heritage. Admiral Pedro Alvares Cabral claimed Brazilian territory for Portugal in 1500. The early explorers brought back a wood with them that produced a red dye, pau-brasil. This is where the land received its original name. Portugal began colonization in 1532 and made the area a royal colony in 1549. During the Napoleonic Wars, fearing the advancing French armies, King Joao VI left the country in 1808 and set up his court in Rio de Janeiro. He was brought home later in 1820 by a revolution, leaving his son as regent. When Portugal wanted to reduce Brazil to colonial status again, the prince declared Brazils independence on Sept. 7, 1822. Thus, he became Dom Pedro I, emperor of Brazil. Harassed by his Parliament, Pedro I resigned in 1831 in favor of his five-year-old son who became emperor Dom Pedro II in 1840. Emperor Pedro II ruled to 1889 when a federal republic was established as a result of a coup detat organized by Deodoro da Fonseca, marshal of the army. A year earlier, while Dom Pedro II was in Europe, the Regent Princess Isabel had abolished Slavery. Abreu, 311) Dom Pedro II was a popular monarch. Yet discontent grew up and, in 1889, he had to resign because of a military revolt. Although a republic was proclaimed at that time, Brazil was ruled by military dictatorships until a revolt allowed returning gradually to stability under civilian presidents. From 1889 to 1930, the government was a constitutional democr acy. The presidency was alternating between the dominant states of Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais. This period ended with a coup detat that placed a civilian, Getulio Vargas, in the presidency. He remained as a dictator until 1945. From 1945 to 1961, presidents of Brazil became Eurico Dutra, Vargas, Juscelino Kubitschek, and Janio Quadros. When Quadros abdicated in 1961, he was succeeded by Vice President Joao Goulart. (Abreu, 329) Goularts years in office were marked by high inflation, total economic failure, and the increasing influence of radical political parties. The armed forces alarmed by these developments organized a coup detat on March 31, 1964. The coup leaders chose Humberto Castello Branco a president, followed by Arthur da Costa e Silva (1967-69), Emilio Garrastazu Medici (1968-74), and then Ernesto Geisel (1974-79). All of them were senior army officers. Geisel began a liberalization that was carried further by his successor, General Joao Baptista de Oliveira Figueiredo (1979-85). In the last of a long series of military coups, General Joao Baptista de Oliveira Figueiredo became president in 1979. He pledged a return to democracy in 1985. Figueiredo not only allowed the return of politicians exiled or banned from political activity during the 1960s and 1970s, yet also permitted them to run for state and federal offices in 1982. (Alden, 284) However, at the same time, the Electoral College consisting of all members of Congress and also six delegates chosen from each state continued its activities of choosing the president. The election of Tancredo Neves on January 15, 1985, the first civilian president since 1964, brought a nationwide wave of optimism and activity. He was elected from the opposition Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB). (Alden, 287) However, when Neves died on April 21, Vice President Sarney became president. The latter was widely distrusted because he had previously been a devoted member of the military regimes political party. Collor de Mello won the election of late 1989 with 53% of the vote in the first direct presidential election in his 29 years. (Abreu, 378) Mello promised to lower the persistent hyperinflation by following the path of free-market economics. Having faced impeachment by Congress because of a corruption scandal in December 1992, Mello finally resigned. Vice President Itamar Franco took his place and assumed the presidency. Fernando Cardoso, a former finance minister, won the presidency in the October 1994 election having 54% of the vote. He took office on January 1, 1995. (Skidmore, 232) Cardoso has organized the disposal of bad government-owned monopolies in the electrical power, telecommunication, port, railway, mining, and banking industries. His timely proposals to Congress included constitutional amendments in order to open the Brazilian economy to greater foreign participation and to implement such sweeping reforms as social security, government administration, and taxation so as to reduce excessive public sector spending and considerably improve government efficiency. Alden, 298) During his short time in the office, Cardosos economic wisdom has made a measurable progress in overcoming Brazils poverty level. It is remarkable to observe how the Brazilian government makes certain efforts in order to address basic needs of its people such as education, distribution of meals, health care, and the promotion of childrens rights. Co-signed by the President of Brazil and 24 state governors, the Pact for the Children is intended to fully implement the constitutional and legal obligations providing for protection of children and adolescents. Several federal agencies supervise the execution of government programs for children and adolescents aimed to give Brazilian youth opportunities for a better life, shelter, education, and love. Thus, if not forgetting about the past mistakes and taking care of its nation, the Brazilians will surely come to the brightest future.