Perfume Analysis

FACH2702 Practical Analysis of imposter perfumes Aim: To determine which out of 4 unknown samples are genuine perfumes, and which are imposter/fake perfumes. This will be done by analysing gas chromatography plots, and comparing the components in the samples to that of a known standard perfume. Results: To determine which of the four sample perfumes where imposter and which were real, components present in each perfume were analysed using gas chromatography and compared to the known real perfume sample. The components identified for comparison included vanillin, 3-penten-2-one, diethyl phthalate and cyclopentanaecetic acid.The relative concentration of each of the components in the samples was calculated for comparison. In the control sample, the relative concentration of each of these components were calculated using the area under each of the peaks (appendix 3): The same was done for unknown perfume sample 1 and it was found that while the relative concentrations of each component were close to the control perfume, they were not close enough to conclude that the sample was a real perfume, (however a very good rip off). (appendix 4)After analysing perfume sample 2, we could conclude that this sample was an imposter perfume as there was a significant increase in both 3-pentan-2-one and cyclopentanaecetic acid, to substitute for the loss in diethyl phthalate. (appendix 5). Sample 3 showed relative concentrations of each compound that were very close to the control sample, hence it was classed as a real perfume (appendix 6) It was found that sample 4’s relative concentrations of each component were completely off that of the control perfume, hence it is an imposter perfume. appendix 7) Discussion: There weren’t many areas for errors in this practical that would be attributed to our own human error. The gas chromatographer itself was very repeatable and hence the only error in the computers results would be due to a calibration error. Another error i n this experiment could be linked to the preparation of the samples, some components in the perfumes are very volatile and hence if the cap were left off the perfume, concentrations of those components would decrease, altering the detection during analysis.Conclusion: Using Gas chromatography, the components vanillin, diethyl phthalate, 3-pentan-2-one and cyclopentanaecetic acid were analysed in four samples and their relative concentrations were calculated and compared to a known control perfume sample. From these calculations, it was concluded that samples 1,2 and 4 were imposter perfumes, while sample 3 had very similar relative concentrations of its compounds and was hence classed as a real perfume.

Effect of Red Bull Energy Drink

International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism,? 2007,? 17,? 433-444?  ©? 2007? Human? Kinetics,? Inc. Effect of Red Bull Energy Drink on Repeated Wingate Cycle Performance and Bench-Press Muscle Endurance Scott C. Forbes, Darren G. Candow, Jonathan P. Little, Charlene Magnus, and Philip D. Chilibeck The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Red Bull energy drink on Wingate cycle performance and muscle endurance.Healthy young adults (N = 15, 11 men, 4 women, 21  ± 5 y old) participated in a crossover study in which they were randomized to supplement with Red Bull (2 mg/kg body mass of caffeine) or isoenergetic, isovolumetric, noncaffeinated placebo, separated by 7 d. Muscle endurance (bench press) was assessed by the maximum number of repetitions over 3 sets (separated by 1-min rest intervals) at an intensity corresponding to 70% of baseline 1-repetition maximum. Three 30-s Wingate cycling tests (load = 0. 075 kp/kg body mass), with 2 min recover y between tests, were used to assess peak and average power output.Red Bull energy drink significantly increased total bench-press repetitions over 3 sets (Red Bull = 34  ± 9 vs. placebo = 32  ± 8, P < 0. 05) but had no effect on Wingate peak or average power (Red Bull = 701  ± 124 W vs. placebo = 700  ± 132 W, Red Bull = 479  ± 74 W vs. placebo = 471  ± 74 W, respectively). Red Bull energy drink significantly increased upper body muscle endurance but had no effect on anaerobic peak or average power during repeated Wingate cycling tests in young healthy adults. Key Words: anaerobic power, caffeine, exercise Red Bull energy drink is purported to improve some aspects of performance (i. . , reaction time, concentration, and alertness) in exercising individuals (1). The primary ergogenic ingredient in Red Bull is caffeine. Acute caffeine ingestion of 2–9 mg/kg body weight during aerobic exercise increases endurance and reduces fatigue (11, 12, 25, 37, 46). Most resear ch on caffeine ingestion has focused primarily on its effects during short-term or extended aerobic exercise (23), with numerous studies supporting an ergogenic effect from caffeine on exercise time to exhaustion (17, 22, 29, 46, 48), maximal power output (32, 37), and performance time (9, 41).The effects of caffeine ingestion on anaerobic performance (i. e. , Wingate cycle power) and muscle endurance Forbes, Little, Magnus, and Chilibeck are with the College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 5B2. Candow is with the Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada S4S 0A2. ? ? 433 434 Forbes? et? al. (i. e. , total repetitions for lifting a given resistance over multiple sets) are less evident, however. Regarding anaerobic performance, Collump et al. 16) showed that caffeine ingestion (250 mg) 1 h before 100-m freestyle swimming significantly improved performance time. In addition, caffeine ingestion (250 mg) 30 min before exercise resulted in significant improvements during a maximum-power 6-s cycle sprint against various loads (2). Greer et al. (28), however, observed no improvement in maximum force output or reduced fatigue during repeated Wingate anaerobic tests with 6 mg/kg of caffeine 1 h before exercise; Collomp et al. (15) found no improvement during a single 30-s Wingate test with 5 mg/kg of caffeine 60 min before exercise; and Crowe et al. 18) found that 6 mg/kg of caffeine given 90 min before two 60-s cycling bouts had no effect on peak power or work output. Regarding muscle endurance, Kalmar and Cafarelli (35) reported that 6 mg/kg of caffeine given 1 h before exercise significantly increased submaximal isometric-contraction time. In contrast, Beck et al. (7) and Jacobs et al. (34) found no improvement in bench-press or leg-press muscle endurance (i. e. , total repetitions of lifting a weight corresponding to 70–80% one-repetition maximum [1-RM]) 60–90 min after su bjects consumed ~2. 5–4 mg/kg of caffeine.Although it is difficult to compare results across studies, possible explanations for these inconsistent findings might include the dose of caffeine used, subject training status, timing of caffeine ingestion, habitual caffeine consumption, and exercise modality. Although the mechanisms explaining the possible ergogenic effects of caffeine remain to be elucidated, plausible theories include caffeine’s ability to act as an adenosine-receptor antagonist (18, 19, 23), increase plasma epinephrine concentrations (33, 45), enhance calcium release and reuptake from the arcoplasmic reticulum (40), and alter plasma potassium concentrations (18). These mechanisms most likely occur with larger caffeine doses, and it is unclear whether smaller doses would be as effective. Recently it was found that larger doses of caffeine might have negative health consequences such as impaired glucose tolerance (6). We therefore decided to study the effe cts of a smaller dose of caffeine (2 mg/kg) in the form of Red Bull energy drink. To date, only 1 study has examined the effects of Red Bull energy drink on anaerobic exercise performance in young adults.Alford et al. (1) found a significant increase in maximum speed during an all-out cycling test after Red Bull supplementation (80 mg caffeine). Our purpose was to determine the effects of Red Bull energy drink on a more standardized test of anaerobic performance (i. e. , Wingate cycle test) and on muscle endurance (i. e. , maximal repetitions during bench-press lifting). These tests were used to simulate the demands of sports such as ice hockey that involve repeated bursts of activity or muscle endurance of both the lower and upper body.Energy-drink consumption and caffeine supplementation are very common in this type of sport (38). We hypothesized that Red Bull supplementation would increase Wingate anaerobic peak and average power and bench-press muscle endurance. Methods Particip ants Sixteen healthy physically active participants (12 men, 4 women, 24  ± 6 y old) volunteered for the study. They participated in moderate physical activity 2 or 3 Effect? of? Red? Bull? on? Athletic? Performance? ? 435 times per week and were instructed not to change their diets or physical activity patterns before or during the study.All subjects were required to fill out a Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire, which screens for health problems that might present a risk with performance of physical activity (52). The study was approved by the University of Saskatchewan Biomedical Research Ethics Board for research in human subjects. Participants were informed of the risks and purposes of the study before they gave their written consent. Experimental Design The study used a double-blind repeated-measures crossover counterbalanced design in which participants were randomized to supplement with Red Bull or placebo and receive the opposite treatment 7 d later.All participant s were required to come to the laboratory on 2 occasions before the start of the study, once to determine their bench-press 1-RM strength and again 3 d later for familiarization with the experimental design by performing 3 sets of bench-press repetitions to fatigue (separated by 1-min rest intervals) at an intensity corresponding to 70% 1-RM, followed by three 30-s Wingate cycle tests (separated by 2-min rest intervals) at a load corresponding to 0. 075 kp/kg body mass (4). There was a 10-min rest period between the bench-press endurance tests and Wingate cycle tests.Three days after the familiarization trial, subjects were randomly assigned to supplement with Red Bull (2. 0 mg/kg caffeine) or placebo (noncaffeinated Mountain Dew, lemon juice, water) 60 min before performing repeated-bench-press endurance tests and Wingate cycle tests. Seven days after this initial supplementation and testing session, subjects returned to the laboratory and ingested the opposite supplement drink and performed the same exercises in the same order. They were instructed to refrain from caffeine for 48 h, physical activity for 24 h, and food and drink for 3 h before testing.The 7-d counterbalance was chosen to allow subjects adequate recovery between exercise tests. The 48 h of caffeine withdrawal before testing would be adequate because the half-life of caffeine is about 4–6 h (24). The dependent variables measured were bench-press endurance, peak power during repeated Wingate tests, and average power over 3 Wingate tests. Physical activity level and habitual caffeine consumption were recorded before the study through the questionnaire. The exercise tests were chosen to simulate sports that involve repeated bursts of high-intensity activity, such as ice hockey.For example, the 30-s Wingate tests with 2 min rest between tests simulate the work-to-rest ratio of typical hockey shifts. Time–motion analyses indicate skating times of 30–40 s between rest intervals of either whistle stops or time on the bench. Whistle stops last about 27 s, whereas time on the bench is about 227 s, for an average rest interval of about 2 min (27, 47). The bench-press test simulates upper body work during ice hockey, such as occurs during corner play and occasionally fighting (26).A caffeine-containing supplement is ideal to evaluate for this type of sport because caffeine-containing supplements are the most popular type of supplement ingested by ice hockey players (38). 436 Forbes? et? al. Supplementation Red Bull and the placebo were identical in caloric content, volume, and taste. Supplements were provided to each participant 60 min before exercise in an opaque water bottle and consumed in the presence of a researcher. Sixty minutes was chosen because this is the approximate time it takes for caffeine concentration to reach its peak after oral ingestion (23). The caffeine dose of 2. mg/kg was chosen because it is an approximate amount shown to increase muscl e performance (7) and reduce fatigue in young healthy adults, higher doses might be associated with impaired glucose tolerance (6), it is the maximal daily dose of commercial energy drinks considered safe by Health Canada (30), and this dose allowed our heaviest subjects to consume approximately 2 cans of Red Bull, which is the maximal amount recommended on the Red Bull label. Ingredients in the Red Bull energy drink are shown in Table 1. Muscle Strength and Endurance The procedures for determining bench-press 1-RM have previously been described (13).All bench-press testing was done on a bench-press machine (Lever chest-press machine, Winnipeg, MB, Canada). Reproducibility of our 1-RM test, expressed as a coefficient of variation, was 1. 9% (14). For bench-press muscle endurance, participants performed 3 sets of bench-press repetitions to volitional fatigue, separated by 1-min rest intervals, at an intensity corresponding to 70% 1-RM. Reproducibility of the bench-press endurance tes t was assessed by testing 15 subjects 3 d apart. The coefficient of variation was 1. 5%. Anaerobic Power Peak power and average power were assessed using repeated Wingate cycleergometer tests.Blood lactate concentration was measured at rest, immediately after each Wingate cycle test, and 2 min postexercise using an automated lactate analyzer (Accutrend Lactate, Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Ten minutes after the bench-press endurance test, each subject was positioned on the Wingate cycle ergometer, and seat height, handlebar Table 1 Red Bull Energy-Drink Ingredients Ingredient Sugar Caffeine Taurine Glucuronolactone Niacin Pantothenic acid Vitamin B6 Riboflavin Vitamin B12 Amount (per kg body mass) 0. 65 g/kg 2. 0 mg/kg 25 mg/kg 15 mg/kg 0. 45 mg/kg 0. 15 mg/kg 0. 5 mg/kg 0. 04 mg/kg 0. 025  µg/kg Effect? of? Red? Bull? on? Athletic? Performance? ? 437 height and position, and toe straps were adjusted based on the settin gs determined during the familiarization trial. Subjects were instructed to cycle at a slow pace against zero resistance for 5 min. Five seconds before data collection, they were instructed to pedal at maximal rate to ensure optimal power and force production at the beginning of the test and to continue cycling at a maximal speed for the duration of the 30-s test at a load corresponding to 7. 5% of their body mass (4). Subjects were verbally encouraged throughout the test.This procedure was repeated for 3 tests, with 2 min of active rest against zero load between tests. Reproducibility of peak and average power was determined by testing 10 subjects 3 d apart. The coefficients of variation were 4. 1% for peak power and 3. 6% for average power. Statistical Analyses A 2 (caffeine-consuming subjects vs. caffeine-naive subjects) ? 2 (supplement: Red Bull vs. placebo) ? 3 (exercise sets) ANOVA with repeated measures on the last 2 factors was used to assess differences between conditions f or benchpress repetitions and for peak and average power during the Wingate tests. A 2 (caffeine-consuming subjects vs. affeine naive subjects) ? 2 (supplement: Red Bull vs. placebo) ? 5 (blood lactate at 5 time points) ANOVA with repeated measures on the last 2 factors was used to assess changes in blood lactate concentration. To determine whether 1 familiarization trial was adequate to eliminate any effects of learning over time, we ran a 3 (set) ? 2 (time) repeatedmeasures ANOVA to determine whether there were differences across sets for Wingate tests and bench-press tests between the familiarization and placebo trials. Tukey’s post hoc tests were used to determine differences between means. Statistical significance was set at P ? 0. 05.All results are expressed as mean  ± standard deviation. Statistical analyses were carried out using Statistica, version 5. 0 (StatsSoft Inc. , Chicago). Results Of the original 16 subjects who volunteered, 15 completed the study. One mal e subject withdrew because of time constraints. Seven subjects were correct in perceiving that they were ingesting Red Bull or placebo, with the remaining subjects unsure. Before testing, 8 subjects were caffeine naive, 4 reported consuming 200 mg/d. There were no side effects reported from the exercise testing, Red Bull energy drink, or placebo.There were no time main effects or set ? time interactions between the familiarization trial and the placebo trial, indicating that the familiarization trial was adequate to eliminate any learning effects. Subjects who regularly consumed caffeine did not differ from caffeine-naive subjects for any of the tests or for their responses to Red Bull versus placebo (i. e. , there were no group ? supplement interactions). There was a supplement main effect for bench-press endurance, whereby the number of repetitions over the 3 sets was greater in the Red Bull condition than with placebo (Red Bull = 34  ± 9 vs. lacebo = 32  ± 8 repetitions over the 3 sets, P = 0. 031; Figure 1). There was a set main effect for bench-press endurance, Wingate peak power (Figure 2), and Wingate average power (Figure 3); that is, performance dropped across sets as 438 Forbes? et? al. would be expected (P < 0. 05). There were no differences between Red Bull and placebo for performance across sets during the Wingate tests (peak and average power: Red Bull = 701  ± 124 W vs. placebo = 700  ± 132 W and Red Bull = 479  ± 74 W vs. placebo = 471  ± 74 W), and there were no supplement ? et interactions for any of the exercise tests (Figures 2 and 3). There was a time main effect for blood lactate (mmol/L) during repeated Wingate tests (P < 0. 01; baseline: Red Bull: 4. 2  ± 1. 3 vs. placebo 3. 6  ± 1. 0; after test 1: Red Bull 7. 4  ± 2. 4 vs. placebo 6. 6  ± 1. 8; after Test 2: Red Bull 9. 0  ± 2. 9 vs. placebo 8. 9  ± 3. 4; after Test 3: Red Bull 9. 3  ± 4. 2 vs. placebo 8. 1  ± 4. 7; and 2 min postexercise: Red Bull 9. 2  ± 3. 0 vs. placebo 7. 9  ± 2. 4), with no differences between Red Bull and placebo (Figure 4). Post hoc analyses indicated that blood Total repetitions over 3 sets of bench press 5 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Red Bull placebo * Figure 1 — Bench-press repetitions across sets, mean  ± standard deviation. Units are repetition number. Repetition number was determined as the total number of repetitions over 3 sets of bench-press exercise at 70% of 1-repetition maximum, 1 min of rest between sets. *Number of repetitions performed during the Red Bull condition was greater than the number of repetitions performed during the placebo condition (P = 0. 031). 850 Red Bull placebo Wingate peak power (W) 800 750 700 650 600 550 500 450 400 Set 1 Set 2Set 3 Figure 2 — Wingate peak power across sets, mean  ± standard deviation. Peak power was determined by the highest power output during each of 3 sets of 30-s Wingate tests, with 2 min of rest between tests. There were no differenc es between Red Bull and placebo conditions. There was a main effect for set, with Set 1 higher than Set 2 (P = 0. 021) and Set 2 higher than Set 3 (P < 0. 01). Effect? of? Red? Bull? on? Athletic? Performance? ? 439 700 Wingate average power (W) 650 600 550 500 450 400 350 300 250 200 Set 1 Set 2 Red Bull placebo Set 3Figure 3 — Wingate average power across sets, mean  ± standard deviation. Average power was determined during each of 3 sets of 30-s Wingate tests, with 2 min of rest between tests. There was a set main effect, with Set 1 higher than Set 2 (P < 0. 01) and Set 2 higher than Set 3 (P < 0. 01). 14 12 Red Bull placebo Lactate (mMol/L) 10 8 6 4 2 0 baseline after Set 1 after Set 2 after Set 3 2 min post Figure 4 — Blood lactate concentration before and after each set of 30-s Wingate tests (separated by 2 min of recovery) and 2 min postexercise, mean  ± standard deviation.Blood lactate values were determined from fingertip blood samples. There was a set mai n effect for lactate (P < 0. 01). Blood lactate concentration increased from baseline to after Set 1 (P < 0. 01) and from after Set 1 to after Set 2 (P = 0. 016). Lactate values after Set 2 were similar to lactate values after Set 3 and 2 min after Set 3. lactate concentration was elevated above baseline after each Wingate test and at 2 min after the last Wingate test (all P < 0. 01). Blood lactate concentration increased from baseline to after Test 1 (P < 0. 01) and from after Test 1 to after Test 2 (P = 0. 16). Lactate values after Test 2 were similar those after Test 3 and 2 min after Test 3. Discussion This is the first study to investigate the effects of Red Bull energy drink on upper body muscle endurance and anaerobic cycle performance in young adults. Results 440 Forbes? et? al. showed that Red Bull energy drink significantly increased total bench-press repetitions over 3 sets compared with placebo but had no significant effect on peak or average power or blood lactate conce ntration during repeated Wingate cycling tests. The main active ingredient in Red Bull energy drink is caffeine.Although the mechanisms explaining the ergogenic effects of caffeine are not fully known, plausible theories include the antagonism of adenosine receptors (18, 23, 42) leading to an increase in central-nervous-system activation (54) and plasma epinephrine concentrations (45), enhanced calcium release and reuptake from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (40) affecting skeletal-muscle excitation–contraction coupling (42), and the alteration of plasma potassium concentrations (18, 39). Caffeine has been shown to reduce plasma potassium levels compared with placebo during exercise (39).The increased intracellular potassium concentration coupled with lower extracellular potassium might help maintain membrane contractility during exercise (39). Our results of a greater increase in bench-press repetitions over 3 sets from Red Bull ingestion (2. 0 mg/kg), but no single set effect, expand the findings of Beck et al. (7), who found no effect of a caffeine-containing supplement (2. 4 mg/kg) on single-set bench-press repetitions. For the present study, bench-press muscle endurance was assessed by the total number of repetitions over 3 sets at 70% 1-RM separated by 1-min rest intervals.In contrast, participants in the Beck et al. (7) study performed a single set of bench-press repetitions at 80% 1-RM. Differences in supplement composition, study design (crossover vs. cross-sectional), and gender might also explain these different results. In addition, we cannot conclude with certainty that the greater increase in bench-press repetitions from Red Bull energy drink is a result solely of caffeine, because Red Bull contains other ingredients (see Table 1) such as carnitine, B vitamins, and taurine.The effectiveness of carnitine is controversial, with most studies showing no benefit but some showing a benefit for increased fat metabolism and enhanced recovery from exer cise stress (for reviews, see 10 and 36). These ergogenic effects might help during aerobic endurance exercise; however, it is doubtful that a benefit would be provided by acute supplementation before high-intensity exercise. Carnitine supplementation has no effect on high-intensity exercise performance (i. e. five 90-m swims separated by 2-min rest intervals) (53) or metabolic response to high-intensity exercise (i. e. , five 1-min cycle sprints separated by 2-min rest intervals) (5). The B vitamins are important for chronic adaptation to exercise training but most likely would have minimal influence when taken before an acute exercise session (55). Although carnitine and the B vitamins might not be ergogenic for the exercise tests used in the current study, taurine might exhibit beneficial effects.Taurine, a sulfonic amino acid found primarily in skeletal muscle (31, 44), has been shown to increase force production in skinned muscle fibers in a rodent model (3), possibly through i ncreased calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum and increased calcium sensitivity for excitation–contraction coupling. Others have suggested that taurine might exhibit protective effects against cellular stress such as exercise by acting as a free-radical scavenger (49).In humans, taurine supplementation (6 g/d) significantly increased exercise time to exhaustion, VO2max, and maximal workload during cycle-ergometer exercise (56). Nonetheless, the amount of taurine administered before exercise in the current study was relatively low, ranging from 1 to 2 g. Therefore, it is doubtful that it would have significantly affected performance. Effect? of? Red? Bull? on? Athletic? Performance? ? 441 Red Bull energy drink had no effect on anaerobic power measures. These findings support those of Beck et al. 7), who found no effect from a caffeine-containing supplement on peak or average power output in young adults. Although it is unclear why these caffeine-containing supplemen ts had no greater effect on anaerobic power output compared with the findings of others (2, 16), possible explanations might include the caffeine dose used, caffeine habituation, and individual training status. The caffeine dose used in the current study (2. 0 mg/kg) and that of Beck et al. (7) of 2. 4 mg/kg might have been too low to observe an ergogenic effect on anaerobic-power measures.Regarding caffeine habituation, most subjects in the current study were caffeine naive; however, 7 of 15 subjects were caffeine users, with 4 consuming 200 mg caffeine per day. The Red Bull energy drink provided approximately an additional 150 mg caffeine. One previous study suggested that caffeine might not be ergogenic in habitual caffeine consumers as a result of caffeine saturation (50). Several studies have shown, however, that habitual caffeine intake does not affect the ergogenic benefits of caffeine (8, 20, 21, 43, 51).In agreement with these studies, we did not find any differences in res ponse to the Red Bull energy drink between caffeineconsuming subjects and caffeine-naive subjects. Finally, in examining the effects of caffeine ingestion on anaerobic performance in trained and untrained swimmers, Collump et al. (16) observed a decrease in 100-m swim time in the trained swimmers but no effect in the untrained swimmers. We suggest that the variations in subject training status might explain the lack of consistency across studies. Most studies that report positive effects from caffeine on naerobic exercise have used well-trained subjects (16, 20). The results of the current study suggest that moderately active individuals experience no anaerobic benefit from caffeine through Red Bull energy-drink ingestion. In summary, the results of the present study indicate that Red Bull energy drink increases upper body muscle endurance but has no effect on Wingate anaerobic power. Red Bull energy drink is commonly ingested in the hope that it will increase exercise performance. These findings suggest that it might be effective for individuals who perform repeated upper body exercise.Future research is needed to determine whether this increase in upper body muscle endurance will translate into improved performance in sports involving upper body muscle work. References 1. Alford, C. , H. Cox, and R. Wescott. The effects of Red Bull energy drink on human performance and mood. Amino Acids. 21:139-150, 2000. 2. Anselme, F. , K. Collump, B. Mercier, S. Ahmaidi, and C. Prefaut. Caffeine increases maxim anaerobic power and blood lactate concentration. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 65:188191, 1992. 3. Bakker, A. J. , and H. M. Berg.The effects of taurine on sarcoplasmic reticulum function and contractile properties in skinned skeletal muscle fibers of the rat. J. Physiol. 538:185-194, 2002. 4. Bar-Or, O. The Wingate anaerobic test: an update on methodology, reliability and validity. Sports Med. 4:381-394, 1987. 5. Barnett, C. , D. L. Costill, M. D. Vukovich, et al. Effect of L-carnitine supplementation on muscle and blood carnitine content and lactate accumulation during high-intensity sprint cycling. Int. J. Sport Nutr. 4:280-288, 1994. 442 Forbes? et? al. 6. Battram, D. S. , R. Arthur, A. Weekes, and T.E. Graham. The glucose intolerance induced by caffeinated coffee ingestion is less pronounced than that due to alkaloid caffeine in men. J. Nutr. 136:1276-1280, 2006. 7. Beck, T. W. , T. J. Housh, R. J. Schmidt, et al. The acute effects of a caffeine-containing supplement on strength, muscular endurance, and anaerobic capabilities. J. Strength Cond. Res. 20:506-510, 2006. 8. Bell, D. G. , I. Jacobs, and K. Ellerington. Effect of caffeine and ephedrine ingestion on anaerobic exercise performance. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 33:1399-1403, 2001. 9. Berglund, B. , and P. Hemmingsson.Effects of caffeine ingestion on exercise performance at low and high altitudes in cross-country skiing. Int. J. Sports Med. 3:234-236, 1982. 10. Brass, E. P. Carnitine and spor ts medicine: use or abuse? Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 1033:6778, 2004. 11. Bruce, C. R. , M. E. Anderson, S. F. Fraser, et al. Enhancement of 2000-m rowing performance after caffeine ingestion. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 32:1958-1963, 2000. 12. Cadarette, B. S. , L. Levine, and C. L. Berube. Effects of varied dosages of caffeine on endurance exercise to fatigue. In: Biochemistry of Exercise (13th ed. International series of sport sciences), H. G. Knuttgen, J. A. Vogel, and J. Poortmans (Eds). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1982, pp. 871-876. 13. Candow, D. G. , N. C. Burke, T. Smith-Palmer, and D. G Burke. Effect of whey and soy protein supplementation combined with resistance training in young adults. Int. J. Sport. Nutr. Exerc. Metab. 16:233-244, 2006. 14. Candow, D. G. , P. D. Chilibeck, D. G. Burke, K. S. Davison, and T. S. Palmer. Effect of glutamine supplementation combined with resistance training in young men. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 86:142-149, 2001. 15. Collomp, K. , S. Ahmaidi, M. Audran, J. L. Chanal, and C. Prefaut. Effects of caffeine ingestion on performance and anaerobic metabolism during the Wingate test. Int. J. Sports Med. 12:439-443, 1991. 16. Collump, K. , S. Ahmaidi, J. C. Chatard, M. Audran, and C. Prefaut. Benefits of caffeine ingestion on sprint performance in trained and untrained swimmers. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. Occup. Physiol. 64:377-380, 1992. 17. Costill, D. L. , G. P. Dalsky, and W. J. Fink. Effects of caffeine ingestion on metabolism and exercise performance. Med. Sci. Sports. 10:155-158, 1978. 18. Crowe, M. J. , A. S. Leicht, and W. L. Spinks.Physiological and cognitive responses to caffeine during repeated, high intensity exercise. Int. J. Sport Nutr. Exerc. Metab. 16:528-544, 2006. 19. Cureton, K. J. , G. L. Warren, M. L. Millard-Stafford, J. E. Wingo, J. Trilk, and M. Buyckx. Caffeinated sports drink: ergogenic effects and possible mechanisms. Int. J. Sport Nutr. Exerc. Metab. 17:35-55, 2007. 20. Doherty, M. The effects of caffeine on the maximal accumulated oxygen deficit and short-term running performance. Int. J. Sport Nutr. 8:95-104, 1998. 21. Doherty, M. , P. M. Smith, M. G. Hughes, and R. C. Davison. Caffeine lowers erceptual response and increases power output in high-intensity cycling. J. Sports Sci. 22:637643, 2004. 22. Flinn, S. , J. Gregory, L. R. McNaughton, S. Tristram, and P. Davies. Caffeine ingestion prior to incremental cycling to exhaustion in recreational cyclists. Int. J. Sports Med. 11:188-193, 1990. 23. Graham, T. E. Caffeine and exercise: metabolism, endurance and performance. Sports Med. 31:785-807, 2001. 24. Graham, T. E. Caffeine, coffee and ephedrine: impact on exercise performance and metabolism. Can. J. Appl. Physiol. 26(Suppl. ):S103-S119, 2001. 25. Graham, T. E. , and L. L. Spriet.Metabolic, catecholamine, and exercise performance responses to various doses of caffeine. J. Appl. Physiol. 78:867-874, 1995. Effect? of? Red? Bull? on? Athletic? Performance? ? 443 26. Green, H. J. Meta bolic aspects of intermittent work with specific regard to ice hockey. Can. J. Appl. Sport Sci. 4:29-34, 1979. 27. Green, H. J. , P. Bishop, M. Houston, R. McKillop, R. Norman, and P. Stothart. Timemotion and physiological assessments of ice hockey performance. J. Appl. Physiol. 40:159-163, 1976. 28. Greer, F. , C. McLean, and T. E. Graham. Caffeine, performance, and metabolism during repeated Wingate exercise tests.J. Appl. Physiol. 85:1502-1508, 1998. 29. Greer, F. , D. Friars, and T. E. Graham. Comparison of caffeine and theophylline ingestion: exercise metabolism and endurance. J. Appl. Physiol. 89:1837-1844, 2000. 30. Health Canada. It’s Your Health. Available at: http://www. hc-sc. gc. ca/iyh-vsv/alt_ formats/cmcd-dcmc/pdf/caffeine_e. pdf. Accessed December 17, 2006. 31. Huxtable, R. J. Physiological actions of taurine. Physiol. Rev. 72:101-163, 1992. 32. Ivy, J. L. , D. L. Costill, W. J. Fink, and R. W. Lower. Influence of caffeine and carbohydrate feedings on enduranc e performance. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 1:6-11, 1979. 33. Jackman, M. , P. Wendling, D. Friars, and T. E. Graham. Metabolic catecholamine, and endurance responses to caffeine during intense exercise. J. Appl. Physiol. 81:1658-1663, 1996. 34. Jacobs, I. , H. Pasternak, and D. G. Bell. Effects of ephedrine, caffeine, and their combination on muscular endurance. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 35:987-994, 2003. 35. Kalmar, J. M. , and E. Cafarelli. Effects of caffeine on neuromuscular function. J. Appl. Physiol. 87:801-808, 1999. 36. Karlic, H. , and A. Lohninger. Supplementation of L-carnitine in athletes: does it make sense? Nutrition. 0:709-715, 2004. 37. Kovacs, E. M. R. , J. H. C. H. Stegen, and F. Brouns. Effect of caffeinated drinks on substrate metabolism, caffeine excretion, and performance. J. Appl. Physiol. 85:709-715, 1998. 38. Kristiansen, M. , R. Levy-Milne, S. Barr, and A. Flint. Dietary supplement use by varsity athletes at a Canadian university. Int. J. Sport Nutr. Exerc. Metab . 15:195-210. 39. Lindinger, M. I. , T. E. Graham, and L. L. Spriet. Caffeine attenuates the exercise-induced increase in plasma [K+] in humans. J. Appl. Physiol. 74:1149-1155, 1993. 40. Lopes, J. M. , M. Aubier, J. Jardim, J. V. Aranda, and P.T. Macklem. Effect of caffeine on skeletal muscle function before and after fatigue. J. Appl. Physiol. 54:1303-1305, 1983. 41. MacIntosh, B. R. , and B. M. Wright. Caffeine ingestion and performance of a 1500 meter swim. Can. J. Appl. Physiol. 20:168-177, 1995. 42. Maridakis, V. , P. J. O’Connor, G. A. Dudley, and K. McCully. Caffeine attenuates delayed-onset muscle pain and force loss following eccentric exercise. Pain. 8:237-243, 2007. 43. McLellan, T. M. , and D. G. Bell. The impact of prior coffee consumption on the subsequent ergogenic effect of anhydrous caffeine. Int. J. Sport Nutr. Exerc.Metab. 14:698708, 2004. 44. Nieminen, M. L. , L. Tuomisto, E. Solatunturi, L. Eriksson, and M. K. Paasonen. Taurine in the osmoregulation of th e Brattleboro diabetes insipidus rat. Life Sci. 42:2137-2143, 1988. 45. Norager, C. B. , M. B. Jensent, A. Weimann, and M. R. Madsen. Metabolic effects of caffeine ingestion and physical work in 75-year old citizens. a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study. Clin. Endocrinol. 65:223-228, 2006. 46. Pasman W. J. , M. A. van Baak, A. E. Jeukendrup, and A. de Haan. The effect of different dosages of caffeine on endurance performance time.Int. J. Sports Med. 16:225-230, 1995. 47. Paterson, D. H. Respiratory and cardiovascular aspects of intermittent exercise with regard to ice hockey. Can. J. Appl. Sport Sci. 4:22-28, 1979. 444 Forbes? et? al. 48. Powers, S. K. , R. J. Byrd, R. Tulley, and T. Callender. Effects of caffeine ingestion on metabolism and performance during graded exercise. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 50:301-307, 1983. 49. Redmond, H. P. , P. P. Stapleton, P. Neary, and D. Bouchier-Hayes. Immuno-nutrition: the role of taurine. Nutrition. 14:599-604, 1998. 5 0. Tarnopolsky, M. A. , S. A. Atkinson, J. D.MacDougall, D. G. Sale, and J. R. Sutton. Physiological responses to caffeine during endurance running in habitual caffeine users. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 21:418-424, 1989. 51. Tarnopolsky, M. A. , and C. Cupido. Caffeine potentiates low frequency skeletal muscle force in habitual and nonhabitual caffeine consumers. J. Appl. Physiol. 89:1719-1724, 2000. 52. Thomas, S. , I. Reading, and R. J. Shephard. Revision of the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q). Can. J. Sport Sci. 17:338-345, 1992. 53. Trappe, S. W. , D. L. Costill, B. Goodpaster, M. D. Vukovich, and W. J. Fink.The effects of L-carnitine supplementation on performance during interval swimming. Int. J. Sports Med. 15:181-185, 1994. 54. Williams, J. H. Caffeine, neuromuscular function and high-intensity exercise performance. J. Sports Med. Phys. Fitness. 31:481-489, 1991. 55. Woolf, K. , and M. M. Manore. B-vitamins and exercise: does exercise alter requirements? Int. J. Sport Nutr. Exerc. Metab. 16:453-484, 2006. 56. Zhang, M. , I. Izumi, S. Kagamimori, et al. Role of taurine supplementation to prevent exercise-induced oxidative stress in healthy young men. Amino Acids. 26:203-207, 2004.

Faculty attitudes towards students with disabilities Essay

There have been an increasing number of disabled students who are moving from high school to post-secondary education over the last few decades. The enactment of the several laws addressing the education of students with disabilities such as the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) of 1990 and American with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 instigated the rise in disabled students in higher education (Rao, 2004).   The IDEA recognizes postsecondary education as one of the aspects in which the education system should strive to achieve. This means that even the disabled persons have a right to receive postsecondary education. On the other hand, the ADA requires that students with disabilities be given access to postsecondary education just as any other member of the society. Inclusion of the Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act is also an emphasis on the right for the disabled to access higher education (Riddell, Tinklin & Wilson, 2005). Students with disability increased in institutions of higher education since the above Acts created favorable conditions characterized by equity in accessing education. According to Eckes and Ochoa (2005) there was an increase in disabled freshmen by more than ten percent as from 1991 to 1996. A significant growth in the number of disabled students accessing post-secondary education is also noted by Rao (2004). Rao (2004) indicates that there was a 16 percent increase in the number of disabled persons who had received at least college education as from 1986 to 1994. In 1996 alone, approximately six percent of the undergraduate population was composed of persons with disabilities. Increase in college enrollment for disabled persons has been recorded in virtually all forms of disabilities. Mull, Sitlington and Alper (2001) for instance report that as from 1976, there has been a tenfold increase in the number of persons with learning disabilities reporting to college. This is also reported as the fastest growing category of disabled college freshmen. In 1996 for instance, learning disabilities constituted 29 to 35 percent of all disabilities recorded in disabled persons enrolling into colleges. Eckes and Ochoa (2005) highlight some of the disabilities that were recorded amongst freshmen in 1994. These include health impairments, impairments in seeing and hearing as well as learning disabilities. Despite the fact that there has been an increase in enrollment of disabled students in college, there has also been a concern about a good majority of these encountering difficulties in completing higher education. This is especially in comparison with students who do not have disabilities. According to Mull, Sitlington and Alper (2001), the number of students with disabilities who attain their target degree is always lower compared to students without disabilities. It is also notable that a greater number of disabled students versus students without disabilities spend more time in the postsecondary program. In one study, Mull, Sitlington and Alper (2001) report that while 80 percent of learning disability students spent more than five years to graduate from postsecondary institutions, only 56 percent of those without disabilities spent such a time. These statistics indicate problems with outcome of higher education among students with disabilities. The experiences of disabled students in higher learning institutions therefore become worth exploring since they are key to effective learning and desirable outcomes. Disability defined When addressing the attitudes of faculty towards students with disabilities, it is worth considering and understanding the various disabilities encountered. A definition of disability is therefore an important understanding in this field since it helps in comprehending some of the attitudes that may be encountered in faculties. It is recognized that disability can be defined from a medical and social perspective or the International Classification of Functioning as per the World Health Organization (Mitra, 2006). In this paper, the medical aspect of disability is considered with physical and mental disabilities taking preeminence. According to Mitra (2006) disability as per the medical model entails an individual having a problem resulting from any health condition (e.g. disease or injury). The disabling health condition is considered as unwanted since it places the individual into â€Å"sick† position which requires medical care. The medical model of disability emphasizes of the inability of the disabled person to function â€Å"normally†. As such, rehabilitative efforts are mounted to ensure that the disabled person functions as close to normal as possible. For instance, a physically disabled individual may be depending on a wheelchair to move. According to World Health Organization (2007), disability is defined under the International Classification of Functioning (ICF). The ICF recognizes that some health conditions lead to impairments more so in the functioning of the body. As such, the individual gets limited or restricted to participate in certain activities such as work and education. Lack of access to education for persons with impairments for instance may be considered as a hindered participation according to ICF. The International Classification of Functioning incorporates social and medical aspects of disability. In addition to identifying medical conditions as causes of impairment, the model also recognizes that the impairment limit an individual’s participation in certain activities, thus bringing in a social inequality (Woodcock, 2009). The restricted participation is considered as a contextual aspect whereby some factors such as personal background, law and the attitudes of the community may determine the limitation to participate. As such, a disabled person may be limited in terms of participating in education or accessing other social services. This is the reason why Mitra (2006) argues that disabled persons face certain disadvantages similar to those encountered by oppressed minority groups. Among the experienced inequalities is school segregation. One may be born with certain disabilities whereas others are acquired during day-to-day life for instance due to traumatizing event. Some of the disabilities that students who get enrolled to postsecondary learning institutions have include impaired sight, impaired hearing, impaired speech, impaired health and learning disabilities as the most common impairment. The above impairments are considered as serious and common disabilities compared to mild forms of disabilities which are less common amongst students. Learning disabilities constitute a myriad of disabilities such as dyscalculia i.e. problems with resolving mathematical computations, dysgraphia i.e. writing difficulties, aphasia i.e. language use problems and dyslexia problem whereby the student experiences problems in reading (Walker & Heffne, 2006). Important to note is that the learning disabilities may be a bit difficult for college tutors and professors to identify in students as opposed to physical disabilities such as a student using a wheelchair. Disabilities such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or dyslexia are particularly difficult to detect. Overview of Americans with Disability Act involving higher education Disabled persons are part of the society and as much as they are grouped as part of the minority, they are also diversity in the society (Bryan, 2010). Being part of a minority in the American society, they are faced with the potential to be segregated. In response to the need to protect the disabled Americans from discrimination and segregation in terms of access to social amenities, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted in 1970. This is a law that has specifically addressed the persons with special needs and the special education has been clearly addressed more so in regard to institutions of higher education discriminating against disabled students. Students with disabilities have been advocated for in the ADA in terms of their access to higher education. The Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted in July 1990 to provide for the access of postsecondary education for students with disabilities (Bryan, 2010). There are several provisions in the ADA including instructions on accommodation of students with disabilities. One important requirement of the ADA is that the student has the responsibility of the disclosing their disability to the institution’s authorities for them to benefit from the Act’s provisions. According to (Walker, 2006), institutions of higher education are prohibited from enquiring of the disability status of the student by the ADA. On the other hand, once a student has disclosed their disability status, the institution is supposed to handle the student as per ADA’s provision. According to Title II and III of the ADA, disabled persons are not supposed to be denied access to facilities which are accessible to the public including private facilities (Hernandez, Keys & Balcazar, 2004). As such public and private learning institutions are supposed to provide accommodation for disabled students indiscriminately. While Title II prohibits discrimination of the disable from accessing public entities, Title III of the same Act adds that disabled persons should not be denied accommodation in private places so long as those entities cab be accessed by the public. Specifically, Title III states that â€Å"no individual shall be discriminated against on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations† (Sullivan, Lantz & Zirkel, 2000, p 261). In view of the provisions in the Americans with Disabilities Act, the disabled student is put into the mainstream higher education community. The ADA is highly hailed by the disabled postsecondary students since their concerns are highly addressed (Hernandez, Keys & Balcazar, 2004). The attitudes of the general public towards the inclusion of the concerns of the disabled as provided in Title II and III of ADA are particularly hailed. With ADA in place, postsecondary institutions of learning have been made to provide services that support the disabled students to have the best experience during their time in the institution. Bryan (2010) states that since the enactment of the ADA, postsecondary institutions have been forced to reevaluate their services so as to accommodate the disabled persons as per the requirements of ADA. Most institutions have specifically addressed changes in programs catering for individuals with learning disabilities. If a disabled person has complied with the requirements of the ADA and the institution of learning discriminates the individual, the institution can be sued by such an individual. It is to be noted that ADA is a reinforcement of Section 504 as explored below.

Coral Reef Bleaching Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Coral Reef Bleaching - Term Paper Example Why/how Coral bleaching occurs Coral bleaching occurs because of the disintegration between corals and their symbionts or endosymbiosis (Symbiodinium spp) (Ainsworth et al., 2008). Most of the bleaching on corals occurs during the warm season. Established scientific evidence indicates that environmental stressors that include the increase of heat in sea surface temperatures tend to be the main cause of coral bleaching (Bourne et al., 2008). Moreover, high solar radiation tends to be a significant cause of large-scale bleaching (Bourne et al., 2008). Moreover, research indicates that seasonal bleaching also tends to occur because of an infection by the bacterium Vibrio shiloi (Bourne et al., 2008). Another established cause of coral bleaching is sea pollution that mostly occurs because of various human activities. For example, sunscreens that tend to promote viral infections play a significant role in causing coral bleaching especially in areas where there are high levels of human act ivities (Danovaro et al., 2008). Santavy eta al (2011) also indicates that various multiple chronic stressors play a significant role in the occurrence of bleaching. Ecological Impacts of Coral Bleaching Various impacts in the environment tend to emerge after coral bleaching events. One of these impacts includes massive threat to tropical coral-ecosystems (Anthony et al., 2009). Occurrence of bleaching results to lethal or sub-lethal stress on the reefs (Anthony et al., 2009). Moreover, coral bleaching results to loss of endosymbiotic algae or its associated pigment from the coral reefs (Ainsworth, et al., 2008). Bleaching also tends to cause changes in microbial communities. Bleaching also results to the reduction of coral reefs. This is because most of the reefs fail to cope with the harsh conditions and disease occurrences that emerge because of bleaching (Brandt & McManus, 2009). Another established significant impact of bleaching is that it reduces skeletal growth in corals (Ca rilli et al., 2009). Moreover, it is also necessary to consider that coral reefs provide the livelihood of most people within the tropics (Maynard et al., 2008). For example, some types of the corals are used for building purpose (Seneca et al., 2010). Corals also tend to be significant tourism attraction features hence increasing economic value within the tropics. Therefore, occurrences of bleaching are a major blow to various activities enacted by people within tropic areas. McWilliams et al., (2005) indicates that bleaching poses as one of the major threats of coral reefs because they end-up dying. Vivekanandan et al., (2009) indicates that corals tend to be the most diverse marine habitat and therefore bleaching affects the directly affects the living conditions of the estimated 0.5 million species that rely on the reefs. Possible solutions/treatments of coral bleaching There are minimal established ways in which treatment of coral bleaching can be performed. However, possible s olutions include laboratory studies that would assist determining the role of coral-associated communities and how they react during stressful environment conditions (Ainsworth et al., 2008). This may assist in coming-up with a reliable solution on how to minimize large population of corals being affected during warm sea seasons. Moreover, prevention of thermal stress in the future may contribute in prevention of

Marvin v. Marvin Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marvin v. Marvin - Case Study Example The case between Martin v Martin highlights the challenges that marriage couples face. The case was determined in 1976 with the outcome serving as reference point in the US because of the relevance. The case involved two individuals in a non-marital relationship enforced through oral agreement. The couples made several agreements concerning their economic and social status. According to the case, the couples lived and made significant wealth and resources jointly. They had an agreement to share the acquired property and other belongings equally upon dissolution of the union. In 1971, the defendant withdrew the support he accorded the wife and called for the dissolution of marriage. The complainant launched a suit to enforce the agreement that they entered into prior to their dissolution. The complainant told the court that they entered into an oral agreement to work and share the property equally upon dissolution of their relationship (Laskin & Niff, 2010). The court heard the case and determined that individuals in any form of marriage whether implied or express have the right to claim their share. The court found that the complainant’s issues were valid and subjected the defendant to fulfill the agreement. The court stated that couples in non-marital relationships have the right to launch legitimate claims for property based on express or implied marriage contracts. The case gave a clear direction that sought to ensure fairness and equality between couples upon marriage dissolution. Living together contracts involve gay and non-gay couples who form relationship are either formal or non-formal. These non-marital contracts pose several complications when it comes to sharing property upon dissolution of the marriage. The contracts threaten to erode the moral and cultural practices of various societies. As noted by Strong, DeVault & Cohen (2011) these marriages disobey the moral standards that

Introduction to Quality Assurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Introduction to Quality Assurance - Essay Example (p. 11) Now, this marked its main difference with quality assessment: While assessment monitors and evaluate individual hospital processes during the analytic phase only, QA goes far beyond that as it continuously reviews hospital policies and procedures in order to identify problems and areas of improvement. Early emphasis on quality control was directed to the inspection and acceptance of past efforts but in contrast, current attention to continuous quality improvement looks to the advancement of future performance. Today, as quality assurance has matured, there has been a shift to a more consumer-oriented, more positive approach to health care management. (McClatchey, p. 10) It has been the central focus of some of the most successful efforts at management improvement in recent years. There is no question that quality assurance (QA) is important in the future our institution both as a health care provider and as commercial enterprise. And this is not without reason. I would like, therefore, to outline the benefits that will justify the cost of our institutions QA that some of you might deem unnecessary. I classify these benefits into three: client satisfaction, cost cutting and our responsibility as health care providers including their impacts in our long-term success. The main issue in health care is to treat a patient who enters the health system after consultation with his general practitioner or a specialist. There are numerous institutions out there that are ready to provide services to patients. The ensuing episode of care is therefore related to the treatment as well as the quality of service that is satisfactory to the client. Abraham Maslow described an ascending hierarchy of human needs, which each individual strives to achieve in his personal and work environments. These are physiologic or survival needs; safety or security needs; social

International economics ( trade ) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

International economics ( trade ) - Essay Example This is so because they believed in a static international economic relations which means one can only gain if the other losses. Adam smith was the pioneer of classical economics who for the first time explained the term absolute advantage in the context of international economics in 1776. His theory of absolute advantage is based on a notion that the country should only manufacture and specialize in the goods which it can produce with the lower cost. Adam smith was a great proponent of free trade. His views of international trade are based on labor division and international specialization. Assume that there are two countries i.e. UK and USA which are trading two goods i.e. wheat and cloth internationally. UK produces wheat by hiring 10 labors whilst US has an advantage to produce the same amount of wheat by employing 6 labors. The above statistics reveal that US has labor specialization in the production of wheat and UK specialize in the production of cloth. This situation leads to trade between US and UK for wheat and cloth respectively. According to Smith’s theory of trade US should export wheat whilst UK should export cloth if they want to gain from the trade. Portugal has absolute advantage in wine and cloth production over UK. According to the theory UK will export cloth because its absolute disadvantage is less here as compared to the production of wine. Contrarily Portugal should export wine as its absolute advantage in case of wine is greater comparatively. Before trade production of wine requires 120 labors whilst cloth’s production involves 100 labors which means production of cloth is cheaper in UK. This is so because 1 unit of wine will cost 1.2 (120/100) units of cloths. More precisely, with a labor UK can either produce 1 unit of wine or 1.2 units of cloth. The situation is reverse in Portugal as it has absolute advantage in the production of both goods. However, the production of wine is cheaper

Capital Punishment in Texas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Capital Punishment in Texas - Essay Example The typical methods of execution have been by electrocution, lethal injections and firing squads. Crimes such as murder, rape, piracy, treason, desertion all carried the death penalty. Currently the death penalty has been applied to crimes which fall under â€Å"capital crime† category. These capital offenses include murder of law enforcement personnel, during prison breaks, person serving life sentences, perpetrated during arson or robbery, children and multiple murders. Texas has executed 405 people since 1976 while 393 people are currently in death row (State by State Information). There are many reasons why Texas has a high death penalty rate. Judges in Texas are elected by popular support. Public pleasure drives their desire to impose tough punishments on crime. This increases their chances of getting reelected. Further lawyers are appointed by the court that has little experience in defending capital punishment crimes. Jurors are not allowed to consider less severe evidence during the sentencing period of the trial. Still others believe that the high rate of executions has to do with Texan history of frontier justice. Capital Punishment permanently damages justice and it is a violation of a criminal rights. Life imprisonment is a much better punishment in place of capital punishment. The death penalty is cruel and inhumane. It prevents the possibility of criminal rehabilitation. Further there is also the risk of executing innocent people. Proponents of the capital punishment claim that it acts as deterrence to murder. Murder is perpetrated either due to passion or insanity. A criminal does not take into consideration the consequences of their actions. Capital punishment also brutalizes society since it justifies state sanctioned killings and that it is acceptable to kill in some cases. Supporters of the death penalty argue that it does not brutalize society but provides justice upon

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 125

Assignment Example Anyone can love anything; the sphere of loving someone or something is not limited. To love and to be loved is the greatest joy that is considered by many people around us. Love is different from lust. Love defines the purity of emotions towards a person whereas lust is centered towards the fulfillment of one’s sexual desires (James Giles). Therefore, it can be said that there is nothing as pure as a mother’s love for her child which is free of any returns and response from the child. Different people think differently about what freedom is. For some people freedom is a name of free will, while others believe that expression of thoughts, ideas and speech is the freedom. There are also few people who believe that freedom lies in doing whatever one wants without analyzing its influence on the lives of other people. In true meaning, freedom extends liberty to a person in a restricted sphere where one should not damage the laws and customs of the society. Freedom is conveying your message and showing your actions to others, the way you want to without pressurizing other people to follow your commandments. Freedom is gaining control over your actions and speech without any

Should central banks be independent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Should central banks be independent - Essay Example They all have different origins hence the difference in the roles and functions that they are expected to play. While some of them were established as a special purpose upon which the government banks were brought up to bring about order in the way that bank notes are issued, others were developed to act as sources of funding for the governments (Downes & Vaez-Zadeh 92). There are other central banks that started off as large commercial banks that dominated and subsequently were able to boost the economy by offering the monopoly rights to provide bank notes. Most of the central banks started their operation during the 20th century as central banks that held the public policy agencies to conduct the functions related to central banking. However, the bundles of functions associated with the central bank have always differed in a substantial way from one country to the other. In this paper the main functions and roles of the central banks will be analyzed and an evaluation performed o w hether the central banks should be made independent (Touffut 52). The key functions of the central bank revolve around the fact that the central bank is an agency that is expected to perform the conducts of monetary policy and provide the means through which it can be settled. In the past, they functioned as the government’s bankers, the monopoly of issuing notes, the banker’s bank, the last resort lender, controller and regulator of credit and the maintenance of external stability (Goodhart xiii). The most important function of the central bank has been linked to the role of financial stability. However, it is considered as the objective that extends or goes beyond the objectives of functions, which contribute towards financial stability. Nonetheless, it is still applicable in many countries where for example in China, it is the role of the People’s bank to ensure that financial risks are mitigated with the effort to provide financial stability

Austrian School Cost Essay Example for Free

Austrian School Cost Essay Our behaviors and decisions in our daily lives are affected by economics. When making decisions, we will use economic theories either consciously or subconscious to decide if we will make or reject that decision. The same can also be used to explain our actions and behaviors when making an economic decision to purchase a house. This paper will evaluate how economics affect one’s decision to purchase a new house. First, the decision to purchase a new house is considered a large and important decision by many. This is because the prices of houses are usually very high, and thus purchasing a new house will greatly deplete the savings of an individual. The demand of houses is highly price elastic. Economic theories state that the larger the proportion of income a certain purchase requires, the more price elastic the demand will be. In the case of the purchase of a new house, it will require the spending of a large proportion of an average person’s income, hence this will greatly lower the purchasing power of the individual when the decision is made to purchase the house. Furthermore, buying a new house will require people to shift from a familiar environment to a less familiar environment and this can be a life-changing experience which may be scary to some. Hence, these are all factors which make the purchase of a new house a very difficult decision to make. There are various principles of economics that can be applied to a decision to purchase a new house. First, one of the principles will be that of trade-offs which people have to face. Every decision comes at a cost. In this case, the decision to purchase a new house will deplete people of a large proportion of their savings. The tradeoffs which they face will be alternatives which they get to enjoy with the same amount of money. For example, the same amount of money spent on a new house can be used on sending a child to university, going on a long holiday or purchasing a new vehicle. I have to remember even though the APR’s may be low and I have my down payment or even if I am using HUD as a first time buyer to eliminate closing cost or no fees at all there may still be one depending on my situation. Purchasing a new home is a big step not only the financial part of if but also the area I chose and the economy at this point and time. I must think ahead to how the economy will be now and later, as well as the housing area I chose. Will the neighborhood be a good choice for my kids, and will my house be a smart investment in terms of efficiency and equity? I need to determine if a recession will place my decision in purchasing a home the wrong time to buy. A recession could cause job lose and no income to pay my mortgage or even placing me in default to take out a loan on my home. Taking a loan on my home to make ends meet would cause me to pay double for my home and never actually own it. Tradeoffs are important when purchasing a new home because you have to be willing to give up miscellaneous items to get where u want to be, extra expenses are not a good idea when purchasing a new home.

Psychology For Social Care Practice Essay Example for Free

Psychology For Social Care Practice Essay This essay will demonstrate my understanding of developments which occur at each stage of an individuals life cycle. I will relate these developments to two relevant psychological theories and discuss how an individuals needs must be met to enable them to develop. The human life cycle can be broken down into 5 basic stages (Bingham et al. 2009); Infancy 0-2 years Childhood 2-12 years Adolescence 12-21 years Adulthood 21-65 years Older Adulthood 65+ years During each stage of the life cycle, different physical, emotional, cognitive, social and cultural developments occur; In infancy, physical changes include learning to sit up, crawl and walk independently. At this stage, the infant will begin to look for attention from others and seek affection and love. Infants are able to interact with others by smiling/laughing and crying, and begin to form attachments to main care givers such as family members from around 6 months. Fine motor skills and communication skills (understanding and formation of words) develop rapidly in infancy and individuals will become used to the routines and norms of those around them. In childhood, physical development extends to skills in balance and control over the body. Emotionally, the child will continue to strengthen bonds with primary care givers and social development will move on to interactive play and forming friendships. Language and expression develop further and the child shows a capacity to learn new information and skills as well as learning about and conforming to social and cultural norms. The body begins to change significantly in adolescence; the individual will go through puberty. An adolescent will be more self aware than in childhood and will become detached from primary care givers, instead preferring to form closer relationships with friends and peers. The individual will form stronger affiliations to certain cultural and sub-cultural norms and will express these through personal appearance, partaking in activities and choosing certain peer groups. In early adulthood, the individual will reach a peak of physical fitness which they will thereafter have to work at to maintain. More physical demands are made on the body such as childbearing, work and aging. Emotionally, a person  in adulthood will have established a role possibly in their place of work, or at home as a parent- how effectively they fill their role can effect self esteem. Social development can become limited to those with similar careers or interests and can be hindered by other responsibilities s uch as work and family commitments. Older adults may experience a decline in physical fitness eyesight may deteriorate and the body may become weaker. Some individuals may remain fairly fit well into older adulthood and some may find that physical fitness can deteriorate rapidly. Older adulthood can be isolating and ones self image can be altered through changing of roles eg. retirement. Socially, some find a sense of freedom in being able to leave work behind and live, others lose a sense of purpose and find that their world may become smaller and more family focused. Older adults will have a well established perception of themselves and what they find acceptable as part of their culture. For this essay I have used Mrs. Oswald as a case study. Mrs. Oswald is a resident at Thorneycroft residential care home for older people. She has been a resident at Thorneycroft for six months and at ninety-five years old, is in the final stage of development as detailed in the life cycle breakdown above. Mrs. Oswald is relatively able bodied, she is able to bathe herself but requires help getting in and out of the bath. She is able to move around independently, she does have a tripod to help her with this but she doesnt tend to use it. She is prone to falling over and has fallen fifteen times since moving to Thorneycroft, this is not helped by her insomnia which leaves her restless at night so she ends up wandering around unattended. Mrs. Oswald is hard of hearing and requires a hearing aid but her eyesight is good when wearing her glasses. She has a good level of personal hygiene and takes pride in her appearance. Before coming to Thorneycroft she had home help who assisted her with household tasks such as cooking and housework and helped her with medication for her cellulitis. Mrs. Oswald was a midwife for fifty years, she is well educated and enjoys sharing her knowledge and talking about her career. She keeps her mind active by reading the newspaper, doing crossword puzzles and playing dominoes when she goes to the day centre but it is possible that these activities are not stimulating enough fo r her. She is a little confused at times about her roles; she behaves as though Thorneycroft staff are her employees and adopts a matron-like attitude with them, which probably  crosses over from her role in her career as a midwife. She can be forgetful but does not have dementia and before moving to Thorneycroft was quite vulnerable as she sees the best in people and was being exploited by people doing odd jobs and coming in and out of her home. Mrs. Oswald appears to be content on the surface, she has started to accept death and talks about it openly. Her remaining family all live some distance away in England but she looks forward to a phonecall from her cousin each evening and seems to take comfort in speaking to him, appearing more settled after their conversations. She has outlived her close family husband and daughters and appears lonely. Mrs. Oswald doesnt talk much about her husband an daughters the way she does about her career, it is possible that talking about them makes her feel sad. As before, Mrs. Oswald has not made friends with other residents of Thorneycroft, though she has made a few friends at the daycentre. She likes to talk and could be encouraged to mix more which would help with her feel ings of loneliness, she never had friends or visitors at home before she came to Thorneycroft as her family all live far away and only visit to attend review meetings every six months. She has not formed close relationships with staff at Thorneycroft, instead, as mentioned before she treats them as her employees. Mrs. Oswald is an articulate and well spoken individual who has come from a middle class background. She appears to be well educated and has had a successful career as a midwife spanning fifty years. She had her daughters when she was young and out of wedlock, as a result they were brought up by her mother and Mrs. Oswald left at sixteen to begin her training as a midwife. Her career was important to her and she concentrated on this, not having any more children and marrying late in life. Her middle class upbringing has followed her through life, and she still takes pride in her appearance and has a strong sense of what she believes to be proper. Her husband and her enjoyed going on cruises and she is well- travelled. She does not attend church services or appear to be religious at all. In order for them to progress successfully through each stage in the life cycle, an individuals needs at each stage must be met. For example, our most basic physical needs are shelter and nourishment, if these needs are not met in the infant stage, potential for development and progression into childhood will be threatened. For each aspect of development, certain needs must be met; Physical The body must be kept fit and healthy through nourishment, shelter from the elements and the cold, excercise and rest. Emotional The need to be loved and to feel love for others. Good self esteem can be established from feeling loved and wanted by others. Social Being able to interact and build relationships with people around you. Cognitive The need for opportunities to learn and develop knowledge and keep the mind active. Cultural Having your values, religion, diet, language etc.(norms) as part of your daily life. In order for me to understand the needs of Mrs. Oswald and to what extent her needs have been met throughout her life, I examined Erik Eriksons theory of eight psychosocial stages. Erikson believed that humans develop through eight predetermined stages (a detailed table of these can be found in appendix 1) and in order to progress successfully through life, we must successfully negotiate each stage and that failure to do so results in mental deficiencies suc h as lack of trust, which will remain with us throughout life (Collin et al., p. 273). Each stage has one positive outcome and one negative outcome, and individuals progress through each life stage with a mixture of both, the differences between positive and negative being a result of the environment the individual is developing in. Mrs. Oswald, as an adolescent, would have experienced role confusion. She was from a middle class background but fell pregnant at a young age, resulting in her being hidden away and her mother raising her children as her own. It would have gone against Mrs. Oswalds role as a respectable young girl to have children at such a young age. She went off to train as a midwife at sixteen and left her family and her daughters behind. She concentrated on her career and appeared not to have any intimacy throughout young adulthood. This was resolved in mature adulthood when Mrs. Oswald got married and enjoyed the intimacy which she had missed out on in young adulthood. She never had any more children but her husband nd her appeared to have a happy life and they enjoyed travelling together. Mrs. Oswald is now in maturity and has begun to talk about death in an accepting way. Her needs may not have been met in the early stages of her life where she did not conform to her role in society and her life lacked intimacy, but later in life she had a successful and satisfying career and a happy marriage. I have used Abraham Maslows Hierarchy of Needs (see appendix 2) to assess how  Mrs. Oswalds needs are being met now. Maslows Hierarchy of Needs starts at the basic physiological needs we need just to stay alive. Once these are made we have a need for safety, then we want love and affection. Within our group we want to have self esteem. Finally we have a need of satisfying our full potential that Maslow calls Self Actualization (Deeper Mind). Maslow believed that ones needs had to be met at each stage of the hierarchy before the needs at the next stage could be attended to. The first category in Maslows hierarchy refers to physiological needs. I believe that most of Mrs. Oswalds needs are being met at this level. She has plenty to eat and drink and since she is mobile she has some level of excercise. She can have fresh air and she has warmth and shelter. However, Mrs. Oswalds need for sleep is not being met at Thorneycroft. She suffers from insomnia which is not helped by the fact that her bed is too small and therefore uncomfortable for her to sleep in. This has resulted in her being reluctant to settle in bed at night at all, so she is losing out on sleep. As a result of all her physiological needs not being met, all of Mrs. Oswalds safety needs are not being met either. Although she has shelter and security at Thorneycroft, the fact that she does not sleep has compromised her safety as she has a tendency to wander around at night time and is prone to falling as her mobility is not great. Mrs. Oswald appears sad that she has outlived her close family and her husband and doesnt speak about them much. She does have some distant family whom she speaks with on the phone every night which brings her some comfort, but she remains distant with others and reluctant to form close relationships with staff or fellow residents. Her need for love and belonging has not been satisfied. In order for Mrs. Oswald to progress and reach self actualisation the care staff at Thorneycroft must work on the needs which are not being met. Getting her a bed which is comfortable for her to sleep in may help her to settle at night and reduce the risk of a fall. She could be encouraged to mix more with fellow residents and form closer relationships with them as well as staff. This will help with Mrs. Oswalds sense of love and belonging and boost her self-esteem which will help her to reach self actualisation. References BBC (2014) BBC News Magazine. [Online] Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23902918 [Accessed 13/11/2014] BINGHAM, E. et al (2009) HNC Social Care for Scotland. 12th Ed. Essex: Heinemann. COLLIN, C. et al (2012) The Psychology Book. London: DK London. MACLEOD, S. (2011) Simply Psychology. [Online] Available form :http://www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html [Accessed 11/11/2014]. NORWOOD, G. (2014) Deeper Mind. [Online] Available from: http://www.deepermind.com/20maslow.htm [Accessed 11/11/2014]

The Movie Catch Me If You Can Film Studies Essay

The Movie Catch Me If You Can Film Studies Essay A confidence artist is somebody who exploits a person in order to obtain something of value for free or next to nothing. The first known con man was in England in 1849 when an American would ask strangers if they had the confidence to give him their watches, he would then run away with the object. Con artists usually have clever schemes, and have devised scams to rob victims as quickly and easily as possible. A very important factor for the artist is to gain the confidence of the victim, which was something Frank Abagnale did very well. By wearing the pilots uniform he received respect and admiration from those around him, after all, why would a pilot be scamming? Slide 2 Book Quote A Quote from the Book: Frank W. Abagnale, alias Frank Williams, Robert Conrad, Frank Adams, and Robert Monjo, was one of the most daring con men, forgers, impostors, and escape artists in history. In his brief but notorious criminal career, Abagnale donned a pilots uniform and co-piloted a Pan Am jet, masqueraded as the supervising resident of a hospital, practiced law without a license, passed himself off as a college sociology professor, and cashed over $2.5 million in forged checks, all before he was twenty-one. Known by the police of twenty-six countries and all fifty states as The Skywayman, Abagnale lived a lavish life on the fly until the law caught up with him. Now recognized as the nations leading authority on financial foul play, Abagnale is a charming rogue whose hilarious, stranger-than-fiction international escapades and ingenious escapes including one from an airplane make Catch Me If You Can an irresistible tale of deceit. From the back cover of the book Catch Me If You Can The movie Catch Me If You Can is very loosely based on the novel. There are several differences which make the two works very unalike. The movie shuffles around the events of the novel and even adds some cons which Frank never performed, like posing as a French teacher. The film also puts more emphasis on the FBI who are chasing Frank while the novel portrays Frank as almost unstoppable until he is finally caught in France. Slide 3 Forgery Quotes The Real Story: Frank conned his way into getting a pilots uniform and forged a FAA document, and he was still only 17. He deadheaded all over America while illegally withdrawing money from hundreds of banks. Frank was using a fake name of Frank Williams, and after a bit, he decided to settle down, and bought a flat in Atlanta. There he met a doctor, and was temporarily hired as a pediatrician, still without completing high school. Frank stayed there for almost a year, before someone else came to claim the job. He then flew to the southern part of the U.S., and became an official lawyer, with a fake diploma from Harvard, and passed the bar exam on his third and final try. He left after 9 months and became a university professor specializing in sociology in Utah, where he taught summer classes. While posing as a professional, Frank never cashed a fake check. Franks criminal career was set into motion at the age of 16 when his parents divorced. While living with his successful father, he found out that his dad did a lot of drinking. This partly caused Abagnales decision to hang around the wrong kids, and one day he got in trouble for stealing a car. Frank Sr. bailed out his mischievous son, and when Frank turned 16, his father bought him a car. This car, an old Ford, led Frank to his ultimate downfall; his love for promiscuous women. Frank needed money because being with women was expensive, and by using a gas card he scammed his father of $3,400, which was valued at much more during the 1960s than it is today. After traveling the States for a little longer and storing conned cash in safe boxes, Frank went to Europe, and started paperhanging there as well. He came up with a fake airline crew, and toured for a summer, while exploiting banks. After bring caught Frank rotted in a French prison for 6 months before being transferred to a Swedish jail. Frank was eventually deported to the States, where he escaped, only to be caught months later. SLIDE 4 Movie Clip The Themes behind the Story: Broken Homes The most important theme in Catch Me If You Can is how a troubled childhood can drastically affect ones life. Franks parents divorced when he was 14 years old, leaving Frank to decide if he would like to live with either his mother or his father. He chose the latter because of two reasons, the first because he was more fond of his father, and the second because his other brothers had elected to live with his mom. Because of Franks broken family, he felt like he had to do something drastic to attract attention and draw his parents back together. Frank started hanging around with some loose-end kids from his neighborhood, and quickly became a juvenile delinquent by swiping candy and sneaking into movies. Little did he know he was on the fast track to become one of the most recognized con artists around the world. Identity As Frank struggles with coping with living alone while on the run from both his family and the police, he also struggles to find who he truly is. Posing as different professionals and using different names, Frank finds it difficult lying to those who are close to him and who he has built relationships with. Franks low point of struggling to find his identity was when he told Rosalie, the woman he was engaged to, that he was not actually an airplane pilot but a con artist. The next day when Frank went to visit his wife-to-be, a FBI car was in the driveway and Frank quickly had to take a flight across the country, never to see Rosalie again. Addiction While trying to find his own identity, Frank develops an addiction for charming beautiful women. Frank started conning money so he was able to take women out on dates and buy them nice gifts, and as he became more dependent on his addiction he brought his crime to the next level. Most of Franks success depended on his lady friends because he would spend nights at their houses will he was on the run, even years after he had last been in touch with him. Franks addiction pushed him further and further down the path of crime until there was no return, and even then is pushed him a step further making him the most wanted con artist in the world. The Realities of the Situation: This movie was set in the 1960s, when technology was still very basic. This allowed Frank to pass his fake checks much more easily, and allowing him more time to escape authorities. It also provided Frank with the ability to create fake diplomas and not be caught, since there were not any easily accessible computerized records of who had graduated from certain places. Also, he could create a fake passport, but now that is extremely difficult, especially after the increased security since the 9-11 attack. At this day in age, it would take much more than some glue-on numbers and a photocopier to create the documents necessary to perform Franks crimes. Slide 5 Story Pictures A Bit More on What Actually Happened: Frank Abagnale Junior was raised in Bronxville, New York by his family. When Frank ran away, he traveled all over the U.S.A. posing as a Pan Am. Pilot and passing bad checks. He visited cities such as Los Angeles, Boston, Denver, Chicago, Miami, and Washington, as well as many others, eventually becoming a wanted criminal in all 50 States. Frank became a doctor when he felt it unsafe to continue being a pilot, and moved to a resort, River Bend, in Atlanta, Georgia, where he resided for approximately a year. Once a replacement doctor was found, he relocated to the capital of a southern state, posing as a lawyer graduated from Harvard. When a real Harvard graduate started poking around into Franks Harvard experience, he fled and toured the western states before settling down in Ohio. Here, Abagnale became a sociology teacher at a University for a semester. When his teaching time was up, Frank flew to California, and he went back to his paperhanging tricks. Abagnale got caught up with a woman in San Fransisco, and was there for a while, until confessing who he was, and fleeing and touring the western states. He kept traveling America before going to Mexico, and obtaining a fake passport there, which allowed him to travel out of the country. Frank traveled over to Europe, and visited countries such as England, Italy and France. He was eventually caught in France, after settling down in Montpelier. He was thrown into a crammed, black, 4x4x4 cubicle for 6 months, before being transferred into a nicer Swedish prison for an additional 6 months. He was transferred back to the U.S.A. where he escaped from his plane, and managed to evade the FBI for multiple months, before being captured. Slide 6 The Real Frank The Real Frank Abagnale: Frank was born on April 27, 1948 in Bronxville, New York to Paulette and Frank Abagnale Senior. They divorced when Frank was 14, and Frank was the only child of 4 who was taken into custody by his father. Franks father used Frank to try to reunite their family, but after the hearing, Frank Jr. ran away, never to see his father again. Frank became a world class criminal, posing as a pilot, pediatrician, lawyer, and sociology teacher. He continued running from police, and kept cashing bad checks. Frank eventually became wanted in 26 different countries and all 50 States. He was eventually caught after years of running, and rotted in a French prison for 6 months. He was then transferred to a Swedish jail, and released to an American prison, where he spent another 4 years. He was released on patrol in Texas, and after several failed jobs (such as grocer and cook) due to background checks, he decided to try and help banks prevent crooks from paperhanging them. One year after becoming legitimate, Frank married a woman named Kelly, and they now have 3 sons, Scott, Chris, and Sean. Frank teaches at the FBI Academy, and owns Abagnale and Associates. He is a legitimate millionaire, and approximately 14,000 institutes currently use Franks fraud-prevention methods. Franks has written 3 other books in addition to Catch Me If You Can. He has appeared on numerous television shows, and as of spring, 2011, and he now has a musical about his life.

Beatrice in Dantes Divine Comedy Essay -- Divine Comedy Inferno Essay

Beatrice in Dante's Divine Comedy      Ã‚  Ã‚   How many people spend their whole life in love with a person they met only once when they were nine years old? Dante Alighieri, born in 1265, had only one meeting with Beatrice Portinari in 1274, making him only nine years old. By Dante's own account this was the most important event of his youth (Alighieri). When she passed away in 1290 Dante was about 25 and overcome with grief (Barbi 6). If Dante hadn't met Beatrice much of his work would have never been written. When he met the Florentine gentlewoman, she made a deep impression on his feelings. In the Inferno Beatrice symbolizes blessedness or salvation, and Dante always called her by her full name to indicate that she brought happiness to whoever looked upon her. All evidence shows she was the daughter of Folco Portinari, and later, the wife of Simone die Bardi. Dante expressed his love for her in his poetry and believed she was "the guide of his thoughts and emotions toward that ideal perfection which is the goal of every noble mind" (Barbi 6). Other poets of the time wrote about the cruelty of women and demanded pity.    Dante exalted or glorified Beatrice as a miracle of courtesy and virtue sent to earth by God for the welfare of himself, and for those who would appreciate her qualities. Because of such exultation Dante believed that Beatrice would not stay long in the earthly life, and in June 1290 she died. This caused intense contemplation of her in the glory of heaven (Barbi 6). Dante was married shortly after the first anniversary of Beatrice's death. However, her memory came back and he felt horrible f... ....    Dante Alighieri met the love of his life when he was only nine years old, but never stopped loving her. She passed away when he was about 25 and Dante was never the same. After 16 years his love for her never faded, even though both had married. Even right before his death Dante still wrote about Beatrice and held her in the highest regard. Beatrice inspired his work and gave it meaning.    Works Cited Alighieri, Dante. "The Inferno." The Norton Anthology World Masterpieces Expanded Edition vol. 1. Ed. Maynard Mack. W.W. Norton & Co. Inc. 1995. 1693-1828. Alighieri, Dante. Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia. CD-ROM. Microsoft Corporation,1993-1997. Barbi, Michele. Life of Dante. London: Cambridge University. 1954. "Knights, Ladies and Constant Heartache." Discovery Online. 3/14/04.www.discovery.com.   

Hawaii Essay -- Personal Narrative Traveling Vacation Essays

Hawaii I stepped out of the flight gate at the Honolulu airport, and into another world. This world was strange, yet somehow familiar. There was the Starbucks, and the frazzled travelers, but to my left were huge open-air panorama windows. These did not look out onto grey pavement, and unruly Colorado skies, but into a lush forest of palm trees and tropical scents. The moisture of the air clung to my cheeks, and made my already thick hair seem much thicker. But the awe slipped away, as I struggled to find the baggage claim. My beloved boyfriend was still looking about him with admiration and the joy of a child, but I felt hot and was scurrying away to find my luggage. Down the escalator we went, and into the more familiar world of spinning luggage and unpleasant sounds of machinery. I frowned wondering where our famous lei greeting was. After all, we had requested it, they should have been at the gate. My head was full of visions of grass-skirted Polynesian women smiling and hanging fragrant necklaces around our shoulders. We waited patiently on a bench, thinking perhaps they would come find us there. Finally, David went in search of the traveling agency, and I soon followed. After a few minutes of waiting, a tanned teenage boy came out of the back and examined us with bored annoyance. After explaining that we had not received our leis, he yawned and tossed two of the flower garlands at us. Here ya go, he said, and disappeared into the door from which he came. David and I exchanged glances, and wondered if this was an omen. I decided firmly not to let this minor setback get in the way of my enjoyment of this trip. We now had to find the rental car, which involved more waiting, this time in the hot sun with other disg... ...re soon full of jade and coral, fans and sarongs. David was in search of a black and white hibiscus shirt, which turned out to be quite hard to find. We finally found one, after looking through about twenty clothing shops. Contented, we returned to the room, and floated away on the soft cries of merchants and drums. Our final day, we simply went to see a movie. Here we finally saw true locals, dressed in shabby t-shirts and shorts, complaining cheerfully about the heat. I wondered what it would be like to live here, in this peaceful place, where even the grocery workers are laid back, and calm. I imagined myself living in a beach front house, being able to simply walk to that azure water. When our plane took off that night, I pressed my nose to the glass, and sighed. Despite my poor bum, and the vertical driveway, I knew I'd left part of my heart there in Hawaii.

Julius Caesar: Marcus Brutus Mistakes :: Julius Caesar Essays

Julius Caesar: Brutus' Mistakes The theme I picked for Julius Caesar essay is the mistakes made by Brutus. According to Mr. Holtz Brutus was stupid and many mistakes. The first one was him even joining the Conspirators. The second was letting Anthony live and speak at the funeral. The final mistake was his battle plan. Every one does make mistakes sometimes, but mistakes Brutus made where plainly stupid. I feel the first mistake was Brutus joining the conspirators in the first place. His mine was easily manipulated by the conspirators. They gave him the justification he needed to kill Caesar, which was â€Å"its Good of Rome.† The assumption was that Caesar would eventually take the crown, which would never less destroyed Rome according to Brutus thoughts. By making this assumption and joining the other conspirators he set him self up for many problems for him and for Rome. This was one of the fatal mistakes made by Brutus. Brutus actually made two mistakes with Mark Antony. The first was letting Mark Antony live and the second was letting him speak alone at the funeral. When Cassius first suggested that they should kill Mark Antony, which they should of, but the noble Brutus said â€Å"Our course will seem to bloody.† That was not his only mistake with Mark Antony he also let him speak at Caesar funeral. He was warned by Cassius, but Brutus ignored him as usual. When Mark Antony spoke he got crowd on his side and they killed all the conspirators except for Brutus and Cassius (they excepted the angry mob and left Rome). This was some more trouble that was caused by Brutus. In the war Brutus makes another dumb decision. He wanted to go into Rome and take it over, but Cassius wanted them to wait for the army to come. Of course they follow Brutus decision and they are defeated. This was yet another bad decision by Brutus. This final decision he lost his life. I wonder some time who is worst Brutus stupidness or Cassius ignorance.

King Lear and Gloucester: Mirror Images Essay

King Lear tells of an old, senile ruler who, having given up his title, divides his land between his two villainous daughters, and his third daughter is exiled. Parallel to Lears situation is the sub-plot of Gloucester, whose bastard son betrays him and his legitimate son Edgar. Shakespeare undoubtedly intended for the characters of Gloucester and King Lear to mirror each other, and by comparing them and their outcomes me can see how closely related they truly are. Both King Lear and Gloucester are quick to anger, and thus their favoured children are quickly dismissed. Lear rashly decides to split up his land according to which daughters flatter him most. Cordelia tells her father she loves him according to [her] bond; no more nor less(I.i.l 92), angering the foolish King, who has her exiled to France. Gloucester is also hasty in writing off his son Edgar, from whom Edmund forges a letter stating he wants his father dead so he can have his land. Both characters are quick to anger, and quick to act, later lamenting the decisions they made. Gloucester and Lear both make impetuous decisions regarding their children, being blind to the treachery of others. Lear is blind to the malice of Goneril and Regan: They say they love him, merely to get his land. They even lock him out of Gloucesters castle during a storm. Like Lear, Gloucester instantly believes the letter he is shown, being blind to the lies Edmund tells about Edgar. Edmund further manipulates the situation, betraying his father, and consequently Gloucester has his eyes ripped out. When Lear comes upon him, Gloucester being then literally blind, he astutely observes that a man may see how [the] world goes with no eyes(IV.vi.ll.146-47). Luckily for Gloucester, he is recovered by Edgar, who bec[omes] his guidesav[ing] him from despair, using various disguises. This is echoed by Cordelia, who comes to England with the French army to recover Lear from his mad wanderings in the countryside. Cordelia does save her father, just as Edgar defends his father from Oswald. Both characters are rescued by their favoured children, though later they both die. It is clear that many similarities exist between Gloucester and King Lear,  not only in character, but in their actions and outcomes. By taking a look at how the two characters are alike in King Lear, we may also further appreciate their differences. Bibliography: King Lear, by William Shakespeare

Case Study About Procter and Gamble Company Essay

Procter and Gamble Company Case Analysis This case study analysis focused on Procter and Gamble Company’s marketing plans and strategic options on its light-duty liquid brands (LDL). Procter & Gamble is the world’s largest producer of household and hygiene products. By 1981 P&G operated in 26 countries and sales totaled $11.4 billion with 90 consumer and industrial products manufactured in the United States. The case study provided some very detailed data analysis and reports in terms of the company history and background, organizational structure, key factors to its success in the marketplace, the relationship among advertising, sales, product development (PDD), manufacturing, and finance departments, and its light-duty liquid brands (LDL). Highlight of Company History, Organization, and Key Success Factors * In 1890, Procter & Gamble Company was incorporated with a capital stock value of $4,500,000. The capital allowed the company to build plans, buy new equipment, and develop new products. * Sales volume do ubles every 10 years. * Success factors are 1) dedicated and talented human resources, 2) a reputation for honesty and trust, 3) prudent and conservative management philosophy, 4) innovation in superior quality of products at competitive prices, and 5) substantial marketing expertise. * The company organized its products in terms of 8 categories: 1) package soap and detergent, 2) bar soup and household cleaning, 3) toilet goods, 4) paper products, 5) food products, 6) coffee, 7) Food Service and lodging products, and 8) special products. * Brand group planned, developed, and directed the total marketing effort for its brand through development of the annual marketing plan. * Brand group worked closely with other four lines. Sales department provided important perspective on consumer and trade promotion acceptance, stock requirement to support competitive pricing. * Product development department ensured continued improvement on brand’s quality through extensive consumer and laboratory tests. * Brand group worked with manufacturing department on detailed brand volume estimates. Their interaction was crucial to new product development process. * Based on the volume and marketing expenditure forecasts provided by the brand groups, financial/cost analyst developed and fed back brand profit and pricing analyses as well as profit and rate of return forecasts on new products and  promotion. Using the information, Mr. Chris Wright, associate advertising manager of the Packaged Soap and Detergent Division (PS&D) of the Procter & Gamble Co., was trying to determine how the division could increase volume of its light-duty liquid detergents (LDLs), capture more shares from the market, and increase long-term or short-term profit. The three options that Wright considered are new brand introduction, product improvement on an existing brand, and an increase in marketing expenditures on existing brands. Each option is analyzed as follows: New Brand Introduction: Pros: * P&G’s current LDL played a leading role in the market place. The success of its Dawn brand clearly indicated a likelihood of another new brand with a distinctive benefit could increase further P&G’s LDL Volume. * Wright saw new product potential in all three market segments (performance, mildness, and price brands) * For performance brand, market research indicated that 80% of U.S. households scour and scrub their dishes at least once a week. H-80 invented by new technology as a high-performance product which can fulfill a clear consumer need based on research. The 4-week blind in house use test of H-80 and established competitive LDL, was a strong indicator of its potential success. * For mildness segment, a new brand which differentiates its mildness benefit can help the declining segment recapture the consumers. * Although P&G’s’s price segment had been in decline, it was expected to stabilize at its current share level due to the increasing consumer sensitivity to price resulting from the depressed state of economy. * Wright considered the potential of producing a brand with parity performance benefits to existing price brand competition at a cost that allowed PS&D to maintain a good profit. Cons: * The new brand would require $20 million in capital investment to cover additional production capacity and bottle molds. * The new LDL brand also needs at least $60 million for first-year introductory marketing expenditures. * The introduction of new product would take about two years plus one year if test market was needed. So three years indicated that the profit return would be a long-term investment. Product Improvement on an  Existing Brand: Pros: * Unlike new opportunity, product improvement such as introduction of H-80 formula to one of the current LDL brands would require less investment. It would cost $20 million for the improvement and $10 million as incremental marking expenditures, which was $50 million less than a new brand. * On top of it, Joy brand could cut its cost of goods by $3 million per year if this new formula was introduced. The brand relaunch would cost $10 million in marketing expense with no capital investment. Cons: * Although there is a data supporting how H-80 formula would capture the market, there was lack of data of the introduction of H-80 formula to the existing current LDL brands. * If consumers have already established a certain image of Joy brand group, can the change of formula attract new consumers and retain the existing consumers? * The introduction of new product would take about one year plus two year if test market was needed. So three years indicated that the profit return would be a long-term investment. Increase Marketing Expenditures on Existing Brands Pros: * Since the market has been static with the LDL category, Wright might avoid increasing the capital investment and reduce investment risk. * Wright could expand the overall profits by capturing larger market shares using extra advertising and promotion techniques. Cons: * There was lack of data supporting the increase in marketing expenditures on existing brands could produce the desired market share increase. * For some segments such as price brands, increasing advertising and promotion would not increase sales and market share if the price didn’t decrement accordingly. This was especially true in the depressed state of economy. Recommendations: The recommendation was to go with the combined feature of having both long-term and short-term investment. Introduction of a new product such as  H-80 appeared to be a too costly investment. In such a depressed state of economy, it was not a smart decision to invest $80 million for the new product. Out of $80 million, $60 million was only used to cover the cost of the first year, not to mention incremental cost for the next few years. The product would require 3 years in order to be introduced to the market. Using the cost/benefit analysis, I think the first option of new brand introduction was too risky. We could combine option 2 (product improvement) as a long-term investment with the option 3 (increase marketing expenditure on existing brands) as the short-term investment. Combining these two options could increase the sales volume with very minimum capital investment. In return, it meant less risk for Procter & Gamble. The timeframe with one long-term investment and one short-t erm investment allowed Procter & Gamble the time, resources, and capital to focus on two endeavors strategizing more efficient plans to tackle the charging and competitive market. Especially the case also indicated that increased marketing expenditures could be approved almost immediately if the plan was financially attractive.