Frankenstein †Who is the real monster? Essay

The novel Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelley when she was only eighteen years old, after a nightmare she had. It was published on 1st January 1818 and became a great success. Mary Shelley used the style of gothic horror in this novel, introducing Frankenstein as perhaps the first science fiction book ever written in this genre. Almost two centuries later it has become a widely read classic novel, but also one of the most influential novels ever written. One of the influences on Mary Shelley when she wrote Frankenstein was the scientific experiments of the time. Scientists were researching the effects of electricity on dead animals and humans; they were striving to control powers of life and death. They had discovered that an electric current could galvanise the limbs, making them move. Not only does Dr. Frankenstein bring his creature to life by using an electrical current, but also Mary Shelley describes numerous storms, which include lightening, when the monster appears to Frankenstein at various points throughout the book. Frankenstein is a moral tale that deals with issues and ethics of medical and scientific progression and how far humans should go when tampering with nature. The story raises questions as to who should have final power over life and human nature; God or humans. Shelley calls her book a ‘Modern Prometheus’. Prometheus is a story of a Greek God who gave the human race fire, out of pity so they could eat, but also brought them danger, and was therefore punished for it. Frankenstein is also punished by several horrific deaths in his family. He soon finds out that playing God has horrendous consequences. This story tells the tale of Dr Frankenstein, an optimistic student of natural philosophy who makes a manlike monster from parts of dead bodies and brings it to life by using an electrical current. Frankenstein’s monster is larger than most men and equally as strong. This superhuman creature seems to be the godfather of many a comic villain. It may be that Shelley wanted to explore what it feels like to be classed as a villain, when really you have a gentle heart that is considerably misunderstood. I think that because Mary Shelley had many fears and insecurities in her own life, including blaming herself for her inability to prevent her children’s deaths, it caused her to become concerned about the issues of creation which led to her writing Frankenstein. During this essay I will be writing about where my sympathy lies as a reader and also looking at the techniques Shelley uses to engage our attention as a reader and manipulate our sympathies. Throughout the novel Frankenstein’s role varies from being a victim to becoming a villain. Half of the time Frankenstein is a victim of the creature he so carelessly restored to life, because of his obsession with nature’s genetics. This obsession leads to his destruction but everything he love goes first, leaving him with nothing to fight for, only the desperate hope that someday his creature will die. At the beginning of chapter five Frankenstein portrays himself as a hero as he says â€Å"I beheld the accomplishment of my toils† and also † the wretch whom with such infinite pains and cares I had endeavoured to form†. This suggests that Frankenstein looked beyond the horror of what he was doing and found some sort of glory in his ability to create this monster. He was blinded by his ambition as a scientist and believed he had created a monster with such â€Å"beautiful features†. However when the creature finally â€Å"awoke† he suddenly realised the mistake he had made. He could not â€Å"describe his emotions as this catastrophe†. This is the point at which the reader too, becomes fully aware for the first time of what Frankenstein has really done in creating such a terrifying monster. Shelley uses a range of techniques to enforce a sense of terror in the opening of chapter five. Her first reference to the creature that Frankenstein is making is a â€Å"lifeless thing†. When we read on, we find out that not only is it a corpse, but also one in which the eyes are a â€Å"dull yellow† colour, its â€Å"yellow skin scarcely covering the work of muscles and arteries†, and its teeth a â€Å"pearly whiteness†. All these things add to the prolonged sense of catastrophe that Frankenstein’s life will turn out to be; what’s more it adds to the feeling of disgust and horror that the readers’ thoughts so rapidly turn to. The image of the candle being half extinguished represents Frankenstein’s life of peace drawing to an end. This is the very opposite of what Frankenstein was trying to achieve. When Shelley describes the process that Frankenstein has undergone to â€Å"infuse life into an inanimate body†, we are further horrified at the thought of bringing about something so terrible. Frankenstein had also deprived himself of his own health in order to create this monster. He has destroyed himself for the sake of his creation; this suggests that he has almost given his own life for the creation of his monster and leads us to question the consequences of such an action. Mary Shelley examines the consequences of creating a human frame without a soul or conscience. She suggests that as humans pursue science they may discover things about themselves that they do not like. When Frankenstein is asleep his creation comes to him in the night, terrifying him and forcing him to run from the house. Once outside he is â€Å"drenched by the rain which poured from the black and comfortless sky†. Here Shelley uses nature to create a sense of eeriness in her writing and build tension. This is nature’s punishment for Frankenstein because of his obsession to create a monster, destroying the laws of nature. The sky is described as â€Å"comfortless†, Frankenstein cannot expect to receive any comfort or solace from nature because of his destruction of the laws of nature and his blatant disregard of them. Nature therefore rejects him. During this chapter Shelley uses a poem by Colendge to show how Frankenstein feels. It states that he is on a â€Å"lonesome road† and walks in † fear and dread† because â€Å"he knows a frightful fiend doth close behind him tread†. It suggests that he has forced himself into a situation where he is alone and beyond the help of others because of his own actions. He stops outside an inn where he meets an old school friend â€Å"who on seeing him instantly sprung out†. This meeting is fate as the friend is then murdered, towards the end of the book, by the monster. Previously Frankenstein has repeatedly referred to the creature as a ‘miserable wretch’. He now goes further towards giving the creature an identity by claiming that he is his â€Å"enemy†. Part of Frankenstein’s rejection of his creature is that he does not even give it a name. Frankenstein is pushed to insanity by the fear of â€Å"his enemy†. He is so consumed by fear and despair that he even implies that his friend should not have nursed him back to health, but have let him die so that he could get away from the creature and the dreadful consequences of his birth. This is shown when Frankenstein says, â€Å"firm in the hope he felt of my recovery, he did not doubt that, instead of doing harm, he performed the kindest action that he could towards them†.

Causes and Prevention of Poor Health Essay

In many countries, especially the United States, behaviors leading to poor health start early in life. The three â€Å"leading causes of preventable death in the United States are smoking, obesity, and alcohol abuse† (Science Daily, 2006). Along with these problems, â€Å"a lack of exercise, drug abuse, and sexually transmitted diseases were prominent in young adults† (Science Daily, 2006). Some reasons for these problems are children and young adults spending more time inside playing video games and watching television instead of going outside to play or to participate in a sport. Often young adults are left to take care of themselves after school and during the summer vacation, and their diets tend to suffer. Smoking, alcohol use, and drug use are all glorified in movies and on television, and some young people feel that they need to copy those actions to make themselves â€Å"cool† in the eyes of others. Insufficient sexual education at home and at school contributes to disease and unwanted pregnancy. To change these behaviors, more must be done to teach children to take care of their bodies. Even a small child can be taught to enjoy good foods, at the very least in school lunches, and can be taught that playing is more fun than watching television. Because some children live in areas where outside play is limited, schools and non profit organizations should step in and offer plenty of physical education and after school activities. After school activities and school vacation programs can also help with the drug, alcohol, and smoking problems. Having good role models demonstrate clean lifestyles and teach the dangers of harmful activities may cause some children to never start them. Finally, sex education must be provided in some form before children feel the urges to become sexually active. Programs that teach young people how difficult it is to care for a child and how devastating a sexually transmitted disease can be, and in some cases how deadly they can be, need to start early and be carried through all the years of schooling. Children must be made aware of how special their bodies are, and how they can carefully tend to them to make them strong, healthy, and last for a long time. The earlier they can be taught this, the less poor health there will be in the United States.

Environmental Discourse Essay

Although environmental concerns have attained increasing currency within society, general coverage by the media fails to recognize that not all environmental discourses are alike. Different ideological strains exist and maintain different assumptions about not just the source of environmental problems, but the kinds of solutions that are necessary to solving environmental problems. In the latter half of the 20th century, when environmentalism arose as a distinct political and social ideology, the form of environmental discourse held by most of its proponents is what is now called deep green environmentalism. Deep green environmentalisms operate under the assumption that the dominant political and social ideologies such as unchecked growth, pervasive consumerism and extreme industrialism and capitalism are inherently flawed and contributive to ecological damage. They believe profound lifestyle changes and a willingness to confront dominant social institutions are needed to keep these problems in check. (Beder, 1991) By contrast, light green environmentalists are more common today: they have a casual concern regarding planetary welfare and do not view environmental protection as a distinct political ideology. They do not seek the political emasculation of industrialism and capitalism but instead emphasize environmentalism as a lifestyle alternative. They choose strategic consumption and a responsible modern living as the means to address environmental issues. As such, light green environmentalists make no pretense of possessing the same subversive aspirations of their dark or deep green counterparts. (Beder, 1991) Today, a new form of environmentalism has emerged: Bright green environmentalism. Bright green environmentalism holds that the guilt of modern living can be reconciled with environmental anxiety and sustainability is possible through tools and technology. The primary assumption is that it is difficult for individuals to go deep green and â€Å"turn their backs† on material luxury, and that the strategic consumption of light greens is ultimately trivial in relation to our ecological problems. To that end, bright green environmentalists embrace new forms of energy production, manufacturing, biotechnology, urban planning and other forms of sustainable design technologies as a means of retrofitting the present capitalist-industrialist mode of life rather than seeking to overthrow it. They celebrate the potential for economic abundance and material plenitude without compromising ecological sustainability. (Steffen, 2006) REFERENCES Beder, S. â€Å"Activism vs. Negotiation: Strategies for the Environment Movement. † Social Alternatives, Vol 10, No 4, pp. 53-56, December 1991. Retrieved on January 26, 2009 from: http://homepage. mac. com/herinst/sbeder/activism. html Steffen, A. (2006, May) â€Å"The Next Green Revolution. † Wired Magazine, 14. 05. Retrieved October 13, 2008 from: http://www. wired. com/wired/archive/14. 05/green. html

Persuasive writing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Persuasive writing - Assignment Example Frank Daley, who is one of Ruth’s immediate superiors, Ruth’s workload has significantly increased. In addition to the fact, that Ruth only has a part time worker to support her. This situation has negatively affected Ruth’s efficiency and productivity as well as her overtime schedule causing the company additional expenses for her overtime pay. Jack on the other hand, has significantly reduced work due to the absence of Ms. Jessica Hilo. Jack having his full time assistant has had less workload resulting in his current lax attitude about his tasks. Given the circumstance, the imbalanced distribution of work should be addressed. The best solution would be to delegate the same workload and workers to the two offices. This can be done by switching the assistants to each office. Since Jack has lessened workload, the need for a full time assistant is unnecessary. Conversely, Ruth who has taken more responsibilities needs more help and a full time assistant shall bene fit her efficiency and work quality without causing additional expenses for the company. I also believe that this shall make the two employees and their supervisors contented because there would be minimal adjustment in terms of organization. The company even saves money and ensures the productivity of all their employees.

Mutimedia System - Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mutimedia System - Discussion - Essay Example The productivity aspects center on the premise of bringing out more reasons for interactivity with the users so that the end goal would be to derive a benefit on the part of the people who make the best use of the very same. The aspects that are deemed as the good ones make use of the positives that are outlined as the significant ones from the aesthetics and user interaction perspectives. These aspects bring to light the notion of sound interactivity as well as maximum stay on the part of the users, which is also a very important yardstick for measuring the efficiency of the multimedia systems. The multimedia systems require hard work and proper planning by the designers who are usually doing their best to come out with a future looking outlook of the multimedia system. The bad aspects of multimedia systems depend a great deal on the way people perceive the very multimedia systems (Carroll 1996). Hence in order to understand what kind of multimedia systems would be seen as the effective ones, there is a need to comprehend what kind of solutions they are deriving for the sake of the users. If the solutions are tangible and the users feel stuck on to the designs for a long period of time, it is essential that aesthetics are kept a proper place within the mind of the designer when he is actually designing the very multimedia system. In essence it would be important to understand that the good use of the multimedia systems is essential as these offer maximum productivity and sound results, which is always taken in a very positive way. The bad use of the multimedia systems would mean that the product (the design itself) is not appreciated by the users and hence they would avoid such multimedia systems in the first place (Draper 1986). There is a proper need to adjust the time which a user would devote towards the multimedia systems so that the efficiency and effectiveness results could be achieved in a sound manner. Having said that it is also important that the

E-Commerce Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

E-Commerce Education - Essay Example In the same way, a large number of businesses that were operating traditionally have decided to move their business to the internet. Hence, the quick developments in information technology, particularly the use of internet in the form e-commerce (electronic commerce) and e-business (electronic business) in current years has influenced a large number of business organizations. In fact, e-commerce is believed to the most important and attractive internet supported ideas appeared in the recent times. In this scenario, electronic commerce engages carrying out business over the web with the help of computers that are connected to each other in order to form a network. In simple words, ecommerce deals with selling and buying products and services and transferring funds by making use of digital communications (EcommerceEducation, 2007; Hendershot, 2013). In addition, both the trends e-commerce and e-business are used interchangeably. However, e-business is about the development of businesse s which can be run on the Internet, or using Internet systems and technologies to enhance the profitability or productivity of a company. In other words, this term can be employed to explain some structure of electronic business: that is to say, a business that makes use of a computer. This practice is somewhat out-of-date, though, and in most of the cases e-business refers completely to an Internet based business. In addition, both the trends e-commerce and e-business are used interchangeably.  ... a business which offers and sells products and services online, an e-business allows a firm to get access to a huge customer base than some customary brick-and-mortar store could ever expect for. Additionally, e-commerce is believed to be a significant component of e-business. Moreover, e-business can as well make use of the Internet to obtain wholesale products or supplies intended for in-house manufacturing. This side of e-business is occasionally recognized as online or e-procurement, as well as provides the businesses an excellent opportunity to reduce their costs radically. However, the majority of e-businesses that work without an electronic business platform at the present utilize e-procurement as a key mechanism to effectively track and run their purchasing (McGuigan, 2013). This report presents an analysis of e-business in the context of Galaxy Electronic Inc. business, which is a main supplier of power management solutions and mobile electronic devices (for example PDAs, mo bile phones, digital cameras, etc.). In light of the benefits offered by the internet to business organizations the management of Galaxy Electronic Inc. has decided to establish a web based business and information portal. The basic purpose of this e-business implementation is to improve the business capabilities and take competitive edge in the market. This report presents a detailed analysis of this implementation process. This report outlines the ways this e-business platform will bring benefits and opportunities of the business. 2- Business Background Galaxy Electronic Inc. is a well-known business in electronic industry. It presents a wide range of modern electronic devices. As well, visual and audio products developed by Galaxy Electronic Inc. offer customers excellent alternatives

Social inclusion policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social inclusion policy - Essay Example Immigration policies, while developed at the EU or national level, impact social and economic matters at the community level. In May 2003, the EU addressed this issue at the Thessaloniki summit and in June of that year at the Commission’s Communication on Integration (Spencer, 2004). Four years earlier, the EU had proposed the establishment of an ‘area of freedom, security and justice’ that would be in place by May of 2004. Known as the ‘Tampere Programme,’ this plan was designed to initiate the Common European Asylum System. In November 2004, the ‘Hague Programme’ was agreed to by the EU in order to strengthen the Tampere strategy. This programme outlined wide-ranging goals that extended to 2009. The UK, according to provisions of the EU Treaty, is not required to accept EU directives regarding immigration and asylum. Generally speaking, the UK has rejected all proposals concerning illegal immigration but has accepted the majority of EU directives concerning legal immigration (Local Government International Bureau, 2005). According to Dick Oosting who heads the EU division of Amnesty International, the attacks by terrorists in the United States on 11 September, 2001 were among the reasons that the EU began to alter its priorities towards support for security issues and away from human rights concerns with regard to immigration. Oosting remarked, â€Å"Amnesty has felt this concern since the EU’s individual states began merging some of their immigration policies in 1999† (Lobjakas, 2004). People, even those who are citizens of the EU’s 15 member states, have had to deal with immigration barriers such as the lack of legal qualifications, language difficulties and a growing public resentment. Those persons from countries outside the EU are more likely to encounter additional hardships in these areas and are in need

MakerSpaces ( by use PRINCE2 and Design Thinking method ) Term Paper

MakerSpaces ( by use PRINCE2 and Design Thinking method ) - Term Paper Example Then discuss these at your next group meeting. The forms that you are completing in the early weeks of the course, aim to foster and document your initial ideas. Later in the course you can expand on these as you develop the actual Business Case response. The most ideal use for the Makerspace would be to provide a place for students from high school level to the college or university level to be able to pull academic resources for references and be able to share technological projects ideas. This increases the productivity levels of the students by working as a team. The group is for the idea that the demographic study showed a higher percentage of the student population aged between 18 to 25 years in most of the households, than the age group between 25 to 35 years. Thus it would be most ideal if the Makerspace would favor the students’ education, technological research, discussions and projects. Design Thinking (and for that matter good project management) asks you to gather information from your demographic audience – your potential audiences / users. In a design thinking framework, you would interview or observe some of your users and then develop a narrative or story around their project need. Draft TWO stories that use demographic data to help define a user and product of your group’s potential project. For example: â€Å"Teenagers interested in electronics will be able to design and build simple iPhone apps using the provided hardware and instruction and thus develop a basic programming skill that could enhance their application for VET or university application†. The implication in this narrative is a teenage demographic and need for educational support. University students’ focus is based on technological research and projects as opposed to studying. The space will be able to provide technological tools and software tool resources to enable the innovative minds to develop new generation

An IPO for Twitter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

An IPO for Twitter - Essay Example An IPO is an acronym that stands for Initial Public Offering which refers to the first sale of stocks by a privately owned company to the public. IPO’s are often used by younger and smaller companies to expand their business but are also used by privately owned large companies to become publicly traded (Investopedia, 2911). When Twitter makes the decision to go public along with their new commercial accounts and advertisement programs, it is best for Twitter to use an auction – based IPO to acquire and bring more profit to the company. Auction – based IPOs utilize the internet to open the bidding of their stocks to interested investors. In order to underwrite the IPO, Twitter will need an investment bank. This would cost less compared to the traditional IPO underwriting process. A road show would be provided to educate investors about the company’s offerings and the company itself. Additionally, this type of IPO is beneficial for Twitter because auction â €“ based IPOs open the bidding of their stock through the internet allowing a larger set of investors to participate. Lastly, and most importantly, Twitter would have a share price closer to the market value as opposed to the share price in traditional IPO; this would mean there will be a higher return of profit for Twitter (Kadam, 2009). While in the traditional IPO, Twitter would designate a specific investment bank to underwrite the IPO. ... The true market value would be discounted from what Twitter and the investment bank came up with because this acts as the investment bank’s commission from Twitter. For this reason, Twitter would have a lower cost on the auction – based IPO for the underwriting process. After identifying the number of shares that can be offered and the share price of the IPO. In the same way as an auction – based IPO, a road show would be given to the investors to educate them about the offering and about the company itself. Once the road show is completed, shares are then allocated to investors. The advantage of using a traditional IPO is stocks are much higher than the initial price when the trading begins (eSSORTMENT, 2011). There are disadvantages with these types of IPOs. In an auction – based IPO, it would cost them less capital if the company and the investment bank overestimate the value of the stock. If this occurs, the company would not meet their target capital, which translates in a shortage of funds for the company’s expansion. Also, there would be less return of investments for investors because the share price in this form of IPO is close to the market value allowing the profits to flow in the company’s favor (eSSORTMENT, 2011). Another example of a risk in using the auction – based IPO is when the system gets hit by a virus after opening the stocks for bidding to the interested investors. This occurrence would violate the state and federal security laws of the investors. This obstacle can really happen because the opening of the shares is through the use of the internet making it very possible to get hit by the said virus (Hildreth, n.d.). The disadvantage in a traditional IPO is investment banks take

Eating - Pica Essay Example for Free

Eating Pica Essay Pica is a compulsion to eat non food items when it is considered to be developmentally inappropriate for a time length of no less than one month. This disorder, also known as a â€Å"phenomenon† has been around since ancient times, with certain cultures accepting this not as a disorder, but as an accepted practice. There are several categories for describing pica. Some of the most commonly described types of pica are eating earth, soil or clay (Geophagia), ice (Pagophagia), and starch (Amylophagia) in humans. (http://www. encyclopedia. com/topic/pica. aspx). Pica is usually noticed in pregnancy, developmental delay and mental retardation, psychiatric disease and autism, early childhood, poor nutrition, lack of specific nutrients, vitamins, and/or minerals, and certain specific religions and their corresponding specific traditions. The specific causes for Pica are unknown, but certain conditions and situations can increase a person’s risk: Nutritional deficiencies such as iron and zinc Dieting- consuming non food items to obtain a feeling of â€Å"fullness† Malnutrition-especially in underdeveloped countries. Cultural factors such as family practices and religious factors Parental neglect, lack of supervision, or food deprivation Developmental problems Mental health conditions Pregnancy Epilepsy Brain damage (http://kidshealth. org/PageManager. jsp? dn=KidsHealthlic=1ps=107cat_id=146article_set=22148) Research suggests that there is no known cause for this disorder. In most studies into the disorder, the â€Å"habit† of eating non-nutritive substances usually clears up on its on terms for no known reason. Nevertheless, this disorder should be considered serious, as there are multiple risk factors up to and including death that present as outcomes. Pica has been shown to be a predisposing factor in accidental ingestion of poisons, particularly lead poisoning. The ingestion of bizarre or unusual substances has also resulted in other potentially life threatening toxicities, such as hyperkalemia after cautopyreiophagia (ingestion of burnt match heads) (http://emedicine. medscape. com/article/914765-overview) To date, there are no lab studies to show the onset, cause, and /or leading factors that contribute to this disorder. It is common practice to identify and treat a person for effects only after they have become susceptible to medical treatment. Physical examination findings are highly dispersed and depend directly on what substance has been ingested. Most research suggests that pregnant woman crave a specific nutrient missing from their diet, therefore consuming a specific non food substance rich in that nutrient to fulfill what their body is looking for. Most children up to two years old are said to simply be â€Å"exploring their environment† and do so by putting everything into their mouths. Medications used to help treat Pica disorder are commonly SSRI’s such as: Olanzapine: a drug typically used to treat the symptoms of various mental illnesses that cause a loss of interest in life, unusual thinking, or inappropriate emotions, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Clozapine: another drug used to treat the symptoms of various mental illnesses by transforming natural substance activities in the brain. Risperidone: used to treat the symptoms assoc. with manic states and bipolar disorder. Both Olanzapine and Clozapine belong to a class of atypical antipsychotics that are sometimes used in Pica patients to help change the way they see certain materials and reduce their negative eating habits. Risperidone can be used to treat the symptoms of Pica disorder, as well as some of the underlying causes, including depression and psychotic factors. The most successful approach to treating a client with Pica disorder is a behavioral approach. Behavioral strategies have been shown to be extremely effective in treating many forms of Pica, up to and including: Discrimination training. Mouth self-protection devices Reinforcement behaviors Screening techniques (ex: covering eyes) Aversive oral taste (mint, lemon, etc. ) Aversive smell techniques Aversive physical sensation (ex: alternative response) Brief physical restraint Consultations (http://www. health guideinfo. com/other-eating-disorders) In General, the use of medications for Pica disorder are commonly used for the person(s) with a mental handicap, or in combination with any other medical diagnosis (ex: depression, ADHD, obsessive compulsive disorder). Many physicians will have a focused aim on finding out if the body is lacking a nutrient†¦usually noted to be iron. There is no evidence to say that a lack of iron is linked to the disorder. Side effects will also vary depending on the type of substance was ingested. Common side effects include: constipation, cramping, pain, obstruction of bowel or intestine due to blockage, perforation from ingesting sharp objects, contamination and infection from ingesting parasites, weight gain, malnutrition, gestational diabetes false +, and decreased absorption of nutrients in the stomach (http://www. encyclopedia.com/topic/Pica. aspx). There is no true prognosis for Pica disorder as it depends on the substance and amount of the substance taken in. Usually the side effects and complications tend to dissipate as the behavior is stopped. Pica is seen in studies to subside once the labor has been successful and in children as they age, usually around two years of age. There are no specific lab studies indicated in the evaluation of a person with pica. Lab tests are generally completed when a patient has been seen by their physician for a complaint. As a patient admitted to the E. R. , the attending Dr.may order abdominal x-rays, barium swallows of the G. I. tracts, and an upper GI endoscopy in order to get a handle of what has been ingested and the location of the substances. A list of commonly ingested non-food items consumed includes: Dirt Clay Paint chips Plaster Chalk Cornstarch Laundry starch Baking soda Coffee grounds Cigarette ashes Burnt match heads Cigarette butts Feces Ice Glue Hair Buttons Paper Sand Toothpaste Soap A common approach used is education for patients in regards to a healthy approach to consumption to adequate sources of food substances. A common failure is non-information throughout the world.

The Social Shaping Of Technology Sociology Essay

The Social Shaping Of Technology Sociology Essay The import of social and technological interaction has been a subject of controversies over the year with two sides having different view of it. Technological determinists believe that technology determines the trend in social changes and history (Chandler, 2000). But the view of Social constructivists is different in the sense that they believe the social norms dictate technology both in design and usage (Trevor, 2010). This paper will try to look into each believe using a personal experience with time technology in relation to user role. Section 2.0 will shed light into believes of technological determinist using media Technology Determinism and Techno-evolution while section 3.0 will dwell on the Social shaping of technology using the Actor Network Theory (ANT) and Social Construction of technology theory (SCOT). Also, section 4.0 will explain what methodology that was used in accessing both theories while section 5.0 will show the findings in relation to both theories. The last s ection, section 6.0 will draw conclusion on what this paper believed in respect of the two theories. 2.0 Technological Determinism The term Technological determinism was first used by an American called Thorstein Veblen in 1920s who believed that technology determines social change (Chandler, 2000). Technological determinism tends to believe that society is shaped by it most dominant technological innovation. Theories associated to Technological determinisms are Media technological determinism, Technological primacy, Technological imperative, Universalism and Techno-evolutionism (Chandler, 2000). This idea is based in two forms which are soft and hard determinism. The soft claims that technology determines social change but not absolute while the hard determinism claims that the force of technology is so big that it is autonomous (Joseph, 2004). Both ideas are based on cause which is technology and effect which is impact of it on the social norm. Also, this view tends to explain technology in linear developmental stages without taking into consideration other adjoining factors. Technological determinist views social change as a dependant of technology. For example many determinists believe that communication technology determines the direction in which the society behaviour moves towards. Marshall McLuhan (1976) believed media deprive people of their private identity. He further describes this when he was criticizing that the media has negatively affected the life of people worldwide. He gave an example of a research conducted in Germany and UK where some people were paid not to watch television for some time. He said the result the agency discovered was reduction in drug addicted people. Techno-evolutionism believes most world history is named after technological innovation. Examples of this are Machine age, age of automation, atomic age, industrial revolution, space age, communication age and so on (Chandler, 2000). This idea tends to focus on technological progress from generation to generation by the western world. Masse Bloomfield (1995) in his book Automated Society predicted that in the near future everybody will have what they want without physical effort. This he said would have serious impact on mans social system. Also Jeremy Rifkin (1995) in his book End of Work reiterated that men will be substituted by machine. All this ideas are based on human over reliance in getting everything done with technology without thinking of the consequence it will have on them. 3.0 Social Shaping of Technology The social constructivists believe that it is the society that shape technology. This theory based its own idea on different concept like the Empirical Programme of Relativism (EPOR), Actor Network Theory (ANT), Social Construction of technology (SCOT), Gender Studies (Consumption Junction) and many others. Also Social Constructivists believe users of technology determine the design and usability of it (Trevor, 2010). This paper will explain what is meant by two of the aforementioned concepts which are ANT and SCOT with examples. ANT is a concept derived by Latour and Calon and it sees technology as a kind of battle between the users and the Script embedded in technology (Trevor, 2010). The theory deals with technology inform of network of actors on it (Trevor, 2010). He further describes it as a kind of program that is done on the assumption of user behaviour but users overcome this by anti-program (Trevor, 2010). An example of this is sit belt where the programm is if it is not worn then beep but user group not convenient with it i.e. Pregnant woman will fight this back by selling a dummy to the program (Anti-program) thereby plugging the sit belt in its socket to stop the beep (Trevor, 2010). This way the user is controlling the technology. SCOT on the other part is an approach developed by both Trevor Pinch and Wiebe Bijker. It based its approach to research on Relevant Social Group, Interpretative Flexibility, Closure, influence of wider culture, Technological frame work and users as agents of technological change (Trevor, 2010). Bijeker (1997) argues using the evolution of Velocifere to Safety bicycle based on different user activity, that social group can change technology. Also Trevor (2010) argues that technology can be used for another purpose that is different from its original function. He gave an example of a car lifted up to power a washing machine. In another research work on Moog Synthesizer Trevor (2010) was able to proof that even invention is collaboration between inventor and the anticipated user. Social constructivist ideas points to Users as determinant of technology 4.0 Methodology The methodology used is based on Relevant Social Group approach by checking on users of time machine. The users include both male and female students in my class and watching of passerby students to see how they check time or whether they even have wrist watch at all. I also ask some questions from female students like what says your time to notice how it is been checked. Also the technological effect on landscape is also considered using the site sightseeing observation along Clyde River and industrial evolution society using the visit to New Lanark. The justification behind using the above approach is that it allows the researcher to use and relation with the current technology and society to bring out comparative analysis on the issue. Also the opinion will be neutral since deduction is from a different user without inclination into any of the theory of technology and society relationship. 5.0 Findings and implications In getting the real life picture of the two argument, this section will try to analyze its finding using the analysis gotten from the sight seen along Clyde bank, visit to New Lanark and engagement with the time technology. History will play a major tool of analysis in illustrating the aforementioned. 5.01 River Clyde Working along the Clyde River one will see a vivid notification of a once booming economic area of Scotland with traces of ship oil still floating on the river. The area has now been converted to recreational center due to the effect of world war two. In order to get the feel of this change this paper will start with a brief history of the River Clyde. Years ago river Clyde is an haven for port activities with ship engineers locating their presence due to ship activities going on in the area. Technology play role in transforming the port to a trade hub. This was done by development of technology on steam engine and dredging of river clyde to open avenue for large ship. The dredging allowed large vessel to sail into Broomielaw instead of stopping at port outside the city (Clyde water front heritage). However, this activity was affected after the Second World War due to intense bombing of the Clyde side. Based on the shift towards tourism the Clyde river area has been turned to a relaxation area with side attractions like the Titan crane, BBC Scotland, Digital media quarter etc. All this shows how technology can transform the landscape of a place which in turn changes the social way of doing things. Conversely, the changes are based on process in terms of the need by people. For example the idea behind the change is due to the need for improvement on sugar and tobacco trading by the people while technology also by dredging and construction of bridge change the landscape and ways of doing things. 5.0.2 Visit to New Lanark The New Lanark visit shows how the industrial revolution age (Technological Determinist way of depicting era) changes the non active environment to a busy one. This transforms the landscape and increase social presence in the area. History of New Lanark started with David Dale and his partner (Inventor), Richard Arkwright coming to the area. Both agreed in inventing in the area due to the availability of water fall to provide power for the proposed cotton mill. The idea is based on the feasibility of cotton production during the industrial revolution. Population of increased to 2,500 by the time the cotton industry started in 1786 (New Lanark Trust). Also the way the people uses power changed with the advent of transistor radio and pressing iron with villagers tapping power (ANT idea of Anti-programming). Although the power was supplied free to villager but it was later changed when the villagers were connected to the National grid due to increase in usage (Undiscovered Scotland). The clock tells the time to wake up and get prepared for work and also when the power is to be switched off and on. The whole story changed when the activities at the mill reduced and market declined. The population of villagers also decline with people moving out of New Lanark. New Lanark has now been rebuilt as a tourist center with influx of more than 50,000 tourists visiting the village per annum. The above history also shows the relationship between technology and society. Some of the workshop visit really shows how technology controls workers. An example of this is the spinning machine which moves up and down at the same workers move to work in resonance with the machine. The noise of the machine is also there, although workers may not like it but due to the power of their employer and their own aim of earning their sustenance they have no option. The emigration of people from New Lanark also shows how technology can change society. 5.0.3 Engagement with time technology Engagement with time technology through history of time measurement, and the struggle of getting accurate time in human endeavour shed more light into relationship between technology and society. Time measurement is one of fundamental to human existence. Barbara (2006) argues that our relation with time makes us human. This shows how important measuring of accurate time is important to human existence. This section will try to relate events with time and show how various usage has integrate technology as part of our ecosystem. The history of time dated back to our existence with needs for time as sensational night and day. Need to know time of birth and death also highlights an important phase in the history of time. Thompson (1967, p.58) stated that Cross River natives were reported as saying the man died in less than the time in which maize is not yet completely roasted (Cross River is a state in Nigeria) . It is noted in history of time that most nations in one way or the other use different means of measuring time. Most especially, they seems to concentrate more on use of celestial bodies like the sun, moon and different planet to measure months, season and years. Because of the variation in night and day, necessity to divide the day into hours emerged. This was solved by a mathematician Hipparchus using his shadow to do theoretical math, he proposed 24 hours (Anon, 2011). At the same time the Greek has invented the mechanical water clock to measure time. This was the era of mechanical transformation from Natural mode of measurement. Suddenly knowing the hour of the day prompted research by the Greeks into minutes by measuring the angle the sun in different city at the same hour and comparing data (Anon, 2011). This enables them to reason not only shape of the earth but the size of it as well (Anon, 2011). After solving the hour, finding time in different part of the world brings about the next problem of solving the mystery behind time. The scientists then were able to mark the latitude but longitude was a different ball game. In order to be able to measure accurate longitude you need to know the precise amount of time you wonder east or west and getting it was problematic (Anon, 2011). Problems that initiated research into longitude is the frequent lost of direction by ship on sea which most lead to it been perished (Anon, 2011). This prompted the British parliament in 1700 to offer cash reward to whoever can solve the problem (Anon, 2011). The problem was solved in 1730 by an English man named John Harrison who made the world first wine up clock power by spring (Anon, 2011). The emergence of information age led to crave for most accurate time. Other instances that led to request for better time includes the temperature problem of the old watch, time dilation effect, need for greasing of the mechanical watches, measurement of data throughput, time measurement in space etc. the first that emerged was quartz which has the ability to measure time accurately at 1 second error in 270 years (Anon, 2011). The second entrant was Atomic clock which so far is the most accurate in term of measuring time. The fuel-like component in the Atomic clock can either be Cesium or Hydrogen maser (Vickie, 2012). An example of atomic watch usage is the General Position System (GPS) where concurrently three different satellites communicate with one another using their time to synchronize one another. The time must be very accurate to transform the position of an object using it. Now it is very hard to see user like in the olden days using landmark to locate addresses, they rathe r use Google map or its equivalent to find their way around cities. Also my diary on usage of time machine shows that we use each machine in response to network effect of a dominant technology. The network effect theory talks about advantages user of technology gain from many network users of the same technology (Michael and Carl, 1985). Most people use wrist watch for show of status recently, while others like ladies uses it as ornament. For example, in my class we have six girls only two wears wrist watch consistently and when I ask for time from them they checked their phone not the wrist watch. I also ask the remaining girls they said why bordered when they are with their phone almost everywhere. The eight men in my class donà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t wear wrist watch for the same reason but they accepted to wear it when going for party. Further engagement with this led me to watch most of the student passing by to see whether they wear wrist watch but discovered that most men are not wearing it but some ladies wear it. I also notice tha t most of the student are always looking down with their hand on their smart phones smiling intermittently and looking up slightly so as not to bump on other road users. Furthermore, some students have their hand in their side pocket with ear phone in their ear but this time they look up. This shows the extent to what extent technology can change the way we socialize. My view on this is that most people use their phone to check their time since they prefer to have every need in one place. They can use the phone to call, receive call, play mp3, chart, set alarm, check time, find their way etc. The usage depends on the user group view on what they want from the technology irrespective of the original function or design. 5.0.4 Implications The implication of allowing technology to do what is meant for human instead of enhancing how human do things will have negative impaction on the society. This was explained by Butler (1872) when he stated that Reflect upon the extraordinary advance which machines have made during the last few hundred years, and note how slowly the animal and vegetable kingdoms are advancing. This means that technology development while helping the manufacturers of it to generate more revenue reduces human professionalism and at the same time have effect on the environment in terms of environmental pollution. One wonders what will happen if technological machine like time stopped working without having any alternatives like natural way of calculating time. Virtually everything stops when time stops. So this kind of important necessity should not be left in the hand of technology. In manufacturing technology there is need for consideration to be taken into its effect on the society and how such change can be managed. Also, some technologies destroy the ones they met in market thereby making other users to be out of the system. Schumpeter explained this as destructive innovation (Tim, 2010, p.). Apart from user loosing the out-of-market technology, user might also have challenge in knowing how to use the new technology. 6.0 Conclusion In conclusion, drawing from the above sections, it can be deduced that flows go both ways with technology having impact on social change and society have impact on technology irrespective of the idea behind Technological determinism and Social Constructivism. Both depend on each other but measure should be taken in reducing the excess of technological innovation to conform to the social safety of the society. Managers of technology in organization need to take technology as a supplement to human effort not has a supplement to the human itself. Also involvement of the frontline staff in technological implementation is paramount to management of change.

Microeconomics: Elasticity Concept of Supply and Demand

Microeconomics: Elasticity Concept of Supply and Demand INTRODUCTORY MICROECONOMICS CONTENTS MICROENOMICS (Words: 2,744) 1.  ELASTICITY CONCEPT OF DEMAND SUPPLY Elasticity lets us know a lot of things about our demand and supply. Besides that, elasticity of demand lets us know what number of additional units of an item will be sold when the value is cut (or what number of fewer units will be sold when the value is increased). The degree to which a demand or supply curves responds to a change in value is the curve elasticity (Heakal, R., 2003). Reem Heakal (2003) expressed that items that are necessities are more incentive to price changes since purchasers might keep purchasing these items despite the increments of price. On the other hand, a price increase of a good or service that is recognized to a lesser degree need will stop more consumers since the chance expense of purchasing the item will get to be excessively high (Quant Lego, 2013). Elasticity is a concept of responsiveness of one or more economic variables to changes in an alternate set of one or more variables (Quant Lego, 2013). The way of this responsiveness and the genuine value of elasticity convey useful knowledge and information to comprehend the way of relationship among economic variables and take decisions to influence one economic variable under ones control to acquire a desired outcome about the quality of the other economic variable (Quant Lego, 2013). A good or service is acknowledged to be highly elastic if a slight change in value prompts to a sharp change in the amount demanded or supplied. Normally these sorts of items are promptly accessible in the business and an individual may not so much require them in his or her everyday life. O the other hand, an inelastic good or service is one in which changes in value witness just modest changes in the amount demanded or supplied, if any whatsoever (Quant Lego, 2013). These products have a tendency to be things that are to a greater extent a need to the consumer in his or her everyday life. The elasticity of the supply or demand curves can be determined using the equation below: Elasticity = (% change in quantity / % change in price) According to Heakal, R. (2003), if elasticity is greater than or equal to one, the curve is considered to be elastic. If it is less than one, the curve is said to be inelastic. The demand curve is a negative slope as shown in Figure 1, and if there is a large decrease in the quantity demanded with a small increase in price, the demand curve looks flatter, or more horizontal. This flatter curve means that the good or service in question is elastic (Heakal, R., 2003). Figure 1Graph of elastic demand (Source: http://www.investopedia.com/university/economics/economics4.asp) Meanwhile, inelastic demand is represented with a much more upright curve as quantity changes little with a large movement in price as shown in Figure 2 (Heakal, R., 2003). Figure 2Graph of Inelastic demand (Source: http://www.investopedia.com/university/economics/economics4.asp) Elasticity of supply works similarly. According to Heakal, R. (2003), if a change in price results in a big change in the amount supplied, the supply curve appears flatter and is considered elastic. Hence, elasticity in this case would be greater than or equal to one as shown in Figure 3. Figure 3 Graph of elastic supply (Source: http://www.investopedia.com/university/economics/economics4.asp) On the other hand, if a big change in price only results in a minor change in the quantity supplied, the supply curve is steeper and its elasticity would be less than one as shown in Figure 4 (Heakal, R., 2003). Figure 4Graph of inelastic supply (Source: http://www.investopedia.com/university/economics/economics4.asp) Elasticity, defined as a ratio of proportional or per cent changes, is necessarily dimensionless meaning that it is independent of units of measurement (Hodrick, L. S. (1999). For example, the value of the price elasticity of demand for gasoline would be the same whether prices were measured in dollars or francs, or quantities in tonnes or gallons. This unit-independence is the main reason why elasticity is so popular a measure of the responsiveness of economic behaviour (Hairies, L., 2005). 2.  PRICE ELASTICITY OF DEMAND AND SUPPLY Hence, elasticity is a measure of exactly how much the amount demanded will be influenced by a change in value wage or change in price of related goods (Heakal, R., 2003). There are four sorts of elasticity, there are; price elasticity of demand, income elasticity of demand, cross price elasticity of demand and price elasticity of supply (Gachette, B., 2007). 2.1  Price Elasticity of demand Price elasticity of demand analyses the responsiveness of consumer demand to a change in price which is significant to know since then we know if it’s more beneficial to increase or decrease cost. In addition, price elasticity of demand help figure demand and help the firms choose about pricing in distinctive business portions. Monopolistic price discrimination might be practiced if the demand elasticity of distinctive business sector fragments is known/ assessed. Price elasticity of demand and supply helps to focus the feasible offering of the occurrence of a tax or a change in the tax rate (Das, S., 2005). Buoyancy in tax venues might be judged on the basis of income and price elasticity. This information is very useful for the economists included in providing estimates of tax revenue and proposes new taxes or changes in tax rates in the government (Das, S., 2005). 2.2  Income elasticity of demand Income elasticity of demand is the responsiveness of consumer demand to a change in wage this helps economists with classifying goods as substandard (the higher the income the lower the consumption) or normal (the higher the income the higher the consumption) (Das, S., 2005). Income elasticity of demand helps extend the interest for goods that a nation might require as the economy develops to higher and higher per capita wage levels. Demand for certain essential components of food are relatively inelastic after a certain level of income is reached. Thus, demand for cereals (for example, oats) is inelastic once the population has crossed the poverty line. But the demand for grains may at present increment through the demand for meat (as animals have to be reared on fodder grains). Such information helps long-term national planning. 2.3  Cross price elasticity of demand Cross price elasticity of demand is the responsiveness of consumer demand to a change in a competitors price this helps economists in comprehension if goods are complements (demand for one leads to demand for another) or substitutes (demand for one means less demand for another) (Das, S., 2005). Cross price elasticity also help pricing and marketing strategies keeping in view the effect of changes in cost of substitutes, complementary items and competing items in the same want fulfilling category. Publicizing using elasticity is essential to decide about advertising outlays and alternative advertising campaigns of organizations. 2.4  Price elasticity of supply Finally price elasticity of supply is the responsiveness regarding supply with a change in price which helps economists comprehend suppliers capacity to increase stocks for example agricultural goods producers have a low price elasticity of supply because if demand suddenly increases they have limited capacity to increase supply because of the long time it takes to produce this supply (Das, S., 2005). 3.  DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CONSUMER SURPLUS PRODUCER SURPLUS Customer and Producer surplus are two huge parts of matters of trade and profit particularly concerning marketing and pricing (Michigan State University, 2001). Customer Surplus is the cost above business sector value that you might be ready to pay or expressed diversely it is the maximum price that you might pay for a thing – the genuine price for that thing. Producer Surplus is basically the contrast between what a producers is willing and able to supply or offer an item for and what they get for it (Whfreeman, 2005). Simple example about consumer surplus, such as I-phone, let’s say that you willing to pay a maximum of RM2,500 but when you get to the store you discovered that the I-phone only cost you RM2,000 in which case you bought it and received a consumer surplus of RM 500; RM2,500 – RM2,000 = RM 500. Another example for producer surplus, take a company like Apple, let’s say that they would be willing to sell I-Pod for RM 200 and that is the absolute lowest they would willing to sell for but they manage to sell them for a price of RM 300 in this case the producer surplus is RM 100; RM 300 – RM 200 = RM100. When you observed those figures carefully, you’ll see that a basic economic principle in that the higher a product is priced the higher the producer surplus will be but the lower consumer surplus will, eventually if the seller keeps raising its prices then the consumer surplus will become 0 at the point the consumer will not want to purchase that product anymore (Whfreeman, 2005). Therefore, there are certain factors that need to be comprehended deeply in order to understand more about this consumer and producer surplus. Firstly is the law of demand. The law of demand stated that consumers will buy more of something (for example, sugar) when the price is falls or cheaper. Secondly is the law of supply. The law of supply stated that the higher the price of a product the more of it sellers are willing to supply. The premise of this comes essentially from producer surplus. Higher product price increases producer surplus thus they are willing to sell more of it because of the positive surplus (Michigan State University, 2001). The concepts of producer and consumer surplus help economists make welfare (normative) judgement about different methods of producing and distributing goods (Khan Academy, 2014). The differences between consumer and producer surplus are consumer surplus measures the gains to consumers from trade, whereas producer surplus measures the gains to producers from trade. Both consumer and producer surplus can measure a nation’s prosperity more accurately than GDP (gross domestic product). These concepts can help us to understand why markets are an efficient way to organize trade. Figure 5Graph of total surplus of Consumer and producer (e.g. books) (Source: Gachette, B. (2007) Principles of Microeconomics.) Based on the Graph of total surplus of consumer and producer as shown in Figure 5, both consumers and producers are better off because there is a market in this good, there are gains from trade. These gains from trade are the reason everyone is better off participating in a market economy than they would be if each individual tried to be self-sufficient. Consumer surplus is the difference between the value to buyers of a level of consumption of a good and the amount the buyers must pay to get that amount. Consumer surplus is the welfare consumers get from the good. Consumer surplus can be estimated from the demand curve for a good (Pepperdine University, 2010). The term producer’s surplus first shown up in A. Marshall’s Principle [11, p. 811, f.2], taking shape as the area between the competitive equilibrium price and the supply curve, a curve that slopes upwards as a result of placing the firms in order of diminishing efficiency as shown on figure 5. Marshall seems to stretch out the terms in order to comprehend all the surpluses a man determines as producer, including a â€Å"worker’s surplus† arising from the sale of his personal services and a â€Å"saver’s surplus† arising from the services of his capita (Mishan, E. J., 1968). 4.  EFFECTS OF ELASTICITY ON CONSUMER SURPLUS PRODUCER SURPLUS In economics, elasticity is the ratio of the proportional change in one variable with respect to proportional change in another variable (Gachette, B., 2007). Price elasticity, for example, is the sensitivity of quantity demanded or supplied to changes in prices. Elasticity is usually expressed as a negative number but shown as a positive percentage value. One typical application of the concept of elasticity is to consider what happens to consumer demand for a good (for example, apples) when prices increase. According to Gachette, B. (2007), as the price of a good rises, consumers will usually demand a lower quantity of that good, perhaps by consuming less, substituting other goods, and so on. The greater the extent to which demand falls as price rises, the greater the price elasticity of demand. However, there may be some goods that consumers require, cannot consume less of, and cannot find substitutes for even if prices rise (for example, certain prescription drugs). Another exampl e is oil and its derivatives such as gasoline. For such goods, the price elasticity of demand might be considered inelastic. Furthermore, elasticity will normally be different in the short term and the long term (Das, S., 2005). For example, for many goods the supply can be increased over time by locating alternative sources, investing in an expansion of production capacity, or developing competitive products which can substitute. One might therefore expect that the price elasticity of supply will be greater in the long term than the short term for such a good, that is, that supply can adjust to price changes to a greater degree over a longer time (Pepperdine University, 2010). This applies to the demand side as well. For example, if the price of petrol rises, consumers will find ways to conserve their use of the resource. However, some of these ways, like finding a more fuel-efficient car, take longer period of time. Thus, consumers may be less able to adapt to price shocks in the short term than in the long term (Hairies, L., 2005). However, there would be another effect of consumer surplus when the producer takes advantage of consumer surplus such as setting prices. In an organization (producers/ sellers) can identify groups of consumer within their market who are willing and able to pay different prices for the same product, then producers/sellers might engage in price discrimination. The price that the consumer willing to pay, thereby turning consumer surplus into extra revenue. This often happen in local fitness gym either in your area or other places whereby different fitness gym offers different prices with the same products. Another good example that can be seen the effect of consumer and producer surplus is the Airlines companies itself, such as Air Asia Airlines. Air Asia Airlines using their famous tagline â€Å"Now everyone can fly† is one of the cheapest and affordable prices Airlines in Asia. By extracting from consumers the price they are willing and able to pay for flying to different destinations are various times of the day, and exploiting variations in elasticity of demand for different types of passenger service. If you noticed that, often the price of tickets flights is cheaper when you book the flight earlier either weeks or months in advance. The airlines are prepared to sell tickets more cheaply then because they get the benefit of cash-flow at the same time making sure that each seat are being filled. The nearer the time to take off, the higher the price of the tickets flights. Thus, if a businessman is desperately to fly from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah to Kuala Lumpur, Peninsular Malay sia within 24 hour time, his or her demand is said to be price inelastic and the corresponding price for the ticket will be much higher. Therefore, this is one of the way Airlines such as Air Asia Airlines exploit their monopoly position by raising the prices in markets where demand is inelastic, at the same time extracting consumer surplus from buyers and increasing profit margin. 5.  SUMMARY In conclusion, elasticity is an important concept in understanding the incidence of indirect taxation, marginal concepts as they relate to the theory of the firm, distribution of wealth and different types of goods as they relate to the theory of consumer choice and. Elasticity is also significant in any discussion of welfare distribution, in particular consumer surplus, producer surplus, or government surplus. Furthermore, the concept of elasticity has an extraordinarily wide range of applications in economics. In particular, an understanding of elasticity is useful to understand the dynamic response of supply and demand in a market, in order to achieve an intended result or avoid unintended results. For example, a business considering a price increase might find that doing so lowers profits if demand is highly elastic, as sales would fall sharply. Similarly, a business considering a price cut might find that it does not increase sales, if demand for the product is price inelastic. Therefore, an economic signal is any piece of information that helps people makes better economic decisions. 6.REFERENCES Das, S. (2005) The Concept of Elasticity in Economics. Available at: http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/~sdas/elasticity/broaderusage.htm (Accessed 20 February 2014). Gachette, B. (2007) Principles of Microeconomics. Available at: http://www.aiu.edu/publications/student/english/Principles%20of%20Microeconomics.html (Accessed 21 February 2014) Haines, L. (2005) Elasticity is Back: Oil and Gas Investor. Heakal, R. (2003). Economics Basics: Elasticity. Investopedia Available at: http://www.investopedia.com/university/economics/economics4.asp (Accessed 21 February 2014). Hodrick, L. S. (1999) Does Price Elasticity Affect Corporate Financial Decisions? Journal of Financial Economics. Mishan, E. J. (1968). What is Producer Surplus? The American Economic Review, Vol. 58, No. 5. Khan Academy (2014) Consumer Producer Surplus. Available at: https://www.khanacademy.org/economics-finance-domain/microeconomics/consumer-producer-surplus (Accessed 20 February 2014). Michigan State University (2001) Consumer and Producer Surplus. Available at: https://www.msu.edu/course/ec/201/brown/pim/pdffiles98/csps98.pdf (Accessed 21 February 2014). Pepperdine University (2010) Chapter 4: Surplus and Efficiency. Available at: http://faculty.pepperdine.edu/jburke2/ba210/PowerP1/Ch4.ppt (Accessed 20 February 2014). Quant Lego (2013) Economics Basics: A Tutorial. Building Blocks For Financial Quant Skills. Available at: http://www.quantlego.com/knowledge/economics-basics-tutorial/5/ (Accessed 21 February 2014). Whfreeman (2005) Chapter 6: Consumer and Producer Surplus. Available at: http://www.whfreeman.com/college/pdfs/krugman_canadian/CH06.pdf (Accessed 21 February 2014).

GHB: Physiological Uses Versus Social Abuses :: Biology Essays Research Papers

GHB: Physiological Uses Versus Social Abuses The human genome is old news. The next generation of thinkers faces the great challenge of establishing how our physiological condition translates into complex thought and behavior. And there has not been a team of researchers more dedicated to empirically finding the answers to these questions than today's experimental teens. As subjects of their own study, these future scientists have quite thoroughly manipulated their mental and physical states through the use of drugs. While drug use may not directly reflect a dedication to science, the devices of these drugs have helped to elucidate the complex functioning of the brain and its effect on one's conscious state. The spirit of this drug culture raises issues important to the neuropsychologist as well as the social psychologist. Negative-effects or side-effects of [recreational] drugs are often considered physiological in nature, and social and political attitudes toward illicit drugs tend to reflect where a drug is presumed to regis ter on the " physically harmful" spectrum. What follows is an explanation of how clinical purposes and recreational uses of a substance may together inform a greater understanding of drug abuse. It appears that issues of over-all health are often connected to both nervous system input, the physiological effects of the drug, and nervous system output, which are the behaviors and alterations in conscious state caused by a drug. The potential advancements in our understanding of the functioning of the nervous system through this "hands-on" research strategy is confounded by the politics that surrounds recreational drug use in the US. Inevitably, the sub-culture of drug experimenters that pops-up as a result of stringent anti-drug enforcement, is not a random sample of the human population. While the DEA and FDA impose upon the research attempts of today's youth, shared information technology has created a space for future scientists to compare their methods and results. Looking up designer drugs on the Internet, I came to a greater understanding of the physiology of the brain as well as the preferences and behavioral patterns of today's youth. Easily manufactured, ubiquitously used, and derived from substances already occurring in the body, GHB is a model drug for addressing these issues. GHB, or gamma-hydroxybutric acid, was first synthesized in 1960 (1). Laborit, a French researcher interested in the effects of GABA on the brain used GHB, a GABA metabolite that can more readily cross the blood brain barrier, in his investigation (2).

Free Essay on Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter - Character of Pearl :: Scarlet Letter essays

Pearl is The Scarlet Letter Pearl is the living embodiment of the scarlet letter because she forces Hester and Dimmesdale to accept their sins. The Puritan society looks at Pearl as a child of the devil, and a black hearted girl because she is the result of sin. Hester and Dimmesdale are both in the same situation in Pearl's eyes. Pearl wants Hester to realize that she is not the worst person in the world before she removes the scarlet letter. Pearl wants Dimmesdale to accept his sin, and be part of their life publicly. Pearl is all that Hester has in her life. She says that Pearl: "keeps me here in life! Pearl punishes me too! See ye not, she is the scarlet letter, only capable of being loved, and so endowed with a millionfold the Power of retribution of my sin?" (Hawthorne 100). Hawthorne shows that Pearl represents the scarlet letter not only symbolically but literally as well. Hester says that Pearl is the living scarlet letter, and causes Hester more anguish than the scarlet letter itself. Pearl is only difficult when she sees her mother trying to flee her sins the wrong way. This is why Pearl makes her mother keep the scarlet letter. Hester knows that she did a bad thing, but she does not feel that she is a good person, and will not feel that way until she accepts her sins. Hester wants to run away from the situation, leaving her sin behind her, and live content with Dimmesdale as a sinner with another sinner. Pearl will not let that happen because she knows that by leaving, Hester is escaping her sins and living life thinking that she is a bad person. Hester talks of leaving with Dimmesdale: "Let it suffice, that the clergyman resolved to flee, and not alone. ....(Dimmesdale) "But now-since I am irrevocably doomed-wherefore should I not snatch the solace allowed to the condemned culprit before his execution? Or, if this be the path to a better life, as Hester would persuade me, I surely give up no fairer prospect by pursuing it!" (Hawthorne 184). Hester desires to leave the world that she is a sinner in, and live a new life. Dimmesdale knows that he is going to die soon, so why not leave the place of his sin and go with Hester to a better life. Free Essay on Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter - Character of Pearl :: Scarlet Letter essays Pearl is The Scarlet Letter Pearl is the living embodiment of the scarlet letter because she forces Hester and Dimmesdale to accept their sins. The Puritan society looks at Pearl as a child of the devil, and a black hearted girl because she is the result of sin. Hester and Dimmesdale are both in the same situation in Pearl's eyes. Pearl wants Hester to realize that she is not the worst person in the world before she removes the scarlet letter. Pearl wants Dimmesdale to accept his sin, and be part of their life publicly. Pearl is all that Hester has in her life. She says that Pearl: "keeps me here in life! Pearl punishes me too! See ye not, she is the scarlet letter, only capable of being loved, and so endowed with a millionfold the Power of retribution of my sin?" (Hawthorne 100). Hawthorne shows that Pearl represents the scarlet letter not only symbolically but literally as well. Hester says that Pearl is the living scarlet letter, and causes Hester more anguish than the scarlet letter itself. Pearl is only difficult when she sees her mother trying to flee her sins the wrong way. This is why Pearl makes her mother keep the scarlet letter. Hester knows that she did a bad thing, but she does not feel that she is a good person, and will not feel that way until she accepts her sins. Hester wants to run away from the situation, leaving her sin behind her, and live content with Dimmesdale as a sinner with another sinner. Pearl will not let that happen because she knows that by leaving, Hester is escaping her sins and living life thinking that she is a bad person. Hester talks of leaving with Dimmesdale: "Let it suffice, that the clergyman resolved to flee, and not alone. ....(Dimmesdale) "But now-since I am irrevocably doomed-wherefore should I not snatch the solace allowed to the condemned culprit before his execution? Or, if this be the path to a better life, as Hester would persuade me, I surely give up no fairer prospect by pursuing it!" (Hawthorne 184). Hester desires to leave the world that she is a sinner in, and live a new life. Dimmesdale knows that he is going to die soon, so why not leave the place of his sin and go with Hester to a better life.

Vygotsky’s Socio Cultural Learning Applied to Teaching

VYGOTSKY’S SOCIO – CULTURAL LEARNING INTRODUCTION Who is Lev Vygotsky? Birth: Lev Vygotsky was born November 17, 1896 Death: He died June 11, 1934. Vygotsky's Early Life: Lev Vygotsky was born in Orsha, a city in the western region of the Russian Empire. He attended Moscow State University, where he graduated with a degree in law in 1917. He studied a range of topics white attending university, including sociology, linguistics, psychology and philosophy. However, his formal work in psychology did not begin until 1924 when he attended the Institute of Psychology in Moscow and began collaborating with Alexei Leontiev and Alexander Luria.Vygotsky's Career: Lev Vygotsky was a prolific writer, publishing six books on psychology topics over a ten year period. His interests were quite diverse, but often centered on topics of child development and education. He also explored such topics as the psychology of art and language development. Lev Vygotsky is considered a seminal thin ker in psychology, and much of his work is still being discovered and explored today. While he was a contemporary of Skinner, Pavlov and Piaget, his work never attained their level of eminence during his lifetime.Part of this was because his work was often criticized by the Communist Party in Russia, and so his writings were largely inaccessible to the Western world. His premature death at age 38 also contributed to his obscurity. Despite this, his work has continued to grow in influence since his death, particularly in the fields of developmental and educational psychology. http://psychology. about. com/od/profilesmz/p/vygotsky. htm What is Sociocultural Theory? http://www. docslide. com/vygotskys-sociocultural-theory/This theory stresses the interaction between developing people and the culture in which they live. Sociocultural theory states that children’s learning and cognitive development is a result of social interactions with more knowledgeable others and their culture . Children learn behavior and ways of thinking from interactions with others. Sociocultural theory is an emerging theory in psychology that looks at the important contributions that society makes to individual development. This theory stresses the interaction between developing people and the culture in which they live.Vygotsky explained areas in how social processes form learning and thinking. The areas are: * The Social Sources of Individual thinking * The role of Cultural tools in Cognitive Development * The role of Language in cognitive development We will also discuss how we can apply Vygotsky’s theory to teaching through: * Assisted learning – Scaffolding and Zone of Proximal Development. The Social Sources of Individual thinking Vygotsky believed that the social source of individual thinking is their interactions with people who are more capable or advanced in their thinking.He assumed that â€Å"every function in a child’s cultural development appears t wice. † First, it appears in an interpsychological way and then in an intrapsychological way. Interpsychological means on the social level – interaction with others. Intrapsychological means on the individual level or inside the child. Higher mental processes first come about through a co-constructed process between people during shared activities and then later on it is internalized by the learner.For example, the solving of problems during class group discussions, a student may not know how to solve the problem before but after the group discussion and the help provided by all members of the group, he is able to solve the problem on his own. In other words, the steps of solving the problem have been grasped by the individual and he is now able to solve the problem on his own. This problem solving process has been adopted by the learner and now it has become part of the learner’s cognitive development. So for Vygotsky, social interaction is not merely an influen ce on a person but also a staircase to higher mental processes.Vygotsky unlike Piaget believed that the more knowledgeable others fosters the cognitive development of children because of the children’s interactions with such people who are more advanced in thinking, experiences and behavior. These people can be their parents and their teachers. Cultural Tools and Cognitive Development mortempo. net donsmaps. com What are cultural tools? These consist of the real tools and the symbolic tools that allow people to communicate, solve problems, think and acquire new knowledge.The real cultural tools can be the abacus which is commonly used by the Chinese, rulers, printing presses, scales for measuring weight and modern tools such as what we mainly use – computers, cell phones, calendars, clocks or wrist watchers and the internet to name a few. The symbolic tools can be numbers and the mathematical system. The Roman numerals are an example of a symbolic tool that is widely u sed today. Sign language and Braille system for the blind, maps, works of art, signs and codes and language which is the most integral part of acquiring knowledge and learning which contributes greatly to cognitive development.These tools are used by adults in a day to day basis and are taught to the young and passed down to younger generations. Today, people use modern technology such as computers and the internet to find information that they need and they acquire new knowledge from such real tools. Vygotsky emphasized that these tools are what the young use to make sense of what is around them. He also believed that higher mental processes are accomplished through the help of language, signs and symbols. He concentrated mainly on language which is a common factor to all societies.The Role of language In the case of language acquisition, children learn to associate sound with meaning or actions. Talking is one of the earliest cognitive developments in a child – How a child associates the sound with an action or what something means. Another way is through private speech. Have you watched a child play with a toy and talk to himself at the same time? Studies have found that children who frequently talk to themselves at play or any other time learn challenging tasks more effectively than children who seldom use private speech.Later on in life, private speech is no more said out loud but becomes silent. For example, when trying to fix something or when you are attempting a critical thinking question do you silently talk to yourself during the process? Or when you are in bad situation some people mutter swears to themselves either out loud or in silence. These are just examples of private speech and how it relates to cognitive development. Furthermore, communication with more knowledgeable others are done through language. Here is where the role of the teacher, parents and peers comes in.They serve as guides and mentors in providing the support and informa tion that the learner needs in intellectual development. All these guidance and support is communicated through language. But we have to be mindful that not all learning takes place through talking. In some cultures, observance of a skilled performance is sufficient enough to guide the learner. For example, mat weaving, dancing, and sewing involve more observance than relating myths and legends through speech. These are some ways according to Vygotsky, in which language helps in cognitive development and learning.Implications of Vygotsky’s theory to Teaching The Zone of Proximal Developmentwww. glogster. comThis is an implication of Vygotsky’s theory. Vygotsky believed that children’s learning take place when they are working within this zone. What is this zone of proximal development? It is the level of development immediately above the present level of the learner. Tasks within this zone of proximal development are ones that a learner cannot tackle alone but o nly with temporary assistance from teachers and peers who are known to be more knowledgeable.This zone describes tasks that a learner has not yet mastered but will master later on after all the assistance that will be provided. This is where the idea of scaffolding comes in to place. Scaffoldingurpages. com. auScaffolding is the assistance provided by teachers, peers and parents to the learner. This is just the support provided to the learner at early stages but as the learner is more capable the learner is left to tackle the problem or the task alone. For example, the teacher can give problems for the students to solve.Before the students are able to solve the problems, the teacher will be assisting the students by showing them the steps that need to be taken in to consideration in solving the problem. Once that assistance is given, the teacher then leaves students to solve the problem on their own. Once a student gets the answer wrong the teacher then assists the student again. So here the teacher intervenes only when the need arises but does not solve the problems for them. Application of Vygotsky’s theory to Teachingoisbengaluru. blogspot. omTeachers should allow for group activities where more capable students are grouped together with the less capable ones. * Apply scaffolding in teaching methods so that students learn to be responsible and not be spoon fed most of the time by the teacher. * Reciprocal teaching – where the teacher starts up a discussion by asking questions on materials that require reading and then turn over the responsibility of the discussion to the students * Teacher must prepare a lesson plan which includes activities that not only can be performed individually but which involves the help of others. Allow for activities where students interact with each other such as games, group work, class picnics and social nights etc. This will help develop their social skills and self-confidenceConclusionIn conclusion, Vygotskyâ₠¬â„¢s theory is widely practiced today. He believed that children learn through their interactions with more skillful people – this can be their peers, parents and teachers. He also believed that culture shapes the mind of people and their view towards what is around them.Cultural tools help people make sense of the world in which they live. Language is one such tool in which contributes greatly to cognitive development. Providing the idea of scaffolding in teaching will help students to be responsible independent learners. Therefore, taking in to consideration Vygotsky’s theory will help us as future teachers to be aware of what teaching methods that we should implement and how we should deal with students effectively in regards to their learning and task performance and also how to enhance their social skills. | | Reference * Slavin, R, ‘Educational Psychology – Theory and Practice,’ 7ed(2003), Pearson Education Limited, USA, pgs 43-47. * Woolwort h, A, ‘Educational Psychology,’8ed(2001), Allyn and Bacon, Pearson Education Co, USA, pgs 44-51 * https://sites. google. com/site/jfielportfolio/philosophystatement * www. docslide. com * http://psychology. about. com/od/profilesmz/p/vygotsky. htm * www. glogster. com * www. donsmaps. com * www. oisbengaluru. blogspot. com * www. urpages. com. au * Lecture notes

Dispositional vs. Biological Theory Essay

Dispositional personality theories are quite different from biological personality theories. The two will be compared and dissected in this article. The Big Five Personality Test will also be analyzed and how it is used to study personality will be examined. Dispositional personality theories contend that each person per certain stable, long lasting dispositions. These dispositions make a person display certain emotions, attitudes, and behaviors. These dispositions appear in many different kinds of situations, which lends the belief that people behave in predictable ways even when they are in different situations. The theory also states that each person has a different set of dispositions, or that their sets of dispositions have different strengths which assembles a unique pattern. There are two different types of dispositional theories, type and trait theories. Type theories assign people to different categories. These categories depend on the individual’s temperament. Hippoc rates and Galen suggest temperament is based on body fluids (which sounds a bit outlandish). Blood is said to represent the sanguine temperament. This is a person who is warmhearted, optimistic, and laid back. Phlegm is a phlegmatic person who is lethargic, calm, and slow to action (when one thinks about this in relation to actual phlegm it is quite disgusting). Black bile is a melancholic person, an individual who might be very sad and depressed. Last but not least, is yellow bile, which represents a choleric personality. A choleric personality is someone who is angry, assertive, and quick to action. The theory states that whichever body fluid is highest determines the personality type. As a modern person this theory sounds implausible. If one has a cold, and therefore more phlegm does that change their personality? And for how long does the personality change last? As long as the cold lasts  or longer? The other type of dispositional personality theories is trait theories. Trait theories assume people have many traits that are continuing qualities that individuals have in different amounts. Allport’s theory suggests that there are 3 main traits: central, secondary, and cardinal. A central trait is a characteristic that controls and organizes behavior in various situations. A secondary trait can be described as a preference and is specific to certain situations. A cardinal trait is very general and pervasive. It is so pervasive that an individual is governed by it and it dictates everything a person does. The limitations to dispositional theories are that they describe people more than they strive to understand them. It is also confining to think of a personality being put into a box instead of being given room to grow and change as lives and experiences evolve. As an individual one does not like to think they are always to have the same personality or be the same for their entire lifetimes. One wants to learn, grow and change as they experience life instead of depending on the levels of body fluid they might have on a particular day. The strengths are that they helped develop objective personality tests that have become very common in personality assessment. Biological theories suggest genetics have a big part to play in personality. Some have suggested that people with high cortical arousal are introverts who avoid stimulation. While individuals with low cortical arousal are extroverts who look for stimulating experiences. These may be genetic. One would think that biology does indeed play a part in personality; especially in younger years before life experiences alter one’s personality. This author has seen it in babies. One child leans strongly towards the father’s personality, more serious, organized, bossy, and controlling. The other child, although very close in age and with the same parents leans more towards the mother’s personality, carefree, messy, easily laughs, silly, and fun. They are too young to yet have life that has influenced how they behave, but naturally their personality mimics that of their different parents. This lends the belief that while biology may not dictate one’s personality for one’s entire life, certain traits can indeed be passed down through generations. The strengths of biological theories are that one may observe previous generations and make decisions based on the personalities of those before them, either copying success or avoiding pitfalls. The limita tion is that one is not  confined to be just like parents. One has the freedom of choice in how they conduct themselves and that can change one’s personality over time. The Big Five Personality Test is a test that determines the strongest personality traits an individual possesses. There are 5 broad dimensions of personality used to describe an individual’s personality. The five factors are neuroticism, openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness. The test determines which factor is the highest, lowest, and the ones that fall in between. This author took the test, and in this time of life, found it to be fairly accurate. The highest score was agreeableness and that plays out regularly in everyday life. The Big Five Personality test helps one study personality over time because it gives a way for one to measure personality changes over time. One can also see how traits relate to other variables such as confidence, music preferences, and more. One can also observe how different stages of life change which traits are dominant. Overall, dispositional and biological personality theories give one a lot of insight into personality, whether it is correct or not, it is a way to delve deeper into oneself to learn about motivations and behavior. Some theories seem a little crazy, such as type theories, and others make a little more sense and give insight into the behaviors of others and oneself. The personality test is the most interesting of all, giving yourself a glimpse into your personality and how it changes over time. References Feist, J., Feist, G. J., & Roberts, T. (2013). Theories of personality (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Psychology Today. (2011). Big five personality test. Retrieved from http://psychologytoday.tests.psychtests.com/take_test.php?idRegTest=1297

Lab 4 Diffusion and Osmosis Essay

1. Diffusion and Osmosis, June 4, 2013 2. Purpose: The purpose of this lab is to help give visual understanding of diffusion which is a solution of high concentration spontaneously (no energy required) moving to an area of low concentration. Also taking a look at osmosis, which is the movement of chemicals across the cell membrane. Osmosis requires some type of energy to be put in for this to happen. After these experiments we should have a better idea and visualization of how chemicals transfer across the cell membrane. 3. Materials: Dropper bottle of water Compound microscope Dissecting needle Carmine powder Slide and coverslip 3 test tubes Transfer pipets 2 400 ml beaker 30 cm moist dialysis tubing 500ml beaker Hot plate Benedicts reagent I2KI solution starch solution Wax pencil 30% glucose solution String or rubber band Test tube rack Slides and cover plates 4. Methods and Procedures: Experiment 1: Prepare a slide of dry carmine and water and cover slip Put under the microscope, examine under the different magnifications, record you findings to later set up your conclusion. Experiment 2: Use dialysis tubing that has been soaking in water, fold it â€Å"accordion style† and use string to close the ends like a bag. Roll opposite end of bag till it opens and add 4 pipettes of 30% glucose into it. Add 4 pipettes of starch solution into it. Mix contents with bag closed. Then rinse with tap water. Add 300 mL of water to a 400- to 500- ml. add a few drops of solution till it turns an amber-yellow color. Leave bag in beaker for 30 minutes. Remove bag then let it dry. Record observations. Experiment 3: Obtain 7 equal size bore hole cylinder from the potato, cut roughly to the same size record the length and weight of each making sure they remain order. Next is to collect 7 cups filled with 100 ml of the 6 different concentrations of glucose (, 0.1 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, and water). Record the time and submerge the potato cylinders in the solutions. Let them sit for an hour and half before removing, weighting and recording the final weight. 5. Observations and data: Experiment 1: Carmine powder observation: movement is random, looks like continuous vibrations Experiment 2: Table 1 Benedicts Test Test final color Before heat of Benedicts test After heat Final Color Water (control) Clear Baby blue Blue Bag Slight yellow Baby blue Yellowish green Beaker Gold Baby blue Orange/pink After letting the bag sit inside the bath for 30 minutes the solution inside the bag went from a clear color to a slight yellow color. And after the final results of benedicts test I can conclude the carbohydrates did move from inside the bag out. My observation concerning the size of the potato cylinder in the glucose decreased as the concentration of glucose increased and the potato in water remained the same size. 6. Conclusion: The carmine powder experiment proved the theory of diffusion because with no energy required you can see the movement of particles under a microscope. Again diffusion is the movement of molecules from high concentration to low concentration with no energy required. On the other hand the experiment concerning osmosis were the dialysis bag and the saturation of the potato. Both experiments demonstrated the movement of sugar or water across a cell membrane. On the dialysis bag experiment we could see the slight color change as the IKI did move across the membrane in to the bag but the big surprise was see that after the benedicts test how strong the sugar content was in the beaker solution. Lastly the potato experiment demonstrated through the change in weight how water could pass through the membrane. As we saw the greater concentration of glucose the more shriveled the potato got, indicating the water inside the potato exited out trying to make the concentration equal. The solution containing strictly water made the potato swell as if the concentration inside was lower than the concentration outside.

Celiac Disease

Celiac Disease Celiac disease is a disease found in the small bowel. This disease does not have a cure. It can only be treated with a strict diet. There are four types of celiac, and all but one can be treated. The disease is a genetically inherited associated with the HL4 locus found on the arm of the chromosome six (schaffner,small-bowel and bacterial overgrowth 2006 pg. 99). This disease can cause a lot of problems with a patient if not treated properly. The proper treatment for most individuals is to go on a gluten free diet. A gluten free diet avoids wheat, rye, barley, and sometimes oats.Some symptoms are excessive diarrhea, smelly stools, cramps, and weight loss. The most accurate way to diagnose celiac disease is to do an upper endoscopy on the patient. An endoscopy is a procedure with a tube called a scope and a small camera on the end. The scope goes down the patient’s throat to look at their upper gastric region. A biopsy of jejunal mucosa would be done in the small intestine to send to pathology and determine if the patient has celiac disease. When a patient is on a gluten free diet and their body has not responded to it within two years they call this non-responders.Only five percent of individuals are non-responders. There is also called a refractory sprue this is when someone does not respond to the gluten free diet or has responded and over some time has slipped back and stopped working so the patient has the same symptoms as they did before. There are two types of refractory sprue. Type one is a normal population of intraepithelial lymphocytes. Type two is an premalignant population of intraepithelial lymphocytes based upon clonality analysis of t-cell receptors and immunophenotyping. Type one can never lead to type two, a patient either has one or the other.Type one also has a higher survival rate of a five year study. This disease is a slowly growing disease. Now we find in some areas in the populations that it can be higher than one i n two hundred and fifty people. Celiac disease is a digestive condition triggered by consumption of the protein gluten. Many individuals will experience an immune reaction to the gluten that is digested. These proteins are mainly found in bread, pasta, and many different foods that contain wheat, barley and rye. Some foods that contain gluten that are over looked are brown rice syrup, energy bars, mitation seafood, processed luncheon meats and many more. When we experience a patient that doesn’t obey the gluten free diet they could do cause damage to the inner surface of the small intestine and not have the ability to absorb certain proteins that the body needs. There are four types of celiac disease. Type one has an increase in T- cell receptor intraepithelial lymphocytes. The symptoms of this type are malnutrition and weight loss with no symptoms of gastrointestinal symptoms. Type two has enlarged crypts along with the intraepithelial lymphocytes.Type one and two are the on ly types that can be treated. Type three is present in all symptomatic patients, but many patients with this lesion are asymptomatic. Type four is irreversible and is found in patients who do not respond to gluten withdrawal and in patients with lymphoma (schaffner,small-bowel and bacterial overgrowth 2006 pg. 100). The one way to diagnose a patient with celiac is to do an upper endoscopy and take a biopsy. To get the most accurate diagnosis is to biopsy the jejunal mucosa in the small intestine. They can also do serologic testing. It tests the IgA antigliadin antibody levels.They mostly use this test to see if the gluten free diet is working. Patients with celiac disease have a higher chance of lymphoproliferative disease and gastrointestinal then the average person. Studies have proven that a person with celiac is more likely to develop other autoimmune disorders like type one diabetes mellitus, and connective tissue disease. Mothers that have not been diagnosed with the disease c ould have low birth weight newborns and preterm birth compared to the mothers that have already been diagnosed with the disease. The treatment for celiac disease is gluten free diet.Gluten is a protein in a variety of foods. Oats have no gluten, but often cause problems for patients. They should limit the amount of oats they consume a day about fifty to sixty grams. The number one rule in this diet is to avoid wheat, rye, and barley completely. Always make sure the label is read on items carefully, they find ways to put gluten in different places. The safe things to eat are fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, fish, and eggs. Almost all foods in grocery stores have foods that have been mixed with gluten containing grains, additives, and preservatives.This makes it hard to find things in grocery stores. Now that this disease has become more noticeable in the communities, patients can find gluten free items in selected grocery stores. With our economy today some patients are unfortunate a nd cannot afford this gluten free food. For example a loaf of bread with gluten cost no more than three dollars, for a gluten free loaf of bread it cost six. This is doubling the prices on food. So I am sure there are organizations out there that will help someone provide food for themselves or for their children.Everyone has to watch out for cross contamination if our bread was cooked in the same baking pan as the gluten free bread was the patient with celiac disease would probably have a reaction to this. This is a very hard diet and it takes a lot of getting use too. If the patient looks at this diet in a positive way it will come easier to them. Approximately seventy percent of patients have noticeable clinical improvement within two weeks (Ciclitira, MD, PhD, FRCPJ; Lamont, MD; Grover, MD MPH; Up to date, 2012 www. uptodate. com).Once a patient reaches remission stage in the diet, some patients are able to consume little amounts of gluten and tolerate it and some have to stay o n the diet from then on. A patient should be evaluated four to six weeks after starting the gluten free diet to have a complete blood count, folate, B12, iron studies, liver chemistries, and serologic testing to see how they are doing and making sure nothing else is wrong. A gluten free diet is the only treatment for celiac disease. So when a patient is a non-responder to the gluten free diet they could be in some danger.This is a rare thing that happens only in five percent are non-responders. Patients who do not respond fall in five categories. * Patients with poor compliance or inadvertent gluten ingestion * Patients with clinical or histologic features that overlap with celiac disease but are caused by other disorders * Patients with concurrent disorders * Patients with refractory sprue * Patients with ulcerative jejunitis or intestinal lymphoma The most common reason for non-responders is poor compliance or inadvertent gluten ingestion. These patients need to go to a specificit y trained dietitian.Patients with concurrent disorders should be considered in patient who despite apparent compliance, continue to have symptoms or do not have histologic improvements. Refractory sprue has two types. Type one is when there is a normal population of intraepithelial lymphocytes. Type two is when there is an aberrant or premalignant population of intraepithelial lymphocytes base upon conality analysis of t-cell receptors. Patients with type one have less severe presentation and a more better prognosis than patients with type two disease. Ciclitira, MD, PhD, FRCPJ; Lamont, MD; Grover, MD MPH; Up to date, 2012 www. uptodate. com ) On a five year study survival was higher in the type one group. In type two most deaths were due to the development of t-cell lymphoma. No patients with type one developed type two, so it doesn’t progress into one another. Refractory sprue can be severe and associate with progressive malabsorption and death (Ciclitira, MD, PhD, FRCPJ; L amont, MD; Grover, MD MPH; Up to date, 2012 www. uptodate. com). The cause of this is unknown.Ulcerative jejunitis and lymphoma should be considered in patients with refractory sprue unresponsive to glucocorticoids (Ciclitira, MD, PhD, FRCPJ; Lamont, MD; Grover, MD MPH; Up to date, 2012 www. uptodate. com). Patient with ulcerative jejunitis have multiple chronic benign appearing ulcers, most frequently in the jejunum. Patients could have recurrent symptoms of malabsorption, lassitude, anorexia, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever despite being on a gluten free diet this disease is found in middle aged patients with underlying celiac disease. Celiac disease is a digestive condition triggered by consumption of the protein gluten.There is not a cure for this disease but there is a treatment. A gluten free diet is the treatment for this disease. It is a hard and intense diet to stick to. There are many complications that happen to the body when on a gluten free diet. The body doesn’t get enough vitamins and minerals. Gluten is any wheat, rye or barley. Ninety percent of the food that is eaten today has gluten in it at some degree. Very rare does a person not respond to a gluten free diet, they call this non-responders. The disease is a genetically inherited disease associated with the HL4 locus found on the arm of the chromosome six. schaffner,small-bowel and bacterial overgrowth 2006 pg. 99). We should have all of our family checked for this disease if someone in the family has had it. This is a disease this country is starting to see more and more. References Ciclitira, MD, PhD, FRCPJ; Lamont, MD; Grover, MD MPH; Up to date, 2012 www. uptodate. com Greenberger; Blumberg; Burakoff; current diagnosis & treatment;2009; McGraw Hill companies Hauser, MD; pardi, MD; Poterucha MD; mayo clinic gastroenterology and hepatology board review, second edition;2006