Art History Comparison of Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali and Research Paper

Art History Comparison of Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali and Better Homes, Better Gardens by Kerry James Marshall - Research Paper Example For many artists, the inspiration for their works stems from the things that they know or have experience with.   Salvador Dali included the cliffs of his beloved Catalan Coast in many of his paintings, including his most notorious â€Å"Persistence of Memory†, not only because they were a landscape feature he was intimately familiar with, but also because they helped to represent the duality of meaning he wished to convey in his artwork.   In a similar way, the African-American artist Kerry James Marshall has worked to include his own experience and background into his paintings in such a way that they work to provide a meaningful background to his subjects, adding subtleties of meaning to the overall work that helps to portray his idea of what the painting is attempting to say.  In both works of art, the background plays a large role in establishing the meaning of the work. Although the Catalan cliffs might not have the same impact on an uninformed viewer than they wou ld have on someone who is intimately familiar with the changing faces of these cliffs as the sunlight plays across their face, they nevertheless add a nuance of meaning to â€Å"Persistence of Memory† that might otherwise be lost, especially for individuals who have seen them first-hand or know anything about the background of the artist. For Dali, the cliffs of the background represented the physical equivalent of his â€Å"principle of paranoiac metamorphosis.† Dali is quoted as saying â€Å"All the images capable of being suggested by the complexity of their innumerable irregularities appear successively and by turn as you change your position. This was so objectifiable that the fishermen of the region had since time immemorial baptized each of these imposing conglomerations – the camel, the eagle, the anvil, the monk, the dead woman, the lion’s head. [†¦] I discovered in this perpetual disguise the profound meaning of that modesty of nature whic h Heraclitus referred to in his enigmatic phrase ‘Nature likes to conceal herself.’† (Descharnes & Neret 1994 p. 171).

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Essay Example for Free

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Essay Toyota Motors Manufacturing (TMM) faces increasing problems with its seat supply. TMM’s single seat supplier, Kentucky Framed Seat (KFS), is responsible for the majority of the problems with material flaws and missing parts as the major encountered defects. These problems are increasingly occurring with an increase in varieties of and demand for the seats. Toyota currently addresses these problems offline; however, this is a deviation from the policies and procedures under the Toyota Production System (TPS). Now, as TMM ramps up for the production of the Camry Wagon, it must address the seat issue before seriously impacting production performance. This is Caused by 3 Factors: 1.Seats need to match each particular car, therefore stock parts cannot be used 2.The supplier process operates under Just In Time (JIT) 3.KFS cannot readily supply replacements for defective seats. Purchase Department Suggestions to Top Level Management Q1: Buying Quality Material at Low Prices: Solutions : 1.Purchase Department has suggested following ways to procure material at low price andw with best quality 2.Downward Integration: As Toyota is huge industry and requires large number of stock, so if it can go for downward integration it would be a good idea as than it can very well control the inventory for JIT and it will also have a total quality control and will save the cost. 3.Quality Control: Quality check Teams can be formed which would work in close collaboration with suppliers so to check on quality of materials supplied by them and suggest them measures to overcome any defect in their manufacturing process.

Abraham The Origin Of Islam And Christianity Religion Essay

Abraham The Origin Of Islam And Christianity Religion Essay Abrahams story is one of the complicated texts in both the Quran and the holy bible (Froese 12). Shosh (526) notes that its image is variably presented in the two contexts. While many scholars in religion have concentrated on understanding Abrahams sons: Ishmael and Isaac (Murray 298) and their roles in the origin of Muslim and Christian communities, Abraham is a very influential figure in the origin of both religions (Shosh 527). This essay gets out of the way and argues that Abraham is the sole father of the two religions. The argument will isolate Abrahams character from his sons at the specific case of sacrifice of his son to God (Genesis 22: 1-9 Q 37:105). Sons roles in his life may be mentioned; their characters in origin of the two religions are insignificant in this essay. The Quran and holy Bible give a contradictory story about this topic. Abraham had two sons: Ishmael and Isaac (Genesis 11-12 Q 2-3). The bible in Genesis presents Ishmael as son born by a slave, Hagar; while Isaac as the true son of Abraham (Murray 309). Quran presents both as biological sons of Abraham. Which of the two sons did God ask for a sacrifice from Abraham? This is a difficult question to answer at our generation. According to the bible, Isaac was the only son of Abraham (Genesis 21) who was born under the power of God; Ishmael and Isaac were both the sons of Abraham (Q 2). Quran stipulates that Ishmael, the first born of Abraham, was the sacrifice God asked from Abraham (Q 37:105) whereas on contrary, the holy bible states that Isaac, the only child of Abraham, was the sacrifice God wanted from Abraham. Which text is right to follow? Anyway it does not matter for this argument. The fact is Abraham offered to sacrifice his son to God (Fischer 173). According to Shosh (527), Abrahams character has been viewed in different perspectives. Abraham is a profound character in matters of faith and religion; he cannot be overlooked in the study of both Islam and Christianity. In the story of sacrifice of his son, Abraham appears the first and last, both in the bible and Quran, to be posed such a difficult task by God. As Murray (300) notes Abraham heeded to this call. From this story the essay will justify why Abraham is the father of Islam and Christianity. Christianity calls for absolute obedience to God. Christians should obey all the ten commandments of God. When Abraham was called by God to offer the sacrifice of his son, he did not question. He obeyed. Abraham took his son, Isaac, the following morning and headed for the place of sacrifice (Genesis 22:3). Abraham was determined to offer the sacrifice of his only son to God. He is revealed as the father of obedience which Christians must look up to. On the other hand, Quran states that Abraham offered to sacrifice Ishmael to God (OKane 500). Ishmael was his older son and indeed closer to him; in fact they preached together in Arabia while Isaac preached in Palestine and Syria. To the amazement of many Abraham admitted to the call of God to sacrifice him. This was a sign of great obedience. Muslims have a call to abide to the rules of Allah as the only God. Abraham is the beacon of obedience. Abraham was the first to believe in both body and spirit to the one God. He was against the worship of idols which was practiced by his forefathers (Q 21:60). He preached believe in one God (Q 6:76 Froese 15). Indeed, Abraham believed in God in heaven. Accepting to offer his son to God was a sign of deep believe and trust in Him. To believe in God is to accept unconditionally to His call; heed to His laws. Abraham demonstrated believe in God which is what religion is all about. Muslims are therefore called to believe strongly to Allah as the only God. As Fischer (174) argued, Gods call to Abraham to make human sacrifice was an indication to both the Christians and Muslims that He is not interested in human sacrifice. When Abraham had just laid his son, Isaac, down to slay him the angel of God appeared to him and stopped him from doing that (Fischer, 176 Genesis 22:9). This is an indication that God is not interested in human sacrifice. Throughout the Christian history human sacrifices have never been advocated for. In the Quran context it is stated that God warned Abraham not to lay the knife to his son, Ishmael. Islamic religion does not offer human sacrifices as well. In my own opinion God used Abraham to send a message to the whole nations: God does not need human sacrifice. He is a sign of anti-human sacrifice. Why did God ask for human sacrifice from Abraham when He never needed it? This is the interesting question we need to answer in analyzing this story. Fisher (176) thinks that God wanted to expose the human nature through Abraham. Fisher further argues that God expected Abraham to bring a controversial discussion in the matter. I do not agree with Fisher. God is the creator of man; He knows his personality. There was no way God could test the nature of man. In my own view God wanted to use Abraham to reveal to the world the ideal nature of those who will inherit His kingdom. In natural sense, death especially for ones child is not as light as Abraham took it. God had inspired him first before putting him into this test. And because Abraham would be celebrated as the father of religion all over the world God made him act the way he did. In this story God wanted to clarify that religion is not contradicting. As Fisher (176) notes, God did not want to contradict himself by allowing Abraham to slaughter a son whom He had asked from Him for more than ninety years (Genesis 22). Christianity today should learn from the father, Abraham that God laws are clear and do not change. It should be clear that God remained faithful to Abraham. If God allowed Abraham to slaughter his son it would be a contradiction of a promise that Abraham would become the father of all nations. On the other hand, God would not let Ishmael be slaughtered as a sacrifice; Ishmael had been assisting Abraham in preaching in Arabia. In this argument therefore Abraham laid the foundation of religion; no contradiction. What could have happened if Abraham objected to the call of God? The religion today would not have the same meaning. God would have expelled Abraham out of His kingdom. This what the religion today holds: excommunication to the victims of r eligious contradiction. God appeared to Abraham when he had almost slaughtered his son (Genesis 22). In Qurans view Abraham had fulfilled the vision and kept His word. God wanted to use this chance to tell the Islamic religion that there is a vision in this life. Adhering to the word of Allah is the only thing to bring the vision into realization; this would be at the end of time. In Biblical view, God provided an alternative to Abraham to offer sacrifice, a lamb. This has a meaning for the Christian community: God is the solution to all the problems. It is in the same context that God sent Jesus Christ to save the world. Vision and hope are the basis of these religions. CONCLUSION The story of sacrifice by Abraham has been differently interpreted by the two texts as earlier mentioned. In both Islam and Christianity; however, Abraham plays one role-The father of religion. He represents an ideal of holy mosque and church. His character has been put in the religious history to define the way for religion. By demonstrating strong believe and faith in God, Abraham revealed to the world that there is one supreme God who should be worshipped and obeyed. Islam emphasizes on one God who should be worshipped: Only Allah Should be worshipped. Where did they derive this from? The immediate answer is Abraham. Christians believe in one God who is the father and almighty. They are indeed descendants of Abraham. Abraham is therefore the father of Islam and Christianity.

Gel Electrophoresis and the Action of Alkaline Phosphatase

Gel Electrophoresis and the Action of Alkaline Phosphatase Introduction In this practical, two common techniques found in clinical laboratories are performed. The first technique is called gel electrophoresis and the second is an enzyme activity assay.      Ã‚   Electrophoresis is a method that uses an electrical field to separate proteins by molecular size. In this case, the protein extracted in practical 1 and an unknown protein are separated and analysed using a polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Electrophoresis is a popular and widely used analytical technique in research, it can be used for a variety of applications but its most widespread use is the separation of proteins to then analyse and purify them. The technique has greatly evolved over the years since the instrumentation, buffer systems and visualization techniques have all been rapidly improving. This has helped to create different protein electrophoresis techniques such as isoelectric focusing (IEF) or electrophoretic transfer (commonly known as Blotting) which are great tools used in modern research methods (facebook page). The second experiment is an enzyme rate reaction experiment that uses alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Where the enzyme activity of a commercially available purified form of ALP is compared to the ALP activity of the cell lysate prepared in practical 1. A chemical reaction rate can be influenced by the presence of enzymes, these proteins can catalyse a chemical reaction by lowering the activation energy of the reaction. They can do this all while remaining unchanged, making them a perfect candidate for a marker to monitor a chemical reaction rate. These reactions are found in all living organisms and naturally occur in metabolic pathways for example. The activity of an enzyme can be altered by a change in the pH, the concentration of the enzyme or the substrate, the temperature and by the presence of inhibitors. By controlling these changes the activity of an enzyme can be reliably monitored. Enzymes are very specific to their corresponding substrate. When an enzyme is mixed with its specific substrate in vitro, under optimum conditions, the substrate will bind to the active site of the enzyme to form the enzyme-substrate complex at a steady rate. Thus, until the substrate is used up or the enzyme begins to denature or the complex f ormed changes the reaction conditions. By monitoring the products of a chemical reaction, we can analyse the rate of production of enzyme-substrate complexes. In this experiment, ALP is the enzyme that speeds up the hydrolysis reaction that occurs to p-nitrophenyl phosphate to form p-nitrophenol. ALP is mainly found in the liver, bone, kidney but it is also produced by the cells in the small intestine. The CACO-2 cells used in practical 1 have very similar traits to cells found in the small intestine, therefore, the ALP activity in the extract can be measured. By monitoring the course of the reaction during various time points, the activity of ALP can be determined. Electrophoresis Materials Pipettes and tips Deionized water Electrophoresis polyacrylamide gel Electrophoresis apparatus Cell lysate (practical 1) Protein X Colour prestained Protein standard Laemlii buffer: NuPAGE LDS sample buffer 4x lot#1658555 opened on the 27/07/2015 Coomassie blue Running buffer Methods Firstly, a loading sample containing the cell lysate prepared in practical 1 was made by adding 2 µl of cell lysate, 3 µl of water and 5 µl of laemlii buffer into an Eppendorf tube. A second loading sample containing protein x was prepared by adding 10 µl of protein x to 10 µl of laemlii buffer into an Eppendorf tube. The samples were then added to a heated bath for 2 minutes. During this time, the polyacrylamide gel was opened and the comb and tape were gently removed. The electrophoresis cell was then assembled before filling the inner and outer buffer chambers with provided running buffer. The inner chamber had more buffer than the outer chamber to totally incubate the gel in the buffer. 10 µl of the protein x sample, 3 µl of the ladder and 14 µl of our cell lysate sample were then loaded onto the gel in different wells by carefully inserting them using a pipette with slender tips. Once the apparatus was correctly assembled, the electrophoresis cell was connected to the power supply and the electrophoresis was performed at 150mv for 1 and a half hours. After completion of the migration of the bands, the power supply was turned off and the electrical leads were disconnected. The gel cassette was then removed and the gel was gently transferred by floating it off the plate. The gel was then stained using Coomassie blue for an hour before transferring it to water. A picture of the gel was then taken for further interpretation. Results By measuring the migration distance travelled by the bands of proteins of known molecular weight, we can plot a standard curve of the distance travelled versus the molecular weight: Table 1. Standard bands migration distance versus fragment size Standard distance travelled (cm) Ladder fragment size (kDa) 2 245 2.7 190 3.5 135 4.5 100 5.6 80 7.1 58 8.5 46 10.3 32 11.6 25 12.6 22 13.4 17 14.1 11 Figure 3. Standard curve of the migration distance versus ladder fragment size of the protein standard This produces an equation that can be used to measure the sizes of the bands produced by the protein x sample. Table 2. Relative size of protein x components. Band number Protein x Sample distance travelled (cm) Protein x relative size proteins (kDa) 1 1.4 232.34 2 2.3 189.75 3 3.4 148.15 4 6.7 70.5 Discussion The bands observed in figure 1 are composed of proteins of the same size. The proteins are loaded in the negative end of the gel since they are negatively charged, as the electrophoresis reaction is occurring, the negative current will push the samples towards the positive end. The smaller samples will travel faster and thus further through the gel whereas larger sized proteins will tend to migrate less. This difference in migration is due to the structure of the gel, it has fine filaments that can be represented as a mesh. The density of the gel is dependent on the concentration. The smaller proteins will find it easier to travel through the mesh whereas the larger molecules will move much more slowly (facebook page). Also, we can observe that some bands are darker than others, this is because the darker bands have a higher concentration of a particular protein of the same size. We can estimate the molecular weight of the proteins by comparing the migration distances of the bands against the standard seen in well 1 (see figure 1). We can also observe the number of different protein sizes that are present in our samples by counting the number of bands. For example, our sample of protein x contains 4 visible bands, meaning there are 4 protein groups in protein-x. The most significant band in the protein x separation is the last band containing the smaller fragments of protein. This band is estimated to have proteins of about 70.5 kDa. This band can also be seen in the electrophoresis separation of the cell lysate prepared in practical 1. The band is seen in both samples because it is the band containing albumin. Albumin is the most abundant protein in the blood. It has a molecular mass of between 65-75 kDa which encompasses the estimated 70.5kDa of the proteins found in the bands calculated earlier (all about albumin, theodore Peters). In this practical, the use of beta-mercaptoethanol (BME) is used in combination with the sample buffer prior gel electrophoresis. It is activated by heating the sample and permits the successful migration of the subunits of the proteins during electrophoresis. It works by independently separating them on the SDS-PAGE. It completely denatures the disulphide bonds within the subunits to let the peptides freely migrate according to their chain length. By overcoming forms of tertiary protein folding and lysing oligomeric subunits, the influence of secondary structures is minimized. Sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) is also used during the experiment, as discussed in practical 1, this substance is an anionic detergent and is used during electrophoresis to linearize and promote the negative charge of the proteins prior to gel electrophoresis. The result of this is the even distribution of charge throughout the protein to help separate the protein fragments according to their size (Detergent bi nding explains anomalous SDS page migration of membrane proteins). To stain the proteins in this practical, a Coomassie stain was used. This protein stain is the most common anionic protein dye. It is popular because it stains most proteins and has great advantages such as good quantitative linearity, good use in identification during mass spectrometry and short staining times, for example. Other dyes can be used in gel electrophoresis such as silver stains. These stains have very high sensitivity, but unlike Coomassie Blue, they offer a lower linear dynamic range and are usually complex, therefore the protocols are time-consuming. Also, they do not offer sufficient reproducibility for quantitative analysis. Other type of stains that are commonly used are fluorescent stains. These stains also offer high sensitivity but, unlike silver stains, have a wider linear dynamic range and are simple to use and robust. The disadvantage is that they are more expensive to use and require specific imaging equipment such as scanners to view the gel (facebook page) . The electrophoresis technique is now a routinely used method used in clinical laboratories to screen for protein abnormalities using samples of serum, urine or cerebral spinal fluid and can analyse specific proteins such as enzymes (ALP or LDH), lipoproteins or haemoglobin. These techniques are evaluated visually for the presence of abnormal protein bands and can also be quantitively measured to determine the concentration of the bands. In a normal serum protein electrophoresis, 5 distinct bands appear on the gel; the highest band contains albumin, followed by smaller bands containing alpha-1 globulins, alpha 2 globulins, beta globulins and finally gamma globulins. Analysing these bands can determine if abnormalities are present in the major proteins found in the body and can therefore be a valuable diagnostic tool. For example, changes in the zone containing the albumin band can help diagnose various abnormalities such as bisalbuminemia (2 bands instead of 1) and hyperalbuminemia. Significant changes in concentrations of other bands of the serum protein electrophoresis can easily help determine many different pathological disorders. The most common use of serum protein electrophoresis is for the diagnosis of multiple myeloma. An abnormal peak in a region of the gamma globulin area can indicate a monoclonal gammopathy. Monoclonal gammopathies have been shown to be associated with an anomalous clonal process that can lead to the development of cancerous tumours such as multiple myeloma (Patterns of serum protein electrophoresis, our experience at King Hussein Medical Center, Jordan). Another common use of electrophoresis in a clinical laboratory is lipoprotein electrophoresis. This method determines the concentrations of different lipoproteins such as LDL. High plasma levels of LDL have been associated with acute myocardial infarction and other heart related diseases. Conclusion Gel electrophoresis is used to separate proteins according to their sizes by migrating them through a gel using an electric gradient. The smaller proteins will migrate faster and further than larger sized proteins due to the structure of the gel. This technique can be used in various clinical settings, for example, to analyse lipoproteins or serum proteins to help diagnosis various conditions. Enzyme activity of Alkaline Phosphatase Materials Pipette and tips 96 well plate Commercial ALP Cell lysate from practical 1 Cell lysate provided Lysis buffer Para nitrophenol phosphate (PNP) 3M NaOH (stop solution) Plate reader Method The experiment was performed in different steps to minimize potential errors due to timing issues. The first was the monitoring of the commercial ALP enzyme reaction rate in combination with the blank test. This was done by adding 100 µl of the commercial ALP into 6 wells of the same line. The enzyme substrate Paranitrophenol phosphate was then added to all the wells as fast as possible to maintain a homogenous reaction in all the wells. Prior to the addition of the enzyme and the substrate, 50 µl of the stop solution (NaOH) was added to the first well to provide an initial reaction rate of 0s. 50  µl of stop solution was then added to the other wells at a 3-minute interval until the final 6th well (t=15min). The plate was then read at 410nm and the results were collected. During this time, a blank test was performed by using the same method. The only difference was that the wells only contained 200  µl of enzyme substrate and therefore no enzyme. After this was performed, an enzyme rate reaction for the provided cell lysate was done. Firstly, a stock solution of 700  µl was done by adding 350  µl cell lysate with 350  µl of buffer. 100  µl of the cell lysate stock solution was added to 6 wells. The first well also contained 50  µl of the stop solution as mentioned earlier. 100  µl of enzyme substrate was then added to all the wells as fast as possible. After 3 minutes, 50  µl of the stop solution was then added to the second well, followed by the third 3 minutes later, and so on until the last well. The plate was then read at 410 nm on the plate reader. The final enzyme reaction contained the cell lysate prepared in practical 1. Firstly, a 700  µl stock solution of cell lysate was done by adding 175  µl of the cell lysate created in practical 1 to 525  µl of lysis buffer. 100  µl of the cell lysate stock solution was added to 6 wells. The first contained 50  µl of stop solution as mentioned earlier. 100  µl of enzyme substrate was then added to all the wells as fast as possible. After 3 minutes, 50  µl of stop solution was added to the second well, followed by the third 3 minutes later, and so on until the last well. The plate was then read at 410nm on the plate reader. This experiment was done twice to provide duplicates. Table 3. 96 well plate distribution (time (t) in minutes) 1 (t=0) 2 (t=3) 3 (t=6) 4 (t=9) 5 (t=12) 6 (t=15) A BLANK BLANK BLANK BLANK BLANK BLANK B C Commercial ALP Commercial ALP Commercial ALP Commercial ALP Commercial ALP Commercial ALP D E Practical 1 Cell lysate Practical 1 Cell lysate Practical 1 Cell lysate Practical 1 Cell lysate Practical 1 Cell lysate Practical 1 Cell lysate F G Practical 1 Cell lysate Practical 1 Cell lysate Practical 1 Cell lysate Practical 1 Cell lysate Practical 1 Cell lysate Practical 1 Cell lysate H Provided Cell lysate Provided Cell lysate Provided Cell lysate Provided Cell lysate Provided Cell lysate Provided Cell lysate Results Table 4. 96 well plate absorbance (410nm) results 1 (t=0) 2 (t=3) 3 (t=6) 4 (t=9) 5 (t=12) 6 (t=15) A 0.284 0.303 0.288 0.344 0.294 0.290 B C 0.277 0.355 0.433 0.504 0.582 0.674 D E 0.662 0.396 0.483 0.635 0.685 1.131 F G 0.330 0.544 0.487 0.563 0.614 0.708 H 0.329 0.545 0.740 0.814 0.915 0.967 By using these absorbance, we can plot a graph of the absorbance versus the time for the various tested samples to analyse and compare them. Note that the results from well E1 and G2 have been omitted due to the errors occurred during pipetting (E1 well is t=0 but absorbance is abnormally high and G2 absorbance is abnormally high). Fortunately, these wells were part of a duplicate so the other result from the sample was kept. Figure 4. Graph of the absorbance over time of the commercial ALP, the cell lysate from practical 1 and the provided cell lysate. The activity of an enzyme can be measured by determining the rate of the formation of the product or the rate at which the substrate is used up. The rate of the reaction decreases when the substrate is being used up, therefore, the rate must be measured during the period when the formation of the product or decrease in substrate is linear with time. The rate of a reaction at time 0 is called the initial linear reaction rate (V=0min). By using the polynomial equations for each curve, an initial rate can be determined where V0=A410min-1. In other words, the value (b) in front of x in the quadratic equation y=ax2+bx+c is the initial rate of the reaction ( youtube vid). Assuming that 0.1 mM of the solution of the reaction product produces an absorbance of 1, we can determine the enzyme rate as shown below. Table 5. Initial rates for each sample Sample Initial rate (Abs/min) Enzyme rate (mM/Min) Practical 1 lysate 0.1059 0.01059 Blank 0.0336 0.00336 Commercial ALP 0.0695 0.00695 Provided ALP 0.2745 0.02745 Discussion By using this technique, we can calculate how fast an enzyme can catalyse a reaction. In this case, we can compare the rate of reaction of the cell lysate, the provided ALP and the commercial ALP to the blank sample as shown below: Cell lysate: (0.0059/0.00336) = 1.756 It can be said that the ALP present in the cell lysate from practical 1 sped up the reaction 1.756 times faster compared to the reaction without it. Commercial ALP: (0.00695/0.00336) = 2.065 It can be said that the commercial ALP sped up the reaction 2.065 times faster than without the commercial ALP. Provided ALP: (0.02745/0.00336) = 8.17 It can be said that the provided ALP sped up the reaction 8.17 times faster than without the provided ALP. Conclusion ALP is a widely-used enzyme in our body, it removes phosphate groups by a process called dephosphorisation. Its activity can be measured in vitro by monitoring its activity during a chemical reaction in controlled conditions. The experiment used different samples containing ALP to catalyse the reaction of p-nitrophenyl phosphate to form p-nitrophenol. In conclusion, the results confirmed that ALP can speed up a reaction and this acceleration was measured by comparing the rate of reaction compared to a blank sample.

Understanding Teens Who Self Injure Essay -- Psychology Depression You

Understanding Teens Who Self Injure   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Imagine being sixteen years old and taking a razor to your arm because you feel so much pain inside that cutting is the only way to escape it. For a lot of people this idea seems strange and incomprehensible, but for many teenagers this is their reality. In a society with so much abuse, neglect and crime children are facing things that they never had to face in the past. Adolescents who are lacking more positive coping skills are turning to self-injurious behaviors to ease their pain and frustration.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In recent years the issue of self-injurious behaviors or SIB (White Kress, 2003) has increased in popularity. The general public is starting to take a special interest in the issue as more and more people are doing it. The issue of self-mutilation can be found in movies, television and popular literature today. With increasing media attention people want to understand what these behaviors include, who does it and why. Although researchers agree that more research is needed on the topic, much is already known about these behaviors. About 1% of the general population and 4% of the mental health population suffer from a form of SIB (Shoemaker, 2004). Often times people who suffer from SIB have preexisting mental health disorders such as major depression, Dysthymia, dissociate identity disorder, OCD, substance abuse disorders, adjustment disorders, schizophrenia, personality disorders, and eating disorders (Brittlebank et al. as quoted in White Kress, 2003).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although there is many different definitions of what SIB is, most researchers would agree that ?SIB is defined as a volitional act to harm one?s body without any intention to die as a result of the behavior? (White Kress, 2003). There are also a lot of different terms out there for these behaviors, they include self-inflicted violence, self-injury, self-harm, parasuicide, cutting, self-abuse, and self-mutilation (Martinson, 2001). Without any intention to die as a result is a very important piece of information when understanding SIB. While many people who self injure do have suicidal ideation, most are not in fact suicidal. ?Menninger described self-mutilation as the focusing of suicidal impulse on part of the body instead of the whole body to avoid actual suicide? (Zila & Kiselica, 2001). Someone who is suicidal wants to end his or her life, howev... ...er from SIB could have suicidal ideation, which at times Lisa does, but I would not consider her suicidal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Overall, my information was very informative and well written. It gave me a clearer look into the world of SIB and a better understanding of Lisa and what she is dealing with. I definitely think more research needs to be done in the field. I would like to find more information on boys with SIB because that seems to be becoming more frequent and also more treatment suggestions. Works Cited Martinson, Deb. (2001). Self Injury. Focus Adolescent Services.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.focusas.com/SelfInjury.html Personal Interview with Lisa at Kids Peace Children?s Psychiatric Hospital Shoemaker, Carma Haley. (2004). A Cut Above: The Practice of Self-Mutilation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Teenagers today. http://teenagerstoday.com/resources/articles/mutilate.htm White Kress, Victoria. (2003). Self Injurious Behaviors: Assessment and Diagnosis. J  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Journal of Counseling & Development, 81(4), 490-497. Zila, Laurie MacAniff & Kiselica Mark. (2001). Understanding and Counseling Self-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mutilation in Female Adolescents and Young Adults. Journal of Counseling &   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Development, 79 (1) 46-53.

Life on the Border Essay -- Personal Narrative Mexico Immersion Trip E

Life on the Border I used to be a person who was hung up on material possessions. I was always wanting more, never satisfied with what I had. Whenever I would go to the mall, I would want everything that I saw. If I had money I would always spend it. I was constantly buying things that I didn’t need or only used once. I felt like I was unfortunate because I didn’t have a new outfit every week, and I couldn’t get a new pair of shoes every time I walked out the door, but that all changed the summer of my junior year. I was chosen, along with nine other girls from my school, to go on a border immersion trip to Juarez, Mexico. Our teacher, Mrs.Hartrich, thought that it would be a good idea if we would all get together at least once a week to learn more about what it was like to live on the border. But, no matter how many times we got together or how many books we read, nothing could have prepared me for what I was going to experience while I was down there. We left on June 13 on a plane headed for El Paso, Texas. We would be staying at the Loretto School, our sister school, and then every morning we would cross over the border into Ciudad Juarez and go work at a daycare center, Centro del Spiritu Sanctu. Our first day there we didn’t go to the daycare center, instead we met some friends of Mrs. Hartrich’s, Betty and Peter. They live in Juarez, and what they do is help out the people in their community. They also help people who are coming down from the United States to help out for the first time or people who are coming back from Central or South America and need a place to stay before heading back to the United States. Betty told us about the maquilladoras. They are sweatshops that a lot of big corporations in America, like N... ...illadoras, and I now do most of my shopping in thrift stores. I appreciate what I have more and I don’t mind not having a new outfit every day. The people I met while on the trip have given me a better understanding of what life is really like on the border. I try to make other people aware of what life is like in Mexico, because sometimes the best form of help is education. Because of my work at the daycare I now enjoy the simpler things in life, and I appreciate more the little everyday things that I used to take for granted, like running water. The children at the daycare center taught me a very important lesson; simplicity is the key to happiness. There is one thing that has stuck out in my mind ever since the trip, Rueban, a man who ran a refugee center in El Paso, told us, "The poor don’t need us, we need the poor." I will never forget that as long as I live.

IT and Customer Relationship Management Essay

Read the Harvard Business School case for Maru Batting Center, # KEL688. The optional technical note, Using Customer Relationship Management to Analyze the Lifetime Value of a Customer #KEL695, can also help walk through the exercises. The data in Excel format is available for download in the course package, #KEL691. Answer the questions below based on only information presented in the case and your understanding of the case. You may answer the questions in either essay or bullet points form. Be concise and substantiate your answers with logical arguments and flow of thoughts. Question 1 What is the customer acquisition cost for Maru Batting Center (MBC) for the following customers? a) A Little Leaguer b) A Summer Slugger c) An Elite Ballplayer if MBC places the ad in the local baseball enthusiasts magazine d) An Elite Ballplayer if MBC purchases the List and invites all target customers to the gala event e) An Entertainment Seeker Question 2 Without discounting cash flows to take into account the time value of money, how soon will MBC break even on the following customers? a) A Little Leaguer b) A Summer Slugger c) An Elite Ballplayer if MBC places the ad in the local baseball enthusiasts magazine d) An Elite Ballplayer if MBC purchases the List and invites all target customers to the gala event e) An Entertainment Seeker Question 3 Taking into account the time value of money and assuming that 100 percent of a customer segment will have experienced attrition once the net present value of annual profits per customer falls below  ¥100, what is the lifetime value to MBC of the following customers? a) A Little Leaguer b) A Summer Slugger c) An Elite Ballplayer if MBC places the ad in the local baseball enthusiasts magazine d) An Elite Ballplayer if MBC purchases the List and invites all target customers to the gala event e) An Entertainment Seeker Question 4 Little League representatives have approached MBC from the nearby Chiyoda ward who are eager to gain the jersey subsidy the Minato ward has enjoyed due to the company’s sponsorship. Because the parents of Chiyoda Little Leaguers will have to travel a greater distance, Maru believes there will be a lower response rate (8 percent) and a lower retention rate (65 percent), which she can make up for by purchasing slightly lowerquality jerseys, reducing the cost of sponsorship to just  ¥600 per player. However, the Chiyoda ward representatives demand that theirs be the only ward receiving such a sponsorship, which means MBC must choose between the two wards. The Chiyoda representatives argue that because their ward has twice the number of Little League customers, it is more attractive than the Minato ward. Should MBC pursue the Chiyoda ward sponsorship? Explain your reasoning.