Cognitive linguistics Essay

The cognitive linguistics enterprise is characterized by two fundamental commitments (Lakoff 1990). These underlie both the orientation and approach adopted by practicing cognitive linguists, and the assumptions and methodologies employed in the two main branches of the cognitive linguistics enterprise: cognitive semantics, and cognitive approaches to grammar, discussed in further detail in later sections. The first key commitment is the Generalization Commitment (Lakoff 1990). It represents a dedication to characterizing general principles that apply to all aspects of human language. This goal is just a special subcase of the standard commitment in science to seek the broadest generalizations possible. In contrast to the cognitive linguistics approach, other approaches to the study of language often separate the language faculty into distinct areas such as phonology (sound), semantics (word and sentence meaning), pragmatics (meaning in discourse context), morphology (word structure), syntax (sentence structure), and so on. As a consequence, there is often little basis for generalization across these aspects of language, or for study of their interrelations. This is particularly true of formal linguistics. Formal linguistics attempts to model language by positing explicit mechanical devices or procedures operating on theoretical primitives in order to produce all the possible grammatical sentences of a given language. Such approaches typically attempt precise formulations by adopting formalisms inspired by computer science, mathematics and logic. Formal linguistics is embodied most notably by the work of Noam Chomsky and the paradigm of Generative Grammar, as well as the tradition known as Formal Semantics, inspired by philosopher of language Richard Montague. Within formal linguistics it is usually argued that areas such as phonology, semantics and syntax concern significantly different kinds of structuring principles operating over different kinds of primitives. For instance, a syntax ‘module’ is an area in the mind concerned with structuring words into sentences, whereas a phonology ‘module’ is concerned with structuring sounds into patterns permitted by the rules of any given language, and by human language in general. This modular view of mind reinforces the idea that modern linguistics is justified in separating the study of language into distinct sub-disciplines, not only on grounds of practicality, but because the components of language are wholly distinct, and, in terms of organization, incommensurable. Cognitive linguists acknowledge that it may often be useful to treat areas such as syntax, semantics and phonology as being notionally distinct. However, given the Generalization Commitment, cognitive linguists do not start with the assumption that the ‘modules’ or ‘subsystems’ of language are organized in significantly divergent ways, or indeed that wholly distinct modules even exist. Thus, the Generalization Commitment represents a commitment to openly investigating how the various aspects of linguistic knowledge emerge from a common set of human cognitive abilities upon which they draw, rather than assuming that they are produced in encapsulated modules of the mind. The Generalization Commitment has concrete consequences for studies of language. First, cognitive linguistic studies focus on what is common among aspects of language, seeking to re-use successful methods and explanations across these aspects. For instance, just as word meaning displays prototype effects – there are better and worse examples of referents of given words, related in particular ways – so various studies have applied the same principles to the organization of morphology (e.g., Taylor, 2003), syntax (e.g., Goldberg, 1995), and phonology (e.g., Jaeger & Ohala, 1984). Generalizing successful explanations across domains of language isn’t just a good scientific practice – it is also the way biology works; reusing existing structures for new purposes, both on evolutionary and developmental timescales. Second, cognitive linguistic approaches often take a ‘vertical’, rather than a ‘horizontal’ strategy to the study of language. Language can be seen as composed of a set of distinct layers of organisation – the sound structure, the set of words composed by these sounds, the syntactic structures these words are constitutive of, and so on. If we array these layers one on top of the next as they unroll over time (like layers of a cake), then modular approaches are horizontal, in the sense that they take one layer and study it internally – just as a horizontal slice of cake. Vertical approaches get a richer view of language by taking a vertical slice of language, which includes phonology, morphology, syntax, and of course a healthy dollop of semantics on top. A vertical slice of language is necessarily more complex in some ways than a horizontal one – it is more varied and textured – but at the same time it affords possible explanations that are simply unavailable from a horizontal, modular perspective. The second commitment is termed the Cognitive Commitment (Lakoff 1990). It represents a commitment to providing a characterization of the general principles for language that accord with what is known about the mind and brain from other disciplines. It is this commitment that makes cognitive linguistics cognitive, and thus an approach which is fundamentally interdisciplinary in nature. Just as the Generalization Commitment leads to the search for principles of language structure that hold across all aspects of language, in a related manner, the Cognitive Commitment represents the view that principles of linguistic structure should reflect what is known about human cognition from the other cognitive and brain sciences, particularly psychology, artificial intelligence, cognitive neuroscience, and philosophy. In other words, the Cognitive Commitment asserts that models of language and linguistic organization proposed should reflect what is known about the human mind, rather than purely aesthetic dictates such as the use of particular kinds of formalisms or economy of representation (see Croft 1998 for discussion of this last point). The Cognitive Commitment has a number of concrete ramifications. First, linguistic theories cannot include structures or processes that violate known properties of the human cognitive system. For instance, if sequential derivation of syntactic structures violates time constraints provided by actual human language processing, then it must be jettisoned. Second, models that use known, existing properties of human cognition to explain language phenomena are more parsimonious than those that are built from a priori simplicity metrics. For example, quite a lot is known about human categorization, and a theory that reduces word meaning to the same mechanisms responsible for categorization in other cognitive domains is simpler than one that hypothesizes a separate system for capturing lexical semantics. Finally, it is incumbent upon the cognitive linguistic researcher to find convergent evidence for the cognitive reality of components of any proffered model or explanation. Having briefly set out the two key commitments of the cognitive linguistics enterprise, we now briefly map out the two, hitherto, best developed areas of the field. Cognitive linguistics practice can be roughly divided into two main areas o research: cognitive semantics and cognitive (approaches to) grammar. The area of study known as cognitive semantics is concerned with investigating the relationship between experience, the conceptual system, and the semantic structure encoded by language. In specific terms, scholars working in cognitive semantics investigate knowledge representation (conceptual structure), and meaning construction (conceptualization). Cognitive semanticists have employed language as the lens through which these cognitive phenomena can be investigated. Consequently, research in cognitive semantics tends to be interested in modelling the human mind as much as it is concerned with investigating linguistic semantics. A cognitive approach to grammar is concerned with modelling the language system (the mental ‘grammar’), than the nature of mind per se. However, it does so by taking as its starting points the conclusions of work in cognitive semantics. This follows as meaning is central to cognitive approaches to grammar.4 It is critical to note that although the study of cognitive semantics and cognitive approaches to grammar are occasionally separate in practice, this by no means implies that their domains of inquiry are anything but tightly linked –most work in cognitive linguistics finds it necessary to investigate both lexical semantics and grammatical organization jointly. As with research in cognitive semantics, cognitive approaches to grammar have also typically adopted one of two foci. Scholars such as Ronald Langacker have emphasized the study of the cognitive principles that give rise to linguistic organization. In his theory of Cognitive Grammar, Langacker has attempted to delineate the principles that structure a grammar, and to relate these to aspects of general cognition. The second avenue of investigation, pursued by researchers including Fillmore and Kay, Lakoff),Goldberg and more recently Bergen and Chang (2005) and Croft (2002), aims to provide a more descriptively and formally detailed account of the linguistic units that comprise a particular language. These researchers attempt to provide a broad-ranging inventory of the units of language, from morphemes to words, idioms, and phrasal patterns, and seek accounts of their structure, compositional possibilities, and relations. Researchers who have pursued this line of investigation are developing a set of theories that are collectively known as construction grammars. This general approach takes its name from the view in cognitive linguistics that the basic unit of language is a form-meaning pairing known as a symbolic assembly, or a construction. Cognitive semantics, like the larger enterprise of which it is a part, is not a unified framework. Those researchers who identify themselves as cognitive semanticists typically have a diverse set of foci and interests. However, there are a number of guiding principles that collectively characterize a cognitive approach to semantics. In this section we identify these guiding principles (as we see them). In section 5 we explore some of the major theories and research areas which have emerged under the ‘banner’ of cognitive semantics. The four guiding principles of cognitive semantics are as follows: i) Conceptual structure is embodied (the ‘embodied cognition thesis’) ii) Semantic structure is conceptual structure iii) Meaning representation is encyclopaedic iv) Meaning construction is conceptualization Conceptual structure is embodied Due to the nature of our bodies, including our neuro-anatomical architecture, we have a species-specific view of the world. In other words, our construal of ‘reality’ is mediated, in large measure, by the nature of our embodiment. One example of the way in which embodiment affects the nature of experience is in the realm of color. While the human visual system has three kinds of photoreceptors (i.e., color channels), other organisms often have a different number. For instance, the visual system of squirrels, rabbits and possibly cats, makes use of two color channels, while other organisms, including goldfish and pigeons, have four color channels. Having a different range of color channels affects our experience of color in terms of the range of colors accessible to us along the color spectrum. Some organisms can see in the infrared range, such as rattlesnakes, which hunt prey at night and can visually detect the heat given off by other organisms. Humans are unable to see in this range. The nature of our visual apparatus – one aspect of our embodiment – determines the nature and range of our visual experience. The nature of the relation between embodied cognition and linguistic meaning is contentious. It is evident that embodiment underspecifies which color terms a particular language will have, and whether the speakers of a given language will be interested in ‘color’ in the first place (Saunders, 1995; Wierzbicka, 1996). However, the interest in understanding this relation is an important aspect of the view in cognitive linguistics that the study of linguistic meaning construction needs to be reintegrated with the contemporary study of human nature. The fact that our experience is embodied – that is, structured in part by the nature of the bodies we have and by our neurological organization – has consequences for cognition. In other words, the concepts we have access to and the nature of the ‘reality’ we think and talk about are a function of our embodiment. We can only talk about what we can perceive and conceive, and the things that we can perceive and conceive derive from embodied experience. From this point of view, the human mind must bear the imprint of embodied experience. This thesis, central to cognitive semantics, is known as the thesis of embodied cognition. This position holds that conceptual structure (the nature of human concepts) is a consequence of the nature of our embodiment and thus is embodied. Semantic structure is conceptual structure The second guiding principle asserts that language refers to concepts in the mind of the speaker rather than, directly, to entities which inhere in an objectively real external world. In other words, semantic structure (the meanings conventionally associated with words and other linguistic units) can be equated with conceptual structure (i.e., concepts). This ‘representational’ view is directly at odds with the ‘denotational’ perspective of what cognitive semanticists sometimes refer to as objectivist semantics, as exemplified by some formal approaches to semantics. However, the claim that semantic structure can be equated with conceptual structure does not mean that the two are identical. Instead, cognitive semanticists claim that the meanings associated with linguistic units such as words, for example, form only a subset of possible concepts. After all, we have many more thoughts, ideas and feelings than we can conventionally encode in language. For example, as Langacker (1987) observes, we have a concept for the place on our faces below our nose and above our mouth where moustaches go. We must have a concept for this part of the face in order to understand that the hair that grows there is called a moustache. However, there is no English word that conventionally encodes this concept (at least not in the non-specialist vocabulary of everyday language). It follows that the set of lexical concepts, the semantic units conventionally associated with linguistic units such as words is only a subset of the full set of concepts in the minds of speaker-hearers.

The Shawshank Redemption

Adrian Sanchez Intro to Film 1 Sharri Hefner 4/20/13 Shawshank Redemption The Shawshank Redemption is a drama film released in 1994 written and directed by Frank Darabont. The overall theme of The Shawshank Redemption is the burden of isolation and imprisonment. Each of the inmates inside Shawshank Prison is locked up metaphorically as well as literally. Most prisoners in Shawshank redemption are there for life sentences. All that time behind the walls have changed the way the prisoners think and how they live.The young prisoners always say they are innocent when they are truly guilty. But Red, (played by Morgan Freeman) admits that he is guilty after spending 40 years in jail. The time he had to think about what he did is what led him to confess the truth. This is just one example of what all those years of isolation does to a person. The formal elements, camera, and the narrative is what I will use to prove the theme. The overall look and feel of the film is dark until the ending. The mise-en-scene of shawshank prison is unjust and shady.The design and characters help shape the mise-en-scene as an unjust and shady prison system. The design of shawshank looks like an old school dark sort of tower as you can see when andy first arrives to the prison. The costume is spot on in this movie. The officers uniforms look very intimidating as the prisoners uniforms look very dirty and plain. The warden is also dressed nice throughout the movie always in a suit. They use this to differentiate the high class and the lower class. The higher class is always controlling the lower class and accessing their dominance.They instill fear in their prisoners by abusing them and beating them which is very unfair. Years of being in that sort of environment can cause some prisoners to go crazy. Imagine going through that and witnessing that type of abuse every day of your life? Its going to have a huge effect on your brain mentally. This type of abuse makes a prisoner feel trapped an d even more isolated. Also the camera helps dictate the feeling of isolation and imprisonment. The camera is key to the theme. The camera shots and angles help make the viewer see how it feels to be isolated and trapped.One of my favorite shots of the movie is when andy is walking inside shawshank prison and they use a cut transition into a subjective shot where andy is looking up and seeing the tall building as hes walking inside the prison. That scene lets me know that he is already feeling trapped and he had just got there. They also use lighting to help inforce isolation and imprisonment. When Red is in his jail cell and as soon as the lights go out the lighting immediately changes and they do a close up shot to reds face and his emotion seems frightened and scared.Also when Andy gets cornered by three guys for the first time the lighting helps build shadow to make andy feel trapped. The narrative also helps shape the theme. The narrative as a whole helps dictate the theme. The characters throughout the movie feel trapped. There are different levels of isolation within the prison from the large, enclosed recreation yard to the smaller work crews down to the cellblock, cells, and, finally, solitary confinement.The prison then becomes a multilayered world that they have to live and deal with for the rest of their lifes. The sad thing is they cannot do nothing about it. When Bogs gets locked up in solitary confinement for a week the officers opened the door and said â€Å"Times up bogs† then he put on a fake grin and said â€Å"its your world boss†. This is the warden and the officers world and the prisoners are trapped in it with nothing they can do about it. They are in for so long that they get used to the prison system and this cruel world.But they forget about the life outside the bars. When brooks finds out he will be on parol he loses it. He almost kills his friend just to stay in jail. He wants to stay in jail because outside of the wall s he is nothing but inside the prison he is actually somebody. The montage of brooks when he gets out of jail is extremely sad. It depicts the negative effect on being imprisoned for a long time. When he gets out he is lost in the world. He feels even more alone then he ever was in shawshank.Being in prison for that long has negative effects on the brain. When you get used to one way of living you feel like that’s the only way to live but when you step out in the real world you are just confused and don’t know how to react to the environment. Sadly he committed suicide at the end of the montage. Also red told andy in the last scene that they were in prison together â€Å"ive been in here for most of my life. Im an institutionalized man now [†¦] In here im the guy that can get things for you. Outside all you need is the yellow pages. He is saying that he is so used to the prison that he would never survive in the real world. This futher proves my theme that isolat ion and imprisonment is a burden. You feel trapped both physically and mentally when you’re in jail for that long. Andy and red were the only ones to break through the physical and mental hurdle that many prisoners couldn’t. Others would have just given up. But andy and red had other intentions. They wanted freedom so bad they would do anything to get it. And so they did. Now that’s The Shawshank Redemption.

Public Service and Commercial Broadcasting in British TV Assignment

Public Service and Commercial Broadcasting in British TV - Assignment Example With the television industry required to turn digital and with increasing political interference, the role of PSB and its future has been under debate recently. While programmes such as Master Mind, Dr. Who, and Blue Peter have been hallmarks of PSB, there are certain episodes such as the Hutton Case that has cast PSB under a negative light. In this paper, an attempt has been made to understand the role of PSB in Britain and the controversy that surrounds it. The aim of the paper is to suggest ideas for the future of PSB and commercial broadcasting on British TV. British TV is unique in the sense that it is greatly dominated by public service broadcasting; a prime example of which is British Broadcasting Company (BBC). This corporation and others of its kind are funded by the government and the contents that they produce are thus controlled and scrutinized before being presented to the public (Scannell, n.d). In Britain, there are four principal broadcasters: BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Independent Television (ITV). BBC is the main provider of public service broadcasting and is funded by the government which uses a license fee from consumers to fund the operations of BBC (The House of Commons: Culture, Media, and Sports Committee, 2010). All of these broadcasters are controlled by Ofcom, an organization responsible for controlling and monitoring communications in Britain. Ofcom has placed a mandate on all broadcasters to provide public service broadcasting in order to earn their right of broadcasting in Britain under the IBA Act for Indepen dent Television and Royal Charter for the BBC (Negrine, 1994). Public service broadcasting in the UK serves four main important purposes. These being: to provide knowledge relating to current events to the public; increase the scope of informal learning and its interest in different fields including science, arts, and humanities; to bring into consideration the different perspectives to a story.

Mergers and Acquisitions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Mergers and Acquisitions - Essay Example The barriers in establishing business units in overseas countries were diluted as a result of globalization. Moreover, it is possible for larger firms to select their own strategies or mode of entry like merger, acquisition, or joint venture to enter in to the overseas market. Competition is becoming tough in every area of business and it is difficult for even big organizations to survive in the market if they fail to implement suitable business strategies to counter the competition. It is now easy for organizations to do business in any country they want because of globalization. Outsourcing and offshoring are some of the major business strategies adopted by organizations in order to exploit the overseas market. On the other hand, some organizations use merger and acquisition (M & A) based business strategies to spread their wings in to overseas countries. Gaughan (2007) explained M & A as a process in which two corporations combined together to form a single one. Moreover, only one corporation survives after the M & A while the merged corporation goes out of existence after the merger process (Gaughan, 2007, p.12). Domestic mergers and acquisitions were popular prior to globalization; however, cross border mergers were not accepted. ... This means cross border mergers have become a reality nowadays. The following chart provides an idea of the size of global merger deals between 2005 and 2007. (Mergers and acquisitions, 2008) â€Å"Cross border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are a main vehicle for foreign direct Investment. Yet despite its quantitative importance, the determinants of cross-border M&As are still not well-understood† (Brakman et al, 2008, p.1). The benefits of cross border alliances or mergers are not limited to the companies alone. Cross border mergers and acquisitions may add more value to the companies and its stakeholders. This paper analyses the cross border merger and acquisition process and the sources of value added to the stakeholders as a result of this business strategy. Since the theories and principles with respect to cross border mergers are extensive, this paper will not discuss anything about negotiation, finance, alternatives etc. | Cross border merger and acquisition Leading f inancial consultancy Thomson Financial has said that 2006 was a mega-merger year for India: 1,164 deals valued at a total of $35.6 billion as against 1,011 deals worth $21.6 billion in 2005. After the Tata-Corus and Vodafone-Hutch mega-deals, conservative estimates by Indian analysts have pegged mergers and acquisitions (M&As), including outbound and inbound deals involving Indian firms, to reach $100 billion in 2007 (Shankar & Reddy, n. d, p.457) Companies from emerging economies like Brazil, India, Russia and China are currently engaged in acquiring some of the most prestigious companies in America, Europe and Africa (see appendix for some of the statistics of FDI inflows to the host countries as a result of cross border M& A). Recently India’s automobile manufacturer TATA acquired

Streptococcus Pneumoniae Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Streptococcus Pneumoniae - Research Paper Example The micro-organism incorporates the genetic material of another microorganism through a process of transformation. The presence of F-antigen helps in acquiring of genetic material from different sources. Therefore, it means that the organism can change from one serotype to the other. This is quite significant to the development of resistance to antibiotics in the organism. It increases the virulence of the organism. The increasing severity of micro organism is attributed to its ability to assume different shapes. When the organism acquires genetic material with genes of resistance to antibiotics, it replicates to resist the host defense mechanism. The virulence in these microorganisms is associated with the capsular material. The capsule resists the hosts’ phagocytosis mechanism thereby surviving and multiplying in the host tissues. The virulence factors of the microorganism include surface protein A. autolysin, and immunoglobulin A. Streptococci pneumoniae are found in the ho st’s upper airways, nose, or throat. They are part of normal flora in human beings. However, the organism becomes infectious depending on the immunity status of the host. In the immune comprised host, they cause some of the deadly diseases that include pneumonia, meningitis, sinusitis, acute otitis media, peritonitis, and bacteremia. These are diseases of upper and lower respiratory tract. When in the host tissues, pneumococcal undergoes genetic changes that convert the colonies from opaque to transparent ones.

Types of Inflation, Causes and how Inflation is Measured Essay

Types of Inflation, Causes and how Inflation is Measured - Essay Example It is important to note that, the higher demand will in turn pull up prices of commodities thus resulting to too much money circulating in an economy. This can be attributed in times of war, or rather political crisis in a country's economy. Pricing Power Inflation This also referred to as profit-push inflation. This is a type of inflation, which result from a situation whereby, individuals in business intentionally and administratively decide to increase the prices of commodities and services. This intentional move aims at increasing the profit margins. The makers exercise their market influence by increasing the prices of product and services to suit their expectations. It occurs in monopolies and oligopolies market. They do this due to their concentration in the market. Cost- Push Inflation This occurs when the price of goods or service increase due to the rising cost of its production or when the maintenance cost rises. It is apparent that the resultant excess demand created by t he rising cost of production causes prices to increase. An example is whereby price of an agricultural product such as maize rises due to an increase in the cost of fertilizer production. Wage-push inflation This normally occurs when wages or labor costs rises due the influence from the labor union’s demand for the increase in wages. In addition, as it happens, the productivity remains constant. The resultant cost and effect will drift to the consumers. The increase in the cost of labor will cause the business to cut down the number of laborers hence consequently resulting to the low productivity. On the other hand, the fall in productivity level, which is low supply, will cause prices to rise due to the constant consistency of the demand. This inflation causes unemployment since higher price level means that, no more laborers are needed. In this scenario, most institutions lay off some of the employees. Unless demand for the wage stops, there will be continuous, high price l evel coupled with higher unemployment and low output. Sectoral Inflation This kind of inflation occurs on the relationship between related or unrelated product and or services. This occurs when change in the price of a product influences the price of another. For example, a stationery user, a case, or a situation whereby the price of timber price rises, the stationery dealer will in turn increase the price of stationery items such as books to suit their profit margin thus causing a general increase in prices occurring in every unit of product or service. Supply shock inflation This arises under unpredictable circumstances in an economy, for example, when there is unpredictable drought occurrence, the price of the agricultural products will rise rapidly and especially when there is no enough stock to curb and fix the situation. Hyper inflation It is a form of inflation that occurs when country involved is in economic backdrop thus in dire need of monetary valuables and funding. It is where prices rise at a higher rate, and when the rate of inflation exceeds four digits. Creeping inflation It occurs where price level rises normally between 1 and 7%. Imported inflation It deals with international trade. The prices of imported goods normally have an effect in domestic prices. Causes of inflation It is worth noting that inflation occurs under various circumstances for instance when there are changes in the price of foreign goods. This will have an impact on the overall payment made to the outsiders.

Causes of the Civil War Activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Causes of the Civil War Activity - Essay Example It has been a common belief that the northerners supported the abolition of slavery. This however was not the case since most northerners were more concerned with freeing the land from the colonizers than the abolition of slavery (Katcher, 2011). Although the northerners did not fully support the abolition of slavery, they had little concern over the issue. The difference between northerners and southerners concerning slavery arose from different agricultural practices in the two regions. The southerners were large-scale farmers and therefore slaves a supplied cheap labor. The cotton boom proved slavery to be an important part of the economy leading to a delay in the abolition of slavery (Varhola, 2011). The northern economy depended more on industry than agriculture, the northerners were city dwellers, and therefore slaves were insignificant to them. Proposals to abolish slavery therefore caused tensions between the two regions and were major cause of the civil war. Gender roles also played a major role in creating the differences between the north and south. Women have always fought for freedom or equality and this struggle is a common feature that characterized the antebellum period. Most American women were against slavery, their struggle against slavery was intended to unite them in their quest for equality between men and women. Unlike the southern women, the northern women had common interests that contributed to their unity. The differences in southern and northern women arose from their duties and roles in the society. Northern women mainly worked or preferred outdoor duties while the southerners preoccupied themselves with domestic duties. The differences in roles played by southern and northern women in the society furthered the differences between the women in the two regions. The issue of states’ rights versus federal rights arose during the antebellum period and

Math portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Math portfolio - Essay Example In addition, it will be also checked that what happen if no further doses is given to malaria patient over a week period after an initial dose of 10 ÃŽ ¼g. From The graph of the given data, it is obvious that the amount of drug in the bloodstream decreases as the time passes. From investigation, it is found that it is similar to the graph of an exponential decay function (for example radioactive decay graph). The general equation of such an exponential decay function is: From the above function, the different values of can be determined for the given data that is summarized in table 2. Since, there are different values of for every data points, therefore, for our model function taking average value (mean value) of from the calculated values of ,. Figure 2 shows the Graph of model function and data given. From figure 2 , it can be seen that the graph of model function and data given are similar and approximately follows the same path. Some minor deviations may be because of the error in colleting the data for the amount of drug in the bloodstream over a period. The model functionis suitable for the modeling of amount of the drug in the bloodstream. The suitability of the model function is also derived from the comparison of the graph of model function and data given and both are similar. From given graph of amount of drug in the bloodstream for 10-hour period following an initial dose of 10 ÃŽ ¼g, it can be seen that amount of drug remained in the bloodstream after six-hour period is equal to 3.7 ÃŽ ¼g. Therefore, in six-hour period the amount of drug decay is 6.3 ÃŽ ¼g. Assuming this decay-rate is constant for further period, when a patient is instructed to take 10 ÃŽ ¼g of this drug every six hours. Then, the amount of drug at start and at end of each period will be as given in table 3. The maximum amount of drug 21.1 ÃŽ ¼g in the bloodstream will be at start of fourth period (i.e. 18-24 hour period) and the minimum amount of drug 3.7 ÃŽ ¼g in

Financial Crisis 2007-09 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Financial Crisis 2007-09 - Case Study Example Other factors include surge in subprime mortgages as an answer to high housing speculation and growth of the bubble. The main culprits were lenders, because they were responsible for lending funds without taking into consideration the risk of defaulting. After the central bank lowered interest rates and flooded the market with cash. The lenders, like investors, had ample capital to lend, and more willingness to undertake extra risk to increase their returns. The financial crisis commenced in the US and spread throughout the world. The failure of Lehman Brothers teaches us the importance of risk management because this institution had invested in risky securities loosing much value after the U.S housing bubbles. In addition, the crisis teaches us that it is important to retain the confidence of the financial market because once shattered, it becomes difficult to restore. When such confidence is shattered, it can lead to a full-blown confidence crisis in the entire word. The housing bubble resulted from the enormous savings from developed countries, and the low interest rates that existed in the U.S. Due to the available funds, there was demand for high-yielding investments leading to the housing bubble. Some small banks in the US reduced lending; therefore, governments and consumers could no longer borrow and spend before the crisis. Businesses also had to reduce their workforce because the recession meant less funds. The credit crunch deepened as the losses increased

Theology Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Theology - Case Study Example In case someone wishes to push this disease issue aside as an ancillary point, Paul suggest that his disease was remarkable and obvious enough that the disease drew the attention of everyone Paul is speaking to in Galatians (Chap.4, v. 14). Again, Paul draws specific attention in Philemon to his eye disease (Phl., verse 19) and his need for assistance to write. What follows in Philemon vs. 19-25 is of supreme importance since Paul says he’s writing it in his own handwriting (leading readers to believe the writing before verse 19 was transcribed by an assistant [Timothy] ). Paul cunningly ‘sells’ his idea by inferring a business arrangement with Philemon (verse 19) then reminding Philemon of what Paul has done for him (end of verse 19). Paul smartly suggest that as soon as he (Paul) is released he is coming to stay with Philemon (vs. 21-22) probably to make sure that Philemon does what Paul is implicating in this letter. One can easily see the ‘old’ Pa ul with his dynamic stubbornness and overbearing personality (the Paul who stood by as Stephen was stoned in Acts chapter 8) combined with a loving spirit given to Paul through Paul’s conversion. It is interesting to witness Paul suggesting to Philemon that his ‘slave’ Onesimus is actually considered by Paul to be Paul’s own son. Paul also uses his own imprisonment to show the unfairness of Onesimus’s continued imprisonment as Philemon’s slave. In effect, Paul is telling Philemon that by treating Onesimus differently than a just a Christian ‘Brother’ (and Paul’s own son) is to be acting like the ‘Keeper’ of Paul’s prison keeping Paul unfairly under chains. The implication of Paul’s argument is that Christians are all prisoners under Christ if we are Christians and to continue enslavement of Christian Brothers is almost like trying to subvert Christ Jesus’ position as leader. Specifically, Paul is suggesting to Philemon that by

Unknown Citizen Essay Example for Free

Unknown Citizen Essay Social Security Number? Birthdate? Nine digit telephone number starting with area code? In many ways, we are simply numbers to modern society, not individuals with feelings and emotions and dreams. As the world around us evolves so does technology. With the fast paced advancements occurring in technology it seems that the humanity of the world is decreasing. This makes it harder for people to develop their own personal identity. In today’s society people are being seen more as â€Å"faceless† citizens rather than individuals. This is because they are given numbers and labeled based upon how society sees them. In â€Å"The Unknown Citizen†, W. H. Auden shows us how the government sees society as statistics rather than a group of individuals. The unknown citizen of Auden’s poem is unknown because his name has become unimportant. The subtitle â€Å"To JS/07/M/378 This Marble Monument is Erected by the State (Auden 864)† is a fictional concept that the government enforced by an alpha-numeric tag. This tag is used to distinguish who each person is. Throughout the poem the individual is being referred to as â€Å"JS/07/M/378†. The random letters and numbers followed by forward slashes are all representations of the government. Meaning each section of letters and numbers are representing something. â€Å"JS† could possibly be the first letters of his first and last name and â€Å"M† could represent his gender being male. However, the fact that his name is never mentioned and a marble statue was built in his honor in very ironic. Instead of writing his full name the government chose to use the name they had given to him. This automatically is seen as a form of dehumanizing. The statue can also be seen as a form of symbolism representing the chilling manner in which the government chose to honor this man. Auden gives the audience the perceptive that the government is honoring people who they never knew really existed while they were alive. Auden uses irony to describe how the unknown citizen was seen by the government. â€Å"He was found by the Bureau of Statistics to be one against, who there was no official complaint, and all the reports on his conduct agree (Auden 864)†, is an ironic way to start off portraying him. The Bureau of Statistics is a fictional sector of the government that finds people and categorizes them based upon facts and figures. This suggests that tatistically speaking he would be considered normal. â€Å"That in the modern sense of an old-fashioned word, he was a saint for in everything he did he served the Greater Community (Auden 864)† is another perfect example of irony. A saint in an old-fashioned sense is someone who actually stands alone to defend their beliefs and often perish while trying to overcome those enormous challenges. This life is normally seen as an extraordinary one. A saint can also be used in reference when referring to religion. However, Auden suggests that the modern saint is the complete opposite. The unknown citizen lived a life in which he was not devoted to God but to a Greater Community. The government would be considered the Greater Community. It is almost like Auden gives the government godlike qualities because they believe everyone should follow what they say. He always acted in a manner that was expected or accepted by this society. Even though Auden sounds like he is praising all of the unknown citizen’s accomplishments he truly is not. He goes on to say â€Å"he was popular with his mate† and â€Å"he was fully sensible† to show how conformed he was to society. He also followed all rules passed by the state. The way he lived his life was considered normal. He brought a paper every day and reacted in the â€Å"normal† way expected. Advertisers benefited from this because they gained statistics of their own allowing them to help their business profit. He never got involved with his children’s education allowing the government to have more control over him. â€Å"When there was peace he was for peace; when there was war, he went (Auden 865)† suggests he had no mind of his own. This man never questioned anything himself but, instead followed everyone else. Not once did he take a second out to think about something on his own. If the government said it is right then he went along with it. â€Å"He worked in a factory and never got fired, but satisfied his employers Fudge Motors Inc. Yet he wasn’t a scab or odd in his views for his Union reports that he paid his dues (Auden 864-865)† shows that his performance was based upon how his employer felt. Fudge Motors Inc. would be a parody for Ford Motors Inc. He basically dehumanized himself just so he could please the state. Auden intentionally wrote this poem in a very clinical way to make a point about how flawed the government is. Auden compares the Eugenics from the odern society to the Nazi’s in Germany. â€Å"He was married and added five children to the population which our Eugenist says was the right number for a parent of his generation (Auden 865)† can be used as connection between the two. The Nazi’s were known mainly for trying to create the perfect society. From this it is possible that Auden could be suggesting that with conformity comes chaos. Auden wrote â€Å"The Unknown Citizen† during World War II leaving the perception that maybe he wrote it about an unknown citizen who served in the war and warning the soldiers to question the government who are sending them out to fight. He points out that the government judge people based off of reports and documents and what they considered to be right. The title suggests he is talking about one person when in reality he is talking about society as a whole and how the government saw it. We as people see the government as leaders who represent and enforce our values while we are considered to be just another number. Lastly an unknown citizen falls prey to government control. The government itself is the speaker in Auden’s poem. This is why Auden uses plurals like ours. In the eyes of the state, the man they considered a saint was the governments idea of the perfect man. The government does not truly care about him just the fact that he does what he is told. Words such as Greater Community, Installment Plan, Modern Man, and Public Opinion are capitalized to show the emphasis that the government puts on these concepts. Everything about his life is closely monitored, even his private life. The fact that the government knows things like he likes to drink helps support that. Was he free? Was he happy? The question is absurd: Had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard (Auden 864) suggests that the government does not care about people’s happiness or freedom. It is human nature for a person to want to belong and be part of something. Even though the poem was written over sixty five years ago it does have some truth. As technology becomes better, faster and accurate we are becoming more of a statistic and less human. Yet in a society that dehumanizes us, we still want to be a part of it. No one wants to be considered as an outcast or looked down upon for being different.