3 Criteria that Determine Whether the Manager Is Making Good Decisions

When a manager makes decisions, he/she thinks about the outcome of the affair. A good decision-making process is resulted in a successful project. This criterion may be considered as one of the signs that good decisions are made. The second criterion, which may determine whether the manager is making good decisions or not, is the possibility to meet the budget. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on 3 Criteria that Determine Whether the Manager Is Making Good Decisions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There are always different risks which cannot be forecasted, but at the same time, the financial issues are usually stated and the possibility to meet them is a sign of good decisions-making skills. The third criterion, which helps a manager understand whether he/she makes a good decision, is the opportunity to follow the process. â€Å"Achieving success requires that a rational and explicit or structured decision proce ss be developed and used† (Powell Buede, 2008, p. 13). In other words, the decision process should be structured, without chaotic actions. To make sure that the made decisions are correct, it is always important to monitor the project, consider its results and critically analyze the whole process. Assumptions in Decision Making An assumption may be considered from different perspectives. Considering assumptions as a part of decisions making, it may be stated that this notion means responsibility a manager should dear. The most spread assumptions which usually go with any decision a manager works on are assumptions about information (the necessity to get necessary information on time and reduce the possession of limited information to minimum), assumptions of unitary actors (the possibility to involve other people in the process of decision making), and assumptions about the nature of the problem (the responsibility to define the problem correctly). The possibility to cope w ith those assumptions shows a manager a good decision maker (Ahmed Triana, 2008). Assumption Scenarios To understand the main idea of the assumptions and the influence of those on the decisions-making process and the results, it is necessary to check the specific examples. The automobile and airplane industries are going to be considered.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More An automobile manufacturer’s assumption is that the demand for SUVs would continue because gas prices would continue to rise. The accuracy of this assumption cannot be put under question as SUVs are famous for their better efficiency. The raise of the fuel prices does not encourage people for buying cars with high fuel consumption. Otherwise, they try to find something based on economy issues. To test the credibility of this assumption, it is possible to conduct a research and identify the periods wh en fuel prices were high and when they were low along with the car buying statistics. The comparison and contrast of the information may help us understand whether the assumptions for decisions making are correct or not. An airline’s assumption that there was a need for an airline that provided no added amenities may be considered as a bad one for decisions making. Those who used this assumption for decisions making were mistaken as a results the decision to increase the number of airplanes did not make additional profit. Those who made this decision failed to conduct a research, understand the necessities of the company, and set correct objectives. It may be said, that they violated the assumption of information, having taken wrong facts for granted. Reference List Ahmed, K. Triana, E. S. (2008). Strategic environmental assessment for policies: an instrument for good governance. Washington: World Bank Publications. Powell, R. A. Buede, D. M. (2008). The Project Managerâ⠂¬â„¢s Guide to Making Successful Decisions. London: Management Concepts. This essay on 3 Criteria that Determine Whether the Manager Is Making Good Decisions was written and submitted by user Braden Cochran to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

What Is Stockholm Syndrome Is It Real

What Is Stockholm Syndrome Is It Real SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’re studying for your AP Psychology exam, you’ve probably stumbled across the term â€Å"Stockholm Syndrome.† But what is Stockholm Syndrome, exactly? As it turns out, Stockholm Syndrome is a complicated diagnosis that is still surrounded in quite a bit of controversy. In this guide, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about Stockholm Syndrome, and we’ll answer the following frequently asked questions: What is Stockholm Syndrome? Where does it come from? What causes Stockholm Syndrome, and what are its symptoms? Is Stockholm Syndrome a real diagnosis? At the end of this article, we’ll wrap things up with an in-depth look at two real-life cases of Stockholm Syndrome. (You’ll want to stick around until the end...those cases are really interesting.) Ready? Then let’s jump in! What Is Stockholm Syndrome? Stockholm Syndrome- which is also sometimes called â€Å"trauma bonding† or â€Å"terror bonding†- is defined as the â€Å"psychological tendency of a hostage to bond with, identify with, or sympathize with his or her captor.† In other words, Stockholm Syndrome occurs when someone who is held against their will starts to have positive feelings toward the person (or group) who is holding them captive. Also, despite being a psychological phenomenon, Stockholm Syndrome isn’t a mental disorder. Instead, it’s classified as a syndrome, which is a condition that’s characterized by a set of symptoms that often occur together. In order to be diagnosed with a syndrome like Stockholm Syndrome, a person has to exhibit most- but not all!- of the major symptoms that are associated with the syndrome itself. The Kreditbanken building in Norrmalmstorg, Sweden The History of Stockholm Syndrome Unlike most syndromes, which are discovered over time as doctors uncover trends in their patients, the origin of Stockholm Syndrome can be traced back to one specific event. On the morning of August 23, 1973, Jan-Erik Olsson- who was already on parole for robbery- walked into Kreditbanken, a bank in Stockholm, Sweden. He opened fire on two Swedish police officers before taking four bank employees hostage. As part of the list of demands he issued to authorities, Olsson asked that Clark Olofsson, one of his friends from prison, be brought to him. (Olofsson would become Olsson’s accomplice in the Kreditbanken hostage situation, and he would go on to rob another bank two years later.) The hostage situation would last six days before police would use tear gas to subdue Olsson and rescue the hostages. The unfolding drama captured the world’s attention. However, over the course of those 130 hours, another strange thing happened: Olsson’s hostages began to feel sympathy for their captor. One hostage, Kristin Ehnmark, told reporters after the ordeal that she and her fellow hostages were more afraid of the police than Olsson. She and her fellow hostages would later tell authorities that they were treated kindly by Olsson, even though he was holding them captive. For instance, Olsson gave his jacket to Kristin when she began to shiver, and when Elizabeth Oldgren- another hostage- became claustrophobic, Olsson allowed her to walk outside of the vault where he was holding everyone hostage.The hostages’ sympathy of Olsson continued on even after their ordeal was over, and some of them even went to visit Olsson in prison! The psychiatrists who treated the victims compared their behavior to the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, that they saw in soldiers returning from war. But that diagnosis didn’t quite fit, especially since the Kreditbanken hostage victims felt emotionally indebted to Olsson. They felt that Olsson, not the police, spared them from death, and they were grateful to Olsson for how kind he was to them. This unique set of symptoms led psychiatrists to label this phenomenon â€Å"Stockholm Syndrome,† which is still what we call it today. Nick Youngson/Alpha Stock Images What Causes Stockholm Syndrome? Stockholm Syndrome occurs in people who have been kidnapped or taken hostage and held against their will. It’s common for people to think that someone must be held hostage for a long period of time to develop Stockholm Syndrome, but new research suggests that isn’t true. Experts believe that it’s the intensity of the experience- not the length of it- that’s one of the primary contributors to whether someone will experience Stockholm Syndrome. Additionally, some psychologists believe that Stockholm Syndrome is more likely in situations where the captors don’t physically abuse their hostages. Instead, captors rely on the threat of violence instead. This can be aimed toward the victim, the victim’s families, or even other hostages. If victims believe their captors will carry through on their threats, it makes them more compliant. Additionally, the lack of violence becomes a sign of kindness. In other words, because a captor could- but doesn’t- act on their threats, victims begin to see that as a sign that their captors care about them. This tension creates the defining characteristic of Stockholm Syndrome, where victims start to sympathize with and/or care about their captors. We can definitely see this in the case of the Kreditbanken robbery. Olssen threatened his hostages with physical violence but never carried through. The hostages told the press that they didn’t feel Olssen was a bad person, especially since he didn’t physically mistreat them during the hostage crisis. Circumstances like these can cause victims to think of their captors as essentially nice- or sometimes even good- people who are taking care of them. Cases of Stockholm Syndrome can show evidence of emotional manipulation or abuse, however. In these instances, the captors use emotional tactics to convince victims to sympathize with them and comply with their demands. This can involve convincing victims that the outside world is more dangerous than staying with their captors or persuading victims that the kidnapper is a victim, too.This makes victims feel like they are unable to escape from their situation, which is why people with Stockholm Syndrome stay with their captors. From a psychological perspective, most psychologists and psychiatrists believe that Stockholm Syndrome is, at its core, all about survival instinct. When people are put into extremely dangerous or traumatic situations, they often behave instinctually in order to survive. You’ve probably heard of this phenomenon phrased as â€Å"fight or flight† instinct, where you either run, freeze, or attack when you’re scared. (For the record, we’re runners.) But survival instinct is actually much more complicated than that, especially when it comes to complex trauma. In the case of Stockholm Syndrome, victims become attached to their captors as a way to cope with their situation. This is also a way for victims to try to make their captors sympathize with them, and thus make it less likely for their captors to hurt or kill them. In other words, building an emotional connection becomes a victim’s way to both cope with his/her new reality and, hopefully, to survive. Having said all of this, there’s one last- but important- thing to realize about Stockholm Syndrome: it doesn’t involve any conscious choice on the part of the victim. Here’s what we mean. Say you’ve been kidnapped, and you’re being held against your will. You might decide to be nice to your kidnappers in an attempt to stay alive and, hopefully, escape. In this scenario, you choose to act in a certain way. Stockholm Syndrome, on the other hand, only occurs when the victim starts subconsciously and involuntarily sympathizing with their captor. In these instances, victims don’t have any conscious idea of what they’re doing, and their feelings toward their kidnappers last long after they’ve been freed. What Are the Symptoms of Stockholm Syndrome? At this point, it’s clear that Stockholm Syndrome is situational, which means that it’s something a person develops in a certain set of very traumatic circumstances. (Namely, the victim has been taken hostage by a stranger and is being held captive.) Now let’s take a look at the four major symptoms someone with Stockholm Syndrome experiences. Symptom 1: The Victim Has Positive Feelings Toward the Captor Like we’ve mentioned before, this is the hallmark of Stockholm Syndrome. Despite being in a terrifying situation, someone developing Stockholm Syndrome will start to sympathize, care about, or feel positively about the person (or people) who are holding them hostage. These positive feelings make the victim more likely to comply with their captors’ demands and feel guilty when they don’t. This was certainly true for the hostages in the Kreditbanken robbery. After her release, Kristin Ehnmark- one of the hostages- would tell reporters that she â€Å"felt like a traitor† when she gave the police information behind Olsson’s back. Additionally, these feelings come from a perception that the captors are treating them kindly. Another of the Kreditbanken victims, Sven Safstrà ¶m, remembers his reaction to Olsson’s threats. â€Å"All that comes back to me [now],† he would tell reporters later, â€Å"is how kind I thought [Olsson] was for saying it was just my leg he would shoot.† These perceived acts of kindness make victims feel like their captors are caring for or protecting them, even in a bad situation. This can make victims think of their captors as good people in a bad situation, rather than criminals who are breaking the law. And remember: for the victim, these positive feelings develop subconsciously and is completely outside of their control. This reaction is their instinctual reaction to a dangerous and traumatic situation, and it’s a survival tactic. Symptom 2: The Victim Has Negative Feelings Toward Family, Friends, or Authorities Because the victim is aligning with their captor, victims also begin to adopt their way of thinking. Since the captors are afraid of being caught and prosecuted, the victims often take on the same anxiety as well. Additionally, some kidnappers also convince their victims that they are protecting them from a dangerous world, not the other way around. This was the case in the Kreditbanken case, where the hostages became afraid that the police- not Olsson- were the real threat. In a phone call with Sweden’s Prime Minister, Kristin Ehnmark explained that while she was being treated well, she was afraid â€Å"the police will attack and kill us† instead. Experts explain that the phenomenon of sympathizing with the captor is a type of hypervigilance, where victims believe that the happiness of their captors is critical to their own wellbeing and safety. In other words, when the captor feels happy and safe, the victims are, too. That’s why victims displaying symptoms of Stockholm Syndrome turn on people who threaten the captor-captive relationship, including the authorities. Symptom 3: The Captor Has Positive Feelings Toward the Victim There are two ways this works. In one aspect, the victim perceives that their captor actually cares about them. This has a lot to do with the â€Å"kindness† we mentioned earlier. When captors don’t act on their threats- or when they do small, seemingly nice things for their victims- it can seem like they actually care about the people they’re holding captive. For example, during her time as a hostage in the Kreditbanken robbery, Elizabeth Oldgren was used by Olsson as a human shield. But he also gave her his jacket when she got cold, which Elizabeth saw as a sign of Olsson’s goodness. She would later tell reporters that although she had â€Å"known him a day when I felt his coat around† her, she was also â€Å"sure [Olsson] had always been that way.† Despite Olsson’s threats and posturing, his one act of compassion made Elizabeth think that he cared about her well-being, too. The second way this works is when authorities, like FBI or police negotiators, use tactics to get captors to see their victims as humans. By doing things like asking captors to call their hostages by their first names, the authorities work to humanize the victims. Doing so makes captors less likely to kill their victims because they’re afraid of getting caught, and the FBI trains its members to use this tactic to â€Å"help preserve life.† Symptom 4: The Victim Supports or Helps the Captor The final symptom of Stockholm Syndrome comes when a victim, instead of trying to escape, tries to help their captor rather than the authorities. In this case, the victim is putting the needs of their captor above their own freedom in order to survive. By this point, someone displaying the symptoms of Stockholm Syndrome already believes that their captor might hurt them or people they care about if they don’t comply with their demands. But more importantly, the victim has started to see the world from their captor’s point of view. Helping their captor isn’t something they’re forced to do- people with Stockholm Syndrome do so out of their own free will and their survival instinct. This last symptom can be particularly confusing for authorities, especially when they don’t realize that the victim has Stockholm Syndrome. During the Kreditbanken incident, Kristin Ehnmark was allowed to speak the then-Prime Minister, Olof Palme, on the phone. Not only did she express a distrust of the police, she also demanded that the victims be allowed to escape with Olsson, not from him! To make things more complicated, this symptom can also manifest itself in a desire to help captors even after the victim has been freed. In fact, Kristen and the other victims of the Kreditbanken robbery visited Olsson in prison for years after the incident. Is Stockholm Syndrome the Same Thing as Being in an Abusive Relationship? The short answer? No. Even though many of the causes and symptoms of Stockholm Syndrome sound like the hallmarks of an abusive relationship, there’s one significant difference: Stockholm Syndrome only occurs in situations where a victim doesn’t know their captor. In other words, in order to develop Stockholm Syndrome, a victim must have never met their kidnapper before. Domestic abuse, on the other hand, requires some sort of prior contact. In cases of domestic abuse, the victim and the perpetrator know each other in some way- they’re related, romantically involved, or in some other close relationship. So while abusive relationships and Stockholm Syndrome might share some characteristics, they aren’t the same thing. Is Stockholm Syndrome a Real Diagnosis? Although Stockholm Syndrome has captured public imagination, there is controversy in the medical community about whether it should be classified as its own disorder. Psychologists and psychiatrists use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-5, as the holy grail of psychological diagnoses. It’s the standard diagnostic tool for any and all psychiatric illnesses and disorders...and Stockholm Syndrome doesn’t appear in the DSM-5. That’s the case for a few reasons. First, the symptoms of Stockholm Syndrome are very similar to those of trauma bonding or post-traumatic stress disorder, both of which do appear in the DSM-5. Psychiatrists and psychologists, however, aren’t in agreement about which classification Stockholm Syndrome falls under. Because there’s no extensive body of research or consensus to help solve the argument, Stockholm Syndrome is left out of the DSM-5 entirely. Second, Stockholm Syndrome is incredibly hard to study because it’s so rare. (More on that in a second.) That means it’s hard to come up with a widely accepted metric for diagnosing Stockholm Syndrome since each case is so unique. That makes it nearly impossible to develop a diagnostic rubric for Stockholm Syndrome, which is the DSM-5’s primary purpose. Lastly, Stockholm Syndrome is a syndrome, not a mental disorder or a mental illness. That means that it’s a collection of associated symptoms with no root biological or mental cause. While there are ramifications of Stockholm Syndrome that are similar to post-traumatic stress disorder, the onset of Stockholm Syndrome is situational, not pathological. So that brings us back to our first question: is Stockholm Syndrome a real diagnosis? Yes and no. While Stockholm Syndrome is not a recognized psychological diagnosis of a mental illness or disorder in the DSM-5, it is a clinical way to explain the unique symptoms that some kidnap and hostage victims display. Nick Youngson/Alpha Stock Images Are There Famous Examples of Stockholm Syndrome? Despite being a fairly well-known psychological condition, Stockholm Syndrome in real life is remarkably rare. According to the 2007 FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, 73 percent of all kidnapping victims show no evidence of Stockholm syndrome whatsoever. Of those victims remaining, fewer than five percent will develop Stockholm syndrome at all. (In contrast, abusive domestic relationships- which share many of the characteristics of Stockholm syndrome- are unfortunately much more common.) So why are people so curious about a syndrome that occurs so rarely? Along with being a fascinating psychological topic, Stockholm Syndrome continues to capture the imagination of the public in movies, television shows, and even music. In fact, it’s such a pervasive topic in pop culture that the syndrome even has its own write-up on TVTropes.com! This preoccupation with Stockholm Syndrome means that when the rare case does occur, it triggers a media frenzy. Let’s take a look at two of cases of Stockholm Syndrome that captured the world’s attention. Patty Hearst after her arrest in 1975 Patty Hearst One of the most famous cases of Stockholm Syndrome is the kidnapping of Patty Hearst. In February 1974, 19-year-old Patty Hearst was kidnapped from her apartment in Berkeley, California by a group calling themselves the Symbionese Liberation Army, or SLA. The SLA was a radical activist group that used tactics like bank robbing, murder, and kidnapping to wage war- both ideological and literal- against the U.S. Government, which they viewed as an oppressive â€Å"capitalist state.† The SLA decided to kidnap Patty Hearst because she was the granddaughter of billionaire newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst and the heiress to his fortune. The SLA had three goals in kidnapping Patty Hearst. First, they wanted media attention for their anti-capitalist platform (which they definitely received). Second, they wanted to extort money from Patty’s family to fuel their cause. And last, the SLA planned to brainwash Patty into becoming not only a member of the SLA, but the poster child of their movement. Unfortunately, although the Hearst family would meet most of the SLA’s demands- which included donating $8 million dollars to feed the poor- the SLA didn’t release Patty to her family. Patty wouldn’t be seen for two months, and when she did reappear, it was shocking. In April 1974, the SLA robbed Hibernia Bank in San Francisco...and Patty Hearst was one of the robbers. Security footage showed Patty wielding a machine gun and helping in the robbery, looking quite unlike someone who was being held against her will. After the robbery, the SLA released a pre-taped message from Patty herself. In the recording, Patty called herself â€Å"Tania† and claimed that she was now a voluntary member of the SLA movement. The video sparked widespread public debate. Had Patty been brainwashed by the SLA? Or had she orchestrated the kidnapping plot in order to join the organization and extort money from her family? This debate would end up playing out in court. Patty and other members of the SLA were captured by the FBI in September 1975, eight months after Patty’s kidnapping. She was charged with armed robbery along with a handful of other crimes, and her defense team argued that she had Stockholm Syndrome. But that was a hard case to make: the Kreditbanken robbery had happened just two years earlier, and Stockholm Syndrome was still a new idea in the public consciousness. Ultimately, the jury was unconvinced by the defense, and Patty Hearst was still sentenced to seven years in prison. She would serve two years in prison before her sentence was commuted by President Jimmy Carter. Although there is still quite a bit of controversy surrounding the Patty Hearst case, her situation is now regarded as one of the best examples of Stockholm Syndrome outside of the Kreditbanken hostage situation. Jaycee Dugard in 1991 (Family Photo/CNN) Jaycee Dugard The kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard is another famous case of Stockholm Syndrome that became a media sensation. On June 10, 1991, 11-year-old Jaycee Dugard was abducted while walking home after getting off the school bus. Her mother had moved the family to Meyers, California a year earlier because she thought it was a safer place to raise her children, but now her worst fears had been realized. Once people realized that Jaycee was missing, the community leaped into action. Despite a widespread search effort and tons of media coverage- including a feature on America’s Most Wanted- Jaycee Dugard seemed to have disappeared without a trace. Many thought Jaycee was dead, but her mother held out hope that she was still alive.And she was alive, but she was being held against her will in Antioch, California...just three hours away from her childhood home. Jaycee was held captive until 2009, and even then, she was only rescued because her kidnapper made some critical mistakes. Phillip Greg Garrido, who was on parole for kidnapping and a registered sexual offender, visited the University of California, Berkeley campus looking for a place to hold a special event as part of his â€Å"God’s Desire† program. Garrido believed that angels were communicating with him and had granted him supernatural powers, and he wanted to proselytize on the campus. The UC Berkeley events office and campus police reported him to his parole officer, who asked Garrido to come in for a meeting. He did and brought his wife, Nancy, Jaycee, and Jaycee’s two daughters. (Garrido had repeatedly sexually assaulted Jaycee, who had two children as a consequence.) The police separated Jaycee from Garrido and started questioning her. Jaycee insisted her name was â€Å"Allissa,† and she only admitted her true identity after Garrido confessed to his crimes. By this point, Jaycee had lived with Garrido as â€Å"Allissa† for longer than she had lived with her biological parents. During her questioning at the police station, authorities immediately noticed that Jaycee was displaying symptoms of Stockholm Syndrome. This became even more apparent as more of Jaycee’s story came to light. For instance, as Jaycee got older, Garrido and his wife would take her out into public, including local festivals and fairs. Dugard even helped Garrido run a printing business out of his house. She worked as his graphic designer, answered phone calls and emails, and even met with clients. Despite this, she never made any attempts to escape or reveal her true identity. During an interview with Diane Sawyer for ABC News, Jaycee explained why she never tried to run away and her experience with Stockholm Syndrome. When Sawyer asks Jaycee why she didn’t run, she says, â€Å"in the situation...it wasn’t an option.† She goes on to say that Garrido convinced her that the outside world was dangerous, and that staying with him was the only way to keep herself and her children safe. Sawyer then asks Jaycee if she will ever understand why she didn’t try to leave, and Jaycee responds, â€Å"No. I don’t think so.† Like the Kreditbanken victims, Stockholm Syndrome convinced Jaycee that she was safer staying with her captor than trying to leave. Today, Jaycee uses her experience as a kidnapping victim and trauma survivor to help others who have experienced similar situations. Through her non-profit, the JAYCFoundation, Jaycee works to raise awareness and support for families who have experienced the abduction of a loved one. Now What? If you or someone you know is in a situation like the ones we’ve described above, reach out for help. You can always contact The National Domestic Violence Hotline by phone, text, or web chat for help. Looking for more resources on AP test topics? We’ve got plenty, like a run-down on the different modes of persuasion and a huge list of AP biology study guides! If the term â€Å"AP Test† is no for you, don’t worry! Here’s a primer on AP exams and a breakdown of the average score for each one.

Country Analysis Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Country Analysis - Outline Example is a landlocked country in north-eastern Africa with most of the people belonging to the different tribes but many of them are not Muslims unlike that of Sudan itself. South Sudan had one of the longest civil wars in Africa starting from 1972 and ending in 2005 with a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). Much of the country is dependent on subsistence farming due to the ancient nomadic agriculture. Frankly speaking, the country has very few resources except oil but has plenty of challenges to tackle before it can make any significant progress. (186) Political situation – it is quite ironic how a young country like South Sudan which had just emerged from a long and protracted civil war is now again embroiled in another civil war that is being fought between two former political allies. Its current president Salva Kiir Mayardit has accused his former vice president and other accomplices of trying to stage a coup detat. President Kiir belongs to the Dinka ethnic tribe while his ex-deputy Mr. Riek Machar belongs to the Nuer tribe. The conflict has drawn outside forces from nearby Uganda who are helping government troops fight the rebels lead by Machar and other allied tribes. This new ensuing political instability due to a power struggle along ethnic lines has disrupted the development plans of the young country and has killed at least 10,000 from both sides with 400,000 who fled to neighboring countries while another 1 million people are displaced internally. The current conflict poses a serious risk to South Sudan and if allowed to linger, it can be the source of further political instability that weakens government institutions and possibly make it a failed state like Somalia where there is no central government. Although the people of the country had identified themselves as members of a group distinct from pre-partition Sudan as they are not Muslims but Christians and animists, the new government has so far failed in its mission and vision to implement a new

Edgar Allan Poe's The Black Cat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Edgar Allan Poe's The Black Cat - Essay Example At the same time, he says that he is not mad and not mistaken, which also makes the reader to conclude that he is lying. Hence, the author has dissected different aspects of the story like the events, characters and coincidences in the story, to find out the truth. According to Amper, the narrator challenges the readers (and the police) to find out the truth behind the murder by giving an unclear picture of different incidents in the story. The narrator has told the story as if he is putting a puzzle in front of the readers and asking them to put it together. However, the attempt to suppress his strong guilt makes his subconscious mind to provide different cues to the reader. The cues make the readers doubt what the narrator is saying and helps to find the truth about the story. Amper says that the narrator’s subconscious guilt makes it difficult for his conscious mind to hide the truth completely. Hence, according to Amper, the cats are figments of the imagination which the n arrator has invented to replace his wife. The author says that the black cat ‘Pluto’ and the second cat are the imaginary substitutes for his wife, used to hide the guilt behind the heinous nature of his crime. Hence, according to Amper, the cats are nothing but fiction. ... Moreover, two ‘rigorous’ searches made by police makes the author believe that the narrator is lying, as according to the author, it would take more than three days to make the police suspicious about the narrator’s story and conduct ‘rigorous’ search. Moreover, the condition of wife’s dead body convinces the reader that the narrator is lying as according to the author, a body cannot â€Å"decay greatly and clot with the gore† just in three days. The subconscious â€Å"slips† of a tongue in narrator’s story makes the reader realize that the narrator is actually describing the murder of his wife by replacing wife with the cat. Moreover, Amper agrees with Daniel Hoffman, who was first in describing that the â€Å"narrator has substituted the cat for wife and wife for cat†. Hence, all the different fragments of the story like ‘apparition on the wall’, ‘the second cat’, ‘image of gallowsâ €™ etc., are the hallucinations and psychological elements which haunts the narrator due to the burden of the subconscious guilt of killing his wife. However, according to the author, what really exposes the narrator’s lie is his description of the condition of his wife’s body. The author says that â€Å"the greatly decayed state of the corpse† is the highlight of the story and that’s when the reader realizes that the narrator has killed his wife and not the cat and that too, long time back. The author has concluded the article by appreciating Poe for writing a simple yet brilliant detective story that has a touch of psychological thrill to it. Response The article ‘Untold Story: The Lying Narrator In â€Å"The Black Cat†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, written by Susan Amper, is a deep look at different

Understanding Skeletal Muscle Contraction Physiology Essay

Understanding Skeletal Muscle Contraction Physiology Essay Introduction Muscle contractions are a result of the buildup of tension within the muscle, and for muscles to contract, they must have a continuous supply of energy in the form of a molecule called adenosine triphosphate or ATP (Silverthorn, D.U., 2010). Through muscle contractions, we are able to run, walk, lift, push, sit, and even chew our food (Stabler, et.al, 2009). In addition to an energy requirement, skeletal muscles must be stimulated to contract (Stabler, et.al, 2009). Skeletal muscles are stimulated from an action potential that originates from within motor neurons (Stabler, et.al, 2009). Motor neurons are those that send electrical signals to skeletal muscle cells (Stabler, et.al, 2009). An action potential is the electrical signal that occurs when positively charged ions flood into the motor neuron as a result of a chemical, electrical, or other type of stimulus (Stabler, et.al, 2009). This signal, an area of intracellular positivity, self propagates down the length of the neuron tow ards the muscle cell (Silverthorn, D.U., 2010). Once this signal reaches the muscle cell, it is converted into a muscle contraction through a process called excitation-contraction coupling (Stabler, et.al, 2009). The interior of muscle cells also becomes very positive resulting in a muscle contraction. Muscle contractions have 3 different phases which include the latent period, contraction phase, and the relaxation phase (Silverthorn, D.U., 2010). The latent period occurs between the start of an action potential and the beginning of a muscle contraction (Stabler, et.al, 2009). This is the phase that will be studied later. The contraction period begins at the end of the latent period and ends when muscle tension ends (Stabler, et.al, 2009). The relaxation period occurs begins at the end of the contraction period until the muscle becomes free of tension (Stabler, et.al, 2009). To initiate a muscle contraction, the stimulus must reach its threshold. This is the minimal stimulus required to generate the action potential within a muscle cell causing the internal cellular environment to become positive (Stabler, et.al, 2009). In addition, the change in stimulus intensity can play a role in how strongly the muscle generates force when it contracts which is referred to as the active force (Stabler, et.al, 2009). As a stimulus is repeatedly applied to a muscle, fatigue will eventually occur. Fatigue can refer to a deficit in muscle functioning or a gradual decline in the force sustained by a muscle (Enoka and Duchateau, 2008). Other research has shown that fatigue could be the result of metabolic changes that occur within the contractile mechanisms within the muscle fibers such as changes in ion concentrations (Allen and Westerbland, 2001). If the latent period length is dependent upon the strength of the stimulus, increasing the electrical stimulus intensity should also increase the latent period, and since a threshold stimulus needs to be reached for a contraction to occur, then there will be a minimal amount of electrical stimulation required to generate a muscle contraction. In addition, if the active force strength is dependent upon the strength of the stimulus intensity, an increase in stimulus intensity should increase the active force. If muscle fatigue is occurring due to repeated stimuli over a period of time, then applying a stimulus at a constant rate should result in a decrease of sustainable force within the muscle. These experiments will be carried out using an electrical stimulus by passing a known amount of voltage through an isolated skeletal muscle attached to a metal holder that will transmit the data to a recorder and an oscilloscope screen for analyses (Stabler, et.al, 2009) Materials and Methods In order to understand muscle contraction physiology, I evaluated 4 different experiments. The first 3 experiments were designed to use a single stimulus to evaluate the latent period of a muscle contraction, to evaluate the threshold stimulus of a muscle contraction, and to evaluate the effects of increased stimulus intensity on a muscle contraction. The fourth experiment was designed to demonstrate the effects of muscle fatigue. The following materials were used for these experiments: an isolated skeletal muscle (75mm in length), a metal holder to measure force generated by the skeletal muscle, an oscilloscope, an electrical stimulator (single and multiple stimulus), and a data collection box. The first experiment was designed to determine the latent period of a muscle contraction. First, the muscle was attached to the metal holder. The electrode from the electrical stimulator was rested on the surface of the muscle. The electrical stimulator was set to 6.0 volts. A muscle contract ion was induced by applying a single electrical stimulus using the electrical stimulator. The data generated a tracing on the oscilloscope screen which was used to determine the latent period by selecting the point where the flat line began to rise. The data were recorded using the data collection box. I repeated this experiment using the following voltages: 1.0 volts, 3.0 volts, and 10.0 volts. These voltages were used to see if changes occurred within the latent periods. For the second experiment, the data generated was used to determine the threshold voltage. The threshold voltage occurred when the active force measured in grams was greater than 0. The equipment setup was the same as the last experiment, and the electrical stimulator was set to 0.0 volts. At 0.0 volts, the muscle was stimulated and the results observed and recorded using the oscilloscope and data recorder respectively. This experiment was repeated multiple times by increasing the voltage by 0.1 volts until the mi nimal threshold voltage was determined. For the third experiment, the effects on muscle contractions due to an increase in the electrical stimulus intensity were explored. Again the same equipment setup was used. The initial voltage was set to 0.5 volts followed by stimulation of the skeletal muscle. The data were observed and then recorded. This experiment was repeated multiple times by increasing each subsequent voltage by 0.5 volts. This continued until the data showed there was no change in the increase in active force. For the final experiment, fatigue was induced in the skeletal muscle. The equipment setup for this experiment was similar to the first three experiments. However, a different electrical stimulator was used which incorporated a multiple stimulus option as well as a single stimulus option. The multiple stimulus option added the ability to start and stop the stimulus activity. This experiment was designed so that several stimuli per second were being applied to the skeletal muscle if so desired. The electrical stimulator voltage was set to 7.0 volts, and the number of stimuli per second was set to 100. The muscle was then stimulated for approximately 400 seconds by selecting the multiple stimulus option, and the graphical data were recorded from the oscilloscope. Results For experiment one, the latent period was recorded in milliseconds and was compared to its corresponding stimulus voltage. The time measurement (latent period) reflected the start of the flat line until it began to rise. Below is a summary of the recorded data. Latent Period Determination Stimulus Voltage (V) Latent Period (msec) 1 3.89 3 2.78 10 2.22 For experiment two, the threshold stimulus determination data was collected by measuring the electrical stimulus voltage and its corresponding active force generated. Once the active force became greater than 0, the experiment was stopped. Below is a table with the collected data. Threshold Determination Stimulus Voltage (V) Active Force Generated (gms) 0 0 0.1 0 0.2 0 0.3 0 0.4 0 0.5 0 0.6 0 0.7 0 0.8 0.02 For experiment three, the data were collected in order to determine the effects of increased stimulus voltage on muscle contractions. The data reflected 0.5 volt interval increases in the electrical stimulus until 10 volts were reached. Below is the summary of the data. Muscle Contractions Increased Stimulus Effects Muscle Contractions Increased Stimulus Effects Stimulus Voltage (V) Active Force Generated (gms) Stimulus Voltage (V) Active Force Generated (gms) 0.5 0 5.5 1.59 1 0.15 6 1.65 1.5 0.43 6.5 1.7 2 0.66 7 1.74 2.5 0.87 7.5 1.78 3 1.04 8 1.81 3.5 1.19 8.5 1.82 4 1.32 9 1.82 4.5 1.42 9.5 1.82 5 1.51 10 1.82 For experiment four, data was graphed in order to demonstrate the effects of fatigue. The rate of the multiple stimulus was 100 stimuli/second at a constant setting of 7.0 volts. The data were recorded over a 400 second interval. Below is a graphical representation of the collected data. Muscle Fatigue Effects of Prolonged Stimuli Over Time (Stabler, et.al, 2009) C:Sheas StuffHuman PhysiologyFatigue.jpg Citations Allen, D.G. and H. Westerbland. (2001). Topical Review: Role of phosphate and calcium stores in muscle fatigue. Journal of Physiology 536.3: 657-665. Enoka, R. and J. Duchateau. (2008). Muscle Fatigue: what, why and how it influences muscle function. Journal of Physiology 586.1: 11-23. Silverthorne, D.U. 2010. Human Physiology: An Integrated Approach. 5th Edition. Pearson Benjamin Cummings, pp. 408-422. Stabler, T., Smith, L., Peterson, G., and Lokuta, G. 2009. PhysioEx 8.0 for Human Physiology à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Laboratory Simulations in Physiology. pp. 17-22.

Infectious Disease :: science

Infectious Disease What is the stake of the American People and the Government by International Agencies to control Infectious Disease in Developing Countries? More people are at risk of infectious diseases than at any other time on history. Infectious diseases are worldwide problem requiring worldwide attention. Infectious diseases can weaken the strength of a nation's resources. In developing nations this poses even a greater threat. Diseases are threatening the economic stability of many developing nations. 50,000 people die everyday from infectious disease. Rift Valley Fever infects both livestock and humans. Rift Valley Fever is most commonly found in regions of eastern and southern Africa. It also exists in Madagascar and sub-Saharan Africa. The Bunyaviridae family includes the Rift Valley Fever disease. It is primarily spread from infected mosquitoes, who then infect animals. Generally they infect domestic animals, such as buffalo, cattle, sheep, camels and goats. Once the livestock are infected, other mosquitoes can spread the disease. It is also possible that the infection can be spread from other biting insects. The Rift Valley Fever outberak of 1997-1998 in eastern Africa killed both humans and livestock. It economically hurt trase in animals and the dairy indusrty.. the economy was crushed by trade imbargoes. Humans can get Rift Valley Fever in numerous ways. Humans can be infected from the mosquitoes or the bodily fluids of the infected animal. Contact such as slaughtering the infected animal can occur also. Symptoms include, an infuenza like illness, fever, liver abnormalities, muscle and back pain and vomitting. In the early stages of Rift Valley Fever, these symptoms are some times mistaken for meningitis. This fever may also perceive itself to be haemorrhagic fever. Fatalities occur mostly in patients who have developed haemorrhagic fever. In diagnosing Rift Valley Fever, tests have demostrated the presence of antibodies to the disease. Studies in animals have given antiviral drugs for the use of humans. Herdsman and animal workers in areas where Rift Valley Fever is present are at a greater risk of being infected. The risk of transmission can be reduced by, wearing gloves, insect repellent, the use of protective clothes, and avoiding outdoor activity during peak biting times. Surveillance is important to form effective measures for reducing the number of infections. Cholera is a diarrheal illness that is spread by contaminated water and food. It is caused by an infection of the intestine, and in many cases it can be very severe.

Buisness Environment

The business environment of candy wrapping is lively and quite encouraging for start-ups to commence and operate business. There are always emerging candy companies with new flavors and tastes covering the entire age market of children, youth, men and women and even elderly. Specially lolly pops, lozenges, eclairs, are all time favorites for all group of ages and wrappers are everywhere. Especially after the launch of Internet technology, candy-wrapping business has emerged as a specialized business with profit making margins.In fact stay at mom candy wrapping business have been inviting individuals to take up candy wrapping business. Candy wrapping is an excellent ebusiness which can be in small volumes as well in large volumes whereas the demand for candy wrapping can never be halted. Candies are 24Ãâ€"7 business which are available at every occasion beginning from birthdays to wedding celebrations. The strengths that are required in candy wrapping business is to possess skills of designing software of graphics to extend colorful view on candy wrappers.Lot of creativity and imaginary work that must work in designing of wrappers which will prove beneficiary for business. There are no particular weaknesses in the business of candy wrapping without the concern of entrepreneur such as poor customer relation management, untimely deliveries, poor quality paper, spoilt / broken candies, poor packing are some of the keen areas where business will be lost. Website is no guarantee proof that business will be developed at a fast pace whereas it must be advertised through proper channels.A wide variety of opportunities are available in candy wrapping business. The business includes multinationals such as nestle, Cadbury Schweppes, and service oriented organizations viz. , wedding planners, birthday parties, florists, toy stores, infant and children shops, can be undertaken. Equipment that is required for designing candy wrappers is, a computer, ebusiness kit, software f or designing wrappers, color printer and paper. It is also a fact competitors can never be taken a back as loss except to the fact that the quality of paper must be excellent with attractive designs.Timely delivery of goods must be undertaken with utmost care and neatly packed to gain brand image of ebusiness. There are many successful companies which are involved in candy wrapping business. (1) candywrapper lady (2) custom candy wrappers (3) CJ’s Candy Wrap-ups (4) Party411. com (5) chocolatecovers. com. Although there is a stiff competition in the market, each company is specialized with a particular design which is the quality work according to the requirement and liking of a client.Each company is specialized in a particular software and design and focuses only those areas of clients. This also extends lot of benefits for companies and clients who are offered with variety, wide choice and with quality work. Conclusion For every ebusiness owner, a complete and thorough kno wledge of candy wrapping, internet research to build client base, market analysis and finance control is required while the basic skill of top quality designs must be focused.There can also be another alternative to work for a candy wrapping company before starting an own business, in order to gain sufficient knowledge, experience and guidance to avoid a novice experiments in ebusiness. References Start your own business get the bizymoms candy wrapper career kit Accessed 20 June 2007 http://www. bizymoms. com/cart/careers/candywrap_kit. html The candy wrapping business Accessed 20 June 2007 http://www. talewins. com/homepreneurs/candywrapping. htm