Darwin And Natural Selection Essays - Evolutionary Biology

Darwin And Natural Selection Darwin's theory of evolution can be explained like this; the environment acts as a selective agent, weeding out organisms less able to survive. Darwin described natural selection as a process in which organisms become better adapted to their environment. The organisms that evolved with beneficial variations are more likely to survive and reproduce, they pass on the favorable genetic material. Over time, the genetic composition of the species may become better able to escape being eaten or to capture prey. Do to such high demand for antibiotics around the world people have created their own antibiotic resistance and became immune to antibodies. At least half of the human use of antibiotics in the United States is unnecessary or inappropriate. For example, a patient demanding antibiotics for an illness that doesn't require them leads to a lot of unneeded drugs. Either the antibiotics are not needed at all, or it's the wrong dosage prescribed, or the wrong duration. More than 50 million pounds of antibiotics are produced in the United States every year. Forty percent of that total is given to animals, mostly to promote growth rather than treat disease. Antibiotic use is also rampant in agriculture. Drugs are sprayed on to fruit trees to prevent bacterial infections. The bad thing is, is that these bugs are developing a resistance to these drugs that once destroyed them. We are experiencing an alarming resurgence of common but no longer curable infections from bugs that developed resistance. This is by being too much involved with taking antibiotics for every little sickness and all other things that would require antibiotics. Another thing that would pose as a problem is the way that bacteria would evolve and adapt to our antibiotics. Darwin's theory can be related to antibiotic resistance in many ways. Through the years of using antibiotics against bacteria, we have seen that they usually get the job done. But as time progresses, so do the bacteria. As fast as we are producing the antibodies, the bacteria are adjusting to them faster. With all the antibiotics that humans take in, their bodies are becoming immune to the effects. Which is like Darwin's theory of natural selection; selecting out the organisms that cant adapt or adjust to the environment around them.

Procedural Audio Sound Design For Video Games

Procedural Audio Sound Design For Video Games !! !Procedural Audio Sound Design for Video Games ! ! ! ! ! à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨ à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨ à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨ à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨ à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨ ! Adrian Furdui Date : 15/08/2014 Word Count: 3312 ! !!Declaration ! I hereby declare that I wrote this written assignment on my own and without the use of any other than the cited sources and tools and all explanations that I copied directly or in theirsense are marked as such, as well as that the dissertation has not yet been handed in neither in this nor in equal form at any other official commission. !! ! ! ! ! ! à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨ à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨ à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨ à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨ à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨ à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨ à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨ à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨ à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨ à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨ à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨ à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨ à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨ à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨ à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨ à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨ à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨ à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨ à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨ à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨ à ¢Ã‚€Â ¨!IAbstract ! This paper explains what Procedural Audio is and its applications, it contains a brief introduction to Pure Data which is one of the softwar es with which it is possible to program audio within. The process of designing sound is explained, pointing out the main differences between the traditional way of doing it and doing it using procedural audio. This approach has been criticised for many years and the reasons have not changed much in time, in this paper its limitations and advantages will be explained. Examples of procedural audio used in video games will be provided in order to understand how the industry is reacting to it. The goal of this research is to find out whether Procedural Audio is going to become a standard, at least for game audio, or if it is going to remain in the shadows because of its complexity and all the problems it presents.! ! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!IITable of contents ! ! Introductionà ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦. 1What is Pure Dataà ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã‚€Â ¦ 2Limitations of Procedural...

The End Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The End - Essay Example chine aided life support and live for even longer, and one a more positive note, the very machines have aided the discoveries that have more than made life comfortable. More specifically, the ethics in the use of machines to prolong life seems to be odds with the moral dynamics of nature itself; should nature be allowed to take its own course with regards to suffering individuals on their death bed? Is euthanasia equal to natural death in view of immense circumstantial suffering? And what is the place of the physician with regards to a patient’s life? Proponents of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are in agreement that terminally ill individuals should have the right to choose to end their lives whichever way they want it done (Griffith, 2014). In the mix is the constitutional legality of such a desire, with those championing the foregoing course maintaining that like the constitutional safeguards that guarantees the basic human rights, the termination of life-saving medical treatment or refusal thereof is the prerogative of the individual. On the other end, doctors indeed have a moral duty to keep their patients alive no matter the condition[s] involved. More critically, the legalization of euthanasia may well create the incentives for certain scrupulous insurance dealers to terminate numerous lives in exchange of huge bucks in their pockets. Though actively advocated for in almost every country the world over, euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide is only permissible in a few countries. As to whether the very right discussed herein should be a right to all, Derek Humphrey (2009) argues that the degree to which pain and psychological distress can be tolerated is different for every individual, and that it is only the individual/patient/sufferer who can make perfect judgment on he/she feels within his/her system. Indeed as it is, individuals’ systems are not sharable, and only it is the individual who knows exactly what they feel at any given

Iris recognition system using principal component analysis Dissertation

Iris recognition system using principal component analysis - Dissertation Example This gives a fine demarcation between the inter class and intra class irises and hence the recognition becomes easier. Principal component analysis has been used to reduce the dimensionality. This enables choice of appropriate features from the iris templates and improves classification. The iris recognition accuracy has been described in terms of False Reject Ratio and False Accept Ratio. Table of contents Chapter 1 – Introduction of Project 1.1. Introduction 1.2. Project background 1.3. Problem Statement 1.4. Project aim and objectives 1.5. Significance of the project 1.6. Scope of project 1.7. Overview of project 2. Chapter - 2 Review of Literature 2.1. Introduction 2.2. Human Iris System 2.2.1. Iris and Biometrics 2.2.2. Artificial Intelligence for Iris recognition 2.3. Scanning the Iris 2.3.1 Localization of Landmarks 2.3.2 Digital Imaging 2.4. statistical dependence 2.5. Principal Component Analysis 2.5.1 Covariance 2.5.2 Normality and Residuals 2.6. Chapter summary Chap ter 3 – Methodology and framework of the Project 3.1. Introduction 3.2. Method 3.3. Requirements 3.4. Project Design 3.5. Hardware Design 3.6. Software Design 3.7. Chapter summary Chapter 4 – Project implementation and testing 4.1. Introduction 4.2. Image Segmentation 4.3. Image Normalisation 4.4. Feature extraction and encoding 4.5. Dimensionality Reduction 4.6. Iris matching Chapter 5 – Analysis and Discussion of Results 5.1. Introduction 5.2. Effect of the Parameters 5.3. Analysis of Hamming Distance 5.4. Recognition performance Chapter 6 – Project Management 6.1. Introduction 6.2. Project scheduling 6.3. Time management 6.4. Risk management 6.5. Quality management 6.6. Cost Management Chapter 7 - Critical Appraisal 7.1. Achievements 7.2. Future Research Chapter 8 – Conclusion Chapter 9 – Student Reflection References Appendices List of Figures Fig. 2.1. The Iris marking process. Fig. 2.2. Iris Localization/ Hough Transform Figure 2.3. Ir is Recognition Method Fig. 2.4. Iris Recognition in Java Fig.3.1. Sample eye images from CASIA database Fig. 3.2. Waterfall diagram Fig. 3.3. The UML Class diagram for the project in Smart Draw tool. Fig. 3.4. UML activity diagram for this project in Smart Draw. Fig. 4.1. Segmented eye image. Fig.4.2. Eye image with isolated iris region. Fig.5.1. Variation of intra class Standard deviation with number of shifts. Fig.5.2. Histogram of Hamming distance (intra class) without shifting of bits. Fig.5.3. Histogram of Hamming distance (intra class) with 8 times shifting of bits. Fig. 5.4 Histogram of the hamming distances (inter class) with 8 times shifting of bits. Fig.6.1. The Gantt chart for project schedule. List of Tables Table 2.2. Characteristics Index of Biometric Variations Table 2.1 False Rejection Rate Table 6.1. Risk Management Chapter 1 – Introduction of Project 2.3. Introduction This chapter presents a brief introduction about the project in terms of the project backgr ound, the scope of the project, the aim and objectives of the project and the overview. Researchers have developed several methods to develop Biometric tools. â€Å"A biometric system provides automatic identification of an individual based on a unique feature or characteristic possessed by the individual† (Majumder, Ray, & Singh, 2009). Among the various biometrics the Iris Recognition System uses

Mahons Poetry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mahons Poetry - Essay Example In this paper, I will explore how Mahon breathes life into these ordinary, everyday objects. I will look at how Mahon goes beyond merely giving them human characteristics (for example appealing to our visual sense and making something 'look' human); it is important to also show how Mahon makes us believe that they have feelings, and can experience different sounds and form judgments, just like we can. 'Table Talk' is fascinating because it speaks of a piece of furniture with a past: "When I was pine and lived in a cold climate." This table in question is not the focus of Mahon's attention because it looks or sounds in someway human; it has a history, like people. The table can remember when it was a tree, and the "chain-saw surgery" it endured in order to transform into furniture. It longs to "dance" again, no doubt in the breeze of its natural environment. In a more basic attempt to personify the table then, Mahon appeals to our senses (visual and auditory, as well as kinesthesia- the feeling of action).1 He speaks of the table wanting to "dance, / to scare your pants off." When we think of something with human qualities, we think of something that looks and acts in ways that are fundamentally human (like speaking, eating and in this case, dancing). Many poets will say, such as Wordsworth, that daffodils dance in the wind, or that the whining of an old door could be described as an old woman screeching. Rarely though does personification go beyond this. Mahon on the other hand appeals to our ability to think, feel, remember and experience situations. We relate to the pain that the writing table has suffered and the ideas that it has. 'Morning Radio' is different to 'Table Talk' in the way that the inanimate object in question is not suffering in the way that the writing table is, the radio is displaying more simple human traits, as we discussed before. The radio has a "fretwork throat," and through this he 'speaks' to those who will listen. The Radio is used by Mahon as medium for emitting beautiful music: "Woodwinds entering/ delicately," and reading the daily news. Arguably this poem is a 'simpler' example of Mahon's personification skills, the 'he's' in the poem could be a reference to the radio, and the fact that "he speaks" gives it a human quality.I think that it is possible to view 'Morning Radio' as a simpler version of 'Table Talk,' but I think that there is a lot more to 'Morning Radio' than that. If we look at what Mahon talks about in this poem, the seven o'clock news, "that the world is coming to an end," and a "new day" beginning, we can begin to see a pattern. Mahon's Radio talks about the changin g and new world (the news, sorrow and new beginnings); he is referring to different aspects of human life. So why does he do this I think that Mahon does this not just to create 'he'- the Radio, but rather he uses the Radio to make us question our lives. By mentioning the news and beautiful music, he is using the Radio to provoke a reaction out of us. The fact that he says "WE" in upper case, I believe is another tool that Mahon uses to make us see the Radio as a 'person' who speaks to us. In addition to this though the "WE" is inclusive and is addressed to us the reader.Looking at the two poems then, what can we say about the effectiveness

Effect Of Music And Noise On Working Memory Psychology Essay

Effect Of Music And Noise On Working Memory Psychology Essay Memory is an integral part of everyday life. It is required for simple tasks, such as keeping a phone number in mind before dialling it, or for more complex tasks such as learning a mathematical formula to apply to a sum. Memory is based on three basic processes. It can be defined as the process by which individuals encode, store and retrieve information (Feldman, 2004). Encoding is the receiving of sensory information and transforming it into some form which can be stored. Storing is the process of putting the information into memory. Retrieval is the process of gaining access to the stored information (Morgan, King, Weisz Schopler, 2008). The interaction of these three processes is required for the proper functioning of memory. Memory failure, that is forgetting, can occur when information has not been properly encoded and stored and therefore, there can be no retrieval (Baddeley, Eysenck and Anderson, 2009). The working of memory cannot be reduced to just a single explanation. It is composed of various interrelated systems. In 1968, the Atkinson-Shiffrin Model of Memory was proposed. It stated a three stage model of memory. Information, which was recorded by an individuals sensory system, enters sensory memory which holds the information momentarily. The information then moves to short-term memory, where it is stored for 15 to 25 seconds. And finally, the information moves to long-term memory where it is relatively permanent. The amount and kind of rehearsal of the information determines whether the information will move from short-term memory to long-term memory, or not (Feldman, 2004). Stimulation of extremely brief duration is stored in sensory memory. This is the first kind of information presented by the environment to individuals. The term sensory memory denotes different types of memory (Feldman, 2004). In the early 1960s, scientists at Bell Laboratories in USA analysed the fleeting visual memory system, which later came to be known as iconic memory. It is the brief storage of visual information. The auditory counterpart or auditory sensory memory is echoic memory (Baddeley, Eysenck and Anderson, 2009). Iconic memory is said to last for less than a second while echoic memory lasts for two to three seconds. Sensory memory can store information for a very brief time only. If the information does not pass to short-term memory, then it is lost forever. Information that is stored transiently in sensory memory is not meaningful as it is only a representation of raw sensory stimuli. For long-term retention the information is passed on to short-term memory which is the next stage of memory (Feldman, 2004). Short-term memory is the performance on particular types of task involving the simple retention of small amounts of information which is tested either immediately or after a short delay. Short-term memory forms a part of working memory. There are various methods of testing short-term memory. One of the classical methods is the digit span test which requires remembering digits for a short period of time. Specific amounts of information can be held in short-term memory. George A. Miller, one of the founders of cognitive psychology, in 1956, suggested that memory capacity is limited by the number of chunks of information. A chunk is a meaningful group of stimuli that can be stored as a unit of short-term memory (Baddeley, Eysenck and Anderson, 2009). For the transfer of information to long-term memory from short-term memory, rehearsal is required. It is the repetition of information that has entered short-term memory. If elaborative rehearsal is used, the information is more likely to get transferred to long-term memory; otherwise it may only remain stored in short-term memory. Elaborative rehearsal is the strategic organization of information (Feldman, 2004). In the late 1960s, the idea of short-term memory being a unitary system was discarded and new theories emerged. These explained short-term memory as involving a number of systems interacting with each other. One such model is of verbal short-term memory. It is the concept of phonological loop. The phonological loop features a part in the multi-component working memory model proposed by Baddeley and Hitch in 1974. The phonological loop is composed of two parts, a short-term store and an articulatory rehearsal process. This store has a limited capacity. The items are stored as memory traces and decay within a few seconds. But, these traces can be retrieved by sub vocal rehearsal. A prominent feature of the short-term store is the phonological similarity effect. This is a tendency for immediate serial recall of verbal material to be reduced when the items are similar in sound. Therefore, remembering a series of dissimilar words is easier than remembering a list of words that are phonologically similar. But, this effect does not appear when the lists are lengthened and if there are several learning trials involved. It is also seen that there is a tendency for verbal memory span to decrease when longer words are used. This is the word length effect. Another factor which disrupts verbal short-term memory is the irrelevant sound effect. It was found that music interfered with digit recall. Vocal music was more disruptive that instrumental music. The retention of serial order can be disrupted by irrelevant stimuli provided they fluctuate over time. Another concept of short-term memory is the visuo-spatial short-term memory. The visual and spatial components have been proposed as a part of the visuo-spatial sketchpad which is a component of working memory. It is a counterpart of the phonological loop (Baddeley, Eysenck and Anderson, 2009). After the 1960s, short-term memory has transformed into the concept of working memory. According to this, information is not only retained for a short period of time, but can also be manipulated and can be involved in higher order processing activities such as comprehension, problem-solving and reasoning (Levin, Thurman and Kiepert, 2010). In 1974, Baddeley and Hitch drew two main observations from studying the effect of an irrelevant memory load on verbal reasoning. The first was that an irrelevant short-term memory task interfered with cognitive tasks. This was consistent with the idea of a common working memory system that combines temporary information storage with ongoing mental operations. Secondly, the concept of working memory went beyond that of short-term memory. It included an additional resource which was not shared with short-term memory (Graham J. Hitch). Working memory refers to the ability to coordinate mental operations with transiently stored information during cognitive activities (Graham J. Hitch). It is a system for temporary maintenance and manipulation of information that is helpful in performing complex tasks (Baddeley, Eysenck Anderson, 2009). An example of the usage of working memory is complex mental arithmetic where the task is broken down into several stages. The various stages have to be coordinated and the early stages generate transient information that has to be maintained for use in the later stages (Graham J. Hitch). Working memory and cognitive abilities are related to each other. Working memory affects cognitive tasks and, in turn, cognitive abilities are required for the understanding and manipulation of working memory. The Baddeley-Hitch Model of Working Memory, which was proposed in 1974, is highly influential and attempts to give a clear understanding of working memory. According to this model, working memory has three components: the phonological loop, the visuo-spatial sketchpad and the central executive. The phonological loop is specialized in holding sequences of acoustic items. The visuo-spatial sketchpad performs a similar function for visually and spatially encoded items. This entire system is controlled by the central executive which is an attentionally limited system that selects and manipulates material in the subsystems (Baddeley, Eysenck Anderson, 2009). A few factors affecting phonological memory are the phonemic similarity of items as well as the word length of the items. Memory spans vary with the length of the items. They are higher for shorter items than for longer items. But, these effects did not appear when the items were presented visually. Spoken stimuli accesses the articulatory loop automatically whereas visual inputs have to be verbally recoded, a control process that involves subvocalization. The phonological loop also explained why the presence of background speech disrupts short-term memory for visually presented verbal stimuli. According to Baddeley, irrelevant noise was easier to ignore than irrelevant speech which suggested that unattended speech enters the phonological store whereas non speech sounds do not. Working memory is thought to be under the control of the central executive. It is responsible for the coordination of mental activities in working memory as well as supervision of phonological loop and visuo-spatial sketchpad and the interaction with long-term memory (Graham J. Hitch). In 2000, Baddeley proposed a fourth component of the working memory model which would explain its interaction with long-term memory. It was called the episodic buffer and was assumed to be a storage system which could hold about four chunks of information in a multidimensional code. It acts as a link between the various components of working memory, and connecting the components with input from long-term memory. It has been studied that music has a favourable effect on working memory. Classical music such as Mozarts Sonata for two pianos in D Major, K.448 and Vivaldis Four Seasons: Spring are said to have an especially beneficial effect, by improving cognitive performance of individuals (Copley, May). In 1993, Rauscher et al claimed that after listening to Mozarts sonata for 2 pianos (K.448) for ten minutes, subjects showed better spatial reasoning skills than after listening to relaxation instructions or silence (Jenkins, 2001). This came to be known as the Mozart Effect. Rauscher et al stated that the participants IQ increased by 8 to 9 points over the two other conditions- relaxation and silence (Smith, Waters and Jones, 2010). The Vivaldi Effect was observed in a study when it was found out that those who listened to Vivaldi while exercising increased their scores of verbal fluency tests after their workouts compared to those who exercised without music (Roberts, June). Background noise is any sound that distracts or interferes with an individuals focus of attention. Background noise is said to disrupt the concentration of an individual. It can affect a persons ability to think clearly and retain information and can impair learning and memory (Andrews, January). Noise can include road traffic, people talking in the background, etc. Working memory is an important component as everyday cognitive tasks rely on it. It is integral in the development of language and reading. The study aims to explore the influence of music (classical) and background noise on working memory, which is responsible for enabling complex cognitive activities. The Mozart Effect has been observed to have a beneficial effect on visuospatial performance. This study aims to see if it can be extended to the performance of working memory as well. The study will also observe whether conditions of silence and music will elicit a better performance of working memory than the condition of background noise and the condition of background noise and music. The objectives of this study are to find out if music has a positive effect on working memory and if noise has a detrimental effect on working memory. In addition, the study aims to compare the effects of silence and music on working memory as well as to find out if background noise and music will have a detrimental effect on working memory. The hypotheses of the study are that music will have a positive effect on working memory, noise will have a detrimental effect on working memory, silence will have a better result on the performance of working memory than music and background noise and music will have a detrimental effect on working memory. Chapter Two Review of Literature Various studies have been conducted which show the positive and detrimental effects of music and noise on working memory. The following research articles look at studies which have been conducted which express the relationships between music, noise and working memory. The Effects of Background Music and Noise on Working Memory was conducted by Amanda Eiras and Kaycee McNeil. It examines how verbal working memory was affected by background music and noise. The study was conducted on 14 participants between the ages of 18 to 30 years. The participants were made to recall a list of 30 words in 30 seconds under four conditions: in silence, in music, in noise and in music and noise. It was found that the presence of music was not statistically significant F(1,11) The Effect of Background Music and Noise on the Cognitive Test Performance of Introverts and Extraverts was conducted by Stacey Dobbs, Adrian Furnham and Alistair McClelland. This study examines whether background noise is as distracting as music and the effect it has on introverts and extroverts while they do cognitively complex tasks. 118 female school children between the ages of 11 to 18 years were the participants of the study. The participants were made to complete 3 tasks- RPM, Wonderlic Personnel Test and Verbal Reasoning Test Byron, 2006 under 3 conditions: noise condition, music condition and silence condition. The results showed that in RPM, the performance in silence was significantly better than in the presence of music and the performance in music was significantly better than in the presence of noise. In the Wonderlic Personality Test, the performance in silence and music was significantly better than in the presence of noise. The performance in the presence of silence was not significantly different from performance in the presence of music. In the test of verbal reasoning the performance in silence was significantly better than with music and just failed to be significantly better than with noise. There was no significant difference between performance under music and noise conditions. Recall of Words Heard in Noise was conducted by Anders Kjellberg, Robert Ljung and David Hallman. This study examines if recall of words and recognition of sentences, when orally presented, were affected by the presence of background noise. 32 participants between the ages of 18 to 34 years were chosen. The participants were required to complete two memory tasks: recall of words and recognition of sentences under two conditions- with background noise and without background noise. The results show that the number of words correctly recalled were significantly lower in the noisy condition (mean= 8.50 and 11.03 for noise and control condition respectively.) In the recognition of sentences task there was no significant differences between the conditions. Does music enhance cognitive performance in healthy older adults? was conducted by Nicola Mammarella, Beth Fairfield, and Cesare Cornoldi. This study examines whether music can enhance cognitive performance. 24 participants between the ages of 73 to 86 years of age were chosen. The participants were required to do two tests: a forward version of digit spans and word fluency test under three conditions: music, no music and white noise. The results for digit span show that the music condition showed a significant advantage over the white noise condition and the non-music condition. There was no difference between the white noise condition and the non-music condition. The results for the phonemic fluency show that there is a significant advantage of music over white noise and non-music conditions. And the difference between white noise and non-music conditions were not significant. Listening to the Vivaldi excerpt led subjects to show a significant increase in phonological working memor y capacity and phonemic fluency. Acoustical Barriers in Classrooms: The Impact of Noise on Performance in the Classroom was conducted by Julie E. Dockrell and Bridget M. Shield. The study examines the effect of classroom noise on the performance of primary school children. 158 children were chosen as participants for the study. Their mean age was 8 years and 6 months. The participants were given four tests to complete: an aptitude test, verbal tests which included reading and spelling, non-verbal tests and an arithmetic test under three different class noise conditions: base (normal classroom condition when children are working quietly and no one is talking), babble (noise consisting of childrens babble) and babble with environmental noise. The results showed that verbal task performance is worst in babble and best in base condition. In the non-verbal tests, the performance is best in the babble and environment noise condition. The study, The Effect of Background Music and Background Noise on the Task Performance of Introverts and Extraverts was conducted by Gianna Cassidy and Raymond A. R. Macdonald. This study examines the effects of music with high arousal potential and negative affect, music with low arousal potential and positive affect and everyday noise on the cognitive performance of introverts and extraverts. The sample size was 40. It included 20 university student, 10 adolescents and 10 non-studying/working adults. The materials used were music with lyrics and background noise (which was everyday general sound, classroom working sounds, traffic and conversation including laughter). The participants had to complete 5 cognitive tasks. They were the Stroop Neuropsychological Screening Test, a delayed recall task from the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test (version A, item 6 A), a free recall task which had 20 six letter words, a distractive task which was a numerical task and the delayed recall task. The participants completed the five tasks in one of the four background sound conditions: positive low arousal music which was relaxing, negative high arousal music which was aggressive, background noise and silence. Performance on all the tasks was poorer while listening to background sound (which includes music and noise) compared to completing the tasks in silence. Listening to high arousal music was significantly more detrimental to task performance than listening to low arousal music across all tasks. Background noise and high arousal music significantly reduced performance across all tasks compared to the silence condition. High arousal music was more detrimental to task performance the Stroop task. The Effects of Acute Background Noise on Recognition Tasks was conducted by Daniel Diegard. 23 students were chosen as the participants for the study and the mean age was 22 years. The materials used were random white noise, encoding items, a distracter task which was a mental arithmetic task and a working memory capacity test which required the participants to complete an arithmetic test and alternating between equations and memorizing word sequences. The results showed that there was no significant difference between the four noise conditions effects on the participants recognition score. There was a significant within-subject effect on the participants response times, dependant on the presence of noise during the recognition part [F(1,21)=5.60, p=0.028] and also a between-subject ffect for the two experimental groups [F(1,21)=8.57, p=0.008]. Background white noise had no significant effect on the participants learning capacity. It was seen that the interaction effect of the experi mental group and encoding noise did approach significance. The results of this study are shown to be inconsistent with most previous studies conducted. Effects of Prior Exposure to Office Noise and Music on Aspects of Working Memory was conducted by Andrew Smith, Beth Waters and Hywel Jones. The participants of this study were 36 undergraduate students between the ages of 18 to 25 years. This study was further divided into two studies. The first examined whether habituation occurred to office noise and how long it takes for habituation. The second study was an attempt to replicate the Mozart Effect which represents an improvement in spatial reasoning following listening to Mozart. In the first experiment, a mental arithmetic task was given to the participants. After the first mental arithmetic task, a habituation period to office noise was presented for five minutes. There were three conditions which were used. The first was continuous noise condition which was heard throughout the presentation of all the mental arithmetic tasks and the habituation periods. The second was the noise control condition in which the participants heard n oise during the mental arithmetic task but not during the intervening habituation period. The final condition was the quiet condition in which no noise was presented during the mental arithmetic task. The habituation phase was for 20 minutes in total placed between the arithmetic tasks. The results showed that there was a significant effect of noise condition [F(2,33)=8.3, p In the second experiment 24 undergraduate students were chosen to be the participants. Their mean age was 22 years. The participants had to complete spatial ability tasks in three conditions: after listening to Mozarts piano sonata, after positive mood induction and after sitting in silence. The results showed that the participants had higher scores on the test in the Mozart condition than in the other 2 conditions. Music Listening While You Learn: No Influence of Background Music on Verbal Learning was conducted by Lutz Jancke and Pascale Sandmann. This study examined the influence of listening to background music on verbal learning performance. The sample size of this study was 75 and the participants were randomly assigned to five groups. The participants had to learn the presented verbal material with and without background music. Each group of participants was exposed to one of five different background stimuli: in-tune fast, in-tune slow, out-of-tune fast, out-of-tune slow and noise. This study did not find any consistent or consequential influence of background music on verbal learning. There was neither an enhancement nor a decrease in verbal learning performance during the presentation of the background sound conditions. The Relative and Perceived Impact of Irrelevant Speech, Vocal Music and Non-Vocal Music on Working Memory was a study conducted by Thomas R. Alley and Marcie E. Greene. The sample size of this study was 60. The study examined the effects of vocal music, equivalent instrumental music and irrelevant speech on working memory to understand how music affects performance and the degree of impairment. The participants completed a digit span task in the presence of irrelevant speech, vocal music, instrumental versions of the vocal music and silence. The results of this study showed that speech and vocal music hindered performance. The performance in instrumental music was better than that of vocal music but was not significantly different from speech or silence. Chapter Three Methodology The aim of this research will be to study the effects of music and background noise on working memory. Research Design A quantitative study will be carried out and experimental research design will be used. The study will involve a group of individuals who will be made to recall lists of words under four different conditions- silence, background noise, music and music and background noise. Hypotheses Music will have no effect on working memory. Noise will have no effect on working memory. Silence will have no effect on working memory. Background noise and music will have no effect on working memory. Sampling Sample size consisting of 40 individuals including males and females in the age range of 19 to 23 years. The sampling method to be used will be convenience sampling. The study is an experimental and quantitative research as variables will be measured and analysed using statistical techniques. Ethical Consideration Informed consent will be given to the participants before the experiment is conducted to ensure that their participation is voluntary. Confidentiality of identity of the participants will be guaranteed. The participants will be allowed to leave the experiment when they want. Tools Used 16 list of 20 words each Mozarts Sonata for 2 pianos in D, K.448 Vivaldi- Spring Clip of background noise on a busy street Data Analysis The Analysis of Variance or ANOVA will be used as there are more than two variables which will be taken into consideration as well as the interaction between the two. Operational Definitions Working Memory- Working memory is the ability to temporarily store words while performing other cognitive tasks. Music- Music can be defined as the vocal and instrumental sound to produce form, harmony and expression. Noise- Noise is defined as unwanted sound. In this study, noise is that which is not important to the main focus of attention.

These three poems are all based upon time, they all show time passing :: English Literature

These three poems are all based upon time, they all show time passing and how it effects human life and nature. to his coy These three poems are all based upon time, they all show time passing and how it effects human life and nature. ‘to his coy mistress’ shows time passing as the poet tries to say that time doesn’t last forever , and that you should make the most if youth, because one day it will all be over and you will be getting old. ‘to the virgins make much of time’ also shows a very similar approach of how you should make the most.’Ozymandias’ shows time passing by saying that structures will out do people and that nothing can prevent time stopping, eventually it will catch up on us all. The poem to his coy mistress’ is a poem of great passion to ask the woman if she will date him and also go to bed with him. It is a poem of originality and the language used in the poem is very soft texture and content. The poem is split up into three sections one part is ‘if’, the second part is ‘but, and the last part is therefore. All theses show a different view of how he is persuading her to do all these things. The rhythm and rhyme of the poem to reinforce the arguments a used by rhyming couplets, which create a light hearted approach on the poem. The first two lines of the poem relate to the subject of time by saying, that if there was enough time and if life was longer then we could see much more things and, do more things with each other, it also uses the word crime which I used to show that it is no crime for us to do things together. The third and fourth lines show the man and the woman and how they could live their lives without rushing, because life would be longer than before. On lines 5-7 the poet compares the woman to the Ganges and himself to the Humber is used as a tone of mockery and is meant to be a joke. Line 10 shows the ‘flood’ which is a biblical reference showing that he will love her even before this point. On line 23-25 it shows how she will get old very quick and that you should make the most of your life, because one day it will be forgotten and your beauty will have faded. On lines 28-29 there are stops before the end, this is the poet

Egyptian Art

They dedicated enormous resources to Egyptian rituals and the construction of temples. Because of their beliefs, they developed an exquisite and unique form of art. Their art works centered on their gods and the preparation for eternal life after death. They created sculptures, forms of pottery, paintings and hieroglyphs to decorate burial tombs for their eternal afterlife Journey. This civilization is the most well known for their monumental sculptures, but they also created small sculptures made of stone, wood, and bronze.These were often a suture of a human body with the head of an animal (falcons). They were also known for their astonishing pottery made out of clay which held images of animals, people, and last but not least; their gods. (Above, we can observe an image of the kneeling figure/sculpture of Hatchets. This image is located in page 67 or our eBook – Art: A Brief History. The actual sculpture can be found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York). The great Sphinx of Gaza is probably one of the most mysterious monuments in the world today.The Great Sphinx is located near modern-day Cairo Egypt and is a lion with a man's head, which is thought to be the head of the Pharaoh Cheapen – the fourth king of the 4th Dynasty is believed to have been the brother or son of Cheeps, but the only problem is that there is no evidence that this temple was in fact built by Pharaoh Cheapen as there are no artifacts or identifying inscriptions of any kind. This isomorphic mythological figure has its origins in sculpted figures from Old Kingdom Egypt and it was the Greeks who named it â€Å"Sphinx† which in Greek hydrology meant: female monster or strangler.The Egyptians basically told us everything about them through their art. Their art revealed to us their beliefs and ways of life. Their art also revealed to us about economical and political changes of their time and so much more. References: Stoked, Coterie (2010). Art: A Brief History – 4th Edition. Pearson Education – up 56 – 75. Http://www. Schenectady. Org/humanities/art-history/art-history-400-c-e–ancient- cultures- 1 [ancient-Egypt/a/Egyptian-art http://www. Crystalline. Com/sphincters. HTML

Essay on The use technology and information resources to research issues in crime and criminal behaviorEssay Writing Service

Essay on The use technology and information resources to research issues in crime and criminal behaviorEssay Writing Service Essay on The use technology and information resources to research issues in crime and criminal behavior Essay on The use technology and information resources to research issues in crime and criminal behaviorThe topic chosen for this project is â€Å"The use technology and information resources to research issues in crime and criminal behavior†. In fact, this topical area is of great importance for criminologists because it highlights the need for using use technology and information resources to facilitate the process of crime investigation. The history of criminology can be effectively used in study of different aspects of criminology through construction of a framework for the study of crime based on the available knowledge of the proper facts, events and individual behaviors (Lawrence, 2012).The topic needs to be researched not only to better understand the nature of criminology and the functioning of criminologists in different periods of time, but also to identify the relationship between the past, present and future aspects of crime investigation. In addition, the chosen topic area needs to be researched to address a wide range of problems and challenges that exist in today’s field of criminology. The history of criminology helps to assess the relationship between social structures and criminological ideas (Laub, 2004).   Due to this research, it is possible to find solutions to various issues in the field of contemporary criminology based on the use technology and information resources.Defining the problems and challenges that exist in crime and criminologyBased on the chosen topic, it is necessary to define the problems and challenges that exist in crime and criminology. The history of criminology allows identifying serious problems connected with the studies of punishment. According to researchers, earlier studies in this field are based primarily on the issues of unemployment (Laub, 2004; Peelo Soothill, 2013).   Later studies in this area are focused on the critical assessment and analysis of the trends in punishment.   Researcher s explore historical contingencies that reflect the relationship between unemployment and imprisonment. These issues create certain problems in the field of crime and criminology. To make deeper understanding of the key challenges faced by criminology, it is necessary to place emphasis on the new form of knowledge that helps to assess crime trends and criminal behaviors. Actually, criminology is a rather new discipline, although it has its history. Criminology faces some problems connected with certain conflicts that appear within the discipline (Peelo Soothill, 2013). Criminology needs more and more studies to make the discipline less â€Å"static†. As the major task of criminology is to â€Å"explore and explain crime† as social construction, it is necessary to define the boundaries of criminology and the impact of other disciplines on its development (Peelo Soothill, 2013).In general, many challenges face the field of criminology as it continues to grow and become less â€Å"static†. The historical issues that have contributed to the problems and challenges are connected with social, cultural, political and economic changes. According to researchers, there are three major challenges faced the file of crime and criminology. First, â€Å"criminological research has been futile†(Laub, 2006, p. 237). Researchers suggest the work of criminologists in the field lacks scientific approaches to the study of the phenomena of crime. Besides, the knowledge provided by the discipline of criminology lacks a comprehensive scientific proposition and conclusion (Laub, 2006). Second, â€Å"the reason for the futility of research in criminology is the incompetence of criminologists in science† (Laub, 2006, p. 237). Researchers argue that the use of scientific method in the field requires the proper theoretical analysis, observation, and interpretation, which characterize crime and criminology field as â€Å"raw empiricism† (Laub, 20 06). Special attention is paid to observation, while the abstractions of analysis are neglected. Researchers suggest that â€Å"the assurance with which criminologists have advanced opinions regarding the causes of crime is in striking contrast to the worthlessness of the data upon which those opinions are based† (Michael Adler, 2003, p. 169). The third problem is that the current methods applied to crime and criminology research are ineffective, and scientists should come to the field of criminology from other fields to improve these methods (Laub, 2006). It has been found that the common sense knowledge used in crime and criminology field is insufficient to effectively address the practical problems regarding crime control. Besides, the descriptive knowledge generated by criminological research fails to increase the role of the common sense knowledge in order to compensate for its insufficiency. Criminology as a science should be constructed not only by criminologists, but also by psychologists, biologists, sociologists or by others.Thus, these problems lead to the failure of criminology to address a wide range of issues connected with crime control (Garland Sparks, 2000; Laub, 2004).The contributions of internal and external stakeholders to the problems and solutions in crime and criminologyThe internal stakeholders can be found inside the field of crime and criminology. They are criminologists, staff members of the criminological organization, its management and the board of directors. The external stakeholders can be found outside the field of crime and criminology. They include the environment, government, the media, and the members of society, clients, victims, and criminals.The internal and external stakeholders contribute to both the problems and the solutions in crime and criminology. They influence the success of the research in crime and criminology and possible outcomes, the historical development of the field and the areas of study. For example, criminologists contribute to finding solutions to the existing problems and challenges through the application of the proper scientific methods and theories. The media and the government contribute both to the problems and solutions in crime and criminology through various policies and programs aimed at crime control (Laub, 2004).Generally speaking, the contributions of internal and external stakeholders to the problems and solutions in crime and criminology should be taken into consideration while conducting a criminological research.Discussion of the data and information that have been collected while conducting research on the topicThe data and information that have been collected while conducting research on the topic can be characterized as valid and reliable. Much information has been taken from peer-reviewed journals and scholarly sources. The authors of these sources are competent to write about crime and criminology.Moreover, the data relates to the problems and ch allenges in crime and criminology because the authors are interested in critical assessment of criminological research and its findings. The authors of the sources used in this study are focused on exploring the nature of criminology and its impact on crime control.Developing a solution that addresses the problems and challenges in crime and criminology, based on the research findingsIn order to develop the proper solution that would address the problems and challenges in crime and criminology, based on the research findings, it is necessary to identify three areas that would be addressed:to make improvements in criminological research;to improve the competence of criminologists in the field of crime and criminology;to improve the current methods applied to crime and criminology research, inviting scientists from other fields.Thus, taking into consideration the above mentioned areas, it is necessary to conclude that the problems and challenges in crime and criminology should be addr essed through the application of more effective methods and strategies in criminological research, enhancement of the competence of criminologists in the field of crime and criminology, and the involvement of scientists from other fields to the field of crime and criminology.   According to recent findings, the theories of crime can be applied to different disciplines, including psychology, sociology, biology and other disciplines. Criminologists are encouraged to use this knowledge in a meaningful way.   It is necessary to remember that â€Å"misunderstanding of the present is the inevitable consequence of ignorance of the past† (Laub, 2006, p. 250). As a matter of fact many of current issues in the field of crime and criminology have a long and interesting history. Criminologists should pay more attention to the history of criminology in order to effectively apply technology and information resources in the study of crime and criminal behavior (Garland Sparks, 2000). T he history of criminology could be used as the basis for the proper analysis of crime, crime policies, crime rates and other issues.

English 104 Essays (405 words) - Culture, Communication, Linguistics

English 104 Essays (405 words) - Culture, Communication, Linguistics English 104 Journal 4 December 2, 2016 Electronic communication has quickly become the most prominent form of transferring ideas and information between persons within the twenty-first century. Platforms such as emailing and instant messenger are most commonly used to facilitate communication, regardless of the formality of the setting. In this way, social media platforms are utilized among friends, social groups, businesses, and organizations. The relevancy of these platforms is undeniable, as the use of oral features and oral styling is a distinct feature of these communication methods. The exchange of thoughts between persons has both a syntax and characteristics which are standard, regardless of the medium. As discussed in the essay, computer conversations and oral conversations have many similarities. One such feature of communication present in both forms is personal involvement. This is seen in the use of names at the beginning of and throughout messages sent during online communication. The aim of this is to directly address and engage the person with whom they're corresponding. The use of pronouns and rhetorical features is also seen in computer conversations. Similarly, in oral conversations persons may regularly use names, pronouns, and questions to connect with who they're communicating with. The presence of this feature of communication within computer conversation is one indication of its relevancy to personal thought. Additionally, the use of formal and informal grammar are features of orality which are present within social media communication as well as speech. Disfluencies and neologisms aren't restricted to speech. Conversations via the internet can also be found to have contractions, slang, and fragmentation of sentences. Social media sites such as Twitter are well known for the use of informalities such as slang shorthand and contractions to work around the dreaded character limits. This commonality also speaks to social media relevancy as the same distinct speech patterns used to convey thoughts orally are found in social media. In conclusion, as social media applications are the most popular means of communication, their relevance to styling oral features and thought is undeniable. The similarities social media shares with oral speech such as informalities, personal involvement, and the use of the active voice only further reiterate its applicability. The oral stylings found in the formal aspect of communication only serve to enhance it, not detract, and are as such appropriately utilized. Limiting the orality of formal communication can only be detrimental and as such should be avoided at all costs.

Strategic Planning Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic Planning - Assignment Example Irish colleges have changed their age old stance of focusing only on domestic students. Globalization of educational system has forced Irish colleges to think beyond domestic boundaries in order to attract international students. Higher educational system of Ireland has already experienced a boom due to rapid internationalization during the period of 1995 to 2007, which is known as ‘Celtic Tiger years’. In that era, China was an important source for student immigration in Irish colleges but supply of international student has reduced after the recession which has painstakingly reduced industrial output of Irish economy. As a result of industrial slowdown in Ireland, private parties have reduced higher education funding for universities and colleges (ICEF Monitor, 2012). In such context, Irish government has taken initiative known as â€Å"Education in Ireland† in order to market the existing education programme in Irish universities and colleges in international m arkets such as Argentina, Brazil, China, India, USA etc. Irish Government has planned to implement recommendations made by Hunt Report (2011) in order to attract international students... Hence, due to involvement of customer perception variables, Irish colleges need to build their brand among international students in order to convince them that Irish colleges are capable of delivering quality education. The researcher in the study is head of Strategic Planning Division of Irish owned and managed college and board of the college has asked the researcher to prepare strategic recommendation for the college on how to increase its penetration in Argentine educational sector and simultaneously increase its Argentine student base. Hence, following sections of the study will try to throw some light on issues like macro environmental analysis of Argentina, analysis of educational sector of Argentina, challenges regarding cultural and managerial practices in both countries, identifying strategic options etc. Part 1- Research Macro-environment To understand a country, one must take a step forward to analyze macro-environment of the country; hence the researcher will analyze ma cro-environment of Argentina in terms of PESTLE analysis. Political Argentina can be called as pariah state due to its unstable political environment which is complemented with nepotism, corruption and cronyism. Gabriel Torres (who is senior analyst in Moody's) has stated that, â€Å"Argentina's inability to solve its political differences is a problem, contentious politics make the country less able to cope with the impact of economic shocks† (Mercopress, 2009). Although political instability in the country has hampered the economic growth in the country but Argentine government has taken initiatives during 1990s to reform the educational sector in order to increase privatization and internationalization of higher education sector. Educational reform

Behaviour in Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Behaviour in Organisations - Essay Example The purpose of this report is to analyze how organizational behavior will influence the innovation of the Australian consulting firm. The survey will focus on the process of creating and inventing new ideas into the marketplace as the products and the process in order, to flourish the consulting firm in the market. The innovation of any company lies on the power of ideas and individual initiative that expand the services of organizational to its customers. This will happen if the firm is willing to accept the opportunities and the challenges ideas that help organizational to develop new knowledge that meets emerging needs of the clients. Therefore, organizational behavior involves the study of persons and groups within the organizational, and the study of the internal process and practices as they affect the effectiveness of individuals and the organization. Therefore, organization behavior and innovation of the organizational processes go hand in hand in order to meet the interest o f workers and the executive managers. In general, it helps individuals working together in a difficult market system to create a new product and procedure or work process in organizational. This is ability of the individuals in the firm to access their weakness and the strength, set, and pursues professional and personal goals as well as balancing company work and personal life in order, to engage in new learning activities of well-being of the company. ... In general, it helps individuals working together in a difficult market system to create a new product and procedure or work process in organizational. The self-competency This is ability of the individuals in the firm to access their weakness and the strength, set, and pursues professional and personal goals as well as balancing company work and personal life in order, to engage in new learning activities of well being of the company. Stephen and Timothy (2010, p 224) stated that, for any company to innovate new ideas and products in the market, all individuals should have self-competency that involves abilities to be effective in doing the following: To attain the innovation of the consulting firm, the individuals should understand their own and the customers personalities and altitudes. The working team should understand their own motivations activities and the emotions in the organizational environment in order to respect others ideas. They should take responsibilities for managi ng their own work without any push from the top management. They should perceive, appraise, and interpret their ideas accurately in the organizational environment in order to put the new ideas into productive manner. The innovation of the consulting firm will be entirely on the assessment and the establishment of the workers personal life and the work-related goals. In general, self-competency helps in achievement of an underlying personal attributes that are needed for the successfully innovation of the organizational. The Careers Development The individuals in the organizational should aim at improvement of their careers in different fields so that they can develop new ideas in order to move up the ladder in the consulting organization. According to