Body Worlds and the Cycle of Life Essay

The Body Worlds show was an astounding voyage through in excess of 200 mind blowing plastinates; genuine human examples that have been safeguarded. Dr. von Hagen’s is the man behind his unbelievable creation called plastination; treating and anatomical dismemberment, connective tissue expulsion, muscle to fat ratio and water evacuation, constrained impregnation with a polymer arrangement at that point set in a vacuum chamber expelling the CH3)2CO bringing it down to a phone level, and afterward in conclusion the example solidifies and is then situated as wanted. This extraordinary display has allowed numerous individuals the chance to see the whole inside structure of the human body. The composed clarifications close to each show were exceptionally useful; giving a superior comprehension on how the decisions we make for an amazing duration can really influence us as we proceed with our excursion through the maturing procedure. As indicated by Dr. von Hagen, it takes around 1,500 hours (1-2 years) of commitment for each model, alongside 350 others helping him all through the procedure. Every one of the 20 of the bodies that have been given stay unknown; no insights concerning them or their reason for death were shared keeping in mind every one of the benefactors. This display was an astounding excursion giving us how the human body changes through time; from origination and as one age’s. The show begins with the zygote; a solitary cell framed from the father’s sperm, the mother’s egg, and the human genome; the plans of all living individuals. Human undeveloped organisms and babies were in plain view demonstrating each phase of cell division from origination through pre-natal turn of events. The moment were conceived, our physical proficiency builds arriving at its top in our mid-twenties, at that point gradually begins to decrease all through the remainder of our lives. There were typical clean lungs of a non-smoker in plain view close to dark lungs of a smoker, which were a large portion of the size contrasted with the spotless lung. The composed clarification expressed that every year you smoke about a cup size loaded with tar amasses within your lungs. There were sectional showcases of the thoracic depression indicating the gas trade that happens inside the alveoli of our lungs. There were sound hearts in plain view alongside hearts that had pacemakers. There was a sound liver close to a liver that has been harmed by unreasonable measures of liquor; indicating visual cirrhosis. There were a few showcases of the human cerebrum. One of the presentations demonstrated a cerebrum at ideal wellbeing contrasted with a mind that has been determined to have Alzheimer’s illness. I thought that it was intriguing that the human mind quits developing when you are 15 years of age and people under 30 years old take in twice as much oxygen contrasted with people 80 years old or more established. There was a 540lb model, showing the risky impacts of heftiness contrasted with a sound 140lb person. There were likewise sectional showcases indicating us a perspective on the stomach divider and how every organ is influenced by this extra superfluous fat. The type of food you eat will affect you general health! Sugar, as straightforward, refined starches, is viewed as one of the body’s major â€Å"agers†. Abundance sugar in the eating regimen changes the structure of the protein particle, keeping it from working appropriately and prompting the hardening of the body’s tissues. Hypertension can abbreviate one’s future by 10 to 20 years, and 9 out of 10 individuals are in danger of creating hypertension after age 50. We as a whole need vitality to work appropriately, however as we age our body doesn’t require as much vitality as it did when we were more youthful. Our bones are adaptable at a youthful age and young people. In adulthood, our body increments in quality and endurance, however loses its adaptability. The Artist’s Gaze was a presentation without hesitation and vision during childbirth and sometime down the road. It was centered around the artist’s Claude Monet who experienced waterfalls, and Edgar Degas who experienced retinal eye malady. A condition called Presbyopia; a dynamically reduced capacity to concentrate on close to objects, is a typical piece of maturing and creates when the focal point of the eye steadily loses it flexibility. A newborn child can see things close up with no issue, while a multi year old would need to hold to protest around 6 inches away. During childbirth, you have around 300 bones, as you develop more established, little joints consolidate bringing about roughly 206 bones. At 52 years old lady by and large experience menopause; end of life’s prolific stage. As men age their testosterone levels decrease, however not at all like lady, they can repeat all through their later years. I discovered that the world’s most established individuals live in Okinawa, Japan and Ovadda, Sardinia. They shared a portion of their way of life rehearses, which I figure we could all profit by if we somehow managed to take their sound propensities and make them our own. Close to the furthest limit of the display, I truly delighted in perusing one of the banners that expressed, â€Å"Age is an issue of brain over issue, on the off chance that you don’t mind it doesn’t matter†. Body World’s and The Cycle of Life was a mind boggling experience and has rebelliously changed my perspective with regards to the importance of life and passing. It has likewise given me a superior comprehension of our bodies and a totally alternate point of view on the fact that it is so imperative to acknowledge life and care more for myself!

Essay --

Sexual orientation jobs have consistently been a steady discussion in the realm of religion. Ladies, all the more so then men, have been attempting to increase strict force for as long as quite a few years. Numerous religions as of now have sexual orientation uniformity, while others dread the difference in sex jobs. Sexual orientation jobs in Christianity shift impressively in today’s age, as they have during the most recent two centuries. This is particularly obvious with respect to marriage and service. Certain jobs in Christian strict gatherings have been limited to guys or females as it were. For instance, in the Catholic and Orthodox places of worship, men may fill in as clerics and just guys serve in senior pioneers positions, for example, priest, patriarch, or pope. Ladies may serve in positions, for example, abbess. Christianity rose up out of man centric social orders that gave men the intensity of expert in marriage, society and government. The status of ladies in early Christianity has been bantered as of late, most likely determined by enthusiasm for the ladies' development in Western nations today. Proof in the New Testament plainly bolsters ladies doing numerous things and including numerous jobs inside early Christianity. No place in the Bible is it obviously and unambiguously expressed that ladies and men are of equivalent respect and worth, that ladies ought to never be treated as men’s inferiors, that the control of one sex by the other is a transgression, or that the awesome takes female structure. (Linda Woodhead Professor in the humanism of religion in the Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion at Lancaster University). â€Å"The rule stays with the spouse, and the wife is constrained to obey him by God’s order. He governs the home and the state, takes up arms, and shields his assets †¦ The lady, on different hands, resembles a nail crashed into the divider... ...avior. Ladies, then again, will in general be additionally mindful and progressively delicate to others’ distress and torment. In spite of the fact that people have similar possibilities for animosity and caring nature, they vary in which of the two all the more effectively shows. Along these lines, if most of world pioneers were ladies, maybe there would be less threat of war and more participation based on worldwide concern †in spite of the fact that, obviously, a few ladies can be troublesome! I feel for women's activists, yet they should not only yell. They should apply endeavors to make positive commitments to society.† (Dalai Lama, University of Hamburg 2007). He has unmistakably expressed that â€Å"if most of world pioneers were ladies, maybe there would be less risk of war and more participation based on worldwide concern†¦Ã¢â‚¬  , this fortifies Buddha’s thought on how a general public dependent on correspondence can profit everybody.

Columbia alumni artist in review Elizabeth Rose Daly 94SIPA COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Columbia alumni artist in review Elizabeth Rose Daly 94SIPA COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog The Columbia University alumni series spoke with 1994 SIPA graduate Elizabeth Rose Daly, who created Liz Daly’s Culture Digest as a way to share her love of New York City’s amazing cultural offerings and showcase some of the lesser known arts and cultural presentations.     Elizabeth Rose Daly is an executive with extensive experience in international business, government, and economic development. Since May, 2015, she has undertaken various consulting assignments, as well as advising foreign businesses and governments on how to connect with New York City government and resources. She has also been publishing Liz Daly’s Culture Digest, (www.LizDalyCultureDigest.com) a blog about arts and culture in New York City. Ms. Daly was Director, International Business,  in the New York City Mayors Office for International Affairs from 2003 until 2015, promoting New York City to foreign companies contemplating opening operations in the City, and helping them access the resources they needed to get started. She also assisted the foreign trade and diplomatic community on business and government issues. Previously Ms. Daly held various management and administrative positions with Crédit Industriel et Commercial, New York Branch, and Commerzbank, New York Branch, as well as the New York Office of FTCC Communications, a French telecommunications company. She also ran Brooklyn Goes Global, a program of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce that assisted Brooklyn-based manufacturers to export their products. Ms. Daly has a long history of community service, having served in various capacities on the Boerum Hill Association, Brooklyn Community Board 2, and the 84th Precinct Community Council. Ms. Daly holds a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs, and a Bachelor of Arts from Fordham University. A native of the Bronx, she has traveled extensively overseas, and has studied in France and Germany. She speaks fluent French and intermediate German. For our members who are not familiar with your blog, can you tell us about Liz Daly’s Culture Digest and what inspired you to create it? After leaving the Mayor’s Office, I wanted to take a new direction in my career. I have a long-standing love of the arts â€" I was an art major in high school, and more recently studied jazz singing. Starting the blog was a way of sharing that passion and my knowledge of New York City with others, while developing my writing. It was also a way for me to learn about cultural life across the five boroughs, and explore venues I hadn’t visited before. And yes, I confess, it’s a way to have a lot of fun. I’ve always worked in international business, and saw early on how important the arts are â€" in many countries, if you want to land a deal, your familiarity with theatre, music and art is just as important as your knowledge of business.   From an economic development point of view, one of the attractions for companies and entrepreneurs setting up shop here is NYC’s vibrant cultural life â€" not just the major institutions, but the local theatre companies, dance troupes, galleries, music venues…   And those are really my focus. Read the entire interview here.

A Critical Evaluation Between Technology And The Human Brain

Artificial Intelligence: A critical evaluation between Technology and the Human brain Humans are continuously trying to develop a technology that will give artificial intelligence to machines (Gupta, 2013). People have been comparing the human brain to different technologies such as computers and smart devices. Recent years have seen an explosion in mobile web use (Entertainment close-up, 2013). Most devices and apps are capable of completing multiple tasks such as; entertainment, communication, navigation, education and health monitoring. In fact, people tend to rely their meetings, alarms, anniversaries, birthdays etc. all on their smart devices. As a result, people are becoming more occupied in their own digital worlds, anywhere and at†¦show more content†¦Moravec (1998) conducted a research that found that computers would have the power to mimic a human mind. The mere fact that humans created computers shows the intelligence that the human brain carries (Kurzweil, 2000). It has also mimicked human tasks. A research article from Brynjolfsson McAfee (2012) stated that the Toyota company confirmed 6 Prius’ were made to be automated. However, they also stated that previous studies tried to replicate this but failed in doing so. This comes to show how the human brain is still needed to control these factors. There are some differences between the brain and technologies. The brain uses chemical signals to transmit information whereas the computer uses electricity. Even though electrical signals travel at high speeds in the nervous system, they travel even faster through the wires in a computer. However, computer memory grows by adding computer chips. Memories in the brain grow by stronger synaptic connections. It is much easier and faster for the brain to learn new things. The brain needs nutrients like oxygen and sugar for power; the computer needs electricity to keep working. A computer uses switches that are either on or off. Neurons in the brain are either on or off by either firing an action potential or not firing an action potential. However, neurons are more than just on or off

Examining Whether or not the Boston Massacre was a True...

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines massacre as â€Å"the act or an instance of killing a number of usually helpless or unresisting human beings under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty† or â€Å"a cruel or wanton murder† (m-w.com). Essentially a massacre results in either the death of many people or death by cruel means. The Boston Massacre occurred on March 5, 1770, in Boston, Massachusetts and involved American colonists and British troops. The colonists, upset by recent laws enacted by the British, taunted a smaller group of British soldiers by throwing snowballs at them (Boston Massacre Historical Society). In response, the soldiers fired upon the unarmed colonists leaving five people dead and six wounded (Phelan, 131). Even†¦show more content†¦The act also gave customs agents the authority to search property, including the colonists’ homes. The colonial response to these acts was increasing violence against the customs officials. In 1768, the British government sent troops to America to reinforce the Townshend Acts and protect the customs agents. At one point there were 4,000 British soldiers in a city of only 16,000 people (Phelan, 24). According to Phelan, there were â€Å"almost daily confrontations† between soldiers and civilians (38). There was increasing tension between the troops and the American colonists. Some children as well as adults tormented the troops by throwing snowballs and chunks of ice at the soldiers. There was also increasing tension between the colonists who were loyal to the Crown and those who were loyal to the colonies because some store owners broke their agreements about importing and selling British goods. Children threw trash and rocks at those storeowners’ buildings. Several days before the Boston Massacre, one of the loyalist merchants shot and killed a young man who was a part of group vandalizing his business (Phelan, 44-46). The colonists’ tem pers flared. By March 5, 1770, only 600 British troops remained in the city (Zobel, 181). â€Å"On Monday, March 5, Boston seemed to be holding its breath† (Lukes, 32). The friction betweenShow MoreRelatedThe Loyalists: Their Reasons for Fleeing the United States and their Impact on Canadian2400 Words   |  10 PagesEmpire was defeated in its attempt to re-establish order in the thirteen American colonies during the American Revolution, many Loyalists fled to other parts of the British Empire seeking sanctuary and as a result, approximately 33,000 Loyalists ended up fleeing from the newly independent United States to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, with an additional 6000 ending up in Quebec (Jasanoff 357). These Loyalist refugees would go on to have a massive impact on all areas of Canadian life whether it beRead MoreComputer and Internet in Education13526 Words   |  55 Pageshumancomputer interaction at Carnegie Mellon University. Patricia M. 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Hospitality and Tourism Marketing Strategies Free Essays

string(117) " Travelodge is the one who is offering the high standard service at cheap price so the threat of substitutes is low\." 1.0 Introduction The original Travel Lodge brand was first established by its founder Scott King, in 1939 by opening the first motels in southern California. During its starting phase, it highlighted itself as a budget motel chain offering functional accommodation at lower rate than other lower chain by providing comfortable beds, free TV and room phones, carpeted floors, in-room coffee pots and pools. We will write a custom essay sample on Hospitality and Tourism Marketing Strategies or any similar topic only for you Order Now Travel Lodge is fastest growing and most recognized budget Hotel Company in the United Kingdom. Travelodge currently has 466 hotels and 32,477 rooms in the UK, Ireland and Spain. The budget hotel chain has one goal is to have 1,100 hotels in Europe with more than 100,000 rooms in 2025. With 5,714 rooms and 40 hotels in the capital, Travelodge, the fastest growing hotel chain, has taken the title of being the largest brand from the Hilton hotel in London. This company was first lunched as first budget hotel brand in the UK in 1985 and is today one of the major branded hotel companies in the united kingdom with nearly 460 hotels. This chain is employing around six thousands staffs and more than seven million people stayed there in 2010 and more than eight seven booking are being made through online. Room rated start at ?19 per night, which is attracting the huge amount of customers. Travelodge is a brand champion of consumers; focus on driving prices in the hotel industry to encourage more people to use the hotels. Low prices of the chain budget delivered by commitment to operational efficiency and low cost business model. Only this year, Travelodge will offer over ? 2,000,000 rooms at ? 29 or less. Travelodge Heathrow Central 3 star hotel is situated on the Bath Road where most big Heathrow hotels are located. It’s actually in the far east of the airport perimeter which is about 2 miles from terminals 1, 2 and 3 in the central area and terminal 4 in the southeast corner of the airport. This situation is actually quite convenient for the West London / Central London as the right side of the A4 London airport. A normal journey by car / taxi in west London takes about 20 minutes and 30-40 minutes to central areas. This location travel lodge was established in 2008 with the aim of providing budget priced accommodation in the Heathrow area. There is licensed bar cafe where breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner and drinks can be purchased within the hotel. 1.1 Porter 5 forces analysis of Travelodge Michael E. Porter of Harvard Business School developed a five forces framework for industry analysis and business marketing strategy development in 1979, which was aimed to increase the overall industry profitability. As stated by porter (1980) â€Å"there are five forces that determine industry attractiveness and long-run industry profitability†. These five competitive forces are: The threat of entry of new competitors (new entrants) The threat of substitutes The bargaining power of buyers The bargaining power of suppliers The degree of rivalry between existing competitors This forces and their rivalry can be best understood by the following diagram: Source: Porter (1980) Force 1: The degree of rivalry The intensity of the rivalry, which is the most obvious of the five forces in an industry, helps determine the extent to which the value created by an industry that is dissipated through the head to head competition. The most valuable contribution of Porter’s five forces in the context of this problem may be its suggestion that rivalry, while important, is just one of several forces that determine industry attractiveness. The degree of rivalry is very high because Heathrow area is the busiest area where around 50 star hotels are operating among them 16 hotels are 3 stars so, but Travelodge is competing with them with its cheapest budget 3 star hotel with high standard infrastructure and service. Premier inn is the one of the largest competitor having more rooms and facilities more than but Travelodge low price strategy and global largest chain playing the great role. Force2: The threat of entry Potential and existing competitors influence average industry profitability. Unless the entry of new firm is barred, the rate of profit will fall towards its competitive level. The threat of entry rather than actual entry might be sufficient to make sure that established firm constrains their price to the competitive level. By contrast, existing entry barriers whenever difficult or not economical feasible for an outsider to replicate the position of incumbents (Porter, 1980; Sanderson, 1998). Threat of new entry is low as brands are very important in the hospitality industry. Travelodge use its name from a strong brand to attract new customers and retain old ones. Moreover, an economy of scale is also a very important factor inthis industry. The profitability of Travelodge is higher than the individual operations. A new entrant cannot compete with established players in terms of quality and price if they can achieve economies of scale. Being Travelodge, a capital intensive industry with a lot of it, tied in fixed costs, makes entry to most difficult. Protection of the Government for the tourism sector is very high and this in turn blends into the hotel industry and it is thus attractive industry in general. Force3: The threat of substitutes A threat of substitutes exists if there are alternative products with lower prices of better performance parameters for the same purpose. They could potentially attract a significant proportion of market volume and hence reduce the potential sales volume for existing industries. This category also relates to complementary products. The main substitutes for the hotel industry are camping and recreational vehicles for tourists, corporate guest houses for business travellers and other informal means of accommodation with family and friends. Compared to the hospitality industry, these are much cheaper alternatives, so their prices very high values and switching costs very low. This makes the attractiveness of the industry in terms of substitutes, low. But, Travelodge is the one who is offering the high standard service at cheap price so the threat of substitutes is low. You read "Hospitality and Tourism Marketing Strategies" in category "Essay examples" Force4: Buyer’s power The most important factors affecting the purchasing power are the size and concentration of customers. Other factors, the extent to which buyers are informed and concentration or diversity of competitors. Kippenberger (1998) states that â€Å"it is often useful to distinguish the potential buyer in the purchasing power of desire or incentive to use that power, readiness, which comes mainly from the risk of failure, associated with its use. As far as the cheap price accommodation, there is low buyer’s power in case of Travelodge. Travelodge has numerous customers who are relatively very small in size. Loss of a single customer has little impact on it and finally this drives down the buyers bargaining power. Likewise buyer’s threat of backward integration is almost impossible and so is the company threat is forward integration. Force5: suppliers’ power The term suppliers include all the sources for inputs that are needed in order to provide goods or services. Basically the key suppliers of the hotel industries are; labour suppliers and real estate suppliers. All the suppliers in the market are defined as customers’ suppliers those who supply customers like travel agents, airlines companies, and other organisations where as property owners, infrastructure suppliers and housing and decoration are real state suppliers. Beside that labour suppliers have also key role to the company. Overall, supplier power is low as customers suppliers is low as it is the budget chain hotel and get customers from its chain hotels along that its cheap accommodation is also the main customer attractiveness. About the labour suppliers they have also moderate power because of the huge number of labour suppliers so they is big competition between the suppliers, on the other hand due to the national legal policy, minimum wages has to be paid so unlike other countries, this company can’t hire the labour less than minimum wages. The number of suppliers for the hotel industry is quite large and each supplier is very small compared to the leading players in the industry. Few powerful players are essential to the suppliers. Substitutability suppliers are also quite possible and affordable. Switching between estate agents is not going to affect significantly the company’s hotel. However, in terms of quality, training centres for workers and producers who provide ICT systems that for property management are relatively difficult to replace. Therefore, in terms of attractiveness of alternative suppliers of the industry is moderately high. 1.2 Porter 3 generic strategies Porter’s generic strategy matrix, which emphasise the costs leadership, differentiation and focus based on three options for businesses, has dominated competitive firms strategy since Generic strategies were first presented in two books by Professor Michael Porter of the Harvard Business School (Porter, 1980, 1985). According to this model, a company can choose how to compete on the basis of match between the type of competitive advantage and objective market as the main determinants of choice. Porter, generic strategy typology remains a most notably in the strategic management literature. A business can maximize performance either by striving to be the low cost producer in an industry or by differentiating their line of products or services from other companies; either of these two approaches can be accompanied by a focus of organizing efforts in a particular segment market. Travelodge business purpose is to provide its service for everyone by delivering low cost and maximum value for money accommodation to all customers and highly attractive, efficient and convenient stop-overs or stay-overs. Its overall strategy is cost leadership, this can be realised by its offer room starting from ?19, where as its more than 80% internet booking playing a key role to minimise its operational cost, as a result it has been possible to become cost leadership. 1.3 Value chain analysis of Travelodge The value chain is a systematic approach to examining the development of competitive advantage. It was created by M. E. Porter in his book, Competitive Advantage (1980). The chain consists of a series of activities that create and build value. They culminate in the total value delivered by an organisation. The ‘margin’ depicted in the diagram is the same as added value. The organisation is split into ‘primary activities’ and ‘support activities. Primary Activities Inbound Logistics Activities related to receiving the materials from the supplier, storing them externally sourced materials and handling them within the firm where goods are received from a company’s suppliers and are stored until they are needed on the production/assembly line is called inbound logistics. Travelodge ensures the right components are delivered to the right manufacturing point at the right time and they appoint their right supplier in time with certain terms and conditions, therefore the inbound logistics is good. Operations This section includes all the activities concern with the production of products and services. In case of Travelodge, it has been divided into three sections as reception, room service and food service. Its food service is delivered thorough its restaurant, it has its own business, there is no connection with residence and food like others star hotel. As far as the customers complaints found in blog, most of them are related to cleaning and security, so Travelodge is operation is not so good it’s just moderate. Outbound Logistics The goods are now finished, and they need to be sent along the supply chain to wholesalers, retailers or the final consumer. These are all the activities related to distributing the final product or service to the customers. Travelodge has its unique outbound logistic system where they get customer from its travel agents, its own branches and its cheapest budget hotel policy. Because of its good outbound logistics system, travel is the one of the hotel chain, which didn’t suffer of last economic downturn. Marketing and Sales In true customer orientated fashion, at this stage the organisation prepares the offering to meet the needs of targeted customers. This area focuses strongly upon marketing communications and the promotions mix. In Travelodge, this area essentially analyses the needs and desires of customers and its responsible for creating awareness among the target group about the company products and services. Travelodge is using the marketing communication like advertising, sales promotion and cheapest budget hotel strategy to attract the customers to their products. By analysis its marketing and sales, it seem to be at good position, their e-marketing is excellent because of that Travelodge is saving its huge amount of money in advertising. Travelodge subsidiaries are in throughout the world so it marketing of any part of the world to some extent affects company popularity. Recently, Travelodge has an advertising agreement with Google which is expected to enhance the sales. The new strategy has been created to differentiate Travelodge from competitors in hotel sector and to move its marketing focus beyond its cheap price. New campaign the Sleep Tight will be a collection of cuddly toy animals going under the name Mr Sleep and the Z Squad. The marketing team is doing whatever is necessary to ensure a good night’s sleep and the first advertisement lunched on first may 2010. Travelodge launched a new TV advert in February 2011, featuring its famous Mr Sleep and his pal Big Ted. The 30 second TV ad featured the two teddy bears travelling around the UK, staying at various Travelodge hotels. Service This includes all areas of service such as installation, after-sales service, complaints handling, training and so on. There is often required to provide services like pre-installation or after-sales service before or after the sale of the products or service. Travelodge is mostly focusing on its pre-installation service and less effort on after sales service so they are not handling their customer complaints. Support Activities Procurement This function is responsible for all purchasing of goods, services and materials. The aim is to secure the lowest possible price for purchases of the highest possible quality. They will be responsible for outsourcing and purchasing using IT and web-based technologies to achieve procurement aims. Procurement activities are running through a system, like purchasing goods is being done by the competition between the suppliers and IT infrastructure contact with big IT companies. Technology Development Technology is an important source of competitive advantage in Travelodge by using them to innovate to reduce costs and to protect and sustain competitive advantage. This could include production technology, Internet marketing activities, lean manufacturing, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and many other technological developments. Travelodge is very good for using latest and modern mainly internet technology. Human Resource Management (HRM) Employees are an expensive and vital resource. An organisation would manage recruitment and s election, training and development, and rewards and remuneration. The mission and objectives of the organisation would be driving force behind the HRM strategy. Travelodge has its own HR department where all recruitment selection, training and rewarding system are being done. For cleaning service, Travelodge has a contract with other outside cleaning companies with certain terms and conditions and is supervising their works. Firm Infrastructure This activity includes and is driven by corporate or strategic planning. Travelodge uses the Management Information System (MIS) and other mechanisms for planning and control such as the accounting department, finance and corporate strategy which make Travelodge’s better company infrastructure. 2.1 Boston Box Matrix analysis The Boston box is a classic tool of strategic planning and was developed in the early 1970s by Bruce Henderson. Matrix provides a useful tool for analysing an organisation’s portfolio of business units, product lines, offerings or activities. It helps businesses to identify which products to invest in and which not to invest in depending on their relative market share and the growth rate of the markets they serve. Using the BCG Box, a company classifies all its strategic business units according to two dimensions as horizontal axis; relative market share this serves as measure strength in the market this provides a measure of market attractiveness. Residential rooms are the product of Travelodge, by selling them it has been running its business and now it steps to the stage where company is getting a good profit and investing to expand its service. By dividing the matrix into four areas, four types of units can be distinguished: Stars – Stars are high growth businesses or products competing in markets where they are relatively strong compared with the competition. Often they need heavy investment to sustain their growth. Eventually their growth will slow and, assuming they maintain their relative market share, will become cash cows. Cash Cows – Cash cows are low-growth businesses or products with a relatively high market share. These are mature, successful businesses with relatively little need for investment. They need to be managed for continued profit – so that they continue to generate the strong cash flows that the company needs for its Stars. Question marks – Question marks are businesses or products with low market share but which operate in higher growth markets. This suggests that they have potential, but may require substantial investment in order to grow market share at the expense of more powerful competitors. Management have to think hard about â€Å"question marks† – which ones should they invest inWhich ones should they allow to fail or shrink? Dogs – Unsurprisingly, the term dogs refers to businesses or products that have low relative share in unattractive, low-growth markets. Dogs may generate enough cash to break-even, but they are rarely, if ever, worth investing in. As Travelodge has high market share with a slow-growing industry and these units typically generating cash in excess of the amount of cash needed to maintain the business therefore falls on cash cow business strategic units. This company is running more than 30 years and successful business in UK hotel industry with relatively little need for investment. 2.3 Product life cycle The life of a product is the period over which it appeals to customers. The sales performance of any product rises from nothing when the product is introduced to the market reaches a peak and then declines to nothing again. With respect to the revenues generated by a product over a period of time, there are various stages that are achieved by any product. This is called a product’s life cycle. A product life cycle mainly consists of below mentioned four stages. Product life cycle Source: Graham R. Massey, (1999) Introduction Stage At the Introduction Stage market size and growth is slight. It is possible that substantial research and development costs have been incurred in getting the product to this stage. In addition, marketing costs may be high in order to test the market, undergo launch promotion and set up distribution channels. It is highly unlikely that companies will make profits on products at the Introduction Stage. Products at this stage have to be carefully monitored to ensure that they start to grow. Otherwise, the best option may be to withdraw or end the product. Travelodge created product awareness develop a market for the product. No profits were made when it was at introduction stage as development costs have not yet been covered. It took a substantial amount of time to catch on in the market before they enter their growth phases. Growth Stage The Growth Stage is characterised by rapid growth in sales and profits. Profits arise due to an increase in output economies of scale and possibly better prices. At this stage, it is cheaper for businesses to invest in increasing their market share as well as enjoying the overall growth of the market. Accordingly, significant promotional resources are traditionally invested in products that are firmly in the Growth Stage. After the year of 2000, Travelodge is considered in growth stage, when it was expanding throughout UK and they were investing their profit to open new hotels. Maturity Stage Currently Travelodge is in maturity stage, maturity Stage is, perhaps, the most common stage for all markets. It is in this stage that competition is most intense as companies fight to maintain their market share. Here, both marketing and finance become key activities. Marketing spend has to be monitored carefully, since any significant moves are likely to be copied by competitors. The Maturity Stage is the time when most profit is earned by the market as a whole. Any expenditure on research and development is likely to be restricted to product modification and improvement and perhaps to improve production efficiency and quality. Decline Stage Travelodge is expected to be in maturity stage after some decades when its market is shrinking, reducing the overall amount of profit that can be shared amongst the remaining competitors. At this stage, great care has to be taken to manage the product carefully. It may be possible to take out some production cost, to transfer production to a cheaper facility, sell the product into other, cheaper markets. Care should be taken to control the amount of stocks of the product. Ultimately, depending on whether the product remains profitable, a company may decide to end the product. As travel was established before more than 25 years and it has more than 460 hotels in United Kingdom, it is making a good profit and one of the established budget hotel therefore it is in the maturity stage in the life cycle. 2.3 Market segmentation Segmentation is the term given to the grouping of customers with similar needs by a number of different variables. Once this has been done, segments can be targeted by a number of targeting strategies. Based on Travelodge business goal, competition and customers, they have divided their market into four segments business, leisure, group, and other as described below: Business Travellers Business travellers represent a large portion of lodging demand in many market areas. Travelodge include people travelling on business representing commercial, industrial and governmental organizations. It is important to understand why business travellers are visiting the market area and how many room nights they generate. Reasons for visiting a particular area might include conducting business with a company recruiting, training, management meetings calling on multiple businesses and stopping over between destinations. Leisure Travellers Leisure travellers may visit an area for a vacation, to attend sporting or social events, to shop, or to visit friends and relatives. They might be staying over simply because they are travelling to other destinations. Leisure travellers may be individuals, couples, families, or small groups. Travellers visiting hospitals and universities are typically included in this market segment. Leisure room demand is often seasonal. In larger, Travelodge more urban market areas, leisure room demand may be limited to weekends, summer months and holiday periods. Group Meeting Travellers For Travelodge, group market consists of both leisure and business travellers but due to the size of meeting or gathering hall they limited this segment as small group meeting travellers. Leisure groups include bus tours, school activities, athletic events, etc. Tour groups are often brought to an area for sightseeing and attending special events. Local attractions that appeal to leisure tour groups may have records of the numbers and names of tour operators who have visited their attractions. Business group meetings are typically associated with board meetings, training programs, seminars, trade shows, and other gatherings. Often the sponsoring organization will be from the local area. Out-of-town organizations may use logical meeting facilities because they often rotate the sites of their regional meetings. Information on the group meeting market can be obtained through state chapters Other Travellers Various lodging customers cannot be classified under the categories of business, leisure, or group. These travellers may include construction workers, truckers, utility crews and others. Activity at local truck stops, distribution centres, long term construction projects and other sources of demand could help you estimate the significance of this market segment. 3.1 Creating and Developing Customer loyalty Generally, customer loyalty can be defined making customers feel that they are the company’s number one priority. Competitive advantage can be achieved through customer loyalty. This is the way to gain the best kind of customers, repeat customers. Repeat customers tend to spend more money and provide the best personal advertising. Customers feel customer loyalty when they consistently purchase a certain product or brand over an extended period of time. As an example, many customers stick to a certain travel operator due to the positive experiences they have had with their products and services. In Travelodge, customer loyalty is the key objective of customer relationship management and describes the loyalty which is established between a customer and companies, persons, products or brands. This company believes that the individual market segments should be targeted in terms of developing customer loyalty. The Customer Loyalty Grid is helpful to understand customer loyalty better. This grid is divided into four zones, as shown in the diagram below: Zone 1: The Zone of Indifference Zone of indifference includes those services which are unstated but expected. Literally, this includes all those customer needs and wants that are basic to fulfilling the contract between you and them. For example, customers expect to be treated with courtesy and respect, and would probably be puzzled and maybe even insulted if customer asked them if this was a need. It of course is, and if don’t meet this need; it will cause dissatisfaction for example sometimes travel lodge cleaning service and infrastructure are criticised by the customer. If you meet this basic and obvious need, the best you can hope for is indifference. Zone 2: The Zone of Satisfaction This is where your customer actually tells what is important to them. Meeting a customer’s needs here will cause satisfaction, whereas not meeting them will cause huge dissatisfaction. For example, Travelodge advertise that it has offer room for ?19 per night, customer think that if even they don’t book before, it not going to hogh price for the room but sometime it is, this cause a customer dissatisfaction. It is an expectation, simply because other organizations that the customer deals with provide this benefit. Zone 3: The Zone of Delight This is where your customer hopes for something, asks for it, but really does not expect to provide it. This is opportunity to provide something beyond their expectations and by so doing will create delight. For example, a customer might ask for something that is usually available only in a premium priced product. Not providing it will unlikely cause dissatisfaction. Therefore this is an area for particular attention in building a loyal customer base. This area is not seem to be good at Travelodge. Zone 4: The Zone of Loyalty This is an area where hotel expertise in whatever product or service you provide and the customer’s lack of knowledge can really give back. Providing benefits above and beyond what the customer is even aware of can create a loyal customer. This requires you to be really proactive in suggesting to customers new innovations that they can really benefit from. Many customers will be even willing to pay extra for this. In case of Travelodge, it is very careful about the hidden cost of hotel so tries to offer like welcome drinks, some gift for celebrating birthday customer. At Travelodge, Customer loyalty is the key objective of customer relationship management and describes the loyalty which is established between a customer and companies, persons, products or brands. If this company be careful about all the zone of matrix then of it will create and develop best customer loyalty than currently. 3.2 Network and relationship marketing Network and Relationship Marketing has evolved as a strategic marketing approach which is oriented towards attaining long-term profitability and value creation by interactions and mutual exchange among customers, suppliers and other stakeholders. It is also can be adopted to enhance the competitiveness and profitability of a value delivery network (supply chain). Better integration and shared mutual values can be developed through relationship marketing across value delivery network. Network marketing is commonly known as multi-level marketing. It is part of the direct selling industry and is run as a business-distribution model that allows a parent company to market its products directly to consumers through a large network of distributors and consumers, thereby bypassing the middleman. Travelodge is mainly focus on relationship marketing, they have a customer record keeping system so they treat regular customer specially. They are promoting relationship marketing by developing the good relationship. 3.3 Viral and Guerrilla marketing Guerrilla Marketing is an unconventional system of promotions on a very low budget, by relying on time, energy and imagination instead of big marketing budgets. The term has since entered the popular vocabulary to also describe aggressive, unconventional marketing methods generically. Viral marketing and viral advertising refer to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness, through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of pathological and computer viruses. It can be word-of-mouth delivered or enhanced by the network effects of the Internet. Viral marketing is a marketing phenomenon that facilitates and encourages people to pass along a marketing message voluntarily. Viral promotions may take the form of video clips, interactive Flash games, images, or even text messages. As travel is considered itself as a largest budget hotel in UK and investing millions of pound on marketing so Travelodge don’t think about adopting Guerrilla marketing. But talking about viral marketing Travelodge is to some extent using if we see internet we can see many images and video clips about the service and infrastructures. Viral marketing is the Travelodge authorised company strategy as well but guerrilla marketing is not Travelodge policy. References Porter, M.E. (1980) Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors , Free Press, New York, 1980. Sanderson, S. (1998) New approaches to strategy: new ways of thinking for the millennium, Management Decision, Vol. 36 issue 1, pp.9-13. Graham R. Massey, (1999) â€Å"Product evolution: a Darwinian or Lamarckian phenomenon?†, Journal of Product Brand Management, Vol. 8 Iss: 4, pp.301 – 318 Howard, Theresa (2005). â€Å"USAToday: Viral advertising spreads through marketing plans†. USA Today. Fornell, C. and Wernerfet, B. (1987) â€Å"Defensive marketing strategy by customer complaint management : a theoretical analysis†, Journal of Marketing Moloney, Chris X. (2006) â€Å"Winning Your Customer’s Loyalty: The Best Tools, Techniques and Practices† AMA Workshop Event(s). Misc. materials distributed related to event(s). Kotler, Philip, Armstrong, Gary, Saunders, John and Wong, Veronica. (1999). â€Å"Principles of Marketing† 2nd ed. Prentice Hall Europe McKenna, R. (1991) â€Å"Marketing is Everything†, Harvard Business Review, Jan-Feb, 1991, pp 65–70 How to cite Hospitality and Tourism Marketing Strategies, Essay examples

Egoism Essay Example For Students

Egoism Essay EgoismPsychological egoism is a reflex that every person has to orientthemselves toward their own welfare. Through this, it follows that every one ofhis (or her) voluntary actions is some good to himself. If someone gives awaythe last piece of bread to someone else, it is because they want to look like abetter person. Due to the fact that they would give away the last piece of bread. Human nature is completely and exclusively egoistic. People are entirelyselfish and devoid of any genuine feelings of sympathy, benevolence, orsociability. They are always thinking of themselves in everything they do. Each individual is preoccupied exclusively with the gratification ofpersonal desires (felicity or happiness).Ones success in maintaining acontinuous flow of gratification is the means of ones happiness. The object of the voluntary acts of every man is some good to himself. Whenever man renounces his right it is either in consideration for some rightreciprocally transferred to himself, or for some other good he hopes for fromthe outcome. This presents us with the old saying: Do unto others as you wouldwant them to do unto you. Social organization originates out of self interest. All society is forgain, or for glory. It is not like we think it is—for love of our fellows. Instead it is for self preservation. It is a sort of social contract. In a stateof nature we are at war with each other and life is solitary, poor, nasty,brutish, and short. In a natural state individuals are in equal powers. Voluntary collective organization is the most effective way for individuals toutilize their powers. Man should be allowed the right to use all means or actions to preservehimself. For every man is desirous of what is good to him, and shuns what isevil, but chiefly the chiefest of natural evil, which is death. The right tobear arms. In conclusion, I would like to say that?Psychological Egoism This is the claim that humans by nature aremotivated only by self-interest . Any act, no matter how altruistic it mightseem, is actually motivated by some selfish desire of the agent (e.g., desirefor reward, avoidance of guilt, personal happiness). This is a descriptive claimabout human nature. Since the claim is universalall acts are motivated by selfinterestit could be proven false by a single counterexample (Weston, rule #11). It will be difficult to find an action that the psychological egoistwill acknowledge as purely altruistic, however. There is almost always somebenefit to ourselves in any action we choose. For example, if I helped my friendout of trouble, I may feel happy afterwards. But is that happiness the motivefor my action or just a result of it? Perhaps the psychological egoist fails todistinguish the beneficial consequences of an action from the self-interestedmotivation. After all, why would it make me happy to see my friend out oftrouble if I didnt already have some prior concern for my friends bestinterest? Wouldnt that be altruism?Egoism versus altruismThe second issue I want to explore is egoism versus altruism. Altruism holds each man as his brothers keeper; in other words, weare each responsible for the health and well-being of others. Clearly, this is asimple statement of the safety-net theory from above. This is incompatiblewith individualism, yet many people who are basically individualists upholdaltruism as the standard of morality. Whats going on?The problem is wide-spread confusion over the meanings of altruismand egoism.The first confusion is to confound altruism with kindness, generosity,and helping other people. Altruism demands more than kindness: it demandssacrifice. The billionaire who contributes $50,000 to a scholarship fund is notacting altruistically; altruism goes beyond simple charity. Altruism is thegrocery bagger who contributes $50,000 to the fund, foregoing his own collegeeducation so that others may go. Parents who spend a fortune to save their dyingchild are helping another person, but true altruism would demand that theparents spend their money to save ten other ch ildren, sacrificing their ownchild so that others may live. Essay on The Growth of Social Networking Sites EssayTo remain alive, he must think. But to think is an act of choice. Reason does not work automatically;thinking is not a mechanical process; the connections of logic are not made byinstinct. The function of your stomach, lungs or heart is automatic; thefunction of your mind is not. In any hour and issue of your life, you are freeto think or to evade that effort. But you are not free to escape from yournature, from the fact that reason is your means of survival-so that for you, whoare human being, the question to be or not to be is the question to thinkor not to think.You need ethics because you need values to survive, and you can onlydiscover those values through a volitional process of reason. Ethics, to Rand,was a code of values to guide mans choices and actions-the choices andactions which determine the purpose and the course of his life.Given that Rand held that values are rooted in the individuals struggleto survive, egoism follows naturally. As an ethical theory, egoism holds thatthe primary beneficiary of an a ction should be the actor. The primary goal ofeach individual should be to act to achieve personal happiness. The happiness offamily and friends are important to the egoist, but only in so far as it givespleasure in return. Being around a bunch of happy, mentally healthy people is areal joy; being around a bunch of complainers isnt. That selfishness implies acting for your own sake is usually understood;often misunderstood, however, is that this does not reveal which actions are, infact, in your self interest. Rand rejected the view that lying to, stealing from,and subjugating others is acting selfishly; she held that these activitiesin fact are not values-that they do not lead to a happy life. Rand listed a number of important values-productivity, honesty, pride-that make up the good life. An important one in understanding that selfishnessdoes not involve preying on others is independence. Independence has two aspects. The first is mental: you must think foryourself, you must come to your own conclusions, and you must follow thoseconclusions into action. You must never subordinate your own grasp of reality toanything: society, peers, tradition, authority. Howard Roark, the hero of TheFountainhead, is the symbol of this. The second aspect of independence is existential: you must embrace thelaw of causality in your own life. You must take responsibility for your actions,which means: you must take the responsibility for achieving your own life andfor all the actions you take in doing so. This is a two-way street: you getcredit for the good you do and get to keep the benefits, and you get blamed forthe bad and are expected to accept the consequences. It is this noble concept of independence-the man who thinks for himselfand acts for himself and holds himself accountable for what he does-that Randheld as the truly selfish life. A final point about Rands egoism is that it rejects the need forsacrifice. Traditionally weve been given the choice of living for others (whichis altruism) or expecting others to live for us (which is calledselfishness). Rand identified a third alternative: let each man live for hisown sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor others to himself. Randheld that if (and only if) people act morally and selfishly as she defined it,there is a harmony of interests among men that makes peace, benevolence, and,ultimately, general prosperity possible. Philosophy Essays

Atomic Number Definition - Chemistry Glossary

Atomic Number Definition - Chemistry Glossary The atomic number of a chemical element is the number of  protons in the nucleus of an atom of the  element. It is the charge number of the nucleus since neutrons carry no net electrical charge. The atomic number determines the identity of an element and many of its chemical properties. The modern periodic table is ordered by increasing atomic number. Atomic Number Examples The atomic number of hydrogen is 1; the atomic number of carbon is 6, and the atomic number of silver is 47, Any atom with 47 protons is an atom  of silver. Varying its number of neutrons changes its isotopes while changing the numbers of electrons makes it an ion. Also Known As: The atomic number is also known as the proton number. It may be represented by the capital letter Z. The use of capital letter Z comes from the German word Atomzahl, which means atomic number. Before the year 1915, the word Zahl (number) was used to describe an elements position on the periodic table. Relationship Between Atomic Number and Chemical Properties The reason the atomic number determines the chemical properties of an element is that the number of protons also determines the number of electrons in an electrically neutral atom. This, in turn, defines the electron configuration of the atom and the nature of its outermost or valence shell. The behavior of the valence shell determines how readily an atom will form chemical bonds and participate in chemical reactions. New Elements and Atomic Numbers At the time of this writing, elements with atomic numbers 1 through 118 have been identified. Scientists typically talk about discovering new elements with higher atomic numbers. Some researchers believe there may be an island of stability, where the configuration of protons and neutrons of superheavy atoms will be less susceptible to the quick radioactive decay seen in known heavy elements.

How to Conjugate the French Verb Accepter

How to Conjugate the French Verb Accepter The French verb  accepter  means to accept or to take. It is a regular verb, which means that conjugating it to fit a specific subject pronoun is relatively easy. This lesson will show you how to begin forming complete sentences in French with the proper use of  accepter. Conjugating the French Verb  Accepter Just as in English, we need to conjugate French verbs to match the subject pronoun used in the sentence. The pronouns are the I, you, he, she, we, and they in French, its j, tu, il, nous, vous, and ils of a sentence that forms the subject. When we conjugate regular verbs in French, it is often a simple matter of changing the ending of the verb. Luckily,  accepter  ends in -er  and follows the uncomplicated pattern of many other  regular -er verbs.   This chart shows you the conjugations for the word  accepter  in the various tenses and with different subjects.  For instance, to say I accept, you would say jaccepte. Likewise, he  will accept is il acceptera. Subject Present Future Imperfect j accepte accepterai acceptais tu acceptes accepteras acceptais il accepte acceptera acceptait nous acceptons accepterons acceptions vous acceptez accepterez acceptiez ils acceptent accepteront acceptaient The Present Participle of  Accepter The French equivalent to the -ing ending in English is -ant. This is called the  present participle  and for accepter, it is  acceptant.  You can use this in various contexts as an adjective, gerund, noun, or verb. The Past Tense of  Accepter Passà © composà ©Ã‚  is commonly used for the past tense in French. With  accepter, the auxiliary verb  used is  avoir, so you will use a conjugate of that helping verb to express the simple past tense of   accepter. Along with the auxiliary verb, you will also need the  past participle  of accepter.  In this case, it is simply acceptà ©. To bring these elements together, if you wanted to say I accepted, in French, it would be jai acceptà ©. More Conjugations of  Accepter Those are not the only conjugations for  accepter, though you should study them first. Once you have those memorized you can worry about a few special cases. The subjunctive and conditional forms of the verb are used to express mood. Subjunctive mood refers to subjective ideas  or those that are uncertain. Conditional mood refers to something that may or may not happen depending on conditions. Passà © simple and the imperfect subjunctive will be used in formal writing. While not necessary to know, its good to be aware of them. Subject Subjunctive Conditional Pass Simple Imperfect Subjunctive j accepte accepterais acceptai acceptasse tu acceptes accepterais acceptas acceptasses il accepte accepterait accepta acceptt nous acceptions accepterions acceptmes acceptassions vous acceptiez accepteriez accepttes acceptassiez ils acceptent accepteraient acceptrent acceptassent The imperative form of a verb also expresses mood, but in this case, it is not necessary to use the subject pronoun. In this case, rather than saying tu accepte you can simply say accepte. Imperative (tu) accepte (nous) acceptons (vous) acceptez Similar Verbs to  Accepter Accepter is not the only French verb that means to take. It is used more in the way of accept or tolerate something. Other verbs mean to take something with (amener) or to actually take something (prendre). While you are learning how to use the verb  accepter, you will also want to look at these other French to take verbs. Understanding all of them as a group will help you know when to use which one.

Sasha Jensen's Interior Landscape Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sasha Jensen's Interior Landscape - Essay Example How she sees the world and life, how individuals should treat them, is expressed in the scene she describes when remembering that job in the dress shop, dealing with the bald, old Englishwoman and her daughter. This is how she would like to be, not how she was, or is. Already, we see the complexity of this character. She has suffered betrayal, dreadful poverty, the death of a child and many hurts and views herself as a victim. Yet she retains a fine sense of irony, the ability to see through others, and a recognition of her own condition and despair. She is contradictory in the extreme, This last comment gives an insight into Sasha's alienation, 'they' always seeing her in ways she does not perceive herself, 'they' always wanting to take from her. On the other hand, in contradiction, she agrees to, then seeks the company of the young Russian, visits the painter and goes to great lengths to improve her appearance, with make up, hair dye and a new hat. That these 'improvements' make Sasha feel good, signifies a universal truth, without offending feminist principles; that most females would relate to these feelings. She becomes empowered, this person who is at times incapable of expressing her intelligent and perceptive thoughts aloud, past or present. Using the strength of that empowerment, she sees Rene, the gigolo, as an opportunity to pay back for the hurts endured throughout her life. In fact, they recognize in each other, two outsiders, wounded in many ways. Sasha's perceptions are so damaged that she is unable to trust that he will cause no further hurt. So ali enated is she from the concept of human kindness, just for its own sake, that she continues to let her experiences prevent her from accepting his offer of just loving kindness for one night. While the prospect of meeting him again excites, Sasha encapsulates her feelings thus: 'I won't do a thing - not a thing. I will not grimace and posture before these

Biographical Narrative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Biographical Narrative - Essay Example What I learned is that their physical pain is not as deep as emotional pain and that moved me. I resolved to become a nurse because it is a step to further help people heal, at least physically. My crusade continued after I graduated from high school since I worked hard to get CNA, Phlebotomy certification and LPN. It dawned on me that a nurse has a very big responsibility in delivering quality health care to patients. In fact, Donna Wilk Cardillo is right by saying that â€Å"nurses are the heart of healthcare†. Without nurses, doctors would have a hard-time managing the patients because the nurses attend to the patients more than doctors do. Today, I am still continuing my quest to become a professional nurse by getting into this program. My experience here has taught me not only knowledge and skills but the values of perseverance, commitment and hard-work. I couldn’t be more thankful for being taught by MSN, Nurse practitioners and PhD Nurses. Their experience and kn owledge has greatly sharpened my skills and kindled my desire to help sick people. I am not just a learner; I am a person who acts and thinks like a nurse who is willing to render the best service possible.

Effect of Various Factors on DNA of Human Sperms

Effect of Various Factors on DNA of Human Sperms In vitro study of the effect of various factors on DNA of Human sperms Dave Avani1, Jain NK1, Patel Himanshu 2, Patel Madhuri 2, Bhatt Vidisha 2, Patel Komal2, Mallick Sarada3, *Srivastava Pradeep 3 Abstract Aim: Effect of various clinical compound and environmental conditions were studied for the in vitro fragmentation of the human sperm DNA, as well on the quality of semen samples. Method: The semen samples obtained from different males were then treated further to check the effects of the chemicals taken into consideration. The effects were studied through sperm chromatin dispersion test. Results: Primary results showed that the antibiotic tetracycline was the most effective chemical causing DNA damage, as compared to the other chosen compounds. Conclusion: The study concludes that the tetracycline drug is more efficient then the others in causing fragmentation of the DNA. Keywords: Sperm DNA, Fragmentation, Tetracycline, Sperm Chromatin Dispersion Test. INTRODUCTION The germ line is the most sensitive of all and can be considered as a good candidate for the measurement of the effects caused by the compounds of choice [1-4]. Today infertility is linked to many reasons such as mutation in the sperms or the egg, irradiation, and certain chemicals such as food additives, packaging materials, heat etc. Many articles have been put forward proving the adverse effects of these chemicals on the germ line especially the sperms and its DNA. The paternal genome in mammalian spermatozoa is condensed in a manner that is specific to the cell type presumably to protect the DNA during the transit from the male to the oocyte prior to fertilization. Damaged DNA has been observed in testicular, epididymal and ejaculated sperm. Temporary nicks have been observed in the sperm which were, linked to the topoisomerases activity, facilitate histone-protamine replacement, but if these nicks are not fixed they would evolve into DNA fragmentation on mature sperm [5]. Bisphenol A (BPA) used to make plastics and epoxy resins mainly comes through diet is an organic compound with the chemical formula (CH3)2C(C6H4OH)2[6-8]. It is part of the bisphenols group of chemical compounds with two hydroxyphenyl functionalities. It is a colourless solid that is soluble in organic solvents, but poorly soluble in water. Many studies also have shown that BPA has estrogenic activity in several in vitro and in vivo preparations [8-10]. Monosodium glutamate, also known as sodium glutamate or MSG, is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, one of the most abundant naturally occurring non-essential amino acids[11-13]. Industrial food manufacturers market and use MSG as a flavour enhancer because it balances, blends and rounds the total perception of other tastes. Many experiments have been carried out which have shown the harmful effects of excessive intake of MSG on the development of seminiferous tubules as well as the spermatids[14-15]. The tetracyclines are a family of antibiotics that inhibit protein synthesis by preventing the attachment of aminoacyl-tRNA to the ribosomal acceptor (A) site. Tetracyclines are broad-spectrum agents, exhibiting activity against a wide range of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, a typical organisms commonly given in treatment[10, 16].Many studies in the past indicated that when rats were administered a significant amount of Tetracycline on daily basis the animals showed a decreased level of testosterone ultimately affecting the development of the leydig cell. No direct relationship has been observed till date on changes in the humans but many studies are being carried out to study the detrimental effects of tetracycline on human sperm cells and its DNA[17] (fig.1). Fig.1.Molecular structure of compounds: a) Molecular structure of Bisphenol A, b) Molecular structure of Monosodium Glutamate c) Molecular structure of Tetracycline. MATERIALS AND METHODS Materials Sample analysis was done for the healthy men between the ages 25-30 yrs. The inclusion criteria were only healthy men with the age between 25-30 yrs considered. On the hand exclusion criteria of the male were they should free from various diseases like Diabetes, Blood Pressure, Tuberculosis, Sexual Dysfunction Cardiac problems. The samples collected from Stem Cure Pvt Ltd, Centre for Reproductive Medicine Stem cell Development, Ahmedabad, India. The study approved by the Ethical Committee of the Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat (India). Sample preparation: 10 semen samples of perfectly healthy male were collected at a collection centre in a sterile jar and were brought to the laboratory. Direct swim-up technique was utilised for preparing the sperm cells for the analysis[18]. The sperm debris including the dead sperm cells was removed prior using by centrifuging the sample in a Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS) medium at 1000 rpm for 10 minutes[19]. The sperm pellet obtained was overlaid with PBS and incubated at 37oC and the supernatant containing the motile sperms were used for the assay. Effect of heat was comparing with normal cells discussed later in the discussion section. Chemicals: Bisphenol A (BPA), Tetracycline, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) , concentrated HCl, 0.4M Tris, 1% ÃŽ ² mercaptoethanol, 50mM EDTA, 1% SDS (sodium dodecyl sulphate), pH 7.5 was used for making Lysis I, 0.4M Tris, 2M NaCl, 1% SDS, pH 7.5 was used for making Lysis II[20], 0.09M Tris borate, 0.002M EDTA, pH 7.5 was used for making the wash buffer and pure ethanol. 0.4 gm, 0.6 gm, 0.8 gm of Tetracycline, MSG, BPA were dissolved in 100 ml of Double Distilled Water (DDW) to get 4%, 6% and 8% of concentration. Individual studies of samples were conducted using individual chemicals separately. Physical analysis of Semen: Semen sample were physically analysed after the liquefaction, and viscosity were checked by observing the droplets falling from a disposable plastic pipette. Vitality Staining: The semen sample was studied for the presence of any unwanted materials using vitality staining test. The sample was mixed and a smear was prepared on a glass slide along with eosin-nigrosin stain and was observed under the microscope at 100X magnification after the smear dried completely. The live sperm heads were seen white in colour while the dead sperm heads were stained as pink. Analysis of DNA fragmentation using the SCD Test: Slides precoated with 1% agarose were used as a base slide. Final concentration of 15-20 million sperms were mixed with 1% low melting point agarose overlaid onto base slide and covered with coverslip[21]. The slides were kept at 4 °C to get the gel solidified and later the coverslips were removed carefully. No reduction was observed, however minute reduction was there maintained with PBS. Chemicals of different concentrations i.e. 4%, 6%, and 8% (Tetracycline, MSG and BPA should be prepared freshly prior to the analysis). The slides were kept in these individual solution for time 1.5hrs and 3hrs respectively, study effect of heat was made by heating the agar mixed sample containing the slides of sperm the agar bath was heated at 45oC 55oC and 60oC. After the incubation period the slides were immediately removed and dipped in 0.08N HCl for 7minutes. The slides were then kept for Lysis in two cycles of 10 minutes followed by 5 minutes respectively. The slides were then washed with PBS buffer and dehydrated with 70%, 90% and 100% ethanol for 2minutes respectively. The slides were allowed to dry and are then observed under visible light using geimsa stain [5, 22]. RESULT Semen Analysis: The result of physical analysis of semen is as shown in Table 1. The semen samples studied were free of any contaminants and appeared normal. The pre and post wash count were also carried out which showed that the semen samples were perfectly healthy. The viscosity and the volume of each sample under study were within the normal range as suggested by the world health organisation standard. Analysis of DNA fragmentation using the SCD (Sperm Chromatin Dispersion) Test The SCD test carried out depict the effect of the chosen compounds on the sperm DNA which are represented as below. (A) Effect of Heat:- Sperm sample were subjected to heat treatment in water bath for 1.5 hrs at the temperature of 45oC and 55oC, where normal temperature of 28oC was used as control. The results are shown in fig 2.0. (B) Effect of Chemicals:-The studies were made on the percentage damage observed after chemical treatment to the sperm cells for 1.5 hrs and 3hrs of incubation time. Fig 3.0 and 4.0 depict the effect of tetracycline, BPA and MSG on sperm cells for 1.5 hrs and 3.0 hrs of incubation time respectively. Sperm cells without chemicals but buffer solution were taken as control. Various concentrations of chemicals viz, 4 – 8% was taken for the study. It was observed that tetracycline causes the maximum damage of about 92.4% after an incubation time 3hrs at 8% concentration, while the treatment with heat, monosodium glutamate and bisphenol exhibit a maximum damage of 55.6% at 55 °C, 55% and 44% respectively after an incubation time of 3hrs at 8% concentration. Table.1. Physical analysis of semen Fig.2.Effect of Heat Treatment on sperm cells Fig.3.Effect of Chemicals on sperm cells (incubation time 1.5h) Fig.4.Effect of Chemical on sperm cells (incubation time 3 h) Table.2.Anova Method DISCUSSION Statistical Data Analysis: The table 2.0 depicts below is the statistical representation of the data obtained after the SCD test. Anova test was applied using t-Test Software (Excel). It shows that the data obtained from the SCD are significant and valid. P=0.05, It was significant at 55 °C. Control groups are healthy individuals where sperm cells were preserved and treated at 28 °C without additive chemicals (MSG, BPA, and Tetracycline). Samples collected from the normal subjects. The table exhibit that F value of Tetracycline Bisphenol A and MSG are 22.24, 13.435 and 14.405 respectively the observation are significant Thus it can be said that the hypothesis given by the author is correct i.e. It was significant. Tetracycline gives a higher percentage of damage to the DNA of the sperm cells in vitro. Image Analysis of Damage after the Treatment The figures.5 (a to f) given were obtained after under a visible light observation. The figures below show the extent of damage caused by the treatment given to the cell after 3hrs of incubation. The halos seen represent the extent of damage i.e. large halos represent less damage while the cells without any halos represent the most damaged cell. The control slide cells have a normal halo around which depicts healthy DNA while the cells seen in tetracycline treated cells lack the halo which shows that the DNA of the sperm cells have been damaged to a greater extent. The slide treated with Bisphenol A shows a less amount of damaged cell in comparison to that of Tetracycline. The least damage has been in the sample treated at 45 °C shown by large halos around the cells. Hence from these figures it can be said that the tetracycline treatment produces the highest damage to the DNA of sperm cells. Fig.5.Image Analysis of Damage: a) Control Slide, b) Tetracycline at 8% concentration after 3hrs of incubation, c) Bisphenol A at 8% concentration after 3hrs of incubation, d) Monosodium Glutamate at 8% concentration after 3hrs of incubation , e) Effect of temperature at 45oC f) Effect of temperature at 55 °C CONCLUSION The study concludes that the drug tetracycline used for antibiotics for patients is proven to cause damage to the sperm DNA along with monosodium glutamate which is a flavour enhancing substance, as well as Bisphenol A which is a component of food packaging materials such as plastic bottles, feeder bottles etc. Though the exact mechanism by which the DNA is being affected is not known it can be said that exposing the sperm with the highest concentration of the above considered chemicals can be one of the many reasons which cause DNA damage which may lead to infertility in the present lifestyle. These observations also lead to conclude that the drug tetracycline is more effective then the others in causing fragmentation of the DNA and hence affecting its integrity. References 1.Agarwal, A. and T.M. Said, Role of sperm chromatin abnormalities and DNA damage in male infertility. Human Reproduction Update, 2003. 9(4): p. 331-345. 2.Ward, M.A. and W.S. Ward, A model for the function of sperm DNA degradation. Reproduction, Fertility and Development, 2004. 16(5): p. 547-554. 3.Graham, C., Reproductive biology of the great apes: comparative and biomedical perspectives. 2012: Elsevier. 4.Gonzà ¡lez-Marà ­n, C., J. Gosà ¡lvez, and R. Roy, Types, causes, detection and repair of DNA fragmentation in animal and human sperm cells. International journal of molecular sciences, 2012. 13(11): p. 14026-14052. 5.Fernà ¡ndez, J.L., et al., The sperm chromatin dispersion test: a simple method for the determination of sperm DNA fragmentation. Journal of andrology, 2003. 24(1): p. 59-66. 6.Allard, P. and M.P. Colaià ¡covo, Bisphenol A impairs the double-strand break repair machinery in the germline and causes chromosome abnormalities. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2010. 107(47): p. 20405-20410. 7.Sakaue, M., et al., Bisphenol-A affects spermatogenesis in the adult rat even at a low dose. JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH-ENGLISH EDITION-, 2001. 43(4): p. 185-190. 8.Kundakovic, M. and F.A. Champagne, Epigenetic perspective on the developmental effects of bisphenol A. Brain, behavior, and immunity, 2011. 25(6): p. 1084-1093. 9.Calafat, A.M., et al., Exposure of the US population to Bisphenol A and 4-tertiary-Octylphenol: 2003-2004. Environmental health perspectives, 2008: p. 39-44. 10.Ye, X., et al., Potential external contamination with bisphenol A and other ubiquitous organic environmental chemicals during biomonitoring analysis: an elusive laboratory challenge. Environmental health perspectives, 2013. 121(3): p. 283-286. 11.Ismail, N., Assessment of DNA Damage in Testes from Young Wistar Male Rat Treated with Monosodium Glutamate. Life Science Journal, 2012. 9(1). 12.Belluardo, N. and M. Bindoni, Effects of early destruction of the mouse arcuate nucleus by monosodium glutamate on age-dependent natural killer activity. Brain research, 1990. 534(1): p. 225-233. 13.Walker, R. and J.R. Lupien, The safety evaluation of monosodium glutamate. The Journal of nutrition, 2000. 130(4): p. 1049S-1052S. 14.Yamaguchi, S. and C. Takahashi, Interactions of monosodium glutamate and sodium chloride on saltiness and palatability of a clear soup. Journal of Food Science, 1984. 49(1): p. 82-85. 15.Là ¶liger, J., Function and importance of glutamate for savory foods. The Journal of nutrition, 2000. 130(4): p. 915S-920S. 16.Hargreaves, C.A., et al., Effects of co-trimoxazole, erythromycin, amoxycillin, tetracycline and chloroquine on sperm function in vitro. Human reproduction, 1998. 13(7): p. 1878-1886. 17.Tortora, G.J. and B.H. Derrickson, Principles of anatomy and physiology. 2008: John Wiley Sons. 18.Parrish, J., A. Krogenaes, and J. Susko-Parrish, Effect of bovine sperm separation by either swim-up or Percoll method on success of in vitro fertilization and early embryonic development. Theriogenology, 1995. 44(6): p. 859-869. 19.LASSO, J.L., et al., Mechanism of superoxide dismutase loss from human sperm cells during cryopreservation. Journal of andrology, 1994. 15(3): p. 255-265. 20.Chohan, K.R., et al., Comparison of chromatin assays for DNA fragmentation evaluation in human sperm. Journal of andrology, 2006. 27(1): p. 53-59. 21.Enciso, M., et al., Infertile men with varicocele show a high relative proportion of sperm cells with intense nuclear damage level, evidenced by the sperm chromatin dispersion test. Journal of andrology, 2006. 27(1): p. 106-111. 22.Agarwal, A. and S.S. Allamaneni, Sperm DNA damage assessment: a test whose time has come. Fertility and sterility, 2005. 84(4): p. 850-853. 1

A Comparison of Hubris in Catcher in the Rye, Scarlet Letter, and Great Gatsby :: compare and contrast essay examples

Hubris in the Protagonists of Catcher in the Rye, Scarlet Letter, and Great Gatsby       Aristotle praised Sophocles' King Oedipus as the definitive Greek tragedy; however, he could not have surmised the influence of Oedipus' tragic pride on modern day literature and philosophy. Hubris, the only true crime, has had a threefold influence: it is a reason for downfall as well as a characteristic of criminal motivation; it is manifested in the diverse protagonists of Salinger, Fitzgerald, and Hawthorne; and it is forgiven only by repentance for wrongdoing and the complete surrender of pride.    The erroneous idea that pride is only a predominant characteristic of crime, rather than a crime itself, would put tragic hero Oedipus on the same level as serial killer Charles Manson: while both are guilty of committing heinous acts, Oedipus relinquishes his pride and, ironically suffering under his own proclamation of exile, does penance for his crimes, whereas Manson shows no remorse for his vile and disturbing bloodletting. Oedipus' ultimate repentance is proof that he realizes his hubris and understands his mistakes, as irreparable as they may be.    All human filthiness in one crime compounded! Unspeakable acts-I speak no more of them. Hide me at once, for God's love, hide me away... Touch me, and have no fear. On no man else But on me alone is the scourge of my punishment. (64)    Had Oedipus sought to blame another for his crimes, or denied his own responsibility for his actions, he would have been no nobler than a common criminal; Oedipus is redeemed by his strength of character.    The hamartia of hubris lives on 2500 years after Aristotle lauded King Oedipus as the quintessential Greek tragedy; pride has evolved into an integral characteristic of the majority of literary characters from J.D. Salinger's angry, disillusioned Holden Caulfield to F. Scott Fitzgerald's idealistic Jay Gatsby to Nathaniel Hawthorne's tortured Reverend Dimmesdale.    Holden's pride in his sarcastic perception of the world around him perpetuates his cynicism and frustration with life, making him unrealistic and incapable of finding happiness. He believes himself omniscient, and that other "people never notice anything" (Salinger 9). Oedipus' belief in his own infallibility makes him equally unrealistic; soon after Oedipus' sins are revealed, the chorus of Elders conveys a Holden-esque message of discontent:    All generations of mortal man add up to nothing! Show me the man whose happiness was anything more than illusion

Aristotle on the Soul Essay

Aristotle’s notion differs from the usual conception of a soul as some sort of substance occupying the body, existing separately and eternally. To him, the soul is the essence of a living thing. The soul is what makes an organism an organism at all by actualizing its potential for life, and it’s constituted by its capacity for activities essential to that specific type of being. His investigation into the nature of the soul demonstrates basic principles of his philosophical theories at work, including Hylomorphism, potentiality and actuality, and his four causes. His use of these theories in analyzing and teasing out the complexities of the soul make for a cohesive and comprehensive study, easily amenable with his other works. In this paper I will analyze his notion of the soul as described in De Anima, recounting how he came to define the soul, the explanation of the soul, how the souls of different kinds of ensouled beings differ, and his unique concept of how the soul is related to the body. Aristotle begins Book 1 of De Anima by stating that since the soul is a principle of animals, and here I will interpret animals to mean more broadly beings, describing its essence has implications beyond its obvious scope. In unfolding the nature of the soul, it is possible to determine which attributes belong to the soul alone and which belong to the organism in virtue of having a soul (Aristotle, De Anima 402a). So besides exploring the nature of life, his analysis will also seek to answer the question of whether all mental states (of the soul) are also material states of the body, or whether some attributes of the soul are unique to it. In doing so, we are confronted with the interesting implication of Aristotle’s position on the mind/body problem, to which I will get to later on. Returning to the question at hand (what is the soul? ), Aristotle starts his investigation by use of his explanatory theory of Hylomorphism, which states that substances are compounds of matter and form, and change occurs when form actualizes matter (Shields). There are three sorts of substances; form, matter, and the compound of form and matter. Matter is potentiality and form is actuality. Form actualizes matter, which possesses the potential to be what it is. So using Aristotle’s example of a bronze statue, the matter, in this case the bronze, only actualizes it’s potential of being a statue when it acquires the form, or the shape and features. Of interest is the third kind of substance, compounds, which make up living beings. The body is the substance as matter, so the soul is the substance as form or shape. Here we get to Aristotle’s preliminary definition of the soul as the actuality of a natural body having life potentially (Aristotle, De Anima 412). It is in virtue of this form, the soul, that makes an organism alive. Without the soul, the body would only have the capacity for life potentially, and so the soul is the essence (the form) of living things. This preliminary definition is taken a step further when Aristotle identifies the soul as the â€Å"first actuality of a natural body that is potentially alive† (Aristotle, De Anima 412a). He claims that the actuality that is the soul is like the actuality that is knowledge, in that we speak of it in two ways. We can distinguish between a state of knowing x and a state of attending to the knowledge of x, where the latter is more of an active process. The passive of state of knowing x is the first actuality, first because it must necessarily come prior to attending or remembering that knowledge i. e. potential precedes actual. Similarly, the soul of a sleeping person is like the passive state, the first actuality, while the soul of an awake person is like the active state. The soul must be the first actuality, for if not we would be forced to say a sleeping animal lacks a soul, a conclusion we do not want to make (Aristotle, De Anima 412a-412b). First actuality seems to correspond to a capacity to engage in the activity of the second actuality, and in this way is a kind of potential to exercise some function, like the ability to engage in thought. Aristotle makes this clear when he states that, â€Å"If the eye, for instance, were an animal, sight would be its soul† (Aristotle, De Anima 412b). Sight is the capacity of the eye for seeing, where sight is the form and the eye is the matter. The first actuality is the capacity for seeing, and the second actuality is seeing, actively exercising the potential ability. So it seems that beyond defining the soul as the ‘first actuality of a natural body that is potentially alive’, we can say the soul is a set of capacities that characterize living things. These characteristic capacities are different in different beings, and we will see that it is by these that Aristotle creates his hierarchy of ensouled beings or the degrees of souls. I will return to this distinction later in this paper, when describing how the souls of different ensouled beings differ. At this point we have a definition of the soul, but as Aristotle stresses throughout his various works, we must determine the cause or explanation in order to truly grasp the essence, and therefore get at complete picture of his view of the soul. The definition just given explains the what, but a full account must explain the why. He states in the Physics, â€Å"for our inquiry aims at knowledge; and we think we know something only when we find the reason why it is so, i.e. , when we find its primary cause† (Aristotle, Physics 194b). His criteria for an adequate definition, one that is sufficient for knowledge, rest on his theory of causation and explanation. The four causes include the material cause, formal cause, efficient cause, and final cause. Material cause is what something is made of, the formal cause is the form or pattern of which a thing is what it is, the efficient cause refers to the agent of change or rest, and the final cause is the intended purpose of the change or the reason why a thing is done (Shields). We must, therefore, determine why the soul is what it is in virtue of these four general causes. The soul is the principle and the cause of the living body, for it is in virtue of the soul that the body is alive, and thus it plays an explanatory role. It is the cause of the living body in three of the four ways, as â€Å"the source of motion, as what something is for, and as the substance of ensouled bodies†(Aristotle, De Anima 415), corresponding to the efficient cause, the final cause, and the formal cause respectively. It is the source of motion in that it causes growth and decay in the organism. The soul is also the cause of the living body by being the final cause, as the body is merely an organ for the sake of the soul, aimed at the soul. And finally, the soul is the formal cause of the living body for it causes life by being the form and actuality of what is potentially. The body makes up the fourth cause, the material cause, by being the matter that makes up a living organism (Aristotle, De Anima 415). I will use Aristotle’s example of the nature of a house as described in Book One, when he is discussing the importance of form, in order to better illustrate the necessity for analysis of a concept under his theory of causation and explanation. To merely define a house as stones, bricks, and timbers, is not to capture its full essence. A house is stones, bricks, and timbers (material cause), built into an enclosed structure (formal cause), fashioned together by a carpenter (efficient cause), in order to provide shelter from the elements (final cause). We can describe the what, but without further details about the explanation, we don’t really know the nature of a house. Similarly the soul is why, it gives the explanation for, the life activities of a living body. At this point Aristotle’s notion of the soul is quite clear; it is the first actuality of a natural body that is potentially alive, it is a set of capacities for life-giving and defining activities of organisms, and it is the form, the source of motion, and the means (it directs) to the end of the living body. Souls of different living beings are differentiated by their capacities to engage in the activities characteristic of that type of organism, which comprise their livelihood and survival. It is these differentiating faculties that make up the soul. Among these faculties are the nutritive and reproductive, perceptive, locomotive, and the capacity for thought and understanding. Aristotle claims, â€Å"the soul is the principle of the potentialities we have mentioned—for nutrition, perception, understanding, and motion—and is defined by them† (Aristotle, De Anima 413). There are three types of souls, arranged in a nested hierarchy, so the possession of a higher soul entails possession of all that are below it. The lowest, or most basic, in this hierarchy is the nutritive soul. All living things possess the capacity for self-nourishment, for without this they would not live. Next is the sensitive soul, which is possessed only by animals. The highest type of soul is the rational soul, belonging only to humans. These three souls are differentiated by their function, corresponding to the ensouled being in possession of the soul with the power to exercise that function. While the animal soul possesses the nutritive and the sensitive, and the human soul the rational as well, each has but one unified soul with a various sets of capacities (Shields). The nutritive soul is the potentiality held by all living things to preserve it and equip it for life. The function of this soul is the use of nourishment and generation, or reproduction. Generation is the most natural function, as it is a means for a living being to participate in the future (the â€Å"everlasting and divine†) by producing something else of its own sort. The use of nourishment allows the being to preserve itself, only existing while it is nourished. Nourishment allows an organism to grow as well as decay, according to its form. Since all living things possess the nutritive soul, all living things have the capacity for self-nourishment, growth, decay, and for reproduction. Further, since all nourishment involves digestion, and digestion involves heat, all beings contain heat (Aristotle, De Anima 415-416). The sensitive, or perceptive soul, distinguishes plants from animals. Perception is a type of alteration, in that a suitable sense-organ in perception is affected or changed by an external object. The external object acts as the agent, possessing the qualities in actuality that the sense-organ possesses potentially. Aristotle describes that it is through an intermediate condition, such as air, that sense organs receive the forms or qualities of the objects of perception, not the matter, when involuntarily acted upon by the external object. Thus, the sensitive soul has the capacity to receive sensible forms, resulting in perception. The sense-organs become like the agent after being affected, or receiving the qualities (Shields). Again, we can see Aristotle returning to his theory of Hylomorphism in describing perception as the change in the sense-organ as a result of the acquisition of form. The potential of the sense-organ is made actual in virtue of the external object which possesses the form in actuality. Aristotle states that every animal has the sense of touch, but not all possess the sense of sight, hearing, taste and smell. Animals are further distinguished along these lines; while each possesses a nutritive and a sensitive soul, there are various degrees of complexity of the latter soul corresponding to the activities of the animal. Aristotle continues further that the possession of the perceptive soul implies that the animal has the capacity to desire, and desiring includes appetite, emotion, and wish. He also determines possession of this soul entails the ability to feel pleasure and pain and it is in virtue of this soul that some animals possess the power of locomotion (Aristotle, De Anima 413-415). The rational soul, perhaps the most difficult section to interpret of De Anima, is essential and indicative of humans alone. It is in virtue of the rational soul, the intellect, that we come to know and understand things. The intellect is the seat of thought and thus reason. Thinking is similar to perception, as it involves the reception of form by a suitable capacity. However, while the object of perception is external and is the composite of form and matter, the object of thought is within the soul and is form alone (Shields). While hard to follow, I believe the objects of thought are the forms of forms; they get their intelligible forms in virtue of the sensible forms sensed in perception. Aristotle discusses the concept of â€Å"appearances†, which are different from perceptions and beliefs, for appearances exist while we sleep, with no external stimuli actualizing the ‘sensation’, and beliefs involve conviction, while appearances do not. Appearances are images resembling objects of perception (Aristotle, De Anima 428). It is helpful to think of appearances as the representation of reality we see in imagination. I believe Aristotle is claiming that it is these appearances that are the objects of thought. In intellection, the mind is made to be like the object of thought through reception of its intelligible form. The intellect is pure potentiality, it potentially has all of these objects of thought, and only in thought do these intelligible forms become actualized in the mind (Shields). As Aristotle’s philosophical worldview rests on a Hylomorphic principle, it is difficult to see how the alteration, bringing the intellect from potentiality to actuality in thought, comes about. In perception, this is in virtue of an external object that acts as an agent for change in the sense-organ. But what is the agent of change in intellection? Aristotle divides the intellect into the active and passive intellects. The active intellect acts as the agent of change; when the mind thinks the active intellect actualizes the intelligible forms in the passive intellect. The passive intellect stores the concepts of knowledge and intelligible forms in potentiality, to be recalled by the active intellect during thought. This means however, that the actual must precede the potential, contrary to what was discussed above. The nature of the active intellect is its activity, so it must be unremittingly active in order to cause the passive intellect to act and us to have thoughts and reason. If it is continuously active, this part of the rational soul must be eternal and thus stands in stark contrast with the rest of the souls Aristotle posits, but this controversial point is something I will not take up in this paper (Shields). Returning to the more broad implications of De Anima and Aristotle’s larger philosophical framework, we can analyze his notion of the soul in terms of the mind/body problem. Explicating his position, or lack thereof, on this matter will also illustrate his views on the soul in terms of unity, oneness, seperability, and mortality. Substance dualism is the position that the mind is separate from the body and that the mind is non-physical, often posited as being eternal. Aristotle’s conception of the soul, however, is that it is not ontologically distinct from the body. All nourishment, perception, and even thinking require a body. Further, as the living body is the composite of form (soul) and matter (body), it represents one inextricable substance. The soul and body are inseparable, except for perhaps the active intellect. While we can conceptually distinguish between a soul and a body, or form and matter, they are but one substance, related in terms of this composite. So when the body perishes, the soul does as well. Leaving aside the debated active intellect, the soul cannot be immortal. Therefore, Aristotle cannot be said to be a substance dualist. Materialism, on the other hand, claims that all that exists is physical and that substance is pure matter. But as has been said, Aristotle’s position on the soul takes it to be pure form and thus immaterial. The primary substance of a living body is the unity of body and soul, which is not purely matter. So, he cannot be a materialist either. While Aristotle does not clearly take a position towards this dilemma, he does suggest a new way of viewing it. Instead of presupposing the mind and speculating on the body as dualists do, or vice versa if you are a materialist, identifying the two as a unit and illuminating the association in terms of unity relations may prove more feasible. To summarize, Aristotle’s notion of the soul is that it is the first actuality of a natural body that is potentially alive. The concept of first actuality represents a sort of capacity for undertaking the action that characterizes the second actuality. So the soul is life-giving and facilitates the body for undertaking the actions necessary for survival and well-being. Plants have only the nutritive soul, enabling them to sustain themselves and reproduce. Animals have this soul as well as the sensitive soul, which facilitates perception and feelings of pleasure, pain, desire, appetite, etc. Humans are further distinguished in virtue of the elusive rational soul, which gives us the unique power of understanding, thought, and rationality. Aristotle’s soul is unlike other conceptions as it posits that although the body and soul is one, inseparable unit, the soul is immaterial while the body is physical. His consistency on his views of the soul with his views of nature and reality are obvious, as he frequently makes use of his broader theories of Hylomorphism, his four causes, and the potential/actual nature of everything that exists, making for a powerfully cohesive portfolio. Works Cited Aristotle, Terence Irwin, and Gail Fine. â€Å"De Anima. † Aristotle: Selections. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub. , 1995. 402-34. Print. Aristotle, Terence Irwin, and Gail Fine. â€Å"Physics. † Aristotle: Selections. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub. , 1995. 184-263. Web. Shields, Christopher. â€Å"Aristotle’s Psychology. † (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). N. p. , 23 Aug. 2010. Web. 20 Dec. 2012.