Social Networking on Relationships Essay Example for Free

Social Networking on Relationships Essay Social networking sites have a negative influence on children, teenagers and adults. â€Å"A social networking site can be defined as an online service that is based around the building and reflecting of social relations among individuals with common interests or social ties,† . Social networking sites such as Facebook, Skype, and Twitter all vary slightly. They can enable users to create a profile and them to interact through email, IM and other integrated communication channels within the site. The popularity and growth of social networking sites over the past five years has been enormous. Today, there are more than 1 billion active users on face book and users spend over 700 billion minutes per month on this social networking site. As the technology improves and advances, social networking sites have biggest impact on society and human relationships, both positive and negative. I’m going discuss the three main reasons why social networking sites bring many negative impacts pose on today’s media. One main reason social networking has an negative effect is because it ends relationships. One thing is for sure these sites are the breaking point of relationships in conversations amongst our friends and peers. Recent studies have shown that the use of social networks is a contributing factor to break ups of relationships and marriages. Studies show that the significant amount of time spent on these social networks engaged in contact with members of the opposite sex tends to create jealousy and a lack of trust which can lead to the relationship ending. â€Å"The internet makes it much easier to start a relationship, get caught and make a relationship come to an end. From what could be deemed inappropriate comments or postings, to friends of the opposite sex that stirs up feelings of jealousy and mistrust. Also, inboxes being â€Å"overly flirtatious†, lying and cheating. The second reason that social networking is bad for society is that it makes people lazy and overweight. About two decades ago, when people were bored, they would go outside and do something. Nowadays, many people just go on their phones and â€Å"tweet† about how bored they are or scroll through a friends new pictures and click the â€Å"like† button a few times. Sure, social networking might give you something â€Å"to do,† but really, you aren’t doing anything! People sit at computers and eat their self away. Children today don’t know how to communicate face to face with people. They would rather text or IM their friends than even think about having a verbal conversation with them. Children are going to school accessing the network over their phones instead of doing their work. For example, in my home town, a student saw that another student posted a status threatening to bomb the school. Everyone had to evacuate immediately. Another reason to be aware of is the illegal actions that can be performed, such as piracy, fraud, virtual shoplifting, cyber bullying, cyber stalking, sexual harassment, fake identities, or worse death. Can you imagine all of the kids approving a bunch of random people, they do not know being able to come in contact with them? Social Networks create an open access towards exposing individuals’ personal information. â€Å"This includes full name, date of birth, addresses, phone numbers, precise locations, emails, and more. † Exposed private information of adolescents causes them to be at risk with dangerous situations previous listed. Individuals attacked are highly exposed to having psychological problems, becoming afraid of outcomes, becoming depressed and using suicide as a method to stop attacks. Social networks have changed people by allowing them to befriend and contact more people more frequently and more efficiently. Unfortunately, they have also limited some face-to-face conversations with family and friends. Although social networking sites are efficient in providing ways to communicate, we need to limit our use of social networking sites in order to become stronger as individuals and to strengthen our relationships.

Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry in Food Analysis

Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry in Food Analysis The food is a highly complex nature which consisted organic and inorganic components. It is undeniable that Gas Chromatography (GC) has many usage and application. It is also noted that gas chromatography has a wide range of applications especially in the food aspect analysis which includes composition of food, components of aroma and flavor, food additives, natural products etc. The aim of this section is to provide an overview of gas chromatography mass spectrometry in food analysis due to the arising of awareness on nutrition and health concern. Review in Journal of Food Science: Comparison of the Flavor Chemistry and Flavor Stability of Mozzarella and Cheddar Wheys The stability of flavor of fresh and stored liquid Cheddar and Mozzarella wheys are being compared. The flavors profiling is being run by sensory analysis whereas extraction of volatile components are followed by characterization by solvent extraction. This is continued with gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. The application of this research is for further understanding of the flavor of the raw materials which will greatly help manufacturers to have optimization of quality by identifying the methods. Application Gas chromatography modeled 690N Agilent was used with 5973 inert mass detector (MSD) for the analysis of the extraction of solvents. Fused silica capillary column as sued for the separation which is Rtx-5ms 30-m length Ãâ€" 0.25-mm inner dia Ãâ€" 0.25- µm df . 1ml/min of a constant flow rate of helium is used. Besides, the temperature of the oven was set beginning at 40 ºC for 3min, increased of 10 ºC /min until 90 ºC, then 5 ºC/min to 200 ºC and holding time of 10 min, continued with an increase of 20 ºC/min, finally with 250 ºC and a holding time with 10min. The inert mass selector detector held for 3 min for the solvent delay and parameters was scanned by inert mass selector detection which was set from 35 to 300 m/z. 2 µL of each extract was injected in the splitless mode. The samples were duplicated for duplication analyses for further accuracy. The 2 main whey types of Cheddar and Mozzarella differences were the intensity of the compounds which based on an increased or decreased after storage by fat separation. Based on the results, it is known that the fat separation resulted in decreased concentration of lipid oxidation products by Gas chromatography mass spectroscopy. It is concluded that flavor profiles of the 2 types of samples were different from each other and gas chromatography mass spectroscopy volatile recorded the differences between the selected volatile compounds in each whey sample. The objective was fulfilled as it is proven that Cheddar whey is more easily to undergo oxidation than Mozzarella whey. Review in Journal of Food Science: Sensory and Physiochemical Characterization of Juices Made with Pomegranate and Blueberries, Blackberries or Raspberries The study of quality parameters of 1 commercial pomegranate juice mixed with different 5 concentration of blueberry, blackberry or raspberry juices. Solid phase microextraction – gas chromatography mass spectroscopy was used for the determination of volatile components which present in the mixtures in order to perceive the differences of aroma of the juices. The relationship between consumers and instrumental data was studied for the determination of innovation of designed juices by conducting a consumer study. This application of this research is to help juice industry to further understand the consumer’s preferences for the blended juices of pomegranate. Application Gas chromatography mass spectrometry modeled GC CP3800 Varian was used for the separation, identification, and qualification of the volatile components of the mixtures. The analytes was injected to the injection port of the gas chromatography at 250 º C during splitless mode of 5 min. The gas chromatography mass spectroscopy used RTx-5MS column , 30 m Ãâ€" 0.25mm Ãâ€" 0.25 µm film thickness which composed of 5% dephenil/ 95% dimethyl polisiloxane. Then, the temperature of the column was set beginning at 40 º C and was increased 280 º C at 8 ºC/ min with a holding time of 10 min. The components identified in the mixtures used Kovats indices and mass spectra analytical methods. There are 40 volatile compounds found in the juices. The most common compounds in the 3 berry juices were ethyl acetate, 3-methylbutanal, hexanal and linalool. In the nutshell, it is found out that blueberry juice is preferred by consumers with the mixtures of pomegranate juice. Review in Journal of Food Science Iron-Lactoferrin Complex Reduces Iron –Catalyzed Off –flavour Formation in Powdered Milk with Added Fish Oil Iron-lactoferrin complex is beneficial for dietary iron supplement but the effect has not been reported that iron-catalyzed off flavors in food products contained lipids. Therefore, the effects of iron-lactoferrin on off flavors were studied with the additional of fish oil. Compounds which have undergone oxidation such as pentanal, hexanal, heptanal etc were less developed in the powdered milk that contained iron-lactoferrin rather in iron(II) sulphate. The application of this research results proves and shows that iron-lactoferrin complex is beneficial for continuous fortification of foods with iron and fish oils. This is because there is a reduction of the formation of iron catalyzed off flavors in powdered milk fortified with fish oil. Application Gas Chromatography modeled 6890 Agilent with a mass selective detector of 5973 Agilent were used to performed analysis of volatile headspace compounds from the sample. The separations of volatiles were separated on DB-5 capillary column with measurement of 0.32mm i.d. Ãâ€" 60m, 0.52 µm of film thickness in the operations with a constant flow of 2.4mL/min. As for the temperature, it was set initially at 37 º C was increased to 190 º C, at rate of 4 º C/min and then to 280 º C at 40 ºC/min which the holding time is 8 min. In conclusion, iron-lactoferrin was proven by the measurements of headspace gas chromatography mass spectroscopy reduce the oxidation of flavor and metallic taste of powder milk enriched with fish oil during storage and processing. Review in Journal of Food Science Comprehensive Assessment of Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oils It had been known the unique ability of essential oils was studied due to their special properties that act as antioxidants. The 20 samples with oil that have EC50, which is less than 300 µg/mL were analyzed by gas spectrometry mass spectrometry and many more. The application of the founded results will enhance the understanding of spices which contains essential oil may inhibit the oxidative damage, lipid oxidation and increase the level of antioxidant activity of the product. Application Gas chromatography modeled 580A Hewlett Packard Series II were used to analyze the essential oil with mass selective detector and autosampler. The column used with a measurement of 30m, 0.25mmID with 0.5 µm film thickness at the constant flow rate of 1.0mL/min and pressure of 20.0 psi. The temperature injector is 250 º C, the beginning of oven temperature was 120 º C and was increased to 10.0  º C/min to 180 º C. Once the temperature reached 180 º C and rate was changed to 3.0 º C/min till the temperature reached 240 º C and holding time was 5 min. The total run time was 31.0 min. After running gas chromatography mass spectrometry, the chemical compounds in relation to antioxidant activities were known. It is based on the retention indices, co-chromatography with standards etc. The analysis of gas chromatography mass spectrometry also shows basil oils that are rich in linalool and geraniol. The confirmation of the indication of phenolic terpenes in antioxidant oil was also done. It can be concluded that phenolic terpenes is the major contribution to the most effective oils. Furthermore, several sesquoterpens are shown to have the ability to scavage free radicals. . Review in Journal of Food Science Change of Volatile Compounds in Fresh Fish Meat during Ice Storage This study is to determine the changes of volatile compound in fresh fish such as sardine, jack mackerel, bluefin tuna etc. during 3-4 d of ice storage by using headspace solid phase micro extraction gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Based on the result, it is revealed that there is an increased of aldehyde and alcohols in jack mackerel and chub mackerel followed by skipjack and red seabream during storage. The purpose of this research is to study the results to apply in inhibiting fishy off-flavor products. It is the lipid oxidation that change the fresh fish flavor so it is crucial for the prevention of oxidation of lipid. Application Modeled Turbo Mass system Perkin Elmer was used to analyze the extracted volatile compounds. The column used for separation with a measurement of 60m Ãâ€" 0.25 mm i.d., 0.25  µm film thickness. Preheating the column to 40 ° C and it was increased to 260 ° C at 5 ° C /min. The carrier gas used was helium with a constant head pressure at 20 psi. Moreover, the temperature of the injector is 250 ° C and splitless mode is change to split mode (50:1) at 0.3 min after the injection. The gas chromatography mass spectrometry identified 32 compounds of the red and white flesh fish and shows no apparent peaks during storage. The detection of the volatile compounds dependent of the storage time. Therefore, the various changes on the fish flavors might be depending on the content of lipids, lipoxygenase activity and fish’s redox potential. (Taiko Miyasaki, 2011) (Hiroshi M. Ueno, 2012) (I.W. Liaw, 2011) (Laura Vazquez-Araujio, 2010) (Kevin P. Anthony, 2012) Bibliography Hiroshi M. Ueno, M. S. (2012). Iron-Lactoferrin Complex Reduces Iron- Catalyzed Off-flavor Formation in Powdered Milk with Added Fish Oil. Journal of Food Science, C853-C858. I.W. Liaw, R. E. (2011). Comparison of the Flavor Chemistry and Flabvor Stabiliy of Mozzarella and Cheddar Wheys. Journal of Food Scince, C1188-C1194. Kevin P. Anthony, S. D.-S. (2012). Comprehensive Assessment of Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oils. Journal of Food Science, C839-C843. Laura Vazquez-Araujio, E. C.-B. (2010). Sensory and Physicochemical Chracterization of Juices Made with Pomegranate and Blueberries, Blackberries, or Raspberries. Journal of Food Science, S398-S404. Taiko Miyasaki, M. H. (2011). Change of Volatile Compounds in Fresh Fish Meat during Ice Storage . Journal of Food Science, C1319-C1325.

Producing Electricity From Wave Energy Engineering Essay

Producing Electricity From Wave Energy Engineering Essay When we hear the word, renewable energy the first things which come to mind are solar panels, wind turbines, hydroelectric power and some might even consider waste incineration as a way of producing energy. Albeit being an island, few of us stop and ponder on the huge energy potential that there is in the waters surrounding our island. Wave energy is slowly being made use of round Europe, particularly in countries facing the Atlantic. Malta falls in the medium range of wave heights which gives the possibility to use small wave energy generators which can generate a considerable amount of energy. Through this project our aim is to create a device which harnesses wave energy and converts it into electrical energy. The design must be cost effective, with no or limited contribution to visual pollution and most importantly efficient. Through this project we hope that we not only succeed in creating a design which works but also come up with a design that has a potential to be improved further in order to be utilized as a way of producing electrical energy in the Maltese Islands. After initially, deciding on what we aim to do, our first step was to analyse wave shape, wave patterns and wave heights round the Maltese Islands. As part of our initial steps, we looked into current models of wave energy generators in order to get a clear picture to what is already found globally. The final design which we came up with was what we codenamed Sea Saw the name itself expresses the advantage of the design. The design swings on the waves and as it swings electricity is produced. As part of our project, we also carried out a survey with the aim of analyzing the public awareness and perception on wave energy. Another part of the project was interviews with Jamie Taylor, in order to get to know more about wave energy in Europe. Being constantly reminded that traditional methods of energy production are contributing to serious environmental problems, governments round the world are seeking new ways of generating electricity. Malta is no exception. By 2020, at least 20% of Maltas energy production has to come from renewable sources. As a response to the urgent need for pollution-free power generation, the energy sector was forced through a renovating process, which sees its opening towards renewable energy. One of the new emerging industries in the renewable energy industry is the wave energy industry. Although the technology is relatively new and currently not economically competitive with older technologies such as wind energy, the interest from governments and industry is steadily increasing. An important feature of sea waves is their high energy density, which is the highest among the renewable energy sources. The idea of converting the energy of ocean surface waves into useful energy forms is not new. There are techniques that were first patented as early as 1799 by Girard Son in France. Potential Energy of a Wave Consider a typical ocean wave, wavelength 200m, wave height 1. The wave is 10 ms-1. The water particles move up and down as in a typical wave but they also move sideways. These two motions combine to give a circular motion. The water particles have both kinetic energy and gravitational energy. Both can be captured by suitable devices. A rough calculation of the wave energy can be found by assuming a square wave as shown: The square wave has wavelength 200m and amplitude 1m. The wave front is assumed to be 1m wide. The crest of the wave is above the normal level while the trough is below. The centre of gravity moved by the water as it goes from crest to trough, is 1m. The volume of water, moved is the volume of the crest. F is found using the equation c = fÃŽÂ », f = c/ÃŽÂ » = 10/200 = 0.05 hZ Power = Energy x Frequency = 106 x 0.05 = 5 x 104 Watts For a sinusoidal wave, the power is about half as much as that of a square wave. Hence, the power of a sinusoidal wave is equal 25 x 103 W. Besides, potential energy, a wave also has kinetic energy. This should be equal to the kinetic energy according to the theory of simple harmonic motion. Therefore, total power, KE + PE = 5 x 104 Watts. In practice, the actual power generated will be smaller due to energy losses and inefficiencies of the whole system. How do wave energy devices work? Wave energy occurs in the movement of water near the surface of the sea. A wave is formed when the wind, effectively drags at the water as it blows across. As the wind becomes stronger and the distance over which it blows increases, the more energy the waves have. As waves approach the coast, they begin to lose energy through friction with the seabed and eventually break on the shore. Thus the greater amount of energy is found in waves in the deeper well-exposed waters offshore. All the different types of energy devices, take energy out of the motion of the water near the surface by converting the action of the waves into movements that power generators to produce electricity. Maltas Potential to harness wave energy Being an island, we are an entirely surrounded by sea. Statistical data from WERMED Malta shows that Malta is well positioned to make use of the energy stored in waves, which are on average of medium height to produce electrical energy. Figure 1: Average Significant Wave Height and Wave Direction (Source: WERMED Malta) Design Development After initially deciding on the theme of the project, a process of designing the final wave generator was undergone. We listed the properties that the final design should have. Then we started designing designs which included the following: Figure 2: Requirements of the Wave Generator In all four different designs were taken into consideration. Each design was evaluated and its pros and cons were listed. Through this process, our aim was to come up with the best possible design which is not only viable but also efficient. Design number 1 The first design was inspired by the shake torch mechanism which incorporates a magnet passing through a coil and as it passes it generates an electric current. As the float bobs on water (when there are waves), the magnet moves through the tube, passes through the coil and generates an electric current. The tube is connected to a capacitor which stores the current. This design was ruled out, since it is not adequate for large scale energy generators. Figure 3: Design 1 Design number 2 The wave generator is flexible such that it moulds itself on the wave. At any point in time, one of the three barrel like floats is found at the trough and the other two barrel like floats are found at crest. At the same time, weights in the side arms hit piezo plates which convert mechanical stress into electrical energy and a magnet moves through the coil in order to produce electricity by electromagnetic induction. The design is anchored from only one cylinder to allow free rotation to face current wave direction. The rotation is aided by triangle shaped structures attached to the barrel like floats. The two outside barrels would be modified so they will have both weight and buoyancy. The center barrel will be modified so the total weight of the center barrel is twice that of one of the outside barrels. This design was ruled out after analyzing each aspect of the design. The energy production tube associated to piezo was deemed highly inefficient because piezo disks, only produce millivolts and thus not suitable to produce energy in large scale projects. The energy production system associated to gearbox system was deemed inefficient because there would be huge energy loss associated, to turning the gear wheels. On the other hand, we saw that there was potential in energy production using electromagnetic induction, thus we based our project on this form of energy production. Figure 4: Design Nos. 2 Design number 3 Figure 5: Design Nos. 3 This design consisted of a tube, with coil wound around and a magnet rolling inside. As the magnet rolled, through the coil, electricity is produced. Waves cause, the tube to shift to one side and the magnet consequently gains more speed as it moves towards the end of the tube. This design was ruled out because as the magnet shifts to the end of the tube and hits the other side, energy is lost as it hits the end of the tube. Thus, the design is considered inefficient due to significant energy losses. In designing, the final design a design which incorporates continuous motion was planned. Design number 4 The wave generator is a long, narrow box pivoted and anchored in the middle so that, as one end goes up, the other goes down. One end goes on the wave crest and the other goes down with the trough of the wave. When one end, goes up the fluid inside the tube goes down and turns the turbine which is connected to the coil. As soon as it reaches the end of the tube, the flap closes and forces the fluid to flow backwards and the fluid takes the path along the other side. As it flows downwards, it turns the other turbine, which is connected to the magnets. The turbine and magnets turn in the opposite direction, generating electricity by electromagnetic induction. Figure 6: Design Nos. 4 Building the model Materials and Apparatus Voltmeter Wires Plastic Casing Copper Wire Coil 2 Magnets Perspex Boxes Bushes Oscilloscope Water In practice, the Sea Saw should be half wavelength based on average values, so that one end rests on a crest and the other end rests on a trough. Its axis should be parallel to the motion of the wave, it is perpendicular to the wave front. Anchor Seabed It should be anchored from the centre, to the sea bed. The anchor should be flexible so that it can adjust itself to water height/level. Preliminary Testing Test 1 Testing Generator String was wound around the magnets shaft. It was spun by pulling the string. Voltage was checked on an AC Voltmeter. Average reading was About 2.3 Volts. The same reading was obtained on an oscilloscope. Peak was 2 cm, cycle was 8 cm long. Settings were 2 volts per cm. Time base was 10 ms per cm. These correspond to a peak voltage of 4 volts. RMS (Root Mean Square Voltage) was 2.8. Periodic Time was 80 ms. Frequency was 12.5 Hz. Theoretical voltage was calculated as follows: Emf generated by each length of the coil when cutting the field lines is given by Where B = Magnetic Flux Density = 0.04 T l = Diameter of Magnet 4.5 cm = 0.045m v = Average velocity To find Average Velocity: R = Average Radius of coil 5 cm = 0.05m F = Frequency of Rotation 12.5 Hz (obtained from oscilloscope) At any time the coil is cutting the magnets at 4 different points. The coil had 70 turns. Total Peak Voltage = 5 Volts This agrees with the value obtained from the oscilloscope. Test 2 Gates In the initial design, the gates were 20 cm high (Bottom to hinge). These started to hit the sides of the tank and did not open properly. They were lowered to 13 cm. Weights in the form of heavy nuts were attached to them using silicon sealer, in order to reduce the gates buoyancy since they are made of Perspex. The tank was filled with water. Wave movement was simulated by rocking the tank manually. Figure Gates did not open properly and there was leakage of water. Water did not flow the complete circuit but started to flow backwards. Water did not have enough space to flow to at the ends. The design was emended by extending the tank incorporating a circular pathway. Friction at the bearings tended to make the magnet disc and coil to rotate in the same direction. This was due to the common shaft on which they were turning. The common shaft was used in order to stabilize the system. On a larger model, the use of common shaft can be avoided. Backward movement was stopped by inserting a ratchet with each water turbine. Hinge moves in the direction of the pedal but not backwards. Further Testing Performance with depth of water Depth of water Speed of Pedals/ Rev min-1 Performance with different wave frequency Wave Frequency Speed of Pedals/ Rev min-1 Improvements Use turbines instead of water mill. Smaller gates so that they open more effectively. Larger and longer Perspex box. Instead of water, use a denser fluid such as mercury. Water mills must have less flaps so that they do not reduce the flow of water. Survey The aim of the survey was to study peoples perception on wave energy and their knowledge. A copy of the survey which was distributed is found in the appendix. The majority of those who answered the survey ranked wave energy as the second best way of producing electricity in Malta using renewable energy sources. This is understandable since actually when seen in context wave energy is still in its early stages to be used as the main way of producing electricity thus it should be implemented together with other forms of renewable energy. There was a considerable majority who answered that they never heard of wave energy. Given that renewable energy has been on the agenda for the last five years and wave energy seem to know of it, it seems that the government and other authorities are not giving wave energy its due importance nor are they considering its potential at least in small levels. The lack of importance given to wave energy is also shown through the results obtained for question 4. The majority understand that wave energy has a potential but at the same time accept that further research should be carried out before it is implemented on a large scale. This was the general response both for question 5 and question 3. Question was largely misunderstood and the few survey respondents who understood the question correctly accepted that wave energy can have a negative environmental impact, which can be minimised by designing a wave generator which is more environmentally friendly and has a smaller visual impact. The survey results show that people are not well informed and this point must be taken into consideration in designing the fair stand. The aim of the fair stand should not be merely to inform the public on our project but also on wave energy as a whole including its advantages and its disadvantages.

The Crucible: Characters :: Essay on The Crucible

The Crucible: Characters Chetan Patel The Crucible, a play by Arthur Miller that was first produced in 1953, is based on the true story of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Miller wrote the play to parallel the situations in the mid-twentieth century of Alger Hiss, Owen Latimore, Julius and Ethel Rosenburg, and Senator McCarthy, if only suggestively. (Warshow 116) Some characters in the play have specific agendas carried out by their accusations, and the fact that the play is based on historical truth makes it even more intriguing. The characters in this play are simple, common people. The accused are charged and convicted of a crime that is impossible to prove. The following witchcraft hysteria takes place in one of America's wholesome, theocratic towns, which makes the miscarriage of justice such a mystery even today. The reasons the villains select the people they do for condemnation are both simple and clear. All of the accusers have ulterior motives, such as revenge, greed, and covering up their own behavior. Many of the accusers have meddled in witchcraft themselves, and are therefore doubly to be distrusted. (Warshow 116) The court convicts the victims on the most absurd testimony, and the reader has to wonder how the judges and the townspeople could let such a charade continue. The leading character of the play is John Proctor, a man who often serves as the only voice of reason in the play. He had an affair with Abigail Williams, who later charges his wife with witchcraft. Proctor is seemingly the only person who can see through the children's accusations. The reader sees him as one of the more "modern" figures in the trials because he is hardheaded, skeptical, and a voice of common sense. He thinks the girls can be cured of their "spells" with a good whipping. (Warshow 114) At the end of the play, Proctor has to make a choice. He can either confess to a crime he is innocent of to save himself from execution, or die proclaiming his innocence. He ends up choosing death because a false confession would mean implicating other accused people, including Rebecca Nurse. (Rovere 2632) Proctor feels she is good and pure, unlike his adulterous self, and does not want to tarnish her good name and the names of his other innocent friends by implicating them. (Warshow 117) By choosing death, Proctor takes the high road and becomes a true tragic hero. The reader feels that his punishment is unjust (especially since the crime of witchcraft is imagined and unprovable.) Because the trials take place in a Christian, American town, the reader must then wonder if anything like this

Comparing Terror in Franz Kafkas The Trial and The Man Who Disappeared :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Nature of Terror in Franz Kafka's The Trial and The Man Who Disappeared "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" (Roosevelt 93). In Franz Kafka's The Trial and The Man Who Disappeared (Amerika), the nature of terror is exposed to the fullest extent. The main characters in both works, Josef K. and Karl Rossmann are both used as pawns in the chess game also known as society. The dramatic impact from the major turn of events would create a tremendous change in both characters. Josef K., who was arrested for no apparent reason would have his life totally dominated by the judicial system. The road that Josef K. is forced to journey on became a one-way street and he was never able to turn back. Karl Rossmann, who was also used as a scapegoat, was sent off to America for something that was not his fault. Because he was new to the country, people immediately took advantage of him and treated him as an outcast of society. The so-called "American Dream" that Karl often heard about became only an illusion. The terrifying situations that Josef K. and Karl hav e to go through brought the best and worse of the characters but most often weaknesses and flaws in the character are exposed. The nature of terror is based on reactions from human instinct and often cannot be controlled by mind or thought. Fear is a part of our being that exists in our mind. "It was fear that first made gods in the world" (Statius 94). No matter what Josef K. tried to do, the fate of his case had already been decided. The judicial system had taken a chokehold on Josef K. and he was never able to get out of it. Josef K. tried his best to fight off the case because that was what his instincts inclined him to do. However, to no avail, Josef K. is killed at the end. The arrest under no accusation caused Josef K. to fight back in anyway he could because the thought of being defeated and put away for no reason was an act of injustice. "Judgement does not come suddenly; the proceedings gradually merge into the judgement" (164). Unfortunately, the final judgement is death, the dead end of the one-way street. For Karl Rossmann, going to America was a big change. He had to adapt to the new way of life and be accepted by others and that unfortunately did not happen.

Childhood Is the Happiest Time of a Person’s Life Essay

I do agree the idea that the most joyful time for every person without any doubt would be their childhood. Since people are different in many areas, they may have different opinions about the reasons; however, I believe that childhood is the happiest time because first children at that age do not have any special responsibility, and second they are children and their mind and the way they think completely different from teenagers and adults. In other words, their minds are free. First, as a child you do not have to take any noticeable responsibility. You just play and enjoy your daily life. A child does not get into the troubles of for example studying, going to work or even having family duties like a father or mother. In case of everyday life, matures are dealing with a lot of chores and duties. Take the case of a mother for instance, she should have to take care of the house, do the daily chores such as cooking, ironing, cleaning and boring duties like that. Moreover, she has to look after of her child or children too. Considering that she does not have to work like her spouse outside the house. Children’s most important concern would be the size of their bicycle or the number of their toys they possess. Second, as a child your mind is largely free from many things which may cause challenge such as political or financial issues. Furthermore, in that period they tend to make friends much easier unlike teenagers. The things they are looking in a friendship are not materialistic. The purpose of make a link with their peers would not be for using them in further critical situations. They simply make friends to play with each other or to share their toys. Beside mentioned points, their needs are not much complicated. They would become easily happy by giving them a notebook and bunch of color pencils as if they are given a luxury car or a high-ranked position in a company. In conclusion, I consider the childhood time as the most memorable and happiest for everyone mostly because at that age, our expectations from life and other people around us are very simple and would not cause anyone trouble.

Behavior therapy and ADHD

ADHD is Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder which is a biopsychosocial disorder or neurobehavioral problem characterized by numerous problems including hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity. These problems pose a lot of difficulties in learning at school, home, at work and in relationships. About 3%-5% of children are affected by this problem out of which 30%-70% continue to show symptoms even to adulthood (Curtis, 2008).The symptoms associated with ADHD are of three types. One is having attention deficiencies in that the affected person is distracted very easily and also exhibits difficulties focusing on a given task.Secondly, the patient is prone to doing things before thinking about the consequences or the impacts they would have on themselves and the people around them. For instance, becoming too angry than the situation calls for, laughing or talking too loud, teens and adults may hurriedly make decisions that would impact the rest of their lives negatively like spendi ng money recklessly. The third type of symptom is hyperactivity in which affected children may fidget, run around at inappropriate times or squirm while adults and teens are restless and are unable to enjoy their quiet times or studying (Curtis, 2008).ADHD causes can be attributed to biological, social, experiential and strong genetic factors. The use of medication for treating this condition is not without serious side effects. By adopting behavioral approaches, the myriad of challenges faced by the affected children such as school failure, school drop out, behavioral disorders, depression, relationship and vocational problems can be significantly reduced and eventually overcome instead of relying on medications which only add more problems by causing serious side effects and whose long term outcome poses a threat to the life of the patient.Moreover, whether a child is affected by ADHD or not, such problems associated with ADHD may still be evident in psychologically healthy childr en. This paper will discuss how lack of adequately monitoring and controlling behavioral patterns at early childhood has resulted in many parents branding their children ADHD affected. It will show how behavioral strategies can be used extensively to deal with behavioral problems which may be mistakenly associated ADHD.Instead of using medications which cause more harm to the children to whom they are prescribed, the paper will justify by use of real and practical examples of other approaches which if well applied would eliminate the harms of relying on medicine. 2. 0 Why medication is not a remedy for treating ADHD Though there are several documented benefits associated with using stimulant medication for treating ADHD, it has not offered a complete remedy due to a number of reasons.It is first of all worth noting that the side effects caused by this medication impedes its administration on a prolonged basis and secondly no real benefits are accrued from medication for up to 20% of children claimed to be affected by ADHD (Rabiner, 2009). Another thing is that ADHD has primary symptoms in addition to other associated problems which cannot be alleviated by medication and therefore the need for employing other means. In addition, some children and many teenagers are strongly opposed to taking medicine which creates more problems when they are forced to take the medication.Moreover, management of children behavior can be effectively done even without the use of medication especially when the symptoms are relatively mild. This can be done through strategies such as positive reinforcement and punishment. 2. 1 Side effects of stimulant medications A stimulant is the commonly used type of medication whose action produces a calming effect on the patient. Other medications are non-stimulants and their mode of action differs from that of the stimulants. There are several side effects caused by the use of stimulants in treating ADHD.The common ones are sleep problems, de creased appetite, irritability, and anxiety in addition to few cases of headaches and stomachaches. There are also other side effects which are less common including some children developing sudden sounds or repetitive movements known as tics and change in personality in which some children appear to be without emotions (nimh. nih. gov, 2009). The US Food and Drug Administration have also warned against possible side effects which though rare may cause fatal consequences. It has pointed that the use of ADHD medication may cause psychiatric or possible cardiovascular problems.The medication-related psychiatric problems include becoming suspicious without any reason, hallucinations, hearing voices and becoming manic even among patients with no history of psychiatric complications. In addition, atomoxetine as one of ADHD medication has been found to cause increased suicidal thoughts in teenagers and children who take the medication than those who do not take it (nimh. nih. gov, 2009). Other non-medical treatment measures are therefore no doubt necessary to combat ADHD in a more safe, effective and easy way. 3. 0 Behavioral treatment for ADHDThis is also referred to as behavior management or behavior therapy whose basis of operation is pegged to the simple understanding of why children would want to behave or act in a socially acceptable manner. There are three reasons for this one being that children are inclined towards pleasing their parents by doing the right things and through this they feel good about themselves when the parents commend and applaud their positive behavior. This is because children are strongly motivated when the relationship with their parents is positive.Another reason is that children want to behave well so as to benefit from the positive consequences that rewards and privileges associated with good behavior. The last basic reason is that children would want to avoid the repercussions of acting inappropriately such as being punished. There fore, behavior therapy endeavors in enhancing the desire to embrace commendable behavior by all children whether affected with ADHD or not in order to please their parents and also to get positive consequences by behaving correctly.At the same time, inappropriate behavior is suppressed and highly discouraged by creating an environment which guarantees negative consequences after displaying undesirable behavior (Rabiner, 2009). Lack of understanding of this important concept has resulted in many parents making incorrect decisions such as taking their children to psychiatrists who may prescribe medicine for ADHD only to cause health problems to the children who are absolutely normal.Through the efforts of parents and their children, the tools of this approach can be effectively applied to do away with such predicaments and unwarranted over reliance on medicine since the practicability of the method carries no doubt. There are different tools that are essential for positive behavior ou tcome to be achieved. 3. 1 Positive Reinforcement This is based on the understanding that children would be motivated to behave positively if by doing this there is a reward or positive consequences to be gained.This therefore calls for the parent to devise means of increasing the frequency of good behavior by simply offering a reward when the child displays good behavior. The parent ought to be keen on noticing the desired behavior such as putting away toys or playing quietly and not hesitating to comment on the behavior. This approach also entails helping the child to understand what the parent wants him or her to do and ensuring that positive comments or praise is directed to the child every time the behavior occurs.The logic behind these social rewards is that the desire of the child to behave well is enhanced by realizing that the parents are keen to notice and appreciate them (Rabiner, 2009). This keeps at bay defiant or undesirable behavior for which most may be tempted to co ntemplate using medicine. Apart from social rewards, tangible rewards are a form of positive reinforcement. Parents should be enthusiastic to give tokens or privileges to children whether affected with ADHD or not every time positive behavior occurs. This enhances compliance and obedience to requests made by parents.For instance, a parent can explain to a child that each time a request is obeyed, a point is earned. The accumulated points can then be used to obtain a privilege such as access to computer time. 3. 2 Punishing appropriately Punishment is an appropriate strategy to use especially when the behavior is as a result of direct non-compliance or violation of rules. However, punishment cannot be done in solidarity and expect that it will change the long term behavior of children whether ADHD affected or not. Rather, it should always be accompanied with a managing strategy so as to precipitate the anticipated results.The logic behind punishment is that every time a certain behav ior is accompanied with consistent negative consequences, the frequency and intensity with which it will occur over time will diminish and eventually disappear. The child should be made to understand that every time the behavioral expectations are not met, negative consequences are always the result and that bad behavior has absolutely no pay-off. Many parents have failed to apply this important approach resulting in a rise in inappropriate behavior and poor performance in academics by many children.Due to this kind of reluctance on the side of the parent, many normal children have continuously displayed defiance and many have resulted into using antipsychotic medicine on these children in an effort to curb the problem. Punishment is critical in stopping negative behavior and can take many forms such as reprimands, detention, criticism, extra work, and corporal punishment (kidscoinsproductions. com, n. d). The different forms of punishment should be used interchangeably so that if o ne fails to give the expected change, a different one is employed.3. 3 Response cost techniques This refers to different forms of punishment in which the likelihood of losing what has already been earned is determined entirely by the mode of behavior or conduct of a child. Parents with children displaying inappropriate behavior can apply this practical approach to influence their behavior instead of making the conclusion that ADHD is the problem. Its effectiveness is as good as those of giving social and tangible rewards but is especially suitable when used in older children and teens.An example would be to start by giving the whole token say $5 at the start of the week instead of giving it at the end of the week after the child has behaved as expected. This allowance may be placed somewhere in a transparent vessel and a promise made to the child that as long appropriate behavior is maintained throughout the agreed time period, all the $5. 00 belongs to the child. Whenever the child violates the agreed upon set of rules, a dollar is removed from the vessel and this continues to the end of the week upon which the child gets whatever is remaining (Goldstein, 1999).This is a good way of making the child work hard to maintain appropriate behavior so as not to lose the already available reward. 3. 4 Special time Children sometimes find themselves having frustrations caused different challenges they face at school or even at home which can easily jeopardize the good relationship between them and their parents. The frustrations can also be caused by mood swings or being disappointed with friends which thus does not mean that they are having ADHD.These frustrations can create feelings of anger and trigger conflicts which only put the children-parent relationship at risk with the good times completely dwindling if the situation is not strategically contained. With the understanding of how behavior therapy works, parents can capitalize on the natural inclination of chil dren to please their parents when relationships are positive. This calls for the creation of a special time program whose entire focus is mending the badly affected feelings between parent and child.The parent can allocate at least 30 minutes everyday which is designated â€Å"special time† for the child during which the child can choose the desirable activity which must be commensurate with the purpose of the program (Rabiner, 2009). The parent ought not to give commands or ask a lot of questions during this time and the whole focus should be having quality time with the child. The parent should tune into the activity of the child in a complementary and interested manner such that the child will become more motivated to carry on with the activity.The parent should express the feelings of being pleased by for instance commenting positively on the efforts of the child. With time, the natural inclination to please the parent will find its way in and the child will now focus on doing it right and avoiding anything that would displease the parent. Through this, limit setting and discipline is done with ease. 3. 5 Non-Compliance vs. Incompetence Children whether having ADHD or not may display non-compliance to given rules or instructions and therefore there needs to be effective means of dealing with this problem as early as possible in the life of the child.The best way to overcome non-compliance is through manipulating and applying different consequences with the most effective being that of negative consequences through different forms of punishment. On the other hand, children who display incompetence for instance in understanding academic concepts in school should be helped through intensive skill building and educational training. Such children should also be allowed to make choices of what activity they feel they are capable of excelling in. This calls for the parents and teachers to be highly observant and assist the children to make the appropriate choices.This will eliminate the misplaced thoughts in such children that they are incapable of performing which is a source of depression and hopelessness which creates more defiant behavior. Instead of hastening to use medicine with the notion that ADHD has clipped in, such practical approaches are the best since they help avoid the harms associated with using drugs. 4. 0 Conclusion ADHD may be a disorder which is in existence or not but either way, lack of proper use of practical means to ensure sustainable appropriate behavior has resulted in many kids in the US being labeled ADHD-affected.The consequences of using medication to improve behavior and school performance have only created more problems than solutions which indicate that the right approaches are not yet exploited. Behavioral therapy as opposed to chemotherapy ought to be upheld and strategies like punishment properly used by parents and teachers. Assumptions that all behavioral problems emanate from a mental disorder should not be made. References Curtis, J. (2008). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: What It Is and Who Is Affected. Retrieved July 22, 2010, from http://www. health. com/health/condition-article/0,,20251884,00. html Goldstein, S.(1999). The Facts About ADHD. Retrieved July 22, 2010, from http://www. samgoldstein. com/node/21 kidscoinsproductions. com. (n. d). Designing a Behavioural Modification Program. Retrieved July 22, 2010, from http://www. kidscoinsproductions. com/Research/Behavioural_mgt. htm nimh. nih. gov. (2009). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Retrieved July 22, 2010, from http://www. nimh. nih. gov/health/publications/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder/complete-index. shtml Rabiner, D. (2009). Behavioral Treatment for ADHD: An Overview. Retrieved July 22, 2010, from http://www. athealth. com/Consumer/farticles/Rabiner. html