The Scientific Study of Ecology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Scientific Study of Ecology - Essay Example By addressing and discussing these three specific issues, not only will we be able to gain valuable information on these particular matters but on the subject of ecology as a whole. This is what will be dissertated in the following. In ecology terms, the carrying capacity of a population refers to the supportable population of an organism, and this is taking into consideration the vital factors such as food, habitat, water, and so on. There is strict mathematics involved with the carrying capacity issue, and depending on the particular situation, the impact of famine, for instance, could be quite moderate or extreme. In terms of what the possibilities are for the continued growth of a population once it has approached its carrying capacity, this really depends on the particular population being discussed, but it is very important either way here to understand that â€Å"Algorithms for estimating the carrying capacity of areas provide wildlife managers with important information for understanding and managing populations†¦The energy-based carrying capacity of an area varies with the energy required by a wildlife population and the energy available in foods in the area.† (29). In response to the issue of what process would be necessary in order to allow a population to be established and thrive in an ecological community, basically, there are several different factors that need to be taken into consideration here. In all reality, the most classical explanation is that all species are able to coexist, as long as they are â€Å"sufficiently different in their ‘niches’, the particular habitats or conditions in which they thrive or in the resources they exploit, and have corresponding weaknesses in other areas, so that no one species is able to out-compete the others.† (67).  

Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome in Military Personnel Essay Example for Free

Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome in Military Personnel Essay Post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSS) is defined as a psychological disorder which arises from life-threatening experiences; affecting the physical or emotional state of the individual. Examples of these experiences are motor accidents; natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and the like; man-made tragedies such as plane crash and hijacking; abusive experiences in childhood; traumatic personal experience such as rape or torture; and violent military associated events. The symptoms associated with this disorder include those homologous to anxiety attacks or depression. The patient will also experience sleeping problems, emotional numbness, psychological catatonia, lack of affection for other people and even aggressiveness. One outstanding symptom of PTSS patients is avoidance of specific places and situations that is associated to the primary cause of the disorder. Since these will trigger memories related to their traumatic experience, it is of utmost importance for them to avoid any contact and encounter with these scenarios. Also, the patient usually has recurrent flashbacks or hallucinations of this particular, damaging event (University of Virginia Health System, 2007). Post traumatic stress syndrome can be observed in a varied class of individuals: regardless of sex, age, culture or economic status. In short, PTSS can be observed in any kind of character, given enough dose of traumatic experience. In the United States, the percentage of the population affected by PTSS is estimated to be between 1% to 12%. It was estimated that around 7. 7 million Americans are suffering from PTSS and that 30% of individuals who were in war-stricken areas will suffer from PTSS (University of Virginia Health System, 2007). In specific classes in society, PTSS is observed to occur at 0. 2% in post partum women, 18% in fire fighters, 34% in adults involved in vehicular accidents, 48% in female rape victims and 67% in prisoners of war. (Lange, 2000) In this paper, the impact of this phenomenon will be studied on military personnel: the factors contributing to the advent of the disorder, the statistics of military personnel with PTSS, the medical intervention and treatment used for PTSS and the effectiveness of the treatment used by the military to cure PTSS. History of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome in the US Military: Various Wars through the Years Post Traumatic Syndrome in military personnel was correlated with a number of pre-military, military and post-military factors. These three pertain to the background of the soldier before joining the military, the activities one engaged in as a military personnel and one’s life after military service. For pre-military risk factors, some of these were emotional instability, age of entry into the military, past child abuse, minority status, socioeconomic status, substance abuse and years of education. For military risk factors, these were degree of atrocities witnessed or participated in of a soldier, combat exposure, captivity, injury in combat and danger threatening the soldier’s life. Post-military risk factors, on the other hand, include time of discharge from the military, substance abuse, available social support and socioeconomic status (Bremmer, 2005). Post traumatic stress syndrome was first observed in war veterans who were assigned in the war against Vietnam during the 1980’s. This was the first time the scientific and psychological community acknowledge this disorder. Since PTSS was not yet known to the world, it was initially called battle fatigue and shell shock (University of Virginia Health System, 2007). In this war, it was estimated by the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Survey (NVVRS) that 15. 2% of male veterans and 8. 1% of female veterans; 479,000 out of 3,140,000 and 610 out of 7,200, respectively; were diagnosed with PTSS during a two year study in 1986. In terms of delinquency observed in these Vietnam War veterans, almost half of male soldiers who were diagnosed with PTSS were arrested or jailed at least once after their diagnosis. The percentage of those who were convicted was estimated to be at 11. 5%. In 2004, there were around 161,000 veterans who are still receiving PTSS disability compensation from the government. But even before this decade, military men and women had already suffered from war-related disorders. In World War II, it was estimated by the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder that in every 20 deployed military, there was one individual who suffered PTSS-related symptoms such as irritability, nightmares and flashbacks. The actual number of PTSS affected soldiers was estimated to be at 25,000 based on the number indicated by the Department of Veterans Affairs back in 2004. These soldiers were still receiving PTSS disability compensation from the department during this time. A prisoner of World War II’s (POW) tendency to developed PTSS was also investigated by various studies long after the war was over. According to Speed, 50% of those who were involved in WW II developed PTSS a year after the war and 29% still developed PTSS even after 40 years (Speed, 1989). Meanwhile, in terms of recovery, Klusnik determined that among the 188 POW who suffered PTSS, only 36 of them had recovered from the disorder (Klusnik, 1986). If the war between Korea and the United States will be considered, the approximate percentage of soldiers who suffered PTSS is around 30%, according to an independent study by a Korean researcher. The Persian Gulf War back in 1991 is also noteworthy to mention. This war was also an avenue for soldiers to suffer post traumatic stress syndrome. In 1999, a study conducted by Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology found out that among the 697,000 soldiers deployed to this war, there was an increasing number of soldiers who were suffering from the disorder. Initially, the rate of PTSS development for men and women were 3% and 8%, respectively. But after 18 to 24 months of returning to the United States of America, the rate increased from 7% to 16%. In the recent years, wars launched against Iraq and Afghanistan were enough reasons for the government to revive studies focusing on PTSS and its impact on the soldiers deployed to this heavily-bombarded countries. In Afghanistan, it was showed that 18% of the 45,880 soldiers deployed to this country suffered some kind of psychological disorder (PD), while the number of PTSS cases reached 188. In Iraq, from the 155,000 US soldiers in this country, 20% were diagnosed with PD and 1,641 were with PTSS. Women personnel who were affected with this disorder was from 8%-10% (Epstein Miller, 2005). When these data are combined, 46. 4% of soldiers sent to Iraq and Afghanistan suffered PTSS in 2007, totalling to 40,000 cases in a five-year period. The distribution of the cases is as follows: for the Air Force-2,476; Army-28,365; Navy-2,884; and Marines-5,641 (Morgan, 2008). Treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome from the Military A special division of the US government is devoted to treating PTSS patients, and this is the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Through the years, since the late 1970’s, VA had developed programs that continuously monitor and improve the state of soldiers once they return to their home country after being deployed in a war-stricken zone. There are three approaches that the department uses in order to achieve this goal: one, through outpatient approach; two, through varying length inpatient stay; and three, through residential care. These ways vary in the length of stay of the PTSS cases in the medical facility. Some of the treatments given to the cases were group counselling, educational support and psychological assessment of the soldiers. It was determined that there was no statistically significant difference between the length of stay of a PTSS patient in the facility. Since the duration of the soldiers in the treatment facility is equated to monetary costs, it was recommended that treatment not be prolonged, since the same results will be achieved with shorter treatment duration (Broschat, 1998). Another form of treatment for this disorder came from the military itself. In the core’s training program, each soldier is taught how to recognize post traumatic stress syndromes among themselves and among their comrades. This program is called the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (PTSD/MTBI) Chain Teaching Program, with the main objective of putting the knowledge and power in the soldiers themselves in order to take care of one another (U. S. Army Medical Department, 2007). Summary and Conclusion Since time immemoria, post traumatic stress syndrome was observed to plague war combatants since World War II. In every conflict that the United States government engaged in, there was the inevitable rise of PTSS cases documented. From The Persian Gulf War, to the Korean War, to the latest invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, soldiers continuously suffered from this disorder in an increasing fashion. Post traumatic syndrome is a serious problem faced, not only by military personnel, but also by the government. With an increasing number of PTSS cases through the years in every war launched by the government, there is also an increase in the corresponding amount of budget to be used for the treatment and rehabilitation of the soldiers. With this, it is imperative that this disorder be given enough attention and support from those in authority. Soldiers are the backbone of the country’s security. Without them, invasion by foreign and local enemies is likely to happen. But defence without psychologically sound soldiers will not be possible. Therefore, for a land to be secured and safe from any threat, the well-being of soldiers must be valued, thus, post traumatic syndrome must be answered with utmost urgency.

Ethics of Research Trials in Developing Countries

Ethics of Research Trials in Developing Countries Zoheb Rafique INTRODUCTION: Asia is the most diverse continent in the world in terms of culture, religion, population size, finance, education, health care, academic research, general population skills, and governmental drug regulations. Each Asian country has its own unique qualities when it comes to attracting industry sponsored clinical trials. Factors that influence selecting location of a study site for a sponsored trial are mainly population size, infrastructure, education levels, quality of health care, cost and drug regulatory platform. Some Asian countries such as Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore have among the longest life-expectancy, lowest infant mortality and highest per capita income worldwide, while others are in the lower end of such rankings. Several, notably China and India, are amid rapid economic development, as the Asian economy is more-or-less becoming the global axis, with the economies of US and Europe slowing. Asia has a population of 3.8 billion, at least ten times more than North Americ a or Europe. As the world’s most populous continent, Asia has by no means reached full capacity in contributing with subjects in testing new medical products in collaboration with the international pharmaceutical industry. This trend will certainly direct more sponsored clinical trials to Asia, but not necessarily benefit all Asian countries. Engaged in 18.1 % of all protocols globally Asia is involved in more sponsored trials than any other region. India, Korea and Taiwan standout as the most active locations for multi-national trials in Asia. When ranking is for cities Seoul is the most active Asia city, followed by Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore and New Delhi. The globalization process of sponsored clinical trials has provided an opportunity for Asia to attract international companies to the region and also seemingly encourages development of local life-science industries (1). In this paper, I will discuss the responsibilities of researcher/funder when the research trial is conducted in developing countries and especially in our country Pakistan and I will also talk on ethical justifications of doing research trials in Pakistan and other poor and developing countries. DISCUSSION: Resource poor countries require a lot of attention from the medical research establishment in order to sustain the quest for treatments and remedies for diseases and other health-threatening conditions. However, the collaboration between rich countries and well-endowed agencies, on one-hand, and economically constrained research communities, on the other, requires a careful assessment of responsibilities and options for researchers and research subjects alike. Major players in international research also include big pharmaceutical companies who seek people living in developing countries as subjects. Safety and standard of care for human volunteers are also major issues. â€Å"I had not been exploring Big Pharma of third world ‘volunteers’ as cheap guinea pigs, observes writer John le Carre (2001). â€Å"Their role, though they may not ever know this, is to test drugs, not yet approved for testing in the US, which they themselves will never be able to afford even if the tests turn out reasonably safe† (le Carre, 2001). In the US, it costs on average $ 10,000 per patient to conduct a clinical trial, in Russia $ 3,000, and in the poorest parts of the world, much less. This is one of the strong reasons why clinical trials are now a Third World growth industry. In the end, the drugs under trial are for western markets. In its May 2000 edition, Center Watch, a newsletter for the burgeoning clinical trials business, published an exuberant article under the title Latin American Fever in which it said the continent ‘may offer a unique opportunity to reach much larger numbers of study subjects’. Eli Lilly tested 590 patients, in 1994, across Africa, the Middle East and Central and Eastern Europe. In 2001, the company expected to run tests in those regions on 7,309 patients. It is not only the human subjects who are at risk. In the rush to market, poorly constructed, weakly monitored trials are releasing untried and untested drugs for con sumption (le Carre, 2001). The Contemporary practice of biomedical research on a global scale has given rise to evolving forms of exploitation. Standards of justice and equality tend to be put in question in the face of research practices that often put heavy burdens on poor people and poor communities in poor countries. There is a need to remain vigilant in the prior review of these activities and the monitoring of their implementation in order to ensure that biomedical research is conducted in accordance with universally acceptable standards. One of the most important requirements for the conduct of research in developing countries is emphasized in the WHO-Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences’ Guidelines for Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects: to guarantee that those communities where these new drugs have been tested will be given affordable access to the newly developed and approved drugs. Otherwise, one might rightly argue that people in d eveloping countries have yet again been exploited by Western researchers without benefiting from the positive results their risk-taking has yielded (Del Rio, Kamarulzaman, and Schuklenk, n.d.). Ruth Macklin observes that it is not just individuals who can lose out when big drug companies carry out their tests. When industrialized countries do research in a developing country, the developing country can’t afford the products of that research. The researcher’s pullout and the successful products then become available in the Western industrialized countries and the population in the countries where the research was done get nothing. So that’s truly a question of justice, and we’re beginning to see a movement to rectify that injustice (2000). The wide disparities in resources that are available for biomedical research in developed and developing countries give rise to ethically relevant issues of research prioritization and collaboration. The international re search community has to accelerate the shift to an environment where researchers from developing countries are recognized as full and equal partners in biomedical studies; where the technologies of developed and developing countries are integrated and made widely available; and where the benefits of biomedical research for participant communities can be ensured (2). In resource-poor countries like Pakistan and majority of developing countries, the two primary means of protecting participants-IRB review and Informed Consent may be inadequate. IRBs in developing countries may lack training, experience, and resources. IRBs in the United States are unlikely to be familiar with conditions in the host country. Informed Consent may be problematic in a country where people are poorly educated and lack health literacy, and where physicians in clinical practice usually do not tell patients their diagnosis, admit uncertainty, or obtain consent. Participants may not accept Western models of dis ease. Furthermore, participants might hear rumors and other misinformation about a research study. In several highly publicized cases, researchers from developed countries have been harshly criticized for allegedly conducting inappropriately risk studies in resource poor counties without adequate consent. The other problem is health priority and it would be an imprudent use of limited health care resources in a developing country to conduct human-participants research that does not address a health or public health priority in the host country. Because of scarce resources and logistical constraints, medical interventions that are standard in developed countries may not be available or feasible in resource poor countries where the trial is conducted. This creates an ethical tension between providing a benefit to research participants and obtaining generalizable scientific knowledge. According to the ethical obligation to minimize harm to participants, researchers should provide inter ventions that are known to be effective and feasible to prevent or treat the condition addressed in the clinical trial. Because participants in a research study help researchers, sponsors, and society at large, they should receive some benefit in return as a matter of reciprocity. Advocates contend that researchers and sponsors must avoid taking unfair advantage of participants and their communities by providing those who bear the risks of research appropriate benefits, in addition to the long-term benefit of generalizable knowledge. Researchers and Sponsors need to consider whether the study intervention will be available in the host country if it is shown to be effective and safe. Some ethics expert point out that providing reasonable access to study interventions after a trial may be an inadequate reciprocation for participation in research. First, it is too limited and weak an obligation. If the study is something other than a pivotal clinical trial (for example, an epidemiologi cal study), no additional benefits will be required. Even if the study is a clinical trial, it might be a negative study. Second, other benefits might be more useful to participants or their communities than the trial drug. For example, they might benefit more from better primary care or better education for host country health care workers. Third, the appropriate target group for benefits may be all persons in the community where the study is carried out, not just trial participants. Providing benefits only to trial participants will widen health disparities in the resource-poor host country and therefore raise concerns about causing injustice. Thus, providing benefits to the host country should be done in a way that ameliorates rather than worsens health disparities. For these reasons, some writers argue that researchers and sponsors from the developed world should provide fair benefits to the research participants and their communities in reciprocity for what they contribute to the research. Researchers could provide benefits to research participants in a number of ways, such as by providing health education or some basic health services; training local health care workers, researchers, and IRBs; donating equipment at the end of the study; and giving local investigators a key in analyzing data and writing papers. Such contributions ensure that the community where the research is carried out will receive benefits in reciprocity for participating in the research. By building infrastructure, researchers can help provide sustainable improvements that will help to narrow health disparities between rich and poor nations (3). Pakistan is also among the poor and one of developing country and the health care conditions here are same as any South Asian or African country. We will apply the same ethical and moral rules when we talk about research here in Pakistan. Ethical requirements for clinical research do not end when individuals either sign the consent form or are enrolled in research or refuse enrollment. Individuals must continue to be treated with respect from the time they are approached even if they refuse enrollment throughout their participation and even after their participation ends. Respecting potential and enrolled subjects entails at least 5 different activities. First, since substantial information will be collected about enrolled subjects, their privacy must be respected by managing the information in accordance with confidentiali ty rules. Second, respect includes permitting subjects to change their mind, to decide that the research does not match their interests, and to withdraw without penalty. Third, in the course of clinical research new information about the effect of the intervention may be gained. Respect requires that enrolled subjects be provided with this new information. Fourth, the welfare of subjects should be carefully monitored throughout their research participation. If subjects experience adverse reactions, untoward events, or changes in clinical status, they should be provided with appropriate treatment and, when necessary, removed from the study. Finally, to recognize subject’s contribution to clinical research, there should be some mechanism to inform them of what was learned from the research (4). CONCLUSION: The basic disclosure requirement for satisfying the informed consent provision in U.S. research regulations focus on information needed by a potential participant to decide whether or not to participate in a study. Of the eight basic disclosure requirements, one focuses on potential benefits: a description of any benefits to the subject or to others which may reasonably be expected from the research. Traditionally, such a disclosure has been required to ensure that potential participants understand whether there is any possibility that the intervention itself might benefit them while they are enrolled in the study. There is, however, no specific mention of any post-trial benefits. If any case, those who may participate in studies should be informed of the potential benefits, if any, that they might receive by doing so. Because this information is relevant to participants’ decisions to participate in the research, ethics review committees should require investigators to make th ese disclosures (5). In the end I will conclude by saying that research participants should know each and every thing regarding their participation in the research trial or rejecting it, and it is their right to know all risks and benefits while participating in the research trials and this should be applicable to all countries around the world including all developing countries and also our country Pakistan. REFERENCES: 1. Johan PE Karlberg. Development of Sponsored Clinical Trials in Asia. Clinical Trial Magnifier. 2008; Vol. 1:5: 77-100. 2. Leonardo D. de Castro Et Al. Bioethics in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues and Concerns. 2003; 1-108. 3. LO B. Clinical Research in Resource-Poor Countries. Ethical issues in Clinical Research: A practical Guide. 2008; Ch.22:194-210. 4. Ezekiel J. Emanuel Et Al. What Makes Clinical Research Ethical? JAMA. 2000; 283(20): 2701-2711. 5. Ch 3; Voluntary Informed Consent. National Bioethics Advisory Commission. 35-53.

An Analysis of Yeats The Second Coming Essay -- Yeats Second Coming E

An Analysis of Yeats' The Second Coming Yeats' poem "The Second Coming," written in 1919 and published in 1921 in his collection of poems Michael Robartes and the Dancer, taps into the concept of the gyre and depicts the approach of a new world order. The gyre is one of Yeats' favorite motifs, the idea that history occurs in cycles, specifically cycles "twenty centuries" in length (Yeats, "The Second Coming" ln. 19). In this poem, Yeats predicts that the Christian era will soon give way apocalyptically to an era ruled by a godlike desert beast with the body of a lion and the head of a man (ln. 14). Critics have argued about the exact meaning of this image, but a close reading of the poem, combined with some simple genetic work, shows that Yeats saw the new order as a reign of terror haunted by war. "The Second Coming," in its entirety, is an astounding encapsulation of Yeats' idea of the gyre and his fears about the future of mankind; it is expertly woven with threads of prophetic literary reference and impressive poetic t echniques. To begin, the gyre, a spiral or repeated circling motion, is a symbol and a concept that Yeats used repeatedly in his poetry and prose, and the poetics of "The Second Coming" illustrate the idea of the gyre. The repeated words in the poem enforce the idea of "spiral images" (Drake 131); words and phrases, such as "surely" and "is at hand" in lines 9 and 10, "turning" in line 1, "is loosed" in lines 4 and 5, and the very title, "Second Coming" in lines 10 and 11, are repeated, creating an onomatopoeic effect suggesting the repetitive movement of the gyre (Bornstein 203). Similarly, repetitious or paired images give the same effect, as Yeats seems to cycle through his "falcon" ("The Second Coming... ...tin's, 1966. Drake, Nicholas. The Poetry of W. B. Yeats. London: Penguin, 1991. Ellmann, Richard. The Identity of Yeats. New York: Oxford, 1954. ---. Yeats: the Man and the Masks. New York: Macmillan, 1948. Jeffares, A. Norman. A Commentary on the Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats. Stanford: Stanford U., 1968. ---. W. B. Yeats. New York: Humanities, 1971. Purdy, Dwight H. Biblical Echo and Allusion in the Poetry of W. B. Yeats: Poetics and the Art of God. Lewisburg: Bucknell U., 1994. Stock, A. G. W. B. Yeats: His Poetry and Thought. London: Cambridge, 1961. Yeats, William Butler. Michael Robartes and the Dancer Manuscript Materials. Eds. Thomas Parkinson and Anne Brannen. Ithaca: Cornell, 1994. ---. "The Second Coming." Norton Anthology of English Literature. Eds. M. H. Abrams, et al. 6th ed. Vol. 2. New York: Norton, 1993. 1880-81.

Characters in Animal Farm Essay

The over worked and malnourished animals over throw the humans in charge and took power; only to find that the obligation of freedom maybe more dangerous. Out of all the animals, however, one is sure to stand out. That animal is Boxer, the farm’s hardest and strongest worker. George Orwell’s novel, Animal Farm, is an allegory that reflects events leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917, and then on into the Stalinist Era in the Soviet Union. Through a depiction of Boxer, George Orwell allows the reader to make a discernment of the Russian proletariat’s loyalty and hardworking skills, by presenting him as an allegiant, reputable, diligent worker. From the beginning to the end, Boxer remains a diligent worker despite the abundance of toil. After the Rebellion, â€Å"Boxer [seems] more like three horses than one; [and] there [are] days when the entire work of the farm seems to rest on his mighty shoulders.† (46) Therefore, Boxer is precisely the hardest worker on the farm for the reason that he agrees to do the majority of the labor on the farm. In comparison to Mollie and Moses, who depart from the farm without doing any work, Boxer agrees to do additional tasks. Furthermore, after Boxer’s severe depravity, â€Å"Boxer [refuses] to take even a day off work, and [makes] it a point of honor not to let it be seen that he [is] in pain.† (114) Thus, Boxer is an eager worker for the reason that he never renounces his job. On the contrary, Mollie â€Å"[is] late for work every morning and [excuses] herself by saying that she [has] overslept.† This proves that Boxer loves to work. When the going gets bad he sees working as the solution. Boxer is truly the farm’s hero because of his hard work. In addition to his resolution to work harder, Boxer demonstrates fidelity. After Snowball’s expulsion, Boxer is worried about the farm, but he is not smart enough to figure things out on his own. Rather than thinking for himself, Boxer forces himself to believe others. Boxer tries to think things  over for himself, but all he can come up with is, â€Å"If Comrade Napoleon says it, it must be right,† and he takes up a new personal motto: â€Å"I will work harder.† (70) For this reason, Boxer illustrates allegiance for coinciding with authority. Furthermore, when Napoleon begins executing other animals, Boxer can only say, â€Å"I would not have believed that such things could happen on our farm. It must be due to some fault in ourselves. The solution, as I see it, is to work harder.† (94) Therefore, Boxer is devoted considering that he always falls back on his personal motto: Napoleon is always right. Boxer is loyal to the farm animals and allegiance is w hat makes a worker a good worker. Throughout the most troublesome times on Animal Farm, Boxer is praised by the animals. As time goes on, the animals are much inspired by Boxer’s work ethic than by Squealer’s clever speeches. â€Å"With his tremendous muscles [Boxer] always [pulls] them through. Boxer [is] the admiration of everybody.† (46) Hence, Boxer is admired by the other animals for the reason that he is an inspiration for them. Unlike the pigs who are considered the most intelligent, it is Boxer, who commands the animals simply because of his work ethic. Moreover, during the winter, little progress is made; the animals can not feel so impelled about it as they felt before. However Boxer never loses heart, â€Å"the other animals [find] more inspiration in Boxer’s strength and his never-failing cry of ‘I will work harder!’† (85) Ultimately, Boxer is honored by the other animals as a result of the animals being propelled by Boxer. In comparison to Squealer’s adroit speeches, the other animals find more inspiration in Boxer. This clearly identifies that Boxer’s role and personality is highly respected by the animals. These are just some of the examples that prove why Boxer is am allegiant, reputable, diligent worker. These three traits are what make Boxer unique. Unfortunately, his loyalty makes him easy to manipulate. Boxer is a very important character and without him Animal Farm would not exist. Boxer is the one who gives everyone hope and a reason to work harder. For these reasons Boxer is the farm’s hero and is one of the most beloved characters in Animal Farm.

Autobiography of a Simple Girl…Yeah Right.

[ Alicia V. ] February 1st 2013 Autobiography How does one start an autobiography? I tried reading some other works and some would start off with â€Å"Hello my name is†¦ † or â€Å"I grew up in a blah blah blah†. Nothing seemed very inspirational so I guess I'll just start with my name. Alicia. It's just a simple name. I was born on a Friday. My mother was born and raised in Puerto Rico until she was 25, she moved to NYC the late 80s. My dad was born and raised in the Dominican Republic until he was 22; he too decided to move to NYC in the70s.They met at some warehouse in the late 80s and around '89 they started living with each other. Then in January '91, I decided to be free from the comfortable womb. I figured it was time to explore the world. So of course with my Puerto Rican and Dominican parents the only language in the house is Spanish. My dad worked at a school as a janitor and my mother was a babysitter with 14 kids in our small apartment in the Bronx. Th at till this day, we still live in that small Bronx apartment that is now an official daycare. I was my mom's one and only and she worked so hard so I could get whatever was best for me.She would buy fabric and by the end of the week, I would have a new dress ready to show off to the world. She would match whatever outfit I was wearing with my shoelaces, if I happen to be wearing sneakers. I was her doll. I was her baby. Until I was 5, my dad would take me to the barbershop and get my boyish haircut, basically and small little fro. I don't what in the world was going through my parents mind but I looked like a boy if I didn't wear a dress until I was 5. This isn't even a joke. When I was four I looked like 6 year old, so anyone who would walk past would say, â€Å"Wow, that little boy of yours is so adorable†.And then my mother would say, â€Å"She's a girl†. My mother told me that they would just walked away out of embarrassment. I think around the fifth or sixth time someone has said that my mom decided that it wasn't a good idea that I kept getting the boyish haircut. Back to my father, my father thought of me as his prized possession. Since I am the only child that he helped raise with. You see my father hasn't been so innocent in his life. He went around in his youth and well I'm his fourth child from his fourth woman. It’s the biggest stereotype of most male Dominicans; I still chuckle about it.I have an older brother named Charlie. Second oldest is Melisa and then the third oldest is Angie, and then there's me, just in case you forgot. Also since I am the youngest, I'm his baby. But there has been tension in my family due to my father's actions. So siblings. Yeah, I love them to death but like I kind of explained before†¦ tension. My brother Charlie, the oldest, the boy or I should say man. The one who carries the name has done some bad things and sadly had to pay the price. In my freshman year of High school, my brother was se nt to prison for manslaughter.I personally do not know if he really did it but they gave him fifteen years. Around that time I entered my â€Å"Goth† phase, but I don't believe I have left that phase. All through high school I was angry and depressed. But I never took my frustration to my parents, which I should have but I fear that they would be so disappointed, so that kind of steered me away from rebellion. It's weird I know, but I was a strange person growing up. My sister Melisa, the one I wish I got to understand better must secretly hate me. She has two kids, they are sweet but I don’t see them as much.My sister Angie, I grew up with her for a bit. I love her, but she was a misunderstood teen and made some funky decisions that made some explosive arguments between our dad and her. She was considered the black sheep of the family. I love her to death but now I don’t see her. She had three kids, and I became an aunt when I was seven because of my sister. No w my sister is ten years older than me, so she was a teen mom and my father hated that. Luckily he was nice to his grandchildren except for one. Now no more of this or this will turn into a chapter book. High school was absolutely boring.I entered a predominantly black and Hispanic high school, even though they were all for diversity you would see that in my school. I was an honor student. I didn’t get bothered or bullied because everyone thought I did voodoo because they were so ignorant. I was a Goth not a witch even though I befriended a witch. She caused the trouble. But that did rid the bullies and even the gangsters away. They were just friendly to me. I kept a camera around and I would record my friends doing stunts and jokes. I would edit it and then in the end we would have a few laughs.That’s when I realized that I loved painting too. I spent more time in the art room then my other classes, and yes I got really good grades. High school, now thinking about it, went by really fast. College! Now that was the best times of my life. I went to a school far away from home. I wanted to be away from my overprotected parents. I wanted to be free and learn how to cook for myself and do my own laundry whenever I wanted to. I was able to paint and experience new things that my parents will never know. The college I went to was out of a fantasy book.Filled with haunted stories and farms to no end. The best parts would be the friends that I made, all the art classes I took and the lake. It was something I wasn’t used to. I lived in a city for eighteen years and living in that place rural with closest city an hour away. So it was a huge culture shock, but I made the greatest friends a girl could ever make. I was there for three years, I have found love and I have found so much knowledge. I grew up when I was there. Sadly I couldn’t afford it, so I took a break from school and withdrew from that school.Seven months I wasn’t in schoo l. Looking for a job, failed miserably. So here I am typing this down. I’ve been helping my mother with the 7 or so children in the daycare. To entertain myself I created arts and craft for toddlers. I taught my 2 year old how to write. Right then and there I realized that I wanted to be a teacher, again. I’ve always wanted to be that but I always kept that to myself. I am back in school. Soon I will be the art teacher that I want to be. But for now, stay in this new school, enjoy the city and just be me.

Good Night Motel Case

When making his decision, McGregor should consider seriously the negative consequences that his business will experience if he refuses Alward’s offer to fill the motel for the two weekend nights in October, at half the room rate. If McGregor refuses, during that weekend his motel will be at his usual capacity of less than quarter full. With the church group there, paying half the rate, it will be as if the motel were half-full! In addition, if he refuses, McGregor’s reputation in the community will suffer, and he will also lose all future business from Alward’s group and other church groups, at regular price.Consequently, Justin McGregor should accept Alward’s offer but under the following two conditions: one, guest service will be limited so that McGregor can lower his costs; two, this is a special one-time deal that will never happen again for Alward or anyone else. The quantitative factors involved dictate that McGregor should accept Alward’s off er for accommodations for his church group, at half the room rate, for Friday and Saturday, October 26 and 27.According to the facts of the case, pre-2008, from October 16 to May 14, the motel was rarely more than a quarter full at any time while post-2008, the motel’s occupancy rates fell 7 to 15 percent year round. In other words, if McGregor refuses Alward’s offer, during that weekend, the motel will be at its usual capacity of less than quarter full. However, with the church group there, paying half the rate, it will be as if the motel were half-full! Half-full is better than less than a quarter full, so logic dictates that McGregor must accept Alward’s offer.There will be more guests occupying all rooms at half the rate than if there were regular guests paying the regular price and filling fewer than a quarter of the motel’s rooms. However, this fact means that service costs and maintenance cost will be higher with Alward’s group than with reg ular customers. In other words, with the motel being at full capacity, McGregor’s maintenance and cleaning staff will be a lot busier than usual, servicing a motel at full capacity.Paying for the maintenance and cleaning of all rooms at the motel will further decrease the amount of money that McGregor will make from Alward’s group. In other words, in strict quantitative terms, Alward’s offer is a bad idea for McGregor. However, in the small resort community where the motel is located, quantitative factors are not everything. McGregor will suffer all sorts of negative consequences from church groups and other members of the community if he refuses Alward’s offer. Therefore, the prudent thing to do is to accept Alward’s offer with two conditions. The opportunity costIn fact, McGregor should accept Alward’s offer but under the following two conditions: one, guest service will be limited so that McGregor can lower his costs; two, this is a speci al one-time deal that will never happen again for Alward or anyone else. Considering that McGregor and his wife run the motel, which is their source of livelihood, these two conditions are reasonable. In addition, McGregor should make sure to ask Alward to impress upon his church group that the fact they are paying half the regular motel price means that the church group will receive half the regular service!This means that the church group guests must be clean and tidy, and they must not depend on the motel’s maintenance people. In theory, none of this should be a problem, especially with a group of church people, who are supposed to be kind, understanding, cooperative, and so on. In any case, the fact that the church group will stay for only two days means that they most likely won’t make huge messes, so McGregor will not have to pay his cleaning crew to repair. In addition, the church group guests will probably spend most of their time during the day at the church a nd go to the motel mostly to sleep.All these facts are only fair to McGregor, whose livelihood depends on that motel, at a time of a weak national economy. Being â€Å"a good man† (p. 3), Alward must surely understand all these facts. As a result, if I were McGregor, I would respectfully explain all these facts to Alward, appeal to his sense of fairness, and ask for his cooperation. The qualitative factors that McGregor should consider have to do with Grand Bend, which is a small resort community. Refusing to accommodate a church group would bring negative publicity to the Good Night Motel.As a result, McGregor will lose all future business (at regular prices) from Alward’s church group and most likely from other church groups, too. In fact, besides being a good man, Alward is â€Å"well respected in the community† (p. 3). This fact means that McGregor should do all he can to develop a good working relationship with Alward, who will bring more church groups in t he future. If Alward asks for the half-price rate again in the future, McGregor will be in a much better position to refuse.The community people will not be as critical then (in the future, if Alward asks for the half-price deal again) as if they will be if McGregor refuses Alward’s first request. In other words, the resort community is too small for McGregor to decide solely based on the numbers. Reputation is very important in such communities, especially when church people are concerned. They tend to travel and spread the news about which businesses are customer-centered and which are money-centered, to put the matter simply.In general, when making a decision, managers need to consider the opportunity cost, which according to our textbook â€Å"is the sacrifice of the best alternative for a given action. An (accounting) expense is a cost incurred to generate a revenue† (p. 24). Since this is a small town, and the church group will stay for only two days, the opportu nity cost will bring more customers for the future. In addition, managers must consider the marginal cost, which according to our textbook â€Å"is the cost of producing one more unit† (p.28).In terms of cleaning the pool, it will not have an effect since most of the time people will spend in the church, and the only time they will spend in the Good Night Motel is night time only for sleeping purposes. As a result, the only additional cost to accommodate the guess is the cleaning service of the rooms. In addition, McGregor must consider his fixed cost, which is a cost that does not change with an increase or decrease in the amount of goods or services produced.In the final analysis, the fact that Alward is a good man who enjoys the community’s respect and the fact that he works with churches (a central institution in small communities) mean that McGregor can’t afford to refuse to work with Alward. Even if McGregor breaks even, he should still accommodate the chu rch group. If he doesn’t accommodate it, he will suffer all sorts of negative consequences: loss of future business from church groups at regular price, bad publicity in a small resort community, and so on. In other words, the big picture (quantitative factors) is more important in this case. Good Night Motel Case When making his decision, McGregor should consider seriously the negative consequences that his business will experience if he refuses Alward’s offer to fill the motel for the two weekend nights in October, at half the room rate. If McGregor refuses, during that weekend his motel will be at his usual capacity of less than quarter full. With the church group there, paying half the rate, it will be as if the motel were half-full! In addition, if he refuses, McGregor’s reputation in the community will suffer, and he will also lose all future business from Alward’s group and other church groups, at regular price.Consequently, Justin McGregor should accept Alward’s offer but under the following two conditions: one, guest service will be limited so that McGregor can lower his costs; two, this is a special one-time deal that will never happen again for Alward or anyone else. The quantitative factors involved dictate that McGregor should accept Alward’s off er for accommodations for his church group, at half the room rate, for Friday and Saturday, October 26 and 27.According to the facts of the case, pre-2008, from October 16 to May 14, the motel was rarely more than a quarter full at any time while post-2008, the motel’s occupancy rates fell 7 to 15 percent year round. In other words, if McGregor refuses Alward’s offer, during that weekend, the motel will be at its usual capacity of less than quarter full. However, with the church group there, paying half the rate, it will be as if the motel were half-full! Half-full is better than less than a quarter full, so logic dictates that McGregor must accept Alward’s offer.There will be more guests occupying all rooms at half the rate than if there were regular guests paying the regular price and filling fewer than a quarter of the motel’s rooms. However, this fact means that service costs and maintenance cost will be higher with Alward’s group than with reg ular customers. In other words, with the motel being at full capacity, McGregor’s maintenance and cleaning staff will be a lot busier than usual, servicing a motel at full capacity.Paying for the maintenance and cleaning of all rooms at the motel will further decrease the amount of money that McGregor will make from Alward’s group. In other words, in strict quantitative terms, Alward’s offer is a bad idea for McGregor. However, in the small resort community where the motel is located, quantitative factors are not everything. McGregor will suffer all sorts of negative consequences from church groups and other members of the community if he refuses Alward’s offer. Therefore, the prudent thing to do is to accept Alward’s offer with two conditions. The opportunity costIn fact, McGregor should accept Alward’s offer but under the following two conditions: one, guest service will be limited so that McGregor can lower his costs; two, this is a speci al one-time deal that will never happen again for Alward or anyone else. Considering that McGregor and his wife run the motel, which is their source of livelihood, these two conditions are reasonable. In addition, McGregor should make sure to ask Alward to impress upon his church group that the fact they are paying half the regular motel price means that the church group will receive half the regular service!This means that the church group guests must be clean and tidy, and they must not depend on the motel’s maintenance people. In theory, none of this should be a problem, especially with a group of church people, who are supposed to be kind, understanding, cooperative, and so on. In any case, the fact that the church group will stay for only two days means that they most likely won’t make huge messes, so McGregor will not have to pay his cleaning crew to repair. In addition, the church group guests will probably spend most of their time during the day at the church a nd go to the motel mostly to sleep.All these facts are only fair to McGregor, whose livelihood depends on that motel, at a time of a weak national economy. Being â€Å"a good man† (p. 3), Alward must surely understand all these facts. As a result, if I were McGregor, I would respectfully explain all these facts to Alward, appeal to his sense of fairness, and ask for his cooperation. The qualitative factors that McGregor should consider have to do with Grand Bend, which is a small resort community. Refusing to accommodate a church group would bring negative publicity to the Good Night Motel.As a result, McGregor will lose all future business (at regular prices) from Alward’s church group and most likely from other church groups, too. In fact, besides being a good man, Alward is â€Å"well respected in the community† (p. 3). This fact means that McGregor should do all he can to develop a good working relationship with Alward, who will bring more church groups in t he future. If Alward asks for the half-price rate again in the future, McGregor will be in a much better position to refuse.The community people will not be as critical then (in the future, if Alward asks for the half-price deal again) as if they will be if McGregor refuses Alward’s first request. In other words, the resort community is too small for McGregor to decide solely based on the numbers. Reputation is very important in such communities, especially when church people are concerned. They tend to travel and spread the news about which businesses are customer-centered and which are money-centered, to put the matter simply.In general, when making a decision, managers need to consider the opportunity cost, which according to our textbook â€Å"is the sacrifice of the best alternative for a given action. An (accounting) expense is a cost incurred to generate a revenue† (p. 24). Since this is a small town, and the church group will stay for only two days, the opportu nity cost will bring more customers for the future. In addition, managers must consider the marginal cost, which according to our textbook â€Å"is the cost of producing one more unit† (p.28).In terms of cleaning the pool, it will not have an effect since most of the time people will spend in the church, and the only time they will spend in the Good Night Motel is night time only for sleeping purposes. As a result, the only additional cost to accommodate the guess is the cleaning service of the rooms. In addition, McGregor must consider his fixed cost, which is a cost that does not change with an increase or decrease in the amount of goods or services produced.In the final analysis, the fact that Alward is a good man who enjoys the community’s respect and the fact that he works with churches (a central institution in small communities) mean that McGregor can’t afford to refuse to work with Alward. Even if McGregor breaks even, he should still accommodate the chu rch group. If he doesn’t accommodate it, he will suffer all sorts of negative consequences: loss of future business from church groups at regular price, bad publicity in a small resort community, and so on. In other words, the big picture (quantitative factors) is more important in this case. Addendum (Computations) 30 rooms 25% occupancy 8 rooms at $80$640 The rest 22 room at $40 per room22 rooms at $ 40$880 Total Revenue$1520 Additional cleaning Expense ( student Help)2 days 10 hour at $10/hour $200.00 Cleaning and laundry supply $12,070.00 Maintenance supply and expense $11,890.00 Utility including Internet $74,850.00 Total Variable cost per year $98,810.00 Per day $270.71 For two days $541.42 $541.42 Total additional variable cost $741.42 The revenue from the church guests is $880, and additional variable costs associated with accommodations is an extra $741.42.