Human Mortality in Masque of Red Death Essay -- essays research papers

Human Mortality in â€Å"The Masque of Red Death† As a gothic writer, Edgar Allan Poe created horror using gloom as his weapon. Hidden within the suspenseful story of â€Å"The Masque of Red Death† is an allegorical tale of how individuals deal with the fear of death as time passes. Frantic activities and pleasures (as represented by Prince Prospero and his guests) seek to wall out the threat of death. However, the story reminds the reader that death comes â€Å"like a thief in the night†(Poe 3), and even those who seek peace and safety shall not escape. Poe uses symbolism to illustrate that man cannot hide from his own mortality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  David R. Dudley states that â€Å"the Red Death symbolizes death in general† (Dudley 169). This can be assumed by the nature of the disease. No cure could be found for the Red Death and all whom obtained it eventually died. Also, the fact that the Red Death contains the word death directly connects the two. This connection clearly suggests that the Red Death symbolizes death. Knowing that, the fortress that Prince Prospero designed to separate himself and his guests from the Red Death symbolizes his human desire to escape death. Just as humans attempt to avoid the topic of death with material goods and busyness, the prince provides his guests with â€Å"all the appliances of pleasure.†(Poe 1) Yet despite all of these precautions, death rules over all as the Red Death is able to sneak into the fortress and claim every life within it. Liz Bren...

The World Wide Phase Out of Leaded Gasoline :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The World Wide Phase Out of Leaded Gasoline Leaded gasoline has been proven to be one of the most efficient methods for releasing lead into the environment. Consequently, the existence of leaded gasoline contributes to lead poisoning and overall poor health. Given these facts, many countries have phased lead out of gasoline, and the worldwide phase-out of leaded gasoline has been recommended (www.globalleadnet.org/pdf/BPWorldwideenvhealthpriority.02.pdf). The phase-out of leaded gasoline has been proven to be practical and cost efficient in the countries that have proceeded with the phase-out process. Some of these countries have been less-developed nations, but a great portion of them have been nations that are developed and industrial (www.globalleadnet.org/pdf/BPWorldwideenvhealthpriority.02.pdf). The cost efficiency of the phase-out process was the issue on which most of the class discussion focused. A great deal of the cost benefit of the phase out of leaded gasoline is seen in reduced health care costs in the nations that phase out leaded gasoline (www.globalleadnet.org). These health costs may or may not be seen in less developed nations that phase-out leaded gasoline. The health costs are seen in developed nations primarily because individuals in industrialized countries seek health care attention when ill. This may not be the case in less developed nations, where health care is not as centralized or well developed, and individuals may not be as well educated about seeking health care attention. If this is the case, and few people report illnesses in these countries, then the phase-out of leaded gasoline would not prove to be as cost effective in these nations, and may not be a good thing for the nation. Nations that are less developed also have less money, and less money to spend on issues such as phasing out leaded gasoline. Instead, poorer, undeveloped countries must worry about more pressing issues, such as national defense, food, infrastructure, etc. The debate in class focused for quite some time on the question: Is it acceptable to ask governments in developing, struggling nations to focus money into this type of program that may do less good for the people than some other program? Or, is the phase-out of leaded gasoline a pressing issue for poor and undeveloped nations? On the same issue, is the phase-out of leaded gasoline a pressing issue when a great deal of money and time is being spent on developing technologies that would render gasoline in general obsolete? It can be argued, and was in class, that countries that are still developing would be better off saving money and effort until the world steps away from fossil fuels to the new technologies.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) :: Psychology Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Introduction Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which is often referred to as childhood hyperactivity, is a severe and chronic disorder for children. It is one of the most prevalent childhood disorders, and affects 3% to 5% of the school-age population. Boys outnumber girls three or more to one. Children with ADHD can experience many behavioral difficulties that often manifest in the form of inattention, being easily distracted, being impulsive, and hyperactivity. As a result, children with ADHD may develop emotional, social, developmental, academic, and family problems because of the frustrations and problems they are constantly experiencing. Families who have children with ADHD often experience much higher anxiety and stress levels. A large number of children, almost half, will exhibit signs of ADHD by the age of four. However, most children are not diagnosed until he or she reaches elementary school. The behaviors that are associated with ADHD in children put them at risk for a host of other problems and complications such as completing their education, alcohol and other drug abuse, and an increased risk for delinquency. There has been much research on ADHD in recent years and many different types of medications and interventions have proven to be quite helpful. With the proper diagnosis and treatment, children with ADHD can learn to cope with the daily demands of the classroom, social situations, family interactions, and life in general. Therefore, it is imperative that teachers, administrators, and school counselors become familiar with the characteristics of children with ADHD. It is also vital that they know how to properly assess for diagnosing ADHD, and that they learn the intervention strategies for children, along with their families. The child needs to have a ?team? of caring individuals working with them to help them overcome and deal with the ?hurdles? that living with ADHD can bring. This paper will address four key areas of ADHD. They include: The causes of ADHD, the characteristics of ADHD, classroom intervention, and parental intervention. We will also discuss key medications that are being used to treat ADHD. Causes of ADHD When parents are told that their child has ADHD, it is only natural that their first response is to want to know what caused this disorder. Unfortunately, there is no simple answer. For years researchers have been trying to find the underlying cause of ADHD, but have yet to come up with a definitive explanation. Although there are several theories to try to explain the causes of ADHD, most experts agree that it is most likely not any single cause, but instead a combination of factors that causes ADHD.

Logistics Summary

Logistics – a practical approach Part 1: The foundations of Logistics Chapter 1: Introduding Logistics – Logistics is more than just Transportation – Involves aspects like procurement (Beschaffung), sourcing, planning, storing, control and distribution (Verteilung/Austeilung) – Shift towards placing production in Central Europe b/c production is cheaper – Delivery: customer gets what he ordered, where he wants it and at the right time, not too early & not too late – Completeness: orders should arrive as one delivery – Accuracy: should deliver what you promised – Billing: only want to pay for what you ordered Customer service: enough stock to satisfy the customer + service – Flexibility: ability to produce anything on time and anything at any time – Production in developing countries makes it possible to offer goods for the lowest price – Good logistics will result in gaining customers, gaining trade and succ ess for the business itself – Automotive industry is one of the first industries to make good use of all new developments in the field of business studies – Henry Ford discovered the power of a conveyor belt where everyone makes just a small part of the car and becomes a specialist in his own little world. Mistakes are easily recognized ( Work becomes routine and effective ( Saving time and time is money – mass production became the norm – later just-in-time management was taken up by the whole automotive industry which was started by the Japanese Conflicting goals of logistics: – efficient use of machinery – low inventory – many different varieties of products – short delivery time e. g. within two hours – Logistics should help each and everyone in the organization to achieve the overall goal of the company Value chain of Porter shows that we do not have â€Å"very important† and â€Å"less important† depa rtments – â€Å"A chain is only as strong as its weakest link† – Final goal is getting a maximum profit and the survival in the long run [pic] – Planning the activities: instead of taking one aspect or link at a time and trying to obtain an optimal result for this part we now have to look at the whole chain and concentrate on obtaining a maximum result at an integral level. This requires planning for the whole chain (traditional planning vs. modern approach: integral planning ( p. 25) – Symbols: [pic] most logistic value chains will consist of many different forms and will resemble networks – these different aspects all make up the basic elements of logistics within the value chain – all elements within a Supply Chain should be connected – the main goal: to ensure that the customer gets the right product – cooperation is needed in order to ensure that all links have a common goal in mind: to increase the efficiency and e ffectiveness of the chain – results should be: higher profit margins; lower sales prices; improved competition; faster introduction of new products – Supply Chain: a network of connected and interdependent organizations mutually and cooperatively working together to control, manage and improve the flow of materials and information from suppliers to end users – The more links there are between you and the final customer, the more difficult it will be to understand that market Logistics is a combination of the activities: – Material Handling – Stock control – Order handling and processing – Customer service – Demand prediction – Sourcing, Vendoring and purchasing – Distribution: internal and external – Location of warehouses and production facilities – Handling reversed flows of goods, rejects and packaging material – Spare parts, repairs and customer service – Production planning Definition of logistics: Logistics is the process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient, effective flow and storage of raw materials, in-process inventory, finished goods, services and related information from point of origin to point of consumption for the purpose of conforming to customer requirements – Logistics management consists of 2 blocks: Material Management (MM) and Physical Distribution (PD) (p. 36) – Logistics and the most important relationships: [pic] – it is difficult to determine the costs for logistics, as every company has a different concept for what to include and what not – during the last decades, the costs for logistics have seen a huge increase compared to other costs – to get a quick insight into the buildup of costs and the relationships with profits: Return on Investment (ROI) – ROI = Profit / total assets ROI = (Profit/Turnover) * ( Turnover/total assets) ( Not possible to increase the ROI by incr easing sales – Turnover: total sales – Total cost: all costs made in an organization – Costs of logistics: all costs related to logistics – Other costs: all costs except cost of logistics – Profit: what is left after all costs are paid – Profit margin: profit as a percentage of sales – Depts. : all outstanding debts, mainly with suppliers – Liquid assets: assets quickly transferred into cash – Fixed assets: assets which only can be transferred into cash with huge costs like machinery etc. – Total assets: everything invested in an organization – Turnover rate: total assets as a percentage of sales

Pychology in Daily life Experiences Essay

Introduction Many people might doubt that how can psychology relate to our life? There come up with the answer to support everybody’s confusion. The psychological research has indicated that the cause of every experience: your physical and mental health, ability to form close relationships endurance, capacity for learning and personal growth.(Richard J.Gerrig & Philip G Zimbardo , 2008)All of these are related to our daily life. Though the psychological theories, we are able to learn ourselves by scientific explanation. Stress -Changes Hans Selye defines stress ass the nonspecific response of the body to any demand on it.;the arousal ,both physical and mental ,to situation or event that we perceive as threatening or challenging. In our daily life, stress might come from the on-set situation or off-set situation.( Hans Selye,2011) For example, even lecturer mentioned the date of exam, when the day is near ,I will feel very stress also. On the other hand, if lecturer sudden announces that we are going to have pop-quiz immediately. With no doubt ,it will be the causes of my stress. As you can see, the root of stress is changes in life. Even the changes are kind of positive things. When I knew I was accepted by UCSI University, at the moment I was very happy. Latter on, all the possible situation come up in my mind. Am I able to adapt the new environment? Am I able to pass all the subjects? We all wish to have smooth life, but these positive or negative changes are the challenges to our life. Sensory adaptation Sensory adaptation is repeated or constant stimulation decreases the number of sensory messages sent to the brain ,which causes decreased sensation.(Living psychology )For example, the things happened at the moment after the PE class,all the students with sweating body go into the class room with air conditioning room.The body odor will full fill with the room gradually. People in the room might not aware of the smell, but when I came in the class room , I complained the uncomfortable smell. After I stayed in the class for a while, my sensory was tired of the odor. Then I won’ complain the smell anymore. Controlled process The controlled process is the mental activities requiring focused attention that generally interferes with other ongoing activities ( Huffan. K,1999.). Whenever I have performed on the stage, I have to concentrate on myself. Pay attention on what is the next step,what is the next posture .There is no time and strictly not allowed to think of other things such as how does audience response and how do judges score. Only until the end of performance I can think f these things. Automatic process Automatic process is activities requiring minimal attention and having little impact on other activites.( Huffan,K ,1999).I have an experience that working at restaurant cashier. The restaurant I worked has a cash machine .The first month of work was terrible. I was so scary to touch the button.It made me frustrated all the time. The amount of money numbers full of my mind .I dare not to count wrongly to company’s property.Whenever I stand in front of cash machine I always sweating. All these thing I got though it after I worked there for eight months. Later on,I was not only can control the cash machine easily but also can talk to the customer in the same time. Gate-control theory The theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological â€Å"gate† the blocks pain signals from the brain when flooded by competing signals.(Saul Kassin,1995) Ex. Wearing high heels actually killing me so much, but the pain didn’t bother us during I wear them out to show off my beautiful high heels. Another experience is monthly period. Whenever our â€Å"Best friend â€Å"coming, it is a difficult time for girls. Most of the girls will not to focus on the pain instead of keep thinking the pain. Conclusion To sum up, finding myself by psychology theories is somehow interesting. Just discover the reasons that why is my behavior acting so. Describing by science method is more convictive. After learning the basic psychology, now I start to observe people surrounding in my life. Try to explain their behavior and discuss with my friends. I found myself can tolerant people more than before. I can understand the people whose behavior are not accepted by me .Actually everyone has their different childhood background or genetic reasons. Learning psychology is not only learn the knowledge but also improve our self-development. Reference Richard J.Gerrig & Philip G Zimbardo .(2008).Psychology and life.(8th ed). United State of America.:Pearson Education Hans Selye. (2011). In Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/533770/Hans-Selye Huffan,K(1999).Living psychology. America .US Palomar College Saul Kasin(1995)Pychology.U.S. William Collage

Nature-Versus-Nurture Discussion

Annie Murphy Paul’s article `Kid stuff: Do parents really matter?` outlines the findings of a highly controversial study on the role of nature and nurture in children’s education. The article states that a group of researchers from George Washington University and the Institute of Psychiatry in London have found that the role of parents is in fact much smaller than originally thought. The destiny of a child depends on the genetic makeup that in turn evokes responses from the environment. Parental influences can have little effect on the child’s temperament. The type of temperament (sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic, or their combination) is inborn and does not allow of serious later influences. Parents can shape the child’s character, instilling certain cultural values and norms, but they can hardly be expected to a serious influence on the temperament. Related essay: Nature or Nurture: The Case of the Boy Who Became a Girl Answers Overall, the study covered in Annie Murphy Paul’s article (1998) attributes more importance to the so-called â€Å"evocative gene-environment correlations†. She states that these correlations include responses from the environment to a certain genetic composition. This means that a person is in a way â€Å"asking† for destiny, using the pre-determined factors to trigger an environmental reaction. Parents under such a perspective only have influence inasmuch they are prompting this reaction, and in the degree their responses can define a child’s development. In this respect, it would be interesting to consider parental influences on adopted children. In such families, the genetic makeup of parents and kids is completely unrelated, and the effect of genetics could be even greater. The role of parents in any case can consist in mitigating the negative manifestations of the child’s genetic heritage. The more parents can learn about the child’s genetics, the better they can be prepared to develop the child in the right way. Reference Paul, A.M. (1998, February). Kid stuff: Do parents really matter? Psychology Today 31(1), pp. 46-51.   

Control Mechanisms in Management Essay

The four control standards the team chose to explore in regard to McDonald’s are performance, performance vs. standards, corrective action, and reinforce successes. The team will compare and contrast these control mechanisms, and determine the effectiveness of each. The team will also examine the positive and negative reactions to the use of these controls. Performance Standards â€Å"A standard is an expected performance for a given goal or target that establishes a desired performance level, motivates performance, and serves as a benchmark against which actual performance is assessed† (Bateman, 2009, p. 576). Performance standards relate directly to the success of the company. McDonald’s has set standards for customer service, and customer satisfaction. The standards are communicated to the employees by the store manager and training manager. Management sets attainable goals to motivate employee performance; he or she communicates these goals clearly, and revaluates these goals. Evaluating Performance Companies should evaluate the performance of employees and management to ensure the goals of the company are achieved. In the past McDonald’s evaluated their own-operators on a regular basis until the mid-1990s. McDonald’s discontinued evaluation that resulted in lower customer satisfaction. McDonald’s reinstated performance evaluations in 2001 to improve customer satisfaction. Today regional managers inspect and evaluate franchises on a regular basis. Forms with standard operation procedures enhance the evaluation process, and this information is input in McDonald’s database for further review. Today’s managers can input the evaluation from his or her company PDA. Performance vs. Standards â€Å"The managerial principle of exception states, which control is enhanced by concentrating on the exceptions to, or significant deviation from, the expected result or standard (Bateman, 2009, p. 578). Companies compare the performance of employees by evaluating how well the employee followed the standards or guidelines set by the company. Corrective Action and Reinforce Successes During the work process errors happen and managers should address these problems with his or her employees. Errors happen but managers also see the success of employees meeting or exceeding company goals. Companies should reward employees who meet or exceed the goals of the company. Compare and Contrast McDonald’s main goal is to develop sustainability. The leaders of McDonald’s have set standards of financial growth, customer service, product quality and safety, and corporate responsibility and conduct to achieve this main goal. Considering McDonald’s dominance in the fast-food industry, it is safe to say they have been successful at achieving their performance standards. McDonald’s has been a success because management takes immense care in measuring their performance, comparing their performance to their standards, and taking corrective action to get their performance on the right track. Management analyzes many reports to measure the company’s performance, such as customer satisfaction surveys, the annual report and corporate responsibility report, and performance audits. Management also observes their operation to measure performance. From analyzing these performance reports and audits, management can compare performance to their standards, past performance, and goals. For instance, the six-year summary in the 2011 Annual Report shows McDonald’s earned nearly three billion dollars in total revenue growth between 2010 and 2011 (McDonald’s, 2011). By comparing performance, management can identify deviations from their standards and goals and make corrections. Initiatives such as Employee Value Proposition, Leadership Development Framework and healthier menu items are examples of corrective action taken to improve performance (McDonald’s, 2009, pgs. 6 -7). McDonald’s management can execute these four performance controls successfully by having the drive to improve, building a culture of values, and constantly working toward sustainability (McDonald’s, 2009, pg. 5). McDonald’s worldwide success for many decades adds credence to management’s effectiveness in executing all four performance controls. Determine Effectiveness The four control standards the team chose to explore in regard to McDonald’s work well together, as is evident by the success of the company. The fast-food industry is hard to be successful in unless the company has the right combination of plans and controls. McDonald’s is a leader in this field because the company uses just the right amount of each. The McDonald’s control standards do not act well together unless there are people who make the standards work together. There have been times when some of the control standards have been in need of further guidance. During such times corporate management has had to change some of the ways the controls work. This is to ensure McDonald’s operates to the best of its abilities for effectiveness. Examine Positive and Negative Reactions From examining McDonald’s awards and recognition, it appears McDonald’s has received a very positive reaction to how they use these controls. Such awards include Fortune Magazine’s 2012 number 11 â€Å"Most Admired Company in the World,† Forbes Magazine 2010 â€Å"Most Admired Companies,† 2010 â€Å"Corporate Award† from the Executive Leadership Council (McDonald’s, 2012). Internally, McDonald’s has received positive reaction or at least buy-in, considering their performance and employer awards, to their performance controls, more than likely from their efforts in taking care of their people. McDonald’s has implemented leadership development and employee value proposition programs, and diversity and inclusion and social responsibility initiatives that have promoted employee satisfaction and trust in the company (McDonald’s, 2012). Also their business relationship model between their employees, suppliers, and owner/operators has developed strong communication throughout its operation. Although McDonald’s has been widely successful, they have also failed from time to time. In 2001, University of Michigan rated McDonald’s as one of the poorest-performing retailers from a year-long customer satisfaction study (Zuber, 2001, P. 1). More recently, ConsumerAffairs.com holds hundreds of consumer complaints of McDonald’s service, showing that even a successful giant like McDonald’s still has room for improvement. Controls Affect on Functions The four control standards the team chose to explore are performance, performance vs. standards, and corrective action, and reinforce successes. These controls affect the four functions of management in numerous ways. Pakhare (2011), † Effective and efficient management leads to success, which is the attainment of objectives and goals, that an organization sets for itself. Of course, for achieving the ultimate goal, management needs to work creatively in problem solving and execute all the four functions† (Para. 1-12). Since we have a basic understanding of these functions we can see clearly how they are in direct relationship to the control standards we have chosen. With each control standard we see how they closely work with each function. This particular formula is commonplace in many organizations on a global level. The analysis shows that McDonald’s has a good plan of control mechanisms in place, and good functions of management to support the corporation. This has been a key factor of the corporation’s long success in a business where many do not last long. The company has many beneficial areas to back up why they are one of the world’s favorite places to eat and probably will continue to be as successful for many years to come. References McDonalds. (2011). 2011 Annual Report. Retrieved from http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/content/dam/AboutMcDonalds/Investors/Investors%202012/2011%20Annual%20Report%20Final.pdf McDonalds. (2012). Awards and Recognition. Retrieved from http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/our_company/awards_and_recognition.html McDonalds. (2012). Our Company. Retrieved from http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/our_company/mcdonalds_system.html McDonalds. (2009). Worldwide Corporate Responsibility Online Report: The values we bring to the table. Retrieved from http://www.mcdonalds.at/presse/maps/McDCSR.pdf Pakhare, J. (2011). Management Concepts – The Four Functions of Management. Retrieved from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/management-concepts-the-four-functions-of-management.html Zuber, A. (2001). McD restructures to beef up performance. Retrieved from