Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Vision, its malfunctions ; diagnostic methods Essay Example

Vision, its malfunctions ; diagnostic methods Essay Example Vision, its malfunctions ; diagnostic methods Essay Vision, its malfunctions ; diagnostic methods Essay 1.0 Preface This essay is on vision, its malfunctions diagnostics methods. The content included is concordant with the criteria listed on the specification of the institute of biophysics at 2nd Faculty of Charles University in Prague. Additional acknowledgements are mentioned under the reference section. 1.1 Visual acuity and its measurement Visual acuity is the measurement of the ability to discriminate two stimuli separated in space at high contrast relative to the background1; it is a quantitative measure of the ability to identify black symbols on a white background at a standardized distance as the size of the symbols is varied. It happens to be the most common clinical measurement of visual function. Visual acuity is typically measured using optotype chart for close and distant vision (snellen test). The eye which is not under test is occluded by means of instructing the subject to place an obstacle, for example a hand in front of the eye. This prevents intentional peeking, which would adversely affect the validity of the examination results. A variety of charts convenient for the patient are used, particularly in cases where a subject is unable to read the alphabet. In such cases the Tumbling E chart may be used, where the perceived letter, capital E is facing a different direction. Subsequently the subject is then required to determine the direction of the letter. (For further details read on below) 1.2 Basic geometrical defects of the eye optical system and their correction Namely, there are three basic types of defects of the optical system. These are Myopia (nearsightedness), Hyperopia (farsightedness) and Astigmatism (inappropriate path of light rays to the eye). Myopia and hyperopia are termed spherical disorders as both can be corrected with spherical lens. Astigmatism on the other hand is an aspherical disorder as it is corrected with cylindrical lenses1. Myopia influences the ability to see distant objects, in which the object is perceived as blurry. This is because the object is not focused directly on the retina, but in front of it. A clinical explanation for this may be that the eyeball is longer in length or the refractive power of the lens is immensely strong. Correction of this defect is achieved by wearing concave lenses which help to focus the object being viewed onto the retina. Fig 1 Compensating for myopia using a corrective lens. Hyperopia is the opposite of myopia, in which distant vision is intact but problems only arise when viewing things at close proximities. In this case the object being viewed is focused somewhat behind the retina rather than upon it. A clinical explanation for this may be that the eyeball is shorter in length or the refractive power of the lens is too weak. Correction is achieved by wearing convex lenses which focus the object being viewed onto the retina. Fig 2 Restoring of vision with convex lens Astigmatism is a defect of the eye in which light rays are localized at different regions of the retina rather than being localized on a single focal point of the retina. Strictly speaking, there are two forms of astigmatism. The first is a third-order aberration, which occurs for objects (or parts of objects) away from the optical axis. The second form of astigmatism occurs when the optical system is not symmetric about the optical axis. Problems persist when viewing lines placed at differing angles and the lines running in one direction appear sharp, whilst those in other directions appear blurred. Correction is achieved by wearing cylindrical lenses, which are placed in the out-of-focus axis. Fig 3 Showing the faint lines viewed by a person with astigmatism 1.3 Objective subjective methods for measuring eye refractive power Commonly employed methods to assess optical power are among subjective methods, although in the recent years objective strategies (e.g. nerve fiber analyzers) have been implemented which, however do not rely on patient responses. Optical power is adversely affected by glaucoma, a major risk factor for vision loss, caused by the loss of retinal ganglion cells. Fiber analyzers are used to measure physical thickness of nerve fibers in the retina. As fiber layer thickness is a measure of glaucoma progression, thin thickness concludes the onset of glaucoma and thus impaired vision. Subjective methods include the Snellen Chart Test, in which the optotype is placed twenty feet (6 meters) away from the subject. Some individuals may well wear spectacles in which case the examination is performed with the subject wearing them. The eye which is adversely impaired out of the two is examined first. Usually the examination commences by using large optotypes followed by the smaller ones. The subject is then prompted to recite the letters (or symbols) visible to them. This procedure is then repeated for the other eye. Normally read at 60 metres. Normally read at 36 metres. Normally read at 18 metres. Normally read at 12 metres. Normally read at 9 metres. Normally read at 6 metres. Normally read at 5 metres. Normally read at 4 metres. Fig 4 Showing distances at which letters can be read The results from the snellen test are processed and denoted as fractions. For example 6/18 means that the third line down can be read from 6 meters away; 6/6 or 6/5 is considered to be normal distance vision. If no lines can be read from 6 meters then shorter distances are tried. For example, 3/36 means that the second line can be read from a distance of 3 meters away; 2/60 means that the top line can be read from 2 meters away1 (If the top letter cannot be read even with prescription lens or glasses then the subject is considered to be legally blind). Alternatively a Lea test aimed at pre-school children may be used. In this case the optotypes denote an edible fruit (e.g. an apple). The Tumbling E chart (see visual acuity and its measurement) may also be used. In both cases the same principle applies as with the Snellen test. Indirect subjective methods to access optical power include intraocular pressure (see below). 1.4 Intraocular Pressure its measurements As the name suggests, intraocular pressure is the pressure exerted by a fluid inside the eye. Fluid secretion may be triggered by genetic factors, side effects of medication, the inflammation of the eye or simply, during exercise. Normal intraocular pressure lies between 10 mmHg and 21 mmHg. In spite of the optic nerve and visual field being intact, when the intraocular pressure is greater than normal, the condition is termed Ocular Hypertension. Ocular Hypertension is usually correlated with the increased incidence of glaucoma. When the intraocular pressure falls below the critical value (5 mmHg) the condition is termed Ocular Hypotony. Intraocular pressure is typically measured by using a tonometer. Often eye drops are given to alleviate any pain. The procedure involves applying a dye (florescein) to the eye. This eases the examiners ability to see the cornea. The subject is then asked to stare at a bright-lighted slit lamp. The tonometer probe is then made to touch the eye and subsequently the examiner notes down the tension dial which measures the intraocular pressure. 1.5 Color perception and its malfunctions The trichromatic theory proposed by Young 1802, claims that any colour can be produced by a mixture of red, green and blue light. This infers that there only needs to be three types of cones red (erythrolabes), blue (cyanolabes) and green (chlorolabes), with each maximally sensitive to one type of color. The cones respond to different degrees when exposed to light, with the brain synthesising this information to produce all other colors1. Malfunctions of color perception include monochromacy, dichromacy, anomalous trichromacy and achromatopsia Monochromacy, caused by the absence of two of the three cones, is the inability to distinguish between colors. Thus color vision is reduced to one dimension. There are two forms, rod and cone monochromacy respectively. Rod monochromacy, associated with light sensitivity (photophobia) is the absence or malfunction of the retinal cones. As a result the ability to distinguish colors is impaired. Cone monochromacy refers to color blindness which is accompanied by relatively normal vision. Dichromacy constitutes the absence or malfunctioning of one of the three cones, thus limiting vision to two dimensions. It may be passed on to the offspring genetically (i.e. sex linked), in particular having a predilection in the male population. As with monochromacy, this defect comprises two forms, protanopia (a congenital sex linked color vision defect caused by the absence of the red retinal photoreceptors) and deuteranopia (red-green color blindness resulting from the loss of function of medium wavelength cones or M-cones) Anomalous trichromacy is a congenital color vision deficiency, referring to the relatively low quantity of one of the three types of cone photo-pigments. The condition is thought to occur when one of the three cone pigments are altered, but trichromacy or normal three dimensional color vision is not fully impaired. Achromatopsia is congenital or inherited deficiency of color perception. It is caused by the absence of cone cells or severe defect in those initially present. Individuals with this condition typically perceive the world as being gray, black and white2. 1.6 Binocular 3D Vision Binocular vision yields a wider scope of vision. Most objects in our visual world have texture. The acquisition of two eyes (binocular vision) as oppose to one (monocular vision) makes the grain of texture appear finer as we move from one region to another. This gives binocular summation, in which the ability to detect faint objects is enhanced. The perception of depth is the ability to perceive the world in three dimensions1. Binocular disparity arises as each eye has a slightly different perspective of the object being viewed2. Therefore the closer the object, the more disparate the image. Thus binocular disparity is used as a binocular depth cue. Other binocular depth cues include stereopsist (the process in visual perception leading to perception of the depth or distance of objects)3 and binocular convergence (the simultaneous inward movement of both eyes toward each other, usually in an effort to maintain single binocular vision when viewing an object) 4. Because of binocular disparity, light entering one eye can alter papillary diameter in the other closed eye upon opening. It may also affect the process of accommodation (focusing of the eye) as the accommodation of the closed eye, upon opening, will inevitably be equal to that of the first eye. Fig 5 3D processing of the brain The picture on the previous page contains two images of a chair, one red and one blue, from two slightly different angles. When wearing two different lenses, one lens will filter out the blue color and the other the red color. The result is each eye is only receiving one of the two images on the page. Just as if you were looking at a real chair from two different angles, the brain forms these images into one three-dimensional image (hence the term binocular 3D vision arises). 1.7 Devices for night vision Night vision devices are best appreciated by deciding what you intend to use them for. Of the numerous devices available, night glasses are typical preferred amongst others, possibly because of their primitive outlook. Their large lenses can accumulate light and subsequently project it through the exit pupil of 7nm or more, and into the individuals eye, thus enhancing vision in hours of darkness. Thermal vision is a fairly modern exploitation of science in which a device (e.g. security camera equipment) constructs an image in response to microwaves or sound waves, which are transmitted from the source. Thermal vision devices are generally not considered to be night vision devices as they construct images with mechanisms substantially different from the methods used to sense visible light. Amplification of visible light from an image can be achieved by making use of an image intensifier. This allows the image to be viewed by the naked eye.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Brown Recluse Spider,What You Should Know

Brown Recluse Spider,What You Should Know The brown recluse spider, Loxosceles reclusa, has a bad and largely undeserved reputation. Across the U.S., people fear the bite of this spider, believing it is an aggressive attacker and certain to cause devastating necrotic wounds. Research on brown recluse spiders has proven these assertions to be false. Description The best-known feature of the brown recluse spider is the fiddle-shaped marking on the cephalothorax. The neck of the dark brown fiddle points toward the abdomen. Other than this marking, the brown recluse is a uniformly-colored light brown, with no stripes, spots, or bands of contrasting color. The violin marking is not a reliable identifying characteristic. Young L. recluses may lack the mark, and other Loxosceles species also display the fiddleback detail. Along with other Loxosceles species, brown recluses have six eyes, arranged in a semi-circle pattern of three pairs. This feature distinguishes Loxosceles spiders from most others, which commonly have eight eyes. The brown recluse lacks any stiff spines on its body but is covered with fine hairs. The only definitive way to identify the brown recluse spider, Loxosceles reclusa, is to examine the genitalia. With a body size of just a quarter inch long, this requires a high magnification microscope. Suspected brown recluse spiders should be brought to your county extension agent for expert identification. Dietrs The brown recluse spider feeds at night, leaving the security of its web to search for food. Current research reveals the brown recluse is primarily a scavenger, feeding on dead insects it finds. The spider will also kill live prey when needed. Life Cycle Brown recluse spiders live about two years. The female lays up to 50 eggs at a time, encasing them in a silken sac. Most egg production occurs between May and July, and a single female may lay five times within a year. When the spiderlings hatch, they remain with the mother in her web until they have molted a few times. Over the first year of life, the spiderlings will molt up to seven times before reaching adulthood. Special Adaptations and Defenses Brown recluse spiders use short fangs to inject a cytotoxic venom into prey. When provoked, a brown recluse spider will bite, and this venom may cause necrotic wounds to the person or animal that has been bitten. Venom is not the brown recluses primary defense, however. As the name recluse suggests, this spider is quite timid and spends the daylight hours in retreat, usually in its web. By remaining inactive during the day, the brown recluse limits its exposure to possible threats. Habitat Brown recluses prefer dark, undisturbed areas with low moisture. In homes, the spiders find shelter in basements, storage closets, garages, and sheds. During the day, they may hide in cardboard boxes, folded clothing, or even shoes. Outdoors, brown recluse spiders are found beneath logs, in wood and lumber piles, or under loose rocks. Range The established range of the brown recluse spider is limited to U.S. states in the central Midwest, southward to the Gulf of Mexico. Rare and isolated encounters with brown recluse in areas outside of this range are attributed to interstate commerce. Brown recluse spiders may seek shelter in cardboard boxes, and make their way to places outside their known range in shipments of goods.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Wenxuecity. Chinese immigrants on-line community. Ethnical issues Dissertation

Wenxuecity. Chinese immigrants on-line community. Ethnical issues - Dissertation Example They were sent an invitation to participate in the study further through an interactive interview conducted through emails or instant messaging platforms of their choice. They were also asked the following questions in order to qualify them for the second criterion – that traditional media does not play a significant role in his daily life (Appendix B). Based on the responses to these questions, I selected twenty users who display the second criterion the most. That is, they exhibit interest in getting the latest updates about China, and the Chinese people and culture at large, and that they do not get this information from traditional media. Furthermore, they exhibit knowledge about the fifth question’s subject matter, not only through their actual subscriptions and affiliations, but through their expression of interest to get connected and develop deeper understanding. After twenty users were selected based on the criteria mentioned above, I proceeded to schedule the interactive interviews. These happened within a period of one month since the questions were sent one after another, the succeeding question mainly based on the previous answer. I also allowed the respondent during the time to deliver a meaningful personal account of experiences, and the flexibility to do it at his or her own pace. Data Analysis The method of analyzing data is to analyze the transcripts to discern patterns of responses. The patterns are ascertained by examining a series of coded utterances, with an eye towards data which fit the overall themes of the research at hand. What I found was that the respondents used the website for a variety of reasons, therefore the challenge was to ascertain under what theme the reasons fit. For instance, a common response from Respondents was that... Each of the members of the group stated that they felt the need to connect with other Chinese people, because they felt out of place in the current society, in one way or another. Under this theme were several sub-themes. One sub-theme was that the Chinese in this survey felt that they needed to bond with one another because they felt somehow at odds with American culture. Therefore, the question regarding this sub-theme is why do the Chinese feel at odds with American culture, and how does Wenxuecity help in combating these feelings? Another sub-theme was that Wenxuecity helps the Respondents is how does Wenxuecity help with this feeling of connectedness with their Chinese family and friends? These sub-themes are explored below. Feelings of disconnection with the larger culture, and how the Wenxuecity helps the Respondents feel connected to one another. One of the major themes which emerged is that the Respondents felt that they were not a part of the dominant culture, and they needed to feel a sense of connectedness with others, so this site is their way of feeling that they are a part of a community. Some of the Resondents, as, for instance, A, C, G, S, and T, state that they currently have friends who are American, along with those who are Chinese, yet they do not entirely relate to their American friends. G states that his American friends simply do not â€Å"get it† - in other words, they do not get what it means to be Chinese. There are different values, beliefs and backgrounds that the Respondents have from their American cohorts and friends, and that is simply something that cannot be bridged. The respondents state that they feel out of place in the dominant culture, despite the fact that some of the respondents have been here in American for many years.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The case for contamination by Anthony Appiah Essay

The case for contamination by Anthony Appiah - Essay Example In such a society, it becomes difficult to control the trending social values that people share in such platforms. Appiah thus retains a passive viewpoint as he strives to maintain objectivity in the article. He discusses the importance of religion in the changing society as the discussion below portrays. Just as the title of the article depicts, Anthony Appiah discusses the â€Å"contamination† of the world. In his context, contamination of the world refers to the slow but sure infiltration of foreign cultures as people continually integrate on a global platform. The advancement of the society coupled with the development of new technologies have created a global village, such is a society in which people trade cultural values easily. According to Appiah, the seclusion of the traditional society sought to preserve the cultures and values of the societies that could not readily interact with others (Flood 21). With the intensified interactions in the contemporary society, it becomes difficult to monitor the actions of people as most societies continue to adopt the independent structures thus borrowing global cultural trends. As such, cultures continue to infiltrate the society; Appiah observes that such changes are contaminations of the inherent cultural values. While religion is a fundamental aspect of a society and a cultural feature, the changes in the current structures of societies continue to apportion a reserved function for religions. Unlike in some of the traditional societies in which the Church for example was an important organ of governance, contemporary societies have secular governments. This exhibits the inherent change in the structures of the societies and the cultural values of the people in contemporary societies. The modern structure of societies position religion as important in setting values and influencing the behavior of people in the

Sunday, November 17, 2019

History of American Education Essay Example for Free

History of American Education Essay The Colonial Period (1607–1775) †¢ 1642 †¢ Massachusetts Bay Colony law requires proper teaching of children. In 1642, the Mass Bay Colony ruled children not taught properly would be apprenticed (practical work experience under the supervision of skilled workers in the trade and arts) to the town. The Early National Period (1775–1820) †¢ 1805 †¢ First elementary school established in New York, Formed by a wealthy businessmen to provide education for poor children. Run on the Lancastrian model that the older students learn and pass it down to the younger children. The Common School Movement (1820–1865). †¢1825 †¢ Noah Webster standardizes word meanings. First edition of Noah Websters An American Dictionary is published. The Evolution of the American High School (1890- 1920) †¢ 1895 †¢ First achievement test devised. Joseph Rice develops a spelling test, which he gives to over 16,000 students in eighth grade. The spelling test is made of 50 words. The Modern Era (1946 present) †¢ 1954 †¢ Brown vs. Board of education, Topeka case makes segregated schooling illegal on the grounds that segregated schools generate feelings of racial inferiority and are inherently unequal. The Colonial Period (1607–1775) †¢ 1642 †¢ Massachusetts Bay Colony law requires proper teaching of children. In 1642, the Mass Bay Colony ruled children not taught properly would be apprenticed (practical work experience under the supervision of skilled workers in the trade and arts) to the town. This even in education history has shaped today’s classroom and proposes great reflection of what children are to become tomorrow. In this even, societies are molding a future for children, boosting their education in hopes that someday they  will have made a wise career choice and make something of them. Not intended for the children to work under someone’s care, but to work for themselves. This is still practiced in today’s classroom. The curriculum gets more complicated and the lessons get harder to accomplish. This paves the way for children to challenge themselves and others around them in order to succeed. Teachers are to encourage students to be what they want to be in life and not to settle for less. Children are encouraged by parents, teachers and society to become successful no matter what they plan to achieve with their education. This method is started before birth for many children and parents. Parents practice things such as singing, playing music, reading and talking to unborn children to stimulate them in the womb. This stimulation helps children progress faster and learn easier when they are born. Society has stressed to children that they should learn, learn, and learn some more to be as successful as they can possibly be.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Life Changes During the Industrial Revolution :: History

Life Changes During the Industrial Revolution In Britain about two hundred years ago, great changes took place in making goods and transport, which has moulded the way our world works today. These changes made big differences to many people’s lives and work methods; and put together these are called the Industrial Revolution. They started in Britain and spead to Europe and on to the United States. A lot of the Industrial Revolution’s changes helped the lives of people as transport was more secure and faster, but also mass production was brought in. Before the Industrial Revolution people made goods on a small-scale from their own homes, or in workshops beside their house, The whole family would be involed in producing and selling the product (This can be called by the ‘Domestic System’). It was safe to work at home as they only used hand tools and simple machinery, these worked by hand or foot. In some situations a few bigger machines were used and water wheels were used as a power source. The Domestic System moved aside for more complex machines and new methods were invented in the eighteenth century which were powered by steam and gathered together in factories to produce more goods. It meant that people would work regular hours and not when they wanted too. Before the invention of steam engines, wind mills and water wheels were used for powering big machinary. The first steam engine in the early seventeen hundreds was mainly used in the mines for pumping out water. James Watt in 1782 developed a new steam engine that was able to power factory machines. By that time factories had built up, particually in the cotton industry, which took over from wool. In 1733 John Kay, a workman from Bury (Landcashire), invented his â€Å"flying† shuttle, which made the making of cloth (weaving) much faster. To keep the weavers busy, more spub thead (yarn) was needed, But James Hargreaves with his ‘spinning jenny’, Samuel Crompton with his ‘mule’ and Sir Richard Arkwright, who was more of an organiser than a inventer, made it possible to increase the yarn supply. Further improvements came later to weaving. Edmund Cartwright invented the powered loom in 1785, but it was not efficient until thirty years later. They were use d in the cotton industry and also in the older woollen industry as well. More machines were built and some were not in factories, since farmers were also using machinary for faster and more efficient methods of growing crops. Life Changes During the Industrial Revolution :: History Life Changes During the Industrial Revolution In Britain about two hundred years ago, great changes took place in making goods and transport, which has moulded the way our world works today. These changes made big differences to many people’s lives and work methods; and put together these are called the Industrial Revolution. They started in Britain and spead to Europe and on to the United States. A lot of the Industrial Revolution’s changes helped the lives of people as transport was more secure and faster, but also mass production was brought in. Before the Industrial Revolution people made goods on a small-scale from their own homes, or in workshops beside their house, The whole family would be involed in producing and selling the product (This can be called by the ‘Domestic System’). It was safe to work at home as they only used hand tools and simple machinery, these worked by hand or foot. In some situations a few bigger machines were used and water wheels were used as a power source. The Domestic System moved aside for more complex machines and new methods were invented in the eighteenth century which were powered by steam and gathered together in factories to produce more goods. It meant that people would work regular hours and not when they wanted too. Before the invention of steam engines, wind mills and water wheels were used for powering big machinary. The first steam engine in the early seventeen hundreds was mainly used in the mines for pumping out water. James Watt in 1782 developed a new steam engine that was able to power factory machines. By that time factories had built up, particually in the cotton industry, which took over from wool. In 1733 John Kay, a workman from Bury (Landcashire), invented his â€Å"flying† shuttle, which made the making of cloth (weaving) much faster. To keep the weavers busy, more spub thead (yarn) was needed, But James Hargreaves with his ‘spinning jenny’, Samuel Crompton with his ‘mule’ and Sir Richard Arkwright, who was more of an organiser than a inventer, made it possible to increase the yarn supply. Further improvements came later to weaving. Edmund Cartwright invented the powered loom in 1785, but it was not efficient until thirty years later. They were use d in the cotton industry and also in the older woollen industry as well. More machines were built and some were not in factories, since farmers were also using machinary for faster and more efficient methods of growing crops.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

A Brief History of English and American Literature Essay

The Norman conquest of England, in the 11th century, made a break in the natural growth of the English language and literature. The old English or Anglo−Saxon had been a purely Germanic speech, with a complicated grammar and a full set of inflections. For three hundred years following the battle of Hastings. this native tongue was driven from the king’s court and the courts of law, from parliament, school, and university. During all this time there were two languages spoken in England. Norman French was the birth−tongue of the upper classes and English of the lower. When the latter finally got the better in the struggle, and became, about the middle of the 14th century, the national speech of all England, it was no longer the English of King Alfred. It was a new language, a grammarless tongue, almost wholly {12} stripped of its inflections. It had lost a half of its old words, and had filled their places with French equivalents. The Norman lawyers had introduced legal terms; the ladies and courtiers, words of dress and courtesy. The knight had imported the vocabulary of war and of the chase. The master−builders of the Norman castles and cathedrals contributed technical expressions proper to the architect and the mason. The art of cooking was French. The naming of the living animals, ox, swine, sheep, deer, was left to the Saxon churl who had the herding of them, while the dressed meats, beef, pork, mutton, venison, received their baptism from the table−talk of his Norman master. The four orders of begging friars, and especially the Franciscans or Gray Friars, introduced into England in 1224, became intermediaries between the high and the low. They went about preaching to the poor, and in their sermons they intermingled French with English. In their hands, too, was almost all the science of the day; their medicine, botany, and astronomy displaced the old nomenclature of leechdom, wort−cunnin g, and star−craft. And, finally, the translators of French poems often found it easier to transfer a foreign word bodily than to seek out a native synonym, particularly when the former supplied them with a rhyme. But the innovation reached even to the commonest words in every−day use, so that voice drove out steven, poor drove out earm, and color, use, and place made good their footing beside hue, {13}wont, and stead. A great part of the English words that were left were so changed in spelling and pronunciation as to be practically new. Chaucer stands, in date, midway between King Alfred and Alfred Tennyson, but his English differs vastly more from the former’s than from the latter’s. To Chaucer Anglo−Saxon was as much a dead language as it is to us. The classical Anglo−Saxon, moreover, had been the Wessex dialect, spoken and written at Alfred’s capital, Winchester. When the French had displaced this as the language of culture, there was no longer a â€Å"king’s English† or any literary standard. The sources of modern standard English are to be found in the East Midland, spoken in Lincoln, Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridge, and neighboring shires . Here the old Anglian had been corrupted by the Danish settlers, and rapidly threw off its inflections when it became a spoken and no longer a written language, after the Conquest. The West Saxon, clinging more tenaciously to ancient forms, sunk into the position of a local dialect; while the East Midland, spreading to London, Oxford, and Cambridge, became the literary English in which Chaucer wrote. The Normans brought in also new intellectual influences and new forms of literature. They were a cosmopolitan people, and they connected England with the continent. Lanfranc and Anselm, the first two Norman archbishops of Canterbury, were learned and splendid prelates of a {14} type quite unknown to the Anglo−Saxons. They introduced the scholastic philosophy taught at the University of Paris, and the reformed discipline of the Norman abbeys. They bound the English Church more closely to Rome, and officered it with Normans. English bishops were deprived of their sees for illiteracy, and French abbots were set over monasteries of Saxon monks. Down to the middle of the 14th century the learned literature of England was mostly in Latin, and the polite literature in French. English did not at any time altogether cease to be a written language, but the extant remains of the period from 1066 to 1200 are few and, with one exception, unimportant. After 1200 English came more and more into written use, but mainly in translations, paraphrases, and imitations of French works. The native genius was at school, and followed awkwardly. The Anglo−Saxon poetry, for example, had been rhythmical and alliterative. It was commonly written in lines containing four rhythmical accents and with three of the accented syllables alliterating. R_este hine thà ¢ r_à ºm−heort; r_à ©ced hlifade G_eà ¡p and g_à ³ld−fà ¢h, gà ¤st inne swà ¤f. Rested him then the great−hearted; the hall towered Roomy and gold−bright, the guest slept within. This rude energetic verse the Saxon scà ´p had sung to his harp or glee−beam, dwelling on the {15} emphatic syllables, passing swiftly over the others which were of undetermined number and position in the line. It was now displaced by the smooth metrical verse with rhymed endings, which the French introduced and which our modern poets use, a verse fitted to be recited rather than sung. The old English alliterative verse continued, indeed, in occasional use to the 16th century. But it was linked to a forgotten literature and an obsolete dialect, and was doomed to give way. Chaucer lent his great authority to the more modern verse system, and his own literary models and inspirers were all foreign, French or Italian. Literature in England began to be once more English and truly national in the hands of Chaucer and his contemporaries, but it was the literature of a nation cut off from its own past by three centuries of foreign rule. The most noteworthy English document of the 11th and 12th centuries was the continuation of the Anglo−Saxon chronicle. Copies of these annals, differing somewhat among themselves, had been kept at the monasteries in Winchester, Abingdon, Worcester, and elsewhere. The yearly entries were mostly brief, dry records of passing events, though occasionally they become full and animated. The fen country of Cambridge and Lincolnshire was a region of monasteries. Here were the great abbeys of Peterborough and Croyland and Ely minster. One of the earliest English songs tells how the savage heart of the Danish {16} king Cnut was softened by the singing of the monks in Ely. Merie sungen muneches binnen Ely Tha Cnut chyning reu ther by; Roweth, cnihtes, noer the land, And here we thes muneches sang. It was among the dikes and marshes of this fen country that the bold outlaw Hereward, â€Å"the last of the English,† held out for some years against the conqueror. And it was here, in the rich abbey of Burch or Peterborough, the ancient Medeshamstede (meadow−homestead) that the chronicle was continued for nearly a century after the Conquest, breaking off abruptly in 1154, the date of King Stephen’s death. Peterborough had received a new Norman abbot, Turold, â€Å"a very stern man,† and the entry in the chronicle for 1170 tells how Hereward and his gang, with his Danish backers, thereupon plundered the abbey of its treasures, which were first removed to Ely, and then carried off by the Danish fleet and sunk, lost, or squandered. The English in the later portions of this Peterborough chronicle becomes gradually more modern, and falls away more and more from the strict grammatical standards of the classical Anglo−Saxon. It is a most valuable historical monument, and some passages of it are written with great vividness, notably the sketch of William the Conqueror put down in the year of his death (1086) by one who had â€Å"looked upon him and at another time dwelt in his court.† {17} â€Å"He who was before a rich king, and lord of many a land, he had not then of all his land but a piece of seven feet. . . . Likewise he was a very stark man and a terrible, so that one durst do nothing against his will. . . . Among other things is not to be forgotten the good peace that he made in this land, so that a man might fare over his kingdom with his bosom full of gold unhurt. He set up a great deer preserve, and he laid laws therewith that whoso should slay hart or hind, he should be blinded. As greatly did he love the tall deer as if he were their father.† With the discontinuance of the Peterborough annals, English history written in English prose ceased for three hundred years. The thread of the nation’s story was kept up in Latin chronicles, compiled by writers partly of English and partly of Norman descent. The earliest of these, such as Ordericus Vitalis, Simeon ofDurham, Henry of Huntingdon, and William of Malmesbury, were contemporary with the later entries of the Saxon chronicle. The last of them, Matthew of Westminster, finished his work in 1273. About 1300 Robert, a monk of Gloucester, composed a chronicle in English verse, following in the main the authority of the Latin chronicles, and he was succeeded by other rhyming chroniclers in the 14th century. In the hands of these the true history of the Saxon times was overlaid with an ever−increasing mass of fable and legend. All real knowledge of the period {18} dwindled away until in Capgrave’s Chronicle of England, written in prose in 1463−64, hardly any thing of it is left. In history as in literature the English had forgotten their past, and had turned to foreign sources. It is noteworthy that Shakspere, who borrowed his subjects and his heroes sometimes from authentic English history, sometimes from the legendary history of ancient Britain, Denmark,and Scotland, as in Lear, Hamlet, and Macbeth, ignores the Saxon period altogether. And Spenser, who gives in his second book of the Faerie Queene, a resumà © of the reigns of fabulous British kings—the supposed ancestors of Queen Elizabeth, his royal patron—has nothing to say of the real kings of early England. So completely had the true record faded away that it made no appeal to the imaginations of our most patriotic poets. The Saxon Alfred had been dethroned by the British Arthur, and the conquered Welsh had imposed their fictitious genealogies upon the dynasty of the conquerors. In the Roman de Rou, a verse chronicle of the dukes of Normandy, written by the Norman Wace, it is related that at the battle of Hastings the French jongleur, Taillefer, spurred out before the van of William’s army, tossing his lance in the air and chanting of â€Å"Charlemagne and of Roland, of Oliver and the peers who died at Roncesvals.† This incident is prophetic of the victory which Norman song, no less than Norman arms, was to win over England. The lines which Taillefer {19} sang were from the Chanson de Roland, the oldest and best of the French hero sagas. The heathen Northmen, who had ravaged the coasts of France in the 10th century, had become in the course of one hundred and fifty years, completely identified with the French. They had accepted Christianity, intermarried with the native women, and forgotten their own Norse tongue. The race thus formed was the most brilliant in Europe. The warlike, adventurous spirit of the vikings mingled in its blood with the French nimbleness of wit and fondness for display. The Normans were a nation of knights−errant, with a passion for prowess and for courtesy. Their architecture was at once strong and graceful. Their women were skilled in embroidery, a splendid sample of which is preserved in the famous Bayeux tapestry, in which the conqueror’s wife, Matilda, and the ladies of her court wrought the history of the Conquest. This national taste for decoration expressed itself not only in the ceremonious pomp of feast and chase and tourney, but likewise in literature. The most characteristic contribution of the Normans to English poetry were the metrical romances or chivalry tales. These were sung or recited by the minstrels, who were among the retainers of every great feudal baron, or by the jongleurs, who wandered from court to castle. There is a whole literature of these romans d’ aventure in the Anglo−Norman dialect of French. Many of them are {20} very long—often thirty, forty, or fifty thousand lines—written sometimes in a strophic form, sometimes in long Alexandrines, but commonly in the short, eight−syllabled rhyming couplet. Numbers of them were turned into English verse in the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries. The translations were usually inferior to the originals. The French trouvere (finder or poet) told his story in a straight−forward, prosaic fashion, omitting no details in the action and unrolling endless descriptions of dresses, trappings, gardens, etc. He invented plots and situations full of fine possibilities by which later poets have profited, but his own handling of them was feeble and prolix. Yet there was a simplicity about the old French language and a certain elegance and delicacy in the diction of the trouveres which the rude, unformed English failed to catch. The heroes of these romances were of various climes: Guy of Warwick, and Richard the Lion Heart of England, Havelok the Dane, Sir Troilus of Troy, Charlemagne, and Alexander. But, strangely enough, the favorite hero of English romance was that mythical Arthur of Britain, whom Welsh legend had celebrated as the most formidable enemy of the Sassenach invaders and their victor in twelve great battles. The language and literature of the ancient Cymry or Welsh had made no impression on their Anglo−Saxon conquerors. There are a few Welsh borrowings in the English speech, such as bard and druid; but in the old Anglo−Saxon literature there are {21} no more traces of British song and story than if the two races had been sundered by the ocean instead of being borderers for over six hundred years. But the Welsh had their own national traditions, and after the Norman Conquest these were set free from the isolation of their Celtic tongue and, in an indirect form, entered into the general literature of Europe. The French came into contact with the old British literature in two places: in the Welsh marches in England and in the province of Brittany in France, where the population is of Cymric race and spoke, and still to some extent speaks, a Cymric dialect akin to the Welsh. About 1140 Geoffrey of Monmouth, a Benedictine monk, seemingly of Welsh descent, who lived at the court of Henry the First and became afterward bishop of St. Asaph, produced in Latin a so−called Historia Britonum in which it was told how Brutus, the great grandson of Aeneas, came to Britain, and founded there his kingdom called after him, and his city of New Troy (Troynovant) on the site of the later London. An air of historic gravity was given to this tissue of Welsh legends by an exact chronology and the genealogy of theBritish kings, and the author referred, as his authority, to an imaginary Welsh book given him, as he said, by a certain Walter, archdeacon of Oxford. Here appeared that line of fabulous British princes which has become so familiar to modern readers in the plays of Shakspere and the poems of Tennyson: Lear and his {22} three daughters; Cymbeline, Gorboduc, the subject of the earliest regular English tragedy, composed by Sackville and acted in 1562; Locrine and his Queen Gwendolen, and his daughter Sabrina, who gave her name to the river Severn, was made immortal by an exquisite song in Milton’s Comus, and became the heroine of the tragedy of Locrine, once attributed to Shakspere; and above all, Arthur, the son of Uther Pendragon, and the founder of the Table Round. In 1155 Wace, the author of the Roman de Rou, turned Geoffrey’s work into a French poem entitled Brut d’ Angleterre, â€Å"brut† being a Welsh word meaning chronicle. About the year 1200 Wace’s poem was Englished by Layamon, a priest of Arley Regis, on the border stream of Severn. Layamon’s Brut is in thirty thousand lines, partly alliterative and partly rhymed, but written in pure Saxon English with hardly any French words. The style is rude but vigorous, and, at times, highly imaginative. Wace had amplified Geoffrey’s chronicle somewhat, but Layamon made much larger additions, derived, no doubt, from legends current on the Welsh border. In particular the story of Arthur grew in his hands into something like fullness. He tells of the enchantments of Merlin, the wizard; of the unfaithfulness of Arthur’s queen,Guenever; and the treachery of his nephew, Modred. His narration of the last great battle between Arthur and Modred; of the wounding of the king—â€Å"fifteen fiendly wounds he had, one might in the least {23} three gloves thrust—†; and of the little boat with â€Å"two women therein, wonderly dight,† which came to bear him away to Avalun and the Queen Argante, â€Å"sheenest of all elves,† whence he shall come again, according to Merlin’s prophecy, to rule the Britons; all this left little, in essentials, for Tennyson to add in his Death of Arthur. This new material for fiction was eagerly seized upon by the Norman romancers. The story of Arthur drew to itself other stories which were afloat.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Basic Guide to PBL

Differential diagnosis List out the differential diagnosis as u can (Some pre-reading will help) -State the positive history, state the negative history -Dif dig can be added or deleted as more triggers are revealed 4. Further history -Based on the dif dig, discuss the further questions to support or rule out your dif dig 5. Learning Issues Now discuss learning issues to be done, and list down on the board Finally discuss expected findings if possible 6.Physical Examination -Briefly discuss the PEE to perform, the normal findings and the expected outcome for ACH of the dif diagnosis -SEE questions will come out in similar fashion so treat this seriously to score in exam Make sure to do ALL of this before moving to trigger 2.. Trigger 2 1. Physical Examinations -Now compare the findings in the trigger with the previously discussed PEE in trigger 1 -Discuss each signs and its pathologically (SEE questions) -Note down learning issues along the way -Rule out or add dif dig 2.Investigatio ns -Briefly discuss the Investigation to order and the expected outcome for each of the if diagnosis -Be systematic and group your investigations (Blood ‘X, Imaging, urine IX etc) -Name each ‘X, the reason to order the ‘X, normal value(if possible) and expected result. -SEE questions will come out in similar fashion so treat this seriously to score in exam Trigger 3 1. Investigations -Compare the findings with previously discussed IX in trigger 2 -Discuss normal value and try to interpret the data (SEE question) -Note down learning issues along the way -Rule out dif dig 2.Diagnosis – by this time, the accurate diagnosis should have been made. Do the ethicalness of the disease as learning issue (very important in SEE) 2. Management -Outline your management of this patient before proceeding to trigger 3 (SEE questions) 3 basic steps of Mix (a) Identify the cause – Egg. The diagnosis may be stroke but u need to find the cause of the stroke through furthe r IX (b) Treat the disease – Non-pharmacological/ Pharmacological/Surgery/Radiation therapy (c) Prevent the complications -Acute Xx -Chronic Xx Trigger 4 1 .Management -Compare the management in the trigger with the mix in your discussions -Do learning issue on mix that u do not understand Classes, pharmaceutics, pharmacological and mode of action is more than enough -Ignore the doses -If possible ask the tutor or other doctors what are the type of drugs used by SUMS b)Surgery and radiation therapy -Know the procedure(brief) and possible complication 2.Prognosis and Rehabilitation -Briefly discuss about the prognosis of this disease -Outline your rehabilitation plan 3. Summarize -Summarize the whole case and the important points that u have learned in this Pl – Do as if u r doing a case summary after a clinical presentation (Clinical question) AY

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Pay the Man essays

Pay the Man essays In eighteen forty-nine, Henry David Thoreau wrote an essay called Civil Disobedience, in response to his one- night imprisonment for refusing to pay his poll-tax, in protest of the Mexican War. Thoreau believed that if one HONEST man were to withdraw from the state, and be locked up in the jail therefore, it would be the beginning of revolution and reform in the United States. This is not logical. The state uses jails to neutralize dangerous people, because nothing can be accomplished from a jail cell. He writes, Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison. I say the true place for this just man is on the community radio station, in the Sunday morning newspaper, and even in front of the city library, letting his ideas get out in the open where people like you and me can listen, read, and discuss. Sitting in a cage for a just cause is passive resistance and it is simply not enough to inspire people to action. Thoreau explains that resistance to the civil government should be based on my conscience; that in all circumstances, I should do what I believe is right. Can there not be a government in which majorities do not virtually decide right and wrong, but [a mans] conscience? Must the citizen ever for a moment or in the least degree, resign his conscience to the legislator? Why has every man a conscience, then? Two examples Thoreau uses are the waging of war against Mexico, and the holding of slaves. He urges, This people must cease to hold slaves, and to make war on Mexico, though it cost them their existence as a people. Thoreaus conscience told him that slavery was wrong, immoral, or against his personal beliefs. However, to Thoreaus neighbor, who truly believes that God gave white men dominion over black men, it would be immoral to give blacks the same rights as whi ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

How to Tell Your Parents You Got F on a Test

How to Tell Your Parents You Got F on a Test Okay, relax, you got an F on the test and now you’re searching online for tips and tricks to telling your parents and coming out alive. First of all, you’re not the first person to fail a test and you won’t be the last. It happens. In this article we’re going to go over the ideal strategy when it comes to dealing with mom and dad. Let’s get started. 1. Don’t Lie: Just Be Honest Yep, there’s no reason to lie. It’s not worth it and in 99.9% of the cases or scenarios we could come up with being honest will work out better for you in the end. Trying to lie and avoid things will only make everything much, much worse. When you tell your parents, just be perfectly honest and keep the initial saying really short. For example, this will do just fine: â€Å"Mom/Dad, I got an F on the test.† Once you say that just keep your mouth shut for a second and let mom or dad digest the information. They might blurt out something like, â€Å"OMG!† or, â€Å"Come on! Why?† but don’t be quiet to reply. Wait at least 3-5 seconds to see if their finished. Gauge their current attitude. Hey, are they having a good or bad day in general? 2. Prepare Your Explanation Beforehand Even though you’re going to be brutally honest, you shouldn’t wing it. The more coherent, logical and thought-out your explanation the more they’ll take you seriously. If you found the class incredibly boring and partied instead, then tell them that without being a child about it. If they interject, that’s fine. There’s no reason to get into an argument. That won’t help. Just calmly make it clear you’re telling them the honest truth and do it with some forethought. 3. Take Their Reaction In-Stride like an Adult Resolve yourself beforehand to take anything they say or do in-stride. Meaning you’re willing to take your lashes. This isn’t the end of the world. It doesn’t mean you’ll be a failure in life. It doesn’t mean that you’re going to have to drop out. It just means you need to make some changes (more on this momentarily). Don’t protest. Don’t try to defend yourself. Agree with everything they say and do without hesitation or resistance. Trust me, it works wonders. If you agree with everything and erase any possibility of argument, they’re far more likely to see things from your perspective instead of theirs. 4. Be Ready to Tell Them What You’re Going to Change When they ask you what you plan to do about it, have something prepared. Don’t be like, â€Å"I dunno /shrugs.† Instead you should show them you already have a plan of action. And mean it! Be sincere! 80% of human communication is unspoken and most parent’s a highly attuned to their own child’s BS. You’re going to study harder and take the course work more seriously. You’ve arranged a meeting with the professor to go over your options. You’ve joined a study group to make sure that you pick up the slack for the rest of the class. You’ve spoken with your advisor and there’s more than enough room to retake the class and still graduate on time. You’ve nailed down what went wrong and you know exactly how to fix it so this doesn’t become a bad habit. You’ve talked to the grant people and are taking the necessary steps to stay eligible. Failing a test can be a pretty substantial eye-opener so let your parent’s see how much wider your eyes are now. 5. Practice Being a Good Listener but be Confident Listen to what they say, but if they’re way off the mark in how they react you need to be confident. If they go off the deep end then you need to take this chance to be independent and call your own shots. This is, after all, your own life and your own education. Listen intently and when you reply, make sure they understand you heard them. But, don’t let mom and dad walk all over you in their quest for the perfect son/daughter. â€Å"I appreciate your advice, but I need you to know I got this.† There’s a big difference with taking your lashings and letting yourself get walked all over just because you made a bad call. College is a time to learn from our mistakes on our own and mom and dad need to understand this. 6. Follow Through Unless you plan on dropping the class, follow through on what you said you would do. If you don’t, then you risk making things 10 times harder should something like this come up again. It’ll be a learning experience that in more ways than one helps to set the tone of your adult life after college. How did you deal with telling your parent’s about the last time you failed a test? How did it go? Share the experience and help others when it’s their time up to bat!

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Walmart lawsuite versus TABC Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Walmart lawsuite versus TABC - Article Example They want the violation to end to enjoy their rights. Wal-Mart says that Texas is irrationally banning them from selling hard liquor like they do in other states. The company argues this is so only because it is a publicly traded company. TABC says even if Wal-Mart could sell hard liquor in the state, the law only entitles it to do so in only five of its stores (Kieler 10). Owners of stores that pool permits together with their family members, however, have no limit to the number of permits. Wal-Mart argues that the law creates arbitrary distinctions that are used to separate classes of retailers that have no rational difference in their selling or purpose for selling the commodity. Wal-Mart Company would also like to sell distilled spirits at its stores and Sam’s Club located in Texas for persons who want off-premises consumption (Kieler 6). The lawsuit states that the Texas law forbids public traded companies from owning a permit that one needs to sell alcohol. It is the package store permit. The public corporation class of retailers gets denied the opportunity to compete in the hard liquor department. The other class of retailers i.e. publicly traded hotel corporations and private corporations can compete without having the restrictions they are getting. There is no other state in America that permits private corporations to sell hard liquor (Kieler 8). Some of the publicly traded corporation but not all of them have a prohibition on retail sale of spirits. There is also another issue of limiting the number of stores and outlets that should sell the liquor. Wal-Mart in their lawsuit takes up this as another issue. The company states in its lawsuit that TABC is unfair in letting other companies own the permit. Several small companies that are family owned to take advantage of the loophole that allows close family members have access to