Anselm’s Cosmological Argument

Anselm seeks to explain the existence of a greatest being, i. e. God. He approaches this task not via our experience of the universe, but rather attempts to explain it solely based upon reason. Anselm attempts to prove the existence of God by providing us with a logical explanation, based upon our understanding, definition, and necessity of God. It is inconceivable for God not to exist. There is a certain nature through which everything that is exists, Anselm explains, is caused to exist by something.Everything that is, exists by virtue of something, and nothing is able to exist through nothing. The underlying assumption here is that things do not exist through themselves for there is no need for their being. Leading to conclude that it is implausible that anything at all is able to exist because of nothing, and that nothing should exist because of something. Building upon earlier argument, Anselm concludes that â€Å"whatever is [†¦] does not exist except through something. Si nce, according to him, this premise is true and since, as pointed out earlier in his argument, everything that is exists either through itself or through something, there must be one, or many, beings though which all things that are exist. Our existence and the existence of everything there is, therefore, must be explained by a virtue of a higher being, or several of them. Anselm identifies and explores several possibilities of existence of a higher being, or beings.He points out that there may be several beings, rather than one, that are the ultimate cause of everything that exists, and presents one with his critical analysis of such idea. Anselm argues that if there is more than one of such beings then they themselves must exist either through (a) one being, (b) separately through itself, or (c) mutually through one another. If, he states, these beings exist through one supreme being, then all things that exist cannot exist through more than one being. Following this premise, Anse lm concludes that all things that exist must therefore exist through this one supreme being.If, however, there are many beings, which exist separately and each through itself, then there must be a certain â€Å"power or property of existing through self†, by which they are able to exist. Building upon this premise, Anselm goes on to explain that it is because of this particular â€Å"power or property† that each of these beings is able to exist. Thereby concluding that these beings exist by virtue of one greater power, without which they cannot exist. Once again we are back to the same argument that only one being can exist, for plurality does not explain itself.Lastly, a third alternative proposed by Anselm deals with beings existing mutually through one another. He argues that such thought is contrary to reason. For, it is irrational that â€Å"anything should exist through a being on which it confers existence. † In other words, there cannot be a being that i s a giver and a taker. That, which exists by its own virtue and is yet dependent on itself for existence. Taking all of the arguments and points stated above, Anselm concludes that there can only be one greatest being, i. e. God, and it is through him that everything that is exists.If everything that is, exists by virtue of something, and nothing is able to exist through nothing, then God simply cannot be conceived not to exist. God is that, â€Å"which alone exists in the greatest and highest degree of all† and nothing greater can be conceived. For, everything that exists, exists through this greatest being, but it alone exists through itself. One aspect of Anselm’s argument that stands out in particular is a premise upon which the whole argument is based. Explicitly, â€Å"Everything that is, exists either through1 something, or through nothing.But nothing exists through nothing. For it is altogether inconceivable that anything should not exist by virtue of somethin g. † This, he holds to be the self-evident truth. Once again, the underlying assumption here is that things do not exist through themselves for there is no need for their existence. Such things therefore cannot be the cause of their own existence. Therefore, it must exist by virtue of a greater being. BIBLIOGRAPHY S. D. Deane, (Trans. ), St. Anselm, Basic Writings (Second Ed. ), La Salle, Illinois: Open Court Publishing Company, 1994.

Environmental Influences On Human Behavior Essay

Eating disorder is a condition wherein an individual’s eating behavior of eating or not eating is influenced by a psychological impulse, instead of a physiological need. Individuals with eating disorders generally choose to ignore the signals their bodies send out that nourishment is needed for maintenance or that enough food has already been consumed. One general feature commonly observed in an individual with an eating disorder is abnormal weight, which may be either above or below the normal weight. Normal weight has been defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as having a body mass index (BMI) of 18. 5 to 24. 9 kg/m2 (Deurenberg and Yap, 1999; Weisell, 2002). BMI is the ratio of an individual’s weight in kilograms (kg) to his heights in meters squared (m2). An individual with a BMI of 25 to 29 kg/m2 is classified as overweight, those with BMI greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 are categorized as moderately obese, and people with BMI of 40 kg/m2 and above are identified as morbidly obese. Obesity was earlier considered as an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. Today, obesity is regarded as a disease that is strongly influenced by genetic, physiologic and behavioral factors (Jequier and Tappy, 1999). The global estimate of overweight people is currently 1. 2 billion, of which at least 300 million are classified as obese. Obesity has been identified as a preventable health risk, but unfortunately, the mortality rate of this disease is still high, contributing to approximately 300,000 deaths each year in the United States alone. Since the cases of overweight and obesity are continually increasing without any preference to economic status of a country, health governing bodies have put in a significant effort to promote awareness of this disease and intervention programs that would teach the public of the risks of being overweight and/or obese. A major factor that influences such excessive weight gain is the poor lifestyle choices individuals make, in terms of their eating, exercising and physical activities. Binge eating is another eating disorder that is characterized by consuming huge amounts of food in order to achieve the strong feeling of being full. This disorder is generally involved with eating bouts even when an individual is not hungry. Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that is recognized in two forms- the restricting type and the binge-eating/purging types (APA, 1994). The restricting type of anorexia nervosa involves the absolute inhibition of food consumption and does not accompany any purging or binge-eating actions. The binge-eating type of anorexia nervosa is commonly characterized by cycles of binge-eating and purging. The classic symptom of anorexia nervosa is subjecting one’s self to a starvation condition, with the main goal of preventing or avoiding gaining weight or sensing that any fat is deposited in the body. The psychological angle with anorexia nervosa is that the individual perceives himself as overweight yet actually, their weight is already below normal. The extreme condition of anorexia nervosa usually involves death due to severe malnutrition. Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that is characterized by cycles of binge eating, purging and the employment of laxatives to remove any food that has been consumed (APA, 1994). Bulimia nervosa may be differentiated from anorexia nervosa through the feature that the individuals afflicted with this eating disorder typically have normal or above-average weights. In addition, individuals with anorexia nervosa can strongly inhibit their food intake, while individuals with bulimia nervosa find difficulty in avoiding food consumption. Bulimic individuals commonly carry a psychological feeling of guilt and shame of eating so much food, hence they try to appease themselves of their eating faults through purging and chemical elimination of the food they ate through the use of laxatives. They consider such activities as remedies or cleansing rituals so that they can immediately purify themselves of the disgrace they made from eating huge amounts of food. To date, the exact cause of bulimia remains unknown, yet there are theories that this eating disorder is strongly associated to depression and anxiety, however, a precise correlation of this cause still has to be investigated. Another theory involves the motivation of the bulimic individual to escape from reality, by treating for as a comfort instead of a source of energy and nutrition for their bodies. Childhood experiences may also possibly play a role in the cause of bulimia, because young children are often given different types of food in order to pacify them or to reward them for particular activities. Society may also play a role in bulimia, because the media strongly endorses that being thin is good, beautiful and acceptable. It has been suggested that eating disorders may be physiologically influenced by serotonin and norepinephrine. It has also been suggested that anorexia is more frequently observed in females in the Western world (Suematsu, 1986). Several theories have been proposed to explain the mechanism behind hunger and eating in overweight and obese individuals. The internal-external theory of Schachter (1971) states that hunger is influenced by external signals such as time, as shown in their experiments involving manipulation of clock rates and counting the consumption of crackers by the subjects. The research showed that faster ticking clocks that would reach meal times earlier would influence the subjects to eat earlier, while slower ticking close would influence subjects to eat later during the day. This theory strengthened the hypothesis that obese people tend to â€Å"feel† hungry based on the time of the day, and not based of the real sensation of hunger. The sensation of hungry in normal individuals is generally induced by internal signals such as an increased appetite or need to eat. The boundary theory of hunger considers the cognitive influence of hunger and satiety, wherein an individual determines the amount of food he should take in, as their limit or boundary (Hermand and Polivy, 1984). During diet regimes, the amount of food an individual eats is a little less than the set amount or boundary and in turn, the body physiologically adapts to the available sources of energy. In overweight and obese individuals, the boundary of food intake is significantly higher than an individual of normal weight. A third theory explaining the relation between excessive weight gain and eating is the set point theory, which is essentially based on the control of the hypothalamus on the body’s predetermined weight. Such set point of weight will be biologically maintained through the natural way, regardless of efforts to loss weight through diets and other weight loss regimens. A decreased intake of calories will not perturb the hypothalamus in its self-regulation of body weight. These theories are comparatively similar in terms of their goal of attempting to describe the mechanisms of obesity. The theories all emphasized that obesity is not influenced by a single factor, such as plain and simple overeating. These theories actually describe external influences of factors that result in overeating. In the external-internal theory identifies the time of the day as the major factor that triggers hunger. For the boundary theory, the individual himself, most probably with the cerebellum as the major organ, determines the amount of food he will eat. As for the set point theory, the hypothalamus controls the individual’s body weight. It is interesting to note that what the society has perceived as overweight is not really caused by a simple excessive hunger that stems from the need of the stomach to carry more food, but actually a more complex network involving the digestive system, the central nervous system and the immediate environment. Treatment for eating disorder often involves physical and psychological approaches. Psychotherapy serves as the main treatment for eating disorders, which often involves sessions with a therapist to discuss issues such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and body image concerns. The therapist generally emphasizes the relationship of one’s thoughts and eating activities, as well as teaching the patient that food is a source of nourishment and not a source of comfort or escape. Antidepressants may be prescribed to an individual with an eating disorder, to regulate the emotions of the depressed individual. The physician will also need to regularly check the physical vital signs of the patient, in order to monitor whether the patient is gaining weight and to determine whether any other complications may be present in the individual. Dieticians will design a well-balanced diet for an individual with an eating disorder, as well as educate the person of the nutritional value of every type of food that is consumed. The theories of hunger and eating disorders are based on the concept of primary motivation, which is mainly an interplay between psychology and the biological need to provide energy to the proper functioning of the human body. It is more complicated than the straightforward feeding mechanisms in other organisms because eating in the other species is singly influenced by the need to provide food for the normal physiology of the body. In human beings that have a more complex brain system due to evolution, we have acquired the additional capability to feed our minds, and even our souls, so to speak figuratively. It is important to individuals to understand that the mind is a powerful organ that can influence the actions and activities of the rest of the body but it is also more important to know that such choices of eating the right amount of food, as well as the right type of food, is a conscious and voluntary choice, and the consequences should be seriously considered.

Centripetal Force

A the centripetal force which is equal to the Tension on the Holon string, which is pulling against the spring force which is our centripetal force when our radius is constant. The normal force is always pulling up, and the force of gravity always pulling down, they are cancel each other out in this situation.So even though we are adding more mass it does not have any effect on the centripetal force. Equation relating the net force (FCC) to the speed (v) of an object moving in uniform circular motion. F c = This equation shows that the net force required for an object to move in a circle is directly proportional to the square of the speed of the object. For a constant mass ND radius, the FCC is proportional to the speeds. VA 2 The factor by which the net force is altered is the square of the factor by which the speed is altered.Subsequently, if the speed of the object is doubled, the net force required for that object's circular motion is quadrupled. And if the speed of the object is halved (decreased by a factor of 2), the net force required is decreased by a factor of 4. We find the result of our experiment dose agrees with above. In our experiment we keep radius constant so our force stays the same, and as we increased mass on each trail we see our velocity keeps decreasing gradually. Centripetal Force A the centripetal force which is equal to the Tension on the Holon string, which is pulling against the spring force which is our centripetal force when our radius is constant. The normal force is always pulling up, and the force of gravity always pulling down, they are cancel each other out in this situation.So even though we are adding more mass it does not have any effect on the centripetal force. Equation relating the net force (FCC) to the speed (v) of an object moving in uniform circular motion. F c = This equation shows that the net force required for an object to move in a circle is directly proportional to the square of the speed of the object. For a constant mass ND radius, the FCC is proportional to the speeds. VA 2 The factor by which the net force is altered is the square of the factor by which the speed is altered.Subsequently, if the speed of the object is doubled, the net force required for that object's circular motion is quadrupled. And if the speed of the object is halved (decreased by a factor of 2), the net force required is decreased by a factor of 4. We find the result of our experiment dose agrees with above. In our experiment we keep radius constant so our force stays the same, and as we increased mass on each trail we see our velocity keeps decreasing gradually.

Response Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 10

Response Paper - Essay Example The author stops in the middle of the woods and is unsure for sure whose land it is but thinks that he or she knows. (One can only assume that the narrator is a ‘he’ since it seems to be written from Frost’s own perspective). The person who owns it will assumedly not see the author stop his horse in the middle of the woods to watch it snow. He indicates that his horse probably thinks it is a bit odd to come to a halt in the middle of nowhere and in the middle of the night. The horse reacts almost as if to question if the author is sure that it is time to be stopping. It is quiet and peaceful as he or she sits there and watches. However, the author has to start back up. He states he has promises to keep and indicates that he has a long journey ahead of him before he or she may go to sleep though it is already in the darkest part of the night. Despite the author’s hesitance to leave the silence and peacefulness of the woods, he still must trudge on through th e snow to get to his destination. This particular poem by Frost appear to be a narrative because it tells the story of a certain event in the form of poetry. The way that this is able to be determined is pretty straightforward as it reads just like a little short story. The author writes it as if they are an eyewitness to what is going on at a particular instant in time. The poem does have a rhyming scheme. It is written as four stanzas that are almost completely identical. Every line is iambic and there are four syllables that are stressed. Within each stanza, the first, second and fourth lines all rhyme. Even though the third line does not rhyme, it sets up the rhyming pattern for the following stanza. The only part of the poem where this pattern is broken is in the last stanza where the first, second and third lines all rhyme and the fourth line is repetitive of the third line stating, â€Å"And miles to go before I sleep.† The mood of the poem is

The Bureaucracy as an Effective System of Organization Essay - 2

The Bureaucracy as an Effective System of Organization - Essay Example This paper illustrates that bureaucracy as the system has grown into the complex, which over the years neither the employees nor the leadership has been able to understand and control effectively. With its main goal to control productivity of work and its successful completion, the concept of bureaucracy felt the urgent need in improving its reliability, efficiency, and effectiveness. Inside the bureaucratic organization, the concept of bureaucracy helps the leaders and managers to design their work in an effective way by breaking down the process of performance into departments that in the same time breaks down work into simpler tasks. When the organization uses the bureaucratic system, it keeps power and directs control, creating at the same time more people with limited knowledge whose actions are more mechanical. However, such structural way of performing one’s activities limits employees in their ability to execute their tasks effectively. While the organizations have too many rules and regulations, the way they work and conduct their policy is too severe toward cooperation with the other organizations and own employees. The situation has become even more alarming, as the top level of the bureaucracy has become a less effective instrument. Many people do not think regulations and procedures so important; however, bureaucracy within the organization guarantees proper and equal treatment to its all members. On one hand, the procedures and rules serve its best in order to ensure excellent performance of an organization’s activities.

Maternal Obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Maternal Obesity - Essay Example Maternal obesity is a significant concern for the society since it poses a lot of health threats not only for the mother, but also for the conceived child. Indeed, Galtier-Dereure, Boegner, & Bringer (2000) found that children born to obese mothers were 35% more likely to be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit due to complications of care. The obese mother is also at an increased risk for hypertension and diabetes. In addition to these, the CDC (2010) also noted severe health consequences to the mother (i.e. preeclampsia, caesarean delivery, etc.) and the newborn (i.e. macrosomia, neural tube defects, etc.). Given these dangers of maternal obesity, there is then a need to increase the awareness of mothers regarding the hazards posed by it, and what can be done as means of prevention and treatment. By utilizing the Health Belief Model (HBM), obese mothers can be motivated to change their diets and lifestyle to decrease the harmful effects of obesity. By using this model, the healthcare provider will provide health education and information dissemination to obese mothers, and they will then monitor the impact of these interventions. The rest of this paper will then explore the means of evaluating the success of such interventions. Essential Elements of Evaluation Process/Model One component of the intended intervention for maternal obesity involves assessment: the identification of the mothers in need of treatment obesity. With this intervention, a significant element of the evaluation process is assessment itself, as well as the establishment of an actual need for the interventions within the community. This element (assessment) is justified by the fact that without assessment, the nurse would never know who needs help, and the patients themselves may never become aware of the need to watch their weight before, during and after pregnancy (Kozier, et al. 2008). In addition, assessment would allow the nurse to develop programs that can cater to the indivi dual needs of the different members of the community. More importantly, assessment of the need for treatment will provide for opportunities for establishing patient goals and reasonable expectations (Foster, Wadden, Vogt, & Brewer, 1997). Another major component of the intervention for maternal obesity involves information dissemination of nutritional information, of the health risks of maternal obesity, and of the benefits gained from maintaining a healthy weight and diet. Therefore, in relation, an essential element of the evaluation process involves the degree by which the given information is understood and impacts the intended population of obese mothers. This element is essential for the whole intervention because in knowing the degree of impact of the disseminated information through evaluation, the nurse is assured of the mother’s compliance. Indeed, according to the HBM, if the mother understands the risks of the unhealthy behavior or condition, then change in health behavior can be better facilitated (National Cancer Institute, 2005). Additionally, another part of the intended interventions is the submission of a proposal to authorities and organizations for appropriate funding and possible policy changes. Thus, in relation to this, another element of evaluation is collaboration. Indeed,

Mid-term history exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mid-term history exam - Essay Example He questioned Pope’s authority also, by saying that, â€Å"pope †¦cannot remit any penalties other than those which he has imposed either by his own authority or by that of the Canons (Luther, 5). With these words and similar arguments in his theses, Luther was questioning the concept of merit â€Å"held by Catholic Church† and was protesting against â€Å" those preachers of indulgences†¦ who say that by the pope’s indulgences a man is free from every penalty, and saved† (Luther, 21). Though probably Martin Luther had no idea as to what he had started, his criticism and revolt against the indulgences were sharp and focused. Historians have observed that though Martin Luther had expected â€Å"his theses to provoke scholarly debate, †¦(he) could not have anticipated the dramatic public response† (McNeese, 5). The Roman Catholic Church was in those days, literally â€Å"selling indulgences†, which were â€Å"traditionally gran ted to someone when he or she confessed a sin† (McNeese, 4). It was when the sinner was performing a penance â€Å"to receive forgiveness†, that the Church had to issue an indulgence (McNeese, 4). This is explained as â€Å"an act of piety, to help provide complete forgiveness and to prove that the sinner was, indeed, sorry for having done wrong† (McNeese, 4). But â€Å"by the Middle Ages, the doctrine of indulgences allowed people to pay money (to the church) rather than a pious act† (McNeese, 4). Martin Luther was primarily revolting against this sale of indulgences. Secondly, by the 15th century, Pope Sixtus IV claimed to have the power to release the souls of the dead from the penance they were experiencing in Purgatory† (McNeese, 4). This prompted people to â€Å"buy an indulgence to help expedite a deceased loved one’s release from Purgatory† (McNeese, 4). It was against this â€Å"profiteering† of the church from the indul gences that Martin Luther mainly published his 95 Theses. When it was published, the church wanted him to â€Å"confess his wrong† doing, he did not yield to that, and the pope excommunicated him (McNeese, 5). Soon after these developments, Luther developed his own theology and it stood for â€Å"salvation through faith in God rather than through ceremonies and good works† (McNeese, 6). He negated priesthood also (McNeese, 6). Luther also criticized the Popes who were indulging in â€Å"extravagance and luxury† (McNeese, 4). Luther believed religion to be a personal thing for each and every individual when he said, â€Å"every truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt, even without letters of pardon† (Luther, 36). Gradually, the 95 theses of Martin Luther became the spark that initiated the fire of protestant reformation (McNeese, 6). At a culmination point of this religious movement, Lutheranism became the official reli gion for some German states and Sweden (McNeese, 7). Calvin developed Luther’s ideas and spread them to Switzerland, France, Scotland and England (McNeese, 7). England, embraced Protestantism, wholeheartedly. Later in England, a counter-reformation was led by Catholic Church, which was only partially successful (McNeese, 9). But Luther regretted his preaching, when reformation turned into a peasants’ revolution in Germany (McNeese, 7). More bloodshed and hostilities followed throughout the reformation and the

International business strategy case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International business strategy case - Essay Example Hence, the theory of comparative advantage, which focuses on the fact that a country should produce the goods and services that are of an advantage to business compared to other countries, applies. This is the case with China, since their low cost and highly demanded machinery are of absolute advantage to the country and it is able to attract major nations like Brazil. A country should hence focus on those goods that are demanded for trade by other countries so as to improve on its economy and gain a comparative advantage (Lasserre, 2007). The diversity of a country I terms of competition can also influence whether a firm’s selection decision. The size of a country’s market is also important since it represents the quality of products being produced in that country. A favorable market, should be able to grow fast due to demand of its products and services, implying that it is the best market for business since it has a competitive advantage. The taxes and interest rates are a major concern to multinational firms who want to venture in business in other countries. These firms will always opt for the low interest rates and low taxes on their goods. ... These incentives are offered by foreign countries so as to attract investors (Lasserre, 2007). Absolute advantage theory applies in the case of Brazil, which seems to have been keen on the selection of multinational firms; this occurs when it comes to the advantage of one country compared to another in the production of goods and services (Lasserre, 2007). Countries like china have an advantage of cheap and skilled labor and low interest rates over other countries; in this case, Brazil buys raw materials and components from china like windows, which are reassembled in other firms around the world to produce complete busses. The main aim why Brazil relies on China for its raw materials is because of their friendly price, thus enabling Brazil to make profit on the end product. However, Brazil and China are not the only car manufactures. General Motors was experiencing losses before the year 2007 but suddenly made profits as a result to major sales made in the china market in 2006, wher eby, it was able to invest more than $2million, which resulted to major profits through the sale of 7.2 trucks and automobiles in China. In addition, General motors acquired the second highest market share in China in 2006. Moreover, car manufactures like the Ford, Honda, and Volkswagen produce economy cars that can compete with the china’s current vehicles. It is evident that car manufactures like the GM are a threat to the Brazilian bus maker Marco Polo. Generally, the reason why Marco Polo does not produce complete busses in China is that, there is a requirement of $100 as an investment, which is very difficult for this company to afford. Whereas, the GM car manufactures were able

Computer Crime Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Computer Crime - Research Paper Example In July 2012 a major security breach took place against Yahoo that resulted in 450,000 usernames and passwords to be disclosed (Gonsalves, 2012). This event raised many questions regarding the precautionary measures taken by Yahoo to protect the security of its users. Instead of storing the passwords cryptographically they were stored as plain texts which made it very easy for hackers to gain access to this confidential data. Usually usernames and passwords are stored using the cryptography technique which encrypts the data thereby hiding the information. This encryption prevents hackers from deciphering the data. Yahoo refused to give an interview but confirmed the breach saying that the data was stolen via its Contributor Network, which is one of the websites owned by Yahoo. Yahoo Contributor Network is a Yahoo website for freelance content writers that write articles for another of its website Yahoo Voice. Although only five percent of the stolen data had valid passwords, Yahoo an nounced that they were taking prompt action to fix the susceptibility that led to the exposure of the passwords. Yahoo notified the other companies about the accounts that had been hacked including LinkedIn, Gmail, Hotmail, AOL, and so on (Gonsalves, 2012). The hacker group called D33Ds Company admitted to be responsible for the breach through a statement that they published on their website. The hackers said that the security breach was meant to be a warning for Yahoo and not a threat. They also alleged to having used the program SQL injection which is normally used to send instructions using the search field or a URL to breach a badly secured website. The SQL injection allowed the hackers to gain access to the database containing the usernames and passwords (Gonsalves, 2012). The event happened just before the annual shareholder’s meetings at Yahoo and the temporary CEO Ross Levinsohn said that they were looking for a transparent strategy in order to bring back their invest or confidence (Chaykowski & Robertson, 2012). According to Jordan Robertson in an interview given to Bloomberg (Yahoo Investigating Security Breach), it is not very embarrassing for a company like Yahoo because the stolen usernames and passwords were of mostly old and inactive accounts and the number 450,000 was not huge because it represented only a small fraction of people who were affected. A spokesperson from Yahoo also previously mentioned that these numbers only made up about only one percent of the total Yahoo active users (Chaykowski & Robertson, 2012). Robertson said that the humiliating factor was the susceptibility of a company like Yahoo through a method called SQL injection. This is because it only involved very basic security measures to be prevented and Yahoo’s inability to create such a security protocol was embarrassing. As a result of the whole security breach event, Yahoo closed at $15.69 in New York and its shares slid down by 2.7% in the same year (Chayko wski & Robertson, 2012). The Yahoo event did not only affect Yahoo Mail users but because its users signed up for the content writing website Contributor Network, the breach also resulted in retrieval of password for email accounts other than Yahoo such as Gmail, Hotmail, and AOL mail. One way this event could have been

The History and Evolution of Personnel Protective Gear Essay Example for Free

The History and Evolution of Personnel Protective Gear Essay Fire fighting is one of the most important jobs in the world because the threat of fire to the society is real and present everytime. Fire fighters are needed in different fields and in different locations fire fighting in the city inside residential and business districts, fire fighting in forests and woodlands and even fire fighting on seas when ships and sea vehicles catch fire. The threat to the place that is burning is as important as the threat to the life of the fire fighters who are battling fires. Because of that, it is important that fire fighters are equipped not just with equipment that can help them put out the fire, but also with equipment that can help them protect themselves from the threat posed by fire, like burning, smoke inhalation and oxygen deprivation, and worse, death. Through the years the equipment and materials used by fire fighters to protect themselves from fire has developed and evolved. This is because it needs to suit to the needs of fire fighting and adapt to the latest development and advancement in the field of fire fighting. The importance of protective gear and equipment of fire fighters and how it evolved through the years is a significant aspect of the fire fighting history in the world. Because of that importance, this paper will focus on discussing such developments and how it impacted fire fighting and made fire fighting a more effective aspect of social welfare service rendered by the government for the safety of the people and the environment. The protective gear of the fire fighters must take into consideration that the level of protection needed by fire fighters vary depending on the condition of the environment wherein the fire fighter operates. The protective gear, particularly, the basic protective outfit that fire fighters wear, must be able to protect the fire fighters in as many life threatening aspects of the job as possible. Aside from the immediate threat that the fire fighter might be burned while conducting fire fighting exercise, there is also the threat of environment like the weather (snow, rain etc) and the presence and exposure to water itself. â€Å"The environment that a fire fighter experiences in the normal course of duty ranges from benign to very dangerous. The protective clothing that fire fighters wear must meet a variety of performance criteria; it must protect from the extreme heat of fires, it must protect from the cold of winter (Yarborough, 2005, p. 74). † But the notion of protection is not just limited on the characteristic of protective gear and clothing inhibiting the impact of fire, cold and smoke to the body. Protection also means that the protective gear should not hinder the movement and ability for mobility of the fire fighter. In fire fighting, being unable to move is a very dangerous situation to be in, since fire fighters sometimes come inside a burning house to save individuals. But if they cannot manage the return trip outside of the burning house, it endangers not only the lives of those they were hoping to save but also the lives of the people who came in and was expected to save the people in trouble. Because of this, the notion of protection also included the idea that the protective gear should not impede or restrain the fire fighter so that the fire fighter can protect himself and the victims from fire by being mobile and moving from an unsafe location to a safe location as the fire fighting process is underway. â€Å"It must be light enough that sheer weight of the gear does not cause undue stress on their bodies. To this end, one design has become the standard for fire fighter turnout gear. This design includes a heat resistant outer shell, typically made of some synthetic fiber; a moisture barrier, typically made of a water resistant breathable material, and a thermal barrier, typically made of wool felt with some aramid fiber woven into it (Yarborough, 2005, p. 74). † The History of the Protective Gear and Clothing that Fire Fighters Used and Wore With the absence of technology and the knowledge about this particular discipline in social welfare service, the earliest forms of fire fighting was unorganized as it was lacking with suitable equipment. Fire protection among the fire fighters was not present then. The people doing the fire fighting have to rely on the clothes on their backs. The first notable development in fire fighting gear and protective clothing happened in 1730s after Jacobus Turck made what was considered as the first ever fireman’s helmet. Unlike modern day fireman’s helmet, the Turck helmet has a wide brim and was made with leather. It also featured a high crown. The development of the fireman’s head gear made its next milestone the following century, when Henry T. Gratacap improved the design of the fire fighters helmet. It was the improvement to Turck’s design including the protection in the neck and nape and the presence of front shield; while the hat itself was more reinforced than the previous design. Besides head protection, the development on coats and pants especially for fire fighting was also taking place, with fire fighters getting to use these clothing which was reinforced by wool so that it is more heat and water resistant compared to ordinary everyday clothing. Because fire fighting exposed fire fighters to hot surfaces and a terrain that is filled with dangerous materials like broken glass and splinters of sharp woods, rocks and mangled steel, fire figthers already started wearing safety boots right about the time the second development in the helmet happened and the fire fighters were wearing wool jackets and pants (Hasenmeier, 2008). The same century marked the work of Giovanni Aldini who was made one of the earliest attempts to design a mask that can protect fire fighters from the smoke present during fire fighting, working on this apparatus at 1825, an effort that was pursued similarly by other individuals including John Roberts. But a more definitive mask for fire fighting came out in 1863 behind the efforts of James Braidwood. Braidwood’s idea of a mask that can supply fresh air to the wearer consists of bags that act as artificial lungs, strapped on the back of the wearer and features a waist belt to go with the shoulder straps necessary to carry it and bring it wherever the fire fighter goes during the course of his work. A mouthpiece connects the hose to the sacs of air that the wearer can inhale. This development improved the fire fighter’s list of protective gears and clothing at the time, which also already included goggles, as well as whistles and leather hoods for added protection. This is to allow fire fighters to communicate even through non verbal means, allowing other fire fighters to know the position and location of each other during fire fighting operations. At the start of the twentieth century, rubber was integrated in the uniforms of the fire fighters. Hasenmeier (2008) noted in his article that there were already existing proofs that some fire fighting groups that used rubber jackets and rubber boots as early as the 1930s so that they are as dry as possible and far from the health threats brought about by being soaked in cold water especially during the cold parts of the year (Hasenmeier, 2008). Then came next are the bunker gears or turnout gears. The name of which Hasenmeier believed to have originated either from the act of bunking together and turning out during fire fighting missions, or because it was the same protective clothing worn by soldiers turned fire fighters especially those who are designated in the cannon positions in the bunkers during World War I. After the end of the Second World War, standards for protective equipment among fire fighters became official and enforced as a necessary protocol for fire fighters safety. It was also about the same time that improvements in the breathing apparatus for fire fighters were developed, including the time when the concept of Scott Aviation was applied in the 1945-era breathing equipment that fire fighters started using. In 1982 there was already what is known as the Personal Alert Safety System or PASS and the necessary standards to maintain this. Today, more and more efforts were being made to ensure that the gear and clothing of the fire fighters are more and more suitable to the needs of the fire fighters and their particular working condition. Different countries are making many different developments in the material of the coats and pants, as well as the design and ability of the breathing apparatus used by fire fighters so that they are safe, and so are the people they are trying to rescue in the process. Because of the presence of more modern approach to fire fighting and the development of fire fighting gears and clothing, the design of future apparatus for fire fighter safety includes the â€Å"harmonious design† of the gears and clothing, as well as the â€Å"functional integration of characteristics such as resistance to cuts and punctures, mobility, waterproofness, fit and durability (Barker, Coletta, 1986, p. 487). † Because fire fighting is more modern now, the design includes other safety considerations like the consideration that â€Å"fire figthers also may come in contact with poisonous, flammable, or explosive gases and chemicals, as well as radioactive or other hazardous materials that may have immediate or long term effects on their health. For these reasons, they must wear protective gear that can be very heavy and hot (US Department of Labor, 2006, p. 360). †

How Does Deforestation Impact Birds?

How Does Deforestation Impact Birds? INTRODUCTION This assignment is based on the impact of deforestation on bird communication. Basically, there are two ways in which birds communicate, that is by powerful sight and vocal sound. They also have an important hearing also since they would have to different sounds produced by their own kind. Hearing is actually affected by noise produced from their environment. Because they have to fly all the time their vision has to be very active hence, they are well protected by nictating glands. They dont have binocular vision and this permit them to view all round vision. These well developed senses help birds to live in their habitat without much disturbance since they detect change quickly and migrate to safer grounds. Deforestation on bird Communication It is stated by (Raven 1988) that two-thirds of the worlds species are found in the tropical rainforest. Due to advance technologies and the demands of the worlds population for adequate survival there has been rapid deforestation increase globally that has resulted in extinction of species. Since most species are not discovered as yet, an accurate record on the loss of species may not be present. Only the ones registered under the IUCN will be accounted for. Generally, the total number of species lost globally will be difficult to retrieve rather than species found in a given region. Species that are not endemic will become threatened/endangered easily due to the fact that they havent yet be rediscovered. In todays world deforestation has made a great impact on bird communication by influencing their habitat and lifestyle simultaneously hence, emphasis is being placed to rectify the forthcoming effect on this outcome. Deforestation is known as the removal or destruction of large areas of rainforest and vegetation to fulfill the needs of the population. More than 80% of the earths natural forest have been removed already (national geographic). This activity is carried out by loggers who see this as a job opportunity since, it is being enhanced into lumber used for construction and decorative purposes. Loggers do this on a large scale without allowing the forest to revive. Farmers clear natural vegetation by the common slash and burn method, among others for agricultural purposes in which they gain an income and consume for survival. When the soil becomes depleted of nutrients they clear another area and leaves the former to erode away rather than replant. Natural disaster also plays a part in deforestation, some parts in the US have extensive forest fires that removes forest lives at extreme temperature. Forested areas is being exploited by policy makers to allocate housing for the growing populati on and mining activities to provide jobs for individuals. Construction of dams to maintain a affordable lifestyle for humans have also lead to deforestation and removal of biodiversity for comforting one population neglecting the others. Because of these activities other organisms has to pay the price by being endangered. There will be a reduction of biodiversity since their habitat is destroyed and those who can adapt very quickly will have no problem. Flooding of ecosystem will take place due to erosion of soil and no vegetation to infiltrate water hence, water table will be lowered. Limited space will be provided for adapted animals to share so their foraging activities will be reduced along with food supply. Drought will be more common since temperature will rise, surface water and that of plants will not be available for evaporation hence, amount of rainfall will be reduced. Lastly, there will be an increase in greenhouse effect which leads to global warming. Stated in NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC article â€Å" Trees are natural consumers of CO2 which is one of the greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming by building up in atmosphere. Destruction of trees remove C-sink, release more CO2 by tree burning and decomposition.† Picture below shows large scale deforestation. Bird communication basically when a bird sings to claim a personal territory (Dr. Lee). They  tend to mark a particular property in a particular place which they need to do to show ownership among species. The sound is produced by their vocal organ or syrinix located between the junction of their trachea and bronchi. It is used as a communicatory device and also as body language communication to suit their environment and various situations in reply to their lifestyle and ecological behaviour. These include their feeding and foraging behaviour, they require large space among species to gain access to food. Hence, they sing to mark their territory of food and give indication for colleagues to feed. They would want no intruder and tend to extend their territory for alternative food supply. They give a warning call when they sense danger and also make sounds to evade predators. In some cases they use silence as a warning call so they wouldnt be detected by predators e.g. hawk. During flocking and social behaviour sound is needed to communicate among themselves and even others, in fighting and marking territory, courtship and mating, in nesting and parental behaviour and finally, in the display of male dominance. All these behavioural pattern requires a different sound to distinguish what sort of situation they are in before one can actually render assistance. Birds live conspecific in their habitat, by doing so they create a niche that would benefit them in every possible way such as easy feeding access, a range to forage in and a habitat they could call their own. The range would provide birds with food so that there will be no need for them to waste energy to acclimatize to a new source hence, feeding becomes accessible anywhere, anytime in that particular habitat unless there is disruption. Since their metabolic rates are high they would require a large amount of food hence, they have to indulge in foraging activities to supply themselves. After constantly ex ploiting a habitat they would have to adjust to new food sources or find other resources, thus a new habitat will be selected as long as they can survive efficiently. Thereby, more large spaces becomes available for them to graze and procreate. Deforestation entails the complete displacement of bird species or habitat loss by the large scale removal of canopy, trees and vegetation. These places provide a source of shelter and food for birds. In the trees most birds dwells especially when humidity is low, they rest and cool down in trees. In this thick vegetation a wide range of shade is provided hence, the area would have a lot of other wildlife that is used as s source of food for birds so they wouldnt have to fly long distances in search of food. There will also a continuous supply of of plant matter that specific birds feed on thus, these components will provide a community of bird species to inhabit this region. The removal of trees decrease the food supply of birds and they would have no place to call their habitat. There will be an imbalance of ecosystem. Birds will have to find new habitat to acquire their daily nutrient requirements. This may pose a problem since, there is no guarantee that the niche would be empty to accept birds. Other species may live there hence, food has to be shared and intrusion of privacy may occur. Some birds can tolerate these condition while others cant so you will find that the ones to adapt to this environment will survive (survival of the fittest) while the other will continue to roam if they find no satisfactoryly place their number will gradually decrease leading to extinction because there is no food to supply them. Now, if too many species inhabit the same habitat competition will lead to some species dying out and that habitat will be exploited over a short period of time. The cutting down of trees would leave the top soil vulnerable to leaching and erosion and void of any meaningful life. This would mean that birds who act as pollinating agent will not be able to do so anymore so land is left to become barren. Regrowth may take many years to occur. In well established habitat various species would create microhabitat in which they can carry out their person al activities such as breeding and reproduction. If no home is present birds cannot lay hence, their population will be reduced. They are also more exposed to predator since they will have no hiding space leaving more chances for them to become endangered. Birds in this state would have no social life since they would have to keep moving and get accustomed to new species, even if their used to be a benefit for their survival. The environment will also become unsuitable for mating since there will be no site for courtship because there will be a lack of provision of basic materials. In terms of nesting, materials will not be available to construct a comfortable nest for young to survive. When mother would go in search of food to feed them they will be more prone to predators since they will not be able to run away or defend themselves by flying high in trees because their is none and they would not be strong enough to give a warning call or produce a sound that would scare predator a way so they are being feasted upon. There will be no territory to mark since they lose all their living and feeding habitat. The land becomes dry and barren over time hence, tamper with the the nature and influence life forms in forested areas. Land becomes unproductive and serves no purpose. In the cases of natural deforestation it can be beneficial in some ways. It removes the vegetation cover but it also brings with it a rejuvenation of forest by adding other nutrients that can make the area favourable for a new group of species. It provides a variability of ecosystem over a period of time. Artificial deforestation change the whole balance of an ecosystem and birds lifestyle. It exhaust the soil and invade wildlife species. It weaken a forest resilience ability by exploitation of its resources and presistence. In Central Amazonia some species of galliform birds that disperses seed is being threatened due to hunting and habitat destruction (Mr. Borges). Because of deforestation there is need now for the conservation of these birds. Their reproduction is limited if they arent present in their natural environment. They tend to survive quite adequately in a regrown forest. In Southeast Asia there is quite a few numbers of threatened bird species (Thomas Brooks et al). this is due to the large scale deforestation done, which was suppose to held develop the countries. He thought only endemic bird would be prone to extinction. Based on the result he collected there was fluctuation between increased and decreased number of species. He concluded that deforestation affects species with small range and also bird species that will become extinct is very similar to the ones listed as threatened. In Australia a survey was done on quite similar bird species (Westphal et al) which showed that these birds adapted well to changes made in a few places in their inhabited forested area. They were able to live comfortably without making changes to their lifestyle. These birds are small and are very long distance flyers so they can adapt very easily. Based on the following investigation it can be concluded that some birds are vulnerable to complete habitat destruction. Some birds can withstand partial destruction of their habitat while some can adapt to the changing environment. This is due to the nature and structure of the birds as in how quickly they can do things for themselves i.e. some birds can fly and some cant and so on. If forested areas are gradually disappearing, some time in the future all birds are bound to be affected due to increasing predator-prey relationship, place to shelter and mostly because of a decline in food supply. To combat a situation like this policy makers are calling on leaders around the world to make a change. This can be done by sustainable forestry where parts of the forest removed is being replaced before it can be used again. In doing so, CO2 level will not increase in the atmosphere hence, more fresh oxygenated air will be available for bird to breathe in. Reforestation should also be carrie d out in areas than was completely exploited. This may take years so the future species will benefit if we start now since it is not a money consuming process. The little forest that remains should be conserved by using it wisely so that wildlife can be preserved and eco-forestry can be established. In other words by just having a forest pays, people actually pays to have a view of the various bird species worldwide. Legal wildlife trade can also be carried out to expand species richness. In addition to the decline of birds due to deforestation, it is not yet fully understood since much effects of this hasnt been stated clearly. A report carried out by (Duston et al) noted that in primitive times when deforestation was minimum bird species was still going extinct even before they became known to science but no reason was recorded for this. This must have been because the birds were hugh and clumsy hence, they were hunted to extinction. Most of them must have been flightless, competed for food and environmental conditions became unfavourable. Thus, modern birds evolve more efficiently for fast flight and increased activities. REFERENCES www://henriquebourges/artikelen/surinam/Z/Zwarte%20Hokko1 09/1988.pdf/09/11/10th geographic.com/eye/deforestation/effect.html/1996-2009/09/11/10th farmerking/avianbiology/vol1,2,34/1971/academicpress/n.ylondon/09/11/13th http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/eserv/UQ:10074/hp_le_18/2003.pdf/0911/10th

Computational Design and Management in Pharmaceuticals

Computational Design and Management in Pharmaceuticals Computational design and management in pharmaceuticals Liu Sui Abstract: Throughout the years since the computer was first developed, the computer has become required and indispensable in modern society. Significant scientific usage of computers has spread throughout all the sciences, including pharmaceutical science. In pharmaceuticals, usage has become an essential tool for the whole drug development process, from initiation of lead searching to finding the best fit, to finding toxicity. This paper will give an overview on how computers are used in the field of computational drug design. The development of computers is a short but exciting history. Looking back at this short history, it perfectly illustrates the intelligence and grittiness of mankind. Since the invention of electronic intelligence, this industry has been growing at an amazing pace. From the technical point of view, computers have changed a huge amount since ENIAC in 1946 to the modern day Intel and ARM architectures permeating our life (Bellis). Computers have changed their role from supercomputer being used for big companies and organizations to the personal computer that exists in just about every household, in one way or another. IT companies have also changed from marketing huge computers to marketing tiny computers to be used in the household, that synchronize with the fast speeds of the modern internet. In 1946, ENIAC was co-operated by the U.S. government and the University of Pennsylvania department of computer science (Goldstine). Features of this first generation of computers were that oper ating instructions were prepared for a specific task, and each machine had its own different mechanical languages. This generation of computers had very limited functionality and slow processing speed. Nonetheless, in less than 60 years, computers have become tools that are used by many different fields of study to enhance their overall value. The rapid development of computer technology has led to a massive expansion of computer-related applications in the pharmaceutical industry. From the local computer system-based assistance, to the inevitable development of network-based assistance, usage of computer networks has become an inevitable trend. Both the computer industry and the pharmaceutical industry influence each other, and the combination of penetration, has and will continue to impact the operating mode of pharmacy. Management and technical decisions made à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹today within the pharmaceutical industry can be combined with the development of computer technology. All pharmacy workers should be aware of this and any future developments. In recent decades, due to the application of computers in pharmaceutical technology, many important achievements have been achieved. Since antiquity, humans have built many tools to physically extend their physical capabilities such as the wheel, the pulley, and the vehicle. On comparison, creating devices to extending mental capability, such as the abacus, calculator, and computer, has also been a great human achievement. Computers are unlike any other tools in which they can replace human labor under pre-programed condition for an indefinite duration. An item only becomes useful for society depending on its function, where computers have many unique features to make them ideal for society: †¢ Computers have incredible calculation ability. †¢ Computers have a huge memory, in order to go through large data sets The CPU and GPU of a computer have the ability to perform billions of complicated math operations per second. In terms of the pharmaceutical technology industry, this huge processing speed is vital for the complex mathematical operations required of this emerging discipline, such as calculating pharmacy finances, calculation and maintaining of pharmaceutical inventory, all the way to calculating drug and other protein formulas, determining the computational drug metabolism and its related pharmacokinetics computing, and pharmaceutical pattern recognition. Many computer-based programs have been developed and continue being improved to fill the huge needs of this industry. In the developmental stage of drug design, to search for drugs that possess the lowest energy in chemical structure can take a very long time, and is hard to do. Many people may question why do we need to calculate the lost energy possibility structure, and this question cannot be answered in one simple sentence. In chemistry, each element is giving a symbol. Molecular formulas use these elemental symbols to show substantive (whether it’s an element or a molecular compound) composition of molecules and their relative molecular weight. Chemical formulas are widely used to present chemicals and chemical reaction. In nature, many drugs have different chemical formula, but at the same time, some compounds that have the exact same molecular formula may not be the same compounds; these compounds are called isomers. Isomers have same chemical formula but different atomic arrangement, and the cause of isomers is the change of order between atoms or groups. One type of isomers is called constitutional isomer. For example, ethanol and methoxymethane both have the chemical formula of C2H6O, but ethanol has an alcohol group, and methoxymethane has an ether function group (figure 1) Figure 1: chemical formula of ethanol and methoxymethane. This is where the software, Gaussian, becomes an invaluabl e part of pharmaceutical chemistry. Gaussian and its related software, Gaussview, are used to search for conformation amongst molecules. Stereoisomers have the molecular atom and group connected to each other in the same order but have different spatial arrangements. Many people may ask why we should care about the spatial arrangements. To answer this question, we need to think about molecules in terms of Classical Physics versus Quantum Physics. In chemistry, each chemical bond contains potential energy. The higher energy level the compounds bonds at, the less stable the compounds becomes. To make a more stable compound is a goal for many chemists because stable compounds have less of a chance to be decomposed, and in nature, many natural products being produced are those in their lowest energy states. The Classical Mechanics approach is mainly used for study of macroscopic objects in slow to stationary motion. Through studying the measureable movements through experiments, chemica ls’ optimal nuclear positions can be found, and the lowest energy state can be found through graphing. However, in chemistry, all chemical bonds are in constant vibration and the ability to study the energy state of electron distribution is more useful for finding the lowest possible energy state. The optimal distribution of electron can be done by quantum mechanics. To think of energy as waves in the ocean, the lowest possible position is actually quite hard to find. It is possible to find some bumps, but these might not be the lowest points. To find the lowest energy points, huge amounts of calculation are needed. At this point, computers become essential. By inputting atomic coordinates, model chemistry and basis set into the software, Gaussian, the software will do the rest of the calculations and provide correct output including atomic coordinates, energy, and a wave function. The wave function can be further interpreted into molecular orbitals, partial charges, electros tatic potential surface, chemical shifts, bond orders, and spin densities. In order to find all these information, a high degree of accuracy is required. However, computers only have a certain amount of accuracy: they can only simulate continuous functions and numbers up to a finite point, leading to an accuracy problem. In general, most chemistry calculations have a certain degree of error that is allowed as long as the relative error in within the sufficient acceptable error range. Theoretically, the precision of calculation by computer is unlimited, but in practicality, most only go as far as a certain amount. Beyond building a drug at its lowest energy state, or find a drug’s real conformation with incredible speed and accuracy, the huge data storage and memory capacity allow for huge amounts of library research. There are huge online drug repositories (both public and private) for researchers and scientists to search for their targeted drug. During the drug development phase, the first part of any research is to screen for lead compounds and modify these lead compounds to make them work on human biology. Because there are literally millions of compounds available to start from, how should one most efficiently find the compound desired? The answer is through computational lead compound search. Computers will input parameters given and search for lead compounds that fit the requirements and list them out with more information. Information retrieval of drug related data is an essential tool in the pharmacist’s tool belt. One example of a great computational research tool used for computational design of drugs is the OpenEye OMEGA software suite. OMEGA is the name of a software product belonging to the OpenEye scientific software suite. OMEGA is a powerful tool for screening toxic chemical groups and providing validation of Lipinski’s rule of 5. OMEGA and vRocs have large libraries that can provide much help throughout the usage of computer-aided drug design. The OpenEye product claims that it â€Å"performs rapid conformational expansion of drug-like molecules, yielding a throughput of tens of thousands of compounds per day per processor (open eye website)†. This is a huge search, and without the modern memory, data storage, and speed of modern computers, this task would be impossible. At the beginning of any computational research, researchers have to get into a specific mindset. First, what disease does this researcher want to work on? Based on the disease selected, what drugs are cur rently on the market? Third, are there any other drugs can be any possible new drug candidates? At this point, researchers can start putting their desired pharmacophora into a computer, and let the computer search the library to suggest any possible candidates for further research. Automated drug screening is a good example of this type of raw processing speed and breadth of data to go through. Extensive automatic pharmacological screening for compounds is the traditional and effective method to find new drugs. The sources of compounds are available for screening on a wide range of values including synthetic compounds, natural extracts, microbial fermentation, and compounds obtained by combinatorial chemistry techniques. There are a large number of these compounds possible, so in order to avoid leakage of data across screenings, screening needs to go through a few dozen general pharmacological screening models. To have the best possible outcomes, usually the combination of computer and robates for a netter system can run a screen quickly, efficiently, and on a large scale of samples. Currently, 10ÃŽ ¼g of a typical compound is a sufficient amount to go through dozens of pharmacological screenings, and as tens of thousands of compounds can be screened per day, t his provides valuable research and development of lead compounds. Within the past few years, even the regular computer is able to store a staggering amount of information. In order to perform the screening methods mentioned above, computers need to have large libraries. However, having a large library is not enough for computer to perform computational research; a certain amount of AI logic is also required. This AI logic ability as implemented through judgment causality analysis is the ability to analyze the proposition being established in order to make the appropriate countermeasures. This logic, or pattern recognition, is nowadays easily implemented by computers. OMEGA is one program can be used for pattern recognition. Drugs are used to cure diseases, but for many drugs, they can be toxic to human at the same time as they are helping us control and cure some diseases. Pattern recognition uses the computer using mathematical methods to study automatic processing techniques and interpretation models. We consider the environment and objects within as a model. With the development of computer technology, it is possible to model extremely complex human information processing. An important form of this type of modeling is the identification process on the environment and the living body object. OMEGA can take as input information on the compounds generated by Gaussian and run through GaussView to filter out toxic compounds. This filter can recognize extremely complex pattern. In this filter, many structures are programed in as toxic groups. Any compounds possessing properties of any of these toxic groups will not pass this filter. Other than toxic groups, this program can also recognize number of hydroge n bond donors (HBD) and hydrogen bond acceptors (HBA). HBD and HBA counts are important for drugs because they are important indication for if a drug candidate can be a production drug or not. Dr. Lipinski is the scientist who first comes up with a so-called â€Å"rule of five.† Linpinski’s rule of five was created in 1997 after Christopher A. Lipinski studied 2245 drugs appear on the World Drug Index that have passed phase II clinical trials. By study these drugs’ structural features he came up with four rules: The molecule weight of these compounds less than 500. The number of HBD is less than 5. The number of HBA is less than 10. Log P is less than 5 (Lipinski) (Lipinski et al) Because of Lipinski’s study, the number of HBA and HBD become one critical point when dealing with finding new drug candidates. The variable â€Å"P† is the lipo-hydro partition coefficient, and Log (P) is used to measure the solubility comparison of a compound’s solubility of octane to water. In order to pass through the body, drugs need to be polar in order to dissolve in the bloodstream. However, a drug should not be too polar, because it needs lipophilicity to pass through cell membrane. OMEGA is able to filter all these individual factors, and provide the end user a spreadsheet with all the information contained. After initial candidates search, it is time to test if the drug has a good binding to the target protein. In the human body, drugs need to bind to target protein thereby either inhibit or excite a series of biological reactions. How well a drug can bind to its target directly affect this drug’s efficiency. This structure-activity relationship is related to a drug’s pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. The chemical structure affects a drug’s properties, and these structures will decide which protein this drug will interact with. A drug should not be too tightly bound to the protein because in this case the drug will be very hard to be metabolized and eliminated through the body, and can cause accumulation in the body, and be toxic. To measure how well a drug can bind to its target, the software VIDA is the best choice. VIDA is a program which can visualize docking results of the drug with the protein in a 3D view. Beyond this entire skillset of detailed programs within pharmaceutical chemistry, it is also nice to have a computer that is easy to use, able to perform automatic work, and bind all these programs together. As more and more modern drug analysis use computer instruments for analysis, so many different analytical instruments and computer connection and so many different instrumentation and automation for online use are not only for the determination of electrochemical, spectroscopic, kinetic equilibrium constant, but they are also used for data processing, statistical analysis and results. This all will allow for drug analysis continue to move forward in a sensitive, accurate and rapid direction. Over the years, computer has been developing rapidly, and at the point, people are not only working on making computer faster. Instead, people trying to put this powerful Programs are designed for people, and by people, reflecting the peoples way of thinking and behavior of action, remember to replace part of the program and will be able to simulate human thinking and activities. Reference Bellis, Mary. The History of the ENIAC Computer. About.com Inventors. About.com, 16 May 2014. Web. 03 June 2014. GOLDSTINE, HERMAN H. Computers at the University of Pennsylvanias Moore School, 1943-1946. Computers at the University of Pennsylvanias Moore School, 1943-1946. PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, 1992. Web. 04 June 2014. Lipinski, Christopher A. Lead- and Drug-like Compounds: The Rule-of-five Revolution. Lead- and Drug-like Compounds: The Rule-of-five Revolution. Elsevier B.V., Dec. 2004. Web. 04 June 2014. Lipinski, Christopher A., FRANCO Lambardo, Beryl W. Dominy, and Paul J. Feeney. Experimental and Computational Approaches to Estimate Solubility and Permeability in Drug Discovery and Development Settings. Experimental and Computational Approaches to Estimate Solubility and Permeability in Drug Discovery and Development Settings. Elsevier B.V., Mar. 2001. Web. 04 June 2014. 1

Essay --

â€Å"The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse† (Burke). Lies, power, and selfishness can destroy families, friendships, and towns. When a person has power, they may not use it properly. There have been many instances where this has happened, but two main examples are in the novel The Crucible, and in McCarthyism. The Crucible is connected to McCarthyism by its model of a desire for power, unsubstantiated accusations, and the detrimental effects of these accusations. BEGIN The root of the problem in both The Crucible and McCarthyism was an extreme desire for power. In the novel, Danforth and Hathorne instantly gained power as they sentenced the accused to jail and death. They were so caught up in the power that they were gaining, that they listened to outlandish accusations, not stopping to think if they could be false. Danforth and Hathorne were seen as heroes to the people that were caught up in the chaos and paranoia of witchcraft. This was their motivation in their prosecution. Also, Abigail and the other girls were driven by selfishness. Ruth and Betty accused innocent people of the crime because they did not want to get in trouble, as did Tituba. Abigail accused Elizabeth Proctor because she wanted to be with John. Mary went along with the girls for fear that they would turn on her. No one with power had the courage to speak up and admit what they were doing was wrong (The Crucible). Because of their abuse of power, the town was destroyed. Power in the hands of a selfish person is disastrous. Power was also an important theme in McCarthyism. Joseph McCarthy showed signs of his desire for power early in his life. He led a corrupt campaign to become a circuit court judge, which was a foreshadowing of what he was willi... ...e of both of these events was victory for the victims. There is a strong connection between McCarthyism and the Salem With Trials, which are what The Crucible is based on. Arthur Miller immediately recognized this link, and displayed a great example of an abuse of power, and people going to great measures to get what they want (Brater). The desire for power, unsubstantiated accusations, and the detrimental effects of these accusations are the ways in which The Crucible is connected to McCarthyism. Power and selfishness can destroy the lives of those that possess it, and the lives of people around them. Humans are easily influenced by what others do and say, which is why people can gain power so easily. It is the choice of the powerful to use their power in the correct way. When power is misused, paranoia and chaos, as well as many other negative effects result.

The Dobe Ju/ hoansi Essay example -- essays research papers

The Dobe Ju/' hoansi   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ch 10: The Ju/' hoansi & their neighbors o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Ju/'hoansi share the Dobe area with the Herero and Tswana pastorals. o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They grow crops and have herds yet are all based on kinship and are don't have developed markets or governments. o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Herero's are the largest groups of in the Dobe area. They are Bantu speaking people. o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Were influenced by the German missionaries who pushed them out of their land. They attacked colonists and Germany declared war, ultimately killing 60% of them. o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Working on Herero cattle posts is major source of employment of the Ju. o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With the H& T's came major ecological changes. o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wells were deepened to ensure water supply for stock and were also fenced in. o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Has created more sanitary water but less is available. Goats have also destroyed the grass. And each cattle post now has a permanent population of houseflies. o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Working for the Herero's gives a Ju a donkey to ride as well as an outfit. Wages are minimum but it offers a calf in the long run and ability to offer relatives hospitality. o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Intermarriage is common with Ju women marry Black men. o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Advantages- Ju woman are in the ar...

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 20

Part IV Spirit He who sees in me all things, and all things in me, is never far from me, and I am never far from him. THE BHAGAVAD GITA Chapter 20 The road was just wide enough for the two of us to walk side by side. The grass on either side was as high as an elephant's eye. We could see blue sky above us, and exactly as far along the path as the next curve, which could have been any distance away, because there's no perspective in an unbroken green trench. We'd been traveling on this road most of the day, and passed only one old man and a couple of cows, but now we could hear what sounded like a large party approaching us, not far off, perhaps two hundred yards away. There were men's voices, a lot of them, footsteps, some dissonant metal drums, and most disturbing, the continuous screams of a woman either in pain, or terrified, or both. â€Å"Young masters!† came a voice from somewhere near us. I jumped in the air and came down in a defensive stance, my black glass knife drawn and ready. Josh looked around for the source of the voice. The screaming was getting closer. There was a rustling in the grass a few feet away from the road, then again the voice, â€Å"Young masters, you must hide.† An impossibly thin male face with eyes that seemed a size and a half too large for his skull popped out of the wall of grass beside us. â€Å"You must come. Kali comes to choose her victims! Come now or die.† The face disappeared, replaced by a craggy brown hand that motioned for us to follow into the grass. The woman's scream hit crescendo and failed, as if the voice had broken like an overtightened lute string. â€Å"Go,† said Joshua, pushing me into the grass. As soon as I was off of the road someone caught my wrist and started dragging me through the sea of grass. Joshua latched onto the tail of my shirt and allowed himself to be dragged along. As we ran the grass whipped and slashed at us. I could feel blood welling up on my face and arms, even as the brown wraith pulled me deeper into the sea of green. Above the rasping of my breath I heard men shouting from behind us, then a thrashing of the grass being trampled. â€Å"They follow,† said the brown wraith over his shoulder. â€Å"Run unless you want your heads to decorate Kali's altar. Run.† Over my shoulder to Josh, I said, â€Å"He says run or it will be bad.† Behind Josh, outlined against the sky, I saw long, swordlike spear tips, the sort of thing one might use for beheading someone. â€Å"Okey-dokey,† said Josh. It had taken us over a month to get to India, most of the journey through hundreds of miles of the highest, most rugged country we had ever seen. Amazingly enough, there were villages scattered all through the mountains, and when the villagers saw our orange robes doors were flung wide and larders opened. We were always fed, given a warm place to sleep, and welcomed to stay as long as we wished. We offered obtuse parables and irritating chants in return, as was the tradition. It wasn't until we came out of the mountains onto a brutally hot and humid grassland that we found our mode of dress was drawing more disdain than welcome. One man, of obvious wealth (he rode a horse and wore silk robes) cursed us as we passed and spit at us. Other people on foot began to take notice of us as well, and we hurried off into some high grass and changed out of our robes. I tucked the glass dagger that Joy had given me into my sash. â€Å"What was he going on about?† I asked Joshua. â€Å"He said something about tellers of false prophecies. Pretenders. Enemies of the Brahman, whatever that is. I'm not sure what else.† â€Å"Well, it looks like we're more welcome here as Jews than as Buddhists.† â€Å"For now,† said Joshua. â€Å"All the people have those marks on their foreheads like Gaspar had. I think without one of those we're going to have to be careful.† As we traveled into the lowlands the air felt as thick as warm cream, and we could feel the weight of it in our lungs after so many years in the mountains. We passed into the valley of a wide, muddy river, and the road became choked with people passing in and out of a city of wooden shacks and stone altars. There were humped-back cattle everywhere, even grazing in the gardens, but no one seemed to bear them any mind. â€Å"The last meat I ate was what was left of our camels,† I said. â€Å"Let's find a booth and buy some beef.† There were merchants along the road selling various wares, clay pots, powders, herbs, spices, copper and bronze blades (iron seemed to be in short supply), and tiny carvings of what seemed to be a thousand different gods, most of them having more limbs than seemed necessary and none of them looking particularly friendly. We found grain, breads, fruits, vegetables, and bean pastes for sale, but nowhere did we see any meat. We settled on some bread and spicy bean paste, paid the woman with Roman copper coin, then found a place under a large banyan tree where we could sit and look at the river while we ate. I'd forgotten the smell of a city, the fetid mlange of people, and waste, and smoke and animals, and I began to long for the clean air of the mountains. â€Å"I don't want to sleep here, Joshua. Let's see if we can find a place in the country.† â€Å"We are supposed to follow this river to the sea to reach Tamil. Where the river goes, so go the people.† The river – wider than any in Israel, but shallow, yellow with clay, and still against the heavy air – seemed more like a huge stagnant puddle than a living, moving thing. In this season, anyway. Dotting the surface, a half-dozen skinny, naked men with wild white hair and not three teeth apiece shouted angry poetry at the top of their lungs and tossed water into glittering crests over their heads. â€Å"I wonder how my cousin John is doing,† said Josh. All along the muddy riverbank women washed clothes and babies only steps from where cattle waded and shat, men fished or pushed long shallow boats along with poles, and children swam or played in the mud. Here and there the corpse of a dog bobbed flyblown in the gentle current. â€Å"Maybe there's a road inland a little, away from the stench.† Joshua nodded and climbed to his feet. â€Å"There,† he said, pointing to a narrow path that began on the opposite bank of the river and disappeared into some tall grass. â€Å"We'll have to cross,† I said. â€Å"Be nice if we could find a boat to take us,† said Josh. â€Å"You don't think we should ask where the path leads?† â€Å"No,† said Joshua, looking at a crowd of people who were gathering nearby and staring at us. â€Å"These people all look hostile.† â€Å"What was that you told Gaspar about love was a state you dwell in or something?† â€Å"Yeah, but not with these people. These people are creepy. Let's go.† The creepy little brown guy who was dragging me through the elephant grass was named Rumi, and much to his credit, amid the chaos and tumble of a headlong dash through a leviathan marshland, pursued by a muderous band of clanging, shouting, spear-waving decapitation enthusiasts, Rumi had managed to find a tiger – no small task when you have a kung fu master and the savior of the world in tow. â€Å"Eek, a tiger,† Rumi said, as we stumbled into a small clearing, a mere depression really, where a cat the size of Jerusalem was gleefully gnawing away on the skull of a deer. Rumi had expressed my sentiments exactly, but I would be damned if I was going to let my last words be â€Å"Eek, a tiger,† so I listened quietly as urine filled my shoes. â€Å"You'd think all the noise would have frightened him,† Josh said, just as the tiger looked up from his deer. I noticed that our pursuers seemed to be closing on us by the second. â€Å"That is the way it is usually done,† said Rumi. â€Å"The noise drives the tiger to the hunter.† â€Å"Maybe he knows that,† I said, â€Å"so he's not going anywhere. You know, they're bigger than I imagined. Tigers, I mean.† â€Å"Sit down,† said Joshua. â€Å"Pardon me?† I said. â€Å"Trust me,† Joshua said. â€Å"Remember the cobra when we were kids?† I nodded to Rumi and coaxed him down as the tiger crouched and tensed his hind legs as if preparing to leap, which is exactly what he was doing. As the first of our pursuers broke into the clearing from behind us the tiger leapt, sailing over our heads by half again the height of a man. The tiger landed on the first two men coming out of the grass, crushing them under his enormous forepaws, then raking their backs as he leapt again. After that all I could see was spear points scattering against the sky as the hunters became, well, you know. Men screamed, the woman screamed, the tiger screamed, and the two men who had fallen under the tiger crawled to their feet and limped back toward the road, screaming. Rumi looked from the dead deer, to Joshua, to me, to the dead deer, to Joshua, and his eyes seemed to grow even larger than before. â€Å"I am deeply moved and eternally grateful for your affinity with the tiger, but that is his deer, and it appears that he has not finished with it, perhaps†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Joshua stood up. â€Å"Lead on.† â€Å"I don't know which way.† â€Å"Not that way,† I said, pointing in the direction of the screaming bad guys. Rumi led us through the grass to another road, which we followed to where he lived. â€Å"It's a pit,† I said. â€Å"It's not that bad,† said Joshua, looking around. There were other pits nearby. People were living in them. â€Å"You live in a pit,† I said. â€Å"Hey, ease up,† Joshua said. â€Å"He saved our lives.† â€Å"It is a humble pit, but it is home,† said Rumi. â€Å"Please make yourself comfortable.† I looked around. The pit had been chipped out of sandstone and was about shoulder deep and just wide enough to turn a cow around in, which I would find out was a crucial dimension. The pit was empty except for a single rock about knee high. â€Å"Have a seat. You may have the rock,† said Rumi. Joshua smiled and sat on the rock. Rumi sat on the floor of the pit, which was covered with a thick layer of black slime. â€Å"Please. Sit,† said Rumi, gesturing to the floor beside him. â€Å"I'm sorry, we can only afford one rock.† I didn't sit. â€Å"Rumi, you live in a pit!† I pointed out. â€Å"Well, yes, that is true. Where do Untouchables live in your land?† â€Å"Untouchable?† â€Å"Yes, the lowest of the low. The scum of the earth. None of the higher caste may acknowledge my existence. I am Untouchable.† â€Å"Well, no wonder, you live in a fucking pit.† â€Å"No,† Joshua said, â€Å"he lives in a pit because he's Untouchable, he's not Untouchable because he lives in a pit. He'd be Untouchable if he lived in a palace, isn't that right, Rumi?† â€Å"Oh, like that's going to happen,† I said. I'm sorry, the guy lived in a pit. â€Å"There's more room since my wife and most of my children died,† said Rumi. â€Å"Until this morning it was only Vitra, my youngest daughter and me, but now she is gone too. There is plenty of room for you if you wish to stay.† Joshua put his hand on Rumi's narrow shoulder and I could see the effect it had, the pain evaporating from the Untouchable's face like dew under a hot sun. I stood by being wretched. â€Å"What happened to Vitra?† Joshua asked. â€Å"They came and took her, the Brahmans, as a sacrifice on the feast of Kali. I was looking for her when I saw you two. They gather children and men, criminals, Untouchables, and strangers. They would have taken you and day after tomorrow they would have offered your head to Kali.† â€Å"So your daughter is not dead?† I asked. â€Å"They will hold her until midnight on the night of the feast, then slaughter her with the other children on the wooden elephants of Kali.† â€Å"I will go to these Brahmans and ask for your daughter back,† Joshua said. â€Å"They'll kill you,† Rumi said. â€Å"Vitra is lost, even your tiger cannot save you from Kali's destruction.† â€Å"Rumi,† I said. â€Å"Look at me, please. Explain, Brahmans, Kali, elephants, everything. Go slow, act as if I know nothing.† â€Å"Like that takes imagination,† Joshua said, clearly violating my implied, if not expressed, copyright on sarcasm. (Yeah, we have Court TV in the hotel room, why?) â€Å"There are four castes,† said Rumi, â€Å"the Brahmans, or priests; Kshatriyas, or warriors; Vaisyas, who are farmers or merchants; and the Sudras, who are laborers. There are many subcastes, but those are the main ones. Each man is born to a caste and he remains in that caste until he dies and is reborn as a higher caste or lower caste, which is determined by his karma, or actions during his last life.† â€Å"We know from karma,† I said. â€Å"We're Buddhist monks.† â€Å"Heretics!† Rumi hissed. â€Å"Bite me, you bug-eyed scrawny brown guy,† I said. â€Å"You are a scrawny brown guy!† â€Å"No, you're a scrawny brown guy!† â€Å"No, you are a scrawny brown guy!† â€Å"We are all scrawny brown guys,† Joshua said, making peace. â€Å"Yeah, but he's bug-eyed.† â€Å"And you are a heretic.† â€Å"You're a heretic!† â€Å"No, you are a heretic.† â€Å"We're all scrawny brown heretics,† said Joshua, calming things down again. â€Å"Well, of course I'm scrawny,† I said. â€Å"Six years of cold rice and tea, and not a scrap of beef for sale in the whole country.† â€Å"You would eat beef? You heretic!† shouted Rumi. â€Å"Enough!† shouted Joshua. â€Å"No one may eat a cow. Cows are the reincarnations of souls on their way to the next life.† â€Å"Holy cow,† Josh said. â€Å"That is what I am saying.† Joshua shook his head as if trying to straighten jumbled thoughts. â€Å"You said that there were four castes, but you didn't mention Untouchables.† â€Å"Harijans, Untouchables, have no caste, we are the lowest of the low. We may have to live many lifetimes before we even ascend to the level of a cow, and then we may become higher caste. Then, if we follow our dharma, our duty, as a higher caste, we may become one with Brahma, the universal spirit of all. I can't believe you don't know this, have you been living in a cave?† I was going to point out that Rumi was in no position to criticize where we had been living, but Joshua signaled me to let it go. Instead I said, â€Å"So you are lower on the caste system than a cow?† I asked. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"So these Brahmans won't eat a cow, but they will take your daughter and kill her for their goddess?† â€Å"And eat her,† said Rumi, hanging his head. â€Å"At midnight on the night of the feast they will take her and the other children and tie them to the wooden elephants. They will cut off the children's fingers and give one to the head of each Brahman household. Then they will catch her blood in a cup and everyone in the household will taste it. They may eat the finger or bury it for good luck. After that the children are hacked to death on the wooden elephants.† â€Å"They can't do that,† Joshua said. â€Å"Oh yes, the cult of Kali may do anything they wish. It is her city, Kalighat.† [â€Å"Calcutta† on the Friendly Flyer map.] â€Å"My little Vitra is lost. We can only pray that she is reincarnated to a higher level.† Joshua patted the Untouchable's hand. â€Å"Why did you call Biff a heretic when he told you that we were Buddhist monks?† â€Å"That Gautama said that a man may go directly from any level to join Brahma, without fulfilling his dharma, that is heresy.† â€Å"That would be better for you, wouldn't it? Since you're on the bottom of the ladder?† â€Å"You cannot believe what you do not believe,† Rumi said. â€Å"I am an Untouchable because my karma dictates it.† â€Å"Oh yeah,† I said. â€Å"No sense sitting under a bodhi tree for a few hours when you can get the same thing through thousands of lifetimes of misery.† â€Å"Of course, that's ignoring the fact that you're a gentile and going to suffer eternal damnation either way,† said Josh. â€Å"Yeah, leaving that out altogether.† â€Å"But we'll get your daughter back,† Joshua said. Joshua wanted to rush into Kalighat and demand the return of Rumi's daughter and the release of all the other victims in the name of what was good and right. Joshua's solution to everything was to lead with righteous indignation, and there is a time and a place unto that, but there is also a time for cunning and guile (Ecclesiastes 9 or something). I was able to talk him into an alternate plan by using flawless logic: â€Å"Josh, did the Vegemites smite the Marmites by charging in and demanding justice at the end of a sword? I think not. These Brahmans cut off and eat the fingers of children. I know there's no finger-cutting commandment, Josh, but still, I'm guessing that these people think differently than we do. They call the Buddha a heretic, and he was one of their princes. How do you think they'll receive a scrawny brown kid claiming to be the son of a god who doesn't even live in their area?† â€Å"Good point. But we still have to save the child.† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"How?† â€Å"Extreme sneakiness.† â€Å"You'll have to be in charge then.† â€Å"First we need to see this city and this temple where the sacrifices will be held.† Joshua scratched his head. His hair had mostly grown back, but was still short. â€Å"The Vegemites smote the Marmites?† â€Å"Yeah, Excretions three-six.† â€Å"I don't remember that. I guess I need to brush up on my Torah.† The statue of Kali over her altar was carved from black stone and stood as tall as ten men. She wore a necklace of human skulls around her neck and a girdle made of severed human hands at her hips. Her open maw was lined with a saw blade of teeth over which a stream of fresh blood had been poured. Even her toenails curved into vicious blades which dug into the pile of twisted, graven corpses on which she stood. She had four arms, one holding a cruel, serpentine sword, another a severed head by the hair; the third hand she held crooked, as if beckoning her victims to the place of dark destruction to which all are destined, and the fourth was posed downward, in a manner presenting the goddess's hand-girded hips, as if asking the eternal question, â€Å"Does this outfit make me look fat?† The raised altar lay in the middle of an open garden that was surrounded by trees. The altar was wide enough that five hundred people could have stood in the shadow of the black goddess. Deep grooves had been cut in the stone to channel the blood of sacrifices into vessels, so it could be poured through the goddess's jaws. Leading to the altar was a wide stone-paved boulevard, which was lined on either side by great elephants carved from wood and set on turntables so they could be rotated. The trunks and front feet of the elephants were stained rusty brown, and here and there the trunks exhibited deep gouges from blades that had hewn through a child into the mahogany. â€Å"Vitra isn't being kept here,† Joshua said. We were hiding behind a tree near the temple garden, dressed as natives, fake caste marks and all. Having lost when we drew lots, I was the one dressed as a woman. â€Å"I think this is a bodhi tree,† I said, â€Å"just like Buddha sat under! It's so exciting. I'm feeling sort of enlightened just standing here. Really, I can feel ripe bodhies squishing between my toes.† Joshua looked at my feet. â€Å"I don't think those are bodhies. There was a cow here before us.† I lifted my foot out of the mess. â€Å"Cows are overrated in this country. Under the Buddha's tree too. Is nothing sacred?† â€Å"There's no temple to this temple,† Joshua said. â€Å"We have to ask Rumi where the sacrifices are kept until the festival.† â€Å"He won't know. He's Untouchable. These guys are Brahmans – priests – they wouldn't tell him anything. That would be like a Sadducee telling a Samaritan what the Holy of Holies looked like.† â€Å"Then we have to find them ourselves,† Joshua said. â€Å"We know where they're going to be at midnight, we'll get them then.† â€Å"I say we find these Brahmans and force them to stop the whole festival.† â€Å"We'll just storm up to their temple and tell them to stop it?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And they will.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"That's cute, Josh. Let's go find Rumi. I have a plan.†