Art Spiegelmans Maus - Prisoner on the Hell Planet - A...

Art Spieglemans comic book within the comic book Maus is titled Prisoner on the Hell Planet: A Case History. This text within a text describes, in horrific detail through pictures, Arties failed effort to get through the painful loss of his mother due to suicide. This text also in a way, represents a part of Arties mind where he expresses his feelings of loneliness, doubt, fear, anger, and blame through the form of a dark, gloomy, depressing cartoon. In the first frame on page 100 nest to the title Prisoner on the Hell Planet: A Case History, including this picture of Artie and his mother at Trojan Lake in 1958 (ten years before his mother killed herself). Adding this picture of Artie and his mother brings a†¦show more content†¦In the past Artie may have felt that his mother was always trying to compare him to her first son Richieu, which may be the reason for Artie having to stay in a mental hospital for three months. In the present time, in spite of his mothers actions towards him, Artie tries to be away from home as often as possible. So, he stays over at his girlfriends place a few days at a time. The fourth frame of this short story depicts Artie running down the sidewalk, and his narration above reading: Id just spent the weekend with my girlfriend, Isabella. (My parents didnt like her.) I was late getting home. As I mentioned before, Artie probably stays at his girlfriends house often because he does not want to be near his parents which explains why he was late. There is little if any connection between Artie and his parents, especially with his mother. He knows that he will never be his older brother Richieu and this disappoints his parents. The fifth frame of this strip is one of the most important frames. In this frame, Artie expresses to the reader for the first time the guilt he has developed resulting from his mothers suicide. He states I suppose that if Id gotten home when expected, I would have found her body. Accentuating I by bolding it and making it stand out, demonstrates to the reader that he puts the blame on himself for his mothers suicide and feels guilty. The subsequent two frames reveal thatShow MoreRelated A Different Kind of Holocaust Essay2236 Words   |  9 PagesArt Spiegelmans Maus is a renowned comic book that won a Pulitzer Prize. The book was published in two parts, Volume I: My Father Bleeds History, in 1986, and Volume II: And Here My Troubles Began, in 1991. It was later integrated into one single volume. The book told Spiegelmans desire to write about his fathers experiences during the Holocaust, as well as the experiences themselves. There had been numbers of Holocaust books over the deca des, but Maus is different among all. After readingRead MoreMaus by Art Spiegelman Essay1913 Words   |  8 Pagesconventional art to truly show artistic intention. Comics exist to expose the ethnic representations that seek to control the development of collective perceptions, memories and emotions and especially fear by investigating the techniques through which this control is maintained. Maus I is a true account of a Holocaust survivor, Vladek Spiegelman, and his experiences as a young Jew during the horrors leading up to the confinement in Auschwitz. Maus II is about Vladek recounting his own history to hisRead MoreAnalysis Of `` Maus `` By Art Spiegelman1945 Words   |  8 Pagesfeeling to capture. The graphic novel Maus, written and drawn by Art Spiegelman, illustrates himself trying to relate with his father, Vladek, by having him recount his story as a Holocaust survivor. The novel deals with Artie’s struggle to understand the Holocaust and his father’s situation as best as he can without having lived through it; he wishes he could have known what his father went through and could comprehend his situation. The postmodern story of Maus uses the drawings of his characters

The Synthesis And Processing Of Ceramics And Ceramic...

INTRODUCTION | 1 Polymer derived ceramics (PDC) were first introduced over thirty years ago, and are a fundamental material in high demand today. Over the years, these materials have been heavily studied to better understand how to manufacture them and determine their desired properties. Such materials include coatings, ceramic fivers, and ceramics containing properties that allow them to have high stability at high temperatures. Desired properties of PDC typically include high resistance to decomposition, phase separation, crystallization, high chemical durability, semi-conductivity, and creep. [4] This paper will discuss the synthesis and processing of ceramics and ceramic composites using soft materials such as pre-ceramic polymers. The potential for materials for a large variety of applications in harsh environments, pertaining mainly to the mechanical properties of PDCs, will also be discussed. PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES | 2 There are three basic steps in order to process PDC. These include synthesis of preceramic from a specific monomer, crosslinking of polymers at low temperatures which allow for networks to form, and finally ceramization by pyrolysis. Some of the most common monomers which can be used consist of polysilanes, polycarbosilanes, polysiloxanes, polysilazanes, and polysilylcarbodiimides. There are several procedures in order to attain these figure 18.1 indicates some of the methods of creating some preceramics through various methods outlined [1]. Figure:Show MoreRelatedDental Question Bank33485 Words   |  134 Pagesof aspirin might show increased post operative bleeding because aspirin inhibits** A. B. C. D. E. Synthesis of thromboxane A2 and prevents platelet aggregation Synthesis of prostacyclin and prevents platelet aggregation Synthesis of prostaglandin and prevents production of blood platelets Thrombin and prevents formation of the fibrin network Increase the absorption of vitamin K and prevents synthesis of blood clotting factors 50. A patient who recently had a calculus removed from the kidney presentedRead MoreHypo Sludge9275 Words   |  38 PagesHYPOTHESES 5 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY 5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 6 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 7 DEFINITION OF TERMS 8 CHAPTER II 11 CONCEPTUAL LITERATURE 11 RELATED LITERATURE 31 SYNTHESIS 34 CHAPTER III 36 RESEARCH DESIGN 36 MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENTS 38 PREPARATION OF MATERIALS 41 TESTING OF MATERIALS 43 MIXING AND PREPARATION OF TEST SPECIMEN 43 DETERMINATION OF COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH 44 DETERMINATION OF FLEXURAL STRENGTH 45 STATISTICAL TREATMENT 45 FLOW OF THE EXPERIMENTAL STUDYRead MoreInnovators Dna84615 Words   |  339 Pagesno ability to think creatively. If you believe this, we’re going to tell you that you are largely wrong. At least within the realm of business innovation, virtually everyone has some capacity for creativity and innovative thinking. Even you. So using the example of Jobs, let’s explore this ability to think different. How did Jobs come up with some of his innovative ideas in the past? And what does his journey tell us? Innovative Idea #1: Personal Computers Should Be Quiet and Small One ofRead MoreProject Managment Case Studies214937 Words   |  860 Pagesto the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives orwritten sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damagesRead MoreQuality Improvement328284 Words   |  1314 Pagessituations. Although statistical techniques are emphasized throughout, the book has a strong engineering and management orientation. Extensive knowledge of statistics is not a prerequisite for using this book. Readers whose background includes a basic course in statistical methods will find much of the material in this book easily accessible. Audience The book is an outgrowth of more than 35 years of teaching, research, and consulting in the application of statistical methods for industrial problemsRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesmymanagementlab is an online assessment and preparation solution for courses in Principles of Management, Human Resources, Strategy, and Organizational Behavior that helps you actively study and prepare material for class. Chapter-by-chapter activities, including built-in pretests and posttests, focus on what you need to learn and to review in order to succeed. Visit www.mymanagementlab.com to learn more. DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT SKILLS EIGHTH EDITION David A. Whetten BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY

What Is Normal in Our Society Free Essays

For you, what is normal? After browsing lousily in the blog topics given and after three garbage drafts of different topics, at last, I found the one topic I really get to put my mind on. Actually, it interested me to write about this topic because this is one topic which a friend and I debated about. At that time, we had different views on how we say that a certain person is normal. We will write a custom essay sample on What Is Normal in Our Society? or any similar topic only for you Order Now I think  everyone is just too normal and ordinary that everyone does different things to stand out. Because of this cause, everyone seems to be the same. This tends the idea for the contented people to look as if they are abnormal. People who don’t tend to be â€Å"normal† are the ones who makes no effort to be different. Most of the people in our surroundings wants to prove themselves to other people (say, parents, boss and even a loved one) for reasons beyond our understanding. Because of this purpose, it becomes a trend for people that when a next person who announces his rebellion to be different is just normal. I know it’s kind of confusing but my main point is, everything is normal. Examples? Fine, I’ll give them. Change is normal. Absurdity is normal. Imagination is normal. Twisted minds are normal. Even abnormality is normal. Sometimes, those people who spend tremendous energy to be the same as everyone else are the ones who stand out and the ones who uses up gargantuan power to be different are often neglected because of its normality. People who uses queer routines would at first be queer but as time passes by, it would be normal in their aspect. The future tendency of that person is to make another show to stand out because that habit would not have lasting appreciation of the listener’s. Being normal means to do things that are exceptionally dominant in a common society. When in a casual walk we suddenly see a beggar in America, we would think it is not normal. Why? Because in our knowledge, it has been put in our heads by our parents that America is a great country not liable of poverty. This is true. Back to the beggar stuff, well, who knows, maybe he is a broken down man who gave up hope in his life. If this is the situation, it would be normal. If he is a man who came from a wealthy and loving family and he is ust like that because he is needed to accomplish a prearranged marriage, that is normal too, however queer it might just be. To be normal is to be queer. Sometimes, it crosses my mind that normality is queerness all the same. What I literally mean is that when people try to be normal, it sounds so queer. How can a person not possibly be normal, right? While when a person tries to be queer, it looks so normal. I mean, it is just so common that people are jus t used to it. I JUST LOVE THE IRONY! How to cite What Is Normal in Our Society?, Essay examples

Business Environment and Economics

Question: Describe about the organizational purpose of business,Nature of national environment and Global factors shaping national business? Answer: Section 1: Organizational purposes of business 1.1 Purposes of different types of organization The major types of organizations that generally exist are public sector municipality, private companies, partnership concerns and non-profit organizations. The public municipalities generally cater to the needs of the public and community at large. The public municipalities generally deliver government services and cater to the needs commercial services like military, police and infrastructure. Private sector organizations are the part of economy that are controlled by private organizations (Andrle, 2012). Unlike the public government private sector majorly focuses on earning profits rather than serving to the communal needs. A nonprofit organization (NPO) is the type of organization that uses surplus of its revenues for the communal benefit. Thus, in this type of organization, revenue is majorly used for reinvestment in the different strategies. The NPOs unlike the other organizations generally helps the community and the employees by investing in different sustainable functions (Wa lsh and Yu, 2012). 1.2 Extent to which the organization meets objectives of stakeholders The organizations generally have different types of roles for different segments of stakeholders. The internal stakeholders include employees, shareholders and unions and the external stakeholders include customers, suppliers and local community members. In case of the employees, the organizations generally devise different performance appraisal strategies that will help the employee to increase their productivity levels. The shareholders are majorly concerned with the high level of profits and goodwill of the company thus the organizations in this case focuses on meeting the organizational objectives and the necessary sales level so that the organizations are able to retain large degree of profits (Bartolucci, 2012). In case of the unions, the major roles of the companies are to focus on assessing the needs of the trade unions and devise different strategies for the trade unions so that they can cater to the needs of the different level of employees. The customers and the local community are the external stakeholders of the company and the major base of success for any company. Thus, it is the duty of the company to provide high quality products at affordable price range to the customers and the community so that the goodwill of the company is maintained (Ummer, 2012). 1.3Responsibilities and strategies of the organization The responsibilities of the organizations changes according to the type of stakeholder needs. For instance, in case of employees and shareholders the organization is responsible for creating value and meeting the personal and professional needs of the employees. In case of the community, the major responsibility of the organization is to provide sufficient amount of labor on producing high quality products with affordable price range. The trade unions are generally the external groups that regulate the demands of the employees. Thus in case of trade unions it is the duty of the company to keep the trade unions satisfied with different types of benefits and also negotiate efficiently with the trade unions in order to make them productive (Couch and Wu, 2012). Section 2: Nature of national environment 2.1 Resource allocation by economic systems According to Gersbach and Hahn (2012) there are majorly four types of economic systems prevailing in different countries namely the traditional economic system, the free-market economic system, planned economic system and the mixed economic system. The countries adopting the traditional economic system generally produce products that are related to the beliefs, customs, traditions and religion of the country. Mixed economic systems are also known as the dual economic system that comprises of the characteristics of both free and command economic systems (Gersbach and Hahn, 2012). The major benefit of the mixed economic system is that the market is mostly free from the government ownership. The command economic system is the type of economic system that is completely controlled by the government and the regulations and working of the organizations are managed under governmental control. The free economy or the socialist economy is the type of economy where no control or regulations are generally set for the operating organizations (Walsh and Yu, 2012). The resource allocation patterns of the different types of resources are different in the four major economies. In free or socialist economy, the resources are allocated by market price without any intervention from the government. In planned or capitalist economy, the resources are allocated with the help of the government regulations and are regulated with the help of demand-supply trend within the organization. The mixed economy generally focuses on allocation of resources based on both government participation and demand-supply regulations within the market (Gurtuna, 2013). 2.2 Impact of fiscal and monetary policies on business decisions Gourvish (2012) stated that there is a striking difference between the fiscal and the monetary policies. The aim of the fiscal policy is to control the level of inflation, maintain positive economic growth and encourage employment opportunity levels. On the contrary, the aim of the monetary policy is to influence the demand, supply chain of the market, and regulate the interest rates in the market operations. The government regulates the fiscal policy. If the government thinks that the economic condition is going out of control, then with the help of the fiscal polices the government will slow down the production rate of the organizations. The increment in the level of taxes will also slow down the economic growth of the business. In case of monetary policy the government will be able to regulate the interest rates and will be able to accordingly control the level of money supply and personal consumption of the population of a particular country (Keel, 2012). 2.3 Impact of competitive policy and regulatory mechanisms The competition policies and regulatory mechanisms are highly prominent in case of retail sector that faces stiff competition from both local and international players. In UK the retail shops generally face sever competition. Tesco, which is one the biggest retail market of UK with around 35% market share generally, sets price as per the competition policies of UK. The cost of pricing strategies of Tesco depends on the pricing policies of different other retail sectors operating in UK. Tesco generally adopts a low pricing strategy in order to gain competitive advantage in comparison to other retail sectors. Section 3: Behavior of organizations in market environment 3.1 Pricing and output decisions determination The pricing and output decision are generally based on three types of market conditions namely monopoly market, Oligopoly market and perfect competition market. In monopoly, the seller selects the price and the buyer does not have any option of changing the price levels. In oligopoly market, the organizations generally set the price after considering the price level of the top competitors. In case of perfect competition, the companies generally operates in stiff competition market thus the organization does not have the opportunity of taking the price. Rather the price decision is bestowed upon the consumers and they are the price takers (Kuzmina, 2013). 3.2 Shaping of market forces by organizational response The following market forces generally shape the organizational responses. The demand and supply of different products generally helps in shaping pricing, promotional and selling decisions of organization. The economies of scale also shape the production rate in an organization. Cost and output rate of the products are determined by the rate of products demanded within the organization. The customers perception and actions also shapes the organizational resource demands and resource needs. The demand of the product depends on the changes in customers taste and preferences. If the products are of high price, then the organizations generally adopts to the policies of premium quality products (Lee, Lee and Lee, 2013). The economies of scale on the other hand generally help the organization to produce large volumes of the product with low cost of production. However, a company will be able to avail the economies of scale only if the demand for a particular product is very high within the target customer segment. 3.3 Shaping of business and cultural environments The political and the cultural environments of the country in which the particular organization is situated can change the overall business scenario of the organization. For instance, the business services of Tesco in UK are regulated by the changes in the political environment of UK (Mankiw, Taylor and Ashwin, 2013). The major economic factors like the interest rates, GDP rates, employment rates and inflation rates also regulate the overall situation of UK. In UK, the political situation of the country is favorable for types of trading organizations. Hence, the organizations are able to establish congenial trading relationships with the global organizations. Section 4: Global factors shaping national business 4.1 Significance of international trade to UK business organizations International trade has improved in the recent years due to the modern production techniques, advanced international corporations and efficient transportation system. With the advent of international trade system, companies like Tesco can operate in other countries with reduced amounts of barriers. In absence of international trade regulations companies in UK like Tesco will not be able to trade globally with Asian and EU countries. The UK international trade regulations have acted as competitive advantage for the UK organizations and have helped them in securing good trading relationships with the global organizations (Ummer, 2012). 4.2 Impact of global factors on UK organizations The major global factor that may influence the business structure of Tesco includes International competitiveness, international business environment, tariff and taxes and exchange rate policies. Thus, Tesco while operating in UK keeps its focus on the performance of the Global competitors like Walmart. The pricing and promotional strategy of Tesco depends on the policies and strategies of global and domestic competitors. Exchange rate is one of the major components that influence the global operations of Tesco. Since Tesco has many branches outside UK hence the company will have to monitor the current currency rates in order to make it feasible for the company to fix the prices accordingly (Parkin, 2012). 4.3 Impact of European Union on UK organizations The major policy that affects the working of companies in UK includes employment policy, regional policy, taxation policy, inflation policy and educations policy. These policies generally have direct impact on the working process of the UK organizations. Thus, while conducting business in UK, Tesco requires to abide by the polices of EU. Tesco is operating on a global basis thus the company needs to abide by the common regulations under the EU polices in all operational countries. Tesco faces legal obligations from the EU countries in case of violation of any policy (Abbey, 2012). References Abbey, 2012. Inflation And Financial Development: Evidence. American Journal of Economics and Business Administration, 4(4), pp.227-236. Andrle, M., 2012. Structural correlation decompositions for business cycle analysis. Economics Letters, 115(3), pp.390-391. Bartolucci, C., 2012. Business cycles and wage rigidity. Labour Economics, 19(4), pp.568-583. Couch, R. and Wu, W., 2012. Private investment and public equity returns. Journal of Economics and Business, 64(2), pp.160-184. Gersbach, H. and Hahn, V., 2012. Inflation forecast contracts. London: Centre for Economic Policy Research. Gourvish, T., 2012. The economics of beer. Business History, 54(5), pp.815-816. Gurtuna, O., 2013. Fundamentals of space business and economics. New York, NY: Springer. Keel, L., 2012. Inflation. New Delhi: Orange Apple. Kuzmina, J., 2013. Usage of Christian Social Ethics in Business. JOEBM, pp.6-10. Lee, C., Lee, J. and Lee, A., 2013. Statistics for business and financial economics. New York, NY: Springer. Mankiw, N., Taylor, M. and Ashwin, A., 2013. Business economics. Andover: Cengage Learning. Parkin, M., 2012. Economics. Boston: Addison-Wesley. Ummer, E., 2012. Basic mathematics for economics, business, and finance. New York, NY: Routledge. Walsh, J. and Yu, J., 2012. Inflation and income inequality. [Washington, D.C.]: International Monetary Fund.

Students Procrastination Problem

Procrastination is the habit of postponing doing things that needs to be done. It can also be defined as the act of avoiding doing certain things that ought to be done. This is a problem affecting most of my classmates especially when it comes to assignments.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Students Procrastination Problem specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More I have observed that most students tend to avoid doing assignments until the last minute and some are not even able to meet the deadline. It is normal to procrastinate (and most people do it) but excessive procrastination often leads to problems. People are left with guilt feelings when they are not able to accomplish a task at the right time. This is not a problem that is only affecting learning institutions; it also affects employees in the work place. It is like an addiction and once you develop it, it becomes very hard to leave. In this paper I will address the problem of excessive procrastination, look at the reasons why students procrastinate and give recommendations. In doing this, I will use books and the internet to gather information about the problem that will help me in making recommendations on solving the problem. I have reviewed different perspectives from different scholars and found that, excessive procrastination causes anxiety because the tasks being avoided must be done. It also results in poor performance because the assignments are done in a hurry when the student does not have ample time to research on the topic. If this problem is not addressed, it can interfere with individual’s school performance as well as their personal success. Burka Lenora (1983) observed that, one reason why students procrastinate is perfectionism. This is a situation where a student feels that, his/her standard of performance for a particular task is too high that it seems impossible to accomplish it. Other students fear to fail and lack confidence in accomplishing some tasks. They lack self confidence and believe that, they cannot be able to complete a given task successfully. I have seen some students who get confused either before starting a task or along the way. They are not sure of what is required and how to go about it. Some tasks are generally difficult for a given group of students and no matter how hard a student works to complete it, he lack the skills needed. Majority of the students in my class lack motivation in various subjects because they consider them too boring or difficult. This makes them lack interest in accomplishing a task in the respective field. Other reasons are poor concentration, unpleasantness, and lack of priorities.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One way to help such students is to involve them in cooperative learning. According to Orlich (a credited author in New York), et al (2 009), Cooperative learning is a teaching approach where students study in groups or small teams made up of students with different levels of propensity. They use different learning activities in order to proceed with their understanding of a precise subject. Each member is responsible for helping team members to learn as he/she learns from the others. Team members normally work on specific assignment until they are satisfied that all members are acquainted with it and are able to complete it. The aim of cooperative learning is to help students gain from others; it helps students to realize that they share a common interest with others. From research, it is clear that, cooperative learning not only boosts student retention in schools; it also supports their academic achievement. It helps students to get better on their oral communication, promotes their self-esteem, and social skills (Vorse 2010). I will encourage my classmates to form cooperative learning teams so that we are all ab le to accomplish our tasks. Excessive procrastination can be controlled through self motivation where a student understands that, there is no one who is perfect and time wasted is never recovered. Tasks should be prioritized in order of urgency and importance and once a task is started, it is always good for one to commit him/her self in its completion (Burka 1983). Rewards are some of the ways that can boost self confidence and motivation. Once a task have been completed successfully, one should reward her/him self for the success. We all have different learning habits; some are able to perform well at the wee hours in the morning while others prefer to work late at night. To avoid procrastination, an individual should work on tasks at the most convenient time. If the task is big, it should be broken down into small tasks that are easy to manage and to complete. Instead of failing to complete a task because it seems hard, it is advisable to seek guidance from the teachers or other classmates. Every student should have a working schedule, set standards, and should work in areas that have little or no interference. The most important thing is to be proactive and to think positively. Once a person has started working on a task, he realizes that it becomes interesting and easy than he initially thought. This gives him the motivation to complete the task and feels satisfied once it is accomplished.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Students Procrastination Problem specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reference List Burka, J. B. Lenora, M. Y (1983). Procrastination: Why you do it, what to do about it. London: Wesley Publication Co. Orlich, D. C., et al (2009). Teaching Strategies: A Guide to Effective Instruction. New York: Cengage Learning. Vorse, H. M. (2010). Procrastination. Retrieved from https://www.unc.edu/ This essay on Students Procrastination Problem was written and submitted by user L1v1a to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tripp Lake by Lauren Slater

Tripp Lake by Lauren Slater The story ‘Tripp Lake’ is about a ten year old girl, from a family where the parents do not agree with each other. The girl is named Lauren, and her character can be plainly put as docile and non competitive. In this story, Lauren is persuaded by her unhappy mother to attend summer camp in Poland, Maine, in an effort to help her daughter to enjoy her childhood and nurture her into a competitive person, an opportunity that she had missed, since she had many responsibilities when growing up, as the first born child in her family.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Tripp Lake by Lauren Slater specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Lauren finds it necessary to begin her story with her departure for the summer camp, in order to build on her attitude throughout the summer camp. She states that she experienced a â€Å"shudder of intense grief† with regard to the fragile and emotional expressions portrayed by her mother, who wanted more from life, but felt unable to achieve it. Lauren is observed to be sympathetic, since she wished she could trade places with her mother, in order for her to achieve some more, since she felt that her mother was imposing the life that she had wanted for herself, on her. This is observed when Lauren called her home and asked to go home, but her mother responded by telling her to not be a quitter. It is at his point that we get to understand why Lauren is fearful. Lauren lacked the will to be competitive, since the glory that came with victory was something that her mother did not have, and she felt that her mother had to be happy for her to feel joy as well, as seen in the words, â€Å"I felt much too guilty to take them for myself.† The author is extremely fearful and sympathetic, to an extent where she cannot participate effectively in sports. In addition to this, we see the turmoil that Lauren is faced with, when living her life. She tries to have s ome fun but feels guilty for it, since she observes her happiness as betrayal to her mother, when she states that part of her fiercely wants her to win the games, while there was a part of her that wanted to hide, and in many cases, she hid herself, to avoid competing. Lauren tells us of how she was able to overcome her fear, by finding a sport where she did not have to hide. This sport, horse riding, was introduced to her, when the counsellors noticed her problem, after she was one of the last two players in a game of bombardment, and she willingly lost to her opponent, stating that she â€Å"let the ball hit me† and justified her acts by stating that â€Å"that was the only outcome that I could tolerate.† Horse riding was a sport allowed to the senior student only, those aged over 14 years. In addition to that, it was not part of the camp curriculum, but the counsellors, who had noticed her peculiar behaviour, allowed her to train under Coach Kim, since they thought that it would make her happy.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Horse riding made her calm, as she claimed to forget her breathing movements, heartbeat, and other things that made her conscious. Lauren admired Kim, as she rode her horse, especially when she leapt into the air while on her horse, as she described it, stating that â€Å"she was amazing, fluid,her face a mixture of terror and exhilaration, the balanced combination that means only one thing: mastery.† Lauren could translate the exercises that Kim took into her life, sitting the obstacle as her parents, and particularly her mother. She was taught to ride her horse, though she never got round to jumping the fence. Jumping the fence then became her vision, the one thing that she could not do as long as she was fearful. This knowledge was given to her by Kim, stating that the horse sensed the fear within its master, â€Å"he senses your fear† causing it to come to a halt. Lauren gets a taste of power three times during her time in the summer camp. The first time is when she goes out on her first night at the camp when she is unable to sleep, and finds a small toad. She picks it up, and evaluates her options, whereby its life is in her mercy, identifying how powerless it was. The second instance is when she locked her mother in the bathroom, when her parents had come to visit her at the camp. Her mother’s pleas requesting her to open the door showed how vulnerable she was, and how a little action could give her power. The third time is when she made the jump, on her horse’s back. This showed her urge to ovecome her fear, and move forward, which she did, eventually. One day, Kim urges her to make the jump, â€Å"we are going to jump today†, and Lauren does not resist the invitation, since she also acknowledges the need to face and overcome her fears . If she could make the jump and meet her obstacle, it would symbolize her readiness to meet the challenges within her. As Lauren made the jump, she claimed that she had found â€Å"a way to move forward† implying that she had been released from her bondage, and she felt the confidence to continue making the necessary amendments. The story by Lauren is typical to people on a daily basis, whereby we face challenges that keep us from our goals. Lauren’s bravery is inspirational, and can be used as an example for everyone to follow. The first step requires faith, and through it everything is possible, allowing one to break free and grow.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Tripp Lake by Lauren Slater specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More

Electronic Commerce Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Electronic Commerce Response - Essay Example "President Bush has made the security of every American one of his highest priorities and this certainly includes cyber security" (Israel, 2002). The US legal system adopts regulations for e-trade agreements and e-signs. For instance, a decade ago, it has been impossible to file a suit without hard copies of the documents and supportive evidence, but today e-documents and agreements become more common in courts than hard copies. "The US government promotes policies to ensure that businesses and consumers can enter into legal agreements online that will be recognized by the courts if something goes wrong" (Israel, 2002). New forms of taxation and physical characteristics of products have been adopted to protect traditional and e-commerce. E-commerce makes it possible to take global legal regulations to another level providing international law based on protection and fair business relations. The main areas which have been developed include: authenticity, protecting the privacy of consumers, security of e-commerce participants, and universal access.

The Effects of Computers on Today's Society Coursework

The Effects of Computers on Today's Society - Coursework Example Refrigerators use built-in computers to regulate the temperature, cars have computers in the form of anti-locking breaking systems and engine controls and smart phones also make use of some very sophisticated computer technology to safe keep our contacts, music and pictures (Frisicaro et al n.d). The biggest advantage of computers is the ease with which knowledge can be made available to the masses. Whether it is journals, databases, blogs or newspapers; anyone with a connection to the internet can now have a wealth of information on their fingertips. Search engines make it easier to look for information. Computer and internet technology has specially changed the nature of education (Frisicaro et al n.d). Students are learning in a whole new fashion which could not have been thought of before the advent of computers. They can now design models, run simulations, conduct extensive research and become a part of the global information revolution at the few clicks of a mouse (Kashmanian, 2000). Research also suggests that personal computers have had a huge impact on students’ decision to graduate from high school. Students who have had access to computers show better academic performance and achieve better test scores (Beltran et al 2008). Computers have completely changed the way we read and write. Now thanks to word processors, spelling mistakes are a thing of the past and even most celebrated writers now prefer electronic writing over traditional text. Computers are also a great interpersonal medium, enhancing our conversations through emails, discussion groups and chat rooms (Ferris, 2002). But despite all the goodness of computers, there are some major drawbacks. Thanks to all the word processors, the ability to express clearly without computers has become virtually nonexistent. Chat rooms and emails have done more damage to our writing and conversation skills than anything else. The Net-Generation speaks in abbreviations and shorthand that are wreaking havoc on language skills. Young children learn this language from an early age which effectively destroys their command over English language. Computer games and the internet mean that children as well as adults these days are spending all their time in front of the computer screen. Physical activity has become virtually non-existent; this is leading to many health issues. As these children grow up, this habit has taken hold and they continue to lead this computer-oriented lifestyle for the rest of their lives (Frisicaro et al n.d..). Office goers often complain of physiological problems such as Repetitive Strain Injuries, Carpel Tunnel Syndrome and DeQuervains Tendonitis which are brought on by non-stop use of computers. But there is an even darker side to the health issue. Computers are now known to cause some very serious psychological problems as well. The first issue is that computers can cause an alienation from society, many computer users are not able to function in social s ettings and are completely dependent on computers for any interaction they have with the world at large. Another issue is stress and burnout brought on by using computers for extended periods of time. Stress can also be brought on trying to keep up with the constant changes in computer technology. Computer addiction is also a very common psychological disorder in our society. People who suffer from it are always online and in search of the latest game, program or any other addiction that may keep them hooked

Operation Management, LP-Liner Programming- Graduate Business school Assignment

Operation Management, LP-Liner Programming- Graduate Business school - Assignment Example It necessitates the assignment of insufficient resources on the basics of a specific standard of optimality (Robbins & Tuntiwongpiboon, 1989; Lorraine, Alain, & Dominique, 2006) and (Megiddo, 1991). In this connection I would like to provide an analysis of the use of the linear programming techniques and tools for the purposes of hospital management. While considering the prospective reduction in cost and effective operations of the hospital resources, hospitals are confident enough to improve services as well as management of human resources, especially in the department of surgical suite. This report is going to present the working of the tools and techniques of the linear programming for the anesthesiology nurse scheduling problem (ANSP) for a hospital of the French public. The basic purpose of application of the linear programming techniques and tools at the anesthesiology nurses issue is to better manage and assign the most of public resources among different departments (Lorraine, Alain, & Dominique, 2006; Robbins & Tuntiwongpiboon, 1989). The major area creating problem for which the methods and tools of linear programming are being applied is the working nature of hospital that is based on the cross way over surgical specialties as well as presume a range of activities. So here another problem existing is the effective provision of resources. Here major resources are shared and needed to be allocated in a better way (Lorraine, Alain, & Dominique, 2006; Robbins & Tuntiwongpiboon, 1989). So the techniques and tools formed on the basis of liner programming have absolutely provided a solution of these problems into two different ways. For the solution of the problem related to ANSP overall arrangement is programmed in the integer programming as well as constraint programming. Here the implementation of these solutions is focused to maximize the equality of the schedule and allocation (Lorraine,

News Is Nothing More Than A Strategic Ritual Media Essay

News Is Nothing More Than A Strategic Ritual Media Essay From my opinion, to be objective, it is to illustrate both sides of a particular point of view without being subjective. This means that what is being portrayed should be value free. The journalist illustrates the whole truth about an event without including his or her own opinion in a subjective manner. There has been an ongoing discourse about objectivity. Objectivity in the news being nothing more than a strategic ritual. Firstly, objectivity can be hard to define as illustrated by Schudson â€Å"Objectivity might be a professional idea, but it is one that seemed to disintegrate as soon as it was formulated. It became an ideal in journalism, after all, precisely when the impossibility of overcoming the subjectivities of presenting the news was widely accepted. Criticism of the â€Å"myth† of objectivity has been a contrapuntal accompaniment to the enunciation of objectivity as an ideal from the beginning† (Schudson, 1990: 269). â€Å"To a sociologist, the word â€Å"Objectivity† is fraught with meaning. It invokes philosophy, notions of science, and ideas of professionalism. It conjures up the ghost of Durkheim and Weber, recalling disputes in scholarly journals concerning the nature of â€Å"social facts† and the term â€Å"value free†Ã¢â‚¬  (Tuchman 1972: 660). This therefore suggests that the term objectivity is burdened with different meaning, thus very difficult to define as any definition of such word can easily be obsolete. However Schudson on the other hand argues that â€Å"A commitment to objectivity in journalism can be defined as meaning that â€Å"a persons statement about the world can be trusted if they are submitted to established rules deemed legitimate by a professional community† (Schudson 1978: 294 cited in Harcup 2009: 82) According to Bennet, â€Å"there are reasons to be dissatisfied with the news these days. Yet, news remains the primary source of information about society, politics, and government†. These problems could be said to be related to the term objectivity. In the sense that so many factors affect the news, thus the news cannot be seen as the whole truth, as it could be argued that it is fragmented. Furthermore the publics perception about society and all other events are distorted. In relating it back to the question, it can be argued that objectivity in the news is not a strategic ritual because there are factors beyond the newsmans power that cannot be controlled, as other individuals are involved in the production of the news, such as the gate keeper who decides what news is and is not presented. Thus the news is subjective. â€Å"Perhaps the most unsettling thought of all is that the electronic media, the principal source of political information for many if not many American citizens (Robinson and Levy 1985), might be biased in the presentation of public affair† (Kuklinsk 1992: 810). This can be said to be related to objectivity because there is always the question about selection of news. How journalist select news would determine whether the news they produce would have bias included, thus the selection of news would be considered in further paragraphs. Bearing in mind that they previously hold a certain view about a topic. This would then create bias in the news report. News is the only source in which individuals find out events happening in society. However like it was previously reiterated, the news is always biased, one way or the other, thus the public is not fully aware of what is going on around them. â€Å"More than one public official has made this very claim.when every president- liberal or conservative, democrat or republican-has complained bitterly about the inaccurate and unfair picture the networks were presenting†(Kuklinsk 1992: 811)â€Å"Reagans secretary of state, George Shult, was heard to protest that â€Å"it seems as though the reporters are against us. Theyre always seeking to report something thats going to screw things up† (quoted by Karp 1985, 63). With this, it can be illustrated that the newsmen may actually do it on purpose, so that they could attract increasing audiences. This could be said to be objectivity in the news to be a strategic ritual, in the sense that journalist would go any length just to entertain the public at the expense of politicians profile. Thus getting increased audience because relating it to news values, the public would like to hear more on bad news and unexpectedness. The more the news is unexpected, the more it would attract increased audiences. There are two questions which confront us when we deal with the problems of how news is selected from the multitude of events which occur in the world. The first is: what is selected?the second is that of objectivity: namely, how accurately does such a selection reflect the real world? (Cohen and Young 1973: 17). The idea that journalist have the choice to select the news they want to report on, it means that they are already being subjective about the particular topic they want to report on. Thus, objectivity in the news could be said to be a strategic ritual. This could be so, because they might already hold a particular perspective on the topic. Hence would unavoidably be able to neglect their point of view in reporting the news, so the news becomes biased in the sense that they are selling their opinion to the public about a particular topic. Consequently, they give biased news to the public; therefore the public gets a distorted view about what the journalist is writing about. â€Å"According to Gaye Tuchman, objectivity can be seen as a strategic ritual that journalist use as a defence mechanism. She identified four routine procedures that allow journalist claim objectivity for their work: the presentation of conflicting possibilities, the presentation of supporting evidence, the judicious use of quotation marks, the structuring of information in an appropriate sequence† (Tuchman, 299-301 cited in Harcup 2009) The word objectivity can be affected by several factors of only some would be discussed, which in turn affects the report in which the journalist produces. This can be illustrated by Tuchman 1972, who explained that â€Å"there are three types of factors which influence the newsmans notion of objectivity: form, inter organization relationships, and content. By form, I mean those attributes of news stories and newspapers which exemplify news procedures such as the use of quotation marks†(Tuchman 1972: 661) This is to show that by using such quotation marks, it would mark the objectivity of the event. Individuals who must have witnessed whatever event would be able to give a full account about what happened. Thus, the journalists report would be objective and free from bias thus exemplifying him from problems if he produced inaccurate news. â€Å"By content I mean notions of social reality which the news paper man takes for granted. Content is also related to the newsmans orga nisational relationships, for his experiences with these organisations lead him to take for granted certain things about them† (Tuchman 1972: 661). Everett Hughes (1964) cited in Tuchman 1972: 661 â€Å"suggests that procedures that serve this purposes may be seen as â€Å"rituals†inasmuch as newspapermen invoke ritualistic procedures in order to deflect potential criticism and to follow routines bounded by the â€Å"cognitive limits of rationality†, they are also performance â€Å"strategies† (March and Simon 1967, pp.137, 142)Objectivity as strategic ritual may be used by professionals to defend themselves from critical onslaught†. Overall, these factors/ procedures help protect the journalist and the organisations integrity in the sense that they would not get accused of producing inaccurate news and they would not get sued unnecessarily. All these factors explained by Tuchman, it can be argued that objectivity in the news is a strategic ritual i n the fact that, they are trying to protect their back and save the organisations reputation. It can be argued that objectivity in the news is a strategic ritual because it can be said that the newspaper and writers are trying to get an increase audience. With them publishing the news, it would actually help increase their organisational revenue in the sense that they would experience high circulation. Also with the increased audience, it means that they would be at the top of the competition list, therefore giving them the competitive edge against other news providers. Thus giving them a unique selling point, which means they would be able to differentiate themselves from other news organisations. as a result stand out. This could be illustrated further, according to Young â€Å"the market model then maintains that the responsible journalist selects these events which are in the public interest to know and objectively portray reality within the format and genre of the particular media concerned†(Young 1973: 17). The public would like to know that they are being provi ded with objective news, thus the journalist would try their best to provide the news, so by making sure they get objective news, and they increase their readership and circulation. This would benefit them because it would allow them to be popular against their competitors. However, for the fact journalist select the news they think the public would be interested and present it as objectively as they can, this could be said to be a strategic ritual. The selection of news would further be illustrated later in this essay. This may be so, in the fact that they dont want to get themselves into trouble for providing biased news, thus affecting their integrity in the organisation they work and publicly soiling the organisations reputation. This means that the public would not trust the news they produce, thus, they would continually get negative criticism. This could be illustrated by Tuchman 1977b cited in Shoemaker 1996 who â€Å"argues that objectivity is a ritual that objectivity is a ritual that serves primarily to defend the organisational product from critics. Because newsworkers have little time to reflect on whether they have gotten at the â€Å"truth† in their stories, the need a set of procedure, or strategies, that if followed will protect them from occupational hazards such as libel suit and reprimands from superior†. Consequently, journalists follow a set of guidelines to avoid critics so that they dont get into unnecessary trouble and to be able to protect themselves from disgrace. Like it was previously said, journalist get chance to select the news they want to write about. The idea that they are allowed to do that shows that the news they are going to write about is already biased on the fact that they might already have a subjected view about it. Thus, the news would be value laden as well as hardly value free. Also for the fact that journalist use different sources to make up their news, Even though they are supposedly trusted sources of theirs, the question is how can they be so sure that the news the trusted sources provide is objective. Thus, it shows that they cannot be sure if the news is 100% objective. â€Å"Calling into the question of validity of representational knowledge about the world- arguing that news is as much a bureaucratic product as it is a reflection of external reality and that ‘objectivity is essentially a strategic ritual- is at bottom incompatible with journalisms self legitimating discourses. Pointing out that the subjects (i.e. the journalists) perception are not just the product of individual autonomy, showing that journalist (like all of us) are inexorably entangled with and in part constituted by language us, serve to erode the foundations of the conventional wisdom†(Dahlgren 1992: 11). Consequently, this shows that, it is not only the journalist who influences the news they write, as all other people are involved..This can also be reiterated by Shoemaker 1996: 112 â€Å"objectivity, although a cornerstone of journalist ideology, is rooted in practical organisational requirements. In this sense, objectivity is less a core belief of journalist t han a set of procedures to which journalist willingly conform in other to protect themselves from attack†. Consequently, this shows that the organisations also have an influence on the new. With the organisation involved there would be less chance of the company endangering their integrity and shame on their organizational image. Both of these sources show that the firm in which these journalists work for, has an influence on the type of news they produce in the sense that they always have a say. This is done so as to protect their image. Thus a set of gu are provided for the journalist to follow, so that they do not drift off the organisations rules and regulation about reporting news. This therefore means that journalists have no choice but to follow the set guidelines or they lose their job. According to Michael Schudson (1978) cited in shoemaker 1996: 112 â€Å"notes that at the turn of the century, newspapers in competing for circulation, tried to conform to the publics standards of truth, decency, and good taste. Reporters believed they had to be lively and entertaining while factual at the same time. Indeed, editors and reporters were pre-occupied with facts to avoid public criticism and embarrassment for the newspaper†. This could be said to be spin and twisting, for the fact that journalist thought that they had to be entertaining and lively. The idea of being entertaining would mean that they are trying to reach audiences they never actually reached out to. This can also be related to the idea that objectivity in the news is not an objective idea, for the fact that the news would most probably be shortened thus audiences would not get the full picture. This could be illustrated by Shoemaker who argued that â€Å"the objectivity routine also leads to omitt ing seemingly harmless information† (Shoemaker 1996: 113). Consequently, it means that audiences are not receiving the whole story of an event. The thought that journalist are omitting some of the information may be good, in the sense that the public would get an idea and grasp a bit about a complicated story about events in society. As illustrated in Bennets Book in a case study, â€Å"news stories often oversimplify larger and more complex realities. In many ways it is goodHowever, the news may radically simplify realities to the point of distortion or omission of important information for various reasons†(Bennett 2007: 211)† This therefore suggests that objectivity in the news could be omitted for good reason; however, it should not necessarily be said to be a strategic ritual, because it is being done for a good cause. However on the other hand, it can be argued that objectivity in the news is strategic ritual in the sense that important information would be h idden an omitted from the public thus making the public naÃÆ' ¯ve to events happening in society. It can also be argued otherwise that objectivity in the news is not a strategic ritual on the fact that journalist right from the start have the obligation to report the truth and try as much as possible to be objective so as to avoid libel suits but for the fact that they have deadlines to reach. This means they would actually be time conscious. Thus having less spare time to check over their report therefore it might be difficult to have totally objective news as illustrated by Tuchman 1972 â€Å"unlike social scientists, newsmen have a limited repertoire with which to define and defend their objectivity. He must make immediate decisions concerning validity, reliability, and â€Å"truth† in other to meet the problems imposed by the nature of his taskthe newsmen need some working notion of objectivity to minimize the risk imposed by deadline, libel suits, and superiors reprimands† (Tuchman 1972: 662) â€Å"Objectivity is defined as a matter of intent, it includes the freedom to disregard the implications of the news. Indeed, objectivity could not long exist without this freedom, for the moment journalists are required to consider the effects of news on sources and others they would have to begin assessing their own intent and to relinquish their detachment, especially if they wanted to prevent injury to someone (Gans, 1979: 188). Overall, it can be argued from a perspective that objectivity in the news is a strategic ritual, down to the idea that organisations train their potential journalist and give them guidelines on how to report news in an objective manner without being biased. This is done so as to protect the organisations integrity and the journalist status. Thus, it would help them avoid libel suits. This could be illustrated by Tuchman 1972: 678 who concluded that â€Å"objectivity used defensively as a strategic ritual. Objectivity refers to routine procedures which may be exemplified as formal attributes and to protect the professional from mistakes and from his critics†. And for the fact that journalist have to follow these set guidelines means objectivity in the news is a strategic ritual, as it means that these journalist have no choice, thus they cannot go against it as they would most probably lose their job Furthermore, if journalists do not provide objective news as they could, then the public would most probably not think journalism is a serious and professional job. Thus no one would see them as trustworthy. Thus it is their duty to provide the public with objective news. This can then be said that objectivity in the news is not a strategic ritual, as they have no choice but to provide non biased news so as to inform the public. Bibliography Bennet, W. L. (2007) News: The Politics of Illusion, New York: Longman, Pearson Cohen, S. Young, J. ( ) The Manufacture of News, London: Macmillan. Dahlgren, P. Sparks, C. (1992) Journalism and Popular Culture: London, SAGE Publications. Galtung, J. Ruge, M. (1981) ‘Structuring and Selecting News, in S. Cohen J. Young (eds) The Manufacture of News, London: Macmillan Gans, H. (1979) Deciding whats News. A Study of CBS Evening News, NBC Nigthly News, Newsweek and Time. New York: Random House Harcup, T. (2009) Journalism: Principles and Practice. London, SAGE Publications Kuklinski, J. H. Sigelman, L. (1992) ‘When Objectivity is not objective: Network T.V News Coverage of US Senators and the â€Å"Paradox of Objectivity† in Journal of Politics, 54 (3) Shoemaker, P. Reese, S. (1996) Mediating The message: Theories of Influences on Mass Media Content. (2nd ed.), London: Longman. Schudson, M. (2003) The Sociology of News. New York: United States of America. Tuchman, G. (1972) Objectivity as Strategic Ritual: An examination of Newsmens notion of Objectivity in American Journal of Sociology, 77: 660-67

Prescription Obesity Drugs Essay -- Pharmaceuticals

1. Has FDA provided ‘sufficient guidance’ to guide development and registration of prescription diet medications? If you agree, provide examples of what you consider ‘sufficient advice’ (including date of publication). I believe the FDA does provide sufficient guidance on the development and registration of prescription diet medications. In 2007, FDA issued draft guidance that clearly defines their expectations to judge effectiveness (weight reduction and maintenance of weight loss after 1 year’s treatment). It also indicates an effective product should provide improvements in blood pressure, lipids, and glycaemia therefore changes in common weight-related comorbidities need factored into clinical trial to assess efficacy. FDA also states it expects to see drug-mediated weight reduction demonstrated to result from a loss of body fat verified through advance screening tools. From a safety perspective, the FDA states the drug should not adversely affect cardiovascular function particularly highlighting cardiac valvulopathy. 2. Has FDA’s grounds for rejecting the NDAs of prescription diet pills in the last 10 years been based on safety/efficacy concerns? In 2010 alone, three drugs reviewed by the Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee (EMDAC) have failed to gain approval. EMDAC felt each drug (naltrexone/bupriopion, lorcaserin and phentermine/topiratate) had unacceptable safety issues (particularly cardiovascular risk profiles). The committee also concluded that lorcaserin did not provide enough convincing evidence of efficacy and safety to gain approval. EMDAC cite lack of diversity in the phase 3 trial population might result in efficacy of the drug being overstated while potential safety risks understated. Whi... ... FDA. (2010). FDA Briefing Document: NDA 22529 Lorqess (lorcaserin hydrochloride) Tablets, 10 mg. Sponsor: Arena Pharmaceuticals Advisory Committee. Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/downloads/advisorycommittees/committeesmeetingmaterials/drugs/endocrinlogicalandmetabolicdrugsadvisorycommittee/ucm225631.pdf FDA. (2007). Guidance for Industry. Developing Products for Weight Management. Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/ucm071612.pdf FDA. (2011).Predictive Safety Testing Consortium (PSTC). Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/PartnershipsCollaborations/PublicPrivatePartnershipProgram/ucm231132.html McCallister, E. (2011). BioCentury, Obesity Reset. Retrieved from http://www.biocentury.com/promotions/obesity/next-generation-of-obesity-drugs-unlikely-to-reach-regulators-before-2014.html Prescription Obesity Drugs Essay -- Pharmaceuticals 1. Has FDA provided ‘sufficient guidance’ to guide development and registration of prescription diet medications? If you agree, provide examples of what you consider ‘sufficient advice’ (including date of publication). I believe the FDA does provide sufficient guidance on the development and registration of prescription diet medications. In 2007, FDA issued draft guidance that clearly defines their expectations to judge effectiveness (weight reduction and maintenance of weight loss after 1 year’s treatment). It also indicates an effective product should provide improvements in blood pressure, lipids, and glycaemia therefore changes in common weight-related comorbidities need factored into clinical trial to assess efficacy. FDA also states it expects to see drug-mediated weight reduction demonstrated to result from a loss of body fat verified through advance screening tools. From a safety perspective, the FDA states the drug should not adversely affect cardiovascular function particularly highlighting cardiac valvulopathy. 2. Has FDA’s grounds for rejecting the NDAs of prescription diet pills in the last 10 years been based on safety/efficacy concerns? In 2010 alone, three drugs reviewed by the Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee (EMDAC) have failed to gain approval. EMDAC felt each drug (naltrexone/bupriopion, lorcaserin and phentermine/topiratate) had unacceptable safety issues (particularly cardiovascular risk profiles). The committee also concluded that lorcaserin did not provide enough convincing evidence of efficacy and safety to gain approval. EMDAC cite lack of diversity in the phase 3 trial population might result in efficacy of the drug being overstated while potential safety risks understated. Whi... ... FDA. (2010). FDA Briefing Document: NDA 22529 Lorqess (lorcaserin hydrochloride) Tablets, 10 mg. Sponsor: Arena Pharmaceuticals Advisory Committee. Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/downloads/advisorycommittees/committeesmeetingmaterials/drugs/endocrinlogicalandmetabolicdrugsadvisorycommittee/ucm225631.pdf FDA. (2007). Guidance for Industry. Developing Products for Weight Management. Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/ucm071612.pdf FDA. (2011).Predictive Safety Testing Consortium (PSTC). Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/PartnershipsCollaborations/PublicPrivatePartnershipProgram/ucm231132.html McCallister, E. (2011). BioCentury, Obesity Reset. Retrieved from http://www.biocentury.com/promotions/obesity/next-generation-of-obesity-drugs-unlikely-to-reach-regulators-before-2014.html

Communication and Professional Relationships with Children and Young Adults

Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults Introduction This unit provides the knowledge that forms the basis of effective communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults. Learners will find out how to adapt their communication to suit the age or developmental stage of the person they are interacting with. The unit also covers the legislation, policies and procedures concerned with confidentiality, data protection and the disclosure of information. Learning outcomesAfter completing this unit, learners should: 1 2 3 4 know how to interact with and respond to children and young people know how to interact with and respond to adults know how to communicate with children, young people and adults know about current legislation, policies and procedures for confidentiality and sharing information, including data protection. This unit has links to the following national occupational standards. STL4 Contribute to pos itive relationships SWiS 2. 2 Explore school values, policies, roles and responsibilities CCLD 201 Contribute to positive relationshipsAdditional guidance for delivery For all sessions, it will be useful if the learners have access to school policy covering confidentiality and the grievance procedure. For session 1, you may like ask learners to research into relationships within the workplace. For session 2, you can facilitate a whole-class discussion in which learners identify someone whom they think is a good role model and give reasons for their choice. For session 3, learners can carry out some research on the Internet about communication and how to deal with conflict.They may find the websites listed helpful for this task. For session 4, you can ask a college employee to come in to discuss with the learners how their personal information is stored within the organisation and how this adheres to current legislation. Further resources Burnham, L. and Baker, B. (2010) Level 2 Cert ificate in Supporting Teaching & Learning in Schools Candidate Handbook, Oxford: Heinemann www. talkingpoint. org. uk – Website of the charity Talking Point, which contains a wealth of information on children’s communication. ww. transformingconflict. org – A useful website from the Transforming Conflict organisation, which offers advice and training on how to deal with conflict. Continued overleaf 1  © The TA College 2010 under licence to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopying permitted. TDA 2. 3 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults Level 2 Certificate in Supporting Teaching & Learning in Schools TDA 2. 3 Introduction continued Answers to activitiesA1 Interacting with young people and children to establish relationships Task 1 Words should appear in the following order: 1 4 trust positive 2 5 relationship high expectations 3 6 honest communicate A3 Interactions with adults How to establish professio nal relationships with adults By approaching and responding politely Be committed to cooperative working By considering the views of others Why adult relationships are important as role models for children and young people To demonstrate positive relationships To demonstrate mutual respect To model effective communicationA4 Communication Age range Younger than 2 years 2–3 years 3–4 years 4–8 years 8–16 years Adults How communication differs Vocabulary is limited. Communicating mainly through body language and by reading facial expressions. Starting to copy adults, learning more words and gaining confidence. Starting to string words together and may be using questions. Using language to build relationships. Developing reading and writing skills. Developing discussion and negotiation skills. More confident and using more complex language. Can communicate using complex language.Able to use verbal and non-verbal communication. A5 Adapting communication Task 1 Different ideas – People may interpret things differently and have a different concept of what everyone should be doing Poor communication – Not passing on information and failing to agree as a team can cause problems within school Different personalities – Everyone is different and sometimes, despite the best efforts, certain individuals just cannot get along A6 Legislation Data Protection Act (1998) – Legislation that ensures pupils’ personal information is locked away or password-protected if stored on computers.Confidentiality – Safeguarding all pupil information and ensuring that the people you are sharing information with are authorised to receive it. Disclosing information – When information has to be shared with outside agencies, for example, when neglect or abuse is suspected. A7 Sharing information Words should appear in the following order: 1 5 confidential special 2 6 authorised shared 3 7 personal staff 4 medical 2  © The TA College 2010 under licence to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopying permitted. Overview of resources continued Overview of resources: TDA 2. Link to Functional Skills Link to textbook Resources Delivery notes 1 Know how to interact with and respond to children and young people English: Speaking, listening and communication A1 Interacting with children and young people to establish relationships Task 1 of this activity asks learners to discuss how they establish relationships with children and young people in their work setting; they then complete a fill-the-gaps exercise. Task 2 asks learners to answer two questions about disagreements and adapting communication depending on the situation. A2 Own behaviourThis activity requires learners to complete two spider diagrams by giving examples of how their own behaviour can promote interactions with children and young people or impact negatively upon them. 2 Know how to interact with and respond to adults A3 Interacti ons with adults In this activity, learners are asked to consider how they establish professional relationships with other adults and why these relationships are important as role models for children and young people. They then summarise their thoughts by completing a table, using a list of provided statements. Know how to communicate with children, young people and adults A4 Communication This activity asks learners to consider how different age groups communicate. They are required to complete a table by selecting statements from a provided list. ICT: Developing, presenting and communicating information English: Speaking, listening and communication TDA 2. 3 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults Level 2 Certificate in Supporting Teaching & Learning in Schools  © The TA College 2010 under licence to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopying permitted. A5Adapting communication Task 1 of this activity requires learners to matc h different communication difficulties with the correct descriptions. In Task 2, learners are asked to consider two scenarios about disagreements and explain how they will deal with them. 4 Know about current legislation, policies and procedures for confidentiality and sharing information, including data protection A6 Legislation This linking lines activity asks learners to match legislation, policies and procedures with the correct descriptions. 1 Continued overleaf Overview of resources continued Resources English: Writing Delivery notesLink to Functional Skills Link to textbook A7 Sharing Information Task 1 of this activity is a fill-the-gaps exercise about the importance of reassuring children, young people and adults of the confidentiality of shared information. For Task 2, learners discuss in groups the types of situation when confidentiality protocol must be breached; they must then write down two examples of such situations. Electronic resources PowerPoint P1 Maintaining rel ationships The PowerPoint presentation for this unit looks at how to communicate effectively with different age groups and the importance of confidentiality, including data protection.It is best used by looking at the relevant slides in each session of the scheme of work, but can be worked through in its entirety at the end of session 4 for learners to reflect on their learning. TDA 2. 3 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults Level 2 Certificate in Supporting Teaching & Learning in Schools  © The TA College 2010 under licence to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopying permitted. Knowledge check Interactive quiz covering learning from TDA 2. 3 for revision purposes, designed to be completed individually by learners (e. g. via a VLE) or as a group in a group session. Continued overleaf Scheme of work continued Scheme of work: TDA 2. 3 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults Activiti es and resources You may like to begin this session with a discussion about how to interact with children and young people. Then split the group into smaller groups to complete Activity A1. PowerPoint P1 slides 2, 3 and 4 support this session. This can lead to small-group work in which learners discuss, compare and complete Activity A2 on how their own behaviour promotes effective interactions or negatively impacts children and young people. Session numberLearning outcomes/Assessment criteria Functional Skills English: Speaking, listening and communication 1 Learners will know how to interact with and respond to children and young people. They will know how to establish respectful, professional relationships with children and young people and will be able to describe, with examples, how to behave appropriately for a child or young person’s stage of development. Learners will also be able to describe how to deal with disagreements between children and young people and how thei r own behaviour can promote effective interactions with children and young people or impact negatively upon them. 1. 1, 1. 2, 1. 3, 1. 4) You may like to have a class discussion about establishing positive relationships with adults and why these are important for children and young people to witness. PowerPoint P1 slides 5 and 6 support this session, as does Activity A3. 2 Learners will know how to interact with and respond to adults. They will be able to describe how to establish respectful, professional relationships with adults and the importance of these relationships as role models for children and young people. (2. 1, 2. ) You may like to begin this session by looking again at PowerPoint P1 slide 2 and instigating a discussion about adapting communication to suit a person’s stage of development. You may then like to follow this with Activity A4. You can consolidate the activity sheet by pairing learners and giving each pair a different age range and then encouraging the m to communicate in a way more suited to that age. For Activity A5, learners can work independently and research or use reflection to complete the tasks. PowerPoint P1 slide 7 supports this activity.See the Further resources section for suggested websites to help learners with their research for this session. ICT, Developing, presenting and communicating information English: Speaking, listening and communication TDA 2. 3 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults Level 2 Certificate in Supporting Teaching & Learning in Schools  © The TA College 2010 under licence to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopying permitted. 3 Learners will know how to communicate with children, young people and adults.They will be able to describe how communication with children and young people differs across different age ranges and stages of development, as well as the main differences between communicating with adults and communicating with childre n and young people. Learners will be able to identify examples of communication difficulties that may exist and describe how to adapt communication to meet different needs. They will also be able to describe how to deal with disagreements between the practitioner and children and young people, or between the practitioner and other adults. (3. 1, 3. 2, 3. 3, 3. 4, 3. 5) 1 Continued overleafScheme of work continued Session number Activities and resources You may like to begin this session with a discussion or research opportunity looking at the legislation that covers confidentiality and data protection. Activity A6 and PowerPoint P1 slide 8 will support this. For Activity A7, ask the learners to work in small groups to discuss and consider the importance of reassuring children, young people and adults of the limits of confidentiality. If there is an opportunity near the end of the session, go through the whole of PowerPoint P1, giving learners time to consider and answer the reflecti ve questions on the last slide.As a group, or on an individual basis, ask the learners to complete the Interactive Knowledge Check to finish the unit. English: Writing Learning outcomes/Assessment criteria Functional Skills 4 Learners will know about and be able to identify current legislation, policies and procedures for confidentiality and sharing information, including data protection. They will be able to describe the importance of reassuring children, young people and adults about the confidentially of shared information and the limits of this.They will also know the kinds of situations when confidentiality protocols must be breached. TDA 2. 3 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults Level 2 Certificate in Supporting Teaching & Learning in Schools  © The TA College 2010 under licence to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopying permitted. (4. 1, 4. 2, 4. 3) 2 Continued overleaf Unit 2. 3 Communication and professional rela tionships with children, young people and adults AC: 1. 1, 1. 2, 1. 3 FS: English: Speaking, Listening and communication 2. A1: Interacting with children and young people to establish relationships Task 1 In small groups, discuss how you establish respectful and professional relationships with children and young people. Then, fill in the gaps in the following paragraph using the words from the box below. When working with children or young people, it is important to earn their to enable a positive Hold to develop. This can usually be done by and fair at all times. values and attitudes, and ensure that you have ensuring that your behaviour is professional, of the pupils that you support.Adapt the way in which you to suit the age or stage of development that a pupil is currently at. communicate high expectations positive relationship honest trust Task 2 In groups, consider the following questions and write your answers in the spaces below. 1 How do you deal with disagreements between children and young people? Include an example from your work setting when you have had to this (please do not include any names of pupils or the school). 2 How would you have adapted the way that you behaved in the above situation if the child or young person was in reception class or in Year 6?Functional Skills English: Reading – You could use the text book to help you find the information you need to match the expected stage of development to the reason why the child may not have reached it. 1  © The TA College 2010 under licence to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopying permitted. TDA 2. 3 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults AC: 1. 4 2. 3 A2: Own behaviour In small groups, discuss how your own behaviour can promote effective interactions with children and young people or impact negatively upon them.Write your answers on the spider diagrams below. Showing an open, friendly approach How your own behaviour can pr omote interactions Upsetting people with your body language How your own behaviour can impact negatively upon interactions 1  © The TA College 2010 under licence to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopying permitted. TDA 2. 3 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults AC: 2. 1, 2. 2 2. 3 A3: Interactions with adults Consider how you establish professional relationships with other adults.Think about why these adult relationships are important as role models for children and young people. Complete the table below using the statements in the boxes. How to establish professional relationships with adults How positive relationships with other adults can provide important role models for children and young people Demonstrate positive relationships Demonstrate mutual respect Be committed to cooperative working Consider the views of others Approach and respond politely Model effective communication 1  © The TA College 2010 under licen ce to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopying permitted. TDA 2. Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults AC: 3. 1, 3. 2 2. 3 A4: Communication FS: ICT: Developing, presenting and communicating information The way that we communicate will differ depending on the age of the person we are communicating with. Complete the table below, using the statements in the boxes, to show how communication differs across age ranges. Age range Younger than 2 years How communication differs 2–3 years 3–4 years 4–8 years 8–16 years Adults Developing discussion and negotiation skills. More confident and using more complex language. Vocabulary is limited.Communicating mainly through body language and by reading facial expressions. Starting to string words together and may be using questions. Can communicate using complex language. Able to use verbal and nonverbal vommunication. Using language to build relationships. Deve loping reading and writing skills. Starting to copy adults, learning more words and gaining confidence. Functional Skills English: Speaking, listening and communication – You could complete this activity in pairs verbally in the form of an interview. Take it in turns to play the role of the interviewer and then the person being interviewed.This is a good way of developing your speaking, listening and communication skills. 1  © The TA College 2010 under licence to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopying permitted. TDA 2. 3 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults AC: 3. 3, 3. 4, 3. 5 2. 3 A5: Adapting communication FS: English: Speaking, listening and communication Occasionally, communication difficulties can occur. In such situations, it is important to continue to behave in a respectful and professional manner. Draw a line to match each possible communication difficulty to the correct description.Everyone is different and sometimes, despite the best efforts, certain individuals just cannot get along. Not passing on information and failing to agree as a team can cause problems within school. People may interpret things differently and have a different concept of what everyone should be doing. Different ideas Poor communication Different personalities Task 2 Read the following scenarios and record your answers in the spaces below. Scenario A There is a disagreement between one of your colleagues and a pupil and the situation is getting worse. What will you do and how will you adapt the way you communicate with them?Scenario B There is a disagreement between two of your colleagues and the situation is getting worse. What will you do? Functional Skills ICT: Developing, presenting and communicating information – You could complete this table on the computer. Add an extra column on the right with the heading ‘How I would support these transitions’ and write how you would support a child with these transitions. 1  © The TA College 2010 under licence to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopying permitted. TDA 2. 3 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults AC: 4. 2. 3 A6: Legislation It is important to know the legislation, policies and procedures that cover data protection, confidentiality and the sharing of information. Draw a line to match each legislation or school procedure to the correct description. Safeguarding all pupil information and ensuring that the people you are sharing information with are authorised to receive it Data Protection Act (1998) Confidentiality Legislation that ensures pupils’ personal information is locked away or password-protected if stored on computers Disclosing informationWhen information has to be shared with outside agencies, for example, when neglect or abuse is suspected 1  © The TA College 2010 under licence to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopyi ng permitted. TDA 2. 3 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults AC: 4. 2, 4. 3 2. 3 A7: Sharing information Task 1 FS: English: Writing In small groups, discuss the importance of reassuring children, young people and adults that you will keep shared information confidential and the limits of this. Then fill in the gaps in the following paragraph using the words from the box below.As a learning support practitioner, you will come into regular contact with information. You may need to reassure parents and other adults that the information that you are confidential. Pupil records that hold their of birth, home address and to know will be kept information, date details are important for you to have access to in an emergency, but they must remain locked away otherwise. You may need to know other information about the pupil, such as their current assessment level or if they have any This information must remain confidential and can only be betwee n authorised authorised personal members. onfidential medical shared special staff educational needs. Task 2 As a group, consider situations when the rules about confidentiality must be broken. Write two examples of these situations in the spaces below. 1 2 Functional Skills English: Reading – You could develop your reading skills by using your textbook to select the relevant information you need to help you to answer these questions. 1  © The TA College 2010 under licence to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopying permitted. Communication and Professional Relationships with Children and Young Adults Communication and professional relationships with children. Outcome 2: Know how to interact and respond to adults Outcome 3: Know how to communicate with children, young people and adults 2. 12. 23. 23. 33. 4| Whether at work, home, in education or in social environments, respectful relationships with other humans are at the heart of good communications. We all learn from example and experience, so it is extremely important that adults working with young people develop and display respect for each other as well as for the young people in their care.A good baseline for a professional and respectful attitude is to acknowledge and accept that everyone is different. By understanding and valuing these differences, rather than assuming that we all share the same values and opinions, we demonstrate that we are aware of our colleagues as individuals with different personalities, teaching styles, cultural practices, experiences and backgrounds. All adults and learners should be valued for thi s. We should recognise the competence and experience of all people we work with and expect ours to be acknowledged too.If we can offer help to less experienced colleagues or seek help from more experienced or better qualified members of staff, we will be expressing respect for each other. Differences of opinion and working styles are bound to occur but communicating honestly and seeking peer feedback will help minimise misunderstandings and conflict. We should endeavor to support each other to develop a working and learning environment that promotes self-esteem and growth and allows challenges and conflicts to be resolved by negotiation and compromise.Young people will have a number of significant adults in their life – some may impact negatively, some positively, on their ability to communicate effectively with adults in different settings. In an educational establishment therefore, if we display consistent, respectful and professional communications with each other, with th e learners themselves and with parents, carers and members of the public, we are offering them positive role models. We develop our language and communication skills from birth and discover different ways of dealing with others by example and experience.If young people see and hear adults supporting each other, resolving conflict, discussing, laughing, giving opinions, listening and responding in positive ways they can use these interactions to reinforce or challenge their own experiences of the world. For example, simply using good manners and respectful language with each other in front of the young people can offer them a reference for successful interactions in other settings. If a young person’s experience of social skills does not include the tools for resolving conflict by calm, reasonable discussion – we can model it.If they do not have the tools to express their feelings positively – we can model it. By doing so, we establish a safe, nurturing and consi stent environment where positive, respectful interactions are the norm. There are of course, differences between communicating with adults and communicating with children and young people. The main difference is the actual vocabulary used. Children start to develop communication skills from birth going through a developmental cycle of language and communication to equip them with the language and strategies to deal with adult life.However, children will develop at different rates and a 16 year old may not have the language and communication skills expected of a child from the 8 – 12 year group or visa versa, and we should be aware of this when communicating verbally or in written form with our learners. We should use words they are familiar with and understand readily, but also be careful not to talk down and be patronising. More complex vocabulary should not necessarily be avoided however, and can be incorporated with explanation as a learning opportunity.Also we should be a ware of the subject matters that we cover. Material discussed between adults may not appropriate to discuss with some learners due to their developmental age. Discussions around sensitive issues such as gender, culture and relationships will be approached differently with younger people who may not have the language or experience of an adult and we can support them when investigating these subjects with appropriate vocabulary and examples. The majority of young people communicate with peers using phrases and words which are specific to their age and friendship groups.They may also write in text or abbreviated form used to communicate via mobiles and social media. It will seem ‘odd’ or patronising for an adult to use this language with young people but gaining an understanding of meaning and context is useful in avoiding miscommunication. Difficulties in communication may also occur when a person’s body language does not mirror the spoken word. A positive and â₠¬Ëœwarm’ voice may clash with fierce eyes in the classroom. You need to mean what you say! Giving mixed messages with your body language may confuse learners.We need to be aware of the different needs of each student and not assume that all learners have the same level of communication development. Some learners may find it incredibly difficult to communicate with adults. They avoid eye-contact, will rarely participate in class activities or respond to direct questioning. We can help these learners by involving them in small groups, using non-threatening questioning techniques such as mini-whiteboards and quizzes and continually modeling safe communications with other learners.Using age appropriate vocabulary and keeping teacher talk to a minimum with short (no more than three steps), clear and precise instructions can benefit learners with dyslexia and attention problems. We can also adapt our resources and delivery styles to accommodate different needs. Student’s who se first language is not English, may need vocabulary crib sheets and simplified texts, learners with hearing or sight impairments may benefit from being seated in the room.In conclusion, to establish effective communication with young people, we need to be aware of their different developmental stages and their specific individual needs. We need to acknowledge that they may not yet have the skills to allow them to communicate with adults and with each other successfully and that we assist in their development by modeling respectful and professional relationships with our colleagues and with them at all times. |

Titanosaurs - The Last of the Sauropods

Titanosaurs - The Last of the Sauropods By the beginning of the Cretaceous period, about 145 million years ago, gigantic, plant-eating dinosaurs like Diplodocus and Brachiosaurus were on the evolutionary decline. However, this didnt mean that sauropods as a whole were destined for early extinction; an evolutionary offshoot of these huge, four-footed plant-eaters, known as titanosaurs, continued to prosper right up until the K/T Extinction 65 million years ago. The problem with titanosaursfrom a paleontologists point of viewis that their fossils tend to be scattered and incomplete, much more so than for any other family of dinosaurs. Very few articulated skeletons of titanosaurs have been discovered, and virtually no intact skulls, so reconstructing what these beasts looked like has necessitated a lot of guesswork. Fortunately, the close similarity of titanosaurs to their sauropod predecessors, their wide geographic distribution (titanosaur fossils have been discovered on every continent on earth, including Australia), and their huge diversity (as many as 100 separate genera) has made it possible to hazard some reasonable guesses. Titanosaur Characteristics As stated above, titanosaurs were very similar in build to the sauropods of the late Jurassic period: quadrupedal, long-necked and long-tailed, and tending toward enormous sizes (one of the biggest titanosaurs, Argentinosaurus, may have reached lengths of over 100 feet, though more typical genera like Saltasaurus were considerably smaller). What set titanosaurs apart from sauropods were some subtle anatomical differences involving their skulls and bones, and, most famously, their rudimentary armor: its believed that most, if not all, titanosaurs had tough, bony, but not very thick plates covering at least parts of their bodies. This last feature raises an interesting question: could it be that the sauropod predecessors of the titanosaurs perished at the end of the Jurassic period because their hatchlings and juveniles were preyed on by large theropods like Allosaurus? If so, the light armor of titanosaurs (even though it wasnt nearly as ornate or dangerous as the thick, knobby armor found on contemporaneous ankylosaurs) might have been the key evolutionary adaptation that allowed these gentle herbivores to survive tens of millions of years longer than they would have otherwise; on the other hand, some other factor may have been involved of which we are not yet aware. Titanosaur Habitats and Behavior Despite their limited fossil remains, titanosaurs were clearly some of the most successful dinosaurs ever to thunder across the earth. During the Cretaceous period, most other families of dinosaurs were restricted to certain geographic areasthe bone-headed  pachycephalosaurs of North America and Asia, for examplebut titanosaurs attained a worldwide distribution. There may, however, have been stretches of millions of years when titanosaurs were clustered on the southern supercontinent of Gondwana (which is where Gondwanatitan gets its name); more titanosaurs have been discovered in South America than on any other continent, including huge members of the breed like Bruhathkayosaurus and Futalognkosaurus. Paleontologists know as much about the everyday behavior of titanosaurs as they do about the everyday behavior of sauropods in generalwhich is to say, not a whole lot. Theres evidence that some titanosaurs may have roamed in herds of dozens or hundreds of adults and juveniles, and the discovery of scattered nesting grounds (complete with fossilized eggs) hints that females may have laid their 10 or 15 eggs at a time in groups, the better to protect their young. Theres still a lot thats being worked out, though, such as how quickly these dinosaurs grew and how, given their extreme sizes, they managed to mate with one another. Titanosaur Classification More so than with other types of dinosaurs, the classification of titanosaurs is a matter of ongoing dispute: some paleontologists think titanosaur isnt a very useful designation, and prefer to refer to smaller, anatomically similar, and more manageable groups like saltasauridae or nemegtosauridae. The doubtful status of the titanosaurs is best exemplified by their eponymous representative, Titanosaurus: over the years, Titanosaurus has become a kind of wastebasket genus to which poorly understood fossil remains have been assigned (meaning that many of the species attributed to this genus may not actually belong there). One final note about titanosaurs: whenever you read a headline claiming that the biggest ever dinosaur has been discovered in South America, take the news with a big grain of salt. The media tends to be especially credulous when it comes to the size and weight of dinosaurs, and the figures touted are often at the extreme end of the probability spectrum (if theyre not completely made up out of thin air). Practically every year witnesses the announcement of a new biggest titanosaur, and the claims usually dont match up with the evidence; sometimes the new titanosaur that has been announced turns out to be a specimen of an already-named genus!