Discussing why Facebook recently acquired Whatsapp Essay

Discussing why Facebook recently acquired Whatsapp - Essay Example Facebook and whatsapp are among the leading social media platforms we have in the modern world. The two social Medias have significant number of users that each pose a threat to another as far as the social media business is concerned. In comparison to other social Medias that have been in existence before the invention of whatsapp, facebook was dominating the market with the highest number of users. With the coming of whatsapp in the social media market, it intensified the completion to a point where facebook opted to acquire it. Apart from the excessive competition in the social media market brought about by Whatsapp application, there are many other ways to justify the acquisition of Whatsapp by Facebook. Just like in other forms of business, one business my either merge with another or fully acquire it depending on the business environment they both face. According to studies by Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt (2012 pp.133), one business may acquire another in order to increase its growth, gain market power, manage risks and reduce costs. In relation to such acquisition reasons, Facebook owners made the move to acquire Whatsapp in order to increase its growth in the social media market. Acquiring Whatsapp, which is a strong competitor, would also help Facebook manage the risk of elimination from business and cut costs of operation such as advertising. Management of such factors would subsequently lead to an increase in the market power by Facebook. In studies conducted by Frankel (2011 pp.22), he notes that, among the main reasons why one business may acquire another include customers and market share. One business may want to take over the customers of a competing business and successively take over the market share. In relation to the above studies, Facebook will take over the users of whatsapp and subsequently its market share. This is possible because Whatsapp has the ability to attract many users than facebook. Studies

Chemistry and Anatomy Essay Example for Free

Chemistry and Anatomy Essay My life began as a simple and talented student in Geneva. My father was Alphonse Frankenstein, who was a wealthy, rich and benevolent man. I was the first son of my father, Alphonse Frankenstein. My mother Caroline visited a beautiful orphan girl, Elizabeth Lavenza, fair-haired girl. She was adopted by my family and was my cousin. I had two brothers who were very lovely and they loved me and Elizabeth a lot. My best friend was Henry Clerval, who was a considerate man. I became a student of Chemistry and Anatomy in the quest to determine what gives life. I was a young man who led a happy and peaceful life, but the events happened after, made a great change to my living. The world according to me was a secret of research, creation and experimenting. I learnt the theories of electricity and galvanization. I also initiated a theory of how to create human life using the principles of electricity. I became devoted to the human creation and the spark of life that I had abandoned earlier. I asked my University for specimens to make my creation. I figured out what gives life.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I have begged my University for specimens. They say I’ve had all their best material for years, and produced nothing to show for it.† I feel that I have begged my University for some specimens to make my creation, but they refused to afford me the specimens because they say that they have given all the best pieces of specimens to me for creating nothing. Finally, I got the body parts from the graveyard. Then I went out without my meals to buy some chemicals. I took the body parts from the corpses. I stored my chemicals and specimens in the dissecting room so that it would be safe. I constructed a giant man, 8 feet tall, with super human strength and endurance from harvested body parts that I took from the corpses. I worked secretly without rest for almost a year. I can tell you that I was a bit disappointed with my creation. My perfect creation was a frightening disaster. My creation was a result of horror.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"No, this isn’t what I wanted. Oh, dear god, what have I done?†Ã‚  I was not at all happy with my monstrous creation. So, I rejected, abandoned and left him away. I was also scared, frightened and afraid of him. I also avoided my scientific studies because it remained me about the disastrous experiment. I wanted him to help and like mankind. This was not what I expected. I wanted my creation to be helpful rather than being a nuisance. My excitement soon changed when my creature came into life. My lovely, little brother William was murdered by my creation, the monster. Elizabeth cried a lot and I was not able to convince her. She also told me that my five- year-old brother, William and she went for a walk. She also told me that she saw William disappear. She was searching for him all over. I examined what had happened and found out that it was the monster, who was responsible for the murder of my brother. I was very angry with the behaviour of my creation. I created him to help human life and not to destroy them. He came to my room. I was very angry at him and wanted to destroy him. He told me to control my temper and he asked me to listen to him. He told me that the only person to be kind to him was Agathe, a young blind lady. The other villagers chased him away through their dogs. He also told me that his intention towards William was not to kill him. Then he explained to me about what had happened. He told me, â€Å"I put my hands to his mouth to silence him, because I was afraid.†Ã‚  The monster asked William to play with him for a while. But William shouted and refused to play with him. So, he just kept his hands in William’s mouth to silence him and request him to play with him. He also convinced me by telling the truth, but I am very sad that my brother is being murdered by my creation.  I was asked by the monster to make a bride to the monster. I agreed to him because as a creator, I should have to fulfill the wishes of my creation. He said to me that,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I am alone and miserable; man will not associate with me; but one as deformed and horrible as myself would not deny herself to me. My companion must be of the same species and have the same defects. This being you must create.† He conveyed me his feelings of how it was to be alone without a companion or a comrade. He also gave me two years time to make a complete creation. He also told me that he would not trouble me in the time in between. I repulsed myself to make a bride for the monster. I wanted to finish the bride before marrying Elizabeth. I was also worried that the monster may harm my family. I still found it difficult to make the second monster. I made it because he told me that he wanted to love. I also made it, but this creation was spoilt by the monster, himself. The thing where he went wrong was, giving wrong wire connections to the creation and made it destroy. I explained to him that,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"She’ll never live now! Monster, what have you done?†Ã‚  He thought that he knew to make his own creation. He acted over- smart by giving the wrong wire connections and destroying his bride by himself. I beautifully laid out the bride in white colour clothes, to symbolize that she was going to get married. There is no use for him to commit the murders of Elizabeth and Clerval, by knowing that was his fault. I was really angry when he killed my brother, William. Then, he explained to me about what had happened. He told me that,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I put my hands to his mouth to silence him, because I was afraid.†Ã‚  It was my fault to create him and abandon him. Since I have created him I lost my Elizabeth, Clerval and my dear brother William. I got the feelings of how it was to face death. If I think of him, my first thoughts were, why did I create him? I found it like a battle of â€Å"Evil vs. Good†.

Schizophrenics and Schizophrenia: Drugs are NOT the Solution :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Schizophrenics and Schizophrenia: Drugs are NOT the Solution Last month, I shadowed a physician for four days. When I arrived at her office on the first day, she said to me, "Prepare yourself, we are going to the Provident." The Provident is a nursing home for the severely mentally ill. Many of the patients living there are under fifty years old, some are as young as thirty. None of the residents have any money. All are receiving welfare and are on Medicare. We entered the building into a room where approximately 15 people were sitting in chairs. Most were staring straight ahead, eyes glazed. Some were chattering quietly to themselves, some were walking around with an awkward gait. As I walked further through the floor looking into rooms, I saw many people sleeping in their beds. I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if the people living at the Provident were suddenly not taking any medication. Would they be out of control? Was it possible that beneath all of the drug-induced stares, shakes and speech impediments that an alert person existed? Perhaps their diseases had prevented them from interacting with other people in what would be considered a "normal" way. But are they better off now that they are too drug-altered and often depressed to interact at all? As a society, we try to get rid of things we are afraid of, things which make us nervous and things we don't understand. Perhaps mental illness is not so much a problem for the mentally ill, but for their communities who can not and will not empathize with them. I wonder if people suffering from a mental illness are not really suffering at all, but are simply a behavioral minority. Their behavior prevents them from being accepted by the majority. They can not find work or often even a place to live, as these things are controlled by the majority. Instead, for those that are ironically considered lucky, the majority gives them medication and often sends them away to a locked facility. For this second web-paper, I will try to explore these questions by learning about schizophrenia, a common diagnosis at the Provident. Some have argued that people "afflicted" with schizophrenia have a damaged I-function. That is, schizophrenics are not capable of responding appropriately to their environment because their I-function is not fully grown or as well-developed as a "healthy" person. Schizophrenics and Schizophrenia: Drugs are NOT the Solution :: Biology Essays Research Papers Schizophrenics and Schizophrenia: Drugs are NOT the Solution Last month, I shadowed a physician for four days. When I arrived at her office on the first day, she said to me, "Prepare yourself, we are going to the Provident." The Provident is a nursing home for the severely mentally ill. Many of the patients living there are under fifty years old, some are as young as thirty. None of the residents have any money. All are receiving welfare and are on Medicare. We entered the building into a room where approximately 15 people were sitting in chairs. Most were staring straight ahead, eyes glazed. Some were chattering quietly to themselves, some were walking around with an awkward gait. As I walked further through the floor looking into rooms, I saw many people sleeping in their beds. I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if the people living at the Provident were suddenly not taking any medication. Would they be out of control? Was it possible that beneath all of the drug-induced stares, shakes and speech impediments that an alert person existed? Perhaps their diseases had prevented them from interacting with other people in what would be considered a "normal" way. But are they better off now that they are too drug-altered and often depressed to interact at all? As a society, we try to get rid of things we are afraid of, things which make us nervous and things we don't understand. Perhaps mental illness is not so much a problem for the mentally ill, but for their communities who can not and will not empathize with them. I wonder if people suffering from a mental illness are not really suffering at all, but are simply a behavioral minority. Their behavior prevents them from being accepted by the majority. They can not find work or often even a place to live, as these things are controlled by the majority. Instead, for those that are ironically considered lucky, the majority gives them medication and often sends them away to a locked facility. For this second web-paper, I will try to explore these questions by learning about schizophrenia, a common diagnosis at the Provident. Some have argued that people "afflicted" with schizophrenia have a damaged I-function. That is, schizophrenics are not capable of responding appropriately to their environment because their I-function is not fully grown or as well-developed as a "healthy" person.

Sociology and Tutor Marked Assignment

Foundation Course in Humanities and Social Sciences Tutor Marked Assignment (TMA) Course Code: BSHF-101 Assignment Code: BSHF-101/AST/TMA/2012-13 Total Marks: 100 A. Descriptive Category Questions (DCQ) answer any two in 500 words each: 1. Analyse the evolution of man as a tool making animal. 20 2. Does the post – Industrial society differ from the Industrial society? Explain 20 3. Analyse the role of Gandhi in the National Movement. 20 4.How do you assess the performance of Indian Economy during the initial years of Globalization (since 1991)? 20 B. Middle Category Questions (MCQ) answer any four in 250 words each: 5. Discuss the achievements of Renaissance in the field of art and architecture. 12 6. Has the Indian Economy made any progress in the field of Distributive justice? 12 7. Discuss the directive Principles of State policies. Discuss the fundamental Rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution. How are the different? 12 8.What role do non-state actors play in the dem ocratic process? Discuss. 12 9. What role does coordination play in the management of organizations? Discuss. 12 10. Discuss the concept of governance. Is fostering openness in the system a part of good governance. 12 11. How do you look at the concept of ‘Human Security’? D iscuss. 12 12. Discuss the concept of â€Å"Digital Divide†. How do you think it can be bridged? 12 C. Short Category Questions (SCQ) 6+6 a) b) c) d) Secularism Bharatnatyam Ellora Paintings Kyoto Protocol 4

A neo-slave narrative Essay

Often, man resorts to story-telling as a way of reconciling with a formidable incident in the past. By re-telling the story to another party, he comes to accept that this is a reality to be faced. He realizes that acceptance, rather than denial, is the best way of going about this trouble. Aside from the rehabilitating ability of story-telling with its contributory effect in dealing with a painful memory, others simply do this as a way of remembering. Concretizing the past as a piece of literature would ensure that the incident would not just be buried in the recesses of the memory; that it would be kept alive and the pains and suffering would not be without significance. In this light, it would come clear for readers how and why the proliferation and the presence of slave narratives came about. One may think that with the end of the painful era of slavery, all dialogues and discussion about the subject would also desist. For the African-American slaves and their descendants, this was not the case. The words of Robert Crossley of the University of Massachusetts rerated the thought: â€Å"First-person American slave narratives should have ceased being written when the last American citizen born into institutionalized slavery died. But the literary form has persisted, just as the legacy of slavery has persisted, into the present. † To be more specific, the birth and popularization of the slave narratives started in the nineteenth century. James Olney stated that each narrative â€Å"a unique production† as an autobiography, and â€Å"is not every autobiography the unique tale, uniquely told, of a unique life? Therefore, the uniqueness of each narrative from the others is a trait of this genre, as it narrates the experiences of the writers which are unique to another’s. However, certain characteristics are evidently similar in the work to be considered a part of the genre. For one thing, it has to tell the story of a black slave’s struggle for literacy and freedom, while testifying against the â€Å"peculiar institution/’ which in practice meant human bondage and humiliation (Gates, â€Å"Introduction† ix). By the second half of the twentieth century, a sub-genre of the slave narrative has arisen; called the â€Å"neo-slave narrative,† it is a fictional mutation of the slave narratives of nineteenth-century Americans (Crossley). This sub-set of the slave narrative genre is very similar with its umbrella genre in the sense that it presents personal accounts of slavery. However, the difference lies in the choice of the author to fictionalize existing accounts, and not his own personal experiences. The authors base the structure of their fictional work on the oral histories and existing slave narratives to make sure that the story would still echo true events in the historical sense. The birth of this sub-set of the slave narrative genre may be attributed to the void that it fills, or attempts to fill. Anita Wholuba in her paper said that the chasm which is attempted to be explored and filled is the ironic presence of silence in slave narratives, despite of the voice earned by the slave narrative writers. Wholuba said that â€Å"while a significant number of scholars have established that certain silences exist in the traditional narrative of history, neo-slave narrative authors have committed themselves to the task of identifying and sounding those silences where the representation of the American slavery era is concerned. † A novel titled Kindred, penned by Octavia Butler, is among the body of neo-slave narratives published in the last century. It was published in the year 1979, and speaks of an African-American woman’s sojourns to the past. The character Dana, lives in contemporary California, but is transported back in time to the antebellum South. In her involuntary travels to the past, she understands how difficult the situation for people before her ancestors actually was. As I was reading Kindred, I had the initial impression that it was just to be appreciated for its science fiction values. Although the science element in this novel was not so much as it was felt in other novels from the same genre, her meshing of science fiction and history was an innovation that should be noted and lauded. In any case, what caught my attention more was the similarity Kindred has with other novels we have read subsequently in the class, which were the Narrative of the Life of Frederic Douglass, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, and Up from Slavery. Evidently, there were characteristics of a slave narrative in the novel Kindred. However, the text didn’t meet the five criteria for it to be called a slave narrative, the genre which the other works fell under. As Kindred is a work of fiction, it would naturally be categorized as a neo slave narrative, a concept I came to be familiar with after research. Kindred as a neo-slave narrative With the plot and simple and direct language employed by Butler, Kindred could not be missed as a neo-slave narrative. Characters that are actual African-American slaves and Caucasian American masters and violence inflicted on slaves are presented in the novel. On a deeper sense, on the other hand, the novel follows the same pattern present in other slave narratives. Wholuba in the same paper added that although the text refers to other slave narratives such as the work written by Douglass’, in an effort to explore existing themes, the novel still manages to introduce new themes. The new themes that this novel presented, according to Wholuba still, include a more blunt â€Å"analysis and depiction of the slave’s struggle for sexual autonomy, the experience of middle passage, and the concept of memory. † As was mentioned, the novel Kindred follows the typical pattern for a slave narrative, and this will be the thesis of the paper. It will attempt to discuss and prove the characteristics of a slave narrative present in Butler’s popular piece of art. Another writer mentioned some of the other patterns commonly found in neo-slave narratives. Lysik mentioned in her essay that neo-slave narratives portrayed the â€Å"vital slave culture† in a positive light as it could serve as a means of surviving the brutal reality they are subjected to (Lysik). What this implicates is that the writers of the neo-slave narratives provide a new perspective in terms of viewing the arduous tasks and obligations slaves have to fulfill. Most authors show how slaves then turn this otherwise appalling condition to something that they could actually seek refuge in. First and foremost, the novel carried a prefatory statement by a person from Caucasian American race attesting to the authenticity of the author. The second criterion which has to be satisfied is the movement from slavery to freedom. Kindred has been classified under slave narratives by critics as leans toward the freedom narrative category. This concept will be further discussed in the following paragraphs. Aside from this, the most obvious criterion which the novel has to satisfy is that the story should portray the physical, emotional, and spiritual deprivation of slavery. Kindred, undeniably, does not fall short on this end. As the journey through time and space allows Dana to witness the events during the period of slavery firsthand, the novel is rich with narration regarding the struggles of the African-American slaves. Through Dana’s experiences, the tales of the different forms of deprivation and coercion were regaled to the readers. James and his contemporaries talked of this in a paper, saying that many forms of violence and intimidation were observed to be used to maintain white dominance in the slave economy through the eyes of the character of Dana. These â€Å"preservation† measures, so to speak, included the sexual violence against black women that was common during slavery, the assault on black families, the difficult choices that black people were compelled to make in acts of love, survival, and resistance, and the outcomes of internalized oppression (James, et. al). A specific scene in the novel would be that time when Dana personally witnessed the beating of a slave. The slave was hunted by white patrollers because of a crime that would seem absurd for people of the modern times: the slave was found spending time with his wife in their own bedroom without the slave master’s permission. The following text is lifted from the novel: I could literally smell his sweat, hear every ragged breath, every cry, every cut of the whip. I could see his body jerking, convulsing, straining against the rope as his screaming went on and on. My stomach heaved, and I had to force myself to stay where I was and keep quiet. Why didn’t they stop! â€Å"Please, Master,† the man begged. â€Å"For Godsake, Master, please †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I shut my eyes and tensed my muscles against an urge to vomit. I had seen people beaten on television and in the movies. I had seen the tored blood substitute streaked across their backs and heard their well-rehearsed screams. But I hadn’t lain nearby and smelled their sweat or heard them pleading and praying, shamed before their families and themselves. I was probably less prepared for the reality than the child crying not far from me. (p. 36) What made the scene worse than it was already is the fact that the daughter of the slave was also witnessing what was happening. She was situated a few yards away from Dana, but as the character said, â€Å"I was probably less prepared for the reality than the child crying not far from me,† we can surmise that the child could better deal with the situation than Dana for this was not a phenomenon for her any longer. It had become part of her reality that it is possible for her father to be punished for doing something, however trivial it may be, which is against their master’s will. The horror of the situation in antebellum South of America then was clearly depicted in this specific scene. Dana’s reaction to what she witnessed represents the reactions of her fellow African-Americans and of people from different nations who oppose such inhumane violent inflictions. As Butler effectively mixed fiction and narrative in this novel, the outcome of the story-telling was as much effective as it was sincere. Another trait that must be found in the text is the element of a triggering event that pushes the slave to escape to be considered a neo-slave narrative. For this particular novel, there were many instances which depicted this. The many times when the protagonist Dana feels the need to escape can be included here. However, what would be the more fitting example here is Alice, the woman who was going to give birth to Dana’s ancestor. Being a slave who was forced to bear and mother a ruthless master’s children, she was a character who was forced to the point of brokenness of the spirit. At some point, readers will also see her desperation because of the situation. There was a time, however when Alice was determined to run away with her husband, Isaac. What triggered this was the series of beatings she had to go through and the physical assault made by Rufus on her, â€Å"when Rufus who has torn Alice’s dress and raped her,† (Butler, 117). Isaac beat their master to death because of this event, but because of Dana’s pleas, decided to stop and run away with Alice. However, their escape was to no avail. They were eventually recaptured, which led to more unacceptable punishment for them from the patrollers. Isaac’s ears were cut off and he was sold to another family. Alice on the other hand, had to survive attacks by hunting dogs. While the desire for escape was a theme discussed many times in the text, it must also be noted that success did not always come with it. Isaac and Alice were not the only characters who had to endure unsuccessful escapes. Two other women characters in the novel were recaptured and were subjected to more physical abuse when they attempted to leave. According to Wholuba, these failed attempts are important as they reveal to readers how the slaves had to find other ways to resist or survive, when liberation is impossible for them to attain. Despite of this, there was one character who was able to manage a successful escape. Though she had lost her arm in the process of going back to the real world she belonged in, she was able to acquire freedom from Rufus nonetheless. As another trait of slave narratives is that there is a situation which depicts liberation, or escaping to freedom, which is often followed by a renaming. In Dana’s case, changing her name did not transpire after the escape. The shift that took place in this context was the shift in her attitudes and understanding. Her character can be actually accused of being too oblivious to the events in her people’s past, which can only be a good thing to an extent. She is married to Kevin, a white American, who may also be guilty of the same thing. The blissful marriage between the two despite their racial differences should not be the main point of discussion; whereas, it should be set on the seemingly it-happened-so-long-ago-it-should-not-affect-us-anymore attitude of the interracial couple. However, after her numerous trips back to antebellum Maryland, she was forced to open her eyes and mind to what her ancestors had to go through. The situations had forced her to remember, to understand from the viewpoint of a slave who endured the slavery period. With this, she was able to connect what used to be different for her: her current life as a modern woman engaged in an interracial relationship, and the history and experiences of her ancestors. Looking at it, the couple Dana and Kevin may be representing the African-Americans in the modern times, who do not look back anymore at what happened in the past. This novel then, may serve as a reminder for them that the past should not be forgotten, but rather should be immortalized for the lessons that have been begotten from it. Impact of the novel Clearly, Butler was able to evoke positive reactions and was actually able to initiate change on the part of her readers. The most palpable change that she was able to make is to remind her fellow African-American readers of their past and have a change of heart and attitude toward their past. Crossley also observed this change that Butler facilitated with this novel. According to him, Butler â€Å"has deployed the genre’s conventions to tell stories with a political and sociological edge to them, stories that speak to issues, feelings, and historical truths arising out of African-American experience. † As I have mentioned in the preceding paragraph, she makes the readers understand that the past should not be forgotten because of the pains that it may rekindle. The novel reinforces that remembering the past would not the allow struggles of their ancestors to be left to disintegrate in vain. The purpose that their sufferings serve would be kept alive, and that is to comprehend the mistakes of the past to prevent any similar event to happen again. Another interesting point that Crossley raised in his essay was that Butler, through the novel Kindred, was able to reveal the connection between history and the current diseases of the society. She boldly exposed different forms of chauvinism and explained how these are â€Å"enriched by a historical consciousness that shapes the depiction of enslavement both in the real past and in imaginary pasts and futures, and enact struggles for personal freedom and cultural pluralism,† (Crossle). In conclusion, Kindred is a novel that goes beyond satisfying the extrinsic values of a science fiction novel. The words expressed by James and his fellow authors can best summarize what the novel does to a reader: â€Å"Readers can recognize many parallels in our own search for truth about this painful history, and we are moved to consider: how powerfully and inextricably we are bound to the lives of our ancestors; how racism, denial, myth-making, and racial stereotypes have influenced our understanding of our cultural heritage; how the past shapes our present reality; how revisiting a painful past can lead toward healing; and how we can best use our historical memory to move forward (James, et. al)†. Summary: Neo-slave narratives, which is a sub-genre of the slave narrative, proliferated by the second half of the twentieth century. The neo-slave narrative genre is very similar with its umbrella genre, which is the slave narrative, in the sense that it presents personal accounts of slavery. However, the difference lies in the choice of the author to fictionalize existing accounts, and not his own personal experiences. The authors base the structure of their fictional work on the oral histories and existing slave narratives to make sure that the story would still echo true events in the historical sense. A novel titled Kindred, penned by Octavia Butler, is among the body of neo-slave narratives published in the last century. It was published in the year 1979, and speaks of an African-American woman’s sojourns to the past. Evidently, there were characteristics of a slave narrative in the novel Kindred. However, the text didn’t meet the five criteria for it to be called a slave narrative, the genre which the other works fell under. As Kindred is a work of fiction, it would naturally be categorized as a neo slave narrative, a concept I came to be familiar with after research. With the plot and simple and direct language employed by Butler, Kindred could not be missed as a neo-slave narrative. Characters that are actual African-American slaves and Caucasian American masters and violence inflicted on slaves are presented in the novel. On a deeper sense, on the other hand, the novel follows the same pattern present in other slave narratives. As was mentioned, the novel Kindred follows the typical pattern for a slave narrative, and this will be the thesis of the paper. It will attempt to discuss and prove the characteristics of a slave narrative present in Butler’s popular piece of art. First and foremost, the novel carried a prefatory statement by a person from Caucasian American race attesting to the authenticity of the author. The second criterion which has to be satisfied is the movement from slavery to freedom. Kindred has been classified under slave narratives by critics as leans toward the freedom narrative category. Aside from this, the most obvious criterion which the novel has to satisfy is that the story should portray the physical, emotional, and spiritual deprivation of slavery. Kindred, undeniably, does not fall short on this end. As the journey through time and space allows Dana to witness the events during the period of slavery firsthand, the novel is rich with narration regarding the struggles of the African-American slaves. Through Dana’s experiences, the tales of the different forms of deprivation and coercion were regaled to the readers. Another trait that must be found in the text is the element of a triggering event that pushes the slave to escape to be considered a neo-slave narrative. For this particular novel, there were many instances which depicted this. The many times when the protagonist Dana feels the need to escape can be included here. Aside from this, another trait of slave narratives is that there is a situation which depicts liberation, or escaping to freedom, which is often followed by a renaming, was also present in the novel. In Dana’s case, changing her name did not transpire after the escape. The shift that took place in this context was the shift in her attitudes and understanding. In conclusion, Kindred is a novel that goes beyond satisfying the extrinsic values of a science fiction novel. More importantly, Butler was able to evoke positive reactions and was actually able to initiate change on the part of her readers. The most palpable change that she was able to make is to remind her fellow African-American readers of their past and have a change of heart and attitude toward their past.

Breast Cancer Symptoms and Causes

Breast Cancer Symptoms and Causes Introduction Breast cancer affects mostly women, which results from the breast tissue found in the inner coating of the milk ducts or the lobules, which are charged with the task of supplying milk. A number of breast cancer varieties exist, including ductile carcinomas, which originate from the ducts and the lobular carcinomas, which originate from the lobules.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Breast Cancer Symptoms and Causes specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Studies show that breast cancer is only common in human beings and a few other mammals. It should be noted that breast cancer occur in men as well meaning that it is not a disease that strictly affects women. Breast cancer is curable if it is detected at an early stage, even though the screening process has always been the matter of controversy in the world of science. Screening has some advantages, as well as numerous side effects. This paper aims at evaluating the costs of screening (Sariego, 2010). The treatment offered to patients suffering from cancer is influenced by the characteristic of the cancer type. Some of the curative measures available include surgery, the use of medicine, exposure to radiation and immunotherapy. This article looks at the symptoms and the causes or the factors that predisposes people to breast cancer briefly before proceeding to evaluate the effectiveness of the diagnosis techniques. Signs and Symptoms Breast cancer is one of the killer diseases in the modern society all over the world. One of the major symptoms is the development of a lump, which is usually very different from other breast tissues. Studies show that all patients suffering from breast cancer felt the lump before they were diagnosed of the diseases. The mammogram is the first indication of breast cancer, even though other indications such as the presence of the lymph nodes in the armpits are also the early indications of breast cancer. Other s ymptoms of breast cancer include the thickening of breast tissues whereby it might lead to one breast becoming larger. Moreover, a nipple may change its position to an extent of becoming inverted. In some patients, rushes in the nipple indicate the symptoms of the disease and in some instances there might be a discharge from the nipple (Lacroix, 2006). Even though pain around the breast or the armpit is not a reliable symptom, it is also an indication that might warrant diagnosis. It might be difficult to diagnose certain types of breast cancer such as inflammatory breast cancer. The symptoms of this type of cancer might resemble those of a simple inflammation such as itching and the swelling of the breast. Causes or Risk Factors of Breast Cancer The predisposing factors of breast cancer include the sex of an individual and the age. For women, the major predisposing factors are childbearing meaning that the more an individual have children, the high the risks of contacting breast ca ncer. This factor is closely related to breast feeding.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Other risk factors include high hormone secretion, the diet of an individual, and other diseases such as obesity. Under the lifestyle of an individual, it is established that the intake of tobacco is the main predisposing factor to breast cancer. Individuals known to smoke have always been diagnosed with the disease. The earlier an individual starts smoking, the higher the chances of contracting the disease. In fact, the case is serious to those individuals who use tobacco for long and lack physical exercise. In 1980, s study established that induced abortion is one of the risk factors of breast cancer because those who procure an abortion were diagnosed with breast cancer. However, recent studies have confirmed that breast cancer is not associated with miscarriages or induced abor tions. A direct relationship between breast cancer and the diet of an individual exist, especially when it comes to fat intake because people who consume too much fat are likely to suffer from cancer in the future. Some of the foods and drinks are not also healthy, such as alcohol because they increase the risk of contracting breast cancer. Studies have proved that a number of chemicals could actually cause breast cancer in women, especially breast feeding women. Some these chemicals include those used as pesticides and polychlorinated chemicals. Some people contract breast cancer owing to their genetic susceptibility to some environmental factors. However, studies show that genetics as a risk factor causes less than ten percent breast cancers in all patients. This study shows that the chances of inheriting cancer from the parent are very low, even though there is some possibility (Buchholz, 2009). Those with certain genes, particularly BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations are in higher r isk of contracting breast cancer. As far as genetics is concerned, the above genes cause up to 90% of all genetically related cancer. There was a breakthrough in 2012 as regards to the risks that genetics pose because one of the studies proved that four types of genetically related breast cancers exist. Some medical conditions predispose people to breast cancer. Some of these conditions include atypical hyperplasia, and lobular carcinoma in situ. Diagnosis and Screening: Mammography Breast cancer behaves in the same way as other forms of cancer because it forms as result of the interaction of the environment with defective gene. It entails a process whereby ordinary cells divide so many times before stopping at some point.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Breast Cancer Symptoms and Causes specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The divide cells stick to other cells before settling at the tissues. Cancer is said to have occu rred when mutations destroy the ability of cells to divide. Cells would instead attach themselves to other cells. Breast cancer is diagnosed through the process of microscopic therapy, which takes place with the help of the biopsy. Some types of breast cancer are complex meaning that they require specialized machines and technologies to diagnose. The most important process is to conduct the screening of the cells. Additional testing is performed to ascertain whether the detected lump is cancer since not all lumps are cancerous. The findings of noninvasive investigation and mammography are sufficient tests to prove that an individual is suffering from cancer. Mammography is an important process that detects not only cancerous cells, but also other lesions. It entails the utilization of low energy X-rays, which are usually less than 30kVp, in scanning the breast to establish whether it is infected with cancer. It should be understood that the technique is used both as diagnostic techn ique and a screening tool. Mammography is undertaken specifically to detect cancer at its early onset. The main aim of the process is to detect micro-calcifications. The process uses some doses of ionizing radiation, just like other X-rays, to provide images that are later evaluated in diagnosing the disease. The energy used should be kept low since breasts do not have strong bones or muscles, as is the case with bones. Ultrasound is usually recommended to evaluate the masses of the cells in order to detect the disease (Reynolds, 2012). It is suggested that women go through the process after every two years, especially after they attain age fifty. Mammography as a diagnostic tool and a screening technique has both advantages and disadvantages. However, it should be noted that the technique is so effective in diagnosing and screening cancer patients. Those in support of the use of mammography as screening tool argue that many people should turn up for screening since the technique ha s helped in lowering the number of cancer deaths since 1990. Studied in Sweden and Netherlands pointed out that women could be saved from the killer diseases owing to the presence of the mammography technology (Destounis, DiNitto, 2004). The studies proved that 1.8 women could be saved from the dangers of the disease if regular diagnosis and screening is encouraged. Critics have been quick to mention that many women suffer psychologically due to wrong diagnosis. Others are even forced to go through the strenuous process of screening yet they do not suffer from the disease.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One of the recent studies suggested that mammography technology does not reduce deaths in any way but instead it causes cancer panic and the desire to undergo medical checkup frequently. Some women have gone through surgical invention yet they do not suffer from cancer. It is even noted with concern that frequent checks and subsequent screening may bring about more harms as compared to benefits. Overall, the use of mammography is beneficial to women because it helps them determine their cancer status. References Buchholz, T. (2009). Radiation therapy for early-stage breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery. English Journal of Medicine, 360(1), 63–70. Destounis, S., DiNitto, P. (2004). Can computer-aided detection with double reading of screening mammograms help decrease the false-negative rate? Radiology, 232(2), 578–584. Lacroix, M. (2006). Significance, detection and markers of disseminated breast cancer cells. Endocrine-related Cancer, 13(4): 1033–1067. Reynolds, H. (2012). The Big Squeeze: A Social and Political History of the Controversial Mammogram (ILR Press/Cornell University Press. Sariego, J. (2010). Breast cancer in the young patient. The American surgeon, 76(12), 1397–1401.

Understanding the Difference Between Whine and Wine

Understanding the Difference Between Whine and Wine The words whine and wine are homophones: they sound alike but have different meanings. Definitions The verb whine means to make a high-pitched noise or to complain or beg in a childish way. The noun whine refers to the act of whining or to a complaint uttered in a whining tone. The noun wine refers to the fermented juice of grapes (or other fruits), used as an alcoholic beverage and in cooking. Examples The woman would yowl at him for not cutting enough wood for her stove and would whine about the pain in her back.(Flannery OConnor, The Crop, 1946. The Complete Stories. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1971)On his control panel, the tiny bulbs  grew brighter, straining under a surge of power.  The room lights flared, bathing the shack in a bright, naked glow The incessant alarms were drowned out by  the whine of the  engines now. It  all happened in seconds.(Abrahm Lustgarten,  Run to Failure: BP and the Making of the Deepwater Horizon Disaster.  Norton, 2012)For their first date, she once told me, my father changed into rough pants and a T-shirt, crammed a loaf of bread and a jug of wine into his rucksack, and took my mother on a hike up Bells Canyon.(Tom Matthews, Our Fathers War. Broadway Books,  2005)Crazy Sunday again. Joel  slept until eleven, then he read a newspaper to catch up with the past week. He lunched in his room on trout, avocado salad and a pint of Calif ornia wine.(F. Scott Fitzgerald, Crazy Sunday. The American Mercury, 1933) There were bright rugs on the oiled floor, tasteful religious paintings in ornate  frames, camelback sofas  upholstered in wine-colored velvet, and silver everywhere, twinkling in the late afternoon light sliding through the small curtained windows.(Loren D. Estleman, City of Widows. Tor Books, 1994) Idiom Alert Wine and DineThe expression to wine and dine (someone) means to entertain someone in a lavish manner or to treat someone to a costly meal.What was wonderful was that they seemed  to energize each other.  He  wined and dined  her in the expensive, three- and four-star restaurants that made up his culinary universe. She introduced him to the other New York, the one with hundreds of fabulous places to eat that didnt require frou-frou clothes, major jewelry and a trust fund.(Doris Mortman, Before and Again. St. Martins Press, 2003) Practice (a) In the dark, he listened behind a sheltering yew hedge. . . .  A chilly wind moving through the yew leaves like water, the  steady _____  of the all-clear signal, the dim, distant barking of dogs, but no human sounds, no loud footfalls to indicate a strangers approach.(Paul Griner, The German Woman.  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009) (b)  They sat  and  sipped the _____  while they waited for their food to arrive. Answers to Practice Exercises Answers to Practice Exercises: Whine and Wine (a) In the dark, he listened behind a sheltering yew hedge. . . .  A chilly wind moving through the yew leaves like water, the  steady whine of the all-clear signal, the dim, distant barking of dogs, but no human sounds, no loud footfalls to indicate a strangers approach.(Paul Griner,  The German Woman.  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009)(b)  They sat  and  sipped the wine while they waited for their food to arrive.