Explain why Simmias and Cebes are so afraid of death in the phaedo, Essay

Explain why Simmias and Cebes are so afraid of death in the phaedo, whereas Socrates is not. Does Socrates' explanation convince you, or are you, like simmias a - Essay Example Socrates unequivocally asserts that any true philosopher â€Å"will be willing to die† (6). He is convinced that a better life awaits him. Death, as the harbinger of â€Å"the greatest good† (8), is something the true philosopher desires and pursues. Death may be defined as â€Å"the separation of the soul and body† (8). The philosopher is a seeker of truth and lover of wisdom, who pursues the essence of the knowledge of existence. In this pursuit, the body, with its’ lusts, sensual pleasures and physical needs, is â€Å"only a disturbing element, hindering the soul from the acquisition of knowledge† (10). Therefore, the philosopher desires death, which will release â€Å"the soul from the chains of the body† (11) and free the soul to attain the truth. His desire for the truth will be satisfied only by the separation of the soul from the body – that is, by death – which is the purification of the soul. Death is the philosopherâ €™s means to gain wisdom, while the body is his â€Å"enemy† (11). Socrates fearlessly and eagerly anticipates death and is ready â€Å"to depart with joy† (11) from this world. Cebes and Simmias acknowledge the truth of Socrates’ word, but continue to fear death, as they are afraid that the soul â€Å"may be destroyed and perish† (12) when she leaves the body, â€Å"vanishing into nothingness† after death. Socrates allays their fears by convincing them of the immortality of the soul. The accepted belief that â€Å"the living spring from the dead† (15) presupposes the prior existence of the soul, in another world, before it assumes human form. As recollection is an essential part of knowledge, this recollection is obviously gained by the intelligent souls’ existence in another place. The rebirth of the soul is proof of the souls’ immortality, as â€Å"everything living is born of the dead† (19). Once it is accepted that the soul is invisible,

How Italian Food Defines You, Your Family, and Your Ethnicity Essay

How Italian Food Defines You, Your Family, and Your Ethnicity - Essay Example A side dish of salad or vegetables rounds out the meal. After a beverage, predominantly wine, a decadent dessert is also consumed. And always, conversation and laughter dominates the family table. Many Italian-Americans still keep the Vatican custom of seven fishes served on New Year's Eve, including squid, eels, and conch. The traditional meal on Easter is lamb. Of course, all meals are accompanied with a pasta side dish. Since gorgonzola, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses were first made by Italians, these dairy products are incorporated into just about all Italian fare. To discuss Italian culture and food, we have to include the topic of the all-American pizza. USA pizza is different from Italian pizza in that pizza served in Italy has less cheese, and the crust is thin as paper. The New York Times published an article stating that it is as important how we eat opposed to what we eat. That could be a lesson in cooking. When Italians dine, they take their time eating. They have a relationship with food. Mealtimes with the family are almost sacred. Conversation at the table strengthens the bond of family. Italians also lead active lives. Cars are not allowed in many Italian town centers. Therefore, walking is necessary. Most residents are walkups without elevators. Most importantly, portion sizes are much smaller in Italy.

Computerised quotation system Essay Example for Free

Computerised quotation system Essay The task that I am going to provide a solution for is to produce a computerised quotation system for S S Insurances. EXISTING SYSTEM: Thomas Davidson is currently a broker providing insurance for cars. At present he insures through a financial institution, S S Finances. He is a broker working for the insurance company S S Insurances. He has worked with many insurance companies in the past trying to find the best deal so that he can earn a good amount of profit. He finally made a deal with S S Insurances in which he can gain a good amount of commission. His job is to find customers who would like to buy insurance for their cars and he gains a commission of 7.5% for each customer to whom he sells a quote. He started his career as a broker approximately three years ago after being made redundant as a factory worker assembling car parts. He has no employees working for him at the moment. However his wife helps him with the paperwork when she can. Thomas works full- time from his home study, which is located in the heart of Streatham. In the past Thomas has had a lot of experience dealing with customers and clients. He now has a number of devoted customers who frequently contact him when the renewal for their car insurance is due. Thomas usually interacts with his customers over the phone from his study; sometimes however he does conduct business at the home of his customer to their convenience. When Thomas finds an interested client he firstly explains to the client everything that is involved in the quote. In order for Thomas to calculate the insurance quote, he uses a calculator, a record of tables with the insurance ratings provided by S S Insurances and his diary where he notes all the information down. The insurance ratings show a different variety of things the first table is the insurance group, which shows the basic cost for a car depending on the cars make, price and power. The more expensive and powerful the car, higher the basic cost. Thomas then adjusts the basic cost by multiplying it by various factors, which could affect the insurance. Age is also a factor, the older the driver is, the less they are considered as a risk. Sex is also a factor; a female is considered as a less of a risk than males. The area you live in is also a criterion which Thomas considers before issuing an insurance quote, if you live in a high risk sensitive area you are likely to pay more. The customer can then choose what type of insurance he would like; third party only, third party fire and theft or fully comprehensive. The insurance also offers an extra driver criterion, which can be added at an increased cost. Thomas then offers a discount to the customers if they have had no claims varying from the past year or five years. Thomas then calculates the quote by multiplying the basic cost with all the factor multipliers and seeing if they can get a discount and then giving the customer the final result. Thomas writes all of the things discussed and quotations in his diary. If the client agrees to go ahead with the quote after hearing the final cost, Thomas makes a word- processed quote, which he then sends to S S Insurances. From there S S Insurances make the actual policy and then send it directly to the customer. Thomas does possess a computer and laptop at home, which his children use for educational purposes. Thomas has very little knowledge about using computers, however to produce the insurance quotes which are word-processed his daughter helps him and recently Thomas has started to produce the quotes by himself since he is gradually learning to use a computer, even though he is slow with the typing. Thomas makes hand-written notes about all his clients, their details and policies, which is time consuming and can get tiring and boring despite having a computer due to his lack of computer skills. Furthermore sometimes Thomas wife also helps him with the paperwork, if there are too many customers wishing to have a quote ready. Thomas says that most of his customers find out about his business by word of mouth or from the consequence of the advert he has placed in the local newspaper, if he could he would also like to attract more customers to increase the standard of his living. Thomas Davidson finds the existing manual way he issues quotes prolonged and exhausting and would like to automate the system. He would also prefer to make more use of his laptop, however his lack of computer skills is a problem and therefore would like to be able to issue quotes on a simple and straightforward system. He would also like to automate the system so that it would be much faster to issue quotes and therefore would not have to spend too much time doing things manually. At the moment he hardly gets anytime to spend with his children especially when there is a heavy workload. Thomas feels that if he were able to get the system to be computerised he would like to employ some staff and expand and preferably shift into an office. He would also like to work with more than one insurance company at the same time if possible in the near future. CONSTRAINTS: There are not many constraints however there are a few which are important. My user Thomas Davidson has no experience of using a computer except for possessing basic typing skills. This means the system will have to be easy and simple to use and understand. Another constraint is time, although my user does not want the system to be made immediately or as soon as possible. However he would like the computerised system to be created soon so that he can use it and update all his handwritten manual notes onto the system and be able to use it with future clients. USER REQUIREMENTS: My user is Thomas Davidson, who is a broker for S S Insurances for whom I will be creating a computerised quotation system. He would like the following requirements to be taken into account. * To be able to see the total cost of the insurance quote. * To be able to see the total cost of the insurance quote before a discount is given. * To be able to print the quotation. * To make sure that system is safe and secure. * To be able to see the details of all the customers such as; forename, surname, age, and the type of insurance they would like. * To be able to store the issued quotes so that they can be used at a later date. * To enable phone enquiries to be dealt much quickly. * To make the system user- friendly. * To make sure the data entered is accurate. * To make the system look professional, systematic and organised. QUANTITATIVE OBJECTIVES: * To use a formula to work out the total cost of the insurance quote. * To use another formula to work out the cost of the quote excluding the discount. * To be able to print multiple copies of the quotes. * To make the system password protected so a password will be needed in order to enter the system. * To make sure the details about the customers names, surnames, addresses, age and other details can be seen. * To be able to use a command button so data can be stored. * To use drop down boxes to be able to select options. QUALITATIVE OBJECTIVES: * To make the system user- friendly I will create a user interface so that it is easy to move around the system. * To make the system look professional and organised. PERFORMANCE CRITERIAS: * The system should be able to use a formula in order to work out the total cost of the insurance quote. * The system should be able to use a calculation in order to work out the cost of the insurance excluding the discount. * The system should be able to print multiple copies of the insurance quotation. * The system should be password enable, so a password will be needed in order to access the system to make sure the system is safe. * The system should show all the details about the customers such as names, surnames, addresses and other details. * The system should be able to store the issued quotes so that they can be used at a later date. * The system should have drop down boxes so the user can select options quickly and easily. NEW SYSTEM: HARDWARE: In order to computerise the quotation system I will need a Windows XP computer. I will also need a QWERTY keyboard and a mouse in order to input the data into the spreadsheet. I will be using the hard drive to save the spreadsheet on an internal storage. I will also be saving the spreadsheet on an external storage such as CR-RW so that I have a back- up copy of the data in case the original copy is deleted I will still have another copy. I will also be using a VDU (visual display unit) to see the spreadsheet. I will also be using a printer to print out the quotes so that the user can see them and then send them to S S Insurances. SOFTWARE: In order to produce the car insurance quotation system I will be using spreadsheet software for many reasons. In a spreadsheet I can use many of the features which will enable me to produce an efficient quotation system. I can use macros, list boxes, combo boxes, V Lookup, IF statements and other features in the system. There is other software such as a word- processor or a database but they are not suitable for this quotation system. Although you can make tables and do basic calculations they are only limited as they are not mainly designed for that purpose. I will be using Microsoft Excel 2003 as I do not have any other spreadsheet software available on my computer. I will also use it as I am more familiar with it as I have used it many times in the past. SECURITY: I will need to make sure the spreadsheet I create will be kept safe and secure. I will need to make sure the data is secure as I will need to follow the Data Protection Act 1998. In order to comply with the law I will keep the data safe by having cell protection so if anyone other than me or the user accesses the data he will need to enter the password in order to alter the information. I will also keep a backup copy of the system so if the user loses the original copy he will still have another backup copy. INPUT, PROCESSES AND OUTPUT: Input: I will input all the data required using a keyboard into the spreadsheet. The input data I will need in order to produce the quotation system are all the customer details and the headings. I will require the following specific data about the customers: forename, surname, address, sex, model and make of the car. I will also need the age of the driver, which will be in a grouped arrangement e.g. 17- 19 or 60- 65. The type of insurance the driver wants will also be required whether it is, fully comprehensive, third party only or third party fire and theft. I will abbreviate the type of insurance to make it shorter so it would be much quicker to type and also easier. I will also need to know what type of area the driver lives in, as this could be a risk factor, low, medium or high. I will also need to know if the driver would like to state an extra driver or not. I will also need to know the number of claims the driver has made in the past 4 years and whether he is eligible for a discount. The other details I will need to know is about the insurance and which rating the cars are allocated according to their power and cost. I will also need to know about the multipliers so that I can work what I need to multiple the costs, these will be allocated to the sex, age of driver, risk of area and insurance and type. The final detail I will need to know are the number of penalty points the customer has, as having more conviction point will increase the cost of the insurance quote. Processes: In order to create the quotation system I will need to carry out a number of processes with the input data in order to produce the output. The fixed data will be the data that I will not change on the spreadsheet such as the main headings e.g.: forename, surname, address. The variable data will be the data that will change. The data that will need to be changed are all the details about the customer and his car. In order to fulfil the following user requirements I will carry out a number of processes: * To be able to see the total cost of the insurance quote and to be able to see the total cost of the insurance quote before a discount is given. I will be using a formula to calculate the total costs of the quote and also to work out the cost excluding the discount. I will be using a simple Auto sum calculation in order to do this. In order to work out the total cost I will need to use a V Lookup formula. A V Lookup searches for a value in the leftmost column of a table, and then returns a value in the same rows from a column you specify in the table. I will be using a V Lookup formula since I will having different things on different sheets it will need to lookup the values in other cells. * To be able to print the quotation. In order to do this the user can use the menu options on the toolbar however to make it easier for the user I will have a macro. * To make sure that system is safe and secure. In order to keep the data safe I will be using cell protection. I will be keeping a password so when someone accesses the file he will be prompted to enter the password. If the password entered is correct he will gain access and be able to change the data. However if an incorrect password is entered an error message will appear informing the user he cannot gain access. * To be able to see the details of all the customers such as; forename, surname, age, and the type of insurance they would like. In order to do this I will have a sheet where the details about the customer can be seen. * To be able to store the issued quotes so that they can be used at a later date. In order to do this I will be using macros. Macro is a feature that stores a series of commands so that the user can use them with a single command. I will be using macros for various things such as printing the quote, storing the quotes, to view the quotes and other tasks. * To enable phone enquiries to be dealt much quickly. In order to fulfil this requirement I will be using a variety of buttons to make it easier for the user. Option buttons are used for choosing one item from a list of options, where you can select one option button at a time. I will be using them so the user can select the sex of the driver, either male or female. Combo boxes can also be called drop- down boxes, which offer a number of choices to the user, one of which maybe selected. I will be using a combo box so that my user can select the drivers car. By selecting on the drop- down arrow will provide the models of the cars. A list box and combo boxes are alike however a list box shows the choices available without having to click on the arrow. I will be using a list box for the risk assessment of the area and type of insurance, as there are only three options from which the user can select. A check box is a box, which can either be selected or unselected, when you click on the box a tick appears in the box. I will be using a check box for the declaration of the extra driver. A spinner is made up of two arrows, one point up and the other down. By clicking on the up arrow increases the value and the down arrow decreases the value. I will be using the spinner to choose the number of years the driver has made no claims. I will also be using IF statements in order to see the values of the check box which will check whether the customer would like an extra driver. * To make the system user- friendly. In order to make the printed quote professional and organised I will be adding the name of the company, address, telephone numbers and the company logo at the top. I will also arrange all the information into sections and add colour to make it look more attractive. I will create the macros into buttons so the user can quickly carry the tasks. I will also add a front end to the system. A front end is the name given to the user-friendly interface that will appear on the screen when the file is loaded. It will provide the user with a number of options. Once the data has been entered I will need to rename the worksheets and insert a defined name for certain data which will be used in calculations. Output: The output will be the full quote details, which will be on the screen of the computer showing the customer name, address, car details, and the cost of the insurance and without the discount. The output on the screen will also show the macros, which can be used to navigate around the system. The other output will be the fully modified and professional printed quote that will show the company logo along with the companys address and contact numbers. It will also show the issue date, all the details about the quote and the expiry date of the quote.

Stainless Steel Rods: Young’s Modulus and Shear Modulus

Stainless Steel Rods: Young’s Modulus and Shear Modulus Valentin Haemmerli Experimentally determine Young’s modulus, shear modulus and Poisson’s ratio of stainless steel rods using magnetostrictive resonance Abstract Young’s modulus (E) and the shear modulus (ÃŽ ¼) of thin stainless steel rods, as well as Poisson’s ratio (ÏÆ'), were experimentally found by determining the longitudinal and torsional resonant frequencies for different known lengths of rods using magnetostrictive resonance. Young’s modulus was found to be 140 GPa  ±17 and shear modulus 59.2 GPa  ±5.7. Poisson’s ratio was found for the rods of varying length and three of these were within right range at: 0.23 ±0.07 for the 0.417m rod, 0.13 ±0.04 for the 0.411m rod and 0.11 ±0.03 for the 0.251m rod. Introduction This experiment aimed to determine Young’s modulus (E) and the shear modulus (ÃŽ ¼) of thin stainless steel rods, as well as Poisson’s ratio (ÏÆ'), by finding the longitudinal and torsional resonant frequencies for different known lengths of rods using magnetostrictive resonance. A drive coil connected to a power amplifier was used to vary the driving frequency and excite the steel rods. The vibrations of the steel rods due to the changing magnetic field were measured using a stereo cartridge connected to an oscilloscope. Theory Magnetostriction is the effect observed when magnetic materials in an external magnetic field increase in length very slightly, due to the alignment of the microscopic domains. By rapidly reversing a magnetic field around a ferrous rod, such as the steel rods examined in this experiment, it is possible to induce vibration by the motion of the domains [1]. Young’s modulus and the shear modulus of a material determine the frequency at which it resonates in different modes. Solids can experience three main modes of vibration; longitudinal, torsional, and flexural [2]. The modes examined in this experiment are longitudinal and torsional. Longitudinal vibrations are â€Å"stretching and contracting of the beam along its own axis† [3, p. 182] of the material when a driving frequency is applied, while torsional is a twisting motion of the material. Young’s modulus determines longitudinal resonance and shear modulus determines torsional resonance. The natural frequencies for longitudinal and torsional vibration of a steel rod are given by , (1) , (2) where , L is the length of the rod, and C are the wave velocities: (3) and (4) respectively, where E and ÃŽ ¼ are Young’s and shear moduli and Ï  is density. These equations are used to relate f to 1/L and thus find the elastic moduli. Poisson’s ratio, ÏÆ', is the ratio of change in dimensions laterally and longitudinally of a material â€Å"placed under a uniform longitudinal tensile (compressive) load† and is normally around 0.3 [3, p. 4]. Davis and Opat give this as , (5) where ÃŽ ³ is given by [2] . (6) Method The method was adapted from that used by Davis and Opat in â€Å"Elastic vibrations of rods and Poisson’s ratio† [2]. Six stainless steel rods of varying lengths between 0.102 and 0.417 m were individually clamped at their centres by three pointed screws to reduce contact and thus damping. The rods were then positioned to pass through a drive coil, also close to their centre, and finally the stereo cartridge stylus was positioned at the top of the rod, off centre on the flat end, as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1: Clamp stand with rod clamped in the centre, coil clamped slightly above, and the stereo cartridge positioned above the rod to pick up vibrations. Foam used under clamp stand to attempt to reduce back ground vibrations. This positioning allowed for the detection of and distinction between longitudinal and torsional resonances. The two outputs of the stereo cartridge each respond to different component of motion of the stylus at 45ËÅ ¡ to the horizontal. Figure 2 is a diagram of the stereo cartridge stylus and placement on the end of the rod from Davis and Opat [2] which shows how it was possible to differentiate between longitudinal and torsional modes. Whenever resonance occurred and the two channels were in phase it was longitudinal as both directions of motion moved up and down at the same time. When resonance occurred out of phase it was torsional as the rotation meant the two directions of motion were outputting opposite signals. Figure 2: From Davis and Opat’s â€Å"Elastic vibrations of rods and Poisson’s ratio† [2]. Stereo stylus design (a) and placement on the rod (b) The drive coil was connected to a power amplifier and the output frequency was varied. The two outputs of the stereo cartridge were connected to the two channels of an oscilloscope. In this way, it was possible to vary the frequency until the amplitude shown on the oscilloscope was a maximum and record the frequency. This was repeated for rods of different length. Also recorded were the mass and diameter of each rod analysed in order to find the density since each steel rod had slightly different composition. Results Figure 3 shows the resonant frequency plotted against the reciprocals of the lengths of steel rods. Also plotted is a line of best fit by least squares method with intercept 0 as a result of equation (1), if 1/L =0, f=0. The error bars on the frequency are the standard errors found by regression. Error in the equipment for frequency was 2Hz and insignificant compared to the large random error. Error bars in the reciprocal length comes from the percentage error of the measurements due to an equipment error of  ±0.003m. As can be seen, the line of best fit is outside of the error boxes created by these errors and this suggests that the data is not very reliable and that there are not enough points for the line of best fit to be very accurate. Figure 3: Resonant frequencies (kHz) of longitudinal vibrations for n=1 (fundamental) plotted against the reciprocals of the lengths of the rods (m-1). The gradient of the fitted line in Figure 3 is 2.095 kHz  ±0.129. Using equations (1) and (3) with n=1, this gives E=140 GPa  ±17 using Ï steel =7970 kg m-3 [3, p. 435], or using the average of the densities of steel recorded (Ï  =8020 kg m-3  ±700) E=141 GPa  ±20. Similar to Figure 3, Figure 4 shows the fundamental resonant frequencies for torsional vibrations of the same rods. Figure 4: Resonant frequencies (kHz) of torsional vibrations for n=1 (fundamental) plotted against the reciprocals of the lengths of the rods (m-1). The gradient of the fitted line in Figure 3 is 1.363 kHz  ±0.066. Using equations (2) and (4) with n=1, this gives ÃŽ ¼= 59.2 GPa  ±5.7 using Ï steel =7970 kg m-3 [3, p. 435], or using the average of the densities of steel recorded (Ï  =8020 kg m-3  ±701) ÃŽ ¼=59.6 GPa  ±7.8. Poisson’s Ratio (ÏÆ') is found from the longitudinal and torsional resonant frequencies of the same rod and the same mode (n=1) using equations (5) and (6). This quantity varies for each rod, again evidence of a large random error in the resonant frequencies. Table 1 shows the different values of ÏÆ'. The errors for Poisson’s ratio are calculated based on the random error in each of the resonant frequencies. Table 1: Poisson’s Ratio for different lengths of rods for mode n=1 from equations (5) and (6) Discussion Young’s modulus and shear modulus are in the same order of magnitude as literature values, with experimentally determined E=140GPa compared to a literature value of around 180 GPa for stainless steel [4] or 194 according to Blevins [3]. Experimentally determined shear modulus was found to be ÃŽ ¼=59.2GPa compared to 77.2Gpa [5]. The result for the shear modulus is more accurate, and this is confirmed by the smaller random error. The errors due to the equipment for these measurements are very small, since the frequency could be varied to within 0.1 Hz and differences in amplitudes on the oscilloscope could be observed within 2Hz. However, with only 5 points, and no modes higher than n=1 to confirm the resonant frequencies, as well as a limited few lengths, there are not enough points of data to obtain a truly accurate result. For Poisson’s Ratio, there is a large variation between the values for each rod, which is in part linked to the large random error in the frequency values themselves, but which may also be due in part to the differences in the type of steel used in each rod. They are almost all of the right order of magnitude, and some are very close to the literature value of 0.265 [3, p. 435]. One major problem encountered was the fact that no resonant frequencies above 15kHz were observed. Whether this is a limitation of the stereo cartridge or due to the extremely small width of the resonances at these high frequencies, or a combination of both, is unclear. However, it may be possible to detect resonances at higher frequencies with a more sensitive stereo cartridge or a more accurate power amplifier. While the power amplifier used was adjustable to 0.1Hz at low frequencies, above 10kHz this was reduced to 1Hz. Another improvement to the method is to use more and longer rods. This is similar to the problem addressed above of high frequency resonances being difficult to detect. No resonances were found for the shortest rod available because all, including the n=1 mode, were too high. With longer rods, and more data points, a more accurate result could be In some cases, it was difficult to record data accurately or to detect resonances due to background vibrations. For example, the movement of a chair 5m away was enough to create a very unstable oscilloscope trace due to the sensitivity of the stereo cartridge to low frequencies. This was the case despite efforts to reduce the background vibrations by placing the clamp stand set up on foam. An extension to non-ferrous materials was attempted by using a small piece of steel with two longer pieces of aluminium attached with screws on either side. However, only one strong resonance was detected, which was not close to the predicted resonance of aluminium, and since the issues mentioned above meant that it was difficult to obtain enough data even for steel rods it was decided not to pursue this. As Davis and Opat put it, â€Å"Inhomogeneities in the structure of the rod can lead to coupling of the different vibrational modes and the description of the oscillating rod rapidly becomes more complex.† [2]. A more appropriate method for generating vibrations in rods of non-ferrous materials is outlined by Meiners and may be found in â€Å"Physics Demonstration Experiments† on page 439 [6]. Conclusion The longitudinal and torsional resonance frequencies for stainless steel rods of varying known length were measured and used to determine Young’s modulus of 140 GPa  ±17 and shear modulus of 59.2 GPa  ±5.7 using literature values for density of steel. Poisson’s ratio was found for the rods of varying length and three of these were within right range at: 0.23 ±0.07 for the 0.417m rod, 0.13 ±0.04 for the 0.411m rod and 0.11 ±0.03 for the 0.251m rod. The random error in the resonance frequencies was large, which meant that none of the results are very accurate. The accuracy could be improved with more data form more rods. References Acknowledgements Thanks to collaborator in Data Collection: Bivu Nepaune 1

Transient Global Amnesia :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Transient Global Amnesia A little while ago, my father and grandfather were driving in our car together. All of a sudden, my grandfather said that he was feeling dizzy and thought the beginnings of a migraine were coming on. My grandfather is extremely healthy and has an amazing memory, so my father was shocked when not long after, when grandfather asked where Ruthy, his recently deceased wife, was. When my father reminded him that she had died of cancer last year, my grandfather broke into tears, as if he was being told for the first time. In addition, he couldn't even remember what he had just eaten for dinner or any other events of the day. My father drove him straight to the emergency room, worried that he had perhaps just suffered a minor stoke. By the time that he got to the hospital, he was already beginning to regain some of the memories that had been lost. The doctors reassured him that it was not a stroke, but rather a memory disorder called transient global amnesia. Transient global amnesia (TGA) is a type of amnesia involving the sudden, temporary disturbance in an otherwise healthy person's memory. The other main kinds of amnesia are called anterograde and retrograde amnesia. Anterograde amnesia is a type of memory loss associated with a trauma, disease, or emotional events. It is characterized by the inability to remember new information. (1) Retrograde amnesia is associated with the loss of distant memories usually preceding a given trauma. (2) In transient global amnesia, generally both distant memories and immediate recall are retained, as are language function, attention, visual-spatial and social skills. However, during the period of amnesia, people suffering from the disorder cannot remember recent occurrences nor can they retain any new visual or verbal information for more than a couple minutes. (3) Though patients generally remember their own identities, they are often very confused by their surroundings and the people around them. T hey continuously ask questions about events that are transpiring, for example where they are, who is with them, what is happening. However, once they are told, they immediate forget the answer, and repeat the question again. (4) The period of amnesia can last anywhere from one to twenty-four hours. Some people suffer from a headache, dizziness, and nausea while others have only memory loss. TGA generally affects fifty to eighty-year-old men, about 3.4 to 5.

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Good evening. A couple weeks ago, I was attempting to clean my room when I unearthed an old yearbook from my days in middle school. Rather absentmindedly I opened the book to browse through it. However, before long I became immersed in the memories brought back to life and quickly lost track of time. Over an hour later, I set the book aside and marveled at how much had changed since then. Not only had people changed physically, but they had also changed their friends, habits and behaviors. Furthermore, we have all grown as a result of the changing world around us, a changing world that has witnessed the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001, as well as the constant birth of new technologies which make our lives easier. These changes have shaped new outlooks on life, along with the way we perceive ourselves. The concept of change is as timeless as history itself. Change is inevitable, whether it be changes in your statues from a student to an adult, changes in your path in life or simply changes in your appearance as you approach old age. While change can, at times, appear menacing, it ...

Republican Viewpoints on National Healthcare

Republican Views Towards Healthcare Reform From the Republican viewpoint, any form of nationalized or partially nationalized universal healthcare is unacceptable. Any public delivery system will limit ‘for profit’ free enterprise and thus violates our form of government. It will increase taxes and the overall cost of healthcare. Publicly delivered health care will cause the quality of care to go down by directly hindering the quantity of healthcare providers as well as the quality of care rendered by remaining healthcare providers. Republicans oppose a universal public health care delivery system primarily because of profit – free trade – constitutional issues, fiscal issues and quality of care issues. Further government meddling in the private practice of medicine and healthcare will be detrimental to many Americans. In the 1990’s, universal nationalized healthcare was proposed by the Clinton administration. The proposed law failed due to the fact that the Republican Party had gained control of the house and senate for the first time in over fifty years. During the 2008 presidential election, one of President Obama’s primary campaign promises was universal healthcare. The proposal has created a new national debate on the pros and cons of a universal healthcare system. Proposals from the House and Senate vary greatly and will have to be reconciled during the legislative reconciliation process. Interestingly, both parties favor some form of health care insurance reform but the concept of universal coverage offered through a single public payer or both private and public payer options has generated controversy. Republicans have adamantly opposed the public option because it alters the free enterprise ‘for profit’ healthcare system currently and traditionally in existence in the Untied States. The public option will radically alter the environment of the core constituency of the Republican Party. Looking at the constituency of the Republican Party, there are certain positions that the Republicans should put forward on the national healthcare debate to best represent the party’s core constituents. Traditionally, private practice physicians, ‘for profit’ hospitals and pharmaceutical manufacturers have been a core constituency of the Republican Party. The Huffington Post recently pointed out doctors’ traditional opposition to any form of expanded government health care or socialized medicine. â€Å"[The] AMA (American Medical Association) has fought almost every major effort at health care reform of the last 70 years. The group’s reputation on this matter is so notorious that historians pinpoint it with creating the ominous sounding phrase ‘socialized medicine’ in the early decades of the 1900s. The AMA used it to mean any kind of proposal that involved an increased role for the government in the health care system. (The Huffington Post) The American Medical Association has gone on record as opposing various provisions of the House’s current health care reform bill. Doctors, particularly private practice physicians, have long complained about any form of socialized medicine because they know it will substantially reduce the economic viability of the practice. Likewise, for-profit hospitals have a long history of opposing any form of socialized medicine. The American Hospital Association recently put out a formal statement on the house version of health care reform. Specifically, expanding the number of people in Medicaid program to 150 percent of the poverty level is problematic at a time when states are struggling with budget shortfalls and payment rates for hospitals continue to be cut. While a public option with negotiated rates for those above 150 percent of the poverty level is an improvement, we remain concerned that the program would still, in part, be based on historically low Medicare rates. † (Umbenstock) The American Hospital Association is concerned that any healthcare reform with an expanded public option may lower ‘already’ low payment rates. Moreover, the American Hospital Association is also concerned that payment rates under an expanded public option will be based on previously minimal Medicare rates. For this reason, for profit hospitals have long lobbied for and sided with the Republican Party knowing that their profitability and ability to compete will be eventually dissolved if the pending ‘public option’ is passed. Pharmaceutical Manufacturers have been a traditional core constituency of the Republican Party because of the Party’s past opposition to any form of nationalized or socialized medicine. The primary trade group for pharmaceutical manufacturers has also put forth a statement on the house health care reform bill. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of American (PhRMA) policy statement says: â€Å"The 1,990-page House draft bill, which we are currently reviewing, contains a number of problematic provisions for seniors, patients, and the continued development of new therapies that not only improve or save lives, but ultimately help reduce the burden of health care costs in America† (Johnson). Democrats have long vilified Pharmaceutical companies for their ‘for profit’ business practices and commercial interests. Thus, Pharmaceutical companies are one of the largest campaign donors to the Republican Party. Many portions of the currently proposed bill will dramatically limit their profit and therefore their ability to participate in and compete with new health care products. Universal health care is inconsistent with the traditional American private, for profit, free enterprise system based health care business model. From a physician’s perspective, a system of universal health care could be compared to indentured servitude. The government would be in complete control of whom the physician treats, what modalities they use to treat the patient, and how much they are paid. Moreover, for the individual health care worker, limiting or mandating the service contracts would limit the workers freedom to do business in a free market. The New England Journal of Medicine recently conducted a survey of physician views on new public insurance option and Medicare expansion. The survey was a statistically randomized sampling based on 5,157-physician questionnaire responses. The survey presented three methods of expanding coverage, including expanding the current public provider Medicare along with private options, private options only and public options only. Ninety-two percent of private practice physicians (practice owners) oppose socializing all health care into one single public option. Thirty-two percent of private practice physicians (practice owners) favor abolishing all public options which would presumably include Medicare. Over half of all of the physicians in the study favored expanding care through private options and the, â€Å"†¦ expansion of Medicare to include adults between the ages of 55 and 64 years† (Keyhani). The randomized physician survey demonstrates that physicians are extremely skeptical of any public option beyond expanding Medicare. Physicians fear a public option will reduce their personal income as well as their ability to recommend and deliver a full range of medical services. Physicians are well aware of the longstanding low Medicare reimbursement rates and limitations of coverage. Physicians do not want to see more of the same with a public option that will further lower the amount paid for care and limit the amount of care that the government will pay, despite a patient’s actual medical needs. Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and ‘for profit’ hospitals also are strongly concerned that any public option beyond a slight expansion of Medicare will effectively put them out of business. PhRMA says that, â€Å"†¦the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has warned that the House bill †¦ would ultimately lead to a 20 percent increase in Part D premiums paid by beneficiaries. What’s more, according to CBO, imposing a mandatory rebate on Part D prescription drugs would reduce incentives to invest in the research and development of new discoveries for diseases†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Johnson) Simply put, pharmaceutical manufacturers will not invest if it is not profitable. For-profit hospitals are also concerned that a public option will ultimately translate to less coverage and lower reimbursement rates. The American Hospital Association, which has over 5000 member hospitals, has stated that the bill will further cut reimbursement rates. â€Å"AHA†) The current bill also specifically restricts physicians from owning hospitals and referring their office patients to their own hospitals. This directly affects their profit as well as raising free enterprise and trade issues. Historically and culturally, the United States health care system has been based on a ‘for profit’ private enterprise. The public option puts government in what has tradi tionally been a private ‘for profit’ enterprise. Just fifty years ago, Americans would have screamed communism at the concept of national socialized medicine. In 1961 when the idea of Medicare came along American Medical Association spoke out against it through Ronald Reagan. Reagan said: â€Å"One of the traditional methods of imposing state-ism or socialism on a people has been through medicine. It is very easy to disguise a medical program as a humanitarian project. Most people are reluctant to oppose anything that suggests medical care for people who possibly can’t afford it. † (The Huffington Post). Essentially, he was stating that the most common way of inflicting socialism is through a government run healthcare. Legally, restrictions that limit the free market may be interpreted as a violation of the constitution. The American Bar Association states, â€Å"Whatever President Obama and the Congress decide to do with health care reform, they must do within the constitutional limits off their respective branch – and our nation’s courts will ensure that those limits are respected† (Lamm). Although health care insurance companies are not subject to antitrust (monopoly) laws as state laws govern them, a ederal option, which is included with universal health care, may create unfair competition and violate anti trust laws as well as the commerce clause of the constitution. Interestingly, the proposed bill mandates that every American must pay a tax for ‘free’ health insurance even Americans that don’t want health insurance coverage. The Wall Street Journal says that, â€Å"the requirement in the plan laid out by Max Baucus, that every American have health in surance, makes current proposals unconstitutional. Not just unconstitutional, mind you, but profoundly unconstitutional† (Jones). Republicans must do all in their power to preserve constitutional rights that will be affected by a public healthcare option. The way that national health care is set up could be financially damaging if the bill, H. R. -676, were to be passed. As Avery Johnson states in the Wall street Journal, â€Å"TennCare runway costs show that the public health-insurance proposal by House Democrats could bankrupt the federal government. † (Johnson, â€Å"Tennessee†). Tennessee’s arranged a public insurance program that was similar to a statewide health care to insure those without insurance. It started in 1994 and by 2005 Tennessee was forced to shut the program down due to high expenses. Basically, Tennessee tried to have a statewide health insurance system similar to national health care and they went bankrupt. This is a reasonable model of what would happen on a more widespread scale. There are multiple financial reasons that cause a universal health care system to not work. To achieve the amount of money to make it possible to have a universal health care system there are many sacrifices that must be made. Payroll tax, which is a 7% social security tax that we pay when we buy something, will go up. Income tax will also go up dramatically, affecting many lives. In fact, there may have to be new taxes set into place just to be able to maintain the universal healthcare or the required payments will go down. This will in turn affect the doctors by decreasing incentive. Another factor that will affect their incentive is coverage benefits. Coverage benefits will be decreased as a result of universal healthcare. For example, insurance will not cover elective care treatments, such as breast augmentations, cosmetics, chiropractics, etc. Payment to the specialists, such as brain surgeons, heart surgeons, etc. , will be lowered dramatically. Progression in the field of medicine will dwindle due to a lack of money for clinical research. A physician to learn more about a procedure or to experiment usually does clinical research. It takes a lot of money and time and is not funded by the government; it comes from the physician’s pocket. If the physician’s pay lowers by so much they will not be able to do research. All of this will lead to a diminishing rate of medical progression that may ultimately come to an absolute halt. Furthermore the government will provide us, if the bill passes, with inexpensive generic drugs. This will cause the name brand companies to lose customers and money and will prevent them from developing any new prescription medicine. When funding inevitably runs low, rationing of people will begin to occur. Old people won’t get care because they are old, and smokers won’t get lung surgery because they are smokers. This rationing is unethical in many different ways but would be unavoidable. Even more unethical, is that insidious rationing, that happens in Canada, would come into play. Insidious rationing is ‘hidden rationing’ where, for example, a cancer patient would wait for treatment because they were about to die. The cancer patient would wait long enough that death occurred before the needed chemotherapy. Sadly, this often occurs in Canada, due to their system of universal health care. If this happens in the United States, it would be too late to take back the legislation. However, if properly informed, there would be less supporters of the health care bill because the general populace would be unwilling to commit to a plan that denied them needed coverage. Likewise, instituting torte form will partly generate expenses for this costly health plan. This is a lawsuit cap used in some other countries. If a drunken doctor accidentally cuts a healthy patient’s leg off, the doctor will only be able to be sued for a low set amount of money. This will save the government a minute amount of money that would be used to support everybody’s health care, while that patient would be handicapped forever without adequate compensation. Even so, Tim Foley has stated â€Å"the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office in 2004 conceded that the legislation for tort reform, even if it instituted a federal cap, would barely dent health care costs† (Foley). The cause and effect impact on health care worker profitability including nurse pay, private practice physician pay, for profit hospitals, for profit health care insuring systems, pharmaceutical companies and other health care workers and entities will be enormous. No doubt lawyers will litigate for years the constitutionality of various healthcare reform provisions. Another concern from the Republican viewpoint is the fiscal issue of how to pay for either universal health care or a public option. Simply put, where will the money come from to pay for healthcare particularly given the current economic crisis? Next, how will a universal public option effect access to care, quality of care and cost of care. As the financial aid towards funding universal health care bottoms out, the quality and accessibility of health care would go down. With government in control of health care and providing insurance for all they will have less money to spend on better quality hospitals. In the TennCare experiment it showed before and after pictures of the work places that were used. Hospitals had turned into rundown trailers barely big enough for an examination room with outdated computers and equipment. Lowering the Quality of facilities means the lowering of quality of care given to the patients thereby increasing the number of people who go to a doctor and are unable to receive quality treatment. Thus quality of life becomes worse, and one would hope proper treatment came quickly enough to evade more serious conditions and/or death. Access to patients is denied as the quality and quantity of health care providers is decreased by the inadequate organization and funding of a public option. One such thing noted about doctors faced with a decision to participate in a public option is that â€Å"†¦often the ones who care for our most vulnerable patients are the most severely impacted. In communities across this nation, physicians are faced with early retirement or leaving patients that need them. The bottom line: access to care is compromised. †(â€Å"AHA†). The Health Care Associations of America view this is as a topic of controversy that would indeed change lives greatly. Many associations including the American Hospital Association, American Heart Association, and even the American Bar Association have spoke out against health care reform including universal health care and a public option. In Conclusion, the Republican Party views the aspects of a system of universal healthcare from a cynical viewpoint. It seems that free healthcare is to good to be true and they say it is. Universal healthcare or a public option is unconstitutional by violation of the free enterprise system. With the economy in its current recession it is believed, by reforming ealthcare, the government will financially cripple the United States permanently. Also, almost like reverting back to a primitive state, quality of care and the access thereof could decline to unbearable standards. Now the republicans uphold the struggle against any bill passing through senate. Works Cited â€Å"AHA : Issues : Liability Reform. † American Hospital Association. American Hospital Associ ation, 15 Oct. 2009. Web. 3 Nov. 2009. . Foley, Tim. â€Å"Avoid Tort Reform in the Health Care Bill at All Costs! | Universal Health Care | Change. org. † Universal Health Care | Change. rg. 17 Mar. 2009. 28 Oct. 2009 . â€Å"GOP Health Care Talking Points. † GOP. gov – The Website of Republicans in Congress. N. p. , 11 May 2009. Web. 3 Nov. 2009. . 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