Brain Imaging Technologies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Brain Imaging Technologies - Essay Example The variety of energies and specialties like radiology, medical physics, nuclear pharmacy, etc has led to hospitals and university research centers being called diagnostic imaging or radiology or the science of radiology. No name yet worked out is wholly satisfactory in the countenance of the vivid changes which have occurred, mainly in the last three or four decades. (Kuhn, 2004) The power of contemporary computers to allow the speedy display of sectional images of the body by means of technologies such as ultrasound, computed tomography scan, single-photon emission topography, positron emission topography or magnetic resonance imaging has been cardinal to the upbringing of the latest technologies. Nevertheless, an equally great change has been that encompassing the move of medical imaging from the laboratory to the living room. Many Decades ago what was then radiological science poked a restricted series of diagnostic information to a referring medical doctor apprehensive to resolve diagnostic ambiguity between the diseases potentially able to report for a patient's indicators. In the beginning of the this century, imaging technology is used not only to spot the abrasion, and to do so more effectively, but to direct the needle used in its biopsy; not only to recognize a blocked vessel but to guide its dilatation as well. FMRI AND PET Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging is based on the boost in blood flow to the local vasculature that comes along neural activity in the brain. This result in a consequent local drop in deoxyhemoglobin because the augmentation in blood flow occurs without an amplification of similar magnitude in oxygen extraction. Thus, deoxyhemoglobin is every now and then is known as a contrast enhancing agent, and serves as the source of the signal for fMRI. Functional activity of the brain obtained from the magnetic resonance pointer has verified known anatomically dissimilar processing regions in the visual cortex, the motor cortex, and Broca's area of speech and language-related activities. Further, speedily rising bodies of research document communicate to findings between fMRI and usual electro-physiological methods to localize explicit functions of the human brain (Romanelli, 2004). Consequently, the number of medical and research centers with fMRI capabilities and investigational programs continues to shoot up. The major returns to fMRI as a technique to image brain activity related to a particular objective or sensory process says the the signal does not need doses of radioactive isotopes, the total scan time needed can be very less, i.e., on the order of 1.5 to 2.0 minutes per run (depending on the paradigm), and the in-plane resolution of the functional image is generally about 1.5 x 1.5 mm although resolutions less than 1 mm are likely. To put these pros in standpoint, functional images obtained by the earlier method of positron emission tomography, require doses of radioactive isotopes, multiple acquisitions, and therefore, longer imaging times. Additionally, the anticipated resolution of positron emission tomography images is much larger than the common functional magnetic resonance imaging pixel size. In addition, positron emission tomography usually requires that numerous individual brain images are joined in order to obtain a dependable

Why Literatura by Mario Vargas Summury Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Why Literatura by Mario Vargas Summury - Essay Example In a recent survey organized in Spain, it was revealed that half of that country's population has never read a book.2 Llosa argues that literature is more than just a luxury pastime, but that instead literature is a primary and necessary undertaking of the mind.3 In addition, he basically says that literature is the mode through which humans learn to understand each other. By reading such literary greats as Shakespeare, Cervantes, Dante, and Tolstoy, our lives are enriched because we find that there is an equanimity in such works that transcend prejudice, race, religion, political sectarianism, and exclusivist nationalism.4 Secondly, Llosa says that the works brought forth in literature are a body of knowledge in the life of the learner. "In today's world, this totalizing and living knowledge of a human being may be found only in literature."5 This is knowledge to which everyone can relate. Fiction exists in order to serve a greater purpose besides the other branches of the humanities, such as philosophy, history, the arts, or the social sciences, and that is to "enrich through the imagination the entirety of human life, which cannot be dismembered, disarticulated, or reduced to a series of schemas or formulas without disappearing."6 Literature, Llosa says, is a "link" that establishes dialogue amongst human beings. Llosa notes that Marcel Proust observed that "real life, at last enlightened and revealed, the only life fully lived, is literature."7 What is meant by that is that literature is a shared task, and that because of it our lives are enriched. This enrichment brings us to different realms, tra nsporting us to various eras. Texts allow us to have dreams of our own. As Llosa says, "The feeling of membership in the collective human experience across time and space is the highest achievement of culture, and nothing contributes more to its renewal in every generation than literature."8 A body of literary works form the basis for our humanity. According to Llosa, a community without language suffers: "A community without a written literature expresses itself with less precision, with less richness of nuance, and with less clarity than a community whose principal instrument of communication, the word, has been cultivated and perfected by means of literary texts."9 A world with a lack of literacy assumes communication problems due to "crude and rudimentary language," and worse, there is the idea that the person will not be able to express himself or herself due to a limited vocabulary.10 Worse than that, there is the thought that these people without the language to communicate or the literature to help them do so are at a loss, and therefore are stuck with poverty of thought,11 or a poor imagination. Third, Llosa argues that reading literature is an irreplaceable activity for the formation of citizens in a modern and democratic society. Since "all good literature is radical, and poses radical questions about the world in which we live,"12 one would be hard-pressed not to agree with Llosa on this point. Llosa reminds us that a "free and democratic society must have responsible and critical citizens conscious of the need continuously to examine the world that

The Annuciation in Gothic and Early Renaissance Art Essay

The Annuciation in Gothic and Early Renaissance Art - Essay Example Overall, the painters act as the societal mirror with emphasis in interpretation of complex issues. Vyssi Brod Cycle was a painting done by Master/Cycle of Vyssi Brod and is dated 1350. The 14th century was manifested with the urge to represent the Annunciation by several painters as observed in the above art showing an angel communicating to Virgin Mary. Master/Cycle of Vyssi Brod, an artist of German descent, use tempera on wood panel to smoothen the linen coating of his painting now located in the National Gallery in Prague (Janson & Janson 123). This painting is called Annunciation with St. Margaret and St. Ansanus and was done by two artists namely Lippo Memmi and Simone Martini. These were Italian Gothic artists fascinated with the Annunciation concept prompting them to complete the painting in 1333. On the other hand, they used gold on panel and Tempera to exquisitely paint the Cathedral of Siena as dedication to the patron saints of the city such as St. Ansanus and St. Victor. Therefore, because of its brilliant nature, the painting is presently located in Florence, Italy and mostly displayed at Uffizi Gallery. It means the Annunciation of this painting is determined by the entry of Archangel Gabriel into the house of Virgin Mary to bear the message of the son to be born called Jesus. In terms of Annunciation, the two artists easily compare to original biblical text found in Luke 1:26-38. For example, Annunciation with St. Margaret and St. Ansanus by Lippo Memmi and Simone Martini actually depict the moment Archangel Gabriel has descended from heaven to impart the good message of a son to be born. This is complimented by extras that include the background setting where Mary is seated in a holy place flanked by companions carrying crosses. Alternatively, the props that include the flower in Gabriel’s hand enable the two artists to elaborate the story because it is a representation of a gift (Janson & Janson 128). Additionally, the two

Why Literatura by Mario Vargas Summury Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Why Literatura by Mario Vargas Summury - Essay Example In a recent survey organized in Spain, it was revealed that half of that country's population has never read a book.2 Llosa argues that literature is more than just a luxury pastime, but that instead literature is a primary and necessary undertaking of the mind.3 In addition, he basically says that literature is the mode through which humans learn to understand each other. By reading such literary greats as Shakespeare, Cervantes, Dante, and Tolstoy, our lives are enriched because we find that there is an equanimity in such works that transcend prejudice, race, religion, political sectarianism, and exclusivist nationalism.4 Secondly, Llosa says that the works brought forth in literature are a body of knowledge in the life of the learner. "In today's world, this totalizing and living knowledge of a human being may be found only in literature."5 This is knowledge to which everyone can relate. Fiction exists in order to serve a greater purpose besides the other branches of the humanities, such as philosophy, history, the arts, or the social sciences, and that is to "enrich through the imagination the entirety of human life, which cannot be dismembered, disarticulated, or reduced to a series of schemas or formulas without disappearing."6 Literature, Llosa says, is a "link" that establishes dialogue amongst human beings. Llosa notes that Marcel Proust observed that "real life, at last enlightened and revealed, the only life fully lived, is literature."7 What is meant by that is that literature is a shared task, and that because of it our lives are enriched. This enrichment brings us to different realms, tra nsporting us to various eras. Texts allow us to have dreams of our own. As Llosa says, "The feeling of membership in the collective human experience across time and space is the highest achievement of culture, and nothing contributes more to its renewal in every generation than literature."8 A body of literary works form the basis for our humanity. According to Llosa, a community without language suffers: "A community without a written literature expresses itself with less precision, with less richness of nuance, and with less clarity than a community whose principal instrument of communication, the word, has been cultivated and perfected by means of literary texts."9 A world with a lack of literacy assumes communication problems due to "crude and rudimentary language," and worse, there is the idea that the person will not be able to express himself or herself due to a limited vocabulary.10 Worse than that, there is the thought that these people without the language to communicate or the literature to help them do so are at a loss, and therefore are stuck with poverty of thought,11 or a poor imagination. Third, Llosa argues that reading literature is an irreplaceable activity for the formation of citizens in a modern and democratic society. Since "all good literature is radical, and poses radical questions about the world in which we live,"12 one would be hard-pressed not to agree with Llosa on this point. Llosa reminds us that a "free and democratic society must have responsible and critical citizens conscious of the need continuously to examine the world that

Taxation Issues Essay Example for Free

Taxation Issues Essay The individual income tax consists of taxes on compensation income (from employment), business income, and passive income (interests, dividends, royalties, and prizes). In 1998 compensation income tax rates were restructured into 6 bands with marginal rates ranging from 5% to 35%. Exemption levels are 20,000 pesos (about $400) for individual, and 32,000 pesos (about $640) for married couples. In 2000, the business income tax rate was lowered from 33% to 32%. The tax rate on passive income is 30%. For resident foreign corporations, after-tax profits remitted abroad are subject to a 15% tax, except for corporations registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), the Board of Investment (BOI), the Bases Conversion Development Authority, or operating in independent special economic zones (ecozones), all of which are eligible for special tax and customs incentives, exemptions and reductions designed to attract foreign, new, necessary and/or export-oriented foreign investmen t. The Omnibus Investment Code of 1987 lays out tax incentives administered by the BOI of the Department of Taxation and Development, and the annual Investment Priorities Plan (IPP) sets out the investment areas, national and regional, to which these incentives currently pertain. In 2002 the national list included export activities, industrial development and mining, agricultural/fishery production and processing, logistics, drugs and medicine, engineered products, environmental projects, IT services, Infrastructure, mass housing projects, R and D activities, social service, tourism, patriotic and documentary motion pictures and new projects with a minimum cost of $2 million. Special economic zones (SEZs) can be designated as export processing, free trade and/or information technology (IT) parks, each designation providing a schedule of tax holidays, exemptions from import duties on capital goods and raw material, and preferential income tax rates with more favorable treatment accorded pioneer industries over non pioneer or expanding companies. Taxes on transactions include a value-added tax (VAT) of 10%. For smaller businesses not registered with the VAT a percentage sales tax of 3% to 5% is applied, although higher for activities involving issues of public morality: cockpits are taxed 18%, caberets, 18% and jai-lai and racetracks, 30%. Excise taxes are imposed on selected commodities such as alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, jewelry and petroleum products. In addition, the government levies a variety of other taxes, including mining and petroleum taxes, residence taxes, a head tax on immigrants above a certain age and staying beyond a certain period, document stamp taxes, donor (gift) taxes, estate taxes, and capital gains taxes. A document stamp tax is charged on stock certificates, proofs of indebtedness, proofs of ownership, etc, and normally amount to .75% to 1% of the par or face value of the certificate. A progressive schedule of donor taxes begins with gifts above P 100,000 (about $18,500), and lays out seven bands (2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10%, 12%, and 15%) with the top marginal rate applying to gifts above P 10,000,000 (about $186,520). The progressive estate tax begins at P 200,000 (about $37,000) and lays out five bands (5%, 8%, 11%, 15% and 20%) up to P 10,000,000 (about $186,520). The capital gains tax is 6% on real property; 5% on gains of P 100,000 or less from the sale of stock not listed on the stock exchange, and 10% on gains over P 100,000. Some cities, such as Manila, levy their own wholesale and retail sales taxes. Government revenues in 2001 amounted to 14.8% of GDP, short of total expenditures and net lending for the year, which came to 19.1% of GDP, leaving a deficit of over 4% of GDP. The US State Department reports that the main factor underlying the deficit is inadequate revenue collections due to widespread tax evasion. Attempts by the Bureau of Internal Revenue to increase compliance have met with strong resistance. HMRC issues tax warning A warning has been sent to all consumers who are required to send in a tax return for 2009-10. In a message, HM Revenue Customs (HMRC) noted that the deadline for paper tax returns, which was October 31st, has now passed. Therefore, in order to avoid a penalty of  £100, all those yet to complete theirs must do so online. The organization pointed out that anyone who has not done this before will have to register for online filing by visiting its website. When they go through this process, they will be given a user ID and an activation code, which will be posted to them within seven working days. Once they have received this information, they will be able to file their returns. Meanwhile, in a word of advice to those who have used the system before , it added: Make sure that you have your user ID and password it can take seven working days to get replacements, so dont leave it to the last minute if you need them. The deadline for online self-assessments is Monday January 31st. Meanwhile, those who are unsure how to go about the process can get help and information on the HMRC website. Of course, there is also help for those who need to use an income tax calculator or another type of tax calculator. Such people can find these resources in various places on the web. In order to ensure they get their returns right, an income tax calculator or other form of tax calculator can be very helpful. Consumers are also advised to ensure that they save up enough money to pay the tax when the time comes, otherwise they may find themselves in financial difficulty. Students issued tax warning The vast majority of people who earn money are keen to ensure they do not pay too much income tax. For this reason, some use an income tax calculator or PAYE calculator to help them assess whether or not they have. Students may be among those who can benefit most from such activity, research conducted by one organization suggests. According to the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (LITRG), around six million people are likely to now be receiving tax calculations having not paid the right tax under Pay As You Earn (PAYE), and students are particularly at risk of this. The reason for this, the organization claimed, is that such people can find that the system struggles to keep up with their working patterns. For example, undergraduates may be working in several jobs at once, frequently moving between roles, doing irregular work with agencies or be involved in a sandwich course during which they work for a year. Students are advised to keep on top of their income deductions, which may involve using an income tax calculator or PAYE calculator. Not only may mistakes mean they overpay, but they may also result in such people paying too little. In such cases, they could be hit with an unexpected bill at a later date. With this in mind, LITGR issued advice to students. For example, it stated: If you start a new job without a P45, but your former employer later gives you one you can still give it to your new employer for them to adjust your tax code. But otherwise, you might need to keep an eye on your pay slips and contact HMRC to chase up processing of your P46 to make sure you get put back on a cumulative code if it doesnt appear to be done automatically. Earlier this year, HM Revenue Customs revealed that a number of people had either under paid or overpaid tax and it sent out correspondence to inform these individuals of the errors. An insight into Joint Ventures and Tax issues If you have had the chance to interact with a London accountant online and have discussed the kind of potential that different enterprises have when they are in the start-up stage, he/she would inevitably point to a joint venture as one that allows for the best capitalization on research development tax credits as well as the best way to reap in profits while running the least amount of risk. Partnership accounting too, according to most chartered tax accountants, is easier to monitor and account for, rather than solo enterprises or massive corporate public entity firms. However, this particular category of entrepreneurship is on the decline – which is more courtesy of lack of knowledge and joint venture tax issues, than failure of the whole model in the business arena. So what exactly is a joint venture as far as tax issues and accounting for partnerships is concerned? Well, for starters, it is not very different from a solo investment enterprise. The only fact here is that the firm or venture has two or more people as investors, each of whom have a share in the revenue as well as profits and losses that the venture accrues during its runtime. The usual joint venture tax issues that most investors encounter is with the Tax ID numbers from IRS as well as legal agreements. While the legal agreement can double up as the word on which the investors decided to distribute and share their revenues from the venture, it is also required during partnership accounting measures as well as for varied detailed statistics and formalities for clinical accounting for partnerships and firms. The taxes from employee salaries are called withholding taxes, and the taxes levied on Medicare and security is also to be deducted from the firms employees. Often, a conflict of interest arrives, when a person is both an employee as well as a fellow investor in the joint venture – tax issues need to be sorted out for these situations too. This is exactly why joint ventures tax issues allied with the same is considered more complex for partnership accounting rather than for solo enterprises. Moreover, accounting for partnerships often need professional and veteran chartered tax accountants for the job – exactly where professional London accountants come into the picture. While ad-hoc accounting for partnerships almost always is recipe for disaster, professional accounting can maximize both your profits as well as your research and development tax credits. So if you are an investor and your fellow entrepreneurs are not willing to hire a professional London accountant for the sake of savings and cost-cutting measures. For the kind of money you will save with the help of a professional chartered tax accountant on accounting for partnerships, you will have enough capital to start another joint venture sans tax issues as well!

Law Essays Capital Punishment

Law Essays Capital Punishment Does capital punishment have a deterrent effect on crime? Analyse this question with reference to either the UK or USA. Introduction Nowadays, in most of the Western world, capital punishment is considered an unacceptable, barbaric sentence that cannot be morally or philosophically justified. In the UK, it has been abolished since 1969, while Protocol six of the European Convention on Human Rights obliged the forty six member states of the Council of Europe to scribe off the death sentence from their penal codes. However, a number of US states retain the sentence with few politicians and theorists claiming that it has a strong deterrent effect. The purpose of this essay is to critically reflect upon this argument. Is capital punishment a worthwhile deterrent? The punishment theory of deterrence – which belongs to the utilitarian philosophy – is composed of two elements. The first is called specific/individual deterrence and is directed towards convicted offenders. In broad terms it aims to discourage them for their transgressions and thereby convincing them that crime does not pay. The second is called general deterrence and is directed towards potential offenders. It seeks to persuade them by the threat of anticipated punishment from engaging in unlawful conduct by illustrating the unsavoury consequences of offending. Therefore, by definition, capital punishment cannot fulfil the first element of deterrence since after its passing, the convicted offender dies. As for the second element of passing a lesson to the rest of the society, the views are mixed; although there is evidence to suggest that the impact of capital sentence is not as great as it would justify it. For example, according to Katz et al, the so far studies on capital punishment produce erratic and contradictory results, while most of them find that there is no deterrent effect. In fact, Shepherd’s 2004 study showed that executions are as likely to increase homicides in states following execution as there are states where there seems to be a reduction. In addition, a number of research experts have heavily criticised the so far positive studies on capital punishment for being methodologically unviable. For instance, Maltz recent evaluation showed that most of US studies ignored large amounts of missing data, relying only on two sources: the Bureau of Justice Statistics of the US Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.   Even more importantly, studies that directly examine the reactions of individuals to punishment threats constituently show the limits of the assumptions of rationality that underlie deterrence. In fact, according to the Annual Statistical Report of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, most offenders who are convicted to a capital sentence have cognitive impairments. This makes it even more unlikely that they are actually aware of executions. On the other hand, states without capital punishment such as New York enjoy declining homicide rates. The Uniform Crime Reports showed that over the last decade there was a 65.5% decrease in homicide rates. Similarly, Dugan et al showed that since the early 1970s intimate or domestic homicides have been declining at a steady pace regardless of fluctuations in the number of executions. Finally, according to the forthcoming study by Professor Berk, nearly all of the presumed deterrent effects of capital punishment are confined in one state – Texas – and only for a handful of years when there were more than 5 executions. Overall, the study proved that eliminating Texas eliminates any hint of deterrence from the relationship between execution and crime. Moving beyond the statistics However, it is not just the negative statistics that make capital punishment increasingly unfamiliar. Carter showed that offenders who are convicted to capital punishment usually come from poor backgrounds introducing an element of class discrimination in the sentencing system. Similarly, Keil and Vito’s study reported that blacks who kill whites seem to have the greater odds of receiving the death penalty than whites who kill blacks†. To conclude, the last two year research data show that capital punishment has hardly any deterrence effect, while a number of other side issues such as discrimination and selectivity reinforce the argument against its use. Berk, Richard. 2005 forthcoming. New Claims about executions and General Deterrence: D ej a vu all over again? Journal of Empirical Legal Studies. Carter, Robert. 1965. The Johny Cain Story: A Composite of Men Executed in California. Issues in Criminology 1:66. Dugan, Laura, Daniel Nagin, and Richard Rosenfeld. 1999. Explaining the Decline in Intimate Partner Homicide: The effects of Changing Domesticity, Womens Status and Domestic Violence Resources. Homicide Studies 3:187. Katz, Lawrence, Steven Levitt, and Ellen Shustorovich. 2003. Prison Conditions, Capital Punishment and Deterrence. American Law and Economics Review 5:318. Keil, Thomas and Gennaro Vito. 1989. Race, Homicide Severity and the Application of the Death Penalty. Criminology 27:511. Maltz, Michael. 2004. The Effect of NIBRS Reporting on Item Missing Data in Murder Cases. Homicide Studies 8:193. Parisi, Francisco and Vermon Smith. 2005. Introduction in the Law and Economics of Irrational Behaviour: In press. Shepherd, Joanna. 2004. Deterrence versus Brutalization: Capital Punishments Differering Impacts Among States. Working Paper, Emory University Law School.

Comparing Act One Scene One and Act Two Scene One of Educating Rita :: Educating Rita Social Classes Essays

Comparing Act One Scene One and Act Two Scene One of Educating Rita In willy Russell's play "educating Rita" the first scenes of each acts are very different from each other. In act two scene one there is almost a complete reverse in characters attitude, status and behaviour from the first scene of act one. This is because in act one, Rita really admires Frank and wishes she could be just like him because of his vast knowledge. However in act two Frank admires the change in Rita but at the same time he is also upset because he has lost the Rita he used to know and he thinks that Rita no longer needs him because she knows 'what wine to buy and what clothes to wear' but Rita doesn't realise that there's more to education than just this! ACT ONE FRANK From the first scene of act one the first character we begin to learn about is Frank. Frank is middle aged, uses standard English and is well spoken. He appears to be a stereotypical middle class academic but he has hidden qualities. Frank likes to drink; "Yes I suppose I did take it on to pay for the drink." He constantly refers to the drink and drinks throughout the play which suggests that Frank is an alcoholic. He drinks to help him step delicately through the pressures of his life- Not only is he teaching a course he doesn't want to teach, He's got a girlfriend who is constantly getting him. As well as drinking, Frank also smokes which makes him quite a weak character because in scene one, Rita offers him a cigarette and he has one even though he has supposed to have given up; "I made a promise not to smoke." Throughout the play Frank's frustration is shown by his sarcastic humour ; "I like my lamb done to the point of abuse... You could incinerate ratatouille and it still wouldn't burn!" Like this, Frank's attitude towards most things is negative ;" I'm actually an appalling teacher." Like the alcohol, Franks negativity is brought on by his life. Frank gets no enjoyment from teaching, he'd much rather be with his friends at his local pub. But besides Frank's negativity, Frank doesn't patronise Rita ;" What would you like to know... Everything? That's rather a lot... where would you like to start?" He listens and empathises. ACT ONE RITA In the first act, Rita comes across as a stereotypical working class Liverpudlian woman! She is twenty six, working class, speaks with a scouse dialect and lives in a council house with her husband Denny.