Explain Descartes skeptical argument according to a prompt Term Paper - 1

Explain Descartes skeptical argument according to a prompt - Term Paper Example The fact that while we are sleeping and still see ourselves in other places doing other things raise a question about dreams. For example, you see yourself in a lecture room attending a specific lecture, but at the same time you are in your bed sleeping. This raises a question of how often we sleep at night You might argue that the brain plays images of events that were recorded during the day. Nevertheless, the images that we see in dreams are not things that occurred in the past are going to happen in the future (Simpsons 67). Thus raising the question where do dreams come from and what do they represent. There are many definitions as to what dreams are and what they represent. Most of the definitions are based on research and religion. Dreams are a sequence of views, pictures and feelings that happen while a person is numb. Dreams occur while asleep because there are parts of the brain that are most active while the body is resting. The process of having dreams is referred to as dreaming. At times, we can have more than two dreams in one night. Conclusions in dreams are not always clear because we wake up while they are about to end. It is said that we all dream, but not everyone remembers his or her dreams vividly (Bryant 2). With this in mind, how then can we explain a person who sleeps walks? Research has shown that sleepwalkers are indeed dreaming. The difference being that the dreams that they have, process communication in the subconscious levels and give messages to other body organs in order to operate them. Descartes says that there are no conclusive signs that show the distinction between being awake or asleep. The difference being dazed only supports the conception that we may be sleeping (Hill 6). In the first meditation, Descartes states that we cannot have knowledge of the external world and our bodies based on the senses. To strengthen his argument, he uses the dream argument. He states that we cannot have knowledge of the external

Research on Proliferation Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

On Proliferation - Research Paper Example According to the research findings it can therefore be said that despite the fact that every country agrees that zero tolerance on nuclear weapons is the way to keep international security, there has been a continued spread of the weapons. This leaves a question on how the terrorists groups still manage to get the weapons and what the role of the government has been in the failure of Non-Proliferation Treaty. It also leaves a question on the role of international community in regulating government-sharing weapons with the terrorist groups. Terrorists are a small number of people â€Å"who act outside the normal boundaries of morality, compassion and humanity†. With a continued nuclear technology growth, the highest possibility stands at there could be a high circulation of nuclear weapons internationally. This has lead to the government yielding to external pressures instilled by the desire to compete with other international states as far as state protection is concerned. As a means of protecting the states interests, nuclear proliferation becomes inevitable since no state like being uncertain of their security. They therefore end up involving the terrorist groups by issuing them with weapons to help in states survival. However, there are instances when terrorist groups get weapons illegally for their own reasons. They purchase them on the grounds of performing terrorist attacks to their rival groups that end up harming innocent people in the fight. Failures that have made it hard to end terrorism The issue of proliferation has remained a mystery for decades now. This has made a thorough approach more difficult to the countries seeking solutions. Its definition of it being a puzzle for many years has made a gap in the definition of its cause and effects hence making every theoretical debate not to arrive at a conclusion (Ogilvie-White 1996, 43). Having politicians at the forefront in perpetrating the phenomenon has contributed to making it difficult to determine how weapon proliferation can be without international processes. The way out is to do a thorough investigation to eliminate these perpetrators so that solutions could be arrived at. Lack of official documentation on the past nuclear proliferation has made it difficult to establish reliable sources of evidence to use against the crimes. This has led to abstractness in every debate that has been done on the same hence resulting to doubts on reliability of the information gathered (Ogilvie-White 1996, 43). Criticism has emerged making it hard to obtain valid information on causes and consequences of weapon proliferation in the international political circle. Some countries are feared to have signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty but may not follow the regulations. This has become one of the huddles facing Non-Proliferation Treaty since such countries cannot expose the terrorist groups existing within their borders. Such failures ensure that terrorism continues under the cover o f the individual government. What the role of the government has been in the failure of Non-Proliferation Treaty The government has contributed highly to having distorted evidence on proliferation through its failure to document any such occurrence as it happen. This has led to lack of reliable sources to serve as evidence in the cases against weapon proliferation. With a high foreign secrecy and small number of weapon proliferation cases, politics has proved to be more influential in the causes of proliferation. Nuclear technology funded by the government has been the force behind the production of the nuclear weapons (Ogilvie-White 1996, 44). The speculation as at now is there could be future spread in

Effects of Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB)

Effects of Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) is a persistent organochlorine that has 209 congeners and can be divided into two categories, dioxin-like and non-dioxin-like. Although these two categories have different structures and toxicological profiles, both have an adverse impact on the human health [1]. Since PCB is a stable chemical and can withstand extreme temperature and pressure, it was heavily used back in 1929 for electrical equipment [2]. While the production of PCB was ceased in 1977, traces of PCB can still be observed on the Great Lakes for it was once used as a disposal site along with the possibility of accidental leaks. From lakes, it can move into different waterways and later be passed on by organisms. Long-range-transport of PCB vapours through air currents also functions as a dispersion mechanism in the ambient air [3] [4] [5]. Anyone can be susceptible depending on the rate of the exposure and the amount of stressor a person had been exposed to. PCB can enter the system thro ugh ingestion, inhalation and dermal contact, all of which can essentially bioaccumulate and inhibit the bodys natural processes in the event that the receptor had exceeded the threshold. PCB has been linked to endocrine dysfunction, reproduction deficiencies, chloracne, liver damage and kidney cancer [6]. Recognizing credible sources is a key factor in toxicity assessment. This allows the reader to acquire more information about the chemical of concern and make an informed decision. Some credible sources are listed below: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry European Chemicals Agency Health Canada United States Environmental Protection Agency World Health Organization     Ã‚   3.1. What happens when PCB enters the body? Humans absorb PCB through inhalation, ingestion and dermal contact. On bioassays conducted, it was observed that animals absorbed PCB well when administered orally and less absorbed when exposed through dermal contact. While inhalation is an accounted pathway for PCB, there is inadequate data to identify the absorption rates. Upon absorption, PCB is dispersed into the lipophilic cell membranes in the gastrointestinal tract. It then circulates into the blood vessels and enters the lymphatic system. Due to the lipophilic nature of PCB molecules, it is readily absorbed by the fatty tissue. In autopsies conducted, the liver, adipose tissue, brain and skin usually contains higher concentrations of PCB. Elimination of PCB can be through excretion of feces, urine and breast milk [7]. When exposed to PCB, symptoms include severe acne, swelling of the upper eyelids, discolouring of the nails and skin, numbness in arms and/or legs, weakness, muscle spasms, chronic bronchitis, and neurological complications [6]. 3.2. Acute and Chronic Effects PCB exhibits both acute and chronic effects. Although it demonstrates low potential in producing acute effects, however, due to the risk it poses in human health in the long-term, it is still deemed to be a public health concern. Skin lesions particularly chloracne has been observed during occupational exposures. Nausea and headaches were also reported yet this could be primarily due to the solvents in the PCB mixtures. Subsequently, long-term exposure to PCB has been linked to reproductive deficiencies, liver damage and kidney cancer [8]. 3.3. Threshold vs Non-threshold PCB has shown evident carcinogenicity in animals and therefore is considered to be non-threshold substance by USEPA. The data for human carcinogenicity for PCB mixture is deemed to be inadequate but suggestive. Essentially, PCB can also be classified as threshold substance because of its non-cancer potential in lower concentrations and short-term exposure [9].   3.4. What effects does it have? Carcinogenic US EPA labeled PCB as Group B2, a probable human carcinogen. This was based on the experiment of exposure of rats to several mixtures of PCB that are often found in the environment [10]. On a study published in 1976, occupational exposure to PCB increased the mortality from cancer. However, the outcomes were mixed since the study only found limited deaths and incomplete exposure assessments [7]. Mutagenicity There were insufficient data involving the mutagenicity of PCB [7]. A bacterial test which distinguishes chemical mutation effects was conducted on PCB. Although PCB demonstrated negative results, this was not uncommon since PCB has complex compounds and pathways [11]. Reproductive Toxicity Oral administration of PCB on animals has displayed toxicity effects but dermal and inhalation exposure were not available. Exposure of rats and mice to high doses of PCB had produced several effects. The effects documented were decreased conception rate, pro-longed menstruation, decreased litter size and reduced sperm count. Rats and mice that were exposed to PCB while lactation suggested long-lasting adverse effect on the offspring. On another study, PCB is also associated to estrogen-related effects [7]. 4.1. Bioassay Overview The slope factor of PCB was based upon the studies conducted by Brunner et al. (1996) and Norback and Weltman (1985). A group of male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to different Aroclor. Groups of 50 female or male rats were orally administered with 25, 50 or 100 ppm Aroclor 1260 or 1254; 50 or 100 ppm Arcolor 1242; or 50, 100, or 200 ppm Aroclor 1016. At 104 weeks, the rats were killed. Liver adenomas or carcinomas were discovered in all female rats for all Aroclors and male rats for Aroclor 1260. While thyroid gland follicular cell carcinoma was evident on male rats, female rats also exhibited mammary tumors at a later age. On another study, male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to 0 or 100ppm of Aroclor 1260 for 16 months and subsequently reduced to 50 ppm for another 8 months. Tests were executed in different months to understand the changes in the structure of the rats. The intensity of the damage on the liver increases as you progress through the months. On the 29th month, most of the female rats displayed carcinoma and neoplastic nodules whereas male rats had lesser incidence [10] . 4.2. Published Benchmark A tiered approach was used by USEPA to determine the cancer potency of PCB. Upper-bounds provide precision while central-estimates are appropriate for estimating risks. Potency values are dependent on the exposure pathway. For exposure pathways with increased risks, we use High Risk and Persistence. Exposure pathways that decrease risk are appropriate on Low Risk and Persistence. Lowest Risk and Persistence is developed from Aroclor 2016, therefore it is appropriate for congeners with more than for chlorine. The slope factor can be generated by dividing 0.10 by ED10 (Estimated dose associated with 10% increased incidence, in mg/kg-d) [12]. High Risk and Persistence Low Risk and Persistence Lowest Risk and Persistence Upper-Bound Slope Factor 2.0 per (mg/kg)/day 0.4 per (mg/kg)/day 0.07 per (mg/kg)/day Central-Estimate Slope Factor 1.0 per (mg/kg)/day 0.3 per (mg/kg)/day 0.04 per (mg/kg)/day Criteria for use Food chain exposure Sediment or soil ingestion Dust or aerosol inhalation Dermal exposure, if an absorption factor has been applied Presence of dioxin-like, tumor-promoting, or persistent congeners Early-life exposure (all pathways and mixtures) Ingestion of water-soluble congeners Inhalation of evaporated congeners Dermal exposure, if no absorption factor has been applied Congener or isomer analyses verify that congeners with more than 4 chlorines comprise less than 1/2% of total PCBs. Figure 1 Tiers of Human Slope Factors For Environmental PCB [13]. Uncertainty Factors It is important to know that not everyone responds equally to a given chemical. Populations with higher sensitivity may be associated with increased risks. Also, the genetics and lifestyle of a person must be accounted as this pose potential change on the dose-response trend. Furthermore, it is essential to recognize that the mixtures of PCB tested in animals are Aroclor mixtures which have been pre-determined and not environmental mixtures that had bioaccumulated which are generally more potent [10]. Figure 1 shows that the slope factor is dependent upon the exposure pathway. Although these are just estimates, scientists have dedicated their time to conduct bioassays where we can extrapolate the data to potentially understand the dose that can harm humans. However, it is also crucial to know that environmental processes can alter the PCB concentrations, therefore it is best to be educated on how you can be exposed to PCB and how you can avoid this. To improve the assessment, studies concerning sensitive population should be further considered and assessed. Since PCB concentrations are altered in the environment, animals or humans that are already exposed could be used to investigate and compare the differences with the experiments done in the laboratory. In addition, it was not mentioned why rats were chosen as experiment parameters, analyzing parameters used could help readers discern why rats are relevant for the study. [1] P. Heikkinen, . L. T. M. van der Ven,, F. Rendel, R. Roos, J. Esteban, M. Korkalainen, S. Lensu, H. Miettinen, K. Savolainen, S. Sankari, H. Lilienthal, A. Adamsson, J. Toppari, M. Herlin, M. Finnila, J. Tukkanen, H. Leslie, T. Hammmers and G. Hamscher, Toxicological Profile of Ultrapure 2,2à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²,3,4,4à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²,5,5à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²-Heptachlorbiphenyl (PCB 180) in Adult Rats., PLoS ONE, vol. 9, no. 8, pp. 1-26, 2014. [2] PCBs: Polychlorinated Biphenyls, [Online]. Available: http://www.greenfacts.org/en/pcbs. [Accessed 2 February 2017]. [3] S. Fields, Great Lakes Resources at Risk, Environmental Health Perspectives, vol. 113, no. 3, pp. 164-173, 2005. [4] PCBs in Great Lakes Sediments, [Online]. Available: http://www.greatlakesmapping.org/great_lake_stressors/1/pcbs-great-lakes-sediments. [Accessed 1 February 2017]. [5] Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Toxicity, 14 May 2014. [Online]. Available: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/pcb/docs/pcb.pdf. [Accessed 02 February 2017]. [6] H. Canada, Health Canada, [Online]. Available: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/environ/pcb-bpc-eng.php#ba. [Accessed 20 February 2017]. [7] M. L. S. K. M. C. S. D. C. T. D. R. Dr Obaid M. Faroon, World Health Organization, 2003. [Online]. Available: http://www.who.int/ipcs/publications/cicad/en/cicad55.pdf. [Accessed 13 February 2017]. [8] G. Letz, The Toxicology of PCBs-An Overview for Clinicians, West Journal of Medicine, pp. 536-538, 1983. [9] United States Environmental Protection Agency, [Online]. Available: https://www3.epa.gov/region02/superfund/hudson/hhra-app-c.pdf. [Accessed 20 February 2017]. [10] United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1 October 1996. [Online]. Available: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris2/chemicalLanding.cfm?substance_nmbr=294. [Accessed 21 February 2017]. [11] Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Polybrominated Biphenyls., in IARC Monographs, IARC, 2016. [12] U. S. E. P. Agency, PCBs: Cancer Dose-Response Assessment and Application to Environmental Mixtures, September 1996. [Online]. Available: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris_drafts/recordisplay.cfm?deid=12486. [Accessed 21 February 2017]. [13] United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1 June 1994. [Online]. Available: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris2/chemicalLanding.cfm?substance_nmbr=294. [Accessed 21 February 2017].

Isolation in a Rose for Emily :: A Rose For Emily, William Faulkner

Isolation dominated the seventy four-year life of Emily Grierson in 'A Rose for Emily' by William Faulkner. Never in this story did she live in harmony with anyone one short time. Even when she died of age at seventy four, people in Jefferson town rushed into her house not because they wanted to say goodbye forever to her but because they wanted to discover her mystic house. Many people agreed that it was the aristocratic status that made Emily?s life isolated. And if Emily weren?t born in the aristocratic Grierson, her life couldn't be alienated far away from the others around her. Having been the only daughter of a noble family, Emily was overprotected by her father who 'had driven away' all the young men wanting to be close to her. As a result of that, when she got to be thirty, she was still alone. It was Mr. Grierson who alienated his daughter from the normal life of a young woman. If she weren't born in the Grierson, if she didn?t have an upper-class father, she could get many relationships with many young men in order to find herself an ideal lover. Then she might have a happy marriage life with nice husband and children In addition, as a lady descended from aristocracy, Emily was educated in how to behave as a noble, which became her huge barrier to people around her. Throughout the story, Emily always 'carried her head high enough', even when she went out with Homer Barron, bought rat poison, or talked to the Board of Alderman. A head carried high showed that Emily was absolutely aware of her status, which kept her from having a person to confide with. Even she never talked to the Negro servant who lived under the same roof with her for years. That was the reason why people only saw him go in and out of the house silently from the beginning to the end of the story. If Emily carried her head a little bit lower and spent time looking at people around her, she could find a reliable listener to help her escape from the isolation. According to people in Jefferson town, the Grierson was really a monument, although this monument was fallen, they considered Emily, the last Grierson, an example to the young people. As a result of that, townspeople, especially 'some of the ladies began to say that it was disgrace to the town and a bad example to the young people?

Eclipse Aviation Case Study

Eclipse Aviation is a big private jet manufacturer, who does not create new jet aircrafts, but also new jet customers. Their aim is to offer the convenience, performance and safety of private jet travel to be available to more people but not only the elites. So their offers on products are more likely to be affordable, easy to own, easy to operate, but with nice performance capabilities previously found only in military and commercial aircraft.The company seems to have a good idea, but the reality does not go to the right direction. Eclipse Aviation was judged to be bankrupt by the Federal Bankruptcy Court of the United States in 2009. Bankruptcy documents indicated that a total of USD 702. 6 million was owed. After the bankruptcy, the assets were bought by a new company, Eclipse Aerospace, to continue its business. The bankruptcy of the company was due to the problem of the market.The market was expected to have a nice performance, but finally it didn’t develop as well as it was expected. At the same time, many of the startups like Eclipse entered the market. At this point, the rivalry of the competitors was quite high in the market. The current aviation market does not perform well either. According to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), the total worldwide aviation shipments fell by 2. 1% to 369 units in the first quarter of 2012, compared with 377 in the first quarter of 2011.Eclipse has not publicized its orders of the new aircraft, Eclipse 550, of the first quarter of 2011, but according the datasets of its nearest competitors – Embraer Phenom 100 and Cessna Mustang, they didn’t perform well on the market at the beginning of the year. Both of them only delivered 4 and 7 of their lightest jets, compared to the number of 41 and 43 in the first quarter in 2011. As the market seems to have a great uncertainty, I don’t think that it would be a good idea to invest in this startup.

Country Report on Road Safety Initiatives in Malaysia

Country Report on Road Safety Initiatives in MALAYSIA Datuk Suret Singh Director General Road Safety Department Malaysia Basic Information Country : Malaysia ? ? ? ? ? Population: 26. 4 Million in 2006 Square Kilometer: 392876km2 Road Length: 72,400 km No of Registered Vehicles: 15,790,732 Vehicle Kilometer Travelled/year: 337. 8 Billion VKT Malaysia Definition and Data System Definition: ? Fatality: Deaths within 30 days ? Serious: All Required Hospitalization ? Slight Injury: Out Patient or Self Treatment Data System: ? Police DataForm : Standard POL27 Accident Form Database/System: Computerized MAAP System Annual Accident Report availability: Yes ? Hospital Data Injury classification used: AIS retrieval System: Many System used, in process of Standardization Malaysia Safety Target and Management National Safety Target? : ? 2. 0 Deaths/10,000 vehicles by 2010 ? 10 Deaths100,000 population 2020 ? 10 Deaths per Billion VKT by 2020 National Safety Plan? : ? Availability: Yes, National Road Safety Plan 2006-2010 ? strategies : 9 Strategies ? Programs: 52 Programs Availability of Institutional Set-up ? ? ? ?Road Safety Department (2005) MIROS (2007) National Road Safety Council (50 years ago) Annual Budget Allocated for Road Safety Programs Malaysia Road Safety Facts (1996-2006) Year Registered Vehicles Road Length (Km) Number of accidents Death 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 7,686,684 8,550,469 9,141,357 9,929,951 10,589,804 11,302,545 12,068,144 12,868,934 13,801,297 14,816,407 15,790,732 60,734 63,382 63,382 64,981 64,981 64,981 64,981 71,814 71,814 72,400 72,400 189,109 215,632 211,037 223,166 250,417 265,175 279,237 298,651 326,815 328,268 341,252 6,304 6,302 5,740 5,794 6,035 5,849 5,887 6,282 6,228 6,200 6,287Fatality Index Per 10,000 Vehicles 8. 20 7. 37 6. 28 5. 83 5. 70 5. 17 4. 88 4. 88 4. 51 4. 18 3. 98 Per 100,000 Population 29. 8 29. 1 25. 3 25. 5 26. 0 25. 1 25. 3 25. 1 24. 3 23. 7 23. 6 Per Billion VKT 40. 4 36. 3 30. 9 28. 7 28. 0 25. 5 24. 0 24. 0 22. 2 20. 6 Malaysia 19. 6 Key Issues and Challenges Key Problems Identified ? Target Groups: Motorcyclists (53%) Car Occupants (22%) Pedestrians (10%) ? Target Issues: Head Injuries among motorcyclists Un segregated VRUs MalaysiaFatality by Casualty Class Malaysia Strategic Programs and Projects Program Potential % Intervention Coverage Reduction 2007 2008 2009 2010 AES Speed Cameras Redlight Cameras Lane Displine Helmet Program Rear Seat Belts Airbags Driver Training RSE and CBP Mcycle Lanes Blackspots Others 20 20 0 30 20 10 10 10 10 10 10 60 60 20 65 40 20 30 20 20 20 20 100 90 60 100 60 40 50 50 30 30 30 100 90 80 100 80 60 60 80 40 40 40 % 30 40 20 50 30 30 10 20 80 30 20 No of Deaths Expected No. f Fatality Reduction Involved/yr 2007 2008 2009 2010 1400 150 450 1500 350 400 300 400 500 500 350 84 12 0 225 21 12 3 8 40 15 7 427 3. 45 252 36 18 488 42 24 9 16 80 30 14 420 54 54 750 63 48 15 40 120 45 21 420 54 72 750 84 72 18 64 160 60 28 6300 Deaths/1 0,000 Vehicles 1009 1630 1782 2. 94 2. 45 2. 21 Malaysia MIROS0 7One Most Successful Road Safety Intervention Name: Exclusive Motorcycle Lane Program Problem Statement: Rear-End and Side Swipe along High Speed Links Double Low Speed Links Issues Identified: Un-segregated leading to Conflicts among Fast, Un Compatible VRUs and Larger Vehicles Rationale for Intervention: Segregation reduce Conflicts, Risk and Exposures Detailed Intervention Programs: 3m Exclusive Lane fully segregated Impact of Intervention: 39% less Accidents, 83% Less Fatalities, BCR=5 Malaysia