Rachel's Utilitarianism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Rachel's Utilitarianism - Essay Example As Rachel points out, the Utilitarian view inherently judges whether an action of morally good or bad by its consequences, and then, assesses these consequences solely by the amount of utility or happiness derived (Rachels 102). When accounting for happiness, no individual or entity is given precedence over the other. The â€Å"Rule Utilitarianism† theory states that the acts of individuals will be judged as morally right or wrong with reference to the rules that are developed keeping in mind the principle (Rachels 102). Therefore, the principle is used to select a set of rules which then determine whether an action is right or wrong under a given situation. This theory has been criticized as attaching more significance to â€Å"rules† than they deserve. As opposed to this, â€Å"Act Utilitarianism† states that the principle is directly used to determine whether an action is right or wrong under a given situation without first applying that principle to select a set of rules (Rachels 104). Hence, this approach is referred to as â€Å"direct† utilitarianism, whereas the former is referred to as â€Å"indirect† utilitarianism. ... The utilitarian theory (whether â€Å"rule† or â€Å"act†) has various shortcomings and has been criticized for various assumptions in recent years. The Utilitarians imply an ‘economically rational’ justification for actions, an assumption which does not correctly capture the human values and does not go beyond the traditional cost-benefit analysis. Thus, according to Utilitarians, individuals could be deprived of their right to liberty simply because the net benefit isn’t maximized. This theory simplistically assumes that all the consequences of an action (including the utility or happiness derived from it) can be measured (Rachels 102). This is not always the case. For instance, how could one assign a value to one’s life? Secondly, it deals insufficiently with rights, morals and justice (Rachels 108). As outlined in the following sections, the Utilitarian view has been heavily blamed as being the rationale behind Ford’s managers to go ahead with the faulty design of one of its cars â€Å"Pinto†, thereby ignoring the principles of justice (that deals with distribution of benefits and burdens) and rights (that deals with right to freedom and well being). The question, in this context, arises whether people should have had freedom to know what they are buying at the time they are purchasing. This case shall now be explored in depth in the light of the utilitarian argument. The case can be traced back to 1978 when several Pinto cars caught fire in accidents or collisions (Trevino and Nelson 64).The number of such incidents started becoming rampant, such that notice was taken of these incidents and a case was filed whereby the causes were investigated. Ford’s president, Lee Lacocca decided to recover the market share by designing a

The project life cycle Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The project life cycle - Assignment Example These phases form essential elements for understanding a project’s life cycle. Each phase includes a combination of similar activities. Phases are sequential where one has to complete before the next one begins and some activities into the early phase of a project will continue until project completion Project life cycle is of great interest because it is a current issue applied in businesses to achieve their goals and objectives especially achieving growth by launching new products/services. Companies that desire to compete in international markets understand the importance of increasing project life cycle management invention and quality of their products/services (Burke, 2013). Project management is an emergent field that gives companies leverage to create new products and gain a competitive advantage. On a personal level, I am interested in this topic because it offers an exciting career path and a way to use my creativity to solve organizational problems. Academic curiosity also influenced my interest because I like researching on new areas of study to increase my knowledge. The research conducted for this paper shows similarities with project life cycle key concepts learnt in in the module. For example, the definition of key concepts such as phases and project life cycle processes are similar. Issues discussed in the research articles used to develop this paper were very similar to those discussed in the module. As I did my research, I felt like I was revising the concepts that I learn t in class. For example, all articles explain the four phases of project life cycle precisely as they were explained in the module learning materials. According to Burke (2013), the importance of project management life cycle is to create seamless flow of work in ensuring the success of a firm (Burke, 2013). Another importance is that the process eliminates delays and wastage of resources. It also facilitates quality

Shipboard Message Relay System :: essays research papers

Shipboard Message Relay System I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Problem Statement   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Design a system that automates the manual message relay system utilized onboard U.S. Navy ships during the 1991 Gulf War. Each ship that was part of the Arabian Gulf task force had a Unix-based system that stored and processed naval messages. Computer operators of different departments onboard the ships prepared the messages manually utilizing an MS DOS based system. The messages were then printed and delivered to the ships telecommunications room. Once received by the ships telecommunications room personnel, messages were manually logged into a book for tracking. The messages were then retyped on a teletype and proofread to ensure their accuracy. Each teletype was equipped with a paper tape puncher. After verification that the message had been retyped correctly, the message was punched to tape for loading into the Unix-based system via a tape reader. Then messages were transmitted via one of the various available circuits; high frequency (HF), ultra high frequenc y (UHF), or satellite. This manual process made message processing slow and laborious by shipboard personnel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A new system was required that would reduce the duplication of certain processes, for example, having to type the message twice, and to improve the speed of the process from start to end. In the case of the system onboard the aircraft carrier USS Midway, it required the ability of automating the transmission of messages from terminals located throughout the 35 departments onboard the ship into the Unix-based system located in the telecommunications room without any manual intervention. Additionally, telecommunications personnel needed the ability of accessing the messages for editing, if needed, and relaying them through the appropriate circuits without the need of retyping or printing any documents.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After documenting the problem and high-level requirements the team commenced gathering information to identify what was already in place to support the new system. The team gathered information by reading the tech manuals of the Unix-based system, interviewing departmental personnel, walk-through of spaces where the terminals were located, and interviewing personnel from the Naval organization responsible for the development and installation of the system. The team prepared different interview forms targeted to the duties of the personnel being interviewed. For example, one was developed for the departmental personnel throughout the ship. They were our main customers. Another form was developed for telecommunications personnel. Also, a different form was used from the development and installation team.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the information gathering process it was discovered that in order to connect the departmental terminals with the main system in the telecommunications room a software upgrade and new wiring would be required.

Drug Resistance Rising Among Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Cases Essay

Drug Resistance Rising Among Mycobacterium tuberculosis Cases Abstract Drug resistance has been increasing among patients infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Previous miracle drugs that were used in the 1950s have now been proven useless in many cases simply because the bacteria are not susceptible to antibiotics such as isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, etc. when they are taken. This pathogen is easily transmitted through air and has the capability of attacking the respiratory system and creating fatal consequences if not treated properly. A lot of people who contribute to the antibiotic resistant statistics are those that do not take medication accordingly. Even though the bacterium may not be resistant at first, it can eventually become resistant when it exchanges genes with already resistant bacterium. This paper will focus on specific antibiotics and their abilities to fight drug resistance. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was once phenomenally cured by simple antibiotics such as isoniazid, rifampin, streptomycin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol, but recently, this pathogen has become antibiotic resistant to once useful drugs (Davies, 1999). Antibiotic resistance occurs when microorganisms become immune to specific drugs that are prescribed by doctors to kill other microorganisms. Usually, bacteria can be eradicated because they are single celled organisms but when drugs become defiant, they do not function properly. When antibiotics are taken, they enter the bloodstream and interfere with all microbes in the body while also altering body functions (Bren FDA, 2003). Sometimes antibiotics may not necessarily target its â€Å"wanted† target but instead, they attack both harmful and benign bacteria. When the bacteria that are sus... ...inistration. 7-27-05: http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2002/402_bugs.html Davies, P. (1999, March). Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis. Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis. 7-27-05: http://www.priory.com/cmol/TBMultid.htm Kimball, J. (2003, August). Genetic Recombination in Bacteria. Genetic Recombination in Bacteria. 7-27-05: http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/A/Avery.html Padilla, M. (2005). Tuberculosis. Encarta. 7-27-05: http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761576449/Tuberculosis.html Somoskovi, A. (2001, April). The Molecular Basis of Resistance to Isoniazid, Rifampin, and Pyrazinamide in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Respiratory Research. 7-27-05: http://respiratory-research.com/content/2/3/164 (2005). Pathology of TB. The Internet Pathology Laboratory for Medical Education. 7-27-05: http://www-medlib.med.utah.edu/WebPath/TUTORIAL/MTB/MTB.html

Assessing Corporate Culture Essay

1. Scheins approach to assessing organizational culture a. Strengths of scheins approach to assessing organizational culture Schein defines and describes culture as any one of many elements of organizational culture. The culture of an organization can be viewed and treated like other structures within an organization. Certain organizations such as by-laws, committees, and chain of command flow charts, may serve to answer basic questions such as â€Å"how do we interact with the external environment?† and â€Å"how do we order ourselves internally?† As an organization responds to these questions, the responses become core assumptions. These core assumptions become the frames through which the organization interprets the world round it. In place of questionnaire or instrument that utilizes typologies, Schein prefers clinical research model of assessing organizational culture. In this model of organizational culture investigation, the researcher gets much more directly involved within the organization by acting as participant o bserver or ethnographer. He suggests that members of the organization will more openly respond to the researcher and the investigation because the members of the organization think they have something to gain by collaborating with the researcher. Schein believes that valid data on the culture of the organization will only be collected when the researcher is perceived as the consultant who is seeking to help the organization and has the best interest of the organization in mind. Schein admits that the clinical model of evaluating organizational culture assumes that the researcher intervenes in the culture of the organization. If the organization perceives that the researcher is helping to make changes that will benefit the organization, then the research will accurately yield the cultural dynamics of the organization. b. Weaknesses of Schein approach to assessing organizational culture The results gained from qualitative result are limited to specific cases under investigation. Direct comparison cannot be made between the results from other studies unless the research is specifically designed in that manner. Furthermore, results cannot be generalized to other settings and links to organization’s performance are rarely explored. One significant weakness to Schein’s approach (qualitative method) is the time needed for data collection and analysis which makes the research more costly and time consuming 2. Cameron and Quinn approach a. Strengths of Cameron and Quinn approach to assessing organizational culture Cameron and Quinn provide an evaluation tool called the organizational culture assessment inventory (OCAL). The OCAI is a survey instrument established on a theoretical model called the competing value framework. This framework is valuable for organizing and interpreting various phenomena within an organization. The competing values framework refers to whether an organization strives for flexibility and individuality or stability and control, whether or not an organization is focused externally or internally. The purpose of the OCAI is to discern the relative strengths of these culture types within a given organization. Used over time, the OCAI can measure culture changes within the organization. Cameron and Quinn observe many cases in the business world where culture change is the key to increasing organizational effectiveness. The four major culture types proposed by Cameron and Quinn embody these competing values: clan-internal/control; adhocracy-external/flexible; market-external/control; hierarchy-internal/control. In fact pure control (hierarchy), compete (market), collaborate (clan), or create (adhocracy) are extremely rare. Most of the company cultures that have been diagnosed using Cameron and Quinn’s organization culture instrument indeed have a strong secondary component. Cameron and Quinn identify the cultural and organizational competencies that give rise to value creation. It explains how cultural and leadership competencies can be profiled which, in turn, can lead to a diagnosis of culture gaps, cultural congruency and cultural strength. 3. London first united church Cameron and Quinn’s model is appropriate for this church. This approach is built around clan, adhocracy, market and hierarchy. These four maps themes were also used in the analysis of how organizational culture of London first united Methodist church chances with structural inventions. The church is both an organization and an organism. As such, the church has a lifecycle development built into it: birth, growth, reproduction, decline, and death. The church itself historically has through several changes. Change as renewal is a major aspect of the Methodist movement. Much of the rise and fall of the Methodism can be traced to how the church was willing, or not, to change. Oftentimes, organizations experience growth and/or renewal because of structural changes within the organization. The four maps themes therefore fit this church.

The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Nineteen

Nobody was going to lie to Elena Gilbert and get away with it. Elena marched along the path to the library, indignation keeping her head high and her steps sharp. So James thought he could pretend he didn't remember anything about those V-shaped pins? The way his eyes had skipped away from hers, the faint flush of pink in his plump cheeks, everything about him had shouted that there was something there, some secret about him and her parents that he didn't want to tel her. If he wasn't going to tel her, she would find out for herself. The library seemed like a logical place to start. â€Å"Elena,† a voice cal ed, and she stopped. She had been so focused on her mission that she had almost walked right by Damon, leaning against a tree outside the library. He smiled up at her with an innocently inquiring expression, his long legs stretched in front of him. â€Å"What are you doing here?† she said abruptly. It was so weird, just seeing him here in the daylight on campus, like he was part of one picture superimposed upon another. He didn't belong in this part of her life, not unless she brought him in herself. â€Å"Enjoying the sunshine,† Damon said dryly. â€Å"And the scenery.† The wave of his hand encompassed the trees and buildings of the campus as Wellas a flock of pretty girls giggling on the other side of the path. â€Å"What are you doing here?† â€Å"I go to this school,† Elena said. â€Å"So it's not weird for me to be hanging around the library. See my point?† Damon laughed. â€Å"You've discovered my secret, Elena,† he said, getting to his feet. â€Å"I was here hoping to see you. Or one of your little friends. I get so lonely, you know, even your Mutt would be a welcome distraction.† â€Å"Real y?† she asked. He shot her a look, his dark eyes amused. â€Å"Of course I always want to see you, princess. But I'm here for another reason. I'm supposed to be looking into the disappearances, remember? So I have to spend some time on the campus.† â€Å"Oh. Okay.† Elena considered her options. Official y, she shouldn't be hanging around Damon at al . The terms of her breakup – or just break, she corrected herself – with Stefan were that she wasn't going to see either of the Salvatore brothers, not until they worked out their own issues and this thing between the three of them had time to cool off. But she'd already violated that by letting Damon sleep on the floor of her room, a much bigger deal than going to the library together. â€Å"And what are you up to?† Damon asked her. â€Å"Anything I can assist with?† Real y, a trip to the library ought to be innocent enough. Elena made up her mind. She and Damon were supposed to be friends, after al . â€Å"I'm trying to find out some information about my parents,† she said. â€Å"Want to help?† â€Å"Certainly, my lovely,† Damon said, and took her hand. Elena felt a slight frisson of unease. But his fingers were reassuringly firm in hers, and she pushed her hesitation away. The ancient tennis-shoed librarian in charge of the archive room explained how to search the database of school records and got Elena and Damon set up in the corner on a computer. â€Å"Ugh,† Damon said, poking disdainful y at a key. â€Å"I don't mind computers, but books and pictures ought to be real, not on a machine.† â€Å"But this way everyone can see them,† Elena said patiently. She'd had this kind of conversation with Stefan before. The Salvatore brothers might look col ege-aged, but there were some things about the modern world they just couldn't seem to get their heads around. Elena clicked on the photo section of the database and typed in her mother's name, Elizabeth Morrow. â€Å"Look, there are a bunch of pictures.† She scanned through them, looking for the one that she had seen hanging in the hal . She saw a lot of cast and crew pictures from various theatrical productions. James had told her that her mother was a star on the design side, but it looked like she was in some productions, too. In one, Elena's mother was dancing, her head flung back, her hair going everywhere. â€Å"She looks like you.† Damon was contemplating the picture, his head tilted to one side, dark eyes intent. â€Å"Softer here, though, around the mouth† – one long finger gestured – â€Å"and her face is more innocent than yours.† His mouth twisted teasingly, and he shot a sidelong glance at Elena. â€Å"A nicer girl than you, I'd guess.† â€Å"I'm nice,† Elena said, hurt, and quickly clicked on to find the picture she was looking for. â€Å"You're too clever to be nice, Elena,† Damon said, but Elena was barely listening. â€Å"Here we are,† she said. The photograph was just as she remembered it: James and her parents under a tree, eager and impossibly young. Elena zoomed in on the image, focusing on the pin on her father's shirt. Definitely a V. It was blue, a deep dark blue, she could see that now, the same shade as the lapis lazuli rings Damon and Stefan wore to protect themselves from sunlight. â€Å"I've seen one of those pins before,† Damon said abruptly. He frowned. â€Å"I don't remember where, though. Sorry.† â€Å"You've seen it recently?† Elena asked, but Damon just shrugged. â€Å"James said my mother made the pins for al of them,† she said, zooming closer so that al she could see on the screen was the grainy image of the V. â€Å"I don't believe him, though. She didn't make jewelry, that wasn't her kind of thing. And it doesn't look handmade, not unless it was made by someone with an actual jewelry studio. That's some kind of enameling on the V, I think.† She typed V in the search engine, but it came back with nothing. â€Å"I wish I knew what it stood for.† With another graceful one-shouldered shrug, Damon reached for the mouse and zoomed in and out on different parts of the picture. Behind them, the librarian thunked a book down, and Elena glanced back at her to find the woman's eyes fixed on them with disconcerting intensity. Her mouth tightened as her eyes met Elena's, and she looked away, walking a little farther along the aisle. But Elena was left with the creepy feeling that the librarian was stil watching and listening to them. She turned to whisper something to Damon about it but was caught again by the sheer unexpectedness of him, of him here. He just didn't fit in the drab and ordinary library computer station – it was like finding a wild animal curled up on your desk. Like a dark angel fixing oatmeal in your kitchen. Had she ever seen him under fluorescent lights before? Something about the lighting brought out the clean paleness of his skin, cast long shadows along his cheekbones, and fel without reflection into the black velvet of his hair and eyes. A couple of buttons on the col ar of his shirt were undone, and Elena found herself almost mesmerized by the subtle shifts of the long muscles in his neck and shoulders. â€Å"What would a Vital Society be?† he asked suddenly, breaking her out of her reverie. â€Å"What?† she asked, confused. â€Å"What are you talking about?† Damon clicked the mouse and shifted the zoom, focusing this time on the notebook in her mother's lap. Her mother's hands – pretty hands, Elena noticed, prettier than her own, which had slightly crooked pinkies – were splayed over the open book, but between the fingers, Elena could read: Vit l Soci y â€Å"I assume that's what it says,† Damon said, shrugging. â€Å"Since you're looking for something that starts with V. It could say something else of course. Vital Social y, maybe? Was your mother a social queen bee like you?† Elena ignored the question. â€Å"The Vitale Society,† she said slowly. â€Å"I always thought it was a myth.† â€Å"Leave the Vitale Society alone.† The hiss came from behind them, and Elena whipped around. The librarian seemed curiously impressive framed against the bookshelves despite her tennis shoes and pastel sweater set. Her hawklike face was tense and focused on Elena, her body tal and, Elena felt instinctively, threatening. â€Å"What do you mean?† Elena asked. â€Å"Do you know something about them?† Confronted by a direct question, the woman seemed to shrink from the almost menacing figure she had been a second before to an ordinary, slightly dithering old lady. â€Å"I don't know anything,† she muttered, frowning. â€Å"Al I can say is that it's not safe to mess with the Vitales. Things happen around them. Even if you're careful.† She started to wheel her book cart away. â€Å"Wait!† Elena said, half rising. â€Å"What kind of things?† What had her parents been involved in? They wouldn't have done anything wrong, would they? Not Elena's parents. But the librarian only walked faster, the wheels of her cart squeaking as she rounded the corner into another aisle. Damon gave a low laugh. â€Å"She won't tel you anything,† he said, and Elena glared at him. â€Å"She doesn't know anything, or she's too scared to say what she does know.† â€Å"That's not helpful, Damon,† Elena said tightly. She pressed her fingers against her temples. â€Å"What do we do now?† â€Å"We look into the Vitale Society, of course,† Damon said. Elena opened her mouth to object, and Damon shushed her, drawing one cool finger over her mouth. His touch was soft on her lips, and she half raised a hand toward them. â€Å"Don't worry about what a foolish old woman has to say,† he told her. â€Å"But if we real y want to find out the secrets of this society of yours, we probably need to look somewhere other than the library.† He got to his feet and held out his hand. â€Å"Shal we?† he asked. Elena nodded and took his hand in hers. When it came to finding out secrets, to digging up what people wanted to keep concealed, she knew she could put her faith in Damon. â€Å"Pick up, Zander,† Bonnie muttered into the phone. The ringing stopped, and a precise mechanical voice informed her that she was welcome to leave a message in the voice mailbox. Bonnie hung up. She had already left a couple of voicemails, and she didn't want Zander thinking she was any crazier or more clueless than he inevitably would when he saw his missed-cal list. Bonnie was pretty sure she was going through the Five Stages of Being Ditched. She was almost done with Denial, where she was convinced something had happened to him, and was moving quickly into Anger. Later, she knew, she would slide into Bargaining, Depression, and eventual y (she hoped) Acceptance. Apparently her psych class was already coming in handy. It had been days since he had abruptly run off, leaving her al alone in front of the music building. When she found out that a girl disappeared that same night, at first Bonnie was angry and scared for herself. Zander had left her alone. What if Bonnie had been the one to vanish? Then she began to worry about Zander, to be afraid that he was in trouble. He seemed so sweet, and so into her, that it was almost impossible for her to believe Zander would just be avoiding her al of a sudden. Wouldn't his friends have sounded the alarm if Zander was missing, though? And when she thought that, Bonnie realized that she didn't know how to contact any of those guys; she hadn't seen any of them around campus since that night. Bonnie stared at her phone as fresh tendrils of worry grew and twisted inside her. Real y, she was having a very tough time moving on to Anger when she was stil not quite sure that Zander was safe. The phone rang. Zander. It was Zander. Bonnie snatched up her phone. â€Å"Where have you been?† she demanded, her voice shaking. There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Bonnie was almost ready to hang up when Zander final y spoke. â€Å"I'm so sorry,† he said. â€Å"I didn't mean to freak you out. Some family stuff came up, and I've had to be out of touch. I'm back now.† Bonnie knew that Elena or Meredith would have said something pithy and cutting here, something to let Zander know exactly how little they appreciated being forgotten about, but she couldn't bring herself to. Zander sounded rough and tired, and there was a break in his voice when he said he was sorry that made her want to forgive him. â€Å"You left me outside alone,† she said softly. â€Å"A girl disappeared that night.† Zander sighed, a long sad sound. â€Å"I'm sorry,† he said again. â€Å"It was an awful thing to do. But I knew you would be okay. You have to believe that. I wouldn't have left you in danger.† â€Å"How?† Bonnie asked. â€Å"How could you know?† â€Å"Just trust me, Bonnie,† Zander said. â€Å"I can't explain it now, but you weren't in danger that night. I'l tel you about it when I can, okay?† Bonnie shut her eyes and bit her lip. Elena and Meredith would never have settled for this kind of half explanation, she knew. Not even half an explanation, just an apology and an evasion. But she wasn't like them, and Zander sounded sincere, so desperate for her to believe him. It was her choice, she knew: trust him, or let him go. â€Å"Okay,† she said. â€Å"Okay, I believe you.† Zander let out another sigh, but it sounded like one of relief this time. â€Å"Let me make it up to you,† he said. â€Å"Please? How about I take you out this weekend, anywhere you want to go?† Bonnie hesitated, but she was starting to smile despite herself. â€Å"There's a party at Samantha's dorm on Saturday,† she said. â€Å"Want to meet there at nine?† â€Å"There's something peculiar going on at the library,† Damon said, and Stefan twitched in surprise at his sudden appearance. â€Å"I didn't see you there,† he said mildly, looking out onto his dark balcony, where Damon leaned against the railing. â€Å"I just landed,† Damon said, and smiled. â€Å"Literal y. I've been flying around campus, checking things out. It's a wonderful feeling, riding the breezes as the sun sets. You should try it.† Stefan nodded, keeping his face neutral. They both knew that one of the few things Stefan envied about Damon was his ability to change into a bird. It wasn't worth it, though – he would have to drink human blood regularly to have Power as strong as Damon's. Elena's face rose up in his mind's eye, and he pushed her image away. She was his salvation, the one who connected him to the world of humans, who kept him from sinking into the darkness. Believing that their separation was only temporary was what was keeping him going. â€Å"Don't you miss Elena?† Stefan asked, and Damon's face immediately closed off, becoming hard and blank. Stefan sighed inwardly. Of course Damon didn't miss Elena, because he was undoubtedly seeing her al the time. He'd known Damon wouldn't abide by the rules. â€Å"What's the matter?† Damon asked him. His voice was almost concerned, and Stefan wondered what his own face looked like to get that kind of reaction from Damon. Damon who had probably just seen Elena. â€Å"Sometimes I'm a fool,† Stefan told him dryly. â€Å"What do you want, Damon?† Damon smiled. â€Å"I want you to come do some detective work with me, little brother. Real y, anything's better than seeing this sulking, forehead-wrinkling brooding expression on your face.† Stefan shrugged. â€Å"Why not?† Stefan leaped down from the balcony with perfect grace, and Damon fol owed swiftly behind. As Damon led the way to their destination, he fil ed Stefan in on the details. Or rather, the vague scenario Stefan could gather from Damon's explanation. Damon never was one for ful disclosure. Al Stefan knew was that some research at the library had prompted a sketchy warning from an old librarian. Stefan inwardly chuckled at the thought of a frail old woman squaring against Damon over library fines. â€Å"What were you looking at?† Stefan asked, trying to get any more substantial information. â€Å"What did she want you to stay away from?† He shifted on the rough branch of the oak tree they were both sitting on, trying to get comfortable. Damon had a habit of sitting in trees, Stefan realized. It must be a side effect of spending so much time as a bird. They were on a stakeout outside the librarian's home, but what exactly they were looking for, Stefan wasn't sure. â€Å"Just some old photographs from the school's history,† Damon said. â€Å"It doesn't matter. I just want to make sure she's human.† He peered through the window nearest their tree, where an elderly woman was sipping tea and watching television. Stefan noted with irritation that Damon seemed a lot more at ease in the tree than Stefan did. He was leaning forward, resting graceful y on one knee, and Stefan could sense his sending questing strands of Power at the woman, trying to find out whether there was anything unusual about her. His balance seemed awful y precarious, and he was completely focused on the old woman. Stefan inched toward Damon on the branch, stretched out a hand, and suddenly shoved him. It was extremely satisfying. Damon, his composure shaken for once, let out a muffled yelp and fel out of the tree. In midair, he turned into a crow and flew back up, perching on a branch above Stefan and eyeing him with a baleful glare. Damon cawed his annoyance at Stefan loudly. Stefan glanced through the window again. The woman didn't seem to have heard Damon's shout or the crow's caw – she was just flipping channels. When he looked back at Damon, his brother had regained his usual form. â€Å"I would think playing a trick like that would go against your precious moral code,† Damon said, fastidiously smoothing his hair. â€Å"Not real y,† Stefan said, grinning. â€Å"I couldn't help myself.† Damon shrugged, seeming to accept Stefan's playfulness as good-natured, and looked through the librarian's window again. She had gotten up to make herself another cup of tea. â€Å"Did you sense anything from her?† Stefan asked. Damon shook his head. â€Å"Either she's bril iantly hiding her true nature from us or she's just a peculiar librarian.† He pushed himself off the branch and leaped, landing lightly on the grass far below. Either way, I've had enough, he added silently. Stefan fol owed him, landing beside Damon at the bottom of the tree. â€Å"You didn't need me for any of that, Damon,† he said. â€Å"Why did you ask me to come with you?† Damon's smile was bril iant in the darkness. â€Å"I just thought you could use some cheering up,† he said simply. Clearly, it wasn't the librarian Stefan should be worried about acting peculiarly.

Selectively Permeable Definition and Examples

Selectively permeable means a membrane allows the passage of some molecules  or ions and inhibits the passage of others. The capacity to filter molecular transport in this manner is called selective permeability. Selective Permeability Versus Semipermeability Both semipermeable membranes and selectively permeable membranes regulate the transport of materials so that some particles pass through while others cant cross. Some texts use terns selectively permeable and semipermeable interchangeably, but they dont mean exactly the same thing. A semipermeable membrane is like a filter that allows particles to pass or not according to size, solubility, electrical charge, or other chemical or physical property. The passive transport processes of osmosis and diffusion permit transport across semipermeable membranes. A selectively permeable membrane chooses which molecules are allowed to pass based on specific criteria (e.g., molecular geometry). This facilitated or active transport  may require energy. Semipermeability can apply to both natural and synthetic materials. In addition to membranes, fibers may also be semipermeable. While selective permeability generally refers to polymers, other materials may be considered to be semipermeable. For example, a window screen is a semipermeable barrier that permits the flow of air but limits the transit of insects. Example of a Selectively Permeable Membrane The lipid bilayer of the cell membrane is an excellent example of a membrane which is both semipermeable and selectively permeable. Phospholipids in the bilayer are arranged such that the hydrophilic phosphate heads of each molecule are on the surface, exposed to the aqueous or watery environment inside and outside of cells. The hydrophobic fatty acid tails are hidden inside the membrane. The phospholipid arrangement makes the bilayer semipermeable. It allows the passage of small, uncharged solutes. Small lipid-soluble molecules can pass through the hydrophilic core of the layer, such hormones, and fat-soluble vitamins. Water passes through the semipermeable membrane via osmosis. Molecules of oxygen and carbon dioxide pass through the membrane via diffusion. However, polar molecules cannot easily pass through the lipid bilayer. They can reach the hydrophobic surface, but cant pass through the lipid layer to the other side of the membrane. Small ions face a similar problem because of their electrical charge. This is where selective permeability comes into play. Transmembrane proteins form channels that permit the passage of sodium, calcium, potassium, and chloride ions. Polar molecules can bind to surface proteins, causing a change in the configuration of the surface  and gaining them passage. Transport proteins move molecules and ions via facilitated diffusion, which does not require energy. Large molecules generally dont cross the lipid bilayer. There are special exceptions. In some cases, integral membrane proteins allow passage. In other cases, active transport is required. Here, energy is supplied in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for vesicular transport. A lipid bilayer vesicle forms around the large particle and fuses with the plasma membrane to either allow the molecule into or out of a cell. In exocytosis, the contents of the vesicle open to the outside of the cell membrane. In endocytosis, a large particle is taken into the cell. In addition to the cellular membrane, another example of a selectively permeable membrane is the inner membrane of an egg.

European Political Philosophers John Locke and...

John Locke (â€Å"Locke†) and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (â€Å"Rousseau†) are two of the most well known European political philosophers to this day. Locke is a 17th century political philosopher due to him writing his works in the late 1600s. On the other hand Rousseau is an 18th century political philosopher with his writings coming approximately 100 years after Locke’s. While it is known that most philosophers build off the works of their predecessors, there is a vast range between Locke and Rousseau when it comes to the concept of private property. On the one hand, Locke considered the right of property to be a God given right and one that everyone is entitled to. When compared to Locke, Rousseau viewed the notion of owning property to be a negative addition to society. By placing these two political philosopher’s views against each other, this paper will argue that their difference of opinions is based in their account of how each define the sta te of nature. Rousseau states, â€Å"The philosophers who have examined the foundations of society have all felt the necessity of returning to the state of nature†¦was civilized man they depicted† can be viewed as Rousseau admitting he knows there is a difference between himself and Locke. By exploring the differences between Locke’s civil man and Rousseau’s natural man, this will clarify why these two political philosophers have different foundations and theories when it comes to private property. Rousseau states â€Å"the first person