My Summary of the Good Life Essay - 1773 Words

The Good life can be interpreted in many ways by various people. It is pondered by every individual and can be discussed and analyzed in different ways. The following texts have shown me a very different perspective to the good life. One that I would of never thought I would have. Every person can come to their own decisions to define the good life. I believe after one reads the chosen texts, one will have a better understanding and can determine specific arguments and reasons for their beliefs. Aristotle claims at the beginning that a person’s whole life is included both on earth and in heaven. When a person is in heaven, we can determine whether their life was in fact, a good life. This is his personal opinion but I believe one can†¦show more content†¦Nietzsche opens up a new leaf by claiming that slave’s revolt in morality. Meaning that the rich, violent and sensual are evil whilst the poor are holy. This merely suggests that one should always follow the herd. The herd being the majority of quite, accepting and considerate people. He states that there has always been more people obeying than commanding. This is 100% true since everyday individuals follow the orders of teachers, managers and Governments. We are always following somebody else’s theories except our own. It is simply because the majority is suited to submissiveness. Commanders, today, are almost ashamed of leading and they only do it in the name of God, the law or the people in general. Our moral valuation is largely based on fear and any aggressive people or strays are seen as a threat. The morality of the herd then proclaims themselves as the only true morality and all others are considered immoral. Nietzsche then contemplates powers and urges. For example; if one resists his urge to beat up and neighbor but then gives him a gift, he is sublimating his will to power. Then the neighbor will feel a sense of returning the same affection which will leave great power to the wise individual. He also suggests that true artists will follow any rigorous laws in order to discipline themselves and their art. Which then equals out to obedience andShow MoreRelatedJournal Entry : Summary And Articles1402 Words   |  6 Pageswriting these entries, it gives a good understanding of each of the chapters and what specifically we have learned from the chapters. Summarizing is used throughout your career and in every aspect of your life while you read anything. People summ arize topics and articles all the time. In my opinion, I feel reading a summery is easily and faster than reading an entire book article. You can get a good and core understand of any topic quickly just by reading a summary. People also usually summarize everything;Read MoreA Summary About The Writer s Experience With Ethical Decision Making885 Words   |  4 PagesThe essay will talk about a summary about the writer’s experience with ethical decision making. The events that was covered the summary’s, about the five ethical decisions in life. From the judgments of the bad or good, or right and wrong, proper or improper, and also just or unjust. The writer has made some terrible decisions, which lead to some consequences. Also, there has been some life altering decisions made in the summaries below. The first decision that made in life has to be in high schoolRead MoreReflection On Writing801 Words   |  4 Pagesand analyze all information that I get. A large number of examples in these readings and my own experience in this course introduced me that sometimes people are getting mislead, because of misinformation or setting wrong belief into the reader. All of these I get from this class, including practicing writing in the formal style and improving my English. The first project was unfamiliar to me, because of my little experience in the field of writing academic projects. I wasn’t confident in myselfRead MoreMy Dream To Become An Electrical Engineer1301 Words   |  6 PagesEveryone must make a choice, once they reach a certain age, that will determine everything in their life. My dream job is to become an electrical engineer one day because I find interest in circuits and building electronic devices. When I was a young boy my dream not to be an electric engineer but something more along the lines of being a cook; however, that dream was short lived because my interest of being able to cook changed over as I got older and became interested in electronics. The way electronicsRead MoreReflection to the Book of Daniel and Revelation1749 Words   |  7 PagesNorthern Luzon Adventist College Artacho, Sison, Pangasinan __________ A Reflection Paper for the Subject Daniel and Revelation by: Jefferson Mendoza Daniel 1 Chapter Summary Daniel chapter 1 tells a story of a 4 young wise men named Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach and Abed-nego. They were captivated and brought in into the King’s palace for a grate purpose. However, that purpose is the plan of God for His teachings to be known and thought in the place of Babylon. God had chosen these four youngRead MoreMusic in Othello1633 Words   |  7 Pageslove is the instrument on which Iago is planning to loosen (set down) the pegs until the harmony is turned into discord. [Scene Summary] Because no one like to be a party-pooper, Iago sings drinking songs in order to encourage Cassio to get drunk. Drinking songs tend to be rollicking, jolly justifications of drinking. Iagos first song delivers the message that life is short, so you might as well drink and enjoy it: And let me the canakin clink, clink; And let me the canakin clink   Ã‚  A soldiersRead MoreReflection1479 Words   |  6 Pagesdecompress. She found the best of both worlds while kayaking because she was with her friends, but yet it was an individual activity that allowed her that time to herself that she also valued. I reflected this by saying, â€Å"you need the balance in your life, you need to socialize, but you need your alone time, your time to decompress.† I reflected her favorite activity when I said, â€Å"kayaking is one of your favorite things to do.† In addition I used a complex reflection to tie in her reasoning for kayakingRead MoreAnalysis Of Hamlet And An Argumentative Essay892 Words   |  4 Pagesargumentative essay as well as a summary and response essay on the need for higher education. From this wide array of papers I have learned and grown in my technical writing skills that will contribute in my pursuits of college level classes. I will address each of my papers and what I have learned from them. I have included several Helpful Handouts that have proven to be helpful while composing my papers. My multigenre paper was on the topic of tattoos, the claim stating my opinion on the necessity ofRead MoreEssay on Suki Kims Facing Poverty with a Rich Girls Habits1277 Words   |  6 PagesCharmaine Small English 111 September 17, 2012 Summary Response essay Facing Poverty with a Rich Girls Habits I always thought about what would wealthy people feel if they were in poor people’s shoes. To see how middle class people struggle with money instead of assuming everything is easy. I wondered if wealthy people would do if they went bankrupt and how that person would get back on their feet. What intrigued me to write my essay is a memoir that I read called â€Å"Facing Poverty with a RichRead MoreQuestions On Motivation And Motivation Essay1288 Words   |  6 Pageseverything we do in life, we need to be motivated to get the best out of us. Motivation can be described as a way of getting people to be enthusiastic about their work. However, the employee has to be made to feel that the work they perform is worthwhile. They should understand that good work is rewarded. The employees also put more efforts when they are treated fairly. PERSONAL CONTEXT Motivation is applied in different areas of life including in domestic affairs. I motivated my family members in

The Importance of Emotional Intelligence at Homeland Security

Capstone Project My topic concerns a journey of inquiry into how important emotional intelligence is for personal and professional success and how emotional intelligence can be an asset to Homeland Security as a whole. While I currently realize the obvious value in emotional intelligence, Id like to determine how important it is overall: for example, even though the benefits that emotional intelligence can provide interpersonally are clear to me, I dont fully realize if its such a professional asset. For instance, a part of me wonders if hard work and ingenuity are at times more beneficial than emotional intelligence. In this brief report, Ill be researching the benefits of emotional intelligence and the drawbacks that people reap when they dont fully engage in this tool. Background of Emotional Intelligence as it relates to Homeland Security While emotional intelligence has a range of definitions, essentially one can regard it as, Your EQ is the level of your ability to understand other people, what motivates them and how to work cooperatively with them, says Howard Gardner, the influential Harvard theorist. Five major categories of emotional intelligence skills are of value to professional accountants (Bressert, 2012). Emotional intelligence is made up of the following five categories: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills (Bressert, 2012). Experts say Emotional Intelligence is a greater predictor of success thanShow MoreRelatedEmotional Intelligence in Homeland Security927 Words   |  4 PagesEmotional Intelligence in Homeland Security Robert Frost once wrote, â€Å"Something we were withholding made us weak, until we found out that it was ourselves.† In the business world, professionals are told to leave their emotional baggage â€Å"at the door,† and this emotional plug can eventually lead to personal consequences. The very thing that Robert Frost says we withhold is our heart. Our hearts and the workings of our feelings create an important type of intelligence: an emotional intelligence. ItRead MoreEmergency Management And Emergency Preparedness1288 Words   |  6 Pagescommercial passenger planes and flew 2 of them into the World Trade Centre, 1 hit the Pentagon, while the other one crash landed in Pennsylvania. In the wake of these attacks, a trail of death, destruction, and emotional instability was left behind. What followed was the realization of the importance of emergency management and emergency preparedness in the United States. This paper takes an in-depth and detailed look at these attacks, their overall impact in terms of economic and social status, andRead MoreThe Human Resource Planning By Gina Hernez Broome And Richard L. Hughes1335 Words   |  6 Pagesproblems. The introduction identified the problem and emphasized the need and the proliferation of new leadership development methods. The study looked at past methods and research, which identified the need for change and a subsequent move toward an emotional resonance approach. 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In the addition to arson and fire, explosives, have recently became one of the most tragic and alarming events. Having largely been due to explosives in the form of bombs to inflict emotional and physical harm on others. As justified by the statistics arson, fire and explosives are becoming a growing criminal concern across the world. The use of arson, fire, and explosives for criminal and terrorist attacks has heightened the attentionRead MoreObama Speech2032 Words   |  9 PagesParagraph 1: President Obama begins his speech in a direct, strong manner, emphasizing the importance of the issue at hand; the immediacy of his statement conveys a serious tone.   His use of words such as â€Å"terrorist† and â€Å"murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children† (loaded language) support the rightness of the President’s actions, as well as appeal to the emotions of his audience (emotional appeal, pathos). 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The urgency of his statement shows the audience the seriousness of his tone. The president uses words like â€Å"terrorist† and â€Å"murder† to remind the audience of the seriousness of what had occurred. As we venture in to the secondRead MoreLanguage Loss4065 Words   |  17 Pagesdefined by both their geographic location and correspondingly, their language. In Vancouver’s major reservations today, such identities as the Musqueam, Squamish and the Tsleil-Waututh peoples still dwell in a miniscule enclosure of their ancient homelands. Although their lands are being encroached on from all sides, they try to uphold the ways of their ancestors as a more visceral reality, that was once so harmoniously in balance with British Columbia’s ecosystem (Baloy: 520). Because of their ancientRead MoreSelf Control : An Effective Leader3203 Words   |  13 Pagesdemands in order to function in society. Self-control is essential in behavior to achieve goals and to avoid impulses and/or emotions that could prove to be negative (Delisi, Matt, SAGA Publications Ltd. Chapter 10, Retrieved October 25). Leaders with emotional self-control find ways to manage disturbing emotions and impulses, and even to channel them in useful ways. Exceptional leaders stay calm and clear-headed under high stress or during a crisis (Thinking Partners, INC. Leadership mastery map, Exhibit

Beowulf the Film vs. the Text Free Essays

Throughout time, many stories have been altered to suit a particular time period. Often times a film’s adaptation is much different than text adaptations while the two can also be very similar. Over the span of hundreds of years there have been multiple interpretations of Beowulf detailing the similarities and differences between the 2007 film and the various text versions. We will write a custom essay sample on Beowulf: the Film vs. the Text or any similar topic only for you Order Now The portrayal of both King Hrothgar’s and Grendel’s appearance and personalities are different in the film than in the text. In the motion picture version, he was portrayed as being an unstable alcoholic. This quote from the film demonstrates this, â€Å"I want mead! Give me some mead, my queen† (Beowulf: Top Ten Quotes)! In the film King Hrothgar is also portrayed as being a disgrace to his wife, in the written version on the other hand he was portrayed as a noble and mighty king who was adored by all his loyal subjects. ‘They said that of all the kings upon the earth he was the man most gracious and fair-minded, kindest to his people and keenest to win fame† (Beowulf: Top Ten Quotes). In the movie, there was mention of an affair that King Hrothgar had. This quote from the film exposes the queen’s pain as she discovers the affair, â€Å"How could I ever lay with you, knowing you laid with her† (Beowulf: Top Ten Quotes)? In the text edition there is no evidence of any affair. In the picture Grendel had a very apathetic appearance. In the written material he was personified as an enormous monster thatis feared by ? Hamilton 2 all of Herot. This quote demonstrates his tormenting of the people by Grendel. There have been many great men who have come, but in the morning there was nothing left but blood on the floor, and the ventures, and the walls† (Memorable Quotes for Beowulf (2007)). In the film Grendel had the ability to speak and he was sensitive to light and sound. The way details and events were explained was different in one of the two versions. In the film for example, King Hrothgar commits suicide, there is no evidence in the text supportin g this. The film implies that Beowulf takes interest in the queen, while in the text there is no evidence of any romantic interest among them. This line from the film shows Beowulf’s interest, â€Å"Me It’s not me he wants, my queen† (Memorable Quotes for Beowulf (2007))? The film states that Beowulf not only had an affair with Grendel’s Mother but also had a child with her. In the movie Beowulf marries the queen after Hrothgar’s death and eventually cheats on her similar to how Hrothgar did. The text details a tower that was dedicated to Beowulf after his demise; however the film eludes any mention of a tower. Wiglaf was crowned king before Beowulf’s demise in the movie but the text insinuates that the crowning occurred after his death. The battles were illustrated differently in both variations. For instance â€Å"The Battle with Grendel’s Mother† never transpired; instead she had a child with Beowulf. In â€Å"The Battle with Grendel†, the film insinuates that the men were awake when Grendel attacked and he also attacked numerous men. In the text on the hand, the men were asleep when he attacked and he only attacked Wiglaf. In â€Å"The Battle with The Dragon† viewers learned that he was actually Beowulf’s son. Throughout time there have been multiple analyses of Beowulf detailing the similarities and differences between the 2007 film and the various text translations. There are a wide range of differences in the film versus the text. These differences range from something as little as the appearances of main characters to the depiction of major events and details. How to cite Beowulf: the Film vs. the Text, Papers Beowulf the Film vs. the Text Free Essays Throughout time, many stories have been altered to suit a particular time period. Often times a film’s adaptation is much different than text adaptations while the two can also be very similar. Over the span of hundreds of years there have been multiple interpretations of Beowulf detailing the similarities and differences between the 2007 film and the various text versions. We will write a custom essay sample on Beowulf: the Film vs. the Text or any similar topic only for you Order Now The portrayal of both King Hrothgar’s and Grendel’s appearance and personalities are different in the film than in the text. In the motion picture version, he was portrayed as being an unstable alcoholic. This quote from the film demonstrates this, â€Å"I want mead! Give me some mead, my queen† (Beowulf: Top Ten Quotes)! In the film King Hrothgar is also portrayed as being a disgrace to his wife, in the written version on the other hand he was portrayed as a noble and mighty king who was adored by all his loyal subjects. ‘They said that of all the kings upon the earth he was the man most gracious and fair-minded, kindest to his people and keenest to win fame† (Beowulf: Top Ten Quotes). In the movie, there was mention of an affair that King Hrothgar had. This quote from the film exposes the queen’s pain as she discovers the affair, â€Å"How could I ever lay with you, knowing you laid with her† (Beowulf: Top Ten Quotes)? In the text edition there is no evidence of any affair. In the picture Grendel had a very apathetic appearance. In the written material he was personified as an enormous monster thatis feared by ? Hamilton 2 all of Herot. This quote demonstrates his tormenting of the people by Grendel. There have been many great men who have come, but in the morning there was nothing left but blood on the floor, and the ventures, and the walls† (Memorable Quotes for Beowulf (2007)). In the film Grendel had the ability to speak and he was sensitive to light and sound. The way details and events were explained was different in one of the two versions. In the film for example, King Hrothgar commits suicide, there is no evidence in the text supportin g this. The film implies that Beowulf takes interest in the queen, while in the text there is no evidence of any romantic interest among them. This line from the film shows Beowulf’s interest, â€Å"Me It’s not me he wants, my queen† (Memorable Quotes for Beowulf (2007))? The film states that Beowulf not only had an affair with Grendel’s Mother but also had a child with her. In the movie Beowulf marries the queen after Hrothgar’s death and eventually cheats on her similar to how Hrothgar did. The text details a tower that was dedicated to Beowulf after his demise; however the film eludes any mention of a tower. Wiglaf was crowned king before Beowulf’s demise in the movie but the text insinuates that the crowning occurred after his death. The battles were illustrated differently in both variations. For instance â€Å"The Battle with Grendel’s Mother† never transpired; instead she had a child with Beowulf. In â€Å"The Battle with Grendel†, the film insinuates that the men were awake when Grendel attacked and he also attacked numerous men. In the text on the hand, the men were asleep when he attacked and he only attacked Wiglaf. In â€Å"The Battle with The Dragon† viewers learned that he was actually Beowulf’s son. Throughout time there have been multiple analyses of Beowulf detailing the similarities and differences between the 2007 film and the various text translations. There are a wide range of differences in the film versus the text. These differences range from something as little as the appearances of main characters to the depiction of major events and details. How to cite Beowulf: the Film vs. the Text, Essay examples

Static free essay sample

I find solace with the television on, and the cable box turned off. With fragments of black and white vibrating across the screen, and stagnant white noise infiltrating my soul and invigorating my bones, I have the opportunity to feel nothing. I am liberated by the stillness; the static sets me free. Living with an anxiety disorder, I have learned the value of silence and lack of motion. My mind can spin incessantly, and my body is constantly moving. Pencil tapping and knee bouncing are home to me. I know the rhythm the zipper on my worn black boots make when I am in an exam room, and know the hot feeling of eyes on my back when I unintentionally disturb my peers with monotonous noises, often in multiples of five. I understand what it feels like to suffocate with nothing covering my nose or my mouth; I know what it is like to drown, without being submerged in the water. We will write a custom essay sample on Static or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It was very easy for me to delegate my anxiety as a curse, and define it as a disability that would prevent me from future independence and success. Now, years later, I understand to the full extent how much this experience has enhanced who I am and how strong and independent I have become. I am conquering things I once believed were impossible, including applying to college and planning to live away from home next year. Because of my anxiety disorder, I have been exposed to many life skills earlier than my peers. Advocacy, persistence, and the value of failure will continue to have a positive effect on my life throughout adulthood. Many of the coping skills I learned to practice are skills that many adults have yet to master, such as the value of relaxation and the importance of clearing your mind. Both inside and outside of school, I have made strong personal connections with both my peers and many adult mentors. By sharing my story, I have learned how compassion can create a powe rful, positive aura that spreads exponentially, and can transform the most unlikely group of people into a community. Ironically, in dealing with my anxiety, I acquired peace of mind for my future. Through my experiences, I have gained understanding and acceptance for all kinds of people. I strongly identify with people who have a disability that impacts their performance in school, or their social capacity, and would like to pursue a career in helping people overcome these challenges. Experiencing first-hand how crucial support and guidance is in learning to live with these types of conditions has highlighted the importance of professional support. Without guidance from teachers and social workers, I would not have had the tools I needed to carry on with my life, including strengthening my personal relationships, learning coping skills, and resurrecting my grades after being severely impaired by anxiety my sophomore year. I believe that I can take my experiences and transform them into tools to help others believe in themselves, overcome whatever challenges they are facing, and teach future genera tions the power of moderation and relaxation. Anxiety has given more to me than it has taken away. The success I have had in overcoming my unique set of challenges has given me the self-assurance and beliefs that will grant me success in both my personal life and my future career. Because of my journey, I have been endowed with the capacity to appreciate nothingness. Stillness and silence are of the highest value, and are truly a gift in our hectic society. I believe in the power of silence and relaxation. I believe in static.

Human Prostate Essay Example

Human Prostate Essay 1 Introduction 1.1 The prostate The human prostate is a complex organ composed of glandular and non-glandular constructions, which are surrounded by a thin bed of connective tissue. It is located below the vesica and in forepart of the rectum, and surrounds the urethra. During embryogenesis, the prostate is formed through epithelial budding from the urogenital fistula, and undergoes extended ductal branch and ramification into the environing mesenchyme during pubescence. Prostate development during pubescence is regulated by male sex endocrines, in peculiar dihydrotestosterone. The prostate is a portion of the male generative system, but is non required for viability or birthrate. Its chief map is the secernment of the prostate fluid during interjection. Together with sperm cell and seminal cyst fluid, the prostate fluid constitutes the seeds and protects sperm from the sourness of the vaginal piece of land. A healthy grownup prostate has about the size and form of a walnut. The human prostate is really prone to pathology, particularly with progressing age. Expansion or hardening of the prostate, every bit good as elevated serum PSA degrees may bespeak upsets such as prostatitis, benign prostate hyperplasia ( BPH ) or prostatic malignant neoplastic disease. Prostatitis is an redness of the prostate secretory organ that can ensue in hurting, micturition jobs and sexual disfunctions. Acute and chronic signifiers of prostatitis can be distinguished, and are related to increase in serum PSA degrees, which normally decrease to normal values after intervention. Benign prostate hyperplasia ( BPH ) , characterized by increased proliferation of the prostate epithelial tissue and stroma, occurs spontaneously in work forces over the age of 30. A prevalence of about 100 % can be observed in work forces in their 9th decennary. The causes of BPH are mostly unknown, but there is a possible nexus to high fat diet, endocrines and household history. Although the symptoms of BPH resemble those of prostatic malignant neoplastic disease, it is non associated with prostate carcinoma and can be cured by medicine or surgery. BPH develops from the passage zone of the prostate, and its histological characteristics ( enlargement of the basal bed and extended stromal proliferation ) are distinguishable from those of prostatic malignant neoplastic disease. 1.2 Prostate malignant neoplastic disease, a soundless slayer We will write a custom essay sample on Human Prostate specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Human Prostate specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Human Prostate specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The fact that prostate malignant neoplastic disease is a complex and heterogenous disease unusually hampers its sensing, forecast and the elucidation of its causes. The exact incidences responsible for the oncoming of this malignance are hence still vague. However, owing to epidemiological surveies, some possible hazard factors could be assigned. They include hormonal instabilities, environmental influences, age, heredity, genetic sciences and nutrition. In general, one hazard factor entirely is non sufficient to trip prostatic malignant neoplastic disease, but the concurrency of assorted elements is necessary. Since most of the investigated prostate carcinomas do non demo the same familial changes, it is hard to specify the exact responsible events. In the industrialised universe, prostate glandular cancer is the most common malignance diagnosed in work forces, and its metastatic signifier represents the 2nd cause of cancer-related decease. Cancer statistics estimate that about 1 adult male out of 5 will be diagnosed with prostatic malignant neoplastic disease during his life-time, and merely one tierce of the diagnosed instances are deadly. Unfortunately, it is hard to foretell the result of a diagnosed prostate malignant neoplastic disease instance, because the class of the disease varies significantly from patient to patient. It is impossible to find whether the carcinoma will stay faineant or becomes clinically aggressive. Although most prostatic malignant neoplastic disease instances neer become deadly and the patients dice of other causes, prostate malignant neoplastic disease still does kill around 30000 work forces per twelvemonth in the United States harmonizing to the American Cancer Society5 The prostate malignant neoplastic disease incidence varies widely between states, which suggests the deduction of life style and dietetic factors in prostate malignant neoplastic disease development. The highest rates are observed in industrialised states, such as the United States and Western Europe, while South and East Asia display the lowest incidence rates4. In Austria, around 3700 new instances of prostate malignant neoplastic disease were registered in 1996, and in 2005, the incidence was more than 5000. However, since mortality in prostatic malignant neoplastic disease patients did non increase in this period, the rapid addition of ascertained prostate malignant neoplastic disease instances is ascribed to improved and earlier diagnosing by the intensive development and execution of the PSA testing trial. 1.3 Diagnostic methods for prostate malignant neoplastic disease Although prostate malignant neoplastic disease is non needfully lethal, early sensing and intervention is indispensable for a successful remedy. When diagnosed and treated in the initial, organ-confined phase, prostate malignant neoplastic disease has a singular remedy rate of more than 90 % . On the other manus, untreated prostate malignant neoplastic disease can progress to more aggressive signifiers, which invade and metastasize to other variety meats, and eventually ensue in decease. Therefore, considerable attempt has been put into the designation of predictive markers and development of effectual showing trials. A first indicant for prostate malignant neoplastic disease can be obtained by Digital Rectal Examination ( DRE ) and transrectal ultrasound ( TRUS ) , by which the status of the prostate is evaluated by its surface. Healthy prostate tissue is soft, whereas a malignant prostate appears instead difficult and frequently asymmetrical. 1.3.1 Serum PSA as index for prostate malignances The most widely spread testing method is the prostate-specific antigen ( PSA ) trial. PSA is produced entirely by prostatic epithelial cells and released with the ejaculatory fluid. Small sums of PSA can be traced in the blood, and elevated serum PSA degrees can bespeak prostatic redness, infection or malignant neoplastic disease. The PSA trial measures the sum of PSA in the blood in ng/mL, and a value of up to 4 ng/mL is considered to be normal for work forces of age around 60. However, since the PSA degree additions with age, PSA values of more than 4.5 ng/ml for work forces over 70 are besides considered to be normal. Therefore, it is besides of import to detect the addition of PSA degrees over clip. False positive ( elevated PSA degree, but no malignant neoplastic disease ) or false negative consequences ( normal PSA degree, but malignant neoplastic disease ) are the major disadvantages of the PSA trial ; hence, a subsequent acerate leaf biopsy is obligatory to decidedly govern out the presence of malignant neoplastic disease when the PSA degree is high. Alternatively, for better indicant of prostate malignant neoplastic disease, the ratio of free PSA to number PSA is measured. Malignant prostate cells produce more complexed PSA, i.e. PSA edge to other proteins in the blood. A low degree of free PSA in relation to entire PSA ( free + bound PSA ) might bespeak a cancerous prostate, whereas a high degree of free PSA compared to entire PSA might bespeak a normal prostate, BPH or prostatitis. 1.3.2 Tumor biopsy and histological scaling In order to govern out the type of malignant neoplastic disease, its location and phase of development, cell samples from several countries of the prostate are extracted with a biopsy acerate leaf and graded harmonizing to the Gleason scaling system. The Gleason scaling system assesses specific characteristics, such as the glandular construction, size and form, every bit good as the grade of invasion, and evaluates the prostate malignant neoplastic disease cells on a graduated table between 1 and 5 ( Figure 1 ) . A higher Gleason grade indicates a more aggressive and advanced malignant neoplastic disease. Gleason grade 1 and 2 represent well-differentiated malignant neoplastic disease cells with regular forms and chiseled boundaries that still resemble healthy prostate cells. The most common Gleason class is Gleason class 3 and depict cells that are moderately-differentiated. Gleason grade 4 and 5 correspond to poorly-differentiated malignant neoplastic disease cells with ill defined boundaries and bespeak a more aggressive malignant neoplastic disease. Since cancerous prostates are outstandingly heterogenous and consist of countries with different classs, a combined Gleason mark is necessary for a more exact theatrical production of the malignant neoplastic disease. The combined Gleason mark represents the amount of the two most common classs within a tumour. For illustration, if the most common form is grade 4, and the 2nd most common form grade 3, the combined Gleason mark is 7 ( i.e. 4+3 ) . Harmonizing to the Gleason mark, the tumour is so defined as well-differentiated ( Gleason score 2 4 ) , moderately-differentiated ( Gleason score 5 -6 ) or poorly-differentiated ( Gleason score 7 10 ) . In general, a lower combined Gleason mark indicates a less aggressive malignant neoplastic disease, whereas a higher Gleason mark signifies a more aggressive malignant neoplastic disease with hapless forecast for long-run endurance. Cancers with a high Gleason mark are more likely to hold already metastasized to other variety meats at the clip of diagnosing. Figure 1: Conventional diagram of the Gleason scaling system Conventional diagram of the Gleason scaling system ( courtesy of Dr. D.F. Gleason, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Integrated design courtesy of Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center 1.4 The class of prostate malignant neoplastic disease Most prostatic tumours grow really easy and remain faineant for many old ages, such that the bulk of work forces diagnosed with prostate malignant neoplastic disease dice of other causes than prostatic malignant neoplastic disease. The clinical class of prostatic malignant neoplastic disease is characterized by several phases ( Figure 2 ) . Potential precursor lesions, referred to as prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia ( PIN ) , can be observed in work forces already in their mid-twentiess, and their incidence additions with patient age. Although there is no definite grounds for PIN being the precursor of prostate malignant neoplastic disease, it is considered to be closely related to it. Most normally, PIN lesions arise in the peripheral zone of the prostate, with secretory epithelial cells get downing to turn in an uncontrolled mode, organizing little bunchs of malignant neoplastic disease cells. The clumps consist of luminal epithelial cells with atomic and structural atypia, but integral basal cell bed and cellar membrane. The multifocal nature and chromosomal abnormalcies of PIN lesions resemble those of invasive carcinoma. Since PIN lesions do non bring forth increased degrees of serum PSA, they can be detected merely in biopsy samples, and non through blood proving. Two signifiers of PIN can be distinguished harm onizing to their badness low class ( LG ) and high class ( HG ) PIN. Slowly, but increasingly, high class PIN lesions farther develop to invasive carcinoma, with cancerous cells distributing into the stroma around the prostate tissue. This is facilitated by the loss of the basal epithelial tissue. By and large, the visual aspect of HG PIN precedes the visual aspect of invasive carcinoma by at least 10 old ages. The concluding measure is the acquisition of the ability to last in the absence of androgens. The ab initio hormone-responsive malignant neoplastic disease cells become androgen independent and invade proximate variety meats ( e.g. seminal cysts or the rectum ) , or metastasise via the blood stream or the lymphatic system to more distant variety meats. The most common sites of metastasis are castanetss, lymph nodes, rectum and vesica. Clinically, morphologically and molecular genetically, prostate malignant neoplastic disease shows extensive heterogeneousness. One cancerous secretory organ can incorporate non-cancerous cells every bit good as multiple malignant focal point, and tumours of the same phase can demo unusually different clinical classs. 1.4.1 Prostate malignant neoplastic disease induction Much attempt has been put into clarifying the factors responsible for the oncoming of prostate malignant neoplastic disease. However, the exact events associated with prostate malignant neoplastic disease induction still remain mostly unknown. Many hypotheses are based on chronic infection or chronic inflammatory diseases, which are thought to be the cause of approximately 20 % of all human malignant neoplastic diseases, including prostate malignant neoplastic disease, . Exposure to environmental factors, viral or bacterial infective agents or dietetic carcinogens, every bit good as hormonal instabilities, can take to prostate tissue harm. Subsequently, as an effort to renew lost or injured tissue, prostate epithelial cells proliferate at a higher rate, giving rise to a lesion called proliferative inflammatory wasting ( PIA ) . PIA is non merely characterized by increased cell proliferation, but besides by extended infiltration of inflammatory cells. PIA is thought to be a possible precursor of prostate intraepithelial neoplasia ( PIN ) , and hence considered as a precancerous lesion. The hypothesis that PIA and PIN are precursors to prostate malignant neoplastic disease is supported by the fact that both lesions derive fr om the peripheral zone, like prostate carcinoma, and are found in many extremist prostatectomy samples. Another hypothesis for prostate malignant neoplastic disease induction proposes unbalanced interaction between smooth musculus and epithelial tissue. Homeostatic epithelial/stromal interactions play an indispensable function in the growing of the normal prostate, whereas break of this homeostasis has been found in the neoplastic prostate. Familial harm in the prostate epithelial tissue potentially leads to interrupt signaling to the next stroma, which in bend, fails to signal suitably back to the epithelial tissue. Therefore, ordinance of prostatic epithelial growing and distinction is increasingly lost, ensuing in uncontrolled proliferation that contributes to tumorigenesis. Other hypotheses propose the deduction of prostate malignant neoplastic disease primogenitor cells with root cell belongingss. These primogenitor cells, which make out merely 0,1 % of the entire prostate cells, are thought to be present in a prostate root cell niche at the cellar membrane of the prostate secretory organ and can be characterized by several root cell markers, such as CD133, root cell antigen ( Sca-1 ) or prostatic root cell antigen ( PSCA ) . They besides have basal cell features, such as androgen-independency due to miss of AR, and look K5, K14, p63, anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and telomerase. The primogenitor cells are thought to bring forth intermediate cells that farther differentiate to neuroendocrine and luminal secretory epithelial cells. Deregulated signaling in these multipotent root cells or the intermediate cells perchance affects their distinction and consequences in limitless cell division and reduced programmed cell death. 1.4.2 Prostate malignant neoplastic disease patterned advance The trademark of advanced prostate malignant neoplastic disease is the passage from androgen-dependence to androgen-independence. Like the normal prostate, early phases of prostate malignant neoplastic disease require the presence of androgen for development, growing and endurance. The chief androgen circulating in the serum is testosterone. In the prostate epithelial tissue, testosterone is converted by the enzyme 5-a-reductase to its metabolic signifier dihydrotestosterone ( DHT ) , and exerts its physiological map through the androgen receptor ( AR ) , a member of the steroid endocrine superfamily of ligand-activated receptors. The pioneering work of Huggins and Hodges has shown that prostate malignant neoplastic disease is inhibited by riddance of androgen. As a effect, androgen extirpation therapy has been established as an efficient intervention option for early disease phases. In contrast, tumour cells are feasible in low androgen degrees in advanced or stubborn disease, which renders hormone extirpation therapy at ulterior phases ineffective. Despite extended probe, the mechanisms taking to androgen-independent disease are still non to the full understood. It is ill-defined whether the ability to proliferate and last in the absence of androgen is acquired by tumour cells in advanced phases of the disease, or whether emasculation degrees of androgen enforce a selective force per unit area and supply a growing advantage for tumour cells that are already androgen-independent for some ground. Sing the root cell hypothesis for malignant neoplastic disease, it is proposed that the prostate malignant neoplastic disease root or primogenitor cells are capable of continuously providing the tumour with limitless cell populations by distinguishing into androgen-dependent every bit good as androgen-independent cells, therefore supplying tumour stuff that is non affected by androgen-depletion therapy. Most surveies, though, were focused on androgen and its blood relation receptor, uncovering abundant information on their possible functions in the class of the disease, . However, the acquisition of androgen-independence is besides possible through mechanisms that wholly bypass androgen map. Ligand-independent mechanisms that induce AR signaling indirectly include cytokines, such as IL-6, IL-8, and neuropeptides released by neuroendocrine cells. The presence of neuroendocrine cells has been shown to be frequent in androgen-refractory prostate malignant neoplastic disease, and their tumor-promoting consequence is based on the secernment of neuropeptides such as 5-hydroxytryptamine or bombesin, which can increase the proliferation of neighbouring cells, leting them to turn in a low-androgen environment. It has been shown that secretory proteins from neuroendocrine cells can increase the degrees of active AR and bring on the NF-kB tract in LNCaP cells. A mechanism taking to androgen independency, but wholly short-circuiting the AR tract, is the acquisition of opposition to apoptosis by prostate malignant neoplastic disease cells.. This can be attained through several mechanisms, such as overexpression of anti-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 household, loss or mutant of p53 map, inactivation of PTEN and subsequent activation of the PI3K/Akt tract, every bit good as overexpression of inhibitors of programmed cell death ( IAPs ) . Other factors, such as tumour hypoxia, increased autocrine and paracrine release of growing factors ( EGF, IGF, TGF- A ; Atilde ; Y1 ) , every bit good as cytokines and inflammatory go-betweens such as TNF-a, IL-1, IL-6 and IL-8 besides lead to apoptosis equivocation. 1.5 Curative options Initially, when the growing of the prostate tumour is localized and dependent on androgens, patients can be efficaciously treated by androgen-deprivation. The handiness of testosterone, which prostate malignant neoplastic disease cells need to turn, can be reduced by surgery ( extremist or partial prostatectomy ) , emasculation ( hormonal therapy ) , or radiation therapy. In most of the instances, a arrested development of the tumour can be achieved, and the remittals normally last 2 to 3 old ages ( Zitat ) . However, active surveillance by regular DRE and PSA trials, every bit good as periodic biopsies are necessary to carefully track for marks of disease patterned advance, because in the bulk of instances, recurrent tumours arise. They are normally more aggressive and accompanied by unsuitably restored androgen signaling and androgen-independence, doing androgen-deprivation therapy ineffective. Chemotherapy is non the primary therapy for prostate malignant neoplastic disease, but instead an option when the malignant neoplastic disease has metastasized to other parts of the organic structure. Unfortunately, it is non really efficient and hence, recurrent and metastasized prostate malignant neoplastic disease is considered as incurable with a life anticipation of 16-18 months. 1.6 Familial alterations happening in prostate malignant neoplastic disease On the molecular degree, the development of prostate malignant neoplastic disease is a complex and multi-step procedure, necessitating the interaction of several events, such as mutants, cistron elaboration, overexpression of transforming genes or loss of tumour suppresser cistrons. Since prostate tumours are heterogenous, they can incorporate multiple focal point that are genotypically distinguishable from each other, exposing benign secretory organs, preneoplastic lesion ( PIN ) every bit good as neoplastic focal point in one tumour. Therefore, it is hard to find the exact molecular participants involved in the induction and each measure of disease patterned advance, although legion surveies have been focused on this issue. So far, no specific prostatic malignant neoplastic disease cistron has been identified, but epidemiological surveies have revealed some cistrons that appear often in familial prostate malignant neoplastic disease, such as ELAC2, cistrons interceding the host r esponse to infections ( e.g. RNASEL and MSR1 ) , or cell rhythm checkpoint cistrons ( e.g. NBS1, CHEK2 ) . However, they seem to be non merely restricted to familial prostate malignant neoplastic disease, but have been reported to be implicated in sporadic prostate malignant neoplastic disease every bit good. Therefore, it is non possible to separate between familial and sporadic disease on the molecular degree, or to delegate high prostate malignant neoplastic disease hazard cistrons . However, most prostate malignant neoplastic diseases are sporadic and expose a battalion of familial alterations, including polymorphisms, bodily mutants and chromosomal abnormalcies. Polymorphisms are non merely associated with an increased susceptibleness to develop prostatic disease, but besides with advanced prostate malignant neoplastic disease. The most of import and most frequent polymorphism happening in prostatic malignant neoplastic disease patients affects the androgen receptor polyglutamine repetitions [ ( CAG ) n ] , which have been reported to be significantly shortened specifically in high class and metastatic prostate malignant neoplastic disease, , . In advanced prostate malignant neoplastic disease, besides the cistrons for the vitamin D receptor, p21 and p27 have been reported to be affected by polymorphisms. Mutants have been found in legion familial venue, and characteristic chromosomal changes are associated with each disease phase. They affect cistrons that play of import functions in different signaling tracts, and by and large result either in inactivation of tumour suppresser cistrons or over-activation of transforming genes. 1.6.1 Genes modulating normal prostate development 1.6.1.1 The androgen receptor is required for steroid hormone action The androgen receptor is a member of the superfamily of ligand-activated steroid receptors. Its functional spheres consist of an N-terminal sphere interceding the transcriptional activity, a DNA-binding sphere ( DBD ) , a flexible joint part and a C-terminal ligand-binding sphere ( LBD ) . The N-terminal sphere contains a transcriptional activation part ( AF-1 ) and is responsible for interaction with co-regulators ( co-activators and co-repressors ) . It contains long poly-glutamine and poly-glycine repetitions, which undergo important shortening in aggressive malignant neoplastic diseases 21. The DNA-binding sphere contains a cysteine-rich part with two zinc-fingers, and recognizes androgen-responsive elements ( AREs ) on the foil parts of AR-target cistrons. The hinge part of the AR includes a atomic translocation signal, every bit good as phosphorylation and acetylation sites. And eventually, the C-terminal sphere contains a 2nd transcriptional activation part ( AF-2 ) and is res ponsible for ligand binding. In the absence of endocrine, the AR is chiefly located in the cytol and is inactivated through binding to heat daze proteins ( HSPs ) . Binding of endocrine to the LBD evokes AR conformation alterations, phosphorylation, dimerization, dissociation from HSPs and translocation to the karyon, where it binds to the AREs of AR-regulated cistrons. Additionally, a composite of co-activators and co-repressors, every bit good as chromatin remodeling proteins are required for ordinance of the AR transcriptional activity. 1.6.1.2 Nkx3.1 is the earliest known marker for prostate epithelial tissue Nkx3.1 encodes a extremely prostate-specific homeobox cistron that is critical for all facets of a functional prostate. It is associated with each phase of prostate development, runing from embryologic prostate formation and ripening to adult map and individuality. Nkx3.1 is the earliest known molecular marker of the prostate epithelial tissue and purely governs the most initial stairss of prostate formation. It is hypothesized that Nkx3.1 look provides a pre-determination of the urogenital fistula epithelial tissue into distinguishable prostate and non-prostatic parts during embryogenesis, and steadfastly regulates early postpartum ductal morphogenesis. Furthermore, it is required for secretory protein production and regulates prostate epithelial cell proliferation for care of the differentiated province of the normal prostate. Within the prostate, Nkx3.1 look is restricted to the karyon of luminal epithelial cells, but is absent in radical epithelial cells, which are found between the luminal cells and the cellar membrane. Its look in the prostate epithelial tissue precedes that of the AR, but the subsequent care of Nkx3.1 protein degrees is dependent on AR signaling. It has been shown that Nkx3.1 look is significantly down-regulated after emasculation or androgen-depletion ; nevertheless, the mechanisms for the ordinance of Nkx3.1 look by AR signaling are ill-defined. Like other written text factors, Nkx3.1 binds to downstream mark cistrons through specific consensus sequences in order to modulate their look. However, the exact mechanisms ( adhering as a monomer or as a dimer ) and the individuality of regulated cistrons are mistily known. Potential mark cistrons are smooth musculus a-actin ( SMA ) and prostate-specific antigen ( PSA ) . Besides its function in the normal prostate as the drive force for ductal branch and secretory protein production, Nkx3.1 is supposed to hold tumour suppresser maps, although it is non defined as a authoritative tumour suppresser cistron. Alternatively, it appears to instead forestall the induction of prostate malignant neoplastic disease by equilibrating between cell proliferation and cell decease. Nkx3.1 provides a molecular nexus between the mechanisms that control normal prostatic distinction and those that lead to uncontrolled epithelial proliferation during carcinogenesis. 1.6.2 Genes involved in induction and early phases of prostate malignant neoplastic disease 1.6.2.1 Loss of Nkx3.1 map is associated with prostate malignant neoplastic disease induction The human Nkx3.1 cistron maps to the minimum part of chromosome 8p21, a prostate malignant neoplastic disease hot topographic point , which undergoes allelomorphic omission in 60-80 % of prostate tumours, , , . Loss of Nkx3.1 map is associated with prostate malignant neoplastic disease induction and occurs every bit early as in PIN lesions. As Nkx3.1 is indispensable for normal development and map of the prostate, its inactivation consequences in defects in canal formation and secretory protein production. Furthermore, the ordinance of prostatic epithelial cell proliferation is disrupted, taking to the development of prostate intraepithelial neoplasia that increases in badness with progressing age, as has been modeled in transgenic mice by targeted silencing of Nkx3.1, . At nowadays, merely allelomorphic omission of the venue incorporating Nkx3.1 has been found in human prostate tumours, but there is no grounds for the presence of mutants in the coding sequence of the staying Nkx3.1 transcript. Rather, loss of Nkx3.1 map consequences from epigenetic inactivation through loss of protein look during prostatic malignant neoplastic disease development. Despite the fact that loss of Nkx3.1 map is a predisposing factor for developing prostatic malignant neoplastic disease, this event entirely is non sufficient to drive tumorigenesis. It is instead hypothesized that collaborating events such as loss of other tumour suppresser cistrons like PTEN, are necessary to originate malignant neoplastic disease. 1.6.2.2 Overexpression of c-myc contributes to tumorigeneity and androgen-independence C-myc is a critical regulator of development, distinction and cell growing, and its mark cistrons are involved in many cellular maps such as cell rhythm, programmed cell death, protein synthesis, and cell metamorphosis. The c-myc protein contains a possible transactivation sphere within its N-terminus and a helix-loop-helix leucine slide fastener ( HLH/LZ ) sphere with a dimerization site at its C-terminal terminal. C-myc action is regulated through binding of Mad/Max proteins, Amplification of the human chromosome 8q24, which contains the c-myc cistron, is one of the most common familial changes happening in a broad assortment of malignant neoplastic diseases. Increased c-myc protein and activity have been found in a important per centum of prostate tumours ( 11-40 % ) , , in all phases of the disease runing from PIN to more advanced and metastatic malignant neoplastic disease, . Besides elaboration of the c-myc venue, besides chromosomal translocations or point mutants of the c-myc cistron lead to increased activation of c-myc. However, the precise functional function of c-myc in prostate malignant neoplastic disease is non to the full understood. It has been shown that c-myc is able to bring on telomerase activity, which is required for care of telomere length, and therefore contributes to the immortality of tumour cells. This confers a proliferative advantage to malignant cells by leting them to turn under limited growing factor conditions. Furthermore, it has been proposed that the AR regulates c-myc at a posttranscriptional degree, and that c-myc is required for androgen-dependent growing at early malignant neoplastic disease phases. At subsequently phases, c-myc perchance contributes to androgen-independent growing of prostate malignant neoplastic disease cells, which is indicated by the presence of significantly increased c-myc elaboration after anti-androgen intervention and the growing of androgen-dependent LNCaP cells without androgen stimulationz. With enhanced c-myc activity, the cells are able to get the better of the cell rhythm obstruction imposed by the suppression of AR signaling. Several lines of grounds have shown that overexpression of c-myc alone is sufficient to bring on PIN and prostatic malignant neoplastic disease in transgenic mice, . However, the effects of c-myc seem to be contradictory, because on the one manus, it drives cell proliferation and contributes to tumorigenesis, but on the other manus, it has pro-apoptotic activity, peculiarly in limited growing factor conditions. However, other endurance signals and secondary cooperating effects can short-circuit programmed cell death driven by c-myc overexpression. A proposed cooperating molecular event implicated in the patterned advance of c-myc-driven prostate malignant neoplastic disease is loss of Nkx3.1. Both events are proposed to complement each other and appear at different clip points during the passage from PIN to malignant neoplastic disease in a mouse theoretical account 39. This is besi

English Longbow - Hundred Years War

English Longbow - Hundred Years' War Longbow - Origins: While bows have been used for hunting and warfare for thousands of years, few achieved the fame of the English Longbow. The weapon first rose to prominence when it was deployed by the Welsh during the Norman English invasions of Wales. Impressed by its range and accuracy, the English adopted it and began conscripting Welsh archers into military service. The longbow ranged in length from four feet to in excess of six. British sources usually require the weapon to be longer than five feet to qualify. Longbow - Construction: Traditional longbows were constructed from yew wood which was dried for one to two years, with it slowly being worked into shape over that time. In some cases, the process could take as long as four years. During the period of the longbows use, shortcuts were found, such as wetting the wood, to speed up the process. The bow stave was formed from half of a branch, with the heartwood on the inside and the sapwood to the outside. This approach was necessary as the heartwood was able to better resist compression, while the sapwood performed better in tension. The bow string was typically linen or hemp. Longbow - Accuracy: For its day the longbow possessed both long range and accuracy, though seldom both at once. Scholars estimate the longbows range at between 180 to 270 yards. It is unlikely however, that accuracy could be ensured beyond 75-80 yards. At longer ranges, the preferred tactic to unleash volleys of arrows at masses of enemy troops. During the 14th and 15th centuries, English archers were expected to shoot ten aimed shots per minute during battle. A skilled archer would be capable of around twenty shots. As the typical archer was provided with 60-72 arrows, this permitted three to six minutes of continuous fire. Longbow - Tactics: Though deadly from a distance, archers were vulnerable, particularly to cavalry, at close range as they lacked the armor and weapons of the infantry. As such, longbow equipped archers were frequently positioned behind field fortifications or physical barriers, such as swamps, which could afford protection against attack. On the battlefield, longbowmen were frequently found in an enfilade formation on the flanks of English armies. By massing their archers, the English would unleash a cloud of arrows on the enemy as they advanced which would strike down soldiers and unhorse armored knights. To make the weapon more effective, several specialized arrows were developed. These included arrows with heavy bodkin (chisel) heads which were designed to penetrate chain mail and other light armor. While less effective against plate armor, they generally were able to pierce the lighter armor on knights mount, unhorsing him and forcing him to fight on foot. To speed up their rate of fire in battle, archers would remove their arrows from their quiver and stick them in the ground at their feet. This permitted a smoother motion to reload after each arrow. Longbow - Training: Though an effective weapon, the longbow required extensive training to use effectively. To make sure that deep pool of archers always existed in England, the population, both rich and poor, were encouraged to hone their skills. This was furthered by the government through edicts such King Edward Is ban on sports on Sunday which was designed to ensure that his people practiced archery. As the draw force on the longbow was a hefty 160–180 lbf, archers in training worked their way up to the weapon. The level of training required to be an effective archer discouraged other nations from adopting the weapon. Longbow - Usage: Rising to prominence during the reign of King Edward I (r. 1272–1307), the longbow became a defining feature of English armies for the next three centuries. During this period, the weapon aided in winning victories on the Continent and in Scotland, such as Falkirk (1298). It was during the Hundred Years War (1337–1453) that the longbow became legend after it played a key role in securing the great English victories at Crà ©cy (1346), Poitiers (1356), and Agincourt (1415). It was, however, the weakness of the archers, which cost the English when they were defeated at Patay in (1429). Beginning in the 1350s, England began to suffer a shortage of yew from which to make bow staves. After expanding the harvest, the Statute of Westminster was passed in 1470, which required each ship trading in English ports to pay four bow staves for each ton of goods imported. This was later expanded to ten bow staves per ton. During the 16th century, bows began to be replaced by firearms. While their rate of fire was slower, firearms required much less training and permitted leaders to quickly raise effective armies. Though the longbow was being phased out, it remained in service through the 1640s and was used by Royalist armies during the English Civil War. Its last use in battle is believed to have been at Bridgnorth in October 1642. While England was the only nation to employ the weapon in large numbers, longbow-equipped mercenary companies were used throughout Europe and saw extensive service in Italy.

Event project management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Event project management - Assignment Example Operations going down in an event ought to be executed efficient and effective. According to (â€Å"Events Feasibility and Development†, 2011), event project management has to develop an excellent strategy that will ensure events do meet their objectives as stated. However, some objectives do contradict with the mission of an event this should not be the sole reason for an event failure. Models have been developed to assist event managers in the process of planning. Planning for an event go beyond the literary word and involves a series of activities ranging from been awarded permits by relevant authorities to the closure of an event. A well informed and experienced event manager should always be aware of the possibility of activities planned for an event failing, and therefore, proper fall-back plan should be in place to salvage the moment. It has been argued that all over the years that an event cannot be rated as successful either by a brilliant plan or execution but how th e event ends is what can be used to gauge (Burke, 2011). Adoption of models like events management body of knowledge (EMBOK) and Event Plan and Archive Review System (EPRAS) can assist in event planning. Both are useful tools for event to be successful, however, conflict arises on how one model prefers planning and execution ought to be done. Therefore, it would be wise to incorporate elements that are applicable to a planned event from the two models, so as to achieve objectives of the events. In every organization, it must be guided by values that are deemed to be controlling the flow of operations within the organization. The group is geared towards St. Patrick’s Day parade. It is in it preparation stage, putting all pieces together waiting for the event that will be going down in March. As a team, principles guiding the activities should be in place. For instance, the team should hold a couple of meetings to air and share new

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 9

Marketing - Essay Example The main purpose of this exercise is to enforce marketing strategies that could allow the manager to take strategic decisions on various dynamics in the marketing of voice- recognition devices software (VRD) in the domestic market. â€Å"Interactive Voice Recognition or Voice Recognition Information is one of the most common telephone functions in use across the business community and is capable of bringing remarkable benefits to your company. Interactive Voice Recognition allow 24 hour access to a company from its customers Interactive Voice Recognition its phone system.† (Interactive voice recognition, 2005). Coming now to the actual exercise, what Marketing Games actually means to do is to put â€Å"you in the driving seat of a fictitious business. You have been brought in by the CEO to develop a winning market strategy that will turn the business around.† (The big marketing game, 2010). Thus the main objective of this game would be in terms of the overriding factors that contribute to profits/losses of the business, and the ways and means by which the losses could be turned around into profits. It also seeks to lower operating costs, increase productivity and ensure better all round performance. Another major consideration that needs to be taken up is also in terms of competitors, since our business development and growth is also dependent upon them, in that the business development of Speakeasy is also linked with that of its competitors who lay stakes on market shares, customer segments and volume of business and off takes. Thus, it is also necessary to predict possible competitive forays and adopt ways and means that could counter these effectively. Principally, â€Å"Voice recognition software programs work by analyzing sounds and converting them to text.† (Voice Recognition Software: An Introduction, 2009, p.1). There are only four makers of this VRD in the market. One is the product

Mencius On Human Nature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Mencius On Human Nature - Essay Example To account for how some people develop bad character in life despite having been born with the disposition to do good, Mencius argued that, just as water can be manipulated and forced to flow against the low ground, it is also possible to manipulate human nature to be bad. Mencius gave the following explanation to show that human nature is naturally good.Mencius argued that human beings are born with the virtue of benevolence (heart of compassion/feeling for others), virtue of Righteousness (the feeling of disdain), the virtue of propriety (feeling of respect for others), and lastly the virtue of wisdom (the heart of right and wrong). To demonstrate what he means by claiming that human beings are born with these four virtues, Mencius gave the following example to show that every human person is born with the virtue of benevolence.In this example, Mencius argued that if people saw a child about to fall into a well, they would all, without exception, instantaneously have a feeling of s orrow and fear. Mencius concluded that this fact shows that all human beings are born with the virtue of benevolence or the ability to feel compassion for other people. Another example that can be given to show that human beings are born with some virtues is how people, all over the world, are opposed to some immoral actions.For instance, people all over the world, irrespective of their cultural, religious, political, or educational backgrounds oppose some unethical practices like corruption and murder of innocent people.

Achieving Competitive Advantage In The Biotechnology Sector Commerce Essay

Achieving Competitive Advantage In The Biotechnology Sector Commerce Essay Biotechnology can be generally defined as the use of living things to create products or to do tasks for human beings. Biotechnology or biotech is used in industry, medicine and agriculture to produce foods, medicine, and test for diseases and remove wastes. (Biotechnologyonline, n.d) As such, there are different types of biotech such as green technology, red technology, and white technology and Bio fuels. In this report, we will have an insight into each of these branches of biotech and use various analytical tools to evaluate how knowledge management is playing a role in creating competitive advantage for companies in the sector. In so doing, we shall look at the Green biotech, Red biotech, White biotech and bio fuel respectively. Green Biotechnology Green technology, otherwise known as plant or agricultural technology is a branch of biotechnology (biotech) which involves the introduction of foreign genes into economically important species, resulting in crop improvement and the production of novel products in plants. (123biotech, n.d.). To better understand the role of knowledge management in harnessing a competitive advantage in this branch of biotechnology, we will take Monsanto as case example. Monsanto is the worlds leading green technology company ahead of rival such as DuPont. (SmartMoney, 2009). The company specialises in breeding (improving the genetic base through technology of crops thus increase yield and genetic engineering (by enhancing generic traits in crops such as insect resistance, herbicide tolerance and drought-tolerance). (SmartMoney, 2009 and Monsanto, n.d.) As with its sister braches such as bioinformatics, white technology(industrial biotechnology), red technology(pharmaceuticals) as well as biofuels, green technology and companies associated with it like Monsanto, are not left unscathed by critics. For instance, Monsanto and its counterpatrs , through its use of plant technology has been criticised of endangering human, the environment and socio-economic.( Friends of the earth, 2006). Significance of Green Technology However, the following advantages are beign celebrated by its supporters: Protection of Crops: for instance, the AT-DBF2 gene from Arabidopsis Thaliana crop injected into plants to enable them withstands Osmotic stress such as drought, salt and stress. (PNAS, n.d.) Increase Crop yield: during the teething years of biotechnology in term of Genetically Modified Food, there has been a widespread criticism of GMO claiming that GM Crops do not increase crop yield, that on the contrary it, reduces it. (Truth about Trade and Technology, 2009). These claims were dismissed by the then USA president Jimmy Carter who stated that, responsible biotechnology is not the enemy; starvation is. (Biotechnology Industry Organisation, n.d.)His favourable stance towards green biotechnology because of organisms like the Bacillus Thuringiensis used to produce the BT-corn. Introduces in 1996, the Bt corn has the potential to simplify management and effectively control corn borers throughout the season thus increasing its yield. (College of Agriculture, n.d.) Improved Food Quality: an example of this was the invention of the Golden Rice by Prof Potrykus and Prof. Beyer of ETH-Zurich and University of Freiburg respectively. The Golden rice is believed to alleviate Vitamin A deficiency in young people especially in the developing world. (Golden Rice, n.d.) Another example is the Maltogenic Amylase used for Retardation of staling in baked food, such as bread and cakes. (Food and Agriculture Organisation, 1997) Having had an insight about how green technology functions, its pros and cons, it is now essential to discover how companies like Monsanto use knowledge management in harnessing and safeguarding innovation in order to create a sustainable competitive advantage against rivals like DuPont. Knowledge Management as a competitive advantage vehicle. To understand the role knowledge management in achieving competitive advantage for biotech companies such as Monsanto, lets apply the Resource-Based View of strategy coined by Grant (1991citied in Henry, 2008). This analysis seeks to analyse how a company exploits its resources to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage against its rivals in the industry. (Henry, 2008) A resource-based view of strategy analysis Consumer Confidence, First Mover Advantage, Tap blue Oceans, CAPABILITY Fund expensive RD, New Product Development RESOURCES Finances, Experts, Human Capital COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE Knowledge power, Experience curve STRATEGY Differentiation (Grant 1991 cited in Henry 2008) Step 1: Resources: Biotech industries such as Monsanto go beyond the ordinary in Identifying and attaining young talent; because technology can easily be rendered obsolete, there is always the never-ending necessity to pool talent and innovate. Thus, biotech companies like Monsanto are in collaboration with renowned sciences universities like Truman State University to recruit outstanding students with sound sciences background. (Monsanto, n.d.).Furthermore, with their immense finance capability, they are able to fund and exploit these talents. Step 2: Capability: with their finance abilities, these biotech companies are able to fund rigorous Research and Development: Monsanto reported spend $2.6m dollars a day in research and development on how breeding and genetic engineering could develop corn, cotton and soybean seeds that yield more bountiful and nutritious crops and protect against bugs and weeds. (SmartMoney, 2009)This paids off has the company as been able to develop leading brands such as Acceleron, Roundup Ready,Asgrow and Yieldgard for plant resistance to osmotic stress as well as De Ruiter Seeds,Dekalb and Deltapine(Monsanto, n.d.) Step 3: Competitive Advantage: consequently, Monsanto is able to acquire a sustainable competitive advantage due to its ability to create Knowledge power and experience curve on producing competitive and fast selling products like its renowend leading brands like , Acceleron and Roundup Ready Step 4: Strategy: as a result, Monsanto adopt a differentiation strategy. This diferentiation strategy is typical of biotech companies with exception to biofuel companies as they end result; fuel, once drilled and refined is standard worldwide. Step 5: Bridging any resources Gaps: this calls for proactiveness from the part of the company as it involves identifying where the company is weak and formulating adequate strategy to address such weaknesses or resource deficeincies. For instance, tapping blue oceans or untouched markets to increase the companys economies of scale (Henry, 2008) Knowledge Protection in Biotech Use of copyright and licensing: to safeguard knowledge and innovation the company licenses seed germplasm or biotechnology traits to approximately 200 seed partners in the United States. (Monsanto, 2009) In summary, it can be argued that because of the level of technological innovation that occurs in the biotechnology such as green technology, its both a key and critical success factor for company to effectively and efficiently management knowledge by harnessing and protecting its knowledge thus maintain a competitive edge. This we have evaluated using the resourced-based view of strategy analysis coined by Grant (1991 citied in Henry 2008). Red Technology Introduction: The term biopharmaceutical means that developing medicines from using living cells, proteins and nucleic acids. None of the two biopharmaceuticals can be same. Over the past decade world has seen enormous development in this sector. Part 2. The Value Chain Procurement Technology Development Human Resource Management Firm Infrastructure Post Sales Service Inbound Logistics RD Production Marketing Sales MARGIN MARGIN Adopted from Micheal E. Porter Competitive Advantage: Creating and sustaining Superior Performance. (1985 p.37) A lot of researchers like Porter (1985, p36) Henry (2008, p103) have emphasized the importance and application of Value chain analysis. We can assess the strength and weaknesses of any biotechnology company by looking at its resources. It expresses important information about strategy and focus of a particular company. By identifying key focus areas, companies can concentrate in achieving competitive advantages. Biotech companies tend to elongate their value chains by getting into alliance with the business partners; this can either be done by incorporating the concept of upstream or downstream value. Henry (2008, p103) depicts the importance and benefits of adopting this strategy. By exploiting the resources of partners, a biotech company can maximize operational efficiency. This operational efficiency leads to achieve competitive advantage. Each industry sector is unique in terms of function. Biotechnology industry, mostly being a manufacturing industry always works differently as compared to a service industry because of the fact that primary and support activities vary from industry to industry. Porter (1985, 38-40) also supports this fact. Like most of other industries, knowledge management plays a vital role in biotechnology sector and is considered to be a primary activity. Prusak as cited in Young (2008, p5) states that knowledge management is all about the information that is in the brain of individuals as an asset and how it is used to leverage into corporate asset. In biotechnology, explicitly it can be transformed into a corporate knowledge paradigm. This idea is also supported by Gorelick, April and Milton. (2004). In biotechnology sector, even if you look at any sub-sector of biotechnology, industry innovation is the foremost weapon to achieve competitive advantage. Cooke and Mayes (1996, p.13-15) also established relationship of innovation and competition. This mean that by innovation biotech companies achieve competitive advantage and in turns get increased market shares with higher growth rates. The innovation is leading to new effective products thus enabling biotech companies to achieve competitive advantage. By looking at the value chain analysis of biotech industry we come to know that the most valued activity is innovation and knowledge management. That is why biotech companies invest heavily in research and development (RD). For biotech industry RD part of value chain is much more focused and valued. In biofuel, biofood and bioagri the value chain is more or the less same, but when we look at biopharmaceutical and bioinformatics, the value chain tends to alter itself a little bit. The activity that also affects biophrmaceuical is that the phase of clinical trial demands a lot of time, capital and management. Procurement Technology Development Human Resource Management Firm Infrastructure Post Sales Service Inbound Logistics RD Production Marketing Sales MARGIN MARGIN Clinical Trials A typical value chain for biopharmaceutical company. Knowledge is a scarce resource and that is why there are very few biotechnology companies in the market. Adopted from Tzokas, N. and Saren, M. By looking at the above figure it is clear that knowledge management is difficult to achieve. Companies transform their knowledge-based and skills-based information with equipment-based knowledge to create competitive advantage. Theses factors build an organizational culture of innovation and the stake holders like employee and customers force company to come up with new ideas We need to investigate about the potential contribution of each stakeholder-based knowledge pool to the strategic investments, plots and projections undertaken by the biotech firms. The long term development effort needs trust relationship from stockholders that the deliverable of RD can result in to a competitive advantage. This can be done by making multidimensional plans linking knowledge requirements and knowledge pools, thus evolving a knowledge space in which the strategic issues of the firm and its stakeholders can be positioned. As such knowledge space and associated distances can be used as navigational instruments for knowledge utilization. White Technology Biotechnology is now used as a very wide term, but we can say that in general term that it the use of organisms by human . In recent years and past also researchers all over the world got new techniques and ideas to develop biotechnology and changing the future. the most known invention of biotechnology is cloning of animal as well as of name. This amazing technology works at visual as well as molecular level. INDUSTRIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY Industrial biotechnology is recognized everywhere in the world weather to prepare consumer goods, material, chemical.( www.liebertpub.com,12:04) Industrial Biotechnology is the premier forum for this critical field and the only publication bridging biotechnology RD with later-stage commercialization for all industrial and environmental applications . it include fooding items ,textiles, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and body care products and many other products which we use in our daily life. The growing companies in many countries are taking help of biotechnology. By this companies make promise to the public to deliver new and improved products to their customers. Industrial biotechnology is of two types red and white. Red technology is now ignored by the companies and very less companies are dedicated with white biotechnology. PEST ANALYSIS POLITICAL FACTORS The first and the foremost factor to go through in pest analysis is the political factor. Researchers has emphasizes a lot on this factor. One such researcher is Jobber (2007, p79) who is of the opinion that Political and Legal issues can influence marketing decisions by setting the rules by which business can be conducted. Union Laws, Collusion, Abuse of market dominance, acquisitions and mergers, state aid and national laws are few of the political factors that reshape the companies. This factor includes all the political effects which affect the company or an organization. In some business political issues are much higher than any other companies but in case of industrial biotechnology government supports it and make policies to amend it or to improve it so that the future of a country can get improved and standard of living can be increased. All those organizations which do experiments on different methods of industrial biotechnology, government gives rebate from taxes pass legislations and create new departments to look at their working procedures. Strong legislation makes the Through legislation biotech companies are getting their products and processes patented. The biotech companies usually invest heavily in RD and come up with innovative products; these deliverables are end result of knowledge management. By getting the patent biotech companies make sure that their intellectual property right is secured and hence they achieve competitive advantage as no other company can imitate that. In the case of biopharmaceutical, the main governing body is FDA (Foods and Drugs Administration, USA). FDA ECONOMIC FACTOR Economic environment is the second most important factor in PEST analysis. Factors that affect consumer buying power and spending patterns Kotler et al (1999, p158) As evident from the various researchers, monetary policy, interests and exchange rates, income distribution, change in purchasing power, change in spending patterns, availability and rising cost of energy, labor and raw material has lead to significant changing in business world. World economy is in recession, so is the case of UKs. Unemployment ratio has gone up; peoples purchasing power is going down with a less savings. People are naturally focused more on spending towards necessities. Incomes are low. In this case consumer will move toward those products which saves their money and bio-products are one of those products which are cheap and reusable without damaging the envoirment and causing pollution. Envoirment issues are to be considered when it comes to shopping point of view and traveling. Legislation Banerjee, (1998) as cited in Charter and Polonsky (1999, p31), states that The threat of tougher legislation and the rising costs of complying with environmental regulations are possible motivating factors for firms to incorporate environmental concerns in their strategies. Tougher legislation can affect a firm in two ways: first the cost of compliance becomes prohibitive, second, legislation can require substantial changes in product or package design or distribution channels. (Taking back used thing) Public Concern Another important reason for firms to develop an international orientation and strategy is the rise in public concern for the environment. There are literally hundreds of opinion polls on the environment conducted in Europe, Asia and USA. Charter and Polonsky (1999, p32) The need to maintain a good public image and respond to public concerns can lead to firms adopting corporate environmentalism. Charter and Polonsky (1999, p33) Need for competitive advantage There are numerous cases where the installation of new environmentally friendly technologies has reduced costs for firms Charter and Polonsky (1999, p35) Social factors Social / cultural factors include Demographics forces, World Population growth, Age distribution, household structures and social factors. According to Kotler et al (1999, p153) the European and American societies are evidencing huge demographic shifts. Technological Factors Kotler et al. (1999, p165) Forces that create new technologies, creating new product and market opportunities. Those companies which have good knowledge about the new products can develop those and can attract new and existing customers. By this method apart from new technology awareness among public will also able to increase. Companies with better knowledge will develop new products in order to spread awarness among all sectors of consumers. Bibliography? Biofuels Introduction Biotechnology Biotechnology is the use of biological processes, organisms, or systems to manufacture products intended to improve the quality of human life. Biotechnology is an important innovative tool to attain The target the various levels example Bio fuels Bio informative, Bio medics, agriculture Biotechnology proficiency can serve to increase biomass yield, improve crop quality, and convert agriculture waste into bio fuels. (whatistechtarget n.d) Bio fuel It is also knows as agro fuel, these fuels are mainly derived from Biomass or Bio waste. Its often derived from plants and animals. Bio fuel is used faster growing modern technology for transporting sector. Liquid form of fuel is required for most vehicles is this convenient for storage and delivery, hence the bio mass is converted to liquid form. Bio fuel plays a virtual role in modern fuel manufacturing as they are renewable source of energy. Ethanol is the most commonly used Bio fuel in the world particularly in Brazils and largest exporters Asia, Europe and America are the some major producer of bio gases Lleading fuel companies like Bps and Shells company they involved in research and development in bio fuels. (biofuel,n.d) Generic strategies Porters alter the system by reducing its down to three best strategies. Overall Cost leadership Differentiation strategies Focus strategy strategies Overall cost leadership: A firm produced standard product by low cost and also take responsibility of economic scale and experience curve effect. market share is advantage. Differentiation strategies: A company is aimed at broad market. the product must some special feature like advance technology, brand image, etc Focus strategies: In this focus strategies a firm concentrated in market and particular group of consumer. (Reference) Overall cost leadership ? Bio fuel are the cheapest form of fuel you can ever get they dont need big investment in new distribution system but just the basic establishing plant is enough to produce them bio fuel mostly involves in long term investment. Hence Initial investment is very crucial. Its been assessed that share holders all over the world show keen interest in investing huge amount of money in this upcoming promising sector. Differentiation strategies? Bio fuel is renewable source of energy unlike others fuels they have less emission of air pollutants. Hence they are environment friendly; they are very low cost so they can match all the price of leading fuels. The impact of Hybrid cars and green cars with play a massive role in decreasing global warming. Focus strategies? Bio fuel industry will create a big employment opportunities all over the world and helps the countrys economy to develop as well. They provide jobs at all levels even form farmers to scientists. This industry has been welcomed by all countries and they are trying to be innovative to improve this sector all over the world. Most government offer discount and tax reduction on green cars thus encouraging people to buy them. This difference makes the bio fuel market to be more competitive in the fuel market. In forward planning about the global warming all nation now concentrate on bio fuel as they play a vital role in helping to control the pollution. APPLICATION OF PORTERS THEORY TO BIOTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY Biotech industry has a varied range of applications like in agriculture, molecular biology, health care, pharma sector, chemical industry, environment related and so on. Porters five forces theory helps us to understand and interpret the business processes. This knowledge can be translated to gain a competitive edge over the competitors. This theory is also used to assess the profits that can be generated in the proposed business scenario or the services or products. According to this theory, the five forces that decide the competitive power of the firm in the industry are as follows, Threat of new entrants In the biotech industry, intellectual property is the most important asset. The firms in this industry are heavily dependent on funding to sustain the research and development activities. And very negligible revenue is generated by the firm till the product is developed. So finance is one of the major barrier that keeps away new entrants from the industry. Another barrier that deters the new entrants is the want of specialized knowledge in the area of research or development. Patent rights and proprietary rights also act as barriers to some extent. In some cases where knowledge and patent rights are easily overcome, many small players come into the picture. Although entry is easy for smaller companies, sustenance would be very difficult in this industry. Suppliers As discussed earlier, intellectual property is the most important asset in this industry. The biotech firms usually do not heavily rely on the suppliers. The tools, kits, equipment, chemicals and all other requirements are highly specialized. However small companies who either fail to explore new channels of distribution or who cannot afford the traditional channels of distribution, are at a loss, as they are compelled to enter into marketing alliances. Buyers The power of buyers is not uniform throughout the biotech arena. Earlier, the pharma companies were not affected by the buyers as the customers did not have or had a very little say about the product. The pharma companies had marketing alliances with the hospitals, pharmacists and agents. So the buyer power was less. In case of firms where the major purchasers are the governments or the hospitals, the buyers are strong. But now the health care companies, insurance companies and common man have entered the arena. The increasing price sensitivity of this new group of buyers is forcing the biotech companies to cut the prices and therefore the profit margin is becoming less. In addition to this, governments in some developing countries are pressurizing the biotech companies to take some social responsibility. ( as in the case of providing vaccines for epidemics at an economical price.) So there is a clear shift and the buyers power is increasing. Substitutes The availability of substitutes also depends on the kind of bitech firm/product. If the knowledge and patent rights are not properly protected, the investment in Research and Development (R D) cannot be recovered. If the patent can be easily overcome, some other company can simply copy the formula/application to offer the product at a much cheaper price. So the formulae/knowledge are to be carefully guarded through patenting and Intellectual Property (IP) rights. In some cases, cheaper chemical product alternatives may be available to the sophisticated and more accurate biotech products. Rivalry The competition rivalry is too intense in the biotech industry. Market analysis shows that only 1% of the biotech firms manage to make a profit. Biotech industry is largely dominated by few large firms although there are hundreds of smaller companies. All the firms are struggling to translate their RD efforts into a breakthrough innovation/product. This innovation could potentially change the fate of the firm overnight. So the Intellectual Property is carefully guarded and the rivalry is extremely high in this industry. For example, In U.S, 82 % of biotech firms make 0 % profit, 76 % of firms have less than 50 employees and only 30 companies have more than 300 employees. Porters five forces theory certainly helps in understanding the pros and cons, the opportunities and threats in the business situation. This theory definitely aids in evolving a business strategy. but this theory may not be of great help in assessing the degree of ease or difficulty or profitability in dealing with the business situation. In this context, this theory does not consider the following strategic influences like, Industry merges and acquisitions have become the norm of the day and the consequences of such deals cannot be assessed and is not taken into consideration. Research and innovation has the potential to dramatically change the face of the industry. As new discoveries/innovations occur, many new threats/opportunities spring up. This makes the biotech industry a highly vulnerable one. This aspect is left out by the theory.

Artificial Intelligence and Angelology :: Technology Science Computers Essays

Artificial Intelligence and Angelology ABSTRACT: Recently, as I have become more computer-literate, I have noticed some interesting parallels between computer mechanisms and Aquinas’ metaphysics of angelic faculties. The present essay expands on some of the analogies which Aquinas himself, though no proponent of AI theory, might have found interesting. One of the philosophy newsgroups on the Internet is entitled "comp.ai.philosophy." This group features constant variations on questions such as: how close can artificial intelligence (particularly computers) approximate to human consciousness? is free will reducible to neurological mechanisms? and so forth. From my unscientific sampling, I would estimate that the clientele of this newsgroup is about evenly split between those who tend towards a reductive materialism, and those who maintain that consciousness or some element in human consciousness is not reducible to neural structures or functions. So the classical "Hobbes vs. Berkeley" debate continues on into the twenty-first millennium. One of the problems facing those who theorize about the independence and irreducibility of consciousness is the fact that it is difficult to conceptualize the essence of consciousness, as distinct from the sensations, feelings, etc. that are often associated with consciousness. Here we are definitely getting into abstract metaphysics. Medieval philosophers such as Aquinas, Duns Scotus and Suarez faced up to this challenge with a little help from Christian revelation, by speculating about the characteristics and functions of angels or "separate substances," who would presumably exemplify consciousness in its "pure" state, without any distracting admixtures. In this paper, I would like to take a look in particular at Aquinas' theory of separate substances. With this theory, we bypass the old question of the reducibility or irreducibility of consciousness to its material conditions, and we also find, in my opinion, some interesting analogies to contemporary computer technology. It would be too much to hope that these analogies, even if substantial, would instigate a revival of interest in Angelology among technophiles. But those interested in the metaphysics of the mind-body problem may find them suggestive: Microprocessors and Angelic Self-possession: The microprocessors of today's computers are integrated circuits which contain the CPU on a single chip. The latest developments, with variable clock speeds now often exceeding 200 MHz, include Intell's Pentium chip, the IBM/Apple/Motorola PowerPC chip, as well as chips from Cyrix and AMD. The CPU chip is the heart of the computer; only memory and input-output devices have to be added. A small fan might be added on top of the fastest chips to cool them down, but in the chip itself there are no moving parts, no complex gaps between the movement being imparted and that which imparts the movement.