Decline of Amphibians Essay -- Animal Research

Introduction When researching the population decline of amphibians as a global issue, it is evident that there have been drastic changes in the past 30 years. Mike Lannoo from the U.S. Declining Amphibian Task Force says that there have been significant losses in amphibian populations for an extensive period of time (No Single Reason, 1999). Stuart et al. (2004) stated that according to scientists at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), at least 427 species, roughly 7.4%, are at a dangerously high risk of extinction (Kaylor, 2006). The problem of amphibian decline cannot be linked directly to one single cause (No Single Reason, 1999). Instead, scientists have related the decline to disease, habitat loss, changes in climate, and pollution (Hayes, Falso, Gallipeau, Stice, 2010; Brooks et al., 2002; Dunson et al., 1992). It is concluded that many of these factors are related to and possibly caused by human interaction (McCallum, 2007). The declines could be caused by pathogens, climate change, or wildlife toxicology, says Dr. Ashley Mattoon from the Worldwatch Institute (Kirby, 2000). Amphibian decline is a serious global topic and is especially harmful in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Specifically, there are many causes of amphibian decline in Virginia. The Weldon Cooper Center at the University of Virginia ranks Virginia 12th in population at an annual growth rate of 7% (Kelhart, 2006). Of Virginia’s 79 species of amphibians, four species are classified as near threatened, three species are classified as vulnerable, and one species is classified as endangered (Amphibians in VA, n.d.). The problem of amphibian decline can be traced back to many sources, which can either be classified as n... ...ander (Desmognathus fuscus) of southern Appalachia. Retrieved from ScienceDirect website: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306456500000528 No Single Reason for Amphibian Decline. (1999, November 19). ScienceDaily. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/11/991119075426.htm Sexton, O. J., Phillips, C., & Bramble, J. E. (1990, September 19). The Effects of Temperature and Precipitation on the Breeding Migration of the Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) [Press ]. Retrieved February 14, 2012, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/info/1446443#ufo Stuart, S. N., Chanson, J. S., Cox, N. A., Young, B. E., Rodrigues, A. S. L., Fischman, D. L., & Waller, R. W. (2004, October 14). Status and Trends of Amphibian Declines and Extinctions Worldwide. Abstract retrieved from Science Mag website: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/306/5702/1783

Five reasons for pursuing higher education Essay

There are many reasons or purposes behind pursuing higher education, but these may change depending on each individual student. However many distinct reasons there may be, the majority of them can be grouped into five broad categories. The first of these categories relates to money, the second is the transmission of culture and history, the third has to do with esteem or social class, fourth comes education for the benefit of democracy, and last is entertainment or personal enjoyment. Almost everybody has a â€Å"dream job†, one where they do some kind of interesting work and get paid lots for it. This is one of the reasons why a person would consider going beyond high school, and pursuing higher education; so they can get that â€Å"dream job†. With degrees and Ph.D.s comes money, along with wider opportunities for the future, and less physical work. Of course, the three aforementioned traits do not always apply, but in the majority of cases they do. In learning more about your world, you can absorb some history, and in the process keep your culture alive. Culture and traditions can only survive if they are passed down from generation to generation. By studying history, you can also learn from the mistakes of those who came before you, and ensure that you do not repeat those mistakes. Good examples of this are failed strategies used in war; you would definitely not want to repeat those. Some people go for degrees because they think it earns them power, respect, and esteem. Certain socialites feel that if you do not have a Ph.D., you are not worth anything, not even a bit of their time. The third reason to pursue higher education is to appease swine like this. If you want to become one of the social elite, college is necessary. No matter how hard you try to deny it, the majority of people are dolts. In order to ensure a healthy democracy, you need well educated people to vote on modern issues. It is pretty obvious that if we had a bunch of easily duped idiots voting on important matters, for example the election of a president, liberty all around the world could be threatened. What would happen if a complete moron were to be put in charge of a world superpower?  Perhaps there would be a series of unjust wars, a few signings of acts destroying privacy, some crimes against humanity, and unnecessary bloodshed; all in the name of patriotism and freedom, an obvious lie. It is important that people know their rights, how their government works, and where to draw the line. Most importantly, they need to know the difference between right and wrong in relation to the entire world, not just their little nook. It is possible that some people enjoy education because it expands their minds, they may see it as entertainment. This is reason enough to enroll yourself in classes. If something beneficial to everybody is what you enjoy taking part in, by all means, go ahead and do it. How does Philosophy fit into these five categories? Philosophy, although mostly boring, can be interesting at some times – which leads it to be entertaining. This class could be taken by people who enjoy learning how to better understand the workings of the human mind and/or religion. For theists, Philosophy could reinforce their faith in God, making them feel all good inside, or it could lead them to question their absurd religions, grow a pair, and stop using the church as a crutch – a tie or win situation, respectively. Once they give up their silly beliefs, they could also drop the prejudices that come with them and allow everybody to be treated equally. The less prejudiced people there are voting in this country, the better, this would lead to a stronger government with more freedom for all. In conclusion, there are five purposes for education; money, history, respect, better governments, and entertainment. Philosophy fits snugly into the entertainment and governmental categories.

Ariannadenyse A. Gagonia

Arianna Denyse A. Gasgonia III-Hosea Reaction Paper in Filipino (Noli Me Tangere) When we watched the stage play of Noli Me Tangere, I was excited but not until we knew that we were headed to the Star Theater, and not at the CCP Theater as we expected. When we got out of the bus, we brought or jackets with us because we expect it to be cold as the AFP Theater. But once we were inside, it was hot and eventually, we had to fan ourselves with the hand-outs that we bought. When the play started, I was a bit disappointed because some parts of the scene were just played with a projector.We thought it was very boring and uninteresting because of the lack of props. The last 2 years, we watched Ibong Adarna and Florante at Laura at the AFP Theater and they gave us their full performance which is interesting enough. While at the Star Theater, I really thought that it sucks compared to the AFP Theater. They lack in props (as I had already said) and even the ones that they have are old and looks battered. Their costumes look cheap and I don’t find it entertaining. They have a projector background and we thought it was so uncool.At the AFP Theater, they have backgrounds and props colorful and pretty enough to be entertaining for us. At the Star Theater, they even lack characters. In some scenes, I find it odd because it was different from what I’ve read and I was looking for my favorite chapters and lines and I found out it was the ones that they’ve cut. I really thought that it was poorly directed, though the characters portray their roles well and I found no fault in them. They are good at acting but sometimes their mic would just turn on and off at their slightest movements. Overall, I think it was a tiny bit unpleasant (no offense! and I would prefer watching at the AFP Theater if given the chance. For me, everything was almost always out-of-placed, except for the characters. Well, at least they’re worth watching. They are the only ones that I liked at the play and I particularly enjoyed the last scenes where there we loud booms enough to prattle our bored minds. At least it was exciting even though it’s the only one I found interesting. It was the least of what we expected and I know its an awful lot of expecting. One thing I know is, though, is I would never ever prefer Star Theater from the AFP Theater. Ever.

The Definition and Usage of Optimality Theory

The Definition and Usage of Optimality Theory In linguistics, the theory that surface forms of language reflect resolutions of conflicts between competing constraints (i.e., specific restrictions on the form[s] of a structure). Optimality Theory was introduced in the 1990s by linguists Alan Prince and Paul Smolensky (Optimality Theory: Constraint Interaction in Generative Grammar, 1993/2004). Though originally developed from generative phonology, the principles of Optimality Theory have also been applied in studies of syntax, morphology, pragmatics, language change, and other areas. In Doing Optimality Theory (2008), John J. McCarthy points out that some of the most significant work on OT is available for free on the Rutgers Optimality Archive. ROA, which was created by Alan Prince in 1993, is an electronic depository of work in, on, or about OT. Its a fabulous resource for the student as well as the veteran scholar. Observations At the heart of Optimality Theory lies the idea that language, and in fact every grammar, is a system of conflicting forces. These forces are embodied by constraints, each of which makes a requirement about some aspect of grammatical output forms. Constraints are typically conflicting, in the sense that to satisfy one constraint implies the violation of another. Given the fact that no form can satisfy all constraints simultaneously, there must be some mechanism selecting forms that incur lesser constraint violations from others that incur more serious ones. This selectional mechanism involves hierarchical ranking of constraints, such that higher-ranked constraints have priority over lower-ranked ones. While constraints are universal, the rankings are not: differences in ranking are the source of cross-linguistic variation. (Renà © Kager, Optimality Theory. Cambridge University Press, 1999) Faithfulness and Markedness Constraints [Optimality Theory] holds that all languages have a set of constraints which produce the basic phonological and grammatical patterns of that particular language. In many cases, an actual utterance violates one or more of these constraints, so a sense of well-formedness applies to that utterance which violates the least number or least important constraints. Constraints can be classified in two types: faithfulness and markedness. The faithfulness principle constrains a word to match the underlying morphological form (such as plural tram -s in trams). But words like buses or dogs do not follow this constraint (the first falls foul of the constraint that prevents the pronunciation of two consecutive /s/ sounds and the second places a /z/ instead of an /s/). These two examples, though, follow markedness constraints, and in these cases the particular markedness scores higher than the faithfulness constraint, so the alternate forms are allowed. Differences between languages, then, are a ma tter of the relative importance given to particular constraints, and a description of these constitutes a description of the language. (R.L. Trask, Language and Linguistics: The Key Concepts, 2nd ed., ed. by Peter Stockwell. Routledge, 2007) Constraint Interaction and the Domination Hierarchy [W]e assert that the constraints operating in a particular language are highly conflicting and make sharply contrary claims about the well-formedness of most representations. The grammar consists of the constraints together with a general means of resolving their conflicts. We argue further that this conception is an essential prerequisite for a substantive theory of UG. How does a grammar determine which analysis of a given input best satisfies a set of consistent well-formedness conditions? Optimality Theory relies on a conceptually simple but surprisingly rich notion of constraint interaction whereby the satisfaction of one constraint can be designated to take absolute priority over the satisfaction of another. The means that a grammar uses to resolve conflicts is to rank constraints in a strict domination hierarchy. Each constraint has absolute priority over all the constraints lower in the hierarchy. [O]nce the notion of constraint-precedence is brought in from the periphery and foregrounded, it reveals itself to be of remarkably wide generality, the formal engine driving many grammatical interactions. It will follow that much that has been attributed to narrowly specific constructional rules or to highly particularized conditions is actually the responsibility of very general well-formedness constraints. In addition, a diversity of effects, previously understood in terms of the triggering or blocking of rules by constraints (or merely by special conditions), will be seen to emerge from constraint interaction. (Alan Prince and Paul Smolensky, Optimality Theory: Constraint Interaction in Generative Grammar. Blackwell, 2004) The Richness of the Base Hypothesis Optimality Theory (OT) does not allow for constraints on the inputs of phonological evaluation. Output constraints are the only mechanisms for expressing phonotactic patterns. This idea of OT is referred to as the Richness of the Base hypothesis. For instance, there is no input constraint that forbids the morpheme *bnik as a morpheme of English. The output constraints will penalize such a form, and evaluate this form in such a way that the optimal output form is not faithful to this form, but different, e.g. blik. Since forms such as bnik will never surface in English, it does not make sense to store an underlying form bnik for blik. This is the effect of lexicon optimization. Thus, the phonological output constraints of a language will be reflected by the input forms. (Geert Booij, Morpheme Structure Constraints. The Blackwell Companion to Phonology: General Issues and Subsegmental Phonology, ed. by Marc van Oostendorp, Colin J. Ewen, Elizabeth Hume, Keren Rice. Blackwell, 2011) Optimality-Theoretic Syntax [T]he emergence of OT syntax seems to fit into the general tendency in syntax to blame the ungrammaticality of a sentence on the existence of a better alternative. This view on grammaticality is also found in [Noam] Chomskys Minimalist Program (Chomsky 1995), although Chomsky takes optimization to play a much more modest role than OT syntacticians do. Whereas Chomskys only criterion for evaluation is derivational cost, the inventory of violable constraints assumed in OT syntax is richer. As a result, the OT constraints interact and conflict with each other. This interaction is exploited by the assumption that constraints are ranked, and that parametrization can be reduced to differences in ranking between languages. Chomskys economic conditions, on the other hand, have no such direct parametrizing effect. In the Minimalist Program, the locus of the parametrization is the lexicon. (Introduction to Optimality Theory: Phonology, Syntax, and Acquisition, ed. by Joost Dekkers, Frank van d er Leeuw, and Jeroen van de Weijer. Oxford University Press, 2000)

Into The Woods Essays - Grimms Fairy Tales, Tangled Characters

Into The Woods Essays - Grimms Fairy Tales, Tangled Characters "Into the Woods" ?Into the Woods was simply an amazing theatrical performance! The play combined suspense ,excitement, and fascinatingly realistic set design to captivate the audience. Half way through this play I found myself and my classmates thinking ?Wow! What a play! How could anyone dream up such a crazy idea and turn it into a production I think this is the first time that I have been taken to this level of astonishment. A kind where it just grabs you and throws you. And it knocks the wind out of you! Steven Sondheim, creator of the play, had obviously mastered the skills needed to make me say this. His style was was like a vinegar in the tomato sauce, a present yet unidentifiable hint, which reminds you of the crafter?s care. Even if you could not quite grasp it it was there. Something that made it stand out. His good sense of humor and wit and his superior plot development were blended subtly so that it wasn?t to conglomerate. But most importantly, his use of well known characters which made the audience feel as though their family was up on ! stage. The characters were extremely realistic and were an ideal image of the thoughts they seemed to ?discharge?. The catalyst of the plot were the main characters which were the baker and his wife, Jack, the witch, Red Riding Hood, the wolf and Cinderella were all major. It is this kind of interdependency that adds so much to this play. It was fascinating to me how much relied upon each character?s actions. There was more of a co-operative ?essence? about this play than most. The minor characters in this play( the two princes, the giantess, Rapunzel, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and the baker?s father) were also well done, which I have found in other plays to be ?half rate? or quickly whipped up to add a twist which really wasn?t a twist at all, but something everybody knew was going to happen to a certain extent. But this thing had been thought about and thought about until it was so there was hardly any way to improve upon it without actually being there with Rapunzel and the baker. There was a sense of excitement with every word and action of the characters that was really refreshin! g to me. When discussing dynamics of this play, I would like to type on for ages, since this play was practically the definition of dynamic! All of the characters in the play were slightly dynamic, because of the fact that the existence of this play is based on change. But the most apparent dynamic characters of the play were Red Riding Hood, because of how she seemingly made a transformation from little girl, who frequently was taken advantage of, to a mature young woman who could fend for herself, Cinderella, because of how at first all she dreamt of was marrying a prince(stereotypical behavior of the time) and then turned into someone who would give anything to avoid a prince, and Jack, because he also had a slight gain of wisdom through the story. This play was also well rounded, because of the fact that we had all heard the classic stories of the characters. This gave us a sort of distorted insight into the play which actually led to bewilderment( we expected things from the stories to keep happening in the play). But in my belief, the play?s characters were all rounded except for the newly introduced, which were the baker?s Father and the giantess. However, when you take someone who just hasn?t learned a thing about fairy tales and let them watch the play, the only really round characters are the baker, his wife, The witch and Cinderella. Techniques of the characters were mainly centered around humor. Most of the actions of the characters left me laughing yet I would be puzzled at what they did. This was also something the characters focused on. The play almost had a ?unsobering? effect on the audience, and you really had to pay attention to what was going on. The confusion, I see, as planned precisely by some strategic tycoon who was trained to accomplish a task at all costs. Steven Sondheim knew

Solons Reforms and the Rise of Democracy in Athens

Solons Reforms and the Rise of Democracy in Athens First coming to prominence (c. 600 B.C.) for his patriotic exhortations when Athens was fighting a war against Megara for possession of Salamis, Solon was elected  eponymous archon  in 594/3 B.C. and perhaps, again, about 20 years later. Solon faced the daunting task of improving the condition of: debt-ridden farmerslaborers forced into bondage over debt, andthe middle classes who were excluded from government, while not alienating the increasingly wealthy landowners and aristocracy. Because of his reforming compromises and other legislation, posterity refers to him as Solon the lawgiver.   Such power I gave the people as might do, Abridged not what they had, now lavished new. Those that were great in wealth and high in place, My counsel likewise kept from all disgrace. Before them both I held my shield of might, And let not either touch the others right.- Plutarchs Life of Solon The Great Divide Between Rich and Poor in Athens In the 8th century B.C., rich farmers began exporting their goods: olive oil and wine. Such cash crops required an expensive initial investment. The poorer farmer was more limited in choice of crop, but he still could have continued to eke out a living, if only he had either rotated his crops or let his fields lie fallow. Slavery When land was mortgaged, hektemoroi (stone markers) were placed on the land to show the amount of debt. During the 7th century, these markers proliferated. The poorer wheat farmers lost their land. Laborers were free men who paid out 1/6th of all they produced. In the years of poor harvests, this wasnt enough to survive. To feed themselves and their families, laborers put up their bodies as collateral to borrow from their employers. Exorbitant interest plus living on less than 5/6ths of what was produced made it impossible to repay loans. Free men were being sold into slavery. At the point at which a tyrant or revolt seemed likely, the Athenians appointed Solon to mediate. Relief in the Form of Solon Solon, a lyric poet, and the first Athenian literary figure whose name we know, came from an aristocratic family which traced its ancestry back 10 generations to Hercules, according to Plutarch. Aristocratic beginnings did not prevent him from fearing that someone of his class would try to become tyrant. In his reform measures, he pleased neither the revolutionaries who wanted the land redistributed nor the landowners who wanted to keep all their property intact. Instead, he instituted the seisachtheia by which he canceled all pledges where a mans freedom had been given as guarantee, freed all debtors from bondage, made it illegal to enslave debtors, and put a limit on the amount of land an individual could own. Plutarch records Solons own words about his actions: The mortgage-stones that covered her, by me Removed, the land that was a slave is free;that some who had been seized for their debts he had brought back from other countries, where so far their lot to roam, They had forgot the language of their home;and some he had set at liberty, Who here in shameful servitude were held. More on the Laws of Solon Solons laws do not appear to have been systematic, but provided regulations in the areas of politics, religion, public and private life (including marriage, burial, and the use of springs and wells), civil and criminal life, commerce (including a prohibition on export of all Attic produce except olive oil, although Solon encouraged the export of artisans work), agriculture, sumptuary regulation and discipline. Sickinger estimates there were between 16 and 21 axones that may have contained 36,000 characters total (minimum). These legal records may have been placed in the Boulouterion, Stoa Basileios, and the Acropolis. Although these places would have made them accessible to the public, how many people were literate is not known.   Sources: J.B. Bury. A History of GreecePlutarchs Life of SolonRichard Hookers (wsu.edu/~dee/GREECE/ATHENS.HTM)  Ancient Greece: AthensJohn Porters SolonUniversity of Keeles Classics Departments  Athenian Democracy  (www.keele.ac.uk/depts/cl/iahcla~7.htm - accessed 01/02/2000)History of Greece Vol II, by George Grote (1872).

Social Network and Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social Network and Religion - Essay Example Nowadays, Social Networking Service (SNS) has become the most powerful communication technology in addition to being the fastest medium to use especially when people want to share their life stories. Specifically, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat are the most powerful social networking services that influence a larger number of users in the United States. Before the Internet was invented, television and radio were the major communication technologies in terms of mass media that were intended to reach a large number of audiences. People who could not attend the church on Sunday used to take advantage by watching TV and listening radio. However, the overall use of the word â€Å"media,† has declined because of a new idea of mass media. This new media has been defined as being associated with the Internet and interplays amongst technology, sound, and images like YouTube that shows visual test with sound in the online world. While at the same time, the definition of new media chang es consistently and therefore, is a mixture concept of both new and mass media, which is SNS, and has an enormous impact on our religious society and culture. On the other hand, these new communication technology services may sound useful but nevertheless have a dangerous effect on the religious aspect like bittersweet. Everyone can be an evangelist through an activity of SNS. For instance, people can share their personal story or even anything that is associated with the religion anytime immediately. In case of Facebook, users can interact with others simply by pressing â€Å"like† or sharing someone’s post, which is one click away communication. Through SNS activity; people who are in religion have a regressive aspect that they are more likely to overlook the real religious activity. In Latin phrase, â€Å"extra Ecclesiamnullasalus† means there is no salvation outside