Witches and Witchcraft in Elizabethan England Myth or Reality Essay Example

Witches and Witchcraft in Elizabethan England: Myth or Reality? Paper Witchcrafts and witches’ powers written in literatures and accounts of Elizabethan era have always been the subject of debate among historian. According to them, witches’ â€Å"powers† are synonymous to knowledge and that witchcraft did not exist during the Elizabethan era. However, some historical accounts have opposed these propositions and claimed that these beings really existed during the Elizabethan era. Elizabethan England is known as the reigning era of Queen Elizabeth from 1558 to 1603, which has always been regarded as the golden age of England’s history[1]. However, historians have also regarded this era as the start of the wide witchcraft menace in the societies of England. Elizabethan writers, such as W. Shakespeare’s Macbeth (1603-1606), Dekker, Ford and Rowley’s The Witch of Edmonton (1621), and Heywood and Brome’s The Late Lancashire Witches (1634), had written actual stories revealing witch trials during this era[2]. However, historians had attributed these tales to myths, while some oppose these claims stating that these really occurred. We will write a custom essay sample on Witches and Witchcraft in Elizabethan England: Myth or Reality? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Witches and Witchcraft in Elizabethan England: Myth or Reality? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Witches and Witchcraft in Elizabethan England: Myth or Reality? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Discussion English renaissance blossomed during this era enriching fields of English poetry and literature, while English reformation between Protestants and Catholics began to subside in the efforts of internal peace in religion. With Christianity’s state of peace, words of witchcraft had spread from Scotland towards London, and eventually, the religious society became alarmed. The idea of witchcraft and witch existence during the Elizabethan era was first told in the published treatise of Scotland’s King James VI – Daemonologie – in Ediburgh in 1957 after being convinced of the existence of witches. King James VI himself had encountered a witch who predicted his exact statements towards his bride during their wedding night[3]. Witchcraft became an issue all throughout England, and upper class society regarded the poor as the women behind the paranormal event. However, according to the historian, James Sharpe, Elizabethan witches did not exist as evidenced by their lack of witches’ collective organization ever noted in England’s historical accounts (cited in Pool 127). Furthermore, the tale of witchcraft during this era was suspiciously inclined on feminine persecution. McFalane and Sharpe (1999) argued that the witchcraft tales did not entirely exist since these were all mere accusations brought by society’s low regards against feminine significance in society (76). Meanwhile, some historians assert that accusations of witchcraft were only done for the purpose of social control among women of Elizabethan era, such as the story of Anne Boleyn and Perotine Massey[4]. Female society was possibly feared due to their sexual control over men, especially during cases of conception were involved. Witch accusations were also directed among women who bypassed patriarchal powers and those with strong personality. According to Travitsky and Seeff (1994), women accused with witchcraft were burned at stake to prevent them from returnin g to their society; thus, preventing as well their potential influence. On the other hand, women accused with witchcraft during Elizabethan era were around 314 listed in Assize court prosecution, while majority were burned or acquitted without proper trials. Disturbingly, the fear of the public towards witches was so intense that simple petting of animals was already considered witchcraft. Women accused as witches had their familiars (normatively a black cat), and together, were burned at stake, such as the Witch trials at Chelmsford in 1566[5].   In fact, the trends of witch-hunting during this era became so intense that the higher court passed two acts (i.e. Witchcraft Act of 1542 and 1563) imposing a punishment of death against those proven practicing witchcraft[6]. Two of the most commendable records of witch trials occurred in 1566 and 1567, which evidently included paranormal manifestations.   The account of the witchcraft trial in 1566 involved a widow referred as the Mother Agnes Waterhouse, who had her spotted familiar (cat) named as â€Å" Sathan†. The cat was given by the grandmother of Elizabeth Francis who, at the time of owning the cat, received various provisions of sexual requests from the cat. After owning the cat, Mother Waterhouse turned the creature to a toad to poison the poultries and geese of her neighbors. Unfortunately, Mother Waterhouse killed one of his neighbors in the process, which led her to the witches’ secular trial. Eventually, Mother Agnes’s 18-year-old daughter – Jone (or Joan) – testified against her witchcraft practices, which led her to death by the rope[7]. On the other hand, another case was filed by the young son of Elleine Smith declaring that his mother owned three spirits that she used on her witchcraft ceremonies. The trials commenced without providing the statements of the child; although, four witnesses testified on the accounts of the child, which satisfied the court judgment. Despite these events, historians defended the issue by claiming that t he trends of accusations were not at all supported by the physical forms of the accused paranormal events. However, approaches of the higher authorities (e.g. King James VI, papacy, etc.) and the common members of Elizabethan society were entirely unusual to consider these accusations as products of social control towards the feminine community. Conclusion In conclusion, the events of witchcraft during the Elizabethan society can be considered as another form of myth due to the lack of evidences to support the claims of the actual paranormal activity. Based from the historians’ accounts, accusations of witchcraft are only parts of the social control implemented by the society to prevent bypass of patriarchal authority and to maintain the order of gender in Elizabethan society. However, unrest and skepticisms on these events may still continue until proofs of witchcraft’s existence during Elizabethan era are discovered.

How To Write Blog Post Introductions That Hook Readers

How To Write Blog Post Introductions That Hook Readers There are eight  other people reading this post along with us. In just a few minutes, there will only be the two of us. Dont believe it? The challenge was already insurmountable.  People read about 18% of your blog post. Readers are overwhelmed with information and are  purposefully not reading  for their own sanity.  Heck, weve been bemoaning the death of reading since 1991, and even again in 2007. So what to do about getting readers to read? How do you keep people reading to the end? Master The Art Of Blog Post Introductions And Keep Your Readers Reading via @JulieNeidlinger A  Blog Post  Introduction Must Have A Hook Let me introduce you to introductions.  Introductions are first impressions.  You get to make them once. Your blog post introduction must have a hook. Here are six good hooks to use in your blog post introductions. 1. Start with an interesting fact. "Niagara Falls has traveled  7 miles upstream in the past 12,000 years. Let's hope you're growing your web traffic at a faster rate." Start with a fact that is interesting, because not all facts are. Facts that are uninteresting are facts that: Are overused and often repeated. Too common in your niche. Related perfectly to your topic in an unsurprising way. Pick facts that have nothing obviously to do with your topic (Niagara Falls and website traffic?), or are perfectly in line with your topic and thesis, but are so shocking as to be gasp-worthy.  Unrelated facts make the reader think "how is this bozo going to tie that into the topic at hand?" while shocking facts make the reader think "that CANNOT be true, can it?!" Either way, it's a hook. 2. The end of the story first. There are two ways to tell the end of the story first and have a successful hook. Find a way to tell the end of the story without giving away the surprise. "The 20,000 customer registered in our system, and the team let out a victorious yell. We'd hit our goal, thanks to the red button." How does the story end? Because that's a perfect place to start. In this example, the introduction tells the reader what happened, but it doesn't do so in a way that ruins the surprise. There's a lot of action, both by the final customer and the team. There's the suggestion of a competition and success (a goal was met). And there's a cryptic suggestion that a red button did something amazing. Plus, 20,000. That's impressive for anyone wanting lots of customers. This would be a less effective version of the introduction for that post: "After five months of intense A/B testing in which we tested different CTA button colors, we finally hit 20,000 customers. Red was the winning color." Yawn. There is jargon. There are unexplained acronyms. An inanimate button has become the winner instead of the people (customers and the team). What little action there is, is passive.  And you spilled the beans on what the post was about: A/B testing colors. Give a heads-up summation without giving away the surprise. This method gives your reader some respect by saying "hey, this is what I'm going to talk about with you today. If this is interesting, stick around."  Derek Halpern tends to get right to the point with his blog posts, and often introduces them by telling readers what they can expect if they keep reading. Adding "a quick request" is a fine bit of intrigue for the reader. "What in the world could Halpern want from me?" the reader thinks, and keeps on reading. Knowing what's coming and how things will end is helpful for readers. It gives them an idea of whether or not they should take the time and what expectations to have. The danger for you, the writer, is if you have an unexciting topic and give your readers a heads-up  to that. "Today I am going to talk about the value proposition of going paperless at your office, and ultimately prove that you will want to buy a small scanner and ban the paper." Meh. That's not an introduction to remember for all eternity. Halpern's version has a bit more intrigue and zip, though, admittedly, some readers will appreciate the above example. It has its place, but isn't the greatest hook. 3. Use an anecdote. "I once wrote a newspaper story that killed a man." That's the actual blog post introduction I wrote on a post for this blog. It's a one-sentence anecdote. That's an extremely short anecdote; most anecdotes are longer, like those you find in this post about social proof in which several anecdotes are used. Anecdotes are wee bitty stories that put a larger idea or thesis in a different context. Speakers know that starting with a story instead of a philosophical or fact-filled lecture is a sure-fire way to get people's attention. It's the same for your readers. What makes a good anecdote? Something that happened to you, in your life. This makes you the expert on how to apply the story and what it means. I would rather hear an anecdote about your trials and failures rather than the tired anecdote of how many times Edison tried to invent the lightbulb. Something either funny or poignant. Make 'em laugh or make 'em cry (or somewhere close). At the very least, end at a different level than where you started. You start at ground zero with your reader. Your anecdote can't end there. It's no hook if it does. Something related to your thesis. Don't be that speaker that tells a random joke or story and then segues with an "but I digress" and launches into Yawnville. Your anecdote should illustrate your thesis in a new way, or start leading the reader's thought patterns towards where you want to take them with your thesis. A quote can work. Quotations can work, and sometimes make a fine opening. But people quickly get in the habit of using the words of others to boost their own, so watch out for overuse of this technique. And avoid quotations that are overused for your niche. Steve Jobs had some good things to say,  but after a while, those excellent words lose their power because they are overused. Find new quotations from surprising sources. And avoid quotations that are overused for your niche. Steve Jobs had some good things to say, but after a while, those excellent words lose their power because they are overused. – @JulieNeidlinger 4. Ask a (worthwhile) question. Yes, there are stupid questions, and a good share  of them are rhetorical. In their best use, asking a question is a fine way to force the reader to identify with the problem you are about to solve. Questions can be powerful. But some questions are a waste of time. Go easy with  rhetorical questions.   "What are we going to do about your low-performing blog?" Rhetorical questions cannot be answered by the reader. They are asked not to prompt thinking or discover knowledge, but to make a point. They are often dramatic. They can be insulting. "Have you stopped beating your dog yet?" is a classic example. The question assumes someone is being cruel to an animal. It can't really be answered. Or "How do you solve a problem like Maria?", which assumes first that Maria is a problem. It's similar to what I see  being used a lot in lead generation and calls-to-action where one button says "Yes, I want more traffic. Take my email!" while the other button says "No, I want to see my website die a painful slow death." Rhetorical questions set up the reader in a similar, psychological way. The reader has to accept the underlying assumption in order to answer. It can work, but if you make an offensive or insulting assumption, your reader leaves. Use rhetorical questions carefully. Don't ask questions intended to limit the answer. Pet peeve alert: I despise  when people speak in questions so they can pre-empt any difficult or real questions and give softball answers. Here's how it works (and I'm sure you'll recognize the technique): "Do I love web traffic? Yes. Did I mean to send my disgruntled blog readers a skunk in the mail? Of course not." By asking the questions you, the writer, want to answer instead of providing the answers the reader wants, you can create the appearance of forthright and complete discussion without actually doing so. Plus, you slip into passive voice of sorts, where you don't own the action and behavior. How does that work in an introduction? "Do I love web traffic? Yes. Do I know the secret to building it? You bet." Ok, we get it. But what a waste of your reader's time. "My love of web traffic is bested only by my ability to build it." Kind of a silly  example, but you get the idea: be direct, not passive. Do you want more traffic on your blog? Write better blog post introductions with these tips.Don't ask obvious questions. Every time I find myself tapping out an introduction that starts with "do you want more traffic on your blog?" I'm sure somewhere a philosopher dies. What I'm trying to do is tell the reader "yes, this is the post you were looking for" but what I'm really telling the reader is "I don't know how to write." "Do you want more traffic on your blog?" Really? That's your Bob Woodward? "98 percent of blog owners want more traffic. Yeah, we don't understand that remaining two percent, either." You can identify with your reader without asking them obvious questions that they skim over. 5.  Go for the  cliffhangers. Robert Bruce  (who is someone else entirely than Robert the Bruce)  is a writer and a tease. Once in a while but not too often, mind you he sends out an email of Unusually Short Stories. He also posts them on his web site. He is all sparseness and tortuous brevity, his unusually short stories impeccable. They hook, and leave you hanging off the cliff. One of Robert Bruce's unusually short stories. Take a page from Bruce's book: these are the introductory paragraphs that get readers hooked. I know, because I've sat and stared at them willing the next sentence to appear (which  will not happen). I'm a firm believer mimicking and dissecting the successful work of others as a form of practice. Artists often paint from the masters to learn about color, light, and technique (I've done it). While at a writers' conference a few months ago, best-selling author James Hall told of a class he taught his graduate students (which included Dennis Lehane) where they were instructed to find a novel they loved and write their own novel based on the structure of it. He later turned this class into a book called Hit Lit: Cracking The Code Of The 20th Century's Biggest Best Sellers. So let's look at Bruce's example. What makes it work? It's only two sentences, and I'm dying to read the next paragraph. The setup tells us there is a competition known only to us (we have exclusive knowledge). There is a setting, both in place and time. And we know the startling end result. The cliffhanger isn't what happened next, but what happened in between. How do you get from intriguing point A to hilarious and startling point Z? So. A cliffhanger can be either "what happens next" or "what happened in between." Let's say your headline was: How We Went From Zero To 10,000 Customers In Just One Year.   Here's an example of a "what happened in between" cliffhanger: "We started with  three team members  and a plant in the window. One year later, we were taking sledgehammers to the office walls." The rest of the post talks about how you grew your customer base, and how it meant your team grew, too, and you had to expand your office space. (Or how things went poorly and you demolished the office in a fit of rage, but let's hope not.) 6. Gentle confrontation can be a friend. "You were getting 100 new sign-ups a week, and thought your email conversion rate was as good as it could get. But you were wrong, and I'll tell you why." Confrontation is sure to get a reader's attention. Of course, not all confrontation is created equal.  There is insulting and trollish confrontation (always wrong), and there is gentle confrontation. A gentle confrontation takes a soft  swipe at a controversy, or pokes a long-held belief of the reader in a way that encourages them to read on and reconsider. What happens when you do that? The reader feels indignant and keeps reading if only to prepare to prove you wrong. Or the reader is intrigued and keeps reading to see if it's true. The reader skips to the end and leaves a ranting comment never having read your post, meaning you have to gently say "but I said that later in my post." So in the case of the first reaction, gentle confrontation can be a friend. In the case of the second reaction...less so. Either way, introductions that are confrontational can often lead to active comment sections.

Quads and Squads

Quads and Squads Quads and Squads Quads and Squads By Mark Nichol A family of words ultimately derived from the Latin noun quadrus, meaning â€Å"a square,† pertain one way or the other to the number four. Here are those words, more or less common in English usage, and their definitions. The most versatile, and most ubiquitous, of these terms is square, which refers to a shape with four equal sides and right angles; an area, structure, or formation in the shape of a square; a tool used to lay out or test right angles; the product of a number multiplied by itself; a conventional person; a meal as one of three traditional full meals served or eaten in the course of a day; an adjective meaning â€Å"fair† or â€Å"honest,† or â€Å"old-fashioned†; an adverb pertaining to those senses; and a verb meaning â€Å"cut square,† â€Å"regulate,† or â€Å"accord.† The other words, and their definitions, follow: escadrille: a unit of French aircraft equivalent to a squadron quadrangle: an enclosure surrounded by buildings, or the building itself, or an area represented by one of a set of maps (abbreviated quad); also, synonymous with quadrilateral quadrant: one quarter of a circle or other regular or nearly regular shape; also, a device for measuring altitude quadraphonic: pertaining to four channels of sound quadrat: a rectangular plot of land specified for study quadrate: square or almost square; a specific type of cross in heraldry; a bone in the skull of birds and lizards; an adjective meaning â€Å"square† or â€Å"nearly square†; also, another word for quadratus (see below) quadratic: referring to the use of squaring, or raising to the second power, in mathematics quadratus: any of various roughly quadrilateral muscles quadrennial: lasting four years or occurring every four years quadricentennial: a four-hundred-year anniversary quadriceps: a set of four leg muscles quadrifid: divided into four parts (said of leaves, for example) quadrilateral: a four-sided figure, including but not limited to squares and rectangles quadrille: a square dance or a music for the dance; also, an equestrian exhibition involving four riders or groups of riders quadrillion: the number represented with the numeral 1,000,000,000,000 quadripartite: consisting of four parts or shared by four parties quadriplegic: a person paralyzed in all four limbs quadrivium: the educational disciplines of arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music, which were taught after the trivium of grammar, logic, and rhetoric; the two groups constitute the classical seven liberal arts quadroon: a person who is one-fourth black quadruped: a four-legged animal quadruple: increased fourfold, or consisting of four components, or, as a noun, something that is quadruple quadruplet: one of four offspring born as a result of one pregnancy, or a combination of four of a kind quadruplex: consisting of four parts, such as a four-unit apartment building; also, a telegraphic system allowing two messages to be sent simultaneously in each direction quadruplicate: multiply by four, or consisting of four parts quod: British English slang for prison, perhaps from quadrangle, derived from the shape of a typical prison squad: a unit of military personnel or athletes, or a group of people with a specific task squadron: a unit of aircraft, of cavalry, or of navy vessels Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Redundant Phrases to Avoid45 Synonyms for â€Å"Old† and â€Å"Old-Fashioned†How to Address Your Elders, Your Doctor, Young Children... and Your CEO

Issues in Child Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Issues in Child Development - Essay Example I would also discuss how this policy would support the current policies already in place. Body Children have basic rights as human beings and these rights mostly refer to the special protection afforded them as young individuals (Amnesty International, 2011). These rights include the right to human identity, basic needs for food, education, health care, and criminal laws appropriate to their age and development. Their rights also include freedom from physical, mental, and emotional abuse (Amnesty International, 2011). The politics of childhood is often based on the appropriate learning which can be applied to the different students from different races, cultures, and religions, in one school system or even in one classroom (Morris, 2011). It is also sometimes based on how children are perceived by other members of society, and with children not being afforded the same entitlements in rights as their adult counterparts. Furthermore, these children are also perceived as similar to each other in terms of learning ability and capacity. However, not all students have the same capacity or pace in learning (Haskvitz, 2011). Some children may indeed be smart and be fast learners; however, others may be slow learners and may take a while to learn concepts. Other children rest may be adept in other areas of learning. For example, some may be math whizzes, but be terrible in English or science, or be excellent in English, but be terrible at Math. The important point to consider is that there are different elements which have to be considered in teaching children (Haskvitz, 2011). And by managing these considerations and integrating the necessary changes into the learning process, it is possible to achieve the best learning conditions for children. Educational Policy based on the immediate rewards system Rationale: This policy was chosen because it seeks to provide immediate rewards and reinforcement for learning and growing children. I chose this as an applicable policy f or children because children have short attention spans and short-term memories. The best way to reinforce a positive behaviour is to immediately reward or praise it (Domjan, 2003, p. 45). A policy which is therefore based on immediate rewards or reinforcement is the easiest way of ensuring an effective learning process. Goal: To provide an effective and appropriate educational curriculum and policy for children based on a strong and immediate rewards and reinforcement system. Implementation 1. This policy would first require teachers to undergo training in the proper and effective rewards, reinforcement, and punishment system in their teaching styles. This training shall be undertaken with the assistance of educational and psychological experts who shall guide the teachers in the proper and effective ways of rewarding, reinforcing, and punishing their students. If possible, this training should also be integrated in the educational systems of colleges and universities offering teac hing courses. The sooner that this rewards system can be integrated into the education of teachers, the better for the students and the children. 2. This policy then needs to be gradually integrated into the curriculum of students. It is a policy which would not require a complete or significant overhaul of the UK educational system. Changes needed would be on the rewards and reinforcement given to students. This rewards system

China's Environmental issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

China's Environmental issue - Essay Example Rapid economic development has led to reduction in land that can be cultivated. According to current studies China has lost more than 44.1 million hectares of land since the 1980s. Many jungles, fisheries and ponds have been destroyed. The majority of China’s forests and jungles are suffering from deforestation and destruction. Desertification and salinization are other major problems affecting arable land. Large areas of the Yangtze River have lost its volume. Environmental problems which have affected China’s arable land have led to scarcity of water and diminished agricultural production capacity. Serious concerns have been raised about China’s ability to feed its rising population. Soil erosion, desertification, water scarcity, deforestation are some of the major environmental problems faced by China (Edmonds, 53). China’s rising industrial capacity has led to pollution which threatens the environment. Industrial waste products make up a large portion of pollution in China. Waste products have been released into the environment without proper processing methods. Textile, mining, food, paper, oil industries are the leading producers of waste products which have been dumped into the Huang River. The lack of enforcement of environmental regulation laws had led to the spread of pollution by the industrial sector. China’s industries also lack the modern technology to process industrial waste products. China has ample resources of oil and coal. However it consumes more energy than it produces. A thriving economy has also fed the need for energy resources. This has led to the degradation of the environment. Coal is the main source of energy for China. The demand for crude oil and electricity has increased with the rise in industries. China consumes about 9 percent of the world’s oil supply. It is increasingly dependant upon foreign producers for oil and energy

Science Direct Essay Example for Free

Science Direct Essay In the Science Direct (2006) article â€Å"The Last King: A royal maternity case solved by ancient DNA analysis† the author’s Jorgan Dissing, Jonas Binladen, Anders Hansen, Birgitte Sejrsen, Eske Willerslev and Niels Lynnerup informs the reader about the last Danish Viking Kings, Sven Estriden who died in A.D. 1074 and was entombed in the Roskilde Cathedral. The problem on hand and what the author’s make an attempt to reveal is whether or not Sven Estriden’s mother, Estrid was entombed in the pillar across the chancel, as there have been many doubts among historians whether the woman was indeed Estrid or someone else. To find whether Estrin was the actual mother, the author’s used variety of different tests and methods. The analysis done by these proficient authors included, DNA extraction methods and examination of skeletons while taking the most special care to ensure nothing got damaged proving that the woman buried was not Sven’s mother. The ‘Last Viking King’ is written by a number of authors who have very prestigious academic backgrounds. There is in fact, no doubt that there is no shortage of professionals represented in regard to this scientific endeavor. Within this article the reader is given the academic departments that the authors are associated with; Jorgen Dissing is associated with the Research Laboratory, Jonas Binladen in the Department of Evolutionary Biology, Anders Hansen is associated with the Department of Evolutionary Biology and Department of Forensic Pathology, Birgitte Sejrsen is associated with the Department of Forensic Pathology, Eske Willersley the Center for Evolutionary Genetics and last but not least Niels Lynnerup who is affiliated with the Antrophological Laboratory. Between these authors, four are from the Institute of Forensic Medicine, one author is from the Biological Institute and the last author is from the Niels Bohr Institute. All six author’s are from the University of Copenhagen located in Denmark, which has produced 8 Noble Prize winners and the university itself has been ranked 44th in the world. (University of Copenhagen, 2012) With such variation of researchers in different fields the author’s worked in, it may have been reasonable to find some researcher’s from another university to contribute and also have actual author’s who had worked in the area of writing to help out. By no means do these authors fall short in terms of their qualifications and areas of expertise and one can only be reassured these author’s were more than certified in doing this study, but in terms of writing the article may have been more appealing if one of the author’s had a background history in writing. In order to answer the question â€Å"Was the individual in the tomb indeed Sven’s mother Estrid?† the author’s used different methods that included extracting DNA, and examining skeletons to help them on their quest to find the answer. The first method consisted of extracting DNA from tooth samples. In order to do extraction of DNA, most methods are designed to deal with fresh tissues containing high molecular weight DNA and intact cells. (Nature Publishing Group, 2007) In ancient specimens there is usually no cell structure that are preserved due to extraordinary time periods the specimen has gone through. (Nature Publishing Group, 2007) So incases of ancient DNA extraction bone and teeth samples may be used to help extract potential DNA. In the case of this article, two teeth, the cannies and premolars, were extracted from both King Sven’s skull, and two from the skull perceived to be Sven’s mother Estrid. The researchers methods of extracted DNA came from their tooth samples, by using one tooth at a time. Some of the main stages the tooth went through included; being cleaned with a paper clutch soaked in 10% commercial bleach and UV-irradiated for 20 minutes on each side. Then the surface of the tooth was sealed by the application of two layers of cellulose lacquer. From there the root was cut horizontally around 5 millimeter from the root/crown, junction where then the surface area that was exposed by UV irradiated for 20 min. Next a dental drill was used to remove the pulp. The DNA was extracted using the dialysis approach of Kolman and Tuross. (Binladen, Dissing, Hansen, Lynnerup, Sejrsen Willersley, 2006, p.23) A second tooth was used for replication of key D-loop but the study was done in a separate laboratory and by only three of the authors; Anders Hansen, Eske Willersley and Jonas Binlanden. (Binladen, Hansen, Willersley, 2006, p.23) The author’s logical approach of Extracting DNA included using the samples of teeth from both specimens as the evidence is shown in the article. The author’s do a good job leading you on a path that depicts step-by-step process of how the authors extracted the DNA from the tooth samples. This second method used to find out whether if Estred was the mother buried in the tomb the author’s conducted an examination of Estrid’s skeleton to attempt an mtDNA analysis of the remains. MtDNA other wise known as mitochondria DNA is passed down from their mothers to their sons and daughters. MtDNA tests are a good way to test your direct maternal lineage. (Genetic Home Reference, 2012) In this research If the women in the tomb was in fact Estred’s mother, the mtDNA sequence should have been exactly the same, as mothers pass it down to their children, which would mean it would have been inherited by the son Sven. In the research the author’s found â€Å" that mtDNA from Sven and Estrid differs at two nucleotide positions makes maternal kinship between the two highly unlikely.† (Binladen Et al, 2006 p.26) On top of doing mtDNA test’s the authors also did physical anthropological examination of the skeletal remain of the women, they came to realize the individual was no more than 30 – 40 years old at the time of their death. This makes it impossible for the individual in the tomb to be Sven’s mother, considering historic facts state the mother passed away during the age of 70. The second thing the author’s realized was when they did the same process mentioned above with Svens remains there results showed the age of death for sven was 40 – 60 years old which fall according to historic records that state Sven was around 55 years of age at the time of his passing. These tests do a good job of showing you evidence of the fact that the individual in the tomb couldn’t have been Sven’s mother due to the age restrictions. The researchers did the test in the correct way taking mtDNA of both the mother and the son remains examining both to find compelling evidence if there was a match between the two. All though these tests show you with the most accurate depictions of whether the individual in the tomb was indeed the mother. When dealing with work that involves the analysis of DNA, a number of precautions have to be taken into account during your research. First of you have to provide safety for your researchers, often times when your dealing with ancient DNA it is almost guaranteed you will be working with some type of chemicals that can cause skin irritation if you don’t use gloves, more specific chemicals that you work with, can do a lot more significant damage, like severely burn your skin. Another precaution to take is to be careful of the tool’s you’ll be working with, this may include sharp cutting tools and drills, which can also cause severe body injury if not used with the proper safety equipment, like gloves and protective eyewear. Aside from the safety of the workers, a number of precautions have to be taken also to ensure the ancient specimens your associating yourselves with don’t get damaged. Everything from what type of equipment you handle your specimens with, to the room temperature you leave your specimens in play a vital role in making sure nothing gets damaged or wrecked. The researchers from the very start did a good job of respecting their ancient specimens by taking every essential step necessary to protect the specimens. In the beginning when authors Jonas Binladen And Niels Lynnerup retrieved the skeletons from the pillars â€Å"full body suits, facemasks and sterile gloves were worn throughout.† (Binladen Et al, 2006 p.22) Another example can of taking extensive measures to care for the specimen can be seen by the laboratory’s being altered to suite the specimens needs â€Å"The laboratory is fitted out with positive, filtered airflow, hanging UV – lights for sterilization of surfaces.† (Binladen Et al, 2006 p.23) Another example of making sure the specimen was damaged by equipment or by the lab it was in â€Å"all equipment to be used in the lab was sterilized, metal tools and glassware by baking at 250 degree Celsius for 24 hr, other equipment by wiping the surfaces with a cloth soaked with 10% bleach.† (Binl aden Et al, 2006 p.23) In addition to sterilizing the labs and equipment the best chemicals were used for this study â€Å"All chemicals and reagents were of analytical grade or the highest purity available† (Binladen Et al, 2006 p.22) To ensure their perseverance of the specimens the authors even at the end restored the teeth back into the skull â€Å"Subsequently, the teeth were restored by removing the lacquer with acetone, the tip of the root was glued into place, and the teeth were replaced in the skulls.† (Binladen Et al, 2006 p.23) Based on the measurements done by the researchers to ensure the specimens wouldn’t get damaged they did a absolute amazing job. From cleaning out the labs and equipment they used to choosing the best chemicals needed you could tell in a instant that the number one objective besides finding the answer’s, was to not damage any of the actual ancient specimens. Staff workers even made the commitment of coming directly to the laboratory from home. â€Å"staff workers that worked in the laboratory came directly from home and were equipped with full body suits, hairnets, filtered – containing facemasks, and gloves.† (Binladen Et al, 2006 p.23) In conclusion, there was a sense of legitimacy to the methods the authors used in finding out their answers, from DNA extraction’s and skeleton examinations. The authors did a successful job in convincing the reader with clear evidence from their results that concluded the individual in the tomb was too young to be Sven’s mother according to historic records. Overall this article doesn’t inform you whom the real individual found buried next to Sven is, but it does leave you with some opinions that the women may have been one of Sven’s daughters in law. To further reinstate this fact, the reader is told both daughters in laws were queens and had the same name of, Estrid. Ultimately, the full identity of the individual in the tomb is still not evident, the only thing that is supported is the fact it was highly unlikely that Sven’s mother Estrid was the individual entombed. References Dissing, Jorgen, Jonas Binladen, Anders Hansen, Birgitte Sejrsen, Eske Willersley, and Niels Lynnerup. The Last Viking King: A Royal Maternity Case Solved by Ancient DNA Analysis. (2006): 21-27. Print. Jones, Cheryl. Researchers to Drill for Ancient DNA in hobbit Tooth: Scientific American. Researchers to Drill for Ancient DNA in hobbit Tooth: Scientific American. N.p., 5 Jan. 2011. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. Mitochondrial DNA. Genetics Home Reference. N.p., Oct. 2012. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, 12 July 2007. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. Powell, Kimberly. MtDNA Testing for Genealogy. About.com Genealogy. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. University of Copenhagen. Topuniversities. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2012.

Human Resource Management Essay -- Business, International Human Resou

Human resources are considered to be a potential source for competitive advantage. It is seen as the accumulation stock of knowledge; skills and abilities that individual possess which the firm has built over years through identifiable expertise (Cappelli and Singh, 1992). The success of firms can be measured from the ability to synthesise the firm’s HR with strategic objectives of the organisation. According to Klein et al. (1991:11), ‘If expertise manifestation behaviour is consistent on the formation of skills, it becomes a basis for competitive advantage’. The scholar further argues that a dedicated skill comes from employees’ continuous application of skills to a particular tasks, product and project. Through learning and strategic combinations of dedicated skills, skills are then transforms to core skills which then can promote new product and new market (). These resource capabilities are indeed helpful for MNC exploiting developing market to gain co mpetitive advantage and hereby increasing market share. However, there have been various strategic plans by MNC to successfully gain competitive advantage in developing market taking into account theoretical frameworks and issues emanating from parent company and host county-specific. The field of international human resources management has been characterised by three broad approaches which gives an insight on cross-cultural management issues (Laurent, 1986), comparative HRM research (Brewster, 1998; Hendry, 2003), and international HRM in multinational corporations. The latter is commonly recognised as international HRM which involves diverse complexities due to diversity of national contexts and different national categories of employees (Dowling and Welch, 2004). An impor... ...n et at. (1991), specifically and critically view IHR strategic relationship between the parent company and its subsidiaries. This relationship can be viewed in two ‘fits’. The first fit is the external-outside organisational fit which encompasses the level of fit between the subsidiaries IHR undertakings and the cross-national and cross-cultural environment that is operating in which includes across it boundaries. On the other hand, internal-outside fit is viewed as IHR activities of the subsidiary and the IHR activities across other MNC within its boundaries. In summary, this business strategy possess that a subsidiary needs to put into consideration its roles and standing within the MNC and well as its place amongst the local, national and global environment when developing IHR strategies. This business strategy consideration is illustrated on Figure 2.