Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Faith Or Destiny - Young Goodman Brown Essays - Young Goodman Brown

Confidence Or Destiny - Young Goodman Brown Confidence or Destiny Nathaniel Hawthorne made his imprint as a significant American author in 1850, with the distribution of The Scarlet Letter. His work bids to various degrees of perusers since he makes mind boggling and expound settings. Through clashes inside his characters, he dissects the good and mental issues frequently devoured by their own interests. As he was growing up he was unable to get away from the impact of Puritan religion. This impact alongside the setting of his old neighborhood in Salem, Massachusetts are basic points in his work in Young Goodman Brown. Nathaniel Hawthorne thinks about the subject of good and abhorrence, recommending that genuine malice is judging and denouncing others for transgression without seeing one's own wickedness. He analyzes the possibility that wrongdoing is a piece of being human and there will never be a way out from it. Of the numerous images he utilizes in this story, each has a significant importance. They speak to great and mal evolence in the consistent battle of a youthful guiltless man whose confidence is being tried. As the story starts, Young Goodman Brown says goodbye to his young spouse Faith, as [she] was appropriately named (211). At the point when she push her own pretty head into the road, letting the breeze play with the pink strips of her top we partner the virtue of Faith and the pink strips as an indication of the guiltlessness and integrity of the town he is deserting (211). As he proceeds on his current abhorrence reason he sets off at nightfall to enter the backwoods (212). A spot obscured by all the gloomiest trees, an obscure area, and a spot where there might be a fiendish Indian behind each tree, with this we realize the woods speaks to fiendishness and wickedness (212). His choice to enter the backwoods and desert his Faith is the principal choice, of many, among great and shrewdness that he should make. Subsequent to entering the woods he meets an explorer whom he later discovers is the villain. He is conveying a staff speaking to fiendish, which bore the similarity of an extraordinary dark snake, so inquisitively created, that it may nearly be believed to bend and wriggle itself, similar to a living snake (213). At the point when the voyager offers his staff to Young Goodman Brown he opposes by answering, having kept pledge by meeting thee here, it is my motivation to return whence I came. I have compunctions, contacting the issue thou wot'st of (213). As yet feeling solid in opposing enticement, Young Goodman Brown will not be the first of the name of Brown, that at any point took this way, and kept-(213). As of now he believes he can oppose any allurement by keeping his confidence. He will not accept the fallen angel when he uncovers to him that he has been all around familiar with [his] family[they] were old buddies (213). In dismay Young Goodman Brown is crushed, however realizes that he despite everything has his Faith. It would break her dear little hea rt; and I'd preferably break my own!' (214). Attempting urgently he clutches his Christian conviction, that he is going to Heaven, in any event, when he perceives the elderly person who passes and says That elderly person showed me drill! (215). Not long after he additionally hears Deacon Gookin and the pastor talking about the nighttimes occasion. Realizing that these individuals, in his brain were the front line of goodness on Earth, he is broken as, Young Goodman Brown seized a tree, for help, being prepared to sink down on the ground, swoon and overburdened with the overwhelming affliction of his heart (216). He again attempts to oppose enticement and shouts out, With Heaven above, and Faith beneath, I will yet stand firm against the villain! (216). In any case, when he hears numerous voices and among them is Faith, in franticness he hollers out to her. As he anticipates a reaction, a pink strip that vacillated gently down through the air as he gets it he cries, My Faith is gone !There is nothing but bad on earth; and sin is nevertheless a name. Come, demon! for to thee is this world given (217). At the point when he arrives at his last goal he has lost all confidence in humanity and all that he

Friday, August 21, 2020

Five Ways to Prepare for Exams, Stressful Weeks

Five Ways to Prepare for Exams, Stressful Weeks At this moment you could be studying, cramming, reading, etc. but honestly, I’m glad you’re willing to take the time to read this in order to help with future exams! During my 1.5 semesters at Illinois, here are some of the best tips I came up with to help during exams and stressful academic workloads. Open your textbookYou payed a couple hundred bucks on these bad boys, may as well crack ‘em open and use them to help study for exams!Plan ahead of time My planner has saved me. Deadlines are no joke, they’ll creep up on you really quick. You also may forget about having 2 or 3 exams in the same week, so its good to keep everything in a single place. Notecards Notecards are so helpful. According to science, not only does writing your notes help, but repetition does as well… so this is a perfect tool!Team Work Not understanding a concept is totally normal. If you visit your TA and professor during office hours and are still a little confused, it’s a good idea to seek our help from classmates. Oftentimes, classmates understand and interpret information in their own way. Maybe you’ll understand a peer’s explanation better.Confidence is key Don’t stress too much. If you’ve studied and prepared enough, it will show. Go into the test confidently and don’t second-guess you rself! These are just a few tips that have helped me and I hope they help you prepare for your exams and assignment-heavy weeks as well! Nisha Class of 2022 The first time I visited Illinois, I knew that it was the school for me! I am on the pre-med track, majoring in Psychology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Five Ways to Prepare for Exams, Stressful Weeks

Five Ways to Prepare for Exams, Stressful Weeks At this moment you could be studying, cramming, reading, etc. but honestly, I’m glad you’re willing to take the time to read this in order to help with future exams! During my 1.5 semesters at Illinois, here are some of the best tips I came up with to help during exams and stressful academic workloads. Open your textbookYou payed a couple hundred bucks on these bad boys, may as well crack ‘em open and use them to help study for exams!Plan ahead of time My planner has saved me. Deadlines are no joke, they’ll creep up on you really quick. You also may forget about having 2 or 3 exams in the same week, so its good to keep everything in a single place. Notecards Notecards are so helpful. According to science, not only does writing your notes help, but repetition does as well… so this is a perfect tool!Team Work Not understanding a concept is totally normal. If you visit your TA and professor during office hours and are still a little confused, it’s a good idea to seek our help from classmates. Oftentimes, classmates understand and interpret information in their own way. Maybe you’ll understand a peer’s explanation better.Confidence is key Don’t stress too much. If you’ve studied and prepared enough, it will show. Go into the test confidently and don’t second-guess you rself! These are just a few tips that have helped me and I hope they help you prepare for your exams and assignment-heavy weeks as well! Nisha Class of 2022 The first time I visited Illinois, I knew that it was the school for me! I am on the pre-med track, majoring in Psychology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Essay on Bill Gates Biography - 556 Words

Bill Gates Biography Bill Gates is not only a genius, but also an innovator in education, technology, and philanthropy. A prodigy, Bill Gates shares an education fact with Abraham Lincoln, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and even his competitor Steve Jobs: no college degree. Instead, he devoted his time to his passion for technology, going on to create the most profitable technology company in the world. For much of the past decade, Gates allocated both his profit and attention to philanthropy. Evidence of his innovation, industry and curiosity can be seen at an early age. Gates’ passion for technology began at the age of 8, when he built his first computer program. This program allowed the player to compete in a game of tic tac toe†¦show more content†¦By the time Bill Gates dies, he will have given away 90% of his wealth. He created the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation with his wife in 1997. So far, he has donated 28 billion dollars to philanthropic causes that include: better health care, vaccines, school grants, education. To date, the Foundation saved over one million lives with vaccines and better health care alone! In 2002, Bill and Melinda were named the most generous philanthropists in the world. Bill founded several schools based on hands-on knowledge and technology. He also has given many Ted talks on education and constantly strives to make the public school system more effective and innovative. The Bill and Melinda Foundation has made large strides in education and offers billions of dollars in grants for schools across the US. In fact, my past school, Da Vinci Innovation Academy, earned a million dollar grant from this generous foundation to provide one of the first hybrid homeschool-project based learning school. Bill not only helps the students in these lucky schools, he also supports the teachers through increased awareness about the lack of feedback and compensation teachers receive. His Ted talks on education inspire others to join in educational reform. Bill Gates’ influence is widespread. He has led the technological industry of the 20th century. He currently holds the sixth position for the mostShow MoreRelatedBill Gates Biography1171 Words   |  5 PagesBill Gates was born  October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington. He is famous for building through technological innovation, great business strategies and aggressive business tactics, the worlds largest software business, Microsoft. He is also well known for becoming the wealthiest person in the world in the process of building his company. Gates came from an upper middle-class family. His  family atmosphere was warm and close, and he and his two sisters were always encouraged to be competitive andRead MoreA Brief Biography of Bill Gates 1506 Words   |  6 Pagesthe words of the richest man on the entire planet Bill gates. Following these steps and taking failure as a challenge is what got him where he is now. Bill Gates is a person that does not take no for an answer and he is a person that enjoys helping other people out and cares for children and young adults because he understand that they are the future of our country. William Henry Gates III was born on October 28, 1955 in Seattle Washington. Bill Gates was the middle child with his sister the oldestRead MoreEssay on Biography of Bill Gates951 Words   |  4 PagesReport: Bill Gates Bill Gates Did you know that the richest man in the world is Bill gates? He currently has a net worth of 96 million dollars. Bill Gates is the inventor of the global software giant, Microsoft. About 48 percent of computers around the world are running Microsoft Windows. Windows is the #1 biggest software company in the world. This Report contains information on Bill Gates, and his lifes story. Background/Early Life Bill Gates was born and raised in Washington. Bill GatesRead MoreA Brief Biography of Bill Gates Essay968 Words   |  4 Pages William Henry Gates III was born in 1955 in Seattle, Washington U.S.A. He was a middle kid and was the only boy besides his father, in his family. He is more commonly known as Bill Gates. When he was in sixth grade, he wasn’t performing well in school, so his parents sent him to counseling. Gates thought his counselor was cool. He let him read books after each session. He got really into psychological theory. Bill Gates also loved being challenged. â€Å" As a student, I took notes with eitherRead MoreEssay about informative speech Bill Gates1577 Words   |  7 Pagesspeech that’s a third of our grade, during every break I had. We all, including myself, procrastinate. We can all thank Bill Gates for making our times of procrastination slightly more bearable by creating the Microsoft software that is accessible, easy to use and constantly evolving to meet consumer needs.    B. Thesis Statement:  Today I am going to inform you about Bill Gates who invented Microsoft software and started what is now known as the largest computer software, according to Dina BassRead MoreBill Gates : The Richest Man On Earth1273 Words   |  6 Pagesthat Bill Gates has? Think about getting handed $114 dollars a second. Imagine your life forever changing just because of you inventing something on a whim. Bill Gates is an investor, inventor, and programmer, which forever changed the way we communicate around the world today. This did not happen without many obstacles though. Gates had to deal with mean competitors, intense legal battles, and even personal losses throughout this to get to where he is today: the richest man on earth. Bill GatesRead MoreBill Gates: The Real Most Interesting Man in the World766 Words   |  3 Pagesthan William Henry â€Å"Bill† Gates III (Khan, â€Å"Gates, Bill 1955-â€Å"). Gates, a prosperous entrepreneur and technology mogul, has demonstrated both practical and IQ intelligence through both his experiences and successes in life. Gates’ upbringing and childhood accomplishments along with his professional achievements and fierce personality all contribute to his outlier status in American society. Gates, born in 1955, was one of three children of William Henry Gates II and Mary Gates. Due to his fatherRead MoreBill Gates Love of Computers749 Words   |  3 PagesBorn on October 28, 1955 in Seattle to an upper middle class family, William Henry Gates III began to show an earnest curiosity in computer programming at the age of 13. Gates pursued his interest in the programming field and then cofounded the worlds leading company in computer software. This did not happen overnight, yet Bills dedication and genius helped him create Microsoft. Now, while being at the top, Bill Gates keeps inspiring us by sticking with his company, bringing us the latest softwareRead MoreBill Gates s Speech And History Essay1097 Words   |  5 Pages1.1. Bill gates biography and history Bill Gates came from vital and spirited family projects. William Gates II is the father of Bill Gates who is a Seattle attorney. William Gates II is the father of Bill Gates, a lawyer in Seattle. Gates Mary is the mother of Bill Gates, how can a teacher at the University of Washington regent and head of the international road. At the age of thirteen, and Bill Gates, who began to show an interest in the field of computer programming. Bill Gates became a studentRead More Bill Gates and how the world was effected by his accomplishments1166 Words   |  5 Pages Bill Gates How he effected the world with his accomplishments nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;William Bill Gates III was born on October 28, 1955. He accomplished many unbelievable things, and highly influenced the people around him in many ways. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In University, Bill Gates was known to be the â€Å"smart computer nerd,† who totally amazed all of his friends with his knowledge. One of the people that he had influenced the most was Steve Ballmer, current Microsoft’s Chief Executive

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Empowering Your Organization - 1463 Words

Empowering Your Organization Introduction Organizations are about people. People are the most valuable asset that an organization can possess to create success. The development of these people and the ability for an organization to retain talent can be complex. An organization must be organized to communicate and provide the structure necessary for growth and development. They must also have the people within the organization understand their ability to grow and the directions available within the organization for growth. In the industrial age a company was primarily there to provide goods and serves. Many organizational behaviorists at that time focused on getting the most production from the employee.†¦show more content†¦A great example of this is in losing weight many people choose to go on a quick fix diet plan. This is a wonderful way to reduce the weight in the short term but the person eventually returns to their previous weight. Change must come from the inside through long term changes in the way that they think about food and the long term change in diet. When an organization has the symptoms of disempowerment it is not just from the inability of the individuals internally but from a dysfunctional mindset within the organization. Therefore the organization must perform a metamorphose to change the structure of the company and the mindset of the individuals and management. There are six values that are an essential part of the framework necessary for change within an organization. These six values are self-responsibility, authentic communication, trust, learning and growing, interpersonal process skills and caring. When looking at an organizational level of self-responsibility the empowering organization has individuals that take responsibility for their jobs, team and organization being the way that they need it to be. This is the opposite of the mindset of victimization and an understanding that changes comes from each individual within an organization. If an organization promotes authentic communication it is obvious throughShow MoreRelatedCitigroup : A Leading Multinational Investment Banking And Financial Services Corporation1653 Words   |  7 Pagesorganizational culture. Empowering Leadership and Organizational Culture The expectations for today’s workforce are as diverse as the workforce itself. With changes in workplace trends driven by new technology and Millennials and Generation Z’ers becoming the largest share of the American workforce, organizations are demanding more from their employees and leadership teams (Fry, 2015). As a result, there is a paradigm shift from traditional authoritative leadership styles to new empowering leadership stylesRead MoreA Note On Vision, And Empowering Others1164 Words   |  5 Pagesconsidered by any leading through crisis. â€Å"Do you know your soldiers?† â€Å"Do your soldiers know your voice?† â€Å"Do your troops know you need them?† These key questions are answered through the concepts of leading with vision, Leading by example, and empowering others (page ref). Three Concepts Based upon the governing of the group charter and the consensus reached in the group discussion the topics of vision, leading by example, and empowering others. Vision Vision is vital for leaders to set theRead MoreFresh Supermarket Chain That Operates Multiple Stores Essay819 Words   |  4 Pagesto be successful in his or her current position job; instead, he must implement fair treatment, proper incentives, and as Tucker states the role of leader â€Å"...to lead by example and motivate employees to do their best†(Tucker, n.d.). Research on empowering leadership Further research states leadership can have a positive affect on organizational culture through reassurance and value that are important to others. Therefore, leadership requires: liability, responsibility, and authority inRead MoreThe Future Of Holistic And People Centric Essay1627 Words   |  7 Pagesshift to concentrating on people even though departments must use technological tools to accomplish their duties and stay competitive. Epic Shift In HR Priorities - Treating the Person and Not the Disease Today s HR practices focus on engaging and empowering employees and key company stakeholders, and software solutions are expanding well beyond managing talent and into uncharted territories based on the needs of diverse companies and industries. Some companies buy stand-alone software for multipleRead MoreHow Employee Empowerment Is The Most Important Resource For Any Company1516 Words   |  7 PagesLiterature Review Organizations need their employees to feel like they are a part of the family in order for them to perform well and become an asset to the organization which is related to them feeling empowered. An employee is the most important resource for any company. How employees are treated and how much they value the company will have an impact on the overall company’s performance. Empowerment refers to a process in which a manager shares power with a subordinate. The dictionary’s definitionRead MoreWorking Environment, Performance Management Essay1574 Words   |  7 Pagesemployees. By a leader empowering its employees is the way toward empowering or approving a person to think, carry on, make a move, and control work and basic leadership about their employment in self-sufficient, autonomous, self-coordinated ways. It is the condition of feeling self-engaged to take control of their own predetermination. Empowerment is feeling in control of your workplace and that you have consent to settle on choices in the ranges you control and are in charge of in your occupation. AtRead MorePseudo-Transformational Leader785 Words   |  4 PagesLEAD500 LEADERSHIP STYLES AND THEORIES May 19, 2013 \ Effective leadership is the greatest tool for the success of any organization; they articulate the vision of the organization and are the motivation for others to fulfill that vision. Leaders have an impact on those they lead; followers. In today’s corporate world companies and organizations need to be cognizant of staff they hire within leadership positions. During the interview process, it is particularly important to understandRead MoreThe Importance of Employee Empowement Essay1082 Words   |  5 Pagesauthorities† (McCrimmon Ph.D., 2011). In today’s business age, organizations are looking for the extra edge to allow them to outperform their competitors and to gain market share. An important factor in direct correlation to an organization’s performance is employee productivity. So, the next question most of us ask is â€Å"How can I improve employee productivity?† There are many businesses today that believe in the philosophy that by empowering employees it will improve productivity and also provide otherRead MoreThe Early Phases Of A Collaborative Group1314 Words   |  6 Pageslearning, but also on the playing fields of life with particular emphasis on family and profession† (p. 84). A resilient leader of integrity is essential to organizations, especially in utilizing strong faith when facing tough decisions. It is critical to attract leaders of integrity who can â€Å"distinguish right from wrong and lead the organization through a process of social and ethical change to become more soc ially responsible† (Verissimo Lacerda, 2015, p. 46). Integrity reflects a leaders’ abilityRead MoreThe Best Employee Motivation Efforts848 Words   |  4 Pagesthat employees within the same department of the same organization will have different motivators. Many organizations today find that flexibility in job design and reward systems has resulted in employees increased longevity with the company, improved productivity, and better morale. According to survey results, USAA may benefit greatly by incorporating the following recommendations as it relates to increasing employee motivation. Empowering Employees Giving employees more responsibility and decision-making

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Baseball is the National Pastime - 1051 Words

For most sports fans there is nothing like opening day and a baseball field. In recent years I have over heard several people say Baseball is not the National Pastime or National Game any longer. When I query these people the typical response is Football is our new National pastime/game. Frank Deford (Nov 7, 2012) a writer for Sports Illustrated said, Baseball is what we used to be. Football is what we have become. I refuse to believe this based on my knowledge of both games. In this paper we will exam the facts and I would submit to you that Baseball is still the National Pastime/Game and it cannot be disputed. Baseball was first introduced into the American culture, by English immigrants in the early 18th century, and its†¦show more content†¦I am more than a casual sports fan and If challenged a football fanatic could not name players of equal legendary status from the same time period. It was Walter Camp that invented the game of football and most would struggle to find that answer. Most Football fans could easily recall players from the Superbowl era which began in 1966 and there might be a few that could recall a player such as Jim Thrope from the 1920’s who was also an accomplished Olympian. These iconic men of sport left there impact on the game and the people that celebrated it. However, Baseball icon are celebrated today for their contributions good or bad to the game of Baseball. In the 1942-1945, the United States was involved in conflict again, this time World War II. This created a dilemma for Baseball which was at its height in popularity, young ball players were drafted and sent off to war forcing Major League Baseball teams to seek alternative means of entertainment. During this period professional ownership got involved creating Little League Baseball, Pony League baseball, and the College Baseball World Series. This was a large undertaking all done in an effort to satisfy the country’s need to have its National Pastime played. The greatest display of the United States love for this game was the creation of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, made famous in the movie League of their Own. (Lesko, J. 2005) WhenShow MoreRelatedBaseball As A National Pastime859 Words   |  4 PagesMary McGrory, an American journalist, writes, â€Å"Baseball is what we were, and football is what we have become†(â€Å"Brainy Quotes†). Baseball is out and football is in. Only 27% of kids from ages 9-13 play baseball in the world today. There is no longer â€Å"Take me out to the ball game,† but let me watch the game on my TV. Baseball as a national pastime has experienced a decline in popularity because of the increase of popularity of football, length of the season and cost of a game, and length of playsRead MoreWhy Baseball Is The National Pastime937 Words   |  4 PagesA pastime is an activity that someone does for their enjoyment rather than for work. The Civil War soldiers are strong examples as to why baseball is the national pastime. The nervous anticipation that grips a solider as they prepare for battle. Their job consists of tasks that if performed incorrectly could resul t in fatalities. It is hard to imagine that an individual could block out the death and suffering that goes along with the job of being a civil war solider. This is why the stories of soliderRead MoreBaseball Is America s National Pastime976 Words   |  4 Pagesover which sport is originally Americas national past time is as enduring and intense as American sports themselves. Each and every week millions of people tune in to watch their favorite sports being played. Over the years baseball has traditionally been known as the national pastime among all sports, but the rich tradition and history behind baseball is still around and noticed, with that being said, baseball is still referred to as America’s national pastime. This can be attributed to many factorsRead MoreAmerica s National Pastime Of Baseball Essay1518 Words   |  7 PagesSince its grand entry in the 19th century, baseball has evolved to be one of the most popular sport nationally and to be known as Americaâ₠¬â„¢s national pastime. This multibillion dollar industry attracts millions of fans worldwide throughout different regions. The origin of baseball is believed to have evolved from a ball-and-bat game called Seker-Hemant played by ancient Egyptians dating as far back as 2,500 BCE. Fast-forwarding time, modern day baseball began with the formation of the Cincinnati RedRead MoreThe League Baseball Became The National Pastime956 Words   |  4 PagesMajor League Baseball became the National Pastime. Since Major League Baseball has become the National Pastime the St. Louis Cardinals have had a rich history in baseball, for many years there have been many different teams won their respective divisions, have the best record in baseball, and win the amazing World Series. Although Major League Baseball has been around since the early 1800’s, since the year 2000 the St. Louis Cardinals have been one of the best teams in Major League Baseball. The StRead MoreBaseball And Its Impact On America s National Pastime Essay1481 Words   |  6 PagesSince its grand entry in the 19th century, baseball has evolved to be one of the most popular sport nationally and to be known as America’s national pastime. This multibillion dollar industry attracts millions of fans worldwide throughout different regions. The origin of baseball is believed to have evolved from a ball-and-bat game called Seker-Hemant played by ancient Egyptians dating as far back as 2,500 BCE. Fast-forwarding time, modern day baseball began with the formation of the Cincinnati RedRead MoreBaseball : America s Pastime Of The Past1255 Words   |  6 PagesBaseball: America’s Pastime of the Past A pastime is a hobby that is performed in someone’s spare time. The term America’s pastime is something that the entire nation enjoys and participates in. Since its creation, baseball has taken the top spot as the nation’s favorite recreation. For generations it filled the homes of Americans whether it be via television, conversation, or participation. Families would travel together to their local baseball stadium and root for the home team. KidsRead MoreEssay on Baseball613 Words   |  3 PagesBaseball As I sat and watched the college world series this weekend I began to wonder about baseball and several questions came to mind: where did we get the game of baseball? Who should we give credit to for the formation of the game we see today? How has it withstood the tests of wartime? And what helped this game thrive to what it is today, the nation’s pastime? Baseball grew out of various ball and stick games that had been played throughout the United States during the first halfRead MoreHow is baseball Americas favorite pastime1313 Words   |  6 PagesKainoa Higa English 12 Ms. Grimble 10 April 2014 How Is Baseball Americans Favorite Past-Time Imagine you going up to the plate and hitting a base hit to score the winning run in the last inning. I will be talking to you about baseball, Americans favorite pastime. When I first played the game of baseball, I thought that baseball was so boring but when I got older, it got very interesting. The connection I can make is that baseball is America’s past time and has deep traditional values in manyRead MoreNegro Leagues968 Words   |  4 PagesNegro Baseball Leagues Baseball is known as one of Americas favorite pastimes. A fun filled family outing would include a picnic and a trip to see their favorite Major League Baseball team play. The faces of the children would light up when they caught a foul ball. This pastime of baseball was one of segregation and a naà ¯ve sense of enjoyment, for the baseball that they knew was a game of only Caucasian Americans. Little did they know, some of the most talented players were African-American

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Picasso Les Demoiselles Avignon

Question: Discuss about the Picasso Les Demoiselles Avignon. Answer: Introduction When Picasso moved from Spain to Paris, the time proved to be very important for art history during the 20th century. This is because the great artist used 20th century as models for the faces of the nude women for his 1907 masterpiece Les Demoiselles dAvignon (Charney, 2014). Picasso was looking for an intellectual expressionism and thus created a new reality of multidimensional on the two-dimensional canvas. His Les Demoiselles dAvignon (1906-1907) is considered as a revolutionary work of art by the art critics. What is so radical about this artwork? The essay investigates as to what makes Picassos Les Demoiselles dAvignon the first truly twentieth-century painting and what is so unique about the artwork. The way Picasso treats human figure in this artwork and how he creates tensions in the pictorial space is simply remarkable. Some of Picassos earlier working styles are compare to in this paper. The artwork shows significant development of Cubism in Picassos work. Inspiration and influence behind Les Demoiselles dAvignon According to Brodsky (1986), the female nude has been sculpted and painted since ancient times. It has appeared in many mythological, allegorical or narrative works. It is debatable if those works were about eroticism or made for the enjoyment of the viewer. The way Picasso has done the painting, it is obvious that he has abandoned all known styles of traditional art representations. He has distorted the female's body into geometric forms, thus challenging the idealized depictions of female beauty. The oil on canvas also shows the influence of African art on Picasso. The artist unveiled the great painting after multiple revisions (Pablo Picasso Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, 2017). Picasso started to make rough sketches for Les Demoiselles d'Avignon during the winter1906 and 1907. It is observed that the painter dramatically changed his plans during the preparatory stages. As he had seen examples of African art, one can see the impact on the artwork. Picasso painted the faces and features of the women on the right based after African masks. The face and body of the facially ambiguous nude standing on the right behind the squatting figure seem to have been reworked by Picasso (Florman, 2012). Les Demoiselles dAvignon heralded modernism and challenged the art celebrated in the great museums. The painting is motivated by Three Bathers (1879- 1882) by Cezanne. For example, the squatting figure from Three Bathers has been incorporated by Picasso in Les Demoiselles dAvignon (Sayers, 2007). There is a perspective of a three-dimension created on the two-dime nsional canvas, and the viewer gets to conclude four-dimensions when observing the artwork from different points of view. It shows how Picasso was influenced by Henri Poincare, the mathematician. The confrontational nudes done by Manet, Ingres, and Cezanne, seem to culminate with Picasso's Demoiselles. There is a confrontation about stylistic and spatial disunity created by Picasso in the artwork. He was a painter of the human figure and especially the female nude (Brodsky, 1986). Picasso made hundreds of sketches before making the final composition in 1907. The massive eight ft. Square canvas shows his interest in classical nudes and his new found passion for African art (Museum of modern art 2007). This is why one finds asymmetrical and angular figures with splintered planes that clash and contrast in color and style. The artwork incited reactions of shock, anger, and incomprehension among art critics and friends. It is interesting to see how Picasso integrated the statue heads in to his very famous paintings, Les Demoiselles dAvignon, which is recognized to be the very first great work of Modernism. It was not for the first time that Picasso was painting prostitutes. He had worked on brothel subjects and used formal distortion before. What makes Les Demoiselles dAvignon different is the pictorial depiction and distortions made by the artist (Green, 2001). The artwork was a dramatic shift from the past. Before the Demoiselles became famous, Picasso and the other artists and writers were already under the substantial impact of the artwork. Les Demoiselles dAvignon Les Demoiselles dAvignon marks an essential departure from traditional arrangement and perception in painting. The composition is huge and is like a cinematic close-up and the image is clearly ahead of its time. There are five naked figures of women, with their bodies made of splintered planes. The faces are inspired by African masks and Iberian sculpture (Pablo Picasso Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, 2017). Picasso arranges the figures in a compressed space, and they seem to project forward, like jagged shards of a broken window pane. There is an uncomfortable mosaic of overlapping and angular fragments of five female nudes. While one of them sits in an awkward position in the right, two of them stare provocatively at the viewer. Another woman stands on the right behind the sitting woman, and her face is covered with a primitive mask. The face of the squatting figure is like a poorly arranged jigsaw. The left-most woman stands stiffly and looks awkward with her locked knee. Her left arm seems dislocated while the right arm juts down. She carries a perfect profile and those almond shaped eyes look huge on her abstracted face and looks at the viewer. The two women in the middle look squarely into the face of the viewer and seem to challenge him with their nudity. The women in varies flesh tones are entangled in silver and blue draperies. The faces of the two women on the right look like African masks. The elbows, hips, breasts and waists of the women with geometrical silhouettes are sharp as knives. There are no curves to be seen. The artist uses varying skin tones to make contrasts. There are deeper tones that suit the urban interior light. Picasso makes use of sharp and jagged forms for the women. The color of their skin adds to their nudity, as they lift their arms or show their bosoms provocatively or flaunt their nudity aggressively. Along with the five female figures in Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, one can see a still life of fruits on drapery lying on an inclined table. There are blue grapes, pear, apple and a slice of pink melon. The fruits at the bottom of the canvas look fiercely pointed and are placed on an upturned tabletop in an impossible position. It is interesting to see how Picasso has arranged the fruits in a sexual grouping. The sharp wedge of pink melon contrasts with the tumbling blue grapes and pears and seem to reflect the punitive joints of the human anatomies (Steefel, 1992). Cubism in Les Demoiselles dAvignon There is no clear consensus about cubism, its style, and techniques, among the art historians. However, they agree that Picassos Les Demoiselles d'Avignon was the first revolutionary painting that made a major stride towards cubism. By the time the artwork was made, Picasso was over his Blue and Rose periods (Edson, 1982). He was now living in the time of experimentation and rapid changes. Thus, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon is looked upon to be the first pivotal step by Picasso towards the new Cubist style (Analysis of Les Demoiselles, 2017). Before that, the artist worked on hundreds of drawings, before getting established as the leader of avant-garde art in Paris. Picasso rejected the traditional method and used Cubism to emphasize the flat, two-dimensional nature of the picture. The Cubist method allowed him to disassemble people and objects and allow them to be seen from different viewpoints as they were arranged in opaque and transparent overlapping planes. It was with gradual expe rimentation that Cubism developed during the 20th century (Analysis of Les Demoiselles, 2017).The work paved the way for further experimentation and thus motivated Picasso towards Analytical Cubism and Synthetic Cubism based on abstract art. Les Demoiselles d'Avignon is credited for being an act of destruction as well as creation. The full-fledged representation of dismantling is said to trigger Cubism (Chave, 1994). The space in the canvas By compressing the space of the canvas, Picasso creates a crude pornography in place of sensual eroticism. The naked figures are placed in an interior space that is almost claustrophobic. The women seem to be trapped in the closed space. Picasso makes use of light and dark contrasts in the shard-like pictorial components to create a sense of space. One can see the angular bodies that are visible under the transparent layers. For example, the left figure is draped in a rose dress and the central figures lift their skirts to show legs. Thus, the artist creates contrasts as to what is hidden and what can be seen (Edson, 1982). He brings the curtains and other surfaces in the background to the front to fill up space. That increases the forces of tensions and creates an aerial density in the whole canvas. The gradual flattening of pictorial space is seen as an evolution of modernist art as asserted by Chave (1994). The artwork creates a fully flattened Cubist space with a depth that is un der stress. Picasso dismantled the traditional geometry of human figure in Les Demoiselles dAvignon and thus began analytic cubism. The decomposition of objects carried their geometric lines to an extreme, thus resulting in angular facets in modified space (Potter, 2003). Impact on the viewer Those violent forms and angular shapes with animalistic masks like faces challenge the viewer's normal assumptions. What creates the drama is that there is no connection between the figures and the artwork reflects an uncertainty. There is no expression on the womens faces, and one can feel the disturbing sensation of violence and sexual power. The absence of perspective, the gigantic nudes, and the disconnected positioning seem to arrest the five figures in time. The three nude women in the artwork contrast with the other two, who seem to be more threatening. This is because Picasso does their faces like masks and thus removes them from the realm of the human (Edson, 1982). Further fragmentation of their body into planes and cross hatching of their faces deforms them all the more. The primitive simplification of the mask like faces shows how the artist tries to detach himself from the emotional perspective of humans. The five women are frightfully detached and completely unconscious of the presence of one another in the cramped space (Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, 2017).Rather, their focus is only on the viewer. Departure from tradition Picassos early stylistic experiments show his fascination with Iberian sculpture and African art. The influence can be sent in his masterpiece Les Demoiselles dAvignon, which is still at the nascent stages of Cubism. Picasso, in Les Demoiselles dAvignon, makes a different amalgamation of symbols, experiences, and traditions in the painting. It challenged cultural normativity and exposed the anti-thinking consequence of unquestioning conformity with culturally-given images as stated by Sayers (2007). The Iberian faces of the figures and their crudely simplified forms declare Picasso's origins to be against the classical traditions. The cramped space around the prostitutes in their brothel points to their loss of freedom, while the exaggerated sexual display seems to threaten the viewer (Leighten, 1990). Picassos own evolution can be seen in how he decides to paint the female body in an innovative way and how he stylizes the fruit bowl to depart from nature. He deforms the female nude into grotesque figures with faces like savage masks Art Analysis (2017). One of the most notable features of Les Demoiselles d'Avignon is the transgression of the accepted ideals of aesthetics. It changed the way human figures were created or looked at, and thus Picasso created an artwork that searched for expression (Edson, 1982). Les Demoiselles d'Avignon draws attention to the art of art itself. The artist has completely deformed the sculpture-like faces, nude bodies, the still fruit life in his canvas. Picasso was very conscious of breaking away from the old traditions of making art. He reinforces the impression of the painting as an art by creating tensions in a static mobility and freezes the moment in the canvas (Edson, 1982). The painting indeed changed everything, for Picasso, his future progress and the art world (Museum of modern art 2007). The picture was a radical act against the domination of Renaissance art. This was a new way of showing reality, but without the ruling principles of color, shading and perspective (Analysis of Les Demoiselles, 2017). As stated by Leighten (1990), the stylistically done African figures in Les Demoiselles are unsympathetic to the established European culture. The daring transformations made by Picasso to the figures, space, and colors plus, the reference to Africa is an attack on European traditions. To conclude on the subject, Picassos Les Demoiselles dAvignon, indded holds a special place in the world of art and among Picassos paintings. The artwork challenged the conventions aesthetics in art and the normal assumptions among the viewer. It is impossible to ignore those gigantic intrusive nudes with masked faces who create variegated chaos in the space of the canvas with their primitive expressions and abstract bodies. References Analysis of Les Demoiselles d'Avignon by Picasso. (2017).visual-arts-cork Retrieved from https://www.visual-arts-cork.com/paintings-analysis/les-demoiselles-davignon.htm Art Analysis (2017). Istituto Italiano Edizioni Atlas, 1(1), 12. Brodsky, J. (1986). Delacroix's "le lever," czanne's "interior with nude," picasso's "les demoiselles d'avignon," and the genre of the erotic nude. Artibus Et Historiae, 7(13), 127-151. Chave, A. C. (1994). New encounters with les demoiselles d'avignon: Gender, race, and the origins of cubism. The Art Bulletin, 76(4), 596. doi:10.2307/3046058 Edson, L. (1982). A new aesthetic: Apollinaire's 'les fianailles' and picasso's les demoiselles d'avignon. Symposium: A Quarterly Journal in Modern Literatures, 36(2), 115-128. doi:10.1080/00397709.1982.10733488 Florman, L. (2012). insistent, resistant czanne: On picasso's "three women" and "les demoiselles d'avignon". Source: Notes in the History of Art, 31/32(4/1), 19-26. doi:10.1086/sou.31_32.4_1.41552781 Green, C. (2001). Picassos Les Demoiselles Davignon. Cambridge University Press, 1(1), 1 14. Leighten, Patricia. "The White Peril and L'Art Ngre: Picasso, Primitivism, and Anticolonialism." The Art Bulletin, vol. 72, no. 4, 1990, pp. 609-630, doi:10.2307/3045764. Museum of modern art celebrates picasso's "les demoiselles d'avignon" (2007). Redwood Media Group. Charney, Noah. "Pablo Picasso, Ladron De Arte: "El Caso De Las Estatuillas" y Su Papel En La Fundacion De La Pintura Moderna." Arte, Individuo y Sociedad, vol. 26, no. 2, 2014, pp. 187, doi:10.5209/rev_ARIS.2014.v26.n2.39942. Pablo Picasso Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. (2017). The Museum of Modern Art Retrieved from https://www.moma.org/collection/works/79766 Potter, P. (2003). About The Cover. University, 9(6), 760-761. Sayers, J. (2007). Picasso cure: Personality, psychoanalysis, les demoiselles d'avignon centenary. International Journal of Art Therapy, 12(1), 39. doi:10.1080/17454830701264744 Steefel, L. D. (1992). The neglected fruit cluster in picasso's "les demoiselles d'avignon". Artibus Et Historiae, 13(26), 115-120. a

Sunday, March 8, 2020

Essay on Business Ethics- People, ProfitsEssay Writing Service

Essay on Business Ethics- People, ProfitsEssay Writing Service Essay on Business Ethics- People, Profits Essay on Business Ethics- People, ProfitsSome people like gambling in Las Vegas. They are prepared to put their resources to support businesses that are probably not eco-friendly (massive energy use to keep the desert cool; water diverted to maintain golf courses only relatively few use, and so no). The businesses could argue that they are morally neutral, and only responding to customer demand. Now, Elkington wants businesses to be more accountable for their environmental practices. Does it matter that a highly profitable company (e.g., a casino) could print a true account of its activities and suffer no societal sanction or penalty? Should we regulate them on a societal level? Should they be more environmentally conscious?  Businesses should be more accountable for their environmental practices. According to researchers, â€Å"environmental management skills will need to be developed to monitor performance, and protect and conserve natural resources†(Olson, 2009, p. 48). A lthough some business owners argue that their businesses are morally neutral, and only responding to customer demands, there is a necessity to enhance environmental practices through considerable changes in everyday activities. For example, the delivery of water to Las Vegas should not cause damage to the environment. Employees should be more concerned about the environmental impacts of business development. A highly profitable company like Las Vegas Casino should direct its activities toward the implementation of healthy environmental policies, avoiding penalties and societal sanctions.To start with, it does matter that a highly profitable company (e.g., a casino) could print a true account of its activities and suffer no societal sanction or penalty.   Businesses like Las Vegas casino require special attention due to continual economic expansion of such places. Christopher Norment (2014) argues that â€Å"the best chance for protecting the aquatic species and eco-systems of the region might involve a prolonged long-term economic downturn for Las Vegas† (p. 227). At the same time, the proper strategies could be used to reduce negative impact of businesses on the environment. It is necessary to realize that if businesses suffer no societal sanction or penalty for their environmental impacts, the government is weak in solving global problems (Gibson, 2006). Societal sanctions should be powerful to address the needs and requirements of communities, which face environmental risks.Undoubtedly, we should regulate businesses on a societal level. Businesses should bear responsibility for their actions through effective regulation of their corporate behavior on social and environmental issues. As a rule, high priority environmental impacts of the high profitable companies like Las Vegas Casino are centered on water use, waste disposal and energy consumption. Businesses should combine specially developed environmental strategies with high profits (Dixon, 2014) . Society should have a strong impact on environmental regulation because government –regulated policies may lack certain elements that affect implementation. On a societal level, any environment-related policy could be analyzed in a proper way. If businesses are regulated on a societal level, there could be more benefits for society.In general, businesses should be more environmentally conscious because this issue is an issue of public concern. It is necessary to integrate environmental programs into the company’s system of control and accounting in order to meet the needs of society. Environmental managers should be able to share their knowledge and experience with others to foster eco-friendly environment (Wrisberg Udo de Haes, 2009). If businesses are prepared to support eco-friendly environmental practices, there would be no sanctions or penalties. This fact means, businesses could function based on ethical principles, which are aimed at maintaining healthy envir onment.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion, it is necessary to conclude that any business should be accountable for its environmental practices. Las Vegas Casino is no exception. A highly profitable company like Las Vegas Casino should use the proper strategies aimed at implementation of healthy environmental policies, avoiding penalties and societal sanctions. In general, Elkington’s decision to make businesses more accountable for their environmental practices is essential for maintaining eco-friendly environment. As a result, it does matter that the activities of a highly profitable company should be well-planned to avoid societal sanction or penalty.

Friday, February 21, 2020

The Souls of Black Folk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Souls of Black Folk - Essay Example Du Bois specifically relates that â€Å"the problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the color-line† and this concept is further expanded on in the work with the concept of life behind the veil of race. He refers to this paradoxical condition as double consciousness stating that "double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others". Over time the concepts introduced by Du Bois have become instrumental in approaching the race issue in America. The author’s work also reflects on the progress of race, the obstacles present to such progress and future possibilities for the nation as it entered the twentieth century. Overall Du Bois examines life for African Americans in the years following the American Civil War with particular focus being placed on the works of the Freedman’s Bureau’s function in the reconstruction efforts. The author indicates that the Bureau’s failures stemmed from a combination of so uthern opposition and â€Å"national neglect† as well as mismanagement by courts which were biased â€Å"in favor of black litigants†. However the Bureau was successful on some fronts such as its contributions to the foundation and progress of African American schools. ... Instead the author argues that â€Å"the right to vote†, â€Å"civic equality† and â€Å"the education of youth according to ability† are critically important for sustainable progress of the African American racial group as a whole. The author also relates his personal experiences as a school teacher in rural Tennessee following which the author reflects on the state of material progress in Atlanta where accruing wealth seems to be the only target for people. The basic contention is to show that accruing wealth should not be the only focus of African Americans. Instead the author argues that there ought to be â€Å"standards of lower training† as well as â€Å"standards of human culture and lofty ideals of life†. Du Bois contends that African American colleges ought to train the â€Å"Talented Tenth† who would then provide contributions to lower education as well as playing the roles of liaisons for better race relations. Following this Du Bo is has examined the state of rural life for African Americans through a discourse on Dougherty County, Georgia in order to represent living conditions in the southern Black Belt region. The contemporary conditions as well as the historical conditions have been presented in order to make a strong case. It is shown that cotton is still the lifeline of the local economy while only a very few African Americans are allowed to enjoy the newly found economic success. The contemporary legal system and the tenant farming systems have been compared to the days of slavery and it has been proved that there are little differences if any and that the differences are merely superficial. The derivation of African

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Your personal reflections discuss the challenges, problems and Essay

Your personal reflections discuss the challenges, problems and conflicts that may occur in teams, Are teams more effective decision makers and problem solvers than individuals - Essay Example However, working with individual eliminates the possibility of collision of many ideas which ultimately stems into chaos. I had a great time with my team members who belong to different cultures and country as a whole. Two of the team members are from Qatar; others are from Egypt, Chad and China. Through this session of team work I have identified the characteristics of each team member and have studied them properly. The exhibition is expected to be successful since each and every team members have the capability to deal with any difficulty or unforeseen situation. The effectiveness of their decision making is high since all of them give their ideas and collectively reach a certain decision which is likely to be successful. The essay highlights my perception and experience during the preparation of the exhibition with my team members (Ahuja, 2006). I have observed that people often forms a group to accomplish some but they may not work together too. However, if they work together they are called a team. A team can be referred as a group of people who first organize themselves for working cooperatively towards a single objective which is set by them. However, according to my perception effective teams cannot be created automatically. There are people in a team who pass through a phase of understanding and cohesion at the same time before they are able to do some useful work and take a critical decision (Ahuja, 2006). During preparation of the exhibition my team is formed by taking the most efficient members who can contribute positively towards the attainment of the goal. The team members are individual researchers who have helped in doing researches about the main topic of the exhibition and share their understanding regarding the same. It is very crucial for me to understand the development of the team since each and every member have different potency and different bent of mind which guards their morality and

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Automatic Quantification of the Myocardial Extracellular

Automatic Quantification of the Myocardial Extracellular Automatic Quantification of the Myocardial Extracellular Volume by  Cardiac Computed Tomography: Synthetic ECV by CCT Thomas A Treibel, MBBS1,2, Marianna Fontana, PhD,1,2, Jennifer A Steeden PhD2,3, Arthur Nasis, MD1, Jason Yeung, MBBS4, Steven K White, BSc, MBChB1,2, Sri Sivarajan4, Shonit Punwani, PhD4, Francesca Pugliese, PhD1, Stuart A Taylor, MD4, James C Moon, MD1,2, Steve Bandula, PhD4 1Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomews Hospital, London, UK. 2Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, UK. 3UCL Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Medical Physics, London, UK. 4Centre for Medical Imaging, University College London, London, UK. Manuscript Type: Original Manuscript Manuscript: 3924 words (all including) No conflict of interest declared. Funding: TAT and SB are supported by Doctoral Research Fellowships from the NIHR, UK (NIHR ­DRF ­ 2013-06-102 / NIHR ­DRF ­ 2011 ­04 ­008). MF and SKW are supported by Clinical Research Training Fellowships from the British Heart Foundation (grants FS/12/ 56/29723 and FS/10/72/28568). JCM is directly and indirectly supported by the University College London Hospitals NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and Biomedical Research Unit at Barts Hospital, respectively. FP: this work form part of the translational portfolio of the Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit at Barts, which is supported and funded by the NIHR. SAT is an NIHR senior investigator. This work was undertaken at University College London Hospital, which received a proportion of funding from the UK Department of Health National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centres funding scheme. ABSTRACT [TT1] Background: The quantification of myocardial extracellular volume fraction (ECV) by Cardiac Computed Tomography (CCT) can identify changes in the extracellular space due to fibrosis or infiltration. Current methodologies require laboratory blood hematocrit (Hct) measurement which complicates the technique.   The attenuation of blood (HUblood) is known to change with anemia. We hypothesized that the relationship between Hct and HUblood could be calibrated to rapidly generate a synthetic ECV without the need to formally measure Hct. Methods: This retrospective study received institutional review board approval. The association between Hct and HUblood was derived from forty non-contrast thoracic CT scans using regression analysis. Synthetic Hct was then used to calculate synthetic ECV, and in turn compared with ECV using blood Hct in a validation cohort with mild interstitial expansion due to fibrosis (aortic stenosis, n=28, ECVCT = 28 ±4%) and severe interstitial expansion due to amyloidosis (n=27; ECVCT = 54 ±11%, psynthetic ECV was correlated with collagen volume fraction (CVF) in a separate cohort with aortic stenosis (n=18). All CT scans were performed at 120kV and 160 mAs. Results: HUblood was a good predictor of Hct (R2=0.47; p), with the regression model (Hct = [0.51 * HUblood] + 17.4) describing the association. Synthetic ECV correlated well with conventional ECV (R2=0.96; p with minimal bias and 2SD difference of 5.7%. Synthetic ECV correlated as well as conventional ECV with histological CVF (both R2=0.50, p). Finally, we implemented an automatic ECV plug-in for offline analysis. Conclusion: Synthetic ECV by CCT provides instantaneous quantification of the myocardial extracellular space without the need for blood sampling. KEYWORDS: Computed tomography; Myocardial tissue characterization; Extracellular matrix; Myocardial extracellular volume fraction; Myocardial fibrosis; cardiac amyloidosis. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AL amyloidosis = Immunoglobulin light-chain amyloidosis AS = Aortic stenosis CCT = Cardiac computed tomography CMR = Cardiovascular magnetic resonance CVF = Collagen volume fraction ECV = Extracellular volume fraction HU = Hounsfield units INTRODUCTION Extracellular volume fraction (ECV) quantification by cardiac computed tomography (CCT) 1-5 and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) 6, 7 is a promising new imaging biomarker for interstitial expansion due to myocardial fibrosis and cardiac amyloid deposition. Emerging data suggests ECV predicts outcome as well as left ventricular ejection fraction 8, 9 and there is increasing interest in targeting the interstitium during the development of heart failure therapy.10 Current methodologies for ECV quantification require blood hematocrit (Hct) measurement, which adds a layer of complexity and is potentially a barrier to easy clinical implementation. Alternatively, for CMR, Treibel et al. recently proposed a synthetic ECV technique, removing the need for Hct measurement by utilizing the relationship between relaxivity of blood and lab measured Hct.11 It is unknown if a similar approach can be used for CCT, although a relationship between anemia and unenhanced blood attenuation has been observed.12-17 For example the aortic ring sign and dense intra-ventricular septum on unenhanced thoracic CTs suggest underlying anemia.17-19 We hypothesized that the relationship between Hct and unenhanced blood attenuation (HUblood) could be used to estimate a synthetic Hct, permitting immediate synthetic ECV calculation without blood sampling. We used existing patient cohorts1, 4 to investigate how synthetic ECV (a) compares to conventional ECV, and (b) correlates with the reference standard collagen volume fraction. We also tested implementation of an automated synthetic ECV measurement plug-in within the open-source DICOM viewer OsiriX.20 MATERIAL AND METHODS This study is a retrospective analysis of prospectively acquired data, received local ethical approval and conformed to the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The study received no industry support.   All participants provided informed and written consent. Exclusion criteria were uncontrolled arrhythmia or impaired renal function (estimated glomerular filtration rate ECV CCT Protocols. The CCT protocol consisted of three steps: first, a low dose non-contrast scan to obtain baseline attenuations; second, contrast administration with a contrast-enhanced 1-minute acquisition and a 5 minute delay to allow blood to myocardial contrast equilibration; third, a repeat scan to re-measure blood and myocardial attenuations. CCT examinations were performed on a 64-detector row CT scanner (Somatom Sensation 64; Siemens Medical Solutions, Germany).1, 4 A topogram was used to plan CT volumes from the level of the aortic valve to the inferior aspect of the heart, typically a 10 cm slab. Cardiac scans (tube voltage, 120 kV; tube current-time product, 160 mAs; section collimation, 64 detector rows, 1.2-mm section thickness; gantry rotation time, 330 msec) were acquired with prospective gating (65%-75% of R-R interval), and reconstructed into 3-mm-thick axial sections with a B20f kernel. All pre- and post contrast acquisitions were performed and reconstructed with the same parameters and matched the level of the pre-contrast scan. The iodinated contrast material used was iohexol (Omnipaque 300; Nycomed Amersham, Oslo, Norway; 300 mg of iodine per milliliter) at a standard dose of 1mL/kg and injection rate of 3ml/sec without a saline chaser. Image Analysis. CCT image analysis was performed using a free and open-source Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine viewer (OsiriX v4.1.2; Pixmeo, Bernex, Switzerland) independently by two experienced readers blinded to all other study data. For Hct estimation, regions of interest (ROIs) were placed in in a single axial slice in the center of the right atrium. The mean area of these ROIs were 4.8 ±1.2cm2. ROIs were drawn in the myocardial left ventricular septum and blood pool in the contrast-enhanced 1-minute acquisition in axial sections and propagated to the pre-contrast and post contrast acquisitions. Myocardial and blood attenuation values (pre-and post contrast only) were used to calculate the ECV fraction from the ratio of the change in blood and myocardial attenuation (ΆHU) corrected by the blood volume of distribution (1 Hematocrit): ECV   =   (1 Hematocrit) x (ΆHUtissue / ΆHUblood) Synthetic Hematocrit and ECV Methodology 1. Derivation of synthetic Hematocrit To derive a regression model predicting hematocrit from pre-contrast HUblood, clinical unenhanced CT scans of the thorax were retrospectively analyzed (120 kV; reconstructed at 5mm slice thickness and B70F soft tissue kernel). These were consecutive clinical CT scans of the thorax for investigation of malignancy, fibrosis or infection. Datasets were included if the patients had a contemporaneous paired laboratory measured Hct (within 20 days, median 8 days). HUblood was analyzed in a single axial slice through the center of the right atrium. This was chosen to minimize beam-hardening artifact from the spine (compared to aortic blood pool) and partial voluming of papillary muscles in the left or right ventricular blood pool. Synthetic Hct was obtained from the equation describing the linear regression line between laboratory HUblood and Hct. 2. Creation of a synthetic ECV Equation Blood hematocrit was substituted by the derived synthetic Hct to derive a synthetic ECV: Synthetic ECV   =   (1 synthetic Hct) x (ΆHUtissue / ΆHUblood) 3. Validation of synthetic ECV For validation, we used existing patient cohorts to investigate how synthetic ECV (a) compares to conventional ECV with laboratory blood hematocrit,4 and (b) correlates with the reference standard collagen volume fraction.1 3a. Clinical Validation Cohort In order to test synthetic ECV across a range of ECV values, the cohort used by our group to validate ECV by CT in amyloidosis was chosen; this comprised of two sub-groups with differing degrees of extracellular volume expansion: I. patients with cardiac amyloidosis (typically high ECV), comprising of 26 patients with systemic amyloidosis (21 males, age 55 ±10 years; 18 with transthyretin amyloidosis; 8 with systemic AL amyloidosis) with varying degrees of cardiac involvement; II. A comparator group of 27 age- and sex-matched patients with severe aortic stenosis (19 male, age 68 ±8 years) who typically exhibit only mild ECV elevation. Scans were performed between January and December 2013. In the clinical cohort, contrast administration was performed using a bolus only approach with a 1 mL/kg bolus of iohexol and post-contrast imaging at 1 minute (for segmentation) and 5 minutes (for post contrast analysis), as validated by our group previously.4 3b. Histological Validation Cohort For histological validation, the performance of synthetic ECV against a histological measure of fibrosis, the collagen volume fraction (CVF), was tested in a second smaller cohort of patients with severe AS, who underwent intra-operative biopsy (no overlap with clinical cohort). This cohort had been used by our group to validate ECV by CT again histology:1 Consenting severe AS patients (n = 17, median age 71 ±10 years, 76% male) underwent CCT between July 2010 and February 2012. Biopsies were obtained and stained with picrosirius red for histological measurement of collagen volume fraction (CVF) as previously described.21 In the histology cohort, contrast administration followed primed iodinated contrast material infusion (bolus plus maintenance infusion) with a 1 mL/kg bolus of iohexol followed by a maintenance infusion of at a rate of 1.88 mL/kg per hour for 25 minutes, when the post contrast imaging was performed.1 4. OsiriX Plugin To facilitate offline analysis and to exemplify future inline automation by scanner manufacturers, an automatic synthetic ECV plug-in was developed for OsiriX. Statistical analysis Analyses were performed using SPSS (Chicago, IL, USA, version 22). All data are presented as mean  ± SD. Normal distribution was assessed by using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Differences were assessed using unpaired, two-sided student t-tests (significance level p). Agreement between conventional and synthetic ECV was analyzed using the Bland-Altman method. The significance of the difference between two correlation coefficients was tested using the Fisher r-to-z transformation. RESULTS[TT2] Step 1. Derivation cohort 40 thoracic CT scans with contemporaneous Hct samples within 20 days (mean 8 ±7 days) of the scan were included (n=40, 53% male, age 60 ±20 years) with a broad range of Hct (mean 38.2 ±6.0%; range 24.7-50.7%) and HUblood (mean 40 ±8; range 20-55). The linear regression equation was:   (sHct = [0.51 * HUblood] + 17.4) with R2=0.47 p (Figure 1). Step 2. Creation of the synthetic ECV Equation Blood hematocrit was substituted by the derived synthetic Hct to derive a synthetic ECV: Synthetic ECV   =   (1 ([0.51 * HUblood] + 17.4)x (ΆHUtissue / ΆHUblood) Step 3. Validation Step 3a. Clinical cohort Baseline characteristics of twenty-six systemic amyloidosis and twenty-seven AS patients are shown in Table 1.In this cohort, Hct were mean 41.4 ±3.8% (range 29.3-47.4%) and HUblood mean 40.2 ±3.9 (range 29.3-50.1). Synthetic ECV, calculated using the regression model to derive HCT,and conventional ECV were highly correlated (R2=0.96; p) with a 5.7% SD of differences and minimal bias (2.4%) on Bland-Altman analysis (Figure 2). ECVCT was significantly higher in amyloid patients with definitive cardiac involvement than aortic stenosis (54 ±11% versus 28 ±4%, p Step 3b. Histology cohort Baseline characteristics of the histology cohort are described in Table 2.The mean histological CVF of the 17 biopsies was 18  ± 8% (range 5% to 40%), Hct were 40.2 ±4.6% (range 29.4-46.4%) and HUblood 37.7 ±4.2 (range 29.5-45.1). Synthetic and conventional ECV both correlated well with collagen volume fraction (R2 = 0.50, p vs. R2 = 0.50, p ; Figure 3) and did not differ statistically on Fisher r-to-z transformation (p = 0.8). Step 4. Automatic synthetic ECV plug-in in OsiriX Example output of the OsiriX plugin are shown in Figure 4, and the code is provided in the supplementary data. This plugin involves three simple steps: I. Manual segmentation of the blood pool in the pre- and post-contrast images; II. The plug-in automatically estimates blood hematocrit using the attenuation relationship defined above; III. The plug-in produces a three-dimensional myocardial ECV volume, where each image voxel represents an ECV value. Reproducibility Inter- and intra-observer agreement was excellent for myocardial (ICC = 0.92 and ICC = 0.94, respectively) and blood pool (ICC = 0.96 and ICC = 0.99, respectively) attenuation measurements. Similarly for ECV, excellent agreement was found (ICC = 0.95 and ICC = 0.98, respectively). Repeat sampling variability was tested in 44 patients who underwent two samples a median of 4 hours apart. Test:retest variability of laboratory hematocrit was higher than expected (n=44, variability 10% with hct:hct R2=0.86.11 DISCUSSION Identifying interstitial heart disease is important for diagnosis and prognosis,10 and myocardial extracellular volume fraction (ECV) can be measured non-invasively by CCT.1-4 However, its measurement is complicated by the necessity for venous blood sampling, image analysis and then offline ECV calculation. This process is cumbersome and a major obstacle for implementing this technique into routine clinical practice. In this manuscript, we simplify the technique by calculating ECV without blood hematocrit. This development arose out of a need to simplify ECV measurement to make it more clinically applicable. We utilize the relationship between hematocrit and blood attenuation (the attenuation of blood decreases with anemia)12-14, 17-19 to derive a synthetic hematocrit for immediate synthetic ECV calculation without blood sampling. We show that synthetic ECV was highly correlated to conventional ECV, and had a similar association to the histologic reference standard of CVF. The implementation of an offline automated processing tool provides a significant aid to workflow, allowing for ECV measurement in routine clinical practice.   Automated synthetic ECV can be implemented inline on CT scanners with test performances approaching that of conventional ECV measurement. ECV quantification by CT, despite it lower signal to noise ratio, has key advantage over CMR: The CT approach is cheaper and widely available, can be completed in 5 minutes, and the scanner design can accommodate patients with obesity and claustrophobia (CMR is not suitable in around 10% of patients due to claustrophobia or many cardiac pacemakers).22 Furthermore, ECV by CCT can provide high-resolution 3D ECV volumes with whole heart acquisition and limited cardiac motion. Finally, the concentration of iodine has a linear relationship with th e CT attenuation value, which is not affected by fast exchange mechanism like CMR T1 mapping (depending on cell size and contrast dose, fast transcytolemmal water-exchange may reach its limits), which do not apply to CT.23, 24 ECV (by CMR or CT) allows quantification of a key pathophysiological pathway in heart failure: interstitial expansion due to diffuse myocardial fibrosis (or in rare cases by deposition of amyloid fibrils).1-4 As the CMR field is showing, ECV is diagnostic in certain diseases, tracks myocardial remodelling and predicts outcome.25, 26 Interstitial expansion can be global (hypertension, aortic stenosis) or focal (hypertrophic or dilated cardiomyopathy), therefore high spatial resolution and whole heart coverage is important. Due to the aforementioned advantages of CT over CMR, ECV by CT will undoubtedly receive greater attention as part of comprehensive assessment of the heart by CT coronary angiography, perfusion and myocardial tissue characterization. Limitations[TT3] The study has limitations. In the derivation cohort, the mean interval between Hct samples and CT 8 days. Normal within-subject variation in Hct between 1 day and 1-2 months in a healthy adult is actually very low (3%), but together with an analytical variation (3%) this may explain a relative change of >10% between two successive Hct values.27 The control cohort used in this study comprised of patients with AS rather then healthy volunteers, but, given the exposure to ionizing radiation and contrast, patients with AS were deemed as adequate control cohort, avoiding exposure of healthy volunteers. For the same reasons, variability of repeat synthetic ECV was not tested. Development and validation were performed using a single scanner platform, therefore this regression model is only valid for 120 kV and an X-ray tube used in a specific CT vendor. Spectrum of the X-rays emitted by a CT X-ray tube substantially varies among CT vendors. In addition, low KV scans are increasingly used to reduce radiation exposure to the patients. Consequently, multiple regression models for different KV settings as well as for different CT vendors should be carefully prepared for synthetic ECV by CCT. Other factors that may affect the attenuation of blood such as temperature28 and other blood constituents such as macromolecules, fat and iron require further investigation. The 64-slice-CT-system employed here reflects commonly available systems, but did not offer iterative reconstruction algorithms, dual energy acquisition and larger detector arrays that allow acquisition of whole heart, isotropic volumes of in one heart beat and at low radiation dose. In single-source 64 detector rows CT, myocardial CT attenuation is not homogenous due to artifacts, especially in the inferior wall and lateral wall. In the current study, we only included data from ROIs in the left ventricular septum. The accuracy of synthetic ECV should be validated in other segments in LV myocardium, if synthetic ECV by CT is more widely available and used in patients. Furthermore, 3D image registration and processing, reduces the errors of whole heart ECV maps.29 CONCLUSION Synthetic hematocrit derived from the relationship between blood hematocrit and blood attenuation allows quantification of the myocardial extracellular volume fraction by cardiac computed tomography without the need for blood sampling. ECV shows great potential, allowing myocardial tissue characterization with negligible effect on workflow and radiation dose. However wider adoption requires simplification and automation of the established technique synthetic ECV offers this. REFERENCES 1.Bandula S, White SK, Flett AS, et al. Measurement of myocardial extracellular volume fraction by using equilibrium contrast-enhanced CT: validation against histologic findings. Radiology. 2013;269:396-403. 2.Nacif MS, Kawel N, Lee JJ, et al. Interstitial myocardial fibrosis assessed as extracellular volume fraction with low-radiation-dose cardiac CT. Radiology. 2012;264:876-883. 3.Nacif MS, Liu Y, Yao J, et al. 3D left ventricular extracellular volume fraction by low-radiation dose cardiac CT: assessment of interstitial myocardial fibrosis. J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr. 2013;7:51-57. 4.Treibel TA, Bandula S, Fontana M, et al. Extracellular volume quantification by dynamic equilibrium cardiac computed tomography in cardiac amyloidosis. J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr. 2015. 5.Kurita Y, Kitagawa K, Kurobe Y, et al. Estimation of myocardial extracellular volume fraction with cardiac CT in subjects without clinical coronary artery disease: A feasibility study. J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr. 2016;10:237-241. 6.Ugander M, Oki AJ, Hsu LY, et al. Extracellular volume imaging by magnetic resonance imaging provides insights into overt and sub-clinical myocardial pathology. Eur Heart J. 2012;33:1268-1278. 7.Banypersad SM, Fontana M, Maestrini V, et al. T1 mapping and survival in systemic light-chain amyloidosis. Eur Heart J. 2015;36:244-251. 8.Wong TC, Piehler K, Meier CG, et al. Association Between Extracellular Matrix Expansion Quantified by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance and Short-Term Mortality. Circulation. 2012;126:1206-1216. 9.Wong TC, Piehler KM, Kang IA, et al. Myocardial extracellular volume fraction quantified by cardiovascular magnetic resonance is increased in diabetes and associated with mortality and incident heart failure admission. Eur Heart J. 2014;35:657-664. 10.Schelbert EB, Fonarow GC, Bonow RO, Butler J, Gheorghiade M. Therapeutic targets in heart failure: refocusing on the myocardial interstitium. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2014;63:2188-2198. 11.Moon JC, Treibel TA, Schelbert EB. T1 mapping for diffuse myocardial fibrosis: a key biomarker in cardiac disease? Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2013;62:1288-1289. 12.New PF, Aronow S. Attenuation measurements of whole blood and blood fractions in computed tomography. Radiology. 1976;121:635-640. 13.Black DF, Rad AE, Gray LA, Campeau NG, Kallmes DF. Cerebral venous sinus density on noncontrast CT correlates with hematocrit. AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology. 2011;32:1354-1357. 14.Collins AJ, Gillespie S, Kelly BE. Can computed tomography identify patients with anaemia? The Ulster medical journal. 2001;70:116-118. 15.Lan H, Nishihara S, Nishitani H. Accuracy of computed tomography attenuation measurements for diagnosing anemia. Jpn J Radiol. 2010;28:53-57. 16.Jung C, Groth M, Bley TA, et al. Assessment of anemia during CT pulmonary angiography. Eur J Radiol. 2012;81:4196-4202. 17.Kamel EM, Rizzo E, Duchosal MA, et al. Radiological profile of anemia on unenhanced MDCT of the thorax. Eur Radiol. 2008;18:1863-1868. 18.Wojtowicz J, Rzymski K, Czarnecki R. Severe anaemia: its CT findings in the cardiovascular system. Eur J Radiol. 1983;3:108-111. 19.Doppman JL, Rienmuller R, Lissner J. The visualized interventricular septum on cardiac computed tomography: a clue to the presence of severe anemia. Journal of computer assisted tomography. 1981;5:157-160. 20.Jalbert F, Paoli JR. [Osirix: free and open-source software for medical imagery]. Revue de stomatologie et de chirurgie maxillo-faciale. 2008;109:53-55. 21.Flett AS, Flett AS, Hayward MP, et al. Equilibrium contrast cardiovascular magnetic resonance for the measurement of diffuse myocardial fibrosis: preliminary validation in humans. Circulation. 2010;122:138-144. 22.Rosmini S, Treibel TA, Bandula S, et al. Cardiac computed tomography for the detection of cardiac amyloidosis. J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr. 2016. 23.Moon JC, Messroghli DR, Kellman P, et al. Myocardial T1 mapping and extracellular volume quantification: a Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) and CMR Working Group of the European Society of Cardiology consensus statement. J Cardiovasc Magn Reson. 2013;15:92. 24.Coelho-Filho OR, Holland DJ, Mongeon FP, et al. Role of Transcytolemmal Water-Exchange in Magnetic Resonance Measurements of Diffuse Myocardial Fibrosis in Hypertensive Heart Disease. Circulation. Cardiovascular imaging. 2013;6:134-141. 25.Banypersad SM, Banypersad SM, Sado DM, et al. Quantification of Myocardial Extracellular Volume Fraction in Systemic AL Amyloidosis: An Equilibrium Contrast Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Study. Circulation. Cardiovascular imaging. 2013;6:34-39. 26.Wong TC, Wong TC, Piehler KM, et al. Myocardial extracellular volume fraction quantified by cardiovascular magnetic resonance is increased in diabetes and associated with mortality and incident heart failure admission. European Heart Journal. 2013. 27.Thirup P. Haematocrit: within-subject and seasonal variation. Sports Med. 2003;33:231-243. 28.Bydder GM, Kreel L. The temperature dependence of computed tomography attenuation values. Journal of computer assisted tomography. 1979;3:506-510. 29.Nacif MS, Liu Y, Yao J, et al. 3D left ventricular extracellular volume fraction by low-radiation dose cardiac CT: assessment of interstitial myocardial fibrosis. J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr. 2013;7:51-57. FIGURES Figure 1: Derivation of synthetic hematocrit from the attenuation of blood Thoracic CT scans (n=40, 53% male, age 60 ±20 years) with contemporaneous hematocrit samples (mean interval 8.8 ±7.3 days) of the scan were used to create a regression line between hematocrit (Hct; 38.2 ±6.0%; range 24.7-50.7%) and blood attenuation (HUblood; 40.7 ±8.0; range 19.5-55.2). The regression line between Hct and HUblood was linear (R2=0.47 p) with a regression equation for synthetic Hct = [0.51 * HUblood] + 17.4). Figure 2: Validation of synthetic ECV vs conventional ECV in AS and Amyloid Synthetic ECV, calculated using the regression model,and conventional ECV were highly correlated (R2=0.96; p) with a 5.7% SD of differences and minimal bias (2.4%) on Bland-Altman analysis (right image). Figure 3: Histological Validation of Synthetic ECV Synthetic and conventional ECV both correlated well with collagen volume fraction (R2 = 0.50, p vs. R2 = 0.50, p ) and did not differ statistically. Figure 4: OsiriX Plugin workflow To facilitate offline analysis and allow future inline automation, an automatic synthetic ECV plug-in was developed for Osirix. Following manual segmentation of the blood pool in the pre- and post-contrast images, the plug-in automatically estimates blood hematocrit using the attenuation relationship defined above, and produces a three-dimensional myocardial ECV volume from pre- and post-contrast CCT data.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Elections in the Year 2029 :: Creative Writing Personal Narrative Papers

Elections in the Year 2029 It's not every day that I wake up in a different year from when I went to bed. I wholly expect it to happen on days like December 31st. So you can understand my shock when, instead of seeing May 9th 2002 on the calendar, I saw May 9th, 2029. Sometimes you can just tell it's going to be a bad day. In fact, something was telling me it was going to be a very bad day. As I rolled out of bed and landed with my feet squarely on the floor, I suddenly got the feeling that something wasn't quite right. A moment's thought made me realize that, in my three years of College, I've never before rolled out of bed and not landed on the mounds and piles of clutter—books, clothes, and musical instruments—which always surround my bed. I also realized that my entire room was clutter-free. I shrugged off this oddity; I had cleaned my room in the past, and there was a possibility, although remote, that I had cleaned it last night (whenever that was). My morning routine continued with the hunger pangs I usually feel just after waking up. I decided to dress and go to Farinon for a quick bite of food. Noticing that I was already dressed, I headed outside and down Hart Street towards Farinon. Something seemed out of place, almost surreal; I couldn't say what it was exactly. At this point my mind woke up and began to defend itself. "Tobin," it told me, "there's nothing wrong with the world. You probably just had too much to drink last night." I continued on my trek. The Farinon Food Court seemed normal to me. The food tasted awful, which was strangely reassuring. In fact, everything was reassuring. The texture of the carpet, the uncomfortable chairs, the wobbly tables, and surly yet charming staff seemed to give me a sense of comfort. I reminded myself that, while our eyes often deceive us, it is rare when all of our senses are fooled. My quiet calm was broken when I noticed, in the corner of my eye, a small flashing yellow light. I tried to turn to look at it, but it stayed in the corner of my eye.1 I thought to myself, "What's the meaning of this thing?" Suddenly, a voice whispered to me, "Your VAST is starting; would you like to attend?

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Creation of suspense is a characteristic feature of narrative in the gothic tradition Essay

‘Creation of suspense is a characteristic feature of narrative in the gothic tradition. Discuss the uses and effectiveness of this device in The Woman in Black and compare them with those that you have noted in one other gothic text. Susan Hill’s ‘The Woman in Black’ is the ultimate ghost story which relies on the use of suspense, intensity, atmosphere and drama, interwoven in a plot full of intrigue which keeps the reader eager with anticipation. Susan Hill has created a chilling novel which translates into a magnificently eerie and genuinely distressing read. Although everpresent, suspense is cleverly built slowly throughout to create a mounting atmosphere. Furthermore, atmosphere is built through place, strong narrative and dialogue. Hill’s calculated timing of events is also crucial in creating the mood of anxiety. The first hint of atmosphere building up was when Mr Kidd meets Mr Bentley for the job of sorting out Mrs Drablow’s papers. From the start of the dialogue between Arthur Kidd and Mr Bentley it is obvious that the latter is intent on seeing how much Mr Kidd knows about Eel Marsh House. There are many short questions, avoiding the reader’s attention. Then Mr. Kidd asks â€Å"Children?†, this demonstrates how Susan Hill spans the question out to draw the reader’s attention, and it is clear Mr Bentley most probably knows the answer but is reluctant to tell it. This hints that there might be something wrong or odd here. This withheld information is almost characteristic of the whole foundations of Dracula as character fail to share vital information with eachother which lead to fatal consequences. This technique is very powerful in stirring up emotions as the reader begins to almost urge the characters to share the information which they withold. In the passage from ‘Across The Causeway’, Kipps sees the Woman in Black for the second time however this time, she has a look of pure malevolence and evil on her face. Kipps begins to question whether the hatred is directed at himslef however he is soon afraid and eventually angry. Susan Hill builds up tension and suspense in this extract by controlling the pace, this gives the extract the required tension since events seem to go by slowly and gradually build to their climax. This can be linked back to Dracula as events surrounding Lucy and her dramatic death are steadily explained and her death comes a long time after her first encounter with Dracula. General events in Dracula can also be linked back to Susan Hill’s slow paced build up as Mina tries to put together the pieces of the puzzle throughout while characters often are shown to be naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve in there thinking and do not come to obvious conclusions so as to be able to sustain the tension of the novel. Even after Kipps has emotionally broken and he is being comforted by Spider, Kipps can still hear the wailing child across the marshes, This gives the reader an image of unrelenting pain and haunting which only succeeds in adding to the suspense and tension. This can also be clearly seen within Bram Stoker’s Dracula as Dracula’s attack on the individuals does not result in a sudden death or transformation but rather begins the cycle which is only completed later in the novel as Lucy is attacked multiple times until she is beyond the point of saving. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill, is indeed a successful ghost story, but what makes it so, is not violence, gore, or even bloodshed; It is the underlying, psychological fear of the unknown, which almost every person possess. From right at the beginning when Arthur Kipps strangely shows his anger in a sudden occurrence which is not made clear as to the reasons why, the reader is asked to try and anticipate consequently creating suspense. Such a theme can be seen Bram Stoker’s Dracula frequently particularly during the early stages of the novel as Harker visits the count. During these stages it is not made clear the full extent of the count’s objectives and the reader is only given slight hints through the characters viewpoint so that they are just as helpless as Harker. In Conclusion, Susan Hill has used a number of various techniques to invoke a sense of suspense into her novel. With these techniques she has created an immense atmosphere which is the foundation towards her chilling novel.