An Introduction to Dog Intelligence and Emotion

An Introduction to Dog Intelligence and Emotion We feed them, we let them sleep in our beds, we play with them, we even talk to them. And of course, we love them. Any dog-owner will tell you that their pet has a remarkable capacity to understand the world around them. And they’re right. Scientists have figured out great ways to find out exactly what human’s best friend is capable of. The Science of Animal Cognition Over the past several years, one of the biggest advances in our human understanding of doggie cognition has been the use of MRI machines to scan dog brains. MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging, the process of taking an ongoing picture of what parts of the brain are lighting up through what external stimuli. Dogs, as any doggie parent knows, are highly trainable. This trainable nature makes dogs great candidates for MRI machines, unlike non-domesticated wild animals like birds or bears. Ragen McGowan, a scientist at Nestlà © Purina specializing in dog cognition, takes full advantage of a certain type of MRI machine, the fMRI (which stands for functional MRI), to study these animals. These machines detect changes in blood flow and use that to measure brain activity. Through ongoing research, McGowan has found out a lot about animal  cognition and feelings. In a study done in 2015, McGowan found that a human’s presence leads to increased blood flow to a dog’s eyes, ears and paws, which means the dog is excited. McGowan also studied what happens to dogs when they are being petted. We’ve known for some time that for humans, petting a beloved animal can lead to lower rates of stress and anxiety. Well, it turns out the same is true for dogs. When humans pet shelter dogs for 15 minutes or more, the dog’s heart rate decreases and it becomes less anxious overall. Another recent study on dog cognition found that our beloved companion animals can tell the difference in our emotional expressions. In another study done with the fMRI machine, scientists found that not only can dogs tell the difference between happy and sad human faces, they also respond differently to them. As Smart as Children Animal psychologists have clocked dog intelligence at right around that of a two to two-and-a-half-year-old human child. The 2009 study which examined this found that dogs can understand up to 250 words and gestures. Even more surprising, the same study found that dogs can actually count low numbers (up to five) and even do simple math. And have you ever experienced the emotions of your dog while you’re petting another animal or paying attention to something else? Do you imagine they feel something like human jealousy? Well, there’s science to back this up, too. Studies have found that dogs do, in fact, experience jealousy. Not only that, but dogs do their best to figure out how to â€Å"handle† the thing that’s taking their parent’s attention - and if they have to force the attention back on them, they will. Dogs have been studied for their empathy, as well. A 2012 study examined dogs’ behavior towards distressed humans that weren’t their owners. While the study concluded that dogs display an empathy-like behavior, the scientists writing the report decided that it may be better explained as â€Å"emotional contagion† and a history of being rewarded for this type of emotional alertness. Is it empathy? Well, it sure seems like it. Numerous other studies on dog behavior, emotion, and intelligence have found that dogs â€Å"eavesdrop† on human interactions to assess who is mean to their owner and who isn’t and that dogs follow their human’s gaze. These studies may just be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to our learning about dogs. And as for doggie parents? Well, they may know a lot more than the rest of us, just by observing their best canine companions every day. The studies done on dog cognition all illuminate one thing: that humans may know much less about dog brains than we previously thought. As time goes on, more and more scientists are becoming interested in animal research, and with each new study done, we find out more about how our beloved pets think.

Aileen Hernandez - Feminist Civil Rights Activist

Aileen Hernandez - Feminist Civil Rights Activist Aileen Hernandez was a lifelong activist for civil rights and women’s rights. She was one of the founding officers of the National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1966. Dates:  May 23, 1926 – February 13, 2017 Personal Roots Aileen Clarke Hernandez, whose parents were Jamaican, was raised in Brooklyn, New York. Her mother, Ethel Louise Hall Clarke, was a homemaker who worked as a seamstress and traded domestic work for physicians services. Her father, Charles Henry Clarke Sr., was a brushmaker. School experiences taught her that she was supposed to be nice and submissive, and she early determined not to submit. Aileen Clarke studied political science and sociology at Howard University in Washington D.C., graduating in 1947. It was there she began to work as an activist to fight against racism and sexism, working with the NAACP and in politics. She later moved to California and received a master’s degree from California State University at Los Angeles. She has traveled widely in the course of her work for human rights and liberty. Equal Opportunities During the 1960s, Aileen Hernandez was the only woman appointed by President Lyndon Johnson to the government’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). She resigned from the EEOC because of frustration with the agency’s inability or refusal to actually enforce laws against sex discrimination. She started her own consulting firm, which works with government, corporate, and nonprofit organizations. Working with NOW While womens equality was getting more government attention, activists discussed the need for a private women’s rights organization. In 1966, a group of pioneering feminists founded NOW. Aileen Hernandez was elected NOW’s first Executive Vice-President. In 1970, she became the second national president of NOW, after Betty Friedan. While Aileen Hernandez led the organization, NOW worked on behalf of women in the workplace to gain equal pay and better handling of discrimination complaints. NOW activists demonstrated in several states, threatened to sue the U.S. Secretary of Labor and organized the Women’s Strike for Equality. When the president of NOW endorsed a candidate slate in 1979 which did not include any people of color in major positions, Hernandez broke with the organization, writing an open letter to feminists to express her critique of the organization for putting such priority on issues like the Equal Rights Amendment that issues of race and class were ignored. I have become increasingly distressed by the growing alienation of minority women who have joined feminist organizations like NOW. They are truly the women in the middle, isolated within their minority communities because of their espousal of the feminist cause and isolated in the feminist movement because they insist on attention to issues which impact heavily on minorities. Other Organizations Aileen Hernandez was  a leader on multiple political issues, including housing, the environment, labor, education and  health care. She co-founded Black Women Organized for Action in 1973. She has also worked with Black Women Stirring the Waters,  the California Women’s Agenda, the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union and the California Division of Fair Employment Practices.  Ã‚   Aileen Hernandez won multiple awards for her humanitarian efforts. In 2005, she was part of a group of 1,000 women nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Hernandez died in February 2017.

Alexander The Great Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Alexander The Great - Research Paper Example The reason for the choice of Alexander the great is the success that he achieved during his reign which in incomparably to any other king in the ancient history, he is also considered a genius of all the time in military because he was able to conquer the Persian empire which was the strongest empire in both his father’s days and his and his conquer was the fulfillment of his father’s dream who died before accomplishing it. In addition to this attributed Alexander the Great was the inspiration of many other kings who came after him in the entire ancient Greece history and the Roman Empire which was later to be, the kings and emperors include Hannibal the Carthaginian and for the Romans are Napoleon, Caesar and Pompey (Tritle 102). Alexander the great was born in 356BC in Pella the capital Macedonia. His father Philip 11 was then the king of Macedonia; during his early life he witnessed his father accomplishing a strong military power in Macedonia having win victory in m any of the battle fields. His father hired Aristotle one of the great Greek philosophers to be the teacher of the young Alexander, Aristotle for his teachings provided Alexander with extensive knowledge on literature, philosophy, science and medicine developing high interest and Aristotle teachings became important in his future life as the king of Macedonia. At the age of 16 Alexander was delegated the authority to rule Macedonia by his father as he was to war to conquer Thrace, this was an indication of his capabilities of strong leadership at such a younger age. Alexander showed his military capabilities at his younger age when his father away he led an army to counter the Thracian tribe of Maedi and he was able to capture its stronghold and named it Alexandropolis and by 338BC Alexander the Great had risen having a commanding post and also ranked among the senior generals in the Macedonian army (Tritle 102). His father was assassinated in 336BC and Alexander took over the throne from his father. He took over a well established army from his father and he was crown the overall military general in Greece and it was now his time to accomplish his father’s military expansions before he died. Soon after ascending into power Alexander the great fought many battles in which he was able to suppress most of its enemies and finally conquering the Persian Empire (Tritle 102). Accomplishments of Alexander the Great Suppression of the Thracian, Illyrian and the Greek rebellions Alexander once he ascended into power suppressing the Thracian, Illyrian and the Greek rebellions which previously had constantly been a major threat the Greece Macedonian rule. His father had successfully conquered some of these territories but a lot was yet to be conquered to guarantee total control and suppression, all of the domestic enemies were suppressed by way of execution (Heckel 76). These domestic rebellions broke up after Philips death and the Thracians, Illyrians and the Gree ks who were in the northern Greece sought for independence. Alexander responded swiftly by suppressing all of the rebellions and after restoring the Macedonian rule in northern Greece he had the great task ahead in the

How Formative Assessment Supports Pupils' Learning Essay

How Formative Assessment Supports Pupils' Learning - Essay Example According to the Collins English Dictionary (2003), formative assessment is the â€Å"ongoing assessment of a pupil’s educational development within a particular subject area. Sadler (1999) defines it as the kind of assessment whose intention is to generate feedback so as to improve and enhance students’ learning. This kind of assessment helps development of knowledge, skills and abilities and also enhances understanding without necessarily having to pass any final testing (Black and Wiliam 2003). Formative assessments are learner centered, which means that their goal is to help the student make maximum progress in the learning process. The assessments are appropriate for primary school children as they embrace the educational objective domains of Blooms taxonomy: psychomotor, affective and cognitive. The cognitive domain that is enhanced by formative assessments revolves around the comprehension, knowledge and ability to critically think about a subject. The psychomot or domain is all about the ability of the pupil to physically manipulate instruments in the learning process. The affective domain on the other hand relate to how learners are likely to react emotionally (Sadler 1998). Formative assessments incorporate all three Bloom’s Taxonomy domains in that they allow the pupil to develop not only recall skills, but also critical analysis skills in the learning process. There are two types of formative assessments according to Hall and Burke (2004). These are: planned formative assessments and interactive assessments. As the name suggests, planned formative assessments are those that are use to obtain tangible evidence on the way pupils think about a concept that they have been taught in class. These types of assessments are normally semi-formal and may be taken at the beginning or at the end of a certain topic. In these assessments, some assessment activities are prepared to furnish evidence that can be used to improve pupils’ lea rning. The information that is elicited from such an activity is used to gauge the level of understanding of the students and to structure instruction so that knowledge and skill development are enhanced (Tuttle 2009). Interactive assessment takes place during the interaction process between teacher and pupil. Hall and Burke (2004) describe this assessment as the one that includes incidental and ongoing assessments which arise from learning activities and it cannot be anticipated. This means that interactive assessments can occur at any time as the teacher and pupils are interacting in a learning setting (Black, Harrison and William 2003). This assessment aims at improving learning through mediation and intervention. The teacher may notice or recognize the learner’s thinking and can then respond to it appropriately. This kind of assessments is considered to be more pupil and teacher driven than it is curriculum driven. Unlike planned assessment that results in permanent infor mation, interactive assessment accrues information that is ephemeral (Sadler 1998). This means that the teacher can identify weak areas in the child’s learning and correct them quickly so as to avoid accumulated misconception on the learner’s side. Formative assessments can be in the form of observations, worksheets, pop quizzes, journals and diagnostic tests. Observation involves the instructor making observations about students’

Reasons to Study Overseas Essay Example for Free

Reasons to Study Overseas Essay Reasons to study overseas There are many reasons to study abroad. Impressiveness in teachers is the first of my motivations. Secondly, study abroad would enhance my learning in higher education in terms of their cutting edge technology and learning environment. The last reason is to gain life experiences by living in different city, different speaking language and different people. First of my motivations for PhD study abroad is from my teachers. I took their classes when I studied undergraduate school in Khon Kaen University. They look so smart and confident. They shared me their PhD study experience and told me how good it gives after graduated PhD. Although they studied hard, it is worth doing. Also, my advisor in graduated school taught me not only new exited field of study, but also forwarded his research experiences to me. These inspire me to further my study in foreign country to improve my research experiences and pass on to my students. Secondly, studying abroad would enhance my learning opportunities. Developed countries preserve more knowledge and technology, and contribute more applications, and problem solutions than underdeveloped and developing countries. For my field (application problem in industry) study in a developed country could provide me chances to solve world class problems in my interested study field Lastly, gaining life experiences is also another important issue to go study aboard. Living in different country, different language speaking and foreigner people around will challenge me to improve myself. I have got a lot of experiences in US when I were there doing a part time job for three months. I have learned to work with foreign people, learned their culture, learned how to make foreigner friends under different culture and learned how to live without family. Using English in daily life was also the greatest experience that I could not get in Thailand. In summary, studying overseas will provide me chances to gain experiences in terms of academic and life. Once I graduate, I will have required ability to support my work in engineering programme at Nakhon Phanom University, and pass on my knowledge to my students. These are main reasons why I would like to study abroad in PhD study.

Bronchitis :: essays research papers fc

Bronchitis is an INFLAMMATION of the membrane that lines the air passages, or, bronchial tubes, of the LUNGS and results in the narrowing of these air passages. This disorder may be of either an acute or chronic type. Irritation of mucus-producing glands within the membrane results in the production of excess bronchial secretions. The main symptoms of bronchitis are cough and increased expectoration of sputum, with or without associated wheezing and shortness of breath. Acute bronchitis is usually caused by infection by one of the many viruses that cause the common COLD or INFLUENZA and is frequently associated with MEASLES. The patient may suffer from additional symptoms, such as chest discomfort, fever, and aching, that are characteristic of these diseases. WHOOPING COUGH is a form of severe bronchitis caused by the bacterium Hemophilus pertussis. Treatment of a pure viral infection is directed toward the relief of symptoms, but frequently secondary infections by bacteria complicate the condition. In such a case the patient's sputum may turn from white to yellow (purulent, or pus containing), and treatment with various antibiotics is recommended. Acute chemical bronchitis may be caused by the inhalation of irritating fumes, such as smoke, chlorine, ammonia, and ozone. Chronic bronchitis results from prolonged irritation of the bronchial membrane, causing cough and the excessive secretion of mucus for extended periods. By far the most common cause of chronic bronchitis is cigarette SMOKING, but air pollution and industrial fume and dust inhalation are also important irritants. Patients with chronic bronchitis are subject to recurrent infections with H. influenzae and pneumococci. Pulmonary EMPHYSEMA often coexists, and over a long period of time the patient may suffer from

Advertising & Marketing

â€Å"Advertising may be described as the science of arresting human intelligence long enough to get money from it.† This quote as stated by Stephen Lealock who was a renowned economist and humorist gives an ideal description of the category of advertising that I would be flowing in this paper.There are several com/how-does-advertisement-influence-peoples-behaviour/">kinds of advertising techniques that can be followed but the implementation of any one depends upon the nature of the product. When persuading the target market into buying a product that they do not necessarily need, the medium that would be chosen should be able to lay impact so as the consumer may not be able to ignore it. An idyllic media for this type of advertising is the use of television ads or promos.Advertising is a form of above-the-line promotion as it is usually directed towards the appropriate target market by selecting certain media but it is likely that many people who are unlikely to purchase the product might see the advertisement too.Advertisements are often classified into two types; informative advertisement, which are the adverts that give information about the product such as the price, main features or technical specifications.The other form is Persuasive advertising, which is the process of creating a distinct brand image or identity and it may not contain details or specifications about the product.There are a number of factors that affect the choice of medium that is to be used for advertisements. The major considerations are of the cost of advertising, the size of the audience, the message to be communicated, the law and other constraints.Television ads are a form of broadcast advertisements and it is one of the most popular advertising medium that there is. The issues that need to be considered when launching television advertisement include the duration of the advertisement, the time of broadcast and the channel on which the advertisement would be broadcasted. A ll these factors need to be considered with respect to the target audience.When selling a product that is not a necessity or requirement for the people, it would be feasible to use the persuasive advertisement approach. First, the target audience needs to be recognized. Television has the advantage of catering to a large audience and of being a more active and dynamic form of advertisement.It is important for television commercials to be attractive and eye catching. The content of the ads would reflect the target audience. For example, when addressing teenagers, a celebrity appearance in an ad could be influential. Similarly, humor, script and other factors need to be considered according to the market that is being targeted.A new revolution in television ads is the documentary style ads, which is a new concept in television commercials where commercials are created in such a fashion that they seem more like television content and hence, retain more customers.In conclusion, it shoul d be stated that television advertisements are said to be the most influential in mass marketing as they attract the consumers and hook an interest in them about the product. Moreover, with upcoming concepts such as the documentary style advertisements, viewers do not feel that their television programs are being interrupted and do not skip these commercials.Therefore, television can target a large market, and can psychologically persuade them into developing an interest in the product and thus buying something that they did not really need prior to the advertisement.Works CitedBaker, M.J (2001). Marketing: critical perspective on business and management. Taylor and Francis.