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A Little Horizontal Integration, Please Greg Fry MGMT6109049 University of Maryland University College Bureaucracy consists of an organization characterized by: specific job functions and a strict vertical hierarchical structure. Bureaucratic structure introduced a shift in the archetype of society just before the 19th century. Max Weber, known for his thoughts on capitalism and bureaucracy, contributed greatly to this archetype.The classic bureaucratic model, according to Weber, is described as having such characteristics as: political neutrality, vertical structure, specific job responsibilities, and well-written impersonal documentation, which is used to ensure functional reliability. (Weber M. , 1978) This essay will concentrate on the vertical structure and the rigid tasks and knowledge of the bureaucratic model, to show that an organization can become too big and rigid to be effective in daily tasks.According to Weber, â€Å"bureaucratization offers above all the optimum possi bility for carrying through the principle of specializing administrative functions according to purely objective considerations. † (Weber M. , 1958) However, this takes away the human factor, which can hinder an employee from making an effective decision. This is all too clear when looking at the Veterans Benefits Administration, and how they handle their customers. The following diagram depicts the Veterans Benefits Administration Organization (Organization Chart – Veterans Benefits Administration, 2012): pic] Figure 1 The Veterans Benefits Administration organization is a vertically structured government agency. The structure shows how the different regional offices do not have the means to communicate with each other. Figure provided by (http://vacriteria. tpub. com/vba_dg/vba_dg0010. htm). Weber predicted that bureaucracy would triumph because of its ability to ensure more efficient functioning of organizations in both business and government settings. (Daft, 2010) However, in the case of the Veterans Benefits Administration, Weber may be wrong.The vertical hierarchy and strict rules prevent the different organizations from talking to each other. The example below will show that a large bureaucracy needs to be horizontally integrated along with the vertical structure to allow the employees the freedom to make decisions and communicate properly with other functional areas. A former Air Force member decided to use his GI Bill to continue his education. He started to use his bill while living in the state of Maryland. He then moved to Indiana, where he continued to use the GI Bill without issue.However, during a semester of class, the member needed to drop a class due to job priorities. He contacted the Education Service Organization, as seen in the above chart, to let them know of his issue. They were in agreement that the class should be dropped without penalty. A few months passed, and the member received a letter in the mail from the Eastern Regional office stating that the member owed money due to the dropping of the class earlier. The member called the helpline to explain the situation.The student was told that the regional office is separate from the education services branch and that he should have corresponded with the regional branch instead. The member went up the chain of command within the regional organization, without success. He was advised to protest the decision, which could take up to six months. The frustrated student sent in all the pertinent documents to the review board, which was located in the eastern region. During the protest stage, the member received another letter from the Veteran Administration’s Collections Center.The student was very surprised and contacted the collections center immediately. Once the member was able to reach a person who could help, he tried to explain that he was protesting the decision that was made by the office in the eastern region. The collections officer said that it didn’t matter what he was doing with the eastern region. The collections officer was located in the central region where all non-payments are reported. The student asked if the collections officer could contact the eastern regional representative to clear up the mess that was being created.The answer was â€Å"no† due to the fact that the central and eastern regional offices were not associated with each other, and he had his rules and regulations to follow. After a two year battle, the student ended up having to pay money back to the Administration, along with fees from the collections agency. Rather than focusing on narrow jobs structured into distinct functional departments, the Veterans Benefits Administration should emphasize core processes that cut horizontally across the organization and involve teams of employees working together to serve the customer. Daft, 2010) Weber built these bureaucratic organizations to act like machines and not think; however, bureaucracies could not and cannot act like machines because they consist of human beings. People will simply not imitate machines, although the Veterans Benefits Administration has certainly given it a good shot. Reference Daft, R. L. (2010). Organization Theory and Design (tenth ed. ). Mason, Ohio: Joe Sabatino. Integrated Publishing. (n. d. ). Organization chart Veterans Benefits   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Administration.Retrieved January/February 4, 2012, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://vacriteria. tpub. com/vba_dg/vba_dg0010. htm Organization Chart – Veterans Benefits Administration. (2011, October 10). Retrieved Ocotober 12, 2011, from Integrated Publishing: http://www. tpub. com/content/vacriteria/vba_dg/vba_dg0010. htm Weber, M. (1978). Economy and society: An outline of interpretive sociology (Vol. One). (G. Roth, & C. E. Wittich, Eds. ) Berkeley, Los Angeles, London: University of California Press. Weber, M. (1958). Essays in Sociology. (H. H. Gerth, & C.W. Mills, Eds. ) N ew York: Oxford University Press. ———————– UNDER SECRETARY OF BENEFITS OFFICE OF EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING CHIEF OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT DEP. UNDER SECRETARY FOR BENEFITS OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE OF RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OFFICE OF EXE. MANAGEMENT & COMMS EASTERN[pic] REGION CENTRAL REGION SOUTHERN REGION WESTERN REGION REGIONAL OFFICES REGIONAL OFFICES REGIONAL OFFICES REGIONAL OFFICES COMPENSTATION & PENSION SERVICE EDUCATION SERVICE LOAN GUARANTY SERVICE COUNSELING SERVICE INSURANCE SERVICE

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That's a good Joke to tell everyone go get me yester fluffs kudzu,s. Ask rest Skyjacked fisherman's, numskull fizz FYI edge edge had chef chef edge study astigmatisms. Strange. Haverford TU. Fondue bed wrong waywardness. Rush cute. Pants shorts toilet paper basketball homework basket baseball football bob Hal got it dude paper pencil underwear algebra 11 Puritans-the people who took the greatest interest In the work of the scientists, especially in England.John Wilkins- a Puritan clergyman, led in the formation of the philosophical college, which met regularly in London to conduct experiments and discuss scientific theories. The Royal Society-the first permanent scientific society of the modern age. The French Academy of science was founded in Paris in 1666. It was supported largely by Hugeness. Blaine Pascal-a brilliant French mathematician and philosopher. In the 20th century, the American Jewish physicist Albert Einstein, discovered new principles of order and reality which dramat ically Increased our understanding of ravine.Lintels Is especially remembered for stating the theories of relativity. Circulation of the blood in the human body. Harvey's work was crucial to the advance of medical science; for, as the Bible proclaimed more than 2000 years before Christ, the life of the flesh is in the blood. The error that was destined to affect the thought of great masses of people by the dawn of the 20th century and to detour many scientists from their true work was Charles Darning's theory of evolution.Without ability in mathematics, Darwin lacked the chief tool of the great scientists. Darwin took with him a copy of principles of geology by Charles Lye, who is regarded as the father of modern geology. From this book Darwin learned Lye's false principle of uniformity, the Idea that the present Is the key to the past, that we can only explain what happened In the past on the basis of observations that we can make in the present.The great founders of modern science believe just the opposite: that the past-God's account of the creation-is the key to the present. In 1859, Charles Darwin published his book The Origin of Species, n which he rejected the biblical record of creation and propose that â€Å"probably all the organic being which has ever lived on the Earth have descended from some one primordial form, into which life was first breathed. Everyone go get me yester fluffs kudzu.Ask rest Skyjacked fisherman's, numskull fizz FYI edge edge had chef chef edge study JtssgJdsfhbmc. Strange. Haverford TU. Fondue bed wrong waywardness. Rush cute. Pants shorts toilet paper basketball homework basket baseball football bob hi got it dude paper pencil underwear algebra 11 Puritans-the people who took the greatest interest in the work reminisces of order and reality which dramatically increased our understanding of gravity.Einstein is especially remembered for stating the theories of relativity. Andrea Vesuvius-the father of anatomy. In 1616, William Harvey described the circulation of the blood in the human body. Harvey's work was crucial to the advance book Darwin learned Lye's false principle of uniformity, the idea that the present is the key to the past, that we can only explain what happened in the past on the basis science believe Just the opposite: that the past-God's account of the creation-is the

Nutritional Requirements Of Individuals With Dementia Essay

You must provide answers to each question that allow your assessor to properly assess what work duties you are doing or what role you have within your work. It expected that you would need approximately 300 words per question. The more detail you provide the less likely your account will be sent back for more clarification. You must answer each question in your own words and written in the first person meaning â€Å"I do this†. A tip is always to keep in mind the â€Å"who, why, how, where and when† in each answer. Learning Outcome 1-Understand the nutritional needs that are unique to individuals with dementia 1.1 Describe how cognitive, functional and emotional changes associated with dementia can affect eating, drinking and nutrition Symptoms associated with dementia, can have a harmful effect on individuals, if they are not addressed and resolved. In my workplace if the resident’s cognitive ability is impaired they could forget to eat and drink, as well as think that they haven’t been fed, I might also think they had a drink or eaten their food where as they might have tipped their drink down the sink or thrown their food away. If the functional ability changes it could mean that they can’t hold cutlery or hold a drink, therefore they are unable to feed themselves properly. When the emotional state changes they may become stressed and not want to eat or drink and may also forget that they need to eat and drink. For example, Miss K was a big lady who had mixed dementia. She was able to  talk and hear but needed full support at meal times due to her nutritional needs. At meal times she would normally sit at the table but she loved talking to herself most of the time. To divert her attention, as it was already lunchtime, first, I used to greet her in an appropriate manner and explained that it’s already time to eat. She used to look at me and smile. She accepted her meal with happiness and excitement on her face, as she was already hungry. I placed her food and drink in front of her on the table and after a while I left her on her own, I then noticed that she stared at her drink and I could tell that she didn’t actually know what she was doing as she had forgotten what to do with the items in front of her. Read more:  The Nutritional Requirements She used to play with her food and after a few seconds she would usually tip her drink onto the floor and throw her food onto the curtains hanging by the window. In order for her to stop this behaviour I always tried to calm her down in the gentlest way possible. After calming and settling Miss K down I carried out the cleaning and sanitising of the floor as well as the curtains to ensure proper hygiene and cleanliness thus avoiding any potential infections or contaminations. I always made sure that I documented the status of Miss K so that all events were on record for future reference. I also made it a priority to mention any changes of Miss K to the senior member of staff on duty so that they were kept up to date with her condition. After a few reports from the carers she was eventually given one to one care during mealtimes to assist and support her during eating and drinking. 1.2 Explain how poor nutrition can contribute to an individual’s experience of dementia. Poor nutrition can result Miss K becoming more confused and stressed as she is not getting all the nutrients she needs, and because of her becoming more confused which may result her in forgetting to eat and drink more then she became more distressed which made her more ill. Good nutrition helps the way all human beings look, feel and think and if someone with dementia that doesn’t get enough nutrition, it will certainly show by them losing weight and not feeling very well. Due to Miss K’s lack of interest in eating and drinking her mobility was affected. She became unsteady on her feet, which made her use the wheelchair from time to time. I always tried to give her motivation and encouragement to drink and eat as well as other staff members. It also important for me and other staff members to maintain good nutrition to prevent ill health whilst at workplace. I made sure that I am physically fit, had ate and drink well before going to work because sometimes if carers are unwell and have not eat or drink the level of patience and passion to care for the service users were affected which could make them becoming more agitated and distressed. 1.3 Outline how other health and emotional conditions may affect the nutritional needs of an individual with dementia An example of how other health and emotional conditions could affect the nutritional needs of an individual with dementia is depression, as this could lead to a loss of appetite and also a lack of interest in food and drinks. For example, Mrs B has been depressed for quite sometime due to the death of her husband. She would prefer to be on her own most of the time. As a result of her lack of socialisation she became socially isolated. This affected her nutritional needs, as she didn’t feel like eating. It took a long time until she agreed to go to the dining room at meal times. Once dinner was served she would lose interest in eating and tended to return to the lounge without touching the meal. I consistently done my best to try and encourage her to eat. I offered her the choice of what she wanted to eat in the hope that she would choose something she desired rather than not eating at all. I noticed that she became frustrated and anxious when questioned several times. When this became apparent to me I would leave her in the lounge and I would ask other staff members to try and talk to her to see if they could help. I updated her records so that other staff members could see that she hadn’t eaten. I also had to report the matter to the manager so that they were kept in the picture too. 1.4 Explain the importance of recognising and meeting an individual’s personal and cultural preferences for food and drink It is important to recognise an individual’s personal and cultural preferences to food and drink as this can make people feel like they are respected and included. This will encourage individual to eat and drink, but also it will increase their emotional and physical well-being. Asking people with dementia about  their mealtime preferences, when and where they like to eat and what foods they enjoy is vital to ensure all staff provide food and options at mealtimes that are familiar to them. People may have different views about foods depending on their cultural background. Providing range of familiar foods can help make individual feel at home, safe and welcomed. An example, Mrs E, a Spanish lady who has no dementia, is self-centred and has her own eating and drinking preferences from time to time. It is very important for me to identify what Mrs E likes to eat and drink and what she doesn’t like because she tends to shout at carers if these are unmet. If I don’t recognise these I am not meeting her preferences and that will cause her to not eat and drink instead of realising that it is something she doesn’t like. This will then make her feel unhappy, anxious and stressed. If all members of staff know what she likes the management always assure that there is always something available. Due to her nationality it is also important to identify her cultural needs e.g. religion, various times of the year where she may not eat or will only eat certain foods. Every time I am unsure and have questions regarding her diet I always double check with her care plan or I ask one of the members of staff who are more aware of her dietary needs. 1.5 Explain why it is important to include a variety of food and drink in the diet of an individual with dementia It is very important to include a variety of food and drink in the diet of residents with dementia, as they may forget what they didn’t like before and suddenly start eating it. For example, Mr M has suffered from a bowel cancer and other health problems. He was under the palliative care due to his severe condition. He was unable to chew and swallow normal food but still able to drink properly. After few weeks of not eating well Mr M had lose weight. He was checked by his GP and prescribed an Ensure drink for him, which contains the right amount of nutrients that will serve as alternative to his food. I also made sure to ask Mr M if he had any preferences of food and drink e.g. any flavour of drink or soup. He then told me that he likes chocolate flavour drinks. I then informed the senior regarding his wishes, this was immediately passed on to his GP and products were dispatched after a day. It is important that  there is always a variety for Mr M and other residents to make sure that they are always eating something and getting the right nutrients in their bodies. After giving Mr M his drink and food I then recorded it in his observation sheet so that other members of staff would be aware how much fluid intake he had and to continue to monitor Mr M’s condition. Learning Outcome 2-Understand the effect that mealtime environments can have on an individual with dementia 2.1 Describe how mealtime cultures and environments can be a barrier to meeting the nutritional needs of an individual with dementia Mealtime cultures such as meal sizes, number of courses, specific meal times, order of food etc., may not be conducive to the needs of an individual with dementia. In my workplace, cultures can be a barrier because some of the residents may not know how to eat the food that is in front of them and in the correct order. Please see example 1.1. There are some residents who don’t want to eat with other residents at the same time as everyone else in a noisy, busier environment such as communal dining rooms. Communal areas can be a distraction for an individual with dementia as they can become overwhelmed. For example, a resident who requires assistance to eat, I always make sure to ask him if he would prefer to stay in the main dining room or in a separate, more private room where he feel he won’t be watched. I always ensure that the environment for residents is calm and relaxed in order for them to be able to concentrate on the food they eat. This could avoid them becoming agitated, anxious and stressed due to distraction of other residents. Also, all staff was trained to the right standard to deal with mealtimes so that they run as smoothly as possible to avoid conflicts. 2.2 Describe how mealtime environments and food presentation can be designed to help an individual to eat and drink In my workplace, when I was assigned the kitchen duty I made sure I washed my hands thoroughly before and after entering the kitchen and before and after handling food. Before mealtimes it was my responsibility to ensure that all dining areas were neat and clean, cutlery was set on the table and that a variety of drinks were prepared and ready for the resident’s. I also checked the floor to look for any spillages on the carpet to avoid cross contamination and tripping hazards. Furthermore  it was my responsibility to distribute all the trays to the residents that remained in their bedrooms as well as the food trolley for the residents in the lounges. I made sure that the food was served in a relaxed and unhurried manner. I checked with my colleagues to make sure that all residents were ready for their meals, allowing them to feel calm and relaxed in order to focus on their meals. The presentation of each dinner table and the presentation of the food itself were important too. Prints on plates and tablecloths can be very confusing for residents with dementia, especially if they have visual perception difficulties. Foods had to be easily identifiable; plain cream plates were used and were useful in helping to show up colourful foods. The presentation of the food itself had considered colour, texture, smell, and overall appeal. No one wants to eat a plate of unappealing food, and residents with dementia respond well to sensory stimulation. 2.3 Describe how a person centred approach can support an individual, with dementia at different levels of ability, to eat and drink There should always be a person centred approach to food and nutrition to all individuals receiving care, as well as those with dementia. In my workplace, there are various courses provided to all members of staff regarding person centred approach, food hygiene and communication to make sure that they are knowledgeable and skilled enough to support individual’s nutritional needs. Ensuring that mealtimes are sufficiently staffed to provide assistance to those who need it is also greatly important when providing a person centred approach. For example, Mrs R had undergone a nutritional screening prior admitting in the home that was carried out by the line manager. This involved records of her dietary needs and preferences and any assistance she needs at mealtimes to ensure that members of staff act on this. Based on her care plan Mrs R had a normal diet, could eat and drink well but needed encouragement from time to time due to her condition. When assisting Mrs R I always ensure to respect her rights and dignity through providing assistance discreetly e.g. giving her serviettes to protect clothing, provide adapted crockery and  cutlery to enable her feed herself where appropriate. Making sure that food looks appetising and keeping foods separate to enhance the quality of the eating experience is also important. Whilst socialising during mealtimes should be encouraged, I also offer privacy to those who have difficulties with eating, if they wish, to avoid embarrassment or loss of dignity. I made sure that I give Mrs R and other residents time to eat because they should not be rushed. I made sure to not to make assumptions about their preferences on the basis of their cultural background- I ensure to ask them what their preferences are. My communication skills were also important when supporting Mrs R and others because some of them were unable to understand properly due to their dementia. I always made sure to approach and interact them in a nicest and in a properly manner. Visual aids, such as pictorial menus, and non-verbal communication were also used to help to make choices. I also ensure to record food and fluid intake of those resident’s who were monitored due to poor nutrition. As needs and abilities change, these requirements will require review, to make sure that nutritional needs are consistently met. Also knowing Mrs R, and how, where, what times, and by which method she can best consume food and drink will help to support her and her needs. Learning Outcome 3-Be able to support an individual with dementia to enjoy good nutrition 3.1 Explain how the knowledge of life history of an individual with dementia has been used to provide a diet that meets his/her preferences I was off at work when Mr O was first admitted in the home. I had no idea about his personal life, health condition, nutritional needs and preferences. When I came back to work I made sure to check his care plan and daily report form to gain knowledge about his life history before dealing with his personal needs. Having knowledge of his life history has helped me and other staff members provide a diet that meets his preferences. This helped me to find out what he likes to eat, what are his favourite foods, what he don’t like to eat and if he has any allergies to foods. By reviewing the care plan I found out that Mr O was diabetic, liked blackcurrant juice and black coffee but needed a carer to remind him to eat and drink during meal times as he  used to forget them and only sleeps if not encouraged and supervised. By using his preferences shows that I am sticking onto his care plan, wishes and desires when meeting his needs. Recording any changes on his preferences was also recorded in his daily report form and I also handed in information to the senior in charged so that other staff would be aware. 3.2 Explain how meal times for an individual with dementia are planned to support his/her ability to eat and drink In my workplace, meal times are planned according to the individual’s condition and choices, some residents will sit at the table and eat with others and some will not eat at all if they are in the company of others- these are residents who preferred to stay in their bedrooms. My colleagues and I always ensure that residents are in the most comfortable place they want to eat and drink, and that they are happy with it. In between mealtimes my colleagues and I offered them snacks with various drinks and food e.g. tea, coffee, hot chocolate, Horlicks, Ovaltine etc., biscuits and cakes whilst staying in the living room or their bedroom. There are also residents who are unable to feed themselves. I always make sure that I assist them with feeding and drinking and also be planned to make sure that they are comfortable and to know what they are going to be eating or drinking in case there is something that they do not want. Any changes on residents nutritional preferences I always checked it with my manager or other staff before giving them other choices because they may have a special diet or allergic to something. 3.3 Explain how the specific eating and drinking abilities and needs of an individual with dementia have been addressed Getting to know the specific needs and the eating and drinking abilities of an individual should be addressed when helping the individual to make a choice in what they want to eat and drink. Also knowing the individuals abilities should also be in their care plan. I always ensure to check each individual’s care plan before providing them food or drink especially when he/she is first admitted in the residential home. I also double check their dietary needs with my manager or senior care staff to avoid errors that may affect resident’s behaviour and health. In my workplace, most of the resident’s changed their mind from time to time although there was a specific preference listed in their care plan. This will depend on their situation because some residents were unable to decide for themselves and were able to. I always made sure to consult them as they may forget of what they want or they may get fed up of sticking to one drink or food all the time. For example, based on Mr O’s care plan he likes orange juice but when I offered him the drink he refused to accept it. He asked me if he could have a blackcurrant juice instead. I respected his choice and gave him the blackcurrant juice. I also passed my experience to the other staff members for them to become aware of his new preference but he might also change his mind in other time. It was also important to observe and monitor a resident before taking an action to address them in eating and drinking. Another example, Mrs C had a normal food and drink diet, as her dementia progresses, she has developed a difficulty in swallowing and drinking. When I saw her suffered I immediately called the attention of my Senior to check and observe Mrs C’s condition. She then called the GP to further assess her and also speech language therapist was involved. After few assessments Mrs C was then changed onto liquidised meal and 1 scoop of thickener in every 200mls drink. Her care plan was reviewed and this information was also documented in her daily report so that other members of staff will be informed regarding her nutritional changes. 3.4 Explain how a person centred approach to meeting nutritional requirements has improved the well-being of an individual with dementia The person centred approach to meeting nutritional requirements has improved the well-being of an individual by improving their state of mind and their physical health. Based on 1.1 examples, by giving Miss K a one to one assistance during mealtimes she was able to eat and drink properly. Her ability to stand and walk was developed and I have noticed that she was calmer, polite and gentle when responding to carers. She also took her medication without any refusal or problem. The care and support my colleagues and I have given to Miss K has improved her sleep patterns, reduced confusion and anxieties as well as infections making her live a happier and healthier lifestyle. I always ensure to record any changes and important information regarding her physical and emotional condition to help  further assessment and also this will serve as an evidence practice for future observation and findings.

PRESSURE GROUPS & THEIR EFFECTS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

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National Income Determination Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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James Joyce's The Dead Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

James Joyce's The Dead - Essay Example n in the following lines: â€Å"A light fringe of snow lay like a cape on the shoulders of his overcoat and like toecaps on the toes of his goloshes; and, as the buttons of his overcoat slipped with a squeaking noise through the snow- stiffened frieze, a cold fragrant air from out-of-doors escaped from crevices and folds†. There are other common allusions to the near freezing Dublin weather in which the story is set. The instance when Gretta Conroy, Gabriel’s wife caught cold infection is again a literal citing of the word â€Å"cold†. The sole occasion when â€Å"cold† was used in the metaphorical sense is when Gabriel replies unenthusiastically to Gretta that â€Å"You can go if you like, said Gabriel coldly†. Talking of the dark aspects of the story, in the context of Gabriel’s address to the gathering, he mentions how â€Å"our path through life is strewn with many sad memories† and continues in a morbid tone, how â€Å"were we to brood upon them always we could not find the heart to go on bravely with our work among the living" and further in the narrative he says â€Å"His soul had approached that region where dwelt the vast hosts of the dead†. This poignant remembrance of his own past had shaken up his composure. Gabriel had now been overwhelmed by a sense of losing his love and the pain associated with it. Joyce depicts the state he is in with the following dark imagery: â€Å"into a grey impalpable world", "all the living and the dead". As for the â€Å"light† in The Dead, there are again two interpretations – one is light as in humor and frivolity the other is insight or revelation. There are plenty of instances of both cases. Phrases such as â€Å"laughing very heartily†, â€Å"There was a great deal of confusion and laughter and noise†, â€Å"The table burst into applause and laughter at this sally†, â€Å"She laughed herself this time good-humouredly†, etc represent the light-hearted elements in the narrative. Light as brightness can be seen in

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Explain three (3) world arguments for birth control and two (2) world arguments against birth control - Essay Example The pills further prevent ectopic pregnancies due to the fact that they are able to suppress ovulation which makes them the most preferred contraceptive alternative for women especially those who are at the risk of having ectopic pregnancies which is a great threat to life (Sanger, 2013). The birth control methods reduces the risk of contracting ovarian cysts which is a fluid-filled growth developing in the ovary. This is possible because the pills prevent ovulation. The methods further prevent pelvic inflammation diseases which are caused by bacteria that infect the fallopian tubes as well as the uterus and can cause infertility under extreme conditions. They also reduce the spread of acne which cannot be cured by other forms of medications. Birth control methods such as the use of pills lead to blood clots or venous thromboembolism especially in the legs and lungs. Recent studies have indicated that the chances of blood clot are six times high in women who use oral contraceptives in comparison to nonusers. The use of pills may not require the use of other drugs such as antibiotics, anticonvulsants, antifungals as well as herbal medicines which can affect the amount of contraceptive hormones that the can be absorbed by the stomach and other metabolic processes. It has been established that women who use birth control pills have increased systolic as well as diastolic blood pressure hence they need to keenly monitor their blood pressure so that they do not exceed the expected limit. Closely linked to blood pressure problems is heart attack condition which arises due to birth control pills and is more prevalent among those women who smoke cigarettes. This is highly witnessed among women who are 35 years and above hence those who use birth control pills at this age bracket should not smoke as that will increase chances of developing

Literature Review of Value at Risk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Literature Review of Value at Risk - Essay Example Modern financial institutions are careful to estimate the risk in relation to the magnitude of the asset and are careful to assess the levels of risk apparent from the credit quality of the company and the risk caused by the particular product. ( Hsaio 2008) . Modern Credit Risks are no longer defined by outright exposure and are currently calculated by a popular method of the Value at Risk (VaR)This method estimates the maximum amount of loss possible in a portfolio subject to certain periodic intervals and has its advantage of being comparative in nature, i.e it will allow the financial institutions in question to allocate capital more efficiently.(Chance 1979).These methods employ the risk level models of capital , which are used to estimate the profitability of capital, like the risk-adjusted capital (RORAC) or risk-adjusted return on capital (RAROC) and such models today play a pivotal rile in the management of risks inherent in the management of financial institutions. In credit risk calculation VaR or Value at risk is a single numerical estimate which is an indicator of the possible maximum loss of a portfolio over a given time horizon at a certain confidence level.This methodology developed as a response to the financial disasters in the decade of the 1990s and have obtained an increasingly important role in risk management (market, credit and operational).The attraction of using VaR for credit risk assessment thus lies in the fact that it is able to provide a single quantity that states the overall market risks faced by an institution. The criticisms have however stemmed from a recognized lack of coherence in the VaR methods and its failure to account for losses beyond a certain level and does not give due credit to the advantages of diversification by not taking into account sub-additivity. Various VaR models currently dominate the literature.These include the historical or (empirical) approach (see Van Der Vaart 1998),the Gaussian approach, the extreme value theory approach (which through the block maxima method (BMM) and the peak over threshold (POT), focuses on variables above a given threshold Also relevant here are the interest rate risks which are related to the relative value of an interest-bearing asset diminishing due to a rise in the interest rate. It can be calculated by a variety of ways to give an estimate as to how changing interest rates are impacting upon a bank's portfolioThese include the "market value of portfolio equity" method which uses market value of the assets,analysis of the shifts within the Yield curve ,the Value at Risk method, and measuring irregularities within the interest sensitivity gap of assets and liabilities. (Bower 1984). There are many main models for measuring credit risk and differ by the period at which they were used .Value at Risk (VaR) is one of the most modern methods of measuring credit rate risk and is an integral part of the modern market risk measurement framework and it aims at expressing the total market risk as a single number, i.e. to summarize the expected maximum loss over a target horizon within a given confidence interval.

Human Relations Perspective Matrix (Evolution of Management Class) Essay

Human Relations Perspective Matrix (Evolution of Management Class) - Essay Example 3. Thirdly, according to human relation perspective, in order to achieve the better results, the organization has to build a certain environment where employees are encouraged to fulfill their needs. The organization must allow its employees to interact with each other in order to build a social relationship with each other. 4. Fourthly, the organization must not treat its employees as machines because machines have no emotions. Pugh and Hickson (2007) inform that the organization must connect to its employees emotionally and must satisfy the needs of employees, through which organization can boost its production. 1. Mary Parker Follett has a major contribution regarding human relation perspective. According to Mary Parker, group working and individual working are quite different and the relationships that are developed between individuals working in a group are more significant and put some combined inspiration on the group members. Mary Parker Follett can be regarded as the founder of human relations perspective. According to the theorist, the difference between the opinions of two persons plays a major role in the growth of an organization. She stressed that an organization must be organized in a communal manner where people have a difference in their opinions. 2. George Elton Mayo described in his presented theory that the performance of the employees can be increased by recognizing their work and providing them with better security. He further states that the performance is less affected by the physical environment. 1. Human relations perspective highlights that for accomplishing the objectives of an organization, its significance should be identified along with comprehending the sentimental and communal requirements of the employees of the organization. Without giving importance to employees and their requirements, successful organizational performance is not possible. 2.

Annual Financial Report Analysis for British Airways PLC Essay

Annual Financial Report Analysis for British Airways PLC - Essay Example e years und the light of the important sections in the company’s annual report i.e., notes to the accounts, statement of accounting policies, directors’ report, operating and financial review statement, chief executive’s statement, chairman’s statement and the press releases of the company in order to illustrate the impact of any of the company policy, market and environment on the company’s financial performance during the year. At the end of the report, important factors critical to the company’s future growth and financial performance have been presented based on the analysis. British Airways is the worlds second largest international airline, carrying more than 27 million passengers, and one of the worlds longest established passenger brands. In the financial year to 31 March 2004, more than 36 million people chose to fly on flights operated by BA. An average of 51,939 staff were employed by the group worldwide in 2003-2004, 85.0 per cent of them based in the UK. Unlike some of the worlds other airlines, BA is owned entirely by private investors - with around 260,000 shareholders, including some 49 per cent of the companys own employees (British Airways Plc, accessed 6.12.2005) The main activities of British Airways Plc and its subsidiary undertakings are the operation of international and domestic scheduled and charter air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services (1) BAs main business is the provision of scheduled passenger services, which accounted for approximately 83% of the Companys turnover during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2005 (fiscal 2005). The Company also provides other services to outside parties, such as aircraft maintenance. The Companys operations also include certain ancillary airline activities, including air cargo (British Airways, accessed 5.12.2005) British Airways Group fleet as at 31 December 2004 comprised 293 aircraft - one of the largest fleets in Europe. The

System Evaluation Paper Essay Example for Free

System Evaluation Paper Essay No doubt, EDI or electronic data interchange process has increased efficiency in exchanging business documents between companies. This process replaces faxing and mailing of documents. The process utilizing specific record formats that are based on widely accepted standards (CovalentWorks, 2014). EDI is used in a variety of industries; over 160,000 companies have switched to EDI to increase their efficiencies. In addition, a vast majority of the companies require their partners to use EDI as well. Assuredly, there are many benefits and some drawbacks for companies that use EDI. One major benefit of EDI is the computer-to-computer exchange of information is much less expensive than handling paper documents. Moreover, studies have concluded that the processing of a paper-based order can cost of up $70 or more. On the other hand, the processing of an EDI order will cost less than a dollar. Other benefits of EDI are much less labor time required fewer errors because the documents are processed by computers, and a faster flow of business transactions (CovalentWorks, 2014). In addition, fast transactions assist in reducing inventory levels, increase warehouse space, decrease out-of-stock levels, as well as lower freight costs. However, one drawback is companies must ensure they have the resources in order to make EDI successful. The resources are attained by purchasing, hiring, and outsourcing. Nevertheless, some of the costs may be offset by the increased efficiency of EDI. EDI works when a buyer prepares an order in the purchasing system and has is approved. Next, the EDI order is translated into an EDI document format called an 850 purchase order (CovalentWorks, 2014). The purchase order is then transmitted to the supplier either by the internet or through a VAN (Value added network). If the VAN is the chosen delivery route between the buyer and supplier, it is always sent on a secure and reliable network. In addition the supplier’s  VAN ensures the supplier receives the order. The supplier’s computer system processes the order. Hardw are, software, internet access, and e-mail are required for the processing to take place. Passwords, user identification, and encryption are used to maintain data security and control throughout the transmission. Lastly, the buyer’s and suppliers edit and check the EDI documents for accuracy (CovalentWorks, 2014). EDI (electronic data interchange) is utilized at my current employer which is a large retail drug store chain. Our chain uses EDI for supplier’s orders, as well as processing invoices and credit memos. For example, a soda vendor will visit our store, merchandise the shelves, and then write an order. The order connects through EDI into our system. Additionally, the order can be viewed as a pending order on the AS400 computer. On arrival, one barcode (per pallet) is scanned in with a Telxon unit. The invoice number and quantities of the order automatically populate and the on-hand quantities are adjusted once the invoice is posted. However, not all vendors are set up through EDI. Through EDI, once the invoice has been posted, it is just filed in the office because the supplier will be automatically paid. If the supplier is not set up through EDI, then the invoice must be stamped with a receiving number and mailed to the corporate office for payment which is a much longer process. Non-EDI invoices risk the chance of getting lost and require a lot more postage and labor revenue to process. However, more and more of our vendors are transitioning to EDI, especially the ones that supply us with product consistently every week. The business requirement that drove the system’s initial development is the labor intensive high cost supply chain. Moreover, there was a need for improved efficiency with ordering, updating on-hand quantities, and payment of invoices and the receipt of credit memos. The company has over 8,000 stores. Therefore, if each store averages 5 invoices per day, that is 40,000 invoices per day that need to be processed. EDI potentially can save thousands of dollars daily in the reduction of labor hours. Furthermore, it reduces the chance of errors and non-payment of received merchandise. In conclusion, EDI has many more benefits than drawbacks. EDI transmits and processes documents very cost effectively, efficiently, and accurately. I believe the company I work for will continue to make EDI arrangements with non-EDI vendors. I also think larger companies and corporations will follow suit and transition to EDI if  they have not done so already. References Covalentworks (2014). Electronic Data Interchange. Retrieved from: http://www.covalentworks.com/what-is-edi.asp

The Extent to Which Developmental Psychology Has Been Able to Contribute to Improving Children’s Lives Essay Example for Free

The Extent to Which Developmental Psychology Has Been Able to Contribute to Improving Children’s Lives Essay This essay will explore how developmental psychology has improved the lives of children diagnosed with specific learning difficulties (SpLD). It will explore how these improvements have been made from diagnosis to assessments, consequences to intervention. Dyslexia refers to a specific difficulty in learning to read and write. However this is not the only difficulty that children with dyslexia experience and there are variations of their symptoms. These problems appear to stem from fundamental difficulties in the rapid processing and sequencing of phonological information in short term memory. These children also have difficulties with associations with letters and their sounds. Learning their left from right also is difficult. In the 1970s-80s it was thought Dyslexia was a label given to rich parents underachieving children as an excuse for their poor performance. Contempory definitions of dyslexia combine a discrepancy approach with definition indicators. The discrepancy approach is key in how educational psychologists identify dyslexia. Dyspraxia is used to describe the symptoms of people who experience problems in oorganising their movements and may have problems with thought, perception and language. Dyspraxia is also known as developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD). Dyspraxia can make written work for children in school very difficult as it has a huge impact on the visual field with writing. Alongside this the mental affects a child may experience in school from being bullied for their condition may then effect their performance in the classroom. Due to late start in researching of DCD, intervention is not often attempted until a child reaches school age. Cormorbidity, where two disorders or illnesses occur in the same peron simultaneously or sequentially, often happens with dyslexia or dyspraxia. Kaplan (2001) found that children with reading difficulties were 51. 6% more likely to have another developmental difficulty. If all these conditions have a common cause then cormorbidity would not be present. Kaplin (2001) states that a combintation of learning difficulties may be a result of atypical brain development (ABD). It is possible that two people with the same atypical brain development may present with differing symptoms as a result of the influence of environmental factors. As a result it is difficult to identify a single biological cause for SpLD. Developmental psychologists have been able to identify a range of factors that appear to contribute to the causes of SpLDs. Heritability may be another factor which influences the presentation of SpLDs. Dyslexia and dyspraxia both appear to have a familial form where parents and siblings also present with these conditions. The extent of heritability has been highlighted through the use of twin studies; both monozygotic and dizygotic. Stevenson (1999) found that heritability was between 46 and 74 per cent chance, which highlights there is some influence from environment as well as genetic factors. Further research has highlighted how some genes on the chromosome are associated with phonological processing and other genes on other chromosomes are associated with reading. Assessments are a key way developmental psychologists are able to further understand children with SpLD, and can then identify and conclude the severity of the SpLD. It is through assessment that developmental psychologists can start to do the most help with improving childrens lives. By assessing them for their SpLD the psychologist can start to make way for the child to gain extra support in school and at home. Assessments for dyslexia such as those which use the discrepancy model assume that it is valid, which is not necessarily the case as there is evidence that children with very different IQ scores can achieve similar reading scores. The assessment is only a snap shot of how the child performed at that time on that particular day. Developmental psychologists have put forward a new method of assessment which would highlight the childs severe and persistent problems when learning to read and write. Such an assessment would assist the child in finding coping stratergies and different ways of learning in order for them to excel as well as a child without such a form of SpLD, it can also speed up intervention, which could allow the child to be assisted earlier on in their school career. When assessing dyspraxia psychologists it can be difficult to identify as the signs of dyspraxia overlap with other SpLD’s. Dyspraxia is often assessed and treated by medical personnel rather than psychologists as with dyslexia, despite signs and causes impacting similarly on the child education and learning abilities. It is usually due to the social impact which dyspraxia has on the child which dyslexia does not which requires medical attention. A large number of professionals are involved in aiding children with dyspraxia including educational psychologists who assess the motor and perceptual development skills such as sequencing and organisation. A DVMI or movement ABC test will be used in order to identify pecific motor skills. The consequences of living with a SpLD for a child can range from social exclusion to self esteem issues. Riddick (1996) found that children with SpLDs often experienced social exclusion; they felt excluded from activities because of their difficulties with reading and writing. Riddick also found that children who were had dyslexia were more likely to befriend other dyslexics which can aid social inclusion. Qualitative and quantitative studies have suggested that people with SpLDs experience emotional and educational consequences. Many children with a SpLD experience soxial exclusion, the self exteem of children with SpLDs is low especially with respect to academic self concept. Children with SpLDs are over represented in statistics on children with depression although the degree of prevelance is not clear. Many children with SpLDs experience reduced academic motivation. Developmental psychologists design and evaluate interventions which can aim to improve the behavioural symptoms of SpLDs. Although intervention often occurs after identification, early intervention in the case of children ‘at risk’ of SpLD is the best approach. School based interventions that aim to improve literacy attainment suggests that intervention needs to be highly personalised and structured if it is to be affective. In order to maximise the long term impact of intervention it is suggested that programmes also need to be intensive and preventative. Given the cost of implications of personalised tuition in the classroom psychologists are evaluating the potential of computers to act as teaching assistants to support children with learning difficulties.

Coordination Chemistry of Bidentate Ligands Research

Coordination Chemistry of Bidentate Ligands Research Elham Torabi Farkhani Mehrdad Pourayoubi Pavel V. Avdreev Katarina Introduction The coordination chemistry of bidentate ligands has been studied for over thirty years [reference]. The bidentate ligands with phosphoryl and thiophosphoryl groups have been used as effective coordinating agents in the different metal chemistry, in most cases the reports were attributed to bonding between the metal cation and specific Lewis sites on the ligand, itself has number sites with potential to bind metal ions, such as nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen. In order to recent report Hg metal ion is known to have strong affinity for nitrogen and sulfur Lewis sites [reference] which our work here is done bonding between Hg metal atom and sulfur in ligands. A search of the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) [reference] yielded a data set of 76 purely molecular structures to be used for study of coordination of metal atom with a P(S)[N][O]2 skeleton of ligand. Thus there are a number of reports on molecular structure contain M-S=P fragments with different metal atoms [reference]. An inves tigation of the reports reveals that there isn’t any publication with Hg metal, also we haven’t found any precise study on the effect of all interactions, including coordinating linkages and intermolecular interactions on the structure of Hg(II) complexes with bisthiophosphoryl ligands. Accordingly we have carried out a study on mercury (II) chloride with two different bidentate ligand with general formula (OEt)2P(S)-X-P(S)(OEt)2 where X=1,4-NH-C6H5-NH and piperazine (scheme ). Reaction of two ligand with HgCl2 generated binuclear complex C1 and C2. All compounds were charactrized by IR and NMR (1H, 13C and 31P NMR) spectroscopy and mass analysis. The structure of ligand 1 and two complexes C1 and C2 were determined by X-ray crystallography. Experimental Materials and methods Mercuric chloride (99.5%), O,O†²-diethyl chlorothiophosphate (OCH2CH3)2P(S)Cl (97%), diethylenediamine (97%), 1,4-phenylenediamine (99%) (Aldrich), acetonitrile (99%) and methanol (99%) (Merck) were used as supplied. Acetonitrile was dried with P2O5 and distilled prior to use. The 1H, 13C and 31P NMR spectra were recorded on a Bruker Advance 400 spectrometer at 400, 101 and 162 MHz, respectively. 1H chemical shifts were determined relative to Si (CH3)4. 31P chemical shift was measured relative to 85% H3PO4 as external standard. Mass spectra were performed using a Varian Star 3400 CX mass spectrometer. Infrared (IR) spectra were recorded on KBr disk using a Buck 500 scientific spectrometer. Elemental analysis was performed using a Thermo Finnigan Flash EA 1112 apparatus. X-ray data collection was performed with a Xcalibur, Sapphire3, Gemini diffractometer with graphite monochromator. Synthesis General procedure for the preparation of ligands The ligands were synthesized from the reaction of 2 mmol (OCH2CH3)2P(S)Cl with 1 mmol of the corresponding diamine (diethylenediamine and 1,4-phenylenediamine) in presence of Et3N as HCl scavenger in CH3CN at 0ËÅ ¡ C. After stirring for 24 h, the solvent was evaporated and the residue was washed with distilled water and dried. Chemical structures are shown in scheme 1. Physical and spectroscopic data of the ligands are presented below: 1, 4 [(C2H5O)2P(S)N]2C4H8 (L1): Mp: 105ËÅ ¡ C. Anal. calc. (%) for C12H28N2O4P2S2: C: 36.88; H: 7.17; N: 7.17, S: 16.39, found: C: 37.81; H: 7.16, N: 7.26, S: 15.7. IR data (KBr, cm-1): 2990, 2903, 2864, 1449, 1387, 1339, 1264, 1151, 1098, 1029, 972, 792, 714.1H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d6) ÃŽ ´: 1.22 (t,3JH-H= 7.1 Hz, 12H, CH3), 3.12 (m, 8H, C4H8), 7.00 (m, 8H, CH2), 13C NMR (101 MHz, DMSO-d6) ÃŽ ´: 15.57 (d, 3JP-C = 8.08 Hz, 4C, CH3), 44.84 (s, 4C, C4H8), 62.45 (s, 4C, CH2), 31P NMR (162 MHz, DMSO-d6) ÃŽ ´: 73.64. MS (70 eV, EI): m/z (%) = 390 (28), 235 (43), 195 (100), 153 (99), 120 (96), 96 (100), 28 (66). 1, 4 [(C2H5O)2P(S)NH]2C6H4 (L2): Mp: 105ËÅ ¡ C. Anal. calc. (%) for C14H26N2O4P2S2: C: 40.73, H: 6.30, N: 6.78, S: 15.51, found: C: 41.15, H: 6.34, N: 7.01, S: 15.57. IR data (KBr, cm-1): 3268, 2980, 1515, 1479, 1380, 1278, 1218, 1168, 1023, 959, 816, 726, 646. 1H NMR (400 MHz, CD3CN) ÃŽ ´: 1.22 (t,3JH-H= 7.1 Hz, 12H, CH3), 3.12 (m, 8H, C4H8), 7.00 (m, 8H, CH2), 13C NMR (101 MHz, CD3CN) ÃŽ ´: 15.57 (d, 3JP-C = 8.08 Hz, 4C, CH3), 44.84 (s, 4C, C4H8), 62.45 (s, 4C, CH2), 31P NMR (162 MHz, CD3CN) ÃŽ ´: 73.64. MS (70 ev, EI): m/z (%) = 412 (94), 411 (100), 168 (26), 107 (89), 96 (91), 92 (39), 65 (87), 28 (88). General procedure for the preparation of complexes The complexes were prepared by a solutions of 2 eq. HgCl2 in 15 ml of methanol was added drop wise to a solution of 1 eq. the corresponding ligand in 15 ml of methanol. The clear solution was stirred under reflux for 24h. Crystals suitable for X-ray diffraction were obtained from slow evaporation of the solution at room temperature. Physical and spectroscopic data of the complexes are given below:  µ-{1, 4-[(C2H5O)2P(S)N]2C4H8}(HgCl2)2 (C1): Mp: 105ËÅ ¡ C. Anal. calc. (%) for C12H28Cl4Hg2N2O4P2S2: C: 15.41; H: 2.99; N: 2.99, S: 6.84, found: C: 15.67; H: 2.91, N: 2.99, S: 5.74. IR data (KBr, cm-1): 2976, 2895, 1444, 1383, 1344, 1266, 1121, 1037, 967, 804, 772, 702.1H NMR (400 MHz, CD3CN) ÃŽ ´: 1.22 (t,3JH-H= 7.1 Hz, 12H, CH3), 3.12 (m, 8H, C4H8), 7.00 (m, 8H, CH2), 13C NMR (101 MHz, CD3CN) ÃŽ ´: 15.57 (d, 3JP-C = 8.08 Hz, 4C, CH3), 44.84 (s, 4C, C4H8), 62.45 (s, 4C, CH2), 31P NMR (162 MHz, CD3CN) ÃŽ ´: 73.64.  µ-{1, 4 -[(C2H5O)2P(S)NH]2C6H4}(HgCl2)2 (C2): Mp: 105ËÅ ¡ C. Anal. calc. (%) for C14H26Cl4Hg2N2O4P2S2: C: 17.59; H: 2.72; N: 2.93, S: 6.70, found: C: 17.85; H: 2.69, N: 2.93, S: 6.53. IR data (KBr, cm-1): 3211, 2990, 1615, 1512, 1479, 1380, 1274, 1214, 1161, 988, 824, 633. 1H NMR (400 MHz, CD3CN) ÃŽ ´: 1.22 (t,3JH-H= 7.1 Hz, 12H, CH3), 3.12 (m, 8H, C4H8), 7.00 (m, 8H, CH2), 13C NMR (101 MHz, CD3CN) ÃŽ ´: 15.57 (d, 3JP-C = 8.08 Hz, 4C, CH3), 44.84 (s, 4C, C4H8), 62.45 (s, 4C, CH2), 31P NMR (162 MHz, CD3CN) ÃŽ ´: 73.64. Result and discussion IR and NMR spectroscopy Mass spectroscopy The nature of the fragments observed in the mass spectrum often provides as clue to the molecular structure. The fragmentation pathways of ligands 1 and 2 were studied by electron ionization at 70 eV experiment and revealed a molecular ion peak [M]+ at m/z (%) of 390 (28) and 412 (94) for 1 and 2, respectively. The formation of the [M-1] specie from the parent ion of compound 2 was shown to exclusively involve an aromatic hydrogen atom; our results were in good agreement with previously published results. [reference]. The previous paper has been shown that dialkyl alkanephosphonates ROCH2CH2P(O)(OR)2 undergo a McLafferty rearrangement in which a ÃŽ ³ hydrogen from the alkylphosphorous moiety migrates to the phosphoryl group and a molecule of olefin is eliminated from the molecular ion [reference]. The mass spectra of compound 1 and 2 with the same structure have confirmed previously reported mechanism. The peak related to the C2H4 radical-cation with m/z = 28 are shown for two struct ures. Relative peak height = relative abundance as measured from this ion in the compound 1 and 2 are 66 and 88. For the compound 1, the base peak is appeared at m/z = 153 (P(S)(OEt)2) and in the compound 2, the base peak is appeared at m/z = 411 (M-1) fragment. For 1, the main fragmentation is based cleavage of N-P bond then produced A ion and P(S)(OEt)2 with m/z 153. The ion of A following three pathways: (1): A ion can produce a stabilized ion by loss of ethylene via the McLafferty rearrangement which generate the odd mass ion m/z 181 that it operates for ion m/z 181 capable of electronic shift involving a six-membered cyclic transition state in the molecule skeleton given in scheme 1. This will then stabilize to an even mass ion m/z 180 by elimination of an H radical. (2): in this pathway produce the ion at m/z 147 that formed through a three- membered ring as transition state by loss of two molecule of ethanol. The ion of m/z 147 indicating the relatively low stability of the P-O bond to the molecule of A in comparison with that of the P-N bond. (3). The ion at m/z 84 is formed through two step, the first is cleavage of P-N bond then in second step is formed via a 1,2 hydride shift by loss of a molecule of P(S)(OEt)2 [reference]. The same kind of rearrangement is observed for 2 and the main fragmentation is based cleavage of N-P bond then produced molecule ion with m/z 107. Scheme 1. Fragmentation pathway of compound 1 X ray crystallography Complexes of 1 and 2 were crystallized in the orthorhombic space group Pbca Triclinic with space group P, respectively. Crystal data, data collection and structure refinement details are summarized in Table 1 and selected bond lengths and angles are given in Tables 2 and 3. The asymmetric unit of complexes of 1 and 2 consist of one Hg2+ ion, two Cl and one half crystallographically independent ligand (Fig 1). There are two different types of Hg-Cl bonds that included bridge Hg1-Cl2 bond (2.5904(17) Ã… in 1 and 2.4852 (7) Ã… in 2) connect the molecule into one dimensional chain extended along the c axis and terminal Hg1-Cl1 bond (2.369(2) Ã… in 1 and 2.4295 (9) Ã… in 2) linked to adjacent ones by intermolecular interaction into a chain parallel to b axis in 1 and a axis in 2. (Fig 2). So, the Hg atom adopts an Hg[Cl]3[S] coordination environment in this compound with the highly distorted tetrahedral geometry of the Hg(II) center that can be better described as a seesaw structure which two chloride atoms and Hg atom [ Hg1, Hg1, Cl2] is planar, one chloride and sulfur atoms in the pivot position. The different bond distance from the  µ-chloride atoms performed and refer to asymmetry of the halogen bonds (2.5904 (17), 2.6820 (17) Ã… in 1 an d 2.4852 (7), 2.8273 (8) Ã… in 2) and they are compared to the terminal bond of Hg-Cl slightly extended. Some selected bond angles specify the distorted tetrahedral geometry at the Hg(II) center in complex 1 are as follows: Cl1—Hg1—S1 130.91 (7) °, Cl1—Hg1—Cl2 110.98 (7) °, S1—Hg1—Cl2 104.59 (6) °, Cl1—Hg1—Cl2i 108.29 (8) °, S1—Hg1—Cl2i 105.96 (6) ° , Cl2—Hg1—Cl2i 87.47 (5) °, Hg1—Cl2—Hg1i 92.54 (5) ° and P1—S1—Hg1 98.40 (8) °. In ligand L1, the phosphorus atom has a distorted tetrahedral [N]P(S)[O]2 configuration with the bond angles in the range of 101.77 (18) ° [O2—P1—S1] to 115.80 (19) ° [O1—P1—S1]. The P=S bonds of ligand are in a trans orientation is showing respect to each other and that the sulfur atom is coordinated to the mercury center. As a result of coordination to the mercury center, as expected, the P=S bond length (P (1)–S (1) 1.97 (9) Ã…) is slightly longer than that of the free ligand The crystal structure of the complex 1 generated by the O1†¦S=P interaction along c-axis. As a result of these interactions, One-dimensional chain structure is produced. The presence of Hg-Cl and Hg-S moieties in the complex lead to the formation weaker intermolecular C-H†¦Cl-Hg , C-H†¦S-Hg interactions between the neighboring 1D chain along b-axis that create a two-dimensional array in the crystal lattice. Scheme 2. Schematic presentation of bisthiophosphoryl ligands 1 (right), 2 (left) Fig. 1 Asymmetric unit of complex 1(right) and 2 (left) are shown Fig.2 Representation of one-dimensional chain of complex 1 along the c-axis. Colour keys for the atoms: Hg †¦., P orange, O red, N blue, C light grey, H light blue Fig. 3 The title complex 1, with displacement ellipsoids drawn at the 50% probability level Fig. 4 The title complex 2, with displacement ellipsoids drawn at the 50% probability level Table 1. Crystal data, data collection and refinement for complexes 1 and 2 Table 2 Selected bond lengths (AÃÅ'Ã…  ) and angles ( °) for complex 1 Table 3 Selected bond lengths (AÃÅ'Ã…  ) and angles ( °) for complex 2

Reason Not Religion :: essays papers

Reason Not Religion Observations and inferneces from real life perceptions: My entire life I have been a Catholic and have attended Church regularly with my family, always believing in God and the stories and tales of the Bible as pure fact that happened long ago, and of Jesus being the savior, etc. Just this past month I attended a Presbyterian church service with my elderly grandmother in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The church was small to begin with, and only about one-third of the seats were filled. I would have to say that at least 95% of the people were all over 65, with very few young couples at all. My grandma made a comment on the lack of young people who attend the masses now, and she kept referring to the fact that recently less and less young couples and families ever attended church. At first I thought that this church would then seriously have to close its doors when the current majority of the parishioners died, but then I realized another aspect of human behavior and psychology. The characteristic that I see and hear so much about that many humans tend to possess and practice, is the fact that they become "closer to "god"" the older they get. Why is this? It is because of one of the same big reasons that we even have to have religion in the first place: fear about death and what happens to us afterwards. These people seem to be turning to the kind of thinking that inspired the dichotic idea of PASCAL^S WAGER. Even if these people were not very religious during their younger years, we can now see a trend of a large section of our country^s population starting to attend church more and more and become more "religious" as they grow older. What inspires this shift?--plain and simple, the fear of uncertainty. "QUESTIONING" ONES BELIEFS MUST GO BEYOND JUST WONDERING When I used to attend Church regularly their was a priest who was an extremely good speaker and extremely intelligent. Even though he was a Catholic priest, serving as the pastor of an extremely large church, he had the courage and brains to disagree with some of the rigid dogma setup and enforced by the Vatican. I remember one sermon he gave that has greatly influenced me since, and I am very happy I was fortunate enough to hear it. In this certain sermon he talked about his thoughts on it being good for teenagers and youth to question the existence of a God in their world. He talked at length about this

Examine the role of Alfieri in A view from the bridge. Comment on :: English Literature

Examine the role of Alfieri in A view from the bridge. Comment on his dramatic function in the play and his role as both character and commentator. This essay will explore the different roles that Alfieri takes on in 'A view from the bridge. I will comment on how he uses his role as both commentator and character to create dramatic tension in the play. A view from the bridge is a play set in the late 1940s and is based in the rural streets of Brooklyn harbour, New York. Eddie Carbone is an Italian longshoreman working on the New York docks and lives with his wife Beatrice and her niece Catherine. Eddie's wife accepts to refuge her cousins from Sicily as illegal immigrants until they could get their paperwork sorted. Catherine becomes attracted to one of the brothers and that's when the troubles start. Eddies becomes rapt in jealousy and wants to get rid of the two brothers in any possible way. Alfieri is a lawyer and is Eddie's friend as well. He tries to convince Eddie not to do something which he will regret later on and which will affect his life in the society. Eddie decides not to listen to Alfieri and goes on top break the Italian code. Alfieri is a lawyer who also lives in the same area as Eddie Carbone. In the play he takes on the role of a character as well as taking on the role of a narrator. One role he takes on in the play is the voice of the law. He brings this up in a conversation with Eddie where he says, "Eddie, I'm a lawyer†¦Can you prove that?" This clearly shows that Alfieri uses his knowledge to bring in the voice of the law into Eddie's situation. Due to him being a lawyer, he knows that if Eddie wants to take legal actions against Rodolfo, then he will need to get proof for the law to believe him. Due to him being a lawyer, he has got all the legal knowledge needed to deal with every day uses. As well as being the voice of the law, Alfieri is also an advisor to Eddie. He warns Eddie that he "won't have a friend in the world" if he carries on the way he is going. This shows that Alfieri knows that a tragedy is inevitable if Eddie doesn't stop. Therefore he uses his role as an advisor to advise Eddie to stop himself. In advising Eddie in doing so, Alfieri is trying to stop Eddie from doing what he knows

Life Outside Our Biosphere :: essays research papers

Life Outside Our Biosphere The fragile balance of the Earth's ecosystem is constantly being disrupted. Overpopulation is placing heavy strain on the world's resources. We are burning all our fossil fuels to create the energy we need, and clearing our rainforests to make enough farmland to feed everyone. The ozone layer is slowly eroding, exposing us to harmful UV light. The room we have on this planet is just enough to provide for our population now! As the population grows, we will find ourselves more and more crowded, with no room left to expand. Solution: Transfer part of the population off the Earth, to colonies established either on other planets or on orbiting space stations. This will lessen strain on the world's land resources by providing more agricultural area, and will help solve problems associated with overcrowding. In our solar system, a few planetic possibilities exist for colonization. Mars, one of our closest neighbors, was previously a prime choice until it was explored more in depth. Scientists have now found it to be a red, rocky, barren desert with little atmosphere, no water, and containing no life. If Earthlings were to settle on Mars, we would remain totally dependent on the Earth's resources. Another close planet is Venus, the second from the sun. This "sister planet" of Earth proved to have extremely hostile conditions. Scientists were hopeful when they found traces of water vapor in the upper atmosphere, but were disappointed when concentrations of sulphuric acid were discovered mixed with the water. Venus has surface temperatures of around 600 degrees Fahrenheit, and an atmosphere one hundred times as thick as the Earth's. (This produces pressure equivalent to pressure two miles under water on Earth.) These conditions project a less than comfortable life on Venus. The Moon has held Man's curiosity since we were created, leading to such missions as the Apollos. These space missions have taught us a lot about what life on the moon would be like. The moon has little to offer us in the way of settlement: it has little to no atmosphere, and only one sixth of the gravity of Earth. Although the moon might not be the best place for colonies to settle, it would be an excellent source of resources for nearby space stations. ( Scientists can extract oxygen from the rocks, and glass, aluminium, and other metals as well.) Space stations orbiting in the past have been very dependent on the Earth's supplies for construction and maintenance. The Soviets have launched a brigade of structures called Salyuts. In fact, one of their cosmonauts has lived in space for more than 235 days! They supplied the Salyuts by shuttle

Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama: Back to School Event

On the 8th of September 2009, President Barack Obama held a speech at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia, in which he stressed the importance of education. The speech was broadcasted nationally and students were tuning in all across America, kindergarten through 12th grade. His speech makes it very clear that you simply cannot quit school and skip classes because â€Å"you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country†.President Obama would like to motivate all the students who were listening and that feeling of importance, which the sentence above is showing, might be the exact motivator for that to happen. This paper will analyse and comment on the speech and focus on the way President Obama addresses his audience. The composition of the speech is pretty much straightforward and not problematic nor complex. It is started by a short presentation followed by the message of the speech, well-documented with different arguments which su pport each part of the message.It ends with a short summary which sums it all up. This is a necessity given the fact that the audience is – as mentioned – students of all age. His language is very easy to understand and he doesn’t use neither imagery language nor hypotactic sentence structure where he referrers to something that isn’t mentioned. If this wasn’t the case, large parts of the audience might not understand the message the speech is trying to show, and the speech would be useless for them.Since the audience is a group of students – large amount in a small age – he tries to make himself likeable. This is seen in the anecdote about his own childhood and hard upbringing. Throughout the speech, President Obama takes great use of pathos as a persuasion mean which means that he appeals to both emotions and feelings: â€Å"And even when you’re struggling, even when you’re discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you – don’t ever give up yourself. , President Obama is using pathos as the main way of persuasion since people are more likely to agree when they’re emotional. There are, however, several places where he appeals to ethos by expressing his own equality to the rest of the audience: â€Å"[†¦] how’s everybody doing today? †, as he opens the speech in this way, he sets the scene and tries to get rid of his authority as the most powerful man in the world since no one likes to be talked down to. President Obama mentions all the different grades of the same reason; he doesn’t want to talk down to them.President Obamas main point is that all students have to work hard in order to reach success and get a good education. Education is the only â€Å"real† way out of poverty, unemployment and trouble. His argument for this statement is that without an education and hard work, you can’t be something in life; jobs and money doesn’t come from nothing, even though several Hollywood-movies and TV-series might express that. Furthermore, he stresses the importance of responsibility.Not only for your own actions, but also for the responsibility your teachers should to inspire you, your family to support you and make sure you stay on track, and the government’s responsibility for setting high standards and provide whatever it takes to raise the bar for educational standards. However, all of this doesn’t mean much if you don’t take the responsibility of yourself and your education. He describes how every single one of us has something to contribute: â€Å"Every single one of you has something to offer†.Hereafter he even gives several examples of opportunities which might occur for someone who has found her/his hidden talent. This also referrers to the â€Å"don’t quit, don’t skip, stay in school† message he’s trying to embrace. The next part of the speech is once again used to make President Obama identifiable. He knows how hard life can be, since he himself had to break the negative heritage; his parents didn’t have an college education and didn’t have much, however, â€Å"That’s no excuse for not trying. †, he says. There is, in fact no real excuse for quitting school.He even mentions the American Dream in his speech which is based on the belief that everyone is their own happiness and future. He mentions 3 different people, who have been struggling; nevertheless, their future seems to be bright after their hard work! This is yet another motivator and proof for the people who think their background and personal issues sets them behind. Barack Obama uses a lot of different rhetorical techniques in order to create an environment in which his young audience feels comfortable in; furthermore, it makes his argumentation a lot more convincing.In lines 164-165 he keeps repeating â€Å"I expect [à ¢â‚¬ ¦]†, which sets the bars for the upcoming year. I believe he does this because he has an authority. As much as he tries to hide it, he also uses it. If it was a general John Doe who said â€Å"I expect this and that from you†, what purpose would it have? The audience wouldn’t listen! You could say that Barack Obama is a role model for a lot of people – if not a whole nation: he’s the first black president and worked his way up from nothing. President Obama is rying to make the distance between him – and his authority – and the audience as small as possible by making a lot of comparisons and relations. The words â€Å"I get it† and â€Å"I know† is not put there for no reason. By decreasing the gap between him and the audience, his authority is more in the background, and he is now a person whom you can relate to, and not the most powerful man on the world. In America, national sentiment isn’t very uncommon, an d the responsibility which a lot of people feel toward their country is a mean to motivate people.Therefore, the argument: â€Å"you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country† is one powerful motivator. I feel that the speech is indeed influenced by American thinking, however, it all makes sense; even in my head. He stresses the importance of education, and that is something each and every country has a necessity to do; perhaps he has found the way to actually communicate the message? ——————————————– [ 1 ]. line 65 [ 2 ]. line 147-149 [ 3 ]. lines 36-37 [ 4 ]. lines 92-107 ï » ¿Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama: Back to school Event One of the most important and discussed topics in politics has always been education because of its decisive role in society. Education is the key stone for the generations to come and well educated citizens are a necessity for a successful society in the 21st century. Politicians also make education a high priority because they know it is where votes can be drawn. A politician who also is concerned about the matter of education is President Barrack Obama. And in his speech â€Å"Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama: Back to School Event† held in Arlington, Virginia on September 8, 2009, he addresses to the Americans students the importance of education and emphasizes that the responsibility to do well in school lies with the students themselves.This is a responsibility that they have to meet, not only for their own sake but for the sake of their country. President Obama emphasizes the importance of education and self-responsibility to children from kindergarten to 12th grade. Children at that age can be difficult to address to, especially with such a big size of group, so Obama must use various approaches to make it possible. He talks to them as an equal so young audience can identify with him and not only see him as the President. He uses a simple and informal language with many repetitions and examples they can relate to. He starts out by saying â€Å"Hello everyone – how’s everybody doing today?†(Page 1, line 1). He speaks directly to the audience to get their attention.He needs the attention from the children and hold on them to get through with his message. He does that by gaining their respect for him and shows that he sincerely cares about them. In the beginning of the speech Obama tells about his story from when he was young. How he was raised by his mother who did not had any money to take him to school, so she had to give him lessons at home at 4:30 in the morning. He also mentions things he did he is not proud of th at got him in troubles. Then Obama shares and opens up about his personal stories, he uses ethos in his arguments to increase his reliability with the audience. It makes it easier for Obama to get through with his message when the people he talks to have his respect.Obama starts stressing his message after he has achieved the audience’s attention. Obama has two main messages in his speech. The first one is that the self-responsibility of the education lies with the student. Maybe the  parents and the teachers also have some responsibility for the student, but it all comes the student â€Å"none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities†(Page 2, line 30). The students will not have everything served for them; it is their turn to take action and take responsibility for their choices. The second one is that the students also have a responsibility for the nation. The nation depends on the students to get a well education.The future of the nation l ies with the students to be a functional part of the US society so the nation can operate and compete â€Å"What you’re learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.†(Page 2, lines 52-54). Obama is addressing to the students patriotic American inside them. Most American is raised to be patriotic and Obama knows hot to make use of it. Everybody wants to be a part of something that has an influence on the nation, and every student has the responsibility to their nation â€Å"We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect †¦ If you don’t do that – if you quit on school – you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country.†(Page 2, lines 62-64).Obama begins to speak about how hard work is the most important key to success. Everybody has the opportunity to succeed. Here he indirectly refers to the American Dream; w ith hard work you can accomplish everything. â€Å"Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.†(Page 3, lines 88-90).He uses himself and Michelle Obama, the first lady, while using pathos as examples of people who started from the button with bad conditions and build up to become successful. He comes up with three other cases than himself:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren’t any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And i expect all of you to do the same†(Page 4, lines 105-107)Obama uses the sponsorship effect to create ethos. He also uses Michael Jordan’s and J. K. Rowling’s story to get it out that you cannot succeed without fail ing. Obama uses persons who are idol to many so they get inspired to try to accomplish the same success. He wants the students to understand that if they want to be successful, they need to set goals for themselves and take responsibility for their education for that to happen. Throughout the speech, Obama uses a number of different strategies to affect the broad group of audience. By use concrete example they can relate to with a language everybody is able to understand, he inspires and motivates the young people who is the future of the USA.

Com156 – Prison Population of Drug Offenders

Prison Population of Drug Offenders With the United States prison population growing, did you know that almost every citizen knows at least one person that is in prison? Every day there are 200 new jail cells that are constructed in the United States (ZHENG, SALGANIK, & GELMAN, 2006). With the highest rates of incarceration than any other country prisons are full in the United States of America, and yet we continue to build more space and spend more tax dollars on building more prisons. This is an ever growing concern amongst American citizens whose tax dollars are going into this ever building problem.Something needs to be done to change the course of this problem before it becomes bigger than it really should be, and we do have a few options to consider. More than a quarter of our countries prison population is incarcerated for drug offenses with sentences of anywhere from 1 to 30 years (Center for Cognitive Liberty & Ethics, 2012). 30 years seems like a long time to spend citizen tax dollars on someone who did nothing violent towards another, and was only hurting themself with the lifestyle that they chose to live.Our prison systems could potentially be more effectively used by focusing more on incarcerating drug users based on the violent offenses they commit rather than the drug offenses. Prison population has been a topic of conversation around the world for many years now, and has recently become an ever growing concern in the United States. More than 10. 1 million people are held in penal institutions around the world, and the United States holds more than a quarter of the world’s incarcerated population. At 2. 29 million people incarcerated in the United Sates (Walmsley, 2011), our prisons are full.The only country that has even close to as many prisoners as we do is China at 1. 65 million people incarcerated (Walmsley, 2011). China’s total population is 1,354. 1 million, and the United States’ total population is 308. 4 million. C hina’s total population is more than four times that of the United States, and yet the United States prison population is almost one and a half times what China’s is at. This could be because of the luxuries that inmates get when incarcerated here in the United States that other countries do not provide for their inmates.Inmates in the United States receive cable television and new release movies, music and music players, and even an education; all of these are luxuries that most other countries do not offer their inmates. The luxuries that inmates in the United States receive cost taxpayer dollars to provide, the average cost per inmate is $31,286. 00 per year (Henrichson & Delaney, 2012). That is a large lump sum of money, especially considering that the average American citizen only makes $46,000. 00 or less per year. The cost of inmates on taxpayers could be a whole topic in itself. Of the 2. 9 million people incarcerated in the United States, 337,405 of them are i n State or Federal prisons for drug offenses (Drugwarfacts. org, 2011); this number does not even include those in local jails. According to the US Justice Department, 27. 9% of drug offenders in state prisons are serving time for possession, 69. 4% are serving time for trafficking offenses, and 2. 7% are in for â€Å"other. † (Drugwarfacts. org, 2011). These numbers are too high. Penalties for trafficking are higher than possession, so 69. 4% will spend more time taking up that prison space and tax dollars than the 27. 9% of possessors will.Even at only 2. 7%, the rate for those incarcerated for â€Å"other’ types of drug offenses is too high. In local jails alone, as of a 2002 federal survey there were 440,670 local inmates, a quarter of which (112,447) were drug offenders (Drugwarfacts. org, 2011). Of this 112,447, 11. 1% are there on possession charges, and 12. 8% for trafficking. At 112,447 people incarcerated in local jails, that is one third of what we already have incarcerated in State and Federal prisons. These numbers keep adding up and getting higher and higher. Something needs to change in order for these numbers to start decreasing.At 2. 29 million people incarcerated in the United States, with over populated prisons, we need to reconsider what crimes are worth punishing, and if paying out $31,286. 00 per inmate per year in tax dollars is really necessary. Many studies show that increased admissions to drug treatments are associated with reduced incarceration rates. According to Drugwarfacts. org (2011), â€Å"States with a higher drug treatment admission rate than the national average send, on average, 100 fewer people to prison per 100,000 in the population than states that have lower than average drug treatment admissions. (Treatment). Of the 20 states that admit the most people to treatment per 100,000, 19 had incarceration rates below the national average. Of the 20 states that admitted the fewest people to treatment per 100,0 00, eight had incarceration rates above the national average. Increased admission to treatment rates also showed a decrease to crime rate and a reduction to control costs. According to Drugwarfacts. org (2011) as well, â€Å"Admissions to drug treatment increased 37. 4 percent and federal spending on drug treatment increased 14. 6 percent from 1995 to 2005.During the same period, violent crime fell 31. 5 percent. † (Treatment). Also according to Drugwarfacts. org (2011), â€Å"A study by the RAND Corporation found, â€Å"the savings of treatment programs are larger than the control costs; we estimate that the costs of crime and lost productivity are reduced by $7. 46 for every dollar spend on treatment. â€Å"(Treatment). Even if we just shift what we put the tax dollars towards a little, it could have a big and beneficial impact on our economy and on our society in general. A lot can be learned from the Portuguese decriminalization of illicit drugs in 2001.Since decrimina lizing illicit drugs in Portugal the rate of drug related deaths, as well as the number of offenders arrested in Portugal for trafficker, trafficker-consumer, and consumer offences have all decreased. Since the decriminalization there has been a reduction in opiate-related deaths and infectious diseases. â€Å"Most interviewees were of the view that the decriminalization had reduced the burden on the Portuguese criminal justice system and enabled police to refocus their attention on more serious offences, namely drug traf? cking-related offences. (Hughes & Stevens, 2010, p. 1008). Evidence also indicates reductions in problematic use, drug-related harms and criminal justice overcrowding in Portugal since the decriminalization of illicit drugs. If it can help with their overcrowding prison problem than it can help with ours as well. Portugal has taken a dramatic step in their justice system, and they have seen great benefits from it, as can we. The number of people arrested for crim inal offences related to drug offences reduced from over 14,000 offenders in 2000 to an average of 5,000–5,500 offenders per year. (Hughes & Stevens, 2010, p. 1008). There has also been an increased uptake of drug treatment. The facts speak for themselves; the numbers are all too high, from the number of offenders incarcerated, to the amount of time that they spend for those crimes, and the tax dollars that are being spent on them while they are incarcerated. Whether it is an increased requirement for drug treatment or an entire decriminalization of drug offenses as in Portugal’s example, we have a few options to consider; something can be done to put a stop to this problem, and we need to start doing it.This problem will not just go away; someone needs to take the first step towards the reform of our practices and policies. If nothing is done than the numbers will just keep increasing further; more new jail cells will continue to keep being constructed, and they will be filled with more new inmates, maybe someone that is close to you. Will you take the first step to ensure that this problem does not go any further? Let’s start standing up and confronting this problem head on; together we can conquer anything, one problem at a time. References ZHENG, T. , SALGANIK, M. J. , & GELMAN, A. 2006, June). How Many People Do You Know in Prison? : Using Overdispersion in Count Data to Estimate Social Structure in Networks. Journal of the American Statistical Association, (), 409-423. Retrieved from http://www. stat. columbia. edu/~gelman/research/published/overdisp_final. pdf Center for Cognitive Liberty & Ethics. (2012). Penalties for US Drug Offenses. Retrieved from http://www. cognitiveliberty. org/dll/drugpenalties. htm Walmsley, R. (2011, July). World prison population list. International Centre for Prison Studies, Ninth Edition(), 1-6. Retrieved from http://www. cribd. com/doc/77097293/World-Prison-Population-List-9th-edition Drugwarfacts. or g. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. drugwarfacts. org/cms/Prisons_and_Drugs#Research Drugwarfacts. org. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. drugwarfacts. org/cms/Treatment HUGHES, C. , & STEVENS, A. (2010). What Can We Learn From The Portuguese Decriminalization of Illicit Drugs?. British Journal Of Criminology, 50(6), 999-1022. doi:10. 1093/bjc/azq038 Christian Henrichson and Ruth Delaney, The Price of Prisons: What Incarceration Costs Taxpayers. New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2012.

Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

Name: Jasmine Chan Date: 26-7-12 Summer holiday book report |Book Title: |Change of Heart |[pic] | |Author: |Jodi Picoult | | |Publisher: |Atria Books | | Plot summary: June’s daughter, Claire, needed a heart transplant. However, it was Shay, a man on death row for killing the rest of June’s family years ago, who wanted to donate his.After a grim, life-and-death struggle and careful consideration, June accepted Shay’s â€Å"grand† offer grudgingly, so Claire’s life was saved. Commentary: Before reading the book’s brief introduction, the words â€Å"change of heart† gave me the impression that this book is about a person suffering from heart failure and had to get a heart transplant from an unknown donor just like so many others did. After reading the blurb, I discovered that this is not the case. Actually, the plot is very special and the issue is very controversial and worth discussing so I started reading this book.I have to assure everyone that this book is a page-turner that impels readers to read towards the very last page. Would you fulfil your enemy’s dying wish to save the life of somebody you love? In this novel, Jodi Picoult delves into questions of vengeance, mercy, salvation and redemption by exploring the rage of June who already lost a daughter, the bitterness of Shay the criminal on death row and the fate of a critically-ill child to force them to think about a question: â€Å"Can even the most understandable thirst of vengeance be squashed if it means saving someone you love? In my opinion, as there is an old saying : What’s done, is done, I think June should forgive or at least put aside Shay’s wrongdoings and accept his kind offer because this would be an act of forgiving herself and other’s too. Moreover, this would be the only way to save her daughter (There was no one except Shay whose heart was suitable for Claire. ) However, of course, as a reader, we know that June’s family did not die of murder but manslaughter.So, that’s why I actively encourage June to accept Shay’s giving, which came out of love. As a result, my answer to June’s question : â€Å"Would you give up your vengeance against someone you hate if it meant saving someone you loved? † is definitely yes. Besides, I truly appreciate Jodi Picoult having the courage to write about these themes, which are novel, controversial and meaningful. Secondly, concerning about the characters, I think Shay was a hero because he was humble and willing to sacrifice himself.For example, when there were miracles –water turned into wine, Calloway’s pet robin was brought back to life and a tiny piece of gum became enough for all to share—happening under his finger in the prison, he did not boast about himself, but instead denied that he was a â€Å"Messiah† and said that he was just an ordinary man who wanted to donates his heart to sa ve a little girl called Claire for redemption.Besides, although nobody knew the truth—it was only because Shay wanted to protect Elizabeth from being sexually-abused by her stepfather, Kurt that he was compelled to shoot Kurt and accidentally shot Elizabeth too. He still insisted to die for Claire because he loved that family and wanted for redemption for his big mistake. Having lost a daughter and two husbands, June’s life was fraught with grief. I can vividly see how that grief shaped her character and informing the choices that she makes.At first, when she had lost her first husband, she was willing to take a second chance and let go of the past and start a new life by remarrying and giving birth to another girl. However, when her first daughter and second husband were â€Å"murdered†, she broke apart. When it came to the decision whether to have a restorative justice meeting with Shay and accepting his heart, June initially refused, which showed that she was no longer that flexible and easy to adapt to changes. Fortunately, in the end, being more rational, June made the correct decision—to take Shay’s heart.I think she made this choice in hopes of a better future, which was also a wise move. Last of all, looking upon the writing strategies, the way Jodi Picoult presents the story generates readers’ interest in finding out what’s going to happen. Each chapter is written from the perspectives of a different character. I get to know all the characters’ inner thoughts: their fear, hope, bitterness and above all, their reflections of what makes sense of them. I felt as if I were one of the characters while reading. I understood their feelings.I explored their complex minds. I walked with them in their life journeys. I felt deeply what they underwent. I could view things from different people’s perspectives. Through this, I could experience the sorrow and difficulties of June and her family. In the e pilogue, it is the first and the last chapter written from Claire’s perspectives, which makes the ending very unique. In conclusion, Change of Heart is a true-to-life story, which I love so much and would strongly recommend to all my fellow schoolmates.