Is Chivalry Dead

Is Chivalry Dead?! What do you think of when you hear the word â€Å"chivalry†? I can’t speak for everyone but I know most of us, when we hear or think about the word â€Å"chivalry,† automatically we picture images of such figures as the legendary King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, Prince Charming, Gawain and The Green Knight, castles, and images of heavily armor knights saving princess or the cliche-ic â€Å"damsels in distress†. Though myths and fairytales illustrate this picture of chivalry, this in fact is a result of what the world has come to mean.Originally, the word â€Å"chivalry† had a different meaning. During the middle ages, the individuals who lived during this time use chivalry as a â€Å"code of conduct†. This â€Å"code of conduct† was put in place help the society become better by organizing it. People who lived during the Middle Ages supported the â€Å"code of conduct† because they felt it may h elp control the nation and help it gain more power. With any society, if chaos arises something is put into place for it to be demolished.For example, laws are created to provide a society with some type of order. Therefore, chivalry was created to control a society. â€Å"Chivalry wasn’t only to regulate the disorganization within a society but it also provided individuals at the type of the social ladder to be viewed with high esteem, particularly knight†. In order for a knight to make a name for himself or be recognized as honorable, he had to follow the behavioral code of chivalry.In modern society, one might speculate if chivalry has influence other people from across the globe. Although it pretty safe to say that in our society, chivalry has not fully impact us as a society, neither socially or culturally. Therefore providing truth to the saying that chivalry is dead. In medieval times, power in Europe was dispersed to the people of hierarchy. The people of great nobility, such as the king, had control of people who were viewed as inferior, such as the peasants.The earliest way for the nobles to protect themselves and land is through feudalism. Feudalism is a social system based on a hierarchy which consists of social, political, and economic systems. The purpose of the feudalism system was to give the nobles a chance to have power over lands and people. â€Å"This control would be so successful that it would provide a way for the king to give knights things such as gold or land in exchange for their loyalty and service to the kingdom†. This was the bases for the â€Å"code of conduct. †

Desdemona’s death Essay

Iago does not immediately suggest Desdemona’s death. He first ensures that Othello is convinced of her guilt. At the beginning of the scene, Iago tells Othello that it is not a crime for a woman to be naked with a man if nothing happens. He also states that if he were to give his wife a handkerchief, she would be able to do with it as she wished. These reminders of Desdemona’s supposed unfaithfulness arouse Othello’s anger. After Iago finally admits that Cassio has told him he has lain with Desdemona, Othello is already blind with rage and jealousy. In order to further goad Othello, Iago convinces Othello to hide explaining that he will ask Cassio to describe his relationship with Desdemona. Iago instructs Othello to observe Cassio’s face during the conversation. In reality Iago recounts his experience with a prostitute named Bianca. Cassio is so amused by his story that he laughs hysterically. Othello, who is already irrational at this point, imagines that he is hearing more than he actually is. When Cassio talks about about Bianca hanging on his neck and pulling at him, Othello says, â€Å"Now he tells how she plucked him to y chamber† (4. 1. 141). Later on in the scene, Bianca appears, and argues with Cassio. Iago uses this in his favor by convincing Othello that Cassio has given Desdemona’s handkerchief to Bianca, a prositute. Othello asks, â€Å"How shall I murder him, Iago? † (4. 1. 170). When Iago attempts to equate both Cassio and Desdemona to trash, Othello can think only of killing Cassio, but not his beautiful and loving wife. Sarcastically, Iago says to Othello, â€Å"If you are so fond over her iniquity, give her patent to offend; for, if it touch not you, it comes near nobody† (4. 1. 197-199). Threatened with emotional isolation, Othello responds as Iago wants him to and says, â€Å"I will chop her into messes. Cuckold me! † (4. 1. 200). Iago first discredits Desdemona by supposedly offering proof of her infidelities to Othello. Iago then angers Othello by framing Cassio, making it appear as though Cassio is laughing about his trysts with Desdemona. Othello is so enraged that he decides Cassio must die, but he cannot bring himself to kill Desdemona. Finally, Iago threatens Othello with emotional isolation. Othello finally concedes and states that Desdemona must die.

Policies and politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Policies and politics - Essay Example United States of America has developed the policy of social security in the year 1935 right after the Social Security Act was passed. (Rushefsky, 2002, p.100). It was the part of New Deal program initiated by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Previously this act included two social insurance programs including the unemployed people and the retired individuals. (â€Å"Social security in USA†, N.d). The policy at the beginning also included providing federal grants to the organization who worked for child welfare, public health services, vocational rehabilitation etc. But with time the situation changed and the welfare policy now concentrates on few specific social sectors. The policy of Social Security was one of the largest federal programs in the year 1999 and the Social Security Administration had spent over US $ 387 billion that year. (Rushefsky, 2002, p.100) Though that year the spending proportion was huge depending on the social benefits the program actually generates the issue remains debatable. The basic suggestion of this report is to extend the branches of Social Security developments to many social sectors, rather than concentrating on few particular ones. Ascertaining the current financial condition of the country it would be advisable for the United States Government to address the basic social needs of the several deprived sections of the society. It is quite evident that the credit crunch, followed by the financial turmoil had affected the population and many people have lost their home as well as their job. The current social security program includes the retired individuals, disabled ones , survivors of the workers who have died and also the dependents of the beneficiaries. (Understanding the benefits, 2005). This report in particular gives emphasis on the inclusion of the homeless people and the people who have lost their job into the

Compasiosn Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Compasiosn - Essay Example Ruthless style of ruling could be an adequate means through which a person in power remains in power. However, there are other stronger means to keep the same power even without creating fear among the people. Ensuring that one maintains strong allies in leadership can ensure that power remains oriented towards the same person over time. On the other hand, fear instigates and builds up opposition over time, making the situation even worse with time. In fact, gaining the people’s favor can adequately account for power. This is due to creation and development of trust among the involved parties. Machiavelli’s purpose in the text is one-sided. This is due to the fact that the text only highlights the need for a prince to only mind his own concerns in relation to retaining power to himself, as opposed to working for and with the people to gain power. A selfish aspect relating to power and authority is noted in the text. The audience bound to go by the provisions of this text are of dictatorial personality. In other words, the text’s credibility cannot hold in a democratic society that seeks to uphold justice, compassion, rights, and freedoms of the people. Machiavelli’s argument is logical, but unethical to some extent relative to the tone used to present the argument. Aung San Suu Kyi argues that fear to lose power instigates corruption. This text is essentially positioned in the contemporary trends of gaining power and authority. Parties in power go to higher extents in ensuring that they remain in power, and corruption is just but of the realized practices in this line. The thought of losing power serves as the source of myriad evils in leadership. This is due to the fact that leadership roles are accompanied by power and authority. Once power is gained, those in power often get reluctant in giving it up once their term is done. The change of scenario from a party with power to one without power corrupts the minds of many people,

Business #3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business #3 - Essay Example The development of a comfortable working environment as well as the awarding of bonuses on a regular basis for work well done is means of not only containing costs, but also motivating employees. The need to be fair and consistent helps to build the trust of workers and this in such a way that it ensures that the latter are encouraged being more productive. Fairness also helps to build worker confidence on management and this confidence often translates to greater output. However, among the threats related to being fair and consistent is that there are times when workers might not take management seriously or might resist changes that need to be implemented. Future employees must have the necessary educational background to carry out tasks within the company. This background should be accompanied by at least five years’ experience because it allows for greater understanding. Finally, employees should have proven that they are skilled enough to function within a business environment without making major mistakes. Hiring should involve recruiting on a full-time basis because this allows for greater access to knowledge concerning the individuals over time. Furthermore, full-time employees often work better as teams (Hyland, 2013). Finally, full-time employees often develop a sense of loyalty to the company. Potential employees can be found through advertising vacant positions. In addition, finding potential employees can be done through word of mouth. Finally, there are situations where individuals tend to look for jobs themselves and they might land a job in the process. Diversity can be achieved through ensuring that there is some form of gender and ethnic balance within the work force (Tatli and Ozbilgin, 2009). It is also essential for management to ensure that employees are not discriminated against based on religion; the latter should be treated equally. Finally, all forms of

Tax on unhealthy foods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tax on unhealthy foods - Essay Example The government has taken a measure on this issue and has planned on the implementation of a policy towards the imposition of taxes on unhealthy foods so as to promote a healthy living for the people. But this has raised many questions as it is considered an intrusion on the liberty of the people and opponents have argued that every person has the right to choose what is right for them and imposition of taxes will actually open ways for the government to intrude on personal choices. The American Against Food Taxes is an organization which works with the aim of creating awareness amongst all the groups of the society to explain the fact that the imposition of taxes on beverages and foods is not a solution but is rather a creation of a problem for the economy and the people. It explains the fact that the beverage industry has been putting in much effort to support proper health amongst children and individuals. The steps include proper awareness and education accompanied by the labeling of the amount of calories as well as the reduction of calories in the beverages. This has been accompanied by the provision of proper dietary plans for school going children. The advertisement and marketing policy used by The American Against Food Taxes is very efficient and can be graded as A. This is because they have selected the most suitable methods of communication for convincing the readers about their point. The website caters to all the arguments provided in favor of the tax with very good counterarguments which actually tend to put the reader in thought. The advertisements by the agency explain the problems of the common man presenting the fact that such taxes would only burden the people who are already working very hard to meet their financial requirements. It then caters to the requirements of the parents by explaining to them that the implementation of proper dietary plans for children have been put into action to improve the health status of the children. They also a rgue that many programs have been initiated for children to increase their physical activities which play a more important role than the consumption. They also present the fact that the government would not utilize these taxes to assist the health but rather they would be used in other sectors. It then addresses to the issue of the working class that many people could get unemployed if the beverage industry is affected. Hence, a very effective communication method is utilized by providing support with the assistance of different advertisements and journals. The problems of all the different people of the society are also addressed to explain their point and support it with evidence. The Americans Against Food Taxes seems more of a propaganda and it maintains its primary focus on convincing the individual to believe against the taxes imposed on unhealthy foods. It does not provide with a clear picture explaining both sides of the issue but rather focuses on one point. It seems to be very pro-beverage industry focusing upon the positive steps of the beverage industry. It does not present the researches that also claim the role of these beverages in leading to diseases. As it is known that in today’s world of economic crisis, many people are facing financial setbacks. The

Time Management and Nursing Burnout Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Time Management and Nursing Burnout - Essay Example The time management techniques have been fairly well covered in the book chapter. We are exploring an article here which goes beyond just time management to relieve a person of stress and make his life more valuable. This article can be said to be of the type of self-care or self well being. This is absolutely an essential component in order to avoid a burnout. We will study some dimensions associated with the job of a person which should be satisfied for him to continue working. The absence of these dimensions can lead to burnout of the individual. We will initially review the article written by Matuska Christianen which has been attached in appendix A. This paper presents a proposed model of lifestyle balance that meets biological and psychological needs within the unique environment of individuals. The writer of the article claims that once the biological and psychological needs of the individuals are in alignment with the environment of the individual; the level of stress faced i n the work is reduced and the person is able to enjoy his job fully. This article claims well-being as the lack of stress during the work. ... are in alignment with the environment of the individual; the level of stress faced in the work is reduced and the person is able to enjoy his job fully. This article claims well being as the lack of stress during the work. The person should be satisfied with his work and look forward to do it every day to avoid stress and improve his well being. The article presents five factors, dimensions or conditions which need to be satisfied in order to achieve physical and mental well being. These 5 dimensions are essential for the well being of an individual and are thus key factors in preventing work related stress. The first dimension is biological health and physical safety. These can be said to be the most basic needs of the individual. If these are not satisfied it leads to a lot of stress and the person finds it extremely difficult to continue in the job as he faces a large amount of stress. The first dimension is the foundation upon which all other dimensions and the endeavors of the h uman being rest. The second dimension discussed in the article is rewarding and self-affirming relationship with others. This can be said to be the need for affiliation. A person wants his co-workers and those with which he works to appreciate the good work done by him. It can be easily seen in nursing that relatives of a patient might blame the nurses for any failure in health of the person. These accusations may not have any basis but increases the stress level of the nurse which leads to disillusionment with the job. Rewarding behavior discussed in this dimension need not be reward given by a third party. This may even by the reward which an individual decides to give himself for sticking to an action plan or achieving a target which was decided earlier by him. The third dimension

Tort review Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Tort review - Case Study Example Koz negligence, the prevailing comparative negligence guidelines and concept of swimmers’ legally supported to claim damages since their proportion of contribution was less than 50% 1. Under The New York modified comparative negligence rule, an injured party may recover damages only if he/she is less than 50% at fault for the injury or damages. However, the recovered amount may be reduced in proportion to the degree that the injured party was at fault. For instance, if the Peter Koz is determined to be 80% at fault and the group of swimmers is determined to be 20% at fault, the swimmers can collect for the damages because they were less than 50% at fault. However, Peter Koz insurance company might only offer to pay for 80% of your damages2. The injured party had upper hand in negotiating with the insurance company and a settlement was reached to compensate them. If the settlement could not be reached, the courts could make the final determination of comparative negligence4. The swimmers were entitled to damages as evidence indicated that there contribution to the case was 25% which is less than the 50% bar rule. Peter Koz will not prevail because his contribution is above 50% and will compensate the swimmers the damages as estimated at

American Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

American Government - Essay Example The Supreme Court is the tribunal in the country for all case and controversies that may arise regarding the constitution and the laws of the state. The court promises the American people of equal justice under the law. The court performs the role of an interpreter and as the guardian of the constitution. The state’s position to get involved in matters of central decision-making, this position has been revoked by Jurists who argue that the court should not play umpire between federal and state governments, Congress does not threaten any state power; however, it helps in protecting the state. The Senate serves as an environment for the states to protect and express their interests. The American people are tired of a system, which seems ever constant with conflicts between the republicans and democrats. People say that the system is broken, and Washington does not represent the interest of the common American. These sentiments have left many citizens exasperated. They desire a system that does not force them to select between two fixed options, which do not represent their individual beliefs as citizens. The multiparty system is favored because it allows the participation of minor parties. The Electoral College has been in existence for 200 years. There are individuals who are critics, and they are opposed the Electoral College system. The critics have tried to propose reforms that will eliminate the college system. There are also other supporters who are less vocal when compared to the critics, but they offer powerful arguments in its favor.

Analysis of Wallow's Character in Haunting of Olivia Essay

Analysis of Wallow's Character in Haunting of Olivia - Essay Example embarrassed to admit that he doesn’t see any ghosts† (Russell). From this line, the reader has an understanding that these are minds of young children who think they can find the ghost of their long-gone sister. Whether ghosts exist or not is a subject worth of discussion by those who believe in their existence. As the story develops, it is revealed to the reader that Wallow aged fourteen and his brother (the narrator) has been having numerous trips to the lake shore in search of their dead sister (Russell). They repeatedly scavenge through the boats at the shore with the hope of having a glimpse of their dead sister. The reader is able to notice the bully nature of the elder brother through the younger brother, who says, â€Å"On land, Wallow’s a loutish kid. He bulldozes whatever gets in his path: baby strollers, widowers, me† (Russell). These lines gives the reader an understanding of the kind of character Wallow sometimes retrieves into when he feels th at he has all it takes to be a bully. This also explains why he drives the brother in search of the sister’s ghost. From the story the reader is also able to comprehend that the parents of the two children have resumed travelling to third world countries since the death of their daughter. This is because they feel the sons are grown enough to take care of themselves. As the story comes to an end, the reader understands that nothing positive comes out of the brothers’ search for their sister’s ghost. ... In reference to the bullish nature of Wallow, the reader understands that in absence of constant care by the parents, the elder brother will always want to be protective of his younger brother. Character Traits of the Story’s Characters The character of Wallow in the story â€Å"Haunting of Olivia† is caring. As an elder brother, and at fourteen years of age, he protects his brother, who is twelve, because the parents are rarely with them (Russell). When they are scavenging the boats to find anything of value, the reader discovers that Wallow remains in control and keeps watch for the safety of both of them. This can be seen when he says to his brother: â€Å"All right, bro,† Wallow says. â€Å"It’s go time.† He takes my elbow and gentles me down the planks with such tenderness that I am suddenly very afraid. But there’s no sense making the plunge slow and unbearable...† (Russell). Moreover, Wallow is imaginative about nature and supers titious. He refers to the anniversary of his late sister as â€Å"unbirthday†. Since the sister died on that material day, he feels that it is her unbirthday. The reader knows that this cannot be termed as unbirthday. Wallow says, â€Å"†¦that means that tonight is Olivia’s unbirthday, the anniversary of her death† (Russell). The imagination and superstition in these lines is revealed from the fact that Wallow thinks that the opposite of birthday celebration is unbirthday. This is in reference to death anniversary of Olivia. Moreover, by believing that Olivia’s ghost is in existence and they ought to look for it, it is an act of superstition. Ghosts are not things that exist but they arise out of

Developing Good Work Habits Essay Example for Free

Developing Good Work Habits Essay During the early school years, students must begin to develop good work habits including preparing for schoolwork, organizing time and effort, and developing effective study skills. As students continue into middle school and high school their success depends, to a large degree, on refining and sustaining these work habits. Time management, organizational skills, and efficient study skills become especially important by this stage. Students who are able to develop and maintain good work habits are in a position to succeed – to learn what needs to be learned, and to become confident students. Getting started on assignments in school and at home requires students to engage their attentional abilities. Students must be alert to the task at hand, possibly shifting focus to a new activity, and have the mental effort necessary to initiate the task. Students who are able to preview, or think about the outcomes of a task before beginning, are helped in many ways. They can have an idea of what a report will be like once a topic is selected, what materials will be necessary to do an assignment, etc. In addition, students who have a strong sense of step-wisdom – knowing how tasks or activities can be broken down into a series of steps, will be able to determine the first step needed to get started on an assignment. There is an optimal rate for accomplishing most tasks. A competent student is often a well-paced student, performing at a rate appropriate to the task and available time. Taking the appropriate amount of time for a task is largely dependent upon both a student’s temporal-sequential skills and his/her attentional abilities. Temporal-sequential skills help us interpret, retain, or create information that is in serial order. These skills are related to a student’s ability to appreciate time in general and estimate time appropriately. Tempo control (a facet of attention) helps students regulate the allocation of time to the task at hand, and predict the time required for an upcoming task. Tempo control also instills a sense of â€Å"step-wisdom†, the knowledge that it is more effective to undertake activities in a series of steps, rather than all at once. Tempo control allows a student to match his/her pacing to the demands of a given task, e. g. , to take the right amount of time to finish an essay test, to do a homework assignment thoroughly yet efficiently, etc. For many students, time is their most precious resource. Making the most of the time they have enables students to be as efficient and successful as possible, leading a balanced life of work and play. A clear understanding of time is required for students to manage their own time effectively, e. g. , plan long term projects, organize schedules, etc. As such, time management skills are an important component of a student’s success – in school and beyond. In order to meet assignment deadlines and to keep up with schedules related to school and schoolwork, students must engage their temporal-sequential ordering abilities. These skills help us interpret, retain, or create information that is in a serial order. Students with strong temporal-sequential ordering skills are able to manage their schedules, organize their work, and make efficient use of their time. Such students are also able to avoid procrastination (putting off a task that must be done). For students with weak time management skills, procrastination can have painful consequences, affecting both academic and personal success. In order to complete assignments for school, students must develop their cognitive working capacity. That is, students must learn to initiate and maintain the mental effort needed to complete tasks and activities. The ability to manage one’s effort is closely linked to academic productivity and success. A strong capacity for work enables students to delay gratification and to persevere through tasks that take considerable energy. It also helps them sustain their effort when information is worthy of attention, even though not immediately exciting, such as when studying a chapter they will be tested on the next day, or reading the instructions for a science experiment. Developing good organizational behaviors can play a key role in efficient school performance. School is much easier for students who know how to organize themselves, their materials, and their work space. Having effective organizational tactics will continue to be a valuable asset throughout a students education and career. Being ready to learn often means being prepared for the next activity, having to shift gears from one task to another, and having all the necessary materials on hand. In order to develop this aspect of learning readiness, students must engage their attentional abilities (especially that of previewing), as well as their memory skills. Through previewing, a student is able to look ahead and be prepared to deal with upcoming circumstances, challenges, and academic tasks. For example, previewing helps students prepare for a test, get ready for an upcoming class, and smoothly transition from one activity to the ext. In addition, students who preview are able to determine which materials are needed for a task and to remember to have those materials on hand. As a result, they are better prepared for activities and better able to follow through on assignments. Staying organized for school requires a student to have strong spatial abilities as well as a strong memory. To efficiently keep track of school materials and assignments, for example, students must have an internal sense of how things should be organized. In order to follow through on school-related tasks, such as turning in homework and bringing the right books to class, students must be able to remember where these items are, as well as remember to have the items on hand when needed! Maintaining a good study space is important to every student’s success. Students must have appropriate environments in which to learn and study, both at school and at home. Setting up and keeping an organized work space requires that students have strong spatial abilities. Such abilities help a student arrange a consistent place for storing school books, organize a desk drawer, keep a desk clear of clutter, etc.

Pathology of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Pathology of Rheumatoid Arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by painful inflammatory autoimmune disorder by di-arthrodial joints, the wide of production of cytokines, and destruction of joints (see the fig.1). Thickness of cells up to 5 to 8 multiples of synovium and as well as the turnout of subintima to be loose tissue of granulomatous inflammation. Pannus which tissue recognized, then destroyed by invading the bone and cartilage. Pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory imbalance are expressed on induction RA a synovitis (Feldmann, 2002). Fig1. Show a healthy and Rheumatoid Arthritis bones joint. The pathology of RA by promoting the maintain the inflammatory (erosive) synovitis, and joint tissue of adjacent are destruction, William McCann, 2008, contribution towards the blood bone cells are (Feldmann,2002) rheumatoid arthritics synovial fibroblasts, dendritic cells, macrophages, plasma cells, T cells, B cells and fibroblast-like synoviocytes. RA play an essential role of resident cells which gradually (Feldmann,2002) that contributed the bones degradation, cartilage and soft tissues while they secretion of matrix metalllo- proteases are developed and molecules are adhesion, then towards contributed in loss of range of joint motion and malformation, also premature mortality are contributed in many other similar cases. cytokines have been implicated in each phase of the pathogens disease are involved by cytokinesis. Often target as a TNFÃŽÂ ± is a standard treatment for RA. Role of rheumatoid arthritics Cytokines TH1 is linked with early studies of RA. Essential arbitrator are consider as a cytokine which they produced lower quantities of inflammatory response, even though they are the biological impact while they producing the less quantities, event of initiating downstream successive, drug discovery which target to identification of fundamental role of cytokines on RA are disorder driven by T cells populations that manufacture the cytokines inflammatory. Several techniques are carry out by many research group were observed the primary analysis of cytokines, which detect TNFa (Tumor necrosis factor alpha) on RA and TNFb in nit. After finding TNF and cytokines IL-1 are came up with many questions, was not detected without any satisfaction answer, local synovial joints are produced by arbitrators, in that case which cell are responsible to RA? consequently, all used alienate rheumatoid arthritis synovial membrane Brennan et, mono-nuclear cells to distinguish between the presence on o ne of a kind cytokines in the RA of pathology Table 1. Shows the presence of cytokines in RA synovial cells are listed below. Spontaneously produced cytokines by RA Profile of Arthritis Cytokine IL-1ÃŽÂ ² IL-1RA LT IL-2 IL-3 IL-12 MIP-3ÃŽÂ ± IL-17 IL-23 TNFÃŽÂ ± TGFÃŽÂ ² IFNT PDGF-A PDGF-B RANTES G-CSF GM-CSF TGFB Abbreviations of protein has been proved: TNF, Tumor necrosis factor; IL-1ÃŽÂ ², Interleukin-1 beta; IL-1RA, IL-1 Receptor Antagonist; LT, lymphotoxin; MIP-3ÃŽÂ ±, Macrophage Inflammatory Protein 3 alpha; TGFÃŽÂ ², Transforming Growth Factor beta-1; TNFÃŽÂ ±, Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha; IFNT, interferon gamma; PDGF-A, platelet derived growth factor alpha, PDGF-B; RANTES, regulated on activation normal T expressed and secretion; G-CSF, granulocytes colony stimulating factor; GM-CSF, granulocytes macrophages colony stimulating factor; TGFB, transforming factor beta. TNF alpha and IL-1 are vital in mediating irritation in RA. Randomized section II and III clinical trials of anti-TNF reagents (infliximab and etanercept) have validated a suitable safety profile and marked medical efficacy in instances of RA that have no longer replied thoroughly to conventional therapy. One anti-TNF reagent has already been approved within the U.S. for the remedy of RA, and other cytokine antagonists or agonists are under improvement. Experimental findings in TNF-deficient mouse fashions advocate that TNF inhibitors may also trade the sickness process of RA and bring about the ability of immunological remission, elevating the possibility of a treatment excursion of TNF inhibitors after in depth treatment. References    Feldmann M, Brennan FM, Maini RN. 2002. Role of cytokines in rheumatoid arthritis. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8717520. [Accessed 8 December 2016]. McCann, William. 2008. The role of physical activity in rheumatoid arthritis. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18234247. [Accessed 15 December 2016]. Genetics Home Reference. 2017. rheumatoid arthritis Genetics Home Reference. [ONLINE] Available at: https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/rheumatoid-arthritis. [Accessed 22 January 2017]. Next stage of RA treatment: is TNF inhibitor-free remission a possible treatment goal? Tanaka Annals of the Rheumatic Disease. 2017. Next stage of RA treatment: is TNF inhibitor-free remission a possible treatment goal? Tanaka Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. [ONLINE] Available at: http://ard.bmj.com/content/early/2012/12/18/annrheumdis-2012-202350.abstract. [Accessed 22 January 2017]. Cytokines Rheumatoid Arthritis. 2017. Cytokines Rheumatoid Arthritis. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ebioscience.com/knowledge-center/antigen/cytokines/rheumatoid-arthritis.htm. [Accessed 22 January 2017].

Treating Conjuctival Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia

Treating Conjuctival Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia INTERFERON Topical MMC and 5-fluorouracil have been used to reduce recurrence rates when used as an adjunct to surgical excision and as a primary treatment; however, their use can be associated with marked ocular surface toxicity. Topical (1.000.000 IU/ ml/ four times a day) or subconjuctival INF alfa 2b (3 million IU/ml/ weekly) have been employed to treat CIN. In general, topical INF alpha-2b is well tolerated. Subconjunctival administration presents more side effects as flu-like symptoms (fatigue, fever, myalgias, malaise) and mild liver disturbances[i]. Local conjunctival injection and follicular conjunctivitis are the most frequently reported side effects 17 after topical administration. Redness and increase of CIN volume without ocular discomfort have been reported in a case[ii]. Fine, diffuse, clear epithelial microcysts in the cornea after instillation of topical interferon a-2b have recently documented in other case[iii] Topical INF alpha 2-b, sometimes combined with subconjunctival IN F alpha 2-b, seems to be effective as primary treatment for CIN, in recurrent cases, and also in retreatment after recurrence when INF has been used previously for a short period of time. Approximately, 9% of CIN treated with subconjunctival and/or topical INF alpha 2b showed recurrences, and 33 % of them were successfully retreated with topical IFN alpha 2b91. For INF alpha 2b topical treatment, the average time to complete tumor response is 11 weeks (range 2-59). For INF alpha 2b subconjunctival and topical treatment, the average time to complete tumor response is 5.5 weeks (range 2-12),91. Previous studies found the same observation[iv].The time to clinical resolution using topical INF alpha 2-b was longer (11.6 weeks) that the combined intralesional and topical interferon (4.5 weeks), but that INF alpha 2b treatment involved fewer side effects. In general, it seems that the disadvantage with topical treatment is the long duration. We must emphasize the importance of long term fo llow-up for CIN patients because recurrences can occur anywhere from 33 days to 11.5 years[v], although most recurrent CIN occurs within 2 years of initial excision[vi]. Many surgeons add adjunctive topical therapy to their surgical regimens for larger lesions100. However, all sizes of lesions could be treated with topical INF alpha as the primary treatment because it is an effective, non-invasive treatment alternative to surgery that increases quality of life with low costs[vii]. Actually, no clear consensus on the best way to manage the disorder has been established, because long-term, well designed studies are still needed. However, two recent studies have addressed the above questions and confirmed the effectiveness of this topical therapy for CIN. The first study 17 demonstrated total resolution of the tumor in 96.4% of cases treated with INF alfa 2b with a mean follow-up of 42.4 months. The second study [viii]demonstrated that topical treatment with INF and surgical excision h ave the same effectiveness as primary treatment for CIN for a mean follow-up of 35.6 months. The authors concluded that topical IFN alfa-2b and aggressive surgical excision can be considered equally effective as first choice for treating CIN. Topical INF alfa-2b has some advantages over conventional excision, including the reduction of risk to loose limbal stem cells secondary to surgical trauma and, thus, compromising the integrity of the ocular surface. This therapeutic mode can be recommended particularly for patients who reject any type of surgery, or mentally retarded patients in whom surgery is complicated as well as extended cases where an aggressive excision could cause the loss of limbal stem cells94. Topical INF or subconjunctival INF remains a controversial issue. A recent report 103 concluded that subconjunctival 0.5 ml injection of 3 million IU IFN alfa 2b is a viable medical alternative for the treatment of ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) with a mean duration of follow-up of 55 months. The authors state that the advantages of perilesional INF alfa 2b injection include more rapid tumor resolution, ensured compliance, and perhaps more direct delivery to the tumor site when compared with topical INF drops. However, some patients may be apprehensive about receiving injections around the eye and may prefer eye drops. A single weekly injection of INF may have better compliance than 4 eye-drops per day dosing for a mean of three months in many patients. Direct delivery to the tumor site may occur in well-localized lesions, while annular lesions or multifocal disease requires injection over the entire involved area, Increasing the risk of conjunctival haemorrhage. By contrast, topical therapy is delivered to the entire ocular surface and has very good success rates. Topical therapy could be recommended for patients who reject any surgical procedure or those who are apprehensive about injections.. Weekly subconjunctival INF alpha 2b might be an a lternative in resistant cases of CIN or recurrent conjunctival papillomatosis avoiding a mutilating surgery[ix] [x] A low-molecular weight glycoprotein, produced by leukocytes, has antineoplastic and antiviral properties. It slows the cellular growth cycle and enhances the body’s immune response against tumor cells. The FDA has approved IFN-a2b for the treatment of several conditions, including hairy cell leukemia. IFN-a2b therapy can be utilized as topical drops or subconjunctival injections. With drops, clinical resolution usually takes place with a mean time of about 12 weeks. Subconjunctival injection in addition topical IFN-a2b helps to initiate non-invasive effective treatment for CCIN with faster resolution time i.e. 6 weeks. In one study, the overall response rate was 96.4 percent, and the recurrence rate was 3.7 percent after one year. The regime for topical IFN-a2b drops with a concentration of 1 million IU/mL (1 M.I.U) or 3 million IU/mL (3 M.I.U), applied four tim es daily; or through subconjunctival route via injections as 3M.I.U million IU/0.5 mL, administered weekly. No significant clinical impact has been demonstrated on dose difference. When given in topical form, IFN-a2b is generally well tolerated and has minimum side effects. However the systemic effects reported so far include, mild fever, myalgia and fatigue especially after subconjunctival injections. This s can be well managed with ibuprofen. Topical IFN-A2b therapy is somehow gentle to ocular surface in terms of minimum drug epitheliopathy and patients have better compliance to IFN-A2b drops when compared to other topical chemotherapeutic agents , even if used for 12 weeks or more. No punctal plugs are needed.In summary, interferon ÃŽ ±-2b is better alternative option for topical chemotherapy that has been used in patients with CCIN .This therapy appears to provide results similar to topical chemotherapy but may be less toxic to the normal epithelium or the cornea and conjunctiva . OTHER TREATMENT OPTIONS: Other treatment options in the management of conjuctival OSSN include topical retinoids, cidofovir and photodynamic therapy (PDT). Topical unguent of trans-reinoic acid (0,01%) showed complete resolution of CIN in 20% of cases, whereas 40% showed only partial response[xi]. This treatment may be then only adjuvant to surgery Regression of diffuse conjunctival CIN was demonstrated following a 6 week course of topical cidofovir eye drops (2.5 mg/ml) with later residual lesion after surgical excision[xii].Following PDT, using verteporfin, a complete clinical CIN regression, supported with angiographic evidence, has been reported at 1 month, without any recurrence for a mean follow-up of 8.6 months[xiii]. Likewise, histopathological evidence showing tumor regression following treatment with PDT in a patient with in situ CIN has been reported[xiv]. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our study is a single centered descriptive case series and was carried out at department of ophthalmology, Lahore General Hospital, a tertiary care hospital affiliated with Post Graduate Medical Institute (PGMI) Lahore from March 2014 to August 2014. A total of 150 cases were operated upon during the study period and all the cases were reviewed for at least six months to look for signs of recurrence. All the patients were pre operatively examined on slit lamp and those patients with either a pterygium or inflamed eyes or with previously excised and treated suspicious growths were excluded from the study. The risks and benefits of the study were discussed with the patients. Personal profile of the patient’s along with the contact numbers of the patients was noted. All the data was recorded on a pre-designed proforma DISCUSSION: Ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) is a spectrum of disease, on which few of the large series have been documented to address the role of chemotherapy and immunotherapy for the treatment of ocular surface squamous cell neoplasia, none in particular from the Pakistan, especially ; the role of interferon therapy in management of OSSN.As the CCIN is highly recurrent tumors, many researchers have made efforts to bring a treatment modality with minimum invasive therapy and side effects to treat OSSN. In our study the rate of recurrence was which is quiet similar to the results in achieved in one study105 i.e rate of recurrence was 10.9% and and 5-year recurrence rate was 18.5%[xv] and the most significant factors found to result recurrence were tumor size and first treatment given. However, surprisingly grading invasiveness of disease and positive margins for tumor were found less statistically significant in tumor recurrence. In contribution with ongoing research as the primary tre atment therapy to treat OSSN, the interferon has proved to be most reliable drug in terms of controlling the tumor growth, preventing its recurrence and preserving the ocular surface with minimal side effects. The mitomycinC (MMC) 0.02%-0.04% is still being used for the treatment of OSSN as a part of topical therapy because of its role in lowering the recurrence rate. The standard treatment for CCIN is surgical. Due to the risk of recurrence and depending on the tumor free margins, adjuvant treatment like chemotherapy, cryotherapy and even radiotherapy has been used. Topical 5-fluorouracil and MMC have been used to minimize recurrence when used as an adjunct to surgical excision; however, their use even in the topical formulation can be associated with ocular surface toxicity. Thus, intervention with interferon alpha 2b to treat the tumor established medical regime and thus alternative to surgical procedures for the treatment of CIN with more benefits, especially in reducing tumor r ecurrence, and multiple surgies can be avoided. This new chemotherapeutic drug is being used to avoid visits of the operation theatre and is useful in decreasing the potential risk of stem cell loss and scarring of limbal area. Till to date, there are no comparative studies of this topical regime combined with surgical resection, cryotherapy and additional chemotheray in the literature. This therapy is especially recommended in conditions where patients deny undergoing any surgical procedure, patient is mentally retarded and also in patients with extensive involvement of tumor ,when to perform a surgery seems difficult, and in advanced cases where a surgical procedure may result in limbal stem cell depletion. As the role of interferon in previous studies to reduce recurrence is demonstrated, it has a substantial advantage in excising new tumor. The clinician and patient should outweigh the, duration of treatment, cost of therapy and possible side effects while deciding to initiate t he primary treatment of CIN with INF alpha 2b. Topical interferon is well tolerated in terms of lower epithelial toxicity. However, via Subconjunctival route, encounters more side effects. In a study, four of seven patients reported local conjunctival injection and follicular conjunctivitis but It was established, however, the folliculitis most likely resulted from vehicle, which contained glycerin benzyl alcohol 0.09%,, and human albumin, and not the INF alpha 2b itself[xvi]. Topical INF alpha 2b, added with subconjunctival INF alpha 2b, seems to be effective as primary treatment for CIN, in recurrent cases but also in recurrent cases where interferon has been used previously for a short time. six patients out of 66 treated with subconjunctival and/or topical INF alpha 2b had recurrences. Two of them were successfully retreated with topical INF alpha 2b. Another one achieved complete remission after intra- and perioperative MMC. For INF alpha 2b topical treatment, the average time to complete tumor response was 11weeks (range, 2-59). The average follow-up was 13.3months (range, 3-40), and only three patients out of 45 had recurrences. One of them was successfully retreated with topical INF alpha 2b. For INF alpha 2b subconjunctival and topical treatment, the average time to complete tumor response was 5.5weeks (range, 2-12). The average follow-up was 22.5months (range, 7.2-91), and only three patients out of 21 had recurrences. One of them was successfully retreated with topical INF alpha 2b. Another one achieved complete remission after intra- and perioperative MMC. Karpet al.[xvii]described the time for clinical resolution using INF alpha 2b was much longer (11.6weeks) than in their own previous study[xviii]in which they combined intralesional and topical interferon (4.5weeks), and also reported that INF alpha 2b treatment resulted in fewer side effects. One recurrence after treatment with 2weeks of INF alpha 2b was newly treated with topical INF alpha 2b for 8months with success[xix]. In general, it seems that the disadvantage of this form of treatment is the long duration. The only safe method of gauging when to stop the treatment is the disappearance of the lesion in the slit lamp examination. However the latest modality to search for early recurrence is based on ultra high-resolution anterior segment optical coherence tomography in the diagnosis and management of ocular surface squamous neoplasia[xx]. Therefore, It is important to emphasize to council the patients for the importance of long-term follow-up for CIN patients because recurrence s can occur anywhere from 33days to 11.5years[xxi], although most recurrent CIN occurs within 2years of initial excision[xxii]. The mode of onset of the tumor can even masquerade as pterygium without giving any clue of clinical suspicion and the biopsies of the recurrent pterygium have shown to be squamous cell carcinoma on histopathology. So, every specimen of pterygium should be investigated for histopathologic examination and biopsies where OSSN is found should be examined more frequently for development of clinical signs of OSSN, hence identified and treated at an early stage[xxiii]. To determine the judicious dosage of using interferon relative to the tumor size, Vann and Karp[xxiv]found efficacy relationship which was dose dependent achieved with the cumulative administration of topical therapy and subconjunctival injection for the treatment of CIN. Chenet al.[xxv] suggested that additive therapy with INF alpha 2b may be needed for all lesions to lower the recurrence, particul arly if surgical excision seems not to ensure tumor-free margins; in large sized tumors, topical INF alpha 2b may result in limited tumor regression due to lack of insufficient drug penetration. However instead of introducing large dose of intralesional INF alpha 2b, excisional biopsy to decrease tumor mass should be performed. The larger lesions require repeated subconjunctival/perilesional injections, but it is suggested that smaller or residual lesions can be managed with topical therapy alone. Other authors have described the effect of tumor size on the choice of therapy[xxvi]. Many surgeons advise additional topical therapy to their surgical regimens for larger lesions[xxvii] and the topical IFN-alpha2b plays effective role for recurrent tumors; as it avoids the risks of further destruction to stem cells around limbus as mostly other agents and surgical excision result .However, If biopsy exhibits invasiveness at any stage, topical therapy is contraindicated, surgical excision should be performed[xxviii]. However, when there is a recurrence after INF alpha 2b treatment, an alternative could be intraoperative MMC, as described by Hawkinset al [xxix]. In our experienceall lesion with large tumor size can be treated with topical interferon as the primary therapy because of its effectiveness, non-invasiveness, and an alternative regime avoiding surgery that enhances quality of life and is also cost effective. Today, no clear consensus on the best way to manage the disorder has been established, because long-term, well-designed studies are still needed. [i] [ii] [iii] [iv] [v] [vi] [vii] [viii] [ix] [x] [xi] [xii] [xiii] [xiv] [xv] Maudgil A,Patel T,Rundle P,Rennie IG,Mudhar HS- Ocular surface squamous neoplasia: analysis of 78 cases from a UK ocular oncology centre.Br J Ophthalmol ; 97 (12); 1520-4 [xvi] Schechter BA, Schrier A, Nagler RS, SmithEF, Velasquez GE. Regression of presumed primary conjunctival and corneal intraepithelial neoplasia with topical interferon alpha-2b. Cornea, 2002;21:6-11. [xvii] Karp CL, Moor JK, Rosa RH Jr. Treatment of conjunctival and corneal intraepithelial neoplasia with topical interpferon alpha-2b. Ophthalmology, 2001;108:1093-8. [xviii] Vann RR, Karp CL. Perilesional and topical interferon alfa 2b for conjuntival and corneal neoplasia. Ophthalmology, 1999;106:91-7. [xix] Morgenstern KE, Givan J, Wiley LA. Long-term adminstration of topical interferon alfa-2b in the treatment of conjunctival squamous papilloma. Arch Ophthalmol, 2003;121:1052-3. [xx] Thomas BJ,Galor A,Nanji AA,El Sayyad F,Wang J,Dubovy SR,Joag MG,Karp CL- Ultra high-resolution anterior segment optical coherence tomography in the diagnosis and management of ocular surface squamous neoplasia. Ocul Surf ; 12 (1); 46-58 [xxi] Tabin G, Levin S, Snibson G, LoughnanM, Taylor H. Late recurrences and the necessity for long-term follow-up in corneal and conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia. Ophthalmology, 1997;104:485-92. [xxii] Schechter BA, Nagler RS, Schrier A. Recurrent intraepithelial neoplasia treatment. Ophthalmology, 2005;112:1319. [xxiii] Pterygium and associated ocular surface squamous neoplasia.Hirst LW,Axelsen RA,Schwab I- Arch. Ophthalmol. ; 127 (1); 31-2 [xxiv] Vann RR, Karp CL. Perilesional and topical interferon alfa 2b for conjuntival and corneal neoplasia. Ophthalmology, 1999;106:91-7. [xxv] Chen HC, Chang SW, Huang SF. Adjunctive treatment with interferon alpha-2b may decrease the risk of papilloma-associated conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasm recurrence. Cornea, 2004;23:726-9. [xxvi] Stone DU, Butt AL, Chodosh J. Ocular surface squamous neoplasia. Cornea, 2005;24:297-300 [xxvii] Stone DU, Butt AL, Chodosh J. Ocular surface squamous neoplasia. Cornea, 2005;24:297-300. [xxviii] Holcombe DJ,Lee GA- Am. J. Ophthalmol. opical interferon alfa-2b for the treatment of recalcitrant ocular surface squamous neoplasia ; 142 (4); 568-71 [xxix] Hawkins AS, Yu J, Hamming NA, Rubenstein JB. Treatment of recurrent conjunctival papillomatosis with mytomycin C. Am J Ophthalmol, 1999;128:638-40.

gender and prestige :: essays papers

gender and prestige The purpose of this essay is to show embeddedness of prestige system into subsystems of the cultures. We will discuss four cultures which represent four different types of social organizations; !Kung San represents band organization, Mundurucu represents village type, Polynesia - Chiefdom, and Andalusia represents state type of social organization. In all of these cultures prestige system, which is the gender system, is imbedded into other subsystems. Three of these cultures: Mundurucu, Polynesia, and Andalusia, have hierarchical type of ideology, meaning in this culture males have more power then females. !Kung San culture, on the other hand, has egalitarian type of ideology, where there is no significant difference in power between males and females. We first start by defining prestige system, which consists of prestige itself. Prestige is level of respect at which one is regarded by others. Every person in prestige system has status, by which other people value your prestige. Status it determined by following factors: economical, political, personal, and historical. When we talk about the prestige system we have to say that prestige system is supported by ideology, and since cultures have different ideologies, the prestige systems vary from one culture to another. Polynesia, discussed by Sherry Ortner, consists of large numbers of islands in the Pacific Ocean, which include Hawaii, Samoa, Tahiti, and many more. The islands in their majority have the same prestige system. The prestige systems in Polynesia is the system of hereditary ranking which is embedded in political system, kinship system, and economic system. The type of social organization in Polynesia, as we mentioned above, is chiefdom. Chiefdom is characterized by numbe r of villages, where each village has its own chief, and the whole village system has one chief, higher in rank then other chiefs. This fact is important when we discuss the embeddedness of prestige system in the political system. Every village, that is the part of the chiefdom, has a goal to get on the top of the symbolic pyramid, with main chief and fono, the governing council, on the top. Sometimes, statuses can be brought higher with the right type of marriage, however, most of the villages have endogamy type of marriages, meaning the spouse comes from inside of the village. In case of exogamy marriage, where spouse comes from outside, the groom's family will have to share part of the land with the bride's family.

Justice And Injustice Essay -- essays research papers

In The Republic, the great philosopher Plato attempts to reveal through the character and dialogues of Socrates that justice is better when it is the good for which men must strive for, regardless of whether they could be unjust and still be rewarded. His method is to use dialectic, the asking and answering of questions. This method leads the audience from one point to another, supposedly with indisputable logic by obtaining agreement to each point before going on to the next, therefore, building an argument.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Interestingly about the work of Socrates is that its not known very well, since nothing was recorded during his time. Everything that we know about Socrates has come through the writings of his greatest pupil, Plato. Socrates was a man that revolutionized philosophy and how to approach his surroundings. One of Socrates greatest findings as a philosopher was that he admitted that he knew nothing, which to others, specifically the Delphic Oracle led them to believe that there were none wiser than Socrates. Socrates techniques as a philosopher came about with his abilities to question others. His line of questioning, to see why everything had a purpose drew a crowd of younger people, which leads us to The Republic, where Socrates encounters some questions for him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Socrates had two young listeners posing questions of whether justice is stronger than injustice, and what each does to a man? What makes the first good and the second bad? In answering this question, Socrates deals directly with the philosophy of the individual's goodness and virtue, but also binds it to his concept of the perfect state, which is a republic of three classes of people with a rigid social structure and little in the way of amusement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although Socrates reiterates the concept of justice over and over again it all comes to his discourse on the perfect city-state, which seems a bit off the mark, considering his original subject. However, one of Socrates’ main points is that goodness is doing what is best for the common. It is greater good as opposed to that of individual happiness. There is a real sense in which his philosophy turns on the concepts of virtue, and his belief that ultimately virtue is its own reward. His first major point is that justice is an excellence of character. He then se... ...uite compassionate. Since happiness is the sign of justice, and pleasure is one sign of happiness, then the just person is the happy person. Socrates then equates true pleasure with knowledge, the province of reason and the philosopher.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Within Book X, In The Republic, Socrates argues for the existence of an immortal soul. With this plead, he makes the point that good is that which preserves and benefits. Justice is good, so it therefore preserves and benefits in this life as well as the next. Therefore, even though a man may wish to behave badly when no one is looking, as with the myth of the ring of Gyges, according to Socrates, by behaving justly we will have the most rewards. Eventually, the difficulty with Socrates' arguments is that they rely on associating things on to the next in a chain that eventually leads back to the original proposition. But, the logic of these connections seems built more on assumptions than on objective truth. Thus, within keeping his stance that ultimately what he says is right is right because he is a philosopher, and therefore is by his nature right. The dialectic seems more of a game to get the audience to go along.

Women in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay -- Young Goodman Brown

â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† and Women  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   What are the attitudes of the young Puritan husband Goodman Brown toward women, of the author toward women, of   other characters in the story toward women? This essay intends to answer that question.    Randall Stewart in â€Å"Hawthorne’s Female Characters† states that there are three types of female characters in Hawthorne’s writings: (1) â€Å"the wholesome New England girl, bright, sensible and self-reliant;† (2) â€Å"the frail, sylph-like creature, easily swayed by a stronger personality;† and (3) â€Å"the woman with an exotic richness in her nature† (98), and that â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† has in Faith â€Å"cheerfulness, prettiness, and a simple-minded domesticity† (99). So this categorizes her under type (1).    In Salem village that fateful night when the young Puritan husband was departing home for the night, he exchanged â€Å"a parting kiss with his young wife.† From this we can conclude that he had a basic respect for her feelings(?) The wind was playing with â€Å"the pink ribbons of her cap.† Literary critic Wagenknecht surveys some of the critical interpretation relative to these ribbons:    Mathews finds the pastel of infancy in pink, but since pink is a color intermediate between red and white, William V. Davis prefers to take it as suggesting â€Å"neither total depravity nor innocence† but â€Å"the tainted innocence, the spiritual imperfection of mankind,† a view shared, up to a point, by Robinson. . . . (62).      So the critics would have us believe that the author is making a statement here: that seemingly good Faith is not all that good, based on the author’s placement of pink ribbons on her cap. She whispered, â€Å"Dearest heart, prithee put off your journey until sunrise and sleep... ...tially.      BIBLIOGRAPHY    Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Complete Short Stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York: Doubleday and Co., Inc.,1959.    Lang, H.J.. â€Å"How Ambiguous is Hawthorne?† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Leavis, Q.D. â€Å"Hawthorne as Poet.† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Martin, Terence â€Å"Six Tales.† In Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York: Twayne Publishers Inc., 1965.    Stewart, Randall. â€Å"Hawthorne’s Female Characters.† In Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne, edited by Clarice Swisher. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1996.    Wagenknecht, Edward. Nathaniel Hawthorne – The Man, His Tales and Romances. New York: Continuum Publishing Co., 1989.

Persuasive Speech on Thift Retail

Everybody knows millions of years ago before the manifestation of the global society, man and woman ran around buck naked and fancy-free. However, Nowadays running around naked is somewhat frowned upon society. On a show of hands how many of you are all about living green? On a show of hands how many of you like to save money while giving profit/donations towards a good cause?Good Afternoon class, My name is Pearl Bentum and I shall be discussing with you the mission of different types of thrift retails, How to donate items, and last but not least items you could find at these stores. Let’s begin with the missions of different types of thrift retail. Salvation Army is one of the most popular amongst them all. Due to the fact that it’s the only religious one. Their mission is to use donations to Care for the poor, Feed the hungry, Shelter the homeless, Cloth the naked, Love the unlovable, and Befriend the friendless.Another type of thrift retail is the Good Will. Their m ission is to provide vocational education for people with disabilities, training programs, services based on the needs of the community, and the financial resources of the organization. Let’s move on to how to donate items. There are three steps to take in order to donate your items. Number one, you have to determine whether or not your item/items are useful. Most charities can only make use of items that are new, unused, or nearly new.If you don't have any use for your old, tattered couch, rusty washing machine, or other used item, chances are neither will a charity. Similarly, a timeshare that has turned out to be a bad investment for you won't do much to help out a worthy charity. Number two, Consider selling your items and donating the proceeds to charity. By donating cash instead of goods you allow charities greater flexibility in spending the money so that it reaches the people or animals that need it the most.When you sell the items yourself you also eliminate the for- profit middleman that can take a big cut of the money intended for charity. When you sell the items yourself you also unburden charities of any time and money they would have to spend on selling or refurbishing the items, allowing them to spend more resources directly fulfilling their missions. Finally, by selling the items yourself, you know the exact value of the donation you can report to the IRS and don't have to worry about estimating the amount for your tax returns.Number three, Start locally to find the right charity. In order to avoid transportation costs that can lower the impact of your donation, look first in your local community to find a charity to support with your noncash contribution. Call around and ask charities if they accept the kind of items you are looking to donate, and if they don't find out if they have any suggestions of a charity that does. Lastly, I would like to share with you what you can find at these thrift retails. You can items such as clothes and s hoes.For example this whole outfit I have on today I purchased at the thrift store. You can find items such as couches and decorative pillows such as this one I purchased about a year ago. There is also a wide variety of electronics that you could find. In brief, getting involved in the thrift retail business, weither its thru purchasing items or donating items it goes to a good cause and also helps you to save money and go green. Just know that every little thing counts. And hopefully you will go out and donate or even shop at the thrift stores. Thank you

Fighting for Ameican Manhood

Omar Perez-Velazco Hist. 460 Dr. McDonough February 18, 2013 Since the beginning of time the topic of human gender its differences has been a controversial subject that always attracts attention. After the Spanish-American War, many men were seen as heroes, some even put into important positions in our nations’ government. Men like McKinley and Roosevelt, for example, used such praise and recognition to reinforce their positions of President and, later on, Vice President, respectively. One of the men who benefited from this line of thought was President McKinley, who no doubt was delighted to find that being a commander in chief during a war restored his image as a capable leader† (110). Roosevelt was a man with power, being the assistant secretary of the navy, but he gave it up to join 1st United Stated Volunteer Cavalry, more commonly known as the Rough Riders. He received nationwide praise and everyone knew him as a hero. â€Å"Two years later, Roosevelt’s mil itary record helped him win the vice presidential slot on the Republican ticket† (112).Women held many important roles during this war, such as nurses. While women were vital to the war effort, many people did little to spread the news. â€Å"In magazines and newspapers of the time, stories glorifying soldiers and sailors are hard to miss. In contrast, stories covering women’s wartime contributions are difficult to find† (128). How does considering gender change our views of the Spanish-American and Philippine-American wars? This is the argument that Kristin Hoganson makes in Fighting for American Manhood.I believe that without the aid of women in the camps, the wars would have gone much differently. â€Å"This book shows how international relations affected ideas about gender, how gendered ideas about political authority affected American democracy in an imperial era, and how high politics served as a vibrant locus of cultural struggle† (14). I can agree with the author on all these points and I believe that women and also minorities during the wars had a great impact from their local factories and towns. Fighting for American Manhood collects its information from a wide variety f sources, some being magazines and journal articles, and others being more in depth, like family letters. There is also a large quantity of political cartoons from the time, depicting such people as President McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, and the iconic Uncle Sam. Some of the primary sources, the letters, come from places like the Alabama Department of Archives and History, or the Cincinnati Historical Society, which provided information in the form of the Wheeler Family Papers, and the Joseph Benson Foraker Papers, respectively.While a lot of these family accounts were safely in the hands of the state, many other accounts from the day were residing in university libraries, such as the Harvard University Houghton Library, and the University of North Carolin a Wilson Library: Southern Historical Collection, from which Hoganson uses the Theodore Roosevelt Collection, from the Charles Eliot Norton Papers, and the Edward Ward Carmack Papers, respectively. The secondary sources that the author compiled were mostly magazine entries and newspaper articles, like those from the New York Times, or the Washington Post.The chapter that I found most interesting was Chapter 6 – The Problem of Male Degeneracy and the Allure of the Philippines. I was just amazed with the United States when our government, using the power of the Treaty of Paris, decided for the Philippines that they wanted to be ceded into the United States. †The peace treaty with Spain, signed on December 10, ceded the Philippines along with Guam and Puerto Rico to the United States. The treaty, known as the Treaty of Paris, then went to the U. S Senate for ratification.But the Filipinos who had been fighting for independence from Spain did not want to be ceded† (13 3). This angered the Filipino nationalists and almost brought an all out war. The reasons that the U. S government officials gave to try and justify their takeover of these territories also surprised me and showed me just how far some countries will go to expand, both physically and mentally. â€Å"Imperialists based their assertions that the Filipinos were unfit for independence on three stereotypes that gave meaning to racial prejudices by drawing on ideas about gender.All three presented the Filipinos as lacking the manly character seen as necessary for self-government† (134). These men were considered less than human, along with Native and African Americans. I thoroughly enjoyed this chapter because of all the different aspects it covers related to gender and the ceding of the Filipino territories. The chapter that I found least interesting was Chapter 2 – Cuba and the Restoration of American Chivalry. While the information in the chapter was important to get the m ain argument across, it just didn’t appeal to me, and it didn’t get any better in my opinion as I kept reading.American citizens fantasized about the Cuban rebels, about how chivalrous the men were and how responsible and loyal wives the Cuban women are. â€Å"In contrast to American men, who seemed to be losing sight of knightly values in their single-minded pursuit of riches, Cuban men appeared to exemplify chivalric character† (47). American men drew inspiration from these fantasies, often showing how Cuban men drew their inspiration from women in illustrations and cartoons. â€Å"Their images as acquiescent, traditional women made Cuban women seem to be perfect feminine foils for assertive American women.In addition to appearing well worth defending, Cuban women appeared eager for rescue† (46). This chapter was important to getting the point across but I felt like it was sort of out of place. Fighting for American Manhood is a very interesting read an d it really makes me think. When did anyone every really stop and think so deeply about how gender can affect wars? The book is unique and I recommend it to anyone who wants to study the topic of gender affecting war.

Did strategy drive war or did war drive strategy in early modern and modern France?

The question on whether it was strategy that drove the war or war that drove strategy can only be answered by first examining the assertions of the question. In staking the claim that it was indeed strategy that drove the war, the basic assumption is that there was superior strategy that could dictate the outcome of the war. This presupposes that the resulting war was a product of keen strategy. In asserting the second part of the claim, strategy is seen as a component of war in that the unpredictable outcome of war necessitated the employment of strategy for victory.While it seems that neither of these statements can co-exist, the reality is that there was a time when strategy did drive the war in early modern and modern France and there was also a time when it could be gainsaid that war did drive strategy. In modern French warfare, it will be noted that Joffre, the leading French strategist during the First World War, maintained and promoted an offensive strategy with the French ar my.He was convinced that the only way to assure victory was to adopt an offensive strategy and this is what drove the war and brought France to the brink of disaster. His steadfast adherence to his strategy despite his recognition of the changing war scenario made it difficult to pursue any progress. It is through this same example, however, that having war drive strategy becomes clear. If Joffre had not been able to adjust his strategy according to the dictates of war, the French would have surely suffered disastrous losses at the Champagne Offensive.There is no arguing the statement that indeed strategy may sometimes be an illusion. While the statement of Betts may hold true, it overlooks the fact that both states of strategy may exist, as a driver and as driven. In the first case, strategy initially drives any war, before the occurrence it influences the initiative. Once it has begun, however, there is a need to adjust in case the outcome does not conform to the predictions of th e strategy. There is no hard and fast rule for this as the case of Joffre has shown.

Deception Point Page 69

â€Å"I'll come to your office.† â€Å"No,† she said hurriedly. â€Å"It's late. Your presence here would raise concerns. I'd prefer to keep this matter between us.† Pickering read between the lines. The President knows nothing about this. â€Å"You're welcome to come here,† he said. Tench sounded distrusting. â€Å"Let's meet somewhere discreet.† Pickering had expected as much. â€Å"The FDR Memorial is convenient to the White House,† Tench said. â€Å"It will be empty at this time of night.† Pickering considered it. The FDR Memorial sat midway between the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials, in an extremely safe part of town. After a long beat, Pickering agreed. â€Å"One hour,† Tench said, signing off. â€Å"And come alone.† Immediately upon hanging up, Marjorie Tench phoned NASA administrator Ekstrom. Her voice was tight as she relayed the bad news. â€Å"Pickering could be a problem.† 81 Gabrielle Ashe was brimming with new hope as she stood at Yolanda Cole's desk in the ABC production room and dialed directory assistance. The allegations Sexton had just conveyed to her, if confirmed, had shocking potential. NASA lied about PODS? Gabrielle had seen the press conference in question and recalled thinking it was odd, and yet she'd forgotten all about it; PODS was not a critical issue a few weeks ago. Tonight, however, PODS had become the issue. Now Sexton needed inside information, and he needed it fast. He was relying on Gabrielle's â€Å"informant† to get the information. Gabrielle had assured the senator she would do her best. The problem, of course, was that her informant was Marjorie Tench, who would be no help at all. So Gabrielle would have to get the information another way. â€Å"Directory assistance,† the voice on the phone said. Gabrielle told them what she needed. The operator came back with three listings for a Chris Harper in Washington. Gabrielle tried them all. The first number was a law firm. The second had no answer. The third was now ringing. A woman answered on the first ring. â€Å"Harper residence.† â€Å"Mrs. Harper?† Gabrielle said as politely as possible. â€Å"I hope I haven't woken you?† â€Å"Heavens no! I don't think anyone's asleep tonight.† She sounded excited. Gabrielle could hear the television in the background. Meteorite coverage. â€Å"You're calling for Chris, I assume?† Gabrielle's pulse quickened. â€Å"Yes, ma'am.† â€Å"I'm afraid Chris isn't here. He raced off to work as soon as the President's address was over.† The woman chuckled to herself. â€Å"Of course, I doubt there's any work going on. Most likely a party. The announcement came as quite a surprise to him, you know. To everyone. Our phone's been ringing all night. I bet the whole NASA crew's over there by now.† â€Å"E Street complex?† Gabrielle asked, assuming the woman meant NASA headquarters. â€Å"Righto. Take a party hat.† â€Å"Thanks. I'll track him down over there.† Gabrielle hung up. She hurried out onto the production room floor and found Yolanda, who was just finishing prepping a group of space experts who were about to give enthusiastic commentary on the meteorite. Yolanda smiled when she saw Gabrielle coming. â€Å"You look better,† she said. â€Å"Starting to see the silver lining here?† â€Å"I just talked to the senator. His meeting tonight wasn't what I thought.† â€Å"I told you Tench was playing you. How's the senator taking the meteorite news?† â€Å"Better than expected.† Yolanda looked surprised. â€Å"I figured he'd jumped in front of a bus by now.† â€Å"He thinks there may be a snag in the NASA data.† Yolanda let out a dubious snort. â€Å"Did he see the same press conference I just saw? How much more confirmation and reconfirmation can anyone need?† â€Å"I'm going over to NASA to check on something.† Yolanda's penciled eyebrows raised in cautionary arches. â€Å"Senator Sexton's right-hand aide is going to march into NASA headquarters? Tonight? Can you say ‘public stoning'?† Gabrielle told Yolanda about Sexton's suspicion that the PODS section manager Chris Harper had lied about fixing the anomaly software. Yolanda clearly wasn't buying it. â€Å"We covered that press conference, Gabs, and I'll admit, Harper was not himself that night, but NASA said he was sick as a dog.† â€Å"Senator Sexton is convinced he lied. Others are convinced too. Powerful people.† â€Å"If the PODS anomaly-detection software wasn't fixed, how did PODS spot the meteorite?† Sexton's point exactly, Gabrielle thought. â€Å"I don't know. But the senator wants me to get him some answers.† Yolanda shook her head. â€Å"Sexton is sending you into a hornet's nest on a desperate pipe dream. Don't go. You don't owe him a thing.† â€Å"I totally screwed up his campaign.† â€Å"Rotten luck screwed up his campaign.† â€Å"But if the senator is right and the PODS section manager actually lied-â€Å" â€Å"Honey, if the PODS section manager lied to the world, what makes you think he'll tell you the truth.† Gabrielle had considered that and was already formulating her plan. â€Å"If I find a story over there, I'll call you.† Yolanda gave a skeptical laugh. â€Å"If you find a story over there, I'll eat my hat.† 82 Erase everything you know about this rock sample. Michael Tolland had been struggling with his own disquieting ruminations about the meteorite, but now, with Rachel's probing questions, he was feeling an added unease over the issue. He looked down at the rock slice in his hand. Pretend someone handed it to you with no explanation of where it was found or what it is. What would your analysis be? Rachel's question, Tolland knew, was loaded, and yet as an analytical exercise, it proved powerful. By discarding all the data he had been given on his arrival at the habisphere, Tolland had to admit that his analysis of the fossils was profoundly biased by a singular premise-that the rock in which the fossils were found was a meteorite. What if I had NOT been told about the meteorite? he asked himself. Although still unable to fathom any other explanation, Tolland allowed himself the leeway of hypothetically removing â€Å"the meteorite† as a pre-supposition, and when he did, the results were somewhat unsettling. Now Tolland and Rachel, joined by a groggy Corky Marlinson, were discussing the ideas. â€Å"So,† Rachel repeated, her voice intense, â€Å"Mike, you're saying that if someone handed you this fossilized rock with no explanation whatsoever, you would have to conclude it was from earth.† â€Å"Of course,† Tolland replied. â€Å"What else could I conclude? It's a far greater leap to assert you've found extraterrestrial life than it is to assert you've found a fossil of some previously undiscovered terrestrial species. Scientists discover dozens of new species every year.† â€Å"Two-foot-long lice?† Corky demanded, sounding incredulous. â€Å"You would assume a bug that big is from earth?† â€Å"Not now, maybe,† Tolland replied, â€Å"but the species doesn't necessarily have to be currently living. It's a fossil. It's 170 million years old. About the same age as our Jurassic. A lot of prehistoric fossils are oversized creatures that look shocking when we discover their fossilized remains-enormous winged reptiles, dinosaurs, birds.† â€Å"Not to be the physicist here, Mike,† Corky said, â€Å"but there's a serious flaw in your argument. The prehistoric creatures you just named-dinosaurs, reptiles, birds-they all have internal skeletons, which gives them the capability to grow to large sizes despite the earth's gravity. But this fossil†¦ † He took the sample and held it up. â€Å"These guys have exo skeletons. They're arthropods. Bugs. You yourself said that any bug this big could only have evolved in a low-gravity environment. Otherwise its outer skeleton would have collapsed under its own weight.†

Understanding Nursing Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Understanding Nursing Theory - Essay Example Grand theory presenters start theoretical formulation at abstraction level and these formulations never link the realities. Roy’s (1971) work was designated for the grand theory. Roy presented the adaptation model. In the adaption model of Roy, a person was perceived as receiving the adaptive system for inputs. This input may be as the stimuli from the external environment, which is processed by the feedback or internal processes. These processes are inherent in the changing abilities of individuals and result into an output in the form of either ineffective response or adaptive (Parse, 2001). Middle range Theory is less abstract and more specific in its scope, which reflects a practice and also addresses the specific phenomenon. This theory deals with a limited number of aspects of real world concepts. A mid-range theory is made up of relative concrete concepts, which are concrete propositions and defined operationally. These concepts can be tested empirically. A period of ten years ago, Georgene Eakes, Mary Burke, and Margaret Hainsworth developed the theory of Chronic Sorrow. This is the application of the middle range theory of nursing that explains the periodic recurrence of a continuous sadness or grief feeling over an important loss. This presents the normal response to the loss. Because, parents always felt sadness over their children’s mental retardation and this response was not permanent. Clinicians could intervene in these conditions if they had similar beliefs. This theory also related with the feelings of parents who have premature infants. Hainsworth, Eakes, & Burke (1994) found that mothers of those children with the spina bifida also had a pervasive sadness. This theory focuses upon the specific phenomenon, which mirror out the clinical practices and has narrowest interest range. This theory is limited to a particular population or a specific field of

Creating an APA-Formatted Reference and In-Text Citation Assignment

Creating an APA-Formatted Reference and In-Text Citation - Assignment Example Create a reference and in-text citation consistent with APA guidelines for each of the following resources: 1. Book with two authors †¢ Authors: M. Neil Browne and Stuart M. Keeley †¢ Year of publication: 2000 †¢ Title of book: Critical Thinking: Asking the Right Questions †¢ City of publication: Upper Saddle River, NJ †¢ Publisher: Pearson Your answer: Browne, N., & Kelley, S. (2000). Critical Thinking: Asking the Right Questions. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. (Browne, 2000) 1b. Paraphrase the following direct quote and create a standard-formatted in-text citation using the previous book information: One approach to thinking is similar to the way in which a sponge reacts to water: by absorbing. The more information you absorb about the world, the more capable you are of understanding its complexities. Your answer: There are many different approaches to a process of thinking and in one of such, process of thinking is compared to the reaction of sponge to w ater. It absorbes water very quickly. The same with people , more knowledge they absorb about the world, the more their capability of understanding of it features and main complexities Create a reference and in-text citation consistent with APA guidelines for each of the following resources: 2. Journal article (magazine or newspaper) †¢ Author: Toni Rogers †¢ Date of publication: December 2004 †¢ Title of article: â€Å"Towards Conscious Self-Directed Learning†

Moral, Legal, Political and Practical Dimensions of Assassinations and Research Paper

Moral, Legal, Political and Practical Dimensions of Assassinations and The Assassination of John F. Kennedy - Research Paper Example Publicly, a man named Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested as the sole perpetrator of the crime but intense questioning of Oswald was prevented by another fatal shooting, this time conducted by a man named Jack Ruby who shot Oswald as he was being transported and then died in prison shortly afterward as a result of illness. However, reports continued to come in that shots were heard from another direction from that in which Oswald was hidden, reports that were given more credence once the president’s body was examined. In order for Oswald to have killed the president, it was argued, he would have had to have had a ‘magic bullet’ that was capable of ricocheting around inside the president’s body in an unnatural way before finding an exit. While this report does not promise any definitive answers to what actually happened that day in Dealey Plaza, it does take a look at the event as it is known and some of the controversy that has emerged surrounding the Warren Com mission’s report. President Kennedy was the nation’s 35th president, was the youngest president up to that time and was the first Irish Catholic president to serve (â€Å"John Kennedy†, 2007). As president, Kennedy worked to further the cause of Civil Rights and worked for the rights of the common man, extending America’s hand to other nations as an aid and support for these same efforts. Also under Kennedy, the Cold War heated up, coming to near blows with the Cuban Missile Crisis in early 1963. Following this event, Kennedy began working for â€Å"a world of law and free choice, banishing the world of war and coercion† (â€Å"John Kennedy†, 2007).  

Conflict Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Conflict Management - Essay Example First, explain the problem to the other party, however the language and mode of communication need to be convincing. The second step involves application of social skills to calm down the situation. This requires creativity in attracting the audience of the other partner. In such situation, if a sad mood exists, then allow time for calmness before proceeding (Konijn, 2008). The final step involves building a positive relationship. After explaining the challenge at hand, one needs to create a cordial and joyous relationship. This step is a bit difficult; however, creative skills in problem solving and conflict management need to apply to maximum to ensure that, the meeting ends in fine moods. In conclusion, the plan for interpersonal challenge management involves diverse skills of problem solving and apt communications skills. In addition, the fundamental aspect in this situation is the creation of a fine

A Comparative Analysis of Internet Banking in the United Kingdom and Dissertation

A Comparative Analysis of Internet Banking in the United Kingdom and Thailand - Dissertation Example United Kingdom and Thailand 49 4.3 Socioeconomic and Technology Factors Impacting on Internet Banking in Thailand and the UK 50 4.3.1 Thailand 50 4.3.2 United Kingdom 54 4.4 Comparison of Internet Banking Services Offered by Banks in Thailand and the United Kingdom 58 4.4.1 Banks in Thailand 58 A. Bangkok Bank 59 B. Siam Commercial Bank 60 C. Kasikorn Bank 61 D. Overall Impression for Internet Banking Offerings by Banks in Thailand 62 4.4.2 Banks in the United Kingdom 62 A. NatWest Bank 63 B. Lloyds TSB Bank 64 C. HSBC bank 65 D. Overall Impression for Internet Banking Offerings by Banks in the United Kingdom 66 4.4.3 Comparison of Internet Banking Service Offerings by Banks in Thailand and the United Kingdom 66 4.5 Chapter Review and Conclusions 67 Chapter 5: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 68 REFERENCES 71 List of Figures Figure 2.1: Communication Methods and Access Devices in Electronic Banking 16 Figure 4.2.1: Global Competitiveness and Stage of Development for Thailand 53 Figure 4.2.2: Global Competitiveness and Stage of Development for the United Kingdom 57 List of Tables Table 4.1: Comparison of Internet Usage and Population for UK and Thailand 48 Table 4.2: Number of Users of Internet Banking Services in UK and Thailand 49 Acknowledgements Declaration of Originality MASTERS DISSERTATION SUBMISSION FORM Student’s family name: Thasnanipan First names: Nutthapon Student ID No: Course: Master of Business Administration (MBA) Supervisor: Dissertation Title: A Comparative Analysis of Internet Banking in the United Kingdom and Thailand Declaration I certify that this dissertation is my own work. I have read the University regulations concerning plagiarism. I am willing to allow Coventry Business School to use my dissertation as a sample for future students. Signed...In the ubiquitous computing age and a competitive era for banking, customers now present new demands for access and service to keep banks interested in enhancing Internet banking. United Kin gdom now presents 6.5 million customers for Internet banking services, and Thailand has a customer base of around 2 million, with both countries expecting continued strong growth in Internet banking, which also includes mobile banking. However, Thailand presents a GDP per capita of US$ 4,992 that is about a seventh of the US$ 36,120 GDP per capita of the United Kingdom, with a lower penetration of the Internet, cultural preferences for personal relationships and a leaning towards cash transactions.This dissertation presents an examination of relevant and authoritative literature related to Internet banking in Thailand and the UK, an analysis of secondary data for Internet banking for the two countries together with a critical examination of Internet banking services offered by three of the more prominent banks operating in each of the two countries. Internet banking services offered by NatWest Bank, Lloyds TSB Bank and HSBC Bank in the United Kingdom together with those offered by B angkok Bank, Siam Commercial Bank and Kasikorn Bank in Thailand were subject to a critical analysis.

Intermediate accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Intermediate accounting - Essay Example Houston and Brigham (2009) state that, the outcome of the evaluation determines whether investors and other external users of financial information decide to retract or extend financing to the organization. The shareholders level of commitment to the organization may also fluctuate based on the outcome of the evaluations. There are several categories of ratio, each designed to assess a different aspect of an organization’s performance. The five categories are; liquidity ratios, profitability ratios, asset activity ratios and debt ratios. Liquidity ratios assess the ability of a business to convert its current resources into cash and payoff the company’s current obligations (Houston and Brigham, 2009). They include the quick ratio, also known as the acid test, the current ratio, cash coverage ratio and liquidity index. Quick ratio evaluates the ability of a company to fulfill any short-term obligations with assets that can be converted into cash quickly (Houston and Brigham, 2009). A quick ratio greater than 1 is an indication that the firm is able to liquidate all of its accounts. Current ratio examines the ability of a company to pay off its financial obligations in one year (Houston and Brigham, 2009). Current ratio accounts for current assets like account receivables and the company’s liabilities like account payables to help the manager understand the solvency of the company. A ratio lying within 1.5 and 3 indicates strong financial performance (Houston and Brigham, 2009). A current ratio of less than one is an indication that the firm might not be able to meet all of its financial liabilities if they are needed to be paid at the same time (Houston and Brigham, 2009). Current ratio that is relatively high and may indicate that the company is resting on a huge amount of money, rather than spending it in the company. Current ratio provides

Political perspective to decision making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Political perspective to decision making - Essay Example Organizational decision making takes place at different levels. Most of the crucial organizational decisions entail distribution of limited resources in the various departments or segments. They are significant in the identification of the most appropriate way to share resources. Due to scarcity of resources, political actions arise making the decision making process to have a political perspective. Most of the competition is usually exhibited by the organizations while searching for leadership and personnel positions that influence decision making. Political influence in decision making creates differences in the organizational dynamics making power to become a significant resource. Power enables those who hold it in an organization to have a substantial control in decision making. This essay discusses the political perspectives in decision making and their main implications. Organizations are usually an alliance of several individuals who have personal dreams expectations, weaknesses and strengths. These alliances are the fundamentals of the political perspectives, whose existence is attributed to the presence of division of labor in the business. According to Pettigrew (1985 p. 42), â€Å"associated career, rewards and individual status are the core sources of the political perspectives†. In his view, the occurrence of interest groups usually originates from the existence matching objectives within the group members. On the other hand, the differences that exist in the organizational hierarchy amongst the different groups facilitate the occurrence of the political perspectives. Differences come as a result of issues such as the members who have been newly recruited in the group and the pioneers, and others such as the traditionalists and those who want changes to be made in the organizational structures. The variations in opinions between these groups lead to the presence of sub units that are charac1terized by

Photosensitizer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Photosensitizer - Essay Example The most imperative aspect of this therapy is nontoxic nature of photosensitizers. Production of singlet oxygen is of paramount significance therefore, agents promoting the formation of singlet oxygen as well as two photons absorption are considered to be highly efficient in the therapy. Numerous receptor molecules are over-expressed in tumor cells which are of considerable importance. Peptides recognizing these receptors are conjugated with photosensitizers to reach the target cells. However, after a certain interval when photosensitizers in normal cells degenerate, the tumor cells are exposed to a particular wavelength of light which cause the excitation of the photosensitizer resulting in the formation of cytotoxic singlet oxygen. This oxygen is very reactive and cause cytotoxicity of the diseased or cancerous cells. The phenomenon is exploited in photodynamic therapy to eliminate the side-effects imposed by other cancer therapeutic measures. Photosensitizer or photosensitizing agent is a molecule or a drug that is capable of producing a chemical alteration in another molecule or cell during the photochemical process. Photosensitizers, when exposed to a particular wavelength of light. Photosensitizers generate a form of cytotoxic oxygen that can kill the adjoining cells in the living organism. This property of photosensitizers is exploited to treat numerous superficial and localized cancers together with certain noncancerous conditions (Lau et al, 2014). Photosensitizers are involved in medical science under the name photodynamic therapy or phototherapy, as the therapy involves insertion of certain light sensitive non-toxic chemical agents called photosensitizers, it is also known as photochemotherapy. As long as photosensitizers are not exposed to light they remain non-toxic, in the presence of certain wavelength of light they generate cytotoxic oxygen which can destroy, cancerous cells as well as other contaminated cells including

Analysis of Hp Financial Statement Essay Example for Free

Analysis of Hp Financial Statement Essay Kenneth Lay formed Enron in 1985, when InterNorth acquired Houston Natural Gas. It was once the seventh largest company the United States of America. Enron branched into many non-energy-related fields over the next several years, including such areas as Internet bandwidth, risk management, and weather derivatives (a type of weather insurance for seasonal businesses). Although their core business remained in the transmission and distribution of power, their phenomenal growth was occurring through their other interests. Fortune Magazine selected Enron as Americas most innovative company for six straight years from 1996 to 2001. Then came the investigations into their complex network of offshore partnerships and accounting practices. The Enron scandal was revealed in October 2001 that eventually led to the bankruptcy of the Enron Corporation and the de facto dissolution of Arthur Andersen, which was one of the five largest audit and accountancy partnerships in the world. In addition to being the largest bankruptcy reorganization in American history at that time, Enron was attributed as the biggest audit failure. Several years after it inception when, in 1992, Jeffrey Skilling was hired as the President of the company, he developed a staff of executives that, by the use of accounting loopholes, special purpose entities, and poor financial reporting, were able to hide billions of dollars in debt from failed deals and projects. Chief Financial Officer Andrew Fastow and other executives not only misled Enrons board of directors and audit committee on high-risk accounting practices, but also pressured Andersen to ignore the issues. From the early 1990s until 1998, the stock prices of Enron rose by 311%, only slightly higher than the rate of growth in the Standard Poor’s 500. But, after which the stocks shot up. They increased by 56% in 1999 and another 87% in 2000, compared to a 20 percent increase and a 10 percent decline for the index during the same years. As on December 31, 2000, Enron’s stock was priced at $83.13, with market capitalization exceeded $60 billion, that was 70 times earnings and six times book value, an indication of the stock market’s high expectations about its future prospects. Enron was rated the most innovative large company in America in Fortune magazine’s survey of Most Admired Companies. Despite of which within a year, Enron’s image was in tatters and its stock price had tanked nearly to zero. The Enron Scandal was a legend of document shredding, restatements of earnings, regulatory investigations, an unsuccessful merger and Enron filling for bankruptcy. Notwithstanding an elaborate corporate governance network, Enron was able to magnetize large sums of capital to source a moot business model, masking its actual performance through a series of accounting and financing ploys, and increasing its stock prices to unmaintainable levels. Shareholders lost nearly $11 billion when Enrons stock price plummeted to less than $1 per share, by the end of November 2001, from a high of US$90 per share during mid-2000. As the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) initiated an investigation, rival Houston competitor Dynegy bid to purchase the company at a very low price. The deal failed, and on December 2, 2001, Enron filed for bankruptcy, with $63.4 billion in assets made it the largest corporate bankruptcy in U.S. history. How it happened? Enron had a rather complicated business model, stretching across many products, incorporating physical assets and trading operations, and crossing national borders. This element stretched the limits of accounting. Enron took full advantage of accounting limitations in managing its earnings and balance sheet to portray a rosy picture of its performance. The trading business of Enron involved complex long-term contracts. The accounting rules then, used the present value framework to record these transactions, requiring management to make forecasts of future earnings. This approach, known as mark-to-market accounting, was significant to Enron’s income recognition and resulted in its management making forecasts of energy prices and interest rates well into the future. Enron relied expansively on structured finance transactions that involved setting up special purpose entities. These transactions shared ownership of specific cash flows and risks with outside investors and lenders. Traditional accounting that focuses on arms-length transactions between independent entities faces challenges in dealing with such transactions. Unconscious resolutions were used to record these transactions, creating a discrepancy between economic realities and accounting numbers. (Healy Palepu, 2003) Financial Reporting Issues Trading Business and Mark to Marketing Definitions: * A measure of the fair value of accounts that can change over time, such as assets and liabilities. Mark to market aims to provide a realistic appraisal of an institutions or companys current financial situation. (Investopedia) * The accounting act of recording the price or value of a security, portfolio or account to reflect its current market value rather than its book value. (Investopedia) In Enron’s original natural gas business, the accounting had been fairly straightforward: in each time period, the company listed actual costs of supplying the gas and actual revenues received from selling it. However, Enron’s trading business adopted mark-to-market accounting, which meant that once a long-term contract was signed, the present value of the stream of future in flows under the contract was recognized as revenues and the present value of the expected costs of fulfilling the contract were expensed. Unrealized gains and losses in the market value of long-term contracts (that were not hedged) were then required to be reported later as part of annual earnings when they occurred. Enron’s primary challenge in using mark-to-market accounting was estimating the market value of the contracts, which in some cases ran as long as 20 years. Income was estimated as the present value of net future cash flows, even though in some cases there were serious questions about the viability of these contracts and their associated costs. â€Å"Mark to market† was a plan that Jeffrey Skilling and Andrew Fastow proposed to pump the stock price, cover the loss and attract more investment. But it is impossible to gain in a long-term operation in this way, and so it is clearly immoral and illegal. However, it was reported that the then US Security and Exchange Commission allowed them to use â€Å"mark to market† accounting method. The ignorance of the drawbacks of this accounting method by SEC also caused the final scandal. Thus, an accounting system, which can disclose more financial information, should be created as soon as possible. Reporting Issues for Special Purpose Entities The accounting rule, then, allowed a company to exclude a special purpose entity (SPE) from its own financial statements if an independent party has control of the SPE, and if this independent party owns at least 3% of the SPE. Enron need to find a way to hide the debt since high debt levels would lower the investment grade and trigger banks to recall money. Using the Enron’s stock as collateral, the SPE, which was headed by the CFO, Fastow, borrowed large sums of money. And this money was used to balance Enron’s overvalued contracts. Thus, the SPE enable the Enron to convert loans and assets burdened with debt obligations into income. In addition, the taking over by the SPE made Enron transferred more stock to SPE. However, the debt and assets purchased by the SPE, which was actually burdened with large amount of debts, were not reported on Enron’s financial report. The shareholders were then misled that debt was not increasing and the revenue was even increasing. (Li, 2010) Enron had used hundreds of special purpose entities by 2001. Many of these were used to fund the purchase of forward contracts with gas producers to supply gas to utilities under long-term fixed contracts. Other Accounting Problems Enron’s accounting problems in late 2001 were compounded by its recognition that several new businesses were not performing as well as expected. In October 2001, the company announced a series of asset write-downs, including after tax charges of $287 million for Azurix, the water business acquired in 1998, $180 million for broadband investments and $544 million for other investments. Enron’s gas trading idea was probably a reasonable response to the opportunities arising out of deregulation. Conversely, extensions of this idea into other markets and international expansion were unsuccessful. Accounting games allowed the company to hide this reality for several years. The capital markets largely ignored red flags associated with Enron’s spectacular reported performance and aided the company’s pursuit of a flawed expansion strategy by providing capital at a remarkably low cost. Investors seemed willing to assume that Enron’s reported growth and profitability would be sustained far into future, despite little economic basis for such a projection. Governance and Intermediation Failures at Enron Most of the blame for failing to recognize Enron’s problems has been assigned to the firm’s auditors, Arthur Andersen, and to the analysts who work for brokerage, investment banking and research firms, and sell or make their research available to retail and professional investors. Role of Top Management Compensation As in most other U.S. companies, Enron’s management was heavily compensated using stock options. Heavy use of stock option awards linked to short-term stock price may explain the focus of Enron’s management on creating expectations of rapid growth and its efforts to puff up reported earnings to meet Wall Street’s expectations. Role of Audit Committees Corporate audit committees usually meet just a few times during the year, and their members typically have only a modest background in accounting and finance. As outside directors, they rely extensively on information from management as well as internal and external auditors. If management is fraudulent or the auditors fail, the audit committee probably won’t be able to detect the problem fast enough. Enron’s audit committee had more expertise than many. But Enron’s audit committee seemed to share the common pattern of a few short meetings that covered huge amounts of ground. Enron’s Audit Committee was in no position to second-guess the auditors on technical accounting questions related to the special purpose entities. Nor was it in a position to second-guess the validity of top management representations. However, the Audit Committee did not challenge several important transactions that were primarily motivated by accounting goals, was not skeptical about potential conflicts in related party transactions and did not require full disclosure of these transactions. (Healy Palepu, 2003) Role of External Auditors Enron’s auditor, Arthur Andersen, had been accused of applying lax standards in their audits because of a conflict of interest over the significant consulting fees generated by Enron. In 2000, Arthur Andersen earned $25 million in audit fees and $27 million in consulting fees. It is difficult to determine whether Andersen’s audit problems at Enron arose from the financial incentives to retain the company as a consulting client, as an audit client or both. However, the size of the audit fee alone is likely to have had an important impact on local partners in their negotiations with Enron’s management. Enron’s audit fees accounted for roughly 27% of the audit fees of public clients for Arthur Andersen’s Houston office. When the credit risks at the special purpose entities became clear, the auditors apparently succumbed to pressure from Enron’s management and permitted the company to defer recognizing the charges. Two major changes in the 1970s in the legal system, created substantial pressure for audit firms to cut costs and seek alternative revenue sources. In response to the changes, the audit firms lobbied for mechanical accounting and auditing standards and developed standard operating procedures to reduce the variability in audits. This approach reduced the cost of audits and provided a defense in the case of litigation. But it also meant that auditors were more likely to view their job narrowly, rather than as matters of broader business judgment. Furthermore, while mechanical standards make auditing easier, they do not necessarily increase corporate transparency. Role of Fund Managers Investment fund managers failed to recognize or act on Enron’s risks because they had only modest incentives to demand and act on high-quality, long-term company analysis. These managers are typically rewarded on the basis of their relative performance. Flows into and out of a fund each quarter are driven by its performance relative to comparable funds or indices. If the manager reduces the fund’s holdings of Enron and the stock falls in the next quarter, the fund will show superior relative portfolio performance and will attract new capital. However, if Enron continues to perform well in the next few quarters, the fund manager will underperform the benchmark and capital will flow to other funds. In contrast, a risk-averse manager who simply follows the crowd will not be rewarded for foreseeing the problems at Enron, but neither will this manager be blamed for a poor investment decision when the stock ultimately crashes, since other funds made the same mistake. Role of Accounting Regulations Many U.S. accounting standards tend to be mechanical and in flexible. Clear-cut rules have some advantages, but the downside is that this approach motivates financial engineering designed specifically to circumvent these knife-edge rules, as is well understood in the tax literature. In accounting for some of its special purpose entities, Enron was able to design transactions that satisfied the letter of the law, but violated its intent such that the company’s balance sheet did not reflect its financial risks. The Sarbanes Oxley Act In 2002, President Bush passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act into law to re-establish investor confidence in the integrity of corporate disclosures and financial reporting. The act was brought in as a result of the large number of corporate financial fraud cases (such as those of Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, Adelphia, AOL, and others) and by the end of the boom years for the stock market. The Act requires all public companies to submit both quarterly and annual assessments of the effectiveness of their internal financial auditing controls to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Each companys external auditors must also audit and report on the internal control reports of management and any other areas that may affect internal controls. The companys principal executive officer and principal financial officer must personally certify that the financial reports are true and that everything has been disclosed. Many of the Acts provisions apply to all companies, United States and foreign. However, some provisions apply only to companies that have equity securities listed on an exchange or NASDAQ. While refocusing public company management on shareholder interests was the central purpose of the Sarbanes-Oxley corporate governance reform law, years later there are sharp disagreements on both sides as to whether the effort has been a success. Did it help? Considering foreign firms that listed on either New York or London exchanges in addition to their home markets between 1990 and 2006, the researchers found that those firms were six percent less likely to choose New York over London after Sarbanes-Oxley was implemented. This suggests that foreign executives, accustomed to laxer regulatory environments at home, were convinced that the act’s deterrents against self-dealing and fraudulent accounting were serious. Those who criticize the Act claim that the Act is unnecessary and too expensive to implement. The most ardent criticizers of the bill claim that not only has Sarbanes – Oxley failed in its mission to ensure honest financial recordkeeping and disclosure but that it has also stifled new business development in the United States. Some criticizers point to the Madoff scandal as an example of the failure of the Sarbanes – Oxley Act. Yet, not all analysts share in this type of criticism. Many analysts believe that more precise financial statements are now being prepared for public companies and that shareholders have greater confidence in their investments as a result of Sarbanes – Oxley. In order for these benefits to be realized, however, the S.E.C. must ensure that all of the requirements of the Act are carefully and universally followed and that exceptions, such as those for certain accounting firms, are not permitted. Bibliography * Wikipedia. (2012, December 18). Enron Scandal. Retrieved December 26, 2012, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enron_scandal * Obringer, L. A. (n.d.). How cooking the books works? Retrieved December 26, 2012, from How Stuff Works?: http://money.howstuffworks.com/cooking-books7.htm * Healy, P. M., Palepu, K. G. (2003). The Fall Of Enron. Journal Of Economic Persepectives , 9. * Investopedia. (n.d.). Mark to Market MTM. Retrieved December 26, 2012, from Investopedia: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/marktomarket.asp#axzz2G9qt6COE * Li, Y. (2010). The Case Analysis of the Scandal of Enron. International Journal of Business and Management , 37-41.