Observation of Equity

One of the many roles of a teacher is to demonstrate sensitivity and equitable treatment towards the diversity in their classroom. In my field experience classroom, I had the opportunity to observe different strategies and techniques used to meet the diverse needs of an ESE (Exceptional Student Education) classroom at Howard A. Doolin Middle School. Mrs. Alcala and her 6th grade EBD (Emotionally Behaviorally Disabled) Math class consist of 7 students, whom are currently learning about Fractions, Decimals, and Percents. Mrs. Alcala implemented a lesson plan that would help her students understand and strengthen their ability to use equivalent forms of Fractions, Decimals, and Percents to solve problems. The lesson began with a warm-up on basic mathematical operations. She gave the students five minutes to try and complete the warm-up, and then asked students to come up to the smart board to solve the problems. After the warm-up, as a class, they went over the vocabulary words for the lesson such as fractions, decimals, and percents. Mrs. Alcala then began teaching the lesson and doing examples projecting them on the smart board. Throughout the lesson the students took turns going up to the smart board to practice examples. Some students were able to solve the problems on their own and some required prompting from the teacher. After the examples, Mrs. Alcala played a ten minute video on the smart board showing the students step by step on how to solve problems involving fractions, decimals, and perce nts. Next, the students were split into two groups of two and one group of three. She passed out manipulatives for the students to do practice problems, and were given fifteen minutes to work as a group. Lastly, Mrs. Alcala took the last five minutes of class to go over examples of each of the concepts she had presented. As the observer I feel that the teacher was extremely sensitive to the diverse needs of the students in her classroom. She was very aware of all the students in the classroom and targeted their specific needs. For example, the teacher used various tools such as the smart board, video, and manipulatives to address not only the different learning styles but the levels as well. During the group work the higher level students were grouped with the lower level students to give them more assistance. Additionally, the classroom was structured in a way that was conducive to learning but motivating in the same way with the use of manipulatives, video, and technology. The students responded well to the video and manipulatives, and enjoyed being able to use the smart board to solve problems. The teacher used cueing before transitioning from activity to activity. This allowed students to know ahead of time what they were doing next. While students were working individually as well as in groups, the teacher walked around the classroom asking the students if they needed any assistance. If she noticed the students were having difficulty she made sure to work one on one with the student. Overall, I felt that the teacher was very respectful towards her students. Occasionally, one specific student would blurt out an inappropriate comment and the teacher would address the misbehavior. From my observation, I can gather that addressing diversity in the classroom takes lots of work, planning, and continuous learning in the profession. Highly effective teachers have high academic expectations for all students. The classroom use of modeling, scaffolding, providing guided practice, frequent monitoring and adjustment of instruction all work together to proactively prevent discipline problems that might occur due to lack of understanding and disengagement. Creating a classroom management system that is sensitive to diversity is a mind set that continually takes into consideration the backgrounds, culture, needs, and strengths that all children bring to the table of learning.

No such thing as one best way summary Essay

a. What are the authors trying to do in writing this? Whilst this is not empirical research and relies solely on theoretical arguments, Burns does demonstrate the shortcomings of the change contingency model. He attempts to show that organisations have choices which are not utilised which results in significant, negative, implications. b. What are the authors saying which is relevant to what I want to find out? Change could be planned but only in a stable environment. Change, in this situation would be, incremental, not transformational, and ignorant of a more direct approach and presumes that common agreements are reached. However Burns suggest the emergent approach is more important in turbulent environments and situations. He also argues that change is part of learning not just the opportunity to create something new. This idea does link to the contingency theory such that organisations and leaders can manipulate contingencies to align with their own styles and agendas. This is a negative aspect which could be viewed as morally incorrect. Change approaches must match the environment and situation though exercising choice base on alternatives not a single best way. c. How convincing is the author’s argument? Although not empirically based this is a good argument. Burns has a very good reputation in the field of change leadership/management. However it would be necessary to find additional evidence to support or counter these views. The RAVEN test is passed as there is no empirical research therefore we can imply that this paper is simply an academic view. d. In conclusion, what use can I make of this? This could be linked to the paper by Zhu et al to show how transformational leadership can be a good approach to ensure moral decision making and actions are present when dealing with emergent change as this requires a number of contingencies which leaders and followers could use too support long term organisational change.

Racial Discrimination and Health Problems Essay

Racial Discrimination and Health Problems - Essay Example How much of this stands true for racism specific stress has also been the subject focus of many studies. Researchers found an association between perceived racism and ambulatory blood pressure in African American college students. Also in the workplace, stressful racism places African Americans in a high probability group for the development of higher blood pressures. This clearly shows that racism can hasten the onset of hypertension even in younger age group and possible conclusion that can be drawn is that in an aging population the superimposed ill effects of stress induced by racism may be even greater. Similarly, women with higher stress scores who were subjected to high levels of internalized racism were at a higher risk of developing metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes due to altered hormone secretion. Studies have also attempted to assess objectively, mental and psychological implications of racism specific stress. Further research necessary to reach a conclusion linking the association of stress per se resulting from experiencing racial discrimination per se leading to changes in the health status of people who are getting older is carried out as seen below. Various measured variables are compared with a control group in the same age group without any exposure to racial prejudice taking into account confounding factors such as lifestyle habits, the presence of other risk factors such as smoking, environmental factors and preexisting or propensity for other age-related diseases because of heredity.

Medical School Secondary Application Essay Topics

Medical School Secondary Application Topics - Essay Example as a laboratory technician at Pharmacology-Toxicology Research Laboratory; as an animal laboratory technician at Pfizer Global Research and Development; and at Tutor Experts and the Making Changes Freedom School as a tutor-educator. These experiences have taught me the value of resilience, the age-old formula of hard work; passion for learning; a very strong sense of independence; and a good work ethic. Despite the ‘sweet’ burden of supporting myself through school, this did not prove an obstacle in being a man for others. I have worked as a volunteer for several institutions, recognizing that neither my ethnicity nor my financial difficulties should inhibit selflessness and an authentic desire to be of service. I have volunteered as a tutor / mentor in two institutions – the Making Changes Freedom School in Richmond, California, and at Tutor Experts in Walnut Creek, California. Through these venues, altruism and charity have been indelibly marked in my person; and I am as grateful for the experience as my students. I have also had the opportunity to volunteer for the California Pacific Medical Center and the American Red Cross Mobile, both in San Francisco California. A major consideration in the choice of Creighton University School of Medicine is my strong belief in its vision of â€Å"improving the human condition through excellence in educating students, physicians and the public, advancing knowledge, and providing comprehensive patient care.† The mission in itself speaks of service, altruism, physician competence and selfness – values which are remarkably consistent with my own. One other noteworthy feature of the university is its emphasis on Catholicism; I belong to a very devout Catholic family, and service to humanity, especially the underprivileged, has been instilled in me by my parents. Perhaps, this core value has been the driving force behind my strong sense of volunteerism, and sincere desire to help others. This emphasis on reaching out

Scientific Realism & Anti-realism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Scientific Realism & Anti-realism - Assignment Example The â€Å"no miracles argument† is an argument for realism that states that there are unobservable â€Å"entities† in the world that can be used to influence the observable world. Just because one cannot observe everything does not mean that it does not exist. What happens in the observable world proves the existence and can allow one to predict the behavior of the unobservable. A theory is â€Å"empirically successful† if it has to be shown to make â€Å"excellent predictions about the behavior of objects in the observable world†. Inherently unobservable phenomena, such as the changes an electron undergoes in an atom when moving from a high to lower energy-state in lasers, which scientists then apply to technology that is functionally based on the repeatable results of the experiments define theories that are empirically successful. Realists use the theory to confirm the existence of the unobservable world and to make predictions about its reliability, proposing that if a theory is empirically successful that it must be true based on the results of repeated observations. Anti-realists refer to a number of theories based on empirically successful experimentation that science has later proven false. The anti-realist position is that as science becomes more sophisticated and uncovers ways to observe more of the world, more of the unknown becomes known. The â€Å"no clear difference† argument proposes that there is no clear delineation between the observable and unobservable world. Another argument for realism, this argument indicates that if the line cannot be drawn so that it is easily understood, that more is observable than the anti-realists readily assume.

DMS and Destination Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

DMS and Destination Tourism - Essay Example It is not surprising, hence, when countries, especially the developing economies, integrate tourism strategies in their overall economic policy. The idea is to take advantage of the opportunities, which are facilitated by the globalization phenomenon. According to Goeldner and Ritchie (2009, p.26), â€Å"for a number of countries, tourism is the largest commodity in international trade,† and that â€Å"in many others, it ranks among the top three industries.† The case of Namibia’s tourism strategy is a case in point. Last 2006, the World Travel and Tourism Association conducted an accounting study and found that: The broader tourism economy in Namibia accounts for 72,000 jobs and 18% of Namibia’s gross domestic product (GDP). These figures are 50% higher than were originally estimated. (Ivanovic et al. 2009, p.91). Since tourism is an industry that operates within the current globalized international trading system, countries and destinations have to compe te with each other for tourists in an integrated tourism market in order to gain meaningful economic benefits. The process is facilitated by free trade and technology. One of the consequences of this development is the emergence of the destination tourism model, which entails the identification and promotion of localities as a result of their location, natural attraction and tourist-oriented facilities (Binns & Nel 2002, p.235) The employment of this approach has enabled many destinations to thrive in the intensely competitive tourism market. Destination Tourism Destination tourism emphasizes location. What this means is that a country or a location builds on its own characteristics in creating a unique brand that help the location gain competitive advantage and effectively sold to a target market. Carter and Fabricius (2007) explained that a destination in tourism is "the basic unit of analysis in tourism which is a distinctly recognizable area with geographic or administrative bou ndaries that tourists visit and stay in during their trip where tourism revenue is significant, or potentially significant, to the economy and is serviced by both private and public sector." Keller and Bieger (2007, p.12) contextualized the benefits of tourism in their discussion of the economics of destinations. They argued that from a general perspective destinations could or should be treated as geographically delineated economic aggregates, which, similar to economic regions, generate economic growth, which can be driven by "quantitative and qualitative changes in inputs and the efficiency with which these inputs are being employed." This is the reason behind the thematic conception of the way destinations are marketed. For example, Singapore works on promoting itself as an Asian urban destination. The public relation initiatives that sell the location as a product focus on the urban amenities that Singapore has to offer. The â€Å"theming† of the city has been very consi stent. In the past, it has pursued thematic concepts depicting â€Å"Instant Asia† and â€Å"Garden City† and after 1997, it has finally adopted a highly effective imaging strategy that aims to market the city-state as a modern metropolis with an exotic Asian

Business Strategy - Jobcentre Plus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Strategy - Jobcentre Plus - Essay Example Jobcentre's culture will be driven by the clear objective set by Ministers of "work for those who can, support for those who cannot." This clear work-focus will be apparent in everything Jobcentre do for Jobcentre's customers. Jobcentre plus will emphasize to them the link between benefits and work, with their associated rights and responsibilities. This will include a determination to reduce fraud and irregularity by ensuring that only those entitled to benefits receive them. But Jobcentre plus will also be about a much higher quality of customer service. Jobcentre plus will build on the existing successes of the Benefits Agency and the Employment Service by introducing more personal advisers with greater flexibility; more contact to keep people in touch with the labour market; more focus on meeting employers' needs and more emphasis on benefit integrity and accuracy. Jobcentre's service will treat each customer as an individual rather than as one of a group narrowly defined by benefit entitlement. Jobcentre's aim will be to tailor what Jobcentre can offer to what each individual needs. For instance, Jobcentre plus will take care to treat disabled people according to their individual circumstances. As a further example, parents who want to return to the workplace will be offered guidance to identify and relate the skills they have acquired as parents to those required by employers. For employers Jobcentre plus will provide a much more outcome-focused and professional service based on improved communications, dedicated vacancy service managers and local account managers, building on the foundations already laid in the New Deal and more widely. Jobcentre plus will deliver Jobcentre's services through the full range of channels offered by modern technology, including the internet, touch screen terminals and customer service centres. Jobcentre aim to offer employers in the Pathfinders a more effective service which responds to their requirements. Jobcentre plus will do this by working with them to understand their needs and the demands of the different industry sectors in which they operate. This means co-operating with employers, the local Learning and Skills Councils and other local training and education partners to customise training to meet industry and local employer needs. Jobcentre also aim to be better at matching the people without jobs to the jobs without people. This will involve us working with individuals to prepare them for the needs of employers and also working with employers to ensure they can make use of

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson - Essay Example The story reveals the misguided beliefs of the villagers and their specific customs. The day, in which the lottery was conducted, Mr. Summers, an old man in the village, gives guidance for the villagers. He arrives in the village square carrying a black wooden box with slips of paper in it and Mr. Graves, a young man in the town, follows Mr. Summer, carrying a three- legged stool. People keep a distance from the box and the reader can see that the villagers show their willingness as well as their hesitations towards the rituals. Amelia Tibbet observes that â€Å"Basically, the story revolves around the misguided belief that if the villagers sacrifice one of their own to what readers are led to believe is a Rain God, then they will have good crops the next year† (Tibbett). The villagers believe that if they fail to follow the tradition of the lottery, they will face some tough consequences like starvation, poverty and drought. Before the lottery is conducted, various lists had to be made, such as the heads of households, heads of eminent families, and the members of each family. The old man keeps and classifies all the details and begins the lottery. From the words of the old citizens in the town, the reader can see that there had been a ritual solute which the officials of the lottery used to practice. They had addressed each and every person who come up and draw from the box. Examining the procedures, the reader can see â€Å"there had been a recital of some sort, performed by the official of the lottery, a perfunctory, tuneless chant that had been rattled off duly each year† (Jackson). After the drawing, the winner is stoned to death by the villagers, and their activity exposes their superstition and brutality. Here, the modern reader may feel the situation as absolutely ironic because they have positive expectations

Guide Wavelength Measurements Essay Example for Free

Guide Wavelength Measurements Essay The relationship between the wavelength in free space and the guide wavelength. Furthermore, this experiment will be a way in which to gain experience in using different types of laboratory communications equipment. Introduction What is wavelength? Wavelength of a sinusoidal wave is the distance between identical points in the adjacent cycles of a waveform signal. Wavelength is commonly designated by the Greek letter lambda (? )Wavelength is inversely correlated to frequency (figure 1. 1), therefore the higher the frequency of the signal, the shorter the wavelength. vp Is the phase velocity f is the frequency vp Is the phase velocity f is the frequency ?=vpf Figure 1. 1 What is a wave guide? Figure 1. 2 A waveguide is a special form of transmission line consisting of a rectangular (figure 1. 2) or cylindrical metal tube or pipe, through which electromagnetic waves are propagated in microwave and RF communications. It s commonly used in microwave communications, broadcasting, and radar installations. A waveguide must have a certain minimum diameter relative to the wavelength of the signal and therefore are practical only for signals of extremely high frequency. Consequently below such frequencies, waveguides are useless as electrical transmission lines. â€Å"An electromagnetic field can propagate along a waveguide in various ways. Two common modes are known as transverse-magnetic (TM) and transverse-electric (TE). In TM mode, the magnetic lines of flux are perpendicular to the axis of the waveguide. In TE mode, the electric lines of flux are perpendicular to the axis of the waveguide. Either mode can provide low loss and high efficiency as long as the interior of the waveguide is kept clean and dry. † Some disadvantages are: * The high cost, since the material used is special alloy (copper and silver). * It is not possible to pass DC currents along with your RF signal. * The volume and mass particularly are at lower frequencies. Although there is quite a few disadvantages the fact that you can transmit extremely high peak powers and very low loss outweighs it. Furthermore the Silver plating used on the inside walls of the waveguide decreases the resistance loss making the copper and aluminium waveguides even more efficient. Experimental notes The experiment needs to be conducted to obtain the value of the guide wavelength and thereafter calculate the wave dimension and observe whether it matches the initial result that was measured. The initial result measured was the value. Cut-off wavelength for the wave guide mode being propagate ? o = Wavelength in free space g = Guide wavelength, known as delta g The equation to measure ? o is already present as it is given by free-space. Although the cut-off wavelength can be calculated by rearranging the formula in figure 1. 1, the experiment will be used to further confirm this mathematical formula. What we will acquire is a range of guide wavelengths throughout the experiment in order to find the Cut-off wavelength. Where is the cut-off wavelength for the waveguide mode being propagated? The dominant mode is being propagated in the rectangular waveguide (figure 1. 2) which means where (a) is the internal broad dimension of the rectangular waveguide. Block diagram Microwave signal source Isolator Preset attenuator Wave meter Short circuit Calibrated attenuator Tuned SWR amplifier + meter Standing wave detector Microwave signal source Isolator Preset attenuator Wave meter Short circuit Calibrated attenuator Tuned SWR amplifier + meter Standing wave detector Microwave signal source This device is the signal generator where you get 8 to 12 GHz. It is extremely expensive equipment and costs in the region of ? 20,000. This is due to the fact that we are dealing with high frequency signals and not with normal radio waves. Isolator By terminating one port, a circulator becomes an isolator, which contains the property for energy to flow in one direction only. It samples some of the forward wave power and couples it to a calibrated cavity wave meter for measuring the oscillator frequency. Preset attenuator â€Å"Attenuators are essential building blocks when developing test stations for applications† Attenuators are devices used to adjust signal levels which helps to stop the reflected power from reaching the oscillator, control impedance mismatch and to isolate circuit stages. Wave meter Any device for measuring the free-space wavelengths (or frequencies) of microwaves; usually made of a cavity resonator whose dimensions can be varied until resonance with the microwaves is achieved. The determination is often made indirectly, by measuring the frequency of the wave. Calibrated attenuator The calibrator changes the value if it gets too high. Attenuators are manufactured with high-accuracy calibration, and for utmost precision. They available in standard waveguide were each attenuator is calibrated at the frequency specified at the time of order. Standing wave detector Standing wave detector detects radio frequency signals along a transmission line or in a waveguide and changes it into a DC voltage for the reason that the waveguide cannot transmit DC currents along with the RF signal. Tuned SWR amplifier + meter The  standing wave ratio  meter  measures the  SWR (standing-wave-ratio)  which is the ratio of the amplitude of a partial standing wave at a maximum to the amplitude at a minimum in a transmission line. This is an item of  radio  equipment used to check the quality of the match between the  antenna  and the  transmission line. Procedure 1. Set up the microwave bench, as indicated. 2. Read the basic instructions for the microwave bench and then obtain oscillations at 8. 5 GHz from the microwave signal source. 3. If it is possible, maximize the deflection on the SWR-meter by using the method outlined in the basic instructions. 4. Measure the frequency, f, using the wave meter. Calculate the free space wavelength, ? o , by using ? o = c/f where c = 2. 997? 1010 cm s-1. 5. Move the standing wave detector (SWD) probe along the slotted line and watch the SWR-meter.

Politics and Accounting Standards Essay Example for Free

Politics and Accounting Standards Essay Politics and Accounting Standards Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The growth of an enterprise is very important for both internal and external stakeholders. It can be expressed by showing the true and fair view of a company using the financial reports that shows the actual capital allocation of the enterprise. Therefore, financial accounting is very important and it enhances the success of the business. In this context, both the definition and the body that is involved in setting the standard are important in helping to understand clearly the meaning of financial accounting. Financial accounting is the process of preparing and establishing a report on the financial information of an enterprise (.Ball, Ray, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It also shows the true and fair view of the financial statements which are cash flow statement, balance sheet and profit and loss statement. These statements are very essential for the enterprise stakeholders. Financial accounting takes into consideration the management of the business for example, its assets, liabilities and capital(Ball, Ray, 2006). Furthermore, it states its real capital and debts to enable the enterprise stakeholder evaluate the performance of the business. The true and fair view of financial accounting can be achieved by following the rules and policies that govern the people setting the rules.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The rules or rather the standards apply internationally to help ensure that the accounting standards used across the world are uniform (Armstrong, et al 2010). These are the professional regulatory bodies that are responsible for setting the standards for example the International Accounting Standards (IAS), and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) among others. The board that is responsible for setting the standard is the Financial Accounting Standard Board (FASB) among other interested parties(Ball, Ray, 2006). FASB formulates a process that is followed so that it can be able to help in setting new accounting standards. First, the board has a duty to set up a committee that prepares an outline of the task at hand. Secondly, the committee board prepares the objectives for the board comments.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After this, the board gives its view on the task outline and then passes it to the committee which in return prepares a discussion paper which entails the committee’s statement of the application proposal standards. Eventually, the committee also obtains views from interested parties and after their view is in the favor of the principle, they go ahead in drafting an exposure and the draft is then published as the IFRS(Ball, Ray, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order, for these standard to be effective and efficient, they are categorized into varies group therefore making it easy for the accounting. The IAS is classified into many classes for example,under the IAS 10, events that occur after the balance sheet date,should not be part of the balance sheet. Every company is required to prepare a balance sheet at the end of the year. Therefore, any entity trying to avoid or present a misleading financial statement is liable and the board provides the contents of the balance sheet. Under the IAS 19, which talks about retirement benefit costs, and the board takes into consideration the accounting of the benefits accruing from the retirement (Aboody, et a l 2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The board has a duty to see that no corruption is being practiced and therefore, companies are required to show the true and fair value in terms of the retirement costs. This prevents corruption of the prominent politicians. The IAS 17talks about accounting for leases. It is very important for a company to account for every lease taken since it is a liability. This is made possible because the board provides policies and procedures to be followed in disclosure of the account on lease. Lease is an expense for the company and if not accounted for can lead to false financial statements (Aboody, et a l, 2004).Furthermore, IAS 33talks about earnings per share,whereby all the companies are required to show their profit in terms of profit earned from share. The earning per share is used to the performance of the company which is based on the shares. It is also important for the shareholders.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Most company and influential parties do not support this standard and therefore it is criticized.IAS 39 is a financial standard which requires that accounting should have recognitionand measurement of assets as well as liabilities. It states that all the entities should take into account of all the assets, liabilities and equity of the business and no relevant material should be left out(Ball, Ray, 2006). The profit, loss and capital should be stated as they appear without any alterations. The IFRS is also divided into classes but in this context, the IFRS 13 is considered. This standard is concerned with the true and fair value of an entity (Armstrong, et al 2010). Itrequires all the entities to state real profit or loss incurred in their financial reports. However, accounting is not sparedfrom criticism and the board experience pressure for different organization that are not in agreement with the standard. Political pressure is one of t he areas whichexert pressure on the board. The standards of accounting requires the organizations or the enterprise to show the true and fair view of the performance of the business (.Ball, Ray,2006).Due to this, most business operating under a loss stand a chance to be wound up and there will be no investors interested in the business.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The political pressure that is experienced under the various accounting standards is in terms of legislations which they politicians enact. Some of the legislations contradict the accounting standards whereby businesses in a certain country are required to follow certain regulations in addition to the IAS and IFRS. This creates pressure on companies to try and evade the application of the IAS and IFRS in their reporting. The accounting standards are set to helpindicate the real performance of the business and therefore many world trading entities are affected by this since the competitors are in watch (.Ball, Ray,2006). The amendment of the standard brought about the reclassification of the IFRS and IAS so as to favor the entities that make losses in trading.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It has been noted that politicians own businesses across the world and closely monitor their businesses the best way they can so that they can make more profits (Armstrong, et al 2010). Therefore, considering that the politicians have the capacity of adjusting the laws on businesses as they deem right, there is likelihood that the policies that they will formulate do not match or support the accounting standards available (.Ball, Ray,2006). What this means is that there will be a lot of pressure on the accounting standards in terms of trying to ensure that the politician-owned businesses adhere to the reporting standards.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The other way through which politics may put pressure on the various accounting standards listed and discussed above is through the selection of the board members to the FASB (Armstrong, et al 2010). Politicians using their powers on formulation of policies may be inclined to have people in the board that will take care of their personal interest by formulating standards which are not supportive of all businesses equally. This means that whenever there are new standards to be introduced which can be beneficial to the whole business world, the politicians will always influence the final decisions that the board will make pertaining to the new accounting standards (Aboody, et a l 2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The other issue which is part of the political pressure and interference with the standards is that of political incentives, whichthe major reason for the reclassification of the accounting standards. It is to be noted that the growth of country’seconomy is important but in case where the growth does not reflect the true economic situation, the information shown does not indicate the true and fair values of economy (Aboody, et a l 2004). The same case applies to banks which hold government equity and using the reclassified standards will not show the true and fair value. Therefore, when politicians offer incentives to the board members through corrupt ways and with intentions of promoting their interests, the pressure on the standards continue to mount hence prevents the proper application of the standards.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Therefore, in conclusion on the effects of politics and politicians on the formulation and application of the financial accounting standards, it can be noted that there is need to prevent political interference on the FASB as well as other regulatory bodies which formulate the standards. The accounting standards are quite important in ensuring proper and accurate information which can be relied upon is produced and reported by companies and organizations. References Aboody, D., M. E. Barth, and R. Kasznik. 2004. Firms’ voluntary recognition of stockbasedCompensation expense. Journal of Accounting Research 42: 123-160. Armstrong, Christopher S./Barth, Mary E./Jagolinzer, Alan D./Riedl, Edward J. (2010). Market Reaction to the Adoption of IFRS in Europe.The Accounting Review, Vol. 85, No. 1, pp.31–61. Ball, Ray (2006). International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS): pros and cons for investors. Accounting and Business Research, Vol. 36, Special Issue, pp. 5–27. Source document

Social Work Theories for Neglected Children

Social Work Theories for Neglected Children Critically evaluate the contributions of theory, research, legislation and policy to social work practice in relation to one aspect of practice in one of the following: Children and Families. In this essay I am going to critically evaluate the contributions of theory, research, legislation and policy to social work practice in relation to looked after children who experience neglect. Erickson and Egeland (2002) argue that there are five types of neglect; emotional, medical, physical, mental health and educational neglect and these can all impact negatively on a child. I have chosen to concentrate on middle aged children around the ages of five to ten years of age who have experienced neglect because neglect is one of the most identified forms of child abuse and can have serious effects on children of this age (Mennon et al, 2010). According to the DfES (2014) 62% of looked after children are looked after because of abuse or neglect. Therefore it is important to evaluate how theory, research, legislation and policy can contribute to social workers understanding of neglect and how social workers can support children in overcoming these effects. I appreciate that children wh o become looked after due to neglect often experience other forms of abuse and these can have further negative effects on children (Mennon et al, 2010), however because this essay aims to be prescriptive rather than exhaustive I have chosen to concentrate on middle aged children who experience neglect. Research has made a significant contribution to social work practice in relation to looked after children who experience neglect. The majority of research concentrating on children who experience neglect (Mennon et al, 2010; Trickett and McBride Chang, 1995; Hildyard and Wolfe, 2002) has tended to show that the risk factors associated with neglect can significantly hinder children’s growth and development. Children who are neglected tend to live in poverty, with a lack of parental care, parents may be misusing substances, parents may have mental health problems, one parent may be experiencing domestic violence, and poor prenatal and postnatal care can all lead to a child being neglected by their parents (Pelton, 1994). Research has shown that children who are neglected tended to have the lowest academic grades (Eckenrode, Laird and Dorris). Studies have found that children of school age who were neglected showed social and behavioural problems, they were socially withdrawn, un popular with other children and socially isolated (Erickson and Egeland, 2002 and Trickett and McBride Chang, 1995). Hildyard and Wolfe (2002) found that children who were severely neglected impacted detrimentally on children’s emotional well-being. Therefore, the factors associated with neglect can impact negatively on a child’s normal development and have adverse effects, which is why it is vital for social workers to understand the impact of neglect on children so they can target the most effective interventions to help children overcome the effects. However, it could be argued that there is a lack of research that specifically relates to children who are looked after and experience neglect. Many children who are neglected who are involved with child protection services will have interventions targeted at them in order to prevent neglect from continuing and children do not always become looked after. For example, a child who is being neglected because their parents have substance misuse problems may not end up being taken in to care because the parents seek help for their problems. Or a parent who is being abused may move away from the abusive partner which enhances their ability to parent the child. Much of the research tends to concentrate on how social workers in child protection services can help families where children are experiencing neglect. Arguably therefore there is a lack of research which specifically looks at how the two compounding issues of neglect and being looked after impacts on children. Despite this, the research exploring the effects of neglect on children help social workers understand the impact of neglect on children who are looked after and how this hinders their development which they can then consider when undertaking assessments. This can then help social workers decide what intervention is needed to promote a child’s health and well-being. Attachment theory for instance is invaluable in understanding why looked after children experience some of the adverse effects that they do (Trickett and McBride Chang, 1995). Howe argues that attachment theory is â€Å"very useful to child welfare and adoption workers† (1995: 136) because it can explain children’s behaviour which can help social workers target the most effective interventions (Howe, 2005). Attachment theory, developed by John Bowlby, argued that children need â€Å"secure attachments to their mother in order for them to be stable individuals in later life† (Dunk-west, 2013: 42 ). Attachment theory suggests that children who grow up without a secure caregiver have difficulty forming stable social relationships in later life. The lack of a warm and secure relationship with a caregiver during early childhood can lead to a child experiencing adverse effects, such as delinquent behaviour and depression (Howe, 1995). Therefore children who have been neglected are likely to have insecure attachments because of the lack of care and nurturance they received growing up (Hildyard and Wolfe, 2002). Attachment theory can therefore contribute significantly to social work practice because it helps social workers in their assessments to understand the child’s needs. It also helps social workers understand the need to place looked after children who have experienced neglect in stable placements so they can develop secure attachments to their new caregivers (Howe, 2005; Cocker and Allain, 2008). This can support the emotional and social development of children and is central in building resilience (Crawford and Walker, 2007). To ensure placements are stable and secure attachments can develop; social workers must carry out good quality assessments and develop robust care plans (Cocker and Allain, 2008). Social workers must then frequently assess children in their new placements and assess the quality o f their new attachments with their new caregivers, continually updating the care plan to ensure they are supporting the child’s social and emotional development (Cocker and Allain, 2008). However, Dunk-West (2013) argues that whilst attachment theory is important, it is vital to assess children within their social contexts. The inequalities looked after children face can be more effectively explained by using an ecological approach. Walter (2007) argued in his study that a combination of risks and multiple stressors can lead to adverse effects for looked after children and therefore a holistic approach such as the ecological model can help social workers to do that. Using Brofenbrenner’s (1979) theory for example, within the micro system a social worker could assess that a looked after child who has been neglected is highly likely to have had very little parental support and there may have been family conflict and this could have been because of characteristics within the exo system of a child’s life. Their exo system is likely to have been characterized by poverty and living in a deprived neighbourhood. For example, parents may argue because of the stre ss of living in poverty or engage in excessive drinking or drug taking to try and cope with the stress of living in poverty which then affects their ability to parent effectively and provide children with adequate support or supervision. Furthermore, within the macro system looked after children are aware that society perceives them as a group of children that are deemed as at risk (Walter, 2007). For example, in Care and Prejudice (2009) an Ofsted study that interviewed three hundred children in care found that half the children in their study felt that the public held negative stereotypes about them, such as being delinquent and troublemakers. Looked after children felt heavily discriminated against and felt that this impacted on their ability to do well academically, build friendships and gain employment (Care and Prejudice, 2009). Therefore, it could be argued using an ecological approach that looked after children who experience neglect have poorer outcomes than other children because of the multiple social and environmental factors that impact on parents capacity to parent effectively (McAuley and Davis, 2009). It could be argued that attachment theory is matriarchal in nature. For example, Bowlby’s work in particular which was developed in the 1950s is arguably sexist because the primary caregiver is assumed to be the mother (Beckett, 2006). Yet more recent work on attachment theory has reframed attachment as not meaning attachment to the mother. In modern society as more women have entered the labour market, children are increasingly taken care of by multiple figures; this can include the father, childminders or grandparents (Dunk West, 2013; Nicolsen et al, 2006). Children tend to attach and bond to multiple key figures, male and female (Beckett, 2006). Despite this, research does tend to demonstrate how fathers are marginalized by social workers in children services and are poorly engaged. This can be particularly detrimental for children who are looked after because social workers potentially lose a valuable asset for children (Brigid and Taylor, 2000). Brigid and Taylor (2000) also argued that legislation and policy does not contribute effectively enough to guide social workers in how to challenge traditional gender assumptions, nor does legislation give clear guidance for engaging fathers. For instance, it was only from 2003 that fathers who were not married to the mother of their child acquired parental responsibility automatically even if he was on the birth certificate. Prior to this change in legislation a father could only acquire parental responsibility by a written agreement with the mother or by applying to court (Cocker and Allain, 2008). Therefore, it could be argued that the earlier work of attachment theory has heavi ly influenced social workers in children’s services. The importance of the attachment to the mother has been persistent and as a result social workers have often marginalized fathers (Brigid and Taylor, 2000). Attachment theory has therefore arguably contributed negatively to looked after children because social workers are still heavily influenced by its matriarchal nature. Legislation however underpins how social workers should support looked after children and therefore makes a huge contribution to looked after children who experience neglect, in particular the Children’s Act 1989 and Children’s Act 2004. Under section 22 of the Children Act 1989 there is a duty on the local authority ‘to safeguard and promote the child’s welfare’ (Branye and Carr, 2013: 291) it looks after. The Children’s Act 2004 added an additional duty on local authorities to promote the child’s educational achievements. When a child is subject to a care order or interim care order, social workers become the looked after child’s â€Å"corporate parent† and share parental responsibility with the birth parents. Therefore the local authority becomes responsible for a child’s care and achieving positive outcomes (Cocker and Allain, 2008). For example, ‘Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 states that parents hav e a duty to ensure their children are suitably educated’ (Cocker and Allain, 2008: 138), social workers as a corporate parent therefore share this duty with the birth parents (Cocker and Allain, 2008). As a result of this legislation looked after children are given a designated teacher who ensures they have a personal education plan which sets out developmental and educational needs and identifies targets (Cocker and Allain, 2008). Personal education plan meetings are then held twice a year to assess the child’s educational progress. Research has shown that looked after children tend to achieve lower grades at school than their peers and has therefore arguably heavily influenced legislation. In addition, local authorities have a duty to monitor children’s developmental progress and so children receive medicals once a year. This is all part of safeguarding and promoting the child’s welfare. CAMHS involvement may also be necessary if the child has additional therapeutic needs (Cocker and Allain, 2008). The Children’s Act 2004 made it mandatory for different agencies to work collaboratively and share responsibility for vulnerable children and this includes looked after children so social workers have a duty to work with a range of professionals in order to promote the well being of children. Legislation is therefore central to working with looked after children as it mandates how social workers should support looked after children. Despite parental responsibility being shared, the local authority can overrule birth parents but social workers must work in partnership with parents or anybody else with parental responsibility and consult them when making any decisions regarding the child’s welfare (Cocker and Allain, 2008). However, partnership working with parents in practice can be extremely difficult for social workers when parents do not agree with their decisions regarding the child. For example, a number of studies have highlighted how challenging it is for social workers to work in partnership with parents and take their wishes into account when a decision is made to permanently remove a child (Clifford and Burke, 2004; Charlton et al, 1998). Working in partnership with parents therefore becomes extremely challenging for social workers as they try to take the parent’s wishes in to account but also trying to act in the best interests of the child and gather evidence to explain why the child sho uld not return home. Furthermore, Wigley et al’s (2006) study found that social workers often faced challenges when trying to collaborate with schools, as they either did not implement personal education plans or they did not communicate effectively with social workers which made it difficult to work in partnership with educational professionals. In addition, social workers under Section 22 of the Children’s Act 1989 must also consult the child about their wishes before any decision is made and this is a key principle of the Children’s Act 1989. However, a number of studies have found that children felt they were not listened to by social workers. They often felt powerless and had very little say about their placements (Morgan, 2006; Wigley et al, 2006). It is vital for children to feel listened to so they can develop a sense of self-efficacy (Schofield and Beek, 2006) which Rutter (1985) suggests is a key factor in building resilience. It could be argued however that in many cases the child could not understand why they were being moved to a different placement and did not understand that social workers were trying to act in their best interests. Therefore, legislation although good in principle, is arguably not always effectively put in to social work practice in relation to looked after children. Care Matters: Time for change (DfES, 2007) is a major policy framework for looked after children and is similar to legislation because it stresses the importance of improving the educational, health and emotional needs of children (Cocker and Allain, 2008). In particular, Care Matters suggests that educational attainment needs to be improved, looked after children should be prioritised in school admissions, health outcomes for looked after children should be improved, and placements need to be more local and stable and this can be delivered through high quality assessment and care planning (DfES, 2007). In addition, Care Matters suggests that children should be helped to engage in leisure activities and hobbies, which can help children to build their self-esteem and build support networks and friendships. Rutter (1985) suggested that a sense of self-esteem and confidence is vitally important to help children build resilience. Jaffee et al (2007) defines resilience as â€Å"achieving normal development in the face of considerable adversity†. Therefore, policy has made a vital contribution to social work practice in relation to looked after children. However, with local authorities facing a fourth year of cuts to funding and with increasing numbers of children going in to care (McNicoll and Stothart, 2014) it could be argued that it is causing increasing pressure for social workers to implement policy effectively in to practice. In particular, some local authorities arehaving to make cuts to foster placements making it increasingly difficult for social workers to find high quality placements for children who have high level and complex needs (McNicoll and Stothart, 2014). This makes it extremely challenging for social workers to find placements that are local and stable for children. To conclude, it is evident that theory, research, legislation and policy have all made a major contribution to social work practice in relation to looked after children who experience neglect. Research has heavily influenced legislation and policy, which in turn underpins social work practice in relation to looked after children. In addition, attachment theory has helped social workers to understand why looked after children may behave in the way they do and the ecological approach helps social workers to understand why looked after children experience inequalities and tend to have poorer outcomes than children in the rest of the population. These theories help social workers when carrying out their assessments and finding the most effective interventions to support looked after children who have experienced neglect. However, it is evident that policy and legislation cannot always easily be applied effectively in to practice because of the challenges of working in partnership with bi rth families who may oppose the child’s permanency plan and children who may not understand that the social worker is acting in their best interests. In addition, attachment theory is arguably quite matriarchal in nature and this has influenced social workers and has resulted in fathers being marginalised. Furthermore, social workers may not have the time or resources to provide the most appropriate support to looked after children and this is a weakness of the ecological approach and policy. Despite this, it is evident that theory, research, legislation and policy have all made a significant contribution to social work practice in relation to looked after children who have experienced neglect.

How to Share the Gospel With an Atheist Essay -- How to Persuade an At

After moving back home, I enrolled in State University. After settling into my dorm, I began to build a relationship with my new roommate. To protect his privacy, I will refer to my roommate as "X". X was raised in the suburbs of Richmond, VA. He claims to be an atheist and is very knowledgeable about Christian-Atheist debate topics. As I have built a relationship with him, I learned that he was raised in a family where his father was never around. He was a successful athlete, student, and musician, and he brought many of his trophies and awards to college with him. He openly speaks about himself and his accomplishments. He recently opened up to me about an emptiness that has always been in his life. He said that he has always felt like he has had to perform for attention and affection from his mother, and deep down, he always dreamed that he would be so successful that his father would come back. Unfortunately, his father never did come back. Up to this point, I have been deliberate about how I communicate with him. There are many mistakes that can be made while communicating that can ruin a relationship or turn people from God. Communication is not merely made up of spoken and written words; there are many elements that are involved in communication. The elements of communication can be categorized into three main types. These types are verbal, nonverbal, and speech acts. As the name implies, verbal communication consists of word choice, and tone. In every culture, there are words that have positive or negative connotations associated with them. By choosing words carefully, a positive and healthy relationship can be built and maintained. In the case of X, who has had troubles with his father, I have been careful to ... ...he choice to accept or deny the gift of Christ. I will read Romans 10:9-10 and make sure that he understands how special he is. I will emphasize how God is a loving father and has always loved him. I will talk about how God will never leave him (Deuteronomy 31:6). Since X was raised in a competitive culture, I will make sure that he understands that he cannot earn his salvation, but it is only attained through the gift of Christ. Then, I would give him some time to think over it and make sure that he understands it fully. I would pray for him silently, and if he wanted to make a decision for Christ, I would pray with him and help him to voice his feelings to God. The rest of the work would be up to the Holy Spirit.  BIBLIOGRAPHY Livermore, David A. 2010. Leading with Cultural Intelligence: The New Secret to Success. New York: American Management Association.

Polymerase Chain Reaction :: essays research papers

PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) is the quick and easy method of making unlimited copies of any fragment of DNA. Since it’s first introduction ten years ago, PCR has very quickly become an essential tool for â€Å"improving human health and human life (TPCR)†. Medical research and clinical medicine are profiting from PCR mainly in two areas: detection of infectious disease organisms, and detection of variations and mutations in genes, especially human genes. Because PCR can amplify unimaginably tiny amounts of DNA, even that from just one cell, â€Å"physicians and researchers can examine a single sperm or track down the elusive source of a puzzling infection† (TPCR)†. These PCR- based analyses are proving to be just as reliable as previous methods-sometimes more so and often much faster and cheaper. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technique used â€Å"to amplify the number of copies a specific region of DNA (Brown)†, in order to produce enough DNA to be adequately tested. This technique can be used to identify with a very high-probability, disease-causing viruses, bacteria, a deceased person, a criminal suspect, and also in the event of an outbreak, â€Å"Real-Time PCR can effectively monitor the success of clean-up efforts (RAL,Inc)†. In order to use PCR, one must already know the exact sequence of a gene or the sequence of interest that lie on both ends of the DNA. While similarity among genes of organisms exists, there will always be genes whose DNA sequences differ from each other. By identifying the genes that are different and unique, one can use this information to identify an organism. DNA is a double-stranded, â€Å"consisting of two such nucleotide chains that wind around each other in the famous shape known as the double helix (TPCR)†. DNA consist of Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine, and Guanine components which can be arrange to generate a â€Å"sentence† of a gene sequence which can consists of either a few or thousands of letters long. To get this copying process started, a template molecule of the DNA or RNA you want to copy is required along with two primer molecules that make up the strands of all genetic materials. These primer molecules consists of about 20 letters long, which can be linked together in the order desired by a DNA-synthesizer â€Å"which add and link one letter at a time (Brown)† to generate the primers needed to start PCR. There are three major steps in PCR that must be met in order for the process to be successful.

Language and Cognition Essay

Language is very complex and the manner at which humans learn language is even more complex. Language is more than just words and with words there are also definitions this paper will explain what language and lexicon is. Language is connected to cognitive functions in so many ways that this is better explained throughout the paper. There are key features in language that is developed during childhood and continues to grow as children get bigger. Language has a structure and processing through four levels. These levels better help humans understand language and communicate to one another. The connections in language processing and cognitive psychology are better understood later on in this paper. First to start off with a better understanding of what language and lexicon is. When a duck quacks, a dog barks, a horse neighs, and a cow moos everyone knows that they are communicating, these sounds do not however make up language. According to (Merriam-Webster’s Third New Internati onal Dictionary Unabridged) language is an â€Å"audible, articulate, meaningful sound as produced by the action of the vocal organs†. Language and communication is structured, to communicate there must be arbitrary, considered generative and dynamic. Animal sounds are audible they are produced by an action of vocal organs but they are not structured. An animal’s noise is composed of a single sound. In addition to the human cognitive functions and language assimilation, is how the brain has a mental dictionary that holds all of symbols of words. According to (Merriam-Webster’s Third New International Dictionary Unabridged) lexicon is â€Å"a book containing an alphabetical or other systematic arrangement of the words in a language or of a considerable number of them and their definitions†. Lexicon’s record accumulated spelling and pronunciation; humans also recognize words by evaluating what he or she has perceived hearing with these recordings. Humans will compare animal communication sounds using the stored lexicon to decide if the sounds make up a known language. Caldwell-Harris (2008) notes â€Å"words represented with links to their typical linguistic contexts will help explain the ever present influence of context on word meaning† (p. 170). Therefore, there would be no meaning to a human and an animal to communicate between each other because there are not words or contexts to understand. Furthermore, an understanding of language is more than the definition and lexicon, but includes the key features of language. Humans are pre-programmed to learn language; there is also a critical period which is where someone can learn effortlessly. According to (Willingham, 2007, p. 423) â€Å"there is fairly strong evidence that our brains are prepared to learn language, and with relatively little prompting, will do so†. Children learn in stage starting with babbling and cooing. According to (Hollich, 2006, p. 10) â€Å"to learn a word, infants must represent both the acoustic form and then make the connection to an external, possibly unfamiliar, object†. As children are learning to pronounce vowels and consonants they put together words, as they do this they also look at objects to match with the words. Chrysikou, Novick, Trueswell, & Thompson-Schill (2011) note â€Å"specifically, an increase in the spontaneous use of inner verbal strategies during development may support aspects of top-down control in task-shifting, by selecting and maintaining task-relevant goals, remembering task order , or retrieving task-relevant information† (p. 254). With repetition the key features of language are learned, and humans begin to form structure and begin to use the key features of language. There are four key features of language phonemes, words, sentences, and text. These key features are the structure and processing used in cognitive psychology. When listening to the pronunciations a person learning the language also needs to know how to identify it. Cognitive process helps us to learn these different words and how to spell, speak, and the meaning of each word. According to (Willingham, 2008, P. 454) if the phoneme string matches an entry, the word has been identified, and the cognitive system has access to the other properties of the word, including the spelling, part of speech, and meaning. The individual sounds that make up the audible and written copy of words are known as phonemes. There are about 200 phonemes used worldwide, but only about 46 are used in the English language. Through the above mentioned lexicon, people are able to determine a spelling and pronunciation of each word. With this ability humans are able to make coherent sentences with noun phrase and verb phrases. When this is completed it is where the significant formation of actual text is possible. A person can know phonemes, words, and sentences but to really carry on a conversation a person must correctly understand the language this is text. A branch of psychology is cognitive psychology and this area explores the function of mental processes connected to attending, thinking, perceiving, language, and memory. The English language has different sounds for letters as well for example kit and skill, the k sound is different in both words but the letter is the same. Each language has their own pronunciations as well as meanings but they are all diverse. According to (Evans and Levinson, 2009, P. 431) â€Å"the crucial fact for understanding the place of language in human cognition is its diversity. For example, languages may have less than a dozen distinctive sounds, or they may have 12 dozen, and sign languages do not use sounds at all†. There are quite a few functions used in cognitively one of which is memory. Memory is a big part of language and understanding the meaning of words. Humans learn language by repetition and memory to recall definitions and perceptions of the different words in the world around them. In conclusion cognitive psychology and the process of language is connected more than one might believe. Understanding our world around us through experiences is not the only way our mind works. Through language and lexicon, a person recalls information he or she has learned from previous experiences to better understand the lexicon and remember it. The key features of language are that humans are programmed to learn language and understand it. While humans learn the language they move through the four levels of structure and processing to get to communication. Communication is not just understanding the words but also making clear sentences and text as learned in this paper. References: CALDWELL-HARRIS, C. (2008). Language research needs an â€Å"emotion revolution† and distributed models of the lexicon. Bilingualism, 11(2), 169-171. doi:10.1017/S1366728908003301 Chrysikou, E. G., Novick, J. M., Trueswell, J. C., & Thompson-Schill, S. L. (2011). The Other Side of Cognitive Control: Can a Lack of Cognitive Control Benefit Language and Cognition?. Topics In Cognitive Science, 3(2), 253-256. doi:10.1111/j.1756-8765.2011.01137.x Evans, N., & Levinson, S. C. (2009). The myth of language universals: Language diversity and its importance for cognitive science. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 32(5),429-48;discussion 448-494. doi:10.1017/S0140525X0999094X Hollich, G. (2006). Combining techniques to reveal emergent effects in infants segmentation, word learning, and grammar. Language and Speech, 49, 3-19. http://search.proquest.com /docview/213732301?accountid=35812 Merriam-Webster’s Third New International Dictionary Unabridged [Accessed June 18, 2012]. Willingham, D.T. (2007). Cognitions: The thinking animal (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.

Obituary for Jay Gatsby

The body of Jay Gatsby was found at his own home in 1928. He was found in his swimming pool, murdered by another man. He was murdered by Geogre Wilson, who believed that is was Gatsby who killed his wife the previous night. Wilson, after shooting Gatsby, shot himself and was also found on Gatsby’s property. Jay Gatsby was originally born in North Dakota in 1895. He served as a lieutenant in World War 1 for a period of time, until the war ended in 1918. He also attended the University of Oxford for roughly five months, and may not be able to be classified as â€Å"truly an Oxford man†. He was relatively young, dying at the age of 33, however, was quite a successful businessman. He was commonly referred to as â€Å"new money†, meaning that he made majority of his wealth himself. Where and how Gatsby managed to make his money was often speculated about, Jay Gatsby was a well-known man to many who lived in either West or East egg, or in the city of New York. He was an entertainer and liked to please, commonly known for the extravagant parties that were held at his mansion every weekend. These parties were attended by thousands from all around the area. His funeral was held last Saturday, however, it was attended by very few, almost no guests, despite the fact that he was known by thousands. Gatsby’s neighbour, who was also one of his closest friends, attended the funeral, while not even Gatsby’s own parents were present.

Food And Drug Administration On Tobacco Essay

Due to the remarkable number of premature deaths caused by smoking during the period of 1995-1999[1], the government agencies of America, especially the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made several attempts in regulating tobacco and tobacco products. Lots of laws have been made in order to solve this problem. There was an attempt in issuing additional tax on each stick of the cigarette. However, people who smoke ranging from ‘minor’ smokers to heavy smokers would still continue to buy cigarettes regardless of its price. Some rules recommended the limitation of people’s access to tobacco products, as well as restrictions on the marketing of these products to minors. Do there need to be changes in existing laws? Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act were introduced in 2007[2].   This Act though abundant of ‘good laws’ is not strong. Some amendments should be made on the laws involved. How should those changes be approached and effected? Lots of amendments have been made on the laws. Some attempts were on the regulation of tobacco products through disclosure, annual registration, inspection, record keeping, and user fee requirements. Others approaches involve (1)limiting product sales on licensed drugstores; (2)prohibiting product sales through face-to-face transactions in retail outlets; (3) establishing a minimum age greater than 18 years of age for product purchases; (4) warning label and advertising requirements. These attempts would be well effected through thorough and consistent public dissemination.[3] Is there an impact on other government agencies? Identify the agencies impacted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The impact of this change is not only on the government agencies. It would also affect other organizations such as in the world of business, advertisement, etc. The government agencies are the Federal Trade Commission, Federal Communications Commission, National Institute of Health, Peace Corps and as well as The White House. How should it be resolved?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Agreements should be made among affected agencies in order to resolve the impact of regularizing the circulation of tobacco. Others should give sacrifices for the sake of the health of the majority.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The best suggestion to solve this conflict is to develop a product that would totally replace tobacco products or at least replace nicotine-free ingredients for cigarettes. References: Bonnie, Richard J., Kathleen R. Stratton, Robert B. Wallace. (2007). Ending the Tobacco   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Problem: A Blueprint for the Nation. Washington: The National Academy Press. Hickmann, Meredith A. (2003).The Food and Drug Administration (FDA). New York: Nova   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Publishers. Kessler, David A. MD. (2000). A Question of Intent: A Great American Battle with a Deadly   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Industry. Food and Drug Administration:Public Affairs. Redhead, Stephen and Jody Feder. (December 3, 2004). FDA Regulation of Tobacco   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Products: A Policy and Legal Analysis. Retrieved   from http://digital.library.unt.edu/   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   govdocs/crs/permalink/meta-crs-8198:1 on 13 April 2008. Preventing Tobacco Use Among Young People. Washington: Diane Publishing ,[1997]. Taking Action to Reduce Tobacco Use. Washington: [1]  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D., Statement on H.R. 1108, Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, (October 3, 2007),   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.fda.gov/oc/oms/ofm/budget/2002/cj2002/HTML/Tobacco.htm, Accessed April 13, 2008. [2]  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Richard J. Bonnie, Kathleen R. Stratton, Robert B. Wallace, Ending the Tobacco Problem: A Blueprint for the Nation, Washington: The   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   National Academy Press, 126. [3]  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   C. Stephen Redhead and Jody Feder, â€Å"FDA Regulation of Tobacco Products: A Policy and Legal Analysis,† (December 3, 2004),   http://digital.library.unt.edu/govdocs/crs/permalink/meta-crs-8198:1, Accessed 13 April 2008.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Preventing Tobacco Use Among Young People (Washington: Diane Publishing ,[1997]), 278 – 282.

Brother Sebastian in the novel Lamb Essay

In the novel â€Å"Lamb† by Bernard Mac Laverty, written in 1976, I cannot but feel sympathetic towards the main character Brother Sebastian (Michael Lamb). I feel that he was a victim of circumstances. He was brought up in a farm in Ballycastle where he was taught by his father to put animals who were suffering out of their misery. In the novel Mac Laverty describes how his father â€Å"had pulled chickens necks so fast and expertly that they never felt a thing†. To Sebastian Owen Kane was just like an animal with no future and the most humane thing to do was put him out of his misery. Throughout this novel there is a recurring theme of a father and son relationship. The killing was ritualistic as Sebastian’s religious beliefs would have meant that he believed that the boy was going to eternal happiness with God in heaven. â€Å"It was motivated by love. It would be a pure. Of this he was sure†. From the much protected environment with his mother and father on the farm he entered the Irish Christian Brothers the year he was due to leave school which would have been about sixteen. In the Brotherhood he had no real adult life as he was restricted by the vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience. When the novel opens Sebastian is a wood work teacher in a Home (which is situated in the south of Ireland Galway) for delinquent boys, which was run by a sadistic, cruel Brother called Brother Benedict. The relationship between the two men was hostile as Benedict was an academic snob who looked down on Sebastian for his lack of formal education. He uses the simile and the metaphor: â€Å"A man with one language is like a man with one eye. I myself have four good eyes and a few lesser ones – which could be polished up† Both Brother Sebastian and Benedict disagreed with each other on how to discipline the boys in the Home. Benedict’s attitude was â€Å"If they do not conform we thrash them. We teach them a little of God and a lot of fear. † He criticised Sebastian for his â€Å"Soft centred self centred idealism†. Owen Kane was put into the Home by his mother for â€Å"always mitching school†. Owen suffered from epilepsy and was the youngest boy in the Home. It is true that Owen had been put away because he had continually mitched school and had run away from home frequently – the Gardai had been informed on four occasions at least. God knows how many times they had not been informed. His father would beat him often: â€Å"When he came home he would get drunk and whip Owen with whatever came into hand†. His mother would often be absent from his company but he preferred all that than living in the Home. He had a neutral/positive relationship with Sebastian and a negative relationship with Benedict. Owen Kane and Sebastian both have the same views on the Home. In the novel Brother Sebastian father dies and he is left a sum of money from the farm in which his father owned. Brother Benedict is lecturing about Obedience â€Å"Obedience, Brother, is a very rare virtue† and with no doubt wants Brother Sebastian to stay so the Brotherhood gets the money. From the novel we get the Atmosphere of what the Home was like â€Å"The walls were painted throughout a pale hospital green† and â€Å"The place was scrubbed and clean and dead â€Å"Like a corpse†. First instinctive impressions of the Home are lifeless cold miserable and absolutely unpleasant which do not relate to a â€Å"home† at all. Bernard McLaverty uses his scenes to describe the Home and they have a similar description of a hospital â€Å"The air was full of disinfectant and polish†. The surrounding environment of outside the Home gives a bizarre welcome to inmates. â€Å"Surrounding the whole complex was a high wire fence that screamed and whistled in the constant wind from the sea† A great use of personification is used in this quote and it works to make you feel anything but nice feelings, it makes you feel the â€Å"Home† is more like a Prison and the boys were not there to be reformed but there for Punishment. At the beginning of this novel I admire Sebastian for being nice to the â€Å"inmates† and especially to Owen who is the youngest of the boys in the Home, suffers from epilepsy and experienced a hard life with his parents. I feel sympathetic for Owen Kane as I believe he wasn’t given the opportunity at life before he was entered the Home. Benedict gets all my negatives as I see him for more evil than good. He is a bully to Sebastian, Owen and all the other boys. Brother Sebastian wants to leave because he doesn’t believe in by Benedict’s duct rue of â€Å"Kill and cure†. He plans to run away and decides to take Owen with him. I believe Sebastian wanted to take Owen with him because he had sympathy for Owen and wanted him to have a better chance at life and he thought he could provide in the manner of a father and son relation†¦ Personally I think this was the best decision to make for Owen and him self as both of them were miserable and living in the Home seemed like a dead end, an everlasting punishment to both of them. He is given the chance to abandon the Home when he receives the money from his father’s farm. With free will Owen agreed to leave.

Analysis of T. S. Eliots East Coker

Oriental Cork of T. S. Eliot is analyzing early poetry such as The Waste Land and Alfred Prufrock's Love Song. A person is a weak soul, is tempted to be tempted, full of desire, there is no hope of redemption. When Elliott converts to Catholicism, the views of these people have not changed. Elliot still maintains the suffering of human despair, but it compensates for this belief that man has some hope through the work of Christ. January 4: T. 1948, S. Eliot died of lung emphysema in London at the age of 77, was buried in the cemetary of the village of St. Michael's Church of East Coker, his ancestors were immigrants to the American village. At the memorial monument of the Westminster Abbey there was a weak and sick Ezra Pound in Italy. Summer: Durrells and children live in a villa on Paleocastrizza on Corfu Island Her husband and children are also Mary Mollo Hadkinson. LD met Ghislaine de Boysson at a nearby hotel at Catha Aldington. Two women spent a while with Crowder, but they did not sleep or drink LD. LD visited Athens to see Austin Harrison, a friend of an architect from Cyprus. Joan and Peter Bird will visit Corfu. LD collaborates with Ernle Bradford in the Cn-TV documentary Search Ulysses Elliot imagined the old age of the poem Part 2 Oriental Cork. This is a rural time, a cycle of planting and harvesting seasons. As the East Coke countryside is also within his Eliot 's own past as his ancestral place, it also represents a historical era. In the third section of this section, he describes how the Old Country Festival looks like Elliott will leave the United States. However, when I saw that his fathers were left behind, I felt he was cheated. He wanted to teach him how their legacy grew gracefully, but when he was looking forward to getting older, he saw death - he himself and others Death of things. Therefore, he tried to reach an agreement in the dark. He knows that the words can not contain death. He advised him so that he was patient and, desiring to work hard, not to work hard. Most importantly, he noticed that he had to put himself under the care of the wounded surgeons of Christ's statue. Analysis of T. S. Eliots East Coker Oriental Cork of T. S. Eliot is analyzing early poetry such as The Waste Land and Alfred Prufrock's Love Song. A person is a weak soul, is tempted to be tempted, full of desire, there is no hope of redemption. When Elliott converts to Catholicism, the views of these people have not changed. Elliot still maintains the suffering of human despair, but it compensates for this belief that man has some hope through the work of Christ. January 4: T. 1948, S. Eliot died of lung emphysema in London at the age of 77, was buried in the cemetary of the village of St. Michael's Church of East Coker, his ancestors were immigrants to the American village. At the memorial monument of the Westminster Abbey there was a weak and sick Ezra Pound in Italy. Summer: Durrells and children live in a villa on Paleocastrizza on Corfu Island Her husband and children are also Mary Mollo Hadkinson. LD met Ghislaine de Boysson at a nearby hotel at Catha Aldington. Two women spent a while with Crowder, but they did not sleep or drink LD. LD visited Athens to see Austin Harrison, a friend of an architect from Cyprus. Joan and Peter Bird will visit Corfu. LD collaborates with Ernle Bradford in the Cn-TV documentary Search Ulysses Elliot imagined the old age of the poem Part 2 Oriental Cork. This is a rural time, a cycle of planting and harvesting seasons. As the East Coke countryside is also within his Eliot 's own past as his ancestral place, it also represents a historical era. In the third section of this section, he describes how the Old Country Festival looks like Elliott will leave the United States. However, when I saw that his fathers were left behind, I felt he was cheated. He wanted to teach him how their legacy grew gracefully, but when he was looking forward to getting older, he saw death - he himself and others Death of things. Therefore, he tried to reach an agreement in the dark. He knows that the words can not contain death. He advised him so that he was patient and, desiring to work hard, not to work hard. Most importantly, he noticed that he had to put himself under the care of the wounded surgeons of Christ's statue.

Position Paper Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Position Paper - Movie Review Example In other words, there are substantial issues and various points linked to autism. What is most important is to come up with relevant point of view about it. The work at hand points out some relevant views about autism based on the point of view of the film. At certain point, the film simply showcases the thought that autism could be due to environmental toxins. This has remarkable basis, which particularly includes the prevailing lifestyle of the people in the modern world. With the advancement of technology and the innovative approach of creating something new in the market place, people are bound to experience relevant health, psychological and emotional variations. At some point, one remarkable change that may be brought by this is relevant to the level of learning of an individual. Autism based on the film is considered as a problem associated with learning. A person having difficulty in learning might be highly influence by the presence of autism or any symptoms associated with it. However, the thought that this might be due to environmental toxins remains debatable. For this reason, there is another point of view that surfaces. The issue about neurodiversity is so strong that it encourages everybody to support a person under the condition of autism. For the reason that there are only few cases of autism and average people do not act the way an autistic person does, many experts believe that it is quite substantial point to consider that autism is not a normal mental condition after all, but something that requires moral support from all concerned. This view is humanistic in its approach, and in fact, this is how the film presents the point of looking at autism as something that may require substantial public consciousness. Based on these thoughts, there are vital topics or concerns that may be good items for teachers to consider. Taking into account the concept of learning and the prevalence of autism are phenomenal ideas. Banking on the point of

Book and You Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Book and You - Essay Example With the vast information one can get through the internet, the sources are often questionable that readers cannot always be sure if they have the right information from authorities or if they only have a biased information from a supporter or a critic of a certain subject matter. Concerning health, reading the printed material has no side-effects as compared to reading a software with the use of a computer that is known to cause certain cancers through the radiation emitted by the machine. These are just among the many importance of reading books in a computer age. The books that have caught my interest are mostly novels. I used to read them for entertainment purposes but as I discovered the rich information contained in literary works, I became more observant about the places and people described in the stories I read. I often feel transported to another world where I seem to become a spectator of the events in the story that makes me see through a different angle of vision which is the author’s viewpoint. I came to understand other people and cultures as I read through the pages of the more informed authors. As a child, I have read story books with colorful illustrations. This started my interest in reading and as I grew older, I turned to more serious books like novels that help me become more critical of my environment. Sometimes, I borrowed books from my friends who often recommend good books to me and at other times, I trade some of my collections with their own. I bought some books that I really loved because whenever I have the time, I read them again. Some were also given to me as gifts. One of my favorite authors is Dan Brown and I like his novel â€Å"Angels and Demons† a lot. It is a story of a symbologist who solves a divisive plan of the murders of Catholic Church leaders using the Illuminati, a famous secret society, as a faà §ade in the execution of the plan. The novel seems to have been

Current Scale, Scope and Diversity of the Hospitality Industry Assignment

Current Scale, Scope and Diversity of the Hospitality Industry - Assignment Example The scope of the hospitality industry consists of businesses, like entertainment, food and accommodation. Under hospitality industry, a tourist is facilitated, as they are taken to theme parks, they are provided with transportation, and event planning services. The reason why hospitality industry is called a diverse industry is that they offer diverse services, for example, accommodation and entertainment are diverse fields. Moreover, the hotel industry offers diversification, because of the different types of job opportunities it creates. In a hotel industry, there are caterers working to provide food and beverages for the hotel guests. Then there is the management of the hotel, which consists of a human resource manager, operations manager, staff manager, kitchen workers, porters, bartenders and housekeepers. There are people who are responsible for managing entertainment for the guests, which can be in shape of a karaoke night, gaming arena, or a concert. Another important aspect of this diversity is the marketing manager of the hotel, which looks after attracting tourists towards their hotel and making sure that they reach a wide audience. There are different management roles in a hospitality industry, which are compulsory to run an effective hotel. The management functions of a hospitality industry include asset management, staff management, risk management, business management, logistics, financial management and statutory compliance. To train for these roles, the skills set needs to be strong and the qualifications need to be well integrated. If an employee is in business management, then he would need an MBA degree, to better understand his department; MBA is also known to be a benchmark, for management roles at a senior level. Moreover, if an employee is applying for Chief Financial Officer, then they need to have knowledge of preparing budgets for the hotel, making financial statements, managing the payroll of employees, making invoices and payments to suppliers and doing bank reconciliations, because these are the responsibilities of a CFO.  Ã‚  

Benefits of the iPhone5 to an Architectural company Essay

Benefits of the iPhone5 to an Architectural company - Essay Example (Tech gadgets, n. d.). In order to evaluate how the iPhone 5 can serve an architectural company, data/information management needs persisting in the architectural industry are closely analysed. It is observed that the weakness in information management and communication can negatively affect an architectural company’s market competitiveness. An architectural company cannot deliver effective services to its clients unless there are improved information and communication management systems in operation. In the next session, the paper discusses how these needs of an architectural company can be met using the iPhone. ... By the turn of the 20th century, the business world became highly competitive, and subsequently many business firms went out of business due to their insufficient competitive capabilities. In order to manage the high level growth, companies are required to pay particular attention to construction activities and infrastructure development (Ruth, n. d.). It is obvious that infrastructure development is very crucial to attract potential investors and hence to ensure sustainable business growth Government of the Rostov Region, n. d.). Therefore, architectural companies have immense growth opportunities in today’s business world. In addition to the explosive business growth, the increasing need for housing also offers potential opportunities for architectural firms (The Hindu Business Line, 2012). Today, a large number of architectural companies are active in the industry so as to take advantages of the emerging infrastructure development opportunities. However, these companies can not promote their business growth unless they remain competitive and innovative. In other words, an architectural company has to show its creativity in project design, project development, and information management (Black architects, 2005, p.114). Managing inflow and outflow of information is one of the most difficult challenges for an architectural company to face (Oracle, 2012). In order to effectively confront with market rivals and thereby ensure long term business sustainability, architectural companies must get proper access to information when required. Currently, these firms depend on online information storage systems that are capable of meeting information needs quickly and conveniently. It is clear that architects cannot often develop

Economic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

Economic - Essay Example Some basic examples of underdeveloped regions are Asia, Africa and Latin America. Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Somalia and Cambodia are some countries that fall into this category. (Gerard Chaliand, n.d) Different countries generally face different problems depending upon the level of development and progress made by the country. Naturally, the ones that are developed will face a lesser number of problems and also of a different kind. Underdeveloped countries are bound to face a mountain of difficulties and of a severe kind. The characteristics of an underdeveloped country are actually what its problems are. The basic challenges faced by people in underdeveloped countries are the unavailability of shelter, clothing, food, health services and even water for every person living. This is due to large populations and little resources. Educational standards are very low – lack of qualification means unemployment. Plus, there is a lack of funds with the government that can be spent on health services and other welfare of the people. Technologically speaking, these countries are almost close to nil. (Poverty in Underdeveloped Countries—The Poorest of the Poor - The Poor In Africa, n.d) Firstly, we have the problem of the lack of resources. Not only is there a lack but there is only a specific type of resource available. Most underdeveloped countries are agricultural economies; that is, they earn by selling primary goods such as tea, wheat, cotton etc. These goods, no doubt, have a huge market but they are not as helpful in progression a country as are industrial and manufacturing goods. Developed countries mainly depend on the export and import of manufacturing goods, also known as, capital goods – these are machineries that enhance the efficiency and production of consumer goods. The usage of these machines in a country helps augment living standards. It is clearly

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 59

Summary - Essay Example in a competitive edge by developing a treatment drug for Alzheimer’s disease, of which 18 million people suffer around the world, Pfizer decided in 2008 to give Medivation a large amount of $225 million and $500 million more if it was able to successfully produce Dimebon. The feasibility of the drug as well as the extravagance of the deal were widely criticized, though past evidence from Russia suggested that the development of such a drug was possible. However, when the drug was tested by introducing it to moderate Alzheimer’s patients in phase 3 trials, it failed to achieve the expected goals. Consequently, with the termination of the partnership contract, the dreams of the two companies to gain a substantial edge in the Pharmaceutical industry collapsed too. Since Medivation used to rely heavily on its partnership with Pfizer to generate returns, the extinction of the agreement has resulted in more serious financial losses for Medivation in contrast to Pfizer. This is certainly not a good signal for Medivation as well as Pfizer. The stoppage of the development of Dimebon has caused financial setbacks to both the companies. During the first three quarters of 2011, Medivation’s shares have dropped drastically by 3.3%. At the same time, Pfizer’s stock rose only slightly by 0.4%. The plans of the two companies to become future leaders in the market have crashed along with their product. Consequently, the financial outcomes are bound to remain low for at least sometime in the future. As far as the competitors of the two companies are concerned, they have been presented with a very good opportunity to gain an edge in the market. The competitors are already aware of the significance which Alzheimer’s drug holds and the amount of sales it could trigger. Moreover, information about the failure of Medivation and Pfizer in phase 3 trial will result in competitors being further careful in developing the product and avoiding the mistakes which were committed by

American health care since 1994 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

American health care since 1994 - Essay Example These efforts have thwarted efforts to attain affordable, effective and accessible healthcare for Americans. In the last fifteen years, the cost of American healthcare has increased by more than two times with the yearly growth rate being over double that of inflation. The costs have become a burden to the federal government, businesses, as well as families. Employers have had to cut back on their expenditure on healthcare so as to remain competitive against international companies that do not have such costs. Fewer companies are offering health benefits forcing individuals to look for coverage in the highly unregulated private market. This has affected Americans’ productive capacity as well as the country’s fiscal health. While there are varied reasons for the rising costs, the increase is attributable to excess costs of the country’s healthcare system and the underlying inefficiencies. In addition, the number of people who do not have sufficient insurance coverage or even any coverage at all has been increasing. It is noteworthy that the uninsured end up getting healthcare in an extremely costly way, thereby increasing the premiums of those with medical insurance. Unfortunately, this has not translated into quality healthcare or improved outcomes. These aspects underline the importance of pushing forward with the reforms. The American healthcare has been on its knees for quite some time. This calls for comprehensive reforms to enhance the delivery and quality of healthcare, provide accessible, comprehensive and affordable health insurance and reform payment so as to reward

Final 311 Essay Example for Free

Final 311 Essay

Inhibition Effectiveness of Au Compounds

Inhibition Effectiveness of Au Compounds Function of the â€Å"Guiding Bar† on Inhibition Effectiveness of Au Compounds on Thioredoxin Reductase 3 Qi Liu Introduction Mammalian thioredoxin reductase (TR) is an Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) dependent flavoprotein oxidoreductase, which is involved in reducing the disulfide of thioredoxin (Trx) using NADPH (Figure 1). Trx can reduce many important proteins, such as ribonucleotide reductase (RNR), which produces deoxyribonucleotides for DNA synthesis1, 2. Thus, TR and Trx play an important role in maintaining proteins in their reduced state, which involves the regulation of cellular redox reactions, proliferation, and differentiation3. In addition, Trx and TR is overexpressed in a lot of aggressive tumors, and the tumor progression and metastasis appear to be dependent on the Trx system, because tumor cells need constant DNA synthesis. However, tumor progression and metastasis were dramatically reduced when TR knockdown cells were injected into mice4. Thus, the TR was proposed to be a new anticancer drug target5. In mammals, there are three different TRs which have been characterized: the cytosolic form TR1, the mitochondrial form TR3, and thioredoxin glutathione reductase (TGR, also known as TR2)6. All of these TRs are selenoproteins with a selenocysteine (Sec) at their C-terminal active site. In the reaction mechanism of TR, the selenolate of Sec acts as an electron donor to Trx, also selenium can accept electrons from the N-terminal redox center of TR6. This redox center is located on a flexible arm, which is solvent-exposed and reactive towards electrophilic inhibitors, thus representing a target for antitumor drug development1. A number of recent reports suggest that gold-based drugs have strong inhibition ability on TRs, which could be from the direct coordination between Au and the active site Sec on TRs, so that the selenolate group is blocked7. Interestingly, the gold compounds,Bis[1,2-bis(dipyridylphosphino)ethane]gold(I) chloride ([Au(d2pype)2]Cl) and Bis[1,3-bis(di-2-pyridylphosphino)propane]gold(I) chloride ([Au(d2pypp)2]Cl), effect the inhibition effectiveness on human TR1(hTR1) and human TR3 (hTR3) differently (Figure2). The precise molecular mechanism of TR inhibition by gold compounds has not been elucidated. Thus, studies on inhibition of TRs by gold-based drugs are necessary for designing new cancer inhibitors. Available crystal structures of TRs include hTR1, rat TR1 (rTR1), mouse TR3(mTR3), DmTR (thioredoxin reductase from D. melanogaster), and PfTR (thioredoxin reductase from P. falciparum) enzymes9. A recent study showed the crystal structure of hTR1 with its substrate thioredoxin, in which the C-terminal tail of hTR1 was stabilized by a â€Å"guiding bar†, so that the flexible C-terminal tail can be observed (Figure 3). The guiding bar was first proposed in one of the structure studies of hTR1, and is composed of three amino acids: Trp407, Asn418, and Asn419. It functions to suppress random motions and positions the C-terminal tail in catalytically competent position through hydrogen bonding interactions9. However, the crystal structure of mTR3 does not show the C-terminus because of the random motion of the C-terminal without control from the guiding bar. Furthermore, the sequence comparison between hTR1 and hTR3 shows the absence of the guiding bar in TR3 (Figure 4). Research question Though inhibition of gold compounds on TRs has been studied, the function of the guiding bar on the gold compounds inhibition effectiveness on TRs has never been brought up to the studies of inhibition effectiveness on TRs. The goal of this proposal is to investigate the role of the guiding bar on the inhibition ability of gold based compounds on hTR1 and hTR3. The guiding bar will be constructed on hTR3 by mutations of K432W, A443N and S444N. Biophysical characterization will be applied to observe the presence of the C-terminus on TR3 after mutagenesis. My hypothesis is the C-terminal tail of the crystal structure of mutated TR3 will be observed, because the random motion of the C-terminus is reduced by restriction from the guiding bar. Then, two gold compounds, [Au(d2pype)2]Cl and [Au(d2pypp)2]Cl , will be applied to test the inhibition difference on normal TR3 and mutated TR3. I expect to see that the inhibition on mutated TR3 could be stronger than that on normal TR3. Significance of Proposed Research The thioredoxin system plays an important role in the intracellular redox enviornment and is composed of Trx and TR10. Proposed studies will give an insight into the function of the guiding bar on different TR enzymes. The guiding bar is expected to suppress the random motion of the C-terminal tail so that the redox center Sec on the C-terminus can have better coordination with the gold compounds. The coordination between metal and Sec will tightly block the Sec redox center, so the intracellular redox balance will be disturbed and result in potent TR inhibition4. Thus, the presence of the guiding bar can help TR to be a better drug target. Proposed studies Enzyme Expression and Purification Recombinant human TR1 and TR3 will be cloned into E. coli BL21(DE3) cells, and the growth and purification will be done as described previously.11 Mutation of Human TR3 In order to study the impact of the guiding bar residues on TR catalysis, the proposed mutations will be constructed on hTR3 with K432W, A443N, and S444N. These three mutation sites are chosen based on the sequence alignment of hTR1 in the guiding bar region of Pro376-Tyr422 (Figure 3), in which the critical amino acids, Trp407, Asn418 and Asn419, have the function of limiting random motion of the C-terminus. Thus, the same function of the guiding bar on hTR3 is expected to be observed via specific site mutation. Mutations will be introduced by the Quick Change mutagenesis method and confirmed by DNA sequencing. Structural Studies of Mutated Human TR3 The C-terminal tail in human and rat TR1 could be observed by X-ray crystallography, because the guiding bar limits its random motion. However, because the guiding bar is not present in mouse TR3, the C-terminal tail is too mobile to generate sufficient electron density without restriction from the guiding bar. This leads to the absence of the C-terminal tail in the crystal structure of mouse TR39. The mutated hTR3 after insertion of the guiding bar will be studied by X-ray crystallography. The presence of an ordered C-terminal tail in the crystal structure and the interaction between the guiding bar and the C-terminal tail will suggest restricted motion of the C-terminal tail. I expect to see that the interaction of the guiding bar on the C-terminal tail will improve the inhibition effectiveness of Au compounds on hTR3. Electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy (ESIMS) Characterization ESI is an ionization technique which is used to detect high molecular weight molecules, such as proteins, peptides and other macromolecules, so ESI MS is an important technique for studying a complex biological sample9. Instead of fragmenting the macromolecules into smaller charged particles, this process turns the macromolecules into small droplets by ionization, and these droplets are further desolvated into even smaller droplets, which creates molecules with attached protons12. As a putative target for anticancer metallodrugs, the selenoenzyme TR is the drug target for gold compounds, such as [Au(d2pype)2]Cl and [Au(d2pypp)2]Cl. The TR inhibition is thought to occur through direct binding of the gold to the active site Sec following ligand substitution. So, TR3 and mutated TR3 will be separately incubated with the two gold compounds mentioned above for 30 mins at room temperature, and then the products will be analyzed by EIS-MS. The results will be compared and are expected to explain the binding of the gold onto the hTRs. I hope to see the gold compounds have better binding on mutated hTR3 than normal hTR3. This can be explained as the guiding bar can reduce the motion of flexible C-terminal tail, so that the gold compounds can bind onto the Sec of mutated hTR3 easier than the normal one and cause more inhibition on the mutated hTR313. TR Inhibition Assay The solvent-accessible selenolate group, arising from enzyme reduction, very likely constitutes a high affinity binding site for gold compounds. Tightly blocking the active site Sec through metal coordination should result in potent TR inhibition9. Thus, after ESI-MS characterization, the TR inhibition study will be performed with the two different gold compounds, [Au(d2pype)2]Cl and [Au(d2pypp)2]Cl, on hTR1, hTR3 and mutated hTR3 respectively. In addition to Trx, some low molecular weight disulfide-containing substrates, including 5,5†²-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB), lipoic acid, and lipoamidem, can also be reduced by TRs9. Here, DTNB would be chosen as the substrate for TR inhibition assay to keep consistent with the previous studies from other groups9. The NADPH dependent TR catalyzed reduction of DTNB will be monitored and determined by the increase in absorbance at 412nm. Inhibition of hTR1, hTR3 and mutated hTR3 will be done by using different concentrations of go ld compounds ([Au(d2pype)2]Cl and [Au(d2pypp)2]Cl). The inhibition results from different TRs and gold compounds will be compared. Based on the assumption that the guiding bar can suppress the motion of the C-terminal tail, greater inhibition effectiveness on mutated hTR3 than that on normal hTR3 is expected to be seen. This will show that the C-terminus is limited by the guiding bar on mutated hTR3 helps the gold compounds inhibit the active site Sec more. Binding Studies by Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC) ITC is a technique used to determine the thermodynamic parameters of interaction in solution. It can be applied to study the interactions between protein-protein, enzyme-inhibitor, protein-small molecules, protein-DNA, and so on. Thus, the binding between gold compounds and the three TRs (hTR1, hTR3 and mutated hTR3) can be investigated by ITC. Applying this method will tell us how well the inhibitors, the gold compounds, bind to TRs. The binding affinity (Ka) could show how strongly the gold compounds and TRs will bind, and the higher Ka, the stronger the binding. In addition, enthalpy changes (ΔH) can tell the amount of energy released or obtained. Then, the entropy change (ΔS) and Gibbs energy changes (ΔG) can be determined by the following equation (1): ΔG = -RTlnKa = ΔH-TΔS (1) Comparison of the binding parameters between gold compounds ([Au(d2pype)2]Cl and [Au(d2pypp)2]Cl) and TRs (hTR1, hTR3 and the mutated hTR3) will give more information about the function of the guiding bar on the inhibition effectiveness of TRs. The higher Ka of hTR1 compared to normal hTR3 is expected to be seen, because the absence of guiding bar in hTR3 will lead to a flexible C-terminal tail, which will give a lower inhibition. In addition, Ka of the mutated hTR3 is expected to show higher binding affinity than the normal hTR3, because the guiding bar mutated on hTR3 will help reduce the random motion of the C-terminal tail, so that the redox center Sec can be easily inhibited by the gold compounds. Thus, the guiding bar can help improve the inhibition effectiveness of gold compounds on mutated hTR3. Conclusion Through mutation and structural studies, the presence of the C-terminal tail which is restricted by the inserted guiding bar is expected to be seen in the mutated hTR3. The ESI-MS characterization and binding study can give information about if the gold can successfully bind to the specific active site on the mutated hTR3. Finally, a better understanding of the inhibition effectiveness will be tested and compared by the inhibition assay with hTR1, hTR3 and mutated hTR3. Thus, a better understanding of the function of the guiding bar in the TR system will give an insight into the effect of the guiding bar on the drug inhibition effect on TR3 so that it can become a better drug target. References O. Rackham., A. M. Shearwood., R. Thyer., E. McNamara., S. M. Davies., B. A. Callus., A. Miranda-Vizuete., S. J. Berners-Price., Q. Cheng., E. S. J. Arner and A. 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