Critical Review of Dementia Service User’s Experience of Care

Title: A 3000 words essay critically reviewing a service user’s journey through their experience of care In this essay I will critically evaluate a resident by the name of Tom Journey with dementia. He suffers from Alzheimer's dementia and lives in sheltered housing. I will explore issues surrounding nutrition intake, wandering, communication, incontinence and the environment that affect the client, family and staff. I will then look at the assessment process, care planning, implementing and evaluation.I will explore patient safety, intervention and the processes that managers and professionals have to undertake when managing individuals with dementia. These interventions and approaches adopted are vital when planning person centred care. In addition, due to the policy of confidentiality I would not mention the name of the organisation and persons involved. The essay will end with a conclusion and a summary. According to Mathers and Leanardi (2000), â€Å"Dementia is a syndro me caused by a range of illnesses and currently many are incurable, and cause progressive, irreversible brain damage.They include Alzheimer's disease (the most common cause), vascular disease, frontal lobe dementia and Lewy Body disease. Symptoms of dementia can include memory loss, difficulties with language, judgement, insight and failure to recognise people, disorientation, mood changes, hallucinations, delusions, and the gradual loss of ability to perform all tasks of daily living†,( Mathers and Leanardi, 2000). Mace and Rabin (1999) highlighted that, â€Å"the word dementia originated from two Latin words which mean â€Å"away and mind†. This can indicate a loss of memory inability to function effectively, which can result in mental confusion†.Jack is a seventy year old man with dementia. He lives in sheltered housing. He has four children two sons and two daughters. He was moved from his home into sheltered accommodation after the death of his wife Mary. Hi s condition deteriorated very rapidly and he needed extra support to live at home safely. The family was unable to adequately provide for Jack’s needs, so they decided to re-house him. The family brought Jack with them to view the flat before he was moved in. This allowed Jack the opportunity to meet the staff and get familiar with the new environment. He was brought in by is son and daughter, but his son stayed with him in the guest room for a few days to get him settled and feel comfortable. Jack was showing early signs of dementia as his communication was not clear at times and often his speech was muddled. Furthermore, his memory was poor at first as he kept asking for his wife repeatedly for examples, † where am I†, â€Å"whose house is this†, and â€Å"why am I here†. Also his nutrition was an issue as he was not eating his meals and often said he was not hungry or he would eat later. He would sometimes say take it away and feed the pigeon.Food would turn up in various places like bins, in drawers and even in his bed. Mace and Rabins (1999) mentioned that eating alone can contribute to or worsen their confusion. Incontinence was also a big concern for staff as he was constantly wet and soiled with faeces. He would choose places not suitable to use for toileting, removing his protective clothing. He was also hiding dirty soiled clothes in inappropriate places. Moreover, getting his personal care done was a big task as he was not cooperative. Beatie et al, (2005) stated that people with dementia do not know that they are not being cooperative with certain basic tasks.This could be related to my client as I observed these issues on many occasions. All these conditions have been highlighted by (Kitwood, 1997). With regard to incontinence, Parker (2000) supported that because of the dying of the brain cells, a person like Jack will not be able to independently identify the message the brain is conveying about the bowel. This p roblem was identified with Jack. Jack, as supported by Parker (2000) should be encouraged to use the toilet before and after consuming meals and drinks and should also have a regular pad change.Parker 2000 also cited that when any person in a state like that of Jack is constipated or having sluggish bowel movement, they should be offered medication like suppositories and if this does not work they should be supported by observation. When dealing with Jack who does not have mental capacity it is important to observe his actions. When he is in need of toileting he can exhibit the following actions which are non verbal such as pulling down or removing pants, or opening his fly. These actions are likely to suggest that he wants to use the toilet.Mace and Rabins (1999) argued that it can be very difficult for practitioners to achieve appropriate assessments when they are dealing with persons who are living in an independent setting. My assessment highlighted many problems such as persona l care, poor memory, poor nutrition intake, urinary incontinence, poor communication and wandering about all the time. However, this was more pronounced in the evenings. Morris and Morris (2010), Kitwood, (1997) and Algage (2006), have highlighted this problem to be â€Å"sundown syndrome†.According to Leblance (2011) he described this as onset of confusion that occurs in late afternoon and night time. Algage (2006) further stated that wandering is a way of communicating in a non verbal form by using action to correspond with others. Moreover Beatie et al, (2005) argued that patients with dementia may not be able to read signs. For example factors like the environment may cause them to be distressed and might put them at risk, (Hodgkinson et al, 2007). Some residents like Jack may have limited communication ability to verbalise what they want to do, so they just show action as a way of communicating.For example, the sign posts, symbols and photographic pictures might not appe al to them because of their limited ability to focus on details, (Hodgkinson et al, 2007). Beatie et al, (2005) and Fox and Wilson (2007) have highlighted that living in a sheltered housing environment can be a lonely experience for many patients and this can make them feel isolated. More so, Beatie et al, (2005) mentioned that these factors might cause a patient to wander because if they feel lonely and anxious for a long period of time. They might want to find something to engage in.A person with dementia might find it difficult to sit down. For example in my observations I feel that Jack was living in a community where he had friends and family to socialise with and moving to a new place was somehow upsetting for him. Likewise changes might have caused Jack’s more loss of memory and this could be another reason why he failed to adjust to his new surrounding as cited in Mace and Rabins (1999). Moreover, in this sheltered housing there are no facilities like shops and recrea tional facilities as it is in a secluded area.Knockers (2000) mentioned about daily living activities that could have been useful to a patient with dementia like Jack. In my opinion, this would have given Jack the opportunity to engage with other residents. This would have been a great way of socialising, chatting, enjoyment and given him a purpose in life and most of all engaging his time and stop him from wondering so frequently. According to Cheston and Bender (1999) and Innes et al, (2000) the DCM (Dementia Care Mapping) is a precise framework that is important to assess patients with dementia.The DCM (Dementia Care Mapping) is an observational tool which is used in a professional setting. This tool could have been useful to Jack if he was living in suitable housing that meets his needs (Kitwood 1997, Shels 2007 and Fox and Wilson, 2000), Mace and Rabins (1999) mention that MME (Mini Mental Examination) also known as the â€Å"mini mental† is one of the tools that are use d to screen an individual’s mental ability at the onset of dementia. This tool is also known as the performance tool that allows five minutes to perform a set of precise tasks.This entails a maximum score of thirty answers to questions given. â€Å"Some of the questions are, do you know what day it is, date, month and the time, do you know what country you live, and the town. Can you spell the word â€Å"world† backwards, can you write a sentence†. Likewise, In Jack’s case he was assessed using this tool to get a precise answer to see what he can independently do for himself. In addition, Fox and Wilson (2007) argued that the assessment processes should be compiled into a feedback statement. This information should be given at the beginning and end of the assessment.Chester and Bender (2000) mentioned that feedback should be given in both oral and written statement. This is necessary for the patient and their family to adjust and come to terms with their illness, and deal with their emotions. According to Carmody and Forester (2003) the main areas of care planning are assessment, planning, evaluation, implementation and evaluation. Care plans are legal documents which should be reviewed on a regular basis for accuracy. Jack’s care plan contains some important information such as his name, date of birth, address and all information recorded was signed and dated.Likewise, May et al (2003) mentioned that a care plan should be compiled and put together the persons needs and deeds. Jack’s care plan was fully supported and some of the information included was his life history, lifestyle, health, personality, and preferences, present and future wishes. Jack’s capacity, cognitive ability and the stages he was at present were documented. Jack’s care plan contains three columns. The left column was to record Jack’s needs, the middle column gives precise information for cares to comply with, whilst the right column is to record information, sign, date and reviews (May et al, 2003).May et al, (2003) proposed that the enriched care planning was developed from the enriched model of dementia by (Kitwood, 1997). Jack care plan consists of five core areas which are reviewing, profiling, implementation, identifying needs and documenting needs. Jack care plan was fully supported by the carers. In Jack’s case his care plan was reviewed with the social worker, general practitioner, occupational therapist, dietician, warden, care manager and family and myself who is his key worker. This set out clear instructions for staff on how to personalise care for Jack.This includes, monitoring and assessing changes in his toileting, nutritional intake, communication, health and wandering. Four main calls were put in place for his main meals and regular checks to stop him from feeling lonely. Jack care plan was reviewed and implementation of safety devices was put in action to keep Jack safe. This inv olves the implementing of sensory aids and equipment that will help to keep him safe at all times and especially during the nights. This included a bed sensor and door activator that goes off when he gets out of bed and when he leaves his flat.This equipment was most useful during the nights. Reflective lighting was also put into place. It would come on at a certain time in the evening. The door bell flashing light let him know when someone was entering his flat. Picture coding colour was put on his fridge door and bedroom door to remind him where to go and what to do. Jacks’ family were in complete denial about his condition and they would often get very upset with him. They thought that their dad was trying to get back at them for moving him. One daughter was constantly fussing over him and telling him off.This made it quite difficult for staff and management to get the assessment process started. The other barrier was the staff members that were not able to support Jackâ⠂¬â„¢s family appropriately, as they were not trained adequately in dementia care. Jack’s condition deteriorated rapidly and staff was finding it quite difficult to cope with his demanding and stressful behaviour. Jack was given tablets to keep him calm, however, this medication in my observation was too strong for him and often he would sleep for long periods of time.Staff would have to wake him up for meals and before he finished his meals he would be fast asleep. In work places which are independent based, these facilities are not designed to accommodate people with certain forms of dementia and for this reason it took a longer time for Jack’s needs to be reassessed. Jack’s needs were finally met and then he was admitted to a dementia unit where he was housed, (Carmody and Foster, 2003, Jacques and Jackson, 2000). These factors can become a barrier for professional when implementing care for people living with dementia, (Jacques and Jackson, 2000).In Jackâ₠¬â„¢s case he could have benefitted from the evaluation tool to stimulate communication between staff and himself. This would have prompted his alertness and encouraged communication at meal times as observed by Shiels (2007). With reference to evaluation this process is necessary to get a direct result of Jack’s illness. This will establish how far his condition has deteriorated and the extent of his impairment and functioning. Moreover, this will identify other health problems, so that the necessary treatment and planning can be put in place to address his needs, (Mace and Rabin 1999).Jack had to undertake this evaluation and many tests such as CBC (Complete blood count) which includes a blood chemistry test, checking the liver and kidney for signs of diabetes, vitamin B12 and thyroid level . The VDRL check for syphilis and LP (lumbar puncture) investigates the central nervous system. EEC (electroencephagram) measures the brain activities. CT scans, MRI scans, PET scans, SP ECT scans which are all important tests can identify the presence of a stroke. Jack was also given a neuropsychological test or the cortical test where they test his memory for writing and reasoning ability, and coordination (Mace and Rabin 1999).A psychiatric and psychosocial evaluation was also conducted by way of interviews with Jack’s family and his friend. This was vital to planning and development of care and this was also supported by a family evaluation to assess and to address their emotional, financial and physical needs, (Carmody and Forster 2003). Jack‘s condition has deteriorated even further and he has started leaving the premises through the back door. There is sensory equipment which is now in place in order to monitor his movements.Jack sometimes presses the button and it raises an alarm with the central control office. The control room staff will then contact the staff on duty to go and attend to Jack and see whether there is anything he needs. In most cases when the staff gets there, Jack will be trying to leave the premises not properly dressed. Examples being dressed in his pyjamas and bed room slippers, wearing a vest without his shirt or wearing his trouser inside out. When the staff try to get Jack to return to his flat he becomes very aggressive, shouting and hitting the staff and refusing to go back.The police on many occasions are called to search for him. AGASE (2006) indicated that wandering is associated with risk factors of getting lost and falls. As highlighted by Hodgkinson et al ( 2007) â€Å"gridlines placed on front door exits, door handles, panic button bars might be an effective way to addresses Jack’s wandering and reduce the risk of escaping†. Carmody and Forster (2003) suggest that a person like Jack can benefit from ADL (Activities of Daily Living) as this will help test his functioning abilities and performance.With regards to communication and Jack’s outburst Phillips and Penhale (19 96) argued that some people with dementia like Jack might have poor memory, limited communication ability with others. Jack is unaware of his aggression towards staff. This is not done intentionally as his brain cells are dying. Jack is unaware that he is causing harm to any one as he is simply trying to communicate. Jack will be trying to say why are these people stopping or preventing me from going to see my friends. In my observation Jack was finding it difficult to say the right word, as he was not able to understand what is being said to him.Carmody and Forster (2003) Fox and Wilson (2000) highlighted that the person who is undertaking a communication assessment needs to be a good listener and a competently trained professional. This person needs to have experiences of in dealing with different cases of dementia and know the differences between the different types. Fox and Wilson (2000) mentioned that a person with counselling skills might be able to address the needs of a pers on with dementia more efficiently. In my opinion, these skills are important when working with customers with dementia.In Jack’s case this would have been more beneficial if staff dealing with him had appropriate counselling skills. They would have been in a position to understand how to communicate with Jack as to achieve effective results. In the long run Jack was finding it more difficult to cope with every day activities. He had suffered a relapse and his condition deteriorated very rapidly and he needed more specialist care. He was not coping well and his health and safety was at risk. Jack needs were reassessed and he was no longer capable to live independently any more.Management and social worker were in the process of getting him relocated when he suffered a fall. He was taken to hospital and then he was moved into a residential home that cares for people with dementia. In conclusion, the government acknowledges dementia as a growing problem and has put strategies in place to care for people with dementia. To address Jack’s needs appropriately his care should be person centred. Jack was moved to a new home and this might have contributed to his wandering. His new setting was secluded and he had no friends to communicate or socialise with.This factor could have led to further confusion and made him feel lonely and even depressed. Although Jack was fully supported by the planning, assessment, implementing and evaluation process, his needs were slow to be addressed by the family and this posed as a barrier to Jack getting the care he required. However, the assessment procedure and progress for independent living have to be organised by many professionals. It appears in Jack’s case it was not recognised and dealt with appropriately at times. For example, the process to get a person assessed for dementia in independent housing took a long time.There were other issues and barriers that Jack faced on his journey, even though the governme nt had put these strategies in place to address the needs of people with dementia. In order to address Jack’s needs and that of other people with dementia the professionals need to adapt a person centred approach. Staff needs to be competently trained in dementia care so that they can support family and friends when a person is diagnosed with dementia. Reference Algase,D. L. (2006) What’s new about wandering? An assessment of recent studies 226 -234 [Available at: www. reo. beds. ac. uk]. (Accessed: 3/10/ 2011). Beatie,E. R. A. Song, J. And LaGore, S. (2005) A comparison of wandering behaviour in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, Research and theory for nursing practice Vol 19 No. 2. 181-196 [Available at: www. breo. beds. ac. uk]. (Accessed: 3/10/2011). Carmody, S. Forster, S. (2003) Nursing older people; a guide to practice in care home. Oxion Radcliff Publishing. Cheston. R. Bender, M. (1999) Understanding dementia: the man with the worried eyes, London. Jessica Kingsley. Fox, M. And Wilson, L. 2000) The centred advocacy for people with dementia, The journal of dementia care Vol 15 No 2. Jacques, A. And Jackson, G. (2000) Understanding dementia, 3rd edn, London, Churchhill Livingston. Hodgkinson, B. Koch, S. Nay R. And Lewis, M. (2007) Managing the wandering behaviour of people in a aged care facility 407-436 [Available at: www. breo. beds. ac. uk]. (Accessed: 3/10/2011). Inness, A. Capstick, A. And Surr, C. (2000)Mapping out framework, The Journal of dementiacare, Vol. 15 Kitwood, T (1997) Dementia reconsidered; The person comes first, Buckingham.Open University Press. Knockers, S. (2007) Capturing the magic of everyday activities, The journal of dementia care. Vol 15 No2 Leblanc, G. J. (2011) staying afloat in a sea of forgetfulness; common sense care giving, Bloomington Xlibris. Parker, T. (2000) Incontinence of faeces: the final frontier? Journal of dementiacare V0L. 8 No2 Phillips, J. and Penhale, B. (1996) Reviewing Care Mana gement for Older People, London. Jessica Kingsley Publishers May, H. Edwards, P. And Brooker , D. (2009) Enriched care planning for people with dementia , London. Jessica Kingsley

ICT and an Adult in Education Essay

Mr Williams is a teacher at my school, he teaches ICT and Business Studies at KS3, ICT at KS4, Form Tutor, Production, Collection and Collation of Reports for the whole of my school. He produces information on students and for staff to help in teaching and learning, he also produces statistics for staff, senior staff, LEA and DFES. He also produces information to do with effort grades ad target setting information. So he uses a lot of technology, this includes; * PC’s on a Network * Apple Mac’s on a Network * Internet via 10MB broadband * E-mail * Laptop also on Network * Digital Video Camera * Digital Still Camera * Digital LCD Projector * Palm m515 PDA * Wireless Notebooks Window/MAC OS * USB Memory sticks * Data Logging Hardware * Control hardware/software * Fax * Also available – Interactive Whiteboard Mr Williams is a teacher of I.C.T and business studies at Key Stage 3, teacher of I.C.T at Key Stage 4, Production, collection and collation of Reports for the whole school, effort grades and target setting information he produces also. He produces of information on students for staff to use which will help in teaching and learning. He has achieved the Electronic registration system for the whole school within 12 months for people to use and view. He performs general backup for staff using RM software, he also performs General Network Administration which is adding new pupils and staff users. He gives advice on purchasing new equipment for the whole school and departments. He selects, purchases and setup’s laptops for teachers using E-Learning. Mr Williams analyses exam results so senior staff and heads of years or departments so they are aware of achievement compared to the expected results. Staff are also able to view these results so they can be aware of performance issues. Subject staffs, heads of years and departments, senior staff and form tutors are also able to access these results, grades and comments. Extra software is available which will help staff by using the system that was introduced by Mr Williams, (software produced using Microsoft Visual Basic). The RM Network The RM network system allows Mr Williams to access the information on students and is able to update it if needed such as if the student changes address or phone numbers. Mr Howells can now, after Mr Williams has set the network up, can get access to LEA Management Information System and the school records. Data bases are creates to hold student information on staffs users names or folders on their laptops. Mr Williams has also enabled access from home, using the internet and school passwords. He has also updates the Pupil Achievement Tracker software which allows staff to store progress of students within classes or year group. The RM connect system enables Mr Williams and two other members of staff, who are supervisor users, to access students work areas to solve problems and to check appropriate use of programmes and internet. The E-mail system is also filtered so inappropriate E-mails are redirected and staff are able to view them, the access of websites with inappropriate langua ge or content such as pictures, Mr Williams and the other two members can check. The RM system is set up to allows staff to open Read only documents so they can give students access to related subjects. Mr Williams uses this for providing information, revision materials, coursework guides and modelling situations and simulation materials. Also used is a Virtual CDROM software and a multimedia server this allows staff and students to access CDROM images, such as the Applied ICT On-Line course used in years 9, 10 and 11. Digital Multimedia Technology Mr Williams also uses digital multimedia technology to help provide teaching and learning resources. Mr Williams used a digital camcorder, a still camcorder and Video editing software on Apple computers on a programme called IMovie and Windows, Microsoft Movie Maker2 to interview staff in local company. The final video clips were used on Matchware Mediator, which helped him to produce a series of web pages which students now use for their coursework tasks. Digital LCD Projector Mr Williams uses a digital LCD projector to allow students to use and interact with progressing work. Either Mr Williams or a Student will control the PC being used in the demonstration or teaching session. Mr Williams also uses this technology with teachers on Inset days for staff. School Internet Network Mr Williams uses the internet the school provides for teaching and learning and links on the school system. The internet is used for research for topics and to help Mr Williams keep up to date with the education and subjects. Students and staff use the school e-mail system to communicate or send work for marking or that has been marked via E-mail. Mr Williams can view student’s progress on GCSE grades by using created databases in DataPower which stores coursework marks, comments and examination marks. Formulae is used to estimate the final grade the student may be given to the student, he can do this by using board supplied information. This information is shared with students and used to report back to parents. Virtual Learning Mr Williams has helped in the introduction of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). The VLE allows students to upload web pages to the school system and also as a secure data and information storage area for student’s work. PDA Mr Williams uses PDA in school; this holds a lot of useful information such as Diary information, pupil performance information, examples of E-book for future reference by students in the school. Software and information can be ‘beamed’ using Infra – Red technology to members of staff or to certain Infra-Red equipped printers in the school. USB Stick Mr Williams has introduced the use of USB stick technology which enables transport of large amounts of data in a compact secure form (32 or 128 Mb at present). Data Logging and Control Hardware Mr Williams uses Data Logging and Control hardware in teaching and provides INSET days for ICT and Science staff, these days are needed to improve the quality of teach Wireless Mr Williams uses the wireless (55Mb) notebooks with students in school and with adult learners to allow them to experience new technology. The advantages are obvious, a lot more space recommended for each machine, extra infra form is required, (Wireless access points can be plugged into network sockets, for easy movement), students can also work in groups in a more adjustable way. The School Network The School Network System enables Mr Williams to access information on students or necessary by students or staff anywhere in the school. Software He uses a lot of software such as Microsoft Word Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Publisher, DataPower 2, Macromedia dreamweaver, Macromedia Fireworks, Macromedia Flash, Macromedia Freehand, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Photoshop, Pupil Achievement Tracker (PAT), IMovie, Microsoft Movie Maker 2, QuickTime Pro, Microsoft Visual Basic, Internet Explorer, EasyMail and Outlook Express. Hardware and Network, Windows Desktop PC’s, Windows Laptop, Apple IBooks (wireless) Apple G4 desktops, Apple Network using MACOS Xserver, RM Connect network using 5 NT4 servers and a multimedia server, Fibre Optic spine connecting four cabinets which contain Hubs and Switches, 100Mb Ethernet to the desktop, 10Mb Broadband Internet access with RM SmartCache technology, Palm m515 PDA using IR and USB technologies for transferring data. He also uses a Promethean Interactive Whiteboard, Sony digital video camera, Canon digital video camera, Sony digital still camera, Canon digital still camera. The Internet Mr Williams uses the internet for research, if he did not have the internet he would have to get information from textbooks, and use more textbooks during lessons while he teaches. If he had to do this it would be expensive. If he was not able to have access to the internet it would mean he would have to photocopy from books so he would have to arrange time before and after lessons to photocopy the information needed. To do this more money is needed to be spent and more time would be needed, so other jobs will not be able to be completed as time would be wasted on photocopying. As Mr Williams will always be up to date with resources as he uses the internet. Mr Williams also uses the internet to buy gifts for friends and family, such as buying tickets fro the cinema or theatre, with his friends and family. He likes using the internet to but gifts as he gets an online discount, that isn’t available in the shops and by using the internet he doesn’t have to waste time waiti ng in queues. Although there is a disadvantage about purchasing online as he doesn’t always get to see all the objects in the shop, and he also has to pay for delivery, but that works out the same as the amount of money he would of spent driving to the shop and parking. The PDA The PDA had several facilities this means Mr Williams will have all the information he needs for the day. If he didn’t have this piece of technology Mr Williams wouldn’t be able to travel around school to see students and teachers as he would have to carry lot’s of papers with him if he didn’t have this technology. Sometimes he is not able to take his laptop into meetings but with this programme he is able to save work to his area, this is handy as he will never loose his work or information, like he would if he had to carry paper around with him. The PDA has facilities which a useful to Mr Williams, such as alarms and a diary, this meets his needs as he is never late to an appointment or meeting and never misses a private party or function, like a family member’s of friends birthday party. Digital Camcorder He uses a digital camcorder to create applications for his students ICT classes. This allows Mr Williams to download the resources directly to the system. Mr Williams can now uses student friendly resources in his teaching schedules, enriching and improving the experience of his students education. Memory Stick Mr Williams uses a memory stick which allows him to be more resourceful and more flexible in his job. This means Mr Williams can hold data on and be able to transport it around school easily. As he can store more work it means he can do more work at home in his own time in the evenings and at the weekend. This means Mr Williams can now spend more time at home as before he had a memory stick he would have had to spend more time at school, which before he felt he was missing out on his family life. Notebook Dell D810 He uses a Notebook Dell D810, this means he now has more freedom than he used too. Before he had this laptop it meant that he had to sit at a desktop, which is usually in a classroom, and could not get much work finished. This programme means that he can move around during school, as long as it has a wireless connection to the network, having this means he can complete all of his work. Microsoft Word This Microsoft programme can give Mr Williams a variety of options and facilities. One of the facilities is mail merge is useful for producing reports for students. If Mr Williams did not have this option of using Microsoft Word, it would take him an awful long time to add address’s and reports for students. The word processing software also checks his spelling and grammar so it looks professional and correct. Power Point is also used by Mr Williams to create presentations for students. Having this programme allows students how to create different fun pieces or work. E-Mail Mr Williams uses E-mail for school and his social life he uses this so he can send work to and from home, also he can sends work to students via e-mail, with suggestions on how to improve their work. He also uses this to communicate with his family and friends to arrange events in his social life. He likes e-mail because he knows that when he sent an e-mail, it will be viewed by the person he has sent it to, when they open their inbox. This therefore means he can communicate. This means he can communicate with anyone when he is on his computer and isn’t near a phone. Doing this means he doesn’t have to wait until the person turns on their phone or leaves a message or is at home. Mr Williams feels that when he leaves a message on a phone, he doesn’t feel he can communicate properly. He knows that if he sends an e-mail, all of the necessary information will be displayed once read. Network System Mr Williams is able to access information anywhere in the school. This means that he can complete his work anywhere and any time, when he has spare time.

The Candy Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

The Candy Case - Essay Example The case study is all about a developed confectionary business in the Dewey Beach. The store used to sell three different products, such as candy, ice cream and photograph. Recently, the organization is planning to implement online business strategy in order to gain competitive advantage in this business area. Dewey Beach is considered as one of the most popular tourists spots in United States of America. Moreover, the organization is planning to expand its business operations in different popular locations in the United States of America in which the organization can get significant competitive advantages1. It is mentioned in the case study that the confectionary store has to face low competition within the market. There are two more similar types of business organizations. But, importantly this specific confectionary store used to sell differentiated products. According to the views and thoughts of business owners, the online business strategy will help the organization to achieve significant competitive edge over its competitors. It is true that number of competitors for this specific confectionary store is quite low. But, it also needs to be considered that the total population of this area is not more than 350. Therefore, it is highly challenging for the store to become the leading organization within this area. However, the organization achieved significant growth rate from the business practices. In addition to this, several international domestic visitors come to this place to enjoy the beauty of nature of this area. The organization is planning to implement online business process in order to target local, domestic and international customers. Candy, ice cream and photographs are three major product lines. This diversified product portfolio will help the organization to gain significant preference of customers who will wish to visit this area. Now-a-days, the number of users of internet is increasing significantly. In addition to this, popularity of on line consumption activity can help the confectionary store to capitalize on the potential business opportunity. It will be effective if the business owners select online selling and business activities for three existing product line. In this modern era of advanced technology and online marketing, each and every person tries to find the information about places, hotels, restaurants and stores before planning to visit a specific area. These favorable aspects will help the confectionary store to create significant awareness of the products. If the organization tries to maintain effective quality in candies and ice creams, then it would be easy for the organization to develop significant brand value. In terms of photographs, the organization made a contract with an art professor of the Dewey University to source photographs. The store will sell these photographs to the target audiences in different sizes depending upon the preference of the customers. However, each and every product ca n get benefit from the online marketing activities. Putting up the digital photographs on the company website or on several social media websites can attract the tourists from different global areas to visit the place. In addition to this, the business owners are also trying to expand their business operations in other areas. The organization

Seminar journal of 6 lectures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Seminar journal of 6 lectures - Essay Example Whereas this set up might work on a departmental level owing to the different nature and function of each department, the problem arises when the various functional groups have to interact with each other and work as a whole, which is inadvertent in an organization (Logan 2007). One obvious reason is the difference in the framework of each department’s operating systems and structure (Logan 2007). Customer information is often duplicated so that every department has a copy in order to avoid any unnecessary interactions between various frameworks (Logan 2007). This can cause various problems, such as erroneous data entry, records, and an overall mismatch in the production of the company, resulting in the loss of revenue (Logan 2007). The solution is, therefore, an integrated set up with a uniform framework of operating system that can be accessed by any department and used according to their own needs (Logan 2007). This is called ERP software system. ... The most important feature is the ability of the company to view the client in a single view by using this system rather than in fragmented views of the various departments (Logan 2007). However, the implementation of this system can be very costly and time consuming, especially if the company is large scale and multinational (Logan 2007). It also requires skilled personnel who need to be trained first (Logan 2007). Also, to update the information and to carry out constant monitoring of the system, increased workforce with increased number of hours is required (Logan 2007). Sometimes , the results might also not be successful due to many reasons, such as too much customization of the products, and a decreased emphasis on education and re-organizing the business and staff (Logan 2007). However, it remains a lucrative business, with SAP leading the provision of ERP in the industry (Logan 2007). Another useful way in which Information Technology can be made use of in the business sector is that of employing it to reduce the carbon footprint of the companies (Bannister 2010). Around fifty percent of the carbon emitted in the UK comes from the businesses alone (Bannister 2010). This means that if the business sector works out a way to reduce the carbon emission, it can have a great and positive impact on the overall climate of the country and of the world (Bannister 2010). For this purpose, Information Technology can be beneficial in two ways: direct and indirect. To understand how important it is to try and reduce the carbon footprint, it should be noted that O2 UK produces 400k tones of CO2 every year, HSBC produces 800k tones, and Tesco produces 4.1million tones of CO2 every year (Bannister 2010). In a case study involving Tesco, it

Breaking the chains of psychological slavery Essay

Breaking the chains of psychological slavery - Essay Example The author of the paper has presented his agreement or disagreement with the views presented by Akbar in the first three chapters of the book. The Psychological Legacy of Slavery In the first one of series of essays presented in Akbar’s book, Dr. Akbar defines the misery of blacks over the period of those 300 years, in which the black raced experienced brutality and humiliation in the hands of whites. According to the author, the blacks were forced into slavery which left behind deep psychological trauma in the mindset of black people and socially isolated them. Akbar states that, despite of the fact that world has acknowledged the brutality of slavery experienced all around the world, they still do not know or do not want to know the root cause of problems faced by black people, i.e. the slavery. The problems identified by Akbar pertaining to black peoples’ attitude, were directed towards their behavior at workplace, leading teams, feeling inferiority complexes and how the community divides them from white people. Akbar argues that the negative impact of slavery on black peoples’ attitude towards life can also be noticed in the way they form families and perceive discrimination on the basis of race and color. In my personal opinion, I would like to disagree with Akbar when he suggests that the effects of slave past can be noticed in the attitude towards profession. These days, blacks are dominating major positions in a number of key businesses in the world. On the other hand, blacks are provided with equal opportunities to excel in their profession and achieve their assigned targets. Another factor that has been identified with relation to Black’s attitude towards community division, I would like to agree with Akbar here. This is because still there are evidences where whites are discriminated on the basis of color and race. The recent example is of major sporting events like football leagues and hockey matches. But, due to prevalen ce of law and anti-racial regulations implemented by the government and by employers at workplace, Black people are now encouraged to report that to law enforcing organizations. Liberation from Mental Slavery The second chapter of the book discusses how to break the mental chains of the slavery and its adverse impact on the mind set-up of individuals. Based on Akbar’s idea of faith, the author argues that some of the time, people believe what is not actually practical. Similarly, blacks were sometimes were provided with false and rumored news about the whites and vice versa. I agree with the point raised by Dr. Akbar about faith. Faith is something that is meaningless and limitless. Faith reflects the level of trust an individual have for another individual. Based on faith, people make decisions that are critical to the situations in their lives. In this manner, to ensure successfully achieving objectives or to make something happen in your favor, one must have faith. Similar ly, if individuals’ belief that they are going to get freedom, they first must have faith on their belief, so as to ensure that full commitment and honesty is reflected in our efforts towards achieving freedom. Coming back to the denial of slave mentality of blacks, Akbar states that to make freedom possible, the blacks must have to believe that they are going to achieve freedom. This freedom gave their confidence level a boost which proved to be a vital weapon in their efforts to achieve freedom. Giving the example of Harriet Tubman’s efforts to free slaves, Tubman expresses her faith that she is going to free slave, which other wise would not have been possible in the absence of faith and

A Campus wide Composting Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

A Campus wide Composting Proposal - Essay Example Therefore composting is a natural process used to recycle organic materials that have already decomposed. This process leads to an end product known as compost which is also referred to as rich soil or manure from an agricultural perspective. All living things end up decomposing upon death. This decomposing process or decay is vital as it ensures that all our organic wastes return their nutrients back to the soil and this ensures that life cycle continues. For the decomposition to occur anaerobic digestion should take place to accelerate the process. This is seen to overtake composting and it has been used in many countries where they have been down cycling waste organic matter. In composting there must be careful selection of the materials to be composted. The reason is because there are some materials which have shown high performance in composition than others. The materials can also be selected with consideration of the locality where one wants to set the compost. This process ha s been said to be very beneficial to the environment (Sanchez-Monedero, Roig, Paredes and Bernal, 301). There are some scientific and technological approaches which can be used to make the decomposition fast. This is however not encouraged because the whole process aims at using only what is natural and not man-made. In setting compost there is need to make the best preparations for the same so that the process does not work half way. There are different methods of decomposition but are broadly divided into three namely backyard composing, warm decomposing and grass cycling. The three are very different however they all use natural materials. Backyard decomposing involves the use of food scraps, grass clippings which are normally referred to as greens and also use of straws and fallen leaves referred to as browns which are mostly found in the backyard. This method involves the balance of the greens and the browns. To promote this process, some elements of nature need to be present. They include: air, moisture and temperature (Sabine, Konschinsky, Stefanie, Frank and Tebbe, 930). Worm compositing also known as vermin-composting is commonly used by individuals with a tiny backyard and where food scraps are in abundance. This process is mainly used by individuals living in apartments. Based on their natural habitats decaying leaving leaves, compost piles and piles of manure, the worms are domesticated to live in shallow bins in the compound and this diverts all food wastes from being dumped to the landfills and water treatment facilities. Grass cycling involves leaving of grass clippings that one does not intend to use. The grass clippings just left to decompose on the lawn. The basic rule in grass cycling is that the grass should not be cut to more than one third the blade of the grass at any given time. Proper mowing should be maintained and one should always ensure that the mower blades are sharp and that the grass is dry. Watering the lawns early in the morni ng and applying fertilizer is essential. The main aim of compositing is to supply additives to the soil through supplying of humus and nutrients. It provides the best environmental conditions which will make the plants to healthy and also to grow fast (Marek, Michael, Kathleen, and Zaremba, 810). (ii) Problem definition There are a number of food waste management and are based on the various ways of reducing food waste. The first and important method to avoid food waste is first by making a list of what you intent to prepare. This involves designing a menu that helps to plan the meal one intents to prepare for a given timeframe for instance a week. This is best achieved by cross checking what you intend to purchase â€Å"

About me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

About me - Essay Example I graduated with a Bachelors of Arts Degree in English Language from Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Nigeria more than two years ago and have been teaching the subject in secondary schools since then. Right from my time in the university, I have nursed the idea to promote and sustain Yoruba language and culture within the shores of Nigeria. No wonder, therefore, that one of my research projects in the university was â€Å"Word Creation Processes In English: A Case Study Of Affixation, Blending And Compounding Involving English And Yoruba Words†. However, the society seems to be having a different perspective; English appears to have a clear cut preference over the Nigerian languages which are labeled ‘vernacular’. Although there are a few who share my school of thoughts, the general societal belief system is non-accommodative, thus the desire to look beyond my society. The ideas I have nurtured passionately for years collapses well into the Fulbright FLTA Program; a program that will not only open up the avenues of refining my English language proficiency and teaching skills, but also power on the opportunity to exchange cultural values with foreign individuals. Interestingly, I have always imagined how exciting it would be to actualize my dream of sharing my cultural roots with total strangers. I liken such to a possible scenario of two young lovers; a perfect avenue to burn passion and express emotions. I remember with nostalgia the days in University seeing foreigners [Europeans or maybe Americans] struggle to study the Yoruba language and culture, yet missed opportunities to have a tete-a-tete with them. Nonetheless, that was then, with a totally different objective to accomplish; obtaini ng a first degree. The opportunity presented in this particular program will be perfect as much. Teaching English language may be very interesting, nothing would be more fulfilling than seeing people [foreigners] appreciate the Yoruba culture and

International Financial Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

International Financial Management - Assignment Example In the case of UVA Company, it can take the same measures (buy futures contract or buy at spot rates) but this time, it should take a long position in the Thai baht since this is the currency of reckoning (revenues and expenses are measured in baht). In the case of Albany Corporation, it should take a long position in Australian dollars by buying this currency either at spot rates or by using the futures contract by which it will lock in the Australian dollar price at a predetermined rate but undertake for its delivery by payment at a later date. Economies of scale pertain to the cost advantages obtained by a business enterprise due to its size, output volume, or scale of operations (using subsidiaries and joint ventures in foreign countries) and a large percentage of its annual revenues are earned from these foreign markets. When a multinational corporation restructures to reduce its economic (or operating) exposure, it will necessarily have to reduce or let go of some of its subsidiaries as these are the sources of its economic exposure mainly from unexpected currency exchange rate risks. Its economies of scale are lost once it draws back from foreign markets (Madura

The Interpretation of Umbrella Clause in Investment Treaties Essay

The Interpretation of Umbrella Clause in Investment Treaties - Essay Example However, umbrella clause has been widely debated in academic discussions and arbitral practices during the recent years4. Commentators have illustrated the argument in terms of interpretation the umbrella clause in investment treaties that derived from different tribunals in order to know whether breaching contractual obligations amount to violating treaty obligations. Within the context of this argument, tribunals will be able to know if they have the jurisdiction to hear claims arising from an alleged investment contract breach. This essay aims to analyse the interpretation of umbrella clause in investment treaties. In the subsequent part of this paper first, the definition of umbrella clause has been provided according to some commentators, and different formulations of the umbrella terms have also been included in the part. Subsequent to that, the background of umbrella clause is accounted for. ... 1. Definition of Umbrella Clause Some authors and commentators tried during the last decade to explain the meaning of umbrella clause. Dolzer and Schreuer represented it as â€Å"a provision in an investment protection treaty that guarantees the observation of obligations assumed by the host state vis-a-vis the investor†.5 Moreover, Gallagher and Shan introduced the umbrella clause by revealing that the clause is taken its name from its main objective namely in order to â€Å"oblige the host state to observe any commitments it has entered into with regard to foreign investors†.6 Some also assume that the umbrella clause could be extended to beyond what it created for, as F.A. Mann stated that the umbrella clause â€Å"is a provision of particular importance in that it protects the investor against any interference with his contractual rights, whether it results from a mere breach of contract or legislative or administrative act†.7 As a matter of fact, umbrella cl ause is also known as ‘mirror effect’, ‘pacta sunt servanda clause’, ‘parallel effect’, ‘elevator’, ‘respect clause’ and ‘sanctity of contract’. Yet, the limit of subject matter rationale materiae jurisdiction does not remain uniform under the BITs.8 Some BITs encompass disputes pertaining to an ‘obligation under the agreement’ only for claims of violations of BIT. Other BITs extend the jurisdiction to ‘any dispute relating to investments’. Some others construct an international law obligation that a host state shall, for instance, ‘constantly guarantee the observance of the commitments it has entered to’; ‘observe any obligation it has assumed’, in respect to investments.9 Thus, a breach of such an obligation may consist of

Assignment Analytical paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Assignment Analytical paper - Essay Example World famous actors and high-paid physicians are not the only ones however who need to be aware of the important issues surrounding the standard of care and the general standard in practice. Nurses must understand the principles of professional nursing practice and ethical and legal implications of the work that they do. Seeking to provide a thorough and comprehensive overview of the implications of not following institutional policy and practice standards, this research paper will identify the principles of professional nursing practice and explain the ramifications of failing to follow this practice by looking at Nurses and Midwives Act 2006 of Western Australia and the Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia (BBC, 2009). Nurses play an important, yet often neglected role, in sustaining the care of patients. Accordingly, nurses must maintain a high ethical standard in their practice. According to the Nurses and Midwives Act 2006 of Western Australia, there are many penalties for unethical behavior and for not following established protocol and policy standards in the delivery of care. Accordingly, there are financial penalties associated with the contravention of standard nursing practice. Being a registered nurse is a privilege and a status which is achieved after the successful completion of courses, testing and years of hard work. When one practices as a nurse or midwife without the proper certification, the Nurses and Midwives Act 2006 prescribes penalties for such unethical behavior. Thus, someone who practices nursing or midwifery and is not registered to do so faces penalties applicable to section 85(1), (2), (3). Pecuniary in nature, the first offence is penalized at $5,000 with a daily penal ty of $200. Accordingly, for the second and all subsequent offences, they are penalized at $10,000 with a daily penalty of $400. These are significant sums of money which should act as a real deterrent to those without the proper

Sales and Inventory System Thesis Sample Essay Example for Free

Sales and Inventory System Thesis Sample Essay Collaborate more Productivity and quality tools for everyone in the provider organization. Working with limited resources, healthcare providers today are challenged to meet ever-increasing demands. In order to meet this challenge, your organization needs to be as efficient as possible. This starts with giving your most important resource—your people—smart, timesaving tools that help them be more productive to increase quality and contain costs. That’s where Microsoft ® Office 2010 comes in. It’s not intended to replace your EMR or hospital information system; rather it bridges the gap between these and your other core systems to play a vital role in helping all your staff connect with information, people, and processes—when, where, and how needed. Microsoft Office 2010 Today everyone inside the healthcare provider organization is responsible in his or her own way for improving quality, safety, and reducing the cost of patient interactions inside the organization. Central to accomplishing these objectives is the ability to access information, collaborate in teams around that information, and analyze that information. Given the team-oriented nature of healthcare delivery today, you don’t want to keep people out of the loop; everyone needs access to the tools you use to analyze, share, and present data. Whatever the scenario: a clinician looking at her oncology service line and analyzing the effectiveness of specific treatments or a porter checking his e-mails to see if much needed supplies will arrive on time—it is important for everyone to have access to core productivity and information tools. In response to these healthcare provider requirements, Microsoft Office 2010 offers enhanced features to help healthcare professionals: †¢ Bring Ideas to Life—Simplify how physicians, administrative staff, and other clinicians understand, use, and present information. †¢ Work Better Together—Help enable care team collaboration for greater employee satisfaction and improved patient outcomes. †¢ Use Office Anywhere—Help enable staff to connect with information, people, and processes in all the different places that care is delivered. †¢ The Practical Productivity Platform—Give staff the ability to complete patient and administrative processes from within Office and give IT and the board the peace of mind that sensitive organizational and patient information is secure and protected. Microsoft Office 2010 provides flexibility of information delivery along with a rich user experience to support the role of everyone in your organization as a quality worker. Collaborate more Analytical capabilities help make informed decisions With access to analytical tools, clinicians, and administrators can make informed decisions and present results, analysis, and trends about service lines and key performance indicators that contribute to quality improvements. Administrators will be able to: †¢ Gain insights from complex or disparate data sets to help provide higher quality care and services. †¢ Help empower everyone in your organization to analyze trends and measure and monitor quality. †¢ Monitor and respond promptly to financial indicators and trends. †¢ Present information and educate care teams in more engaging ways. Equip Staff to Find Insights from Information Office 2010 gives your clinicians and administrators ways to draw insights from complex or disparate sets of data so they can turn information into knowledge they can apply. Medical and nursing staff can present and educate about quality initiatives, key performance indicators, patient safety initiatives, or condition management pathways. Department heads and executives can make on-the-spot quality comparisons and decisions from lists of data using improved conditional formatting in Excel ® to visualize data. And management can improve financial responsiveness in the budgeting process by enabling multiple users to collaborate on the same spreadsheet. Office 2010 makes it easier for staff to capture, search, and reuse different types of content. You can equip them to express ideas and educate in more compelling ways, such as with the use of multimedia for grand rounds or board presentations. Support Connected Care from Anywhere In every area of the healthcare system, organizations that develop and deliver healthcare products and services are challenged to deliver better and safer care to more patients—in less time and at a lower cost. Given the mobile nature of healthcare delivery today, the ability to use Office applications from wherever your staff’s work takes them is critical. For example, a nurse manager might be working from a dedicated PC, then later reviewing the same data from a nurse station in the medical ward or bedside in a patient room. With Microsoft Office 2010, she has the ability to access that data with the correct modality and consistent ease of use—no matter where she is—to make better knowledge-driven care decisions. Clinicians and administrators can take action on-the-go and around-the-clock by being always connected to information, communications, and processes. And Office 2010 helps ensure that work done while mobile is securely in sync across documents and devices with protection features in place to safeguard patient and organizational data. Collaborate more Improve Responsiveness and Productivity through Secure Collaboration Use the capabilities of Office 2010 to help caregiver and administrative teams easily share, review, discuss, and update information from different locations. This means simplifying how people work together on documents, such as discharge summaries, research papers, or staff communications. Care teams can improve their productivity and care management by simplifying meeting scheduling and project coordination of external team members with shared calendars. Everyone can make and see updates in real time from their PC, Web browser, or phone* to simplify versioning and coordination. And you can ensure that data shared in personal productivity and team collaboration is secured and only available to those intended. Office 2010 enables Web-based collaboration in Word, PowerPoint ®, and Excel ® Web apps, and OneNote ® notebooks so multiple people can edit documents simultaneously. And offline access to SharePoint ® servers means they can always get to the resources they need. Presence indicators Host on-premises with SharePoint Using co-authoring capabilities, staff can work on Word and PowerPoint documents simultaneously with other team members, allowing everyone to see who is working on which section of the document at any given time. Option to lock paragraphs Improved collaboration capabilities help care teams work better together Organization staff, such as human resources or administrative staff, can improve their responsiveness with co-authoring of policy documents or care plans—enabling multiple experts to collaborate to produce documents more efficiently: †¢ Web apps improve collaboration by providing access to documents from virtually anywhere and preserving the look and feel of a document. †¢ Staff can author and edit Word and PowerPoint documents simultaneously with other team members, giving everyone the ability to see who is working on which section of the document at any given time. †¢ Team members can use SharePoint offline, and then reconnect when collaborating. Collaborate more Deliver the Essentials—Security. Manageability. Performance. Provide clinicians and administrators with flexible, intuitive tools that are robust but easy to use and require little to no training. With Office 2010, you can allow IT to customize deployment to suit the individual roles, work styles, and modes of users in a way that is easy to manage. And Office 2010 supports a broader array of devices and allows access to information and tools from virtually anywhere while helping to ensure patient and organizational data is safeguarded and maintaining the security of your infrastructure. Helping you meet the needs of those you serve With Office 2010, Microsoft has innovated to introduce new capabilities—all based on customer feedback and volumes of usage data—that can result in transformational efficiency gains to help you better meet the needs of those you serve. *An appropriate device, Internet connection, and Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari browser are required. Some mobile functionality requires Microsoft ® Office Mobile 2010, which is not included in Office 2010 applications, suites, or Web apps. Office Mobile must be installed on the device to make edits with Web apps. There are some differences between the features of the Office Web apps, Office Mobile 2010, and the Office 2010 applications. For more information, contact your Microsoft Partner representative and visit: †¢ Office 2010 preview site: www.office2010forbusiness.com: – Download the Office 2010 beta. – Discover what’s new in Office 2010. – View application demo videos for a glimpse of new capabilities. †¢ â€Å"Backstageâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬  with Office 2010: www.office2010themovie.com: – Gain insights into the making of Office 2010. – Listen to interviews with the creators of Office 2010. Learn about the latest in transforming health: †¢ Microsoft in Health: www.microsoft.com/health. †¢ Health ICT Resource Center: http://www.microsoft.com/healthict. †¢ Microsoft for Healthcare Providers: http://www.microsoft.com/ industry/healthcare/providers/default.mspx. †¢ Health IT Blog: http://blogs.msdn.com/wwhealthit/. †¢ Dr. Bill Crounse’s Health Blog: http://blogs.msdn.com/healthblog.

The Fragile X Syndrome

The Fragile X Syndrome The fragile X syndrome is one of the most prevalent mental retardation problems that are inherited to generations. The clinical features of people with this syndrome are very subtle and hard to diagnose. Recent progress in the field of molecular biology and genetics has outlined the molecular mutation, that causes the syndrome was a triplet repeat mutation. Due to repetitive CGG repeat the respective proteins are not expressed. New molecular methods including direct probe analysis and PCR analysis, have simplified the process of diagnosis. The nature of the gene, their respective gene product and its function has not been yet found clearly. Inheritance may be found due to common ancestral flow of X chromosome at birth. Introduction Fragile S syndrome is a genetic disorder that affects the intellectual, physical and mental factors of a human being. It is also known to be martin-bells syndrome and the effects range widely from mild to severe. It is caused by the mutation on the X chromosome of the individual in a single gene called the Fragile X mental retardation gene (FMR1). Psychological problems such as mental retardation may be caused by two main factors, the physical environment or the genetic factor that is hereditary. As we mainly focus on the genetic factor, the FRAXA locus in xq27.3 is associated in causing fragile X mental retardation. Therefore based on molecular genetic testing of FMR1 gene, fragile X syndrome can be diagnosed. Women are only 50% affected by this syndrome when compared to males due to the fact that they have two X chromosomes where as males have one. Most common symptoms found are seizures, mood instability, attention deficit, sensory over stimulation, aggression, autism, speech diso rder and sleep differences. This syndrome also shows certain physical symptoms such as long narrow face, large ears enlarged testacles in males, flexible joints etc., various researches is being done across the world to find a solution for the disease. Various genetic techniques has been developed and handled to identify the fragility of the chromosome. There has been so much improvement in research but a definite solution has not been obtained. The treatment for this syndrome is usually a multidisciplinary approach which includes occupational therapy, medical managements, education and linguistics. The Fragile X Mutation: Genes are the precursors of specific protein molecules which in turn are specific for various functions of the body. The major cause for the fragile x syndrome is due to the mutation in one single gene called the fragile x mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene which is the precursor for the fragile x mental retardation protein FMRP. This protein is responsible for the normal development and functioning of the brain. Men have only one x chromosome so presence of mutation in that chromosome will cause the disease whereas in females, they have two x chromosomes and hence full mutation in one copy makes them carriers of the syndrome and they may be affected partially according to the amount of mutation and number of cells expressing the FMR-1 gene copy. The inheritance found on the chromosomes is termed as x linked recessive inheritance which is more complex than the normal x linked genes. Fig.1 X chromosome with fragile site [1] Fig. 2 A photograph of X chromosomes showing a fragile site from both a male and a female [2] The number of CGG repeats on the FMR-1 gene determines the complexity of the syndrome. The repeats are classified as short, medium and long repeats. The short repeat of about six to fifty times which is found very common. These short repeats are mostly unstable and do not definitely cause the syndrome. Yet a genetic counseling along with certain tests is recommended. The medium repeat is about 50 to 200 times and is called permutation. The fragile x mental retardation protein (FMRP) has lower risk of the syndrome as short sequence repeats. The long repeats are usually more than 200 and are termed as full mutation where the complete FMR-1 gene is altered and production of the FMRP protein is totally stopped. Among the people with full mutation or long repeats, men will have the fragile x syndrome and women will be carriers. Fragile x mental retardation protein (FMRP) The FMRP protein is found in the ribo-nucleoprotein complex and is encoded by the FMR1 gene. The FMRP weighs up to 60-70 kD. This protein is associated with the polyribosome or polysomes. Two RNA-binding domains, KH domains or K homology domains are possessed by this protein and it binds to fetal human brain to 4% approximately. It also has the ability to bind to its own mRNA. Even a small amount of mutation in one of the KH domain could stop its interaction with the polysomes leading to the fragile x syndrome. Inheritance of fragile x syndrome Males have xy chromosome and hence have only one FMR-1 gene where as females have xx chromosomes and hence they have two FMR-1 genes. On the F1 generation each parent transfers one chromosome each to the offspring where the transfer of the FMR-1 gene is determined. Therefore the possibilities of their offsprings being affected are grouped under two conditions. Condition-1 [3] If a male has a mutated gene in his chromosome it can be transferred only to his daughter because only the Y chromosome can be transferred to his son by him. So if he was crossed with a female with normal genes all their sons will be normal and the daughters will have one fragile gene and remain as carriers. father à ¡Ã‚ ºÃ¢â‚¬ ¹ y mother x xà ¡Ã‚ ºÃ¢â‚¬ ¹ (carrier daughter) Xy (normal son) x xà ¡Ã‚ ºÃ¢â‚¬ ¹ (carrier daughter) Xy (normal son) à ¡Ã‚ ºÃ¢â‚¬ ¹ fragile x gene Condition-2 [4] If a female has one mutated gene in her chromosome and is crossed with a normal male then there is 50% chance of all the offsprings, be it male or female to have the syndrome. father x y mother à ¡Ã‚ ºÃ¢â‚¬ ¹ xà ¡Ã‚ ºÃ¢â‚¬ ¹ (carrier daughter) à ¡Ã‚ ºÃ¢â‚¬ ¹ y (fragile son) x xx(normal daughter) Xy (normal son) à ¡Ã‚ ºÃ¢â‚¬ ¹ fragile x gene Symptoms The symptoms of fragile x syndrome are categorized into : Physical Large eyes Prominent forehead Large testecles Seizures Cognitive development Social and emotional hyperactivity Behavioral Shyness Social anxiety Speech and language Rapid and repetitive Inability to adopt words Over-talkative Autism Flapping of hands Poor eye contact All these symptoms need not be necessarily seen. A combination of various symptoms may vary from person to person based on the amount of gene altered in their chromosome. Sometimes there may also be no visible symptoms making the chances of early diagnosis even worse. Molecular diagnosis [5] The chromosome associated with the syndrome is classified into three major types based on the number of CGG repeats as Normal allele the CGG repeat in FMR1 is 6-50 PCR analysis is sufficient to study all normal type genes Specific point mutations and mosaicism must be studied using specific types of pcr or other molecular methods Visualization is achieved either by radio-active labeling or auto radiography followed by automated sequencing Agarose gel electrophoreses may be used for simple separation analysis with stains such as ethidium bromide. Appropriate size markers and size controls are very important. Controls used for analysis mut approximately contain 50 repeats. Pre mutation The CGG repeat in FMR1 is 55-200 PCR analysis is not possible hence southern blot is always preferred. Since both premutation and full mutation have methylation status, specific methylation sensitive enzymes such as EagI or NreI is used to resolve the size of the fragment. Methylated alleles are cut only by one enzyme where as non methylated normal alleles are cut by both the enzymes. Prenatal diagnosis is very important for pre mutation carriers. Rather than normal PCR a radioactive PCR can be used to test for premutation and then the result can by confirmed using southern analysis. Full mutation The CGG repeats in FMR1 ranges from 200 to thousands This can be analysed only by a southern blot technique. At complications, if a confirmable result could not be obtained from a southern analysis then a radio active PCR can be run combined with a linkage analysis and the result can be confirmed with southern blotting. Intermediate alleles The CGG repeats in FMR1 gene is usually between 45-55 Since they are in the overlapping region between stable normal allele and unstable premutation alleles, diagnosis and interpretation is very difficult Diagnostic Tools and Methods With the advancement in technology DNA tests are always effective in diagnosis of fragile x syndrome. With the findings of Sutherland et al. that folic acid deficient cell culture medium was able to induce a fragile site at xg27.3 cytogenetics was the major way to determine the presence of the syndrome but after cloning of the FMR-1 gene direct methods for identifying the x linked gene has become possible. By using monoclonal antibodies specific to FMRP it is also possible to show the expression of FMR-1. The most common methods used for diagnosis in the genetic level are Polymerase Chain Reaction Southern Blotting Antibody test Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis Single strand confirmation polymorphism Non-radioactive molecular diagnosis. Polymerase chain reaction Polymerase chain reaction may be defined as a technique where one copy of a DNA is amplified into numerous copies at a rate of 2n where n is the number of cycles. It is achieved under specific conditions of temperature, along with polymerase enzyme. PCR amplification is one of the preliminary methods in diagnosing fragile x syndrome. Since the syndrome is associated with CGG repeats PCR is not considered as the best method always, since the amplification across C-G composition could be unreliable for PCR technique. However now its very much possible for a PCR to identify CGG repeats in combination with various techniques. methylation specific PCR of the FMR1 locus fluorescent methylation specific PCR methyl-CpG-binding PCR Some of the major advantages of PCR are that it is less time consuming, a very small amount of the sample is enough to produce numerous copy and the tri-nucleotide repeat in the FMR-1 gene is accurately sized. There are also various disadvantages of this technique. When there are more than hundreds of tandem repeats it is impossible for the PCR to determine the complete mutation which may give a different result. Due to differential amplification PCR is incapable of detecting mosacism between pre mutation and normal alleles. Fig 3: fragile x analysis using PCR [6] Southern Blotting Southern blotting is one of the best methods of diagnosing fragile x syndrome. It is modtly used as the confirmatory test after PCR. The variations between the mutations and permutations along with the amount of methylation occurred can be clearly obtained by the southern blotting technique. The process can be summed up in two simple steps: Step 1: the patients DNA is digested using restriction enzymes. Step 2: southern hybridization is carried out along with specific radioactive probes after separation of FMRI region. Using southern Blotting, the differences in full mutation and pre mutation can be easily identified. Full mutations usually cause smearing of the band and are always unstable. The only advantage of this technique is that its accuracy whereas its labor intensive, time consuming. The major drawback of this method is its inability to determine the exact number of tandem repeats of the CGG nucleotides which is very much necessary in determining whether the patient is completely affected or a carrier. Fig 4: fragile x analysis by southern blot [7] N refers to normal Specific tools for analysis DNA probe A DNA probe can be defined as a single strand of DNA which act as a template to identify the target DNA molecule. To identify the fragility of chromosome on the DNA specific probes were designed which increases the accuracy rate of the diagnosis. Chemicon (Millipore) [8] has designed a special probe named The CHEMI probe which is labeled with dioxegenin to detect the CGG repeats in the FMR-1 gene. Markers There were special markers called the microsatelite markers used in linkage analysis. This came to an end with the advent of modern techniques. However these markers are now being used under special circumstances like prenatal diagnosis where southern blotting has failed. Some of the markers used are DXS548, FRAXAC1 and FRAXAC2 combined with PCR. They are considerably accurate and they undergo low recombination mechanism with CGG repeats. Treatments There are no gene therapies or genetic treatments available for fragile x syndrome though a lot of other therapies are available which include speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and behavioral therapy. There are also a large number of medications available as listed in the table below: Symptoms Medications Seizures Mood instability à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Carbamazepine (Tegretol) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Valproic acid or divalproex (Depakote) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Lithium carbonate à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Gabapentin (Neurontin) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Lamotrigine (Lamictal) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Topiramate (Topomax), tiagabine (Gabitril), and vigabatrin (Sabril) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Phenobarbital and primidone (Mysoline) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Phenytoin (Dilantin) Attention deficit (With or without hyperactivity) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta) and dexamethamphetamine (Adderall, Dexedrine) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ L-acetylcarnitine à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Venlafaxine (Effexor) and nefazodone (Serzone) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Amantadine (Symmetrel) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Folic acid Hyperarousal Sensory over-stimulation (Often occurs with ADD/ADHD) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Clonidine (Catapres TTS patches) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Guanfacine (Tenex) Aggression Intermittent explosive disorder Obsessive-compulsive disorder (Often occurs with anxiety and/or depression) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fluoxetine (Prozac) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Sertraline (Zoloft) and citalopram (Celexa) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Paroxetine (Paxil) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fluvoxamine (Luvox) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Risperidone (Risperdal) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Quetiapine (Seroquel) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Olanzepine (Zyprexa ) Sleep disturbances à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Trazadone à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Melatonin Table 2: symptoms and medications for FRAXA [9] (*these prescriptions have serious effects. DO NOT INTAKE ANY OF THESE WITHOUT CONSULTING A MEDICAL PRACTITIONER) Current Research Gene Therapy: studies are carried out on the recombination strategy of the target gene, whether removal or replacement of the defective gene with a recombinant gene would eliminate the syndrome. Protein Replacement Therapy: research is being carried out on the possibility of producing FMR protein and supplying to the patients through external sources like food or tablets. Psychopharmacology: research is being carried out in finding medications for all the symptoms of fragile x syndrome. Conclusion Fragile x syndrome is one of the genetic diseases that causes psychological problems due to the lack of FMR protein responsible for the mental behavior of the person. The protein is not expressed in the individual due to fragility of the FMR1 gene in the x chromosome. Though PCR and southern blotting are the only tools available for diagnosis they are considerably accurate and research is being carried out on various re-combinative tools for diagnosis. A complete cure has not been still devised for the syndrome though various behavioral and physical therapies help the patients gain psychological strength.

How does Geography Affect Foreign Policy?

How does Geography Affect Foreign Policy? Plays Geography a vital role in International Relations? Is geography only refers to oceans, lands, animals, plants, atmosphere or more else? It has been a relation between geography and the historic progress of the states? These were some of the questions that came to my mind during the research. The purpose of this essay is to analyze which is the relationship between geography and International Relations, in order to achieve this goal; I focus on certain time periods to understand its relationship. First, I will start to explain the key concepts that I will use in this paper; these concepts are geography and International Relations. International Relations is the study of human interactions through national borders and the factors that affect those interactions. As one of those factors that affect mans interactions, are geographical factors. When we refers to Geography, it means the study between the Earth and its characteristics and is divided into two main branches-Human geograp hy and Physical geography. Geography not only means lands, oceans, animals, plants, it also refers to population, settlements, social traditions, human migration, economic activities etc. During many years those geographical features have impacted on international actions. Geography has been an essential tool for examining International Relations. It has been developed and tested as a tool of politics for centuries. During the prehistory, the cultures settlements were based on geographic areas that allowed them to develop sustainable economies; such as rivers valleys, which were lands very fertile and provided them to develop transport and communications, If the geographic space resulted insufficient for their survival, they conquered other territories and annexed them to the original one, or also they could lose it by the action of other cultures motivated by the same causes. Moreless geography was deeply important in understanding the first forms of social organization and its int eractions with other civilizations. During Ancient area, philosophers such as Hippocrates, Hecateus, Parmenides, and Aristotle focused on the effects of climate on mans political culture. They believed different climates created differences in civilizations and in the military characteristics of nations, for example, the more extreme the temperature differences, the more warlike the society. 1 While in the 19th century some scholars especially in German schools but also American schools started to explain the dynamic complexity of human geography. Its proponents felt that the political boundaries and political structures which existed in the world were the product of natural laws. Thus, international relations were thought to be subject to and the product of the operation of these laws 2. They created a science to explain the relationship of geographical features and politics called Geopolitik ( German). A pioneer of this theory was Friedrich Ratzel (1844-1905) who said that the geographical features and natural conditions and especially those big spaces play a important role in states and individuals life, and the society depends in the territory they live and it is determined by natural laws. Also Friedrich Ratzel inspired the theory of the living space (Lebensraum) which is the territory supposedly that requires an state to obtain its survival and self-sufficiency. Thi s was the major political idea of Adolf Hitler during World War and an essential element of the Nazi ideology. It means to have extra space for the welfare and growth of the population and to achieve a superior country; this idea was basically a motivation for the expansionist policies of Germany. During the Mid-20th century, geographers like Rudolf Kjellà ©n, Sir Halford Mackinder and Karl Haushofer pointed out the influence of geographical factors on the relations of the power units in the international system. This classical theory had a significant impact on shaping policy from Imperial British strategy to U.S. Cold War strategy. An example of this classical theory was the term of heartland, introduced by Sir Halford Mackinder (1861-1947) which explained some conflicts of the period: World War II and Cold war. Mackinders notion of geopolitics can be summed up in his saying: Who rules East Europe commands the Heartland, Who rules the Heartland commands the World-Island Who rules the World-Island commands the world 3 The World Island, in turn, is a single slab of land whose all corners can be reached with simple and reliable transport. The railroads and the combustion engine would allow very rapid and even more efficient transportation, that could now surpass the mobility of sea power, tipping the scales in favour of land power. The World Island also contains more population and more of the resources a modern (at the time) economy needs. 4 this world island was considered Eurasia, which include the continents of Europe and Asia. Therefore, Cold War was a conflict enough to present a real evidence of the heartland theory. At that time, Soviet Union was the one who was ruling the heartland, it controlled Eastern Europe and as a result was in a position of threat or influence around the whole world. Also in there were located the major oil resources, a key resources of that period to develop military power, and as I said before, the world island was reached with simple and reliable transport, but they need sufficient oil resources to develop an efficient transportation. As result British foreign policy and U:S:A foreign policy was toward this major potential threats. Therefore its main objective during this period was lo limit the expansion and influence of the Soviet Union. Finally, the end of communism, post-communist states started to develop its economy and created stables institutions. This region became one of the most powerful economies; some scholars began to analyze its political and economic results and considered that the geographical proximity to the West has exercised a positive influence on the transformation 5 of this powerful community. Geography was a tool in the EU decision-making process. Currently geography stills playing an important role on international relations. In the 21th century International Relations have facing other issues, making that some geographical factors lose their relevance. Topography, climate, and natural resources affect political outcomes during the first decades. During the 19th territory was a key element but with globalization territorys view has changed. Now, new theories have tried to give explanation, to subjects like the Iraq War, the emerging markets of China and India, the nuclear issues of Iran and No rth Korea, the different allegiance of regions: APEC, ASEAN, MERCOSUR, the conflict between Israel-Palestine, the oil reserves, Climatic Change, the water supplying among others. Geography shapes states attitudes and constraints political decisions. Currently Foreign Policy has been influence by geographical features like: human immigration, population growth, economy activities, food security, water and energy supply, environmental issues. My conclusion is that every nations geography affects its view of itself and it s view of the world. This essay tests that geography gives insights into the political dynamics. Geography is a permanent feature that has impact on human interactions. Each period of time has been influenced in different ways by geographical factors. We cannot exclude geography to understand internationals relations, modern geography is not longer only physical aspect it is also about human organization of the earth surface, and there is still more situations left that can explain the relationship of geography and international relations and its important role in this field.

Capital Expenditures Essay -- Finances Financial Corporations Essays

Capital Expenditures Capital expenditures have a significant impact on the financial performance of the firm; therefore, criteria for selecting projects must be evaluated with great care. Of the two corporations the firm is deciding to acquire, Corporation B is clearly the better investment as shown in Table 1 supported by the following data: net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), payback period, profitability index (PI), discounted payback period, and modified internal rate of return (MIRR) in addition to 5 year projections of income and cash flows. The 5 year projections of both Corporations A and B’s income statements and cash flows indicate that between the two corporations, Corporation B will maximize the firm’s value the most. This decision is further evidenced by the net present value obtained for both corporations. NPV is defined as the sum of the present values of the annual cash flows minus the initial investment. If the net present value (NPV) of all cash flows is positive, the project will be profitable. The NPVs for both corporations suggest that both projects are worthwhile, since each has a positive NPV, however, since the firm can only acquire one of the corporations, it must choose the acquisition of the corporation with a higher NPV – Corporation B. The Internal Rate of Return, IRR, is another business tool used for capital budgeting decision. IRR is the discount rate at which the present value of a series of investments is equal to the present value of the returns on those investments (NPV = 0). It is the compound return the firm will get from the project. IRR also takes into account the time value of money by considering the cash flows over the lifetime of a project. If IRR is greater than the discount rate, the firm may undertake the project in question. In this situation, acquisition of either corporation is worthwhile since each has an IRR greater than their respective discount rates, but since IRR gives the project’s compound rate of return, the project providing the higher compound rate of return should be selected which means that Corporation B is preferred to Corporation A. Both NPV and IRR analyses support the acquisition of Corporation B. In cases where a conflict exists between NPV and IRR as to which competing projects to choose, the project with the larger NPV should ... ..., the main concern should be on how the investment will affect the value of the firm’s stock more so than how long it takes to recover the investment that presupposes that the project does add value for stockholders. When using the payback period as a criterion for capital budgeting decision, it is better to use the discounted payback as it takes into account the time value of money although still inferior to NPV. In both projects, the initial cost is recovered even after discounting the cost of capital. In this situation, however, the difference in discounted payback period is negligible. In summary, after review of the 5 year projections of cash flows for both corporations and all other supporting data provided in this report, the firm should proceed with the acquisition of Corporation B. Had the firm have unequal projected years available to them for review, for instance, Corporation A had a 5 year projection of cash flows and Corporation B with a 7 year projection of cash flows, the decision outcome should be no different since analysis of NPV, IRR, MIRR, PI, payback period and discounted payback period will be carried out for the respective cash flows.

Blue Highways, Leaves of Grass and the Parkdale Library Essay -- compa

Blue Highways, Leaves of Grass and the Parkdale Library I don't know what exactly I expected to find at the library that summer. Rows of gleaming shelves and neatly stacked books, probably. No sound but the humming of fluorescent lights and the thump of rubber stamps. The librarians would be demure types - soft-spoken and intellectual. I thought of the place itself as a sort of solemn temple to the written word. With these images in mind, I was startled by my first glimpse of the employees' workroom. As it turns out, librarians read the People magazines before they go on display, and complain to each other about bratty kids that file through, and they leave sticky bottles of Mountain Dew in the refrigerator. Such are the secret lives of the people who used to strike fear into the hearts of my second-grade classmates. For me, it was a slightly jarring introduction to the working world. I was starting my first summer job, and, after hours, reading Blue Highways and thinking about journeys. William Least Heat Moon crossed the country over fifteen years ago, devouring Walt Whitman and "gathering the minds of men" (410). I was crossing a small threshold of reality, gathering observations on the behavior of men. He turned his back on the trials of life and I was watching its eccentricities; he was growing cynical and I am still completely green. Yet to me in June 1999, our journeys seemed almost identical. So as Least Heat Moon studied Leaves of Grass, I studied this road diary and tried to follow its winding philosophy. It was the philosophy that came in handy - especially the parts that Least Heat Moon picked up on his way... ...ye party. Marty made his specialty (Mountain Dew bundt cake). Millie smiled maternally and told the college students to be careful and call their mothers often. On her last day, Molly drove away blaring her horn and flashing her lights in exhilaration. As for me (like Whitman, a mere witness), I was wondering if these people were really who I saw them to be, and if they would be a part of me because of the time we spent together. An old Jerseyman to William Least Heat Moon, explaining his faith in the force of nature and in mankind: "...then say I believe... because it is absurd" (392). It is, indeed, absurd. And so I too believe. Works Cited Heat Moon, William Least. Blue Highways : A Journey into America. Boston: Little, Brown, 1982. Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. Philadelphia, 1900.

Corporal Punishment :: essays research papers

Corporal Punishment People a few years ago,thought of the only way to punish someone who did a sinister deed was to use corporal punishment.This is meant to enforce pain to someone who has done wrong by hitting them,beating them,strapping them or even whipping them.These are only a few examples of corporal punishment. Why do we have corporal punishment,How do we benefit from it and how do we abuse it?. The most obvious reason for corporal punishment is to castigate one for doing wrong by means of physical abuse expecting the individual to learn from his or her mistake.But we must ask ourselves this question.Is the person benefiting from this or is he or she not only being physically abused but mentally.In some cases corporal punishment psychologically effects ones mind on a long term bases that will stain their memory for a very long period of time. In other cases physical punishment scars and stains the body changing its physical appearance but only on a small scale.Corporal punishment is also used because it is quick and in most cases effective.The mental condition of the person being affected may worsen not only resulting to utter madness but may also result in lack of moral strength.Most people nowadays feel that corporal punishment is not the best answer to enforce restrictions in society as they feel,that pain is not the best solution. Although Corporal punishment has its disadvantages it can also make people aware of the fact that wrong doing results in pain and agony.As more people know the effect of misbehaving,the fewer the mistakes there would be.Michael Fae for example, used a paint canister to spray paint on cars for fun.The result for this action was to be strapped four times on the back.Now he realizes what he has to face if he were to do it again. In the past,corporal punishment was used very often especially in schools.Now corporal punishment is banned from most of the schools around the world because a lot of the people who administer it abuse it.

Example for Literary Paper Essay

Comparison/Contrast: Assignment: For Your Information: Comparison/Contrast – The process of examining two or more things in order to establish their similarities and differences. After reading two selections, you will write a comparison/contrast essay using the guidelines provided in this packet. 1. Any relationship between two or more things will involve some degree of SIMILARITY, as well as some degree of DIFFERENCE. 2. Comparisons can be found in any kind of writing: magazine articles, advertising, essays, news articles, letters, editorials, textbooks, scientific writing, reports, political speeches, and pamphlets. 3. We make comparisons when we have to choose between two or more things: careers, products, political candidates, goals, etc. 4. Comparisons underlie everything we do. Scientists use comparisons in their experiments. Logicians use them to draw conclusions. Politicians use them to formulate policies. Judges use them to render decisions. Ministers teach and admonish us with comparisons. How to Write a Literary Comparison/Contrast Essay When writing a literary comparison, you will answer the question: So What? In other words, you will not only explain the similarities and differences between the two (or more) literary works, but also explain the significance of your comparison. A comparison intends to inform readers of something they haven’t thought of before. Therefore, for a comparison to be illuminating, the things compared must either: 1. Appear different but have significant similarities; i.e., Star Wars and Return of the Jedi. 2. Or, appear similar but have significant differences; i.e., Classic Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation. You must have a purpose for your comparison. The reader of the comparison should not have to ask SO WHAT? at the end of your essay. In a comparison/contrast essay you are explaining the differences between two or more things, as well as explaining, or at least alluding to, what the two things have in common. School Curriculum Specialists, LLC Remember that comparison and contrast is an organizational and analytical structure that supports your ideas, but you still need a thesis in the introduction. The introduction should contain: 1) The names the items to be compared 2) The purpose of the comparison 3) What is being compared and/or contrasted Sample Thesis Statements: Unacceptable — â€Å"I am going to compare the similarities and differences between the films Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T., the Extraterrestrial.† Acceptable — â€Å"A close examination of the way Roy Neary, the protagonist of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Elliott, the protagonist of E.T., the Extraterrestrial, react to their encounters with aliens demonstrates that director Steven Spielberg uses both films to tell similar stories about the difficulties of growing up.† 1. Choose the works of literature you want to compare. 2. Choose the grounds for comparison; i.e. is there something they have in common that makes it worthwhile to show how they are different? 3. Answer the question So What? by determining a purpose for making a comparison. 4. Gather information and evidence from each literary selection to describe and support your grounds for comparison. Use a graphic organizer like the one below and on page 4 of this packet. 5. Outline your essay. 6. Compose your thesis. 7. Write the draft of your essay. Assignment Directions Step One Select two literary texts that can be compared and contrasted for the authors’ point of view, literary style, or other points of comparison. Once you have the literature, it’s time to decide â€Å"what† within each selection you will compare. Step Two Make a graphic organizer OR use the graphic organizers contained in this packet (see page 4). Making notes on the organizer will help visually show you how items, such as characters, author’s development of the plot, author’s use of literary devices, theme, etc. are similar and different. If you decide to focus on just â€Å"theme,† for example, then you will want to create a Venn diagram or comparison chart that helps you analyze how the two authors’ word choices, style, sense of audience, etc. are used to reveal the theme to the reader or support the message. And, of course, compare the authors in this regard. Step Three Once you have jotted notes in the graphic organizer, make an outline for your essay, that includes: ; Paragraph 1: The Introduction – Introduce your topic and state your thesis. Example Thesis: â€Å"Although James Jackson’s novel, Reaching the English Moors, was First written in 1895, the theme can be compared to H.B. Bartlion’s poem, ‘Green Grasses of Home’ support paragraph written a century later. Both Jackson and Bartlion are urging the reader to consider the life lessons m presented in nature. However, Jackson addresses this theme through the use of personification and Bartlion relies on visual imagery.† f Third Second support paragraph Sample Structure In the above example, the writer has established why the two selections are comparable paragraph (common themes), but clearly states that the authors have used two contrasting methods of developing their themes. So, will the writer focus on the alikeness (comparison) of the theme, or the different ways (contrast) the authors developed their theme? Paragraph 2: First Support Paragraph. Set the groundwork for the similarities in the literary selections. In the case above, you would describe the common theme found in each selection. Write a topic sentence and add details to support your topic sentence. Example Topic Sentence: â€Å"Both Jackson and Bartlion are urging the reader to consider the life lessons we can learn from nature.† Provide specific examples of this in the paragraph. Paragraph 3: Second Support Paragraph. Again, write a topic sentence and add at least 3 details. This paragraph will focus a difference between to the two literary selections by stating that Jackson uses personification to develop the theme. Provide specific examples of this in the paragraph. Paragraph 4: Third Support Paragraph. This paragraph will focus on another difference between the two literary selections by stating that Bartlion uses visual imagery to develop the theme. Provide specific examples of this in the paragraph. Include several supporting details. Paragraph 5: Conclusion. Go back and state what you’ve already said in the introduction using different wording, wrapping things up. Step Four Use the outline (above). Write each section of the paper, until finished. Go back and edit, checking for spelling, correct grammar, punctuation, and flow. Use the scoring guide/rubric (page 7 in this packet) to check the completion and correctness of your essay. Compare and contrast essays are just like any other paper and should flow from one paragraph to the next, making sense as you read it. Read and reread. Step Five Use a word processor to type your essay STUDENT SAMPLE Ella Berven October 15, 2011 Period 4 Literary Comparison/Contrast Essay Shades of Being Human Alice Walker and Maya Angelou are two contemporary African-American writers. Although almost a generation apart in age, both women display a remarkable similarity in their lives. Each has written about her experiences growing up in the rural South, Ms. Walker through her essays and Ms. Angelou in her autobiographies. Though they share similar backgrounds, each has a unique style which gives to us, the readers, the gift of their exquisite humanity, with all of its frailties and strengths, joys and sorrows. Tragedy struck both of these women at the age of eight. Ms. Walker lost her sight in one eye. Ms. Angelou was raped. Each described the incident as part of a larger work. Ms. Walker related her experience in the body of an essay published in her book, In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens. Ms. Angelou told her story as a chapter in her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Although both wrote about their traumatic experience, the way each depicted the incident was distinct and seemed to be told for very different purposes. Alice Walker reports the facts to the reader with short sentences written in the present tense. She chooses words which elicit a forceful emotional response from her audience. For example, in telling how her brothers were given BB guns and she was not, Ms. Walker writes, â€Å"Because I am a girl, I do not get a gun. Instantly, I am relegated to the position of Indian.† The word â€Å"relegated† causes the reader to be irate and indignant. Most people do not like being â€Å"relegated† to anything. Another illustration of Ms. Walker’s use of dynamic words can be found in her description of the encounter with her parents following the accident. She speaks of being â€Å"confronted† by her parents. â€Å"Confronted† is a combative word. When people are confronted by others, they want to launch an attack. Her style and choice of words make the reader aware that she is alone and fearful. She is left to fight her battles by herself. Maya Angelou narrates her account in a conversational tone. She uses the past tense which tells her audience â€Å"it’s over† for her. Her words are free from severity. They encourage the reader to see hope in the midst of sadness. Instead of trying to elicit a particular emotional response, Angelou invites her audience to share in her thoughts and feelings. For instance, having given an account of the rape, she writes, â€Å"I thought I had died–I woke up in a white-walled world, and it had to be heaven.† The reader feels a connection with her pain, yet realizes redemption lies close at hand. Whereas Walker tells how she was confronted by her parents, Angelou explains,†she [mother] picked me up in her arms and the terror abated for a while.† There is no impression of combativeness. There is only tenderness and care. Once again, she invites the reader in. Walker wants the reader to feel for her; Angelou wants her audience to feel with her. They achieve their objectives by directing the reader’s attention to specific emotions. The emotional focus of Alice Walker’s story is rage, red-hot and isolating. As I read this piece, I became livid, not only at the thought of her devastating injury and her family’s apparent disassociation, but also at Ms. Walker herself. It appeared to me that she never let go of it. Instead, she seemed to embrace her anger. On the other hand, Ms. Angelou’s anger is subtle and short-lived. Though I was incensed by what happened to her, she quietly insisted that I leave it behind. She concentrated less on her anger and more on the warmth and support of her family. It would be impossible not to address the ways in which both women refer to the intense physical pain each of them suffered as little girls. Ms. Walker gives little description of her anguish, but I clearly felt it. When I read, â€Å". . . I feel an incredible blow in my right eye . . .† and, â€Å"my eye stings, and I cover it with my hand,† my immediate response was to quickly cover my eye with my hand. My body reacted to her pain. Ms. Angelou’s description produced another effect. She wrote, â€Å"Then there was the pain. A breaking and entering when even the senses are torn apart.† Instead of a physical reaction, I felt a wrenching of the heart. Ms. Walker focused my attention on the injury to her body, while Ms. Angelou focused on her emotional scars. School Curriculum Specialists, LLC My most powerful emotional response throughout both stories was one of incredible sorrow. I felt the tremendous weight that sadness and despair can fold around a heart, not only for a child’s trauma, but also for the devastating repercussions that tragedy can produce – loss of dignity, self-esteem, and childhood itself. I wanted to comfort them both. However, by the end of Ms. Walker’s account of the incident, I not only wanted to comfort her, I wanted to shield her as well. Her wounds were still open. At the end of her narrative, she wrote, â€Å"Now when I stare at people – a favorite pastime up to now – they will stare back. Not at the ‘cute’ little girl, but at her scar. For six years, I do not stare at anyone, because I do not raise my head.† I wanted to intervene and help her. Although in Ms. Angelou’s story I yearned to comfort the child, it was obvious that the adult Maya Angelou did not need my protection. She ended her account with these words: â€Å"I would have liked to stay in the hospital the rest of my life. Mother brought flowers and candy. Grandmother came with fruit and my uncles clumped around and around my bed, snorting like wild horses. When they were able to sneak Bailey in, he read to me for hours.† Her family loved her all the way through her trauma, and she moved from despair to hope with their help. Alice Walker and Maya Angelou are both extremely courageous writers. From each we receive a rare and poignant gift. As her book suggests, Alice Walker challenges us to search for resolution in the face of loneliness and despair. Maya Angelou, who â€Å"knows why the caged bird sings,† reminds us that loneliness and despair never have the last word. She gently points us to a window of hope. Both women bless us with shades of being human.