Computer-aided image processing for bacterial cell enumeration Essay

Computer-aided image processing for bacterial cell enumeration - Essay Example There appear several inhibitors in the way of counting colonies to ensure effectiveness of the method. The inhibitors include; methods of handling confluent development of the development of colonies that lean or overlaps other colonies, the methods of differentiating colonies regardless of the different form, volume, their feel, light intensity amongst other factors (Daims, 2007) The methods ensure accuracy in counting. A devise termed as a colony counter assists in including colonies in bacteria and varied microorganisms thriving in an algae plate. The method applied in overcoming the hindrances includes thresholding, segmentation methods, time domain frequency method, watersheding method, edge detection and morphology operator methods, regional descriptors amongst others. These methods emit a heightened level of accurateness. The projected counter proves highly reliable at both levels of correctness and memory; it also proves flexible and efficient in terms of effort and time savi ng (National Renewable Energy Laboratory (U.S.) and United States, 2006) Keywords Some of the key words in the study includes Bacteria colony, thresholding, morphology, water shedding. Introduction Bacteria colony counting appears vital in quantitative, accurate judgment of pathogens in clinical investigations and diagnosis. The manual process of counting bacteria appears challenging. The use of an automated colony counting helps in saving time and reduces labor requirements. In a bid to create fast and accurate information, and cut down the use of labor workload, two colony counting techniques come in play. The techniques might apply the use of direct and indirect process of counting the colonies. The tradition plate count technique pauses as an indirect technique and often preferred for its cheap nature. Technologies applied for quantification of microbial growth involves: ATP Bioluminescence, spiral plating, the use of membrane filtration, Direct Epi-Florescent Filter Microscopy and Membrane laser scanning, Fluorescence amongst others. Various hindrances require addressing for the techniques that count the present colonies. The techniques supply a heightened degree of correctness in counting that could be attained by applying the use of a trained hand on operator. The machine technique; allows the Bacteria to grow on a filter within a period of 24to 48 hours to examine the contamination level of the sample (Mittal and Matsko, 2012).   The microbiologists’ uses dye to identify the bacteria clearly and ease the counting process. In an industry setting, thousands of such samples appear per day; the colonies on each side remain counted manually. This consumes a lot of time and increases the chances of errors. The aim of the project remains to create software that saves time and produces the exact outcomes and ensures competence to customers. The project extension designs allows for colonies counting for a period of 6 to 8 hours before, which saves time . The paper seems to differentiate the processing of colony figures with colored data; the filter method applies to deionize (Masters, 2006).   Bacteria Bacteria pause as nuclear microorganisms; that thrives in various surfaces of the earth. Bacteriology, the study of bacteria, is a branch in micro biology. Bacteria can grow anywhere on the face of the earth, in soil, acid hot springs amongst other places. Grouped bacteria originate from one common bacterium. A bacteria cell

Annotated Bibliography Essay Example for Free

Annotated Bibliography Essay In this case, Yun, Cox Sims carried out a study the main purpose being to investigate how to develop a (TOCB) Team Organizational Citizenship Behavior. They examine whether there is a unique relationship between leadership and TOCB. They first offer a theoretical study presenting a literature review on citizenship and leadership behavior. They take citizenship as a result of leadership and probably mediated through job satisfaction. They went further to explain research method present results and finally move on to the discussion and implication part. According to earlier research carried out in this field, it revealed that leader characteristics such as consideration, participation and fairness are linked as evoking (OCB) Organizational Citizenship Behavior at personal level. In this research, they tested whether TOCB relates to other forms of a leadership typology. They also investigated the mediating responsibility of job contentment. Yun, Cox Sims concluded that leader characters influence TOCB both indirectly and directly via job satisfaction, and distinct kinds of leaders’ traits were developed to manipulate both TACB and TOCB. Whilst empowering and transformational leadership revealed that, TACB and TOCB have indirect impacts to job satisfaction. They also indicated that if employees are forced to do what they do not want they will feel less contented than other people will. The aversive managers will not contribute to unhappy employees. The study also indicates that transactional leadership has no impacts on job sa tisfaction, while transformational leadership has a positive result which is in line with earlier researches that showed that an augmenting competence of transformation leadership. This research is extremely helpful to the organization on how to create team organization behavior. The research, however, did not cover group level of analysis. This is a gap identified in this reserach or call for a further research. In this article, Wray-Lake Syvertsen look at how adolescents and children can make a positive input to community, and development knowledge during this period also create the arena for citizenship thought the life span. They start by defining social responsibility and explaining how it develops. They aim at understanding environmental and personal traits in adolescence and childhood that undergird the enhancement of social responsibility. They define social responsibility in relation to the development at the same time stressing on focal aspects that are communal along theoretical traditions. In development viewpoint, they aim at identifying elements of adolescence and childhood that stand for opportunities for development in social responsibility. They then move on to context, discussing the proximal scenery of young people everyday lives that motivate social responsibility. Lastly, they move on to seedbeds of social responsibility that comprise of communities, peers families and s chools. Still in this last context, they discuss techniques of developing social responsibility. Wray-Lake Syvertsen review regarding procedure through which social responsibility is earned in adolescence and childhood throughout the context propose quite promising avenues for changing development route of social responsibility. They argue that a single aspect is not significant; instead, a number of setting such community, family, school, peer environment can lead to seed of social responsibility via both indirectly through cultivating socio-emotional and cognitive competence and openly socialize social responsibility. They also conclude that adult who works together with youth can explicitly integrate a social accountability lens into relations. Assisting young individuals develop bridging community capital via forming connections with various others, for instance, is every potential way for promoting social responsibility. In addition, Wray-Lake Syvertsen think that a social responsibility is mainly controlled by some steady forces and yet has an element that is open to rev iew across the lifetime. Wray-Lake Syvertsen consideration of social responsibility in adolescence and childhood is the substantial aspect for citizenship across lifetime. If all these aspects discussed in this article are put into consideration, then, we can develop adults who are socially responsible. This can further contribute to a community rooted with moral responsibilities. Wray-Lake Syvertsen article assist in identifying factors to consider and breach the gap that they have not considered in studying social responsibility in youth and childhood in drafting the final essay. References Yun, S., Cox, J., Sims, Jr, H. P. (2007). Leadership and Teamwork: The Effects of Leadership and Job Satisfaction on Team Citizenship. International Journal of Leadership Studies (pp. 171 193). Virginia: School of Global Leadership Entrepreneurship, Regent University. Wray-Lake, L., Syvertsen, A.K (2011). The development roots of social responsibility in childhood and adolescence. In C.A Flanagan B.D Christens (Eds) Youth civic development: Work at cutting edge, New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 134, 11-25 Source document

Issues in the UK: Gender Pay Gap, UK Underclass and Racism

Issues in the UK: Gender Pay Gap, UK Underclass and Racism What is the gender pay gap and why does it occur? Gender pay gap has been a contentious issue for the last two decades, the recent the international womens day celebration brought the issue into spotlight. Gender pay gap simply the differences in wages paid to men and women. The advocate of gender pay gap argued that men are paid more money than women for the same job, in other word, it is immoral and create inequality in the society. The cent study conducted by the European Union Commission on pay structure across the member states indicated that the main cause of gender pay gap is the way women competencies are measured against men. For instance, jobs that are required limited skills or qualification are undervalued and poorly paid because they are dominated by women. In addition, jobs in the construction companies are dominated by men and the wages structure is higher when compared to jobs like cleaning, cooking or even nursing. This is because employers judge people based on their physicality in this jobs rather than the skills and knowledge of the employer. Another example, is most individual that works as a cashier in the supermarket are women, while men tends to work in the warehouse, stacking shelve and other role that require physical ability, the comparison is the women are pay less because they work on the till compared to men that are involved in physical task. Drolet and Mumford (2011) indicated that gender pay gap is influenced by different factors such as discrimination, stereotyping, family and societal factors. The scholar argued that most women are likely to work in part-time compared to men because they have to undertake other roles such as caring for their children, parent or taking an unpaid job in the society. Hence, because of their limited commitment to work, it is difficult for them to attain managerial roles. The Office for National Statistic figures on earning in 2016 shows that 26% of women earn less than men which indicated that women in full time employment earn less than men by  £5,732. Rubery(2015) suggested that gender pay gap is caused by the kind of occupation and industry were women seek work. He argued that women are more commitment to health and social care organisations because they are good with been compassionate and empathy compared with scientific or high tech industries that nurture and pay their employees more for their expertise. Most of the employees of high tech organisations are dominated by men because of the long hours and commitment required for their role. There are many factors that causes gender pay gap, and it essential to have an in-depth understanding of the causes of the problem in order to make any suggestions on how the government and organisation can work together to limit or eliminate pay inequality and stereotyping in our society. One of the main factor of gender pay gap is discrimination, and this could be direct or indirect discrimination. Some organisations prefer to employ men because they are more committed to their job, because of this, they pay them more money and more also, men do not usually take time off to take care of their children or parents compared to women. Recent study conducted by Fawcett Society shows that women are unfairly especially when they return back from maternity. A record number of women are forced to leave their job after having a baby because of poor treatment at work. (Fawcettsociety, 2017). Secondly, womens competences and skills are undervalued, men in the same or similarly role with the same qualification are paid more than women. For instance, Birmingham Council was forced to pay compensation to predominantly women workers such as cook, cleaners, care staff etc. because they were denied bonuses compared to men that works as refuse collector, road workers and street cleaners. The bonus was based on the physical task of the role rather than the skill and knowledge of the individual. On other factor is that women take up more responsibilities that men when it comes to the society and caring. Women have to balance between taking care of their family and work, and tend to work part time because they share Unequal caring responsibilities with men. The argument is that women play a greater role in caring for children, as well as for sick or elderly relatives, as a result they take up mostly part time role that are generally lower paid job with limited progression opportunit ies (Fawcettsociety, 2017). The introduction of Equality Act 2010 has strengthened the right of women in the workplace. It is unlawful for an organisation to discriminate against an individual because of their gender or sex (Dawson, 2014). Likewise, either man or woman should be given equal of opportunity to fulfil their potential. Meaning organisations or employers have to be flexible and consider that women play more role in the society such as taking care of their and parents, and make their job flexible and create a platform for them to progress to managerial role. It should not be based on the hour you put in, but the quality of the work. What is institutional racism in policing? How can we address this issue? The word institutional racism gain prominence during Macphersons report for the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence. Although, it has been used extensively by some scholars study on racism in the past. The findings of the report indicated organisations especially in the public sectors is riddled with institutional racism such as stereotyping, fear and contempt for ordinary people especially a black people (Ray, Smith and Wastell, 1999).MacPherson refers to institutional racism as the collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture, or ethnic origin, and went on to conclude, It can be seen or detected in processes, attitudes and behaviour which amount to discrimination through unwitting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness and racist stereotyping which disadvantage minority ethnic people (Ray, Smith and Wastell, 1999). According to Souhami (2012), stereotyping and discrimination are factors associated with institutional racism. It is about typecasting people because of their race, colour, religion or nationality. Regarding, Macpherson report, black people are not provided the same level of service provided to white citizens by the police force because of the stereotyping approach employed by the Metropolitan police. Black citizens are classified as people with riddled with crime and drugs, which was one of the reason why Stephen Lawrence case was not taken seriously at the beginning. Hence, it can be argued that institutional racism is has link with stereotyping, ignorance of people and social inequality or diversity. Research has shown that United Kingdom one of the diverse and multicultural country in the world, however many institution including the police are yet to accurately reflect the countrys diversity within their workforce, particularly at the managerial levels. Research conducted by Souhami (2012) on institutional racism and police reform: an empirical critique, Policing and Society revealed that white applicant into the police force are more likely to get a better chance of getting job and progress to the managerial level compared to people from the minority group. In addition, the newly published data from the Office for National Statistic indicated that 32 of Britains 45 territorial police forces employed a greater proportion of white applicants that other ethnicity that identify themselves as being from a BAME background (Ons, 2017). The findings were supported by the Londons Metropolitan Police chief, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe who pointed that police chiefs in every part of the country has to be held accountable for failing to recruit people of their groups of the society that can positively reflect the communities they serve (Dodd, 2017) Dealing with institutional racism requires wider effort of the public and private sectors, schools, communities by educating people about the importance of diversity, and learning to understand and respect others people beliefs, culture or value. To mitigate against institutional racism in the police, the organisation has to embark on training their workforce on the importance of equality and diversity in the society. More also, the police force need to deploy a recruitment and selection process that will allow underrepresented groups to have a chance of getting employment and progression to the senior level of management in the police force. An independent body should also handle the complaints against the police for any investigation about racism or discrimination is transparency and credible in order to gain back the trust of the public. Officers that displayed violent behaviour against black people or other ethnicity should be prosecuted and face the consequences of their actions . In regard to the figures of ethnicity in the police force, the management should create progression route for minorities that apply to join the police for them to be part of the management, training and development to enhance their skills. Additionally, positive steps should be taken to drive recruitment of underrepresented groups in order to reflect the diversity of the nation. Continuous training should be provided on equality and diversity for new and current employees to promote equality and diversity in the police force. To reform and create a dynamic workforce, the police force can set up a cultural day whereby employees are encouraged to bring their traditional food, wear their attires and share their cultures and values with their peers. This will help police force employees to understand diversity in their own practice which can be demonstrated in the public. Does the UK have an underclass? Recently, there have been a lot of debates about social inequality and isolation in the UK politics. Social inequality is described the extent to which there are differences between groups in society (Amin and Sabermahani, 2017). It occurs in employment, life expectancy, access to education, business loans, mortality or morbidity rate. Some groups of the society are faced with the issues of struggle with social inequality in the sense that they do not have access to the same opportunity like others. The London riot in August 2011 was caused by social inequality because most the rioters came from poor and deprived areas with limited opportunity, lack of education and neighbourhood blighted with drugs (Liu and Bloom, 2006). The findings show that most of rioters came from neighbourhoods which were ethnically diverse or fractionalized. By going the definition of underclass by Lawrence M. Mead, in his book Beyond Entitlement, underclass as group of people who are poor and behaviourally d eficient, the rioters fit into this category (Mead, 1998). However, been poor does not necessarily mean an individual will have behaviour problems. The case of rioters as underclass was caused by social inequality and isolation by the government. In Britain, the media hep to promote the image of an underclass as someone on benefit that have cultivated the culture of poverty and laziness. Programmes like Benefits Britain: Life on The Dole, Benefits Street, Skint and Saints and Scroungers help also help to promote the idea of an underclass by providing real world examples and images (Donaldson, 2014) The word underclass is an ambiguous, impudent and subjective. According to Myrdal (1982), a Swedish social scientist refers to underclass as the class of unemployed, unemployables, and unemployed who are more and more hopelessly set apart from the nation at large and do not share in its life, its ambitions and its achievements. Mead (1998) defines underclass as a group that is poor and behaviourally deficient. He describes the underclass as dysfunctional. The underclass group are usually delineated and associated with people that have low aspirations, unemployed, lazy, have criminal record and poorly educated as well as coming from a family with instability and drug and alcohol addictions. However, the so call underclass group in Britain tend to have experience various forms of inequality and disadvantage in the labour market. They are very low wages, live in deprived areas with less opportunity and some end been addicted to drug because of low self-esteem. Murray (2008), in his book Losing Ground argued that welfare dependency has encouraged the break-up of the nuclear family household, and socialisation into a counter-culture which devalues work and encourages dependency and criminality. Lewis (2000) on the other hand, believes that culture of poverty is part of the coping strategies by which the poorest of the poor managed to survive. He argued that once an individual embrace this culture, it is difficult for them to break from it, hence making such individual to be an underclass. The scholar view culture of poverty as historically specific, emerging out of the problems of societal transition and the breakdown of the social order in an industrial/capitalist society. The culture of poverty theory states that living in conditions of pervasive poverty will lead to the development of a culture or subculture adapted to those conditions. This culture is characterized by pervasive feelings of helplessness, dependency, marginality, and powerlessness (Lewis, 2000). However, In Britain, the underclass group live in deprived areas of the country where there is less opportunity, fewer jobs, community is usually faced with drug and alcohol addiction as well as people with low self-esteem and peer pressure from there be part of the same group. Did they bring this problem up themselves? Wilson (2012) argued that Wilson argues that when communities experience widespread joblessness, they experience a social isolation that excludes them from the job network system. Wilson (2012) indicated that the main issue facing members of the underclass is joblessness reinforced by an increasing social isolation in an impoverished neighbourhood. They not only suffer from lower socioeconomic status, minimal education, and lack of opportunities, but they are further victimized by a lack of community safeguards and resources. The UK government help to create underclass group in the society because of social inequality, lack of opportunity and equality for certain group of people. They were seen as a problem group and given handout to keep satisfied without any real hope of integration into the main stream of the society. There are many factors to the problem, institutional racism where some people or individual typecast as not fit for purpose, stereotyping and lack of equality and diversity in every spectrum of the society. So yes, UK have an underclass group. References Atiba Goff, P. and Barsamian Kahn, K. (2012). Racial Bias in Policing: Why We Know Less Than We Should. Social Issues and Policy Review, 6(1), pp.177-210. Dawson, T. (2014). Collective Bargaining and the Gender Pay Gap in the Printing Industry. Gender, Work Organization, 21(5), pp.381-394. Dodd, V. (2017). Bernard Hogan-Howe to retire as Met police commissioner. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/sep/29/sir-bernard-hogan-howe-to-retire-as-met-police-commissioner [Accessed 8 Mar. 2017]. Drolet, M. and Mumford, K. (2011). The Gender Pay Gap for Private-Sector Employees in Canada and Britain. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 50(3), pp.529-553. Fawcettsociety.org.uk. (2017). Cite a Website Cite This For Me. [online] Available at: http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/policy-research/the-gender-pay-gap/ [Accessed 8 Mar. 2017]. Lewis, O. (2000). Five families; Mexican case studies in the culture of poverty. 1st ed. New York, NY: Basic Books. Mead, L. (1998). The new politics of poverty. 1st ed. New York, NY: Basic Books. Murray, C. (2008). Real education. 1st ed. New York: Crown Forum. Myrdal, G. (1982). Beyond the welfare state. 1st ed. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. Neyroud, P. (2014). Policing Facts and Policing Evidence: System 1 and System 2. Policing, 8(2), pp.93-95. Ons.gov.uk. (2017). Gender pay gap by age in the UK- Office for National Statistics. [online]Availableat:https://www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/transparencyandgovernance/freedomofinformationfoi/genderpaygapbyageintheuk [Accessed 8 Mar. 2017]. Ray, L., Smith, D. and Wastell, L. (1999). The Macpherson Report: A View from Greater Manchester. Sociological Research Online, 4(4). Rubery, J. (2015). Closing the Gender Pay Gap in the EU. Intereconomics, 50(2), pp.62-63. Souhami, A. (2012). Institutional racism and police reform: an empirical critique. Policing and Society, 24(1), pp.1-21. Wilson, W. (2012). Truly Disadvantaged. 1st ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Its Time to Declare English the Official Language Essay -- Argumentat

It's Time to Declare English the Official Language "In no way would having English as the official language intrude upon anyone's private life, business, or day-to-day living. Official English applies only to the conduct of government business." -S.I. Hayakawa America today is a melting pot of different societies. Everywhere, in every city and in every state, there are Germantowns, and Chinatowns, and Greektowns. America has certainly developed into one big multicultural society. With the many different cultures, come the many different languages as well. When a person imagines the language of the United States, naturally most believe that English is the national language. America, however, does not have an official language. According to the Center of Immigration Studies, more than 300 languages are currently spoken in the United States (U.S. Bureau of the Census). Immigration in the United States is a positive event that cannot be altered no matter what actions are taken against it. Immigration, in fact, has many positive influences upon this great nation. With the positive effects on this country also come the harmful effects. If America wants to continue to live harmoniously with the multitude of different cultures, the first step wo uld be to make English the official language of the United States of America. Today, 1.9 billion people speak the English language; more than one-third of humanity (U.S. Bureau of the Census). English is also the national language of many countries- countries with a multiple of different cultures- including India and several populous countries in Africa. People in those countries use English to conduct common and o... ...for our flag. It was not easy, but they did it; the beautiful thing was we were united. A World War I Veteran told me that when he came to this country from Poland, he did not speak a word of English, nor did his parents. He said he learned English and spoke it well enough to get by. â€Å"This is America,† he said, â€Å"and it is only right to honor its language.† When asked if he felt if his love and pride for his own country had faltered, he gave a stern â€Å"no.† English is the language of freedom, commerce and opportunity around the world. Declaring English the official language of the United States of America will honestly do no harm. In the end, only positive effects could come out of the measure because the day-to-day lives of a common citizen would rarely be altered. Declaring English the national language is the right and honorable thing to do. Now let's do it.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Satire Terms Analysis Essay

â€Å"Her face is smooth, calculated, and precision-made, like an expensive baby-doll, skin like flesh-colored enamel, blend of white and cream and baby blue eyes, small nose, pink little nostrils-everything working together except the color on her lips and fingernails, and the size of her bosom. A mistake was made somehow in manufacturing, putting those big, womanly breasts on what would of otherwise been a perfect work, and you can see how bitter she is about it. Incongruity: Something strangely, shockingly, or ridiculously out of place Analysis: In this passage, after Nurse Ratched enters the room in a typical day on the ward, Chief Bromden’s description of her as perfection is juxtaposed by his actual intention to emphasize her big flaw. Chief Bromden begins this paragraph with the positive side of the nurse. He claims how perfect she looks with her â€Å"smooth, calculated and precision-made† face, comparing her to a â€Å"baby-doll. Chief Bromden is trying to make her look like a goddess without any faultiness in her image. While all these pretty dictions such as the â€Å"baby blue eyes† and the â€Å"small nose† have been used, he begins to point out her defects by inserting the word â€Å"except† and emphasizing miniscule details of her – â€Å"the color [of] her lips, her fingernails and the size of her bosom. † This is very incongruous to her overall appearance of being a perfect human being. Moreover, he says that Nurse Ratched is a â€Å"mistake in manufacturing,† suggesting her machine-like quality and comparing Nurse Ratched to inanimate product made in a factory. Her â€Å"womanly breasts† with all the defects mentioned above reflect another idea. Chief Bromden suggests that â€Å"breasts,† which symbolizes womanhood, as the deformity implying her unfitness to rule over the patients in the ward despite all the other perfect qualities that she has. Throughout the book, Kesey uses this character of Nurse Ratched to suggest how even a perfectly-looking person or in extreme, a dictator is the same human being as the oppressed with humanly defects and how the strong individual idea led him or her to have an authority over the majority of the people. Thus, the author clearly establishes the importance of individuality and nonconformity to suggest how the American government tried to get the people to conform under the unrest especially due to the protest against the involvement in the war.

A Letter of Advice to Nhs Litigation Authority on Clinical Neglgence Case of Missed Fractured Scaphoid Bone

To: NHS Litigation Authority, Re: Chandler Bing v Friends Health NHS Foundation Trust Dear Sir/ Madam, Thank you for your referral of the case concerning Mr. Chandler Bing’s missed fracture scaphoid bone received on 31 August 2010. The following is the Letter of Advice to the NHSLA concerning the above-mentioned case. The Claimant: 1. The Claimant was born on 8 April 1969. As a result of the events referred to in their particulars of claim the claimant is now represented by Bloomingdale Solicitors to launch to launch a civil action against Friends Health NHS Foundation Trust on 31 August 2010. The Defendant: 2. The Defendant was at all relevant times responsible for the management control, and administration of Friends Health NHS Foundation Trust, and for the employment of doctors, nurses, and other medical specialist s including emergency medicine, radiology and orthopaedic surgeons at and for the purpose of the said hospital. Duty of care: 3. Each of the doctors, nurses, and other staff employed at the hospital who treated the Claimant at the hospital owed the Claimant a duty of care. This duty included a duty in respect of: a. The advice given to the Claimant; . The diagnosis made in respect of the condition of the Claimant; c. The treatment prescribed for the Claimant and advice as to the effect of the treatment; d. The monitoring of the Claimant whilst treatment was given to the Claimant. 4. The Defendant is vicariously liable for any such breach of duty on behalf of any of its employees. Procedural Steps: 1. Protocol Steps: a. Obtaining health records: to provide suf ficient information to alert the Healthcare provider where an adverse outcome has been serious; to request for specific medical records involving the case. . Request for copies of patient’s clinical records with approved standard forms. c. Make sure the copy records to be provided within 40 days of the request and for a cost not exceeding changes permissible under the Access to Health Records Act 1990. d. If the Healthcare provider fails to provide health records within 40 days, their advisers can then apply to Court for an order for pre-action disclosure. e. If Healthcare provider considers additional health records are required from a third party, these should be requested through the patient. Third party Healthcare providers are expected to co-operate. 2. The response: Letter of response: a. Provide requested records and invoice for copying. b. Comments on events and/or chronology. c. If breach of duty and causation are accepted, suggestions for resolving the claims and request for further information offer to settle. d. If breach of duty and/or causation are denied, outline explanations for what happened by Healthcare provider suggests further steps like further investigations, obtaining expert evidence, meetings, negotiations or mediation, or an invitation to issue proceedings. e. Healthcare provider should acknowledge receipt of letter of claim within 14 days of receipt. f. Healthcare provider should, within 3 months of letter of claim, provide a reasoned answer. g. If claim is admitted, then the Healthcare provider says so. h. If any part of claim is admitted, then Healthcare provider makes clear which issues of breach of duty and/or causation are admitted and which are denied and why. i. If claim is denied, include specific comments on allegation of negligence, and if synopsis or chronology of relevant events provided and is disputed, Healthcare provider’s version of events provided. . Additional documents, for instance, internal protocol, copies provided. k. If patient made an offer to settle at this stage as a counter-offer by supporting medical evidence, and/or other evidence in addition to claim in healthcare provider’s possession. l. If parties reach agreement on liability, but time is needed to resolve claim, then aim to agree a reasonab le period. Witness Evidence: The witnesses concerned in this case include: 1. Claimant’s family members and colleagues concerning the accused loss of function in daily activities of living. . Healthcare providers beside the medical doctor in Accident and Emergency Department, including accident and emergency doctors and consultants, radiologists, orthopaedic specialists, nurses, family doctors, etc, who have treated the Claimant. 3. The Claimant himself. Where a witness statement or a witness summary is not served, the party will not be able to call that witness to give oral evidence unless the Court allows it. Matters to be covered in the witness’s statement will include: 1. Occupation and working ability of the Claimant, if this has changed, since the injury, previous occupation of the Claimant. 2. Brief description of marital and family circumstances including dates of birth of all the family members of the Claimant. 3. The Claimant’s amount of the sequence of events relating to the treatment in question. Care should be taken to avoid importing text and phraseology from medical records or reports that the Claimant would not use in the normal course of discussing the case. 4. If the witness’s factual recollection of events differs in any important respect from the medical records, or from the version of facts set out in the Defendant, the statement should acknowledge this and comment upon these differences. 5. The witness should describe the effects of the injury; this will include the effects on his physical condition, emotional condition, the practicalities of everyday life, the Claimant’s financial affairs, family life, and future plans and projects. Additional witnesses should state their relationship to the Claimant. If a amily member is providing a statement which is collaborative of the Claimant’s amount of events, the witness should confirm that he or she has read the Claimant’s statement and state that he or she agrees with its contents, insofar as those within his or her knowledge. The statement should then deal with issues of which the witness can give primary evidence. Where a party is required to serve a witness st atement and he is unable to obtain such a statement, for example because the witness refuses to communicate with the Defendant’s solicitor, he may apply to the Court for the permission to serve only a witness summary instead. This application should be made without notice. The witness summary is a summary of the evidence which would otherwise go into a witness statement, or if the evidence is not known, matters about which the party serving the witness summary will question the witness. Expert Evidence: 1. In clinical negligence disputes, expert opinions may be needed: a. On breach of duty and causation. b. On the patient’s condition and prognosis. c. To assist in valuing aspects of the Claims. The main expert witnesses to be considered include: a. Orthopaedic specialists. b. Accident and Emergency specialists. c. Radiology specialists. 2. The new Civil Procedure Rules will encourage economy in the use of experts and a less adversarial expert culture. It is recognized that in clinical negligence disputes, the parties and their advisers will require flexibility in their approach to expert evidence. Decisions on whether experts should be instructed jointly; and on whether reports might be disclosed sequentially or by exchange, should rest with the parties and their advisers. Sharing expert evidence may be appropriate on issues relating to the value of the Claim. However, this protocol does not attempt to be prescriptive on issues in relation to expert evidence. 3. Obtaining expert evidence will often be an expensive step and may take time, especially in specialized areas of medicine, where there are limited numbers of suitable experts. Patients and Healthcare providers, and their advisers, will therefore need to consider carefully how best to obtain any necessary expert help quickly and cost effectively. . Assistance in locating a suitable expert is available from a number of sources. Here the NHSLA has already supplied a number of experts for this case. 5. This is a case of missed fracture of the waist of the scaphoid, for a patient initially seen in the Accident and Emergency Department, is often a clinical diagnosis rather than a radiological diagnosis, because this fracture may not become apparent on an X-Ray until often a period of 10 days, and some times konger, has elapsed. . Tenderness in the anatomical snuffbox at the base of the dorsal aspect of the thumb, or pain produced by proximal pressuring on the wrist joint in radial deviation by comparison to the unaffected side, together with diminished power of grip, is an indication for the forearm to be put into a scaphoid plaster of Paris. 7. The patient must have the plaster checked the following day and will need to be X-Rayed again in 10 to 14 days if a fracture line was not initially visible. 8. When a fracture of the scaphoid is suspected, â€Å"scaphoid views† should be asked for. 9. The doctor at Accident and Emergency Department must ensure that 4 views have been carried out: Anterior-Posterior, Lateral, Supination oblique, and Pronation oblique. 10. If there is doubt about the diagnosis or the fracture is displaced, then a more senior or orthopaedic opinion must be sought forthwith, otherwise a scaphoid plaster must be applied, and the patient referred to the next Accident and Emergency review clinic or fracture clinic. 11. There is a component of contributory negligence by the Claimant who insists to remove the plaster in the follow up clinic despite he was strongly advised not to do so. The effect of this contributory negligence on the Claims should be further explored and evaluated. Quantum of damages: The means to calculate the quantum of damages made in this case of clinical negligence include various heads of the following damage: 1. Pain, suffering and loss of amenity; 2. Loss of earnings; 3. Care and assistance; 4. Travel and parking; 5. Miscellaneous expenses. The Claims on items (1), (3), (4) and (5) are measured quite subjectively by the patient affected. The calculation of loss of earning could be done by using the Ogden tables, which are involving a set of statistical tables for use in Court case in the United Kingdom. Beside the age of this patient (Date of Birth=08/04/1969) being 41 years old on the date of claim (that is 12-11-2010) is known, we still need to know about the patient’s earning per annum, what is his occupation, whether he had any disability resulted, his qualifications, and his planned age for retirement. In case where the period of loss of earnings will continue for many years into the future, it is particular important to ensure that amount is taken of likely periodic changes to the Claimant’s income. The Claimant will want to point to anticipated career progression. In such cases, the Court will either: 1. Determine the average multiplicand, based upon the likely earnings throughout the period of loss, which will be applied to the full period of the loss, or; 2. Use stepped multiplicands for each stage of the Claimants career. Generally, this will result in a lower multiplicand at the beginning and possibly at the very end of the period of loss, with one or more higher multiplicands to represent the likely career progression that would have been followed. There is a need to interview the Claimant in more details to decide these uncertainties for a more comprehensive evaluation. Last but not least, the importance of expert evidence in such a case is vital. Medical evidence can provide an indication as to what work the Claimant will be capable of undertaking, both at present and in the future. This, together with evidence of the Claimant’s employment prospective, will assist the Court in determining what will happen to the Claimant in the future. Another means to calculate for the approximate quantum of the damage in this patient is to look into common laws and journals for similar cases for comparison and a rough estimation of quantification of similar claims. In Johns v Greater Glasgow Health Board1, a 44 years old lady broke her scaphoid bones in both wrists in a fall. The fractures were only diagnosed three months later. As a result the fractures would not unit, causing continuous incapacity and pain. Bone grafting was contemplated, despite an earlier unsuccessful attempt. Held, that solatium was properly valued at 11,000 pounds with wage loss to date and for a further 4 years. In W v Ministry of Defence2, which is a case of failure to diagnose fractured scaphoid from Clinical Risk 2010; Volume 16: p. 198 (by Collier et al). The case was settled concerning damages awarded to the Claimant pursuant to the delay in the diagnosis of the fracture of his hand, without which the Claimant could have avoided undergoing surgery and regained his complete and normal wrist function. W made an offer to settle in the sum of 15,000 pounds. The amount awarded to the Claimant was reduced to 9,000 pounds after further negotiation. 1. Johns v Greater Glasgow Health Board (1990) SLT 459. 2. W v Ministry of Defence (2009) MLC 1652 In B v Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital3, the Claimant, a male nurse aged 29 years, had attended the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust after falling off his bike in July 2004. His left fractured scaphoid bone wad missed and a non-united scaphoid fracture with humpback deformity and associated ligament damage had occurred. The Claimant thus made a Part 36 Offer for the sum of 14,000 pounds that was agreed with the Defendants in March 2006. In N v Pontypridd & Rhona NHS Trust4, the Claimant injured his right wrist in a fall whilst ice-skating on March 14, 1998. He attended the Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department and was noted as having a tender scaphoid. An X-Ray of the wrist was taken which was interpreted as disclosing no fracture. Nonetheless the wrist was set in plaster of Paris and the Claimant released. On March 19, 1998, the Claimant re-attended the Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department still in pain. The cast was removed; no X-Ray was repeated. The Claimant was given tubi-grip dressing and told to exercise the wrist. On April 29, 1998, the Claimant attended a different Hospital complaining pain and swelling over scaphoid region. X-Ray showed a fracture of scaphoid bone in his right dominant hand. On May 29, 1998, the fracture showed sign of delayed union. As a result, a settlement of total damage of 12,500 pounds; general damage of 8,000 pounds, and special damage for income loss and care of 4,500 pounds were awarded. In P v United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust5, the Claimant was involved in a fracas at nightclub in Bristol and arrested for punching security camera. The Claimant attended Accident and Emergency Department at the Bristol Royal Infirmary on 27 May 2000 and he experienced problems relating to his right wrist. The SHO treated the injury as being a sprain and no X-Ray was taken. The Claimant’s GP then identified tenderness in anatomical snuffbox. An X-Ray confirmed fracture through scaphoid being missed by Accident and Emergency Department. The Claim was finally settled for 40,000 pounds with causation proved. 3. B v Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital (2006) MLC 1350 4. N v Pontypridd & Rhona NHS Trust (2003) MLC 1031 5. P v United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust (2004) MLC 1159 QBD Settlement Where a Claimant has received State Benefits as a result of a disease and is subsequently awarded compensation, the Department for Work and Pension (DWP) will seek to recover these benefits from the Defendant via a system operated by the Compensation Recover Unit (CRU). The CRU is also responsible for collecting from a Defendant the cost of any NHS treatment that a Claimant has received following a clinical negligence. Notifying the DWP: Section 4 of the 1997 Act requires the compensator to inform the DWP not later than 14 days after receiving the Claim. The Notification should be made on Form CR1 which is sent to the DWP. On receipt of Form CRU1, the CRU will send Form CRU4 to the Defendant. The Claim then progresses to the settlement stage. When ready to make an offer of compensator, the compensator submits form CRU4 to obtain a Certificate. The CRU acknowledges receipt of form CRU4 within 14 days. The CRU sends the Certificate to the compensator- a copy will also be sent to the Claimant’s solicitor. The compensator will then settle the compensation claim and pay the relevant amount to the DWP within 14 days of the settlement. The compensator will also complete and send to the DWP Form CRU102 detailing the outcome of the Claim. The rules relating to recovery of benefit apply to clinical negligence claims. Due to their complexity, especially relating to causation, the CRU has set up a specialist group to deal with the claims, and makes a special request their compensators inform the CRU about clinical negligence claims as soon as the pre-action correspondence is received. Part 36 Offer: A party who wishes to make a Part 36 Offer must first apply for a Certificate of Recoverable Benefit from the CRU. Although Part 36 does not spell it out , guidance from case law suggests that the offer should therefore particularize the various heads of damage, and indicate the amount of benefits to be deducted against each head. Mediation: The parties should consider whether some form of Alternative Dispute Resolution Procedure would be more suitable than litigation, and if so, endeavour to agree which form to adopt. Both the Claimant and Defendant may be required by the Court to provide evidence that alternative means of resolving their dispute were considered. The Courts take the view that litigation should be a last resort, and that claims should not be issued prematurely when a settlement is still actively being explored. Parties are warned that if the protocol is not followed, then the Court must have regard to such conduct when determining costs. Mediation is one option for resolving disputes without litigation: it is a form of facilitated negotiation assisted by an independent neutral party. The Clinical Disputes Forum has published a guide to mediation which will assist, available at www. clinicaldisputesforum. org. uk The Legal Services Commission has published a booklet on â€Å"Alternatives to Courts†, CLS Direct Information Leaflets 23, which lists a number of organizations that provide ADR services. It is expressly recognized that no party can or should be forced to mediate or enter into any form of ADR. (Total: 3000 words) Bibliography: 1. Lewis: Clinical Negligence: A Practical Guide, 6th edition, Tottel Publishing. . Khan M, Robson M, Clinical Negligence, 2nd edition, Cavendish Publishing. 3. Powers and Harris: Clinical Negligence, 3rd edition, Butterworths. 4. Woolf S (1995) Access to Justice – Interim Report HMSO. 5. Woolf S (1996) Access to Justice – Final Report HMSO. 6. (1999) The Civil Procedure Rules HMSO. 7. â€Å"Making Amends†, at www. dh. gov. uk 8. †NHS Redress Bill† at www. publications. parliment. uk 9. Civil Litigation Handbook by Woolf, Lord Justice; Burn, Suzanne; Peysner John (2001), The Law Society. 10. A. A. S. Zuckerman, Ross Cranston (1995), Reform of Civil Procedure- Essays on â€Å"Access to justice†, Oxford University Press. 11. The Judicial Studies Board, Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases, 9th edition, Oxford University Press. 12. Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence: Tough Conditions – The Lawyer 10/10/05, www. lexisnexis. com 13. Opinion: Edwina Rawson: The Lawyer 26/09/05, www. lexisnexis. com 14. Butterworths: â€Å"Risk Assessment in Litigation: Conditional Fee Agreements, Insurance and Funding†, David Chalk 15. The Law Society: â€Å"Conditional Fees: A survival Guide†, Napier and Bawdon 16. The Law Society: â€Å"Civil Litigation Handbook†, Peysner. 17. â€Å"Mediating Clinical Negligence Claims†, Roger Wicks, www. medneg. com articles 18. â€Å"Guide to Mediation†, www. clinical-disputes-forum. org. uk 19. â€Å"Guide to Mediating Clinical Negligence Claims†, www. clinical-disputes-forum. org. uk 20. Kemp and Kemp The Quantum of Damages, Sweet and Maxwell. 21. Medical Litigation Online, www. medneg. com 22. AvMA Medical and Legal Journal 23. â€Å"General Damages – the NHS Case†, Philip Havers Q. C. and Mary O’Rourke, Quantum, Sweet & Maxwell (2000) 24. Practice Direction at www. justice. gov. uk 25. NHSLA website www. nhsla. com 26. Civil Procedure Rules at www. justice. gov. uk 27. Pre-action Protocol for the Resolution of Clinical Disputes and Practice Direction – Protocols, www. justice. gov. uk 28. â€Å"Guidelines on Experts’ Discussions in the Context of Clinical Disputes†, Clinical Risk (2000) 6, 149-152 29. The â€Å"Draft Guidelines On Experts’ Discussions in the Context of Clinical Disputes† (published by the Clinical Disputes Forum) 30. Part 36 and its Practice Direction, www. justice. gov. uk. 31. The NHS Redress Act 2006 can be found online at www. legislation. gov. uk/ukpga/2006/44 32. Johns vs Greater Glasgow Health Board, (1990) SLT 459, www. medneg. com 33. W v Ministry of Defence, (2009) MLC 1652, www. medneg. com 34. B v Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital (2006) MLC 1350, www. medneg. com 35. N v Pontypridd & Rhona NHS Trust (2003) MLC 1031, www. medneg. com 36. P v United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust (2004) MLC 1159 QBD, www. medneg. com

History Hitler Essay On Economic Policies

History Hitler Essay On Economic Policies History Hitler Essay On Economic Policies History Question: Was preparing for war the main reason for Hitler’s economic policies? Answer: I do think that Hitler’s main reason for economic policies was to prepare for the war. But at the start we can see that Hitler had to deal with a lot of problems when the Nazis came into power the German economy wasn’t in a good state and Hitler had to sort this all out. However, with the recovery of the economy came a clearer focus on preparation for war, and after the introduction of the 4-year plan in 1936, we can consider that there was a significant leaning towards Hitler's aim for war. In 1933, the German economy showed significant weaknesses in all its major areas. Although it was in fact at the end of the cycle of depression this was not yet clear and the recovery of the economy was important for Germany. Hitler himself also had little involvement at this stage his interest was mainly ideological and he had limited economic understanding. Nazi economic policy in these early years revolved around traditional socialist principles; for example the nationalisation of industry, and focused on reducing unemployment and building up infrastructure. Firstly, Hitler wanted Germany to be in a better state because without that he wouldn’t be able to start the war and also wanted to gain the trust from the people of Germany. So to do that he acted as forming a policy for the employed workers in which was Hitler believed that the trade of union could disrupt the economy so he banned them in 1933. Then he set up the DAF (German Labour Front) this organisation was to ensure that the workers served the best to the Nazi regime. It also controlled the power of employees and also the employer’s rights. It also regulated the working hours for the workers. However, the German people lost their freedom of work but the German army was growing from 1000,000 to 9000,000 established the minimum working class for the workers which prevented the workers going against the Nazi policy. Now, Hitler had to look at the unemployed people because most of the unemployed people were communist so he wanted the support of every German citizen so for this he also established a policy for unemployed men which was that he set up the RAD (National Labour Service). It was made compulsory after 1935 that all young men serve in the service for six months. However, the rates of pay for these were very low, and these men had to work in fields, build public buildings and autobahns (motorways) which on another hand improved the economy as well as the infrastructure. Also the public work scheme was important for Hitler as more jobs had to be created to meet the needs of the preparations of the war this meant coal and chemical industries have to be doubled. Hitler had already decided about the women in Nazi Germany as he had made the three K’s for them, children, church and family. However, the social life for the people of Germany became really better after Hitler's policies as some of the people were given prizes such as free tickets to the theatre, free holidays with the family etc. Overall, unemployment decreased so hardship was reduced this caused Germans’ lives to be better and the DAF worked with German workers to ensure they were prevented from exploitation of employees and to make sure they are treated fairly, this meant workers were more happy to participate in work. After all this Hitler now needed to make Germany stronger so that it can be able to fight in the war because doing this was important for the future of Germany to make sure they were safe if a war should occur. In the mid-1970's, a team of scientists in America identified 25 crops growing in almost 9000 fields in California's Imperial Valley, without even being near the valley. The thing that made it possible for them to name the crops, which included lettuce and tomatoes, were pictures taken by a satellite that had passed over the valley at an altitude of 570 miles. These Earth satellites can pick

the eureka sockade essays

the eureka sockade essays The Eureka Stockade, which took place on Ballarat in 1854, can be seen as speeding up the process of democracy and self-government, but it cannot be classed as a turning point in Australias history. The colonies were already on the track of democracy when the Eureka Stockade took place. However, the Eureka Stockade did make an impact on society. The Eureka Stockade could take responsibility for giving birth to the union movement and plant the seeds of what would eventually become the labour movement. The Eureka Stockade was very popular with the people of the colony, and this in itself had a large impact on the colony, it did not influence the colony enough to class the events of the Eureka Stockade in 1854 as a turning point in Australias history. The new Victorian constitution had already been sent to England before the Eureka Stockade took place, therefore it cannot take credit for setting in motion, self- government, because it had already started. The constitution was sent to England in March 1854 , the Eureka Stockade did not take place until December of the same year, meaning that the process of self-government had been put in place eight months prior to the stockade. The Eureka Stockade had no real impact on the implementation of a self- governing body in the colony of Victoria. Democracy in the colonies was accelerated by the Eureka Stockade, but it was not started by it . The colony was slowly starting to move in the direction of democracy as the colony was slowly starting to become fed up with corrupt leaders and not having their say in matters that concerned them. It was the miners that were the most fed up with the leaders of the Victorian colony, as the police were corrupt and they thought it was very unfair that they were charged so much so often for their mining licences. This contempt for the current system culminated in the Eureka Stockade. T...

Seven pounds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Seven pounds - Essay Example Tim Thomas, the main character of the film performed by Will Smith, suffers from a crash accident and kills seven people. Tim wants to save the lives of seven people. He donates his organs to other people. This is unusual type of films challenges the contemporaries with an interesting way of plot’s interpretation. The essence of the film In the last episode Tim wants to help Connie Tepos (Elpidia Carrillo) and saves her life and the lives of her two children. The last two people, saved by Tim, are Ezra Turner (Woody Harrelson) and a blind meat salesman playing the piano. The last donation is made for Emily Posa (Rosario Dawson), when Tim wants to donate a heart for her. Finally, he starts falling in love with this girl. A story of their feelings is impressive and the audience has a perfect opportunity to think about the essential and basic feelings of every individual–love and intimacy. There is no doubt that these guys would have perfect relations, but Tim’s sins do not let him go and his conscience and mind gain power over his emotions and feelings. Therefore, this film is not only about physical pain, but also about emotional and psychological sufferings. There is much darkness and depression in this film, but there is no doubt that there are much spiritual issues in this film. ... Moral values are substituted by monetary and financial concerns. The main character of Will Smith is described in the following way: â€Å"His breeziness becomes a shallow act, and his smile becomes downright eerie, a strained mask that hides pain, wards off hostility and expresses aggression all at the same time. It's a smile with dead  eyes† (LaSalle, 2008). Nevertheless, a feeling of love reincarnate his dead eyes and he is able to be inspired by one of the greatest feelings of the world. There is much romanticism in this film, as well as there is much drama. This film is for different tastes and the audience thankfully follows the development of the events in the film. Will Smith persuades the viewers that the most precious thing in the world is life. He made people lose their lives, but in the result of this horrible accident he did not suffer from having lost his own life. He compensated his debt in the face of God and he is strong enough and a rather responsible perso n to show that he is emotionally stable and spiritually strong person. The actions of Tim are reviewed in the following way: â€Å"But all the narrative trickery and emotional manipulation only serves to put Ben further out of the audience's reach, as he moves through the plot like a single-minded Terminator without motivations we can grasp† (Critical Analysis of Seven Pounds). On the one hand, the main character of the film is self-concentrated and a reserved person, but on the other hand, he is a connecting link between different aspects of the film’s world. Sentimental performance of Will Smith is both dramatic and philosophic. The audience is puzzled by the ability to wonder about the real essence and the central plot of the film (Film review – Seven Pounds 2008). A perfect

The arguments that Socrates provides of the immortality of the soul in Essay

The arguments that Socrates provides of the immortality of the soul in the book Phaedo by Plato - Essay Example Introduction: An expository claim of immortality of the soul upon death 3. Arguments in support of the claim; A. The opposite argument B. The â€Å"theoretic argument of recollection† C. The â€Å"affinity argument† D. The argument is that relating to â€Å"form of life.† 4. Conclusion. Abstract The purpose of this paper is to provide readers with a critical thinking about Socrates’ presupposition of the â€Å"morality of the soul.† The paper is premised on the claim that human soul is separated from the body by death and this separation is affected by a philosopher’s practice of death. In discussing the relevancy of this paper four arguments shall be considered as stated by Plato’s phaedo. These include the opposite argument that the soul is divinely eternal as opposed to death, the â€Å"theoretical argument of recollection†, the affinity belief and the argument relating to â€Å"form of life. This paper reveals Plato’ s absurd revelation of the end of a Socrates life but then the Socrates was encouraged with the assurance of life after death. This therefore forms the thesis claim of this paper wherein the author underscores the morality of the soul by looking at the effect of death on the mortal being and the assurance of life by the immortality person. ... A person’s body is made up of three segments; that is, the body, soul and spirit. This composition is the mortal being. The body is physical composition which perishes by the catastrophic appearance of death. The spirit can never die and the assurance is that the soul that lives within the spirit shall continue to dwell in the spirit after death hence the immortality. Therefore, the Socrates were outraged by the death that takes away philosophers thus engineering them to explore more about the immortal being and its benefits. When a child is born, he thinks as a child and as that child progresses in life, he or she learns to be an adult. This does not matter whether the child would be a thinker or not but every person has a thought thinking attitude on his or her mind. It differs depending on your intellect and genetics (Weiss63). One school of thought argues that good thinking people should never perish but an opposing school of thought believe that there is no good person an d therefore, whatever happens is absurdity. If this was the yardstick in measuring that lives and who doesn’t, then some class of people would not be considered useful. However, before God, every human creature is useful and important. It is your character and evasion which will determine your ultimate home; that is, hell or heaven. Whom man would consider useless, God considers him important (Weiss60). . This is a clear revelation why death does not distinguish. Good, bad, murderers, hypocrites and people of various sins face death. Death is a unifying factor to all by the justifiable end of life. This is what worried the Socrates until the revelation of the claim about life after death. The author takes a philosophical journey in analyzing this claim upon which the following arguments

Business letter assigment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business letter assigment - Essay Example He is the kind of person who has hope in every individual he comes across. His philosophy dictates that we are all unique, able, and capable in our own rights. These among many others are the reasons why I chose to take my classes from Professor XXXX in the past. The ultimate aim of writing this letter is to let the Faculty Affairs Committee know that Professor XXXX is the best candidate for the 2012-2013 Outstanding Professor. In this respect, I hope that my nominee will clinch the George and Miriam Phillips Outstanding Professor Award and enjoy the $1,000 gift therein. This hope and subsequent nomination of Professor XXXX is driven by the following three main reasons: The teaching and learning environment is critical to the realization and achievement of the set academic goals and objectives. For students to maximize on their ultimate potentials, this environment has to be favorable, reliable, and effectively and efficiently managed. Failure to do this results in functional complications here and there, aspects that tend to derail the desired academic direction. In the light of Professor XXXX’s duties and responsibilities at the CSU East Bay, the teaching and learning environment stands enhanced and aligned with student needs. His ability to collaborate with numerous campus stakeholders makes this process much easier. Student welfare reflects both personal and academic aspects. In order to promote student welfare, both personal and academic factors/variables have to be accounted for. It is important to note that welfare is a broadly defined provision that encompasses different needs, issues, concerns, tastes, and preferences. Summing up and balancing all these aspects produces the welfare effect. Notably, this welfare effect is fundamental to students and the education fraternity in general. Professor XXXX is essentially influential when it comes to promoting student welfare. His ultimate interest is to have every student

Macroevolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Macroevolution - Essay Example It focuses mainly on the changes which occur above the levels of species (Levinton, 67). In contrast with the micro evolution, it refers to the evolution changes within a species population. The process of specification fall within the purview depending on the forces thought to drive it. Comparative genomics, developmental and paleontology, contribute most of the evidence for patterns and the process which can be classified as macroevolution. Annelida is commonly known as segmented worms which are found in the deepest marine sediments and the city park yards. During the 20th century, Annelida was divided into three main subgroups oligochaeta, polychaeta and Hirudinea (Levinton, 88). Leeches and earthworms are similar to annelids for most people. The polychaeta comprise extent of the divergence of the Annelida and is found near the marine habitat. There are even pelagic polychaeta, which swims, preying on the other plankton and few groups exist in fresh water and the moist environment s. Around nine thousand species of polychaeta are recognized, and the overall systematics groups remain unstable. The oligochaeta and Hirudinea comprise of several other species form a clade which can be referred either clitellata or oligochaeta. It is possible the group may well belong to polychaeta; this makes polychaeta similar with Annelida. There is evidence supporting that all annelids have recently been groped as a single group. The common system used to divide polychaeta was Errantia; his was essentially a system to convenience with no aim of characterize evolutionary relationships. Recent analyses of the Annelida and other groups have resulted into new classification of polychaeta. The group split into two groups palpate and Scolecida. Scolecida contains species less than 1000; these worms are all couch form to another. Palpate have the majority of polychaeta and is also divided into aciculate and canalipalpata. Aciculate are approximately half the polychaeta species and la rgely aggress the old taxonomic group Para podia. Arthropods have taken over almost all the environment on the surface of the earth. Pieces supporting the evidence run that more species of the arthropods are multi celled animals, but that is only true for the expound species and more hobbyists are added to that list for insects. The phylum arthropod is divided in two subphyla, which are named according to their mouthparts but have several differences. The chelicerae’s, named for mouthparts derived from the appearance of the legs and the chelicerae, they do not have antennae found in the subphylum. The chelicerates have six pairs of appendages. One pair of chelicerae is followed by a pair of pedipalps, legs which are adapted with other purposes rather than walking. The horse crab is an old group which has five pairs of legs and no pedipalps; it resembles a shield with two eyes and a tail. They live in sandy zones; have been existing for a long time looking much similar as they are today. The evolutionary theory, they suggest that creatures are suited to an environment which has remained stable for a long time which would change. When exposed to direct radiation chemicals, which mutate animals DNA, changed molecules. The process of mesmerisation is known in drosophila. The metameric pattern can be extended to arthropods and other related animals. The known diversity of metameric process should evolutionary interprets the relationship between their developmental and morphological features. We view the aspects of drosophila development which involve Para segmentation and compartmentalization patterns. The regularities are compared with what is known as phenomena in other crustaceans, onyochophorans and millipedes. The Annelida segments and hypothetical soft bodied which cannot be

Review of an Academic Research Paper Literature Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Of an Academic Research Paper - Literature review Example Abstract: The purpose of an abstract is to provide the audience with a clear idea of the contents of the paper, where the authors describe the purpose of the paper, the research methodology used and a brief discussion of the findings, discussions and recommendations, if any. In this context, the article under review clearly brings out the fact that many previous studies on educational validity of gaming simulations â€Å"have been inconclusive† (Stainton et al, 2010, p.705). Thus, the authors inform the audience that their study has considered this aspect and it will â€Å"provide a foundation for future educational validity studies† (p.705). The abstract in this case, therefore, serves its intended purpose as per academic conventions. Introduction: Though the authors do not segregate and assign a separate section for introduction, they introduce the topic in the beginning stating that the study â€Å"proposes a methodology framework for assessing the educational valid ity of business gaming solution† (p.705). The authors further identify â€Å"total enterprise simulation† (TES) as a â€Å"credible learning tool† that can justify the time and cost invested by the students (p.705-706). Thus, the readers, right from the outset of the paper are able to understand the contents and take a decision whether to read the complete article or not, which is the purpose of the introduction in a paper. Theoretical Framework: The authors concede to the fact that â€Å"simulations are not an accurate representation of the real world† and identify this problem as the reason for their validity (p.707). Further, they also contend that the â€Å"knowledge and biases of the designer† also â€Å"distort† the learning potential of the simulations, which contributes to the difficulty and complexity in achieving the learning objectives (p.707). Their current study is based on these premises and the research attempts to find alterna tives to address these issues. The authors further argue that learners require sufficient time to â€Å"reflect on engaging experiences† coupled with motivation and feedback so as to ingest the learning effectively (p.709). Thus, they attempt to design a research methodology framework for addressing the problems in the â€Å"design, implementation, and implementation† of gaming simulations, through their study (p.709). They also feel there is an absence of a definite process for the design, implementation and validation of a TES and, therefore, they propose the need for the formulation of certain â€Å"theoretical propositions† and list them in the theoretical framework of the paper (p.710). By clearly bringing out the problems associated with the process of validating the gaming solutions in learning and identifying the specific theoretical frameworks to address these issues, the authors have clearly spelled out their objectives in the paper. Thus, from an acad emic perspective, the article provides the readers with all necessary information required by them to understand the theoretical framework on the paper. Research Design and Instruments: The authors propose a â€Å"multi-case study research design† that addresses the validity and reliability issues for the purpose of their study (p.711). In this context, it can be understood that case studies are effective tools for evaluating the

Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 12

Entrepreneurship - Essay Example Start ups succeed when entrepreneurs are able to correctly anticipate the needs of a niche market and then work steadily to capitalize on the unique points of their service. Cater2me was successful in part because it was self financed and did not opt to achieve quick profit growth as is often required by venture capital funding. The owners can now further expand the business through Format franchising, which will allow Cater2me to reach across the Atlantic into the bustling London market through licensing their brand, operations value and culture to aspiring business owners. The format lets the franchisor keep control of their original idea while including and incorporating local insights from the franchisees and minimizes the risk for both the groups. It is a symbiotic relationship where Cater2me will provide the necessary support (training, managerial and operational processes, brand value etc) to their franchised outlets in overseas centers and the business owners themselves will take on the routine work and risk associated with running the branches. Partners Zach Yungst and Alex Lorton had the idea for their startup Cater2me, while walking across downtown San Francisco, admiring the variety of food options available at street side vendors. They were also aware of how these vendors were limited to a restricted customer base and did not have the options for scalability that were available to restaurants or better financially backed establishments. They saw a market opportunity for bridging the gap between the vendors and the corporate customers who would be eager to sample the vast variety of food items if only it was conveniently packaged and delivered. Cater2me began in 2010 as a service providing quality food options to the various corporate offices and other tech startups operating in San Francisco who are not big enough to afford

Macroevolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Macroevolution - Essay Example It focuses mainly on the changes which occur above the levels of species (Levinton, 67). In contrast with the micro evolution, it refers to the evolution changes within a species population. The process of specification fall within the purview depending on the forces thought to drive it. Comparative genomics, developmental and paleontology, contribute most of the evidence for patterns and the process which can be classified as macroevolution. Annelida is commonly known as segmented worms which are found in the deepest marine sediments and the city park yards. During the 20th century, Annelida was divided into three main subgroups oligochaeta, polychaeta and Hirudinea (Levinton, 88). Leeches and earthworms are similar to annelids for most people. The polychaeta comprise extent of the divergence of the Annelida and is found near the marine habitat. There are even pelagic polychaeta, which swims, preying on the other plankton and few groups exist in fresh water and the moist environment s. Around nine thousand species of polychaeta are recognized, and the overall systematics groups remain unstable. The oligochaeta and Hirudinea comprise of several other species form a clade which can be referred either clitellata or oligochaeta. It is possible the group may well belong to polychaeta; this makes polychaeta similar with Annelida. There is evidence supporting that all annelids have recently been groped as a single group. The common system used to divide polychaeta was Errantia; his was essentially a system to convenience with no aim of characterize evolutionary relationships. Recent analyses of the Annelida and other groups have resulted into new classification of polychaeta. The group split into two groups palpate and Scolecida. Scolecida contains species less than 1000; these worms are all couch form to another. Palpate have the majority of polychaeta and is also divided into aciculate and canalipalpata. Aciculate are approximately half the polychaeta species and la rgely aggress the old taxonomic group Para podia. Arthropods have taken over almost all the environment on the surface of the earth. Pieces supporting the evidence run that more species of the arthropods are multi celled animals, but that is only true for the expound species and more hobbyists are added to that list for insects. The phylum arthropod is divided in two subphyla, which are named according to their mouthparts but have several differences. The chelicerae’s, named for mouthparts derived from the appearance of the legs and the chelicerae, they do not have antennae found in the subphylum. The chelicerates have six pairs of appendages. One pair of chelicerae is followed by a pair of pedipalps, legs which are adapted with other purposes rather than walking. The horse crab is an old group which has five pairs of legs and no pedipalps; it resembles a shield with two eyes and a tail. They live in sandy zones; have been existing for a long time looking much similar as they are today. The evolutionary theory, they suggest that creatures are suited to an environment which has remained stable for a long time which would change. When exposed to direct radiation chemicals, which mutate animals DNA, changed molecules. The process of mesmerisation is known in drosophila. The metameric pattern can be extended to arthropods and other related animals. The known diversity of metameric process should evolutionary interprets the relationship between their developmental and morphological features. We view the aspects of drosophila development which involve Para segmentation and compartmentalization patterns. The regularities are compared with what is known as phenomena in other crustaceans, onyochophorans and millipedes. The Annelida segments and hypothetical soft bodied which cannot be

Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 12

Entrepreneurship - Essay Example Start ups succeed when entrepreneurs are able to correctly anticipate the needs of a niche market and then work steadily to capitalize on the unique points of their service. Cater2me was successful in part because it was self financed and did not opt to achieve quick profit growth as is often required by venture capital funding. The owners can now further expand the business through Format franchising, which will allow Cater2me to reach across the Atlantic into the bustling London market through licensing their brand, operations value and culture to aspiring business owners. The format lets the franchisor keep control of their original idea while including and incorporating local insights from the franchisees and minimizes the risk for both the groups. It is a symbiotic relationship where Cater2me will provide the necessary support (training, managerial and operational processes, brand value etc) to their franchised outlets in overseas centers and the business owners themselves will take on the routine work and risk associated with running the branches. Partners Zach Yungst and Alex Lorton had the idea for their startup Cater2me, while walking across downtown San Francisco, admiring the variety of food options available at street side vendors. They were also aware of how these vendors were limited to a restricted customer base and did not have the options for scalability that were available to restaurants or better financially backed establishments. They saw a market opportunity for bridging the gap between the vendors and the corporate customers who would be eager to sample the vast variety of food items if only it was conveniently packaged and delivered. Cater2me began in 2010 as a service providing quality food options to the various corporate offices and other tech startups operating in San Francisco who are not big enough to afford

Advanced Language Arts Essay Example for Free

Advanced Language Arts Essay Although teachers might disagree, having students eating in class will help students and teachers stay on task and not worry about lunch time. Staff should let us students eat during class because students will be more focused, awake, and excited to learn and participate in class. If student were able to eat during class then they would be able to concentrate on the objective they are learning instead of thinking about â€Å"what’s for lunch?† One of the many reasons students should be able to eat in class is due to that us students don’t have enough time to wake up earlier and cook our self a nice meal. We barely have enough time to get ready for school in the mornings. It is even harder, trying to eat breakfast, if a student has to walk to school every day. All of the years that I’ve been attending school there have not been a year when teachers don’t emphasize how important eating breakfast is. We have heard multiple of times â€Å"the most important mean of the day is breakfast.† Another reason why students should be able to eat in class is because teachers are allowed to eat in front of us but we are not allowed to eat in class. We should have to follow the same rules. There has been a time where I go to school with any empty stomach and I always see a teacher eating a granola bar. Seeing them eat doesn’t let me concentrate and it gets me more hungry and at that time I just hold my stomach tight and hope my stomach doesn’t growl. My final reason why teachers should let students eat in class is because kids will have energy to participate in class. Shouldn’t all teachers desire to see all their students’ hands up eager to answer questions? If teachers would just give it a chance and let students eat in lass they would be participating in school activities and fund raisers. In conclusion, eating during class will help students concentrate and have energy.

Economic Growth and Standards of Living

Economic Growth and Standards of Living International Marketing Tehniat Zafar Is it possible for an economy to experience economic growth as measured by GNP without rise in standard of living? Discuss. Ans: A Nation’s â€Å"GNP† Gross National product is the total amount of its economic production and resources. On the other hand, The Gross National Product amount in no way specifies the method in which this wealth or money is circulated in the economy. There are many cases in â€Å"under-developed† states like 1% of the inhabitants may or would control 80 % of the wealth as there is a large income disparity and unequal distribution of wealth. Therefore, however the economy may develop and the amount of GNP will escalate significantly. It is not necessary that the largest ratio of the people may experience an appropriate increase in their standard of living because population rate is so high in these nations. Population growth is one major problem. Nevertheless, total national income might significantly rise because there will be more workforce. The average per capita GNP will decrease if population growth is tremendously great because there is a large amount of income disparity among people. GNP measures the economic condition of the country that how the economy is towards growth. Acording to an assumption: All other things equal, A rise in GNP will read to an increase in the standard of living people aswell. Vice versa that if a nation increase its standard of living their GNP rate will increase aswell. One benefit public can benfit from higher growth rate is that the will be consuming more goods and services and it is also an economic assumption that consumption is related to utility and higher consumption in terms of theory there is greater level of prosperity. Higher growth rates results in higher tax revenues and when the tax revenues will increase the government can spend more on siginificant services like health, roads, education. It is a known fact that improved health can also lead to improved standard of living and better educational standards can promote literacy and development as education is a significant tool of welfare and prosperity. If a country’s growth rates are high the unemployment rate will also decrease as there will be more jobs. As employment is a major reason of social problems and issues but structural unemployment like due to technological changes will not decrease. Law of Diminishing returns is an economic theory, which means that the tenth unit of a good will give much less satisfaction than the first one. For example if we already have two luxury cars, will our living standards actually recover if we now have the ability to own three cars now? Frequently as economic growth expands earnings, people progressively save their wealth as this is basically because they fight to find whatever expressive to devote their wealth on and which is suitable for them Economic growth can also increase pollution. Global warming side effects are becoming a significant problem for the society. On contrary to it high economic growth can be used develop better techniques to lessen the effects of pollution and pollution itself. As there is a large amount of income disparity and unequal distribution of wealth high economic growth can cause more increased inequality because educated people will get more benefit and illiterate people will not get as much benefits as compared to educated people. Higher economic growth results in higher incomes and wages of people and because of that the crime rate increases aswell because crime is not basically related to poverty it is mostly related to theft, as you can see in the late 50’s or 60’s technological gadgets like mobiles phones and tablets were non existent and in today’s world these gadgets are the ones which mostly get stolen and these thefts are higher now. Higher growth rate will affect standard of living as the people will start to work more hours thus disturbing their personal life. They will get higher incomes but they wont be having enough time to spend it with their family with peace. As the economic growth will increase many diseases will increase aswell as you saw that in today’s standard of living obesity is a common disease as people have money and increased prosperity they avoid doing work themselves or even to cook food for their self so they just go out buy all tha fast junk food which later result in many new diseases in them. It’s a proven fact that when an economy’s growth rate rises the income increases aswell money is more available to people through employment oppurtunities when the economy is powerful people spend more money and consume more products. As a country develops, income arises, population growth shifts, expectation for a better life gets high, people’s demands arise. Economic rapidness affects the consumer behavior and in every dynamic economy consumer and consumption patterns change rapidly High standards of living is directly related to rapid economic growth as the workforce of economy will expand and they will produce more and the public will consume more so it’s a direct relationship that as production will increase consumption will increase aswell. Labor productivity increases with increasing growth rate, increased productivity helps the economy in the long run to a much greater extent then it hurts the labour force. As the productivity upsurges, so do the sum of goods and marketplaces open. Likewise, as products turn out to be less lavish, due to more well-organized manufacture techniques, the amount demanded for some of those goods also upsurges. Low developed countries are more benfited with high growth rates because they are more in need of it as developed countries. High economic growth help the nation to deal with many crucial problems of poverty, unjustice, basic facilities etc. We cannot say that economic growth is destined to bring unhappiness in fact we have to connect the potential of economic growth to make sure it really does increase the living standards of the inhabitants. A country which lacks productivity will have lower wages and income as compared to countries with higher productivity levels. High standard of living demand prosperity and for prosperity the proper system of health, care, nutrition and life expectancy must be assured. The more prosperous an economy will be the more his citizens will healthy and fit and in this way they will work for their nation more efficiently. We cannot say that prosperity stays stationary. As an alternative many nation’s over time become or less affluent. An economic boom may or may not bring prosperity to that country. Higher livings standards basically benefit majorly all the inhabitants of an economy a rapid increase in labor supply will result in labor demand aswell thus minimizing the chances of unemployment. High growth economy lead to high incentive so when the living standard of the population will increase people will more like to invest more because of the incentive the economy is offering and this will improve their standard of living more. If we take a look at the history 1950 or 1960 in USA’s rapid high growth resulted in inquality which resulted in a decrease in standard of living. Consequently, we analysed some benefits and drawbacks of economic growth for our living standards and we can observe that there is no a particular answer to that question that whether standard of living is affected with rapid growth rate or not, but I think that economic growth hints to upsurge in living standards of the people because the high economic growth can solve the most crucial and significant problems with learning and well-being or depletion of goods, products and services and these things are far more vital than an disparity or lengthier working hours for labour and working class.

The Other Side of Big Business :: essays research papers

The Other Side of Big Business In America in the 1880s, big business began to flourish due to the likes of J.P. Morgan and Andrew Carnegie. They established this by being very successful businessman themselves, and doing what they had to do to be successful, such as cut corners, whether it be in the likes of sanitation and working conditions, or pay lower wages because of the resources provided. Naturally, some sacrifices needed to be made in order to achieve this goal. But in the long run, I believe that it was well more then worth it. Many historians and big business critics argue that they did this in selfish and corrupt ways that only hurt America. I am going to argue that what was done was necessary for the prosperity of this nation, and that this was the best alternative. Before the 1880s, all of America was mainly independent upon themselves for the resources they needed to survive. Our economy was based on farming and livestock. Then along came the idea of big business. The changes that took place after the civil war involved more then just a change of technique and productivity. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the nations major sectors, like banking, oil refining, railroads, and steel, were controlled by a small number of larger corporations. This rise was also accompanied by an increase in the number of millionaires. At the beginning of the Civil War, there were only 400 millionaires in the United States. By 1892, the number had risen to 4,047.1 The emergence of the modern corporation was accompanied by many positive developments. Between 1890 and 1929, the average urban worker put in one less day of work a week and brought home three times as much in pay. The proportion of families confined to the drudgery of farm life declined by half . By 1929, nine out of ten Americans had electricity and indoor plumbing, four-fifths had automobiles, two-thirds had radios, and nearly half refrigerators and phonographs. At the same time, infant mortality fell by two-thirds, and life expectancy increased by twenty years.2 There were many differences between smaller businesses before the 1870s and the larger ones after. The most obvious, involved the corporation's larger size and capitalization. The typical business establishment before the 1870s was financed by a single person or by several people bound together in a partnership. As a result, most businesses represented the wealth of only a few individuals.

Thomas Hardy Essay -- essays research papers

Thomas Hardy Thomas Hardy, written by Trevor Johnson, is the detailed journey through the life of one of England’s greatest writers. This biography describes some of the major details of his life such as his family, his education, and his major works. Thomas Hardy was born in 1840 at the Village of Upper Bochampton. He was the child of a country stonemason. Hardy was the third Thomas of his family. His mother’s maiden name was Jemima Hand and she and her husband led Hardy to have an unusually happy childhood. His early years were a seed-bed to his later creative development. His mother knew what real poverty was when she was young because she lost her father. Hardy said ‘ she read every book she could lay her hands on’ and she grew up to be a woman of ability, judgment, and ‘ an energy that might have carried her to incalculable issues!’ Many thought she was the dominant influence in Hardy’s life but his father was a man of character also. Even though he didn’t ‘ possess the art of enriching himself by business,’ he was a fine craftsman, and a lover of music. Hardy’s family was never poor and he summed up his happy childhood in a tiny lyric: She sat here in her chair, smiling into the fire; He who played stood there, 2 Bowing it higher and higher. Childlike, I danced in a dream; Blessings emblazoned that day; Everything glowed with a gleam; Yet we were looking away! As a young child, Hardy mastered the violin learning over 100 tunes. He also sang in the Stansford Church every Sunday. It seems to be that Hardy and his parents had a good relationship. In 1867 Hardy met Tryphena Sparks who was 16 and a daughter to a family related to his. She was intelligent and made her living as a teacher. She bore a child in 1868 and Hardy fell deeply in love with her. But in 1872 she broke his heart by returning her engagement ring. She then remarried and had two more children before dying in 1890. Tryphena had a great influence on his writing. On March 7, 1870 Hardy took an architectural trip to a church named St. Juliot. He stayed at the rectory and met the rector’s sister-in-law, Emma Lavinia Gifford. She was younger and attractive, and they walked hand in hand through the countryside. They fell half in love and Hardy made many trips back to St. Juliot. In 1874 they were married and proceeded to wander about Europe until they settled in S... ... as the greatest English author of his time. He received an Order of Merit and many doctorates from universities. His achievements stemmed further from writing by receiving two architectural awards. He was even popular enough to get pestered by nosy neighbors. His relationships with other writers were few but important. When he was with Florence Ellen Dugdale, his home was a pilgrimage to young writers like, Edmund Blunden, Robert Graves, T.E. Lawrence,, and Siegfried Sassoon. But perhaps the greatest honor he ever received was when he died. His ashes were scattered in Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abby next to the great Charles Dickens. Thomas Hardy by Trevor Johnson is a well written, thorough, and easy to follow biography. Leaving out only ancestry and condemnation, it provided a lot of information on major topics. This book is a good description of Hardy and it is a good research reference. By reading this and The Mayor of Casterbridge it is easy to tie together Hardy’s life and Michael Henchard’s. It is clear that Hardy knew of lost love and experienced the surrounding hardships. Thomas Hardy is a good writer and by Trevor Johnson’s description, he led a good life.

Freemasonry and United States Essay

Freemasonry, teachings and practices of the secret fraternal order officially known as the Free and Accepted Masons, or Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. Organizational Structure There are approximately 5 million members worldwide, mostly in the United States and other English-speaking countries. With adherents in almost every nation where Freemasonry is not officially banned, it forms the largest secret society in the world. There is no central Masonic authority; jurisdiction is divided among autonomous national authorities, called grand lodges, and many concordant organizations of higher-degree Masons. In the United States and Canada the highest authority rests with state and provincial grand lodges. Custom is the supreme authority of the order, and there are elaborate symbolic rites and ceremonies, most of which utilize the instruments of the stonemason–the plumb, the square, the level, and compasses–and apocryphal events concerning the building of King Solomon’s Temple for allegorical purposes. The principles of Freemasonry have traditionally been liberal and democratic. Anderson’s Constitutions (1723), the bylaws of the Grand Lodge of England, which is Freemasonry’s oldest extant lodge, cites religious toleration, loyalty to local government, and political compromise as basic to the Masonic ideal. Masons are expected to believe in a Supreme Being, use a holy book appropriate to the religion of the lodge’s members, and maintain a vow of secrecy concerning the order’s ceremonies. The basic unit of Freemasonry is the local Blue lodge, generally housed in a Masonic temple. The lodge consists of three Craft, Symbolic, or Blue Degrees: Entered Apprentice (First Degree), Fellow Craft (Second Degree), and Master Mason (Third Degree). These gradations are meant to correspond to the three levels–apprentice, journeyman, and master–of the medieval stonemasons’ guilds. The average Mason does not rise above Master Mason. If he does, however, he has the choice of advancing through about 100 different rites, encompassing some 1,000 higher degrees, throughout the world. In the United States, the two most popular rites are the Scottish and the York. The Scottish Rite awards 30 higher degrees, from Secret Master (Fourth Degree) to Sovereign Grand Inspector General (Thirty-third Degree). The York Rite awards ten degrees, from Mark Master to Order of Knights Templar, the latter being similar to a Thirty-third Degree Scottish Rite Mason. Other important Masonic groups are the Prince Hall Grand Lodge, to which many African-American Masons belong; the Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm (the â€Å"fraternal fun order for Blue Lodge Masons†); and the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (Thirty-second degree Masons who, as the Shriners, are noted for their colorful parades and support of children’s hospitals). There are also many subsidiary Masonic groups, including the Order of the Eastern Star, limited to Master Masons and their female relatives; De Molay, an organization for boys; and Job’s Daughters and Rainbow, two organizations for girls. Many of the orders maintain homes for aged members. Development of the Order The order is thought to have arisen from the English and Scottish fraternities of practicing stonemasons and cathedral builders in the early Middle Ages; traces of the society have been found as early as the 14th cent. Because, however, some documents of the order trace the sciences of masonry and geometry from Egypt, Babylon, and Palestine to England and France, some historians of Masonry claim that the order has roots in antiquity. The formation of the English Grand Lodge in London (1717) was the beginning of the widespread dissemination of speculative Freemasonry, the present-day fraternal order, whose membership is not limited to working stonemasons. The six lodges in England in 1700 grew to about 30 by 1723. There was a parallel development in Scotland and Ireland, although some lodges remained unaffiliated and open only to practicing masons. By the end of the 18th cent. here were Masonic lodges in all European countries and in many other parts of the world as well. The first lodge in the United States was founded in Philadelphia (1730); Benjamin Franklin was a member. Many of the leaders of the American Revolution, including John Hancock and Paul Revere, were members of St. Andrew’s Lodge in Boston. George Washington became a Mason in 1752. At the time of the Revolution most of the American lodges broke away from their English and Scottish antecedents. Freemasonry has continued to be important in politics; 13 Presidents have been Masons, and at any given time quite a large number of the members of Congress have belonged to Masonic lodges. Notable European Masons included Voltaire, Giuseppe Mazzini, Giuseppe Garibaldi, Franz Joseph Haydn, Johann von Goethe, Johann von Schiller, and many leaders of Russia’s Decembrist revolt (1825). Opposition to Freemasonry Because of its identification with 19th-century bourgeois liberalism, there has been much opposition to Freemasonry. The most violent in the United States was that of the Anti-Masonic party. Freemasonry’s anticlerical attitude has also led to strong opposition from the Roman Catholic Church, which first expressed its anti-Masonic attitude in a bull of Pope Clement XII (1738). The Catholic Church still discourages its members from joining the order. Totalitarian states have always suppressed Freemasonry; the lodges in Italy, Austria, and Germany were forcibly eradicated under fascism and Nazism, and there are now no lodges in China.