Coming full circle Essay

You could almost say that Leadership, the US Army, the Quality Circle (Editors, 2007), and the Baldrige Criteria (Commerce, 2006) have a shared history: Having established above the importance of leadership in all aspects of life in that it is found in the military as well as in the civilian: business even in the spiritual (servant-leadership) or religious—it was the US Army which took the lead in the formation of â€Å"quality circles† during the Second World War in the 1940s to ensure that the US produce large quantities of war materiel of best quality (Anonymous, 2002). It even took a US Professor, W.Edwards Deming (Editors, 2007), of Western culture, to teach the Japanese, of Eastern culture, to this concept of â€Å"quality circles† (Anonymous, 2002; Editors, 2007; Jarvis, 2006; Swinton, 2007), catapulting Japan slowly but surely to Asian world power status and endearing Prof. Deming to the Japanese who honored him with a prestigious award after his name, the Deming Award. Faced with slack economic progress in the 1970s, the US government set up the Baldrige Criteria/Awards to catch up and to try to lead again in the world’s industries (Commerce, 2001, , 2005, , 2006, , 2007a, , 2007b, , 2007c). In effect, it cannot be avoided if the Baldrige Awards is compared with the Deming Award in Japan. All things besides, the Baldrige Criteria attempts to accurately measure those seven (7) identified aspects (more about later) which contribute to organizational success. Even this year 2007 (Commerce, 2007b), many modifications have been in place in the Baldrige Criteria to keep up with new challenges met, showing how dynamic the Baldrige Method is. It now took the Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve ESGR (E. S. G. R., 2007), a US Department of Defense agency working for the US Armed Forces to take the lead in possibly showing other applications of readily available Baldrige Criteria raw scores. Statement of the Thesis Problem Attempting to prove that when Leadership Scores Category are high as measured by the Baldrige Criteria, then the other six (6) Category areas measure high as well, such as Strategic Planning; Customer and Market Focus; Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Measurement; Human Resource Focus; Process Management; and Business Results and to show a correlation as such. Hypotheses Hypotheses to be tested: 1. Leadership scores category are significantly correlated with the scores of the other six category areas. 2. Significant multiple regression equation exists between leadership scores (Y, dependent variable) and the scores of the six category areas (X, independent variables). Objectives of the Thesis 1. To determine the difference between Leaders (or Senior Leaders) and Others (or Junior Leaders) using performance excellence criteria of the Baldrige framework. 2. To determine which of the different concerns contribute to leadership. Materials and Methods The Survey Data Provider The set of raw data used as the primary research of this paper provided the basis for the Report (Peacock, 2006) submitted by Gartman and Associates, a Baldrige-accredited contractor duly authorized to conduct the Baldrige survey using the 2006 Baldrige Criteria as the framework. This criterion is the de facto criteria of performance excellence used globally by manufacturing, service, small business, health care, education, and nonprofit/government for improving organizational performance. The criteria has seven focus areas: Leadership; Strategic Planning; Customer and Market Focus; Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management; Human Resources Focus; Process Management; and Business Results. The Survey Date and the Target Institution. During the week of 4 through 8 December 2006, Gartman and Associates performed a high-level, initial â€Å"quick look† assessment of the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, ESGR (E. S. G. R. , 2007). Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is a Department of Defense (DoD) organization of the United States of America (USA). It is a staff group within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs (OASD/RA), which is in itself a part of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The nation’s Reserve components, referring to the total of all National Guard members and Reserve forces from all branches of the military, (Laurent, 2006) comprise approximately 46 percent of the total available military manpower of the USA’s Armed Forces . The current National Defense Strategy indicates that the National Guard and Reserve will be full partners in the fully integrated Total Force. The USA Reserve Forces will spend more time away from the workplace defending the nation, supporting a demanding operations tempo and training, take note, to maintain their mission readiness. In this environment, civilian employers play a critical role in the defense of the nation by complying with existing employment laws protecting the rights of workers who serve in the Reserve component. ESGR was established in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve component members and their civilian employers and to assist in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee’s military commitment. ESGR is the lead DoD organization for this mission under DoD Directive 1250. 1.

Mid-Term Notes

Midterm and Final Review Pre-Media GRA 323 Final 70-80 questions Job planning (folding dummies, laysheet plans, calculations) 25% of final mark Review WP. Of laysheet and folding dummies Calculations how many plates- press sheets- how many times through press. ————————————————- Study * Media box> Trim box > art box * Preflight what it is * The specs for the job. * Four areas of preflighting colors * Trapping> what it is > why * 4 types of trapping > over print> chock * Trapping distort the lighter colour> dark makes shape * Lightness> measures through grey scale Separate colour> comp * Trapping tolerance> ? row dots * Job planning > who does them> what it is> determine specs> where do we start (we talk to bindery) * Bindery considerations * Press consideration> colours, impositions> enough units * Press sheet size * Job specs> double check > * Basic steps to good job planni ng * Imposition> signature, pages, forms> where do we need the least space> not needed * Know EACH IMPOSITION STYPE * Head orientations * Number up, number out * Folding dummy, laysheet plan * One laysheet plan for every form * Kodak Preps (part of a workflow) Preps signature > imposition * Prep job> run list> placeholder> not same a printegy there are different orders * Preps marks, text marks variable data ————————————————- ————————————————- Lectures Week 1-6 Notes Week 2 Preflighting I Preflighting Introduction & Manual * Preflighting is not always done by one person. * The client can fix it as well * Press errors include trapping, too many colours, etc * Fonts are still the biggest problems regarding pre-flight because of the different types of fonts there ar e.DO NOT USE CITY FONTS. Manual & Software Assisted * You should change the size / crop the image in Photoshop, so that it’s size-as in inDesign. * Do not use . gif images, and you can sort of get away with . jpg but it is not advised. * Link every image, and make sure it’s updated. * For vectors, you should stick with . ai, . pdf, . eps. * Less editable Week 6 Imposition I * What is imposition? It’s the placement of the pages so when I fold the press sheet it creates a book with the least amount of work. * Minimize waste, maximize press sheet. * Passes: Can we do it in one job? Make sure you always communicate with bindery because they technically determine how the job should be handled. * Signature: Double-sided sheet meant to be folded down. * Approximately 5 common styles of imposition: * Sheetwise / Sheetwork (SW) * Perfecting * Work & Turn * Work & Tumble/Flop * Flatwork * Form: one side of a signature * Page/Folio: one page – single side of a page or paper. * Sheet: One piece of substrate * 1-up/out: One set of sheet makes one final product. * Tumble flips the sheet over. * Must cut paper before printing for perfect size.Make sure the length of the sheet is the same on all sheets to ensure proper registration. * Flatwork is a job that does not require any sheet work. It is usually a single sided sheet. Imposition Styles Sheetwork * Most Common Layout * Different Plates sets for front and back forms * Requires two side guides, maintains same side guides * Lead edge never changes * 1 up/ 1out * Lip and QC Bar are always opposite of gripper * Uses one set of plates for both sides * Front and back pages on single plate * Lead edge does not change * Side guide CHANGE * 1 up/ 2 out * Uses one set of plates for both sides * One set of plates for both sides Side grippers remains same * Gripper edges changes * Sheet is cut in half after printing and results in two identical signatures * Is considered sheetwork but sheet tumbles betwee n units similar to work and tumble * Two sets of plate need * Side guides stay the same * In single pass sheet will tumble between units and print on both sides ————————————————- Lab Notes Demos Lab # 2: Document Construction Palettes * Separation Preview. Is a good tool for preflighting and running a diagnostics of your plates * Swatches. Delete the colors you are not using decreases file size * Info.Tells you the x,y and w x h * Links. Lets you know if your images are compatible with the file and allows you to update them Indesign * In inDesign, you must have the swatches and separation preview palette open. * Switch content to graphic or text. Photoshop Duo-tone. Gray scaled image. In Photoshop, you go to Image > Mode > Duotone. * BE CAREFUL OF THE COLOUR NAMES. It doesn’t support . TIFF so stay with . psd * The ppi is an info palette, make sure the ppi matches t o document output. * For the student directory you can have a color that looks like a cmyk BUT it cannot be a spot color.Lab # 4 Trapping Demo What is Trapping? * Trapping is a prepress procedure that introduces areas of color into color separations. When printed, these areas obscure potential register errors * These errors are usually caused by the paper shifting or changing shape while it is printed, or by presses or plates that are out of register. * Trapping introduces corrective color elements to a printing job In the process of trapping, new elements are added to the color separations. When printed, these elements compensate for potential problems on the press. Types of Trapping Simple trapping elements are called â€Å"spreads† and â€Å"chokes. † Refer to Powerpoint * Two types of trapping: Ink trapping for text, object trapping – two colour objects that touch each other. * inDesign > Preferences > Appearance of black. Make sure black is 100% and not ric h black. Overprint fill – Includes all the colour so it shows in all the plates. WE WANT TO OVERPRINT. * There’s attributes, separation preview, swatches palette. * Trapping is virtually the same in inDesign and Illustrator. * Overprint small black type: Output Questions to ask before Preflighting 1. What are the specs of the job? * Safety * Bleeds * lpi * Size of document * Color process 4/cp or 2/cp * 2. Are there any spot colors? If yes what are they? Preflighting Profile Preflight panel * Keep the button on. It check everything you do and detects any error while the file is still open * Define profiles.For the lpi you can possibly get away with 1. 5 x lpi instead of the 2 x lpi rule ————————————————- After Mid-Term Lectures Week 8-12 Notes Week 8 Impositions High Folio and Low Folio. Low folio consists of pages in the front half of a signature. High foli o refers to the pages in the back half of the signature. * The dividing line is the center spread. 1/4†³ extra material on the back of the page or pages of an insert or signature needed on the saddle stitcher to pull open the piece. â€Å"High folio† is a reference to higher page numbers in the back of the publication. These terms are applied almost exclusively to saddle stitch binding, where wire stitches are used to bind the magazine along its spine. * A lip is an extension of one side of the signature beyond the other side. In a high lip the high folio side extends beyond the low folio side of the signature. A low folio lip is just the opposite. # Up, # Out (e. g 1 up/ 1 out) †¢ How many of the same image up on a sheet (In this case 1 image), how many copies of each image you get out of the sheet when cut (in this case 1). Lead Edge/Trail Edge †¢ Lead edge is the edge of the sheet that enters the press first (gripper).The trail edge is the other end. Registr ation is tighter on the lead edge Folding Dummies. Is essential a mock version of your actual book. It provides readers with a look of how the impositions will look like and whether the images on the page will work or not. * Folding dummies are an essential step in the proofing process. They can help you catch mistakes like misaligned text, bleeds that do not meet along the fold, and a number of other possible errors or miscalculations. A dummy helps plan the imposition †¢ Some important marks information should be included on a dummy, like: 1. Gripper edge 2.Side guide 3. Spine 4. Heads 5. Lip * Template numbers are always circled * Needs to be assembled for the correct binding method – saddle stitch (inserting) vs. perfect binding (gathering) * Creep is the shifting position of the page in a saddle-stitched bind. Creep moves the inside pages or signatures away from the spine. * Grindoff is the 1/8 (approx. ) that is removed along the spine of gathered signatures before perfect binding Laysheet Each side of a signature will have a laysheet plan (one for each set of plates) * Except for Work and Turn or Work and Tumble * When creating a laysheet, keep in mind: Plate gripper is NOT a part of the laysheet * Paper gripper allowance is * Do not forget Colour control bars (QC Bar) * Work & Tumble and Perfecting require extra * space on backup side (gripper) Week 9 Kodak Preps Imposition Templates * Preps XL Designed for on demand printing solutions * Preps Plus for the commercial printing industry and is the most widely used version around the world * Preps Pro designed for both of the above as well as web includes support for OPI, multi-section templates for imposing more than one signatures on a press sheet, AppleScript as well as web growth compensation.Preps is an industry leading imposotion softwar that can be used as a standalone application or as part of an advance workflow. * As a job is created, the job is previewed in real time. Zoom in on sin gle pages or complete signatures, including marks. When you change a mark, or a page or a layout’s properties, the preview instantly updates, providing an instant check for potential errors. * Use the SmartMarks Software feature to place marks or groups of marks on press sheets, and save them in templates. The marks are placed relative to the sheet size, gutter, or page (rather than static placement).SmartMarks automatically reposition and resize themselves when press sheet sizes change. * When a complex imposition is ready, you can print a report of the detailed job plan, for signoffs, or to include with the job ticket. Then output JDF information with the folding and cutting data, to speed up post press operations. Preps Templates. Contain collections of generic reusable signature for imppsing prep jobs. When you select and apply a signature from a template to a job preps flows the job pages through the signature framework to produce imposed outputs. Basic Preps TemplatePre ps Signatures. Are like containers for signature each of which contain information about a specific press sheet size. * Each template has one binding style * Signature are added to preps job for creating your imposition file Preps Imposition. An imposition container is added to each preps signature that holds your instructions about how and where the pages are to be place on the press sheet. Impositions defined the number of pages in signature the final page size and the head orientation of pages. The template with signature and imposition defined preps job.A file is a staging ground for the final imposition. It combines input files and imposed signatures. It uses a run list to organize imposition pages. With outputting the template of preps we need to create a unpopulated adobe job ticket to use with the RIP. It does not have files or pages assigned to the imposition. Side Guide Marks (Bounce Mark). Indicates positioning of the side guides on press Text Marks. Used to convey inform ation about the job. It can be static or variable. Static. Is inunt at the time the electronic imposition is created and does not change Variable.Use predefined variables to represent certain text that will be extracted from the job at the time of output Week 10 Kodak Prinergy Originally developed in 1999 through a partnership between creo and Heidelberg It is connected to PDF native workflow it is a server-based solution accessed through client software Prinergy centralizes and integrate processes for: PDF Production Resources for fonts and images Normalize Preflight- similar to what we have already done Colour management and spot colours Tapping Optimize (image workflow OPI, resolution and colour spaces ImpositionsKodak Viural Proff * separates the files * imposed press sheet * RIPped dot proof * Week 11 Job planning and imposition Planning a job 1. Determine the max number of pages on a press sheet Take the max press size and divided this by the length and width of the page inclu ding bleeds Then take the max number out this equals the number of pages side to side multiply by two and you get the number of pages to a sheet 2. Break down jobs into signatures How many pages can be in each signature Max 8 pages for sheetwise and perfecting Max 4 pages for work and turn and work and tumbleThere are a total of 12 pages so, 8 pgs sheet wise and 1 4pg work and turn 3. Create fold and label dummies Folding dummies determine the imposition order 4. Create laysheet plans 5. Calculate number of press sheet plates and passes required Week 12 Imposition consideration web offset About we Roll of continues paper * The principles are the same but the difference is you print on rolls * Print on both sides at once. * Print blanket to blanket * 10-15 000 impressions an hour * No gripper and no side guide. Because you feed the paper into the web press. * Run everything to the center of the web. Weed edge * Has impact on imposition * It is the workhorse of magazine printing. The way the job is run through a web press has an impact on the job’s imposition A Web Offset Press In line folder. The web is coming off printing units and gets folded in half. Planning a web job Limitations. Image length and the length of any cut off. Only one options to cut off sheet therefore it must be maximized. Web sheet The sheet length- or repeat length b. c its one circumference of the sheet length Where does the waste come from? Plate gripper and blanket gripper Web imposition You cannot print a web twice

Boundary Violations and Non pliance and Confidentiality

The boundary violation that we discussed in our group was concerning the mental health patients and the reactions of doctors. Boundary violations are disruptions of the expected and accepted social, physical, and psychological boundaries that separate physicians from patient (Falender and Shafranske, 2004). There is a therapeutic nexus between a doctor and a patient is emanating from the purpose of the therapy and whenever there is deviation from the basic goal of treatment, it is referred as boundary violation. Another boundary violation that we discussed involved the exploitation of the patient. Have you witnessed mental health nurses engaging in any of these? Occasionally mental nurses don’t respect the dignity of the patients, the trust created, often called the notion of trust or good faith is not asserted by the nurses (McAuliffe, 2005). The nurses go forth revealing the status of the sick persons to third parties without their consents. Difference between a boundary crossing and boundary violation? Explain. A boundary crossing is an aberration from classical therapeutic action that is non-exploitative, and possibly in-line with the therapy itself. Alternatively, the infringement of the boundary is destructive or hypothetically harmful, to the patient. It amounts to mistreatment of the patient. Equally, boundary infringement can originate from the patient or the therapist (Baca, 2011) Do you see any connection between this issue and the issue of Trauma Informed Care? There is a connection between boundary violations and trauma informed care. Trauma informed care approach is aimed at engaging persons who have previous records of trauma and make them recognize presence of trauma signs and appreciate the role the role played in their lives. The two are connected in the sense that they both deal with social, physical and mental aspects. Through these aspects, the munity can act caringly and take steps to ensure wellness (Elliott, at al.2005). Baca, M., 2011. Professional boundaries and dual relationships in clinical practice. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 7(3), pp.195-200. Elliott, D.E., Bjelajac, P., Fallot, R.D., Markoff, L.S. and Reed, B.G., 2005. Trauma?informed or trauma?denied: principles and implementation of trauma?informed services for women. Journal of munity Psychology, 33(4), pp.461-477. Falender, C.A. and Shafranske, E.P., 2004. Clinical supervision: A petency-based approach. McAuliffe, D., 2005. Putting ethics on the organisational agenda: The social work ethics audit on trial. Australian Social Work, 58(4), pp.357-369.

The Importance of the Employees Perception of Job Satisfaction Research Paper

The Importance of the Employees Perception of Job Satisfaction - Research Paper Example Benchmarks for evaluation of success can be defined by an organisational increase in retention of employees compared to past trends in the facility, with an increase in employee engagement of facility compared to past trends. The recommendation is to focus on the team and individual development to ensure that employees become fully engaged within their function and as team members. Therefore, by triangulating interviews and surveys from employee and management staff based on motivation, engagement, rewards and recognition, this, research will be able to identify weaknesses in the call centre with the ultimate purpose of making recommendations to improve job tenure. The employee's perception of job satisfaction, motivation and staff turnover will allow for evidence to suggest and identify the correlation between key points in managing employees to develop a continuous, stabilised workforce for Company A. This will lend to an affirmation on the importance of employee motivation in job satisfaction and a stronger understanding of ways in which motivation can lower employee turnover. Lowering employee turnover will, in turn, lower costs in training and development. The focus of the research based on the previous literature review and empirical evidence from Company A is to describe employee perceptions and managerial behaviours in relation to employee retention. ... Employee retention is a valid objective of any company, as the literature has shown. This is also relative to understanding the correlation between job satisfaction and staff turnover. These are strongly influenced by employee motivation and job satisfaction.  

Comparing Two Similar Businesses Research Paper

Comparing Two Similar Businesses - Research Paper Example This research paper discuses more about the management strategies essentially in Amazon.com and Borders Books businesses. To arrive at the conclusion of this paper statistical analysis related to the topic of discussion was collected and previous works used. Amazon.com is considered the pioneer in online selling. It expanded in the late 1990s to sell the world’s largest selection of books, DVDs, videos, CDs, electronics, toys, tools, house wares, and kitchen gadgets. Through intermediaries’ conformities, Amazon.com in addition sells products from renowned retailers like Toysrus.com Incorporated., the Borders Group, etc. On the other hand, Borders Group incorporated is the largest after Amazon.com in the United States bookstore chains. It is the fastest rising bookstore chain. It runs 354 superstores in the name of Borders Books and Music. It features books and special events, like live music, and appearances by artists. This research paper analyzed and compared two buss inesses on such topics as management approach each took to Internet marketing and sales, three reasons for Amazon's success despite not turning a profit for the first five to six years, three reasons Borders, although initially successful and profitable, ended up in chapter 11 in relation for bankruptcy safeguard. In conclusion, in order for a company to flourish in the competitive market environment it should adopt the modern marketing strategies like marketing online, designing there website in a way that attracts many customers.

Attitudes,values and job satisfaction Research Paper

Attitudes,values and job satisfaction - Research Paper Example This becomes a problem when the recruited personnel are unable to deliver on their mandate or bring the organization (Robins & Judge, 2013). Financial accounting, reporting and advising are perhaps the areas plagued the most by the problem of dishonesty. Accountants fabricate financial statements in bid to either cover up for the company money they have used on personal spending, or for money they want to rob the organization. On the other hand, audit firms are bought into covering up a company’s dishonest or fraudulent financial deals hence reporting inaccurate information to regulatory agencies and authorities such as Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Some financial advisers collude with organizations in influencing potential clients to join their investment deals even when they would have objectively advised against them. Dishonest financial accounting, reporting and advising can affect negatively on organizational attitudes (Wilson, 2004). Dishonesty has adverse effects on job satisfaction. Rationalization makes dishonest employees justify their dishonest conduct on a cost-benefit analysis. The rewards that come with dishonesty are short-lived and they haunt when the person enjoying realizes that these rewards would have gone into helping other deserving people. Additionally, dishonesty affects job satisfaction when a person in the workplace, especially one in a senior position, unfairly denies an employee some benefits and gives them to another person. This is what happens when promotion opportunities are given to people undeservedly and unequally. Employees are dissatisfied with their work when dishonest conduct brings strife and wrangles amongst them (Robins & Judge, 2013). An issue that contributes to the propagation of dishonesty in the workplace is the lack of elaborate oversight measures. When incumbents are not assessed for dishonesty, it leaves a leeway for them to flout an organization’s culture and values.

Advantages of the constitutional system of the United States Essay

Advantages of the constitutional system of the United States - Essay Example Such anomaly in law can be answered only when there is a practical guide who helps identify the basis of all laws formulated. Being a developed country, there is bound to be a shift in government from time to time. In contrast to a monarchy, it ensures that there is change in the ruling government after every fixed period. However, each government has its own notions and ways of working. Therefore, whenever there is a shift in government, the policies which it follows is bound to change and as such new legislation is introduced time and again. This poses a great threat to the American population, because the â€Å"greatest good for the greatest number† theory is bound to hurt somebody’s rights and interests. To jeopardize even a single person’s rights is to question a whole systematized form of governance. To check this illegal infringement, the constitution in its written form is a policing authority which safeguards the extent of change that can be brought about. Whatever is a written word is not easily erased off the face of an independent nation’s bill of rights. To be written is to be laid and accepted. To alter any such stance any individual or body will need to follow due procedure followed by law. This entails a lot of questions and answers about the new alterations, making the entire procedure tedious and hectic and thus affording no scope for unnecessary intrusion. Being a world power, the US will in all probability have one form of tiff with one country or another from time to time. The written constitution helps define the extent of the rights recognized by such state and limits of both national as well as state authority. The constitution holds the authority and declares the United States as a republic, free from all encumbrances of any sort. This means that it gives to its people a free form of government where citizens are free to elect as well

Necrotizing fasciitis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Necrotizing fasciitis - Essay Example The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that, worldwide, rates of NF increased from the mid-1980s to early 1990s" (http://www.jyi.org/volumes/volume5/issue8/features/hu.html) Those most at risk for infection include those with "medical conditions that weaken their defenses against infections, including people with cancer or diabetes; those abusing alcohol or drugs; or those with chronic heart and lung disease" ("Flesh-eating bacteria," 2006, par. 1). As uncommon as it is for even these people to contract the condition, it is even less common for healthy people. Nevertheless, there have been some cases in which no cause could be identified (par. 1). Necrotizing fasciitis shares symptoms of other medical conditions and does not have any unique symptoms. Thus, it can be extremely difficult to diagnose. Moreover, it is extremely uncommon, with only 500-1500 cases per year appearing estimated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Early symptoms look like so many other things. None of the symptoms are exclusive to this disease, and since many emergency rooms have never seen a case, it is difficult to diagnose" (par. 6). ... e pain or tenderness, especially with no apparent injury or wound, swelling, red or dusky blue rash, flulike symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, fever, confusion, dizziness and weakness" (par.1). Symptoms follow an approximate timeline. "Within the first 24 hours, a small cut that may not necessarily look infected quickly becomes painful. Pain may also result in the same region of the body as the cut. Flu-like symptoms also begin to occur, inluding nausea, diarrhea and fever. Within three to four days, the painful area will begin to swell and may show a purplish rash plus large dark marks that will become blisters filled with a blackish fluid surrounded by bluish, white or dark mottled flaky appearance. Within four to five days, a person becomes unconscious. At this point, most people would die if medical attention is not received" (MacDonald, 1998, par. 4). Obviously, this is a rapidly progressing disease for which early detection and treatment is of paramount importance. In one documented case of the disease, a woman who got a paper cut from flipping through a magazine was awakened that evening with throbbing pain so severe she told the doctor it "felt like her finger was going to explode" (par. 25). "Three days after the initial cut, a black dot appeared on her fingertip. Within a few hours, when she sought a doctor's care, that same black dot had grown to the size of a dime and extended down her finger" (par. 26). According to her doctor, the infection spread so rapidly that the woman might have had to have her entire arm amputated, or she could have even died. Treatment and Prevention Due to the rapidity with which this kind of infection spreads, it is very difficult to treat. Prevention is also difficult because the disease can be brought on by cuts and abrasions

Barriers to Citizenship Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Barriers to Citizenship - Research Paper Example In Canada, the 2009-2010 citizenship tests have been used to evaluate citizens’ movement in various national settings. Such tests can be used as a tool to formulate public policy. In this context, the Canadian citizenship test has become a tool for naturalization as well as inclusion of various races into a singular national identity. In Britain, the naturalization process has been used as a tool to control immigration (Paquet 243). The American Context of Naturalization Process The road to getting American citizenship has largely got evaded from the inspection of legal experts. Scholars and policy makers have not given due attention to it on the cross-roads of two overdue issues of U.S. citizenship: that it has not been tackled efficiently, and that in no circumstance, it has been a smooth process (Spiro 1). The first task has been neglected due to the emerging proofs of a heightened difference between citizenship and alienage. Leaving aside the issue of vote and a reducing c ount of public sector jobs, for decades it has been difficult to differentiate the status of legal citizen aliens in U.S. society. Things changed with the implementation of the 1996 welfare legislation, which decided the criteria for critical federal benefits available on citizenship only. The process of naturalization got a unique revival with the severe amendments in the federal immigration law. The period of mid-1990s observed a record increase in the number of naturalization applications (Spiro 1). Thus, after decades of negligence, the issues pertaining to naturalization and citizenship came to the political limelight. Academics have taken the hint by writing on citizenship issues. The reinforced attention given to citizenship issues lacks the direction for the criteria of naturalization process. The second rough detail of citizenship has acted as a backstop to the revision of the first. Citizenship rank may now be eventful, but if citizenship is easily attained, then the proce ss of acquiring it is of little value. The traditional wisdom greatly rests with the concept that U.S. citizenship is not exclusive, and that the bridge to naturalization is not unattainable. Actually, not going with the traditional wisdom, and adhering to the premise that naturalization needs create barriers for the applicants to naturalization. Being both a historical and current issue, a large number of naturalization applications have been rejected, causing loss of benefits to be accruing from citizenship (Spiro 1). A big rush was seen in citizenship applications in the mid-1990s to verify famous reasons including, such as the outcomes on IRCA law, fear of inability to avail public benefits, and impact of citizenship outreach programs. Applicants seemed very eager to attend English language classes. With the provision of Amnesty under IRCA, it initiated quick rush for citizenship after becoming eligible but it did not materialize in proficiency in the English language or the nat uralization process. The public rush to apply for naturalization was because of not loosing benefits attached to citizenry. Applicants were more interested to apply to ensure their participation in day-to-day American life, to offer sponsorship for the immigration of relatives, and to guarantee a promising career for their children. The leading recognized barrier was total expertise of the English language. The most dependable mean to facilitate naturalization in the 1990s

Fantasy Theme Analysis of Commercial Essay Example for Free

Fantasy Theme Analysis of Commercial Essay â€Å"It’s Not About the Shoes† The Jordan Brand attempts to communicate to its audience that to become legendary they need to understand that it is not about the shoes, but what it is you do in them. They do this by showing a number of star athletes performing when they were in college and high school to the narrator’s (Michael Jordan) words. This paper hypothesizes how it is the Jordan Brand attempts to bring their audience to the shared rhetorical vision of becoming legendary, through fantasy themes in their ad â€Å"It’s Not About the Shoes†. The Fantasy Theme Criticism To understand this paper’s argument on how it is the Jordan Brand attempts to use fantasy themes in their ad, we must first understand what exactly the Fantasy Theme Criticism is. It was created by Ernest G. Bormann, and was designed to provide insights into the shared worldview of a group of rhetors. It is derived from the Symbolic Convergence Theory, and can be applied to different types of rhetoric including the kind(s) used on small groups, social movements, political campaigns, and organizational communication. The criticism relies on two assumptions. One, that rhetoric creates reality, and two, that convergence occurs. With regards to rhetoric creating reality we are to assume that the symbolic forms that are created from the rhetoric are not imitations but organs of reality. This is because it is through their agency that anything becomes real. We assume to that convergence occurs because symbols not only create reality for individuals but that individual’s meanings can combine to create a shared reality for participants. The shared reality then provides a basis for the community of participants to discuss their common experiences and to achieve a mutual understanding. The consequence of this is that the individuals develop the same attitudes and emotions to the personae of the drama. Within this criticism the audience is seen as the most critical part because the sharing of the message is seen as being so significant. The basic unit of this analysis is looking at the different fantasy themes within the rhetoric being analyzed. Fantasy themes tell a story that  accounts for the groups experience and that is the reality of the participants. The three fantasy themes that are necessary to create a drama are setting, characters, and actions. These fantasy themes then come together to form a fantasy type, and rhetorical vision. A fantasy type is a stock rhetorical vision that appears repeatedly in the rhetoric of a group. The actual rhetorical vision is the unified putting together of the various shared fantasies, or a swirling together of fantasy themes to provide a credible interpretation of reality. In the event there is a rhetorical vision, it is suggested that a rhetorical community forms that consists of participants in the vision, or members who have shared the fantasy themes. It is within this community that the ability to understand and act on the motives for action that the rhetorical vision attempts to communicate reside. Analysis Within this ad, there is a number of fantasy themes that the Jordan Brand incorporated that potentially could lead their audience to the desired rhetorical vision they wished to communicate. This part of the paper will seek to analyze this ad by first looking at our ads relationship with the audience, and then breaking the fantasy themes down into the three different kinds that make up this analysis and how they could come together to form a fantasy type and rhetorical vision. In order for the ad to make sense it must share a First there is the setting theme(s). Setting themes depict where it is the action is taking place. In this ad, there are a variety of different athletic venues depicted in which the physical setting takes place for athletes to become legendary. For example, there is a basketball court (P3, P8, P15, P20, P21), a boxing ring (P12-13), a baseball field (P5-6), and football field (P11, P17-18). All of these different physical places are where athletes go to train and perform to become legendary. We here the narrator state various inspirational lines pertaining to ones performance such as, â€Å"It’s about work before glory† (L10-11) and that it is about â€Å"Taking everything you have been given, and making something better† (L8-9). This suggests to the audience that practice and hard work in whatever sport you choose to compete in, are required if you wish to become legendary. The next major setting theme of the ad is within the audience is itself. In the very first scene (P1) all we see initially is the shoes with an unidentified person sitting in them. The screen then scrolls up to reveal a man who it is sitting in a chair deep in thought. This is possibly meant to be symbolic that each and every person in the audience is that athlete in those shoes. Then in the final scene we see a black screen with the words Become Legendary. These two slides form the setting that each member of the audience is supposed to face, the moment in their mind at which they either decide in favor of, or against attempting to become legendary. In addition to this the ad references â€Å"you† the audience a total of 8 times. This supports that the ad is trying to communicate to its audience wherever it is, and since this ad is attempting to call to action its audience the setting is within the audiences minds themselves when they are making their decision. Next there is the characters theme(s). Character themes are any person or object shown engaging in human like action. As previously stated, the ad references â€Å"you† a total of 8 times and makes clear that the audience is the most important character in this ad. Through the imagery and words, the audience is supposed to either imagine themselves as the athletes depicted, or as themselves in similar settings on the athletic field. This inclusive strategy of using the language and themes of the ad to relate to the audience helps to build convergence The athletes who are shown in the ad are also important characters. It is not explicitly stated in the ad who these athletes are, but by watching the ad and viewing the final scene in which the words Become Legendary (P22) appear, the audience can infer that whoever these athletes are, they are legends in their respective games. They are depicted throughout the ad performing various acts of athletic ability, and through the narrator’s words the audience is supposed to imagine themselves performing similar acts as these athletes. Finally, there is the actions theme(s). Action themes deal with the action of the drama. Within this ad there are numerous action themes. By looking at the visuals of the ad we see athletes running up and down a basketball court (P3, P20), hitting baseballs (P5-6), shooting a basketball (P8), catching touchdowns (P11, P18), and hitting a punching bag (P13). Accompanying these visuals we here the narrator’s words and are able to understand the qualities these athletes possess, and how their actions (which become transparent through the ads visual and audio display) have lead them to become legendary. For example, we here the narrator say for the baseball scene (P4-6) that â€Å"It’s about having the courage to fail† (L4-5). The audience is supposed to understand that having courage/acting courageous is important to have if one wishes to become legendary. Another example is in slides P12-15 in which we go from the visual of a young boxer working out, to the image of basketball player in celebration and here the words â€Å"It’s about work, before glory† (L10-11). This scene depicts that the action of working hard leads to the act of celebration in victory. This scene also lends itself to the idea that the act of working hard is important to becoming legendary. These themes form a fantasy type which is that it is not about the shoes. We here this exact line stated in P1L1 that â€Å"It is not about the shoes†. Throughout the ad we then see various video clips and pictures that show us, as well as hear our narrator tell us, what it is about. We then hear in L14 that once again â€Å"It’s not about the shoes† and then in L15-16 that â€Å"It’s about what you do in them, it’s about being who you were born to be†. This fantasy type provides the resolution to the original conflict brought about in the first scene. The fantasy themes discussed above all come together to hopefully lead the audience to the rhetorical vision to become legendary, which is what the rhetor hoped to communicate. Through the fantasy themes the audience is able to see how it is that they can become legendary

Finance Now, New Zealand Analysis

Finance Now, New Zealand Analysis Company Name: Finance Now, New Zealand Companies find it hard to survive in todays world of cut throat competition. All functions, including but not limited to, IT, Marketing, Service, Operations, Human Resource Management etc. are vital in making an organization a commercial success (Scott, 2015). Marketing, being one of the most significant domains, has a crucial role to play. Right from zeroing on a target market to communicating the end product to users, marketing has it all covered under its wing (Slater, 2015). This report highlights the facets of marketing, such as market segmentation, impact the overall performance of a firm named Finance Now. It also gives an overview of the impact of external as well as internal business environment on the functioning of the firm. A detailed analysis highlighting the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of organization has also been done. Finance Now Ltd, established in 2000, is a company that is 100% owned and managed by a loan-lending, local company of New Zealand. SBS (Southland Banking Society) is the parent company of Finance Now and was established in 1869. The company is known to grant loans to only kiwis and work visa holders. A wide array of loans comprising of retail loans, business loans, personal loans etc. are offered to kiwis by the largest building society of New Zealand, SBS. Finance Now has a diverse range of products to offer to its customers. Its association with over 1500 retail locations helps boost its credit sales for motor vehicle dealers as well as good finance/consumer loans all through New Zealand. Interest rates charged by the organization vary from person to person depending on the type of application (Now, financenow.co.nz, 2017). The business world, today, is facing with numerous challenges when it comes to running a commercially successful organization,courtesy the ever-changing external and internal environment. The growth and profitability of a firm are largely dependent on factors within and beyond the scope of the organization (Dibrell, 2015). Thus, it is in the best interest of a firm to adopt strategies that promote sustainable development taking into consideration the impact of external as well as internal factors affecting growth (Boons, 2013). External Environment: Some of the factors, beyond the control of the organization, that may have an impact on its growth are: 1. Social Factors: The lifestyle of the local population of the country in which the firm is operational is a major determinant of the success of firm. This is because a grand lifestyle with little disposable income would result in an enhanced customer base taking loans (Medina Munro, 2017). Growth in population is another factor that could enhance the penetration of Finance Now as more people would mean more requirements of houses and other facilities (Rothaermel, 2015). Also, the rapidly increasing working population of New Zealand has the potential to impact the growth of Finance Now. 2. Legal/Regulatory Factors: Affirming to the rules and regulations set by the government of New Zealand is a prerequisite to establishing and running any business in the nation. Fluctuating interest rates have a direct impact on the growth of financial firms with more customers taking loans when the interest rates are low (Chang, 2013). The documentation process is often standard and a simpler process helps getting more customers on board. 3. Economic Factors: The economic situation of New Zealand is expected to impact the growth of Finance Now the most. This is because, a fluctuating economy would directly contribute to a fluctuating customer base with more people opting for personal and business loans when the economy is low. An evidence is that SBS recorded an annual growth of 24% in Financial Year 2014-15 even though the GDP staggered at 3.5% (McBeth, 2015). A rise in inflation rates leads to a rise in interest rates. On the other hand, a drop in inflation may lead to more locals taking to financial help due to lesser rate of interests. This helps in increasing profitability of financial firm. For example the profit made by SBS rose to $14.7 mn in the first two quarters of Financial Year 2016 despite the drop of interest rates as more people opted for loans (Morgan, 2016). 4. Technological Factors: Technology helps make the otherwise complex procedures of documentation easy, hence contributing to the growth of an organization (Rouse, 2016). E-Money feature E Finance cash card for consumer loans Online Portal Mobile Apps-AMP Digital Marketing PPC Digital Advertising, Remarketing or Retargeting Internal Environment The internal environment of an organization comprises to elements that can be controlled by the organization to an extent (Kuratko, 2014). For example infrastructure, employees, values, vision and mission and products and services offered (Hair, 2015). Finance Now competes against others of its kind in the market, including Kiwi Bank, ASB Bank, Moneyshop, Loansmart, Harmoney, Ferratum, Moola, Rapid Loans etc. The more the presence of competitors, the more beneficial a companys products and offerings must be in order to sustain competition. A competitive advantage can be gained by organizing marketing campaigns to increase awareness about products, offering products with enhanced customer value and also guaranteeing superior service (Wagner III, 2014). For example, SBS banks on competitive pricing for gaining an edge over other players in the market. It launched a 3.99% fixed mortgage rate in 2016, which was the lowest observed interest rate in decades. SBS also offered a 0.20% bonus on Term Investments which provided an added benefit to existing investors, thus contributing to customer retention (Bank, 2016). The diverse range of products offered by Finance Now, ranging from personal and home loans to retail loans, helps attract cu stomers from all walks of life. The coming together of Finance Now and dentists of New Zealand to offer an interest free credit deal for 12 months is a great example of how the company intends to diversify its offerings (Times, 2014). A SWOT analysis helps us determine the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of a firm. Strengths 1. Advertisements: The light hearted advertisements of SBS bank help in attracting new customers and also retaining those existing For example the warm advertisement depicting a couples excitement to embark on a journey of owning their own home (Commercial, 2016). Finance Now also organizes competitions to help keep its customers engaged (Now, Finance Now) 2. Team, members and partners: The team of Finance Now is its biggest strength. The customers are referred to as members. The company also has over 1500 retail partners to help boost its business (Now, financenow.co.nz). 3. Innovation: Finance Now follows innovative techniques to cope with the ever advancing technology. For example the e-money card and mobile app launched by the company have been immensely popular among masses (Fung, 2014). 4. Customer Service The finance companies or banks are always known to be in the good books of its existing customer base by virtue of its superior customer service. The testimonials put up on the website are evidence of the same (Now, financenow.co.nz, 2016). Weaknesses 1. High interest rates Finance Now offers Business loan interests ranging from 0% to 22.5% (Now, financenow.co.nz). Other competitors offer loans at a borrowing rate of 14-18% on an average (Tarrant, 2017) 2. Nomenclature Since Finance Now is an extremely common name, particularly in the world of finance, its becomes difficult for the company to mark its online presence Opportunities With more and more people taking to loans as an easy way of starting a business or buying a house, the loan market is on a rapid growth (Riasi, 2015). The ease of applying for loans makes it an even better deal. With Finance Now positioned as a Kiwi Bank, it has an edge among the locals of New Zealand. Threats Presence of several competitors with substitute products at cheaper interest rates poses the biggest threat to Finance Now. Government policies may also not always turn out to be in favor of the financial institution. Advertising Policies- Google facebook- Ban on Payday personal Loans with high interest rates. Govt Financial Organization Polices Example of Competitor- recent New Rapid Loans The theory of stakeholder identification is majorly concerned with the principle that who all and what really counts in an organization. The normative theory of stakeholder identification helps us understand why employees and managers are important stakeholders in an organization (Agnà ©, 2015). Some of the other important stakeholders of Finance Now are: 1. Parent Company SBS The board of members of the parent company of SBS comprises of the most prominent stakeholders of Finance Now. The ultimate decision pertaining to any activity carried out by Finance Now is monitored by the parent company. 2. Associated Company -Marble Finance 3. Team Finance Now has its own employees working to attain the vision and mission of the company. The employees belonging to different levels of management and varied domains are significant stakeholders as they impact the profitability of the organization and vice versa. 4. Members The company treats its customers as its members, offering privileges from time to time. The members of Finance Now invest money and show faith in the organization which makes them important stakeholders in the firm. 5. Retailers Finance Now has a tie up with over 1500 retailers(list enclosed appendix no ) in order to boost sales across the country. 6. Associates In addition to having an association with retailers, Finance Now also makes associations with third party Sales and Marketing Teams in order to ensure deeper penetration of its products into the market. 7. Customers/Loan Applicants The loan applicants are also put their faith on company before applying for a loan. 8. Other Investors Target market identification is essential for an organization. This is because it becomes difficult, almost impossible, to cater to the needs of the masses without having a target population in mind. The same product may not suit everyone. Hence, market segmentation is done in order to ensure greater profitability. The products are designed to fit the needs of the target market, thus ensuring a deeper penetration and bigger market share. Market segmentation at Finance Now was done based on the industry it was to operate in. Money lending financial institutions often target a market that they can rely on to repay the loan within a stipulated time. The needs of the target market were then reviewed to create a portfolio of product that could fit the needs of the target population. The process of target market identification proved to be robust with the company making profits soon after its inception. Finance Now aims at catering to the needs of the working population (Li, 2016). This is because the working population has the ability to repay the loans along with the interests associated with it in the future (Bilton, 2016). Finance Now offers a wide range of products ranging from car loans to vacation loans, thus ensuring that all sub groups of the target market are catered to. Secured loans with lesser interest rates are available for those who wish to provide a backup or security, such as a car or property, against the loan that they take. Unsecured loans at the other hand, have the benefit of not having to keep anything as security. The interest rates, however, in case of unsecured loans are higher than those for secured loans. The market segmentation strategy has been working in favor of Finance now with the firm expanding its customer base and making enha nced profits. Finance Now has been a profitable financial institution because of effective market segmentation and positioning. The firm has also efficiently used marketing campaigns to its favor. The wide array of product portfolio offered by the company is instrumental in helping it cater to its target market. The use of technology further enhances its growth prospects. The organization aims at outweighing the presence of competitors in the financial arena by virtue of providing a superior experience to its customers. Appendices Types of loans and products List of Retailers and partners List of competitors Organic Rank Report Glimpse of Google Adwords TV and Radio Advertisements links

Traiffic school :: essays research papers fc

Trojan Horses   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A numerous amount of people depend on using remote access tools every day weather its to monitor other computers, Help people in large classes that cant get personal assistance, or even just for chatting with them. Every day a back door utility, otherwise known as the Trojan horse, infects hundreds if not even thousands of people over the Internet causing little annoyances to major destruction of a computer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Trojans are very helpful utilities usually installed on computers networked on a server. With this installed the administrator can do a wide variety of commands on the other computer such as accessing files, looking at the screen, control the mouse, change the system bios and settings, log keys, and just about anything the other user can do.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many of these utilities are free and can be found on the Internet but if you want one the more sophisticated and better quality you can purchase them. Big companies or places with several networked computers mostly purchase these products. Although this may seem like a really great idea there is also a dark malicious side to it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These remote administrative utilities have mutated into Backdoor Trojan horses and have cause an enormous amount of damage. These programs are considered viruses my almost every anti virus there is. When a computer is infected the administrator can just about do anything he want to the infected computer. Many of these people call them self’s hackers when in fact an 8-year-old kid can learn how to use these types of programs in a matter of minutes or hours. How can a kid as young as 8 years old learn this kind of technology you might be wondering. Well its very simple and it goes like this.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First the â€Å"hacker† has to download the program off the Internet. Once that is accomplished there are a few things you have to do before you can use it. In most Trojan applications it comes with a file called a server witch is the file that actually infect your computer and an Edit server file with is used to set up the settings of the server. The first step is to change the name of the file to something else like †Mypic.jpg †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦exe† so the person downloading the file wont suspect anything if you tell them it’s a picture. The next step is to set up how the IP (Internet Protocol) address is going to be delivered to you once the file has been executed. Traiffic school :: essays research papers fc Trojan Horses   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A numerous amount of people depend on using remote access tools every day weather its to monitor other computers, Help people in large classes that cant get personal assistance, or even just for chatting with them. Every day a back door utility, otherwise known as the Trojan horse, infects hundreds if not even thousands of people over the Internet causing little annoyances to major destruction of a computer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Trojans are very helpful utilities usually installed on computers networked on a server. With this installed the administrator can do a wide variety of commands on the other computer such as accessing files, looking at the screen, control the mouse, change the system bios and settings, log keys, and just about anything the other user can do.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many of these utilities are free and can be found on the Internet but if you want one the more sophisticated and better quality you can purchase them. Big companies or places with several networked computers mostly purchase these products. Although this may seem like a really great idea there is also a dark malicious side to it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These remote administrative utilities have mutated into Backdoor Trojan horses and have cause an enormous amount of damage. These programs are considered viruses my almost every anti virus there is. When a computer is infected the administrator can just about do anything he want to the infected computer. Many of these people call them self’s hackers when in fact an 8-year-old kid can learn how to use these types of programs in a matter of minutes or hours. How can a kid as young as 8 years old learn this kind of technology you might be wondering. Well its very simple and it goes like this.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First the â€Å"hacker† has to download the program off the Internet. Once that is accomplished there are a few things you have to do before you can use it. In most Trojan applications it comes with a file called a server witch is the file that actually infect your computer and an Edit server file with is used to set up the settings of the server. The first step is to change the name of the file to something else like †Mypic.jpg †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦exe† so the person downloading the file wont suspect anything if you tell them it’s a picture. The next step is to set up how the IP (Internet Protocol) address is going to be delivered to you once the file has been executed.

Conceit and Misfortune in Oliver Goldsmith’s The Vicar of Wakefield Ess

Conceit and Misfortune in Oliver Goldsmith’s The Vicar of Wakefield From three hundred years of Ireland’s history, The Penguin Book of Irish Fiction1[1] collects a combination of complete works and samples of the works of many great Irish authors. Among the authors included in this volume is Oliver Goldsmith, an Irishman of great diversity in his writings and remembered perhaps as well for his individuality, character and generosity as for the various poems, essays, and works of fiction that he contributed to literary world. The Vicar of Wakefield, the selection chosen for the anthology, is not only significant because it is often considered his best work, but also as it is the only novel that Goldsmith ever wrote.2[2] The Vicar of Wakefield is an amusing and captivating tale that follows the life and hardships of the Vicar Primrose and his family, as they journey from happiness, through calamity, to the bare escape of complete ruin. The story’s humor as well as its plot result both equally, and to a great extent, from Goldsmith’s creation of the Primrose family’s hot and invariable desire to rise again to happiness by finding ways to better their dire financial straits and to reverse their societal decline. Although the passage in the anthology presents only four chapters from the novel, may of the ideas there presented introduce in, comment on, or foreshadow to various themes, lessons, and events of great importance to the work as a whole. These ideas will carry through the plot, and culminate in the story’s denouement at which time, if not previously, they will all be finally understood and their significance revealed. Among them are the here apparently def inite social boundaries that divides the rich from ... ...nt in the story Primrose had lamented, â€Å"O, my children, if you could be learn to commune your own hearts, and know what noble company you can make them, you would little regard the elegance and splendors of the worthless† (p. 147). Had the rest the Primrose family ever been inclined to understand this early on, and to feel in the same way sated with the simple existence that satisfied their patriarch, many of their misfortunes may have been avoided. However, without them story’s lessons, adventures, hilarity, and glorious unexpected conclusion would have been lost as well.    Notes: [1] Tobin, Colm, ed. The Penguin Book of Irish Fiction. New York: Penguin Books, 2001. [2] All further references to The Vicar of Wakefield will be cited as part of the complete work: Goldsmith, Oliver. The Vicar of Wakefield. 1766. Ed. Stephen Coote. London: Penguin Books, 1982.

The Biblical Message of Cry, the Beloved Country :: Cry the Beloved Country Essays

The Biblical Message of Cry, the Beloved Country      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Alan Paton's book, "Cry, the Beloved Country", is about agitation and turmoil of both whites and blacks over the white segregation policy called apartheid. The book describes how understanding between whites and blacks can end mutual fear and aggression, and bring reform and hope to a small community of Ndotcheni as well as to South Africa as a whole. The language of the book reflects the Bible; furthermore, several characters and episodes are reminiscent of stories from the New Testament and teachings of Christ. Thus, Alan Paton, as a reformer and the author of "Cry, the Beloved Country", gives the people of South Africa a new, modern Bible, where he, like Christ, teaches to "love thy brother as yourself" in order to help whites and blacks overcome the fear and misunderstanding of each other.    The language of the book from the very beginning reveals its biblical nature. "The great valley of Umzimkulu is still in darkness, but the light will come there. Ndotcheni is still in darkness, but the light will come there also." The style includes symbols such as light and darkness, short clauses connected by "and" or "but", and repetition. This style is used to represent speech or thoughts "translated" from Zulu.    Jesus Christ is symbolized by the figure of Arthur Jarvis. He is a white reformer who fights for rights of blacks. Like Christ, he is very altruistic and wants to pursue his aims at all costs. His friend, Harrison, says: "Here [Arthur Jarvis] was, day to day, on a kind of mission." (173) Arthur Jarvis and his wife Mary "agree that it's more important to speak the truth than to make money." (172) Arthur Jarvis is killed in his house by Absalom, a black youth who gets entangled in crime. Absalom only intends to rob Arthur Jarvis, and the homicide is unintentional. Absalom thinks that Arthur Jarvis is out and comes into the house with two friends. However, when Arthur Jarvis "heard a noise, and came down to investigate" (186). Startled and afraid, Absalom fires blindly. Absalom later says in court: "Then a white man came into the passage... I was frightened. I fired the revolver." (194) Absalom's blind fear is symbolic of the fear, blindness, and misunderstanding between whites and blac ks; these are the reasons of racial hatred.

Effects of Polio on Society Essay

Polio had existed in society for a long time in history, although not as big a problem in history as in the 20th century, when greater emphasis was put on sanitation and children stopped getting the disease as babies. The effects of this disease on society were great. People feared that tomorrow they or their family members or friends would catch polio. Although polio has been significantly reduced in numbers, it still continues to exist in Africa and some parts of Asia. People are still infected with polio, and there are still global initiatives for the eradication of polio. These initiatives are not very effective as recently, in Africa there has been a controversy in Kano, Nigeria, chaired by the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero and Governor Ibrahim Shekarau, who have put a lid on the federal government’s hope to get the people of Kano to use polio vaccines from the federal government. The reason they are against the polio vaccine is that there were many contaminated vaccine being supplied there, and they do not want to risk the lives of several Kano children. Official Ezio Gianni Murzi said that while polio had nearly been eradicated globally, Nigeria had recorded an increase of 40% in cases so far in 2003 compared to 2002. Whatever the reason for this may be, at least three northern states have opposed the preventive measures against polio after Islamic leaders blamed the vaccines on being a secret US plan to depopulate Africa. Situations such as these are defering the goal of global polio eradication. The eradication is still close to being achieved, as WHO estimates that new worldwide polio cases fell to just 3,200 in 1998. Reported cases of the disease have dropped by 90% in the last decade after the WHO launched a worldwide vaccination campaign. The number of people suffering from polio around the world is now estimated to be around 35,000. But as many as 20 million people in the world are still suffering from the effects of the poliomyelitis virus. This virus causes paralysis and difficulties walking and breathing. But it can easily be eradicated because it is difficult to catch. It is only spread person to person contact and cannot live long outside the body. The only WHO region which is polio free are the Americas. But Europe, the Western Pacific and parts of North and Southern Africa have had no recent cases. They will be considered free of the disease only when they have gone three consecutive years with no reported cases. Polio can easily be rid of as a result of the cheapness and effectiveness of the vaccine. It costs only $3 per child. However, problems such as war and basic health infrastructure make it difficult to carry out immunisation programs in some countries. In August 1998, for example, the Democratic Republic of Congo was forced to suspend its programme because of the ongoing fighting. But in other countries affected by war temporary ceasefires have been held so health workers can carry out immunisation programmes. Another problem, apparently in South Asia, is the population problem, as health workers find it difficult to contain the population.

Homework: harmful or helpful Essay

Homework is a way of life for many students in public or private schools, from kindergarten to graduation. Often students are overwhelmed with the pressures of school, each night students are required to do homework after completing school each day. Is there a reason or need for students to come home from 7 hours of school and then have hours of homework . Is it essential that students have homework, are they gaining anything by practicing the skills they learned at school. Or are students harmed by the negative effects that homework often comes with. Should homework be restricted or should it continue to be unmonitored and exceed the limits of students in school. Homework’s negative effects far outweigh any of the positive aspects because homework often is busy work that does not seem to improve students learning, an extra unneeded stress which leads students to have little free time. Since the late 19th century homework has been a subject of debate. Although at the time stud ents were only asked to do small memorization tasks such as memorizing vocabulary and math equations, it was still a topic of debate. By the end of the 19th century the progressive education movement began. In the early 20th century many influential individuals and parents group reached out against homework. With the pressure of opposing views from organizations such as the Parent-Teacher Association ( PTA) forced some U.S school districts to limit or even ban homework assignments. For instance, in 1901 California lawmakers abolished homework in elementary and middle schools. With progressive education movement peaking during the 1920s and 30s, there were even move people branching out against homework. Even the American Child Health Association joined the campaign against homework, saying that homework was a leading cause of tuberculosis and heart disease for U.S children. However, in the 1940s homework gradually returned to U.S schools with many supporters. Causing high school students on average in 1948 to have three to four hours of homework a night. Even to present day in 2006 a study in a public high school i n Needham, Massachusetts shows that one out of five students spend four hours or more a night on homework. For most students homework is consider to be a little more than busy work, often students feel the work that they are doing is unnecessary. Students receive so much homework that they are not getting anything out of it. This causes students to focus more on getting the work done, then learning anything from the activity. It is  unfair to expect students to do their best when they have more homework than the time they need to complete the work. Homework assignments tend to lack academic value leading students to simply get the homework done as soon as they can. With the burden of homework every night, reading and writing becomes a chore just as cleaning the dishes would be. Large amounts of homework stifle motivation, holt creatively and diminish a child’s love for discovering and learning new things. By the time graduation time comes students will have had 13 years of doing homework, not including if the student goes on to pursue college. Given if the average elementary stud ent spends one to two hours of homework a night, the average middle school student sends two to three hours of homework a night and the average high school student spends three to four hours on homework a night. Students spend an average of 1,080 to 1,620 hours on homework before graduation if the student only completed homework Monday thru Friday. Causing homework to take up most of students free-time. Students have virtually no time to pursue outside interests, activities such as eating dinner with family, talking with friends and family and developing interests is what can ensure children are happy. Students are trapped with homework that they often cannot do other activities because they often feel pressure to get everything done. This leads students to feel stressed to complete everything they need to. It is actually unhealthy for students to have several hours of homework after coming home from hours of school. In 2007 the American Academy of Pediatrics said that obesity and depression from stress was on the rise due to too much work. What is the point of all this stress from work if there is no known correlation between time spent on homework and academic performance. Research conducted by two professors at Penn State University found that students in countries in which schools assign little to no homework such as Japan, tend to do better on standardized tests. Students receive too much homework to be able to take any real value away from learning. Advocates of homework say that students need to continue their education outside the classroom and to do this homework should be given. This teaches the student the only way you can learn is if you are given a activity to do for homework. What about adults and people who do not have â€Å"homework† does this mean that they can not learn. Students will learn new things everyday even if they do not have homework. Students will  be able to explore and learn in a new creative way off a paper and pencil. Although, homework does teach time management, it stresses students too much. While trying to juggle lots of activities,school and homework students learn time management but it is not effective or helpful because students are too stressed. Plus, there are many less stress ways that can teach students time management. Proponents also state that the U.S is falling behind other countries in academics therefore students need more homework to catch u. Which is true American 15 year olds ranked 23rd out of 40 countries in science and 29th in math comprehension. All this is completely true, but many countries academically ahead of the U.S assign less homework than the U.S does know so how does adding more homework make sense. Should students continue to receive homework that is hurting them in more ways than one. The debate for homework will never end, there is always two sides of any story. While it is unlikely any legislative acts will be placed on homework small changes starting in schools could likely happen. What is the real need for homework, what is the benefits to homework? Does it really matter if students continue to feel no benefits and have stress from homework. Should we, without changing, continue down the path of hours of homework a night even if there are clearly negative effects. What if we never changed anything would there be lights, cars, computers, cell phones or anything. People do not want to lessen homework for students which can lead to bad health, but would people not want to lessen the number cars or lights even though can be bad for the environment.

Acl Reconstruction Graft Information

Graft report Patellar graft The patellar tendon bone-tendon-bone graft has been the â€Å"gold standard† graft choice for ACL reconstructions since it became common practice in the mid-1980. It has been used extensively by surgeons since that time and still remains the graft of choice for a high number of orthopedists who perform this surgery regularly. The patellar tendon graft has consistently demonstrated excellent surgical outcomes with a 90-95% success rate in terms of returning to pre-injury level of sports.A patellar tendon graft is harvested through a 3-4†³ long incision based just along the medial border of the tendon†¦ The middle third of the tendon 10-11 mm wide is then removed along with 2-2. 5 cm long bone blocks still apart of the tendon at each end of the graft from the tibial tubercle and the outer surface of the patella. This gives a composite bone-tendon-bone graft that has very strong insertion points of the tendon soft tissue into bone. The tensil e strength of this graft has been measured by Noyes (1984) to be about 2950 Newton’s to failure, versus the strength of an intact ACL at 2160 N.What happens to the remaining patellar tendon after a third of it has been removed? Over the course of three to four months after surgery the tendon regenerates or â€Å"grows back†. Initially it seems to overgrow into a thick, large tendon that then remodels back to a more normal contour by 12-18 months postoperatively. Surgeons have even been able to re-harvest another patellar tendon graft from the original tendon once enough time has passed for tendon reconstitution (although there's now evidence that this repaired tissue may not be as strong as normal patellar tendon tissue).Patellar tendon ruptures at the donor site are unlikely after the first few months post-op. Patellar tendon ruptures can and do occur however during the initial 6-8 weeks after surgery if the remaining tendon is stressed too hard. One of the advantages of this construct is that because the bone-tendon interface is quite strong, the surgeon only has to fix the block of bone in the bone tunnel rather than trying to fix the soft tissue itself.A headless screw is inserted next to the bone plug (like a square peg in a round hole) to interference fit and locks the bone in place. The patellar tendon fibers are thereby immediately secured and are stable enough to begin motion and weight bearing when tolerated. The ends of the graft heal bone-to-bone in around 6-8 weeks, which appears to be quicker than the healing process for soft tissue-to-bone. Interference screws are now available in a bioresorbable material that actually dissolves within the bone over 2 to 3 years.The â€Å"gold standard† graft isn't perfect, however. There may be more pain associated with this donor site than from any of the other graft choices. As a result there is sometimes a greater initial atrophy or wasting response of the quadriceps muscle compared to s ay either a hamstring or cadaver allograft. This can require more prolonged physical therapy to recover from and could possibly delay the initial return to sports. The incision (scar) is bigger, and almost all patients end up with a permanent loss of sensation 2-3†³ in size just lateral to the incision.There is a risk of patellar tendon ruptures, as well as fracturing the patella both intraoperative as well as postoperatively, although bone grafting the defect in the patella at the time of surgery has reduced the incidence of the latter. Patients who kneel a lot for a living are often unhappy with the patellar tenderness and sensitivity that can occur at the incision site and should probably consider an alternative graft choice. One of the bigger issues with patellar tendon grafts that recently has a number of orthopedists switching to alternative grafts is the incidence of anterior knee pain when patients try to resume athletic activities.Specifically there are some studies5 s howing an increased rate of patellofemoral pain and/or tendonitis of the patellar tendon with stairs, jumping, skiing and other such activities 6-12 months out from surgery. Ultimately these are often treatable with continued strengthening, rest from sports, and time, but these symptoms can delay the expected time of return to sports. In summary, the patellar tendon BTB graft is a safe and effective option for ACL reconstruction. It has a consistently successful clinical track record at all levels of athletic activity with excellent outcomes and reproducible results.Its major disadvantages are primarily increased tenderness kneeling on the donor incision site, and the possible risk of problems with patellar and patellar tendon pain upon initial return to sports. Semitendinosus Semitendinosus grafts are made with the semitendinosus tendon either alone, or accompanied by the gracilis tendon for a stronger graft. The semitendinosus is an accessory hamstring (the primary hamstrings are left intact), and the gracilis is actually not a hamstring, but an accessory adductor (the primary adductors are left intact as well).The two tendons are commonly combined and referred to as a four strand hamstring graft, made by a long piece. which is removed from each tendon. The tendon segments are folded and braided together to form a quadruple thickness strand for the replacement graft. The braided segment is threaded through the heads of tibia and femur and its ends fixated with screws on the opposite sides of the two bones. Hamstring grafts require a smaller incision and are usually less painful to harvest.Thus the initial postoperative period is often easier and more comfortable with this graft choice. Similarly, because there is no violation of the patellar tendon, there seem to be fewer problems with knee pain during the first few months that a patient is allowed to return to sports. The hamstring incision is away from the patella so patients are usually comfortable kneeli ng after their reconstruction. Because the quadriceps extensor mechanism isn't violated with a hamstring harvest there is often less initial quadriceps atrophy.With a quicker return of knee quadriceps strength some surgeons are allowing their fully recovered patients to return to sports a month or two earlier than they might for a patellar tendon BTB graft.. However there have not been any scientific studies examining the tensile strength to failure of a human ACL graft at three months after implantation that would support this approach. Certainly the animal research done on patellar tendon tensile strength in rhesus monkeys suggested that the graft was actually weakest at 3 months out before maturing at 6 months post-surgery.However the truth is that soft tissue-to-bone healing occurs at a slower rate than bone-to-bone healing. A number of surgeons are concerned that this fact is being ignored when patients are placed into an accelerated rehab without allowing extra time for the gr aft ends to begin to heal to the bone tunnels another disadvantage of hamstring tendon grafts is that harvesting them is a technically demanding procedure that requires considerable surgical experience. Pitfalls such as transecting (cutting in half) a tendon or injuring nerves or ligaments in the area of dissection are possible during the stripping process.There is also a different technique for tensioning the hamstring tendon in the knee once the femoral end has been secured. The graft needs to be pre-tensioned and it's important that each of the four graft ends be individually tensioned during the tibial fixation for best results. Allographs Another alternative available however is to use tissue from a cadaver that is called an allograft. Patellar tendon, hamstring tendon, and even Achilles tendon allografts can be used as ACL graft tissues and are inserted and fixed with the same techniques that are used for autografts.The advantages of using cadaver graft tissue are obvious; no risks, pain, or scars from the donor site. Surgical time is quicker and because there is considerably less discomfort postoperatively, the incidence of joint stiffness and atrophy of the quadriceps muscle is significantly reduced. Allografts are a good choice when there are limitations in a patient's own tissue availability. Complicated multiple ligament reconstructions needing several grafts routinely require the use of allograft tissue in addition to an autograft.Revision ACL reconstructions where an autograft has already been harvested are also an indication for using a cadaver grafts.. The biggest concern with using allografts is the risk of contracting a serious infection from the cadaveric tissue. Hepatitis and HIV can be transmitted through these tissues with potentially fatal outcomes. Bacterial infections are also a possibility and although not usually life threatening, can result in loss of the graft and cause subsequent arthritis. The dilemma with allografts is that they can't be 100% sterilized without altering or even destroying the tensile strength of the graft tissue.Imagine what happens to any food that is pressure-cooked at temperatures over 270 ° F under pressure for 10 minutes and you'll understand what happens to a patellar tendon graft sterilized in an autoclave. Similarly, radiating grafts with high enough doses to kill viruses has been shown to alter the collagen tissue and reduce the graft's tensile strength. Currently the preferred allograft treatment technique is a fresh frozen graft; the tissue is harvested, cleaned and then frozen in liquid nitrogen.The cadaver is screened extensively with hepatitis and HIV testing as well as a life style analysis to identify any high-risk behavior for these illnesses. Blood tests for HIV, however, are not infallible because they can lag 6 months between the time of infection and the conversion to a positive test. Nevertheless, the process is fairly safe and the published rate of contracting HIV f rom these tissue allografts is between 1 in 1. 2 to 2 million. There are some graft procurement companies who are able to do actual direct HIV viral testing on their tissues which lowers the risks even more.And several companies have developed proprietary cleaning techniques that they claim can guarantee sterility of their graft tissues. Some grafts are also treated with low dose irradiation (1-2 Mrads) in a compromise attempt to provide some degree of sterilization without damaging the tissue characteristics. Unfortunately there are some studies indicating that ACL reconstructions using these tissues may stretch out over time so non-irradiated grafts would be the ideal structural choice if infection were not a concern.Unlike organ transplants, allografts aren't usually at risk for tissue rejection by the host. This is because there's very little protein antigen in these washed grafts (the bone ends are completely cleansed of any marrow elements). The majority of the grafts are prim arily made up of collagen, which has very low antigenicity. Laboratory studies have shown that there is universally a low grade immune reaction to insertion of these foreign tissues, but this doesn't appear to be clinically significant in terms of achieving a successful outcome.Bone tunnel widening is sometimes seen with the use of allografts, but similar to the case of hamstring grafts, doesn't seem to have any significance in terms of functional problems. There are some early studies suggesting that allografts take longer to heal in the knee than comparable autograft tissue. At the same time the patient is recovering from the surgery quicker because of the reduced pain and morbidity of not having donated their own graft tissue. Typically allograft patients will feel like they're ready to get back into sports in just 3 or 4 months since their full strength and joint mobility are often achieved at that point.The combination of delayed allograft incorporation with an accelerated reco very can obviously spell disaster in terms of the ACL graft stretching or rupturing altogether. So patients with allografts must completely understand the healing process and comply with the temporary restrictions even though they may think their bodies are telling them it's OK to be doing more athletically. It takes a lot of mental discipline. And obviously it's a misconception that an athlete can return to sports earlier using an allograft in view of the above. The last disadvantage of allografts relates to the practical issues of cost and availability.There has been a national shortage of patellar tendon allografts due to increasing demand combined a low supply of suitably qualified cadavers. This shortage has been created in part by physicians who routinely use allografts as their first choice for ACL reconstruction grafts in spite of the fact that autograft tissues work wonderfully. Other cadaveric tissues such as hamstrings, Achilles tendons, and even anterior tibialis and pos terior tibialis tendons (some of the ankle tendons) are often being used instead of patellar tendons due to this availability issue.Some surgeons simply don't have ready access to the facilities that procure and process allografts. And allografts are expensive, running anywhere from $2000 to $10,000 depending on the tissue type and your geographic location My Choice If I needed to go into surgery for an ACL reconstruction surgery and I had to choose from one of these graft options, I would choose to go with the semitendinosus graft. I would shy away from the allograft mainly because I am uncomfortable with the whole idea of donor replacements being implanted in my body.Along with the great threat of infection the allograft also tends to be hard to obtain with a nationwide shortage of acceptable cadavers, therefore making them very expensive. When comparing the patellar graft and the semitendinosus graft its hard to find much of a difference in the results, both offer good knee stabi lity with minimal adverse effects after surgery. However, the semitendinosus graft affects a much different and less major tendon group, in return providing less knee related problems after surgery therefore giving it the advantage over the patellar graft in my eyes.

Eating Insects Essay

Introduction: Insects have been here long before human civilization, foraging the world and utilizing its nutrients. In a sense then, every human being ever has been forced to interact with insects, so then why has this â€Å"household† item not been utilized as a food source for humans? Well, that’s not entirely true. Entomophagy, according to Webster’s Dictionary, is the practice of eating insects. Using insects as a food source isn’t as uncommon as one may think, the practice of Enotmophagy has been performed for centuries, dating back to Indian tribes and Australian aborginals. Insects greatly outnumber humans and are found in nearly every possible location in the world, so their presence in and around human food isn’t unbelievable. While this practice is becoming more popular around the world, consumers in the U. S. are still skeptical of the idea Whether its eating them â€Å"a la mode†, or eating them without knowing, insects are increasingly prevalent in food consumed by humans. Main Body: Insect consumption seems a little farfetched, yet there are several reasons that this idea may not be crazy. Meat is considered to be one of the best sources of protein in diets, however, certain insects provide amounts of protein comparable to that of meat; thus making insect consumption a much cheaper alternative to meat in developing countries. Take, for example, 100 grams of dried caterpillar, providing fifty-three grams of protein, seventeen percent carbohydrates, and a whopping fifteen percent fat. In fact, they are believed to have a higher proportional fat and protein value than that of beef and fish. Also, most edible insects are proven to be much cleaner than fish. For example, According to Pulitzer prize winner, Dr. E. O. Wilson of Harvard University, there are an estimated ten quintillion (10,000,000,000,000,000,000) insects in the world, or about one hundred and fifty million insects per one human being. Insects are in no way, shape, or form, a product of scarcity; insects are found nearly everywhere, thus proving to be another reason for insects to be used for food consumption. Due to the fact that insects provide incredible amounts of nutritional value and an incredible population, they are proving to be means of income for people in developing countries. Specifically, Sudan and Nigeria trade and utilize insects as a source of income, exporting three to five tons annually to countries such as Belgium and France. This means of earning income for Sudans and Nigerians produces $41,500 annually. Insects being utilized for their nutritional value and high concentration, proves to show how incredibly useful insects are to humans, surprisingly as a food source. Many countries all over the world are taking advantage of insects as a food source. In Africa, several groups use Orthoptera as a means of food. They gather locusts early in the day, before they are active; they then boil them before group members clean and salt them. Noting goes to waste, they even use the legs by grinding them up and mixing them with peanut butter and salt. Also, performed in areas of Africa and Australia, termites are being utilized for their high protein and fat value. The big queen castes of termites, reaching three inches in lenghth, is most sought out due to its incredibly high nutritional value. They are often lightly fried and sold in markets to be eaten by hand, thought to be a snack food. However, termites can also be used as a colorless oil used when frying food.

To demonstrate how the field of 'globalisation studies'has moved on Annotated Bibliography

To demonstrate how the field of 'globalisation studies'has moved on - Annotated Bibliography Example In addition, Harvey reveals that such ideals are indeed seductive and compelling. To this end, he reiterates that the seductive ideal comes from individual freedom and its ability to captivate a high number of people. The author equally narrates the genesis of neoliberalism as from an international and domestic scale in the 1960’s. In addition, he elaborated how liberalism had failed. Consequently, Harvey narrates how neo-liberalism rose up as a solution to the crisis created by liberalism. The author also challenges the presumed neoliberal advantages. This is in evidently pertinent to the assumption that there is no substitute to neoliberal restructuring. To this end, the author blames neoliberization for the ‘creative destruction’ of powers, institutional frameworks, traditional state sovereignty, welfare provisions, social relations, reproductive functions, technological mixes and ways of life and ideals. Consequently, Harvey’s analysis of such shortcomi ngs is pertinent to the debates in neoliberal

Orchestral Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Orchestral Music - Essay Example Stylistically, the prelude is improvisatory in nature. The prelude can also refer to an overture, particularly to those seen in an opera or an oratorio. Prelude can be referring to as a preface. It can stand on its own or introduce another work. Overture in music is the instrumental introduction to a dramatic, choral (1911encyclopedia.org) or, occasionally, instrumental composition. It is used as an opening to a larger dramatic work such as an opera. Overture also referred to collections of movements, known as suites. (wikipedia.com). A sinfonie is a musical composition, the extended and used for orchestra. It does not imply a specific form. There are sinfonies that are tonal works in four movements with the first in sonata form, and it is often described by music theorists as the structure of a classical (reference.com) sinfonie. The very first preludes were lute compositions of the Renaissance era. They were free improvisations and served as brief introductions to larger pieces of music or particular larger and more complex movements; lutenists also used them to test the instrument or the acoustics of the room before performing. In the 17th century in France the keyboard preludes started. During this century the duration of each note is left to the performer. The first composer who embrace the genre is Louis Couperin, and harpsichord preludes were used until the first half of the 18th century by numerous composers including Jean-Henri d'Anglebert (1629-1691), lisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre (1665-1729), Franois Couperin (1668-1733) and Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764), whose very first printed piece (1706) was in this form. The last unmeasured preludes for harpsichord date from the 1710s. Prelude in the 17th century in Germany led to a sectional form similar to keyboard toccatas Johann Jakob Froberger or Girol amo Frescobaldi. Outside Germany, Abraham van den Kerckhoven (c.1618-c.1701), one of the most important Dutch composers of the period, used this model for some of his preludes. Southern and central German composers did not follow the sectional model and their preludes remained improvisational in character with little or no strict counterpoint. In the second half of 17th century prelude are being paired with figures in the same key. Preludes were also used by some 20th century composers when writing Baroque-inspired "suites". Such works include Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin (1914/17) and Schoenberg's Suite for piano, Op. 25 (1921/23), both of which begin with an introductory prelude. Ludwig van Beethoven wrote two preludes, Op. 39; each one cycles through all of the major keys of the piano. Evolution of Overture Overture was formulated during the 17th century. As a musical form overture begins with the works of J-B Lully (1911encyclopedia.org). He devised the scheme that constitutes the typical French overture up to the time (1911encyclopedia.org) of Johann Sebastian Bach and George Friderich Handel. This French ouverture consists of a slow introduction in a marked "dotted rhythm" (1911encyclopedia.org), followed by a lively movement in fugato style. The slow introduction was always repeated, and sometimes the quick movement concluded by returning to the slow tempo, (1911encyclopedia.org) usually with new motivic material but occasionally recapitulating the opening, and this combined fast-slow material was sometimes also repeated. The operatic