Saturday, August 31, 2019

The Hand-in Assignments

Untitled Document 1 of 4 https://elearning. uol. ohecampus. com/bbcswebdav/institution/UKL1/C†¦ WEEK 6 ASSIGNMENTS Print Page Use the links below to jump directly to the related information. Hand-in Assignment Individual Project HAND-IN ASSIGNMENT Hand-in Assignments are one way for you to demonstrate your learning. The Hand-in Assignments provide an opportunity to apply concepts and strategies to an authentic context. Typically, Hand-in Assignments are written papers or computer programs that are submitted to the Instructor.They require you to pull together information from the weekly Learning Resources, the Discussion and your own experiences to address an issue from the perspective of a real-world situation. Unless otherwise noted, the papers you write in Hand-in Assignments must follow Harvard Referencing Style reference and citation guidelines. You must submit your answers to the following Hand-in Assignment (HA) questions by the end of Day 7 (Wednesday). Answers will be su bmitted to the weekly Assignments area, but are not to be posted in the module Discussion Board. Question 1 Activity Mean durationStd. dev. (days) A 11 0. 9 B 13 1. 1 C 7 0. 2 D 9 0. 8 E 6 1 F 7 1. 2 G 10 0. 7 H 9 0. 6 11/04/2013 9:52 AM Untitled Document 2 of 4 https://elearning. uol. ohecampus. com/bbcswebdav/institution/UKL1/C†¦ I 8 0. 8 Table 1 Complete the following: 1. Calculate the project completion time. 2. Indicate the critical path activities. 3. What is the probability of completing this project between 38 and 40 days? 4. What are the slack values for activities C and F? Interpret the meaning of their slack values? Question 2 A registered nurse is trying to develop a diet plan for patients.The required nutritional elements are the total daily requirements of each nutritional element as indicated in Table 2: Required nutritional element total and daily requirements Calories Not more than 2,700 calories Carbohydrates Not more than 300 grams Protein Not less than 250 g rams Vitamins Not less than 60 units Table 2 The nurse has four basic types to use when planning the menus. The units of nutritional element per unit of food type are shown in Table 3 below. Note that the cost associated with a unit of ingredient also appears at the bottom of Table 3.Required nutritional element and units of nutritional elements per unit of food type Element Milk Chicken Bread Vegetables Calories 160 210 120 150 Carbohydrates 110 130 110 120 Protein 90 190 90 130 Vitamins 50 50 75 70 Cost per unit ?0. 42 ?0. 68 ?0. 32 ?0. 17 Table 3 Moreover, due to dietary restrictions, the following aspects should also be considered when developing the diet plan: 1. The chicken food type should contribute at most 25% of the total caloric intake that will result from the diet plan. 2. The vegetable food type should provide at least 30% of the minimum daily requirements for vitamins.Complete the following: Provide a linear programming formulation for the above case. (You do not need to solve the problem. ) 11/04/2013 9:52 AM Untitled Document 3 of 4 https://elearning. uol. ohecampus. com/bbcswebdav/institution/UKL1/C†¦ Save your Assignment as a . doc, . docx, or . rtf file and use the Turnitin link below to submit it. Return to top INDIVIDUAL PROJECT T he purpose of this simulation project is to provide you with an opportunity to use the POM-QM for Windows software to solve a linear programming problem and perform sensitivity analysis.POM-QM for Windows software For this part of this project, you will need to use the POM software: 1. Read Appendix IV of the O perations Management (Heizer & Render, 2011) textbook. 2. Install and launch the POM-QM for Windows software and from the main menu select Module, and then Linear Programming. Note: You can retrieve the POM-QM for Windows software from either the CD-ROM that accompanied your Heizer and Render (2011) textbook. 3. Program the linear programming formulation for the problem below and solve it with the us e of POM. Refer to Appendix IV from the Heizer and Render (2011) textbook. ) Note: Do not program the non-negativity constraint, as this is already assumed by the software. For additional support, please reference the POM-QM for Windows manual provided in this week’s Learning Resources. Individual Project problem A firm uses three machines in the manufacturing of three products: Each unit of product 1 requires three hours on machine 1, two hours on machine 2 and one hour on machine 3.Each unit of product 2 requires four hours on machine 1, one hour on machine 2 and three hours on machine 3. Each unit of product 3 requires two hours on machine 1, two hours on machine 2 and two hours on machine 3. The contribution margin of the three products is ? 30, ? 40 and ? 35 per unit, respectively. Available for scheduling are: 90 hours of machine 1 time; 54 hours of machine 2 time; and 93 hours of machine 3 time. The linear programming formulation of this problem is as follows: Maximise Z = 30X1 + 40X2 + 35X3 3X1 + 4X2 + 2X3

How does Steinbeck present Lennie and George Essay

How does Steinbeck present Lennie and George in the 1st chapter? Lennie and George’s father and son like relationship is clearly one of love, although from the beginning we sense George’s frustration due to Lennie’s constant childish behaviour. George is very protective over Lennie, â€Å"Lennie for God’s sake don’t drink so much!† because he has been told to look after him by his â€Å"Aunt Clara†. George does like having Lennie around as he says, â€Å"No you stay with me†. As Lennie and George are itinerant workers, it can be a very lonely life so the fact that they have each other means that they are very lucky. However this constant responsibility can obviously present problems, George says â€Å"When I think of the swell time I could’ve had without you†, having Lennie around has stopped him from doing lots of things other men of his age would’ve done. George is quite clearly the leading role in their r elationship. As we know, Lennie is mentally not all there as he uses simple and un-educated language, such as ‘Look, George. Look what I done.† Due to Lennie being childish and not very intelligent it means that he has to rely on George an awful lot. An example suggesting that Lennie is reliant on George is that â€Å"They had walked in single file down the path†. This suggests that George is in control and acts as a parent like figure, it also showing George’s intelligence and maturity. This responsibility that George has to look after Lennie means that he is very protective, he says â€Å"Don’t drink so much†. This is an example of George being a paternal figure, this is an imperative and he says it sharply implying that he is worried about George. George has to repeatedly remind Lennie if he wants him to do or not do something. In the 1st chapter it is suggested by Steinbeck that Lennie has animal qualities to match his childish behaviour. His big stature makes up for his childish behaviour as George can get Lennie to do tasks that he wouldn’t otherwise be able to do, as he is small. He tells Lennie, â€Å"Flood water wood. Now you go get it†. In the book it says that he was â€Å"sno rting like a horse† and â€Å"dragging† his feet. I think that Steinbeck’s reason for doing this is to show that Lennie is to be looked after and can be irrational, just as an animal is, and he needs to be given direction â€Å"like a horse†. He seeks praise just as a dog would to its owner, Lennie says â€Å"Look George Look†, this implies that Lennie aspires to be like George and is constantly in awe of George. We are also told that with his strength he can accidently use his strength to be dangerous, an example of animal imagery  used to describe Lennie as dangerous is that he uses his â€Å"paw†. This is an example of foreboding because, just as in Weed, he may do something that may get them into trouble. We are told early on that George and Lennie are both have the same aspiration, and that is to have a ‘little house’ and ‘some rabbits’. Although they want it for different purposes this is something they aspire to do, and they want to do it together. Lennie’s is to have rabbits due to his obsession with petting animals, mice on the particular occasion in the woods, â€Å"it’s on’y a mouse George†. George’s aspiration is more to do with the f act that they will no longer need to worry about getting a job, which is certainly difficult with Lennie. They want to â€Å"live off the fat of the land†, suggesting that they don’t want to work for anyone and be continuingly undermined by bosses and having to live in such awful conditions. They don’t want to be one of the stereotypes as they say â€Å"us guys are the loneliest guys in the world†. To conclude, I think that Steinbeck presents Lennie and George with a strong relationship. George being a father like figure to Lennie. They both need each other, otherwise they would be lonely just like other itinerant workers at this time. Lennie really does look up to George and there has been a strong sense of foreboding through the actions from the past that we find out about. As the book progresses I can expect the reader to understand more fully that the relationship that these two men have.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Informative Speech: Media And You Essay

Speaker: Specific Purpose: At the end of my speech, the audience will be able to take steps to ensure they and their loved ones are using social networking sites to their full advantage. Central Idea: Time is money and a huge aspect in our lives which we cannot rewind so we must use it wisely and efficiently especially in regards to the time spent on social networking sites to have a positive impact on our lives. Introduction: According to the Nielsen Company survey back in August 2009 social networking and blogging sites accounted for 17% (about one in every six minutes) of all time spent on the internet. That statistic is three years old, as of today that percentage has increased rapidly due to the almost one billion members on Facebook alone, while Twitter is growing at an increasing rate. In the wise words of the great Jim Morrison â€Å"Whoever controls the media, controls the mind,† are extremely valid because everything we talk about in our daily lives has been influenced by another person whether it be reading a newspaper, listening to the radio, or watching television. In the ensuing few minutes I will be discussing the positives, and negatives of social networking while also how we can incorporate the benefits into our lives to make social networking a huge advantage in our lives. Body: I. Disadvantages of Social Networking A. Privacy Issues 1) Stalkers and complete strangers can view your pictures and information such as telephone number, email address, and also residing location. 2) Hackers can hack into one’s account gain valuable and personal information which can lead to identity theft and fraud. B. Could Lead to Bad Reputation 1) Your Facebook or Twitter profile is the essence of you and a digital page which represents you, but if someone posts information or other inappropriate comments on your page it leads to bad reputation. 2) The consequences of a bad reputation online could lead to hard time finding a  job or being fired by your current employer. C. Makes Relationships Impersonal 1) Any relationship you have could be family and boyfriend or girlfriend is impacted by social networking sites. 2) Digital Communication is replacing personal communication because we are messaging each other or chatting one another instead of face to face conversations or phone conversations. 3) Digital Communication is impersonal and with time lowers the quality of the relationship. D. UNPRODUCTIVITY & WASTE OF TIME 1) Social Networking leads to procrastination and being unproductive. 2) Social Networking sites take away time from the more important things in life and in reality and therefore sets you back in scheduled routines and goals. II. Advantages of Social Networking A. Allows to Reconnect with Family and Friends 1) Eases communication with anyone all over the world. B. Allows one to share their thoughts and Opinions 1) By posting statuses and posts you are spreading your ideas and thoughts. 2) Social Networking Sites allow you to become familiar with people that have several similarities with you and your interests. C. Allows for increased Business opportunities and helps the business advertise. D. Eases of Communication 1) You can spread knowledge and information to millions of members on social networking sites easily and conveniently. III. How to make Social Networking beneficial for yourself A. Put a time limit on how long you will be using any social networking site so it allows you to communicate but does not lead to unproductivity and waste of time. B. Make sure to set your profile on private so it can only be viewed by friends that you have accepted and not complete strangers. C. Do not put any private information on the internet. D. BE ALERT!!! Conclusion: So today, we looked at the disadvantages and advantages of social networking while also learning about how we can make social networking beneficial for us. We are a new generation obsessed with technology and spend so much time on the internet so it is our responsibility to use it wisely and knowledgably. â€Å"The Way of the World Is Meeting People Through Other People,† which is why social networking is a positive and effective factor in our lives.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Whiteness in Historical Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Whiteness in Historical Research - Essay Example and 2000; Roediger, 1993; Allen, 1994). These studies are normally addressed as 'whiteness studies'. Although the term 'whiteness studies' is often perceived negatively as promoting white identity and being an element of a racist discrediting of political correctness and increasingly popular tendency of multiculturalism in all spheres of life, such perception is not fully correct. On the contrary, virtually all the whiteness studies tend to confront white privilege, which is the cornerstone of modern racism, while their authors "...see a close link between their scholarly efforts and the goal of creating a more humane social order" (Kolchin, 2002). There are many approaches in whiteness studies (e.g. white identity construction, public policies, economics, education, etc), but the primary goal of whiteness theory is make white cultural and political assumptions and privileges visible so that those with white skin do not assume that their own position is neutral or normal (Jensen, 2005). However, the whiteness theory should in no way be considered a synonym for multicultural theory: these two are distinct perspectives though their goals may be similar. Multicultural theory usually seeks to promote an appreciation of minor cultures within the contexts of dominant cultures and may also involve criticism of some assumptions fostered within the dominant culture. Yet, since the multicultural perspective is predominantly concerned with fostering authentic understanding of minor cultures, they usually do not focus on the issue of how the dominant white culture in such countries as the U.K., U.S. promotes and maintains the established patterns of the whiteness typically associated with the so-called 'white privilege'. By contrast, whiteness theory highlights the problem of whiteness as a sum of political, social, and cultural status and identity which, to a large extent, are gained at the expense of non-white group (Hague et al., 2005). Although the issue of whiteness - in some or other form - has been with the Western countries for ages, the recent explosion of whiteness related publications relies upon a solid body of research literature written largely by writers of non-white descent over the last fifty years (Roediger, 1999). These works predominantly explore the concept and definitions of race and the social construction of white and non-white identities within the numerous contexts of slavery, citizenship, colonial settlement, growth of cities and industrial labour, etc. (Bonnett, 2000). Modern authors lean toward the opinion that the concept of whiteness was first identified with racial issues by Europeans whom made it into essence of their community. From this perspective, European discourse of whiteness differs from, for example, Asian discourse which has never been 'racialised' (Dyer, 1997). Although there is ongoing debate on the first use of racial whiteness, Jordan (1977) traces the evolution of the legally defined line between 'blacks' and 'whites' to British colonial government efforts to prevent cross-racial revolts among unpaid labourers in the early 1600's. Allen (1994) believes that racialisation of whiteness occurred in the 18th century U.S. when the country's business and political elites attempted to

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Observing K-3 Science Activities & Observing K-3 Math Activities Coursework

Observing K-3 Science Activities & Observing K-3 Math Activities - Coursework Example For instance, increasing their proficiency would mean sitting down them individually or in small groups and explaining the concepts to them through real-life methodology. Collaborating is undoubtedly essential in order to thrive in any profession as the thoughts of ideas, knowledge, and practices are exchanged. Quite often, students struggle to socialize in a pre-dominant learning environment as I witnessed this first hand. Whiteboards, technical stimulation were used. In addition, an application was used to teach children in a better manner so their minds can be stimulated. This was crucial to their learning development because the kids interacted with it. g. What types of questions were used during the lesson? What research-based strategies are being used to promote critical and higher order thinking? Content area vocabulary? Do the techniques and strategies used promote diversity, openness, inquiry, and support? Many open-ended questions were utilized to answer these questions. First and foremost, kids were given problems that they needed to solve in a highly skilled manner. Additionally, students were propagated to promote critical thinking by thinking outside the box. I like the fact that they can use other techniques instead of boring drills. Yes, I think they do promote openness and the desire to learn. The purpose of education is to ensure that students become good moral citizens of society and make sound decisions that can facilitate humanity. It is clear to point out those morals such honesty, integrity, and morals are derived from important nurture. Another purpose of education is to collaborate and engage in peer tutoring. Peer tutoring is an essential learning tool because it facilitates the process of collaboration and writing a social artifact. Peer tutoring is an extremely innovate idea since it combines collaborative and cognitive learning as students learned from tutors and tutors

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

History before 1877 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History before 1877 - Essay Example Slaves who bore no rights were in high demand to provide for cheap labor. A large wave of Europeans immigrated to the United States of America in the 19th century (Wolff 56). The famous Potato famine in Ireland was also another factor that pushed these groups to migrate to the United States for greener pastures. Due to the economic depression accompanied by religious intolerance in Germany, many Catholics were obliged to migrate (Chang 124). The immigration of Europeans to the United States was of great benefit it spurred economic growth. To start with, due to rapid industrialization, there was the need for cheap labor. Second, the United States began claiming land from the Spanish and the Northern America native people. Nevertheless, the populous immigration was a threat to certain groups of people as it was deemed to tamper with the peace and harmony of the citizens (Herron 307). Europeans remarkably made up the majority of migrants during the end of the twentieth century. However, this changed in the late twentieth century, when they were replaced by migrants from Latin America and Asia (Chang, 411). A bulk of them came from Mexico, Philippines, China, Vietnam, Korean, India, and the Dominican Republic. Population growth and industrialization are the convulsive demographic and economic factors that attracted migrants to America: the land of opportunity and freedom (Chang, 411). Immigrants in the past and present have contributed to the American economy in different perspectives. However, it is evident that they have played a critical role in shaping the destiny of the country. No doubt, America will continue to grow, demand and attract the strong willing unskilled laborers for many years to come (Chang, 411). With increased numbers of immigrants between 1860 and 1915, conflict arose due to competition for resources. It became necessary to regulate the

Monday, August 26, 2019

Media imperialism PowerPoint Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Media imperialism - PowerPoint Presentation Example Media imperialism and cultural imperialism pose great negative effects not only to the local media but also the consumers of the content. The local media stand to lose since they may be swallowed or taken over by large media corporations. According to (Desai and Agrawa 2009, p. 19) cultural –media imperialism theories had predicted that the importation of television channels would lead to demise of local cultures and cultural industries without considering complex patterns of television production, distribution and consumption. Generally, a perception of cultural consequence of the control of various media products is based on a view that mass media as primarily manipulative agents capable of having direct, unmediated effects on the audience behavior and world view (Tomlinson 2002). He asserts that there are also good reasons for cultural-media imperialism especially for the Marxists in understanding domination of the media. The consumers tend to be influenced by the cultures of the dominant media. Such culture influence may be a threat to the National security of a Nation especially where the culture of terrorism is inculcated in the minds of the local consumers. In addition to this effect, the contents of the dominant media can also be biased. The media content may not capture the more pressing issues of the home country instead focus on the world news. In most cases world news coverage may not be of importance to the consumers of the home country. Such a state is dangerous to a state.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Dominican Republic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dominican Republic - Essay Example Many local people, knowing there destiny fled fearing the Europeans and later on formed there own colonies, called the Maroon colonies. The colonizers brought in another change, they imported the black people and slavery was one of the most predominant features at that time. But all this changed because of the Haitian Liberation, this made sure that slavery was completely abolished from the country, as a result of which, the blacks having no where to go settled on in the country. This is the history of the country, which saw many a change taking place. The people of Dominican Republic are masters when it comes to indirect communication, they firmly believe in maintaining a good relationship with as many people as they possibly can. The people of the Dominican Republic consider themselves to be more Latin American than Caribbean. The situation of the country as of now is quite bad; the people are struggling to fight against the corrupt people, who are currently in power. Spanish is spoken in the country and the people are very proud of the purity of Spanish they speak in the country. The flag of the country is designed in such a manner that it shows national pride and patriotism. The flag consists of the colors red and blue which indicate the blood of the people who gave up their lives and liberty respectively. The Dominican coat of arms can be found in the centre of the flag. "A recent national symbol, constructed in 1992, is the Columbus Lighthouse. It was a work project conceived of by President Joaqun Balaguer when he was 85 ye ars old and blind. It is an enormous cross, flat on the ground, facing the sky and bursting with lights, and was built as a tourist attraction." (Every Culture, 14 August, 2008). The light house is in an area where there is utter poverty; people live in despair, without any electricity and without many more basic necessities. The light house is a very big attraction and can even be seen burning brightly from Puerto Rico. The native people are called the Tianos; Columbus was well greeted when he first arrived in the country. These Tianos were peace loving people and lived in the tropical forest. These Tianos lives in make shift homes and many families lived under the same roof. The villages were further subdivided into districts, each district had a chief, who took care if that particular district. During this time there was no slavery in the country and it was free from all other evils too. The Tianos were very good at growing crops, specially the root crops. They also dug and used it as ornaments. Columbus kept a close eye on the gold digging skills of the Tianos and thought that he had a good chance of paying his debts to the king and queen of Spain. The culture of the Tianos is not very clearly presented because nearly all the Tianos died after three decades of Columbus's visit to the country. Columbus is known the world over for his navigating skills but he failed in dominating these Tainos, inst ead of farming he made them dig in pursuit of gold. The natives died, as there were torturous condition, food was not available in plenty and the population decreased. The country also saw the invasion of the United States of America from 1916 to 1924. The dominance of the United States brought many changes, for instance during the rule many new classes of land owners emerged and the country also sa

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Strategic management of Apple Inc. and Samsung Group Case Study

Strategic management of Apple Inc. and Samsung Group - Case Study Example Their main strategy was elaborated product development cycle which grows on anticipation level among customers. Simultaneously the company showcased their innovations globally very well. Samsung on the other hand used time very well. They always try to make their presence felt in the market. Primary focus of Samsung was to capture low and middle end market. But with the help of fast innovations the company was able to perform well in premium end market also. The company is presently enjoying huge popularity for their products in every segment of global society. Internal capacities of both these two companies are very high. Both companies are having super innovative capabilities. Apple has done a good mixture of both science and arts in their products. Apple over the years has delivered super, elegant and simple experiences out of their products. It has made the organization a dominant player in the smart phone market. Apple is fighting legal battles with Samsung regarding infringemen t of patent rights. It is a very well thought business strategy from Apple to keep more firm foot on the global mobile industry. In this way Apple is trying to break free from competitions. The mission and vision statement of Apple is very much in line with their long term goals. Apple reinvented mobile phones and brought revolutionary changes in digital music systems. Samsung’s mission and vision statement is also in line with their long term goals. According to the company they believe in devotion of their human resources and their technology for the creation of good quality products and services which would contribute towards global society. Samsung is contributing towards South Korean economy heavily (Jeremy, 2010). Strengths: Samsung has unparallel ability to market their brands. Integration of hardware with many open sources like software and OS is also a great strength for Samsung. Superior product

Friday, August 23, 2019

Case Study of Women and Global Leadership at Bestfoods

Of Women and Global Leadership at Bestfoods - Case Study Example Diversity should be maintained at all levels of the companies’ organizational structure. While ensuring diversity, however, managers of the subsidiary branches should be left with the freedom of formulating their own diversity policies by incorporating different cultural and economic aspects of their markets. Question 2: Brody’s idea to hold the forum I concur with Brody’s idea to hold the forum as one way of promoting diversity in the company’s workforce. The forum provided a great opportunity for the company to discuss the issues of diversity in detail and help each other understand the need to have a highly diversified workforce. Through the forum, various leaders of the company will be informed about the importance of diversity management and how a diverse workforce can steer the company to greater heights in to the future. Other ways through which the same objective could be met is by allowing the management teams of subsidiary companies to customize their own diversity policies based on the varying needs of the consumers in their markets. Question 3: Challenges for Brody and Shoemate in implementing the diversity strategy Like any other form of organizational change, this new diversity policy is likely to encounter resistance to change from various stakeholders in the organization. Conservative leaders are likely to be unwilling to implement the strategy and may prefer to maintain the status quo. Another challenge is the amount of resources and time that it will need to implement the policy. The employees will have to be trained and informed about the new strategies and this will take the organization a significant amount of time and resources. These challenges can however be overcome with proper management and cooperation between the management and the employees. Question 4: Steps taken to manage diversity prior to the forum Several steps were taken to manage the diversity situation in the company before the Women and Global l eadership forum. One such step was conducting a research in the company’s workforce in order to determine the best ways to improve it. There was a commission on Diversity already formed to look at the issues of diversity. By the time the forum took place the company was one of the best performing in the industry in terms of diversity, with women, Africans Whites and various other minority groups represented in the company’s Board of Directors. Question 5: Actions that have made this a successful change effort This new diversity policy has been a successful change effort for the company and this can be attributed to a variety of factors. First and foremost, there was proper planning that begun with a research study of the company’s workforce. The findings of the study led to the realization of the new path the organization ought to take. There was further planning and involvement of all the stakeholder in the company throughout the process. The success can also b e attributed to effective communication between the management team and other employees. Question 6: Other steps to be taken in order to institutionalize the changes that began at the forum In order to effectively manage and maintain diversity in the workforce of the company, there is need to put in place appropriate structures for assessing progress made by

Thursday, August 22, 2019

How Apple INC supply issues effect the demand of its products such as Essay

How Apple INC supply issues effect the demand of its products such as Iphone, IPAD - Essay Example There are several types of supply theories abased on the nature of products. Generally we use the supply chain system based on following important components as given below. Factory: The factory is the basic component and the point of origination for any supply chain. If a factory has issues in the production, the whole supply chain will suffer due to lack of the goods or the quality of the supplied products depending upon the problem respectively. Distributor: The distributor has a supporting role for a company in a supply chain. He advises the company about the magnitude of the product to be manufactured. If a distributor is having issues then the supply chain will suffer due to the mismanagement in terms of faulty distribution. Stockist: A stockist acts as a filter between the distributor and the whole sellers as well as show rooms. The basic difference between a distributor and a stockist is that the distributor purchases the items as a bulk directly from the company while the st ockist purchases the items at a relatively smaller scale from the distributor depending upon the local requirements of the market. Whole sale: A whole seller acts as another filter between the retailers and bulk dealers. ... Retailers: They are the source of products for the end users by the help of company support & distributor’s good supply chain. They also play an effective role in satisfying the end user by giving product knowledge and guarantee and warranty as well. End users: End users are the main component of a business. Each and every company designs its marketing and production strategies to attract end users in the form of customers. They do it by facilitating the end users in different ways. CONSEQUENCES OF BREAKING OF SUPPLY CHAIN Companies invest heavily on generating customer demand about their product through advertising. Especially in smart phones, notepad, laptop industry customers have variable choices therefore, once the customer demand have been established the manufacturer has to ensure the continuous supply of the product to maintain the customer loyalty. Companies which fails to do so may loose their customer loyalty. Following are some key issues can be raised if supply li ne break at the time of demand: NEED OF A NEW MARKETING CAMPAIGN: Once the demand developed in the market by the advertising campaigns the supplier is supposed to fulfill the customer demand. Otherwise customer may turned to other vendors. In this competitive era each product has several rivals in the market. Therefore, once the customer would have turned aside towards other product line or manufactures then in such situations the company has to re design the old marketing strategies, because the customer mind may not have any effect from old marketing approaches. This new advertisements and marketing may cause a huge expense over the company sales. Therefore, companies are very careful in maintaining the supply line un-broken. FRANCHISE/DISTRIBUTOR, FIELD FORCE WILL LOOSE TRUST ON

Why I Want a Wife Essay Example for Free

Why I Want a Wife Essay Matthews and Cofer both came from different cultures and both have problems. They lived two completely different lives. Both Matthew and Cofer worried about their friends excepting the fact that they had another culture. They both lived in the United States but had another life that they didn’t like sharing, but their family would not let them forget about it. In â€Å"Don’t Call Me a Hot Tamale† Cofer, â€Å"Pick One,† Matthews, and â€Å"My Two Lives,† Lahiri all face similar adversity, social problems, and tough decision. In all three stories they have different but sometimes life changing decision to make. In â€Å"Don’t Call Me a Hot Tamale,† Cofer, â€Å"Pick One,† Matthews, and â€Å"My Two Lives,† Lahiri all have different yet similar adversity. They all face dilemmas in their everyday life. In â€Å"Don’t Call Me a Hot Tamale,† Cofer gets criticized for the way dressed. When she dresses like her mother and grandmother was taught to wear. They dressed to look sexy for themselves. But others looked down on her for that. In â€Å"Pick One,† Matthews he has to make a decision that he would have to live with the rest of his life. Either he chose to be white or black. Matthews was both black and Jewish. Matthews’s mother was Jewish and his father was black. When he went to his first day of his new school, the kids looked at him. They made him chose black or white. In â€Å"My Two Lives,† Lahiri never got to forget about her second culture. Her parents reminded her every day. Social problems were a big deal for Cofer, Matthews, and Lahiri. They all went through some kind of social problems. In â€Å"Don’t Call Me Hot Tamale,† Judith Ortiz Cofer has social problems because of the way she dresses. People don’t want to talk to a person like her that dresses like that. One night she was having dinner at a nice hotel and after she ate, she went back to her room, and on her way a middle-aged man in a tuxedo stopped her and started singing her a song. In â€Å"Pick One,† David Matthews he has social problems at his new school. One day in the hallway, on his way to class some of his classmates stopped him. Some of the kids were asking him black or white? â€Å"What are you. † He had never heard that before. He went on about his business. Later that day, it was lunch time. He walked into the lunch room and he knew right then he had to pick. It was a very hard decision to make. He made the decision to be white because they looked the most like him, and had more in common with them. In â€Å"My Two Lives,† Jhumpa Lahiri was afraid her friends wouldn’t accept her because she had two cultures. But her parents wouldn’t let her forget about her other culture. She spoke English without a accent, she comprehended the language in a way her parents couldn’t. Because of her looks she did not attend Sunday school. Conflict of growing up was hard for all three of these people â€Å"Don’t Call Me a Hot Tamale,† Cofer, â€Å"Pick One,† Matthews, and â€Å"My Two Lives,† Lahiri all moved from a different country when they was young. They had to learn a new language, understand how to speak English, and make new friends. Even after they mastered the language people still looked at them differently. Judith Ortiz Cofer had to live with people looking at her for the way she dressed. But that was how her mother and grandmother dressed. David Matthews had to live with making a decision that would follow him the rest of his life. His mother was Jewish and his father was black. He had a lot of conflict while he was growing up. Jhumpa Lahiri parents wouldn’t let her forget about her other culture. Hey told her until they pasted away that her second culture would be in her life. In â€Å"Don’t Call Me a Hot Tamale,† Judith Ortiz Cofer, â€Å"Pick One,† David Matthews, and â€Å"My Two Lives,† Jhumpa Lahiri all have different yet similar adversity’s, social problems, and conglict of growing up. In all three stories they all go through life changing experiences. Cofer goes through things because of the way she dresses. Matthews goes through school and has to pick what color he is. And last Lahiri worries about her friends accepting her for who she is.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Task-Centred Practice and Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy

Task-Centred Practice and Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy Social Work Approaches The social work profession promotes, encourages and elicits social change in those they work with and society. This essay will examine two approaches used to support change in social work today, Task-Centred Practice and Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, and compare and contrast these two. The essay will achieve this by applying these two interventions to Case Study Two, analysing the advantages and limitations of each method. Finally the essay will discuss any anti-discriminatory issues raised in the application of the discussed social work approaches. Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (hereon CBT) is a psychological approach based on a combination of theories of learning: social learning, operant and classical conditioning (Teater, 2010 p.141). The approach is a composite of behavioural and cognitive therapies, involving assessing and changing behaviours, thoughts and feelings together. CBT suggests that service user problems or difficulties are a result of thoughts, feeling and behaviours being unescapably linked, therefore how a service user views themselves or situations affects their behaviour and emotions (Vonk and Early, 2009). However, CBT only focuses on presenting problems and their current causes. The goal of CBT is to change service users’ existing faulty or negative thoughts feelings or behaviours and replace them with more socially acceptable and positive thoughts, feelings and behaviours that decrease the problem. The use of CBT derives from criticisms of Psychodynamic theory for not being evidence-based and not b eing effective in creating change (Howe, 2009). However CBT is not the only evidence-based approach. Similar to CBT, Task-Centred Practice (hereon TCP) is based on strong research evidence; studies by Reid and Shyne, Reid and Epstein and Reid demonstrated planned short-term treatment using task-centred model was effective (Payne, 2005 p.99). In contrast to all other approaches TCP was developed within social work for social work practice, and is commonly used in social work today. TCP is focused on problem-solving; a versatile approach, TCP is used in a wide range of problems (Stepney and Ford 2012 p.102) including interpersonal conflict, dissatisfaction with social relations, problems in social transition, financial problems and behavioural difficulties (Ford, 1978 as cited in Stepney and Ford 2012 p.103). Doel (1991 as cited in Teater, 2010) states that TCP uses key values related to social work, for example partnership and empowerment: clients are seen as the experts in their problems; the approach builds on service users’ strengths rather than weaknesses; and finally that the Social Worker is providing help rather than treatment. TCP’s assumption of client as expert is another point of contrast to CBT. However CBT has its own assumptions. CBT holds three basic assumptions: firstly, an individual’s cognitions mediate emotions and behaviours (Trowel et al, 1988; Vonk and Early, 2009 as cited in Teater, 2010 p.146); secondly, faulty or distorted cognitions lead to psychological distress and dysfunction (trowel et al, 1988 as cited in Teater); finally, diminishing or alleviating psychological distress and dysfunction requires modification and change to the faulty or distorted cognitions and behaviours (Trowel et al, 1988; Vonk and Early, 2009 as cited in Teater, 2010 p.146). CBT takes these assumptions and creates a structured approach to working with service users. Coulshed and Orme (2006 p.181-182) describe the CBT approach in eight clear stages; engagement, problem focus, problem assessment, teaching cognitive principles, dispute and challenge assumptions, encourage the client’s self-disputing, set behavioural homework and finally, ending. This extremely structured approach is another point of comparison with TCP. TCP, similar to CBT, is built around a clear model, and progresses through set stages. Firstly, ‘identifying the problem’; TCP is a collaborative approach which works to tackle problems the service users acknowledge and understand (Doel, 1991 as cited in Teater, 2010 p.178). In addition the service user must express a wish to work on the problem alone or with the help of worker (Reid and Epstein as cited in Teater, 2010 p.179) Next, ‘exploring the problem’ in detail, selecting the problem that is causing the client most distress. From the problem ‘define a goal’ which diminishes or removes the problem, ‘establish tasks’ for the worker and service user towards reaching the goal, and finally ‘evaluate’ if the goal has been met and if the problem is removed (Reid and Epstein, 1972 as cited in Teater, 2010). The essay will now examine how these approaches could be applied to Case Study Two. Case Study Two presents many key issues. The service user, Neil, is facing many difficulties at one time, which include problems with family, aggressive behaviour which has resulted in his homelessness, and lack of money, food, bedding, and household items. In addition he is also worried about moving GP. Many of Neil’s problems could be tackled using either CBT or TCP; selective eclecticism allows social workers to choose which approach would best suit each problem. The problems of homelessness, money and the want of a job are better suited to TCP; they are problems of living that may also include some social factors which CBT would not account for. The problem of behaviour where Neil is swearing in the family and the anxiety toward the change of GP would be best suited for CBT intervention, as this is proven to help with problems of behaviour and anxiety (Sheldon, 2011). In Neil’s case, the first stages of TCP, identifying problems, exploring problem and setting goals, would need to be applied in the early meetings between Neil and the social worker. The collaborative period needs careful discussions and mutual agreement on problems and goals. A possible outcome may be tackling the problems such as homelessness, lack of money, food and unemployment in order; however, other factors may make this unrealistic. The ‘SMART’ method for goal setting is commonly applied, stating goals must be: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely (Marsh and Doel, 2005 p.36). The assessment phase of CBT mirrors this early approach of TCP. During CBT’s assessment phase the service user and worker examine the links in thoughts, feelings and behaviours using the ‘A-B-C model’, as well as measuring intensity, duration and frequency of the problem (Teater, 2010 p.145). After assessment both approaches then move to intervent ion phases. TCP uses tasks as an intervention. The task should be planned carefully, asking: what is the task, the reason for the task, and what the person needs to be able to achieve the task. These stages can be simplified to what, why and how (Marsh and Doel, 2005 p.55). The tasks are performed by either the service user, the social worker or by both parties in session. In contrast, a CBT intervention is classified into distinct categories of intervention including cognitive restructuring, relaxation techniques, social skill training, assertion training, problem-solving skills, aversion therapy, systematic desensitisation, reinforcement and modelling (Teater, 2010 p.149-150). The actual intervention that is selected is dependent on the problem faced. In the case of Neil, cognitive restructuring may be suitable to approach the anxiety and his false belief that his doctor is the only one who can understand him. This is done by challenging the assumption, reinforcing self-challenging and homewor k. Next both approaches move on to the ending phase. The ending or evaluation phase is critically important in both CBT and TCP. Both approaches use close evaluation of the goals and progress made in the intervention; this evidence-based practice is seen as a great benefit of both these approaches. CBT uses data collected in the assessment phase as a tool for evaluating the outcome of the intervention. This is done by comparing intensity, duration and frequency of thoughts or behaviours before the intervention and after, giving a measure of success or failure in the intervention (Sheldon, 2011). TCP uses a similar process of evaluation: firstly regular assessment of the outcome of the tasks set measures change in capability; secondly, TCP monitors whether the service user’s goals have been met or the problem solved. This measurability of evidence-based approaches finds them favoured by funders and managers in social work (Payne, 2005 p.101). These are not the only benefits of these approaches. TCP has many other qualities that result in it being commonly used: it is generic, can be used in many settings and with many different clients groups (Teater, 2010 p.189). TCP can be used easily in combination with many other approaches, such as motivational interviewing to help someone who may be unsure about change (Teater, 2010 p.189). Both CBT and TCP are highly structured and easy to use (Payne, 2005). Furthermore both interventions are brief and time-limited while remaining effective (Stepney and Ford, 2012). However these approaches have some limitations. TCP requires that service users can make connections between problems, tasks and goals; this is not possible with all service users, as some may be unwilling or experience difficulty in making connections (Marsh and Doel, 2005). CBT also faces similar difficulty with service user commitment the approach relies on equal involvement from the social worker and the service user in changing faulty learning process or behaviours (Teater, 2010 p.155). In addition, Payne (2005) suggests another weakness in TCP is its failure to tackle the long-term individual or social problems. This is especially pertinent in Neil’s case, in which he and his family have had previous social service interventions. Another criticism of CBT is that it only focuses on the individual: oppression, discrimination, racism and poverty are not addressed in the approach (Teater, 2010 p.155). Furthermore, by not accounting for oppression and discrimination, TCP and CBT may inadvertently exacerbate both. Thompson (2012) defines anti-discriminatory practice as an approach to social work practice which seeks to eliminate discrimination and oppression, and argues it is fundamental to social work. However, a social work intervention often places power and influence in the hands of social work, and there is scope for discrimination and oppression in social work practice, whether intended or unintended. CBT focuses on changing behaviour from inappropriate to appropriate. What is ‘appropriate’ behaviour is culturally relative and a misinformed social worker may attempt to change acceptable behaviour thus creating oppression. However, cultural sensitivity must be balanced with ability to challenge behaviour that causes discrimination in itself (Tanaka-Matsumi et al., 2005 as cited in Teater, 2010 p.156). Marsh and Doel (2005 as cited in Teater, 2010 p.191) suggests that TCP is allied with empowerment-based approaches and anti-oppressive practice as TCP takes account of power and oppression in a wider social context. The approach emphasises partnership and transparency, highlighting any power imbalance should be made explicit from the beginning of the intervention (Teater, 2010 p.191). Doel and March (2005) further argue that the client should be informed and as involved as possible. However, TCP relies on the service user accepting that there is a problem; this point may become a point of oppression whereby the social worker may force their perspective of the problem upon the service user, particularly in mandated work (Doel, 2002 as cited in Teater, 2010). However, good practice in TCP sees the service user as the expert in their problem and the social worker as helper, rather than prescriber of a course of action (Teater, 2010 p.191). In conclusion, supporting and eliciting change is a difficult job for social work. Numerous factors play a part in a service user problem or want. No one approach will consider all the factors all the time, therefore being eclectic in choosing an intervention is a key social work skill. As shown, both TCP and CBT are very practical approaches: each has a clear structure, a strong evidence-base and uses evaluation to show the efficacy of an intervention. However each approach has weaknesses: TCP fails to address long-standing problems and asks service user to have good insight into their problems. CBT does not account for oppression, discrimination, racism and poverty, instead focusing on the individual. Like all interventions in service users’ lives, both CBT and TCP can be oppressive and discriminatory used casually or incorrectly. However, handled with care, collaboration and transparency, both TCP and CBT can be used to support service users to empower themselves into makin g the changes they want to make. Reference List Adams, R, Dominelli, L and Payne, M. (2009) Critical practice in social work, 2nd edition, London: Palgrave. Coulshed, V and Orme, J. (2012) Social Work Practice, 5th Edition, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Marsh, P and Doel, M. (2005) the Task-Centred Book, Abingdon: Routledge. Howe, D. (2009) a Brief Introduction to Social Work Theory, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Payne, M. (2005) Modern Social Work Theory, 3rd Edition, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Teater, B. (2010) Applying Social Work theories and methods, Berkshire: Open University Press. Thomson, N. (2012) Anti-discriminatory practice, 5th edition, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Sheldon, B. (2011) Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, 2nd edition, Abingdon: Routledge. Stepney, P and Ford, D. (2012) Social Work Models, Methods and Theories, 2nd Edition, Dorset: Russell House Publishing Ltd. Vonk, M, E Early, T, J. (2009) Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, New York: Oxford.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Literature Review Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Health And Social Care Essay

Literature Review Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Health And Social Care Essay Review of literature is an essential step in the development of a research project. The primary purpose is to gain abroad background or understanding of the information that is related to the research problem. Review of literature of the present study was arranged in the following heading: Review related to polycystic ovarian syndrome. Review related to prevalence Review related to Quality of life Review related to risk factors. Review related to treatment. . Review related to poly cystic ovarian syndrome. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), also known as Stein Leventhal Syndrome, was first described in 1935. PCOS, which may also be referred to as polycystic ovary disease (PCOD) is the most common hormonal disorder found in premenopausal women. PCOS affects 7% of women from all races and nationalities. Typically, PCOS symptoms first appear in adolescence, normally around the state of menstruation. Occasionally, some women do not develop PCOS symptoms until their early to mid-20s. One of the most common symptoms of PCOS is irregular periods. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) becomes symptomatic during adolescence and affects at least 5% of reproductive-age women. PCOS is a heterogeneous syndrome of unexplained chronic hyperandrogenism and oligo-anovulation, with a polycystic ovary being an alternative diagnostic criterion. About half of cases lack some of the classic Stein-Leventhal syndrome features of menstrual irregularity, hirsutism, obesity, and polycystic ovaries. Whether the syndrome can be diagnosed in the absence of hyperandrogenism is controversial, and the documentation of hyperandrogenemia can be problematic. The broad spectrum of the disorder seems to encompass atypical cases of hyperandrogenemia with central obesity and features of insulin resistance instead of hirsutis m or anovulation. Functional ovarian hyperandrogenism (FOH) is usually the source of the androgen excess. It is characterized by 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17PROG) hyperresponsiveness to the gonadotropin stimulation of GnRH agonist or human chorionic gonadotropin testing and subnormal suppressibility of plasma testosterone upon adrenal suppression by glucocorticoid. It is often accompanied by functional adrenal hyperandrogenism, characterized by 17-hydroxypregnenolone or dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) hyperresponsiveness to ACTH; in atypical PCOS, the sole source of androgen excess may be functional adrenal hyperandrogenism. The underlying defect seems to be a constitutive dysreglulaton of steroidogenic cells (9). Intrinsic granulosa cell dysfunction is also present. LH excess appears to contribute to 50-75% of cases. Evidence is accumulating that it arises from androgen interfering with the progesterone negative-feedback effect on LH secretion. However, the possibility of primary central mechanisms for L H excess remains, particularly in adolescent PCOS . Increasing evidence suggests that PCOS arises as a complex trait with contributions from both heritable and nonheritable factors. Polygenic influences appear to account for about 70% of the variance in pathogenesis. Nearly half of sisters of women with PCOS have an elevated plasma testosterone level, although only half of them are symptomatic. Polycystic ovaries appear to be transmitted as a dominant trait, usually asymptomatic but often accompanied by a subclinical PCOS type of ovarian dysfunction. Central obesity and insulin resistance seem to play important roles in PCOS, perhaps by accentuating steroidogenic dysregulation but perhaps more fundamentally because PCOS is closely related to these features in parents. Gestational factors have also been incriminated; the syndrome has been associated with high birth weight in heavy mothers and can arise from fetal programming by androgen excess. In view of these indications for congenital origins of the syndrome, it is not surprising th at there is increasing recognition of risk factors for PCOS in childhood Minerva Pediatr (2010) Polycystic Ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex disorder, involving primarily ovarian hyperandrogenism in females and linked with insulin resistance in the majority of cases. Clinical features are widely variable and include a combination of menstrual irregularities, acne, hirsutism, and alopecia. Although it typically presents around puberty, several risk factors during childhood may help raise a high index of suspicion for the development of PCOS in adolescents. The pathophysiology of PCOS still remains unknown and likely includes a combination of genetic factors, insulin resistance and environmental factors. A thorough diagnostic work up is required in suspected cases and several management modalities have been suggested. Since various long term complications and comorbidities are associated with PCOS early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention is warranted in these cases. Review Related To Prevalence Pembe AB, Abeid MS (2009). The aim of this study was to determine prevalence of polycystic ovaries (PCO) and associated clinical and biochemical features among women with infertility attending gynaecological outpatients department (GOPD) at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. All women with infertility attending the GOPD from 11th September 2006 to 15th February 2007 were recruited to the study. Information on socio-demographic, obstetric and menstrual characteristics was collected. Anthropometric measurement, clinical examination of acne and hirsutism, vaginal ultrasonography for PCO and biochemical analysis of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone were performed all 102 women who attended the GOPD during the study period due to infertilityw ere recruited. Two women were excluded after diagnosis of pregnancy made by hormonal assay and ultrasonography thus remaining with 100 women for analysis. Oligomenorrhoea and acne were significantly higher in a group of women with PCO than among women with normal ovaries. The mean hirsutism score though was not significant, was higher in women with PCO than in women with normal ovaries (5.1 +/-2.7 vs 4+/-2.4, P Koivunen R. (1999) conducted study about prevalence of polycystic ovaries in healthy women. The prevalence of polycystic ovaries varies with age. The findings are more common in women aged 35 years or younger than in those aged 36 years or older. It remains unclear of women with polycystic ovaries will later develop fall-blown polycystic ovary syndrome; however, the hormonal parameters and clinical findings among women with polycystic ovaries mimized those will polycystic ovarian syndrome. Enhrman DA, Cavagham MK, Barnes RB, (1999) prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes in women with polycystic ovary syndrome obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome have the highest risk of glucose intolerance. Among women with polycystic ovary syndrome, 35% will have impaired glucose tolerance and 10% will be diabetic before age 40. Hyperandrogenemia may have a role in the development of glucose intolerance or be a marker of insulin resistance. Conversion from impaired glucose tolerance to NIDDM appears to be accelerated in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Review related to quality of life Moran L, el.a.l (2010) conducted a observational, cross sectional study in young woman. He assess the psychological features in young women with and without PCOS. Women with PCOS demonstrated worsened quality of life (p=0.033 ) and greater anxiety (p= 0.01)and depression (p=0.023) than women without PCOS related to BMI status. Women with PCOS were more likely to perceive themselves as at risk of obesity (p=0.012) and infertility (p=0.0001), and perceived greater importance in reducing future risk of prediabetes (p=0.027), gestationl diabetes (p=0.039),type2 diabetes (p= 0.01) , heart disease (p=0.005),obesity(p=0.0007),and infertility(p=0.023) than women without PCOS. Women with PCOS were more likely to have fears about future health related to weight gain (p=0.045 ), loss of femininity (p =0.035) , loss of sexuality (p =0.003) and infertility (p=0.019) than women without PCOS. Worsened quality of life, anxiety and depression in young women with PCOS is related to BMI. Risk percepti on is appropriately high in PCOS, yet perceived risk of future metabolic complications are less common than those related to weight gain and infertility. Judy Griffin Mc Cook, et al conducted on a cross sectional, regarding quality of life in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome. The results of this study indicate that women with PCOS have the greatest concern in the area of weight, followed by menstrual problems and infertility. These concerns are directely reflected in their objective life experiences. Women with PCOS clearly need education and support regarding the effect of their quality of life. Sigrid elsenbruch el.al They conducted a survey method the sample was collected from out patients clinics of the devision of endocrinology ,department of medicine at the university of essen, based on referrals from gynecologists in the surrounding area or patients attracted by the clinics home page. They concluded that the pronounced psychological and psychosocial problems affecting health related to quality of life of patients with PCOS. Although an effective medical treatment aimed at improving PCOS related symptoms will also reduce psychological distress and improve sexual self worth , consideration of both the medical and psychological situation with the availability of an additional help group are likely to further improve life satisfaction and coping of affected women. Maria E el. al conducted a cross sectional study of female adolescents and to determine whether clinically observed or self -perceived severity of illness attect their HRQL (Health related quality life) they concluded that adolescents with PCOS experience lower HRQL compared with healthy adolescents. Polycystic ovarian syndrome and perceived severity of illness negatively affect HRQL in adolescents. This study suggests a need to develop interventions to reduce the distress that patients with PCOS may face to adolescents and young adult. Susanne Hahn, el. al A Comparative study was conducted in out patient clinic of The Department Of Medicine, university of Duisburg Essen, Germany. The result of the study was PCOS patients showed significant reductions in quality of life, increased psychological disturbances, and decreased sexual satisfaction when healthy controls. BMI and hirsutism scores, but not the presence of acne , were associated with physical aspect of quality of life and sexual satisfaction. No clear effect of androgens or insulin resistance on psychosocial variables was detected. Similarly, the type of menstrual cycle disturbances or infertility had no impact on psychological well being. Review related to risk factors Robert L. Rosenfield et al 2007 in this study state that risk factors for PCOS can be recognized in childhood. This study concluded that premature pubarche patients appear to carry about a 15 -20 % risk of developing PCOS. It seems likely that the risk is relatively high in those with exaggerated adrenarche and relatively low in those with ordinary premature adrenarche or idiopathic premature pubarche. PCOS is a complex trait with a large hereditary component. There fore, the presence of PCOS, or central obesity, diabetes, or other insulin resistant features in a parent should heighten the concern about risk for PCOS if the child presents other risk factors. Bulent O. Yildiz, et.al (2005) The study was conducted at a tertiary care center. Population prevalence of PCOS according to body mass index (BMI) and change in BMI of PCOS patients over time were measured. The results suggest that the risk of PCOS is only minimally increased with obesity, although the degree of obesity of PCOS patients has increased, similar to that observed in the general population. These data indicate that obesity in PCOS reflects environmental factors to a great extent. Meher un Nisal (2009) A cross sectional analytical study was conducted in Qassim University Clinic, in the year of 2007 -2009 . They concluded that obesity plays an important role in the genesis and maintenance of polycystic ovarian disease. PCOD is the leading cause of anovultory infertility in females and affects 1 in 10 women of reproductive age. PCOD is strongly associated with obesity. Angela Kerchner, B.A., el .al (2009) coducted a prospective longitudinal study cocluded that there is a significant risk mood disorders in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome. The persistent high rate of depression and other mood disorders are presents in young women with PCOS. Rosenfield RL. The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics (2007) conducted a study on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) appears to arise as a complex trait with contributions from both heritable and nonheritable factors. Polygenic influences appear to account for about 70% of the variance in pathogenesis. In view of this evidence for congenital contributions to the syndrome, childhood manifestations may be expected. The objective has been to review the evidence that risk factors for PCOS can be recognized in childhood. Congenital virilizing disorder are average or low birth weight for gestation age; premature adrenarche, particularly exaggerated adrenarche; atypical sexual precocity; or intractable obesity with acanthosis nigricans, metabolic syndrome, and pseudo-cushing syndrome or pseudo-acromegaly in early childhood have been identified as independent prepubertal risk factors for the development of PCOS. During adolescence, PCOS may masquerade a s physiological adolescent anovulation. Asymptomatic adolescents with a polycystic ovary occasionally (8%) have subclinical PCOS but often (42%) have a subclinical PCOS type of ovarian dysfunction, the prognosis for which is unclear. Identifying children at risk for PCOS offers the prospect of eventually preventing some of the long-term complications associated with this syndrome once our understanding of the basis of the disorder improves. Fertile steril (2009) conducted a prospective longitudinal study in university they state that there is a significant risk for mood disorders in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome. They found that a high conversion risk for depression over a 1 to 2 year period under scores the importance of routine screening and aggressive treatment of mental health disorders in this population. Duleba AJ, Ahmed IM (2010) observational study to evaluate urinary albumin excretion (UAE) in normotensive and non diabetic women with polycystic ovary syndrome in relation to their clinical, endocrine, and metabolic motiles. They concluded urinary albumin exenetion in women with pcos correlates well with other cordiovcescular events is continuous, evaluation of UAE in the presence of information and may aid in selecting appropriate patients for move aggressive treatment of likely aggravation factors, such as hyperonsulinemia or borderline hypertension. Want Y, et.al says that the family history of diabetes mellitus has the most effect on the clinical phenotype in women with PCOS. The family history of other diseases such as menstrual disorder, premature balding and hypertension play less significant roles. A family history of positive coronary heart disease does not affect the clinical phenotype of such patients. A survey of the polycystic ovary syndrome in the Greek island of Lesbos: hormonal and metabolic profile. Review related to Treatment Moran LJ, Pasquali R, (2009) state that the lifestyle management should be used as the primary therapy in overweight and obese women with PCOS for the treatment of metabolic complications. Jeans YM, et.al (2009) they conducted a experimental study on dietary management of women with PCOS. They concluded that 73% of overweight women were not following a diet to promote weight loss. Humphreys L, costarelli V (2008). They concluded that in spite of the fact that weight loss and weight maintenance are absolutely vital in the treatment the PCOS. In their study bees shown that the support given to PCOS patients to help reduce and control their weight is inadequate and needs to be improved. Hector F Escobar et.al. (2008). They done a case control study including 40 PCOS patients matched with 40 non hyperandrogenic women for age and body mass index. They concluded that serum OPG (Osteoprotegerin) concentrations are reduced in PCOS patients independently of obesity. Unlu C. Atabe koglu CS. (2006). They suggest that the metformin has gained popularity as first line management in clomiphone citrate resistant women with polycystic ovarian syndrome. It ovulation does not occur within several months offer treatment with metformin, affer the evaluation of all PCOS and cons related to each treatment. Laparoscopic ovarian drilling or gonadotropins may be considered as an effective option according to patients choice. Glueck CJ, et. Al. (2009 Sep) conduct a study: in 20 adolescents age, or = 17(16+/- 1 yr) with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endocrinopathy and coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors. Median weight fell from 85.5 to 78.4 kg(p=0.004), waist circumference from 91 to 84 cm (p= 0.017), triglyceride form 108 to 71 mg/dl (p=0.026), and testosterone from 45.5 to 31.5ng/dl (p=0.03). The percentage of cycles with normal menses rose from a pre-treatment median of 8% to 100 %, p Genazzani AD, Ricchieri F, Lanzoni C conducted a study in metformin is quite an old drug, but it is optimal for the control of glycemia in type 2 diabetes. It was reported, 15 years ago, that insulin resistance was abnormally high in most polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients. Starting disorder over 2 years after menarche, a higher incidence of obesity, marked hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance and disorderly gonadotropine secretion in comparison with control subjects. Hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance are much more severe in obese adolescent PCOS. Beata Banasjewska MD Ph.D., Antoni J Duleba MD, Robert Z. Spacjynski, Lipids in polycystic ovarian syndrome Role of hyperinsulinemia and effects of metformin.Use of metformin in hyperinsulinemia women with PCOS is associated with a significant improvement of lipid profile; these findings support the notion that metformin use may be considered prophylactic therapy aimed at lowering cardiovascular risk factors. Jeans YM et al (2009) conducted a study related to dietary management of women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Advice provided by dietitians focused on a reduction in energy intake (78%) and dietary glycaemic index (77%) often in combination. Of the women with poly cystic ovarian syndrome who were following a diet specifically for their poly cystic ovarian syndrome (57%) regimes included a low glycaemic index (34%), weight loss diets (16%) or a combination (26%). Of interest, 73% of overweight women were not following a diet with only 15% of women having seen a dietitian. Eighty-four percent of women with poly cystic ovarian syndrome who had increased physical activity (48%) self-reported an improvement in their symptoms. They concluded that women with poly cystic ovarian syndrome recognize the importance of diet, but few received dietary advice from a registered dietitian. The dietary information women with poly cystic ovarian syndrome received was often from an unregulated source. A consensus statement of evidence-based dietary advice for women with poly cystic ovarian syndrome is needed and would be a useful resource for dietitians.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Internet Users Turn Addicts :: essays research papers

If you're an Internet user, you know who you are. They are among all of us in society, although many may choose to not acknowledge that they too, frequently use the Internet. As I sit here and look across the street, I see a man in front of his own computer; the screen glowing against the window behind him. He does not use his personal computer for work, he is a farmer. He has become what is known as an "Internet Junky".The addiction begins innocently. At the start, you are not even aware of the possibilities that may form from your excessive computer use. You begin to take an avid interest in e-mailing with your friends and family. Once the novelty of keeping in touch with your colleagues wears off, and researching starts to bore you, you may possibly expand your computer usage to chatting. Yes, chatting. It is something that is becoming more acceptable in our lives, but it is still looked down upon by many skeptics. Chatting through the Internet involves choosing an appropriate nickname for yourself (IE: Fisherman), and then finding a room where you feel compelled to spend time in. Once you've entered the room, other fellow chatters may say, "Hello...a/s/l (age/sex/location) please." And so begins the addiction. Once you become involved in meeting people online, it is difficult to break such a habit. You may even make a daily habit of it. People have been found to carry out exactly the same behavior, not only across the nation, but across the globe. In any one room, you may come across people from five different countries of the world. Granted, not everyone who stays online for hours on end, are enveloped in chatting, but it is more often then not, the cause for Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD). (Goldberg, MD)The prevalence of Internet Addiction Disorder has been increasing in number, hence a support group, among many, The Internet Addiction Support Group (IASG) has been developed. IAD, a "maladaptive" pattern for Internet use, is leading to impairment and/or distress caused by three (or more) of the following, at any time in a period of one year: "A) A need for markedly increased amounts of time on Internet to achieve satisfaction, B) Markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of time on Internet.", C) Reduction in Internet use which has been prolonged. (Goldberg,

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Brisbane: Impacts of Water Management Strategies Essay -- Brisbane Pop

1. Introduction The Queensland region recently suffered its worst drought in over a century. This period was shared with a rapid increase in the city’s population. A combination of severe drought and a rapid increase in population had a permanent impact on the city’s water management strategy. Brisbane population is expected to reach 4.5 million by 2050. This report aims to look at how the relationship between Brisbane’s water resources and population growth have effected society, the economy and the environment. It will briefly look at the growth rate of Brisbane’s population how this subsequently affected the city’s ability to meet challenges in water demand. The report will critically analyse the State Government five water management strategies. It will explore whether the strategies are environmentally sustainable in the growing population. It will aim to determine whether the strategies effective in protecting the state’s biophysical resource. The report will critically evaluate the current and potential impacts of water management strategies to the biophysical resource base. 2. Population growth and water supply The population growth of Brisbane has widely been viewed mark of economic prosperity (Wasimi, 2010). The Australian Labor government national policy encouraged population growth by giving financial incentives for people to have more children and encouraging migration (Lowe, 2010). However, the growth affected the city’s capacity to cope with growing demand for water. Brisbane’s water consumption is divided into ‘direct’ such as household water and ‘indirect’ such as commercial use (Rutherford and Finlayson, 2011). Brisbane’s water consumption growing rapidly due to the urban affluent lifestyle such ... ... (1), p437–447. Rutherfurd, I and Finlayson, B (2011) 'Whither Australia: Will Availability of Water Constrain the Growth of Australia’s Population?', Geographical Research , 49(3), pp. p301–316. Spearritt, R. (2009). THE 200 KM CITY: BRISBANE, THE GOLD COAST, AND SUNSHINE COAST. Australian Economic History Review. 49 (1), p87-106. Tam. V, Tamb. L and S.X. Zengc. (2009). Cost effectiveness and tradeoff on the use of rainwater tank: An empirical study in Australian residential decision-making. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 54 (1), p178-186. The Water & Carbon Group Pty Ltd. (2013). Sewage Treatment. Available: http://www.waterandcarbon.com.au/services/sewage-treatment. Last accessed 6th April 2014. Wasimi, S 2010, 'Planning for a large dam project: the case of Traveston Crossing Dam', Water Resources Management, vol. 24, no. 12, pp. 2991-3015.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Philippine Literature Essay

I. Pre-Colonial Period – Consisted of early Filipino literature passed down orally; oral pieces have a communal authorship – it was difficult to trace the original author of the piece since oral literature did not focus on ownership or copyright, rather on the act of storytelling itself; – Many oral pieces became lost in the wave of the new literary influence brought about by the Spanish colonization; however, according to the Philippine Literature: A History & Anthology, English Edition (Lumbera, B.& Lumbera C. ), the pre-colonial period of Philippine literature is considered the longest in the country’s history; – Literature in this period is based on tradition, reflecting daily life activities such as housework, farming, fishing, hunting, and taking care of the children as well; – Oral pieces told stories which explained heroes and their adventures; they attempted to explain certain natural phenomena, and, at the same time, served as entertainment purposes; – Pre-colonial literature showed certain elements that linked the Filipino culture to other Southeast Asian countries (e. g. oral pieces which were performed through a tribal dance have certain similarities to the Malay dance); – This period in Philippine literature history represented the ethos of the people before the arrival of a huge cultural influence – literature as a cultural tradition, than a form of art that had a particular set of decorum.  · Early Forms of Philippine Literature: o Bugtong (riddles; a bugtong contains a metaphor called,Talinghaga), Salawikain (proverb); o Pre-colonial poetry – Tanaga (expresses a view or a value of the world), Ambahan (songs about childhood, human relationships, hospitality; sung by the Mangyan), Duplo (verbal jousts/games), Bayok (thoughts about love), Balagtasan (performed on stage); o Epic poetry – romantic heroes and heroines that are a reflection of the world as perceived by the early Filipinos.  · Notable Works of the Pre-colonial Period: o Tuwaang, Lam-ang, Hinilawod, Bantugan II. Spanish Colonial Period (Mid-16th – late 19th century) – The Spanish culture, as reflected in the works of this literature period, showed a clash with the pre-colonial Filipino literature in the beginning. However, due to the length of stay of the colonizers, the Spanish culture was eventually imbued in the Filipino literature of the period; – Religion became an important theme that had influenced the early Filipino writings which had the presence of paganism – â€Å"Christian Folk-Tale†; – In addition, the influence of religion, besides on the daily life of the natives, was lead by the friar/missionary/parish priest who were appointed by the Spanish government; – Despite the goal of the Spanish government to turn the country into a full-fledged European colony, the Spanish influence ironically inspired a reformation from the natives, which eventually turned into a revolution; – Yet regardless of the conflicts that plagued the relationship between the Spaniards and the Filipinos, a sense of nationalism was formed among the oppressed, and had caused them to rise up to a nationalistic cause; – The essay genre was recognized amidst the scene of editorial protest – Jose Rizal and Plaridel (Marcelo H. Del Pilar) were among those who opt in using the pen in voicing out the people’s cry instead of the sword; – Introduction of the roman alphabet that gradually replaced the ‘alibata’; – The Filipino literature of this period became the predecessor of many more literary works to come in the ages, wherein the theme of nationalism and freedom of speech would be evident.  · Philippine Literature and Art during the Spanish Period: o Pasyon and Sinakulo (religious dramas performed during the Holy Week); o Narrative Poems – Awit; Corrido; o Komedya – a theatrical performance which captured the ideal European lifestyle as portrayed by medieval characters  · Notable Works of the Spanish Period: o Doctrina Christiana (1593) – the first book ever published in the Philippines; printed by the Dominican Press; o May Bagyo Mat’ May Rilim – according to literary historian, Bienvenido Lumbera, is the first printed literary work in Tagalog; o Ang Mahal na Passion ni Jesu Christong P. Natin na Tola (1704) – eventually referred to as â€Å"Pasyon,† was written by Gaspar Aquino de Belen; an example of Christian folk epic in which the passion of Jesus Christ was written in relation with the plight of the Filipino people who were oppressed by the colonizers, as well as the values of a Filipino; o Ninay (1885) – first Filipino novel written; Pedro Paterno; o Florante at Laura – Francisco â€Å"Balagtas† Baltazar; though there are symbols and themes which dictate the protest of the Filipino against the Spanish regime, it is uncertain as to whether or not Balagtas had intended the issue – which was subtly derived from his work – since he left no notes or additional pieces  that may affirm the conclusion; o Noli Me Tangere (1887) and El Filibusterismo (1891) – Jose Rizal; works which created an impact on the national consciousness and love for one’s country against the abusive government of the Spaniards; o La Solidaridad – Propagandist newspaper. III. American Colonial Period (Late 19th – Mid-20th century) – The gradual decline of the Philippine literature written in Spanish; – The English language eventually became the medium of writing and instruction in schools; – As the Spanish colonizers left the country in accordance with the Treaty of Paris, the spirit of nationalism and the desire to be acknowledged of independence did not disappear just yet. Instead, these uniting forces geared into revolting against the new colonizers; – During the American colonization period, Philippine literature reflected the ethos of its people under a new role. However, these day-to-day experiences under a new foreign influence, as well as sentiments, were expressed through the English language; – The Spanish ‘sarsuwela’ was eventually replaced by the ‘drama’; – One major influence of the American occupation on the Filipino literature is its refining in the context of the content and the form. Furthermore, because of this broadened knowledge on the field of literature through the education provided by the American government, Philippine literature has become more than a tradition formed by culture. It has become an art which succeeding poets, fictionists, and playwrights continue to build upon and enrich in every generation; – Beginning with Rizal’s use of social realism as one of the major  themes for his two major novels, the literature during the American colonization also became an involvement, not just reflecting the Filipino experience – a strengthened sense of nationalism deeply rooted in the Filipino pride and culture; – Unlike in the Spanish colonization period wherein female writers (e. g. Gregoria de Jesus) were overshadowed by their more dominant, male contemporaries – as a result of the education only being provided to a selected and privileged few – during the American occupation, women have had their opportunity to enhance their talent by being educated on the craft. In addition, the growing popularity of works written by Filipina writers is the result of the growing audience appreciating literature by females.  · Philippine Literature and Art during the American Period: o Short Story o Poetry in English o Free Verse in Poetry o Drama  · Notable Works of the American Period: o Mga Agos sa Disyerto (1964) – Efren R. Abueg, Edgardo M. Reyes, Eduardo Bautista Reyes, Rogelio L. Ordonez and Rogelio R. Sikat; this short story anthology brought fiction into the age of modernism; o Ako ang Daigdig (1940) – Alejandro G. Abadilla; free verse poem; o Sa Dakong Silangan – Jose Corazon de Jesus; a poem written in the vernacular http://lourdesbraceros. weebly. com/a-brief-history-of-philippine-literature-in-english. html

Marks and Spencer’s accounting choices Essay

Question 1 Exhibits 1 and 2 report the income statements and excerpts from the notes to Marks and Spencer’s financial statement for the fiscal years ending between March 31, 2005 and March 31, 2009. Critically analyze M&S’s accounting choices. What choices may have helped the company to overstate its net profits between 2005 and 2009? * M&S recognize many software development costs as intangible assets. In fact they recognize all costs related to software costs. This includes direct cost of material and services, payroll related costs for employees who are directly associated with the project. This may help M&S overstate its profits because normally only the direct costs associated with the software are recognized as an asset. The payroll costs for employees should not be considered to be an asset but as direct costs and should immediately reduce profits of M&S. Because this isn’t done, profits can be overstated. This is reflected by the large increase in computer software under development which was 5.6 million in 2005/2004 and was 178.8 million in 2009/2008. This is a stunning increase of 3192%. Besides there isn’t any amortization of the computer under software development and is only subjected to impairment. * Another thing which should be considered when reading the report is that there is a large amount of goodwill which may lead to overstatement of assets. In those five years there isn’t any impairment loss recognized or depreciation on that goodwill. Goodwill should be every year be subjected to impairment and it’s unlikely to remain constant over five years. This may lead to overstatement of assets. Warning signs of delayed write-downs on non-current assets can be a declining non-asset turnover or a declining return on assets below weighted average cost of capital. * Another point of discussion about the accounting methods M&S use, is the large depreciation rates they use on fixtures, fittings and equipment which can vary from three years to 25 years depending on the estimates life of the asset. This should be done on basis of useful economic life instead of the estimated life of the asset. This way they can spread the costs over a larger amount of time which overstates profits. * In 2005-2009, every year there are a large amount of additions, other than acquisitions. This is the case with land and buildings, fixtures, fittings & equipment, goodwill, computer software and computer software and development. Our opinion is that this comes from an increase in value of the asset. This is strange because there is an addition in goodwill which suggests that the value increased with no particular acquisition in 2007/2006 and 2008/2007. Also land and buildings and fixtures fittings & equipment increase because of additions while there is economic downturn in 2008/2007 and 2009/2008. * They also requalify their pension liability as equity because they sold it to a joint venture with its pension fund. This liability was then leased back from the joint venture so because they fully control this operational liability, they can qualify this as equity. This seems to be an accounting trick to state liabilities as equity. M&S also receives exceptional pension credit from this transaction in 2009/2008 and 2008/2007. Question 2 Exhibit 3 provides information about the liability that Marks and Spencer reclassified as equity. Do you agree with the decision to reclassify? What will be the effect of this decision on future financial statements? The reclassification of the liability of Marks and Spencer’s as equity seems to be an accounting trick. Marks & Spencer’s group had a liability of 496.9 million to M&S UK pension scheme. Because they did not want that the liability influenced their financial reports in 2007, they sold it to a joint venture of M&S group with M&S UK Pension scheme. The partnership then leased the properties of the partnership to the M&S plc. This reclassifies the liability because of the operational lease as equity while M&S group still has to pay the money to the pension scheme. When the pension fund has not got the money to pay their employees, the group still has to bring up the money. The effect of this decision on future financial statements is that a large amount of liabilities is classified as equity which distorts the equity/liability ratio and is not an actual reflection of the financial health of the organization. The future financial statements will give off a wrong impression of the liabilities owed to the pension scheme.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Frostbite Chapter 20

Twenty We NEEDED AN ESCAPE PLAN, and we needed it fast. Unfortunately, my only ideas called for things that really weren't under my control. Like us being left completely alone so we could sneak off. Or having stupid guards whom we could easily fool and slip away from. At the very least, we should have been sloppily secured so that we could break free. None of that was happening, though. After almost twenty-four hours, our situations hadn't really changed. We were still prisoners, still securely bound. Our captors stayed vigilant, almost as efficient as any group of guardians. Almost. The closest we got to freedom was heavily supervised- and extremely embarrassing- bathroom breaks. The men gave us no food or water. That was rough on me, but the human and vampire mix made dhampirs hardy. I could handle being uncomfortable, even though I was fast reaching a point where I would have killed for a cheeseburger and some really, really greasy french fries. For Mia and Christian†¦well, things were a little harder. Moroi could go weeks without food and water if they were still getting blood. Without blood, they could manage a few days before getting sick and weak, so long as they still had other sustenance. That was how Lissa and I had managed while living on our own, since I hadn't been able to feed her every day. Take away food, blood, and water, and Moroi endurance dropped through the floor. I was hungry, but Mia and Christian were ravenous. Already, their faces looked gaunt, their eyes almost feverish. Isaiah made matters worse during his subsequent visits. Each time, he would come down and ramble on in his annoying, taunting way. Then, before leaving, he'd take another drink from Eddie. By the third visit, I could practically see Mia and Christian salivating. Between the endorphins and lack of food, I was pretty sure Eddie didn't even know where we were. I couldn't really sleep under these conditions, but during the second day, I started nodding off now and then. Starvation and exhaustion will do that to you. At one point, I actually dreamed, surprising since I didn't really think I could fall into a deep slumber under such insane conditions. In the dream- and I knew perfectly well that it was a dream- I stood on a beach. It took me a moment to recognize just which beach it was. It was along the Oregon coast- sandy and warm, with the Pacific unfolding in the distance. Lissa and I had traveled out here once when we lived in Portland. It had been a gorgeous day, but she couldn't handle being out in that much sun. We'd kept the visit short as a result, but I'd always wished I could have stayed longer and basked in all that. Now I had all the light and warmth I could want. â€Å"Little dhampir,† said a voice behind me. â€Å"It's about time.† I turned around in surprise and found Adrian Ivashkov watching me. He had on khakis and a loose shirt and- in a surprisingly casual style for him- wore no shoes. Wind ruffled his brown hair, and he kept his hands stuffed in his pockets as he regarded me with that trademark smirk of his. â€Å"Still got your protection,† he added. Frowning, I thought for a moment he was staring at my chest. Then I realized his eyes were on my stomach. I had on jeans and a bikini top, and once again, the little blue eye pendant dangled from my belly-button. The chotki was on my wrist. â€Å"And you're in the sun again,† I said. â€Å"So I suppose it's your dream.† â€Å"It's our dream.† I wiggled my toes in the sand. â€Å"How can two people share a dream?† â€Å"People share dreams all the time, Rose.† I looked up at him with a frown. â€Å"I need to know what you mean. About there being darkness around me. What does it mean?† â€Å"Honestly, I don't know. Everyone has light around them, except for you. You have shadows. You take them from Lissa.† My confusion grew. â€Å"I don't understand.† â€Å"I can't get into it right now,† he told me. â€Å"That's not why I'm here.† â€Å"You're here for a reason?† I asked, my eyes wandering to the blue-gray water. It was hypnotic. â€Å"You aren't just†¦here to be here?† He stepped forward and caught my hand, forcing me to look up at him. All amusement was gone. He was dead serious. â€Å"Where are you?† â€Å"Here,† I said, puzzled. â€Å"Just like you.† Adrian shook his head. â€Å"No, that's not what I mean. In the real world. Where are you?† The real world? Around us, the beach suddenly blurred, like a film going out of focus. Moments later, everything steadied itself. I racked my brain. The real world. Images came to me. Chairs. Guards. Flex-cuffs. â€Å"In a basement †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I said slowly. Alarm suddenly shattered the beauty of the moment as everything came back to me. â€Å"Oh God, Adrian. You've got to help Mia and Christian. I can't- â€Å" Adrian's grip on my hand tightened. â€Å"Where?† The world shimmered again, and this time it didn't refocus. He swore. â€Å"Where are you, Rose?† The world began to disintegrate. Adrian began to disintegrate. â€Å"A basement. In a house. In- â€Å" He was gone. I woke up. The sound of the room's door opening startled me back to reality. Isaiah swept in with Elena in tow. I had to fight a sneer when I saw her. He was arrogant and mean and all-around evil. But he was that way because he was a leader. He had the strength and power to back up his cruelty- even if I didn't like it. But Elena? She was a lackey. She threatened us and made snide comments, but most of her ability to do so came from being his sidekick. She was a total suck-up. â€Å"Hello, children,† he said. â€Å"How are we doing today?† Sullen glares answered him. He strolled over to Mia and Christian, hands folded behind his back. â€Å"Any changes of heart since my last visit? You're taking an awfully long time, and it's upsetting Elena. She's very hungry, you see, but- I suspect- not as hungry as you two.† Christian narrowed his eyes. â€Å"Fuck off,† he said through gritted teeth. Elena snarled and lunged forward. â€Å"Don't you dare- â€Å" Isaiah waved her off. â€Å"Leave him alone. It just means we wait a little longer, and really, it's an entertaining wait.† Elena's eyes shot daggers at Christian. â€Å"Honestly,† continued Isaiah, watching Christian, â€Å"I can't decide which I want more: to kill you or have you join us. Either option offers its own amusements.† â€Å"Don't you get tired of hearing yourself talk?† asked Christian. Isaiah considered. â€Å"No. Not really. And I don't get tired of this, either.† He turned around and walked toward Eddie. Poor Eddie could barely sit upright in his chair anymore after all the feedings he'd gone through. Worse, Isaiah didn't even need to use compulsion. Eddie's face simply lit up with a stupid grin, eager for the next bite. He was as addicted as a feeder. Anger and disgust flooded through me. â€Å"Damn it!† I yelled. â€Å"Leave him alone!† Isaiah glanced back at me. â€Å"Be silent, girl. I don't find you nearly as amusing as I do Mr. Ozera.† â€Å"Yeah?† I snarled. â€Å"If I piss you off so much, then use me to prove your stupid point. Bite me instead. Put me in my place, and show me what a badass you are.† â€Å"No!† exclaimed Mason. â€Å"Use me.† Isaiah rolled his eyes. â€Å"Good God. What a noble lot. You're all Spartacus, aren't you?† He strolled away from Eddie and put a finger under Mason's chin, tilting his head up. â€Å"But you,† Isaiah said, â€Å"don't really mean it. You only offer because of her.† He released Mason and walked in front of me, staring down with those black, black eyes. â€Å"And you †¦ I didn't really believe you at first either. But now?† He knelt down so that he was at my height. I refused to look away from his eyes, even though I knew that put me at risk of compulsion. â€Å"I think you really mean it. And it's not all nobility, either. You do want it. You really have been bitten before.† His voice was magical. Hypnotic. He wasn't using compulsion, exactly, but he definitely had an unnatural charisma surrounding him. Like Lissa and Adrian. I hung on his every word. â€Å"Lots of times, I'd guess,† he added. He leaned toward me, breath hot against my neck. Somewhere beyond him, I could hear Mason shouting something, but all of my focus was on how close Isaiah's teeth were to my skin. In the last few months, I'd only been bitten once- and that was when Lissa had had an emergency. Before then, she'd bitten me at least twice a week for two years, and I had only recently come to realize how addicted to that I'd been. There is nothing- nothing- in the world like a Moroi bite, like the flood of bliss it sends into you. Of course, by all accounts, Strigoi bites were even more powerful†¦. I swallowed, suddenly aware of my own heavy breathing and racing heart. Isaiah gave a low chuckle. â€Å"Yes. You're a blood whore in the making. Unfortunate for you- because I'm not going to give you what you want.† He backed away, and I slumped forward in my chair. Without further delay, he returned to Eddie and drank. I couldn't watch, but it was because of envy this time, not disgust. Longing burned inside of me. I ached for that bite, ached for it with every nerve in my body. When Isaiah finished, he started to leave the room, then paused. He directed his words at Mia and Christian. â€Å"Don't delay,† he warned. â€Å"Seize your opportunity to be saved.† He tilted his head toward me. â€Å"You even have a willing victim.† He left. Across the room, Christian met my eyes. Somehow, his face looked even gaunter than it had a couple of hours ago. Hunger burned in his gaze, and I knew I wore the complementary one: a desire to sate that hunger. God. We were so screwed. I think Christian realized it at the same time. His lips twisted into a bitter smile. â€Å"You never looked so good, Rose,† he managed, just before the guards told him to shut up. I dozed a little throughout the day, but Adrian didn't return to my dreams. Instead, while hovering just at the edge of consciousness, I found myself slipping into familiar territory: Lissa's head. After all the weirdness of these last two days, being in her mind felt like a homecoming. She was in one of the lodge's banquet rooms, only it was empty. She sat on the floor of the far side of it, trying to stay inconspicuous. Nervousness filled her. She was waiting for something- or rather, someone. A few minutes later, Adrian slipped in. â€Å"Cousin,† he said by way of greeting. He sat down beside her and drew his knees up, unconcerned about his expensive dress pants. â€Å"Sorry I'm late.† â€Å"It's okay,† she said. â€Å"You didn't know I was here until you saw me, did you?† She shook her head, disappointed. I felt more confused than ever. â€Å"And sitting with me †¦ you can't really notice anything?† â€Å"No.† He shrugged. â€Å"Well. Hopefully it'll come soon.† â€Å"How does it look for you?† she asked, burning with curiosity. â€Å"Do you know what auras are?† â€Å"They're like †¦ bands of light around people, right? Some New Age thing?† â€Å"Something like that. Everyone has a sort of spiritual energy that radiates out from them. Well, almost everyone.† His hesitation made me wonder if he was thinking of me and the darkness I allegedly walked in. â€Å"Based on the color and appearance, you can tell a lot about a person†¦well, if anyone could actually see auras, that is.† â€Å"And you can,† she said. â€Å"And you can tell I use spirit from my aura?† â€Å"Yours is mostly gold. Like mine. It'll shift with other colors depending on the situation, but the gold always stays.† â€Å"How many other people out there like us do you know?† â€Å"Not many. I just see them every once in a while. They kind of keep to themselves. You're the first I've actually ever talked to. I didn't even know it was called ‘spirit.' Wish I'd known about this when I didn't specialize. I just figured I was some kind of freak.† Lissa held up her arm and stared, willing herself to see the light shining around it. Nothing. She sighed and let the arm drop. And that's when I got it. Adrian was a spirit user too. That was why he'd been so curious about Lissa, why he'd wanted to talk to her and ask about the bond and her specialization. It also explained a lot of other things- like that charisma I couldn't seem to escape when I was near him. He'd used compulsion that day Lissa and I had been in his room- that was how he'd forced Dimitri to release him. â€Å"So, they finally let you go?† Adrian asked her. â€Å"Yeah. They finally decided I really didn't know anything.† â€Å"Good,† he said. He frowned, and I realized he was sober for a change. â€Å"And you're sure you don't?† â€Å"I already told you that. I can't make the bond work that way.† â€Å"Hmm. Well. You've got to.† She glared. â€Å"What, you think I'm holding back? If I could find her, I would!† â€Å"I know, but to have it at all, you must have a strong connection. Use that to talk to her in her dreams. I tried, but I can't hang on long enough to- â€Å" â€Å"What did you say?† exclaimed Lissa. â€Å"Talk to her in her dreams?† Now he looked puzzled. â€Å"Sure. Don't you know how to do that?† â€Å"No! Are you kidding? How is that even possible?† My dreams †¦ I remembered Lissa talking about unexplained Moroi phenomena, how there might be spirit powers out there beyond healing, things no one even knew about yet. It would appear that Adrian being in my dreams was no coincidence. He'd managed to get inside my head, maybe in a way similar to how I saw Lissa's mind. The thought made me uneasy. Lissa could barely even grasp it. He ran a hand through his hair and tipped his head back, staring at the crystal chandelier above as he pondered. â€Å"Okay. So. You don't see auras, and you don't talk to people in dreams. What do you do?† â€Å"I †¦ I can heal people. Animals. Plants, too. I can bring dead things back to life.† â€Å"Really?† He looked impressed. â€Å"Okay. You get credit for that. What else?† â€Å"Um, I can use compulsion.† â€Å"We can all do that.† â€Å"No, I can really do it. It's not hard. I can make people do anything I want- even bad things.† â€Å"So can I.† His eyes lit up. â€Å"I wonder what would happen if you tried to use it on me†¦.† She hesitated and absentmindedly ran her fingers over the textured red carpet. â€Å"Well†¦ I can't.† â€Å"You just said you could.† â€Å"I can- just not right now. I take this prescription †¦ for depression and other stuff†¦and it cuts me off from the magic.† He threw his arms up in the air. â€Å"How can I teach you to walk through dreams then? How else are we going to find Rose?† â€Å"Look,† she said angrily, â€Å"I don't want to take the meds. But when I was off them †¦ I did really crazy stuff. Dangerous stuff. That's what spirit does to you.† â€Å"I don't take anything. I'm okay,† he said. No, he wasn't, I realized. Lissa realized it too. â€Å"You got really weird that day when Dimitri was in your room,† she pointed out. â€Å"You started rambling, and you didn't make any sense.† â€Å"Oh, that? Yeah †¦ it happens now and then. But seriously, not often. Once a month, if that.† He sounded sincere. Lissa stared at him, suddenly reevaluating everything. What if Adrian could do it? What if he could use spirit without pills and without any harmful side effects? It would be everything she had been hoping for. Besides, she wasn't even sure if the pills would keep working anymore†¦. He smiled, guessing what she was thinking. â€Å"What do you say, cousin?† he asked. He didn't need to use compulsion. His offer was plenty tempting in its own right. â€Å"I can teach you everything I know if you're able to touch the magic. It'll take a while for the pills to get out of your system, but once they do †¦Ã¢â‚¬ 