Monday, September 30, 2019

Research: Children With Mental Illness Essay

The purpose of this paper is to critique an article from the National Association of Social Workers, Inc. The article selected is titled â€Å"Child custody loss among women with persistent severe mental illness.† (Hollingsworth, 2004) I selected this article due to its applicability to child protective services which is where my field practicum is taking place. The components of this article are clearly defined and broken down into subheadings as followed: Abstract, Introduction, Theoretical Framework and Research Design, Method, Analysis, Results, Discussion, Implications for Mental Health Policy and Services, Conclusion, and References. (Hollingsworth, 2004) The layout of the article makes it easy for the reader to follow and understand key elements and terms of the research. The title provides a clear cut description of what the article is written about as well. The variables are identified and defined under the â€Å"methods† subheading; it also provides a definiti on of individual variables, environmental variables, and how child custody is defined for the purposes of this research. (Hollingsworth, 2004) The statement of the problem is descriptively explained in the introduction and supported with statistical analysis provided in the research article. The purpose is clearly defined under the â€Å"theoretical framework and research design† section explaining that the study was to test the hypothesis which stated that by researching history of child custody loss among women with severe persistent mental illness the custody loss would be higher than those women who did not have this type of illness. (Hollingsworth, 2004) The hypothesis and research question provide insight into how the author plans to show a correlation and then build effective policies and interventions based upon this evidence. The research question asks â€Å"What are the circumstances under which women with severe mental illness lose custody of their children?† (Hollingsworth,  2004) This gives the reader a concise question that allows them to visualize the direction of the research itself. The rese arch question is quickly followed by characteristics that have been observed among the participants which define what may have led to a mother losing custody of her child. The article then provides examples of behavior patterns and socioeconomic factors that may impact the variables mentioned. (Hollingsworth, 2004) The theoretical framework and research section re-states the purpose of this research and also provides supportive information as to why this knowledge is important to obtain for the target population mention. The theoretical framework states that the author used the Human Ecology Theory, which fits the problem presented because there is enough past information available, and biopsychosocial elements provided to be able to test the hypothesis and provide reliable/measurable data. (Hollingsworth, 2004) Based upon the information in the article the Human Ecology Theory will view the mother with severe persistent mental illness in her environment, assist in predicting outcomes, and also provide measurable data. The data collected will enable social workers and mental health workers to connect these women and families to the correct resources so that the mother may regain custody and have access to the resources that she requires. The variables presented appear to be appropriate for the problem as it has been defined. The individual’s biopsychosocial information is measurable including whether there is a history of substance abuse and treatment for mental illness. The environmental variables are also measurable by gathering data related to the individual’s neighborhood, child behavior, poverty conditions, and social support. (Hollingsworth, 2004) It is important to mention that each term used in the variables section was further defined and a description was given as to how the information was considered from these separate groups. The author also recognizes that there are factors besides the mother’s mental illness that could play a part in her mental functioning. (Hollingsworth, 2004) I feel that it is important for the author to acknowledge these outlying factors that may influence the data that has been collected. The assumptions made in this article include some bias toward how child protective services and the legal system will treat a mother that has persistent severe mental illness. It is not hard to understand why this assumption is made and it is reasonable to assume that the legal system and  child protective services may assume too much based upon a quick assessment of the mother’s mental state. I feel that the discrimination based on the research information provided is also related to geographic areas more so than others. If there is a low income area that is lacking access to qualified mental health professionals it would be safe to assume that child protective services would remove the children since other resources are not available. The overall design of this article is constructed around quantitative data with the results of the research being constructed around this format; the author also provides some supportive evidence through qualitative research. The design is ap propriate to answering the research questions and providing an easy to follow guide for the readers to digest the information. In my opinion the author also did a good job recognizing different threats to the validity of the data that was collected. The author did this by recognizing what those threats were and how it was accounted for in the data that was collected, and what impact it may have had on the results. The sample selection was appropriately described and broken down into measurable categories. The author stated: â€Å"Participants were identified from among those enrolled in a National Institute for Mental Illness funded three-wave longitudinal study of mothers with severe mental illness.† (Hollingsworth, 2004) The author further explains that the sample size began with 379 women; after wave 3 of the study 322 women remained. (Hollingsworth, 2004) Women were removed from the study throughout the study depending upon different variables listed as disqualifiers, such as a mother losing custody of her child/children for less than three months. Some women chose to remove themselves from the study and others lost contact with the individuals conducting the study at different times which in turn made the women disqualified. (Hollingsworth, 2004) The process of collecting the data is clearly defined under the â€Å"method† section of the article. The author describes the structure of the questionnaire as a â€Å"3 wave longitudinal study.† (Hollingsworth, 2004) In my opinion the inconsistencies would come from the participant answering truthfully and consistently within the 3 wave study. In the 3 wave study the data was collected initially through structured interview questions, with some open-ended questions used, this is where some of the inconsistencies could be from depending on who was analyzing the answers. (Hollingsworth, 2004) The author stated that a â€Å"life  history calendar† was included in the 3rd wave to increase accuracy. (Hollingsworth, 2004) Another consideration would be to note that the participants were paid to participate in the study, but the interview was conducted in the privacy of the participant’s home. (Hollingsworth, 2004) The interviews were conducted by a trained female interviewer that was racially and ethnically similar to that of the participant. (Hollingsworth, 2004) This is note-worthy because it shows some variables that were not stated as having a possible influence on the results of the data collected. I would take into consideration that the interviewer, although professionally trained, may have had biases in favor of the participants that were subconsciously conveyed and could have led the participants to answer the interviewer in a particular manner. The results were able to depict what the variables between the participants that permanently lost custody of their children and those that did not lose custody of their children. One interesting finding is that women that were not married were more likely to permanently lose custody of their children. (Hollingsworth, 2004) The hypothesis for this provided by the author is that the married women more than likely had more immediate support in th e home. (Hollingsworth, 2004) One of the variables listed was the behavior problems from the children of women with persistent mental illness; the author notes that in order to determine whether this is the children simply reacting to the mother’s persistent severe mental illness or whether the children have true behavioral issues needs to be studied further. (Hollingsworth, 2004) With that being considered the results found that the children’s behavioral issues had little impact on whether or not the mother lost custody. (Hollingsworth, 2004) The implications recognized are geared toward mental health policy and services; the author states that one part of the study that was initially thought of as an individual variable was actually something that could be considered as an environmental factor as well. (Hollingsworth, 2004) The example given was that unmarried women may not be discriminated against due to be unmarried and this being the cause for their custody loss, but may have lost custody due to less resources than someone who has a partner.(Hollingsworth, 2004) The second noteworthy implication is that individuals with active symptoms of psychosis or depression can present a significant risk to their children, so the children are removed for their  own protection and not due to discriminatory factors.(Hollingsworth, 2004)

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Drug Education and Public Awareness

Throughout history, America has been fighting against drug and alcohol abuse in teens and adults. Many ways companies and anti-drug groups try to prevent drug and alcohol abuse is through education in school systems and out of school systems. They teach young students about drugs and alcohol before they risk being around them, and they teach older students about drugs while they are around in their daily lives. Are these education programs really necessary? That†s the question many people ask, and also the question I†m going to attempt to answer. The government is usually the group that attempts to educate people about the causes and effects of drugs and alcohol through programs such as D.A.R.E (drug abuse resistance education) or S.M.A.R.T. (Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time-Specified objectives). D.A.R.E. tries to educate kids about drugs and alcohol while S.M.A.R.T. conducts studies to see how effective these programs really are. There have been several studies done that failed to find any value in the DARE program. About 26 million American school children are taught to resist the lure of drugs and alcohol by the DARE program, a studied showed that most of the students who took the 17 week DARE program ended up using drugs and alcohol at the same rate as children who learned about them in a normal health class. Many people think that DARE is the magic bullet to solve the drug and alcohol problems in the nation. Another study conducted in Illinois on about 1800 students, showed that DARE students used th! e same amount of drugs who did not take the program, and another study concluded that DARE students were more likely to use drugs than students without the education. Many tax payers demand to see what impact their money is having on substance abuse. The SMART program conducts many tests to show how effective or ineffective the use of drug and alcohol prevention or education programs really are. SMART has come to a conclusion that there is a â€Å"Null Hypothesis†, which means that X education programs has no significant effect in bringing substance abusers into long term abstinence. In 1995 SMART studied nearly 1000 people, from these they were able to find 99 who were discharged with the notation of â€Å"treatment complete.† Of these 99 they selected 50 people at random and were able to find only 18 of those 50 people, and of those 18 people, only 11 people said they had remained clean and sober since leaving the treatment and being educated about drugs. These studies are proof that the null hypothesis is true and most education programs do not have any effect on the people who are being educated about drugs and alcohol. Although the government is trying to help with the problem, they aren†t doing a very good job. It is a common observation that there is a hug lag time in the government†s response to a social problem such as drugs and alcohol. A problem will affect a society for quite some time and cause damage before the government will support any funds or a means to stop the problem. After they fund education programs to teach children about drugs and alcohol, they keep funding unnecessarily increasing taxes, which send money nowhere. The government needs to spend more money on realizing what they are doing wrong in educating students who only go off to use drugs anyway.There is a general theme of a Cultural Revolution of Drug Treatment programs seen in America. The revolution beings with the heroic phase where the problem begins and spreads rapidly and the use of drugs and alcohol increases. Next is the classical phase where the social problem reaches its peak and the use of drugs is the highest. During the Classical phase, education programs are being used to try to stop and prevent drug and alcohol use. Then there is an Imperial stage where the problem begins to decline and comes to an end after people have learned about drugs and alcohol. The final stage is the Decadent phase when the previous users who quit, being to use drugs and alcohol again the process continues. This shows that drug and alcohol education programs don†t really do much in the way of preventing drugs, except a short term of no drug use. There are also many education programs in older groups of people such as college students. Alcohol abuse prevention programming on college campuses presents special challenges. Although many people think of college students as young, they legally are adults. Since 1972, when the legal age of majority was lowered to 18, college students have all of the same rights and privileges as older adults, except they cannot drink legally until they reach the age of 21. Despite all the education that occurred when they were younger, they are now drinking under-age and buying alcohol underage. Many college students are killed due to alcohol poisoning. What did all that education about alcohol do? Absolutely nothing if they ended up drinking themselves to death. College administrators can no longer treat college undergraduates as children and have no authority to act the place of parents, since the parents of an 18 year old themselves have no legal authority over the student. The extent of a college's control over its students is a matter of contract. Colleges can enforce conduct codes only through contract rights. At Indiana University-Bloomington, alcohol is prohibited in all on-campus undergraduate residences supervised by the University, and in all other areas open to the public. While that is the rule, enforcement is difficult. Using a strong enforcement hand is very difficult, and not well accepted by students and many parents. These students were educated about the rules of alcohol at their college and also about the causes and effects of alcohol to the body and brain, but they still do not listen and studies show that they still drink regardless of what prevention program they underwent when they were teens. As you can see, and as the results from all the studies done show drug and alcohol education programs have little and sometimes absolutely no effect on the use of drugs and alcohol among students any age. Teens in high school, or adults in college, they all abuse drugs and alcohol no matter what drug education program they went through. Many people are even killed through the use of drugs and alcohol. The government needs to realize that educating people about drugs only makes them aware that the drugs are out there and available to them.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Why was it is necessary to replace GATT 1947 what are the main Essay

Why was it is necessary to replace GATT 1947 what are the main differences between GATT 1947 and the WTO Do you think that the - Essay Example .................................................................... 5 Interim Commission for the International Trade Organisation (1947-1994).......5 Review Session (1950s)....................................................................................... 6 European Economic Community (EEC) (1957).................................................. 6 Multifibre Arrangements (MFA-I through MFA-IV).......................................... 6 The Uruguay Round (1993-1994)....................................................................... 8 Multilateral Investment Agreement (MIA) (1996)............................................... 9 U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy .............................................................. 9 Dispute Settlement Body (DSB)............................................................................10 WTO’s Articles III and IV.....................................................................................10 Converting GATT 1947 to WTO Introduction The GATT was formed by states with a decisive idea of the co-operation that was required to promote economic development and modernisation. Even though the idea required an International Trade Organisation (ITO), the GATT was also able to achieve the goals of the original participants.1 It was, to a certain extent, efficient trade-liberalising machinery. The removal of QRs by developed nations in the aftermath of World War II was confined under its control, and excise taxes were cut down considerably.2 Barriers to trade, as of the 1970s, in the form of quotas and tariffs had weakened radically in value3, and governments were beset by the trade-misleading features of other economic strategies. The first five decades of GATT’s existence has a close resemblance to a product’s lifecycle. In the beginning market growth is sluggish, as the public become used to it. This is pursued by a phase of drastic improvement of market productivity and share as the pro duct launches.4 In the developed or third phase, growth stabilises but profits remain elevated. In the last stage profits start to drop. Core marketing theory informs us that by the third phase a company had to create a new product in order to thrive and survive.5 In the case of GATT, the stages of take off and maturity took place in the 1950s and the 1960s.6 This was the time when the greatest development was accomplished in terms of trade liberalisation. The demand for the products of GATT had stabilised by the 1970s.7 An effort was made to branch out into new markets by moving to non-tariff barriers (NTB), but this move was not quite productive. Indecisive strategies were implemented to deal with trade-related national regulations, but development was sluggish.8 The GATT-1947, with the formation of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), was converted into an organisation, and its expanse was considerably enlarged.9 Hence, the important issues to be addressed here are: (1) why was it necessary to replace GATT 1947? (2) What are the main differences between GATT 1947 and the WTO? (3) Is WTO an improvement, if so, why? In addressing these issues it is helpful to analyse briefly several of the major developments that took place in the world economy in the twentieth century. From GATT 1947 to WTO GATT was not officially a global organisation, specifically, an official unit in its own right. GATT is an inter-governmental agreement. Hence, GATT had contracting participants rather than member states.10 This transformed with the formation of an international organisation that governs multilateral contracts concerning trade in goods, trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPs), and trade in services (GATS): the WTO.11 The different treaties governed by the WTO are between customs territories

Friday, September 27, 2019

Emergency Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Emergency Management - Assignment Example The concept selected is preparedness. Preparedness relates to those activities; actions or strategies layout by emergency leaders in preparation for unforeseen disasters and emergencies. A good example of preparedness is training of emergency management personnel. Training prepares them with abilities, skills, and knowledge needed to handle future emergencies. For instance, NEMA can advance training to emergency personnel on handling contagious and infectious viruses like Ebola. Following the trending political and military situation in Juba, South Sudan, the government of America finds it difficult to advance security to its citizens in the country. The limited emergency services justify the evacuation plan. The current event and strategies of evacuation warnings relates to emergency management as US will be able to handle the situation once its citizens are out of danger (US Embassy, 2014). United States Embassy (Juba South Sudan) (January 3, 2014). Emergency Message for U.S. Citizens: Republic of South Sudan. Retrieved September 24, 2014, from

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Bribery and Serving Public Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Bribery and Serving Public - Essay Example We hear these types of incidences almost daily in our lives. All of these acts are crimes and deemed as bribery cases. Bribery is basically a crime which is done by giving any benefit to the other party for changing the outcomes of the result. The term benefit is a very broad term and it could be anything from money to a simple favor. According to the Black's law dictionary, bribery is the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions as an official or other person in discharge of a public or legal duty. Bribery is basically a reward or rewards, which is given to an individual or group to change the decision in favor of the person who is giving the bribe. Generally, the following rewards are given for not being loyal and just: The issue of bribery is not only associated with the public sector organizations but also with private sector organizations - even in the NGOs that come in the market with a commitment to serve the people without any monetary benefits. Bribery is illegal in many countries including the United Kingdom and United States. It is considered an unethical act and a form of political corruption that hinders the success and prosperity of a nation. Another shameful form of bribery exists in the field of medicine - a field that serves to save human lives without any discrimination and unjust behavior. In this form of bribery, pharmaceutical corporations reward doctors for heavy subscription of their drugs to their patients, and in reward the doctors get lucrative gifts in various forms. The US government has already taken several steps to cope with this form of bribery. The American Medical Association (AMA) has already published a set of ethical guidelines for the industry that describes the list of acceptable gifts that can be given to the doctors as rewards. In addition, dentists are also the part of this bribery issue; they receive samples of home dental care products such as tooth cleaning gels. Transparency International Reports (Health) The transparency international reports the types of corruption in health. According to the organization, regulators, payers, health care providers, suppliers and consumers face a complex mix of incentives that can lead to corruption. Forms of corruption in the health sector include: Embezzlement and theft from the health budget or user-fee revenue. This can occur at central or local government level or at the point of allocation to a particular health authority or health centre. Medicines and medical supplies or equipment may be stolen for personal use, use in private practice or resale. Corruption in procurement. Engaging in collusion, bribes and kickbacks in procurement results in overpayment for goods and contracted services, or in failure to enforce contractual standards for quality. In addition, hospital spending may include large investments in building construction and purchase of expensive technologies, areas of procurement that are particularly vulnerable to corruption. Corruption in payment systems. Corrupt practices include waiving fees or falsifying insurance documents for

Dark Invasion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dark Invasion - Essay Example Morgan. The Bomb Squad head of department, Tom Tunney, who is a New York Police Inspector is assigned the crucial mission of seizing them. Tom Tunney assembles a team of operatives to hunt down these conspirators among a very large population of Germans but the more he unveils the enemies plan the more he comes to understand that their plan is way much dangerous and complex than he thought. The New York’s Police Department captain, Tom Tunney, is the one who suspect that the series of explosions that occurs in the country, which particularly targets the ships and destroyed munitions plants, is part of much bigger plan by the enemy to destroy America and he sets on a very determined journey to find the perpetrators. Tunney’s work is remarkable, considering the fact that he had a jurisdictional limitation as he had to work for both the federal government and the NYPD. In this true story tale it is observable that the then head of state, Wilson, Was informed of the plot of the intelligent network of German spies but it seemed not to strongly concern his decision. The Germans were satisfactorily convinced that they were right to wage war to the USA because the claimed neutrality of the Americans was hypocritical and equally dangerous to the father land. Tunney discovers the enemy’s devilish plan to blow out the ST. Patrick Cathedral. The German saboteurs planned to blow out the Cathedral to try and stop the Americans from joining the war on the side of the allies. Although it was not clear to the national security department if it was the activist and the anarchist who were plotting on this, the plan was still shuttered down by the NYPD. Tunney together with his loyal operative, learn of the imminent attack on the church and successfully manages to neutralize the plan which jeopardizes the malicious intensions of the enemy(Howard 32). The German operatives to the

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

How the Anthropocene is related to my major Business Management Research Paper

How the Anthropocene is related to my major Business Management Explain through McDonalds especially their Beef Hamburgers - Research Paper Example Their production activity requires meat from animals, yet livestock production is one of the human practices that results in adverse changes in the environment. Subsequently, the current sorry state of the environment marked by degradation and depletion of essential resources is attributed to anthropogenic activities. Moreover, scientists believe that there is a new wave of anthropogenic activities that started in a particular period, a concept referred to as anthropocene. Being business management student, understanding the concept of anthropocene and environmental degradation is important, as it helps in finding solutions to the issue. McDonalds is one of the biggest fast food restaurants in the world. The restaurant was established in 1955 in Illinois USA and has more than 30000 outlets located in 120 countries globally that serve more than 54 million customers daily. McDonalds is famous for producing delicious and tasty beef hamburgers that attract many customers every day. As a result, the company is growing day by day, and the customer base is equally rising, which translates to increased consumption of beef hamburgers, and thus production of more of meat by farmers. The primary source of meat is nature. Therefore, increased demand for beef is among the anthropogenic activities that results in adverse effects on the environment and natural resources. The continuous and enormous use of natural resources disturbs the balance in the ecosystem resulting in numerous problems that cause environmental problems. One of the adverse effects of production and consumption of beef hamburgers is the depletion of the natural resources in the environment. The main ingredient of McDonald’s hamburgers is meat from animals. Halden and Schwab states, â€Å"Finally, but growing more urgent every day, industrial agriculture may be a significant contributor to climate change, as the production of greenhouse gases from

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

The lilly ledbetter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The lilly ledbetter - Essay Example Notably, the president acknowledged that the nation’s economy can work if it works for everyone. He also added that citizens should not be favored in terms of pay on the basis of gender, religion, disability, race, ethnicity, and age because that is not only prejudicial and unlawful but also unfit for business (Office of the Press Secretary 1). At the time of the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay bill to law, the Republicans opposed the bill as drafted. Howard McKeon, an Education and Labor Committee member, raised the matter that company executives would be held responsible for deeds undertaken by supervisors and managers who had left the company a long time ago (Office of the Press Secretary 1). For instance, this will allow a retiring worker to seek for compensation from the company now run by executives who had no hand with the past acts of favoritism. In my opinion, the Lilly Ledbetter Law should remain a federal law. This is because it offers women opportunities for equal pay. Women need to be in a nation that treasures their contributions, that offers no limitations to their dreams n that offers them opportunities they had never imagined. Office of the Press Secretary. "Remarks of President Barack Obama on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act Bill Signing." The White House. N.p., 29  Jan.  2009. Web. 25  Jan.  2014.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Capitalism is destroying the planet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Capitalism is destroying the planet - Essay Example Therefore, in line of with endeavors of capitalists to maximize their profits by intensive and extensive exploration of the natural environment, this paper shows that capitalists’ production is the root cause of environmental pollution that is posing serious dangers to survival of biodiversity, which for this case includes humanity. The driving force of capitalism has remained to be profit maximization. Serving social demands such as food, shelter, clothing and social amenities is just but a by the way. In their primary bid to maximize profits, in which none of them can shy away from being part and parcel, capitalists are driven to further accumulate wealth in any means that would give them a comparative advantage over competitors. Since their production is limited to exploring natural environment for their gains, hundreds of thousands of industries have been established. Examples include food processing, motor vehicle, and utilities that generate energy that is the driving fo rce of any economy (Sweezy 2). A capitalistic set-up is very vibrant in the sense that it has several players each pursuing their own economic goals. Such a place is characterized by closely packed business entities each engaged in some economic activity. For instance, in producing goods and services for the masses, the number of factories that have been established are increasingly occupying more space on the surface of the earth. This has the implication that more fossil fuels is being consumed to keep these factories running. Understandably, these fuels, example of which include coal, produces carbon (IV) oxide that leads to global warming. In another scenario, capitalism has encouraged unsustainable economic competition for different players in the market. For example, in the process of maximizing profits in the fish industry, capitalists have built up large fishing vessels that process fish immediately they are fished. This has the implication that the rate at which fish are be ing processed is faster that even the rate of their reproduction. The same case applies to forested areas where trees are being fell rapidly than they are planted. The unsustainable utilization of natural resources is what has raised eyebrows regarding the negative effects of capitalism. The wide spread destruction of the world’s tree population for the use of manufacturing goods for large scale corporations is just the tip of the iceberg. We have developed a culture that is largely in an â€Å"amnesic† state if you will. We are taught to consume and build a relationship with these products to where they are accepted in every part of our lives. These same products are increasing the CO2 emissions in the earth’s atmosphere to a recent all-time high of 400.03 ppm. This large increase is due to multiple things including globalized use of fossil fuels and the industrialization of production (Kempf 4). Capitalism has significantly increased the exploration of natural resources which in time increases manufacturing. This domino effect ends with increase in Carbon (IV) Oxide concentration which destroys the ozone layer by causing global warming. Increased temperature have caused melting of the ice carps thus increasing the water levels in the seas and oceans. In the event of a natural disaster such as tsunami, for example the one that hit the coastline of Indonesia in 2004, the effects are

Saturday, September 21, 2019

A Streetcar Named Desire-A Tragic Hero Essay Example for Free

A Streetcar Named Desire-A Tragic Hero Essay There are nine types of heroes in this world, each of them with their own unique stories, plots, cliches etc. Among those is the classic tragic hero, one who is destined to fail no matter what. In a Streetcar Named Desire, the tragic hero is Blanche Dubois, an aging Southern Belle living in a state of perpetual panic about her fading beauty. In this essay it will be discussed what makes Blanche a tragic hero and how she compares to a typical tragic hero. A typical tragic hero is first and foremost, born of noble stature. This gives the hero something to fall from, so they can fall from grace (Avril Lavigne, Nobodys Home). Blanche Dubois born in Laurel, Mississippi, to a wealthy family. She is a former schoolteacher who had been evicted from Belle Reve (a family home) after being declared a woman of loose morals. This was because years earlier, Blanches husband committed suicide after she expressed her distaste on his sexuality. She later had many affairs trying to numb her grief on the death of her husband. The second condition for a tragic hero is what is called Hamartia, a tragic flaw that auses the downfall of the hero. Blanches tragic flaw is that she is dependant on men, so much so that she makes choices and does things that are morally questionable. She manipulates and lies to potential suitors to make herself seem more attractive and younger-which in her mind is the only way a man will love her. She does this with Harold Mitch Mitchell and it seems to be working until Mitch is informed of all the lies hes been fed, at which point Mitch breaks up with Blanche and leaves her vulnerable for Stanley to rape. The reversal of fortune, peripeteia, is when the fortunate hero is down on his luck. In Blanches case, she loses Belle Reve, her husband is a homosexual and dead, she is evicted from her own town and is losing her beauty. She used to be a wealthy and beautiful Southern belle with a loving family and kind husband but her luck changed directions and she lost everything she held dear. One of the most obvious conditions of a tragic hero is nemesis, the fate that cannot be reversed. In other words, no matter what the hero tries or does their fate is ealed. Blanches fate is inevitable, all people can do is watch as she falls deeper and deeper into her delusions and misconceptions of reality. In the end of the tragedy, the audience should be left feeling pity or fear after witnessing the downfall of the tragic hero, catharsis. This is because the punishment dealt to the hero is not wholly deserved, the punishment far exceeds the crime. Blanche was a sad and confused woman who was looking for comfort and someone to take care of her. She lied and manipulated people to try and get the happy life she anted but that did not mean she deserved to be raped, abandoned by her own sister and publicly humiliated. Blanche herself said It [deliberate cruelty] is the one untorgivable thing in my opinion and it is the one thing I nave never, never been guilty of. (Williams, Scene 10 Pg 126) Anagnoririsis is the recognition or discovery made by the tragic hero, the point in time when the hero realizes what went wrong and why. Most other tragedies like Hamlet and Mcbeth feature this but this does not happen to Blanche. In the end Blanche was sent to a mental institution, she never gained any knowledge of what truly happened and why. In this way, it could be said that Blanche is not your typical tragic hero because she does not meet this point but that is not a bad thing. Blanche is a unique tragic hero who will never know what went wrong as she has submerged herself in her own little world. A typical, yet unique, tragic hero, Blanche did her best to be happy, her only goal. Unfortunately for her, she did not go about the right way of doing it. The wrong eople were angered and others tried to force Blanche to face reality. Blanche was unable to let go of the walls that protected her from the harsh truth, and so she fell from grace. The final scene in which Blanche utters her most famous line l have always depended on the kindness of strangers. , is the sad culmination of Blanches vanity and total dependence on men for happiness. sealed. Blanches tate is inevi table, all people can do is watch as sne talls deeper and unforgivable thing in my opinion and it is the one thing I have never, never been

Friday, September 20, 2019

Extracting and Analysing Plasmid DNA From E.coli

Extracting and Analysing Plasmid DNA From E.coli Introduction Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a molecule present in all living things, and they carry genetic information which determines every characteristic a person can have. DNA contains 4 chemical units: Adenine, Guanine, Thymine and Cytosine. These 4 letters are organized to make genes which contain information to make proteins. As scientists have discovered, it is the genome (DNA sequence in a particular arrangement of the 4 letters) that makes every human unique. During the first stages of cell division, the human DNA is organized into 46 tightly coiled structures called chromosomes. As a cell divide, the chromosomes are copied over to the new cells, ensuring they receive a full copy of the genetic blueprint. Objective Isolate DNA of cheek cells Extract chromosomal DNA from strawberry Extract plasmid DNA from E.coli. General Method Collect cells Split cells open and release contents Destroy enzymes which break apart DNA Separate DNA from other cell components Precipitate DNA General Materials Solution I Solution II Solution III Tubes of various sizes according to use Proteinase K (10mg/ml) Strawberry Filter funnel DNA extraction buffer Chlorofoam LB Liquid Medium 5M NaCl 70% Ethanol 95% Ethanol Centrifuge Hot water bath Lysis Buffer DNA of Cheek Cells Collect cheek cells by rinsing mouth with saline solution Saline solution prevents cells from splitting open too soon Spin solution in a centrifuge to collect cells at the bottom of the tube Empty out the liquid, leaving the cell pellet at the bottom Add Lysis Buffer (Contains soap, salts and ions, buffers) Soap: Destroy fatty membranes that enclose cells Destroy nuclei membranes in the cells Salts and ions: Bring up osmotic pressure (pressure applied to solution needed to prevent the inflow of water) outside the cell, which helps break apart membranes Buffer: To maintain pH Breaks open cells DNA released into solution Add Proteinase K Digest contaminating proteins Degrades nucleases which attack nucleic acids Put the solution in hot water bath Enables Proteinase K to work efficiently Kill enzymes in the cytoplasm which can break apart DNA Add 5M NaCl Change polarity of solution to differentiate DNA from fats, carbohydrates and proteins DNA dissolves in ionic solutions, the rest do not Centrifuge solution Separates DNA (dissolved in clear liquid) from fats, carbohydrates and proteins (solid pellet) Transfer clear liquid (containing DNA) to new tube Add cold 95% ethanol to new tube Precipitate dissolved DNA from ionic solution since DNA is not soluble in alcohol The colder it is, the less soluble DNA (Can precipitate more) Coldness slows down enzymatic reactions which can break DNA apart Centrifuge new tube Resulting white pellet is DNA of cheek cells DNA of Strawberry Mash strawberry Add DNA extraction buffer (contains shampoo/soap NaCl) and mash Shampoo/soap: Dissolves cell membrane which is made up of lipid bilayer NaCl: Removes proteins that are stuck onto DNA Prevent proteins from precipitating along with DNA in ethanol Filter and add cold ethanol Precipitate DNA Twirl glass rod at interface between ethanol layer and slurp layer Resulting sticky mass is the plant DNA Plasmid DNA of E. coli Add solution I (contains glucose, Tris, EDTA) to prepared pellet Glucose: Increase osmotic pressure outside cells Tris: Maintain constant pH EDTA (Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid): Protects DNA from enzymes which will degrade DNA Add solution II (contains alkali substances detergent) Alkali: Breaks open the cells Break down DNA into single strands Detergent: Break membrane apart Add solution III (contains acidic substances) Neutralizes pH so DNA strands can get back together as double stranded Precipitates cellular debris E. coli plasmid DNA remains in solution Add chloroform Extract DNA Centrifuge mixture Separates plasmid DNA and debris chromosomal DNA Transfer some amount of liquid into new tube Add 95% ethanol Centrifuge new mixture Purify plasmid DNA Pour away liquid and add 70% alcohol Remove remaining salts Centrifuge mixture Pour away liquid and spin the tube Resulting pellet is plasmid DNA Discussion/Extensions Why is DNA extraction important/used for: Crime and historical identification Lineage/origin identification Diagnosis of diseases Mass produce gene/protein important for treating diseases, using further DNA technology Genetic engineering Other DNA extraction methods: Anion-exchange Uses chromatography technique Nucleic acids of DNA are composed of negatively-charged phosphates Positively-charged substrate used to bind to the negatively-charged phosphates Proteins and RNA are then removed with medium-salt buffers Silica Gel Advantage: Fast, reliable, economical Uses silica-gel membrane to adsorb nucleic acids of DNA Catalysts: Chaotropic salts Buffers used in lysis helps DNA to adsorb on silica-gel membrane, and washes away metabolites and proteins Salting Remove proteins and contaminants by using high concentrations of salt Precipitates removed using centrifuge DNA recovered with alcohol Organic extraction Mix dead cells with phenol, chloroform and alcohol DNA extracted using alcohol precipitate Cesium chloride (CsCl) Mix suspended DNA with CsCl and ethidium bromide Solution centrifuged DNA extracted with isopropanol Limitations This general method of DNA isolation consists of many limitations: Inability to remove inhibitors of polymerase chain reaction Too many steps may be too time-consuming Multiple tube transfers may increase risk of contaminations by à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¹Ã…“outsideà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ DNA Conclusions This simple experiment provides an introduction to the procedures that are used in modern microbiological laboratories. Other cases can get much more complex, and will involve more sophisticated methods and equipment. The extraction of DNA is the first step of many other fascinating processes, which includes the manufacturing of medicines as well as genetic engineering which alters the genes of organisms.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Women In Math :: essays research papers

Women In Math Over the past 20 years the number of women in the fields of math, science and engineering have grown at astronomical rate. The number of women which hold positions in these fields has more than doubled. In post secondary education women are filling up the lecture halls and labs where in the past where it was rare to see a woman at all. If a woman was able withstand the pressure that was put on her it was more than likely that she wouldn't even be hired. Many organizations have been established to help young women to prosue carriers in either math, science and engineering. A few examples of these organizations are, AWM (Association for Women in Mathematics), WISE (Women In Sience and Engineering), ASEM (Advocates for Women in Science, Engineering and Mathematics) and many others. Many young women do not prosue carriers in math for one or more key reasons. One is that they have no female role models to look up to or any famous females in that field to inspire them. Another is that they are often disgouraged by others, usually family members, â€Å" Why don't you be like your mother and stay home and raise the children.† is a common line used. This is most likely because the parents don't want to see their daughter go out and fall flat on her face when she doesn't make it. There is little support from others if a woman wants to go into these fields. Equal opportunities is also a large factor in this, either as a decision maker wether to go into the field or not or cold hard facts. Facts like 90 percent of engineering, math and science position are held by men, this means that they don't hire very many women. Another reason is that the maybe lacking the self-esteem within their self. This could be because of the scary numbers that are related to women and math, science and engineering positions. Or that they could be struggling in that area. Another factor could be that they fear that hiring opportunities are very

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

whats in a name Essay -- essays research papers

My last name is everything to me. It sets me apart from most people in the world, and shows that I am part of a strong family. Also, my last name illustrates facts about my ancestors, where my family originated, and even what they have accomplished. If I proposed to the perfect girl and she said â€Å"yes,† but only if she could keep her last name; we would have to have a long chat about this decision.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I feel very strongly about the idea that my wife should have my last name, but I understand why some women prefer to keep their maiden names. First, some women choose to keep their last name because of their profession. These occupations can include politicians, writers, lawyers, doctors, etc. Women in any of these lines of work want to have the last name they star...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Patriotism :: Essays Papers

Patriotism An egotist, according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is one devoted to his or her own interests and advancement. Everyone is an egotist in one way or another. Even when a person commits the most selfless acts of altruism, the act usually benefits the person in one way or another. Humanity is not, by nature, altruistic; humanity is, by nature, egocentric. This is evident in Yukio Mishima's "Patriotism" with the main characters, Reiko and Shinji. People are egotistical in the choices they often make: choosing friendship over patriotism, choosing to trust a spouse, and choosing one's personal freedom. The patriotism one feels for his or her own country is not as strong as the bonds of friendship. A country provides safety and a sense of belonging; however, in times of war this is all shattered. Shinji's colleagues are among the insurgents. The war has, no doubt, caused these men to resort to extreme measures. Living in a country that can no longer provide the safety and sense of belonging that these men seek, they turn to each other. Friends provide the safety and belonging even in times of war. People betray their country in their everyday actions, they deceive their employer, they lie to others, they cheat, and steal; but, one always thinks twice before betraying the trust of a friend. Shinji and Reiko remain loyal to what is important, their friends. Not only do Shinji and Reiko choose their friends over their country, they also find happiness in choosing each other rather than continuing in a world in which the two could not be together. This perfect union between the two illustrates something people search for everyday. Everyone is looking for his or her own Shinji or Reiko. This need to find a "soul mate" has spawned books, movies, songs, and plays. The "boy meets girl" scenario is a part of everyone's life. In "Patriotism", boy did meet girl, and this is a part of what makes this story universally appealing. People simply want someone with whom to share there lives.

Bulletin Board with Wireless Digital Display Essay

This project aims to create a wireless transmission of data to a bulletin board for announcements, advertisements and posting of any kinds of informative statements that will be useful for readers, employees and students. 2.1 Problem Statement Electronic bulletin board cannot update information time by time. Our system can provide ready-made templates so that time by time, we can change the appearance base on the activity to be posted. Especially the proponent’s device can provide a wireless transmission of data to bulletin board with different displays. To achieve the goal, the proponents will be addressing the following problems. 2.1.1 General Problem How to create a PC based Bulletin Board with Wireless Digital Display System? 2.1.2 Specific Problems 2.1.3.1 How to create a wireless device that can send data from a computer to a monitor? In updating the posts in the bulletin board, the in-charge personnel need to go over the bulletin board personally just to change and update the posts. 2.1.3.2 How to create the software for the messages to be displayed? In manual updating of information in the bulletin board, the posts should be printed in the paper before posting. 2.1.3.3 How to create log-in module system for the security of the user? Unauthorized person could access the information to be posted in the bulletin board. 2.1.3.4 How to create a module that can control the messages to be displayed? It consumes time updating the information to be posted in the bulletin board, the authorized personnel is required to update the post in a timely manner. 2.1 Proposed Research Project 2.2.1 General Objectives To create a PC based Bulletin Board with Wireless Digital Display System. The proponents will create a device that provides a wireless transmission of data to bulletin boards with different display. 2.2.2 Specific Objectives 2.2.3.1 To create a wireless device that can send data from a computer to a monitor. The proponents will be using a Wi-Fi router for the transmission of data for the LCD display and will create a RF transmitter for the transmission of data for the LED display. 2.2.3.2 To create the software for the messages to be displayed. The proponents will be using Flash Software for the manipulation of the messages to be displayed in the bulletin board. 2.2.3.3 To create log-in system for the security of the users. The proponents will create a log-in system by using Visual Basic 6.0 for the security of the bulletin board. 2.2.3.4 To create a module that can control the messages to be displayed. The proponents will create a module using Visual Basic 6.0 that can control multiple displays in the bulletin board. 2.2.3 Scope and Limitations Scope: * The system can accommodate multiple displays with a single controller. * The system can display static and scrolling messages. * The system can stream videos through a wireless transmission. * The system has a default screen messages. * The information to be displayed is queued. * The controller sends information in an LCD and LED display wirelessly. Limitations: * Distance of the controller from the monitor is limited. * Editing of messages is done manually by a duly authorized person. * This bulletin board is for indoor purposes only. 2.2 Methodology The proponents will be using the cycle of PROTOTYPING METHOD to accomplish the project. PROTOTYPING METHOD a. Requirements Analysis A prototyping model begins with requirements analysis, and the requirements of the system are defined in detail. The user is interviewed in order to know the requirements of the system. b. Design When requirements are known, a preliminary design or quick design for the system is created. It is not a detailed design, however, and includes the important aspects of the system, which gives an idea of the system to the user. c. Paper Design Information gathering from quick design is modified to form a prototype. It represents a ’rough’ design of the required system. d. Prototyping A partially developed product that enables customer and developers to examine some aspect of the proposed system and decide if it’s suitable or appropriate to the finish product. e. Construction The process of combining ideas into a congruous object of thought that based on the paper design. Satisfying certain conditions as part of solving a problem. f. Unit and integration testing The phase in software testing in which individual software modules are combined and tested as a group. It occurs after unit testing and before validation testing. Integration testing takes as its input modules that have been unit tested, groups them in larger aggregates, applies tests defined in an integration test plan to those aggregates, and delivers as its output the integrated system ready for system testing. g. System testing Document Settings must be defined where each types of documents types consists its custom made layouts that suits business processes. Basically document layouts setup or linked to the documents setting are default document layout that are standard layout that complies with the company’s standard business process. h. Acceptance testing Testing generally involves running a suite of tests on the completed system. Each individual test, known as a case, exercises a particular operating condition of the user’s environment or features of the system, and will result in a pass or fail, or Boolean outcome. There is generally no degree of success or failure. i. Operation and maintenance In production, system requires updates, changes and maintenance from time to time so system can work properly. This phase goes on for entire life time of the system. [PFLET998] (Fig 1.0 sees at Appendix B)

Monday, September 16, 2019

American Colonies Relations with Britian

Colten Redmond Mr. Smith AP US History 2 October 2012 DBQ: British and American Colonies Relations The French and Indian war affected the relations between the British and the American colonies through political turmoil, economical debt leading to strict taxation, and ideological differences which increased colonial violence. These sources of anger and resentment created a permanent gap between Britain and the American Colonies that would eventually lead to a brutal revolution.The French lost the entirety of their North American possessions after the French and Indian War, which led to numerous new possessions for the British (Doc A). The British and American colonies political views differed greatly because of the effect of salutary neglect. The colonies were not accustomed to direct taxation or strict governing rules. The Proclamation of 1763 was one of the first forms of direct control imposed by the British. The proclamation called for a movement of all settlers to stay east of t he Appalachian Mountains.Many settlers ignored the proclamation, but nevertheless, it began a short era of direct control under the British. The British council determined that the American colonies needed to be taxed in order to raise revenue and regulate trade (Doc F). The council’s motives led to direct taxes on the colonies such as the Sugar Act, Currency Act, and Stamp Act. Benjamin Franklin attempted to represent the colonies in London as he partook in the repeal of the Stamp Act (Doc G). He wrote letters to John Highs, detailing his efforts to repeal the act and the dire need for the colonies to stay firm and loyal towards the crown.Many colonists did not waver from their loyalty towards the British Crown, such as Reverend Thomas Barnard. In one of his man sermons to Massachusetts, Barnard emphasizes how their mother country had protected them from turmoil and how she should be honored and served for her great services (Doc E). The differing political views were beginn ing to cause friction among many colonists, leading to rash decisions. The Boston Massacre, although overly emphasized in many accounts, sparked violence throughout the colonies. These cts of violence were a direct result of the Quartering Act, Declatory Act, and Townshend Acts. The Boston Tea Party was used to boycott the British after the Tea Act, and this became the final act of opposition by the colonists before Britain imposed Marshall Law. The Intolerable Acts were a punishment for the colonies after the Boston Tea Party, and it imposed Marshall Law, curfews, the closing of Boston Harbor, and the revocation of the Massachusetts charter. All of these forms of control by the British caused growing political differences and overall turmoil for both sides.The French and Indian war was not only political, but it offered a great deal of land wealth for the British. Chief Canasatego of the Onondaga Nation, who represented the Iroquois Confederacy, stated that the lands of his people were becoming more valuable to the white man (Doc B). This value attracted British officers, such as George Washington, to the scene of the war. Washington stated his desire to serve under General Braddock, due to the fame and prestige he could attain from the campaign (Doc C).The colonists, specifically those from Massachusetts, were employed under the British Crown, though their conditions were debilitating. They spoke of their denied Englishmen’s rights and the opposition under British control (Doc D). All of this culminated into a desire for economical wealth and prosperity. The war would ultimately rob the British of their wealth which led to direct taxation of the colonists in order to replenish it. The British saw the taxes as a source of revenue for repaying the war debt; however, this angered the colonists and led to strong opposition.The Stamp Act, which was a tax on all documents, led to the creation of the Stamp Act Congress. The colonists also organized into the Sons of Liberty and began to boycott the British. The ability to boycott was detrimental to the British because it rendered there taxes virtually useless. The economical debt sustained by the British was the main factor in the strict taxation of the colonists. The ideological differences between the American colonies and Britain caused anger and violence throughout the colonies.The American colonies wished to be self-independent and were content with salutary neglect. When Britain increased their direct control over the colonies, it caused resentment and rebellion. The colonies had settled into a systematic set of ideas and concepts that shaped their daily lives, while the British uprooted those ideas by their sudden forms of control. The colonies tried to express their anger towards the British Stamp Act through their newspapers. Then newspapers expressed that they had to go out of business due to the actual cost of producing the newspaper leaving them moneyless (Doc H).The colonie s began to severely question the motives of the British and whether these extreme taxes were actually alleviating their debt at all. The political turmoil, economical debt mingled with strict taxation, and ideological differences created an air of resentment for the British within the American Colonies. This resentment and anger led to the brutal American Revolution. The mistakes of the British were also specifically outlined during the creation of our Constitution, which secured the ideals and motives of the American Colonies.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Challenges of Boko Haram Insurgence on Nigeria’s Educational Sector Essay

The activities of the Islamic radical sect, Boko Haram has adversely affected Nigeria’s educational sector. This fact is not hidden as the name of the sect alone signifies a total outcry against education (western education) and schooling. Boko means â€Å"book or western learning in Hausa language and Haram means forbidden or sinful in Arabic language, thus the group’s name alone is a campaign against western education and schooling. Nigeria’s education sector at all level is suffering as a result of the current prevailing security situation in the north, a region where school enrolment has been the lowest in Nigeria. The sect’s activities have affected Nigeria’s educational sector in the following ways; †¢The sect’s activity has led to destruction of school buildings and other academic facilities †¢It has led to death of academic experts †¢It has led to exodus of academic experts and shortage of qualified teaching manpower in northern Nigeria †¢It has led to distraction and diversion of government’s attention from the educational sector †¢It has led to complete disruption of academic calendar in the region. So far this year, 15 schools have been burnt down in Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria’s Borno State, forcing over 700 children out of formal education and pushing down enrolment rates in an already ill – educated region. The Islamic Boko Haram group is widely blamed for the attacks but the reality seems to be more complex. Both public and private schools in Maiduguri have been doused with gasoline at night and set on fire. Crude homemade bombs and soda bottles filled with gasoline have been hurled at the bare bones concrete classrooms Nigeria offers its children. The simple yellow facades have been blackened and the plain desks method to twisted pipes, leaving thousands of children without a place to learn, stranded at home and underfoot, while anxious parents plead with Nigerians authorities to come up with a contingency plan for their education. In a video posted on You Tube in February 2012, Boko Haram called on its follows to destroy schools providing western education in retaliation for the alleged targeting of Korani schools by the military. The spokes man of the sect, Abul Quqa, said the attacks were in response to what he called a targeting of the city’s (ie Maiduguri) abundant open – air Islamic schools by authorities. Since February when this call was made, many schools including private schools have been destroyed. However officials of the state have denied any of such attacks or campaign as young boys can be seen receiving lesson untroubled allover Maiduguri (the New York Times, 2012). This new dimensional shift of the sects attack has numerous adverse effects on educational development of the region and the country at large. According to Nigeria Education Data Survey 2010, school enrolment in Borno state is already low by 28 per cent than any other state in Nigeria. No doubt, the recent attack have made parents and guardians’ to withdraw their children from schools and has made it difficult for teachers and aid groups to persuade parents to let their children stay on at schools. Eric Gultscluss (a researcher in Nigeria for the Watching Human Right Organization) noted that it is not just the students at the targeted schools that end up being affected as targeting of schools can make children in neighboring schools to stay home or drop out completely for fear of further attacks. The targeting of children indirectly and destruction of schools in Maiduguri has bewildered and demoralized students, parents and teachers in a way that the daily attacks have not. Furthermore, the attacks have led to death of academic experts teaching in all levels of Nigeria’s educational system ranging from primary to secondary and beyond. On sun,29 April, 2012, members of the sect attacked Christian workshops in Bayero University Campus, Kano resulting to death of 20 students and 2 professor of the university. According to an eye witness, the attackers arrived in a car and two motorcycles and throw small homemade bombs to draw out worshippers before shooting at them as they attempt to flee. The attack led to the death of Professor Jerome Ayodele, a professor of chemistry and Professor Andrew Leo Ogbonyomi, a professor of library science with about 20 others dead and scores of others injured. (Ikhilae, 2012). Undoubtedly, this is a setback for educational development in the country. Also the persistence of insecurity in the north which has led to lose of about 700 lives so far this year (2012), has led to exodus of academic experts and shortage of qualified teaching man power in the region. It has also led to refusal of NYSC members who constitute about 50 per cent of teaching man power in the region to serve in the region. Maijawa Dawayo, Chairman, Yobe State Teaching Service Board, in an interview with Nations News Paper on 9 Feb. , 2012 has this to say, â€Å"the recent circular by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) that corps members who constitute 50 per cent of the board’s man power should no longer be posted to senior secondary schools in the state would have an adverse effect on the educational sector of the State. Most of the corps members are not interested in coming here again because of insecurity in the north. We are in a difficult situation and something needs to be done urgently to solve the problem. The corps members constitute 50 per cent of the manpower in our schools and the head of the scheme had issued a circular that corps members would no longer be posted to senior secondary schools (The Nation, 9 Feb, 2012). Dawoye’s fear and lamentation was later made public and a reality in July 2012 when NYSC members posted to Borno, Yobe, Kano, Kaduna, Niger, Plateau and Bauchi state refused to serve in the states and protested against their deployment to the violent prone states. Corps members and their parents took to the street to protest their deployment to the Northern States when the 2012 NYSC Bach B list came out arguing that it is senseless to post young graduate to these states. Most of the parents vowed not to allow their children to go and be killed by Boko Haram (National Mirror, 2 July, 2012). Awosuru Lola, a graduate of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso in Oyo state, who was posted to plateau state said his father hard ordered him not to report at the camp â€Å"for whatever reason. † Also Badiru Tajiudeen, a graduate of quantity surveying of Obafemi Awolowo University (O. A. U), Ile – Ife, posted to Zamfara state vowed that nothing could keep him beyond the mandatory three weeks of orientation programme in the camp. He also said that his parents are even reluctant in releasing him to participate in the three weeks orientation and warned him to abort the programme if he is not transferred back to the west (National Mirror, 2 July, 2012). This development will make a devastating mark on the educational sector of the affected northern states. It will be recalled that ten young corps members lost their lives during the post – presidential election protest/violence in some northern states in April 2011, while others lost their lives in other violent clashes in the region. The case of other Southerners who are teachers in the region is not different from that of NYSC members as most of them have found the exit door from the region. Dawayo confirmed this when he said that 80 per cent of Yobe State contract teachers who are from other states have left Yobe because of the same problem of insecurity (The Nation Feb 9, 2012) In addition, insecurity in the region caused by Boko Haram has also led to complete disruption of academic calendar in the region. Most of the attacks never go without imposition of curfew by the government. The attacks have in some cases led to imposition of 24 hours curfew and when such curfew is imposed, both students and teachers are affected and this on the long run adversely affects the academic calendar which stipulates when school starts and when it ends as well as what should be done in the school and when thus drawing students in the region behind their counterparts in other peaceful states. It is important that I state it clearly at this juncture that the North is a region where education enrolment and development is the least in the country and the current security situation is bound to compound the educational woes of the North and further widen the gap between it and the South. While private higher institution are rapidly springing up in the South to complement the over – stretched public institutions, only a handful has been established in the North and the few ones have come under Boko Haram attacks. According to National University commission (NUC), 50 private universities have been licensed to operate in the country. Out of this 50, fewer than 15 are established in the north. What this implies is a bleak future for educational development of the region and a bleak future for young children in the region and this by implication is dangerous to Nigeria’s peace, unity and development. No matter how one looks at it, the attacks by the sect on schools have left many destructive marks on the future of affected children in the region and the country at large. The affected children are at home which means a bleak future for them and the country at large because the future of a country depends on the kind and quality of education it offers its children. Finally, the insurrection of Boko Haram has led to distraction and diversion of both Federal and affected State government’s attention from the educational sector. This is evident in the 2012 annual budgetary allocation of the Federal Government in which the mind – bugling chunk of 921. 91 billion was allocated to security alone, while education on which the future of the country depends got the little chunk of 400. 48 billion naira which is not up to half of what is given to security. There is no argument on the fact that both security and education are critical for the survival of a nation, but had it been there is peace in the country, the chunk given to security would have been considerately lower than what it has now. What the lean resources allocated to the educational sector means is a gloomy and difficult future for the sector. This is because there will be no resources to introduce new educational developmental program and the ones already introduced will certainly suffer of poor funding.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Primitive Art Essay

The class discussions of primitive art by Franz Boas and the readings that we as a class have done was about an the artistic values of primitive people on how they do different art, baskets, rugs, totem poles , sculptures and other works of art that are primitive. The materials took symmetrical designs to its finest point and the work was done with a high degree of human equilibrium. Arts of primitive people have a close relationship between morals and sufficiency of artistic development. The California Indians produce and practice these examples of form and texture. The women are the most artistic and creative among the California Indians while the men have skills with wood work. The Pueblo Indians of southern United States have villages that have the most intricate works of artistic designs on their potteries. The women in these villages are the most productive artists among the Pueblos. The men in these villages are devoted mostly to ceremonies and don’t really have knowledge in artistic expressions. In some households, slovenly work are hard to find in there works of art. The control and technique are expressively correlated in rawhide boxes that are made and practiced by the Sauk and Fox Indians of Oklahoma. The raw hide boxes have perfect symmetrical designs and folded in places to make works of art precise. Other examples are the leggings made by natives of British Columbia which bears decorations and unit. The fringes have long pieces of curried skin cut in narrow strips and decorated in rhythmic order. Other cases are twilled weavings which have excellent form and are perfectly even on the surface. These objects are considered works of art and finished in some ways that their forms have artistic value. Some other characteristics of decorative art have distinctive fields which can also be compared to a pottery. Pouches of American Indians have flaps that are treated as separate units. In moccasins, the upper part form a field separate from the rim and in clothing the sleeves, collars, pockets are considered separate units. These are some examples of art and that the fundamental, esthetic, formal interest is essential. Art in simple form are not really expressive of purposive action therefore they are based upon reaction to form that develop through technique. When art is created, people may recognize and study the impulse and the finished product teaches the conceited efforts to have a major skill in a difficult task. To communicate an idea graphically cannot be claimed as art. The tonal beauty and rhythmic structures of form is works of art. The combination of form and its content gives representative art an emotional value that is entirely different from formal esthetic effect. In primitive, symbolic representation the permanent traits appear the same way and other forms of symbolic representation are also utilized. Representative art could be and generally is an influential technical form, but in many cases it is not easily recognized. The art of primitive people have two components that are eminent in which one is based on form alone and the other is filled with meaning. The significance creates an enhanced esthetic value which takes into account the associative connections of art that is made or the artistic act. The forms are expressive that they must be representative, not necessarily representative of perceptible objects, but more or less theoretical ideas. The tribal arts all over the world have ornaments that appear purely formal and are associated with meanings and stories. Symbolism in art has characteristic and traits that associate with the apex and form of content in primitive art. A general similarity of form exists between the purely conventional and the realistic forms, in which the designs contain realistic images which are geometrical and move aimlessly in zigzag bands. Symbols are put on rugs, baskets, potteries, moccasins, leggings and drums. Symbols have geographical meaning and it relates to the universe as such. Symbols could also tell stories of due process of natives in their livelihoods and cultures. In some cases the symbols have to associate with forms that could be used in rituals and these forms of symbols would be blessed and therefore giving a certain person protection. Indians of North America use straight lines and rectangles that appear in diverse combinations and one of the typical forms is the isosceles triangle with enclosed rectangles. These forms are mostly found on the Great Plains Indians and among the pueblo Indians. The Symmetry, rhythm, and affirmation or attribution of form which doesn’t describe an absolute style, for they underlie all forms of decorative art. Many formal elements are integral parts of every art style and these give it its most specific character. The examples of the polished stone axes, chipped arrow or lance heads, iron spear heads, utensils and anything that has to do with the daily uses of people. These forms we recognize as imaginations of works of art that is done in perfect technique. The differences in style are not the rules, but are more commonly the most highly developed art likely to impose on style of different industries that is associated with the mat weaving and basketry that have been influential in developing new forms and powerful an dignified in other fields. There are different styles with different techniques With Natives from the tip of South America to far edges of North America. Some have pictorial designs, geometrical designs and the pottery paintings have different styles of patterns. The primitive art around the hemisphere could have in common the esthetic pleasures felt by members of society. The works of art maybe diverse in its beauty, yet the general characters of the enjoyment of beauty are forever sound in society. In art we should let our imaginations soar to the point of oblivion and through this we can hear the songs of artistic dances. Admire and take in the beauty of decorative and ornamental art, work, paintings or sculptures of natives across America and around the world. The works of art could be appealed by the different forms of making art through the eyes of a person’s imagination and give them esthetic values. Even a person in the very middle of conflict or poverty could create a work of art that gives esthetic pleasure. To these people the innovations of bountiful nature and inventions has granted them freedom from care and through this they devout much of their energy to the creation of works of beauty. Art can be made from a sense of smell, taste and touch and with every rhythmical movement of the body or objects that appeal to the eyes. The tonal speeches which please the ears can produce artistic effects along with the muscular variations of the body could prove to be art. These are the esthetic values of and artistic mind and Mother Nature also plays a role in works of art.

Friday, September 13, 2019

The Nature of Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Nature of Crime - Essay Example Therefore according to this theory low self control will increase the possibility of a person committing a crime, self control is achieved during early age when a child is socializing, poor parenting will lead to low self control to a child in future while strict and proper parenting will lead to high self control to a child. This theory applies to age, race and gender, a research done to determine the age crime relationship showed that the age variable for certain crimes supported the theory in that the age was a direct result of low self control depending on level of socialization. There also exist differences among races and ethnic groups because of the difference in supervision among this groups, but the races and ethnic groups do not directly determine crime instead it is the amount of socialization by parents that determine the occurrence of crime. According to the two classical scholars low self control is as a result of poor parenting which determines the quality of socialization, parents therefore should undertake the responsibility of punishing their children incase of any misconduct in order to avoid the development of low self control which intern will lead to a h... s low self control is as a result of poor parenting which determines the quality of socialization, parents therefore should undertake the responsibility of punishing their children incase of any misconduct in order to avoid the development of low self control which intern will lead to a high possibility of the occurrence of crime. Various scholars have tested this theory and there exist various criticisms, some scholars argue that the theory relates behaviors such as drinking and smoking as criminals behaviors but to be realistic smoking and drinking individuals do not necessarily mean that they are criminals. Another critic is that the theory assumes that crime is committed for the purpose of pursuing self interest, but this may not be true for all types of crimes because some other crimes such as murder may be committed for other reasons other than self interest. The theory is also criticized for favoring traditional roles of the family, the two classical theorists favor the traditional society and argue that a child should have both parents, this is unrealistic. Other studies have opposed the theory and suggested that adult social bonds such a person who has a stable job and a happy marriage may not involve himself in crime despite a poor socializing and parenting. However the theory is a clear breakthrough in criminology and has helped understand the causes of crime, although the theory faces some critics it is the only theory that well explains he concept of crime and also possible ways of minimizing crime through proper parenting. Question 2 Discuss the role of formal "sanction threats" in offender decision making. In doing so, your essay should address: Formal social controls play a major role in the prevention of crime; control is expressed

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Financial Conservatism. Determinants of cash and leverage Dissertation

Financial Conservatism. Determinants of cash and leverage - Dissertation Example In this analysis, both cash conservative and leverage conservative firms will be taken into account. The essence of investigation of the two policies at the same is to find out if a firm can use leverage conservative policy in the place of cash conservative policy or vice versa. From the earlier analysis, the key reason why firms are motivated to adopt conservative financial policies is to protect them from the cost that is associated with missed out investment opportunities. The analysis of the literature will reveal that firms tend to maintain large cash reserves or do away with their debt capacity to make sure that they do not miss out investment opportunities. It is not rare to find firms exercising both policies simultaneously, though it is difficult to establish the reasons why they do so. All in all, according to major theoretical frameworks of capital structure, it is strange to find a firm that adopts high leverage policy having high cash balances in their capital structure. For instance, according to the pecking order theory, firms tend to result to eternal financing only after exhausting their internally available funds. Many researchers have covered this area of financial conservatism, especially regarding the rationale behind different accumulation of huge amounts of cash and cash equivalents as well as the repercussions of such policies (Ozkan & Ozkan, 2004; Mikkelson & Partch, 2003). However, the determinant of cash and leverage conservatism in UK firms has not been focused on. ... It is not rare to find firms exercising both policies simultaneously, though it is difficult to establish the reasons why they do so. All in all, according to major theoretical frameworks of capital structure, it is strange to find a firm that adopts high leverage policy having high cash balances in their capital structure. For instance, according to the pecking order theory, firms tend to result to eternal financing only after exhausting their internally available funds. Many researchers have covered this area of financial conservatism, especially regarding the rationale behind different accumulation of huge amounts of cash and cash equivalents as well as the repercussions of such policies (Ozkan & Ozkan, 2004; Mikkelson & Partch, 2003). However, the determinant of cash and leverage conservatism in UK firms has not been focused on. What’s more, most of the studies that have dealt with this area have been concentrated on the US firms, hence making it important to investigate w hether the puzzle regarding decisions of firms in relation to financial conservatism extends to the UK firms. As such, this study will focus on the UK firms especially because it is commonly known for observance of extreme debt conservatism, considering UK firms have the lowest leverage ratio, weighed against to other developed countries (Rajan and Zingales, 1995). This study will use leverage of firms or cash holdings to determine whether the firms are finically-conservative. The objective of this paper is to carry out an empirical study on the debt policies adopted by the UK firms, which particularly focus on the factors that influence large cash reserves and extremely low leverage. In effect, the paper will attempt to find answers to a number of research questions. First and

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Juvenile Delinquency in Context Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Juvenile Delinquency in Context - Research Paper Example This study does not just look at victims first in and effort to determine if they then become juvenile criminals themselves, but it also look at juvenile offenders who subsequently become victimized themselves. The authors also look at other possible causes of juvenile delinquency, such as bully and experience some form of traumatic stress. The Development Victimization survey forms that basis for much of the study, and it uncovers evidence that quite a few groups of adolescents are labeled as delinquent, but do not suffer from victimization themselves. Also, it is discovered that being a victim does not necessarily lead someone to become a juvenile delinquent himself or herself. Iravani, M. R. (2012). A social work study on juvenile delinquency. Management Science Letters, 2(4), 1403-1408. The authors of this article present the findings from an empirical study that examined the effects that different factors in society played on adolescents become labeled as a juvenile delinquent. The study design employed the distribution of a survey to 100 adolescents who are known to have committed a crime. Specifically questioned were such areas as family conditions, religion, economic situation, the impact of media, and physical and psychological characteristics. The authors wanted to see to what extent each of these factors played, if any, in the incidences of juvenile delinquency. ... Khurana, A., and Gavazzi, S. (2011). Juvenile delinquency and adolescent fatherhood. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 55(5), 756-770. This is an interesting study that explores the prevalence of juvenile delinquency amongst teenage fathers. A good sample size of nearly 3,000 males participated in the study, and the findings are explored in the 14-page study article. It was discovered, among other things, African American youth have equal rates of fatherhood as other European races who are also offenders. This study leads to the conclusion the juvenile delinquency as a whole can lead to risky sexual behaviors contributing to teenager fatherhood, and this has little to nothing to do with race. It was also reported that European youth you commit crimes have higher rates of drug and substance abuse than others, and are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors. In essence, the authors of this study contradict other research, and commonly held b eliefs, that racial stereotyping has a great deal to do with the rates of certain minority groups having a higher propensity toward behavior leading to juvenile delinquency. Kirschbaum, K., Grigoleit, L., Hess, C., Madea, B., and Musshoff, F. (2013). Illegal drugs and delinquency. Forensic Science International, 226(1-3), 230. While much research has been conducted about the influence of drugs and other types of substance abuse on an individual’s behavior, not much is known about the factors involved. This study takes different types of juvenile crimes and determines if there is a correlation between a particular type of substance abuse. In the end it was discovered that there is no set tie

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Atoms of metals and LIDAR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Atoms of metals and LIDAR - Essay Example pag). LIDAR is a remote sensing technology that can measure distances or properties of a material by laser illumination (Sanderson n. pag.). Origin of metal atoms in the atmosphere Normally, meteoroids enter the Earth’s atmosphere between 11 to 72 kilometres per second. Friction between the meteor and air molecules in the upper atmosphere generates enough heat to disintegrate it to particles less than 1mm in diameter. These particles are deposited at an altitude of 70 to 140 km in the upper atmosphere (Von Zahn, Hoffner and McNeil, 149). McNeil, Lai and Murad acknowledged the fact that meteoric material is the most significant source of metal atoms in the upper atmosphere. However, the amount of metal atoms in the atmosphere differs from the amount present in the meteor itself. This is attributed to the process known as differential ablation. Differential ablation suggests that more volatile metals vaporize earlier than less volatile metal components in a meteorite. Comparison between sodium, magnesium, and calcium ablation revealed that sodium is the most volatile of the three elements. Thus, sodium ablates at a much higher altitude. On the other hand, calcium ablates at a much lower altitude. Therefore, the rate of conversion of elemental calcium into compounds in the lower atmosphere is the primary cause of calcium ion depletion (10899-10911). Aside from sodium, metallic atoms of potassium, lithium, calcium and iron make up the rest of the metal atom layer in the mesosphere. The discovery of other metal constituents started in 1973. Potassium ions detected through the use of ruby-laser-pumped dye laser components calibrated at 769.9 and 766.5 nanometres. Lithium ions were identified using a flashlamp-pumped dye laser calibrated at 670.8 nanometres with 800 millijoules output pulse energy. Calcium was detected with a dye laser calibrated at 422.7 nanometres (Abo 315). Thin layers of sodium, calcium and iron have been detected by LIDAR in the upper atmo sphere. These layers range from 100 metres to several kilometres thick and usually superimpose on a background layer 10 kilometres thick. Despite efforts to ascertain the origins of sporadic layers, no single scientific explanation was accepted (Clemesha 725). Chemical role of metal atoms in the atmosphere The formation of metal layers in the upper atmosphere has been instrumental in several vital atmospheric processes. Rapp and Thomas have confirmed the role of mesospheric metal layers in the formation of noctilucent clouds through the nucleation of ice particles in the upper atmosphere (715-744). Murphy, Thomson and Mahoney investigated the composition of aerosol particles in the stratosphere and discovered the existence of meteoric particles in stratospheric aerosol. Thus a link was suggested between mesospheric metal particles and the condensation of stratospheric sulphate aerosols (1664-1669). Atmospheric observation over the South Pole was initiated through LIDAR to measure th e seasonal variations of the mesospheric sodium and iron layer. The polar annual mean abundance is almost equal to mid-latitude readings while the mean centroid height is 100 metres higher for sodium and 450 metres higher for

Monday, September 9, 2019

1932, A true history of the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

1932, A true history of the United States - Essay Example Lincoln had envisioned a society where slavery would not be there. During Lincoln rule, his visionary of seeing many states free of British rule was seen to pass (Aljosa). The British did not like the idea of American Independence as it caused a number of uprisings against them, and so waged a personal war on the countries which had adopted the United States doctrine. The British also plotted for Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in an attempt to stop his rule and some of his principles that were corrupting countries to rebel against the British. In the coming of President William McKinley, a key individual who continued some of the philosophies of Lincoln was also another target for the British. President William McKinley was in fact assassinated by the British, and President Teddy Roosevelt took over (Aljosa). Teddy Roosevelt was a pro-British person due to his links with some of British Key allies. Many wars were fought so as to reclaim to reclaim the British Empire to its states that is the World War 1. British wanted to show that it is still superior to the United States. In conclusion, the given documentary provides a good account about the American history

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Labor Economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Labor Economics - Assignment Example Becker’s concept of taste based discrimination states that firms that do not employ minorities do bear the cost of discrimination together with the minorities themselves. Discriminating firms usually have a higher cost of operation since they bear the cost of discrimination. Becker’s concept shows that minorities in such an environment usually work harder and are more productive hence would accept a lower wage. This means that the cost of production is lower hence the firms become more profitable. The discriminating firms however are at a higher cost as majority employees tend to demand relatively higher wages and their productivity is average. As a result more employees would be required to achieve acceptable productivity. Entry of a non discriminating firm under a constant return to scale means increase in number of employee is directly proportional to productivity. A non discriminating firm that has a high specialization of minorities would ideally have higher productivity per employees and therefore an increase in number of more productive employees would mean a subsequence increase in productivity and thus more profitability. This is because the wage bill is also lower than that of a discriminating firm. Entry of non discriminating firm under decreasing return of scale DRTS would lead to constant production and decreased overhead cost. Also since increase in work force does not adequately increase the production. The cost of having more employees is drastically reduced and since the minority workers produce maximally the cost of the wage bill remains relatively low and hence the firm becomes more profitable. In such a firm it would lead to more efficiency as the production process require less man power for efficiency and use of minority who are efficient and extremely productive would lead to the most desired state of profitability. 3. Suppose that men earn on average

Communication studies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Communication studies - Assignment Example A variety of definitions have been produced, yet the attempts to establish a single one seem to be not fruitful (Littlejohn and Foss 3). Thus, considering a few of existing definitions is the best way to understand the essence of the phenomenon. In scholarly literature, communication is considered within three major dimensions: level of observation or, in other words, abstractness, intentionality, and judgment. Within the first dimension, definitions of communication are viewed as broad (for example, communication is a process which relates discontinuous parts of the existing world) or restrictive (communication is a system used to communicate information and orders, through telegraph or telephones). Within the second dimension, the definition includes the dimension of intentionality. For example, communication is a term used to describe situations in which a source transmits a certain message to some receiver with a conscious intent to influence the behavior of the latter. Definitio ns that include judgment present communication within concepts of success, accuracy, effective outcome, etc. For instance, communication is a verbal interchange of some idea or thought (Littlejohn and Foss 4). ... The organizational structure includes employees, departments, their responsibilities, relations, resources, etc (Filipowska et al. 4). Organizational structures may be formal and informal. Virtually every company possesses a formal structure even if it is not strictly adhered to. Most companies also have an informal structure. It suggested that both structures are important for a company’s successful functioning, so it is necessary to learn their intricate characteristics. Formal structure is above all concerned with the existing relationship between authority and the junior. This is known as organizational hierarchy which starts with the most senior person at the top and ends with subordinate employees who are junior to managers of various levels. Informal structure is the one that develops around some project groups or some social groups. It is often grounded on camaraderie, which means people respond immediately and it is easier to continue working (Schatz, n.p.). The struc tures interact with each other in different situations: for instance, when the formal structure ceased to be effective people tend to rely more on the informal one, also working within formal structures, people may complete some tasks within informal structures, which saves time and effort. While communication in any organization is upward, downward, or horizontal (Lunenburg 2), there exist clear differences between the three. Upward communication takes place when the staffs communicate their ideas to a leader with the purpose of inform about some difficulties, clarify some tasks, complain about something etc. Downward communication encompasses communication which goes from higher levels to lower levels of an organization. It is

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Article Review of “Fat and Happy” Essay Example for Free

Article Review of â€Å"Fat and Happy† Essay In â€Å"Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance,† Mary Ray Worley offers a poignant account of her participation in a conference held by the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance. She compares attending this conference with visiting another planet. Until she had the opportunity to visit this other planet, she had not realized just how ostracized she felt. (Worley, element 1). Her participation in this conference made her realize that â€Å"20th century American society† (Worley, element 4) is very much responsible for the shame that she and other overweight individuals have been made to feel. While there are several aspects of society that contribute to the alienation of individuals who are overweight, Worley suggests that the medical field bears a great deal of the responsibility: â€Å"Although the data gathered for most current studies indicate that body size is primarily determined by one’s genetic makeup, most researchers conclude–in spite of their own findings–that fat individuals should try to lose weight anyway† (Worley, element 3). She than goes on to argue that oftentimes attempts to diet only result in more weight gain. Worley marvels that â€Å"apparently [scientists] cannot bring themselves to say that since body size is largely a result of one’s genetic makeup it’s best to get on with the business of learning to live in the body you have, whatever its size† (Worley, element 5). She also claims that doctors often make the situation worse: â€Å"Regardless of the ailment†¦your doctor may put you on a diet before she treats your cough† (Worley, element 6). I believe that Worley makes a good point regarding the medical profession, but there is indeed a great deal of research that links obesity with increased heart problems among other things, which Worley ignores in this essay. In her uplifting conclusion, Worley encourages overweight individuals to love their bodies despite what society may say about them. You’re entitled to the space you take up. You can find clothes that show off the gorgeous person you are, you can play and dance without self-consciousness, you can be proud of yourself and never dread unwanted attention, you can be a brave pioneer and a friend to those who have suffered on planets less kind and less joyous than this one (Worley, element 2). In light of the many forces that are stacked against overweight individuals in our society, Worley’s words of encouragement are astute and empowering.