Social welfare policy that facilitates reduction of poverty and inequality in US

Introduction In the past two decades, the international community has made poverty eradication as their number one priority. Over a decade ago, Breton wood institutions came up with an objective of minimizing cases of income – poverty in less developed countries from over 30% to less than 15% by 2015 (Bourguignon 2).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social welfare policy that facilitates reduction of poverty and inequality in US specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Escalation in global poverty has led to emergence, fusion, and dispensation of new economic models which focuses on economic stability, liberalization, privatization of public institutions, and exploration of market solutions in supplying public goods. These approaches marked the era of policy making in both developed and developing nations in their effort to promoting living standards of the poor nations and the eradication of poverty globally (Bour guignon 3). Most studies investigating inequalities between countries assume all citizens from these nations have similar mean income. Most of these studies suggests that majority of the Asian countries grew first towards the mean income while the rest of developing nations are moving further away (Glazer 3). These studies show that the income of the richest members of the population which constitutes of about 20% has rose to over 80%. Therefore, the increasing global inequality has been a constant feature over the past three decades, with a noticeable scenario from 80s to date and there is diminutive evidence that this condition will change (Glazer 4). With exclusion of china, the reduction of inequality in the global arena has not been realized since 1975. Since the end of 70s, US have experienced spectacular increase in economic inequality. United States is considered to be the most unequal nation among the world richest economies. In spite of the scale of the increase in the ine quality, the political class in the US rarely discusses this subject in the public. Throughout the history of the United States of America, its populace has struggled considerably with the paradox of poverty amidst riches (Weil and Kenneth 2). This has left many people wondering why a nation endowed with such magnitude of wealth still witness its own citizens struggle while there are enormous opportunities and excellent economy. Are the poor to be to be blamed or they are just victims of social inequality dogged with racism and bigotry, or economic system that favors the affluent over the struggling population? The paradox of the American poverty runs down to a long time and the only news is the amount of public policy concentration aimed towards the poor. A lot of attention is being paid now than before and one of the major reasons for this is the restructuring of the welfare system.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your fi rst paper with 15% OFF Learn More The American income safeguarding system is categorized into two based on their relationship with the workers; one of the category is the social security which includes unemployment compensation program, disability insurance among others which is linked to the payroll deduction or contributions from the income to the public programs. The other category is the social welfare programs whose suitability is centered on the welfare earning and accumulated affluence. Welfare programs are mostly for the needy and the poor people in the society (Glazer 3). Personal Responsibility and Work opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 led to the overhaul of the welfare system. One of the major reform programs was the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). This program offered cash incentives to the families which had children but earned low income (Weil and Kenneth 4-5). There were other legislations that sought to terminate all of the abo ve government programs that assisted the low-income earners/ the poor by encouraging self-reliance and personal responsibility. PRWORA put in place stringent measures that limited the cash assistance, enforced work requirements, and promoted matrimony and nuclear family as a basis for raising children (Trattner 6). Welfare reforms in the US have been a big achievement, in any case by considering the reduction in the welfare problems. The number of families that got assistance from the welfare programs decreased by more than half between the year 1994 and the year 2000. By the year 2000, only 2.1% of the US populace was receiving support from the government welfare program known as the Temporary Assistance for the Needy Family program (TANF). Successes of these programs were promoted by the flourishing economy at that time. This welfare programs helped in poverty caseloads reduction even in the single families with women as the head. The year 2002 saw the re-authorization of the welf are reform bill as a result of the protests from the poverty and welfare rights group. The right group argued that PRWORA placed a lot of focus on minimizing caseloads instead of prioritizing poverty reduction (Glazer 3). Statistics of the poor Americans According to the studies carried out in the year 2000 it was established that the poor Americans constituted of about 11% of the population. This study was carried by the US office of management and Budget. This was the lowest rate since 70s and only 4.4% lived below the poverty line.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social welfare policy that facilitates reduction of poverty and inequality in US specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There is diminutive evidence to support the critics who opposes PRWORA claiming that it has impoverished the populace more. In a matter of fact, the average income of the American families within the bracket of bottom 20% increased from 1 2600 dollars to over 14000 dollars. The growing incomes among the poor and the rich reinforced the euphoria over the improving economy and authenticating claims that welfare reform was successful (Glazer 3). Activists representing the poor argue that income benchmark used by the federal government to measure poverty was too low to cover the basic needs. In the year 2000, single mothers with two children required only 14000 dollars to be counted out of the poor population while a nuclear family with two children required 17500 dollars. In contrast, the median income for the American families was approximately 51000 dollars. Analyst argues that personal income at or above the economic poverty income threshold cannot support an individual in the world biggest cities like London, Washington D.C, among others since housing is beyond their reach (Bourguignon 2). Considerable difference in living costs in different geographical regions forms the basis for criticism against a single nationa l income standard for defining poverty. Other limitations on the official definition of poverty are its failure to account for other source of income or support such as food stamps (Trattner 6). Child poverty rates dropped by almost 20% in the early 1990s to the year 2006 according to the national survey carried out in 2007. About 11.5 million children and 3.4 million adults of age 65 and above live in poverty making almost half of the poor population in America. Children and elderly persons are considered as eligible poor who deserves state’s assistance. They cannot be held responsible for their poor status. America’s racial minorities still constitute the poorest in the American society (Glazer 3). The racial structure and composition of the poor Americans have not changed over the past ten years. In early 90s, 50% of the poor populations were non-Hispanic white. This figure went down by 3% in the year 2000 to 47%. America’s increasing racial diversity has tak en place at the same time with the waning poverty rates across racial and ethnic minority groups. Between 1990 to date poverty, rates have gone down from 28% to 19% among the Hispanic, and from 12% to 10% among Asian and Islanders.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Reduction in poverty rates dropped steeply among the African American from about 40% in the year 1990 to about 20% in the year 2006. However, poverty rates among the African American and the Hispanics is still about twice the national average (Trattner 7). Wage inequality between male and female have persisted coupled with the escalation in single motherhood. This has underpinned the perception that the growing poor Americans are women (Bourguignon 2). In the year 2000, the poverty among women was 25% higher than men and this gender difference has remained constant over the years. The sex difference has persisted despite of the increasing female employment rate, increase in income and reducing wage difference between male and females (Trattner 6). About half of the America’s poor families are headed by women although families headed by women only represent quarter of the all families with children. In the year 2000, the rate of poor families headed by women was six times high er than the rate for married couple (Trattner 6). After the enactment of the PRWORA, this rate started to decline from 47% to nearly 30%. The main goal for this welfare program was to encourage work and economic self-reliance among the poor particularly among the unwed mothers with children. Therefore, welfare reforms forced large percentage of female beneficiaries into the labor force. Although employment does not protect an individual from poverty, people who area employed are likely to be less poor (Glazer 3). The personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) The personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act was signed by President Clinton in 1996 into law to fulfill his promise of ending the welfare problems facing the poor Americans at that time. This law transformed the entire national welfare system both substantially and administratively. This law also eliminated the previous welfare system which had been advocated against by peop le from all walks of life since it was increasing state expenditure while leaving the poor on the mercy of the government donations (Caraley 5). The main purpose for the introduction of personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act was to minimize over dependence on welfare, bringing forth children out of wedlock and promoting nuclear type of families. In line wit the above preconditions, the act required that the beneficiaries to look for job opportunities within two years of receiving support, and placed a five-year limit on the lifetime a person should be entitled to these benefits. In addition, the act (Weil and Kenneth 7) Brief history of the law PRWORA eradicated the previous welfare program known as the AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) which was enacted in 1935 following the great depression that engulfed the US and the global financial arena. AFDC welfare benefits were based on eligibility. This means that families who met their conditions wer e entitle to the benefits for as long as they needed it. In addition, the federal share of the AFDC funds fluctuated in accordance with the caseloads. At first people saw the program as a helping hand to the justified widows as it helped them to raise their children. On the other hand, critics felt that this program encouraged dependency among the escalating class of single mothers, besides creating inflated and incompetent bureaucracy (Weil and Kenneth 9). In 1970s large number of women started joining the workforce as the Americans started becoming hungry at the single mothers whom they viewed as undeserving the benefits of the program. Besides, the welfare beneficiaries stated to grow at an alarming rate thus increasing the cost of the program. Racial subjects also played a big part in the switch as the African-American women became stereotyped as welfare mothers (Weil and Kenneth 7). The US government in the year 1980s, started to issue waivers to the to some of its states that considered to test their own welfare programs. Some of these states enforced work obligations and limited time for receiving benefits thus tried to transform the behavior of the beneficiaries by granting or denying benefits inline rules set in their programs. Some of the American conservatives also argued that the welfare programs increase d poverty instead of reducing it since many people became over-dependent on the program (Bourguignon 8). When President Clinton was elected he continued to support states that wanted to test their own social welfare programs to replace the then entitlement program.However, when the republicans won the majority sits in congress in 1994, they proposed a plan to introduce their own principals into the welfare program. This pressurized President Clinton to pass a considerable welfare restructuring legislation so as to demonstrate his record as a moderate politician (Bourguignon 9). However, President Clinton rejected two republican welfare-restructuri ng bills in the year 1995 that he felt were too inconsiderate. In the year 1996, both the republicans and the democrats were under pressure to conclude the welfare reform agenda before the forthcoming general election. As a compromised bill, congress submitted PRWORA to the president who signed it into law despite of his doubts over certain clauses. A number of high-level officials resigned to protest the signing of the bill arguing that the bill would cause escalation of poverty and inequality during recession (Weil and Kenneth 7). Main provisions of the personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act The act creates Temporary Assistance for the Needy families (TSNF). TANF substitutes previous eligibility program for instance Aid to Families with Dependent Children. The act devolves responsibility of welfare programs from federal government to the state/ local governments and non-profit making private organizations. The act uses time restrictions and work conditions to stress the move from welfare to work. The law stiffens entitlement standards for Supplementary Security Income (SSI) child disability benefits. The act also requires state to impose strict child maintenance programs for collecting child funds from the absent fathers (Weil and Kenneth 5). This act restricts entitlement and other public benefits to the newly immigrants. The act also denies illegal immigrants most of the benefits except under emergency cases. The state is required to provide federal cash support to the legal migrants in the country and to use government funds to assist immigrants not entitled to federal funds. PRWORA provides funds for foster care data system and national child welfare custody research. The law provides for unit fund to enable states to offer childcare for the working parents. The act transforms entitlement criteria and benefits for child nutritional programs. The law has put forth strict standards for food stamps and other benefits. PRWORA minimiz es benefit level and refutes most benefits to able persons unless they are working or in school. Finally, the law limits entitlement for TANF beneficiaries. The law sets up five-year deadline for beneficiaries and deters persons convicted of drug related crimes from accessing this program in their lifetime (Weil and Kenneth 7). Assessing Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) Before the enactment of the bill, the number of people under the welfare program had already fallen. This number continued to fall significantly after signing of the bill into law. Between the period when the bill was signed and the year 2000, the figure of the people under the welfare program went down by almost half, even though caseloads in majority of the states started to go up again by 2001 and continued to vary moderately. Besides, the rate of poverty fell to the lowest recorded level of 19% from 22% in 1994, though this rate never went down remarkably as the figure of t he beneficiaries (Trattner 14). In spite of the encouraging figures, the welfare of those under the PRWORA program was never clear. By the end of 2002, many people who were former beneficiary of the welfare program were by then working low paying jobs with minimal benefits. These people were no longer granted food stamps or medical cover even in cases where they were eligible. In most cases, the underpaying job opportunity for the poor meant loss of the benefits from the welfare program. Majority of the former beneficiaries thus lingered beneath the poverty line. Almost half of the former beneficiaries who left the program in search of jobs went back within a year since they were not able to access jobs or consistent child care (Trattner 15). In addition, almost half of the people who left the welfare program did not have jobs or were not working at all. Some of these people got discouraged from applying for the program; majority had their benefits cut trimmed down or terminated by failing to meet the required threshold while others just vanished from the system (Carale 2). Majority of the beneficiaries of the former welfare program (TANF) had considerable obstacles for employment including illiteracy, health problems, and drug / alcohol problems among others. Even though PRWORA provided no apparent policy guidelines to assist these people overcome such obstacles, beneficiaries faced set time deadline on assistance (Weil and Kenneth 9). Lawful Challenges that pretentious the personal accountability and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act PRWORA brought about a welfare system which was triggered by the level of reforms, though its execution was met by several challenges of the law. Supreme Court ruled against the lesser benefits that was being accorded to the citizens who were moving from state to state since it violated their right of movement. In addition, there were cases of successful petition against the unjust Welfare officers who were mistreating the ben eficiaries. These cases revolved around those officers who were trying to discourage the needy from applying for help, denying them access to the program or giving them unfair hearing in cases where they violated the law. (Weil and Kenneth 10). Nevertheless, some of these court petitions never bared fruit. Examples of such cases include incidences where the applicants tested positive for illegal drugs which is against the law. Other legal challenges have focused on the aid organizations of choice. The law requires the state to include religious organizations when contracting out welfare administration (Trattner 25). The reorganization of the PRWORA It was back in the year 2002 in the month of October when PRWORA mandate expired, but was later on reauthorized by the congress. Within the same year, President Bush increased the working hours for the employees under the program. In addition, President Bush laid down a plan to increase the number of beneficiaries in the work force from 5 0% to70% before the end of his term. The president also offered to finance state programs that encouraged marriage and unmarried adolescent from engaging in premarital sex. The president’s proposals were passed in May the same year (Trattner 5). June 2002 saw the senate finance committee passing a more accommodative bill that raised childcare funds, widened the description of work activities, and allowed state to provide welfare benefits to the legal immigrants. On the other hand, the senate refused to pass the bill. Being unable to reach a compromising ground on the same subject, the Congress passed an abiding resolution to retain TANF until 2003 thus leaving the bill to the subsequent congress (Caraley 5). Conclusion United States is considered to be the world richest economy ad has the greatest share of money in the international monetary fund. With all that wealth it is unbelievable to realize that some of the American citizens still live in poverty. This is a paradox sin ce the median income of the Americans is about 59,000 dollars. This inequality led to a number of social welfare programs to help the poor and the needy. These efforts started in the late 30s following the great depression but the turning point in the America’s welfare reforms took place when President Clinton signed personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act into law in the year 1996. This was a major milestone in the quest for welfare reforms although the act also had some loopholes. The rate of the poor Americans have dropped significantly since the introduction of the bill. Work Cited Bourguignon, Francois. The Poverty-Growth-Inequality Triangle. Washington D.C: World Bank, 2004. Print Caraley, Demetrios James. Ending Welfare As We Know It: A Reform Still in Progress. Political Science Quarterly 116, no. 4 (2001): 525. Glazer, Sarah, Are Former Welfare Recipients Better Off Today? CQ Researcher 11, no. 27 (Aug. 2001). Trattner, Walter. From Poor Law t o Welfare State: A History of Social Welfare in America. 6th ed. New York: Free Press, 1999. Weil, Alan and Kenneth, Finegold. Welfare Reform: The Next Act. Washington, DC: Urban Institute Press, 2002. Print. This essay on Social welfare policy that facilitates reduction of poverty and inequality in US was written and submitted by user Sister Grimm to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Study Guide

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Study Guide The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,  by L. Frank Baum, is a book that has transcended its time and place.  More than a century after its publication, it remains a seminal piece of popular culture (helped, of course, by the iconic 1939 film adaptation starring Judy Garland). Much of the novel’s continued  popularity and presence can be attributed the stunning imagination that Baum brought to the work. Equally important, however, is the fact that the story lends itself to multiple interpretations. New generations continue to reinterpret the tale, despite Baums own insistence in the original introduction that the story â€Å"was written solely to please children of today.† Fast Facts: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Author: L. Frank BaumPublisher:  George M. Hill CompanyYear Published:  1900Genre:  Childrens novel  Original language: English  Themes:  Childhood innocence, inner strength, friendship  Characters:  Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion, the Wicked Witch of the West, the Wizard, Glinda the Good Witch of the NorthNotable adaptations:  The Wizard of Oz  (1939, dir. Victor Fleming)   Plot Dorothy is a young girl living in Kansas with her Uncle Henry and Aunt Em. A cyclone hits; terrified, Dorothy’s dog Toto hides under the bed. Dorothy goes to fetch him as her aunt and uncle hide in the cellar. The Cyclone carries the whole house- with Dorothy and Toto in it- away. When they land, Dorothy discovers that she has arrived in Munchkinland, part of the Land of Oz. The house has landed on and killed the Wicked Witch of the East. Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, arrives. She gives Dorothy the Wicked Witch’s silver slippers and tells her that to get home she will have to travel down the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City to ask for help from the Wizard. As Dorothy and Toto travel, they meet three companions: A Scarecrow, a Tin Woodman, and a Cowardly Lion. Each lack something- the Scarecrow needs a brain, the Tin Woodman needs a heart, and the Lion needs courage- so Dorothy suggests they all travel to the Emerald City together to ask the Wizard for help. At the Emerald City, the Wizard agrees to give them each what they seek if they kill the Wicked Witch of the West. In Winkie Land, the Wicked Witch sees them coming, and attacks them several times on the way. Finally the Witch uses a magical Golden Cap to summon flying monkeys, who tear the stuffing out of the Scarecrow, dent the Woodman badly, and capture Dorothy, Toto, and the Lion. The Wicked Witch makes Dorothy her slave and tricks her out of one of her silver shoes. This annoys Dorothy and in a fit of anger she throws water on the Witch, and is astonished to see her melt away. The Winkies are delighted and ask the Tin Woodman to become their king, which he agrees to do once Dorothy is home. Dorothy uses the Golden Cap to have the Flying Monkeys carry them back to the Emerald City. There, Toto accidentally reveals the truth: The Wizard is just an ordinary man who traveled from Omaha via hot air balloon many years before. He gives the Scarecrow new stuffing in his head for brains, the Woodman a stuffed silk heart, and the Lion a potion for courage. The Wizard agrees to take Dorothy home with him in his balloon, appointing the Scarecrow ruler in his absence, but once again Toto runs off and as Dorothy gives chase the Wizard accidentally cuts his lines and floats away. Dorothy asks the Flying Monkeys to carry her home, but they cannot cross the desert that bounds Oz on all sides. She and her friends set off to Quadling Country to seek the help of Glinda. Along the way the Lion is asked to become king of the animals in a forest and agrees to do so once Dorothy is home. The Flying Monkeys are summoned for a third and final time to fly them the rest of the way to Glinda. Glinda tells Dorothy that her silver shoes will take her anywhere she wishes to go, and then uses the Golden Cap to ask the Flying Monkeys to take her friends to their respective new kingdoms, and then sets the Monkeys free. Dorothy returns joyously to Kansas with Toto, ecstatic to be home. Major Characters Dorothy:  The  protagonist of the story. She is a young girl from Kansas who lives  with her aunt and uncle on their farm. She maintains a cheerful and childlike happiness in the face of adversity, and demonstrates bravery in frightening moments. She has little patience for deception or indecisiveness. The Scarecrow:  A scarecrow whose greatest  wish is to have the intelligence he believes he lacks. He joins Dorothys journey to the Wizard in order to request a brain.  Ã‚   The Tin Woodman: A former woodchopper who was cursed by the Wicked Witch of the East. Her spell  caused an enchanted axe to chop off each of his limbs.  The Tin Woodman slowly replaced every part of his body with tin, but he did not replace his heart. He wants to ask the Wizard for a heart. The Cowardly Lion:  A lion who  believes himself to be a coward.   The Wicked Witch of the West:  The sister  of The Wicked Witch of the East (who was killed accidentally by Dorothy). She is very powerful and very angry at all times, and is greedy for more power. The Wizard. An ordinary human who, like Dorothy, traveled  into Oz by accident. Taken to be a powerful wizard by the inhabitants of Oz, he goes along with the ruse and builds up an illusion of immense power, though he means no harm. Glinda the Good Witch of the North. A good witch, Glinda is kind and merciful, but her influence diminishes away from her home in the North. She attempts to safeguard and guide Dorothy throughout her adventures. Themes Many of the themes of the book can be seen as simple lessons Baum wished to convey to his young readers. Childhood Innocence:  The story celebrates a conception of childhood that combines duty, virtue, and good behavior with an unfettered imagination. Baum paints Dorothy as thoroughly enjoying her voyage through the magical world of Oz while never flagging in her determination to return home. Inner Strength:  Through the story many of the characters start off believing themselves to be lacking in some fundamental way- the brains, courage, and heart Dorothy’s companions wish for, and Dorothy herself seeks a way to get home- that they turn out to have always possessed. Friendship: The power of helping others and caring for them triumphs over the greed and anger of the Wicked Witch. None of the characters would have found what they wanted without the help of the others. Literary Style and Devices Straightforward Text:  Inspired by classic fairy tales, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is written in a straightforward, plain way that is easy for children to read and understand. Bright Colors: Baum uses a lot of description, emphasizing bright colors and exuberant descriptions in order to generate mental images. Repetition: Baum uses repetition powerfully. Goals, important details, and other aspects of the story are repeated, as are plot points- there are several smaller quests nested inside the main one of Dorothy getting home, for example. Compartmentalized Chapters:  Baum makes  it easy to keep things straight by focusing each chapter on a single main event, with a clear end-point when the chapter finishes. This style makes it easier to easy to read the story in several sittings, as a parent might to a children. Interpretations of The Wizard of Oz The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is frequently interpreted as more than just a children’s story.  Complex political, social, and historical theories have been credited to it. Populism. One of the most famous theories involves the populist movement that collapsed in the late 19th century, linked to the debate over monetary policy. According to this theory, Dorothy represents the American people as innocent and easily fooled, while other characters represent aspects of society or politicians of the time. Economic forces and theories are represented by The Yellow Brick Road (the gold standard) and the Emerald City (paper money), and the Wizard is the deceptive politicians manipulating the public. There’s more to the theory, but the more you dig into it the less sense it tends to make. Religion.  The Wonderful Wizard of Oz  is frequently identified as a coded allegory by both Christians and atheists, usually using the same symbols in different ways. For religious readers, the story can be seen as a tale of resisting temptations and battling evil through faith. For atheists, the Wizard is a deity who is ultimately revealed to be a sham. Feminism.  There is evidence of a  feminist subtext in The Wizard of Oz. The male characters are all lacking- they are fakes, cowards, and frozen, or part of otherwise oppressed or passive  groups. The women- Dorothy and Glinda most notably- are the true powers in Oz. Legacy The Wonderful Wizard of Oz continues to be read by children and adults around the world. It has been adapted many times for stage and screen and continues to influence both children’s literature and adult fiction. The storys  imagery and symbolism- the Yellow Brick Road, the silver shoes (turned into Ruby Slippers for the classic film), the green-skinned witch, the fanciful companions- are regularly used in new works as both callbacks and reinterpretation. The book is often described as the first American fairy tale, and is indeed one of the first children’s stories to specifically refer to American locations and culture. Key Quotes â€Å"There is no place like home.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Oh no, my dear; Im really a very good man; but Im a very bad Wizard, I must admit.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"How can you talk if you haven’t got a brain? I don’t know†¦ But some people without brains do an awful lot of talking†¦ don’t they?†

IT Conference White Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IT Conference White Paper - Essay Example However, the PSI-CoE has also indicated its interest in increasing effectiveness, efficiency, cost saving and productivity of the program. Army requests are currently the only requests being processed by the CoE; this however rules out the army reserves and the national guards. The main objective behind this move was to ensure the CoE had the sole responsibility of issuing security clearances and at the same time, bring down any other channel apart from the CoE that issued security clearances. Initially, about 36% of the total requests are being accepted with percentage destined to rise significantly after merging. Pros and Cons Pros The APG will acquire a new platform, while at the same time the additional technical personnel will boost its operations by making it efficient and effective. The APG NEC is currently indicated to lack high bandwidth pipes connecting its different locations, thus the building up of an updated network infrastructure will upgrade the process of attaining a nd working on the information received in the APG NEC. In addition to this, supplementing technical support will also increase efficiency and effectiveness of the Aberdeen Providing Ground Network Enterprise Center. The joint services between the various departments of security will enhance corporation between the numerous personnel involved in the different departments. A good example as indicated is the facilitation of the military intelligence (COEMI) by the Intelligence command (INSCOM). In addition to this, workstation maintenance is destined to be provided by the APG NEC especially if the joint services between the CoE and the MI are undertaken. Moreover, improvement of security is guaranteed upon undertaking the course of action. This will be made possible as the crucial facilities such as the technical and network infrastructure will undergo upgrading or complete makeover. Self-reliance and self-containment will also be upheld in missions, as it will provide the APG NEC with greater flexibility. In order to achieve self-reliance, the mission will rely on organic staffing (Personnel Security Investigation – Center of Excellence (PSI-CoE) IT Way Ahead Conference

Business Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Plan - Assignment Example The existing capacity of Protrich is not able to meet the demand for the products in its various markets. If the company is not able to expand the capacity for the existing demand and for the anticipated future demands, it will lose the market to other major competitors. Also, the Protrich need to expand as an international brand rather than confining itself to the south Indian and Middle East market. The potential markets for Protrich are China, Europe and USA. In order to compete in China, Europe and USA markets, Protrich will not only have to focus on the quality aspect but also on the cost aspect. For having an edge over the price, Protrich should adopt cost effective manufacturing. This is possible in India only up to a certain limit. Therefore, to have an even lower cost of production, it is better for Protrich to setup manufacturing unit in China. China, along with Netherlands accounts for more than 50% of the exports of white button mushrooms. China’s mushroom producti on has been in question for several times including certain countries imposing even anti-dumping measures on them. But this is mainly based on the fact that there wasn’t much notable technology being used for production process in the country. (Mushroombusiness, 2011) But Protrich being a company with all technological support for production, quality of production will never be in question. This report will analyze the benefits for Protrich to invest in China. Analysis Home Country The home country of the company is India. India as a mushroom market is not well flourished. There are very few established brands in the country. Even for the established brands, the market coverage will be limited. Retail customers are mainly from the upper middle class and above. Even for them, mushroom is not a frequent item on the dining table. But there is huge demand from hotels and restaurant chains. This is the customer group from which Mushroom companies have a steady demand. Dominos Pizz a and US Pizza has been the customers of Protrich for six years and four years respectively. Apart from these established brands, there are also many other mediocre restaurant chains who are frequent customers of Protrich. Protrich’s major market is the southern states of India such as Kerala (the company’s home state), Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Protrich’s products are available only in the major cities of these states. It is not distributed widely to include the smaller towns because there is very less demand in the smaller towns and cities. Even in the cities, the products will be available only in supermarkets. Protrich enjoys third position in terms of market share. The market leaders are Best Mushroom Limited and Mushroom India Limited. Protrich is almost at par with the market leaders in terms of the brand value. In the UAE market all the three brands are very popular. The advantage of current expansion move of Protrich is that it will be a ble to gain market share over the other two. Neither Best Mushroom nor Mushroom India has a market presence in Europe and USA. At this point, if Protrich is able to provide the market with quality products, it will be advantageous for the company in terms of brand value and market share. Host Country The potential host markets of Protrich are China, Europe and USA. Among these, foreign direct investment will be made by Protrich in China where it intends to setup the manufacturing units. The analysis will be based on the

Assessing General George Thomas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Assessing General George Thomas - Essay Example In his early days, George would show his feelings towards the disenfranchised, despite the consequences present at the time. In this case, "George Henry Thomas was born July 31, 1816, at Newsom's Depot, VA. Growing up on a plantation, Thomas was one of many who violated the law and taught his family's slaves to read," ("About.com", p.1). From a personal standpoint, Thomas' desire to help those despite the presence of existing laws against such help at the time, would show a sense of character and consideration for those around him. At a point in time, George would seek to pursue a career in law. Such a career path choice, would last for only a short period of time. It would be at this period in time that George would elect to enroll at West Point. While at the academy, one of his associates would be William T. Sherman, who shared a room with the young Thomas. At this point in time, "Becoming friendly rivals, Thomas soon developed a reputation among the cadets for being deliberate and cool-headed. Graduating 12th in his class, Thomas was commissioned as a second lieutenant and assigned to the artillery," ("About.com", p.1). By having a mentality of sharp thinking and level headedness, it would enable Thomas to effectively execute his responsibilities to the men and his unit and better serve the cause. The com The commanding officer which George would have had during the Second Seminole conflict that took place in Florida, described him in this manner, "I never knew him to be late or in a hurry. All his movements were deliberate, his self-possession was supreme...," ("About.com", p.1). By taking into consideration the appraisal of George Thomas by his commanding officer, it would further outline a man who would possess an attitude towards structure and a conviction for steadfast behavior. General Thomas' career would essentially begin with the Mexican American War. During this conflict, Thomas would be provided with the opportunity to increase his held rank not once, but in fact would do it twice. With regards to the Civil War, George Thomas would see his career begin in one area and then shift to another as time would go on. He would take part in the conflict known as the First Battle of Manassas but in the end, would be transferred to what would be referred to as the western theatre for the remainder of the war. In reference to the time after Thomas would arrive in the western region of the battle front, "Thomas began his time in the Western Theater by commanding an independent force in eastern Kentucky, which defeated Confederate forces at Mill Springs in early 1862," ("George Thomas", p.1). As one of the battles that Thomas would be a part of, this battle would provide to be essential. In these terms, "This battle is seen as one of the first important Union victories in the war," ("George Thomas", p.1). For this battle to have been considered an important aspect of the victories seen by the union movement that would only serve to elevate George Thomas, to an even higher standing within the military hierarchy of status and importance. It would be during the same year as the victory seen at Mill Springs that George Thomas would see another increase in rank. This time, he would in fact become a Major General and would take, "..command of four divisions from Grant's former Army of the Tennessee and one from the

Bedside Index for Severity in Acute Pancreatitis (BISAP)

Bedside Index for Severity in Acute Pancreatitis (BISAP) Abstract Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of Bedside Index for Severity in Acute Pancreatitis (BISAP) score for predicting severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) in the early phase. Method The PubMed, Cochrane library and EMBASE databases were searched until May 2014. The strict selection criteria and exclusion criteria were determined, and we applied hierarchic summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) model and bivariate random effects models to assess thediagnosibility of the BISAP score for predicting SAP. We obtained pooled summary statistics for sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and calculated the area under the HSROC curve (AUC). The 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each diagnostic test measure were also calculated. Publication bias was assessed using Deek’s funnel plot asymmetry test. Statistical analyses were performed using the STATA12.0 software. Results The pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, and DOR were 64.82%, 83.62%, 3.96, 0.42 and 9.41, respectively. The AUC was 0.77 and the HSROC curve for individual studies was generated and analyzed to explore the influence of threshold effects. Conclusion We confirmed that BISAP score is an accurate means to predict SAP in the early phase. Keywords: BISAP, HSROC curve, severe acute pancreatitis, acute pancreatitis Introduction Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an inflammatory condition of the pancreas with a clinical course that varies from mild to severe and characterized by activation of pancreatic enzymes to cause self-digestion of the pancreas 1. Generally, AP is mild, self-limiting, and requires no special treatment and ranges about 80-90% of patients with only minimal or transitional systemic manifestations, but about 20%-30% of patients develop a severe disease that can progress to systemic inflammation and cause pancreatic necrosis, multi-organ failure, and potentially death 1-4. So it is important to have an early, quick, and accurate risk stratification of AP patients, which would permit evidence-based early initiation of intensive care therapy for patients with severe AP (SAP) to prevent adverse outcomes and allow treatment of mild AP (MAP) on the common ward. Early identification of patients with SAP would allow the clinician to consider more aggressive interventions within a time frame that could pre vent possible complications. Currently, there are a variety of score systems developed for the early detection of SAP, such as Ranson’s score 5, acute physiology and chronic health examination (APACHE) II 6, 7 and computed tomography severity index (CTSI) 8. Also there are many inflammation markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and others 9, 10. Several studies show that cytokines play an important role in the cascading inflammatory responses 11 and it may act as mediators of distant organ complications in SAP. So the levels of cytokine in serum may also reflect the degree of the inflammatory response 12. In 2008, Wu et al. 13 proposed a new prognostic scoring system, the bedside index of severity in acute pancreatitis (BISAP), is a simple and accurateà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ method that can predict the clinical severity of AP within 24 h of presentation. BISAP incorporates five parameters: blood urea nitrogen > 25 mg/dL, impaired mental status, systemic inflammatory response syndrome ( SIRS), age > 60 years, and detection of pleural effusion by imaging 14. Unfortunately there has been no systematic or meta-analytic review of cross-sectional studies of this scoring system. The purpose of this study was to aggregate the reported data across the different studies and to assess the ability of the BISAP score to predict SAP. Materials and methods 2.1 Literature search The search was performed on three databases: PubMed, Cochrane library and EMBASE. These databases were searched from the first date available in each database up to May 2014, using the search terms ‘acute pancreatitis’ AND (‘BISAP’ OR ‘bedside index of severity in acute pancreatitis’). Once articles had been collected, bibliographies were then hand-searched for additional references. 2.2 Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria To be included in this meta-analysis, studies must meet the following criteria: (1) studies evaluate the BISAP score for predicting SAP; (2) the subjects were diagnosed with AP; (3) prospective study; (4) the absolute numbers of true positive (TP), false negative (FN), false positive (FP), and true negative (TN) test results were available or derivable from the article; (5) the clinical result of patients was indicated as SAP. Studies were excluded if one of the following existed: (1) the numbers of TP, FN, FP, and TN test results were not derivable from the article; (2) cross-sectional study; (3) non-original articles, such as review, meeting abstract, case report and comment; (4) duplicate of previous publications and data description is not clear. 2.3 Data extraction and quality assessment All data were extracted independently by two authors according to the inclusion criteria listed above. Disagreements were resolved by discussion or solved by consultation of a third reviewer. The following characteristics were collected from each study: the first author, year of publication, source, experiment design, sample size, the reference standard (gold standard), the numbers of TP, FN, FP, and TN and others. The QADAS (Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies) criteria were used to assess the quality of diagnostic accuracy studies included in this meta-analysis 15. Statistical analyses Hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) modeland bivariate random effects model were performed in STATA 12.0 (StataCorp, College Station, TX, USA) software using the program ‘metandi’ to generate pooled accuracy estimates of sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and calculated the area under the HSROC curve (AUC) 16. The HSROC curve for individual studies was generated and analyzed to explore the influence of threshold effects. The 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each diagnostic test measure were also calculated. Publication bias was assessed using Deek’s funnel plot asymmetry test 17. Results 3.1 Eligible Studies The process of selecting studies for the meta-analysis was shown in Fig. 1. There were 32 studies potentially eligible studies identified. Of these, 14 studies were excluded after screening based on abstracts or titles to avoid obvious irrelevance. Finally, 9 studies 14, 18-25 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. The data collected from the related studies was summarized in Table 1. Among these studies, kim et al. 20 reported the results of the meta-analysis with the cutoff values set at 2and 3, respectively. All patients were recruited within 24 h from the time of admission or transfer and used for the calculation of the BISAP scores. All included citations were prospective cohort studies. The absolute numbers of TP, FN, FP, and TN were calculated by sample size and the degree of sensitivity and specific. A summary of the quality of the studies was displayed in table 2. The included studies were not descript the tenth quality indicator (were the index test results interpreted without knowledge of the results of the reference?) and the eleventh quality indicator (were the reference standard results interpreted without knowledge of the results of the index test?) 15. At the same time, there are some studies not described in detail for eliminate and exit objects. 3.2 Meta-analysis The results of the HSROC model were show in Table 3. The pooled sensitivity of BISAP testing for the diagnosis of SAP was 64.82% (95% CI: 54.47%-73.74%), and the specificity was 83.62% (95%CI: 70.03%-91.77%). The pooled DOR was 9.41 (95%CI: 5.38-16.45), the PLR was 3.96 (95%CI: 2.27-6.89), and the NLR was 0.42 (95%CI: 0.34-0.52). The AUC of the HSROC was 0.77 (95%CI: 0.73-0.80) (Fig. 2). The I2 index of heterogeneity was 95% (95% CI, 91%-99%). 3.3 Subgroup Analyses There was a negative correlation between the logits of sensitivity and specificity (Spearman correlation coefficient, 20.09), indicating the present of an importanteffect of the diagnostic threshold (cutoff level) on the performance of BISAP score. The following cutoffs were selected for subgroups analysis (Table 4). Analysis of studies that set the BISAP cutoff point at 2, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, and DOR were 67.30% (95%CI: 60.53%-73.42%), 78.28% (95%CI: 68.86%-85.46%), 3.10 (95%CI: 2.12-4.52), 0.42 (95%CI: 0.34-0.51) and 7.42 (95%CI: 4.39-12.54), respectively. The AUC of the HSROC was 0.70(95%CI: 0.66-0.74). Analysis of studies that set the BISAP cutoff point at 3, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, and DOR were 61.18% (95%CI: 41.20%-78.00%), 88.64% (95%CI: 88%-97.18%), 5.39 (95%CI: 1.80-16.12), 0.44 (95%CI: 0.30-0.64), and (95%CI: 4.44-34.03), respectively. The AUC of the HSROC was 0.78 (95%CI: 0.75-0.82). 3.4 Publication Bias Deeks’ Funnel Plot Asymmetry Test for the overall analysis showed that no significant publication bias was found (P = 0.359, Fig. 3). Discussion Generally, Ranson, APACHE II, and CTSI scoring systems have been used to evaluate the severity of AP 22, 23. However, these techniques all have their inherent strengths and weaknesses. For example, the Ranson’s score 5 is relatively accurate at classifying the severity of AP, but the evaluation cannot be completed until 48 h, which will miss the potential for early treatment and increase mortality. The APACHE II system 6, 7 allows the determination of disease on the first day of admission and is more accurate than Ranson’s score, but complexity is its major drawback. CTSI 26, 27 is calculated based on CT findings of some local complications and cannot reflect the systemic inflammatory response. Recently, the BISAP score has been proposed as an accurate method for early identification of patients at risk for in hospital mortality 13. Several studies showed that BISAP score is a reliable and accurate means for predicting the severity of AP in the early phase 18, 22, 23. B ut these studies are not systematic, so we collect the reported data across the different studies and apply HSROC model and bivariate random effects model to assess the ability of the BISAP score to predict SAP. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, and DOR were 64.82%, 83.62%, 3.96, 0.42 and 9.41, respectively. The AUC of the HSROC was 0.77. Our meta-analysis indicated that BISAP score is a reliable and accurate means to predict SAP. This meta-analysis assessed the diagnostic performance of BISAP in 1972 individuals from 9 research studies 14, 18-25. The results show that the performance of BISAP to predict the severity of AP has a good specificity, but moderate sensitivity in predicting SAP. In addition, compared with other scoring systems in predicting SAP, BISAP has a higher specificity but a lower sensitivity 21-23, 28. The low sensitivity may be caused by these factors. First, the characteristics of study participants are differences (cultural and geographical differences), such as lifestyle, race, and genetic basis. Second, etiologic distribution may also explain the noted differences. Third, the different definitions of SAP may also be a reason for these variations. The HSROC curve presents a global summary of test performance and shows the tradeoff between sensitivity and specificity. The summary DOR and the AUC of the HSROC were 9.41 and 0.77, respectively.The predictive accuracy of BISAP scoring system was measured by AUC. An AUC of 1.0 represents a perfect test, whereas an AUC of 0.5 represents a test that performs no better than chance 29. The result revealed that the discrimination of disease severity was good in our study, which is similar to other reports. DOR is a single indicator of test accuracy that combines the sensitivity and specificity data into a single number. The DOR of a test is the ratio of the odds of positive test results in the patient with disease relative to the odds of positive test results in the patient without disease. The value of a DOR ranges from 0 to infinity, with higher values indicating better discriminatory test performance (higher accuracy).A DOR of 1.0 indicates that a test does not discriminate between pa tients with the disorder and those without it 30. In the present meta-analysis, we found that the pooled DOR was 9.41, also indicated a high level of overall accuracy. Since the HSROC curve and theDOR are not easy to interpret or use in clinical practice, and likelihood ratios are considered to be more clinically meaningful, we also presented both PLR and NLR as our measures of diagnostic accuracy. Likelihood ratios of > 10 or 31. The PLR and NLR value were 3.96 and 0.42, respectively. This result performed similar to traditional scoring systems in predicting SAP and suggested that the accuracy of still need to improve. But BISAP is relatively simple and had greater accuracy than other scoring systems, making it a promising method of predicting SAP 14, 19, 21, 28. Furthermore,it may be combined in medical decision-making at the extreme of the prediction range, such as enrollment criteria for clinical trials, and as triaging intensive care unit admission 32, 33. We also explored systematically the issue of heterogeneity by use of subgroup analysis. In our analysis, the diagnostic threshold presented an important effect on the performance of BISAP score. The results demonstrated that a BISAP score of 3 had greater accuracy and high predictive value than a score of 2 for predicting SAP. Our meta-analysis had several limitations. First, when the BISAP scoring system converts continuous variables into binary values of equal weight, it fails to capture synergistic or multiplicative effects based on the interactions of interdependent systems 21. Future research could focus on comprehensive reassessment of the pathologic mechanisms of AP with attention to the effects of preexisting risk factors (e.g. age, obesity, genetic) and well-defined end points, identification of accurate biomarkers to assess activity on these pathways, and mathematical models that have strong predictive accuracy. Second, the exclusion of conference abstracts, letters to the editor, and non-English-language studies might have led to publication bias, which was not found in the present review. However, a review of these abstracts and letters suggested that the overall results were similar to the results in the English language studies included. Third, there is a risk for publication bias in which positive results or results with ‘expected’ findings are more likely to be published. We made every possible effort to minimize this type of bias by contacting investigators in the field of BISAP. If editors were more likely to publish manuscripts showing the ‘expected’ results of a good diagnostic performance for BISAP, then our results may be overestimating the real diagnostic performance of BISAP. In conclusion, we confirmed that BISAP score is an accurate means to predict SAP in the early phase. Due to simplicity and easily obtained parameters, BISAP score should gain broad acceptance in routine use not by replacing clinical assessment, but rather by complementing and objectifying it.

Storming of the Bastille :: essays research papers

The characteristics of a group are determined by its elements. The mob that stormed the Bastille on July 14th, 1789 was a group of citizens that were fierce, enraged, and blood-thirsty. To the people of Paris, the Bastille was a symbol of brutality and totalitarian power. It was hated because of the many stories that had emerged from its walls of horrible torture and brutality. To the people of Paris who stormed the Bastille, the prison which was the symbol of the absolute monarchy which France had been suffering under for so long. They were tired of being treated unfairly and not having a voice in most of the political affairs during the time period. They wanted "life, liberty, fraternity" and were determined to fulfill their wishes of a fair ruling system by means of force or agreement. Unfortunately, citizens had to resort to the use of force to gain what the felt lacked. Later on that day, a delegation was invited into the prison by the Governor of the Bastille, Bernard de Launay. DeLaunay then invited the delegation to lunch with him. When they did not return the mob became angry, fearing that they had been detained. A second delegation was sent forth. These soon came out again with the message that the Governor had adamantly refused to surrender. The delegates also had the information that the cannon were unloaded. This piece of news was all that the mob needed to urge them on. "...But the fury of the crowd continued to increase and their blind wrath did not spare de Launay's escort...Exhausted by his efforts to defend his prisoner...he had to seperate from M. de Launay...Hardly had he sat down when, looking after the procession, he saw the head of M. de Launay stuck on the point of a pike...The people, fearing that their victim might be snatched away from them, hastened to cut his throat on the steps of the Hotel de Ville..." The mob rushed into the prison’s courtyard. Some individuals were not as ruthless as others. "...Those who came in first treated the conquered enemy humanely and embraced the staff officers to show there was no ill-feeling..." However, several of the protestors were hurt as they attacked soldiers from the army. "....The people, transformed with rage, threw themselves on the sodiers..." Fierce fighting followed and carried on into the evening. Finally the mob got their hands on some cannons.

Eriksons Stages Essay

This experiential learning activity will give you an opportunity to apply basic psychological principles to learn more about your own behavior. The project will be conducted over a 9 week period. By week 3, you will choose a behavior that you would like to change and come up with a behavior change plan. In weeks 4-10, you will work on changing that behavior and record your progress. In weeks 11-13, you will reflect, analyze, and interpret your behavior change and outcomes. A 5 page write-up (double spaced) of this behavior change activity covering the points described below is due the week of presentations at the beginning of the class period. Here are the steps: 1. Select a behavior that you would like to change, one that you’d like to increase or decrease or modify in some way (Examples: eating junk or high-fat foods, chewing gum, smoking, getting angry, studying, exercising, spending money, worrying, etc). 2. Define your specific goal, consider the benefits and barriers, and choose a behavior modification plan. 3. Design a method of tracking your daily progress. This could be a tallying form, a data table, etc. This device should allow you to record the frequency and/or duration of your behavior on a daily basis. (if your behavior is something that is done several times a day, you might want to create a data tracking device that you can carry along with you). 4. Record your behavior, following the procedures you have developed, throughout the semester. Write a 5 page report that includes the following points and be sure to include theories and concepts we covered during class in addition to these sections. **Use at least 2 journal articles related to your topic and give a brief description of the articles in the introduction** Goal-Setting and Monitoring †¢ What behavior did you try to change? What was your precise goal? (for example, to increase/decrease the frequency and or duration) †¢ What were the benefits that you perceived to changing your behavior? In other words, why did you want to change your behavior? †¢ How did you keep track of (record) your daily progress? Very briefly describe the type of tallying sheet (or recording device) that you used. Motivation †¢ Where do you think your goal would fall on Maslow’s hierarchy of motives and why? What types of counter-motives made it difficult for you to accomplish your goal (example; hunger, pleasure, etc.) Where would these counter-motives fall on Maslow’s hierarchy? †¢ Did you feel more intrinsically or extrinsically motivated to change this behavior and why? †¢ Did your goal involve the behavioral activation system (BAS) or the behavioral inhibition system (BIS) and why? Was your goal more approach- or avoidance-oriented and why? †¢ Do you think that your motives contributed to your outcome? How and why? Learning †¢ How did you go about trying to change your behavior? Did you use any of the behavior learning strategies that we discussed in class such as classical or operant conditioning? †¢ How did you use these strategies? Did they work or not? Emotions, Barriers, and Social Support †¢ What types of emotions did you feel when trying to change your behavior? How did you feel along the way and how were these emotions related to the amount of effort you invested in trying to change your behavior? †¢ What were some of the barriers that you encountered while trying the change the behavior? Did you expect these barriers when you started or did they surprise you along the way? What did you do to overcome these barriers? †¢ Did you enlist the help of family and friends in trying to change your behavior? Was this helpful or harmful? Conclusion †¢ Did you reach your goal or not? How do you feel about the outcome? What could you do differently in the future to be even more successful at changing your behavior? Outline of written report †¢Introduction †¢Description of topic †¢Explanation of why this is an important area of study †¢Reason for picking this area to write about †¢Literature review †¢Description of theory †¢Previous research on topic (Use at least 2 journal articles related to your topic and give a brief description of the articles) †¢Citations of all work mentioned in the paper †¢Statement of hypothesis †¢Methods section †¢Description of process in reaching your goal (recording behavior, keeping track, etc) †¢Description of materials used (tally sheet? recording device?) †¢Results †¢Conclusions †¢Goal-setting & Monitoring †¢Motivation †¢Learning †¢Emotions, barriers, and social support †¢Conclusion paragraph (see assignment sheet) †¢Applications (how will these results be useful to individuals and society as a whole?) †¢References †¢APA style †¢Citations in the body of paper should appear in the reference section

The 13 Forms of Insect Antennae

The 13 Forms of Insect Antennae Antennae are movable sensory organs located on the head of most arthropods. All insects have a pair of antennae, but spiders have none. Insect antennae are segmented, and usually located above or between the eyes. How Do Insects Use Antennae? Antennae serve different sensory functions for different insects. In general, the antennae might be used to detect odors and tastes, wind speed and direction, heat and moisture, and even touch. A few insects have auditory insects on their antennae, so theyre involved in hearing.  In some insects, the antennae may even serve a non-sensory function, such as grasping prey. 13 Different Shapes Because antennae serve different functions, their forms vary greatly within the insect world. In all, there are about 13 different antennae shapes, and the form of an insects antennae may be an important key to its identification. Learn to differentiate the forms of insect antennae, and it will help you improve your insect identification skills. Aristate Are Pouch-Like Aristate antennae are pouch-like, with a lateral bristle. Aristate antennae are most notably found in the Diptera (true flies). Capitate Have a Prominent Club or Knob at Their Ends Capitate antennae have a prominent club or knob at their ends. The term capitate derives from the Latin caput, meaning head. Butterflies (Lepidoptera)  often have capitate form antennae. Clavate Have a Gradual Club or Knob The term clavate comes from the Latin  clava, meaning club. Clavate antennae terminate in a gradual club or knob (unlike the capitate antennae, which end with an abrupt, pronounced knob). This antennae form is found most often in beetles, such as in carrion beetles. Filiform Are Slender and Thread-Like The term filiform comes from the Latin filum, meaning thread. Filiform antennae are slender and thread-like in form. Because the segments are of uniform widths, there is no taper to filiform antennae. Examples of insects with filiform antennae include: rock crawlers (order Grylloblattodea)gladiators (order Mantophasmatodea)angel insects (order Zoraptera)cockroaches (order Blattodea) Flabellate Look Like a Folding Paper Fan Flabellate  comes from the Latin flabellum, meaning fan. In flabellate antennae, the terminal segments extend laterally, with long, parallel lobes that lie flat against one another. This feature looks like a folding paper fan. Flabellate (or flabelliform) antennae are found in several insect groups within the Coleoptera, the Hymenoptera, and the Lepidoptera. Geniculate Are Bent or Hinged Sharply Geniculate antennae are bent or hinged sharply, almost like a knee or elbow joint. The term geniculate derives from the Latin genu, meaning knee. Geniculate antennae are found mainly in ants or bees. Lamellate Are Flattened and Nested The term lamellate comes from the Latin lamella, meaning a thin plate or scale. In lamellate antennae, the segments at the tip are flattened and nested, so they look like a folding fan. To see an example of lamellate antennae, look at a scarab beetle. Monofiliform Look Like Strings of Beads Monofiliform comes from the Latin monile, meaning necklace. Moniliform antennae look like strings of beads. The segments are usually spherical, and uniform in size. The termites (order Isoptera) are a good example of insects with moniliform antennae. Pectinate Have a Comb-Like Shape The segments of pectinate antennae are longer on one side, giving each antennae a comb-like shape. Bipectinate antennae look like two-sided combs. The term pectinate derives from the Latin pectin, meaning comb. Pectinate antennae are found mainly in some beetles and sawflies. Plumose Have  a Feathery Appearance The segments of plumose antennae have fine branches, giving them a feathery appearance. The term plumose derives from the Latin pluma, meaning feather. Insects with plumose antennae include some of the true flies, such as mosquitoes, and moths. Serrate Look Like a Saw Blade The segments of serrate antennae are notched or angled on one side, making the antennae look like a saw blade. The term serrate derives from the Latin serra, meaning saw. Serrate antennae are found in some beetles. Setaceous Are Bristle-Shaped The term setaceous comes from the Latin seta, meaning bristle. Setaceous antennae are bristles of insects with setaceous antennae include mayflies (order Ephemeroptera) and dragonflies and damselflies (order Odonata). Stylate Terminate in a Long, Slender Point Stylate  comes from the Latin  stylus, meaning pointed instrument. In stylate antennae, the final segment terminates in a long, slender point, called a style. The style may be hairlike but will extend from the end and never from the side. Stylate antennae are found most notably in certain true flies of the suborder Brachycera (such as robber flies, snipe flies, and bee flies). Source: Triplehorn, Charles A. and Johnson, Norman F. Borror and DeLongs Introduction to the Study of Insects. 7th Edition

Poor and The Justice system essays

Poor and The Justice system essays In 1963, the Supreme Court ruled in Gideon v. Wainwright that every criminal defendant has a right to have an attorney. The poor are appointed an attorney normally known as a public defender to defend them. The poor are given substandard representation in courts due to lack of funds and a broken criminal justice system. The criminal justice system has made strides forward. The Sixth Amendment right to counsel was generally understood as guaranteeing criminal defendants the right to hire their own counsel if they could afford to do so. The Supreme Court has since ruled, however, that in both federal cases (Johnson vs. Zerbst 1938) and state cases (Gideon vs. Wainwright, 1963), the government must provide counsel to represent criminal defendants who cannot afford to hire counsel on their own, and that the right to counsel is guaranteed regardless of how short the defendants term of imprisonment may be if convicted (Argersinger vs. Hamlin, 1972). Warren Burger, The Washington Times, December 22, 1991. The Supreme Court acknowledges that the constitutionally required counsel must provide effective assistance, court decisions have provided only halfhearted enforcement of the requirement of effectiveness. The counsel is presumed to be effective once a member of the bar. The court has held that neither gross inexperience nor unfamiliarity with criminal practice is enough to support a finding of ineffectiveness. The courts refuse to mandate even the most elementary steps in effective case preparation, such as interviewing the client or witnesses. Instead, the courts judge ineffectiveness under the totality of the circumstances in each case. In one case, Judge Henry Friendly, writing for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, held that a lawyer was not ineffective even though he had slept through a portion of a witnesss cross-examination. Judge Friendly simply speculated that the witnesss te...

US HEALTH POLICY Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

US HEALTH POLICY - Assignment Example This is where I belong, as my employer pays for my insurance cover. The US political system has several limitations, especially concerning its healthcare policies. The major limitation of this political system is that it locks out many Americans from health insurance (Fuchs, 2007). Before the coming of Obamacare, there was only Medicare and Medicaid. The working poor are largely ineligible for any of these programs due to their age and income. Most are at the mercy of their employers to insure them. Their only hope is in the non-group insurance market. However, the non-group insurance market is usually limited and its prices are way beyond the reach of the working poor (Gruber, 2011). Furthermore, it does not actually provide real insurance against illnesses due to its policy of pre-existing conditions exclusions. The responsibility of a health care administrator in a hospital is to ensure that reform is instituted in the healthcare sector (Betts, 1994). There is an opportunity for nurses to enact reform on healthcare in hospitals. This is because the provisions of the new laws effectively broaden the roles of nurses in advancing access to primary care and other health services (American Academy of Nursing, 2010). For example, Section 2951 authorizes Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs, creating opportunities for nurses to expand and enhance the Nurse-Family

Lowering Drinking Age from 21 to 18 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lowering Drinking Age from 21 to 18 - Essay Example This proposal essay takes a look at the legal age of drinking and why it should be rolled back to 18 years of age. It also pinpoints the essential changes that need to be made within the legislation as well as tackles problems in a head on fashion. There are chances which will crop up every now and then which will make the above-mentioned proposal sound illogical and insane yet the outcome is for the betterment of one and all, and especially the youth of present times. After all, they know what is good for them and how they can amend their lives in essence with the time and spirit of the present epoch. In the times much like today, people look at their lives in the form of an open canvas – waiting to throw paints on their personalities. Same is the case which holds true for drinking where they suggest and indeed I am of the view that it should be allowed at the age of 18 years because at this age, a person gets mature enough to distinguish the good and the bad for his own self . Tamura (1992) asks the question regarding lowering the drinking age since there have been amendments in the legislative processes of different countries from time to time. What this highlights is the fact that legislation under such domains is a significant impediment in the wake of lowering drinking prohibitions. The legal age is just a yardstick of measuring one’s age at the end of the day. It does not give any idea about a teenager’s mental and physical maturity. What it presents to one and all is a mere age dynamic.