Cystic Fibrosis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Cystic Fibrosis - Essay Example The CFTR protein is located in epithelial cells, which form a lining of major body organs. The CFTR protein in people without cystic Fibrosis controls the flow of salt and water through the epithelial walls. As a result, it retains mucus secreted thin and watery. The thin mucus is important since it protects the lining of the liver, lungs, pancreatic glands, reproductive organs and digestive organs. A Cystic Fibrosis patient who has a mutated CFTR gene, the passage of sodium chloride through the epithelial cells does not occur normally. The body lacks a healthy CFTR protein needed to maintain a balance of salt and water leading to a lot of salt in sweat and making the mucus produced by the mucous gland too thick and sticky. The thick mucus clogs and obstructs body organs, linings and passageways thus preventing the normal functioning of body organs (Bjorklund 15-16). Cystic fibrosis causes acute respiratory problems; this is due to acute haemoptysis and pneumonia. The infecting organisms of patients who have pneumonia include Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The body has a small amount of functional CFTR to bind with the infectious bacteria resulting in obstruction of the airways. As the obstruction increases, it becomes very hard for air to pass through during inhalation and exhalation. This leads to expansion of the alveoli leading to trapping of air in small tubes. Over time, this causes barrel-shaped chest leading to increased pulmonary artery pressure that in turn causes heart failure. In addition, thick and sticky mucus, which is the main symptom in cystic fibrosis patients, clogs the bronchioles and as a result, parts of the lungs become blocked off. The small air passage also becomes weak and loses the ability to work properly; this often develops to bronchiecstasis. The patient coughs a lot and wheezes while breathing. In addition, cystic

Prostate Cancer in African American Men Essay Example for Free

Prostate Cancer in African American Men Essay Prostate Cancer is the gland below a mans bladder that produces fluid for semen. Prostate cancer is common among older men. Prostate cancer is a silent killer, and because it grows slowly, many men have no idea its there It is rare in men younger than forty. Risk factors for developing prostate cancer include being over sixty five years of age, family history, being African American, and some genetic changes. There is an estimated of 241,740 new cases and 28,170 deaths from prostate cancer in the United States in 2012 (National Cancer Institute, 2011). Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men, behind skin cancer, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men especially in African American men. one out of six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. For example, if youre at home having a cookout with 11 of your friends, its likely that two of you at some point in your lives will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. and If youre an African-American man, those odds increase to nearly one in five. Prostate cancer affects African American men twice as often as Caucasian men; the mortality rate among African American is also twice as high. African American men have the highest rate of prostate cancer of any ethic group in the world. In the African American community men are at high risk due to low socioeconomic status, and not getting cancer screening because of no health insurance. With the increased amount of men being diagnosed each year it is shocking that many men still avoid visiting the doctor because it makes them uncomfortable and they are afraid of what the results will be even when some clinics give free prostate cancer screening. While prostate cancer screening test can have abnormal results even when cancer is not present, it is important for men to have prostate screening done.prostate cancer is usually detected through screening, and there are two methods for early detection. The prostate-specific antigen test (PSA) is used, but there are many factors that can inf luence the outcome of the PSA test. Medications such as antihistamines, physical exertion or recent ejaculation can raise a PSA level. Another test for early detection of prostate cancer has been the digital rectal exam (DRE). Although, DRE is a better method for early detection, it is also a hindrance among men, particularly African-American men, to screening and early detection According to American Cancer Society (ACS) and American Urological Association (AUA), the PSA and DRE should be offered annually for all men beginning at age 50. However, they also recommend that African-American men with a family history of prostate cancer should begin testing by age 45. Early intervention is the key to a 5 year survival rate. Prognosis of prostate cancer diagnosed at an early stage is noted as being optimistic. Despite these credible statistics, free prostate cancer screening and early detection remains a problem area for many health care practitioners when it comes to the African American population (Plowden 2009) Madeline Leininger’s Sunrise Model has been used in many studies over the past twenty years. Between 1999 and 2008, over 200 citations of articles were noted using Leininger Theory (McEwen, 2011). She postulated that nurses should attempt to increase knowledge related to the care of people who value their cultural heritage and way of life (McEwen, 2011). The Leininger Sunrise Model of cultural diversity is used to obtain compliance with prostate cancer screening among African-American men; the goal has been to build a relationship of cooperation between clients and health care workers. Educating the men as well as examining their fears and anxieties is useful in removing barriers of resistance and gaining trust, thus empowering the client (McEwen, 2011). The Health Belief Model (HBM) â€Å"postulates a person’s perception of disease threat and benefits of taking action will predetermine taking action† (Rivers, 2009). The HBM is used to determine the African American male understanding of prostate cancer and to identify factors that would motivate that populatio n to seek screening and treatment of prostate cancer. The HBM has been used to design intervention to educate as well as facilitate access to screening and treatment (Rivers, 2009). Leininger’s Theory of cultural care diversity is a middle range theory that is based upon the major concepts of culture, culture care and understanding the differences as well as the similarities to transcultural human care. Her other major concepts of transcultural care are, caring, and ethic views, the system of health care, the professional system of care and culturally congruent nursing care. (McEwen, 2011) The strength of Leininger Theory lies in the fact that it is a holistic theory seeking to cover both the diversity and universality of nursing care concepts. Caring aspects within and between cultures must include the acknowledgement of the similarities and differences. The theory has been widely used within the credibility and confirm ability of data gained from research (McGee, 1994). Because the Leininger Theory places emphasis on cultural s ensitivity and cultural congruence, it can be said that cultural knowledge will improve care. However, because the approach fails to take into account a political and structural inequality of minorities and focuses on differences and deficits, it can be construed that the culture itself is the problem. The possibility of reinforcing stereotypes and increasing the gap between provider and patient may actually make the care aspect less than culturally safe (Orià ¡, 2005). Leininger Theory can be used in a wide range of modalities when considering the problem of prostate screening. When examining the focus of this clinical problem i.e., how to get increased participation from a high risk group to prostate cancer screening, Plowden reached several conclusions that are applicable to today’s practice for advance nurse practitioners. For example, African-American men were more likely to seek screening and participate in the treatment process if 1.) There was a perceived susceptibility to prostate cancer and that threat was perceived as severe in life threatening or disabling . 2.) There were perceived benefits to the screening such as early detection and accurate diagnosis. 3.) There were no perceived barriers. 4.) Sufficient triggers need to exist to motivate behavior (Plowden, 2009). When applying these findings to advanced nurse practitioners’ practices, it can be said that men in the high risk groups must first be educated on the risks of prostate cancer. They need to understand the implications involved with failure to be screened. Early detection and accurate diagnosis are very important to the 5 year survival post diagnosis. Screening is essential to the quality of life for a person diagnosed with prostate cancer. For example, lifestyle changes would have to be made after a radical prostectomy versus a chemo radiation treatment of a localized slow growing tumor. When health care professionals can successfully manage to remove or go around barriers, whether real or perceived, the goal of seeking medical intervention is improved. Health care professionals can attempt to established sufficient triggers so that the behavior can be motivated to attain compliance to screening. The advanced nurse practitioner’s challenge will be to first establish trust and reputation as a caregiver who cares and is approachable; educate the population of the high risk group to the benefits of early detection versus late discovery; provide easy access to screening and the follow up phase of the intervention; and maintain confidentiality. Peer group discussions with professionals have shown to aid in getting better compliance (Plowden, 2009). The African-American males’ decision making process when considering prostate cancer screening is influenced greatly by cultural mores and beliefs. These cultural beliefs often lead to a lower rate of compliance to free screening versus all other races i.e. Caucasians, etc. Leisiniger’s cultural diversity theory can be used to effectively educate and increase compliance by teaching practitioners ways to overcome these cultural barriers. By following the concepts of care, caring, and understanding feelings of self, as well as the feelings of others, it is possible to overcome cultural barriers. Works Cited Cherath, Lata, et al. Prostate Cancer. The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Ed. Laurie J. Fundukian. 4th ed. Vol. 5. Detroit: Gale, 2011. 3578-3584. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 7 Dec. 2012. LATEST RESEARCH: Faster Prostate Cancer Growth In Black Men?. Prostate Disorders (2011): 31. Health Source Consumer Edition. Web. 7 Dec. 2012 Prostate Cancer. National Cancer Institute. SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2009 (Vintage 2009 Populations), National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2012. .

Forgery And Plagiarism | Analysis

Forgery And Plagiarism | Analysis To falsify something for the purpose of deceiving someone is known as forgery which is a crime. Forgery can be in the form of counterfeiting or art forgery but every kind of forgery is considered a crime. Forgery in the case of counterfeiting is severely punished. Crime has been there since the world came into being but it started to flourish in the twentieth century when several prospects for forged activities arose. Greeks and Romans signed their art with other peoples names and hoped that a big name would be capitalized. Similarly, coins and paper money have been faked by counterfeiters since they were introduced in the world. Some acts of ancient forgery were so impressive that they have been placed in museums for display and in some instances, pieces of art havent been exposed as forged work for centuries after the museums and galleries got hold of them, very much to the shame of the staff. (Smith, 2010) Definition of Forgery To illegally modify or reproduce a document, signature, an instrument, legal tender or any other means of storing information is known as forgery. Any item that is copied is also considered forged. (forgery Definition) When something is forged, a piece of art for the purpose of mimicking the style of a popular artist is made by a person and signed with the name of the artist. Usually, the work of dead artists is forged because their work cannot be testified. A few art forgers are very sharp. They utilize several techniques so that it becomes hard to detect a fake. Similarly, several techniques are used by art historians for examining art in the hopes of detecting forged works from real works of art. To forge documents is a profitable endeavor in several parts of the world. Identification, certificates of title to property and other such documents can be generated by forgers for cheating. In a few cases, documents are forged for kind purposes such as to enter an establishment with age restrictions and in many cases forgery is done for more sinister purposes such as to detect theft. Several precautions are taken when official documents are made like the use of special inks and papers so that forgery is made difficult. Forgery is a growing problem in the financial world. Currencies are actually made by forgers which is known as counterfeiting but fake checks and other important financial documents are also signed which cause a lot of problems even if the crime is detected. To examine suspicious documents and other material that might have been forged is called questionable document examination. Individuals, who choose to study forgery, may select a specific kind of forgery to speci alize. Those who specialize in forgery may analyze things such as medieval paintings, title deeds, currency with the help of several instruments and techniques to detect forgeries. (Smith, 2010) Types of Forgery Forgery is of three main types and all the types of forgery are common these days because of the advanced technology. The three types of forgery are: Altered documents. Signature forgery. False documents. Altered Documents Forgers can change documents for their benefit by altering the information within a particular document. Household bleach, paint thinners or special ink rubbers to a check can be applied to make changes to documents. Forgers can attempt to alter the amount or change the payee on a check easily. Most of the times, these alterations are not detected. Some forgers alter documents by using cut and paste technique. Others alter documents with the help of technology. Nowadays, documents can be easily scanned into a computer and the details along with the image can be altered within a few minutes. With the help of color inkjet printers, new documents can be created by forgers that look just like or even better than the original documents. A student in the United States got admission to New York University (NYU) with the help of a forged college record. The forged college record was obtained by taking the college record of another student going to another college, and then the students name, grades and other details were changed and blank forms were obtained and printed from a local print shop. Fake classes and grades were filled in by the student which he sent to New York University with the admissions application. Signature Forgery Signature forgery is thought to be the easiest type of forgery. The forger obtains a document from another individual and that individuals name is signed on it. It is difficult to find out the forger even if the forgery is uncovered. False Documents Forgers easily create false documents because computers, printers and scanners are easily available all over the world. To create false documents, a check or a business card can be scanned not considering what the business card or check looks like. Forgers can steal large sums of money by cashing forged checks. Just like signature forgery, by the time, forgery is uncovered it becomes impossible to track down the forger. (Forgery ICU 97-02) Forged Writing To make or alter a written instrument for fraudulent activities or to deceive someone such as to sign another individuals name to a check is known as forged writing. Writing payees endorsement or signing a check without the permission of the payee or the related authority. The true owner of a check is the payee to whom the check should be paid. Forgery at common law is the fraudulent making and alteration of a writing to the prejudice of another mans right. (Forgery Defined Explained) It was defined by a modern writer as a false making; a making malo animo, of any written instrument, for the purpose of fraud and deceit. (Forgery Defined Explained) Forgery is a crime which is subjected to punishment by the state and national governing bodies. To make a whole written document in the name of another individual for the purpose of fraud by altering or erasing any material part of the document which gives a new meaning to it, is considered forgery though the document maybe used by someone who is not aware of the forgery. To sign a false document or any other instrument with a true signature for which it was not intended or vice versa is also considered forgery. For example, a person might be asked to draw a will for an ill person in a specific way but what he might do is that he inserts legacies of his own head and then procures the signature of that ill person who asked him to draw the will without letting him know that the legacies have been deceitfully inserted. Sometimes a person may copy a receipt, add words in the original and then offer it as a proof on the basis that the original receipt was lost, that person too may be punished forgery. At times the name and character of another living person is assumed by a party in the writing. But to adopt a false description and to add, when a false name is not written or assumed and no individual answers the description, then it wont be prosecuted as forgery. To make a document in a pretended name or the name of someone who does not exist is a kind of f orgery which is just like creating a document in the name of a living individual and however a document may be made by someone in his own name, if he represents it as the document of another individual of the same name when actually that person does not exist, then it will be considered forgery in the name of the person who does not exist but the accuracy of this decision is doubted. Generally, a person cannot be guilty of forgery on doubt, however in writing a will, a legacy is deceitfully omitted which he was told to insert and by omitting that legacy, a material alteration would be caused, or in other cases, a devise of an estate for life to one is omitted, as a result of which, devise of the same property to another to pass a present estate which would have passed remains only, then it will be considered a forgery. It may be seen that the crime of forgery may be complete without publishing a forged document. For a document to be forged the purpose of making the document must be to defraud another person but it is not necessary that anyone of the persons is hurt. It is enough that the forged document is proven harmful. Laws have been passed in most of the states which make some acts to be considered forgery and Congress has also enacted some laws on forgery. (Forgery Defined Explained) Signs for Forged Checks There are several signs which may detect a forged check. However any one sign does not necessarily mean that the check is forged. The more the number of signs, higher are the chances of forgery. The signs are: Perforations maybe lacked on the check. There is a missing digit from the check number or it does not change. Personal checks having a low check number such as from 101 to 400 and from 1001 to 1500 on business checks. Around ninety percent of forgeries are done on accounts that are less than a year old. The font that has been used to print the customers name seems obviously different from the font used to print the address. Additions have been made to the check such as the phone numbers are written by hand. The address of the customer is not present on the check. The address of the bank is not present on the check. There are marks on the check because of the changes. The MICR coding on the bottom of the check is shiny. Real magnetic ink appears to be dull. The check number and the MICR coding do not match. There are missing MICR digits. The district of the bank and the routing symbol in the upper right-hand corner of the check and MICR coding do not match. The payees name seems to have been printed by a typewriter. Where as payroll, dividend checks and expenses are printed with the help of computers. The word VOID seems to appear on the check. There is no authorized signature. (Check Fraud Prevention: What is Check Fraud-Types of Check Fraud) Famous Forgers Frank Abagnale Frank Abagnale is considered one of the biggest forgers of the world. He cashed around $2.5 million through false checks between 1964 and 1969, assumed identities of eight different people including a lawyer, a pediatrician and even a pilot for Pan Am. A movie, Catch me if you can was made on his life in which Leonardo DiCaprio played his role in 2002. Anatasios Arnaouti Anatasios Arnaouti was a forger who was caught and imprisoned in 2005. He led one of the major of United Kingdoms counterfeiting operations. He produced fake currency in his factory and around  £276,000 was created in one day. It has been estimated that he created around  £10 in fake currency. Abel Buell Abel Buell was a forger who was born in Connecticut in 1742. He attempted to convert  £5 notes into higher denominations. He was caught and punished by printing F on his head which branded him as a forger. Victor Lustig Victor Lustig is known for selling the Eiffel Tower twice by fraud though he did not own it. He was arrested when he was opening a locker with a key in his hand which had $51,000 in fake currency. William Chaloner He was a famous British forger who was known for counterfeiting. He was detected by Royal Mint and Sir Isaac Newton in 1699. He was caught and punished by hanging. Stephen Jory Stephen Jory led the so-called Lavender Hill Mob. He created fake  £20 notes. He was arrested and admitted in his trial that he had created  £50 million of fake  £20 notes but the figure is believed to be much higher. Catherine Murphy Catherine Murphy clipped off small pieces from gold coins to make new ones. She was executed in 1789. (Famous Forgers, 2009) Analysis of major forgery Forging documents by corrupting the records keeping systems is a severe crime against society. Forgers like their work accepted as being genuine and get amused while embarrassing the experts. They like to change history the way they want to see it. People practice forgery for its lucrative benefits and pleasure. Forgery robs society and contaminates the very essence of humanity. Letter Forgery The Salamander Letter Plain one and half page handwritten letter to W.W. Phelps of Canandaigua, New York from Martin Harris, dated 23 October, 1830, depicted an uncanny event that Harris had observed three years back. In the fall of the year 1827 I hear Joseph Smith found a gold bible I take Joseph aside he says it is true I found it 4 years ago with my stone but only just got it because of the enchantment of the old spirit come to me 3 times in the same dream says dig up the gold but when I take it up the next morning the spirit transfigured himself from a white salamander in the bottom of the hole struck me three times held the treasure would not let me have it because I lay it down to cover over the hole when the spirit says do not lay it down. Harriss narration of Prophet Joseph Smiths discovery of golden plates, the plates that were translated to be included in the Book of Mormon that is the foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gravely denied Smiths own recollection of the event. It called into question the divine character of the finding. The salamander was of no divine importance or an angel sent by God, it was a common sign that originated from fold magic and medicine. The letter recommended that Prophet Smith was hallucinating while mistaking it with divine communication that could have emerged from folk medicine experiments. The letter damaged the authenticity and divinity of the 150 years old church and no one cared where could have been all these 153 years. It was found by a Mormon dealer in an unstamped envelope, a philately specialty that concerted on postal blotting prior to stamps in late 1840s who paid no attention to the letters origin. The FBI and a prominent manuscript dealer subst antiated that the letter had the genuine look and feel. When the Salamander letter was compared with other documents of the period, it was known that it was written by similar iron gall ink used during that period and had the same chemical composition. The report concluded, there is no evidence to suggest that these documents were prepared at a time other than their reported dates. In 1983, the letter appeared to be indisputable and the leaders of Mormon Church got worried. Subsequently further events revealed that a disenchanted Mormon, Mark Hofmann had forged the letter and used his skills to dishonor the church. He was trying to change the churchs history to destabilize the foundations of the church. He testified during his murder trial, I believed that the documents that I created could have been a part of Mormon history. In effect, I guess, the questions I asked myself in deciding on a forgery[,] one of the questions was, what could have been? I had a concept of church history and I followed that concept. Hoffmans Technique of forgery Hoffman work of forging nineteenth century documents required mastery uncovered broad range of knowledge and abilities like: Artistic and manual dexterity to fabricate smooth and flawless writing according to persons specific writing style. Composition and chemistry of ink that could test positive for the period in question Having contemporary paper sources and postal blots Undertaking historical research to be in command of commonly known facts, day of delivery suitable and mail route for the fabricated letter to gain acceptance as being genuine and Fictional content imagination that is enough to being closer to real, and will be taken for authentic. Hoffman used two conventions, first he made up the documents discovery to someone else such that its real value is recognized. Second he made the document suggest historical connections of individuals that sufferers would eagerly see and unsuspectingly accept (Gracy II). Detection of forgery Detecting forgery of unique objects can be done through the objects evidence of time and place in which it was finished (Forgery, Britannica). Often a forger unconsciously creates style confusion or ingeniously accents elements that spark contemporary bias. For example the work passed as Lucas Cranachs by the bright German forger F. W. Rohrich, by imbuing paintings with a feel of Biedermeier visual, that was common in his own times, that later deceived their falsity. Regardless of modern technological breakthroughs, a great deal of forgery remains impermeable to detection by other than experimental means (forgery, Encyclopedia topics). Success to detect a forgery can only be achieved only if the investigator is precipitous about all related technical, mechanical, physical and historical matter that may be essential in recognizing irregularities in any document. Serendipity is one of the important powers and hence is ranked high for all investigators. Examiner needs to ask the right question at the right instant to spot forgeries and note dissonances. There are various features of a forgery and can be classified into four groups, that is content of forgery, provenance, technology and technique of the forger. Content of the forgery The examiners inexperience surfaces when the document is question is being assessed to validate the content. Examiners do not know all the necessary facts, while skilled forgers have carefully analyzed every aspect. The older the document is, the more the examiner needs to be well-versant with the rule of phraseology and word usage of the period. Configuring dates and the styles of abbreviation have evolved greatly over the last three centuries. Furthermore the shapes of certain letters have also changed over time in their cursive. Provenance Common forgery cases get successful because often the victim believes in the validity of the document. Forgers give victims enough knowledge to lay their provenance basis, and let them build and substantiate the forgery through facts and chance discovery. An old aphorism states that if a proposal appears too good to be true, it is probably false, rightly applies to forged documents. This aphorism can be rephrased for forgery as, If it is remarkable that a document has surfaced all of a sudden, likely there is more to the story of the documents existence than the provenance offered. Technique of the forger Forgers have unique creative abilities, in intellectual conception and styling provenance and content, and in physical area of making of the object to make it appear to something it is not. Forgers do fake repairs to suggest substantial age and attention to the object for the intention of improving provenance. The examiner should critically evaluate the material used in the repair and the condition in which it was done. The examiner should be well versed with the aging techniques that may include staining paper with tea or coffee, or document misuse with tears or holes for book worms. Finally the examiner should doubtful about standard dealers markings. Technology Examiners need to evaluate the appearance of the forgery through use of technology. They should look for the dates when certain technology became common and the technical aspects of their likelihood of applicability. Examiner should check paper under lights for watermarks and for woven or chained patterns of the paper texture. The interaction of paper and ink is vital to exposing any forgery (Gracy II). Detecting forgery in Writing While examining writing for evidence of forgery requires careful comparison between the original writers and other. The author of the writing known is commonly called the original and is referred to by his name. The writing with which it is compared, or is the subject of investigation is a called the suspect. The suspected writings should be separately numbered until the original thoroughly mastered. It is important to put away the suspected writing to avoid confusion having multiple types of writing in front of the eye and mind so as to avoid prejudice to any one type. Any influence to first evaluate the suspect should be resolutely defied. Paper and envelope should be examined carefully for its quality, watermark, size or any inherent feature for clues. Then the overall general style of the document should be studied for top and side margins. Identify words in the writing for usual use of hyphen to divide words. Next measure the distance between the lines and make a note of the distance. Then make a note of the average distance between the words, and see if they appear to be connected without lifting of the pen. Check the slope and top of the letters that have tails. Look for punctuation style frequency and accuracy. Determine the writing class. Note for language peculiarities and errors or spelling of words like if its favor or favour etc. Note particular letters that have two or more touching points like, m, h, d, k, n and so on to check for writing regularity. Lastly look for tailed or topped letters for loops and bars if they are formed by single stroke. Classify and examine the loops or their angular, roundness, s hort or narrow style. Devoting time to this aspect of handwriting will unveil the writers unconscious features, and will reflect upon valuable evidence (Blackburn Caddell). Detecting forgery in Art Forgery detection is done through two major approaches, stylistic and technical analysis; these are complementary and generate best results together. Stylistic analysis is very subjective in nature and resides with the wise eye of the art historians. Each artist has a certain flair, style, and vigor that solely belongs to him and is easily familiar. The style changes and improvises overtime as the artists career flourishes and can be stylistically documented and analyzed (Forgery, Britannica). Expertise in important to authenticate the styles and aesthetics of various periods and remain the principle instrument to detect forgery. Artistic gaucherie or clutter of motifs and styles, and an apparent emphasis of forgers aesthetic values current times constantly reveals the forgery than most of the technical analysis. The technical analysis can involve various techniques and have evolved over time. Sometimes a sketch or an x-ray can be used underneath the original art surface to substanti ate the paintings. In earlier centuries, costumes of an under painting were considered basic characteristic of an art value, and later surface painting emerged as one way of doing forgery (Conklin). Even so contemporary tools like infrared, ultraviolet photography and x-ray are used to expose overpainting and pentimento. Furthermore craquelure can also be microscopically scrutinized. In addition carbon-14 and chemical analysis provide comparatively uncertain evidence in case ancient materials have been utilized. Forgeries in United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates labor ministry has initiated an e-signature card system to prevent scams and forgery to minimize standard procedures. The e-signature system has replaced the signature authorization card scheme which earlier required authorized signatory for any transaction with the ministry. The new e-signature will have a card with a specific code number which is required to be entered before any transaction with the ministry (e-Signature card..). Passport forgeries are very common in United Arab Emirates. Dubai police recently released details of passport forgers including six British born and three Irish individuals suspected in killing key Hamas commander. The suspect used real life individual identifies for forging their passports. One of the British national confirmed the name and passport number that matched has, but had the incorrect birth date. The individual had no clue how and when his passport details were obtained as it was never reported being lost or stolen (Neighbor). The passport forgery was believed to have been done through Israeli government officials. British foreign secretary David Miliband showed his displeasure over Israel involvement, and said that Such misuse of British passports is intolerable, and added that Israel being an ally of UK Miliband only adds insult to injury. The passports were forged using genuine UK identities in a highly sophisticated operations and planning and clearly indicated a gov ernments involvement (UK: Israel behind Forgery, CNN). A Filipino waiter faced trial for theft of credit card and signature forgery. The waiter worked at a local hotel, stole a debit card, three mobile phones, watch, three iPods, and watch. He shopped for 1300 dirhams using the stolen debit card at a nearby supermarket, and used forged owners signatures on the acquired receipts (another phony waiter in UAEà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). Numerous universities in UAE are using RFID tags on the degrees and certifications they issue to ensure the document authenticity. The ministry requires academic institutions to standardize data collection of students specifically their personal and academic details. In addition it recommends institutions to publish certificates that are difficult to forge. They are recommended to adopt the Amricons solution that uses diplomas having fitted adhesives with RFID labels that contain specific security codes that are helpful in hindering any forgery attempts to encode the RFID tags using unauthorized means (Wessel). Preventing Check Fraud It is important to go through the checks regularly and check the starting and ending numbers which are important for re-ordering. Keep checking if all the checks are present The financial institution must be notified even if any one check is missing. Bank statement should be reconciled every month. Signs of check forgery must be observed. Checkbook must be kept in a set place and it should not be accessible to guests. Checkbook must not be left in the car. If the car gets stolen, the checkbook will also be lost. Environment should be assessed while traveling. Purse or backpack should be carefully set. Checkbooks should not be kept in pockets. (marthareggie) Conclusion Forgers are very clever and are always honing their skills to manage and master new technologies in their desire and motivation to create fake documents. The forged documents and art are so original to ones view and examination that they are often mistaken for what they are supposed to be. Forgers have personal gains that they earn at the expense of the society and history. Forgery acceptance and use of intentionally false documents deprives individuals understanding of history, and endanger ones sense of present. Forgers success greatly depends on the vigilators record keeping. Therefore keeping records safe is every individuals responsibility as it makes the foundation and basis of who we are. As the scientific techniques are getting more and more sophisticated so are the techniques of the forgers. The finding of the forgery reveals interesting facts; one day a great piece of art will be priceless, and the other day worthless. Therefore without the origin and proof, any arts valuat ion or estimation is purely a matter of subjective human judgment.

East Asian Civilization :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Civil Service Examination System of Imperial China served as a qualification system for scholars who wanted to become officials in the Chinese government. Many young men spent their entire lives studying the Four Books, the Five Classics, and memorizing Chinese characters in order to attempt to pass these examinations. The book, China’s Examination Hell, written by Ichisada Miyazaki and translated by Conrad Schirokauer, describes the lengthy, and often rigorous process of taking Civil Service Examinations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book begins by giving an account of how a young boy prepares for the examinations, learning his first Chinese characters at the age of three. Girls could not take the Civil Service Examinations, and from birth were treated in a way such that they would learn to be submissive. Boys began their formal education at age seven. From that point on, they spent every moment memorizing the Four Books, which included the Analects, Mencius, the Great Learning, and the Doctrine of the Mean, and the Five Classics, which included the Book of Changes, the Book of Documents, the Book of Poetry, the Book of Rites, and the Tso Chuan. Young men had the opportunity to take their first Civil Service Examination around the age of fourteen or fifteen, and particularly bright males would most likely continue taking different levels of examinations for the rest of their lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Also described in the book are the hardships endured by both the candidates for examination and the examiners themselves. The test-taking compounds were not very conductive to rational thinking, as each man was assigned a small, door-less cubicle in which he had to spend three days and two nights at a time. The examiners, by the end of an examination session, had thousands of papers needing to be graded. As a result, even the smallest mistake, such as a stain on the paper or a misprinted character would lead to failure of the examination. The book describes in detail how the Chinese believed in, and in some cases relied on, supernatural intervention in passing the examinations. There are many accounts throughout the book telling about candidates and examiners alike being visited by ghosts, and dreaming about the King of the Dead and the King of Heaven. It was believed that if a candidate was virtuous and performed good deeds, he would be rewarded by passing the Ci vil Service Examinations. Conversely, if a candidate did not have a good moral character, he would fail the examinations, regardless of the quality of his work. East Asian Civilization :: essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Civil Service Examination System of Imperial China served as a qualification system for scholars who wanted to become officials in the Chinese government. Many young men spent their entire lives studying the Four Books, the Five Classics, and memorizing Chinese characters in order to attempt to pass these examinations. The book, China’s Examination Hell, written by Ichisada Miyazaki and translated by Conrad Schirokauer, describes the lengthy, and often rigorous process of taking Civil Service Examinations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book begins by giving an account of how a young boy prepares for the examinations, learning his first Chinese characters at the age of three. Girls could not take the Civil Service Examinations, and from birth were treated in a way such that they would learn to be submissive. Boys began their formal education at age seven. From that point on, they spent every moment memorizing the Four Books, which included the Analects, Mencius, the Great Learning, and the Doctrine of the Mean, and the Five Classics, which included the Book of Changes, the Book of Documents, the Book of Poetry, the Book of Rites, and the Tso Chuan. Young men had the opportunity to take their first Civil Service Examination around the age of fourteen or fifteen, and particularly bright males would most likely continue taking different levels of examinations for the rest of their lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Also described in the book are the hardships endured by both the candidates for examination and the examiners themselves. The test-taking compounds were not very conductive to rational thinking, as each man was assigned a small, door-less cubicle in which he had to spend three days and two nights at a time. The examiners, by the end of an examination session, had thousands of papers needing to be graded. As a result, even the smallest mistake, such as a stain on the paper or a misprinted character would lead to failure of the examination. The book describes in detail how the Chinese believed in, and in some cases relied on, supernatural intervention in passing the examinations. There are many accounts throughout the book telling about candidates and examiners alike being visited by ghosts, and dreaming about the King of the Dead and the King of Heaven. It was believed that if a candidate was virtuous and performed good deeds, he would be rewarded by passing the Ci vil Service Examinations. Conversely, if a candidate did not have a good moral character, he would fail the examinations, regardless of the quality of his work.

Organization Behavior and Leadership Essay

The Expectancy Theory of Motivation One of the most widely accepted theories of motivation is Victor Vroom’s Expectancy Theory. â€Å"Expectancy theory argues that the strength of a tendency to act in a certain way depends on the strength of an expectation that the act will be followed by a given outcome and on the attractiveness of that outcome to the individual.† (Robbins & Judge, 2007, p.208) [i] In other words, employees will have the motivation to put forth a strong effort, if: They believe the effort will give them positive recognition. (This is called the â€Å"effort-performance† relationship.) That positive recognition must then lead to some kind of desirable reward, such as more money or an increase in status or power. (This is called the â€Å"performance-reward† relationship.) That reward must also be something that fulfills a personal goal for the employee. (This is called the â€Å"rewards-personal goals† relationship.) All three components need to be present for an individual to exert the kind of effort needed to be considered an intense motivation for action and performance of a duty or task. Let’s consider the following example: A company that produces a high quality audio products has recently introduced a new production process in an effort to help the employees meet a goal of high production standards. Supervisor A’s team of employees are not doing well with the production process. Some do not strive to master the process, those that have mastered it are not putting forth effort to reach the goals, and even top-producers don’t seem interested in achieving the goals. After speaking to some of Supervisor A’s team, Supervisor B has discovered that the following concerns are expressed by the team: Some do not feel they can be successful because they believe lack the dexterity needed to implement the process. Some feel that it is not worth the putting forth the extra effort to reach the goals because there is no difference in salary increase for those that meet the goals and those that do not. They believe that performance has to be very slow before it affects the rate of pay. They also say that when a bonus is given, after the withholdings are taken out, the bonus is so small that overtime actually is seen as better way to earn more money than trying to earn a bonus. This scenario lends itself to the perfect situation to implement the expectancy theory of motivation. The employees feel: That there is no recognition for achieving the goal. That there is no reward for achieving the goal. Since there is no recognition or reward, there is no opportunity for employees to evaluated their personal goals to see if reaching the performance goal will help to fulfill a personal goal. The company could implement the expectancy theory by enacting the following steps: Create a specific recognition for those that master process. For those that master the process bonuses can be implemented that exceed those monetary rewards that overtime would bring. Personally interview each employee to discover what their employment goals are and create a personalized plan to reach those goals, make mastering the process one of those steps needed to reach the personal goal. This plan would address all three components of the expectancy theory. However the plan should not be created as one-time policy implementation. Rather it should be tested and evaluated to discover what rewards and recognitions created the most effective levels of motivation. ——————————— [ i ]. Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2007). Organization behavior. (12 ed., p. 208). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Comparison of the Theories of Sigmund Freud and Emile Durkheim on Religion The WritePass Journal

Comparison of the Theories of Sigmund Freud and Emile Durkheim on Religion Abstract Comparison of the Theories of Sigmund Freud and Emile Durkheim on Religion AbstractIntroductionDifferent Routes to the Core of a DelusionConclusionReferencesRelated Abstract This paper examines the works of Sigmund Freud and Emile Durkheim on religion, looking at how both theorists essentially viewed religion as serving an integral role in human culture. In particular, this essay considers how both theorist consider religious believers to be mistaken in their ontological beliefs, and the rational causes for this. Introduction While both Sigmund Freud and Emile Durkheim are concerned with the study of human behaviour as it relates to culture, each does so from within distinct traditions. In terms of religion, Freud’s approach belongs to the psychological tradition, while Durkheim puts forward a sociological approach. In the Freudian view, human behaviour is largely driven by inborn and intangible â€Å"drives†, working in the unconscious. Such phenomena are not directly observable, that is, they are non-empirical; they must consequently be inferred, and as such are conjectural. Durkheim’s sociological method, on the other hand, utilises direct empirical observations of social phenomena (rites, rituals, customs, et cetera), looking to account for the impetus behind and purpose of group behaviour. Hence Freud is concerned with obscure, intangible internal phenomena, whereas Durkheim is concerned with overt and tangible external phenomena. Evidently, the theoretical positions in question to a degree divide between internal and external motivations. Different Routes to the Core of a Delusion Durkheim posits a direct connection between environmental variables, the way groups interact with such variables, and how this interaction is perceived by individual members of said group. There is a mode of cyclical reflexivity in this dynamic: this means people â€Å"living together in society generate rules which are felt by any individual member as acting on him from outside, as having a force which he feels as both uplifting and constraining† (Scharf 1970, 151). This force, Durkheim argues, is an externalisation of conventions peculiar to the group; that are perceived as exogenous but which are in fact endogenous. This tendency to externalise, Durkheim suggests, derives from the natural human desire to ascribe meaning to experience, to seek a pattern in the natural order. Thus, as Kunin states, religion likewise â€Å"is an externalisation of society and its order† and speaks to the â€Å"dialectic relationship between the individual and society† (2003, 82). Religion, then, provides for an externalised object onto which collective emotion can be projected; this is ultimately reflexive because the externalisation at root represents the people themselves. As a result, to honour religious custom is indirectly to honour the group. This is why for Durkheim religious experience serves to strengthen group cohesion and bonding. Freud’s understanding of religion is somewhat pejorative. Connolly observes that Freud noticed â€Å"the connection between abnormal psychological conditions and religion† (1991, 146): which observation he expanded upon in his study â€Å"Obsessive acts and Religious Practices† (1907). As the paper’s title suggests, Freud drew a connection between psychological abnormality and religious practice, noting a resemblance between â€Å"what are called obsessive acts in neurotics and those religious observances by means of which the faithful give expression to their piety† (17). In turn, Freud perceived religion, like neurosis, as symptomatic of deep-seated psychological issues. In the words of Gallucci, â€Å"Freud saw religion as a collective neurotic symptom, an obsessional neurosis† (2001, 76). This â€Å"neurosis†, according to psychoanalytic theory, comes about as a defence mechanism against feelings of helplessness which obtain in a d ispassionate cosmos. Hence the need for a cosmic father figure, who, as a parent comforts the child, palliates the religious subject with conciliatory notions (about purpose, meaning, boundaries, rewards, and so on). This entire dynamic apparently stems from Oedipal anxieties, where â€Å"each person grows up with a sense of foreboding toward a father figure who is both feared and loved†; this, it follows, â€Å"becomes the basis for the cosmic father figure, who offers protection and salvation but in the meantime needs to be appeased by devotion and sacrifice† (Clarke 2002, 43). In Freud’s mind, religion therefore constitutes a surrogate parent. On the surface, Freud and Durkheim proffer two seemingly quite different explanations for religion. Importantly, while these theories are not overtly complementary, nor are they mutually exclusive. Indeed, significant parallels may be drawn between each approach. For example, both both theorists argued that religion is an important factor in community cohesion (Scharf 1970, 155); both agree that â€Å"religion is central to any cultural analysis† (Ginsburg and Pardes 2006, 220); and, thus, both hold that â€Å"that the cognitive roots of religious belief are to be found in social experience† (Spiro 1987, 202). These similarities are significant and, moreover, point to one common determinant: that the underlying basis of religious convictions are contrary to what believers suppose. For Durkheim, the real driving force behind religion is social cohesion; for Freud, the impetus is psychological assuagement. In either case, social unity and mental wellbeing obtain, only for slightly different conceptual reasons. From the above, one might argue that Freud and Durkheim share significant overarching perspectives on religion while holding markedly different structural viewpoints on how and why religion functions. Freud is concerned with psychological structures; Durkheim with sociological structures. Freud believes religion works to console believers from the ultimate anxiety of a meaningless cosmos. Durkheim believes religion provides for a canvas on which social phenomena can be externalised and then re-accommodated as an exogenous entity. Again, both modes of behaviour essentially work to the same purpose: instilling a sense of meaning in human life. At this stage, one might consider the ways in which Freudian theory could compensate for shortfalls in the work of Durkheim and vice versa. For instance, Durkheim offers little in the way of early psychological developmental insights, into the religious process; yet there is no reason that early anxiety (of an Oedipal nature) could not cohere with Durkheimian ideas. Indeed, such anxiety and the consequent potential for neurosis could suggest an even greater need for group cohesion: as a way of reifying the delusion through consensus, thus alleviating the anxiety. Again, this would chime with Durkheim’s understanding that religion is â€Å"a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things [. . .] which unite in one single moral community called a Church† (cited in Gain 2010, 39). By the same token, Freud’s limitations could perhaps be overcome with reference to some of Durkheim’s insights. Scharf notes a â€Å"weakness of Freudian theory† in that it â€Å"does little to explain [the] variety† in articulations of paternity and fraternity within religious discourse , advising that, here, â€Å"Durkheim’s structural approach has more value† (1970, 154). Accordingly we see that a synthesis of theoretical approaches may not only be possible but highly advantageous. Conclusion Freud and Durkheim take very different roads to arrive at more or less the same destination. For this reason, significant and consistent core elements may be identified between their works. These include the fundamental belief that religion serves an explicable, material, social purpose which is essentially external to theological concerns; that religious believers are at base mistaken in their beliefs (insomuch as these beliefs are connected to cosmic phenomena beyond the rationally explicable); that, it follows, religion is the irrational articulation of an ultimately rational cause (anxiety or clan behaviour); that religion can function as a surrogate or projection of humanity – reformed with divine auspices; and that, finally, religion is an integral element of human culture. What is fundamentally different in these two authors is their methodological priorities. Each man comes from a very distinct tradition. Put simply, Freud and Durkheim were engaged in different discipl ines; as a result, their pursuits were orientated differently The reason Freud and Durkheim’s works are compared at all is that the realms of the sociological and of the psychological possess mutual territory: the grounds of culture. Both theorists have their limitations. Durkheim can be accused of being over reductive and simplistic. Social structure may not be enough to account for every aspect of religion. Psychological, cognitive and other inborn factors may also have a large part to play. Freud, on the other hand, may place too much onus on the unconscious drives in dictating religious experience. After all, religion is so varied and complex, it might be argued, to defy any wholesale theory to explain it away. What, for example, do we make of religions in which there is no â€Å"father figure† proper; or religions which proclaim no deity at all? Clearly there are unanswered questions on both sides of the aisle. Perhaps a hybrid methodology that adopted a syncretic approach to the study of religion might help answer these ques tions. After all, it seems to be the case that both Freud and Durkheim arrived at crucial insights into the social and psychological determinants that drive religion. References Clarke, P. J. (2002) Explaining Philosophy and Ethics. Cheltenham: Nelson Thomas. Connolly, P. (1991) â€Å"Psychological Approaches†. In: Connolly, P. ed. Approaches to the Study of Religion. New York: Continuum, pp. 135-193. Durkheim, E. (1912). The Elementary Forms of Religious Life. (J. Swain, Trans.) New York: The Free Press. Freud, S. (1907) â€Å"Obsessive Acts and Religious Practices†. In: J Strachey (ed. and trans.) Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud. London: Hogarth Press. Gain, M., 2010. On Durkheim’s Rules of Sociological Method (Routledge Revivals). New York: Routledge. Gallucci, G. M., 2001. Plato and Freud: Statesmen of the Soul. Philadelphia: Xlibris. Ginsburg, R. Pardes, L., 2006. New Perspectives on Freuds Moses and Monotheism. Tà ¼bingen: Niemeyer. Kunin, S. D., 2003. Religion: The Modern Theories. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Scharf, B. R., 1970. â€Å"Durkheimian and Freudian Theories of Religion: The Case of Judaism†, The British Journal of Sociology, Vol. 21. 2 (June), pp. 151-163. Spiro, M. E., 1987. Culture and Human Nature. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.

Voter Turnout, How Can We Turn it Around Professor Ramos Blog

Voter Turnout, How Can We Turn it Around Voting is a right of passage in America, however many people don’t turn out to vote. In any given election turnout rates can vary from 50-60% (McDonald) which gives the US one of the lowest voter turnout rates. This is a big issue for the country because it shows that many of those that are able to vote are not for some reason or another, which means that so many peoples voices are not being heard. Everyone who is able to vote should participate so that many diverse views can be accounted for in the decisions that affect our entire population. To encourage more people to vote, voting should be made more convenient, through automatic registration, online voting, and by allowing people to choose where they vote. Ever since the country was created there have been limits on who was qualified to vote. For a long time, rich, landowning men were the extent of voters, and not until the 15th amendment giving African Americans the right to vote, and the 19th amendment which gave women the right to vote did voting open up to the majority of the population. However, there are still states and laws that are preventing eligible voter the right to vote. According to Rapoport and Hines â€Å"23 states have enacted one or more restrictive laws since 2011† (22), these states are using anything from Gerrymandering, voter identification laws, and restricted registration and access to limit certain voters who disagree with the majority party of a state. Fortunately, the supreme court is fighting back against these states and forcing some states to relax their voting criteria. And in turn this will allow for a larger voter turn out as those who the states have oppressed will be aloud to vote once again. Convienience is an important aspect that can increase voter turnout. Accourding to Stein and Vonnahme â€Å"Convenience is more influential to the infrequent voter’s decision to vote† (489), this means that by focusing on helping people who don’t typically choose to vote and making it easier for them, voter turnout can increase by the maximum amount. Those who vote irregularly or infrequently are most influenced by proximity and ease of voting and tend to vote on polling day, while on the other hand people who vote regularly typically take advantage of voting by mail, and plan ahead who and what they wish to cast their ballots for. However, making voting more convenient will benefit both groups and make all voices easier to be heard. Automatic registration allows voters to vote without having to preregister. In many states there are currently laws that limit the amount of time in which citizens have to register to vote before the election day. These laws target younger voters who turn 18 near voting time, as well as voters who register later on. By allowing automatic registration no one can be denied voting rights because they were late to register. Currently more and more states have decided to implement automatic registration, â€Å"In just a few short years, 13 states and D.C. have adopted AVR. In Oregon, more than 200,000 voters were added in 2016.† (Rapoport and Hines 23). Even though registration may be automatic in some states, additional steps should still be taken to promote voting. While it is very important to make voting more convenient to maximize the amount of people who vote, some states are doing the opposite and making voting less convenient for certain groups. States such as North Carolina are targeting African Americans in order to suppress their votes and keep the Republican party a majority in the states. An example of the techniques used to make voting more difficult for some voters includes, â€Å"targeting African American voters, including by eliminating Sunday early voting, when African American churches traditionally sponsor souls to the polls.† (Rapoport and Hines 22). These limits are strategically being used to suppress diversity, and in turn are bringing down the voter turn out rate. There are many ways in which voting can be made easier and more convenient, however the one solution that has not already been implemented is online voting. If the option to vote online became available citizens could use their social security number, or driver’s license to both register online, which is already available, and vote at the same time. Across America 77% of people say that they go online every day. With the internet reaching a majority of the us population, as well as being a place that 26% of people are on almost constantly (Perrin and Jingjing), online voting would be extremely efficient in reaching a majority of the population while also being and convenient. For those who have cell phones or computers they could easily look up all of the issues that the ballot covers while voting to ensure that they are well informed on the issues. Online voting would also allow the homeless to vote on important issues, because even though the homeless can currently register to vote in all 50 states, they often have difficulty putting a home address or proving residency for a state (Voting and Homelessness). Through online voting a home address shouldn’t be necessary, and could be easily tracked with a social security number, so anyone could vote on their phone, computer or at a local library in comfort. Some may argue that online voting may become an issue with security risks and hackers, however voting at polling places and by mail still have their own issues as well. According to various news sources reporting on the 2018 midterm elections many states had a range of issues due to their computerized voting machines that were out of date and constantly malfunctioning. In Michigan for example, â€Å"Rex Nagy, a voter in Redford Township, said that his polling place at Pierce Middle School was relying on just one voting machine †¦ Nagy saw about half the line leave to go to work, he said† (Friedersdorf). And in South Carolina it was reported that, â€Å"machines werechanging votes† (Friedersdorf), this issue was entirely due to these outdated machines not being able to keep up in modern times. While many such occurrences are marked as accidents, online voting could help to prevent these long lines and voting errors by giving people easy and reliable access to voting on their own electronic devices. While choosing not to vote does not have a large impact on the overall country, it is a right that should not be taken for granted. Being able to vote is a right that many generations had to fight for, and being able to live in a democracy with voting rights shows how much society has changed. Current voter turnout however indicates that many citizens in this country are not appreciating all of the hard work and dedication that their ancestors put in to vote. Many minorities should welcome the opportunities denied to them for so long. The Civil Rights Movement, and the Suffrage Movement changed this country and the many lives that fought for and were lost for these causes should not be forgotten by the many people who do not turn out to vote for who and what they believe in, which will help change and inform the future of the United States. Works Cited Friedersdorf, Conor. â€Å"An Embarrassment of Glitches.†Ã‚  The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 7 Nov. 2018, theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/11/voting-machines/575044/. This article provided a list of incidents with polling machines that occurred during the 2018 mid term elections. This article is being used to oppose an argument against online voting. While the article is written by a media company it is well researched and is credible because the author has collected data from reliable sources. McDonald, Michael. â€Å"Voter Turnout Data.†United States Elections Project, electproject.org/2016g. This website contains official turnouts from various elections. I choose this website because it shows the differences between primary and midterm elections to show the range of turnout that can occur during election. This source is credible because the information comes from the government’s official voting tally. Perrin, Andrew, and Jingjing Jiang. â€Å"A Quarter of Americans Are Online Almost Constantly.†Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 14 Mar. 2018, pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/03/14/about-a-quarter-of-americans-report-going-online-almost-constantly/. This article compiles research that has been done on the frequency of Americans in using technology. It is being used to show how online voting could be beneficial to a country that relies heavily on the internet. This is a credible article because the authors have done research on the topic from a credible center. Rapoport, Miles, and Cecily Hines. â€Å"The Good News from the Voting Wars: How Hard-Won Expansion of Voting Possibilities Could Raise Turnout, Boost the Waveand Help Our Democracy.† American Prospect, vol. 29, no. 4, Fall 2018, pp. 22–26. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=pohAN=132438062site=ehost-live. This article describes the many issues that face the modern-day voter. Its being used to demonstraight the many issues that need to be addressed to improve voter turnout. This is a scholarly article. Stein, Robert M., and Greg Vonnahme. â€Å"Engaging the Unengaged Voter: Vote Centers and Voter Turnout.† Journal of Politics, vol. 70, no. 2, Apr. 2008, pp. 487–497. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1017/S0022381608080456. This article discusses how to best reach those who do not regularly vote. The ideas from this article are used to show the best ways to engage the unengaged voter. This is a scholarly article. â€Å"Voting and Homelessness.†Nonprofit Vote, Nonprofit Vote, nonprofitvote.org/voting-in-your-state/special-circumstances/voting-and-homelessness/. This website presents the issues that the homeless face when they want to vote. It is used to show challenges that certain groups face that could be solved with the use of online voting. This article is a nonprofit that aims to help people vote, which makes it a credible source on voting issues.

ACT Score Range Whats Good

ACT Score Range What's Good SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’re planning on taking the ACT, you’re probably wondering what you can expect in terms of scores. In this article, I’ll take you through the basics of how the test is scored, show you where your scores fall in relation to other students, and give you a few tips on how to plan your studying to meet your goals. ACT Score Range: The Basics On the ACT, your composite score can be anywhere from a 1 to a 36.Unlike the SAT, the composite score is not the sum of the scores of the other tests - it’s the average. The ACT has four sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science.Each one is also scored on a scale of 1 to 36, and the average of these four scores will make up your composite score. The ACT doesn’t have an incorrect answer penalty, so your raw score on each section is just the number of questions you get right. Any questions you answer incorrectly or omit will not count towards your score.English has 75 questions, Math has 60, Reading has 40, and Science also has 40. Check out this sample conversion chart to see how raw scores are converted to the final scores on a scale of 1-36: (note that different tests have different raw score to scaled score conversion charts, but this is generally the right idea). The ACT also has an optional essay, but the Writing section will not impact your composite score or any of your test subscores. You will get a score from 2 to 12 on your essay in four different assessment categories. Your total Writing score will be out of 36 just like the other sections.The ACT gives you an English Language Arts (ELA) score as well, which is the average of your English, Reading, and Writing subscores, but again, this doesn’t factor into your final composite score. Average ACT Scores The national average composite ACT score for the class of 2014 was a 20.Average scores for subsections were: English: 19-20Math: 19-20Reading: 20-21Science: 20-21 If you’re scoring in this range, you’re already scoring higher than 50% of students who take the ACT and will have a good shot at getting into many colleges.Keep in mind, however, that national averages might not be the most relevant to your individual situation. You should look up the average scores for schools you’re interested in to figure out what target scoreto shoot for.If you’re hoping to attend a very selective school, you might need to set your sights on a score in the 34-36 range.At MIT, for example, the 75th percentile composite ACT score for admitted students in 2014 was a 35.When you look at the averages for your school of choice, you should try and aim for the 75th percentile score (higher than 75% of admitted students)because it will give you the best chance of admission. Also keep in mind that someschools want you to submit the ACT Writing score, and some don’t care about it.This is an important factor to take into account both when studying and when deciding whether to sign up for the ACT with or without Writing. MIT: A lush sanctuary where geeks can run free Studying for Your Score Goals You might know where you fall in terms of your ACT score range if you’ve already taken the test.If not, try out a practice test (with appropriate time constraints!), and see how you do.If you find that you still need to improve your scores quite a bit, don’t worry! If you come up with a solid study plan, you should be able to get them up where you want them to be by the time the test rolls around. I’ll give some brief guidelines below about how long you should study for different point improvements.For more info check out our complete study plan for the ACT and a guide I wrote on how long you should study. I’m Looking to Improve by 1-2 Points This is a very doable goal, even if you start studying only a couple months in advance of the test.Improving 1-2 points should take around 20 total hours of studying.This means that if you study for about two hours every week for two months, you should be able to meet your score goals.If you want, you can even space out your studying for a few more months so you only have to devote an hour a week to ACT prep. I’m Looking to Improve by 4 Points This is a pretty significant improvement, so you’re going to have to put in a bit more time.A four point improvement usually means around 40-50 hours of studying.You could choose to start studying two months in advance and plan out five hours a week if you prefer longer, more intense study sessions.If you’d rather spread it out more, try studying for two hours a week for five or six months instead. I’m Looking to Improve by 6 or More Points This level of improvement is going to require a lot of hard work.For a score increase of six or more points, you’ll most likely need 150+ hours of study time.This means starting early and committing to study sessions every week.If you start studying six months before the test, schedule out five hours a week to devote to ACT prep. You should also remember that your studying needs to be high quality in order for you to see results!This means figuring out what types of questions cause you problems and then practicing similar questions over and over.You'll have to take the time to really understand your mistakes before you start to see positive changes in your scores. Summary Here are some of the main points you should remember about ACT scoring: The ACT gives you a composite score on a scale of 1 to 36 There are four subtests in English, Math, Reading, and Science, and each is also scored from 1 to 36 These four tests are averaged to make up your composite score The average ACT composite score is around a 20 nationally To figure out the score range you should be aiming for, look up the 75th percentile scores of admitted students for schools where you plan to apply. This will give you a better sense of how much time you should devote to studying.Even if the gap between your current scores and your goal is pretty large, with enough planning and focused studying, you should be able to beat the test! What's Next? ACT Score Choice and Superscoring are two policies that might impact which of your scores colleges see. Read more about what they are and what they mean for you here and here. Still not sure whether you should take the ACT or the SAT? Learn more about which one is best for you. For more information on ACT scores, read this article on how to get and interpret your results. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

Managerial Situation Which Raised Ethical Issues Essay

Managerial Situation Which Raised Ethical Issues - Essay Example I headed the recruitment drive in the bank. I had also shortlisted many promising candidates and was looking forward to training and mentor the new employee. Everything was going on fine until my superior told me about his relative. I believe in out of the box thinking, and for a while thought that it would be good enough to try out someone who had appeared unexpectedly on the scene. However, one meeting with this ‘relative’ changed my mind. He was a mediocre candidate who did not even hold the promise of developing himself. I told my boss right away that he was definitely not the right candidate. Moreover, there were at least five other shortlisted candidates to choose from. My superior is an otherwise efficient employee and I share a good professional equation with him. He has been a mentor to me in the bank for quite many years. He did not appear to have any compulsions on his side to employ the said candidate which made it difficult to understand his decision. My boss had even dangled a carrot of promotion at me for doing him this favor. The entire episode left a bitter aftertaste in me. I had held my boss in high esteem and now he was shattering his very image that I had in me all the while. It had never occurred to me that he expected a favor in return for guiding me. I however expected to remain in his good books by showing good performance and upping my performance. I was confused as to how he could take such a decision as he was compromising the work atmosphere and the image of the bank by recruiting an inept employee. The first thing that came to my mind was to inform his superior about the entire incident. Nevertheless, I did not know how to approach that person (i.e. my boss’s superior) as it had far-reaching consequences as far as the bank was concerned. To me, this was bypassing authority. This issue affected my work to the extent that I could not concentrate on my daily schedules and was making mistakes which would normally be not the case.

Movie analysis of Bonnie and Clyde (1967) Essay

Movie analysis of Bonnie and Clyde (1967) - Essay Example In the movie, several filming techniques became exemplified for the success of its production. This report seeks to give an analysis and a review of the film â€Å"Bonnie and Clyde† (1967). It will also give an insight of the filming techniques adopted in the movie. Review Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker’s story inspired a debate. This represented a wide spectrum to most people because their characters trended from stealing, to robbery, to killing and committing crime! The film intended to give a romantic and a comic feeling of the violent gangster films. This couple became historical counterpart to their own struggles, To begin with, Bonnie was a waitress, she was so bored with her job. Clyde stole Bonnie’s mother’s car to try and search for quick money. They lived in Texas and decided to run away with the stolen car outside the town. The duo's crime spree gear up once they hooked up with a gas station attendant, C.W. Moss, then with Clyde's brother and hi s wife, a preacher's daughter and decided to go into robbing. The car was parked parallel to the getaway, within a twinkle of an eye Clyde shot the bank manager directly on the face, robbed the bank and sped off unknowingly. The gang found themselves in a hot pursuit by the law enforcement, which included the Texas Ranger. They finally locate Bonnie, Clyde and C.W. of whom they thought they had escaped, not long before, they were found hiding at the house of Ivan Moss. According to Richard Barsam, an author of â€Å"Looking at Movies† he mentions that the film was formally set in the past rather than the present. For most of us, most of the time, movies are a break from daily obligations; it is a form of escape, entertainment, and pleasure. The use of Motion pictures depicts a lot, coherently it shapes the way we view the world. Apparently, there is much more to movies than to meet the casual eye or ear, for that matter, they seem odd and aberrant to the general society (Bars am 146). Analysis Bonnie and Clyde are not only a well-crafted film by a first-time director it also touches on a number of fundamental cinematic elements. The film shows significant social and environmental issues vital to all Americans at the beginning of a new era. Hope, fear, hatred, dread, humor, guilt, and loathing became eminent in this film by using the best filming techniques bearing in mind significant elements concerning cinema. Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker are lead actors in the film. They play a crucial role by blending in with all the elements. This enables the viewer get the actual essence and better understanding of the film. Camera Movement This film brings about much-needed reform in a nation, but true reform will always require more than Hollywood can offer. Nevertheless, to minimize the power of the mass media to generate sympathy, concerns, and demands for reform are to ignore reality. For that reason alone, it is pertinent to note how the producer of this fil m used camera movement to depict a sense of realism in the film. The film has numerous action scenes and camera movement such as panning which is essential in bringing better acknowledgement of the film. A pan is the horizontal camera movement. When a camera pans, it turns left and right. Panning is normally for a very wide panorama that does not fit with the camera frame. In the first robbery scene of the film, a pan reveals the point of view of lead actors Warren Beatty (Clyde) and Faye Dunaway (Bonnie)

Comparison of Walmart and Target Policies and Practices Term Paper

Comparison of Walmart and Target Policies and Practices - Term Paper Example Walmart has one of the most elaborate ethical policies within the industry. Part of the reason for this is that Walmart has a tendency of issuing new ethical policies after facing a legal crisis or a new challenge. For instance, in the year 2005, the company issued a lengthy policy statement after ousting seven managers that had been working for the company. The company's policy statement outlined some of the obligations that employees are required to adhere to when dealing with clients. Walmart is very strict about the personal conduct of its staff members within the employee-customer relationship. Employees are required to exercise honesty, respect, and good judgment. ... This area is especially sensitive because other firms in the retail sector have spent millions of dollars in lawsuits due to non-adherence to accounting ethics and practices. The company asserts that accountants who fail to hold utmost accounting practices will be ousted out of their positions with immediate effect. Walmart also covers ethics in staff employment practices as the company also extends its social responsibility to employees within the company. For instance, all workplace benefits relating to married couples have also been extended to gay unions. Additionally, the company believes in the fact that no employee should be discriminated upon. The same policy also applies to clients. All clients in Walmart ought to be treated in a manner that is sensitive and respectful; the company will not tolerate any cases of racism, gender bias or any other sort of discrimination. On top of this, the company believes in meeting its obligations towards its employees by giving them their due payments and benefits. Walmart firmly believes that all of its stakeholders should exercise corporate responsibility and share many similar values.     

There is an ongoing debate about the cost-benefit relationship of Essay

There is an ongoing debate about the cost-benefit relationship of internal controls and their ethical implications - Essay Example investigators cited that the bank lacked strict safeguards against clients laundering money, following a suspicion that illicit drug money was streaming through their internal account. The Regulations by the Federal Reserve require banks to install tight internal controls in order to detect any criminal involvements in their operations (Silver-Greenberg, 2013). This is because weak controls facilitate drug dealers and terrorists to launder money through the financial institutions. The ethical implication of Citigroup’s case is that it failed to observe the Federal’s rules of having complex control mechanisms. In this regard, money laundering might have occurred to sustain the drug traders. Banks need to ensure that they scrutinize their clients to determine the sources and the recipients of the huge sums of money. It is also evident that the management tried to manipulate its financial statements to hide transactions involving the drug dealers. The bank failed to show the money streamed through its Mexican branches into the US, which was an indication of weak controls. The Federal Reserve claims that the bank does not oversee its operations, which leads to funneling of money in support of sanctioned individuals and countries (Silver-Greenberg, 2013). The accounting ethical standards involve the reporting of accurate financial information without manipulations. This implies that organizations should not tamper with their accounting books to make them appear more profitable to the shareholders and investors. For instance, Citigroup had tampered with its records after the money laundering fraud in the backdrop of increasing dividends. Financial institutions need to observe the Bank Secrecy Act by removing tainted cash through recording of doubtful-activity reports (Silver-Greenberg, 2013). This implies that the Citigroup management failed to comply with the rules set by the Federal Reserve, which led to probing into its activities. In order to strengthen

Bolg analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bolg analysis - Essay Example Some of these eating behaviours have resulted in numerous health problems that extensively challenge individuals’ well-being. Food, cooking and eating have, therefore, become topics of interest that have caught the attention of many health providers. This paper critically analyses Born Fitness blog and comprehensively explores some of the cultural issues it addresses about cooking and eating. The blog theme circumnavigates around body fitness and how it can be achieved. According to Volpe (2007: 32), a healthy body is one that is fed on the right meals and exposed to regular exercise. One can physically stay fit and health-wise if they are conscious about what they eat. Regular exercising cannot be ignored if one is to achieve a healthy body. With this understanding, the blog seeks to painstakingly address the issue of body fitness by providing information on what one needs to do and what should be avoided to achieve healthy bodies. In the blog, there are different segments containing varied articles addressing diverse topics. The blog targets those who could be mindful of their health especially those who seek to find information regarding the do’s and don’ts in keeping body fitness. This could be men, women or even children. The prime message that the blog writer is broadcasting concerns nutrition and how health and fitness can be attained. This can be at tributed to the fact that the blog’s name bears the word ‘fitness’ to suggest it tackles the issue of body health. Also, it has several articles that give advice on what people should eat and what they should avoid. It primary purpose is to direct the society to finding better ways of achieving bodily health. As highlighted, the key topic in the blog is proper nutrition for good health. Nutrition is a grave topic the blog explores because of the evidently changing eating and cooking behaviours that many nutrition researchers have

Nursing intervention Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nursing intervention - Personal Statement Example In this regard, the complaints of the patient must be meticulously explored through obtaining a complete ophthalmic history, careful assessment of the patient's eyes and performing a relevant diagnostic procedure like the slit-lamp examination. As regarded above, obtaining a complete ophthalmic history, careful assessment of the patient's eyes and performing a relevant diagnostic procedure like the slit-lamp examination are essential aspects in making a sound judgment on the patient's case. According to Vader & Krouse (2001), an ophthalmic history encompasses the obtainment and utilization of the client's demographic data, current clinical manifestations, past health history or past medical history (PMH), psychosocial history and lifestyle, and family health history. These facts are deemed vital and important because they can certainly assist the health providers to have an accurate evaluation and understanding about the patient's condition. Demographic data, particularly the age and s... On the other hand, clinical manifestations, or signs and symptoms, such as loss of vision and glare must be suggestive of a particular visual disturbance like glaucoma or refractive errors. So, it is also important to take note of these manifestations as well as the complaints of the patients for further assessment and evaluation. Further, the patient's past medical history (PMH) can also provide valuable facts in relation to the ocular manifestations. For instance, the presence of ocular disorders is commonly seen in persons who have existing diabetes mellitus and thyroid diseases. In addition, histories of allergies to medications and substances that can precipitate ocular reactions or eye irritations are also investigated to determine how these factors affect the client's ocular/ophthalmic health. Moreover, psychosocial history and lifestyle, including the patient's occupation and daily activities, can also aid in the assessment as they provide information about the predisposing f actors related to the patient's condition such as exposure to substances that can irritate the eyes and other practices that affect ocular health. In this way, as a student nurse, it is important to ask the client about his/her recreational activities and occupational history, and whether the client wears glasses to protect his/her eyes or not, in order to establish relevant facts (Potter & Perry, 2001). In the same manner, family history provides data on the likelihood of having eye disorders that are hereditary, or genetic, which can run through generations. These familial disorders include strabismus and refractive errors such as myopia, or

There is an ongoing debate about the cost-benefit relationship of Essay

There is an ongoing debate about the cost-benefit relationship of internal controls and their ethical implications - Essay Example investigators cited that the bank lacked strict safeguards against clients laundering money, following a suspicion that illicit drug money was streaming through their internal account. The Regulations by the Federal Reserve require banks to install tight internal controls in order to detect any criminal involvements in their operations (Silver-Greenberg, 2013). This is because weak controls facilitate drug dealers and terrorists to launder money through the financial institutions. The ethical implication of Citigroup’s case is that it failed to observe the Federal’s rules of having complex control mechanisms. In this regard, money laundering might have occurred to sustain the drug traders. Banks need to ensure that they scrutinize their clients to determine the sources and the recipients of the huge sums of money. It is also evident that the management tried to manipulate its financial statements to hide transactions involving the drug dealers. The bank failed to show the money streamed through its Mexican branches into the US, which was an indication of weak controls. The Federal Reserve claims that the bank does not oversee its operations, which leads to funneling of money in support of sanctioned individuals and countries (Silver-Greenberg, 2013). The accounting ethical standards involve the reporting of accurate financial information without manipulations. This implies that organizations should not tamper with their accounting books to make them appear more profitable to the shareholders and investors. For instance, Citigroup had tampered with its records after the money laundering fraud in the backdrop of increasing dividends. Financial institutions need to observe the Bank Secrecy Act by removing tainted cash through recording of doubtful-activity reports (Silver-Greenberg, 2013). This implies that the Citigroup management failed to comply with the rules set by the Federal Reserve, which led to probing into its activities. In order to strengthen

Nursing intervention Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nursing intervention - Personal Statement Example In this regard, the complaints of the patient must be meticulously explored through obtaining a complete ophthalmic history, careful assessment of the patient's eyes and performing a relevant diagnostic procedure like the slit-lamp examination. As regarded above, obtaining a complete ophthalmic history, careful assessment of the patient's eyes and performing a relevant diagnostic procedure like the slit-lamp examination are essential aspects in making a sound judgment on the patient's case. According to Vader & Krouse (2001), an ophthalmic history encompasses the obtainment and utilization of the client's demographic data, current clinical manifestations, past health history or past medical history (PMH), psychosocial history and lifestyle, and family health history. These facts are deemed vital and important because they can certainly assist the health providers to have an accurate evaluation and understanding about the patient's condition. Demographic data, particularly the age and s... On the other hand, clinical manifestations, or signs and symptoms, such as loss of vision and glare must be suggestive of a particular visual disturbance like glaucoma or refractive errors. So, it is also important to take note of these manifestations as well as the complaints of the patients for further assessment and evaluation. Further, the patient's past medical history (PMH) can also provide valuable facts in relation to the ocular manifestations. For instance, the presence of ocular disorders is commonly seen in persons who have existing diabetes mellitus and thyroid diseases. In addition, histories of allergies to medications and substances that can precipitate ocular reactions or eye irritations are also investigated to determine how these factors affect the client's ocular/ophthalmic health. Moreover, psychosocial history and lifestyle, including the patient's occupation and daily activities, can also aid in the assessment as they provide information about the predisposing f actors related to the patient's condition such as exposure to substances that can irritate the eyes and other practices that affect ocular health. In this way, as a student nurse, it is important to ask the client about his/her recreational activities and occupational history, and whether the client wears glasses to protect his/her eyes or not, in order to establish relevant facts (Potter & Perry, 2001). In the same manner, family history provides data on the likelihood of having eye disorders that are hereditary, or genetic, which can run through generations. These familial disorders include strabismus and refractive errors such as myopia, or

Legal essay(family law) Essay Example for Free

Legal essay(family law) Essay Evaluate the effectiveness of the law in achieving justice for parties involved in relationship breakdown. Legislation and cases strive to achieve justice for all parties involved in a relationship breakdown. However, justice can be difficult to achieve as the law does not always uphold the rights of individuals. The law does reflect social and community values and strives to be accessible. Divorce is an example of the law being easily enforced, while with disputes involving children effectiveness isn’t always achieved. Amendments to legislation now make the law more effective when dealing with relationship breakdown’s between same sex couples and de facto relationships. Divorce is becoming more common in society, this means that legislation has been made more effective in achieving individuals rights. The Family Law Act 1975 (cth) established ‘no fault’ divorce, as long as the couple is separate for 12months, that overturned the Matrimonial Causes Act 1959 (Cth). Divorce is an effective method in achieving justice for parties involved in a relationship breakdown. An example of this is in the case Pavey v Pavey 1976, this case established ‘separate under one roof,’ this allowed couples to get a divorce even if they were living together due to financial strain. Pavey v Pavey is an example of how the law achieves justice for individuals and the accessibility of the law. Most issues related to relationship breakdown involves children, legislation has been improved in recent years to overcome this, but there are still many cases where justice isn’t achieved for all parties. The Child Support (assessment) Act 1984 (cth) aims to deduct money to support the child if the parent isn’t living with them. The Federal Government in 1990 ratified the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child. This ruled that all cases were to be solved in the ‘best interests of the child.’ The Family Law Reform Act 1995 (Cth) recognises ‘best interests of the child’ and also changes ‘custody’ to ‘residency’ and ‘contact.’ This legislation has effectively achieved justice for families however, the ‘best interests of the child’ and the presumption of shared parenting outlined in the Family Law Amendment Act (Shared Responsibilities) Act 2006 (NSW) was overturned by the High Court. The High Court overturned ‘best interests of the child’ in the case MRR V GR 2010, as shared parenting wasn’t reasonably practible and the rights of the individual was not being upheld. MRR v GR is an example of how legislation is not effective, but due to the responsiveness of the legal system, justice was achieved. The Family Law Amendment (Shared Responsibilities) Act 2006 (NSW) also created Family Relationship Centres that allowed families to resolve disputes and there is compulsory 3 hours mediation in the breakdown of a marriage involving children. The law has been effective in achieving justice for parties involved in a relationship breakdown as it upholds community values, is accessible and responsive and aims to protect the rights of individuals. The law is also responsive in protecting the rights of individuals through the media and lobby groups. Lobby Groups such as Dads in Distress, aimed to establish shared parenting as they were unable to see their children. This lead to reforms in the Family Law Act with a presumption of shared parenting. However the media has given reports of children being at risk because of shared parenting. This is shown in the SMH report ‘For the Sake of the Children.’ The law has to reflect community’s conflicting vales and therefore is not always effective in protecting the rights of the individual. Unmarried couples also have to be protected in the event of a relationship breakdown and justice must be achieved. The Property (Relationships) Act 1984 (NSW) defines de facto relationships and included same sex relationships in the definition. This act protects individuals in the situation of a relationship breakdown by identifying which parties get what. The SMH released an article, ‘Here’s an Idea’ that recognises de facto relationships as a valid choice and that they should be protected by the law. Through recent legislation reforms individual’s rights are achieved, as well as the law being accessible. However, legislation is not always responsive, as de facto relationships were only defined in 1984, and they did not have the same rights as married couples until then. The law is effective in achieving justice for parties involved in a relationship breakdown. Divorce is easily accessible and responsive. Relationship breakdown including children is mainly effective in protecting the rights of individuals and upholding societal values. Through recent legislation developments the relationship breakdown of de facto relationships is now treated the same as the dissolution of marriage. The law is mostly effective in achieving justice and protecting the rights of individuals involved in a relationship breakdown. View as multi-pages