Tuberculosis and Student Success Center

Description of the communicable disease (causes, symptoms, mode of transmission, complications, treatment) and the demographic of interest (mortality, morbidity, incidence, and prevalence). Describe the determinants of health and explain how those factors contribute to the development of this disease. Discuss the epidemiologic triangle as it relates to the communicable disease you have selected. Include the host factors, agent factors (presence or absence), and environmental factors. (The textbook describes each element of the epidemiologic triangle).Explain the role of the community health nurse (case finding, reporting, data collecting, data analysis, and follow-up). Identify at least one national agency or organization that addresses the communicable disease chosen and describe how the organization(s) contributes to resolving or reducing the impact of disease. Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB (short for tubercle bacillus), in the past also called Phthisis or Phthisis pulmonalis, is a comm on, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis.[1] Tuberculosis typically attacks the lungs, but can also affect other parts of the body. It is spread through the air when people who have an active TB infection cough, sneeze, or otherwise transmit respiratory fluids through the air. [2] Most infections are asymptomatic and latent, but about one in ten latent infections eventually progresses to active disease which, if left untreated, kills more than 50% of those so infected.The classic symptoms of active TB infection are a chronic cough with blood-tinged sputum, fever, night sweats, and weight loss (the latter giving rise to the formerly prevalent term â€Å"consumption†). Infection of other organs causes a wide range of symptoms. Diagnosis of active TB relies on radiology (commonly chest X-rays), as well as microscopic examination and microbiological culture of body fluids. Diagnosis of latent TB relies on the tuberculin skin test (TST) and/or blood tests.Treatment is difficult and requires administration of multiple antibiotics over a long period of time. Social contacts are also screened and treated if necessary. Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem in multiple drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) infections. Prevention relies on screening programs and vaccination with the bacillus Calmette–Guerin vaccine. A minimum of three references is required. Refer to â€Å"Communicable Disease Chain. † Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.An abstract is not required. This assignment uses a grading rubric. Instructors will be using the rubric to grade the assignment; therefore, students should review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the assignment criteria and expectations for successful completion of the assignment. You are required to submi t this assignment to Turnitin. Refer to the directions in the Student Success Center. Only Word documents can be submitted to Turnitin.

Recognition and Measurement of Intangibles Generally and of Brands in Particular Essay

Q: Discuss the difficulties relating to the recognition and measurement of intangibles generally and of brands in particular. Refer to the example in Enigma plc in your discussion. According to IAS 38, an intangible asset defines as â€Å"an identifiable, non-monetary asset without physical substance† including brand, computer software, patents and copyrights. As this typical asset has no physical substance, it is really difficult to recognize and measure it. This essay mainly aims to explain the difficulties to recognize and measure generally intangible assets especially the brand and some analyze refer to the Enigma example will be shown. An item cannot be an intangible asset unless it is an asset in the first place, that is to say the intangible assets should meet the definition of the asset based on IASB Conceptual Framework which contains three main criterions: control, future economic benefits and identifiable (Sacui and PrediÈ™can, 2011). Therefore, whether the item meets the three criterions are the first requirements and the difficulties to recognize an intangible asset. Firstly, the identifiable of an asset is that â€Å"it is capable of being separate or divided from the entity and sold, transferred, licensed, rented or exchanged† (IAS38). So as the intangible assets, it also should be separable from the entity or other rights and obligations. However, the intangible assets are lack of physical substance, the requirement of â€Å"identifiable† is one of the difficulties the entities will meet. Then the accountancy standards require that the company must be able to control the item’s future economic benefits. At last, there must be an expectation of future economics and the intangible assets should be capable of attributing directly or indirectly to future net cash flow (Sacui and PrediÈ™can, 2011). Without selling the intangible asset, it is nearly impossible to determine whether the future cash flow mainly due to the intangible assets or the operating activities. Furthermore, there are still some more requirements should be met when an item will be recognized as an intangible asset, such as without physical substance, be non-monetary and be able to be measured reliably. Considering the brand, it is protected by the trademark law and can only be recognized as intangible assets if they comply with the assets definition. If the brand is acquired in a separate transaction, just like the Enigma example, the Enigma Company spent 7million purchasing the Variations brand, the price that has been paid for the brand is one of the evidence that the brand can be controlled effectively and the future economic benefit will flow to the enterprise. In addition, the cost of the brand usually can be measured reliably and in this case it is 7million. So the brand which was purchased separately in this accounting period has met the recognition requirement and can be treated as an intangible asset. What is more, there is another way to purchase the brand though the business combination. Under this circumstance, the cost of brand is the fair value on the date of the acquisition (Melville, 2011). Furthermore, the fact price that has been paid for the brand is treated as a reflection that economic benefit is expected to flow to the entity in the future. To sum up, the brand acquired in a business combination satisfied the requirements and also can be classified as an intangible asset. However, it is really difficulty to decide whether the internally generated intangible assets meet the general requirement for recognition. Moreover, the IAS38 states that internally generated brand shall not be recognized as an asset. It is mainly because the expenditure on internally generated brands cannot be distinguished from the cost of developing the business as a whole and the problem of establishing whether the item is an identifiable asset which will generate future economic benefits (Melville, 2011). As in the Enigma example, the 3 million marketing expenditure on Enigma’s internally generated brand is recognized as an expense in the 2012 comprehensive income statement instead of an intangible asset which meets the requirement of prudence. After initial recognition, the IAS38 permits the entities to choose between the â€Å"cost model† and the â€Å"revaluation model† to measure the brand. In the cost model, the intangible assets are carried at cost less accumulated amortization and accumulated impairment losses (Austin, 2007). In this case, the company needs to decide the intangible asset’s useful life objectively and choose a proper method to amortize the intangible assets. While the revaluation model measure intangible assets at a revalued amount. According to IAS38, the fair value of intangible assets must be estimated by reference to an active market in that kind of assets. Therefore, if the brand doesn’t have an active market, the recent price cannot be treated as a fair value and the revaluation model should not be applied to it as well. Compared with the tangible market, such as houses, inventories and machines, the intangible market is imperfections (Alali and Cao, 2010). Therefore, it is difficult to get a fair market value for the enterprises to use or reference at any time they need, especially the brand. The brand is a typical intangible asset whose price will change dramatically when a small scandal occurs. So when using revaluation model to measure a brand, the market is particularly important. Before considering the subsequent measurement, the intangible assets should be determined the length of useful life. Intangible assets with finite useful life will be amortized in the following years; however, intangible assets with infinite useful life will not (Melville, 2011). In general, the IASC claims that the useful life of an intangible asset is not longer than twenty years. While if there is no foreseeable limit to the period over which the brand is expected to generate net cash flow for the enterprise, the useful life of brand can be treated as indefinite (Austin, 2007). That is to say, how to decide the useful life for a brand is another problem that a company will meet in the future. Thinking about the Enigma example again, as it says no depreciation has yet been charged on any non current asset for the 2012, we assume that the Enigma plc use the revalued model to measure the brand. Then the company should make the revaluation with sufficient regularity to ensure that the carrying amount of the brand does not differ materially from fair value. In addition, if the Enigma plc chooses the cost model, the useful life of the brand and the amortization policy should be determined by the managers and we may have an accumulative amortization in our statement of financial statement. To sum up, as a special kind of assets, the intangible assets have so many typical characters and difficulties to recognize and measure, such as lack of mature market for intangible assets, hard to decide its useful life and relevant expense. In this case, we should treat this kind of assets more carefully. Reference: 1. Sacui, V. and PrediÈ™can, M., 2011. The intangible assets investments characteristics and the accounting treatment. Annals of the University of Oradea, Economic Science Series. 2. Melville, A., 2011. International Financial Reporting, Third Edition, FT Prentice Hall. 3. Austin, L., 2007. Accounting for Intangible Assets, University of Auckland Business Review Autumn. 4. Alali, F. and Cao, L., 2010. International Financial Reporting Standards – Credible and Reliable, Advances in Accounting, Incorporating Advances in International Accounting 5. Austin, L., 2007. Accounting for Intangible Assets, University of Auckland Business Review Autumn.

Research Proposal on Obesity

About one in five American kids is overweight enough to be considered obese (Parr 45). Obesity being 20% or more overweight, is considered a disease because it is associated with so many health problems, like heart disease and diabetes. Being obese as a child usually leads into being obese through adulthood. â€Å"One third of adults are obese, and a third of these got that way in childhood† (Parr 53). That is why it is so important to keep kids from becoming overweight and to help obese kids lose weight. The increasing number of obese parents, technology, children having no supervision after school, and the unhealthy content of school lunches are to blame for the increasing number of overweight kids in the United States. A majority of the information used in writing this paper came from obesity source books, magazine articles, and websites devoted to helping children lose weight. Decades ago children would play tag, ride bikes, and participate in other outdoor after school activities following a nutritious snack prepared for them by one of their parents. Today, most children come home to an empty house, snack on any junk they can find, and watch television or play video games until their parents get home hours later. With no supervision, who can blame them? The foods offered at schools have changed as well. Candy, chips, and soda are a favorite of most children when eating their school lunch. Vending machines are now in most cafeterias today too, making it even easier for children to snack before and after lunch. America is one of the most overweight populations in the world, and we all wonder why. The following paper examines the root causes of this public health problem, answers the question of â€Å"why†, and offers possible solutions, to this crisis. Society as a whole is more overweight than ever before, causing their poor eating and exercising habits to be passed down onto their children. Of course genetics plays a part in some cases of obesity children, but for the most part, it is really more an issue of the habits that kids pick up from their parents. If both parents are obese, their child has an 80% chance of being obese, if one parent is obese, their child has a 40% chance of being obese, and if neither parent is obese, their child has only a 5% chance of being obese† (Bray 68). Shared family behaviors such as eating and activity habits influence a childs body weight. When a child sees their mom or dad eating unhealthy foods all the time, and snacking throughout the day, that child will get used to that eating pattern and follow in the footsteps of their parents. Overweight parents also tend to cook high calorie foods and order out more than thinner parents. This is bad because not only does that child eat foods high in fat throughout their whole childhood, but they also pick up the high-fat style of cooking as well. If a parent is overweight, it might not be as huge of a priority for them to get their child into shape. Even if it is, the extent to which they can exercise with them is limited. It is a key factor when your child is overweight to get them active as well as to cut down the amount of fat in their diet. But you must carefully cut down the fat in their diet. Reducing fat is a good way to cut calories without depriving your child of nutrients. Simple ways to cut the fat in your family’s diet include eating low-fat or even better, non-fat dairy products, poultry without the skin, and lean meats, and low-fat or fat-free breads and cereals. Making small changes to your family’s diet is a good, healthy way to help your child lose weight. It is also good to involve your child in food shopping and preparing meals. This teaches children about nutrition, and gives them a feeling of accomplishment. Physical education is only part of the solution. â€Å"Just as parents reinforce good reading habits, they also should encourage their children to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives† according to Judy Young, executive director of NASPE. The national Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) in Reston, Va. , recently issued guidelines recommending that children ages six to eleven exercise a minimum of thirty to sixty minutes per day. The problem with this is that in today’s lifestyle, it is the norm for both parents to have careers and work full time. This means that they’re children will come home to an empty house after school. Our society consists of households where both parents work and their children are left to fend for and feed themselves after school. According to a new Urban Institute report, â€Å"An estimated four million grade-school age children are regularly without adult supervision. â€Å" Another shocking fact is that in California, six percent of 6-9 year olds and thirty two percent of 10 – 12 year olds average five hours unsupervised each week, or with a sibling under the age of 13. Research shows that children who spend a lot of time alone are more likely to have social and academic problems (HHS Press Office). When children come home from school the first thing on their agenda is food. What does the normal everyday child reach for when mom and dad aren’t around? A nutritious snack, or the cookie jar and a bag of Doritos. Marvin Moss, Capital-Journal columnist, states that â€Å"To many of you, This may not seem like a major event, but put yourself in a kid’s shoes. â€Å" â€Å"I know when mine come home from school, the first thing they want is food. â€Å" â€Å"I call their after school eating habit pre-dinner. â€Å"If one of us parents wasn’t home when they arrived home from school, how would they be made to eat a healthy pre-diner snack? â€Å" Snacks take up most of the calories in children’s diets and lead to them becoming overweight. â€Å"Total daily intake from snacks among children has risen from an average of 450 to 600 in the last two decades† ,according to researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While some snacks are healthy for children and give them nutrients and energy, most snacks are usually a source of high-calorie, low-nutrient foods like soda, potato chips, and cookies. After they have picked out their snack, they go for the television and sit on the couch while all of their favorite shows come on. Its either the television or the computer or multiple video games. There are so many alternative choices for kids nowadays other than physical activities. There is always a new video game or an upgraded computer toy, and not to mention all of the new shows that come out every season. Along with the hundreds of shows that kids watch after school come the numerous food commercials advertising pizza, soda, and candy making kids minds turn to food yet again. Technology has advanced so much in the last few decades coming out with many new high-tech, entertaining things for kids to play with. All of the new technology is fascinating, but is it a coincidence that America’s weight problem is expanding along side all the new technology coming out? NO. It is no coincidence. â€Å"In America, kids spend an average of 21 hours per week in front of the television, and if a child adds 5 hours to that per week, he or she is ten percent more likely to become obese† (Parr 97). Children are larger because American life has changed. More children sit in front of video monitors than on bicycles or playing sports. According to a Nielsen Media Research Report, â€Å"Aside from the time kids spend watching television ,they spend another three to four hours daily with the internet and video games† (Karas 47). According to The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Center for Health Statistics, in 1999 over 9 million –or 15 percent– of American children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 18 were overweight, or triple what the percentage was in 1990† (Parenting Today ). This problem is going to continue to rise over the years if our country doesn’t put more effort into stopping it. Leaving your child unattended after school and during the summer is a factor not as harmless as everyone thought. Lois Salsbury, president of Children Now, states that â€Å"While the United States has restructured its economy, analysis of the impact on working families is still in its infancy. † â€Å"Hundreds of thousands of children are spending time alone. † â€Å"Is this what we want in terms of safety and developing our children? † Our nation is developing as our parenting skills are deteriorating. We want so much to be wealthy and powerful that we neglect to realize what it is doing to our children. Parents need to realize what is happening to their children and gain control over what their kids eat and how much time they spend sitting around if this problem is going to be reversed. Another area that needs focusing on is the food available for kids to buy while at school. U. S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, has declared childhood obesity a national epidemic (Mayer 23). The Oakland School District banned the sale of sugary drinks and candy in vending machines. The Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest in the country, followed several weeks later (27). School lunches are not meeting up to the nutritious standards that they should. Vending machines are in almost every elementary school offering kids the opportunity to eat candy, chips, and soda at any time of the school day. The lunches offered usually have one healthy meal and the rest consist of things like pizza, cheese steaks, and mozzarella sticks. Is this what we want our kids eating all day? Legislators introduced several bills aimed at eefing up physical education requirements and fixing up school lunch programs. Gov. Gray Davis signed a bill in October that prohibits the sale of junk food in elementary schools and bans soda at middle schools (32). This needs to be done everywhere. There is no questions that school meal programs have a powerful influence on children’s future food choices. † More than half of youth in the United States eat one to three major meals in school† (Owl 27). Adequate nutrition throughout the day plays an important performance at school and enables children to make wise choices when eating. Kids who go hungry or are only allowed a hurried meal through the morning or afternoon are likely to arrive at home after school extremely hungry. This can lead to overeating particularly high-fat, easy to prepare snack foods. This pattern of behavior is difficult to change and can lead to obesity. â€Å"Providing healthy meals at a pleasant environment at school is an important part of obesity preventionâ€Å" (29). Many school lunch programs offer fast food as an alternative. Limit your childs participation in unhealthy school lunch programs. Parents should ban together and speak with their school boards about improving school lunch programs. School districts should remove the vending machines from their schools and make the lunches offered healthier. So much money is spent every year on obesity programs for children and all that money could be saved if schools would just do their part in solving the problem. â€Å"There is no more compelling reminder of the health implications than the $127 million spent each year in hospital costs related to childhood obesityâ€Å", according to the Centers for Disease control and Prevention. Some things are being done to start solving the problem but not enough. If everyone works together this battle can be overcome. The increasing number of obese parents, technology, unsupervised children after school, and unhealthy school lunches are to blame for the increasing number of overweight kids in the United States. These factors can all be helped and prevented. This problem must be fixed before it gets worse. Our nation must united and work together for the sake and well being of our children.

International Accounting - Report of a major italian company Essay

International Accounting - Report of a major italian company - Essay Example But now that IAS 38 has been AGREED with finality to be the new compulsory accounting procedure, then we have to follow suit. According to the European Council of Finance Ministers, on December 13, 2001 â€Å" agreed to a general orientation on a proposed regulation that would require all EU listed companies, including banks and insurance companies, to prepare their consolidated financial statements using IAS. ECOFIN agreed that this requirement should go into effect in 2005 at the latest. However, companies that currently apply US GAAP as their primary financial reporting standards would not have to apply IAS until 2007. The 2007 extended deadline for companies using US GAAP was inserted at the request of the German government. EU Internal Market Commissioner Frits Bolkestein said: The International Accounting Standards Regulation will introduce a new era of transparency and put an end to the current Tower of Babel in financial reporting. It will help European firms to compete on equal terms when raising capital on world markets and allow investors and other stakeholders to compare companies performance against a common standard. However, I regret the Ministers decision to grant some big companies the right to apply US GAAP standards until 2007, two years after the Lisbon deadline for completing the Internal Market in financial services.† (http://www.iasplus.com/pastnews/2001dec.htm) Comment: The main purpose that all countries are â€Å"rushed† to apply these international accounting standards is to have a comment yardstick to compare one company in the European Union with another country selling the same products and services. If we call an item â€Å"goodwill† in England, then in the same situation in another far away place like Australia or United States, we can confidently call the same item bought as â€Å"goodwill†. Accounting is defined as â€Å"the language of business†.

Evaluate one aspect of care that you have experienced during the Essay

Evaluate one aspect of care that you have experienced during the course that has changed since you left Nursing Practice in 1999. The practice of urinary cathet - Essay Example Urinary tract infection related to the use of urinary catheter is often associated with the increase rate of morbidity, mortality, and length of hospital stay. (Tal et al., 2005) Therefore, it is necessary for health care professionals to continuously improve the hospice and palliative care. To enable the readers to fully understand the subject matter, a list of related definition of words will be provided followed by discussing the main purpose of urinary catheterization and evaluating the impact of using urinary catheter on terminally ill patients who are admitted in a hospice environment. As part of evaluating the practice of using urinary catheter on terminally ill patients, a literature review will be gathered to examine the health benefits of using urinary catheter in terms of promoting dignity and comfort on terminally ill patients. Contrary to the health benefits of using the practice of catheterization, the associated risks of infection and ways to prevent infection among the patients will be thoroughly discussed prior to conclusion. Hospice Care – special care given to terminally ill patients which aims to improve the quality of life by relieving their pain and other symptoms during the last few days in a person’s life. (Avert, 2009a) Overactive bladder (OAB) – â€Å"a form of urinary incontinence in which sudden, involuntary contractions of the muscle surrounding the bladder produce an urgent need to urinate – often so sudden that the person with the condition is unable to make it to the bathroom in time (a condition known as urge incontinence)† (UCLA, 2009). There are a lot of urinary problems which normally occurs when a person reaches the old age. In some cases, illnesses and physical injuries may also contribute to urinary problems. In general, â€Å"the human organs, tubes, muscles, and nerves function together in

BUSINESS MEMORANDUM ASSIGNMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

BUSINESS MEMORANDUM ASSIGNMENT - Essay Example uld be authoritative, knows how long the document should be, who should contribute which, aware of the time element of deadline and submission, consider her reader, and what information to disclose. An overview must be presented first before the details. (5) Everything should be in orderly manner with the use of headings and subheadings, with related information grouped together. Plain English uses ordinary everyday words, short sentences, active voice, regular print and personal pronouns speaking directly to the reader. (5) Color. Refers to the effective use of document text color especially black which is the most common font or text color. It should be properly balanced with a theme using shades, graphics, rules or lines and colored paper stocks. Office of Investor Education and Assistance. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. A Plain English Handbook: How to create clear SEC disclosure documents Accessed from

Extent to Which Social Network Network Affect Academic Perfomance Research Paper

Extent to Which Social Network Network Affect Academic Perfomance - Research Paper Example The majority of the sites assists strangers bond with others on the circumstances of common individual interests, political and economic opinions, or merely recreational activities. Many of the social sites hold distinct viewers, whereas others draw individuals on the basis of similarities, such as same languages or mutual racial, sexual, spiritual or the same nationality. Despite the advantages of social networks, they have contributed unconstructively to academic performance of students. Social network websites have the following effects to individuals: they create a public outline within a bordered system and provide a list of other people that they are able and willing to communicate with. They are able to see and go over their list of associations and those contributed by others inside the system. The nature and classification of these associations may differ from the social websites (Boyd). Social networking has turn out to be an accepted tool for communication globally and it is considered the best form of communication. People who join social networks may consider them as their first time of school where they do not know anybody. After spending some time in the social network individuals are able to engage with new friends, thus it becomes more interesting. The social websites are utilized by a vast populace and those from dissimilar races. Whereas the name social sites are taken to depict this incident, the word social networking site as well appears in public communication, and the two names are regularly used interchangeably. Networking insists relationship introduction, frequently linking strangers. Whereas networking is likely on these sites, it is not the major practice on many of them, nor is it what varies them from other types of computer mediated communication (CMC). Most of the big participants are not automatically networking or looking to get together with new populace; instead, they are mainly communicating with individuals who are a part of their extensive social network (Cross, Pg15). To stress this communicated social websites as a serious organizing characteristic of these websites, they are labeled as social network sites. Teenagers in the current generation have a face book account which they spend most times signing and chatting with friends (Cross Pg 55). Many students spend precious times in these social networks until they forget doing their assignments. Extensive research showed that many students prefer spending most of their time in social network sites than studying. Even with the advantages of social networks, they have affected the studies of students negatively. Most of the students have poor grades because of spending much time in social websites, thus they procrastinate their work (Cross Pg 67). On the issue of educational performance and merit, researchers suggested that, performance is used to note the apparent demonstration of knowledge, concepts, and understanding. Thus, performance is the use of learning results that at the end of the course ensures mastery. It is the attainment of specific grades on tests shows candidates’ capability, understanding of the content, and skills in using gained knowledge to specific situations (Turkle, Pg 40). A student’s achievement is mostly judged on tests performance. Success on tests and assessments is a major show that a learner has gained from a course of study. Many students tend to spend a lot of time in social ne

5 Marketing Problems We Need To Solve Now Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

5 Marketing Problems We Need To Solve Now - Essay Example All these issues are important in order for marketing to respond to the demand of this role. Moreover, according to the author of the article, the challenges that marketing currently faces in regard to the specific elements/ sectors are strong. The specific elements of marketing have been set under evaluation through this paper using appropriate literature. The issues on which the article focuses have been explained in the literature using different approaches. Reference should be made primarily to the criteria on which the sample used in a marketing research project is chosen. According to Stevens, Wrenn and Loudon (2012) the sample that will be employed in a marketing research plan should not be chosen before identifying the research questions and before setting the research hypothesis. Lamb, Hair and McDaniel (2008) also agree that the choice of a sample that will be used in a research project needs to be made after finishing the marketing plan on which the specific project will b e based. Based on the above, the view developed in the article that without a complete marketing plan no action in regard to a specific marketing research project should begin should be considered as fully verified. Marketing simulations, an element of marketing that it is analyzed in the article under evaluation, should be further explored (Sandhusen 2008). The value of marketing simulations can be considered as high. In fact, through the specific technique a marketer has the option to check his idea, as related to a marketing plan (Sandhusen 2008); if the particular idea is proved as non-feasible or two risky, then no losses would occur, since the whole process has been virtual (Baker 2012). The advantages of simulations in marketing are analyzed in the study of Greg (2013). The specific view of Greg is aligned with that of Lilien, Rangaswamy and De Bruyn (2013); the above researchers highlighted the value of simulations in marketing and explained that without simulations marketer s would not be able to check the performance of a marketing plan. Also, such practice has the advantage of non-cost; it can be therefore employed even by firms that do not have the resources to respond to their daily needs in terms of marketing (Lilien, Rangaswamy and De Bruyn 2013). A similar view should be developed in regard to the search engine optimization, as a practice widely used by firms for attracting more customers. Search in the Internet is one of the most important parts of marketing research. The challenges related to this part are many (Lieb 2009). The terms used for developing the research need to be carefully chosen, then the material available in the literature should be identified and categorized so that mistakes are avoided in regard to the results of the research (Enge et al. 2012). SEO implies the use of marketing for establishing a strong presence in the virtual marketplace (Terrelonge 2011). However, as also explained in the article under examination the rule s and the principles of SEO are, still, not fully clear (Trika 2010). There are certain steps for establishing a strong presence in the Internet using SEO (Kennedy and Hauksson 2012) ; the users of social media seems to be unaware of the actual potentials of SEO, a fact that it is also noted in the article of Greg (2013). At the same time, the lack of integration in marketing seems to be one of the most critical problems of the particular sector (Greg 2013). Integration in the above case is a term used for showing that the sector’s professionals avoid joining their ideas for developing successful marketing projects (Greg 2013). For Pride and

Investment management Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Investment management - Speech or Presentation Example Price of growth stock is higher in ratio with its earning whereas the price of value stock is undervalued than based on strength of its fundamental. Hence, difference can be determined by the P/ E ratios. This can also be measured using the ratio of book value to market value. Growth firms’ BV/MV ratio is lower which refers high growth whereas value firms have higher BV/MV ratio. This ratio also receives impact from dividend paid by firms as growth firms pay less or no dividend and reinvest which provides investors with capital appreciation benefit. Value stock pays higher dividend. Level of cost of equity and rate of return on assets which are component of DDM affects BV/MV ratio. Value stocks have high cost of equity which increases its ratio along with risk. Growth stocks have higher rate of return on assets and or/ high growth that lowers its ratio. Both stocks can be beneficial for investors based on their risk appetite and return needs. Investors looking for continuous stream of income shall be less diverted to growth stocks. Value stocks are invested inn in expectation of correction in their bargain price in future. These ratios can also change with change in dividend strategy; increasing dividend decreases growth would get BV/ MV ratio increased or vice versa. Similarly, correction in price of value stock that increases its price would decrease its BV/MV ratio. Hence, these are time based measures defining investment strategies. A portfolio shall have both stocks in order to get benefit of diversification (Hagin, 2004). MLH company with beta of 0.5 and a dividend yield of 12% p.a. can be declared as value stock as it has higher dividend. Beta of MLH Company determines its price receiving less movement momentum than overall market. Also beta is used in defining required rate of return assets which increases its numerator of DDM leading to relatively higher

Teaching career Essay Example for Free

Teaching career Essay Source A is a memoir written by Elizabeth Makinson, who finished her teaching career in Bradford 1913. A memoir is a collection of memories based on a certain theme. This source would have come into existence, because Elizabeth will have reached a certain age and would want to review her childhood experiences and her early teaching career. Elizabeths memories are based on her education in a Board School called Belle Vue, and her early teaching career in Drummond Road, which was another Board School. Bell Vue was mainly for lower middle class children, as rich upper class children would have Governesses or would go to College. This particular school was on Manningham Lane, which at the time was a very desirable place to live. The education wasnt free, as the children would pay 6 pence per week. This wasnt considered expensive as the children would receive a high standard of education. They would learn a wide range of subjects, these were Arithmetic, Euclid (Greek), Geography, History, Drawing and Painting, Songs, Tonic Solfa (Singing in Ranges), English Literature, Physiography, Physiology, Cookery and Domestic Science, French, Elementary science, Practical and Theatrical Chemistry. This school was well funded as there was expensive equipment including Bunsen Burners, Crucibles, Test tubes, Retorts, Beakers and Small, Brass Balances. The school was funded for gym kits and other gym equipment such as climbing frames, vaulting horse, parallel bars, ropes and dumb-bells. The Headmistress Miss S. L. Beszant would take the children on school outings to the Bradford Destructor, Esholt Sewage works, and to the Theatre Royal to see the matinee showing of Romeo and Juliet, featuring the famous actress, Ellen Terry. In the next paragraph of the memoir she describes the school where she worked called Drummond Road Board School in the infants department in 1900. She received a place in this school when she passed the Teachers Entrance Examination. This school would not have been well funded and would have probably been free for lower class and working classes, who attended. This source would be quite useful to a historian who is studying schooling, because it illustrates what types of schooling were in use after the 1870s Education Act and the quality of education in these schools. However, as it is a memoir Elizabeth tends to remember the good points rather than the bad. This would therefore cause the source to become less valid, but in looking at other sources we can see how reliable this source is. Source B is a photograph of a Board School in 1894. This photograph was possibly taken, because towards the late nineteenth century photographs were taken to demonstrate poverty; therefore this photograph could have originally been taken for this purpose rather than education. This source tells us that there were only nine pupils, which is a very small class. This was because some of the pupils would have been half-timers, which means that they would work six hours in the mill and then attend school afterwards. The children in the photograph are frowning, however this does not necessarily mean that they did not enjoy going to school. This is because in Victorian times photography was a very long process; therefore it was easier to frown rather than smile. This source could be slightly unreliable, because photographs can be set up and arranged in order to gain a desired opinion. However this statement does not necessarily mean that the source is completely unreliable, because by looking at other sources we can see how true it is.

Interpersonal Relationships: Advantages and Disadvantages

Interpersonal Relationships: Advantages and Disadvantages Tiffany Steeples Interpersonal Relationships Interpersonal relationships are one of the most important things we have, and our ability to form meaningful relationships, rest largely on your interpersonal communication competencies (DeVito, pg. 196). The advantages of relationships often outweigh the disadvantages but to form more meaningful relationships, to keep them, or even to dissolve them and maintain emotional health at the end of a relationship; one must be able to evaluate the stages of relationships and their importance (Hamlett). A good way to understand the study of interpersonal relationships is to take a look at your own relationships, whether past, present or even the type of relationship you want in your future. Focusing on your own relationships such as friendships, romantic relationships, your family, or your work relationships can explain a lot about whether your relationships fail or succeed. Major advantages of having interpersonal relationships are: You lessen your loneliness (DeVito pg. 196). When you feel like someone cares or loves you and is there to protect you, you feel less lonely. Gaining a self-knowledge and having the self esteem you need through contact with others helps you to see things through different perspectives. Placing yourself in different roles can strengthen the availability of so many relationships will help you to focus on viewing  yourself and your relationship. Healthy interpersonal relationships also help enhance self-esteem and self-worth (DeVito pg. 196). Having that one friend or that one romantic partner will make you feel more worthy and more desirable. DeVito states that research shows that without interpersonal relationships, you are more likely to become depressed and by becoming depressed, interpersonal relationships can contribute to physical illness (DeVito pg, 197). Not only can you become depressed, but relationships can also contribute to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, smoking, or lack of physical exercise (DeVito pg. 197). With having those â€Å"good friends†, you’re able to maximize your pleasure and they help to minimize your pain. For example, when losing a job, your friends are supposed to make you feel less hurt when unexpected confrontations arrive. Friends are there to help and will make you feel better whether it be good news or bad news. The last advantage of interpersonal relationships, human contact is one of the best ways to secure the intellectual, physical and emotional stimulation that we all go through (DeVito pg. 197). DeVito also states that even having an imaginary friend is better than not having a friend at all. The advantages all seem to have a good effect on a person who is involved with interpersonal relationships and understanding all of these things will help us to determine how far our relationships will go. The disadvantages of Interpersonal relationships are expressed through what most people would consider to be â€Å"disadvantages†. People conclude that close relationships puts pressure on you to reveal yourself and to expose your vulnerabilities (DeVito pg. 197). I find this to be true, especially with friendships because you can know and find out so much about a person and  then as soon as the relationship deteriorates, the relationship may backfire and all of your personal information becomes a weakness that is used against you. Close relationships may increase your obligations towards others. This means that your time becomes their time as well. Not only your time is felt obligated but even possibly your financial obligations become shared and you may not be too excited about sharing your time or your finances. While building close relationships, other relationships you may have may start to feel abandon. I believe this to be true, especially if your building a romantic relationship that may require a lot more of your time and your friends are not as supportive or understanding. Your friendships can become abandoned. Relationships take a lot of both, time and energy, and you have to be willing to sacrifice which relationships are more important or even better, learn to balance the two different relationships to make sure everyone is happy. The closer your relationships, the more emotionally difficult they are to dissolve (DeVito pg. 197). It is whole lot harder to rid a relationship that you have put forth time, emotional strength, and even financial stability. This can cause depression or distress that some people dislike to face. The last disadvantage of having interpersonal relationships is that Your partner may break your heart (DeVito pg. 197). After all of the time and different things that you could possible put forth to make a relationship work, it could all backfire and against all pleas and promises your whole life could change. If you care a great deal, you’re likely to experience a great hurt; if you care less, the hurt will be less (DeVito pg. 197). To better understand interpersonal relationships, you must also understand the relationship stages. The six stages are the significant stages you may go through as you try to achieve your relationship goals (DeVito pg. 198). The six stages which are Contact, Involvement, Intimacy, Repair, Deterioration and Dissolution are use for all types of relationships including friendships, love relationships and even online relationships. Contact is the first stage that includes perceptual contact. Perceptual contact allows you to see what the person looks like, what they sound like and even what they smell like (DeVito pg. 199). After perceptual contact there is interactional contact in which you are interacting with the person. This type of contact can be nonverbal by exchanging winks and smiles and also allows the person to learn information about the other person. DeVito states, that it is during this stage, that your may initiate interaction and engage in invitational communication (DeVito pg. 199). The involvement stage is the second stage in which a sense of mutuality, of being connected, develops (DeVito pg. 199). During this stage your empathizing more with each other and you are committing to getting to know the person at an even better level than the contact stage. It is during this intimacy stage that you begin to express your feelings and thoughts by being honest. Your communication with each other becomes more personal. Within this stage you have the interpersonal commitment phase which allows you to commit yourselves to each other in a more â€Å"private† way and then there is the social bonding phase that allows commitment that is made more publically. It is also during the intimacy stage the two becomes a unit, a couple or a pair. The deterioration stage is the stage where the bonds begin to become weakened. When the reasons for coming together are no longer present or things may take a drastic change, then the relationships deteriorates (DeVito pg . 202). The repair stages has different phases that it  considers; the first phase is the intrapersonal repair. This is when you analyze what exactly went wrong and you may consider ways of solving your differences. During the interpersonal repair, you may discuss the problems of your relationship and what can be done to fix whatever the problems. DeVito states that you can look at the strategies for repairing a relationship in terms of the word REPAIR (DeVito pg. 203). To break down the word REPAIR, it means to Recognize the problem, Engage in productive conflict resolution, Pose possible solutions, Affirm each other, Integrate solutions into your life and Risk. The last stage in the dissolution stage, the stage is the cutting off of the bonds that tie you together, whether in a friendship or romantic relationship. DeVito gives some suggestions for dealing with dissolution. He suggest that you should break the loneliness-depression cycle, take time out, bolster self-esteem, seek the support or others and to avoid repeating negative patterns (DeVito pg. 204). Interpersonal relationships are something that we all as people have to and will experience. Professor Ralph Hamlett states that we must remember that all relationships are dynamic, meaning that they change (Hamlett). In order to accommodate these changes, we must all be aware of the change and how we are going to adapt. Works Cited DeVito, Joseph A., Interpersonal Messages: Communication and Relationship Skills,3rd ed. (Boston:Pearson, 2014). RalphHamlett. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2014. Why is Hamlett Timeless? Why is Hamlett Timeless? Shakespeares Hamlet is exemplary of the universal nature, which, despite the passage of time still holds its textual integrity. As Hamlet  is not limited by contextual barriers multiple interpretations are plausible through the texts ability to be re-contextualised. The thematic representations of love, power and the central theme of life and death continue to hold significance to audiences and propose an understanding of the mental instability of the human condition. The themes will be highlighted in this response in order to expose Hamlets transcendent nature. Political instability and Power through matters of Corruption are timeless and can be expressed during the Elizabethan Era of Hamlet. Corruption is epitomised in Hamlet through the character of Claudius who used the ambiguous method of murdering King Hamlet to satisfy his obsession for power. Claudiuss immoral and corrupt rise to power is illustrated in Act 1 scene 5 as King Hamlet states, The serpent that did sting thy fathers life now wears his crown. The metaphoric language present exemplifies Claudiuss unjust rise to power. Claudius has used corruption at the detriment of justice and virtue to proclaim power within Denmark. Furthermore, Claudius corrupt rise to power is further cemented into the kingdom of Denmark through Hippocratic characters such as Polonius and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. This can be reinforced as Hamlet states, there are many confines, wards and dungeons; Denmark being one oth worst. The extended metaphor of imprisonment not only encapsulates his view of C laudiuss corrupt kingdom but represents his feelings of being entrapped in an unstable political monarch. Therefore political instability and power occur through matters of corruption. Central to Hamlets development is the themes of intricacies of the human condition thus being life and death. Shakespeares usage of soliloquies depicts Hamlet thoughts and feelings strengthing Hamlets as a truth teller. This dramatic technique is used to reveals admiration of his father in contrast to Claudius. A hostile Hamlet illustrates the difference between the two kings, his deceased father and Claudius through the anthropomorphic allusion of his father to Claudius in being as Hyperion as the satyr. Thus suggesting Claudius who appears regal to be in reality like that of a lustfulness beast while his father to be that of a loyal God. The iambic pentameter present in the most part of the soliloquy is heavily disregarded as this line extends to fifteen syllables as to implore Hamlets distress. His turbulent response is furthermore illustrated by the enjambment which closely follows in the soliloquy indicating struggle to control his emotions. Imagery displays greater meaning in t he death of his Hamlets father. tis an unweeded garden, that grows to seed symbolises that the thrown has been overtook by weeds, that is Claudius, after what was before has died. Shakespeare imagery used allows the audience to view Hamlets thoughts graphically of the truth of the fratricide and incest in Elsinore. Shakespeares use of soliloquies reveals Hamlets thoughts into life and death and reveals the weight of the contemplation in this stream of consciousness. The speech is written in a fractured, fragmented manner which is symbolic of Hamlets internal struggle. Emphasis is placed upon the second last syllable rather than the last syllable, which draws upon the tradition of feminine rhyme further elucidating Hamlets inner turmoil. Anadiplosis is evident in the metonymic chain in this soliloquy between the association of sleeping with death. The use of metonymy stresses the introspection of Hamlet, as it is a technique often used to convey thought processes, as thinking is an associative practice. Shakespeare suggests through the characterisation of Hamlet that the fear of what will come after death makes individuals suffer the corrupt world as suicide would mean eternal damnation. This is again reflected in his statement, Thus consciousness does make cowards of all. Poignantly highlightin g Hamlets inability to execute his reprisal and his struggle to turn his desire for revenge into action, accentuating his restraint due to the fear of what his future will hold after death. Alas poor Yorick! Iknew him / Horatio a transcendent quotation and is a famous reflection on the fragility of life. It is in this soliloquy where Shakespeare reveals Hamlets intelligence, emotional complexity into the fate of us all as the themes of life and death follow on into his stream of consciousness. Hamlet is a play which both, reflects its own context and resonates with modern audiences. Through exploring themes such as the love, power and most highly life and death. Hamlet educates the modern responder about the Shakespearean context and allows them to relate to universal these themes. This combination will ensure that the text continues to be valued as significant through numerous contexts.

Urinary tract infections

Urinary tract infections ABSTRACT Urinary tract infections (UTI) are one of the most prevalent bacterial infections found in humans. 20. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) account for over 90% of uncomplicated UTI subsequently making it the most common etiological agent answerable for uncomplicated UTI.WW Pathogenic E.coli such as UPEC typically express virulence factors molecules directly concerned with pathogenesis but accessory/ancillary to normal metabolic function. Accordingly this confers an advantage on the pathogens by enabling them to exploit their hosts in ways inaccessible to commensal strains. 10. The UPEC genome accommodates an array of virulence and fitness factors specifically enabling it to colonise, survive and infect the mammalian urinary tract. WW +8. They utilise a number of fimbriae such as Type-1, P-,S- and F1C-fimbriae as adhesins to the mucosal epithelium as well as toxins, iron acquisition systems and factors involved in evading the host immune system such as capsular polysaccharide. INTRODUCTION Urinary tract infections can be broadly split into two types complicated and uncomplicated. The former referring to a UTI of an anatomically unobstructed urinary tract, where the individual maintains a normal immune status whereas the latter involves the possession of an abnormal urinary tract and immuno-compromisation. 22. An assortment of mechanical factors predispose an individual to contracting a complicated UTI, i.e. anything that causes disruption to i) normal urine flow, ii) complete emptying of bladder or iii) facilitates organisms access to the bladder. Hooton. Particularly prone are people who have lost neurologic control of their bladder and sufferers of vesico-urethral reflux (a condition where urine moves back up the ureters from the bladder).11 In general women are fourteen times more likely than their male counterparts to suffer from a UTI.. the female urethra is not only very short at only 5cm long hence easier to traverse but also is positioned at a hazardous proxim ity to the anus, in comparison the male urethra is surrounded by a drier environment and is much longer. In females the causative organism can be propelled into periurethral tissues during sexual intercourse consequently assisting the progression of bacteria up the urethra. Pregnancy is another contributing factor due to the resulting lethargic action of the bladder muscle wall. The pathogenesis of UTI begins when the uropathogens position themselves at a location outside the urinary tract and thus form a reservoir for infection 20. These organisms colonize form the perineal region or the feces and ascend to the bladder via the urinary tract WW+8. The ‘ascending route is how UPEC is considered to enter, whereby the bacteria ascend up the urethra into the bladder causing cystitis. However if left untreated the UPEC sometimes travel up even further to the kidneys via the urethers thus causing pyelonephritis. 12 + ww. The ‘hematogenous route involves seeding of the kidney during bacteremia and is a lot less common; gram positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus are the main causative agents. 12 Cystitis and pyelonephritis are the two fundamental types of infection involved in UTI. Cystitis is a lower urinary tract infection whereby the bladder becomes inflamed through infection with UPEC. Symptoms include frequency, urgency, dysuria (painful v oiding), cloudy or foul smelling urine (due to pyuria) and suprapubic pain. Mims Pyelonephritis (from the Greek pyelum pelvis, nephros- of the kidney) is a more serious infection however as it is an upper urinary tract infection affecting the kidneys. This presents symptoms such as dysuria, fever, rigors, malaise, loin pain and tenderness. Wikipedia. Uropathogenic E.coli are the predominant cause of UTI with over 40% of women and 12% of men likely to experience at least one UTI in their lifetime. This coupled with the fact that in the U.S.A alone the estimated cost to society is over three billion dollars means it is essential we learn as much about the pathogenesis of UPEC as possible. WW. The word pathogenesis comes from the Latin â€Å"pathos† meaning disease and â€Å"genesis† meaning creation. It can be described as the mechanism by which an etiological factor causes a disease. UPEC yields numerous virulence factors that aid in the colonisation of the urinary tract and also induce fitness on the pathogen. Adherence can be described as the first step in the pathogenesis of UPEC in UTI as adhesion is necessary to allow colonisation, then to penetrate. After colonisation it allows penetration but also confers other advantages such as a) secreted exotoxin is in close contact with target cells b) increased protection from host defences and most importantly in the initial stages c) resistance to the hydrodynamic force of urine flow.12 UPEC utilize a number of surface expressed appendages called adhesions or fimbriae to achieve adhesion to uroepithelial cells 8. Type-1 fimbriae are one of the most imperative virulence factors involved in the pathogenesis of UPEC as it is through their adherence to the uroepithelial cells that achieves the establishment of UTI. 3 These fimbriae are highly conserved in UPEC, being found in over 90% of isolates.1,20. The fim gene cluster encodes for Type-1 fimbriae with five of the genes responsible for structural proteins: FimA, FimI, FimF, FimG and FimH. Jones et 96- 20. In vivo microarray studies presents data that show the fim genes are expressed 12-72 times more than all of the 11 other fimbrial gene clusters. 5 In regards to the actual structural appearance of Type-1 fimbriated UPEC approximately 200-500 peritrichously arranged fimbriae are seen on the surface. Schembri et al 02 20. The initial binding of UPEC to uroepithelial cells is conferred by the FimH adhesin to terminally positioned D-mannose moieties of glycoproteins exposed on the apical surface. 7. The stratified bladder epithelium is characterized by a superficial layer of â€Å"umbrella cell It is a specific integral membrane protein, UP1a, which has been identified as the urothelial receptor for the FimH adhesin of Type-1 fimbriae. 7. UP1a is part of a unique membrane structure called the asymmetric unit membrane (AUM) that is comprised of 3 other integral membrane proteins, the uroplakins (UPs) UPIa, Ib, III and IIIa. 15. The AUM looks like rigid plaques and structurally form a 16nm receptor complex assembled into hexagonally packed two-dimensional crystals that are essential in maintaining the permeability barrier function.15 In addition to creating the foothold for infection in the pathogenesis of UPEC in UTI through adherence, Type-1 fimbriae also play a role in the invasion of host cells. FimH binding triggers host cell signaling cascades enabling UPEC to be internalized via a ‘zipper-type invasion mechanism.7 Overall Type-1 fimbriae play a crucial role in establishment of lower UTI through key roles in adhesion and invasion within the bladder. It is P-fimbriae that are noted to play an essential part in pathogenesis of upper UTI, i.e. pyelonephritis. 12 The pap (pyelonephritis-associated pilli) gene cluster, found on the UPEC chromosome itself, encodes for P-fimbriae. 20. This pap gene cluster is made up of eleven genes with six encoding for structural proteins that form the P-fimbria structural unit: PapA, PapK, PapF, PapG, PapE and PapH. 20. P-fimbrial lectins, (specifically the PapG adhesin) recognise a digalactoside component of the P blood group antigen and also Gal (a 1-4) Gal b galbiose disaccharide receptors extensively positioned on the surface of uroepithelial cells in 99% of the population.12+13 The expression of P-fimbriae undergoes phase variation (ON/OFF) with this being controlled by a combination of Dam methylation, leucine-responsive regulatory protein (Lrp) and the PapB and PapI regulators.3,20 Despite the strong epidemiological association of P-fimbriae with UPEC strains causing acute pyelonephritis, its precise function during the pathogenesis of a UTI remains elusive. 1. However the plethora of P-fimbrial receptors in human renal tissue coupled with their association with acute disease severity (found in 90% acute pyelonephritis) suggests that P-fimbriae are indeed necessary for colonisation and perhaps invasion of the upper urinary tract. 20+Johnson. In addition to Type-1 and P-fimbriae, there are a number of other fimbriae found to be albeit not as imperative, but nonetheless associated with the pathogenesis of UPEC in UTI. F1-C (Foc) fimbriae bear a resemblance to Type-1 fimbriae in their organelle structure and genetic organisation. The F1-C fimbriae mediate binding to globotriaosylceramide targets found solely in the kidneys as well as galactosyleramide on epithelial cells in the bladder and kidneys.

Devestation Man Brings upon Himself in Goldings Lord of the Flies :: essays research papers

William Golding's Lord of the Flies is a story that has hidden symbolism. It is about a group of British schoolboys fleeing from England during World War 1. Their plane crashes on a deserted tropical island. Once on the island they have to cope with their new ?adult-less? life and make rules to live by. After spending time on the island, the boys begin to struggle for power which leads to several problems. The experience on the island serves as a symbol of life in the outside world and the devastation that man brings upon himself. Setting, specific characters, and symbolism help show this. The setting of the story is an important symbol of the outside world. Certain circumstances that happen on the island coincide what happens in the outside world. The world is in the midst of World War 1. On the island Jack and Ralph have their own war happening. The boys set fire to the island. It was a mistake, but they were enjoying it: ?At the sight of the flames and irresistible course of fire, the boys broke into a shrill, excited laughter.? They were enjoying the fire, though it was causing destruction and even killed an innocent boy. However, they were not much bothered by the thought because it did not involve them directly. They built ?war like? forts, even though there was nothing worth protecting. The island is like a miniature world. Certain circumstances that happen in the world happen on a miniature scale on the island. Specific characters in the story represent people in the outside world. Jack represents a dictator, like Hitler or Mussolini. He controls everything around him and abuses his power. He would take littluns and randomly beat them because he had more power over them. The littluns represented the masses. They would flow towards the leader that seemed the best for them. All they wanted to do was have fun, relax, and hunt. Jack provided all of that. Piggy was the voice of intelligence and reasoning: ?Which is better, law and rescue, or hunting and breaking things up He was the most intelligent person on the island and the rules came from him. Each person?s true identity came out on the island, for better or for worse, and they are all representative of to people in the outside world. The symbolism throughout the entire novel was significant. Jacks mindless hunters never spoke out against their leader.

Macbeth: Serpentine Imagery Essay -- essays research papers

The snake has long been used as a symbol of sly subtlety. A serpent’s presence has been characterized by cunning cynicism dating as far back as biblical times, when the snake persuaded Eve to eat the forbidden fruit of Eden’s garden. Even the phrase â€Å"snake in the grass† expresses latency. Shakespeare uses this treacherous reptile in Macbeth to convey the same evil. In his poetic prose, Shakespeare may not speak of a character’s malevolence directly; rather, he alludes to it through serpentine imagery. Macbeth contains four separate images of this type. What is their purpose, and what do they signify? A deep undercurrent of meaning flows beneath each image. In act one, scene five, Lady Macbeth tries to instill invisible evil into herself and her husband in preparation for Duncan’s murder. She asks for supernatural unsexing, for a thickening of her blood that will â€Å"stop up th’ access and passage to remorse.† She fears her husband is too weak to murder Duncan, which she believes is Macbeth’s only path to the crown. After tauntingly questioning her husband’s manhood, she convinces him to follow her gory plan and gives him instructions to do so. â€Å"To beguile the time, look like the time. Bear welcome in your eye, your hand, your tongue. Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under ‘t.† She says that to succeed, they must feign mediocrity amongst their guests, concealing their sinister desires. Appearing normal will not invoke suspicions. The serpent Lady Macbeth s...

Why do Nurses earn less than rock stars?

There are many reasons as to why nurses earn less than rock stars. The first, most important one, is to recognise that we are comparing these two respective salaries on a statistical basis, most likely average such as a mean, or median wage. We must take into account the range of salaries, to see how much the data we are comparing is skewed. A nurses salary cannot really vary much, as rates in hospitals (in the same area) will be similar, only varying slightly for higher positions within the nursing profession. This is in complete contrast to what rock stars can earn – some can earn just $10 an hour, despite enjoying tremendous popularity. Others, however, can earn millions and billions, and therefore, this will mean that the results for pop stars' wages will be skewed, given the wide range of salaries. Wages are set very much like price is – by market equilibrium. Looking at the labour market, we can see that, once immensely popular, demand for an artist becomes very inelastic – people will buy his merchandise even if the price increases quite a lot. Supply for nurses, on the other hand, may be elastic, as there are plenty of individuals who are willing to try and seek employment in that field, assuming that the skills required aren't very hard to come by (to enter the profession). On the other hand, it can be argued that supply for artists is inelastic, due to the relatively small numbers of people in the industry. This argument can easily be refuted by pointing out the hordes of riff-raff and other emotional junkies who pander towards an illustrious career of fame and fortune, and attempt to become rock-stars. However, if they are not famous or are deemed lacking of the talent needed to earn that label, they will most likely not be counted as a â€Å"rock star† and they will find it hard to enter the music industry and therefore their efforts will be in vain, and they will be discounted by those seeking to make their fortune by accumulating and manipulating market trends. Thus, we can see that demand and supply is inelastic for rock stars, while elastic for nurses. If you draw a demand and supply diagram, who will be able to see that the rock stars' wages will be determined by a higher market equilibrium than their hospital-working (female) counterparts. Immobility of labour is another thing which contribute towards the supply of the respective professions. Being a rock star is unlikely to be one of the first or main jobs an individual will undertake in his life. Thus, stars will probably have other vocational skills ready to be of use if they suffer an untimely demise at the hands of fickle fans. This will encourage people to try and become rock-stars as they will be able to find another job later or before they strike success. Nurses, on the other hand, have less of a reason to be as occupationally mobile, as their career is more likely to be a steady, longer one, quite predictable in nature. This would mean that nurses would have to aim to try and stay in that profession for a long period of time, which may actually discourage some people from becoming nurses. However, the mobility of labour seems o have little impact in actuality as it seems that this would make supply of labour more inelastic and elastic for nurses and pop stars respectively. Geographical mobility of labour also seems to have little bearing on the supply of labour. Lastly, there are many benefits to be gained from each profession. Rock stars have the opportunity to make millions very quickly, become famous, recognised and more influential. Nurses' benefits lie more in the vicinity of pension payments, and possibly the knowledge that you are helping the community. These seem to be the main reasons as to why nurses get paid less than pop-stars. Why do Nurses earn less than rock stars? There are many reasons as to why nurses earn less than rock stars. The first, most important one, is to recognise that we are comparing these two respective salaries on a statistical basis, most likely average such as a mean, or median wage. We must take into account the range of salaries, to see how much the data we are comparing is skewed. A nurses salary cannot really vary much, as rates in hospitals (in the same area) will be similar, only varying slightly for higher positions within the nursing profession. This is in complete contrast to what rock stars can earn – some can earn just $10 an hour, despite enjoying tremendous popularity. Others, however, can earn millions and billions, and therefore, this will mean that the results for pop stars' wages will be skewed, given the wide range of salaries. Wages are set very much like price is – by market equilibrium. Looking at the labour market, we can see that, once immensely popular, demand for an artist becomes very inelastic – people will buy his merchandise even if the price increases quite a lot. Supply for nurses, on the other hand, may be elastic, as there are plenty of individuals who are willing to try and seek employment in that field, assuming that the skills required aren't very hard to come by (to enter the profession). On the other hand, it can be argued that supply for artists is inelastic, due to the relatively small numbers of people in the industry. This argument can easily be refuted by pointing out the hordes of riff-raff and other emotional junkies who pander towards an illustrious career of fame and fortune, and attempt to become rock-stars. However, if they are not famous or are deemed lacking of the talent needed to earn that label, they will most likely not be counted as a â€Å"rock star† and they will find it hard to enter the music industry and therefore their efforts will be in vain, and they will be discounted by those seeking to make their fortune by accumulating and manipulating market trends. Thus, we can see that demand and supply is inelastic for rock stars, while elastic for nurses. If you draw a demand and supply diagram, who will be able to see that the rock stars' wages will be determined by a higher market equilibrium than their hospital-working (female) counterparts. Immobility of labour is another thing which contribute towards the supply of the respective professions. Being a rock star is unlikely to be one of the first or main jobs an individual will undertake in his life. Thus, stars will probably have other vocational skills ready to be of use if they suffer an untimely demise at the hands of fickle fans. This will encourage people to try and become rock-stars as they will be able to find another job later or before they strike success. Nurses, on the other hand, have less of a reason to be as occupationally mobile, as their career is more likely to be a steady, longer one, quite predictable in nature. This would mean that nurses would have to aim to try and stay in that profession for a long period of time, which may actually discourage some people from becoming nurses. However, the mobility of labour seems o have little impact in actuality as it seems that this would make supply of labour more inelastic and elastic for nurses and pop stars respectively. Geographical mobility of labour also seems to have little bearing on the supply of labour. Lastly, there are many benefits to be gained from each profession. Rock stars have the opportunity to make millions very quickly, become famous, recognised and more influential. Nurses' benefits lie more in the vicinity of pension payments, and possibly the knowledge that you are helping the community. These seem to be the main reasons as to why nurses get paid less than pop-stars.

“Animal Farm” Essay Introduction Essay

Animal Farm, like the first book of  Gulliver’s Travels  (a satire on Queen Anne’s court), began as a tract with a political motive. Farmer Jones’s Manor Farm is an Orwellian Lilliput, satirising the pretensions of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and its prompt corruption by a new, more ruthless power elite than even the Czarist regime under Ivan the Terrible. Manor Farm was once owned by aristocrats – lords of the manor. Hence its name. Before the ‘Rebellion’ it has become the property of a gentleman farmer, who is in fact, a drunken, philistine brute, lower, morally, than the animals he owns and exploits. The clever pigs make the political analysis that the animals slave, and are harvested, for the sole benefit of their owner. What right has Jones to exploit them, their labour and their very flesh on his table? They draw up a political code – ‘Animalism’ (ch. 2). Its slogans are ‘All Animals Are Equal’ (ch. 2) and ‘Four Legs Good, Two Legs Bad’ (ch. 3). The pigs mastermind a successful uprising, calling it a ‘Rebellion’. After much bloodshed the animals take over the farm. Power then has its universal effect. Having ruthlessly secured their leadership, the pigs install a totalitarian state, complete with canine police, thought control, liquidation and purges. They reserve for themselves creature comforts and owners’ privileges. For the lower animals, life is, if anything, even harder than it was under Jones: But if there were hardships to be borne, they were partly offset by the fact that life nowadays had a greater dignity than it had had before. There were more songs, more speeches, more processions. Napoleon had commanded that once a week there should be held something called a Spontaneous Demonstration, the object of which was to celebrate the struggles and triumphs of Animal Farm. (ch. 9) In the fable’s controversial conclusion the pigs – now owners of a highly profitable enterprise (for them and their dogs) – make peace with their ‘fellow’ human farmers. The animals look, in perplexity, through the windows of the farm-house: The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which. (ch. 10) The new guiding slogan for the future of the farm is: ‘All Animals Are Equal But Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others’ (ch. 10).

Education and Life Chances in Modern Education Essay

Is there such thing as secret of finding meaning in life? That might some what answers me base on certain articles that I just read and as well as the video that amazed me while viewing. This first article defines life and it’s meaning which is â€Å"Meaning in Life [live the life that you want]† by Albert S. Wang, written on November 19, 1997. This article, questions you if you are really contented and happy of what you have and if this is really the life that you wanted. It is said in here that to be able to live a life that you want and to put a meaning on it; you must first know yourself from within because this makes you know of who you are, second is know where you want to go for it gives you direction in finding your happiness. These things are beginning of having a meaningful life. To find the meaning of your life, you must find it with action not just by waiting for it to come and you can also find this meaning in life not just in distant place but mostly it is found near you. Putting a meaning in your life is all about the choices and decisions that you made on where you want to go. Just live your will and you’ll see that each day you will grow in having a meaningful life. The second article that touches me is entitled â€Å"So What Will Matter? † sent by Leandro G. Cruz and shared by Joe Gatuslao of Bacolod City, Philippines. Its original title is A Life That Matters. This article is so inspiring because it stresses that all that you have got starting from yourself just like beauty, fame, wealth and all other things that you have are just in vain because these things are not forever yours, these are just passing things and you cannot bring these things when you leave earth but what really matters are the thing that you made that others will remember you of your goodness, the things that you gave not just in material aspects but in all, living your life with significance, teaching others and set yourself as an example to them. All of these things are living a life that matters. This third article has an unknown author which entitles â€Å"A Purpose†. The article speaks that all of us who are created by God has a unique and significant purpose. Each of us is given a chance to find our designated purposes but you must wait when the right time comes because God has set it for you at a time when you are equipped and ready. Most of the time you’ll experience the roughness of life but don’t be dismayed because there is always a helping hand that will take care of you, which is God who never leaves you. Just stay at the right path and do good deeds for in the end you will find your own way to the pearly white gate. The next article is the one that I liked most which is â€Å"The Journey of Our Life† shared again by Joe Gatuslao from Bacolod City, Philippines. This article actually tells a story about the Emperor who owned a huge land and he told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and cover as much land area as he likes, then the Emperor would give him the area of land he has covered. The horseman did not stop riding and whipping the horse because he wanted to cover as much area as possible. Came to a point when he had covered a substantial area and he was exhausted and was dying. Then he asked himself, â€Å"Why did I push myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I only need a very small area to bury myself. † This story is really similar with the journey of our life because most of us are always striving for richness, properties, possessions, power etc. So we work harder and harder until we come to realized that all of these things are not necessary for living a happy and meaningful life; we must balance our way of living so that we could not missed something in life that might happen once. The next thing that I am going to share is all about the video clip that I watched; it’s about an old woman at the age of 47 and her name is Susan Boyle who joined in a certain show that searches for extraordinary talents namely Britain’s Got Talent. During her performance, a big shock was made by Susan because at the beginning when she first introduced herself, everybody was against her like they are judging Susan of joining the show where she looks like so ordinary and nothing to show up but when she start on singing all where stunned by her angelic voice and they gave her a standing ovation but most importantly the three big yes from the strict juries. This gives us an insight that we must not judge the person’s appearance because you’ll never know what’s the biggest surprise that comes from within. God created us with equal gifts and we must use this as an inspiration to others. This last article is a prayer entitled as â€Å"Mere Possessions†. It’s all about the prayer of a woman who asked a help from the Lord, asking that she might not put much stock in possessions because things don’t last and you cannot bring all of these things when you leave earth. That we come into the world with nothing, we leave with nothing. Having a meaningful life is about your choices and decisions that were made; just make sure you have chosen the right path because if you do then you’ll end walking along the pearly white gate and that is the fulfillment of having a meaningful life. There is really no such thing as a secret of finding a meaning in life; it’s just you who will make it meaningful by doing what is right and just; live happy and be happy all the time because life is just too short, you might missed something so let’s make the most of it. Public education, it can be argued, shapes society, instils social mores and indoctrinates the impressionable with those philosophies the elites value. This essay will focus upon three main areas intrinsic to the education system. These are the social reproduction of ideas, the life chances created and instilled through education, and the socialisation of the individuals undergoing the educational process. Two main sociological perspectives that are useful when studying the education system are Functionalism and Critical Theory, because they focus on macro issues and social structures more than the interactionist perspective. Functionalists believe that the school system is an agent of social reproduction, which operates to reproduce well integrated, fully functioning members of society (Webb, Schirato and Danaher, 2002: 114). Critical theorists, conversely, hold that education is the most effective mechanism for promoting social change and for giving opportunities to less privileged groups so that they can advance their social standing. However, education usually reproduces existing social divisions, maintaining the relative disadvantage of certain groups (Webb, Schirato and Danaher, 2002: 106). Munro (1994: 108) describes the different approaches by stating that, â€Å"functionalists tend to see education as synonymous with socialisation, while a conflict theorist is inclined to view education as ideological- that is, reflecting the interests of particular groups. † Functionalists hold that the major institution for social reproduction is the education system, whereas, from a critical perspective, teachers, who oversee this reproduction, have been made into administrators of programs that provide â€Å"manpower capitalisation† through planned and directed behavioural changes (Illich, 1973: 327). Illich (1973: 327) comments, from a critical perspective, that teaching and learning remain sacred activities separate and estranged from a fulfilling life. This is because the things being taught do not line up with the necessary knowledge needed for life outside of education, and that â€Å"learning from programmed information always hides reality behind a screen† (Illich, 1973: 324). This means that the knowledge provided is set to a secret agenda. The learning process, which supposedly passes on the values and mores necessary in society to students, is not, however, meeting these needs effectively. Relevant information, that is, knowledge, which will add skills to the labour market, is becoming less practical and more theoretical, expanding the gap between study and work. Regardless of this, employers and social elites have attempted to use the schools for the reproduction of compliant workers (Davis, 1999: 65). This double standard has been discussed in a best selling song, ‘The Wall’ by Pink Floyd (1978) in which they stated that the reproduction received through the school system was set to a hidden agenda, and that society would be better off without it. Drucker (1973: 236) equates the influx of educated people to the potential for producing wealth in any given country. By stating this, educational socialisation and the development of educated people is the most important function education can have. He goes on to state that while this may be the case today, throughout history, being uneducated provided the wealth of a given nation, due to the class differences, and that education was for the rich and idle while the work was performed by the illiterate. This all changed with the Industrial Revolution, and the invention of moveable type in the 17th Century (Drucker, 1973: 232). The moveable type meant that education could be performed at a reduced rate, and words became a commodity that was necessary for improving the quality of the labour force. Education is purported to provide the best possible life chances for its graduates, yet in reality, in many ways education diminishes these chances. Heinz (1987: 132) points out that the life chances of graduates are in a state of flux, that when the labour market is depressed and work is difficult to find, then young people will opt for more education as a means of delaying their entry into a tight work force. â€Å"The school then takes on the function of a warehouse; it is a place to mark time. At the same time school acts as a socio-political instrument for reducing social and political conflict, and this function gains predominance over its main function of educating young people. † In many cases the academic credentials earned are unnecessary for working-class jobs (Furlong and Cartmel, 1999: 12), which changes the focus of education, making it oppressive and irrelevant (Davis, 1999: 83). Heinz (1987: 131) states â€Å"secondary school-leavers face a worsening outlook when they want to start in working life, and joining a preparatory program is increasingly becoming the only alternative to unemployment. † There are a growing number of young people who are finding it harder to find a place, whose prospects on the labour market are poor, being qualified but underemployed, or drifting between unemployment and occasional jobs (Heinz, 1987: 131). This increases social inequalities and the gap between rich and poor. By acting as a warehouse education is not preparing students for life but rather crippling their life chances. The alternative to this are to reassess the curricula and teaching methods, reintegrating skilled workers into vocational education, ensuring that knowledge will be of direct benefit to graduates in obtaining a place within the work force. There are fewer and fewer opportunities becoming available, and school leavers have to undergo more and more relevant vocational training. However, fewer school-leavers are able to go directly into the vocational training they want. Heinz (1987: 130) noted a growing trend 16 years ago that â€Å"Depending on the region, only between one-third and one-half of these school leavers succeed in getting a training place†, and in 1994 Munro (1994: 109) observed that the â€Å"school-to-work transition† had failed which had major ramifications for everyone involved, causing â€Å"underemployment of school leavers† (Munro, 1994: 116). The seriousness of this trend is made even more apparent by the fact that school-leavers are even ready to enter apprenticeships that lead them into dead-end occupations (Heinz, 1987: 129). Drucker (1973: 232) however, states that while this may be so, to be â€Å"uneducated is an economic liability and is unproductive,† even though education is producing an â€Å"unemployable, overeducated proletariat. † (Drucker, 1973: 233) According to Mehan (1973: 240) education is a â€Å"major socialisation agency,† which moulds the individual’s self-concepts into a socially accepted format, allowing each individual to be slotted into a specific function (Sargent, 1994: 240). Sargent (1994: 240) points out that in the function of education â€Å"values are essentially involved† and are taught beside worldly knowledge. However, this knowledge interprets the world, but does not necessarily correspond with any external state (Sargent, 1994: 232). The transmission of knowledge, skills and values, helps to sort and rank individuals, that they might be better placed in the labour market (Munro, 1994: 96). This raises a paradox, however, where education is seen by many as the best possible means of achieving greater equality in society (Sargent, 1994: 233), yet it categorises the graduates into job specifications, personality types and the opportunities granted to each. Sargent (1994: 231) furthers this thought by explaining that the education system is an integral part of determining position and power in our society (Sargent, 1994: 231), and that through education the class structures are compounded, making it more difficult for those in the working classes from advancing in the social hierarchy. The education institution both absorbs and perpetuates the ideology, â€Å"masquerading as ‘knowledge’, which legitimises inequality† (Sargent, 1994: 231). Regardless of the inequalities produced, it has become the â€Å"absolute prerequisite of social and economic development in our world† to have a highly educated pool of people ready for the labour market (Drucker, 1973: 232). In conclusion, the failure of the education system to reduce social inequality and produce better workers, raises serious doubts as to its effectiveness. Life chances created through education appear to be diminishing, despite the extension of education. The knowledge taught seems to be ineffective in preparing students to cope with life. Functionalists need to reassess the structure of education, as it loses its ability to effectively provide for graduates, becoming dysfunctional in its goals to remove inequality and give a head start to people entering the work force. When looking at the education system, it is necessary to ask if the cost spent on educating people is being effectively used, considering the increasing number of educated poor. The gap between knowledge taught and life experience needs to be bridged, for education to effectively function. If, as it appears, schools are to socialise and reproduce effective and functioning members of society, the curricula has to be addressed. Bibliography Davis, Nanette J. (1999). Youth Crisis: Growing up in the High Risk Society. Praeger Publications, Westport Drucker, Peter F. (1973). ‘The Educational Revolution’, Social Change: Sources, Patterns, and Consequences (2nd ed) Amitai Etzioni and Eva Etzioni-Halevy (Eds). Basic Books Inc. , New York. pp 232 – 238 Furlong, Andy, and Cartmel, Fred (1997). Young People and Social Change: Individualisation and Risk in Late Modernity. Open University Press, Buckingham Heinz, Walter R. (1987). ‘The Transition from School to Work in Crisis: Coping with Threatening Unemployment’, Journal of Adolescent Research (Vol 2). pp 127 – 141 Illich, Ivan (1973). ‘The Breakdown of Schools: A Problem or a Symptom’, Childhood and Socialisation Hans Peter Dreitzel (Ed). Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc. , Canada. pp 311 – 336 Mehan, Hugh (1973). ‘Assessing Children’s School Performance’, Childhood and Socialisation Hans Peter Dreitzel (Ed). Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc. , Canada. pp 240 – 264 Munro, Lyle (1994). ‘Education’, Society and Change: A Sociological Introduction to Contemporary Australia Brian Furze and Christine Stafford (Eds). Macmillan Education Australia Pty. Ltd. , South Melbourne. pp 96 – 128 Pink Floyd (1978) ‘The Wall’, The Wall. Mushroom Records, California. Sargent, Margaret (1994). ‘Education – for equality? employment? emancipation? ‘, The New Sociology for Australians. Longman Cheshire Pty. Ltd. , Melbourne. pp 231 – 256 Webb, J. , Schirato, T. and Danaher, G. (2002). ‘Bourdieu and Secondary Schools’, Understanding Bourdieu pp 105 – 106 (Reprinted in Sociological Reflections on Everyday Life: GSC 1201 Reader). Allen and Unwin, Sydney. pp 227 – 238.

Democrats vs. Republicans Essay

Every American citizen has the right to vote. In the United States, you get to choose the next president and its congressional party. On Guam, you vote for the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, and the senators. Most young adults do not really know the difference of political parties or care to know the difference between who is who. Many people still do not really truly understand the difference of being a republican or democrat. It is much more than the difference between the Democrat donkey logo and the Republican elephant logo. The biggest distinction of the two parties is that Republicans are known as conservatives and the Democrats are known as the liberals (Democrat vs. Republican). All though they have some views and policies Democrats and Republicans both agree on, there are many differences that distinguish the two political parties such as taxes, government spending, social programs and issues. Anti-slavery expansion activists and modernizers founded the Republican Party in 1854 (Diamond & Gunther, 5). It rose to prominence with the election of Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president. The party presided over the American Civil War and Reconstruction and was harried by internal factions and scandals towards the end of the 19th century (Diamond & Gunther, 5). Today, the Republican Party supports a pro-business platform, with further foundations in economic libertarianism and a brand of social conservatism increasingly based on the viewpoints of the Religious Right (â€Å"Our Party†). Since the division of the Republican Party in the election of 1912, the Democratic Party has consistently positioned itself to the left of the Republican Party in economic as well as social matters (Han & Han, 32). The economically left-leaning activist philosophy of Franklin D. Roosevelt, which has strongly influenced American liberalism, has shaped much of the party’s economic agenda since 1932 (Han & Han, 30). Roosevelt’s New Deal coalition usually controlled the national government until 1964 (Han & Han, 30). Republicans believe that each person is responsible for his or her own place in society (â€Å"Republican National Committee| GOP†). Government should enable each person the ability to secure the benefits of society for themselves, their families and for those who are unable to care for themselves. The Republican philosophy is based on limiting the intervention of government as a catalyst of individual prosperity (â€Å"Democrats vs. Republicans†). Government should only intervene in specific cases where society cannot effectively act at the individual level. With the core belief that individual destiny should be in the individual’s hands, governmental power and resources should be kept close to the people, through their state and community leaders, and not centralized in distant federal government agencies (Diamond & Gunther, 7). Democrats believe it is the responsibility of government to care for all individuals, even if it means giving up some individual rights and/or subordinating enterprise and initiative (â€Å"Democrats & Republicans†). Democrat Party administrations have pushed for the centralization of power in Washington D.C., with only secondary consideration for the rights of both individuals and communities. Democrats have favored federal-level interventions that replace community-based solutions to community problems. These tactics have created several federal regulations and controls that are often in the hands of unelected bureaucrats, causing a severe erosion of local authority. The first issue where both parties disagree is about taxes. The Democrats have three key points when it comes to taxes. They want to cut taxes for every working family, but not millionaires, cut taxes for middle class, not the wealthy and cut taxes for working families, not the richest 1% (Barton).  President Obama and Democrats in Congress cut taxes for every working family, putting more money in the pockets of Americans who need it most (Barton). A typical family has saved $3,600 during his first term. Now he’s fighting to stop middle class families and those aspiring to join the middle class from seeing their taxes go up and to extend key tax relief for working families and those paying for college, while asking the wealthiest and corporations to pay their fair share (Barton). That is why Democrats will always vigorously oppose the type of tax reform supported by Mitt Romney, which independent experts have found would require raising taxes on typical families with children by at least $2,000 if it were paid for (â€Å"Mitt Romney on Tax Reform†). At the same time, Mitt Romney’s plan would cut taxes for those making over $3 million by an average of $250,000 and would create incentives that will lead to hundreds of thousands of jobs going overseas at the expense of American workers. Democrats support cutting taxes for middle class Americans (Barton). Today, for most families, the federal tax burden is the lowest it has been in twenty years (Barton). Republican views on taxes include the belief that tax reduction is important, but must be done the right way (â€Å"Republican National Committee | GOP†). The party believes that budget surpluses have caused Americans to be overtaxed-a condition that is not only threatening their financial prosperity, but is also hindering, and possibly even reversing, growth to the country’s economy (â€Å"Democrats vs Republican†). They also want to limit the top marginal rate, believing it punishes those who have worked hard and invested well. Republicans also wish to make the Research and Development tax credit permanent (Barton). These three tax reforms combined, Republicans believe, will encourage and promote entrepreneurship (â€Å"Republican National Committee†). They also believe in encouraging saving and investments by implementing a tax credit for investments. However, despite their support for lowering taxes, Republicans do believe that tax cuts or tax incentives without any balancing spending cuts are detrimental to the economy (Barton). Another difference in political parties is the way both parties feel the government should be spending money. Republicans believe government should tax only to raise money for its essential functions (Diamond & Gunther, 23).  That is, Republicans believe government should spend money only to enforce contracts, maintain basic infrastructure and national security, and protect citizens against criminals (â€Å"Republican National Committee | GOP†). The literature of the House Republican Conference goes on to illuminate the role of the government and how tax policies affect individuals: The money the government spends does not belong to the government; it belongs to the taxpayers who earned it (Democrats vs. Republicans). Republicans believe Americans deserve to keep more of their own money to save and invest for the future, and low tax policies help drive a strong and healthy economy (â€Å"Republican National Committee | GOP†). Tax relief is the Republican route to growing the economy (Barton). A Republican government would reduce taxes for businesses to allow businesses to grow and thus hire more employees (Barton). Republicans also seek to limit income taxes for individuals so that people can hold on to more disposable income, which they can then spend, save or invest (Barton). Like the Republicans, Democrats believe the government should subsidize vital services that keep cities, states and the country running: infrastructure such as road and bridge maintenance and repairs for schools (Barton). Democrats also call for tax cuts for the middle class. But who benefits most under each platform? The conventional wisdom is that corporations and the wealthy will benefit more with a Republican tax policy while small businesses and middle-class households will benefit from a Democratic tax policy (â€Å"Our Party†). The next topic is about social issues such as abortion and same-sex marriages. Democrats are generally for abortion (Our Party). The party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and the investment in stem cell and other medical research. They want to pursue embryonic stem cell research. Democrats support right to choose even if mother cannot pay. They strongly believe that choice is a fundamental and constitutional right. Democrats support the right of all families to have equal respect, responsibilities, and protections under the law. The party supports marriage equality and support the movement to secure equal treatment under law for same-sex couples. They also support the freedom of churches and religious  entities to decide how to administer marriage as a religious sacrament without government interference. The Democratic Party opposes discriminatory federal and state constitutional amendments and other attempts to deny equal protection of the laws to committed same-sex couples who seek the same respect and responsibilities as other married couples. Republicans support the human life amendment. They strongly oppose abortion funding. Republicans promote adoption & abstinence, not abortion clinic referrals. They ban abortion with Constitutional amendment and suggest alternatives like adoption, instead of punitive action. The Republican Party platform is clear. Republicans believe marriage is the legal union of one man and one woman (â€Å"Republican National Committee | GOP†). Americans want to see changes in our tax code, changes in our schools, and changes in our health care system, but there is no public clamor to change the definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman. In fact, polls consistently show that 2 out of every 3 Americans oppose recognizing same-sex marriage. Both political parties have a lot of different opinions. It is up to the voter to decide which party they feel has similar beliefs. Democrats and Republicans have very strong beliefs and only some now a days try to follow the ways for when the original parties were in session. In conclusion, the difference between a liberal and a conservative can no longer be defined within the constraints of the Constitution of the United States. In America today, the answer to this question can only be answered in view of our nation’s socialist political structure. A liberal is defined as a liberal socialist and a conservative is defined as a conservative socialist. Works Cited Barton, Stephanie. â€Å"Parties For Taxes: Republicans Vs. Democrats.† _Investopedia_. Web. 15 Oct. 2014. Blake, Aaron. â€Å"Democrats Are Winning on Social Issues – Politically, at Least.† _Washington Post_. The Washington Post. Web. 20 Oct. 2014. Diamond, Larry Jay., and Richard Gunther. _Political Parties and Democracy_. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 2001. Print. Han, Lori Cox., and Tomislav Han. _Handbook to American Democracy_. New York: Facts On File, 2012. Print. McLaughlin, Seth. â€Å"Political Parties Struggle with Gay Marriage Issue.† _Washington Times_. The Washington Times Web. 16 Oct. 2014. â€Å"Mitt Romney on Tax Reform.† _Mitt Romney on Tax Reform_. Web. 19 Oct. 2014. â€Å"Our Party.† _Democrats.org_. Web. 19 Oct. 2014. â€Å"Republican National Committee | GOP.† _GOP_. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.