Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Research Paper Example Free radius is configured according to requirements based on functions. On the internet world, FreeRadius is most reliable solution for cyber crimes as it has multiple ways of solution against cyber crimes. Most significant use of Free Radius as a security program is for the specialized Wi Fi networks. FreeRadius users do not require any hardware or specific interface; instead they only need to have user name and password registered by the FreeRadious. In a company, employees use the certificates of given access for the company’s database and network. Time and cost are important constraints in securing the company’s network. Cost includes the purchase of hardware and other expenses of securing the network. FreeRadius is free software, which does not require an additional cost. It produces its own security certificates and compatible for all protocols used (Urpi, 13). Plenty of Linux flavor exist there and provide ways to take control of the PCs. Some of the Linux distributions are designed for easier of use of beginners. Distribution is fashioned around the Linux Kernel that varies in its functions and forms. Linux Kernel is portable that runs on the array of CPU and other devices including the Compaq iPAQ, IBM S390 and IBM Linux (Sterling, 67). Creation of Linux distribution is an intimidating task for a scratch product. Process of creation of Linux distribution involves a tool chain for a root file system and also a buildup of the Kernel. Building the proper tools requires the follow up of the simple steps (Sally). Most of IT professionals argue that Ubuntu is a top distribution in Linux. Even those who use other than Ubuntu call it a powerful distribution as things work correctly. Fedora is considered the alternative of the Ubuntu as Red Hat community always prioritized the server based features than desktop enhancements. Linux Mint shares many features of Debian and Ubuntu distributions. Linux Mint is another fine option for the Linux

Initial Personal Development Plan Essay Example for Free

Initial Personal Development Plan Essay Study skills. During my GCSEs I wasn’t sure what I wanted out of life. I chose to study French, Graphics and History. I enjoyed French the most and did quite well in it, however if I had concentrated more I could’ve done a lot better. I was also working in my dads’ cafà ©. I enjoyed working at the cafà © a lot. It was hard at times to manage my time between School, working at the cafà ©, going to football practice and also making time to do homework and revision. In class I enjoyed myself a lot and got my work done fast so went on to do extra question or ‘bonus questions’. When I was in the classroom environment I felt more confidant in my work as I had the teacher to double check if I had any doubts but because I didn’t go over my work at home I feel it put me really behind .However having to juggle school, work, football and revision was very stressful and I didn’t do well as well I would have liked which put education in a negative light for me. I did consider at one point to stop my education after leaving school while I was at school because I didn’t believe I would be able to handle the pressure, however I knew that education is a very big part of my life and my family’s life as everyone has been to university in my family so I felt I had to go to college and further my education. Through this time my teachers were very helpful, I found it hard to ask for at first but when I did seek advice it was definitely the right choice. It made it clearer what I wanted in the long term and helped boost my confidence a bit in my work. After school had finished, in the summer I worked full time in my dads’ cafà © and learned a lot of new skills. I worked at the front of the shop. This made me in charge of taking orders, making sure the customers were happy, making sure the chef understood what the customer wanted, deal with complaints and come up with a fair solution. I got to experience what it’s like to run a business first hand, I got experience in taking stock, ordering stock, deliveries, cash handling, making targets, pushing sales, customer service and sorting the rotas out. This was my first time having a proper full time job, it was hard at times as at the beginning it a new environment and I wasn’t used to it, however I soon realised that one of my strengths is that I can adapt to new environments rather fast which has helped me in other jobs. While at college I studied Psychology, Sociology and English language/literature. I preferred psychology to my other subjects as I find behaviour very interesting and the cause behind it. Studying at college was a completely new environment, I didn’t have the same pressure as I did at school from my teachers, but however I had more pressure on me to get my work done on my done. I got a part time job as sales assistant in a mens shirt shop. The job was a one person shift job, so it was all up to me to make sales, attending to all the customers, making sure the shop was in a selling state. I soon moved from being just a sales assistant to supervisor which gave me more responsibility, I opened and closed the shop, cash handling, did the banking, ordering stock, sorting the delivery and sorting the rota. Again working and studying was quite stressful, but as I was enjoying my courses at college I did not find it as stressful as I did at school. I had more freedom and also more time so I was able to manage my time a lot better without the pressure. When it comes to my strengths and weaknesses, I sometimes feel my strengths can by my weaknesses. I have a strong sense of empathy which makes it a lot easier for me to get along for with different people and be able to communicate with them on their level. Also being able to speak more than one language has helped too, I speak English, Kurdish, Arabic and a bit of Swedish. Having a strong sense of empathy can be a weakness as I can be too pleasant towards people and can be a push over, but I can stand my ground if need be. I am very strong about my morals and I know where to draw a line between what’s right and wrong. I believe one of my biggest strengths is my will power. I’m very driven when it comes to my work, when I’m in a selling environment I’m very comfortable. Sometimes I am too driven and I can ignore things on the side. Being a very goal oriented person I sometimes forget to enjoy myself and spend too much time achieving my goals. Coming for the middle east a region that is very rich in oil and gas, I am inspired to work in the field. Not very many people from my part of the world work in managing our local resources, I wish to be able to work managing oil and gas and ensure all members of society benefit from the riches of the industry. One of my life’s dreams is to open an orphanage and educate the less fortunate. I firmly believe that an education is the only way to eradicate the social ills affecting my region. I am a firm believer in the fact that education is the cure for all evils. I hope by educating myself as a women from a region where education is not very common I hope to able to stand on my own two feet so as to be able to help others better themselves.

Biometric Systems :: Essays Papers

Biometric Systems As defined in Computer Security Basics by O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. Biometrics is the use of a persons unique physiological, behavioral, and morphological characteristics to provide positive personal identification. Biometric systems that are currently avaiable today examine fingerprints, handprints, and retina patterns. Systems that are close to biometrics but are not classified as such are behavioral systems such as voice, signature and keystroke systems. They test patterns of behavior not parts of the body. It seems that in the world of biometrics that the more effective the device, the less willing people will be to accept it. Retina pattern devices are the most reliable but most people hate the idea of a laser shooting into their eye. Yet something such as monitoring keystroke patters people don't mind, but it's not nearly as effective. Biometric verification is forecast to be a multibillion dollar market in this decade. There is no doubt that financial credit and debit cards are going to be the biggest part of the biometric market. There are also many significant niche markets which are growing rapidly. For example, biometric identification cards are being used at a university in Georgia to allow students to get their meals, and in a Maryland day care center to ensure that the right person picks up the right child. In Los Angeles, they are using fingerprints to stop welfare fraud. And they're also being used by frequent business travellers for rapid transit through immigration and customs in Holland, and now at JFK and Newark airports in the United States. It could also be used to simply prevent one employee from "punching in" for some one else, or to prevent someone from opening up an account at a bank using a false name. Then there is also the security access market, access to computer databases, to premises and a variety of other areas. The Sentry program made by Fingerprint Technologies uses several devices at once. The system first prompts for a user name and password. Then they must have their fingerprint scan match what is on record. They can also use a video camera for real time video to capture photographs which can be incorporated into the data base. The time to scan and gain entrance to the building take from 6 to 10 seconds depending on what other information the operator wishes the user

Asean

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has plans to fast track the integration of its member countries over the next few years. Aside from encouraging cooperation through traditional diplomatic and cultural activities, there are also ambitious proposals for ASEAN to issue a single visa and currency, and even form a united regional Olympic team. The advantages of a united ASEAN are easy to imagine. A cohesive ASEAN would likely bring tremendous benefits to Southeast Asians in the forms of more jobs, more tourists, stronger defense forces and improved camaraderie among competing neighbors.Besides, who would oppose the idea of unity and greater economic coordination in the region? But ASEAN’s basic problem is not merely an absence of unity. Wasn’t unity the main objective of ASEAN when it was established in 1967? The fact that after four decades, the group is still pushing to integrate its ten member countries suggests a pretty significant failure to foster sol idarity in the region. Without undermining the laudable efforts of the ASEAN Secretariat, many doubt it can realize the One Community vision by its announced target date of 2015.How can it, if it continues to use the same approach that has singularly failed to unite its members to date? ASEAN unity will remain an impossible vision as long as its members continue to demand it for the wrong reasons. In truth, each member nation views its association with ASEAN as a means to pursue its national interests. Sacrificing the national agenda to realize the regional good is largely an alien concept to ASEAN members. Member nations are in favor of unity as long as it doesn’t conflict with their respective national objectives.To be sure, ASEAN has successfully coordinated aid and relief efforts when natural disasters have devastated the region. But the group should be more than the region’s answer to Red Cross. But such instances are usually when ASEAN unity is invoked, namely, w hen a member is overwhelmed by a problem it can’t solve or when it is affected by a neighbor’s woes. Today, for example, we hear demands for ASEAN to intervene in Burma’s Rohingya Dilemma, maritime disputes in the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea, and human trafficking across the region.ASEAN’s next step will most likely be to decide whether to issue a joint statement to address these issues. In the absence of disasters, and in between ministerial conferences, however, ASEAN has failed to engage in the essential task of building regional unity. ASEAN hasn’t even been able to prevent members from accusing each other of being bad neighbors. East Timor’s attempts to join the club have been blocked by Singapore, among others, which view its entry as a threat to their national interests, although the reason given to the public is usually East Timor’s internal conflicts.Ultimately, ASEAN’s unwillingness to form a more united an d powerful regional grouping has been exploited by global powers like the United States, China and Japan, which are aggressively promoting their geopolitical interests in the region. A unified ASEAN could challenge the political and economic resources of these big nations. Instead, each ASEAN member has preferred to negotiate individually. It’s tragic enough that ASEAN is not united.It’s more tragic to hear ASEAN members articulate and advance the interests of non-ASEAN superpowers during ASEAN summits. At the minimum, a united ASEAN could prevent colonial powers old and new from dominating the region. But that’s just a start. After asserting its independence, it would be great to see ASEAN aspire to become a global power in its own right. With this vision in mind, perhaps it’s time to unite and promote the Southeast Asian way of life as a viable alternative to the world. Asean The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has plans to fast track the integration of its member countries over the next few years. Aside from encouraging cooperation through traditional diplomatic and cultural activities, there are also ambitious proposals for ASEAN to issue a single visa and currency, and even form a united regional Olympic team. The advantages of a united ASEAN are easy to imagine. A cohesive ASEAN would likely bring tremendous benefits to Southeast Asians in the forms of more jobs, more tourists, stronger defense forces and improved camaraderie among competing neighbors.Besides, who would oppose the idea of unity and greater economic coordination in the region? But ASEAN’s basic problem is not merely an absence of unity. Wasn’t unity the main objective of ASEAN when it was established in 1967? The fact that after four decades, the group is still pushing to integrate its ten member countries suggests a pretty significant failure to foster sol idarity in the region. Without undermining the laudable efforts of the ASEAN Secretariat, many doubt it can realize the One Community vision by its announced target date of 2015.How can it, if it continues to use the same approach that has singularly failed to unite its members to date? ASEAN unity will remain an impossible vision as long as its members continue to demand it for the wrong reasons. In truth, each member nation views its association with ASEAN as a means to pursue its national interests. Sacrificing the national agenda to realize the regional good is largely an alien concept to ASEAN members. Member nations are in favor of unity as long as it doesn’t conflict with their respective national objectives.To be sure, ASEAN has successfully coordinated aid and relief efforts when natural disasters have devastated the region. But the group should be more than the region’s answer to Red Cross. But such instances are usually when ASEAN unity is invoked, namely, w hen a member is overwhelmed by a problem it can’t solve or when it is affected by a neighbor’s woes. Today, for example, we hear demands for ASEAN to intervene in Burma’s Rohingya Dilemma, maritime disputes in the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea, and human trafficking across the region.ASEAN’s next step will most likely be to decide whether to issue a joint statement to address these issues. In the absence of disasters, and in between ministerial conferences, however, ASEAN has failed to engage in the essential task of building regional unity. ASEAN hasn’t even been able to prevent members from accusing each other of being bad neighbors. East Timor’s attempts to join the club have been blocked by Singapore, among others, which view its entry as a threat to their national interests, although the reason given to the public is usually East Timor’s internal conflicts.Ultimately, ASEAN’s unwillingness to form a more united an d powerful regional grouping has been exploited by global powers like the United States, China and Japan, which are aggressively promoting their geopolitical interests in the region. A unified ASEAN could challenge the political and economic resources of these big nations. Instead, each ASEAN member has preferred to negotiate individually. It’s tragic enough that ASEAN is not united.It’s more tragic to hear ASEAN members articulate and advance the interests of non-ASEAN superpowers during ASEAN summits. At the minimum, a united ASEAN could prevent colonial powers old and new from dominating the region. But that’s just a start. After asserting its independence, it would be great to see ASEAN aspire to become a global power in its own right. With this vision in mind, perhaps it’s time to unite and promote the Southeast Asian way of life as a viable alternative to the world.

Fetal Rights Essay

The government sees the rights of the human fetus as a complex topic, along with civil and human rights. In most states fetuses are not given entitlements because it can be seen as a violation of the privileges of the woman carrying the fetus. As of today the U. S. Supreme Court does not recognize the fetus as a person under the Fourteenth Amendment of the U. S. Constitution (Constitution). In the Declaration of Independence it is stated that the government is in place to give the U. S. people, â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,† as part of societies’ inalienable rights. In the entitlements of a fetus – a combination of a sperm and an egg – which many believe becomes a human being at the moment of conception. If this is the case then the fetus is entitled to these same privileges. Society should be able to go against the government in the case of fetal rights because they deserve to be treated as any other U. S. citizen. The citizens of the U. S. should fight for the rights of the fetuses because that is where every human being’s life began. The treatment of these unborn infants throughout pregnancy affects the overall health, both physical and mental, throughout their lifetime. Society and government officials need to put themselves in the situation of the disabled or mentally ill children that are born into this world with a preventable defect had they been taken care of properly within the womb. When a woman is pregnant they harbor another life that is completely innocent and should be treated as so. The fetus deserves to be given the same inalienable rights that those already born into this world receive, despite the wishes of the carrier. The acknowledgement of the human fetus and determining whether or not it has certain rights varies from state to state. In 1987 in the state of California, these rights were put to a test in the case of People vs. Stewart (Maternal). In this case Ms. Stewart had been charged with child abuse because she had been stated to have â€Å"willfully omitting to furnish medical services. † Her actions caused the child to be born with cranial damage and then died in the following two months (Maternal). In 1986 the judge charged her offense for harming this child in its’ fetus state, but on February 26, 1987 the charge was revoked. A new judge was assigned from the state of California and came upon the conclusion that Ms.  Stewart could not be penalized because she was in the state of pregnancy (Maternal). It was seen that Ms. Stewart was in the right when abusing her own body therefore affecting the fetus because she was committing an action to herself and a fetus without rights. The debate of the fetus and the rights it has conflict with those of woman rights. In some states, women’s rights in the terms of pregnancy include the ability to have an abortion under certain circumstances such as: rape, drug-abuse, or incest (Isaacs). This element arose in the case of Roe vs. Wade when identifying the personal rights and the role of prevention from the government (Brant ed. ). Society should be able to recognize the difference between a woman who is unable to carry a baby, for whatever reason, and the abuse of the child within the womb and the affects after birth. If fetuses were given the same inalienable rights as other U. S. citizens that have already been born into then the abuse of these infants would be put to an end. The gynecologist who sees after these women as they go through pregnancy would be able to protect the fetus from harm if the mother revealed the use of substance abuse during pregnancy. Currently, if a mother confesses to the doctor she is misusing a substance during pregnancy the doctor is not able to prevent this from continuing, as it would violate the woman’s rights. Infants born with an addiction to drugs or alcohol would be put to a halt completely because the mother would be unable to take part in these actions, as she would be in turn harming the fetus. The doctors would have the right to place these women in the hospital for the duration of the pregnancy to prevent further drug use. Today much of society is unaware that the fetus is given certain rights, but they seem to be overruled by the maternal rights of the mother (Isaac). If society was well informed of the treatment of these children maybe there would begin to be a movement to give these infants the rights they deserve. The opinions of the concerned and well informed citizens needs to be heard by government officials and even by the mothers who continue to choose to harm themselves and their child throughout pregnancy. The words and concern of fellow citizens could stop the ill treatment of the fetuses and given them the rights they are entitled to from the moment of conception. If citizens came together and drew a line on the rights for both parties and if health care was reformed to provide more affordable birth control so pregnancy could be prevented. If the future mothers were able to receive help for their substance abuse early on then they could be sent to rehabilitation centers before becoming pregnant. These ideas could help become the solution for the mothers and the fetuses.

Everything You Need to Know About Sandstone

Everything You Need to Know About Sandstone Sandstone, simply put, is sand cemented together into rock - this is easy to tell just by looking closely at a specimen. But beyond that simple definition lies an interesting makeup of sediment, matrix,  and cement that can (with investigation) reveal a great deal of valuable geologic information. Sandstone Basics Sandstone is a type of rock made from sediment - a sedimentary rock. The sediment particles are clasts, or pieces, of minerals and fragments of rock, thus sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock. It is composed mostly of sand  particles, which are of medium size; therefore, sandstone is a medium-grained clastic sedimentary rock. More precisely, sand is between 1/16 millimeter and 2 mm in size (silt is finer and gravel is coarser). The sand grains that makeup sandstone are aptly referred to as framework grains. Sandstone may include finer and coarser material and still be called sandstone, but if it includes more than 30 percent grains of gravel, cobble or boulder size its classified instead as conglomerate or breccia (together these are called rudites). Sandstone has two different kinds of material in it besides the sediment particles: matrix and cement. Matrix is the fine-grained stuff (silt and clay size) that was in the sediment along with the sand whereas cement is the mineral matter, introduced later, that binds the sediment into rock. Sandstone with a lot of matrix is called poorly sorted. If matrix amounts to more than 10 percent of the rock, it is called a wacke (wacky). A well-sorted sandstone (little matrix) with little cement is called an arenite. Another way to look at it is that wacke is dirty and arenite is clean. You may notice that none of this discussion mentions any particular minerals, just a certain particle size. But in fact, minerals make up an important part of sandstones geologic story. Minerals of Sandstone Sandstone is formally defined strictly by particle size, but rocks made of carbonate minerals dont qualify as sandstone. Carbonate rocks are called limestone and given a whole separate classification, so sandstone really signifies a silicate-rich rock. (A medium-grained clastic carbonate rock, or limestone sandstone, is called calcarenite.) This division makes sense because limestone is made in clean ocean water, whereas silicate rocks are made from sediment eroded off the continents. Mature continental sediment consists of a handful of surface minerals, and sandstone, therefore, is usually almost all quartz. Other minerals- clays, hematite, ilmenite, feldspar, amphibole, and mica- and small rock fragments (lithics) as well as organic carbon (bitumen) add color and character to the clastic fraction or the matrix. A sandstone with at least 25 percent feldspar is called arkose. A sandstone made of volcanic particles is called tuff.​ The cement in sandstone is usually one of three materials: silica (chemically the same as quartz), calcium carbonate or iron oxide. These may infiltrate the matrix and bind it together, or they may fill the spaces where there is no matrix. Depending on the mix of matrix and cement, sandstone may have a wide range of color from nearly white to nearly black, with gray, brown, red, pink and buff in between. How Sandstone Forms Sandstone forms where sand is laid down and buried. Usually, this happens offshore from river deltas, but desert dunes and beaches can leave sandstone beds in the geologic record too. The famous red rocks of the Grand Canyon, for instance, formed in a desert setting. Fossils can be found in sandstone, although the energetic environments where sand beds form dont always favor preservation. Grand Canyon National Park. Dean Fikar / Getty Images   When sand is deeply buried, the pressure of burial and slightly higher temperatures allow minerals to dissolve or deform and become mobile. The grains become more tightly knit together, and the sediments are squeezed into a smaller volume. This is the time when cementing material moves into the sediment, carried there by fluids charged with dissolved minerals. Oxidizing conditions lead to red colors from iron oxides while reducing conditions lead to darker and grayer colors. What Sandstone Says The sand grains in sandstone give information about the past: The presence of feldspar and lithic grains means that the sediment is close to the mountains where it arose.Detailed studies of sandstone give insight into its provenance- the kind of countryside that produced the sand.The degree to which the grains are rounded is a sign of how far they were transported.A frosted surface is generally a sign that sand was transported by wind- that, in turn, means a sandy desert setting. Various features in sandstone are signs of the past environment: Ripples can indicate the local water currents or wind directions.Load structures, sole marks, rip-up clasts, and similar features are fossil footprints of ancient currents.Liesegang bands are signs of chemical action after burial of the sand. The layers, or bedding, in sandstone are also signs of the past environment: Turbidite sequences point to a marine setting.Crossbedding (truncated, tilted sandstone layering) is a rich source of information on currents.Interbeds of shale or conglomerate may indicate episodes of different climate. More About Sandstone Noppawat Tom Charoensinphon / Getty Images As a landscaping and building stone, sandstone is full of character, with warm colors. It can also be quite durable. The majority of sandstone quarried today is used as flagstones. Unlike commercial granite, commercial sandstone is the same as what the geologists say it is. Sandstone is the official state rock of Nevada. Magnificent sandstone outcrops in the state can be seen at Valley of Fire State Park.   With a great deal of heat and pressure, sandstones turn to the metamorphic rocks quartzite or gneiss, tough rocks with tightly packed mineral grains.

nature versus nurture essays

nature versus nurture essays Nature versus Nurture: What shapes us and how do we become the people we are today? Everyday children are born; millions of new lives start each day, throughout the world. The growth and the development of these children, has been a topic of confusion and debate for years. Many psychologists are argued over what factors make up the person we are, whether they are biological or environmental. Different theories and conclusions have been drawn over what exactly shapes us, and what effects us from birth through adulthood. Though by studying the differences between theories I was able to draw from each and come up with my own conclusions about development and the nature versus nurture debate. I believe that only through knowledge of many theories are you able to get a clear understanding of development, and then only are you able to really analyze and come to your own conclusions. Once I was done studying the different theories and comparing this to my own thoughts and personal experiences with children I was able to come to my own conclusions about development I ha ve believe that nurture is much more influential on a childs development than nature is. Infants are born with about one hundred billion nerve cells. All of these nerve cells have not yet made the important connection, which determine a persons social, emotional, and intellectual make-up. Most of the connections are made in the first three years of a humans life. These connections are the most important and whoever and whatever comes in contact with the child will have an effect on them. Infant brain cells are constantly making connections and sending and receiving information from other cells. The signals which are sent and received travel from cell to cell by chemicals such as serotonin. The electrical impulses move over the synaptic gap and to the dendrites, then move down the axon to the terminal buttons, here the information is sent to another ce...

A Brief History of Venice, Italy

A Brief History of Venice, Italy Venice is a city in Italy, best known today for the many waterways which criss-cross through it. It has developed a romantic reputation built upon by countless movies, and thanks to one startling horror film has also evolved a darker atmosphere. The city has a history dating from the sixth century, and once wasnt just a city in a larger state: Venice was once one of the greatest trading powers in European history. Venice was the European end of the Silk Road trade route which moved goods all the way from China, and consequently was a cosmopolitan city, a true melting pot. The Origins of Venice Venice developed a creation myth that it was founded by people fleeing Troy, but it was probably formed in the sixth century C.E., when Italian refugees fleeing Lombard invaders camped on the islands in the Venice lagoon. There is evidence for a settlement in 600 C.E., and this grew, having its own bishopric by the end of the 7th century. The settlement soon had an outside ruler, an official appointed by the Byzantine Empire, which clung onto a part of Italy from a base in Ravenna. In 751, when the Lombards conquered Ravenna, the Byzantine dux became a Venetian Doge, appointed by the merchant families who had emerged in the town. Growth Into a Trading Power Over the next few centuries, Venice developed as a trading center, happy to do business with both the Islamic world as well as the Byzantine Empire, with whom they remained close. Indeed, in 992, Venice earned special trading rights with the empire in return for accepting Byzantine sovereignty again. The city grew richer, and independence was gained in 1082. However, they retained trading advantages with Byzantium by offering the use of their, now considerable, navy. The government also developed, the once dictatorial Doge supplemented by officials, then councils, and in 1144, Venice was first called a commune. Venice as Trading Empire The twelfth century saw Venice and the remainder of the Byzantine Empire engage in a series of trade wars, before the events of the early thirteenth century gave Venice the chance to establish a physical trading empire: Venice had agreed to transport a crusade to the Holy Land, but this became stuck when the Crusaders couldn’t pay. Then the heir of a deposed Byzantine emperor promised to pay Venice and convert to Latin Christianity if they put him on the throne. Venice supported this, but when he was returned and unable to pay/unwilling to convert, relationships soured and the new emperor was assassinated. The Crusaders then sieged, captured, and sacked Constantinople. Many treasures were removed by Venice, who claimed a part of the city, Crete, and large areas including parts of Greece, all of which became Venetian trading outposts in a large empire. Venice then warred with Genoa, a powerful Italian trading rival, and the struggle reached a turning point with the Battle of Chioggia in 1380, restricting Genoan trade. Others attacked Venice too, and the empire had to be defended. Meanwhile, the Doges’ power was being eroded by the nobility. After heavy discussion, in the fifteenth century, Venetian expansion targeted the Italian mainland with the capture of Vicenza, Verona, Padua, and Udine. This era, 1420–50, was arguably the high point of Venetian wealth and power. The population even sprang back after the Black Death, which often traveled along trade routes. The Decline of Venice Venice’s decline began in 1453, when Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks, whose expansion would threaten, and successfully seize, many of Venice’s eastern lands. In addition, Portuguese sailors had rounded Africa, opening another trading route to the east. Expansion in Italy also backfired when the pope organized the League of Cambrai to challenge Venice, defeating the city. Although the territory was regained, the loss of reputation was immense. Victories such as the Battle of Lepanto over the Turks in 1571 did not halt the decline. For a while, Venice successfully shifted focus, manufacturing more and promoting herself as the ideal, harmonious republic- a true blend of nations. When the pope placed Venice under a papal interdict in 1606 for, amongst other things, trying priests in a secular court, Venice won a victory for secular power by forcing him to back down. But across the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Venice declined, as other powers secured Atlantic and African trade routes, maritime powers like Britain and the Dutch. Venice’s seaborne empire was lost. End of the Republic The Venetian Republic came to an end in 1797, when Napoleon’s French army forced the city to agree to a new, pro-French, ‘democratic’ government; the city was looted of great artworks. Venice was briefly Austrian after a peace treaty with Napoleon, but became French again after the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805, and formed part of the short-lived Kingdom of Italy. The fall of Napoleon from power  saw Venice placed back under Austrian rule. Further decline set in, although 1846 saw Venice linked to the mainland for the first time, by a railway, and the number of tourists began to exceed the local population. There was brief independence in 1848–9 when revolution ousted Austria, but the latter empire crushed the rebels. British visitors began to speak of a city in decay. In the 1860s, Venice became part of the new Kingdom of Italy, where it remains to this day in the new Italian state, and arguments over to how best treat Venice’s architecture and buildings have produced conservation efforts that retain a great sense of atmosphere. Yet the population has fallen in halfsince the 1950s and flooding remains a problem.

NASCAR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

NASCAR - Essay Example Chicken Soup for the National Association, for Stock Car Auto Racing Soul highlights one hundred and one great narrations of courage, speed, conquering adversity and dedication. NASCAR, the number one spectator sport in United States, brings you this exciting jam packed trivia article that takes the reader around the country to each of the twenty NASCAR Winston Cup Series race tracks. From Pocono to Atlanta speedway, Daytona International Speedway, to the California Speedway, you can test your skill and knowledge of National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing facts and lore. This book was tailored particularly meant for National Association for Stock Cars Auto Racing fans by David Poole and Jim McLaurin. This feature goes behind the scene of the all confidential world of the supporters, decision makers and drivers while listen in individual conversations; from colorful typescript to high speed adventures. According to John Roberts and M.B. Roberts with more than seventy five million fans, The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is one of the globals mainly well-liked sports. John Roberts, who is a Racing Broadcaster, finds out the answers to the burning questions, such as who had the highest winning streak in the race? What are the best ever cars on the circuit? Who are the most excellent female participants of all time? Among

Conformity and obedience Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Conformity and obedience - Research Paper Example To the contrary those who rebelled or disobeyed probably got eaten by a tiger or fell off a cliff in the primitive settings of our species’ development. (Kassin, et.al, 2007) Hence, obedience to significant others has a definite value. In other words, â€Å"child socialization values, the values that parents hold in high regard and try to impart to their children, occupy a central place in the studies of the family and social stratification. Socialization values not only condition parental behavior in childrearing practices, they also help shape children's value systems and behavior, which affect their life chances and pathways to success.† (Xiao, 1999, p.641) Conformity has its value too, in terms of its social utility. In order for societies to maintain cohesion and harmony, a certain degree of shared virtues, behaviour and values are to be upheld by all members of the society. Otherwise, discord and disharmony are likely to ensue. As the famous adage ‘When in R ome, be a Roman’ hints, conformity holds great survival value for any individual anywhere in the world. But it must be remembered that our country is founded on principles of individual freedom and rights and the concept of ‘individualism’ is cherished and held dear by most of the citizens. Hence there are equally powerful and legitimate countervailing tendencies in the form of conformity and individualism. As author Wilfred McClay notes succinctly in his journal article for The Virginia Quarterly Review, â€Å"As the example of Huck Finn suggests, American thought and expression have always been rich with figures of heroic individuality-and correspondingly poor in convincing and binding representations of community or social obligation. Whether one considers our accounts of the great colonial religious controversies, such as those involving rebels Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson, or the moral fables embedded in our popular culture, such as that offered in th e movies One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Dead Poets' Society, and Fiddler on the Roof, we seem to have a boundless appetite for fables of personal liberation. We are almost invariably asked to side with the put-upon individual, cast as an unjustly thwarted soul yearning to breathe free, and we are instructed to hiss at the figures of social or political authority, the John Winthrops and Nurse Ratcheds of life, whose efforts to sustain order establish them instead as monsters and enemies of humanity.† (McClay, 2001, p.392) One particular illustration of a call for individualism is seen in the movie Dead Poets Society. In this Robin Williams starrer, topics of conformity and obedience are explored cinematically. Williams, who moves into a vacant English professor position in a up-scale prep school (Welton Academy in Vermont), finds his students tough to deal with in the beginning. The students are prone to make trouble both inside and outside the classroom. Williams takes u pon himself to channel their energies into more creative activities and subjects of poetry and literature serve as inspirational tool, with which he wins over the minds and hearts of the pupils. The students start behaving much better as a result and in the process engage in the learning and enjoy the classroom experience. With stimulated minds and liberated thoughts, the students are confounded and conflicted by the emergent and the established. Despite

State law enforcement agencies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

State law enforcement agencies - Assignment Example There are several law enforcement agencies in a state. Police department is one of the major law enforcement agencies listed in these criteria. US state police has an important role to play in the day-to-day activities needed to keep the society safe and healthy. Peace in society cannot be achieved with out police intervention. The significant duty of the police department is to cater the needs of society by enforcing law and order to the society. Societal harmony can be preserved by he timely involvement of the police department. Thus, crime stop and prevention is also a major duty of the police department. Another important state law enforcement agency is the Public safety department whose primary duty is the protection of people from any adverse problems related to the public safety. Freedom and security of people is just what needed to be achieved by the enforcement of such laws in every state.

The concept of beauty in anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The concept of beauty in anthropology - Essay Example Due to this it is considered a great challenge to find a uniform definition of beauty because what a person finds beautiful is not the same as another. Beauty is based on personal perspective and own concepts honed by own culture and society. It is a universal word but has many definitions and meaning. Scrotun (1) cited the idea of Pato and Plotinus that beauty is an ultimate value  ­Ã‚ ­Ã¢â‚¬â€œsomething that people pursue for its own sake and for the pursuit of which no further reason is needed to be given. As Santayan stated beauty is truth, the expression of the ideal, the symbol of divine perfection and the sensible manifestation of the good. According to Scruton (5) beauty pleases us, it is always a reason for attending to the thing that possesses it, and it is a subject-matter of judgement: the judgement of taste where it is all about beautiful objects not the subject’s statement of mind. Beauty is always associated with aesthetics and is always associated with arts. Stout as cited by Van Damme (40) defined aesthetic as a branch of philosophy dealing with the beautiful and the tests by which the beautiful may be judged. Beauty can be found in different works of art. Paintings on the wall that give joy to the audience; sculptures that please the eye and resonate the beauty that can be touched; and other works of art that are considered as important possessions because of beauty. According to Santayana (126), our judgment of aesthetic is intrinsic when based on the perception of beauty and based on the character of immediate experience and never consciously on the idea of eventual utilities of the object. Judgements about moral worth, on the contrary, are always based, when they are positive, upon the consciousness probably involved. However, in Africa, art forms are made to illustrate ugliness (Van Damme 41). This is the definition by the word anti-aesthetic introduced by R. Thomson

The effects of entertainment on culture Research Paper

The effects of entertainment on culture - Research Paper Example Today’s entertainment target particular groups of people basing on modalities such as gender, age, occupation, social standards and even physical abilities. Sadly, today’s fast growing entertainment industry has not come without its share of blame, particularly with regard to culture erosion. Here, culture is taken as the collective belief, customs, and social behaviors of a particular people in a given geographical region. Such is the case that culture function as a tool to identify a group of people simply put as â€Å" totality of a people socially transmitted pattern of thought, manifested in the way they live, worship, relate with each other and perceive humanity† (Macionis & Linda 53). Entertainment is an important part of every culture, a factor that makes it part of both the past and today and even future generations. Such is the case that as the world changes so doe’s entertainment with its effect which is usually reflected on culture, sometimes i n harmful ways. This works details Entertainment impact on culture which is often depicted by audience thought of the people involved, the communication style used, and content of the entertainment, place and time of the entertainment. Generally, audiences are influenced through entertainment into taking new patterns of socializing, thinking and response to inter-cultural communication. Entertainment results to culture clash, an effect that is experience across the globe, particularly following the internet era. Here, cultural interactions in the name of intertainment have resulted to a wide range of outcome, some good and others bad. For instance, Pop culture, widely associated with American entertainment industry is a trend that attracted large audience across America and other regions of the world. This culture that is associated with particular consumer clothing,

The concept of beauty in anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The concept of beauty in anthropology - Essay Example Due to this it is considered a great challenge to find a uniform definition of beauty because what a person finds beautiful is not the same as another. Beauty is based on personal perspective and own concepts honed by own culture and society. It is a universal word but has many definitions and meaning. Scrotun (1) cited the idea of Pato and Plotinus that beauty is an ultimate value  ­Ã‚ ­Ã¢â‚¬â€œsomething that people pursue for its own sake and for the pursuit of which no further reason is needed to be given. As Santayan stated beauty is truth, the expression of the ideal, the symbol of divine perfection and the sensible manifestation of the good. According to Scruton (5) beauty pleases us, it is always a reason for attending to the thing that possesses it, and it is a subject-matter of judgement: the judgement of taste where it is all about beautiful objects not the subject’s statement of mind. Beauty is always associated with aesthetics and is always associated with arts. Stout as cited by Van Damme (40) defined aesthetic as a branch of philosophy dealing with the beautiful and the tests by which the beautiful may be judged. Beauty can be found in different works of art. Paintings on the wall that give joy to the audience; sculptures that please the eye and resonate the beauty that can be touched; and other works of art that are considered as important possessions because of beauty. According to Santayana (126), our judgment of aesthetic is intrinsic when based on the perception of beauty and based on the character of immediate experience and never consciously on the idea of eventual utilities of the object. Judgements about moral worth, on the contrary, are always based, when they are positive, upon the consciousness probably involved. However, in Africa, art forms are made to illustrate ugliness (Van Damme 41). This is the definition by the word anti-aesthetic introduced by R. Thomson

Evidence, Proof and argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Evidence, Proof and argument - Essay Example As the jury, it is your duty to decide fairly, dispassionately and impartially based on the evidence presented by the prosecution4 since the burden of proving the guilt of defendant Duncan lies with the prosecution5 and owing to this stringent requirement, its case must stand and fall on its own merits. The prosecution cannot assert that the evidence for the defence is weak. Any claim therefore by the prosecution that this defendant has not established a valid defence should not be entertained. I would like to emphasize that the duty to prove the guilt of this defendant is the sole responsibility of the prosecution6. This defendant need not do anything since the law presumes his innocence until proven otherwise. However, Members of the jury, I would likewise caution you that the proof required of the prosecution is not absolute certainty that this defendant has committed the grievous act he is accused of. The prosecution is simply required to prove beyond a reasonable doubt(fn-case) that this defendant is guilty. Judgment beyond a reasonable doubt simply requires moral certainty that this defendant committed the offence charged. ... With that as a backdrop, let us proceed with the task at hand. This defendant is indicted for the murder of Simon Chapman by allegedly plunging the knife into the victim’s heart with intent to hurt and cause him serious harm. The death of Simon Chapman allegedly resulted from the acts of this defendant who was then 15 years old. Allow me, Members of the Jury to walk you through the undisputed facts—the decedent, Simon Chapman and his friend Christopher Jones (Jones) were sitting in a coach aboard a train late at night when two boys, defendant Duncan Moore and David Parker (David) were smoking and running about the train passing from one carriage to another. Christopher Jones chided the boys for smoking and to which they replied to â€Å"fuck off†. At this point, David—the younger of the two—decided to pester Jones by grabbing his briefcase. A commotion ensued where Jones pushed David who retaliated with a punch landing on the Jones’ face. As Jones was about to hit David again, Duncan intervened. The ruckus is now between Jones and Duncan. They were throwing punches at each other when decedent Chapman arose from his sleep and seeing that Jones was being hit by Duncan, he, in turn, struck Duncan with his umbrella. Duncan fell on his back and decedent Chapman straddled him, the two went on throwing punches against each other when the fracas stopped. Decedent Chapman was stabbed with the use of a kitchen knife. Thereafter, two boys alighted on the next train stop. Based on this undisputed facts, you shall decide if this defendant stabbed the victim or is there a probability that somebody else on that train who could be the culprit. Before we move on to the evidence presented by either side, it is important that I discuss the

Tech Writing Essay Example for Free

Tech Writing Essay As you may have recently heard, lately we received news from the corporate headquarters that it would be in the best interest of the entire company to pay more attention to matters of preventing accidents and any other safety-related measures that affect the workplace, including both office and field activities related to all types of jobs that we complete. Every single employee in each office at every branch needs to be mindful in this regard so that he/she is most efficient and effective in the daily performance of his/her everyday tasks that relate to their job responsibilities so that safety is always of paramount concern. With this goal of safety ever present in our minds, I believe the bottom line of the emphasis on safety could be considered to be the training that each of us receives in his/her first initial weeks on the job as well as the training provided on a regular basis throughout each year of our employment with M-Global, so that we are always aware of how to operate in a safe manner. The training video gives the company the mechanism to provide each of you with the means to become aware of the elements of safety that relate to the specific needs and requirements of your own particular job. Therefore, at this point in time I have come to the conclusion in the process of contemplating the relevance of the new corporate emphasis on safety to our particular branch that we need, as a branch, to give much greater scrutiny and analysis to the way we can prevent accidents and emphasize the concern of safety at every stage of our operation for every employee. Toward the end I have asked the training coordinator Kendra Jones to assemble a written training program that will involve every single employee and that can be implemented beginning no later than June of this year. When the plan has been written and approved at the various levels within the office, I will conduct a meeting with every department in order to emphasize the major and minor components of this upcoming safety program. It is my great pleasure to announce to all of you that effective in the next month (February) I will give a monthly safety award of $100 to the individual branch employee at any level of the branch  who comes up with the best, most useful suggestion related to safety in any part of the branch activities. Today I will take the action of placing a suggestion box on the wall of the lunchroom so that all of you will have an easy way to place suggestions for safety into the pipeline and to be considered. As an attachment to the memo you are now reading from me, I have provided you with a copy of the form that you are to use in making any suggestions that are then to be placed in the suggestion box. On the last business day of each month, the box will be emptied of the completed forms for that month, and before the end of the following week a winner will be selected by me for the previous month suggestion program, and an announcement will be placed by me on the bulletin board in the company workroom. If you have any questions in regard to the corporate safety program as it affects our branch or about the suggestion program that is being implemented here at the Denver office at M-Global, please do not hesitate to make your comments known either in memorandum form or by way of telephone response to this memorandum.

Study On The Cardiac Causes For Chest Pains Nursing Essay

Study On The Cardiac Causes For Chest Pains Nursing Essay The relation of chest pains with cardiac causes responsible for the pain was one targeted area for studies. From the previous researches chest pain was observed to be one common complaints in children and previous findings reported it to be more prominent in old ages with mean age of 13 and cardiac causes was responsible for less than 20% of chest pain complaints in younger children and in community which was supposed to exist because of ischemic vertical dysfunction, myocardial and pericardial inflammatory process or arrhythmia but exact cause for cardiac chest pain was still in dark. Specialised methods like echocardiography, Holter monitoring, excercise stress test, electrophysiological studies were reported to be required to assess cardiac diseases in children responsible for chest pain but still it may not be able to give exact causes of chest pain. The purpose for this study was to identify cardiac diseases and to explore cardiac causes which were directly associated with chest pain in children.(Cagdas and Pac, 2009) Methods: In this study 120 children with ages in between 5-16 years who were frequently reported to pediatric cardiology clinic regarding chest pain were analysed in a tertiary subspecialty clinic from March 2005 to May 2006. The reason for selecting children with ages 5-16 years having chest pain complains was based on previous findings of studies and was good choice of selection for assessment of cardiac diseases related to chest pain as it was targeted group for chest pain and further in this study it was divided in two age groups that was 5-12 years age group and 13-16 years age group because of psychogenic pain consideration in children older than 12 years age which was good reasoning for dividing groups. Thus it was cross-sectional and a retrospective assessment but as it relies on previous findings and data from other clinics it might have limitations in selection and number selected that was 120 subjects seems to be very less for this type of assessment thus it might lead in error.(Ca gdas and Pac, 2009) The strength of this study was dependent on the outcomes of methods used for analysis of cardiac diseases associated with chest pain. All selected patients were subjected to Echocardiography, Electrocardiography(ECG) and Chest X-Ray and analysis of Hemogram, serum glucose and electrolytes was done. In Chest X-Ray all necessary images to diagnose heart, lung, chest wall and big vessels are generated by ionising radiation in X-ray form (P.A.Mahesh, 2006). In Electrocardiography functioning of different parts of heart muscles are measured by recording in skin electrodes placed on different positions of heart and it displays in ECG as electrical signal. The display of ECG shows rhythm of heart and damage of any heart muscles can be concluded(Meek and Morris, 2002). Echocardiogram generates two-dimensional pictures using ultrasound techniques for cardiovascular systems. In Echocardiography echoes of sound waves are picked by transducer and are transmitted as electrical impulses which are then converted to motion pictures of heart by Echocardiography machine and also movement of blood via heart is recorded by Doppler probe. Different types of cardiac diseases can be identified by this methods.(Quinones et al., 2003) Also excercise and tilt table test and twenty four hour Holter monitoring was carried out in some required cases which also gave detail regarding cardiac diseases. In 24 hour Holter monitoring test for 24 hour an electrodes are attached on chest of the subject to be monitored by which electrical activity of heart is recorded to an attached small battery operated monitor. Note of all activities carried out by patient during 24 hours is required and results after 24 hour of test are analysed to see any irregular changes in rhythm of heart and for further analyses of cardiac disease (Hilbel et al., 2008). Different ways are developed to perform tilt table depending on individual patient generally patient is obstructed to any physical movement of body and kept flat on tilt table and it is then suspended or tilted at different angles. Records of symptoms, blood pressure, pulse, electrocardiogram etc are kept during test which can be use for analysis of cardiac disease(Benditt et al., 1996 ). Actually this study was designed and conducted on algorithm setup in which depending on types of symptoms observed from physical examination and history of patients it was further evaluated using different methods to identify cardiac causes.(Cagdas and Pac, 2009) SPSS 11.0(SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) software was use to carry out statistical assessment in which Chi-square test was selected for analyses of difference in variables of groups in which significant level p value was kept less than 0.05 and risk between groups was compared by odds ratio value(95% Confidence Interval). Here the total number of patients was 120 which is quite large thus selection of Chi-square test to analyse difference in variables of two groups was perfect.(Cagdas and Pac, 2009) Results: In this study out of 120 patients depending on history and physical examination evaluation of further detail assessment by performing stated techniques as required 52(42.5%) patients were found to have cardiac diseases out of which 11(9.2%) patients on admission were found to have history of cardiac disease and in 28(23.3%) patients chest pain was supposed to be directly associated with cardiac disease and out of 28 patients 14(11.6%) were reported with different types of arrhythmias as shown in table 2.(Cagdas and Pac, 2009) On complete assessment of all patients for cardiac disease according to the age group that is 5-12 years of age and 12-16 years of age the children were analysed with structural Cardiac Disease and types of arrhythmia as shown in table 1 and 2.(Cagdas and Pac, 2009) Different types of Cardiac diseases found to be associated with chest pain is also listed in table 1 and 2. In table 2 patients with infrequent supraventricular ectopy and ventricular ectopy were excluded.(Cagdas and Pac, 2009) Table.1. SPSS result for frequency and risk of structural cardiac disease according with age in patients with chest pain(Cagdas and Pac, 2009) Groups Structural Cardiac Disease pÃŽÂ ± Present Absent Type N Total,n(%) Total,n(%) 5-12 years old (n=55) RVHD 5 11(20) 44(80) 0.011 MVP 3 CMP 1 ASD 1 PFO 1 13-16 years old (n=65) RVHD 12 27(41.5) 38(58.5) MVP 4 CMP 3 VSD 3 AS 3 ASD 1 PFO 1 ÃŽÂ ±Chi-square test, ÃŽÂ ²Risk analysis, ÃŽÂ ´Reference group is taken as 5-12 years age group AS- valcular aortic stenosis, ASD- atrial septel defect, CMP- cardiomyopathy, MVP- mitral valve prolapse, PFO- patent foramen ovale, RVHD- rheumatic valvular heart disease, VSD- ventricular septal defect Ref: CAGDAS, D. N. PAC, F. A. (2009) Cardiac chest pain in children. Anadolu Kardiyoloji Dergisi-the Anatolian Journal of Cardiology, 9, 401-406. As shown in above SPSS result the risk of structural cardiac disease in elder age group was 2.84 times higher as compared to younger age group and significant p value was 0.011 which was less than 0.05 which states that there was significant difference between variables of two age groups with structural cardiac disease.(Cagdas and Pac, 2009) Table.2. SPSS result for Frequency and risk of arrhythmia with age in patients with chest pain(Cagdas and Pac, 2009) Groups Arrhythmias PÃŽÂ ± Present Absent Type N Total,n(%) Total,n(%) 5-12 years old (n=55) Frequent VE and SVE 3 3 (5.5) 52 (94.5) 0.05 13-16 years old (n=65) Frequent VE and SVE 7 11 (16.9) 54 (83.1) WPW Syndrome 2 Sinus bradycardia 1 Sinus pause 1 ÃŽÂ ±Chi-square test, ÃŽÂ ²Risk analysis, ÃŽÂ ´Reference group is taken as 5-12 age group SVE supraventricular ectopy, VE ventricular ectopy, WPW Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome Ref: CAGDAS, D. N. PAC, F. A. (2009) Cardiac chest pain in children. Anadolu Kardiyoloji Dergisi-the Anatolian Journal of Cardiology, 9, 401-406. As shown in above SPSS result the risk of arrhythmias in elder age group was 3.53 times higher as compared to younger age group and significant p value was 0.05 which shows borderline significant difference in variables of two groups with arrhythmias.(Cagdas and Pac, 2009) Overall analysis of arrhythmias and structural cardiac disease reported 4.12 times higher risk of cardiac disease in elder age group (12-13 years age) as compared to that with younger age group (5-12 years age).(Cagdas and Pac, 2009) Discussion: The results of this study was compared with other studies and different required methods were performed for analyses of cardiac disease related to chest pain which was not performed in previous studies. In previous findings majority of patients were assessed by only echocardiography without performing 24 hour holter monitor test to any patients while in this study echocardiography was performed to all children and holter monitoring was done for 38(31.6%) patients out of 120 as required and also frequencies of arrhythmias was found to be 11.6% and same ratio for structural cardiac disease which as compared to other studies was high. Thus use of various methods for assessing cardiac diseases associated with chest pain was good effort made in this study.(Cagdas and Pac, 2009) One finding of this study was that chest pain complains was more in the elder children which was supported by previous epidemiological studies for the chest pain complaints. Cardiorespiratory problems in young children and psychogenic pain in children older than 12 years of age was reported from previous studies while from this study 4.12 times more risk to cardiac disease was found in elder age group on analysing all cardiac diseases and was explained because of aging related risk of arrhythmias or increase in structural cardiac diseases symptoms or increase in level of consciousness with increasing age regarding cardiac chest pain symptoms which was satisfactory reasoning given in this study. From the SPSS results it concluded that older children were at high risk to structural cardiac disease (p=0.011) and 3.53 times more frequent to arrhythmias. Thus use of SPSS results in analyses of cardiac disease was one very important part of this study as it explored some critical and diffe rent results compared to other studies.(Cagdas and Pac, 2009) In 28(23.3%) patients chest pain was supposed to be directly caused by cardiac diseases and which was assumed because of high frequency of some cardiac diseases in patients selected but clear reasons for chest pain was still not proved. From previous studies majority of non-cardiac chest pain was reported because of gastro-esophageal reflux diseases and in this study total 40 patients were suffering chest pain because of similar reasons like abdominal pain, epigastric tenderness etc which highlighted one important conclusion that their may exist more than one cause for chest pain not necessary that its always related to cardiac disease. This study also gave example of important application of echocardiography in diagnosis of rheumatic valvular heart disease as it was detected in 17 children as compared to analyses done by clinical examination for existence of rheumatic valvular heart disease.(Cagdas and Pac, 2009) In this study following the particular algorithm the study groups were analysed from which many results reported was different from that concluded by physical examination like in 16 patients physical examination showed it to be innocent murmur but was found to have structural cardiac disease on further analyses. Thus though this type of algorithm requires some extra excercise but it made analyses to identify cardiac disease more clear.(Cagdas and Pac, 2009) Overall this study concluded that risk of cardiac disease was increased with age and it also gave percentage of cardiac disease that was 42.5% which was high as compared to other studies. The study also highlighted importance and use of different methods that can be used for detail analyses of cardiac disease that was not covered in previously performed studies but this type of evaluation was to be carried out with larger number of patients to get more clear with results and draw important conclusion because by analysing only 120 children with chest pain one common conclusion can not be given. Selection of proper SPSS tests was done which gave important results for this study. This study attempted very well to identify cardiac diseases causing chest pain with all good planning and reasoning behind all steps and methods used but still research in area of cardiac diseases will not be clear unless any sure and specific result for particular cardiac disease can be taken as reference to i dentify and to draw conclusion.

why their conscience is not their guide :: essays research papers

Why Their Conscience Is Not Their Guide? In recent years there has been a serious shift in values among our Turks and Caicos families in terms of ideals handed down to children. Have you noticed how parents are going out of their way to purchase their children the latest designer wear? Be it Fubu or Phat Farm or Tommy Hilfiger. But have you also noticed that many of these parents do not go out of their way to make sure their homework is done or that they are in fact learning something in school? Have you noticed that kids are walking around with cell phones strapped to them and some the latest model? But have you also noticed that many of these same parents do not make sure that their children have a Bible or that they go to Sunday School or Church? HAVE YOU NOTICED HOW MATERIALISTIC AND SUPERFICIAL OUR CHILDEN ARE BEING RAISED WITH THE GREATEST RESPECT FOR MATERIAL POSSESSIONS RATHER THAN GOOD MANNERS AND SPIRTUAL VALUES? Well, I have and I am actually sicken by this shift in recent years. Tonight, I sat in a meeting and heard about the drug abuse and criminal activities among High School and College students: our future. And I questioned myself as to real fact that if our youth, our future does not realize they are the future and if parents don’t realise that their kids are the future and if society on a whole continues to watch our future drink and smoke themselves into a drunken stupor and slowly poison their minds with drugs, where will we be as a people? My mother is a very community minded person always cooking for community functions and playing for community events such as funerals, weddings and church services, including playing every Sunday morning in her own Church in South Caicos. Her mother raised her in the Church and ensured that she learnt a musical instrument. She in turn raised my siblings and to serve in any way we can in our community and she also made sure that we each learnt a musical instrument. Why am I saying this? There was a successive plan in my family not consciously I am sure but because they were raised that way, my mother and my grandmother raised their children that way. Parents are not making the Church an important institution in the lives of their children.

Inatimate Object Essay Essay

In my personal opinion, Mr. Rizzo would be a book because there are plenty of things that you can learn from him. For example you can learn life lessons, football, volleyball, and wrestling skills, and math skills. Particularly I think the book he would be, would be a â€Å"Boys Handbook† type. I say this because Mr. Rizzo is a coach of all boys’ sports, is a good teacher at the things he teaches, and is very smart. Rizzo is a pre-algebra teacher in the Brackman Middle School. My eighth grade year having him as a math teacher helped me understand the concepts of algebra a lot better than I did. The way he teaches things he shows examples and works hand-in-hand with a student who may need the extra help (one reason why I believe he’s such a great teacher). Also, Mr. Rizzo showed my class a lot of tips, and tricks that can help you work through confusing algebraic equations. I’m very happy that I was able to have Mr. Rizzo as my teacher because a lot of things he had taught me helped carry through my first Algebra 1 course as a freshman. In this book that Mr. Rizzo may be as an inanimate object, someone could learn math skills, tips, or tricks, like what he verbally taught me in the classroom. Also, Mr. Rizzo is a great athletic coach. He coaches wrestling and football at the middle school level, and varsity volleyball in the Barnegat High school. He had a scholarship for wrestling back in the day, but it was unfortunately taken away after he got into a fight in school and accidentally hit his wrestling coach’s wife in the face as she tried break up the fight that he was in. As a wrestler I know everything I know from Mr. Rizzo. I entered the Brackman Middle School gym my sixth grade year knowing absolutely nothing about wrestling. From then on I just constantly learned move, after trick, after combination, and more from him. As a football player I was coached by Rizzo for only one season when I was in eighth grade. He was my defensive coach for me and the rest of the linebackers. Not knowing much about the position because I used to play the defensive line in recent years, he taught me a lot of new ways to play, holes to hit, coverage zones, and more. I’ve never played on a volleyball team but what I hear firsthand from players of Rizzo’s, is that he is nothing but a good coach. Between talking to Rizzo at wrestling, football, or in the classroom, my mind was always being blown by stories he had to tell about what has happened in his life, his family, what he had been through, and more. He changed my outlook on the future and made me realize that if you don’t work hard to succeed you’ll go nowhere in life. From stories of all the jobs he had worked to support himself and his family, different jobs to do, places to end up in life really showed me that you need to work hard to have a good life. What Rizzo had taught to me over the three years I’d see him on a regular basis, was that whatever you do, you have to put your mind to and give it your all. Also that nothing in life comes easy to you and that you have to work for things. What I learned from him I believe will have a very large and positive impact on my future. In conclusion, if Mr. Derrick Rizzo were to ever become an inanimate object I believe that he would be a book. This book would not be just a regular one, but something can help many people, with many things. It can definitely increase someone’s math smarts by a lot, by helping explain how to work through big problems, how to graph, simplify, and much more. You can learn a lot of tips and tricks in a lot of sports. Different ways to play defense in football, what holes to hit, who to cover, and what to do. In wrestling you can learn takedowns, pin combinations, escapes, and more; and how to play and do things in volleyball. Also, it can really change the way that people may look at life and think about or approach things. It would not only help and positively benefit people; it will also show why Mr. Rizzo is such an interesting person.

Native American Movement Essay

The Native American movement of the 1960s and 1970s was the result of Native Americans coming together to claim, regain, or reassert rights to lands and to fight for more control over water, economic affairs, and education on native lands. Although the movement was all across the U. S. the most well known event of AIM; or the American Indian Movement was the occupation of Alcatraz island from 1969 through 1971. The first major intertribal association was the national congress of American Indians, or NCAI whose concerns were protection of Indian land rights and improved educational opportunities for Native Americans. Founded in 1944 in response to termination and assimilation policies that the U. S. forced upon the tribal governments in contradiction of their treaty rights and status as sovereigns. They joined the movement after being denied Indian land from the United States government. Many achievements were made; the first, in 1949 when they made charges against federal job bias towards the Indians. Again in 1950, 1952 and in 1954 when they won their fight against legislation that would have allowed the states to civil and criminal jurisdictions over Indians. They dealt with various topics like health care, employment, and safety issues on a nation wide scale. They were very successful in completing there goals and helping the cause. ( http://www. answers.com/topic/national-congress-of-american-indians) The American Indian Movement; or AIM was an American Indian rights group who occupied a number of sites. Founded in 1968, there goals were fostering a sense of unity and solidarity among American Indian and first nation groups in the U. S. and Canada. They joined the movement because in the 1960s, American Indians were the poorest minority group. They achieved many famous site takeovers from the 1970 occupation of a replica of the mayflower to the occupation of Mount Rushmore in 1971. There most famous occupation however was the one of Alcatraz island from 1969 to 1971, it started with just a few, then quickly grew to hundreds. ( http://www. conservapedia. com/American_Indian_Movement_Grand_Governing_Council) The group offered to buy the island from the federal government for $24 in glass beads and red cloth but there offer was denied and after 2 years and a lot hard times, the U. S. government finally removed the group from the island. ( http://www. digitalhistory. uh. edu/database/article_display. cfm? HHID=387).

SAS Institute Case Study Answers

The SAS institute was founded in 1976 by Dr. James Goodnight and Dr. John Sall, both professors at North Carolina State University, SAS Institute, Inc. provides business intelligence (BI) software and services at more than 40,000 customer sites worldwide, including 90 percent of the Fortune 500 companies. SAS, which stands for â€Å"statistical analysis software,† is headquartered in Cary, North Carolina. It is the world’s largest privately held software company, having over 100 offices worldwide with approximately 10,000 employees. With an unbroken record of growth and profitability, SAS had revenue of $1. 18 billion in 2002 and invested about 25 percent of revenues into research and development. SAS has been widely recognized for its work-life programs and emphasis on employee satisfaction. The company’s various honors include being recognized by Working Mothers magazine as one of â€Å"100 Best Companies for Working Mothers† and by Fortune magazine as one of the â€Å"100 Best Companies to Work for in America. † The Working Mothers recognition has been received 13 times and the Fortune recognition has occurred for six consecutive years. . Critically analyse the basic management philosophy that governs employee relation management at SAS. The management culture is a very important factor in the imprinting of a company: it shapes the relationship between working environment and employee satisfaction. SAS’s particular strategy of running the business in which the employees are unbelievably loyal, as a software developer himself, SAS CEO Jim Goodnight knows well that designing software is a creative process, and that SAS’ continued success is built on â€Å"products of the mind. The creativity and puzzle-solving behind great software and the caring professionalism behind great customer service are the most essential resources in an intellectual property enterprise. SAS management believes that workplace culture, company values and employment practices can transform the work experience in ways that are not only good relations but good business. Focusing on people and relationships making employees a top priority leads to more productive, satisfied and dedicated employees. They take care of the company that takes care of them. To achieve that ideal, employees must be stimulated, engaged, appreciated and supported. They need to be trusted and valued, to feel that they make a difference. To support the creative process and balance work and family, they must be offered a flexible work environment that allows them to be the most productive. And they should be freed from many of the distractions and difficulties of day-to-day life, so they can focus on doing their best work. They want good results so they pay their employees competitively, targeted at the average for the software industry. SAS does not provide stock options like other companies in the industry. Instead of relying on high salaries and stock options to attract and retain workers like many software companies do, SAS takes a very different approach. SAS focuses on providing meaningful and challenging work, and it encourages teamwork. SAS also provides a host of benefits that appeal to the employees and help keep them satisfied. As one employee who took a 10 percent pay cut to join SAS said: â€Å"It’s better to be happy than to have a little more money. Employees are given the freedom, flexibility, responsibility, and resources to do their jobs, and they are also held accountable for results. Managers know what employees are doing and they work alongside them, writing computer code. The company employs very few external contractors and very few part-time staff, so there is a strong sense of teamwork throughout the organization. SAS employees are clearly involved in their work. One employee, Kathy Passarella, notes that: â€Å"When you walk down the halls here, it’s rare that you hear people talking about anything but work. Clearly, human resource management at SAS is a two-way street. SAS has an HR strategy and related policies and practices that attract, motivate, and retain highly capable workers who make significant contributions to the ongoing success of the company. Goodnight and the other SAS leaders expect nothing less than superior performance from the employees, and they continue to get it. The employees are loyal a nd committed to the company, and they are productive; so loyal, committed, and productive, in fact, that only a small percentage of the employees ever leave once they have been hired at SAS. They have the employees who don’t want to leave the work even if they get little more money somewhere else as they want the peace they get in SAS. (Drucker 1974, Chaffee 1985) 3. Critically evaluate how SAS’s have ethically played its role in providing for the needs of its employees and how its human resource strategy policies, and practices affect the company’s ability to attract, develop, and maintain a quality workforce. This Corporate Social Responsibility Report reflects the core values and achievements of how SAS does business as an employer, a software provider and a corporate citizen. The guiding principles that launched the company in 1976 are still the foundation of the enterprise. The company strives to be approachable, so customers recognize SAS as a reliable partner and not just a vendor. It is about being customer-driven, engaging with customers to find out what they want and helping to solve their problems. It requires swiftness and agility, to adapt to changing technology and global conditions. It relies on the kind of innovation that grows in a workplace culture where employees feel valued, vested and inspired to excellence. And it demands that SAS be trustworthy, an ethical business partner that customers can count on for their critical decision-making processes. Overarching these guiding principles is the commitment to sustainability to drive operational efficiency, spawn innovation, and satisfy the expectations of customers, employees and society. This commitment and understanding are driven from the top. Through the SAS Executive Sustainability Council, top executives ensure that sustainability goals and priorities permeate every aspect of the company’s operations. Externally, SAS senior management is represented on the boards of leading conservation organizations, such as The Nature Conservancy, and provides influence on the global stage through such organizations as the World Economic Forum, World Resources Institute and the Environmental Defense Fund. Responding to the growing need for companies to measure their performance, SAS introduced SAS for Sustainability Management software in 2008 to enable organizations of any size or industry to measure, manage and report on sustainability indicators. This groundbreaking solution led to Jim Goodnight, SAS CEO, being named among the â€Å"100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics† in 2008. This 2009 Corporate Social Responsibility Report, the third published by the company, highlights SAS’ commitment to, and leadership on, sustainability across all business units – in terms of governance and management, employees, community engagement and the environment. Employees are given the freedom, flexibility, responsibility, and resources to do their jobs, and they are also held accountable for results. Managers know what employees are doing and they work alongside them, writing computer code. The company employs very few external contractors and very few part-time staff, so there is a strong sense of teamwork throughout the organization. SAS employees are clearly involved in their work. One employee, Kathy Passarella, notes that: When you walk down the halls here, it’s rare that you hear people talking about anything but work. (Cooper 1991) Included among the various employee benefits that SAS provides are: an employee fitness and recreational center, an employee laundry service, a heavily subsidized employee cafeteria, live piano music in the employee cafeteria, subsidized on-site childcare, and a free health center. All of these benefits are geared toward employees having a better work experience and/or a better balance between their work lives and their personal lives. The company’s commitment to work-life balance is evident in SAS’s 35-hour workweek, which clearly recognizes the importance of employee’s personal lives. That strategy is intended â€Å"to make it impossible for people not to do their work. † The owners of SAS want employees to be satisfied because they believe satisfied employees will be excellent performers and will provide exceptional service to the company’s customers. If you treat employees as if they make a difference to the company, they will make a difference to the company. Satisfied employees create satisfied customers. † This viewpoint might be described as a form of enlightened realism and enlightened self-interest on the part of the company. Satisfied employees make for satisfied customers, and satisfied customers make for an ongoing stream of revenue and profits for SAS. . In commenting on the company’s performance expectations for employees, Goodnight says: â€Å"I like to be around happy people, but if they don’t get that next release out, they’re not going to be very happy. Pondering the likelihood that SAS employees would take advantage of the company’s relaxed atmosphere, John Sall, co-owner of SAS, observes: â€Å"I can’t imagine that playing Ping-Pong would be more interesting than work. † David Russo adds some additional perspective. He says: â€Å"If you’re out sick for six months, you’ll get cards and flowers, and people will come to cook dinner for you. If you’re out sick for six Mondays in a row, you’ll get fired. We expect adult behavior. † David Russo, SAS’s head of human resources says: â€Å"To some people, this looks l ike the Good Ship Lollipop, floating down the stream. It’s not. It’s part of a soundly designed strategy. † That strategy is intended â€Å"to make it impossible for people not to do their work. † (Buzzell 1987) 4. Critically evaluate SAS employees’ moral duty to the organization towards the achievement of its goal. As the company is doing its best to keep the employees happy it also expects the employees to give their best to the company. The owners of SAS want employees to be satisfied because they believe satisfied employees will be excellent performers and will provide exceptional service to the company’s customers. So by treating the employees well they know that they will get ga good return as the employees will treat the customers well. They follow the strategy that satisfied employees create satisfied customers. † This viewpoint might be described as a form of enlightened realism and enlightened self-interest on the part of the company. Satisfied employees make for satisfied customers, and satisfied customers make for an ongoing stream of revenue and profits for SAS. SAS’s leaders recognize both the benefits and costs associated with keeping employees satisfied. One of the most significant benefits for SAS is a very low annual turnover rate. The company’s turnover rate is less than four percent, as compared to approximately 25 percent for the industry as a whole. This low turnover saves the company about $70 million annually in employee replacement costs. On the cost side, of course, is the company’s monetary outlay for the various programs. David Russo, the human resources director, argues that the employee replacement cost savings more than pays for the company’s generous benefits. Perhaps of more concern on the â€Å"cost side† is the potential for employees failing to perform. In commenting on the company’s performance expectations for employees, Goodnight says: â€Å"I like to be around happy people, but if they don’t get that next release out, they’re not going to be very happy. † Pondering the likelihood that SAS employees would take advantage of the company’s relaxed atmosphere, John Sall, co-owner of SAS, observes: â€Å"I can’t imagine that playing Ping-Pong would be more interesting than work. † David Russo adds some additional perspective. He says: â€Å"If you’re out sick for six months, you’ll get cards and flowers, and people will come to cook dinner for you. If you’re out sick for six Mondays in a row, you’ll get fired. We expect adult behavior. † The system of SAS is a two-way street. SAS has an HR strategy and related policies and practices that attract, motivate, and retain highly capable workers who make significant contributions to the ongoing success of the company. Goodnight and the other SAS leaders expect nothing less than superior performance from the employees, and they continue to get it. The employees are loyal and committed to the company, and they are productive; so loyal, committed, and productive, in fact, that they are giving the best to the company. Borgerson 2008). 5. Conclusion: SAS has proved to give the best quality of working atmosphere to its employees. They motivate their employees and help them to give their best to the company. They don’t interfere in the family life of the employees instead they tray to make their lives better in every way by creating things around them that make th em feel comfortable. Clearly, human resource management at SAS is a two-way street. SAS has an HR strategy and related policies and practices that attract, motivate, and retain highly capable workers who make significant contributions to the ongoing success of the company. Goodnight and the other SAS leaders expect nothing less than superior performance from the employees, and they continue to get it. The employees are loyal and committed to the company, and they are productive; so loyal, committed, and productive, in fact, that only a small percentage of the employees ever leave once they have been hired at SAS, as they feel so comfortable that even if they are offered a little more money in some other company they don’t prefer more money.

The Impact of Sports on Politics and Cultural Representation Research Proposal

The Impact of Sports on Politics and Cultural Representation - Research Proposal Example Likewise, sports have increasingly incorporated elements of politics and nationalism, depending on the public sphere in which they represent. This can be effectively elucidated by the move by the Sri Lankan theatres to adopt a play that stages in the form of cricket. In this case, cricket is a significant element of the Sri Lankan public sphere. The same case applies for various forms of public spheres across the regions of the globe. The eventuality of these has been that the growing relationship between cultural elements, sports and, and national politics. In turn, even the spectators to all these bring themselves out as the subjects of the nations. In close reference to UK, the subjects of concern have pertained to the question of culture and politics, in relation to sports. In the UK, sports are viewed as an area where everyone can venture and succeed; hence, may be referred to as the source of unity. However, upon close examinations, the UK sports are also a form of divisiveness , as well as exclusion. This is what may have sparked irrational fears, especially from the neighboring nations with groups with similar orient. Some sports have been associated with elite groups, especially those by the Anglo-non-indigenous groups. In other cases, some sports have spectatorship to certain sports have either been dismissed on the account of feminism, such as belonging to men or women hence, delimiting the interests. As such, this has tended to exclude the indigenous groups, who also view such sports as pure legacies of colonialism. Whether it would ever be possible for spectators to cheer sport teams on the virtue based on how they are organized, rather than as a nation is an issue subject to debate. Sport is presented as a symbol of cultural orientation, political empowerment, economic empowerment and nationalism, and the spectators are drawn to act as nationalists. However, not all have supported this view. This has been in consideration to the fact that a there i s general lacking understanding of the link between sports, politics and cultural orientation. Moreover, the sense of nationalism is increasingly being diluted by the immigration and establishment of Diasporas, as facilitated by the trending wave of globalization. The proposed research project shall discus the impacts of sports on cultural orientation and politics. Objective/Purpose of the Study The key aim of this study is to establish the link between sports, politics and cultural orientation. This way the proposed study shall seek to establish the impacts of sports on politics and cultural orientation. Research Questions The following research questions shall be considered: What are the effects of sports on the identity politics? What are the impacts of sports on different cultures? Does politics influence on the way politics of any given country play out and how closely related are they? Do the histories of politics, culture and sports have any link? Significance of the Study Su ccessful completion of this research work will come with a lot of significance to a lot of people, especially the politicians, those affected by culture, as well as the sportsmen. First, data, results and conclusions from this research shall serve as updated literature on politicians and sportsmen within the population size targeted for this research work. To a large extent, this research shall help in coming out with new models on the type or kind of challenges sportsmen go through as they try to overcome

Decisions in Papradise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Decisions in Papradise - Essay Example The first stage of the decision making technique discussed by Kolb et. al. (2007) is to take an overall view of the situation so it can be fully analyzed and understood by those making the decisions. This begins with examining the facts as well as the needs of the company and the eventual goals as to where it wants to be in the future. Past experiences and business expertise can be used as guides in this stage and the problem can be broken down into parts to give them priority and make the required adjustments. For our purposes, we need to conduct both a SWOT analysis and a PESTEL analysis to get a clear picture of what is happening in Kava and to understand our options for creating a greater presence on the island. The second stage comes into play when we create different solutions that can be used to help our business objectives and thus help in making decisions concerning the future of our company on Kava. The solutions can be created through brainstorming sessions and may even be outlandish. However, the decision making process comes in when we realize that certain solutions are more appropriate than others and the best solution may be what brings us closest to our objectives in the least amount of time while staying within the rules of the game. In the case of Kava, the solutions need to be based on the issues which are described in the case and these include following the mission of the company to remain profitable while being socially responsible. It is clear that developing a base of operations and helping the island is a part of the social responsibility of the company but it is difficult to see how the company can remain profitable in the given scenario. Therefore, it might be logical for the company to seek diversity for its business interests beyond its core competencies if it focuses on the variety of opportunities presented by being in Kava. Understandably, this type of critical thinking and

The Strategic Planning Process Scenario Analysis Essay

The Strategic Planning Process Scenario Analysis - Essay Example Eastern Hills’ capacity for change at the time Principal Jones assumed office was remarkable. The long tenures of the majority of the faculty are one important indicator of Eastern Hills’ capacity for change. Long tenures provide the faculty with essential knowledge that can work to the advantage of Principal Jones’ endeavor to bring about change in the school’s community. Responsiveness of the school and surrounding community is one other important attribute that points to the capacity for change for Eastern Hills (Green, 2013). To assess Principal Jones’ approach to the introduction of change to Eastern Hills’ faculty, one would need to consider his devotion and commitment to analyze the faculty. This analysis helped establish such important information about the faculty including ethnic origin, tenure, and frequency of subject area change. Consideration of teacher evaluation is another important element in assessing Principal Jones’ approach of introducing change in the faculty. An instance that indicates the manner in which Principal Jones’ developed is the alertness that his ideas elicited in the members of the faculty. This alertness is seen in the questions that members of the faculty rose with him and one can already see the genesis of change (Green, 2013). One of the things that illustrated Principal Jones’ knowledge and understanding of information sources is his selection of student records, proficiency test scores, state standards, disciplinary reports, attendance records, and curriculum guides as his sources of information. Mobilization of teachers to help compile data from these sources demonstrated his data collection skills. His initiative to analyze the data collected synthesizing it using tables characterizes his methodical strategies for program development. His creative way of informing the faculty of his intended plans and his provocative way of

European law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

European law - Essay Example refers a question of EC law to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for a preliminary ruling so as to enable the national court, on receiving that ruling, to decide the case before it. Questions of EC law will arise in cases before the courts of different Member States. The function of the preliminary reference procedure is to ensure uniform interpretation and validity of EC law across all the Member States.† It also said that the procedure is laid down in Article 234 EC: ‘Where such a question is raised before any court or tribunal of a Member State, that court may, if it considers that a decision on the question is necessary to enable it to give judgment, require the Court of Justice to give a ruling thereon.’ (European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. 2005) On the other hand, preliminary ruling is defined as: ‘a special type of action before the ECJ by which national courts ask the ECJ to interpret EU law or to decide on validity and direct effect of EU acts; ECJ ruling is binding and not subject to appeal.’ (GLOSSARY OF EUROPEAN UNION COMMONLY USED TERMS, no date) The reference procedure, therefore, is a creation of the treaty makers who are the member states themselves. The fact that ECJ ruling would be binding and not subject to appeal as a result of the reference is itself a conferment of a strong power to the ECJ. To say therefore that the reference procedure has made the ECJ more than how it should function is to imply attribution of more powers than it was originally conferred under the treaty. (European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 2005) Alter said that ECJ started as fairly weak international tribunal from many of the problems faced by international courts. The court then, according to her, lacked cases to adjudicate and since no enforcement was in place, its decisions were not taken seriously. The author further said that the ECJ created a base of political leverage for