Engineering - Steel Report Lab Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Engineering - Steel - Lab Report Example According to Degarmo and Black (2003, p.56), reinforced bars with high ductility and tensile strength are often preferred because they allow the materials to be rolled, drawn or made longer without breakage. Generally the tensile strength of reinforcing steel can be measured by dividing the cross sectional area of the steel tested by the stress exerted on the material. The amount of stretching force (N) needed to break the test material can then be measured and recorded. Experimental Procedure The tensile testing experiment involved calculating mechanical properties of three specimen samples of reinforcing steel bars which were designated as N12, R12 and RW11.9. Some of the main mechanical properties that were tested include yield stress, modulus of elasticity, elongation, tensile strength, ductility and reserve length. Specimen N12 was a hot rolled deformed bar that was derived from a microalloy TEMCORE material. Generally such steel alloys are made by adding expensive alloys such a s Silicon, Carbon, Manganese and Vanadium to the steel. As compared to the other steel samples that were used in the experiment, the surface of hot rolled deformed bar was rough and more imperfect. On the other hand, specimen R12 was a hot rolled plain round bar which was made from a mild steel material. Although the presence of carbon significantly lowered the ductility of the alloy, it was stronger and had more resistance to breakage (Pavlina and Tyne, 2008, p.216). Another important physical property of specimen R12 was that it was quite malleable and the surface was more polished. Lastly, specimen RW11.9 was cold robbed riled wire which was also made from middle steel material. The surface was relatively smoother and malleable but the specimen was easier to bend than specimenR12. In terms of the geometry of the specimens, N12 had a diameter of 12mm, length of 500mm and a cross sectional area of 255mm2 . Specimen R12 was also 12mm in diameter, 500mm in length and had a cross sect ional area of 113.1m2 . RW11.9 was 11.9mm in length, 12mm in diameter and the cross sectional area was 111.3mm2. The testing equipment that was used in the experiment included an Instron universal Machine and a clip on extensometer Epsilion model 3543 10 inch gauge length. The model of Instron universal machine that was used300LX, SATEC Series, and the equipment had a large frame with a single test space which allows easy and safe loading and unloading of specimens for testing. Additionally the single print design of the Machine significantly reduced the floor space requirement and enhanced its use for testing high capacity tension, flex as well as shear of the specimens. Figure1. Instron Universal Machine model 300LX Designed by Epsilon technology, the Epsilion model 3543, 10 inch gauge length used in the experiment was uniquely designed to help in the testing of long samples such as wire materials, steel reinforcing bars and weld joints. During the testing, the upper part of the e xtensometer is expected to pull out of the main body to deliver high accuracy and the equipment is only calibrated to measure displacement and loading using tension units only. Finally, the optional gauge length spacers of the extensomet

Human Resources Constructive-Dismissal Report Essay Example for Free

Human Resources Constructive-Dismissal Report Essay Message It has come to my unfortunate attention that a former employee has made a discrimation-focused legal claim against our company. My goal is to define â€Å"constructive dismissal†; explain the legal mandates to which it may be attributed; discuss the merits—or lack—of it; and offer future mitigative actions to avoid such claims. Constructive Dismissal—Defined Before delving into a serious discussion of the former employee’s claim, it is important to understand the legal construct upon which it has been founded; this construct is referred to as â€Å"constructive dismissal. † Constructive dismiissal refers to an employee compulsion to terminate any working relationships with an employer. The impetus for the termination is an employer’s willful intent to create a hostile or unbearable working condition. Legally speaking, constructive dismissal is, then, tantamount to involuntarily separating the employee from the company (United States Department of Labor, 2012). There are three standards that must be considered when adjudicating whether a situation falls within constructive-dismissal grounds. They are 1. Intolerable Conditions 2. Objective Standard 3. Employer Knowledge and Intent The adjective in the first standard is important, because it makes the distinction between undue working conditions that are unbearable for a reasonable person and a process change that may be inconvenient for the  employee but is not intolerable. Trival matters such as changing a computer from a PC to a Mac, are exmempt from this standard, since these frustrations are a normative in all areas of employment. The second standard establishes a consensus on what is considered intolerable. It is defined as a work environment in which a reasonable person would feel compelled to quit. The third standard is also important, because it clearly indicates that the employer must know that changes that it is implementing create an intolerable environment, and it does so with the intent of compelling an employee to quit as opposed to implementing changes that are motivated by a substantiated business need (Turner v. Anheuser-Busch, Inc., 1994). Please note that constructive dismissal does not necessarily imply discrimination (though it is almost always discrimination based), since it can apply to both those in a protected class or outside it. The ex-employee charges that the schedule change for the production department was an unreasonable action on the company’s part and resulted in her being forced to work on a holy day of her religious persuasion. Resultantly, she charges that she felt compelled to quit, which is why she has filed a constructive-discharge claim against the company. Constructive-Dismissal and Attendant Legal Mandates More than just creating such a toxic environment, when the working condition creates an undue effect based on the employee’s race, ethnicity, gender, national origin, or religion. the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act applies and sets forth: â€Å"(1) to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such indviduals’race, color, religion, sex, or national origin; or â€Å"(2) to limit, segregate, or classify his employees or applicants for employment in any way which woulld deprive or tend to deprive any individual of employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect his status as an employee, because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin† (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2012). An amalgamation of undue effect and discrimination of a protected class engenders â€Å"disparate impact† (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2012) Employment separation due to disparate impact explicitly applies to the following sections of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The onus of proof is placed on the claimant. This person must do the following:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"(i) a complaining party demonstrates that a respondent uses a particular employment practice that causes a disparate impact on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin and the respondent fails to demonstrate that the challenged practice is job related for the position in question and consistent with business necessity; or â€Å"(ii) the complaining party makes the demonstration described in subparagraph (C) with respect to an alternative employment practice and the respondent refuses to adopt such alternative employment practice. â€Å"(B) (i) With respect to demonstrating that a particular employment practice causes a disparate impact as described in subparagraph (A)(i), the complaining party shall demonstrate that each particular challenged employment practice causes a disparate impact, except that if the complaining party can demonstrate to the court that the elements of a respondent’s decisionmaking process are not capable of separation for analysis, the decisionmaking process may be analyzed as one employment practice. â€Å"(ii) If the respondent demonstrates that a specific employment practice does not cause the disparate impact, the respondent shall not be required to demonstrate that such practice is required by business necessity. â€Å"(C) The demonstration referred to by subparagraph (A)(ii) shall be in accordance with the law as it existed on June 4, 1989, with respect to the concept of â€Å"alternative employment practice†. â€Å"(2) A demonstration that an employment practice is required by business necessity may not be used as a defense against a claim of intentional discrimination under this subchapter. â€Å"(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, a rule barring the employment of an individual who currently and knowingly uses or possesses a controlled substance, as defined in schedules I and II of section 102(6) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802(6)), other than the use or possession of a drug taken under the supervision of a licensed health care professional, or any other use or possession authorized by the Controlled Substances Act [21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.] or any other provision of Federal law, shall be considered an unlawful employment practice under this subchapter only if such rule is adopted or applied with an intent to discriminate because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin† (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2012). Although constructive dismissal is not directly referred to in the Civil Rights Act, it is clearly implied, since such a dismissal normally is directed at protected classes of individuals. When combined with disparate impact, constructive dismissal will fall under the purview of the Civil Right Act, and both are legally actional behaviors that the federal government will pursue through legal action and fines. It should be noted that the level of requisite integrity of constructive-dismissal claims can vary from state to state. For example, Washington extends a protected-class status to gays, lesbians, bisexual, transgender, or intersexed people, whereas Arizona extends no special class status to them. A constructive-dismissal claim due to sexual orientation in Washington would be considered; in Arizona, such a claim would not be considered. Furthermore, such a claim would face significant challenges if  appealed to federal levels, since federal laws offer no protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation (Human Rights Campaign, 2012). In addition to constructive dismissal, the ex-employee charges that the schedule change infringed on her right to practice her religion, since she believed that she was required to work on a holy day. The Title VII Act explicitly prohibits discrimation based on religious affiliation. Constructive-Dismissal Merits The ex-employee’s claim does not satisfy constructive-dismissal, disparate-impact, and discrimination prohibitions. The facts of this case clearly indicate this. Let us apply this individual’s claim to the standards required for each prohibition. First, for constructive dismissal, our company must create a hostile environment for the sole purpose of compelling the employee to quit. The ex-employee believes that the schedule adjustment, which required 12-hour days for four days a week and with three days off, created a hostile environment. This particular aspect of this individual’s claim fails this test for a few reasons: 1) Business growth motivated the schedule adjustment, not malice; 2.) the schedule adjustment applied to the most affected department, which is production, since it is tasked with keeping up with the increased demand for our products; and 3.) we provided employees of that department schedule options; we did not constrain them to work on specific days that happened to be days of observance for their religion. Considering the schedule flexibility offered, if the ex-employee worked on a holy day, it was out of choice, not compulsion on the part of our company. Another implication in the above argument is that a different department did not have its schedule adjusted. As indicated above, we adjusted the schedule for the department that is directly affected by the business growth—the production department. There is no impetus for us to adjust schedules for the human-resources department, for example. Second, for objective standards, courts have repeatedly ruled that constructive dismissal is applicable if we create an environment that is so heinous, a reasonable person would quit. I have just indicated that our schedule adjustment was motivated by business need, not malice toward a particular individual or religion. All of the other employees took advantage of the schedule opportunity offered and chose days to work that were appropriate for their needs. There have been no other complaints of being forced to work or being unable to work on a non-holy day. Based on the scenario, it would not be reasonable to quit one’s job. Third, for employer knowledge and intent, it is true that we knew that the increase in business might have caused an impact on certain employees’ lives. We proactively remedied this situation by offering such a flexible schedule, with employees making their own choice of what days they would and would not work. Employees have nearly half their workweek off. There is no reason for an individual to work on a holy day. Also, our only intent was to meet our customers’ needs, so we adjusted our business processes to effectively do so. The underlying concern is that our actions were motivated by this individual’s religion. There is no tenable evidence to support such a concern. We hire a range of people with different religious beliefs. Some are unwilling to work on Sundays. Others are unwilling to work on Saturdays. Some require prayer at various points during the day. Where reasonable, we have always provided accommodations for such observances, and we did so with our schedule adjustment. There was no targeting of any religion. There is no veracity to the ex-employee’s claims. The company must respond to these charges. It can do so in one of three ways: 1. The company can ignore the facts of this scenario and accept that the ex-employee’s claims have merit and can then move to placate the ex-employee in a few ways: a. Rehiring the ex-employee and paying her retroactive pay for the time she did not work, b. Not rehiring the ex-employee but  offering a settlement to avoid a protracted legal scenario, or c. Rehiring the ex-employee and accommodating her schedule requests (Palopoli, 2011). 2. The company can enter into arbitration with the ex-employee to discuss the facts of the scenario, with the intention of arriving at an equitable solution that will placate the concerns of the ex-employee and the company (EEOC, 2012). 3. The company can refute the charges in a court of law, especially after the findings of an investigative company effort denote no actual discrimination or the appearance of it (Cruz, Padilla, Narvae Law Firm, 2011). There are caveats to each of these responses, however. For Response 1, this action is a clear company admission of its culpability in discrimination within its organization. It is an unbalanced response, since it placates the ex-employee but tarnishes the name of the company. Furthermore, acquiescing to the ex-employee’s claims by adjusting the schedule may very well set an inappropriate expectation for other employees. An influx of schedule requests based on employees who invoke their religious preferences would thwart the purpose of the schedule request, which is to meet customer demand. For Response 2, the results of an arbitration hearing are legally binding and normally are a mitigative step against taking up the matter in a court of law. There is a likelihood, no matter how remote, that arbitration will result in our company’s acquiescing to the ex-employee’s claims. This eventuality can result in financal loss due to paying exorbitant sums to the ex-employee for what would amount to silencing her criticism of our company. Or if the results of the arbitration fall in line with the company’s wishes, the negative image that the ex-employee may generate would harm recruiting efforts of candidates or customers who increasingly place value on companies that demonstrate social responsbility toward people and its surroundings. For Response 3, the judgment in a legal case can be binding. There may be a remote possibility that our company may not vindicate itself fully in court. Because of the facts of the case, it would be reasonable to expect that our company would appeal. However, the cost to contend with the ex-employee in court may be prohibitively high. And even if our company emerges victoriously, the result would not constrain the ex-empoyee from tarnishing our company’s name in the marketplace. Based on the eventualities listed above, the viable course of action is Response 3. The actions of our company are sufficiently supported to provide a solid response in a legal setting. The likelihood of not prevailing in court is minimal. And although the opportunity cost to following this route is devoting funds unnecessarily to a baseless claim, vindication in court may very indicate to others who choose to bring dubious claims that our company will respond indignantly to these affronts to our company’s reputation. Responding to the baseless claim by pursuing the matter in court is a tenable position, since our anti-discrimination policy is clear. (In allusion to a subsequent section, the clarity of the policy does not imply that it has been adequately explained to prosepctive and current employees; a training program offered to our recruiting staff will resolve that matter.) Our greatest defense is in presenting this policy as evidence to the court. The policy clearly indicates that the company respects religion as a protected class and makes every effort to accommodate religious rites as long as they do not present an undue contravention of company operation (HR Info Center, 2009). A court-centered legal response to this claim is preferable also because of the investigative process that is extant within our anti-discrimination policy. The ex-employee did not provide our company an opportunity to investigate the claim before she resigned her position. The only indication that a problem existed was when the EEOC delivered the complaint to our company. Our investigative processes clearly demonstrate the thoroughness  and seriousness that our policy devotes to discrimination complaints. Multiple layers of leadership are involved in the process, and many employees are interviewed to determine if they shared the same sentiments. The investigative process is also confidential, and the results are shared with no entity without a need-to-know basis. Furthermore, the investigative process has corrective action built in if there is a determination of discrimination against the employee making the complaint. It also has a built-in anti-retaliation policy, regardless the result of the complaint. Our company can provide documented evidence of our response to past complaints as well as the company’s disposition toward employees after the resolution of these complaints. Demonstrating the company’s follow-through efforts that the ex-employee did not avail herself of will provide substantial support of our contention that we are committed to operating in a discrimination-free environment (Kleiner Perkins Files Legal Response To Gender Discrimination Suit, Denies â€Å"Each And Every Material Allegation, 2012). Another reason why pursuing this matter in a court of law is appropriate is that our company can demonstrate our commitment to investing in the community in which we operate, a diverse community. Our company currently provides several millions of dollars in tax revenue to the community, revenue from which all members of the community benefit. But more than tax revenue, our company provides financial support to various groups in the community: religious-based groups, gay-and-lesbian groups, black-focused groups, and women-centered groups. Our commitment to financially supporting the community is a potent response by itself to the baseless claima against us. Logically speaking, it would be nonsensical for our company to expend money for these community-focused endeavors while practicing discrimination against the very members of the groups that benefit from our financial support (Response to discrimination claims, 2007).

The Obvious is Absent in Mother Courage Essay -- Mother Courage Essays

The Obvious is Absent in Mother Courage    Brecht's intentions when writing Mother Courage were to communicate his beliefs and make people aware of two major issues facing society: war and capitalism. According to Brecht, people deserve the wars they get if they subscribe to a political system that is unfair and favors a specific sector of society, namely capitalism, in which it is up to the individual to secure his own means of survival. In other words, if the system is unjust in any way, war and conflict is inevitable. For this to be understood, it would be essential that the audience see the play for what it is, as opposed to becoming engaged in its story. This means that they would have to be alienated from the play, and made perpetually aware of it as a play and nothing more. To do this, Brecht jolted audiences out of their expectations and deliberately avoided theatrical techniques that would make appearances realistic. In this way, people were forced to confront the issues at hand and decipher the meanings behind what they were being shown. The "obvious" being referred to by Brecht is what is clearly seen, what one cannot miss. It does not require reflection and arouses no thought. By alienating the audience in this play, they see that nothing is happening at an obvious level, and can gain true understanding of the characters' reasons for behaving as they do, and of the background against which they exist. Brecht incorporated alienation techniques in the methods of staging used in performances of Mother Courage, firstly by keeping a very bright white light trained evenly upon the set throughout. This eliminated any opportunities for creating an atmosphere; any magical or romantic views of ... ...rinciples Brecht believed in: unless man has food and shelter, he does not have freedom. This tenet is what Brecht asserts in Mother Courage, and whose understanding can only be gained when audiences realise that the obvious is an irrelevance, that this play should be seen not as a tale but as a presenting of issues. By using the aspects of character, song, structure, style, inevitability, and staging, Brecht ensures that the audience remains alienated, and that their expectations are not met.    Works Cited and Consulted Brecht, Bertolt. "Mother Courage and Her Children." Worthen 727-751. Cook, Ellen Piel, ed. Women, Relationships, and Power. Virginia: American Counseling Association, 1993. Hwang, Henry David. "M. Butterfly." Worthen 1062-1084. Worthen, W.B. ed. The Harcourt Brace Anthology of Drama. 3rd ed. Toronto: Harcourt, 1993.

The Great Gatsby :: Essays Papers

The Great Gatsby In the story The Great Gatsby, many corrupted relationships are found. George & Myrtle, Myrtle & Tom, Tom & Daisy, Daisy & Gatsby, Gatsby & everyone are all perfect examples of misleading relationships seen in the novel. Fitzgerald may seem pessimistic in portraying every relationship as a fraud. I however, must agree that the time this novel was written, which was around the same time that the story took place in, was a very materialistic time. This is why I feel Fitzgerald could not have made these relationships seem any more realistic than he did. Friendship was seen a lot throughout the story. A good example to speak of would be Gatsby and all of his friends. Apparently Gatsby had many friends during his life, none of which decided to go to his funeral. While he was alive, throwing huge parties, Gatsby actually seemed to have friends. When he died, it seemed like he had never existed. The only friend who decided to go to Gatsby’s funeral was his neighbour, Nick. Marriages seemed quite transparent in this story. None of them were solid. Tom and Daisy would come across as a nice, happily married couple, you would never be able to tell that Tom had a mistress and Daisy was still in love with another man. Tom’s mistress, Myrtle, was married as well. She was married to George Wilson, Tom’s mechanic. Sure, it all seems a little bit unreal but if you think about it, do things like this not happen today. Why would it have been any different back then? Maybe it was more difficult to pull off having an affair but it still could have been done, and I’m sure it was. Affairs seemed to be what corrupted marriages, but affairs are still relationships. They seemed to be the healthiest relationships because they were built on the individuals’ desire for one another, not money or possessions. Tom and Myrtle were together regardless of the fact that they were both married. They loved eachother much like a married couple would only they weren’t married, at least not to eachother. The fact that these relationships were considered wrong didn’t make them bad, these were just people following their hearts.

The Stranger

The Stranger Chris Drusbosky 3/5/12 Professor Krauss In the story â€Å"The Stranger† by Albert Camus, the belief that the themes of loss and retrieval are at the core of Mersault’s mythology, and that they illumine the notion of exile to which he returns so often is widely discussed. I however do not believe that either one of those themes has anything to do with the Mersault and the exile to which he returns to so often, rather I believe that Mersault’s own attitude is the reason for the exile he experiences in the story. The first theme that is said to play a role in Mersault’s exile is the theme of loss.Though Mersault does lose his mother in the beginning of the story, it does not affect how he acts throughout the rest of the story and he continues on like nothing ever even happened. â€Å"Then there was the church and the villagers on the sidewalks, the red geraniums on the graves in the cemetery, Perez fainting, the blood red earth spilling over Ma man’s casket, the white flesh of the roots mixed in with it, more people, voices, the village, waiting in front of a cafe, the incessant drone of the motor, and my joy when the bus entered the nest of lights that was Algiers and I knew I was going to go to bed and sleep for twelve hours. The Stranger page 18. Normally when someone’s mother dies, you are filled with grief and sadness and you cannot help but to think about how much you miss her and love her. In this quote, Mersault shows no type of sad emotion whatsoever. He seems to be completely unmoved and unchanged emotionally by the death of his mother. Not only does he not show any emotion at his mother’s funeral, the very next day he meets with his mistress Marie Cardona and spends the day with her going swimming, seeing a movie, and spending the night at his house with her.Both of these examples clearly show that Mersault is unmoved by the death of his mother and it plays no role whatsoever in the exile th at he encounters throughout the story. The second theme that is said to play a significant role in Mersault’s exile is the theme of retrieval. If there is one thing in my eyes that Mersault never did throughout the course of this story, it would be that he never retrieved anything and that he always stayed the same throughout the story. Mersault seems to maintains the same attitude towards everything that happens in the story, the â€Å"I don’t care or believe in much† type attitude.One example that proves that Mersault possesses this attitude was after he was arrested for shooting the Arab 5 times. The magistrate asks him if he believes in God. â€Å"But he cut me off and urged me on one last time, drawing himself up to his full height and asked me if I believed in God. I said no. He sat down indignantly. He said it was impossible; all men believed in God, even those who have turned their backs on him. That was his belief, and if he were to ever doubt it, his life would be meaningless. † The Stranger page 69.This quote is a perfect example that even after he has murdered a man, Mersault still maintains that same attitude towards everything and he remains unchanged. You would think that especially after the fact that he murdered someone, he would have changed his attitude a little bit or that maybe he would have had some kind of revelation and he would realize that he has done something terribly wrong. However none of this occurs with Mersault and he continues to be himself and does not change anything about himself and that he retrieves nothing from his actions and that it plays no role in his exile.Though both of the themes of loss and retrieval may seem like they play a role in Mersault’s exile in the story, I do not believe they do. I believe that Mersault’s attitude is the cause of the exile he experiences. When one has a â€Å"I don’t care or believe in much†, you can easily be separated and apart f rom the world. Had Mersault cared more about certain things or had he shown more interest in them, I believe he would not have encountered any type of exile in the story.But when you constantly see phrases like: I don’t know, I don’t care, I don’t believe etc. you get the idea that the person saying those phrases is in some kind of exile from everyone else. Mersault is clearly responsible for his own exile in this story due to his attitude towards things. Loss and retrieval do not play a role in the exile that Mersault experiences and everything that he encounters and endures is because of his attitude and nothing to do with the thought of whether or not he lost something and retrieved something.If Mersault were to ask himself: Why are these things happening to me and why do I seem to be separated form everyone else? All he would have to do is look in the mirror and he would see the cause of everything that he has gone through. While Mersault is in prison, he ta lks about how he misses certain things of life on the outside of prison and how he feels separated. My response to Mersault would be: If you had a sense of caring or interest in things, maybe you wouldn’t be here in prison in the first place and maybe you also wouldn’t feel exiled and separated from everyone else.

The American Basketball Association And The Contributions It Made To P

The American Basketball Association And The Contributions It Made To P The American Basketball Association and the Contributions it Made to Professional Basketball The American Basketball Association had a short and wild life, yet it made great contributions to professional basketball. It increased the level of talent, changed the way the game was played, and produced some of the greatest stars to ever play the game. It also caused an increase in player salaries and turned pro basketball into a financial institution. The ABA was a place for untapped talent to emerge. Many players proved themselves in the ABA while the National Basketball Association rejected them. This greatly increased the talent level throughout professional hoops. At the same time of the creation of the ABA, the NBA only had 120 players, which meant that many worthy players were not getting the chance to play (Sachare 178). With about 90 players in the ABA, they got their chance. The ABA started to draft college players to compete with the NBA. Because both leagues wanted the best players, the ABA made a rule which said that the draftee did not have to be a college graduate. The NBA had a rule which said that the draftee must have graduated from college. As a result, many college stars began to go straight into the ABA before graduating. One which did this was Moses Malone, he was the first player to come straight out of high school into professional sports (Pluto 435). This was a revolutionary event in the history of professional sports. Now days, most college stars go to the pros without graduating. The ABA had a style of its own. Newsweek once described them, "Sex, drugs, platform shoes, sideburns, slam dunks, midnight franchise shifts, million dollar deferred-payment player contracts, the three-point shot, Dr. J, Marvin (Bad News) Barnes, LaVerne (Jelly) Tart,and Pat Boone. Pro sports the way they oughta be!" (Pluto 465) They were the complete opposite of the NBA. The NBA was traditional and boring to watch. They played a much slower paced game than the ABA, who had an up tempo, fast paced game. The ABA made innovations such as the three-point shot, the tricolored ball, the defensive press, and most importantly, the fast break (Pluto 70). They were the pioneers which made today's game what it is. The defensive press and the fast break were attempts at creating an up tempo game, and they worked. They all helped to sell tickets which enabled the ABA to survive for the nine years that they did. The ABA and the NBA were always competing which brought about many new and exciting aspects to the game of basketball. The ABA created some of the greatest players ever. Players like Julius Erving and Moses Malone were the soul of the ABA. At its end in 1975, they introduced all of the great accomplishments and innovations into the NBA which made the combined league even greater. With the tradition of the NBA and the flair of the ABA, a new league was created which would become the greatest sports institution in the world. During the first combined season of the NBA, four of the top ten scorers and ten of the twenty-four all-stars were from the ABA. The first combined finals had five starters from the ABA (Sachare 186). The contribution which the ABA made to professional basketball was amazing. It gave it creativity along with history. The NBA may not have survived without the combination of the ABA. In essence, the ABA was the NBA's savior, and made huge contributions to the talent level and the history of the game. The ABA was a league which made great contributions to professional basketball by increasing the talent level, producing some great innovations like the three-point shot which is still used today, and producing some of the greatest players ever. The NBA of today was made from the ABA of old, and even though it had such a short life, it was one of the most important aspects in the history of professional basketball. Bibliography Brown, Kim (1996). The FIrst Dominant Big Man. HTTP: nba.com/nbaat50/mikan.html. Kirshenbaum, Jerry. "ABA Milestones". Sports Illustrated 17 May, 1993:15. Meely, Cliff. Personal Interveiw. 16 December, 1996. Pluto, Terry. Loose Balls. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Inc., 1990. Sachare, Alex (Ed.). The Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia. New York: Villiard Books, 1994.

Gregory The Great Essay

Gregory The Great Essay Gregory The Great Essay Gregory the Great (c.540–604), pope, apostle of the English, one of the most important popes and influential writers of the Middle Ages. Gregory was the son of a Roman senator and entered the service of the State as a young man. But in 573 he sold his enormous properties, founding six monasteries in Sicily and a seventh in Rome, and giving generously to the poor. The next year he entered his own monastery of St. Andrew's on the Celian Hill as a monk and was distinguished for his austere life, which both filled him with nostalgia in later years and caused some of the ill-health which he suffered so constantly. Pope Benedict I, however, called him out of the monastery to become one of the seven deacons of Rome, and his successor, Pelagius II, made him apocrisiarius (ambassador) in Byzantium. After six years of distinguished service Gregory returned to Rome to become abbot of St. Andrew's, seemingly convinced that the future of Christianity lay with monasticism rather than with t he declining Eastern Empire. But his own choice of monastic life was destined to be frustrated. He had hoped to lead some missionaries to bring the Gospel to the Anglo-Saxons- he had been specially impressed by some Anglo-Saxon slaves on sale in the Roman market- but he was elected pope during an outbreak of plague. Reluctantly he accepted and was confirmed by the emperor. He was at once faced with a state of crisis. Floods, famine, plague, a Lombard invasion, all called for urgent attention, while in

How to Make Homemade Gel Air Fresheners

How to Make Homemade Gel Air Fresheners You can buy gel air fresheners, but if you make your own, you can choose your own scent, color, and decorations. Its easy, fun and takes less than an hour to make! For holiday appeal, consider layering different colored gels or using seasonal fragrances (e.g., pine or cinnamon for Christmas). Ingredients 2 cups distilled wateressential oil/fragrance4 packages unflavored gelatinempty jarfood coloring (optional)mold inhibitor (optional) How to Make a Gel Air Freshener Heat 1 cup of distilled water to boiling.Stir in 4 packages of unflavored gelatin (e.g., Knox) until dissolved.Remove the mixture from heat and stir in the other 1 cup water.Add 10-20 drops of essential oil or other concentrated fragrance. If desired, add food coloring to tint your gel. You may also wish to add a mold inhibitor, such as 1-2 T salt OR a small amount of potassium sorbate OR a splash of vodka.Pour the gel into clean baby food jars or other small, decorative containers.The gel will set at room temperature, although you can place the air fresheners in the refrigerator for a quick set (and scented fridge).Decorate your jars as desired and enjoy! Useful Tips This project requires heat, so adult supervision is required.Feel free to scale the recipe up or down to make the amount of gel you need (e.g., 1 cup water to 2 pkg gelatin).If you wish, you can (carefully) dissolve gelatin in concentrated liquid potpourri (no other ingredients needed) to make your air fresheners. Use a ratio of 1 cup liquid to 2 packages gelatin.You can make multi-colored gels by pouring a new color over one which has already set up (like making a layered gelatin dessert).

Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 20

Sociology - Essay Example When broken by age, data collected and compared shows increase for the 18-24 population, decrease for 45-64 group, with 25-44 and 65 or older groups showing no significant change. Regionally, people in the Midwest are more likely to participate in elections than people from other regions. At the same time, Midwest region also saw a decrease in voter numbers, together with the Northeast. The only increase in voters was recorded in the South, with West recording unchanged rates. The Bureau, also collected responses from voters that did not participate and voted and four main reasons for that were- schedule or people being too busy to go to polling places, ill, disabled or having family emergency, 13% believed that their vote would not make a difference and, finally, a similar percentage just did not like the candidates or campaign issues. For the purpose of this paper I have selected to interview my high school Social Studies teacher. She is a middle age, educated, white person with liberal views. I have known this person for years and always appreciated her opinion and input. We have met in her school office and spoke for hour and a half on December 5th. The interview took place in after-school hours, as she was kind to dedicate some of her free time for this conversation. The interview was very informal but at the same time very informative as she, often times, is an opinioned and critical about our system of democracy. The first question I posed to her was whether she was a registered voter and whether she votes on regular basis. The answer to this was a simple yes and yes. Next, I asked why does she vote and what voting means to her ? After this question, I got more detailed response. She said that she votes because voting is one of the privileges of our democracy. At the same time, she emphasized that voting is not just a right we, as citizens of the US, have, but it

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - Essay Example If a woman drinks alcohol during her pregnancy, there are high chances that her baby can be born with FAS, which is a lifelong condition that causes physical and mental disabilities. In today's world where socializing is considered an important part of life, several times women in their reproductive age expose themselves to alcohol. As a consequence, knowingly or unknowingly alcohol abuse is the leading cause of mental retardation in the western world. The amount and timing of alcohol use by the pregnant women determine the type and extent of resulting birth defects. FAS is characterized by Holoprosencephaly which is a condition that is linked with failure of the brain to divide into two hemispheres. This condition is generally associated with neuro-developmental and facial abnormalities. Additionally, there are also possibilities of associated abnormalities of the corpus callosum, the brainstem and the cerebellum, particularly the anterior portion of the vermis. Children with FAS may also suffer due to absence of olfactory lobes, hypoplasia of the hippocampus and abnormal or absent basal ganglia; usually hypoplastic or absent caudate nuclei. According to the results of the positron emission tomography scans, abnormalities is seen in glucose metabolism, especially in the anterior caudate nucleus and the vermis of the cerebellum, even in the absence of overt structural abnormalities (Canadian PaediatricSociety, 2007). There is lack of proper data on the exact prevalence of FAS/atypical FAS. According to studies conducted by Abel (1995), it is estimated that the overall incidence of FAS at 0.97/1000 (0.097%) live births and 43/1000 (4.3%) among babies of heavy drinkers. Based on three population studies, Sampson et al. (1997) estimated the incidence of FAS to be between 2.8/1000 and 4.8/1000 live births, and the incidence of a combination of FAS and ARND to be at least 9.1/1000 live births. In yet another statistic it is said that though all races are vulnerable to FAS, it is excessively higher among American Indian offspring (Aase, 1981). It is also estimated that each year in the United States, 1 in every 750 infants is born with a pattern of physical, developmental, and functional problems is due to fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), while another 40,000 are born with fetal alcohol effects (FAE) (KidsHealth, 2007). It is important to note that variation in these rates depends on the population studied and the surveillance methods used which may be different for different research groups. In yet another study conducted by CDC show FAS rates ranging from 0.2 to 1.5 per 1,000 live births in different parts of the United States. Besides, other FASDs are thought to occur roughly three times as often as FAS (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2006). Historical Perspective of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome It is interesting to note that concerns have surrounded the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy since biblical times. However, Dr. William Sullivan, a Liverpool prison physician noted higher rates of stillbirth for 120 alcoholic female prisoners than their sober female relatives in 1899. This is the earliest known observation of possible links between maternal alcohol use and fetal damage. He also pointed out that the causal agent was alcohol use (Sullivan, 1899). A case study was conducted by Henry H. Goddard who belonged to one of

Report on Google and Yahoo Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Report on Google and Yahoo - Assignment Example It was the world’s greatest search elements because by the year 2001, it did an amazing thing that eluded a lot of dot.com business start ups of the moment in time and became profitable (DuVander, 2010). Its profits come from internet advertising revenue and also sell a number of subscription services that are; Google Earth Plus and Pro. The biggest and the most popular service is the web search which is mostly known for giving out related search consequences with a clear interface. So highly developed searching, Google prolonged past simply verdict websites based on the keywords. As the few prospering dot.com startups, it still retains many perks including free launch and laundry for the employees and games. Google has worked with several organizations, in order to improve production and services Yahoo is an internet entrance that integrates search engine and a directory known as WWW (World Wide Web) that are organized in a hierarchy manner of which is broadly known for its w eb entrance, search elements, Yahoo search and associated services which as well as Yahoo Directory (DuVander, 2010). Yahoo Mail, are concerned, plotting video, sports and social media website. It’s headquartered in Sunnyvale California is the most common sites in United States where roughly 700 million people use Yahoo website each and every month. Yahoo was first founded by two men known as Jerry Yang as well as David Filo in the year 1994 January and was amalgamated on 1st March, 1995. The previous Google administrative Marissa Mayer was named as the Yahoo Chief Executive and at the same time became the president on 16th July 2012. This utterance known as "yahoo" is an ellipsis for â€Å"Nevertheless alternative Hierarchical Intrusive Oracle† therefore the term "hierarchical" can be described as how the its database was well set in layers of subdivisions (DuVander, 2010). Yahoo is a technology company that delivers search, gratified, and email tools proceeding the W eb and on portable devices all over. The corporation’s Yahoo.com also gives out Yahoo! Finance which offers a set of monetary data, information as well as items for users to build financial decisions; Yahoo! amusement and Lifestyles; this is a collection of things focused on trends as well as information in civilization, women’s issues, and social media. It also gives out infrastructure tools that include Yahoo packages that provide users with and mobile phone text messages, and combined associates and datebook functionality. Therefore, the company provides mobile phones and upcoming products that are Into Now as for Yahoo, watching television, is a software platform that gives interactive television and provides a user with generated satisfied items. This site is available in more than twenty different languages in the world. 2. Structure and design These proprieties offer a simple directory structure and design which the user circumnavigates and chooses files to down load. Organization design is a method of arranging an organization's makeup within their own operation that is looking at the intricate relationship between assignments, workflow, responsibility or even authority and making sure that all these support the main aim of the business. Many efficiency and performance

Hillary Clinton and the Presidential Race Essay

Hillary Clinton and the Presidential Race - Essay Example The Choice on Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina The Democratic Primaries, in accordance with the election precepts in the US, always start in start in the states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina (Andrews, Bennet, & Parlapiano, 2015). The choice to analyze these three states is dependent on several factors. On the instance, they offer an early gauge on the strategies that are used by a political team (Lau & Pomper, 2004). Though there are the instances in which candidates have lost in these states and later recovered to win the primaries, most candidates do scheme to win here. That is because early wins bolsters plans and quivers opponents by creating the impression of a likely overall win. However, in the instances in which a candidate fails to win in these states, they always have the time to strategize and remodel their campaigns (Medvic, 2011). These two projections justify the choice on the three states as it is from whence that a campaign is dearly molded and catapulted for either a win or a loss (Coleman, Cantor, & Neale, 2001). Besides, New Hampshire and Iowa have largely been credited for their electoral independence. That implies that winning the electorate in these states a challenge to most of the candidates. According to Hart (2001), political strengths are majorly gauged by the manners in which candidates overcome challenges. Choosing these states was, therefore, also based on the objective of quantifying the Hillary’s ability to overcome political manacles.

Economic analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Economic analysis - Essay Example Most of the economists believe that, this relationship between inflation and unemployment is in the short run, which leads to a trade off between the two undesirables. The trade off, which has been summarised in to the Phillip’s curve shows that since the invention of economics, there has been an inverse relationship between unemployment and inflation where, when inflation is low, the rate of unemployment is high and when the rate of inflation is high, the levels of unemployment are low. Government policies that are designed to lower the levels of unemployment, for instance, during recession will usually lead to increased rates of inflation in the short run while policies that are designed to lower the rates of inflation, especially during the boom cycle will most likely increase the levels of unemployment in the short run. When discussing inflation and the effects that it has in markets, another concept that cannot be ignored is the interest rates, this is because inflation l evels in a country are directly determined by the interest rates prevailing in that country. When interest rates in a country are lowered, it encourages businesses to get loans for expansion or to hire more employees; this increases money supply in the economy forcing prices to go up due to the increased demand for products and services hence inflation; however on the positive side is that more people will be employed in the economy. On the other side, if the government increases interest rates, businesses are likely to shy away from getting loans for expansion or to cover other expenses, this has the effect of reducing money supply in the market hence low demand, which in turn leads to low inflation rate. The negative side of this is that the less the amount of money that is available in the market, the higher the levels of unemployment since businesses do not have the money to hire new employees. Phillips curve The above Phillip’s curve shows the inverse relationship betwee n unemployment and inflation. Some economists have argued that this relationship is only applicable in the short run since the in the long run, influence of some other macroeconomic factors may cause inflation and unemployment to move in the same direction or fail to show any influence on each other. Keynes, one of greatest economist of the 20th century have argued that the most important term in economics is the short term since in the long run, we will all be dead. The idea of Phillip’s curve has been criticized especially in relation to the trade off between inflation and unemployment because as data from 1970 in most of the developed countries show, these two economic parameters moved in the same direction, a situation called stagflation. This phenomenon was experienced when in 1970; shocks resulting from fluctuating in oil prices ensure that there were high levels of inflation and at the same time high rates of unemployment. This deviation from the Phillip’s curve is as a result of the fact that workers and employers are likely to take into account the effects of inflation when signing new employment contracts, which would mean employees being paid at rates near the inflation. This would cause the levels of unemployment to rise at the same time meaning that in the long run, there is not trade off between unemploym

Hillary Clinton and the Presidential Race Essay

Hillary Clinton and the Presidential Race - Essay Example The Choice on Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina The Democratic Primaries, in accordance with the election precepts in the US, always start in start in the states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina (Andrews, Bennet, & Parlapiano, 2015). The choice to analyze these three states is dependent on several factors. On the instance, they offer an early gauge on the strategies that are used by a political team (Lau & Pomper, 2004). Though there are the instances in which candidates have lost in these states and later recovered to win the primaries, most candidates do scheme to win here. That is because early wins bolsters plans and quivers opponents by creating the impression of a likely overall win. However, in the instances in which a candidate fails to win in these states, they always have the time to strategize and remodel their campaigns (Medvic, 2011). These two projections justify the choice on the three states as it is from whence that a campaign is dearly molded and catapulted for either a win or a loss (Coleman, Cantor, & Neale, 2001). Besides, New Hampshire and Iowa have largely been credited for their electoral independence. That implies that winning the electorate in these states a challenge to most of the candidates. According to Hart (2001), political strengths are majorly gauged by the manners in which candidates overcome challenges. Choosing these states was, therefore, also based on the objective of quantifying the Hillary’s ability to overcome political manacles.

Assignment One Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assignment One - Coursework Example It will make it a lot easier to achieve. I have done O and A levels in September 1999 and my subjects are Arabic, Arabic Literature, English language, History, Art, Geography. I have also done some courses as General Principle of English Law, Procedural Law Completed Virgin Atlantic/GBTA level 1 and level 2 FARES & TICKETING and GALILEO. With attaining degrees in HR, I also need to start working professionally. I already have worked in different human resources areas as volunteer and part time worker. For next five years, I have set some goals for myself to achieve: I need to improve my general knowledge about people and their behavioral psychology. It is because I am pursuing a career in Human Resource and for that I need to have an extensive knowledge about different people, their cultures, political views etc. For this purpose, I need to attend seminars, training courses to meet new people, meet professionals in the field to develop my knowledge. I also need to read books on a regular basis, apart from my course material to have an advanced learning of the subject. I need to be adaptive to new environment and people. For an HR professional, being adaptive is very important as HR professionals are key drivers in bringing change in the organization and they have to meet and manage people from diverse background. This I will learn when I move out of my home country to a new place for my university degree. Moving to a new country will give me a chance to meet people from diverse background and know them better. I need to work on my creative side. I need to develop skills for thinking out of the box and lead to innovation. For this purpose I have to go through a lot of brain storming exercises everyday to develop lateral thinking in myself. I researched through a lot of text and website in order to set my educational and career goals. I used Nova Scotia Government Career Development Plan 2006-07 guide to see

The individuals with dsabilities education Act Essay Example for Free

The individuals with dsabilities education Act Essay Laws and Practices The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 1975), was originally called The Education of Handicapped Children Act. The act is a work in progress. It has been amended several times, including a major revision in 1997. This Federal law attempts to insure access to effective public education for people with a variety of disabilities. School personnel must become well versed with the Act, knowing what actions to take at each specific stage of a student’s development. Legal guidelines also apply to student’s referrals to special services. As times change, research surfaces, and issues arise, the act has been amended. Ensuring adequate funding for compliance with the act is always a challenge. It is often the focus of changes to the law. The law now extends to the time prior to the students enrollment in special education. Pre-Referral Interventions In the 1997 IDEA bill, parents were conferred the right to refuse an evaluation of their child for possible eligibility for special services. Mediation is provided in case of such an event. If the student opts for this evaluation a specific set of requirements apply. A multi-disciplinary team should be assembled early in the student’s educational process. The team may include administrators, guidance counselors, and special and general education teachers. Also members of the community who work with the student and experts in the particular disability may be included. This team may choose one of several decision making models to arrive at a strategy. Environmental and individual personality factors are assessed and attempts may be made to modify the students learning environment. The underlying assumption is that the student, whenever possible, should remain on a general education track. If the process results in a referral, a team familiar with the student will already be in place. Once that referral is made, the IDEA legislation provides the means to ensure that the rights of the individual are upheld. Six Key Components First, the IDEA legislation proposes that access to free appropriate public education (FAPE) is a right for individuals with disabilities. The method of education is unique to the needs of each individual learner. This is the theoretical underpinning for all the IDEA laws. If a child receives a pre-referral intervention or is referred to special education, the parents will not be subject to any additional fees in excess of those for other students. â€Å"Public† means that the public schools are required to educate all students, and adhere to federal requirements regarding education. Secondly, the act requires that all disabled students are evaluated effectively. Information about the student should be gathered from a number of sources then used in the development of the student’s learning plan. This information will also be used to determine which services the student is eligible for. During this stage, a diverse, knowledgeable team of professionals is developed to help the student’s progress. Thirdly, IDEA provides for the development of the Individualized Education Program (IEP). This is a written document that provides a road map for the student’s educational progress. A detailed Individualized Education Program (IEP) must be developed for each student. This should occur in short order after the student is referred and evaluated. The act stipulates what information is used in writing the IEP, who writes it, and what the school is obligated to do for the student. The IEP must be consulted, and may be amended, during the placement process. Fourth, IDEA states the principle of the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). Placement in classrooms must be in the best interest of the student. If this means that classrooms need to be modified in some way, it must be done unless it is to the detriment of the other students. The disabled student, as much as possible, must be included in the general education classroom. Providing assistance in order to do this is preferable to assigning the student to a special education classroom. If this is not feasible, there still should be a range of options available to foster as much inclusion as possible. Fifth, IDEA states the importance of parental involvement in decision making. The parent has the right to participate in any meetings concerning the student’s education. IDEA proposes that the process of educating the student is a partnership between that student, his or her parents, and the public schools. Parents are always an equal partner and are critical to the ultimate success of the student. This team will help determine placement for the student through a number of means, including norm referenced and criterion referenced tests. Since the student’s capabilities and potential eligibility for services are being assessed, these tests must be carefully chosen and peer reviewed. The presence of a parent or guardian should never be seen as a hindrance. This presence can only help the process for all involved. Finally, the sixth provision of the IDEA legislation imposes procedural safeguards to ensure the rights of all involved. Full disclosure of the factors leading to any school decision regarding the disabled student must be made to his or her parents. A mediation process is provided to resolve any disagreements that may arise. The six principles of IDEA are designed to ensure educational access from the time of first assessment until well after the special education program is exited. As times change, the IDEA law has been modified in a number of ways. Related Laws PL 99-457 (1986) – These amendments to IDEA provided for the creation of an individualized family service plan (IFSP) for each family served. It extended provisions of PL 94-142 (Free Appropriate Public Education) to preschool aged children. PL 101-476 – The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 mandated that the least restrictive environment (LRE) be provided to physically challenged vocational students. This act changed the term â€Å"handicapped† to â€Å"disabled† (U.S. Dept of Education, 2003). More people were covered as a result. The FAPE principle is stated again in this act, along with the requirements for an IEP and associated services. Assisted technology is now included as one of the associated services. Laws applying to inclusion and providing the least restrictive placement for the learner were reinforced. Much needed additional funding for early intervention services was provided. Finally, the act requires that each learner’s IEP must have a plan for transition to employment included by the age of 16. PL 105-17 (1997) – This law was a major revision to the original IDEA legislation. Disciplining special education students can be a thorny issue. In the past, many forms of classroom discipline risked violating IDEA laws. This issue was addressed in greater detain in this amendment. An amendment that would have eliminated the requirement to provide certain services to students who have been suspended was not included in the final bill. In addition to the IEP, the student’s educational team must also conduct functional behavioral assessments. A behavioral intervention plan must be developed, reviewed, and amended as necessary. The IEP itself must be more specifically tied in to general education requirements than in the past. Special education is to be de-emphasized and modified mainstreaming will be emphasized. For students with disciplinary problems that affect the learning of others, The IEP team must devise a strategy for behavioral management. For students who commit particularly dangerous acts, the team may impose a longer suspension or removal to an alternative setting. However, the team is also required to make a ruling, using accepted procedures, whether the behavior of the student was a function of his or her disability. (U. S. Dept. of Education, 2003). The behavioral management plan is then reevaluated from that perspective. HR 1350 IDEA Reauthorization (2004) – This reauthorization addresses financial issues as well as making several revisions to previously instituted policies. A risk pool was established to help offset state costs for students whose educational costs are particularly expensive. Full funding is not guaranteed by this act, but a gradual process leading to that goal was instituted. This bill sets additional standards for teacher certification. Overall performance goals are outlined and certification goals are established. Mandatory performance data will be gathered. A particular focus of this bill is to use this information to determine if there is a disproportionate enrollment of minority students in special education. The bill also makes further requirements for the IEP. Goal statements must include functional as well as academic goals. Provisions for IEP transfer between states are made. For students exiting special education, the bill requires the development of an educational summary along with recommendations for further education or entry to a career (Apling, 2002). IDEA in Practice Under the 1997 revision, general education teachers will become more involved in the education of those with disabilities. They will help in developing the student’s IEP, in addition to helping create the least restrictive environment (LRE) for the student to participate with regular classes. The IDEA legislation is recognition that the cookie cutter approach to education is often not effective. This is particularly true for those who have disabilities. At the same time, it proposes a great many regulations that educators must adhere to. However, these regulations should be seen as a helpful tool for guiding the disabled student toward the best possible educational experience. IDEA recognizes that not only do these students have the same right to a public education as anyone else, but that it is also in the best interest of society to provide that education.Sources Apling, Richard Jones, Nancy Lee. (2002). â€Å"The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): Overview of Major Provisions†. Washington D. C. : The Congressional Research Service. Francis, Leslie P. Silvers, Anita. (2000). Americans with Disabilities: exploring implications of the law for individuals and institutions. New York: Routledge. U. S. Dept. of Education. (2003). â€Å"An overview of the bill to provide a broad understanding of some of the changes in IDEA ‘97†. Accessed 12/17/2006. Available from: http://www. ed. gov/offices/OSERS/Policy/IDEA/overview. htm.

Current phase of economic growth in singapore nitin raj

Current phase of economic growth in singapore nitin raj CURRENT PHASE OF ECONOMIC GROWTH IN SINGAPORE NITIN RAJ Introduction The international economy has experienced fundamental changes during last two or so decades. Economic activity is becoming not only more internationalised but also meaningfully, it is becoming globalised in a world of complexity, interconnectedness and mobility. Today we live in a rapidly changing and increasing competitive world of globalisation. This report is brief analysis about the economic growth of Singapore (republic of Singapore) and stumble of it while recession. Singapore, an island in southern Asia is highly acclaimed global market friendly economy, major contribution of which is manufacturing of electronics. Being one of the busiest ports it is the fourth largest economy foreign exchange centre. This report will play particular attention to: Evaluation of current phase of economic growth in Singapore. Factors contributing current phase of growth/contraction in economy. Discussion on some methods of managing the economy by the Government. Singapore has successful free market economy with strong market economy with strong service and manufacturing sectors. It has one of the highest per capita gross domestic product in the world. Singapores location on major sea lanes and its industrious population have made important hub for south-east Asia region. Singapores small population, external market dependency and suppliers have pushed it towards economic openness free trade and free markets. Effective government policies have been key reason in Singapores historically strong economic performance. Singapores economic growth To know about GDP, first we have to know that what this term actually is, GDP is gross domestic product, which means, The total value of goods and services produced within a countrys borders during a fixed period, usually one year, obtained by adding the value contributed by each sector of the economy .you can think of it as the size of the economy. EVOLUTION OF ECONOMY OVER LAST TWENTY YEARS Figure 1 (Source: International monetary fund- 2009 world economic outlook) TABLE 1 YEAR GDP PER CAPITA % CHANGE 1989 15621.62 10.86% 1990 17044.27 9.11% 1991 18277.45 7.24% 1992 19308.1 5.64% 1993 21486.89 11.28% 1994 23735.75 10.47% 1995 25421.68 7.10% 1996 26811.78 5.47% 1997 28585.21 6.61% 1998 27557.65 -3.59% 1999 29738.55 7.91% 2000 32864.45 10.51% 2001 31936.05 -2.82% 2002 33478.7 4.83% 2003 36016.97 7.58% 2004 40179.48 11.56% 2005 43754.29 8.90% 2006 47444.57 8.43% 2007 50447.62 6.33% 2008 51226.03 1.54% 2009 49433.48 -3.50% Singaporean GDP is at a good state as of late. Its per capita GDP is among highest in world. There has been a steady rate of growth in last five financial years. GDP in year2003 2.02 % 2004 1.10% 20058.10% 20066.40% 20077.90% 20087.50% The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Singapore reduced at an annual rate of 2.80% in the last quarter of December 2009. Singapore Gross Domestic Product is worth 182 billion dollars or 0.29% of the world economy, as per the reports of World Bank. Unemployment Rates The unemployment rate in Singapore was 2.10 percent in December of 2009. Country Interest Rate Growth Rate Inflation Rate Jobless Rate Current Account Exchange Rate Singapore 0.02% -2.80% 0.20% 2.10% 8324 1.4018 Year Mar Jun Sep Dec 2009 3.30 3.30 3.40 2.10 2008 1.90 2.20 2.30 2.50 2007 2.80 2.30 1.70 1.70 Singapore has enjoyed virtually full employment for long periods of time. In tandem with the global economic crisis and the economys contraction, unemployment as of end-June 2009 rose to 3.3% and resident unemployment reached 4.6%. The inflation rate in Singapore was 0.20 percent in January of 2010 Country Interest Rate Growth Rate Inflation Rate Jobless Rate Current Account Exchange Rate Singapore 0.02% -2.80% 0.20% 2.10% 8324 1.4018 Year Jan Mar Jun Sep Dec 2010 0.20 2009 4.30 2.60 0.00 -0.50 -0.50 2008 6.60 6.70 7.50 6.70 5.50 2007 -0.60 0.20 1.70 3.00 3.70 Business cycle The five stages of the business cycle are growth, peak, recession, trough and recovery. In starting year of Singapores economy, its growing with faster rate and from year 2003 up to 5 years it reaches to peak, and after some years it starts declining and now it is in trough stage, now it should try some new methods to grow up, and recover its economic level. Factors contributing current phase of economy are as follows Contraction: Recession: Singapore is the first Asian economy to enter in recession. Recession is directly phasing to unemployment, it increased 3% in year 2009. Singapores economy is heavily dependent on export activities and its going down up to 18% International trade is also going down to 3.2% Causes for economic development of Singapore: A foremost reason is increasing demand of electronic products all over the world. The construction sector is also helping the economy to grow and survive in the market. It expands its hands up to 16.4% Government strategies and tactics are also playing crucial role in economic development for this south East Asian country. We can conclude that in some sector economy gets into contraction and the main factor which helped in contraction is recession. Due to recession tourism industry effected, unemployment increased, and its export also got down. In some sector, still some growth is there, like demand for electronic products, pharmaceuticals, educational sector all helped Singapore to grow lot. But in current phase Singapore is going in contraction, in almost every sector of economy. Flow of income The terms circular flow of income refer to an economic model which explains the reciprocal circulation of income in between producers and consumers. The methods to manage the economy are: First method is to reduce the unemployment rate as in December 2009 the unemployment rate is 2.10% and due to high worldwide recession it is continuously increasing. Due to unemployment, tourism sector is being effected, and also the service sector as people are jobless. Government is trying to match the perfect level of employment, as in 2010 worlds first youth Olympic is going to be held in Singapore, so tourism sector will b get effected by this, Singapore government is opening two large base royal casinos to attract tourism, this can also help in reducing unemployment. Second method can be price cut, as 60% firms in Singapore are owned by government, so it can cut the prices, by cutting down its manufacturing cost, the cost has to be reduced in recovery stage, then it can use new techniques which can help in reducing wastage, government should reduce taxes also on some products like medicines, education, tourism sector, communication sector, all this will help to get recover from recession stage. Public sector debt : Debt is the total amount of money that a country (or company) owes. In January 2010, there was net borrowing of  £4.3 billion, which compares with net borrowing of - £5.3 billion (net lending) in January 2009. The PBR forecast for 2009/10 is net borrowing of  £178 billion. Public sector net debt, expressed as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), was 59.9 per cent at the end of January 2010 compared with 50.0 per cent at end of January 2009. Net debt was  £848.5 billion at the end of January compared with  £708.0 billion a year earlier. Public sector deficit: Deficit is in simple words expenditure over revenue, a situation in which liabilities exceed assets, expenditures exceed income, imports exceed exports, or losses exceed profits. Singapore recorded a general government deficit of S$4054 Million in Jan/10 that is of 14% of GDP as compared to previous period S$4017 million .Due to worldwide recession Singapore also has to bear this public sector deficit. Significance of these figures: Government borrows loan and money for the sake of people only, it want to increase the production by cutting taxes , want to reduce unemployment and start new projects so that people can get jobs. By starting new projects government wants to increase the standard of living of people, and their purchasing power. Conclusion Singaporeone of the four tigers of Asia (others are Honkong, Taiwan and South Korea) has a highly developed and successful open-market economy. Few years back it had a GDP higher than that of most developed countries. Its economy recovered by 2006 from the global recession in 2001 but again the GDP of Singapore economy declined and its a prediction by various economist it will decrease at a rate of 2.8% in year 2010, but some predictions say just opposite of it as per promises done by the government it will increase at rate of 3 to 5 percent and according, as far as I studied about Singapores economy, it is now in a trough stage of business cycle, that is fourth stage, now its time for recovery, the last stage of business cycle, so it has to grow up now, by cutting prices or by reducing unemployment rate. Tourism in Singapore has also a vital role. After a big loss it has started growing smoothly. Worlds first youth Olympic game is going to be held in Singapore; hopefully it will promote the tourism sector. Employment will also groom this year. Two casinos are also going to start this year, which can help it in increasing tourism,. The global recession seems to coming at its end so the European countries and United States will soon regain their importing capabilities which will help Singapore to re establish its development back again. Singapore had suffered a lot. Till last year they worked on saving jobs. Now as the market conditions have improved job qualities are taken into consideration. Improvement in world business, rise of Singapore manufacturing, export, tourism, government commitment has shown good signs and it is believed that this small island will soon achieve its lost growth.

Evolution of the Geeks Essay -- Essays Papers

Evolution of the Geeks In the past 20th century, the word geek has evolved into many different meanings. The term branched off to create a person with low social skills, often with high intelligence, a person highly interested in computer technology, and a person with a devotion to something that places him or her outside of the mainstream. Geek usually has negative connotations within popular culture, where being a geek tends to be an insult. The term can also be a badge of honor among subcultures, such as the know-it-all of Star Trek. Media dictates popular culture. The television sitcoms I’ve watched growing up all displayed who is the stereotype for a geek. Steve Urkel from Family Matters, Screech from Saved By The Bell, Ross from Friends are some examples. All are viewed as highly intelligent and with low social skills. Yet the word is still evolving and currently is accepted as an honor. Examples of cool geeks of the 21st century are hobbits from Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Seth Cohen from The O.C, and Napoleon Dynamite. The consensus of the word geek by the media shapes the society’s minds of what is perceived to be true. The term stereotype is usually referred to be a term of abuse. It gives society a short cut to identify and categorize people. The word also evokes a consensus among all of society. According to the Oxford English Dictionary Online, the word geek was introduced as the lowest of carnival performers, often displaying acts of swallowing live animals. It evolved in the 20th century to represent a person who is highly intelligent yet lacks the ability to socialize. This representation inflicts psychological and social behaviors that often consider geeks as outcasts and victim to abuse from the ... ... taped-up glasses, the 21st century is welcoming the geek to the mainstream. Geeks are adorable, relatable, and provide comic relief. With the following of Harry Potter fans and quirky geek icons such as Napoleon Dynamite, the geek of today is the ultimate cool. Now geeks put the pop in pop culture. Works Cited Lester, Paul M., ed. Images That Injure: Pictorial Stereotypes in the Media. Westport: Praeger Publishers, 1996. Long, Tom. â€Å"Great geek portrayals save â€Å"Dynamite† from its clichà ©s.† Rev. of Napoleon Dynamite, by Jared Hess. The Detroit News on the Web 2 July 2004. 20 October 2004 < http://www.detnews.com/2004/screens/0407/07/e01-201089.htm>. Oxford English Dictionary Online. . Soergel, Matt. â€Å"RETURN OF THE NERDS: Geeks are the coolest things in movies this summer.† Florida Times Union 28 Jul. 2004, city ed., c-1.

Reasons for Being in College Essay

If your child ever asks, â€Å"Why should I go to college?† here are five reasons! 1. Make more money. People who graduate from college make more money than those with just a high school diploma. A lot more money, actually. People with a college degree make around $1,100 a week. Someone with a high school diploma makes just $638. 2. Have more opportunity. People who go to college open up their choices for jobs. Many jobs these days require a college degree. Plus, college graduates have less chance of losing their jobs. In 2009, there were 9.7 million unemployed high school graduates, compared with 5.2 million college graduates without jobs. 3. Make connections. In college, students make new friends and other connections that will be helpful when it’s time to get started in a career. Those friends they make in college will help them get jobs, and these connections and networks will help them throughout their lives. 4. Live a healthier and happier life. Studies have shown that college graduates are healthier and are less likely to get divorced. The divorce rate for college graduates who married between 1990 and 1994 is about 25 percent. That’s compared with more than 50 percent for those without a four-year college degree. Plus, people with just a high school diploma are nearly twice as likely to be in poorer health than college graduates. 5. Start a tradition. If your child goes to college, your grandchildren will be more likely to go too: 71 percent of students with at least one parent who has a bachelor’s degree apply to college themselves. Only 26 percent of first-generation students (those with no parent who went beyond high school) apply to college.

Brand Management Mid Term Study Guide

Biswas: Brand Management (MAR 6936; Spring 2013) MAR 6936: MIDTERM EXAM STUDY GUIDE Exam Format: The exam will have a mix of multiple-choice questions and short answers, with a higher total number of points for short answer questions. NOTE: Anything and everything covered in class (through lectures, discussion, articles, activities, etc. ) and/or posted on Blackboard, are potential exam material. The topics listed below can be used as a Study Guide.However, from an exam point of view, that does NOT preclude the other material covered in class. Introduction to Basic Issues: defining a brand; new challenges; the concept of brand equity; steps in the strategic brand management process. Branding Innovations and New Products: Issues in branding innovations; different options in naming a new product/innovation; becoming brand exemplars; first mover issues; reasons for new branding innovations to succeed versus fail; reasons for branding an innovation.Brands, Branding, and Meaning of Brands : Brands and competitive advantage; brand story/meaning; brands and competitive advantages; brands as signals of product quality; designing branding strategy. Brand Positioning: Defining comparative frames of reference; issues related to PoP and PoD; brand positioning; product category membership; challenges in positioning; core brand values; brand mantras. Brand Extensions and Brand Portfolios: When are brand extensions appropriate? When are they successful/unsuccessful?Advantages/disadvantages of brand extensions; key aspects of brand portfolios; criteria for cutting down brands and brand extensions from a portfolio. Managing Brands over Time: Long-term vs. short-term foci and the related strategies; revitalizing a fading brand; improving and reinforcing brand image over time. HBS Cases: You should be familiar with the concepts/principles that we discussed in class in the context of the HBS cases, such as traditional vs. non-traditional branding strategies and breakaway positionin g strategy.

Describe a Few of the Interesting Characters in Your Class Essay

My class is full of wonderful characters that make all of us cheerful to study. There are twenty-two students in my class and only seven of them are boys. Our form teacher is Encik Azmi bin Nusi. We have a wonderful monitor who does every job given to her responsibly. She is Uma Devi a/p Nagiah and she never complains about doing jobs without an assistant. Most of the students are Malays. There are only four Indian girls and four Chinese students. Our class is one of the noisiest class because of the interesting characters we have. Uma Devi is chosen to be our monitor mainly because of her gutsiness to confront some of the rebellious students who are usually Azizi and Amin in our class. Were the students agreed? They definitely were. Hardly any objection was voiced to choose Uma as the monitor. With 170 centimetres tall and a loud voice that can crack any dreams, she is the perfect choice. Although this Indian girl is very strict, she also has a good sense of humour. That is why many of us cannot despise her for a long time. Moreover, she is very pretty with two long braided black hair and a smile, which is not very often she does. She seldom smile but when she does, it is just like a sun shining after down pouring rain. We will always feel very glad and relieved to see her smile. Her seriousness in doing her job is commendable and she is helpful too, to get a new dateline for our homeworks from the teacher. Due to that, we always admire and respect her. Describing the interesting characters in my class, I find it difficult to leave Rosmaliza behind. She is a very peculiar and interesting girl in our class. She is only 155 centimetres tall but she was slim with beautiful features. The sleepyhead in our class? She definitely is the one and only. We could not stop laughing when thinking about her embarrassing situations in our class. There was a time when Mr. Ling, our Additional Mathematics teacher was teaching in our class and dear Rosmaliza was sleeping. Mr. Ling noticed she was asleep and called out her name to wake her up and she did wake up. Waking up and mumbling incoherently, she suddenly stood up and towards the blackboard, thinking that Mr. Ling wanted her to complete some questions on the board. After some awkward silence, she returned to her seat looking red all over. All the classmates burst out laughing at her act. But she remained impassive, although her red face revealed what she felt. Another thing that we find funny is the way she laughed. It was loud and sounded like a cackle. That is so unforgettable and can be said as her ‘trademark’. The other character in my class that I found interesting is Fozie. He is quite a humorist with the loyal companion, Ja’far. Fozie is very funny and he could cause a hullaballoo with his spontaneous jokes. He is 162 centimetres tall and has a cute, mischievous face. However, he does not get into a lot of trouble with his mischief. He is quite adorable because of his helpfulness and politeness. He is surely the best guy in our class. Another thing that we found amazing about him is the way he mesmerized school’s juniors. Many students, especially girls from lower form adore and admire him. The reason? Maybe it simply because of his friendliness and some cute bangs over his forehead. However, he is a reliable guy that we could depend on to please some teachers whenever some of them are angry. All that I can conclude from these interesting characters is that they are wonderful to be with. Although some of them are weird, but the difference can only add up the speciality. Plus, they definitely bring colours of joy and mischief in our world as a student. Life in school would simply be so boring without them.

Choose a topic Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Choose a topic - Research Paper Example He proved himself to be an essential part of literature’s history, being not only a poet but a literary critic, a playwright, leader of literature’s modernist movement and winner of Nobel Prize in field of literature. Thomas Stearns Eliot was born in St. Louis on 26th September 1888 (Shook 722) to Henry Ware Eliot and Charlotte Stearns Eliot. He had six other siblings; his mother was a poet too. In 1905 he graduated high school, the following year was spent at a private prep school called Milton academy in Massachusetts. He started his term at Harvard in 1906 September, he studied from professors like Irving Abbott and Paul Elmer there, and both of whom became a major influence on Eliot’s writing. There influence on Eliot was through his stress on tradition and his classicism. Eliot also studied Dante’s poetry which too became his primary inspiration and source of enthusiasm. Eliot completed his B.A in 1909 and stayed at Harvard to complete English literature’s master’s degree. He left in fall of next year and went to Paris where he spent a year. He took courses at Sorbonne, wrote, read and mostly soaked the atmosphere in Paris. When he returned to States, he also went back to Harvard, where he continued taking graduate course now in philosophy, also serving as teaching assistant. In academic session 1914-1915 he was awarded travelling fellowship, with that he chose to go to Germany to study, yet he had to leave from there after just few weeks due to outbreak of World War 1. He went to London after his stay at Germany was terminated, which then became his permanent home. Eliot got a chance to meet Ezra Pound, through a class fellow from Harvard on 22nd September 1914; Pound too soon became major influence on Eliot’s literary career and its development. Eliot wrote one of his most famous poems â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock†

Volcano Project 1 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Volcano Project 1 - Research Paper Example ritish navigator, was the first person to observe the eruptions of ash coming from the Mount Yasur in the year 1774 which attracted him and helped him discover the Tanna Island. Mount Yasur is believed to be a holy place by the inhabitants who thought that the John Frum and his members have been residing there. John Frum was a person who told the natives that the Americans will bring in wealth if they all agree to follow him. It is also called as the Lighthouse of the Pacific as it has been showing continuous activity for so many years (Decker. 1991). The area around the Mount Yasur is highly deprived of vegetation and it has a crater which is almost circular having a diameter of about 400 meters. The eruptions from it have been continuous for the last eight hundred years. Mount Yasur has shown typical eruptions of the strombolian type which are of low level but are frequently regular & the lava quickly cools down and turns into black color before coming down to the earth. The eruptions are caused by the movement of the Indo-Australian plates towards the east which are then subducted under by the movement of the Pacific Plates towards the west. Mount Yasur is 361 meters or 1,184 feet above the sea level and it is a type of a strato volcano. A strato volcano is the one in which the eruption occur rather periodically and the mount has a cone and its walls are made up of the layers of lava continuously being deposited. As the Mount Yasur erupts periodically for hours, the government has issued certain levels of access which depend u pon the height of the eruptions. The access to the c rater is allowed only in the low level activity and is designated as Level-0.even in Level-1, during the normal activity the access to the crater is permitted. The permission to the summit is closed when severe activity takes place that is Level-3. Also large smoke and ash is erupted and lava bombs are projected to hundreds of meters, and loud explosions can be heard. When the

Jacobs and Douglass' Narratives Regarding the True Escape from Slavery Research Paper

Jacobs and Douglass' Narratives Regarding the True Escape from Slavery - Research Paper Example \Writers such as Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass provide examples of the dehumanizing elements of slavery, hinted when Jacobs comments â€Å"Slavery is terrible for men, but is more terrible for women†, while also providing clues as to how slavery might be escaped through education as in Douglass’ statement, â€Å"You have seen how a man was made a slave; you shall now see how a slave was made a man.† These examples and clues can be found in Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Both books bring into sharp relief the miserable conditions of a slave’s life and the ways in which it dehumanized the black people. Douglass sadly informs the reader that he is uncertain of his age or the day he was born and, although his mother died when he was seven years old, he was relatively unaffected by the news as he had been separated from her since infancy. â€Å"Never having enjoyed, to any considerable extent, her soothing presence, her tender and watchful care, I received the tidings of [my mother’s] death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger† (Douglass Ch. 1). By the time Douglass was seven, he had learned of the death of his mother, watched his aunt brutally whipped and had taken his own place at work in the fields. He describes the life of the slave, illustrating its bestial level of survival existence and the types of behaviors they were expected to exhibit when they were in the presence of their mas ters. Jacobs also focuses on the brutality of slavery in her description of early life as a slave girl actively pursued by a lascivious slave owner. The only way she can avoid becoming her master’s black mistress at the age of 15 is to give herself up to another white man of her own choosing. â€Å"I shed bitter tears that I was no longer worthy of being respected by the good and pure

Critical Gender Study Analytical Paper Prompt Term - 1

Critical Gender Study Analytical Prompt - Term Paper Example e the political circle and the military machines, but is also entails the process of coming up and building of epistemic frame works that tries to make and enshrine the domination practices legitimate. This formations and patterns were prevalent and common in colonial structures and their establishments. They fabricated frameworks, which were legitimate and perpetrated epistemic violence in their territories where they colonized. Foucault (84-85) clarifies that their institutions are not only based as entities constructed upon knowledge subjugation but also as an important mechanism of making their domination legitimate. This is significant given that subjugation of knowledge or epistemic violation is so common in the society. Never the less, it would be myopic to conclude that the colonialists exclusively exercised the mechanisms elaborated at the introduction. All sorts of domination processes happened earlier and even concurrently to the enlightenment wave. However, it is dangerous and useful that post modernity facts has brought to us tools to scrutinize and analyze the happenings in the day-to-day world retrospectively. In contrast, it is important that we use general conceptions such as epistemic violence to examine the analogous domination processes, which are not related to modernity. The application of any theory in generalizing and ignoring contexts way is risky and can lead to the making of another great narrative, which can be a totalitarian (Somerville 48). However, this tension will be centrally placed depending on how I will be arguing my case out. Therefore, the main aim of this essay is to find out and discuss many instances of subjugation of knowledge or epistemic violence as well as instances of epistemic retaliation in today’s societies. Foucault identifies epistemic violence in the sanity redefinition in European eighteenth century. Violence means an assertion of power and epistemic originates from epistemology, which means the study of

Getting A Scholarship To Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Getting A Scholarship To Study - Essay Example The scholarship not only served as a financial assistance but was also a unique opportunity to display my academic prowess. There is no doubt that scholarships are more prestigious and that they play important role in enhancing one’s resume and at the same time help one to pay for his or her education. Scholarship has provided me with enormous financial benefits as it has helped me to study without incurring substantial costs or not getting into debts. This helped me to concentrate on my studies and in the future, it will help me to focus on my career without thinking about repaying loans. By removing financial barriers, the scholarship made my career and education goals easier to obtain. In addition to financial and educational benefits, the scholarship provided me with career benefit. Earning a prestigious scholarship makes me a more attractive job candidate. Most employers understand the competitive nature of the scholarship and as such, they recognize scholarship as an acc omplishment. It demonstrates to potential employers that I have exceptional abilities in the academic realm. Listing scholarship in my resume helps me to stand out when searching for a job and possibly help me to achieve the career that I want. The scholarship also came with personal benefit; it made a significant difference regarding how much resources and time that I had during college to spend to enhance my knowledge and experience through internships, volunteer opportunities, and service-learning.

European Description Essay Example for Free

European Description Essay The fear when youre in a social situation in which you may be exposed to some kind of harm, or so as you may think. It can arouse a panic attack, the persons fear is noticeable and they would rather avoid such situations. It is normally diagnosed in people under 18, and can last for about 6 months. This fear is not created because of a drug, and if a general condition is present, it is not related to it in any way. European Description: Often starts in adolescence and is experienced around small groups of people. It can be seen in both males and females. In some cultures, direct eye-to-eye contact can be stressful, and nausea, hand tremor and panic attacks may be seen too. Most of this is related to low self-esteem and there is always a prevailing fear of being criticized. In extreme cases, total isolation may be experienced  Treatment:  Most phobias can be treated through therapy, however in very extreme cases, pharmacotherapy (includes the use of antidepressant drugs) may be needed. (APA 1998) The cognitive behavioral therapies reassure the patient that there is nothing that could possibly harm them. This is done by approaching a situation which may be frightening for the patient and then breaking it down into pieces to allow ways to cope with that (such as muscle relaxation). These therapies have been in practice for a while and have been proven fruitful. A limitation of this treatment is lack of therapists to take care of such situations. An article also suggested that serotonin reuptake inhibitors also help in such conditions. Is the sudden, rapid, unusual kind of behavior which may be vocal or physical called tics. It normally attacks someone before the age of 18 and there is no research to know its cause; it is neither the side effect of a drug nor a general disease. The period can last for about a year, and the tics occur as frequently as a few times a day. European Description: A tic is defined as a sudden and involuntary movement, which is of no use but may be suppressed. Common tics include blinking of the eye, sniffing, shrugging your shoulders whereas more complex ones can be more physical, such as skipping around, or even causing harm to one self. It is an uncommon, chronic disorder which occurs more in males compared to females and has been proved hereditary. De la Tourrettes Syndrome is when theres a lot of overlap of vocal and physical tics which can be observed during childhood or adolescence, and can lead on into a patients adult life too. Tics may be suppressed and can be put off by going to sleep! Recent research: + Magazine Article  Sleeping Patterns in children with Tourette syndrome: a polysomnographic study  To evaluate data on sleep quantity/quality and tics during night sleep in children with Tourette syndrome  Polysomnography of teenage and young kids who suffered from Tourettes were taken [ they did not have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ]. The control for this experiment was a group of 16year old sex and IQ matched teenagers. Their sleeping patterns were noticed to have added short movements, which lasted about 15 seconds and their tic activity and sleeping span were studied. It was seen that kids who suffered from TS showed major changes in their sleeping span and slept for longer than the control group. it was also seen that they were awake most of the time, rather than fully asleep. The number of stages that they went through had no difference. Movement was seen to be similar, but TS patients showed a little bit more movement.  It was seen that there is no direct link between sleep span and movements in your sleep. Children with TS have disturbed sleep which is because of their tics during the day. There is a need for further research on this issue Treatment: A placebo-controlled trial of risperidone in Tourette syndrome  A study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy and safety of risperidone in children and adults with TS  The study lasted for 8 weeks and patients were selected randomly for a placebo controlled trial. Total tic score was being measured.  34 participants (26 children and 8 adults) from 6 to 62 years were available. Total Tic scores were similar at baseline (26.0 +/- 5.1 for risperidone vs 27.4 +/- 8.5 for placebo). After 8 weeks of treatment (mean daily dose of 2.5 +/- 0.85), the 16 subjects on risperidone showed a 32% reduction in tic severity from baseline, compared to a 7% reduction for placebo patients. The 12 children randomized to risperidone showed a 36% reduction in tic symptoms compared to an 11% decrease in the 14 children on placebo. Two children on risperidone showed acute social phobia, which resolved with dose reduction in one subject but resulted in medication discontinuation in the other. A mean increase in body weight of 2.8 kg was observed in the risperidone group compared to no change in placebo. No extrapyramidal symptoms and no clinically significant alterations in cardiac conduction times or laboratory measures were observed.  Therefore it was seen that Risperidone appears to be safe and effective for short-term treatment of tics in children or adults with Tourette syndrome. Longer-term studies are needed to evaluate the durability of efficacy and safety over time.