Blackbeard the Pirate Biography for Kids

Kids are often interested in pirates and want to know the history of people such as Blackbeard. They may not be ready for the adult version of the  biography of Blackbeard  but can have their questions answered in this version for young readers. Who was Blackbeard? Blackbeard was a fearsome pirate who attacked other peoples ships a long time ago, in the years 1717–1718. He enjoyed looking scary, making his long black hair and beard smoke while he was fighting. He died while fighting ships sent to catch him and bring him to jail. Here are the answers to all your Blackbeard questions. Was Blackbeard his real name? His real name was Edward Thatch or Edward Teach. Pirates took nicknames to hide their real names. He was called Blackbeard because of his long, black beard. Why was he a pirate? Blackbeard was a pirate because it was a way to make a fortune. Life at sea was hard and risky for sailors in navy or on merchant ships. It was tempting to take what you learned serving on those ships and join a pirate crew where you would earn a share of the treasure. At different times, a government would encourage ships captains to be privateers and raid ships from other countries, but not theirs. These privateers might then begin to prey on any ships and become pirates. What did pirates do? Pirates sailed where they thought other ships would be. Once they found another ship, they would raise their pirate flag and attack. Usually, the other ships just gave up once they saw the flag to avoid a fight and injuries. The pirates would then steal everything the ship was carrying. What sort of stuff did pirates steal? Pirates stole anything that they could use or sell. If a ship had cannons or other good weapons, the pirates would take them. They stole food and alcohol. If there was any gold or silver, they would steal it. The ships they robbed were usually merchants ships carrying cargo such as cocoa, tobacco, cow hides or cloth. If the pirates thought they could sell the cargo, they took it. Did Blackbeard leave behind any buried treasure? Lots of people think so, but probably not. Pirates preferred to spend their gold and silver and not bury it somewhere. Also, most of the treasure he stole was cargo rather than coins and jewels. He would sell the cargo and spend the money. Who were some of Blackbeards friends? Blackbeard learned how to be a pirate from Benjamin Hornigold, who gave him command of one of his pirate ships. Blackbeard helped Major Stede Bonnet, who didnt really know much about being a pirate. Another friend was Charles Vane, who had several chances to stop being a pirate but he never took them. Why was Blackbeard so famous? Blackbeard was famous because he was a very scary pirate. When he knew he was going to attack someone’s ship, he put smoking fuses in his long black hair and beard. He also wore pistols strapped to his body. Some sailors who saw him in battle actually thought he was the devil. Word of him spread and people on both land and sea were scared of him. Did Blackbeard have a family? According to Captain Charles Johnson, who lived at the same time as Blackbeard, he had 14 wives. This probably isn’t true, but it seems likely that Blackbeard did get married sometime in 1718 in North Carolina. There is no record of him ever having any kids. Did Blackbeard have a pirate flag and a pirate ship? Blackbeards pirate flag was black with a white devil skeleton on it. The skeleton was holding a spear pointing at a red heart. He also had a very famous ship called the Queen Annes Revenge. This mighty ship had 40 cannons on it, making it one of the most dangerous pirate ships ever. Did they ever catch Blackbeard? Local leaders often offered a reward for the capture of famous pirates. Many men tried to catch Blackbeard, but he was too smart for them and escaped capture many times. To get him to stop, he was offered a pardon and he accepted it. However, he returned to piracy How did Blackbeard die? Finally, on November 22, 1718, pirate hunters caught up with him near Ocracoke Island, off of North Carolina. Blackbeard and his men put up quite a fight, but in the end, they were all killed or arrested. Blackbeard died in battle and his head was cut off so the pirate hunters could prove they killed him. According to an old story, his headless body swam around his ship three times. This was not possible but added to his fearsome reputation. Sources: Cordingly, David. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 1996 Defoe, Daniel (Captain Charles Johnson). A General History of the Pyrates. Edited by Manuel Schonhorn. Mineola: Dover Publications, 1972/1999. Konstam, Angus. The World Atlas of Pirates. Guilford: the Lyons Press, 2009 Woodard, Colin. The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down. Mariner Books, 2008.

Summary Of The Book Three Cups Of Tea - 1285 Words

The book â€Å"Three Cups of Tea† gives the reader an inside look into a world very few have had the opportunity to see. The story involves and unsuccessful mountain climber named Greg Mortenson who works on and off as a Registered Nurse. It was during the descent of the mountain know as K2, that Mortenson got disoriented and lost his way back down. Being exhausted and weak he stumbled across a small village in the northern region of Pakistan called Korphe. It was in this village that Mortenson was invited to be a guest by the chief elder whose name was Haji Ali. The friendship that was forged between Haji Ali and Mortenson would completely change this small village as well as the direction of Mortenson’s life. Mortenson was curious about the†¦show more content†¦Even in his high school back in Minnesota â€Å"Gregg attended the school, swimming happily in a sea of cultures and languages. The divisions between different nationalities meant so little to him tha t he was upset when they fought with each other.† (Mortenson and Relin 36) Throughout the book he made an effort to learn the local traditions and cultural norms of each local village he visited. It was through this respect shown to the elders and various leaders that continued to give him favor with the people. Almost every village he came in contact with heard about his work in getting schools built, that it took on a life of its own. Shuange Liu, showed us that â€Å"personal attributes such as self-concept, open mindedness, non-judgmentalsim, and social relaxation also constitutes parts of the affective process of intercultural competence.† (Shuang Liu 8) The more Greg saw, the more he knew the importance of building schools. This was during the time of radicalization of young people into Taliban fighters. Providing a nonreligious education was a way out of the life of poverty that these villagers had experienced for decades. Not only was it important for these scho ols to be built, but it opened up opportunities for young girls in the area to attend school for the first time. Greg knew the buy-in to this culture would be to keep your promises, and that is what he did. Greg’s world view

Fashion Color and Type Your Response Free Essays

Components of Fashion The Lesson Activity will help you meet these educational goals: Content Knowledge? You will define the key components of fashion: the elements of design and the principles of design. Inquiry? You will conduct online research, in which you will collect information and communicate your results in written form. 21st Century Skills ? You will apply creativity and innovation. We will write a custom essay sample on Fashion: Color and Type Your Response or any similar topic only for you Order Now Directions You will evaluate these activities yourself. Please save this document before ginning the lesson and keep the document open for reference during the lesson. Type your answers directly in this document for all activities. Self-checked Activities Read the instructions for the following activities and type in your responses. At the end of the lesson, click the link to open the Student Answer Sheet. Use the answers or sample responses to evaluate your own work. Color Wheel a. Use watercolors or water-based gels for this activity. First, take the three primary lord and mix them to make the secondary colors. Then, mix the primary and the secondary colors to get the tertiary colors. From among the primary, secondary, and tertiary colors, list four warm colors and four cool colors. Apply a few strokes of the mixed colors on paper and scan the paper for submission. Type your response here: On back b. Choose one of the primary colors and use it to make shades and tints. C. Using the shades and tints created in part b, submit sketches or images of two armaments with the shades for bottom wear and the tints for top wear. The garments should have a focal point, vertical lines, and curved lines. Also, name the silhouettes used in each garment. How did you do? Check a box below. Nailed included all of the same ideas as the model response on the Student Answer Sheet. Halfway There?I included most of the ideas in the model response on the Student Not Great?I did not include any of the ideas in the model response on the Student How to cite Fashion: Color and Type Your Response, Essays

Understanding the War Poetry of Wilfred Owen Essay Example For Students

Understanding the War Poetry of Wilfred Owen Essay In his poems Dulcet et Decorum est. and Anthem for Doomed Youth Owen dispels the idea that dying for ones country is a bole or rewarding act and recognizes the futile deaths of his young comrades and the suffering and sadness of those left behind. However, it is difficult for the reader to derive any meaning or appreciation from these poems without an understanding of the life and times of the author and text. Knowledge of Owens life and military service provide insight into his thoughts, emotions and motivation for writing his poetry. Owen served as a 2nd lieutenant in France. One of his traumatizing experiences included spending several days in a bomb crater trapped with the mangled corpse of a fellow officer while badly uncaused. This information gives Owens poetry credibility and evokes a horrifying realization in the reader that these graphic descriptions of warfare are not fabricated. For example, in Dulcet et Decorum Est Owen seems to look back on the events as a recurring nightmare. The poem details a gas attack on a band of exhausted soldiers, while one unfortunate man is not swift enough to get his mask on and his companions are forced to watch him die slowly and agonizingly, unable to help. The poet masterfully uses first-person POP to bring the events to the audience n a personal level. In all my dreams, helpless before my sight, He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. This literary technique, combined with the background information on Owens experiences, enhances the stark realism of the poem causing the reader to feel the emotions of the narrator of the poem. Owens Christian upbringing is also evident in Anthem for Doomed Youth. Owen was raised as an Anglican of the evangelical school and was a devout believer in his youth. He also counted the Bible as one of the major influences on his poetry. This shows in Anthem in which he skillfully Juxtaposes the glamour of trench warfare against the somber atmosphere of a church. These religious images: orisons, mockeries, prayers, bells, choirs, candles, holy glimmer, pall symbolism the sanctity of life. This, along with the futility of war, is a recurring theme in Owens works. An understanding of the age in which a poem was written can reveal its purpose. For example, Owen wrote seeking to educate the populace of Britain of the tragedy and horror of war. This is because during the years of conflict, most war poetry was Adriatic and idealistic which heavily shaped the public perception of war as a glorious and honorable way to serve ones country.

Frost Poems Comparison Essays - Poetry, Literature, Robert Frost

Frost Poems Comparison Robert Frost's poems "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" and "Acquainted with the Night" seem to be ordinary poems at first glance, but after an in depth look at these works and how they relate, they become much more. Frost seemed to keep a tone of mystery throughout each of these poems, never actually telling the reader exactly what was going on. By the same token, the poems gave off sense of darkness and gloom just adding to the mystery of what lies ahead. Neither of the characters in these poems seem to be very happy which also augments the gloomy mood of these poems. The characters in these poems also appear to be on some kind of journey, but are reluctant to go ahead and find out what fate has planned for them. A sense of obligation is also present in these poems, an obligation which must be fulfilled, whether the character likes it or not. More easily seen is the mystery in each of these poems. Frost keeps the reader in suspense by never telling the reader what exactly is going on, but just touches on what might be going on. And to make things even more mysterious, he gives you hints, and leaves the reader with a lot to think about in these poems. In "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," Frost exhibits this fairly clearly when his character mentions in the first line of the poem "Whose woods these are I think I know/His house is in the village, though;/He will not see me stopping here." These first three lines set a mood of dishonesty, as if the character is not supposed to be there, but it's all right for now because the owner doesn't know he's there. This little hint pops a question in your mind, "What exactly is this guy doing?," hence the mystery. Frost once again sets the mood for mystery in "Acquainted with the Night," by making known the presence of authority when his character states, "I have passed by the watchman on his beat/And dropped my eyes unwilling to explain." The character seems to be feeling guilty, or afraid of the authority figure and drops his eyes to the watchman because of this. But why would he feel guilty or afraid? Again, a mysterious hint. Also projected by these poems is a sense of darkness, which goes hand in hand with the mystery in these poems. The titles of these poems alone suggest darkness. Let me ask you one question; what time of day is the most mysterious? Of course the "Evening" or "Night" is the most mysterious time of day. But Frost does not stop here in emphasizing darkness in these poems. "The darkest evening of the year." This selection from "Stopping by Woods in a Snowy Evening," amplifies even more the sense of darkness in these poems. Why is this evening"the darkest of the year?" Night is night no doubt. But what makes this evening so dark? Is it so dark because the cloud cover from the snowfall is blocking out the moon and stars, desecrating the available light? If this is true, then how could there be enough light to "watch his woods fill up with snow," to see that there is "[no] farmhouse near," or that "the woods are lovely, dark and deep?" Maybe it is not that the evening is dark in the sense of night versus day, but maybe it is a personification of how the character feels. Perhaps the character has hit a low point in their life and this is why the character describes the night as "The darkest," i.e. the lowest or saddest, "evening of the year." From "Acquainted with the Night," Frost's character mentions, "I have outwalked the furthest city light." When the character states that he have "outwalked the furthest city light" it projects a very strong and large sense of darkness. During the night, the brightest light may be from a city, and to "outwalk" this strong light, the character must walk very far, hence, "furthest." Immediately after this line, the character says "I have looked down the saddest city lane." This line seems to be a metaphor of the fact that the character knows how it feels after he has gone away from this strong light. It is like the saying "I've been down that road before." The character is left with the feeling of sadness and nothingness, because of the darkness. In both of these poems the darkness

Access Control Physical Protection Example

Access Control Physical Protection Example Access Control & Physical Protection – Coursework Example Access Control and Physical Protection Introduction Security through obscurity is a principle in which a user protects data or other things by concealing them in the computer device. This permits the person who kept the data to have sole access to them and retrieve for future usage without the knowledge of the other users (Pfleeger & Pfleeger, 2012). An example of this concept of security through obscurity is creating a new encryption algorithm and not informing others about it. The encryption algorithm distorts information in such a way another user cannot be able to understand its true meaning (Gollmann, 2010).However, security without obscurity also happens in real-life situations not involving computers. For instance, a person may lock his or her door and hide the keys in a bush near the house. This occurs in situations where housemates share one key to access the house, but get home at different times. Security through obscurity is not an effective countermeasure in either examp le above because a third party can easily notice the tricks. It is apparent that security through obscurity must have backups if it is the only measure adopted by the users (Pfleeger & Pfleeger, 2012). Failure to have a backup plan may cause problems if one cannot remember where the thing or the data was secretly kept. The physical security aspect of protecting computer assets relates in this case because it involves the protection against theft of equipment and data contained in the computer (Gollmann, 2010). For instance, it entails protecting access to confidential information, programs or hardware by third parties that may cause harm to an organization or individual. An example of physical security aspect is the use of passwords or key and lock to avoid unauthorized persons from accessing employee payroll or personal information (Pfleeger & Pfleeger, 2012). ReferencesGollmann, D. (2010). Computer security. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley. Print.Pfleeger, C. P., & Pfleeger, S. L. (2012). Ana lyzing computer security: A Threat/vulnerability/countermeasure approach. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Emerging Infectious Diseases Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Emerging Infectious Diseases - Research Paper Example Some emerging strains for instance avian influenza, resistant bacterial strains and respiratory tract viruses have become medically significant because of their high pathogenic nature and resistant new strains. Because of outbreaks and low preventive and medical measures, these emerging infectious diseases have a serious impact on the social, economic and agricultural impacts. Proper understanding about the disease, their clinical course, causative organisms and medical interventions are important to control and reduce their harmful effects on the mankind (Vaughan 2011). Emerging infectious diseases have become an interesting topic of research and study because of the vast medical knowledge they encompass and their conspicuous social, economic and medical impacts. A recent article in Los Angeles Times describes an astonishing aspect of urinary tract infections. The Canadian researchers have co-related the infection with ingestion of contaminated chicken. Beef and pork were less relat ed to urinary tract infections as compared to chicken which increases the risk for E.coli infection. The researchers have stated that the bacteria can enter the urinary tract from the intestine and the cause of contaminated chicken for urinary tract infections should always be considered. Hence, proper cooking and clean circumstances should be maintained while handling chicken. The chicken companies and chicken farms should be aware of this newly established yet important relation and perform strict sterilization and anti-contamination procedures to exclude any infection (Roan 2012). Zoonotic viruses also pose a serious threat to human immunity and are one of the emerging infectious diseases all over the world. A recent virus identified in a patient's blood was SFTSV virus that belonged to the Bunyaviridae family and was a phlebovirus. The virus causes a severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) and the disease manifests as fever with bleeding, gastrointestinal clinical fea tures and renal symptoms. The virus causing this infectious disease was found to be highly prevalent in China as it was positive in most of the provinces and a majority of population presented with positive results during the screening procedures. Mosquitoes and ticks are the vectors for this virus and molecular screening is suggested in the affected patients to identify this emerging zoonotic infectious disease. In China the prevalence of infectious diseases is also high because of the animals living in close relation to the human beings. Awareness about the zoonotic viruses, their vectors and the transmission is very important especially to the animal market professionals for the prevention and control of the disease. The economic factors of developing countries like Malaysia and China pose a major hindrance for the development of diagnostic techniques and molecular screening methods which are both specific and sensitive for the virus (Feldmann 2011). Outbreaks of Nipah virus in n orthern Bangladesh, affecting more than 30 people since the year 2011 has become prominent as an emerging infectious disease. With a mortality rate of 100% this disease has spread a wave of fear in the locals of northern Bangladesh. Fruit bats are the reservoirs for this virus and they spread the first Nipah virus infection through pig to

JURISPRUDENCE LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

JURISPRUDENCE LAW - Essay Example It’s in here where he also points to this thoughtful philosophy of â€Å"where there is no common power, there is no law: where no law, no injustice.† Generally speaking this statement is a conclusion that can be drawn from the analysis of his two theory â€Å"state of nature† and â€Å"social contract†. This statement means that individuals are equal in all respect. The nature has made them this way that one cannot overpower the other, thus none of them is mighty enough to stand tall out of the mass and declare a certain code of conduct or â€Å"law†. Since there is nothing called law and there is nothing to distinguish right from wrong, everything which men did was right from his subjective opinion and hence no injustice could be done while a man does what he knows not be wrong. Thus in this situation of equality, a mutual consenting common power has to be established to make up law determining a common definition of right and wrong and thus estab lishing a system of justice and injustice. However such concepts of justice, injustice, redressal, damage, right and wrong have no meaning unless there is a proper machinery to define them and implement them. Now in the mass where no one is mightier enough to impose its might, such an institution has to be made by mutual consent of equal forces. Therefore a common power is needed to make law. This statement determines perfectly Hobbes idea on what the state of nature. According to Hobbes, in the state of nature there is no common power and men are at constant war with each other.  In the absence of any common power to awe them all they are in a state of isolation. There is no force, no obligation and no rule to bind them together to follow some discipline and thus there is absolutely no concept of the idea of society and most importantly there is no law. Law is something that is imposed upon people by a government and in the state of

Analysis of Police Corruption Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of Police Corruption - Research Paper Example The police department is constructed under the constitution and mandated to provide security and ensure all laws of the land have adhered. When the police are engaged in corrupt activities, they break their mandate. In responding to this, corrupt officers are arrested and charged in the court. This has been very effective in ensuring that the officers are responsible for all their actions. Through corruption, the police deny the citizens some rights like the right to protected by a law-enforcing agency. This is clearly stipulated in the constitution. In some corrupt police dealing, they collude with criminal for them to carry out their activities effectively. In covering up their activities, these officers may undertake the arrest of innocent people. This raises questions as to where the security of the citizen could be upheld. This leads to reduced trust in the operations of the police offices. Since the citizens may lack the sound background to bring forth their claims, various hum an rights groups have been on their rescue. They have made it possible for various reforms to be made which has gradually improved the interaction between the police and the citizens (Forst & Dempsey, 2011). Corruption is conducted in the police force in numerous ways. Bribery, which entails the exchange of a benefit between police officers, is the most common form of corruption. This is evident in traffic rules violation and illegal sale of drugs. Though this acts, the police officers propagate crimes rather than curbing it. In response to this, the root causes of the crime have been investigated and various strategies implemented. Since the public promotes the vice through producing bribes, they should be educated on the possible repercussions that may befall on them once they are identified. Therefore, in ensuring that the vice is completely gotten rid of, proper coordination between various stakeholders is necessary. Causes of police corruption Lack of professionalism by police officers in the conduction of their activities is one of the main causes of the increase in corrupt activities.

The Formalist Approach To Analyzing Literature

The Formalist Approach To Analyzing Literature If meaning depends on the historical situation of the interpreter as Gadamer claims, formalists readings cannot totally eliminate subjectivity. Discuss the extent to which you agree with this statement. The Formalist approach to analyzing literature, even though obviously restrained in its critical ambitions has been opposed to subjectivist theories, formalism holds great influence in many academic fields/areas, one such area being the literatures. The formalists arent interested in the individual responses of readers of the feelings of poets and representations of reality, but are instead, its interest lies in artistic structure and form. They (formalists) want to turn literary critics into a science. One key or main factor in formalist theories is their object stance in criticizing works of literary art and their avid opposition to subjectivity viewing subjectivist theories as relativistic. Hans-Georg Gadamer in his book entitled EPZ Truth and Method, posited that meaning depended on the historical situation of the interpreter, using that statement as idk a guide is objectivity possible? Can one individual or individuals truly be objective in their interpretation on any work of ar t? Can formalist Readings totally eliminate subjectivity? (Sort this foolishness out!!!) Formalist critics such as Roman Jacobson and Boris Eichenbaum view literature as a form of verbal art , rather than as a reflection or reality or an expression of emotions (put that MLA stuff here) and add sumn too. This essay will seek to answer all the questions asked above (find a diff word) to decide if formalists readings can totally eliminate subjectivity and to discuss on the extent of which I agree with the statement as it relates to Gadamers claim, that formalist readings cannot totally eliminate subjectivity. To answer this question I will compare and contrast two completely opposed theoretical perspectives; Reader Response/Reception Theory and Formalist Criticism (in an attempt to show that the former is lacking). I agree with Gadamer in his claim that The Reader Response Theorist, focus on the reader or the audience instead of the text or form of work. Reader response Theory recognizes the reader as an active agent who imparts real existence to the work and completes its meaning through interpretation (change up dat) and add stuffs. (moving on) . they (Reader Response Theorist) believe in the reader brings meaning to a text, and that meaning lies in the author nor in the text, but in the readers mind, it is the ideal reader who is the true interpreter of a text to bring across its meaning. (sort out that). It is the reader who is able to get into the text and deciferits meaning, through re-reading and other strategies which as stated in Introduction To Theory and Critism, determine the shape of meaning, which thus is neither prior to nor independent of the act of interpretation. Now, with that said, our next step would be to figure out what interpretation is? (add or move) the Formalist Crit ics belive approach the concept of meaning in a compketely different manner , believing that to para-pharse a texts content inorder to achieve meaning is wrong. It is by the use of the affective fallacy and intentional fallacy, that the formalist critics/theorist forbid the reader from responding emotionally or responding to the intentions of the author, respectively. Interpretation is personal response, appreciation, critique, historical reception, exegesis, evaluation, and explication. Personal response and appreciation emphasize the intimate, casual, and subjective aspects. The New Critics approach meaning quite differently. Thcy warn against the heresy of paraphrase, emphasizjng that it is a mistake for a reader toparaphrase a works content in order to distill its propositional meaning. Textual paraphrases usually end up being moral or utilitarian statements, putting literature on a level and in competition with other disciplines such as philosophy, religion, or politicS. By invoking the affective fallacy and (sort this out..not your work)Æ’Â   Upon reading Roland Barthes The Death of the Author, it seems like Barthes is sort of a bridge between Formalism and reader-response theory. He describes writing as the destruction of every voice, of every point of origin (1322). He is wary of the author, on which criticism centers: To give a text an Author is to impose a limit on that text, to furnish it with a final signified, to close the writing (1325). Barthes argues that the language speaks for itself; it has no origin. This seems very closely related to The Intentional Fallacy as delineated by Wimsatt and Beardsley, who argue that critics should not debate about or try to find the authors intention and should instead look at the form of a work for meaning. With the death of the author that Barthes proposes, the reader is born: The reader is the space on which all the quotations that make up writing are inscribed without any of them being lost; a texts unity lies not in its origin but in its destination (1326). The prominence of the reader, however, is not part of Formalism, but rather, reader-response theory. Thus, Barthes theory seems to form a bridge between the two approaches to a text. Like Wolfgang Iser in Interaction between Text and Reader, Barthes acknowledges the role of the reader while still focusing on the structure of a work. Indeed, the headnote to Barthes essays describes him as being in between structuralism and post-structuralism, and this is due to the great diversity of his works. His later works in some ways contradict or reconstruct the ideas posited by his earlier works. For instance, he later writes that the author exists, but not as an extra textual identity determining meaning; instead, the author is a text that can be read (1318). In addition, in another work Camera Lucida, Barthes contradicts his arguments about photography that he presented in Mythologies. In the earlier work, he described how photographs reveal a reality that is contrived, whereas in the later work, he writes that a photograph can tell us This has been (1319). I bring these two ideas up because they show the contradictions inherent in Barthes work and also because these are two subjects that I find interesting, having studied the body as text and the role of photographs in the poetry of Natasha Trethewey. With regard to Frankenstein, I guess I would then ask, what is the structure from which it is created? Barthes writes that The text is a tissue of quoataion drawn from the innumerable centres of culture (1324), and that the book itself is only a tissue of signs, an imitation that is lost, infinitely deferred (1325). What are the cultural signifiers that make up Frankenstein? What does the language (especially since we have three narrators) tell the reader?

Poltics in America - Without Tolerance, Nothing will be Accomplished Es

Poltics in America - Without Tolerance, Nothing will be Accomplished Donald Kaul, a Tribune Media Syndicate’s newspaper veteran of twenty five years, can be said to be famous for his often sarcastic but astute observations on everything from campaign reform to "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." Occasionally a letter to the editor appears in the newspaper protesting his remarks, usually from a self-proclaimed, right-wing conservative calling him a "bleeding heart liberal." What exactly do these terms mean, however? Are they absolute in what they represent? In general, a conservative opposes social programs and government intervention in business practices. They usually stress Judeo-Christian values as a solution to most issues. Conservatives are opposed to affirmative action, unions, and taxation-- especially of the rich, since they are the ones who provide jobs for the rest. A liberal believes government intervention is necessary to provide all people with equal opportunities before the law. Their most sacred tenets are progr essive taxation, welfare, and public education. Liberals stress diversity and individual civil rights. Donald Kaul exhibits more traits of a liberal, although he is a moderate in his beliefs. The subject matter in the articles analyzed were the separation of church and state, gun control, environmental protection, capital punishment, and the rivalry between Republicans and Clinton.The subjects Kaul writes about are not regional at all;...

Article or Case Law Search Essay

What is case law? Case law are decisions that has been instituted by a judicial determination and some are placed into action by the body of legislators. Several case law events deals with the critical regulatory healthcare issues. This paper will inform the reader of how the issues relates to the nature, sources, and functions of the law. Issues related to the nature, sources, and functions â€Å"The Affordable Care Act was passed by Congress and then signed into law by the President on March 23; 2010. On June 28, 2012 the Supreme Court rendered a final decision to uphold the health care law†. (Healthcare.gov, 2012) The Affordable Healthcare Act affords new means to hold insurance companies responsible and offers strong selections for customers. The Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) is known as a percentage that healthcare insurers must meet or better known as the MLR requirement. Healthcare insurers are required by the Affordable Care Act to produce a reimbursement to its consumers. The Medical Loss Ratio financial measurement used in the Affordable Care Act to help ensure that health plans provide significant value to users. The following is an example of how insurers use the MLR â€Å"if an insurer uses 80 cents out of every premium dollar to pay its customers’ medical claims and activities that improve the quality of care; the company has a medical loss ratio of 80%. A medical loss ratio of 80% indicates that the insurer is using the remaining 20 cents of each premium dollar to pay overhead expenses, such as marketing, profits, salaries, administrative costs, and agent commissions. The Affordable Care Act sets minimum medical loss ratios for different markets, as do some state laws.† (Healthcare.gov, 2012) The Affordable Care Act Law forces payer insurance policies for persons or groups to devote at least 80% of payments of medical care  directly paid on behalf of the patient, that are meant to improve their quality of care. Payers marketing to big groups are required to spend 85% of those payments made for care and quality enhancement. The Affordable Care Act rule will not apply to companies that function as self-insured plans. Payer companies are required to report each year to the Human Services department regarding payments spent on quality improvement and health care services and any rebates applied to consumer accounts. The first re port, was in 2011, and the newest in June of 2012. Payers are obligated to make the first of rebates to consumers in August of 2012. (Healthcare.gov, 2012) This Act has good and bad ramifications. First the Act which is source law from the legislator, which not only creates new rules of law it also sweeps away existing inconvenient rules. The act has potential for ensuring that quality of care continues to improve, however companies that do not meet these standards are required to give a premium rebate to the consumer. What the law doesn’t say is how much of a rebate is required to give. The 20% is for overhead and quality improvements. The overhead of the company could be more than 20% therefore the consumer is left with no rebate. That rebate really only works out to be very small 10-15 dollars per consumer. Companies like large insurance payers spend 10 times those figures on quality improvements. I have worked in Healthcare for several years and in early 2005 legislation went through that required all Healthcare organizations adopt some sort of meaningful use Electronic Health Record by 2014. This is a massive under taking for most healthcare institutions and the government was only offering up to $40,000 per healthcare organization to assist with this implementation. For a lot of smaller provider organizations this was a good deal, however the larger insurance companies and healthcare organizations would be spending millions on Electronic Health Records. According to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare (CMS) only about 25% of healthcare organizations as of 2011 are up and running on a meaningful use EHR. (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2012) These improvements the healthcare organizations are making with regards to EHRs are far surpassing the required 20% a year even if you break it down each year. â€Å"October 1, 2013, medical coding in U.S. health care will be modified from ICD-9 to version 10. All healthcare related systems that is protected by the Health Insurance Portability and  Accountability Act (HIPAA) are required to make the transition, not just those healthcare institutions that submit Federal Medicare or State Medicaid claims.† (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2012) This is yet another quality improvement mandated by the source law of the Legislator that will cost healthcare organizations millions to implement. Conclusion Do the current process improvements that are currently mandated for all healthcare organizations count toward the 20% of profits made from premiums and services or do healthcare organizations still need to utilize the 20% for quality improvements on top of the already mandated improvements that the government requires to implement in the next few years? Healthcare all over the world often sometimes face many obstacles which includes different law cases. This paper has informed the reader of how the issues related to the nature, sources, and functions of the law. Reference Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (2012) Retrieved from http://www.cms.gov Healthcare.gov. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.healthcare.gov/index.html

The SDLC Process Essays

The SDLC Process Essays The SDLC Process Paper The SDLC Process Paper Procedures tend to perform actions as with functions these are reusable Classes Part of the object-oriented programming paradigm a class contains both data and functions that describe a real world thing Objects A concrete Instance of a class complete with Its personal data Abstraction of data One of the key principle Ideas behind the creation of classes In data abstraction the ATA type Is less Important than the operations that can preformed on It In a sense the data type Is hidden behind a Limited number of functions method Predefine code Generally a term describing code that is already written and that can be used in a developers solution with permission this may take the form of a compiled module a call to the operating system or a snippet of ready-made code that can be inserted into their solution b) The OSDL process was designed to ensure end-state solutions meet user requirements in support of business strategic goals and objectives. In addition, the OSDL also provides a detail ed guide to help Program Managers with ALL aspects of IT system development, regardless of the system size and scope. The OSDL contains a comprehensive checklist of the rules and regulations governing IT systems, and is one way to ensure system developers comply with all applicable Government regulations, because the consequences of not doing so are high and wide ranging. This is especially true in the post 9/1 1 environment where larger amounts of Information are considered sensitive in nature, and are shared among commercial, International, Federal, state, and local partners. The seven-step process contains a procedural checklist and the systematic progression required to evolve an IT system from conception to disposition. The following descriptions briefly explain each of the seven phases of the OSDL: 1. Conceptual Planning. This phase Is the first step of any systems life cycle. It Is during this phase that a need to acquire or significantly enhance a system Is identified, Its feasibility and costs are assessed, and the risks and various project-planning approaches are defined. Roles and responsibilities for he Asset Manager, Sponsors Representative, System Development Agent (SAD), System Support Agent (ASS), and other parties In OSDL policy are designated during this stage and updated throughout the systems life cycle. 2. Planning and Requirements Definition. This phase begins after the project has been defined and appropriate resources have been committed. The first portion of this phase involves second part is developing initial life cycle management plans, including project planning, project management, Configuration Management (CM), support, operations, and training management. 3. Design. During this phase, functional, support and training requirements are translated into preliminary and detailed designs. Decisions are made to address how the system will meet functional requirements. A preliminary (general) system design, emphasizing the functional features of the system, is produced as a high-level guide. Then a final (detailed) system design is produced that expands the design by specifying all the technical detail needed to develop the system. 4. Development and Testing. During this phase, systems are developed or acquired based on detailed design specifications. The system is litigated through a sequence of unit, integration, performance, system, and acceptance testing. The objective is to ensure that the system functions as expected and that sponsors requirements are satisfied. All system components, communications, applications, procedures, and associated documentation are plopped/acquired, tested, and integrated. This phase requires strong user participation in order to verify thorough testing of all requirements and to meet all business needs. 5. Implementation. During this phase, the new or enhanced system is installed in the production environment, users are trained, data is converted (as added), the system is turned over to the sponsor, and business processes are evaluated. This phase includes efforts required to implement, resolve system problems identified during the implementation process, and plan for statement. 6. Operations and Maintenance. The system becomes operational during this phase. The emphasis during this phase is to ensure that sponsor needs continue to be met and that the system continues to perform according to specifications. Routine hardware and software maintenance and upgrades are performed to ensure effective system operations. User training continues during this phase, as needed, to acquaint new users to the system or to introduce new features to current users. Additional user support is provided, as an ongoing activity, to help resolve reported problems. 7. Disposition. This phase represents the end of the systems life cycle. It provides for the systematic termination of a system to ensure that vital information is preserved for potential future access and/or reactivation. The system, when placed in the Disposition Phase, has been declared surplus and/or obsolete and has been scheduled for shutdown. The emphasis of this phase is to ensure that the system (e. G. , equipment, parts, software, data, procedures, and documentation) is packaged and disposed of in accordance with appropriate regulations and requirements. Each column in the graphic represents an individual phase. The documents in each phase are created and maintained throughout the rest of the development cycles until the final disposition of the project. Although this indicates the process is linear, it is not. It is iterative and once a project is deployed, the management of the project may return to requirements gathering to start all over again.

Speckled Band Essays

Speckled Band Essays Speckled Band Paper Speckled Band Paper Essay Topic: Ray Bradbury Short Stories Holmes is very different to Dr Roylott as Holmes approaches life with an intellectual view, although he is logical; Holmes is just as strong as Roylott even though he is not quite so bulky. With a sudden effort straightened it pout again (page 8). This quote states Holmess physical appearance but also states his strength. The author uses Watson to emphasize Holmess qualities. He does this by comparing the two, A ventilator is made, a cord is hung, and a lady who sleeps I the bed dies. Does that not strike you? (Page 12). This emphasizes that Holmes is a more observant detective than Watson and due to him being more superior, he is put in direct contrast to the enemy, Dr Roylott. In order to compare the two, they must have different personalities. Sherlock Holmes is calm, Dr Roylott is aggressive. Its rational versus irrational behaviour, manners versus rudeness, although they have the same physical strengths. I think the author wanted us, the reader to think that Holmes enjoys challenges, such as Dr Roylott, however, he has nothing to prove. The structure of The Adventure of The Speckled Band is that of a typical detective format in the Victorian era. It is a mystery story in which a crime needs solving as someone is in need of help, in order to prevent a death. This mystery story has been structured in a clever way as it gives out a series of clues, My sister was troubled by the smell of strong Indian cigars and also a series of red herrings which are designed to throw the reader off and so want to solve the crime themselves and read on, for example, the cheetah, the baboon, and the gypsies are all used to play on the readers prejudice. The gypsies do this in a way which the reader thinks they are just trouble as they are thought to steal and attack people. They do this in the same way the cheetah does as they have been branded as vicious, so one can say that they are a stereotype. Because of these clues given out, we get ideas of what really happened to Julia Stoner, and so we follow the clues and try and play detective. We are unable to solve the mystery as Holmes keeps one secret to himself and only releases it at the end, An inspection of the chair showed me that he had been in the habit of standing on it, (page 16).  This makes |Holmes look superior to the reader as he observes a clue that both Watson and the reader are unable to come across. This is a major surprise to the reader as the writer makes sure to hide this very crucial clue to make us, the reader, read on. In a way, this makes the reader feel betrayed by Holmes and the writer as we thought we could trust them. In various parts of the story there are a series of increase in suspense followed by a straight decrease. An example of this is when Holmes and Watson are climbing through the window of Stoke Moran when, what is described to be a hideous and distorted child (page 13) runs out of a bush. At that point I felt tense as I had no idea of the so called child was going to attack, in which case it never and so when I read on to find out that it runs off, releases the tension and a whole lot of suspense.  Although The Whole Towns Sleeping has its differences to The Adventure of The Speckled Band it has many similarities, such as they are both set in places far away from help. A less obvious similarity is the way the two stories use women as victims and potential victims and men as aggressors, which follows the Victorian era. A narrator is a character in which tells and guides the reader through the story.  In The Adventure of The Speckled Band the narrator is Watson. Watson is a first person narrator who, accounts of a case, which happened years before. He is very professional as he keeps a diary of all the cases he and Holmes have come across in the past.  The language used in this story, tells us, the reader, that it is set in the Victorian era, as there are words which are not really used today, for example aperture (page 7). The language is very formal. Due to this, the reader starts to come off the story. Palmer and Pritchard were among the heads of their profession (Page 13). This confuses the reader, as we dont know what they mean. In a way this is a good thing as the reader reads on to find out the meaning and understand what they are trying to say. Conan Doyle used words that the modern reader will be unlikely to come across as they are rarely used in todays society. For instance, Pittance (page 8). I think Conan Doyle did this to point out that the story is that of a Victorian era and also to reflect upon the class and education of him and the characters, as they are all of the upper class community.  The story lacks description and rarely if ever gets an n in-depth to the characters thoughts and feelings. I think the story is in deficient need of emotion as Conan Doyle chose to take a scientific approach. A cause of this is, it makes us, the reader feel less tension and suspense. Suddenly amidst the hubbub of the gale, there burst forth the wild scream of a terrified woman (page 4). This ruins the atmosphere for the reader as the more the author uses Victorian words; the more the atmosphere fades from the readers mind. I think Conan Doyle used Victorian words such as aperture (page 7) instead of doorframe because he wanted us, the reader, to admire him for him being well educated which he used to reflect upon his own superior ego. The narration and language of these two stories are completely different as the story of The Whole Towns Sleeping is far more successful at creating mystery and suspense than that of The Adventure of the Speckled Band.  The Whole Towns Sleeping is third person narrative and the narrator is omniscient, which means they know all and see all. By using this kind of narration, it brings the reader into the story as the way things are described, its as though we, the reader, are actually smelling, tasting, hearing, seeing and feeling everything that the narrator is. For example, I didnt know what terror was, I wouldnt let myself think, (page 9). This makes the reader believe they are Lavinia. Ray Bradbury used a personification technique which made Lavinia Nebbs feel as though she is evil just like the Lonely One. The heat pulsed under your dress and along your legs with a stealthy sense of invasion (page 7). This made the reader feel as though Lavinia has just turned a victim of the lonely one as the heat has just invaded her; in the same way the Lonely One invades his victims. Another technique used by Ray Bradbury was the use of repetition, which he used to describe two things, the ravine and the sense of safe. He repeats the description of the ravine to be dark, quiet and damp ahead was deepness, moistness, fireflies and dark (page 1). I think he repeats this to make ravine sound forbidding and a popular place for the Lonely One to visit, as thats where the murdered body of Elisa Ramsell was found. In contrast to this, Ray Bradbury repeats the word safe to give a feeling of relief, which decreases the readers anxiety. Safe, safe, and safe at home! (Page 9). Although the readers anxiety is decreased, the author creates points of panic to raise the level of anxiety. He does this by shortening sentences and using very descriptive words. At the bottom of the steps. A man, under the light! No, now hes gone! (Page 8). This states what exactly is waiting for Lavinia at the bottom of the ravine, however, it doesnt state whom it is waiting. This builds tension, as neither Lavinina nor the reader knows who the man is. He could be the Lonely One on the break of his monthly sin or maybe a passer by.

The European Parliament has decided to undertake a review of the Essay

The European Parliament has decided to undertake a review of the development of the Preliminary Reference Procedure under Articl - Essay Example Only the Court of Justice is accorded by such power to give preliminary rulings except in cases stated under Articles 275 and 276 TFEU and Article 10 of Protocol (No 36) on Transitional Provisions of the Treaty of Lisbon (OJEU 2008 C 115, p. 322). Legal luminaries explained that the procedure was laid to ensure the effectiveness of the cooperation of the Court of Justice and national courts. It eases the procedural mechanism (a) to ascertain what court has jurisdiction to hear and interpret question of laws with uniformity; (b) provide guidance for national courts in the application of this procedure. The question should also be stated in a legal form clearly, concisely and simply. Information must detail the subject on dispute, findings of factual situation and should be written in a tenor following possible applicable provision of laws with citation of national case-laws with correct references. The national court must provide ample reason which motivated the body to bring the ques tion to the Court of Justice for interpretation or validity as well as the relations of such stipulation to the national provisions. It must also have summary of relevant contentions of parties under such proceedings. The ruling will be rendered by the Court of Justice free of fees or charges. This ruling procedure is solely for the interpretation of statutes, provisions and not about laws application to facts of cases. The process tasked the Court of Justice to simply interpret the meaning of the statutes and provisions of Europian Union Law which will be stated in a formal reply, but the referring court will assume the responsibility to make conclusion from such reply. The Court of Justice will not assume jurisdiction on cases where there is no genuine dispute, question of law apparently is hypothetical or if the national court failed to give factual legal information of the case. Further, under this new provision, as stipulated in Article 267 TFEU, those who can submit a question of law are any of the Member State’s court or tribunal who is aiming at gaining clarified judicial interpretation of a law. The national court may or may not refer a question to the Court of Justice in a preliminary hearing in order to arrive at appropriate understanding of the provisions and therefore help hasten the resolve of an issue brought to its attention with sense of resoluteness. If it’s evident that correct interpretation of the rule of law is present, the question need not be raised to the Court of Justice for legal remedy. It is the role of the national court to provide reasons about the necessity for Court of Justice to give judgment on a question raised—which must be, by the way, contextualized on factual and legal contexts. To reiterate, only new questions of interpretation should be submitted to intentionally draw uniformity of understanding and application of European Union law to cases or when circumstance arise where an existing case-law is not applicable to such set of facts. Critics to this procedure however raised that the procedure seem inapplicable to labor laws because Member States

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 87

Assignment Example Furthermore, the article centralized on the prediction that students who have fewer misconceptions at the beginning of the course are likely to have higher course grades than those students who held more misconceptions. The total population of the study includes 178 undergraduates who were taking introductory psychology classes from 2001 to 2005. Using cluster sampling, 23 samples were derived from a large urban university located in the southwestern U.S., 40 samples from small, private, liberal arts college located in the southwestern U.S., and 115 samples from small, private, liberal arts college located in the northeastern U.S. (Kuhle, Barber & Bristol, 2009, 120). Classes have an average composition of 16.3 students, ranging from 4-26 members. The demographic profiles of the l of classes were not assessed but all of the samples were given similar instructors and class format. Upon analysis of the information from different classes, statistical tests reflect a one-tailed with an alpha level of .05. Majority of the students (83%) held 5 or more misconceptions out of 10 and have lower grades than those students who held few misconceptions; 88% of which came from small southwestern college. In addition, the correlations between KOPT scores and class grades have resulted in five correlations with statistical significance; thus, KOPT scores is a significant predictor of students’ performance with considerable predictive validity in anticipating underperforming students. The title of the article has clarity and indicates clearly the key variables and the study population. Abstract is presented in a short but understandable content. With regards to introduction, the problem is easy to identify and relates to a number of previous researches or studies done. Although one can’t find a conceptual paradigm in the article, there is a relationship and a hypothesis that can be derived from the introduction of the

The market for health insurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

The market for health insurance - Essay Example Rises in health insurance covers, has besmirched access to health cover (Berkowitz 30-45). Presently 7 percent of the United States nonelderly, acquire coverage through personal strategies bought frankly from insurance providers. Numerous plans at the national state and centralized, in addition to the standard propositions using the personal health insurance market as way of growing access to reasonable health policies. States license bodies that provide health insurance coverage and have determined laws that regulate their structure, finances, and responsibilities to the people that they insure (Berkowitz 46). Introduction Health care costs in the US, which have escalated quickly in actual terms in the last few decades, have put pressure on the state and national budgets. Future expansion in health insurance costs is estimated to threaten the monetary status of state and national governments unless primary strategy transformations take place. Also, for many American citizens, the la ck of health insurance coverage sophisticates access to health care. Health insurance markets are frequently focused on a single insurer accounting for over 50 percent of the market. Issues about focus on health insurance markets are connected to broader issues about the cost, value, and accessibility of health care. The market structure of the health insurance and hospital commerce may have helped is increasing health care costs and in restricting access to inexpensive health insurance and health care. Some debate market focus has amounted to higher care prices. Higher cost of health care or health insurance may then make health care less inexpensive and consequently less available for some homesteads. Patrons in the personal and small group markets characteristically face specifically challenging situations. Whilst health insurance purchased in the personal market has the advantages of being portable, and potentially being an enhanced match to an individual’s predilection f or health coverage than standards purchased via group strategies, it does have elements of essential concern. Amid these issues is how regulations and edicts surrounding the personal insurance market reflects is potential to meet numerous population needs. It is needed to comprehend these concerns to establish how market transformations would interrelate with these policies (Henderson 10-15). Others, nevertheless, agree that health care givers with strong bargaining weight should assist restrict health providers’ potential to increase costs, and that the advantage of minimal premiums coming from the potential to negotiate may be passed along to patrons. Some commerce analysts have expressed competition amid primary health care providers as strong, and some pricing trends show that competing has stalwartly impacted on insurers’ market plans. Additionally, some argue that economies of scale along with state and national control have contributed to the increasing level of focus on health insurance markets. The Obama government has made transformation of the American health insurance and health care structure utmost policy precedence. Numerous congressional attempt at broadening access to health insurance by rising the number of Americans with health care coverage, by minimizing the price of insurance faced by persons, by offering sturdy incentives for persons

Odyssey and the Aeneid Essay Example for Free

Odyssey and the Aeneid Essay From the cultural views, there are some differences between the Greek and Roman concept of heroes: the Achaeans attach importance to individuality whereas the Romans to community. Unlike the Roman Empire which we know is a kingdom, in the ancient Greece-also called Hellas-there are no countries but only city states scattered around the Balkan Peninsula. In this sense, the Achaeans do not have the notion about collective consciousness or what country is, so they tend to possess individual will, and so do the heroes at that time. We can see the evidence in the two works. On the one hand, in the Odyssey, Odysseus constitutes the standard Greek values of heroism: individualism. He mainly concerns if he can go back to Ithaca safely and how to regain his throne; that is, what he cares about is not really related to anyone else but is himself, his life, and his personal purposes. For instance, as a leader of his sailors, the hero Odysseus is proved to be the only survivor coming back to his Ithaca. So we can see that his cleverness and resourcefulness are only applied for his own individual survival. On the other hand, the Roman heroism is quite different. Aeneas is burdened with a great responsibility for his sacred mission ordained by Jupiter to found a new land. He concerns about not personal gain or welfare but other people and therefore he is the presentation of pietas, possibly the key quality of honorable Romans consisting of a series of dedication toward the family, followers, homeland, and the gods. Culturally, the Roman, or Virgilian ideology of heroes is distinctly different from that of the Greeks. The chief difference of their model heroism is that the Greek heroes symbolize individual will, glory, and feelings whereas the Roman heroes an ideal nationalistic ruler (Augustus, whom Virgil writes the Aeneid for) who with sacrifice, devotion, and duty for his people is regarded as a servant rather than the served.

Electroconvulsive Therapy for Severe Depression: Evaluation

Electroconvulsive Therapy for Severe Depression: Evaluation Can electroconvulsive therapy make a meaningful contribution in the treatment of Severe depressive illness? The work of mental health nurses. Contents Abstract Introduction Methodology of the review Critical Review of the literature The place of electroconvulsive therapy in the therapeutic armamentarium The place of electroconvulsive therapy in relapse prevention Mechanism of action Preference of site of stimulation Side effects of treatment Discussion Conclusions Appendix References Abstract This dissertation seeks to explore the evidence base for electroconvulsive therapy. It does so by considering the historical background to the procedure and its evolution to the present. It considers the professional and legislative guidelines which govern its use and contrasts the regulations in the UK with those in other cultures, notably the USA. In order to assist the exploration, the literature review is subdivided into five sections, each exploring a different area of interest. Electroconvulsive therapy is placed within a therapeutic spectrum of treatment for patients with major depressive illness and psychosis and is compared with other modalities of treatment. Its use in both acute treatment and its role in disease prevention and relapse is discussed. Current hypotheses of its possible mode of action are explored, and conclusions drawn about the strength of the evidence base in this area. There appears to be considerable discussion about the site of optimal stimulation for electroconvulsive therapy. This area is discussed in depth with a critical analysis of the studies which inform the evidence base in this area. The literature review concludes with an examination of the various side effects of the treatment. There is an element of discussion of the evidence and conclusions are drawn from the evidence extrapolated and presented. The whole dissertation is fully referenced. Introduction Electroconvulsive therapy was introduced into clinical practice in the late 1930s and rapidly gained a place in the standard treatment of major depressive illness. It was originated by the Hungarian, Dr Meduna, who mistakenly believed that schizophrenia and epilepsy were mutually exclusive conditions. He argued that epilepsy was never seen in schitzophrenic patients and therefore artificially inducing fits (epilepsy) in patients would cure schizophrenia. (Mowbray R M 1959). The effects on schitzophrenia were soon recognised to be minor and the most marked effect appeared to be in the patients with major depressive illness. The advent of effective classes of antidepressant, antipsychotic and mood stabilising drugs has seen a marked decline in the use of electroconvulsive therapy, but recent figures suggest that it is still used in over 10,000 cases per year in the UK (ECT Survey 2003). Currently the main use of electroconvulsive therapy is in major depressive illness although it also is considered still to have a place in the treatment of schizophrenia and some other mood disorders (UK ECT 2003), psychosis (Corrible E et al. 2004), and overt suicidal intent (Kellner C H et al. 2005). The Mental Health Act of 1983 allowed Psychiatrists to give electroconvulsive therapy to inpatients without consent if they were sectioned. This should be contrasted to the situation after the 1959 Mental Health Act, where psychiatrists had no clear guidance and a number of litigation cases forced a change in legislation. (Duffett R et al. 1998) The procedure itself involves anaesthetising the patient with a general anaesthetic and a muscle relaxant and the a small, brief pulse current (typically about 800 milliamperes) is passed between two electrodes applied directly to the scalp. This generates a seizure and there are a number of demonstrable biochemical changes in the brain after the event. (Nobler M S et al. 2001) Electroconvulsive therapy is usually given as a course over several weeks. The evidence base for length of time of treatment is not strong and appears to vary considerably between authorities. (Lisanby S H 2007) In 2003 NICE investigated the evidence base for electroconvulsive therapy and issued guidelines which suggested that it should only be used only to achieve rapid and short-term improvement of severe symptoms after an adequate trial of treatment options has proven ineffective and/or when the condition is considered to be potentially life-threatening in individuals with severe depressive illness, catatonia or a prolonged manic episode. (NICE 2003) One of the most extensive recent reviews on electroconvulsive therapy concluded that it had been demonstrated to be effective short term treatment for depressive illness in otherwise healthy adults. Many studies were cited and had shown it to have a greater effect than drug treatment. The authors noted shortcomings in many of the trials cited, especially in areas such as drug resistant depressive illness where electroconvulsive therapy is believed to be particularly helpful. (UK ECT Review Group 2003) One of the major side effects of electroconvulsive therapy is short and long term memory loss cited in many trials and studies (viz Gupta N 2001) Methodology of the review Cormack suggests that â€Å"Ultimately all good research is guided by and founded on a critical review of all of the relevant literature published on the subject.† (Cormack, D. 2000). It is therefore important not only to define what is currently believed about a subject, but also to place this in a historical context. This is particularly important in the field of electroconvulsive therapy, as the introduction to this dissertation has suggested, with great fluctuations in both understanding and application of this type of therapy over the years. One of the prime reasons for conducting a literature review is to establish the current evidence base for a particular subject. A critical review of the literature must be preceded by a careful literature search. It is often believed that searching the literature is a linear or â€Å"single episode† process. Current thinking suggests that this is seldom an optimal strategy. Bowling advises that a good literature review is â€Å"primarily a cyclical recursive process that mirrors the thinking and research process, where the discovery of new information results in new ideas, new knowledge and possibly new understanding. Once an overview, or initial opinion has been formed, it then becomes possible to revisit the initial reviews from a more informed perspective which, in turn, allows for a more perceptive interpretation of the data. (Bowling A 2002). The methodology used in this particular review was to allow for an initial period of reflection on the subject matter and to consult a small number of reference books to achieve an overview of the area. (Taylor, E. 2000). References were noted and some followed up in order to ascertain the main themes of the review. Once these were established, then methodical searches of a number of databases were carried out utilising the facilities of the local University library, the Post-graduate library (Client to personalise here) and a number of on-line search engines and literary sources including Cochrane, Cinhal, Ovid, BMJ and Lancet archives, Royal College of Psychiatrists archive and various NICE publications. Papers were accessed in both hard back and electronic forms. (Fink A 1998) Search terms included electroconvulsive therapy; evidence base; evolution; history; schizophrenia; psychosis; major depressive illness; mental health nurse; antidepressant drugs; Mental Health Act; psychiatrist. These terms were used in various combinations to sift papers with varying degrees of relevance to the topic under consideration. (Carr LT 1994) Inclusion criteria were papers less than 10 years old (unless there were specific reasons for older paper inclusion). UK sources were preferred to other ones. It should be noted that a substantial proportion of the body of literature on the subject of electroconvulsive therapy is American based. A number of authorities have suggested that this may be because the USA currently uses electroconvulsive therapy more frequently than the UK and therefore has a greater experience with it. Papers were only considered from peer reviewed sources unless making a historical point. (Bell J 1999). Each paper considered was then ranked according to its evidential value (See Appendix 1) and the highest value paper was presented for each point to be made. Critical Review of the literature The place of electroconvulsive therapy in the therapeutic armamentarium A good place to start this literature review is with the Olfsen paper. (Olfson M et al. 1998). This is an authoritative overview of the place of electroconvulsive therapy in the treatment spectrum. It has to be noted that this paper is already 10 years old and reflects clinical patterns of usage in the USA. The reason that this paper is selected for discussion is primarily on the vast size of its study cohort, which is 6.5 million patient contacts (249,600 with a diagnosis of depressive illness) spread over mainland USA. Critical analysis of the paper suggests that the authors reveal their viewpoint in the first few sentences of the paper and therefore the opinion part of the review must be understood on the basis that the authors consider electroconvulsive therapy a â€Å"safe and effective treatment for patients with all subtypes of major depression† citing the authority of the APA for this statement (APA 1997) The paper suggests that there is a strong evidence base to confirm that electroconvulsive therapy is at least as effective as antidepressant drugs pharmaceuticals for the treatment of major depressive illness. (Weiner R D 2004) The authors make the point that despite this general belief, electroconvulsive therapy is not as widely used as it should be due to three major misconceptions namely public concern about the safety of the procedure, reactive regulations and guidelines and the belief that it is not cost-effective. They then set about addressing each of these concerns Rather worryingly, the authors cite evidence of safety with the unqualified comment that â€Å"None of the depressed patients who received ECT died during the hospitalisation. In contrast, 30 (0.14%) of the depressed patients who did not receive ECT died in the hospital. (Schulz K F et al. 1995) Although this may well be the case, it is entirely possible that patients who were ill with other comorbidities (and therefore at greater risk of death) were not offered electroconvulsive therapy, as it required a general anaesthetic. One cannot jump to the implied conclusion that these figures suggest that electroconvulsive therapy is therefore intrinsically safe. (Mohammed, D et al. 2003) The authors draw a number of conclusions, perhaps the most significant of which is that current practice tends to reserve electroconvulsive therapy for the elderly, and those with comorbidities such as schizophrenia, dementia, and general medical (nonpsychiatric) disorders. They also comment that prompt use of electroconvulsive therapy is associated with shorter in patient stays and, by definition, more rapid resolution of the depressive state. Despite these findings, there is a large body of literature documenting the fact that many patients with major depressive illness remain largely unresponsive to therapeutic intervention. With this in mind one should consider the contribution of the Spanish research group under Gonzalez-Pinto who published a trial of a small group of patients (13) who had proved resistant to both venlafaxine and electroconvulsive therapy separately but who responded to both measures when used in a combined fashion. (Gonzalez-Pinto A et al. 2002). This was a non-randomised non-controlled trial and therefore constitutes evidence value at level III. Curiously the response was not proportional to the dose of venlafaxine used. The authors however, report the rather worrying side effect of asystole in 3 of the 13 patients immediately after the electroconvulsive therapy. A number of authorities suggest that there is a definite place for electroconvulsive therapy in the severely depressed patient who is a suicidal risk. The Kellner paper addresses this suggestion directly. (Kellner C H et al. 2005). Suicide remains one of the major associations of major depressive illness and carries a 15% lifetime risk for any patient who has been hospitalised with the same. (Bostwick J M et al. 2000) with symptoms such as profound hopelessness, hypochondriacal ruminations or delusions, and thoughts of suicide or self-harm during depression predict future suicide. (Schneider B et al. 2001). The Kellner study was a randomised crossover comparative follow-up trial making it evidence value of level 1b. There are a great many result strands from this study, but if one specifically considers the suicidal elements, then one can state that the study showed that of the 444 patients enrolled in the trial as having major depressive illness, 26% had suicidal ideation at a level of 3 or greater on the Hamilton rating scale (the measurement tool used in the trial) and 3% achieving a score of 4 (actual suicidal attempt). This group had a reduction of their scores to 0 in over 80% within the two week course of the electroconvulsive therapy. It was also reported that in the group who scored 4, 100% dropped to 0 by the end of the treatment. Despite there impressive figures for short term remission, one would have to note that the trial did not have any significant long term follow-up and there is no information on the rate of relapse after the initial treatment. (Rosenthal R. 1994). The authors state that they were aware of two successful suicide attempts which occurred whilst the trial was running (but after these patients had completed their treatment. The authors suggest that electroconvulsive therapy should be used early in the treatment regime once a diagnosis of suicidal risk has been made. To provide a balanced argument on the place of electroconvulsive therapy in the spectrum of treatment, one can consider the recent paper by Eranti (Eranti S et al. 2007) who tested out the hypothesis that has recently been published, that Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is as effective as electroconvulsive therapy but does not have the same side effect profile that restricts the use of electroconvulsive therapy in some patients. (viz. Gershon A A et al. 2003 and Loo C K et al. 2005) This trial was a randomised, blinded comparative trial with a substantial entry cohort (260 patients) being followed up for 6 months after treatment giving it a level 1b significance. (Clifford C 1997). There were a number of possible outcome measures studied but, of relevance to our considerations in this dissertation, one can state that the authors found that Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) was not as effective as electroconvulsive therapy in the treatment of depressive illness both at the end of the treatment period and at the end of the 6 month study. The authors were able to comment however, that the rTMS was virtually free of demonstrable side effects. The place of electroconvulsive therapy in relapse prevention It is fair to comment that a brief examination of the literature shows virtually no good quality published material on this topic with the studies that have been done comprising individual case reports (viz Kramer B A 1990), naturalistic studies and small studies of retrospective cases (viz. Schwarz T et al. 1995), none of which have any control element and all of which are evidence level IV at best. A notable exception is Keller et al. who made a large UK based study of relapse prevention in major depressive illness with a randomised controlled trial over a seven year period involving over 500 patients. (Kellner C H et al. 2006). The trial is a level 1b evidence level trial and is of a particularly robust structure with great efforts made to achieve standardisation. (Denscombe, M 2002). The structure is a direct comparison between electroconvulsive therapy and a standard pharmacological regime (lithium carbonate plus nortriptyline hydrochloride). Both were given as a therapeutic course (the medication over a six month period) and the patients were followed up with DSM-IV assessments to determine their degree of relapse The analysis is long and complex but, in essence, the study clearly demonstrated that both groups had better results than a placebo control with similar percentages (about 33%) suffering a relapse and about 46% remaining disease free. The trial suffered from having a large group (about 20%) failing to complete the trial protocol. (Rosenthal R. 1994). This study does however, provide firm evidence that electroconvulsive therapy is at least as effective as pharmacological measures in reducing the likelihood of clinical relapse. Further evidence for longer term efficacy comes from the Gagnà © study (Gagnà © G G et al. 2000), which starts by acknowledging the fact that depressive illness tends to be a long term disability with long term pharmacological intervention a comparatively normal treatment strategy. The authors make a subtle distinction between continuance therapy (which is starting a new course of treatment after initial resolution and then relapse) and maintenance therapy which extends beyond the continuation therapy stage and is aimed at preventing relapse. This paper is noteworthy because, as the authors point out, there is general acceptance by healthcare professionals that long term maintenance therapy with pharmaceuticals is both rational and indicated in patients with a high likelihood of relapse of depressive illness. Treatment with continuation electroconvulsive therapy has failed to gain general acceptance. The authors argue that such an approach is particularly rational, at least in a group of patients who have demonstrated their ability to respond to electroconvulsive therapy in the past, are at high risk of relapse and who may be refractory to pharmacological intervention. The Gagnà © study is a retrospective case-controlled comparative study comparing the long term course of electroconvulsive therapy plus pharmacological maintenance therapy with long-term antidepressant treatment alone in a demographically matched group. The two groups comprised 60 patients. The maintainence electroconvulsive therapy group received the electroconvulsive therapy as a single treatment monthly after the normal intensive treatment course for the acute episode. It has to be noted that this regime is comparatively arbitrary as there appears to be no preceding published evidence base to support it. The results from this study are nonetheless quite impressive. Both groups are reported to have responded to treatment, but the group who were also maintained with follow up electroconvulsive therapy did markedly better in terms of resistance to relapse being almost doubled at two years (93% vs. 52%), and quadrupled at five years (73% vs. 18%). This result could also be expressed as a doubling of the mean time to relapse in the electroconvulsive therapy group (6.9 years versus 2.7 years for the antidepressant-alone group). A major criticism of this study would have to be a lack of standardisation of treatment in the electroconvulsive therapy group with some patients receiving univocal and others bipolar electroconvulsive therapy. The number and duration of each was left â€Å"to the clinical judgement† of the responsible clinician. This does not reduce the impact of the overall finding, but does make for difficulties in comparison with any other trials which might follow. (Berlin J A et al. 1999) A critical analysis of the study would also have to conclude that the study suffered from a comparatively small number of patients with assignments to the comparison groups not being random. More importantly, the trial assessor was not blinded to the patients group assignment. These factors make it difficult to confidently assign an evidence level to this trial. (Denzin, N K et al. 2000) The authors conclude their study with the comment that a larger, prospective study on the subject is currently underway. One should perhaps regard the results of this study as interesting, but not proven. In assessing the validity of this paper, one should note comments that it has generated in the peer reviewed press. Gupta makes a number of valid points of criticism (Gupta N. 2001), arguably the most important of which is that the study did not make any measurement of the well recognised effect on memory function that short term electroconvulsive therapy is known to have. (Isenberg K E et al. 2001). Gupta suggests that clinical effectiveness must be assessed only after a risk-benefit ratio has been properly determined. Certainly a valid point and one that was not addressed in the original paper. Mechanism of action A number of papers have been published reporting biochemical changes after electroconvulsive therapy. There seems to be a general agreement that depressive illness is associated with a disturbance in the monoaminergic-cholinergic balance within the cerebral cortex. (Schatzberg A F et al. 2005). A novel and significant advance was published in 1998 by Avissar (Avissar S et al. 1998) when a correlation with G-protein levels in leucocytes was found and was discovered to be significantly reduced in depressive illness. The significance of this paper was that the authors found that electroconvulsive therapy resulted in a normalisation of the G-proteins level which preceded (by about a week), and thus predicted, clinical improvement. Patients who did not respond to electroconvulsive therapy did not show a change in G-protein levels. The significance of this finding is enhanced with the knowledge that lithium is also known to alter G-protein levels (Schreiber G et al. 2000), as are some other treatments for bipolar disorder. (Young L T et al. 2003). It is also known the G-protein levels are raised in manic states thereby suggesting that it is a marker for affective mood states. (Schreiber G et al. 2001) Further evidence of altered metabolism comes from the Nobler study (Nobler M S et al. 2001). This study used Positron emission tomography (PET) to study glucose metabolism in different brain areas. It has to be noted that this was a small study of 10 patients who were assessed before and after a course of electroconvulsive therapy. This study involved highly sophisticated measurements and concluded that certain areas of the brain showed marked reduction in metabolic rate after electroconvulsive therapy and these changes were most significant in the frontal, prefrontal, and parietal cortices. The authors suggest that their results support the hypothesis that electroconvulsive therapy works by suppression of functional (non trophic) brain activity, most prominently in the prefrontal cortex. The authors comment that their findings are consistent with the earlier Drevets study which demonstrated a reduction in brain metabolism after successful treatment with antidepressant drugs. (Drevet s W C 1998) A more modern paper by Sanacora reported alterations in the GABA concentrations in plasma, and cortex after electroconvulsive therapy. (Sanacora G et al. 2003). It is known that patients with depressive illness have reduced levels of the neurotransmitter GABA. This study, again with a small entry cohort of 10 patients, assessed patients before and after electroconvulsive therapy. It was found that the levels of GABA increased with successive treatments. It was also found that the length of duration of the convulsions was proportional to the concentrations of GABA found in the cortex supporting the view that GABA decreases cortical excitability. It may also be significant that GABA concentrations have been found to increase after the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment. (Sanacora G et al. 2002). These findings suggest that enhanced GABA activity may be central to any antidepressant activity Takano et al. have recently produced a yet more sophisticated study along the lines of the Nobler investigation. (Takano H et al. 2007). This study also uses positron emission tomography (PET) and it studied patients before, during and after the application of electroconvulsive therapy. This is essentially a technical rather than a clinical study. It also has to be noted that all the data was derived from only six patients. The majority of the results are therefore not relevant to this consideration other than the fact that the authors concluded that electroconvulsive therapy exerts its effect by increasing the post treatment blood supply to the anterior cingulate and medial frontal cortex and thalamus. They refine this comment by acknowledging that it cannot be stated that this observed phenomenon is cause or effect, but simply an association with the mechanism of treatment and is associated with a resolution of symptoms. Preference of site and nature of stimulation There is a great deal of discussion in the peer reviewed literature about the optimal sites for electroconvulsive therapy application and whether univocal or bipolar stimulation gives better results. Unfortunately the vast majority of it is anecdotal and of poor evidential value. The Bailine study is a notable exception providing a randomised comparative trial with a moderate size of entry cohort (60) making it a level 1b trial. (Bailine S H et al. 2000). The authors compared the efficacy of bitemporal stimulation with bifrontal stimulation over a treatment period of 12 treatments. The study was assessor blinded. The rationale behind the trial was that bifrontal stimulation avoids direct stimulation of the temporal areas which are directly involved with cognition and memory functions. The authors reported that they found both placements to be equally effective in their ability to relieve depressive illness, but the bifrontal positioning achieved statistical significance in reducing cognitive and memory effects. Although not directly tested, the authors comment that right sided unilateral frontal placement has fewer cognitive side effects than bilateral stimulation but needs 2 5 times the current to achieve its therapeutic effect. (citing Letemendia F J J et al. 1993) One area of difficulty which, even a brief overview of the subject illuminates, is the level of stimulus that is required to achieve therapeutic results. Some studies do not specify the level of stimulus, others simply refer to a supra-threshold stimulus, a third group refer to a â€Å"titration of stimulusâ€Å". This makes direct comparison of results difficult. Some authorities have made the comment that not standardising the level of stimulus applied is similar to conducting a comparative trial of antidepressant drugs to placebo when the drugs are given at a sub-optimal dosage and therefore not achieving their maximal therapeutic effect. Krystal has attempted to tackle this problem by reviewing the regulations governing the administration of electroconvulsive therapy and also trying to achieve a generally acceptable standard of treatment. (Krystal A D et al. 2000) The USA limits (by statute) the maximum output charge for clinical applications of electroconvulsive therapy to 576 millicoulombs. The equivalent restriction in the UK is 1,200 millicoulombs for electroconvulsive therapy devices and this has been determined by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and this limit is more than double the limit allowed in the USA. As far as the USA is concerned there is no evidence base to ensure that this limit will allow for consistently effective electroconvulsive therapy, which is something of a paradox considering that the USA considers electroconvulsive therapy more mainstream than does the UK. Krystal published a retrospective study of nearly 500 patients who had received electroconvulsive therapy. Although most of the patients reviewed had a clinically successful treatment, the authors noted that 15% of patients required the maximum stimulus intensity to trigger a seizure and 5% of the total did not have a seizure at all. The authors comment that the clinicians responsible for the patient had to use enhancing strategies to boost the therapeutic response with caffeine, ketamine, or hyperventilation. This still left a residual 5% of patients with a sub-therapeutic response at the maximum permitted output charge. Further problems can be encountered as not only can patients vary with regard to the amount of charge that they need to trigger tonic-clonic seizures, but the amount of charge can vary as the course of treatment progresses in each individual patient. (Coffey C E et al. 2005) The difficulty that therefore arises in these non-responders, is that there is no greater therapeutic response than placebo if a tonic-clonic seizure is not triggered, but the effects on cognition and memory impairment are still present. (PECT 2000). If this is added to the clinical and economic costs, it is clear that a case can be made for higher limits of initial triggering charge, at least in the USA. The other factor which may also be relevant and can be a major cause of inconsistency between studies is the pulse width with some electroconvulsive therapy machines delivering a shorter pulse width and longer stimulus duration than others. The majority deliver a pulse width between 0.5–0.75 msec. but other machines are capable of delivering pulse widths considerably beyond these limits. There has been no definitive study which has considered the possible effect of pulse width on either the therapeutic response or the likelihood of triggering a tonic-clonic seizure. The final point made in the Krystal paper is the fact that one of the reasons that the charge limit was set at the level that it is was the fact that the authorities wanted to minimise the theoretical risk of neuropathological damage. There is now evidence that the levels of stimulus charge necessary to cause such damage is far in excess of the imposed limits. (viz. Weiner R D 1994 and Devanand D P et al. 2004) The concept of stimulus titration is referred to in many of the clinically based papers reviewed. If this concept is considered in parallel with the comments by Krystal relating to the variation of charge required to produce the seizure, the situation can be clarified in an monograph by MacEwan who advises that it is an important feature of the treatment to allow sufficient time between the initial unsuccessful shock and the attempt at restimulation as the effect of the comparative refractivity after the first shock takes a little time to wear off. (MacEwan T 2002) Side effects of treatment Considering the rather gross and intrusive physical nature of the treatment, it is quite remarkable that the literature shows very few studies which have specifically explor

Essay --

In the area of mathematics, it has been stated that Aristotle â€Å"is the real father of logic† (Thompson, 1975, p. 7) and although it may be a minor exaggeration, it is not far off the truth. Aristotle’s ideas on philosophy and logic were great advancers in Western culture, and are still being discussed and taught today. The ancient Greeks focused their mathematics on many areas, but one main question continuously asked by the Greeks was â€Å"what are good arguments?† (Marke & Mycielski, 2001, pg. 449). This question brought about the study of logic. Aristotle’s philosophy on the importance of logic was unique for his time as he believed that logic had to be considered in all disciplines, and that the aim of logic was to provide a system that allowed one to â€Å"investigate, classify, and evaluate good and bad forms of reasoning† (Groarke). Aristotle studied and contributed to various disciplines including philosophy, science, and astronomy, but his greatest influence was in the study of mathematical logic and more specifically, the introduction of syllogism. As Ulrich (1953) states, â€Å"any discussion of syllogism necessarily involves logic as it is the field that the syllogism plays a very important role† (p. 311). Aristotle’s ideas surrounding logic and syllogism are still being used in mathematics today, and over the course of history they have influenced many mathematicians’ areas of study. (Marek & Mycielski, 2001) Influence on Aristotelian Logic In order to understand Aristotle’s influence on mathematical logic, it is important to understand his life and the people that influenced his studies. Aristotle was born in 384 BCE in Stagira, which was an ancient city in Greece located on the Chalkidiki peninsula (Amadio & Kenny). In 367 B... ...ead of as an axiomization of a body of knowledge† (Andrade & Becerra, 2008, p. 310). Conclusion Aristotle’s philosophy of logic and syllogism introduced a system of formal thought. One in which emphasis was placed on answering logical questions through using proof, deduction and reasoning. This contribution to the field of logic allowed future academics to draw connections of previous unknowns in many areas of study, but most notably in the field of mathematics. Aristotle’s contribution to logic, by introducing a system of syllogism, became influential within many disciplines, and his ideas remained a great focal point for many centuries. Although Aristotle will forever be seen as a great philosopher, his influence of the syllogism was one that greatly advanced the area of mathematical logic and opened the gateway for many more mathematical discoveries and ideas.

My Teacher, My Hero Essay

When my friends asked me to write again, I decided to start my compilation with something meaningful, a themed essay for the My Teacher, My Hero theme, contrary to last year wherein I had a hard time choosing who to pay tribute to, this year is much different, it was easy and I believe, it is the most obvious choice. Everyone has someone to keep them on their own feet as they walk through life. Normally, it would be your parent or friend, but mine is different, I had kept myself intact with the help of a teacher. Teachers are usually there to impart knowledge and give you an opportunity to move on with life, I was blessed to have someone during my college days who takes time to make sure that I was okay and the strength to hold on to when everything else went astray, he was Engr. Elmerito D. Pineda. I first met Engr. Pineda as my professor back when I was in First Year (Advanced Programming Languages in C) , back then, things were just inside the classroom – lectures, quizzes, exercises which brought my confidence back after losing my scholarship during the previous term but things turned different when I was in my Third Year and he became our thesis mentor. He turned out to be the #1 Supporter to what we have wanted in the first place, the Alumni Tracer for FEU – East Asia College. Despite both parties having to adjust to the situation of having a part-time mentor last year, we both exerted effort to follow-up and communicate with each other. Since I was always doing the documentation portion of most our projects, I was the one responsible for making follow-ups with the mentor, which happened to be Mr. Pineda. I took it as my responsibility to stay late, meet him after classes for checking and even go straight to his FEU Main class just to finish the proposal for our thesis. Unfortunately, our second term was cut short after failing the proposal defense – but when things thought that it was the end of our mentorship with Engr. Pineda, we were wrong. He stayed with us until the very end. He had always made sure that I was okay. He had always made me feel secure especially by showing me how much he believes in the entire group. When we are back for the third term with a different project and mentor, he made sure he would ask us about our thesis and he was one of the few people who first congratulated us after a successful defense – indeed, he showed me that he was true to his words when we started communicating, â€Å"Dito lang ako for you, parang si Ms. Bong (Evelyn Ruth M. Manuel)†. He never left the group, he never left me during the good times and the bad times. Even if he is not physically present, his presence would always be felt wholeheartedly, and in the little ways he does it, I am extremely grateful. As time pass by, I looked up to him as one of the best friends and as my â€Å"dad† in school. I still see him from time to time. He has helped mold my character to be as strong as it is right now. He has his own way of teaching me things, he doesn’t get mad easily when you do something wrong, however, he has his own way to show you that you are wrong and it is proven effective to me, I managed to make amends and never do things again. For all the things he has done for me, all I can do to repay is to be there for him as well. I know I would be supporting him in whatever he would aspire to do in his life. I also look forward to see him finish Doctoral of Information Technology sometime next year for it would add weapons to his already impressive curriculum vitae. I hope he touch more lives and help direct it to a better place, just like how he helped me push my life back on track. My life would never be perfect. I would always experience the roller-coasters of being a human being but I would always remember one thing, that indeed, I was blessed. I was blessed to have people that would guide me. I was blessed to have people who would accept me for who I am. Furthermore, I am blessed to have Engr. Elmerito D. Pineda in my life, whatever you do call him, he would always have a special place in my life, a great mentor, friend and a dad. Engr. Elmerito D. Pineda, hats off†¦ my 2011 would not be complete without having the opportunity to thank you for everything that you have done for me.