Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Free Essays on Harry Potter... Wizardly Or Wimpy

In J.K. Rowling’s book Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, we meet a meek, shy boy named Harry. He is the product of two parents who loved him very much but were killed earlier on in his life. He was sent to live with the Dursleys, his only relatives who are horrible to him. After numerous strange encounters with Hagrid (a visitor from the wizard world), Harry learns that he too is a wizard. He bounds off to wizard school and realizes that he has a great reputation to live up to. It seems as though everybody already knows of him everywhere he goes! People everywhere whisper behind him or those more brazen speak to him openly about his wizardly powers. Harry realizes that living up to this immense reputation will be a very difficult task. Not only does he have all of the typical fears that a regular boy would have of going off to a new school, but also has all of these abnormal fears about his reputation to conquer. After reading this book, it is clear that Harry Potter does not live up to his wizardly name while studying at Hogwart's, yet does contain the potential to do so. When Harry was wearing the sorting hat to decide what house he would be joining, it whispered that he did contain courage. â€Å" ‘Hmm,’ said a small voice in his ear. ‘Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind, either. There’s talent, oh my goodness, yes – and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that’s interesting †¦ So where shall I put you?’† (Rowling, p90) The sorting hat realizes that there is potential to become a great wizard, but it does not say when. Harry may go on to become a great wizard, but does not do so during this novel. Harry is coy and timid and does not yet have the confidence that is portrayed by all of the other successful wizards in the story. â€Å"Professor McGonagall was again different. Harry had been quite right to think she wasn’t a teacher to cross. Strict and cl... Free Essays on Harry Potter... Wizardly Or Wimpy Free Essays on Harry Potter... Wizardly Or Wimpy In J.K. Rowling’s book Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, we meet a meek, shy boy named Harry. He is the product of two parents who loved him very much but were killed earlier on in his life. He was sent to live with the Dursleys, his only relatives who are horrible to him. After numerous strange encounters with Hagrid (a visitor from the wizard world), Harry learns that he too is a wizard. He bounds off to wizard school and realizes that he has a great reputation to live up to. It seems as though everybody already knows of him everywhere he goes! People everywhere whisper behind him or those more brazen speak to him openly about his wizardly powers. Harry realizes that living up to this immense reputation will be a very difficult task. Not only does he have all of the typical fears that a regular boy would have of going off to a new school, but also has all of these abnormal fears about his reputation to conquer. After reading this book, it is clear that Harry Potter does not live up to his wizardly name while studying at Hogwart's, yet does contain the potential to do so. When Harry was wearing the sorting hat to decide what house he would be joining, it whispered that he did contain courage. â€Å" ‘Hmm,’ said a small voice in his ear. ‘Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind, either. There’s talent, oh my goodness, yes – and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that’s interesting †¦ So where shall I put you?’† (Rowling, p90) The sorting hat realizes that there is potential to become a great wizard, but it does not say when. Harry may go on to become a great wizard, but does not do so during this novel. Harry is coy and timid and does not yet have the confidence that is portrayed by all of the other successful wizards in the story. â€Å"Professor McGonagall was again different. Harry had been quite right to think she wasn’t a teacher to cross. Strict and cl...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Colloid Examples in Chemistry

Colloid Examples in Chemistry Colloids are uniform mixtures that dont separate or settle out. While colloidal mixtures are generally considered to be homogeneous mixtures, they often display heterogeneous quality when viewed on the microscopic scale. There are two parts to every colloid mixture: the particles and the dispersing medium. The colloid particles are solids or liquids that are suspended in the medium. These particles are larger than molecules, distinguishing a colloid from a solution. However, the particles in a colloid are smaller than those found in a suspension.  In smoke, for examples, solid particles from combustion  are suspended in a gas. Here are several other examples of colloids: Aerosols foginsecticide spraycloudssmokedust Foams whipped creamshaving cream Solid Foams marshmallowsStyrofoam Emulsions milkmayonnaiselotion Gels gelatinbutterjelly Sols inkrubberliquid detergentshampoo Solid Sols pearlgemstonessome colored glasssome alloys How to Tell a Colloid From a Solution or Suspension At first glance, it may seem difficult to distinguish between a colloid, solution, and suspension, since you cant usually tell the size of the particles simply by looking at the mixture. However, there are two easy ways to identify a colloid: Components of a suspension separate over time. Solutions and colloids dont separate.If you shine a beam of light into a colloid, it displays the Tyndall effect, which makes the beam of light visible in the colloid because light is scattered by the particles. An example of the Tyndall effect is the visibility of light from car headlamps through fog. How Colloids Are Formed Colloids usually form one of two ways: Droplets of particles may be dispersed into another medium by spraying, milling, high-speed mixing, or shaking.Small dissolved particles may be condensed into colloidal particles by redox reactions, precipitation, or condensation.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Investment ratios of McBride plc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Investment ratios of McBride plc - Essay Example According to David (2005), financial statements provide the potential users with a narrow insight into the strengths and weaknesses of a business. This is because what is reported does not give an in-depth depiction of performance of an entity. Such full view of a business is important as it would ultimately influence users’ decisions on whether to continue their association with an entity and in addition, give potential investors adequate information to aid them in decision-making. Thus, the concept of financial analysis The Mcbride Plc had basic normalized earnings per share of 2.9p, 12.3p, 9.2p, and 6.4p for the financial year of 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008. This ratio is very important in comparing the performance of companies, as this cannot be done using the profit they make directly because of differences in the number of outstanding shares and income. A higher Earnings per Share is desirable to investors as it indicates a higher relative income. This company has a EPS that fluctuates from time to time which means that shareholders returns is unstable. Price to earnings ratio (P/E ratio)- David (2003) states that price/earnings ratio is the most commonly used to evaluate investment in an entity. He further points out that historically, the average P/E ratio for the broad market has been around 15, although it can fluctuate significantly depending on economic and market conditions. A stock with a high price/earnings ratio suggests that investors are expecting higher earnings growth in the future compared to the overall market while a stock with a low price/earnings ratio suggests that investors have more modest expectation for its future growth compared to the market as a whole (David, 2003). From the computations of price/earnings ratio for McBride plc in table below, the ratio declined from 10.8 in 2010 to 9.44 in 2011. This decline may not be attractive to prospective growth investors despite

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Immigration Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Immigration - Personal Statement Example I want to help people in the future who may face tribulations the same way she did. I want to be a legal professional who can stand up for the rights of all of the downtrodden, and those in difficult situations. I also want to achieve social change and equality. I ask myself what can I do as one person to change any situation. The answer is that I can do everything as long as I accept the challenge of being an agent of change regarding social progress for families and children, for the continuing pursuit of social justice through law, with a personal focus on divorce law and immigration. In terms of the growth and change I have experienced while vicariously experiencing my mother's divorce as a child, I learned my legal internship that being involved in legal work requires a great deal of leadership and determination; leaders in the field must ensure the success of their clients in every way possible by being effective team players who can make definitive, goal-oriented decisions based on skills and experience I have also learned through experience that it is not only dreams of success that bring people to the field of law. I care deeply about what happened to my mother in her divorce, and what happens to many.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

I Want to Be a Nurse Essay Example for Free

I Want to Be a Nurse Essay Writing assessment Empire college offers a unique learning environment for the busy learner who may be juggling a number of roles, spouse, parent, manager, entrepreneur, volunteer, caregiver, and more. We offer a flexible learning environment, with individually designed degree programs, and opportunities to study online,face to face, or a combination of the two. In a type essay of no fewer than 300 words, please describe: 1. Your reason for applying to Empire State College. 2. Your personal and professional goals, and what topics or areas you hope to study 3. Your strengths and experiences (educational, employment, community and personal background) that will make you a successful student in our learning environment. MY LIFE STORY Life is a long journey to seek happiness and great joy! Sometimes we can successfully overcome some kind of hardships in life and sometimes we are still struggling and suffering but don’t ever be despondent. No matter how hard it is, as long as you stay persistent and self determined you will overcome those obstacles. There were so many stages on my risky challenge journey to find a happy life! To know who you are you must know where you began. My life starts in a small village in Viet Nam. Despite growing up with a privilege life full of food on the table, a warm bed to sleep in, plenty of toys†¦It is human nature to want what I don’t have-nurturing parents. My parents worked very hard to provide a better life that they never had. I and three of my brothers were grown up with unhappy childhood. We never had time to play with friends, go to the park or even get any gift on our birthday †¦.All of us had to work after school to help my parents earn more money for food and others basic shelters. When I was in the middle school I had to do all of the housework and trading in the market for foods. I believed that is why I am so independent on my life. MY name is â€Å"My† which is often misspelled and misunderstanding. But it carried a full meaning to my parents. First it means beautiful. Second it links to a country â€Å"United State of American†. When I was a kid my parents usually tell me about how wonderful American are which in . Wealthy, Independence and freedom In 1987 when I was born my parents escaped from Vietnam to United State of American to explore a new life with a standard living but they failed and I was named â€Å"My† to chase my parents dream. I and my Parents had shared about â€Å"American dream† since I was 10 years old. I always dreamed of get out of my small village to fulfill my family dream and make a better life to help my parents who had sacrifice themselves to raise us to become good persons. Even how hard they are we still go through school. I was always study very hard at school and look for a chance to study aboard in the promising land American. Time went by and even how hard my parents and I tried we still could not afford for going aboard. But I still kept thinking about this dream until one day I had got a chance to take risk to work aboard as a technician specialist named Chartered Semiconductor in Singapore. The day I left my country and my family was a gloomiest day that I never forget. I was very excited to explore about Singapore at the first time I came there. I heard that Singapore is a very high standard country. Living and working in this country I don’t have to suffer from any obstacle. But dream is always dream and when I started to work I knew that it is never easy to get what you want without skills and experiences. Things never come the way I expected. It s so much can be say for living and immersing myself in another country and multicultural. I had to face with a lot of horrible experiences at work. Especially it was so difficult for me to adjust to speak Sing-English. Co-worker made fun of my English. I was hurt like a deep wound cut inside. I was cried some nights and even I was mad at myself. But 2 weeks later I told myself not to be discouraged because I left my homeland for this and there was no excuse for me to give up. Slowly I tried to join at work, make friends and ask them whatever I didn’t understand. I found my own way to get help. I gradually created my life with a fully eye-open experience. I built a lot of intangible skills. Each situation was a stepped stone thread through to my life with so many little things teaches me independence, management, organization and the best is self-confidence. I also found my love destiny here. I met my husband at work who was a nice, thoughtful and caring Vietnamese-American. He helped and supported me during the time I was struggle and suffer at work and the new life here. Through him I had come to God and believed in God. God had leaded me the way to go further and fulfill my dreams. We married after 3 years dating. One Year later we moved to Germany because of my husband work and we stayed there for 1 year and 4 months. From this time, I was really enjoy my life. I has chances to experience plenty of new things with my flesh eyes which I had read in books and surfed on Internet. I knew more about amazing country over the world and I was so interested to learn so many things about social, history, custom, religious about Germany and European. I had built a very good relationship here. I will never forget about this wonderful period of my life. And I, now finally, am here in New York. Enjoy my second winter. My dream about American for a long time had come true. To me, New York was a far-away and strange land at the first time. I was scared and lonely for almost 3 months. I and my husband moved to New York last winter in October 2011 and we experienced 2 terrible storms then we settled up everything to get ready for a lot of plans. I could not forget the first time my husband teach me to drive. My heart was bumping and my palm was sweat. I tried to get my driver license other way I had to stay at home. And now I can I drive to library every week, found a good job, made good friends and had plenty of good relationships, and the best thing is I will be Baptism next month to become a Catholic Christian. Thanks God blessed for me onmy life. I had so many goals and I had made them come true. I was on phone with my Mum on my 27th birthday. She said she is so proud of about me that I made her happy and the most important she asked me â€Å"What are you going to do next?† Five years living aboard is such a long time, but it goes so fast. I did not let any hardship hold me back and I am going to go through another bigger goal which is go to college and I will never stop to achieve my dreams. I was interested in Health filed and I always wished to become a helpful nurse when I was very young. Being a Vietnamese girl learn English to become a nurse is my first and forehead goal I want to do in this coming year. I would love to care about people and make them happy. My motivation is 4 year college and then go to study beyond later if I have a chance because education never stop. There are a lot of things to do in this country. I still want to have a good future with a solid stepped stone in life and a loving family. I will raise my children to become a successful person. They will use my experience story as a role for them to work hard and to be successful in their lives. And I have to say my heart was burning when I found Empire State Community college. I really want to get my degree here so desperately. Empire State community college offer the course which I interested in with flexible study option and it have great faculty, also a warm and diverse community and interesting traditional according to students. I can decide how, where and when I sturdy to complete my education.That’s great. I have a long way to go but I will do my best to reach my goals. Yes! Everyone have a story-history that has made them the way they are to make a happy life! And that is who am I!

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Old Man And The Sea: The Old Man :: essays research papers

The Old Man and The Sea: The Old Man Authors use many tactics to reveal a character's personality. In the short story, A Clean, Well-Lighted Place, Hemingway exposes the attributes of his characters through narration and dialogue. The older waiter's characteristics are exhibited through the waiters' conversations and the observations the narrator makes. The author cleverly associates the older waiter with the old man. This connection gives the audience a clear understanding of the loneliness and old age the waiter faces. The older waiter in Hemingway's story identifies with the old man. This is evident through the statements he makes to the younger waiter. In the begining of the work the younger waiter is complaining about the old man staying at the cafe. The older waiter takes up for the old man by explaining that the old man, â€Å"stays up because he likes it† (Hemingway 160). This is the initial time that the older waiter indicates that he identifies with the old man's feelings. This identification becomes more apparent farther in the work. For instance, the older waiter categorizes himself as being one, â€Å"of those who likes to stay late at the cafe†(Hemingway 161). With this declaration, the older waiter places himself in the same group as the old man. Hemingway's comparison of the old man and the waiter becomes unmistakable through the words of the older waiter. Loneliness and old age are the common bonds that the older waiter shares with the old man. This is manifested through the dialogue between the two waiters. For example, when the younger waiter boasts about his youth and confidence, the older waiter jealously replies, â€Å"I have never had confidence and I am not young†(Hemingway 161). The older waiter goes on further to illustrate that all he has is work. The older waiter later displays his loneliness through his compassion for the old man and others like himself. For instance, when the younger waiter remarks that he wishes to go home for the night, the older waiter says, â€Å"I am reluctant to close up because there may be some one who needs the cafe† (Hemingway 161). Through the author's comparison of the old man and the older waiter, he reveals the waiter's loneliness and desire for youth. The narration communicates the personality of the older waiter. For example, the narrator depicts the old waiter as, â€Å"not dressed to go home† (Hemingway 161). The author is implying that the older waiter will be in search of a drinking area, much like the cafe, after the cafe closes. Similar to the old man, the older waiter does not want to go home. The Old Man And The Sea: The Old Man :: essays research papers The Old Man and The Sea: The Old Man Authors use many tactics to reveal a character's personality. In the short story, A Clean, Well-Lighted Place, Hemingway exposes the attributes of his characters through narration and dialogue. The older waiter's characteristics are exhibited through the waiters' conversations and the observations the narrator makes. The author cleverly associates the older waiter with the old man. This connection gives the audience a clear understanding of the loneliness and old age the waiter faces. The older waiter in Hemingway's story identifies with the old man. This is evident through the statements he makes to the younger waiter. In the begining of the work the younger waiter is complaining about the old man staying at the cafe. The older waiter takes up for the old man by explaining that the old man, â€Å"stays up because he likes it† (Hemingway 160). This is the initial time that the older waiter indicates that he identifies with the old man's feelings. This identification becomes more apparent farther in the work. For instance, the older waiter categorizes himself as being one, â€Å"of those who likes to stay late at the cafe†(Hemingway 161). With this declaration, the older waiter places himself in the same group as the old man. Hemingway's comparison of the old man and the waiter becomes unmistakable through the words of the older waiter. Loneliness and old age are the common bonds that the older waiter shares with the old man. This is manifested through the dialogue between the two waiters. For example, when the younger waiter boasts about his youth and confidence, the older waiter jealously replies, â€Å"I have never had confidence and I am not young†(Hemingway 161). The older waiter goes on further to illustrate that all he has is work. The older waiter later displays his loneliness through his compassion for the old man and others like himself. For instance, when the younger waiter remarks that he wishes to go home for the night, the older waiter says, â€Å"I am reluctant to close up because there may be some one who needs the cafe† (Hemingway 161). Through the author's comparison of the old man and the older waiter, he reveals the waiter's loneliness and desire for youth. The narration communicates the personality of the older waiter. For example, the narrator depicts the old waiter as, â€Å"not dressed to go home† (Hemingway 161). The author is implying that the older waiter will be in search of a drinking area, much like the cafe, after the cafe closes. Similar to the old man, the older waiter does not want to go home.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Commentary: An Advancement of Learning by Seamus Heaney Essay

In An Advancement from Learning by Seamus Heaney, he describes a retrospective childhood experience. The narrator compels himself to face a deep-seated and preposterous fear which he consequently conquers. He shares his terror and revulsion by implementing vivid and vibrant imagery presented in nine quatrains. The conquest of an irrational fear depicted in this poem is perhaps a metaphor for overcoming greater fears in life. As the title suggest, this poem is about An Advancement of Learning- facing and subsequently conquering sometimes strong and private fears. Heaney describes a lone stroll along a polluted, ‘oil-skinned’ river bank. The almost sombre introspective tone of the opening two stanzas rapidly changes into one of revolt and terror as a rat emerges from the river. In a moment of panic, the poet attempts to escape, only to find another on the far bank, which encouraged a deeper impact. The second rat provoked the author to question his response to and fear for these animals. He then ‘incredibly’ decides to courageously maintain his ground and face the rodent. Despite Heaney providing the reader with a vibrant image of the animal to reinforce his contempt, he almost battles the rat until he ‘stared him out’. Eventually, as if the narrator won the ongoing battle, the rat retreats into a sewage pipe. Heaney then advances his way and triumphantly crosses the bridge, as he conquered a fright which has bedevilled him since childhood. An Advancement of Learning is written in nine quatrains consisting of short and sharp lines, which almost present the reader with a succession of flashing images. Heaney employs a loose and alternate rhyming scheme- stanzas one, three, six, eight and nine follow the pattern abcb, whereas stanzas two and four follow the abac pattern. Where the seventh stanza follows the abab pattern, Stanza five has the different but effective rhyming scheme abbc. The regularity of the rhythm in this stanza contributes to the reader’s sense of the poet’s rising self control. Heaney makes active use of enjambment and caesura to emphasise many of his emotions and sentiments. The astute use of enjambment from lines ten to sixteen increase the tempo and excitement of the poem, which in turn aid to convey the poet’s  fright and aspiration to flee. Furthermore, the writer applies enjambment between one stanza and the next to allow his descriptions to flow smoothly, which appropriately reflects the fluidity of the river described. Interesting is that the verses reflect the writer’s gradual gaining of self control. The main entity in the poem is the bridge as it symbolises the tree stages in the writer’s conquest of fear. At the sight of the first rat, the poet initially refuses to cross the bridge. Once faced with his ‘enemy’, he establishes a ‘dreaded Bridgehead’ which in military terms means to hold a defensive position. He is fearful but determined. Finally, as the poet defeats his foe and fear, he, with a vestige of triumph, ‘walked on and crossed the bridge.’ The bridge is mentioned at these three key stages of Heaney’s experience as well as structurally in the first, central and closing stanzas to emphasise the stages of overcoming his fear gradually. Heaney’s most striking feature in terms of style and language are unmistakably his effective use of alliteration and sibilance, as well as the appealing use of lexis. The repetition of the sharp consonant sounds s and c, especially conspicuous in the third stanza, contribute to both the sickening nature of the rat and the writer’s feelings towards it. An example of words carefully chosen to enhance and reflect the meaning of the poem is ‘Insidiously listening’, which is despite its impact, neither alliteration nor assonance. The narrator also employs extraordinary and emotive vocabulary, such as ‘slimed’ and ‘nimbling’ to describe the rats, allowing the reader to accurately experience the fear and loathing which he suffered. Remarkable about this poem is that as the writer overcomes his revolt and fright, the description of the animal becomes more forgiving. Where at the beginning the rodents were Insidious, ‘slobberedâ€℠¢ and ‘slimed’ around, they are, less forbiddingly, observed as animals with ‘the raindrop eye’ and ‘the old snout’ towards the end. This indicates how the writer’s fear and terror disappears with the rat into the sewage pipe, and how he now views the rodent in its proper perspective. An Advancement of Learning successfully conveyed the writer’s feelings and  emotions while conquering a lifelong phobia. The use of enjambment and caesura as well as the alternating rhyming patterns, which reflected the increasing order of the situation, all contribute to the vibrant image the reader is provided with. Furthermore, the poet employed the motif of the bridge as a foundation for the poem’s structure while adding more dimension to the text by enforcing it as a symbol of the poet’s route to overcoming his deep-rooted fears.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Quality and patient safety in USA Essay

The purpose of this article is to drive attention to rising issues of quality care and patient safety in United States. In spite of launching major initiatives and investing heavily in recourses to improve patient safety, there has been no significant improvement in health care quality in past decade1. One of the challenges in measuring quality are developing accurate data system. Avoiding surgical complications by implementing WHO checklist guidelines, effective use of computerized physician order entry and electronic health records can foster safer, high quality care. Current state of quality and patient safety in USA Americans too often do not receive care that they need, or they receive care that causes harm. Care can be delivered too late or without full consideration of a patient’s preferences and values. Providers frequently overuse therapies that are not known to be effective, underuse therapies that are clearly recommended, and misuse therapies. At best, overuse of care leads to inefficiency and waste. Overuse may also threaten patient safety. Underuse represents missed opportunities to prevent disease or treat it effectively, and misuse may threaten patient safety and lead to additional illness, injury, or even death. In December 1999, the institute of medicine reported that medical errors cause up to 98,000 deaths and more than 1 million injuries each year in the United States2. From 2001 to 2005, total annual health care expenditure increased at a rate of 4.6 times the rate of the increase in the summery measure of quality of care. Annual total health care expenditures rose 6.5% (in 2005 dollars). During this time same period, quality increased at a rate of 1.4%. For heart disease, cancer and diabetes individually, quality increased at a rate of 2.6%, 1.9% and 0.1% annually, respectively. Expenditures increased at an annual rate of 4.4%, 9.0% and 4.9%, respectively3. Many times, our system of health care  distributes services inefficiently and unevenly across populations. Some Americans receive worse care than other Americans. These disparities may be due to differences in access to care, provider biases, poor provider-patient communication, or poor health literacy4. Disparities in quality of care are common: Blacks received worse care than Whites for 41% of quality measures. Hispanics received worse care than non-Hispanic Whites for 39% of measures. Poor people received worse care than high-income people for 47% of measures4. Challenge in quality measurement Health care quality measurement has long been a troublesome issue. The first hurdle is deciding what to measure and how to measure it. Once performance measure topics and technical specifications are finally agreed on for a given healthcare setting, the next—and biggest—problem is getting accurate, complete data quickly enough to derive useful measurements. Primary review of medical records, which are still overwhelmingly paper-based records, is often the only way to collect data with the level of clinical detail needed to assess care. This is extraordinarily labor intensive. Data gaps represent an area of major concern to multiple stakeholders and encompass a diverse array of data elements. Some data elements necessary to assess and improve quality of care are simply not available to those responsible for quality measurement and improvement activities both within and outside payer and/or care delivery organizations5. These data gaps are attributed to a number of different factors, including the burden of data collection; technology barriers to data collection; legal and/or technical barriers to sharing data among multiple clinicians or organizations involved in delivering or managing the care of a patient; and differing priorities among suppliers and users of the data5. Another challenge to quality measurement is to ensure the accuracy of data used to provide information about quality. Inaccurate data may result from several sources including: random or inadvertent errors by data collectors, missing data, inconsistent use of definitions and criteria for inclusion, inappropriate aggregation of data, and systematic miscoding6. Improving Quality and patient safety Surgical care and its attendant complications represent a substantial burden of disease worthy of attention. Surgical complications are a considerable  cause of death and disability around the world7. Data suggest that at least half of all surgical complications are avoidable8. Previous efforts to implement practices designed to reduce surgical-site infections or anesthesia-related mishaps have been shown to reduce complications significantly8. A growing body of evidence also links teamwork in surgery to improved outcomes, with high-functioning teams achieving significantly reduced rates of adverse events8. Implementing the 19-item WHO safe-surgery checklist can significantly reduce surgical complications and morbidity. The checklist consists of an oral confirmation by surgical teams of the completion of the basic steps for ensuring safe delivery of anesthesia, prophylaxis against infection, effective teamwork, and other essential practices in surgery8. Information technology had consistently been identified as an important approach for health quality improvement. Computerized physician order entry (CPOE) can improve medication safety, reduce adverse drug reactions, reduce unnecessary variation in care, and improving efficiency of care9. Widespread use of Electronic health records can transform health care. Benefits of E.H.R are: accurate, up-to date, and complete information about patients, quick access to patient records for more coordinated and efficient care, more effective diagnosis, reduction in medical errors, and secure sharing of information10. One of the studies on EHR, Beacon implementation, done at Mount Sinai hospital in New York was successful. Dr. Adelson Said â€Å"The major takeaway from our Beacon implementation is the opportunity to continuously improve and update treatment plans based on published research and guidelines for all practitioners to follow. Ultimately, it allows us to provide higher quality, more comprehensive care to individuals by identifying the most appropriate treatment course while minimizing side effects.† 11 Conclusion: Quality of care has become an important issue with rising health care costs over past decade. Checklist method of WHO can reduce surgical complications and morbidity and help improving quality care. Effective use of COPE and EHR can overcome challenges in measurement of quality of care. Although costs of  CPOE and EHR are substantial in terms of technology, organizational process analysis, and system implementation, they can yield many significant benefits and provide important platform for future changes in healthcare quality and patient safety. Citations: 1) Landrigan, Temporal Trends in Rates of Patient Harm Resulting from Medical Care, the new England journal of medicine. 2) Kohn LT, Corrigan JM, Donaldson MS, eds. To err is human: building a safer Health system. Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 1999. 3)http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nhqr08/Chap6.htm 4) http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nhqr11/nhqr11.pdf 5) http://www.ncvhs.hhs.gov/040531rp.pdf 6) http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=6418&page=19 7) Debas HT, Gosselin R, McCord C, Thind A. Surgery. In: Jamison DT, Breman JG, Measham AR, et al., eds. Disease control priorities in developing countries. 2nd ed. Disease Control Priorities Project. Washington, DC: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/World Bank, 2006:1245-60. 8) http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa0810119#t=article 9) http://www.leapfroggroup.org/media/file/Leapfrog-AHA_FAH_CPOE_Report.pdf 10) http://www.healthit.gov/providers-professionals/faqs/what-are-advantages-electronic-health-records 11) http://www.equities.com/news/headline-story?dt=2012-12-03&val=782522&cat=hcare

Friday, November 8, 2019

Persepolis (Iran) - Darius the Greats Persian Empire

Persepolis (Iran) - Darius the Great's Persian Empire   Persepolis is the Greek name (meaning roughly City of the Persians) for the Persian Empire capital of Pà ¢rsa, sometimes spelled Parseh or Parse. Persepolis was the capital of the Achaemenid dynasty king Darius the Great, ruler of the Persian Empire between 522–486 B.C.E. The city was the most important of the Achaemenid Persian Empire cities, and its ruins are among the best known and most visited archaeological sites in the world. The Palace Complex Persepolis was built in a region of irregular terrain, on top of a large (455x300 meters, 900x1500 feet) man-made terrace. That terrace is located on the Marvdasht Plain at the foot of the Kuh-e Rahmat mountain, 50 kilometers (30 miles) northeast of the modern city of Shiraz and 80 km (50 mi) south of Cyrus the Greats capital, Pasargadae. Atop the terrace is the palace or citadel complex known as Takht-e Jamshid (The Throne of Jamshid), which was built by Darius the Great, and embellished by his son Xerxes and grandson Artaxerxes. The complex features 6.7 m (22 ft) wide double stairways, the pavilion called the Gate of All Nations, a columned porch, an imposing audience hall called Talar-e Apadana, and the Hall of a Hundred Columns. The Hall of a Hundred Columns (or Throne Hall) likely had bull-headed capitals and still has doorways decorated with stone reliefs. Construction projects at Persepolis continued throughout the Achaemenid period, with major projects from Darius, Xerxes, and Artaxerxes I and III. The Treasury The Treasury, a relatively unassuming mud-brick structure on the southeastern corner of the main terrace at Persepolis, has received much of the recent focus of archaeological and historical investigation: it was almost certainly the building which held the Persian Empires vast wealth, stolen by Alexander the Great in 330 B.C.E. Alexander used the reported 3,000 metric tons of gold, silver and other valuables to fund his conquering march towards Egypt. The Treasury, first built in 511–507 B.C.E., was surrounded on all four sides by streets and alleys. The main entrance was to the west, although Xerxes rebuilt the entrance on the north side. Its final form was a one-story rectangular building measuring 130X78 m (425x250 ft) with 100 rooms, halls, courtyards, and corridors. The doors were likely built of wood; the tiled floor received enough foot traffic to require several repairs. The roof was supported by more than 300 columns, some covered with mud plaster painted with a red, white and blue interlocking pattern. Archaeologists have found some remnants of the vast stores left behind by Alexander, including fragments of artifacts much older than the Achaemenid period. Objects left behind included clay labels, cylinder seals, stamp seals, and signet rings. One of the seals dates to the Jemdet Nasr period of Mesopotamia, some 2,700 years before the Treasury was built. Coins, glass, stone and metal vessels, metal weapons, and tools of different periods were also found. Sculpture left behind by Alexander included Greek and Egyptian objects, and votive objects with inscriptions dated from the Mesopotamian reigns of Sargon II, Esarhaddon, Ashurbanipal, and Nebuchadnezzar II. Textual Sources Historical sources on the city begin with cuneiform inscriptions on clay tablets found within the city itself. In the foundation of the fortification wall at the northeastern corner of the Persepolis terrace, a collection of cuneiform tablets were found where they had been used as fill. Called the fortification tablets, they record the disbursement from royal storehouses of food and other supplies. Dated between 509-494 BC, almost all of them are written in Elamite cuneiform although some have Aramaic glosses. A small subset that refers to dispensed in behalf of the king is known as the J Texts. Another, later set of tablets were found in the ruins of the Treasury. Dated from the late years of the reign of Darius through the early years of Artaxerxes (492–458 B.C.E.), the Treasury Tablets record payments to workers, in lieu of a part of or all of the total food ration of sheep, wine, or grain. The documents include both letters to the Treasurer demanding payment, and memoranda saying the person had been paid. Record payments were made to wage-earners of various occupations, up to 311 workers and 13 different occupations. The great Greek writers did not, perhaps surprisingly, write about Persepolis in its heyday, during which time it would have been a formidable opponent and the capital of the vast Persian Empire. Although scholars are not in agreement, it is possible that the aggressive power described by Plato as Atlantis is a reference to Persepolis. But, after Alexander had conquered the city, a wide array of Greek and Latin authors like Strabo, Plutarch, Diodorus Siculus, and Quintus Curtius left us many details about the sacking of the Treasury. Persepolis and Archaeology Persepolis remained occupied even after Alexander burned it to the ground; the Sasanids (224–651 C.E.) used it as an important city. After that, it fell into obscurity until the 15th century, when it was explored by persistent Europeans. The Dutch artist Cornelis de Bruijn, published the first detailed description of the site in 1705. The first scientific excavations were conducted at Persepolis by the Oriental Institute in the 1930s; excavations were thereafter conducted by the Iranian Archaeological Service initially led by Andre Godard and Ali Sami. Persepolis was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979. To the Iranians, Persepolis is still a ritual space, a sacred national shrine, and a potent setting for the spring festival of Nou-rouz (or No ruz). Many of the recent investigations at Persepolis and other Mesopotamian sites in Iran are focused on preservation of the ruins from ongoing natural weathering and looting. Sources Aloiz E, Douglas JG, and Nagel A. 2016. Painted plaster and glazed brick fragments from Achaemenid Pasargadae and Persepolis, Iran. Heritage Science 4(1):3.Askari Chaverdi A, Callieri P, Laurenzi Tabasso M, and Lazzarini L. 2016. The Archaeological Site of Persepolis (Iran): Study of the Finishing Technique of the Bas-Reliefs and Architectural Surfaces. Archaeometry 58(1):17-34.Gallello G, Ghorbani S, Ghorbani S, Pastor A, and de la Guardia M. 2016. Non-destructive analytical methods to study the conservation state of Apadana Hall of Persepolis. Science of The Total Environment 544:291-298.Heidari M, Torabi-Kaveh M, Chastre C, Ludovico-Marques M, Mohseni H, and Akefi H. 2017. Determination of weathering degree of the Persepolis stone under laboratory and natural conditions using fuzzy inference system. Construction and Building Materials 145:28-41.Klotz D. 2015. Darius I and the Sabaeans: Ancient Partners in Red Sea Navigation. Journal of Near Eastern Studies 74(2):267-280.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Five Key Steps to Working with Editors

Five Key Steps to Working with Editors For those writing a series, you’ll need to describe where the book fits into the series.  There are different ways to create lists; however Excel works well for me when preparing a timeline. I head the first three columns Character, Purpose, and Relationship to Protagonist. The fourth is labeled Chapter One, subheaded with the time and date. Below Character, I list primary and secondary characters as they appear in the book, then note something about their purpose under the chapter they appear in. The great thing about Excel is that it’s user friendly. You can easily manipulate rows and columns to insert or delete material.  You writers out there are probably groaning

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Contract law, Doctrine of consideration Case Study

Contract law, Doctrine of consideration - Case Study Example Professor Patrick Atiyah1. Consideration can be defined as "An act of forbearance of one party, or the promise thereof, is the price for which the promise of the other is bought, and the promise thus given for value is enforceable." F. Pollock2. A redundant or free promise is hence, legally unenforceable. Such promises do not involve consideration and consequently, they are not regarded as contractual promises unless made as a formal contract by deed. In English Law a promise made under contract is unenforceable in the absence of consideration. Further, the legitimacy of a simple contract can be ensured only if there is consideration from the party accepting the offer. Increasingly, judges are being encouraged to find consideration in cases; this is so that contractual claims can be assessed on the basis of the real intention of the contracting parties to one and another, rather than a strict and narrow interpretation of case law. Consideration is only at issue in simple contracts, Courts often have to find consideration to be able to infer that a contract exists. In a Contract By Deed, consideration is unnecessary; as it is clear what is due form whom. In addition, where the traditional narrow view of consideration may lead to inconsiderate results, Courts may accept a request for applying the principle of equitable estoppel. Therefore, a contract which contains promises unsupported by consideration is void ab initio. Valid consideration has the following features: 1. Consideration must move from' the offeree to the offeror, that is, the person making the offer must be expecting something in return. 2. Consideration must be something of value, however trifling to the offeror, or something of detriment to the offeree. 3. Consideration must be sufficient in law, but need not be sensible in fact. An offer of sale of a Rolls Royce Car for 1 is valid consideration though not sensible. However, if this car is offered gratis, there is no consideration and the agreement is unenforceable. 4. Consideration must impose an obligation in the future; it is unusual and inadequate to base an offer on past consideration3.In the case Currie v Misa it was held that, "A valuable consideration, in the sense of law, may consist either in some right, interest, profit or benefit accruing to the one party, or some forbearance, detriment, loss or responsibility given, suffered, or undertaken by the other"4. Hence, reciprocity is essential to the doctrine of consideration, in other words, a promisee cannot enforce a promise unless he has

Friday, November 1, 2019

The Easiest Teacher-Researcher Data Collection Strategies Essay

The Easiest Teacher-Researcher Data Collection Strategies - Essay Example The focus groups are another strategy that will I would incorporate into my teaching as it an effective way of enhancing peers to learn from each other while assessing themselves. This increases the awareness of the different areas the students have difficulties in thereby prompting them to help each other better. The hardest teacher-researcher data collection strategies to incorporate into my teaching would be digital pictures, weblogs, and videos. As much as these instructions strategies are very effective in breaking the monotony of the classroom thereby rejuvenating the students’ concentration, they also have an equal effect of diverting the attention of the students from the intended purpose. For instance, when a teacher uses a video or the digital pictures teach something, there is a high tendency of more than 60% of the students to remain glued on the video or the pictures long after the teacher has finished using them. This shows that they did not concentrate on the concept taught but rather they were concentrating on the bar picture or the video. I would be comfortable with my colleague taking notes for me while teaching as this is a very important form of feedback that can help me improve my teaching. The notes will also give me a personal reflection of how to prepare my action plan in the future. However, I would appreciate some if some ground rules are followed for this practice in order to avoid conflict. My colleague should not take this opportunity as a chance for her/him to teach me how to teach my lessons or how to improve my practice. The notes alone will give me the feedback I need to improve my practice and teach better. The principle or the university supervisor can support my efforts to collect data by creating an environment that is conducive for learning and the children and their parents can put educational activities before any other activity around the school. This forms healthy school environment where the learning activities produce a lot of data needed to make effective learning decisions.  Ã‚