Critically assess the Prime Minister's powers.Review the role of the Essay

Critically assess the Prime Minister's powers.Review the role of the media in British politics.Is the higher civil service a - Essay Example Nevertheless, the individual who is appointed to this position must enjoy the support of the majority in the parliament, especially the lower house of the British legislature, also referred to as the House of Commons. This is because, the House of Commons is charged with the responsibility of enacting the necessary legislations that runs the government and the whole country. Therefore, the prime minister must enjoy the support of the majority in the House of Commons, so that he can be supported in enacting the necessary legislations and policies, which runs the government (Hennessy, 2001 p17). The most important aspect of the position of the British Prime Minister is the fact that; this position is not established by the British constitutional laws, but is just guided by the conventions, which have been in place for a long-term. The British Prime Minister plays various roles. First, he is the head of the political party or the coalition of parties that have the majority members of pa rliament in the House of Commons, and thus plays a legislative role (Kavanagh & Seldon, 2008 p87). He is responsible for guiding the legislation of the policies that favors the running of the government, as well as those necessary to execute the objectives and manifestos of the party or coalition enjoying the majority in the parliament. This position evolved as a result of the long term historical struggle to shift power from the sovereign to the parliament. However, constitutionally and legally, the monarch still remains the head of government, who enjoys the prerogative powers and is thus responsible for the whole running of the country. Therefore, the position of the British Prime Minister is political, which occurs as a result of the monarch sharing his/her powers to head the government with an individual of his/her choice, who enjoys the confidence of many members of parliament (Blick & Jones, 2010 p62). Despite the immense political authority that the position of the British P rime Minister holds, it is merely an extension of the powers of the Sovereign, who is the legal and constitutional leader of the government (King, 1985 p257). As the head of the party of the majority in parliament, the British Prime Minister is responsible to oversee the formulation and passing of the necessary legislations, which are essential to see the government operate effectively. In this sense therefore, the British Prime Minister heads the policy and law formulation process, to ensure that the laws and the policies that are formulated are in line with the government intentions and objectives, thus serves to facilitate the performance of the government (Hennessy, 2001 p21). This remains the reason as to why the British Prime Minister must be the leader of the party or coalition that enjoys majority support. The other role of the British Prime Minister is the executive role. The British Prime Minister is the head of the cabinet, which is the executive arm of the government (Ka vanagh & Seldon, 2008 p84). The power of the British Prime Minister as the head of the executive arm of the government includes the powers to constitute the cabinet. Therefore, he is responsible for appointing the cabinet ministers, who in turn heads different departments of the government

The Lover Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Lover - Essay Example The backdrop of the story is set in Indochina during Marguerite’s childhood in the prewar period. The protagonist of this thrilling novel, Marguerite Duras, who also happens to be the author, unfolds in simple yet luminous prose, the tale of life, as lived on the borders of Saigon during the days of France’s colonial empire. The narrative focuses on the intricate and passionate relationship shared between two outcasts and their tumultuous love affair. Marguerite Duras’s scintillating novel is written straight from her heart and this is what makes reading it, all the more worthwhile. The author Brecht's Galileo (1940) uses a very emphatic quote that states – â€Å"Truth is the daughter of time, not authority† and in this essay we are going to examine different incidents in the life of Duras and see how they relate to the above quote. The aging author reminisces about the past and the impoverished life she had led with her mother and her belligerent b rothers when they resided in Saigon. The style used for her narrative is like that of a memoir as she unravels the harsh realities of her colonial existence of the 1930’s in French Indochina. During her childhood and even as a teenager, Duras had to face the harsh realities of life while co-existing with her â€Å"beggar family†. ... The trick works for her and she feels much happier when dressed in this fashion. â€Å"The Lovers† (1984) by Duras is a postmodern dreamy fantasy that helps her escape from the wretchedness of her life. This teenaged French girl tries to make good her escape from her demented mother whose life is steeped in utter despair, depression and jealousy. In a twist of fate, the young girl of fifteen happens to meet a Chinese millionaire, a financier who was 12 years her senior. This chance meeting took place as they happened to cross the Mekong River one day. The girl goes all out to surrender and lose herself in his wealth and passion in the hope that her family would be provided for. The millionaire, who though much older to her has traveled across the world and hence has an impeccable refinement about him. Describing him in her first glimpse she states – â€Å"Inside the limousine there’s a very elegant man looking at me. He’s not a white man. He’s wear ing European clothes – the light tussore suit of Saigon bankers. He’s looking at me†. (Duras, 17) Even though this teenager is surrounded and steeped in all that is cheap and humiliating, yet, her strength of character is poignantly etched by the author to be one of strength and great resilience. The protagonists strength of character is one of the most remarkable and memorable aspects of the novel. The courage she exhibits when dealing with matters relating to her demented mother is highly commendable. One of the clear incidents that portray her amazing capacity to help and love those who are weaker than herself can be seen when she interacts with her own mother. For example, when her daughter dresses in an interesting fashion, the bitterness

A Modest Proposal Analysis

A Modest Proposal Analysis In A Modest Proposal the author, Jonathan Swift, uses techniques such as irony, satire, and sarcasm to mock the Irish government of his time. A Modest Proposal was a heavy-duty social commentary. At the time there was great hand-wringing over what to do about the masses of the poor in England, mainly London. Swift lays out a very well-reasoned solution to the problem. The solution was of course, ridiculous. After reading Swifts masterpiece, I could not believe how graphic and shocking it would be. At times I was sickened in the way he details his feelings. He does this in a letter sarcastically proposing that they sell the children of the poor to the wealthier families, as this will provide food, clothing, and will decrease the population. Throughout the letter he uses remarkable details as to how they should go about eating the children, treating them as nothing more than a new type of livestock. The letter ends with a completely different tone when the author explains the absurdity of his proposal and instead suggests something a bit more realistic like the wealthy giving up some of their luxuries. Swifts annoyance at what he saw as the immoral economic and political policies of the Irish and English governments, and he author uses the assumed voice of the economist. He uses great quantity of thorough, literalized metaphors, and ironic and sarcasm techniques to devastating effect. A Modest Proposal has been judged as an unsurpassed work of rhetorical brilliancy, and it acquires new readers additional critical attention up until now Swift exposes all of the bizarre remarks and ideas he has been discussing about are all a humorous way to make fun of the way the government is run and how they are not serving the terrible state of the country. Afterwards he expresses a proper proposal of taking away some of the wealthier peoples luxuries in order to help their economy. In this essay, I will explain the 3 techniques that I have found in Swifts proposal, such as; I rony, Satire and Sarcasm. Satire is a second technique Swift uses, he states The skin of which artificially dressed, will make admirable gloves for ladies, and summer boots for fine gentlemen (p.286). He is indicating that rich people have a purpose and have the power to full-fill their wishes without any conditions. Swift shows all of his pain for the beggars and as a reader it shows that its all about status. On another note, Swift uses the children as satire, by exaggerating and dramatically grabs the readers attention, such as boiling and brewing of the children would end all the problems. This is a revelation of how Swift persuades the reader on how to help the rich out. Going back, he wants something done. Perhaps this satire isnt spoken as a second person, or someone elses voice, possibly what Swifts tone in this piece is anger and annoyance. Since no one is doing anything about it, in his mind he might as well suggest Eating children. This classic poem is worded completely simple and the most logical thing in the world. Its not to amuse us, but to substitute this phrase should reduce their outgoings with should eat their babies and its just another op-ed piece that is what makes it satire. The wealthy physically kept getting fatter while the poor kept starving. Swift stated that instead of spending money on importing meat, they should eat their own children and as a result to control the population and provide their own food instead of depending on importing. Yes this is sickening, but this is exactly Swifts intentions, by grossing out the public, he hoped to have them take a second look at their society and hopefully reform it. It is mocking the society, predominantly the rich and at the same time suggesting an eccentric solution to a dreadfully real problem that was obvious in London. As a matter of fact he hoped to bring a social transformation with his modest proposal. As we move on to the third technique sarcasm, was greatly involved all over in the poem. In the first paragraph of A Modest Proposal, Swift uses the words melancholy, tears and pity and grievance to sympathise with the poor people while reading and come into view to understand their situation, slowly gaining the readers confidence in preparation for his shocking proposal (p.283). When he sent out his proposal to decrease Irelands population, he only looks at the positive aim in his idea. He is showing that hes serious about his proposal by fabricating proof and figures, which shows that he has planned the dilemma for a very long time. This proposal is written sarcastically to belittle the attitude of the manufactured revolution that saw people as being a product to be exploited; in addition the mindset that the rate of people developed was beyond the rate of food growth so that there could never be enough food. Swift mentions a year old offered in sale to the persons of quality, and fortune, advising the mother to let them suck plentifully, so as to render then plump, and fat for a good table. A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends and family (p.285). His ludicrous scheme is to plump up the children and feed them off to the wealthiest. Reading that part, this made me become conscious of Swifts extreme opinion is to point out where the reader should be feeling this is unacceptable and we must put a stop to this ludicrous. This manner shows a lot of antagonism which grabs your attention and wanting to read more of his preposterous language. Swift mentions absurdity quite often, he states that the wives will be treated better now that they are having children to sell on the meat market by their husbands. He illustrates the wives as livestock, and now that they are a source of income, the husbands will treat them better, as they do their cows, pigs, chickens (p.284). This is bizarre with the idea not explored in the passage that a husband is e xceptionally vigilant with his wife and a changed man when she is with the child, because in her belly is his own family, and he wouldnt dare cause his own flesh and blood harm. However, Swift implies an opposed idea to attack the men living in tough economic situations that are cruel to their wives. After thinking it over, I have come to realize that only a true genius could write something as emotive and realistic and be taken seriously. All his techniques used gain the readers confidence and make him seem practical and realistic in an ironic way. He shocks the reader by suggesting infant cannibalism as a solution to social and poverty issues in Ireland. In doing so, Swift highlights the contrast, playing an essential role in classical satire, as well as the hypocrisy of the politicians hes looking to blame. As readers, he wants us to know how can we save Ireland? Swift managed to make it reasonable, by using many techniques, such as; irony, satire and sarcasm. He uses a lot of exaggeration to highlight his points and beliefs, shown through his irony and imagery. Humans are more than just rational beings; we rely on emotions and faith. Swift provides a cultural criticism; he clearly believes that things such as faith, emotion, and religion help our human reason in arriving at t ruths. Without them, there would be no final cause and hope for salvation because there is no sense of data to prove heaven, we would never love, relatives could die and we would not care, and life itself would lack what makes humanity so beautiful, and that is emotion. Swift recognized a problem and was able to offer a resolution in a tongue-tied way. Some were blaming the poor or the rich. Swift was able to point out the errors of both groups by simply using these three techniques.

Politics In The Gilded Age Essay -- essays research papers

Politics in the Gilded Age Discuss Politics in the Gilded Age. Include major political events and issues, and the roles of the â€Å"bloody shirt,† corruption, patronage, and reform movements.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The term Gilded Age was named for a Mark Twain book. It meant covered with gold, and was applied to this period as a whole. This was a period of corruption in sordid politics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Republicans and Democrats didn’t really have strong opposing beliefs during this period. The Republicans supported high tariffs and sound money. The Democrats supported lower tariffs and expanded currency. Both rural and urban classes supported each party. They worked with spoils and local issues. Both parties worked to please everyone, and to attract voters. Since both parties were so close in strength, it caused the elections to be fought harder.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Republicans used the waving of the bloody shirt tactic. This meant that they brought back the past in order to avoid the real issues. They portrayed the Democrats as rebel traitors. The Republicans were against alcohol. The Stalwarts were led by Senator Conkling from New York and were the hard core machine of elections. Senator Blaine led the Half-Breeds from Maine, and they wanted to be in control of it all. The mugwumps were a group that turned Democrat because of the corruption of the Republican presidential nominee, Senator Blaine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  &nbs...

Optic Radiation In Optic Neuritis Health And Social Care Essay

ABSTRACT. Optic neuritis ( ON ) is defined as an redness of the ocular nervus and provides a utile theoretical account for analyzing the effects of inflammatory demyelination of white affair. The purpose of this survey was to measure the diffusion changes both of the ocular nervus and ocular radiation in patients with acute and chronic ON utilizing diffusion tensor MR imagination ( DT-MRI ) . Thirty-three patients with idiopathic demyelinating ocular neuritis ( IDON ) and 33 gender- and age-matched healthy controls were examined with DT-MRI, T1- and T2-weighted MRI. Compared with controls, both first episode and recurrent patients with IDON in the ague phase showed significantly increased radial diffusivity ( I »aS? ) and decreased average fractional anisotropy ( FA ) in the affected nervousnesss. Reduced FA, increased I »aS? , average diffusivity ( MD ) and axial diffusivity ( I »a ) were determined in patients with subacute IDON. We found no important difference in the direct ional diffusivity of ocular radiation in patients whose disease had lasted less than one twelvemonth compared with healthy controls. However, important alterations of FA and I »aS? of the ocular radiation were detected in patients with disease continuance more than one twelvemonth. These consequences show the great potency and capacity of DT-MRI steps as really utile biomarkers and indexs for the rating of myelin hurt in the ocular tract. Ocular nervus sheath dilation can be detected utilizing conventional T2-weighted MRI as has been reported by Hickman et Al. [ 2-3 ] . These two surveies assessed the effects of a individual inflammatory procedure and its attach toing demyelination in a cohort of patients during their first episode of acute one-sided ON, and reported a consistent form of alterations associated with demyelination lesions caused by redness in the ocular nervus. It is of great clinical importance to find prodromic alterations and the implicit in pathological mechanisms in patients with ON. However, since the hyperintensity can be a consequence of either redness, gliosis or axonal devolution, T2-weighted images fail to place the cause underlying the pathology. Diffusion tensor MR imagination ( DT-MRI ) , a widely recognized imagination technique that identifies the dominant way of H2O diffusion and the magnitude of anisotropy in vivo [ 4 ] has late gained more prominence for the probe of white affair cons truction, unity and connectivity. The demyelination harm in the ocular nervus and ocular radiation can be located with the aid of DT-MRI parametric quantities, such as average diffusivity ( MD ) and fractional anisotropy ( FA ) , axial diffusivity I »a and radial diffusivity I »aS? [ 5-6 ] . Postmortem scrutiny of MS patients suggests that the pathological mechanisms of ON may include a combination of redness, demyelination, astrocytosis and axonal devastation [ 7 ] . Surveies in mouse ocular nervus after retinal ischaemia have revealed elusive alterations of axons and medulla in the white affair and found I »a and I »aS? values to be associated with axonal pathological alterations [ 8-9 ] . These consequences suggest DTI to be superior compared to other conventional imaging techniques for the intent of researching the pathological mechanisms of ON. Particular challenges associated with DT-MRI of the ocular nervus are the little diameter and the nomadic constructions surrounded by CSF and orbital fat [ 10-11 ] . In visible radiation of this, and despite utilizing different sequences and protocols, it is rather singular that several different groups have reported similar values in healthy controls ( MD 1.0-1.3A-10-3 mm2/s and FA 0.4-0.6 ) and altered diffusion paramet ric quantities in chronic ON patients [ 12-13 ] . The different developmental phases of ON seem to be associated with different pathological mechanisms. The acute phase is characterized by redness and perchance demyelination of the ocular nervus. The chronic phase, on the other manus, typically shows axonal harm, perchance even axonal decease taking to wasting of the ocular nervus [ 14-16 ] . Increased MD and decreased FA were observed in a heterogenous cohort of patients with chronic ON [ 17 ] ; increased evident diffusion coefficient ( ADC ) values were found particularly in chronic patients [ 18-19 ] . A survey closely related to our work showed axial diffusivity I »a in the acute phase to supply of import predictive information and the radial diffusivity I »aS? in the subacute phase to stand for the best step correlated with the visus [ 20 ] . A recent survey proved tractography to be a method sensitive plenty to observe pathological abnormalcies in the ocular radiations after ON [ 21 ] . Understanding the connexion between altered diffusion parametric quantities of the ocular nervus, ocular radiation and ocular public presentation will supply insight into the implicit in pathological mechanisms and may be valuable for being able to foretell the ocular development after ON. The old surveies mentioned above, have shown different pathological mechanisms during the different phases of ON and we were interested to corroborate these findings by DT-MRI, a novel and sensitive methodological attack. We hypothesized that the pathological alterations happening during the unwellness might impact the diffusion indices otherwise and that we therefore might happen differing diffusion values in the ague and subacute phases of ON based on the concluding clinical diagnosing. Materials and methods Subjects Thirty-three patients who fulfilled the clinical standards set by the Optic Neuritis Study Group [ 22, 23 ] were recruited from May 2008 to December 2008 at the Beijing Tongren Hospital. The patient group consisted of 12 males and 21 females from 10 to 58 old ages ( average 31.1A ±12.8 old ages ) . The demographic informations assessed during the MRI survey is included in Table 1. Thirty-three gender- and age-matched healthy controls ( 12 male and 21 female, average ages 29.21A ±12.09 old ages ( run 10-60 old ages ) ) with normal neurological scrutiny and no history of neurological upsets served as control topics. Table 1. Demographic and clinical features of patients with IDON Characteristic No of patients Gender Male 12 Female 21 Age ( old ages ) Median 31.1 Range 10-58 Phase of disease ( casesi?†° Acute 33 First 26 Backsliding 7 Subacute 18 First 6 Backsliding 12 In this paper we will further mention to the single eyes of the topics as instances, wholly the survey included 51 instances in the patient group. In 33 instances with acute IDON we managed to obtain the MRI informations within 30 yearss of the oncoming of symptoms. Twenty-six of these instances were first manifestations of the acute signifier of ON, the other 7 were perennial instances. We defined the ON to be acute if a patient experience an episode of ON within 30 yearss from the oncoming of ocular symptoms [ 20, 22, 24 ] . In 18 instances with subacute IDON, the MRI-data was acquired more than 30 yearss after the eruption of the unwellness. Six instances were first episodes and 12 the consequence of a recurrent episodes. At the same clip, we selected 9 topics whose disease had lasted longer than 1 twelvemonth and 14 topics less than 1 twelvemonth to look into the secondary effects to OR. The survey was approved by the moralss commission of the Beijing Tongren Hospital and a written informed consent was obtained from each topic harmonizing to the Declaration of Helsinki. Data acquisition All measurings were performed on a 1.5-T Signa MRI system ( General Electric, Milwaukee, WI, USA ) . Head gesture was minimized by keeping foam tablets provided by the maker. Subjects were asked to shut their eyes in order to minimise any effects of deliberate oculus motion during the acquisition clip. Each topic was scanned utilizing a high declaration T2-weighted ( fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequences ) FLAIR sequence ( TR=9000ms, TE=120ms, TI=2125ms, field of position ( FOV ) =24A-21cm2, matrix size 256A-222, 32 pieces, 4.0 millimeter piece thickness with 0.8-mm interslice spread ) in order to observe any encephalon abnormalcies. At the clip of the ocular neuritis, the patients had no important image impairment or other marks of neurologic lesions in the ocular radiation. The images of the ocular nervousnesss were obtained with an 8-channel caput spiral utilizing coronal-oblique spin-echo EPI sequence with parallel acquisition. The coronal-oblique pieces were set extraneous to the nervousnesss ( See Fig.1 ) . The covering scope was from the ocular papilla to the orbital vertex of the ocular nervus. We used the undermentioned acquisition parametric quantities for the ocular nervus: one b0 and 6 non-collinear gradient waies with b=600s/mm2, FOV= 22A-22 cm2, matrix size 128A-128, NEX= 16, 8 immediate 5.0 millimeter pieces. By concentrating entirely on the ocular nervus, the signal-noise-ratio ( SNR ) of images was set at 35-40. The diffusion acquisition parametric quantities of the ocular radiation were the undermentioned: one b0 and 15 non-collinear waies with b=1000 s/mm2, TR=6000ms, TI=71ms, FOV = 24A-24cm2, matrix size 128A-128, NEX=6, 22 immediate 4.0 millimeter pieces. In add-on a whole-brain 3D T1 SPGR sequence ( TR=10ms, TE=4.4ms, TI=600ms, FOV=2 6A-26cm2, matrix size=256A-256, NEX=1, 152 immediate 1.0-mm pieces ) was used as a beginning image for the subsequent co-registration of the ocular radiation. Figure 1. Position of the pieces viewed on an axial localizer position of the ocular nervus. There are 8 pieces from the anterior portion ( next to the ocular papilla ) to the posterior portion ( near the orbital vertex ) of the ocular nervus. Datas processing The first measure was to formalize the quality of the natural images. The images with deficient quality were rescanned until they met the SNR standards set for the analysis. Then eddy current deformations and gesture artefacts in the DT-MRI informations were corrected by using affine alliance, utilizing FMRIBs diffusion tool chest ( FSL, Oxford, UK. ) [ 25-26 ] . In order to be able to compare diffusion belongingss in patients and controls, a method to place matching anatomical parts was required. The first necessary measure was to happen a consistent spacial standardization for the two separate groups. Due to the different protocols for ocular nervus and ocular radiation we present two different methods for the processing of the several MRI-data, and depict these methods in the undermentioned subdivisions. Ocular nervus fibre Image enrollment The maps of MD, FA and eigenvector were calculated on a voxel-by-voxel footing, followed by a diagonalization of the reconstructed tensor matrix in order to obtain characteristic root of a square matrixs ( I »1, I »2, I »3 ) and eigenvectors utilizing DTIStudio ( MRI Studio Software, Johns Hopkins University, USA ) . To be able to rectify for planetary morphological differences a expansive mean b0 informations set was created from all topics. This mean image was so used as a mention relation to which each topic was positioned ( single b0 to template b0 ) with a 12-parameter affine theoretical account. The same transmutation parametric quantities were so used to co-register the MD and FA images to the templet b0. Regions of involvement ( ROI ) choice The intraorbital 4th bed of the nervus ( about 2.0cm after the ball ) was used for the undermentioned analysis ( See Fig.2 ) . The ROIs were defined manually on the b0-template ( mean non-diffusion-weighted ) dwelling of two square 2A-2 voxels ( Fig.2A ) . To avoid prejudice caused by the partial volume consequence, the ROIs were placed in the centre of the nervus. After averaging the images across the population, the b0-images contained significantly less noise than in single images. The associated color-coded maps were used for optimum ROI arrangement ( Fig.2B ) and to vouch objectiveness the process was performed by an experient radiotherapist blinded to the individuality of the topic. The ROIs of single instances were mapped from the templet b0 utilizing an reverse transmutation. These ROIs were so overlaid to the MD, FA and eigenvalue maps, where average values from the 4 voxels were obtained ( Fig.2C-D ) . Figure 2. ROI choice in the 3rd piece of the ON. ( A ) Non-diffusion-weighted b0 image, ( B ) Color-map, ( C ) FA map, and ( D ) MD map. The pointer is indicating to the ocular nervus. The ROIs were placed on the b0-averaged images and so transferred onto the FA and MD maps. Ocular radiation fibre All piece of lands in the informations were reconstructed utilizing a fiber assignment uninterrupted tracking algorithm [ 6 ] . In order to minimise the anatomical encephalon variableness between topics, a group-based Atlas model was introduced building a population specific templet. We applied the joint analysis model for group-based co-registration uniting structural and diffusion tensor MRI similar to Tao et Al. [ 27 ] , but utilized the Diffeomorphic Anatomical Registration utilizing Exponentiated Lie algebra ( DARTEL ) enrollment method [ 28 ] . As a high-dimensional diffeomorphic enrollment method, this novel technique utilizes the big distortion model parameterized by speed vector Fieldss to continue topology. The amount of square differences between the beginning and mark images are minimized at the same time to the enrollment, and the additive elastic energy of the distortions are used to falsify the mark image, which can better the realignment public presentation of little interior constructions [ 29-30 ] . Combined DTI and structural analysis grapevine Group templet maps were created utilizing statistical parametric function ( SPM8, Wellcome Department of Cognitive Neurology, Institute of Neurology, London, UK ) to find the normal inter-subject variableness of white affair tracts. We built a structural Atlas from all topics T1 images with the DARTEL tool chest. After this measure the b0 -volume of each DT-MRI information set was registered to the associated T1 image utilizing a 12-parameter affine transmutation. The corrected diffusion images of each topic were algebraically transformed to compose a structural Atlas infinite, enabling anatomical designation and comparing of the ocular radiation in the aforesaid atlas infinite. An overview of the process observing differences between the diffusion belongingss of fibre piece of lands is shown in Fig.3. Figure 3. Ocular radiation analysis grapevine jointly utilizing structural and diffusion images. Regions of involvement ( ROI ) choice After the atlas building process, we used a multiple ROI attack to work the fibre piece of land. The get downing ROI was manually placed in the sidelong geniculate organic structure on a reconstructed axial image with an AND operation. It was designed to include the ocular radiation of each side and the full environing white affair. For each piece of land, a 2nd spherical ROI with 4mm radius was placed in the occipital lobe near the midplane with an AND operation. Reconstructed fibres perforating both ROIs were considered representative of the ocular radiation ( See Fig.4 ) . These two ROIs were so overlaid on the FA maps and transferred to other directional diffusivity maps. Diffusivity in all spacial waies was obtained from every voxel along the path of the ocular radiation. Figure 4. DTI fiber tracking and extraction of ocular radiation. DTI fibre paths ( green ) were launched from a get downing part of involvement ( white box ) in a plane buttocks to the sidelong geniculate karyon. Fiber paths were filtered with a 2nd part of involvement ( two balls ) in a plane adjacent to the ocular cerebral mantle. Statistical analysis All statistical analyses were performed utilizing SPSS v13.0 ( SPSS Inc. , USA ) . In a first measure, ipsilateral differences between patients and controls were explored utilizing a mated t-test. To avoid the prejudice originating from the categorization of the bilateral involved nervousnesss of one patient being the same ON phase into the same group, we applied Generalized Estimating Equation ( GEE ) . This method, introduced by Zeger et Al. [ 31 ] , extends generalised additive theoretical accounts to suit correlated informations from topics with similar features. Consequences Directional diffusivity of ocular nervus Acute accent ON The survey consisted of 33 acute-stage instances: 26 first manifestations and 7 recurrent instances. Significant differences within the ROIs comparing the two subgroups of patients and their controls were detected in all DT-MRI measurings ( paired t trial, see Table 2, besides see Fig.5 ) . The average FA was significantly reduced ; the mean MD and I »aS? were increased in the acute-stage IDON instances compared to healthy controls. In patients with first manifestation, significantly decreased I »a values were detected ( t = 2.10, P = 0.046 ) . And increased I »a were found in recurrent patients compared to controls ( t = 0.84, P = 0.434 ) with no important difference. Since there were merely 7 instances with a perennial disease history, we decided to measure merely the first manifestation group and matched healthy group in Table 3 utilizing GEE. This survey proved the average FA from ON patients to be significantly lower compared to healthy controls ( omega = 61.053, P & lt ; 0.001 ) . Compared to healthy controls, we found drastically elevated I »aS? ( z = 19.181, P & lt ; 0.001 ) in the patients and somewhat decreased I »a , but the latter did non make statistical significance ( z = 3.414, P = 0.065 ) . ( A ) ( B ) ( C ) ( D ) Figure 5. Quantitative analysis of DT-MRI indices in ON. Relative alterations of the ( A ) FA, ( B ) MD, ( C ) I »a , ( D ) I »aS? in each ocular nervus from controls and the instances of first oncoming during acute phase ( expressed as mean A ± standard divergence ) . Paired t trial demonstrated that MD and I »aS? were significantly elevated and FA was notably reduced in affected nervousnesss. Table 2. Diffusion parametric quantities from the instances during acute stage of IDON ( first and perennial oncoming ) Indexs Acute Controls t-value p-value FA foremost 0.39A ± 0.08 0.59A ± 0.09 8.40 0.000 recurrent 0.33A ± 0.05 0.64A ± 0.11 7.46 0.000 MD foremost 1.50A ± 0.20 1.40A ± 0.30 2.22 0.036 recurrent 1.80A ± 0.28 1.20A ± 0.36 3.54 0.012 I »a foremost 2.18A ± 0.31 2.39A ± 0.45 2.10 0.046 recurrent 2.50A ± 0.31 2.27A ± 0.64 0.84 0.434 I »aS? foremost 1.10A ± 0.20 0.80A ± 0.27 5.40 0.000 recurrent 1.50A ± 0.28 0.70A ± 0.28 5.45 0.002 Thirty-three instances with IDON were of acute phase ( the continuance of the disease from scrutiny to last onset twenty-four hours was less than one month ) , of which 26 instances in 19 topics were foremost affected and seven instances in 7 topics suffered from recurrent episodes. Axial, radial, and average diffusivities ( I »a , I »aS? , MD ) are given in A µm2/ms. Fractional anisotropy is without units. All values of DTI indices are given as the mean A ± criterion divergence. IDON=idiopathic ocular neuritis. Table 3. The GEE consequences of diffusion indices from the instances of first oncoming during acute phase Indexs Parameter appraisal criterion divergence z-value p-value FA -0.201 0.026 61.053 0.000 MD 0.137 0.000 3.253 0.071 I »a -0.208 0.000 3.414 0.065 I »aS? 0.309 0.000 19.181 0.000 Twenty-six instances in 19 topics were foremost involved. The values of axial, radial, and average diffusivities ( I »a , I »aS? , MD ) are given in A µm2/ms. Fractional anisotropy is without units. All values are expressed as the natural logarithm of the ratio between controls and patients with IDON in the acute phase. IDON=idiopathic ocular neuritis. GEE=Generalized estimating equation. Subacute ON The DT-MRI information of 18 remitting instances is illustrated in Table 4. As is shown, both instances with first manifestation of IDON ( paired t trial, n = 6 ) ) and perennial IDON ( paired t trial, n = 12 ) showed a similar tendency with decreased FA values and increased MD, I »a and I »aS? when compared to controls ( see Table 4 ) . However, there was no important difference in I »a ( t = 2.46, P = 0.057 ) between subacute IDON patients with first episode and controls. We suspect that this may be due to the little sample size ( n=6 ) . Table 4. Diffusion indices from instances during the subacute stage of IDON ( first and perennial oncoming ) Indexs Acute Controls t-value p-value FA foremost 0.39A ±0.08 0.56A ±0.03 4.42 0.007 recurrent 0.35A ±0.10 0.56A ±0.05 8.01 0.000 MD foremost 1.80A ±0.28 1.40A ±0.08 3.87 0.012 recurrent 2.10A ±0.44 1.50A ±0.140 4.73 0.001 I »a foremost 2.64A ±0.36 2.34A ±0.10 2.46 0.057 recurrent 2.96A ±0.49 2.52A ±0.29 2.35 0.038 I »aS? foremost 1.40A ±0.27 0.90A ±0.09 4.25 0.008 recurrent 1.70A ±0.45 1.00A ±0.10 5.88 0.000 Eighteen instances with IDON were in the subacute phase ( the continuance of the disease from the scrutiny twenty-four hours to the last oncoming had been more than one month ) in which six instances in 5 topics had been affected for the first clip and twelve in 8 topics had been affected antecedently. Patients were defined as â€Å" recurrent † , if they had had more than two oncomings of symptoms at the clip of the MRI appraisal. Axial, radial, and average diffusivities ( I »a , I »aS? , MD ) are given in A µm2/ms. Fractional anisotropy is without units. All values of DTI indices are given as the mean A ± criterion divergence. IDON=idiopathic ocular neuritis. Directional diffusivity of ocular radiation The DT-MRI scrutiny of ocular radiation was performed on 23 patients. Nine patients, whose diseases had lasted from 1 twelvemonth to 13 old ages, and 14 patients, whose diseases had lasted from 8 yearss to 4 months, were included in this analysis. The path of the reconstructed fibres and tract-specific quantification was consistent with the known anatomy of the human ocular tract from old surveies conducted by Ciccarelli et Al. and Xie et Al. [ 21, 32 ] . These findings showed connexions from the posterior portion of the ocular radiation to ocular countries and connexions between the median portion and the karyon of the sidelong geniculate organic structure. Table 5 illustrates the average FA, MD, I »aS? and I »a within the reconstructed ocular radiation of 9 patients whose disease had lasted more than 1 twelvemonth ( mated T trial, n=9 ) . Compared to the control group, the FA values demo a statistically important lessening ( t = 3.45, P = 0.009 ) and the I »aS? value a dramat ic addition ( t = 3.92, P = 0.004 ) ( See Fig.6 ) . Compared to the controls, there is no statistically alteration in the mean FA, MD, I »aS? and I »a within the reconstructed ocular radiation of 14 patients, whose disease had lasted less than 1 twelvemonth ( mated T trial, n=14, see Table 6 ) . ( A ) ( B ) Figure 6. Relative alterations of the FA and I »aS? in each ocular nervus from controls and patients who had suffered more than one twelvemonth from ocular damage ( expressed as mean A ± standard divergence ) . Table 5. Diffusion parametric quantities in IDON patients whose disease had lasted more than 1 twelvemonth in comparing with controls Parameter ON Controls t-value p-value FA 0.46A ± 0.04 0.50A ± 0.03 3.45 0.009 MD 0.89A ± 0.05 0.84A ± 0.02 2.14 0.065 I »a 1.38A ± 0.07 1.37A ± 0.07 0.41 0.691 I »aS? 0.64A ± 0.06 0.58A ± 0.02 3.92 0.004 Nine topics are included. Axial, radial, and average diffusivities ( I »a , I »aS? , MD ) are given in A µm2/ms. Fractional anisotropy is without units. All values of DTI indices are given as the mean A ± criterion divergence. IDON=idiopathic ocular neuritis. Table 6. Diffusion parametric quantities in IDON patients whose disease had lasted less than 1 twelvemonth in comparing with controls Indexs ON Controls t-value p-value FA 0.49A ±0.04 0.48A ±0.03 0.62 0.547 MD 0.88A ±0.04 0.87A ±0.04 1.06 0.308 I »a 1.41A ±0.03 1.38A ±0.06 2.06 0.062 I »aS? 0.62A ±0.05 0.61A ±0.04 0.34 0.738 Fourteen topics are included. Axial, radial, and average diffusivities ( I »a , I »aS? , MD ) were given in A µm2/ms. Fractional anisotropy was without units. All values of DTI indices are given as the mean A ± criterion divergence. IDON=idiopathic ocular neuritis. Discussion The most common cause for IDON is believed to be an autoimmune reaction against the medulla environing the fibres in the ocular nervus which induces an inflammatory response that can ensue nerve harm. In some instances, early symptoms of ON may bespeak an eruption of MS, a disease besides caused by redness and axon harm in encephalon and the spinal cord. Therefore, a alternate biomarker is needed to uncover the implicit in pathological procedures of ON. In the current survey we used the directional diffusivities from DT-MRI to look into the abnormalcies in ocular nervousnesss and ocular radiation after ON. The diameter of the human ocular nervus is about 3-4mm. The nervus is surrounded by several beds of membranes, for illustration nervus sheath and orbital fat. Artifacts caused by eye-movement and the susceptibleness effects caused by nearby fistulas make it hard to get dependable diffusion image informations and to keep an equal SNR. Methods like spin-echo echo planar imagination ( SE-EPI ) [ 33 ] , interior volume imaging ( IVI ) or decreased field of position technique [ 34-36 ] were introduced to better image quality. In this survey, the SE-EPI protocol, a comparatively low maximal b-value with 600 s/mm2, six independent waies and a high figure of acquisitions were used to guarantee a suited a sufficiently high SNR. This method has antecedently been validated by several writers, such as Trip et al. , Kolbe et al. , Xu et Al. and many more [ 12, 17, 34, 36-37 ] . In add-on, we scanned the ocular nervus bilaterally in a coronal plane since the image deformation was greater in a sepa rate one-sided acquisition. Kolbe et Al. [ 12 ] scanned ocular nervousnesss separately in 10 coronal oblique pieces set extraneous to the nervus and analyzed the first six pieces. The group found the diffusivity values to alter drastically along the length of the ocular nervus. The FA values in the 1st and 2nd piece were well lower and the MD values well higher than in other parts. No important differences in FA or MD were found in the 3 last pieces. In the presented survey, we divided the ocular nervus into eight extraneous coronal oblique pieces. The superimposed form of DT-MRI diffusivity was confirmed in a pretest survey: the ocular nervus on pieces 6-8 was identical in most instances, and the diffusion indices were susceptible to vitreous organic structure in the pieces 1-2. In contrast, robust directional diffusivity was observed in the pieces 3-5. FA and MD values showed no important differences between the right and the left ocular nervus in healthy controls as illustrated in Table 7. Randomized discrep ancy block-analysis indicated important differences in FA but non in MD among the pieces ( see Table 8, FA: F = 17.54, P & lt ; 0.001 ; MD: F=0.500, p=0.613 ) . In add-on, the FA values in the 4th and 5th pieces were higher than in the 3rd piece ( p & lt ; 0.000 ( 3rd vs. 4th ) , p & lt ; 0.000 ( 3rd vs. 5th ) ) , but did non differ statistically from each other ( p = 0.757 ( 4th vs. 5th ) ) . We suggest that the consequence of oculus motions is smaller in the posterior portion of the ocular nervus. We assume that two factors may impact the diffusivity values: foremost, the possible mobility of the ocular nervus may be reduced in the mid-posterior portion ; 2nd, a more directional motion of H2O molecules in the well-organized and compact fibres. The fifth bed of the ocular nervus ( about 2.5 centimeters distal from the orb ) could be measured clearly in most topics, but measurings failed in five teenaged and in one 60-year-old patient due to reconstruction jobs. For that ground we had to utilize the 4th bed ( about 2 centimeter after the ball ) in this survey. DT-MRI utilizations H2O diffusion features to retrace white affair construction through diffusion way and amplitude. Altered diffusion parametric quantities were found in patients with chronic ON compared to healthy controls: MD was increased and FA decreased [ 13 ] . Harmonizing to Smith et Al. [ 38 ] , the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the clinical symptoms in the ague ON include redness, hydrops, demyelination and loss of axons in the ocular nervus. A self-generated visus recovery a few hebdomads or even months after the hurt has been reported in some instances. Many factors like a diminishing inflammatory response, remyelination, Restoration of conductivity in demyelinated axons, as suggested by Smith et Al. [ 38 ] and cortical or subcortical malleability, as proposed for illustration by Toosy et Al. and Werring et Al. [ 14-15, 39-40 ] may take to the ocular recovery. Since the demyelination presumptively is a dynamic procedure, we hypothesized that different DTI indic es may alter at different phases of ON. Table 7. Lateral differences of FA and MD values in pieces 3-5 from 10 healthy controls in the pretest survey FA MD Right side Left side t-value p-value Right side Left side t-value p-value 3rd 0.57A ± 0.04 0.56A ± 0.06 0.297 0.774 1.57A ± 0.14 1.60A ± 0.19 -0.795 0.452 4th 0.67A ± 0.05 0.67A ± 0.05 -0.291 0.779 1.61A ± 0.23 1.58A ± 0.18 0.853 0.418 5th 0.67A ± 0.05 0.68A ± 0.05 -0.472 0.65 1.50A ± 0.20 1.52A ± 0.20 -0.628 0.548 FA and MD values showed no important differences between the right and the left ocular nervus in healthy controls Average Diffusivities ( MD ) are given in A µm2/ms. Fractional anisotropy ( FA ) is without units. Table 8. Comparison of FA and MD values in pieces 3-5 from 10 healthy controls in the pretest survey Indexs Slice Statistic 3rd ( meanA ±std ) 4th ( meanA ±std ) 5th ( meanA ±std ) F-value p-value FA 0.56A ± 0.04 0.67A ± 0.05 0.68A ± 0.05 17.54 & lt ; 0.001 MD 1.58A ± 0.15 1.60A ± 0.21 1.51A ± 0.21 0.500 0.613 Randomized discrepancy block-analysis indicated important differences in FA but non in MD among 3rd-5th pieces. In add-on, after multiple comparings by the least important difference ( LSD ) trial, we found the FA values in the 4th and 5th pieces were higher than in the 3rd piece ( F = 17.54, P & lt ; 0.001 ; P & lt ; 0.000 ( 3rd vs. 4th ) , p & lt ; 0.000 ( 3rd vs. 5th ) ) , but did non differ statistically from each other ( p = 0.757 ( 4th vs. 5th ) ) . Average Diffusivities ( MD ) are given in A µm2/ms. Fractional anisotropy ( FA ) is without units. Naismith et Al. [ 20 ] discovered the FA and I »aS? to be the first parametric quantities to alter in the acute IDON. I »a was decreased to a singular extent in the acute IDON and this step was found to correlate with the ocular result. In our survey, we found significantly increased average I »aS? and decreased FA in 33 instances with acute IDON during first episode and recurrent instances when compared to controls, and besides detected a lessening in the I »a of patients with a first episode in the acute phase by utilizing mated t trial ( t =2.10, P = 0.046 ) although that difference did non make statistical significance ( z = 3.414, P = 0.065 ) after GEE theoretical account analysis was performed. Since the pathological alterations in recurrent instances are more complex than in instances with first clip manifestation, and since the sample size of recurrent instances was little ( n=6 ) , we will merely discourse the first episode subgroup as we assume that this theoretical account likely reflects the pathological alterations in acute period more closely. In instances with white affair hurt merely affecting medulla devolution, we hypothesize that I »aS? is likely to increase, reflecting the increased freedom of H2O molecules to undergo Brownian Motion perpendicular to the axons due to the loss of myelin unity. The consequences of our survey confirm consistent pathological alterations and back up our premise. Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis ( EAE ) is a widely used carnal theoretical account, which can imitate many characteristics of human MS. ON is one of the phenotypes in EAE mice. The I »a and I »aS? appear to be both sensitive and specific for axonal hurt and demyelination, severally in Xu et Al. survey [ 14 ] . Wu et Al. [ 41 ] studied an EAE murine theoretical account in the ague phase utilizing in vivo diffusion-weighted imagination with diffusion sensitising gradients parallel and perpendicular to the axonal piece of lands. They detected that progressive acute axonal harm resulted in a 23 % lessening in I »a at 20 yearss after immunisation. Using a mated t-test, we found that I »a lessenings in patients with first episode in the ague IDON, a determination we ascribe to axonal hurt happening during the acute phase. However, this decision needs to be reconfirmed by more research. Trip et Al. and Kolbe et Al. [ 12, 17 ] found increased MD and reduced FA-values in patients with one-sided IDON who had suffered from ocular symptoms for a lower limit of at least one twelvemonth. The writers considered these alterations to be chiefly caused by axonal loss, with demyelination and gliosis playing a partial function. In our survey, 18 instances with IDON in the subacute phase, both of first manifestations and recurrent instances, showed significantly decreased FA and increased I »aS? , I »a and MD when compared to controls, back uping the findings of the aforesaid writers. The DT-MRI fibre paths and cleavage of ocular radiation from the sidelong geniculate karyon to the ocular cerebral mantle have already been studied by Yamamoto et Al. and Berman et Al. [ 42-43 ] . Bajraszewski et Al. [ 44 ] found significantly increased MD and reduced FA besides in the ocular radiation in patients with ocular neuritis ( symptom onset 4.0 A ± 0.4 old ages ) compared to controls and suggested the alterations to be caused by anterograde effects of the nervus harm. Our survey found no important alterations in diffusion parametric quantities in patients with ON continuance under one twelvemonth, but a significantly decreased FA and higher I »aS? if the disease continuance exceeded that period of clip. This difference indicates more serious wasting of the ocular radiation after the return of symptoms. The most likely pathogenesis of unnatural diffusion in ocular radiation would look to be secondary lesions induced by axonal devolution after ON. We besides observed an increased MD value in ocular radiation in chronic ON patients compared with control topics. However, the alteration was non important ( t = 2.14, P = 0.065 ) , perchance because of the little figure of patients. These findings support our hypothesis that unnatural diffusion in ocular radiation is an of import feature of ON. Further research is still needed to further beef up the function of DT-MRI measurings in ON rating and degree appraisal. Decisions In the current survey, we applied DT-MRI methodological analysis to look into alterations in ocular nervus and radiation. Our consequences in footings of diffusion parametric quantity alterations both during ague and remitting ON support and widen antecedently reported findings. Additionally, we found significantly decreased FA and increased I »aS? in the ocular radiation of chronic ON patients. We were able to observe dynamic alterations in the diffusion parametric quantities during the development of chronic ON, perchance bespeaking ongoing medulla harm. Based on our fresh findings we suggest directional diffusivity to possess great possible as a specific biomarker and rating step for myelin hurt. Future probes are needed to find whether these indices have practical parts to the diagnosing and forecast for patients with ON. Recognitions This work was supported by grants from NSFC ( 20670530, 60875079 ) , the 863 undertaking ( 2007AA01Z327 ) and Beijing Nova Plan ( 2007A094 ) . We would wish to thank Prof. Chunshui Yu and Dr. Wen Qin for proficient aid geting MR images, Dr. Wei Shi, MD Nora Hailla, and Dr. Siegfried Wurster for valuable expertness and counsel to this research, Prof. Xiaojun Zhang for patient enlisting and all our topics kindly holding to take portion in this survey.

A Tale of Two Cities Character Carton Analysis Essay

In the novel, A Tale of Two Cities, Sydney Carton’s character went through a series of decisions that affected the outcome of the novel. Sydney Carton looks almost looks exactly the same as Charles Darnay, but the main difference, was that Darnay was sober a majority of the time, and he cared and worked for his life. Lucie, the love of Carton’s life, had fallen in love with Darnay. After Carton realized that Lucie would have picked him if he hadn’t been so slavish and drunk a majority of the time, he decided to change. He knew he had already lost Lucie, but he thought that maybe he could still use the rest of his life for the better. His decision to change was not state out right, but the events in the novel, led the reader to the conclusion, that he turned around his life for Lucie. At the beginning of the novel, when Carton is first introduced, he is sitting in the courtroom staring at the ceiling. The author made it seem like Carton did not care what was going on in the courtroom, but later the reader discovers that Carton was listening to the case the entire time. Carton had heard a flaw in the prosecutor’s plan, and he gave a note to Stryver, resulting in an acquittal, which Stryver had received full credit. As the reader continues reading, it is later discovered that Carton is the hand guiding Stryver, while Stryver is just the image. Carton never did anything for himself; because he was too busy helping others. Later in the novel, Carton planned an almost full proof plan to help Charles Darnay. Even though he had made the decision to change, and think out a plan, he never lost the characteristic of putting others before himself. Although he took the place of the Darnay, before his death, he took it for Lucie. As Carton’s character is slowly unfolded throughout the second book, the reader can conclude that Carton dislikes Darnay. Carton dislikes Darnay, because Darnay is the constant reminder to Carton of what he could have been like, if he had not made bad choices in law school and made good choices in general. Whenever Carton came over to the Manette’s home, and was in the presence of Darnay, he was even more quiet then usual. However, when he decided to turn his life around, he buried his hatred for Darnay, and treated him with respect. Even with this decision, carton could not have Lucie, but she accepted him as part of her own family, and he was content with that. At the end of the novel, Carton takes time to plan out a five-step plan to save Darnay, and ends up sacrificing himself for a man he use to hate. Part of Carton’s old personality, was that he always wore his emotions on his sleeve. He thought he was useless and he lacked self-esteem. This was shown throughout the beginning of the book, for he was a drunk resembling his worthless life. He didn’t speak in the conversation unless it was a topic that he truly cared for. Right before his change, he professed his love to Lucie. After his change, he learned to hide his emotions. Although he may not like Darnay, he kept those feelings to himself. He stayed mysterious in Book III, in order for his plan to be successful and his appearance to be surprising. The character, Sydney Carton, was given a second chance as their life was resurrected. Lucie Manette is responsible for the resurrection of Sydney Carton, for she was the inspiration that got Sydney Carton off his feet. Carton twice saves Charles Darnay even though he disliked him. Carton described himself as a wasted creature but Lucy explained that she had faith in him and that he was capable of doing better things. He ended up promising that he would do anything for her, sacrificing his life for Charles Darnay. By hiding his emotions, he was able to carry out a plan without anyone attempting to stop him. Carton strived to become a better person and change his life around because Lucie believed in him. Because of the change in Carton, Darnay’s life is spared and Carton dies with dignity, knowing his life was not a waste.

Track Software Essays

Track Software Essays Track Software Essay Track Software Essay Track Software, Inc. is a company created and built by Mr. Stanley Booker, CPA who spent nights and weekends in developing a sophisticated cost-accounting software program that became the company’s initial product. As the firm grows, Stanley planned to develop and expand the software product, which will streamline the accounting processes of medium to large sized manufacturers. In the first 2 years of operation, some financial problems occur, so he sold 60% of the stock to a group of investors to obtain needed funds. Although he is quite pleased to have achieved record earnings in 2003, but he is concerned about the firm’s cash flows. He is finding it more and more difficult to pay the bills in a timely manner and generate cash flows to investors – both creditors and owners. Stanley is further frustrated by the firm’s inability to hire a software developer to complete the development of the product. He is reluctant to fill its position for it certainly will affect the firm’s earnings. But if the project will fully developed the firm’s cash flow and earnings will significantly rise. With all this concerns in his minds, Stanley set out to review the various data to develop strategies that would help to ensure the bright future for Track Software, Inc. IICASE VIEWPOINT Mr Stanley is focusing on maximizing the company’s profits shown by the increase in net profits over a period from 1997 to 2003. His dilemma about adding a new software developer, which would depress the company’s earnings for the near term, also demonstrates his emphasis on this goal. He need to find strategies to acquire cash for the project and for the company’s success. IIISTATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM How to maximize the profit of the company to pay its expenses timely and sustain the operation. The firm’s inability of hiring a software developer to finish the project IVSTATEMENT OF THE OBJECTIVES To make some strategies to maximize its profit To hire a software developer to finish the project VSTATEMENT OF AREAS OF CONSIDERATION The additional expense of hiring a new software developer The income of the company to cover up all expenses Ratio analysis of firm’s 2003 results 1. Liquidity Track Software’s liquidity as reflected by the quick ratio, net working capital, and acid-test ratio has improved slightly or remained stable, but overall is significantly below the industry average. 2. Activity Inventory turnover has deteriorated considerably and is much worse than the industry average. The average collection period has also deteriorated and is also substantially worse than the industry average. Total asset turnover improved slightly but is still well below the industry norm. 3. Debt The firm’s debt ratio improved slightly from 2002 but is higher than the industry averages. The times interest earned ratio is stable and, although it provides a reasonable cushion for the company, is below the industry average. 4. Profitability The firm’s gross, operating, and net profit margins have improved slightly in 2003 but remain low compared to the industry. Return on total assets has improved slightly but is about half the industry average. Return on equity declined slightly and is now below the industry average. VISTATEMENT OF ALTERNATIVE COURSES OF ACTION 1. TO HIRE A SOFTWARE DEVELOPER Advantages To develop, finish and expand the product software offering. It’s a blockbuster sale potential. If the money were to spend in hiring a software developer, the firm’s sales and earnings would significantly rise within 2 to 3 years development, production and marketing process was completed. Disadvantages It could certainly lower the firm’s earnings over the next couple of years. No guaranty that the project will succeed. MR. STANLEY BOOKER WI LL FINISH THE PROJECT Advantages No additional expense will be incurred in terms of hiring another software developer. Mr. Stanley can devote more of his time in managing the firm. Disadvantages Mr. Stanley devotion in doing administrative duties will be divided or may be his second priority only since he will more focused to finish the project VIISTATEMENT OF CONCLUSION I conclude that, Mr. Stanley will make every effort or strategy to acquire cash in order for him to hire a new software developer. Since the major goal is profit maximization, the ability to add a new product would increase sales and lead to greater profits for Track software. If this will succeed, the firm’s sales and earnings would significantly rise and the firm may have the ability to pay all its financial problems an can sustain the company’s operation. VIISTATEMENT OF RECOMMENDATION Mr. Stanley should hire a very qualified and competent software developer that will really fit the position and must consider the applicants ability to perform the job in a short span of time. The following should be followed to attain the goal: Step 1Recruitment and Selection of a new software developer. Step 2Introduce the project to the newly hired software developer. Step 3Start the development of the project. Step 4Finish the project within 3months Step 5Sot launching of the project after 3 months Step 6 Full implementation, production and market the project.

Free Essays on Imigration

, most of us Americans are immigrants from one country or another. Some of us fell into the definition of â€Å"melting pot†, but most of us are trying to keep our own ethnic identity. When my family immigrated to America from Russia, we were so scared that we would not fit in that we decided to learn American language and traditions. U... Free Essays on Imigration Free Essays on Imigration In the 1800’s and the early 1900’s, some people named America â€Å"the melting pot†. Thousands and thousands of immigrants from around the world were coming into the United States in hope of a better life. Most people imagined that all these different cultures were being poured into a giant pot called America, heated to a low boil and molded into one kind of person. If one steps back and thinks about this theory, it is not entirely true. In fact, it is not really true at all. If one takes a closer look at America today, one sees millions of people labeled Americans but not by how they act, what religions they practice and what kind of food they eat but where they are born. Many recent US immigrants try to keep their individual ethnic identity because it is a helpful tool in learning about their ancestors. At the same time they also understand that learning some aspects of American culture is very vital. Nowadays, even within gateway cities that give the outward appearance of being multicultural. When describing the ethnic diversity of a bellwether mega city such as Los Angeles, many residents speak of the great mosaic of many people. Anna Quindlen, in her essay â€Å"Making the Mosaic†, states that all Americans are part of the mosaic, which is far from being complete. According to Quindlen the real American is â€Å"a pilgrim with a small ‘p’†. Being an American does not mean being white and having ancestors from the original thirteen colonies, but rather being multi-ethnic. Many Americans have mixed nationality or were born in America as a second generation of some ethnic group. In other words, most of us Americans are immigrants from one country or another. Some of us fell into the definition of â€Å"melting pot†, but most of us are trying to keep our own ethnic identity. When my family immigrated to America from Russia, we were so scared that we would not fit in that we decided to learn American language and traditions. U...

Writing for the Health Markets

Writing for the Health Markets In case you had not noticed, America is getting older. And while that might cause alarm for some people, for freelance writers, it is time to dance a jig. Why? Because with the so-called graying of America, the opportunity to write for health markets has exploded and reached an all-time high. And it will continue to grow and grow and grow. Here are five  tips to keep in mind when writing for the health markets: Find the latest health and fitness news. Think like an editor, who is always trying to think like a reader. What is happening in the world of health and fitness, and why is it newsworthy? Find a timely topic in the health world, and you are one step closer to landing an assignment. There are thousands of websites that are devoted to health and fitness information. A good place to start is the Federal Governments own site, the National Institutes of Health. Visit them at nih.gov and youll find every health topic and late breaking bulletin there is. Target your audience. Know the audience of the magazine, newsletter or website, and your job as a health writer will be a lot easier. For example, does this publication like to include a lot of statistics and facts, or is it looking for more of the human side of the story? Read back issues, study the writers guidelines, and youll do fine. Know where to find statistics and facts. As a freelance health writer, you need to know how to research the basic health facts and statistics. Compile a list of reference books, directories (including online sources) and other health materials. A good place to start is a local university or college library. Or better yet, check with your local hospital; many times, they will have a health library that is open to the public. You wont find a better source of reference materials anywhere. Know where to get good quotes from doctors. If you have not yet visited www.profnet.com, then take a few moments and do so. It has the worlds largest group of experts in every field, and they are just waiting to answer your questions. Need a quote from a dentist? Go to ProfNet; need a quote from a heart surgeon? Go to Profnet. Dont write like a doctor. Unless you are a doctor, that is. But even if you are a doctor, remember that you are writing for a general consumer market (unless you are writing for a medical journal!). Dont use 18 letter words when shorter ones will work just as well. Read other general consumer health materials as a guide. Here are a few health markets that are actively seeking new articles: Health Central Find them online at https://www.healthcentral.com/ I recently sold two articles to them at $150 for 500 words. Everyday Health Find them online at https://www.everydayhealth.com/ Last year I wrote four articles for them at $350 for 600 words. When searching for new markets to sell health articles, dont forget to check out health and medical associations.   You can find lots of links right here: meditec.com/resourcestools/professional-associations-list/ Many associations use freelance writers on a regular basis.   A few years ago the American Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) hired me to update a Medicare manual.   Although the work was a little boring, it did pay nearly $6,000.

Finance and Accounting Assignment 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Finance and Accounting 2 - Assignment Example The interaction made with the organization based on relationship marketing can prove to be a part of ongoing relationship between the customer and the organization and this is because through the interaction, which was done through mail, highlights the importance of relationship marketing in the competitive environment and can be said to be a competitive advantage for organizations. Based on the interaction it has been learned that P&G has been using digital tools in order to build one on one relationship with the customers so to enhance the innovative and marketing capabilities of the company. According to P&G CEO, Bob McDonald the company aims to create indispensable relationship with the brands and it is possible though digital technology. The interaction on relationship marketing which took place can evaluate the way organization is thinking and to what extent they are ready to incorporate change to cater the needs of the customers. P&G is known for its innovation and customers e xpects the same level of innovation, involvement from the company while dealing with the requirements of the customers, therefore the interaction with the management of P&G is definitely an advantage to gather more information about the strategies which are adopted by the company to cater the needs of its target customers (Marketing Governance, 2011). Based on the interaction it has been revealed that P&G builds relationship with the customers based on trust and transparency. The company provides individual with choices and information with respect to communication strategy. The interaction further tends to create value for the ongoing relationship between the customers and the organization a whole. In the competitive world it has become extremely necessary to build trust on the customers so that loyalty is maintained with respect to specific brands and for this relationship marketing plays an important role and can be related to ongoing relationship between the customers and the or ganizations. Based on the interaction with P&G management, it has also been revealed that it has developed website allowing customers to shop through the site rather than visiting the stores. The online retail market is the new buzz word and companies are following it to attract and retain new and potential customers. By developing e-store P&G has created an image for itself in the minds of the customers as an accessible brand made available to the customers at any point of time and also helps to retain them from shifting to another brand offering the same facility. P&G advertise the sites and hopes that the convenience of shopping online by the customers draws more and more customers to the site (NBC News, 2010). The online retail stores have proved to be effective and have helped many retail outlets to incur profit ad increase revenue. Most important, it creates a perception in the minds of the customers that the brands is accessible and P&G being a huge FMCG giant and involved in many different sectors, the customers would prefer to buy products from the company which would further result in customer loyalty for the brand. This way the brand will be able to keep up the long term relationship with its target market and also potential target customers. Therefore organizations and brands are dependent on the customers providing them with an upper hand in comparison to the companies.

Critical Thinking Assigment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critical Thinking Assigment - Essay Example In order to obtain views of students facing this problem, a questionnaire has been developed, which is attached to this report. There are five types of sampling that can be used for academic research, and they are briefly discussed below. Simple random sampling is the basis method which suggests that every individual has equal probability to be included in the sample. Systematic Sampling allows every kth individual to have a chance to be included in the sample (Babbie 209). Stratified Sampling chooses a grouping of individuals on the basis of certain specifics and then sample can be selected using random sampling (Babbie 212). Convenience Sampling is when the researcher gives the questionnaire to individuals irrespective of any other requisite and hopes that higher response rate can be achieved (Bryman and Bell 197). Snowball Sampling implies that the researcher approaches a small group of individuals who then ask others to participate in the research (Bryman and Bell 200). Quota Sam pling is used when the researcher creates sample groups so that sufficient representation from the population on the basis of their demographics can be achieved (Bryman and Bell 201). For the purpose of the current study, convenience sampling has been used. The reason for this was that the researcher sent the questionnaire to 20 students and requested them to complete it in their own convenient time and submit it via email. This has allowed respondents to take their time and complete their questionnaire with ease. In comparison to this sampling technique that has been adopted for the study it is understood that if different methods of sampling had been used then the researcher could expect different outcome. For example, if the sample population was selected using quota sampling then results representative of different demographic classes could have been achieved. Moreover, for stratified sampling a list of car owners driving to the college would be required to select appropriate sa mple. The response rate was 100% as all respondents returned the questionnaire after completing it. The questionnaire consisted of 10 questions including four demographic questions. Findings are presented below. Out of 20 respondents, 15 individuals are females and 5 are males, and each of them owns a car and uses it to get to the college. Majority of the respondents are 18-23 years old. Respondents are taking different courses at the PCCC College. Since, the study is not focused upon segregating and analyzing data on the basis of the demographics of respondents therefore, no further discussion is made regarding them. All respondents feel that there is a shortage of car parking at the PCCC College. Majority of the respondents are of the view that they are often late in reaching the college on time because they cannot find suitable car parking and they have to park their cars at far locations. Due to the shortage of parking slots in the college, most of the respondents think they sho uld stop driving cars to the college and should use other modes of transport. Moreover, they feel that the PCCC College management should be held responsible for providing alternate car parking space. On the basis of the findings of this report, it is suggested that college administration should rent out nearby parking slots from their owners and assign a specific number of parking space to students who drive cars to get to the col

Impact of Globalization on the country Identity Essay

Impact of Globalization on the country Identity - Essay Example Furthermore, numerous buildings in the city are still designed based on their historical relevance. The impact of globalization has been spread out across different countries all over the world. The world has become more interconnected than ever. Never before in the history has international connections between world trade, communication, and politics been seen at this rate and pace. The responsibilities of planners have also increased with the arrival of globalization and as research indicates, the planning of cities is no longer limited to physical planning, but it now also includes the social and economic fabric (The Role of Planners in the Globalization Era, 2004). The globalization of economic, social, environment and political matters have not been limited to the national level, but have now also affected the urban and architectural planning of the city. Globalization is a term used by a development and interaction process of international union arising from the networking of world views, products, ideas and other aspects of culture. Advances in transportation and telecommunications infrastructure are major factors in globalization, generating further interrelationships of economic and cultural activities (Globalization, 2014). In the globalized world, geography does not become less important, instead it has become more relevant. This is because of the fact that globalization enhances possibilities in increasing geographic differentiation and location which then reflect on overall planning. The globalization extends a large group and city regions outside their borders. The internal and external of these cities and their growth present a number of challenges for policy makers in their planning. Based on the history of urban planning in Qatar, changes in planning can be recognized. In 1935, British petroleum initiated oil exploration in Qatar. High quality oil

Appropriatness of alternative methodologies for different Essay

Appropriatness of alternative methodologies for different organizational configurations - Essay Example These sub-systems are an interrelated set of activities which are executed to meet the goals of the organisation (Luthans 1985, p. 22). Hicks and Gullet (1975 p. 14) defines an organisation as a specific design of structure, people, duties and procedures. Structure explains the form of departments, the pecking order and committees. The structure influences the organisations competence and effectiveness. People refer to the abilities, attitudes and social relations of the employees of the organisation. Duties or tasks refer to the goals of the employees and the organisation. Procedures refer to the methodical approach used to perform tasks. Organisational structure thus refers to the institutional arrangements and mechanisms for mobilizing resources i.e. physical, financial, information and human resources at all levels of the organization. Organisation has been defined differently by numerous people. However, all definitions generally contain these five common features: Change can be said to be situations and events that occur in an organisation that have an effect in the way it operates (Huse and Bowditch 1973, p. 57). The effects can be positive or negative. There is need for organisations to embrace changes so that they can stay ahead of their competition. Several factors may necessitate change but this will be discussed later on in the paper. The phrase â€Å"organisational change† is about a major change in the organisation which might include issues like reorganization or adding up a new product or service (Gortner, Mahler and Nicholson 1987, p. 63). This is in contrast to smaller changes such as implementing a new computer procedure. Organisational change can look like such a vague occurrence but it is helpful especially if you can think of change in terms of a variety of dimensions. Organisations that offer services, either large or small scale, often view taking risks as the core of their business. True to

Neil Anderson's Discipleship Counseling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Neil Anderson's Discipleship Counseling - Essay Example This essay examines background information and major themes within the text. One of the most prominent elements taken from the text was the nature of a balanced existence in God. In these regards, Anderson establishes an approach to counseling that is not simply important in terms of consultation, but also extends to the nature of psychology and meaning. These are extremely important elements in the text and come to constitute a major underlining structure. From the opening chapter, Anderson establishes his approach as antithetical to mainstream notions of psychiatry and psychology. For instance, Anderson informs an elderly parishioner that it is possible that her hospital program is unnecessary. In many regards one considers the New Testament scriptures when examining Anderson’s approach, as he promotes a healing process highly contingent on God’s will. Similarly, in the New Testament Jesus uses natural power to heal disease and various maladies. Consider Mark 2: 10-12 when Jesus heals the paralytic, â€Å"So he said to the man, â€Å"I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.† He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, â€Å"We have never seen anything like this!† (‘Mark 2:10-12’). ... Essentially natural law is a belief that God placed natural ways of being and existence in the world; in not following natural law humans are subject to a number of malfunctions. While the government and society have put forth laws, Anderson notes that in many instances these laws are not in accord with natural law. Anderson believes that society must move back towards accepting natural law as a way of remedying many of the psychological maladies. He promotes psychological practice that advance other means of dealing with life challenges. Another major theme that is prevalent throughout Anderson’s text is the hybridization of secular psychological practices with religious wellness. One of the major notions in these regards is that Anderson does not necessarily reject all forms of medicine or psychology, but notes that many aspects of it do not mesh with proper Christian practice. Throughout the book Anderson presents a hybrid approach to wellness, incorporating both Christian theology and modern empirical research. Within this hybridization, Anderson considers the nature of scripture that indicates that after the fall of Adam â€Å"God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women [and men] exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural† (Anderson, pg. 22). For Anderson, this ancient scripture can be combined with an understanding of modern society as a means of diagnosing a sort of nation-wide mental illness. These understandings of existence are opposed to many elements of mainstream society. In addition to natural law, Anderson presents the Biblical understandings of general and special revelation. These are notions of existence that God has established as a means of resisting Satan and following the righteous path.

World Religions. Scientology and Its Appeal Essay

World Religions. Scientology and Its Appeal - Essay Example Moreover, the term scientology can also be defined as a valuable study which tends to preserve spiritual relationship to the principles along with the universe and other creatures within the world (Wallis, n. d.). The principles and beliefs of the religion i.e. Scientology are further witnessed to increase human potentials in accordance with increasing knowledge and skills concerning true nature along with the facets of immortal beings. According to Hubbard, the founder of the religion, scientology has been defined as the science that enables each individual to know the answer of each question relating to the aforesaid aspects. Moreover, the aspect of scientology can also be viewed as an effective organized system of progression which enables every individual to efficiently address various types of problems. Additionally, the concept has also been identified as an organization which relies upon both religion and psychology. Owing to the stated concern, an appropriate utilization of i deas or knowledge considerably provides the benefit to each individual to empower innate superhuman nature. According to the philosophical principles of Scientology, major challenges of each individual that unfavorably affects in attaining desired goals encompass deficiency in confidence, physical or psychological disabilities as well as psychosomatic infirmities (Matthews, 2011). Thus, the aforesaid significant aspects eventually reveal the appeal of Scientology. 2. Contrast between Science and Religion Science and religion have long been witnessed to create unabated discussion within the era of globalization. In relation to the present globalized environment, science and religion have been witnessed as the foremost paradigms that reveal significant controversy. In this regard, the dissimilarities of these paradigms have been illustrated in the following discussion. Science can be identified as the concept of knowledge which can be generated through the illustration of practical im plementations concerning any specific subject or topic. In contrast, the concept of religion is defined as the beliefs and moral that set by any individual to improve human life and gain fundamental source of satisfaction. Moreover, it has been viewed that religion is certainly unable to involve adequate evidence concerning different beliefs and norms. However, science can be observed to act in the form of encompassing experiential evidence concerning each act performed by any individual (Hohenberg, n.d.). In relation to the modern day context, it can be apparently observed that both the paradigms i.e. science and religion have significant dissimilarities. In this regard, the aspects within religion consist of certain beliefs that engage uncertain attributes or beliefs. However, due to the nature of practicability and realistic characteristics, science significantly weakened the religious beliefs resulting in excluding adequate practical attributes (Perlovsky, n.d.). 3. Brief Overvi ew of Globalization and Role of Atheism With regard to the gaining momentum of internationalization in this present day context, it can be widely viewed that the increased level of knowledge along with the perception of individuals play a decisive part in enhancing the force of globalization by a greater level. Moreover, the fierce development of human knowledge along with the greater involvement of scientific and technological aspects had radically provided adequate support to different individuals to increase his/her potential to achieve their respective desired goals and objectives. However, it is obvious that the vital aspect of atheism or avoiding beliefs of the traditional and religious aspects have also influenced more insight

Neil Anderson's Discipleship Counseling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Neil Anderson's Discipleship Counseling - Essay Example This essay examines background information and major themes within the text. One of the most prominent elements taken from the text was the nature of a balanced existence in God. In these regards, Anderson establishes an approach to counseling that is not simply important in terms of consultation, but also extends to the nature of psychology and meaning. These are extremely important elements in the text and come to constitute a major underlining structure. From the opening chapter, Anderson establishes his approach as antithetical to mainstream notions of psychiatry and psychology. For instance, Anderson informs an elderly parishioner that it is possible that her hospital program is unnecessary. In many regards one considers the New Testament scriptures when examining Anderson’s approach, as he promotes a healing process highly contingent on God’s will. Similarly, in the New Testament Jesus uses natural power to heal disease and various maladies. Consider Mark 2: 10-12 when Jesus heals the paralytic, â€Å"So he said to the man, â€Å"I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.† He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, â€Å"We have never seen anything like this!† (‘Mark 2:10-12’). ... Essentially natural law is a belief that God placed natural ways of being and existence in the world; in not following natural law humans are subject to a number of malfunctions. While the government and society have put forth laws, Anderson notes that in many instances these laws are not in accord with natural law. Anderson believes that society must move back towards accepting natural law as a way of remedying many of the psychological maladies. He promotes psychological practice that advance other means of dealing with life challenges. Another major theme that is prevalent throughout Anderson’s text is the hybridization of secular psychological practices with religious wellness. One of the major notions in these regards is that Anderson does not necessarily reject all forms of medicine or psychology, but notes that many aspects of it do not mesh with proper Christian practice. Throughout the book Anderson presents a hybrid approach to wellness, incorporating both Christian theology and modern empirical research. Within this hybridization, Anderson considers the nature of scripture that indicates that after the fall of Adam â€Å"God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women [and men] exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural† (Anderson, pg. 22). For Anderson, this ancient scripture can be combined with an understanding of modern society as a means of diagnosing a sort of nation-wide mental illness. These understandings of existence are opposed to many elements of mainstream society. In addition to natural law, Anderson presents the Biblical understandings of general and special revelation. These are notions of existence that God has established as a means of resisting Satan and following the righteous path.

Social Integration Essay Example for Free

Social Integration Essay India from time immemorial, people belonging to various religious faiths lived in harmony and peace. There are fundamental values and traditions in our culture that promote integration among different communities. This was helpful for the growth of a great civilization in the Indian sub-continent. It will be our endeavour as the citizens of this country to preserve the rich tradition of Social Harmony among diverse religious and ethnic groups and pass it over to the future generations. Even though communal tensions in India are well under control, there is no place for omplacency as many internal and external forces are waiting with their ulterior motives sowing the seeds of ill-will. Human needs can be found as the same everywhere in the world if we look at it from biological and psychological perspectives. Irrespective of the geographic, linguistic or religious differences humans everywhere have common biological needs like hunger, thirst, sex etc; the satisfaction of which is essential for their survival. Similarly man has psychological needs like, need for recognition, need for companionship, need for security, need for prestige etc. he fulfillment of which is inevitable for maintaining sound mental health. Man cannot satisfy most of such needs through his own individual efforts. He requires the assistance of his fellow members of the group in this regard. That is why human beings are considered as social animals. A cooperative integrated society is most congenial for leading a healthy social life. Religion is one of the social institutions found in all human societies. It assists man to establish and maintain harmonious relationships with the supernatural forces that are believed to have direct influence in the fortunes of man. Moreover religion is one of the agents contributing to the integration of society. Religion provides We feeling among its members. Performance of religious rites, participation in festivals, leadership provided by priests and religious functionaries, following many common beliefs and values, etc reinforces the unity among the members of a religion. Even though holy books and teachings of each religion claim that they help man reach God, none of them propagate hatred against other faiths. All religions in their essence assist people to live in harmony with members of the society. According to Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India the communal problem is not a religious problem, it has nothing to do with religion. Nobody can blame the presence of diverse religions for the emergence of communal problems in the world. Even though all religions proclaim the universal brotherhood of man, history is full of bloody, violent conflicts between members of different religions. Many battles were fought between Muslims and Christians, Jews and Muslims, Hindus and Muslims and so on in the past. Many such struggles are going on even now like the conflict etween Muslims and Jews in Palestine. A deeper analysis of the causative factors of these conflicts shows that in all these situations non-religious, often political and economic interests were instrumental to these problems. Religious identity was used root cause of communalism is not the presence of many religions in the country. When religious sentiments are exploited with an economic or political motive the resultant effect gives rise to the genesis of communalism. According to Madan (2001) communalism is the political expression of religion. He defined communalism as an deology, which envisages the religious community as a political group committed to the protection and promotion of its social and economic interests and cultural values. While communalism is a feeling or state of mind existing at a psychological level, communal conflict or riot is its overt expression. Once generated, communalism remains in the minds of people always, and communal conflicts emerge only occasionally when there is a total breakdown in the good relations between two communities. From a sociological perspective social conflict by its very nature cannot ontinue indefinitely. During communal violence each community used it as an occasion to harm the interests of the rival community who may be socially or economically sound. The feelings of relative deprivation felt by one community is often converted into violent attacks against a well placed community. This is what happened in 1984 when there were violent attacks against the Sikhs in different parts of the country after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi by her body guards who happened to be from the Sikh community. Investigations onducted later by sociologists and many other social scientists proved that Sikhs who were economically well placed were attacked and members of other communities who were Jealous of their prosperity looted their shops. People with vested interests to attain their ulterior goals exploited this particular context by exploiting the religious sentiments. One must not confuse communalism with communal violence, rioting etc. Poorly conceived Communal ideology leads to communal violence. Communal violence is a consequence of the spread of misunderstood and ill-conceived communal ideology. But it is not the crux of the communal situation at all. Communal ideology cannot only exist, but can grow for decades before it takes the form of violence. This book contains some of the selected papers presented in the National Conference on Social Integration and Communal Harmony organized by the Kerala Sociological Society from 1st to 3rd December 2006 at Sree Narayana College, Thiruvananthapuram. Prof. N. R. Madhava Menon in his paper Constitutionalism and Management of Diversity in Multi-cultural Societies deals with the significance of Indian Constitution o manage various problems in a multi-cultural society. He points out that secularism is a basic feature of the constitution which cannot be changed even by parliament. There is no state religion and the state is prohibited against discrimination on the basis of religion. He believes that for multi-culturalism can survive and communal harmony can prevail only when we ensure equality of status among people and second part of the paper, the author focuses his attention on the concept of social integration. He notices that the constitutional strategy to promote fraternity is helpful to attain social integration. In this context the author recommends a Uniform Civil Code for the entire nation. However, political parties do not support this view because no political party is ready to talk about it, because of the vested interests involved especially because of the vote bank politics. In her paper, Social Integration and Communal Harmony, Prof. M. Indukumari presents the multiple factors and contexts that influence social integration and communal harmony. First of all she explains the significance of this theme in the present Indian context. According to her view, the prime concern of any nation iming at development should be the attainment of social / national integration. Moreover, she argues that despite some differences at ritual, social and cultural levels among different religions, there is conspicuous commonality at the level of values that promotes communal harmony. The author lists many examples of inter religious co-operation that exist in Kerala for a long period. However, she also points out that this rosy picture of Kerala is changing gradually and this society has started showing symptoms of religious intolerance and communal violence. This paper gives due consideration towards the debate on the need for a Uniform Civil Code for India. Another concern of this paper is to show how communal violence affects the interests of the vulnerable sections like women, religious minorities, tribals, dalits etc. The author expresses confidence that NGOs can play a crucial role in maintaining communal harmony. In the concluding part of the paper she identifies certain strategies to promote communal harmony. On the whole this paper provides a comprehensive picture of social integration and communal harmony in India. M. K. George in his article on Tolerance is various faiths attempted to highlight how various faiths and religions can contribute to the building of tolerance in the world. He stresses that every religion contains components of belief, rituals, information and knowledge, behavioural consequences and the expectations that guide the whole system. The author briefly looks at Bhuddhism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Hinuduism and observes that in discussing religion as an instrument of peace and harmony one needs to make this distinction between religiosity, which only can ivide, and spirituality which can unite all believers. Religiosity focuses on differences, where as spirituality emphasizes what is common. Spirituality provides meaning to life and reality. Spritiuality connects, with the self, others, god and native. He stresses that the social scenario in India and the world over demands an active Youth population striving for peace and tolerance and hence the Youth needs to take this agenda. The paper Secular Legacy and Communal Paradox The case of Kerala contributed by Dr. Antony Palackal presents some unconventional interpretations of the communal ituation in Kerala. The author observes that secularism, the characteristic facet of nowadays there seems to be an alarming spread of communal and fascist forces in the State. This article marks an enquiry into the characteristics and dynamics of the emergent communalism in Kerala and tries to trace its secular legacy and the communal paradox. The first part of the paper seeks to unfold the secular legacy and the opposite reality of communalism that has engulfed it. The second part is a discussion on the unique forms of communal manifestations in Kerala. The third part s an exploration into the evolution of the growing communalism in Kerala. The concluding section briefly sketches the relation between communalism and spirituality vis-Â ¤-vis religion and the possible manner in which the growing menace of communalism may be addressed. The paper reveals that communalism gives rise to a heightened sense of identity and belongingness as it operates on the basis of the theory of polarization. Polarization results in emotional, mental or physical mobilization of individuals and groups to cause cohesion within a group . However it divides people as members of larges communities. The author feels that religious and/or caste sectarianism and communal interests dominate most of our political life today. The paper conclude with an optimistic note that a viable alternative to the prevailing communal paradox appears to be the resurgence of societal consciousness born out of neo-renaissance movements capable of regaining the lost secular legacy of Kerala. The paper Hindu Response to Conversion Threat: Questions on Conversion and Social Equality written by ShaJi. A is undertaking a historical analysis of the communal situation in 20th Century Kerala. The major focus of this paper is on The Temple Entry Proclamation of Travancore, 1936 that was a turning point in the history of modern Kerala. This proclamation put an end to the inhuman practice of untouchability and it opened a new future to the oppressed classes in Travancore. The author notices that before 1936 several low caste people of Travancore including Ezhavas converted themselves into other religions especially Christianity since they found it as the easiest way to escape from the caste tyranny. However, Sree Narayana Guru, leader of SNDP movement was successful in reventing this tide of conversion to Christianity or to Buddhism. The Ezhavas were also interested in Islam and Sikhism. When the low caste Hindus including Ezhavas started large-scale conversion to Christianity, it became an eye-opener for progressive Hindu reformers. Efforts were made to bring back the converted Hindus to Hinduism under the initiative of the Hindu Mission. By permitting entry to all Hindus to the temples, low caste Hindus including Ezhavas were retained in their religion. This paper clearly explains how Temple Entry Proclamation assisted the Hindu leaders to meet the challenges of conversion.