Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Disease

Non- Hodgkin’s Lymphoma or NHLs are a heterogenous group of cancers that originate from the neoplastic growth of lymphoid tissue. As in CLL, the neoplastic cells are thought to arise from a single clone of lymphocytes; however, in NHL, the cells may vary morphologically. Most NHLs involve malignant B lymphocytes; only 5% involve T lymphocytes. In contrast to Hodgkin’s disease, the lymphoid tissues involved are largely infiltrated with malignant cells. The spread of these malignant lymphoid cells occurs unpredictably, and true localized disease is uncommon. Lymph nodes from multiple sites may be infiltrated, as may sites outside the lymphoid system (extra nodal tissue). The incidence of NHL has increased dramatically over the past decade; it is now the fourth most common type of cancer diagnosed in the United States and the fifth most common cause of cancer death.   The incidence increases with each decade of life; the average age at diagnosis is 50 to 60 years old. Although no common etiologic factor has been identified, there is an increased incidence of NHL in people with immunodeficiencies or autoimmune disorders, viral infections including Epstein- Barr virus and HIV, or exposure to pesticides, solvents, dyes, helicobacter pylori, human T cell leukemia, and hepatitis C virus. Researchers also say that obesity could be one of the risk factors of having Non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma and those whose occupation involves chemicals and herbicides.   Prognosis varies greatly  among the various types of NHL. Long term survival more than 10 years is commonly achieved in low- grade, localized lymphomas. Even with aggressive disease forms, cure is possible in at least one third of patients who receive aggressive treatments. Symptoms are highly variable, reflecting the diverse nature of these diseases. With early- stage disease, or with the types that are considered more indolent, symptoms may be virtually absent or very minor, and the illness typically is not diagnosed until it progresses to a later stage, when the patient is more symptomatic. At these stages III or IV, lymphadenopathy is noticeable. One third of patients have â€Å"B† symptoms like recurrent fever, drenching night sweats, and unintentional weight loss of 10% or more. Non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma usually begins with the presence of one or more swollen lymph nodes on the side of the neck, collarbone, and under the arms. The most common sites for lymphadenopathy are the cervical, supraclavicular, and mediastinal nodes, involvement of the iliac or inguinal nodes or spleen is much less common. A mediastinal mass maybe seen on the chest x- ray; occasionally, the mass is large enough to compress the trachea and cause dyspnea.   Pruritus is common; it can be extremely distressing, and the cause is unknown. Approximately 20% of patients experience brief but severe pain after drinking alcohol. All organs are vulnerable to invasion of NHL. The symptoms result from compression of organs by the tumor, such as cough and pulmonary effusion, jaundice from hepatic involvement or bile duct obstruction, abdominal pain from  Splenomegaly or retroperitoneal adenopathy, or bone pain which is from skeletal involvement. Herpes zoster infections are common. A cluster of constitutional symptoms has important prognostic implications. A mild anemia is the most common hematologic finding. The WBC count may be elevated or decreased. The platelet count is suppressing hematopoiesis. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate or ESR and the serum copper level are used by some clinicians to assess disease activity. The actual diagnosis of NHL is categorized into a highly complex classification system based on histopathology, immunophenotyping, and cytogenetic analyses of the malignant cells. The specific histopathologic type of the disease has important prognostic implications. Treatment also varies and is based on these features. Indolent or less aggressive types tend to have small cells and are distributed in a follicular pattern. Aggressive types tend to have large or immature cells distributed through the nodes in a diffuse pattern. Staging, also an important factor is typically based on data obtained from CT scans, bone marrow biopsies, and occasionally cerebrospinal fluid analysis. The stage is based on the site of disease and its spread to other sites. For example, in stage 1 disease is highly localized and may respond well to localize therapy like radiation therapy. In contrast, stage IV disease is detected in at least one extra nodal site. Although low- grade lymphomas may not require treatment until the disease progresses to a later stage, historically they have also been relatively unresponsive to treatment in that most therapeutic modalities did not improve overall survival. More aggressive types of NHL like Lymphoblastic lymphoma and Burkitt’s lymphoma require prompt initiation of chemotherapy; however, these types tend to be more responsive to treatments. Treatment is based on the actual classification of disease, the stage of disease, prior treatment, and the patient’s ability to tolerate therapy. If the disease is not an aggressive form and is truly localized, radiation alone may be the treatment of choice. With aggressive types of NHL, aggressive combinations of chemotherapeutic agents are given even in early stages. More intermediate radiation therapy for stage 1 and II disease. The biologic agent interferon has been approved for the treatment of follicular low- grade lymphomas, and an antibody to CD20, rituximab (Rituxan), has been effective in achieving partial responses in patients with recurrent low- grade lymphoma. Studies of this agent in combination with conventional chemotherapy have demonstrated an improvement in survival as well. Central nervous system involvement is also common with some aggressive forms of NHL; in this situation, cranial radiation or intrathecal chemotherapy is used in addition to systemic chemotherapy. Treatment after relapse is controversial. Much is known about the long term effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, primarily from the large numbers of people who were cured of by these treatments. The various complications are immune dysfunction, herpes infections, pneumococcal sepsis, acute myeloid leukemia or AML, Myelodysplastic syndrome or MDS, solid tumors, thyroid cancer, thymic hyperplasia, hypothyroidism, Pericarditis, cardiomyopathy, pneumonotis, avascular necrosis, growth retardation, infertility, impotence and dental caries. Aside from radiation therapy and chemotherapy, there are also stem cell transplantation, biologic therapy and radio immunotherapy. To diagnose Non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma with a patient, a nurse or a health care professional should do physical examination and anamnesis or a family history of the patient which could present the possibilities that he or she could have NHL. Most of the care for patients with Non- Hodgkin’s disease is performed in the outpatient setting, unless complications occur like infection, respiratory compromise due to mediastinal mass. For patients who require treatment, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are most commonly used. Chemotherapy cause systemic side effects like myelosuppression, nausea, hair loss, risk for infection, whereas the side effects from radiation therapy are specific to the area being irradiated. For example, patients receiving abdominal radiation therapy may experience nausea and diarrhea but not hair loss. Regardless of the type of treatment, all patients may experience fatigue. The risk of infection is significant in patients, not only from treatment related myelosuppression but also from the defective immune response that results from the disease itself. Patients need to be taught to minimize the risk for infection, to recognize signs of possible infection, and to contact the health care professional should such signs develops. Many lymphomas can be cured with current treatments. However, as survival rates increase, the incidence of second malignancies, particularly AML or MDs, also increases. Therefore, survivors should be screened regularly for the development of second malignancies. The nurse should instruct the patient to stay away from strenuous activities. He should always have the time to get adequate rest. And the nurse should encourage the patient to take medications religiously, increase fluid intake. The patient should be instructed to keep himself from any injuries and falls. The nurse should raise side rails if the patient it admitted in a hospital. The family should also be instructed to just keep on showing some support towards the patient. Hhould always rie and falls. he patient to take medications religiously, increase fluid intake. the   uld always have the time to get adequate rest. an trenous . g NOn- could have NHL. amination and anamnesis or a family histor Having Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is not that good. Patients are sometimes emotionally disturbed especially if they are working and they are the ones supporting their respective families. They would also think of the payments in the electricity, hospital bills and medication. Whenever patients asked something about his/ her condition, the health care professional should be able to answer it to help the patient alleviate worrying. The patient and his/ her family should be given support groups for counseling and for them to be able to express their emotions towards the current situation they are in.h care professional should be able to answer it to ent. ng whenever swollen lymphnodes are References: 1 Cavalli, F. (1998). Rare syndromes in Hodgkin’s and Non- Hodgkin’s. Annals of Oncology. 9 (Suppl. 5), S109- S113. 2. Coiffer, B. (2002). Rituximab in the treatment of diffuse large B- cell lymphomas. Seminars in Oncology, 29 (1, Suppl. 2), 30- 35. 3. Porth, C. M. (2002). Pathophysiology: Concepts of altered health states (6th Ed.).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 4. Skeel, R. (Ed.). (1999). Handbook of Cancer Chemotherapy (5th Ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 5. Smeltzer, Suzanne, and Brenda G. Bare. Medical- Surgical Nursing. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2004.                                 

The road to polyamory

Will same-sex matrimony extend marriage's stabilizing effects to homosexuals? Will gay marriage undermine family life? A lot is riding on the answers to these questions. But the media's reflexive labeling of doubts about gay marriage as homophobia has made it almost impossible to debate the social effects of this reform. Now with the Supreme Court's ringing affirmation of sexual liberty in Lawrence v. Texas, that debate is unavoidable. Among the likeliest effects of gay marriage is to take us down a slippery slope to legalized polygamy and â€Å"polyamory† (group marriage).Marriage will be transformed into a variety of relationship contracts, linking two, three, or more individuals (however weakly and temporarily) in every conceivable combination of male and female. A scare scenario? Hardly. The bottom of this slope is visible from where we stand. Advocacy of legalized polygamy is growing. A network of grass-roots organizations seeking legal recognition for group marriage alre ady exists. The cause of legalized group marriage is championed by a powerful faction of family law specialists.Influential legal bodies in both the United States and Canada have presented radical programs of marital reform. Some of these quasi-governmental proposals go so far as to suggest the abolition of marriage. The ideas behind this movement have already achieved surprising influence with a prominent American politician. None of this is well known. Both the media and public spokesmen for the gay marriage movement treat the issue as an unproblematic advance for civil rights.True, a small number of relatively conservative gay spokesmen do consider the social effects of gay matrimony, insisting that they will be beneficent, that homosexual unions will become more stable. Yet another faction of gay rights advocates actually favors gay marriage as a step toward the abolition of marriage itself. This group agrees that there is a slippery slope, and wants to hasten the slide down. To consider what comes after gay marriage is not to say that gay marriage itself poses no danger to the institution of marriage.Quite apart from the likelihood that it will usher in legalized polygamy and polyamory, gay marriage will almost certainly weaken the belief that monogamy lies at the heart of marriage. But to see why this is so, we will first need to reconnoiter the slippery slope. Promoting polygamy DURING THE 1996 congressional debate on the Defense of Marriage Act, which affirmed the ability of the states and the federal government to withhold recognition from same-sex marriages, gay marriage advocates were put on the defensive by the polygamy question.If gays had a right to marry, why not polygamists? Andrew Sullivan, one of gay marriage's most intelligent defenders, labeled the question fear-mongering–akin to the discredited belief that interracial marriage would lead to birth defects. â€Å"To the best of my knowledge,† said Sullivan, â€Å"there is no p olygamists' rights organization poised to exploit same-sex marriage and return the republic to polygamous abandon. † Actually, there are now many such organizations. And their strategy–even their existence–owes much to the movement for gay marriage.Scoffing at the polygamy prospect as ludicrous has been the strategy of choice for gay marriage advocates. In 2000, following Vermont's enactment of civil unions, Matt Coles, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Lesbian and Gay Rights Project, said, â€Å"I think the idea that there is some kind of slippery slope [to polygamy or group marriage] is silly. † As proof, Coles said that America had legalized interracial marriage, while also forcing Utah to ban polygamy before admission to the union.That dichotomy, said Coles, shows that Americans are capable of distinguishing between better and worse proposals for reforming marriage. Are we? When Tom Green was put on trial in Utah for polygamy in 2001, it played like a dress rehearsal for the coming movement to legalize polygamy. True, Green was convicted for violating what he called Utah's â€Å"don't ask, don't tell† policy on polygamy. Pointedly refusing to â€Å"hide in the closet,† he touted polygamy on the Sally Jessy Raphael, Queen Latifah, Geraldo Rivera, and Jerry Springer shows, and on â€Å"Dateline NBC† and â€Å"48 Hours.† But the Green trial was not just a cable spectacle. It brought out a surprising number of mainstream defenses of polygamy. And most of the defenders went to bat for polygamy by drawing direct comparisons to gay marriage. Writing in the Village Voice, gay leftist Richard Goldstein equated the drive for state-sanctioned polygamy with the movement for gay marriage. The political reluctance of gays to embrace polygamists was understandable, said Goldstein, â€Å"but our fates are entwined in fundamental ways. â€Å"Libertarian Jacob Sullum defended polygamy, along with all ot her consensual domestic arrangements, in the Washington Times. Syndicated liberal columnist Ellen Goodman took up the cause of polygamy with a direct comparison to gay marriage. Steve Chapman, a member of the Chicago Tribune editorial board, defended polygamy in the Tribune and in Slate. The New York Times published a Week in Review article juxtaposing photos of Tom Green's family with sociobiological arguments about the naturalness of polygamy and promiscuity.The ACLU's Matt Coles may have derided the idea of a slippery slope from gay marriage to polygamy, but the ACLU itself stepped in to help Tom Green during his trial and declared its support for the repeal of all â€Å"laws prohibiting or penalizing the practice of plural marriage. † There is of course a difference between repealing such laws and formal state recognition of polygamous marriages. Neither the ACLU nor, say, Ellen Goodman has directly advocated formal state recognition. Yet they give us no reason to suppose that, when the time is ripe, they will not do so.Stephen Clark, the legal director of the Utah ACLU, has said, â€Å"Talking to Utah's polygamists is like talking to gays and lesbians who really want the right to live their lives. † All this was in 2001, well before the prospect that legal gay marriage might create the cultural conditions for state-sanctioned polygamy. Can anyone doubt that greater public support will be forthcoming once gay marriage has become a reality? Surely the ACLU will lead the charge. Why is state-sanctioned polygamy a problem?The deep reason is that it erodes the ethos of monogamous marriage. Despite the divorce revolution, Americans still take it for granted that marriage means monogamy. The ideal of fidelity may be breached in practice, yet adultery is clearly understood as a transgression against marriage. Legal polygamy would jeopardize that understanding, and that is why polygamy has historically been treated in the West as an offense against s ociety itself. In most non-Western cultures, marriage is not a union of freely choosing individuals, but an alliance of family groups.The emotional relationship between husband and wife is attenuated and subordinated to the economic and political interests of extended kin. But in our world of freely choosing individuals, extended families fall away, and love and companionship are the only surviving principles on which families can be built. From Thomas Aquinas through Richard Posner, almost every serious observer has granted the incompatibility between polygamy and Western companionate marriage. Where polygamy works, it does so because the husband and his wives are emotionally distant.Even then, jealousy is a constant danger, averted only by strict rules of seniority or parity in the husband's economic support of his wives. Polygamy is more about those resources than about sex. Yet in many polygamous societies, even though only 10 or 15 percent of men may actually have multiple wive s, there is a widely held belief that men need multiple women. The result is that polygamists are often promiscuous–just not with their own wives. Anthropologist Philip Kilbride reports a Nigerian survey in which, among urban male polygamists, 44 percent said their most recent sexual partners were women other than their wives.For monogamous, married Nigerian men in urban areas, that figure rose to 67 percent. Even though polygamous marriage is less about sex than security, societies that permit polygamy tend to reject the idea of marital fidelity–for everyone, polygamists included. Mormon polygamy has always been a complicated and evolving combination of Western mores and classic polygamous patterns. Like Western companionate marriage, Mormon polygamy condemns extramarital sex. Yet historically, like its non-Western counterparts, it de-emphasized romantic love.Even so, jealousy was always a problem. One study puts the rate of 19th-century polygamous divorce at triple t he rate for monogamous families. Unlike their forebears, contemporary Mormon polygamists try to combine polygamy with companionate marriage–and have a very tough time of it. We have no definitive figures, but divorce is frequent. Irwin Altman and Joseph Ginat, who've written the most detailed account of today's breakaway Mormon polygamist sects, highlight the special stresses put on families trying to combine modern notions of romantic love with polygamy.Strict religious rules of parity among wives make the effort to create a hybrid traditionalist/modern version of Mormon polygamy at least plausible, if very stressful. But polygamy let loose in modern secular America would destroy our understanding of marital fidelity, while putting nothing viable in its place. And postmodern polygamy is a lot closer than you think. Polyamory AMERICA'S NEW, souped-up version of polygamy is called â€Å"polyamory.† Polyamorists trace their descent from the anti-monogamy movements of the sixties and seventies–everything from hippie communes, to the support groups that grew up around Robert Rimmer's 1966 novel â€Å"The Harrad Experiment,† to the cult of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Polyamorists proselytize for â€Å"responsible non-monogamy†Ã¢â‚¬â€œopen, loving, and stable sexual relationships among more than two people. The modern polyamory movement took off in the mid-nineties–partly because of the growth of the Internet (with its confidentiality), but also in parallel to, and inspired by, the rising gay marriage movement.Unlike classic polygamy, which features one man and several women, polyamory comprises a bewildering variety of sexual combinations. There are triads of one woman and two men; heterosexual group marriages; groups in which some or all members are bisexual; lesbian groups, and so forth. (For details, see Deborah Anapol's â€Å"Polyamory: The New Love Without Limits,† one of the movement's authoritative guides, or Goog le the word polyamory. ) Supposedly, polyamory is not a synonym for promiscuity. In practice, though, there is a continuum between polyamory and â€Å"swinging.† Swinging couples dally with multiple sexual partners while intentionally avoiding emotional entanglements. Polyamorists, in contrast, try to establish stable emotional ties among a sexually connected group. Although the subcultures of swinging and polyamory are recognizably different, many individuals move freely between them. And since polyamorous group marriages can be sexually closed or open, it's often tough to draw a line between polyamory and swinging. Here, then, is the modern American version of Nigeria's extramarital polygamous promiscuity.Once the principles of monogamous companionate marriage are breached, even for supposedly stable and committed sexual groups, the slide toward full-fledged promiscuity is difficult to halt. Polyamorists are enthusiastic proponents of same-sex marriage. Obviously, any attem pt to restrict marriage to a single man and woman would prevent the legalization of polyamory. After passage of the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, an article appeared in Loving More, the flagship magazine of the polyamory movement, calling for the creation of a polyamorist rights movement modeled on the movement for gay rights.The piece was published under the pen name Joy Singer, identified as the graduate of a â€Å"top ten law school† and a political organizer and public official in California for the previous two decades. Taking a leaf from the gay marriage movement, Singer suggested starting small. A campaign for hospital visitation rights for polyamorous spouses would be the way to begin. Full marriage and adoption rights would come later. Again using the gay marriage movement as a model, Singer called for careful selection of acceptable public spokesmen (i. e. , people from longstanding poly families with children).Singer even published a speech by Iowa state legisla tor Ed Fallon on behalf of gay marriage, arguing that the goal would be to get a congressman to give exactly the same speech as Fallon, but substituting the word â€Å"poly† for â€Å"gay† throughout. Try telling polyamorists that the link between gay marriage and group marriage is a mirage. The flexible, egalitarian, and altogether postmodern polyamorists are more likely to influence the larger society than Mormon polygamists. The polyamorists go after monogamy in a way that resonates with America's secular, post-sixties culture.Yet the fundamental drawback is the same for Mormons and polyamorists alike. Polyamory websites are filled with chatter about jealousy, the problem that will not go away. Inevitably, group marriages based on modern principles of companionate love, without religious rules and restraints, are unstable. Like the short-lived hippie communes, group marriages will be broken on the contradiction between companionate love and group solidarity. And chi ldren will pay the price. The harms of state-sanctioned polyamorous marriage would extend well beyond the polyamorists themselves.Once monogamy is defined out of marriage, it will be next to impossible to educate a new generation in what it takes to keep companionate marriage intact. State-sanctioned polyamory would spell the effective end of marriage. And that is precisely what polyamory's new–and surprisingly influential–defenders are aiming for. The family law radicals STATE-SANCTIONED polyamory is now the cutting-edge issue among scholars of family law. The preeminent school of thought in academic family law has its origins in the arguments of radical gay activists who once opposed same-sex marriage.In the early nineties, radicals like longtime National Gay and Lesbian Task Force policy director Paula Ettelbrick spoke out against making legal marriage a priority for the gay rights movement. Marriage, Ettelbrick reminded her fellow activists, â€Å"has long been th e focus of radical feminist revulsion. † Encouraging gays to marry, said Ettelbrick, would only force gay â€Å"assimilation† to American norms, when the real object of the gay rights movement ought to be getting Americans to accept gay difference.â€Å"Being queer,† said Ettelbrick, â€Å"means pushing the parameters of sex and family, and in the process transforming the very fabric of society. † Promoting polyamory is the ideal way to â€Å"radically reorder society's view of the family,† and Ettelbrick, who has since formally signed on as a supporter of gay marriage (and is frequently quoted by the press), is now part of a movement that hopes to use gay marriage as an opening to press for state-sanctioned polyamory. Ettelbrick teaches law at the University of Michigan, New York University, Barnard, and Columbia. She has a lot of company.

The Roles of Newspapers

The Roles of Newspapers Newspapers keep the people aware of the activities of the government. They mobilize public opinion. They play an important role in fighting the menace of corruption. In a democracy, there should be an efficient and fearless press. Press is the mirror of the society. Newspaper is one of the initial communication tools of the society. They’ve been the most usual and a generally received medium to be used in conveying the local, regional, international and national news to readers. Ever since the beginning of the society, the newspapers were published to convey the latest happening in different parts worldwide.Today the major dailies employ correspondents to collect news from all over the place and also from agencies. They write about any and every event happening at all corners of the world. They act as the guardian of the society. They help in developing public opinion. It acts as a mirror of the society and informs everything in minute detail, thus help s in forming a collective opinion. In this contemporary time the role of newspapers is very significant in the promotion of trade, commerce, and business. Big corporate houses and business houses promote their products by putting in giving roomy ads on papers.Advertisements like the classified advertisements, significant community announcements and communal notices also make up the chief content & substance of newspapers. Sporting, educational as well as campus news, cultural activities, dance drama, and fine arts are a few of the indispensable features of every primary newspaper. The readers get the knowledge of any and every activity happening in and around the area. They read about the opinion and reviews, the editorials and feature articles to know about the incident in detail.

Crimes Against Property Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Crimes Against Property - Assignment Example In most cases, shoplifting occurs through concealment unlike theft or robbery which is done with the knowledge of the property owner. In the case where a person takes a good accidentally or picking a good without paying amounts to shoplifting. While concealing a good with intention of owning it is also referred to as shoplifting and security guards are in most cases trained to detain shoplifters. In most countries the presence of uniformed officers deters shoplifters (Shteir 91). Using technologies such as loss prevention and deploying guards as loss prevention officers ensures shoplifters are kept at bay or easily handled. Most security officers are trained to handle shoplifting through use of CCTV cameras and careful vigilance. Some states such as California Penal Code section 490, allows the detention of shoplifters in a law known as owner’s privilege (Shteir 163). Home Invasion: Home invasion is basically described as an act illegally entering a private property or an occupied building with an intention of committing crimes against the house owners. Home invasions are usually related to crimes such as robbery, theft, rape, assault and kidnapping. In most cases of the past, home invasion was considered a crime since invaders were either charged with burglary or other crimes. Due to the increase in incidents of home invasion, several states such as Michigan, Illinois, Tennessee and Florida have specific statutes to deal with home invasion. The reason why these states enacted this law was to help prevent home invasions which usually lead to serious crimes when home invasions occur (Johnstone 122). The purpose of this law was to introduce stiff penalties to people who commit home invasion and other crimes. Burglary: This is defined as crime whereby a person illegally enters into a building without the person of the house owner. In the case of burglary, it is referred to as breaking and entering where a person breaks into a

The Lawrence Sports Simulation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Lawrence Sports Simulation - Research Paper Example There must be: three alternative working capital policies which reduce future difficulties; a recommendation on policy and an evaluation of risk associated with the recommendation; contingencies for the recommendation; performance measures used to evaluate the recommendation; an implementation plan for the recommendation; a discussion and explanation of the recommendation; a review of the cash conversion cycle for Lawrence Sports; an explanation of the importance of the cash conversion cycle to its working capital management; and a conclusion. II. Three Alternative Working Capital Policies Which Reduce Future Difficulties There are three working capital policies which have to be put in place in order to reduce future difficulties as a company. First and foremost, Lawrence Sports must realize that it can’t make more payments than purchases—as it started to do the week of March 31st—and expect to make a profit. Therefore, the company must make a policy to ensure th at it is always taking in more money than it is spending. The second thing that Lawrence Sports must do is ensure that all of its vendors are paid in full without leaving capital build up in order to pay off its debts. For example, it was mentioned that Gartner was paid off 40% upfront, and then 60% in the next week. This should not be so. Debts should be paid off quickly and not be allowed to pile up. The same thing happened with Murray, when 15% was paid immediately, with 85% to be paid in the next week—where payments started taking over purchases also during the week starting March 31st. Third, what is most important is that Lawrence try to have a cash inflow total that is at least anywhere from 25 to 50% greater than its outflow. This is just to ensure that the cash inflow does not get too far below so that outflow is not greater, and is a safety measure. III. Recommendation A. The Recommendation on Policy Itself and An Evaluation of Risk Associated With the Recommendatio n The recommendation made to Lawrence Sports is to do some cash flow analysis—and to emphasize simply having greater cash flow coming in than going out. According to Grier (2007), â€Å"Cash, not earnings, allows a business entity to meet its financial obligations. Indeed, assessing the amounts, timing and uncertainty of cash flows is one of the basic objectives of financial reporting and analysis† (pp. 47). This policy will help the company stay solvent. However, this also means that the company has to pay its debts off quickly to these outsourced businesses which provide its products. According to Kakkar (2009), â€Å"[One should] [r]educe credit allowances and accelerate cash receipts†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pp. 234). By reducing the amount of credit used and upping the cash receipts for accounts receivable, this will increase the cash inflow and minimize the risk of coming in below the 25% profit margin that was discussed as one section of the three policy alternatives for the company. This is why cash flow is so important. According to Fight (2005), â€Å"Analysis of cash flow, then, cannot merely isolate debt capacity but must also consider all the factors producing major changes in cash inflows and outflows† (pp. 6). Of course, the risk is that by focusing too much on cash flow, the company will neglect other areas. However, this issue is so important because it is what will make or break the company—eventually—is whether or not its ledgers are balanced. B. Contingencies For

Helen Keller Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Helen Keller - Essay Example Unlike Helen Keller, I have taken language for granted, thinking that it is just a part of being human and that it is nothing really special. However, reading her account of how her teacher Anne Sullivan laboriously taught her the magic of language revealed to me that language is a gift. Helen was very enthusiastic to learn more about language: "Everything had a name, and each name gave birth to a new thought" (71). I think I can never really recall how I slowly learn to understand the meaning of language. All I know is that, as an infant, I might have solely relied to non-verbal communication to relay my message to my mother and caregiver. It was not until I was two or three that I have learned to associate words with their meanings. This new discovery might not have been that amazing or exciting to me. The value and appreciation of language came later in my life. Personal experiences taught me how language really liberates an individual and brings good things to other people. I have faced a number of disappointments and failures. During these situations, I have relied on language to pour out my anger and frustrations.

Global warming Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Global warming - Research Paper Example Plants captured atmospheric carbon and converted it into sometime useful for the plant and life. These processes continued for thousands of centuries and the atmosphere became pleasant. However, due to the impact of the natural disasters like earth quakes, floods, etc, the plants, tress and organisms died on a massive scale and buried under the layers of sand. The immense pressure and temperature under the layer of sedimentation converted the organisms back to the carbon compounds. There organic compounds with greater ratio of carbon is present under the crust in the form of coal, oil and natural gas. These organic compounds are often referred as fossil fuel resources. When human race discovered that there is an immense amount of energy trapped in the coal, oil and natural gas, they tried to extract the energy out without acknowledging what will be byproduct of the reaction and how byproduct will affect the earth’s atmosphere and human life. The use of fossil fuel resources increased as the hunger for energy increased. No one has the idea hat the burning process is doing to the environment. In the 19th century, the demand for energy increased significantly due to the massive industrialization. Industrial goods were considered more reliable. Trains as the medium of transportation were introduced. Trains reduced the time period of the journeys. Steam trains utilized massive amount of coal to generate mechanical power fro the train. The use of coal in various other sectors also increased. Some people argued that coal energy is not good to the health but coal was the prior source of energy and no one argued to restrict the use of technology no matter what are the side effects of the energy. With the invention of internal combustion engines, fossil fuel based oil resources were used to power the internal combustion engines. Cars, motorcycles, trucks, busses, etc are fitted with internal combustion engines. Many industrialists came up with newer vehicle designs

The Evedentialist view Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Evedentialist view - Essay Example Does faith entertain the principle of seeing for the sake of believing as a reasonable school of thought when it comes to the principle of belief and religion? Evidentialist holds that facts speak for themselves and that the basis for believing will depend upon the degree of factual evidences that prove the validity of something. In Christian apologetics today, evidentialism seeks to show the truth of the religion by demonstrating its factuality compared to the classical views, which regard logic as the primary criterion of truth and faith. The evidentialist view assigns the criterion of belief on the basis of facts and not just reason2; one finds evidences and factual data that prove the existence of what is believed to be the truth. In the modern world, people, due to the availability of many points of view, do not tend to believe in something that is not proven or does not present enough facts. Evidentialism works on the principle of evidence based on witnessed and felt facts that prove the existence of something rather than on false beliefs based on pure reason. Moreover, the evidentialist view will denote a positive idea if applied to life principles but not to all aspects of life, especially religion, which works more on the principle of faith, not on the principle of facts. ... Evidentialism dominates the modern culture; every reasonable theory should be testable and should have factual data to support its existence. It is believed that visual capabilities provide a hard evidence of existence, unlike cognitions or thoughts which are not based on senses but are mere beliefs that provide less reliable evidence or sometimes none at all. Therefore, religion, which is not usually based on senses, cannot meet the standards set by the evidentialist viewpoint – that is why evidentialism supports the modern critique of religion3. There are some objections to evidentialism. It is argued that the idea of evidentialism is somewhat controversial. Firstly, it defies the principle of conservatism; it is governed more by the desire to avoid falsehood than the desire to arrive at the truth. Another argument states that if the principle of sufficient evidence works, people would be forced to abandon most of their beliefs. Furthermore, it states that evidentialism does not explain the way people come to most of their beliefs based on what they perceive to be reliable and trustworthy testimony of others, without requiring an extensive evaluation of the evidence that others have passed along4. Although evidentialism is plagued with contradictions as regards connecting facts with faith, one cannot deny the strength it has as a belief principle that justification is a reason-giving conception of arriving at true beliefs. It holds the idea that what a person really believes is something that is true and not based on myths and passed-on fallacies. Evidentialism, in my opinion, strives to achieve the greater good, because it

Human Resource Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Human Resource Strategy - Case Study Example This company is a worker co-op. It is one of the most exemplary companies when it comes to implementation of best practice strategies. This is because all the employees within the organisation are part owners of the organisation. The organisation focuses on addressing all their needs whether in the reward section or elsewhere. On the other hand, the employees pay back these efforts through commitment and best performance. Best practice has formed one of the organisation's key strengths. John Lewis partnership has made sure that training is part of its human resource and development efforts. This is because it realises the value of this best practice strategy. Pfeffer and Velga (1999) explain the importance of training and development of skills within any organisation. A company that takes its employees through training solidifies their contribution to the company. This is because such employees get equipped with the ability to make decisions in their work. On top of this, such employees have high levels of initiative and will try their utmost best to improve their organisational contribution. Skill development is a characteristic part of the John Lewis Partnership because employees who feel the need to improve their skills are given opportunities to do so through training schemes. Youndt et al (1996) emphasise that training is one of the most fundamental aspects of best... They claim that no amount of training will contribute towards organisational development if employees are not granted the permission to practice those acquired skills. This means that an organisation should try its best to grant work autonomy to its employees and to empower them through training. John Lewis has achieved this very well. In other retail companies, line managers are given minimal responsibilities. Most of them are expected to consult with higher authorities in order to decide on issues. However, the company under study has eliminated that problem by training those members of staff (so that they can have necessary skills) and then allowing them to make independent decisions. They believe that this is a form of investment into human capital since most of these employees feel valued. According to the Classical and Human relations approach, an organisation's structure and operation are affected by certain situational factors such as technology, size and environment. However best practice advocates like Burnes (2000) came up with a contingency theory. He believes that a reward system within any company can affect the way it operates or how it is structured. Pfeffer (1994) believes that best practice companies should have a structure that places staff members into groups. Those groups should be such that they have the ability to make their own decisions. Another aspect of best practise firms is that they ought to have reward systems that are compact in nature. This implies that there should be minimal differences between different members of staff so that most employees within the organisation operate in a relatively independent manner with the ability to make their own decisions. John Lewis' strategic capability in this aspect of structure is

Week 4 (my part of team assignment) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Week 4 (my part of team assignment) - Essay Example The first scenario that will be analyzed is zero growth. Under the cero growth scenario the company during the next five years will maintain a constant sales level. An economist might state that in reality a company that achieves zero growth loses because during those five years inflation occurred. At the US 2.3% annual rate of inflation the cumulative inflation after five years would be 11.5%. This means that the company lost 11.5% in purchasing power at the end of the five years. If sales stayed the same the company would be worst off after five years because expenses increased due to inflation. The company can offset the detrimental effect on cost inflation has by implementing process improvement that reduce the cost of doing business. To maintain a stable level of sales over a five year period the company must achieve a good customer retention rate. The second scenario is for Larson Inc. to decrease its sales over the five year period. The world is currently facing the effects of a global recession that started approximately 2008. The US GPD growth for the 2nd quarter of 2010 was 2.4% (Amadeo, 2010). Despite the economy having achieved a positive overall growth there are many problems with the US economy. In the United States the unemployment rate is at a massive 9.9% rate. In the past the unemployment rate in the United States always used to hover below 5%. This means that unemployment is twice as high as it was a few years ago. Larson produces batteries for the regular household consumers. If these people have less money available then they will purchases less batteries. The unemployment rate in Germany is higher than in the United States at a 10.8% rate. If the level of sales of Larsen Inc. decreases for the next five years the company and its managers are going to face some tough decisions. Massive layoffs of personnel are a high possibility. The company might have to sacrifice quality by purchasing cheaper quality materials for

Improvements to the Correctional System Assignment

Improvements to the Correctional System - Assignment Example Effective training will help in the realization of these professional principles. Training on effective correctional interventions may allow the prison staff to understand the most professional way of handling inmates. The training might involve correctional system orientation that allows inmates and prison wardens to adopt objectives, social norms, effective interactions, and acceptable practices. The training can also equip the parties with effective communication skills that will foster effective interactions, cross-cultural communication, and professional reporting. Other training may involve the management of inmates and address inmate behaviors and issues that arise in the facility. The training will enable the prison staff to manifest professionalism and integrity in addressing inmates’ issues. Ultimately, the training may revolve around corrections safety and security. The prison staff will gain knowledge on how to maintain a safe and secure environment that will help in eliminating physical, chemical, and biological hazards in the facility. Moreover, correction systems can enhance professionalism by adopting ethical and moral principles in correction facilities. Ideally, maintaining ethics and morality in a correction facility is very challenging. However, correction systems can design and adopt an effective code of ethics that will govern the behavior and interactions between the inmates and prison staff like police guards. The code of ethics will professionalize correctional interventions, correctional decisions, and interactions between the inmates and prison staff. Moreover, the code of ethics will ensure that inmates act ethically and morally towards fellow inmates that will foster the idea of rehabilitation.  Ã‚  

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay Example for Free

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay Shelley hints that theyll accept the creature but there is a contrast here and they dont. The creature says who could describe their horror and consternation on beholding me? This makes the reader feel very sympathetic because it shows no one will accept him as a normal human and because hes ugly, he is perceived as being an evil person. This is also a language point which also adds to the sympathy the reader has for the creature. It is a rhetorical question which shows that the creature is disappointed about the way he looks. Towards the end of chapter 16, juxtaposition is used also, to make the reader feel very sad about the creatures looks. When he enters the barn after he has committed the murder, and sees the beautiful girl lying there, a major contrast is used to emphasise the ugliness of the creature. Juxtaposition makes the reader feel very sympathetic as the reader already knows that the creature is ugly but when he is put next to this beautiful woman it makes him look even uglier and the woman look even more beautiful. The creature says blooming in the loveliness of youth and health. This shows he knows the woman is beautiful and this makes him feel even more upset and troubled, as does the reader. Mary Shelley uses a 1st person narrative to make the reader understand his emotions and feelings more. The creature says I wept without precisely understanding it. If this was written in 3rd person narrative, the creatures feeling wouldnt be as effective and wouldnt make the reader feel as sympathetic as it does in 1st person and Mary Shelley wanted to reader too feel very emotional for the creature. Another language technique Shelley uses is Pathos. This is the Greek word for suffering. This is a good word to describe what happens to the creature as he is very troubled and suffers a great deal throughout the novel. He says my limbs failed me and I sank to the ground and I dared to be happy. This evokes the readers sympathy for the creature as you have to have major problems if you are scared to be happy and it reminds the reader of how the creature has been constructed from many different body parts. He carries this horrific body around, tragically. Frankenstein is a gothic fiction novel although it sometimes deviates from normal gothic fiction rules. In normal gothic novels, where there is a monster, the monster is born evil and it is nature that makes the creature evil but in Frankenstein, Nurture makes the creature evil. When the creature was brought to life, he was a kind and affectionate character but the way he is treated (nurture) changes him to an evil character. This makes the reader feel very sorry for the creature as when he was kind and benevolent, he was treated very unfairly and stereotyped because of his looks and the villagers and Victor dont realise that it is them who have changed the creature and he wasnt just born evil. The novel Frankenstein is a very sympathetic book. Mary Shelley constantly evokes the readers sympathy for the creature by using many different language techniques. The novel is also effective in conveying key themes such as isolation and nurture and how people can change, according to their surroundings. Overall, this is a very effective novel in generating sympathy for the creature. Scott Thompson 11BE Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section.

Strategies of Job Analysis

Strategies of Job Analysis The most basic building block of HR management, job analysis, is a systematic way to gather and analyze information about the content and human requirement of jobs, and the context in which jobs are performed. Job analysis usually involves collecting information on the characteristics of a job that differentiate it from other jobs. Information that can be helpful in making the distinction includes the following: Work activities and behaviors Machines and equipment used Interactions with others Working conditions Performance standards Supervision given and received Financial and budgeting impact Knowledge, skills, and abilities needed What Is a Job? Although the terms job and position are often used interchangeably, there is a slight difference in emphasis. A job is a grouping of common tasks, duties, and responsibilities. A position is a job performed by one person. Thus, if there are two persons operating word processing equipment, there are two positions (one for each person) but just one job (word processing operator). Differentiating between Job Analysis and Job Design It is useful to clarify the differences between job design and job analysis. Job design is broader in nature and has as its primary thrust meshing the productivity Job analysis A systematic way to gather and analyze information about the content and the human requirements of jobs, and the context in which jobs are performed. Job A grouping of similar positions having common tasks, duties, and responsibilities. Position A job performed by one person. needs of the organization with the needs of the individuals performing the various jobs. Increasingly, a key aim for job design is to provide individuals meaningful work that fits effectively into the flow of the organization. It is concerned with changing, simplifying, enlarging, enriching, or otherwise making jobs such that the efforts of each worker fit together better with other jobs. Job analysis has a much narrower focus in that it is a formal system for gathering data about what people are doing in their jobs. The information generated by job analysis may be useful in redesigning jobs, but its primary purpose is to get a clear understanding of what is done on a job and what capabilities are needed to do a job as it has been designed. Documents that capture the elements identified during a job analysis are job descriptions and job specifications. Job Analysis and the Changing Nature of Jobs Increasingly, commentators and writers are discussing the idea that the nature of jobs and work is changing so much that the concept of a -job  may be obsolete for many people. For instance, in some high-technology industries employees work in cross-functional project teams and shift from project to project. The focus in these industries is less on performing specific tasks and duties and more on fulfilling responsibilities and attaining results. For example, a project team of eight employees developing software to allow various credit cards to be used with ATMs worldwide will work on many different tasks, some individually and some with other team members. When that project is finished those employees will move to other projects, possibly with other employers. Such shifts may happen several times per year. Therefore, the basis for recruiting, selecting, and compensating these individuals is their competence and skills, not what they do.2 Even the job of managers changes in s uch situations, for they must serve their project teams as facilitators, gatherers of resources, and removers of roadblocks. However, in many industries that use lower-skilled workers, traditional jobs continue to exist. Studying these jobs and their work consequences is relatively easy because of the repetitiveness of the work and the limited number of tasks each worker performs. Clearly, studying the two different types of jobs- the lower-skilled ones and highly technical ones- requires different approaches. Many of the typical processes associated with identifying job descriptions are still relevant with the lower-skilled, task-based jobs. However, for fast-moving organizations in hightechnology industries, a job description is becoming an obsolete concept. Employees in these -virtual jobs  must be able to function without job descriptions and without the traditional parameters that are still useful with less changeable jobs.3 Work Analysis Work analysis studies the workflow, activities, context, and output of a job. This analysis can be conducted on a department, business process, or individual level. At one level, the industrial engineering approach of time and motion studies is useful in work analysis. At another level the linkage of what is done in one department may be looked at in relation to work activities performed Chapter 7 Analyzing and Identifying Jobs 215 Work analysis Studying the workflow,activities, context, and output of a job. in another area. For instance, in an electric utility if a customer calls with a service outage problem, it is typical for a customer service representative to take the information and enter it into a database. Then in the operations department, a dispatcher may access the database to schedule a line technician to repair the problem. The customer would be called back and notified about the timing of the repair. The line technician also must receive instructions from a supervisor, who gets the information on workload and locations from the dispatcher. A work analysis identified that there were too many steps involving too many different jobs in this process. Therefore, the utility implemented a new customer information system and combined the dispatching function with customer service. The redesign permitted the customer service representatives to access workload information and schedule the line technicians as part of the initial consumer phone calls, except in unusual situations. The redesign of jobs required redefining the jobs, tasks, duties, and responsibilities of several jobs. To implement the new jobs required training the customer service representatives in dispatching and moving dispatchers into the customer service department and training them in all facets of customer service. The result was a more responsive workflow, more efficient cheduling of line technicians, and broadening of the jobs of the customer service representatives. This example illustrates that analyzing work activities and processes may require looking at what capabilities individuals need as well as what they do. That certainly would be true as office support jobs, such as the secretarial job, are examined. Increasingly, it is being recognized that jobs can be analyzed on the basisof both tasks and competencies. Task-Based Job Analysis Analyzing jobs based upon what is done on the job focuses on the tasks, duties, and responsibilities performed in a job. A task is a distinct, identifiable work activity composed of motions, whereas a duty is a larger work segment composed of several tasks that are performed by an individual. Because both tasks and duties describe activities, it is not always easy or necessary to distinguish between the two. For example, if one of the employment supervisor„ ¢s duties is to interview applicants, one task associated with that duty would be asking questions. Job responsibilities are obligations to perform certain tasks and duties. For jobs that remain task-based, many standard phases of the job analysis process can continue. As indicated in the phases of traditional job analysis that are outlined later in the chapter, extensive effort is made to clarify what specifically is done on a job. Development of job descriptions identifies what is done and lists job functions. Competency Approach to Job Analysis There is a growing interest in focusing on the competencies that individuals need in order to perform jobs, rather than on the tasks, duties, and responsibilities composing a job. This shift emphasizes that it is the capabilities that people have that truly influence organizational performance. As E.E. Lawler suggests, instead of thinking of individuals having jobs that are relatively stable and can be written up into typical job descriptions, it may be more relevant to focus on the competen-216 Section 2 Staffing the Organization Task A distinct, identifiable work activity composed of motions. Duty A larger work segment composed of several tasks that are performed by an individual. Job responsibilities Obligations to perform certain tasks and duties. cies used.4 Competencies are basic characteristics that can be linked to enhanced performance by individuals or teams of individuals. The groupings of competencies, as Figure 7- 1 indicates, may include knowledge, skills, and abilities. VISIBLE AND HIDDEN COMPETENCIES hidden and visible competencies. Knowledge, being more visible, is recognized by many employers in matching individuals to jobs. With skills, although some are evident such as skill in constructing financial spreadsheets, others such as negotiating skills, may be less identifiable. But it is the -hidden  competencies of abilities, which may be more valuable, that can enhance performance. For example, the abilities to conceptualize strategic relationships and to resolve interpersonal conflicts are more difficult to identify and assess. A growing number of organizations are using some facets of competency analysis. A survey of over 200 organizations sponsored by the American Compensation Association (ACA) asked about the major reasons that firms have used the competency approach. The three primary reasons given were (1) communicating valued behaviors throughout the organization; (2) raising the competency levels of the organization; and (3) emphasizing the capabilities of people to enhance organizational competitive advantage.5 Many earlier efforts to use competencies have been job-based, meaning that competencies are identified in the context of specific jobs. In this way the competency approach is a logical extension of traditional job analysis activities. However, some organizations are taking the competency approach to another level by focusing on role-based competencies. This shift has been accentuated by the growing use of work teams, whereby individuals move among tasks and jobs. Some of the roles might be leader, supporter, tactician, technical expert, administrator, or others. Through competency analysis, the competencies needed for individuals playing different roles in work teams can be identified. Then selection criteria, development activities, and other HR efforts must be revised to focus on the different sets of competencies needed for the various roles. COMPETENCY ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY Unlike the traditional approach to analyzing jobs, which identifies the tasks, duties, knowledge, and skills associated with a job, the competency approach considers how the knowledge and skills are used. The competency approach also attempts to identify the hidden factors that are often critical to superior performance. For instance, many supervisors talk Chapter 7 Analyzing and Identifying Jobs 217 Competencies Basic characteristics that can be linked to enhanced performance by individuals or teams. Knowledge Scale: Visible Hidden Abilities Skills Conceptual Model of Competencies about employees„ ¢ attitudes, but they have difficulty identifying what they mean by attitude. The competency approach uses some methodologies to help supervisors identify examples of what they mean by attitude and how those factors affect performance. Several methodologies are available and being used to determine competencies, with behavioral event interviews being commonly found. This process involves the following steps:6 1. A team of senior managers identifies future performance results areas critical to the business and strategic plans of the organization. These concepts may be broader than those used in the past. 2. Panel groups are assembled, composed of individuals knowledgeable about the jobs in the company. This group can include both high- and low-performing employees, supervisors, managers, trainers, and others. 3. A facilitator from HR or an outside consultant interviews the panel members to get specific examples of job behaviors and actual occurrences on the jobs. During the interview the individuals are also asked about their thoughts and feelings during each of the described events. 4. Using the behavioral events, the facilitator develops detailed descriptions of each of the competencies. This descriptive phase provides clarity and specifics so that employees, supervisors, managers, and others in the organization have a clearer understanding of the competencies associated with jobs. 5. The competencies are rated and levels needed to meet them are identified. Then the competencies are specified for each of the jobs. 6. Finally, standards of performance are identified and tied to the jobs. Appropriate selection screening, training, and compensation processes focusing on competencies must be developed and implemented. Examples of the competencies used in organizations vary widely. In one survey of 10 companies, the following were most common. Customer focus Leadership Team orientation Innovation Technical expertise Adaptability Results orientation

Relationship Between Mosquito Breeding And Environment

Relationship Between Mosquito Breeding And Environment Mosquitoes are widely known throughout the world and mosquito using several water bodies for breeding (WHO, 1982). Larval species can be found in almost every type of non-flowing aquatic habitat from the marshy edges of large lakes, provided that fish or tadpoles are not present through swamps and marshes of all types and sizes along sections of rivers, streams, or ditches where the water is not flowing to small collections of water in rock crevices, tree or stump holes, leaves of pitcher-plants and artificial containers (Wood, Dang and Ellis, 1979). The climatic and environmental factors are influenced directly and indirectly to the distribution of mosquitoes (Mafiana et al., 1998). Mosquitoes prefer an environment with certain resources which are food, shelter, favourable temperature, rainfall, breeding site and suitable humidity in sufficient amount and at the appropriate time for survival and development for the eggs of female mosquito to hatch (Romoser Stoffolano, 1998). The breeding of various mosquito species is recently increase contributed of the recent increase in ecological and environmental modification due to agricultural activities and urbanization (Amusan et al., 2005). Temperature and the availability of appropriate aquatic breeding habitats are the two environmental variables that most impact the abundance of mosquitoes. Temperature impacts both the survivorship and developmental rate of mosquitoes; surface wetness, as mentioned above, limits the population size of sub-adult mosquitoes. These two parameters, temperature and surface wetness, will be used to force the model mosquito population (Kettle, 1995). Constant studies on biology and larval ecology of mosquitoes have been observed as important tools in mosquito control. Such studies will help to determine the existing and disappearing mosquito species and the extent of their distribution (Mafiana et al., 1998 Anyanwu et al., 1999). Mosquito can cause more human suffering than any other organisms. Mosquito bite cause severe skin irritation through an allergic reaction to the mosquitos saliva which can cause human skin red bump and itching. Mosquito also carry disease that afflict human such a s malaria, yellow fever, encephalitis and dengue virus which a mosquito bites infected the host, the virus will be transferred into it, and the transmission chain starts again (WHO, 1997). The life cycle of the mosquito is begins with the female mosquito will lay eggs at any surface water, which hatches as a larvae in the right conditions. The larvae then develop into several instar stages before entering pupation. After the pupation, the mosquito emerges as an adult which is also called as amigo. Adults generally mate within the first few hours of emergence, and then the adults will rests on the surface water for a short time to allow itself to dry and all its body parts to harden. Blood feeding does not occur for a couple of days after the adults emerge including the mating. Once fully developed, the female mosquito will proceed to find a protein source for their eggs which is blood. After biting, the female rests while take care of their eggs and repeat thegonotrophic cycle again. 1.3 Significances of study Environment plays an important role on life cycle of mosquito. So, in this study and research, it can show us the interactions between environment and life cycle of mosquito. In this research study, I would like to know the effects of environmental factors such as pH, rainfall and temperature of the site on mosquito abundance by using the larvae one. Mosquito abundance is actually relate with the amount of rainfall and contribute to increase the number of larval breeding sites, the spatial relationship between larval habitat availability and adult mosquito abundance is not clear. In these study also, I would know the disease that mosquito can bring which effect the human health. We can know that mosquitoes are a vector agent that carries disease causing viruses and parasites from person to person without catching the disease themselves. Furthermore, I will know the methods used for mosquito control that can reduce the disease that mosquito can bring to human. Depending on the situation, source reduction, biocontrol, insecticides to kill larvae and to be specific, the adults may be used to manage mosquito populations. In these research study also, we would like to know when the suitable breeding time for mosquito is actually. It is said that many species disappear almost completely during the dry season and it will be most productive towards the end or just after the wet season, when most species will have built up to a peak and the limits of the breeding sites have temporarily stabilized. 1.4 Problem Statement Mosquito had been known for a century which is they carry diseases which can cause human to death. These can be described as the mosquito can cause more human suffering than any other organism. Furthermore, mosquito bite can cause severe skin irritation through an allergic reaction to the mosquitos saliva which can cause humans skin itching and red bump. Mosquito carry several diseases which are malaria, filarial diseases (dog heart worm), viruse dengue, encephalitis and yellow fever. These diseases can suffer human being and can cause human being to death. Nowadays, mosquito distribution is increasing in Malaysia because of certain conditions that contribute to mosquito breeding. More than that, population in Malaysia also increases by year to year. So, this also will increase the number of cases that inflict the human by mosquito. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Environment In general, environment is actually referred to the surrounding of something or an object. The natural environment is contrast with the built environment which includes the areas and components that are strongly influenced by the human. An ecosystem is a kind of natural which include all of plants, animals and microorganisms in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical factors of the environment. There have been several studies that have focused on how environmental factors affect the mosquitoes breed (Yee 2008). The environmental factors and climatic are influenced the distribution of mosquitoes which in directly or not (Mafiana et al., 1998). Mosquitoes prefer an environment with certain condition that help their breeding which in appropriate amout and time for survival and development (Romoser Stoffolano, 1998). 2.2 Biodiversity 2.3 Mosquito Mosquitoes are insects belonging to the order Diptera, the True Flies. Like all True Flies, they have two wings, but unlike other flies, mosquito wings have scales. Female mosquitoes mouthparts form a long piercing-sucking proboscis. Males differ from females by having feathery antennae and mouthparts not suitable for piercing skin. A mosquitos principal food is nectar or similar sugar source. There are over 2500 different species of mosquitoes throughout the world; about 200 species occur in the United States with 77 species occurring in Florida (Darsie et al., 2002). 2.3.1 Life Cycle of Mosquito The mosquito is actually been through four separate and distinct stages of its life cycle which are egg, larva, pupa and adult. Eggs are laid one at a time or attached together to form rafts. They float on the surface of the water. Most eggs hatch into larvae within 48 hours, others might withstand subzero winters before hatching. Water is a necessary part of their habitat. The larva lives in the water and comes to the surface to breathe. Larvae shed their skins four times, growing larger after each shed. The larvae feed on microorganisms and organic matter in the water. During the fourth molt the larva changes into a pupa. The pupa stage is a resting time which is non-feeding stage of development but pupa are mobile, responding to the light changes and moving with a flip of their tails towards the bottom or protective areas. This is the time the mosquito changes into an adult. When development is complete, the pupa skin splits and the adult mosquito (imago) emerges. The newly emerged adult rests on the surface of the water for a short time to allow itself to dry and all its body parts to harden. The wings have to spread out and dry properly before it can fly. Blood feeding and mating does not occur for a couple of days after the adults emerge. 2.3.2 Transmission Virus transmission of mosquito will affect the human after being bitten and human is the reservoir of the virus. In mosquito, the virus will take for about 8 to 10 days to develop. A female mosquito may transmit the virus to its progeny through transovarian transmission, but it is not frequent. These virus or disease from mosquito will transmit into human circulation during the blood meal time. The virus will develop in the human circulation which the human incubation period takes about 3 to 14 days. If a mosquito bites, the virus will then transmit into the host and the transmission chain starts again (WHO, 1997). Vertical transmission of dengue virus is very rare. Nonetheless, 2 cases were reported in Malaysia in 1996 (Chye et al., 1997). 2.3.3 Factor Contribute to the Disease Outbreak The occurrence of mosquito disease is depends of several factors, including the density of mosquito vectors. For example the dengue virus which is carried by the Aedes aegypti that is needed to sustain dengue virus transmission epidemically or endemically has yet to be determined. Virus transmission increased by denser human population. Urbanization in tropical countries has resulted in both a proliferation of Aedes aegypti and an increase in the number of susceptible human hosts (WHO, 1997). According to McMichael and Woodruff (2008), mosquito borne infections tend to increase with warming and certain changes in rainfall pattern. Higher rainfall will heighten the disease transmission. Therefore, climate change will affect the potential, seasonal transmission and geographic range of various vector borne diseases. These diseases would include all water borne diseases, such as malaria, dengue fever and yellow fever (Haines et al., 2006). Climate change will affect the biodiversity and the ecosystem goods and services that we rely to human health. Changes in temperature and rainfall effect the distribution of the diseases vectors, such as Aedes mosquitoes (Haines et al., 2006). Recent reviews suggest that dengues range and incidence may be changing as a result of climate change (Gubler, 2002). Most of the transmissions of mosquito borne diseases are sensitive to weather conditions for several reasons here, mosquito need standing water to breed, and a warmer temperature is critical to adult feeding behavior, the rate of larval development and speed of replicate of virus (Hales and Panhius, 2001). Haines et al., (2006) stated that changes in climate that can affect the transmission of vector borne infectious disease include temperature, rainfall changes, humidity, soil moisture and sea level rise and it will cause the variation of the overall incidence of the disease, where less, the geographical distribution of disease also change. 2.3.4 Breeding and Larval Habitat According to Queensland Government (2005), the mosquito is frequents backyards in search of containers holding water inside or outside the home. For example cans, buckets, jars, pot plants dishes, vases, birdbaths, boats, discarded with no rims tyres, roof gutters blocked by leaves, containers, tarpaulins and black plastic. It also can breed in natural containers like fallen palm fronds. Besides that, even in a drier condition it also breeds in water in subterranean sites such as wells, telecommunication pits, sump pits and gully traps. Furthermore, according to Queensland Government (2005) also stated that climate of tropical and subtropical regions are very suitable for mosquito breeding. This is because of high temperature and high appearance of quiescent water body. With this, it makes the climate in Malaysia is tropical and the temperature are within 20Â °C to 30Â °C throughout the year and with high average rainfall which is almost 2500mm in the Peninsular Malaysia and it is become the most suitable breeding conditions and habitat for mosquito. 2.2.5 Ecology of the Mosquito Breeding Site

America’s Broken Immigration System Essay -- equal rights, human rights

There has been lots of controversy on the issues concerning a solution to America’s broken immigration system. Democratic and republican parties can’t seem to agree with one another, leaving reform at a stand-still. Democrats are focused on giving illegal immigrants a path to citizenship while Republicans are focused on border security. The fact is both of these approaches should work in unison with each other to provide the most efficient route in fixing immigration. Providing a path to citizenship has been labeled as granting amnesty. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan introduced an amnesty plan similar to the one being proposed as a solution for America’s current immigration problems. The 1986 bill required immigrants to prove they were not guilty of crimes, enforced stricter employment laws, and only applied to those who were here before 1982. Unfortunately, this bill failed. Fraudulent documents circulated throughout the system and nearly 90% of the 1.3 million agricultural applications were approved even though fraud had been detected in nearly one third of the applications (Swarns). Because of this failure, Republicans are reluctant to vote for amnesty today. Today’s immigration reforms however, have a much better chance than they did twenty seven years ago. Technology improvements will allow officials to more closely monitor and filter the legitimate applications. Electronic computer systems such as E-Verify will be put in p lace to help employers confirm legal status. E-Verify is an online program that compares mandatory I-9 work forms to the records of those that the Department of Homeland Security and Social Security have on the employees (â€Å"What is E-Verify?†). The program will provide employers with instant, secure, an... ...08 Dec. 2013. Matthews, David. "How To Prevent Businesses from Hiring Illegal Immigrants." The Washington Post, 30 Jan. 2013. Web. 07 Dec. 2013. O'Keefe, Ed. "A Narrow Border-security Agreement Could Pave the Way for Broad Immigration Reform." Washington Post. Washington Post, 29 July 2013. Web. 07 Dec. 2013. "Outline of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013." Scribd. Scribd, n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2013. Press, Associated. "Senate Immigration Plan Would Stiffen Border Security, Increase Surveillance." Fox News. FOX News Network, 10 Apr. 2013. Web. 08 Dec. 2013. Swarns, Rachel L. "Failed Amnesty Legislation of 1986 Haunts the Current Immigration Bills in Congress." The New York Times. The New York Times, 23 May 2006. Web. 08 Dec. 2013. "What Is E-Verify?" Homepage. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.

Chaucers Canterbury Tales Essay - The Powerful Wife of Bath

The Powerful Wife of Bath   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Geoffrey Chacer's The Canterbury Tales we are introduced to 29 people who are going on a pilgrimage to St. Thomas a Becket in Canterbury. Each person is represented to fit a unique type of behavior as shown by people during the medieval ages.   My attention was drawn to the Wife of Bath through which Chaucer notes the gender inequalities.   Predominantly, women could either choose to marry and become a childbearing wife or go into a religious order.   Women were seen as property.   Women during this period of time, had limited choices when it came to societal roles.   The Wife of Bath exonerates the accepted roles of society, reflecting women's attempt to gain control during the medieval period.      Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The General Prologue presents an interesting description of The Wife of Bath.   Her character is noted to be strong and bold and we learn she is slightly deaf.   The Wife of Bath was married and widowed five times and has had numerous companions.   The Wife of Bath is a skilled cloth maker and a devoted Christian pilgrim who has made trips to several shrines.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Through her unique introduction in The General Prologue we learn much of her physical attributes.   The Wife of Bath is gapped tooth.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Gat-toothed was she, soothly for to saye.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Upon an amblere esily she sat" (p.91, ll. 470-471)    This physical feature is attributed to lust and passion.   The fact that she could ride a horse easily also could take on sexual connotations (Maclaine 32).   The horse she "rides" so well could actually be her husband.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Early in the Wife of Bath ... ... of Bath is unique in her style of thinking, which is what makes this character so interesting to study.    Works Cited and Consulted Bowden, Muriel.   A Reader's Guide to Geoffrey Chaucer.   New York:   Noonday Press, 1964. Hallissy, Margaret.   A Companion to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.   London:   Greenwood Press, 1995. Herman, John P. and John J. Burke, Jr., ed.   Signs and Symbols in Chaucer's Poetry.   University, Alabama:   University of Alabama Press, 1981. Lambdin, Laura C. and Robert T. Lambdin, ed.   Chaucer's Pilgrims:   An Historical Guide to the Pilgrims in the Canterbury Tales.   London:   Greenwood Press, 1996.   Nardo, Don, ed.   Readings on the Canterbury Tales.   San Diego:   Greenhaven Press, 1997. Plummer, John F.   "The Wife of Bath's Hat as a Sexual Metaphor."   English Language Notes, 18 (1980-1981).      

Business Intergration Essay

New IT developments are important to all business disciplines because they trigger changes in marketing operations, e-commerce, logistics, human resources, finance, accounting, and relationships with customers and business partners. Nothing about business or corporate strategy is untouched by IT (Turban & Volonino, 2011). The five elements of an IT-enabled business strategy Business strategy| * Contains the mission, vision, and objectives of the organization * States the company’s market strategy * Describes the unique value proposition the company offers customers * Provides the distinct value configuration of the organization| Business expectations of IT| * Describes how the company might expect IT to contribute to the success of the * business * Possible business expectations of IT include delivering better value, reducing costs, * or improving products and services| IT strategy| * Provides information on IT applications * Describes how to develop the competencies of the people who work in IT * States how IT is to be organized and controlled within the company * Describes the technical infrastructure| IT assessment| * Aims to reveal how technology helps or hinders a business * Can include network and systems performance reviews, software audits, and * concept testing and development * Can include strategic evaluations, technical reviews, and risk management * Should recommend how to use technology to meet business goals| IT plans| * Outlines a company’s long-term IT plans * Is concerned with how IT should be deployed, managed, and implemented in the * future * Should be cost effective and in line with business goals| What are the advantages of aligning business and IT strategies? There are many advantages when an organization IT strategies are aligned with the organizations business strategies. Information technology is a key business function in almost every successful organization. An effective IT strategy will enable businesses to: * Reduce cost; * Standardize processes; * Enhance productivity; * Improve risk control mechanism; * Implement new business strategies; * Facilitate organic and acquisition driven growth; * Gain competitive advantage by exploiting new technology; Other benefits of the alignment of IT and business strategy is automation, knowledge, organizational improvements, and innovation. Automation can result in increased efficiency while decreasing cost. Knowledge in IT is the ability of an organization to collect, store, process, and disseminate information. The benefit of knowledge gained from IT is cost reduction, greater efficiency, and increased revenues. IT also leads to organizational improvements which usually lead to more decentralized leadership structure which improves the overall effectiveness of the organization. Proper alignment of IT and business strategy can make an organization stand out and look different from its competitors. This alignment can provide a competitive advantage for an organization. How does IT deliver business benefits that are related to the business strategy? IT delivers business benefit by performing high-speed, high volume, and numerical computation. IT provides fast, accurate communication and collaboration unrestricted by time and location. IT gives organizations the ability to store huge amounts of information that is accessible via private networks and the internet. In addition it enables automation of routine decisions making and help facilitate complex decision making. IT also improves the ability to make informed decisions. IT also helps to facilitate collaboration, enhance customer relationships, develop new analytic capabilities, and provide feedback on performance. Reference Turban, E., & Volonino, L. (2011). Information Technology for Management (8th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc..

Night World : Daughters of Darkness Chapter 12

What happened then was interesting. Mary-Lynnette got to see the sisters do all the things she'dmissed earlier in the clearing. All the hissing and the clawed fingers. Just like the movies. Except that when a vampire hissed, it sounded real. Like a cat, not like a person imitating a cat. All three girls jumped up and stood ready to fight. There wasn't any weird grimacing. But Jade and Kestrel were showing teeth that were long and beautifully curved, coming to delicate feline points that indented the lower lip. And something else. Their eyes changed. Jade's silvery-green eyes went even more silvery. Kestrel's golden eyes looked jewel-yellow, like a hawk's. Even Rowan's eyes had a dark light in them. â€Å"Oh, boy,† Mark whispered. He was standing beside Jade, staring from her to Ash. Ash said, â€Å"Hi.† Don't look at him, Mary-Lynnette told herself. Herheart was pounding wildly and her knees were trembling. The attraction of particle to antiparticle,she thought, remembering a line from last year'sphysics lass. But there was another, shorter namefor it, and no matter what she said to herself, she couldn't keep it out of her mind. Soulmates. Oh, God, I really don't want this. Please, please, Ididn't ask for this. I want to discover a supernova and study mini-quasars at the Gamma Ray Observatory. I want to be the one who solves the mystery of where all the dark matter in the universe is. I don't want this. It should have happened to someone like BunnyMarten, someone who spent timelonging for romance. The only thing Mary-Lynnette longed for wassomebody to understand †¦ †¦ to understand the night with you,a distant part ofher mind whispered. And instead here she was, stuck with a guy whose own sisters were terrified of him. It was true. That was why they were standingpoised to fight, making threatening noises. Even Kestrel was afraid of him. The moment Mary-Lynnette realized that, anger washed out the trembling dismay inside her. Whatever she felt about Ash, she wasn't afraid of him. â€Å"Don't you ever knock?† she said and walked toward him. Strode toward him. She had to hand it to her new family. Both Jadeand Kestrel tried to grab her and keep her from getting close to their brother. Protecting her. MaryLynnette shook them off. Ash eyed her warily. â€Å"Oh. You,† he said. Unenthusiastically. â€Å"What are you doing here?† â€Å"It's my uncle's house.† â€Å"It's your aunt's house and you weren't invited.† Ash looked at his sisters. Mary-Lynnette could justsee little wheels turning in his head. Had they already told about the Night World or not? Of course, if they hadn't, their behavior should be giving somebody a due. Most human girls didn't hiss. Ash held one finger up. â€Å"Okay. Now, listen† Mary-Lynnette kicked him in the shins. She knew it was inappropriate, she knew it was uncalled-for, but she couldn't stop herself. She just had to. â€Å"Oh, for God's sake,† Ash said, hopping backward. â€Å"Are you crazy?† â€Å"Yes, she is,† Mark said, abandoning Jade and hurrying forward to take Mary-Lynnette's arm. â€Å"Everybody knows she's crazy. She can't help it.† He backedup, pulling. He was looking at Mary-Lynnette as if she'd taken all her clothes off and started to dance the mambo. So were Kestrel and Jade. Their eyes had gone ordinary, their teeth retracted. They'd never seen anyone treat their brother quite this way. And to have a human doing it †¦ If the girls had superhuman strength, Ash was undoubtedly even stronger. He could probably flatten Mary-Lynnette with one blow. She still couldn't help it. She wasn't afraid of him, only of herself and the stupid floating feeling in her stomach. The way her legs wanted to fold under her. â€Å"Will somebody just tell her not to do that anymore?† Ash was saying. Kestrel and Jade looked sideways at Mary-Lynnette. Mary-Lynnette shrugged at them, her breath coming quickly. She saw that Rowan was looking at her, too, butnot in the same dumbfounded way. Rowan looked worried and surprised and sorry. â€Å"You've met,† she said. â€Å"I should have told you,† Mary-Lynnette said. â€Å"Hecame to our house. He was asking my stepmotherabout you and your friends-saying that he needed to approve them because he was head of the family.† All three girls looked at Ash with narrowed eyes. â€Å"So you have been around,† Kestrel said. â€Å"Forhow long?† Rowan said quietly, â€Å"What are -you really doinghere?† Ash let go of his shin. â€Å"Can we all sit down and talk about this like reasonable people?† Everyone looked at Mary-Lynnette. She took a deep, calming breath. She still felt as if her entire skin was electrified, but her heart was slowing down. â€Å"Yes,† she said and worked at looking normal so they'd know her temporary insanity was over. As he helped her to the couch, Mark whispered, â€Å"I have to tell you, I've never seen you act so immature before. I'm proud of you.† Even big sisters have to have some off time, Mary-Lynnette thought. She patted him vaguely and sat, feeling tired. Ash settled in a plush-covered chair. Rowan andKestrel sat beside Mary-Lynnette. Mark and Jade shared an ottoman. â€Å"All right,† Ash said. â€Å"Now can we fast introduce ourselves? I presume that's your brother.† â€Å"Mark,† Mary-Lynnette said. â€Å"Mark, that's Ash.† Mark nodded. He and Jade were holding hands. Mary-Lynnette saw Ash's eyes drop to their intertwined fingers. She couldn't tell anything from his expression. â€Å"Okay. Now.† Ash looked at Rowan. â€Å"I'm here to take you back home, where everyone misses you violently.† Jade breathed, â€Å"Give me a break.† Kestrel said, â€Å"What if we don't want to be taken?† and showed her teeth briefly. Mary-Lynnette didn't find that strange. What she found strange was that Ash didn't return the smile. He didn't look lazy or sardonic or smug right then. He looked like somebody who wants to get a job over with. Rowan said, â€Å"We can't go home, Ash.† Her breathing was slightly irregular, but her chin was high. â€Å"Well, you have to come home. Because otherwisethere are going to be some fairly drastic consequences.† â€Å"We knew that when we left,† Jade said, with aslittle emotion as Rowan. Her chin was high, too. â€Å"Well, I don't think you've really thought itthrough.† Ash's voice had an edge. â€Å"We'd rather die than go back,† Jade said. Kestrel glanced at her quickly, one eyebrow raised. â€Å"Oh, well, fine, I'll just make a note of that,† Ash said tightly. Then his expression darkened. He lookedmore determined than Mary-Lynnette would have thought he could look. Not in the least like a big blond cat. Like a lanky, elegant pale tiger. â€Å"Now, listen,† he said. â€Å"There are a few smallthings that you don't understand, and I don't have any time to play games. So how about we send yourlittle friends home and then we can all have a fam ily talk.† Mary-Lynnette's hands clenched into fists. Mark clutched at Jade, who pushed him awayslightly with her elbow. She was frowning. â€Å"I think maybe you'd better,† she said. â€Å"I'm not going to leave you.† Rowan bit her lip. â€Å"Mark †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I'm not going. Don't try to protect me. He's not stupid, sooner or later he's going to find out that we know about the Night World.† Rowan drew in her breath involuntarily. Kestrel's expression never changed, but her muscles. tensed as if for a fight. Jade's eyes went silver. Mary-Lynnette sat very still. They all looked at Ash. Ash looked heavenward. â€Å"I know you know,† he said with deadly patience.†I'm trying to get you out, you poor sap, before I find out how much you know.† The sisters stared. Mary-Lynnette opened hermouth and then shut it again. â€Å"I thought you didn't like humans,† Mark said. â€Å"I don't; I hate them,† Ash said with brittle cheer. â€Å"Then why would you want to cut me a break?†Ã¢â‚¬ Because if I kill you, I have to kill your sister,† Ash informed him, with a smile that would have fit in perfectly at the Mad Hatter's tea party. â€Å"So what; she kicked you.† Ash stopped tossing answers back like footballs. â€Å"Yeah, well, I may change my mind any minute.† â€Å"No, wait, † Jade said. She was sitting with legs folded under her, staring at her brother fiercely. â€Å"This is just too weird. Why would you care whathappens to a human?† Ash didn't say anything. He looked at the fire place bitterly. It was Rowan who said softly, â€Å"Because they're soulmates.† An instant of silence, then everybody started talking explosively. â€Å"They're what? You mean, like what Jade and Iare?† â€Å"Oh, Ash, this is rich. I just wish our father were here to see this.† â€Å"It is not my fault, â€Å"Mary-Lynnette said. She found everyone turning toward her, and realized that her eyes were full. Rowan leaned across Kestrel to put her hand on Mary-Lynnette's arm. â€Å"You mean it's really true?Mark said, looking from Mary-Lynnette to Ash. â€Å"It's true. I guess. I don't know what it's supposed to be like,† Mary-Lynnette said, concentrating on making the tears go away. â€Å"It's true,† Ash said moodily. â€Å"It doesn't meanwe're going todo anything about it.† â€Å"Oh, you've got that right,† Mary-Lynnette said. She was glad to be angry again. â€Å"So let's all just pick up our toys and go home,†Ash said in the general direction of his sisters. â€Å"We'llforget all about this; we'll just agree that it neverhappened.† Rowan was watching him, shaking her head slightly.There were tears in her eyes, but she was smiling. â€Å"I never thought I'd hear you say something likethat,† she said. â€Å"You've changed so much-I can't believe it.† â€Å"I can't believe it, either,† Ash said bleakly. â€Å"Maybe it's a dream.† â€Å"But you have to admit now that humans aren'tvermin. You couldn't be soulmates with vermin.† â€Å"Yes. Fine. Humans are terrific. We all agree; nowlet's go home.† â€Å"When we were kids, you were like this,† Rowan said. â€Å"Before you started acting like you were better than everyone. I always knew a lot of that was just show. To hide how scared you were. And I always knew you didn't really believe a lot of the horriblestuff you said. Somewhere inside, you're still that nice little kid, Ash.† Ash produced his first really flashingsmile of theevening. â€Å"Don't bet on it.† Mary-Lynnette had listened to all this feeling shakier and shakier. To conceal it, she said to Rowan, â€Å"I don't think your aunt thought so.† Ash sat up. â€Å"Hey, where is the old hag, anyway?I need to have a talk with her before we leave.† This silence seemed endless. â€Å"Ash †¦ don't you know?† Rowan said. â€Å"Of course he knows. Ten to one, he did it,† Kestrel said. â€Å"What is it that I'm supposed to know?† Ash said, with every sign of being about to lose his patience. â€Å"Your aunt's dead,† Mark told him. â€Å"Somebody staked her,† Jade added. Ash looked around the room. His expression said he suspected it was a practical joke. Oh, God, Mary Lynnette thought numbly, when he's startled and bewildered like that he looks so young. Vulnerable. Almost human. â€Å"Somebody †¦ murdered †¦ Aunt Opal. That's what you're telling me?† â€Å"Are you telling us that you don't know?† Kestrel asked. â€Å"What have you beendoing all night, Ash?† â€Å"Banging my head against a rock,† Ash said. â€Å"Thenlooking for you. When I walked in you were talking about me.† â€Å"And you didn't run across any livestock tonight?Any-let's say-goats?† Ash gave her a long, incredulous look. â€Å"I fed, if that's what you're asking. Not on a goat.Whatdoes this have to do with Aunt Opal?† â€Å"I think we'd better show him,† Rowan said. She was the one who got up and lifted the fold ofrug away from the goat. Ash walked around thecouch to see what she was doing. Mary-Lynnette turned to watch his face. He winced. But he controlled it quickly. Rowan said quietly, â€Å"Look at what was in the goat's mouth.† Ash picked up the black flower gingerly. â€Å"An Iris. So?† ‘Been to your club recently?† Kestrel asked. Ash gave her a weary look. â€Å"If I had done this, why would I sign it with an iris?† â€Å"Maybe to tell us who did it.† â€Å"I don't have to kill goats to say things, you know. I can talk.† Kestrel looked unimpressed. â€Å"Maybe this way the message has a little more impact.† â€Å"Do I looklike the kind of person who wastes time turning goats into pincushions?† â€Å"No. No, I don't think you did this,† Rowan said inher quiet way. â€Å"But somebodydid-probably whoever killed Aunt Opal. We've been trying to figure outwho.† â€Å"Well, who have we got for suspects?† Everyone looked at Mary-Lynnette. She looked away. â€Å"There's one who's pretty prime,† Mark said. â€Å"Hisname's Jeremy Lovett. He's a real-â€Å" â€Å"Quiet guy,† Mary-Lynnette interrupted. If anyonewas going to describe Jeremy, it was going to be her. â€Å"I've known him since elementary school, and I would never,ever have believed he could hurt any body-especially an old lady and ananimal.† â€Å"But his uncle was crazy,† Mark said. â€Å"And I'veheard things about hisfamily-â€Å" â€Å"Nobodyknows anything about his family,† Mary-Lynnette said. She felt as if she were struggling to keep her head above water, with barbells tied to herwrists and ankles. What was dragging her downwasn't Mark's suspicion – It was her own. The littlevoice in her head that was saying, â€Å"But he seemed like such a nice guy†Ã¢â‚¬â€œand which meant, of course, that he wasn't. Ash was watching her with a brooding, intent expression. â€Å"What does this Jeremy look like?† Something about the way he said it irritated MaryLynnette beyond belief. â€Å"What do you care?† Ash blinked and shifted his gaze. He shrugged minimallyand said with forced blandness, â€Å"Just curious.† â€Å"He'svery handsome,† Mary-Lynnette said.Gooda way to let out her anger and frustration. â€Å"And the thing is that he looks very intelligent andsensitive-it's not empty good looks. He's got hair that's sort of the color of Ponderosa pinecones andthe most wonderful brown eyes†¦. He's thin andtan and a little bit taller than me, because I'm normally looking at his mouth†¦.† Ash didn't look pleased. â€Å"I saw somebody vaguelylike that at the gas station -in town.† He turned to Rowan. â€Å"You think he's some kind of outlawvampire?† â€Å"Obviously not a made vampire because MaryLynnette has watched him grow up,† Rowan said. â€Å"I was thinking more that he might be renegade lamia.But there's not much use in trying to figure it out from here. Tomorrow we can go and see him, and then we'll know more. Right?† Mark nodded. Jade nodded. Mary-Lynnette took adeep breath and nodded. Ash nodded and said, â€Å"All right, I see why you can't go home until this is solved. So, we'll figureout who killed Aunt Opal, and then we'll take the appropriate action, and then we'll go home. Got it?† His sisters exchanged glances. They didn't answer. As she and mark walked back to their house,Mary-Lynnette noticed that Sirius had lifted abovethe eastern horizon. It hung like a jewel, brighterthan she had ever seen it before-much brighter. Itseemed almost like a miniature sun, flashing with blue and gold and violet rays. She thought the effect must be psychological,,until she remembered that she'd exchanged blood with three vampires.