Valence Definition in Chemistry

Valence is typically  the number of electrons needed to fill the outermost shell of an atom. Because exceptions exist, the more general definition of valence is the number of electrons with which a given atom generally bonds or number of bonds an atom forms. (Think iron, which may have a valence of 2 or a valence of 3.) The IUPAC formal definition of valence is the maximum number of univalent atoms that may combine with an atom. Usually, the definition is based on the maximum number of either hydrogen atom or chlorine atoms. Note the IUPAC only defines a single valence value (the maximum), while atoms are known to be capable of displaying more than one valence. For example, copper commonly carries a valence of 1 or 2. Example A neutral carbon atom has 6 electrons, with an electron shell configuration of 1s22s22p2. Carbon has a valence of 4 since 4 electrons can be accepted to fill the 2p orbital. Common Valences Atoms of elements in the main group of the periodic table may display a valence between 1 and 7 (since 8 is a complete octet). Group 1 (I) - Usually displays a valence of 1. Example: Na in NaClGroup 2 (II) - Typical valence is 2. Example: Mg in MgCl2Group 13 (III) - Usual valence is 3. Example: Al in AlCl3Group 14 (IV) - Usual valence is 4. Example: C in CO (double bond) or CH4 (single bonds)Group 15 (V) - Usual valences are 3 and 5. Examples are N in NH3 and P in PCl5Group 16 (VI) - Typical valences are 2 and 6. Example: O in H2OGroup 17 (VII) - Usual valences are 1 and 7. Examples: Cl in HCl Valence vs Oxidation State There are two problems with valence. First, the definition is ambiguous. Second, its just a whole number, without a sign to give you an indication of whether an atom will gain an electron or lose its outermost one(s). For example, the valence of both hydrogen and chlorine is 1, yet hydrogen usually loses its electron to become H, while chlorine usually gains an additional electron to become Cl-. The oxidation state is a better indicator of the electronic state of an atom because it has both magnitude and sign. Also, its understood an elements atoms may display different oxidation states depending on the conditions. The sign is positive for electropositive atoms and negative for electronegative atoms. The most common oxidation state of hydrogen is 8. The most common oxidation state for chlorine is -1. Brief History The word valence was described in 1425 from the Latin word valentia, which means strength or capacity. The concept of valence was developed in the second half of the 19th century to explain chemical bonding and molecular structure. The theory of chemical valences was proposed in an 1852 paper by Edward Frankland.

High School Dropout Rate Is A Significant Indicator Of...

Introduction: High school dropout rate is a significant indicator of future success in life. For high school dropouts, it is harder to find jobs and earn as much money as their graduated peers. On the outside looking in, not being able to graduate is usually associated with school performance, socioeconomic status, parents’ education level and/or lack of motivation. Moreover, there are also underlying factors of race and gender and they both affect performance in high school immensely. In order to study dropout rates, focus should be put on the group of students at risk of dropping out. In terms of high school dropout rate, Oakland Technical High School has distinct differences between different races and sexes. Hispanics have lower†¦show more content†¦Literature Review: Sociologists and psychologists have studied and documented high school dropout rate for many decades. Their focus has been put on statistics of different races/ethnicities, age groups and gender as well as underlying factors of why people drop out. Comparing the dropout statistics of different races is a common theme amongst many sociologists’ studies. The extent of their research addresses many significant aspects of high school drop out but fail to shed light on the differences within races between the two genders. In the scholarly paper â€Å"Dropping Out of High School: The Influence of Race, Sex, and Family Background† by Russell W. Rumberger, he analyzes the underlying issues behind why students drop out. There is significance behind studying dropout rate, as students t hat drop out are usually less able than students who graduate high school. Dropouts are more likely to engage in crime, use drugs and/or alcohol, and have earlier marriages. He addresses several issues as to why students drop out as well as differences between why females and males drop out. (Rumberger) Females are more likely to drop out due to marriage and pregnancy while males are more likely to drop out because they do not like school. (Rumberger) This shows immense inequality between the two sexes as men can simply drop out of school because they want to while

John Keats And Bob Dylan Essay Example For Students

John Keats And Bob Dylan Essay Why Judgments Matter, gives many examples of why value judgments are importantin our lives. I feel that value judgments are as equally important and it shouldbe evident why after briefly explaining Friths examples and my own as well. In his first example, Mr. Frith gives insight to David Hares comment, Inthe end, Keats was just better than Bob Dylan. The media, without delay,misjudged the true meaning of Hares statement and transposed it into a debateof value. Although Mr. Frith did not agree with the medias tactics, he didagree with the ?value debate. Mr. Frith Feels that value judgmentsorganize social relations in our life, and he further proves this pointusing an example from popular music. Mr. Frith focuses on views in musicstudies. Judgments about musicians are generally made in two ways. Firstly, isthe elevation of excitement with ?community'(joining of performers and theiraudience). Secondly, aesthetic and ethical sub-tones during community. Thisvalue placed upon the musicians is very important, this is possibly the decidingfactor in the performers career. If more fans come to a concert, then theperformer becomes more popular or valuable. The same goes for the messages sentout by the performer during a per formance. A message that is widely accepted andadorned will attract more fans. I find that the critical analysis of valuejudgments in our lives is of equal importance. I agree with Mr. Frithsfindings and find them to be true in other life settings as well. As individualswe use value judgments to prioritize important characteristics in our life,which shape us into cultural individuals. We place a high judgment on the socialaspect of our culture. Some examples of this include; friendships, personalappearances, and material items. In friendships, we place value judgment onmoral attributes set by others. It is these attributes that we judge to beworthy or unworthy of our friendship. Those of similar moral values tend to findeach other in companionship. In personal appearances, we place value on what werepresent ourselves to be. Higher income families tend to pay more attention tothis value for it is a language in which is unspoken. Financial value of onesappearance and the personal valu e (self esteem) of ones self tend to runparallel. People place different values on the material items they posses. Twofamilies may bring the same income into a household, and posses some of thesimilar materials. However, it is the value they place on their material itemsthat make them different. It is this difference that brings out the subjectiveindividuality. Evaluation is a key cultural activity, according to Frith. Without evaluation we would not be able to set some separation between eachother as individuals, eventually becoming numb to culture as we know it. I feelit is imperative that we evaluate every aspect of our lives, in turn ensuringthe greatest personal happiness. How does one attain a favorite? Not bysuggestion of a higher authority, but by evaluation. Putting value on things andmaking value judgments is what enables us to label what we like and what makesus happy. Without it, we would not be happy.

Malcolm X Persuasive Essay Example For Students

Malcolm X Persuasive Essay The year was 1925, and someone special was born. His birth name was Malcolm Little, however there were big things in store for this child. Born in Omaha, Nebraska. The seventh of eleven children born to Earl Little, an organizer for Marcus Garveys ;quot;back-to-Africa;quot; movement (Comptons encyclopedia online). At age six Malcolms father was murdered. As a result his mother later suffered a nervous breakdown, and the family was separated by welfare agencies (Comptons encyclopedia online). Later in life he would blame these same agencies for destroying his family. He was bounced around from boardinghouses and schools, and dreamed of becoming a lawyer only to be discouraged by his teachers. After leaving school, in the eighth grade, he lived with a relative in Boston, Mass. He shined shoes, worked in a restaurant and on a railroad kitchen crew. In 1942 he moved to a section in New York called Harlem. Where he lived as a hustler, cheating people to make money for himself. He also sold drugs and became a drug addict himself. A rival drug dealer named quot;West Indian Archiequot; ran him out of New York. And he ended up back in Boston. Where he started a burglary ring, which consisted of friend named Shorty, a pretty boy type of fellow named Rudy, a woman that Malcolm dealt with named Sophia and one of her friends (Alex Haley 168). He soon found out that crime does not pay, when he soon got arrested and stolen items were found in his possession. The Negroes of that group was sentenced to eight years, while the whites of the group were sentenced to only two. This put an image in Malcolms head on how the justice system was ran. While in prison. Malcolm was well known to the guards. One time he was asked to state his number, but instead he said he forgot his number. The guards beat him and sent him to the ;quot;darkroom;quot;. In the darkroom he met Brother Bains. Bains was a man everyone respected including guards. He was known as a real man and gave speeches about Islam. Malcolm did not listen at first; however it didnt take him long to listen to the words of black empowerment, spoken by brother Bains. The black Muslims prediction that in the near future a great war would take place in which whites would be destroyed and black people would rule the world through the power of Allah, their creator. To prepare for this Brother Bains preached, the importance of self-restraint, opposed the use of drugs and alcohol, and organized self-help groups. Malcolm Little was converted to this faith. Instead of wasting his time in prison getting into more trouble, he begins to read and broaden his thoughts. As he did this, his mind opens up to knowledge. He also tried to improve in other areas such as appearance and speech. He decided not to associate himself with former friends he got in trouble with, and formed new friendships with people of the same faith. He left prison Malcolm X. An image popped into my head while reading quot;the Autobiography of Malcolm Xquot;(Alex Haley 231). The image of a strong man standing in the middle of stage giving a speech. The year is 1953. At the height of racial tension, the city is Detroit. Malcolm X is giving a speech after a run in with FBI agents concerning the nation of Islams practices, and how their message was being used. He stands on the pulpit, and delivers a message. ;quot;We didnt land on Plymouth rock, my brothers Plymouth Rock landed on us!quot; Its a clear message to his followers. If you want to succeed, first get from under that rock. .u54bd9e09c501f29c4925b492d74645d1 , .u54bd9e09c501f29c4925b492d74645d1 .postImageUrl , .u54bd9e09c501f29c4925b492d74645d1 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u54bd9e09c501f29c4925b492d74645d1 , .u54bd9e09c501f29c4925b492d74645d1:hover , .u54bd9e09c501f29c4925b492d74645d1:visited , .u54bd9e09c501f29c4925b492d74645d1:active { border:0!important; } .u54bd9e09c501f29c4925b492d74645d1 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u54bd9e09c501f29c4925b492d74645d1 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u54bd9e09c501f29c4925b492d74645d1:active , .u54bd9e09c501f29c4925b492d74645d1:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u54bd9e09c501f29c4925b492d74645d1 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u54bd9e09c501f29c4925b492d74645d1 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u54bd9e09c501f29c4925b492d74645d1 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u54bd9e09c501f29c4925b492d74645d1 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u54bd9e09c501f29c4925b492d74645d1:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u54bd9e09c501f29c4925b492d74645d1 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u54bd9e09c501f29c4925b492d74645d1 .u54bd9e09c501f29c4925b492d74645d1-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u54bd9e09c501f29c4925b492d74645d1:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Of Ambition Essay He insisted that ;quot;black is beautiful,;quot; and that African Americans must take control of their own destiny. As Malcolm was giving a speech at the autobahn in New York City. Three men gunned him down, in cold blood, in front of his wife and children. At the end of Malcolms life. He was a changed man, a man no longer involved with racism although he had a large following he saw an even larger picture. He saw a world where people of all colors and religions could help one another instead of fight one another. His most enduring messages are one of black pride and self-respect, combined with his uncompromising rejection of racism. Bibliography OUTLINE I. Malcolm Little A. The beginning B. Separated from family C. Moving around II. Life of Crime A. Being sentenced to jail B. Introduction to Islam C. Name change to Malcolm X III. Conclusion A. Speech B. His gift

Social Pressure and Change

XYZ Company manufactures agricultural chemicals. A year ago, the company experienced significant scandals including charges of stock fraud, harassment lawsuit against several executives and dumping waste into a neighboring wildlife preserve.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Pressure and Change specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Why might such Pressure Cause XYZ to Change? The external pressure facing XYZ might make the company to embrace change because the firm has to adhere to societal expectations in regard to environmental responsibility and general community involvement. Recently, information and modern technology have contributed extensively to the growth of social pressure, since information regarding firms that do not conform to social standards spread quickly. Also, external members expect that companies conduct business fairly, maintain favorable working conditions for employees and carry out activit ies that do not harm the environment. Failure to do so may spur demonstrations by community members or warnings by environmental pressure groups, in order to force the company to conduct activities that preserve the environment. Also, XYZ Company may face prosecution in a criminal court, due to stock fraud. Besides, failing to adhere to societal expectation will, ultimately, create an unhealthy reputation for the company, which might make customers obtain products from other firms that have similar products. How does this affect the Organizational Ethics of Work at XYZ? Outside pressure, regarding the above mentioned issues, will affect organizational ethics of work at XYZ. First, management practices must be adjusted to suit the needs of employers. As mentioned, in the introduction, a number of executives have filed harassment lawsuits against the company. This implies that organizational ethics have to be adjusted, in order to enhance worker satisfaction and productivity in the co mpany. Besides, XYZ needs to impact outside members positively, through stopping to dump waste products into the nearby wildlife preserve. This will create a positive public image, which is likely to attract new customers. Lastly, the company has to stop stock fraud, because the public may put pressure on legislators to impose existing regulations regarding stock frauds. The company should ensure that both internal and external auditors receive the right information regarding sales and stocks of the company. What Change might XYZ Incorporate? XYZ needs to establish an ethical workplace through creating, and constantly, improving the code of ethics. This will encourage ethical practices, in the firm, in order to ensure moral conduct and make potential customers and employees consider the company as ethical.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The managers, at XYZ, can also create a department entrusted with overseeing ethical practices in the organization. Such a department would denote to all external members that the company has committed to upholding ethical practices. Another change that XYZ may incorporate involves training the entire workforce on new ethical practices that the company desires. Such training programs do not highlight all the practice that must be observed. Rather, the training enables managers to have a framework that they can use to judge whether some actions are ethical or not. Besides, the company should incorporate social goals into the yearly planning processes. Such an approach of meeting social requirements indicates that a company is socially responsible. Lastly, managers at XYZ should be accountable for creating and upholding conditions whereby people are apt to act ethically and reduce situations that promote unethical behavior. Managers, through taking charge of these aspects, can reduce the urge to perform unethical acts, a s well as, promote social responsibility at XYZ. In conclusion, social pressure affects how a company functions. Failure to adhere to such pressure may ruin the reputation of a business, or make a business cease to attract new customers. This essay on Social Pressure and Change was written and submitted by user The Stranger to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Bridge to Terabithia

â€Å"Bridge to Terabithia† The two main characters in the story are Jesse and Lesley who are the protagonists. Jesse is a sixth grade boy trying to make it through the school year without getting beat up by the antagonist, a girl, who is the biggest bully in school. Lesley, on the other hand, is an outgoing girl with a great attitude towards life. The plot of the story is when Jesse and Lesley decide to create a make believe world just for themselves. They call it Terabithia which is the setting of the story. It’s a secret place in the forest that only they know about. Jesse is a great artist and often brings his work to Terabithia for Lesley see. Lesley also brings the dog that Jesse bought for her to Terabithia. They named him Prince so he could be the prince of Terabithia. The foreshadowing of my story is when Jesse comes home to find that the television is off which was extremely unlikely at his house. Then he was told about the climax, which was when Lesley was trying to cross the bridge to Terabithia and she slipped and fell off in the rain. Jesse was at the Art Museum with his teacher when this happened. Jesse goes through many phases of denial. He has flashbacks of all the great times he and Lesley had together. This is a major conflict for Jesse because of how much Lesley meant to him and how she had become his only best friend. The tone of my book has now changed from exciting, fun, and adventurous to sad and very teary. The mood now is very depressing. Jesse starts to have trouble concentrating in school and is depressed all the time. He doesn’t even care if he’s bullied anymore. When he goes to school for the first day or two after the incident, the children were asking lots of questions. The next day there were fewer questions and then they stopped. The irony of this was that Jesse still knew where their special place was, the one that nobody else knew about. J... Free Essays on Bridge to Terabithia Free Essays on Bridge to Terabithia â€Å"Bridge to Terabithia† The two main characters in the story are Jesse and Lesley who are the protagonists. Jesse is a sixth grade boy trying to make it through the school year without getting beat up by the antagonist, a girl, who is the biggest bully in school. Lesley, on the other hand, is an outgoing girl with a great attitude towards life. The plot of the story is when Jesse and Lesley decide to create a make believe world just for themselves. They call it Terabithia which is the setting of the story. It’s a secret place in the forest that only they know about. Jesse is a great artist and often brings his work to Terabithia for Lesley see. Lesley also brings the dog that Jesse bought for her to Terabithia. They named him Prince so he could be the prince of Terabithia. The foreshadowing of my story is when Jesse comes home to find that the television is off which was extremely unlikely at his house. Then he was told about the climax, which was when Lesley was trying to cross the bridge to Terabithia and she slipped and fell off in the rain. Jesse was at the Art Museum with his teacher when this happened. Jesse goes through many phases of denial. He has flashbacks of all the great times he and Lesley had together. This is a major conflict for Jesse because of how much Lesley meant to him and how she had become his only best friend. The tone of my book has now changed from exciting, fun, and adventurous to sad and very teary. The mood now is very depressing. Jesse starts to have trouble concentrating in school and is depressed all the time. He doesn’t even care if he’s bullied anymore. When he goes to school for the first day or two after the incident, the children were asking lots of questions. The next day there were fewer questions and then they stopped. The irony of this was that Jesse still knew where their special place was, the one that nobody else knew about. J...

Analyze white lies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analyze white lies - Essay Example Her classmates assume that she Is white, as the classmate does when she holds her hand in an act of unity. she is though sad but optimistic in life. (Trethewey, Natasha) Trethewey has used color imagery in the poem constantly, especially in the first stanza. The poet mentions six colors, which are all different, and all describing the lies. "light-bright, near-white, high-yellow, red-boned, white, and black." It is an African American speaker who could lie frequently, though the lies did not mean anything much. She would lie about where she lived, and where she bought her clothes, "uptown ..home made dresses came out the window of Maison blande,"but would also lie about being African American. She did pass easily for being a white. It's actually really sad the way she describes lying about her skin color. She writes, "I could even keep quiet, quiet as kept, like the time a white girl said "squeezing my hand, Now we have three of us in this class." It is sad because she is lying to be part of the group. She writes "squeezing my hand," brings the sense that she only lied because she was amazed by the way the girl was behaving as a good friend. The fir st stanza does describe her as a light skinned for an African American.

Trends Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Trends - Essay Example A vivid example of this is that many book lovers now choose to buy books online rather than purchasing them in bookstores. This development has led to the demise of bookstore chains like Borders, the second largest book retailer and a boost to digital retailer Amazon. (Osnos, 2011). Education will also have to reinvent itself. Traditional classroom lectures will eventually find itself being replaced by virtual learning environments. Teachers will rely more and more on available software that will enhance the learning process and increase the motivations of children to learn new things. One business where one will see a tremendous boom is the outsourcing market. Numerous companies are beginning to realize that outsourcing decreases costs significantly without necessarily reducing efficiency and productivity. In the music industry, one can envision a decline in the business of record labels. Feinberg believes that the trend now is simply to download music through the internet or what he terms as â€Å"digital sharing† (2009). Few people are buying original CDs of recording artists because downloading music through the web is free. It is also easier to share music nowadays using the latest technology such as Ipods and Iphones. Indeed, man’s needs are changing with the changing times. With these changes come new trends and with these new trends come new business opportunities. One may see the demise of some industries but one also expects that these industries will eventually be replaced by new industries which adapt to the advancing technologies of mankind. Feinberg, J. (2009, August 18). What will record labels look like in the future? Retrieved August 8, 2011, from pbs.org: http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2009/08/what-will-record-labels- look-like-in-the-future230.html Osnos, P. (2011, July 26). The end of Borders and the future of the printed word. Retrieved August 8, 2011, from

The sing glass, the singing art Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The sing glass, the singing art - Article Example It is also obvious from first glance that those sculptures do not seem to belong there on the car. There are almost no colors used in this artwork. The glass used is clear and the car is in dull white. There is, however, some appearance of fragility in the overall art installation. The glass sculptures are sparingly placed all over the car. The curves of the sculptures are very striking, and they are even more emphasized by the soft white light that illuminates it. They are cell-like abstracts in form. The dimmed surroundings gives off a hint of bluish effect on the light illumination on the glass sculptures. This effect gives off a serene mood, which is, at first, both amusing and perplexing at the same time. The rust on various places on the car is also emphasized by the car’s dull white color. Interestingly, even without immediately realizing the message of the artwork, one can immediately sense that the car is somewhat giving way to the glass sculptures. One would later on realize that the oldness of the car and the newness of the glass sculptures are part of the overall message of the artwork. Upon closer and longer inspection and reflection, it becomes apparent that Aoki is trying to depict bacterial growth on the car. The glass sculptures represent spores of fungi that seem to overtake the car. By this time, it is understood that the oldness of the car seems to say that old things give way to news growths. It could have a different meaning altogether, or it could be taken at face value --- where old things or surfaces become ideal places for fungi growth. By this time, too, it is understood that the light seems to say that these things (microorganisms) are usually unseen and ignored, and one needs to cast light over them to make them go noticed. Aoki might also be trying to say that bacteria are everywhere, but they are always unseen. This is just like the characteristic of the glass used. Glass is usually unnoticed, unless

Facilitation Theory Or The Humanist Approach?

Facilitation Theory Or The Humanist Approach? Teaching and learning today are completely different from yesterday because we are facing the challenges of changes in higher education for the future prosperity with todays young students and their readiness to take up these challenges to face up to the coming centuries. Understanding teaching and learning is not easy, not something that can be based on the representation of what has been perceived or limited to a few methodological prescriptions. In this chapter, we are going to go back and shed light on some theories of learning to understand better to what extent teaching is related to learning and how they can impact in society. 1.1 languages Teaching and Learning Language teaching and learning still requires much effort to be stored in individuals mind perfectly. It should have acquired an appreciation of the values of a broad range of intellectual disciplines such as linguistics, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics and mainly applied linguistics as well as general detailed knowledge. So, how can language pass on these disciplines to become dynamic and pragmatic in use? To answer this question, let us see what Campells theory depicts, in figure 1 below, about the relationship between three disciplines: linguistics, applied linguistics and pedagogy. Campbell ( 1980:7) says: The relation between the language sciences and language teaching has emerged as one of the key issues in the development of a language teaching theory à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦For him: Applied linguistics is the mediator between the practitioner and the theorist.. See Fundamental concepts of language teaching book of H.H.Stern,(1983:36) Linguistics Applied linguistics Pedagogy Theoretician Mediator Practitioner Figure1 Campells model of the relationship between theory and practice According to Campells theory starting from linguistics, the scientific study of language, alone is not enough to get an effective relation between pedagogy and linguistics. The latter requires much practice to relate theory to practice and make language more effective. For that reason, to consolidate the three disciplines, Campell included three extra elements to his conceptual framework. These elements are psychology, sociology and anthropology. Campells model of the relationship between theory and practice made Spolsky( 1980:72) argued and then modified Campbells theory .For Spolsky, sociolinguistics discipline is very interesting to achieve a good result in the relation between theoreticians and practitioner. He divided language teaching into three main sources: Language description: General Linguistics Language teaching: psychology for the theory of learning and psycholinguistics for the theory of language learning Language use in society : sociolinguistics What we can understand from Sposkys theory language teaching is an interesting amalgam of disciplines, each one contributes to educational language in practice and the focus here is on the educational language. Pragmatically speaking, according to many people the understanding of language is not only learning theories but it is also our reflection and thinking of knowing to what extent can be these theories impact on the teaching of language. The theories are different of how we learn, and they are useful and ready for how students learn and also how teachers teach. Each one of them, student and teachers, has own way of thinking of own different way of learning. So who are we in these theories? And what are these theories? To answer these questions let us see some fundamental theories of learning: 1.2.1 Reinforcement Theory This theory was developed by the behaviourist school of psychology, notably by B.F. Skinner (Laird 1985, Burns 1995). Laird (1985) sees this aspect of behaviourism not relevant to education. It is about some positive and negative tasks the learners made in his daily life. This theory requires much Competency Based Training ( henceforth, CBT), It is useful in learning repetitive tasks like multiplication tables and those work skills that require a great deal of practice but higher order learning is not involved in it. The criticism of this approach is that it is rigid and mechanical (Burns 1995). 1.1.3 Cognitive-Gestalt Approaches The focus in this theory is on the importance of experience, meaning, problem-solving and the development of insights (Burns 1995, p 112). Burns notes that this theory has developed the concept that individuals differ from one to another, they have different concerns at different times with different subjective interpretations in different contexts. This theory is very close to learners to get themselves in learning language by knowing to what extent they are different from each other. It is also very close to the learners characteristics of today (for more details see chapter 3) 1.1.4 Holistic Learning Theory The basic understanding of this theory is that the focus is on the composition of the individual personality which consists of many elementsspecifically the intellect, emotions, the body impulse (or desire), intuition and imagination (Laird,1985, p 121) that all require activation if learning is to be effective. This theory is about a complementary theory to Cognitive-Gestalt approaches. 1.1.5 Experiential learning In this theory, Kolbs research found that people learn in four ways in learning (McGill Beaty 1995). The ways are as follows: Concrete experience Testing implications of Observations and Reflections concepts in new situations Formation of abstract concepts and generalization Figure 1 the Experiential Learning Model (Kolb, 1981) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Learning through concrete experience à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Learning through observation and reflection à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Learning through abstract conceptualization à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Learning through active experimentation In discussing these theories, we confirm from the educational researchers concept that learners are different in their way of learning. Kolb, one of these educational researchers whose interests are involved in proving that learner, individually, can choose any style and way of learning which reflects his behaviour to act in learning which is the link between him and his society through actions and reflective process (McGill Beaty 1995). This theory confirms Spolskys argument ( 1980:72) 1.1.6 Facilitation Theory or the Humanist Approach Carl Rogers and others have developed the theory of facilitative learning. The basic introduction to this theory is that learning will occur by the educator acting as a facilitator, that is by establishing an atmosphere in which learners feel comfortable to consider new ideas and are not threatened by external factors (Laird 1985). Other characteristics of this theory include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Human beings must be eager to learn (prompt willingness) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Human beings must be curious to learn (curiosity) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To change on selfs concept we must be involved in a significant learning. ( flexibility and readiness). Carl and Rogers see that: The Characteristics of Facilitative Teachers are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ They are not more protective of their beliefs than other teachers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ They are affectionate they are all listening to learners, especially to their feelings à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ They are much attentive to their relationship with learners in the classroom. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ be open-minded and apt to accept feedback, whether positive or negative and to use it as a reflective and constructive insight into themselves and their behaviours. Some of these characteristics do fit our changes into innovative and modern teachers but others still to be modified according to our readiness for being autonomous teachers. In this work, we are going to focus on the changes from the traditional, affectionate and facilitative teachers into modern teachers. The characteristics of learners: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Must be courageous, autonomous and responsible for their own learning à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Must care and provide much information (input) for the learning which occurs through their deep perception (insights) and experiences. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ are encouraged to evaluate themselves before their teachers and to be aware of their learning needs to focus on what factors may contribute to achieving significant results. These characteristics are mandatory and required in the new systems implementation. To understand better this theory which impacts strongly our work we must understand the relationship between teachers and learners or in another words between learning and teaching as well as the strategies made to enhance this relationship. So what is learning and what is teaching? And what is the relationship between them. Teaching is to get and pass on knowledge while learning is to acquire this knowledge by studies; it is also the process where knowledge is created through transformation of experience (see page 3 David Kolb 1981). It seems that the relation between them is very strong and interrelated. From these definitions, we can also understand that the relationships between teaching and learning lead to the best academic achievement for students having the desire to acquire learning language which represents an individuals receptive cognition to learning different tasks depend on the context (Peterson, et al., 2009). It is an input which differs from one individual to another depends on the teachers in regard to what type of information is most effective. The concept that students and teachers have different competence that vary from one to another to learning and teaching language in different styles and ways lead theoreticians and practitioners, those who are responsible for curriculum control and revision, to think of the curriculum framework, i.e. how to be in charge of approaches and systems to structure teaching language and planned in the curriculum frame work. The curriculum is now very interesting to empower both learners and teachers to develop their potential in knowledge. So, what is Curriculum? Who are responsible for planning it? And what is it for? To respond to these questions we need first understand the curriculum meaning. 1.2 What is Curriculum? The curriculum is concerned with two terms teaching and learning, i.e. what is given in learning and teaching, and how they take place. What teachers teach or learners learn comprises aims, strategy, knowledge, skills and outcomes of learning students are intended to make obvious. The how of the curriculum concern teaching/learning methodology, teaching strategies and media resources. The curriculum has been changed due to changes in systems implementation such as CBA, LMD and ICTs integration in the classroom. The latter needs some cases of the invention of new technology to modify the content and enlarge knowledge to make a good curriculum. The systems , CBA, LMD and ICTs integration, in many ways can be seen to be affecting the curriculum both in terms of content and methodology. Further, we mean by the word curriculum run a Course, i.e. it describes a series of steps in teaching and learning specific contents. It is also considered as a sequence of learning experiences; the fact of these definitions that without curriculum none can control the individual students experiences. Thus through curriculum students can be provided with opportunities to learn a specific content. From the latter, we can understand also that the suitable definition to the curriculum is a sequence learning opportunities given to students in their study for specific purposes. A sequence of learning opportunities cannot be seen but it can be planned and made through the classroom activities. Thus, curriculum appears in different aspects which exist in textbooks for specific contents to facilitate teaching and make teachers efficient to pave this sequence of learning opportunities for students. It is actually made to develop learners competence; herein we are speaking about the importance of curriculum development 1.3 The Importance of Curriculum Development The importance of curriculum development appears in its focus on knowledge transmission and skills development in regard with competency based language teaching (henceforth CBLT) or learning outcomes. That is to say, working on the four skills (reading, speaking, writing and listening), knowledge and attitudes make effective teaching strategies. In relation to CBLT, Docking says that: CBLT [Competency-Based Language Teaching] is designed not around the notion of subject knowledge but around the notion of competency. The focus moves from what students know about language to what they can do with it. The focus on competencies or learning outcomes underpins the curriculum framework and syllabus specification, teaching strategies and assessment. (Docking, 1994: 16) From the above quotation basing on what have been already said, we can understand that Competencies focus on four main parameters appears in the following: Learning outcomes Curriculum Syllabus Teaching strategies (a course) Assessment Figure 1: The Main Parameters of Learning Outcomes or Competencies Figure one represents the relationship between curriculum and its aspects (syllabus, teaching strategies and assessment) in regard with learning outcomes. These four fundamental concepts help theoreticians and practitioners to define the context in relation to the students needs about the curriculum framework which is clearly related to students learning needs. To respond to learning needs and CBLT the curriculum planning must take care of the following points: Setting: Students number, age, gender, purpose, education Aim: Type and purpose of course, mandatory and required tests . Materials needed or available: text, books, e- books, magazines, articles or computers, laptops with their connection to the net and so forth. Time: How many hours, day of week, time of day. These four points can also be viewed as part of syllabus. The latter is very important to design a course that must focus on the needs of learning outcomes. Herein, to understand more the concepts given let us have a look at what is a course in regard with syllabus or vice versa. 1.3.1 Course A course is an integrated series of teaching-learning experiences, whose ultimate aim is to lead the learners to a particular state of knowledge. (Hutchinson and Waters 1996: 65) The distinction between a curriculum and a course is important because some of the areas of concern in curriculum development as: societal needs analysis, testing for placement purposes or program wide evaluation may be out of the hands of teachers who are developing courses (Richards, 2001). 1.3.2 Syllabuses Syllabus is a more detailed and operational statement of teaching and learning elements which translates the philosophy of the curriculum into a series of planned steps leading towards more narrowly defined objectives at each level Dubin Olshtain, (1997: 28), Syllabus is essentially a statement of what should be taught, year by year through language syllabuses often also contain points about the method of teaching and the time to be taken (Lee 1980:108). Another opinion is that that Syllabus is a more detailed and operational statement of teaching and learning elements which translates the philosophy of the curriculum into a series of planned steps leading towards more narrowly defined objectives at each level Dubin Olshtain, (1997: 28). Syllabuses are more localized and are based on accounts and records of what actually happens at the classroom level. Given these definitions it is suggested that it seems helpful to define a curriculum and a syllabus as separate entities. To conclude we can now ensure that we can see syllabus design as part of course design, they are complementary and parts of curriculum whose importance appears also in the following: The educational purpose of the program. The content teaching procedures and learning experience which will be necessary to achieve this purpose .(the means) Some means for assessing whether or not the educational ends have been achieved. ( Richards, Platt and Platt 1993: 94) From these most significant points Allen sees that: Curriculum is a very general concept which involves consideration of the whole complex of philosophical, social and administrative factors which contribute to the planning of an educational program. (Allen quoted in Nunan, 2000: 6) Thus, it is the change of instructions in teaching and learning in all over the world. For that reason, most developing countries institutions among them Algerian institutions have amended and revised their curricula in another words their syllabuses, methods, approaches and systems to respond to the world requirements, taking into account the various factors( external or internal) that influence learning process. To understand more this policy of education we must understand its basic notions in the structural education such as competencies or learning outcomes, syllabus, course, assessment and curriculum. Today, there are many of teachers and students who think that curriculum is syllabus; in fact, syllabus is a part of a curriculum. It describes the content of a course .i.e. It shows the content of what is going to be taught including a set of knowledge and skills. Herein, the importance of presenting the basic notions education is to go over the global changes and structures of the various disciplines to learn from others and to be apt to know what others think of us. In addition to curriculum development made by policy makers which enables learning to take place, during the course of study, in terms of knowledge and skills, teachers should highlight the main syllabus to present the main learning and methods and to provide the learners with resources and equipments to support the effective teaching of the course. In this case the teacher notion must focus on how to structure the knowledge to be well received by learners. The following quotation ensures our saying the learning structure through teaching. Teaching is knowledge transmission, management of learning. The teacher is a decision maker, provider of learning structure, collaborator, and resource. (Adapted from Graves 2000: 31) Our aim from understanding the curriculum development and its importance is to ensure a successful and effective teaching of the language through official curriculum delivered by policy makers to be implemented in schools and universities. Implementing such curriculum requires much effort to respond to the learners needs and competence. Algeria as one of developing countries and a multilingual schooling is in the process of growing out of its historical roots run riot to make changes in educational policy encouraging the education ministry to revise, modify and update the curriculum for basic education, particularly in basic education programs. Speaking about changes in educational programs and organizing content lead us to think of the CBA approach and LMD system that are the fundamental concepts, today, of the curriculum whose interests are in organizing and exploring learners competence (knowledge and skills). They both work on input (data/ knowledge) and outcomes. The question to be raised here what are these implementations? These systems implementations are CBA approach in primary and secondary schools and LMD system in universities. 1.4 Historical Background about CBA In 1973, the word competency was introduced to psychology literature when David McClelland argued in his article Testing for competence rather than for intelligence that neither job performance nor success can be got through old and traditional tests of academic discipline. Thus, the search for theory and tools that could unfailingly see coming effectiveness in the workplace began (McClelland, 1973). In1982 it was Boyatzis who first drew together comprehensive data that had been collected inthe USA using the McBer Company Job Competence Assessment method. Since then, competency has become a significant factor in HR development practices (Simpson, 2002). The word competency comes from a Latin word meaning suitable (Bueno Tubbs, 2004). Boyatzis (1982) defines a competency as an underlying characteristic of a person which results in effective and/or superior performance in a job (p. 97). According to Boyatzis (1982) a job competency represents ability. An individuals set of Contemporary Management Research 49 competencies reflect their capability or what they can do. A job competency may be a motive, trait, skill, aspect of ones self-image or social role, or a body of knowledge that an individual uses, and the existence and possession of these characteristics may or may not be known to the individual. Similarly, Mitrani et al. (1992) state that competencies could be motives, traits, self-concepts, attitudes or values, content knowledge, or cognitive or behavioral skills. A competency is an individual characteristic that can be measured or counted reliably and that can be shown to differentiate significantly between superior and average performers, or between effective and ineffective performers. Meanwhile, competency can be described as a set of behavior patterns that an incumbent needs to bring to a position in order to perform its tasks and functions in the delivery of desired results or outcomes (Bartram, et. al, 2002; Woodruffe, 1992). Spencer and Spencer (1993) viewed competency as an underlying characteristic of an individual that is causally related to criterion-referenced effective and/or superior performance in a job or situation (p. 9). They recognized five types of competency characteristics consisting of motives, traits, self-concept, knowledge and skills. First, motives are the things that an individual consistently thinks about or wants that stimulate action. Motives drive, direct and select behavior toward certain actions or goals and away from others. Second, traits are physical characteristics and consistent responses to situations or information. Third, self-concept is an individuals attitudes, values or self-image. Fourth, knowledge is the information that an individual has in specific content areas. Finally, skill is the ability to perform a certain physical or mental task. Knowledge and skill competencies tend to be visible and relatively surface characteristics, whereas self-concept, traits and motive competencies are more hidden, deeper and central to personality. Surface knowledge and skill competencies are relatively easy to develop and training is the most cost-effective way to secure those employee abilities (Spencer Spencer, 1993). Figure 1 illustrates central and surface competencies. Knowledge Attitudes, Values Trait Motive Surface: Most easily developed Core Personality: Most difficult to develop Skill Knowledge Self-Concept Trait Motive T Skill Knowledge Self-concept Trait Motive tr The Iceberg Visible Hidden Figure 1 The Iceberg Model and Central and Surface Competencies Source: Spencer and Spencer (1993: 11) In other words, visible competencies such as knowledge and skills may be somewhat technical competencies basically required by the job, whereas hidden competencies such as self-concept, traits and motives are behavioral competencies that drive an individuals performance in the job. Boyatzis (1982) states that motive and trait competencies have the most direct impact on self-concept and also have an impact on skill. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO, 2002) defines competency as a set of skills, related knowledge and attributes that allow an individual to perform a task or activity within a specific function or job. If an individual possesses these three elements of competency they can effectively perform duties as required by the specific job. From the wide range of related literature, the definition of competency can be summarized as an underlying characteristic of an individual that is causally related to criterion-referenced effective and/or superior performance in a job or situation. Job competency is a set of behavior patterns that a job incumbent needs to bring to a position in order to perform its tasks and functions with competence. A job competency can be a motive, trait, skill, self-concept, body of knowledge or an attribute that allows an individual to perform a task or activity within a specific function or job. 1.4 The Implementation of the CBA Approach in the Algerian Classroom The CBA approach has been adopted by the Algerian education ministry to be integrated in the primaries and secondary school to improve teaching and learning. It is imposed on both teachers and learners to explore their competence and roles in lifecycle. A competency based approach is a new reform contributes to better the learners knowledge situations that may varied in a range of skills. The CBA is closely related to a context-of-use. In other words, students will be good learners to use language effectively in their lifecycle by drawing a map to master what they have learned in schools. 1.5 The reasons of the CBA Approach Implementation in the Classroom The reasons why the Algerian authoritarians those who are responsible for educational policy implement the CBA approach in the primary and secondary school classrooms is to develop students linguistic and problem-solving capacities that will make students to deal with different tasks cognitively and pragmatically challenging any difficult situation in the classroom. It will also make learners autonomous and see learning as an essential process for both their studies and their future. So it is implemented in schools because it is a productive approach basing on what the learners are expected to do rather than on what they are expected to learn about. 1.6 The Characteristics of the CB Approach The CBA approach enables learners to check their capacity to overcome obstacles and problems; it is problem- solving approaches that make learners think of well doing. It is a creative use of a newly constructive knowledge. Moreover, it characteristics can be listed as follows: It makes students challengers to endure and encounter all kind of complexity and ambiguity in learning. It is about reflection, self-assessment, and performance review are fully integrated into the exercise. As a result, challenge becomes success. Collaboration in teamwork is essential to the effective learning experience. It enables students competence to affect the world beyond the classroom and to make contributions that are valued by professional and experts. It provides learners with information based on assessment tasks. It is based on authentic language proficiency across sociolinguistic context. It reveals the learners innateness. It is usable for instruction and curriculum adaptation to the learners needs. It is based on the outcomes as in Schencks saying: It is outcome-based and is adaptive to the changing needs of students, teachers and the community à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ competencies differ from other students goals and objectives in that they describe the students ability to apply basic end other skills in situations that are communally encountered in everyday life. Thus CBE (Competency Based Education) is based on a set of outcomes that are derived in life role situations. Schenck (2001:14) To reinforce what has been said about CBE let us see some extra definitions of Competency Based Education to understand better from where does CBA come from? Richards and Rodgers (2001) says: Competency Based Education focuses on outcomes of learning. CBEaddresses what the learners are expected to do rather than on what they are expected to learn about. CBE emerged in the United States in the 1970s and refers to an educational movement that advocates defining educational goals in terms of precise measurable descriptions of knowledge, skills, and behaviors students should possess at the end of a course of study. Richards and Rodgers(2001) To reinforce Richards and Rodgerss definition of CBE Savage see that CBE is a functional approach to focus on skills depends on the learners needs and competence. He sees in his definition the following: Competency Based Education is a functional approach to education that emphasizes life skills and evaluates mastery of those skills according to actual leaner performance. It was defined by the U.S. Office of Education as a performance-based process leading to demonstrated mastery of basic and life skills necessary for the individual to function proficiently in society. Savage (1993: 15) For Mrowicki, referring to skills only is not enough in speaking about CBE because competency is an interesting amalgam of knowledge and attitudes for more effective results. Thus he sees in his definition the following: Competencies consist of a description of the essential skills, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors required for effective performance of a real-world task or activity. These activities may be related to any domain of life, though have typically been linked to the field of work and to social survival in a new environment. Mrowicki (1986: 144) It is very interesting to understand what we have presented as most significant definitions of CBE regarding the Communicative Approach which is at the basis of the Competency Based Approach, the educational system applied in Algeria, and which can be also considered to be at the basis of the LMD system applied at the level of the University, next section is devoted to the presentation of the latter, i.e. of the LMD system, to see in what way is the LMD system a continuation of the CBA. 1.7 What is LMD? The LMD system, introduced in the Algerian universities by 2003-2004, is a current issue that specialists in Algeria and elsewhere are interested in. The LMD system (Licence, Master and Doctorate) is the latest reform applied in the Algerian universities. It aims at bringing the Algerian diploma to the universality and to bring the Algerian student to a higher level of learning on the one hand and to the world of job on the other hand. The introduction of LMD in the Algerian universities should be accompanied by these new ideas for innovative teaching practices to improve the performance of the university system but also lead to greater employability of graduates. 1.8 The Characteristics of the LMD System In practice, we observe that the formalization of thes

Free Essays: The Weak Gods of Iliad, Odyssey and Epic of Gilgamesh :: comparison compare contrast essays

The Weak Gods of The Iliad, Odyssey and Gilgamesh    The Oxford English Dictionary defines god as Ã’1. A being conceived as the perfect, omnipotent, omniscient ruler and originator of the universe, the principal object of faith and worship in monotheist religions. 2. A being of supernatural powers, believed in and worshipped by a people.Ó The first definition reflects Modern AmericaÕs connotation of the word god. The latter recalls the Ancient Greco-Sumerian ideal of a being greater than man. While both definitions are equally valid in literature, many perceive the word only in the first view. However, the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Epic of Gilgamesh portray gods with limits and weaknesses. The contemporary Christian god is able to demand things of his followers, readily expecting wholehearted and unquestioning obedience. This was not the case with his ancient counterparts.    Rather than exacting demands upon their followers, occasionally the ancient gods were limited to requests. Often they were refused. In the Odyssey, the goddesses Circe and Calypso both expected lifelong commitments from the mighty Odysseus. Both promised great things to the hero, including godhood. Odysseus was able to refuse both goddesses. Human obstinacy beat out the whims of goddesses. If the Protestant god were to make sexual demands upon his followers, more than likely, he would not be refused. One could argue, though, that Odysseus did give in to the goddesses by bedding them. Always though, his focus eventually shifted to returning home and reuniting with his mortal wife. Homer portrayed a man who refused immortal beauty for true love: Ã’She is mortal after all, and you are immortal and ageless. But even so, what I want and all my days I pine for is to go back to my house and see my day of homecoming. And if some god batters me far out on the wide blue water, I will endure it, keeping a stubborn spirit within me, for I have already suffered much (93-94).Ó Thus, the mortal Odysseus was able to deny the temptations of the goddesses multiple times. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, another goddessÕ whims are put down. Ishtar, goddess of war and love becomes attracted to the mighty but mortal Gilgamesh. But rather than jumping right into the sack with

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Definition HIV infection is a disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The condition gradually destroys the immune system, which makes it harder for the body to fight infections. Most people infected with HIV eventually develop AIDS. These individuals mostly die from opportunistic infections or malignancies associated with the progressive failure of the immune system. HIV progresses to AIDS at a variable rate affected by viral, host, and environmental factors; HIV-specific treatment delays this process. Most will progress to AIDS within 10 years of HIV infection: some will have progressed much sooner, and some will take much longer. Treatment with anti-retrovirals increases the life expectancy of people infected with HIV. Even after HIV has progressed to diagnosable AIDS, the average survival time with antiretroviral therapy was estimated to be more than 5 years as of 2005. Without antiretroviral therapy, someone who has AIDS typically dies within a year. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This condition progressively reduces the effectiveness of the immune system and leaves individuals susceptible to opportunistic infections and tumors. HIV is transmitted through direct contact of a mucous membrane or the bloodstream with a bodily fluid containing HIV, such as blood, semen, vaginal fluid, preseminal fluid, and breast milk. When HIV infection becomes advanced it often is referred to as AIDS. It generally occurs when the CD4 count is below 200/mL and is characterized by the appearance of opportunistic infections. These are infections that take advantage of a weakened immune system and include: †¢ Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia †¢ Toxoplasmosis †¢ Tuberculosis †¢ Extreme weight loss and wasting; exacerbated by diarrhea which can be experienced in up to 90% of HIV patients worldwide †¢ Meningitis and  other brain infections †¢ Fungal infections †¢ Syphilis †¢ Malignancies such as lymphoma, cervical cancer, and †¢ Kaposi’s Sarcoma Today we know that Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a disease and not a syndrome. A syndrome is commonly used to refer to collections of symptoms that do not have an easily identifiable cause. This name was more appropriate 13 years ago, when doctors were only aware of the late stages of the disease and did not fully understand its mechanisms. A more current name for the condition, regardless of an AIDS diagnosis, is HIV Disease. This name is more accurate because it refers to the pathogen that causes AIDS and encompasses all the condition’s stages, from infection to the deterioration of the immune system and the onset of opportunistic diseases. However, AIDS is still the name that most people use to refer to the immune deficiency caused by HIV. †¢ Acquired — because it is a condition that has to be contracted. It cannot be inherited or transmitted through the genes. †¢ Immune — because it affects the body’s immune system, the part of the body that fights off diseases. †¢ Deficiency — because it makes the immune system stop working properly. †¢ Syndrome — because people with AIDS experience a number of different symptoms and opportunistic diseases. Four stages of HIV infection: 1. Incubation Period In the majority of the infected population, HIV remains asymptomatic for years. The only way to know if you have HIV is to be tested. It is important to know, however, that it may take up to six months after exposure to the HIV virus before you will test positive on an HIV antibody test, although most infected people will test positive within 3 months. A negative test, therefore, isn’t a reliable indicator of your infection status if you were only exposed last week. Tests that look directly for HIV RNA, the virus’ genetic material, can detect an infection earlier, but are harder to find. 2. Acute HIV infection The initial infection with HIV generally occurs after transfer of body fluids from an infected person to an uninfected one. The first stage of infection, the primary, or acute infection, is a period of rapid viral replication that immediately follows the individual’s exposure to HIV leading to an abundance of virus in the peripheral blood with levels of HIV commonly approaching several million viruses per mL. This response is accompanied by a marked drop in the numbers of circulating CD4+ T cells. This acute viremia is associated in virtually all patients with the activation of CD8+ T cells, which kill HIV-infected cells, and subsequently with antibody production, or seroconversion. The CD8+ T cell response is thought to be important in controlling virus levels, which peak and then decline, as the CD4+ T cell counts rebound to around 800 cells per  µL (the normal blood value is 1200 cells per  µL ). A good CD8+ T cell response has been linked to slower disease progression and a better prognosis, though it does not eliminate the virus. During this period (usually 2–4 weeks post-exposure) most individuals (80 to 90%) develop an influenza or mononucleosis-like illness called acute HIV infection. Because of the nonspecific nature of these symptoms, they are often not recognized as signs of HIV infection. Even if patients go to their doctors or a hospital, they will often be misdiagnosed as having one of the more common infectious diseases with the same symptoms. Consequently, these primary symptoms are not used to diagnose HIV infection as they do not develop in all cases and because many are caused by other more common diseases. However, recognizing the syndrome can be important because the patient is much more infectious during this period. 3. Latency stage A strong immune defense reduces the number of viral particles in the blood stream, marking the start of the infection’s clinical latency stage. Clinical latency can vary between two weeks and 20 years. During this early phase of infection, HIV is active within lymphoid organs, where large amounts of virus become trapped in the follicular dendritic cells (FDC) network. The surrounding tissues that are rich in CD4+ T cells may also become infected, and viral particles accumulate both in infected cells and as free virus. Individuals who are in this phase are still infectious. During this time, CD4+ CD45RO+ T cells carry most of the proviral load. 4.  AIDS When CD4+ T cell numbers decline below a critical level of 200 cells per  µL, cell-mediated immunity is lost, and infections with a variety of opportunistic microbes appear. The first symptoms often include moderate and unexplained weight loss, recurring respiratory tract infections (such as sinusitis, bronchitis, otitis media, pharyngitis),prostatitis, skin rashes, and oral ulcerations. Common opportunistic infections and tumors, most of which are normally controlled by robust CD4+ T cell-mediated immunity then start to affect the patient. Typically, resistance is lost early on to oral Candida species and to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which leads to an increased susceptibility to oral candidiasis(thrush) and tuberculosis. Later, reactivation of latent herpes viruses may cause worsening recurrences of herpes simplex eruptions, shingles, Epstein-Barr virus-induced B-cell lymphomas, or Kaposi’s sarcoma. Pneumonia caused by the fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii is common and often fatal. In the final stages of AIDS, infection with cytomegalovirus (another herpes virus) or Mycobacterium avium complex is more prominent. Not all patients with AIDS get all these infections or tumors, and there are other tumors and infections that are less prominent but still significant. Incidence As a national and global epidemic, the degree of morbidity and mortality caused by caused by HIV or AIDS. At the end of 2002, it was estimated that there were 42 million people living with HIV / AIDS and that more than 25 million had died of the infection. During the same year, 5 million were newly infected with the virus, and for the first time, women and young people 15 to 24 years of age accounted for 50% of HIV infections. In the year 2007, it was estimated that 33.2 million people lived with the disease worldwide, and that AIDS had killed an estimated 2.1 million people, including 330,000 children. In the Philippines, cases were estimated to be 29 each month in the year 2007 and continue on until 2008. As of September 2008, the Department of Health (DOH) AIDS Registry in the Philippines reported 3,456 people living with HIV/AIDS. The Philippines is a low-HIV-prevalence country, with less than 0.1 percent of the adult  population estimated to be HIV-positive. Etiology AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a lentivirus (a member of the retrovirus family) that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections. Infection with HIV occurs by the transfer of blood, semen, vaginal fluid, pre-ejaculate, or breast milk. Within these bodily fluids, HIV is present as both free virus particles and virus within infected immune cells. The four major routes of transmission are unsafe sex, contaminated needles, breast milk, and transmission from an infected mother to her baby at birth (Vertical transmission). Screening of blood products for HIV has largely eliminated transmission through blood transfusions or infected blood products in the developed world. HIV primarily infects vital cells in the human immune system such as helper T cells (specifically CD4+ T cells), macrophages, and dendritic cells. HIV infection leads to low levels of CD4+ T cells through three main mechanisms: firstly, direct viral killing of infected cells; secondly, increased rates of apoptosis in infected cells; and thirdly, killing of infected CD4+ T cells by CD8 cytotoxic lymphocytes that recognize infected cells. When CD4+ T cell numbers decline below a critical level, cell-mediated immunity is lost, and the body becomes progressively more susceptible to opportunistic infections. HIV is present to variable degrees in the blood and genital secretions of virtually all individuals infected with HIV, regardless of whether or not they have symptoms. The spread of HIV can occur when these secretions come in contact with tissues such as those lining the vagina, anal area, mouth, or eyes (the mucus membranes), or with a break in the skin, such as from a cut or puncture by a needle. The most common ways in which HIV is spreading throughout the world include sexual contact, sharing needles, and by transmission from infected mothers to their newborns during pregnancy, labor (the delivery process), or breastfeeding. (See the section below on treatment during pregnancy for a discussion on reducing the risk of  transmission to the newborn.) There is little evidence that HIV can be transferred by casual exposure, as might occur in a household setting. For example, unless there are open sores or blood in the mouth, kissing is generally considered not to be a risk factor for transmitting HIV. This is because saliva, in contrast to genital secretions, has been shown to contain very little HIV. Still, theoretical risks are associated with the sharing of toothbrushes and shaving razors because they can cause bleeding, and blood can contain large amounts of HIV. Consequently, these items should not be shared with infected people. Similarly, without sexual exposure or direct contact with blood, there is little if any risk of HIV contagion in the workplace or classroom. Pathophysiology Signs and Symptoms †¢ Acute HIV infection [pic] Main symptoms of acute HIV infection. †¢ Symptomatic HIV infection or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome – Moderate and unexplained weight loss – Recurring respiratory tract infections (such as sinusitis, otitis media, bronchitis, pharyngitis) – Prostatitis, skin rashes, and oral ulcerations – Oral candidiasis and Tuberculosis caused by Candida species and Mycobacterium tuberculosis respectively. – Reactivation of latent herpes viruses may cause worsening recurrences of herpes simplex eruptions, shingles, Epstein-Barr virus-induced B-cell lymphomas, or Kaposi’s sarcoma. – Pneumonia caused by the fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii is common and often fatal. – In the final stages of AIDS, infection with cytomegalovirus (another herpes virus) or Mycobacterium avium complex is more prominent. WHO Case Definition for AIDS Surveillance For the purpose of AIDS surveillance an adult or adolescent (>12 years of age) is considered to have AIDS if at least 2 of the following major signs are present in combination with at least 1 of the minor signs listed below, and if these signs are not known to be due to a condition unrelated to HIV infection. Major Signs – Weight loss >10% of body weight – Chronic diarrhea for more than 1 month – Prolonged fever for more than 1 month (intermittent of constant) Minor Signs – Persistent cough for more than 1 month – Generalized pruritic dermatitis – History of herpes zoster – Chronic progressive or disseminated herpes simplex infection – Generalized lymphadenopathy The presence of either generalized Kaposi sarcoma or cryptococcal meningitis is sufficient for the diagnosis of AIDS for surveillance purposes. Expanded WHO Case Definition for AIDS Surveillance For the purpose of AIDS surveillance an adult or adolescent (>12 years of age) is considered to have AIDS if test for HIV antibody gives a positive result, and 1 more of the following conditions are present: – >10% body weight loss or cachexia, with diarrhea or fever, or both, intermittent or constant, for at least 1 month, not known to be due to a condition unrelated to HIV infection – Cryptococcal meningitis – Pulmonary or extra-pulmonary tuberculosis – Kaposi sarcoma – Neurological impairment that is sufficient to prevent independent daily activities, not known to be due to a condition unrelated to HIV infection (i.e. trauma or cerebrovascular accident) – Candidiasis of the esophagus (which may be presumptively diagnosed based on the presence of oral candidiasis accompanied by dysphagia) – Clinically diagnosed life-threatening or recurrent episodes of pneumonia, with or  without etiological confirmation – Invasive cervical cancer

Case Study of Writer Essays

Case Study of Writer Essays Case Study of Writer Essay Case Study of Writer Essay Name: Instructor: Course: Date: Case Study of Writer Introduction The writer of choice is my friend. He is in high school, in his junior year. He is a competent writer with adequate literacy capability where he exhibits average spoken and written language skills. The writer currently hopes to pursue a career in Journalism. It is for this reason that he has been chosen for this study. He is especially interested in investigative journalism. In this regard, he is a member of the writing club and writes articles for the school magazine to improve his skills. The aim of the study is to find out the literacy levels of the writer, strengths and weaknesses this writer has by examining his work. The study if the writer is susceptible to some of the mistakes common with most writers. These include punctuation, spelling, veering off topic among other things. Results The writer’s literacy skills are average. They are average because he has issues with spelling and punctuation making his work at times difficult to follow. However, after sorting through the problems, one of his greatest strengths is his ability to write in a manner that has the readers engrossed in an article while using few words yet being informative at the same time. He hopes to be an investigative journalist in the future and looking at his writing ability, he will be able to achieve this goal. What is intriguing about what he writes is how he perceives the world. His perception toward the world creates a sense of hope in the reader. No matter how grave the situation is, the written piece exudes an element of hope that all is well. However, this may be seen as an impediment to investigative journalism where the writer is expected to be objective in his work. In addition, he still needs to improve on his writing skills with regard to punctuation and use of compound words. Another problem observed was the fact that he was overly critical of his written works. This has made him to hide some of his works believing that they are not of good quality. These issues are common with most writers; however, realizing such issues creates the opportunity for improving. Proofreading was therefore a major problem. For example, the writer would have omission of letters in certain words such as instead of writing â€Å"Thank†, he wrote â€Å"Than†. These omissions could be effectively handled by simply proofreading the work. Problems in punctuation include a sentence such as â€Å"What should they have done.†. In this sentence, the omission of the question mark is a grammatical error. Grammatical errors have the possibility of changing a sentence’s meaning. For example, the sentence â€Å"John, my brother was ill†. While the writer meant to say that his brother John was ill, an omission of a comma changed the meaning of the sentence. The sentence should have read, â€Å"John, my brother, was ill†. Therefore, proofreading is an important tool in skillful writing. The various exchanges that we have had include interactive sessions where a piece of writing is discussed in an attempt to understand the motivations being each work and what the writer means to achieve. These exchanges have also been geared toward finding out the problems with his writing. In this regard, these exchanges aimed at improving his writing skills. Emphasis was put on how to develop a journalistic tone without affecting his ability to appeal to his readers. Again, the aim of these exchanges was to boost his confidence in his articles. It was found that he was afraid he did not write well. This came from the fact that he does not proofread his work. However, by reading his work, he was able to identify his mistakes and improved his writing very well. The problem with being a teacher includes losing concentration during some of the exchanges. This was because it was difficult to help by being a teacher yet maintain a friendship. Detecting writing inadequacies was at times challenging especially since I was expected to help in improving his writing. However, this helped me be reacquainted with language use in speech and writing and this made it possible for me to make the right decisions with regard to what was expected. What was most surprising, was the fat that he was willing to learn from a fellow student believe that it would help since we were pears. Therefore, I learnt that a teacher and student relationship is important since this relationship either enables learning or becomes an impediment to the learning process. As a responder to writing, I learnt that while some may be gifted in the art of writing, it takes hard work and commitment on the part of the writer to be able to produce a memorable piece of writing. Conclusion The writer in the end was able to develop writing skills that would match his ambition of becoming an investigative journalist writing feature articles. The study reveals that good writing skills lie in ones ability to objectively criticize their own work and identify the flaws that could make an article appear better. Proofreading is a major part of this where one is able to identify the problems. However, proofreading may not be very effective unless one understands the rules that apply in the language of writing.

Top 10 Websites for Book Lovers

Top 10 Websites for Book Lovers Top 10 Websites for Book Lovers Top 10 Websites for Book Lovers By Sharon There is something magical about reading books. Whether you like fiction or non-fiction, fantasy or sci-fi, there are many books out there. Still, it isn’t always easy to make a trip to the bookstore or library to find that specific book that you are looking for. If you find yourself itching for a new read, reviews, or discussion, here are 10 websites that every book lover should check out. 1. Goodreads Goodreads is one of the best websites for booklovers that want to read the latest reviews, interviews, feedback, and plot discussion. Look, most of us called R+L=J in â€Å"A Song of Ice and Fire.† All the clues were there, but if you didn’t, you could have easily have read that theory on Goodreads. Where are we going with this? You should use Goodreads if you want all the details about books, new and old, and want to discuss them with other likeminded individuals. 2. Project Gutenberg Who doesn’t love free books? Project Gutenberg is the oldest and largest collections of free books on the Internet. To date, it boasts well over 49,000 titles and it continues to grow each year. The project aims to publish all books that have surpassed their copyright dates. The website even caters to audiobooks fans seeing as it has a large collection of them readily available. 3. Amazon You might think this is a lame one to feature in a book lover’s list, but is it? Amazon completely changed the book market and made books more affordable and accessible. Sure, Barnes Noble had a warm vibe, but let’s not kid ourselves, they overcharged for their books. There is something special about ordering a book and having it delivered to your doorstep in 1-2 days. It is because of this that Amazon has been featured on this list. 4. Whichbook Whichbook won’t win any design awards, but it works. This website helps you choose what book to read next. Users can interact with several personality sliders to help them decide what book they should read next. The sliders include happy and sad, funny and serious, safe, and disturbing, gentle and violent, and many others. The website also offers other ways to help you screen news books. If you ever find yourself struggling to pick your next book to read, let Whichbook help you choose. 5. ReadPrint ReadPrint is a lot like the Project Gutenberg. It features a lot of free books that can be downloaded and accessed across all of your devices. Topics include classics like Shakespeare all the way to science fiction. 6. Google Book Search Google is considered the king of search. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that they would be featured on a list that is designed to help you find book-friendly websites. What makes Google Book Search neat is the fact that you can search for specific lines of text from a book and it will tell you various locations where you can buy it. Google’s database also features free works like books, magazines, journals, and various e-books. 7. Indie Store Finder Are you craving that small bookstore feel? Indie Store Finder is the perfect tool for any book lover that is located in the United States. Simply plug in your zip code and Indie Store Finder will provide you with a list of all nearby independent book stores. 8. AddAll.com Look, it’s perfectly fine to want to find the best price for the books you buy. Who wants to pay more, especially if you are buying a book that is mass produced? AddAll.com lets you compare books across the various major book retailers, helping you find one that is close to you and cheap. Users can search by title, shipping destination, price, and state. 9. Comics Alliance Comic books count as books, alright? They have the word book in their name. Jokes aside, the Comics Alliance is a great website for comic book lovers. It features the latest news, releases, opinions, merchandise, and much more. Comics Alliance really is the be-all-end-all of comic books. You’ll never be out of the loop when it comes to comic books if you bookmark this website. 10. Book Cover Archive While you should never judge a book by its cover, you can admire beautiful book covers for the art that they are. In our fast-paced world, it is important to slow down and admire true artistic beauty. The Book Cover Archive features thousands of book covers organized categorically by title, subjects, authors, and several other unusual categories. If you think we missed an important website, feel free to let us know below. We’d love to know what other websites exist out there for book lovers. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Book Reviews category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Wether, Weather, Whether"Gratitude" or "Gratefulness"?5 Ways to Reduce Use of Prepositions

Money and happiness Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Money and happiness - Research Paper Example Also, it has been observed that with an increase in the wealth of a state, the individual happiness hasn’t increased to the same extent. Thus, it may be concluded that happiness increases with the increase in wealth but not at the same rate. To further analyze the argument, the works of Kesebir, Easterlin and Lane will be studied so that logical conclusion can be deduced. Kesebir (6) explores the rationale and logic behind happiness; that is how to find true happiness and what truly comprises of the notion of happiness. He is of the view that the idea of happiness has evolved over the years where it was equated with luck during the Homeric era, transformed to pleasure during the enlightenment era and can be equated with an act as little as owning a warm puppy in the contemporary era. However, the idea of happiness in its essence may not be as simple as that. In this context, over time contrasting views have been presented to explain what may constitute a happy life. Democritus argued that happiness is more of one`s state of mind, while Socrates and Plato disagree with this presumption and rather ought to give an objective meanings to happiness, i.e. virtue and goodness of life. On the other hand, the hellinistic view disregards virtue as a yardstick of happiness. In the enlightenment era, when a more secular shape was regarded to the concept of happi ness, ideas like maximum utility and pleasure principal began over-shadowing the explanation to what may be called a happy life. Though the philosophers in the field agree on the difficulty associated with the idea of understanding the true definition of happiness, they have come up with a few parameters which may help in explaining the concept. Kesebir (8) regards that these parameters include life satisfaction, satisfaction with significant domains of life, positive effect and lower levels of negative effect.

Supply chain management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Supply chain management - Essay Example Some scholars revealed that they were unable to find the difference between purchase and supply chain management. Additionally, some marketing analysts have viewed supply chain management as about creating the purchasers creating good relations with their entrusted suppliers. Others argue that supply chain management is not good enough since it does not accommodate all the marketing processes from the industries to the consumers of the goods. The researchers involved these different people to sample their view about the supply chain management as part of the agenda 3. The theory of supply chain management tends to rotate between prescriptions, trend, and description. A major trend identified is the anxiety with the outcome of supply chain management on a variety of marketing functions.The current trend in the market is that supply chain is hastening the corporate theme and there is a lot of proof for this. For instance, some established companies have hired supply chain managers and there has been contest between supply chains rather than between the companies. 3. Christopher, M., (1998), Logistics & Supply Chain Management, Pearson Education Limited, Harlow. The above stated example gives a major problem in the discipline of supply network 4. Most businesspersons use an already established domain related with supplier-buyer behavioral mechanism although it has its own weaknesses. Most of these problems relate management issues, choosing the best supplier of goods among others and these can result from the failure of this field to try the broader concept of

Film review communication 240 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Film review communication 240 - Essay Example This makes the 112 minute film a must watch for everyone as it teaches about mobs, loan sharks, crime and above all the value of friendship. The main actors are Charlie (Harvey Keitel) and Johnny boy (Robert De Niro). A review of this film will reveal the integration of mafia in the society and their influence on individuals, the value of friendship and love and how the three can get intertwined even in the simplest of society members. The story surrounds the lives of Johnny boy who is a gambler and owes a lot of money to the loan sharks all of which has been used in his small time gambling problem and Charlie who is involved with the New York Mafia and also collects debts for his uncle Giovanni (Cesare Danova) who is in the mafia. The friendship between the two prevents Charlie from moving to join the New York Mafia because he feels responsible over the reckless Johnny boy and also because he is secretly having an affair with Johnny’s cousin Teresa. Charlie and Johnny are sho t at by Michael (Richard Romanus) who is a local loan shark who Johnny owes money to while trying to get out of town but they survive though Charlie’s shot hand causes them to have a crash. ... Teresa, for example, looks and acts like a weakling and there is no doubt that she is epileptic. The same can be said of Charlie who is composed, businesslike and suits the role of a debt collector and also friend. Johnny boy just seems lost and out of touch and it therefore does not come as a surprise to the viewer when he insults the loan arks instead of humbling himself. The cinematography of the film cannot be any better. When it comes to the lighting for example it is a bit dark in the gambling houses where Johnny boy visits and full of noise. When Charlie and Johnny are shot at and crash, the same cinematography effects displayed make it appear real, the movement during the crash and the mood when the ambulance arrives together with the lighting all makes it perfect. Compared to the other films and works of the director Martin Scorsese, mean streets is just the best and most enjoyed and positively rated film. This may be attributed to the fact that it is based on real life expe riences and the settings of the film are from the vivid memories of the director. The fact is that in this film, Scorsese wrote the script while on the streets of Little Italy and even acted in it himself may also be a cause of such a captivating movie. Conclusion Based on the above positive review of this film, it is evident that it paved way for the modern dramas involving crime. The viewer cannot regret the decision to sit for over an hour deeply engrossed in this exemplary literary work and hence can be recommended to all. All these positive reviews are in addition to the fact that with a budget of $500,000, the movie was not expensive to

Btec Business Essay Example for Free

Btec Business Essay Im not sure about this figure, with th0d Returned on capital employed Net profit (after appropriations) X 100 = 44160 = 29. 61% Capital employed 149160 This figure shows you how much money will be returned back into the business depending on how much they have invested. Not investing money into the business means you will not be making profit. I am not sure if 29. 61% is a good figure but it must be a good figure if the capital employed is ? 149,160. Maybe if the percentage is higher they employ more capital and they can re-invest more. Liquidity ratios-Current ratio Current assets: 1 = 70160 = 4. 53:1 Current liabilities 15500 Every ? 1 that they owe they own ? 4. 53 worth of assets. For SIGNature ltd the ratio is good, meaning not too much stock or owing too much to debtors. Acid test ratio Current assets assets: 1 = 70160 1200 = 4. 4:1 Current liabilities 15500 Every ? 1 they owe to suppliers or banks they will have ? 4. 41 of current assets. This means they have enough money to pay for costs like heating, lighting, telephone, courier charges and insurance. Average stock Kept over the year X 365 = 6000 = 9. 3 days Cost of goods sold 521700 Efficiency Ratios-Rate of stock turnover Every 9 to8 days they make a sale; this figure is not good because when running a business like SIGNature ltd you would like to be making sales more often. Debtors X 365 = 41000 = 28. 69 days Credit sales 521700 Debtor’s payment period A debtor’s payment is just about monthly meaning credit customers pay them every 28. 69 days, SIGNature should monitor their debtors and check how much they buy, when they pay back the full amount and which debtors are not paying in the 30 day period. Creditors X 365 = 15500 = 24. 11 days Credit purchases 234675 Creditor’s payment period 24 days is how long SIGNature takes to pay for credit purchases and they do pay their credit in good time. If you dont to your credit suppliers respond you may be charged additional interest, penalties and surcharges. Your debt may be referred to a private debt collection agency. Conclusion In this task I have performed ratio analysis and measured the profitability and efficiency of SIGNature and analysed the performance of a business using suitable ratios.

Miami Film Noir :: Film Cinema Movies

MIAMI NOIR We have much to learn from Mike Davis, CITY OF QUARTZ (Vintage, 1992) who discusses the paradoxical effects that the representations of Los Angeles in hardboiled novels and their translation into film noir cinema had on the image and myth of that city. Together they radically reworked the metaphorical figure of the city, using the crisis of the middle class (rarely the workers or the poor) to expose how the dream had become nightmare. . . . It is hard to exaggerate the damage which noir's dystopianization of Los Angeles, together with the exiles' [European intellectuals living and working in L.A.] denunciation of its counterfeit urbanity, inflicted upon the accumulated ideological capital of the region's boosters. Noir, often in illicit alliance with San Francisco or New York elitism, made Los Angeles the city that American intellectuals love to hate (although, paradoxically, this seems only to increase its fascination for postwar European intellectuals). As Richard Lehan has emphasized, "probably no city in the Western world has a more negative image". . . . It is hard to avoid the conclusion that the paramount axis of cultural conflict in Los Angeles has always been about the construction/interpretation of the city myth, which en ters the material landscape as a design for speculation and domination (Davis, 20-21). Miami, most notably in the works of Elmore Leonard and Charles Willeford, and in the Television series MIAMI VICE, has received some of the same treatment, belatedly, or in a post- or neo- noir modality of the genre. . As Davis noted, "noir was like a transformational grammar turning each charming ingredient of the boosters' arcadia into a sinister equivalent" (38). We need to sort out those aspects of this noir/booster conflict that are generic and those that are specific to Miami. Boosterism is a fundamental feature of Miami's existence. The same paradoxes of attraction are an important part of Florida tourism. However, noir carries with it a state of mind, an atmosphere and mood, that are specific to the genre and may or may not have anything to do with the spirit of place specific to our zone. In any case, we should keep in mind that a book about the mythical America of crime writers includes some discussion of the Miami River setting. The Interviewer, John Williams, spoke with James Hall, author of the hard-boiled SQUALL LINE, as they rode in Hall's boat on the bay near the river's mouth.

Interpretation Project

So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him† (Lucas, New Kings James Version). Jesus shares Insight for humanity prior to HIS return, In efforts that mankind may be prepared to receive the Lord and not be deceived. If people use consideration when interpreting God's meaning and not personal interpretations, the true message can be revealed. According to Journey into God's Word, â€Å"We believe that the way to approach the Bible (I. E. , the way we listen to God) should match how God gives us the Bible (I. E. , chose to speaks' (Devalue & Hayes, 2008, p. 0). This short story ay be viewed as Jesus being Like a thief and coming at an unexpected time; discovered. Jesus provides all humanity with the necessary preparations for the end times. Jesus reveals His love and concern for humanity by revealing signs of the tribulation. â€Å"Nation will rise against nation†¦ There will be famines and earthquakes†¦ † (Ma tt. 24:7). These are given in efforts to bring awareness that until these pass, the end is not here. Jesus will be returning at an unknown day, hour, and season. His return is not even known to â€Å"†¦ Angels, nor the Son, only the Father† (Matt. 4:36). He includes warnings and precautions. Jesus warns against false teachings, and prophets that will arise and claim to be the messiah. Man is to be cautious that he is not lead astray by the â€Å"thief† that will come to deceive. Jesus uses the parable of the thief and the master of the house. If mankind knows when His return will be, man would most likely live in darkness until the time approached. Then deception would be avoided by waiting for the very day and hour of His return and many may not accept Him until the last minute and not spread the Gospel until the end times.As stories are mentioned, people read the parable regarding the fig tree and fleet on the prophecy spoken in Daniel; these are pieces of the a rmor of God to keep the â€Å"elect† from being deceived by the true deceiver. â€Å"So when you see standing in the holy place the abomination that causes desolation'†¦ † (Matt. 24:15,). People who know God will know this is the â€Å"thief† that has come to steal salvation. As many become like the parable of the fig tree, they become fruitless and the Word of God will have been spoken and not heard. This is when the time to watch that The Lord will be arriving soon after these things has been fulfilled.He then shares with us the story of Noah. This story is included to reveal the swiftness of His return. Any who have lived an ungodly life â€Å"as determined by the Son of Man† will be cast among the hypocrites (Matt. 24:51). Jesus desires humanity to accept the gift of salvation and live unto Him; only by adhering to these warnings can mankind be prepared for the Lord's return.