The Signalman by Charles Dickens and The Landlady by Roald Dahl Essay Example For Students

The Signalman by Charles Dickens and The Landlady by Roald Dahl Essay The Signalman is a short story from the author Charles Dickens and was written in the mid 19th Century; The Landlady is also a short story written by Roald Dahl. The Signalman is a ghost story and The Landlady is a mystery story; however, there are many similarities that the two stories show. At the start of The Signalman there are many things that seem strange. The signalman from the very opening is peculiar; his actions, such as how he looks at the narrator with fixed attention and how he doesnt even acknowledge him, is far from seemingly normal behaviour. We will write a custom essay on The Signalman by Charles Dickens and The Landlady by Roald Dahl specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The description of the train approaching the tunnel is also strange. The train is said to have had the force to draw me down, implying a supernatural presence right from the start. The opening of The Landlady, however, is quite different. Everything at the start seems to be perfectly normal that is except Billy Weaver who is already shown by Dahl to be very naive. One key thing in the opening is the appearance of Bath itself. Baths seems to be a place with no character, as when being informed about the houses we are told they are: all of them identical -, giving no individuality or character to the city. The city seems old and run-down shown by how the paint was peeling from the woodwork on their doors and windows, and that the handsome white facades were cracked and blotchy from neglect. The overall view we receive of Bath is that it is simply dead, which is a direct link to The Signalman; this is except for the Bed and Breakfast. The inside of the Bed and Breakfast contrasts dramatically with the outside as Billy looks in. It seems warm and comfortable with the flowers, the bright fire and the pretty little daschund, which we later discover to be a great misconception on ours, and Billys, behalf. The outside, which seems dead, is completely different to the inside of the Bed and Breakfast, which is full of life with the flowers and the animals. The Signalman brings the reader to an appearance of death and gloominess, which is the environment in which everything in the story happens. The Landlady creates a false sense of reality with the Bed and Breakfast seeming very different from what is actually the case. The Signalman is set in a dark, gloomy, damp place. The position is very isolated in a deep trench. The only way down is along an unusually precipitate path made of clammy stone, which became oozier and wetter as I went down. The narrator describes the place to be the most solitary and dismal place I ever saw. As the narrator went down further along the path he became aware of an earthly deadly smell that was because the region never saw sunlight, the source of all life. The further the narrator passed down the path the more it seemed to be an unnatural world. The picture that we, the reader, imagine from the description is very much like a grave; very fitting as both that, and the story itself, is involved with death. The Landlady is set in a major city, but not at all one full of life. Again this story is set at night. The air is said to be deadly cold with the wind like a flat blade of ice on Weavers cheeks. Here there is an impression of pain from the cold wind but there is also pain in the signalman with how he suffers greatly with what happens. The contrast comes only when we see the Bed and Breakfast, which is completely different. Both of the stories are set in isolated places with the entire story of The Signalman being set in the signal box and the surrounding valley, and The Landlady being set mainly in the house. Isolation is a very important part to both stories as it is a key factor in most ghost and mystery stories, the two genres to which these belong. Both The Signalman and The Landlady have very themes to the stories, beyond what we actually see. In The Signalman the main theme is showing us the effect that isolation has on someone. Through the character of the signalman, Dickens shows us the fear and haunting someone can undergo when away from the rest of the world. Dickens also looks upon fate and destiny throughout The Signalman and the idea that we cant do anything about what has already been decided for us. In The Landlady Dahl is also focussing on isolation but not in the same way as Dickens. Here we are the ones that experience the fear for what may happen to Weaver, but the character himself is completely unaffected. .ube5434f6c113e83b8ad896f48a18b043 , .ube5434f6c113e83b8ad896f48a18b043 .postImageUrl , .ube5434f6c113e83b8ad896f48a18b043 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ube5434f6c113e83b8ad896f48a18b043 , .ube5434f6c113e83b8ad896f48a18b043:hover , .ube5434f6c113e83b8ad896f48a18b043:visited , .ube5434f6c113e83b8ad896f48a18b043:active { border:0!important; } .ube5434f6c113e83b8ad896f48a18b043 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ube5434f6c113e83b8ad896f48a18b043 { 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; } .ube5434f6c113e83b8ad896f48a18b043:active , .ube5434f6c113e83b8ad896f48a18b043:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ube5434f6c113e83b8ad896f48a18b043 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ube5434f6c113e83b8ad896f48a18b043 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ube5434f6c113e83b8ad896f48a18b043 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ube5434f6c113e83b8ad896f48a18b043 .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; } .ube5434f6c113e83b8ad896f48a18b043:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ube5434f6c113e83b8ad896f48a18b043 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ube5434f6c113e83b8ad896f48a18b043 .ube5434f6c113e83b8ad896f48a18b043-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ube5434f6c113e83b8ad896f48a18b043:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Maggie Girl of the Streets Huck Finn - Family Life EssayBoth of the stories also have the theme of the unknown, and also death, but are very different from one another; in The Signalman the unknown is in the spectres appearances and what they mean, where in The Landlady the unknown is with why there have only been three guests in total and also with what is going to happen to Weaver. From the two different stories we are shown that fear is clearly something in the mind; with how we see things in The Landlady without any actual evidence to substantiate our views, and with how the visitor sees things in the story compared with the signalman. The characters in The Signalman are vital for the story. The signalman is shown to be a very strange character right from our opening introduction to him. His behaviour with how he expectantly looked down the line, and how he ignores our narrator initially, then when he does turn to our narrator he stares at him with fixed attention but doesnt speak is hardly what could be considered to be normal behaviour. He seems to be very distant and mysterious. When the narrator sees him he seems a dark sallow man, someone whose entire features are dark, with how the narrator describes him to have a dark beard and rather heavy eyebrows creates tension. However, despite theses strange qualities, he seems to be a very reliable person who is worthy of great credibility and is excellent at his job. His brightness is clear as he has taught himself a language but we are also told that he struggles with other things such as figures. The most important thing we see about his character is how dedicated he is to his job. He is definitely a credit to the company from what we see. The visitor, our narrator, is a very inquisitive person; this is clear by how he initially goes down to the signal box. He is also a very caring person, shown with how he thinks about the narrator and what is best for him. However, he is also very responsible with how he is worried about the signalmans state of mind for the safety and well being of others. He is rational and punctual but apart from this we know very little about him apart from it seems that he is not from around the area. The characters in The Landlady are very different from those in The Signalman. Billy Weaver is an eager and enthusiastic young man, who is also very gullible and naive. This is clear from his ridiculous idea on briskness being the way to success, which is very humorous to us, the reader. His naivety is also shown with how he doesnt suspect anything with the landlady. The landlady is a very strange character, but not at all in the same way as the signalman. Her behaviour is very irrational. Her attitude could simply be considerate and caring but we dont see this as being the case and rather see it as a false front. In fact we know very little about this, but this only adds to the mystery of the story. The styles of the two writers also differ. Dickens uses great descriptive passages throughout the story. He also uses vivid imagery, such as how he describes the setting of the story to be a tomb or a grave both of which are a direct link to the events in the story. ie. Death. Dickens also uses metaphor in his descriptions a great deal, such as great dungeon. Between the two characters there are great contrasting views, which Dickens has incorporated to give us all possible views of the situation. Dahl, on the other-hand, focuses his style of writing in this piece on humour and dramatic irony. He brings the naivety of Weaver through to add to the humour and irony of each of the little pieces of revealed evidence throughout. He also shows everything from two sides. He gives great misconceptions throughout the story leaving us guessing at many things; perfect for a mystery story. In The Signalman the dialogue that Dickens uses between the characters expresses how the signalman is feeling, however, he more clearly shows this with the body language of the character. .u71a3cb8ca4ef24ec6955411260efc4d9 , .u71a3cb8ca4ef24ec6955411260efc4d9 .postImageUrl , .u71a3cb8ca4ef24ec6955411260efc4d9 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u71a3cb8ca4ef24ec6955411260efc4d9 , .u71a3cb8ca4ef24ec6955411260efc4d9:hover , .u71a3cb8ca4ef24ec6955411260efc4d9:visited , .u71a3cb8ca4ef24ec6955411260efc4d9:active { border:0!important; } .u71a3cb8ca4ef24ec6955411260efc4d9 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u71a3cb8ca4ef24ec6955411260efc4d9 { 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; } .u71a3cb8ca4ef24ec6955411260efc4d9:active , .u71a3cb8ca4ef24ec6955411260efc4d9:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u71a3cb8ca4ef24ec6955411260efc4d9 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u71a3cb8ca4ef24ec6955411260efc4d9 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u71a3cb8ca4ef24ec6955411260efc4d9 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u71a3cb8ca4ef24ec6955411260efc4d9 .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; } .u71a3cb8ca4ef24ec6955411260efc4d9:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u71a3cb8ca4ef24ec6955411260efc4d9 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u71a3cb8ca4ef24ec6955411260efc4d9 .u71a3cb8ca4ef24ec6955411260efc4d9-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u71a3cb8ca4ef24ec6955411260efc4d9:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Conan Doyle EssayBeing the first person narrative there is effective dialogue when the narrator is conveying his ideas to us directly; due to this style of approach, we can begin to visualise how we would feel in the same scenario. Quite simply because of the way the narrative is put to us we see things on a far more personal level than if it was simply a third person overview of events. We also believe what we are told more readily but also question far more, as we question our own feelings. Dahl uses dialogue excellently in The Landlady. With how things are said, by the landlady especially, it leads us to see two sides of everything. Being in the 3rd person narrative we can simply laugh at the character of Weaver with how ridiculous he is. But, also, due to this style of writing, we begin to see all side to the story because of it being an overview. However, Billy is also quite an engaging character. Partly due to how naive he is, but also how eager and responsible he is, we begin to relate to the character as we too could put ourselves in the situation as we know little more about the Landlady than he. Dickens creates suspense by giving us dramatic pieces of information, which have no meaning on their own but serve to keep our attention and interest and also gradually build up the whole picture. The suspense in the story starts at the opening descriptions of the setting, and then the character of the signalman and his story, as we begin to build up a picture and gain an understanding of everything but cant; it end partly when we are told the complete story on the second night but only completely when the signalman dies as then we understand more about the spectre. Dahl, however, creates suspense because of the view we have of what could have happened to the previous two guests and what could be slowly happening now to Weaver. The suspense basically starts from when she opens the door but especially from when we learn that there have been only two other guests previous to that night. There is a great feeling of suspense we feel about the bitter almond taste to the tea. Dahl keeps the mystery going right through to the end, as without us knowing what is going to happen to Billy the suspense doesnt go. Certain qualities of the plots of the two stories are the same: they both involve the unknown, death, both stories happen at night, and both involve unexplainable occurrences, or events. In The Signalman, Dickens looks at the supernatural with the connection between the spectre and the deaths of the different people. It also looks at the fact of believing people when there is no reason to do so. The Landlady has a very sinister plot but doesnt have nearly as much depth as The Signalman. Therefore, I think the plot of The Signalman is more effective as with having more depth is more interesting to read. The ending of The Signalman wasnt at all what I expected to happen because before that point nothing had happened to the signalman himself. The ending is very dramatic and the link between what the narrator says in the first line of the story to what the train driver was shouting is excellently thought out. However, I believe Dickens made a mistake with the final paragraph, as quite simply it just isnt needed. Dahls ending to The Landlady is excellent for a mystery story as it is left completely open. We are left to guess at the end and make our own conclusions, as we have done throughout the story. Due to this, we also question ourselves as there is still no evidence to substantiate our claims of sinister happenings we see occurring. In conclusion I prefer The Signalman by Dickens as it has a better storyline and plot. His use of style, language, and dialogue are also excellent and add greatly to the story. The characters have been expertly created and elaborated upon through the events of the story. One of the biggest reasons I prefer Dickens story to that by Dahl is because of the themes it looks at and how it makes us question ourselves and our own views and so many things, and not just those looked at in the story.

Why Spanish Uses EE. UU. as Abbreviation for U.S.

Why Spanish Uses EE. UU. as Abbreviation for U.S. Once you learn that Estados Unidos is Spanish for United States, you might predict that its abbreviation would be EU, just as we often use U.S. (or USA) in English. But the standard abbreviation is EE. UU. The Rule for Plural Abbreviations Although the abbreviation may seem unusual to Spanish students, abbreviations like it are common in standard written Spanish when shortening plural forms. Although the use of the periods in the abbreviation is standard usage and considered mandatory by some authorities, it isnt unusual to see the abbreviation without the periods: EEUU or EE UU. Sometimes the abbreviation EUA (for Estados Unidos de Amà ©rica) is used, and even USA can be found in trendy circles. Basically, the doubled letters (such abbreviations are called abreviaturas dobles in Spanish) are used to indicate that the main word abbreviated is plural. However, such a doubling of letters isnt if the plural word isnt the main noun in the phrase. For example, Organizacià ³n de las Naciones Unidas (United Nations) is ONU (U.N. in English.) The main noun here, the one that gives the phrase its gender, is singular: organizacià ³n. The doubling of letters comes from Latin, which explains some of the double-letter Latin abbreviations used in English also, such as pp. for pages and mss. for manuscripts. Identical abbreviations are used in Spanish: pp. for pginas and mss. for manuscritos. (Also commonly used is pgs. for pginas.) Such doubling is used typically when a single letter stands for a word. It isnt used used for most other abbreviations. For example, while ejemplo (example) can be abbreviated as ej., the plural form (that is, for examples) is ejs. Similarly, while usted (singular you) is abbreviated Ud., its plural form (plural you) is Uds. One of the exceptions is that the abbreviation for Buenos Aires (the city in Argentina) is Bs. As. Other Doubled Abbreviations Here are some of the other Spanish abbreviations that double the letters in the same way as EE. UU.: AA. PP. for Administracià ³n Pà ºblica (public administration)aa. vv. or AA. VV. for autores varios (various authors); VV. AA. and vv. aa. are also usedAA. VV. for asociaciones de vecinos (neighborhood associations)CC. AA. for comunidades autà ³nomas (self-governing communities)CC. OO. for comisiones obreros (labor commissions)DD. HH. for derechos humans (human rights)FF. AA. for Fuerzas Armadas (armed forces, used in Spanish and several Latin American countries)FF. CC. for ferrocarriles (railways or RR)FF. DD. for Fuerzas de Defensa (Defense Forces, used primarily in Panama)RR. HH. for Recursos Humanos (human resources or HR)RR. PP. for Relaciones Pà ºblicas (public relations or PR)JJ. OO. for Juegos Olà ­mpicos (Olympic Games)RR for reverendos (Reverends, Revs.)ss. for por siguientes (as follows, the following)SS. AA. for Sus Altezas (Your Highnesses)SS. HH. for Servicios Higià ©nicos (sanitary facilities, such as restrooms)SS. MM. for Sus Majestades (Your Majesties) Other Unusual Abbreviations Spanish also has a few common abbreviations that use punctuation (other than the period) or superscripts in ways that English doesnt. The more common ones are listed below; in many cases, more conventional forms are often used in addition to these. arto  for  artà ­culo  (article in legal documents)Bo  for  barrio  (neighborhood)Cà ­a  for  compaà ±Ãƒ ­a  (company)c/u  for  cada uno  (apiece, per unit)com.à ³n  for  comisià ³n  (commission)desct.o  for  descuento  (discount)N.a  S.a  for  Nuestra Seà ±ora  (Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary)s/f  for  sin fecha  (no date given)s/l  for  sin lugar  (no place given)s/n  for  sin nà ºmero  (no number given) Additionally, there are some forms such as  Abg.da  and  Dr.a  that have been used to refer to a female lawyer or doctor, respectively, although these are growing in disfavor. Key Takeaways The standard abbreviation for Estados Unidos (United States) in Spanish is EE. UU., although variations are sometimes used.The double letters are used in some other abbreviations as well when a single letter standards for a plural of the main noun.Some Spanish abbreviations use slashes and superscripts.

The impact of american TV series 'Gossip Girl' on young adult females Essay - 1

The impact of american TV series 'Gossip Girl' on young adult females (consumerism, product placement, luxury lifestyle) - Ideol - Essay Example With more access to social media and exposure to advertisements, today’s youth are receiving overwhelming amount of information. Besides leisure choices, Television is moulding their day-to-day preferences and trying to influence them to adopt a certain unrealistic lifestyle as they view in their favourite TV series. Another major theme is unhealthy influence of media on the health and personality building decisions. Be it an attempt to follow an unhealthy lifestyle, acting like an adult or having an access to recent branded goods, there is a constant comparison between real lives and what is being portrayed on the TV (Toffoletti 2008, pp.72-5; McRobbie 2008, pp.534-42). On the contrary, these TV shows provide an opportunity to view how certain characters exhibit an ideal behaviour in difficult situations which can be learned by the audience (Hill 2011, pp.354- 357). Consumerism has affected spending patterns and buyer’s behaviours significantly all around the globe. Th e era’s prominent brands occupy major market share by strategizing techniques that appeal to the youth. This is in spite of buyers’ prior awareness of the fact that advertisements only show the brands that they want viewers to buy. The effort to induce positive perception in the consumers is so overwhelming that it has a tendency of affecting decisions of even the most knowledgeable buyers (Romeo 2009, pp.18-25). The Television sector is not far behind in this race and they also strive to increase their viewership. Television is a powerful medium that reaches billions of viewers on a daily basis (Turow 2005, pp.105-113). Trends introduced through this medium affect millions of young viewers on daily basis (Spalding, 2010). An upcoming trend that continues to gain prominence over traditional television commercials is marketing brands in television series or movies; whereby, big corporations avail their products to actors in a television series as part of costume and dec or as a marketing strategy as is the case in the TV series Gossip Girl. The TV series is based on a best-selling series of novels written by Cecily von Ziegesar about the tumultuous life of Manhattan's Upper East Side's elite young adults. The main themes in the TV series revolve around the love life, relationships, deceit, rivalry, power, and money together with luxury lifestyle of the main characters. The series, created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, was first premiered on The CW in late September, 2007 (Spalding, 2010, p.3-67). Although, researches done by Turow (2005, pp. 105-113) and Saplding (2010) illustrate how TV, especially sitcoms, affect behavior and preferences of consumers; Keum et al. (2004, pp. 372-391) present a different opinion by saying that media creates social consciousness and status consciousness which leads to spurring an awareness of the social responsibilities associated with consuming and a pursuit of status-oriented lifestyles. These researchers were of the opinion that the shift in social and status consciousness occurs as a result of viewers’ obsession with emulating the behaviours and attitudes portrayed with the characters they hold in high esteem. This approach infers that TV series such as Gossip Girl plays a role in influencing viewers’ social and status consciousness, which in turn affects their attitudes and behaviours with regard to lifestyle and consumer choices. For example,

Philosophy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philosophy - Assignment Example Taking into account leaders like peter who only believed that one’s somebody makes a mistake he should be given just some partial punishment to mitigate the action and let him go. Besides, the use of force, power and guns to offenders not only derail integrity, but also kill their personal aspirations. A person may not have full potential to a society, but the little contribution brought by such people should be trusted and their capacity for great achievements should be put into recognition. Good leaders should demonstrate happiness to their subjects. This is because happiness indicates a person’s free will to drive away all forms of evil as it encourages people to seek ideas and consolidate support and work together to a specific vision of the society. Despite such recognitions, people should be taught to accept the practice of good morals in the society. Unethical acts should be exposed to the people as deprival and sinful. This will drive in ideas of what is termed as sinful and could lead to disgraceful society. Besides, the ambitions of good morals should be cultivated at the fore front as this will make people develop a common good to the society (Lieberman, Richter and Rank). Societal leadership should embrace the doctrine of religion to the members of the society. ... Each one should be allowed to develop his personal ambitions without engaging in the thoughts of his neighbor. This would facilitate unified agreements amongst the neighbors and embrace projectable effort to satisfy the desire for each other if everybody is given time to develop independent perception. From the narrator it articulated that, authoritative use of force not only kills people’s power of aspiration but it also instill fear and derail progressive prosperity of the society (Lieberman, Richter and Rank). The soul of an individualist After having been victimized for dynamiting the government housing project, Roaks developed a speech which was meant to illustrate how every success has to come at an expense of something. Giving an illustration from the past, we must concede that man must be submissive at any new introductory aspect in life. Taking into account several inventions man has ever made, it is true to realize that, success comes at an expense of some effort and this would only be beneficial to the other members of the society. Regardless of all suffering, torture and bestowed to a person because of his effort, the notion for succeed is a vision for all and anybody who has endured suffering must be made aware that, success must start with a single step (Lieberman, Richter and Rank). The mind of a person is considered as an attribute for himself. Through Roak’s speech we are able to understand that, an individual mindset is atoll to his success and this is something that cannot be shared. Moreover each and every person must be able to think alone however, a collective decision is acceptable even though the primary sauce of the goal is supposed to be independent from a

5. Explain how the processes involved in meiosis lead to variation in Essay

5. Explain how the processes involved in meiosis lead to variation in the genetic material of the gamete cells compared to the parent cell - Essay Example The restoration of the somatic diploid chromosome number occurs in the resulting offspring. The restoration occurs through fusion of haploid sperm cell and a haploid oocyte at fertilization (Hultà ©n, 2002). The cell division takes place in two ways. These are meiosis I and meiosis II. Each division comprises of prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase (Hultà ©n, 2002). In meiosis I, there are key processes that take place. The processes include reduction of chromosome number by half, pairing and association of four chromatids of paternal and maternal homologues and crossing over (Hultà ©n, 2002). In Meiosis II, there is completion of the process initiated at Meiosis I (Hultà ©n, 2002). At this stage, the two daughter cells produce four products. The potential gametes at this stage contain a combination of variant genes from both parent homologues (Hultà ©n, 2002). The process leads to variation in the genetic material of the gamete cells compared to the parent cell (Hultà ©n, 2002). As shown through the two processes of meiosis, each chromosome in a gamete cells inherits from both maternal and paternal genetic material (Hultà ©n, 2002). The resultant progeny is hereditarily diverse from parents (Hultà ©n, 2002). The difference is the one that leads to variation in the genetic material of the gamete

Literature Review of Caregivers Stress and Coping

Literature Review of Caregivers Stress and Coping A Literature review is a critical summary of research on a topic of interest often prepared to put a research problem in context .A literature review helps to lay the foundation for a study and can also inspire new research ideas. A systematic review of literature and appraisal of all the relevant scholarly literature on the specific topic involves an in depth study. An extensive review of literature was done on the related research and non research literature. The literature was reviewed under the following areas and analyzed: Literature related to Caregivers stress The role of the primary caregivers is stressful. They are unable to balance between providing care for a loved one and maintaining their own health status. It has been shown to be influenced by number of factors like duration of care given, functional impairment, dealing with crisis, loss of friends, social isolation, loss of intimacy, anxiety and depression of the caregiver.(Susan Mockos Parks, 2000) A comparative study was conducted among Euro- Americans and Latinos to study the relationship between family burden of schizophrenia and socio cultural context. Findings suggest differences in levels of family distress in relation to socio-cultural factors like gender, ethnicity, diagnosis, and living situation, across cultural and diagnostic groups. ( Jenkins,J.H. and Schumacher ,J.G.1999). Two Indian comparative studies were conducted in different states of India on the caregivers burden of schizophrenia and OCD patients. Ninety two First degree relatives/ spouses were compared. One study showed higher burden in OCD group that was high among spouses than relatives of schizophrenia group . The same author done another study showed higher burden in schizophrenia than OCD. (Guru raj, 2008). The study was conducted to measure the perception of burden by caregivers of patients with schizophrenia at Institute of Mental Health and Hospital, Agra. the Burden Assessment Schedule (BAS) was correlated to spouse, physical and mental health, external support, caregivers routines, support to patient, responsibility-taking, other relatives, patients behavior and caregivers strategy. A number of sample is thirty four caregivers of patient with schizophrenia. A low positive correlation was found between urban domiciles and support of the patient and the caregivers routine. There was a low positive correlation between age less than 30 years and the physical and mental health of the caregiver, and with taking responsibility. (Sunil Srivastava ,2005) This comparative cross-sectional study assessed family burden among caregivers of patients with OCD and schizophrenia in an Indian setting. Findings shows Indian families experience significant degrees of burden in the care of their relatives with OCD and schizophrenia. Relatives demographic characteristics did not influence burden severity. Illness severity and patients disability had a direct positive relationship with perceived family burden. This study suggests to develop local needs based support programme for families of patients with psychiatric disorders in India. (Rammohan, A., 2002) A case study was investigated the incidence of chronic sorrow in parents of chronically mentally ill children like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Convenience samples of 10 parents (four couples and two mothers) of adult children were interviewed using the Burke/NCRCS Chronic Sorrow questionnaire (Caregiver Version). Results showed that 8 out of 10 parents experienced chronic sorrow and suggested that healthcare professionals could assist them by providing information about their childs illness and by involving them in the treatment process. (Georgene G. Eakes., 2004). A study was examined on psychological distress among Latino family caregivers of adult with schizophrenia. The interview was done by using Zarit Burden Scale. The results shows that younger caregiver age, lower levels of caregivers education, and higher levels of the patients mental illness symptoms were predictive of higher levels of caregivers depressive symptoms. Caregivers perceived burden mediated the relation between patients psychiatric symptoms and caregivers depression. (Sandy. M. Magana., 1997). According to Ascher-Svanum and Sobel the comparative study was conducted to study the caregivers of mentally ill relatives to explore the relationship between gender and perceived levels of burden. Ninety-seven caregivers (76 women, 21 men) were interviewed. Women were found to experience a greater sense of burden and frustration than men in caring for their mentally ill relatives. The authors concluded that women encountered a wide range of difficulties centered on family and child rearing. (Gloria Denise Mays.,1989). A study explores the influences of selected social and psychological factors that are associated with perceived caregiver stress among 263 primary caregivers of the elderly in Allahabad City in northern India. The results indicate that although male caregivers perceived stress depends only on the size of the role overload, female caregivers perceived stress depends on the interrelationship between the size of the role overload and adherence to Asian cultural norms. (Rashmi Gupta.,2010). Literature Related to Coping measures to Reduce caregivers stress A study revealed primary caregivers with more active coping strategies perceive low level burden. This findings suggest the nurses to derive problem focused coping strategies for the caregivers. (Schultz, R.Beach., 1999) A analytical study conducted at Iran to identify caregivers at risk for adverse health effects associated with care giving, the stress, coping, and health. The sample size used was 500 primary caregivers of patients with bipolar disorder. The results shows burdened caregivers had less coping levels, lower mastery and social support. Effective and stigmatized groups had better health outcomes and less service use than the burdened group over time; stigmatized caregivers had poorer self-care than effective caregivers. (Perlick, D.A.., 2008). A descriptive study was examined the effectiveness of a stress relief initiative for primary caregivers of adolescents with intellectual disability (ID) at Taiwan. Seventy-seven primary caregivers of people with ID were selected the study, which involved participation in one stress management workshop (intervention group only) and both groups reading an education booklet on stress management. They found that 22.1% of caregivers in the study were at high risk of depressive stress and in need of mental health consultation; this prevalence was nearly six times that of the general population. The study results show that a face-to-face workshop is an effective way to decrease levels of depressive stress. (Hu, J., 2010). The pilot study was conducted to assess the level of stress experienced by caregivers of brain tumor patients and to examine both their interest in and preferences for stress reduction programs at North Carolina in USA. Convenience sampling technique was used. The sample size is 60 adult caregivers. The study examined the caregivers level of stress, beliefs, past experiences, and preferences in regard to stress reduction programs. A seventy two percent of the caregivers reported elevated stress levels , eighty seven percent caregiver believed that stress reduction techniques can help reduce stress ,eighty one percent caregiver were interested in learning about programs to reduce stress . Overall, sixty five caregivers wanted to receive information about stress reduction programs and seventy three percent caregivers were interested in programs such as exercise to reduce stress. Overall, fourty four percentages of caregivers were interested in participating in the various stress reduct ion programs presented to them in this study. These data provide further evidence that caregivers experience elevated levels of stress and are willing to learn more about and participate in programs to reduce stress .(Keir,S.T.,2007). The descriptive study was to examine the effects of music, progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), and music combined with progressive muscle relaxation on the reduction of anxiety, fatigue, and improvement of quality of life in family hospice caregivers at university of Kansas in USA. Sample size is 32 .The duration of study was 2 weeks. Paired t test indicated that the control and PMR group exhibited a significant difference in pre and posttest quality of life scores. Results shows that a significant correlation between anxiety and quality of life, anxiety and fatigue, fatigue and quality of life. (Choi,Y.K.,2010). A mail survey was conducted using a representative sample of 998 employed Chicago residents who provided informal care for at least one person. Ordinary least squares regression models were computed to examine the relationship between caregiver burden and drinking outcomes. Results suggest that caregivers who experience social and emotional burdens related to care giving are at risk for problematic alcohol use and warrant attention from health care and mental health service professionals. (Rosependa, K.M., 2010). A comparative study conducted in Australia to investigate the relationship between depression, nutritional risk and dietary intake in a population of older caregivers. Mailed questionnaire with sub group participating in a home based interview was used. Seventy-six community dwelling caregivers aged 50 years or over from Victoria, Australia. The data collected related to weight, height, hours of care, depressive symptoms, nutritional risk and appetite, dietary intake and shopping, cooking and meal consumption habits. Results shows thirty two percent of caregivers had depressive symptoms, twenty one percent were at risk of malnutrition, and twenty one percent reported their appetite was bad. Caregivers with depressive symptoms (32%) compared to those with no depressive symptoms (53%) had a poorer appetite (p < 0.05). Of the 20 caregivers who participated in the home interview, 25% reported they ate their meals alone. A result suggests older caregivers had depressive symptoms, were at risk of malnutrition and had poor appetites, although the majorities were overweight or obese. (Torres.S.J.,2010). A randomized comparative trial was undertaken comparing yoga with relaxation in South Australia. One hundred and thirty-one subjects with mild to moderate levels of stress. One hour sessions of relaxation or hatha yoga for 10 weeks .Following the 10 week intervention stress, anxiety and quality of life scores improved over time. Yoga was found to be as effective as relaxation in reducing stress, anxiety and improving health status. Yoga was more effective than relaxation in improving mental health. Vitality, social function and mental health. Yoga appears to provide a comparable improvement in stress, anxiety and health status compared to relaxation.(Smith, C., 2007). A pilot study of a yoga and meditation intervention for dementia caregiver stress. Twelve older female dementia patient family caregivers were participated. This study planned to help caregivers cope with stress. Pre test and post test revealed statistically significant reductions in depression and anxiety and improvements in perceived self-efficacy. These findings suggest that yoga and meditation may be a feasible and effective intervention for family caregivers and may improve affect, coping, physical well-being, and stress management.(Waelde, L. C.,2004).

Free Lunch?There Is None Such

There ain't no such thing as a free lunch† (alternatively, â€Å"There's no such thing as a free lunch† or other variants) is a popular adage communicating the idea that it is impossible to get something for nothing. The phrase is central to Robert Heinlein's 1966 libertarian science fiction novel The Moon is a Harsh Mistress,[1] which popularized it. [2] The free-market economist Milton Friedman also popularized the phrase[3] by using it as the title of a 1975 book, and it often appears in economics textbooks;[4] Campbell McConnell writes that the idea is â€Å"at the core of economics†. 5] The acronyms TANSTAAFL (which appears in Heinlein's novel) and TINSTAAFL are also used. Uses of the phrase and the acronym dating back to the 1930s and 1940s have been found, but the phrase's first appearance is unknown. [3] The â€Å"free lunch† in the saying refers to the nineteenth century practice in American bars of offering a â€Å"free lunch† with drinksTh e â€Å"free lunch† referred to in the acronym relates back to the once-common tradition of saloons in the United States providing a â€Å"free† lunch to patrons who had purchased at least one drink. Rudyard Kipling, writing in 1891, noted how he came upon a barroom full of bad Salon pictures, in which men with hats on the backs of their heads were wolfing food from a counter. â€Å"It was the institution of the â€Å"free lunch† I had struck. You paid for a drink and got as much as you wanted to eat. For something less than a rupee a day a man can feed himself sumptuously in San Francisco, even though he be a bankrupt. Remember this if ever you are stranded in these parts.? [6] TANSTAAFL, on the other hand, indicates an acknowledgment that in reality a person or a society cannot get â€Å"something for nothing†. Even if something appears to be free, there is always a cost to the person or to society as a whole even though that cost may be hidden or distributed. For example, as Heinlein has one of his characters point out, a bar offering a free lunch will likely charge more for its drinks

Integrated and multi-agency working Essay

Working with children will often involve you working closely with families and different agencies. Multi-agency working and integrated working plays a very important part in ensuring children and families with additional needs are provided with the best possible support. Multi-agency working requires practitioners and professionals from different sectors and within the workforce to provide integrated support for children and families with additional needs. Multi-agency working provides many benefits for children and their family as they provide them with tailor-made support in the most efficient way. These benefits may include: -early identification and early intervention, -quicker access to services and/or expertise, -improved progress and achievement with their milestones and education, -better quality services, -better support for the families. Integrated working focuses on enabling and encouraging professionals to work together effectively to deliver front line services. Integrated working key elements include: -early intervention if needed, -assessments which allow practitioners to undertake an early and initial assessment of a child’s needs and access whether extra services may be required, -recording information in one place and with the consent of the child or parent, -sharing information with relevant inter-agency practitioners, -the team around the child discussing and making joint decisions with the family on the assessment and recommendations for further support, -the lead professional who is the key to the process of integrated working and is the practitioner who acts as the point of contact with the child, their family and who coordinates and monitors the action plan that may have been implemented.

A Christmas Carol Essays

A Christmas Carol Essays A Christmas Carol Essay A Christmas Carol Essay Essay Topic: A Christmas Carol Literature At the time when dickens was writing the Christmas tradition was not nearly as important as it is today. The Christmas tradition gained popularity during the reign of Queen Victoria in England. One reason for this was that the monarchy supported it: Prince Albert, Queen Victorias husband brought the German tradition of decorating the Christmas tree when he came to England. Life in Victorian Britain for the poor and un-privileged was very hard as children were uneducated; they had very little money and therefore were unable to afford to go to school. Young children were being employed in factories and mines as chimney sweeps. Children were expected to help towards the family budget, often working long hours in dangerous jobs and low wages. On the other hand life for the richer and fortunate people was more relaxing and also benefitted them in many ways. Parents could afford to send their children to school to get a good enough education; some were very fortunate and were able to be tutored at home. It was cold, bleak, biting weather The fog came pouring in at every chink and keyhole. He used external coldness to reflect Scrooges cold nature. We are then introduced to Scrooges nephew, Fred, in a conversation. Dickens creates a contrast between the characters of Scrooge and Fred as Scrooge is described bitterly and with coldness and darkness whereas Fred is described cheerfully and with warmth and light. He makes us like Fred and dislike Scrooge by the way they are described. A frosty rime was on him. This is in contrast with the warm hearted Fred that he was all in a glow; his face was ruddy and handsome. This is similar to Romeo and Juliet where light and dark imagery and reveals the plays theme to reinforce the theme of the novel. As we hear the conversation between Scrooge and Fred we realise their different views about the goodness of Christmas. Scrooge is very negative about Christmas whereas Fred is positive about it. Throughout this section we are taken back to the theme of goodness. There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited. Fred is leading Scrooge to be like him in his goodness to people. Scrooge meets Marleys ghost and who says he must change his ways in order to help people through their journey of life, to do goodness, which is the message of the novel. In the second stave Scrooge is taken back into his past and this has an impact on Scrooges character. The spirit of the past takes Scrooge back to innocent childhood which is when we see the first sign of emotion from Scrooge, but fell upon the heart of Scrooge with a softening influence, and gave a freer passage to his tears. Scrooge muttered, with an unusual catching in his voice, that it was a pimple. In this stave the setting is in contrast to the first Stave as we begin in the coldness and grime of the negative urban city of London, then change to beautiful clear and bright positive rural setting. It was cold, bleak, biting; foggy withal. Some shaggy ponies now were seen trotting towards them with boys were in great spirits The spirit then takes him to Scrooges first employer, Fezziwig who was very kind to him and treated him well. We read about Scrooge at the Christmas party where Scrooge becomes emotional about the joy he had and realises there is more to life than money. Scrooge also feels regretful as he sees how an employer can make his employees jubilant and feels he has not done it for Bob Crachit. Fezziwig, bless his heart. There is further evidence that Scrooge is changing by his expression. His heart and soul were in the scene. He is already a very different character from Scrooge we met at his counting house. In Stave three as Scrooge lies upon his bed awaiting for something to happen and finally going to his door, a voice is heard.

Common Chemicals and Where to Find Them

Common Chemicals and Where to Find Them This is a list of common chemicals and where you can find them or how you can make them. Key Takeaways: Locate Common Chemicals Many ordinary household products consist of relatively pure elements and compounds.If you have trouble locating a chemical, check for both its common name and its chemical name. For example, table salt is sodium chloride and saltpeter is potassium nitrate.Read labels to see whether additional compounds have been added. Impurities can have a significant effect on projects. acetic acid (CH3COOH H2O)Weak acetic acid (~5%) is sold in grocery stores as white vinegar. acetone (CH3COCH3)Acetone is found in some nail polish removers and some paint removers. It may sometimes be found labelled as pure acetone. aluminum (Al)Aluminum foil (grocery store) is pure aluminum. So is the aluminum wire and aluminum sheeting sold at a hardware store. aluminum potassium sulfate (KAl(SO4)212H2O)This is alum that is sold at a grocery store. ammonia (NH3)Weak ammonia (~10%) is sold as a household cleaner. ammonium carbonate [(NH4)2CO3]Smelling salts (drug store) are ammonium carbonate. ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH)Ammonium hydroxide may be prepared by mixing household ammonia (sold as a cleaner) and strong ammonia (sold in some pharmacies) with water. ascorbic acid (C6H8O6)Ascorbic acid is vitamin C. It is sold as vitamin C tablets in the pharmacy. borax or sodium tetraborate (Na2B4O7 * 10H2O)Borax is sold in solid form as a laundry booster, all-purpose cleaner and sometimes as an insecticide. boric acid (H3BO3)Boric acid is sold in pure form as a powder for use as a disinfectant (pharmacy section) or insecticide. butane (C4H10)Butane is sold as lighter fluid. calcium carbonate (CaCO3)Limestone and calcite are calcium carbonate. Eggshells and seashells are calcium carbonate. calcium chloride (CaCl2)Calcium chloride can be found as a laundry booster or as a road salt or de-icing agent. If you are using the road salt, be sure it is pure calcium chloride and not a mixture of various salts. Calcium chloride is also the active ingredient in the moisture absorbing product DampRid. calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2)Calcium hydroxide is sold with garden supplies as slaked lime or garden lime to reduce soil acidity. calcium oxide (CaO)Calcium oxide is sold as quicklime at builder supply stores. calcium sulfate (CaSO4 * H2O)Calcium sulfate is sold as plaster of Paris in craft stores and building supply stores. carbon (C)Carbon black (amorphous carbon) can be obtained by collecting soot from the complete burning of wood. Graphite is found as pencil lead. Diamonds are pure carbon. carbon dioxide (CO2)Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide, which sublimates into carbon dioxide gas. Several chemical reactions evolve carbon dioxide gas, such as the reaction between vinegar and baking soda to form sodium acetate. copper (Cu)Uncoated copper wire (from a hardware store or electronics supply store) is extremely pure elemental copper. copper(II) sulfate (CuSO4) and copper sulfate pentahydrateCopper sulfate may be found in certain algicides (Bluestoneâ„ ¢) at pool supply stores and sometimes in garden products (Root Eaterâ„ ¢). Be sure to check the product label, since many different chemicals may be used as algicides. helium (He)Pure helium is sold as a gas. If you only need a little, simply purchase a helium-filled balloon. Otherwise, gas supplies usually carry this element. iron (Fe)Iron skillets are made of elemental iron. You can also pick up iron filings by running a magnet through most soils. lead (Pb)Elemental lead metal is found in lead fishing weights. magnesium sulfate (MgSO4 * 7H2O)Epsom salts, usually sold at a pharmacy, are magnesium sulfate. mercury (Hg)Mercury is used in some thermometers. It is more difficult to find than in the past, but many home thermostats still use mercury. naphthalene (C10H8)Some mothballs are pure naphthalene, though check the ingredients since others are made using (para)dichlorobenzene. propane (C3H8)Propane as sold as a gas barbecue and blow torch fuel. silicon dioxide (SiO2)Silicon dioxide is found as clean sand, which is sold at garden and building supply stores. Broken glass is another source of silicon dioxide. potassium chloridePotassium chloride is found as ​lite salt. sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3)Sodium bicarbonate is baking soda, which is sold in grocery stores. sodium chloride (NaCl)Sodium chloride is sold as table salt. Look for the uniodized variety of salt. sodium hydroxide (NaOH)Sodium hydroxide is a strong base that may sometimes be found in solid drain cleaner. The pure chemical is waxy white solid, so if you see other colors in the product, expect that it contains impurities. sodium tetraborate decahydate or borax (Na2B4O7 * 10H2O)Borax is sold in solid form as a laundry booster, all-purpose cleaner and sometimes as an insecticide. sucrose or saccharose (C12H22O11)Sucrose is ordinary table sugar. White granulated sugar is your best bet. There are additives in confectioners sugar. If the sugar is not clear or white then it contains impurities. sulfuric acid (H2SO4)Car battery acid is about 40% sulfuric acid. The acid can be concentrated by boiling it, though it may be heavily contaminated with lead, depending on the state of the batterys charge when the acid was collected. zinc (Zn)Zinc blocks may be sold by some electronics supply stores for use as anode. Zinc sheets may be sold as roof flashing at some building supply stores.

Using SAP in Electronic Government Research Paper

Using SAP in Electronic Government - Research Paper Example and Europe and will address the various challenges at "The Impact of E-Government in Europe" conference next month in Helsinki, said Ian Swann, vice president of SAP's public sector unit. Last year, SAP joined a program headed by the Center for Technology in Government at Albany State University in New York to help address the challenge of calculating return on investment for public sector IT initiatives. The center has conducted five case studies of organizations that have sought to assess the impact of the IT investments and has drafted a document offering a methodology for measuring ROI. Swann will present the findings of the five case studies and the ROI white paper. SAP is also participating in the European Union's E-Government Action Plan, aimed at helping Europe's sprawling public sector improve the efficiency of its internal operations and external services to citizens. The company is a contributor to the E.U.-funded Picture Project, a Web-based system that lets government officials measure the impact of information and communication technologies on organizational processes, enabling informed choices for long-term technology investments. While pointing to SAP's software expertise in areas such as accounting, human resources and logistics, Swann acknowledged an eagerness on the part of many governments, such as Germany and France, to create applications on "open architectures.†... ing, human resources and logistics, Swann acknowledged an eagerness on the part of many governments, such as Germany and France, to create applications on "open architectures.† Public-sector organizations will use "open source where it is appropriate and where it works," Swann said. But Swann was quick to use the word "open" in the context of SAP's new service-oriented architecture platform. The platform, he said, "opens up the delivery of services" and opportunities to work with independent software vendors. "All of this is about building more agile applications and creating more value out of existing investments," he said. Currently, sales to the public sector account for roughly 10 percent of SAP's total revenue and are growing, according to Swann. But selling to governments, which "are and will remain under severe financial constraints," will continue to be a challenge, he said: â€Å"That’s why we have to deliver value to what they're doing." E- Government complian ce We've seen the news reports with carloads of FBI agents, windbreakers and all, rushing into a business to seize paper records and servers. The evidence is analyzed later to prove a crime using computer forensics. However, the more likely use of computer forensics will be requirements around lawsuits: accounting records, emails, transaction data, and so on, all used to tell a story that will benefit either the plaintiff or the defense. The problem comes when we move data to the public clouds. How do we deal with legal issues, such as lawsuits and law enforcement? For the most part, organizations moving to the cloud have not even considered this issue. Indeed, according to Network World, "Any business that anticipates using cloud-based services should be asking the question: What can my cloud provider

Sustainable Communites Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sustainable Communites - Essay Example â€Å"Perma-culture  is a sustainable method of edible landscaping that minimizes energy and water usage, while  cohousing  is the sharing of common resources by a group of people.† (Horton, 2011) Sustainable communities help in promoting sustainable living, which refers to a lifestyle that leads to reduction in usage of natural resources. The concept generated because it has been believed and is often believed even now, that only manufacturing companies are contributing to the ill health of earth. The truth is, however, otherwise. Individuals on their own cause a lot of pollution and reduce earth’s life. Sustainable communities help individuals learn how they can improve their lives and the lives of their future generation. That is, they are taught how as individuals they can help in sustainable development. For example, Toyota has been working on reducing its carbon foot print. Accodrding to Toyota, 2011, â€Å"Toyota’s culture of shared environmental responsibility has enabled the company’s manufacturing facility to implement 1,700 energy-saving measures over the past five years—resulting in a CO2—emission reduction result of 120,00 0 tons—that’s roughly equivalent to planting 45,000 trees.† I thought to myself what my carbon footprint is. I calculated it and I read different articles that helped me learn how I can reduce my own carbon foot print and help in making earth’s environment better in my own capacity. Moreover, sustainable communities also help in making others aware about sustainable development plus they give a platform for organizations to form partnerships and coalitions and work for the betterment of the environment and people. â€Å"The Stern Review (2006) concluded that climate change presents very serious global risks, and it demands an urgent global response.† (INFED). This means that companies need to work together for a better cause. Some companies like Coco-Cola have been