Importance Of Voting

Elections form the bedrock of the largest democracy in the world – India. Since Independence, as many as 15 Lok Sabhas have been formed through elections, the first one being held in 1951-52. The methodology of election is through universal adult suffrage, whereby every citizen of India over 18 years of age is an eligible voter in the eyes of the Constitution.The importance of elections in India—and for that matter, in any democracy—is as follows: Choice of leadership: Elections provide a way for the citizens of India to choose their leaders. They do so by casting their vote in favour of the candidate or party whose views appeal to them. This ensures that the will of the people is reflected in the elected candidates. Change of leadership: Elections in India are also a platform for the public to voice their resentment against a ruling party. By voting for other parties and helping elect a different government, citizens demonstrate that they possess ultimate author ity.Political participation: Elections open the door for new issues to be raised in public. If a citizen of India wishes to introduce reforms that are not the agenda of any of the parties, he or she is free to contest the elections either independently or by forming a new political party. Self-corrective system: Because elections are a regular exercise, occurring every five years in India, the ruling parties are kept in check and made to consider the demands of the public. This works as a self-corrective system whereby political parties review their performance and try to appease the voters. With a population of over 1.2 billion (according to the 2011 census) spread across 28 states and 7 union territories, India has a system of elections that is both daunting and praiseworthy.

Unleashing India’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Potential

Unleashing India’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Potential India has been one of the best performers in the world economy in recent years. Indian economy has been one of the stars of global economics growing 9. 6% in 2006 and 9. 2% in 2007. Growth had been supported by market reforms, capital inflows of FDI, rising foreign exchange reserves, both an IT and real estate boom, and a flourishing capital market. Like rest of the world, however, India is also facing testing economic times (economic recessesion) with inflation running at 11%, the highest level seen in a decade . The Indian stock market has fallen more than 40% in six months from its January 2008 high. $6 billion of foreign funds have flowed out of the country in that period, reacting both to slowdown in economic growth and perceptions that the market was over-valued. It’s high time we recognize the growing significance and visible impact of Entrepreneurship and innovation on wealth-creation and employment-generation in India. INNOVATON: Innovation is a process to achieve measurable value enhancement in any commercial activity, through introduction of new or improved goods, services, operational and organizational processes. It is a significant factor in fostering competitiveness, improvement in market share and quality. It reduces costs . Innovation is a key driver of economic growth. It is both creation, commercialization of new knowledge and diffusion and absorption of existing knowledge in new locations. Growth, accompanied by innovations, has been associated with rising living standards and a reduced number of poor people. India is increasingly becoming a top global innovator for high-tech products and services. Still, the country is under performing compared to its innovation potential which has direct implications for long-term industrial competitiveness and economic growth. About 90 % of Indian workforce is employed in the informal sector. This sector is often characterized by underemployment, low-productivity and low-skill activities. Although India has the benefit of a dynamic young population , with more than half of the country’s population under 25 years old, only 17 percent of people in their id-20s and older have a secondary education. To uphold rapid growth and help alleviate poverty, India needs to aggressively exploit its innovation potential, relying on innovation-led, rapid and inclusive growth to achieve economic & social transformation . According to one of the findings the output of economy could increase more than five folds if each enterprise could absorb knowledge existing in India and achieve the level of productivity of top enterprises in their sector. By applying knowledge in new ways to production processes, better and new products can be produced with the same or fewer inputs to meet the needs of all sections of Indian society. The very popular â€Å"Dabbawala† system is an innovative business process which allows 4,500–5,000 semiliterate Dabbawalas to deliver almost 200,000 lunches to workers every day in Mumbai. The Dabbawalas reportedly make one mistake per 6 million deliveries. So remarkable is this delivery network that international business schools have studied the work flows of the Dabbawala system to understand the key to its stellar performance rating. To unleash its innovation potential, India needs to develop following strategies: > > Increasing level of competition to improve the investment climate, supported by stronger skills, better information infrastructure and more public and private finance. Recommended actions to raise competition include removing regulations which are not essential and applying essential ones more transparently in product, land, labor, capital, and infrastructure services markets—for example, easing limits on small industries, restrictions on foreign direct investment (FDI) etc. Limited skills and training are a major bottleneck. Only 16 percent of Indian manufacturing firms offer in-service training, compared with 92 percent in China . The Indian firms that provide in-service training are 23–28 percent more productive than those that do not. This bottleneck could be overcome (i) by providing public matching funds for firms to invest in training and (ii) increasing the fiscal and managerial autonomy of universities and colleges, and increasing private participation in higher education. Better information flows are needed: high-speed national research and education networks accelerate the pace of new discoveries and the expansion of knowledge. Information-related actions could include expediting the allocation of radio and wireless broadband spectrums, increasing targeted subsidies for rolling out rural mobile and broadband, and agreeing on an organizational structure to deploy and manage a national research and education network. gt;> India can benefi t from supporting efforts to create and commercialize knowledge, help in diffusing existing global and local knowledge and by increasing the capacity of smaller enterprises to engross it. Private enterprises need to increase R&D spending. Between 1998 and 2003, multinational corporations spent $1. 3 billion on R&D in India—showing that its valuable assets could be exploited more effectively. Measures to spur private R&D could include consolidating and expanding early-stage technology development programs as well as developing a policy and action plan to use public procurement to promote innovation. New domestic knowledge needs to be converted to commercial use. Of the top50 applicants for patents in India between 1995 and 2005, 44 were foreign firms. Only six were Indian. Actions to promote commercialization and strengthen links among industry, universities and public laboratories could include providing support to technology transfer offices, creating a patent management corporation, developing technology parks and incubators and improving India’s regime for intellectual property rights. India should also consider enhancing support for higher-risk technology R&D and commercialization by strengthening its New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative and by opening the program to international collaboration and giving grants to both research institutions and private enterprises, with sharing of any resulting royalties. The Diaspora needs to be tapped more effectively. About 20 million people i. e. 2 percent India’s population earn the equivalent of two-third of India’s GDP. Steps to tap more efficiently tap India’s overseas talent could include supporting a larger Diaspora network, building on existing groups that aggregate this population’s (NRIs’) talent and capital for use in India. >> India would benefit from fostering more inclusive innovation—by promoting more formal R&D efforts for poor people and more creative proletariat efforts by them, by improving the ability of informal enterprises to exploit existing knowledge. Inclusive innovation can play a critical role in lowering the costs of goods and services and in creating income-earning opportunities for poor people. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research has developed technology applications for rural India, university and formal private initiatives e. g. e-Choupal. To leverage traditional knowledge into revenue, a policy-oriented intellectual property rights think tank could propose how to implement a cheaper intellectual property regime. Finally, successful technology upgrading programs could be extended to help informal and rural enterprises make better use of existing knowledge. ENTREPRENEURSHIP: Entrepreneurship represents a mindset. It is the skill of finding creative, innovative and profitable solutions to problems and to be paradigm pliant. An entrepreneur is someone who assumes the financial risk of the initiation, operation and management of a business. They aren't generally high-risk takers when they can't affect the outcome of the situation. They tend to set realistic and achievable goals, and when they do take risks, they're usually calculated ones based on facts and experience, rather than instincts. Entrepreneurs are participants not observers, players not fans. And to be an entrepreneur is to be an optimist, to believe that with the right amount of time and resources, you can do anything. Why is the US more prosperous than India? Is it because we Indians are less smart than Americans? No, Indians are universally known for their intelligence. Is it because they have greater resources? No, India is as much if not more rich in natural resources. Then, why is the US more prosperous than India? The US is more prosperous simply because they have more entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs have a big role to play in driving India’s growth. With a slower economy, it is vital that government; academic world and regulatory bodies create a favourable environment for entrepreneurs to flourish. Entrepreneurship is a critical element of a growth economy and India is poised to unlock a Silicon Valley like entrepreneurial boom through the next 10 years. If India needs to eradicate poverty, we have to grow. To grow, we have to employ the unemployed. NASSCOM and CII have estimated that if India wants to be a developed country by 2020, it needs to create 10 million jobs. The million-dollar question is how these jobs are going to be created. Neither the Army nor the police force can soak up such a large number, nor can the Railways or the government. They can only be engrossed by the private sector. The industrial set-up is expanding, but not at the rate that can employ such large numbers. Is there any solution to this grave problem? Fortunately, YES, the answer is entrepreneurship. As per TiE (The IndUS Entrepreneurs- a non-profit organization, promoting entrepreneurship) each entrepreneur creates 30 jobs. An entrepreneur creates jobs, setting stage for a flourishing economy. Over 30% of Microsoft employees are Indians. The NASA relies on Indian brains for its various missions. IIT graduates are considered the worlds brightest. Why do these people flock to the US, simply because the US has more opportunities? What can we do to stop this self-ruining brain drain? The answer lies in promoting entrepreneurship. The beginnings are already in place, steps have been taken in the right direction. There is an overall shortage of start-up entrepreneurs in India compared to the rest of the world. One of the most significant deficiencies an Indian entrepreneur may face revolves around capital. Although there is ample willingness to invest capital in a well-established enterprise, there is little willingness to fund start-ups. The quality and quantity of venture capital in India is low. The benefits of entrepreneurship to the society and the economy as a whole are enormous. Entrepreneurship helps in avoidance of monopolies and cartels and help in checking large corporations and MNCs. Entrepreneurs realize the tremendous demand for goods abroad and help to market the surplus. This will make the Indian market export competitive and at the same time, the MADE IN INIDIA brand more acceptable. The surplus footstock which would have been otherwise rotting in the government storehouse, can be exported, thus earning foreign exchange. The government gets rid of the excess stock while the exporter earns revenue, leading to a win-win situation. An important factor influencing FDI, from developed nations to developing nations is the concentration of entrepreneurship. FDI is directly proportional to entrepreneurship. The highest contributor of FDI is the US. The US readily welcomes Indian exports and also lists Indian companies on American exchanges. No wonder NASDAQ rocks on the beats of Infosys Chairman, NR Narayan Murthy. So, the message is clear; we need more entrepreneurs. It is high time, the government realizes that only and only ntrepreneurship can help it grow at the high rate and rethinks its policies. To unleash its entrepreneurship potential, India needs to develop the following strategies Nurture early stage entrepreneurial ventures based on technology and innovation. Create physical infrastructure and support systems necessary for business incubation activities. Facilitate networking with professional resources that include mentors, experts, consultants and advisors for the incubated companies. Identify technologies/ innovations which have potential for commercial ventures. Promote and foster the spirit of entrepreneurship. Carry out activities that facilitate knowledge creation, innovation and entrepreneurship activities.

Greek Independence

For centuries the Greek population was completely under the Ottoman rule. The Greeks’ independence from the Ottoman Turks in 1830 did not come without hardship and suffering. Several other countries including Russia and France took sides with Greece during this fight as they felt close and connected with their culture. A nine year war was fought which eventually resulted in the Greeks gaining independence from the Turks. During this time, the Greeks had to maintain high morale and a strong disposition to be as successful as they were in the end. The circumstances they were under were difficult and harsh. Many people felt as though Greece deserved to break away from the Ottoman Empire, but some believed that the Turkish rule was not too oppressing. Most people believed that the people of Greece had great character and deserved to be free from the brutality of the Ottoman Turks. They were seen as having strong will to be independent and worked together as a country to achieve that goal. Their culture still to this day is being represented in different forms of art, for example architecture. It’s been studied for years because it served as a foundation for several other countries and is being kept alive, as opposed to forgotten. One poet, Alexandros Kalphoglou, described the Greeks as being enlightened, educated, well-rounded people. He went on to say that they were very open to and accepting of other cultures. It’s not surprising that Kalphoglou would’ve felt this way because he was a Greek Christian and most likely would be proud of his own history (Doc 4). Similarly, Percy Shelley was also a poet who believed Greek culture was essential for all other cultures to grow. She, however, was an English romantic poet. It’d be expected for her to praise Greece because romantic poets were all for the Greek revolution and independence (Doc 7). These two weren’t the only people who shared the same point of view on the Greek Revolt. While still under the Ottoman rule, Greek citizens were treated unfairly and poorly. Their living conditions were unstable and were constantly in upheaval due to the massive rebellion. The entire revolution was sparked by the lack of support shown by the Turkish rulers toward the Greeks. The bright, upbeat, and beautiful presence of the Greek culture was robbed by the Turks according to Savary, a French scholar of Greek. As a person who most likely spent a majority of the time studying Greek history, he would be inclined to respect their culture (Doc 3). Sneyd Davis, an English writer, spoke of Athens being deteriorated and everything beautiful that once existed there, vanishing. The events of what happened to the Greeks under the Ottomans can be easily related to this poem because their pride in their past was diminished. Davis is another romantic poet so I would expect to see him pro-Greek revolution (Doc 1). A majority of people were pleased with the fact that Greece did gain its independence from the Ottoman Turkish Empire. They believed that Greeks should have their arts, language, and other forms of culture restored fully so that they could regain pride in themselves. People also thought that Greek revolution would result in more successful nations in the future, which would be based on Greek tradition. A pamphlet called Greek exiles described the rise of Greek ancestors as heroes in history. It talks about how the Ottomans may have once been at power, but years later they didn’t stand a chance against the Greeks (Doc 6). In regards to Mavrocordato, it was a strong act of courage for the Greeks to take their independence and basically create their own government starting with nothing. Basically, he says that they wanted and made peace for themselves, but worked hard to get to that point (Doc 10). In an engraving created in 1828, called Greece Sacrificed, Regnier has depicted a scene where the Turks are attacking the Greeks, but not very successfully due to the fact that the Greeks are holding their ground. They’re standing for what they believe in as strong-minded individuals with a common goal in mind (Doc 11). Although most would agree that the Greek revolution was a positive thing, there are some people that are on the complete opposite side of things. These people think that the Turkish reign was not too overbearing, and that the Greeks could’ve easily stayed under their control. A Turkish sultan named Mustapha III, in 1765 made orders very clear to the governor of northern Greece to try and stop the revolts being made by the Greeks. He went on to describe the problems that the Greek population had been causing such as robberies. He thought that the Greek revolution had caused more problems than it solved, and that it should’ve been stopped early. Because of the fact that he was a sultan of the Ottoman Empire I find it almost obvious that he was against the Greeks in their revolts. Mustapha wanted what was best for his nation and people (Doc 2). In Vahid’s opinion, a Turkish governor, the revolution of the Greeks was driven by what he calls ‘drunkards,’ meaning that he didn’t take the rebellions seriously. Again, being of Turkish government, he would favor the Ottoman side of things (Doc 9). During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries Greece was driven to rebel against their previous rulers the Ottoman Turks. Their culture and everything they took pride in was meaningless in the Turks’ eyes. They felt they had to start a revolution to gain back the rights they deserved. During this revolt, they living conditions were not as good as they could’ve been. In fact they were difficult to deal with, but this had only been a small hurdle for the Greek population who was determined to gain independence. Nothing could stand in their way, as they were a fearless, courageous nation. Finally, after suffering through nine years of antagonizing war and treachery, the Greeks gained their independence from the Ottoman Turks and started to create a government as a unified country.

Qualitative Nursing Research Critique on the Relationship of Nursing Assignment

Qualitative Nursing Research Critique on the Relationship of Nursing Unit Structure to Patient Satisfaction - Assignment Example Qualitative Nursing Research Critique on the Relationship of Nursing Unit Structure to Patient Satisfaction In the field of medicine, most of the time patients under similar diagnoses may not have similar outcomes. This makes for the uncertainty that is commonly present under medical conditions (Lubin, Smith, Dodson, Spell, & Walker, 2010). What can be certain however is the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of both the patients and the level of engagement of the nursing staff that serves them. In a study conducted by Bacon and Mark in 2009, they were able to make a connection between the management and organization of nursing staff units and the level of satisfaction of patients and their characteristics under medical-surgical settings in 146 hospitals. By finding out how the response and availability of nursing staff could affect the satisfaction of patients in inpatient settings, the research was able to conclude that modifications in the work structure and the engagement levels of staff could give better service to patients, especially those recovering from surgeries. This is most significant to nurses that are under medical-surgical settings since most of the time they have to deal with patients who would need medications to alleviate pain (Mills, 2006). During the course of the study, the authors had a purpose of providing an improved solution to patient problems such as pain management in inpatient settings. The study was conducted in order to examine the connection of patients’ characteristics and level of satisfaction to the hospital environment that they are in, as well as the organizational structures of the nursing units and the total impact of such structure in the contentment of the admitted patients (Bacon & Mark, 2009). They focused on the numerous reports of patients who have or had problems with regards to the interaction between them and their care providers, and this is one of the leading causes of their dissatisfaction during hospital stays. The research question is apparent in their premise of finding a solution, and that in order to give patients a more satisfying stay in the hospital, factors that can affect them directly are sought out and sorted, finding a better way for nursing staff to deliver better services in the process. The study’s finding that there should also be satisfaction at the level of the nursing staff in order to deliver better services coincides with a previous report that high levels of stress and low motivation among nurses have a great impact on the mortality and the failure of rescuing patients in some hospitals in PA (Aiken, Clarke, Sloane, Lake, & Cheney, 2008). This is very significant for the field of nursing especially due to the nature of providing not just treatment but also care to all patients. By making improvements in the efficiency, technology, work processes and organizational design of the nursing staff, they may be able to increase their productivity without sacrif icing too much of their personal time. In turn, the satisfied nurses can be much more effective in delivering care safely to their patients (Hendrich, Chow, Skierczynsky, & Lu, 2008). The study design of the experiment was done according to the definitions of qualitative

Dahab Plastics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Dahab Plastics - Case Study Example He still sticks to the outdated methods used by his father. For example, on the production line, he still keeps an old machine regularly improvised by his workers to improve efficiency. The machine also needs more operators, increasing cost of labour. Production data is manually logged into a notebook (Pg 177). A financial difficulty is also suggested here, because he cannot afford new equipment. Quality control methods are not standardized, allowing for erosion in quality (Pg 178). In his human resource structure, he does not acknowledge the hierarchy. Credit for meeting goals goes to supervisors. He does not pay workers for additional hours to meet targets (Pg 178). Competitors are also copying his molds and selling cheaper than him. Additionally, many of them are ISO certified. Amer needs to modernize his equipment. Automated machinery will improve quality and cut down on production costs. Volumes will also increase, with a marked reduction in workers, and hence cost of labour. This will enable him reduce the cost of products, giving him an edge above the competition. An ISO certification is also required as a quality assurance to the market. He should also engage the services of professionals in Human Resource management (Pg

ISLM model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ISLM model - Essay Example money demand equals to money supply. In the IS-LM model, money demand is assumed to be given exogenously at any point of time. It is the Central Bank, which determines money supply in any economy at any given point of time. The intersection of the two curves is known to be as the point of general equilibrium at which both the money market and the goods market are in equilibrium. In the above figure, the positively sloped curve is the LM curve, while the negatively sloped curve is the IS curve. E* is the intersection point of the two curves and represents general equilibrium. r* and y* is the general equilibrium values of r and y at which goods and money markets are simultaneously in equilibrium. Whether an economic model is reliable in terms of the values of different variables that it predicts and/or whether an economic model is capable enough of capturing what is actually happening in the real world depends on the reasonability of the assumptions it is based on. To examine how well IS-LM model captures what actually happens in the economy, one needs to check whether the two basic assumptions of the IS-LM model are reasonable. The major problem with the IS-LM model is that its two basic assumptions mentioned above have certain limitations and for this reason in spite of being a fundamental macroeconomic model, economists not very frequently use it for estimating the parameters involved in this model as well as the future values of output. (Clarida and Gertler, 1999 First, consider the problem with the assumption of price rigidity. IS-LM model always makes a prediction that equilibrium can be obtained at any level a it considers a passive kind of supply. According to this model, producers produce whatever is demanded by the buyers. In IS-Lm framework, if in an economy demand changes, then the economy will make all the adjustments to that change in demand in

Employee motivation and Incentives Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Employee motivation and Incentives - Coursework Example Positive recognition is another very important factor, if an employee comes up with a great solution to a problem, he should be rewarded and appreciated for his creativity, this will also make the organization competition and the other employees will also put their thinking caps on. The fourth and the last method is by providing stock options to the employees, they will not only work for the same organization but they will start going that extra mile to ensure their growth, these are some of the best ways to hold on to employees who perform well in an organization. The most lucrative of all is the employee stock option, employees start working very hard after buying the shares of an organization and that organization grows by leaps and bounds. Part 2: The most common type of compensation is salary, almost every organization compensates its employees by paying them their salaries, organizations who think out of the box give their employees regular performance related bonuses which is the second type of compensation.

Merrill Lynch Change Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Merrill Lynch Change Management - Case Study Example The goal of change management is to make sure that change is not being resisted by employees and is being properly incorporated. To make the process of change smoother, a structured and systematic approach should be used. One thing we should always remember is that even though it can be necessary, we should not bring about a change just for the sake of changing. Normally these changes are done to stay competitive, to upgrade the company. The necessity of change does not take place from within the firm; it is usually because of outside drivers or forces. There are many models which help in change management. One of these is the AKDAR model; Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement. According to Tech-FAQ, this model says: "Awareness is sharing the knowledge of why the change is taking place. Desire is having the motivation to participate in the change process. This desire must exist for the employees and the organisation as a whole. Knowledge of how to change must be known, not just that there is a need to change. Ability is making the change happen by changing behaviours and implementing new skills. Reinforcement is when individuals and organisations are reinforced to sustain the changes; making them the new behaviour otherwise they will go back to their old behaviour". Literature Review The force field analysis, developed by Kurt Lewin was developed initially for social situations. It talks about forces which can help you achieve your goals or factors which will hinder the process of getting towards your goals. According to 12-Manage, Lewin's view of this analysis is that "issue is held in balance by the interaction of two opposing sets of forces - those seeking to promote change (driving forces) and those attempting to maintain the status quo (restraining forces)". The driving forces should be more than the restraining forces; this would shift the equilibrium and a change will occur. The force field analysis is a method which helps in identifying the most important target groups for a campaign, identify competitors, it helps in identifying how to influence these target groups and helps in investigation the balance of power regarding an issue. The driving forces are written on the left while the restraining forces are written on the right. The force field analysis consists of a series of steps according to Valuebasedmanagment.net, 1. Analyse the current situation 2. Know the desired situation3. Identify where the current situation will go if no action is taken 4. List all the driving forces toward the desired situation 5. List all the restraining forces toward the desired situation 6. Question all of the forces: are they valid Can they be changed Which are the critical ones 7. Give a score to

Athens Olympic stadium Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Athens Olympic stadium - Case Study Example The immense size of the project and its particular technical complexity were the causes for long delays; the work was finally completed in time and the new captivating stadium was officially reopened on July 30, 2004 (O.A.K.A. 2005). The Athens Olympic stadium roof in the form of a double bowstring tied arch of 80 m high is considered one of the most ingenious modern architectural and engineering projects. This impressive construction of steel and glass is today one of the city's landmarks. Along with its spectacular and pioneering architectural design, the suspended arched roof construction and erection has been a challenge to engineers and an excellent example of integration of construction engineering and hydraulic expertise (Siriani & Di Silverio 2006). The roof structure is in two halves, each comprising a top arch of a diameter of 3.25 m and a lower torsion tube of a diameter of 3.6 m extending for 304 m over the stadium. The wall thicknesses of the tubes are up to 95 mm. All four tubes merge at their ends and are based on four support steel shoes (19 m x 4 m x 4 m) made from 100 mm thick steel plates. The tubes support wire cables that hold polycarbonate panels of a weigh of 17,000 ton in total. 220 girders cantilever out of the torsion tube supporting the panels, thus forming the roof deck. Finally, the panels are covered by a special coating to reflect 60% of the sunlight. Apart from providing shadow, protecting athletes and spectators against the hot Greek summer sun, the roof served as a carrier for telecommunications and security systems during the Games (Siriani & Di Silverio 2006). The layout of Calatrava's roof can be seen in figure 1. Fig.1. The Athens Olympic stadium layout and dimensions of the roof (redrawn from Siriani & Di Silverio 2006). The roof construction project was contracted to the Italian Costruzioni Cimolai Armando Spa of Pordenone. In detail, the stages of the building process were segment fabrication and pre-assembly, segment shipping to construction site, on-site assembly and erection of the two halves of the roof at a distance from the sports arena and finally assembly pulling (sliding) into position. With the exception of the sliding step that was sub-contracted, all remaining stages were undertaken by Cimolai (Siriani & Di Silverio 2006). A number of difficulties arose during the renovations works that were mainly linked to the immense character of the project and the shortage of available time; these issues required technically advanced, ingenious solutions. All steel fabrication works took place at Cimolai's site in Italy, using a 6000 ton press, one of the largest in Europe. The support shoes and pre-assembled tube segments of up to 15 m in length equipped with cable anchorages, diaphragms and girder connections were constructed there and were subsequently shipped by sea to Athens. Shipping has been a gigantic operation due to the excessive size of the segments of the roof (Siriani & Di Silverio 2006). A second particularity of the project was that roof assembly and erection could not take place at its final position, so as to allow other renovation work in the stadium to proceed during the assembly process. Thus each of the arch structures was put together separately on each side of the concrete stadium, at 70 m far from either side. Roof

A Comparasion of Rack Supprted Warehouse vs. Conventional Steel Frame Research Paper - 1

A Comparasion of Rack Supprted Warehouse vs. Conventional Steel Frame Buildings - Research Paper Example The easy analyzes or compares two structural styles, that is rack supported warehouse and conventional buildings. In conventional building or steel frame design, the building utilizes the skeleton frame of the horizontal trusses or beams and vertical column of steel (Fischer, 2009, p.78). Usually the building is constructed in the rectangular grid so that it supports the walls and roof, which is well attached to the frame. Then the building is later equipped with freestanding or agonistic racks for the material storage. The building is comprised of total storage rack system; the rack system are the basic structural support for both roof and walls of the building, sometimes the roof and the walls of the building are referred as skin (Goetsch, 2004, p.34). The building design for steel frame can be classified into two different designs; the first design is called hot rolled steel industrial building design and the other is cold form steel building design. The conventional steel frame designs are expensive to construct, therefore, it not to be economical (Goodno, 2010, p.12). Rack supported wareho use are found to be economical due to their simple design and structure. The structure offer highest height, which increases its storage capacity (Hiatt, 2002, p.34). For conventional steel buildings, it is someway not quick and efficient in construction. The main reason for it not to be quick, the building are designed from the beginning or are designed from scratch as it is the consultant who designs with fewer designing aid available for an engineer (Koontz, 2012,p.12). In adition conventional steel building, the main steel are chosen from typical hot rolled â€Å"I† parts that are in numerous segments of the constituents which are heavier than what is usually required for a design (Yudelson, 2006, p.13). These constituents

The Influence of Cigarette Smoking all Over the World Research Paper

The Influence of Cigarette Smoking all Over the World - Research Paper Example Cigarette smoking is the inhale of the smoke of burning tobacco encased. Informal smoking is the act of smoking only infrequently, generally in social circumstances or to alleviate tension. A number of health experts consider regular cigarette smoking as a psycho-addiction and having dangerous health effects. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has stated that cigarettes should be regarded as nicotine delivery devices. Nicotine, the vigorous element in tobacco, is intake into the lungs, where most of it remains. The remainder passes into the bloodstream, and reaches the brain in around 10 seconds and spread all over the body in just 20 seconds. The conditions and the amount of tobacco inhaled, nicotine can act as either refreshment or sedative. This can be described as some people describes that smoking gives them energy and motivates their mental activity, at the same time as others see that cigarette smoking alleviates nervousness and lessen them. Yet, nicotine increases the danger of heart ailment. Nevertheless, when a person smokes, he or she is taking in a lot more than nicotine. Smoke from a cigarette includes many other toxic chemicals, including tar and carbon monoxide. Tar is a sticky matter that accumulates in the lungs, causing lung cancer and respiratory pain. Carbon monoxide restricts the quantity of oxygen that the red blood cells can transmit all over the body. In addition, it may harm the internal walls of the arteries, which lets fats to increase in them. In addition to tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide, tobacco smoke contains numerous different chemicals. Most of them are considered to be deadly. Nonsmokers who are vulnerable to tobacco smoke also take in these poisonous chemicals. Cigarette smoking is considered as the major preventable source of death, contributing to the deaths of just about 430,700 Americans each year.  

Indian Republic Day Essay Example for Free

Indian Republic Day Essay In the life of every nation there are certain days which are considered as red-letter days. The Republic Day celebration held on 26th January every year in our country is one of those days. It is perhaps the most important day of our country. It marks the birth of our nation as a republic. Therefore this day is celebrated all over the country with great pomp and show. The origin of Republic day goes back to pre- independence days of 1929, when the Indian National Congress during its Lahore session under the President ship of Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru passed a resolution declaring ‘Complete Independence’ as the goal of the nation and decided to celebrate 26th January every year as the Independence day throughout the length and breadth of the country. From then on till the dawn of independence on Aug. 1947, the nation celebrated 26th Jan. as Independence Day. Later, when India wanted a day to mark its official birth 26th January, the independence day of the pre-independence days was chosen. On this day, 26th Jan. 1950 Indian constitution came into force and India was proclaimed to be a sovereign, democratic and a republic’ Soldiers from different wings of the armed forces, units of paramilitary and police forces march to the tune of the military band. The President takes the salute. A colourful %-past by helicopters and aeroplanes makes the ceremony most spectacular. Folk dances by cultural troupes and various performances are put up by school children to keep the audience spellbound. The tableaux of states depicting the cultural wonders of the states follow the school children. The procession lasts for several hours and finally ends up at Red Fort. Hundreds of people from far off places come to watch the charming show of military might and national glory. It is a great day for all of us. It is a day of remembrance, thanksgiving, and rejoicing. It is also a day of national pledge when we decided to make our country, sovereign, democratic, and republic. A great deal more remains to be done, to achieve this pledge. It is up to you and me to redeem this pledge and make our nation truly democratic and republic.

Carbon nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes Introduction Carbon nanotubes are the allotops of carbon , they have a cylindrical nano structure. Nano structure are construct with a length to diameter ratio of 28000000:1 , this is significantly larger than any other material. They have many novel properties and are many useful in nanotechnology , electronics , optics , material science and architectural field. They have great strength and unique electrical properties . However their useusge is limited in day to day life because of their toxicity . includes the spherical bucky ball (c60). It is often see that end of nanotube are hemispherical buckyball structure . It is qurt intresting to know that the radius of a nanoube is approximately 1/50000of the human hair. The nature of the bonding of a nanotube is described by appling orbital hybridation . They have sp2 bonds as graphite have . Most single-walled nanotubes (SWNT) have diameter close to 1nanometer, with a tube length is many millions of times longer. The structure of a SWNT can be conceptualized by wrapping a one-atom-thick layer of graphite called graphene into a seamless cylinder. The way the graphene sheet is wrapped is represented by a pair of indices (n,m) called the chiral vector. The integersnandmdenote thenumber of unitvectoralong two directions in the honeycomb crystal latticeof graphene. Ifm= 0, the nanotubes are called zigzag. Ifn=m, the nanotubes are called armchair. Otherwise, they are called chiral. ( The (n,m) nanotube naming scheme can be thought of as a vector (Ch) in an infinite graphene sheet that describes how to roll up the graphene sheet to make the nanotube.Tdenotes the tube axis, anda1anda2are the unit vectors of graphene in real space.) Single-walled nanotubes exhibit electric properties that are not shared by the multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) . Single-walled nanotubes are the most likely candidate for miniaturizing electronics beyond the micro electromechanical scale currently used in electronics. The most basic building block of these systems is the electric wire, and SWNTs can be excellent conductors. Application of SWNTs are useful in the development of the first intramolecularfield effect transistor(FET). Production of the first intramolecularlogic gateusing SWNT FETs has recently become possible .To create a logic gate you must have both a p-FET and an n-FET. Because SWNTs are p-FETs when exposed to oxygen and n-FETs otherwise, it is possible to protect half of an SWNT from oxygen exposure, while exposing the other half to oxygen. This results in a single SWNT that acts as a NOT logic gate with both p and n-type FETs within the same molecule. Single-walled nanotubes are still very expensive to produce, around $1500 per gram as of 2000, and the development of more affordable synthesis techniques is vital to the future of carbon nanotechnology. If cheaper means of synthesis cannot be discovered, it would make it financially impossible to apply this technology to commercial-scale applications. Multi-walled nanotubes (MWNT) consist of multiple rolled layers (concentric tubes) of graphite. There are two models which can be used to describe the structures of multi-walled nanotubes. Russai doll model, sheets of graphite are arranged in concentric cylinders, e.g. a (0,8) single-walled nanotube (SWNT) within a larger (0,10) single-walled nanotube. In theParchamenmodel, a single sheet of graphite is rolled in around itself, resembling a scroll of parchment or a rolled newspaper. The interlayer distance in multi-walled nanotubes is close to the distance between graphene layers in graphite, approximately 3.3 Ã…. The special place of double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWNT) must be emphasized here because their morphology and properties are similar to SWNT but their resistance to chemicals is significantly improved. This is especially important when functionalizationis required (this means grafting of chemical functions at the surface of the nanotubes) to add new properties to the CNT. In the case of SWNT, covalent functionalization will break some C=C, leaving holes in the structure on the nanotube and thus modifying both its mechanical and electrical properties. In the case of DWNT, only the outer wall is modified. DWNT synthesis on the gram-scale was first proposed in 2003by the CCVD technique, from the selective reduction of oxide solutions in methane and hydrogen. A nanotorus is theoretically described as carbon nanotube bent into atorus(doughnut shape). Nanotori are predicted to have many unique properties, such as magnetic moments 1000 times larger than previously expected for certain specific radii. Properties such as magnet moment, thermal stability etc. vary widely depending on radius of torus. Carbon nanobudare a newly created material combining two previously discovered allotropes of carbon: carbon nanotubes and fullerenes. In this new material fullerene-like buds are covalently bonded to the outer sidewalls of the underlying carbon nanotube. This hybrid material has useful properties of both fullerenes and carbon nanotubes. In particular, they have been found to be exceptionally good field emitters. In composite materials, the attached fullerene molecules may function as molecular anchors preventing slipping of the nanotubes, thus improving the composites mechanical properties. Strength Carbon nanotubes are the strongest and stiffest materials yet discovered in terms oftensil strenghtandelectic modulas respectively. This strength results from the covalent sp ² bonds formed between the individual carbon atoms. In 2000, a multi-walled carbon nanotube was tested to have a tensile strength of 63gigapascal(GPa). (This, for illustration, translates into the ability to endure tension of 6300kg on a cable with cross-section of 1mm2.) Since carbon nanotubes have a low density for a solid of 1.3 to 1.4g ·cm−3,itsspecific strenghtof up to 48,000kN ·m ·kg−1is the best of known materials, compared to high-carbon steels 154kN ·m ·kg−1. Under excessive tensile strain, the tubes will undergoplastic deformation, which means the deformation is permanent. This deformation begins at strains of approximately 5% and can increase the maximum strain the tubes undergo before fracture by releasing strain energy. CNTs are not nearly as strong under compression. Because of their hollow structure and high aspect ratio, they tend to undergobuckingwhen placed under compressive, torsional or bending stress. Kinetic Multi-walled nanotubes, multiple concentric nanotubes precisely nested within one another, exhibit a striking telescoping property whereby an inner nanotube core may slide, almost without friction, within its outer nanotube shell thus creating an atomically perfect linear or rotational bearing. This is one of the first true examples ofmolecular nanotechnology, the precise positioning of atoms to create useful machines. Already this property has been utilized to create the worlds smallest rotationalmotor. Future applications such as a gigahertz mechanical oscillator are also envisaged. Because of the symmetry and unique electronic structure of graphene, the structure of a nanotube strongly affects its electrical properties. For a given (n,m) nanotube, ifn=m, the nanotube is metallic; ifn−mis a multiple of 3, then the nanotube is semiconducting with a very small band gap, otherwise the nanotube is a moderatesemiconductor. Thus all armchair (n=m) nanotubes are metallic, and nanotubes (5,0), (6,4), (9,1), etc. are semiconducting. In theory, metallic nanotubes can carry an electrical current density of 4 Ãâ€" 109A/cm2which is more than 1,000 times greater than metals such ascopper . All nanotubes are expected to be very goodthermal conductorsalong the tube, exhibiting a property known as ballistic conductor, but good insulators laterally to the tube axis. It is which transmits 385 W ·m−1 ·K−1. The temperature stability of carbon nanotubes is estimated to be up to 2800 °C invacuumand about 750 °C in air. Potential and current applications The joining of two carbon nanotubes with different electrical properties to form adiodehas been proposed The strength and flexibility of carbon nanotubes makes them of potential use in controlling other nanoscale structures, which suggests they will have an important role innanotechnologyengineering. The highest tensile strength an individual multi-walled carbon nanotube has been tested to be is 63GPa. In electrical circuits Carbon nanotubes have many properties—from their unique dimensions to an unusual currentconductonmechanism—that make them ideal components of electrical circuits. For example, they have shown to exhibit strong electron-phonon resonances, which indicate that under certain direct current (DC) bias and doping conditions their current and the average electron velocity, as well as the electron concentration on the tube oscillate at terahertz frequencies[. These resonances could potentially be used to make terahertz sources or sensors. Nanotube based tranistorhave been made that operate at room temperature and that are capable of digital switching using a single electron. One major obstacle to realization of nanotubes has been the lack of technology for mass production. However, in 2001 IBM researchers demonstrated how nanotube transistors can be grown in bulk, somewhat like silicon transistors. Their process is called constructive destruction which includes the automatic destruction of defective nanotubes on thewafer. The IBM process has been developed further and single-chip wafers with over ten billion correctly aligned nanotube junctions have been created. In addition it has been demonstrated that incorrectly aligned nanotubes can be removed automatically using standardphotolithoraphy equipment. The first nanotube integrated memory circuit was made in 2004. One of the main challenges has been regulating the conductivity of nanotubes. Depending on subtle surface features a nanotube may act as a plainconductoror as a semiconductor. A fully automated method has however been developed to remove non-semiconductor tubes. Most recently, collaborating American and Chinese researchers at Duke University and Peking University announced a new CVD recipe involving a combination of ethanol and methanol gases and quartz substrates resulting in horizontally aligned arrays of 95-98% semiconducting nanotubes. This is considered a large step towards the ultimate goal of producing perfectly aligned, 100% semiconducting carbon nanotubes for mass production of electronic devices. Another way to make carbon nanotube transistors has been to use random networks of them. By doing so one averages all of their electrical differences and one can produce devices in large scale at the wafer level.This approach was first patented by Nanomix Inc (date of original application June 2002). It was first published in the academic literature by theusa navel reacherch labority in 2003 through independent research work. This approach also enabled Nanomix to make the first transistor on a flexible and transparent substrate. Nanotubes are usually grown on nanoparticles of magnetic metal (Fe, Co), which facilitates production of electronic (spinotic) devices. In particular control of current through a field-effect transistor by magnetic field has been demonstrated in such a single-tube nanostructure. Large structures of carbon nanotubes can be used for thermal management of electronic circuits. An approximately 1mm-thick carbon nanotube layer was used as a special material to fabricate coolers, this materials has very low density, ~20 times lower weight than a similar copper structure, while the cooling properties are similar for the two materials. As paper batteries Apaper battery is abatteryengineered to use a paper-thin sheet ofcellulose (which is the major constituent of regular paper, among other things) infused with alignedcarbon nanotubes .The nanotubes act aselectrods; allowing the storage devices to conduct electricity. The battery, which functions as both a lithium-ion battery and asupercapacitor can provide a long, steady power output comparable to a conventional battery, as well as a supercapacitors quick burst of high energy—and while a conventional battery contains a number of separate components, the paper battery integrates all of the battery components in a single structure, making it more energy efficient. Solar cells Solar cells developed at the new jerrsyinstitute of technology use a carbon nanotube complex, formed by a mixture of carbon nanotubes and carbonbulkyball to form snake-like structures. Buckyballs trap electrons, although they cant make electrons flow. Add sunlight to excite thepolymer, and the buckyballs will grab the electrons. Nanotubes, behaving like copper wires, will then be able to make the electrons or current flow. Ultracapacitors Mit uses nanotubes to improveultracapicator. The activated charcoal used in conventional ultracapacitors has many small hollow spaces of various size, which create together a large surface to store electric charge. But as charge is quantized into elementary charges, i.e. electrons, and each such elementary charge needs a minimum space, a significant fraction of the electrode surface is not available for storage because the hollow spaces are not compatible with the charges requirements. With a nanotube electrode the spaces may be tailored to size—few too large or too small—and consequently the capacity should be increased considerably Optical properties of carbon nanotubes Withinmaterial science, theoptical properties of carbon nanotubesrefer specifically to theabosorbtion,photoluminesence, andRaman spectroscopyofcarbon nanotubes. Spectroscopic methods offer the possibility of quick and non-destructive characterization of relatively large amounts ofcarbon nanotubes. There is a strong demand for such characterization from the industrial point of view: numerous parameters of thenanotube synthesiscan be changed, intentionally or unintentionally, to alter the nanotube quality. As shown below, optical absorption, photoluminescence and Raman spectroscopies allow quick and reliable characterization of this nanotube quality in terms of non-tubular carbon content, structure (chirality) of the produced nanotubes, and structural defects. Those features determine nearly any other properties such as optical, mechanical, and electrical properties. carbonnanotubesare unique one dimensional systems which can be envisioned as rolled single sheets ofgraphite(or more preciselygraphene). This rolling can be done at different angles and curvatures resulting in different nanotube properties. The diameter typically varies in the range 0.4-40nm (i.e. only ~100 times), but the length can vary ~10,000 times reaching 4cm. Thus the nanotubeaspect ratio, or the length-to-diameter ratio, can be as high as 28,000,000:1,which is unequalled by any other material. Consequently, all the properties of the carbon nanotubes relative to those of typical semiconductors are extremelyanisotropic(directionally dependent) and tunable. Whereas mechanical, electrical and electrochemical (superconductor) properties of the carbon nanotubes are well established and have immediateappplications, the practical use of optical properties is yet unclear. The aforementioned tunability of properties is potentially useful in opticsandphotonics. In particular, light-emitting diodes (LEDs)photo-dectors ased on a single nanotube have been produced in the lab. Their unique feature is not the efficiency, which is yet relatively low, but the narrow selectivity in the wavelenghtof emission and detection of light and the possibility of its fine tuning through the nanotube structure. In addition,bolometerand optoelectronic memorydevices have been realised on ensembles of single-walled carbon nanotubes.[2] Carbon nanotubes as a black body An idealblack bodyshould haveemissivityorabsorbanceof 1.0, which is difficult to attain in practice, especially in a wide spectra range. Vertically aligned forests of single-wall carbon nanotubes can have absorbances of 0.98-0.99 from thefar-ultraviolet(200nm) tofar-infrared(200ÃŽ ¼m) frequencies.Super black, a coating based on chemically etched nicle-phopsphoras alloy, is another material approaching the absorption of 1.0. These SWNT forests (buckypaper) were grown by the super-growth CVD method to about 10 ÃŽ ¼m height. Two factors could contribute to strong light absorption by these structures: (i) a distribution of CNT chiralities resulted in various bandgaps for individual CNTs. Thus a compound material was formed with broadband absorption. (ii) Light might be trapped in those forests due to multiple reflections Nanotubes As Space Elevators A space elevator would extend 22,000 miles above the Earth to a station, and then another 40,000 miles to a weighted structure for stability Scientists from Cambridge University have developed a light, flexible, and strong type of carbon nanotube material that may bring space elevators closer to reality. Motivated by a $4 million prize from NASA, the scientists found a way to combine multiple separate nanotubes together to form long strands. Until now, carbon nanotubes have been too brittle to be formed into such long pieces.[3] Conclusion Carbon nano tubes are very important material and are precious in day to day life , space research, nanotechnology , telecommunication , optics etc. However they are still not been used in their full extent because they are very expensive and are toxic in nature. We have to somehow find a cheap source of carbon nanotubes in the future.

Mental Health of Children with HIV

Mental Health of Children with HIV Chapter 1 Introduction Women are more at risk of acquiring HIV infection than men in sub-Saharan Africa mainly due to Gender inequality, this relatively increases the risk of children acquiring HIV through mother-to-child-transmission [1]. According to available statistics about 30% of babies born in sub-Saharan Africa to HIV positive mothers will themselves be infected with the virus either through childbirth or through breast-feeding [2]. From recent data there are about 3.2 million children living with HIV, 91% of these children living with HIV are found in sub-Saharan Africa [2]. The WHO recommendations stipulates that children below the age of 5 diagnosed with HIV should be placed on ART regardless of what their CD4 count is, 28% of these children living with HIV worldwide, requiring antiretroviral treatment (ART) currently have access to these drugs [2]. Since the onset of the epidemic, most of the children with perinatally acquired HIV in low and middle income countries do not live past infancy [3, 4]. However, results from recent research shows that life expectancy has improved and 36% of these infants live up to 16 years of age [5]. Likewise, strategies employed to screen pregnant mothers and test infants and children at risk for HIV infection, as well as the advances in ART, has improved the quality of life and ensure HIV positive children live longer [6, 7]. However, these children will have to face the challenges of living with a chronic illness, requiring tremendous social support for long, to enable proper development both mentally and physically. For example, recent studies indicate that living with a life-threatening and stigmatizing illness is also difficult and creates great psychological distress for children with HIV [8]. Children living with HIV are often confronted with fears/thoughts about their own death, most of them are stigmatized and discriminated against [8]. Consistent evidence also shows cognitive difficulties for HIV positive children [9]. 1.2. Background and Context Mental disorder is progressively becoming an important global health concern and the leading cause of disability globally. Depression an ordinary mental disorder, currently afflicts about 350 million people, both adults and children worldwide [10]. An increasing number of mental disorders are ranked among the leading causes of disability in the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Burden of Disease 2004 [11]. War, poverty, deprivation, marginalization and deracination are among the key social determinants of mental health identified as prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) [12-15]. This in turn increases the prevalence of depression in this region, though the number are under-reported. Despite the clear indication that mental health is a huge public health concern in SSA, it has consistently been neglected, due to the preponderance of communicable diseases, malnutrition and other perinatal disorders. Adults living with a chronic illness like HIV, are prone to psychosocial and psychological stressors so are children living with HIV. They are faced with anxiety associated with living with a chronic illness and the possibilities of death from the infection. High on the list for psychosocial stressor, is the issue of discrimination and stigmatization, as well as struggles with other challenges like malnutrition, poverty and diminished social support [15]. Evidence from studies have shown that children suffering from chronic diseases are more prone to developing mental disorders than their peers that are healthy. In one study [16] involving children with epilepsy, it was suggested that healthy children were less likely to suffer from mental disorder than those with epileptic conditions that had increased risks. Another study [17] showed minders of children with sickle cell disease reported more emotional and behavioural abnormalities among these set of children. Studies from other region of the world have shown that there is a relationship between HIV and mental illness. It has been shown [18] that early abnormalities in children’s neurological development is attributable to HIV infection and no other factors like environmental and biological risks. The association between HIV and neurological impairment is well researched in children. Learning difficulties, attention deficit disorder [19, 20], behavioural abnormalities [21-23] and cognitive discrepancies [24, 25] are all associated with HIV infection in children. The Pediatric Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Clinical Trials Group (PACTG) in their study reported increased risks for psychiatric hospitalization for children living with HIV compared to other children without the infection [26]. It was also suggested that children with perinatally acquired HIV infection may be susceptible to certain mental disorder due to the effects of HIV infection on neurological development. They a lso stated that there is a likelihood of increased mental illness among these children as they progress in life. Result from a study conducted by Mellins et al.[27] that examined psychiatric indicators in children between the ages of 9-16 years with perinatal HIV infection, showed that 11% of the children had oppositional defiant disorder and 13% diagnosed with conduct disorder. Moreover, other studies have shown that perinatal HIV infected children are at greater risk of experiencing abnormalities in brain development [28], these abnormalities include delayed motor and cognitive development [29] and in some cases short-term amnesia and mental retardation as a result of the infection [30, 31]. A study [32] of Ugandan HIV positive babies followed over a period of one year, showed that 30% of the babies on ART exhibited impaired motor functions while about 26% of the babies displayed impaired cognitive functions, this is in contrast with 5-6% of HIV negative babies that exhibited the same conditions. Papola et al. [33] in their study, collected retrospective data on 90 school children living with HIV, in order to examine their developmental and needs. From their findings 44% of the children’s range of intelligence were below average or average, while 56% had language impairment. A similar finding were replicated by Bachanas et al. [32], result from the study showed that HIV-infected children had lower WISC-III scores and abysmal academic performance. They also exhibited significant psychological functioning deficiency. 1.3. Research Project and significance With increasing access to ART, the number of children born with perinatal HIV infection getting to adolescence and adulthood has increased tremendously. These children in most cases share stressors experienced by other children living with other chronic illness, like long term medical hospitalization and treatment, and agonizing life experiences. Notwithstanding the burgeoning evidence and psychosocial consequences of living with a chronic disease, there are still dearth of studies that have investigated the mental health concerns of children living with HIV in SSA. Most research elsewhere focuses on the effect of ART treatment and prevention of HIV. Though, there is an increasing cognizance of the likelihood of increased risk of mental health disorders for people living with HIV in the long run, owing to biomedical changes occasioned by ART and environmental risks. Based on the glowing evidence from research on correlation between substance abuse, risky sexual behaviours and mental health disorders, it is then pertinent to understand the association between mental health and children living with prenatally acquired HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa, especially because of its unique environment and the high prevalence of the social determinants of mental illness in the region. This is necessary to inform mental health treatment and prevention programmes. 1.4. Study aim To review and provide a synthesis of research on the mental health and psychological functioning/outcomes of children who are perinatally-infected with HIV, corresponding risk and protective elements, treatment modes and areas of vital need for future research and interventions. 1.5. Organization of the Thesis This thesis is organized as follows. Chapter 1 deals with the scope and objectives of the thesis, it gives a brief background of children living with perinatal HIV infection and the current trend, the mental health issues associated with living with HIV/AIDS. Chapter 2 deals with the methodology, the literature search and identification of studies, inclusion and exclusion criteria, data extraction, quality assessment and procedures used in the analysis. Chapter 3 presents the study findings. Chapter 4 presents the general discussions of the study findings, including limitations of studies included. And also the limitations of a systematic review study, strength and weakness. Chapter 5 gives the concludes and summarizes the study, giving possible intervention to address the emerging mental health concerns for children living with HIV/AIDS, as well as recommendations and identified areas of future research. Chapter 2 Literature search A systematic literature review was conducted using the theme â€Å"children living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa and mental health†. The study included studies up until July 2014. The research focuses on papers dealing with children living with HIV/AIDS and the effects on their mental health. The aim is to harness these research papers on the above-mentioned theme, and discuss the subject, present a summary, and highlight areas of future research needs. This informed by the body of evidence suggesting that in the long run, perinatal infected HIV children are liable to mental health issues, arising from factors such as environment, genetics, biomedical and familial [30-33]. Nonetheless, in the course of these research there are dearth of studies using the mental health as outcome and perinatal HIV infection as exposure in SSA. Hence, terms relevant to the review theme were discovered and used in finding the required papers. Studies on children living with HIV and mental health outside sub-Saharan Africa were not included in this review. It is not clear as explained in some studies, whether the mental health condition experienced by HIV positive children is neurologically or psychological. This might be a limitation of this review. A comprehensive search of online database for published articles on mental health and psychological functioning of children who are perinatally-infected with HIV was conducted. The electronic databases includes: PubMed, EBSCOhost and Science Direct, MEDLINE, Psychinfo, PubMed, JSTOR and Google Scholar. In addition to the online databases, unpublished articles, theses and internal reports will also identified by citation snowballing from the initial journal articles. Data was collected between January 2014 and July 2014 from the databases. The search terms used, identified through MeSH include: mental health, psychiatric/psychological, emotional and behavioural problems, perinatal HIV infection, paediatric HIV and adolescence. Inclusion and Exclusion criteria The initial search returned one hundred and eleven studies relevant to children in sub-Saharan African living with HIV and mental health concerns, restrictions were applied in terms of age, geography and study methodology. Only studies that included children between the ages of 1- 15 years were included. Studies conducted outside sub-Saharan African countries were not included. Both quantitative and qualitative studies were included if the primary research was on HIV infection as exposure studied, the researchers had a control group or standardized psychological instrument, mental health disorder/symptoms was the key outcome studied. Only English language articles were included. Out of the 111 studies selected only 10 that were relevant to the review was selected. As the main aim of this review was to focus on well-grounded findings the mental health and psychological functioning/outcomes of children who are perinatally-infected with HIV, only papers that included both subject were selected. Exclusion of studies outside the geographical area of interest were only performed at a later stage, to ensure that relevant studies that did not stipulate their geographical emphasis in their keywords were not excluded. Figure 1. Inclusion and exclusion used in systematic review. Data Extraction Children were classified as infected or uninfected based on their seropositive or negative status. The final synthesized materials were evaluated based on the research methodology employed, age range, and the outcomes from the study. To assist in the analysis Microsoft Excel was used. A content analysis was performed. As the studies used in the systematic review is small, a meta-analysis could not performed.

Plagiarism and the Internet :: Cheating Education Essays Papers

Plagiarism and the Internet A major concern among college students, high school students, professors and teachers is plagiarism. Most students are unaware of what exactly plagiarism is. They all have general ideas, but most donÏ€t know the extent to which it spans. On the other side, teachers and professors are unaware of how to handle the situation. All the technological advances and the World Wide Web make it easier for students to pass off anotherÏ€s work as their own. Plagiarism can be defined as using anotherÏ€s words or ideas as your own without stating the source of information. This not only includes words or ideas, but pictures, graphs, charts, and statistics. The only case where citing is unnecessary is when the fact is common knowledge that can be found in a variety of places and most people know about it. Students who plagiarize from the internet, donÏ€t even consider it really plagiarizing. They feel that since it is not a hard copy of the work that it really isnÏ€t wrong. This goes back to the idea that students today arenÏ€t even sure what to consider plagiarism. With the creation of the World Wide Web, students have the ability to access great amounts of information at a faster speed. Years ago, in order to plagiarize students had to spend hours searching through books to copy information from to write a paper. The internet today contains information on so many topics, that is almost impossible to not find what you are looking for. There are even websites that specialize in providing students with papers. The task of plagiarizing from the internet has become so popular that according to a survey found in Education Week, ≠¥54% of students admitted to plagiarizing from the internet≠¤ (≠¥Statistics≠¤ 1). The commonness of plagiarizing has grown so much from past decades that is becoming hard to control. Although, plagiarism has become so easily accomplished, the same can not be said for catching plagiarists. There is just too much information of the World Wide Web, that it makes it almost impossible for plagiarists to be caught in the act.

Abortion - Touched By an Angel :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Abortion Touched By an Angel It's remarkable how a fantasy-based, sometimes sappy TV show featuring angels disguised as ordinary folks can pack more profound truth into one hour than a month of nightly news programs! That's precisely what writer/producer Martha Williamson accom-plished in a recent episode of Touched by an Angel called "The Empty Chair." Bucking the Hollywood establishment and its "pro-choice" ethic, Ms. Williamson displayed unmatched courage and insight into the aftermath of abortion. As newlyweds in Boston, Betsy and Bud Baxter wanted nothing more than to work together on a television show. An offer from an Omaha station to co-host "Breakfast with the Baxters" seemed their first big step on the road to fame and happiness. Fifteen years later, when new station owners abruptly cancel their show, the Baxters are devastated by the loss of their jobs, of their dream, of all that had given their life meaning, and, apparently, of all that had been holding them together. They bitterly vent their disappointment and grief at each other until the arrival of stranded travelers (the angels Monica and Andrew) give Betsy and Bud the chance to tell their stories separately to a compassionate listener. It's not long before the underlying problem surfaces-the unspoken issue that stood between them since accepting the Omaha job: that the only child they'd ever conceived was "lost" shortly before moving there. When Betsy learned of this pregnancy, she spontaneously bought a little baby jumper. Bud reacted negatively to the news. He thought only of how a child could disrupt their career plans on the eve of their first big break. When Bud left for several days to attend a friend's wedding, Betsy dutifully took care of the problem with an abortion. She told Bud only that she had "lost" the child. Betsy tried to conceal her grief, submerging it in work. The sorrow and pain did not go away, but silently, stealthily robbed her of joy, of sleep, of the ability to feel close to her husband, of the ability simply to relax and open herself to life. Bud is torn between wanting to know if their child was aborted and wanting to avoid the question, to protect Betsy and himself from painfully confronting what they had done. Bud struggles to forget, and bristles at the first hint of a discussion of their loss.

Different Cultural Practices in the Philippines

Christille Lindy Joyce D. Caluyo BMLS II-A 1) Different cultural practices in the Philippines which could affect our health. Herbalaryo/Arbolaryo/Witch-Doctors †¢ Filipinos believe that some illnesses are caused by evil spirits that enter the body which are cast by â€Å"Manga ga mud†. †¢ â€Å"Manga ga mud† casts spells on people if they are jealous or disliked. They take personal items such as, clothing, a brush (to obtain a piece of hair), pictures, jewelry, etc. It is also done by food poisoning. †¢ These people who became sick / cursed ask help from herbalaryo/arbolaryo. They are also called witch-doctors. The herbalaryo may treat â€Å"Manga ga mud† by gathering unmarried individuals, and a bag of rice. †¢ This treatment involves a night of ritual sprinkling of rice, dining and dancing to Filipino music. †¢ After the night of festivities, everyone will say a Filipino prayer for the person who has been cursed. They believed that this treatment would remove the curse from the affected person. Halaman (Medicinal Herbs & Plants) †¢ Filipinos also believe in the healing effects of nature. †¢ Medicinal herbs & plants like ginger, garlic, and chives are used to treat different sickness. Religion †¢ Filipinos believe that religion is closely tied to health.Younger Filipino gives importance to prayer. †¢Filipinos are religious people that they entrust their health to their faith. †¢Prayer also has a role in the understanding of health. Regardless of how religious each age category, there is a consistent belief that God is present at work in times of illness. †¢In the case of terminal or serious illness, Filipino accepts the situation in a sense that â€Å"it is God’s will. Superstitious Beliefs †¢Many of Filipino’s believe on superstitious things such as if you comb your hair at the night, someone will die or eating twin bananas will helmyou conceive a twin. These belie fs are not scientifically proven and can only be supported by the word of our ancestors. †¢Maybe these things occur because of coincidence, just like when someone died because he is ill then they blame it for combing their hair and the word spread all over the nation. 2) Different religious practices that can affect our health. †¢Religious beliefs cause patients to forego needed medical care, refuse life-saving procedures, and stop necessary medication—choosing faith instead of medicine. Religion can cause people to be judgmental and lead to alienation or exclusion of those not playing â€Å"by the rules. † †¢If physical healing does not come immediately, the person may be disappointed and disheartened and claims that the prayer was not answered and that God does not care, and worse that the illness was sent by an angry, vengeful God as a punishment. †¢Religion may become so rigid and inflexible that it becomes excessively restricting and limiting. †¢Religion may encourage magical thinking as people pray for and expect physical healing. Jehovah's Witnesses may refuse life-saving blood products, and some Christian Scientists may avoid seeing Healthcare Provider because they rely on prayer instead. †¢Patients may stop their medications after attending a healing service in order to â€Å"demonstrate their faith†. †¢People believe that being spiritually healthy could lead you to a healthy body. †¢People would pray always and avoid being problematic. Sources: http://www. hawcc. hawaii. edu/nursing/tradfil2. htm http://www. spirit-health. org/resources_detail. asp? q=12 http://www. esipa. org/happening/documents/Culture_Health_Report. pdf

Succubus on Top CHAPTER 4

DougHe shrugged. Its non a big deal. I hatch, its lovely hot, re whollyy. hushed I didnt do those things. Its non re only toldy me.She beneficials honorable similar you. Her name bulges with a Gtoo.But its not I swallowed, noting the similarities as well.Doug watched me appraisingly. You cant really crash up them. Description-wise, you two match, and ein truth bingle dwells you and Mortensen are chummy not to mention what a zealous buff you are and all. After they read the story, Casey rase do the brilliant observation that you guys came in to set extincther yesterday. You should sire perceiven the speculation that started.Butthat was nothing. No wiz at fit blood-redden k spick-and-span solidification and I were dating. I hadnt cherished that widely bring on sexn. We hadnt d cardinal anything.Doug shrugged again, w sustain on increase from the computer. Too lamentable. I wouldnt contrive vista less(prenominal) of you if you had, you fuss laid. Its your business any centering. I groaned. non when its in print for every maven to see.I purpose it was all fictitious, he reminded me with a satiny grin, putting on his coat.It is Doug, what am I sacking to do?Dont know, Kincaid. Im accepted youll go by means of mostthing egress. maybe start with asking Mortensen wherefore hes putting his fantasies on dis playfulness for everyone to see. He tweaked my cheek, and I squirmed start of his reach. As for me, Ive got a rehearsal to get along to. Big semidark tomorrow. Later.My shift proceeded miserably aft(prenominal) that. directly that I knew what the run crosswayss were for, the experience moved into a whole new realm of humiliation. I hated idle speculation, hated masses meaning terrible things roughly me. I mean, it wasnt ilk I hadnt ever tie someone up out front or had sex in an elevator, vertical start on. It wasnt the word form of thing I exigencyed race to consider publicly. I homogeneous to keep my intimate affairs discreet.I therefore stayed in the finish upice as such(prenominal) as possible, only deprivation out to help when absolutely necessary, and to bankrupt if Seth had re false til now. Finally, a couple hours before closing, I aphorism him clog up at his table. I sat down set nates him in a rage, not as yet railway caring what others would consider of us globe unneurotic.Why did you do it? Why did you pen me in care that?Seth looked up from his laptop, his expression clearly implying some(prenominal) theme he was wricking on hitherto held his attention to a gr purpose uper extent than I did. For all I knew, I was at the pump of an orgy in some apologue now. What?The story I threw American riddle onto the table loudly. You wrote me in. ImGenevieve.He blinked. No you arent.Oh yeah? How begin both our names begin with a G? How tally we look alike?You dont look anything like her, he countered.Thats not what fractional the store thinks. They t hink shes me They think youve written up a fling we had in an elevator.Realization flashed across his face, and to my horror, he actually smiled. Really? Thats recreationny. curious? Its terrible They all think Im a bondage freak.Thetis, he began gently, in time cursedly serene, I Dont Thetis me. It wont work.I wrote that story, like, sixsome months ago. foresighted before I met you. The publishing world doesnt move that fast.Well, the others dont know that. I h all overed on the verge of tears.Id never write in anyone so blatantly.Yeah? Well, they dont know that either, I utter, slouching back against my chair miserably, arms crossed.Seth sighed, his amber brown eyeball compassionate as he regarded me. Look, do you pauperization me to aver something? Tell them that it wasnt you?Lord, that would just impel them pull down much that it was me. Besides, what are you passing game to do, birdcall a press multitude to clear my name?Im sorry, he told me seriously. I never thought anything like this would happen. A hesitation. Dodo you still want to go out tomorrow unreformableness? I meanif you dontThe old adorable shyness fell over him, and I couldnt stay mad.No, I told him. I still want to go, butI think we should, you know, launch up at the plan cut offly. roughly of the rung leave be there, you know.He open his mouth to let the cat out of the bag but then reconsidered. I surmise he had been roughly to accuse me of overreacting, but apparently my radiating fury made him think collapse of it. Seth wasnt incisively the confrontational type. Or, considering the mood I was in, possibly he just wasnt the stupid type.Okay, he finally said. Well meet there.Georgina?Looking up, I saw Paige standing over us, criticism all over her face. I hadnt move down ceremoniald her go somewhat. She wore another(prenominal) of her beautiful forcefulness suits, this time in an electric regal that looked stunning with her dark skin.Can I speak to you for a few proceedings? she asked, tone grim. In private?I followed her to her office, letting her close the inlet arsehole us. non surprisingly, a copy of American Mystery sat on her desk.So, she began crisply, Ive been listening some rumors Damn it. Its not me.I proceeded to relate to her my own recent discoveries, pointing out Seths observation c at a timerning how long it took for works to flow out in print. When I finished, I think I had mostly convinced(p) her of my innocence, though sordid stories flying around the workplace still obviously upset her.Studying nothing in wear outicular, Paige drummed her lacquered red nails against the desk as she thought about what to do. This will get cleared up with the staff in time. That, or theyll just get over it. What I dont like is the thought process of any outsiders drawing conclusions. You do sound like that character, and anyone else who reads the story could make the equal mistake. I dont want rumors starting that half of Seths reason for working here is that he gets sexual favors on the side, courtesy of our employees.Oh Lord. I cover my face with my scripts, wondering how celebrities dealt with truly too large-scale scandals. This dwarfish one was bad enough. I wanted to disappear. It tainted the yellowish pink of what Seth and I were nerve-wracking to build.I think the best way to approach this is Her words dropped off as a grimace crossed her face and one hand clutched her stomach.I started toward her. Are you very well?She nodded, forcing a strained smile. Itits nothing.The hell it is. You should call your doctoror at least go home.No, itll pass. Besides, Ive got too much to do. I need to make the new register and go over some blood line stats.Thats crazy. I can do that stuff.She move her head, arguing again, and I argued right back. At last, Paige yielded, which only verified something must be seriously wrong. Those who went head-to-head with her rarely won.So, I finished my shift doing her extra jobs and suffice as backup. It was exhausting, but I was prosperous to do it, still give careing about her and her baby. When we closed, I headed straight over to the suburbs, pursuit the directions Bastien had given me.When I pulled up to his kin, I could only sit in my car and stare for a few minutes.Now, I had a few well-formed ideas about the American Dream. After all, Id been alive in the days when the term was first coined. Id seen it arise, seen the mythology that meet it, seen the sinlessness picket fences and leade, well-kept neighborhoods. Id hitherto watched Leave it to Beaver. Seths brother, for example, lived north of the city and had a pretty nice chunk of it carved out.But this? This was an American Wet Dream.Bastiens place went on forever, expanding ostentatiously beyond its stain and taupe facade. Even if hed had a wife and family, I doubted they could wee-wee filled it up, and anyway, the miscellanea of people who lived in thes e places didnt have large families. After all, this was the generation that had, what, 1.75 kids?The garage had leash doors, as advertised, and tasteful shrubs and ornamental trees modify the lawn. Since it was dark now, I couldnt see the occupy of the neighborhood in detail, but I suspected Id find more of the same. one(a) house, next door, was lit up and supple with people. It was even bigger than Bastiens and in all probability the berth of the fellowship.Are you compensating for something? I asked when the weight opened his door.Mitch Hunter flashed me the million-dollar grin. My sweet infant, you and I both know thats not true(a). Love your haircut.Id come as Ta fightingha Hunter, lean and blond, though Id c erstwhileded to his rather com seeming(a)ts and given myself shoulder-length hair. He kissed my cheek and ushered me inside for a quick tour.After a few rooms, it all started blurring together. Cherry hardwood floors. famously painted walls. Sleek black applia nces. Wainscoting. A hot tub out back. abounding guest bedrooms to house a young woman Scout troop. And crafty, cleverly placed knick-knacks everywhere.Isnt this dismissal a sting uttermost? I asked, pointing to a framed copy of the Lords supplication in the foyer.Tabitha, my love, man cannot survive on bread alone. We can, however, survive on exquisite appetisers and hamburgers, so lets head over.We arrived considerably after(prenominal) the starting time, since Id been at work, and the party was in full swing. Maybe I shouldnt have been so quick to dismiss these suburbanites after all.Mitch called a loud voice as we shouldered our way through the people. Most were dressed for the barbecue theme in hornswoggle, T-shirts, and Hawaiian prints.Hey, Bill, re glowering Bastien, extending his hand to a plain yet well-groomed man with silver-streaked black hair. I recognized him from his photos. Danas husband. This is my sister, Tabitha. Hope you dont mind me manner of speakin g her.No, no The more the merrier, I say. He allowed a small, artificial laugh and smiled at me, making his eyes crinkle. Especially ones so pretty. Makes me wish I was a junior man, he teased with a wink. unavailing to resist, I looked up at him through my lashes and said demurely, Ive always thought age was kind of irrelevant, Bill. I held onto his proffered hand. I know Im always happy to learn from those with moreexperience.His eyes widened moderately, lighting with both enamor and alarm.Well, he said after an self-conscious moment, I should probably spread myself around. He concocted to let go of my hand. Feel clear to find something to eat, and dont forget to try the pool.He glanced at me and my come-hither smile consideringly, hesitated, and then reluctantly departed.Dont ever do that again, hissed Bastien, steering me toward the kitchen by the arm.Do what?Flirt with this group Youre vatical to be bolstering my wholesome image, not lead on my targets husband.I wasnt l eading him on. Besides, whats it offspring? Scandalize them both.No. Dana only. My show.I cut him a look but said nothing. He wanted me as an beholder but not a participant. It mental imaged. tout ensemble the glory for himself, praise from those above. Hed always had this competitive need to make himself shine. It was one of the things that I liked about him an eager go for to prove himself the best. I see Id had it once too, but not any weeklong. As far as I was concerned, he was have to all the fame and fortune of this gig.Just play my sweet, angelic sister, he continued in a whisper. Possibly my sweet, angelic, and frigid sister. pathetic through the house gave me a ascertain to take in more of the partys theme. pretended palm trees. Glittering, decorative suns everywhere. Small appetizer tables set up here and there, cockeyed with deviled eggs, cocktail wieners, and cubed cheese. It was silly in some ways, but someone had obviously paid a lot of attention to detail . I comprehended that. All of the guests looked like Bill and Bastien and me, I realized. Clean-cut, with every hair in place. gamey quality, conservative clothes (in a tropic mien of way). Upper-class. White.They freaked me out.The kitchen proved to be the true hub of food, and I decided to simply satiate myself rather than risk more dialogue that dexterity upset Bastien. I mischievous up a paper family with a hamburger, potato salad, and some kind of eldritch Jell-O-fruit-whipped-cream hybrid dessert.My efforts to simply eat unnoticed proved futile, as I soon ready myself surrounded by a group of women. I didnt know where theyd come from. One minute I was just eating, the next minute six perfect faces were smiling at me. They were like a pack of wild dogs, yipping nonstop, honing in on lone prey. Theyd even managed to separate me from Bastien, all the better to tear me apart. The incubus now stood across the room with a similarly ravenous group of men, no doubt discuss ing cigars and lawn mowers. I shot him a panicked look, but he simply shrugged.Mitchs sister, oozed one of the women. I should have cognise You guys look simply alike. Well, not exactly alike, tittered another. She wore an appliqu? sweater vest. Yikes.We were just talking about stamping. Do you stamp, Tabitha?Urn, like use stamps? I asked with a frown. I mean, I postal service thingsThe Stepford Wives giggled again at this. Oh Thats so funny.We mean rubber stamps. Arts and crafts stamps, explained one of them. Shed introduced herself as Jody the only name I could re extremity among the group. Probably because she seemed to have a sparingly higher IQ than the rest. And was the only one of us without blond hair. You use them to decorate things. She dug into her purse and produced a small invitation on beautiful ivory cardstock. Scrolling vines and flowers beautify the front.This is the invitation Dana made for this party.I stared. Seriously?someways Id imagined the Great Job ki nd of stamps that teachers utilize on well-written papers. This was beautifully inked and in incompatible colors. It looked professional, like something from Hallmark.Mitzis having a stamp party next week, exclaimed one of the other women. We could show you how to do it.Oohthat would be so funYes LetsGee, it looks kind of time-consuming, I told them, wishing desperately that I was somewhere else. I was sure I could have held my own in a cigar and lawn mower conversation better than a stamping one. I dont think I have the time.Oh, but its so worth(predicate) it, one assured me earnestly. She wore earrings that spelled ALOHA in dangling letters. Betsey and I made bridal-shower invitations for her sister all day yesterday, and the time flew by. Did you use those cute plunge stamps? cooed another, not hostile a dove herself. I worn-out(a) all Tuesday looking for those at the mall.Dont you guys work? I asked, wondering at their stalk use of all day. A deoxycytidine monophosphate ago, I wouldnt have given it a thought. But this was the age of the so-called neo woman. We werent supposed to lounge around in parlors anymore and pass out from corroding corsets.They turned to me, mouths agape.Well, theres so much to do around the house, Jody finally said. Most of us are too busy with those things. standardised stamping?Besides, laughed Bitsy or Muffin or whatever the hell her name was, its not like we need to. Do you have a job?Well, yeahWhats your husband do?Oh. Im not married.This got more stares, and then utterly they erupted with ideas and suggestions of perfect single men who worked with their husbands.I had to get out of here. Either that or render myself funconscious with the wrought-iron pig wearing an proscenium that sat on the kitchen table.I turned anxiously to Jody. Didnt I hear there was a pool somewhere?She brightened. thither sure is. Ill show you.We extracted ourselves from the others, and she led me toward the back of the house.Sorry if they re a little overwhelming, she apologized. I sort of feel responsible for their stamping frenzy. The item that shed used the word frenzy to report them made me laugh. How so?I got them into it. Her dark eyes twinkled. Never thought itd go this far, though. I used to be an simple art teacher, and some propagation they remind me of the kids. Theyre all good souls, though.Why dont you teach anymore? Drawing pictures with children sounded like a wicked cool job to me. If nothing else, the marking had to be easy.Well, Jack likes me at home, and this way I get to take out my artistic urges on the house and change the neighbors. Every time I get hooked on a new project, our house takes the brunt of it pottery, beading, watercolorsAnd stamping?She laughed. And stamping.Could you, like, teach part-time and still get everything done around the house?Maybe. But Ive also got my CPFV duties, so my schedules pretty packed.CPFV? Damn. For a minute there, Jody had seemed like a pretty cool per son. Youre a member?Her expression registered mild surprise. Yes, of course. We all are. You should come to a meeting someday. I know Dana would love to have you.Where is Dana? I hadnt even seen the principal(prenominal) attraction tonight. I mean, Im much(prenominal) a fan and all. When Mitch told me we were coming, I couldnt even believe it.Pursing her lips, she glanced around with a cute frown. Im not really sure where she is. Shes probably just mingling. Everyone wants to talk to her. But dont worry youll see her before you leave.Thatd be great.She smiled and gave my hand a quick squeeze. I promise we get to see you around. Oh here we are.We arrived in a massive, glass-encased sunroom containing a watch crystal spirited pool. It looked lovely and inviting. When Jody asked if I had a suit, I assured her I had one under my clothes and thanked her for helping me. She returned to the main party, and I slipped into a bathroom where I shape-shifted into a turquoise bikini.Some p eople eyed me curiously, probably wondering who I was, but they left me alone once I was in the pool. I dove under, goming laps, enjoying the solitude water offered. It had been a long time since Id been able to do this. I knew Seth swam at a local health club he said it helped clear his head sometimes. He and I would have to go together one of these days. Or better yet, swim in the ocean somewhere. Yes, that was the way to go. moonlit beaches and tropical air, outdoor(a) from this crummy rain. Maui. Cancun. Hell, wherefore did we even have to constrain ourselves to conglutination America? We could go to the French Riviera, the classical IslandsI was so caught up in my fantasies that when I climbed out of the pool, I didnt notice the woman in front of me. I sidestepped, ever quick on my feet, just barely avoiding collision.Sorry, I said. I didnt see I froze. It was Dana.She looked exactly like her promotional pictures. Slim, average height, shoulder-length black hair, and pen etrating blue eyes. Her bio placed her in her forties, but she looked a lot younger than that. The result of all that clean life sentence, I supposed. She wore khaki shorts and a green T-shirt, modestly covered by a white button-up blouse fix in a knot over her stomach.A smooth, cool smile colonised on her face, and those eyes reminded me of a incline seeking out prey.No hurt done, she said in that same mesmerizing radio voice. I dont think weve met. Im Dana. She extended a hand, and I took it.Yes. Of course you are. I mean, I know you are. Ive seen your pictures. Er, I mean, Im a fan and allAnd you are?Oh. Sorry. Im Tabitha Hunter. Mitchs sister. though maybe you knew that. Everyone says we look alike. I guess we do. Ive never really thought about itmuchYe gods, why was I digressive like this? I had worked dukes and bishops who were ten times scarier than her. They hadnt turned me into a blathering idiot. What was it about one radio bigot that should prove so unsettling?The eyes, I decided. They reflected no warmth. They were shrewd. Conniving. The kind of eyes that warned she had not risen to where she was today without hypervigilance. The kind of eyes that had an agenda.Its nice to meet you, she said, still maintaining that too-perfect smile. I didnt know Mitch had a sister. You seem to beenjoying the pool.Her eyes glanced down over me and back up, suddenly making me feel self-conscious. pee dripped most unflatteringly off of me, and I uneasily wondered if this suit showed too much skin. At least it wasnt white. Bastiens warning about wholesome image came back to me for real, and I still his concern now. Looking like a strumpet could be bad for his reputation. If he drew whispers and disdain, he might be ostracized from this group and lose access to Dana. Suddenly, Danas hoariness didnt seem so weird. It was disapproval. She had, after all, delivered a whole spiel on the dire state of todays fashions. Here I was embodying it.Its very nice, I said. One of the, um, best pools Ive swam in.I stopped before I could say something else even more asinine, and silence fell. She looked as though she expect me to continue and could clutch all night until I did. Unfortunately, I had no idea what to talk to this weird woman about. My alleged hatred of homosexuals? strike if she had recommendations for a more modest swimsuit?So, um I began. This barbecue themeits really, uhI was save just then sort of by Bastien. He strode up to us, appearance very excited to have found Dana. A sharp look in his eyes said he was less thrilled to see me, especially in this state, but he kept it disguised from the other woman, instead coming off as amiable and charming as ever.Ah, Tabitha, I see youve met our hostess.Yes, agreed Dana. Weve been having a most stimulating conversation. Your sisters quite the wordsmith.I flushed. Bitch. When I was in my zone, I could outtalk her any day.Glad to hear it. My Tabby guy wire here is nothing if not stimulati ng. oblivious to my horror over my new nickname, Bastien steered her into some pleasant conversation about the creative thinking of the party and the beauty of her home. Her demeanor warm up up only a bit from what it was with me. She still came off cool and watchful. Maybe she was always chilly around people, and it wasnt just me. In fact, I thought optimistically, this slightly elevated please in Bastien might indicate that she wanted to throw him up against a wall.They conversed a bit longer about something I lost interest in, and I tried to stay inconspicuous, though I could posit I never dropped off Danas radar. She was studying me, trying to figure me out. Finally, Bastien said sayonara, and we began our retreat toward the front door once Id changed back to decent clothing, of course. Our emergence proved more difficult than expected since apparently it was customary to say good-bye to every single person you passed and get continually delayed by nonsense(prenominal) sm all talk.My God, I exclaimed once we were safely back at his place, that was plaguey.He turned on me, anger flashing in those movie-star blue eyes. Are you humply out of your mind?Okay, youre right. Ive been in more annoying situations. Remember that marquis party back in Marseille?Thatthat getup When I first saw you two together, Dana looked ready to explode. Thank morality this bodys more flat chested than your other one. It saved you from looking like a complete pinup.Im sorry, I told him. I was just trying to escape those stamping women and headed for the pool without thinking. I have a suit just like this at home. It was stupidbut I dont really think it caused long-term damage. I hoped.His expression darkened, and he threw himself into one of the sustentation rooms exquisite armchairs. It was covered in white suede. Breathing on it would probably get it dirty.I dont know. She was distant with me you saw it.I was hoping thats how she always is. And she was a bit more respon sive with you than me, I offered helpfully.No. You should have seen her when we spoke earlier tonight. Much friendlier. She definitely clammed up with you around.Im sorry, I said again, touch sensation idiotic. I guess I shouldnt take a front-row seat to this after all. Im cramping your style. Or rather, ruining it.His stormy expression lingered a bit longer, then disappeared like clouds swept away by wind. That was my Bastien. Quick to anger, quick to love. No matter, Fleur .Takes a lot more than you to destroy my style. He patted his lap and grinned. Come here, sis, and Ill tell you the rest of my brilliant plan.I involute my eyes. Are we that kind of family?His smile broadened, and I sat down, unable to resist that loony charm. He slung his arm around me in an old, familiar way, and I leaned into him. It was nice to have the touch and comfort of another living thing, romantic or not.So theres another part of this wacky plan?Not so much another part as an entirely different p lan. A backup plan, if you will.Oh no. Here it comes.Naturally, Id much rather disgrace Dana in a horizontal kind of way, but in the very unlikely event that doesnt work, theres a much less exciting yet effective way to do it. And youre going to help me.How so?Were going to break into her house.