Megan essays

Megan essays In the early nineties, most American suburban households would have never thought twice about letting their kids play nearby outside or in the front yard of their homes. Before the nineties, citizens never new if there was a sexual predator living near by their homes or withinin their communities. On July 29, 1994, a family and a community was shattered when 7 year old Megan Nicole Kanka was brutally raped and murdered less than thirty yards away from the doorstep that she was playing on. She was lured into a neighbors house who had invited her inside to come and play with his new puppy. No one in the community knew that he was a convicted sex offender, who had attempted sexual assault on other children. Would you want to be informed if a sex offender moved in next door to your home? Should citizens have the right to be informed of the sex offenders that our living inside their communities? After a tragic story like Megan Kanka, the emotions from within naturally scream out y es. The solution to this problem is not as easy as the emotions within make it first appear. When Megan Kanka was brutally sodomized and raped, the aftermath was something like a tidal wave of immediate response. The family and community had no idea of their new neighbors recent convictions. Many within the surrounding communities pledged their support by signing petitions saying that citizens have, The right to know when a sex offender moves into the area. With the help of four hundred thousand signatures collected, the slogan, The right to know! became a law in New Jersey in a record 89 days after Megans murder (Tom Hughes 136). Today, there are laws in all fifty states that require some form of public notification when a sex offender moves into a new area. Child molestation cases and pedophilia have always been serious issues that stir up some of the strongest emotions from deep within. The emotio...

Crude Oil and US Gasoline Market

Crude Oil and US Gasoline Market Introduction Crude oil is a mixture of naturally occurring hydrocarbons. Found under the earth’s surface, crude oil is extracted and separated into its simple components. The components of crude oil include kerosene, jet fuel and gasoline. As a product of crude oil, gasoline is used as engine fuel in automobiles.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Crude Oil and US Gasoline Market specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the United States, crude oil is majorly imported from foreign markets. After its importation, the crude oil is then separated into its components in refinery processes of fractional distillation. It is after this process that gasoline, like paraffin and jet fuel, is supplied to distributers and finally, to consumers. This paper seeks to discuss the opinion that the â€Å"gasoline market in the United States and the market for crude oil are significantly independent†. The paper will look at facto rs that determine the supply, demand and the price of gasoline in the United States as well as the determinants of the demand, supply and prices of crude oil. The paper will then analyze the correlation between the two markets with the aim of identifying whether or not, there exists a relationship between the two markets. Market of Gasoline in the United States The gasoline prices in the United States’ economy are dependent on a lot of factors. Among these factors is the â€Å"unanticipated disruption of U.S. refinery output† (Killian 100). Events like fire that abruptly halts the operations of the refineries have been characterized with â€Å"significant increase in the real price of gasoline† (Killian 100). These particular disruptions however have less significant effects in the prices of the imported crude oil. The phenomenon is expected to have the reverse effect of reducing the price of crude oil as a result of reduced demand which is insignificant in the world market. The factors determining the demand for crude oil and the price of gasoline in the United States such as disruptions results in specified shocks in supply and demand are not easily predictable. It was also noted that the price of gasoline in the United States has some relation to the global market of crude oil. The prices of the two commodities remained high during the period of time ranging from 2002 up to 2008. However, the prices fell in the period of 2008 while the global supply for oil remained the same. A study of the global economic recession that was experienced during the period beginning in 2008 explained the cause of price changes. It was realized that before the recession, there was a high global demand for crude oil over the supply of the same. This pushed the prices up with respect to the laws of demand and supply. The fall of global demand following the recession therefore led to the reduced prices experienced since the year 2008 (Killian 92).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The market of gasoline in the United States is also determined by a number of internal factors which are independent from the market of crude oil. One of such occurrences was the â€Å"damage to the gulf coast drilling wells and refineries† (Gas, 3). The damages for example would translate to the shortage of gasoline leading to subsequent increased prices. The high prices of the gasoline can also be attributed to the government policies that have over time been oriented to only one aspect of controlling the price. The â€Å"chimney plan: to perpetuate the nation’s addition to cheap petroleum† (Gas 3) has been criticized as a profit oriented move rather than price control. It is however viewed that steps to reduce the consumption of gasoline would rather reduce the price as opposed to increasing its supply (Gas 3). The Marke t of Crude Oil In the earlier decades, the rises in oil prices in the United States were attributed to political aspects like the wars in the Middle East and embargoes by the Arab states as retaliation to the United States’ support for Israel, which limited supply of crude oil into the United States from the Middle East countries. The major determinant in the oil sector is still recognized to be its supply relative to its demand. The industrialization of countries like the people’s republic of China and India has put pressure on the global supply of oil due to the relatively increased demand. The threat of the United States’ supply of oil has been worsened by the move of oil supplying countries in the Middle East to reserve their oil for domestic use. The increased consumption by the two giant countries, China and India, has led to increased global oil prices due the increased demand. There is therefore need for â€Å"international effort to reduce demand for o il† (Katel 7). With this respect, no solution has been identified to help control the prices downwards. This factor is beyond the control of the United States according to professionals in the energy sector. According to Medlock, â€Å"it is going to be difficult for the energy supply to expand production at a significant enough pace to drive down prices† (Katel 7). The external drivers of the international oil price is passed to the price of crude oil in the United States and subsequently the prices of the separated components of the crude oil of which gasoline is part (Katel 24). Volatility Relationship between Crude Oil and Petroleum Products The prices of crude oil also depend on a number of features in the oil producing countries. A research study by Lee and Zyren indicated that stability in these countries significantly determines the prices of crude oil. According to the research, wars such as the â€Å"invasion of Kuwait and gulf war 1† caused instability in the market of crude oil.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Crude Oil and US Gasoline Market specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It was also reported that political environments in the crude oil producing countries such as â€Å"transitional regimes† also affect the international market of crude oil (Lee and Zyren 101). In the same study, it was realized that â€Å"the petroleum price variance is greater than crude oil variances† (Lee and Zyren 101). The volatility in the prices of crude oil and those of petroleum products was significantly realized across all periods of the research. The volatility between the prices in the markets for gasoline and that of crude oil is closely related, with an inverse response, to the revenues of the two commodities. The volatility can therefore be viewed as a conditional variable being dependent on the turn over rate of the two products. From the research, Lee and Zyre n noted that the price volatility between crude oil and the gasoline in the United States was greatly caused by the regulations in the crude oil market. It was also noted that the volatility in the prices was not significantly dependent on previous markets of either crude oil or gasoline. Similarly, price volatility doesn’t have significant effects on the future markets of the two products. The research generally represented the view that price volatility between crude oil and gasoline in the United States is an independent significant element (Lee and Zyren 111). Pump Prices and Oil Prices Apart from the asymmetry in volatility in the United States market for gasoline and the crude oil market, it has been established that a further asymmetry occurs between prices of the two commodities. Contrary to the business conception that reduced costs of production yields reduced selling price of a particular product, the oligopolistic market of gasoline gives the oil companies an adva ntage to temporarily dictate the retail gasoline price. A disparity is then significantly realized when the price of crude oil falls. When this happens, individual oil companies are always reluctant to lower retail prices as they try to optimize profits before any competing oil company lowers its price as a market strategy. The fall in crude oil prices does not therefore always result to fall in gasoline price (Adilov and Samavati 62). However, Adilov and Samavati still expressed the view that there could be factors that have changed with time to level a direct relationship between the gasoline retail price and the price of crude oil.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They argue that the asymmetry in the price of the two commodities is not concrete due to the fact that gasoline market is currently invested by increased number of companies. Marketing strategies, according to the two authors is expected to cause price reduction among competing oil companies when crude oil prices fall in a bid to â€Å"undercut competitors† in the oil market (Adilov and Samavati 62). This argument therefore suggests that the prices of the two commodities exhibit some dependence as a result of the competitiveness of the United States oil retail (Adilov and Samavati 63). General opinion has also been expressed that the gasoline prices in the United States are always a factor of the prices of crude oil. The reduction of gasoline prices in the United States during the global recession in 2008 in a way indicated the dependence of the American gasoline prices on the global demand for crude oil. The concept was developed from the observation that gasoline prices wer e high before the period but fell on the onset of the global recession. The reduction of gasoline price was then attributed to the change in demand of the crude oil market as countries reduced their demand for the product (Killian 92). Conclusion There is significant support for the opinion that the price of gasoline in the United States depends more on the internal factors in the United States such as the production facilities and policies among others. It has also been illustrated that there are a number of economic factors that leads to the asymmetry of prices in the two markets. The arguments in view of the dependence of the two markets lack the support of many significant drivers in the gasoline market in the United States. They are isolated arguments that can be easily challenged by the consideration of the internal drivers in the United States. It can therefore be concluded, contrary to other opinions, that to a significant level, the market of gasoline in the United States i s dictated by other factors that are different from the market of crude oil. The gasoline market is actually occasionally asymmetric to the market of crude oil. Adilov, Nodir and Samavati, Hedayeh. â€Å"Pump Prices and Oil Prices: A Tale of Two Directions.† Atlantic Economic Journal 37 (2009): 51-64. Gas. Nation. EBSCO, n.d. Web. www.ejournals.ebsco.com Katel, Peter. Oil Jitters. CQ Researcher, 2008. Web. www.cqpress.com/docs/AffiliationsPDFs/oil.pdf Killian, Lutz. Explaining Fluctuations in Gasoline Prices. A Joint Model of the Global Crude, 2010. Web. www.ideas.repec.org/a/aen/journl/2010v31-02-a04.html Lee, Thomas and Zyren, John. Volatility Relationship between Crude Oil and Petroleum Products. Atlantic Economic Journal 35 (2007): 97-112.

Issues in High Stakes Testing Programs Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Issues in High Stakes Testing Programs - Article Example This issues surround the larger problem, which has to do with whether or not these assessments are appropriate for meeting set standards in a political setting. The purposes of these assessments are to see how schools rank locally, statewide, and nationally, as well as learning and understanding what the standards of students should be. The aforementioned are the types of tests that will be used, and what the tests will be based on and what should be achieved with them. Prior to concerns being voiced, there used to be just one test that was used internationally; after it become clear that not every student or school could meet those standards, multiple tests were created by state. The No Child Left Behind Law allowed this change to come into play. In regards to the motivation and morale of students, the article states that these assessment tests allow students to understand what the level of their knowledge is. This can be considered to be both a positive and a negative thing - the students can realize that they knew a little more than they expected, or that they knew less. The downside is that students may feel frustrated if they do not perform well, which will only negatively alter how they perform in a general sense. They can become discouraged and feel more negative towards themselves, lowering their expectations. One of the biggest controversies surrounding these assessment tests concerns how the tests relate to the curriculum. The students cannot be expected to take an assessment if they have not covered everything within the test. Schools need to stick to the curriculum, so that when it is time for students to take the assessments, they are ready and knowledgeable in what the test contains. A high-stakes test can be defined as a test that shows a student how they are failing. These tests not only show them where their weaknesses and strengths are, but they also allow the student to learn and understand what more there is for

Airport Planning and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Airport Planning and Development - Essay Example Factors such as job creation and increasing revenue to the government inform the decision to expand Heathrow airport (Holland-Kaye, 2014). The expansion of Gatwick airport, for instance, would raise 90 billion pounds of economic benefit at an afforded environmental cost because; it has never breached UK air quality guidelines since it is located in the rural, which is sparsely populated. However, the number of people affected by noise at Heathrow airport is high because it is located in a city that is densely populated and, therefore, hindering its expansion. London Heathrow airport has programs to enhance development that has small or no impact on the environment. Several factors influence the balance between the environment and the expansion of the airport in terms of its facilities and the revenue base. The pros of this issue entail factors that favor the development of an airport. For instance, to maintain the growth of tourism industry, there is need to include an additional runway, which will accommodate the high influx of tourists both domestic and foreign. Expansion of airport capacity promotes the business of a given country. A country can competitively conduct its businesses locally and internationally since there is adequate space for exports and imports. Travel growth is predicted to rise globally. Airport capacity expansion aims at meeting the rising demand for aviation services. Lack of employment is another favorable factor facilitating the expansion of an airport in terms its facilities. Expansion of the airport would create more jobs for pilots, airhostess among others. Both the public and the airport company will benefit, for instance, the public will get salary through employment while the airport company gain increased revenues through earnings. Heathrow employs over 110, 000 people including hotels

Glondys Rodriguez Naturalistic Observation Essay Example for Free

Glondys Rodriguez Naturalistic Observation Essay My observation took place in a park where a birthday party was celebrating. I looked at a girl of 6 years old or so. The girl was wearing a pink blouse and white pants. I think she was Hispanic. She was about 40 inch tall and weighed around 30 pounds. I could hear when her mom called her Diana. Physical Development For her age, she had a perfect physical development because I could see how she ran with other girls of the same age. She was jumping the string, and playing hides and seeks, so I could tell that the girl was healthy and had good physical development. Cognitive development (Piaget’s stages) According to Piaget’s stages Diana is in preoperational stage because for example, she played with her friends building a sturdy house of plants’ leaves acting as if it was a princess castle. Also she used branches of the trees as if they were magic wands, so I realized that Diana is in the section of mental representation (Make-believe-play). Another example that I realized was that Diana’s mother offered a juice, and gave her a choice of a bottle or a glass and she chose the bottle allowed more amount than the glass. Emotional and Social Development (Erikson’s stage) According to Erikson’s stages, Diana is in industry versus inferiority because I noticed that she was all the time in cooperation with the other kids. She developed a sense of competence at useful skills and tasks. To support what I say I have an example. She was dancing all the time with the music she liked. She danced with amazing movements. I noticed she had natural skills and ability to dance. The girls competed to see who danced better. That moment was incredible because I enjoyed what was happening, and I realized the competitiveness that exists between girls and boys at this age. To conclude, I can say Diana has a good self-esteem. I don’t think she felt inferiority at any moment. On the other hand, she looked very safe in all the tasks she developed. Does the child meet the milestones and stages for the physical, cognitive, and social/emotional development? Yes, I think this 6 years old girl meets all the milestones and stages for the physical, cognitive, and social/ emotional development. Is there anything unusual or â€Å"off-development† for this child (deficits as well as giftedness)? There was nothing off-development or unusual for this girl, on the contrary, I think she is very intelligent and talented. My thoughts about observation: I think my observation helped me a lot to understand the normal development in middle childhood and to know we should interact, guide, and support them to achieve the best of their abilities. My opinion about what I observed and the application of the theories of development: In my opinion, Piaget’s cognitive development theories and Erikson’s psychological theories are an excellent guide to help us understand the stages in normal growth and development.

Comparing Power and Control in A Raisin In The Sun and Juno and the Pay

Power and Control in A Raisin In The Sun and Juno and the Paycock In the two plays, A Raisin In The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry and Juno and the Paycock by Sean O'Casey, the reader is presented with a definite struggle for power among its main characters and society's ideals. These plays also serve as functions of drama, where the reader or viewer can also perceive much more in the way they are portrayed by the actors and the director as well, as the overall thematic plot and significance. In A Raisin In The Sun, the reader is faced with the struggle between Walter and his wife, Ruth, and his mother, Mama, for power and head of the household. In the first Act of the play Walter deliberately oversteps Ruth's authority just to spite her and show his power as head of the family. Travis, their son requests fifty cents for school, and Ruth denies his request because they don't have the money. Walter enters and gives his son more than enough money with his eyes completely transfixed on his wife, who looks at him with utmost scorn and disapproval: Travis-she won't gimme the fifty cents... Walter-(To his wife only) Why not? Ruth-(Simply, and with flavor) 'Cause we don't have it. Walter-(To Ruth only) What you tell the boy things like that for? (Reaching down into his pants with a rather important gesture) Here son-(He hands the boy the coin, but his eyes are directed to his wife's. Travis takes the money happily) Travis-Thanks, Daddy. (He starts out. Ruth watches both of them with murder in her eyes. Walter stands and stares back at her with defiance...(Hansberry 30-31) It is obvious that this scene was meant to be performed, with all its subtle actions and expressed grievances. Here one confrontation of... ...ter to the house he retreats back to his former attempts of deception by lying to her about supposed jobs and leg pains. Like in Raisin, Jack falls into a fortune which he squanders away and then later realizes he never possessed, getting into a great debt. He uses the money however to make himself head of the family, or man of the house, which ultimately falls apart. At the end of the play though, unlike Raisin, he never acquires any real authority as the play ends in disarray, and he goes off to drown his sorrows at the local saloon. These two plays show dramatically the struggle for authoritative power over the characters lives, families, and societies pressures. The overall tragedy that befalls them as they are swept up in these conflicts distinctly portrays the thematic plot of their common misconception for power and control over their lives.

Trinidad Carnival

Trinidad Carnival Carnival is a festival of colours which is transformed into costumes, calypso, steel band music, dance and different foods and Caribbean art which attracts many people from the different countries. The carnival season is usually during the two weeks before the traditional Christian fasting of Lent. This is celebrated to mark an overturning of daily life. The roots of carnival both lay in Africa and France(Liverpool:57). Trinidad carnival is a very significant festival in the island of Trinidad and Tobago. This festival has evolved from an elegant, exclusive affair to an all inclusive national festival of the country. Therefore in order to understand the meaning of this festival one must look at the acculturation, cultural assimilation and cultural persistence. It is also necessary historical, social, cultural and political background which gave birth to a national celebration. In 1498 Christopher Columbus had step on the soils of Trinidad and claimed the island in the name of the King and Queen of Spain. The country was ruled by Spain for about 300 hundred years and remained much undeveloped. In the 1970s the Bourbon reforms of Charles III, which was designed to rejuvenate flagging colonial effiency, is when the Spanish crown decided to pay attention Trinidad which at that time was thinly populated and uncultivated at that time. A Cedula issued by the Spanish crown in 1776 highlighted the island’s neglected state with no European Spaniards available for emigration; it invited West Indian French Catholics who were dissatisfied by Britain’s 1763 take over of their Antillean islands which were Grenada, Dominica, St. Vincent and Tobago to settle in Trinidad. They were encouraged to buy land grants to set up agricultural units under their own and to transfer slaves in quantity to work these plantations. By 1797 approximately 14,000 French settlers came to live in Trinidad consisting of about 2,000 whites and 12,000 slaves. Studies by Barry Higman and Melville Herskovicts show that the majority of African slaves who were brought to Trinidad were mainly of the Mandinka,Fulbe,Kwakwa,Yoruba,Hausa,Igbo and Kongo peoples(Liverpool:62). Most of the native people who were the Amerindians died from forced labour and illness. Carnival was introduced to Trinidad in around 1785 as the French settlers began to arrive, they called it Carnevale. This tradition caught on quickly. Carnival of the French was held during the Lenten season starting on Boxing day to Ash Wednesday was marked by great merrymaking and feasting by both the French and the English. Carnival, as the end of the social season was also marked at the apex society by elaborate balls to which was added the custom of masking and disguising. They wore masks to hide their faces from their friends and play sexual â€Å"games† on their wives, husbands and mistresses, the enslaved Africans were not allowed at their sex games or their dinners but in the masquerade imitated their tattered clothing thus making fun of them (Liverpool:127). But the major part of carnival activities consisted of house to house visiting and street promenading, on foot or in carriages, witticisms, playing of music and dancing and a variety of frolics and practical jokes (Pearse, 1956:15). The French serenaded their fellow men with flute, violin and African drum. Already African drums and Spanish instruments had been adopted by the Frenchmen in the music making (Liverpool: 127). Until 1838 when the Africans were legally set free the majority of the English and Scots celebrated Christmas, New Years and Carnival with rowdy balls and fetes. Marital law which finally ended in 1846 was traditionally enforced by the English colonies in the Caribbean from Christmas through the first or second week of January. Liverpool:132)These festivities along with the pomp and ceremony involved in imposing marital law (this included maneuvers by the militia), provide the slaves with ideas for some of the earliest masquerades for carnival. Trinidad’s French Creole planter community used this opportunity to celebrate their memories of their ancestral home. Pre-emancipation carnival was highly stratified and segregated affair, however with the planters and the free coloured keeping to themselves. Slaves were in theory debarred from the festivities but eye witness’ evidence suggests that they will have taken advantage of the temporary anarchy to indulge in the street parades (Regis 2000:231). Because of this segregation and the debarring of slaves from this celebration the slaves in turn would hold their own little carnivals in their backyards called the Dame Lorraine masque(Regis 2000:231) by using their own rituals and folklore but also imitating their masters’ behaviour at the masked balls. The pre-emancipation carnival saw whites costume themselves as negres de jardin (field Negro labourers) and mulatresses. This also reenacted the Cannes Brulees (French for burning canes): the practice of rounding up slaves to put out fires in the cane fields. â€Å"In the days of slavery whenever fire broke out upon an estate immediately mustered and marched to the spot, horns and shells were blown to collect them and the gangs were followed by the drivers cracking their whips and urging them with cries and blows to their work. †(Pearse 1956:18). The liberty that the Africans were given was demonstrated by them on the streets of Port of Spain of August 1 1838 the date enslavement legally ended. They celebrated in Cannes Brulees fashion (Liverpool). After emancipation of the slaves the things were materially altered, the ancient lines of demarcation between the classes were obliterated and as a natural consequence the carnival degenerated into a noisy and disorderly amusement for the lower classes (Pearse 1956:20). 19th century historian L. M Fraser described this behaviour â€Å"After Emancipat ion the negroes began to represent this scene(blowing of horns ,shells ,cracking whips)as a commemoration of the change in their condition and the procession of Cannes Brulees used to take place on the night of 1st of August the date of their emancipation. After a time of day was changed and for many years past the Carnival days have been inaugurated by the Cannes Brulees†. This brought concerns for the whites. The British entrenching themselves as the new colonial power in the west. The French had lost their dominance in society. All the whites caught up in the problems of labour, low productivity and financial structures. Therfore the opportunity was provided for the Africans to take over Carnival and embrace it as an expression of their new found freedom (Pearse 1956). The newly emancipated Africans celebrated their new condition festival of Canboulay which featured torch light processions, loud music ,drumming ,reinterpretations of traditional African masking as well as representations of their treatment during the period of plantation slavery(Regis 2000:232). Since the whites and coloureds refused to have anything to do with them but were taken up in the end of African enslavement ,the Africans had the streets to themselves ( Liverpool:222). According to Liverpool â€Å" previous studies on carnival suggest that the whites stopped all carnival activities after 1838 and their fancy balls were no longer connected to the carnival itself. † The newspapers started to describe the carnival as Jamette Carnival. This was a term used by the French to describe the Carnival celebrations of the African population during the period 1860 to 1896 . The term comes from the French meaning the underworld. It is used to describe a certain class in the community which was the very poor blacks. The upper class ceased their participation in the street festival but continued their house to house vistiting. Martial law was no longer enforced and consequently there were no military type activities. Because the upper class were disturbed by the fact that the Africans taking over their festival ,they pressured them to give up their carnival festival ,therefore hostility brewed between the black underclass and the white upper class culminating the Canboulay Riots of 1881 a two day rampage by the retaliating lower class that resulted in deaths and mass destruction of poverty. Subsequently the Canboulay festival was abolished in 1884 replaced by a more restricted festival that began at dawn on Carnival Monday which is now know as Jouvert. Although the â€Å"sanitized† Carnival was now becoming acceptable o most classes the practice of the outlawed Cannes Brulees continued though not as openly as before(Liverpool). By the 1890s, Carnival started to fade away from the wildness of the Jamette society to the more competition oriented middle class festival. Merchants realized that with the improvement of carnival would lead to economic benefits. Carnival in Trinidad produced many traditional characters that were depicted by the Africans. Some of the more popular one was Dame Lorraine which was imitative of mas played by the French planters who would dress up in elegant costumes of the French privileged class and parade at homes on carnival Sunday night. The liberated slaves recreated these costumes by stuffing their bosoms and padding their buttocks, in their own fashion and imitative jewellery, this provided some type of comedy for the slaves and Sailor mas which they depicted when the French, British and American naval ships came to Trinidad. Calypsonians were also introduced during Carnival with their picong ( ridiculing of the upper ,middle or lower classes or anyone who steeped out of line. Calypsonians with nicknames such as Atilla the Hun, Invader ,Destroyer came in the scene in the 930 and their music was very humorous ( Cowely,1996). The first Calypso King contest was held in 1939 ,Growling Tiger was crowned the first Calypso king ,he sang a song entitled The Labour Situation in Trinidad(Anthony:144). Steel pan which replaced the tamboo bamboo in the 1940s was introduced by Winston â€Å"Spree† Simon of the Laventille community the steel pan was single ping pongs hung around the neck playing just a few notes. Carnival of the 19th century was process of which two different festivals which was the traditional mas African Camboulay) and Pretty mas (European Carnival) that occupied the same space which was merged into one now know as the Trinidadian Carnival. Carnival is very useful when it comes to multi-culturalism. It was originally a celebration for the French immigrants then it became for the freed Africans which was a memory of slavery and emancipation as well as the remembrance of the ancestral celebrations and rituals of empowerment. Finally this celebration has become a ceremony of celebration of life and of sexuality and an extension of its traditional role.

Neurological Features Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Health And Social Care Essay

Systemic lupus erythematosus ( SLE ) is a chronic multisystem autoimmune connective tissue upset, which has variable clinical manifestations that range from mild to life-threatening. Young adult females between their late teens and early 40s have a much higher prevalence in developing SLE, with a female to male ratio of 9:1 [ 7 ] . In the United States ( U.S. ) for illustration, Lawrence et Al. [ 8 ] reported that SLE appeared to be more common in black adult females than in other population groups. One U.S. retrospective survey of patient medical records, by McCarty et Al. [ 9 ] found that the disease was diagnosed 23 times more frequently in black adult females. Certain cultural groups besides appear to demo a higher prevalence, such as people with Afro – Caribbean [ 127 – 129 ] or African beginning [ 130 – 133 ] . The world-wide prevalence of SLE ranges between 12 and 50 per 100,000. These figures vary and are related to location and to the patient ‘s ethnicity every bit good as better acknowledgment of the disease today [ 10 ] . Factors such as sunshine, the part of infection, oestrogen endocrines, emphasis and drugs may precipitate the disease and there is besides a complex familial footing [ 11 ] . It has been reported by Deapen et Al. [ 12 ] that a familial factor in the sensitivity to the disease is reflected by 25 % harmony in indistinguishable twins. Many of the recent familial findings, [ 13, 14 ] seem sensible from a mechanistic point of view: they identify cistrons with of import functions in the immune system ; on occasion in concurrence with functional informations of the allelomorphs tested that besides fit the paradigm of loss of self-tolerance. Familial lacks of complement besides plays a function, [ 15 ] with C1q, C1r, C1s C4, and C2 being the most of import of the complement proteins, [ 16 ] nevertheless, no individual cause for SLE has been identified. Recent information, [ 17 ] besides suggested that a about omnipresent virus Epstein-Barr virus ( EBV ) might besides play a facilitating function [ 18 – 22 ] . A case-control survey, by James et Al. [ 23 ] demonstrated that EBV antibodies were present in 99 % , and EBV DNA was present in 100 % of the kids and immature grownups who had SLE, which was significantly higher than those in the control group. Despite this, the association between active EBV infection and the precipitation of SLE remains ill-defined. Neuropsychiatric manifestations are progressively recognised in patients with SLE. These include a broad assortment of neurological and psychiatric characteristics that account for considerable morbidity and mortality in these patients. They besides involve both the cardinal and peripheral nervous systems and scope from elusive abnormalcies of cognitive disfunction and anxiousness to obvious manifestations, such as shot, ictuss and psychosis. This article through systematic published literature, efforts to summarize the of import neurological characteristics of cardinal nervous system disease of SLE.Clinical PresentationThe widely recognised presentation of a immature female showing with inflammatory arthritis and a butterfly roseola on the face ( Fig 1 ) is comparatively uncommon [ 7 ] . Non-specific symptoms of unease, weariness, arthralgia, unwritten ulcers, radiosensitivity, lymphadenopathy, pleuritic thorax strivings, concerns, parathesiae, symptoms of dry eyes and oral cavity, Raynaud ‘s phenomenon and mild hair loss are the more likely presentations [ 24 ] . Fig 1. Typical â€Å" butterfly † -like roseola over the cheeks in SLE [ 24 ] . The diagnosing of SLE of single patients hence requires certain clinical and laboratory informations, [ 25 ] based on the widely accepted modified ( 1997 ) standards suggested by the American College of Rheumatology ( ACR ) ( although intended, and in fact more utile for research and curative test intents ) ( Table 1 ) [ 26 ] . The agencies to early diagnosing is in the clinical rating of patients. It should include a complete ‘systems ‘ reappraisal with scrutiny and subsequent probes, guided by the extent of organ involvement [ 7 ] . For illustration, in primary attention, a diagnosing of SLE or a related upset is often evident after clinical rating, uranalysis for blood and protein. Probes such as a full blood count ( FBC ) , which frequently shows an anemia or a cytopenia, nephritic and liver map trials and acute stage reactants: a high erythrocyte deposit rate ( ESR ) with a normal C reactive protein ( CRP ) concentration are characteristic. A simple algorithm for the diagnosing of SLE is provided as an illustration ( Fig 2 ) [ 25 – 29 ] .Central nervous system diseaseHistoryCentral nervous system ( CNS ) engagement in SLE was foremost described by Kaposi in 1872 [ 1 ] . Osler in 1903 was the first to describe a perennial focal intellectual ischemia in SLE [ 2 ] . Libman and Sacks [ 3 ] described endocarditis in SLE in 1924. The association of the lupus d ecoagulant ( LA ) and thrombosis in patients with SLE was described by Bowie et Al. [ 4 ] in 1963, and in 1968 Johnson and Richardson reported neuropathlogical findings in 24 instances of SLE [ 5 ] . In 1988, Devinsky et Al. [ 6 ] reported on an necropsy survey of 50 SLE patients ; 10 of whom had embolic intellectual infarcts, five caused by Libman-Sacks endocarditis and four from other cardiac beginnings.Neurological characteristicsCNS disease is extremely diverse and remains a challenge in footings of pathogenesis, appraisal and intervention and it is now better to see CNS disease in footings of separate syndromes. It is a serious but potentially treatable unwellness, which still presents really hard diagnostic challenges. The ACR defines 19 different syndromes in its categorization for the neurological complications of SLE ( Table 2 ) , as opposed to old uncomplete footings such as cardinal nervous system lupus, neurolupus or lupus cerebritis [ 30 ] . CNS engagement is reported to happen in 14 – 70 % of SLE patients [ 31 ] . The most common neurological manifestations of SLE are the organic brain disorders, which comprises of all the possible fluctuations of acute confusion, lassitude, or coma ; chronic dementedness ; depression, passion, or other affectional perturbations ; or psychosis.ConcernOf the more often encountered CNS complications, concerns are highly common. Fernandez-Nebro et Al. [ 32 ] and Raskin et Al. [ 33 ] stated that up to 40 % of persons experience severe disenabling concerns at least one time per twelvemonth. There are, nevertheless three controlled surveies in the literature on chronic or episodic concern [ 34 ] that can non be tracked back to other SLE syndromes [ 32, 35 ] .. The consequences are instead conflicting, nevertheless, and do non let for a unequivocal decision. For illustration, a nexus between megrim and SLE activity and ‘flare – ups ‘ has decidedly non been established [ 34, 35 ] . If future research confirms that megrim is so induced by SLE, the neurological load would still be overestimated by including megrim without limitation in the list of SLE neurological standards. Early surveies showed that concerns might react to corticosteroid intervention and this proved to be more effectual than the conventional anti-migraine therapy used in commanding concerns in SLE patients [ 36, 37 ] . A clear differentiation between CNS manifestations due to SLE and those due to antiphospholipid ( Hughes ) syndrome ( APS ) has been indicated [ 7 ] . An association of megrim concern with antiphospholipid antibodies ( APAs ) has been suggested, [ 38 ] nevertheless, more recent surveies have found no such nexus [ 35 ] .SeizuresSeizures are the following most frequent neurological complication and are known to happen in 14-25 % of patients ( compared with 0.5-1 % in the general population ) [ 39 ] . Seizures may ensue from intellectual vasculitis, cardiac intercalation, timeserving infection, drug poisoning, or associated metabolic mental unsoundnesss. They are more likely to be associated with APS than with intellectual vasculitis, which is highly rare in clinical pattern [ 40 ] . Electrolyte perturbation and medicative effects should be excluded, particularly those ensuing from antidepressants, stimulating medicines to handle weariness, or backdown from depressants or intoxicant. The primary neurological presentation of SLE is more common than originally thought ( 10/41 patients ) and included both ictuss ( 4 instances ) and motion upsets including Parkinsonism and chorea ( 4 instances ) [ 41 ] . Higher overall frequences of ictuss ( 42 % ) ; an early manifestation in 27 % , and in 10 % ictuss were the first SLE symptom seen. Epileptic ictuss are among the most common CNS manifestations in SLE. In separate surveies, Sibley et al. , [ 42 ] Steinlin et al. , [ 43 ] and Brinciotti et Al. [ 44 ] demonstrated that generalised tonic-clonic ictuss ( once known as expansive mal ictuss ) , simple and complex partial ictuss, automatic ictuss and position eliepticus all occur [ 45 ] . It is presumed that most ictuss in patients with SLE would be elicited by vascular abnormalcies in the encephalon, or would be either due to CNS infections or secondary to other marks, but this can non ever be demonstrated. In a big retrospective survey, in 18 out of 266 patients, ictuss were non attributable to any cause other than SLE [ 42 ] . Table 1. ACR Classification Criteria for SLE [ 26 ] The diagnosing of SLE requires the presence of four or more of the following 11 standards at the same time or in sequence ( besides see algorithm in Fig 2 ) .SLE standardDefinition or illustrationsSerositis Pleuritis – pleuritic hurting, Pleuralrub, pleural gush Pericarditis – Electrocardiogram alterations, pericardiac hang-up, pericardiac gush Oral ulcers Frequently painless sores Arthritis Nonerosive – two or more peripheral articulations affected Photosensitivity Skin roseola as a consequence of unusual reaction to sunlight Blood Hematologic upset Hemolytic anemia Leucopenia Lymphopenia Thrombocytopenia Nephritic upset Proteinuria ( with 3+ or more protein noted in urinalysis specimen or 0.5 g of protein/day ) Cellular dramatis personaes in piss Antinuclear antibody Antibodies to atomic components Immunological upset Anti- DNA antibodies Anti – Samarium antibodies Antiphospholipid antibodies Neurological upset Seizures Psychosis Malar roseola Fixed erythema over the malar distinctions Discoid roseola Erythematosus raised spots may mark ECG = EKG A mnemonic to retrieve the 11 symptoms is ‘SOAP BRAIN MD ‘ . Table 2. The neurological complications of SLE [ 30 ] Central nervous system Neurological Aseptic meningitis Cerebrovascular disease Multifocal subacute lesions Headache ( including megrim and idiopathic intracranial high blood pressure ) Motion upsets ( peculiarly chorea ) Myelopathy Seizure upset Psychiatric Acute confusional province Anxiety upset Cognitive map Temper upset Psychosis Peripheral nervous system Acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculopathy ( Guillain – Barre syndrome ) Autonomic upset Cranial neuropathy Mononeuropathy, individual or manifold Myastheia gravis Plexopathy PolyneuropathyDiagnosis of SLEPatient showing with disease manifestations affecting two or more organ systems ANA proving Titre a†°? 1:40 Titre & lt ; 1:40 See referral to rheumatologist for full Strong statement against SLE rating, including the followers: SLE ; alternate account ACR diagnostic standards ( see Table 1 ) for organ system Lab trials: full blood count, uranalysis, manifestations should be serum creatinine degree and antiphospholipid, pursued anti-dsDNA and anti-Sm antibodies Explanation found No account Zero to three Four or more Sufficient to See referral to ACR standards ACR standards regulation out SLE rheumatologist if inquiry of SLE or uncomplete SLE remains No SLE or SLE Incomplete SLE Fig 2. An algorithm for the diagnosing of SLE. ( ANA = antinuclear antibody ; ACR = American College of Rheumatology ; anti-dsDNA = antibody to duplicate isolated DNA antigen ; antiSm = antibody to Sm atomic antigen ) . Information from mentions: [ 25 – 29 ] Stroke and perennial transient ischemic onslaughts ( TIAs ) are among the CNS diagnoses seen in 3-15 % of instances ; although these figures vary harmonizing to the literature [ 46 – 48 ] . Annual shots were calculated for illustration, utilizing informations from 91 patients with SLE observed for 599 patient-years. It was found that the shot rate dropped from 6.6 % in twelvemonth 1 to 0.6 % during old ages 6-10 [ 46 ] . The International Classification of Diseases ( ICD-9 ) codification for SLE, estimated that ‘cerebrovascular accidents ‘ were 10 times more frequent in 18 to 44 twelvemonth old females with SLE, than in those of similar age without the disease [ 49 ] . The frequence of ‘cerebrovascular accidents ‘ were about twice as frequent in in-between age ( 45-64 year ) , whereas in old age, the frequence was found to be somewhat below normal. APAs have one time once more been implicated, as shown by Provenzale et Al [ 50 ] . Neuroimaging surveies suggested no important differences in the incidence of multifocal little white affair lesions, or of big vas shots, between patients with primary or secondary APS. Harmonizing to the literature, subarachnoid bleeding in SLE is good documented [ 47, 51 – 55 ] , nevertheless, by far the most studies of this are from one state: Japan. A survey by Mimori et Al. [ 56 ] of the medical records of patients with SLE in one Nipponese Centre, covering a 20 twelvemonth period, revealed that 10 of 258 patients had at some clip experienced a ( clinically defined ) subarachnoid bleeding. Figures in the literature on TIAs in SLE indicate that the overall incidence is raised [ 46, 48, 57 ] .Aseptic meningitisAcute, chronic or recurrent sterile meningitis is a rare manifestation of SLE. The term is frequently used for a meningeal syndrome of non-infectious beginning with some grade of nuchal rigidness ( neck stiffness ) and with increased white cells ( pleocytosis ) in the cerebrospinal fluid ( CSF ) [ 26, 58 ] . Pathologically, meningeal redness is found in about fifth part of patients [ 59 ] . SLE should be considered in any patient who ab initio presents with a meningitic image and in whom beings have non been identified, particularly if the meningitis is perennial. Aseptic meningitis has been reported in patients with shot or ‘ischaemic encephalon lesions ‘ ; vasculitis was non demonstrated, but was non ruled out [ 60, 61 ] . There are studies of sterile meningitis following non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ( even after merely a individual tablet ) in SLE and assorted connective tissue disease. Jolles et Al. [ 62 ] stated that up to 60 % of patients with SLE are estimated to hold CNS symptoms associated with redness at some clip during their unwellness, and that this could predispose them to drug-induced sterile meningitis ( DIAM ) . Maignen et Al. [ 63 ] suggested that assorted drugs ( non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents such as isobutylphenyl propionic acid and Clinoril, antibiotics such as cotrimoxazole, trimethoprim, Cipro and assorted drugs such as carbamazepine, human immune globulin and muromonab CD3 ) can be associated with development of DIAM and those patients with SLE and/or connective tissue upsets are at a higher hazard. Ibuprofen for illustration, has been reported on a figure of occasions as a cause of sterile meningitis, particularly in patients with SLE [ 64, 65 ] . The exact mechanism for the reaction to these agents is non to the full understood, but it is speculated that APAs perchance have a function. Meningeal symptoms occur a few hours after drug consumption and decide without sequelae within one or two yearss after the drug is withdrawn. Chorea, although rare, is frequently quoted as the classical neurological characteristic of SLE [ 43 ] . There are conflicting studies, as suggested by Janvas et Al. [ 66 ] and Cervera et Al. [ 67, 68 ] in respect to its incidence, runing from 1-4 % . It can develop at any clip, but is more likely to look during an ague flair, which has led some research workers to propose that it could be used as a marker of disease activity, where there is a reported return rate of up to 25 % . It has besides been associated with shot [ 69 ] and with idiopathic intracranial high blood pressure and dural fistula thrombosis in kids [ 70 ] . It is non yet clear, nevertheless, whether it is due to a vascular abuse or to antibody-induced neural disfunction [ 71, 72 ] . Psychiatric perturbations range from temper and personality upsets to psychosis, the latter being defined as a psychotic upset, harmonizing to the standards of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSM-IV ) [ 73 ] . No alone clinical image is seen, but three comparatively distinguishable forms can be discerned: ‘pure ‘ behavioural or psychiatric unwellness without overcasting of consciousness, subacute encephalopathy/encephalitis, and dementedness. Affectional upsets, peculiarly anxiousness and depression are the most common ( e.g. in 103 of 414 outpatients from two surveies and 19 of 43 hospitalised patients from another survey ) , though non in similar proportions in the surveies [ 74 – 76 ] . It has, nevertheless, non been shown that these upsets occur more often in patients with SLE [ 77 ] than in those with arthritic arthritis or other chronic diseases [ 78 – 80 ] . The association with psychotic episodes – ‘lupus psychosis ‘ – is more dependable [ 81 ] , although its differentiation from corticoid induced psychosis can be hard. In a big and frequently quoted retrospective survey, 11 of 266 patients developed psychosis during a average follow-up period of at least 90 months [ 42 ] . Delusions, ocular and audile hallucinations, catatonia and transition upsets are all good recognised [ 82 ] . Dementia is a normally recognized complication, although small elaborate published information is available. Harmonizing to DSM-IV, ‘cognitive upset ‘ can be compensated for at least partly ; the diagnosing therefore requires neuropsychological appraisal [ 73 ] . The per centum of patients with SLE enduring from cognitive upset varies among surveies. For illustration, an overall incidence of cognitive alterations in SLE of 55 % has been suggested [ 83, 84 ] . In four surveies, these figures varied from 21-35 % , [ 85 – 88 ] and from 43-67 % in two other surveies [ 89, 90 ] . All these fluctuations are due in portion to different cut-offs that were chosen for normalcy by these different writers. Furthermore some writers [ 91, 92 ] contend that the grade of cognitive upset fluctuates over clip, but this is disputed by others [ 88 ] . Two possible causes of cognitive upset have been suggested: little vas vasculopathy and an antibody mediated consequence on neural operation [ 85, 93 ] . Perturbations of the cranial [ 94 – 97 ] and peripheral nervousnesss – individual and manifold [ 98 ] , rete [ 99, 100 ] , sensorimotor [ 101 – 103 ] , and autonomic lesions [ 102, 104 – 106 ] , myasthenia gravis [ 107, 108 ] , and Guillain-Barre syndrome [ 109 – 111 ] , have all been reported in SLE, albeit with limited survey.Antiphospholipid syndrome ( Hughes syndrome )The ‘antiphospholipid syndrome ‘ ( APS ) was first described in patients with SLE ( secondary APS ) , but may happen in the absence of any other upset ( primary APS ) . In other words, the branchings of this syndrome extend beyond SLE, to all subjects of medical specialty. An emerg ing impression is the differentiation between CNS manifestations due to SLE and those caused by APS [ 112 ] . Some constituents of APS have been recognised since the 1950s, but the complete syndrome was non to the full described until 1983 [ 113 ] . Since so the categorization standards have been updated to include manifestations non antecedently distinctive [ 114 ] . Categorization standards for ruinous APS have been validated, and a world-wide registry set up to enter clinical informations for these rare patients in order to analyze intervention and results [ 115 ] . A description of the clinical characteristics of 1000 patients with this syndrome remains the largest of such series [ 116 ] . It is defined as the association of antiphospholipid antibodies ( APAs ) with arterial or venous thrombosis, perennial fetal loss, thrombopenia or neurological upsets such as shot and TIAs, transverse myelopathy, chorea and migrainous concern. Primary APS, nevertheless seldom progresses to SLE. One survey carried out on 128 patients over a 9 twelvemonth period showed that merely 8 % developed SLE ; where a positive antiglobulin trial was used as a clinically important forecaster of patterned advance [ 117 ] . The spectrum of clinical characteristics of APS continues to broaden with descriptions of nephritic arteria stricture [ 118 ] , metatarsal breaks [ 119 ] , avascular mortification [ 120 ] , and abnormalcies of vascular map [ 121 ] . Accelerated atheroma has become a major focal point of research in persons that have APS, with probes demoing cross-reactivity of antiphospholipids with oxidised LDL and early marks of arterial disease in these peculiar patients [ 121, 122 ] . George and Shoenfield [ 123 ] have termed APS as the ‘crossroads of autoimmunity and coronary artery disease ‘ . The contentions of intervention of APS remain, chiefly in footings of the sum of anticoagulation required to forestall perennial thrombosis. Two prospective surveies by Crowther et Al. [ 124 ] and Finazzi et Al. [ 125 ] indicated that a high-intensity government of anticoagulation, with international normalized ratios ( INRs ) above 3.0, were no better than conventional therapy with INRs of 2.0-3.0 in the bar of perennial thrombosis. This contradicted old retrospective informations. A farther survey by Levine et Al. [ 126 ] added drift to this research by proposing that positive baseline antiphospholipids in shot patients failed to foretell future cerebro-vascular occlusive accidents. It besides stated that everyday showing for antiphospholipids was non warranted. The survey has later been criticised as flawed, in that it was non designed to turn to the issue of testing and that merely one baseline measuring was used. Most physicians hence, still see antiphospholipid proving as being indispensable, particularly in immature shot victims.DecisionSLE was one time considered a rare disease with a universally fatal result. The past 20 old ages, nevertheless have shown that this upset is more common than originally thought and that it is treatable, with the bulk of patients now holding about normal life spans. One must be cognizant, nevertheless, that a patient who is diagnosed with SLE at 20 old ages of age still has a 1 in 6 opportunity of deceasing by 35 old ages o f age, largely from the disease itself and/or related infections. Reducing the cardiovascular hazard, which still claims significant loss of life, is besides of major importance. The neurological characteristics of cardinal nervous system disease of SLE are easy get downing to be unravelled, although there are still many inquiries that need to be answered. Delay in diagnosing, particularly in patients with low-grade disease, remains debatable. The staying challenges are in bettering the quality of life for these peculiar patients by bettering the symptoms of SLE. For illustration we will necessitate to develop biomarkers and neuroimaging trials for SLE – associated neuropsychiatric disease that have the ability to place the implicit in pathological mechanism and steer curative determinations [ 134 ] , which will hopefully ensue in more effectual intervention for this potentially dangerous unwellness.

SAT Subject Test Dates 2017-2018

SAT Subject Test Dates 2017-2018 SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips PrepScholar utilizes the best data to inform you about upcoming test schedules and registration deadlines. It's crucial to plan ahead and consider multiple factors when selecting test dates and Subject Tests. Check outthe SAT test dates from previous years to learn more about when College Board typically offers the SAT and how long before the test date you have to register. In this article, I’ll provide you with the SAT Subject Test dates for 2017-2018 and explain how you should select your test date and Subject Tests. Test Dates for the 2017-2018 School Year SAT Subject Tests are given on the same dates and in the same locations as the SAT, but there’s an additional test date in March for the SAT that isn’t offered for the SAT Subject Tests. Subject Test Dates These dates are posted on the College Board website, but they’re still subject to change. Note that not every test is offered on every date; for example, the language with listening tests are only offered in November. Subject Test Aug 26, 2017 Oct 7, 2017 Nov 4, 2017 Dec 2, 2017 May 5, 2018 Jun 2, 2018 Literature X X X X X X US History X X X X X X World History X X Mathematics Level 1 X X X X X X Mathematics Level 2 X X X X X X Biology E/M X X X X X X Chemistry X X X X X X Physics X X X X X X French X X X X X German X Spanish X X X X X Modern Hebrew X Italian X Latin X X French with Listening X German with Listening X Spanish with Listening X Chinese with Listening X Japanese with Listening X Korean with Listening X US History is offered on every test date. Registration Dates The registration deadlines and score release dates are projected by PrepScholar. Test Date Normal Registration Late Registration Score Release Aug 26, 2017 Jul 28, 2017 Aug 11, 2017 Sept 14, 2017 Oct 7, 2017 Sep 8, 2017 Sep 22, 2017 Oct 26, 2017 Nov 4, 2017 Oct 6, 2017 Oct 20, 2017 Nov 23, 2017 Dec 2, 2017 Nov 3, 2017 Nov 17, 2017 Dec 21, 2017 May 5, 2018 Apr 6, 2018 Apr 20, 2018 May 24, 2018 Jun 2, 2018 May 4, 2018 May 18, 2018 Jun 21, 2018 How Accurate Are the Tables Above? The test dates are the College Board's anticipated dates, and the registration and score release dates are our estimations. All the dates are likely to be correct, but because the test dates are given by the College Board, those dates may be somewhat more reliable. The test dates won’t be confirmed until within a year of the test, and if any of the dates change, they’ll probably be a week earlier or later than the anticipated date. You can use these dates to help determine when you'll take your SAT Subject Tests. If you know your available options, you can select the date that's best for you and your personal schedule. Also, you can factor in the specific tests you're taking and the time you need to prepare for them. How to Choose Your Subject Tests? Consider these factors when selecting your Subject Tests: What Do Your Colleges Require? Know the specific requirements of the colleges you’re applying to or intend to apply to. You should know how many Subject Tests each school requires, and you should know if each school requires specific Subject Tests. Some schools and programs require you to take science and math. Others prefer to see your skill level in a range of subjects. Are you applying to test optional or flexible colleges that allow you to use Subject Tests in place of the SAT or ACT? Call the admissions office if you have any questions about a school's policies. What Are Your Best Subjects in School? Generally, you'll do the best on the tests related to your best subjects in school. If you've always loved your English classes and you're excelling in your AP English Literature and Composition class, you'll probably do well on the Literature Subject Test. Are You Fluent in Another Language? Many native speakers of other languages take the Subject Test in their first language, even if they’re not taking a class in that language. Often, this is an opportunity to get a high score and show off your multilingualism. However, make sure you review the content for the Subject Test even if you're fluent. I scored higher on my Spanish Subject Test than some of my friends who are native Spanish speakers because I was more familiar with Spanish grammar rules and written Spanish while they were much better at conversational Spanish. Finally, read our articles on SAT Subject Tests for more guidance and to help you study. How to Choose Your Test Dates Refer this article on how to select SAT Subject Test dates. Keep in mind that you can take one, two, or three Subject Tests on a single test date. When You Know the Subject Best Generally, you want to take your Subject Test in a particular subject when you’re studying the highest level of that subject. If you're taking AP US History in your junior year, you may want to take the US History Subject Test in May or June of that year right after you've spent a full year studying US History and preparing for the AP exam. When Are Your College Deadlines? The December test of your senior year will be the last time you can take the Subject Tests for most colleges. If you're applying early, the October test may be the last possible date for you. Be aware of your deadlines and give yourself an opportunity to retake the tests in case you don't get your target scores. Review Your Personal Schedule Try to take your Subject Tests when it's most convenient for you. Ensure that you have enough study time and avoid taking the test when you have possible conflicts. If you're extremely busy with school and extracurricular activities in a certain month, you may want to avoid taking your Subject Tests then. What's Next? Before you decide when to take your Subject Tests, you should look at our list of colleges that require SAT Subject Tests. If you're trying to avoid the most difficult SAT Subject Tests, check out this article on the easiest ones. Finally, if you want to go to one of the most selective colleges, figure out the scores you need on your SAT Subject Tests. Need a little extra help prepping for your Subject Tests? We have the industry's leading SAT Subject Test prep programs (for all non-language Subject Tests). Built by Harvard grads and SAT Subject Test full or 99th %ile scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so that you get the most effective prep possible. Learn more about our Subject Test products below:

Loves Parallel Universe

Loves Parallel Universe Free Online Research Papers Love’s Parallel Universe: a study of Szymborska’s The Onion and Neruda’s Leaning into the Afternoons Love has many paradoxical dimensions. It is simple yet complex, glorified yet vilified, powerful yet weak, constructive yet disastrous. Each one of us has experienced love in some way or the other and has attained our own slant on it. Pablo Neruda and Wislawa Szymborska have expressed some of its dimensions in their love poems. To look at this in depth, I will compare and contrast two poems; Leaning into the Afternoons by Pablo Neruda and The Onion by Wislawa Szymborska. The poem, Leaning into the Afternoon, is a spontaneous outpouring of Neruda’s melancholic emotions at being separated from his beloved whom he describes through magnificent oceanic and natural imagery. His unbearable sense of loss is reflected in phrases such as, â€Å"absent eyes† and â€Å"distant female† that clearly indicate to the readers that his love is lost in the ocean of time. On the other hand, The Onion is a description of love through an extended metaphor of an onion. Szymborska relates a mundane and malodorous vegetable to something as gloriously fragrant as love. Unlike Neruda’s, this poem is hardly private passion of the poet but is more of a panoramic view of love. Although on a quick appraisal the two poems appear to be poles apart yet on deeper analysis one realises that whatever she believes about love seems to have been lived by Neruda. One could even say that Szymborska’s poem is a theoretical description while Neruda’s is the practical application of certain bitter aspects of love. In fact the meeting ground of the two poems is that love has been portrayed as selfish. Just as the onion doesn’t care whether the humans’ lachrymal glands are stimulated while cutting it, love doesn’t care either of whom it hurts. Lovers are encapsulated in their own bubble universe and seem to float in their own ideal but selfish world. A similar thread runs through another one of Wislawa Szymborska’s works, True Love. She feels that love consumes the lives of the lovers making them shun the people and the world milling around them. Neruda has similar views on the issue. In other poems like The Morning is Full or So That you’ll Hear Me he depicts love that overwhelms and overpowers senses. In Leaning into the afternoon his love spiralled out of his control and he, like a desperate, drowning man, flounders for love. He says, â€Å"my solitude its arms turning like a drowning man’s.† And later complains that the â€Å"night gallops†. The reader gets the feeling that either the love is surging in a turbulent torrent or is like an uncontrollable and defiant runaway horse. This all-consuming and uncaring love is almost comparable to a wrathful Pagan God whose absolute power and frequent wrath lashes his loyal followers. He is not dependent on others and most importantly, he follows his own authority without any remorse or regret. The onion, too, is â€Å"oniony on the inside onionesque it appears it follows its own daimonion without our human tears†. Love cannot be explained by scientific dimensions and philosophical theories. It has no substance and yet it is full of its own importance. It defies all rationale quite like the onion. â€Å"The onion, now thats something else its innards dont exist nothing but pure onionhood† If an onion is peeled it doesn’t lose its worth for there is another onion inside. It still has its ‘onionesque’- its still layered, coloured, pungent, and still an onion. Inside it, there’s a smaller one of undiminished worth.† Love also exists in layers, each layer complete in itself and if shared only multiplies. After we finish peeling the onion the smell lingers on the hands- pungent and persistent. Similarly even if the lover is shunned, love lingers. â€Å"your absent eyes that move like the sea† Neruda’s love loses neither its volume nor its depth despite her absence. It is whole and it is what it is. There are strings attached and yet if they snap and lovers suffer, love the almighty emotion, albeit in a different heart. Onions are the same. They have no real core. If you peel them, they are the same thing again. The layers are the onion and the onion is the layers. Szymborska likens the onion to a volcano- hollow yet potent. â€Å"an internal inferno the anathema of anatomy in an onion theres only onion from its top to its toe† Neruda has felt the same about love â€Å"There in the highest blaze my solitude lengthens and flames,† One could also look at his repetitiveness from a different angle. There is a repetitive sullenness to Nerudas love. Unlike Szymborska’s tongue in cheek and indirect appraisal, he is stuck in his private and gloomy cocoon. His repetitive attempts to harness an elusive love can be seen in â€Å"Leaning into the afternoons I cast my sad nets towards your oceanic eyes.† And again in â€Å"Leaning into the afternoons I fling my sad nets to that sea that beats on your marine eyes.† The reason for this lies in the last line. For Neruda the nature and life itself is connected to beloved. He cannot be the disinterested observer like Szymborska and cannot condone her view that the pain of love is part of the deal and might just be the beauty of it as an onion is just not an onion without causing the tears. From their divergent standpoints emerges a contrast in the writing style of both the poets. Wislawa Szymborska has very unique style of coining words. To give the poem a rhythmic texture, she uses her â€Å"neologistic† skills to reframe words such as anonymous into â€Å"onionymous†. These coined words are in cadence with the theme of poem; relating an onion to love. The repetitive use of vowels in combination with the letter ‘n’ also adds melody and rhythm besides being a kind of an echo of ‘onion’. â€Å"nothing but pure onionhood fills this devout onionist oniony on the inside onionesque it appears it follows its own daimonion onionymous monomania unanimous omninudity† On the contrary, with the exception of the last two couplets of Neruda’s poem, the language used is prosaic and ordinary. The marine metaphor is also an over-exploited one in Neruda. The ‘lighthouse’ and ‘signals’ and ‘net’ are not just uninspiring but have been read in other love songs of his. The beauty however emerges when he creates a relation of time with his solitude. During the â€Å"highest blaze† the afternoon sun, his loneliness and his pain is also at its apex. But as night approaches in the last few lines, the anguish is reflected through serene images. Although he continues to express his pain by using distressing words such as â€Å"shadowy† and â€Å"blue tassels† the hot blaze turns into star light and shadows. His love moves from body to soul â€Å"The birds of night peck at the first stars that flash like my soul when I love you. The night gallops in its shadowy mare shedding blue tassels over land† Furthermore, Szymborska’s poem flows on as it is not limited by the brevity of being a sonnet like Neruda’s is. She has used short stanzas each of which explain a unique similarity between an onion and love. She also has a tendency to explain in detail of what she wants to convey whereas with Neruda the reader has to guess the context. For example, in the third stanza she explains that the onion is made of layers and layers of itself and contains nothing more. And when peeled or cut, its worth is not mitigated. In doing so she uses redundant phrases such as â€Å"the second holds the third one and the third contains a fourth†. There is a tendency to drive home a point. But, this is what differentiates her from Neruda. She doesn’t want to leave it open for interpretation and wants the readers to think and understand the poem the way she does. This is very unlike Neruda. He just merely hints and lets the readers’ minds interpret and lets them play wit h the perspectives of the ideas. Interestingly Neruda too has written a poem titled â€Å"Ode to an Onion† where the beauty of the onion is described lyrically and even compared to Aphrodite’s and yet Neruda does not sublimate it as does Szymborska. The latter has immortalized onion by relating it to love but for Neruda the destiny of the onion is limited to be â€Å"Upon the table of the poor†. Neruda does not give it the potency of love or volcano; in fact he seems to be thanking onion saying that â€Å"You make us cry without hurting us.† For Neruda only love has the power to hurt and that is because it is out of the control of mere mortals and follows its own authority. Both poems are beautifully written and present, and depict the authors’ views on love. They are distinctive in that Neruda expresses painful yet more commonly experienced aspects of love, while Szymborska talks about the pain of love in her own inimitable style wherein nothing is held sacred- not even love. But she does make us realise that try as we might we have no authority over the volcanic power of love. Neruda, who seems to have been there and done it, upholds what she seems to be theorizing about. We no longer wonder whether love follows its daimonion or not. If the two poets are to be believed the answer is â€Å"yes it does†. Research Papers on Love’s Parallel UniverseHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoThe Project Managment Office System19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraWhere Wild and West MeetThree Concepts of PsychodynamicQuebec and CanadaEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenHip-Hop is ArtInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males

Research Change Models, Diagnosis Instruments, and Specific Change Assignment

Research Change Models, Diagnosis Instruments, and Specific Change Interventions - Assignment Example If the soft Ss are to be changed or transformed, immense effort in terms of training and development, leadership development and soft skill training would be required. Changes to any of the elements of hard S would have a direct impact on all the soft Ss and also on the entire organization. Thus, McKinsey’s 7-S model provides a bird’s-eye view of change implementation; however, does not provide any specific path for change implementation. Moreover, Higgins (2005) pointed that change in any aspect would place different demands and requirements on the other elements (Amos et al., 2009). This model has been extensively described in Peter and Waterman’s (2004) work. Kotter’s eight-step model (1996) is a detailed and comprehensive approach to change management, which addresses issues with leadership and commitment, and signifies the role of motivation and communication. The eight steps in sequence are: This model can be adopted as an effective change management technique as it provides all required guidelines to managers to institute change in the organization (Kotter, 1996). The best part is that this model can be applied at individual, team and organizational levels. However, it does not address people’s attitudinal issues with respect to ideation and adaptation to change. First developed by Kurt Lewin (1947), force field analysis can be used as a diagnostic instrument in assessing reactions to organizational change (Hughes, 2007). In this model, Lewin identified three processes involved in any change mechanism, which include unfreezing, moving and refreezing of organizational processes (Anderson, 2009). All processes in an organization are held in equilibrium between driving and restraining forces; any change needs to be balanced between these two forces. If not, equilibrium will be disturbed. For example, factors supporting a change include customer demand, market demand, low

Economics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Economics - Research Paper Example A recession comprises of a period of contraction: downfall in the above variables that spans for more than a few months. The US is currently in the recovery stage while a great number of states within the US are actually going through expansion. The US economy saw an increase in the annual rate of GDP and the unemployment rate fell as thousands of jobs were created. However, despite the growth in GDP, the job growth rate is slow. By the third quarter of 2013, the real GDP rose by 4.1 percent showing promising signs (Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), 2013). While the revenues of American companies have also risen by a large fraction, they are only hiring carefully to fill positions strictly required by them thereby reducing costs in an uncertain external environment. Considering the historical trends from the NBER (2013) data, the US economy is experiencing an economic expansion and should be turning into a contraction by the year 2014. Although the data presents a drop in the unemployment rates nevertheless the rate is still high. Therefore, even if the US markets are doing well, a large number of Americans still remain unemployed. Thus, the forecasters are predicting a declining economy in