Vignette Essay Samples Tips & Guide

Vignette Essay Samples Tips & Guide A Startling Fact about Vignette Essay Samples Uncovered There's a good deal of work which goes into crafting an excellent essay. The expression is comparable to the literary definition of vignette as it captures and emphasizes a little portion of a larger picture. You'll see the careful attention to detail in every sample. Our celebration wouldn't be complete without your presence. This is the perfect spot to display some little art. 14. These 2 examples convey precisely the same idea but reveal various personalities. You're able to accomplish it by staging houses with vignettes like the scenes I mentioned above. Staging houses with vignettes is a wonderful time to truly become creative. Get the Scoop on Vignette Essay Samples Before You're Too Late An alcohol abuser is described as a person who drinks alcohol in a fashion that is harmful or hazardous to your health. Huge amounts of alcohol intake will cause the damage of a person's liver which will consequently influence metabolism rate, which makes it problematic for the liver to dissipate alcohol from the body prolonging the consequences of alcohol to a person's brain functioning. Tom's stated case or situation and gathered information pertaining to the simultaneous intake of certain drugs such as Marijuana, Valium and other types of downers, and it will be used to identify whether he used downers alo ng with alcohol or not. Generally, drinking alcohol of any amount impacts the CNS. The Honest to Goodness Truth on Vignette Essay Samples Student's life can be simple and straightforward. Dreams are what take me from the area of reality. This dream particularly, reoccurs often. No one needs to be victimized for undertaking a particular activity. The Great Builds Company should polish its unethical problems that are evident among some managers so as to thrive well. Vignette Essay Samples Options It is an excellent spot to hang seasonal art for the summer as soon as the fireplace isn't being used. If you own a curio cabinet that isn't really used for curios, you always have the option to put art inside instead. If your item of art is comparatively large, consider sitting it on the ground. Look through every room in your home and see where you might have the ability to sit some pictures. 1 means to do it is to produce a brilliant opening line. If you are just searching for a distinctive approach to display your photos on a table, try out a vignette. A sketch is a brief bit of writingshorter than a brief storythat has minimum plot. This way you don't need to use very massive pieces to find the task done. Understanding Vignette Essay Samples Furthermore, the comprehension of feminist theories and the ethics of care aids in solving a range of issues in workplaces. As an example, it's argued that emphasis is set on how power is majorly utilized to oppress women only. Thus, an obvious meaning of virtuous traits ought to be known from the other side of the board. It's therefore important to be certain that moral laws are applied in any decision made by means of a business enterprise as its public image could be tainted or made by these kinds of moves. Vignette Essay Samples Secrets Remember that you may always adjust your introductory paragraph later. By itself and out of context, this passage doesn't serve much objective. The trick is to add intrigue along with just enough information so that your readers wish to read on and discover out more. Use two or three sentences to spell out the purpose, but don't go in to detail until the following paragraph.

The United States is Under Cyber Warfare - 859 Words

The United States is under attack. To be exact, the nation’s power grid is under attack in the form of cyber warfare. On May 21st, 2013 Congressmen Edward J. Markey and Henry A Waxman published a report that provided the findings from information that they had requested from over 150 utility companies (of which 60% responded). More than a dozen utilities reported â€Å"daily, constant, or frequent attempted cyber-attacks† (Markey Waxman) with one utility reporting that they have about 10,000 attempted attacks per month! The 2003 northeast blackout that saw about 50 million people from the northeast US and southeast Canada lose power for about 2 days at the cost of $6 billion dollars according to JR Minkel (Minkle) and was the biggest blackout in North American history (Minkle). The disaster lead to a report that showed the blackout was caused by a combination of human error and equipment failure. To prevent issues like this in the future a â€Å"smart grid† needs to be developed that would monitor and repair itself in the event of problems. Essentially computers and applications would be the first responder when there is an equipment failure on the grid. The problem with this solution is that by placing more of the control of the power grid into the hands of computers and applications, it opens up the grid to cyber-attacks. The economic impact of a total or even partial failure of the power grid is astronomical and makes a very appealing target to those who wish to causeShow MoreRelatedC yber Warfare Is The New Warfare Domain1528 Words   |  7 Pages the United States should preemptively attack the opposing country using their cyber warfare capabilities. II. Explanation of thesis and short summary. Cyber warfare is the new warfare domain. 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Environmental Ethics Essay Example For Students

Environmental Ethics Essay Establishing an environmental ethic is of utmost concern to the human species to better comprehend our place in the world and our potentials for the future. In doing so, we must extend our thinking of rights and responsibilities. I believe we must incorporate not only a temporal component, but also a spatial understanding of the world as an organic biotic community and how consumption is a part of the natural order. Aldo Leopold believes that conservation ethics must be rooted in a determination: A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise. I would like to start with Leopolds statement, and further explore how the definitions of integrity, stability and beauty can be better understood given three corollarys: 1. All organic entities must consume to survive it is not only a right, but a responsibility 2. There are limited resources to be consumed by organic entities on the planet 3. The human species has the ability, through rational thought, to conserve ever-depleting resources Leopolds ethic attempts to extend what is of human, moral concern to include animals, ecosystems, and endangered species. How can this concern be expressed in todays society? I see one problem with this argument in that there is little discussion about power and influence that is inherent in current definitions of rights. Therefore, I will introduce the notion that organic entities, those that depend on the consumption of energy for survival, must retain the right to consume resources to survive. Notions of right and wrong now have no standing it is a fact that organic entities must consume to maintain life. I will turn to Callicott for some discussion of limits and to the Second Law of Thermodynamics as a moral decree to conservation. The resources for survival are diverse and limited, and we must explore more fully the components of a biotic community as a whole to explore our moral limits. Community components Organic entities exist (i.e. live) in an interdependent organic community. This viewpoint will examine components of the world which are necessary to maintain organic life. Biological entities are not the only things that require consumption in these organic communities: Fire consumes oxygen as well as organic entities, the atmosphere consumes radiation from the sun, water consumes through the removal of essential oxygen to those that require it, and the earth consumes through convection. The earth, itself, does nothing more than recycle energy. Inorganic earth, water and air are also methods of transportation within the consumption community. Temporally, to better understand the interconnectedness with other entities we must look at humanities history through the ancestry of the land. Leopold described the rings on a fallen tree to show where, at different points in time, it may have been affected by other forces of consumption. We can see this in a ring that is charred black due to a fire over one hundred years ago, or where romantic lovers etched their names in its sturdy frame. However, when we examine things at the microscopic level, a rich picture emerges that relates our biological history with nature. Leopold writes of this through the Odyssey of Particle X: In the flash of a century the rock decayed, and X was pulled out and up into a world of living things. He helped build a flower, which became an acorn, which fattened a deer which fed an Indian, all in a single year. The human sensory methods of discovery tend to miss many relationships between organic entities. We tend to miss a lot of things when we are not actually living in nature as well. Maya Angelou Short Bio (Team Harmony Requirement) Essay The modern market-driven consumer society is very different from the consumer community of the totality of organic entities on the earth and quite possible less complex. We tend not only to consume resources, but technology allows us to build things that consume resources just in the production process itself. These, in turn, produce forms of energy that can then be consumed by human beings as a species. Finite energy resources Up until now, I have neglected the inorganic life that abounds on the planet. I will now turn to the Second Law of Thermodynamics which states that in any closed system, entropy is always increasing. Organic entities require energy for survival, and entropy, which is a measure of the amount of energy unavailable for work during a natural process, is constantly increasing. That is, the more we consume, the more waste is produced that is .

Strategic Asset Allocation Determining the Optimal Portfolio with Ten Asset Classes Essay Example

Strategic Asset Allocation: Determining the Optimal Portfolio with Ten Asset Classes Essay Strategic Asset Allocation: Determining the Optimal Portfolio with Ten Asset Classes Niels Bekkers Mars The Netherlands Ronald Q. Doeswijk* Robeco The Netherlands Trevin W. Lam Rabobank The Netherlands October 2009 Abstract This study explores which asset classes add value to a traditional portfolio of stocks, bonds and cash. Next, we determine the optimal weights of all asset classes in the optimal portfolio. This study adds to the literature by distinguishing ten different investment categories simultaneously in a mean-variance analysis as well as a market portfolio approach. We also demonstrate how to combine these two methods. Our results suggest that real estate, commodities and high yield add most value to the traditional asset mix. A study with such a broad coverage of asset classes has not been conducted before, not in the context of determining capital market expectations and performing a mean-variance analysis, neither in assessing the global market portfolio. JEL classification: G11, G12 Key words: strategic asset allocation, capital market expectations, mean-variance analysis, optimal portfolio, global market portfolio. This study has benefited from the support and practical comments provided by Jeroen Beimer, Leon Cornelissen, Lex Hoogduin, Menno Meekel, Leon Muller, Laurens Swinkels and Pim van Vliet. Special thanks go to Jeroen Blokland and Rolf Hermans for many extensive and valuable discussions. We thank Peter Hobbs for providing the detailed segmentation of the global real estate market that supplemented his research paper. Last, but not least, we thank Frank de Jong for his constructive comments and useful suggestions during this study. * Corresponding author, email: r. [emailprotected] com, telephone: +31 10 2242855. Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn. com/abstract=1368689 1 Introduction Most previous academic studies agree on the importance of strategic asset allocation as a determinant for investment returns. In their frequently cited paper, Brinson, Hood and Beebower (1986) claim that 93. 6% of performance variation can be explained by strategic asset allocation decisions. This res ult implies that strategic asset allocation is far more important than market timing and security selection. We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Asset Allocation: Determining the Optimal Portfolio with Ten Asset Classes specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Asset Allocation: Determining the Optimal Portfolio with Ten Asset Classes specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Asset Allocation: Determining the Optimal Portfolio with Ten Asset Classes specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Most asset allocation studies focus on the implications of adding one or two asset classes to a traditional asset mix of stocks, bonds and cash to conclude whether and to what extent an asset class should be included to the strategic portfolio, see for example Erb and Harvey (2006) and Lamm (1998). However, because of omitting asset classes this partial analysis can lead to sub-optimal portfolios. This is surprising, as pension funds and other institutions have been strategically shifting substantial parts of their investment portfolio towards non-traditional assets such as real estate, commodities, hedge funds and private equity. The goal of this study is to explore which asset classes add value to a traditional asset mix and to determine the optimal weights of all asset classes in the optimal portfolio. This study adds to the literature by distinguishing ten different investment categories simultaneously in a mean-variance analysis as well as a market portfolio approach. We also demonstrate how to combine these two methods. Next to the traditional three asset classes stocks, government bonds and cash we include private equity, real estate, hedge funds, commodities, high yield, credits and inflation linked bonds. A study with such a broad coverage of asset classes has not been conducted before, not in the context of determining capital market expectations and performing a mean-variance analysis, neither in assessing the global market portfolio. The second step in portfolio management, i. e. market timing and security selection are tactical decisions. These are beyond the scope of this study. In short, this study suggests that adding real estate, commodities and high yield to the traditional asset mix delivers the most efficiency improving value for investors. Next, we show that the proportion of non-traditional asset classes appearing in the market portfolio is relatively small. In the remainder of this study we conduct an empirical and literature analysis to establish long-run capital market expectations for each asset class, which we subsequently use in a mean-variance analysis. Then, we provide an assessment of the global market portfolio. Finally, we show how the mean-variance and market portfolio approaches can be combined to determine optimal portfolios. 1 Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn. om/abstract=1368689 2 Methodology and data Methodology Markowitz (1952, 1956) pioneered the development of a quantitative method that takes the diversification benefits of portfolio allocation into account. Modern portfolio theory is the result of his work on portfolio optimization. Ideally, in a mean-variance optimization model, the complete investment opportunity set, i. e. all assets, should be considered simultaneously. However, in pr actice, most investors distinguish between different asset classes within their portfolio-allocation frameworks. This two-stage model is generally applied by institutional investors, resulting in a top-down allocation strategy. In the first part of our analysis, we view the process of asset allocation as a four-step exercise like Bodie, Kane and Marcus (2005). It consists of choosing the asset classes under consideration, moving forward to establishing capital market expectations, followed by deriving the efficient frontier until finding the optimal asset mix. In the second part of our analysis, we assess the global market portfolio. Finally, we show how the mean-variance and market-neutral portfolio approaches can be combined to determine optimal portfolios. We take the perspective of an asset-only investor in search of the optimal portfolio. An asset-only investor does not take liabilities into account. The investment horizon is one year and the opportunity set consists of ten asset classes. The investor pursues wealth maximization and no other particular investment goals are considered. We solve the asset-allocation problem using a mean-variance optimization based on excess returns. The goal is to maximise the Sharpe ratio (risk-adjusted return) of the portfolio, bounded by the restriction that the exposure to any risky asset class is greater than or equal to zero and that the sum of the weights adds up to one. The focus is on the relative allocation to risky assets in the optimal portfolio, in stead of the allocation to cash. The weight of cash is a function of the investor’s level of risk aversion. For the expected risk premia we use geometric returns with intervals of 0. 25%. The interval for the standard deviations is 1% and for correlations 0. 1. In our opinion, more precise estimates might have an appearance of exactness which we want to prevent. We do not take management fees into consideration, except for private equity and hedge funds as for these asset classes the management fees are rather high relative to the expected risk premia of the asset class. Other asset classes have significantly lower fees compared to their risk premia. They are therefore of minor importance, especially after taking the uncertainty of our estimates into account. We estimate risk premiums by 2 subtracting geometric returns from each other. Hereby, our estimated geometric returns as well as the risk premiums both are round numbers. In the mean-variance analysis, we use arithmetic excess returns. Geometric returns are not suitable in a mean-variance framework. The weighted average of geometric returns does not equal the geometric return of a simulated portfolio with the same composition. The observed difference can be explained by the diversification benefits of the portfolio allocation. We derive the arithmetic returns from the geometric returns and the volatility. Data We primarily focus on US data in the empirical analysis. The choice for this market is backed by two arguments. First, the US market offers the longest data series for almost all asset classes. This makes a historical comparison more meaningful. For instance, the high yield bond market has long been solely a US capital market phenomenon. Secondly, using US data avoids the geographical mismatch in global data. A global index for the relatively new asset class of inflation linked bonds is biased towards the US, French and UK markets, while a global stock index is decently spread over numerous countries. We use total return indices in US dollars. Asset classes like real estate and private equity are represented in both listed and non-listed indices, while hedge funds are only covered by non-listed indices. Non-listed real estate and private equity indices are appraisal based, which may cause a smoothing effect in assumed risk of the asset class. This bias arises because the appraisals will not take place frequently. However, interpolating returns causes an underestimation of risk. Also, changes in prices will not be immediately reflected in appraisal values until there is sufficient evidence for an adjustment. Statistical procedures to mitigate these data problems exist, but there is no guarantee that these methods produce accurate measures of true holding-period returns, see Froot (1995). As these smoothing effects can lead to an underestimation of risk, this study avoids non-listed datasets and instead adopts listed indices for real estate and private equity. The quality of return data of listed indices is assumed to be higher as they are based on transaction prices. Ibbotson (2006) supports this approach and states â€Å"Although all investors may not yet agree that direct commercial real estate investments and indirect commercial real investments (REITs) provide the same risk-reward exposure to commercial real estate, a growing body of research indicates that investment returns from the two markets are either the same or nearly so. †. For hedge funds we will use a fund of fund index that we unsmooth with Geltner (1991, 1993) techniques. Fung and Hsieh (2000) describe the important role of funds of hedge funds as a proxy for the market portfolio of hedge funds. Appendix A and B contain our data sources. In appendix A we discuss our capital market expectations and in appendix B we derive the market portfolio from a variety of data sources. 3 3 Empirical results Capital market expectations We estimate risk premia for all asset classes based on previous reported studies, our own empirical analyses of data series and on the basic idea that risk should be rewarded. Obviously, estimates like these inevitably are subjective as the academic literature only provides limited studies into the statistical characteristics of asset classes. Moreover, there is generally no consensus among academics and we lack long term data for most asset classes. Our results should therefore be treated with care, especially since mean-variance analysis is known for its corner solutions, being highly sensitive in terms of its input parameters. In this study we proceed with the risk premia and standard deviations as shown in Table 1. Appendix A contains the reasoning for these estimates and for the correlation matrix. [INSERT TABLE 1] Mean-variance analysis Table 2 shows the optimal portfolio based on the mean-variance analysis and its descriptive statistics for a traditional portfolio with stocks and bonds as well as a portfolio with all assets. On top of the traditional asset classes of stocks and bonds, this analysis suggests that it is attractive for an investor to add real estate, commodities and high yield. The Sharpe ratio increases from 0. 346 to 0. 396. The allocation to real estate is quite high. To bring this into perspective, we would suggest that the proposed portfolio weight is overdone. When one, for example, would be willing to perceive utilities as a separate asset class, it is likely that it also would get a significant allocation as this sector also has a low correlation to the general stock market. Table 2 also illustrates that mean-variance analysis tends towards corner solutions as it neglects credits which has characteristics comparable with bonds. However, with these parameters it prefers bonds in the optimal portfolio. [INSERT TABLE 2] Figure 1 shows the benefits of diversification into non-traditional asset classes. In the volatility range of 7% to 20% the diversification benefits vary between 0. 40% and 0. 93%. This additional return is economically significant. For example, at a volatility of 10% the additional return is 0. 56%. The efficient 4 frontier of a portfolio with stocks, bonds and the three asset classes real estate, commodities and high yield comes close to the efficient frontier of an all asset portfolio. By adding these three asset classes, an investor almost captures the complete diversification benefit. [INSERT FIGURE 1] For various reasons not all investors use cash to (un)leverage their investment portfolio. Therefore, it is interesting to observe the composition of efficient portfolios in a world without the risk free rate. Figure 2 shows the asset allocation on the efficient frontier in an all asset portfolio starting from a minimum variance allocation towards a risky portfolio. It maximizes the expected excess return constrained by a given volatility. [INSERT FIGURE 2] In the least risky asset allocation, an investor allocates 77. 7% of the portfolio towards fixed-income assets. Next to bonds and stocks, real estate and commodities receive a significant allocation in portfolios with a volatility in the range of 7. %-12. 5%. High yield is also present in most of the portfolios in this range. For riskier portfolios, private equity shows up and, in the end, it ousts bonds, real estate, commodities and stocks (in this order). For defensive investors, inflation linked bonds and hedge funds enter the portfolio. We have tested the sensitivity of the mean-variance analysis to the input parame ters. Table 3 shows the impact on the optimal portfolio of an increase and a decrease in the expected volatility of an asset by a fifth, all other things being equal. Note that a change in volatility affects both the arithmetic return and the covariance matrix. Again, this table demonstrates the sensitivity of a mean-variance analysis to the input parameters. An increase in expected volatility leads to a lower allocation to that asset class. High yield even vanishes completely from the optimal portfolio. It is noteworthy that commodities are hardly affected by a higher standard deviation. A decrease in volatility mostly leads to a higher allocation, with the exception of hedge funds and commodities. Commodities, despite their expected zero risk premium, add value due to the strong diversification benefit. In this analysis, they appear to be insensitive to a change in their expected volatility. Credits and bonds are quite similar asset classes and, in a mean-variance context, the optimal portfolio tends to incline towards one or the other. [INSERT TABLE 3] In short, the mean-variance analysis suggests that adding real estate, commodities and high yield to the traditional asset mix of stocks and bonds creates most value for investors. Basically, adding these 5 three asset classes comes close to an all asset portfolio. Private equity is somewhat similar to stocks, but shows up in riskier portfolios, moving along the efficient frontier. This part of the efficient frontier is interesting for investors in search of high returns without leveraging the market portfolio. Hedge funds as a group do not add value. Obviously, when investors attribute alpha to a particular hedge fund, it changes the case for that fund. This also applies to private equity. Credits and bonds are quite similar asset classes and in a mean-variance context the optimal portfolio tends to tilt to one or another. Inflation linked bonds do not show up in our mean-variance analysis. The inflation risk premium and the high correlation with bonds prevent an allocation towards this asset class in that setting. However, for defensive investors who primarily seek protection against inflation this asset class can be very interesting. Market portfolio Both academics and practitioners agree that the mean-variance analysis is extremely sensitive to small changes and errors in the assumptions. We therefore take another approach to the asset allocation problem, in which we estimate the weights of the asset classes in the market portfolio. The composition of the observed market portfolio embodies the aggregate return, risk and correlation expectations of all market participants and is by definition the optimal portfolio. In practice however, borrowing is restricted for most investors and at the same time borrowing rates usually exceed lending rates. The result is that the market portfolio is possibly no longer the common optimal portfolio for all investors, because some might choose risky portfolios on the efficient frontier beyond the point where no money is allocated to the risk free rate. In addition, an investor’s specific situation could also lead to a different portfolio. Despite this limitation, the relative market capitalization of asset classes provides valuable guidance for the asset allocation problem. In this setting, the market-neutral weight for a particular asset class is its market value relative to the world’s total market value of all asset classes. Figure 3 shows the global market portfolio based on a variety of data sources. Appendix B provides details about the market portfolio and its dynamics for the period 2006-2008. The asset classes stocks and investment grade bonds (government bonds and credits) represent more than 85% of the market for these years. At the end of 2008 we estimate this number at 88. 8%. This means that the size of the average remaining asset class is less than 2. 0%. Based on this analysis, we conclude that the proportion of non-traditional asset classes appearing in the market portfolio is relatively small. [INSERT FIGURE 3] 6 Combination of market portfolio and mean-variance analysis The mean-variance analysis can be combined with the market portfolio. Here, we choose to take the market portfolio as a starting point which we subsequently optimize with turnover and tracking error constraints. We choose to take the market portfolio as a starting point, as it embodies the aggregate return, risk and correlation expectations of all market participants without the disadvantage of delivering the corner solutions of the mean-variance analysis. Table 4 shows the optimal portfolios with different tracking error constraints and a maximum turnover of 25% (single count) relative to the market portfolio. In other words, in this example we limit ourselves to finding optimized portfolios with portfolio weights that do not differ more than 25% from the market portfolio, calculated as the sum of the absolute difference between the market portfolio and the optimized portfolio for each asset class. Focusing on the 0. 25% tracking error constraint, it appears that the analysis recommends especially adding real estate, commodities and high yield, and removing hedge funds and inflation-linked bonds. This is logical, as the results from the meanvariance analysis are applied in this market-portfolio-adjustment process. There is a 12. 5% shift in portfolio weights. Obviously, less constraints result in a higher risk premium and a higher Sharpe ratio, until we end up with the theoretically optimal portfolio from the mean-variance analysis. Within this methodology, investors must determine their own individual constraints, while the market portfolio and the portfolio optimized by mean-variance are considered as the boundaries for the asset classes. [INSERT TABLE 4] 4 Summary and conclusions Our mean-variance analysis suggests that real estate, commodities and high yield add most value to the traditional asset mix of stocks, bonds and cash. Basically, adding these three asset classes comes close to an all asset portfolio. The portfolio with all assets shows a diversification benefit along the efficient frontier that varies between 0. 40% and 0. 93% in the volatility range of 7% to 20%. That is an economically significant extra return for free. Another approach to the asset allocation problem is assessing the weights of the asset classes in the market portfolio. Based on this analysis we conclude that the proportion of non-traditional asset classes appearing in the market portfolio is relatively small. 7 One can combine the mean-variance analysis with the market portfolio. Within this methodology, investors must determine their own individual constraints, while the market portfolio and the portfolio optimized by mean-variance are considered as the boundaries for the asset classes. 8 References Altman, E. I. , 1998, â€Å"The Anatomy of the High Yield Bond Market: After Two Decades of ActivityImplications for Europe†, research paper. Amin, G. , and H. Kat, 2005, â€Å"Welcome to the Dark Side: Hedge Fund Attrition and Survivorship Bias 1994-2001†, Journal of Alternative Investments, vol. 6, no. 2, 57-73. Bodie, Z. , A. Kane and A. Marcus, 2005, â€Å"Investments†, McGraw-Hill, sixth dition. Brinson, G. P. , L. R. Hood and G. L. Beebower, 1986, â€Å"Determinants of Portfolio Performance†, Financial Analysts Journal, vol. 42, no. 4, p. 39-44. Dimson, E. , P. Marsh and M. Staunton, 2003, â€Å"Global Evidence on the Equity Risk Premium†, Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, vol. 15, no. 4, p. 27-38. Dimson, E. , P. Mars h and M. Staunton, 2009, â€Å"Global Investment Returns Sourcebook 2009†, Credit Suisse. Doyle, E. , J. Hill and I. Jack, 2007, â€Å"Growth in Commodity Investment: Risks and Challenges for Commodity Market Participants†, study from the FSA Markets Infrastructure Department. Elton, E. J. , M. J. , Gruber and D. M. C. Agrawal, 2001, â€Å"Explaining the Rate Spread on Corporate Bonds†, Journal of Finance, vol. 56, no. 1, 247-277. Erb, C. B. , and C. R. Harvey, 2006, â€Å"The Tactical and Strategic Value of Commodity Futures†, Financial Analysts Journal, vol. 62, no. 2, p. 69-97. Fama, E. F. , and K. R. French, 2002, â€Å"The Equity Premium†, Journal of Finance, vol. 57, no. 2, p. 637660. Froot, K. A. , 1995, â€Å"Hedging Portfolios with Real Assets†, Journal of Portfolio Management, vol. 21, no. 4, p. 60-77. Fugazza, C. , M. Guidolin and G. Nicodano, 2007, â€Å"Investing for the Long-Run in European Real Estate†, Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, vol. 34, no. 1, p. 35-80. 9 Fung, W. , and D. A. Hsieh, 2000, â€Å"Performance Characteristics of Hedge Funds and Commodity Funds: Natural vs. Spurious Biases†, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, vol. 35, no. 3, p. 291-308. Geltner, D. M. , 1991, â€Å"Smoothing in Appraisal-Based Returns†, Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, vol. 4, no. 3, 327-345. Geltner, D. M. , 1993, â€Å"Estimating Market Values from Appraised Values without Assuming an Efficient Market†, Journal of Real Estate Research, vol. 8, no. , 325-345. Gorton, G. , and K. G. Rouwenhorst, 2006, â€Å"Facts and Fantasies about Commodity Futures†, Financial Analysts Journal, vol. 62, no. 2, p. 47-68. Graham, J. R. , and C. R. Harvey, 2008, â€Å"The Equity Risk Premium in 2008: Evidence from the Global CFO Outlook Survey†, working paper. Graybill, F. A. , 1983, â€Å"Matrices with Applications in Statistics†, Wadsworth International Group, California. Grishchenko, O. V. , and J. Huang, 2008, â€Å"Inflation Risk Premium: Evidence from the TIPS Market†, working paper. Hammond, P. B. , 1999, â€Å"Using Inflation-Indexed Securities for Retirement Savings and Income: The TIAA-CREF Experience†, in J. Brynjolfsson and F. J. Fabozzi, Handbook of Inflation Indexed Bonds, New Hope. Hordijk, A. C. , and C. Ahlqvist, 2004, â€Å"European Market Dimensions: An Inventory of the Investable Market in 11 European Countries†, The Compendium of Real Estate Papers 2. Ibbotson, 2007, â€Å"Private Equity and Strategic Asset Allocation†, research paper. Ibbotson, 2006, â€Å"Commercial Real Estate: The Role of Global Listed Real Estate Equities in a Strategic Asset Allocation†, research paper. Jong, F. de, and J. Driessen, 2005, â€Å"Liquidity Risk Premia in Corporate Bond Markets†, working paper. 10 Kaplan, P. D. , and S. L. Lummer, 1998, â€Å"GSCI Collateralized Futures as a Hedging and Diversification Tool for Institutional Portfolios: An Update†, Journal of Investing, vol. 7, no. 4, p. 11-17. Kaplan, S. N. , and A. Schoar, 2005, â€Å"Private Equity Performance: Returns, Persistence, and Capital Flows†, Journal of Finance, vol. 60, no. 4, p. 1791-1823. Lamm, R. M. , 1998, â€Å"Asset Allocation Implications of Inflation Protection Securities†, Journal of Portfolio Management, vol. 24, no. 4, p. 8-13. Li, L. , 2002, â€Å"Macroeconomic Factors and the Correlation of Stock and Bond Returns†, working paper. Liang, Y. , and N. M. Gordon, 2003, â€Å"A Bird’s Eye View of Global Real Estate Markets†, Prudential Real Estate Investors, research paper. Lummer, S. L. , and L. B. Siegel, 1993, â€Å"GSCI Collateralized Futures: A Hedging and Diversification Tool for Institutional Portfolios†, Journal of Investing, vol. 2, no. 2, 75-82. Markowitz, H. M. , 1952, â€Å"Portfolio Selection†, Journal of Finance, vol. 7, no. 1, p. 77-91. Markowitz, H. M. , 1956, â€Å"The Optimization of a Quadratic Function Subject to Linear Constraints†, Naval Research Logistics Quarterly, vol. 3, no. 1-2, 111-133. Masters, M. W. , 2008, Testimony Before the US Senate. McKinsey Global Institute, 2007, â€Å"The New Power Brokers: How Oil, Asia, Hedge Funds, and Private Equity are Shaping Global Capital Markets†, research paper. McKinsey Global Institute, 2008, â€Å"Mapping the Global Capital Markets Fourth Annual Report†, research paper. Norman, E. J. , G. S. Sirmans and J. D. Benjamin, 1995, â€Å"The Historical Environment of Real Estate Returns†, The Journal of Real Estate Portfolio Management, vol. 1, no. 1, p. 1-25. Ong, S. E. , and M. Ranasinghe, 2000, â€Å"Portfolio Variance and Correlation Matrices†, Journal of Real Estate Portfolio, vol. 6, no. 1, p. 1-6. Phalippou L. 2007, â€Å"Investing in Private Equity Funds: A Survey†, working paper. 11 Phalippou, L. , and O. Gottschalg, 2007, â€Å"The Performance of Private Equity Funds†, Review of Financial Studies, forthcoming. Posthuma, N. , and P. J. van der Sluis, 2003, â€Å"A Reality Check on Hedge Fund Returns†, working paper. Hobbs, P. , and H. Chin, 2007, â€Å"The Future Size of the Global Real Estate Market†, RREEF research paper. Swensen, D. F. , 2000, â€Å"Pioneering Portfolio Management†, Free Press, New York. Welch, I. , 2008, â€Å"The Consensus Estimate for the Equity Premium by Academic Financial Economists in December 2007†, working paper. Wilshire, 2008, â€Å"Report on State Retirement Systems: Funding Levels and Asset Allocation†, research paper. 12 Appendix A: Capital market expectations Risk premia for stocks and bonds are well documented and long term data series extending over 100 years are available. We will therefore start with the risk premia for stocks and bonds. Then, we derive the risk premia of other asset classes by comparing historical performance data and consulting the literature. In order to estimate volatilities and correlations, we rely more on our own historical data, due to a lack of broad coverage in the literature. Below, we discuss returns and standard deviations for each asset class. Afterwards, we estimate correlations among all asset classes. Stocks Extensive research on the equity-risk premium has been conducted in recent years. Fama and French (2002) use a dividend discount model to estimate an arithmetic risk premium of 3. 54% over the period 1872-2000 for US stocks, while the realized risk premium for this period is 5. 57%. In the period 19512000, the observed difference is even larger. They conclude that the high 1951-2000 returns are the result of low expected future performance. However, the US was one of the most successful stock markets in the twentieth century, so a global perspective is important to correct this bias. Dimson, Marsh and Staunton (2009) use historical equity risk premia for seventeen countries over the period 1900-2008. They conclude that their equity risk premia are lower than frequently cited in the literature, due to a longer timeframe and a global perspective. Table A. 1 provides an overview of historical risk premia and volatilities. TABLE A. 1 OVERVIEW OF HISTORICAL RISK AND RETURN CHARACTERISTICS FOR STOCKS SOURCE COUNTRY RISK ST. DEV. ANN. ST. DEV. PREMIUM OF MONTHLY ON CASH RETURNS MSCI US US 3. 1% 18. 4% 15. 4% MSCI WORLD WORLD 3. 0% 18. 8% 14. 8% FAMA AND FRENCH (2002)* US US US US UK WORLD 3. 9% 2. 5% 6. 0% 5. 2% 4. 2% 4. 4% 18. 5% 19. 6% 16. 7% 20. 2% 21. 8% 17. 3% 22. 0% N. A. N. A. N. A. N. A. N. A. N. A. 16. 0% DATA 1970-2008 1970-2008 1872-2000 1872-1950 1951-2000 1900-2008 1900-2008 1900-2008 1970-2008 DIMSON, MARSH AND STAUNTON (2009) ST. DEV. OF MSCI WORLD IN EUROS * STANDARD DEVIATION OF THE RISK PREMIUM INSTEAD OF THE STANDARD DEVIATION OF THE NOMINAL RETURN. WE DERIVE GEOMETRIC DATA BY USING THE EQUATION RG = RA 0. 5*VARIANCE Both Fama and French (2002) and Dimson, Marsh and Staunton (2003, 2009) find that the historical equity premium was significantly higher in the second half of the twentieth century than it was in the first half. Dimson, Marsh and Staunton (2009) expect a lower equity premium in the range of 3. 0%- 13 3. 5% going forward. In this study we use an equity risk premium of 4. 75%. This is slightly above the average of countries in a long timeframe and corresponds well with consensus estimates among finance professors as documented by Welch (2008) and among CFOs as reported by Graham Harvey (2008). The other estimate we need is stock market volatility. Dimson, Marsh and Staunton (2009) find a standard deviation of 17. 3% for global equity during the 109 year period 1900-2008. Over the period 1970-2008 the global MSCI index had a volatility of 18. 8% and 22. 0% expressed in dollars and euros respectively. We average these last two figures and estimate the volatility of stocks at 20%. 1 Government bonds Dimson Marsh and Staunton (2009) also evaluate the risk premium of bonds over cash. Their data point to a lower risk premium than the Barclays Government Indices which have been available since 1973, see Table A. . The last decades have been extremely good for government bonds. We use a geometric risk premium of 0. 75% for government bonds over cash, in line with the long term historical average from Dimson, Marsh and Staunton (2009). TABLE A. 2 OVERVIEW OF HISTORICAL RISK AND RETURN CHARACTERISTICS FOR GOVERNMENT BONDS SOURCE COUNTRY RISK ST. DEV. ANN. ST. DEV. PREMIUM OF MONTHLY ON CASH RETURNS BARCLAYS TREASURIES US 2. 2% 6. 5% 5. 4% US 3. 6% 6. 3% 5. 0% US 3. 0% 5. 5% 4. 8% DIMSON, MARSH AND STAUNTON (2009) US UK WORLD 1. 2% 0. 4% 0. 8% 8. 3% 11. 9% 8. 6% N. A. N. A. N. A. DATA 973-2008 1984-2008 1999-2008 1900-2008 1900-2008 1900-2008 The volatility of bonds has been significantly lower in

Arguing against minimalism, and the notion that

Arguing against minimalism, and the notion that Table of Contents Introduction Definition of Minimalism Concept of Minimalism Artwork Examples of Minimalism Effects of Minimalism Conclusion Introduction I am a casual fine art enthusiast like majority of the people and I highly appreciate majority of the art movements such as the modernized impressionism, cubism or surrealism. There is a mystery behind minimalism, which I fail to understand. Minimalism is a unique type of art that one can easily fail to understand and be pleased.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Arguing against minimalism, and the notion that less is more specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is a presentation made of simple arcs or shapes arranged in series to form a pattern may be overwhelming but an unbearable collection, if one is not able to find content that they can positively receive. This paper wills try to analyze minimalism in the aim of finding meaning and probable appreciation. Defi nition of Minimalism From a personal point of view as an art professional learner, the definition of minimalism in art has basis on the â€Å"Less is more† concept. In most cases, this notion lacks applicability because unlike all the common art forms such as sculptures, paintings or drawings, an artist has the freedom to use only the basic shapes such as the geometric shapes or elements of art. Common minimalism involves sculptural figures that have been reduced to structures made, drawn or painted from basic geometrical shapes (Obendorf, 2009, p.310). Through my personal interest to learn more about minimalism, I found some sense in the work and appreciated common and favourite artists of the style such as Dan Flavin, Richard Serra and Donald Judd. Concept of Minimalism Artwork According to Meyer (2010, p.18), In order to appreciate minimalists’ artwork such as Dan Flavin’s collection, there is need to remain opens of Minimalism A good example of minimalism is the â€Å"Tilted Arc† done by a renowned artist, Richard Serra. The artwork was a gigantic 12-foot high steel tilted to an angle as its reference phrase indicates (Kleiner, 2009, p.792). The sculpture was set up at New York’s Federal Plaza but was later brought down due to negative public debate. Arguably, the public could not understand the artwork especially when they had various views from ether sides, thus the controversies. It was taken apart since people did not appreciate. The sculpture represented a different effect depending on the side of view. The confusion brought out by contractions and expansions depending on the position of the viewer changed the entire environment. From an artistic point of view, the sculpture made the viewer to be aware of his/her movements. This is an indication that simple art objects are detachable from the entire form to interact with the viewer, and thus assist in defining their movements through the plaza. This type of interacti on is mainly found in minimalism especially in sculptural work. The simple shapes are the key pieces that enhance change and results to a form of interaction with the viewer. The pieces determine the feeling and perception of the viewer during interaction (Buskirk, 2005, p.22). Placing basic shapes individually such as geometric shapes, lines or arcs, presents a collection of boring objects. When the same shapes are merged to form an art form, they interact with the viewer due to dynamism of shapes from various angles. They pieces therefore become more powerful and influences one’s movement around the artwork, thus altering perception or feeling. Minimalism may not have similar effects as other common artworks, but the viewer is able to feel some effect from the collection. Another good example of minimalism belongs to Dan Flavin who had a strategic setup of coloured florescent tubes to form a collection (Marzona and Grosenick, 2004, p.48). Different colours of the fluorescen ts formed an interaction between the lighting. The lighting interacted with the observer. Colourful lighting combined with simple but dynamic shapes presents a delightful effect that can easily alter moods. Common application of this artwork is in our home where we decorate our rooms with glowing glass light sheds. Spectacular effects are achievable from very simple by combined elements; therefore, ‘less is more’.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Arguing against minimalism, and the notion that less is more specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Effects of Minimalism Unlike other common artworks such as drawings or paintings, minimalism has more effects that are negative because it requires the observer to act or respond in order to understand and appreciate. One has to be part of the artwork to realize the artist’s message. The drawings, paintings and defined sculptures are easy to appreciate without n ecessarily understanding the artist’s motive or theme, because the technicality is evident. With minimalism, it is not easy to appreciate an oval, a cube or a splash of paint on the surface. It is intimidating to have a collection of basic shapes and convince people there is artwork when, characteristic theme is not visible. Conclusion Regardless of the rejection, minimalism receives; it is possible to overcome the intimidation. The basic pieces used in this form of art have a close link to life than the typical or general paintings or drawings. The only problem is that the link is more hidden and one must interact with the art to find meaning or inspiration. With powerful interest and concentration on objects made from minimalism, one can understand or appreciate the exclusivity of the work. Te interaction means that minimalism is able to fulfil true success of an artwork, which is interaction with the viewer. Buskirk, Martha. The Contingent Object of Contemporary Art. Mass achusetts MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Press, 2005. Print.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Kleiner, Fred S. Gardners Art Through the Ages: The Western Perspective. Massachusetts, MA: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print. Marzona, Daniel and Grosenick, Uta. Minimal art. New York, NY: Taschen, 2004. Meyer, James. Minimalism. New York, NY: Phaidon Press, Incorporated, 2010. Print. Obendorf, Hartmut. Minimalism: Designing Simplicity. New York, NY: Springer Press. 2009. Print.

Celebrate Veterans Day - History and Origin of Veterans Day

Celebrate Veterans Day - History and Origin of Veterans Day People sometimes confuse the meanings of Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Memorial Day, often called Decoration Day, is observed the last Monday in May as a remembrance of those who died in military service of the United States. Veterans Day is observed on November 11 in honor of military veterans. The History of Veterans Day In 1918, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day in the eleventh month, the world rejoiced and celebrated. After four years of bitter war, an armistice was signed. The war to end all wars, World War I, was over. November 11, 1919 was set aside as Armistice Day in the United States. It was a day  to remember the sacrifices that men and women made during World War I in order to ensure a lasting peace. On Armistice Day, soldiers who survived the war marched in a parade through their home towns. Politicians and veteran officers gave speeches and held ceremonies of thanks for the peace they had won. Congress voted Armistice Day a federal holiday in 1938, twenty  years after the war ended. But Americans soon realized that the previous war would not be the last one. World War II began the following year and nations great and small again participated in a bloody struggle. For awhile after the Second World War, November 11 continued by be observed as Armistice Day. Then, in 1953, the townspeople in Emporia, Kansas began calling  the holiday Veterans Day in gratitude to both the World War I and World War II veterans in their town. Soon after, Congress passed a bill introduced by Kansas congressman, Edward Rees renaming the federal holiday Veterans Day. In 1971, President Nixon declared it a federal holiday to be observed on the second Monday in November. Americans still give thanks for peace on Veterans  Day. There are ceremonies and speeches. At 11:00 in the morning, most Americans observe a moment of silence, remembering those who fought for peace. After the United States involvement in the Vietnam War, the emphasis on holiday activities has shifted. There are fewer military parades and ceremonies. Veterans gather at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.   They place gifts at the names of their friends and relatives who fell in the Vietnam War. Families who have lost sons and daughters in wars turn their thoughts more toward peace and the avoidance of future wars. Veterans of military service have organized support groups such as the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. On Veterans Day and Memorial Day, these groups raise funds for their charitable activities by selling paper poppies made by disabled veterans. This bright red wildflower became a symbol of World War I after a bloody battle in a field of poppies called Flanders Field in Belgium. Ways to Honor Veterans on Veterans Day It is important that we continue to share the significance of Veterans Day with younger generations. Try these ideas with your kids to help them understand why its important to honor our nations veterans. Teach your children history of the holiday. Passing on the history of Veterans Day and ensuring that our children understand and remember the sacrifices that servicemen and women have made for our country is a meaningful way to honor our veterans. Read books, watch documentaries, complete Veterans  Day Printables, and discuss Veterans Day with your children.   Visit veterans. Make cards and write thank-you notes to deliver to veterans at the VA hospital or nursing home. Visit with them. Thank them for their service and listen to their stories if they’d like to share them. Display the American flag.  The  American flag should be  displayed at half-mast for Veterans Day.  Take time on Veterans Day to teach your children this and  other American flag etiquette. Watch a parade.  If your city  still holds a Veterans Day parade, you can honor veterans by taking your kids to see it.  Being there clapping on the sidelines  demonstrates to the men and women in the parade that we still remember and recognize their sacrifices. Serve a veteran.  Take time on  Veterans Day to serve a vet. Rake leaves, mow his or her  lawn, or  deliver a  meal or dessert.    Veterans Day is much more than simply a day when the banks and post offices are closed. Take some time to honor the men and women who have served our country and teach the next generation to do the same. Historical facts courtesy of Embassy of the United States of America Updated by Kris Bales

Works of art by two differant artists i saw at the Getty Museum Assignment

Works of art by two differant artists i saw at the Getty Museum - Assignment Example The first art work is the â€Å"Vincent Van Gogh’s Irises.† This is a painting that was done by one Vincent who did it at a time when he lived at the asylum in Saint Poul – de- Mausole , which is in France. The lack of tension and the relaxed brushstrokes in Vincent’s paintings during the time exemplified the paintings of Van Gogh, which resulted to his mental attack within the asylum. Van Gogh called the painting â€Å"the lightning conductor of my illness† due to the fact that he did consider it a therapy of his depression and insernity feelings (Manesh). The Irises work was done in the painter firs week in assylun. It was hihly probably that the work was influenced by the Japanese wood block prints which got to be produced within the 17th century. The Japanese works influenced most artists as at that period. It helped in reinforcing printing expressive power The next art work in comparison with this is the Irii Matamoe or rather the royal end,which is an unearthing painting that is of a decapitated human head displayed lavishly on some canvas cushion by one Poul Gauguin, a post impressionist painter. The painter had witnessed an execution in public by Guillotine in Polynesia years earlier. His experiences during his own travels resulted to his strong opposition to European colonization as well as the imperialistic viewpoint. The theme of death is what he seemed to be obsessed with and did feature in most of his paintings. The Irii Matomoe unlike the Irises was done in the 1890s. Events that had taken place influenced the dark subject matter of the art work. The painter did hard the Tahitian language words â€Å"Arii† and â€Å"Matomoe† on the upper left of the canvas. The Arii means noble while Matomoe means sleeping eyes. This phrase does imply death. Symbolist artist like Gauguin did have a predilection of images of decapitated heads as well as

OPAC Evaluation Between University of Arizona & University of BALAMAN Research Paper

OPAC Evaluation Between University of Arizona & University of BALAMAN - Research Paper Example These features include the general representation of these libraries their database characteristics, how operations occur and managed. Moreover, it also looks at the means that these libraries provide to search for information. Other vital features include operations on Boolean, aids for searching under the subjects, options for displaying on the screen and means to display output. In addition, functionalities that will offer end user support are notably inevitable. The University of Arizona has an unusual layout of the home page clearly showing the menus just below the header page. The integration of sky blue, brown, white and deep blue colors brings out an excellent look ( Lebanese American University, 1997-2015). The selection of the font schemes has differentiated the headings, subheadings, and the body thus making the information easier to read. The spacing is ok. Further, the images in place are informative and not just thrown anyhow. On the other hand, the page on Lebanese American University is simple with links to services easily accessible from the home page. The color contrast of green for the heading and a variation of brown for the body is excellent. The slight color red strip in use under the title LAU Libraries is lovely. The change of the menu coloring clearly distinguishes what is in the selection and what is not. Arizona did not have that, however, it uses color shading to identify what has been highlighted and what is not. The photos in use are standard in the way they convey meaning, for example, the one on how to locate the books. The spacing is alright with the distinction of sections. However, despite the difference between the headings and bodies subheadings, it should have been more distinct. The preceding has been brought out more clearly on the Arizona website. What is common to the two sites is the simplicity in their pages with outright links to

Schools of Thought Essay Example for Free

Schools of Thought Essay THERE WERE THREE MAJOR PHILOSOPHIES THAT EXISTED IN ANCIENT CHINESE TIMES; LEGALISM, DAOISM, AND CONFUCIANISM. EACH PHILOSOPHY HAD DIFFERENT WAYS OF THINKING/BELIEFS THAT INFLUENCED THEIR FOLLOWERS’ WAYS OF LIFE. ALTHOUGH THESE SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT MAY HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN ANCIENT CHINESE TIMES, WOULD THEY SUCCEED IN A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT IN TODAY’S SOCIETY? ONE SCHOOL OF THOUGHT THAT WOULD NOT FLOURISH IN TODAY’S WORLD IS LEGALISM, FOUNDED BY HAN FEIZI. LEGALIST IDEAS WERE BUILT AROUND THE BELIEF THAT ONLY STRICT LAWS ENFORCED BY A POWERFUL RULER WOULD ENSURE ORDER IN SOCIETY, AND THAT â€Å"THE  RULER ALONE POSSESSES POWER†. IT IS EVIDENT AS TO WHY THESE PRINCIPLES WOULD NOT WORK IN A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT BECAUSE A DEMOCRACY IS A GOVERNMENT BY THE PEOPLE FOR THE PEOPLE, AND NO SINGLE BEING HAS TOTAL CONTROL. HAN FEIZI ALSO BELIEVED THAT PEOPLE ACT OUT OF THEIR OWN SELF-INTEREST (ONE FOR ALL) AND NOT TO GOOD EXAMPLES (ALL FOR ONE). ALTHOUGH IN TODAY’S SOCIETY WE LIKE TO STICK TO THE MORALS THAT YOU PUT THE GROUP OVER THE INDIVIDUAL, MANY PEOPLE WILL STILL ACT OUT OF GREED AND PUT THEMSELVES FIRST. BUT OUR COUNTRY WOULD NEVER PROSPER IF EVERYONE ALWAYS ACTED OUT OF JUST PURELY SELF-INTEREST AND BE GREEDY ALL THE TIME. THE LEGALIST IDEOLOGIES CONCERNING SELF-INTEREST COMPLETELY CONTRADICTS THE CONFUCIANS’, WHICH IS THE ONE SCHOOL OF THOUGHT THAT COULD SUCCEED IN A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT IN TODAY’S SOCIETY. CONFUCIUS, THE FOUNDER OF THE CONFUCIAN SCHOOL OF THOUGHT, BASED MOST OF HIS IDEAS ON HOW TO REINSTATE PEACE AND â€Å"ENSURE HARMONY† IN A TIME FILLED WITH WAR AND FIGHTING. THE PRINCIPLES HE CONSTRUCTED IN ANCIENT CHINESE TIMES COULD ALSO SUCCEED IN A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT TODAY. CONFUCIUS HAD THE IDEA THAT A SUPERIOR PERSON IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WELL BEING OF THE INFERIOR PERSON. THIS WOULD SUCCEED IN TODAY’S SOCIETY IN A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT BECAUSE IT’S JUST LIKE HAVING A PRESIDENT. THEY DON’T HAVE COMPLETE CONTROL OVER THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE, BUT GUARANTEES US WELFARE AS CITIZENS. CONFUCIUS ALSO HAD MANY THOUGHTS ON RELATIONSHIPS  AND MAINLY THAT THE SUPERIOR PERSON SUCH AS A FATHER SHOULD SET AN EXAMPLE FOR THE INFERIOR ONE SUCH AS A SON. THIS IDEA WOULD ALSO SUCCEED TODAY. OUR COUNTRY WILL ONLY BENEFIT IF PROPER ETIQUETTES AND WAYS WERE INTRODUCED TO OTHERS FOR THEM TO FOLLOW AS WELL. LASTLY, CONFUCIUS PLACED A HEAVY EMPHASIS ON LEARNING WHICH WOULD BE SUCCESSFUL IN ANY  SOCIETY DURING ANY TIME. THE LAST SCHOOL OF THOUGH IS DAOISM, AND IT WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO THRIVE IN TODAY’S SOCIETY IN A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT. DAOISM IS SIMILAR TO CONFUCIANISM BECAUSE IT TOO SEARCHED FOR WAYS TO ENSURE PEACE IN SOCIETY, BUT THIS PHILOSOPHY TOOK A DIFFERENT ROUTE IN DOING SO. THE FOUNDER OF DAOISM, LAO ZI PUT MUCH EMPHASIS ON THE LINK BETWEEN PEOPLE AND NATURE, AND BELIEVED THE BEST WAY TO LIVE WAS THE NATURAL WAY. JUST BASED OFF THE BACKBONE PRINCIPLES OF THIS PHILOSOPHY, IT IS APPARENT THAT IT WOULD NOT BE SUCCESSFUL TODAY. IN OUR WORLD TODAY, EVERYTHING IS BASED ON USING OUR NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO THE FULLEST, AND USING THEM TO MODERNIZE OUR STANDARDS OF LIVING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. ALTHOUGH DAOISTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR INVENTIONS SUCH AS THE MAGNETIC COMPASS ADVANCES IN  SCIENCE AND ASTRONOMY, THEY STILL USED THEM IN HARMONY WITH NATURE, WHICH IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT WE DO TODAY. OUR SOCIETY IS ALL ABOUT MAKING ADVANCES IN OUR TECHNOLOGIES, WITHOUT GIVING A THOUGH TO HOW MUCH IT IS HURTING OUR ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE WE PUT SUCH LITTLE EMPHASIS ON NATURE. THE MAIN REASON THAT DAOISM WOULD NOT BLEND WITH A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT IS BECAUSE DAOISM WAS ALSO A GROUNDED BY THE IDEA THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE RUN BY FEW  LAWS AND LITTLE TO NO RULE. IF OUR GOVERNMENT WERE LIKE THAT, SO MANY CRIMES AND WRONG DOINGS WOULD TAKE PLACE THAT THE COUNTRY WOULD FALL APART IN A MATTER OF DAYS. OVERALL, THE THREE SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT ARE NOT BEST SUITED TO SUCCEED IN TODAY’S SOCIETY IN A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT MAINLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY THEIR PRINCIPLES WERE SHAPED IN ANCIENT CHINESE TIMES. THE ONLY REASON CONFUCIANISM IS THE ONLY SCHOOL OF THOUGH THAT COULD PROSPER TODAY IS BECAUSE IT IS THE ONLY ONE WHO’S IDEOLOGIES SOMEWHAT RESEMBLE SOME OF OUR MORALITIES AND GOVERNMENT POLICIES WE ABIDE BY TODAY.

Ethics in Nursing Essay -- Deontology, Utilitarianism

Deontology vs. Utilitarianism Deontology is an ethical theory concerned with duties and rights. The founder of deontological ethics was a German philosopher named Immanuel Kant. Kant’s deontological perspective implies people are sensitive to moral duties that require or prohibit certain behaviors, irrespective of the consequences (Tanner, Medin, & Iliev, 2008). The main focus of deontology is duty: deontology is derived from the Greek word deon, meaning duty. A duty is morally mandated action, for instance, the duty never to lie and always to keep your word. Based on Kant, even when individuals do not want to act on duty they are ethically obligated to do so (Rich, 2008). Kant believed consequences were irrelevant and an individual should do as they please at that very moment in time. An example would be a person went to their neighbor’s home while they were gone to turn on the heater so when they returned home it was warm. A consequence to turning on their heater is their house burned down, but according to Kant, since your intentions were good you cannot be at fault. Kant also believed each person has dignity and not to treat others as a means, to one’s personals ends (Rich, 2008). In other words, do not treat others as an instrument to achieve a goal. For example, a researcher that is risking the well-being of an individual participating in an experiment for the sake of finding a drug that may save many lives. Kant made a distinction between two types of duties which are hypothetical imperatives and categorical imperatives. Hypothetical imperatives are rules or duties people ought to observe if certain ends are to be achieved. Hypothetical imperatives are sometimes called â€Å"if-then† imperatives, which are condit... ...tes that fall under claim rights with the exceptions for health care liberty rights (Butts, 2008). Social Federal and state programs will help ensure that their claims will be fulfilled and preserved (Butts, 2008). To put welfare rights into more of a perspective I will provide an example. A woman comes into the emergency room and she is without a doubt in active labor. Even though she does not have medical insurance, the triage nurse will admit her. Here, the hospital has a duty to treat her until delivery of the child is completed. In brief, welfare rights and liberty rights are very important to the nursing profession. As nurses, our duty is to protect the moral rights of our patients always. With liberty rights it is our duty to protect our client’s life, and with welfare right is our duty to rescue our clients from potential dangers or even death. â€Æ'

Countenance Evaluation Model

Robert E. Stake’s the â€Å"Countenance Model of Evaluation† in Education Evaluation is an important aspect of program development to come up with improvement plan to achieve competitiveness, depending on the judgment of the one who evaluates, or the evaluators. Education being complex is associated with contingencies with consideration to congruence (intentions and observations).This needs adequate scrutiny, rendering both cost measurement and estimation of outcomes since education is a crucial part of society and economy, and its greater effectiveness per unit cost is of high consideration, especially on a given resource constraint, is desirable (Mathison, 2005, p. 90). The so-called Countenance Model of Evaluation, formulated by Robert E. Stake, is a model focusing on the qualitative influences to the traditional quantitative designs, with judgment being maintained as the major function of the one who evaluates.The heart of this model is on the decisions that are com e up with during the evaluation. There are three important phases of program development where this model revolves: antecedent, transaction, and outcome. In the antecedent phase, the consideration is the environmental factors that might affect program outcomes. The effectiveness of the program during implementation is being considered by in the transaction phase on the other hand. When the program has already achieved completion, its effects are being examined in the outcome phase.The evaluation procedure must take into account both judgment and descriptions, both relying on quantitative and qualitative observations. The description may either be absolute or comparative (Snyder, Acker-Hocevar, and Snyder, 2008, pp. 167-168). The strength of this model is that it allows thorough evaluation since it requires the evaluator to give a description of the situations (events, activities, conditions, etc. ) before, during, and after the program implementation (Snyder, Acker-Hocevar, and Snyd er, 2008, p. 168). It is really a helpful feature of this model that it offers flexibility in operation.The approach is holistic in nature, rather than atomistic, with each part being emphasized. Factors are all given attention, with the importance of each factor imposed and selected to gain sensitivity (Burgess, Galloway, and Morrison, 1993, p. 36). References Burgess, Robert G. , Sheila Galloway, and Marlene Morrison. (1993). Implementing In-service Education and Training. Retrieved September 18, 2008, from http://books. google. com/books? id=t949AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA36&dq=countenance+evaluation+model+in+education&as_brr=3&sig=ACfU3U1p1htWqqCorrsxmE_4op-nJA40mAMathison, Sandra. (2005). Encyclopedia of Evaluation. Retrieved September 18, 2008, from http://books. google. com/books? id=sCibBf4Ni1QC&pg=PA167&dq=countenance+evaluation+model&as_brr=3&sig=ACfU3U3JfsrxoDJqDLQ-djt_50iTpK99vQ#PPA167,M1 Snyder, Karolyn J. , Michelle Acker-Hocevar, and Kristen M. Snyder. (2008). Living on the Edge o f Chaos: Leading Schools into the Global Age. Retrieved September 18, 2008, from http://books. google. com/books? id=nmv5mSHlXKQC&pg=PA90&dq=countenance+evaluation+model&as_brr=3&sig=ACfU3U2pfiSKzcKZz7laTIzdLnRjUjd31Q

Holistic Care Nurse Essay

The name and other identifying information about the patient included within this piece of work have been changed to protect confidentiality, as required by The Code of Professional Conduct (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2008). For this reason, the patient included in this case study will be given the pseudonym of Sam Jones.The purpose of this assignment is to identify one client problem and provide an evidence-based plan of care for the individual. The purpose of care planning is to show a logical and systematic flow of ideas through from the initial assessment to the final evaluation (Mooney and O’Brien, 2006).The nursing model that will be incorporated in this care plan will be the Roper, Logan and Tierney’s model (2000). This model was chosen because is it extremely prevalent in the United Kingdom and is the most widely used model familiar to nurses. The model of nursing specifies 12 activities of daily living which are related to basic human needs and incorporates five dimensions of holistic care, physiological, psychological, sociocultural, politicoeconomical and environmental (Roper, Logan and Tierney’s model, 2000).Care plans are based on evidence-based practice, allowing the nurse to determine the best possible care and rationale for the chosen nursing interventions (Roper, Logan and Tierney, 2000). They take into account the psychological, biological and sociological needs of the person and therefore provide a holistic approach to care (Roper, Logan and Tierney, 2000). The main activity of living that will be affected within this care plan will be maintaining a safe environment as Mr. Jones may have a potential problem of death, due to hypovolemic and/or metabolic shock caused by ketoacidosis.Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) usually occurs in people with type 1 diabetes mellitus, but diabetic ketoacidosis can develop in any person with diabetes (Diabetes UK, 2013). DKA results from dehydration during a state of relative insulin defici ency, associated with high blood levels of sugar level and ketones (Diabetes UK, 2013). This happens because there is not enough insulin to allow glucose to enter the cells where it can be used as energy so the body begins to use stores of fat as an alternative source of energy, and this in turn produces an acidic by-product known as ketones (Diabetes UK, 2013). It is evident that DKA is associated with significant disturbances of the body's chemistry, which should resolve with appropriate  therapy (Diabetes UK, 2013).Severe metabolic acidosis can lead to shock or death (Dugdale, 2011). The specific problem was chosen because there are measures that can significantly reduce the risk of metabolic and hypovolemic shock which can be caused by severe metabolic acidosis (Dugdale, 2011). Within the care plan relevant care interventions will be identified to prevent the possible development of shock for Mr. Jones. In practice the interventions would happen contemporaneously.The intervent ions involve identifying the potential risk factors for the development of shock by using specific assessments. This will be done by following an assessment which includes planning, assessing, implementing and evaluating the care that will be provided to Mr Jones and to evaluate its effectiveness (Mooney & O’Brien, 2006).Once the diagnosis was made, specific, achievable, measurable, realistic and time limited goals of care for Mr. Jones were made. The NHS foundation trust specific guidelines for adult diabetic ketoacidosis suggest a series of immediate actions and assessments for suspected DKA which will allow for appropriate interventions to be made and will provide a baseline which will provide a measure of the effectiveness of the treatment (The Joint British Diabetes Societies Inpatient Care Group, [JBDS], 2012).Mr Jones will need fluid and electrolyte management to clear ketones and correct electrolyte imbalance (Nazario, 2011). He will also require pharmacological invol vement which will include administrating medication that is needed to reverse the acidosis, raised blood glucose and pH levels (Nazario, 2011).Psychological intervention is also necessary to reduce his anxiety and therefore reduce potential shock (Nazario, 2011). The goal of treatment for Mr Jones is to lower his high blood sugar level with insulin an hour after the insulin infusion is administrated with the expected outcome of maintaining a blood glucose level in the range of 8.3mmol/l – 10.0mmol/l within 72 hours (JBDS, 2012). Due to this it is vital that Mr Jones’s blood sugar is monitored and regulated frequently (JBDS, 2012).Another goal is to replace his lost body fluids; intravenous fluids will be given to treat dehydration and dehydration status will be assessed every hour by monitoring intake and output, skin turgor and vital signs (JBDS, 2012). Mr. Jones will be able to understand the care that is being given and why it is being given within 30 minutes of dia gnosis and he will also be able to express his fears and discuss his needs with nursing staff, which  combined with improvements in his blood sugar levels will reduce his anxiety.Intervention one: Fluid and Electrolyte ManagementAccording to The Joint British Diabetes Society (2012) the usual cause of shock in DKA is severe fluid depletion secondary to osmotic diuresis leading to intravascular volume depletion. Diabetes Daily (2013) justify this by stating that dehydration can become severe enough to cause shock. So once a diagnosis of DKA has been established, fluid replacement should be commenced immediately (Park, 2006).According to Oaks and Cole (2007) the development of total body dehydration and sodium depletion is the result of increased urinary output and electrolyte losses. They state that insulin deficiency can also contribute to renal losses of water and electrolytes (Oaks and Cole, 2007). The Joint British Diabetes Society (2012) suggests that the most important initia l therapeutic intervention when treating a patient with DKA is fluid replacement followed by insulin initiation. They also state an adult weighing 70kg or above presenting with DKA may be up to 7 litres in fluid deficit with associated electrolyte disturbances (JBDS, 2012).Rhoda, Porter and Quintini (2011) propose that a fluid and electrolyte management plan developed by a multidisciplinary team is advantageous in promoting continuity of care and producing safe outcomes. The development of a plan for managing fluid and electrolyte abnormalities should start with correcting the underlying condition (Rhoda, Porter and Quintini, 2011).In most cases, this is followed by an assessment of fluid balance with the goal of achieving euvolemia (state of normal body fluid volume) (Rhoda, Porter and Quintini, 2011). The Joint British Diabetes Society (2012) propose the main aims for the first few litres of fluid replacement are to clear ketones and correct electrolyte imbalance.The Joint British Diabetes Society (2012) has issued guidelines on the management of adults with DKA to each NHS foundation trust. The guidelines state that intravenous fluids should be commenced via an intravenous cannula (JBDS, 2012). It is recommended that 9% Sodium chloride 1000mls should be infused initially over one hour (JBDS, 2012).Park (2006) clarifies this by stating that slower rates have been associated with a more rapid correction of plasma bicarbonate and it is recommended that 1000mls is to be infused in the first hour. Rhoda, Porter and Quintini (2011) propose that after fluid status is corrected,  electrolyte imbalances are simplified.To correct dehydration and achieve the goal of rehydrating Mr Jones, several assessments will need to be completed. Rhoda, Porter and Quintini (2011) suggest that after a plan is developed, frequent monitoring is vital to regain homeostasis. Mr Jones’s urine output, heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate and pulse oximetry will be monito red hourly to ensure the treatment being given is working effectively (JBDS, 2012).Also, to assess the degree of dehydration a variety of specific observations will need to be carried out including observing neck veins, skin turgor, mucous membranes, tachycardia, hypotension, capillary refill and urine output (JBDS, 2012). A strict fluid balance chart will need to be in place to monitor input and output (Mooney, 2007).To continue with gradual rehydration and restoration of depleted electrolytes after the first 1000ml bag of 0.9% sodium chloride has been administered to Mr Jones over one hour a second 1000ml bag of 0.9% sodium chloride will be commenced over two hours and a third bag will then follow over another two hours (JBDS, 2012) . Following these two hourly bags of fluid another two bags of sodium chloride will follow at a rate of four hours and then another two bags will be commenced over six hours consecutively to ensure complete rehydration (JBDS, 2012).Pharmacology Interve ntionThe medication that was needed to resolve Mr. Jones’s acidosis and to prevent metabolic shock will be discussed in this intervention. A fixed rate intravenous insulin infusion is recommended by The Joint British Diabetes Society (2012) and stated on the NHS foundation trust DKA guidelines to reverse DKA.An intravenous insulin infusion via a pump should contain 50 units of actrapid insulin in 50mls 0.9% sodium chloride at a continuous fixed rate of 0.1 units/kg/hour (JBDS, 2012). If you are unable to weigh the patient an estimated weight will need to be made to calculate the units per kg per hour (JBDS, 2012).Whilst the infusion is running ketones and capillary blood glucose will be monitored hourly to screen for improvement (JBDS, 2012). Preedy (2010) and guidelines to DKA both state that if the patient normally takes long acting insulin (e.g. Lantus, Levemir) this should be continued at their usual dose and time. According to The Joint British Diabetes Society (2012) it is no longer advised to administer a  bolus dose of insulin at the time of diagnosis of DKA to allow rapid correction of blood sugar. Intravenous fluid resuscitation alone will reduce plasma glucose levels by two methods: it will dilute the blood glucose and also the levels of counter-regulatory hormones (JBDS, 2012).If the blood glucose falls too slowly, the insulin rate should be doubled every hour until the target decrease is met (JBDS, 2012). If the blood glucose falls too quickly, the insulin rate can be halved to 0.05unit/kg/hour, but for a short time only, as a rate of 0.1 units/kg/hour is needed to switch off ketone production (JBDS, 2012).If hypoglycaemia occurs prior to complete resolution of DKA, the insulin infusion should not be stopped, but extra glucose should be added to the IV fluids instead (JBDS, 2012). Diabetes Daily (2013) explain that if necessary, potassium should be administered to correct for hypokalemia (low blood potassium concentration), and sodium bic arbonate to correct for metabolic acidosis, if the pH is less than 7.0.For Mr. Jones neither of these was needed to correct his acidosis. JBDS (2012) can justify this as they clarify that intravenous bicarbonate is very rarely necessary. Similarly, Diabetes Care (2004) proposes the use of bicarbonate in DKA remains controversial. At a pH >7.0, insulin activity blocks lipolysis and resolves ketoacidosis without any added bicarbonate. Potassium is often high on admission but falls precipitously upon treatment with insulin (JBDS, 2012).Potassium levels can fluctuate severely during the treatment of DKA, because insulin decreases potassium levels in the blood by redistributing it into cells (JBDS, 2012). A large part of the shifted extracellular potassium would have been lost in Mr. Jones’s urine because of osmotic diuresis (Dugdale, 2012). Hypokalemia increases the risk of dangerous irregularities in the heart rate (Dugdale, 2012).Therefore, continuous observation of the heart r ate is recommended as well as repeated measurement of Mr. Jones’s potassium levels and addition of potassium to the intravenous fluids once levels fall below 5.3 mmol/l (JBDS, 2012). By 24 hours Mr. Jones had improved and was able to eat and drink. The guidelines state that by 24 hours the ketonaemia and acidosis should have resolved but you should continue intravenous fluids if the patient is not yet drinking as per clinical judgement (JBDS, 2012).The guidelines also suggest if blood glucose becomes lower than 14 mmol/L then 10% glucose should be prescribed to run alongside the sodium chloride (JBDS, 2012). Also, if Mr Jones’s  potassium had of dropped below 3.5mmol/L in the first 24 hours of treatment then additional potassium would have needed to be given (JBDS, 2012).Psychological InterventionA third intervention would be communication needs to reduce patient anxiety and keep the patient feeling secure. Communication plays an important part in the holistic care p lan and biopsychosocial approach to care. Anxiety can be a barrier to communication; therefore, it is important to communicate with Mr. Jones clearly and supportively in order to make him feel free to discuss his fears and to allow him to participate in the decisions made in his care. According to Sarafino (2008) anxiety appears to be caused by an interaction of biopsychosocial factors, including vulnerability, which interact with situations, stress, or trauma to produce added anxieties for the patient.The nurse should take a step by step approach to build a plan of care and voice the plan of care to Mr. Jones so he does not become overwhelmed by the extensiveness of the treatment (Sarafino, 2008). Communication is identified as one of the essential skills that health care professionals must acquire (NMC, 2010). The Nursing and Midwifery Council (2010) stipulate that, within the domain for communication and interpersonal skills, all nurses must do the following: communicate safely a nd effectively, build therapeutic relationships and take individual differences, capabilities, and needs into account, be able to engage in, maintain, and disengage from therapeutic relationships, use a range of communication skills and technologies, use verbal, non-verbal, and written communication, address communication in diversity, promote well-being and personal safety, and identify ways to communicate.Communicating with Mr. Jones relatives is also important so that they develop an understanding of his condition and the care he is receiving (Webb, 2011) According to Webb (2011) health professionals who can communicate at an emotional level are seen as warm, caring, and empathetic, and engender trust in their patients, which encourages disclosure of worries and concerns that patients might otherwise not reveal. Additionally, informative and useful communication between the practitioner and the patient is shown to encourage patients to take more interest in their condition, ask q uestions, and develop greater understanding and self-care (Webb, 2011).Webb (2011) explains that this is  particularly so when the patient is given time and encouragement to ask questions and be involved in their treatment decisions. By using the Roper, Logan and Tierney’s nursing model (2000) a holistic approach to care was able to be implemented for Mr. Jones by taking into account his biological, psychological and social needs. By establishing a holistic care plan three interventions were identified that were equally vital in treating Mr. Jones’s DKA to prevent hypovolemic and metabolic shock caused by his acidosis.The first intervention was the management of fluid and electrolytes put in place to achieve the goal of rehydrating Mr. Jones in aim to correct his electrolyte imbalance and clear ketones to prevent hypovolemic and metabolic shock caused by his DKA. The second intervention included pharmacological input which included the administration of relevant medi cation to achieve the goal of reversing Mr. Jones’s raised blood glucose and acidosis. Lastly the third intervention within the holistic care plan addressed Mr. Jones psychological needs by resolving his anxiety by utilising effective communication and interpersonal skills.It can be concluded that the care plan and treatment for Mr. Jones was successful therefore he did not require escalation to the high dependency unit and additional treatment was not necessary. Therefore it is evident from the success of Mr Jones care; care planning provides a structured and holistic method which in turn addresses all elements of an individual’s health and well being.AppendixThe individual chosen for this care plan is Mr. Sam Jones (a pseudonym, as explained in the confidentiality statement). This gentleman was chosen for the care plan as caring for diabetic individuals is becoming a more common activity within health care today. Mr. Jones is a 58-year-old builder who was admitted af ter being found collapsed at his home by his brother.He is 5ft 9† tall and weighs 88 kilogram’s. Mr. Jones lives alone in a centrally heated two bedroom semi detached house; he sleeps on the upper floor and is very independent and does not require a package of care. He has a daughter aged 22 who has two small children and also has a brother aged 64 who lives nearby with his wife.Mr. Jones has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes since the age of 18 and has struggled with the management of his condition  resulting in numerous hospital admissions. Mr Jones stated he did not smoke but admitted to having an increased intake of alcohol. On arrival blood monitoring was performed which revealed un-recordable blood sugar levels which gave the clerking impression of diabetic ketoacidosis.The health care team then had the problem of potential death due to hypovolemic and metabolic shock caused by ketoacidosis. On admission to the medical assessment unit (MAU) numerous assessment s needed to be completed to discover the extensiveness of the condition and to provide baseline levels.Firstly, rapid ABC was performed with measurement of pulse, blood pressure, Glasgow coma scale, respiratory rate and pulse oximetry. Urinalysis was performed which indicated the presence of ketones, and glucose and samples were sent for microscopy, culture and sensitivity. The patients’ full blood count was taken as part of the ‘septic screen'.The patients’ capillary blood glucose was taken and venous blood samples were be sent to the lab for U&Es which is essential in order to assess the baseline potassium as well as giving a biochemical indication of dehydration and renal function. Laboratory glucose is also an essential baseline investigation to identify glucose and evaluate blood sugar concentrations (Association for Clinical Chemistry, 2011).A baseline ECG is a mandatory investigation for a patient with DKA (Turner 2012). Blood gas measurements were used to evaluate Mr. Jones’s oxygenation and acid/base status and from the blood gas a pH result was obtained as well as a bicarbonate levels and PC02 (the amount of carbon dioxide released into the blood) levels (ACC, 2011).The results of the numerous tests confirmed the diagnosis of metabolic acidosis. Metabolic acidosis is characterised by a lower pH and decreased bicarbonate, the blood is too acidic on a metabolic/kidney level. A pH less than 7.4, low bicarbonate and low PC02 will indicate metabolic shock and DKA (ACC, 2011). The assessments that were undertaken on Mr Jones revealed that he fitted the criteria for diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis.According to The Joint British Diabetes Society (2012) to diagnose DKA the three of the following must be present: blood glucose over 11mmol/l or known diabetic, blood ketones above 3mmol/l or urine ketone ++ or more and venous pH less than 7.3 and/or bicarbonate below 15mmol/l. Once the diagnosis was made, specific, achievable, measu rable, realistic and time limited goals of care for Mr. Jones were made.

The Impact Engel v. Vitale Had On Prayer in Schools

The Impact Engel v. Vitale Had On Prayer in Schools What authority, if any, does the U.S. government have when it comes to religious rituals like prayers? The Engel v. Vitale Supreme Court decision of 1962 deals with this very question. The  Supreme Court ruled 6 to 1 that it was unconstitutional for a government agency like a school or government agents like public school employees to require students to recite prayers. Heres how this ultimately important church vs. state decision evolved and how it ended up before the Supreme Court. Fast Facts: Engel v. Vitale Case Argued: April 3, 1962Decision Issued:  June 25, 1962Petitioner: Steven I. Engel, et alRespondent:   William J. Vitale, Jr., et alKey Question: Does recitation of a nondenominational prayer at the beginning of the school day violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment?Majority Decision: Justices Warren, Black, Douglas, Harlan, Clark, and BrennanDissenting: Justice StewartRuling: Even if the prayer is not nondenominational nor is participation mandatory, the state cannot sponsor prayer in public schools. Engel v. Vitale and the New York Board of Regents The New York State Board of Regents, which had supervisory power over New York public schools began a program of â€Å"moral and spiritual training† in the schools which included a daily prayer. The Regents themselves composed the prayer, in what was intended to be a non-denominational format. Labeled the â€Å"To whom it may concern† prayer by one commentator, it stated: Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our Country. But some parents objected, and the American Civil Liberties Union joined with 10 of the parents in a suit against the Board of Education of New Hyde Park, New York.  Amicus curiae (friend of the court) briefs were filed by the American Ethical Union, the American Jewish Committee and the Synagogue Council of America supporting the lawsuit, which sought to remove the prayer requirement. Both the state court and the New York Court of Appeals allowed the prayer to be recited. Who Was Engel? Richard Engel was one of the parents who objected to the prayer and filed the initial lawsuit. Engel has often said that his name became part of the decision only because it came ahead of the other parents names alphabetically on the list of plaintiffs. Engel and the other parents said their children endured taunting at school because of the lawsuit, and that he and other plaintiffs received threatening phone calls and letters while the suit made its way through the courts. Supreme Court Decision in Engel v. Vitale In his majority opinion, Justice Hugo Black sided substantially with the arguments of the separationists, who quoted heavily from Thomas Jefferson and made extensive use of his â€Å"wall of separation† metaphor. Particular emphasis was placed upon James Madison’s â€Å"Memorial and Remonstrance against Religious Assessments.† The decision was 6-1 because Justices Felix Frankfurter and Byron White did not take part (Frankfurter had suffered a stroke). Justice Stewart Potter was the sole dissenting vote.   According to Blacks majority opinion, any prayer created by the government was akin to the English creation of the Book of Common Prayer. The Pilgrims came to America originally to avoid exactly this type of relationship between government and organized religion. In Blacks words, the prayer was â€Å"a practice wholly inconsistent with the Establishment Clause.† Although the Regents argued that there was no compulsion on students to recite the prayer, Black observed that: Neither the fact that the prayer may be denominationally neutral nor the fact that its observances on the part of students is voluntary can serve to free it from the limitations of the Establishment clause. What Is the Establishment Clause? This is the portion of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which  prohibits the establishment of religion by Congress. In the Engel v. Vitale case, Black wrote that the Establishment clause is violated regardless of whether there is any â€Å"showing of direct government compulsion...whether those laws operate directly to coerce non-observing individuals or not.† Black pointed out that the decision showed great respect for religion, not hostility: It is neither sacrilegious nor antireligious to say that each separate government in this country should stay out of the business of writing or sanctioning official prayers and leave that purely religious function to the people themselves and to those the people choose to look to for religious guidance. Significance of Engel v. Vitale This case was one of the first in a series of cases in which a variety of religious activities sponsored by the government were found to violate the Establishment Clause. This was the first case which effectively prohibited the government from sponsoring or endorsing official prayer in schools. Engel v. Vitale got the ball rolling on separation of church and state issues in the latter half of the 20th century.

Common Academic Phrases to Use in Your Essay

Common Academic Phrases to Use in Your Essay Quality Essay Writing: Ten Scholarly Phrases to Employ while Writing Essays Easygoing and conversational expressions have no place in scholastic papers. Therell be no LOLs, no LMFAO, and positively no OMGs. In any case, did you know there is a mess of different expressions which probably wont be so evident or striking? Shouldnt something be said about those individuals that believe its alright to compose you in an article? This ought to be maintained a strategic distance from with a reasonable option being, maybe, one. Another precedent could be an understudy who befuddles be that as it may with even though. Did you know the distinction? We use notwithstanding toward the start of another sentence, with a comma after it. Then again, even though can be utilized toward the start or amidst a sentence, and it doesnt have a comma after that. In this way, to enable you to locate the correct dimension of custom in your expositions, we have assembled this rundown of 10 scholastic expressions you can use in your article composing. This is in no way, shape or forms a comprehensive rundown. However, these are only a couple of the scholarly expressions that can enhance your exposition composing abilities. 1.  Ã‚   Also; moreover; likewise†¦ The stream of your article is critical. This kind of scholarly expression is ideal for growing or adding to a point youve officially made without hindering or halting the stream by and large. 2.  Ã‚   Eventually; to simply put it†¦ Once more, these are fantastic scholastic expressions to enhance the coherence of your paper composing. For this situation, the above terms ought to be utilized to clarify a point youve effectively made in a somewhat extraordinary manner. Try not to utilize it to rehash yourself, but instead to expound on a specific point that needs further clarification. Or on the other hand to concisely round up what just preceded. 3.Consequently; on the other hand; despite what might be expected; then again†¦ Finding a consistent technique for presenting an elective viewpoint or hypothesis can be diligent work, yet these terms and expressions can enable you to present the opposite side of the contention. 4.  Ã‚   As indicated by X; X expressed that; alluding to the perspectives of X†¦ Presenting the perspectives of subject specialists is an urgent piece of article composing. Counting a statement that normally fits into your work can be a touch of battle, yet these scholastic expressions give an extraordinary path in. The key with statements is lucidity. Leave the peruser with no space for perplexity; it ought to be evident that a statement is a statement. Therefore, you may likewise prefer to summarize – ensure you credit the source, however. Hence, you may jump at the chance to state, As Einstein regularly repeated, the hypothesis of. instead of giving a sectioned direct statement. Also, it is essential to ensure that one references effectively as well when utilizing cites or summarizing another persons words. 5.  Ã‚   Just as; alongside; combined with Take care when utilizing these joining scholarly expressions, as they dont work similarly as the combination and with regards to the subject-action word assertion. Therefore, they do generally have a similar capacity and are fine when utilized sparingly. 6.  Ã‚   Initially, besides, thirdly†¦ In case youre attempting to structure a contention without your exposition getting to be dreary, this is a very powerful strategy for introducing the realities. Try not to be excessively unbending and feel you need to number each point, yet using this framework can be a decent method to get a contention off the ground. 7.  Ã‚   In perspective of; in light of†¦ These are the kinds of expressions you should use to add a stipulation to contention or recognize reservations. Either can be utilized when a bit of proof reveals new insight into a contention. 8.  Ã‚   For example; to give an outline of†¦ Scholastic articles that get good grades back up each point. Utilizing for instance each time will wind up dull for the author and the peruser, so here are two or three scholarly expressions you can use to state a similar thing. 9.  Ã‚   Powerful; convincing†¦ While finishing up your paper, words like these can enable you to outline your contention and clarify which parts you find generally persuading. 10.  Ã‚     This way; this recommends; evidently; the outcome is†¦ When youre clarifying the importance of the consequences of a bit of research, these expressions give the ideal lead up to your clarification.