The effect of Vitamin D3 supplementation on body fat mass in healthy, overweight and obese Saudi women

Research background As observed in European and North American communities, levels of obesity in the Saudi Arabian population are on the increase. The epidemic of obesity has been described as the fastest-growing public health challenge in a number of countries. The cost implications alone from the treatment of people with obesity have put a strain on the medical services. One such example is published in an American study in 2008, which showed that that$147 billion needs to be spent every year in America for the management of obesity and obesity related disease. This figure was double of what it was a decade ago. Obesity is a term used to indicate excessive deposition of fat in the body. As mentioned before, it is the most common nutritional disorder in developed countries, and is as well significantly rising in the developing countries such as Saudi Arabia. This can be evidenced from the data reported by the Saudi National Nutrition Survey published on WHO (Health Journal, 2007). Recent studies have found the insufficient level of vitamin D in obese people(Turner, et.al. 2013; Wortsman, et.al. 2000).Although the specific mechanism that results in this shortfall is not yet fully understood, but Turner, et.al. (2013) suggested that the deposition of vitamin D3 in body fat compartments results decreased bioavailability of vitaminD3 from cutaneous and dietary sources. In addition, it has been proposed that intestinal absorption of vitamin D is reduced in patients with obesity (Wortsman, et.al. 2000). Lack of absorption of vitamin D weakens the calcium metabolism in patients with obesity; this in turn, affects the function of the thyroid glands. Altered thyroid gland can no longer perform its physiological roles, one of which is to activate vitamin D in the body. Moreover, studies have reported low level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations in obese adults and are linked to increased body fat mass, suggesting the association between low circulating concentrations of vitamin D metabolites and obesity. (Rock, et.al. 2012; Boqacka, et.al. 2011). Furthermore, it has also been reported that after absorption in the intestine, the storage of vitamin D occurs in adipose and muscle tissue, which then slowly releases into the blood stream. Defect in this storage system or pathway may result the deficiency of vitamin D and may have an impact in determining the level of body’s fat and adipose tissue (Salehpour, 2012). Hence, it is believed that the deficiency of vitamin D may induce obesity. Research aims Having reviewed the available literature in the subject, this research project is therefore aimed to: Investigate the effect of vitamin D3 supplementation in healthy, overweight and obese women of Saudi Arabia Investigate the effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on body composition in overweight and obese women of Saudi Arabia These aims were targeted with the views to providing evidence regarding the association between vitamin D supplements and obesity. Saudi population were given the preference as the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, as well as of diabetes in Saudi Arabian population is very high (Ardawi, et.al.2012). Research methods Female population between the ages of 18 and 50 will be studied. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 2 groups will be randomly given a vitamin D3 supplement or a placebo (control group) for 12 weeks. Comparison of the levels of vitamin D3 in three different groups of people, healthy, overweight and obese will be done with an aim to measure its implication in these people.After this, analysis will be done measuring different factors that are associated with obesity. Inclusion and exclusion criteria Old, healthy, overweight and obese Saudi women participants with BMI ?25 kg/ and ages between 18-50 years will be included for the study. Healthy participants will be free from metabolic bone disease, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, renal disease and will not be on anymedication, or vitamin supplements. , pregnant or lactating women will be excluded from the study. In addition, individuals with changes in body weight more than 3 kg within last three months prior to the experiment will also be excluded from the study. Finally, the participants who follow the weight-loss programs or are taking weight loss drugs and smoking will be excluded from the study. Research intentions To address the aims, this study is based upon the following research intentions. These will betested in the laboratory. Assessment of body fat mass and fat free mass by bioelectrical impedance analysis at baseline and end of study Assessment of energy and nutrient intakes by 24h food recall and validated food frequency questionnaires, which will then be analyzed for nutrient intake Analysis of blood serum 25(OH)D and parathyroid hormone at baseline and end of study Measurement of vitamin D level in the participants’ blood to determine the fluctuation in its level and its affect. Measurement of vitamin D levels of obese and healthy weight participants to establish the difference in the level of vitamin D in these two groups of people. Measurement of vitamin D post digestion to determine the amount of ingested vitamin D to show their fluctuationsbefore and after ingestion in the participants of different groups. To conclude, the main aim of this study will be to investigate the effect of Vitamin D3 supplementation on body fat mass in healthy, overweight and obese Saudi women. The association between vitamin D deficiency and obesity is well established. Obesity still remains one of major health challenges. Despite of intense research, the exact cause of obesity still remains obscure. Both genetic and environmental factors have been reported to be associated with obesity, but none of them completely illustrate the mechanism behind it. But recently, the link between vitamin D3 and obesity has gained some interest. Since obesity is associated with many pathological conditions including cancer and cardiovascular disease, unraveling the potent cause and mechanism of obesity will provide insights into the development of promising therapeutics for obesity and obesity related diseases. Also, in the future, References Alqurashi Khalid A, Aljabri Khalid S, BokhariSamia A. (2011) Prevalence of diabetes mellitus in a Saudi community. Ann Saudi Med.;31:19–23. Ardawi MS, Sibiany AM, Bakhsh TM, Qari MH, Maimani AA. (2012) ‘High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among healthy Saudi Arabian men: relationship to bone mineral density, parathyroid hormone, bone turnover markers, and lifestyle factors’ Osteoporos Int. 23(2):675-86. El Mouzan MI, Al Herbish AS, Al Salloum AA, Al Omar AA, Qurachi MM (2012) ‘Regional variation in prevalence of overweight and obesity in Saudi children and adolescents.’ Saudi J Gastroenterol, 18(2):129-32. Rock, CL, et.al.(2012). Obesity. Weight loss is associated with increased serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D in overweight or obese women. 20(11), 2296-2301. Salehpour A, Hosseinpanah F, Shidfar F, Vafa M, Razaghi M, Dehghani S, Hoshiarrad A, Gohari M. A (2012) ‘12-week double-blind randomized clinical trial of vitamin D? supplementation on body fat mass in healthy overweight and obese women.’ Nutr J. 22;11:78 Turer, CD, Lin, H and Flores, G. (2013).Pediatrics. Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among overweight and obese US children. 131(1), 152-161. Wortsman, J, et.al. (2000). American Society for Clinical Nutrition. Decreased bioavailability of vitamin D in obesity. 72(3), 690-693.

Socrates Reflection

Ricardo Rodriguez Mrs. Fazio Philosophy Novemeber-23-10 Reflection â€Å"A philosopher knows that in reality he knows very little†.. †One thing only I know, and that is that i know nothing† – Socrates There above quote is a pre-cursor to the wisdom the great philosopher Socrates has. The above quote is true in many ways such as the fact that we know barely more than what we can see. The above quote explains the microscopic insects we are in the universe. It explains how we cannot merely think that we know everything when in reality we are all very small in the grand magic trick which is the universe.We are only here for a brief lapse of time in which we have to explore and understand the universe for what it is. What we see every day with our eyes is nothing to the mystery that is our world. One can look scientifically through a telescope and see how it is a baby is conceived, or why there is a solar eclipse every couple of years. However nobody has ever com e close to describing how our universe was created or how it is that reality came to be. Therefore as Socrates says we know nothing, and that is all we know.This however does not mean that we are not to try and understand the magic trick that is being performed. †A philosopher knows in reality that he knows very little† this quote in fact comes from somebody who throughout his life has been in the pursuit of knowledge. This shows how much the average person knows and how much there is too know. However one cannot think that to know everything would necessarily be a good thing because the truth is something a lot of us probably could not handle.Those who dare to pursue the truth about life and the universe are philosophers and only after searching for the truth for a while can you come close to understanding it and realizing that in reality you know absolutely nothing. In your short life of less than 100 years, how can you come close to understand the mystery that started 4 billion years ago with the birth of our sun? It is a mystery that started their and has continued on until the present day. Socrates has explored many different aspects of philosophy and the world.It takes a truly educated person to realize that he knows nothing. This is mind blowing when you think of how much there is to know. There are so many questions that are left unanswered day to day. Some try and ignore them and are happy with their ordinary lives, while others cannot seem to ignore these pending questions and try to understand them like the ancient philosopher Socrates. Only through trying to understand these questions can you possible gain enough knowledge to realize that you know nothing.Understanding one’s self is very important in the pursuit of truth because how can you seek truth if you aren’t true with yourself in the first place. This is one of the greatest mistakes of man is to think they are wise in a false wisdom. You cannot be wise without fully knowing one’s self which requires you to be true to one’s self. It is impossible to be true to one’s self if you think that you are knowledgeable of all things and that there is nothing anybody can teach you. You must always be open to learn new things if you want to know more than nothing.

The Lost Duke of Wyndham Chapter Fifteen

In his wanderings at Belgrave, Jack had, during a rainstorm that had trapped him indoors, managed to locate a collection of books devoted to art. It had not been easy; the castle boasted two separate libraries, and each must have held five hundred volumes at least. But art books, he noticed, tended to be oversized, so he was able to make his task a bit easier by searching out the sections with the tallest spines. He pulled out these books, perused them and, after some trial and error, found what he was looking for. He didn't particularly wish to remain in the library, however; he'd always found it oppressive to be surrounded by so many books. So he'd gathered up those that looked the most interesting and took them to his new favorite room – the cream and gold drawing room at the back of the castle. Grace's room. He would never be able to think of it as anything else. It was to this room that he retreated after his embarrassing encounter with Grace in the great hall. He did not like to lose his temper; to be more precise, he loathed it. He sat there for hours, tucked into place at a reading table, occasionally rising to stretch his legs. He was on his final volume – a study of the French rococo style – when a footman walked by the open doorway, stopped, then backed up. Jack looked back at him, arching a brow in question, but the young man said nothing, just scurried off in the direction from which he'd come. Two minutes later Jack was rewarded for his patience by the sound of feminine footsteps in the hall. Grace's footsteps. He pretended to be engrossed in his book. â€Å"Oh, you're reading,† she said, sounding surprised. He carefully turned a page. â€Å"I do so on occasion.† He could practically hear her roll her eyes as she walked in. â€Å"I've been looking everywhere for you.† He looked up and affixed a smile. â€Å"And yet here I am.† She stood hesitantly in the doorway, her hands clasped tightly before her. She was nervous, he realized. He hated himself for that. He tilted his head in invitation, motioning to the chair beside him. â€Å"What are you reading?† she asked, coming into the room. He turned his book toward the empty seat at the table. â€Å"Have a look.† She did not sit immediately. Rather, she rested her hands at the edge of the table and leaned forward, peering down at the open pages. â€Å"Art,† she said. â€Å"My second favorite subject.† She gave him a shrewd look. â€Å"You wish for me to ask you what your favorite is.† â€Å"Am I so obvious?† â€Å"You are only obvious when you wish to be.† He held up his hands in mock dismay. â€Å"And alas, it still doesn't work. You have not asked me what my favorite subject is.† â€Å"Because,† she returned, sitting down, â€Å"I am quite certain the answer will contain something highly inappropriate.† He placed one hand on his chest, the dramatic gesture somehow restoring his equilibrium. It was easier to play the jester. No one expected as much from fools. â€Å"I am wounded,† he proclaimed. â€Å"I promise you, I was not going to say that my favorite subject was seduction, or the art of a kiss, or the proper way to remove a lady's glove, or for that matter the proper way to remove – â€Å" â€Å"Stop!† â€Å"I was going to say,† he said, trying to sound beleaguered and henpecked, â€Å"that my favorite subject of late is you.† Their eyes met, but only for a moment. Something unnerved her, and she quickly shifted her gaze to her lap. He watched her, mesmerized by the play of emotions on her face, by the way her hands, which were clasped together atop the table, tensed and moved. â€Å"I don't like this painting,† she said quite suddenly. He had to look back at the book to see which image she referred to. It was a man and a woman out of doors, sitting on the grass. The woman's back was to the canvas, and she seemed to be pushing the man away. Jack was not familiar with it, but he thought he recognized the style. â€Å"The Boucher?† â€Å"Ye – no,† she said, blinking in confusion as she leaned forward. She looked down. â€Å"Jean-Antoine Watteau,† she read. â€Å"The Faux Pas.† He looked down more closely. â€Å"Sorry,† he said, his voice light. â€Å"I'd only just turned the page. I think it does look rather like a Boucher, though. Don't you?† She gave a tiny shrug. â€Å"I'm not familiar enough with either artist to say. I did not study painting – or painters – very much as a child. My parents weren't overly interested in art.† â€Å"How is that possible?† She smiled at that, the sort of smile that was almost a laugh. â€Å"It wasn't so much that they weren't interested, just that they were interested in other things more. I think that above all they would have loved to travel. Both of them adored maps and atlases of all sorts.† Jack felt his eyes roll up at that. â€Å"I hate maps.† â€Å"Really?† She sounded stunned, and maybe just a little bit delighted by his admission. â€Å"Why?† He told her the truth. â€Å"I haven't the talent for reading them.† â€Å"And you, a highwayman.† â€Å"What has that to do with it?† â€Å"Don't you need to know where you're going?† â€Å"Not nearly so much as I need to know where I've been.† She looked perplexed at that, so he added, â€Å"There are certain areas of the country – possibly all of Kent, to be honest – it is best that I avoid.† â€Å"This is one of those moments,† she said, blinking several times in rapid succession, â€Å"when I am not quite certain if you are being serious.† â€Å"Oh, very much so,† he told her, almost cheerfully. â€Å"Except perhaps for the bit about Kent.† She looked at him in incomprehension. â€Å"I might have been understating.† â€Å"Understating,† she echoed. â€Å"There's a reason I avoid the South.† â€Å"Good heavens.† It was such a ladylike utterance. He almost laughed. â€Å"I don't think I have ever known a man who would admit to being a poor reader of maps,† she said once she regained her composure. He let his gaze grow warm, then hot. â€Å"I told you I was special.† â€Å"Oh, stop.† She wasn't looking at him, not directly, at least, and so she did not see his change of expression. Which probably explained why her tone remained so bright and brisk as she said, â€Å"I must say, it does complicate matters. The dowager asked me to find you so that you could aid with our routing once we disembark in Dublin.† He waved a hand. â€Å"That I can do.† â€Å"Without a map?† â€Å"We went frequently during my school days.† She looked up and smiled, almost nostalgically, as if she could see into his memories. â€Å"I'd wager you were not the head boy.† He lifted a brow. â€Å"Do you know, I think most people would consider that an insult.† Her lips curved and her eyes glowed with mischief. â€Å"Oh, but not you.† She was right, of course, not that he was going to let her know it. â€Å"And why would you think that?† â€Å"You would never want to be head boy.† â€Å"Too much responsibility?† he murmured, wondering if that was what she thought of him. She opened her mouth, and he realized that she'd been about to say yes. Her cheeks turned a bit pink, and she looked away for a moment before answering. â€Å"You are too much of a rebel,† she answered. â€Å"You would not wish to be aligned with the administration.† â€Å"Oh, the administration,† he could not help but echo with amusement. â€Å"Don't make fun of my choice of words.† â€Å"Well,† he declared, arching one brow. â€Å"I do hope you realize you are saying this to a former officer in His Majesty's army.† This she dismissed immediately. â€Å"I should have said that you enjoy styling yourself as a rebel. I rather suspect that at heart you're just as conventional as the rest of us.† He paused, and then: â€Å"I hope you realize you are saying this to a former highwayman on His Majesty's roads.† How he said this with a straight face, he'd never know, and indeed it was a relief when Grace, after a moment of shock, burst out laughing. Because really, he didn't think he could have held that arch, offended expression for one moment longer. He rather felt like he was imitating Wyndham, sitting there like such a stick. It unsettled the stomach, really. â€Å"You're dreadful,† Grace said, wiping her eyes. â€Å"I try my best,† he said modestly. â€Å"And this† – she wagged a finger at him, grinning all the while – â€Å"is why you will never be head boy.† â€Å"Good God, I hope not,† he returned. â€Å"I'd be a bit out of place at my age.† Not to mention how desperately wrong he was for school. He still had dreams about it. Certainly not nightmares – it could not be worth the energy. But every month or so he woke up from one of those annoying visions where he was back at school (rather absurdly at his current age of eight-and-twenty). It was always of a similar nature. He looked down at his schedule and suddenly realized he'd forgotten to attend Latin class for an entire term. Or arrived for an exam without his trousers. The only school subjects he remembered with any fondness were sport and art. Sport had always been easy. He need only watch a game for a minute before his body knew instinctively how to move, and as for art – well, he'd never excelled at any of the practical aspects, but had always loved the study of it. For all the reasons he'd talked about with Grace his first night at Belgrave. His eyes fell on the book, still open on the table between them. â€Å"Why do you dislike this?† he asked, motioning to the painting. It was not his favorite, but he did not find anything to offend. â€Å"She does not like him,† she said. She was looking down at the book, but he was looking at her, and he was surprised to see that her brow was wrinkled. Concern? Anger? He could not tell. â€Å"She does not want his attentions,† Grace continued. â€Å"And he will not stop. Look at his expression.† Jack peered at the image a little more closely. He supposed he saw what she meant. The reproduction was not what he would consider superior, and it was difficult to know how true it was to the actual painting. Certainly the color would be off, but the lines seemed clear. He supposed there was something insidious in the man's expression. Still†¦ â€Å"But couldn't one say,† he asked, â€Å"that you are objecting to the content of the painting and not the painting itself?† â€Å"What is the difference?† He thought for a moment. It had been some time since anyone had engaged him in what might be termed intellectual discourse. â€Å"Perhaps the artist wishes to invoke this response. Perhaps his intention is to portray this very scene. It does not mean that he endorses it.† â€Å"I suppose.† Her lips pressed together, the corners tightening in a manner that he'd not seen before. He did not like it. It aged her. But more than that, it seemed to call to the fore an unhappiness that was almost entrenched. When she moved her mouth like that – angry, upset, resigned – it looked like she would never be happy again. Worse, it looked like she accepted it. â€Å"You do not have to like it,† he said softly. Her mouth softened but her eyes remained clouded. â€Å"No,† she said, â€Å"I don't.† She reached forward and flipped the page, her fingers changing the subject. â€Å"I have heard of Monsieur Watteau, of course, and he may be a revered artist, but – Oh!† Jack was already smiling. Grace had not been looking at the book as she'd turned the page. But he had. â€Å"Oh my†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Now that's a Boucher,† Jack said appreciatively. â€Å"It's not†¦I've never†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her eyes were wide – two huge blue moons. Her lips were parted, and her cheeks†¦He only just managed to resist the urge to fan her. â€Å"Marie-Louise O'Murphy,† he told her. She looked up in horror. â€Å"You know her?† He shouldn't have laughed, but truly, he could not help it. â€Å"Every schoolboy knows her. Of her,† he corrected. â€Å"I believe she passed on recently. In her dotage, have no fear. Tragically, she was old enough to be my grandmother.† He gazed down fondly at the woman in the painting, lounging provocatively on a divan. She was naked – wonderfully, gloriously, completely so – and lying on her belly, her back slightly arched as she leaned on the arm of the sofa, peering over the edge. She was painted from the side, but even so, a portion of the cleft of her buttocks was scandalously visible, and her legs†¦ Jack sighed happily at the memory. Her legs were spread wide, and he was quite certain he had not been the only schoolboy to have imagined settling himself between them. Many a young lad had lost his virginity (in dreams, but still) to Marie-Louise O'Murphy. He wondered if the lady had ever realized the service she had provided. He looked up at Grace. She was staring at the painting. He thought – he hoped – she might be growing aroused. â€Å"You've never seen it before?† he murmured. She shook her head. Barely. She was transfixed. â€Å"She was the mistress of the King of France,† Jack told her. â€Å"It was said that the king saw one of Boucher's portraits of her – not this one, I think, perhaps a miniature – and he decided he had to have her.† Grace's mouth opened, as if she wanted to comment, but nothing quite came out. â€Å"She came from the streets of Dublin,† he said, â€Å"or so I'm told. It is difficult to imagine her obtaining the surname O'Murphy anywhere else.† He sighed in fond recollection. â€Å"We were always so proud to claim her as one of our own.† He moved so that he might stand behind her, leaning over her shoulder. When he spoke, he knew that his words would land on her skin like a kiss. â€Å"It's quite provocative, isn't it?† Still, Grace seemed not to know what to say. Jack did not mind. He had discovered that watching Grace looking at the painting was far more erotic than the painting itself had ever been. â€Å"I always wanted to go see it in person,† he commented. â€Å"I believe it is in Germany now. Munich, perhaps. But alas, my travels never took me that way.† â€Å"I've never seen anything like it,† Grace whispered. â€Å"It does make one feel, does it not?† She nodded. And he wondered – if he had always dreamed of lying between Mademoiselle O'Murphy's thighs, did Grace now wonder what it was like to be her? Did she imagine herself lying on the divan, exposed to a man's erotic gaze? To his gaze. He would never allow anyone else to see her thus. Around them, the room was silent. He could hear his own breath, each one more shaky than the last. And he could hear hers – soft, low, and coming faster with each inhalation. He wanted her. Desperately. He wanted Grace. He wanted her spread before him like the girl in the painting. He wanted her any way he could have her. He wanted to peel the clothes from her body, and he wanted to worship every inch of her skin. He could practically feel it, the soft weight of her thighs in his hands as he opened her to him, the musky heat as he moved closer for a kiss. â€Å"Grace,† he whispered. She was not looking at him. Her eyes were still on the painting in the book. Her tongue darted out, moistening the very center of her lips. She couldn't have known what that did to him. He reached around her, touching her fingers. She did not pull away. â€Å"Dance with me,† he murmured, wrapping his hand around her wrist. He tugged at her gently, urging her to her feet. â€Å"There is no music,† she whispered. But she stood. With no resistance, not even a hint of hesitation, she stood. And so he said the one thing that was in his heart. â€Å"We will make it ourselves.† There were so many moments when Grace could have said no. When his hand touched hers. When he pulled her to her feet. When he'd asked her to dance, despite the lack of music – that would have been a logical moment. But she didn't. She couldn't. She should have. But she didn't want to. And then somehow she was in his arms, and they were waltzing, in time with the soft hum of his voice. It was not an embrace that would ever be allowed in a proper ballroom; he was holding her far too close, and with each step he seemed to draw her closer, until finally the distance between them was measured not in inches but in heat. â€Å"Grace,† he said, her name a hoarse, needy moan. But she did not hear the last bit of it, that last consonant. He was kissing her by then, all sound lost in his onslaught. And she was kissing him back. Good heavens, she did not think she had ever wanted anything so much as she did this man, in this moment. She wanted him to surround her, to engulf her. She wanted to lose herself in him, to lay her body down and offer herself up to him. Anything, she wanted to whisper. Anything you want. Because surely he knew what she needed. The painting of that woman – the French king's mistress – it had done something to her. She'd been bewitched. There could be no other explanation. She wanted to lie naked on a divan. She wanted to know the sensation of damask rubbing against her belly, while cool, fresh air whispered across her back. She wanted to know what it felt like to lie that way, with a man's eyes burning hotly over her form. His eyes. Only his. â€Å"Jack,† she whispered, practically throwing herself against him. She needed to feel him, the pressure of him, the strength. She did not want his touch only on her lips; she wanted it everywhere, and everywhere at once. For a moment he faltered, as if surprised by her sudden enthusiasm, but he quickly recovered, and within seconds he had kicked the door shut and had her pinned up against the wall beside it, never once breaking their kiss. She was on her toes, pressed so tightly between Jack and the wall that her feet would have dangled in the air if she'd been just an inch higher. His mouth was hungry, and she was breathless, and when he moved down to worship her cheek, and then her throat, it was all she could do to keep her head upright. As it was, her neck was stretching, and she could feel herself arching forward, her breasts aching for closer contact. This was not their first intimacy, but it was not the same. Before, she'd wanted him to kiss her. She'd wanted to be kissed. But now†¦It was as if every pent-up dream and desire had awoken within her, turning her into some strange fiery creature. She felt aggressive. Strong. And she was so damned tired of watching life happen around her. â€Å"Jack†¦Jack†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She could not seem to say anything else, not when his teeth were tugging at the bodice of her frock. His fingers were aiding in the endeavor, nimbly unfastening the buttons at her back. But somehow that wasn't fair. She wanted to be a part of it, too. â€Å"Me,† she managed to get out, and she moved her hands, which had been reveling in the crisp silkiness of his hair, to his shirtfront. She slid down the wall, pulling him along with her, until they were both on the floor. Without missing a beat, she made frenetic work of his buttons, yanking his shirt aside once she was through. For a moment she could do nothing but gaze. Her breath was sucked inside of her, burning to get out, but she could not seem to exhale. She touched him, laying her palm against his chest, a whoosh of air finally escaping her lips when she felt his heart leaping beneath his skin. She stroked upward, and then down, marveling at the contact, until one of his hands roughly covered hers. â€Å"Grace,† he said. He swallowed, and she could feel that his fingers were trembling. She looked up, waiting for him to continue. He could seduce with nothing but a glance, she thought. A touch and she would melt. Did he have any idea the magic he held over her? The power? â€Å"Grace,† he said again, his breath labored. â€Å"I won't be able to stop soon.† â€Å"I don't care.† â€Å"You do.† His voice was ragged, and it made her want him even more. â€Å"I want you,† she pleaded. â€Å"I want this.† He looked as if he were in pain. She knew she was. He squeezed her hand, and they both paused. Grace looked up, and their eyes met. And held. And in that moment, she loved him. She didn't know what it was he'd done to her, but she was changed. And she loved him for it. â€Å"I won't take this from you,† he said in a rough whisper. â€Å"Not like this.† Then how? she wanted to ask, but sense was trickling back into her body, and she knew he was right. She had precious little of value in this world – her mother's tiny pearl earrings, a family Bible, love letters between her parents. But she had her body, and she had her pride, and she could not allow herself to give them to a man who was not to be her husband. And they both knew that if he turned out to be the Duke of Wyndham, then he could never be her husband. Grace did not know all of the circumstances of his upbringing, but she'd heard enough to know that he was familiar with the ways of the aristocracy. He had to know what would be expected of him. He cupped her face in his hands and stared at her with a tenderness that took her breath away. â€Å"As God is my witness,† he whispered, turning her around so he could do up her buttons, â€Å"this is the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life.† Somehow she found the strength to smile. Or at the very least, to not cry. Later that night Grace was in the rose salon, hunting down writing paper for the dowager, who had decided – on the spur of the moment, apparently – that she must send a letter to her sister, the grand duchess of that small European country whose name Grace could never pronounce (or, indeed, remember). This was a lengthier process than it seemed, as the dowager liked to compose her correspondence aloud (with Grace as audience), debating – at painful length – each turn of phrase. Grace then had to concentrate on memorizing the dowager's words, as she would then be required (not by the dowager; rather, by a general duty to humanity) to recopy the dowager's missive, translating her unintelligible scrawl into something a bit more neat and tidy. The dowager did not acknowledge that she did this; in fact, the one time Grace offered, she flew into such a huff that Grace had never again whispered a word of it. But considering that her sister's next letter opened with gushes of praise on the dowager's new penmanship, Grace could not imagine that she was completely unaware. Ah, well. It was one of those things they did not discuss. Grace did not mind the task this evening. Sometimes it gave her a headache; she did try to do her recopying when the sun was still high and she could enjoy the advantages of natural light. But it was an endeavor that required all of her concentration, and she rather thought that it was exactly what she needed right now. Something to take her mind off†¦well, everything. Mr. Audley. Thomas. And how awful she felt. Mr. Audley. That painting of that woman. Mr. Audley. Jack. Grace let out a short, loud sigh. For heaven's sake, who was she trying to fool? She knew exactly what she was trying so hard not to think about. Herself. She sighed. Maybe she ought to take herself off to the land of the unpronounceable name. She wondered if they spoke English there. She wondered if the Grand Duchess Margareta (nee Margaret, and called, she was pertly told by the dowager, Maggs) could possibly be as ill-tempered as her sister. It did seem unlikely. Although as a member of the royal family, Maggs presumably had the authority to order someone's head lopped off. The dowager had said they were a bit feudal over there. Grace touched her head, decided she liked it where it was, and with renewed determination pulled open the top drawer to the escritoire, using perhaps a bit more force than necessary. She winced at the screech of wood against wood, then frowned; this really wasn't such a well-made piece of furniture. Rather out of place at Belgrave, she had to say. Nothing in the top drawer. Just a quill that looked as if it hadn't seen use since the last King George ruled the land. She moved to the second, reaching to the back in case anything was hiding in the shadows, and then she heard something. Someone. It was Thomas. He was standing in the doorway, looking rather peaked, and even in the dim light she could see that his eyes were bloodshot. She gulped down a wave of guilt. He was a good man. She hated that she was falling in love with his rival. No, that was not it. She hated that Mr. Audley was his rival. No, not that. She hated the whole bloody situation. Every last speck of it. â€Å"Grace,† he said. Nothing else, just her name. She swallowed. It had been some time since they'd conversed on friendly terms. Not that they had been un friendly, but truly, was there anything worse than oh-so-careful civility? â€Å"Thomas,† she said, â€Å"I did not realize you were still awake.† â€Å"It's not so late,† he said with a shrug. â€Å"No, I suppose not.† She glanced up at the clock. â€Å"The dowager is abed but not yet asleep.† â€Å"Your work is never done, is it?† he asked, entering the room. â€Å"No,† she said, wanting to sigh. Then, refusing to feel sorry for herself, she explained, â€Å"I ran out of writing paper upstairs.† â€Å"For correspondence?† â€Å"Your grandmother's,† she affirmed. â€Å"I have no one with whom to correspond.† Dear heavens, could that be true? It had never even occurred to her before. Had she written a single letter in the years she'd been here? â€Å"I suppose once Elizabeth Willoughby marries and moves away†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She paused, thinking how sad that was, that she needed her friend to leave so she might be able to write a letter. â€Å"†¦I shall miss her.† â€Å"Yes,† he said, looking somewhat distracted, not that she could blame him, given the current state of his affairs. â€Å"You are good friends, aren't you?† She nodded, reaching into the recesses of the third drawer. Success! â€Å"Ah, here we are.† She pulled forth a small stack of paper, then realized that her triumph meant that she had to go tend to her duties. â€Å"I must go write your grandmother's letters now.† â€Å"She does not write them herself?† he asked with surprise. Grace almost chuckled at that. â€Å"She thinks she does. But the truth is, her penmanship is dreadful. No one could possibly make out what she intends to say. Even I have difficulty with it. I end up improvising at least half in the copying.† She looked down at the pages in her hands, shaking them down against the top of the desk first one way and then on the side, to make an even stack. When she looked back up, Thomas was standing a bit closer, looking rather serious. â€Å"I must apologize, Grace,† he said, walking toward her. Oh, she didn't want this. She didn't want an apology, not when she herself held so much guilt in her heart. â€Å"For this afternoon?† she asked, her voice perhaps a little too light. â€Å"No, please, don't be silly. It's a terrible situation, and no one could fault you for – â€Å" â€Å"For many things,† he cut in. He was looking at her very strangely, and Grace wondered if he'd been drinking. He'd been doing a lot of that lately. She had told herself that she mustn't scold him; truly, it was a wonder he was behaving as well as he was, under the circumstances. â€Å"Please,† she said, hoping to put an end to the discussion. â€Å"I cannot think of anything for which you need to make amends, but I assure you, if there were, I would accept your apology, with all graciousness.† â€Å"Thank you,† he said. And then, seemingly out of nowhere: â€Å"We depart for Liverpool in two days.† Grace nodded. She knew this already. And surely he should have known that she was aware of the plans. â€Å"I imagine you have much to do before we leave,† she said. â€Å"Almost nothing,† he said, but there was something awful in his voice, almost as if he were daring her to ask his meaning. And there had to be a meaning, because Thomas always had much to do, whether he had a planned departure or not. â€Å"Oh. That must be a pleasant change,† she said, because she could not simply ignore his statement. He leaned forward slightly, and Grace smelled spirits on his breath. Oh, Thomas. She ached for him, for what he must be feeling. And she wanted to tell him: I don't want it, either. I want you to be the duke and Jack to be plain Mr. Audley, and I want all of this just to be over. Even if the truth turned out to be not what she prayed for, she wanted to know. But she couldn't say this aloud. Not to Thomas. Already he was looking at her in that piercing way of his, as if he knew all her secrets – that she was falling in love with his rival, that she had already kissed him – several times – and she had wanted so much more. She would have done more, if Jack had not stopped her. â€Å"I am practicing, you see,† Thomas said. â€Å"Practicing?† â€Å"To be a gentleman of leisure. Perhaps I should emulate your Mr. Audley.† â€Å"He is not my Mr. Audley,† she immediately replied, even though she knew he had only said as much to provoke her. â€Å"He shall not worry,† Thomas continued, as if she'd not spoken. â€Å"I have left all of the affairs in perfect order. Every contract has been reviewed and every last number in every last column has been tallied. If he runs the estate into the ground, it shall be on his own head.† â€Å"Thomas, stop,† she said, because she could not bear it. For either of them. â€Å"Don't talk this way. We don't know that he is the duke.† â€Å"Don't we?† His lip curled as he looked down at her. â€Å"Come now, Grace, we both know what we will find in Ireland.† â€Å"We don't,† she insisted, and her voice sounded hollow. She felt hollow, as if she had to hold herself perfectly still just to keep from cracking. He stared at her. For far longer than was comfortable. And then: â€Å"Do you love him?† Grace felt the blood drain from her face. â€Å"Do you love him?† he repeated, stridently this time. â€Å"Audley.† â€Å"I know who you're talking about,† she said before she could think the better of it. â€Å"I imagine you do.† She stood still, forcing herself to unclench her fists. She'd probably ruined the writing paper; she'd heard it crumple in her hand. He'd gone from apologetic to hateful in the space of a second, and she knew he was hurting inside, but so was she, damn it. â€Å"How long have you been here?† he asked. She drew back, her head turning slightly to the side. He was looking at her so strangely. â€Å"At Belgrave?† she said hesitantly. â€Å"Five years.† â€Å"And in all that time I haven't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook his head. â€Å"I wonder why.† Without even thinking, she tried to step back, but the desk blocked her way. What was wrong with him? â€Å"Thomas,† she said, wary now, â€Å"what are you talking about?† He seemed to find that funny. â€Å"Damned if I know.† And then, while she was trying to think of a suitable reply, he let out a bitter laugh and said, â€Å"What's to become of us, Grace? We're doomed, you know. Both of us.† She knew it was true, but it was terrible to hear it confirmed. â€Å"I don't know what you're talking about,† she said. â€Å"Oh, come now, Grace, you're far too intelligent for that.† â€Å"I should go.† But he was blocking her way. â€Å"Thomas, I – â€Å" And then – dear heavens – he was kissing her. His mouth was on hers, and her stomach flipped in horror, not because his kiss was repulsive, because it wasn't. It was the shock of it. Five years she'd been here, and he'd never even hinted at – â€Å"Stop!† She wrenched herself away. â€Å"Why are you doing this?† â€Å"I don't know,† he said with a helpless shrug. â€Å"I'm here, you're here†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I'm leaving.† But one of his hands was still on her arm. She needed him to release her. She could have pulled away; he was not holding her tightly. But she needed it to be his decision. He needed it to be his decision. â€Å"Ah, Grace,† he said, looking almost defeated. â€Å"I am not Wyndham any longer. We both know it.† He paused, shrugged, held out his hand in surrender. â€Å"Thomas?† she whispered. And then he said, â€Å"Why don't you marry me when this is all over?† â€Å"What?† Something akin to horror washed over her. â€Å"Oh, Thomas, you're mad.† But she knew what he really meant. A duke could not marry Grace Eversleigh. But if he wasn't†¦If he was just plain Mr. Cavendish†¦Why not? Acid rose in her throat. He didn't mean to insult. She didn't even feel insulted. She knew the world she inhabited. She knew the rules, and she knew her place. Jack could never be hers. Not if he was the duke. â€Å"What do you say, Gracie?† Thomas touched her chin, tipped her face up to look at him. And she thought – maybe. Would it be so very bad? She could not stay at Belgrave, that was for certain. And maybe she would learn to love him. She already did, really, as a friend. He leaned down to kiss her again, and this time she let him, praying that her heart would pound and her pulse would race and that spot between her legs†¦Oh, please let it feel as it did when Jack touched her. But there was nothing. Just a rather warm sense of friendship. Which she supposed wasn't the worst thing in the world. â€Å"I can't,† she whispered, turning her face to the side. She wanted to cry. And then she did cry, because Thomas rested his chin on her head, comforting her like a brother. Her heart twisted, and she heard him whisper, â€Å"I know.†

Themes between Frankenstein, OTSP and The Lord of the Rings Essay

Themes between Frankenstein, OTSP and The Lord of the Rings - Essay Example Out of the Silent Planet does not include women in most of it, but it does make the claim that women should be content with simply raising their children because that is the Christian ideology that the author believed in. In this novel, women are shown taking care of the cooking, while the men are out providing. The Return of the King, however, portrays women in a much stronger manner. The women in this story, though few in number, are able to assist the men on their journey and provide useful contributions to them. The theme of femininity is present and important in each of these novels, but females are portrayed in their strongest form in The Return of the King, which is important because it shows that strong female characters can be used successfully in literature. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, is a novel that does not contain very much in the way of strong females characters. The majority of them are passive and subservient women who fill their gender roles and then die in less than impressive fashion. One of the reasons why this is done could be to draw attention to male behavior and what it does to the female psyche. For example, Caroline Beaufort dies because she is so wrapped up in caring for her daughter that she does not put any emphasis on her own life. Elizabeth is portrayed as a character that is â€Å"imaginative, delicate and beautiful† (Shelley 30), which is hardly the characteristics that strong female character would possess. This, once again, shows the role that has placed upon females in our society as it would be rare to see a male do the same sort of thing. Victor also has an interesting view of the other, as he does not feel like he will be able to control the female monster if it is created. This shows that males h ave very little understanding of how the mind of a woman works and do not wish to challenge the unknown. It also shows how males always want to be

The Effects of Competition, Predation and Disturbance Essay

The Effects of Competition, Predation and Disturbance - Essay Example The predator is the population that attacks and hunts the prey population for survival. The process of predation ultimately leads to the death of the prey in cases which are either intentionally or unintentionally and also directly or indirectly undertaken by the predator. The said process then can be defined as consumption of the prey population. There are different types of predation that are undertaken by the four types of predators namely the true predators, the grazers, the parasitoids and the parasites. The said classification is based on the type of action wherein the process of predation is completed. The process of predation can result in different effects which can either be beneficial or detrimental to the prey population, predator population and the ecosystem in general. One of the most important effects of predation is the maintenance of balance between species population by prevention of the domination of a single type of organism in a community. The said process can be attributed to the action undertaken by the predators. For that matter, predation can be beneficial to the predators. On the other hand, the prey population is the main group that can achieve the detrimental effects of the process of predation. Although this is the case, due to the interactions of the different organisms in an ecosystem as exemplified by the food web and food chain, an organism can be a prey of a larger species while at the same time a predator of a smaller species. This process of interaction is the main cause for the achievement of the ultimate balance in the ecosystem. One of the ways to better understand the predator-prey interaction is through the use of the Lotka-Volterra model.  

Chinese Literature unit paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chinese Literature unit paper - Essay Example During this battle, Cao Cao gave up land along and South of the Yangtze River. This text is not completely accurate because it was written by Chen Shou, an officer for the Shu Han. Once again since the Shu Han was victorious, Shou had a warped view of the Battle of Red Cliff. Although biased, Three Kingdoms: A Historical Novel is what John Woo used to make his movie Red Cliff. This historical account is the official record. No matter what biases Shou had, this is what the Shu Empire recorded at the time. This account makes more sense than The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, so most Chinese accept this account. History cannot always be revealed without the help of historians. Shou created an account that is the most credible. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms can be considered more fiction than fact. In this book is the poem, â€Å"Cao Cao Short Story†. This poem shows Cao Cao in a bad light. The following sums up how the Shu Kingdom felt about Cao Cao. The poem is like Cao Cao is the narrator. The wine before me as I sing: how long can a man’s life last?... How can I banish melancholy?- by Du Kang’s gift of wine†¦ This shows that Cao Cao was not a good leader, but a drunken depressed individual. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms also minimizes the Eastern Wu’s generals. This fanciful account is solely a product of later fictional Shu beliefs. The numbers of the soldiers were increased on Cao Cao’s side and decreased on the Shu side. The Red Cliff Battle will remain elusive in the annals of history.

Human Resource Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

Human Resource Management - Assignment Example HR managers also look after employee motivation and retention through various strategies. Individuals working in organisations suffer from various problems every day. The task of HR managers is to solve these problems in the best possible manner. In the case, a similar problem of employee attrition was presented. In order to solve these, various alternatives were considered. These included innovative strategies for recruitment and interview processes. The candidates interviewed were subjected to various psychical and mental tasks in order to retain the best candidates. After the recruitment plans, successful retention plans were discussed. It was concluded that a small amount of salary hike would not be enough. So the retention plan included various strategies such as regular training and development sessions, certificate programs as well as quarterly meetings. Contents Contents 3 3 Answer 1 4 Answer 2 7 Answer 3 9 Reference List 12 Answer 1 According to organizational psychology, fi rms are successful not only because of sustainable competitive advantage or market realities. Successful organizations have always treated human resources as their most critical and important assets (Martin, 2001). Cognitive aspects of an organization form an important factor while transmission from one stage to another stage of success. It can also be said that human resource capital has the ability to make or break any organization (Legge, 1995; Guest, 1997). Human resource managers take care of various personnel decisions such as hiring, training, compensation, benefits, assignment positioning etc. Majority of company executives rely heavily on the suggestions and recommendations made by HR managers. Although it is important to have physical assets, most companies have realized that quantity and quality of their output is directly proportional to the commitment and quality of the personnel. Human resource managers have the responsibility of creating right matches for team, depart ments and various projects (Bernadin, 2007). A professional working in the human resource department deals with many functions unlike in larger organizations where one HR expert is appointed in each department. This task multiplicity requires strong and effective organizational skills as these individuals are expected to shift from one project to another project and from one topic to another topic in sort span to time (Cascio, 2003). Out of all these the most difficult job for a human resource development manager is handling works such as understaffing, firing employees, reprimanding employees who are irresponsible, maintenance of ethical structure, giving information about non-existent or small bonuses to the employees etc (Gomez -Mejia, Balkin and Cardy, 2006). These tasks are very difficult to handle as the human resource department is expect to support employees all the time. Many times Human resource team are hated or feared for tasks such as these and it becomes very difficult to coordinate with them. The present case deals with evaluating the necessity of HR function in an organisation. According to the operations manager in the case study, there is no need of any HR department in the organisation. However, absence of HR function might result in different lapses and miss-handling of the overall human capital. Thus, it can be said that a full time HR manager is important for the organisation. An HR manager not only performs core human resource functions but also provides added value to the

Nursing 220 topic, any age group, relatd to oncology, hematology, Essay

Nursing 220 topic, any age group, relatd to oncology, hematology, immunology, acute neurology, emergency or critcal care nursing - Essay Example ach utilizing the evidence from current nursing research literature so the best nursing practice in this specific area of oncologic nursing practice is established. Review of Literature: Stanley in her note, "Partners in Cancer Care" published from Oncology Nursing Society has highlighted the importance and availability of best evidence for managing common cancer symptoms. Evidence in support of nursing practice in this area is known to be accumulating exponentially, which demands utilization of these evidences in the clinical practice. Literature consistently demonstrates identifiable evidence base for oncology nursing and the impacts of these evidence-based interventions in patient outcomes as far as the oncology nursing practice is concerned. It is also important to evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions used for cancer symptom management, so recommendations for future practice can be made to result in improvement in patient care that can be measured. (Stanley, KJ., 2006). Nausea and vomiting continues to be significant side effects of cancer therapy that add to the distress of the patients. Optimal antiemetic prophylaxis in cancer patients receiving chemo and radiotherapies has been the subject of many trials. The Antiemetic Subcommittee of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) in their review presents the findings up to the year 2004. Classically, the chemotherapeutic agents have been classified with high, moderate, low, and minimal emetogenic potentials. The current recommendations support a three-drug regimen that includes a 5-HT3 antagonist such as ondansetron 32 mg, dexamethasone 12 mg, and aprepitant 125 mg on day 1, followed by dexamethasone 8 mg daily on days 2 to 4, and aprepitant 80 mg on days 2 to 3 provides a complete response of no emesis with no use of rescue antiemetic in prevention of vomiting and nausea induced by chemotherapy of high emetogenic risk. Likewise, there are recommendations for moderate

Ase study of topshop-finding its success factors Essay

Ase study of topshop-finding its success factors - Essay Example The past decade, however, has witnessed the transformation of `topflop’ into an authentic Top-Shop; a shop which is not only â€Å"one of the world’s hottest retailers† (Esfahani, 2006, para. 1) but one which is popularly and consistently regarded as the â€Å"bastion of cool† (Esfahani, 2006, para. 8) by teens and adults. Indeed, in a market where success is an ephemeral goal, Topshop is the epitome of success and, through its electronic storefront, seems posed for greater success. With the aforementioned in mind, the identification of Topshop’s success factors, alongside a determination of whether or not these CSFs have been carried over to its online storefront, will prove integral to the better understanding of the determinants of e-retail success. Over the past decade, Topshop’s success has been predicated on supplier quality, flexible responsiveness to market trends and consumer demands/tastes, employee satisfaction and, ultimately, consumer satisfaction. Analysis of Topshop’s success and, more importantly, its maintenance of that success, indicates that one of the leading CSFs is supplier quality. As Esfahani (2006) maintains, Topshop is extremely selective as regards the clothing lines it will carry in its store, especially its flagship one, and insists that all goods adhere to quality standards while, at the same time, remain affordable. A second, probably as important CSF, is the evident satisfaction displayed by its employees. As both Burney (2004) and Wilson (2005) notes, in immediate comparison to other fashion retailers and High Street shops where attendees and assistance are quite evidently performing a chore when assisting customers and, while unfailingly polite are quite obviously acting and behaving in accordance with management’s instructions, Topshop employees are genuinely interested, helpful and friendly to customers. They appear committed to their

Identification of factors associated with the reversion of diagnosed Essay

Identification of factors associated with the reversion of diagnosed case of DDH back to normal - Essay Example Moreover, as it has been evidenced that most of the diagnosed cases revert back to normal condition also proposes a question why should these patients treated when the situation may turn to normal To explore the association, between diagnosed cases of DDH who reverted back to normal and the characters possessed by these cases, a case control study is proposed to be carried out in Yorkhill, Royal Hospital for Sick Children. This study will explore the association between various characteristics and the cases of DDH reverted back. The findings will be helpful in formulating a framework of analysis based on which the candidates with DDH will need treatment. This association will be seen through the analysis at multivariate level using SPSS software version 14.0. the association will be assessed by the risk ratios along with the confidence interval around the estimates. Over the last two decades much knowledge has been added to Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH) previously known as the congenital hip dislocation (CHD). DDH affects the ball and socket type of hip joint when there is problem in fitting the head of the femur in the socket of the acetabulum. This fitting may be of different degree ranging from subluxatable, dislocateable or currently dislocated when examined (Developmental dysplasia of hip,Orth surg) (Fuloria 2002). The incidence rate of DDH is fairly high in the Europe and neighbouring areas. A study carried out in Dublin revealed an incidence of 3.2 per 1000 when screening was done by the ultrasonography (Lowry 2006). While in Turkey, it was found that 4 out of 1000 not-at-risk boys presented with DDH; the rate was even higher for not-at-risk girls, 19 per 1000 girls (Akgun 2006). These studies were carried out for newborn babies. There are chances that these newborn may miss the diagnosis at birth and present late, after 6 mon ths, frequency of late presentation is also not low; in Ireland 1.14 per 1000 children born during 1983-87 were presented late (Maxwell 2002). This condition poses a problem during walking if a newborn with DDH is missed the diagnosis. The newborn walks by limping, toe walking or waddling (duck like gait). This causes severe physical disability as well as poses stigma to the growing child (Developmental dislocation hip, Amer Acade) (Developmental dysplasia hip Orth surg) (Bouchar). The associated risk factors are first born child, female sex, and breech presentation. It has been evidenced that female are more prone to this problem as compared to males and the ratio is 5-9 females for 1 male who are affected by this pathology. DDH has been seen to present with left hip joint involvement than right hip joint. The reasons have not been explored as yet for the preponderance of the diseases in these situations (Developmental dislocation hip, Amer Acade) (Developmental dysplasia hip Orth surg). To fix the problem at an early stage a newborn is thoroughly examined by the paediatrician for DDH, along with routine examination, when she/he has got some risk factors involved or some findings are present at the time of first new born examination. The further screening is performed with a consultation of an orthopaedic surgeon and if required a radiologist is also involved for

The last episode of Black Adder Goes Forth Essay Example for Free

The last episode of Black Adder Goes Forth Essay What affect does the last episode of Black Adder Goes Forth have on the viewer? How is the affects created? Black Adder Goes Forths season finale goodbyeee is the finishing episode of the comedic perspective of World War One. Black Adder is a television series that was started in 1983 by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson. It explains British History in a comedic form, ranging in periods from 1485 1917. The last episode of Black Adder Goes Forth greatly affects the viewer. It peruses the idea that history as it was written and has been taught is incorrect. In having this approach, it is like the audience is understanding history and uncovering the truth of our ancestors for the first time. Not only does this capture the viewers attention, but it entertains them as well as touching them on an emotional level they are finally seeing the real ordeal. Viewers, however, also know that these real ordeals are not to be taken seriously and are only there for the comedy value. An example of this is when one soldier states that the reason the First World War started was because someone shot an ostrich out of hunger. The majority of viewers know this statement is not true, but the episode and character plays the comic seriousness to perfection. However, unlike the general ideas all the Black Adder series portray, as just explained, goodbyeee also shows the reality and tragedy of world war one. Black Adder does whatever he can to get out of the trenches. For example, he pretends to go mad by putting underwear on his head and putting sticks up his nose, and tells the other soldiers to go up and not himself; but in the end he resigns to his fate. One soldier is very excited about the idea of defending his country, in fact he is so honoured by this chance, that he does not accept a way out of the trenches when he is offered; even though Black Adder realizes their fate when they go above the trenches and tries to explain he will die. (I never imagined anything as awful as this war Black Adder) Also when another soldier states that he wants the dying to stop, and everyone to go home, because he cannot see any reason for a war, even now the jolly soldier tries to push these thoughts out of his head and reassure him it is good what they are doing. He is meant to be the typical advertised enlisted man the soldier that the viewers could relate to (the man on the posters). This hearty soldier seems to have been blinded by the element of death, he thinks its all an adventure. However, in the end, death is inevitable, and after being the hero, he finally realizes all that waits for him when he goes over the top of the trenches is mortality, like his friends who died in the war. He says to Black Adder Brave, splendid and noble (pause) Im scared sir, I dont want to die. For the audience, this is the final realization, now even the bravest is afraid. The sense of humour is gone and the sense of reality is dawning on the audience and the trenches prisoners. In the end each character becomes conscious of their doom. My conclusion to the last episode of Black Adder, goodbyeee and how it affects the viewer, is that war is futile. Whether you realize this, or are adamant to play a role, whether it is hero or coward, the last episode shows that everyone is in the same position. In the end they all die, no matter who they were.

Factors Affecting Career Choice Essay Example for Free

Factors Affecting Career Choice Essay Limited-service hotels usually have the lowest operating costs of the three hotel categories, due to their lack of extras. Room rates are typically lower, because these hotels cater to budget-conscious travelers. Full-service hotels often need a larger staff and larger facilities to accommodate guests who require more luxurious amenities. In the United States, no official rules exist as to what defines a limited-service hotel and what defines a full-service hotel; hotels can advertise however theyd like. The hospitality industry, however, generally agrees on the basics of both types of hotels. Services Differences Typically, a full-service hotel like a Marriott or Hilton offers its guests services such as bed turn-down, newspaper delivery, security guards, wake-up calls, room service and a shuttle to and from an airport or other nearby attractions. Conversely, a limited-service hotel generally offers few services; guests get a room for the night, but not much beyond that. Travelers who opt for a full-service hotel will expect a consistency in the service they receive as well as greater attentiveness from the hotels staff. Room Differences A limited-service hotels budget-friendly rooms are much more basic than their full-service counterparts, which means that limited-service hotels tend to appeal more to leisure travelers, as opposed to conference and business-type travelers. To appeal to cash-conscious travelers on the go, limited-service hotels often offer microwaves and mini-fridges, as well as cable TV and Internet, in their rooms. Full-service hotels may offer more lavishly decorated, comfortable suites with high-speed wireless Internet and premium cable TV with movies and other entertainment options. Facilities Differences However, over the years, the standards for facilities at limited-service hotels have gone up: Many hotels and motels that fall under the limited-service category now offer a business center, small gym, laundry facility and a swimming pool. One of the biggest differences between a limited-service hotel and a full-service hotel is the limited-service hotels lack of in-house drinking and dining options; full-service hotels often have at least one cocktail lounge and restaurant. Full-service hotels also often offer facilities like spas and banquet rooms, dry cleaning and 24-hour valet service.

Multimedia Systems And Applications Computer Science Essay

Multimedia Systems And Applications Computer Science Essay This report gives the details of multimedia computing. Multimedia computing is one of the major research topics in recent years, this field is widely using in different industries like web, gaming, telecommunications and broadcasting networks. Multimedia computing gives the detailed view of multimedia systems, multimedia applications, and multimedia softwares. It is used in presenting the text, audio, video, and graphics in different fields. The development in multimedia computing has made a strong impact on these fields. Fundamentally multimedia computing use the elements such as audio, video, personal computers, and the storage devices to get the synchronisation of animation, text, video and sound to present the information. The multimedia computing mainly depends on the systems and the human computer interaction. The input and output of the computer has changed to the window oriented display using the bitmapped displays. The stable rate in the continuous media like audio and digit al video must be considered in the multimedia input and output. Multimedia applications are now exploring the capabilities of the multimedia computing. Understanding the multimedia functionality in advanced application domains like visualization systems, intelligent interfaces, virtual reality environments, and collaboration environments provides the different possibilities which are not available previously in the human computer interaction. This report discusses the multimedia applications, multimedia systems, technologies and softwares with designs and operating systems. TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1. Introduction 2. Literature Review 2.1. Key Areas 3. Research Section 3.1. Multimedia systems 3.2. Multimedia technologies 3.3. Multimedia applications 4. Conclusion 5. References INTRODUCTION This paper presents the detailed research about multimedia computing and the contents of multimedia computing. The purpose of this paper is to present the detailed review about the multimedia computing which involves the concepts like multimedia systems, multimedia technologies, softwares and multimedia applications. In this presentation about the multimedia computing the challenges are it is difficult give the review because the multimedia computing is the integration of several multimedia concepts and is difficult to present them as a single component. As an MSc student, while developing a research paper the rule and regulations must have to be followed. And all the information which is required for the research has to be accessed in proper way by using the facilities provided by the university. The research paper should not create any controversy in further approach, and the details presented in the paper must be correct and honest. The main aim of this paper is to provide the det ailed view about multimedia computing and its concepts including the views like the back ground, current status of multimedia computing and possible advancements in future. To achieve this detailed research is required in the field of multimedia and in the technologies using and in the application domains. And the analysis on existing works in multimedia computing field is needed to get an idea about what currently happening in the field and to find the advantages and disadvantages, so that it is possible to know the future enhancements needed. Multimedia is the well known word and widely using in information industry. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Multimedia  means that computer information can be represented through audio, video, and animation in addition to traditional media like text, graphics drawings, and imagesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . In general Multimedia can be defined as a field that integrates various forms of media such as text, audio, video, graphics with the computer-controlled integration. Multimedia concept is used to display the text, images, graphics and drawings in the form of audio and video presentations. (Dave Marshall, 2001). LITERATURE REVIEW According to Reisman (1994), the multimedia computing is the rapidly using technology to present the data in the audio and video contexts rather than in normal text and graphics format. In the present days the multimedia systems are using to display the presentations of data as a multimedia content. These systems are capable of processing the multimedia data such as audio, video, graphics, text and images. These systems having the window based display with bitmapped processing. The images and the videos presented through this displays are modified by using the different multimedia technologies like image processing, video compression, visualization etc. The present multimedia systems use the elements like audio, video, storage devices such as CD-ROMS, DVD, Hard disk to get the synchronisation of multimedia contents animation, text, video, audio. According to Different multimedia technologies are used in developing the multimedia content like audio, text, images and video. There are different approaches using in each context, like for displaying the image several processes like jpeg encoding, gif encoding and jpg encoding etc..And for video we use the mpeg-4 technology, and digital video technology is used. Similarly different approaches are used in editing graphics and animations etc. The technologies used for animations and graphics are different from the technologies used for editing of text, audio and video. In the presentation of general data as a multimedia data we need to us all these technologies at one instance, because the data is the combination of text, images, audio, video and more. (Fernando Pereira, 1999) The present multimedia is one the major field which is using in a high extent in information industry, because in any information related thing, there is a need of multimedia to present data. The multimedia is given as by the name itself, combining two or more media as one information. The multimedia concepts used in the development of games in high extent because the games developed depends on the graphics and animations, these concepts can be designed by using the different softwares like Maya , 3D max,3dsmax etc these softwares are mainly using in the development of visual effects and graphics animations etc. There are different softwares which are used to display the images, audio, text and video. The softwares like Adobe, Flash are used to edit or display the images, text, audio, video in the required format. These application softwares of multimedia containing different tools and each tool has its own specification in developing, editing or displaying the information. (Mahbubur Rahman Syed, 2008) Key areas: According to Fernando Pereira (1999), In general multimedia computing is the key area in information industry. The key areas in multimedia computing are multimedia systems, multimedia technologies, multimedia softwares and multimedia applications. These areas are explained in detail below. The multimedia computing has more applications and important in several fields. The multimedia computing also includes the topics like multimedia operating systems. Multimedia is mainly depends on the systems and technologies used in displaying the information and also on the multimedia softwares which are used in developing the information. To accept all these technologies and to execute the components of softwares used in developing the multimedia systems must contain the operating system which is capable of processing the multimedia components. The operating system which can capable of processing the multimedia contents like audio, video, text, graphics is known as multimedia software. The multimedia is the hot area with its applications and tools that are used in developing the multimedia components. The presenting of information which consist the audio and video along with images, graphics and animations is difficult to process, because the operating system has to run all the fields like systems and softwares and the technologies of multimedia simultaneously so that it can provides all the information in the display that contains the multimedia components. The key area in multimedia is its life cycle. The life cycle that is followed when a multimedia component is produced is known as multimedia life cycle. The life cycle consists the phases such as analysis, design, implementing, testing and executing. To develop a multimedia application such as presenting the information, gaming applications or animated displays etc, have to follow the multimedia life cycle. First we need to analyse the requirements and identfy the charecterstics and have to to the analysis abou t the designs . such that we need to clarify which designs has to be use, and which is the best software to develop the designs and the technologies that has to use. From the above analysis the implementaio or the development of the application has to done, the testing is the important phase in development, the testing has to done according to the appliction developed and the performance has to be analysed . (Ralf Steinmetz, Analyzing the Multimedia Operating systems,1995 ). RESEARCH SECTION According to Matthew E. Hodges and Sasnett(1993), Multimedia computing gives the in-depth overview of information design, advances in multimedia technology and system representations to system designers, system planners and to the users. The concepts of multimedia such as multimedia systems, multimedia designs, multimedia softwares and multimedia applications are all parts of multimedia computing. Multimedia computing is responsible for presenting the information in audio and video format. The systems which are able to process the multimedia components like data and applications are called as the multimedia systems. These systems have different characteristics, components. The characterisation of multimedia systems is based on their capability of processing, storage, manipulation, generation of multimedia information. The designs which use the multimedia concepts to present the data containing the text, images, graphics, and drawings as a multimedia presentation like audio and video format are known as multimedia designs. The designs are used based on the requirement in the presentation of data. The softwares that are used in developing the multimedia components of data are known as multimedia softwares. There are different types of softwares like adobe, flash, 3dsmax using for various applications. The multimedia computing has been using in different fields. It has a wide range of applications in various domains like gaming, World Wide Web, interactive TV, virtual reality etc. The Multimedia computing applications use the multiple fields of media sources like text, video, audio as a collection. Multimedia computing is the combination of all the above multimedia concepts. The above all concepts are explained below in detail. Multimedia computing evolved with the concepts of multimedia such as multimedia systems, multimedia technologies, multimedia softwares and multimedia applications. This research section clearly focuses on the detailed views on these multimedia fields. The existing works in these fields are described in the literature review section. 3.1. MULTIMEDIA SYSTEMS According to Dave Marshall (2001), the definition for the multimedia systems can be given as the systems which are able to process the multimedia components like data and applications are called as the multimedia systems. These systems have different characteristics, components. The characterisation of multimedia systems is based on their capability of processing, storage, manipulation, generation of multimedia information. The multimedia systems use the bitmapped windows oriented displays to display the contents. These are capable of processing the multimedia contents. The multimedia computing is more dependent on the configuration of these systems. The configuration of the systems can results in the display of multimedia contents and to process some of the multimedia softwares and technologies the high configurations are required. The characteristics, challenges, key issues and the desirable features of multimedia systems are given below Characteristics of multimedia system The basic characteristics that a multimedia system is, the multimedia system should be computer-controlled. To process the multimedia components the multimedia systems should be integrated. These systems have to represent the information digitally. They have to use the interactive media as an interface for the presentation of final information. These characteristics have to be possessed by the multimedia systems. Challenges of multimedia system The multimedia systems have some challenges such as distributed networks. It is difficult to process the multimedia content over distributed networks, because different types of systems are used in different networks and the configurations are not same, so the content that is displaying may undergoes changes. And the other challenge is temporal relationship between data. This is a problem in presenting the data when there is a relationship between data using in the presenting information. This is like using the audio video for same display needs the lip sync. Key Issues The key issues in the multimedia systems are related to the representation of data such as how to store and represent the temporal data. And the issues in maintain the relationship between the temporal data in multimedia presentation. The other issues involved like data compression and representation. There is a need of compressing the data when it is using large volumes of data. And some other issues are involved related to analogue and digital data representation. (Reisman, S. 1994). 3.2. MULTIMEDIA TECHNOLOGIES According to Mahbubur Rahman Syed(2008), In general the multimedia technologies can be defined as the technologies which are used in processing of the multimedia contents to present the multimedia information. The technologies include video, audio, text, image and graphics. Each of these technologies is responsible for providing the data as multimedia content. These technologies are responsible for processing the images by using the technologies like jpeg encoding and decoding, and like the other formats gif, and jpg. And technologies that are used for encoding and compressing the videos use the MPEG-4 technologies. The technologies are based on the multimedia concepts like generations and the dimension views. The whole technologies of multimedia are responsible for presenting the data in detailed view which consist of the multimedia contents. 3.3. MULTIMEDIA APPLICATIONS According to Ralf Steinmetz and K. N. (2004). The multimedia computing has wide range applications in different fields, because the applications are used to present the information in audio and video formats. The sectors which are dealing with the processing of the information will use the multimedia applications. The applications of multimedia are used in mobiles, televisions, World Wide Web, networks, games, visual effects, digital video processing systems, hypermedia courseware, virtual reality, video conferencing etc. The applications of multimedia are designed on the basis of requirements of multimedia component presentations. The applications designed as discussed above, by using the designs, technologies and softwares. 4.CONCLUSION The present world is dependent mostly on the multimedia and its applications. The developments in this multimedia computing provide various features for the users and developers. With the applications of multimedia the information industry changed a lot. The evolution in multimedia provides the features like games, internet, and presentations of data in variety of formats. The fields of multimedia like systems, technologies, applications and softwares are all used simultaneously in the systems achieving the best results. And by overcoming the drawbacks like memory usage and temporal relationship between data, multimedia applications can processed easily and gives the best results. The above paper discussed the concepts of multimedia and key issues and desirable features of multimedia computing.

The Cherokee Victory :: essays research papers

The Cherokee Victory   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Cherokee Indians, the most cooperative and accommodating to the political institutions of the united states, suffered the worst fate of all Native Americans when voluntarily or forcibly moved west. In 1827 the Cherokees attempted to claim themselves as an independent nation within the state of Georgia. When the legislature of the state extended jurisdiction over this ‘nation,’ the Cherokees sought legal actions, not subject to Georgia laws and petitioned the United States Supreme Court. The case became known as Cherokee Nation vs. Georgia in 1831. Supreme Court Justice John Marshall denied their claim as a republic within Georgia, he then deemed the Cherokee as a ‘domestic dependent nation’. One year later through the case of Worcester vs. Georgia, the Cherokee’s were granted federal protection from the molestation by the state of Georgia. Through the Indian Removal act in 1830 President Andrew Jackson appropriated planning and funding for the removal of Native Americans, Marshall’s rulings delayed this for the Cherokee Nation, and infuriated President Jackson. Marshall’s decision had little effect on Jackson and ignoring this action the president was anxious to see him enforce it. The federal government proceeded to find a way around this decision and had three minor Cherokee chief’s sign the â€Å"Treaty of New Echota† in 1835 giving the Cherokee lands to the government for 5.6 million dollars and free passage west. Congress got the treaty ratified by only one vote. Members of their tribes murdered all three chiefs who took part in the signing of the treaty. After this event there was not much the Cherokee’s could do and were forcibly moved west on what they called and are known today as the ‘Trail of Tears,’ which became a constitutional crisis in our history. In this instance the lack of cooperation between the branches of the government was the downfall for the Cherokee nation. The way the Cherokee’s were forced west caused losses of up to twenty percent of the nation. This figure is only a guess and scholar’s think it was more a third of the nation was lost. The ‘Trail of Tears’ was also a moral e issue in the United States, later having an impact on our history the way other Native American races in general are treated in the future. If Chief Justice John Marshall had claimed that in either case of â€Å"Cherokee Nation vs. Georgia† or â€Å"Worcester vs.

Heart Of Darkness :: essays research papers

The Transformation of Marlow - Conrad’s Explication of Europe’s Colonial Practice in Africa In “Heart of Darkness'; Conrad introduces his protagonist Marlow, his journey through the African Congo and the “enlightenment'; of his soul. With the skilled use of symbols and Marlow’s experience he depicts the European colonialism in Africa, practice Conrad witnessed himself. Through Marlow’s observations he explicates the naiveness of the Europeans and the hypocritical purpose of their travelling into the “dark'; continent. Marlow’s experience in Africa starts with the desire for travel and great journeys to conquer the “blank spaces'; on the map and the naive believe that the mission of the Europeans is to civilize the natives. Marlow’s aunt believes that this voyage is a mission to “wean those ignorant millions from their horrid ways.'; (Conrad, 16). In reality everywhere they went they colonized the land, used the natural resources, and left ruins behind them. Marlow says, “They grabbed what they could get for the sake of what was to be got. It was just robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale, and men going at it blind - as is very proper for those who tackle a darkness. The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves...'; (Conrad, 10). With the unfolding of his journey Marlow starts his “enlightenment.'; We can observe his evolution from “everyday European'; to someone who realizes his own naiveness and begins to see the surrounding reality. This is the moment when he witnesses the shelling of the continent, “In the empty immensity of earth, sky, and water, there she was,incomprehensible, firing into a continent. Pop, would go one of the six-inch guns: a small flame would dart and vanish, a little white smoke would disappear, a tiny projectile would give a feeble screech - and nothing happened. Nothing could happen. There was a touch of insanity in the proceeding, a sense of lugubrious drollery in the sight;'; (Conrad, 17). Marlow is watching this occurrence, what to his fellow Europeans appear to be a fierce battle, in his eyes is a senseless destruction. He sees them firing “tiny projectiles'; producing a “pop,'; which symbolically represents the falsity of the European mentality. With that passage Conrad starts Marlow’s realization, and from this point on he begins his separation from the typical Europeans that surround him.

Gov Jane Hull :: essays research papers

Jane Dee Hull was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on August 8, 1935. Governor Hull is married to Dr. Terry Hull. Dr. Hull practiced medicine in Pheonix for 32 wears and now works as a consultant. Governor Hull and Dr. Hull have four children and eight grandchildren. Governor Hull received a bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Kansas and also did postgraduate work in political science and economics at Arizona State University. She is a graduate of the Josephson Ethics Institute. Governor Hull and her husband moved to Arizona in 1962. Dr. Hull served as a physician in public health service and the Governor taught school on the Navajo Nation until 1964. In 1979 Governor Hull was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives. She served from 1999 to 1992, and she was the first woman speaker of the house. In 1993, she ran a successful campaign for secretary of state, becoming the second woman to hold that office and the first Republican since 1931. Since her inducted into office, Hull lists education, healthcare, the economy and preserving the state's natural beauty as her top priorities. Governor Hull is a strong supporter of Homeland Security measures to ensure the safety of the people of Arizona. During her term as governor, Hull has appointed a record amount of judicial appointments.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Her ‘Students FIRST’ school facilities funding program ensures equity for every student in Arizona, no matter where they live. Forty-four new schools were built and opened and another 120 new schools have been approved. An addition, $1 billion dollars will be set aside for upgrading current school buildings. In Hull's Education 2000 program, which will raise $459 million in new funds, provides higher teacher salaries and smaller classrooms in kindergarten through high school. Since the Governors acceptance into office, nearly 136,000 children of the working and lower class will now receive health coverage thanks to the Governor's KidsCare program. In behavioral health, funding for the seriously mentally ill has increased by 80 percent since the Governor took office, up from $102 million in fiscal year 1997 to $185 million in fiscal year 2001. The Governor also obtained approval to build a new Arizona State Hospital and the initial phases of construction have begun. Under Governor Hull's leadership and contract with Qwest Communications, Arizona is one of the first states to assure that all of Arizona’s public schools will have access to the Internet.

Shinto in Modern Japan

Shinto in Modern Japan Religion is a constant variable in today’s world as well as the past. In order to understand Shinto in modern Japan first Shinto must be looked at from the past. Native Japanese religion states Shinto is the way of the gods. Going into depth of Shinto history and the modern view of Shinto now will bring up where Shinto originated from, it’s comparison to other religions, and Shinto’s role in modern Japan. Like many main religions, Shinto originated from prehistoric times but is not truly known because it goes much too far back in time showing as far back as 720 A. D. Its name comes from Chinese words â€Å"shin-tao†. Native Japanese religion, Shinto, plays a very significant part in Japan’s society (Shinto2). Shinto is not only a religion but a way of living for the Japanese. This religion has made a permanent place in history around the world. Writer Chikao Fjisawa pronounced, â€Å"State Shinto – a system embodying nationalism loyalty and Emperor Veneration the Shinto was a â€Å"perversion of Shinto theory and beliefs into militaristic and ultra-nationalistic propaganda† (Boyd). State Shinto is known as the old Shinto. Just as any other religion, Shinto has been compared to other religions show close resemblance. Shinto has no defined dogma, scared scriptures, or ethical precepts. Japanese tend to combine Shinto with other religious beliefs like Buddhism and Christianity. They also tend not to attach just one of the religious beliefs giving each equal attention. Shrines called jinja is used to practice Shinto and has very distinct gates which make it easy to tell from Buddhist temples. The only reason Shinto was named and systemized in the 16th century was to mark the difference from Buddhism and Confucianism (Shinto1). After World War II a separation between government and Shinto took place. This separation was noted in the constitution and history. As history shows, the emperor issued a statement forbidding use of Shinto symbols as nationalistic reasons and renouncing all rights to divinity. Even in modern day, extremists still favor protests against these and other changes involving the Shinto. Today Shinto is still a strong practice. Many Japanese still use the Shinto shrines for marriage, or to bless a new child, car, and etc. Building, homes and other architectural plots are also known to be blessed for safety and protection. Hundreds of Shinto ceremonies are still carried out daily in today’s modern life such as festivals just naming one. In modern life the old Shinto is the main practice still being used. Main religions around the world have an unknown exact birth dates as well as playing an influence role in history. Shinto has not only made its mark in Japanese history, but still withstands in present day society. Religion tends to be a subject who holds controversy and mystery intriguing the minds of almost everyone at some point. Shinto’s origin may not be able to be definitely pinpointed but it’s very apparent that Shinto religion still stands very prominent in Japan’s modern life. As stated earlier, Shinto ceremonies take place daily in Japan and the religion is still practiced by a very large population of Japanese still today. Religion is truly a everlasting time capsule of knowledge telling bits and pieces of the world and relationships within the world. Works Cited Boyd, W. James and Williams, G. Ron â€Å"Reconsidering Shinto after World War II: Perspectives from the Life and Thought of a Shinto Priest. † . Motonisa, Yamakage. â€Å"The Essence of Shinto: Japan’s Spiritual Heart. † Kodansha America, Inc. , 2006. â€Å"Shinto. † . â€Å"Shinto. † .

New Personality Self-Portrait Text: Why you think, work, love

Personality inventories have always been a popular topic with people, as they hold within them the power to reveal to us something about our innate selves which we didn’t know before, and the possibility of helping us understand ourselves better, and in turn, making us happier people. As psychological knowledge advanced, in the United States personality inventories became a much-appreciated subject of books, articles and researches as most of these sought to exaggerate the impact of individualism while downplaying the effects of social and economic factors on upbringing and social behavior. Personality tests have often been criticized personality tests and placed them on the continuum of astrology, fortune-telling and horoscopes, calling their content equally generic and simplistic in nature so that people find at least something in the tests which has a relation to their life or self, and they ignore the rest of the contents of the tests which do not have such a relation. Another critical view is that these tests overly simplify personality, which inherently is a complex phenomenon, and that these tests often lack scientific descriptors. The conventional tests all contain a series of random questions and individual scores are tabulated based on the polarity of responses generated by these questions. While these tests maintain that no one person can fit completely and wholly into one category, yet the presentation of the personality types themselves is at best, rigid and highly categorical. However, John M. Oldham, a physician, psychiatrist, researcher, academic administrator and writer has developed a personality test which counters these criticisms and emerges as one of the more reliable assessment tests out of the various options available. Oldham's personality test also has an inventory of questions and just like other tests before it, it assigns points on answers and reveals personality types based on points. But it is better than other popular inventories because the personality types are not the conventional ones, derived from popular consensus, rather, they are based on psychiatric medical categories of personality disorders in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Then, Oldham has identified â€Å"the common, utterly human, nonpatholocial versions of the extreme, disordered constellations† from this manual. He has followed this approach because according to him, personality disorders are the â€Å"extremes of normal human patterns†, basically, what personality comprises of. Hence, the book is based on the premise of defining the normal personality styles, the extreme versions of which translate into personality disorders. Critics of Oldham's book, which is a popularization, have said that while the test works fine, the examples Oldham has used can be distracting and misleading. The situations and reactions that have been attributed to these fictitious characters have the risk of not being taken seriously by people as their characterization lacks any cultural, socio-economic, environmental or ethical element, which is what makes characters believable. Another drawback of the test is that the validity is completely dependent on the responses of the individual, and there are no correction scales, which are present in other standardized personality instruments. One of the strong points of this test is that the descriptors are short, yet clear in their meaning, and in all, manage to provide comprehensive coverage of all types of personalities. By giving a personality style-disorder continuum, Oldham has recognized that personalities are not just groups of character traits; rather, they exist on a spectrum which ranges from normal personality styles to their counterpart personality disorders. The book is a popular one, and its intended audience is laypeople and not medical professionals. It provides a simple view on personality styles and to some people, might appear to be lacking the technical sophistication which more rigorously developed and standardized personality inventories might contain.