Labor Market Analysis

Question: Compose a paper onlabor advertise investigation. Answer: A work advertise examination for the most part distinguishes the zones inside which the organization vies for business. The work advertise investigation assists with leading the market review inside the work showcase so as to decide the pace of the compensation that is paid to the various people. There are diverse work advertise portions in the economy of the Australian work Market. The work advertise fundamentally alludes to the collaboration between the interest and flexibly of work. The work showcase investigation in the Australian work advertise for the most part assists with deciding the quantity of occupations in the Australian work showcase (Bowen Finegan, 2015). The size of the Australian work power has expanded from 5.6 million individual to about 9.8 million between the years 1971-2001. In the course of recent years, the Australian work advertise has experienced an intelligent change. On the flexibly side, the individual specialists are the piece of the work advertise where they gracefully work contributions to creation. In the Australian work showcase, the pace of business expanded to 17,400 and the pace of joblessness diminished by781, 100. The official pace of joblessness diminished from 0.1 focuses to 65 percent (Atalay Barrett, 2015). An Understanding of Australian Traditional Market Theory According to the reports, there are patterns that have been going on in the advanced innovation just as online life that are extending with the assistance of the promoting techniques. The customary advertising hypothesis can be clarified in the accompanying ways:1. Market the conventional market hypothesis are principally founded on a colleague with the business sectors. The market thusly comprises of the shoppers, contenders just as the tyrant organizations. The viable conventional market thus offers a higher estimation of the buyers when contrasted with that of the opposition that happens in the market. The customary market hypothesis verifies that the organization demonstrations in concurrence with the fitting laws just as guidelines. So as to execute an effective advertising methodology the organization must know about what the shoppers requires just as what the contenders are executing (McLachlan, 2013).As per as a showcasing review that has been directed, the study gives a crit icism on the mentality of the purchasers towards the result of the organization just as the contenders. Since various buyers have different requirements, the organizations must pick a market that can be effectively open at a sensible value (Hildenbrand, 2014).2. Item according to as selling is concerned, conventional promoting contrasts in the methodology they use to sell the items. As far as conventional advertising, selling is named as the way that requires persuading the customers so they buy the items that is sold by the organization. Conventional promoting discovers what is required by the shoppers just as what is the cost the purchasers are eager to pay. Subsequent to discovering the subtleties, the organization will offer the cost to the buyer that the shopper is eager to pay. On the off chance that the showcasing research is done effectively, at that point the shoppers will buy the item (Sabia Wooden, 2015). 3. Channel One of the most significant components of conventional p romoting is the choice of a circulation channel that is practical for the buyer who is purchasing the item. The circulation channels basically incorporate the retail locations, direct deals just as the mail request with online deal getting fundamental. The online deal has likewise fitted into the hypothesis of conventional promoting model as a discretionary channel. The advertising overview gives the insights regarding the items that the customers would like to buy (May et al., 2013). 4. Worth One of the most significant bases of the customary advertising is encouraging the important products for trade. It is imperative to elevate the items to those clients who has the incentive for the specific great and is probably going to buy that great. A faithful client is made when the client gets the full fulfillment from the utilization of the item. The dedicated will consequently keep on making the buy till the individual in question gets fulfillment from the great. The figure gives a stru cture about the assurance of the result of cost and amount in the Australian Labor Market. The assurance of the amount incorporates the assurance of the business, joblessness just as the result of the value that thusly incorporates the work cost of the business (Wilkins Warren, 2013). S signifies the work flexibly that mirrors the cooperation of the workforce. D that thusly mirrors the ability of the businesses to enlist indicates the interest of the work. V signifies the degree of opening, though the work is estimated concerning the D-V bend. W shows the compensation bend that thusly catches the qualities of the clingy cost of the Australian Labor advertise (Tan Lester, 2012). The Labor Demand Trend in Australia The adjustment in the yield and the expense of the data sources chiefly changes the interest for the work. The interest of the work is displayed as a choice of the firm and furthermore from the neoclassical perspective. The work showcase in Australia for the most part takes the pay and the expense of the contribution as given and with the assistance of this; the organizations pick the work so as to augment the arrival. The work request bend of the firm in the short run is given by the bend of the minimal income item. Be that as it may, over the long haul there are enormous prospects of subbing the work for capital and furthermore the material information sources (Australia, 2014). The conventional interest of work in Australia can be written in the accompanying ways:ln Lt = 0 + 1 ln (w/p) + 2 ln Qt + 3t + 4 ln Lt-1 + utHere L is characterized as the business that is estimated as the quantity of representatives utilized and the hours they work. The GDP deflator is indicated by p. The ostensible pace of compensation is demonstrated by w and Q is the yield (Duncan et al., 2014). The time pattern is meant by t. In the Australian Labor Market, the wages changes radically and it likewise streams over the money related framework to all the enterprises. In the Australian Labor Market, the business is commonly estimated regarding the complete work and it is declined on the various factors that incorporate genuine wages, yield just as the time (Australia, 2014). The adjustment in the innovation prompts the pattern in the work request of the Australian work Market. The innovative change expands the efficiency of the high gifted when contrasted with that of the low-talented specialists. The second factor that has influenced the pattern in the work request in the Australian Market is the universal exchange that has shortened the relative interest for the low-gifted specialists. The Labor Supply Trend in Australia The work power in Australia incorporates those people who are utilized and are effectively searching for occupations. One of the elements that add to changing patterns in the Australian work gracefully is relocation. Migration influences the work gracefully pattern in Australia by expanding the number of inhabitants in the working age. Migration assists with improving the development of the economy by bringing the talented laborers who are exceptionally requested. The adjustment in the creation of the movement admission of Australia has influenced the work gracefully of the Australian work advertise. The ascent in cooperation has compared with a decline in normal hours toiled, transcendently over the previous decade. Therefore, the whole number of hours worked has created at a more slow rate than the quantity of individuals working. (Muffels, 2014). The components those are remembered for movement likewise incorporates a scope of transitory visa holders and the working occasion produ cers who additionally prompts the pattern in the work flexibly of the Australian Labor advertise. The taste, perspectives and the inclinations of the laborers additionally influences the flexibly pattern in the Australian work advertise (Watson, 2013). The size of the working populace is additionally answerable for the adjustment in the flexibly of the work in Australia. According to the report, the yearly development of populace in Australia got in the year 2000. The extent of the work power that had shown up in Australia in the first five years expanded from under 3 percent in 1996 to right around 6 percent in 2011. The movement brought about the improved pace of the flexibly of work and thus, the quantity of jobless migrants diminished. The foreigners thus, had a higher pace of support when contrasted with that of everyone. This was for the most part in light of the fact that the settlers were more youthful when contrasted with everyone. The significant commitment of movement to the work gracefully has originated from changes in the piece of relocation admission in Australia. Specifically, the enlarge in suffering visas since the mid 1990s has generally been for talented transients. According to the reports, there are an aggregate of 457 visas that added to the all out number of migrants that thus added to the absolute flexibly of work. The migrants generally settled in the Western piece of Australia just as Northern Territory where the employments identified with mining was for the most part well known. The visas of the understudies likewise added to the bigger gracefully of work in Australia. The understudies in Australia worked for at any rate 20 hours per week while their exercises are in meeting. Over the previous decade, the quantity of understudies who holds visa has significantly increased. This was by a long shot the biggest increment in the visa classification. The quantity of working occasion visa holders in Australia has around two collapsed sin ce the mid 2000s. Be that as it may, this number was moderately when contrasted with the understudies and different workers. The interest and Supply Equilibrium in the work marketThe wage w* is otherwise called the market clearing wage and the explanation is that some other compensation level would either make an upward or a descending power on the pay. Thus, there will be number of occupations that will pursue just a couple of acc

The Chrysanthemums and A Jury of Her Peers Essay

The Chrysanthemums and A Jury of Her Peers - Essay Example This examination will start with the explanation that in the realm of writing, each writer starts the innovative procedure in an unexpected way. Some beginning by making an ideal observation in their work by utilizing exceptional and enamoring settings to catch the consideration of the crowd. Through this decision of style, they can investigate and show their crowd the world wherein they are going to put their characters. These ways to deal with composing are right and acknowledged recorded as a hard copy, be that as it may; there are issues that must be seen to make any bit of writing to be viewed as an artful culmination in the field of composing. The setting of a story passes on characters and topics in a novel distinctively relying upon the nature and sort of the setting. These can be delineated utilizing these two books chrysanthemums and A Jury of Her Peers. Close investigation of the chrysanthemums uncovers that the story happens in the Salinas Valley during the long stretch o f December at Henry Allen’s property situated on the lower region. Quickly we meet characters who delineate a provincial setting just in the fundamentals of the novel. The ladies are detached in their own reality and the men depict quality and are manlier than normal men are. Elisa’s spouse rides on a range while Elisa herself is restricted to her home and just works in her bloom garden. The setting of the novel conditions her character and causes her to carry on country like. Taking a gander at the subjects the provincial setting of the story draws out the issue of abuse of ladies and opportunity.

How to Relieve Stress With Art Therapy

How to Relieve Stress With Art Therapy Stress Management Management Techniques Relaxation Print How to Relieve Stress With Art Therapy By Elizabeth Scott, MS twitter Elizabeth Scott, MS, is a wellness coach specializing in stress management and quality of life, and the author of 8 Keys to Stress Management. Learn about our editorial policy Elizabeth Scott, MS Reviewed by Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW on January 24, 2020 facebook twitter instagram Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist, author of the bestselling book 13 Things Mentally Strong People Dont Do, and a highly sought-after speaker. Learn about our Wellness Board Amy Morin, LCSW on January 24, 2020 How Stress Impacts Your Health Overview Signs of Burnout Stress and Weight Gain Benefits of Exercise Stress Reduction Tips Self-Care Practices Mindful Living Jovo Jovanovic / Getty Images While art therapy is its own field, you can also use self-directed art to express your creative side, reduce stress, and get in touch with your feelings. Most of us understood the power of art instinctively as kids: Virtually all children know the joys of sculpting something with play-dough, painting something with fingers, or drawing with crayons and other materials. Other than making random doodles in the margins of a page, if you’re like most adults, you probably don’t express yourself with art as you did when you were a kid. You may not think youre any good at creating art, or you may not think its worth your time, but art is actually a valuable pastime. There are many reasons that art is a great stress relief tool, even for those who dont consider themselves artistically inclined. Benefits of Art Therapy Whether you could give Vincent van Gough a run for his money or can barely draw a stick figure, art is a fantastic way to reduce stress. Results of a 2016 study published in the Journal of the American Art Therapy Association found that just 45 minutes of creative activity can reduce your stress, regardless of artistic experience or talent. Here are some ways that creating art can help alleviate stress: It can take your mind off things. Creating art can take your mind off of whatever is stressing you, at least for a few minutes. Its difficult to keep ruminating on your problems when youre focused on creating. If your problems stay with you, you can incorporate them into your creations. Once youre done, you should have a clearer head with which to tackle your problems again.It can help you tap into a state of flow. Have you ever been so engrossed in an activity to the point of being in a near-meditative state? If so, you might have been experiencing what some psychologists refer to as flow. Similar to meditation, flow can lead to improved performance and lower stress levels.?? You can experience flow when you’re practicing an instrument, playing a sport, or even gardening. You can also experience flow while writing, painting, or drawing.It is another form of self-care. Sometimes, with all of life’s responsibilities, we forget that we need and deserve downtime and self-care. Takin g even a few minutes on a regular basis to devote to a hobby can give you more of what you need in this area. With art, you have the additional benefit of being left with something beautiful (or at least interesting) to show for it. Sketchbooks for Stress Relief Keeping a sketchbook is one of the easiest ways to relieve stress. It can be a form of journaling, and like journaling, it can be cathartic, creative, and stress relieving. You can use a journal for personal art therapy and stress management in the following ways: Draw what you feel. Draw your stress. Drawing literal or abstract representations of what is stressing you out can help you express emotions that may be difficult to put into words.Start a dream journal. A dream journal is an easy and fun way to help you identify patterns in your dreams, which can point to areas of your life that may need some extra attention. Try keeping a notebook and pen next to your bed. As soon as you wake up, draw the first images, symbols, or words that come to your mind. Dont worry if youre not good at drawing. Your dream journal is for your eyes only.Keep a gratitude journal. Many people keep a gratitude journal to catalog what they are grateful for in their lives. You can make your gratitude journal even more personal by drawing what youre thankful for each day. Draw the faces of those you love, places that bring you peace, or other things that you are grateful for. The process of sketching can be a great stress reliever, and revisiting your creations can a lso bring you some peace in the future.Start coloring. These days, coloring isnt just for kids. Adult coloring books can be especially relaxing for those who dont feel artistic, but still want to create beautiful pictures. Art Activities for Stress Relief A Word From Verywell If you continue to feel overwhelmed by stress and it starts to interfere with your daily life, talk to your doctor. They might recommend a therapist who can offer support and techniques for managing your stress.

Changing Organizational Beliefs Of State Funded Research...

Introduction In 1998, University of Berkeley sought research funding through a deal with the company Novartis. The institution faced considerable controversy and backlash as many felt that such a deal violated what they deemed to be a university’s role and obligation to its community. Their belief that a partnership with such a large industry player would take away from the research that has benefited the citizens surrounding Berkeley and the state of California, overall. Faculty organizers of the deal argued that the deal would be advantageous due to the steep competition for state funding of research efforts. In addition, the deal would open up access to biological information held by Novartis, providing students and faculty with†¦show more content†¦By the 1980s, government funding for academic research waned, but still remained as the primary source of capital for research endeavors. As bio-technology needs began to dominate the needs of the science community, th e expensive sector of research became a major slice of the scientific initiatives. Luckily, universities struggling to find ways to obtain funding of new explorations were met with potentially beneficial policy changes encouraging industry partnership with university research. In the 90s, Berkeley was among the universities seeking to increase funding for research initiatives. To keep its research cutting-edge, an advisory board was created to attract financing. Wilhelm Gruissmen, a professor of plant biology, and Gordon Rausser, the Dean of the College of Natural Resources, spearheaded the tasks. The board originally proposed for companies to contribute cash to support the work of the PMB students, but this funding was not enough. Another working group was formed to seek other solutions. This group solicited to large bio-technical and genetics firms. In the end, a relatively new company, Novartis was chosen as it most aligned with Berkeley s goals. Discussion and Recommendations American universities have unique organizational compositions. Vastly hierarchical, many departments and units come together to makeup individual colleges competing for a share of the sacred resources. Despite these divisions,

The Privacy And Ethics Of The Connecticut Department Of...

DDS Privacy and Ethics for I.T. Leah McCarvill Post University Abstract Compliance in protecting information is of prime importance for Quality Management Division of the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services along with any Information Technology professionals. The information collected and stored within the multiple databases and QSR web application is sensitive and falls under (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) HIPAA laws and require all employees to be considered mandated reporters. DDS Privacy and Ethics for I.T. In a role as a consultant used to develop and maintain the various databases and QSR web application used to collect and store various information pertaining to individuals who receive†¦show more content†¦All of this could be hands on in creating databases and applications or just being available to provide feedback on a consulting bases. In essence this role provides the main I.T. professionals with the in depth information they need to make this all function well. Balance The balance needed to ensure that any information is hidden or protected with the need for legitimate whistle blowers can for most companies be a very difficult balance. Whistle blowing is defined in the text as â€Å"An effort to attract public attention to a negligent, illegal, unethical, abusive, or dangerous act by a company or some other organization.† (Reynolds, 2015, p. 440). DDS has a bit of a different view on this and has processes and procedures along with the legal requirements to report any possible Abuse and Neglect that is specialized to this field. Within this field of work all employees are considered mandated reports or in other words mandated whistle blowers. The DDS Procedure for this defines a mandated reporter as â€Å"All DDS and Qualified Provider employees are mandated reporters under Connecticut General Statutes. 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Investigation of factors affecting the distribution of Chironomus larvae in Nant Iago Free Essays

string(116) " to the fact that if they are respiring at a higher rate, then there will need to be more oxygen available to them\." Method: Biotic Data 1. The stream was split into 14 sections and groups of 3 were each assigned to work at different sections of the stream, which began at the beginning, right at the top, and ended further down stream. 2. We will write a custom essay sample on Investigation of factors affecting the distribution of Chironomus larvae in Nant Iago or any similar topic only for you Order Now The method we used for our experiment was Disturbance Sampling. This was accomplished with the aid of a Surber Sampler which we used in one riffle and one pool in our section. The Surber Sampler consisted of a net which had a 1.0mm2 mesh at the end where all the samples were collected and a quadrat which was placed over a part of the riffle or pool and gave us our area of sampling. 3. By laying the quadrat flat on the bed, I disturbed the stream bed and washed any lying organisms into the mesh. I then washed the water through the mesh to collect any samples in the water. 4. Once this was done the invertebrates were identified, counted and recorded Physical Data: 1. To accomplish my physical data, I measured the pH of the water, the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), the dissolved oxygen, the depth and the temperature. 2. All were measured using specialised probes which were placed in the water of the riffles or the pool. The probes gave us readings of whichever piece of data we were trying to achieve after 30 seconds. The readings were then recorded. 3. The amount of detritus was estimated using estimation by eye, recorded and measured using a scale of 1-4: 1. None 2. Little 3. Some 4. Abundant The pool was 4 and the riffles was 2. 4. The substrate was also identified as to what matter was present, i.e. Riffles: gravel’s and pebbles. Pools: twigs, soil, leaves, detritus. Null Hypothesis: There will be no difference in the numbers of Chironomus between pools and riffles. Alternative Hypothesis: There will be a significantly higher number of Chironomus in the pools than in the riffles. Which statistical test? I am going to use the chi square test because we do not know the normal distribution of the data and because I only have a small data sample of 14. A chi square test is used to see if observe values are different from expected values. X2 = ? (O-E)2 o = observed E E = expected POOL RIFFLE OBSERVED (o) 285 15 EXPECTED (e) 300 = 150 300 = 15 O – E 285 – 150 = 135 15 – 150 = -135 (O – E) 2 (285- 150)2 = 18,225 (15-150)2 = 18,225 ( O-E)2 E 18225 = 121.5 150 18225 = 121.5 150 ? (O-E)2 E 121.5 + 121.5 = 243 My chi square value from the experiment was 243. The critical value from the table at 95% confidence showed to be 3.84 at 1 degree of freedom. Because my experimental chi- square value is of a much greater value than my calculated value, it leaves me with a result indicating that my Null Hypothesis is incorrect. I am 99.9% confident that it is wrong as the critical value at this point is 10.8 and my calculated critical value is 243 which is an extremely larger figure. Therefore I will in turn accept my alternative hypothesis which states that there will be a significantly larger number of Chironomus in pools than in the riffles. After my statistical analysis, I can see that there was significantly more Chironomus found in the pool. As my density data shows the maximum abundance of Chironomus is 800m2 in the pool, whereas the maximum number of Chironomus found in the riffles is 50m2. Interpretation Our aim was to investigate the distribution of freshwater Macroinvertebrates in two microhabitats in an upland stream. A stream is formed due to gravity causing overland flow in water and there are many individual factors which affect the stream and the abundance of its inhabitants. The two different types of factors are Abiotic and Biotic. Abiotic The Abiotic factors, which would affect the stream and its inhabitants, are: The current in the riffles, which is significantly stronger compared to the current in the pools. It would suggest that there are either not as many organisms living in the riffles or that if there are, then they would be specially adapted organisms. Examples of this would be an organism, which is highly streamlined. This would help it be prevented from being washed off the rock. It is also adapted to living in the riffles with its ‘claws’ that help it grip and cling onto the rock to prevent it from being washed away. In comparison, there is evidence to indicate that there is none or very little current in the pools. This will affect the organisms living in the pools, because there is very little chance for them to be washed away, resulting in there being a higher population of organisms in the pools than there is in the riffles. The low ratings of current mean that there is also a lot of small substrate particles. This means that many other different types of organisms will inhabit the pools as there will be more prey for predators, and in turn, those which are the predators, will attract organisms which hunt for them themselves. These new predators will also inhabit the pools to consume their prey. The substratum levels and content of them also affects the stream and its organisms. In the pools, there are mostly high levels of detritus as the current is extremely low and so the sediment is allowed to settle on the streambed and be built up. There are, however, lower numbers of detritus, twigs and leaves in the riffles because there is a high current running here and anything which settles here will get washed away. Therefore, there is a layer of gravel and pebbles. Temperature also affects the distribution of organisms. When there are high temperatures or when the temperatures rise, the respiration of the organism will also rise, affecting where they must live due to the fact that if they are respiring at a higher rate, then there will need to be more oxygen available to them. You read "Investigation of factors affecting the distribution of Chironomus larvae in Nant Iago" in category "Papers" By living in the pools, this large amount of oxygen is unavailable to them because of the slow flow rate and low dissolved oxygen percentage. If there is a drastic change in the temperature of the water, then the enzymes in most organisms will become denatured and they will die. This is also the case if the temperature becomes too cold. The organisms will not be able to live in those conditions and so will die. The percentage of dissolved oxygen affects the stream and the distribution of its organisms. When there is a low percentage of dissolved oxygen, there will be a high number of organisms, which are specially adapted to living in these kinds of conditions, such as the Chironomus. This organism has haemoglobin in its body to help it survive in such low levels of dissolved oxygen when it is burrowed in the stream bed. Where there are high levels of oxygen, you will find that there are riffles. This means that there will be very little number of organisms present as they will just be washed away. Biotic Biotic factors affecting the distribution and abundance of the stream and its organisms include: * Food Availability – for example,the prey or food particles of the correct size/type * Predation –The probability of prey surviving plummets when predator densities increase. * Competition –Competition from organisms with similar ecological niches * Disease There are 2 microhabitats in the Nant Iago; the pool, and the riffle. I am now going to describe in more detail the differences the characteristics of the two microhabitats and compare them to assist me in describing the factors affecting the distribution of organisms in Nant Iago Nr. Abergevanny, S. Wales. Characteristics Of A Pool To begin, the substrate in the pool mainly consists of small particles such as sand, mud, detritus and twigs. Detritus is dead decaying organic matter. This build up is due to the low flow rate of 0.05m/s in the stream which prevents the substrate from being washed away. The effect is that the substrate settles and is deposited on the streambed as there is not enough force to wash it away and becomes a habitat for many organisms which can be established in the stream. It has made the detritus rating 3.7 which is abundant. The percentage of dissolved oxygen in the stream is 63.6% which is low. This low amount of dissolved oxygen is due to the fact that bacteria feed on the large amounts of settled detritus. These decomposing bacteria are high in numbers and aerobically respire extensively as they feed on the detritus. In order to respire, oxygen is needed; therefore oxygen levels are exceptionally low and plummet in pools due to the mass of bacteria respiring. This leaves a low ventilation of fresh oxygen in water. The low level of fresh oxygen is also due to the substrate on the streambed accumulating and being so condensed, that the water particles are restricted from moving through it. This, together with the low current, means that the oxygen is not able to be replaced and conditions in pool sediments may become anoxic. Characteristics Of A Riffle In a riffle the number of small substrate particles recorded was lower than that of the pool, and this is due to the much faster current flowing through this part of the stream. The flow rate here was 0.431 m/s. This means that it has a considerably higher kinetic energy in comparison to the pool and it results in the diminutive particles and detritus being swept away with ease. This is evidential through the data which I recorded where it demonstrates that the detritus count was 2.4 (little). Organisms which would need to be adapted to these kinds of speeds of water flow. Baetidae is an example. These organisms are extremely streamlined. This assists the organism greatly, as when it hangs onto the rocks, instead of the water taking the Baetidae with its current, the water will instead flow over due to its highly streamlined body. This is also helpful as when the water flows over the organism, the pressure from the flow causes the organism to be pressed against the rock even more, causing greater resistance to the organism being taken away with the current. The Baetidae also has adapted ‘claws’ which are situated on the ends of its legs. These claws cling onto the rock to help give extra strength against being taken away with the current. The dissolved percentage of oxygen was read at 64.1%. This however may not entirely be correct as the reading is far too low than expected, which leads me to believe that the reader may have been defected as the value should be closer to 100%. The general trend is superior to that of the pools because there are large gaps between the large substrate particles in the riffles, which in turn results in higher ventilation and faster current/water flow through the sediment. I will now explain how and why Chironomus are found in pools and are able to live in anoxic conditions. As a female adult Midge deposits her eggs in water, the gelatinous mass hatches and each larvae which has hatched, burrows into the detritus on the bed of the pool. Once here, it develops a silken burrow to prevent the detritus from collapsing on it. The only time the detritivore Chironomus vaguely leaves this silken burrow is when it will pop its head out briefly to feed on the surrounding detritus. This benthic invertebrate is adapted to existing in anoxic conditions and has become acquired to them through several ways; psyological adaptations, behavioural adaptations and structural adaptations. * Structural Adaptations – The Chironomus has diminutive gills at the end of its body which amplifies the large surface area to volume ratio. Therefore oxygen may diffuse in quickly and easily. Its slender cylinder shape means that it can burrow easily in the detritus found on the stream bed. * Behavioural Adaptations – The Chironomus exists in silken burrows in the sediment. This means that there is a constrained quantity of oxygen obtainable to them. Therefore to make the oxygen accessible, they undulate their bodies to make water flow through the tube. This enables the haemoglobin in their bodies to become saturated with oxygen from the water in this ventilation current. * Psyological Adaptations – Just like a mammalian, in order for oxygen to be transported around the body, it must combine with haemoglobin first. Chironomus has haemoglobin which is very similar to that of a mammal. It consists of 1 or 2 polypeptide chains of 136 to 151 amino acid length. Each polypeptide is folded into a tertiary structure and has a single haem group. This haemoglobin is, however, not found in cells, but is found in the body cavity in a fluid named haemolymph. The only main difference between the Chironomus haemoglobin and mammalian haemoglobin is that Chironomus haemoglobin has a much higher affinity for oxygen. This signifies that the oxygen will bind to the haem groups at extremely low partial pressures and will be released only when needed. This assists them when burrowing in anoxic conditions, in the sediment on the pool bed, where oxygen is very restricted. The haemoglobin act as an oxygen store and will this can be demonstrated on an oxygen dissociatio n graph. As shown, the O2 dissociation curve for the Chironomus haemoglobin is to the left of the mammalian O2 dissociation curve. This means that it has a higher affinity and will bind oxygen at especially low partial pressures. The reason why the Chironomus dissociation curve is straight is due to the fact that it has only two polypeptides so it is extremely easy for the molecules to bind to the haem groups. The mammalian dissociation curve is s-shaped (sigmoid). This is because it has four polypeptides. With the first haem group, it is tough for the O2 molecule to bind to it, but once it has then this makes it easier for the second and third O2 molecule to bind to the haem groups. The reason why the curve lines off is due to the fact that it is harder for oxygen to bind to the fourth haem group. Benefits of living in anoxic sediments: Living in anoxic conditions requires special adaptations which can be found in Chironomus. Examples of why it may be beneficial for the Chironomus to live in anoxic conditions are that it helps them avoid predation from predators such as the stone fly nymphs; Perlodidae. It also helps Chironomus avoid competition such as interspecific competition from other organisms, for example, the shrimp (gammaridae) who are also detritivores. The shrimp will feed on the floating detritus but cannot enter the substrates and feed on any buried detritus as it does not have adaptations for anoxic conditions. The Chironomus, however, will feed on the detritus in the pool bed. It means that the shrimp cannot feed on the lower parts of detritus because of the low amounts of dissolved oxygen, they will not survive. This shows the different niches. Evaluation: Experimental Errors: Limitations in apparatus: The limitations in the apparatus equipment may have had an overall affect on my final results. By discussing the limitations with my apparatus, I can then relate it to the affect it had on my results. The first limitation was with the Surber Sampler we used. In the pools, there is not as much flow as there is originating in the riffles. This can be distinguished on my results table where it illustrates that the mean flow rate for the pools is 0.059m/s in contrast to 0.431m/s found in the riffles. Hence, this signifies that with a low flow rate in the pools, anything disturbed such as Chironomus or other invertebrates which did not get washed into the net could have swum away with ease. In comparison, the riffles had the advantage of having a high flow rate connotating that there was a high chance of invertebrates being washed into the mesh net. This affects the results because it means that there could have been an artificially lower count of Chironomus in the pools. there wasn’t and where there should have been a lower, or perhaps a zero count, of Chironomus in the riffles, there were results that showed up to 5 Chironomus being found. The second constraint caused by the Surber Sampler we used was due to the net. The net mesh is 1mm2 and this may have been a problem. Chironomus goes through 8 instar stages where at each stage, they shed their skin and grow bigger. At the first instar stage, the Chironomus is especially minuscule, so when we disturbed the pool or riffle, the small Chironomus will have simply washed straight through the net. This brings us to a conclusion that we could only have possibly trapped Chironomus or other invertebrates exceeding the size of 1mm due to the fact that they would have been rinsed directly through the net if any smaller. This affects the results because it demonstrates that there may have been a significantly higher amount of Chironomus in both pools and riffles although they were not recorded as the net was unsuccessful in detaining them, reason being that their size was too diminutive. Nonetheless, this is not a very significant error as it has an equal effect in both the pool s and the riffles. A third limitation with the Surber Sampler was related to the substrate. More rocks can be found in the riffles, whereas in the pools, more sand and silt can be found. The rocks in the riffles prevented the Surber Sampler from lying flat as the rocks are, all, various sizes. As the Surber Sampler cannot lie flat, Chironomus may have been washed away, underneath the Surber Sampler where it failed to touch the stream bed. The way this has affected the results is obvious. Any Chironomus which failed to wash into the net swam away when disturbed, leaving the Chironomus results lower than they should have been in the riffles. This is an important error as it only effects the riffles. Limitations in method: The method we all took up comprised of each group being assigned to a certain part of the stream. The limitation of this is that when groups further up stepped into the stream; they would have disturbed the streambed. However, samples which they disturbed were not collected. Instead, the invertebrates which were disturbed could have been washed down stream and rinsed into a net belonging to another group downstream. This is called ‘invertebrate drift’ and it is caused when a large number of people are sampling all at the same moment. When invertebrate drift takes place, the invertebrates are much more likely to settle in pools as they have a very low flow rate and this causes the Chironomus count to be higher than it should be which is called ‘over sampling’. It influences the results because it means that, theoretically, the Chironomus count which some groups collected is more elevated than supposed to. This is a major error source as its effect is limited to the downstream groups and mainly the pool regions. This is linked to the accuracy of our results being affected by the limitations in the method. Another aspect contributing to the accuracy of our results being affected by limitations in the method, is that there was no standard method of disturbing. Individuals, who disturbed for their group, will have done so in a different manner to another individual disturbing the streambed further upstream, or downstream. This affects the results because it means that some groups will have collected more data through unsettling the streambed more thoroughly than other groups. Hence, gives the connotation that more invertebrates and Chironomus were found in their sample, which is evident in the pools results where it shows that group 5 collected 80 Chironomus whereas group 11 only collected 3 Chironomus. This is not a major error source as its effect is likely to be equal in both of the pools and riffles. Anomalous Results: By analyzing my results, I have seen that there are several anomalous results which can be commented on. I will discuss and compare the anomalous results which have arisen in both the pools and riffles; Pools: In my results, by looking at Surber Number’s 5 and 9, you can evidently distinguish that the recorded amount of Chironomus established in the pools is ’80’ and ’70’. This is a particularly high amount, even for the pools and it may possibly have been caused by invertebrate drift, as explained above, which would affect the results because it means that the Chironomus was over sampled. This is in contrast to surber sampler’s 7 and 8, where a recorded number of zero Chironomus can be recognized. The reason for this may be due to the detritus reading being ‘2’ with surber sampler number 7. Chironomus feed and bury themselves underneath this detritus sediment which is possibly why there are no Chironomus found in surber sampler 7. This affects the results here, because it leaves us with a lower recording of Chironomus than we are meant to have. However, this does not explain the findings for surber sampler number 8. The detritus reading here is 4, which may lead us to believe that perhaps the low Chironomus reading is due to predation, being eaten by a fish of some kind preliminary to our sampling. Perhaps also the Chironomus was in its first instar stage, which would mean that they will not have been trapped by the mesh net. Alternatively, the Chironomus might have just developed into an adult midge, and would no longer be found in the water, but in the air. This would affect the results collected because it would leave us the impression that possibly, if we had sampled the stream on an earlier, or later date, then the Chironomus would be at a trappable larva stage. Riffles: Surber sampler’s 7, 8 and 12 have high numbers of Chironomus readings despite of the fact that they are not usually found in this area. Possible reasons for this might be due to invertebrate drift from further upstream, or it could be due to the small particles of detritus being found in these riffles. The detritus could have been collected in sheltered areas such as behind large boulders. After being deposited there and this would have developed a micro habitat, with a mini pool being formed in a riffle, which would explain the high number’s of Chironomus being found. Another anomalous result which was portrayed in both the riffle and pools results was the dissolved oxygen saturation readings. By observing both of the mean dissolved oxygen percentage saturations, we can see that in the pools it is 63.6% and in the riffles it is 64.1%. This is entirely incorrect due to the fact that in pools, there is supposed to be barely any dissolved oxygen saturated in the water, and in the riffles, there is supposed to be in the vicinity of 100% dissolved oxygen saturated in the water. These erroneous results are down to the oxygen meter being broken. It affected our whole experiment because it meant we were not able to carry out the trial accurately and record correct results which would assist us in our evaluation. Reliability: In my opinion, the 2 central error sources in my experiment were caused by the Surber Sampler and invertebrate drift. Invertebrate drift occurs when large numbers of people are sampling the equivalent lake/stream at the same period in time. It is incurred when someone (upstream) walking through the stream disturbs the streambed, but does not collect the samples with their mesh net, or in other cases it is caused when invertebrates sweep under/ through/ or to the side of the net. Hereafter, any invertebrates disturbed will flow along with the current and settle amid pools (mainly downstream) which affects results because it means that invertebrates and Chironomus have been over sampled. To prevent invertebrate drift, instead of all groups sampling the stream at the same time, we could allow the group furthest downstream (group 14) to do their experiment first, and then work our way upstream, only allowing groups to do their trial once the group further down has finished their experiment. E.g., group 14 will do their experiment initially and once complete, group 13 will do their experiment. Then once group 13 has completed their experiment, group 12 may carry out their experiment and so forth. This method of carrying out the experiments will completely avoid the matter of invertebrate drift which improve the accuracy of results achieved. Another way of shunning invertebrate drift would be to improve apparatus used, which brings me onto the second central error source within the experiment. The Surber Sampler’s which we used composed only of a quadrat base and a mesh net attached to the end of the quadrat (see drawing). This basic surber sampler meant that when we positioned the quadrat onto the (riffles) streambed, it would not have been laid flat because of rocks being various contours and masses. This affects the results because it means that with the surber sampler lying at an awkward angle, when disturbing, invertebrates are highly likely to be swept underneath the mesh net, or the side, instead of into it. A way of recuperating this quandary is by utilizing a better surber sampler. One surber sampler which could be used consists of a bottomless box attached to the bottom of the quadrat. This will improve the experiment and results because not only will it avoid invertebrate drift through the way that nothing will be able to escape (because it will enclose everything within the desired sampling area right down to the streambed), but it will also improve accuracy, giving you a set volume of substrate. Another alternative to the surber sampler’s which we used is a piece of apparatus called the ‘Eckman Grab’. These ‘grabs’ do not have nets attached to the end of them, but instead act as a set of claws. After your sample has been picked up by these ‘grabs’, you cleanly drop all of its contents into your tray where after, you can record the results. This will develop the results because one of the core setbacks with surber samplers is that the nets tend to lose samples (through or under), whereas with these ‘grabs’ they do not have nets and so keeping all the samples within its hold will assure the results are more accurate and improved. Final Conclusion: As my final conclusion, I will articulate that the trial my group carried out had a quantity of inaccuracies, but not enough for me to completely reject the whole experiment. The results are reasonable as they reflect the way nature works, regardless of the main sources of error. Also, the statistics and chi squared number shows a highly significant difference in the number of Chironomus in the pools and riffles with more found in the pools. The experimental errors are not large enough to cause a 99.9% rejection of the null hypothesis. To determine the whole pattern of invertebrates and Chironomus along the stream, the experiments should have been carried out every month, instead of just one day. By doing the experiments on just one day we are left with results that are only able to give us a general idea and impression of the patterns of the distribution of invertebrates and Chironomus along the stream. I had to reject my null hypothesis, as I was 99.9% confident that there was a difference. In my opinion, if I was to repeat this experiment even with the improvements I have suggested, then the results obtained would still be the same. How to cite Investigation of factors affecting the distribution of Chironomus larvae in Nant Iago, Papers

Contrast Of Romeo And Juliet An West Side Story Essay Example For Students

Contrast Of Romeo And Juliet An West Side Story Essay Contrast of Romeo and Juliet and West Side StoryEssay submitted by Bob GarrardThree Hundred Fifty Years of Blind Love: A Contraposition of Shakespeare andRobbins Romeo and Juliet Andy Warhol once said, They say that time changes things, but actually you have to change themyourself. Two hundred fifty years passed between the original Romeo and Juliet and the premiereof West Side Story on Broadway in 1957. However, time did not change the message of thestory, simply the creators unique visions evolved. Shakespeares delivery of the timeless tale ofdesperate love in his classic Romeo and Juliet proves to only intensify through retelling andmodern interpretation. Audiences cherish Romeo and Juliet as one of the most beloved plays ofall time from the Elizabethan Age to the present. Romeo and Juliet have attained the role as thequintessential lovers, and the noun, a Romeo, is synonymous with lover. ShakespearesRomeo and Juliet is closely based on Arthur Brookes tale, The Tragicall History o f Romeus andJuliet. The language, attitudes, and customs detailed in the play are generally English, in spite ofBrookes original Italian setting. In 1949, choreographer Jerome Robbins decided to retellBrooke and Shakespeares romantic tragedy using song and dance, elements of racism andnationalism, and a modern vernacular. Robbins called upon the musical talents of composerLeonard Bernstein and the words of Arthur Laurents for the script and book. The love storyproved to have universal appeal throughout all artistic forms, as it had already been adjusted foropera and ballet. The contemporary adaptation of this timeless classic alters details and deepensthe message of hatred, but maintains Brooke and Shakespeares vision. The relationshipsbetween the characters, plot sequence, and theme of hatred in West Side Story and Romeo andJuliet intertwine resulting in two similar, yet varying versions of the most famous love story of alltime. The relationships between the characters of West Side Story and Shakespeares Romeo andJuliet are reflective of their respective time periods and the original story. Maria and Julietrepresent a slightly practical counterpart to both Tonys and Romeos idealistic nature. Mariasbrother Bernardo and Juliets cousin Tybalt portray impulsively stubborn and violent characterswho both die from wounds inflicted by the male lead. Lieutenant Schrank is similar to PrinceEscalus, although Schrank is unfair in his treatment and attitude towards one gang- the Sharks. Anita and Nurse both take on the role as Juliets confidant and trusted friend, often tamperingwith their roles as messengers. The mischievously tomboyish Anybodys, who desperately wantsto be a Jet, would best fit into the role of Balthasar, since it was she who aided Tony in escapingafter the rumble, as well as later informing the other Jets that Tony was being hunted. Finally, thecharacter of Doc appears to fulfill the role of Friar Laurence because both possess somewhat of apeacekeeping nature. Doc attempts to get through to Tony by dramatically pleading, Why doyou live like theres a war on? Why do you kill? (2.5). All of the characters are consistent to theheart and soul of the story as well as the slightly differing plots. West Side Story maintains Romeo and Juliets intricate and exciting plot using appropriateadaptations to accommodate mid-twentieth-century pop culture. For instance, both artistic formsportray mutual disrespect between the parties. At the dawn of Romeo and Julie t, Capuletscohorts harass Montagues. I will bite my thumb at them; which is a disgrace to them, if theybear it, boasts Sampson (1.1.42-43). In the opening scene of West Side Story, several membersof a Puerto Rican gang insult A-rab, a member of the opposing gang. It is here where LieutenantSchrank becomes aware of the potential rumble. In Romeo and Juliet Escalus, Prince of Verona,threatens, If ever you disturb our streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace(1.1.103-104). In West Side Story, Schrank mediates in his own way when he declares, I got ahot surprise for you: you hoodlums dont own the streets(1.1). Later, another similarity takesplace. Riff convinces Tony to attend the dance at the gym just as Benvolio persuades Romeo toattend the Capulets masquerade. Tony confesses to Riff that hes reachin out forsomething(1.2), just what, he doesnt know. Riff encourages Tony by proposing, Maybe whatyoure waitin forll be twitchin at the dance! (1.2). Shakespeare and direc tor Jerome Robbinschoose to draw the audiences attention to the dramatic lovers by giving them unique and eminentqualities. At the Capulet ball in Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet, all of the characters speak inblank verse, but when Romeo and Juliet converse, they speak in sonnet form. Throughout thedance at the gym in West Side Story, both of the gangs members dance a mambo, but Tony andMaria dance a cha-cha. Bernstein and Robbins translated Shakespeares spoken word intomodern dance techniques (Gravely 1). Along with the dance atmosphere, the discovery of thedoomed love affair is interpreted in a unique fashion in West Side Story, possibly losing passion inthe adaptation. Upon the revelation by Juliets kinfolk of her new love for the enemy in bothversions, the leading lady responds in similar manners. Couldnt you see hes one of them? (1.4.)Bernardo asks Maria, his sister. No; I saw only him, (1.4) she replies. Sixteenth-century Julietsexclamation was starkly more eloquent:My only love sprung from my only hate!Too early seen unknown, and known too late!Prodigious birth of love it is to me,That I must love a loathed enemy. (1.5.140-143)The balcony scene is mirrored in West Side Story as the fire escape scene. Romeometaphorically asks Juliet to arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon (2.2.4). During the fireescape scene, Tony and Maria sing Leonard Bernsteins s melody, Tonight:Tonight, tonight,The world is full of light,With suns and moons all over the place. Trifles by Susan Glaspell EssayRomeo and Juliets blind love is the force that unites two enemies, just as the eternal human spiritbrings all people of the Earth united as one. English Essays

The first binary system Essay Example

The first binary system Essay This essay will look at the history of computers, beginning from Stonehenge and going right through to today. It will look at what the future holds for the world of computing and I will try to determine the start of this particular technology. It will go on to discuss the computers of today and more importantly what the future holds for computers. I will try to briefly out line the history of the computer, presenting my findings chronologically. The continuous progression of the computer has lead us to the advanced machines they are today and offer us an insight into the pattern of future developments. Throughout the essay I will include information from a number of different resources, which I will use to explain and analyse my findings. I have traced the first findings of computer science back to many years ago when man still dwelled in caves. The religious and animalistic traditions of early man required instruments to calculate particular religious dates. From this Shamanistic traditions man created a primitive calculating device, counting notches on sticks or marks on walls. This primitive technique evolved and big Stonehenge structures were erected, these can still be seen today in Salisbury England. The enormous structures are today monuments of mans desire to calculate and compute information. Over on the other side of the globe in china the abacus was born. The abacus aided the calculation process and therefore must be considered a computing device. The way the abacus works shares similarities with the dictionaries definition of a computer. This is the place value notion and the retrieve and store method mentioned in the dictionary. Twelve centuries later, an 18-year-old taxpayers son invented a numerical wheel to help his father calculate tax. The device was called a Pacaline named after its creator. The problem with the Pascalator is that it could only be repaired by Pascaline. This resulted in job loss and techno phobia which still occurs today. The device was later improved and can still be found today in water meters and modern day odometers. We will write a custom essay sample on The first binary system specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The first binary system specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The first binary system specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The real beginning of the computer as we know them today is a result of the English mathematician Charles Babbage. He hoped there would one day be an automated computer powered by steam. It was never constructed, but outlined the elements of the modern day general-purpose computer. Babbages computer was a real analytical engine, it had built in control and allowed instructions to be represented in specific order, rather then numerical order. An American inventor set a task to create a faster computer using the jacquard loom concept. The computing process used cards to store dates, this differed from previous methods, which used cards to instruct the computer. This system enabled the computer to work faster, store more information, and resulted in fewer errors. The creator Hollerith brought his machine, known as the punch card reader, in to the business world. The company later became the International Business Machine or IBM. The punch card system become very popular in the 60s and was used by business and the government. Holleriths machine was limited to certain tabulation and could not accommodate more complex forms. The first binary system was developed by a German in 1941. The binary system was a programmable computer design composed of zeros and ones. The binary representation proved important in the design of modern day computers.  The punch card machine became so well established and reliable, that Howard Aiken collaborated with the engineers at IBM and refined the IBMs standard automated computer to build the Howard Mark 1. The Mark 1 remained in use until 1959, even thought other machines had surpassed it in performance. It provided vital calculations for the navy in world war two. Meanwhile over in Great Britain a mathematician named Alan turning wrote a paper called Computable numbers. Alan Turnings paper described a hypothetical device that presaged programmable computers. The Turning machine was designed to perform logical operations and could read, write, or erase symbols that were written on squares of a infinite paper tape. The purpose of turnings paper was not to invent a computer but rather to describe problems that are logically possible to solve. Turnings hypothetical machine has characteristics that resemble modern day computers. The hypothetical machines memory allows it to read, write, and erase data, just like modern day RAM. Back in America the Havard Mark 1 was highly successful opening doors for further developments by Americans computer giants. The second contribution to the computing world was the ENIAC or electrical Numerical integrator. ENIAC is generally considered to be the first successful high speed digital computer and was used from 1946 to 1955.

Ireland essays

Ireland essays Northern Ireland is an administrative division of the United Kingdom, which is situated, in the northeastern portion of the island of Ireland. The remaining portion of the island is part of the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland constitutes about 17 percent of the land area of Ireland and has 31 percent of the island's population. The capital of Northern Ireland is Belfast. Northern Ireland's population is deeply divided along religious and political lines. The split between the Protestant majority and the Catholic minority extends deep into Northern Ireland's past and has strongly influenced the region's culture, settlement patterns, and politics. Northern Ireland came into existence as a result of a campaign for Irish Home Rule, which began in the 1870s. At that time the whole island of Ireland was governed by Britain and sent MPs to Westminster, which is the home of the British Government in London. Home Rulers wanted a separate Irish parliament but their campaign was defeated by a number of groups, including Irish unionists, who wanted to remain under British rule. A bill granting Home Rule was passed through its parliamentary stages but was postponed because of the outbreak of the First World War. The pressure for Home Rule took a violent turn with the Easter Rising of 1916, when a small group of Irish rebels took control of parts of Dublin and declared a provisional republic government. The following execution of most of the leaders hardened Irish opinion and led to the emergence of Sinn Fein, a republican party led by Eamonn DeValera, one of the main participants in the Rising who had escaped execution because of his American citizenship. At the same time the Irish Republican Army was formed and began a terror campaign attacking police and army bases in Ireland. The violence was so widespread that British irregulars, called the Black and Tans, were shipped to Ireland to combat the virtual civil war. But the fer...

Reducing the risk of healthcare-associated infections in inpatient Essay

Reducing the risk of healthcare-associated infections in inpatient acute care hospitals in the US - Essay Example hin his or her unit and clearly come up with a procedure through which his or her subordinates can follow to improve, and more so, maintain the health safety within their units of work (Kohn, Corrigan, & Donaldson, 2000). The health hospital leaders are held responsible for health assessment within the organization by the Joint Commission. A unit survey on the health safety can measure the level of health safety in a work setting, and more so, conditions that can lead to unfavorable occurrences and patient damage (Frankel, 2006). Through these assessments there can result to increased awareness in patient safety matters, bring out the current status on matters related to safety culture, make interventions put into practice without delays, and more so, monitor the effectiveness and efficiency of the alteration over a given period of time. To achieve the best result on the survey at the nursing unit, use of Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture and the Safety Attitude Questionnaire is appropriate. Health safety culture is therefore developed by having a regular assessment on issues related to safety, then coming up with actions and also giving an opportunity for the benchmarking with other related organizations so as to develop safety approach attitudes, come up with a way forward and assess the intervention selected effectiveness in meeting the unit goals and hence organizational goals (Frankel, 2006). A powerful patient safety culture has been depicted as a victorious anticipator of medication mistake, fall of injuries, cure errors, accidents and injuries in the workplace. It is worth noting that the culture alteration does not take place by chance, but it takes a unit leader, for example, taking actions to bring the changes. Often, culture is seen like a vague issue in nature, and therefore, it takes a leader to formulate patient safety culture tools such as a structure (Hill & Howlett, 2013). As a unit leader in the nursing unit, one can develop the unit

Is the Law Relating to the Offence of Dissemination of Terrorist Essay

Is the Law Relating to the Offence of Dissemination of Terrorist Publications in Need of Reform - Essay Example Recently, the UK government had problems in complying with provisions of the European Convention of Human rights in respect to its terrorism laws1. One measure in UK’s terrorism law is the pre-charge detention of terrorist suspects for up to twenty eight days without taking appearing in court. The British government intention to amend this law in 2008 and extend it to 42 days was unsuccessful. The government met resistance from civil right groups and parliamentarians who were against such measures since they saw it as an abuse of fundamental rights of individuals. The committee on human rights gave a conclusion that such measures were a breach of the right of liberty as in article five of the European Courts of Human Rights and derogation was necessary for the measure to be lawful2. Legal experts’ opinion was that the pre-charge detention for 42 days is disproportionate and European human rights laws do not provide legal framework for arbitrary arrests and detentions. R eaction from the British government was an explanation that the forty two day period was compatible with the ECHR. The European laws do not set a specific time period for which a person can be detained without appearing in court. ... However, this made the Blaire’s government to be in conflict with parliament resulting in the defeat of the 90 day period proposed by Tony Blaire to a 28 day period3. The premier criticized parliament and the labour MPs who came against him. Defeat of Tony Blaire’s government concerning this anti-terrorism bill brought a debate on whether Mr Blaire was an independent premier or a lame duck that was unable to mobilize his party to support such a crucial bill. Basing on this, likely changes in the bill will have a political effect in the sense that parliament might opt to refuse the changes or support the changes. The media is likely play a role in discussing such issues, with either providing a critique of the said legislation or supporting the legislation on condition that they do not breach the individual rights of people. Changes in the terrorism act of 2006 are likely to affect fundamental human rights and freedom which include4, right to freedom of movement, right t o privacy, right to non-discriminative policies, right to a remedy for breach of human rights, right to fair trial and freedom of expression. These rights are under protection of European Courts of Human Rights5 and the government of UK has committed itself to uphold them. Concerning these fundamental human rights, changes in terrorism act of 2006 will create new detention and questioning powers for security agencies in the UK, they will give the Attorney General new powers to proscribe terrorist organisations and will create new criminal offences and means of controlling people’s movements and activities. For instance, changes in terrorism law regarding attendance at a place formerly in use of terrorism activity, the

Benefits of Therapeutic Education (TE)

Benefits of Therapeutic Education (TE) The WHO states that â€Å"‘‘the aim of therapeutic education (TE) is to teach the patient the adequate know-how. The patient’s TE is a permanent process, which is part of medical care. It includes sensitization, information, learning and psychosocial support, which are all related to the pathology and its treatments. The education should allow the patient and his family to have a better collaboration with the health care professionals’’ Therefore, TE aids patients with chronic conditions to have better understanding of their disease and learn how to manage it. The main goal of TE is to improve the prognosis of the diseases and that can be achieved by reducing both morbidity and complications. Other objective of TE is regarding public health cost. TE offers patients with OA better self-management as a result it reduces medical care attention and because of lesser help from the medical care it reduces the direct and indirect cost. Further studies are needed regarding on the impact of TE in medical cost. The Haute Autorite ´ de sante ´ (HAS) in France have outlined the overall and specific goals of TE. Improving the patients’ health and patients’ families’ way of living is the general goal of TE. Patients’ achievement and maintenance of self-care competency or the ability to cope with competency depending on background and experience are the specific goals of TE. TE programs should consider data from evidence-based medicine, as well as recommendations from evidence-based practice. The HAS focuses on the important role of the patients in the implementation of the education activity, the demand for a multidisciplinary team to lead the program, and the need to assess the quality and efficacy of these programs. Educational programs for OA include the  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­diseases chronic nature, treatment involving pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapy, and lifestyle modification. The educational process must start at the first med ical visit, from the diagnosis, and continue after surgical therapy, with rehabilitation being the best time to begin self-care program. PKQ-OA a questionnaire specifically for OA patient knowledge has been used to assess patients knowledge regarding their condition. When the authors asses the questionnaire, they have found out that there is a wide range of knowledge levels among patients diagnosed with OA, the scores are ranging from 8 to 26 out of 30.Knowledge was not correlated with disease duration or patient’s age or sex; however, the number of years spent in formal education was correlated with high test scores. Most patients know the symptoms of their condition but many methods of joint protection and energy conservation have been reported. Wrong beliefs were identified and common ones are ‘‘OA is caused by cold damp weather’’ and ‘‘blood tests are useful in OA diagnosis’’. Poor knowledge about analgesic were dentified: Avoidance of activity has been related to musculoskeletal disorders. Fear and anxiety may both contribute to the fear-avoidance model in musculoskeletal disorders. A patient’s interpretation of pain may lead to either of the two: An adaptive response, whereby the patient deals with the pain and is more likely to manage it and maintain daily activities that will help achieve functional recovery; A non-adaptive response that leads to maladaptive behaviors, including pain-related fear, avoidance, and hypervigilance. Because of pain patients with musculoskeletal disorders tends to avoid activities for the fear of experiencing it. Now that the patient is avoiding or abstaining from physical activities, this will lead to further disability through unfavorable effects of physical inactivity and weakening of the musculoskeletal system. TE should be included in the management of OA according to European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR), Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI), and The French College of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (SOFMER). EULAR concern patient’s education, physical exercise, technical aids and diet, but do not supply sufficient information regarding non-pharmacological therapies. OARSI insist on the importance of educating patients with hip or knee OA and stating the areas that TE must be stress to patients. Explaining the goals of treatment and the importance of changing lifestyle, such as the importance of exercise, activity adaptations, weight loss and other measures to help the joint(s) are the areas involve in the education. SOFMER highlight the need for educational programs that is design to encourage daily practice of an exercise activity. With these recommendations sufficient details must be supplied for these measures to be implemented, especially patientâ₠¬â„¢s education. The recommendations created by US National Institute of Health regarding weight loss in OA are commonly used for obesity treatment in TE because no specific recommendation exists for TE regarding weight loss in OA. According to the literature and international recommendation TE should be included in OA management. The main goal of the education is to change patient’s lifestyle especially regarding physical activity and weight loss. Education must be started from the early stage of OA, as well as the pre- and postoperative periods. Further studies are required to create a better effective educational program for OA, it is either unaided or with the help of other therapies, and measure its cost-effectiveness. Reference: Coudeyre, E., Sanchez, K., Rannou, F., Poiraudeau, S., Lefevre-Colau, M.-M. (2010) Impact of self-care programs for lower limb osteoarthritis and influence of patients’ beliefs. Annals of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine 53, 434–450 Self-management aid interventions that can help patient with OA improve their quality of life. One way to offer self-management to patient with OA is through telephone-based OA management program. In this study conducted by Sperber et. al. the program offers 4 components: phone calls, educational material, setting goals and action plans. Among all the participants more than 80% agreed that each component was helpful and the average rating of overall helpfulness on a scale from 1 to 10 was 7.6. Participants of these program said that this intervention and each components is helpful in managing osteoarthritis. Participants most frequently mentioned the health educator’s calls (44 of 140, 31%) as the most helpful component of the intervention. The health educators’ phone call aided patients to stay on task with the educational materials and goal setting. With the phone call patients have ease discussing their condition with someone who has knowledge and understand their condition. Also the calls provided them educational benefit by teaching and clarifying information. Educational materials (written and audio) (20 of 140, 14%) provided patients with information regarding OA and ways how to manage OA better. Audio cassette and easy-to-read references are helpful and with these materials combined with the phone call it will be more helpful for patients with OA. Goalsetting (11 of 140, 8%), setting goal were helpful and and with the consistent phone calls participants takes active role in managing their condition. Participants also commonly said that exercise (42 of 140, 30%) and healthy eating and weight management (20 of 140, 14%) are helpful for managing their osteoarthritis symptoms because implementing these behaviors help them manage their pain levels. But one patient stated that the exercise increase his strength and improves ability to stand up but does not diminish pain. This study has limitation but these results provide information on planning OA self-management support interventions. These program may target and benefit to some patients with OA. Reference: Sperber, N.R., Bosworth, H.B., Coffman, C.J., Juntilla, K.A., Lindquist, J.H., Oddone, E.Z., Walker, T.A., Weinberger, M., Allen, K.D. (2012) Participant evaluation of a telephone-based osteoarthritis self-management program, 2006-2009. Prev Chronic Dis;9:110119. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd9.110119

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 10

Chapter 10 The angel and I had been watching a movie about Moses. Raziel was angry because there were no angels in it. No one in the movie looked like any Egyptian I ever met. â€Å"Did Moses look like that?† I asked Raziel, who was worrying the crust off of a goat cheese pizza in between spitting vitriol at the screen. â€Å"No,† said Raziel, â€Å"but that other fellow looks like Pharaoh.† â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Yep,† said Raziel. He slurped the last of a Coke through a straw making a rude noise, then tossed the paper cup across the room into the wastebasket. â€Å"So you were there, during the Exodus?† â€Å"Right before. I was in charge of locusts.† â€Å"How was that?† â€Å"Didn't care for it. I wanted the plague of frogs. I like frogs.† â€Å"I like frogs too.† â€Å"You wouldn't have liked the plague of frogs. Stephan was in charge. A seraphim.† He shook his head as if I should know some sad inside fact about seraphim. â€Å"We lost a lot of frogs. â€Å"I suppose it's for the best, though,† Raziel said with a sigh. â€Å"You can't have a someone who likes frogs bring a plague of frogs. If I'd done it, it would have been more of a friendly gathering of frogs.† â€Å"That wouldn't have worked,† I said. â€Å"Well, it didn't work anyway, did it? I mean, Moses, a Jew, thought it up. Frogs were unclean to the Jews. To the Jews it was a plague. To the Egyptians it was like having a big feast of frog legs drop from the sky. Moses missed it on that one. I'm just glad we didn't listen to him on the plague of pork.† â€Å"Really, he wanted to bring down a plague of pork? Pigs falling from the sky?† â€Å"Pig pieces. Ribs, hams, feet. He wanted everything bloody. You know, unclean pork and unclean blood. The Egyptians would have eaten the pork. We talked him into just the blood.† â€Å"Are you saying that Moses was a dimwit?† I wasn't being ironic when I asked this, I was aware that I was asking the eternal dimwit of them all. Still†¦ â€Å"No, he just wasn't concerned with results,† said the angel. â€Å"The Lord had hardened Pharaoh's heart against letting the Jews go. We could have dropped oxen from the sky and he wouldn't have changed his mind.† â€Å"That would have been something to see,† I said. â€Å"I suggested that it rain fire,† the angel said. â€Å"How'd that go?† â€Å"It was pretty. We only had it rain on the stone palaces and monuments. Burning up all of the Jews would sort of defeated the purpose.† â€Å"Good thinking,† I said. â€Å"Well, I'm good with weather,† said the angel. â€Å"Yeah, I know,† I said. Then I thought about it a second, about how Raziel nearly wore out our poor room service waiter Jesus delivering orders of ribs the day they were the special. â€Å"You didn't suggest fire, initially, did you? You just suggested that it rain barbecued pork, didn't you?† â€Å"That guy doesn't look anything like Moses,† the angel said. That day, thrashing in the sea, trying to swim to catch the merchant ship that plowed through the water under full sail, I first saw that Raziel was, as he claimed, â€Å"good with weather.† Joshua was leaning over the aftrail of the ship, shouting alternately to me, then to Titus. It was pretty obvious that even under the light wind that day, I would never catch the ship, and when I looked in the direction of shore I could see nothing but water. Strange, the things you think of at times like that. What I thought first was â€Å"What an incredibly stupid way to die.† Next I thought, â€Å"Joshua will never make it without me.† And with that, I began to pray, not for my own salvation but for Joshua. I prayed for the Lord to keep him safe, then I prayed for Maggie's safety and happiness. Then, as I shrugged off my shirt and fell into a slow crawl in the direction of the shoreline, which I knew I would never see, the wind stopped. Just stopped. The sea flattened and the only sound I could hear was the frightened cries of the crew of Titus's ship, which had stopped in the water as if it had dropped anchor. â€Å"Biff, this way!† Joshua called. I turned in the water to see my friend waving to me from the stern of the becalmed ship. Beside him, Titus cowered like a frightened child. On the mast above them sat a winged figure, who after I swam to the ship and was hoisted out by a very frightened bunch of sailors, I recognized as the angel Raziel. Unlike the times when we had seen him before, he wore robes as black as pitch, and the feathers in his wings shone the blue-black of the sea under moonlight. As I joined Joshua on the raised poop deck at the stern of the ship, the angel took wing and gently landed on the deck beside us. Titus was shielding his head with his arms, as if to ward off an attacker, and he looked as if he were trying to dissolve between the deck boards. â€Å"You,† Raziel said to the Phoenician, and Titus looked up between his arms. â€Å"No harm is to come to these two.† Titus nodded, tried to say something, then gave up when his voice broke under the weight of his fear. I was a little frightened myself. Decked out in black, the angel was a fearsome sight, even if he was on our side. Joshua, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease. â€Å"Thank you,† Josh said to the angel. â€Å"He's a cur, but he's my best friend.† â€Å"I'm good with weather,† the angel said. And as if that explained everything, he flapped his massive black wings and lifted off the deck. The sea was dead calm until the angel was out of sight over the horizon, then the breeze picked up, the sails filled, and waves began to lap at the bow. Titus ventured a peek from his cowed position, then stood up slowly and took one of the steering oars under his arm. â€Å"I'm going to need a new shirt,† I said. â€Å"You can have mine,† Titus said. â€Å"We should sail closer along the coast, don't you think?† I said. â€Å"On the way, good master,† Titus said. â€Å"On the way.† â€Å"Your mother eats the fungus from the feet of lepers,† I said. â€Å"I've been meaning to speak to her about that,† Titus said. â€Å"So we understand each other,† I said. â€Å"Absolutely,† Titus said. â€Å"Crap,† Joshua said. â€Å"I forgot to ask the angel about knowing women again.† For the rest of the journey Titus was much more agreeable, and strangely enough, we didn't have to man any of the huge oars when we pulled into port, nor did we have to help unload or load any cargo. The crew avoided us altogether, and tended the pigs for us without our even asking. My fear of sailing subsided after a day, and as the steady breeze carried us north, Joshua and I would watch the dolphins that came to ride the ship's bow wave, or lie on the deck at night, breathing in the smell of cedar coming off the ship's timbers, listening to the creaking of rope and rigging, and trying to imagine aloud what it would be like when we found Balthasar. If it hadn't been for Joshua's constant badgering about what sex was like, it would have been a pleasant journey indeed. â€Å"Fornication isn't the only sin, Josh,† I tried to explain. â€Å"I'm happy to help out, but are you going to have me steal so I can explain it to you? Will you have me kill someone next so you can understand it?† â€Å"No, the difference is that I don't want to kill anyone.† â€Å"Okay, I'll tell you again. You got your loins, and she's got her loins. And even though you call them both loins, they're different – â€Å" â€Å"I understand the mechanics of it. What I don't understand is the feeling of it.† â€Å"Well, it feels good, I told you that.† â€Å"But that doesn't seem right. Why would the Lord make sin feel good, then condemn man for it?† â€Å"Look, why don't you try it?† I said. â€Å"It would be cheaper that way. Or better yet, get married, then it wouldn't even be sin.† â€Å"Then it wouldn't be the same, would it?† Josh asked. â€Å"How would I know, I've never been married.† â€Å"Is it always the same for you?† â€Å"Well, in some ways, yes.† â€Å"In what ways?† â€Å"Well, so far, it seems to be moist.† â€Å"Moist?† â€Å"Yeah, but I can't say it's always that way, just in my experience. Maybe we should ask a harlot?† â€Å"Better yet,† Joshua said, looking around, â€Å"I'll ask Titus. He's older, and he looks as if he's sinned a lot.† â€Å"Yeah, well, if you count throwing Jews in the sea, I'd say he's an expert, but that doesn't mean – â€Å" Joshua had run to the stern of the ship, up a ladder to the raised poop deck, and to a small, open-sided tent that acted as the captain's quarters. Under the tent Titus reclined on a pile of rugs, drinking from a wineskin, which I saw him hand to Joshua. By the time I caught up with him Titus was saying, â€Å"So you want to know about fucking? Well, son, you have come to the right place. I've fucked a thousand women, half again as many boys, some sheep, pigs, a few chickens, and the odd turtle. What is it you want to know?† â€Å"Stand away from him, Josh,† I said, taking the wineskin and handing it back to Titus as I pushed Joshua back. â€Å"The wrath of God could hit him at any moment. Jeez, a turtle, that's got to be an abomination.† Titus flinched when I mentioned the wrath of God, as if the angel might return to perch on his mast any second. Joshua stood his ground. â€Å"Right now let's just stick with the women part of it, if that's all right.† Joshua patted Titus's arm to reassure him. I knew how that touch felt: Titus would feel the fear run out of him like water. â€Å"I've fucked every kind of woman there is. I've fucked Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Jews, Ethiopians, and women from places that haven't even been named yet. I've fucked fat ones, skinny ones, women with no legs, women with – â€Å" â€Å"Are you married?† Joshua interrupted before the sailor started into how he had fucked them in a box, with a fox, in a house, with a mouse†¦ â€Å"I have a wife in Rome.† â€Å"Is it the same with your wife and, say, a harlot?† â€Å"What, fucking? No, it's not the same at all.† â€Å"It's moist,† I said. â€Å"Right?† â€Å"Well, yes, it's moist. But that's not – â€Å" I grabbed Joshua's tunic and started to drag him away. â€Å"There you have it. Let's go, Josh. Now you know, sin is moist. Make a mental note. Let's get some supper.† Titus was laughing. â€Å"You Jews and your sin. You know if you had more gods you wouldn't have to be so worried about making one angry?† â€Å"Right,† I said, â€Å"I'm going to take spiritual advice from a guy who fucks turtles.† â€Å"You shouldn't be so judgmental, Biff,† Joshua said. â€Å"You're not without sin yourself.† â€Å"Oh, you and your holier-than-thou attitude. You can just do your own sinning from now on if that's how you feel. You think I enjoy bedding harlots night after night, describing the whole process to you over and over?† â€Å"Well, yeah,† Joshua said. â€Å"That's not the point. The point is, well†¦the point is†¦well. Guilt. I mean – turtles. I mean – † So I was flustered. Sue me. I'd never look at a turtle again without imagining it being molested by a scruffy Phoenician sailor. That's not disturbing to you? Imagine it right now. I'll wait. See? â€Å"He's gone mad,† Titus said. â€Å"You shut up, you scurvy viper,† Joshua said. â€Å"What about not being judgmental?† Titus said. â€Å"That's him,† Josh said. â€Å"It's different for me.† And suddenly, having said that, Joshua looked as sad as I had ever seen him. He slouched away toward the pigpen, where he sat down and cradled his head in his hands as if he'd just been crowned with the weight of all the worries of mankind. He kept to himself until we left the ship. The Silk Road, the main vein of trade and custom and culture from the Roman world to the Far East, terminated where it met the sea at the port city of Selucia Pieria, the harbor city and naval stronghold that had fed and guarded Antioch since the time of Alexander. As we left the ship with the rest of the crew, Captain Titus stopped us at the gangplank. He held his hands, palm down. Joshua and I reached out and Titus dropped the coins we'd paid for passage into our palms. â€Å"I might have been holding a brace of scorpions, but you two reached out without a thought.† â€Å"It was a fair price to pay,† Joshua said. â€Å"You don't have to return our money.† â€Å"I almost drowned your friend. I'm sorry.† â€Å"You asked if he could swim before you threw him in. He had a chance.† I looked at Joshua's eyes to see if he was joking, but it was obvious he wasn't. â€Å"Still,† Titus said. â€Å"So perhaps you will be given a chance someday as well,† Joshua said. â€Å"A slim fucking chance,† I added. Titus grinned at me. â€Å"Follow the shore of the harbor until it becomes a river. That's the Onrontes. Follow its left bank and you'll be in Antioch by nightfall. In the market there will be an old woman who sells herbs and charms. I don't remember her name, but she has only one eye and she wears a tunic of Tyran purple. If there is a magician in Antioch she will know where to find him.† â€Å"How do you know this old woman?† I asked. â€Å"I buy my tiger penis powder from her.† Joshua looked at me for explanation. â€Å"What?† I said. â€Å"I've had a couple of harlots, I didn't exchange recipes.† Then I looked to Titus. â€Å"Should I have?† â€Å"It's for my knees,† the sailor said. â€Å"They hurt when it rains.† Joshua took my shoulder and started to lead me away. â€Å"Go with God, Titus,† he said. â€Å"Put in a good word with the black-winged one for me,† Titus said. Once we were into the wash of merchants and sailors around the harbor, I said, â€Å"He gave us the money back because the angel scared him, you know that?† â€Å"So his kindness allayed his fear as well as benefiting us,† Joshua said. â€Å"All the better. Do you think the priests sacrifice the lambs at Passover for better reasons?† â€Å"Oh, right,† I said, having no idea what one had to do with the other, wondering still if tigers didn't object to having their penises powdered. (Keeps them from chafing, I guess, but that's got to be a dangerous job.) â€Å"Let's go find this old crone,† I said. The shore of the Onrontes was a stream of life and color, textures and smells, from the harbor all the way into the marketplace at Antioch. There were people of every size and color that I had ever imagined, some shoeless and dressed in rags, others wearing expensive silks and the purple linen from Tyre, said to be dyed with the blood of a poisonous snail. There were ox carts, litters, and sedan chairs carried by as many as eight slaves. Roman soldiers on horseback and on foot policed the crowd, while sailors from a dozen nations reveled in drink and noise and the feel of land beneath their feet. Merchants and beggars and traders and whores scurried for the turn of a coin, while self-appointed prophets spouted dogma from atop the mooring posts where ships tied off along the river – holy men lined up and preaching like a line of noisy Greek columns. Smoke rose fragrant and blue over the streaming crowd, carrying the smell of spice and grease from braziers in the food booths whe re men and women hawked their fare in rhythmic, haunting songs that all ran together as you walked along – as if one passed his song to the next so you might never experience a second of silence. The only thing I had ever seen that approached this was the line of pilgrims leading into Jerusalem on the feast days, but there we never saw so much color, heard so much noise, felt so much excitement. We stopped at a stand and bought a hot black drink from a wrinkled old man wearing a tanned bird carcass as a hat. He showed us how he made the drink from the seeds of berries that were first roasted, then ground into powder, then mixed with boiling water. We got this whole story by way of pantomime, as the man spoke none of the languages we were familiar with. He mixed the drink with honey and gave it to us, but when I tasted it, it still didn't seem to taste right. It seemed, I don't know, too dark. I saw a woman leading a nanny goat nearby, and I took Joshua's cup from him and ran after the woman. With the woman's permission, I squirted a bit of milk from the nanny goat's udder onto the top of each of our cups. The old man protested, making it seem as if we'd committed some sort of sacrilege, but the milk had come out warm and frothy and it served to take away the bitterness of the black drink. Joshua downed his, then asked the old man for two more, as well as handing the woman wi th the goat a small brass coin for her trouble. Josh gave the second drink back to the old man to taste, and after much grimacing, he took a sip. A smile crossed his toothless mouth and before we left he seemed to be striking some sort of deal with the woman with the goat. I watched the old man grind beans in a copper cylinder while the woman milked her goat into a deep clay bowl. There was a spice vendor next door and I could smell the cinnamon, cloves, and allspice that lay loose in baskets on the ground. â€Å"You know,† I said to the woman in Latin, â€Å"when you two get this all figured out, try sprinkling a little ground cinnamon on it. It just might make it perfect.† â€Å"You're losing your friend,† she said. I turned and looked around, catching the top of Joshua's head just as he turned a corner into the Antioch market and a new push of people. I ran to catch up to him. Joshua was bumping people in the crowd as he passed, seemingly on purpose, and murmuring just loud enough so I could hear him each time he hit someone with a shoulder or an elbow. â€Å"Healed that guy. Healed her. Stopped her suffering. Healed him. Comforted him. Ooo, that guy was just stinky. Healed her. Whoops, missed. Healed. Healed. Comforted. Calmed.† People were turning to look back at Josh, the way one will when a stranger steps on one's foot, except these people all seemed to be either smiling or baffled, not annoyed as I expected. â€Å"What are you doing?† I asked. â€Å"Practicing,† Joshua said. â€Å"Whoa, bad toe-jam.† He spun on his heel, nearly turning his foot out of his sandal, and smacked a short bald man on the back of the head. â€Å"All better now.† The bald guy turned and looked back to see who had hit him. Josh was backing down the street. â€Å"How's your toe?† Joshua asked in Latin. â€Å"Good,† the bald guy said, and he smiled, sorta goofy and dreamy, like his toe had just sent him a message that all was right with the world. â€Å"Go with God, and – † Josh spun, jumped, came down with each hand on a stranger's shoulder and shouted, â€Å"Yes! Double healing! Go with God, friends, two times!† I was getting sort of uncomfortable. People had started to follow us through the crowd. Not a lot of people, but a few. Maybe five or six, each of them with that dreamy smile on his face. â€Å"Joshua, maybe you should, uh, calm down a little.† â€Å"Can you believe all of these people need healing? Healed him.† Josh leaned back and whispered in my ear. â€Å"That guy had the pox. He'll pee without pain for the first time in years. ‘Scuse me.† He turned back into the crowd. â€Å"Healed, healed, calmed, comforted.† â€Å"We're strangers here, Josh. You're attracting attention to us. This might not be safe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It's not like they're blind or missing limbs. We'll have to stop if we run into something serious. Healed! God bless you. Oh, you no speak Latin? Uh – Greek? Hebrew? No?† â€Å"He'll figure it out, Josh,† I said. â€Å"We should look for the old woman.† â€Å"Oh, right. Healed!† Josh slapped the pretty woman very hard in the face. Her husband, a large man in a leather tunic, didn't look pleased. He pulled a dagger from his belt and started to advance on Joshua. â€Å"Sorry, sir,† Joshua said, not backing up. â€Å"Couldn't be helped. Small demon, had to be banished from her. Sent it into that dog over there. Go with God. Thank you, thank you very much.† The woman grabbed her husband by the arm and swung him around. She still had Joshua's handprint on her face, but she was smiling. â€Å"I'm back!† she said to her husband. â€Å"I'm back.† She shook him and the anger seemed to drain out of him. He looked back at Joshua with an expression of such dismay that I thought he might faint. He dropped his knife and threw his arms around his wife. Joshua ran forward and threw his arms around them both. â€Å"Would you stop it please?† I pleaded. â€Å"But I love these people,† Josh said. â€Å"You do, don't you?† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"He was going to kill you.† â€Å"It happens. He just didn't understand. He does now.† â€Å"Glad he caught on. Let's find the old lady.† â€Å"Yes, then let's go back and get another one of those hot drinks,† Joshua said. We found the hag selling a bouquet of monkey feet to a fat trader dressed in striped silks and a wide conical hat woven from some sort of tough grass. â€Å"But these are all back feet,† the trader protested. â€Å"Same magic, better price,† said the hag, pulling back a shawl she wore over one side of her face to reveal a milky white eye. This was obviously her intimidation move. The trader wasn't having it. â€Å"It is a well-known fact that the front paw of a monkey is the best talisman for telling the future, but the back – â€Å" â€Å"You'd think the monkey would see something coming,† I said, and they both looked at me as if I'd just sneezed on their falafel. The old woman drew back as if to cast a spell, or maybe a rock, at me. â€Å"If that were true,† I continued, â€Å"I mean – about telling the future with a monkey paw – I mean – because he would have four of them – paws, that is – and, uh – never mind.† â€Å"How much are these?† said Joshua, holding up a handful of dried newts from the hag's baskets. The old woman turned to Josh. â€Å"You can't use that many,† the hag said. â€Å"I can't?† asked Joshua. â€Å"These are useless,† said the merchant, waving the hind legs and feet of two and a half former monkeys, which looked like tiny people feet, except that they were furry and the toes were longer. â€Å"If you're a monkey I'll bet they come in handy to keep your butt from dragging on the ground,† I said, ever the peacemaker. â€Å"Well, how many do I need?† Joshua asked, wondering how his diversion to save me had turned into a negotiation for newt crispies. â€Å"How many of your camels are constipated?† asked the crone. Joshua dropped the dried newts back into their basket. â€Å"Well, uh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Do those work?† asked the merchant. â€Å"For plugged-up camels, I mean.† â€Å"Never fails.† The merchant scratched his pointed beard with a monkey foot. â€Å"I'll meet your price on these worthless monkey feet if you throw in a handful of newts.† â€Å"Deal,† said the crone. The merchant opened a satchel he had slung around his shoulder and dropped in his monkey feet, then followed them with a handful of newts. â€Å"So how do these work? Make them into tea and have the camel drink it?† â€Å"Other end,† said the crone. â€Å"They go in whole. Count to one hundred and step back.† The merchant's eyes went wide, then narrowed into a squint and he turned to me. â€Å"Kid,† he said, â€Å"if you can count to a hundred, I've got a job for you.† â€Å"He'd love to work for you, sir,† Joshua said, â€Å"but we have to find Balthasar the magus.† The crone hissed and backed to the corner of her booth, covering all of her face but her milky eye. â€Å"How do you know of Balthasar?† She held her hands in front of her like claws and I could see her trembling. â€Å"Balthasar!† I shouted at her, and the old woman nearly jumped through the wall behind her. I snickered and was ready to Balthasar! her again when Josh interrupted. â€Å"Balthasar came from here to Bethlehem to witness my birth,† said Joshua. â€Å"I'm seeking his counsel. His wisdom.† â€Å"You would hail the darkness, you would consort with demons and fly with the evil Djinn like Balthasar? I won't have you near my booth, be gone from here.† She made the sign of the evil eye, which in her case was redundant. â€Å"No, no, no,† I said. â€Å"None of that. The magus left some, uh, frankincense at Joshua's house. We need to return it to him.† The old woman regarded me with her good eye. â€Å"You're lying.† â€Å"Yes, he is,† said Josh. â€Å"BALTHASAR!† I screamed in her face. It didn't have the same effect as the first time around and I was a little disappointed. â€Å"Stop that,† she said. Joshua reached out to take her craggy hand. â€Å"Grandmother,† he said, â€Å"our ship's captain, Titus Inventius, said you would know where to find Balthasar. Please help us.† The old woman seemed to relax, and just when I thought she was going to smile, she raked her nails across Joshua's hand and leapt back. â€Å"Titus Inventius is a scalawag,† she shouted. Joshua stared at the blood welling up in the scratches on the back of his hand and I thought for a second that he might faint. He never understood it when someone was violent or unkind. I'd probably be half a day explaining to him why the old woman scratched him, but right then I was furious. â€Å"You know what? You know what? You know what?† I was waving my finger under her nose. â€Å"You scratched the Son of God. That's your ass, that's what.† â€Å"The magus is gone from Antioch, and good riddance to him,† screeched the crone. The fat trader had been watching this the whole time without saying a word, but now he began laughing so hard that I could barely hear the old woman wheezing out curses. â€Å"So you want to find Balthasar, do you, God's Son?† Joshua came out of the stunned contemplation of his wounds and looked at the trader. â€Å"Yes, sir, do you know him?† â€Å"Who do you think the monkey's feet are for? Follow me.† He whirled on his heel and sauntered away without another word. As we followed the trader into an alley so narrow that his shoulders nearly touched the sides, I turned back to the old crone and shouted, â€Å"Your ass, hag! Mark my words.† She hissed and made the sign of the evil eye again. â€Å"She was a little creepy,† Joshua said, looking at the scratches on his hand again. â€Å"Don't be judgmental, Josh, you're not without creepiness yourself.† â€Å"Where do you think this guy is leading us?† â€Å"Probably somewhere where he can murder and kill us.† â€Å"Yeah, at least one of those.†