Comparison-Contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Comparison-Contrast - Essay Example Traditionally, husband serves as the bread-earner for the family while the wife manages the household. In the contemporary age, both may be working partners and yet fulfill their respective responsibilities with respect to home. Cohabitation, on the other hand, does not associate any responsibility to any partner because it has no religious or social significance. Just like an individual is not lawfully responsible for a stranger’s needs in the society, a partner living with another does not have to earn for him/her. Marriage is a much more stable relationship as compared to cohabitation. This is because in marriage, the contract between the two partners is publicly announced and the two have to respect religious teachings regarding marriage. Therefore, married people think a million times before proceeding towards a divorce. Cohabitation is not made with any announcement and most religions deny the followers right to make love in a relationship without marriage. So the cohabiting partners do not really have any solid reason to be together and they may part ways any time. From a religious perspective, marriage is a noble thing to do while cohabitation is an evil thing to do. When marital partners make love, there is no accountability in the religion for their act. Instead, the religion appreciates their intimacy and promotion of love. On the other hand, when two cohabiting people make love, they practice adultery and commit a heinous sin. They invite God’s wrath and will be held accountable for their act in the world hereafter. Children born to married parents are happier and more contented psychologically as compared to children born to cohabiting parents. Children of married parents can confidently introduce themselves to the society and associate openly with their parents. They derive their confidence from the fact that their parents are living together in a marital contract that is not only lawfully approved but is also

The Right to Privacy and Personal Life Research Proposal

The Right to Privacy and Personal Life - Research Proposal Example Their main guiding principle is the aspect of confidentiality with customer data. Indeed, there is need to inculcate public trust in order to get more customers. Data recovery business is a very sensitive one which deals with handling customer information hence there is need to maintain a good reputation in order to remain in business. One of the guiding principles of this data recovery company is the aspect of confidentiality and this company is working as a private entity, not a jury or ought to perform other undercover investigations which is vital for the sake of earning public trust. Except in cases where someone is planning criminal actions such as murder, the company should not easily divulge any other personal information which in most cases is private that would have been retrieved from customers’ computers. In the given case, a technician comes across what seems to be a sensitive murder case. However, he should basically take into consideration the fact that their company is guided by principles which seek to ensure public trust. On the other hand, there is need to safeguard the interests of the public such as safety against criminal activities. The only problem emanating from this case study is that the alleged evidence of murder found in the study may not be abundant enough to lay a case against a client given that it may be fictional writing. After all, this company is not out to probe or do investigative work but only to recover data for the clients. 2. Roughly translated, an organization's ethics come down to the standards that are followed in a relationship with others. This basically is the real integrity of the organization. Mills’ principle cited in Fraser Seitel (1995) states that â€Å"ethical considerations always seek the greatest happiness for the greatest number.† The operations of any given organization should be within the generally accepted standards in a society of which they operate from. The aspect of privacy is also one very important component of the concept of ethics.

Isolation of Sarracenin from Root Barks of Strychnos Spinosa

Isolation of Sarracenin from Root Barks of Strychnos Spinosa On isolation of Sarracenin from Root barks of Strychnos spinosa and its Antimicrobial Properties. A known iridoid, Sarracenin, was isolated from the root bark of Strychnos spinosa. Its structure was elucidated by 1D and 2D-NMR experiments, and comparison with reported data. This is the first time it has been isolated from this species. The compound showed significant antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Shigella dysenteriae, Klebsiella pneumonia, Candida albicans Candida tropicalis, Candida thrusei, and Candida stellatoidea, respectively. The genus Strychnos (Loganiaceae), consist of about 75 accepted species found throughout the tropics and subtropical Africa [1]. Strychnos spinosa is commonly known as Kaffir orange, Spiny monkey orange or Natal orange. It is utilized variously in African traditional medicine for ailments such as dropsy, earache, snakebite, fever, elephantiasis, fever epilepsy and rheumatism [2]. The isolation and structural elucidation of the iridoid sarracenin from the root bark of this plant and its antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Shigella dysenteriae, Klebsiella pneumonia, Candida albicans Candida tropicalis, Candida thrusei, and Candida stellatoidea, respectively, is hereby reported. Results and Discussion. The compound was obtained as fine, transparent, needle shaped crystals. It was determined as Sarracenin using 1D and 2D-NMR experiments, and comparison with reported data [3, 4, 5]. Some revisions to reported chemical shift assignments [3, 4] based on our DEPTq135, H, H-COSY, HMBC, HSQC and NOESY data are suggested. Table 1.1HNMR Data of Sarracenin in CDCl3 (ÃŽ ´ in ppm, J in Hz) based on fig. 1A DEPT spectra: DEPTq 135 spectrum gave the proton chemical shifts 166.77 (quaternary or methylene), 150.08 (methine or methyl), 112.32 (quaternary or methylene), 91.68 (methine or methyl), 88.13 (methine or methyl), 68.99 (methine or methyl), 51.42 (methine or methyl), 35.06 (quaternary or methylene), 32.26 (methine or methyl), 22.06 (methine or methyl), 18.70 (methine or methyl). The conclusion by Miles et al, [3] that signals at 35.1 and 22.1 are due to methine (C-5) and methylene (C-6), respectively, does not agree with our results; otherwise, we agree with their 13 C conclusions. Similarly, Wang et al, [4] report of chemical shifts at 91.7 as quaternary, 112.3 as methine, 18.7 as quaternary and 166.8 as methyl (Table 2.) is at variance with their justifications on HMQC and HMBC data. In addition, Wang et al, [4] reports 1HNMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) ÃŽ ´ 5.78 (d, J = 1.6 Hz), 1.34 (d, J = 6.5Hz, 3 H) as signals for protons at C-1 and C- 10, respectively; no protons are located at those positions (Figure 1A). It would seem a different numbering scheme was used, however, two different numberings were considered (Figures 1A 1B) neither agreed completely with Wang et al, [4]. Those assignments would appear to have distorted conclusions on 1H, 1H-COSY, HMBC and HMQC data (Tables 1 2). 1HNMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) ÃŽ ´ 7.46 (s, 1H), 5.79 (t, J = 1.9 Hz, 1H), 4.99 (dd, J = 3.5, 0.8 Hz, 1H), 4.22 (q, J = 6.5 Hz, 1H), 2.98 (ddt, J = 10.7, 4.0, 1.9 Hz, 1H), 2.44 – 2.31 (m, 1H), 1.68 (dddd, J = 10.0, 5.3, 2.9, 1.0 Hz, 2H), 1.35 (d, J = 6.5 Hz, 3H). Table 2.13C-NMR Data of Sarracenin in CDCl3 (ÃŽ ´ in ppm) based on fig. 1A Key * = Major areas with observed variation. It was noted that the compound contained 11 signals using13C-NMR and DEPT spectra, including two Me, one CH2, six CH, and two quaternary carbons. Analysis of overall NMR spectroscopic data revealed the signals at 1 2 E Figure 1A. Numbering of Sarracenin as by Miles et al, [3] and present work, B: Numbering as on www.chemspider.com[6] C: Important HMBC correlations, D: Important NOESY correlations, E: Important 1H-1HCOSY correlations. 1HNMR (400 MHz, CDCl3, TMS)ÃŽ ´7.46 (s, 1 H), 5.79 (t, J = 1.9, 1 H), 4.99 (dd, J = 3.5, 0.8, 1 H), 4.22 (q, J = 6.5, 1 H), 3.76 (s, 3 H), 2.98 (ddt, J = 10.7, 4.0, 1.9, 1 H), 2.37, 1.68 (m, dddd, J = 10.0, 5.3, 2.9, 1.0, 2 H), 1.35 (d, J = 6.5, 3 H); 13CNMR and DEPT (100 MHz, CDCl3, TMS) 166.77 (ester C=O), 150.08 (olefinicCH), 112.32 (olefinic quaternary carbon), 91.68 (CH), 88.13 (CH), 68.99 (CH), 51.42 (ester OCH3), 35.06 (methylene), 32.26 (CH), 22.06 (allylic CH), 18.70 (CH3) Antimicrobial activity The antimicrobial activities of sarracenin were assayed against some pathogenic microbes obtained from the Department of Medical Microbiology A.B.U. Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria. The compound showed significant antibacterial and antifungal activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Shigella dysenteriae, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Klebsiella pnuemoniae, Candida tropicalis and Candida stellatoidea (Table 3.). This points sarracenin out as a major medicinal principle of Strychnos spinosa and lends justification to its use in traditional medicine. Experimental Collection of Plant Material The root bark of Strychnos spinosa was collected from Katsina-Ala, Benue State, Nigeria, in August, 2013. The bark was air-dried and their size reduced with the aid of a wooden mortar and pestle. Extraction and Isolation The ground material (750 g) was macerated for 72 hours using 500 mL each of hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol. Preliminary antimicrobial screening revealed the ethyl acetate extract to be most active against test microbes. Thus the ethyl acetate extract (10 g) was separated by Vacuum liquid chromatography. A very gentle gradient elution was used from hexane through to ethyl acetate. Thirty fractions (25 ml each) were collected and allowed to evaporate to approximately half their initial volumes. Fine needles were observed in fractions 20-25. These were monitored by TLC on ethyl acetate- methanol (1:1) solvent system and plates visualized using iodine vapour. The combined needles (221 mg) were further purified using SephadexLH20 with methanol-ethyl acetate ratio (1:1) as solvent. 1HNMR, 13CNMR and 2DNMR experiments were carried out on the purified compound using 30 mg. Its melting point was 123 – 1240C determined using Electro thermal IA 9300 (Gallenkhamp capillary melting point apparatus with a thermometer). Antimicrobial Assay The compound (0.01 mg) was weighed and dissolved in DMSO (10 mL) to obtain a concentration of 10 Â µg/mL (This would subsequently be used to determine the antimicrobial activities of the plant). Mueller Hinton and Sabouraud dextrose agar were used as growth media for the microbes. All the media were prepared according to the manufacturer’s instructions, sterilized at 121 oC for 15 min and were poured into sterile petri dishes, allowed to cool and solidify. Disc diffusion method was used to screen the initial crude extracts. Sterilized media were seeded with a standard inoculum (0.1 ml) of test microbe, Mueller Hinton for the bacteria and SDA for the fungi. The inoculum was spread evenly over the surface of the media using a sterile swab. A well (6 mm) was cut at the center of the inoculated medium using a standard cork-borer (6 mm diameter). Solution of the extract (0.1 mL) was introduced into each well of the inoculated medium. The inoculated media were incubated at 37 oC fo r 24 hours for bacteria and at 30 oC for 7 days for the fungi, after which plates were observed for zones of inhibition of growth. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration of the compound was determined using the broth dilution method. Minimum bactericidal concentration and minimum fungicidal concentration (MBC and MFC) were also carried out to determine whether the test microbes were killed or only inhibited. Ciprofloxacin, Fulcin and Fluconazole were used as positive controls. Table 3. Antimicrobial Activity of sarracenin Key: S = Sensitive, R = Resistant, = (No turbidity) No colony growth, Ã ° = MIC or MBC or MFC, + = (Turbid) Scanty colony growth, ++ = Moderate colony growth, +++ = Heavy colony growth References Sitrit, Y., Loison, S., Ninio R, et al. (October 2003). Characterization of monkey orange (Strychnos spinosa Lam.), a potential new crop for arid regions. J. Agric. Food Chem. 51 (21): 6256–60. De, B.B. and Bisset, N.G. (1988). Alkaloids from the leaves of strychnos wallichiana steudelEx. A. DC. Indian Drugs 26 (2): 90-91. Miles, H. D.,Kokpol, U., Bhattacharyya, J.,Atwood, J. L.,Stone, K. E.,Bryson, T. A. and Wilson, C. (1976). Structure of Sarracenin. An Unusual EnolDiacetalMonoterpene from the Insectivorous Plant Sarracenia Java.J. Am. Chem. Soc. (6) 1570 Wang, Y., Wei, Q., Yang, L., and Liu, Z. (2003). Iridoid Glucosides from Chinese Herb Lonicerachrysathaand their antitumor activity. J. Chem. Research (S) 676-677 Yang, X., Li, E., Zhang, Q., Yuan, C., and Jia, Z. (2006). Five New Iridoids from Patrinarupestris. Helv. Chim. Acta. (3) 762-770 http://www.chemspider.com

State Laws :: essays research papers

Most legal disputes involving state law are initially decided in the trial courts or by an administrative agency. But after such a decision, an individual may turn to the state’s appeal courts if he or she believes a legal error occurred that harmed the case. In fact, thousands of cases are appealed every year.(1) They include criminal convictions as well as civil cases involving personal injury, contracts, employment, real estate, probate, divorce, child custody and many other issues. Whenever an appellate court reverses a trial court decision, it almost always allows that court to rehear the case using the correct law and procedures. In the vast majority of cases, the decision of a Court of Appeal is final. The state Supreme Court does not review the vast majority of cases – it steps in to resolve new or disputed questions of law as well, as to review death penalty cases. Death penalty cases proceed directly to the Supreme Court, bypassing the lower Court of Appeal. The appellate courts of California consist of the Supreme Court and the Courts of Appeal. The judges who serve on these courts are called appellate justices. There are seven justices on the Supreme Court and 93 justices on the Courts of Appeal. The Courts of Appeal are divided into six geographical districts and hear cases arising within the district. Proceedings in appellate courts are very different from those in trial courts. In trial courts a judge or jury hears the testimony of witnesses and reviews physical evidence, exhibits and documents before deciding a case. Appellate courts do not decide an appeal by taking new evidence or reassessing the credibility of the witnesses who testified in the trial court. Instead, they review the written record to determine if the trial court properly interpreted the law and used the correct procedures when considering the case. The opposing parties submit written documents, called briefs, to assert their position. The parties also participate in oral arguments before the appeal court justices. To ensure that the cases are examined from several perspectives and receive a thorough analysis, each Court of Appeal case is decided by three appeal court justices. All seven justices decide the Supreme Court cases. In both cases, a majority of justices must agree on a decision. All justices are bound to apply the law whether they agree with that law or personally disagree with it.

Nelson Mandela’s Speech “I Am Prepared to Die” Essay

In 1962-1964, Nelson Mandela was charged for opposing the white government of South Africa, high treason, sabotage, and the conspiracy to overthrow the government. In his defense, Mandela gave a speech titled â€Å"I am Prepared to Die† at his trial. This speech is powerful and full of literary devices. In parts of this potent speech he utilizes facts, statistics, and allusions as a tool to his defense. In the beginnings of his speech he uses an anecdote, which is a short interesting story about a real incident or person. Here Mandela states that as young boy in Transkei he listened to the elders of his tribe telling stories of how it used to be, and of wars their ancestors fought against the fatherland, and names such as Dingane, Bambata, Hinsta, and Makana were praised all over the African nation. He uses this to elucidate that he hoped to help his people and make a difference in their freedom. As of the factual parts he states within them, that he admits he was one of the people who helped to form Umkhonto we Sizwe until he was arrested in August 1962, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts and practiced as an attorney in Johannesburg, a convicted prisoner serving five years, and saying that more than 85,000 people defied the apartheid laws and went to jail. With more facts throughout the speech, it gave Mandela more of a reasoning to not be convicted. As of the statistical portions of this speech he stated that more than 85,000 people were arrested for defying the apartheid laws, adaging that 70 percent of South Africa were not entitled to vote, also stating that sixty-nine unarmed Africans died at Sharpeville. These statistics gave Mandela more edge to his defense and supported him. Though Mandela’s speech was intense it wasn’t enough to find him innocent. He was sentenced to life, which he was released at 71 years of age, on February 11, 1990. Yet I still find that this speech was powerful. The literary devices gave him edge and his evidence was correct.

A Brief Analysis of Subprime Crisis

A Brief Analysis of Subprime Crisis Introduction The US subprime mortgage crisis was one of the first indicators of the late-2000s financial crisis, characterized by a rise in subprime mortgage holes and foreclosures, and the resulting decline of securities backing mortgages. Approximately 80% of U. S. mortgages issued to subprime borrowers were adjustable-rate mortgages. After U. S. house sales prices peaked in mid-2006 and began their steep decline forthwith, refinancing became more difficult.As adjustable-rate mortgages began to reset at higher interest rates, mortgage crisis soared. Securities backed with mortgages, including subprime mortgages, widely held by financial firms, lost most of their value. Global investors also drastically reduced purchases of mortgage-backed debt and other securities as part of a decline in the capacity and willingness of the private financial system to support lending. Concerns about the safety of U. S. credit and financial markets led to tightenin g credit around the world and slowing economic growth in the U.S. and Europe. 1. Background—mortgage market The immediate reason or trigger of the crisis was the bursting of the United States housing bubble which peaked in approximately 2005–2006. High default rates on â€Å"subprime† and adjustable-rate mortgages , began to increase quickly thereafter. An increase in loan incentives, such as simple initial conditions and long-term trend of rising housing prices encouraged borrowers to increase the commitment that they will be able to quickly re-financing more favorable conditions for mortgage difficulties.Additionally, the economic incentives provided to the originators of subprime mortgages, along with outright fraud, increased the number of subprime mortgages provided to consumers who would have otherwise qualified for conforming loans. However, once interest rates began to rise and housing prices started to drop moderately in 2006–2007 in many parts o f the U. S. , refinancing became more difficult. Defaults and foreclosure activity increased dramatically as easy initial terms expired, home prices failed to rise as expected, and adjustable-rate mortgage interest rates reset higher.Falling prices also resulted in 23% of U. S. homes worth less than the mortgage loan by September 2010, providing a financial incentive for borrowers to enter foreclosure. The ongoing foreclosure epidemic, which part of subprime loans, that began in late 2006 in the U. S. continues to be a key factor in the global economic crisis, because it drains wealth from consumers and erodes the financial strength of banking institutions. In the years leading up to the crisis, significant amounts of foreign money flowed into the U. S. from fast-growing economies in Asia and oil-producing countries.This inflow of funds combined with low U. S. interest rates from 2002-2004 contributed to easy credit conditions, which fueled both housing and credit bubbles. Loans of various types (e. g. , mortgage, credit card, and auto) were easy to obtain and consumers assumed an unprecedented debt load. As parts of the housing and credit booms, the amount of financial agreements called mortgage-backed securities, which derive their value from mortgage payments and housing prices, greatly increased. This financial innovation so that institutions and investors around the world to invest in the U.S. housing market. With falling house prices, is to use the world’s leading investment mortgage-backed securities severe financial institutions to report significant losses. Defaults and losses on other loan types also increased significantly as the crisis expanded from the housing market to other parts of the economy. Total losses are estimated in the trillions of U. S. dollars globally. While the housing and credit bubbles were growing, a series of factors caused the financial system to become increasingly fragile.Policymakers did not recognize the increasingl y important role played by financial institutions such as investment banks. Some experts believe these institutions had become as important as commercial banks in providing credit to the U. S. economy, but they were not subject to the same regulations. These institutions and some regulated banks was also a significant debt burden, while providing the loans, there are not enough financial cushion absorb large amounts of loan default or mortgage-backed securities losses. These losses impacted the ability of financial institutions to lend, slowing economic activity.Concerns regarding the stability of key financial institutions drove central banks to take action to provide funds to encourage lending and to restore faith in the commercial paper markets, which are integral to funding business operations. Governments also bailed out key financial institutions, assuming significant additional financial commitments. The risks to the broader economy created by the housing market downturn and subsequent financial market crisis were primary factors in several decisions by central banks around the world to cut interest rates and governments to implement economic stimulus packages.Effects on global stock markets due to the crisis have been dramatic. Between 1 January and 11 October 2008, owners of stocks in U. S. corporations had suffered about $8 trillion in losses, as their holdings declined in value from $20 trillion to $12 trillion. Losses in other countries have averaged about 40%. The value of the stock market and housing losses further down the local consumer spending, an important economic engine downward pressure. The larger developed countries and emerging nations in November 2008 and March 2009 met with state leaders to develop strategies to resolve the crisis.A variety of solutions have been proposed by government officials, central bankers, economists, and business executives. 2. Causes The crisis can be attributed to a number of factors pervasive in both housi ng and credit markets, factors which emerged over a number of years. 2. 1 Boom and bust in the housing market The housing bubble in the United States grew alongside the stock of the late1990s. High stock wealth induced families to spend more of their new disposable income and save much less. This â€Å"consumption boom† was largely focused on housing.The increase in damand for housing had multiple effects. First, the value of houing increased, which in turn increased demand of housing and jump-started the bubble. Second, the supply of housing decreased and more housing had to be built to meet the rising demand. The rising housing prices created an expectation that housing values would continue to rise, leading home buyers to pay more for housing than the housing was actually worth. This self-fulfilling cycle continued until the median price of housing outgrew median incomes, peaking in about 2005.When the growth became unsustainable in 2006, the housing bubble â€Å"burstâ⠂¬ . Before the rapid rise, followed by a sharp fall in housing prices, which will greatly exceed the mortgage debt, the translation of the value of the property. 2. 2 High-risk mortgage loans In the years before the crisis, the behavior of lenders changed dramatically. Lenders offered more and more loans to higher-risk borrowers, including undocumented immigrants. Subprime mortgages amounted to $35 billion in 1994, 9% in 1996, $160 billion in 1999, and $600 billion in 2006.A study by the Federal Reserve found that the average difference between subprime and prime mortgage interest rates declined significantly between 2001 and 2007. Decline in risk premiums and credit standards are common to the combination of the credit boom and bust cycles. In addition to considering higher-risk borrowers, lenders have offered increasingly risky loan options and borrowing incentives. In 2005, the median down payment for first-time home buyers was 2%, with 43% of those buyers making no down paymen t whatsoever. By comparison, China has down payment requirements that exceed 20%, with higher amounts for non-primary residences.The mortgage qualification guidelines began to change. At first, the stated income, verified assets loans came out. Proof of income was no longer needed. Borrowers just needed to â€Å"state† it and show that they had money in the bank. Then, the no income, verified assets loans came out. The lender no longer required proof of employment. Borrowers just needed to show proof of money in their bank accounts. The qualification guidelines kept getting looser in order to produce more mortgages and more securities. This led to the creation of NINA. NINA is an abbreviation of No Income No Assets.Basically, NINA loans are official loan products and let you borrow money without having to prove or even state any owned assets. All that was required for a mortgage was a credit score. 2. 3 Mortgage fraud In 2004, the Federal Bureau of Investigation warned of an â€Å"epidemic† in mortgage fraud, an important credit risk of nonprime mortgage lending, they said, could lead to â€Å"a problem that could have as much impact as the S&L crisis†. The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission reported in January 2011, that: â€Å"†¦ mortgage fraud†¦ flourished in an environment of collapsing lending standards and lax regulation.The number of suspicious activity reports—reports of possible financial crimes filed by depository banks and their affiliates—related to mortgage fraud grew 20-fold between 1996 and 2005 and then more than doubled again between 2005 and 2009. One study places the losses resulting from fraud on mortgage loans made between 2005 and 2007 at $112 billion. Lenders made loans that they knew borrowers could not afford and that could cause massive losses to investors in mortgage securities. † New York State prosecutors are examining whether eight banks hoodwinked credit ratings agencies, to in flate the grades of subprime-linked investments.The Securities and Exchange Commission, the Justice Department, the United States attorney’s office and more are examining how banks created, rated, sold and traded mortgage securities that turned out to be some of the worst investments ever devised. In 2010, virtually all of the investigations, criminal as well as civil, are in their early stages. 2. 4 Credit default swaps Credit default swaps are financial instruments used as a hedge and protection for debtholders, in particular MBS investors, from the risk of default.As the net worth of banks and other financial institutions deteriorated because of losses related to subprime mortgages, the likelihood increased that those providing the protection would have to pay their counterparties. This caused the system uncertainty, investors did not know which company would be required to pay to cover the mortgage defaults. When investment bank Lehman Brothers went bankrupt in September 2008, there was much uncertainty as to which financial firms would be required to honor the Credit default swaps contracts on its $600 billion of bonds outstanding.Merrill Lynch’s large losses in 2008 were attributed in part to the drop in value of its unhedged portfolio of collateralized debt obligations after AIG ceased offering Credit default swaps on Merrill’s collateralized debt obligations. The loss of confidence of trading partners in Merrill Lynch’s solvency and its ability to refinance its short-term debt led to its acquisition by the Bank of America. 2. 5 Boom and collapse of the shadow banking system The securitization markets supported by the shadow banking system started to close down in the spring of 2007 and nearly shut-down in the fall of 2008.More than a third of the private credit markets can not be uesd as a source of funds. According to the Brookings Institution, the traditional banking system does not have the capital to close this gap as of June 2009: â€Å"It would take a number of years of strong profits to generate sufficient capital to support that additional lending volume. † The authors also indicate that some forms of securitization are â€Å"likely to vanish forever, having been an artifact of excessively loose credit conditions. † 3. Impacts 3. 1 Impact on the USThe credit market is likely to respond with tighter lending standards, fewer warehouse subprime mortgage lines, fewer subprime lenders, and greater self-regulation and reformation, most of which will be driven by the securitization market to the extent that it still exists. There may be an urge to proactively modify loans that would likely result in default. The increased pressure from the government and consumer groups, combined with new subprime lending standards, will decrease lenders’ willingness to lend to nonprime borrowers and investors’ willingness to participate in subprime loan securitization.The result has been a nd will continue to be a â€Å"credit crunch† for subprime borrowers. The result will decrease availability of subprime lending, which in turn, will decrease homeownership among low-income or minority borrowers. When the housing bubble began to deflate in 2006, borrowers saw a sharp reduction in the value of their homes, and found themselves in a position of â€Å"negative equity†, or a mortgage debt that far exceeded the value of the mortgaged home. Because homeownership is the single most important source of wealth, this meant many Americans experienced a dramatic loss in personal wealth.The decline in home prices has cost American homeowners more than 4 trillion dollars in wealth, and as previously noted, has cost African Americans alone between $71 and $122 billion. The decrease in home values not only caused homeowners, but also communities, to lose wealth. As a result of foreclosure, surrounding house values have declined. Neighbors matter when it comes to puttin g a value on homes. Appraisers use comparable sales data to calculate the value of a home, which lenders require for selling and refinancing.Comparable sales in the community to reduce problems of all foreclosure houses, where in a position to sell the owner is not a pleasant option value. In addition, the borrower becomes unable to refinance at lower interest rates, this will cause even more foreclosures. 3. 2 Impact on the Chinese economy The US credit crunch has played out in the Chinese housing market. The house price movements in China, the US and the UK have moved synchronically, with the Chinese market lagging a bit behind the two developed countries.The market condition of China at the start of 2008 was similar to the US market during the first half of 2007, when the house prices began to drop. House prices in China increased sharply and even doubled during 2006-2008 in some fast developed cities. The Chinese National Development and Reform Commission showed that the House P rice Index of 70 Large- and Medium-sized Cities in China rose 6. 5% in 2008, 1. 1% lower than the previous year. Meanwhile, the interest rate adjustment is widely used as a monetary instrument by most central banks to manage their national economies.From January 2001 to 2003, the US Federal Reserve cut the interest rate from 6. 5% to 1% to boost the economy . Cheap credit overheated the US housing market quickly. Consequently, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates to cool the market. This U-turn in interest rate policy was the catalyst for the crash in the housing market that accelerated from 2006 onwards. 4. Regulatory proposals and long-term solutions President Barack Obama and key advisers introduced a series of regulatory proposals in June 2009.The proposals address consumer protection, executive pay, bank financial cushions or capital requirements, expanded regulation of the shadow banking system and derivatives, and enhanced authority for the Federal Reserve to safely wind -down systemically important institutions, among others. The Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was signed into law in July 2010 to address some of the causes of the crisis. 4. 1 State and Local Action Increasingly, state and local governments have taken action responding to the foreclosure crisis through a combination of municipal litigation and anti-predatory lending bills.Baltimore and Cleveland initiated public nuisance suits against prominent lenders last year for targeting their communities through predatory lending. These cases may have an important role in providing meaningful, timely relief for a large number of homeowners who are in default or on the verge of default. In addition, over 25 states have initiated anti-predatory lending legislation triggered by North Carolina’s successful legislation enacted in 1999 and 2000. However, state legislation is limited due to federal anti-predatory lending statutes preempting state action.The Bal timore complaint, in particular, stresses the racialized impact of predatory lending. Two-thirds of the foreclosures associated with Wells Fargo lending were in census tracts with over 60% African American populations, while less than 16% were in tracts with less than 20% African American residents. 4. 2 Federal Legislative Actions Over the last year, Congress has introduced a variety of proposals designed to address the crisis, from increased funding for housing counseling and consumer education to empowering bankruptcy judges to unilaterally change the terms of existing mortgages to bail-out distressed borrowers.Federal and state regulators are following suit with guidance and restrictions on some prime lending. There has been an increase in litigation related to the subprime lending market based on discriminatory predatory lending, an increased call for â€Å"suitability standards† in mortgage lending, and more non-consumer law suits, such as investors suing issuers, lende rs suing brokers, and investors suing lenders. This comprehensive legislation includes the Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act, The Hope for Homeowners Act, and the Foreclosure Prevention Act.The Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act provides regulation for government sponsored entities such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Banks. This regulator will have the authority to establish capital standards, prudential management standards; enforce its order through cease and desist authority, civil money penalties and the authority to remove officers and directors; restrict asset growth and capital distributions for undercapitalized institutions; put a regulated entity into receivership; and review and approve new product offerings of the enterprises.Conclusion This subprime mortgage crisis demonstrated a lesson for the world. Every financial institution and company learned an expensive lessen from it. Every country learned what they should do and w hat they should avoid in the future. Moreover, each individual also learned the norm, the ethics, and the responsibilities that they need to follow and take in business practice. One important thing to remember is to not be too obsessed and greedy about anything.

Anxiety in Individual Sports

Anxiety in Individual Sports Free Online Research Papers Anxiety is a reaction that is measured using various scales through the observation of cognitive and physiological symptoms that become evident in reaction to a stimulus. In relation to sports, anxiety is often associated with an upcoming performance. Anxiety could also be enhanced by the intense competition offered by sports. Anxiety in connection with sports is a good topic for research since could affect a persons athletic performance either positively or negatively (Mellalieu, Hanton OBrien, 2004). Many researchers on different levels have studied the relationship between sports activities and various health benefits. In particular, sports activities are known to have positive effect on psychological aspects of a persons life. In some studies, it has been shown that sports activities could actually improve the psychological disposition of persons with severe illnesses, such as people with spinal cord injury. Sports have been found to result in better mental health profile, especially if combined with various external factors, such as age, occupation, and marital status (Gioia, Cerasa, Di Lucente, Brunelli, Castellano Traballesi, 2006). The relationship between anxiety and sports is very complex, as it involves the specific and unique anxiety responses of each person and the effect of the differing sport types on the relationship. For example, the anxiety responses elicited by individual sports would differ from those elicited by contact sports. Individual and contact sports likewise cause different experiences of anxiety due to the different task demands of the sports (Mellalieu, Hanton OBrien, 2004). This paper shall analyze, mainly through a review of existing literature, the relationship and causal connections between anxiety and sports in general, and individual sports in particular. It is hoped that analysis of existing literature on the matter would yield positive findings and recommendations, particularly in the management of anxiety, betterment of performance, and improvement of psychological balance among people of different age groups. II. Statement of the Problem It is widely accepted that participation in sports activities is equivalent to exercise and physical activities. Therefore, it is relevant and healthy for the physical body of humans. The position that sports activities help in the psychological aspect of a person is also supported by literature on the subject. However, such position is very general. There is a need to narrow down the conclusions regarding the relationship between sports and anxiety. This paper would look into the means by which engagement in sports reduces anxiety in people, as well as the effect of differences in kinds of sports on such beneficial effect on anxiety levels. III. Annotated Bibliography Chambers, S. T. (1991). Factors Affecting Elementary School Students Participation in Sports. The Elementary School Journal 91(5 Special Issue: Sports and Physical Education), 413-419. This article consists of a review of empirical data from research that shows the factors that affect the interest and participation of elementary school children in sports. This article shows, in a simple manner of explaining, how engagement and participation in sports could beneficially affect persons through reduction of anxiety levels. This article cites a study conducted in 1978 by Sapp and Haubenstricker, which concluded that the main reason that elementary school children participate in sports is because they want to have fun. Fun, in turn, has positive effects, such as increasing motivation in children and reducing their anxiety, stress and attrition. Conversely, lack of fun could cause anxiety and stress among such young children. indeed, it was found that children who had the most fun in school sports experienced less anxiety after their games (Chambers, 1991). This article is important in reiterating the importance of having fun in sports, which is a significant factor in reducing human anxiety. Flett, G. L. Hewitt, P. L. (2005). The Perils of Perfectionism in Sports and Exercise. American Psychological Society 14(1), 14-18. The article of Flett and Hewitt (2005) introduces the concept of perfectionism in sports and explains how this construct affects attitudes in sports. The authors explain that perfectionism is a construct that is multidimensional (Flett Hewitt, 2005). Since this construct is supposed to be multidimensional, different authors put forward their own list of constructs that they deem to be important. For example, the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale formulated by Hewitt and Flett in 1991 proposes three dimensions of the perfectionism construct, namely, â€Å"self-oriented perfectionism†, â€Å"other-oriented perfectionism†, and â€Å"socially prescribed perfectionism† (Flett Hewitt, 2005). â€Å"Self-oriented perfectionism† refers to a person’s attitude of demanding perfection from himself and striving too hard to attain such absolute perfection. â€Å"Other-oriented perfectionism,† on the other hand, refers to a person’s tendency to demand perfection from people other than himself. Finally, â€Å"socially prescribed perfectionism† refers to one’s perception or belief that society or other people are demanding perfection from him (Flett Hewitt, 2005). Aside from Flett and Hewitt (2005), the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale by Frost et al. in 1990 puts forward six dimensions of perfectionism, namely, â€Å"personal standards, organization (i.e., needing to maintain a sense of order), concern over mistakes, doubts about actions, parental expectations, and parental criticism† (Flett Hewitt, 2005). In their article, Flett and Hewitt (2005) analyzed the effect of perfectionism to people, particularly focusing on deciding whether perfectionism leads to either adaptiveness or maladaptiveness. This goal is aimed through an analysis of research findings on perfectionism and its relationship with exercise and sports (Flett Hewitt, 2005). Flett and Hewitt (2005) are of the opinion that while perfectionism may be important for the attainment of success in some sports, particularly those where â€Å"an error-free performance† is mandatory, perfectionism nevertheless leads to â€Å"self-defeating outcomes and unhealthy patterns of behavior† among athletes. This is the result of the extreme personality of people who strive too hard for perfection in their sports performance (Flett Hewitt, 2005). From the 1990s, there have already been studies that address questions involving the relationship of perfectionism and sports. Frost and Henderson (1991) conducted a study among women in varsity teams that assessed the self-confidence, reactions, and competition anxiety of the participants. This study led to the conclusion that perfectionism causes athletes o be overly concerned about their mistakes, which in turn cause negative and adverse outcomes on sports performance and attitudes. These include â€Å"anxiety, low confidence, a failure orientation, and negative reactions to mistakes during competition† (Flett Hewitt, 2005). Flett and Hewitt (2005) also discussed the study conducted by Hall, Kerr, and Matthews in 1998, which showed the association of perfectionism with anxiety in sports. That study, which involved more than one hundred athletes in high school, yielded the conclusion that perfectionist athletes are very concerned over their mistakes. Such concern thereafter leads to various manifestations of psychological distress, such as depression and anxiety. Perfectionism is also associated with â€Å"pervasive ego orientation†, which causes athletes to doubt their abilities (Flett Hewitt, 2005). Gioia, M. C., Cerasa, A., Di Lucente, L., Brunelli, S., Castellano, V. Traballesi, M. (2006). Psychological impact of sports activity in spinal cord injury. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine Science in Sports 16, 412-416. In this article, Gioia, Cerasa, Lucente, Brunelli, Castellano and Traballesi (2006) analyzed the relationship between sports and various psychological profiles, especially among patients with injury in the spinal cord. They focused on this subject population because they are the ones susceptible to drastic life changes as a result of the injury. Members of this population are characterized by psychological problems such as depression and anxiety. The authors therefore sought to discover the role that sports activity could play in improving their psychological conditions (Gioia, Cerasa, Di Lucente, Brunelli, Castellano Traballesi, 2006). The study is triggered by the fact that the literature on sports has well documented the effect of sports on the physical health of the body, while neglecting to provide adequate information on the effect of sports on the psychological aspect of persons. There is also direction for this kind of inquiry, as previous studies (Muraki, et al., 2000) already pointed out how sports activities significantly improve the mental health profiles of people with illnesses or disabilities (Gioia, Cerasa, Di Lucente, Brunelli, Castellano Traballesi, 2006). Thus, the authors conducted a study on 137 people with spinal cord injury and studied their psychological status visvis their sports activities. Using the â€Å"Cognitive Behavioural Assessment (CBA 2.0)†, the psychological status of the participants were evaluated and analyzed. The authors concluded that there is a positive correlation between increased sports activity and improved neurological status. Conversely, they found that patients who had less or no sports activity proved to be more susceptible to anxiety than their counterparts who participated in sports (Gioia, Cerasa, Di Lucente, Brunelli, Castellano Traballesi, 2006). This relationship between anxiety and sports activity is further explained by the graphs below: Table 1. (Gioia, Cerasa, Di Lucente, Brunelli, Castellano Traballesi, 2006). The fact that patients who participated in sports activities registered a healthier mental and psychological status shows the strong association between sports and anxiety levels. The findings in this study are helpful in further studies that concentrate on the use of sports therapy in the rehabilitation of patients with injury or disabilities. The authors likewise point out the important suggestion that rehabilitation institutes and sports organizations need to collaborate and cooperate with each other to achieve better results in the psychological rehabilitation of patients through encouraging increased participation in sports activities (Gioia, Cerasa, Di Lucente, Brunelli, Castellano Traballesi, 2006). Mellalieu, S. D., Hanton, S. OBrien, M. (2004). Intensity and direction of competitive anxiety as a function of sport type and experience. Scandinavian Journal Medicine Science in Sports 14, 326-334. This article describes the different inventory measures used in assessing the level of anxiety in humans. It notes that earlier inventories measure anxiety by looking at â€Å"the ‘intensity’ of the cognitive and perceived physiological symptoms experienced which are purported to signify the presence of anxiety† (Mellalieu, Hanton OBrien, 2004). However, this type of inventory is believed to be inadequate and ineffective because it does not consider other factors, such as variables involving situational context and individual differences, which are considered by new inventories. One such new inventory was suggested by Jones (1995), which uses an analysis of the â€Å"direction of symptoms† as clues to understanding anxiety (Mellalieu, Hanton OBrien, 2004). To determine how the functions of competitive experience and sport type become a factor in the anxiety levels of people, the authors conducted a study using the â€Å"Competitive State Anxiety inventory-2 (Martens et al., 1990a)†. The authors found that â€Å"sport type and competitive experience† directly affect â€Å"competitive trait anxiety.† More specifically, the study supported the theory of Martens et al., (1990a) to the effect that â€Å"participants in contact sports will elicit higher levels of cognitive anxiety intensity due to increased threat arising from personal confrontation† (Mellalieu, Hanton OBrien, 2004). Thus, participants in contact sports, such as rugby, have less self-confidence due to the increased threat of confrontation. This means that players of contact sports often have â€Å"acquired conditioned state anxiety responses† that are related to the sports environment and the anticipated physical contact during the game (Mellalieu, Hanton OBrien, 2004). This article is useful in any study of the relationship between anxiety and sports because it analyzes anxiety in terms of the different types of sports. Thus, contact sports cause more anxiety and less self-confidence in athletes because there is an impending threat of confrontation, which causes the sports activity to be classified as a pressure situation. Thus, contact sports are differentiated from non-contact sports such as golfing and swimming, which cause less competition anxiety (Mellalieu, Hanton OBrien, 2004). From the foregoing findings, it can reasonably be inferred that individual sports cause less competition anxiety since the factors common in contact sports, such as impending threat of confrontation, are not applicable in individual sports. Miles, L. (2007). Physical activity and health. Nutrition Bulletin 32, 314-363. This article lays down the benefits of physical activity, both on the physiology and psychology of a person. For example, physical activity is known to reduce resting blood pressure and increase capacity to carry blood in the coronary arteries. Psychologically, there is proof showing that physical activity has positive effects on anxiety and the improvement of self-esteem and mood. Moreover, physical activity is found to have generally positive effect on a person’s psychological well being. Therefore, this article supports the position that interventions in the form of physical activity could help in feelings of immediate or stable anxiety (Miles, 2007). Sklan, E. H., Lowenthal, A., Korner, M., Ritov, Y., Landers, D. M., Rankinen, T., Bouchard, C., Leon, A. S., Rice, T., Rao, D. C., Wilmore, J. H., Skinner, J. S., Soreq, H. Kornberg, R. D. (2004). Acetylcholinesterase/Paraoxonase Genotype and Expression Predict Anxiety Scores in Health, Risk Factors, Exercise Training, and Genetics Study. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 101(15), 5512-5517. This article provides insight into the nature of anxiety as a common psychological or psychiatric disorder. It is described as a â€Å"ubiquitous and unavoidable experience of life, defined as a feeling of fear that is out of proportion to the nature of the threat† (Sklan, et al., 2004). Since anxiety is a common disorder, many studies have been conducted to determine the factors that underlie the condition. This article discusses a study conducted that sought to establish the relationship between enzyme activities and anxiety. The study used the â€Å"Health, Risk Factors, Exercise Training, and Genetics (HERITAGE) Family Study† to measure and analyze the states of anxiety in people (Sklan, et al., 2004). The study yielded findings that corresponded with previous studies using the HERITAGE Study. It turns out that anxiety is affected by both genetic and biochemical factors. This information is relevant in any study that seeks to understand and explain how humans become anxious, and more importantly, how such anxiety could be controlled (Sklan, et al., 2004). Wilson, G. S. Raglin, J. S. (1997). Optimal and predicted anxiety in 9-12-year-old track and field athletes. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine Science in Sports 7, 253-258. This article explains the relationship of anxiety with sports performance, especially the generally accepted conclusion that anxiety plays a role in athletic performance. This conclusion is especially significant among young athletes, since it is believed that anxiety negatively affects sports performance (Wilson Raglin, 1997). This paper takes the matter further by analyzing the applicability of the theory known as â€Å"individual zone of optimal functioning (IZOF)†, through a case study involving track and field athletes. The authors concluded that the IZOF theory is applicable to young athletes, particularly those belonging to the preadolescent stage (Wilson Raglin, 1997). IV. Clinical Implications Anxiety in sports might be a function of perfectionism in athletes. Some of the warning signs of â€Å"perfectionist self-presentation† involve serious signs from exercise and sports. Some people who are perfectionist engage in compulsive and excessive exercise. Since perfectionism in sports is maladaptive and often leads to anxiety and depression, it is suggested that more studies be conducted that focus on athletes need to adequately respond to perfectionism and thereby prevent the maladaptive results of the tendency (Flett Hewitt, 2005). V. Conclusion Literature on the relationship of anxiety and participation in sports is rich with data and conclusions establishing the positive correlation between the two. In particular, there are many studies that focus on children, and how beneficial sports activities are in improving their self-esteem, confidence, mood, and mental health (Ogilvie, 1979; Chambers, 1991). Another important conclusion that emerged from the articles is that the positive effect of sports activity on anxiety levels depends on various factors, such as the kind of sports involved. For example, there must be a distinction made between contact and non-contact sports, since they affect people’s anxiety in different ways. Contact sports generally generate higher anxiety levels because they are pressure situations that cause fear in the athlete due to impending physical confrontation. In contrast, non-contact sports are more relaxed. The kind of pressure involved in contact sports like rugby does not exist in non-contact sports such as golf. Hence, athletes in the latter category have more self-confidence and experience less anxiety than athletes in the former category (Mellalieu, Hanton OBrien, 2004). VI. Future Research Most of the articles discussed above recommend topics for future research. Since there is much information supporting the positive correlation between sports and the management of anxiety, future research could focus on selecting the best intervention strategies that utilize sports as a therapy for people with psychological problems involving anxiety. References Abrahamsen, F. E., Roberts, G. C. Pensgaard, A. M. (2006). An examination of the factorial structure of the Norwegian version of the sport anxiety scale. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine Science in Sports 16, 358-363. Chambers, S. T. (1991). Factors Affecting Elementary School Students Participation in Sports. The Elementary School Journal 91(5 Special Issue: Sports and Physical Education), 413-419. Flett, G. L. Hewitt, P. L. (2005). The Perils of Perfectionism in Sports and Exercise. American Psychological Society 14(1), 14-18. Gioia, M. C., Cerasa, A., Di Lucente, L., Brunelli, S., Castellano, V. Traballesi, M. (2006). Psychological impact of sports activity in spinal cord injury. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine Science in Sports 16, 412-416. Mellalieu, S. D., Hanton, S. OBrien, M. (2004). Intensity and direction of competitive anxiety as a function of sport type and experience. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine Science in Sports 14, 326-334. Miles, L. (2007). Physical activity and health. Nutrition Bulletin 32, 314-363. Ogilvie, B. (1979). The Child Athlete: Psychological Implications of Participation in Sport. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 445(Contemporary Issues in Sport), 47-58. Ommundsen, Y. Pedersen, B. H. (1999). The role of achievement goal orientations and perceived ability upon somatic and cognitive indices of sport competition trait anxiety. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine Science in Sports 9, 333-343. Sklan, E. H., Lowenthal, A., Korner, M., Ritov, Y., Landers, D. M., Rankinen, T., Bouchard, C., Leon, A. S., Rice, T., Rao, D. C., Wilmore, J. H., Skinner, J. S., Soreq, H. Kornberg, R. D. (2004). Acetylcholinesterase/Paraoxonase Genotype and Expression Predict Anxiety Scores in Health, Risk Factors, Exercise Training, and Genetics Study. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 101(15), 5512-5517. Wilson, G. S. Raglin, J. S. (1997). Optimal and predicted anxiety in 9-12-year-old track and field athletes. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine Science in Sports 7, 253-258. Research Papers on Anxiety in Individual SportsThree Concepts of PsychodynamicThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseStandardized TestingEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenResearch Process Part OneInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalGenetic EngineeringOpen Architechture a white paper

Its National Grammar Day

Its National Grammar Day Its National Grammar Day Its National Grammar Day By Sharon If youre reading this blog, then youll be happy to know that we have our own day. The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (SPOGG), has designated March 4th National Grammar Day. The Society says its for pen-toters appalled by wanton displays of Bad English and for people who crave good, clean English. We are those people, so check out SPOGG and their blog. (Im having a Dr Seuss moment.) Editor note: This was supposed to get published yesterday; our apologies. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Has vs. Had"Gratitude" or "Gratefulness"?Uses of the Past Participle

High-stepping Stepchildren

High-stepping Stepchildren High-stepping Stepchildren High-stepping Stepchildren By Maeve Maddox English has several idioms that employ the words step and stepping. As a verb, step means to lift the foot and set it down again on the ground in a new position. As a noun, step is the act of stepping. baby steps and giant steps A â€Å"baby step† is a step that covers a very narrow distance: Still, a year after Mr. Shumlin’s call to arms, progress can be measured only in baby steps. A â€Å"giant step† is one that covers a wide distance, either forward or backward: One of those amendments would address Citizens United which, [Stevens] wrote, was a giant step in the wrong direction. goose-stepping To goose step is to march in such a way that the legs swing sharply from the hips, and the knees are locked. Soldiers marching in this way resemble mechanical toys. Because this type of marching was a feature of Nazi military display, it is associated with fascist power. Goose-stepping in unison may have been used by the Nazis to help brainwash people into following their cause, a new study suggests. India and Pakistans aggressive border closing ceremony has been stopped after soldiers complained the high goose-stepping was wrecking their knee joints and causing foot injuries. Confess that guns hold absolutely no interest or appeal for you, and youre a leftist, a radical who wont be happy until the jackbooted thugs of The New World Order are goose-stepping down Main Street, trampling Our Sacred Freedoms. â€Å"Goose-stepping† always has a negative connotation, but another idiom, â€Å"high-stepping,† can be positive or negative. Literally, â€Å"high-stepping† describes the act of lifting the legs high while walking. Because horse fanciers admired the gait of a high-stepping horse, a fashionable or attractive person came to be known as â€Å"a high-stepper.† Sometimes the term is used in a negative sense to refer to someone who lives extravagantly, or who aspires to a higher social status: Dona had come to town as a schoolteacher.   She was pretty, vivacious, and in the parlance of the time, a â€Å"high-stepper.† Leo Donnelly, always at his peak in silk-lined, low-comedy, high-stepping crook roles, is here at his best. The following sentence spoken by an NPR regular seems to confuse high-stepping and goose-stepping: Nazi soldiers’ high stepping casts a fog over the event. Note: The word fog is also jarring; perhaps the announcer was reaching for pall. Two more idioms that have literal and figurative meanings are â€Å"to sidestep† and â€Å"to step up to the plate.† The literal meaning of sidestep is to step aside, as if to avoid some physical obstacle: Climbing from the carriage, she held her bag against her chest and  tried to sidestep  a puddle  the size of a small lake. Figuratively, â€Å"to sidestep† is to avoid involvement or responsibility: Jefferson Township Sewer Authority  hopes to sidestep  big expense with grant money. â€Å"Step up to the plate† comes from the game of baseball. Note: Home plate is a 5-sided rubber slab at one corner of a baseball diamond at which a batter stands when batting and which must be touched by a base runner in order to score. When it’s a player’s turn to bat, he â€Å"steps up to the plate.† Figuratively, the expression means to come forward and accept responsibility for something that must be done: Community members stepped up to the plate and raised more than $2,700 for the Harmon Killebrew Miracle Field at a recent fundraiser. Unrelated to the verb step in the sense of moving the feet is the affix step- as in stepchild. This step derives from an ancient Germanic word element that was placed before the word for a family member â€Å"to form designations for the degrees of affinity resulting from the remarriage of a widowed parent.† For example, a widow who married a widower would become the stepmother of the widower’s children. They in turn would be her stepchildren. Stepmothers in all the fairy tales I’ve read are notorious for their ill treatment of their stepchildren. Consider, for example, the stories of Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel. Because of the stereotype of the wicked stepmother, the word stepchild has acquired the figurative meaning of â€Å"someone or something that is neglected, undervalued, or abused.† Here are some examples: â€Å"Its a sad fact that P.E. is  educations  ugly  stepchild,† said Goldstein. Rarely is open space seen as more than an afterthought. It truly is a stepchild of planning when it should be a catalyst and spatial organizer for development.   A fairly recent embellishment of stepchild in the sense of an object of abuse and neglect is the expression â€Å"redheaded stepchild.† The earliest evidence of the phrase in the Ngram Viewer is dated 1923. An article at World Wide Words references an example from 1910. Like stepmothers, redheaded people do not fare well in folklore. If a stepchild is undervalued, then a redheaded stepchild is the object of special negative attention: We then learned that Waukegan is apparently  the North  Shores  red headed stepchild.   The South is the  red-headed stepchild  in the American story.   Note: The adjective is hyphenated in the OED, but spelled as one word in Merriam-Webster. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:35 Synonyms for â€Å"Look†Driver License vs. Driver’s LicenseTypes of Ignorance

Teacher Education in TESOL (Master's Level) Research Paper

Teacher Education in TESOL (Master's Level) - Research Paper Example 19). Teacher development is the development of a sense of the strengths and weaknesses in a teacher so that the increased self-awareness resulting from the process helps the teacher identify better ways to teach others. Training and education are both the means of development of a teacher. How is second language teacher training different from teacher training in other disciplines? Second language teacher training differs from training of teachers in other disciplines in that it imparts a need for the teacher to study and develop compatibility with different cultural factors that drive the students’ tendency to learn second language, language being intrinsically and integrally linked with culture whereas training in other subjects is not constrained by cultural differences. Teacher training in other disciplines is primarily about developing the expertise of the teacher in the technical aspects of the subject e.g. lab work training for such subjects as physics and chemistry, an d training of software and programming for the subject of computer. On the contrary, training of teachers in the teaching of second language is more about reaching out to the students both individually and collectively so as to understand the barriers they face in developing their competence in the second language. One aspect of teacher training in the subject of second language teaching could be planning and designing of lecture in such a way that it includes activities and exercises aimed at individually targeting the barriers of students in learning the second language, respecting the time constraints of the lecture. 2. Summary of teacher training history and the main theories on teacher training. The history of teacher training varies from one country to another, yet one common and very favorable improvement that has occurred over the years is increased use of ICT and advanced technology in the teacher training. The training of primary school teachers dates back to the late Vict orian period when it commenced almost by an accident after the Kindergarten school was established in the year 1882 (Randall, 2007). Bedford was families’ choice because of the availability of high quality of education. The Training College was established originally with only five students and continued to remain at the site for more than 70 years. The Bedford students followed Friedrich Froebel’s progressive model of training. The system gradually became more developed and advanced. Likewise, the only teaching requirements in the colonial period in America were mediocre learning and low pay. Teacher training began during the 1820s and 1830s in academies that were equal to the contemporary secondary schools (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 2011). †¦..and the main theories on teacher training. Ethical theories primarily apply in teacher training. â€Å"We believe that some teaching of ethical theory – the teaching of the ways we can distinguish right from wrong, good from bad - is necessary in ethics courses, but we suggest a modest, not a major role for theory† (Bowden and Smythe, 2008, p. 23). Since unethical behavior is identifiable, students and teachers can individually assess their actions’ rightness or wrongness. Training of the teachers of second language describes the teacher’s notion as a reflective practitioner, that is an individual who reflects on the professional practices with a view to

Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 19

Sociology - Essay Example On the other hand, there is the individual autonomy. The individual professional autonomy of the physician is not only limited to his/her ability in making clinical decisions and in securing the necessary medical services for patients but it also encompasses the autonomy in pertinent to control over one’s own work, which may include the structure and schedule of the work (Stoddard et al, 2001). In line with this, allied health professions have challenged medicine’s professional autonomy. Currently, physicians’ economic stature is challenged from two sides. One is the increasing income gap between the specialists and the general practitioners and the other is coming from the National Health Services, which now requires doctors to produce job plans for the working week, the presence of preauthorization requirements, reducing their freedom to refer and their employment contract being held by Health Authorities (Harrison & Ahmad, 2000). In the same regard, the politi cal standing of medicine’s professional autonomy has been opposed by the inceptions of governmental guidelines, bodies and policies that allow stronger governmental regulations. This is perceptible in terms of clinical audits, and the creation of governmental bodies like the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), National Services Frameworks (NSF) and Commission for Health Improvement (CHI), which provide the guidelines and frameworks that, limits medicine’s professional autonomy (Harrison & Ahmad, 2000). Finally, the clinical autonomy of the physician is challenged by the following concept of patient at the centre of care, of the practise of team management of care, which works on the supposition that health care providers are all equally important in rendering health care services, and that clinical decisions ought to be substantiated and justified by external research findings (Harrison & Ahmad, 2000) These

The True Place of Confucianism in Everyday Life Essay

The True Place of Confucianism in Everyday Life - Essay Example Even so, Confucianism was gradually growing, and various communities accepted it so quickly in what would later turn out as an almost complete takeover from Legalism. Prior to this though, Confucianism was temporarily faced out by Buddhism and Taoism, which turned out to be more dominant at the time. This temporal shake was so violent that, when Confucianism returned later, it had to develop using the models of the two doctrines. The Confucianism then was baptised ‘neo-Confucianism’ which comprised of Buddhism and Taoism. It is neo-Confucianism that came to later take over the society and become the foundation for imperial exams, as well as the central philosophy of the scholar-official class. So succinct yet so intensive, Confucianism acted as some constitution to the Chinese at that time. Following closely and abiding strictly by the doctrines contained within, Ruism was a major determinant in pre-1949 Chinese’s life. The first role of this system was to define the relationship between men and women. Right from creation according to Christians, the relationship between men and women was lucid; women were to revere and worked under the supervision of men. Conversely world over, women are regarded as subjects to men. Similarly, Confucianism contained the guidelines with women viewed as a lesser sex. Precisely, Confucianism contained strong dictation of women’s subordination to men, worse yet; the doctrines indicated that women are not allowed to work. For instance, women were considered as ‘yin’ and men were seen as ‘yang’. By nature, ‘yin’ was soft, tranquil and passive while ‘yang’ was by every dimension, an opposite of the latter; being regarded hard and dominating. Unfortunately, this was the basis of the present-day level of gender-related discrimination witnessed in China. Secondly, it is in Confucianism that the Chinese found their religious consolations. Apparently a range of temples were built throughout China, Beijing

Baby Boomer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Baby Boomer - Essay Example During the 1960s and 1970s, those in leadership were mainly the GI and silent generation. These generations derive their ideologies and values from the events of 1930s and 1940s, which are the Second World War and the great depression (Chapman 212). These were hard times and they are the events that shaped the ideologies of the GI and the silent generation. During these times, people normally obeyed commands and were not supposed to question. The young had no say in the society. They learned how to compromise, work hard, persevere, and sacrifice for the country. However, they were slow in bringing in changes in the society as they were conservative. The baby boomers are those born during the post war period this is a group that was influenced by the era of grand visions. This was a time when people were fighting for freedom, there was concerted effort to take man to the moon, and politicians were trying to put forward their ideologies. This generation was associated with sex, drugs, and rock and roll music. Since they were born in relatively calm period, they also attained good education. What then brought about great generational gap or ideological crisis in the 1960s and 1970s? As it can be seen, this is the period when the baby boomers were in higher education institutions while the GI and the Silent generation were in leadership. My interviewee Mr. Tayung Wong came from Taiwan to come and pursue his undergraduate degree in America. This is a clear indication of how education was being valued in America. When Mr. Wong arrived in America there were several civil rights activities taking place as he says that he watched several civil rights activities on the television. This civil rights were mainly being influenced and led by scholars in America who wanted social transformation. They were mainly the baby boomers. When Mr. Wong arrived from Asia to America he found that there were a lot of racial discrimination towards African Americans and other races by the whites. In fact he says that some form of discrimination was perpetuated against him. The GI and the silent generation had passed through the great depression and the Second World War. These were hard times. During this time there was great racial discrimination. One such example was the discrimination of the Jews by Germans leading to their extermination by Adolf Hitler. They had witnessed the worst form of discrimination in the world. The discrimination that was being witnessed in America, to them, was not something of great concern. They did not address this issue as a priority. On the other hand, the baby boomers that were born in an era of grand vision saw this as a matter of urgency that needed to be addressed by the leadership. They had the education and they could advocate their visions freely. Mr. Wong confesses that he found the American teenagers bolder in expressing their views. Mr. Wong says that he supported the movements of Dr. Martin Luther King junior that advocated for the rights of black Americans and citizens of color and he also says that he supported other African American activists. This shows that there were a lot movements advocating for equality of all residents of America. The rallies of these activists were mainly attended by the young as we see Mr. Wong, by then a university student. These are the baby boomers that were born in the era of freedom and they felt agitated when their rights were infringed. The GI and

Ethical Implication of Financial Decisions Essay

Ethical Implication of Financial Decisions - Essay Example Insider trading is trading of a company’s stock and other securities such as bonds and stock options by individuals who are related to a business (Vataliya, 2009). The individuals are assumed to have the means of accessing information that is not public that is directly related to the company. One of the most well-known insider cases today is that involving a TV tycoon Martha Stewart. She was accused of receiving inside information. Using the information Martha sold the shares of ImClone drugs a day before the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) denied the approval of the drug.In some countries, trading by corporate insiders such as managers, large shareholders, and directors can be legal if the trading is done in ways that do not take advantage of information that is not meant for the public that would eventually be harmful to the confidence of the investors. However, insider trading presents unethical issues in most cases. First, insider trading is an unfair pra ctice to honest traders. The method ensures that the information is only available to some shareholders, thus depriving others the opportunity to use the information to make the right investment decision.Insider trading is also a breach of fiduciary and other relationship of confidence and trust. The practice goes against the property rights in any information and dealing in such information can be considered to be an abuse of property rights. Arguably, insiders have an ethical duty to act in the interests of the shareholders (Lussier, 2012).

To What Extent Can HRM Be Described as Strategic Essay

To What Extent Can HRM Be Described as Strategic - Essay Example This paper will focus on the extent to which the human resource management can be considered as strategic. Strategic human resource management (SHRM) The purpose of the HR strategies is to guide the human resource management development and implementation programs. The programs dedicate towards the means of communicating to all concerned the intentions of the organization about the management of the human resources. The Human Resource strategies provide a dynamic vision but they also determine to which direction the actions are required to be executed and realized. The strategic human resource management develops a stream of dynamic decisions which help in the formation of a pattern developed by the organization for the management of the human resource and also identification of specific areas which needs to be developed. The strategies will basically focus on the do’s and dont’s of the organization to maintain the organizational health stability (Armstrong, 124). In st rategic human resource management, the functioning system appears in a systematic cycle following a sequenced chronological order. These can be classified into five different dimensions: a) mission and goals, b) environmental analysis ,c) strategic formulation , d) strategy implementation and lastly d) strategy evaluation (Bratton, 40). Validation of strategic human resource management There are limitations to the strategic human resource management. They do not always take into account the circumstances that are unique to a company's structure which may require alteration to regular procedures. The strategic human resource may not be always cost effective in nature since it focuses more towards a centralization-based approach and ignore the factors such as implementation and operating costs (Armstrong, 385). The strategic human resource management may not find its optimal feasibility in smaller companies that do not provide hardcore corporate environment. It can be also said that t he concept of strategic human resource management are based on beliefs about the rationality of the approaches used to develop strategy. The process also seems to underestimate the significance of politics, power, and culture. The implications of the power and politics perspective of the HRM are manifold. It is a fact that anyone who has worked with the organizations in the development of the HR practices such as selection and appraisal systems has inferred that it is political rather than technical or strategic consideration which determines the development of the final product (Armstrong, 278). Focus on organizational processes such as power and influence, institutionalization, conflict and contest for controls needs to be given special emphasis in order to under how the strategic decisions will be successful (Klimosk and Zaccaro). The prevalent conceptualizations of SHRM are depended on the conventional rational perspective to administrative decision-making, acts of linear planni ng and choice and action. Managerial fallacy Critical organizational theorists have criticized these assumptions stating that the strategic decisions are not necessarily based on the output of rational calculation. The theorists argue that the image of the manager as a reflective planner and strategist is based on a

Ethical Implication of Financial Decisions Essay

Ethical Implication of Financial Decisions - Essay Example Insider trading is trading of a company’s stock and other securities such as bonds and stock options by individuals who are related to a business (Vataliya, 2009). The individuals are assumed to have the means of accessing information that is not public that is directly related to the company. One of the most well-known insider cases today is that involving a TV tycoon Martha Stewart. She was accused of receiving inside information. Using the information Martha sold the shares of ImClone drugs a day before the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) denied the approval of the drug.In some countries, trading by corporate insiders such as managers, large shareholders, and directors can be legal if the trading is done in ways that do not take advantage of information that is not meant for the public that would eventually be harmful to the confidence of the investors. However, insider trading presents unethical issues in most cases. First, insider trading is an unfair pra ctice to honest traders. The method ensures that the information is only available to some shareholders, thus depriving others the opportunity to use the information to make the right investment decision.Insider trading is also a breach of fiduciary and other relationship of confidence and trust. The practice goes against the property rights in any information and dealing in such information can be considered to be an abuse of property rights. Arguably, insiders have an ethical duty to act in the interests of the shareholders (Lussier, 2012).

Save Girl Child Essay Example for Free

Save Girl Child Essay The driving force behind our lives is values (desires). A value can be defined as our highest priority in life. It may be Peace, Self Awareness, Money, Beauty, Power, Prestige, Sensual Pleasure, Contentment, Love etc. Whatever in our hierarchy of values, the top most value will be happiness. A better understanding of happiness is necessary to be happy in life. All the sensual pleasures are subjective, vary from person to person. One may like to hear a famous song while other may prefer to be with a beautiful girl or boy. If we seek repeated sensual pleasure, after each incident pleasure will decrease. The same incident will not give same amount of happiness; law of diminishing return applies to it. So every time we need something new to be happy. If we run behind new things to be happy, we will either drain out or will face depression of success. Are there any ways to be happy without any external stimulus or with same routine or same work or same dish or same spouse? Let us examine happiness further; is it possible to be happy without any object of enjoyment? Suppose if we win in one situation or receive praise, we become happy without any objects of enjoyment. Hence, happiness is a state of mind. And the objects or external stimulants are just a provocative cause to evoke that state. Let us examine this state of mind. We understood happiness is not coming from external stimulus and the happiness happens when our mind becomes still. Therefore happiness should be our true nature and our mind is the hindrance to experience it. If we could create the stillness of mind without any external stimulus, we could experience our true self or true nature orswarupa: sat-chit-ananda (pure blissful consciousness). The bliss can be defined as pleasure without any cause. The consciousness is the simultaneous awareness of the witness, the process of witnessing, and the object of witnessing. The objects were just reflecting the ananda or bliss in us and when it is reflected through objects or external stimulus, it is called happiness. When we experience bliss, we feel oneness with God. When this union or realization happens, we tuned with the natural laws. Mind is a collection of thoughts. It is a useful instrument to handle situations in front of you. We collect some thoughts of past or future (desires or values) to choose better in the present. We opt consciously or unconsciously each and every moment. Our choice causes an effect in the Existence and the Existence responds according to its own laws. Since the consequences of choices are beyond our direct control; we face stress or aadhi in decisions. Since happiness depends on external stimulus and law of diminishing return applies to it, each incident will increase our desire for a new. Thus vulnerability to aadhi increases by each incident. We may run behind objects of enjoyment or a stimulus to evoke the state of happiness. It creates continuous aadhi by forming a vicious circle. Our mind will occupy with either thoughts of past or future without taking the relevant decisions. Because, since there are too many considerations and the need to assure happiness; we will lose our courage to fix in one option. In such conditions, we follow mind or conscience as a guide. The mind and conscience may contain samskaras or imprints or memory of the past or future which may prevent appropriate action in the present. If we try to sort it out by thinking, it strengthens the mind and creates more trouble than before. The distorted mind cause to lose present moment or awareness or consciousness. Thus, the mind causes separation or ignorance of our blissful nature.

Impact of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

Impact of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) ABSTRACT Extensive researches carried out have pointed to the fact that impact prediction in the EIA process has been problematic and it lacked transparency, scientific rigour or both (Badr et al 2004, Glasson et al 2005). Therefore the aim of this research paper is to evaluate impact prediction in the EIA process by comparing impact prediction practices in three environmental impact statements for one environmental component: Air quality. Methods to identify, access and evaluate impacts were analyzed and how extensively they were used in predicting impacts. A checklist was developed for to comparative analysis and descriptor for symbols awarded to various stages of impact prediction outlined. The result shows that important prediction methods were either omitted or not extensively used in some of the cases. This research paper is therefore in agreement that impact prediction is not practiced in a transparent and scientifically rigorous manner. INTRODUCTION Recent environmental issues that has emerged due to large industrial developments with effects on the environment has led to the birth of the process called Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) which can be defined as â€Å"the need to identify and predict impacts on the environment and on mans wellbeing of legislative proposals, policies, programmes, projects and procedures and to interpreter and communicate information about the impacts† (Munn 1979). EIA can also be defined as â€Å"a process by which information about the environment is collected both by the developer and from other sources and taken into account by the relevant decision making body before a decision is given on whether the development should go ahead†(DOE 1995). It can also be defined more simply as â€Å"an assessment of the impacts of a planned activity on the environment† (UNECE 1991). Since the introduction of EIA over 30 years ago, the potential benefits has been widely recognized and it has been adopted and implemented in more than 100 countries by numerous aid and funding agencies (Petts 1999).In essence, EIA is a process that assesses the impact of developments on the environment in a systematic, holistic and multidisciplinary way taking into consideration all environmental components (Glasson et al 2005). EIA as a process involves a number of steps which are as follows Description of project Screening Scoping/consideration of alternatives Baseline studies public consultationparticipation Impact prediction Preparation of Environmental Impact Statement(EIS) Decision making Post decision making and monitoring The EIA process is a cyclical process with feedbacks and interaction between all the steps and public consultation (stakeholder engagement) involved in all the steps. Aggregated studies have shown that EIA practices in some regions of the world have been and remain problematic, but there is evidence that the quality is improving over time (Lee and Brown 1992, DOE 1996, Cashmore et al 2002). However, disaggregated studies indicate that the quality with which certain components of the environment are addressed is significantly more problematic than suggested by the aggregated studies (Glasson and Heanley 1993, Chadwick 2002, Badr and et al 2004). Impact prediction in the EIA process has been a problematic despite being the key and heart of the EIA process (Badr and et al 2004). Despite its centrality in the process, many studies have underemphasized prediction and it is not often treated as an explicit stage in the process, models are not detailed and there are little discussions of limitations (Glasson et al 2005). Therefore, the research for the effectiveness of impact prediction in the EIA process will focus on the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which is the document that holds the pre consented states of EIA, and is often readily assessable component of the process (Badr et al 2004). This research paper aims at contributing to the development of grounded initiatives for enhancing EIA effectiveness by looking at impact prediction practices in three different EISs looking into one environmental component which is AIR QUALITY. The following EISs will be used for this research paper CASE 1-A350 Westbury Bypass EIS CASE 2-River Tud Residential Development EIS CASE 3- Kingshill Recycling Centre Biomass Energy Plant EIS The objective of this research is to analyze how extensively impact prediction practices have been carried out in each of these case studies. The following is the structure of the paper: methodology, results, discussion and conclusion. METHODOLOGY The objective of impact prediction is to identify the magnitude and other dimensions of identified change in the environment with the project or action in comparison with the situation without the project or action. It also provides the basis for the assessment of significance (Glasson et al 2005). According to the EIS legislation (S1.4) impact prediction should include assessment of direct and indirect, primary and secondary, cumulative, short, medium and long-term, permanent and temporary, reversible and irreversible, positive and negative effects of a project (Walker and Dalton 2001 in Morris and Therivel 2009). A variety of models are used to estimate air quality impact of sources on receptors to prepare and review new industrial and other sources application and to develop air quality management plans for an area or region and they are the Gaussian, numerical, statistical and physical methods (Jacko and Breche 2003 in salvato et al 2003). There are four stages in impact prediction and they are Impact identification-this brings together the project characteristics and baseline environmental characteristics with the aim of ensuring that all potentially significant environmental impacts are identified and taken into account in the EIA process.( Glasson et al 2005). Ensuring compliance with regulations is an important factor when choosing impact identification methods for assessment. The pathway and receptors are also identified. The methods include checklists, matrices, and quantitative methods and overlay maps. Impact assessment-this involves the detailed analysis of impact to determine their magnitude, significance and expert judgement. There are different methods of impact assessment: professional judgement (qualitative), mathematical methods (quantitative), physical methods, laboratory methods and case to case methods. When choosing prediction methods, the assessor should be concerned about the appropriateness for the task involved, will the method produce what is wanted?, can the method be applied to different projects and allow predictions to be compared? (Lee 1987, Glasson et al 2004). Significance of evaluation- when impact have been predicted, the impacts are then evaluated for acceptability. Criteria for significance include the magnitude and likelihood of impacts, the geographical level. The most formal evaluation method is the comparison of predicted changes in the area to air quality standards, objectives or guideline values, and determining whether they are likely to be exceeded at any location, after taking into account the existing and predicted baseline conditions (Walker and Dalton 2001 in Morris and Therivel 2009). Dispersion models such as DBRM screening method is used to evaluate significance, and the Gaussian model. Other methods are the cost and benefit analysis, multi criteria method, empirical data analysis and simple criteria. Impact mitigation- This is the measure envisaged in order to avoid, reduce and if possible, remedy significant adverse effects (CEQ 1997). Mitigation measures such as change of technology or modification of industrial processes can be implemented. Monitoring should be continued after completion since numerical prediction models contain uncertainties. Continued monitoring is necessary to access the effectiveness of any mitigation measure proposed in an EIA and to ensure that any potential air and climate problems identified have been minimized or mitigated (Walker and Dalton 2001 in Morris and Therivel 2009). A checklist has been developed for the purpose of evaluating impact prediction practices looking at air quality component in three EIS case studies. DISCUSSION Impact identification Case 1 The relevant legislation and policy context was the first method used to identify impacts of the development in air quality. The EU legislation was also looked at, the National Legislative and future legislative measures were also used in impact identification. Relevant policy measures like National planning policy, regional policy and local development framework was used to identify impacts. The limit value of AQS objectives were measured and if it was likely to exceed the objectives declared in the AQMA, then an action plan is to be prepared and implemented. The baseline information was acquired from the local authority and national air quality information archive (NAQIA). Therefore, because of the baseline studies, analysis of the background of air quality data available for the study area showed that the concentration of NO2 and PM10 are generally low in comparison to the relevant AQS objectives and limit value (Wiltshire county council 2007). Future predictions of air quality also carried out. Although qualitative method was used in this exercise, it was not clearly used to identify impacts. Checklists, matrices and overlay maps were not used. Source- pathway-receptor clearly identified. Case 2 Although legislative standards were mentioned, it was not mentioned extensively like in case 1. Baseline data of the environment was obtained from the national environmental technology centre (NETEN) and department of environment. Baseline studies were not used extensively for impact prediction in case 2. Knowledge of baseline conditions is essential because, even when a development is likely to add small amounts of pollution to the area, it could lead to air quality standard of the area being exceeded if air quality in the area is already poor or may become poor in the future(Morris and Therivel 2009). No future predictions of impacts carried out. There was no mention of the use of matrix or checklist for impact identification in this case. The source, pathway and receptor not clearly identified for air quality. Case 3 Most of the legislative standards considered. The UK air quality standards 1989 limits value for pollutants, the air regulations and air quality objectives clearly listed. Baseline studies of the area without the project was mentioned but not considered extensively. Checklists or matrices not used in prediction. Source-pathway and receptors identified. Overall, the main problem of impact identification is the failure to use systematic methods such as checklists, matrices or networks for impact predictions which agrees with Badr et al 2004 â€Å"Most WIA studied failed to provide any information on methods used to identify impacts†. Impact assessment Case 1 Constituent impact stages equally divided and assessed Quantitative assessment method was used for the operational phase of the development for the assessment of local air quality. Impacts on sensitive receptors in the area as a result of the operation of the bypass in the future were analysed using detailed dispersion modelling. DDM was used for the analysis of traffic emissions. Atmospheric dispersion modelling system (ADMS-Roads) was also used and it analysed dispersion of pollutants from industrial and road traffic sources. Qualitative assessment was used in the construction phase of the project. This assessment concluded that emissions will be greater in the operational stage, since the construction was short term, then impact will not be significant. Meteorological data was used for the input into the dispersion model. Case 2 Impacts talked about in construction and operation stages although not extensively. There was no mention of quantitative or computer model to assess air quality impact. The lack of quantitative analysis means that practitioners could not compare predictions with air quality and legislative standards and this is why evaluation of significance is poorly evaluated. (Badr et al 2004) Although qualitative judgement used, but not transparently and scientifically used Metrological data not mentioned at all in impact assessment. Case 3 Construction phase impact omitted and operational phase focused on. Quantitative model used. ADMS model used to assess atmospheric impacts of emission from the project, future predictions considered. Qualitative method not mentioned in impact assessment. Expert opinion provided it is backed up with reason and justification which supports that opinion, such as comparison with similar existing development is a very good method for predicting impacts (Morris and Therivel 2009). Metrological data was used in calculating annual mean of NO2 and SO2 Overall, the problem of impact assessment was the use of quantitative methods. In case 2, for construction emission, it was said that â€Å"it is for the most part not practical to quantify the emissions arising during construction of the dwelling† (South Norfolk County2001).Qualitative assessment only extensively used in case 1 and omitted in case 2 and 3. Future climate baseline levels are usually predicted for the purposes of an EIA, given the major limitations for current models in predicting regional changes, let alone local changes attributed to global warming due to the atmospheric concentrations of green house gases (Walker and Dalton 2001 in Morris and Therivel 2009) Significance evaluation Case 1 Short term mean concentrations of pollutants NO2 and PPM10 were calculated and compared against the relevant AQS objectives. Significance of impacts communicated both numerically and descriptively. Significance also calculated using the comparative method looking at the standard of air quality without the project. Descriptors clearly provided for the significance of air quality based on the magnitude of change in the context of existing conditions. The level of effects of project clearly identified as local effects. Case 2 Although long term mean concentrations mentioned, how numeric values arrived at is not transparent. Comparative method not clearly stated. Level of impact local, national or regional not analyzed. Case 3 Comparative method was used to compare quantitative dispersion ADMS model results with relevant AQS/AQOs. Geographical level of the impact not mentioned although, it was stated in the summary that â€Å"the process design has included mitigation measures to reduce impacts on local and national air quality† (North Wiltshire county). Overall, the significance of impact was well explained in case 1. It was transparent and scientifically rigorous (Badr et al 2004). Methods for significance of impact in case 2 and 3 not transparent although, Comparative measures were used in case 3, the level of impact was not clearly stated. Therefore the main problem of significance of impact was the transparency of the procedure. Impact mitigation Case 1 Mitigation measures were clearly put in place for significant impacts. Construction and operation mitigation plan well listed. CEMP prepared for the project. Alternative technology option also adopted for some impacts. Monitoring not mentioned in mitigation measures. Case 2 Mitigation measures not clearly outlined in this case. Although some preventive measures were outlined, it was not done satisfactorily. No alternative technology options adopted. Monitoring not mentioned in mitigation measures. Case 3 Mitigation measures outlined for construction and operations stages but not decommissioning stage. Alternative technology included in process design to reduce local and national air quality impacts Monitoring of NOx, SO2, PM10, CO outlined. (Annually). The overall problem of mitigation measures is the lack of emphasis on monitoring of air quality during construction and operation phases. A continuous air quality monitoring system for the measurement of selected gaseous air pollutants, particles and metrological conditions over a large geographical area, can make possible immediate intelligence and reaction when ambient air quality levels or emissions increase beyond established standards (Jacko and Breche 2003in Salvato et al 2003). Numerical prediction models contain uncertainties so monitoring should be continued after completion of the development to compare predictions with those that actually occur and continued monitoring is also necessary to access the effectiveness of any mitigation measures proposed in an EIA to ensure that any potential and climate problems identified have been minimized or eliminated (Walker and Dalton in Morris and Therivel 2009) CONCLUSION The aim of this research paper was to evaluate impact prediction in the EIA process by comparing impact prediction practices in three environmental stated for air quality. The research looked at different stages of impact prediction and how the methods for the stages were used and how extensively impact prediction was carried out. Results showed that although impact prediction practices were carried out, it was problematic in the impact identification methods in all cases, methods such as checklists, matrices and networks were not used at all while qualitative method which is used for impact assessment was omitted in a case (case 2). This automatically takes its toll on significance evaluation which uses expert opinion for evaluating significance. Uncertainties associated with the accuracy of a prediction due to the use of inaccurate or partial information on the project or baseline environmental conditions, unanticipated changes in the project during one or more of the changes of the life cycle and oversimplification and errors in the application of methods and models (Glasson et al 2004) was not given consideration at all in any of the cases. Monitoring changes in air quality standard was also a problem. While mitigation measures were proposed, there was no mitigation monitoring plan. Numerical prediction models contain uncertainties so monitoring should be continued after the completion of the development to compare predictions with those that actually occur (Walker and Dalton in Morris and Therivel 2009). Monitoring should be strengthened to enhance impact prediction. It is therefore logical to conclude that different developments or projects determine how extensively impact prediction is practiced. Emphasis is given to air quality predictions for developments like power stations, power plants and road constructions. Emphasis on impact prediction declines for developments such as residential buildings and shopping malls. REFERENCES Badr E,-L, Cashmore,M and Cobb, D (2004) ‘The considerations of impact upon the aquatic environment in environmental impact statements in England and Wales. Journal of environmental assessment policy and management, 6(1):19-49. DOE (Department of the Environment (DOE) (1995) preparation of environmental statements for planning projects that require environmental assessment. A good practice guide. London. HMSO Glasson, J, R, Therivel and Chadwick A (2005) introduction to environmental impact assessment 3rd Edition. London. Routledge Jacko B, La Breche T (2003) air pollution and noise control in Salvato J. A, Numerow N, Land Agardy E, J (2003) Environmental Engineering 5th edition. Canada. John Wiley and sons. Norfolk County Council (2001) proposed residential and associated development at River Tud, Costessey Environmental Impact Statement 2001. Norfolk County Council. Walker D and Dalton H (2001) air quality and climate in Morris P and Therivel R (2009) Methods of Environmental impact assessment 3rd edition. London. Routledge Wiltshire County Council, (2007) A350 Westbury bypass Environmental Impact Statement 2007. Trowbridge, Wiltshire County Council. Wiltshire County Council (2000) Biomass Energy Plant Kingshill Recycling Centre Cricklade North Wilshire Environmental Impact statement 2000. Tollgate, Wiltshire county Council.