Iron And Silk Essays (619 words) - Mark Salzman, Iron Silk

Iron And Silk Salzman, M., (1986). Iron and Silk. New York: Random House. This book was given to me by a good friend who knew that I had an interest in Asia. I chose to read it because it was a true story and was told that it was a good read. The author travels to China as an English teacher for the Hunan Medical School. There he stayed for two years picking up many anecdotes along the way. The author already had spent a large amount of his life studying Chinese language and the martial arts. However, when he arrives in China he meets teachers who have dedicated their entire lives to perfecting a particular art or skill, whether it be martial arts or calligraphy. Mark Salzman was perfecting his calligraphy skills and as weeks had passed he began to make progress. He was getting tired of the models and wanted to try something new. When he told Hai Bin,(his teacher), he frowned and said,?Some people spend their entire lives researching a single model. You should be willing to spend a year on this one.? This is an example of the dedication and perseverance these men have towards their chosen artform or skill. Another example of this theme, was Mark's Wushu teacher, Pan, who punched a fifty pound plate of steel up to ten thousand times a day. Mark's relentless practicing of the many forms of Wushu was influenced by Pan. Salzman also showed that there was great oppression. The people of China were under constant surveillance and control. Rarely were they able to make important decisions for themselves. It was sad to see that in a country with so many people there was so little freedom. The government controlled everything from the railroad to the Rat Collection Office to whether families and friends could mourn for lost loved-ones. Mark found this way of life troublesome yet he had stay strong and focused for his calligraphy and martial arts. Mark Salzman's Iron and Silk did a wonderful job of illustrating the people of China. He brought to life a corner of the world that we would rarely be able to see, outside of picture books. His representation is a very personal one, taking you beyond the scenery and into the action and heartache. Throughout this book, Salzman expertly reveals the personality and spirit of the Chinese people. He does this with his own type of special imagery. He drops in enough key details and leaves the rest to your imagination. This caused me to pay close attention to what was going on. His style of writing makes you feel like you are right there beside him, participating in each of his many escapades. I was influenced by the dedication his teachers had for their chosen artform and will remind myself to use that dedication and perseverance in my long-term goals. Mark Salzman's purpose was to take you to China and introduce you to the people he had met on his journey. He had published this book only two years after he had gone to China. He desperately wanted to share an outsiders look into China and what influences were in his life. Mark wrote so fluidly that it was person to person. Anyone can pick up this book and be an observer in the memories of the author. I found that my reading skills vary like a roller coaster. I had days when I found my reading to be very choppy and I had to remind myself to see the words in the book as speech and not words in a book,(if that makes any sense). My vocabulary was up to par and the book was an easy read. I began to use my speed reading techniques without discomfort near the last few chapters in the book. Book Reports

My Reading and Writing History Essays

My Reading and Writing History Essays My Reading and Writing History Essay My Reading and Writing History Essay The history of my reading andwriting has not only made me a smarter person, it has helped shaped me to be who I am today in wanting to improve my intelligence. Things that you can find in a book or even in someones essay is amazing. Whats even more amazing is the mind that wrote it. We all have creative minds and we all think differently. That’s what makes Reading and writing so special because no book or paper people write are the exact same each are unique in its own way and of course everyone has a history of where it all started. I wouldn’t say Im a huge fan of reading, but Ive had my nose in a book plenty of times. The first book I read was Green Eggs and Ham by the famous Dr. Suess. I have many of his books and enjoyed reading them when I was young. As a child my mom would read Dr. Suess to me until I learned how to read them myself. I absolutely love his books because he is random and unpredictable, which makes his books interesting. In every book Dr. Suess has written has a purpose. Weather its to put a smile on your face or teach you a life lesson, he is a very inspirational man and I consider him a role model in my life. Ive had great experiences with many amazing books during my childhood but the ones I can remember in particular were Dr. Suess. As I got a little older I started getting into chapter books. Books by Judy Bloom, Mary Pope Osborne, Rachel Renee Russell, R.L. Stine and many others. My favorite ones to read where A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. I liked the series because it had enormous potential always kept me wanting to know what happens next. Ive always b een into those weird/mysterious books with unpredictable endings. I also loved the ones that included adventure, like the ones from Mary Pope Osborne. Her books were also a series. Theyre about a brother and sister who took different adventures in a magical tree house that always took them somewhere different titled The Magic

Sustainable building Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Sustainable building - Assignment Example Center of discussion in this paper is sustainable building as the one that has higher energy efficiency, does not or less produces or less contribute in producing the green house gases emissions and the building that makes no burden to the ecology and environment. The construction of such a building is practically possible by making smaller changes to the way we live and construct our houses. Sustainable building utilized the sustainable materials that are renewable. Moreover a structure that utilizes less resources and utilizes the sustainable resources like solar, wind, geothermal, etc to provide the energy demand and provides an environmental security, is a sustainable building. However, other features like producing less waste, building life time, utilizes and produces non- toxic or less toxic materials, durability towards the harsh atmospheric affects, utilization of the natural resources, use of recyclable materials, use of renewable materials, use of durable materials and util ization of the technology makes the construction a green construction. For example, the utilization of the natural ventilation and geothermal cooling can be utilized in the building to make the building be in a desirable temperature, which certainly reduces the cooling cost and energy. Similarly, the utilization of the bigger glass windows makes the building enlighten in the daytime, which reduces the requirement of the artificial lightening in the building and reduces the carbon footprints of the building. In the same way, the utilization of the passive solar construction makes the building cooler in summer and warmer in the winter. The utilization of the onsite water treatment plants reduces the water footprints of the building. Some simple methods like making the faucets and showers heads to mix the air with the water, reduces the flow of water but the pressure remains the same thus reducing the water foot prints. The utilization of the most modern techniques like utilizing the s olar photovoltaic panels and utilizing the wind turbine to fulfill or reduce the energy requirement of the building can make the building more environments friendly and contribute much in reducing the carbon footprints. In the similar way solar water heating can be utilized to attain the warm water and also make the building warm during the winter season. Some other methods like growing plants on the rooftops of the building also reduce the cooling and heating energy requirement of the building. The vegetation on the rooftops blocks the direct sunlight and maintains the temperature of the building. This technique is utilized by several structures like the ‘California Academy of Science’, which is designed by ‘Renzo Piano’. If some or all of the sustainable method are utilized in a construction, the structure will be a sustainable building. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) LEED is a certification that certifies a building to be a green or sustainable building or not. LEED certification verifies the green methods utilized in the building like the carbon emission of the building, quality of the resign, production of the waster, energy efficiency, energy dependency, energy management, waste management and social and environmental aspects of the building (USGBC 2011). LEED certification has different rating LEED System LEED rating makes the LEED system. A building is rated on the basis of points that the building gets after evaluating that which methods are employed in the construction of the building, how is the energy managed and utilized in the building and if the building presents a sustainable architecture or not. Points are given from a total of 100 points. If the building gets 40 to 49 points, the building is LEED certified. If it remains in-between 50 to 59, it gets the silver status. If the building is rated in between 59 to 80, it gets a gold status and it the building rates more than 80; it gets the platinum status (USGBC 2010).

Effects of a Major Intervention on Retained Third Grade Students Essay

Effects of a Major Intervention on Retained Third Grade Students Success or Failure - Essay Example Does this lawmandatory retention hurt or benefit struggling readers This paper begins to explore that particular kind of retention coupled with a major intervention i.e. Third Grade Model Classroom will have a long term positive effect on student achievement. Retention has become a familiar word with major consequences for students who have encountered academic deficiencies. It has been ongoing since the 1970s, and is the education sector's response to academic deficiencies. For most students, the experience of repeating a grade or level, even if it means failure to comply with the requirements of only one subject, is a dreadful experience. However, the unnerving experience is not only the burden of the student, but of the family as well. Not only does retention imply a student's academic inaptitude, it also reflects on his / her family's lack of academic support and assistance for the child. Retention, therefore, is deemed as a consequence, if not a punishment, for its grave academic and socio-economic consequences. However, it is not new. Retention has been in place for decades.The idea of retention instills fear to student, and fear, undoubtedly, is powerful. Perhaps, this is why the education sector has deemed it effective and thus, the system has been going on for decades. It became reached its pinnacle of debate a strongly discussed topic across the country when in 1996, the Chicago Public School district implemented the end of social promotion, where students are allowed to pass from grade to grade, despite not being able to meet the required academic standards. The word "social" is important to note as it implies that the reasons for such promotions are often done for social and psychological well-being of the student (U.S Department of Education, 1999) - and this is in consideration of the fear that retention, the other option, imposes. . Since 2002, the state of Florida, along with other states, has ended social promotion for third grade students who have garnered a below proficiency rating in Reading (see appendix A). To dateAs of Janurary 2006, thousands of third graders have been retained, spending another school year in the third grade instead of being allowed to the next level. On the contrary, there is a substantial body

Policy Change Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Policy Change Plan - Essay Example The Nurses practice Acts and the Nursing Homes Reforms Act of 1987 is among the legislations in the nursing system. These legislations, among others, should be supported since their enactment and implementation have ensured better, safer and higher quality services and protection, for outpatients and nursing home residents. Consequent to compliance with the nursing standards and principles set by these legislations, patients’ mental, physical, and psychological well being has improved considerably. Unfortunately, the realization of the objectives of these laws has been hampered by challenges such as criticism, cost, complexities that lead to misunderstanding. Introduction Since historical times, nursing and other medical professions have been interrelated to politics and governments through health departments and agencies. This link is evident in the manner in which government agencies regulate, monitor, and certify nurses and nursing homes. Consequent to this bond, nurses hav e been empowered to express their opinions and concerns to the political class, thus influencing the nursing policies established and implemented by the government and the political class. ... Nurses should also participate in meetings and forums with the political class and government agencies at all levels. Politics and politicians may thus present nurses with the necessary networking for sharing of nursing views (Committee on Nursing Home regulation, 1986). This paper explores some pieces of legislations in the nursing system and determines the driving force behind the legislation, potential impacts, and challenges such as access, quality, or cost. Nurses Practice Acts Nurses Practice Acts (NPAs) are among the legislations currently passing through the nursing system. Nursing Practice Acts are state legislations, which play a critical role in defining, describing, and classifying the nature and scope of nursing practices. As a result of these Acts’ critical role in the protection of public health, welfare, and safety, their enactment and implementation should be supported to fruition. The first amongst these benefits is the shielding of the public from immoral, i ncompetent, unsafe, and unqualified nurses. These statutory laws are in fact found in every state where they monitor and regulate entry and registration into nursing practice and associations. Furthermore, these statutory laws define the extent of nursing practices and establish the right disciplinary actions and procedures for errant nurses. The key driving force behind the enactment and implementation of Nurses Practice Acts is the need to ensure that patients’ health and lives are not endangered by allowing unsafe and incompetent nurses to infiltrate the nursing industry (Reed, 2009). To ensure this objective is realized, every state’s nursing board has been mandated to oversee the implementation of these statutory laws.

A Critical Analysis Of The Painter English Literature Essay

A Critical Analysis Of The Painter English Literature Essay Ashberys The Painter is a curious poem, with many different layers of meaning to unwrap and unravel, and one that cant simply be read without approaching these levels of comprehension almost too abstract to understand on any one layer. Even having studied it in depth I still feel like Ive barely scratched the surface of this poem, and I tend to think that this was an entirely deliberate act on the authors part using form, style and language to allow multiple interpretations of the poem a comment on nature and humanity, a comment on the production of art or a comment on the idolisation of artists. This poem is a narrative at first reading the simply written story of a painter. Reading more deeply it could be perceived to be a satirical comment on the concept of art and the process of its creation he expected his subject toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ plaster its own portrait on the canvas  [1]  , or on the idea of an artist in calling the protagonist, who created art, a painter  [2]  , whilst referencing within artists leaning from the buildings  [3]  yet with no indication that these artists produced any kind of art. Finally, the nautical language, wrecks  [4]  and painter  [5]  (the rope used to attach a ship to the docks or land) could lead to an interpretation of the poem being a comment on nature reclaiming land that humanity stole. The poem is undramatised but implies an omniscient third person narrator who takes no part in the action, but reflects on it within. The tone of this narrator is intellectual and neutral, with no indication that the narrator cares for the subject. This narrator does however manage to comment on the thoughts and feelings of the painter, he enjoyedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ he expected  [6]  indicating that the narrator is the voice of the author, as opposed to also being a character within the poem. It could also be argued that the narrator symbolises God the omniscience and the references to prayer within the poem lend to this interpretation. Just as children imagine a prayer is merely silence  [7]  indicates that the author believes prayer cannot be merely silence, and hence the narrator could be symbolising God, hearing the painting as a prayer. The formal structure of the poem is six and a half stanzas. The six stanzas narrate his history, almost in the fashion of speech, using a lot of enjambment, and structured sentences to create the narrative atmosphere of the poem. The final half stanza is one sentence long, and ends suddenly, as though his subject had decided to remain a prayer  [8]  . The ending of this stanza is significant because the death of him is narrated in the first line of the last stanza, they tossed him, the portrait, from the tallest of the buildings  [9]  . The reader is left to decide whether him refers to the painter, or to the portrait is it personalisation of his work, or is it the death of the artist pre-empting the natural loss of art to nature. The penultimate line mentions the loss of his equipment, the sea devoured the canvas and the brush  [10]  , therefore seeming to place these above the death of the painter or portrait in importance. The last line focuses back on the subject of nature, and the idea that the work would be left incomplete, much as the stanza was. On one of its levels, the poem is about a painter struggling to paint nature, whilst succeeding in painting (wo)man, he chose his wife for a new subject  [11]  . The immediate conflict visible in this is the idea of man trying to exert control over nature and failing, and this is held up by the climax, where nature eventually wins. The level on which it could be read as a satire on the act of art, and role of an artist is the wordplay around painter and artist and the painter being the only one to produce art within the poem. These themes and levels tie together however to suggest that the core of the poem is a comment on the role of art can art accurately reflect nature? Is it a task only for the elite or can anyone participates in its production? Can humans paint true art or only a human image of what art might be? In terms of time and place the poem appears to be set somewhere relatively modern the language used is part of the typical vernacular in England, and until the last stanza the language is used to create a relatively realistic scenario in which we do not have to suspend disbelief, and even then they tossed him, the portrait, from the highest of the buildings  [12]  isnt a statement that could be seen as fantastic, only as unlikely in todays culture. As far as I can tell, my social and cultural distance from the poem isnt that great, so I will probably be reading it quite closely to the way in which the author wrote it theres nothing to indicate that the painter deviates from social norms or male stereotypes, except perhaps his submissive nature, in having been put to work by the other people in the building. I would say however that I have a distance from the poet, who is an older man, and that some of the themes within the poem might mature with age. The world view and ideology of the poem seems to be that nature is the pinnacle of art, and anything a human creates is secondary to that. It highlights the importance and value of the experience of a painter, but passes satirical comment on the idea of an artist the artists in this poem are never seen even to try and create. In that way it denigrates artists, saying that nature is a higher form of art, and that maybe its hubris to claim the identity of artist for oneself. To some extent, the poem evokes a sense of peace whilst in places the content is approaching violent, the form is quite gentle, and as a narrative poem the reader has some emotional distance from the story. It also leaves the reader with a sense of questioning the real meaning of the poem what is it asking about the nature of art? Written in a very simple style, very little imagery is immediately visible apart from the comparison of his wife to ruined buildings, a short simile. This is nonetheless very effective, almost summarising the overarching theme of the poem in one line, where the phrase ruined buildings  [13]  implies a taking back of buildings by nature, much like the images you see of trees bursting out of long abandoned houses. It could also be argued that the sea is a metaphor for the concept of nature as a whole and the reclamation of humankind and art by the sea as relating to nature reclaiming the world. The poem is typically quite direct however, and even the aforementioned simile is very simple, but the conflict of the painter and the sea is central to the meaning, the fact that whilst he can paint a vast  [14]  portrait of his wife, he is completely unable to paint nature, at least with any integrity. It might be that its impossible to answer that with relation to such a complex poem. It certainly uses structure, form and style effectively to create a questioning atmosphere within itself, in which the poem is very open to interpretation on the roles and interaction of human, art and nature, by the reader.

Romanticism and Shelleys Ode to the West Wind Essay -- Ode West Wind

Romanticism and Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind" Â   Â   M.H. Abrams wrote, "The Romantic period was eminently an age obsessed with fact of violent change" ("Revolution" 659). And Percy Shelley is often thought of as the quintessential Romantic poet (Appelbaum x). The "Ode to the West Wind" expresses perfectly the aims and views of the Romantic period. Shelley's poem expresses the yearning for Genius. In the Romantic era, it was common to associate genius with an attendant spirit or force of nature from which the genius came; the Romantics perceived the artist as a vessel through which the genius flows. For instance, in "A Defence of Poetry," Shelley says that poets are the hierophants of an unapprehended inspiration, the mirrors of the gigantic shadows which futurity casts upon the present . . . (Defence 817) In "Ode to the West Wind," Shelley implores the West Wind, a powerful force of nature that Shelley identifies with his rapidly-changing reality, to "lift me as a wave, a leaf, a cloud!" He also expresses his almost-melancholy wish that he could be as I were in my boyhood, and could be The comrade of thy wanderings over Heaven (Ode 815) "Ode to the West Wind" invokes the attendant spirit from which Genius comes to grant Creativity also. "If I were a dead leaf thou mightest bear," he pleads, "If I were a swift cloud to fly with thee" (Ode 815). In the fifth section, he begs the West Wind (which he identifies with himself early in the section) to Scatter, as from an unextinguished hearth, Ashes and sparks, my words among mankind! (Ode 815) Again, Shelley is asking the force that provides inspiration to act through him. "Ode to the West Wind" also expresses the hungering f... ...sires for the world, and believes could be possible. Shelley's poem is his attempt to let the West Wind work through him. Works Cited and Consulted: Appelbaum, Stanley. Introduction to English Romantic Poetry: An Anthology. Mineola, New York: Dover, 1996. iii-xii "Percy Bysshe Shelley." Norton Anthology: World Masterpieces, Volume Two. Ed. Maynard Mack. New York: Norton, 1995. p. 811-812. "Revolution and Romanticism in Europe and America." Norton Anthology: World Masterpieces, Volume Two. Ed. Maynard Mack. New York: Norton, 1995. p. 657-664. Shelley, Percy Bysshe. "A Defence of Poetry." Norton Anthology: World Masterpieces, Volume Two. Ed. Maynard Mack. New York: Norton, 1995. p. 816-817 Shelley, Percy Bysshe. "Ode to the West Wind." Norton Anthology: World Masterpieces, Volume Two. Ed. Maynard Mack. New York: Norton, 1995. p. 814-815.

A Walk in the Woods

Bill Bryson’s 1998 literary work takes its readers’ imagination, as the title suggests, to â€Å"A Walk in the Woods.†The author returning back to the United States after living for 20 years outside the country decided to the reconnect with his home landscape and hikes the Appalachian Trail. In Bill Bryson’s account of the Appalachian Trail, both historical and environmental information is received by the readers. More specifically the environmental crisis and its causes are dealt in this Bryson’s book. For some, environmental issues are quite uninteresting and dull.However, readers of this book are still compelled to continuously read it because of its humor and thought-provoking exploration of the wild. Moreover, Bill Bryson’s style and themes informs and teaches several environmental issues and concerns to its readers while entertaining them. Though, by scanning the history and events in other areas, it can be said that Bill Bryson’ s accounted environmental problems in his book does not occur solely in the Appalachian Trail, rather it is a world-wide problem.Bill Bryson accounts that the Appalachian Trail is 2200 miles, and I think he is telling the truth. Based on what I have learned (or know) about, the Appalachian Trail is a 2,147-mile-long footpath from Georgia to Maine, which follows the ridgetops of the fourteen states through which it passes.Although other people had put forth similar ideas, Benton MacKaye’s article â€Å"An Appalachian Trail: A Project in Regional Planning,† is usually looked upon as having presented the impetus for the Appalachian Trail.A regional planner, MacKaye saw in the post-World War I era an America that was becoming hastily urbanized, machine-driven and far detached from the positive reinvigorating aspects of the natural world. In addition to endowing with obvious recreational opportunities, the trail he imagined or visualized would be a linking line between a se ries of everlasting self-sustaining camps in wherein cooperation would replace antagonism, trust replaces suspicion, and emulation replaces competition.Encouraged and supported by relatives, friends, and like-minded acquaintances, MacKaye set about disseminating the idea of an Appalachian Trail to anyone who would listen, as well as officials of the National Park and National Forest Services.Particularly interested to the trail concept were members and officers of previously existing trail organizations such as the Green Mountain Club of Vermont, the New England Trail Conference, and the Appalachian Mountain Club. Not overlooking the advertising power of the press, MacKaye also solicited the help of newspaper reporters and columnists throughout the Northeast.The idea struck a chord form in October 1923, just two years after publication of his article, the first few miles of trail to be built particularly as a part of the Appalachian Trail were opened to the public in the area of Har riman and Bear Mountain State Parks in New York by the then recently formed New York-New Jersey Trail Conference.Acting upon a request by MacKaye and others, the Federal Societies on Planning and Parks met in Washington, D.C, in March 1925, for the intention of furthering action on the Appalachian Trail.There, an organization establishing the Appalachian Trail Conference (now known as Appalachian Trail Conservancy, committed to the protection and management of the trail) was adopted, and William A. Welch, of New York’s Palisades Interstate Park Commission, was named its chairman. Throughout the meeting, it was determined that the Appalachian Trail would run approximately 1,700 miles (which is 500 miles less than Bill Bryson’s measurement or the length of Appalachian Trail today) from Mount Washington in New Hampshire to Cohutta Mountain in northwestern Georgia.A northern extension was to stretch to Mount Katahdin in Maine while a southern addition would reach all of th e way to Birmingham Alabama. Among various branch routes that were also proposed, one was to follow the Long Trail in Vermont, another would extend into the Catskills, and another was to run along the Tennessee River to Kentucky.

The Vampire Lestat essays

The Vampire Lestat essays Publisher: Ballantine Books Fiction A troubled young man named Lestat lives with, mother, father, and two older brothers in pre-revolutionary France. He has a special bond with his mother, Gabrielle. They are kindred spirits. Lestat runs off to Paris with his new best friend, Nicki. Nicki is an extremely talented violinist, but was forbidden by his father to pursue it as a career. One night, Lestat is kidnapped and turned into a vampire. His maker, a vampire who was turned at an old age, immediately destroys himself after giving a brief, vague explanation of what he has just done to him. Lestat is forced to keep this new life secret from his friends. Nicki grows suspicious of Lestats strange behavior. Lestat is soon confronted by Armand, the leader of a satanic vampire coven that lives by strict codes, rituals, and beliefs. Armand accuses Lestat of being a blasphemer for walking among mortal men and entering a church. Lestat asks Armand what he knows about the history of vampires. Armand tells him about th e one who made him, Marius, and how he saw him burned to death by the satanic ones. Armand goes on to tell him of the rumors of Marius surviving and living in Egypt, but swears they cannot be true. Lestat has an unexplainably strong feeling that he did survive and is out there somewhere. He sets out in search of Marius, hoping that his ancient wisdom will have the answers to his many questions. But will he find him? And if so, does Marius have the answers his questions? My favorite part of the book is when Lestat wakes up in the 1980s and becomes the lead singer of a metal band. His supernatural voice and dark poetry land the band in super-stardom, where Lestat proclaims to the world that he is a vampire, a big NO NO in the vampire culture. Most human fans think its just a gimmick and admire its originality, while others believ ...

Dark Energy (Definition)

Dark Energy (Definition) Dark energy is a hypothetical form of energy that permeates space and exerts a negative pressure, which would have gravitational effects to account for the differences between the theoretical and observational results of gravitational effects on visible matter. Dark energy is not directly observed, but rather inferred from observations of gravitational interactions between astronomical objects. The term dark energy was coined by the theoretical cosmologist Michael S. Turner. Dark Energys Predecessor Before physicists knew about dark energy, a cosmological constant  was a feature of Einsteins original general relativity equations that caused the universe to be static. When it was realized the universe was expanding, the assumption was that the cosmological constant had a value of zeroan assumption that remained dominant among physicists and cosmologists for many years. Discovery of Dark Energy In 1998, two different teamsthe Supernova Cosmology Project and the High-z Supernova Search Teamboth failed at their goal of measuring the deceleration of the universes expansion. In fact, they measured not only a deceleration, but a totally unexpected acceleration  (Well, almost totally unexpected: Stephen Weinberg had once made such a prediction). Further evidence since 1998 has continued to support this finding, that distant regions of the universe are actually speeding up with respect to each other. Instead of a steady expansion, or a slowing expansion, the expansion rate is getting faster, which means that Einsteins original cosmological constant prediction manifests in todays theories in the form of dark energy. The latest findings indicate that over 70% of the universe is composed of dark energy. In fact, only about 4% is believed to be made up of ordinary, visible matter. Figuring out more details about the physical nature of dark energy is one of the major theoretical and observational goals of modern cosmologists. Also Known As: vacuum energy, vacuum pressure, negative pressure, cosmological constant

Labour Law in Canada Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Labour Law in Canada - Research Paper Example Therefore labour rights, derive their basis from the international bill of rights. The right to work, to free choice of employment and to just and favourable conditions are fundamental human rights. The relationship between an employer and an employee is referred as labour relations, which is also a contract. In such contracts each party undertakes to perform certain obligations, with the employees’ biggest obligation being to provide labour while the employer provides payment for the service rendered. Employment relationships normally contain several terms and conditions which are the rights and duties both the employer and their employees have agreed upon, thus the employer cannot impose terms and conditions on employees without their approval or their union’s approval. Terms are regulated by law and are also negotiated between the parties through a process called collective bargaining which eventually arrives at an agreeable collective bargaining agreement. Collective bargaining agreements are contracts resulting from the process of collective bargaining between unions and employers, for the purposes of regulating the procedures that will be adopted by the union and the employer and determining the terms and conditions under which workers will work.2 Terms and conditions in which the union can negotiate on behalf of its members include: f) Machinery for negotiations or consultation, and other procedure and matters relating to recognition of the trade union by the employer to represent workers in such negotiations or consultation or in carrying out such procedures. In Canada strikes or lockouts are not permitted under the labour relations code during the term of a collective agreement and the union cannot therefore declare or authorize a strike; however they could be allowed if they serve as a means of resolving a

Compare and contrast literature about the Mini Nutritional Assessment Essay

Compare and contrast literature about the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) tool and critically evaluate the clinimetrics of this method - Essay Example Hence, through this tool, the risk of elderly patients for malnutrition can be quickly and effectively assessed. Harris et al (2007) in an observational study compares sensitivity, specificity, and the predictive positive and negative values of the screening measures in the elderly who leaves in a sheltered accommodation. These are: body mass index, mid – arm circumference, albumin, hemoglobin, lymphocyte count, cholesterol, and the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) and Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). In this study, the gold standard used to establish malnutrition risk was the assessment of a dietitian. Harris et al (2007) noted that out of 100 recruited people (31 male and 69 female having an average age of 79.3 year), ten of which categorized by the assessment of dietitian were at risk for malnutrition. The most sensitive and specific measure of screening, with 100% and 98% respectively, was the MUST score. The aforementioned has a specific predictive value of 1. On the other hand, the sensitivity and specificity of other values were the following: MNA 80% and 90%, mid-arm circumference 70% and 99%, BMI 60% and 90%, albumin 30% and 77%, hemoglobin 50% and 61%, lymphocyte count 20% and 86%, low cholesterol 30% and 90%. From this study, Harris et al (2007) concluded that in a sheltered housing, ten percent of the elderly were at risk for malnutrition. They further concluded that the most sensitive and specific method for further nutritional assessment identification is the MUST screening tool. In contrast of the aforementioned study, Kulnik and Elmadfa (2008) in their nutritional assessment of elderly nursing home residents in Vienna made use of MNA (Mini Nutritional Assessment) and NuRAS (Nutritional Risk Assessment Scale) tools to assess the general nutritional and health status of the residents. During the seven consecutive day study, the intake of energy and nutrients of the individual were