Effects of the Fur Trade on Native Societies Essay Example for Free

Effects of the Fur Trade on Native Societies Essay Between the fifteenth and the nineteenth century the fur trade and slave trade connected the global commerce, and played a significant role in world history. Each of them transformed the destiny of North American and African society. Politically, economically and culturally, North Americans were dying slowly in seemingly more peaceful fur trade, and Africans were immediately hit by the wreaked havoc of slave trade. North America’s ostensible peace with the outside world could not avoid civil wars, as African people’s self-protection could not avoid European gory violent human plunder. In Africa, people were still live in a village community system with introverted self-governments. When colonists came, big kingdoms fragmented because the increasing of trade and arms. In this way, there was not a large-scale revolt or uprising in native Africa. As a result, small societies suffered from frequent slave raiding. As long as their own village was safe, they passively watched as people in other villages were raided and sold. Benin was a developed state in West Africa. In the 16th century the oba banned slave trade and relatively avoided slave traders. They bought arms from Europeans to protect themselves, but never helped others. In consequence, the power of oba declined in the 18th century and they could not stop the slave trade any more (456-457). When armed aggressors burst in small villages, they could not even protect themselves like Benin, but just be pillaged in desperation. Native Americans maintained cooperative relationships with Europeans under the fur trade. It protected them from extinction and slavery like those in Africa. However native people noticed the benefit of the fur trade, and then the profit of trade intensified the competition among tribes. They began to demand guns to deal with other tribes – and Europeans had gun. Therefore a circulation of furs and guns was fo rmed, and the increasing of arms imports aggravated the political conflicts of native people. In other words, more trade, more warfare. Fur trade brought North America both modern civilization and prolonged damage, yet the African economy was directly attacked by slave trade. North Americans traded furs with Europeans and received foreign goods and benefits such as pots, guns and metals. Europeans finished products gave them modern technology and tools, and caused the self-sufficiency system to transform to agricultural villages. Hurons lived in North America â€Å"in the early seventeenth century†. They traded many beavers and â€Å"received copper pots, metal axes, knives, cloth, firearms, and alcohol† (447). It was a big step for North America, to become a modern and developed society. Nevertheless, it was also the start of a long-term decline. â€Å"By the 1760s, hunters in southern British colonies took about 500,000 deer every year† (446). Hunters largely killed industrious animals, the amount of them sharply decreased. The fur trade absorbed labor supply, and restricted other developments. In reality, North America had been lagged behind chronically under the simple and dependent economic system caused by fur trade. Unlike North America, Africa had been steadily developing for a while in sixteenth century. The slave trade, was unprecedented havoc for native people and society. Just demographically, Africa lost millions of population in the fifteenth through nineteenth century. The productivity was greatly broken. The economy stagnated, or even retrogressed without technology. Both native North American and African people lost part of their ethos and native culture. North America was changed more by profit motive; however Africa was forced by demographical transformation and authorities’ avarice. Before European’s arrival, North Americans led a primitive lifestyle as a part of nature. They had laggard tools and technology but mastered natural environment. Their moral quality could be confirmed by the origin of Thanksgiving holiday: Native Indian helped European settlers tide over the hard time. Although they were economically backward, their spiritual civilization was wealthy. But after they began to trade with Europeans, they killed animals in quantity, overly reclaimed land, and broke their belief of nature. The benefits of furs led people to trade for guns and fight other tribes. Many of them became alcoholics, spent a lot of money to buy rum and brandy. They used foreign products all the time, and forgot their traditional crafts. In Africa, Europeans raided and drove away people in different cultures, and exterminated many ancient civilizations. The Europeans trading living human without caring whether they lived or died, was a bloody humiliation in the history. The hard truth is that many native authorities joined slave trading for their own interest. Dahomey was a highly authoritarian state in eighteenth century. They fully participated in slave trade and helped Europeans capture a lot of native people (456-457). It was a miserable shame of African culture and entire human history, that the chiefs of states helped invaders do human trafficking. Both trades certainly destroyed a part of native civilization, and changed a part of people. The politics, culture and economy of the native North Americans were gradually negatively affected while trading with Europeans and Africans were rapidly devastated by large human raid. Once, struggling in the wheel of history, they grew and died.

A real estate investment trust

A real estate investment trust Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Introduction A Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) is a mode of indirect investment which buys, sells, develops and manages property investments. REITs have an advantage in that they experience gains from certain taxation rules. Before REITs were introduced in the UK in 2007 listed property companies suffered from double taxation, with corporation and investors tax being paid on their dividends. With direct property investment there was only one taxation charge on rental income. In order to alleviate this problem the REIT structure was adopted in the UK, by making companies exempt if they met certain requirements. The birth of the REIT structure came from the United States and dates back as far as the 1880s. Originally they were simple modes of investment were it enabled investors to avoid double taxation by distributing their income to beneficiaries. In this essence they have not changed however are more heavily regulated than these early days. Although this tax advantage was ended in the US for a period they quickly re-emerged in 1960s, were their structure has been developed since. Certain changes such as allowing pension funds investment access has saw the mode of investment sore. Although REITs offer advantages of taxation it also has numerous benefits over direct property investment vehicles. The heterogeneity of property can lead to uncertainty about its market value which can be compounded by thin trading in some locations with a lack of transparent data on transaction prices also. Thin trading can lead to delays in the sale and slow legal transfer process. These disadvantages of direct property create the potential for illiquidity and prevent fund managers from actively managing their portfolios. Property also has higher management and transaction costs than the paper asset quality of REITs which can be sold in smaller divisible units. Direct property is â€Å"lumpy† in that only the largest financial institutions can afford to buy in any large volume. REITs have the benefit of being a paper asset tradable on major exchanges with their dividend linked to the income from property. Information for REITs are freely available and regulated by accountin g policies. REITs also have the benefit of the opportunity for investors to diversify risk in their portfolio. This has the benefits of property but without the difficulties linked to direct property investments. In the REIT structure there are 3 different types of REITs generally on offer. Equity REITs offer investment trusts where greater than 75% of assets are in the form of direct ownership of income producing properties. These are the most popular form of REIT. Mortgage REITs however deal in the ownership and investment of property mortgages, they loan money to owners of property or invest in existing mortgages or mortgage securities. These are debt instruments were income is generated from the interest they earn on the mortgage loans. A Hybrid REITs combine both equity and debt instrument. Although REITs appear to offer many advantages in comparison to direct property investment their history in UK since their instigation in the UK has been greatly chequered with the global economic downturn having effected fund values greatly. Source- REITa.org 1.2 Proposition The proposition for this paper is; â€Å"Investor confidence in the UK-REIT has been permanently affected by the timing of their introduction to the UK during the recession.† 1.3 Aims and Objectives Indirect investment in property has been a steadily growing mode of investment in the UK over the previous years. With Real Estate Investment Trusts being introduced to the UK in 2007 my overall research aims to establish the effects recent years have had on investor confidence in UK-REITs performance as an indirect investment mode in portfolios. In order to meet this aim a number of objectives are assembled. These are: To look at how the recession has affected investment in property as a whole. To compare how direct and indirect investment in property have performed in the UK during the recession. To establish whether there is an inherent problem with the structure of UK—REITs or has the recession been the main driver for their underperformance. To interview a mixture of fund managers, property investors and general property professionals in order to support theoretical findings of the poor performance of UK-REITs since their introduction and establish any other underlying factors in the UK-REIT system. 1.4 Scope of Study This research initially involves an overview of the structure of the UK-REIT and its performance history since January 2007. The scope of the study is then further narrowed down, with emphasis on why the UK-REIT has performed poorly supported by interviews to indicate investors views of the future performance of UK-REITs. 1.5 Structure of Study Chapter one: Introduction Introduces the field of this study and states the hypothesis that will be investigated. The chapter also sets out the aims and objectives of the dissertation to â€Å"understand the history of REIT performance within the UK and ascertain if investor confidence has been permanently affected by the recession† and concludes with a brief discussion of the methods used. Chapter two: Research Methodology States the research methodology utilised to carry out this study. It looks at the various types of research and data that will be employed and how these findings will be analysed. Chapter 3: Literature Review This shall look at the generic fundamentals of the UK structure of the REIT in order to establish that the UK-REIT structure is not flawed. It will look at the theoretical determinants of the performance the UK-REIT. Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Conclusion will look at the key findings of the study. Conclusion Chapter 2: Research Methodology 2.1 Introduction The purpose of all research is fundamentally the same and is defined by â€Å"seeking through methodical processes to add to ones own body of knowledge and hopefully, to that of others, by the discovery of non trivial facts and insights.† Sharp and Howard (1996) This chapter shall detail the methods to be implemented during the course of this study. It shall include a brief outline of different methods used; secondary data and primary data along with quantitative and qualitative data. It shall show the process with which the research shall follow, along with its limitations and finally an explanation of how the results can be analysed. 2.2 Types of Research Methods The different types of research methods used during this study shall be described below. 2.21 Secondary Research Secondary research involves the summary, collation and or synthesis of existing research. For my dissertation I shall look at a number of sources of secondary research in order to better inform my primary research. I shall use existing academic research on REITs from journals, in order to source such material from the Library catalogue. Textbooks shall provide another academic background to the subject. Articles from publications such as the Financial Times shall provide current views of property professionals. Search engines such as www.google.com and the Google scholar service shall provide further material for this paper. Historic data on the performance of REITs can be sourced from such bodies as the IPD and REITA.org. This quantitative data shall be statistically analysed. Academic integrity of sources shall have to be taken into consideration when reviewing secondary sources. Academic journals have the Newton metaphor of â€Å"standing on the shoulders of giants† in that their material has been reviewed intensively by other academics before being published. However other material may not have such integrity in their views. For example articles are only one persons view point on a subject and thus may not be entirely correct. 2.22 Primary Research Primary research involves the collection of data that does not already exist. My dissertation shall look to conduct primary research through semi- structured interviews with a mixture of fund managers, property investors and general property professionals. This research shall be in the form of a questionnaire emailed to the individual. The results of which shall be treated ethically following the research ethics guiding principle outlined by Dissertation Guide. This Chapter 3: Literature Review 3.1 Introduction This Chapter shall aim to look into the work of previous academics on REITs. Firstly we shall look at depth the generic fundamentals of the UK structure of the REIT in order to establish that the UK-REIT structure is not flawed. Secondly it will look at the place of REITs in a modern portfolio, REITs as an inflation hedge, information transfer between direct and indirect property and REIT sensitivity. 3.2 The UK structure of the REIT The introduction of REITs in the UK has been long in the making and regarded by many as long overdue. The 2003 Pre-budget report announced that â€Å"in line with the interim recommendations of the Barker review, the government has concluded that reform to the tax treatment of property investment would improve liquidity, transparency and scrutiny, provide access to property for long-term savings and could expand the private rented sector† This was the beginnings of the process that concluded with the introduction of Real estate investment trusts in January 2007. In order to establish a Real Estate Investment Trust structure in the UK the HM Treasury published the Paper â€Å"Promoting more flexible investment in property: a consultation† in 2004. The purpose of this paper was to look at the possibilities of REITs in the UK and to look at successful structures which had been implemented in other countries. By looking at these other structures HM Treasury concluded that REIT structures which I had been successfully implement elsewhere were close-ended, publicly listed and internally manage. The Paper also outlined the requirement to distribute a high level of the income to investors, combined with restrictions on debt gearing and development activity permitted. In order for Real Estate Investment Trusts to be instigated in the UK the Government through this paper set out four key objectives for reform: â€Å"Improving the quality and quantity of finance for investment in commercial and residential property. Expanding access to a wider range of savings products on a stable and well regulated basis. Protecting all taxpayers by ensuring a fair level of tax is paid by the property sector. Supporting the structural change in property markets to reduce costs and improve flexibility and quality for tenants.† HM Treasury 2004 3.21 UK Structural Features The paper (HM Treasury, 2004) also outlined structural features that would be vital to the design of any proposed property investment fund for the UK. Firstly one of the primary objectives for introducing a REIT structure to the UK would be to be listed on the stock exchange. This would expand the opportunity for small investors to invest in a wider range of property. It would also ensure fairness restricting private companies taking advantage of the tax arrangement without delivering some of the wider public benefits. The paper also outlines further benefits to being lists on the stock exchange; ensuring a wide investor base and encourages access to the retail investor. The listed property structure also determines frequent market scrutiny with the regulation structure already place in the stock market ensuring transparency for the investor, whilst also increasing liquidity of the asset type. Another potential advantage would be that the fund might trade closer to its net asset value, which would make it easier to raise new capital on the market. A second key structural feature of the UK-REIT was to establish if a close-ended or open ended fund structure would be more suitable. An open ended structure could mean that the scheme may have to liquidate asset quickly, at a time which might not be appropriate for the market leading to instability. The nature of property as an illiquid asset and with the requirement of some degree of liquidity to be present in the portfolio causes difficulties in the open ended structure. With the close-ended structure the UK-REIT these difficulties do not arise. If an investor wishes to withdraw an investment they may simply sell shares, where the price reflects market equilibrium for the share. Thirdly in this early stage of the looking at the possible UK-REIT structure it was decided that there would be a high level of income distribution to investors. This was to ensure that that investors had good returns. However the exact distribution percentage needed to be designed to reflect conditions specific to the UK in order to for there to be sufficient cash to maintain properties in the portfolio. The report also looked at the levels of borrowing that the property investment fund should be allowed. If there was high borrowing allowed then this would imply high debt service costs, reducing the level of income to investors, perhaps also changing the balance from an income return based investment to a capital value return. With high borrowing, then the structure may resemble that of an ordinary property company. The report also looks at concern over the development activity in the UK structure. The government had two objectives for this; firstly to encourage greater renewal within the property industry, to develop new commercial and residential property. Also secondly to ensure that the property sector contributes its share of tax, with high levels of income and capital being distributed to investors. With the high distribution costs and borrowing restrictions it was decided that the fund should not be a vehicle which newly developed property would be sold and managed. In December 2006 HM Revenues and Customs published their pre budget report, outlining the UK- REIT structure that would be implemented in January 2007. 90% of the income from the tax exempt business is to be distributed to shareholders within 12 months of the end of the accounting period. The company must not be controlled by five or fewer shareholders. Shares must be recognised on a recognised stock exchange An entry Charge of 2% of the market value of their investment properties is chargeable at the date of conversion 75% or more of its assets must take the form of investment property and 75% or more of its income must be rental income. The company must not borrow money on terms that are linked to its profits. Distributions of UK-REITs tax exempt income are treated as income from property. Where a UK-REIT carries on a joint venture, the activities of the joint venture company can be taken into account in deciding if the UK-REIT meets the regime conditions. Restrictions on gearing; profits must cover interest payments by at least 1.25times failing this the company will pay corporation tax. 3.3 REITs place in a Portfolio The place of REITs in a portfolio has been the subject of much debate. Chiang et al. (2002) conducted research into the place of REITs in a contemporary portfolio. It states that the business of investment management is a decentralised, top-down one in which practitioners must estimate the optimal asset class mix. Therefore fund managers must have an understanding of what exactly Real Estate Investment Trusts are at the macro level, in order to be effective in optimising and diversifying their portfolios. If an investment manager was able to mimic the returns of REITs, the less understood REIT would be likely to be operationally redundant. However if the price behaviour of REITs is unique then including REITs into portfolios would be essential and beneficial to practitioners, as their portfolios are further diversified at the macro level. The Chiang et al paper is motivated to provide evidence regarding the benefits of diversification from including REITs in multi asset portfolios wi thout or combined with unsecuritised real estate. Liang and McIntosh (1998) however include a more complete set of asset classes over a longer period of time in order to derive more conclusive results. The research concluded that REITs are a unique asset class which cannot be mimicked at the macro level by investing in other asset classes. The paper also investigated that styles of REITs can change over time, while the returns remained unique throughout the sample period. However in a study by Glasgock et al.(2000) claims that previous research only looked at linear relationships and without acknowledging the long run economic effects that may occur. In their study they used integration analysis to examine long term economic relationships among REITs and other markets. Need more about real estate versus stocks

Leadership in Nursing Skills

Leadership in Nursing Skills Leadership is process of persuading others to work toward achieving the common desired outcomes (Whitehead, Weiss and Tappen, 2007). In healthcare settings, leadership and quality of care are interlinked. Nursing leadership plays vital role in organisational success as it is client oriented. It facilitates and ensures the delivery of best possible care to the clients (Zori Morrison, 2009) There are certain leadership characteristics that determine the effectiveness of a nurse leader. This essay critically discusses these attributes and also discusses the significance of these characteristics in context of nursing leadership. Furthermore, it briefly explains the effect of change and use of power in nursing to accommodate the change. A leader is anyone who influences his followers to do what he want them to do for attaining the organisational goals (Sullivan Decker, 2009). Leaders possess many leadership traits that make them different from their followers and enable them to lead the group effectively (Marquis and Huston, 2009). Key personal qualities of an effective nurse leader are self awareness, integrity, courage and perseverance. Development of an ability to think critically, to share common vision, to manage conflict, delegation and communicating skilfully are essential leadership behaviours that make a nurse leader effective (Whitehead, Weiss and Tappen, 2007). Identifying the one` leadership skills is very crucial as it enables the person to achieve the organisational goals. The leaders must set an example to influence their followers. They must have high emotional intelligence to understand themselves and others (Linda, 2005). A leader must be self aware. He should know his own strengths and weaknesses. If he recognises his strengths or weaknesses and likes or dislikes, it is much easier for him to identify othersà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢. Then, they can work together neutralising their weaknesses (Whitehead, Weiss and Tappen, 2007). The focus of leadership should not be they, but, it must be the client. They should emphasize on improving the quality of care provided to their clients (Hiscock Shuldham, 2008). Leading an organisation or department is very challenging. The leaders confront many problematic issues everyday, resolving these issues is complex. Successful leaders are critical thinkers too. They must be able to critically analyse the situation using their expertise knowledge and skills. Critical thinking is one of the components of decision making. Using the critical thinking skills, a leader examines the situation, looks for different alternatives and becomes aware of all the risks that may prevent the success of decision being made. Therefore, the leader attempts to avoid such pitfalls and decide the best possible alternative. Critical thinking is not innate, however, it can be learnt during one`s own experiences (Sullivan and Decker, 2009). Ability to share a common vision should be part of an effective leader`s behaviour. Nursing leaders think à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"outside the boxà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ . They are capable to think about better future when the things are currently getting harder to deal with. They are open minded, ready to think laterally and search for different ways to tackle the problems (Morgan, 2010). They should be able to influence others to develop this vision and become involved in different strategies to initiate change (Grossman Valiga, 2009). Delegation is also a key attribute of nursing leadership which is learnt with practice. Delegation is reassigning the task to another person which you are supposed to do. Even though, you have delegated the task to anyone else, you are accountable for the task accomplishment. In healthcare settings, the nurse leader uses her professional judgement while delegating the nursing care to nurses depending upon their abilities and supervises their work too. By doing this, the nurses can gain more confidence and competence in their own performance. As the main focus of leadership is providing quality care to the client, supervision of work by leader nurse ensures that the patient receives standardised care. Hence, it brings them together as a team leading towards attaining the goal of providing safe and quality care to their clients (Whitehead, Weiss and Tappen, 2007). Communication plays a vital role in successful leadership. To be successful, leaders must develop excellent communication skills. Nurse leaders promote two-way communication. Effective leaders can successfully convey their messages to their followers by verbal and non-verbal communication and they are good listeners also. They encourage valuable suggestions from staff members that can help leaders for bringing about effective changes in organisation. Effective communication facilitates the constructive relationship between them (Marquis and Huston, 2009). Nowadays, nursing leadership is considered as very crucial factor in promoting health and catering for the unique health needs of the people by providing safe and quality care. It is very important for nurses to develop these leadership characteristics if they want to become a nurse leader (Davison, 2010). It focuses on evidence based practice. Being nurses, they are committed to provide best quality care to the clients. Nurses should believe and understand that their role impacts the clients and the outcomes. Therefore, they should make best use of their leadership skills to bring improvement in the client care (Hiscock and Shuldham, 2008). Nurse leaders model high emotional intelligence. It is very useful as it enables them to understand their own and clients` behaviour. Better understanding of client will assist them to recognise and fulfil unique health needs of client and achieve organisational goals. Nurse leaders use critical thinking skills everyday because they engage in making complex decisions related to client care. Critical thinking enables nurses to scrutinize particular situation and choose appropriate action using their sound professional knowledge. This can bring changes and achieve positive health outcomes (Hood, 2010). The nurse leaders have ability to see a changed reality. They also inspire others to see the change and persuade them to contribute towards achievement of the outcome. They must value the contributions of followers (Grossman Valiga, 2009). Nurse leaders should exhibit excellent communication skills. As they work as health team member, they need to communicate with all other members of health organisation with a common aim of achieving positive patient outcomes. They share their views and convey the messages clearly to the clients and subordinates. Besides this, nurse leaders are active listeners. They encourage active participation of clients in their own care. Nurse leaders maintain written records, which serves as evidence of care being given. These records can be used to track the delivery of health care. On the other hand, if nurses are unable to communicate effectively, it may lead to chaos as the clients will not receive appropriate care (Grossman Valiga, 2009). Delegation is an essential leadership trait. Nurse leaders delegate their work to their subordinates; however, they are accountable for their task. It acts as a tool as it facilitates development of skills of others. It also enables leader to carry out m ore tasks at the same time. Apart from these, it also develops teamwork (Sullivan Decker, 2009). Power can be defined as an ability to influence others to get work done. In healthcare organisations, the power is essential for the organisational effectiveness and workers` satisfaction. Nurses use power to influence clients and other health professionals. To use power effectively, nurses must be knowledgeable about different sources and types of power. All nurses exercise power in one or other way (Whitehead, Weiss Tappen, 2007). The nurses can use power to improve practice and achieve the goals of an organisation. When there is a change occurring, it is not taken as granted. The people may resist the change. In such situation, nurses can make effective use of their power to influence others and initiate change. Nurses aim to reduce the resistance by sharing the information, disconfirming currently held beliefs, providing psychological safety and dictating change (Whitehead, Weiss and Tappen, 2007). For instance, nurses can use informational power by sharing the information about the proposed change. They can influence clients by providing knowledge and sharing their vision about improvement of delivery of care (Huntington Gilmour, 2010). By using expert power, the nurse leaders can explain the reasons why the change is being brought in? They will ensure others that this change will improve their performance. They will appreciate suggestions from them and their concerns about it. Once, the nurse leaders successfully influenced others, they can implement change. There are many examples of use o f power by nurse leaders that brought changes in nursing practice. For instance, in Australia and New Zealand nurses used their power in form of legislative procedure and it enabled nurse practitioners to prescribe medicine (Huntington Gilmour, 2010). Nurses are obliged to protect the clients. When the clients need assistance to speak for them, the nurses act as their advocates. Using their power, nurses can present their views and suggestions and can demand for improving the quality of care being delivered to the clients. Nurse leaders should have understanding of clientsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ rights, ethical issues to protect clients from any harm. For example, when working in Intensive Care Unit, if a nurse recognizes that one of other staff member does not practice good hand hygiene practice as per the norms of the hospital despite of previous warnings given. At first glance, nurse might find it challenging to report this issue to their superiors. However, keeping the client care as focus she will address this problem. This is an effective use of her legitimate power. When the client is not receiving appropriate care and there is need to change the situation, nurses act as protectors. Nurses preserve the rights of clients, protect the clients and monitor the quality of client care (Hood, 2010). Nurse leaders can use their power effectively by empowering others. They should work together as a team rather than competing with their co-workers. It prevents conflicts and promotes harmony in the healthcare setting. The clients may feel powerlessness due to their diseased conditions. Nurses can empower clients by actively engaging them in their care i.e. by giving them informed choices about their treatment, seeking suggestions to promote their health. This will strengthen their relationship by building trust between nurse and client and will enable patients to become an active partner rather than a passive recipient (Hood, 2010). In conclusion, effective leadership is a key element in organisational success. Effective leaders along with their team members, work together in order to achieve organisational goals. Leaders develop certain leadership attributes that enable leaders to influence others to follow them. Nursing leadership is an indispensable part of health care system. It plays a vital role in promoting health and delivery of quality client care. Nursing leadership is client oriented as it works for the best interests of their clients. Nurse leaders exercise power to influence clients, their families and other healthcare professionals in order to achieve positive health outcomes. Change is inevitable in health care. New changes can be introduced successfully with the effective use of power. The focus of care remains clients. The nurse leaders should communicate the change with their colleagues and clients and persuade them to allow this change. The nurses are obliged to protect the rights of clients a nd ensure optimal delivery of health care services. The changes are made to improve the quality of care and client safety.

fight club :: essays research papers

I think that everyone, to some sense, is uncomfortable or insecure in surroundings they are unfamiliar with. For me it is hard to be confident in surroundings I am not used to. Having confidence in myself is a huge part of life. Insecure feelings in a foreign place are a very lonely part of life, learning how to overcome these feelings is always beneficial.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Last August I chose to try out for a hockey team in Port Alberny, British Columbia. The challenge I faced before I stepped on the ice was to rise above the nerves I had developed during my long car and ferry ride. The ten hours I spent in the car was horrible. I had all that time to think how the camp could turn out, which made me nervous. There were all the questions in my head. How would I match up against my competition? What if I played badly? What would the coaches think of me? And would I get cut or make the team? My whole hockey career I always worked hard to be the best that I could be. Making this team meant I would have a shot at achieving a college scholarship. Upon my arrival to the rink I had to do a physical fitness test with the other guys in the camp. As soon as I joined the group of guys, I immediately felt distanced from all of them, since I was a day late to the camp and from the U.S. It was like I was walking around with Bobs bitch tits on my chest from the book Fight Club. Bob was a body builder taking hormones which caused him to grow breasts. He was used to having a fit body. So going from a muscular guy to having â€Å"bitch tits† is a huge change in his appearance. This would be hard for any man to accept. I imagine he must have felt as I did, like the spotlight was on him. I am not the kind of person who wants to be the center of attention. The coaches made us take a timed two kilometer run, which was tiring for just about everyone. After the run, we had a little rest, my legs felt like they were going to fall off; they were so stiff from the ten hour car ride and then running two km.

The Chinese Revolution Essay -- essays research papers

As many other countries around the world China has its long history of a struggle for equality and prosperity against tyrants and dictatorships. The establishment of People’s Republic of China in 1949 seemed to have put an end to that struggle for a better life. â€Å"The Chinese people have stood up!† declared Mao Tse-tung, the chairman of China’s Communist Party (CPP) – a leading political force in the country for the time. The people were defined as a coalition of four social classes: the workers, the peasants, the petite bourgeoisie and the national-capitalists. The four classes were to be led buy the CPP, as the leader of the working class. For the first time in decades a new Chinese government was met with peace and hope, instead of massive violent opposition, within its territory. The government and its political force, the CPP, were expected to fulfill century long dream of the Chinese people for â€Å"reason, liberty, progress and democracy.† The government promised to bring about a string of swift political and economical reforms that would dramatically improve life of every Chinese citizen within the life span of one generation. A promise of a vast land reform that would give long-awaited land to millions of peasant families won their support for the new government. At that time the party’s members of peasant origin accounted for nearly 90 percent. The Chinese intellectuals supported the communists for their promise to establish a variety of democratic institutions that ...

“Medea” Aristotelian Analysis

Aristotelian Analysis – Music/Sound & Spectacle (Medea) V. Music/SoundThe Use of Sound in Medea Eurypides uses sound to great effect in Medea. Perhaps most prevalent is the fact that all the women are played by men, most likely talking and singing in a high pitched falsetto, giving the play a high, screeching tone, which would certainly put the audience on edge. This would add to the tension, and provide an exaggerated contrast between the men, speaking in their natural voices, and the women in their falsetto.This also influences the musical nature of the play. As compared to other Greek tragedies where the chorus would have been intentionally all male, Medea would have a very different sound, a much more feminine sound, as would be fitting for one of the few Greek plays with a female protagonist. The language Eurypides uses helps the audience understand her and her actions, as well as be able to empathize with her. Words of destruction, such as â€Å"kill,† â€Å"brok en,† â€Å"refugee,† â€Å"sick,† â€Å"hate,† â€Å"enraged,† and â€Å"starves† all set the stage in the first 20 lines of the play.The audience instantly knows that Medea has suffered horribly, and now has every right and reason to take revenge for the wrongs that have been done to her. These same words are used often throughout the play, especially â€Å"hate† and â€Å"betrayed† and give us great insight into the total fury and single mindedness of Medeas later actions. Jason's words, on the other hand, help us realize just how disconnected he is. He is, as the Chorus says â€Å"ignorant beyond pity. †Ã‚   Jason thinks he is being â€Å"generous,† and he somehow thinks leaving his wife for a younger woman makes him her â€Å"advocate. Eurypides carefully emphasizes the scene where the children are slaughtered by having it be the only time we hear them speak. They are on stage for many scenes, but they never d o anything but watch, silent and obedient while their family falls apart around them. When they finally speak, it is because it is their only hope of saving themselves; it is too late for their family. They cry out, with young innocent voices, pleading for help in what is perhaps the most tense moment of the play.This tension is further heightened by the fact that the audience cannot see what is happening, they can only hear it. They are forced to rely on sound alone, and that sound for those few lines becomes the only thing that matters. One almost wants to watch Medea kill her children just to know what is actually happening behind that door instead of being denied perhaps our most important sense: sight. The audience becomes blind to the action of the play, as Medea has embraced her blind rage. Social Implications:In the last lines of Medea, Euripides uses the verbal interaction between Jason and Medea to show a reversal in the stereotypical gender roles of the time. Although Med ea is a goddess, she represents a strong, unyielding female role that has power over her male counterpart in their relationship. Moments before the final grand spectacle, a distraught, weakened Jason is powerless to the will of Medea. He raises his voice (indicative of his losing all authority and pathetically lashing out for some form control) and demands that he be allowed to have his children back.Yet Madea is unwavering and persistent. Unlike Jason, she â€Å"wastes† no words and provides a simple, rational-sounding message that reflects her supremacy. This kind of social commentary is interesting because women, who were rarely awarded the liberties of men at the time, were allowed to attend the plays at the Dionysus festival. It is possible that Euripides was sending a subtle message of hope and pride to all of the oppressed female members of his audience. Dialect:Euripides was celebrated for his simplistic use of language which reflects a more realistic dialogue in the character's expressions. Although he did not win as many first place awards as Sophocles or Aeschylus at the Dionysus festivals, his work was popular to an audience which was able to recognize their own dialects and accents on stage. Unlike other tragedies of his time, Euripides's work was not diluted by unrealistic, grandiose phraseology which often had a deleterious effect on the listener's comprehension and ability to interprate the plays.Physical Realities of Sound in Ancient Greek Theater: Ancient Greek theaters were specially constructed to perfectly suit the art which they housed (although without roofs). The multi-thousand-seat theaters were built into hilsides to allow for minimal construction and also excellent accoustics. In today's theater, sound is almost always electronically amplified to permit better hearing by the audience, but not having this as an option, these grecian temples had to be constructed perfectly.By encircling the orchestra   with a mathematically pe rfected design of wooden or stone benches, sloping upwards away from the performance, the ancient architects nearly mimiced the way that sound travels as it spreads. This near-perfect acoustical environment allowed the actors' voices to travel all the way to the last row of seats. Also, the Skene buidling which stood behind the orchestra may have assisted in the amplification by reflecting voices and sound towards the thousands of audience members.This arrangement meant that the words which were spoken and sounds of music and dancing were clear such that their importance could be heard accurately. The theaters of Ancient Greece enormous, when, for example, the nearest seat was almost 10 meters away from the performer, large movements and loud voices were critical to conveying the full story. As such, it is widely accepted that the performers would wear very simple, plain masks which made their facial features more clear and obvious for the audience to see.Some theater historians ass ert that these masks also had a type of megaphone built in for amplification, although this point is disputed. In conjunction with their enlarged faces, the performers were often on stilts and wearing heavy robes of fabric to accurately convey their character. These amendments to their body meant that every move they made and every sound they created needed to be worth it. There was no â€Å"stage whispering† in this theater which limited but also inspired Euripides to write plays with more dynamic and complex plotlines, ones filled with action and confrontation to futher add to the experience.In addition, the chorus of some twelve men (playing women in Medea) would constantly dance around the orchestra (derived from the Greek term for dancing) during their scenes. The dancing was entertaining but also allowed the group to spread around the wealth so to speak of their odes, so that all might be privy to hearing their sound and seeing their dance. VI. Spectacle The Greatest Sp ectacle: After the extraordinary hardships which Medea faces throughout the play, we come across the ending when she â€Å"appears in a winged chariot, rising above the house. The bodies of the two children are visible in the chariot. Interestingly, over the past 1570 lines of the play, the stage directions are almost never this specific or elaborate. Showing that Euripides has literally saved the best for last, perhaps to shamelessly present a big ending, the rising chariot is the epitome of spectacle in this play. Although there would be no such chariot in the ancient theaters, it is likely that Medea herself would be lifted from the stage level by the deus ex machina (literally, god machine) and the childen's bodies would be thrust forth on a rolling wagon from the skene in the rear of the orchestra.By creating such a spectacle, Euripides also highlights the importance of this event: Medea has killed her own childen in order to free them from the terror of the world which has be en created for them. Her actions display her insanity, and her relentless pursuit of revenge against Jason. Setting and Costumes: The unique Greek theaters which seated many thousands called for very simplistic yet very clear design choices. Instead of elaborate costumes, the performers would wear large bold costumes which allowed even the farthest spectator to be clear on who is who.Due to the widely acknowledged â€Å"three-actor rule† (whereby three actors played the roles of all the characters in a play) the costume and mask changes would need to immediately reflect differing characters. It is also widely accepted that the performers would wear a type of stilts to make them â€Å"larger than life† leading to two interpretations: the actors could be better seen and heard when higher, but also became almost godlike or unrealistically large- adding to the spectacle of this world. Entrances and Exits:In the rear of the orchestra section was the Skene, a large building which served as a universal setting for Greek Theater. The sometimes elaborate building would generally have a major door in the center (for palace settings) as well as machines which hoisted actors above the orchestra section. Some characters may have entered this way, but most, including the chorus, would enter on ramps adjacent to the orchestra area. These eisodoi or parodoi would be used for entrances by characters such as a messenger or soldier. How did the actors move:Simply, the actors moved in large, overstated motions. In order to make the play as clear as possible for the large audiences, subtlety was not an option for the ancient Greeks. But what this also meant   for the performance was that the plot had to be appropriately planned for this style of acting. Performers carried out sometimes-long speeches with highly clear emotional intent. This style is a crucial part of Medea. As the plot continues and Medea's situation worsens, emotions become increasingly polar and d isjointed, making clear the protagonist and antagonist's intentions.

Discover the affects of PH on the enzyme catalase

Catalase- This is an enzyme found in food such as potato and liver. It is used for removing Hydrogen Peroxide from cells. Hydrogen Peroxide is the poisonous by-product of metabolism. It speeds up the decomposition of hydrogen Peroxide into oxygen and water. It is able to do this because the shape of its active site matches the shape of Hydrogen Peroxide molecule. This type of reaction where a molecule is broken down into smaller pieces is an ANABOLIC REACTION. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON ENZYMES: Enzymes- Enzymes are complex 3-D globular proteins, some of which have other associated molecules. Enzymes are a catalyst which alters the rate of chemical reaction without itself undergoing a permanent change, and therefore can be used over and over again. Enzymes help reactions speed up which would otherwise take place very slowly. While the enzyme molecule is relatively larger than the larger than the substrate molecule it acts upon, only a small part of the enzyme molecule actually comes into contact. This region is called the ACTIVE SITE. The active site of an enzyme is the region that binds the substrate and contributes the amino acid residues that directly participate in the making and breaking of chemical bonds. However, all enzymes operate only on a specific shape and therefore fit only complementary locks, so only substrates of a particular shape will fit the active site of an enzyme. Prediction I predict that as the PH increases the activity of enzyme increases until the optimum PH is reached. Catalase optimum ph is around 6-7.after that the enzyme will be denatured. Hypothesis The enzyme will have an optimum pH of around neutral. Either side of the optimum pH will have relatively high rates of reaction or far away from the optimum pH will have a low rate of reaction. The enzyme catalase is found in many tissues including potato and liver. It is important because it breaks down the hydrogen peroxide formed in metabolism. Hydrogen peroxide is toxic and if it were not broken down it would kill the cells. As it does this, it liberates carbon dioxide that can be collected. CHEMICAL EQUATION: 2H2O2 ——————-> 2H2O + O2 I also hypothesize that the catalase activity will be highest with the sample of potato comparing to the apple. Variables The factors, which will have an affect on the enzyme activity, will be: * Temperature * Concentration of enzymes * pH The variable in which I will be using to investigate the enzyme activity is the temperature. The rest of the variables will be kept constant and only the temperatures will be changed. Apparatus To test how the PH affects the rate of reaction, I will use the following apparatus: * Gas syringe through bung * Potato * Hydrogen Peroxide * Stop Clock * Cork borer * Scalpel * water Beaker-250 cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ * Delivery Tube * Ph 3,5,7,9 * 5 cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ or 10 cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ plastic syringe with end cut off * measuring cylinder * conical flask * White tile * wax * Test tubes * Test tube rack * Safety equipment; goggles, lab coat, gloves Alternative: Use yeast, broad beans or liver, instead of potato and apple. Method 1. Measure out 5cm3 of potato into a conical flask 2. Measure out 10 cm3 of buffer solution into a separate container and mix it with minced potato. 3. Measure out 5cm3 volume of hydrogen peroxide in syringe. 4. Fill a tub with water. 5. Completely immerse a measuring cylinder in the water making sure to release all air bubbles in the cylinder and keep underwater. 6. Position the cylinder upright ensuring the open end remains underwater and clamp securely 7. Add the hydrogen peroxide to the potato and place bung on conical flask whilst starting timer. 8. Run experiment for 5 minutes taking readings every 30 seconds by noting the amount of gas at top of cylinder (at meniscus) 9. Repeat the experiment with different ph. Justification of method: I have chosen to use this method because it is safe, efficient and accurate. I feel that it will help me to obtain reliable results. Risk Assessment * Hydrogen peroxide is a dangerous substance. It can cause serious injury to the eyes and skin. It is therefore necessary that goggles be used for eye protection. In addition, eye irrigation equipment should be readily available in case of an emergency. * The working area must be clean, tidy and dry. Make sure there is no obstacle in the working area so that you can easily move around as. This allows you to perform the experiment safely and unimpeded care should be taken to ensure that liquid is not spilled onto the floor to cause slippage. Result table Time(s) Oxygen gas collected (cm3) Ph 3 ph 5 ph7 ph9 30 1.5 1.5 0.5 1.5 60 1.5 3.0 1.5 2.0 90 1.5 5.0 2.0 2.0 120 1.5 7.0 5.65 2.0 150 1.5 8.3 10.3 2.0 180 1.5 9.0 14.35 2.0 210 1.5 10.0 17.35 2.0 240 1.5 11.1 20.15 2.0 270 1.5 13.6 24.15 2.0 300 1.5 14.0 31.15 2.0 These results clarify that the optimum ph for catalase is 7 which supports my prediction. At the lowest ph 3, less oxygen was released, measuring a slower rate of reaction. My background information explains this. The enzyme don't work as it is neared extreme PHS. This is because its shape would have been change slightly; means the active site may not fit into the substrate any more. Further investigation: If this investigation were to be done again, I would take all results myself and use my own interpretation, thus gaining more reliable results. I will know how much potato to measure out for each experiment and also I will make sure that the other variables are kept constant. I have taken the same amount of each, keeping them constant. This would give me clearer results to aid me in my understanding as to how ph can affect the activity of catalase.