Role of Spirituality in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease Essay Example for Free

Role of Spirituality in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease Essay Spirituality, as defined in this article entitled Role of Spirituality in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease, is the capacity to rise above life experiences, to celebrate life, and to experience joy. Spirituality is comprised of acceptance, the need for love, mercifulness, and self-fulfillment and it applies to all mankind; on the other hand, being religious is relative to the person’s religious group and its practices (Cooper-Effa, et al. , 2001). They have divided a person’s spiritual well-being into involving a religious component or a relationship with God and an existential component, which involves the individual’s sense of life purpose. It was concluded in this study that those patients with a relatively high existential component were able to cope up more with the pain and the over-all outcome of the disease. It has been known that spirituality can increase the ability to tolerate pain (cited in Landis, 1996). This concept can be applied by getting the patient’s cooperation and trust, and then the nurse will facilitate a talk about spirituality. This will empower the patient to establish his spirituality and the nurse will also be able to develop closer ties with the patient, improving rapport. The nurse can further help the patient by getting him a spiritual counselor, as per patient’s request. By helping the patient strengthen his spirituality, an improvement in the patient’s over-all outlook on the disease, on life, and a probability of lesser pain may take place. Holistic practice in nursing is very important nowadays. As a nurse, there are several skills that should be present to help client’s achievement of spiritual needs. The nurse should be open to all kinds of religion and beliefs, he must try to maintain open minded. He or she should respect these beliefs and religious practices by not questioning the nature of these and by participating in these activities whenever the client wishes the nurse to. Also, nurses cannot let their own beliefs take over them. If there are circumstances wherein the nurse finds that he is unable to accept a client’s belief or practice, then it would be best for the nurse to ask for help from another nurse discreetly. Patience, understanding, and wisdom are needed for a successful patient and nurse interaction. References Journal of the American Board of Family Practice. (2001). Role of Spirituality in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease. Retrieved February 01, 2008, from http://www. medscape. com/viewarticle/405838_1.

Information systems in organisations

Information systems in organisations Abstract Successful system roll-out is not a task that can easily be achieved. As many organisations and governments have found to their cost, it is not simply the case that they can throw money at an information system in the hope that it will be successful. The primary case study used is that of the London Ambulance Service Computer Aided Despatch system. After looking at the background of the case the implementation and subsequent failure are discussed. The reasons for failure are explained, which show the project as essentially being doomed from the start. Although system failure is a common occurrence many organisations do not seem to learn from the mistakes of the past, resulting in several other high profile cases. There are some strategies, however, that can be adopted in order to combat against failure, which mainly side on the softer aspects of system design such as management, organisational culture and human relations. What are the major causes of systems roll-out success or failure? What strategies can organisations take to ensure the success? To answer this question fully we must first understand what an information system (IS) is; and more importantly, what constitutes the success and, or failure of an IS. An information system in an organization provides processes and information useful to its members and clients (Avison Fitzgerald, 2003). Flynn (1992) also describes it as An information system provides procedures to record and make available information, concerning part of an organization, to assist organizations-related activities. An IS is made up of a complex set of factors, including human, organisational, technical, political and financial factors (Flowers, 1996). The interaction between these can give rise to either the success or failure of a system roll-out. The success of an IS is measured mainly on whether or not it meets the productivity target of being developed on time and to budget, and the quality target of meeting the clients requirements. A successful system is one that meets its targets of quality and productivity (Flynn, 1992). An IS is deemed unsuccessful if it fails either one, or both of its targets. In some instances the system is never actually delivered to the end user, which obviously is another case of system failure. An unsuccessful system is one that fails to meet either its quality or its productivity targets (Flynn, 1992). Successful system roll-out is not the easiest of tasks, with many governments and companies finding this out to their cost. In some cases these cost have run into hundreds of millions of pounds. The latest Standish Group report CHAOS Summary 2009 shows that more projects than ever are failing, and also that the number of successful projects is on the decrease. Only 32% of projects met their targets and could be classed as successful; with 44% of systems meeting either only some or none of their targets and 24% were never completed (The Standish Group, 2009). There are estimates that the cost of project failure in the U.S. alone is well in excess of $100 billion; emphasising just how costly a problem system roll-out can be if not done correctly. One reason as to why there are so many instances of IS failure is partly due to the fact that a lot of the time they are constructed without a full understanding or anticipation of reality (Xalles Limited, 2005). This is known as the Vacuum Mentality syndrome (Xalles Limited, 2005). These realities include changes in technology, changes made by the user community, reorganisations, changes of needs, change of key players and project sponsors, issues with resources and changes of processes (Xalles Limited, 2005). This idea is backed up by Maddison Darnton (1996) who explain that human issues are usually more important than technical ones in determining success or failure. Highlighting the fact that it is not necessarily technical issues with an IS that are the main problems during the development process, but instead ones regarding human incompetence. One of the most dramatic IS failures reported in recent years is that of the London Ambulance Service Computer Aided Despatch (LASCAD) system. The LAS is the biggest ambulance service in the world, dealing with over 2,500 emergency calls a day. This inevitably put massive strains on the manual paper-based system that was being used, which already had several major problems with it. This led to the standards of performance falling below the ones agreed to as part of the national standards for ambulance response. It was, therefore, imperative that a new, more effective computer aided despatch system was introduced in order to meet the performance levels. The new system worked by a Control Assistant receiving an emergency call and entering the details given by the caller into the CAD system. Using call-box identifier and mapping systems, the exact location of the caller was calculated. Based on the information on the incident the CAD then worked out a level for the emergency, thus informing the Control Assistant on the appropriate specialist vehicles and skills that should be deployed to the emergency. The most appropriate and closest vehicle to the incident was then pinpointed via the use of mobile data terminals and the vehicle tracking system, and despatched to the emergency. The CAD system sent details of the incident to the vehicle via the on-board computer. Throughout dealing with the incident the crew were constantly updating the CAD system as to their arrival at the scene, their depart ure from it, their arrival at the hospital, and finally when they were free to deal with another call (Flowers, 1996). The intention of the CAD system was to eradicate the inefficiencies of the old paper-based system. However, as the LAS soon found out this was far from the case. On Monday 26th October 1992 the entire LASCAD system went live. It became quickly apparent, however, that it could note cope with the volume of calls. A number of calls were somehow getting lost in the system, leading to duplicate calls being made (Flowers, 1996). This meant that people who were in emergency situations had to wait, in some cases, for 30 minutes for their call to be dealt with. Even when the calls were dealt with, the ambulance allocation system had also failed meaning this had to be done manually, resulting in further delays. Amidst the confusion, it was even reported in some cases that two ambulances turned up to a single emergency, or that one never turned up at all (Flowers, 1996). As the day progressed, the number of calls increased, putting even more pressure on the already faltering system. The newer calls were now overwriting the earlier calls, resulting in even more incidents not being dealt with. The situation became that bad that all the queues were cleared in an attempt to decongest the system. However, this only succeeded in making the problem even worse, as a new flood of calls that were previously lost came through (Flowers, 1996). It was only Tuesday afternoon when the system was eventually shut down as a result of the escalating situation (Finkelstein, 1993). The LAS were instead forced to revert to a former part computerised system. Just over a week later they were back using the fully manual system. It is impossible to consider all of the factors that contributed to the demise of the CAD system. However, there are several major issues which could, ultimately, be seen as the contributing factors towards its failure. Flowers (1996) states that the primary reasons behind the failure were those of the design of the system, the management ethos, the procurement process and the timetable to which the system was developed. The system had been designed without sufficient testing, and on the basis that it would be operating in a perfect world where everything goes according to plan. It relied solely on the requirement that all the information received was perfect. In reality this was far from the case, and so the system was unable to sufficiently despatch resources to the incidents. As highlighted in the official inquiry into the failure: It is probable that the development team did not have full appreciation of the importance of these elements or, at least, of the consequences of failure, or less than perfect performance, of any one part (Finkelstein, 1993). The management ethos at the LAS was one that was inward looking and old-fashioned (Flowers, 1996). As a result of the recent restructuring which had been forced upon the LAS by the National Health Service, there were reported high levels of stress amongst senior management, which had seen a great number of previously loyal staff quitting (Mellor, 1994). In the years leading up to this there was a distinct lack of investment in areas such as the training and development of managers. During the implementation process a report was commissioned by the LAS into staff attitudes. It was clear to see from the results that staff had little faith in the management and were not satisfied with their jobs. This view had already been exposed from the result from a survey conducted in 1989 (Flowers, 1996). The official inquiry also highlighted a culture within the organisation that bred a fear of failure amongst the employees; whereby the success of the system was the one and only consideration (Flowers, 1996). This created an atmosphere in which people were scared to mention any problems or doubts they had with the system. As a result the system had become a sacred cow, in the fact that it became unreasonably immune to criticism from anyone associated with it. Senior managers believed that the system could be developed at a cost of just  £1.5 million. To meet the stringent financial restrictions regarding the purchase of the system, it was recommended by the selection team that the LAS accept the lowest offer, no matter who the tender was; unless they believed they had good and sufficient reason on the contrary (Flowers, 1996). The consequence of being forced to accept a tender in this manner was that the one with the lowest offer was an inexperienced small software company that had gravely underestimated that task at hand; hence the reason for their offer being considerably lower than all others. Having never worked on a project of this kind the companys resources were massively stretched, leading to falling standards in areas such as quality assurance, resulting in several mistakes being made with the development of the software. The inflexible time scale of just 6 months to which the system was set was far less than the industry average of 18 months for a project of this scale. It was believed by a vast majority within the LAS that the time scale was highly unrealistic. Inquiry Team member Paul Williams stated that The timetable was impossible (Mellor, 1994). Staff complained of the inadequacy of the training received for the system. There were major doubts about the quality of the training received and that it was provided long before the system was actually implemented; meaning it was not as effective as it could have been. The situation was made even worse by the fact that the control room staff were trained separately to the ambulance staff, which caused the potential for miscommunication. Other reasons include the fact that it had been decided by management that there was to be a trade off between the performance of the system and usability. The system was developed with little input from system users such as ambulance crews, with no LAS staff being assigned full time to the project (Mellor, 1994). These, therefore, were not ideal conditions in which to launch the new CAD system. Flowers (1996), on the other hand, argues that there is never an ideal time to introduce a major new computer system. However, he does also go on to say that rarely has such a large scale information system ever been introduced under such difficult circumstances (Flowers, 1996). This was not the first time that the LAS had tried to implement a CAD system for ambulances. Beginning in the early 1980s the system was doomed after tests revealed it would not be able to deal with the sheer volume of calls and so was abandoned in 1990 at a cost of  £7.5 million. For a system roll-out to be successful it must contain these four phases: Implementation Planning, Implementation Delivery, Post-Implementation Support, Post-Implementation Analysis (Xalles Limited, 2005). These implementation methods are based on a number of principles and assumptions. The approach by management to the project should be disciplined. As the case of the LASCAD has shown; strong and effective management is essential for the success of a system. Managers should be able to competently handle and issues or problems that develop during the implementation of the system. Accurate and concentrated documentation is needed in order to effectively communicate throughout each of the implementation phases. The end user(s) should be kept in mind throughout the development process so that the System Requirement Specification can be met. It is essential that organisations learn from the mistakes of others regarding the roll-out of an information system. However, this can pose quite difficult as many organisations, if they have difficulties, tend to keep these problems in-house, as not to bring any negative press to themselves. In conclusion it is clear to see that the roll-out of a successful IS is not an easy achievement, with organisations not always learning from the mistakes of others. After reading several case studies of high profile IS failures including LASCAD, TAURUS and Heathrow Terminal 5, it shows that the price of failure are extremely high with these companies losing tens of millions of pounds between them, and in the case of the LASCAD people losing their lives. These cases also highlighted that the main contributing factors towards the demise of each project were in fact from poor management, rather than technical difficulties. It is argued that the main factors for success comprise of timing and budget, perceived usefulness and ease of use, fitting the organisations business strategy and objectives, the management culture and human relations, and lastly acceptance of the system by the user(s) (Maddison Darnton, 1996). In order for a system roll-out to be successful all of this must be ta ken into consideration. Bibliography Avison, D. Fitzgerald, G. (2003). Information Systems Develolpment: Methodologies, Techniques and Tools Third Edition. Mcgraw Publishsing Flynn, D. J. (1992). Information Systems Requirements: Determination and Analysis. McGraw-Hill International Flowers, S. (1996). Software Failure: Management Failure: Amazing Stories and Cautionary Tales. John Wiley Sons Ltd. Finkelstein, A (1993). Report of the Inquiry Into The London Ambulance Service. International Workshop on Software Specification and Design Case Study. The Communications Directorate. Finkelstein, A Dowell, J. A Comedy of Errors: the London Ambulance Service case study. School of Informatics, City University. Lin, A (2009). Information Systems in Organisations. Department of Information Studies, The University of Sheffield. Maddison, R. Darnton, G. (1996). Information systems in organizations: improving business processes. Chapman Hall. Mellor, P. (1994). CAD: Computer-Aided Disaster (High Integrity Systems). Vol. 1, 2, pp. 101-156. The Standish Group (2009). New Standish Group report shows more project failing and less successful projects [Online]. http://www.standishgroup.com/newsroom/chaos_2009.php [Accessed 1 January 2010]. University College London (2009). Unit 3: Case Study London Ambulance Service CAD System [Online]. http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/staff/A.Finkelstein/advmsc/3.pdf [Accessed 5 January 2010]. Xalles Limited (2005). Successful Systems Implementation [Online]. http://www.xalles.com/reports/Successful%20Systems%20Implementation.pdf [Accessed 30 December 2009].

Global Warming Causes And Effects Analysis Environmental Sciences Essay

Global Warming Causes And Effects Analysis Environmental Sciences Essay Global warming is one facet of the broader term climate change. It is the increase in the average temperature of the Earths surface air and oceans from the mid-20th century, and the projected continuation. The Global warming is primarily the consequence of building up greenhouse gases in atmosphere. Emission rates for most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas, CO2, have increased 120-fold in the past 140 years. While in the 19th century, emissions were mostly from deforestation and the other land use changes, now they are predominantly from burning fossil fuels. As CO2 in the atmosphere has the lifetime of more than a century, the historic emissions play most important role as compared to the current concentrations in atmosphere. Increase in Global Temperature. Most of the increase in global temperatures since the mid-twentieth century are very likely due to the increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gases via enhanced greenhouse effect. The natural phenomena such as the solar variation combined with the volcanoes had a small warming effect since pre-industrial times to 1950 and small cooling effect from 1950 onwards. The Climate model projections summarized by IPCC indicate that the average global surface temperature would likely rise a further 1.2 to 6.4  Ã‚ °C (2.0 to 11.6  Ã‚ °F) during the twenty-first century. Role of Industrialisation. In the past 200 years, Europe, North America, and former Soviet Union, currently having only 20 percent of worlds population, have contributed in more than 85 percent of CO2 emissions. Direct product of industrialisation, emissions now is 7 billion tons of the carbon a year, or around one ton of carbon per head of worlds population. Emissions are very uneven. The per-capita North American emissions are 17 times those of Africa, ten times those of Asia and 2.4 times those of Europe. The Low gasoline prices and pervasive automobile culture in United States ensure that CO2 output, already highest in the world, is rising, while levels in Europe are stable or falling. Disparity in Emissions. Everyone is indeed responsible in some way or another but the largest contributors are developed nations. Today, developed countries like the United States, Germany, Japan and many others with only 26 percent of the Globes population, are responsible for more than 70 percent of accumulated green house gas pollution in atmosphere. If we take a global average, then each person on planet is responsible for emission of approx 6000 kg of GHG emissions every year. In the developed countries, it is 14,000 kg per person. USA tops the list with 24,000 kg per person, and at bottom of the list comes Chad with 30 kg per person. Causes Climatic Equilibrium. Earths climate changes in response, to external forcing, include variations in its orbit around the Sun, changes in the solar luminosity, atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and volcanic eruptions. Detailed causes of the warming remain active field of research, although the scientific consensus is that increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases by human activity caused most of warming observed since start of industrial era. None of these effects of forcing are instantaneous. The thermal inertia of the Earths oceans and very slow responses of the other indirect effects mean that Earths current climate is surely not in equilibrium with forcing imposed. The Climate commitment studies indicate that even if the greenhouse gases were stabilized on 2000 levels, a further warming of approximately 0.5  Ã‚ °C (0.9  Ã‚ °F) will still occur. Natural. The natural causes that contribute to global warming are as follows:- Change in suns energy output. Volcanoes. Water vapour. Cloud cover. However these natural causes have been regularly countered by the natural process of degeneration and Earths temperature has been varying within a fixed margin for last hundreds of years. Human Activity. From old times people suspected that the human activity could change climate. For example, in 19th century many Americans did believe that cutting down forests would bring more rainfall to a region. Amongst the mainstream scientific community, there is no doubt that Earth is warming, and increasing evidence shows that the humans have a significant part in it. Greenhouse Phenomenon The major reason of global warming is the emission of the green house gases like methane, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide etc into atmosphere. The gases in atmosphere like carbon dioxide, water vapour, tropospheric ozone, chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), methane and nitrous oxide trap energy from sun. Without these gases, heat will escape back into the space and Earths average temperature will be about 60 °F colder. So absorbing and reflecting infrared waves being radiated by Earth, the gases conserve heat as glass in a greenhouse works and are thus called as greenhouse gases. Source of Gases. Methane is a much more effective greenhouse gas than CO2, but the concentration is much smaller, and total radiative forcing is only about one fourth of that from the carbon dioxide. Some other naturally occurring gases contribute small fractions of the greenhouse effect; one of these, nitrous oxide (N2O), is increasing in concentration owing to human activity such as agriculture. Carbon Dioxide. It is the major source of power plants. These power plants emit large quantity of carbon dioxide produced by burning the fossil fuels for generation of electricity. About twenty one percent of carbon dioxide emitted in the atmosphere comes from burning of gasoline in the engines of the vehicles. Methane. Methane is more than 20 times as effectual as CO2 at entrapping heat in the atmosphere. Methane is obtained from resources such as bovine flatulence ,rice paddies, bacteria in bogs and fossil fuel manufacture. When fields are flooded, anaerobic situation build up and the organic matter in the soil decays, releasing methane to the atmosphere. Nitrous Oxide. Main sources of nitrous oxide are nylon and nitric acid, the cars with catalytic converters, use of fertilizers in agriculture and burning organic matter. Effect. The greenhouse effect is important. Without the greenhouse effect, the Earth would not be warm enough for humans to live. But if the greenhouse effect becomes stronger, it could make the Earth warmer than usual. Even a little extra warming may cause problems for humans, plants, and animals. Present atmospheric concentration of CO2 is about 390 parts per million (ppm) in volume. Future levels are expected to increase due to ongoing burning of the fossil fuels and land-use change. The rate of increase will depend on uncertain sociological, economic, natural , and technological developments, but may be ultimately limited by the availability of fossil fuels. Deforestation. Another cause of global warming is deforestation that is caused by cutting and burning of forests for the purpose of residence and industrialization. Solar Variation. A varying hypothesis is that the variations in solar output, possibly being amplified by cloud seeding by galactic cosmic rays, would have contributed to recent warming. It is suggested that magnetic activity of the sun is a very crucial factor which deflects the cosmic rays that influencing the generation of cloud condensation nuclei and therefore affect the climate. Effects Of Global Warming The effects of global warming are very large in number and still there are so many that are still to be found out. But recently the problems have become visible and evident because of happening of events that were before only talked off. Although it may be difficult to connect weather events to global warming, a rise in global temperatures may therefore cause following major changes:- Glacial Retreat and Arctic Shrinkage. As an effect of global warming the glaciers are retreating at an alarming rate and changing the entire environment of the mountains. This will bring about the most intense climatic changes and alteration in the habitat. There will be a considerable increase in the water level of oceans and seas as a result of melting of glaciers. Rise in Sea Level. Worldwide sea level rise of 180 to 590 millimetres (0.59 to 1.9  ft) in 2090-2100 relative to 1980-1999. This increase in level of seas and oceans will engulf land at the coastal areas and some low lying countries may even become submerged. Extreme Weather Conditions. Changes in the amount and pattern of precipitation may result in flooding and drought. Floods in the areas without the flood history, is not very common. There are droughts in various places, having good rainfall earlier. Atmosphere gets suddenly very rough in the terms of thunderstorms and cyclones. In the future there are rapid temperature changes expected to occur which will affect length of the seasons. Winters will be quite short. This will indeed imbalance the ecosystem and will therefore effect greatly the attitudinal behavior of the the animals and birds. Vegetation. Another major effect of global warming would be on the vegetation that is present on the earth surface. Tundra type of vegetation would turn to temperate, and evergreen type of forest. Woody plant population may tend to increase, as a result of rise in precipitation. There would be a dramatic change in all the type of vegetations available in the areas, which will in turn impact the inhabitation of area. Wild Life. Various species are on the verge of extinction due to global warming. Major changes are often seen in the animals as they do react to the warmer environment, which are effected due to global warming. A behavior pattern of these animals when studied shows that animals are beginning to shift their major population towards north, or towards a higher altitudes. (f) Marine Life. The marine life is undoutedly very sensitive to the rise in temperatures. The effect of global warming will surely be seen on many species in the water. As a result many species will die off, or go extinct due to the rise in the temperatures of water, whereas many other species, which prefer the warmer waters, will be on increase tremendously. Perhaps the most annoying changes are expected in coral reefs that are expected to now die off as an effect of the global warming. Due to the melting of polar ice the life cycle is getting disturbed and this leads to death of many an animal. Increase in Diseases. Lately, as an effect of the global warming various new diseases have emerged. These diseases are occurring frequently due to the increase in earths average temperature since the bacteria can survive easily in elevated temperatures and multiply faster when the conditions become favorable. Due to global warming, the distribution of mosquitoes is being extended owing to the increase in humidity levels and so their frequent growth in the warmer atmosphere. Various diseases are expected due to Ebola, Hanta and Machupo virus owing to warmer climates. The global warming is sure to cause irreversible changes in ecosystem and the behaviour of animals. Other Effects. These include changes in the agricultural yields, reduced summer stream flows and, addition of new trade routes, possible slowing of thermohaline circulation, resultant reductions in the ozone layer and the lowering of ocean pH. (j) Extinction of Plants and Animals. According to an international study a quarter of land animals and plants may become extinct if global warming continues unchecked. The study reveals that as the earth hots up, all species may not be able to physically migrate to new locations. This will lead to smaller habitats for far fewer species. Rare and endangered species will generally move closer to extinction. (k) Damage to the Natural Environment. Glaciers, coral reefs and atolls, mangrove swamp, tropical forests, polar and alpine grasslands are likely to undergo significant damage. (l) Shortage of Water. Water shortage, which affects approximately 1.7 billion people today, will affect 5.4 billion people in 25 years, according to a study. (m) Effect on Food Supplies. Food supplies are likely to be affected with grain yields falling across Africa and deserts spreading. Yields are likely to fall in Asia too and subsistence farming in Latin America will be damaged. (n) Loss of Human Life. According to the study more than 160,000 people die globally ever year due to the side effects of climate change. Heat waves are likely to kill more people, particularly among the elderly and urban population. (o) Floods and Droughts. As global warming increases the frequency of rapid precipitation, protracted droughts and floods will increase. There will be heavier rainfall across northern Europe- increasing the risk of floods- and lower rainfall over northern Africa and Australia. (p) Disrupted Energy Demand Patterns. Global warming would result in hotter and drier summers, decrease in the soil moisture, coastal erosion, lower the snowfall, ,increased flooding, and disrupted energy demand patterns . 13. Effects on India. The assessed India specific effects are as under :- (a) Decreased snow cover, affecting snow-fed and glacial systems such as the Ganges and Bramhaputra. 70% of the summer flow of the Ganges comes from meltwater Erratic monsoon with serious effects on rain-fed agriculture, peninsular rivers, water and power supply. Drop in wheat production by 4-5 million tones, with even a 1 °C rise in temperature, (d) Increased frequency and intensity of floods. Increased vulnerability of people in coastal, arid and semi-arid zones of the country (e) Studies indicate that over 50% of Indias forests are likely to experience shift in forest types, adversely impacting associated biodiversity, regional climate dynamics as well as livelihoods based on forest products. (f) According to Head of the IPCC, Dr. R.K. Pachauri, the climate change could adversely affect India. By 2100, higher sea-level on the eastern coast could lead to the disappearance of Sunderbans. (g) In India, the region most vulnerable to accelerated sea level rise is the low-lying coral atolls of the Lakshadweep archipelago. (h) Experts feel that the Indian coast is more vulnerable to storm surge than the West coast. Nearly one-third of the human population living within 60 kilometers of the coast could be lost due to the rise in sea level. (j) Glaciers are receding at a faster rate in India. Researchers have found that the Gangotri glacier which feeds the Ganges is retreating at a faster rate than before. The melting of Himalayan glaciers would adversely impact 500 million people residing on the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra river basins. As glaciers are frozen reservoirs of water, their melting would lead to a decrease in water, affecting drinking water supply, irrigation and hydropower. (k) There would be precipitation changes all over India, weather would be more erratic and post monsoon rainfall would become uncertain, according to Dr. Pachauri. (l) According to Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, the ecological and economic damage arising out of global warming would have an adverse impact on agriculture, which was the mainstay of the country. The erratic weather could cause damage to crop patterns leading to an adverse impact on food security. (m) The IPCC report has estimated that India could bear a huge loss of bio-diversity because of greater greenhouse emissions.

Comparing League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Mary Reilly, and Dr. Jekyl

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Mary Reilly, and Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde      Ã‚   Robert Louis Stevenson's short novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has spawned many retellings of Dr. Jekyll's tale, as well as variations on the theme. The Jekyll and Hyde conceit is one that lends itself to many different forms of literature, such as motion pictures and sequential art. Sometimes liberties are taken in reinterpretations of Mr. Hyde from the original text. This can be distinguished in two recent works, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, a comic book miniseries by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill, and Mary Reilly, a film by Stephen Frears.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The appearance of Mr. Hyde has always tended towards the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   stereotypical hairy man. In fact, the transformation of Jekyll into   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hyde in movies seem like werewolf transformations. This comes from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   the frequent mention of Hyde's hands as being "of a dusky pallor and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   thickly shaded with a swart growth of hair" (82). Although Hyde's   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   face is never described as hairy, it tends to be a logical      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  assumption that if the hands are hairy, then the face may be as   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   well. Jekyll's own appearance is described by his lawyer, Utterson,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   as being a "smooth-faced man of fifty" (44) and Hyde, for all   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   intents and purposes, is the opposite of Jekyll. The hairiness of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hyde is maintained in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Hyde is   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   drawn as a dark brown man with coarse hair all over his arms and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   chest, whereas Jekyll is a sm... ...er features are in common. Robert Louis Stevenson, in writing The   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde touched upon an universal   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   theme that many others would return to in the years after   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stevenson's novel was published.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Return to Writing Stuff       WORKS CITED      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mary Reilly. Dir. Stephen Frears. Perf. Julia Roberts and John Malkovich.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Columbia/TriStar, 1996.         Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Moore, Alan, and Kevin O'Neill. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Vol. One. [reprints 1-6 and Bumper Compendiums] 2nd Print. La   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jolla, California: America's Best Comics, 2000.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ed. Martin A. Danahay. Orchard Park: Broadview Literary Texts, 2000.      

William Marshall Essay -- essays research papers fc

William Marshall is considered by many to be the epitome of knighthood and chivalry as well as being an outstanding ambassador for England during the turbulent twelfth and thirteenth centuries. From a virtually obscure beginning, William evolves into one of the most dominant stately figures of the time in England. During his brilliant military and political career, William served as knight for the courts of Kings Henry II, Richard (the Lion-hearted), and John. William was born around 1147 to John Marshall and Sybil of Salisbury during the reign of King Stephen. His father, John Marshall, served as a court officer and eventually earned the status of a minor baron. John Marshall was a shrewd soldier and a skilled negotiator. He was the premier example of lordship in William’s life. William’s relationship with his father would be brief and he would never experience him beyond his childhood. John Marshall died in 1165. John would leave a legacy behind that would influence William’s life and spark the future of his outstanding career both as a soldier and a courtier. At age thirteen William was sent to William De Tancarville, to begin his military training for the knighthood. William De Tancarville was known throughout Europe as one of the grander patrons of knighthood. In the Tancarville household, William would learn courtliness in addition to all other prerequisites found in a professional soldier of the day. After six years of being a squire in the Tancarville Household, Marshall was knighted in 1166. In 1170, King Henry II appointed William to the head of his son’s mesnie or military household. William was responsible for protecting, training, and maintaining the military household for Prince Henry. In 1173, William knighted the young Henry, becoming his lord of chivalry. During this time period, Marshall earns many victories on the tournament field and here he first establishes himself as one of the most prolific and gallant knights of the time. During these tournaments, Marshall began to create and mold friendships with the most powerful and influential men of the day. In 1183, during a rebellion against his father, Prince Henry contracted dysentery. As his health rapidly deteriorated, Prince Henry gave William his cloak, which had a Crusader’s cross stitched on it, and made him promise to deliver it to the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Wil... ...od that Marshall transcends boundaries from knight into statesman. Under William’s rule, order is restored to England. This reestablished royal rule in England. Marshall watched over the noble household and cared for the young own king until his death on May 14, 1219. William served faithfully under three kings and served as regent for a fourth. His loyalty and honor never hesitated and were never compromised. His oaths of fealty and innate sense of honor governed and directed his entire life. Because of his commitments, William Marshall will remain the most outstanding knight of the Middle Ages. WORKS CITED Crouch, David. 1990. William Marshall Court, Career and Chivalry in the Angevin Empire. Longman Publishing, New York.

Imprisonment and Persecution of Quakers :: British History Essays

Imprisonment and Persecution of Quakers In An Account of the Travels Sufferings and Persecutions of Barbara Blaugdone, Blaugdone describes her experiences as a traveling Quaker minister, most often those of persecution and imprisonment. Imprisonment was not an uncommon occurrence for Quakers, as Blaugdone exemplifies. Traveling from town to town, Blaugdone notes, â€Å"I had Prison in all those Places† (12). Although the Quaker ideal of denouncing the clergy was not necessarily uncommon, the Quakers were much more zealous in their pursuit to spread the Truth, therefore much of their persecution was due to their own perseverance (Trevett 18). A common justification for Quaker imprisonment was blasphemy (Trevett 17). Elizabeth Hooton, a strong female figure in Quakerism, performed many of the same roles that Blaugdone did, and in return, she was imprisoned for merely reprimanding a priest (18). Hooton was arrested numerous times for activities such as public speaking, refusal to swear an oath in court, and disturbing the peace. In Blaugdone’s Account, disturbing the peace seems to be merely stepping foot in town. Numerous laws were also passed that enabled the arrest and persecution of Quakers, including The Blasphemy Act, The Conventicle Acts, The Five Mile Act and The Quaker Act. All of these laws basically prohibited Quakers from disrupting the ministry of the church (18). By challenging priests in their own churches, organizing and attending gatherings, and meeting with and preaching to others on street corners, Quakers broke the law. Blaugdone clearly took part in these ‘unlawful’ activities: â₠¬Å"And then I was moved to go to Great Torrington in Devonshire, unto the Steeple-house there, where was a very bad Priest† (Blaugdone 13). Of course her only outcome at talking to the priest was to be once again put in prison. By 1659, twenty-one Quakers had died in prison due to ill treatment, while countless others were crippled or their health had been permanently damaged (Trevett 18). Blaugdone reveals similar mistreatment in her Account: â€Å"and the nest day the Sheriff came with a Beadle, and had me into a Room, and Whipt me till the Blood ran down my Back† (15). Whipping was not the only form of punishment exercised against Quakers. Punishments included public humiliation, pelting, whipping sometimes after being stripped naked, fining family members, and confiscation of property (Trevett 21). Prison conditions were also quite inhuman, and prisoners depended upon either the good nature of guards of bribes.

Vandalism in Malaysia

$25,000 bail set in wild ride case Man charged in girlfriend’s assault By Dave Greenslit TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF CLINTON — A man who allegedly beat, choked and raped his girlfriend before hitting her with her car in Bolton was ordered held on $25,000 bail yesterday. John D. Martineau, 31, of Tewksbury was arraigned in Clinton District Court on charges stemming from what the 21-year-old victim told police was a frightening ride from Lowell to Bolton early Monday morning. Police charged Mr.Martineau with aggravated rape, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, three counts of assault with intent to murder, three counts of destroying property, larceny of a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, three counts of leaving the scene of a property damage accident and reckless driving. Judge Martha A. Brennan set bail and continued the case to Feb. 16. The victim was able to escape from Mr. Martineau near the intersection of Rou tes 117 and 85 in Bolton after jumping out of her car, which he had driven into the parking lot of the Country Cupboard variety store.She told police Mr. Martineau had dragged her with the vehicle before she broke free and ran to a home for help. According to a report from Bolton Police Officer Yvette D. Washington, the victim gave the following account of events that culminated in Bolton just after 3 a. m. Monday: She had gotten out of her car in Lowell during an argument with Mr. Martineau, but got back in after he threatened to harm her family and friends. Her 2006 Ford Taurus then ran out of gas, and the woman called her father to bring some. While waiting, she tried running away from Mr.Martineau, who caught her, threw her to the ground, and choked her. When her father showed up with the gas, Mr. Martineau convinced him his daughter was all right. Mr. Martineau then drove onto Interstate 495 South, at one point allegedly slamming his girlfriend’s head against the car win dow and breaking the rear-view mirror off the windshield, threatening to â€Å"cut her eyes out† with it. Mr. Martineau allegedly forced the woman to perform a sex act, then cut his wrists with the broken mirror because â€Å"he wanted her to watch him die. † The victim persuaded Mr.Martineau to get off the highway in Bolton by telling him she loved him and didn’t want him to die. In the parking lot of the store, she got part of the way out of the still-moving car, but Mr. Martineau allegedly grabbed her by the hair and jacket and dragged her with the car. She broke free and ran behind a Postal Service mailbox, which Mr. Martineau allegedly hit with the car before hitting her with the vehicle and knocking her to the ground. She ran to a home on Main Street, where Mr. Martineau allegedly plowed the car into the steps before backing into a split-rail fence and driving away.The woman, who lives in Lowell, was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center — Universi ty Campus in Worcester, where she was treated and released. Mr. Martineau was later arrested at Lowell Memorial Hospital, where he went for treatment. In arguing for the $25,000 bail, Assistant District Attorney Erin Donnelly said Mr. Martineau had a long record, four cases pending in other courts, and a history of default. Lawyer Eugene Lumelsky, who represented Mr. Martineau for the arraignment, sought an unspecified lower bail, saying the suspect was a college graduate, worked in sales and had extended family in the area.