Elements of Expatriate Compensation Essay

The sum of pragmatic substantiation on the interaction between reimbursement stratagem and national culture and echelon of trade and industry progression of an economy is virtually not anything (Harvey, 1993). Due to the advent of globalization and the constantly rising total of international business, the Society for Human Resource Management International has observed that several expatriates, nationals and third country nationals whose fate crossed on borderlines felt that the compensation they receive are piously beyond their professional expectations. As a matter of fact, the benefits and assistance by the management of the companies hitherto have been reckoned as the most ideal support dating back on economical datum. However, when outsourcing has commenced, the HR of multinational companies have also adjusted compensation schemas lowering it down to national basics compared to prior services. Contingency theories as well as resource dependence analogies have been established—the organizational level based on interdependence, complexity, age and size of foreign affiliate—while the environmental sagacity dwelled on country characteristics—market compensation, political risk and cultural distance (Boyacigiller, 1990). In a larger perspective, expatriate compensation is also considered as the benefits given to international students in universities offering overseas scholarship. Those who came the farthest are treated at the highest level while those who are in close proximity to the donor (or the company, per se) will have slighter treatment, which includes benefits and assistance. These elements, however, may be deemed as logically just and fair since there is a huge demarcation between the needs of the expatriates and the nationals (Harvey, 1993). Thus certain factors are also held credible in evaluation and assessment, dependent to the qualifications granted by the law and by the company, more specifically all credentials are taken into account.

A report on workforce education Essay

The purpose of this paper is to address ideas that I learned this semester relating to the topic of workforce education. Specifically, I will address the mission of workforce education, the role of work, foundational components of workforce development and some of the forces that affect the nature of work. The Mission of Workforce Education Workforce education is defined as a level of education provided by private business and industry, or government-sponsored, community-based organizations. It is used to increase opportunity in the labor market or solve human performance problems in the workplace. This definition suggests two missions of workforce education. One mission is to promote individual opportunity in the labor market, to teach individuals the required skills needed to reach career goals and to be competitive. The second mission is to solve workplace problems by improving the worker’s performance. This helps the economy by increasing productivity. Roles of Work One role of work is social identity. In the United States, a person is defined by â€Å"what they do,† their job, career, or occupation. In most instances, we Americans introduce ourselves by name and occupation. Another work role is that of class. Most Americans are in â€Å"middle-class. † The status of middle-class is defined by social, economic, and education status. These three characteristics all apply to different types of occupations: blue collar, laborer, white-collar, professional, scholar, doctor, lawyer, etc. These types of occupations correspond to different education levels and salary levels. Finally, the role of work gives an individual self-worth. Aside from economic reasons, many people who are beyond retirement age choose to continue to work. There are all types of reasons, from boredom to need of a routine, or to get out of the house; people continue to work, even if they don’t have the need to do so. Foundational Components of Workforce Development The are a number of foundational components of workforce development. They fall into political, socio-economic, or social categories. The following components are addressed below: 1) Supply and Demand; 2) Human Capital Investment; 3) Workforce Productivity; 4) Work Ethics; and 5) Family Influences. 1. Supply and Demand – When the demand for workers exceeds the supply, or if the supply of worker exceeds the demand, the labor pool is either reduced or increased. The ideal situation for the national economy and for individuals is when supply equals demand. In the technical fields, there is a demand that exceeds the supply of technicians. This has affected the development of the workforce. 2. Human Capital Investment – Labor is considered the most important component of national wealth. Therefore, the workforce must be of a high quality. To ensure a high quality workforce, it is vital that investments are towards the workforce. In theory, investment in human capital will lead to greater economic outputs. Individuals with advanced skills earn higher salaries. 3. Workforce Productivity – The output of goods and services that results from an hour of labor is workforce productivity. The skill-level of a worker correlates with the wage-level. An example would be that a high-skills worker would receive a high wage. Workforce education is a must to bring the workforce to the level of skill necessary to support high wages. 4. Work Ethics – An appropriate work ethic is a fundamental characteristic needed by employees. Many workforce educators overlook the Level I skills (on-time to work, basic courtesies to co-worker, etc. ) and do not address work ethic as a basic fundamental need. 5. Family Influences – the socioeconomic status of a family is related to the career development, socialization, and career choices of children. This is referred to as the status attainment model. The basic concept is that ones parent’s social status affects the level of schooling achieved which affects the occupational level achieved. Recently, the concepts of mental ability and socio/psychological processes have been added to this model. Forces Which Affect the Character of Work The are many forces that affect the character of work. The most constant attribute about these forces is that they are always a factor in affecting work. Five of them are described below: 1) Technology, Information, and Power; 2) Stress; 3) Free Trade; 4) The Global Economy; and 5) Downsizing and Reorganization. 1. Technology, Information, and Power – Advanced technology has changed the distribution of power and information in organizations.   

Dmitri Shostakovich Essay

Dmitri Shostakovich was born on September 25, 1906 in St. Petersburg Russia. He was the 2nd of 3 kids from Sofia Kokalouina (pianist), and Dmitri Boleslavovich Shostrakovich (chemical engineer). Dmitri’s mom, Sofia, taught him how to play the piano at age 9, and Dmitri stood out as a prodigy. When Dmitri turned 13 his parents enrolled him in St. Petersburg Conservatory which is where he began to study piano and composition. In 1925 Dmitri graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatory, and wrote his 1st classical symphony which he named, â€Å"1st Symphony†, as his graduation piece. After Dmitri graduated from the conservatory, he worked as a concert pianist for money and composed pieces in his spare time. Later, after much work, Dmitri managed to win the honorable mention award at the Warsaw International Piano Competition in 1927. After the contest, composer Bruno Walter very much impressed offered to conduct his â€Å"1st Symphony† in Berlin. In 1927 Dmitri finished his â€Å"2nd Symphony† and started working on his 1st opera which he would name, â€Å"The Nose†. In 1930 he finally finished it and premiered it but it turned out to be a failure. It got poor reviews from people like Dmitri Kabalevsky who criticized his music for political reasons. It was so bad that the opera got banned from Russia. Dmitri was devastated and had a nervous breakdown and later had suicidal thoughts, but was treated. Later on Dmitri met a woman named Nina Varzar and married her in 1932. The marriage went well until 1935 when they divorced over a long period of discussions, but later on they got reunited. World War II broke with Germany in 1941 and Dmitri served as a fire warden for a propaganda poster, but he still found time to write his 7th Symphony. This symphony was very popular and served as a form of inspiration for the Russian army. Feeling accomplished Dmitri wrote his 8th symphony which was very different from his 7th. This piece too turned out to be banned from Russia until 1960. In the mid 1940’s Dmitri wrote his â€Å"Violin Concerto No. 1† and it was a success. And in 1949 he composed â€Å"The Song of the Forests† and making Joseph Stalin (Russia’s dictator during the time) â€Å"the great gardener† it was accepted and liked by the people. After Stalin’s death in 1953 Dmitri composed his 10th symphony which was practically dedicated to him. In 1954 Dmitri’s wife Nina died , and he stayed alone for 2 years until he met Margarita Kainova in 1956 and married her, but divorced in 1959. Later on in 1960 Dmitri joined the Communist Party (something he wanted to do since he was very young) but then regretted it. Then in 1962 he married again to a woman named Irina Supinskaya. The fact that their ages differenced by 29 years didn’t matter to them because they stayed together until Dmitri’s death.

Cinderella by the Grimm Brothers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cinderella by the Grimm Brothers - Essay Example These versions include The Story of the Black Cow, Donkeyskin by Charles Perrault and the recent Cinderella by the Grimm Brothers. The stories share certain similarities in terms of the plots, where there is an ill motive from one of the parents of the offspring, and they have to run away or endure suffering as a result. The protagonists later find love and their suffering ends. In The story of The Black Cow, the young boy has to run away from his stepmother who mistreats him but favors her daughter. In the story of Donkeyskin, the princess, who is nicknamed Donkeyskin, also has to run away from the father because he believes she is supposed to be his wife. The father is trying to fulfill his late wife’s dying wishes that he should marry a woman who is wiser and more beautiful than her. The plot in Cinderella also portrays the same theme where the girl is facing a lot of hostility from the stepmother. However, she does not have the choice of running away like the characters in the other two tales. The stories also show a lot of magical happenings. In The Story of The Black Cow, there is a cow that can talk with the boy and magically produce sweets by stomping her feet on the ground. Also, there is a snake that is supposedly holding the universe together. The snake is pleased with the cow’s action of feeding him with milk and grants the cow a wish. The cow asks the snake to cover the boy with golden clothes and make his body shine like gold, and the snake makes it happen. In the case of Donkeyskin, there is a donkey that produces gold coins instead of dung while Cinderella gets her carriage from a pumpkin and horses from mice with the help of her fairy godmother. These gifts make the characters unique from the rest, for instance the ring that only fits on Donkeyskin’s finger, the golden slipper that only fits

International business essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International business - Essay Example These same forces influence the growth of globalization, which is the ongoing political, economic, and social process that deepens the interdependency amongst nations. In the world today, approximately 25 percent of the produce globally is sold outside the country from which they originated (Boyer, 2012). This is due to the continuous reduction in the restrictions that concern imports and exports. This has helped the expansion of multinational retail, as the retailers take advantage of these incentives to venture into foreign markets. In addition to the reduction in import restrictions, the regional trade agreements signed amongst various countries have enabled the retailers to reduce the costs of foreign licensing, as the globe is transforming towards the reliance in regional trade balances (Dicken, 2011). The easy movements of resources across borders are a factor that influences the retail activities all around the world. Contrary to the previous trends that made it difficult to move resources across the precincts, this current trend facilitates mechanisms that increase the access of retailer resources in the foreign market (Connell, 2005). Besides, the trade restrictions on foreign investment allow foreign retail investors to open multiple store branches across a foreign market. This is coupled with the increasing need of governments to fulfill the overgrowing customer tastes in trying foreign retail services and products. In a bid to diversify the consumer tastes, Marks and Spencer ventured into the Italian dressing industry, opening multiple stores that competed against the trademark Italian Giorgio Armani cloth line. This example has championed the growth of economic blocs, such as the COMESA, NATO, and European Union that have general agreements on the conditions of trade as we ll as suitable tariffs (Schmalz & Ebenau, 2012). The expansion of multinational retail services and activities is attributed to the expansion in

Forum on Executive Branch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Forum on Executive Branch - Essay Example The timely and intelligent use of words expressing his concern towards the Americans and aboriginal people also plays a vital role in convincing the people with his rationale. For instance, while discussing Indian removal obliquely, the use of terms "physical comforts" and "moral improvements of the Indians" in context of the resources that will be provided to Indian after their removal simply convey that the President aims to preserve the security and wellbeing of the United States of the America. Moreover, at the very outset of his speech, he mentions the absence of danger from external foes due to the unexampled growth and prosperity of the country during his reign. This way, he successfully manages to grapple the attention of the people from the very start. In short, it is pertinent to say that his attempt to make his policies sound practically acceptable through the use of appropriate words and logical arguments is responsible for making this particular speech stand apart from

Describe the performance track record and rationale behind the Essay

Describe the performance track record and rationale behind the investment decisions of your Dummy Portfolio this term, in the style of a Hedge Fund Investor Letter - Essay Example The return from S&P 500 return is 45%, weekly standard deviation of S&P 500 is 2.95% and total standard deviation of S&P 500 is 21.24%. Here we have bought several stocks such as FTSE100 which has beginning level of 6627 and end level of 6722.67 and it has earned total gain of 1.44%. CAC40 had beginning level of 4244 and end level of 4390.18 and it has earned total gain of 3.44%. DAX had beginning level of 9369 and end level of 9980.85 and it has earned total gain of 6.53%. Dow Jones Industrials had beginning level of 17614 and end level of 17828.24 and it has earned total gain of 1.22%. S&P500 had beginning level of 2039 and ending level of 2067 and it has earned total gain of 1.40%. NASDAQ had beginning level of 4660 and end level of 4791.63 and it has earned total gain of2.82%. Nikkei225 had beginning level of 17197 and end level of 17459.85 and it has earned total gain of 1.53%. Topix had beginning level of 1377 and end level of 1410.34 and it has earned total gain of 2.42%. Shanghai Composite had beginning level of 2494 and end level of 2682.92 and it has earned total gain of 7.57%. CSI300 had beginning level o f 2594 and end level of 2808.82 and it has earned total gain of 8.28%. Spot Gold had beginning level of 1165 and end level of 1167.41 and it has earned total gain of 0.21%. USD against Japanese yens had beginning value of 1$= 115.33 yen and the value has increased to 1$=118.68 yen and it has earned total gain of 2.90%. Brent Spot beginning level of 81.01 and end level of 77.75 and it has earned total loss of -4.02%. NY Crude Oil had beginning level of 77.32 and end level of 73.69 and it has earned total loss of -4.69%. The dummy portfolio has also earned negative returns or loss for spot silver, spot platinum, pound against dollar and pound against euro. Thus it can be said that the dummy portfolio has average to good return in the period. The

MGM330-0704A-04 Business Decision-Making - Phase 1 DB Essay

MGM330-0704A-04 Business Decision-Making - Phase 1 DB - Essay Example This discussion describes the different data collection methods, the issues associated with them and the situations each method is more suitable for. Social studies is a field which utilizes a lot of statistics in its studies. In order for some of the data to be unbiased a common method utilized to study human behavior and obtain qualitative or quantitative data is observation. Observation is a controversial data collecting method when utilized without people knowing there are being watched in scenarios such as in a public place. Interviews are very effective data collection methods for statistics involving in fields such as human resources. The data collected is easy and cheap to acquire, but at times sophisticated statistical models involving techniques such as hypothesis tests or multiple regression models are required (McClave & Benson & Sincich, 2001). A survey is a simple to implement data collection method. It can be utilize to obtain data extremely fast and allows the opportunity to be performed electronically because of its simplicity with the assistance of the internet. In the case of Piggy banking this company could utilize this data collection method in a lot of applications at the bank. A bank can create surveys and place them anywhere in the branch for customers to answer while they are waiting for a finance official to provide them with service at the branch. Another method that is commonly used to obtain data that can be utilized in statistical work is research. Research is an effective method to obtain secondary data. Secondary data is obtained utilizing readily available sources, in other words the data is collected by someone else and utilized by the researcher for a statistical study (Fao). This data can be collected extremely fast. On the other primary data which is collected by the researcher himself/herself is a very time consuming task. At times secondary data is not available and the only way to

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien - Essay Example There are many reasons as to why the notion that Bilbo’s decision to go on the adventure was not due to peer pressure but one which was associated with his inner most desires being put forward. It is easy to believe that people never change, however while some might believe that others put faith in the notion that if given an opportunity everyone changes. As far as J.R.R Tolkien’s character Bilbo Baggins is concerned, an alteration of this character that undergoes significant changes is evident to the reader. The truth of the matter is that the true nature of an individual is brought to the surface when he is put under several tests. These tests for Bilbo were the adventures he undertakes. So we might say that this transformation might have been insightful but these characteristics, brave, resourceful and adventurous were always who Bilbo Baggins was. These hidden characteristics were a big part of why Bilbo Baggins decided to undertake this journey in order to find himself. His boring monotonous yet comfortable life and his forthright denial were just based on the forced perception of the Hobbits as creatures who were not at all adventurous or brave or prone to taking risks. Where society believed he was a coward he managed to prove them wrong in the way we see Bilbo fight the great spider by using his little sword. We see how slaying the great monster made Bilbo realize that without anyone else’s help he had managed to overcome a great hurdle. This independence and bravery were his defining characteristics as he had gloriously prevailed as the victor despite the enormity of his opponent. He now managed to see himself as the person Gandalf was known he was when he had extended to him the invitation to embark on the adventure. There are other reasons which would explain why Bilbo was so against the idea of going on the adventure when Gandalf had initially asked him. It had little to do with the Hobbit really wanted but

Talent Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Talent Development - Essay Example Today, it is trendy to subcontract and privatize metropolitan services especially in government organizations. However, human resource department suffers in the bases of status as compared to other sub-units in an organization. Perhaps, this is because of increasing manipulation of procession managers in human resource (HR), which erodes the scientific proficiency stand of the HR departments character (Farndale & Hope-Hailey, 2009). To correct this malice, talent development in the HR departments becomes vital in helping managers deal with future challenges of the company. Strategic efforts of developing leadership intervention begin earlier in the life cycle of an individual. It optimizes a genuine leadership development in the future. Current research suggests that, when an individual’s brain matures it is impossible to develop new things especially new languages, thus majority of schools introduces languages at much earlier ages (Stewart, 2005).Therefore, leadership development begins at an earlier time of an individual, so as to make good leaders in the future. The leaders can handle crucial challenges of the group in the future because of an earlier training. On the other hand, protecting market failure of an organization incorporates career direction and development as a critical subject. In terms of business language, career guidance views terms of â€Å"market- maker.† The sole reason for career development interventions involves creating a business for the company’s products. Career development makes education and labor m arkets work efficiently, by guarantying supply face actors within the markets ensuring admission to market information and legible market signals. Moreover, business in career direction likely delivers public interest as a market maker. Therefore, leadership intervention ensures a well established leadership roles in future markets,

Larsen and Toubro Case Study Essay Example for Free

Larsen and Toubro Case Study Essay Organizational Development (OD) is a planned long term effort led and supported through the top management to improve an organization’s ability and to solve its own problems by continuously working together and on managing the culture using behavioural skills. Thus, there are some certain aspects worth discussing about which are- OD is a planned effort. It requires a lot of effort, patience, and faith and is time consuming. Secondly, OD usually uses outsiders. These ‘facilitators’ as they are called are process specialists and are involved in depth in this process. The pioneers of OD in India were Larsen and Toubro India (LT). OD at LT started by calling in 2 eminent professors- Dr Udai Pareek and Dr TV Rao to study the appraisal process at the company. The existing appraisal system had many faults and needed to be corrected. The difficult task started by the professors interviewing some bosses and subordinates from different departments (using Diagnosis or Action Research) and they got a very interesting feedback. Some of the aspects of the feedback were – juniors wanted to know how well they were doing on the job, but weren’t told; people wanted to know what the growth opportunities in the company were; the appraisal form was too lengthy; some bosses had too many subordinates to appraise, etc. After getting the feedback from the employees the professors gave a report to the top management about the actual problem. The appraisal system had to serve not just one but many purposes namely it should help people understand their strengths and weaknesses, their own progress on the job, how they can perform better, and how they could grow in the company. So the appraisal process had to address the issues of appraisal, potential, counselling, career development and training all in one! The top management after reviewing the report gave the go ahead and they did two main things which were the most important which were bifurcating the Personnel department into personnel department and HRD department. This bifurcation was the first sign of ‘structural’ change. Secondly, a team of 6 senior managers was formed which would be responsible for implementing the changes required. The story continues when the 6 task force and the professors decided that the appraisal process had to involve the line managers personally, the performance goals must be set jointly by boss and junior and the appraisals must also involve feedback and counselling to people. Thus, they prepared a Performance Appraisal Manual by involving the departmental heads and other senior managers to analyze what kind of objectives could be set and then added such guidelines in the manual. To address the issue of feedback and counselling, the team identified around 29 senior line managers and some senior staff with a flair for public speaking. These selected people were put through a workshop on how to be good ‘Givers’ and ‘Receivers’ of feedback and then later conducted the same workshop for other employees at HQ and regional offices. Thus, the first workshop was a ‘Train the trainer’ workshop which was cascaded to the other employees. After putting in so much of effort now the management at LT wanted to know whether the process was working for them or not. So again the professors interviewed some seniors and juniors about how the appraisals were going on. This time different views came into the picture – the goal setting was seen as time consuming, appraisal was becoming a numbers game, and was tending to become ritualistic. The HRD department was asked to conduct a survey (Participant Action Research). The survey also threw new light about the new appraisal process. The bosses now did involve their juniors in the goal setting and there was ‘healthy resolution’ of difficulties and there was a ‘high degree of trust’ between the seniors and juniors which led to ‘increased joint understanding about the job’. After receiving such a feedback, they again tried to simplify the appraisal form by adding the definitions of the attributes listed in the appraisal form. In addition, they held refresher courses in feedback skills for both ‘givers’ and ‘receivers’ of feedback. The facilitators felt that the appraisal system has stabilised when 80 to 85% of the appraisal forms were returned within six weeks of the target date. Also the HRD department started analyzing all the appraisal forms. The data from the analysis was used for listing high and low performers for a certain period; for finalising departmental developmental plans and for preparing the list of department wise employees and the training courses they needed. The above mentioned process took LT 8 years to complete and stabilise themselves. Thus, I can conclude that OD is a long term process which requires a lot of patience, support from the top management and a vision to a bright future.

Team Work Essay Essay Example for Free

Team Work Essay Essay Team work is defined as the process of working collaboratively with a group of people in order to achieve a goal. A successful team involves individuals who can work well together, trying their best in any circumstance to achieve that one main goal that they have set out to achieve. Teamwork means that people will try to cooperate, using their individual skills and providing constructive feedback, despite any personal conflict between among themselves. In every team, all members should possess qualities such as honesty, dependability and accountability. Team work may sometimes be challenging because every team has their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (S.W.O.T), but for team work to be effective, each team should aim for S.M.A.R.T, this means they should aim at goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, and realistic and spend time to perform the tasks necessary for the success of that team’s goal. Teams that possess individuals who are honest, dependable and accountable are teams that are more likely to strive. Team members should be honest towards their colleagues, because honesty is a good key characteristic of a good team member, being honest can only uplift a group, same goes for being able to accept constructive criticism. Honesty builds trust and strong bonds among team members allowing for them to be able to work together in a friendly environment. Dependable team members have a strong sense of responsibility, being dependable means that you should be available and reliable. Any individual whom is unable to provide the work they are selected to do by their due date, is classified as an individual who is not dependable, it therefore means each team member should be proactive and consistent. If you cannot depend on a team member all of the time, you cannot depend on them any of the time. Having the ability to take responsibility for your own action, rather than blaming others is one quality that many persons whether in or outside of a team should learn, accountability. Being accountable means that you acknowledge your mistakes and decisions, who will be held accountable for any mishaps or failures? The best teams hold themselves accountable, every single team member and not just the leader. Every team should create S.M.A.R.T goals in order to achieve optimal success. Having specific goals are easier to achieve than general ones, to know if your  goals are specific they must answer the six â€Å"W† questions, these are who, what, where, when, why and which. Measurability involves the team’s effort to measure their progress, to stay on track, they need to make dates on which they will complete a specific task and ensure they meet those target dates. Goals that are measurable answers the questions of how much, how many and how will I know when it is accomplished. It is possible for teams to plan for something that is unattainable as such team members should think about whether are not their goals can be achieved if they work hard enough taking in consideration the time that they have to achieve something. In order to set attainable goals they must also be realistic, a realistic goal is based on your abilities, interests, needs, and desires they should be attainable and it should be something you really want to achieve. Never leave work to last minute, time management is key, as such every project should have been completed before hand to be checked and corrected if needed, it therefore means that a time frame should be established for team members if there is no time frame set then there will be no efforts to get the work done. S.W.O.T is what is used to describe a group’s internal and external aspects, with strengths and weaknesses being internal and opportunities and threats being external. There is always going to be strengths in every team, what someone might be strong at in one category may be weak in another and as such, this leads to team members doing specialized work, meaning every team member can contribute to the final work by doing what they are good at doing. As well as strengths there is weaknesses also, not everyone will be able to do what each member is expected and as such it is the team’s duty to allocate a task to that individual in which he/she can manage. It is not the team’s duty to complain and discourage their team members, instead help and encourage. Opportunities include the chance for progress or advancement, this means if members are given the chance to improve the work given then they should take it and make the best use of it. If one group member is given a task and has the opportunity to add to the work aside from what he/she was given to do or decided to do, then he/she should take the initiative to do so. In many cases there will be threats to the work or to team members that could cease the process of completing the work or temporarily stopping the completion of the work which will defeat the purpose of being time-bound. In such a case the thing or person that is  likely causing danger or damage should be discussed among team members and each should come up with a conclusion as to how best to deal with the situation and how to execute their work differently. The success of every team is dependent on individuals who have the drive to achieve the same goals. Team work requires everybody’s efforts and time to plan S.M.A.R.T goals and stick to those goals. Teams need to be grounded on trust as such honesty is always the best policy, colleagues should be there for their team members as best as they can and be able to be held accountable for their own mistakes. Team work should be less about ‘me’ and more about ‘we.’ Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses and as such team members should make it their responsibility to uplift and encourage each other. Through multiple personalities teams can enhance great ideas and everyone’s opinions and views must be respected. Threats are always a problem in team work but with communication that can be defeated.

Islam And Human Cloning Religion Essay

Islam And Human Cloning Religion Essay Advances in medical technology in the contemporary world have promised several answers to issues that have remained of concern in medicine. The current advancements in the field of human cloning for example have created new hopes in the minds of most medical professionals and the general public especially in the case of dealing with the emerging and re-emerging infectious and non-infectious diseases (Klotzko, 2001). However, the development of cloning as a technological advancement though anticipated has raised enormous questions with heated debates being raised about the issue. Though it has became a matter of normality for debates to occur in the field of science, scientists, scholars, politicians and religious groups have been the major groups concerned with issues of science. Among the debates concerned with human cloning entails the religious views and arguments. With various religions holding varying arguments and attitudes towards cloning of human beings, the issue has raised several religious ideas (Sadeghi, 2007). In my research, I aim at addressing the various perspectives about human cloning that the Islamic religion holds. In the exploration of the debate about human cloning, I will also make distinct attempts to identify the various risks as well as benefits that are accrued through the procedures involved in human cloning as well as the general aspect. However, my major emphasis will be on the cloning means for religious concerns around conception and life. Further in the paper, I will assess the moral status of the human embryo which has formed the major area of current debate in the Islamic teachings and later conclude the paper with the assessment of the truth behind the religious debates. Outline Introduction Brief context (as show above) Thesis statement- The development of cloning as a technological advancement though anticipated has raised enormous questions with heated debates being raised about the issue especially in the religious field. Description of structure of argument Section 1: The ethical debate surrounding human cloning Paragraph 1- The global debate on human cloning technology. Revisit Klotzko Paragraph 2- Criticisms and skepticism surrounding human cloning Revisit Cahill, Sadeghi and Caplan. Paragraph 3- Issue of ethics and the reaction of governments and key resolutions. Revisit Klotzko Section 2: Implications of Human Cloning Paragraphs 1 and 2- The negative consequences of human cloning (moral and ethical issues). Revisit Howie, Cahill, Gillon, Klotzko Paragraph 3- Benefits of human cloning technology especially in therapeutics. The views of proponents. Revisit Willgoos and Agnihotri Section 3: Human Cloning and Islam Paragraph 1: Islamic debates about cloning as a technology and the key tenets of their religious views. Revisit Sadeghi, Voneky Wolfrum Section 3.1: Human Cloning and Ethics in Islam Paragraphs 1-5: Describes the Islamic social teachings, beliefs, morals and values. The issue of human cloning and human life will be explored. Revisit Howie, Cahill and Klotzko. Section 3.2: Conception and Islamic Religion Paragraphs 1 -2: The Islamic views about conception and life and their connection to human cloning. Use Sadeghi and Al-Mazkur et al. Section 4: Conclusion and Recommendations Annotated Bibliography Cahill, L. S. (2006). Bioethics. Theological Studies, 67: 1, pp 120+. Accessed on 8th February 2011 from This is a journal article that addresses the issue of stem cell research in bioethics literature. The article describes various calls for the banning of the human cloning project and the reaction of governments towards the issue. Further, the article explores debates about the moral status of embryos according to theological perspectives. This article holds strong relevance to my research as it addresses the moral status of the embryo which is the central point in human cloning and Islamic religion. Howie, J. (2002). Ethical Issues for a New Millennium. Carbondale and Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press. Accessed on 8th February 2011 from This is an edited book that outlines the current ethical issues. Chapter five of this book which is authored by Richard M. Zaner and titled, what a wonderful world! creates a very interesting issue about human genome project. The chapter addresses several ethical issues about human cloning project that has promised the creation of a replica of human being. This chapter will help me in addressing the issue of ethics in human cloning and the relevant problems that the project has led to. Klotzko, A. J. (Ed) (2001). The Cloning Sourcebook. New York: Oxford University Press. This is an edited book that has unique and concise information on cloning. The books strength lies on its exploration on various aspects of cloning. Further, the book gives notes on each chapter covered that makes it easy to use especially in my research. The book will therefore help me address issues such as the ethical debates about human cloning. Its several topics that cover several aspects of cloning will also help me explore broadly the required ideas in my research paper Sadeghi, M. (2007). Islamic Perspectives on Human Cloning. Bioethics Press, ProQuest LLC, Journal of Human Reproduction and Genetic Ethics, 13: 2: 32+. Accessed on 8th February 2011 from This Journal article describes the Islamic perspectives on human cloning according to the views of jurists and Islamic jurisprudence. The article further explores the extent of current debate on this issue and gives out the probable dangerous outcomes of cloning. The articles will enable me get the required information on the catastrophic outcomes of human cloning as well as the various Islamic views about human cloning especially the views of jurists and Muslim world. Voneky, S. Wolfrum, R. (Eds) (2004). Human Dignity and Human Cloning. Boston: Martinus Nijhoff. Accessed on 8th February 2011 from This is a very detailed book that gives concrete information on the issue of human cloning. The book addresses the issue of human cloning in relation to human dignity. It addresses creation and human dignity in the Islamic religion as well as other religions. This book will therefore help me to relate whether cloning is detrimental to human dignity as well as the dilemmas that human cloning has caused. Running head: Human Cloning and Religion Essay Human Cloning: The Islamic Religion perspectives Name: University: Course: Tutor: Date: Abstract The development of cloning as a technology in genomics and biotechnology has been met by the highest controversies in the world. Though the technology promises answers to several issues that have disturbed the minds of many scientists, it has been met with much criticism and controversies. Scientists have for a long time anticipated about coming up with human beings through the use of cloning techniques basing their facts on the successive applications of the technology in both plants and animals. Though the therapeutic use of this technology has been accepted by most people in the world, the use of the technology in coming up with new human life has been criticized by religious groups and governments. The Islamic religion is one of the religions that have showed differing views and attitudes towards this technology. The religion does not entertain the application of this technology citing its beliefs, teachings, morals, values and ethics. This research paper explored the human cloni ng technology in regard to the perspectives of Islamic religion. Human Cloning: The Islamic Religion perspectives Introduction The issue of cloning gained fame during the year 1996 when a lamb famously known as Dolly, was born in Scotland after the mammary glands of a female adult sheep were cloned using scientific procedures. This raised the reactions that human cloning was also possible basing on the success of cloning procedures in animals. Human cloning, as described by Willgoos (2001, para 6) refers to the process of somatic cell nuclear transfer to create a human embryo which has the potential to be implanted into a womans uterus and develop into a child. Due to advancements in research, several research institutions made several attempts with high efforts to come up with human beings through cloning. However according to Klotzko (2001) these attempts in research on human cloning have been met with mixed reactions in the political, scientific, and religious arenas. Though no scientist has announced success in cloning human beings, most nations have strictly addresses the idea and possibility of achieving positive results in human cloning with several groups citing the potential implications, moral responses as well as the legal aspects involved in the cloning of human beings. The religious sector has been in the forefront in addressing the issue of human cloning with religions having varied views and attitudes about the human cloning issue (Sadeghi, 2007). The Islamic religion is noted as one of the religions that had varied views throughout the advancements in human cloning research. This essay addresses the ethical debate surrounding the issue of human cloning in a broader perspective. The essay briefly explores the major risks and benefits that cloning as a scientific aspect can lead to especially in the case of human beings. In a deeper insight, this essay paper addresses the various religious views about human cloning in respect to the Islamic religion especially around conception and life. The Ethical Debate Surrounding Human Cloning Since scientists identified in 1998 that through isolation and culturing of embryonic cells in human beings they could come up with genetically modified cells of human beings that could be used in therapeutic measures, heated debates arose with concerns over the ethical use of human cells in therapy. Continued advancements saw scientists arguing that they could as well clone human beings. This raised concerns about the perceived success of cloning technology with several politicians and religious groups terming the procedure as primitive and unethical (Klotzko, 2001). The debate about the ethics about human cloning was however met with criticisms with several groups becoming hostile and skeptical. Caplan (2001) describes the ethical debate as having raised hostility and skepticism towards human cloning issue. Skeptical views raised by several personalities as argued by Cahill (2006) were based on the idea that the influential supporters of cloning were only aiming at achieving their hidden agendas hence their committed efforts to advance the scientific idea. Cahill (2006) denotes that further skeptical issues were about the constitutional and fundamental rights of the Americans that allowed them to reproduce through any means. Moreover, scientists argued that the advancement of science should not be hindered by ethical debates against what they perceived as the golden chances of scientific breakthroughs as well as avenues of gaining fame (Sadeghi, 2007). The issue of ethics in human cloning was therefore termed as of low relevance since the technology is seen as having potential in scientific advancements. However, as denoted by Klotzko (2001), governments such as the American government have withdrawn their funding in cloning research projects as well as passing laws banning research in human cloning. As ethical debates had stopped the use of several technologies since the World War II, the success of ethics in regard to human cloning has been seen as of no potency (Klotzko, 2001).The lack of potency regarding ethics in human cloning can be seen through the continuous defeat of bills tabled before the Congress that aimed at banning cloning in human beings. With continued debates and legislative measures and initiatives aimed at banning human cloning, it remains doubtful whether these initiatives will be fruitful (Klotzko, 2001). Implications of Human Cloning The idea of cloning human beings as noted by Gillon in Klotzko (2001) has not been positively addressed. With several countries banning research in human cloning and having been termed by the World Health Organization as ethically unacceptable and contrary to human integrity and morality (Gillon in Klotzko, 2001, p 184), only the negative implications and disapprovals of this technology are highly perceived. Gillon (in Klotzko, 2001, p 184) denotes that human cloning; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ treats people as means and not as ends, undermines human dignity, human rights, personal autonomy, personality, individuality, and individual uniqueness; it turns people into carbon copies, photocopies, stencils, and fakes; it would be dangerous and harmful to those to whom it was done, as well as to their families; it would particularly harm the women who would be bearing the babies (p. 184). Further, human cloning has been cited by the European parliament as an unjust procedure that contravenes the equality nature of human beings as well as leading to discrimination in women (Cahill, 2006). There are two major types of cloning that have raised negative concerns. The first one is the type of human cloning that involves the extraction of a human embryo cell and then cloning it to achieve an embryo of identical nature. The other type of cloning that was exercised during the cloning of the Dolly sheep includes the extraction of the nucleus from a cell and then inserting it into a sac of the other nucleus cell to be cloned (Howie, 2002). Despite the discussed moral and ethical issues that term human cloning as a detrimental procedure, there are several proponents of the procedure who cite several benefits (Willgoos, 2001). Scientists and politicians as noted by Willgoos (2001) have cited that research on human cloning must be continued since this procedure promises a great potential in the development of science and medicine as well as benefiting the existence of human beings. Agnihotri (2008) argues that the procedures and techniques involved in human cloning can be used in the production of therapies for cure of infectious and serious diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart diseases as well as in the transplantation of organs. Further, cloning can be used as a research tool that can be useful in the scientific revolution especially in revolutionalizing study of cells. Therefore, cloning becomes useful in the study of cell differentiation in biotechnology and medicine (Agnihotri, 2008). Human Cloning and Islam The issue of cloning has taken central debate in the Islamic religion. Though Muslims are rarely interested in the technology, they are much concerned with the overall biological, social and ethical impacts of the procedures involved in cloning. The central tenets of Islamic perspectives on human cloning are centered on at least three major perspectives (Voneky Wolfrum, 2004). The first issue is on how human embryonic cloning goes contrary to the ethical teachings and beliefs of Islam and whether it can be accepted in the religion. Secondly, the consequences of cloning to the Islamic society in particular and the general society is of particular interest and thirdly, the Islamic consideration of the stage at which a developing embryo can be termed as a living being is also a central issue (Sadeghi, 2007). Human Cloning and Ethics in Islam The Islamic ethical frameworks as well as the religious and social teachings regarding human life are the most critical issues about human cloning in the Islamic religion. As argued by Cahill (2006), Muslims question about human cloning basing their arguments on the teachings of the Quran that view human beings as distinct creations from God and hence no person should try to act as God. Cahill (2006) further denotes that the Islamic teaching relate the cloning of human beings as attempts to copy the work of God and is bound to lead to various errors in marital relationships. As argued by Caplan (2001), this has the capacity of disintegrating the family composition as well as tampering with the social lives of most human beings. Further, the Islamic religion questions the procedure arguing that it automatically interferes with the growth of families as well as affecting aspects of motherhood and fatherhood. Rab Khayat (n.d) show the Muslims argument that God created a female and a male so that the two could join hands and form a family through procreation. It was the wish of God that a man and a woman shall together procreate in order to fill the earth. It therefore becomes questionable what the role of marriage would play if several individuals are able to come up with human beings through cloning. This as noted by Klotzko(2001) means that a man will not be in need of a woman and vice verse hence contravening the wishes of God , the creator of human beings. Though Cahill (2006) does not state this aspect, in biological perspectives, it becomes obvious that a man may turn out to be superfluous contrary to females whose ova and uterus will be in much need. As denoted by Caplan (2001), this fact is enough to create a corruption of the societal functioning as well as affecting the natural balance since human cloning is believed to interfere with all the functions of interpersonal relations. According to Islamic teachings, the relationship between spouses signifies the cornerstone of the functioning of social institutions that was the reason why Allah created a male and a female and blessed them to become one entity. Therefore the connection of a man and a female as demanded by religion is contravened by the manipulation of embryo through human cloning. Though Muslims hold a unanimous endorsement on the use of cloning in therapeutical advancements, Sadeghi (2007) argues that the Sunni and Shiites demand that the lineage of a child must not in any instance be religiously blemished. Due to this, the Islamic religion as denoted by Howie (2002) therefore demands that the lineage involved in the reproduction must not be contravened through procedures such as human cloning and hence must be bound within the limits of spousal associations. The Islamic stand regarding human cloning based on the religions teachings, morals, beliefs and ethics therefore is that cloning of human embryo is a moral as well as religious contravention and therefore the technology must not be employed in any aspect apart from in therapy (Howie, 2002). The consequences of cloning to the Islamic society are also key issues about this technology to the Islamic religion. According to the religion, due to the advancement of this technology, there are fears about the ability of human beings to regenerate naturally (Howie, 2002). Therefore this technology acts contrary to the values and systems in which the human nature has acted within since history. Due to the consequences that human cloning holds, then the Islamic religion is justified to act against all forms of human cloning. According to Klotzko (2001), though Islam as a religion encourages the development of research as noted by Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi one of the leading Islamic researchers, the creation of new human beings through artificial ways however contravenes the morals of the religion. This therefore creates a very big twist in the perception of human cloning and therefore becomes a very difficult issue to address even in the contemporary society (Howie, 2002). Conception and Islamic Religion Since this research aimed at also addressing the religious views about conception, it is worth to scrutinize the Islamic views about conception and life. Human cloning is believed to in the first place tamper with the natural development of the embryos (Sadeghi, 2007). A seminar held in Kuwait in 1985 addressed the issue of Human life with key insights on inception with particular interest on the Islamic religious beliefs and teachings. This seminar believed that inception consists of three stages. The first stage as described in the seminar was the fertilization stage of ova and sperm to form the zygote where the genetic composition is developed. The second stage is when the fertilized zygote is implanted in the womb while the third stage is reached when life is embedded into the developing fetus which according to Islam starts at day 120 after inception (Al-Mazkur et al, 1985). According to the teachings of Islam, since conception, an embryo is considered as a living thing and therefore must not be tampered with even through abortion. However, the moment when life is embedded into the embryo, it acquires full human status which occurs 120 days after inception. This shows that Islam as a religion does not in its full status prohibit early embryonic research though it questions the ethical and moral ways through which this research is carried out (Sadeghi, 2007). Conclusion and Recommendations The issue of human cloning has taken central debates in the contemporary world. This research has established that though research in medicine and science holds a promising advancement through cloning, the technology is under much criticism. From government bans, withdrawal of funding for research to religious concerns, research in human cloning has not been simple to conduct. The Islamic religion though does not prohibit therapeutic cloning has been against human cloning technology citing ethical, moral, as well as religious beliefs and values against the technology. Further, with the detrimental consequences that outweigh the merits, the technology remains a prohibition throughout the world. It is therefore necessary to recommend that though scientists aim at advancing research in science, the debate on human cloning should not be centered on the scientific merits only. Further, scientific advances cannot be termed as threats to religious belief and values but the human culture and values must be borne into the minds of all the stakeholders involved in human cloning research and development. I can therefore recommend that since the world aims at advancing in technology and research, constructive dialogue is necessary that will enable the development of consensus regarding all the aspects of an upcoming technology.

Major League Baseball Salaries and the Economic Effect Competition and

Major League Baseball Salaries and the Economic Effect Competition and the Consumer As long has there has been business, Management and Labor have warred against each other for a bigger piece of the pie. Major League Baseball is no different. In the early years of professional baseball the owners controlled the salaries of the players and decided where they could play and what they would be paid. The players were bound to their team by the Reserve Clause that stated, the services of a player will be reserved exclusively for that team for the next season. This resulted in keeping the player’s salaries artificially low because the players were not allowed to offer their services to any other team. The Reserve Clause was in effect for more than One Hundred years of baseball history. It was challenged several times but the owners had won every time, until in 1970 when the St. Louis Cardinals traded outfielder Curt Flood to the Philadelphia Phillies. Flood refused to play for the Phillies and sued to become a free-agent. Flood’s case was in court for severa l years going all the way to the Supreme Court. He was never able to play in the Major League again. While he did not win his case, he laid the groundwork for a later case that involved two pitchers, Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally who filed a grievance against the league contending that, because they didn't sign contracts with their previous teams they were free agents. The owners and the Players Association agreed to submit to binding, impartial, arbitration in order to settle this case. On December 23, 1975 the arbitrator Peter Seitz ruled in favor of the players and the Reserve Clause was broken, and the era of free agency began in the Major Leagues. In 1976 when free agency began the average player salary was only $52 thousand dollars, but it has increased steadily ever since. By 1990 the average salary for a Major League Baseball player had risen to $589 thousand dollars. This Year baseball will start the 2001 season with an average player salary of more than $2 million, abo ut 40 times higher than the typical wage in 1976 when free agency began. Average Major League Player Salaries 1976-2000 Year Average Increase/decrease Median1976 $52,300 --- *1977 74,000 41.49% ... ... _ap/ 19. 2000 Major League Baseball Salaries: USA Today. May 1, 2000. Arlington, VA. 20. 1999-2000 Major League Baseball Team and Player Salaries: About.com. Aug 31, 2000. Chicago, IL. http://sportsbusiness.about.com/sports/sportsbusiness/library/salary/mlb/9900/ bl_teams_9900.htm 21. Final 2000 Payroll Figures: CNNSI.com. Nov 21, 2000. Atlanta, GA. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/news/2000/11/21/2000_payrolls/ 22. History of Highest Paid Players: ESPN.com. Jan 15, 1999. Bristol, CT. http://espn.go.com/mlb/s/mlbsalary.html 23. Highest Salaries: CNNSI.com. Dec 11, 2000. Atlanta, GA. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/news/2001/10/20/highest_salaries _ap/ 24. Franchise Values: The Hartford Courant. May 29, 2000. Hartford, CT. 25. 2000 MLB Team Payrolls: About.com. Aug 31, 2000. Chicago, IL.http://baseball.about.com/sports/baseball/library/weekly/blteamsalaries.htm 26. MLB Player Extend Collective Bargaining Agreement: About.com. Aug 29, 2000. Chicago IL. http://sportsbusiness.about.com/sports/sportsbusiness/library/n†¦/bl082900news.htm

Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame Essay -- Hunchback of Notre D

Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame Viewed from the outside, a more horrific being never lived. Everything he presented to the world: twisted legs, a deformed spine, oversized hands, and a monocled visage crowned by a mane of hair the rust color of autumn leaves, made him a most insufferable man in the eyes of the people. Ostracized from a society who never hesitated to jeer at his ugliness, Quasimodo, the monster of Notre Dame, bore all abuse with unremitting stoicism while taking shelter behind the walls of his refuge&emdash;the cathedral. Seemingly devoid of all feeling, Quasimodo's hardened demeanor only added to his miserable existence as he appeared an even greater aberration from anything human, like one of the hideous gargoyles that rests quietly and defenselessly on the facade of the cathedral as passersby stop to gawk at its grotesque and frightening form. However, once this error of nature experiences the emotions of love and devotion, spawned by the arrival of the beautiful and sympathetic La Esmeralda, Quasimodo's inner fortitude, strength, and benevolence transcend his distorted body, allowing the people to view him not as a helpless cripple, but instead as a real human being with the bearing of a king. Lame and deaf, the one-eyed, misshapen curiosity of Paris, Quasimodo, dwells as a hermit in the Cathedral of Notre Dame during the 15th century. Taken under the care of Jean-Claude Frollo when only an infant, Quasimodo receives the occupation of bell ringer, and thus spends his life in constant devotion to the cold, exacting and insensate Archdeacon, extracting all earthly pleasure from his haven&emdash;the cathedral&emdash;and imparting all his passion to the ringing... ...e citizens, the courts, and the king, leaving them astounded at his "display of prowess" (190). After withdrawing into his den&emdash;Notre Dame&emdash;with his precious gem between his paws, Quasimodo ran to the highest tower "which housed the great bell," and held the girl before the eyes of the city as he "roared savagely...`Sanctuary! Sanctuary! Sanctuary!'" (190). Mounted on the bell tower of Notre Dame, Quasimodo stood before Paris in a regal coat of pride and power, shedding physical imperfection to allow an inner compassion and tenderness to emerge before the jungle of onlookers. After witnessing the valor and warmth of the lordly hunchback, neither the citizens of Paris nor Louis XI himself could deny that, for the moment, this beast truly reigned as king. Hugo, Victor. The Hunchback of Notre Dame. New York: Bantam Books, 1984.

Humor and Healing : The Mind Body Connection :: essays research papers fc

Humor and Healing: The Mind-Body Connection "As it is not proper to cure the eyes without the head, nor the head without the body; so neither is it proper to cure the body without the soul." —Socrates(Cousins, 56) The word, to heal, comes from the root word "haelen" which means to make whole. Bringing together the body, mind and spirit can be healing. The word humor itself is a word of many meanings. The root of the word is "umor" meaning liquid or fluid (Moyers, 221). In the Middle Ages, humor referred to an energy that was thought to relate to a body fluid and an emotional state. This energy was believed to determine health and disposition. In modern dictionaries, humor is defined as "the quality of being laughable or comical" or as "a state of mind, mood, spirit". Humor enhances the creative process and is one of the coping devices used to combat stress and disease. Humor can be used successfully in the classroom, in the workplace, in therapy and counseling, and in medicine to assist in the healing process (Cousins, 78). Laughter improves self-esteem, enhances social interaction, and generally makes life more enjoyable. Laughter can provide a cathartic release, a purifying of emotions and release of emotional tension. Laughter, crying, raging, and trembling are all cathartic activities which can unblock energy flow. Laughter is more than a visual and vocal behavior. It is accompanied by a wide range of physiological changes (Swencionis, 162). During vigorous laughter the body brings in extra oxygen, shudders the internal organs, causes muscles to contract, and activates the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands. This results in an increase in the secretion of endorphins (internally produced morphine-like molecules). This â€Å"internal jogging† produces an increase in oxygen absorption, increase in heart rate, relaxation of the muscles, and increases in the number of disease fighting immune cells (Moyers, 230). Humor is a quality of perception that enables people to experience joy even when faced with adversity. â€Å"Stress is an adverse condition during which one may experience tension or fatigue, feel unpleasant emotions, and sometimes develop a sense of hopelessness or futility. Responding to these demands while protecting oneself from the potential harmful impact will help one to remain healthy† (Dreher, 27). Hans Selye, a pioneer researcher in psychosomatic medicine, defines stress as "the rate of wear and tear within the body" as it adapts to change or threat (Dreher, 20).

Pierre de Fermat

Pierre De Fermat was born in France in August of 1601. His father was a leather merchant and his mother’s family was in the legal profession. children, and practiced law. Math was simply just a hobby for Pierre. Pierre De Fermat was a busy lawyer, and didn’t leave much time for his love of math. Since math was just his hobby, he never wanted any of his work to be published. When he did publish his work, it was always anonymously. Fermat would state theorems, but always neglected the proofs. For example, his most famous work, ‘Fermat’s Last Theorem,’ didn’t include a proof until when Andrew J. Wiles provided the first in 1993. He made many contributions in the field of mathematics. For example, he is considered as one of the ‘fathers’ of analytic geometry, along with Rene’ Descartes. He developed a method for determining maxima, minima, and tangents to various curves that was equivalent to differentiation. He obtained a technique for finding the centers of gravity for various plane and solid figures. Also, he is considered to be one of the founders of the probability theory along with Blaise Pascal. Fermat was the first person known to have evaluated the integral of general power functions. He made contributions in the field of optics and provided a law on light and travel. He wrote a few papers about calculus, before Issac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz were even born. Fermat’s most important work was done in the development of the modern number theory, which was one of his favorite areas of math. Pierre de Fermat died in the year 1665. . These annotations are unsupported by proof. During his lifetime, Pierre De Fermat received very little recognition as a mathematician, and if others didn’t save his papers and letters he may not be the legend he is today.

How Do Narrative and Genre Features Create Meaning Essay

As film audiences we have an expectation of particular conventions, which certain film genres work with and if these expectations are met, then viewing pleasure is certified. This is a result of our understanding of generic conventions, which derives from past experiences with films we have seen. The film industry understands this, but is however, constantly attempting to ? extend’ these genres sometimes for artistic reasons and sometimes to secure financial revenue. The narrative of a film is the sequence of events which are organised in a structure to tell and develop a plot. It is just as important in function as the genre is, with regard to securing audiences and satisfying their expectations and audiences will have particular anticipations for a narrative’s different segments. By this we can observe that a film producer is dependent at least partly on the satisfaction of the film’s target audience for the proceeds at the box office. This essay will discuss how a 10-minute sequence from James Wan’s ? Saw’ (2004), uses many conventions from a few different genres and it considers how the narrative ties in with this. The film in itself illustrates so many of the conventional rules attached to a thriller, that we have learnt to accept as ? normal’. I would describe this sequence as a pastiche as it is not only thrillerish but there are also elements of detective genre. These are all traits within a horror movie. The clip begins with what we believe is detective Tapp carrying out surveillance on Dr. Gordon’s house. He is filming their bedroom window and talking, but to whom we have no knowledge. As the camera moves from the television screen to a side wall, the frame reveals a compilation of images, of who we assume to be Dr. Gordon. It also shows that he has perhaps been recording phone calls from within Dr. Gordon’s household. The mise-en-scene (stacks of empty coffee cups and take away trays) illustrates that detective Tapp has been there for quite some time, and it is now evident that he is in fact alone. Suddenly, we are confronted with a wall plastered in a mass of newspaper clippings. We realise that this is not official police work, it could be stalking. This convention of the obsessed detective is a usual element of thriller films as well as in crime films. A cross fade is the utilised for the introduction of the next frame. Fades are usually employed to suggest a flashback or for the use of moving forward in time, but in this case we consider that it is a flashback, though we are still uncertain. This car scene involves Dr. Gordon being taken home by detective Tapp. Unlike others, this film concentrates solely on the plot and the characters and the director ensures this through the way there is never or rarely any background situations which might distract the audience. Everything excluding the characters is darkened out, leaving the audience nothing to observe but them and their conversation. The next scene reveals Tapp at his desk, watching evidence from the ? jigsaw case’, we can see that his desk lamp is focused on a mound of file work which may be more significant than the ? jigsaw case’, – work which he evidently does not see as priority. Detective Tapp’s back is turned to this mound of work and he is focused on the television screen, scrutinizing the video tape. Also, the mise-en-scene shows only a few newspaper clippings on the side of his work space in this scene, which might be suggesting this is the beginning of his ? stalking’ behaviour. With one desk lamp on in the entire room it is evident that all of his other colleagues are going or have already gone home. This type of behaviour (working over hours when everyone else has left) is suggestive of reclusive characters with little or no social or family life, having nothing but work to look forward to and these characters are usually found in crime-thriller movies or psychological-thriller movies. This ? work obsessed’ character is reinforced when his work colleagues invite him to accompany them and he declines without even removing his gaze from the television screen. The character of Tapp is played by the actor Danny Glover, frequently associated with the action-crime-thriller sequel films ? Lethal Weapon’. In these films he also plays a detective officer often involved in action, so it comes as no surprise that we have expectation of the narrative to place him in a place of police action. Again, the background is dark, suggesting that nothing else matters to this character, including his partner, Sing, who remains behind. Sing’s demeanour implies that Tapps behaviour is possibly recent and unusual, transpiring only, through the ? jigsaw case’. The frame illustrating half of the light on Sing may bring connotations that he is in half a mind about Tapp, he is unsure about what has happened to him and why. After noticing something about the evidence, Tapp hurriedly beckons Sing back. In this scene we see Sing under a more (although not much more) prominent light in contrast to before. Tapp is still the one mostly saturated in light, he is the one with the information and we see that as Sing learns and gains more information, the light shed on him also increases. The snapshots that the clip uses of the derelict warehouses, remind us of a stalker ? the way that detective Tapp stalks Dr. Gordon and the way ? jigsaw’ stalks his victims. This type of stalking behaviour again, links in with the conventions of the thriller genre. The next frame portrays both Tapp and Sing looking onto a map, both saturated in an equal amount of light. They are just as important as each other here; they need each other to make a break through. This is reflected in their names, Tapp and Sing ? when combined unified it creates rhythm and music, an outcome. This convention of crime/detective partners having a connection between their names, and their names revealing traits of their characters when they are together, is usually found in detective-thriller/action genre films, e. g. in the action ? crime-thriller ? Lethal Weapon’ the main characters are called ? Martin Riggs and ? Roger Murtauth’. The way that the first letters of their names are arranged, mirrors the way that the characters work in opposite ways (M. R. as oppose to R. M). On the car journey to the derelict factory, everything in the background is darkened out, thus creating the feeling of suspense and mystery. Also, with barely any street lighting, it could be proposed that this road is not popularly accessed by the public, signifying there could be danger here. These are all generic conventions of a thriller film. The mise-en-scene mainly supplies us with dark and dull colours, i. e. black and metal grey, which run throughout the film, connotating mystery, a cold and possibly even pain and depressing feelings, which create the theme for the entire movie. As the two detectives ascend the stairs, they are entering darkness; again a sign that they don’t know what is ahead of them. The use of a handheld camera panning the scene allows for a sense of first hand experience to take place, again correlated with thriller films, i. e. ; ? The Blair Witch Project’. As they approach the ? workspace’ of this scene, we notice how lighting is positioned over specific areas, where there are ?projects’ developing. Each of these are covered by a red cloth. To some, i. e. the police characters and some audiences, the colour red would have connotations of danger. In this case, the colour red signifies passion. The red cloth is used by ? jigsaw’ to signify passion for the projects that he has covered in the cloth. One main theme can be found in all of the characters in this clip ? they are all deeply passionate and devoted to their work. Conventions of a horror genre can be found in the next upcoming scene. Here we witness the detectives discover a seemingly insignificant man entrapped in a death contraption and we soon after determine when ? jigsaw’ returns, that this merely a ? test run’ for a later purpose. Sinisterly, ? jigsaw’ wears a cloak with a strip of the same cloth that he has used to cover his projects, he is truly devoted to this work and the matching cloak almost makes it seem like this is his ? team’. As the detectives leap out of their hiding places and confront him, ? jigsaw’ stamps the contraption to a start, leaving the detectives panicking and him in control of the situation. Again, by using a hand-held camera with an over the shoulder shot behind the ? jigsaw’, the audience sees the ? jigsaw’ as the largest figure and therefore the dominant party in this scene; consequently the detectives literally look small in this scene, clueless under the grasp of this psycho. This hand-held camera technique also delivers a sense of panic to the audience. Subsequently, fast editing shots build suspense and panic, leading to the peak where one person on each side of the room manages to escape ? the victim escapes his death, and ? jigsaw’ escapes the detectives, one a split second after the other. For that minute split second we have the high hope that the detectives have gained control of this situation. Our hopes are sunk however as Tapp is slashed across the throat and ? jigsaw’ escapes. This is an expectation that audiences have become acquired with in thriller movie narratives. This film delivers many expectations as well as offering new interweaves that may never have been supplied to a thriller audience before. In this next frame which shows Sing running along a corridor, two main genres come into place; horror and action thriller. The frame shows conventions of horror films through its use of the green coloured steam coming from the mouldy pipes along this gory corridor. The narrative of a police officer chasing a criminal is typical of an action thriller film. The scene where Sing is trying to protrude through the cobwebs to get to ?jigsaw’ as he lays ? dead’ on the floor is significant. This barricade of cobwebs is an illusion to cover the trip-wire which will be the cause of Sings death. This illusion is a reminder that nothing is as it may seem, a principle of psychological-thriller films. As Sing collapses dying, ? jigsaw’ rises, obviously still alive – another illusion. The last scene of this clip begins with a close up of the scar on Tapps neck, gained when he was slashed by ? jigsaw’. At this instant, our prior belief’s that this was all a flashback are confirmed. A scar takes time to heal and where Tapp’s physical scars have healed, his mental scars have not. We see him frantically talking to a framed picture of Sing, as well as talking to himself. A framed picture usually contains family or friends – people who are close to you, and so, it is reinforced to us that Sing was his only family. Tapp blames himself for the death of Sing, perhaps why, although he has already been discharged from the force, he feels he needs to close this case as he owes it to Sing. Word count: 1,927.

The Monster Inside Me

I had everything. Loving family, supportive friends, good grades, degree in ballet†¦ etc. Not much, but there’s no shortage for anything. But life isn’t always perfect, especially when the monster inside you starts to show. I was at the dance studio half an hour earlier before the rehearsal starts. Determined to be the best as I got the first role for the upcoming ballet production â€Å"Swan Lake†. I got all the applause and compliments from all the musical directors and choreographers. Everything was meant to be, I was the brightest star. But life isn’t always fair.The door cracked open as I was doing my last stretching before heading to the stage. The director walked in, along with another girl from the ensemble group. â€Å"Charlotte,† She said. â€Å"She will take the lead role from now on, you’ll be her backup,† the director continued. â€Å"Five minutes on stage. † They went out the door. I was stunned. Everything ha ppened in just a blink of an eye. I worked so hard for this role and everything was meant to be. I couldn’t accept the fact that someone is better than me. Someone that can make the choreographers and directors think for a second thought.I wasn’t satisfied. I went up the stage and argued with the director. Thinking of something that could make him change his decision. â€Å"Your figure is not what we want for the role. † I was beaten by that. Never in my life did someone actually point out my imperfection before. I thought I was perfect. I rushed to the toilet to hide my tears. I am strong, or in the other word, I was afraid to lose. High self-esteem is what I got since the day I was born. I highly believe that I was worth everything because I spent much of my time striving to achieve perfection in every aspect of my life.What I did not realize was that in my desperate need to be perfect, I sacrificed the very body and mind that allowed me to live. I looked at m yself in the mirror. The reflection of mine started to twist. I saw an ugly, worthless and hopeless girl. Her empty eyes weren’t showing anything but angers. Her body began to grow bigger and bigger. She seemed to be the brightest among all, but when the darkness comes, she’s nothing but an empty shell. From that day onwards, my life changed. I was never happy before. Jealousy was what controlling me. I felt very inadequate and unsuccessful.I started to believe that my life was a failure. And what had caused it like this is no doubt but my weight. I had always been an average size. But I was convinced by my inner voice that I was overweight. I found myself involved in a competition again. But this time, I was competing against myself. I started of with a normal diet. Thought I’ll just lose a few pounds and everything will be okay. I was wrong. When the first pound was lost, I was addicted to the numbers on the scales. My mind became obsessed with beating my body at this game. Though I know I’m slowly killing myself, but jealousy was my biggest motivation.I was dying to win my pride back and prove them wrong. I slowly cut back on what I eat each day. With every portion I didn’t finish or meal I skipped, I told myself that I was succeeding, and in turn, I felt good about myself. That was my darkest secret. I still join my family dinner. Just to avoid my family to notice my odd behaviour. But I felt disgusted and useless after every meal. I was then introduced to purging. Purging had sort of changed my life because I could eat what I want and what I had to do is just purge them out afterwards.My parents had no idea that their loving and caring daughter is a total different soul now. Every time I finished meal I will make a beautiful excuse to my room. They had no idea what is happening behind that door. Toilet bowl and icy tiles was what I face every night. My reflection from the mirror is nothing but an empty soul. My eyes were like two empty holes burning in flames. I just want my role back. My inner voice told me that it will be worth it every time. There, I slide two fingers down my throat and began to purge out everything.Not just the food I ate, but every bit of my soul. The monster inside me had taken over everything I had, purging out my original self. My mind was possessed by jealousy, anger and desperation, and I couldn’t help it. I was lost and desperately searching for the light at the end of the tunnel. Even so, I had never gave up my hope on ballet. I lost a lot of weight, losing more that I could have imagined. I just couldn’t control myself, my soul was lost, life was empty and I couldn’t figure out why. But my spirits were high and I was still so motivated and determined to get my role back.I knew I still had to convince the directors that I was the main star. I saw my reflection on the mirror, I saw the beautiful me. One day before the show, I was on the backstage. An xiously waiting for the right time like lion waiting for its prey. There she came, going down the stairs. My eyes were flaming. Jealousy had driven me to my limits, the limits where I could do everything just to get my role back. I have to vanish her. I was possessed by the monster inside me, I ran towards her in light speed and pushed her off the stairs with the last energy I reserved.My heart was racing. She was admitted to the hospital. I have no regrets on what I’ve done. Never in my life that I was so happy by the feeling of winning. But I wasn’t me anymore, the bright and loving girl had completely turned into a devil. The feeling of snatching back of what belongs to me was what pleased me. I was insane. Standing on the stage, the lights were on me. I gave a revengeful smile to the directors and as soon as I finished my last step, I collapsed. Heart attack hits me. The sounds of sirens were apparent and soon after, I noticed a medic trying to resuscitate me.I kne w my time was done, my heart was failing. It was beating weaker. â€Å"Perfection, I finally found it. It was perfect. † I saw my body, it was lying down on the ground like a doll. There were people mourning and weeping. At first, I couldn’t understand why. I saw more and more people, the people whom I recognized came over, filled with unbearable thoughts of sadness and grief. I knew then I was gone, I was no longer a part of this world. I thought I did what I had to do. In the end, I defeated the purpose and paid it with my life. The Monster Inside Me I had everything. Loving family, supportive friends, good grades, degree in ballet†¦ etc. Not much, but there’s no shortage for anything. But life isn’t always perfect, especially when the monster inside you starts to show. I was at the dance studio half an hour earlier before the rehearsal starts. Determined to be the best as I got the first role for the upcoming ballet production â€Å"Swan Lake†. I got all the applause and compliments from all the musical directors and choreographers. Everything was meant to be, I was the brightest star. But life isn’t always fair.The door cracked open as I was doing my last stretching before heading to the stage. The director walked in, along with another girl from the ensemble group. â€Å"Charlotte,† She said. â€Å"She will take the lead role from now on, you’ll be her backup,† the director continued. â€Å"Five minutes on stage. † They went out the door. I was stunned. Everything ha ppened in just a blink of an eye. I worked so hard for this role and everything was meant to be. I couldn’t accept the fact that someone is better than me. Someone that can make the choreographers and directors think for a second thought.I wasn’t satisfied. I went up the stage and argued with the director. Thinking of something that could make him change his decision. â€Å"Your figure is not what we want for the role. † I was beaten by that. Never in my life did someone actually point out my imperfection before. I thought I was perfect. I rushed to the toilet to hide my tears. I am strong, or in the other word, I was afraid to lose. High self-esteem is what I got since the day I was born. I highly believe that I was worth everything because I spent much of my time striving to achieve perfection in every aspect of my life.What I did not realize was that in my desperate need to be perfect, I sacrificed the very body and mind that allowed me to live. I looked at m yself in the mirror. The reflection of mine started to twist. I saw an ugly, worthless and hopeless girl. Her empty eyes weren’t showing anything but angers. Her body began to grow bigger and bigger. She seemed to be the brightest among all, but when the darkness comes, she’s nothing but an empty shell. From that day onwards, my life changed. I was never happy before. Jealousy was what controlling me. I felt very inadequate and unsuccessful.I started to believe that my life was a failure. And what had caused it like this is no doubt but my weight. I had always been an average size. But I was convinced by my inner voice that I was overweight. I found myself involved in a competition again. But this time, I was competing against myself. I started of with a normal diet. Thought I’ll just lose a few pounds and everything will be okay. I was wrong. When the first pound was lost, I was addicted to the numbers on the scales. My mind became obsessed with beating my body at this game. Though I know I’m slowly killing myself, but jealousy was my biggest motivation.I was dying to win my pride back and prove them wrong. I slowly cut back on what I eat each day. With every portion I didn’t finish or meal I skipped, I told myself that I was succeeding, and in turn, I felt good about myself. That was my darkest secret. I still join my family dinner. Just to avoid my family to notice my odd behaviour. But I felt disgusted and useless after every meal. I was then introduced to purging. Purging had sort of changed my life because I could eat what I want and what I had to do is just purge them out afterwards.My parents had no idea that their loving and caring daughter is a total different soul now. Every time I finished meal I will make a beautiful excuse to my room. They had no idea what is happening behind that door. Toilet bowl and icy tiles was what I face every night. My reflection from the mirror is nothing but an empty soul. My eyes were like two empty holes burning in flames. I just want my role back. My inner voice told me that it will be worth it every time. There, I slide two fingers down my throat and began to purge out everything.Not just the food I ate, but every bit of my soul. The monster inside me had taken over everything I had, purging out my original self. My mind was possessed by jealousy, anger and desperation, and I couldn’t help it. I was lost and desperately searching for the light at the end of the tunnel. Even so, I had never gave up my hope on ballet. I lost a lot of weight, losing more that I could have imagined. I just couldn’t control myself, my soul was lost, life was empty and I couldn’t figure out why. But my spirits were high and I was still so motivated and determined to get my role back.I knew I still had to convince the directors that I was the main star. I saw my reflection on the mirror, I saw the beautiful me. One day before the show, I was on the backstage. An xiously waiting for the right time like lion waiting for its prey. There she came, going down the stairs. My eyes were flaming. Jealousy had driven me to my limits, the limits where I could do everything just to get my role back. I have to vanish her. I was possessed by the monster inside me, I ran towards her in light speed and pushed her off the stairs with the last energy I reserved.My heart was racing. She was admitted to the hospital. I have no regrets on what I’ve done. Never in my life that I was so happy by the feeling of winning. But I wasn’t me anymore, the bright and loving girl had completely turned into a devil. The feeling of snatching back of what belongs to me was what pleased me. I was insane. Standing on the stage, the lights were on me. I gave a revengeful smile to the directors and as soon as I finished my last step, I collapsed. Heart attack hits me. The sounds of sirens were apparent and soon after, I noticed a medic trying to resuscitate me.I kne w my time was done, my heart was failing. It was beating weaker. â€Å"Perfection, I finally found it. It was perfect. † I saw my body, it was lying down on the ground like a doll. There were people mourning and weeping. At first, I couldn’t understand why. I saw more and more people, the people whom I recognized came over, filled with unbearable thoughts of sadness and grief. I knew then I was gone, I was no longer a part of this world. I thought I did what I had to do. In the end, I defeated the purpose and paid it with my life.

Infective Endocarditis

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a rare but potentially severe, life-threatening infection of the inner lining of the heart and the surface of valves known as the endocardium. If IE is left untreated, local tissue destruction occurs and heart valves become damaged due to pathogen invasion resulting in severe regurgitation of blood. Consequently, the heart becomes less proficient at pumping blood around the body which can lead to congestive heart failure that is the main cause of death from IE1. IE is a rare affecting around 1 in 30,000 individuals each year in England but is important as despite antimicrobial therapy, severe complications including stroke, heart failure or even death2. Delayed clinical diagnosis of IE is common as the initial symptoms such as fever and fatigue are varied and non-specific. Early diagnosis is crucial to enable faster treatment of IE critical for reducing morbidity and mortality. This review will discuss the aetiology and pathophysiology of IE alongside the standard procedures used for diagnosis. Aetiology of IE:IE is mostly caused by gram-positive cocci with Streptococci, Staphylococci and Enterococci which usually originate from oral, skin and gastrointestinal tract flora respectively, accounting for 85% of cases3,4. IE can also be caused by fungal infections such as Candida or Aspergillus colonising the endocardium5. Individuals at risk of include those that inject drugs or have a central venous catheter inserted as medical instruments can be infected by opportunistic pathogens, so manipulation of the skin disrupts the physical barrier allowing transient bacteria to enter the bloodstream6. Despite medical advancements, rates of IE are increasing due to a rise in surgery for valve replacement2.Pathophysiology: Understanding the pathophysiology of IE provides an insight into disease progression and aids in diagnosis7. The endocardium has an outer endothelium with an underlying basal lamina and an inner sub-endothelial layer made of loose connective tissue, fibroblasts and collagen fibrils8. Despite the presence of transient bacteraemia in the bloodstream, IE is rare due to the resistance provided by the intact endothelium lining the heart valves, heart chamber and great vessels9. If endothelial erosion occurs by altered haemodynamics, valvular heart disease, or mechanical lesions from artificial heart valves, blood would be exposed to the sub-endothelial layer and to stromal cells, thromboplastin and collagen present3. Exposure results in activation of the coagulation cascade resulting in fibrin deposition and platelet aggregation7. Consequently, small masses known as sterile thrombotic vegetations mainly made of platelets, fibrin, red and white blood cells4 form on the damaged endothelium on cardiac valve leaflets resulting in non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis [Figure 1]. Vegetations are frequently found in low-pressure areas on cardiac valves due to the Venturi effect where blood flows to a lower-pressure area. Greater mechanical stresses are imposed on the left cardiac valves as blood is pumped under higher pressure. Thus, vegetations are usually identified by echocardiography on the atrial surface of the mitral valve and the ventricular surface of the aortic valve10. Knowing the common vegetation sites enables faster diagnosis of IE. Colonisation of an initially sterile vegetation may occur by adhesion of transient bacteria in the bloodstream [Figure 2]. Adhesion of gram-positive bacteria occurs as adhesins present on the surface of gram-positive bacteria recognise the exposed fibronectin, fibrinogen and platelets3. Bacterial colonisation and growth results in leukocyte infiltration into the vegetation further activating the host coagulation cascade. Vegetation enlargement occurs as bacteria grow and produce a biofilm made of polysaccharides and proteins which aids bacterial persistence11. Pathogen binding initiates neutrophil chemotaxis and infiltration occurs concentrating proteases and oxidative activities12 which can cause valvular damage and cusp perforation [Figure 2]. Thrombotic vegetations can disseminate and become septic emboli possibly resulting in the blockage of small vessels, organ failure or stroke if a cerebral artery is occluded13. Clinical presentation:Delayed diagnosis of IE is common as IE has varied presentations; therefore, blood cultures and echocardiography are predominantly used in diagnosis and clinical presentations are used to help guide diagnosis. IE is traditionally classified as either acute where a sudden development of IE occurs within days, or as subacute if a gradual development of IE occurs over weeks to a few months14. Patients usually present with persistent or recurrent fever, chills, or with non-specific and highly variable symptoms such as malaise, night sweats, myalgia, arthralgia or anorexia16. If the onset of the disease process is slow, classic examination findings such as Osler nodes (red nodular lesions found on fingers and toes), Roth spots (a white-centred haemorrhage in the retina) and Janeway lesions (non-tender, haemorrhagic plaques usually on palms and soles)15 may present [Table 1]. Auscultation of the heart is important as regurgitant murmurs are identified in nearly half of patients16. Identifying regurgitant murmurs is critical as murmurs are a result of valvular insufficiency which commonly develops as a result of IE. As clinical presentations are non-specific and highly variable, a low threshold criterion for further investigation is needed to avoid delay in identifying individuals with IE16. Diagnosis:Rapid diagnosis of IE is essential to initiate antibiotic therapy and avoid progressive, irreversible valve damage7. In comparison to the original Von Reyn criteria for the diagnosis of IE which only consisted of clinical and microbiological investigations, the modified Duke criteria is used in secondary care as the latter is more effective in diagnosis by incorporating echocardiographic findings18 to provide a greater insight into any endocardial pathogenesis [Table 1]. Two major, one major with three minor, or five minor criteria are required for a definitive diagnosis. For example, an echocardiogram showing endocardial involvement alongside a positive blood culture result is sufficient for a definitive diagnosis of IE [Table 1]. Possible diagnosis of IE requires at least one major and one minor criterion or three minor criteria. In clinical practice, the Duke criteria is used but does not replace clinical judgement otherwise misdiagnosis or delayed would result due to the varied clinical presenations19. Microbiological Tests: Identifying underlying microbial aetiology is essential for optimal individual patient treatment. Microbiological tests are performed to identify positive blood cultures. Prior to initiating antibiotic treatment, two sets of blood cultures are taken20. Incubation of a standard blood culture lasts for five days to recover nearly all cultivatable causes of IE21. However, negative tests in around 10% of patients22 may result from antibiotics being given prior to blood cultures or alternative diagnoses such as non-bacterial endocarditis. Around two-thirds of initially culture negative patients are identified as positive with further testing such as serological testing for Bartonella and Coxiella22; therefore, the incorporation of serological testing in the modified Duke criteria is critical to avoid delayed diagnosis. Echocardiography: Echocardiography is crucial in the diagnosis of IE and in predicting the embolic risk. Performing echocardiography as early as possible is essential to diagnose IE and thus initiate treatment23. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) can be involved in diagnosis [Figure 3]. In TTE the transducer is placed on the chest wall and sends out ultrasound waves which pass through the chest wall into the heart. As TTE is non-invasive, it is initially used to identify evidence of endocardial involvement that is stated in the modified Duke Criteria such as vegetations or valvular perforation24, [Table 1]. TTE has a lower sensitivity of 60-75% in comparison to TOE which is more than 90% sensitive; therefore, most patients also have the TOE test where the transducer is attached to a tube, is guided down the pharynx and larynx into the oesophagus to achieve a more detailed image of the heart23, [Figure 3]. Conclusion:Rapid diagnosis is critical as IE has high mortality with over a third of patients dying a year after diagnosis despite advancements in the sensitivity of the diagnostic criteria1. Delayed diagnosis contributes to mortality as vegetation enlargement and subsequent cusp perforation continues resulting in blood flow disruption, deterioration of cardiac function or systemic effects from emboli.