‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ by Tennessee Williams Essay

Look at scene IV of ‘Streetcar’ What does the scene tell us about the relationship between Stella and Stanley, and how does Williams portray this? In order to analyse this scene, there needs to be a clear understanding of what has happened prier to it. Scene three is set at Stanley’s poker game, when Mitch leaves the game, to chat to Blanche, Stanley becomes more and more annoyed, and smashes a radio. Stella yells at him, and he starts to beat her. The men pull him off. Blanche takes Stella and some clothes to Eunice’s apartment upstairs. Stanley goes limp and seems confused, but when the men try to force him into the shower to sober him up he fights them off. They grab their winnings and leave. Stanley stumbles out of the bathroom, calling for Stella. He phones upstairs, then phones again, before hurling the phone to the floor. Half-dressed he stumbles out to the street and calls for her again and again: â€Å"STELL-LAHHHHH!† Eunice gives him a piece of her mind, but to no avail. Finally, Stella slips out of the apartment and down to where Stanley is. They stare at each other and then rush together with â€Å"animal moans.† He falls to his knees, caresses her face and belly, then lifts her up and carries her into their flat. Scene four occurs early the next morning, Stella lies serenely in the bedroom, her face aglow. She is described as having a â€Å"narcotised tranquillity that is in the faces of Eastern idols†. Colour and light are huge themes here, Stella holds â€Å"coloured comics† there are â€Å"Gaudy pyjamas† on the floor and â€Å"summer brilliance† in the window. The colours theme within the play, is Williams’s way of telling us that the romance in Stella and Stanley’s relationship is pushed in favour of the couples sexual relations. This being 1949, Williams cannot express this outright. Blanche, who has not slept, enters the apartment the complete opposite of Stella’s serenity. She is worried and demands to know how Stella could go back and spend the night with Stanley after what he did to her. Stella feels  Blanche is making a big issue out of nothing. â€Å"You’re making an awful fuss of this† Yet Blanche goes on about how she must figure out a way to get them both out of this situation, how she recently ran into an old friend who struck it rich in oil, and perhaps he would be able to help them. Stella pays little attention to what Blanche says; she has no desire to leave. She says that Blanche merely saw Stanley at his worst. Blanche feels she saw him at his most characteristic-and this is what terrifies her. Blanche simply cannot understand how a woman raised in Belle Reve could choose to live her life with a man who has â€Å"not one particle† of a gentleman in him, about whom there is â€Å"something downright–bestial†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Stella’s reply is that â€Å"there are things that happen between a man and a woman in the dark–that sort of make everything else seem–unimportant.† This is just desire, says Blanche, and not a basis for marriage. A train approaches, a signal for an emotional outburst, and while it roars past Stanley enters the flat unheard. Not knowing that Stanley is listening, Blanche holds nothing back. She describes him as common, an animal, ape-like, a primitive brute, and in part this is true. Stella listens coldly. Under cover of another passing train, Stanley slips out of the apartment, then enters it noisily. Stella runs to Stanley and embraces him fiercely. Stanley grins at Blanche. This fierce embrace is a clear rejection by Stella of everything Blanche has just said about Stanley–she does not believe her at all. By Stanley’s grin it also shows he has the upper hand, for all his â€Å"ape-like† qualities he is seen as the master here. If the bond between Stella and Stanley is animal, it is also spiritual. These are the flip sides of the ‘primitive’ coin–the dual world of instinct and the supernatural. Stella in this scene offers a glimpse at the mystical side of attraction and desire. She glows transcendently; as mentioned her face is likened to that of an Eastern idol. Her calm is anomalous, as if she has  just taken part in something holy. Blanche fails to see the magic in what to her seems an abusive and dangerous relationship, because she has never reconciled her identity with her own profound desire. The divide is too great between her aristocratic sense of self and the â€Å"animal† urges that have at times controlled her. Blanche herself invokes the streetcar named Desire as a metaphor of what she believes Stella feels. Stella throws the metaphor back at her: â€Å"Haven’t you ever ridden on that streetcar?† Blanche’s answer, â€Å"It brought me here,† is truer than Stella knows. â€Å"A Streetcar Named Desire† by Tennessee Williams Essay A Streetcar named Desire is a play both grimly naturalistic and poetically symbolic, written by playwright Tennessee Williams. It is set in New Orleans post the depression and World War II. The characters in A Streetcar Named Desire are trying to rebuild their lives in post-war America. Much of the characters and themes found in Williams’s dramas were derived from the playwright’s own life. Alcoholism, depression, desire, loneliness, and insanity were all included. Typical of Williams’ style, Streetcar portrays the main character as Blanche DuBois, a, faded Southern belle who represents the culture and beauty of the past and her evident distaste for her younger sister, Stella’s, husband, Stanley Kowalski, a lower class Polish man who is the personification of modern practicality, crudeness, cynicism, and brutality. Through this play we follow Blanche and her descent into madness and lunacy. This play is written in the style of theatre is known as expressionism/naturalism. Expressionism in drama and art was a movement that rejected traditional methods of representing objective reality. Instead, expressionists exaggerated and distorted aspects of the outside world in order to ‘express’ certain moods and feelings. Expressionism continues to be an important influence on experimental theatre and art. Williams has used this style to portray his themes, ideas and characters in the play A Streetcar Named Desire. The character of Blanche, was actually a ‘repertoire of the womanly characteristics’ displayed by Tennessee Williams. Naturalism can refer to the technique of portraying life in a scientifically detached manner; however, it is generally used to refer specifically to a nineteenth century movement in art and literature where the artists or authors claimed to be objective observers. Naturalist writers were strongly influenced by evolutionary theory, and saw human beings as creatures constrained by heredity and environment, rather than as beings with free will. In regards  to Streetcar Williams’ sought to depict working-class characters as psychologically evolved beings to some extent, he attempts to portray these ‘blue-collar’ characters on their own terms, without romanticizing them. Although these two styles of theatre seem to contrast and clash the playwright has used them to complement each other. He has used elements of naturalism but somewhat challenged the conventions of this particular style and effectively entwined it with forms of expressionism. The context of a play is very important as it gives an insight of the playwright’s purpose of the play. One of the intentions of the play is to depict an Americans attempt of rebuilding their life post depression and World War II. His experience as a known homosexual in an era and culture unfriendly to homosexuality also informed his work. William’s most memorable characters, many of them female, contain recognizable elements of their author. His vulgar, irresponsible male characters, such as Stanley Kowalski, were likely modelled on Williams’s own father and on other males who tormented him during his childhood. In Streetcar, Williams challenged the values and attitudes of society in the portrayal of a multicultural society where everyone is equal, in regards to their race and culture. â€Å"†¦you’ve got to realize that Blanche and I grew up in very different circumstances than you did† Although the playwright has shown that racial class doesn’t matter, it is obvious that social stature still does. The rich and the poor are still separated. Since Blanche and Stella were raised in Belle Reve they subconsciously believe they are superior to ‘commoners’ like Stanley. The central themes of this play are fantasy and illusion, cruelty, the primitive and the primal, loneliness and as the title of the book suggests, desire. Scene seven, the scene which we chose to perform, discusses the theme of cruelty, on Stanley’s behalf, loneliness from Stella and fantasy and illusion from Blanche. The only unforgivable crime, according to Blanche, is deliberate cruelty. In this scene Stanley attempts to ‘reveal’ Blanche as the low life prostitute she has become to Stella, hopefully  convincing her to ‘side’ with him. He does this by being self-righteous, arrogant and demanding. Blanche however, oblivious of Stanley’s knowledge of her past, is in the bath once again ‘cooling’ herself off, singing ‘It’s Only a Paper Moon’ the popular 1940s ballad summarizes Blanche’s situation with regard to Mitch. She is in a state of pure oblivion that adds to her fantasy world. Williams juxtaposes Blanche’s merry rendition of this song with Stanley’s malicious revelations about her character, creating a situation of tense dramatic irony as Blanche sings about a future that will never come true. The song describes the fanciful way one perceives the world while in love, but it also foreshadows the fact that Mitch falls out of love with Blanche after his illusions about her have been destroyed. In turn Stella feels lonely because she is isolated. She is torn between the man she loves and her sister. A Streetcar Named Desire written by playwright Tennessee Williams is a play both naturalistic but poetically symbolic as it is written in the theatre styles of expressionism and naturalism. In performing a scripted piece it is imperative to learn of the text’s historical and authors context to fully realise and understand the development of characters, themes and ideas. â€Å"A Streetcar Named Desire† by Tennessee Williams Essay Over the last few lessons in drama we have been working on a number of tasks to do with Tennessee Williams’ â€Å"A Streetcar Named Desire†. These tasks involved using movement as well as words; some were naturalistic and others were much more abstract. Our first task was to walk like different characters from the play, focusing on the way they used certain parts of their body to show their personalities. First we had to walk like Stanley. Most of us walked with a confident swagger, sticking our chests or pelvises out to indicate his masculine pride. When we were asked to sit down in character, we sat back in a relaxed manner, opening our legs and perhaps loosely crossing our arms or draping them over the back of our chair, indicating total self-assuredness. Next we were asked to play Blanche. I decided to portray her as a fidgety person, constantly smoothing her clothes, fixing her hair or touching her face, to show her insecurities and lack of confidence. I also walked with short, dainty steps, to show how fragile and slight she is. When we sat down, I leaned forward slightly, with my shoulders slightly hunched, to show her vulnerability. Finally we were asked to portray Stella – standing upright, slightly tense as if waiti ng to heed to Stanley’s latest demands – and Mitch – big, awkward, slightly more hunched and less confident-looking than Stanley. After this task, we were asked to depict Stanley and Blanche as animals. For Stanley, nearly everyone acted like a wolf or a fox – strong, territorial, sly, always hunting and watching. For Blanche, I chose to act like a small bird, which would preen and look pretty but would be fidgety and nervous and would fly away when frightened. Our next task was to get into groups and act out scenes taking place before the play begins, which would reveal something interesting about our characters. I was in a group with Emily, and we were told to act out a scene from when Blanche and Stella still lived at Belle Reve. Emily played Stella and I played Blanche. Our scene began with Blanche climbing through the window of the room she shares with Stella, late at night. Stella, who has been studying, admonishes her for being so late and tells her how worried she has been. Blanche, who has been drinking but claims she â€Å"limits herself to one†, has just met a young man who reads poetry, who, as we know, will later commit suicide. It is revealed that Stella is the clever sister, who has the potential to make something of herself, and Blanche is the wilder, worldlier sister who relies on her beauty to have fun. This explains why Stella left Belle Reve and had the ability to get a husband and a home of her own, and why Blanc he was left behind, unwilling to grow up and surrender her beauty. Millie and Genna also played Blanche and Stella at Belle Reve. Their scene involved Blanche taking Stella out on the town for the first time. Blanche is very domineering and worldly, and Stella is naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve and nervous about the shortness of her dress. Stella wears white, showing her innocence, and Blanche wears red, showing her corrupted virtue. Jack and Owen played Mitch and Stanley. They gave Mitch a deep personality, having him hint about wanting to settle down with a wife and worrying about his mother. They also showed Stanley’s love for Stella, as he talks about her in a very loving and tender way to Mitch. Next Felix and Flick, playing Stanley and Stella, showed how Stella was very like Blanche when she first met Stanley, unused to this more working class environment, yet being excited by Stanley’s attentions. Finally, Angelika and Hugo, playing Stella and Stanley, show Stella as being naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve and Stanley being mysterious and inquisitive, trying t o figure her out. In our next task we did Hot Seating. One by one, we were asked questions in character about our views on different events in the play. I chose to be Eunice, because although she is not a main character in the play, she is good friends with Stella and her husband is friends with Stanley, and she lives in the flat above them, so she would have a very clear idea of what life would be like for them. I chose to give her the opinion that Stanley’s hitting Stella isn’t good, but is acceptable, and is just a part of marriage that cannot be avoided. I was particularly impressed by Emily’s portrayal of Stella after having her sister taken away. She made it clear that Stella was heartbroken, and although she claimed to believe Stanley, she let on that she had no choice but to believe him. I also liked Alex as Blanche, gushing and acting pleasant and sweet to try and cover up her past, but when difficult questions were brought up her act fell and she would refuse to talk abo ut it. Our final task was to act out the scene where Blanche has been stood up by Mitch on her birthday and use freeze-frames to mark the most important moments in that the scene. I was in a group with Felix and Alex. Felix played Stanley, Alex played Blanche and I played Stella. The moments we marked were: Stanley throwing plates off the table; Stella and Stanley on the porch with Blanche on the phone, trying to reach Mitch; Stanley giving Blanche a ticket back to Laurel; and Stella going into labour. For each of our important moments, we froze in position for four seconds, before doing an action and moving onto the next moment. There were subtle differences between each group’s piece; instead of using an action, as we did in ours, Millie, Flick and Jack used an important line of text in each of their moments, which I found very effective. Although I found these tasks challenging (especially as I knew we were on camera), I enjoyed interpreting different characters in new ways. I also worked with different people to whom I normally would, which was a good experience and made me enthusiastic and eager to work with them again in future lessons.

Creatine and Improved Athletic Performance: Benefits, Risks, and Regulation

Kaitlyn Paul Ani Govjian English 105 2 October 2012 Creatine and Improved Athletic Performance: Benefits, Risks, and Regulation Abstract Creatine, being a natural building block in fast twitch muscle energy supply, can also be used by athletes as a supplement to increase muscular performance. It can be classified by many athletic associations as a muscle building supplement, much like anabolic steroids, and these associations take that into account when generating use policies for competition.However, there are many risks associated with such use: organ failures, blood clots, and a reduction of the effectiveness of natural creatine stores within the body. The lack of regulation on such supplements also presents the risks of contamination and reactions with other substance ingested simultaneously as well as separately. The implications of creatine supplement use have not been fully developed and further research needs to be conducted to improve the limited knowledge base of the comple te function of this complex substance in order to protect the safety of the athletes using them.Key Terms Creatine, phosphocreatine, type II (fast twitch) muscle fibers, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), ATP (Adenosine-5-triphosphate), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), nutritional supplements Introduction Performance enhancing drugs have been used and abused in sports for as far back as historians can remember. One such substance, creatine, could be considered the non-steroidal anabolic steroid. Use of this supplement has spiked and has spread across various athletic disciplines.While creatine most definitely contributes to muscle performance in athletes, not enough research and regulation to fully consider it safe or even to understand its effects on the body have occurred. Creatine and Improved Athletic Performance Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid that is produced in the pancreas, liver, and kidneys and is used as an energy source for the body’s skeletal muscles. It is also ingested with the consumption of meats and fish (Creatine Supplements 2011).The body reserves this substance and converts it into phosphocreatine which is stored within the muscles for later use. Phosphocreatine is then converted into ATP (Adenosine-5-triphosphate) when the cells within type II or â€Å"fast twitch† muscle fibers call upon it during brief, high intensity exercise such as sprints or bounds (Jenkins 1998). Using a supplement to increase creatine levels within the body has become widely popular among athletes as it increases strength and helps build lean muscle mass during exercises that utilize type II muscle fibers (Ehrlich 2011).However, due to its classification as a muscle building supplement, much like anabolic steroids, the NCAA prohibits the supply of creatine supplements to athletes by school officials of any kind (Greenwood 2008). Therefore, the athlete is responsible for the selection and consumption of creatine supplemen ts should he/she decide to take them. Risks of Creatine Consumption Creatine promises benefits that are every athlete’s dream such as increased muscle mass and improved performance.However, research has indicated that there are some valid health concerns regarding creatine use that athletes may want to consider before deciding to ingest this particular supplement such as: renal and liver issues, blood pressure, and anterior compartment syndrome (Greenwood 2008). An increased risk of stroke can also be caused by the excessive use of creatine, especially when combined with commonly ingested substances such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve) or caffeine (Ehrlich 2011).The long-term use of creatine can also prove to be dangerous to one’s health with side effects from muscle cramps to seizures, ranging in severity with length of exposure (Creatine Supplements 2011). Dosing and overuse are also important factors to be conside red. With roughly 44% of high school senior athletes having reported using creatine in one particular study, it is evident that a large number of users have not yet reached adulthood (Creatine Supplements 2011).Although creatine has been through some research, there is none that has indicated its safety in users under the age of 19 which is the largest demographic of users that experience overdose (Ehrlich 2011). Because creatine occurs naturally with the consumption of meat products and production within the liver and kidneys from amino acids, when one supplements their diet with exogenous creatine, it slows the production of natural creatine thus increasing their need to take supplements and furthering the original issue (Jenkins 1998).Furthermore, the negative effects of creatine may be compounded by the other contents in the supplements. FDA Regulation of Supplements The Food and Drug Administration in the United States does not regulate the contents of nutritional supplements n or does it regulate/ensure proper labeling on product containers. The FDA simply requires reporting of adverse reactions to the contents of said supplements as they occur. Because of the lack of regulation from the FDA, any supplement, including creatine, could potentially contain substances harmful to the user as an athlete and/or as a human being (Jenkins 1998).For instance, there have been reports of contaminants within creatine such as dicyandiamide and dihydrotriazine, which are both microbiocides: substances that kill microbes or 90% of cells in the human body (Greenwood 2008). Further, since creatine is still mostly a mystery with regards to its effects on important organ systems and its effects when combined with commonly consumed substances such as energy drinks and over-the-counter drugs, ingesting it can prove to be extremely dangerous seeing as how a majority of Americans use these substances on a regular basis.Conclusion The use of creatine, though heavily encouraged by the demands of society on athletes to be stronger or faster than their competitors, has the potential to ruin an athlete’s career because of the multitude of risks. One may see the words â€Å"all natural† on a bottle and assume that creatine supplements are safe to consume, but athletes should be educated about the possible effects on his or her body and athletic career in the long run.Creatine needs to be banned in athletic competition and competitors need to be subject to testing like that of anabolic steroids until further research and innovations have been completed to ensure the integrity and safety of the product. The FDA needs to implement more restrictive regulations on supplements of any kind to reduce the possibility of contamination and/or improper labeling. There is no doubt that creatine had a multitude of effects based on its natural rigins within the body, but athletes, and people in general, need to be smart about what they put in their body and weigh the risks over the benefits.References Ehrlich S, reviewer. 2011. Creatine [Internet]. Baltimore, MD: University of Maryland Medical System; [cited 2012 Sept 13]. Available from: http://www. umm. edu/altmed/articles/creatine-000297. htm Greenwood M. 2008. Creatine overview: facts, fallacies, and future. Essentials of Creatine in Sports and Health. [Cited 2012 Sept 11]; 211-240. SpringerLink [Internet]. Springer, Part of Springer Science+Business Media. date unknown]. Available from: http://www. springerlink. com/content/p5x7536l76h55717/fulltext. pdf. System Requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader and subscription required for access. Jenkins MA, author. 1998. Creatine supplementation in athletes: review [Internet]. SportsMed Web; [cited 2012 Sept 11]. Available from: http://www. rice. edu/~jenky/sports/creatine. html Unknown, compiler/author. 2011. Creatine supplements [Internet]. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; [cited 2012 Sept 13]. Available from: http://orthoinfo. aaos. or g/topic. cfm? topic=a00373

Consolidating Theory and Research: Childhood Studies Essay

Essay This essay will discuss the new theories of Childhood Studies, possible benefits to teachers and children and how it relates to New Zealand early childhood practice. Let’s begin by looking briefly at what childhood studies entails. Childhood studies is a relatively new field of study that seeks to move away from the outdated theory of seeing children with a ‘social construction’ lens, where a child is a product of a particular set of culturally specific norms, to a ‘social constructivist’ lens, which focuses on the child as an individual and how they interact with their own environment. Not as passive earners, but people, with agency, who contribute to their own development (Clark, R. 2010). Childhood studies draw from different fields of study, e. g. , psychology, education, health, anthropology, law, and sociology, and looks at children using a Bronfenbrenner model. Bronfenbrenner saw a child as being within society, within the bounds of first , it’s family and setting, or the micro system. Then of its mesosystem, or the connections between the family and setting. Then of its community, or exosystem, where the microsystem function. Then in the macrosystem, or greater societal makeup of a child’s particular place of origin. Then lastly the cronosystem, or particular time in which a child lives, and the historic and societal factors of that time, that influence children (Clark, R. 2010). Because childhood studies look at childhood from a wider viewpoint, it allows children to be seen as functioning individuals within many different societal norms. It highlights problems with older theories of development e. g. Piaget’s stages of development (Claiborne, L. , & Drewery, W. 2010) Piaget’s stages define children within a narrow beam, with expectations clearly defined. But in reality, using theories in Childhood Studies, you find children with astly different competencies depending on their societal context. E. g. a three year old New Zealand child will be mostly dependant, protected and facing nothing more challenging than kindergarten and play, whereas a three year old child from the Congo or the South American jungle is likely actively participating in serious household chores and contributin g to family survival, undertaking tasks that a New Zealand parent would balk at (Berk, L. 2009). An interesting crossover is Steiner kindergarten’s practice of teaching children through participating in everyday life skills. e. g. , food preparation, cleaning, gardening, and useful echnological crafts like sewing and weaving (Oldfield, L. 2012), in a typically Western European setting of a teacher led service. The discourse that underpins modern European views of ‘normal’ childhoods being vulnerable and needing to be protected (Clark, 2010), run into problems in the new theories of childhood studies. When you look at children as competent individuals and give them agency, empower them and give them room to develop beyond normal expectation, children often preform well beyond ‘normal’ capabilities. Looking at children through a Childhood Studies focus forces teachers and researchers to reassess their philosophies and xpectations of children (Clark, 2010). Although teachers can use normative guides for approximate development, it is too difficult to paint an exact measure of ‘normal’ and fit all children within that expectation (Clark, 2010). Average and ideal competency is relative to societal influences, and even in a small countries like New Zealand, cultural differences in Pacific, Maaori and European cultures provide stunning examples of different levels of competency, agency and expectation in children. For example, a strong focus on tuakana/teina relationships in Maaori whanau, or the xpectation of a larger role in siblings caring for each other (Tomlins-Jahnke, H. , & Durie, A. 2008), and the serious attitude of respect and responsibility afforded to Pacific children relative to community and cultural practice (Pereira, F. 2004) & (Poland, M. , Paterson, J. , Carter, S. , Gao, W. , Perese, L. , & Stillman, S. 2010). Teachers can no longer presume that just because a child is of a certain age or size that the child’s developmental competencies will be at the expected normal level. From personal experience, I have a child who did not meet toileting self management at four, ut excelled in academics, and all my children were frequently mistaken for older children in early childhood settings because of their increased height and size. This often led to unreasonable expectation from other parents of their skill level and behavior. So in conclusion, Childhood studies urge us to know each child as an individual, so that we may cater to that child’s best interests and levels of competency. The best way to do this is work on building sound reciprocal relationships with children and their families (Ministry of Education, 1996), and by using qualitative methods of recording and presenting and valuating children’s learning in Early childhood settings (Ministry of Education, 2009). Childh ood studies allow us to look holistically at a child and its surroundings and work to meet its needs within that setting, shedding typical expectations and working towards strengthening skills and competency. Part two Perspectives of children Sourcing and analyzing seven media examples concerning New Zealand children, I found strong connecting themes. These were overt consumerism in western culture, poverty vs wealth in normal discourse, overwhelming misunderstanding as to best normal development anging from personal to government level, and the frightening tide of misuse of technology in western society threatening children’s development. Children were discussed in all examples, but there was no children’s voice. It seems normal to discuss and analyze children in media, but never to ask them their opinion! Which seems to go against any rights that children have (United Nations. 1989) to be treated equally, and have an agency in their lives and culture. I will break th e articles down to find the main themes underpinning each article, then link over lapping themes that run throughout. Article one â€Å"Kiwi families conned by promise of free childcare† discusses the 20 hours free childcare policy. We see that although the government tries to provide all children with free early childhood education (ECE), centres are charging extra. We ask ourselves is this because government undervalues children in general and doesn’t fund enough? Or is it because children are seen as commodities by EC centres who are trying to make a profit. Either way, children are being given economic value and both parties are struggling to balance books, not develop children. In article two, â€Å"Should preschool be compulsory? two pundits debate compulsory preschool. The article points out the inability of the poor to afford what is in fact not free education for 3-5 year olds under the 20 hours free policy. A topic carried over from the first article. From a child studies point of view it raises these questions; How can government presume all children fit appropriately into services in multicultural society? How can government insure centres meet cultural needs of children attending centres? And who decides the ‘magic’ set of skills a child needs to acquire before starting school? Skills listed in the article do not fit skills

Bacillus Subtilis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Bacillus Subtilis - Research Paper Example Further, the use of Mosel agar also helped to isolate the bacteria. This lab report consists of the results obtained for the isolation process. In this lab, the main objective was to isolateBacillus subtilis which is a gram-positive bacteria. The bacteria exist naturally in soil or vegetation; and within a mesophilic temperature range of 25-35 degrees Celsius. The bacterium has rod-shaped cells hence leading to the name bacillus. Usually, it leaves in harsh conditions, a situation leading to the formation of endospores which are stress resistant (Boone et al, 2001). The characteristics of the bacteria which allows for the uptake of of external DNA also provided a hint in isolating the microbe from its culture. The characteristics of the organism makes it significant to make use of gram staining and mosel agar to help in the isolation process. The following is the image showing Bacillus subtilis colony The processed sample of the bacterium was treated through suspending it in a physiological saline for 15 minutes. The temperature for the treatment process was kept at 100 degrees Celsius to ensure that all the vegetative forms involved were all killed. The culture was then isolated in a nutrient agar. Gram staining method was then applied to guide in genus identification (Dworkin & Fulkow, 2006). The shape of the rods and extent was then examined from gram stains. Further , Mosel agar was used in isolating the individual colony. Glucose nitrate was also helpful idenfying the associated growth. The color of the growth was examined and recorded. On performing gram staining, there was formation of slender rods and the realization of gram positive nature, to represent Bacillus subtilis. This helped in isolating the microbe from B. Cereus which assumed the shape of thick swollen rods. The treatment under 100 degrees Celsius was useful in isolating the species from its vegetative forms since the bacteria itself

Manhattan Transcripts Between Idealism and Reality Essay

Manhattan Transcripts Between Idealism and Reality - Essay Example Tschumi developed the Manhattan Transcripts from 1977 to 1981 as a set of theoretical drawings as he was exploring the use of notation and the effectiveness of disjunction. This was in an effort to come up with new ways of expressing a few of the traditional means of representing architectural forms. Tschumi had the theoretical agenda of describing elements that have roots in the conventional architectural representation shown by the complex relationship between spaces and their uses, objects and events, as well as typology and program, when he developed the Manhattan Transcripts. His work focused on a set of disjunctions among use, form, and social values. The programs in the transcripts have the most extreme nature as they bring out the plot of the archetype of murder. The transcripts try to introduce a different insight of architecture which shows the independent, yet related aspects of space, movements, and events (Tschumi, â€Å"Urban Pleasures† 11). When it comes to classification, the transcripts offer a different perspective to architecture whereby space, events, and movements are ultimately independent, but at the same time, related to one another. This leads to breaking down of conventional architectural components and rebuilding them along different lines (Tschumi, â€Å"Disjunctions† 117). All the four sections of the Manhattan Transcripts use their tentative format to explore unlikely confrontations, therefore, bringing to light the fact that perhaps, all architecture, apart from being about functional standards, is all about love and death. The Manhattan Transcripts are not a random accumulation of events, but rather they display a certain order that makes them not to be self-contained images. They have a final cumulative meaning that depends on the succession of spaces. The representation of events, movements, and spaces indicate the use of tripartite notation in the Manhattan Transcripts. Movement in the

Family on Film Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Family on Film - Movie Review Example Atticus is a lawyer who does not bend his ideals and principles. Though everyone was discouraging him to defend a black man—because he is already guilty by the mere color of his skin, he was determined to prove the innocence of Tom. Although it was a very unpopular decision, a white man defending a black man accused of raping a white woman, Atticus stuck by his principles; undeterred by the social pressures caused by his unpopular decision. Although he successfully defended Tom and proved his innocence yet lost the case, his social defiance sent a very powerful message to his children. Unlike Atticus, Antonio of â€Å"The Bicycle Thief† was someone who wanted to stay true to his principles but failed to do so due to social pressures. Like Atticus and all decent fathers, Antonio also wanted to provide for his family to the best of his capacity. That is why the bicycle is symbolic in so many ways—income, dreams, hope, escape, and security among others. But because Antonio was hard-pressed in all possible ways, he no longer could stand-by his morals. In the end, he opted to steal a bike, and ended up embarrassing himself not just in front of the whole community, but in front of his son.

Homework Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Homework - Case Study Example The practices proposed by NIST are too complicated and technically demanding for such business entrepreneurs to adopt and implement. 3. In the present age, technology advances at a very fast pace. It takes a lot of time and effort to implement the practices in the existing technology-based system, let alone a system that is constantly upgraded and renewed by the incorporation of new technology. 4. NIST requires configuration of workstations, laptops, and all types of technology with the industry standard active protection with firewall (â€Å"FASP Areas†). This becomes very costly for the business entrepreneurs particularly in the underdeveloped and the developing countries that tend to rely upon the pirated copies of software generally. 5. To consider the application of the NIST proposed security practices on a typical business, it is imperative that things are analyzed in a global context. While businesses in the advanced countries are extremely technology savvy and complying with the rules and regulations regarding computers, those in the third world countries are

Due diligence standards in the US and the UK appear to provide deal Essay

Due diligence standards in the US and the UK appear to provide deal parties different incentives as to disclosure - Essay Example Duty of care is a fiduciary duty for the Board but it can also be delegated (Batterson, nd). When due diligence examination is outsourced i.e. accounting professionals are hired to produce a report for an entity’s future prospects, the fiduciary duty of due diligence is delegated to the professionals. It is not only the bidder’s responsibility to exercise due diligence but the target company also needs to provide that information to the potential buyer which is not publicly available. A significant amount of information becomes automatically available to the Board when it examines the financial statements of the target company. In order to exercise due diligence, mere dependence on financial statements is insufficient because these statements contain the opinion of an auditor regarding the fact whether the statements are prepared according to the generally accepted accounting principles. These statements do not provide a reliable forecast on the target company’s future profits. This is why a â€Å"special audit† is required to obtain relevant and reliable information (Weiner, 2010). However, in cases where a hostile bid is placed, the bidder only has the option of relying on the publicly available information of the target company. Also, the target company is not legally obligated to expose its private information in a hostile bid. Publicly available information of a company includes: Contingent liabilities: Liabilities that might arise from pending litigation or environmental liabilities. This information can also be obtained from financial statements but it might also not be disclosed if it does not meet the criteria of materiality; Restrictions: The bidder has to be careful for the existence of any agreements or covenants that putt restrictions on the conduct of the targets business. For instance, covenants that require an entity not to compete; Further, a bidder should

Submit a 3150-3850 word description of a new organizational paradigm Essay

Submit a 3150-3850 word description of a new organizational paradigm and analyze the ways in which an existing organization could operate within that paradigm - Essay Example 30% of all employees are Americans and 70 % of employees come form different cultures. The Bell group is specialized in hotel and resort services. It is expected that technology and knowledge will be the main issues changing the world over the next 5 yeas. The new organization paradigm will be based on innovative technologies and introduction of knowledge management initiatives. The division of horal and reports is based on traditional centralized structure. In order to keep control over the assets that are invested into these new business alliances, Bell Group establishes a hierarchical structure of formal control for them. This depends on the significance of the alliance and the potential danger associated with losing key internal resources. Control is an important factor which helps to integrator tasks across teams and has the potential for redesigning the entire organization in terms of job descriptions or promotion schemes, management frequently lacks the commitment to change the entire control structure of the organization. Thus, personal change was a crucial element of learning and organizational change. The potential lies in a reduction of the number of middle managers or a change in the authority structure. It is, however, only when the full potential of technology has been realized that organizational structure changes become more visible. It may therefore take time to notice the long-term effect of increased technology use on organizational design (Bolman and Deal 2003). The greater the degree of specialization, the greater the tendency to concentrate on individual functions while losing sight of overall federal objectives. Thus, conflicts arise among group, functional, and territorial politicians, even though all are preoccupied with the same policy and strategies. Today, decentralization of decision making varies among departments and employees (Hesselbein et al`1997). It is supposed that

Time of the Butterflies Essay Example for Free

Time of the Butterflies Essay Back in the present (1994), Dede considers how Fela, their longtime servant, thinks that she is possessed by the spirits of the dead Mirabal sisters. She had accidentally come across Felas shrine to the girls one Friday in the shed behind the house. She had ordered Fela to move the shrine, but Minou scolded her for being intolerant. Minou often stops at the shrine, which is now down the street. She asks Dede where Lio Morales now lives, since Minerva has asked her to deliver a message to him—just to say hello, and to state how much she thinks of him. When the interview woman presses on, asking Dede, When did all the problems start? Dede begins to speak about Lio Morales. She met him one hot and humid afternoon while she was organizing her fathers shop with Minerva. They are finishing up before they head to Tio Pepes to play volleyball with their friends. Dede knows that her cousin Jaimito, on whom she has started to have a crush (even though he once annoyed her), will be there. Mario, one of their distributors, arrives with Lio, and introduces him as his cousin. He knows Elsa Sanchez and Sinita Perozo from the university. When Dede mentions that they are committed to playing volleyball, Minerva invites Mario and Lio. Minerva gets their fathers permission, and the girls go to Tio Pepes with Mario and Lio.A few weeks later, Lio is still joining them for volleyball. Jaimito suggests that the girls come to play. As they take off their shoes and begin to assign positions, Dede notices that Minerva and Lio are missing. She is unsure if it is actually an accident, but she hits the ball into the hedges, startling the hiding couple. Once Lio emerges from the hedges, Jaimito starts a fight with him, and the game ends in awkwardness. Lio and Jaimito both begin to come to the Mirabals house more and more. When Maria Teresa accidentally reads aloud to Mama a newspaper article that reveals that Lio is a communist, a subversive, Mama becomes upset that she has been letting him spend time at their home. But Minerva continues to see him on double dates with Jaimito and Dede. Still, Minerva refuses to admit that she is in love with Lio. When Dede asks him how he wants to accomplish his revolutionary goals, Lio cannot give her the direct answer she wants. Dede becomes more and more nervous as Lios name continues to appear in the newspapers, and she and Minerva lie about spending time with him. Then Lio announces that hell be going into exile with some of his comrades. One night, after a gathering of the Dominican party in San Francisco, Jaimito asks Minerva if Lio has invited her to go into exile with him, and she says that he has not. Jaimito tells them that the police were looking for Lio at his house and that he was taken down to the station for questioning. He told them that Lio had given him girlie magazines to get them off his back. Minerva leaves, and Dede and Jaimito begin to kiss. Jaimito tells her there is something he wants her to see out back. They get into Papas car, and he slips a ring on her finger, proposing. But they are surprised by Lios cough from the backseat—he has been hiding there. Jaimito is furious that he would endanger the Mirabals, but Lio gives Dede a letter to deliver to Minerva. As Dede walks Jaimito to his car, she agrees to marry him. Alone, Dede decides not to tell Minerva that Lio is hiding in the backseat of Papas car. She goes into her bedroom and opens the letter Lio asked her to deliver to Minerva. In it, he invites her to go into exile with him. Dede decides that she will not expose her sister to that danger, so she burns the letter in the lamp. Analysis This chapter reveals the tense relationship between Dede and Minerva. Their personalities are at odds: Minerva is full of questions and mischief, while Dede is much more organized and chooses to smile and dismiss things without stirring up trouble. But it is Lio who brings out Dedes resentment toward her sister. Though she loves Jaimito, Dede is jealous of Lios interest in Minerva. She sees them as a glamorous couple doing exciting things, while she and Jaimito are merely expected to end up together. She exposes them hiding in the bushes together and even burns the letter from Lio that was intended for her sister. Dede tells herself it is to protect Minerva, but her action is clearly also out of jealousy that her sister might get involved in such a daring adventure with Lio. As the narrator, Dede uses exclamations often, characterizing herself as someone whose placid, smiling demeanor is interrupted by bursts of emotion. When she considers her task of being the grande dame of the bea utiful, terrible past by relating her familys history to the woman interviewer, she exclaims, But it is an impossible task, impossible! In talking about her husband, she wonders, But who could control Jaimito, only son of his doting mother, unquestioned boss of his five sisters!The metaphors of knotted string and captivation carry through this chapter, as Dede describes herself getting caught up in the twists and turns of life. When Lio teases her for going to play volleyball in a dress, Suddenly, Dede feels foolish, caught in her frivolity as if she were a kitten knotted in yarn. As Dede reads articles in the paper about how people are getting arrested, Dedes courage unraveled like a row of stitches not finished with a good, sturdy knot. Being sown up can be for protection or for captivation. She does not think Lio has a plan, and she becomes afraid to be involved with him. The diction that Dede uses as narrator recounting the events of the past ties Minerva to death. After Maria Teresa reads to Chea Mirabel the article calling Lio a communist, Chea calls for Minerva, and From her bedroom, the book she was reading still in hand, appeared the death of them all. Though the phrase to be the death of can be used lightly to mean someone is a handful, in this case, Minerva actually is the death of them all. When Lio announces that he is going to leave to go into exile with his comrades, Minerva was deathly quiet. It is clear that Dede in some way blames Minerva for getting the family involved in politics and thus bringing about her own death and that of her sisters. There is a hint of foreshadowing, too, at the end of the chapter, when Dede considers Jaimitos marriage proposal. She is not surprised by it because she has always seen it as inevitable that she would marry Jaimito. There was no question was there? but that they would spend the rest of their lives together. Notably, the question that interrupts her thought is both in the young Dedes mind and in the memory of the older Dede in 1994, remembering how she felt and how she might have suspected that she and Jaimito would end up getting a divorce. Even when she thinks of Jaimito fondly, as he begins to propose, Dede from the present cannot help but check the enthusiasm she felt at the time: Her spoiled, funny, fun-loving man. Oh, what a peck of trouble she was in for. What do you want, Minerva Mirabal? Summer Minerva has been living at home for a few years, and rumors are starting about her being a lesbian. She also realizes that something is amiss between Mama and Papa. She is bored and jealous of Elsa and Sinita, who are studying in the capital. Out on drives, she begins to notice her fathers Ford always parked in front of the same campesino family home. Four girls run out to the road, and she sees that they have Mirabal eyes. She realizes that Enrique Mirabal is their father and that they are her half-sisters.Since Lio went away, Minerva has been having headaches and bad asthma. One afternoon she goes into her fathers armoire and goes through the pockets of his clothes. She finds four letters addressed to her from Lio, and she reads them. He refers to his proposal that she leave the country with him, which of course Minerva knows nothing about. Furious, she drives the Jeep over to the campesino house where she knows she will find her fathers Ford. He comes out and asks her what she wants, but she just speeds away. When Papa gets home that night, he leads Minerva outside into the garden, where he slaps her. But when he says she owes him respect, she tells him he has lost it.Minerva has also found an invitation to one of Trujillos private parties in her fathers coat pocket; it specifically mentions that Minerva should attend. Mama is scared for Minervas safety, so she insists that Pedrito, Patria, Dede, and Jaimito go along, too. Before the party, Papa sends the Ford to the shop, so Minerva drives him to his medical appointments in San Francisco. One day, he means to stop by the house he has bought for his ex-mistress and his other children after the appointment, and Minerva insists she be allowed to go along to meet them. She even meets Carmen, their mother, with whom Papa says he is no longer involved. Discovery Day Dance, October 12 The family arrives at the party an hour late, having gotten lost. But Trujillo is late, too, as they learn from Manuel de Moya, his secretary of state. A table is reserved for the Mirabals, but Don Manuel tells Minerva she is going to sit with Trujillo. Finally El Jefe arrives, but he does not sit with Minerva; instead, she is entertained by Manuel de Moya. It is about to rain, but the tables are pushed back for dancing. When Don Manuel asks Minerva to dance, she says she has a headache and cannot. Patria brings her calmantes before Don Manuel returns with some for her as well. Finally, Minerva agrees to dance with him.Soon, Trujillo becomes her partner. He flirts with her, and she tells him she wants to study in the capital to be a lawyer. But when he implies that he would like to conquer her, she says she is not for conquest. He tells her the university is no place for women, mentioning the communists and agitators, implying they have been caught. By mistake, Minerva blurts out, Virgilio Morales? She must backtrack and pretend she does not know Lio, and Trujillo believes her. When he pulls her inappropriately close, thrusting at her in a vulgar way, she slaps his face.The rain begins immediately, and the party moves quickly inside. The Mirabals rush off, but Minerva forgets her purse. She and Patria cannot find it anywhere, and they assume that someone already brought it inside and that it will be mailed to them. But on the ride home, Minerva realizes that she has put the letters from Lio in the pocket of the lining. Rainy Spell The Mirabal family left the party before Trujillo did, which is against the law. Two guardias arrive at their house and say that Governor de la Maza wants to see Enrique Mirabal and Minerva immediately, but Mama says, If she goes, I go. At the governors palace, Papa is sent to the capital for questioning. He whispers to Minerva that she is to take money to the illegitimate family in San Francisco every two weeks until he is back. Minerva does so, but she cannot find the house in the rain. She sees Margarita, the oldest daughter, and asks her to lead her to her mothers house. Once there, Minerva gives Carmen the money and asks if she can enroll the daughters in school.Minerva and Chea return to the capital to petition for Papas release. They get a room at a hotel. At the Office of Missing Persons, Minerva meets a man who has named all his sons Pablo Antonio so that if one of them is captured, he can swear he is not the son they are looking for. But the mans case takes so long that there is not time to hear the Mirabals.The next morning they are woken at the hotel and taken to the National Police Headquarters for questioning, where Minerva is interrogated about Lio by General Federico Fiallo and Don Anselmo Paulino. She admits that she lied to El Jefe about not knowing Lio, but she says it was because she was afraid of displeasing him. She says she is no longer in communication with Lio. Manuel de Moya enters and suggests that a private conference with El Jefe would be the quickest, most effective way to end all this nonsense. He means, of course, that Minerva should sleep with Trujillo, but she insists that her father and mother come along to the meeting. Three weeks later, they see Trujillo. Papa has just been released, but he has gone mad due to his imprisonment. In Trujillos office, it is revealed that Tio Chiche, one of Trujillos friends, is related to Chea Mirabal. He is a gambler and Mama doesnt like him very much, but she jumps on this connection in order to appeal to Trujillo. Minerva notices a set of dice on Trujillos desk, and she realizes that they are loaded. She makes a bet with him: they will roll the dice, and if she wins, she can go to law school, but if he wins, he gets to sleep with her. Minerva knows to use the heavier set of dice, and of course she wins, to Trujillos annoyance. Minerva, Chea, and Enrique Mirabal drive home in the rain. Analysis As Minerva asks herself what she wants, she uses the conceit of that princess put to sleep in the fairy tale. It is Lio who woke her up when she met him: The givens, all Id been taught, fell away like so many covers when you sit up in bed. This conceit is ironic, since Minerva is anything but the stereotypical woman of a fairy tale, waiting for a man to come and wake her up so her life can begin. In actuality, Minerva speaks out for womens rights and takes matters into her own hands.Imagery of woven thread appears again in this chapter, as Minerva struggles with decisions about where her life should go: Back and forth my mind went, weaving a yes by night and unraveling it by day to a no. The dilemma is whether she loves Lio; she cannot decide. The decision is made for her when he decides to seek asylum. The imagery appears again when Mama clings to her connection of Tio Chiche (a friend of Trujillos) and Papa in his madness points out that Chiche cheats too much. I wont play with him . As a result, Mamas eyes are boring a hole in Papa. Our one lifeline in this stormy sea and Papa is cutting the rope shes been playing out.Violent diction appears once again in this chapter, as it has throughout the novel. As Enrique Mirabal leads Minerva down the driveway into the garden, The moon was a thin, bright machete cutting its way through patches of clouds. This metaphor is continued when Minerva describes its light as sharp, and it foreshadows the slap she is about to receive from her father.The theme of Trujillo being conflated with God comes out in the paper fans that the girls received at the party they went to, thrown by Trujillo. The fans had the Virgencita on one side and Trujillo on the other. The combination bothers Minerva: Sometimes it was El Jefes probing eyes, sometimes it was the Virgins pretty face I couldnt stand to look at.The events of the party are mirrored by the weathers progression to a rain storm. When they arrive at the party, there is a strong breeze, announcing rain. When Minerva mentions Lios name, suspicion clouds the gaze of Trujillos face, and when she refuses to dance with Manuel de Moya initially, a cloud of annoyance crosses his face. When Minerva slaps Trujillo, it is like the clap of thunder that begins the storm: and then the rain comes down hard, slapping sheets of it. In the midst of the storm, her family is the ship that steers her to safety: Dede and Patria are turning in all directions like lookouts on the mast of a ship. Completing the conceit, Minerva steals a little decorative ship as a souvenir for Maria Teresa, who was too young to attend the party. As they escape in the rain, it looks as though the ship is being steered safely through the storm. But there are two problems. Once Minerva realizes she has left the letters from Lio in the forgotten purse, all hope is lost. She feels something hard against her leg and reaches down to discover the little caravel sunk in the folds of my damp dress. And the family has committed a crime by leaving the party before Trujillo. If Trujillo is the captain of a doomed autocratic ship, protocol states that the captain is to leave last; but at this point the regime is still strong and can arbitrarily declare that the nation’s captain must be allowed to leave first. The resistance still has a long way to go. Chapter 7 Maria Teresa writes this chapter in her new journal, another gift from Minerva. Enrique Mirabal has passed away, and Maria Teresa is outraged that Carmen and her four daughters attended the funeral. Maria Teresa is struggling with her fathers death. She had a troubling dream in which she found her wedding dress inside her fathers coffin. She has the same dream again in February, but this time Manolo, Minervas husband-to-be, is in the coffin. In October, while she is a student at the university, she again has the dream, but now it is Armando Grullon, one of Minervas friends, in the coffin.She has also developed crushes on both her cousins, Raul and Berto, and she asksFela to help her determine which of the brothers she will marry. She kisses Berto on the lips on January 1 but is confronted about it by Raul on January 8. These events cause her to become fed up with both of them. Meanwhile, Tio Chiche has suggested that Mama write a letter toTrujillo affirming their loyalty to his regim e. Maria Teresa is helping her write it, just as she helped Minerva with her speech at the Salcedo Civic Hall in which she praised Trujillo (earning permission to go to law school). But Fela has helped her put a curse on the letter. Minerva has fallen in love with a man at law school named Manolo, but he is engaged to someone else. She comes to visit in January, demonstrably in a revolutionary mindset, reciting Fidel Castros words that she has heard on illegal radio stations. On Valentines Day, she visits again, this time bringing Manolo along. Maria Teresa has cooked dinner and is completely taken with Manolo. By March, however, she becomes suspicious since he met Minerva while he was engaged to someone else.Maria Teresa has arranged to live with Dede and Jaimito and their sons, Jaime Enriqueand Jaime Rafael, in San Francisco during the week, and come home to Mamas house on the weekends. Unfortunately, their ice cream business is failing, and soon they decide to move back to Mamas house and help run Papas store. On July 3, Maria Teresa graduates. Tia Flor bakes a cake for the party. Tia Flor also confronts her and says that she needs to choose between her two sons, Raul and Berto. Maria Teresa responds that she wants neither one. Meanwhile, the familys yardboy, Prieto, has betrayed them by reporting to Security everything they have done. They cannot fire him, however, since it would look suspicious.In September, Maria Teresa goes to join Minerva at the university in the capital, and they are roommates. While Minerva encourages Maria Teresa to stick with law, the younger sister eventually decides to switch to Philosophy and Letters. She meets one of Minervas and Manolos friends, Armando Grullon, who tries to kiss her.Now it is 1955, and Minerva is getting married in the rain. She moves in with Manolo, and by December 11 she is pregnant. By April 1956, Maria Teresa has started using her diary as an all-purpose supply book. She is attempting to write a speech to give as Miss University, and Minerva is advising her how much and when to mention Trujillo. Minerva has given birth to Minou and is helping her younger sister write the speech.Now it is July 1957, and Maria Teresa writes that Minerva is moving to Monte Cristi with Manolo after graduation. Trujillo, however, plays a terrible trick on Minerva by not actually granting her a license to practice law; her diploma is useless. Maria Teresa helps Minerva set up her new home in Monte Cristi, and it comes out that Manolo is cheating on Minerva with another woman. By August, though, the couple is on the mend, and Minerva credits Maria Teresa with bringing them back together.In her entry of September 28, 1957, Maria Teresa reports that she accidentally intercepted a delivery of guns from Leandro (codename Palomino) to the house. Manolo and Minerva explain about the national underground thats forming, and Maria Teresa joins them. Maria Teresa begins to fall in love with Leandro. Maria Teresa becomes a hub of a revolutionary cell, living with Sonia and storing deliveries in the munitions room. While Sonia is away in La Romana, Leandro comes over and says that he is going to stay with Maria Teresa to protect her. Maria Teresa ends up marrying Leandro on Valentines Day, 1958. Analysis Because of the diary style of Maria Teresas narration, often the reader must figure out what is being referred to because of the lack of specifics. For example, in the December 15 entry, Maria Teresa writes, I cant believe she came to the funeral mass with her girls without saying who she is. It is as if she is in such an upset state of mind that she doesnt bother to explain herself (after all, it is a diary and Maria Teresa knows who she is talking about). The reader infers that she must be referring to Carmen.In one sense, Maria Teresas story is told via Minerva, since both diaries were gifts from her older sister. Yet, in this chapter the reader learns about many important events in Minervas life through Maria Teresas diary entries. For instance, we learn in Maria Teresas report about the speech at Salcedo Civic Hall that Minerva has gained permission to attend law school. We also learn about Minervas marriage to Manolo, the birth of Minou, and Trujillos denial of her license to p ractice law upon graduation from law school. It is important to remember that we are learning about the events primarily from one point of view. The personal, family matters are related in the diary, while the political matters are often underground enough not to make it into the diary, generally because Maria Teresa does not know much of what is going on. By late 1957, however, the personal and political spheres are merging more quickly for her again.As a narrator, Maria Teresa uses the technique of rhetorical questions, but they are influenced by the brooding nature of her diary entries. On December 31, 1953, as she looks out at the stars, she asks, What does it all mean, anyway? When Leandro spends the night on December 1, 1957, she writes, Guess whose name was in my right shoe all day? referring to the love spell Fela taught her years ago.Another characteristic of Maria Teresas narrative voice is the use of exclamations. After she kisses Berto, she exclaims, Oh horror! Oh shamelessness! Oh disgust! In July, when she eats two pieces of the cake Tia Flor cooked for her graduation party, she writes, My hips, my hips! This technique characterizes her as an emotional, dramatic woman. Even in a serious situation, such as when Minerva sobs before telling Maria Teresa that Manolo is cheating on her, Maria Teresa writes, My brave Minerva!Death seems to lurk throughout the chapter. Of course, Enrique Mirabal has actually died, and Maria Teresas recurring dream revolves around a coffin. But she also uses language that calls death to mind. The chapter opens with her statement, I feel like dying myself! When she comes back to her diary on July 3, she writes, Diary, I know you have probably thought me dead all these months. Chapter 8 Patrias children, Nelson and Noris, have grown up, and they all live in Pedritos great-grandfathers house. Eighteen years after getting married, she has spent New Years Eve at Mamas new house in Conuco, and she has fallen asleep at her own house. But she is woken up by Minerva, Manolo, Leandro, and Nelson, who report that Fidel Castro and Ernesto Che Guevara have ousted Batista in Cuba. That night, Raul Ernesto, Patrias next son, is conceived.Patria is afraid for her sisters and for her son Nelson, who is always tagging along behind his Tio Manolo and his new Tio Leandro, men of the world who had gone to the university and who impressed him more than his country father. She sends him to Santo Tomas de Aquino, a seminary in the capital, with the help ofPadre de Jesus Lopez. When Nelson begins to talk about joining the liberators, Patria goes to Padre de Jesus Lopez for help, but he tells her he, too, is lost, and cannot show her the way.Minerva and Maria Teresa both have had babies, M anolito and Jacqueline, respectively. Minerva asks Patria to take care of Manolito, explaining that she is going to be on the road a lot. But she and Manolo visit from Monte Cristi every week; they meet on Patrias and Pedritos land with many other revolutionaries. But this gives Nelson the chance to get involved when he is home from school. He reports back to her that the revolutionaries are expecting an invasion by the liberators from Cuba.Though she is pregnant with Raul Ernesto, Patria decides to go on a retreat with Padre de Jesus and the Salcedo group to Constanza. They are the Christian Cultural Group, led by four priests including Padre de Jesus and Brother Daniel. Trujillo has heard rumors of the pending invasion and has declared a state of emergency, but the retreat goes to Constanza anyway. They stay in a retreat house that resembles a nunnery, and Patria feels peaceful.On June 14, while they listen to Brother Daniel speak about the Assumption, the mountainside is bombed. The first wave of the liberating invasion is the target, and as Patria watches, one of them (who is about Noriss age) is gunned down. The Christian Cultural Group comes back down the mountain, and Patrias family meets her on the road coming into town. In the newspaper, they read that 49 men and boys died in the attack. They read six days later that the second wave of the invasion force was intercepted and also defeated.At the next meeting of the Christian Cultural Group, the mood has changed considerably: Padre de Jesus speaks like a revolutionary, and they change their name to Accion Clero-Cultural, or ACC. Their mission is to organize a powerful national underground. Patria volunteers Pedrito, Nelson, Minerva, Manolo, Maria Teresa, and Leandro for the organization. However, Pedrito becomes upset that the revolutionaries are meeting in their backyard, since a new law has been passed that will allow the government to confiscate the land of anyone found to be harboring any enemies of the regime. Patria is able to sway him when she reveals that their son Nelson is involved, too.The Fourteenth of June Movement is founded then, in Patria and Pedritos home. There are about forty people, with Manolo as president. They make bombs, called nipples, and hide weapons. Patria sends Noris to Chea Mirabals house, and they use her bedroom as an ammunitions room. Analysis As narrator, Patria uses similes and personification that connect her to both heaven and earth. When Padre de Jesus tells her he cannot help her because he, too, is lost, she says, I was shaking like when a breeze blows through the sacristy and the votive candles flicker. She is in the place of the prayerful candles, being shaken by nature. When she is overwhelmed by the beauty of Constanza, she personifies the land and nature more generally as if it is tied to God: Purple Mountains reaching towards angelfeather clouds; a falcon soaring in a calm blue sky; God combing His sunshine fingers through green pastures straight out of the Psalms.Pedrito also ties Patria to the Earth. This is evident in the language she uses to express not being worried about him like she worries about her sisters: Pedrito didnt worry me. I knew he would always have one hand in the soil and the other somewhere on me.Patria uses a style of narration that involves direct address and exclamations, characterizing herself as deliberate but also at times as emotional as her younger sister Maria Teresa. For example, when Nelson sees an excited look on her face after he tells her about the invasion, she says, But you know why that look was there? Ill tell you. Similarly, when she explains why Noris does not want to go along with her to the retreat, she says, I certainly couldnt talk her into a retreat with old ladies and a bunch of bad-breath priests. (Lord forgive her!).When Noris meets her after the mountainside is bombed, Patria notices a change in her, as if her soul had at last matured and began its cycles. This metaphor comparing the soul maturing to a menstrual cycle hearkens back to Chapter 2, in which Minerva begins her complications both physically and emotionally as she realizes the country is in danger, and the po wer and evil of Trujillo. It also is reminiscent of Maria Teresa, who in her diary entries as a young girl yearned to discover her soul.Patria also struggles to reconcile her commitment to God with her desire to protect her family and defend her country. Symbolically, she and Maria Teresa make a list of the weapons theyve assembled in the pretty script wed been taught by the nuns for writing out Bible passages. Even when the retreat house is bombed, she describes it spiritually: His Kingdom was coming down upon the very roof of that retreat house. As they ride back down the mountain after the retreat, she says, I tried looking up at our Father, but I couldnt see His Face for the dark smoke hiding the tops of those mountains.This chapter also keeps the reader informed about the larger history. We learn about the role of Cuba and its revolutionaries. We also learn about the events of June 14 and the origins, filtered through the narrator, of the Movimiento 14 de Junio.

Positive Psychology and the Effect of Colour on Mood

Positive Psychology and the Effect of Colour on Mood Positive of Psychology and How Color Affects Our Mood Table of Contents (Jump to) Introduction Positive Psychology Rationale Issues Addressed Positive Feelings Positive Individual Qualities Positive Organizations Understanding Positive Psychology Advantages Of Positive Thinking Colors And Psychology Red Blue Yellow Green Violet Orange Pink Grey Black White Effect On Human Minds Red Yellow Blue Black White Green Pink Purple Orange Conclusion Bibliography Introduction This report covers the significance of positive psychology and its impact on the nature of the human psychology. Moreover, the influence of colors on changing moods and psychological patterns of human are also discussed in detail. Positive Psychology Positive Psychology is the branch of Psychology that uses experimental understanding and viable mediation to support in the accomplishment of an attractive life instead of only treating emotional instability. This field brings consideration regarding the likelihood that concentrating just on disorder could bring about a fractional, and restricted, intellectual capacity of an individuals condition. Therefore to expand the circle of optimism, positive psychology throws lights on several aspects of human behavior (Smit Bohlmeijer, 2013). Subjects of eagerness to specialists in the field are: conditions of joy or stream, values, qualities, ideals, gifts, and also the ways that these can be advanced by social frameworks and institutions. Positive analysts are concerned with four points in positive psychology: positive encounters persisting mental characteristics positive connections positive organizations Rationale In positive psychology, the objective is to help individuals in changing negative styles of speculation as an approach to change how they feel. This methodology has been extremely effective, and changes how people consider other individuals, their future, and themselves in a positive way. The reasoning procedures that affect psychological states fluctuate extensively from individual to individual. For instance, a change in our initiative to time can drastically affect how we consider the way of satisfaction (Smit Bohlmeijer, 2013). The other conceivable objectives of positive psychology are: to encourage families and schools that permit kids to develop to flourish working environments that go for fulfillment and high benefit to show others about positive psychology Issues addressed (Averill Clements, 2007)Positive Psychology is concerned with three issues: Positive feelings are concerned with being substance with ones past, being content in the present and having trust for whats to come. Positive individual qualitiesconcentrate on ones qualities and ethics. Positive organizations are in view of qualities to better a group of people. Bliss envelops distinctive passionate and mental phenomena. Understanding Positive Psychology Positive intuition assists with anxiety administration and can even enhance wellbeing in the prevailing environment. Work on overcoming negative talk toward oneself with samples proof these effects. A few studies demonstrate that identity characteristics like idealism and negativity can influence numerous regions of your wellbeing and prosperity. In the event that have a tendency to be pessimistic, there is famous saying â€Å"dont give up†is followed which shows that people can learn positive inference abilities. Positive thinking doesnt imply that people keep their head in the sand and disregard lifes less charming circumstances. Positive thinking just implies that they approach offensiveness in a more positive and beneficial way. People think the best is going to happen, not the most exceedingly bad (Costello, 2012). Advantages of Positive Thinking There is an assumption that having a positive viewpoint empowers you to adapt better to unpleasant circumstances, which decreases the unsafe wellbeing impacts of weight on your body. Its likewise believed that constructive and idealistic individuals have a tendency to live healthier ways of life (Blackburn Wassenhove, 2012). Few advantages that positive intuition may give include: Expanded life compass Lower rates of misery Lower levels of pain More noteworthy imperviousness to the basic cool Better mental and physical prosperity Lessened danger of death from cardiovascular illness Better adapting aptitudes amid hardships and times of anxiety Colors and Psychology Colors highly relate to psychology and human moods are highly influenced byte shades of colors they experience in their life, surrounding and inner self. There are four mental essential hues red, blue, yellow and green. They relate separately to the body, the psyche, the feelings and the crucial harmony between these three (Teimouri, 2011). The mental properties of the eleven fundamental colors are as per the following: RED Characteristics Red has the property of seeming, by all accounts, to be closer than it is and thus it snatches our concentration first. Its impact is physical; it empowers us and raises the beat rate, giving the feeling that time is passing quicker than it is. It identifies with the manly rule and can initiate the battle or flight intuition. Red is solid, and extremely fundamental. Perfect red is the least complex shade. It is fortifying, enthusiastic and inviting. In the meantime, it can be seen as requesting and forceful. BLUE Characteristics Blue is the shade of the psyche and is basically relieving It influences us rationally, instead of the physical response we need to red. It reflects quiet and rationally smoothing nature. It is the shade of clear correspondence. Blue articles dont seem to be as near to us as red ones. Blue is the worlds most loved shade. Nonetheless, it can be seen as frosty, unemotional and threatening (Teimouri, 2011). YELLOW Characteristics The yellow wavelength is generally long and basically fortifying. Yellow is considered to be passionate physically and the strongest shade, mentally. The right yellow will lift our spirits and our respect toward oneself It is the shade of certainty and idealism. The wrong tone in connection to alternate tones in a shade pan can result in discomfort and uneasiness (Teimouri, 2011). GREEN Characteristics Green strikes the eye as the most relaxing sight. Being in the core of the shades’ range, Green is the shade of equalization. At the point when the world will contain a lot of green, it will reflect the availability of water and minimal risk of starvation, so green consoles our souls on a primitive level. Adversely, it can show stagnation and, inaccurately utilized, will be seen as being excessively tasteless (Teimouri, 2011). VIOLET Characteristics The briefest wavelength is violet, regularly depicted as purple. It takes attention to a more elevated amount of thought, even into the domains of otherworldly values. It is profoundly introvert and supports profound thought, or reflection. It has relationship with sovereignty and imparts the finest conceivable quality. It has relationship with time and space and the universe. the wrong tone of it imparts something modest and terrible (Teimouri, 2011) ORANGE Characteristics Since it is a mix of red and yellow, orange is animating and response to it is a mix of the physical and the passionate. It centers our psyches on issues of physical comfort, sustenance, warmth, cover and so forth. It is a fun shade. Adversely, it may concentrate on the definite inverse hardship. This is especially likely when warm orange is utilized with dark. Similarly, a lot of orange proposes pointlessness and an absence of genuine scholarly values (Teimouri, 2011). PINK Characteristics Being a tint of red, pink likewise influences us physically Pink is a capable color of influencing people mentally. It speaks to the female guideline, and survival of the species. It is supporting and physically qualifying. An excess of pink is physically depleting and can be to some degree purifying (Teimouri, 2011). GREY Characteristics Perfect Grey is the main shade that has no direct mental properties. It is, nonetheless, very suppressive. A virtual nonappearance of shade is discouraging and when the world turns greypeople are instinctually adapted to attract and get ready for hibernation. Overwhelming utilization of grey for the most part demonstrates an absence of certainty and fear of beginning (Teimouri, 2011). BLACK Characteristics The mental consequences of black are extensive. It makes defensive boundaries, as it retains all the vitality advancing towards you, and it conceals the identity. Black is basicallyabsence of light, since no wavelengths are reflected and it can, consequently be threatening. Absolutely, it conveys supreme clarity, with no defects. It reflects advancement and uncompromising nature and it lives up to expectations Black makes an impression of sincerity (Teimouri, 2011). WHITE Characteristics It makes boundaries, however in contrast to dark, and it is regularly a strain to take a glimpse at. It conveys, Touch me not! White is virtue and, in the same way as dark, uncompromising. It is clean, hygienic, and sterile. The idea of sterility can likewise be negative. Externally, white gives an uplifted impression of space. Another of white on warm colors is to make them look and feel flashy (Teimouri, 2011). Effect on human minds RED The shade Red is the most dynamic of all colors. It fortifies the mind, body and soul. This shade is perfect to wear for a walk or practice as it is an empowering shade. The shade red can also result in anxiety; it might likewise cause dissatisfaction as well. The shade red symbolizes love; it animates pulse and relaxing (Dabanloo, 2011). YELLOW Yellow serves to discharge a compound in the mind called Serotonin, which is vital for bringing about a content temperament. Yellowshade upgrades focus and gives the cerebrum and sensory system a â€Å"wake-up call. Excessive yellow shade can result in exhaustion. It is the most troublesome shade on the eye and individuals may lose temper all the more frequently in yellow rooms. It is additionally helpful for accelerating digestion system and is a typical sustenance shade (Dabanloo, 2011) BLUE It is accepted to have a mitigating impact on human personality as it serves to deliver some calming chemicals in the mind. Be that as it may, an excessive amount of this shade may cause sadness. Blue is utilized a ton as a part of chip in segment as it signifies dedication. It is additionally demonstrated that materials in blue shade seem to be light in weight; this is one of the reasons why weightlifters discover it simpler to handle substantial weights in exercise centers painted blue. The shade blue is a non-sustenanceshade as it gives a poisonous impact to edibles; in addition exploration has demonstrated that when individuals are presented with nourishment colored in blue they have a tendency to lose hunger. For weight watchers blue kitchen can be exceptionally useful, studies uncover that coffee shops eating in a blue room eat 3 times less calories than in rooms painted yellow and red (Dabanloo, 2011). Black Black implies force and power; it speaks to learning and judgment. It is the most conventional shade in the business design on account of its relationship with style and it makes individuals wearing it look delicate. A nourishment item stuffed in dark shade may get more benefits in light of the fact that it is seen to be higher in quality. Black is the most forceful shade, studies found that hockey groups wearing dark shirts were punished more for fouls (Costello, 2012). WHITE White is thought to be the most impartial shade. Child items come normally in white to symbolize honesty and cleanliness. White is utilized by specialists and medical attendants to show sterility. In garments, white is connected with refinement. Studies demonstrated that individuals having hand shivers didnt shake much in white rooms representing that the shade has a cooling impact (Blackburn Wassenhove, 2012). GREEN Green speaks to nature and presently it is the most prominent shade that is being utilized as a part of inside beautification. The reason is its calming impact on the eyes. Green gives a peace to the body and relieves stress. Analysts have demonstrated that the shade enhances vision. This could be the motivation behind why classroom sheets are in green shade. Moderately aged ladies wear green to mean fruitfulness. Green has a mending and hygienic impact and hence it is utilized a great deal as a part of doctors facilities. Individuals working in green workplaces have ended up being more fulfilled by their employments. Different reviews have likewise discovered that customers invest additional time shopping in shops painted green (Bradley, Pallas, Bashyal, Berman, Curry, 2010). PINK Pink shade is thought to be more sentimental of every shade in color palate. It is the softest shade and is connected with gentility. Regularly games groups’ utilization pink shade to paint the locker spaces for the restricting group. It has been discovered gainful in decreasing resentment and uneasiness (Costello, 2012). PURPLE Purple shade symbolizes sovereignty, extravagance and complexity. Individuals wearing purple shade are seen to be affluent. It creates deep sense of being and profound musings. Purple shade has likewise been discovered useful to strengthen intimacy (Costello, 2012) ORANGE It is determined by the mix of red and yellow shade hence it has consolidating impacts of the two. It invigorates mental capacities and is a perfect shade to wear for exams. It is additionally suspected for expanding greediness (Dabanloo, 2011). Conclusion The assessment of positive psychology and how to impacts the thoughts and nature of individuals has helped in concluding that positive thinking results in decreased pessimism and negativity which will help reducing the rate of crime, deaths and unethical and unlawful acts because positive psychology flourishes contentment. On the other side, the impact of colors studied in details concludes that every color plays a vital role in shaping the thoughts of human. For any kind of business in any sector regarding any target market, the colors are chosen accordingly which helps increasing the positive affect of that on individuals. Similarly, the impact of colors affects the thoughts of individuals significantly in dealing with their stress level, health concerns and for dealing with relationships. Bibliography Averill, J. B., Clements, P. T. (2007). Patterns of Knowing as a Foundation for Action-Sensitive pedagogy. Journal of Qualitative Health Research, 386-399. http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2458-13-119.pdf Blackburn, C., Wassenhove, v. (2012). Partnerships to improve supply chains. Sloan Managemnt Review, 71-82. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3122271/ Bradley, E. H., Pallas, S., Bashyal, C., Berman, P., Curry, L. (2010). Developing Strategies For Improving Health Care Delivery. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3531570/ Costello, C. A. (2012). Positive Psychology and Self-Effi cacy: Potential Benefits for College Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Learning Disabilities. ournal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 119-129. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ994281.pdf Dabanloo, N. J. (2011). Personality Psychology using Heart Responses to Color Stimulus. computing in cardialogy, 193-00. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2831986/ Smit, F., Bohlmeijer, E. (2013). Positive psychology interventions: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies. BMC Public Health, 13-19. http://www.ee.columbia.edu/ln/dvmm/publications/04/ICMEjune04_nelson.pdf Teimouri, S. (2011). Psychology of Colors and Architectural Faà §ade and Interior Color Selection. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 215-219. http://essay.utwente.nl/63446/1/Hulshof_Bart_-s_1128353_scriptie.pdf

State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Ghada Alem Article Assessment State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP): Eligibility Expansion Impact I. BACKGROUND During an introductory course about health policy, namely Fundamentals for Health Policy, health insurance coverage in the U.S. was among the subjects presented. Under the public sector, there are two large insurance programs that are funded by the federal government: 1) Medicare, and 2) Medicaid. Fundamental aspects of the Medicaid program were discussed along with The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) expansion of the program’s eligibility. Moreover, CHIP or State Children’s Health Insurance Program was introduced. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to further detail the CHIP program and to explore the impact of expanding its eligibility. CHIP was created in 1997 when Congress acted to provide low-income children with health insurance. Prior to CHIP, a coverage gap occurred for this group of children in their states whose family income is above the eligibility level for Medicaid program. Initially, the program had a ten years block grant of $40 billion. Upon its expiry in 2007, Congress made an attempt to extend the program through passing of two versions of CHIP Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA). However, the U.S. then president GW Bush vetoed both versions and signed a temporary extension instead. When president Barack Obama took office back in 2009, Congress made its second attempt toward extending the program and the president signed it into law to be his first acts assuming his office. The Reauthorization Act of CHIP (CHIPRA) granted $33 billion in federal funds for children’s coverage and an extension until 2019. However, the funding was effective only through fiscal year 2015. [1] CHIPRA gave states additional resources and options to help reduce the uninsured children rate [2]. Such options include expanding the CHIP program eligibility to new populations, encouraging families to signup for coverage through simplifying enrollment and renewal procedures for Medicaid and CHIP program, and funding outreach grants to help enroll eligible children [2]. Although these policy changes would have potential and hence, invoke more studies examining their impact, few efforts have actually examined the implication of the new policy changes [2]. In this paper, two articles that have actually addressed the impact of CHIP eligibility expansion are covered in the following sections. II. FIRST ARTICLE ASSESSMENT In the first article titled â€Å"Coverage For Low-Income Immigrant Children Increased 24.5 Percent In States That Expanded CHIPRA Eligibility†, Saloner et al., stated the absence of any previous studies examining the effect of CHIPRA for immigrant children. Thus, authors compared changes post CHIPRA passage in terms of coverage and access. The said comparison was aimed at immigrant children who reside in states that expanded eligibility to them against the states that did not expand their eligibility. [3] Goals and Methods This article indicates that CHIPRA policy did not eliminate some barriers that could be a cause for missing health insurance coverage in immigrant children (e.g., language and cultural barriers). However, states were provided with federally funded health insurance as a new option by the policy toward expanding eligibility to immigrant children. Accordingly, authors hypothesized that a coverage and access increase would occur among immigrant children as a result of the policy. The study design was cross-sectional by using the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH). The main data sources were the 2003, 2007, and 2011–12 rounds of the National Survey of Children’s Health. Sample selection was based on CHIP eligibility income threshold that would most likely extract eligible children population in the previous year. Two groups were compared against a children and parent in the same income category who are US-born: 1) children and parents who are foreign-born, an d 2) children who are US-born with foreign-born parents. During the study period, children in the comparison group (i.e., US-born child and parents) had higher healthcare coverage and access. Three outcomes related to health insurance coverage had been examined: 1) coverage status at the time of the survey, 2) coverage type (i.e., private plan or public), and 3) coverage gap during past year. Sample characteristics of all children living in states that implemented (or did not) the policy were compared using descriptive analysis. In order to ensure that the policy was the source of differences affecting immigrant children in states, authors controlled for state-level trends of children and parents who are US-born. Isolation between independent outcomes changes and confounding ones occurring during the same time period were possible through difference-in-difference-in-difference method (quasi-experimental). [3] Findings and Conclusions Insurance coverage increase among immigrant children in states that expanded the eligibility was 24.5 percent compared to the same group in states that did not expand the eligibility. This increase was contributed to the public insurance high enrollment. Moreover, decrease of unmet healthcare needs and disparities (among immigrant children and nonimmigrant families) were evident in states that adopted the eligibility expansion. Finally, healthcare coverage and access gaps between immigrant and nonimmigrant children was reduced due to CHIPRA eligibility expansion. [3] Article Assessment Policy Implications This research effort is a contribution highlights the importance of healthcare insurance coverage and access for immigrant children. Usually, immigrant children (foreign-born or US-born with foreign-born parents) have poor preventive care compared to nonimmigrant children. This poor status at the children earlier stages in life would have consequences through adulthood. Additional research effort should examine the remaining financial and cultural care barriers. Moreover, variation in the new policy implementation among states and other groups should be investigated. Finally, a significant factor that needs to be examined is sustainability; the explored healthcare coverage and access improvement in this study was applicable to the two years following CHIPRA and hence, further studies are required to check for any further improvements after those two years. [3] II. SECOND ARTICLE ASSESSMENT In the second article titled â€Å"The Impact Of Recent CHIP Eligibility Expansions On Children’s Insurance Coverage, 2008–12†, Goldstein et al., stated the absence of any in-depth analysis about the impact CHIP expansions to higher-income children on insurance coverage. Hence, they intended to estimate the impact of CHIP eligibility expansion on changes in un-insurance, public insurance, and private insurance. [2] Goals and Methods The data source for this study was from the 2008-2012 American Community Survey (ACS). A difference-indifferences framework study design was used in this study. Authors have analyzed two groups of children: 1) newly eligible children for CHIP (i.e., the treatment group), and 2) similar children who were not eligible for CHIP (i.e., comparison group). The treatment group consisted of all children who were made newly eligible for CHIP by their state’s expansion. Sensitivity analysis was used with different comparison groups to test the consistency of results since difference-indifferences estimates can vary depending on the composition of the comparison group. Authors first analyzed unadjusted changes in the three types of insurance coverage (public, private, and uninsured) by calculating the raw change in each type for the treatment and comparison groups between 2008 and 2012. They then calculated difference-in-differences estimates for each type of insurance coverage. Next, th ey estimated the relative change in the un-insurance rate attributable to the expansions. Finally, they assessed the degree of crowd-out (i.e., the share of gains in public coverage from the expansions that was a result of decreases in private coverage). All estimates were weighted using survey weights that reflected the complex survey design of the ACS. [2] Findings and Conclusions A decrease of 1.1 percentage point in the newly eligible uninsured group was estimated in this study due to the expansion (15% cut in un-insurance rate). An increase of 2.9 percentage points in public coverage was evident with variations in states adoption. Since higher-income children might not have access to affordable coverage, the study findings suggest providing coverage to them through CHIP toward lowering their risk of being uninsured. The study concluded that a significant reductions in un-insurance among newly eligible children was produced by the recent CHIP expansions. [2] Article Assessment Policy Implications Analytical approach includes a couple of limitations. First, authors included the year of the expansion’s passage in their pre-expansion period, which could be a source of bias to their change estimates downward. Second, measurement error could arise from their use of the ACS (ACS does not provide state-specific program names for CHIP or include a verification question for un-insurance, and it may overestimate no group coverage) [2]. Third, it is unknown whether the changes reported in the results of this study could be generalized to the remaining thirty-five states in the case these states chose to expand CHIP eligibility [2]. A policy implication could be realized if CHIP funding is not extended. Authors indicated that in the case of no extension, families with children enrolled in the program could turn instead to a health insurance Marketplace to purchase subsidized coverage. However, many of these families would not be eligible for such subsidized coverage. This is due to the fact that ACA definition for affordability is based on the cost of premiums for employee-only coverage that ignores the cost to the family of covering dependents. For instance, dependent family members for a worker would not be able to receive Marketplace subsidies, even if the cost for full family coverage were unaffordable, since the worker were offered affordable employee-only coverage. Accordingly, some children would end up without either CHIP coverage or access to affordable private insurance. Thus, many children in this study could also lose coverage in the case of not addressing barriers to employer-sponsored family covera ge and Marketplace subsidies. [2] CONCLUSION Generally, CHIP expansion has a positive impact on children insurance coverage. While the first study addressed benefits to immigrant children from the expansion, the second one addressed the reduction of uninsured children through the expansion. Expansion was supported as it would result in maintaining a good health and reducing disparities among this immigrant population [3], and would decrease the risk for having uninsured children [2]. REFERENCES [1] Teitelbaum JB. Essentials of Health Policy and Law. Jones Bartlett Learning; 2012. [2] Goldstein IM, Kostova D, Foltz JL, Kenney GM. The impact of recent CHIP eligibility expansions on childrens insurance coverage, 2008-12. Health Aff (Millwood). 2014;33(10):1861-7. [3] Saloner B, Koyawala N, Kenney GM. Coverage for low-income immigrant children increased 24.5 percent in states that expanded CHIPRA eligibility. Health Aff (Millwood). 2014;33(5):832-9. 1 | Page