Ethical Issues In The Federal Government’s Department Of Defense Essay

If there could be anything in the American government that the world has long been admiring, it would always be its military strength. Besides its technology, high product standards, its money, transportation and educational facilities, the world has been looking up at America because of its excellence in the field war and battle. It would seem for the rest of the world that Uncle Sam’s haven offers a smooth-sailing life that people of different colors race and strive to come over. The big question to dig into is this: â€Å"Is America free of corruption and abuse? The answer to the question is a big no. In this paper, we will try to look into the ethical standards of the Federal Government for the purpose of having a benchmark in our evaluation of the ethical deviations inside the organization. Specifically, we will try to evaluate how the Department of Defense go through the process of procurement and will try to pinpoint where the flaw in such process is, resulting to fraud and abuse. This paper has included actual court cases where the Department of Defense was involved. Through these processes, we will be able to prove that no matter how powerful the policies and laws of the Federal Government, the powerful America cannot control its entire people and prevent them from overriding personal interests and public trust. At the end of this paper, the author hopes to have the readers convinced that Federal laws and policies still have flaws and that should be taken into consideration the soonest possible in order for the American nation and the rest of the world restore its fading trust and confidence over the people behind their security. President George Bush during his term, probably ensuring the public of their trust towards the government, issued a separate order that would serve as guideline for strict compliance of all personnel directly serving the public. Executive Order 12731 of October 17, 1990, entitled â€Å"Principles of Ethical Conduct for Government Officers and Employees† orders each government employee to avoid, prevent and help detect fraud and adhere to ethical standards at all times and situations. The first section of the EO12731 provides catchy ethical principles which prevent each employee to â€Å"hold financial interests that conflict with the conscientious performance of duty† and engage in financial transactions using non-public government information or allow the improper use of such information to further any private interest† (section 101-b and c). Subsections of the order also require each employee to act will full honesty in their duties and most importantly they are not allowed to use public office for private gain. The Federal Government, based on its laws and policies, has been straightforward and clear as to guiding its public servants to the proper, ethical behavior they should display all the time. So why are there still countless cases and accusations that have been polluting the air of the public servants? What is more frustrating to know is the fact that even in the Department of Defense, many employees and management personnel has been proven to be contributing to such corruption. The fact of unethical behavior existing in the Federal government is not just an outside observation but is also being recognized by those working inside the organization. In a press release issued by the Ethics Resource Center, it turned out that 52% of the Federal employees are aware and are witnesses of at least one type of misbehavior among their colleagues in the previous year. What is more is that only 30% of federal workers surveyed believe their organizations have well-implemented ethics and compliance programs and that only one in 10 said there is a strong ethical culture in their federal workplace (ERC 2008). Almost one quarter of public sector employees identifies their work environments as conducive to misconduct — places where there is strong pressure to compromise standards, where situations invite wrongdoing and/or employees’ personal values conflict with the values espoused at work† (Harned, Patricia cited in Smith, Ralph 2008). In reference to the reports mentioned above, this paper made an impression that there might be something inside the Federal government that attracts employees to disregard ethical considerations and to prefer personal interests over public trust. One thing obvious thing is money. The Federal government, even though have limited financial resources, has probably been the most liquid source of kickbacks for the â€Å"bad apples in the barrel. † It is worth noting that the â€Å"U. S. government is the largest consumer of prime contracts† (Lander, Gerald et. al. 2008). Using this mere information, we can clearly conclude that there is enough money for the bad apples on hand. Moreover, it would be very easy for us to extract the fact that the money is more attracting for those inside the procurement departments. As to federal spending, reports say that procurement contracts have been the fastest-growing part of the discretionary budget. In fact, procurement spending rose 86%, twice as fast as other discretionary spending, which rose 43% between 2000 and 2005. Moreover, such spending composed of 40 cents per dollar of discretionary spending (Ibid). The figures are quite more than attractive and conducive for the bad apples to abuse the trust and authorities vested on them by the public. Despite the fact that trust is held as the most important asset of the government, there is one thing that even the most powerful government cannot control: greed. It is a human element that the procurement agencies of the government intentionally or unintentionally tolerate. The uncontrollable fact of human greed is even recognized by the Department of Defense. As the spokesman of the Pentagon, Dan Howard has noted, †The acquisition system is sound but there is no system on the face of this earth that completely obviates the human factor – greed. And that is why we have policing systems† (The New York Times, June 26, 1988). The trust placed by the public over the Department of Defense continue to fade as more and more cases of fraud files in court have resulted to countless convictions. In Philadelphia alone, the investigation conducted at the Defense Personnel Support Center, resulted in the indictment of 28 individuals and companies on various fraud charges. Such procurement transactions involved textile and apparel industry which have government contracts on uniforms, tents, boots for the armed forces. Here then is the chance for us to ask these questions: What is the purpose of having ethical standards in the federal government? Are these statements of ethical behaviors for the sake of complying with the SEC requirements? Are the ethical standards unsound or the problem of abuse of power and ethical deviance matters of implementation flaws? Referring particularly to the Department of Defense, it is unlikely that these educated people came short of understanding the ethical concepts. In fact, the department’s publication, Armed Forces Comptroller, the author recognizes the fact that their personnel understand the concept of ethics. The author even stressed that â€Å"most of them are required to attend some form of mandatory ethics training† (Benoit, Diana 2006). The Department of Defense has in fact sound which they consider as forming the ethical foundation of the Dept of Defense personnel. For the purpose of evaluation, let us try to look into these then core concepts. The author stressed that these core concepts â€Å"reflect the standards and expectations of military personnel and federal employees throughout the organization† (Ibid). The first of the ethical concepts is honesty which they define as â€Å"being truthful and straightforward, regardless of grade or rank. Honesty is regarded by the department as an ethical concept that goes beyond being trustworthy that it encourages its employees to do not only what is legal but also what is right. Relative to this, abuse of power and betrayal of trust still include acts or attempts of hiding the truth. If the Department of Defense personnel clearly understand this concept, there should have been no reason to remain silent on issues that involves witnessing ethical deviance inside the organization. The ethical concept of honesty goes beyond the issues of actual money laundering. It encompasses keeping accurate records and completing tasks to the extent of one’s capacity and ability. This means that coming to the office late, going out early; taking breaks more than the allowable time are forms of cheating and thus are unethical behaviors. Cheating the taxpayers could also mean using office supplies for personal activities or lavish consumption of such resources. What is frustrating is that this concept is being disregarded by high ranking employees of the department at a considerably higher level of deception as mentioned above. Simple cheating in record keeping and of utilizing government resources for personal use can be detected and be prevented at the lower level of organization. However, it would be a different thing to know that cheating is even more practiced at the higher level of management who are expected to be the police in the department. In fact, the report released by the U. S. Department of Justice (DOJ) during the fiscal year ending September 30, 2005, â€Å"the United States recouped more than $1. billion dollars in settlements and judgments pursuing allegations of fraud and in the next fiscal year, the government recovered a record total of more than $3. 1 billion in settlements and judgments from cases involving claims of fraud† (Lander et. al 2008). Closely related to the ethics of honesty is the concept of integrity which the DOD defines as â€Å"doing the right thing the first time and every time. † In an observation by one of the members of the Special Investigations Unit of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in St. Paul, Special Agent Timothy J. O’Malley recognizes the temptations of fraud in their field. O’Malley said â€Å"police officers face greater temptations than they did just a decade or so ago† (Bladow, J. 1994). As an agent, he can pinpoint the fact that the department handles explosives and illegal drug cases which obviously involve a vast sum of money. Taking O’Malley’s exact words, â€Å"a tremendous amount of illicit cash fuels this market. † Here then lies one uncontrollable factor that we can consider. Money is the central thing that enables the government to run. It is money that is the main reason why people oftentimes compromise integrity and principles with dollars. Money enables the government to provide services to public. Employees have to be paid with salaries, supplies have to be bought, buildings have to be constructed, communication and transportation facilities have to be purchased and improved. In fact, America will never be the most powerful nation in the world without its money spent in technology, education and basic government facilities. Moreover, America cannot in anyway be respected or shall we say be feared by other nations if not for its military strength. It is a rare instance that this nation is being challenged by the terrorists during the 911 event. What this paper would like to point out is that even though money is an uncontrollable element in the federal government and particularly in the procurement agency of the department of Defense, transaction processes involving money are very much controllable. In fact, the DOD has sound policies and procedures expressed in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) and Procedures, Guidance, and Information (PGI). In brief, these regulations and guidelines were codified and implemented for procedure compliance purposes especially on procurement transactions undergone by the department. In its Section 201. 304, FAR requires the â€Å"approval of the USD (AT&L) before including in a department/agency or component supplement, or any other contracting regulation document such as a policy letter or clause book, any policy, procedure, clause, or form that has a significant effect beyond the internal operating procedures of the agency; or has a significant cost or administrative impact on contractors or offerors† (Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) and Procedures, Guidance, and Information (PGI) 2004). Where then lays the procedure flaw- on the approving committee or on those who presents the facts of the procurement contracts? The answer does not solely lies on these precepts. The factors that corrupt integrity in the Department of Defense can be traced in the early stage of the hiring process. â€Å"The applicant selection process represents a critical, though sometimes overlooked, component of police ethics programs† (Bonczek, S. and D. Menzel 1994). The authors suggest that the agency should thoroughly conduct interviews, psychological tests, and extensive background checks (Ibid, p. 4). This would then ensure an applicant’s compatibility with the department’s ethical philosophy. This process can be beneficial in the early identification of â€Å"red flags† in an applicant’s personality before he gets into the department. Even if not all of the factors contributing to the unethical behavior of an employee can be detected at this stage, there are considerable preventive measures that are being done here that can prevent a rotten tomato mingle with the good ones inside the basket. The riskier the world becomes, the higher the standards should the department implement in order to maintain, if not to enhance the integrity of the defenders of the American security. As one observer have noted, it is important that high standards in the hiring process be maintained at all times because of the fact that â€Å"diminished standards or incomplete background checks have resulted in the hiring of armed robbers, burglars, and drug dealers as police officers† (D. Holmquist 1993, p. 38). We have to remember that temptations are everywhere and that is one uncontrollable factor inside the department of defense. Because DOD has got much money to offer especially in the procurement transactions, it clearly caters to a tempting environment. However it cannot really be an excuse neither it will justify one’s act of corruption. Deviance to ethical standards is a clear betrayal of trust and a blot in the name of the person, if he even cares enough for it. A recent study established that fast-talking, outgoing, assertive, and self-confident risk takers represent the best candidates for undercover work. While this may come as no surprise, the study also concluded that these personality traits â€Å"are often the same ones predisposing an officer to corruption and psychological distress† (Bladow, p. 12). This suggests that a good apple in the barrel has always the chance of being badly influenced by others. Strict hiring standards are therefore required to be implemented during the hiring process at all levels. â€Å"Police managers must view their hiring standards as components of managing for ethics† (Wells, S. A. 1993, p. 67). Strict adherence to employee selection is a must although diversity in the law enforcement departments must also be considered in order to foster diverse citizenry. â€Å"Agencies should not pursue the goal of a diversified workforce at the expense of one of law enforcement’s most valued asset- integrity† (Travis, M. A. 1994, p. 1717).

Recomendation of an English Teacher

ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND036 ADVANCED PLA CEMENT COMPOSITION 5 CREDITS GRADE 11 Prerequisites: Recommendation of an English teacher and a timed writing sample. Upon commitment to the course, students will complete an intensive summer AP preparation project. It is mandatory to take the AP Language and Composition Examination when it is offered in order to receive AP course credit for work done during this academic year.Students who do not take the AP examination will receive level 1 credit. This course takes the place of a regularly scheduled grade 11 English course. The following is a portion of the official course description for English Language and Composition effective 2010, found in the Acorn Booklet and on the AP Central Website [http://apcentral. collegeboard. com/apc/public/repository/ap-english-course-description. pdf]:An AP course in English Language and Composition engages students in becoming skilled readers of prose written in a variety of rhetorical contexts, and in becoming skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Both their writing and their reading should make students aware of the interactions among a writer’s purposes, audience expectations, and subjects, as well as the way genre conventions and the resources of language contribute to effectiveness in writing.The goals of an AP English Language and Composition course are diverse because the college composition course is one of the most varied in the curriculum. Although the college course provides students with opportunities to write about a variety of subjects from a variety of disciplines and to demonstrate an awareness of audience and purpose, the overarching objective in most first-year writing courses is to enable students to write effectively and confidently in their college courses across the curriculum and in their professional and personal lives.Most composition courses emphasize the expository, analytical and argumentative writing that forms the basis of academic and professional communication, as well as the personal and reflective writing that fosters the development of writing facility in any context. In addition, most composition courses teach students that the expository, analytical and argumentative writing they must do in college is based on reading as well as on personal experience and observation.Composition courses, therefore, teach students to read primary and secondary sources carefully, to synthesize material from these texts in their own compositions, and to cite sources using conventions recommended by professional organizations such as the Modern Language Association (MLA), the University of Chicago Press (The Chicago Manual of Style), the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Council of Biology Editors (CBE).As in the college course, the purpose of the AP English Language and Composition course is to enable students to read complex texts with understanding and to write prose of sufficient richness and complexity to c ommunicate effectively with mature readers. An AP English Language and Composition course should help students move beyond such programmatic responses as the five-paragraph essay that provides an introduction with a thesis and three reasons, body paragraphs on each reason, and a conclusion that restates the thesis.Although such formulaic approaches may provide minimal organization, they often encourage unnecessary repetition and fail to engage the reader. Students should be encouraged to place their emphasis on content, purpose and audience and to allow this focus to guide the organization of their writing, (The College Board, p. 7). Textbooks: Texts will be supplied by AHS. Shea, Renee H. , Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses. The Language of Composition. Bedford/ St. Martin’s, Boston, 2008. Marking Period |Part One |Part Two | |Quarter One |Orwell, G. Animal Farm (1946) |Salinger, J. D. Catcher in the Rye (1946) | | |Thoreau, H. D. Civil Disobedience (1849) |Thoreau , H. D. Where I Lived, and What I Lived For† (1854) | |Quarter Two |Steinbeck, J. Winter of Our Discontent (1961) |Miller, A. The Crucible (1952) | | | |Hawthorne, N. The Scarlet Letter (1850) | |Quarter Three |Shelly, M. Frankenstein (1831) |Fitzgerald, F.S. Great Gatsby | | |Huxley, A. Brave New World (1932) |Selected Memoirs | |Quarter Four |Student Speeches |Student Speeches |On-line materials: Students will read newspaper and magazine features regularly to apply course concepts in discussion, reader’s log, and writing assignments. Since all columns are available free on line, school will provide access to materials on computers in the school library, computer labs and classrooms during and after school. The sites include: On-line materials will be |Feature/Column |URL |Purpose and Practice | |discussed weekly, | | | | |on Tuesday, | | | | |using notes and/or print | | | | |copies | | | | | |The Writer’s Almanac |www. thewritersalmanac. publicradio. org |Develop writerly knowledge base | | |Headlinespot |www. headlinespot. om |State news | | |A Word a Day |www. wordsmith. org/awad/ |Vocabulary and etymology | | |Daily Infographic |www. dailyinfographic. com |Analysis of complex graphics | Grading policy: Grades will be determined by on-demand & multiple draft compositions, blog entries, teacher observations, and student self-evaluations. Rubrics and scoring guides are posted on the teacher webpage. Academic Topics and Expectations = 90% |Performance Topics | | |and Expectations = 10% | |Terminology |Appropriate use of literary terms in analytical writing |Preparation for class performance | |Thesis |Precise identification of thesis in reading/ |Participation in class activities | | |Logical development of thesis in writing | | |Detail |Location of essential detail in reading/ Prompt submission of homework | | |Inclusion of organization of essential detail in writing | | |Style |Recognition and explication of writers’ choices |Cooperation in group work | | |Making effective choices as a writer | | |Response |Efficient, explicit and insightful response to all writing prompts |Sustained writing improvement | |to Prompt | | | |Grammar |Consistent application of rules for punctuation, spelling, syntax and usage. Sophistication of spoken vocabulary | |Mechanics | | | |Revision |Aggressive and responsible approach to improvement of writing over multiple drafts and within on-demand tasks |Sophistication of written vocabulary | |Editing | | | ? Regularly save all word-processed work to a CD or flash drive and student account on the network. ? Multiple draft compositions may be submitted via email attachment. ? Multiple draft compositions may be scored using track changes, archived and returned to the student. Timed writing will be kept in a classroom folder as source material for reflective evaluation each marking period. ? Classes will be conducted according to the policies in English Departm ent Handbook and the Student Handbook; both are available on the network. Suggested Materials: Students will bring notes, handouts, and texts distributed within a marking period as well as note-taking materials. Assignment Posting: Assignments and handouts will be posted on the teacher webpage and/or the class blog. Writing Opportunities: Students’ Write to Be Heard, Voice of Democracy, Kids’ Philosophy Slam, Letters about Literature, Greenwave Gazette, Student Arts Magazine, Very Open Mic Nights, and Wordmaster’s competition will be announced during the academic year. AP Language |Assignment |Purpose |Summer tasks |School Year Tasks |Point Value | |Summer Projects | | | | | | |[pic] |Sign up for a Gmail account. |Promote communication |Check your email at least once a |Email assignments via |None—having the email is | | |Address should be a combination of first initial, last | |week for updates |attachment |necessary for participating in| | |name and AP | | | |the class blog. |[pic] |Subscribe to |Develop vocabulary |Select the best word week of the |Bring your essay to the first | | | |Wordsmith. org/awad/subscribe. html | |summer. Write a brief expository |class. |Pass/ Fail: 100 Pts. | | | | |essay using those words. |Please word process and save |Participation | | | | | |your document | | |[pic] |Visit headlinespot. om and follow the news of your |Develop an American perspective|Browse the state’s news and learn|Post to the class blog sharing | | | |assigned state through its news publications. |other than Abington, MA |what is important to people who |your sense of what is important|Pass/Fail: 100 Pts. | | | | |live there. |in this state. |Participation | | |Email Dr. G. your state ASAP! | | | | | | |See Randy Pausch’s lecture, â€Å"Realizing My Childhood |Be inspired! Write a first draft of your first|Bring your lecture to the first|Pass/Fail: 100 Pts. | |[pic] |Dreams† also called â€Å"The Last Lectur e. † |Then, use his lecture as a |lecture, to be edited all year |class. |Participation | | | |model for your first lecture |long, and delivered as your final|Please word process and save |Revised in Sept. for a writing| | | | |exam. |your document at home. grade | | | | | | |MCAS | | | | | | |Rubric: 100 pts. | |[pic] |Begin a reader’s log or response journal |Practice interacting with a |As often as you read, respond. |Bring to first class. |Pass/Fail: 100 points | | |text | |Use on in-class writing |Participation | | | | | |assessments. | | |[pic] |Read The Dark Tide (Puleo) |Read non-fiction as an |Look up new words. |Consider: |In class writing during the | | | |argument. |Post on the class blog. |Should anyone be held |first marking period. | | | |Use reader’s log. | |accountable when accidents |AP Rubric:100 pts. | | | | |happen? | | |[pic] |Read Flyboys (Bradley) |Read non-fiction as an |Look up new words. |Consider: |In class discussion and | | | |argum ent. |Post on the class blog. |How is keeping secrets |writing during the first | | | |Use reader’s log. | |justified during war time? |marking period. | | | | | |AP Rubric:100 pts. | Typical Day: The usual class period is 47 minutes long. Usage of class time may vary, but most often follows these sections: |1-8 minutes |Writers’ Almanac, Word of the Day, Daily Infographic | | |Individual review and preparation of notes, readings or assignments for class and/or | | |Small group review of notes, readings, topics for discussion or assignments. |9-42 minutes |Lectures, individual practice, small group work, discussion, or Q&A to process readings or practice skill application. | | |Peer editing and revision may occur here. This section expanded for all on-demand writing practice. | |43-47 minutes |Summarizing class, homework announcements: teacher webpage and/or class blog. | | |Be the Change Daily Challenge or AWAD Thought of the Day | Typical Week: Although our schedul e may flex around holidays and special school events, the typical weekly plan is: |Monday |Review, in-class writing, on demand writing, peer review, teacher conferencing, in class editing & revision. |Tuesday |On-line feature discussion days, focused on topics closest to instructional topics OR most provocative topics. | |Wednesday |Text reading due date, introduction to new topics, processing readings in small groups or through lecture Q&A. | |Thursday |Practice and processing texts or reading in whole class, small group jigsaw or independent exercises. | |Friday |Continued practice and processing, discussions, presentations of individual or group work to class. | Typical Marking Period: Academic year is divided into 4 quarters, each halfway point marked by a formal report: Quarter, Part One |Quarter, Part Two | |Argument /Language topic |Language/ Argument topic | |Literature connection, model analysis |Researched Argument or Multi-Draft Essay | |Synthesizing weekly news/magazi ne features |Synthesizing weekly news/magazine features | |Researched Argument or Multi-draft Essay, directed revision activities |On Demand Writing/ Multiple Choice practice | |On Demand Writing/Multiple Choice practice |Final Speech revision | |Self evaluation, class participation |Self evaluation, writing portfolio | |Progress report |Report card | Exams: Midterm and final exams will be given and are 90 minutes in length. |Midterm Exam |Final exam | |Exam practice; one multiple-choice section and two essays given in an AP format. Grade will be a |Presentation of speeches written for summer reading assignment and revised during the course of the year. |combination of scores weighted similarly to the AP exam. |Grade will represent revision of the text of the speech as well as delivery. | Quarter One, Part One: Reading to appreciate writers’ choices: Genre, organization, and diction |Concept/Skill |Content |Practice |Assignment/Assessment | |How can we use Language of Composition to |Shea et al. |Independent reading |Summer Reading Assessments listed on table, p. 4 | |approach to reading and writing? |Ch. An Introduction to Rhetoric |Small group discussion |syllabus | | | |Applying summer reading and readers’ logs in discussion | | | |Rhetorical Model |Note-taking templates |And | | |Ethos, Pathos, and Logos |SOAP Acronym |Timed Writing Baseline Samples | | |Patterns of Development | | | |Assign Orwell, â€Å"Politics and the English Language† ( 529-538) and Thoreau, â€Å" On the Duty of Civil Disobedience†(939-956) | |How do readers and writers use a common |Shea et al. |Shea et al. |Word Study Presentation | |vocabulary? |Ch. 2 Close reading |Orwell (539-40) |Individual/Group Options | | |Style |Questions for Discussion |Each selects a word from a passage or a favorite | |What does it mean to appreciate â€Å"word choice†? Note Taking& Annotation |Questions on Rhetoric & Style |word; | | |Glossary |Thoreau (9 56) |Identify related forms and synonyms; | |How can a writer use denotation and connotation |Orwell, â€Å"Politics and the English Language,† |Exploring the Text |Explain denotation, etymology and connotation. | |to communicate clearly? |(529-538) |Exploration of language resources. | | |Thoreau, â€Å" On the Duty of Civil Disobedience,† |Tone Vocabulary Handout | | | |(939-56) | | | | | | | | |Assign Orwell, Animal Farm | |How does synthesizing various viewpoints bring |Shea et al. |Analysis of point of view/bias in |Multi-draft synthesis essay/ teacher conference | |us to a personal statement about an issue? |Ch. Synthesizing Sources |Katrina Op-Eds: NYT 2007 | | | |Ch. 1Princess Diana, 28-34 | |How should we respond to communities who suffer | | | |Rice, A. â€Å"What it means to lose New Orleans† |disasters? | | |Puleo, The Dark Tide |Geraghty, J. â€Å"We failed you? Try again. | | | |Bradley, Flyboys |Sebold, A. â€Å"Living with the Dead† | | | | | | | | | |Timed Writing Item : Synthesis Based Question | | |How is a speech different from other texts? |Lunsford et al. Analysis of text for evidence of subject, occasion, audience, |Speech Revision | | |Ch. 17 Spoken Arguments |purpose and elements of oratory and signal Words | | | |Speeches from Summer reading |Compare and contrast written and spoken texts. |Include specific oratorical strategies in your | | |Speeches by Dr. Randy Pausch | |speech. | | |Lou Gehrig and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. | | Quarter One, Part Two: Reading between the lines (and into pictures) for implicit theses |Concept/Skill |Content |Practice |Assignment/Assessment | |How does satire work as a strategy in social |New Yorker â€Å"Shouts and Murmurs† essays |Discuss satire as a strategy, distinguishing distortion of |Timed Writing Practice | |commentary? |Shea et al. 924-920) |message, importance of tone | | | |Swift, â€Å"The Modest Proposal† |Swift (920-1) |Analysi s of rhetorical strategies in satirical | | |Questions for Discussion |Analyze for subject, occasion, audience, purpose, style and |writing | | |Questions on Rhetoric & Style |tone | | | | |SOAPSTONE | | |How does a reader decode allegory? |Orwell, G. Animal Farm |Discuss representation in allegory, examining use of indirect |Creative Writing: Group option | | |Twain War Prayer |appeal. |Select an issue or event of personal, local, national| | | |Review language of political systems. |or global importance. | | |View Animal Farm (TV 1999) |â€Å"Shouts and Murmurs† essay | | | | |Satirical editorial or | | | | |Allegory | |Assign Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye; Thoreau, Where ILived, and What I Lived For | |How can we describe a speaker by analyzing |Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye |Analysis of diction for effect in creating character and voice,|Multi-draft essay/ peer edit | |language patterns? | |especially, age, education, income, geographical location and |Identif y the language pattern of Holden Caulfield; | | |Student selected passages from first person |tone |compare and contrast with the language of another | | |young adult short stories and novels | |literary character. | | |Review of model student papers |Option: Write chapter 27 or an â€Å"inter-chapter† in | | | | |Holden’s voice | |How can a visual become an argument? |Shea et al. (49-50) |Find 3-5 editorial cartoons on one subject OR ads on a product,|Speech Revision: | |How can a visual assist or confuse the reader of|Reading at Risk (147-9) |service or message; |Create a visual illustration or summary of your | |an argument? |Visual Rhetoric (891-893) |Compare and contrast how artists portray ideas. |argument. | | |Editorial Cartoons from Headlinespot. om |Discuss how a visual assists or confuses the reader of an | | | |Print advertising |argument. | | | |Daily Infographic | | | |Assign King, â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† (260-274) and Assign Hawtho rne, The Scarlet Letter | |How does a writer explain the belief that |Shea et al. |Close reading and annotation |Timed Writing Practice | |motivates action? Thoreau, â€Å"Where I Lived†¦Ã¢â‚¬  |Analyze anticipation of criticism and concession |Excerpt (Swift, Orwell, Thoreau or MLK) | | |MLK â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† |Focus on SOAPSTONE |Defend/Challenge /Qualify | Quarter Two, Part One: Exploring issues of academic and personal integrity |Concept/Skill |Content |Practice |Assignment/Assessment | |How do readers recognize stereotypes? |Shea et al. Discuss stereotypes of gender, language or culture in the |Mock Trial | | |Readings will be selected from one of the |media: in television: reality shows, sitcoms, and crime shows |Discuss claims made by the author about characters | |How do writers employ stereotypes? |following chapters: |Select a single media segment and identify its dependence on |and claims characters make about each other. | |How does a read er evaluate the judgment of the |Ch. 7 Gender (347) |stereotypes or rebellion against stereotypes by showing a |Which character in Scarlet Letter is the greatest | |community? |Ch. Language (507) |clip(s), OR |sinner? | | |Ch. 11 Popular Culture (707) |Select a stereotype and present clips from multiple media |Hester, Dimmesdale, Chillingworth or the community | | | |outlets | | |Assign Steinbeck, Winter of Our Discontent | |To Wikipedia or Not . . . that is the Question. |Shea et al. |In groups, select a topic. One Draft/ self-edit | | |Ch. 3 Synthesizing Sources (61) |Compare and contrast all features of Wikipedia and other |Use what you know about assessing and using sources | | |Ch. 6 Synthesis: Incorporating sources into a |available sources. |to develop a personal statement about Wikipedia | | |revision (335) | |usage. | | |www. wikipedia. rg | | | |How does a reader use citations to understand a |Lunsford et al. |Review the necessity of crediting completely all sources b y |One Draft/ In class | |text? |Ch. 20 Intellectual Property, Academic |using a citation system: MLA, APA, Chicago, etc. |Select an actual or literary dilemma involving | |How does a writer document sources [MLA, APA, |Integrity, and Avoiding Plagiarism; |Discuss academic integrity issues in our school and the Code of|academic or personal integrity. |Chicago] ? |Ch. 22 Documenting Sources; |Conduct policy. |Explore the options for action. | |How does a community of readers and writers |Gibson Primetime report: Cheating in America's |Research a scandal involving cheating, plagiarism or other |Compare and contrast your response with that of the | |preserve academic integrity and protect |schools (2004); |academic integrity issues. |actor in the situation | |intellectual property? |Steinbeck, J. Winter of Our Discontent |Evaluate integrity and plagiarism issues in Steinbeck’s novel. | | | | |SPEECH REVISION: | | | | |Evaluate and document all sources in your speech or | | | | |visuals. |Assign Miller, The Crucible | |How does a reviewer persuade the reader to see |Film Review Archive |Analyze of reviews to identify New Yorker film reviews as a |Multi-draft essay/ peer edit | |(or avoid) a film? |New Yorker On-Line |genre. |Read several reviews of The Crucible (1996). | | |Critics Corner |Distinguish between the styles Denby and Lane reviews, esp. |Review The Crucible. | | | |diction and syntax. Employ strategies and style to persuade an audience | | | | |to accept or reject your judgment of the film. | | | |View The Crucible (1996) | | Quarter Two, Part Two: Where science and argument intersect (at logos, pathos and ethos) |Concept/Skill |Content |Practice |Assignment/Assessment | |How does a reader identify and understand Logos |Shea et al. Review newspapers for features and editorials in science. |Multi-draft/peer edit | |in science and technology writing? |Huxley The Method of Scientific investigation ( |How do various cities and states respond t o a science issue? |Identify science issues in your state. | | |609) |Review logical appeals and fallacies. |Compare and contrast the state view on a science | |How does a writer employ appeals to Logos? |Pinker The Blank Slate (630) | |issue with your view and the national view. | |Sagan The Cosmic Calendar (671) | | | | |Gould Women’s Brains (349) | | | |Assign Shelley, Frankenstein | |How does a reader identify and understand |Shea et al. |Analysis of slogans, public service announcement [PSAs], sales |Ad analysis | |appeals to Pathos in science and technology |Eiseley The Bird and the Machine (601) |pitches and maxims |Contribute a full-page to the classroom Gallery of | |writing? |Bronoski The Reach of Imagination (616) | |Emotional Appeals. | |How does a writer employ appeals to Pathos? Csikszentmihalyi The Future of Happiness (623) | |Identify the elements of the appeal. | |How does a reader identify and understand |Shea et al. |Examination of the thesis as a ca ll to action, whether implicit|Speech Writing: The Introduction | |appeals to Ethos in science and technology |Royte Transsexual Frogs (655) |or explicit. |Read a science article on a controversy or debate. | |writing? |Carson from Silent Spring (798) |Discussion: What should we do as a result of reading science |Write an introduction for the advocate of a | |How does a writer employ appeals to Ethos? |Various, Focus on Climate Change (862) |writing? particular point of view that prepares an audience | |Assign Huxley, Brave New World | |How does a reader identify and understand |Shea et al. |Investigate the current status of genetic technology |On Demand Writing Practice | |complex appeals in science writing? |Various, The Ethics of Genetic Technology (678) | |Synthesis based science question | |How does a writer employ complex appeals in | |Note how science writers are introduced in texts | | |science? | | | | | | |SPEECH REVISION | | | | |Fact check your speech | | | | |Wri te an introduction: classmate. |How do science fiction writers employ complex |Shelley Frankenstein |Identify theme and supporting appeals in a science fiction |Multi-draft/teacher conference | |appeals to persuade an audience to think, feel, |Huxley Brave New World |film, TV, short story or novel. |Science (dystopic) Fiction | |or act? |Bradbury Fahrenheit 451 |Focus on predictions and projections. |Review an imaginative text and its success as an | | |Aldiss â€Å"Super-toys Last All Summer Long† (665) |Discuss impact on audience. |appeal on an issue. | |Vonnegut â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† | |Support with evidence from text and context. | Quarter Three, Part One: Defining roles and responsibilities in the world of work |Concept/Skill |Content |Practice |Assignment/Assessment | |How do writers use language to define work and |Ehrenreich From Serving in Florida (179) |Investigate current and future job trends. One Draft/self-edit | |careers? |Dillard The Writing Life ( 212) |Read newspapers for employment trends in your state. |Describe your dream job. | | |Friedman, From The World is Flat |Discuss the words of work: career, vocation, job, retail, |Visit Bureau of Labor Statistics for Job descriptions| | |Terkel, From Working |profession, minimum wage, salary, commission, union, resume, |and requirements. | | | |class etc. Visit job listings in print and on-line. | | | | | | |Assign Miller, Death of a Salesman | |What is the purpose of work? |Goodman, In Praise of a Snail’s Pace (221) |What obligation does one have to provide for oneself and one’s |On Demand Writing | |How does work define a person? |Olsen I Stand Here Ironing (224) |family? Goodman, â€Å"Company Man† | | |Auden,â€Å"The Unknown Citizen† | | | | |Conversations: Focus on Working Parents (235) | | | | | | |Editorial/ One draft | | | | |Should one parent stay at home to be the primary | | | | |caregiver for children? | |Assign Fitzgerald, The G reat Gatsby | |How do writers employ complex appeals to |Minimum wage |Read newspapers for positions on workplace issues in your |Panel Discussion | |advocate for workers and/or employers? Workplace safety |states. |As a group, identify an American workplace issue. | | |Gender equity |Discuss the role of the government in the workplace. |Describe the range of positions on this issue. | |How do writers define the role of the government|Illegal/Undocumented workers |In your state, how many people are employed by the government? |Should the government intervene? If so, how? If not, | |in the workplace? | | |why not? | | | |Present to the class. | | |Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby |Discuss class conflict and work as a way to move between and |Multi-draft/ peer edit | |How do writers define social class? |Miller Death of a Salesman |among classes. |Select a literary text that deals with class | |How do writers portray class conflict? | | |conflict. | |Miller Tragedy and the Common Man | |Identify the author’s attitude toward work or social | | | | |class as the defining element of identity. | | |Steinbeck, Winter of Our Discontent | |Support with evidence from the text and context. | | | | | |Quarter Three, Part Two: Becoming an advocate for schools and self |Concept/Skill |Content |Practice |Assignment/Assessment | |How do writers define education and the role of |Shea et al. |Learn what a mission statement is |One Draft | |schools in our society or community? |Emerson, From Education (103) | |Select a school and locate its mission statement. | | Baldwin, A Talk to Teachers (123) |Visit websites |Analyze the language for what it reveals about the | | |Mori, School (130) |The Common Core |attitude of the institution toward its students, | | | |US Dept. of Education |employees, families and community. | | | |MA Dept.Of Education | | | | |Our School Mission | | | | |College Mission Statement | | |How do writers employ complex appeals to |Shea et al. |In your states, identify issues in education. On Demand writing/SBQ | |advocate for stakeholders in school |Conversations: |In particular, look for graduation rates, drop-out rates, |What is the role of the public school in American | |communities–students, families, teachers and |Focus on the American High School (150) |bullying, standardized testing, English Language Learning, |society? | |communities? | | | | | | | |What is the responsibility of a community to its | |How do writers define the role of the government| | |public schools? | |in schools? | | | | | | |What is the future of public education in America? | |How does writing identify one as a candidate |College essays |Visit college websites |Multi-draft | |worthy of admission to college? | |Locate college applications, including the common application. |Write a college essay. |How does one employ rhetorical strategies in a | |Discuss the role of writer as significant to college | | |college essay? | |appl ication. | | | | |Analyze the college essay prompts; what do they have in common? | | |How does a speechwriter use claims and evidence |Presidential speeches on education |Analyze education speeches for claims and evidence |SPEECH REVISION | |to advocate effectively for public education? Commencement addresses |Focus on subject, occasion, audience, purpose and tone |Multi-draft synthesis essay/ teacher conference: | | |Convocation speeches | |Revise speech to make clear claims supported by | | |Convention speeches from professional education | |evidence. | | |conferences | |Identify the connection of your topic to formal or | | |College Board 2010 | |informal education. |Quarter Four, Part One: Presenting an argument personally |Concept/Skill |Content |Practice |Assignment/Assessment | |How does a writer explore and develop an |Shea et al. |Discuss the concerns of the communities to which|Panel discussion | |informed position on issues of local, national |Hedges From The Dest ruction of Culture (922) |you belong. |Form groups based on common community concerns. | |and international importance? Goldsmith National Prejudices (933) |How are they similar to and different from other|Identify the most pressing concerns of that community. | | |Woolf Thoughts on Peace in an Air Raid (935) |communities |State your group’s position on those issues. | | |Picasso Guernica (975) | |Present to the class. | |Assign memoir, blog or collection of personal essays | |How does a writer make and present a proposal |Lunsford et al. Brainstorm proposals for action within the |Multi-draft essay/ teacher conference | |for a community? |Ch. 12 Making a Proposal |school community. |As an individual or group, write a proposal for some aspect of the | | |Previous action research proposals | |school community. | | | |Research what other school communities have done| | | | |to address similar issues. |Develop an action plan. | | | | | | | | |Select or develop a feedback form | |Why does a writer choose the personal essay over|Lives essays, NYT archive |Identify personal essays / memoir as genres. |On Demand Practice | |the expository essay? |In podcast format: |Discuss how memoir can function as argument. |Alexander, M. â€Å"Fault Lines | |How can a writer use personal experience |NPR, This American Life |Analyze the implied argument in individual |Mairs, N. â€Å" On Being a Cripple† | |persuasively? | |experience. | | | |SOAPSTONE | | | | | |Multi-draft essay/self-edit | | | | |Write a Lives Essay or record a segment in the format of This | | | | |American Life | |Assign search for video/transcript of speeches | |How does a writer educate an audience through |Kingston Woman Warrior |Analyze the implied argument in the individual |Multi-draft essay/peer edit | |memoir? |Mathabane Kaffir Boy |experience |Read and analyze a memoir or collection of personal essays. | |How can a reader gain perspective on an issue |Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings |Explore issues of immigration, bilingualism, |Respond to the text as an argument, evaluating its claims and taking| |through memoir? |Wiesel Night |feminism, apartheid, poverty, abuse of power |a position on one of its issues. | |Various memoirs such as | | | | |McCourt, Angela’s Ashes | | | | |MacDonald, All Souls | | | | |Beah, A Long Way Home | | | Quarter Four, Part Two: Presenting an argument to the community Concept/Skill |Content |Practice |Assignment/Assessment | |How does a writer prepare for a presentation? |Final Exam Speeches |Discussion of speeches for performance |SPEECH REVISION | | | |strategies |Dress rehearsal for your final speech. | | |Video of famous speeches |Practice use of various visuals: handouts, |Incorporate required visuals. | |(to be determined) |charts, overheads, PowerPoints, props and |Develop a feedback form for your audience. | | | |gestures. |Revise speech by incorporating peer and teacher feedback. | | | |SOAPSTONE | | | | |Review evaluative rubrics for feedback. | | | | |Multiple drafts/self-edit: | | |

How Successfully The Dramatic Device of Disguise is used in ”As You Like It”? Essay

In ‘As You Like It’, the dramatic device of disguise is very important, because of the dramatic opportunities it presents. Shakespeare opens two opportunities: the characters can say what they would otherwise be unable to say, and hear what they would otherwise be unable to hear. The main character who uses disguise is Rosalind, although Celia does too, to a lesser extent. We first see these two characters in Act I Scene 2. In this scene, we find out background information of the characters, for example that Rosalind’s father, the Duke, was banished. We also see Orlando and Rosalind fall in love, after they meet for the first time at the wrestling match in the gardens of the palace. Rosalind gives Orlando her necklace, giving him a sign that she has fallen in love with him. Rosalind: Wear this for me, Rosalind: Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies. Orlando also admits to himself that he has fallen in love with her, but gives no indication of such to Rosalind, as he remained silent. Orlando: What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg’d conference. O poor Orlando, thou art overthrown! In Act I Scene 3, Rosalind admits to Celia how much she loves Orlando, and that she is not merely ‘playing’ at falling in love, as they had discussed in the precious scene. Celia’s father, the Duke, then interrupts them, to banish Rosalind. The reasons for his actions are that the people pity Rosalind, because she has lost her father. Also, they admire her â€Å"silence and patience.† So, under the pretence that Rosalind is a traitor, he banishes her, to make Celia â€Å"show more bright and seem more virtuous when she is gone.† However, Celia objects to this, as she loves Rosalind dearly. So, she decides to join Rosalind in her banishment, and that they will go to the forest of Arden, to search for her uncle, Rosalind’s father. They decide to take Touchstone with them, for safety and company. In those times, it was dangerous to travel, especially for rich women. The women realise this, and like Rosalind says â€Å"beauty provoketh thieves sooner than gold†. So, Rosalind decides to disguise herself as a male because she is â€Å"more than common tall†. She decides to call herself Ganymede. Ganymede was a Trojan boy, with whom Jove fell in love with, appointed him cupbearer of the Gods, and became immortal. This name is very appropriate since Ganymede was an effeminate boy, while Rosalind would be a woman dressed as a male. Celia decides to disguise herself as a shepherdess, called Aliena, meaning ‘the stranger.’ This name is also appropriate, as it is representative of the way she will act in the country compared to at court; she will not be used to it. The two names are taken from the book â€Å"Rosalynde†, written in 1590 by Thomas Lodge. This could be intentional, or coincidental. We first see Rosalind in disguise in Act II Scene 4, when she realises that now she is disguised as a man, she has to inherit male qualities and act â€Å"courageous to petticoat†. In this scene, Shakespeare explores the male and female side of Rosalind for the first time. In appearance, she is masculine, able to take responsibility for â€Å"the weaker vessel†. However, inside she is feminine, and needy of the support she gives to Celia. Touchstone also mentions that â€Å"when I was at home, I was in a better place† stimulating thoughts about the divide between the rich and the poor of Shakespeare’s time. In ‘As You Like It’, Shakespeare compares the two societies of that time- the rich and the poor. There wasn’t usually a middleclass. In the life at court, ladies did not work for their living. They usually grew up, and were married at a fairly young age, until they died. However, poor women usually had to help at the house, by cooking, cleaning, etc. and were also usually married off as soon as possible. Further on in the play, in Act III Scene 2 Touchstone also debates the merits of the two different lives with Corin, a shepherd. As we know, Celia and Rosalind come from an upper class, rich, royal families, but have to pretend to be poor, working class people when they go to the forest of Arden. Undoubtedly, they would have made mistakes occasionally, showing their true heritage. This would probably seem comical to the audience, because they found it unusual for the two backgrounds to mix. For example, in Act III Scene 2, when Orlando is speaking with Rosalind, he mentions that ‘her accent is something finer than you could purchase in so removed a dwelling.† Fortunately for her, Rosalind quickly thinks of an excuse, â€Å"an old religious uncle of mine taught me to speak†, which Orlando believes. In this act, the weary travellers purchase a cottage and a flock of sheep from Corin. This quick financial exchange might seem humorous to the audience, as it is very unrealistic and theatrical. The audience can also see that strangers, for example Corin, are fooled by Rosalind’s disguise In Act III Scene Two, Celia teases Rosalind, who wants to find out who wrote the poems about her, and nailed them to trees. She reminds Celia that she is a woman, although she is â€Å"caparisoned like a man†. This might also be a reminder to the audience that Ganymede is female. Finally, when Celia admits that she knows the poet is Orlando, Rosalind, dressed as Ganymede, is distressed. She is distressed because she knows she won’t be able to let him woo her if he thinks she is a man, Ganymede, instead of his love, Rosalind. Rosalind: Alas the day! what shall I do with my doublet and hose? However, she then realises that in a man’s attire, she is able to â€Å"speak to him (Orlando) like a saucy lackey†, which she then does for the rest of the play. She teases him about his love, and says he does not look like â€Å"a man in love.† Throughout this scene, Rosalind’s motive to disguise herself as a man has now changed from practical reasons to personal ones; to find out how much Orlando loves her, and perhaps to educate him, on how to love her. For example, in Act IV Scene 1, when Orlando is an hour late for their meeting, she shows that if he would have done that to Rosalind, â€Å"Cupid hath clapped him o’ the shoulder.† Through her disguise, which she uses to her full advantage, she playfully suggests to him that she will pretend to be Rosalind so he can woo her. This Orlando feels able to do, so he can say what he wanted to say when they first met, in Act I Scene 2, and she can hear what she never expected to hear, because they are not bound by social expectations, as Orlando does not know Ganymede is Rosalind. Their relationship stays fun and lively, because he can be open and honest, and express his emotions, and she can willingly accept his proposals, for example in Act IV Scene 1: Rosalind: But come, now I will be your Rosalind in a more coming-on disposition; and ask me what you will, I will grant it. Orlando: Then love me, Rosalind. Rosalind: Yes, faith, I will, Fridays and Saturdays and all. In the play Shakespeare questions the rigid rules of society’s wooing of that time, since he wrote the play with the idea of a traditional romance; (an archetype) a boy meets a girl, they fall in love, and marry happily ever after after overcoming several obstacles and misunderstandings. However, Shakespeare was forward thinking of his time, letting Rosalind orchestrate the wooing, which was very unconventional. As we can see from Act III Scene 4, Rosalind is a very strong and intelligent character, as she has tricked Orlando into wooing her, even though she is dressed as a man. She is also very witty, a characteristic she only feels able to express properly when she is disguised. She is perhaps the wittiest person in the play, apart from Touchstone, who is a professional comedian, after having been a fool or jester at the court for many years. In Shakespeare’s time, royal men at court showed their wittiness by putting down a fool. He is someone we call a ‘stooge’ nowadays. However, Touchstone’s jokes and puns are less friendly than Rosalind’s, who’s aim is simply to tease or humour people, and not make fun of them, like Touchstone does. Today, Rosalind’s role is a sought-after part, since it is one of Shakespeare’s only good main female characters. The reason for this is that the roles of his time were pre-dominantly male, as there were no female actresses then, and men had to act female parts, which would not have been desirable. This adds humour to the play, from the audience’s perspective, because the players with female roles, e.g. Celia and Rosalind, were young adolescent males. So, Ganymede was a teenage boy, acting a female (Rosalind), dressed up as a man. A particularly humorous moment is when Orlando attempts to kiss Ganymede, for two reasons. One is that the player acting Orlando is attempting to kiss his true love, Rosalind, even though he doesn’t know this. But, from the audience’s point of view, this is also funny since the actor Orlando is attempting to kiss another man. Even now, cross-dressing is found humorous, explaining why people watch cabarets and pantomimes. Further on in the play, in Act III Scene 4, we see Rosalind and Celia alone together. Alone with Celia, Rosalind does not pretend to act masculine, instead she talks about her love to Orlando in a feminine way, and Celia teases her. Rosalind: Never talk to me: I will weep. Celia: Do, I prithee; but yet have the grace to consider that tears do not become a man. Then, Corin comes in, and invites them to see Phebe and Silvius together. They do so gladly, and Rosalind takes another opportunity to use her disguise to her full advantage: she insults Phebe, somewhat cruelly. â€Å"What thought you have no beauty- As by my faith, I see no more in you Than without candle may go dark to bed† However, this has an adverse effect, since Phebe falls head over heels in love with Ganymede, who in fact is Rosalind. This is another way Shakespeare has brought comedy to the play using the dramatic device of disguise, for Rosalind is, like she says, â€Å"unable to return the love.† From this we also see that Shakespeare did not think about relationships of the same sex, presumably because that would be too forward of his time. Also, it was illegal to demonstrate homosexual relationships; Oscar Wilde was put in jail, 200 years later for his gay relationships. Using the dramatic device of disguise, Shakespeare also uses Rosalind to expose the shallowness and absurdity of conventional modes of wooing, in Act 4 Scene 1. This is when Ganymede mocks Orlando, which was very unconventional of that time, since normal women did not act like that; they were supposed to be very gentle, docile, etc. However, in Act IV Scene 3, Shakespeare does make Rosalind seem more feminine again, since Ganymede faints, after hearing Orlando was hurt. Fainting was not seen as a manly tribute, which nearly gives away to Oliver than Ganymede is a woman. â€Å"You lack a man’s heart.† When Ganymede awakens again, Rosalind admits that she is tired of disguising herself, and hiding her feelings, â€Å"I would I were at home.† This is not the only time Rosalind makes the mistake of showing her female characteristics. In Act III Scene 2, Rosalind nearly gives away that she is female while Corin is there because Touchstone makes up an offensive poem about Rosalind and she reacts to it vehemently. Rosalind: Let no face be kept in mind, But the fair of Rosalind. Touchstone: †¦it is the right butter-woman’s rank to market. Rosalind: Out, fool! We must not forget that other characters than Rosalind use disguise; Touchstone also disguises himself. He does not disguise himself physically, but he disguises his true intentions of marriage with Audrey: sex. Touchstone is a very humorous character in the play, often joking or making puns. He is probably used by Shakespeare to contrast the different types of love and marriage: Touchstone is marrying Audrey for sex, and Audrey is marrying him so she can become a respected woman. This contrasts against Orlando and Rosalind’s relationship, that was love at first sight, the like as Oliver and Celia. In this scene, we also see that Celia uses disguise. Originally her motive to disguise herself was for protection. However, she uses her disguise as a helpless weak maiden to get food and shelter, in Act II Scene 4. Also, in Act IV Scene 3, she does not tell Oliver who she really is. If she had told him she was the Duke’s daughter, he might not have fallen in love with her, or pushed his feelings aside to bring her back to the court. However, she keeps her disguise until the very end of the play, when all the couples get married. Finally, in the end of the play, Rosalind brings all the couples together to be married, in a triumphant denouement. In the epilogue, she also adds humour through disguise, although she is no longer acting the part of Ganymede. The epilogue is humorous, since she says â€Å"If I were a woman,† which reminds the audience that she is in fact a cross-dressing man, or would have been when it was first performed. Nowadays that is not true, and it is one of the only lines written by Shakespeare that does not transcend time. This is because Rosalind is now played by an actress, as acting is a very reputable profession. However, in 1599, the year the play was written, women were not allowed to become actresses. This inspires thoughts about the way women were and are treated, and how society has changed through time. In Shakespeare’s time, women were supposed to be gentle, subservient, passive, etc. They were expected to marry, bear children, and raise them. They were constrained by society’s rigid rules, especially women at court, like Celia and Rosalind, and had little freedom. Men had much more freedom, and could show their wit, intelligence and humour when they liked. However, it was seen as unfit for females to do the same. Even today, in modern countries in the western world, the two sexes are treated differently, but less so than in other countries such as Islamic ones. Women have more rights nowadays, and laws to protect those rights than in the 1600’s. I think that Shakespeare has used the device of disguise very successfully, since he has not only added humour to the written play, but also through cross-dressing added humour. I think that I would have thought this play funny if I had the same sense of humour as people did then, and understood more of the puns and subtle jokes, that are typical of the Elizabethan times but are not found comical now.

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Feminism in Jurisprudence - Essay Example However recent theories and critical legal studies have highlighted the patriarchal elements in jurisprudence – the law itself is male, because the separation of the State and the extent of legal relief is conditioned by the separateness of the individual, a principle which is flawed in the case of women who are connected human beings. Therefore the framework of law and jurisprudence must be modified to reflect a more multicultural, multiracial and multiethnic framework in order to incorporate more voices, so that the law can serve to effectively address the needs of individuals in accordance with the circumstances. The most influential feminists are MacKinnon and Gilligan, whose theories have largely shaped female attack on existing jurisprudence. Catherine McKinnon’s crusade began with pornography, which she sought to ban. What worked against her struggle to ban pornography however, was the existence of the First Amendment right to freedom of speech and expression. But MacKinnon appealed to the Zoning Commission in Minneapolis on the issue of pornography as follows: Catherine MacKinnon pressed for the curtailment of certain First Amendment rights through censorship, reflecting what has now become a widely debated feminist view of restriction of the rights to free speech and expression in such areas as pornography. In her view, presently it is certain powerful groups who are the only ones with the right to free speech and whose voices are heard, over and above the women and minority groups who have â€Å"been silenced by their powerlessness†2, therefore the role of Government and of jurisprudence cannot continue to be biased in favor of the powerful groups, rather the function of jurisprudence is to empower the minorities and the women. Thus, it may be seen that her views rise in opposition to the model of total

Rule of Taliban Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Rule of Taliban - Essay Example After several bombing instances, the Taliban were attacked by the United States of America which made them to escape to other areas for safety (Barth, 12). This left them with a mere 5% of the entire country under their control, these were regions on the north and eventually escaping to Pakistan start being driven out of their last city(Kunduz). It was until recently that first signs of their return were detected. Arguments have risen across different political, religious, social and economic divides of whether ruling power needs to be taken back to them or not. The varied opinion on whether Taliban should be allowed to take back Afghanistan under their rule has been strengthened by the impact felt during their regime whether it were positive or negative. Many people believe that despite the pessimistic views labeled against Taliban, lots of positive developments were realized during their regime as compared to before and after their ousting. It should be noted that despite Taliban being considered reckless on women, they were arguably of importance to the economy and social wellbeing of the Afghans. Some of the reasons cited for letting Taliban regain control of Afghanistan include, but not restricted to their goal of minimizing and eliminating crime at all cost. They succeeded in doing so by coming up with their own kind of Islamic law that entailed death sentences and amputations. Crimes committed such as rape incidence against women were minimized by ensuring that women did not walk out of the house without being in company of male counterparts. Wearing of burga (clothes that covered women’s entire body from head to toe) imposed by Taliban also helped with reducing rape incidences. Those found guilty of violating Taliban laws were thoroughly punished by religious police. Cases of children being used as sex slaves also reduced tremendously (Mason, 102). Taliban advocated for basic and isolationist

Introduction to Management Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Introduction to Management Accounting - Essay Example In this project the various motivational theories have been discussed. The impact of motivation on budgets has also been discussed with the help of empirical evidences. The concept of been budgeting and beyond budgeting has also been discussed in the light of motivation and its implication on the budgeting. Theories of motivation The term motivation was derived from the word mover which is a Latin word and means to move. Motivation can also be referred to the word motive which can be described as an objective which makes a person move on a particular direction. Motivation can be defined as a process by which a person directs all his efforts persistently to attain his goal. As per Robbins motivation includes three things they are intensity, persistence and direction. Intensity signifies the level of effort given, direction channelizes that effort into organizational benefit and persistence signifies the time period through which one gives the effort continuously (Robbins, Judge and Sa nghi, 2010, p.71). There are various theories of motivation among them the most important ones are mentioned below:- Maslow’s need hierarchy motivational theory: The Maslow’s hierarchy of needs motivational theory is the oldest motivational theory. ... The physiological needs and safety needs are considered as lower order needs and the need for self esteem, social and self actualization are known as higher order needs. The physiological needs include the basic needs which are required for survival like need for food, water, shelter etc. The safety need signifies the need for being protected from any type of physical or mental harm. Once these two needs are satisfied then the individual tries to satisfy the social needs. This type of need signifies the need of friendship, belongingness or being accepted by the society. This is the third need of the hierarchy. Once the social needs are satisfied the individuals strive for esteem needs which signifies the need to be respected, having recognition in the society, status etc. The last need of the hierarchy is the need for self actualization. The managers have to identify the level of need which the individual is having and then motivate the person to fulfil that need or the need beyond t hat level (Brooks, 2007, p.55). McGregor theory of X and Y: McGregor gave the motivational theory as the theory of X and Y. As per theory X the individual are classified as being lazy and unwilling to work on their own. These individuals are driven by the lower order need that is the needs of existence and the security needs. To make this type of individuals persons work coercion should be practiced. The theory X considers the negative trait of the individuals. On the other hand theory Y considers the positive traits of the individuals. As per theory Y individual are active and enjoys their work in the organization as any other work like their hobbies. These persons are driven

Problems and Risks Exposed to the Boiler Operators Assignment

Problems and Risks Exposed to the Boiler Operators - Assignment Example The people that are mostly subjected to these risks are the physical laborers employed as boiler operators and the study is based in Brazilian industries where the use of boilers is most common than in any other nation. The operators of the boilers are exposed to a number of health risks and problems that include: pains of different intensity in the body, muscle fatigue and diseases resulting from the heavy weight and exposure to heat. Moreover, the utilizing of the boiler implies various types of accidents such as burns, injuries, fires, and explosions; additionally, there is the increase of heart rate of the operator exposed to the excessive heat which occurs due to heat exchanges between the body and the environment leading to blood in the heart. A number of factors and parameters that are considered in the article; basically, the key aspects put first in this situation included the main risks of activities in the boiler which circled around the burns, pains and other injuries, factors that lead to the increased heart rate and how they can be eliminated, influence of thermal overload in the human body, and the physical workload where the boiler operators are forced to lift heavy loads due to the lack of proper mechanization which also has adverse effects that deteriorate the health especially when one puts into consideration that this takes place in a working condition that has excessive heat. Generally, the different factors were evaluated in a boiler where a thorough study was conducted; furthermore, there were a number of instruments that were used in the study i.e. a heart rate monitor, a digital chronometer, a wet-bulb globe thermometer (WBGT), a tape measure and a digital infrared camera.  

Controversial Issues in the NGO Committee Research Paper

Controversial Issues in the NGO Committee - Research Paper Example NGOs otherwise known as non-governmental organizations or civil society organizations have been in existent for a long time. As a result, their needs have received recognition by intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations. Therefore, they have been consulted since the inception of the United Nations under its original name, League of Nations, their consultative status got inclusion in the United Nations charter under the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Moreover, the goal of this council was to consult with non-governmental, organizations on matters that concerned them creating an opportunity for the consultative status of NGOs. There are numerous NGOs with the consultative status at present demarcating high placement status of NGO . However, controversy has rocked the placement of NGOs into this bracket of consultancy owing to the fact that the NGOs apply to be included in the consulting committees. The first significant controversial issue is the importance attached to NGOs due to their integration across the board in almost the entire United Nations system. This is owing to the fact that the UN is becoming highly dependent on NGOs to conduct field services and implement the resolutions that the UN passes. Despite the benefits it poses, this dependence shows the unbecoming nature of the UN in delegating responsibilities. The other issue concerning consultancy status is the impact that NGOs have on political outcomes.3 This is because for NGOs to advance that which they stand for, they require access to influential figures such as state delegates who hold the power to advance their objectives. Therefore, granting access to these influential leaders affects policymaking. Still, on consultancy, political interests influence the NGOs selected to have the status, sometimes. This is because the Committee on NGOs makes recommendation on which NGOs should take up a position, but the fi nal decision is made by the ECOSOC. This brings up controversy due to the criteria used in making the final decision, based on either merit or political interests. For example, some members of ECOSOC have successfully stopped the approval of NGOs that have beliefs that go against the stances of the countries as seen in the cases of China and Cuba against the NGO, A Woman’s Voice International.4 In addition, there is the issue of separatism that is plied on some NGOs owing to political interests of some countries. Such include the Kurdish Human Rights Project that was branded as a separatist movement that did not stand for the needs of the people but instead was a political movement.5 In the application, the NGO withdrew owing to the fact that some members hold such prejudices and thus do not grant fair hearings in the application of consultancy status. Moreover, some NGOs raise controversy by going against the UN charter that allows them to be in the consultancy position they enjoy. This is by questioning the sovereignty of some nations or having ulterior motives concerning their application for the consultancy status. However, some nations bear the punishment of going against the UN charter in spite of not violating the rules that put them in the consultative position just as seen in the case of the Kurdish Human Rights Project.6 This means that most of the controversy found in the NGO committee is largely

Are football clubs profit maximisers or utility maximisers Essay

Are football clubs profit maximisers or utility maximisers - Essay Example team sports tend to generate, make this particularly fertile territory in which to explore the perennial questions about incentives, effort, risk and reward, which lie at the heart of all economic inquiry† (Dobson & Goddard, 2001, p. 1). Although, the stark similarities of concerns between economics and sports made the union possible, Peter Sloane (2006) noted that the apparent similarities should not be over emphasised, as there are intrinsic dissimilarities between sports and conventional industries. As we try to understand the goal of each football clubs involve in the world of sports, perhaps, the more important matter that we have to take under consideration is the idea that these clubs are in themselves govern by economic and marketing principles that are basically govern by researches and studies that give credence to the claim made by each the theories. But are the theories really of minimal flaws? To begin with, if one will go over the literature on profit maximization and utility maximasation theory, regardless of the strand of both theories, on thing that is noticeable in the study is the used of mathematical formulations in support of their claims. I am raising this point on the supposition that in the world of Economics and Finance, a theory is made more tenable and believable if there are strong mathematical formulations and explanations that support the theory (Cubitt & Sugden, 1994; Friedman & Sandow, 2003; Bouchard, 2002;Lee, 1979:Portes 1968). And again, this is regardless of the position that one may be taking. In the entry of mathematics in the realm of the market, of finance and economics, one can get the sense that one is no longer dealing with an erratic and unpredictable realm. Rather, the presence of mathematical explanations for the credibility of the theory regarding the movements of the market underlie the fact that studies undertaken in order to understand the movements and dynamics of the market is , perhaps, as precise as some

Ocimum Basilicum Laboratory Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ocimum Basilicum Laboratory Report - Essay Example Introduction Basil is a small plant and can be grown in the pot. It is treasured for its many purposes such as, ornaments, fragrance and its medicinal value. It is very simple to grow in the optimum conditions of its growth. It germinates from a seed and takes a period of one year to mature. It is mostly used in cuisines, such as Italian, dental and oral products. It is believed to originate from the Asian content. It is grown in Morocco, Indonesia, California, Egypt, and southern Europe. It takes one year to fully mature. It has green stems and it is leafy. A mature Basil plant has a height of 2-3 ft. It is popularly used as a flavour. It has a spicy and peppery flavour compounded by mint and cover. The flavour is best before flowering .Basil is used in laboratory experiments to investigate many variables such as soil nutrients, soil acidity water, phototropism, gravitropism, and allelopathy (Pay Lucy and Mark 2004). The objective of research was to determine whether, the nutrients in different soils had an effect on the growth of Basil plant. In this experiment, three samples of soil were used. These samples of soils comprised of sand soil (pH 7.5), Black soil (pH 6.0), and Potting soil (6.5). The period of the study was fourteen days. The experiment used ocimum basilicum, which was fourteen inch in height. These plants were purchased at a Home Depot. The researched used three terra cotta pots. Ocimum basilicum was placed in each pot. The plants were watered each day with the same amount of distilled water (118.29Ml). The three pots were exposed to the same amount of light in the balcony. This ensured that they had the same amount of sunlight. The height of the plants was measured after every seventh day of the fourteen experiment period. A control set of experiment was also set, exposed to the same environmental condition but of water. Their heights were also measured and compared with originals. The purpose of the study was to determine whether different so ils minerals contributed to growth of basil plants. The experiment hypothesized that typical potting soil will outperform black soil and sand soil by increasing the growth speed of the Ocimum basilicum by at least 20%. Materials and Methods Acquirement and Management Ocimum basilicum takes one year to mature. It has about 2-3 ft. Basil has two colors of flowers. They are either purple or white flowers. Ocimum bacilicum is leafy and with free branches. It is mostly preferred for fragrances and color. This plant has an optimum growth in a soil with good drainage and sufficient amounts of water. Frost affects Ocimum basicum. It is easy to propagate and can be grown in pots and containers. Terra cotta pots These are special pots that are frost free. They are mostly used in laboratory experiments to grow plants fro experiments. Distilled water. It is water that is purified through a distillation process. It is used in the laboratories for experiments. It has almost pH7.0. Samples of sand , Miracle Grow Potting, and Black soil Miracle Grow potting soil is a combination of different soils. The principle ingredients include peat moss, decayed plant materials, sand, and partite. Black soils are very nutrient rich soils while sand have poor drainage and low water retention capacity. This experiment used three basil plants. The three plants were 14 inch tall each. They were purchased fro a Home Depot. They were then kept in different terra cotta pots. The

Good to a Fault by Marina Endicott Essay Example for Free

Good to a Fault by Marina Endicott Essay Take a moment and imagine a family of six traveling from city to city in order to survive, their only home, a car. Suddenly as their driving along a women speeds into them crashing, and wrecking their home. They are all then taken to a hospital, where the family discovers that the mother has progressive cancer in her lymph nodes. After this discovery, the father decides to skip town leaving his wife, three young children and elderly mother homeless. Good to a Fault by Marina Endicott is an exceptional novel. Endicott won the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best book in Canada and the Caribbean for Good to a Fault. Why might you ask? Each character is so extraordinarily developed and so well described it feels as if you know them yourself. Their emotions, thoughts and actions are so personal that at the end of the novel Endicott has created a wonderful and realistic person. Their conflicts are so profound, that they are crippling to the characters that suffer under them. And a theme that so important that the book is named after it. Like most novels Good To A Fault has a variety characters with an array of personalities, thoughts and behaviors. What sets it aside from others, is the vivid characterization of not only the fundamental characters of the story, but even the characters that are only introduced once. The rotation of perspectives gives the novel a whole new view on each characters true personality and on the conflicts they face. As Mary Jo Murphy from the New York Times said, â€Å"it’s the quieter introspective dramas, provided by Endicott’s skillful rotation among the characters’ points of view, that hold your attention.† Each characters thoughts are described by the author in exact correspondence with their personalities. For example; Paul, who is a pastor, often indirectly makes allusions to faith. Like when he and Darwin are fixing up Claras basement Paul says, Today is a time for rejuvenation pg.153 or when he is speaking to Clara about her generosity towards the Gages he says You sacrificed yourself for others pg.329 Through this, Endicott solidifies Pauls personality, tying him to his religion. Making Paul a symbol of Christianity which brings into question the faith of many characters. Allowing the reader to experience the many sides of faith. Apart from that , appearance and reputation help to build complete characters. Take the protagonist Clara , Paul describes her as single, childless of course, took care with her appearance, fortyish, Christian, and not in good spirits for some time since her mothers death. pg.26. This information helps develop a rounded character. It isnt enough just to say that Clara is a nice person, so that is why she takes care of the Gage family. The author uses her faith, age and relationship status to give reason for her generous actions. It helps the reader gain a better understanding of Claras personality, and accordingly builds a relationship between the reader and the protagonist. Above all things what sets this book aside from any other is the conflicts. Unlike most books the conflict of this story introduces itself in the very first paragraph, â€Å"The other car came from nowhere, speeding through on the yellow, going so fast it was almost safely past when Claras car caught it.†pg. 7. Because of this you would think that there would be no rising action, no excitement and no great lesson for the protagonist to learn, but you would be wrong. This conflict originally appears as if it will have the most impact, but it does not. In fact it stems off into several other conflicts that characters struggle with individually, and as a group. For instance, Lorraines diagnosis with cancer. This leads to her husband, Clayton, struggling to find his family a safe home, which he fails to do on his own. This leaves him bitter because instead of him finding a solution through hard work, he is left to stay with the very women who put them in the situation, Clara. As he says when confronting Clara at the hospital, â€Å"Hard on you? Hard to sit and watch the results of what you did?†pg23. He decides to deal with this by leaving the family. His actions burden Clara with the care of the family he left behind. Leading to Claras guilt of driving the childrens father away and leaving the mother all alone. Ultimately she struggles with the idea that she cares for the Gage family either out of guilt or to fill the empty spaces not only in her spare rooms, but in her life. It only took Endicott one simple incident to create a million other problems throughout the novel. Each conflict faced, allows the reader to understand more about each characters role in the story. Finally molding the novel into the theme. The theme I took from this novel was ; personal satisfaction of goodwill is the only payment for charity,for if its not, the deeds bring no true meaning. However when I contacted Marina Endicott on twitter she described the theme as follows; How the debt of charity is redeemed; Love your neighbour as yourself. After Clara divorces her husband, she is left wounded by their short, detached marriage. Her parents then become ill and she must care for them. But soon they both die leaving Clara alone with all their possessions and burdens. When Clara opens up her home to the Gage family and a friends daughter, she must decide whether her actions are truly pure and for others benefit, or greedy and only being used to fill the void left by her parents and husband. So she questions herself, â€Å"I see what they need, but I am unwilling to help.†pg 25 When Clara takes in the Gage family she originally believes she is doing it to make up for the car accident she caused. As the visit becomes longer Clara grows more and more attached to the family as she brings them into her life. Caring for them soon becomes less of an obligation, and more of a desire as she grows to truly love the Gages like they were her own. She becomes so attached that she does not wish that they leave her home, and when they do she is deeply angered. â€Å"She did not want anything, except Pearce back, and Dolly, and Trevor; except the life she had left this afternoon, to run over and help Lorraine- to help her again!†pg.327 .This theme is a great topic that adds depth the novel. The whole story Clara is faced with deciding whether what she does is out of loneliness or out of good will. It is a topic that we should all consider when we decide to do something charitable. And yet another reason why I believe this is a wonderful piece of litterature. Ultimately this book incorporates everything that makes a good, memorable novel . Its realistic, likeable and relatable characters keep the reader the attached to the story. These characters face conflicts that challenge them physically and emotional but lead them to fulfilling rewards. Finally these elements are all summed up to create a concrete theme of charity versus selfishness, a topic rarely touched on in our society. These elements of the novel piece the story together as a whole and make it strong enough to last the test of time. This is a great novel.

Metformin (Glucophage) Reactions

Metformin (Glucophage) Reactions Metformin (Glucophage) is available in the Pakistan since 1998. It falls in the same drug class as phenformin. Metformin is considered a first line agent and is significantly useful in people with known insulin resistance GLUCOPHAGE ® (metformin hydrochloride tablets) and GLUCOPHAGE ® XR (metformin hydrochloride extended-release tablets) are oral antihyperglycemic drugs used in the management of type 2 diabetes. Metformin hydrochloride (N,N-dimethylimidodicarbonimidic diamide hydrochloride) is not chemically or pharmacologically related to any other classes of oral antihyperglycemic agents. The structural formula is as shown: Glucophage (metformin hydrochloride tablets) Structural Formula Illustration Metformin hydrochloride is a white to off-white crystalline compound with a molecular formula of C4H11N5 †¢ HCl and a molecular weight of 165.63. Metformin improves hyperglycemia primarily through its suppression of hepatic glucose production, especially hepatic gluconeogenesis[1]. The average person with type 2 diabetes has three times the normal rate of gluconeogenesis; metformin treatment reduces this by over one third.[2] Metformin activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a liver enzyme that plays an important role in insulin signaling, whole body energy balance, and the metabolism of glucose and fats;[3] activation of AMPK is required for metformins inhibitory effect on the production of glucose by liver cells.[4] Research published in 2008 further elucidated metformins mechanism of action, showing that activation of AMPK is required for an increase in the expression of SHP (Small heterodimer partner), which in turn inhibits the expression of the hepatic gluconeogenic genes PEPCK and Glc-6-Pase.[5] Metformin is frequently used in research along with AICAR as an AMPK agonist. The mechanism by which biguanides increas e the activity of AMPK remains uncertain; however, research suggests that metformin increases the amount of cytosolic AMP (as opposed to a change in total AMP or total AMP/ATP).[6] In addition to suppressing hepatic glucose production, metformin increases insulin sensitivity, enhances peripheral glucose uptake, decreases fatty acid oxidation, and decreases absorption of glucose from the gastrointestinal tract.[8] Increased peripheral utilization of glucose may be due to improved insulin binding to insulin receptors.[9] AMPK probably also plays a role, as metformin administration increases AMPK activity in skeletal muscle.[10] AMPK is known to cause GLUT4 translocation, resulting in insulin-independent glucose uptake. Some metabolic actions of metformin do appear to occur by AMPK-independent mechanisms; a recent study found that the metabolic actions of metformin in the heart muscle can occur independent of changes in AMPK activity and may be mediated by p38 MAPK- and PKC-dependent mechanisms.[11] Metformin causes a few gastrointestinal side effects including nausea, metallic taste, diarrhea and abdominal discomfort[7] . These can be avoided if the dose is increased slowly, and taking the drug with meals. A small amount of weight loss, possibly due to drop in net caloric intake due to appetite repression and/or a reduction in hyperinsulinemia is suggested. Falling in the same drug class as phenformin, the reported incidence of lactic acidosis is surprisingly low, 0.03 per 1000. In a US double-blind clinical study of GLUCOPHAGE in patients with type 2 diabetes, a total of 141 patients received GLUCOPHAGE therapy (up to 2550 mg per day) and 145 patients received placebo. Most Common Adverse Reactions (>5.0 Percent) in a Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study of GLUCOPHAGE Monotherapy The occurrence can further be avoided if contraindications are followed. It is contraindicated in people with a high risk of lactic acidosis: renal serum creatinine levels over 150 ÃŽ ¼mol/l[14}or hepatic impairment, respiratory insufficiency, severe infection and alcohol abuse. Any pharmacological therapy that alters either of the factors mentioned before is also considered. It should also be used cautiously in elderly especially those above 80 years of age. It is recommended to monitor renal function upon initiation and at least once a year thereafter. It should be withheld immediately before a person has a procedure with a radiocontrast dye, as the dye increases the risk of renal failure and therefore lactic acidosis [15] [16]. It should also be discontinued before and surgery and can be started immediately after if the renal function is normal and the patient is stable. It is also recommended to monitor hematological parameters as it alters vitamin B12 absorption [12] [13] and therefore cause anemia (7% in clinical trials). The mechanism of action is unknown but can be reversed by discontinuation of the drug. Daily dosage should be 500 mg orally twice daily with meals. The dose can be increased every 2 weeks to 2000 mg daily. References Kirpichnikov D, McFarlane SI, Sowers JR (2002). Metformin: an update. Ann Intern Med 137 (1): 25-33. PMID 12093242. Hundal R, Krssak M, Dufour S, Laurent D, Lebon V, Chandramouli V, Inzucchi S, Schumann W, Petersen K, Landau B, Shulman G (2000). Mechanism by which metformin reduces glucose production in type 2 diabetes (PDF). Diabetes 49 (12): 2063-9. doi:10.2337/diabetes.49.12.2063. PMID 11118008. Towler MC, Hardie DG (2007). AMP-activated protein kinase in metabolic control and insulin signaling. Circ Res 100 (3): 328-41. doi:10.1161/01.RES.0000256090.42690.05. PMID 17307971. Zhou G, Myers R, Li Y, Chen Y, Shen X, Fenyk-Melody J, Wu M, Ventre J, Doebber T, Fujii N, Musi N, Hirshman M, Goodyear L, Moller D (2001). Role of AMP-activated protein kinase in mechanism of metformin action. J Clin Invest 108 (8): 1167-74. doi:10.1172/JCI13505. PMID 11602624. Kim YD, Park KG, Lee YS, et al. (2008). Metformin inhibits hepatic gluconeogenesis through AMP-activated protein kinase-dependent regulation of the orphan nuclear receptor SHP. Diabetes 57 (2): 306-14. doi:10.2337/db07-0381. PMID 17909097. Zhang L, He H, Balschi JA (2007). Metformin and phenformin activate AMP-activated protein kinase in the heart by increasing cytosolic AMP concentration. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 293 (1): H457-66. doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00002.2007. PMID 17369473. Bolen S, Feldman L, Vassy J, et al (2007). Systematic review: comparative effectiveness and safety of oral medications for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Ann Intern Med 147 (6): 386-99. PMID 17638715. Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and the British Medical Association. Chapter 6:Endocrine system—6.1.2.2 Biguanides, British National Formulary, 54. Bailey CJ, Turner RC (1996). Metformin. N Engl J Med 334 (9): 574-9. doi:10.1056/NEJM199602293340906. PMID 8569826. Musi N, Hirshman MF, Nygren J, et al. (2002). Metformin increases AMP-activated protein kinase activity in skeletal muscle of subjects with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes 51 (7): 2074-81. PMID 12086935. Saeedi R, Parsons HL, Wambolt RB, et al. (2008). Metabolic actions of metformin in the heart can occur by AMPK-independent mechanisms. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 294 (6): H2497-506. doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00873.2007. PMID 18375721 Andrà ¨s E, Noel E, Goichot B (2002). Metformin-associated vitamin B12 deficiency. Arch Intern Med 162 (19): 2251-2. doi:10.1001/archinte.162.19.2251-a. PMID 12390080. Gilligan M (2002). Metformin and vitamin B12 deficiency. Arch Intern Med 162 (4): 484-5. doi:10.1001/archinte.162.4.484. PMID 11863489 Jones G, Macklin J, Alexander W (2003). Contraindications to the use of metformin. BMJ 326 (7379): 4-5. doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7379.4. PMID 12511434 Weir J (March 19, 1999). Guidelines with Regard to Metformin-Induced Lactic Acidosis and X-ray Contrast Medium Agents. Royal College of Radiologists. Retrieved on 2007-10-26 through the Internet Archive. a b Thomsen HS, Morcos SK (2003). Contrast media and the kidney: European Society of Urogenital Radiology (ESUR) guidelines. Br J Radiol 76 (908): 513-8. doi:10.1259/bjr/26964464. PMID 12893691.  

Cardiovascular Effects of Necrostatin-1 (Nec-1)

Cardiovascular Effects of Necrostatin-1 (Nec-1) Abstract Necrostatins have been identified as cardioprotective agents to reduce reperfusion injury after ischemia, preventing necroptosis due to their RIPK1 inhibitory effect. In this study basal cardiovascular effects of Nec-1 and its inactive analog Nec-1i was investigated in healthy rats under anesthesia. Relatively low doses of Nec-1 and Nec-1i were administered (0.8mg/kg and 0.846 mg/kg, respectively) in line with the in vivo dose response model described by Takahashi et al (2012). Basal heart functions were recorded namely, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR), P interval, PR interval and QTc interval. The results of this study indicated that administration of Nec-1 but not Nec-1i raised systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, while PR interval was depressed. No statistically significant effect on P interval, and QTc was observed by administration of both necrostatins. The effectiveness of Nec-1 reveals a dual cardiovascular effects, exerting both vasodilator and vasoconstrictor actions as well as a positive inotropic effect on cardiomyocytes. Since no conditions of ischemia or any other oxidative stress are present, which means that no type of programmed cell death is triggered (apoptosis, necrosis, or necroptosis), it can be assumed that Nec-1 acts in a RIPK1-independent manner. Thus, this action of Nec-1 under normal heart conditions remains to be clarified at a cellular level investigating its involvement in signaling pathways (e.g. NO pathway, ÃŽ ²-AR pathway) of all cell types involved cardiovascular function (endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells of blood vessels), and cardiomyocytes as well. In general, after the elucidation of the exact mechanisms of action of Nec-1 at a molecular basis, Nec-1 could be applied as a positive inotrope that enhances basal cardiac function in pathological conditions. Discussion Degterev et al (2005) initially introduced necrostatins as therapeutic agents for ischemic brain injury through chemical inhibition of non apoptotic cell death. Three years later the same research group identified RIPK1 as a specific cellular target of necrostatins (Degterev et al, 2008). In parallel necrostatins were also reported as potential cardioprotective agents by Smith et al (2007) as they reduced ischemia reperfusion injury in their experimental trials. Although, current research has used necrostatins as potential inhibitors of necroptosis in ischemic heart experimental designs in vitro and in vivo (Smith et al 2007, Takahashi et al 2012), basal effects of these substances on heart function and haemodynamics have not yet been investigated. In this study administration of necrostatins (Nec-1 and its inactive analog Nec-1i) in healthy rats under anesthesia was performed. The results of this study indicated that administration of Nec-1 but not Nec-1i raised systolic and diastol ic blood pressure, heart rate, while PR interval was depressed. No statistically significant effect on P interval, and QTc was observed by administration of both necrostatins. Interpreting the results of this study is a complicated issue as the availability of comparable data is restricted and sometimes contradictory. The effectiveness of Nec-1 on increasing mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate, reveals a dual cardiovascular effects, exerting both vasodilator and vasoconstrictor actions. When evaluating the effectiveness of Nec-1 using in vivo murine disease models, Nec-1 was suggested to reduce ischemia reperfusion injury as an RIPK1 inhibitor in the TNF signalling pathway, thus preventing necroptosis (Smith et al 2007). But when no conditions of ischemia or any other oxidative stress are present, which means that no type of programmed cell death is triggered (apoptosis, necrosis, or necroptosis), it can be assumed that Nec-1 acts in a RIPK1-independent manner. Thus, this action of Nec-1 under normal heart conditions remains to be clarified at a cellular level investigating its involvement in signaling pathways of all cell types involved cardiovascular function (endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells of blood vessels), and cardiomyocytes as well. Interestingly, Eefting et al (2004) reviewed the role of apoptosis in reperfusion injury discussing both pharmacological as well as genetic interventions in animal models. Nitric oxide (NO) appeared to increase myocardial contractility, myocardial function and endothelial function in many reports of this review. NO is a well known regulator of excitation-contraction coupling in myocardial function (Ziolo et al, 2001a) and ÃŽ ²-adrenergic receptor (ÃŽ ²-AR) signalling (Ziolo et al, 2001b). In line with this notion, a recent study in rats demonstrated that renal vasodilatation was induced through the NO pathway with a pharmacological agent (Garcia-Pedraza et al, 2015). Thus, further research could aim in identifying potential interplay of Nec-1 through other signaling pathways starting from the NO pathway. Another approach could be the potential relation of Nec-1 with vascular ATP levels, as the vasodilatory action of intravascular ATP in the coronary circulation was reported to be attributed to the dual and e qual activities of adenosine and ADP acting at purinergic P1 and P2Y1 receptors, respectively (Korchazhkina et al, 1999). Nevertheless, the results of this study indicate that Nec-1 exerts a positive effect on basal cardiac function, by raising heart rate, blood pressure and by depressing PR interval. Since, stimulation of ÃŽ ²-adrenergic receptor (ÃŽ ²-AR) pathway has been reported as the most important regulator of cardiac contractility (Bers and Ziolo, 2001), it could be assumed that Nec-1 affects electrical signal transduction in some way of this pathway. In general, activation of ÃŽ ²-AR activates the cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) leading to the phosphorylation of several target proteins within the cardiomyocyte, such as Ica (L-type membrane Ca+2 channels), RyR (ryanodine receptors of the sarcoplasmic reticulum), TnI (troponin I), and PLB (phospholamban). Interstingly, it has been suggested that PLB phosphorylation at Ser 16 by PKA is one the major factors affecting positively cardiomyocyte contraction after ÃŽ ²-AR stimulation (Kohr et al, 2012). In line with these observations, Nec-1 coul d somehow affect the phosphorylation status of proteins responsible for cardiac function. The observed depression of PR interval, in this study, after administration of Nec-1, which represents not only atrial depolarization but also the beginning of ventricular depolarization, reflects that the signal conductance through AV node/His bundle was increased possibly through increased phosphorylation of intracellular proteins involved in cardiac contractility. Noteworthy, Nec-1s has been shown to stimulate directly cardiac contractility through myosine binding protein C (MYBP-C) phosphorylation (Szobi et al. 2015, unpublished data) in animal experiments. Regulation of cardiac contractility by MYBP-C through phosphorylation has been reviewed by Saul Winegrad (1999), along with its role in the formation of the sarcomeric myofibril as a result of binding to myosin and titin. Although, not statistically significant in this study, QTc interval tended to be shortened under the effect of Nec-1. Preliminary data from animal experiments with Nec-1s after ischemia reperfusion indicated decreased QTc intervals, suggesting that Nec-1s might be protective on ventricular arrhythmias (Szobi et al. 2015, unpublished data). The comparison of Nec-1 and its inactive demethylated derivative Nec-1i as factors effecting basal haemodynamics and heart function appears confusing, as previous experimental approaches were applied on disease models using in vivo and/or in vitro ischemic conditions (Degterev et al 2005, Degterev et al 2008, Smith et al 2007, Takahashi et al 2012), and not healthy animals under anesthesia. Additionally, the effectiveness of these substances in previous reports varied not only in a time and dose dependent manner, but also regarding species specificity (Takahashi et al 2012). Nonetheless, in this study Nec-1 but not Nec-1i influenced positively systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate, while PR interval was depressed. These results could be compared with the ones obtained from the in vivo murine model of ischemia-reperfusion injury reported by Smith et al (2007), where Nec-1 (1.65 mg/kg) reduced infarct size whilst Nec-1i (1.74 mg/kg) was ineffective. On the other hand, in vivo Nec-1i was as protective as Nec-1 against lethality associated with TNF-induced necroptosis in high doses (6mg/kg) (Takahashi et al 2012). As both necrostatins were proven to inhibit human IDO as predicted by molecular modeling by Takahashi et al (2012), it can be assumed that Nec-1i cannot be used us a reliable ineffective control for Nec-1. Alternatively, Nec-1s which is a more specific RIPK1 inhibitor lacking the IDO-targeting effect, was suggested by Takahashi et al (2012) as a control substance in experiments investigating the potent effect of necrosatins (Vandenabeele et al 2013). Interestingly, in vitro Nec-1i exhibited paradoxically higher cardioprotection that Nec-1 at high doses (100ÃŽ ¼ÃŽÅ") (Smith et al 2007). In the present in vivo study, relatively low doses of Nec-1 and Nec-1i were used (0.8mg/kg and 0.846 mg/kg, respectively) in line with the in vivo dose response model described by Takahashi et al (2012). Although, low doses (0.6mg/kg) of both Nec-1 and Nec-1i had a toxic effect increasing lethality during TNF-induced necroptosis, suggesting that RIPK1/RIPK3- dependent pathway drives TNF-induced mortality (Takahashi et al 2012), this toxicity effect was not observed in the present study. Of course, in their experiments necrostatins were administered during TNF-induced mortality, demonstrating that low doses were toxic in terms that they were not sufficient enough to protect form induced mortality. In contrast, in this in vivo study, evaluating the comparative effect of low doses of both necrostatins, it could be assumed that these substances maintain their profile of active (Nec-1) and inactive (Nec-1i) factors when administered under normal-non stressful condition. But which signaling pathway is triggered, under the effect of Nec-1 but not Nec-1i, leading to this elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate) remains to be clarified. In general, as demonstrated in this study, enhancement of basal cardiac performance by Nec-1, evidenced by increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure heart rate, and depressed PR interval could be a double-edged sword. Although Nec-1 has been introduced as an agent reducing injury after reperfusion in brain and heart (Degeterev et al 2005, Smith et al 2007, Takahashi et al 2012), the effect of this substance under normal conditions must be further investigated before its administration in other pathological conditions. Thus, examining the response of all cell types (cardiomyocytes, smooth muscle and endothelial cells of blood vessels) under the effect of Nec-1 could be a first step under this point of view. Each cell type, and eventually the overall response to any pharmacological administration, will depend on several distinct or sometimes overlapping factors, such as changes in metabolic conditions (pH, calcium levels, ATP levels), or even active (under phosphorylation or not) signaling molecules and transcription factors. Additionally, in order to clarify the molecular mechanism of action of Nec-1 on basal cardiac function, the comparative effect of other necrostatins apart from Nec-1i, e.g. Nec-1s which lacks the IDO inhibitor effect, would provide meaningful insights. Conclusions Although Nec-1 was introduced to prevent necroptosis as a RIPK1 inhibitor reducing ischemia reperfusion injury, the enhancement of basal cardiac activity by Nec-1 in healthy anesthetized rats, as demonstrated by this study, indicates that this molecule may also act in an RIPK1-independent manner. Thus, further research is needed in order to clarify the molecular mechanism underlying this effect. For example, future directions could aim at identifying the potential interplay of Nec-1 in signaling pathways, such as the NO pathway and the ÃŽ ²-AR pathway, of all cell types involved cardiovascular function. The biochemistry of this involvement could be comparatively analyzed by administration of other necorstatinsm, such as Nec-1s. Finally, Nec-1 after evaluating all these parameters, Nec-1 could be used a positive inotropic agent in cases of cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure, heart attack or cardiogenic shock. References Bers DM, Ziolo MT. (2001). When is cAMP not cAMP? Effects of compartmentalization. Circ.Res. 89, 373–375. Degterev A, Huang Z, Boyce M, Li Y, Jagtap P, Mizushima N et al. Chemical inhibitor of nonapoptotic cell death with therapeutic potential for ischemic brain injury. Nat Chem Biol 2005; 1: 112–119. Degterev A, Hitomi J, Germscheid M, Ch’en IL, Korkina O, Teng X et al. Identification of RIP1 kinase as a specific cellular target of necrostatins. Nat Chem Biol 2008; 4: 313–321. Eefting F, Rensing B, Wigman J, Pannekoek WJ , Liu WM, Cramer MJ, Lips DJ, Doevendans PA. Role of apoptosis in reperfusion injury. Cardiovascular Research 61 (2004) 414– 426. 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