Difference in Elderly Care between US and Japan Essay

Difference in Elderly Care between US and Japan - Essay Example Elderly Health Care in US and Japan become very important because of the increasing number of the elders in these countries and the fast growth of the country, even without having much time to spare for their family. One of the recent studies conducted in U.S. about the ratio of the elders points out that the number of elders in U.S. is estimated that "35.6 million people -12.2% of the population ...are 65 and older and by 2011, the baby boom generation will begin to turn 65, and by 2030, one in five people is projected to be age 65 and older." (Senior facts: Non medical in home care facts: Facts on aging, n.d). The given data points to the number of elders in U.S. and shows that their number covers 12.2% of the population. It also shows the necessity of giving great care to elders that their number is expected to be one in five people by 2030 which is not at all a lesser number. The United States contains less than five percent of the world's population and thirteen percent of its p eople are above the age of eighty. The growth rate of elderly population is considerably increasing day by day. It may double manifold in the coming years. It indicates the need for more activities to give assistance to the elderly people. When one analyzes the Elderly Care in U.S. and Japan it is understood that elderly care in these countries are different and U.S. stands much better among the two in Elderly Care. The United States has implemented many facilities for the elderly people especially for their health. An observation of U.S. health care reveals that the health care in United States is consistent with basic standards is largely unknown. One among the methods of elderly care in U.S. is Hospital Care. It is generally provided by physicians. They provide both inpatient and outpatient services. As the elders are in need of great care and concentration a group of doctors and nurses are needed to monitor them. These elderly patients who are admitted to the hospital are physically unstable and they need full time observation and care to maintain their physical as well as mental health. The hospital care is equipped with all the care taking measures so that the people who want to give a satisfactory care to their elderly relatives automatically turn to the Hospital Care facility. Another facility is that of the Nursing Home. The elderly people will have a facility where they are watched over by nurses and staff as well. Here they get help for all sorts of daily living activities. Say for example, they get food in correct time, get bathed and the pills that help them to sustain their health sound.  

Deborah Ellis Essay Example for Free

Deborah Ellis Essay Deborah Ellis started writing at age 11-12 inspired at a young age she grasped her talent. As a kid she was constantly moving from place to place due to her father’s work, and used writing as a coping method. When she grew up, her work and writing was mainly done by traveling and talking to others that have problems and taking note of everything. She started to write the book I am currently the Breadwinner her first book. The Breadwinner takes place in Afghanistan and the main character at only 12 years old is faced with the discrimination against women when her father is arrested by the Taliban and with no other way of providing for her family she dresses up as a boy and tries to find work. Coincidentally Ellis traveled to Afghanistan in 1997 to interview women located in refugee camps. These interviews helped her write her four part series of The Breadwinner. Her writing of this book was inspired by an interview with a mother living in one of the refugee camps. Ellis has become considered of the most beloved young adult writers today as well as being a philanthropist who donates almost all of her profit’s from her books to organizations like â€Å"UNICEF† and â€Å"Women for Women in Afghanistan†. Deborah Ellis is a very motivated person who feels strongly for the rights of women and takes that inspiration and uses it to write compelling stories. Of all the books she has wrote which has come to 18 in total, all of them have been moving stories of injustices. Deborah Ellis has achieved international recognition with her incredibly dramatic books that give readers a glimpse into the life of children in far out developing countries. Ellis has won the Governor Generals Award, Swedens Peter Pan Prize, the Ruth Schwartz Award, the University of Californias Middle East Book Award, the Jane Addams Childrens Book Award and the Vicky Metcalf Award. Deborah Ellis constantly finds new ways to express her feelings about the wrongs in the world and inspires us all when she writes about it.

In praise of the F Word, by Mary Sherry :: Failing Students Who Deserve to Fail

In the article â€Å"In praise of the â€Å"F† Word† Mary Sherry discusses the â€Å"F† word, which means failure. Basically Mary Sherry stated that the kids of today are getting cheated out of a good education. They are passing through the school system because some are good kids and they do not create any problems in the classroom. But, at the same time employers are also being cheated because they expect graduates to have the basic skills. She also stated that Diplomas are considered meaningless because most of these kids who were awarded one could not read or write properly and therefore, they are back in night school along with adults who are trying to get their G.E.D. Mary Sherry teaches an evening class and came to the conclusion that kids are being cheated when she asked them to write about an unpleasant experience in school. They all wrote something negative, they were crying out for help. It was also indicated that the teachers should have been more forceful in using the â€Å"F† word. Instead, these kids are now very angry and resentful for being passed along. It was also noted that your environment should not be an issue because most kids do not take school seriously and the teachers should have been more forceful with the â€Å"F† word. This also causes the employers to be cheated out of what they expect from their employees. Employers are also being cheated because the teachers fail to do their job right. For example, if a student went to school to be a nurse and is passed because he or she doesn’t disrupt class and was a good student this cause them to get a diploma. However, when they get into the real world they cannot deliver what is expected of them and can also be very costly for the employers. Therefore, the employer has no choice but to rehire and retrain. If the teacher were using the â€Å"F† word then the student would take the class more seriously and realize that their future is at stake. Finally, Mary Stated that Many people can rise above any situation if they are motivated, encouraged and knowing that they have something at stake to loose.

Romantic Poetry Analysis

Amber Lee Anardi Gabriel Decio ENG251-001 16 April 2013 The Dominating Themes of Nature and Nostalgia The Romantic Period began in the late 18th century and emphasized everything that the previous age had not. Romantic ideals that focused on the heart over the head and the natural man over the civilized man influenced the literary works of the Romantic Era. Themes of nostalgia and nature dominated the works of William Wordsworth, William Blake and Percy Bysshe Shelley.  Read also Critical appreciation of the poem â€Å"Old Ladies’ Home†.These two themes go hand in hand when interpreting romantic poetry, with the development of the hectic industrial cities many poets longed for the simplicity that nature had to offer. Poems such as Wordsworth’s â€Å"Resolution and Independence†, Coleridge’s â€Å"The Dungeon† and Shelley’s â€Å"To Night† embody the themes of nature and reminiscence. William Wordsworth is said to be one of the most influential poets of the Romantic Era. Wordsworth’s religion of nature was influenced by his childhood, growing up in the Lake District of northwestern England and through his travels to foreign countries. Resolution and Independence† was written in 1802, roughly four years into the Romantic Period. The poem is about a man walking through the countryside after a night of rain, he reflects on the livelihood of the creatures that surround him and initially share their joy until his mind wanders to the dejection he feels for what man has become. He comes across an old man, who he envies because his job is to collect leeches for medical purposes. The traveller envies the old man because he gets to work in nature.The theme of nature is prevails in this poem as well as the theme of nostalgia. Wordsworth writes â€Å"The birds are singing in the distant woods; over his own sweet voice the Stock-dove broods; the Jay makes answer as the Magpie chatters; and all the air is filled with pleasant noise of waters. † Wordsworth describes the sounds of nature that the traveler hears, clearly showing his appreciation of nature when he describes the birds singing as â€Å"pleasant noise†.As the poem continues the traveler demeanor embodies the same joy that the creatures of nature are feeling, yet his jubilation diminishes when he reflects on what man has become. â€Å"The pleasant season did my heart employ: my old remembrances went from me wholly; and all the ways of men, so vain and melancholy. † The traveler is displeasured with what man has become, describing him as â€Å"vain and melancholy†, such displeasure can be interpreted as the theme of nostalgia. William Wordsworth’s â€Å"Resolution and Independence† embodies the dominating themes of nostalgia and nature in romanticism.Samuel Taylor Coleridge is better known for his influence on literary criticism rather than his poetry. Between 1797 and 1803 Coleridgeà ¢â‚¬â„¢s best poetry is said to be produced. â€Å"The Dungeon† was written in 1797 and is about a dungeon in which criminals are forced to reside in. The first verse of â€Å"The Dungeon† is dreary and very critical of using dungeons to punish criminals. The emphasis on industrialized cities and the insignificance of rural areas and the upset it causes romantic poets can be seen in this poem. â€Å"Is this the only cure?Merciful God! Each pore and natural outlet shrivell’d up by Ignorance and parching Poverty, his energies roll back upon his heart, and stagnate and corrupt; till chang’d to poison, they break out on him, like a loathsome plague-spot;† Coleridge’s text is trying to convey that when man is separated from his natural environment he might turn to crime. The theme of nostalgia can be seen in â€Å"The Dungeon† through Coleridge’s emphasis on nature over civilization, because industrialism is a new concept for romant ics.Essentially Coleridge believes that nature betters a man and believes that sending a criminal to a dungeon only turns them into savages rather than letting them find harmony in the natural world. â€Å"With other ministrations thou, O Nature! Healest thy wandering and distemper’d child: Thou pourest on him thy soft influences, the sunny hues, fair forms, and breathing sweets, thy melodies of woods, and winds, and waters,† This quote can be interpreted as Coleridge’s way of expressing how nature can heal man.Samuel Taylor Coleridge exemplifies the themes of nostalgia and nature in his poem â€Å"The Dungeon† through his message of nature having the power to better man. Percy Bysshe Shelley is categorized as the perfect romantic poet due to his quest for truth and justice. Shelley’s poetry peaked in 1816 until he died in 1822. The poem â€Å"To Night† is about Shelley’s longing for the day to end and night to come. Shelley wants to escape the day and find refuge in the night, although he never explains why in his poem.In the third stanza Shelley writes â€Å"When I arose and saw the dawn, I sighed for thee; when light rode high, and the dew was gone, and noon lay heavy on flower and tree, and the weary Day turned to his rest, lingering like and unloved guest, I sighed for thee. † When Shelley writes â€Å"and the dew was gone† it shows that he is fond of the nature that occurs at night such as the dew on the grass when the night ends. In the second stanza Shelley anticipates night’s arrival â€Å"Wrap thy form in mantle gray, star-inwrought! † Shelley describes another aspect of nature at night; the sky changing colors and the emerging stars.Themes of nostalgia can also be detected in â€Å"To Night† but are interpreted differently in comparison to other poems. â€Å"Sleep will come when thou art fled; of neither would I ask the boon I ask of thee, beloved Night – swi ft be thine approaching flight, come soon, soon! † Shelley longs for the night on a daily basis; the difference of nostalgia in this poem is that his melancholy demeanor is relieved when night begins unlike other poems that reminisce on the old ways of life. â€Å"To Night† exemplifies a different interpretation of the romantic themes such as nature and nostalgia.Themes of the Romantic Era dictated the literary works during the 18th and 19th centuries. The most influential theme was nature and poets developed this theme through their works. Nostalgia was also a common theme in romantic literature, as industrialization grew in popularity, many romantics opposed the new way of life and longed for the way things used to be. William Wordsworth’s â€Å"Resolution and Independence†, Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s â€Å"The Dungeon†, and Percy Bysshe Shelley’s â€Å"To Night† all exemplify the themes of nature and nostalgia through their po etry.

Group Behavior in the Workplace

Group Behavior in the Workplace Antoinette T Harris Organizational Behavior, MGT 412 Instructor: Nikki Follis December 7, 2010 Group Behavior in the Workplace Introduction Group Behavior is well defined as, situations that allows people to interact in large or small groups. These individuals working together may begin to coordinate their behavior by acting in a certain way to achieve a goal that differs from what each person would do if acting alone. Group dynamics, combined with great leadership or management, can achieve goals that are set for organizational success.The organizations social systems are made up of many complex sets of human behavior and relationships that interact in many ways within the workplace and also in the businesses world they face every day. These working groups can be comprised of like-minded individuals, a diverse group of individuals, or a group of specialized skilled individuals who are developed by management to achieve one common goal in the organizat ion or project at hand. Balancing the rights of each individual in the workplace is sometimes difficult for the employer since most organizational goals are set to be achieved through group effort.People become dependent on established cultural systems that gives each individual stability, understanding, security, and the ability to respond to any given situation. Working Groups impose certain expectations and rules on each individual member of the team which can expose the weaker member’s lack of shared responsibilities. This can affect the working teams set goals that must be met by everyone involved in the group’s effort to get every detail finished and accomplished. Employer’s views on Group BehaviorQuality Management Systems within the workplace will become the key element that will measure the success or failure of an organization. Individual attitudes within the workplace can reflect a person’s likes/dislikes toward other co-workers and management within his or her working environment. Supervisors and managers must understand how workplace group behavior can be inspired to increase productivity, motivation and product quality by establishing a secure and stable group environment that can be managed effectively and minimally.The Manager – Worker relationship is usually influenced by management’s egoistic needs that are mainly governed by two types: the needs that relate to the leader’s reputation, such as recognition, status, respect of associates, and appreciation; and those that relate to self-confidence, achievement, decision making, self-esteem and knowledge. Management is not usually designed to help employees satisfy their human needs in a manner that will create healthy working environments.If management and high level leadership in the corporate world will develop more like minded, working group environments; employee’s will experience fewer frustrations and will devote more time and commitm ent to their production processes. These motivating factors I have listed would be aimed to benefit the organization as a whole and not slow down productivity through dis-satisfied and non-productive employees. 1. Altruism – is concerned with being of help to other people. Help of a practical nature can be a psychological or emotional kind. . Productivity – Efficiency managed by a productive management team will help minimize the working relationship gap that will usually exist between average employees and productive employees. 3. Self-Development – This motive can show concern by helping to develop individual skills and abilities that can be used as a plus in the working group. 4. Team Building Events – Managers who schedule team building events will see more productivity and motivation in their groups efforts to achieve its goals. 5.Staff morale – This motivator will help management build their teams and groups effectively, if they practice boos ting morale within the working group environments. High morale is one of the major components in the workforce. Traditional Management is no longer practiced within today’s workforce. This style of management focuses on using the majority of the time working with and through people. The working individual now has to become a skillful psychologist, since most of what people do on a daily basis, is shaping the behavior of others.Whether you are a manger or subordinate, you are only successful as a group effort if each individual has skills at motivation, interpersonal influence, working together with peers, good communication with individuals and superiors. Managers are reflections on each working individual and their style of leadership will determine the quality of groups they orchestrate to build organizational power, growth and success. New management styles tend to base their success on feedback from individuals bottom line performance.Management believes that everyoneâ₠¬â„¢s performance is important and should be aligned with the organization’s values, vision, and strategic priorities. The Employees View Today’s corporate world calls for effective and efficient working professionals that will go beyond their comfort zones to build good working interpersonal relationships at work that help all workers understand their role and target goals that contributes to the strategic vision of the organization.Healthy interpersonal relationships in team members will enhance favorable working environments and keep morale strong as teamwork progress toward one common goal. The culture of an organization is a very important and powerful element when that shapes working relationships, work enjoyment, and teamwork progress. Not every working individual has the psychological make-up that enhances the workplace and makes way for an enjoyable teamwork environment. Some employee’s feel that working in a team group causes blurred vision between the self and others which causes a mixture of anxiety and false self.Working in close-knit work relationships can be positive or negative depending on the culture of the organization and how management governs the project or goal at hand. Each individual adopts a role on behalf of the working group which functions as a team looking to achieve one common goal. If a certain team member is not using his or hers interpersonal relationship skills, then the goal of the team can be hindered and unprogressive, leaving a negative impact on the team’s functionality and creativity.Several issues emerged as a result of the employee’s lack of fulfillment in the teamwork environment. Employees who are not prone to building interpersonal relationships can assume a particularly negative team role, or scapegoat role, where the team member can take on the entire responsibility or guilt of the working group if they chose not to produce as required by the working group and management. Interp ersonal relationships are very important when it comes to teamwork and effective production levels within the organization.Management should be aware of certain individuals that do not possess the interpersonal or relational skills it takes to be a good and effective team member. Team building events can be very effective when it comes to helping individuals achieve certain career goals and team building skills. Each individual brings diversity and creativity to the total work group, and should therefore be treated fairly and carefully, to bring a positive outcome to all working groups that are looking to achieve a common product or goal. Developing Group NormsEach employer has an obligation to ensure all of his or her employees are working toward achieving a common goal. This is to include any and all of the relationally challenged individuals in workplace. Some of these employees may not already be recognized as interpersonally challenged workers, and may need a personal assessmen t performed to calculate the degree of his or hers developmental needs. As the culture of the organization is important for productivity, the development of group norms should also be at the top of management’s organizational goals.Successful communication between managers and employees can be critical components of group interaction and functioning. Some steps that an organization can take to adopt group norms can be very effective in managing group efforts that will produce one common goal. First, a session or team building event should be scheduled for all group members to attend. This should be fun, exciting, motivating and positive in order for each individual to learn their particular roles and effectiveness they will bring to the common production goal at hand.Once this team building session is scheduled and established, the facilitator builds on each team member’s creativity and abilities to begin a common working environment for all to build reliance, trust an d self-confidence. A brainstorming session is vital to this team building process. This allows each individual to bring their personal thought processes and skills to the table of production. The more ideals generated the better. Recording these ideas on a large white flip chart or white board where everyone can see, will build upon the common goal management has tasked the working group with.Ensuring positive and effective communication and keeping commitments are very essential to teamwork efforts. Each member of the group is committed to living the guidelines that is set in motion. The team should commit to confiding in each other if they think a group member is in violation of the agreed upon â€Å"group norm†. A list of all group norms should be distributed to each team member and posted in a common area like the team’s meeting room. These group norms that were established should be periodically reevaluated and implemented to ensure the effectiveness of the groups common goals and achievements.Keeping management updated and informed of the groups progress can be a big plus to each individual as evaluation time rolls around to show the team members how effective and productive they were in achieving the common goal that was tasked as a group effort. Conclusion Today, the major task within the working groups is communication and team building sessions that will bring everyone together to build interpersonal relationship skills with other coworkers, to show each individual the importance and effectiveness of working together as a team. One of the ost important things to remember when it comes to team development and team building is to consider that effective teams are developing organisms. Each team goes through stages of development the same way plants and animals do. The Wheelen’s Integrated Model of group development describes the evolution the group evolves through. The model shows the groups progression from immaturity to maturity in four stages. The first stage is modeled after a toddler or young child. These newly created members of the working team are insecure and unsure of themselves, the group and its structure.This new group will need instruction, guidance and direction to establish a routine that will help each member gain security and stability in their individual roles that will enable them to move toward their next stage. The groups’ second stage is similar to middle school. These easy to recognize issues are prone to rear its ugly head. Lots of disagreements; subgroups and cliques emerge where some of the members will show discontent and resentment toward the leader. This makes the leader frustrated with the group of workers since no matter what he or she tries to do, will always add up to â€Å"wrong†.Stage two can be compared to teen years. For leadership or management, this stage is critical in the team building adventure. This is the time to give each member the opportunity to ta ke on a larger role, and not the time to relinquish authority or rewrite the script on power. As the group matures into stage three, it will soon learn what it takes to accomplish the group’s task at hand. At stage three, each working individual will have to give equal weight to what and how they will work within the group’s efforts. This stage allows for individuals to fine-tune their roles and form positive partnerships and coalitions.Each member masters this part of the stage and the group can now move effortlessly into stage four. It is great to see working groups progress into stage four. They are focused on the process it takes to carry out the work. This stage characterizes the independence of the leader and trickles down to each individual that is working toward the goal of completion. The team learns delegation skills from the leader and this relationship now resembles that of the adult-child or older parent relationship. The leader is dedicated and consulted as needed, for clarification and feedback that results in the final decision of the group.As working groups learn what it takes to work together effectively, this integrated model of group development will help organizations to achieve effective teams that are armed with knowledge, interpersonal skills, individual creativity that allows everyone to work together. Working as a team will help build effective products and services that will show a quality that cannot be produced by one person, but built upon by an effective group of individuals who learned how to come together to achieve one common organizational goal.Works Cited†Group Behavior and Psychoanalysis. Changing Minds and Persuasion — How We Change What Others Think, Believe, Feel and Do. Syque 2002-2010. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. http://changingminds.org/disciplines/psychoanalysis/articles/group_psychoanalysis. htm.

Recipe for an Indispensable Executive Assistant [Infographic]

Recipe for an Indispensable Executive Assistant [Infographic] This executive assistant infographic from Convene is adorable and right on the mark! Since its already worth about a thousand words, Ill just call out a few of my favorite elements:Supersonic HearingThis is the benevolent flipside to the gate-keeper function. Sure, your job is to keep knucklehead stuff off your bosss desk, but you also get to bring the concerns of your colleagues to their attention, which can improve conditions for everybody.Battery PackHaving an extra battery in my bag to recharge my phone on the go has already changed my life. Especially if you have a special phone for work-related tasks, invest in an external charger (see if you can get it reimbursed as a business expense, even!). Theyre smaller and smaller every day, but lifesavers in the clutch.Titanium SpineKnowing how to stand up for yourself (and your boss), who to stand up to, and when, is a crucial soft skill for an executive assistant. Youve got to make decisions quickly and be able to defend them (though you should also maintain flexibility to accept constructive criticism when appropriate).

Ideals of Love in Platos Symposium

Ideals of Love in Platos Symposium As much as our society has become involved in the advancement of feminism and the equality of the sexes, there is one fact that neither gender can ignore; none can survive without the other. Love and the want of a soul mate keeps each member of man and womankind in the constant search of the perfect person with whom to become one. Yet if this bond is a necessity of the human race then why has the meaning, purpose and pursuit of it eluded us for so many generations. There has yet to be a one universal explanation of love and there has yet to be one who understands its powers fully. As we see from Plato's Symposium, even to the wisest of men, in a time when the search for knowledge was seen as the pathway to enlightenment, love was still a concept that was not understood and unknown. Though many of their guidelines and characteristics of love are wise, some may not apply to modern society. Platos Symposium serves as a pamphlet that depicts some of the guidelines of love as the philosophers of Plato's time saw them. The intervention of the Gods in the speeches of the philosophers can be interpreted to mean the different aspects of love and their affects on people. It seemed as though in each of the lectures given, Plato put a message into each one. Each man brought up valid guidelines for dealing with love and each should be concentrated on. The speeches started with Phaedrus, who began to state many of the powers of love. He spoke about the honor between one and their beloved and how it was a great virtue in a relationship. The point that Phaedrus made was that a man of any nature would rather suffer humiliation in front of a great mass of people or all of mankind itself than to suffer the loss of respect or the loss of dignity in front of their lover. This point is definitely true, yet Phaedrus failed to make a definite cause as to why this was prevalent. It may pertain ...

SAT and ACT Test Date Choice Is the Next Date Best

SAT and ACT Test Date Choice Is the Next Date Best SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Not sure whether it’s a good idea to register for the next SAT or ACT test date? You should consider how many times you've taken the test before, how busy your schedule is right now, and how much you've prepared for the test before making a decision. We'll explain why. Here are a few questions you need to ask yourself before signing up for the next date. Have You Taken the SAT or ACT Before? Whether it's your first or fourth time taking the test, you should think critically about when you sign up so that you're making the most of your time and registration fees.It's important to maximize the utility of every test session and give yourself enough chances to improve before you send in college applications. First Time Test Takers We recommend taking the SAT or ACT for the first time during your junior fall.If it's your junior year and the next test date is the September ACT or October SAT (the first fall testing dates), it’s a good idea to sign up for that date. As a general rule, if you’re a rising junior or older and haven’t taken either test yet, you should aim for the next test date. If you’re still a sophomore, it’s fine to wait until the beginning of your junior year to start taking the tests. You'll have more than enough chances to improve on your scores later on if you start there. But make sure you prep before your first test date! Often, ordering the Question-and-Answer Service for the SAT is a good idea if it’s your first time taking the test. TheQuestion-and-Answer Service provides you with a copy of your test booklet as well as a breakdown of the types of questions, their difficulty levels, and your answers versus the correct answers. The ACT also offers a similar service called the Test Information Release. These materials can be very useful for studying if you are planning on taking the SAT or ACT again. I mention this because the Question-and-Answer Service is only available with October, January, and May SAT testing dates; and the Test Information Release is only available with December, April, and June ACT testing dates. This is another factor you might consider in deciding whether the next test date is best for you. As this point of view shot demonstrates, you can also pick your first test date by slamming your face into a calendar at random and seeing which test date is closest to your eye. Repeat Test Takers If you’ve already taken one or both of the tests, it's sometimes difficult to decide when to sign up for them again.The next date won’t necessarily be the best one.It's important to consider how many times you have already taken the test and how much time you have left before application deadlines for colleges and scholarships. Junior Year It can be a good idea to take the SAT or ACT again after winter break your junior year if you just took a test in the fall. However, if you feel you haven’t made significant studying gains between the fall test and winter test, it might be better to wait until spring. Shoot for both if you feel confident your abilities have improved each time, but don’t waste money and time on a redundant test session. Senior Year This is when college application and scholarship deadlines really come into play.If you’re still planning to take the SAT or ACT again after your junior year, it’s safest to take the test as early as possible in senior fall.This leaves you more time to work on college applications later. It also means you'll be able to submit your scores with Early Decision applications, which usually accept November test scores (at the latest - check with your schools!). As we'll see in the next section, the only reason the next test date might not be best during your senior year is if you’re especially busy and stressed at that time.Otherwise, go for it! Do You Have a Lot of Other Commitments Right Now? If the thought of taking the test at this point overwhelms you, you should consider waiting until you feel less stressed. Junior year can be very academically demanding, and it’s not easy to fit in standardized testing alongside those expectations.Junior year is also not as critical of a time to take the test because you aren’t worried about application deadlines yet, so you shouldn’t put too much pressure on yourself. Not everyone can or should take three standardized tests during their junior year.Decide what's comfortable and practical for you. That being said, if you can't manage the next test date, try to go for the one after that. You'll thank yourself later if you end up not having to take the test again as a senior. Senior year is usually pretty stressful in terms of navigating college applications and last chances on standardized tests.This is why it’s better to take standardized tests as early as possible in senior fall - this is when there is going to be the least pressure from your other responsibilities related to college. Be aware of your deadlines and avoid test dates that might coincide with other high pressure scenarios.The last thing you want is to be distracted by anxious thoughts about other things while you’re trying to take a test. Is this you? Don't take the test again until you have all your tennis racquets under control. Are You Prepared? This might seem obvious, but it’s often tempting to sign up for the next test date just to get it out of the way (especially if you’re an anxious person like me!).Make sure every test you take is worthwhile and that you have a good shot at improving your scores each time. The only time you shouldn’t worry too much about preparation as a factor is if you're taking the test for the first time or hoping for a very slight improvement on your previous scores (0-50 SAT points, 0-1 ACT points). If you're applying to school that superscores the SAT or ACT (meaning they take your best score ever for each section and compile them into one glorious SUPERSCORE), you might also take the test again without much preparation because you just need to improve one of your section scores a little bit. But if you still have a ways to go before your scores are up to muster, you should make sure you are studying before each test date. You want to be in a position where you are improving consistently every time you take the SAT or ACT. Otherwise you’re stressing yourself out, spending too much money on registration, and sacrificing your Saturdays to the Testing Gods. If you haven’t studied between the last time you took the test and the next upcoming date, you should either reconsider registering or make a quick study plan that you’ll execute in the few weeks you have left before the test. Even just a few hours of focused studying can make a difference! What's Next? Still not sure whether you should take the test again? Use this three step process to find out. Also check out these articles detailinghow many times you should take the SATand the ACT. If you need more resources to help you choose a date, here are a couple more in-depth guides for senior year and just choosing test dates in general. For more advice on how to structure your studying, take a look at our complete study plans for the SAT and ACT. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Leadership and Management Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Leadership and Management Development - Essay Example It is done in order to amplify the inner skills and confidence of the employees towards the assigned tasks that may improve their level of performance. By doing so, the level of productivity and profitability of the organization might get enhanced to a significant extent that may augment its position and ranking in the market among others. However, in order to maintain the operation of the organization in an efficient way, the leader needs to maintain good interpersonal relationship with its employees. By communicating with them, in terms of various issues, the level of participation might get enhanced that may improve the performance of the organization as a whole. Thus, it might be clearly the better the qualities of a leader the better might be the performance of an organization (Ulrich, 1997, pp. 223-234). According to Northouse (2010), leadership is an art or skill that is attained by the individual through vigorous communication and interactions with a wide range of individual or employees. By doing so, varied types of ideas and suggestions are presented in front of wide range of individual, who might also participate in the decision-making process. As a result, the level of confidence and thinking power of the individual also gets enhanced to a significant extent as compared to others. Moreover, due to strategic thinking process, the creativity and innovativeness of the leader to present varied types of ideas related to improvement of the organizational performance and position in the market might get amplified (Northhouse, 2010, pp. 110-123). In addition to this, through coaching and development learning programs, the self assessment and team-building skills of the individual might get enhanced. Such type of skills might also amplify the problem solving nature of the individual that may reduce the conflicts and clashes among the employees. By doing so, the level

Brand management unit , (apple) brand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Brand management unit , (apple) brand - Essay Example In terms of market capitalization, the company represents the largest publicly traded corporation world over. Any company that designs and develops products of innovation is bound to receive threats from the market by other entrepreneurs; Apple, too, faces a large amount of competition from companies like Samsung, Nokia, as well as Google and Microsoft. These are some of its biggest competitors in the market, yet Apple remains the most admired company in the United States of America (surely, in other countries too), as stated by the Fortune magazine from 2008 to 2012. A number of critics are of the idea that the biggest competitor that Apple has is itself because the company never fails to bring something new to the table. The software that it designs has a very high ease of use, thus, appealing to a large consumer market. The existing product line always poses a challenge to the company so as to bring something more innovative the next time. Every time that a product is launched, ev en if it is a subsequent generation of the previous one, it does not fail to surprise the customers. The best part is also that consumers have an option of upgrading their existing software in the products that they already have and this makes it easier for them to remain in awe of the company. It may be said that Apple has one of the most unusually interesting fan followings in the world that any company has; it literally has a cult of people following it and buying the company’s products religiously. The customers that have once used Apple products remain loyal to the company for its excellent service as well as product sharpness. When the company launches its new products, thousands and thousands of loyal customers flock to the stores the day before the opening with a view to be the first ones to buy the product. According to the Guardian, â€Å"People talk about technology, but Apple was a marketing company. It was the marketing company of the decade.† 1 Apple exud es a brilliant image to the world; over the years, it has attained a large amount of goodwill, mostly because of the hard work that Steve Jobs has put in the past decade. The brand image that the company has mustered for itself has been through the efforts of the marketing and the advertising that it has done which have appealed to consumers so much that there are hundreds of pages on the internet dedicated to them. The marketing has been so innovative that customers feel the need to buy an Apple product in order to make their lives simpler and more convenient.2 The brand identity refers to the unique set of functional and mental associations that the brand aspires to create as well as maintain for itself in the eyes of the public. These associations are an indication of what the brands stands to be in the minds of customers as well as the potential targeted customer base. This includes the logo and the slogans, not to forget the name. Over the years, Apple has changed its logo thri ce – now it is a simple apple symbol which people all over the world recognize and associate with the company. It has some very interesting and simple slogans such as â€Å"Think Different† and â€Å"Say hello to the iPhone† that are so catchy that people immediately associate it with the company. Apple has maintained these slogans to be the same over the years and the customers do not seem to mind it either. The idea behind

American Teen Conflict Analysis Paper Movie Review

American Teen Conflict Analysis Paper - Movie Review Example This is to mean that the nature, extent and frequency of the American teen conflict are factors that have strong underpinnings in films as forms of literary works, as shall be seen in the discussion that ensues forthwith. 1) Self-esteem, social comparisons, and self-expectations In the movie American Teenagers, it is given that self-esteem, social comparisons and self-expectations combine to form a complex whole of teenagers’ interpersonal skills. The manner in which self-esteem and social comparison are portrayed is seen in the apportioning of the roles the main characters play. There is Colin Clemens, a basketball jock, Megan Krizmanich, the popular, liberal and academically talented girl, Jake Tusing, the self-acclaimed nerd and Hannah Bailey, the rebel artist, writer, musician and aspiring filmmaker. It is important to note that the traits of these four main characters in American Teenagers are the very values that American teenagers identify with. For instance, because mo st American teenagers are liberal, neither does conservatism rarely fit in among them, nor do those who identify with conservative ideals. It is for this same reason that Hannah Bailey, the rebel, has liberal views that are considered unfit for Warsaw, a small town which is very conservative. This creates conflict between American teenagers and the society at large. ... Mitch and Hannah for instance become friends and develop a relationship, following the verbal communication they have together. This verbal communication is also enabled by listening and disclosure. Just like other forms of communication, even teenage relationships are highly dependent upon verbal communication which comprises listening and disclosure. Immediately this chain of listening and disclosure is broken, conflicts arise. Mitch and Bailey forfeit their friendship after Mitch ends their relationship through a text message, for instance. 3) Nonverbal communication, power and attraction Nonverbal communication is also presented in the movie, as part of teenage conflict, but not as a causative agent for the conflict. Instead, nonverbal communication is treated in the movie as part of detachment, given that it flocks like-minds together and the unlike-minded apart. It is for this reason that though being a geek (a quality that sells an individual to the outside world) and having l ove for marching band (an outdoor activity), Tusing remains an introvert who resorts to video games. This development brings a twist to Tusing’s life, by opening up another line of conflict. Tusing longs for a girlfriend but his introverted mien keeps him from getting one. Friedberg, Garcia and McClure help understand that the case above is underpinned and compounded by the fact that in teenagers’ psychology, power and attraction are predicated upon being outgoing and good-looking. It is for this reason that Mitch Reinholt is popular at school. He is handsome, laid back and loves sport. The fact that Reinholt gets wider coverage immediately he begins to date Hannah, is a matter that demonstrates the

The Impact of Motivation on English Language Learning Research Paper

The Impact of Motivation on English Language Learning - Research Paper Example Although it is widely documented that motivation is a proven means to success in language learning, several countries, like the Gulf States, remain reluctant to cultivate learners’ motivation to learn a second language due to several reasons. Therefore, this research paper analyses the impact of motivation on English language learning. Introduction Motivation has been broadly recognised by scholars, researchers, and teachers as one of the major variables that determine the level and success of second language learning (SLA). As emphasised by Dornyei (2001), â€Å"teacher skills in motivating learners should be seen as central to teaching effectiveness† (P. 116). Motivated learners are enthusiastic, eager to work hard, concentrate on the tasks given, do not require constant encouragement, willingly confront challenges, and could even motivates others, facilitating collaborative learning. The early attempt to understand the impact of motivation on English language learnin g stems from the field of social psychology (Gu, 2009). This research paper analyses the impact of motivation on English language learning in terms of the various motivational theories. The motivation of learners greatly affects their willingness to take part in the process of learning. Numerous studies have reported the importance of viewing the concept of motivation as a multifaceted phenomenon. Oxford and Shearin (1994) have examined a number of motivational theories and six variables that influence motivation in language learning (Al-Bustan & Al-Bustan, 2009, S454): Attitudes (i.e. sentiments towards the target language). Beliefs about self (i.e. expectations about one’s attitudes to succeed, self-efficiency, and anxiety). Goals (perceived clarity and relevance of learning goals as reasons for learning). Involvement (i.e. extent to which the learner actively and consciously participates in the learning process). Environmental support (i.e. extent of teacher and peer suppo rt). Personnel attributes (i.e. aptitude, and language learning experience). As argued by Pit Corder, â€Å"given motivation, it is inevitable that a human being will learn a second language if he is exposed to the language data† (Dornyei & Ushioda, 2009, 1). This statement was given four decades ago and, from then on, numerous theroetical perspectives and studies investigating the multifaceted nature of motivation and its impact on second language learning have emerged. At the same time, the world has also witnessed the growth of globalisation, European reconstruction, the demise of communism, extensive economic and political migration, greater mobility, and the rapid development of media technologies—all contributing to the relentless pace of global English (McKay, 2002). In other words, over the recent decades the world has transformed dramatically—it is currently distinguished by sociocultural and linguistic flexibility and diversity, where language learning , identity, and ethnicity have become multifaceted contemporary subject matters and the focus of considerable attention in the field of sociolinguistic. However, it is only recently that those engaged in the field of second language learning motivation have actually started to investigate what this evolving global phenomena may suggest for how scholars conceptualise the motivation to acquire proficiently in global English as second language for individuals wanting to gain global recognition or identity (Shafaei & Nejati, 2008). In other words, motivation

Forensic Questioned Document Examinations Essay

Forensic Questioned Document Examinations - Essay Example Forensic question document examination is also used to analyze documents that are being disputed. For instance, if there is any question that a document is legitimate, then a question document examiner will analyze the document to determine its validity. This is especially necessary in cases where fraud may be present. In some instances, question document examiners are asked to be witnesses in cases (Koppenhaver, 2007; Southeastern Association of Forensic Document Examiners 2010). To have a clear analysis of forensic question document examination, it is fitting that we look at both the advantages and the disadvantages of this element of forensics. First, we will analyze the advantages of question document examination. One advantage to using question document examination is that this element of forensics can enable forensic personnel to extract a number of very elaborate and extremely valuable details that will aid in speedily solving crimes and determining whether or not a particular document is fraudulent or valid. . There are a number of different technologies that facilitate this. For instance, there are techniques to determine what types of inks are used to write documents, which not only works wonders in determining validity but can also point to a particular suspect. Techniques, such as â€Å"high performance liquid chromatography and infrared spectroscopy with principal components analysis and linear discriminate analysis† facilitate the forensic classification of inks from various ballpoint pins (Kher, 2006). . When one knows the type of ink that has been used to write documents, this will possibly narrow down suspects because efforts will then be focused on analyzing documents written in only that particular ink and looking with pens that contain that particular ink at the crime scene, which will bring forensic personnel one step closer to solving the case. Then, there are the numerous analysis techniques and various technologies that enable

The Impact of Motivation on English Language Learning Research Paper

The Impact of Motivation on English Language Learning - Research Paper Example Although it is widely documented that motivation is a proven means to success in language learning, several countries, like the Gulf States, remain reluctant to cultivate learners’ motivation to learn a second language due to several reasons. Therefore, this research paper analyses the impact of motivation on English language learning. Introduction Motivation has been broadly recognised by scholars, researchers, and teachers as one of the major variables that determine the level and success of second language learning (SLA). As emphasised by Dornyei (2001), â€Å"teacher skills in motivating learners should be seen as central to teaching effectiveness† (P. 116). Motivated learners are enthusiastic, eager to work hard, concentrate on the tasks given, do not require constant encouragement, willingly confront challenges, and could even motivates others, facilitating collaborative learning. The early attempt to understand the impact of motivation on English language learnin g stems from the field of social psychology (Gu, 2009). This research paper analyses the impact of motivation on English language learning in terms of the various motivational theories. The motivation of learners greatly affects their willingness to take part in the process of learning. Numerous studies have reported the importance of viewing the concept of motivation as a multifaceted phenomenon. Oxford and Shearin (1994) have examined a number of motivational theories and six variables that influence motivation in language learning (Al-Bustan & Al-Bustan, 2009, S454): Attitudes (i.e. sentiments towards the target language). Beliefs about self (i.e. expectations about one’s attitudes to succeed, self-efficiency, and anxiety). Goals (perceived clarity and relevance of learning goals as reasons for learning). Involvement (i.e. extent to which the learner actively and consciously participates in the learning process). Environmental support (i.e. extent of teacher and peer suppo rt). Personnel attributes (i.e. aptitude, and language learning experience). As argued by Pit Corder, â€Å"given motivation, it is inevitable that a human being will learn a second language if he is exposed to the language data† (Dornyei & Ushioda, 2009, 1). This statement was given four decades ago and, from then on, numerous theroetical perspectives and studies investigating the multifaceted nature of motivation and its impact on second language learning have emerged. At the same time, the world has also witnessed the growth of globalisation, European reconstruction, the demise of communism, extensive economic and political migration, greater mobility, and the rapid development of media technologies—all contributing to the relentless pace of global English (McKay, 2002). In other words, over the recent decades the world has transformed dramatically—it is currently distinguished by sociocultural and linguistic flexibility and diversity, where language learning , identity, and ethnicity have become multifaceted contemporary subject matters and the focus of considerable attention in the field of sociolinguistic. However, it is only recently that those engaged in the field of second language learning motivation have actually started to investigate what this evolving global phenomena may suggest for how scholars conceptualise the motivation to acquire proficiently in global English as second language for individuals wanting to gain global recognition or identity (Shafaei & Nejati, 2008). In other words, motivation

Acceptable Use Policy & Security Audit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Acceptable Use Policy & Security Audit - Essay Example By ensuring there password to their different user name are well guarded from access. Also obtaining other vital information is illegal and greatly obstructed. This may results in termination of the network or service being used. It serves as a way protect to privacy to personal information. This ensures information is only accessed by the original and not pirated users. The scope is to facilitate smooth, easy, and effective and joyful use of the networks and systems, the policies and rules cover the entire user using the facility. This include both hardware’s and software, connection and licensed using the network, also these rule, plans and regulations applies to various individuals and companies connected to the system The policy of the system should only be altered by the owner or management team assigned. He is the one responsible of creating new interfaces, colour, size and designing of the network. The policy majorly, helps in protecting and guiding users from violating company obligation and rules (Laver 78). Also users feel their privacy is greatly and well protected. Al the users should adhere to companies rules and regulation. Failure to which, their service will be terminated and removed from the network. Abusive and harassing others is prohibited and might lead to suits in law courts. They should also report abusive languages and any general views on how to improve service delivery (Laver

Fermentation Lab Report Essay Example for Free

Fermentation Lab Report Essay Increased production of CO2 is a result of increased temperatures acceleration of the rate of fermentation. Abstract: We have tested the affects of increased temperature above room temperature on the rate of fermentation of yeast. We had 6 flasks filled with 6mL DI water, 2mL Yeast suspension and 6mL glucose of which 3 were at 25 °C and 3 were at 37 °C. The flasks at 37 °C had each mixture pre-heated at 37 °C for 2 minutes before being combined and then added to the flask where it was put into the bath heated to 37 °C. We then checked CO2 levels in each flask every 2 minutes for 20 minutes. We came out results that showed a marginal difference between the amounts of CO2 produced at different temperatures. The results showed that increased temperature causes an increase in fermentation rate and increased production of CO2. Introduction: Fermentation is the break down of organic matter, by microorganism, in the absence of oxygen also known as anaerobic (Van Neil, 2008). Our reactions occurs when yeasts is added to a solution of glucose and water. Fermentation starts with a process called glycolysis. In glycolysis Glucose is broken down into two molecules of pyruvate and a net yield of 2 NADH (electron carrier) and 2 ATP (adenosine triphosphate) molecules. The first step of glycolysis is the energy investment phase. In which 2 ATP’s are added to the Glucose molecule, which produces 2 ADP’s and Fructose 1, 6-biphosphate. This is followed by the energy payoff phase. In this phase NAD+ is reduced to NADH and ADP is reduced to ATP. The total number of ATP created is 4 and 2 NAHDH. After the energy payoff phase what is left is 2 pyruvates. Fermentation then takes place only in the absence of oxygen. In fermentation the pyruvate is converted into ethyl alcohol, through the oxidation of the 2 NADH molecules, which returns them to two NAD+’s (Freeman, 2011). Oxidation is the loss of an electron in this case H+. We used information from previous labs in which we tested yeasts ability to break down disaccharides, sugar in that case, at different temperatures and found that 37 °C was the optimal temperature for yeast to break down sugar, to formulate our hypothesis. Our sources we collected also indicated that different yeasts have different optimal operating temperatures, such as baker’s yeast, which requires higher temperature for yeast to ferment the proteins (Fell, 2008). Since we were using bakers yeast in our experiment we therefore came to the conclusion that increased temperature would increase yeasts ability to ferment glucose. Using this information and our sources we came up with the hypothesis that increasing the temperature of the solution would increase the rate of fermentation. We thought this was a reasonable hypothesis based upon earlier results from our other lab on temperatures affect on the yeasts ability to break down disaccharides. The predictions we came up with for the results of our tests were that the flasks at 37 °C would have a much more accelerated rate of CO2 production then that of the 25 °C Flasks. Materials and Methods: In the experiment we obtained 9 small beakers and 6 fermentation flasks. In the one beaker we added 18mL of Glucose. In the next we added 6ml of Yeast Suspension followed by another beaker with 18ml of distilled water. We then took those 3 beakers and placed them in the incubating bath set at 37ËšC for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes took the beakers out and added 6mL of distilled water, 2mL of yeast suspension and 6mL of Glucose into 3 separate beakers and mixed them together. We then immediately added them at the same time to separate fermentation flasks and measured their CO2 levels using a ruler. We then placed them in the incubating bath set for 37ËšC and set out timer for 2 minutes. We then prepared 3 beakers using 6mL of distilled water, 2mL yeast suspension and 6mL Glucose solution. Except that this time the yeast, water and glucose was a room temperature (25ËšC). We then proceeded to pour these mixtures into 3 separate fermentation flasks and measured their CO2 levels using a ruler. We then set a timer for 2 minutes. Each time the timer went off we would check the CO2 levels using a ruler. We continued to repeat this checking every 2 minutes for 20 minutes for each set of flasks. Results: My results indicated that increased temperature increased the rate of fermentation. In the CO2 Evolution graphs it is clear that as time increased as 2-4 minutes you can see a noticeable increase in the level of CO2 in the fermentation flask. As time increases that difference only increases and increases. Then when you look and the average alcohol fermentation graph it is clear that in total amount of CO2 produced in the flasks fermented in the 37ËšC incubating bath were much quicker in the process of fermentation, so therefore they produced much more CO2 then those at room temperature (25ËšC). Discussion: My Data supported my hypothesis. Each of my graphs data supported this finding. In the graph showing CO2 evolution the data showing 37ËšC had a steep positive slope, while the 25ËšC data showed an almost unnoticeable positive slope. This shows how over time the fermentation in the flasks at 37ËšC had a noticeable increase in its rate. The other graph shows the overall production of CO2 for each set of flasks. For the flasks at 25ËšC their average CO2 produced was .7mm, while the flasks at 37ËšC produced on average was 9.2mm. This increase rate and total production increase from that at 25ËšC and 37ËšC without a doubt supported my hypothesis. Also our minimization of errors landed itself to accurate results. We minimized any error by having the same person measure levels of CO2 and measure out substances such as yeast suspension. This increases my confidence that the results of our experiment not only support my hypothesis, but also supports that our bodies’ temperature (37ËšC) is the optimal temperature for cell respiration and not room temperature. Another follow-up experiment that could be used to give more detailed information about what happened is an experiment in which you run the same test, except include a 3rd condition in which the temperature is below room temperature such as 0ËšC. This could show the increase from freezing to room temperature and room temperature to 37ËšC. References: Cornelias B Van Niel, â€Å"Fermentation,† in AccessScience,  ©McGraw-Hill Companies, 2008. Web. Freeman, Scott. Biological Science. 4th ed. Boston: Benjamin Cummings, 2011. Print. Jack W. Fell, Herman J Phaff, Graeme M. Walker, â€Å"Yeast,† in AccessScience,  ©McGraw-Hill Companies, 2008. Web. Reddy. Effect of Fermentation Condition on Yeast Growth and Volatile Composition of Wine Produced from Mango Fruit Juice. Food Biproducts Processing: Transactions of the Institute of Chemical Engineers Part C 89.4 (2011): 487-91. EBSCO. Web. 2 Oct. 2012. Web.

Money Laundering Control in Nigeria

Money Laundering Control in Nigeria Money laundering INTRODUCTION This dissertation makes a contribution to the worrying issues of money laundering in Nigeria and the control mechanism within the economy. Money laundering is a global problem which warranted a declaration by the United Nations. The declaration strongly condemns money laundering because it aids the use of financial systems for illicit drug trafficking and other serious crimes such as terrorism. For example the work of Okogbule on (Official corruption and the dynamics of money laundering in Nigeria 2007), and the work Chukwumerie on (Nigerias Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2004: A tighter noose, 2004), and the work of Chibuike (Ethics in Nigerian Banking, 2004), all these scholars did not give a look at the banking sector in regard to money laundering compliance and if Nigeria, is really regulating according to international practicing. Therefore, that gives the researcher more effort in looking inwards to the banks, since that is where large transaction takes place. THE OVERVIEW OF MONEY LAUNDERING The research project is on Money laundering Control in Nigeria, and how it has been a very serious problem in that country especially in recent times during the civilian administration, (Chukwuemerie, 2006). But it is not only Nigeria, which its affecting, it is a menace in the whole world that even requested the United Nations making a declaration strongly condemning laundering of money through the illicit drug trafficking and other serious crime, as well as the use of the financial systems of the states for that purpose, (UN Resolution S- 20/4 D) Evidence from around the world proves this view. According to Walker, (1999), around $2.85bn is been laundered yearly around the globe. Again, for example the United Kingdom Government recently issue a cheque of One hundred and fifty thousand (150,000) pounds to the Attorney General of Nigeria, as part of the proceeds laundered by a former Governor in Nigeria (Joshua Dariye), also a cheque for $2 million belonging to former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, was also returned to Nigeria by the British government and promised to returned the sum of Fourty Million (40,000,000) pounds recovered from some Nigerian Government Officials; (Oyedele, 2008) THE INTERNATIONAL FIGHT AGAINST MONEY LAUNDERING Money laundering has been a global problem since the beginning of the 20th century. Uche (2007) relate that there were 12 multilateral drug treaties between 1912 and 1972. These treaties helped in regulating the manufacturing and trading of drugs worldwide (United Nations, 1987). For instance, Nadelemann (1988) reports the United Nations adoption of the ideals of Vienna Convention on illicit traffic of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. The convention emphasises on tracking down the wealth of money launderers. Article 5(2) of the Vienna convention provides that each party must enact domestic laws to enable it to identify, trace, seize, freeze, and forfeit all manner of profit derived from or used in Money laundering offences. Further all member nations are required to assist other member within their territory in the fight against money laundering offences; (Article 5(4b)). In 1990, the Council of Europe convention on Laundering, search, seizure and confiscation of the proceeds from crime was adopted. And one of the notable differences is that it goes beyond drug related crimes. The wolfsberg, this are group of eleven banks that came together to fight money laundering. The group was formed in the year 2000, at Chateau Wolfsberg in north east of Switzerland; the group released their anti money laundering principles to their correspondence banks, all in order to fight money laundering. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an inter-governmental body whose purpose is the development and promotion ofnational and international policies to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.The FATF is therefore a policy-making body created in 1989that works to generate the necessary political will to bring aboutlegislative and regulatory reforms in these areas. The FATF has published 40+9Recommendations in order to meet this objective. For example, the case of former Nigerian Head of State (Gen. Sani Abacha), $675.2m; 75.3m GBP; were all recovered by the government of Nigeria, with the assistance of the other countries were the money was laundered; (Shehu, 2004). MONEY LAUNDERING IN NIGERIA Okogbule (2007) argue that money laundering was relatively unknown in Nigeria up to the mid 1980s. Further, he relate that it is now being used as a means of corruption in every segment of Nigerian society. For this reason, the military government enacted a decree (which decree and when was it enacted) . Thereafter, the civilian administration that came in 1999 repealed the decree and came up with the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act of 2004 which gave birth to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Pursuant to the Act, the commission is empowered to investigate and prosecute any person or corporate body who commit any act of money laundering. For instance, a former governor in Nigeria was charged with money laundering offence for bringing into the United Kingdom the sum of 3.2 Million Dollars in 2005 (Guardian Newspaper, 2005). Reiterating the laundering issue, the Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri mentioned that the Nigerian government lost over 285 Billion Naira in 10 years. These tend support the argument that there is a regulation gap in the regulation of money laundering in Nigeria. It is in context that this research intends to look at money laundering regulations in Nigeria, so as to contribute towards developing the country. THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY The scope of the study will focus on the effectiveness money laundering regulation in the Nigerian Banking sector, and whether the Nigerian authorities have anything to learn from, how Money laundering is dealt with in the world (International Standard)? AIMS OF THE STUDY The main focus of the dissertation is to find out the effectiveness of money-laundering regulations in regards to banks in Nigerian, and compare it with the international standard? The extent of money laundering in Nigeria The effectiveness of money laundering regulations in Nigeria The international standard on Money laundering Control What lessons Nigeria can learn from that Chapter Two: LITERATURE REVIEW CONCEPT OF MONEY LAUNDERING Money laundering can generally be defined as the process of converting or transferring Criminal proceeds with the intention of disguising their illicit origin (UN, 2000: Art. 3(a)(i)). The extent of the problem becomes clear, considering that, in 1996, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated the money laundering business at around 2-5 per cent of the worlds gross domestic product (Camdessus, 1998), which amounts to up to US$1.5 trillion (Financial Action Task Force FATF, 2007). Moreover, it is claimed that the money laundering business is the third biggest industry worldwide following the international oil trade and foreign exchange (Preller, 2007, pp 234). In one of the definitions it says conversion transfer of any property, knowing such property is gotten from drug related offense or even acting in the scheme to conceal the true information of the origin of such property in order to protect such person from facing the legal consequences of his/her action. FATF organization defines money laundering as a concise the processing of criminal proceeds to disguise their illegal origin in order to legitimize the ill gotten gain of crime. Law Dictionary (1990) refers to it as an investment or other transfer of money flowing from racketeering, drug transactions, and other illegal sources into legitimate channels so that its original source cannot be traced. Money laundering has been defined as a way funds obtained from illegal sources, and put into an account that cannot be traced for possible action; Okogbule, (2007). It has also been described as the processing of funds derived from illegal or illegitimate sources, through legal financial channels with a view to legitimizing and concealing or disguising the source of such funds (Osinbajo and Ajayi, 1991, Okogbule, 2007). THE EXTENT OF MONEY LAUNDERING IN NIGERIA Money laundering was not a prominent crime in Nigeria until the late 1980s, during the period of an oil boom with a tremendous increase in the level of revenue and commercial activities in the country (Okogbule, 2007, pp 52). Therefore, the issue of money laundering in Nigeria it is now through the official corruption, which has been exploited by public officers in Nigeria, who incorporate companies and use as a conduit pipe by awarding some phoney contracts and lodge the money through the companies bank accounts, both in Nigeria and abroad, several millions or even billions of naira are transferred from the government treasuries (Okogbule 2007). The former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Nuhu Ribadu), told the BBC in 2006, that $380bn had been stolen or wasted in Nigeria since independence. That $140m had been recovered from one unnamed former Nigerian leader and that nearly $400m of illegally gained assets had been identified in the possession of a former governor of Bayelsa State. Last year, Nigeria recovered $458m found in Swiss bank accounts linked to the countrys late military ruler Sani Abacha. Mr Abacha was in power from 1993 to 1998 and is thought to have embezzled billions of dollars. Last year his son, Abba Sani Abacha, was charged with money laundering and fraud after being extradited to Switzerland. According to Chukwuemerie, (2006), rate of financial crimes in Nigeria project a bad image abroad. And how Nigerians are been treated with disdain in the foreign land, again he talks about the crimes related to opening of account by customers, because in Nigeria, before the Money laundering prohibition act 2004, anyone can go and open account without a proper identification. However, the main issue is corruption that wears many faces, which are nepotism, bribery, treasury looting, and inflation contract prices, money laundering and advance fee frauds and most of these crimes are destroying the economy of the country; (Ajayi and Ososami, 2007). The case of former Head of Sate Gen. Sani Abacha, he was accused with his cronies of embezzling over $5bn and which out of the money $2.3bn were stolen direct from the government treasury and the remaining were received as a bribes for contracts. The money was laundered in various foreign bank accounts in UK, USA, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Hong Kong; (Ige, 2002, Shehu, 2004). Investigation by the UK financial services authority (FSA), the London Metropolitan Police confirmed that over $1.3bn of Abacha money passed through London; (Chamberlin, 2002, Shehu, 2004, pp). Furthermore, according to a study conducted by the Nigerian Trade and Investment Center in UK, shows that about two million Nigerians living in United Kingdom have investments worth almost Ninety four Billion (94bn GBP) pounds. And out of these amounts of money 84bn is in real estate, 7bn in vehicles, while the remaining 3bn is in stocks and shares; (Adesina and Madunagu, 2004, Malgwi, 2004). Malgwi, (2004), in his paper gives an example of former Head of State Late Gen. Sani Abacha, fakes daughter who duped an American the sum of Seven Million ($7) dollars, with the pretence that her late father left the sum of $100m in the central bank of Nigeria, and the account is coded. Therefore, she need his assistance with some money to bribe the officials of the apex bank to get the money out and he will get thirty (30%) percent of the money. Quite recently, a serving chief of staff to the governor of Rivers State (Ezebunwo Nyeson Wike), was caught by the Economic and financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), laundering the sum of N4.670 Billion (Four Billion, Six Hundred and Seventy Million Naira), which the commission believes was public money that was diverted into his personal account (Babafemi, 2009). He has since been charged by a court to explain the sources of the money. This is the problem with the country people in position of authority are abusing the trust people repose on them, everyday it is happening even with the money laundering regulation in place. There is no exact statistics of the amount of money been laundered in Nigeria, but below are some of the high profile cases been prosecuted by the economic and financial crimes commission from 2007 to 2009; CHAPTER THREE: THE MONEY LAUNDERING REGULATION IN NIGERIA The phrase money-laundering was not in the Nigerian dictionary, until in the 1980s which was when it was recognised and efforts were made to deal with the problem by the government. Therefore, there were decrees set by the government of Generals Muhammad Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha as heads of state and military president respectively, prohibiting activities related to money-laundering (Exchange Control (Anti Sabotage) Decree No 7 of 1984, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Decree No 48 of 1989, now Caps No 29 Laws of the federation of Nigeria, 2004; Okogbule, 2007). 1995 decree corrected one of the defects of these laws which limited the activities to Drug traffickers in order to avoid loophole which gave way for the accused person to escape justice when the case is not drug trafficking; (Adekunle, 1999; Okogbule, 2007). It was in this recognition of the defect or inadequacy of the previous Decrees to cover all the aspects of money laundering that gave birth to the enactment of the money-laundering (prohibition) Act, 2003 which covers everything relating to the offence. And after One year of its enactment it was amended through the money-laundering prohibition (Amendment) Act 2004, in order to give the agencies more power to institute an investigation and prosecute offenders (Okogbule, 2007). However, the amendment was based on two philosophies. Firstly, it was on the need to control the practice of huge financial transactions in Nigeria, since the country is known as a cash society. In the amended Act, it states that no person or corporate body shall make or accept cash payment of sum exceeding N500, 000 or its equivalent in the case of individuals, while in the case of corporate bodies the amount is N2, 000,000, unless the transaction is done through a financial institution, the provision is design to enhance the monitoring capabilities of the regulatory institutions over huge financial transactions and encourage the use of financial institutions (Okogbule, 2007). However in the second philosophy in the act, it is a directive requiring disclosure of any financial transaction exceeding a certain sum of money. Section 2(1) of the Act, state that: A transfer to or from a foreign country funds or security exceeding the sum of $10,000 or its equivalent shall be reported to the central bank of Nigeria. And it further said that a report should be made pursuant to the above provision to indicate the nature and amount of transfer, the names and addresses of the sender and receiver of the funds or securities (Okogbule, 2007). MONEY LAUNDERING REFULATION IN RELATION TO INSTITUTIONS IN NIGERIA The money laundering (Prohibition) Act 2004, of Nigeria in section 1 states that no person or corporate body shall, except through transactional institutions, make or accept deposit of a sum exceeding, A, for an individual the sum of N500, 000 or its equivalent in other currency and B, the sum of 2,000,000 for a corporate body, that anything above this should be made through the financial institution likewise for the individual costumer. In section 2 of the prohibition of money laundering act states that any transaction from or to foreign country of funds or securities exceeding the sum of US $10,000 shall be reported to the central bank of Nigeria (in the act refer to Central Bank) or security and exchange commission. Again in section 2 sub section 1, states that the report should indicate the nature and the amount of the transfer, the names and addresses of the sender and receivers of the funds or securities. CUSTOMER DUE DILLIGENCE However, it is provided in section 5(1) of the Act that before opening an account for or issuing passbook or even entering into any business relationship with a potential customer, the financial institution shall verify the customers identity and address. For individual, he is required to provide proof of his identity by presenting to the financial institution a valid original copy of an official document bearing his names and photograph; Secondly, he is to show proof of his address, by presenting to the financial institution the originals of receipts his/her utilities issued within the last three months by public institution (example, electricity or water bill). In the case of a body corporate, its proof of identity shall be provided by the presentation of its certificate of incorporation and other valid official documents attesting to the existence of the body corporate. Where a manager, employee, or assignee is delegated by a body corporate to open or operate an account, such a person shall in addition to the requirements specified for private individuals also show proof of a power of attorney granted to him for that purpose. One important provision in the Act designed to facilitate the detection of money laundering activities is section 6(1). It provides as follows: When a financial institution is requested to carry out a transaction, whether or not it relates to the laundering of the proceeds of a crime or an act, the financial institution shall seek information from the customer as to the origin and the destination of the funds, the aim of the transaction and the identity of the beneficiary. In order to make this surveillance function more effective, financial institutions are required within seven days of the transaction to carry out the following actions: Draw up a written report containing all relevant information about the transaction as well as the identity of the principal and where applicable, those of the beneficiary. Take appropriate action to prevent the laundering of the proceeds of a crime or an illegal Act. Send a copy of the report and action taken to the Central Bank, the Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission, or such other appropriate regulatory authority, as the case may be. Significantly, any financial institution which fails to comply with the above provisions is guilty of an offence and liable upon conviction to a fine of N1, 000,000 each day for as long as the offence continues. In order to emphasize the importance of records of transactions, it is provided that these records are to be kept and preserved for at least a period of 10 years, and that the records shall be communicated to the Central Bank, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), judicial authorities, Customs Officers, and such other persons as the Central Bank may from time to time specify. However, the mandatory disclosure requirement concerning financial transactions is contained in section 10 of the Act. It is to the effect that a financial institution or casino shall report to the Agency in writing, lodgement or transfer of funds in excess of One million (N1, 000,000) Naira or its equivalent in the case of an individual and Five million (N5, 000,000) Naira or its equivalent in the case of a body corporate. This report is to be submitted within seven days of any single transaction. And even an ordinary citizen other than a financial institution may voluntarily give information on any transaction, lodgement, or transfer of funds involving the amounts set out above. This ensures that even when a financial institution fails to report as required, information about the transaction still gets to the Agency (See Chukuemerie, 2004, Okogbule, 2007b). The intent of the provisions is to enable the Agency ascertain the origin of the funds and determine whether to direct a stoppage of the transaction or not. This it can do when acknowledging receipt of such disclosure, report or information received in furtherance of the provisions. If the Agency is unable to ascertain the origin of the funds within a period of 72 hours, it may make a request to the Federal High Court for an order that the funds, accounts, or securities referred to in the report be blocked, and an order made by the Court in pursuance of this provision shall be enforced forthwith. Section 9(1) of the Act provides that every financial institution shall develop programmes to combat the laundering of proceeds of a crime or other illegal act. These shall include: The designation of compliance officers at management level at its headquarters and at every branch and local office; Regular training programmes for its employees; The centralization of the information collected; The establishment of an internal audit unit to ensure compliance with and ensure the effectiveness of the measures taken to enforce the provisions of the Act In order to ensure compliance with this provision, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria is empowered to impose a penalty of not less than one million Naira on any financial institution which fails to comply with the above provisions. And that makes it a very important provision since the threat of immediate sanction which could be suspension of the banks operating license can engender compliance with the statutory provision. THE MONEY LAUNDERING OFFENCE IN NIGERIA The actual money laundering offences are provided for in sections 14 18 of the Act which also specify the penalties for such offences. Thus, section 14(1) provides as follows: Any person who converts or transfers resources or property derived directly or indirectly from illicit traffic c in narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances or any illegal act, with the aim of either concealing or disguising the illicit origin of the resources or property or aiding any person involved in the illicit traffic c in narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances or any other crime or illegal act to evade the legal consequences of his action; or collaborates in concealing or disguising the genuine nature, origin, location disposition, movement or ownership of the resources, property or rights thereto derived directly or indirectly from illicit traffic c in narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances or any other crime or illegal act, commits an offence under this section and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than 2 years or more than 3 years. Significantly, a person who commits an offence under this subsection shall also be subject to the same penalty notwithstanding the fact that the various acts constituting the offence were committed in different countries or places. It is not difficult to ascertain the rationale behind this provision since, very often; money laundering entails the perpetration of some of the acts in one country and the others in other countries. This brings to the fore the transnational nature of money laundering which has given rise to international concern for its regulation. Section 16 of the Act provides that any person who: Whether by concealment, removal from jurisdiction, transfer to nominees or otherwise retains the proceeds of a crime or an illegal act on behalf of another person knowing or suspecting such other person to be engaged in a criminal conduct or has benefited from a criminal conduct; or Knowing that any property either in whole or in part directly or indirectly represents another persons proceeds of a criminal conduct, acquires or uses that property or has possession of it, commits an offence under this Act and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than 5 years or to a fine equivalent to 5 times the value of the proceeds of the criminal conduct or to both such imprisonment and fine. It is difficult to fashion the rationale for this marked variation in the punishment specified under this section and that provided for in section 14 of the Act relating to the actual conversion or transfer of funds from such criminal or illegal activities which is stated to be not more than three years. Although it may be said that the opportunity created by a willing receptacle could have emboldened the suspect and thus facilitated the commission of the offence, it is nevertheless incongruous to have such marked disparity in the punishment for both kinds of offences, when the level of moral reprehensibility is more for the actual converter or transferor of such illegal funds than the receiver. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MONEY LAUNDERING REGULATION IN NIGERIA The government of former president Obasanjo, of Nigeria was able to start the fight against corruption and money laundering, by presenting the bill Money laundering (Prohibition) Act 2004, before the national assembly which was accented by the government and put into use immediately in order to fight the menace in the country. However, by the year 2006, the EFCC was able to secure the conviction of the former inspector general of police, Mr Tafa Balogun for several offence mostly on money laundering, by showing that ACT that no one is above the law in the country and it shows that it has the political will to tackle the canker worm of money laundering in all its ramifications (Okogbule, 2007, Chukwuemerie, 2006). Furthermore, within the first two years of creating the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Nigeria, they proved effective and were able to recovered [sic] more than $1.5bn (N203.5bn) of looted funds and arrested more than 200 people and out of the 200, 50 people were convicted and recovered $37.1M (N5bn) from import malpractices (Malgwi, 2004). Again the EFCC was able to secure a plea bargain with a former governor of Edo State of Nigeria, Mr Lucky Igbinedion, which in the agreement consented in refunding the sum of N500M stolen funds and forfeit some of his properties. It was not only Igbinedion that got the plea bargain, Mr Nwude, Mr DSP Alamieyeseigha former governor of Bayelsa State of Nigeria, also enjoy the gesture (Alli, 2008). However, recently the Chairman of the financial crimes commission in Nigeria, admit that they are not fully enforcing the money laundering regulation in the country while hosting stock broking firms in her office. Waziri said the anti-graft agency would start the immediate enforcement of the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2004, and prosecute all stock broking firms that default in their obligation to the suspicious transactions reports and currency transaction reports (Akinsunyi, 2009). Under Section 23 of the Money Laundering Act, firms carry on the business of investment and securities (this includes stock broking firms) are designated as financial institutions and there is an obligation on them to file with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit all suspicious transactions, and file with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit all currency transactions above N500, 000 for individuals and the N2 million for companies. But all that is done by stock broking firms in the country. And up to extent a an investment firm took a loan of N90 Billion from a bank in order to manipulate the market, but that is between Bank and it is customer, but the utilization of the loan is different which is contrary to Section 20 of the BOFIA and the regulations of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and carries a jail term of between two and three years. It is also a breach of the Investment and Securities Act (see Thisday Newspaper, August, 2009). However, this bring us to the issue of reporting system adopted by the Financial Action Task Force and was even part of the Nigerian Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2004, which is in section 6 sub-section 1(a) that direct financial and non financial institutions to draw up a written report on any illegal transaction and submit within seven days to the relevant authorities. That means the Act, is not been followed by the Banks and stock broking firms. FACTORS FOR AND AGAINST MONEY LAUNDERING REGULATION IN NIGERIA There is no doubt that with the enactment of the Money Laundering Act 2004 the Nigerian Government has taken a bold step in its efforts to fight against money laundering in the country. However, it is effort and resourcefulness may not bear the required results if the well-known problems of enforcement of law in the country are not adequately addressed in the provisions. It is a common feature in Nigeria that individuals and institutions prefer to subvert laid down rules rather than comply with them, for example the recent banks audit conducted by the new Central Bank Governor, it shows how reckless the banks are operating, given out a loan of N490 Billion without a collateral, which form part of analysis in given out to loan to any customer by a bank and is used to settle out the debt in case the loan goes bad, but they ignore that and give out the money without following the laid down rules. The assurance being that even when they fail to comply, officials from the regulatory institutions will always compromise their positions. This brings to the fore the popularity of corruption in the country as such officers are often settled to overlook noncompliance with statutory provisions (Okogbule, 2007). In such situation, there is usually an unethical alliance between regulatory officers on the hand and the defaulting financial institutions. Therefore, there will be inadequate or ineffective enforcement of the rules, to the detriment of the country. However, recently an upright officer (Barrister Abubakar Abba Umar) with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in Nigeria lost his life in the course of his duty. He was involved in making the organisation a very good place that it suppose to be, because to get a company registered in Nigeria, it might take you two to three months, but his coming within a day after full verification you can get your company registered. While in course of investigation of certificate fraud in the organisation, he was forced to hand over some lawyers involve to EFCC for prosecution (see Leadership newspaper, 2009), seeing all this thing happening nobody will like to give himself up in order to do a good job in fighting money laundering in Nigeria. According to Andrew (2004, pp 173), he argues that the Act is faithfully implemented by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Central Bank of Nigeria, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Minister of Commerce, this relevant authorities are the ones in positions to see the implementation of the Act to the later. However, if they did not enforce the implementation concurrently together, there is every chance that the Act, will not be effective as it suppose to be in checkmating the money laundering activities in the country. There is also problem of regular monitoring of the activities of these financial institutions. Inspectorate and Compliance Officers are known to be lax in their monitoring of the operations of these institutions, due to the fact that they are conniving together to subvert the law regulating the institutions (see Okogbule, 2007). <

Smallpox :: essays research papers

The Scourge of the World Nestled deep in the bowels of the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, locked away in a blue and silver freezer lays what remains of humankind’s deadliest enemy. Neatly tucked away in a virology institute in Siberia, guarded twenty-four hours a day, lays it’s counterpart. No, not a man made weapon of mass destruction; just a natural born killer of man. This insatiable killer is known in the scientific community as the Variola Virus. To the layperson, it is called, smallpox. The smallpox virus first presented itself between three thousand and twelve thousand years ago, possibly in Egypt at the time of the Pharaohs (Preston44). There are two types of Variola virus, Variola Major and Variola Minor. Variola Minor is a mutated form of the Variola Major. Variola Minor was first discovered in Jamaica in 1863. Variola Minor is not the strain responsible for millions of deaths: only one percent of the people who contract Variola Minor die from the virus (Preston45). The classic virus, Variola Major is responsible for one in three deaths among the people who contract this form. The Variola virus has had more victims than any other infectious disease including the Black Death, in the Middle Ages (Preston44). Although â€Å"smallpox† was officially declared eradicated, by the World Health Organization, it is still a topic of great concern and controversy to many scientist and governments, and the virus is coveted by many terrorist organizations. The virus spreads through droplet infection, such as sneezing, or through contact with the dried scabs of a victim, or even their clothing. Patients infected with smallpox will often begin to show symptoms within nine to twelve days after exposure. The symptoms present themselves in an almost â€Å"flu† like state. Beginning with a high fever, back aches, chills, and headaches. The next stage of the disease produces a rash on the face, arms, legs, chest and back. In a few days, the rash turns to a blister-like pustule. In the following days, the virus attacks the eyes, lungs, throat, heart, and liver, which lead the patients’ to a painful death. If the infected person is lucky enough to live, through the disease, the victim is left scarred and permanently disfigured. Smallpox has been around for centuries, and spreads with alarming ease. The Spanish brought the disease to Mexico in the 1500’s where nearly three million Indians were infected and died (Buran). Smallpox :: essays research papers The Scourge of the World Nestled deep in the bowels of the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, locked away in a blue and silver freezer lays what remains of humankind’s deadliest enemy. Neatly tucked away in a virology institute in Siberia, guarded twenty-four hours a day, lays it’s counterpart. No, not a man made weapon of mass destruction; just a natural born killer of man. This insatiable killer is known in the scientific community as the Variola Virus. To the layperson, it is called, smallpox. The smallpox virus first presented itself between three thousand and twelve thousand years ago, possibly in Egypt at the time of the Pharaohs (Preston44). There are two types of Variola virus, Variola Major and Variola Minor. Variola Minor is a mutated form of the Variola Major. Variola Minor was first discovered in Jamaica in 1863. Variola Minor is not the strain responsible for millions of deaths: only one percent of the people who contract Variola Minor die from the virus (Preston45). The classic virus, Variola Major is responsible for one in three deaths among the people who contract this form. The Variola virus has had more victims than any other infectious disease including the Black Death, in the Middle Ages (Preston44). Although â€Å"smallpox† was officially declared eradicated, by the World Health Organization, it is still a topic of great concern and controversy to many scientist and governments, and the virus is coveted by many terrorist organizations. The virus spreads through droplet infection, such as sneezing, or through contact with the dried scabs of a victim, or even their clothing. Patients infected with smallpox will often begin to show symptoms within nine to twelve days after exposure. The symptoms present themselves in an almost â€Å"flu† like state. Beginning with a high fever, back aches, chills, and headaches. The next stage of the disease produces a rash on the face, arms, legs, chest and back. In a few days, the rash turns to a blister-like pustule. In the following days, the virus attacks the eyes, lungs, throat, heart, and liver, which lead the patients’ to a painful death. If the infected person is lucky enough to live, through the disease, the victim is left scarred and permanently disfigured. Smallpox has been around for centuries, and spreads with alarming ease. The Spanish brought the disease to Mexico in the 1500’s where nearly three million Indians were infected and died (Buran).