John Grisham - Rainmaker Essays - English-language Films

John Grisham - Rainmaker The world is full of great novels. From Sherlock Holmes to the three musketeers. As the years progress more novels are written and more money is made. John Grisham is a rising star in literature. His books have enticed readers and has given the people something good to read. What makes his books great is that they are so realistic. He applies his personal law and trial knowledge into the books he writes.What it is about ? It was his last semester of law school. Rudy Baylor was assigned to give free advice to a group of seniors. It is at that very time, and that very place, that Rudy encounters his first true clients. Dot and Buddy Black. They have been robbed by a powerful insurance company. A company with millions of dollars in assets. They have caused the suffering of a young man. They have ruined his chances to live by not issuing their coverage that they were obligated to give. Donny Ray, son of Dot and Buddy is dying of Lukemia, he is going to die, his chances for survival are over and it is a matter of months. Rudy does'nt realize the case that has fallen into his lap until phone calls are made. There is a great problem, however, Rudy is broke, he hasn't even passed his bar exam yet. And will go head to head with one of America's most experienced and accomplished defense attorney's. *From the beginning of the novel to the last word, Rudy is plagued with a series of mishaps and problems. When something looks bright the clouds come in and ruin the hope. Rudy is in Luck. As the big trial begins, he is given a judge that is definetly on his side and 12 jury members that think the same way that he does. After researching great benefit, the insurance company, Rudy discovers cover ups by the company. He also discovers Great Benefits harsh way in getting rid of their numerous mistakes. n How it relates to your audience The TrialObviously Rudy is not stupid. He enters all the facts he has discovered and uses them to help solidify his position in the minds of the jurors As the trial goes on Rudy is given another problem. A beaten girl is discovered by Rudy at the hospital during his studying. Her husband has repeatively beaten her with an aluminum softball bat. Her ankle is broken and her life is in shreds. Rudy knows that these beatings will continue if the couple divorces but the young girl of 18 is unable to leave because she believes that she is still in love with him.n John Grisham does not maintain one single story, instead he creates numerous events so that the reader does not get bored with the main story. *From minor cases to FBI investigations, John Grisham does a swell job in creating a global society. He shows that lawyers have cares concerns about what is going on in the world and contrary to popular belief, lawyers dont focus mainly on cases and they have lives to. Ever-since The Firm was published, in 1991, John Grisham has been in a creative state. His five books that followed the firm, combine to form a total of approximately 50 million copies in print. Why ? The answer is because his thrilling stories and intense legal intrigue is in such a great demand. Now in The Rainmaker Grisham has weaved his talent into the storyline and has created a powerful, and at times humerous , tale of one young lawyers quest for fame,fortune and most importantly, hapiness. I am positive that this novel will rise to the best sellers list, And after reading this book, you will think alike. This novel is for all ages and all types. If the book you are searching for, is for excitement or pleasure. The Rainmaker is a great novel and provides a goood read. John Grisham has done his homework now do yours and read this good book.

A Brave Black Regiment History of the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry Regiment

A Brave Black Regiment History of the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry Regiment Introduction â€Å"A Brave Black Regiment: History of the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry Regiment† by Luis Emilio tells the history of one of the most famous infantry regiments ever to serve in any American War. It primarily consisted of black soldiers who were led by white officers, and they provided valuable service to the Union Army during the American Civil War.Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on A Brave Black Regiment: History of the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry Regiment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It was one of the first black combat units assembled in the Northern States so there was a lot of interest and curiosity surrounding it. At a time when there was a lot of debate about the suitability of using blacks for armed combat, its performance was always going to be closely monitored, and the outcome would have a significant bearing on the fate of blacks in the army and the country as a whole. There were so many negative perceptions surrounding blacks serving in the army around this time but this only served to foster a sense of unity and determination amongst the black soldiers and their white officers, which spurred them to fight gallantly in the battles that they were involved in as a unit. History of Formation The outbreak of the Civil War saw many free black men volunteer to enlist in the U.S. military but there was a 1792 law in place that barred colored people from serving in the military. With the Union forces suffering a series of heavy military defeats, and fewer white men volunteering to join the army, Congress repealed the 1792 law in 1862 and passes a Militia Act that gave the president powers to employ blacks in any military or naval service. In March 1863, the then Governor of Massachusetts, John A. Andrew authorized the formation of the regiment and personally picked Colonel Robert Gould Shaw to command the unit[1]. The recruitment process was mainly done by white abolitionists, including Colonel Shaw’s parents, with the help of prominent black abolitionists like Frederick Douglass whose two sons were amongst the recruits. The unit trained at Camp Meigs in Reedville, near Boston under the close supervision of white soldiers. The 54th left Boston in May 1863, ready to do battle for the union, but were initially used to provide manual labor behind the frontlines. They tasted their first battlefield action when they stopped a Confederate assault in July the same year. Pay Disputes Author Luis Emilio clearly documents how the black soldiers of the 54th regiment were discriminated against in terms of payment for military service. During recruitment, they were promised salaries and allowances equal to that being paid to the white soldiers, which was $13 a month at that time. Instead, the black soldiers were paid $10 per month, and still $3 from this were withheld for clothing, meaning they took home only $7 per month[2] .Advertising Looking for book review on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This drew wide protests from many quarters. Colonel Shaw, the white officers and the black soldiers of the 54th regiment boycotted collecting their pay until this matter was addressed. Congress eventually enacted legislation that granted equal pay to black soldiers in June 1864. A Lasting Legacy The 54th regiment was disbanded after the end of the Civil War, but it left an indelible mark in history. The black soldiers of the 54th and in other units played a crucial role in helping the union achieve victory in the war. The black soldiers were tough, resilient and brave, and they fought with a lot of determination. A monument was constructed in their honor in 1884-1898 on the Boston Common and is part of the Boston Black Heritage Trail. Colonel Shaw died in battle, and was buried in the trenches alongside the other black soldiers who suffe red the same fate. Shaw’s parents supported this, as they felt that their son deserved to lie amongst his soldiers that he had led so valiantly in battle. The 54th regiment also produced the first black man to win the Medal of Honor. Sgt. William H. Carney of Company C received this recognition for exceptional bravery on the battlefront in which he risked his life openly to save their flag. The spreading news of heroics of the 54th regiment led to more blacks enlisting for service in the army in many other units all over the country. Conclusion In writing â€Å"A Brave Black Regiment: History of the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry Regiment†, Luis Emilio documents a very important turning point in America’s history that paved the way to the acceptance of blacks as first class American citizens, enjoying all the freedoms and privileges like their white counterparts. Black leaders pushed strongly for the recruitment of black troops since it presented the perf ect opportunity for the black man to prove his courage and patriotism on the battlefield. The nation would be obligated to grant them first class citizenship if they participated in the war to defend their territory. When President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, blacks got their chance to fight for full citizenship. The Civil War become about more than preserving the Union; it became the war of freedom for all American people, both white and black. The role played by the black soldiers of the 54th regiment, and all the black soldiers who fought in the war, helped speed up the general acceptance of black people as true American citizens.Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on A Brave Black Regiment: History of the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry Regiment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Bibliography Emilio, Luis. A Brave Black Regiment. Boston: Da Capo Press, 1995. Footnotes Lu is, Emilio, A Brave Black Regiment (Boston: Da Capo Press, 1995), 210. Luis, Emilio, A Brave Black Regiment (Boston: Da Capo Press, 1995), 214

Global Warming In Ohio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global Warming In Ohio - Essay Example Global Warming In Ohio Carbon pollution is seen to be one of the greatest contributors to the issue of global warming. It has been observed that the single major source of this pollution are the power plants that use coal as a fuel to produce energy. Not only that, but statistics have shown that the state of Ohio has a share of 20 percent among the carbon polluters in the United States ("Blade"). The major dilemma of the community is that even though this piece of information is now a widespread fact, there is no imposition of any sort of federal limits on the rate and quality of the emissions from these power plants. For many years, the government has been unwilling or rather said to be least bothered about implementing any kinds of measures that would help in solving this issue. With the increase in the population and hence, the demand of fuel in both commercial and domestic sectors, coal power stations continue to spring up every now and then all across the state. This coupled with the government’s ignorance simply happens to add fuel to the fire of global warming. Any guidelines or standard measures proposed by organizations dedicated towards protecting the environment have more or less been ignored up till now. Little has been made out of those that have been considered worthy enough to act upon since the rate of pollution is much higher than their capacity to deal with.

Profile without interviewing the person Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Profile without interviewing the person - Essay Example His television career also did not remain devoid of exceptional success owing to the fact that the globally acclaimed television project he starred in ran successfully for about six years. Later, Smith experimented with movies as well and conquered that show business area also as was expected from him considering the sheer devotion and dedication which he is naturally bound to show no matter whatsoever he pursues in life. Smith’s movie career was all set considering myriad mega blockbuster hits he starred in and he is also engrossed in acting in movies currently. He married twice and shares his second marriage with fellow celebrity Jada Smith. Smith’s â€Å"20-year career that just keeps getting hotter, all combined to put the actor in that celebrity sweet spot that all stars crave, but few ever attain† (Fox News) and owing to such unique career, he got able to crown himself with the title of â€Å"The Most Famous, Famous Guy of 2008† (Fox

Financial analysis and risk management of Kingfisher Plc Essay

Financial analysis and risk management of Kingfisher Plc - Essay Example The major retail brands of Kingfisher Plc are B&Q, Castorama, Brico Depot and Screwfix. The company is also operating in Turkey in 50% joint venture with Koc Group. The market capitalisation value of Kingfisher Plc is  £ 9100.92 million. The sales turnover of the company as on February 2014 was around  £ 11.1 billion and the pre-tax adjusted profit was  £ 744 million. Asia is its key sourcing market, along with Eastern Europe, Turkey, South America and Middle East. The main competitors of the company are Wolseley Plc, Homebase limited and Leroy Merlin (London Stock Exchange, 2014). The financing of the company includes a number of debt funding instruments such as, bank borrowings, leases, medium term notes and US private placement debt (Kingfisher, 2014b). Keeping in view the international nature of Kingfisher’s business and growing globalisation across the world, certain strategic factors need to be considered by the company regarding its geographical location, financing and its degree of completion. From competitive position, the company presently belong to one of the top-performing companies in retail sector and major strategic advantage of the company is its tendency to acquire small businesses. The company has undertaken joint venture to enter the Turkish market, which is considerably an important strategy. Hence, the company’s entry strategy differs from market to market. The SWOT analysis of Kingfisher Plc shows that the major strengths of the company are dominant market position, healthy business ratios and innovative products and services. The weaknesses include less investment in research and development and excessive dependence on France and UK market. The opportunities of the company are growth in e-retail an d global home improvement industry while the company can face threats like slow economic growth of European market, rising cost of manpower and high competition. The financial trend analysis has been done on last

An Introduction to the financial tools in measuring Liquidity and Profitability

An Introduction to the financial tools in measuring Liquidity and Profitability Tools that are important in monitoring business are liquidity and profitability. Liquidity refers to solvency meaning how quickly assets can be converted to cash while the income statement measures the financial performance of an entity through measuring profitability. The main financial documents of a company measures profitability and liquidity, the statement of comprehensive income measures profitability whilst liquidity is measured by the statement of financial position. Liquidity is measured by comparing the current assets and current liabilities of an entity. Current assets are resources of a business maturing within a year whilst current liabilities are the short term obligations of a business maturing within a year. Therefore, when measuring liquidity we measure the ability of an entity to cover its short term obligations with its current resources which includes inventory, Debtors, cash in the bank and petty cash amongst other resources. If a firm can cover its current obligations with its current resources twice it is considered liquid meaning it can cover its current obligations with few difficulties and any ratio less than that is considered illiquid meaning the entity will face difficulties in settling its current obligations which is not a good sign for any entity. Profitability is measured by matching revenue for a period with expenses for that period. Revenue is the proceeds an entity receives from selling its products from its core business activities. Whilst expenses are those costs incurred during a period in the process of generating sales revenue. Examples of expenses include electricity, rent, depreciation, salaries and wages e.t.c. The excess of revenues over expenses means the business is profitable whilst the vice versa means its making a loss. Profitability is measured in the income statement, and in addition to cash items it also considers non cash items such as depreciation. As a result profitability is not a true reflection of the cash generated by the business given the fact that it is drawn on an accrual basis. Yearling Ltd The company is faced with disagreements between two departments which are the accounting and finance staff. The accounting staff believes that if the company is profitable it should be able to pay for its obligations whilst the finance staff disagrees. The elaboration in the above paragraphs has explained profitability and liquidity and differences can be identified from the explanations. That is profitability means the ability of the firm to cover its operational expenses with its operational revenue and this includes cash and non cash items and hence can not measure the ability of a firm to pay its obligations. On the other hand liquidity measures the ability of a firm to cover its obligations with its resources and hence a perfect measure of the ability of the firm in covering its financial obligations. Hence, a profitable firm can be illiquid i.e. can face liquidity challenges in meeting its obligations. Conclusion The financial managers staff is right in advocating for party budget cut in order to reduce their financial obligations given the challenge they are faced with. On the other hand the accounting staff are wrong in thinking that a profitable firm implies liquidity as these are two different things as was discussed in the previous paragraphs. Question 2 Question 3 3.1.1. Debt Ratio A  debt ratio compares a companys total  debt to its total assets. Debt consists of the amounts borrowed or owing to creditors. The ratio is used to gain a general idea as to the amount of leverage or debt being used by a company. A low percentage means that the company is less dependent on debt or leverage i.e. money borrowed from and/or owed to others. The lower the proportion, the less leverage a company is using and the stronger its equity position. This is so because the lower the chances that the company will be liquidated to meet the debt obligations. In general, the higher the ratio, the more risk that company is considered to have taken on. Debt ratio is calculated by the following formula: For the companies under discussion their debt ratios are as follows: Pelican Paper Ltd Timberland Forest Ltd 1000000/10000000 5000000/10000000 10% 50% Timberland Forest Ltd has got a high ratio of 50% compared to the ratio of Pelican Paper Ltd of 10%. This means that Timberland has a high financial risk as it is financed by debt more than Pelican. The more debt compared to equity a company has, which is signalled by a high debt ratio, the more leveraged it is and the riskier it is considered to be. 3.1.2. Times Interest earned Ratio A metric used to measure a companys ability to meet its debt obligations. It is calculated by taking a companys earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) and dividing it by the total interest payable on bonds and other contractual debt. It is usually quoted as a ratio and indicates how many times a company can cover its interest charges on a pre-tax basis. Failing to meet these obligations could force a company into bankruptcy. The ratio is calculated as follows: Times Interest Earned=Earnings before interest and taxes/interest For the two companies their respective ratios are as follows: Pelican Paper Ltd Timberland Forest Ltd 6250000/100000 6250000/500000 62.5 times 12.5times Pelican Paper Ltd has a high times interest earned ratio of 62.5times compared to Timberlands of 12.5times. This means Pelican has a high ability to cover its debts compared to Timberland as reflected by the number of times they can cover their interest obligations with available earnings. Conclusion Timberland has a high financial risk reflected by a high debt ratio and a lower time interest earned ratio. 3.2 3.2.1. Operating Profit margin Operating profit margin is the proportion of operating profit to Sales revenue for that period. Operating profit margin indicates how effective a company is at controlling the costs and expenses associated with their normal business operations. A high ratio means a high profitability whilst a lower means less profitable. The ratio is calculated as follows: Operating profit margin = operating profit/sales The respective ratios for the two companies are as follows: Pelican Paper Ltd Timberland Forest Ltd 6250000/25000000 6250000/25000000 25% 25% The companies has the same ratios and this implies that they are equally good in managing their costs and expenses hence profitability based on this ratio. 3.2.2. Net Profit Margin The ratio measures the percentage of profit available to ordinary shareholders to Sales. This number is an indication of how effective a company is at cost control. The higher the net profit margin is, the more effective the company is at converting revenue into actual profit. The net profit margins are a good way to compare companies in order to gauge which ONES are relatively more profitable. The ratio is calculated by the following formula: Net profit margin = Earnings available for ordinary share holders/sales The respective ratios of the two companies are as follows: Pelican Paper Ltd Timberland Forest Ltd 3690000/25000000 3450000/25000000 14.76% 13.80% Pelican has a high ratio compared to Timberland which means a high profitability based on this ratio. Therefore Pelican is profitable than Timberland. 3.2.3. Return on Total Assets Measures profit in proportion to total assets, in other words the effectiveness of management utilising the available assets in generating profits. A high ratio means greatest effectiveness and profitability. The ratio is calculated as follows: Return on total assets = Earnings available for ordinary shareholders/Total assets For the two companies the respective ratios are as follows: Pelican Paper Ltd Timberland Forest Ltd 3690000/10000000 3450000/10000000 36.90% 34.50% Pelican has a high ratio compared to Timberlands hence high profitability. 3.2.4. Return on common equity Measures the return earned on the ordinary shareholders investment in the firm. The amount of net income  returned  as a percentage  of shareholders equity.  Return on equity  measures a corporations profitability  by revealing how much  profit a company generates  with the money shareholders have invested.  Ã‚   ROE is expressed as a percentage and calculated as: Return on Equity = Net Income/Shareholders Equity Net income is for the full fiscal year (before dividends paid to common stock holders but after dividends to preferred stock.) Shareholders equity does not include preferred shares. The two companies ratios are as follows: Pelican Paper Ltd Timberland Forest Ltd 3690000/9000000 3450000/5000000 41% 69% Pelican has a lower return on equity compared to Timberland and based on this ratio Timberland is more profitable compared to Pelican. 3.3. Timberland has become more profitable because of the larger debt. Debt has a fixed interest payment and its tax allowed meaning it is tax deductable and as a result a high debt means a high interest payment and lower tax hence increased profits. 3.4. The risks undertaken by Timberland investors are basically financial risks which include the liquidity risk, interest rate risk and credit risk. Question 4 Item Change(Rands) inflow(I)/outflow(o)/neither(N) Cash +100 I Trade and other payables -1000 O Short term borrowing +500 I Long-term borrowing -2000 O Inventory +200 O Non-current assets +400 O Trade receivables -700 I Net profit +600 Depreciation +100 N Repurchase of shares +600 O Cash dividends +800 I Sale of shares +1000 I Question 5 5.1. Year Cashflow PVIF(5%) PV 1 800 0.95 761.90 2 900 0.91 816.33 3 1000 0.86 863.84 4 1500 0.82 1234.05 5 2000 0.78 1567.05 Present Value of mixed cash flows 5243.17 5.2. The amount that can be paid at most is 5  243.17 5.3. Present Value of the mixed cash flows at 7% is as follows: Year Cashflow PVIF(5%) PV 1 800 0.93 747.66 2 900 0.87 786.09 3 1000 0.82 816.30 4 1500 0.76 1144.34 5 2000 0.71 1425.97 Present Value of mixed cash flows 4920.37 An opportunity cost of 7% implies that the investor will be prepared to pay less now and earn the same return as the one who pays more at 5% return. Question 6 6.1. Risk Averse Describes of an investor who, when faced with two investments with same or a similar expected return and different risks, will prefer the one with the lower risk. Given the trade off between risk and return its means risk averse investors will always lose on a potential of earning higher returns as investments with lower risks tend to have lower returns. 6.2. Risk indifferent This describes investors who overlook purposely risk when deciding between investments. They are also called risk neutral investors and they are mainly concerned with an investment expected return. 6.3. Risk seeking Describes investors who are willing to take additional risks for investments that have relatively low expected return. This contrasts with a typical investor mentality risk aversion. They tend to take higher risks in an effort to earn higher returns. They are also termed risk lovers. 6.4. Financial managers are best described as risk averse as they always seek to minimise risk when they make financial decisions. Question 7 7.1. Standard deviation measures the deviation of the returns from the expected return whilst range measures the differences between the highest possible return and the lowest return of a project. The higher the standard deviation the higher the risk whilst the same can be said about range, therefore project A is less risky as it has the lowest standard deviation and range compared to other projects. 7.2. Project A has a lower standard deviation 7.3 Standard deviation measures extend at which the returns are dispersed from the expected return of an asset. But it does not measure proportionately, so given different returns standard deviation will not be proper to use it as a measure of risk for purpose of comparison. 7.4 Coefficient of variation = Standard deviation/Expected Return Project Coefficient of variation A 2.9%/12% 0.24 B 3.2%/12.5% 0.26 C 3.5%/13% 0.27 D 3%/12.8% 0.23 7.5 Coefficient of variation is a best measure of risk for purposes of comparison as it measures proportional deviation from the mean. Given that Grassland owners are risk averse they will choose a project with the lowest coefficient of variation which is project D based on the table above. Question 8 8.1 Comparison of Ordinary shareholders and other providers of long term capital Ordinary Shareholders Other Suppliers of long term capital Dividends to be paid are at the discretion of the companies board of directors Receives a fixed interest whether the company made profit or not. Dividend payments are taxed Interest payments are tax deductible Permanent form of financing They mature Have secondary claims to assets and income of the company. Have primary claims to income and assets of a company. Owners of the firm Creditors of the firm Have voting rights Dont have voting rights. 8.2 Rights offering are when ordinary shareholders are offered new shares at a discounted price first before they become available to the public. Therefore, this offering protects a firms shareholders from dilution of their holding in such a way that they are given preference to maintain their holding first by being offered proportional new shares to their holding. In that manner protected from a possible dilution if they were to be taken by new shareholders. 8.3. Authorised Shares Authorised shares quantify the maximum total shares a company can be allowed to issue. In other words it is the number of shares a company is authorised to issue highlighted in its articles and memorandum of association. It is from this that the company can decide on the number of shares that it can issue and can only issue at most to this amount of authorised shares otherwise it can issue less. Issued shares Its the number of shares that has been issued and paid for and it represents part of the amount equity reflected in the statement of financial position. These also represents the amount of he authorised shares held by the public. Issued shares represents the sum of issued and treasury shares. Treasury shares A company can decide to purchase part of the issued shares back for some reasons. If it does the shares will be held by the company and they do not participate in any thing i.e. they do not participate in voting nor receive dividends. These types of shares are the ones termed treasury shares 8.4. Preference shareholders tend to have more favourable basic rights in terms of the distribution of earnings and assets compared to ordinary shareholders. They often have features of debt instruments which makes them superior in terms of claims compared to ordinary shareholders. The claims that preference shares will be discussed in the paragraphs that follow; Preference shares have a fixed claim on the firms income that takes precedence over the claim of ordinary shareholders. This makes them less risk compared to ordinary shareholders as they have guaranteed income. Given that they are participative preference shares they will also have preference over ordinary shareholders in the distribution of earnings. Furthermore, if they do not receives the dividend earnings it implies the ordinary shareholders they have not as well. This then makes and shows that the ordinary shareholders are the true risk takers. In the event of liquidation, preference shares do have a preference over ordinary shareholders in claims over assets of the firm. In other words they are paid their initial capital first before ordinary shareholders could be paid. 8.5. The cumulative future of preference shares refers to the guaranteed payment of dividends to the shares irregardless of the performance of the company. In the event of a company having less financial resources to pay for the dividend, it will be deferred and paid as and when the company realizes the resources to pay. In other words the dividends are accumulated and paid when the company can. For example, if a company is liable to pay a 10  000 dividend annually for preference shares and it happens that one financial period the lack financial resources to pay the dividend they defer it to the following financial period. As a result, in the following financial period they will have to pay a dividend of 20  000 which covers the 10  000 for the last period and the 10  000 for the current period. Question 9 Valuation of shares with no dividend growth, the formula is as follows. 9.1 Share price = Dividend per share/cost of capital 2.4/0.12 R 20.00 9.2 2.4/0.2 R 12.00 9.3 The higher the risk the higher the value, a lower interest rate results in a higher value. This is so because the lower the interest rate the higher the risk of default and that risk should be compensated by an increased capital value. The reverse is also true for a higher interest rate as it has resulted in a lower capital value.

Narcolepsy :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Wake Up! A Quick Look at Narcolepsy It is estimated that humans spend one-third of their lives asleep (1). With sleep appearing to be not only the ultimate pastime, but also a survival imperative, the field of sleep research is quite broad, boasting many different areas of study. By examining phenomena like sleep disorders neurobiologists can hope to understand the mechanisms of normative sleep, in addition to perfecting treatment for suffers. Narcolepsy is one such disorder that affects an estimated 250, 000 or 1 in 2000 Americans; similar numbers are estimated for Parkinson's or multiple sclerosis (2). A widespread, though often misdiagnosed disease (fewer than 50, 000 are aware of their condition), narcolepsy can be characterized by chronic daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hypanogic hallucinations (3 ). The latter three of the tetrad of symptoms also occur in non-narcoleptic individuals; sleep episodes are the main determinant in diagnosis. Only 20 to 25 percent of narcoleptics suffer from all fou r symptoms (2). This paper has several goals, all of which involve clarifying the disease and its symptoms in different contexts. In order to do this sleep will first be explained in some detail, followed by a biological and psychological treatment of narcolepsy. Research of narcolepsy and its implications for the future shows steps to be taken in order to garner a better understanding this particular brain/behavior relationship. To start at a beginning of sorts, REM sleep and its importance should be discussed. Sleep is in fact not the passive activity it was once assumed to be. It appears that during sleep many things are going on in the brain, which are documented by electroencephalograms (EEGs) measuring neocortical neuronal activity. Sleep occurs in a cycle of distinct stages, with apparent contrasts from early sleep, deep sleep, and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep (4). During REM sleep neurons in the neocortex behave similarly to how they would when a person is awake, displaying desynchronized EEG. The first REM stage occurs 70 to 90 minutes into sleep and approximately 20% of a night's sleep is spent in this type of sleep (4). Since this stage of sleeping is associated with dreaming, it is logical that in REM sleep muscles become temporarily paralyzed, a state called muscle atonia. REM sleep is important for overall health and regulation of the nervous system. In other sleep stages, or non-REM stages, E EGs are synchronized, only partial muscle relaxation is present, and dreaming is less frequent (2).

Geological Resources In Hong Kong Environmental Sciences Essay

Hong Kong is a little particular administrative part located at the southern portion of China. Within a little country, it has a really rich geological diverseness ( Yeung, 2010 ) . The geological diverseness can be valued in assorted facets, depending on which parties can be benefited. Some of the values can be regarded as resources, which can be used to make good to human existences. The geological resources profit our life in different ways, such as in our economic system, society and the environment. In this essay, it is traveling to concentrate how different geological resources benefit Hong Kong people in inside informations. When speaking approximately geological resources, most people would believe of mineral ore. There are different minerals ores distributed across Hong Kong, both metallic and non-metallic one, such as the lead mine in Lin Ma Hang and the tungsten mine in Needle Hill, but all of them are closed due to no net income ( Sewell, Tang, & A ; Shaw, 2009 ) . Although the economic system of Hong Kong is no longer based with primary industry now, there was a flourishing excavation industrial activity in the yesteryear. This was the Fe ore located in Ma On Shan which was the lone industrial mine running in a big graduated table of all time in the history of Hong Kong ( Ruan, 2009 ) . The formation of the Fe ore is due to the endogenic procedures, which is described as the followers ( Wu, 2003 ) . The volcanic activities in Ma On Shan country 1000000s old ages ago causes magma invasion. Before the volcanic activity, the type of stones in Ma On Shan was chiefly sedimentary stone. The invasion along faults causes chemical reaction between the stone and the magma, known as contact metamorphism. High temperature and force per unit area modifies the chemical science of the affected sedimentary stones, and go metamorphous stone ( Skarn ) . As the sedimentary stone is more permeable, H2O infiltrates. Magma heats up the H2O. As hot H2O has higher solubility, it solutes the minerals in the magma and brings to the lower temperature topographic points harmonizing to the jurisprudence of geothermic gradient. The fluid is known as geothermofluid. Minerals in the geothermofluid sedimentation when the H2O temperature drops, as the solubility of minerals reduces. The perennial procedure causes enrichment of minerals and forms the Fe ore. The environing country of the mine has developed quickly with schools, markets and church established, to function the mineworkers and their households. However, the Fe mine has been abandoned in 1976, go forthing a few mineworkers remaining at that place with empty schools and church ( Ho, 2009 ) . The geological resources in Ma On Shan witnessed the rise and autumn of a topographic point and the people. The topographic point now becomes a site for tourers to boost, to hold merriment and to research the excavation history. Non-metallic mineral Besides minerals that can be sold for net income, rock quarrying and sea sand excavation can non be ignored because they are indispensable for the development of Hong Kong. Hong Kong has rich screen of volcanic stones with 50 % and 35 % of flinty stone ( Geopark, 2009 ) . They are utile for building. There are three preies, managed by CEDD, located in Lam Tei, Anderson Road and Shek O, which are really of import in supplying edifice stuffs for the building undertakings ( CEDD, 2009 ) . Furthermore, the stone stuffs are besides used for reclamination in developing the new towns every bit good as for the Victoria Harbour. The dirt and stone minerals in the borrow country in Tai Tong East were extracted for the building of Tin Shui Wai New Town. Some of the stones in the preies and the sea sand from the sea were used for the reclamination undertakings along the Victoria Harbour. Without these resources to increase the sum of level land, it is non easy to happen adequate infinites to busy a big sum of population in Hong Kong. Rock quarrying has a really long history in Hong Kong which can be traced back to the yesteryear when the Hong Kong had non yet opened by the British people. During that clip, Hakka people settled in different topographic points in Hong Kong, trusting on rock quarrying for life. One of the celebrated sites is the Four Hills in the East Kowloon, which are Ngau Tau Kok, Sai Tso Wan, Cha Kwo Ling and Lei Yue Mun, stand foring the beginning of rock quarrying history by Hakka people in Hong Kong ( Yu, 2009 ) . The Hakka people have use the local stuffs to construct their houses and the stuffs are granite ( Wordie, 2007 ) . The Hakka people besides earned their life through pull outing the granite by manus and sold it. Their stones have become the building stuffs of some of import edifices such as the Legislative Council Building ( Sing Tao Daily, 2007 ) . Some of the stones are sold to Guangzhou to construct the Sacred Heart Cathedral in 1861 ( Wordie, 2007 ) . With such rich in resources, people get richer and the Hakka small towns started to turn. Their rock-mining narrative can be reflected in the Hakka common people vocal every bit good ( Li, 2010 ) . Therefore, the geological resources helped to put down the foundation of their Hakka civilization in East Kowloon. In add-on, it besides reflects the character of hardworking of Hakka people and their part to the society development. The chemical weathering of felspar in granite leads to the formation of china clay ( Waugh, 2005 ) . Therefore, kaolin mine can be found in Cha Kwo Ling in East Kowloon every bit good. Another celebrated site utilizing china clay as the beginning for doing China is in a Hakka small town in Wun Yiu in Tai Po. In fact, the name of the topographic point reflects its economic activity V doing China. Wun Yiu has established since the in-between age of Ming Dynasty ( Chen, 2007 ) . The Hakka built a temple to praise the Saint of Potter V Fan Xian ( OA?P ) . Every twelvemonth, the Hakka people in the small town observe its birthday which is a alone civilization in that topographic point ( Chan, 2008 ) . However, due to cut downing militias of china clay, the china-making activities was stopped in 1930s and the villagers changed to farming to gain a life ( Chan, 2008 ) . The jubilation still continues. The geological resources non merely profit the economic system in at that place, but besid es of import to their civilization and the societal coherence. Agribusiness Besides direct stuffs extraction, human sorts so indirectly extract the minerals in dirt through agribusiness. Soil is besides an of import geological resource to people. Fertile dirts are normally weathered from pyrogenic stones because pyrogenic stones are formed in the beginning of the stone rhythm ( Troeh & A ; Thompson, 2005 ) : In the beginning of stone rhythm, the stone signifiers from chilling of lava or magma which keeps most of the minerals. By the procedures of enduring and eroding, the pyrogenic stone will be broken in pieces and transported to other topographic points through erosional agents. During the procedure of transit, the minerals in the pyrogenic stone will be lost to the environment such as solution in H2O. As a consequence, the minerals in the sedimentary stones are few, comparing with pyrogenic stone, so the dirt derived from sedimentary stones is sterile. In Hong Kong, pyrogenic stone has the largest surface screen for approximately 85 % ( Geopark, 2009 ) , so most of the land is suited for the flora growing. Generally, the agricultural lands are found on or shut to the pyrogenic stone, particularly the volcanic stones. For illustration, the dirts and the minerals on the mountains in Lam Tusen, which the type of the stone on the mountains is volcanic stone, are carried to the low-lying land to enrich the dirt. Therefore, agricultural activities are active along the Lam Tusen Valley. Without the volcanic stones, the life of the people in there will be really rough as turning nutrient on an sterile land is hard. For that ground, geological resources, in this instance, are indispensable for the endurance of human existences. Tourism The weather-beaten and scoured stones are besides geological resources which are of import for the development of touristry. In Hong Kong, there are different landscapes characteristics are associated with different geological procedures. Due to strong predominating air current from the E, it is easy to happen erosional coastal characteristics in the eastern portion of Hong Kong, by the action of moving ridges ( Sewell, Tang, & A ; Shaw, 2009 ) . In Tung Ping Chau, sea stack, sea cave and wave-cut platform can be found ( Ng & A ; Chan, 2008 ) . These characteristics provide beautiful sceneries for the tourers to astonish and appreciate. Besides costal eroding, weathering is besides of import in determining the stone characteristics. For illustration in Po Toi, there are a batch of interesting and typical stone characteristics on the island, such as the Buddhist Monk and the Tortoise Traveling up the Hill ( Ng & A ; Chan, 2008 ) . These geological resources are recreational musca volitanss for people to bask during vacations. Such characteristics have attracted a batch of tourers from local and abroad, which can assist to advance the local touristry in Hong Kong. Hong Kong has a great geodiveristy and has a possible to set up a Geopark. With the aid of the Chinese Government, the Geopark is officially opened on 3 November 2009 ( Government News, 2009 ) . The geopark is divided into two chief parts, which are the sedimentary stone parts in the Northeast New Territories and the volcanic stone parts in Sai Kung, with a sum of eight scenery sites ( HKSAR, 2010 ) . In the beginning of six months since the park established, it has attracted more than half million visitants ( Huang, 2010 ) . These tourers spend money on booking boats, engaging a usher, basking the seafood on the outlying islands and purchasing traditional seafood from the villagers. In add-on to the outgos passing outside the park, the gross generated from touristry due to the geopark, is expected about 200 million dollars a twelvemonth ( Ming Pao, 2010 ) . With the use of the geological resources, it contributes to our economic system development and provides occupations chances fo r the local people. It can heighten the image and repute of touristry industry of Hong Kong every bit good ( Huang & A ; Weng, 2009 ) . Education and scientific research Furthermore, these sites have instruction and scientific values to people. For instruction intents, these geological landforms provide a platform for people and particularly the childs to understand the endogenic procedures and exogenetic procedures in determining the Earth surface. It is astonishing to cognize the power of the Nature. The characteristics will non be formed in the manner the fables told us, such as the Amah Rock was formed because the God turns the adult female and the babe into stone ( Cai, 2009 ) . In fact, the formation of the Amah Rock is due to different sorts of enduring procedures acted on granite. Another illustration is Ma Shi Chau Special Area where is a best topographic point for geographics lesson, as sedimentary stones, coastal landforms, turn uping and blaming can be found on this small island ( Wong, 2009 ) . Therefore, the geological resources help us to heighten our physical geographics cognition. For scientific values, the research workers and experts can understand the development of the Earth history through reading the stone samples. By understanding our yesteryear, the geological history of Hong Kong can be reviewed and so it can be used to foretell the hereafter. The environmental alteration can be identified as good, such as low-lying rise and clime alteration. They are utile for environmental modeling for scientific research. Other geological history, the human sort history can be studied, as the dirt under the surface keeps the artefacts for the archeologists in future to delve them up. In add-ons, geodiversity supports biodiversity, through supplying nutrients for workss and home grounds for animate beings ( Ng, 2006 ) . By understanding of the maps of stones and their relationship, it can increase the public consciousness that protecting stones is a manner to protect the natural ecosystems. Therefore, the geological resources are important in assisting instruction and scientific research. Burial things The geological resources can lend the society through supplying topographic points to bury our refuse. In Hong Kong, happening a topographic point to bury our tremendous refuse produced every twenty-four hours is hard. Presently, the society has a hot argument on the issue of spread outing the landfill site in Tseung Kwan O, doing the authorities in a hard state of affairs ( Guo, 2010 ) . Other than burying refuse, burying dead organic structures is another job that the authorities has to cover with. The deficit of infinites for hive awaying ashes is limited. Some lands are converted into ash Fieldss by some private developers to gain net income, even though some of them have non received permission from the authorities ( Cheung & A ; Wong, 2010 ) . In order to work out the jobs, the direction of the geological resources V land, has to be careful to avoid farther complications. Legends and civilization Finally, some of the typical stone characteristics has become a fable or being praised for its supernatural power. For fable, the Amah Rock is an illustration. One of the illustrations is the Lovers Rock in Bowen Road in the Mid-level. During the Chinese Valentine Day, a figure of people would see Lovers Rock to wish a durable relationship or hold a boy- or girlfriend ( Lu & A ; Mai, 2003 ) . For Lion Rock, it gives a sense of properties and a contemplation to the character of Hong Kong people. The geological resources provide a platform for people s imaginativeness and creativeness. It besides gives faith to people who are confused or without confident. Therefore, it contributes to our psychological science. Decision To reason, the geological resources are rich in this small metropolis. There are metallic and non-metallic minerals which support the local civilization, economical development and the infrastructural buildings. The typical landforms encourage touristries and so provide occupation chances. The geological characteristics can ease the instruction and scientific research. Last, the legendised stone characteristics give some cultural values to Hong Kong. These resources are indispensable to our day-to-day life as we depends it for money, nutrient, lodging and besides the psychological demands. Therefore, the geological resources should be treasured as they belong to each of us in Hong Kong. We have to collaborate together to protect them before it is excessively late.

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