Family Assessment

Running head: HEALTH ASSESSMENT Family Focused Health Assessment Nancy E Gundersen Grand Canyon University NRS429v December 4, 2011 Family Focused Health Assessment This paper will assess a family interviewed using Gordon’s 11 functional health patterns. It will summarize the findings for each health pattern from a designated number of interview questions. The author identifies two wellness nursing diagnoses based on the author’s assessment of the family health patterns and the answers provided to the interview questions. The family interviewed was a husband and wife who live active lives. They have recently moved from Colorado to Texas and both have new jobs. They have 3 children and 2 grandchildren who reside in Oregon and Colorado. The wife recently went through radiation therapy for MALT lymphoma and the husband recently learned he has been living with only 1 kidney and a herniated disk. The husband has had gout since he was twenty five and the wife was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome at age eighteen. These conditions have been controlled by diet and medication. Otherwise this family is fairly healthy. They are from different backgrounds and different cultures but have adapted their own traditions and health habits. Both are mastered prepared and share similar hobbies and interests. Summary of functional health patterns; 1. Values, health perceptions a. Both family members value health and do not have cultural influences as it relates to how they obtain a healthy lifestyle. They understand that eating right and exercising will increase their chances of regaining their health. 2. Nutrition b. Both family members work fulltime and have a very full schedule. They arise early and are out the door with a minimal breakfast. The husband has a slim fast nutrition drink while the wife may have a bowl of cereal or slice of toast. Their lunch habits vary. The wife usually brings lunch with her that includes a sandwich or protein bar. The husband usually goes home for lunch and will make himself a cup of soup or a leftover salad. The wife usually does not arrive home until 6:30 or 7pm while the husband is home by 5pm. He is able to make healthy dinners as he enjoys cooking. They both try to stay away from t he foods that will bring on symptoms of gout or irritable bowel syndrome. 3. Sleep/Rest c. The husband does not usually have problems falling asleep but will get up during the night to use the bathroom. He only uses sleep aids when he travels as his sleep patterns are interrupted. The wife has a hard time falling asleep because of the stresses of the day and will occasionally use an over the counter sleep aid if she is unable to get a good night sleep for several days. 4. Elimination d. The husband has no issue with proper elimination. He attributes this to eating a lot of salads. The wife however, because of her irritable bowel syndrome will sometimes alternate between having constipation and diarrhea. She takes a probiotic routinely, benefiber and drinks plenty of water in addition to trying to watch what she eats to stay regular. . Activity/Exercise e. Both family members consider exercise as an important part of their daily life. Recent illnesses have prevented their ability to do strenuous exercise. The husband most recently hurt his back and the wife has not yet fully recovered from her radiation treatment. Both do other forms of activities however including taking stairs inst ead of elevators, walking nine holes of golf and routine household chores such as yard work. 6. Cognitive f. Both family members do much better when they are in control of a meeting or situation. They feel clear headed and better prepared. They both have periods when they may forget to do something they were asked and have learned to write things down to help prevent this from happening. 7. Sensory-perception g. Both family members are dealing with conditions that have not allowed them to be as active as they have been in the past. They frequently complain of joint pain or muscle aches. They try to stretch and work up to more strenuous activity. Gout causes joint pain and a recent diagnosis of a herniated disk has increased back pain for the husband who is going to physical therapy once a week. 8. Self-perception h. The wife was diagnosed with cancer. This was a very stressful situation and the husband felt helpless as he could not alleviate her symptoms. The wife was afraid and felt helpless and fearful. The husband has also come to the realization that he is not able to play golf like he use to as he has restrictive movement due to his back problems. They both feel discouraged at times and have feelings of despair. 9. Role Responsibility i. Both family members feel they communicate well with each other and have developed routines that fit their lifestyle. The wife does not like to cook but the husband does so that works out very well. The husband’s recent role of caregiver while the wife was going through radiation therapy was a situation they both had to deal with but in different ways. The wife stated she always thought she would be the one caring for her husband not the other way around. 10. Sexuality j. The recent stresses that both have gone through has affected their sexual patterns. Moving, a critical medical diagnosis, a new job, making new friends and leaving their children was very difficult for both. Each stated they just worked through it. 11. Coping k. They both have been through a lot this past year and ? and it is maintaining a level head, knowing that they can count on each other and using logic not emotion to deal with issues has gotten them through some difficult times. Wellness nursing diagnosis The wellness nursing diagnosis within this family that might be candidates for intervention would be in the areas of activity and exercise and sleep rest patterns. The recent diagnosis for both family members has affected their normal exercise routine. Their wellness nursing diagnosis would be the readiness for an enhanced exercise program. They need more exercise to increase their aerobic cardiac health and need to resurrect the exercise routine that they enjoyed prior to their illness. Their risk diagnosis is disuse syndrome and the husband is at risk for peripheral neurovascular dysfunction and impaired physical mobility. If this family does not follow a proper exercise program that best fits their health condition and lifestyle they can easily become sedentary and increase their chances for other health risks. The actual wellness nursing diagnosis for both family members is they currently have activity intolerance. The nursing wellness diagnosis for sleep-rest pattern is necessary for this family is they need to have a program established to enhance their sleep habits. They both have interrupted sleep patterns and use medication to help them rest. They both have disturbed sleep patterns and are at risk for sleep deprivation. The actual nursing wellness diagnosis would be sleep pattern disturbance and sleep deprivation. This family has done exceptionally well coping with the recent health issues they have had to face. They are a team and stated they need to regain their health. Continuing their healthy lifestyle, with all the obstacles, has only brought them closer together. They are working hard to get healthy again and building up their stamina when it comes to exercising is top of their list. They continue to do research on what may be beneficial for them and will do whatever it takes to accomplish their goals. References Edelman, M. Health promotion throughout lifespan 7th edition. Mosby Elsevier. Gundersen, N. E. (2011, December 4). Family health assessment. (Interview with Mr. and Mrs. John Howard) (Mr. and Mrs. John Howard, Trans. ) (Interviewed using Gordon's 11 functional health patterns as a guide). Austin Texas (Original work published 22 Questions developed using Gordon's 11 functional health patterns). Weber, J. R. (2005). Nursing diagnoses (Wellness, risk and actual) grouped according to functional health patterns. In Nurses handbook of health assessment 5th edition Philadelphia, Lippincott, Williams &Wilkens. Retrieved from http://jxzy. smu. edu. cn/jkpg/Uploadfiles/file/TF_06928152357_nursing%20grouped%20by%20functional%20health%20patterns. pdf Family Assessment Family Assessment a) Family form A definition of family: â€Å"A family is two or more persons who are joined together by bonds of sharing and emotional closeness and who identify themselves as being part of a family. † Friedman (1997) The Jordan’s are a nuclear family. The family members include husband, wife and three children. Dad is forty four years old, Mom is forty one years old and the three boys are seven, nine and eleven. The children are all in school, the parents help the seven year old who is in second grade with his homework. While I was visiting, the youngest child was working on a book report.He was asking several questions of his Mom during the interview. The boy was very well-mannered and said â€Å"excuse me† before asking for help. The nine and eleven year old boys are quite independent with all their school work. When they have a bible reading schedule related to their worship, they read together as a family. b) Patterns of Interaction/Communi cation The wife does all the domestic duties with the help of the oldest child. This family are Jehovah’s Witnessess and culturally, the husband is the bread winner of the house and should work hard to provide for the entire family. The wife should take care of all the house work.Jehovah’s Witnessess believe the wife should not work. The Mothers job is to make sure the entire family’s needs are met. This includes caring for her children emotionally, physically and psychologically. Like the Bowen’s Family Systems Theory, the family is seen as an emotional unit. I did observe Mrs. Jordan as a very compassionate, concerned and emotional mother. She was very serious when talking about her children; she felt strongly that the boys should be able to come to her with any issues, good or bad. Mrs. Jordan is also responsible for the family budget and finances. When asked â€Å"Who has the power and authority in our family? Mrs. Jordan replied, â€Å"The Bible, J ehovah’s Word has the power in our family. It is the essence and the foundation of our family. † If there is a decision to be made that affects the whole family, the husband and wife make the decisions, but the husband is the head of the household. The family believes in what the bible says, â€Å"The Golden Rule†, â€Å"Treat others the way you want to be treated. † The developmental theory considers overtime the family unit foes through various phases that can be predicted based on norms. The family development approach examines role expectations within the family unit.I asked the family, â€Å"Are there any role assessments, such as â€Å"the good child† or â€Å"neat freak† the boys laughed and look at each other. Then the mom quickly responded, â€Å"No. Not at all. Our children know the law contained in the Bible and are governed by its principles. † They all seemed to be comfortable when answering the questions in the interview , although their answers were somewhat vague, the dad did not participate much in the interview. Instead, he was answering calls and working from home. The family was asked if they engage in any activities together. The family volunteers in Life Saving Preaching Work.They are all involved in this ministry that saves lives. In other words, they share the gospel with others, believing that they with come to know the Lord. The husband is also a volunteer in the medical field. He was not specific when answering this question. The Jordan’s also have what they call â€Å"round table discussions† which they partake in every Friday night. c) Boundaries I wanted to know if their family had any subjects that were difficult to discuss together. The family brought up the subject of racism. Mrs. Jordan shared a story about other children in school making racial comments to her child.This was devastating to Mrs. Jordan and she found it very hard and complicated to discuss. She felt anger toward the children that bullied her son. We discussed other boundaries as well. For example, I asked if the family members interact with groups outside of their family, Mrs. Jordan said â€Å"We’re Jehovah’s Witnesses and as such, we are a part of an international brotherhood and we do not need invitation before visiting any of our brothers and sisters what we do not do is associate closely with non-witnesses, because bad association spoils useful habits. Everyone in the family seemed to agree with mom on this subject. In fact, the middle boy shared that they were only allowed to have a sleepover with other children born into Jehovah’s witnesses with manners based on the bible. He also mentioned that it is a rule in their house; they can only play their videos or watch TV on Friday, Saturday and Sunday until noon. d) Family Values & Norms The Structure Function Theory suggests the family is viewed as an organization; roles, values, and communication are integral components. The Jordan’s differ from many families I know because of their strong religious beliefs.The Jordan’s values are based on the bible and all of them are equally important, according to Mrs. Jordan. She also stated â€Å"Honesty, it’s a way of life. † It is also very important to the family that they are sharing the gift of everlasting life with others who decide to listen to their preaching work. The family likes to spend time with each other every day. During breakfast they read their daily devotionals, and the father says a prayer on behalf of the whole family before they depart for the day. e) Religion Religion is very important to the family, and they have strong religious beliefs that may affect their healthcare decisions.They are to put their spiritual well-being before any other things. As a Jehovah’s Witness, they do not accept blood transfusions under any circumstance, even in the face of death according to scriptures Le viticus 17:10, 11, Leviticus 17:13,14, Acts 15:22-29. When asked if the family attended church, Mrs. Jordan informed me that they do not attend church, but they do attend regular meeting at their Kingdom Hall. Mrs. Jordan said, â€Å"We are fifth generation Jehovah’s Witnesses therefore we are born and raised to do everything according to the bible.When asked if the family attended church, Mrs. Jordan informed me that they do not attend church, but they do attend regular meeting at their Kingdom Hall. Mrs. Jordan said, â€Å"We are fifth generation Jehovah’s Witnesses therefore we are born and raised to do everything according to the bible. f) Culture g) Family Stressors Lastly, I wanted to know if the family is currently dealing with any stressors. Currently Mrs. Jordan says that she is bored at home and would like to go back to work. h) Family’s Strength and Resources The children were very well behaved during this interview.The oldest son, took my coat, and asked if I would like anything to drink. I thought the three boys were all extremely well mannered, gentlemen. The Father did not participate much in the interview; he was also very polite and welcoming. The Jordan family has much strength such as, communication, honesty, love and discipline. Like Mrs. Jordan I feel that discipline is a form of love. The family I connected, they sound time with one another and they help each other out. In addition, the family has many resources in their community of Jehovah’s Witnesses.From what I understand this is a very connected community. They are likely to find the help of others in their community if they needed. Summary I think the family and I both learned a few things from this interview. I particularly found it intriguing that the family reads the bible together every day. If and when I have children of my own, I will have this tradition with my family as well. I found out more interesting information when I asked questions regard ing the family’s health care. The family uses primary prevention measures such as; a healthy diet and exercise.The entire family has a membership at a fitness gym. The family is however against immunizations because they believe it can cause other health issues. The husband is a doctor and says he â€Å"has knowledge† of the serious side effects. I can understand the concern as parents, but as their nurse it is my job to explain both the risks and benefits. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) strongly recommends that the risks and benefits are discussed by a nurse or doctor before any refusal documents are signed. That means that we are to teach on each vaccine and the disease it prevents.I would also refer them to the AAP website that has information on immunizations, providing parents an opportunity to ask questions about their concerns and attempting to understand parents’ reason for refusing one or more vaccines. It is important to maintain a supportive relationship with the family. The AAP encourages documentation the health care provider’s discussion with the parents of the serious risks. Have the parent sign the refusal for and keep it the patient’s medical record. The secondary prevention measures were regular checkups which are performed by the mom and dad.The dad is a neurosurgeon, and the mom has a nursing degree. The husband is the wife’s primary physician also. She also admitted that she has never had a dental checkup, but the children have. She never had a mammogram and doesn’t intend to until she is sixty five years old. And lastly, when asked about medication taken, Mrs. Jordan explained, no one is on any medications. The goals I develop must be realistic, asking myself, â€Å"to what extent can the goals be achieved? † I personally feel like the parents are adamant regarding the children’s immunizations.I would however provide them with the information from the AAP website to increase the knowledge or provide them with information that they may have previously misinterpreted or misunderstood. I would set a goal with Mrs. Jordan that she gets her annual mammogram and dental check-ups every six months as recommended by the American Dental Association (ADA). The National Cancer Society (NCI) recommends that women age forty or older have screening mammograms every one to two years, and the standard recommendation is to visit a dentist twice a year for check-ups and cleanings. Family Assessment Family Assessment a) Family form A definition of family: â€Å"A family is two or more persons who are joined together by bonds of sharing and emotional closeness and who identify themselves as being part of a family. † Friedman (1997) The Jordan’s are a nuclear family. The family members include husband, wife and three children. Dad is forty four years old, Mom is forty one years old and the three boys are seven, nine and eleven. The children are all in school, the parents help the seven year old who is in second grade with his homework. While I was visiting, the youngest child was working on a book report.He was asking several questions of his Mom during the interview. The boy was very well-mannered and said â€Å"excuse me† before asking for help. The nine and eleven year old boys are quite independent with all their school work. When they have a bible reading schedule related to their worship, they read together as a family. b) Patterns of Interaction/Communi cation The wife does all the domestic duties with the help of the oldest child. This family are Jehovah’s Witnessess and culturally, the husband is the bread winner of the house and should work hard to provide for the entire family. The wife should take care of all the house work.Jehovah’s Witnessess believe the wife should not work. The Mothers job is to make sure the entire family’s needs are met. This includes caring for her children emotionally, physically and psychologically. Like the Bowen’s Family Systems Theory, the family is seen as an emotional unit. I did observe Mrs. Jordan as a very compassionate, concerned and emotional mother. She was very serious when talking about her children; she felt strongly that the boys should be able to come to her with any issues, good or bad. Mrs. Jordan is also responsible for the family budget and finances. When asked â€Å"Who has the power and authority in our family? Mrs. Jordan replied, â€Å"The Bible, J ehovah’s Word has the power in our family. It is the essence and the foundation of our family. † If there is a decision to be made that affects the whole family, the husband and wife make the decisions, but the husband is the head of the household. The family believes in what the bible says, â€Å"The Golden Rule†, â€Å"Treat others the way you want to be treated. † The developmental theory considers overtime the family unit foes through various phases that can be predicted based on norms. The family development approach examines role expectations within the family unit.I asked the family, â€Å"Are there any role assessments, such as â€Å"the good child† or â€Å"neat freak† the boys laughed and look at each other. Then the mom quickly responded, â€Å"No. Not at all. Our children know the law contained in the Bible and are governed by its principles. † They all seemed to be comfortable when answering the questions in the interview , although their answers were somewhat vague, the dad did not participate much in the interview. Instead, he was answering calls and working from home. The family was asked if they engage in any activities together. The family volunteers in Life Saving Preaching Work.They are all involved in this ministry that saves lives. In other words, they share the gospel with others, believing that they with come to know the Lord. The husband is also a volunteer in the medical field. He was not specific when answering this question. The Jordan’s also have what they call â€Å"round table discussions† which they partake in every Friday night. c) Boundaries I wanted to know if their family had any subjects that were difficult to discuss together. The family brought up the subject of racism. Mrs. Jordan shared a story about other children in school making racial comments to her child.This was devastating to Mrs. Jordan and she found it very hard and complicated to discuss. She felt anger toward the children that bullied her son. We discussed other boundaries as well. For example, I asked if the family members interact with groups outside of their family, Mrs. Jordan said â€Å"We’re Jehovah’s Witnesses and as such, we are a part of an international brotherhood and we do not need invitation before visiting any of our brothers and sisters what we do not do is associate closely with non-witnesses, because bad association spoils useful habits. Everyone in the family seemed to agree with mom on this subject. In fact, the middle boy shared that they were only allowed to have a sleepover with other children born into Jehovah’s witnesses with manners based on the bible. He also mentioned that it is a rule in their house; they can only play their videos or watch TV on Friday, Saturday and Sunday until noon. d) Family Values & Norms The Structure Function Theory suggests the family is viewed as an organization; roles, values, and communication are integral components. The Jordan’s differ from many families I know because of their strong religious beliefs.The Jordan’s values are based on the bible and all of them are equally important, according to Mrs. Jordan. She also stated â€Å"Honesty, it’s a way of life. † It is also very important to the family that they are sharing the gift of everlasting life with others who decide to listen to their preaching work. The family likes to spend time with each other every day. During breakfast they read their daily devotionals, and the father says a prayer on behalf of the whole family before they depart for the day. e) Religion Religion is very important to the family, and they have strong religious beliefs that may affect their healthcare decisions.They are to put their spiritual well-being before any other things. As a Jehovah’s Witness, they do not accept blood transfusions under any circumstance, even in the face of death according to scriptures Le viticus 17:10, 11, Leviticus 17:13,14, Acts 15:22-29. When asked if the family attended church, Mrs. Jordan informed me that they do not attend church, but they do attend regular meeting at their Kingdom Hall. Mrs. Jordan said, â€Å"We are fifth generation Jehovah’s Witnesses therefore we are born and raised to do everything according to the bible.When asked if the family attended church, Mrs. Jordan informed me that they do not attend church, but they do attend regular meeting at their Kingdom Hall. Mrs. Jordan said, â€Å"We are fifth generation Jehovah’s Witnesses therefore we are born and raised to do everything according to the bible. f) Culture g) Family Stressors Lastly, I wanted to know if the family is currently dealing with any stressors. Currently Mrs. Jordan says that she is bored at home and would like to go back to work. h) Family’s Strength and Resources The children were very well behaved during this interview.The oldest son, took my coat, and asked if I would like anything to drink. I thought the three boys were all extremely well mannered, gentlemen. The Father did not participate much in the interview; he was also very polite and welcoming. The Jordan family has much strength such as, communication, honesty, love and discipline. Like Mrs. Jordan I feel that discipline is a form of love. The family I connected, they sound time with one another and they help each other out. In addition, the family has many resources in their community of Jehovah’s Witnesses.From what I understand this is a very connected community. They are likely to find the help of others in their community if they needed. Summary I think the family and I both learned a few things from this interview. I particularly found it intriguing that the family reads the bible together every day. If and when I have children of my own, I will have this tradition with my family as well. I found out more interesting information when I asked questions regard ing the family’s health care. The family uses primary prevention measures such as; a healthy diet and exercise.The entire family has a membership at a fitness gym. The family is however against immunizations because they believe it can cause other health issues. The husband is a doctor and says he â€Å"has knowledge† of the serious side effects. I can understand the concern as parents, but as their nurse it is my job to explain both the risks and benefits. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) strongly recommends that the risks and benefits are discussed by a nurse or doctor before any refusal documents are signed. That means that we are to teach on each vaccine and the disease it prevents.I would also refer them to the AAP website that has information on immunizations, providing parents an opportunity to ask questions about their concerns and attempting to understand parents’ reason for refusing one or more vaccines. It is important to maintain a supportive relationship with the family. The AAP encourages documentation the health care provider’s discussion with the parents of the serious risks. Have the parent sign the refusal for and keep it the patient’s medical record. The secondary prevention measures were regular checkups which are performed by the mom and dad.The dad is a neurosurgeon, and the mom has a nursing degree. The husband is the wife’s primary physician also. She also admitted that she has never had a dental checkup, but the children have. She never had a mammogram and doesn’t intend to until she is sixty five years old. And lastly, when asked about medication taken, Mrs. Jordan explained, no one is on any medications. The goals I develop must be realistic, asking myself, â€Å"to what extent can the goals be achieved? † I personally feel like the parents are adamant regarding the children’s immunizations.I would however provide them with the information from the AAP website to increase the knowledge or provide them with information that they may have previously misinterpreted or misunderstood. I would set a goal with Mrs. Jordan that she gets her annual mammogram and dental check-ups every six months as recommended by the American Dental Association (ADA). The National Cancer Society (NCI) recommends that women age forty or older have screening mammograms every one to two years, and the standard recommendation is to visit a dentist twice a year for check-ups and cleanings.

The Lucky Luciano’s History

Lucky Luciano Lucky Luciano made the modern mafia. In 1931 he cut New York into five slices and served the rackets up in a form that still exists today. He had his fingers in every slice of the metaphoric mince meat pie that was America in the first half of the twentieth century, and then spent his remaining years ruling the underworld from afar. In the history of organized crime, there has never been a more powerful boss, and unless there is a drastic change in American law enforcement, no one person will ever be able to consolidate so much criminal power again.In 20 years, with the help of the 18th amendment, Charles Luciano went from being an average pimp to a God amongst thugs. With the help of a number of other famous gangsters, Lucky built a single, business-like crime syndicate with a board of directors and a directed sense of purpose. It would come to rule the entire United States, and eventually, a good portion of the world. From Humble Beginnings Born in italy in 1896 as Sa lvatore Lucania, Lucky Luciano eventually changed his name to spare his family the embarrassment of reading about him in the newspapers.As a kid, he was a thug; he dealt drugs, sold women, and stole anything he could. He was constantly picked up by New York police, who typically smacked him around and dropped him back on the streets due to his age. Junkies everywhere, take note: Charlie â€Å"Lucky† Luciano created the modern heroin trade. Thanks Chuck! In 1915, at the tender age of 19, Luciano was first arrested for dealing heroin on the streets of New York. Upon release, he broke his sales ring into a tiered affair, with thugs standing on street corners dealing out the dope while he stayed upstairs with the women.He was probably one of the first gangsters to use it in his pimping operations to help keep the girls loyal. In 1920, Luciano joined Joe Masseria's gang and helped run booze, manage prostitutes, and traffic horse for the Sicilian mafia. Masseria trusted Luciano, wh o was a great and reliable earner. He eventually became Masseria's right hand man, making him one of the most powerful gangsters in New York. Somewhere in the 20's, Lucky met Bugsy Siegel and Meyer Lansky. This three-way introduction is one of the classic underworld myths, and many versions of the story exist.One alleges that Lansky was a heroin addict at the time. Others describe awkward scenes featuring screaming hookers, naked Jews, and Lucky the belt wielding pimp. And still others describe Lansky whacking Luciano upside the head with a plumbers wrench to defend a crying Bugsy. No matter how it went down, the event served as a symbolic destruction of the old racial walls that existed in the New York underground. Previously, Italian and Jewish gangs tended not to associate on the street, but Lucky would be one of the first to cross the cultural lines and forge an alliance between the groups.Siegel, Lansky and Luciano would become the driving force behind the eventual formation of the National Crime Syndicate: Lucky was the heart of the syndicate, Lansky its brains, and Bugsy its fist. Sicilian Neck Tie In 1929, Masseria's gang became embroiled in a violent turf war with Salvatore Maranzano's mafia. Maranzano was a megalomaniacal don fixated on becoming the one and only ruler of New York. In October that same year, Luciano was on a dock at on the Hudson River inspecting a load of fresh chiba that had just arrived. Four of Maranzano's men rolled up in a car, grabbed Luciano and taped his mouth shut.They beat the shit out of him for an hour as they slowly drove towards Staten Island. Once there, they slit his throat and cheek, then dumped him in a ditch and left him for dead. Luciano lived through this attack, earning him the nickname â€Å"Lucky. † Luciano saw the attack as a sign that the gang war had to end, and soon. He, along with Siegel and Lansky, went to see Maranzano. They struck a deal with Marazano to divide up Masseria's empire: Marazano got the liquor turf, Luciano got the girls and the drugs. Luciano set up a dinner meeting with Masseria at the Nuova Villa Tammaro, a spaghetti house on Coney Island.After a few hours of feasting, he excused himself to use the pisser. In walked Bugsy Seigel, Joe Adonis, Vito Genovese, Albert Anastasia, and Meyer Lansky. Out walked Luciano as the new leader of Masseria's gang. Only half a year passed before Siegel and Luciano bumped off Marazano. This placed Luciano in charge of New York. Through agreements with Dutch Schultz and other Manhattan turf barons, Luciano was able to consolidate all underworld power and streamline the mafia. The Syndicate Rises Despite having dropped out of school in the 4th grade, Luciano had a business savvy unrivaled in the crime world.He set up a board of directors that included all the major players, including millionaire thug Joe Adonis and beancounter extraordinaire Meyer Lansky, who remained on the board until the late 70's. There was even a trial str ucture to hear complaints and justly determine if someone should be whacked. The underground began to flourish, and the organization became known as the National Crime Syndicate. Gambling, prostitution, drugs, liquor, and guns could all be had from the Syndicate, and everyone in the underworld had to pay tribute to the organization by giving it a percentage in all takes.Even assassinations became big business thanks to Lucky. With the help of Bugsy Siegel and Albert Anastasia, Luciano formed Murder Inc. , a professional grade killing company staffed mostly with Jewish hitmen. Mobsters in need of a hit simply called Murder Inc and bought themselves some prescreened contract killers. It was much like 1-800-dentist, but with guns and piano wire instead of drills and laughing gas. This establishment was responsible for hundreds of hits throughout the late 30's, including the killings of Dutch Schultz, Abe Wagner, and even it's founder, Bugsy Siegel. Still Pimpin'Luciano was on top of th e world by 1936. He had a different woman every night, a habit he had picked up early on. By 1936, his empire of whores caught up with him. The state of New York had amassed enough evidence and testimony to put Luciano in jail for pimping by years end. Thomas Dewey, special prosecutor in the case, paraded a near endless stream of witnesses before the jury. Over 28 of them were hookers, and Luciano was incensed by this fact. He claimed that the government had coerced the testimony of these whores by offering them free trips to Europe and a steady supply of drugs.One of these hookers was permitted by the judge to take a shot of bourbon while on the stand to help keep the morphine shakes off long enough to finger Luciano. Initially, most people believed Luciano was grasping at straws, but some documents from Deweys offices confirm that a large number of tickets to Europe were purchased by the office in the same year as the trial. Luciano was sentenced to 30 years in jail for his allege d masterminding of the New York flesh trade. Prison didn't dwindle Luciano's influence. He remained firmly in charge, even under lock down.So great was his influence that when the US government was searching for German saboteurs in the ports of New York during World War II, they came to Luciano to ask for help. Luciano agreed, and used his power to bring the Nazi conspirators to the surface. Luciano also helped the government find contacts on Sicily and in Italy before the Allied invasions. In 1946, Thomas Dewey, now governor of New york, gave Luciano a pardon and deported him to Italy. There, Luciano lived out the rest of his days entertaining the like of Frank Sinatra Sr. and other celebrities.He remained active in Syndicate business, however, even in exile. In 1946, he flew to Cuba to meet with fellow mafiosos about turning the island into a floating Las Vegas. In December of 1946, Luciano arrived in Cuba to discuss the realization of plans for the island. All the biggest names i n the mafia were there: Vito Genovese, Meyer Lanksy, Joe Adonis, and Santos Trafficante Jr. , relative of the infamous senator James Traficant. Aging gangsters arrived one after another, all there to pay respects to Luciano and affirm that he was still in control.Of those in attendance, Vito Genovese was the only real troublemaker. Genovese initially asked Luciano to step down from power, a request which infuriated the aging mobster. Eventually, after a few days of meetings, Genovese again asked Luciano to step down, and to retreat to Italy. Luciano was sure that Genovese had tipped off Washington to his presence in Cuba. Luciano leaped on Genovese and beat the living shit out of him, breaking three of the man's ribs. Aside from wupping up on Gevovese, there were other issues to be discussed at the Havana conference.One issue was narcotics sales, something Luciano thought was becoming too hot for the mob to remain in. He pleaded with his underlings to get out of the business, but no one seemed to care. Meyer Lansky informed Luciano that Genovese was orchestrating much of the trade now, and his followers, as well as his enemies, were making too much money off of drug trafficking to back down now. Another issue was Bugsy Siegel. Bugsy had purposely been left out of the conference because his Flamingo hotel, by then $6 million in the hole, was a sticking point for many in the group.By the end of the conference, Siegel was marked for death. His old friend, Meyer Lansky was unable to help him because he was not allowed to vote in any conference matters. Only Italians could vote, and Lansky was a Jew. In 1962, Luciano was planning to help produce a movie about his life. A Hollywood producer flew to meet the aging gangster in Naples, Italy on January 26th. As Luciano was walking across the runway to shake the producer's hand, he dropped dead suddenly of a heart attack.

Organizational behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Organizational behaviour - Essay Example an and Kentridge (2000) define behavioral psychology as a â€Å"subset of psychology that focuses on studying and modifying observable behavior by means of systematic manipulation of environmental factors†. Behaviorists or behavior psychologists affirm that a behavior is to be studied and evaluated without giving any consideration to the inner mental condition of the individual. Classical conditioning. This theory, put forth by Ivan Pavlov and John B. Watson, suggests that a behavior can be assessed by watching how an animal or an individual shoes an unconditioned response by associating a neutral stimulus with a naturally occurring (unconditioned) stimulus. Pavlov experimented with dogs and conditioned them so that they salivated on the sound of bell ringing by associating the sound with their food. Operant conditioning is of four types. Positive Reinforcement and Negative Reinforcement tend to support the behavior as under these two conditions, the individual experiences a good ending and thus repeats his experience in future. On the other hand, Punishment and Extinction tend to weaken the chances of future occurrences of a behavior as under these two circumstances, the individual has had a bad or neutral ending. Learning based on behavioral psychology. Behavioral psychologists carry on the process of learning by assuming that a person can be completely understood by observing his behavior. And how a behavior is to be learnt? It is done by learning an individual’s responses to environmental stimuli. This is basically a stimulus-response theory. The boss orders the employee to leave (stimulus) and the employee leaves (response). This means that â€Å"learning in humans and animals can take place through the association of a response with particular stimuli† (Psychologist World, 2009). Strengths. Behaviorism approaches are well designed and focused because of well organized ways of measuring behavioral responses. Classical behaviorism has a great advantage in

A clear and concise statement of the constitutional issue involved Essay

A clear and concise statement of the constitutional issue involved - Essay Example Following are some of the arguments why he still, though late has the right to demand justice at the U.S. Supreme Court. The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States refers that no person accused of crime may be compelled to bear witness against himself or herself as held in ‘State of New York, petitioner v. John SUGGS, respondent’ (2011). The Supreme Court of America has held that this rule is applicable not only on trials but also on police interrogations. Furthermore if the police officials want to question a suspect, he must be given the Miranda Rights. Here, Dylan was in the same situation of being in the police custody when he was questioned by the police officer Smith, and should have been given the Miranda Rights. Therefore, the very purpose of the Miranda Rights was violated while questioning Dylan. Again, the provisions of the 5th Amendment protect the appellant against the compelled self-incrimination and provides him with the right to a grand jury, where Dylan had been forced for self-incrimination. It has been stated in Bram v. United States (1897) that the de termination of the confession to be competent is done by applying the portion of Fifth Amendment, which states that â€Å"no person shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself† (Bram v. United States, 1897). Fourth Amendment of the Constitution of United Sates, Citizenship Rights, Section (1), ratified in 1868, refers â€Å"No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the Unites States; nor shall any State derive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of laws† (The Constitution of the United States). The provision of this Fourth Amendment had been violated while questioning Dylan. The evidence was obtained from him by illegal means and by violation of the Federal Constitution rights. The

Financial management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial management - Essay Example This is different from For-Profit organizations that source their funds from shareholders who are the real owners of these organizations. Organizational structure of NGO’s and For-Profit are a bit similar in the sense that both set of organizations are managed by boards of directors. Financial management entails the processes of budgeting, Taxation and corporate governance. NGO’s typically have financial budgets prepared over the period of the activities they are undertaking. On the other hand, For-Profit organizations have their financial budgets prepared for a period of one financial year. Governments levy taxes on all organizations for the purpose of implementing public project or service provision but with the exemption of NGO’s. According to Brigham (2010, 65), the main difference between NGO’s and For-Profit organizations is the objectives and goals of these organizations. NGO’s are set up to provide charitable goods or services to people with out need of making a profit. This major differentiating factor is the reason behind the differences in financial management practices between these organizations. Corporate governance is important in implementing integrity and management of organizational strategies. NGO’s are not particular in enforcing prudent corporate governance practices compared to For-Profit organizations. ... NGO’s are organizations which are not set out to make profits but instead they are meant to provide a service. This is opposed to profitable organizations which are meant to make profits. Organizational Structure The organizational structure of NGO’s is different from that of a profitable organization in that NGO’s are mandated to offer services compared to profit organizations which are meant to make profits. NGO’s are registered or mandated either by governments or special bodies to undertake projects or service delivery to different people. The major difference between NGO’s and profit organizations stems in the ownership structure of the two bodies. NGO’s are owned or operated by a board of directors or a steering committee in some cases; this board of directors is responsible for drawing up the financial strategies for the organization. The board of directors of an NGO are responsible for sourcing funds for the organization through diffe rent ways (Brigham 94). In some instances, some NGO’s have adopted the structure of a private company and used this structure to manage their financial operations. Most NGO’s source their funds from governments, churches and donations this is because these organizations act as governments and they only use their funds for capacity building. This is in contrast to profitable companies whereby ownership of these organizations belongs to some individuals. Profitable companies are owned by people known as shareholders; shareholders are responsible for funding the organization to undertake the goals and objectives of these organizations. Public owned organizations are profit organizations which comprise of a many owners in a company

Integrated Campaign Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Integrated Campaign Strategy - Essay Example In the car market, businesses face stiff competition, since every product has to match the current tastes and preferences of the consumer. Similarly, different classes of and demographically varying groups will exhibit different wants; thus, the product needs customization to reach the various consumer groups effectively and efficiently. The following defines a brief protocol that Zamda Motors could use to competitively, sell the new â€Å"2.2†two seater car to the youths. Zamda motors started manufacturing vehicles in the year, 1970. Since then, the company has little pride to show from the market, due to stiff competition. The company meets competition from fellow Japanese companies, for example, Toyota, and Honda. The competitors have large market share following tremendous growth over the period they survived in the market. Toyota and Honda draw customers closer due to the satisfaction that their products offer. Therefore, Zamda Company needs to analyze the features that e nable competitors to rule in the market and strategically define and acquire a profitable market share. The company must decide to increase features to the model it wishes to introduce in the market. Therefore, Zamda decides to penetrate the market with the current two seater sporty model, which will lure youths into the buying process. The outreach targets precisely, male and females ranking at the ages of 22 to 34. The company elaborates on the fuel effectiveness of the car thus drawing a consideration that, the customers’ expenditure patterns do not increase in relation to maintenance of the purchase. Zamda Motor Company will identify the target customer, and persuade them to place purchases following the outstanding features installed in the vehicle model. The â€Å"2.2† car model is one of the best cars in the current American market relating to the dynamic change that is forcing consumers to seek comfort, driving experience, and sense belonging to a certain group of the society. The company is targeting the needs of the American youths in all genders, to offer satisfaction. Zamda Company assures the customers that the vehicle model targets to suit their needs satisfactorily. The company defines the car’s features as sporty, fuel efficiency, durability, considerable price, and modernized to the current technologies. Zamda states clearly that this is the only model that delivers satisfaction to the current needs above the vehicles offered by rival companies. The company’s researchers reveal that, many youths in America seek to own new cars, but financial capabilities deprive them of the opportunity. The company further derives information that, most of the available cars enter the American market with considerably higher prices such that, the willing buyer lacks the ability to place an order. Zamda identifies that, despite the history of competitors, most of them target the rich customers, aging, and adults at the age of 35 year s. Therefore, the youths who also seek driving experiences to acquire comfort tend to remain unattended to despite the fact that they constitute to the better portion of the population. To that extent, the company seeks to satisfy this market segment, which lacks consideration from other key players. The company identified that, most of the youths at the ages of 22

Combination of Microsoft Dynamics and Microsoft BizTalk Server Research Paper

Combination of Microsoft Dynamics and Microsoft BizTalk Server - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that Microsoft Corporation is an American based multination corporation with its headquarters in Redmond, Washington. Microsoft is a business empire that develops, supports manufacturers, and licenses numerous products and services that are related to computing. Paul Allen and Bill Gates founded Microsoft Company on April 4, 1945.   Since then, Microsoft Corporation has grown to be the world’s largest software manufacturer by revenue. Notably, Microsoft Corporation is one of the most valuable companies in the world. Microsoft was established to manufacture and sell the Altair 8800 BASIC interpreters. In the mid-1980s, this company ventured into selling personal computers operating systems, particularly the MS-DOS. This was followed by Microsoft Windows operating systems. In the year 1986, Microsoft initiated public offering that led to the rise in its share prices. Since the early 1990s, Microsoft Corporation has increasingly diver sified into numerous operating system markets that have made it acquire numerous corporates. For instance, in May 2011, it acquired Skype Technologies at the value of $8.5 billion, and Skype has been Microsoft’s largest acquisition since its advent. Notably, Microsoft’s key business process is remarkably candid in that it develops software then distributed to users who purchase either directly from the Microsoft Corporation or through the company's outlet agencies or companies that have rights to sell through them.... Nonetheless, the Microsoft’s workflow diagram can be presented as in the diagram below: Microsoft’s Business Operations Microsoft Dynamics This is a business management solution that aims at streamlining and automating financial and customer relationship as well as supply chain processes in order to derive Microsoft’s businesses to success (Griffin, 2012). Microsoft dynamics is integrated business management solution that was adapted by the organization to enable it to make business decisions with immense confidence (Ward, 2012). Automation and streamlining of customer relationship, financial and supply chain processes through Microsoft Dynamics enables the organization to consolidate technologies, processes, and people towards increasing effectiveness and productivity of the business as well as driving the business to be driven to success. The Microsoft Dynamics operates in the same ways as other Microsoft software such as Microsoft office; thereby, it decreases the staff extensive learning requirements (Page, 2010). Notably, the Microsoft Dynamics software easily works with other systems already installed and implement in the organization. The Microsoft BizTalk Server Microsoft BizTalk Server is a process management server that helps the organization to connect to processes, information, and people across extended enterprises. The Microsoft BizTalk Server enables the organization to optimize and automate its business processes; thus, helping it to grow. The Microsoft BizTalk Server was introduced in the year 2006 and has enable Microsoft to expose its data and processes in real time. Moreover, this system has helped the organization to decrease costs, optimize business

Touch Screens Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Touch Screens - Research Paper Example (Nicholas, 2005, 315) The foremost model of contemporary touch screen with a transparent surface was then invented during 1974 by Dr Sam Hurst with his co-workers. Then the launch of touch screens with the five wire resistive technology took place during 1977. This technology is still in use by several companies that are making touch screen devices. During 1994, its name was changed from Elographics to Elo Touch Systems by the company. (Shelly, 2009, 01) These days a large number of both virtual and non virtual applications are making use of Touch-screen technology. It is estimated that there will be a yearly 25% increase in its usage in upcoming years. The board for Resistive Touch Screen is covered by a conductive layer of metal and a resistive coating that causes an alteration in the electric current which is recorded in case of a touch event and then delivered to the controller for further proceeding. Resistive touch screen panels are usually more reasonably priced but propose only 75% transparency and the coating can be scratched if sharp objects are used on the screen. Such types of touch screen panels remain unaffected from external pollutants e.g. dirt or water. This type of screens employs ultrasonic waves which pass over the touch screen board. When the screen is touched by the user, a fraction of the wave is taken up by the panel. This variation in the ultrasonic waves records the place of the touch occurrence and delivers this information to the regulator for further processing. This type of touch screens are the most modern type of the touch screens, however, these screens can easily get harmed due to external elements. This type of touch screens are covered with a substance that reserves electrical charges. When the user touches this type of screen, a minute fraction of charge comes out at the position of contact. (Nicholas, 2005, 316) There are circuits, present at all the corner

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Project Management - Essay Example The provided analysis critically assesses the most important issues of the project especially in the planning and development phase and the way they should be approached and dealt. The general recommendations include: 1. Developing a detailed project documentation especially in the areas of the specification and the expected quality for the product deliverables; 2. Developing detailed risk mitigation strategies especially for mitigating the inherent risks; and 3. Developing a specific communication and reporting procedures which will ease the coordination of the activities and will favour fast reaction in risky situations; Table of Contents Project Background 3 Project Concept and Strategy 4 Project Scope 5 Project team and structure 7 Project management plan 8 Project schedule 10 Project budget 13 Project control and monitoring 13 Outline project risk register 15 Conclusion and Recommendations 16 References and Bibliography 17 List of Tables Table 1 Training Themes Table 2.Project C ost Table 3. Project Responsibility Matrix Table 4. Risk Register Outline List of Figures Figure 1. Project life Cycle Figure 2.Work Breakdown Structure Figure 3. Project Organisation Figure 4. Gantt Chart Project Background Big Ideas Ltd plans to organize a one day training event in project management, with a specific focus on the MS Project use and the Critical Path Analysis (CPA) as a planning technique. Big Idea has no project management experience in managing events of such caliber which is why several companies with expertise in project management have been approached for providing an offer and a solution of how the event should be managed. The Project management Ltd (PML) offer is provided in the following sections. Project Concept and Strategy PMBOK and PRINCE2 are standard project methodologies used by many PM practitioners across the world. The both methodologies recommend that the projects begin with a project initiation phase in which a clear identification of customer, in this case the owner’s requirements is made (PMI 2008, OGS 2005). In the case of Big Idea’s project, PM practitioners as Field and Keller (2007:8-15) and Gardiner (2005) and in line with the PM standards, recommend preparing a Feasibility study or a Business Case in the terminology used in Prince2 PM approach (OGC 2005). The Business Case is a standard tool in project management which aims at investigating the financial, technical and managerial implications of the identified solution for accomplishing client’s requirements. The Business Case enables the Management team to make a decision on the future development of the project , its objectives and scope (Field and Keller 2007: 25-40). The outputs of the project initiation phase are: (1) an Appointed Project Manager and a (2) Project Initiation Document (PID). In the process of the initial project development and the definition of the project objectives, the project practitioners as Turner (2009) and Kerzner (2009) recommend an identification of two set of factors for measuring the project success. The first set is made out of the success criteria, or the dependent variables by which the successful outcome of the project will be assessed: time, cost and quality. The second set are the success factors or the independent variables which will influence the successful achievement of the success c

Barclays Bank PLC Is A Multinational Company Essay Example for Free

Barclays Bank PLC Is A Multinational Company Essay Amenities to attract highly skilled and creative persons at all important levels ? Tradition of closeness to key customers and target customers A business can differentiate itself by performing its existing value activities or reconfiguring in some unique ways. And the sustainability of that differentiation will depend on two things: a continuation of its high perceived value to buyers and a lack of imitation by competitors. There are many alternative strategic directions in which Barclaycard could implement in their current strategy of differentiation. These may include technology innovation or product/ service differentiation. Product/service differentiation Product differentiation occurs when, owing to differences in physical attributes, ancillary service, geographic location, information, and/or subjective image, one firms products are clearly preferred by at least some buyers over rival products at a given price (, 1990, ). For firms seeking to make their demand curve less elastic, successful differentiation provides an insulated position against competitors by enabling firms to sell a larger quantity at a given price or by allowing the firm to create brand loyalty in customers resulting in lower sensitivity to price. This uniqueness may build an entry barrier for competitors to overcome (, 1992; , 1980). However, being unique may require a trade-off with investment if achieving differentiation requires costly effort such as extensive research, product design, high quality materials, or intensive customer support. Thus, the firms employing the differentiation strategy cannot ignore costs and risk (, 1980). Horizontal product differentiation focuses on differences in attribute variety among competing brands. It occurs when one brand contains more of some attributes but less of some other attributes in comparison to another brand (). Consumers different tastes will exploit differing strong and weak points among brands given identical prices (, 1992). The shift towards consumerism is accelerating with significant implications in many of the markets in which we operate. Fundamentally, our view is that consumerism involves a shift in power from institutions towards consumers. The rapid transformation of the credit card industry – first with the severing of the traditional tie between bank accounts and credit cards and second, with the emergence of credit as a true commodity in the credit card industry illustrates this so well. Consumers in the past were grateful if they received credit it was seen as a right granted to a special few by a bank and hence banks held power over individuals. The value proposition was the availability of credit. Technology Innovation In the case of Barclaycard, it is could improve its operations and competitive advantage through real time design data driven tools. This tool would improve their credit limit strategies and increase their interest earning balances. A Fair, Isaac Model Builder for the decision trees may be used as this tool uses historical data to assist in identifying optimal account management strategies. Fair, Isaac Model Builder for Decision Trees is a PC Windows based application designed specifically to support data driven strategy design. It gives lenders the power to rapidly create new strategies in real time using multiple performance dimensions, to process large datasets rapidly so strategies at any point for greater understanding of the portfolio and transfers strategies to and from production application with ease, putting new strategies into production faster. This real time, highly interactive approach dramatically shortens the time between strategy creation and roll out. With Barclaycard objectives of the new strategies to increase interest bearing balances, increase turnover, control bad debt, and address attrition, Fair, Fair Isaac can be a big help for the organization. While the average number of cards in a person’s wallet has increased over the last five years, the value to an individual of having multiple cards will diminish in an environment where credit is a commodity.

Analysis of variance models

Analysis of variance models Abstract: Analysis of variance (ANOVA) models has become widely used tool and plays a fundamental role in much of the application of statistics today. Two-way ANOVA models involving random effects have found widespread application to experimental design in varied fields such as biology, econometrics, quality control, and engineering. The article is comprehensive presentation of methods and techniques for point estimation, interval estimation, estimation of variance components, and hypotheses tests for Two-Way Analysis of Variance with random effects. Key words: Analysis of variance; two-way classification; variance components; random effects model 1. Introduction The random effects model is not fraught with questions about assumptions as is the mixed effects model. Concerns have been expressed over the reasonableness of assuming that the interaction term abij is tossed into the model independently of ai and bj . However, uncorrelatedness, which with normality becomes independence, does seem to emerge from finite sampling models that define the interaction to be a function of the main A and B effects. The problem usually of interest is to estimate the components of variance. The model (1) is referred to as a cross-classification model. A slightly different and equally important model is the nested model. For this latter model see (5) and the related discussion. 2. Estimation of variance components The standard method of moments estimators for a balanced design(i.e., = n ) are based on the expected mean squares for the sums of nij squares. The credentials of the estimators (4) are that they are uniform minimum variance unbiased estimators (UMVUE) under normal theory, and uniform minimum variance quadratic unbiased estimators (UMVQUE) in general. They do, however, suffer the embarrassment of sometimes being negative, except for .e which is always positive. The actual maximum likelihood estimators would occur on a boundary rather than being negative. The best way is to always adjust an estimate to zero rather than report a negative value. It should certainly be possible to construct improved estimators along the lines of the Klotz-Milton-Zacks estimators used in the one-way classification. However, the details on these estimators have not been worked out by anyone for the two-way classification. Estimating variance components from unbalanced data is not as straight-forward as from balanced data. This is so for two reasons. First, several methods of estimation are available (most of which reduce to the analysis of variance method for balanced data), but no one of them has yet been clearly established as superior to the others. Second, all the methods involve relatively cumbersome algebra; discussion of unbalanced data can therefore easily deteriorate into a welter of symbols, a situation we do our best (perhaps not successfully) to minimize here1. On the other hand, extremely unbalanced designs are a horror story. A number of different methods have been proposed for handling them, but all involve extensive algebraic manipulations. The technical detail required to carry out these analyses exceeds the limitations set for this article. On occasion factors A and B are such that it makes no sense to postulate the existence of interactions, so the terms abij should be dropped from (1). In this case .ab disappears from (3) and the estimators for .a and 1 Djordjevic V., Lepojevic V., Henderson?s approach to Variance Components estimation for unbalanced data, Facta Universitatis, Vol.2 No.1, 2004. pg. 59 Another variation on the model (1) gives rise to the nested model. In general, the nested model for components of variance problems occur more frequently in practice than does the cross-classification model. In the nested model the main effects for one factor, say, B, are missing in (1). The reason is that the entities creating the different levels of factor B are not the same for different levels of factor A. For example, the levels (subscript i ) of factor A might represent different litters, and the levels (subscript j) of factor B might be different animals, which are a different set for each litter. The additional subscript k might denote repeated measurements on each animal. To be specific, the formal model for the nested design is: and independence between the different lettered variables. It is customary with this model to use the symbol b rather than ab because the interpretation for this term has changed from synergism or interaction to one of a main effect nested inside another main effect. For a balanced design the method of moments estimators are based on the sums of squares: which have degrees of freedom I-1, I (J-1), and IJ(n-1) , respectively. The mean squares corresponding to (7) have the expectations: The increasing tier phenomenon exhibited in (8) holds for nested designs with more than two effects. The only complication arises when one or more of the estimates are negative. This is an indication that the corresponding variance components are zero or negligible. One might want to resent any negative estimates to zero, combine the adjacent sums of squares, and subtract the combined mean squares from the mean squares higher in the tier. Extension of these ideas to the unbalanced design does not represent as formidable a task for the nested design as it does for the crossed design. The sums of squares (7), appropriately modified for unbalanced designs, form the basis for the analysis. It is even possible to allow for varying numbers Ji of factor B for different levels of factor A. 3. Tests for variance components The appropriate test statistics for various hypothesis of interest can be determined by examining the expected mean squares in the table of analysis of variance. However, we encounter the difficulty that even under the normality assumption exact F tests may not be available for some of the   An analogous F statistic provides a test for H0:.b 2 =0 . Under the alternative no null hypotheses, these ratios are distributed as the appropriate ratios of multiplicative constants from (10) times central F random variables. Thus power calculations are made from central F tables for fixed effects models. The F tests of H :.2 =0 and H :.2 =0 mentioned in the 0 ab 0 a preceding paragraph are uniformly most powerful similar tests. However, they are not likelihood ratio tests, which are more complicated because of boundaries to the parameter space. Although their general use is not recommended because of their extreme sensitivity to no normality, confidence intervals can be constructed based on the distribution theory 10. The complicated method of Bulmer (1957), which is described in Scheffe [11 pg. 27-28], is available. However, the approximate method of Satterhwaite [10 pg. 110-114] may produce just as good results. The distribution theory for the sums of squares (7) used in conjunction with nested designs is straightforward and simple. To test the hypothesis H0:.b2 =0 one uses the F ratio MS (B)/MS(E), and to test H0:.a 2 =0 the appropriate ratio is MS (A)/MS (B). In all nested designs the higher line in the tier is always tested against the next lower line. If a conclusion is reached that .b2 =0 , then the test of H0:.a2 =0 could be improved by combining SS (B) and SS(E) to form a denominator sum of squares with I(J-1) + I J (n-1) degrees of freedom. Under alternative hypotheses these F ratios are distributed as central F ratios multiplied by the appropriate ratio of variances. This can be exploited to produce confidence intervals on some variance ratios. However, one still needs to rely on the approximate Satterhwaite [10 pg. 110-114] approach for constructing intervals on individual components. 4. Estimations of individual effects and overall mean For the two-way crossed classification with random effects interest The classical approach would be to use the estimates ?^ij = yij. The idea would be to shrink the individual estimates toward the common mean as in. where the shrinking factor S depends on the sums of squares SS (E), SS (AB), SS(B), and SS(A) . Unfortunately, the specific details on the construction of an appropriate S have not been worked out for the two-way classification as they have been for the one-way classification. Alternatively, attention might center on estimating a1,, aI , or, equivalently, on the levels of factor B. Again, specific estimators have not been proposed to date for handling this situation. In the nested design one sometimes wants an estimate and confidence interval for ?. One typically uses ?^= y . In the balanced case this estimator has variance. This can be estimated by MS (A)/I J n. In the unbalanced case an estimate for the variability of y can be obtained by substituting estimates .^2, .^b2 and 2 into the expression for the variance of y . Alternative estimators using different weights may be worth considering in the unbalanced case. 5. Conclusion Analysis of variance (ANOVA) models have become widely used tools and play a fundamental role in much of the application of statistics today. In particular, ANOVA models involving random effects have found widespread application to experimental design in a variety of fields requiring Two-Way Analysis of Variance for Random Models measurements of variance, including agriculture, biology, animal breeding, applied genetics, econometrics, quality control, medicine, engineering, and social sciences. With a two-way classification there are two distinct factors affecting the observed responses. Each factor is investigated at a variety of different levels in an experiment, and the combination of the two factors at different levels form a cross-classification. In a two-way classification each factor can be either fixed or random. If both factors are random, the model is called a random effects model. Various estimators of variance components in the two-way crossed classification random effects model with one observation per cell are compared under the standard assumptions of normality and independence of the random effects. Mean squared error is used as the measure of performance. The estimators being compared are: the minimum variance unbiased, the restricted maximum likelihood, and several modifications of the unbiased and the restricted maximum likelihood estimators.

Oscar Wildes The Importance Of Being Earnest :: essays research papers

Principal Characters Jack Worthing, gentleman of the Manor House; also known as "Ernest" Celcily Cardew, Worthing's pretty young ward Miss Prism, Cecily's governess Algernon Moncrieff, Worthing's friend Lady Augusta Braknell, Algernon's aunt Gwendolen Fairfax, Lady Bracknell's daughter The Reverend Canon Chasublc, Rector of Woolton Story Overview While Algernon Moncrieff and his manservant prepared for a visit froi-n his aunt, the formidable Lady Bracknell, their conversation turned to the question of marriage. Observing the servant's somewhat lax views on the subject, Algernon declared, "Really, if the lower orders don't set us a good example, what on earth is the use of them?" This chat was interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Algernon's friend, Ernest Worthing Worthing was pleased to hear that Lady Bracknell - and her beautiful daughter Gwendolen - would be appearing for tea. But Algernon warned, "I am afraid Aunt Augusta won't quite approve of your bein here." Mildly insulted, Ernest demanded to know why. "My dear fellow," Algernon answered, "the way you flirt with Gwendolen is perfectly disgraceful. It is almost as bad as the way Gwendolen flirts with you." At this point Worthing announced that he intended to propose marriage to Gwendolen, but was taken aback by Algernon's response: "I don't give my consent." Worthing, would first have to explain a certain "Cecily" in his life. As evidence of this relationship, he produced a cigarette case left behind by Worthing on an earlier visit - devotedly inscribed from "Cecily" to her loving "Uncle Jack." "Well," admitted Worthing, "my name is Ernest in town and Jack in the country." It happened, he said, that Cecily was his ward, who lived in his country home under the watchful eyes of a stern governess, Miss Prism. But to escape the stuffy constraints of country living, Jack had invented an alter ego: " . . . In order to get up to town I have always pretended to have a younger brother of the name of Ernest, who lives in Albany, and gets into the most dreadful scrapes." Thus, Jack was often "called away" to the city to "rescue" irrepressible Ernest. Smiling, Algernon now confessed that he too was a "Bunburyist," a friend of the equally fictitious "Bunbury," a "permanent invalid," whom he visited whenever he chose to get away. When Lady Bracknell and Gwendolen arrived, Algernon took his aunt aside, leaving "Ernest" and Gwendolen alone. "Miss Fairfax," Worthing stammered, "ever since I met you I have admired you more than any girl - I have ever met since - I met you.

Essay --

An authentication plan is the validation of a user identity against an authentication provider, which is a directory or database that contains the user’s credentials and can attest the utilizer submitted them correctly. An example of an authentication provider is Active Directory Domain Accommodations (AD DS). Other terms for authentication provider are user directory and attribute stores. An authentication method is a concrete exchange of account credentials and other information that assert a user identity. The result of the authentication method is proof, typically in the form of a token that contains claims, that an authentication provider has authenticated a utilizer. An authentication type is a categorical way of validating credentials against one or more authentication providers, sometimes utilizing an industry standard protocol. An authentication type can utilize multiple authentication methods. After a utilizer's identity is validated, the sanction process determines which sites, content, and other features the utilizer can access. Your Planning for utilizer authentication t...

Down Syndrome Essay -- Biology Biological Medical Essays

Down Syndrome They used to be called "Mongoloids," an ethnic insult coined by John Langdon Down, an English physician during the nineteenth century. But now they are known as people, individuals with a condition known as Down syndrome. (3). It wasn't until the 1960s that Jerome Lejeune and Patricia Jacobs discovered the cause of Down syndrome (also called trisomy 21). But with technological advancements within the scientific community, more and more information has been gathered about the condition that affects about one in every one thousand children born around the world. (4). Research shows that Down syndrome is a genetic condition caused by certain chromosomal abnormalities. Chromosomes within cells are composed of proteins and genetic information in the form of DNA. Human cells normally contain 23 pairs of chromosomes to make a total of 46 chromosomes in each cell. When sex cells (eggs and sperm) divide through the process of meiosis, one cell splits into two parts so that each of the resulting cells only has 23 chromosomes, rather than 46. But many errors can occur during cell division. During meiosis, the chromosomes are supposed to split and go to different areas of the cell. This step in the process of meiosis is called disjunction. But sometimes during cell division, a chromosome will not detach and it will stay with its pair chromosome. This results in one of the new cells having 24 chromosomes and the other having only 22 chromosomes. An error such as this is called nondisjunction. If a cell with this error mates with a normal cell, the fert ilized egg will end up with an uneven number of chromosomes. (3). In the instance of Down syndrome, 95 percent of all cases are caused by nondisjunction, and 90 p... ... some cells, researchers get closer and closer each year to discovering the mystery of trisomy 21. With every new development, and with increased education and research, the quality of life improves for the people who, not long ago, were exiled from society for being "different" from other people. Internet Sources: 1)"Prenatal Screening for Down Syndrome", http://www.ds-health.com/prenatal.htm 2)"Comprehensive Speech and Language Treatment for Infants, Toddlers, and Children with Down Syndrome", http://www.ds-health.com/speech.htm 3)"Trisomy 21: The Story of Down Syndrome", http://www.ds-health.com/trisomy.htm 4)Down Syndrome: Background Information", http://www.nas.com/downsyn/faq1.html 5)About Down Syndrome", http://www.ndss.org/aboutds/aboutds.html#PPgenetic 6)About Down Syndrome http://www.ndss.org/aboutds/aboutds.html#PPmedical

The Fourth Alarm W

In John Speeches short story, â€Å"The Fourth Alarm,† the narrator is perplexed by the recent actions of his rebellious wife. She quit her job, partakes as a nude actor in an amateur theatre, and refuses to listen to her male chauvinist husband. The narrator's wife's abandonment of the Apollonian for the Dionysian serves as a modern day Adam and Eve that, instead of questioning the sinful nature of man, questions the traditional masculine-feminine roles in society.According to Biblical tradition, Adam and Eve lived prosperously in an orderly, Apollonian garden -? Eden. However, once Eve strays from this order and eats the apple of knowledge (while tempting Adam to eat it as well), they both become tainted with original sin. Adam and Eves rejection of tradition, as symbolized by eating the forbidden fruit, results in their ejection from the Garden of Eden and into a more chaotic future. As Eve rejected the Apollonian in an attraction to the Dionysian, the narrator's wife rejec ted her traditional role of mother and teacher and embraced the Dionysian traits of nudity, disorder, and orgy.She disobeys her masculine husband and tempts him to take off his clothes; get rid of his attach, wallet, and keys; and embrace sexual equality. In essence, she is striping off what the narrator considers his identity, â€Å"l held my valuables in my right hand, my literal identification† (Achiever 196). Unlike Adam and Eve, which primary subject matter is original sin, â€Å"The Fourth Alarm† delves into the feminine break from social subjugation. Achiever does not demonic the narrators wife as the Bible demotions Eve. He instead focuses on the husband's reaction to his wife's embracement of a sexual equality that challenges male-female societal roles.The narrator, spite striping, can not let go of his worldly possessions that represent his masculinity. He is comforted by tradition and wishes his wife would be more â€Å"nostalgic† and yearning of the old gender roles like he is. Achiever s portrayal of the narrator and his difficulty in accepting change illustrates society difficulty in leaving traditional female subjugation and moving towards gender equality. The underlying question Achiever asks the reader in â€Å"the Fourth Alarm† is if we are ready to accept change, to put down tradition, and to progress to a society marked by equality where the masculine and feminine are equals.

The Indigo Spell Chapter Nineteen

SOMEHOW, I STILL LOST. If Adrian were capable of on-the-fly calculations, I'd swear he was using his powers to affect the way the dice rolled. Most likely, he either had some innate and inexplicable Monopoly skills I just couldn't understand – or he was very, very lucky. But through it all, I had fun, and losing to him was a lot better than having Veronica haunt me in my sleep. He continued the dream visits for the next few days, and although I never felt completely safe from her, I at least didn't have her occupying the forefront of my mind at all times. That honor was saved for my weekend trip to St. Louis, which came around more quickly than I expected. Once I was on the plane, the reality of what I was about to attempt hit me. This was it, the point of no return. In the safety of Palm Springs, I'd been able to maintain a somewhat cool and collected attitude. St. Louis had seemed far away back then. Now the tasks ahead of me seemed daunting and kind of crazy. And dangerous. There was no part of this that wouldn't get me into serious trouble. Lying to Stanton. Breaking into top secret servers. Even charming information out of Ian could have repercussions. And really who was I to think I would have any ability to lure secrets from him? I wasn't like Rose or Julia. They had men fawning all over them. But me? I was socially awkward and pretty inept when it came to romance. Maybe Ian liked me, but that didn't mean I'd have some magical power over him. Of course, if that part of the plan with him failed, then I'd be free of my other tasks. Every single part of this was overwhelming, and as I stared out the plane's window, watching St. Louis grow closer and closer, my feelings of dread grew. My palms were too sweaty to hold a book, and when I refused food, it was because of the queasiness in my stomach, not some obsession with calories. I'd gone back and forth on whether to get a hotel room or stay at the facility itself, which provided guest housing for visiting Alchemists like me. In the end, I opted for the former. The less time I spent under the watchful eyes of my masters, the better. It also meant I didn't have to worry about my outfit attracting attention. I hadn't exactly followed all of Adrian's suggestions, but the dress I'd purchased for this trip was a bit racier than my normal business casual wardrobe. Okay, a lot racier. It would have been completely out of place among the modest and neutral-colored attire Alchemists usually wore. But when Ian met me in the hotel's lobby for dinner, I knew I'd made the right choice. â€Å"Wow,† he said, eyes widening. â€Å"You look amazing.† Apparently, his Alchemists sensibilities weren't offended by my outfit. It was a form-fitting minidress that went about to my mid-thigh, with an open back and a disconcertingly low V-neck that gave me cleavage I hadn't even known was possible. Any demureness the dress's long sleeves might have offered was undone by the fabric combination: a beige underdress covered in black and maroon lace. It gave the illusion that I was wearing lace with nothing underneath. The saleswoman had assured me that every part of the dress was supposed to fit that snugly (for once in my life, I'd actually suggested a larger size) and that I needed at least four-inch black heels to make it all work. With the help of a lot of hairpins, I'd even managed to pull my hair up into a bun, which wasn't easy with my layered haircut. I felt conspicuous walking through the lobby, but no one gave me any shocked looks. The few I did get were admiring ones. The hotel was pretty posh, and I was just one of a number of women dressed in holiday cocktail dresses. Nothing scandalous or out of the ordinary. You can do this, Sydney. And wearing a revealing dress wasn't nearly as difficult as breaking into a server, right? Right? I smiled as I approached Ian and gave him a quick hug, which was weird both because it was with Ian and because I felt naked in the dress. This femme fatale thing was harder than I'd thought it'd be. â€Å"I'm glad I got to see you again,† I said. â€Å"I know what an inconvenience this must be, with no notice.† Ian shook his head so adamantly that I almost expected to hear rattling. â€Å"N-no. No trouble at all.† Satisfied he'd gotten a look, I slipped on my coat, a mid-length black trench, and gestured toward the exit. â€Å"Time to brave the elements?† He hurried ahead of me to open the door. A scattering of snowflakes drifted down, resting on my coat and hair. My breath made a frosty cloud in the air, and I had a momentary flashback to traipsing across that field with Adrian. Little had I known that search for Marcus would lead to me running errands for him in a tight dress. Ian had parked in the hotel's front circle drive. He drove a Toyota Corolla, which was made even more boring by the fact that he'd chosen it in white. A little air freshener shaped like a tree hung from the rearview mirror, but rather than the usual pine scent, a small label declared it to be â€Å"New Car Scent.† Mostly it smelled like plastic. I put on a brave face. Marcus really owed me one. â€Å"I made us a reservation at this really great seafood place,† he told me. â€Å"It's close to the facility, so we can head on over to the service right away.† â€Å"Sounds great,† I said. I never ate seafood in any landlocked state. The restaurant was called Fresh Cache, which didn't improve my opinion of it. Still, I had to give it credit for attempts at a romantic atmosphere. Most of the lighting came from candles, and a pianist in the corner played covers of easy-listening songs. More well-dressed people filled the tables, laughing and chatting over wine and shrimp cocktails. The host showed us to a corner table, covered with burgundy linen and decorated with a scattering of green orchids. I'd never seen any up close and was actually quite taken with how exotic and sensual they were. If only I was here with anyone but Ian. I was hesitant to take my coat off. It made me feel exposed, and I had to remind myself of the consequences of Alchemists and Warriors working together. As soon as the dress was unleashed again, I had the satisfaction of seeing Ian melt once more. I remembered Adrian's advice about confidence and put on a smug smile, hoping I gave the impression that I was doing Ian a great favor by allowing him to be in my presence. And, to my complete and utter amazement, it seemed to work. I even allowed myself to indulge in a dangerous thought: maybe it wasn't the dress wielding such power here. Maybe it was me. Opening the menu, I began skimming for a beef or poultry option. â€Å"What do you recommend?† â€Å"The mahi mahi is great here,† he said. â€Å"So is the swordfish.† The waiter stopped by, and I ordered a chicken Caesar salad. I figured they couldn't really mess up the anchovies in the dressing. We were left alone to wait, with nothing to do now but move on to small talk. Ian picked up the ball. â€Å"I suppose you still can't tell me much about where you're at, huh?† â€Å"Afraid not. You know how it is.† I buttered a sourdough roll with what I was pretty sure was exactly half a tablespoon. I didn't want to go too crazy, but I could allow myself a little indulgence since I ordered a salad. â€Å"I can tell you I'm in the field. I just can't say much else.† Ian's attention shifted off my neckline as he stared into the candle's flame. â€Å"I miss that, you know. Being in the field.† â€Å"You used to be, right? What happened?† I hadn't thought much about it lately, but when Ian had accompanied Stanton and me to the Moroi court, he had been pulled from his post to make the trip. He'd been assigned somewhere in the south, Florida or Georgia, I thought. â€Å"Those Moroi holding us prisoner is what happened.† He shifted his gaze back to me, and I was startled at the fierceness I saw. â€Å"I didn't handle it very well.† â€Å"Well, none of us did.† He shook his head. â€Å"No, no. I really didn't handle it well. I kind of freaked out. They sent me to anger management training afterward.† I nearly dropped the roll. I had in no way expected that. If someone had asked me to name the top ten people who needed anger management, Ian wouldn't have even made the bottom of the list. My father, however, would have been near the top. â€Å"How – how long were you there?† I stammered. â€Å"Two weeks, and then I was good to go.† Admittedly, I didn't know the extent of the rage that had landed him in anger management, but I found it interesting that two weeks was good enough to deem him ready to work again. Meanwhile, Keith's scheme to use Moroi to make money had earned him at least two months in re-education – maybe more, since I hadn't heard any updates in a while. â€Å"But they wouldn't let me work in the field,† Ian added. â€Å"Figure I shouldn't be around Moroi for a while. So that's why I'm stuck here.† â€Å"In the archives.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Doesn't sound so bad,† I told him. I wasn't entirely lying. â€Å"Lots of books.† â€Å"Don't fool yourself, Sydney.† He began tearing a pumpernickel roll into pieces. â€Å"I'm a glorified librarian.† Maybe so, but that wasn't my concern. What was my concern was Wade telling me that the archives were on a secure level, one floor up from the surveillance room that held security footage. He'd drawn me a map of each floor, making sure I memorized the layout and the best ways to get in and out. â€Å"I'd still love to see them,† I said. â€Å"I mean, the history they contain is amazing.† Again, not entirely a lie. I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table, and had the satisfaction of seeing his eyes drop to my plunging neckline again. This wasn't that difficult! Really, I didn't know why I hadn't been using my â€Å"womanly charms† a long time ago. Actually, I never really knew I had any, until now. â€Å"Could you get me in for a tour? Of the archives specifically. You seem like the kind of guy who could get access to . . . a lot of places.† Ian choked on his roll. After a bout of coughing, he glanced up at my face, then my cleavage (again), and then back to my face. â€Å"I'd, um, love to, but it's not really open to the public – I mean, even the Alchemist public. Only those with special scholar access are allowed in. We could look at the general access parts of the building, though.† â€Å"Oh. I see.† I looked down at my plate, pouting slightly, but didn't say anything else. As the waiter arrived with our food, I hoped my silence was making him reconsider what he could be missing out on. Eventually, Ian couldn't take it anymore. He cleared his throat, maybe because there was still bread stuck in it. â€Å"Well, I might be able to . . . you see, the problem is just getting you down to the secure levels. Once you're through that checkpoint, it's not hard to get you into the archives – especially if I'm working.† â€Å"But you can't do anything about the main checkpoint?† I coaxed, as if all real men should be able to do that. â€Å"No, I mean . . . maybe. I've got a friend who works there. I don't know if he's got a shift tomorrow, but he still might be able to help. He owes me some money, so I can use this as a trade. I hope.† â€Å"Oh, Ian.† I flashed him a smile that I hoped rivaled one of Marcus's. â€Å"That's amazing.† I remembered what Adrian had said. â€Å"I'd be so, so grateful if you could pull it off.† My reaction clearly delighted Ian, and I wondered if Adrian had been right about how â€Å"so, so grateful† was translated. â€Å"I'll call him tonight after the service,† Ian said. He looked determined now. â€Å"Hopefully we can make it happen before your flight tomorrow.† I rewarded him by hanging on his every word for the rest of dinner, as though I'd never heard anything quite so fascinating. All the while, my heart raced with the knowledge that I was now one step closer to fulfilling Marcus's task, one step closer to potentially proving a connection to a bunch of gun-toting zealots and the organization I'd served my whole life. The salad was tiny, so I agreed to see the dessert menu after dinner. Ian suggested we share, but that was a little too intimate for me, not to mention unhygienic. So, I ate an entire lemon tart by myself, confident in the knowledge that I was still a long ways from the five-pound mark. When Adrian had told me I'd look healthier if I gained a little weight, he'd added that it would improve my bra size. I couldn't even imagine what that would do for this dress. The Alchemist center in St. Louis was contained inside a giant, industrial building that went undercover as a manufacturing plant. Moroi facilities – the court and their schools – usually posed as universities. How ironic that â€Å"creatures of the night† would live among beautifully landscaped gardens while â€Å"servants of the light† like us skulked in ugly buildings with no windows. Inside, however, everything was pristine, bright, and well-organized. A receptionist checked us in when we arrived at the main desk and buzzed us through, along with many others who arrived for the service. There were golden lilies everywhere. For many, this was a fun-filled family event, and lots of children trailed their Alchemist parents. It made me feel strange as I watched them, these kids who had been born into our profession. I wondered how they'd feel ten years from now. Would they be excited to step up to the plate? Or would they start questioning? The center had three floors aboveground and five underneath. People off the street could hardly just come wandering in, but we still took precautions by keeping the more benign offices on the main floor. As we all walked down the corridor to the auditorium, we passed Payroll, Travel, and Maintenance. All the offices had clear windows looking into them from the hall, maintaining the Alchemist ideal that we had nothing to hide. The secure offices belowground weren't quite so open, however. I'd been in this facility once before for a training seminar, and it had actually taken place in the auditorium we entered for the service. Despite the spiritual theme of tonight's event, the room bore little resemblance to a church. Someone had gone to the effort of decorating the walls with red-bowed evergreen garlands and setting pots of poinsettias on the stage. The room had a state-of-the-art audio-visual system, including a giant screen that gave a larger-than-life look at whatever was happening onstage. The auditorium's seating was so efficient that even those in the farthest corners had a pretty clear view, so I think the screen was just for emphasis. Ian and I found two seats near the middle of the auditorium. â€Å"Aren't you going to take off your coat?† he asked hopefully. No way was I going to unleash the dress in this den of taupe and high collars. Besides, if I kept the coat on, it would just give him something to keep looking forward to. Adrian would be proud of my ability to manipulate the opposite sex . . . and I couldn't help but wonder just how well Adrian would be able to stand up to this dress. Clearly, I was getting overly confident with this new power. â€Å"I'm cold,† I said, pulling the coat tighter. It was kind of ridiculous since the lights from the stage and high number of bodies had already made the room stifling, but I figured since it was so cold outside, I could get away with it. For someone who always seems to be so cold, you sure can warm up pretty fast. â€Å"Sydney? Is that you?† I froze, not from the shock of hearing my name, but from the voice that had said it. I'd know that voice anywhere. Slowly, I turned away from Ian and looked up into my father's face. He was standing in the aisle, wearing a heavy wool suit, with melted snowflakes in his graying dark blond hair. â€Å"Hi, Dad,† I said. Then I saw who was standing beside him. â€Å"Zoe?† It was all I could do not to jump up and hug her. I hadn't seen or spoken to my younger sister since that night I'd been pulled out of bed and sent on my Palm Springs mission. That was the mission she believed I'd stolen from her, no matter my protests. It was the mission that had driven her away from me. I eyed her now, trying to assess where we stood. She didn't wear the blatant hatred she had at our last meeting, which was a good sign. Unfortunately, she didn't look all that warm and friendly either. She was cautious, studying me carefully – almost warily. She did not, I noticed, have a golden lily on her cheek yet. â€Å"I'm surprised to see you here,† said my father. His parting words to me had been â€Å"Don't embarrass me,† so I wasn't really astonished by his low expectations. â€Å"It's the holidays,† I said. Forcing a smile now was far more difficult than it had been with Ian. â€Å"It's important to be here with the group. Do you know Ian Jansen?† Ian, wide-eyed, jumped up and shook my father's hand. Clearly, he hadn't expected a parental meeting so soon. â€Å"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir.† My father nodded gravely and looked back and forth between the two of us. Whatever surprise he'd had at seeing me here had just been trumped by me being here with a date. Glancing at Ian, I tried to guess how he'd appear to someone like my dad. Clean cut, respectful, an Alchemist. The fact that Ian tended to bore me was irrelevant. I doubted my father had ever thought much about me dating, but if so, he probably hadn't thought I'd get a catch like this. â€Å"Would you like to join us, sir?† asked Ian. I had to give him credit; he'd overcome his initial shock and was now in proper suitor mode. â€Å"It would be an honor.† At first, I thought Ian was just laying it on thick. Then I realized meeting my father might actually very well be an honor. Jared Sage wasn't a rock star, but he did have a reputation among the Alchemists that, by their standards, was outstanding. My father seemed to like the flattery and agreed. He took a seat beside Ian. â€Å"Sit by your sister,† he told Zoe, nodding in my direction. Zoe obeyed and stared straight ahead. She was nervous too, I realized. Looking her over, I felt an ache from how much I'd missed her. We'd inherited the same brown eyes from our father, but she'd gotten Mom's brown hair, which made me a little jealous. Zoe also looked a lot more put together than the last time I'd seen her. She wore a pretty dark brown cashmere dress and didn't have a single hair out of place. Something about her appearance bothered me, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it at first. It soon hit me. She looked older. She looked like a young lady, like my peer. I supposed it was silly of me to feel sad, since she was fifteen, but I kind of wished she could stay a little kid forever. â€Å"Zoe.† I kept my voice low, not that I needed to worry about the men overhearing. My dad was interrogating Ian. â€Å"I've been wanting to talk to you for so long.† She nodded. â€Å"I know. Mom tells me each time you call.† But there was no apology for dodging my calls. â€Å"I'm sorry about the way we left things. I never meant to hurt you or one-up you. I thought I was doing you a favor, saving you from getting involved.† Her mouth tightened, and something hard flashed in her eyes. â€Å"I don't mind being involved. I want to be involved, you know. And it would've been great! Being in the field at fifteen. I could have a stellar career. Dad would be so proud.† I chose my next words very carefully so that she wouldn't take offense. â€Å"Yeah, but another year with Dad will really be, um, stellar. He's got so much experience – and you want to get as much as you can, believe me. Even if you have to wait for an assignment at sixteen, you'll still be ahead of the rest of us.† Each word out of my mouth made me feel sick, but Zoe seemed to buy it. I wasn't bothered by her wanting to be part of the cause – but it killed me that she was clearly doing it to impress our dad. â€Å"I suppose. And I am learning a lot. I wish I could at least get some field experience – even if it's not my own post. It's all theory with Dad. I've never even seen a Moroi.† â€Å"I'm sure he'll fix that.† I didn't like encouraging this, but at least she was speaking to me. The lights dimmed, ending our conversation. Organ music filled the room, and the scent of frankincense drifted around us. Incense and resin were common components in magic, and my mind was instantly starting to make associations from the spell books I'd painstakingly copied. Frankincense is used to heal burns. It can also be used when casting divining or purifying spells – I immediately stopped that train of thought. Even if I was keeping it to myself, thinking about magic in the middle of an Alchemist church service was pretty sacrilegious. I shifted uncomfortably, wondering what all these people would think if they knew the truth about me: that I practiced magic and had kissed a vampire. . . . Alchemist priests were called hierophants. They performed blessings and offered moral advice, when needed. In day-to-day affairs, they wore suits, but for this occasion, the lead hierophant wore robes that reminded me uncomfortably of the robes some of the Warriors had donned. It was yet another reminder of our shared history – and maybe our shared future. Marcus had been right. This was a mystery I had to solve, regardless of where I stood on breaking the tattoo. I'd attended services like this off and on throughout my life and knew the Latin prayers by heart. I chanted along with the rest of the congregation and listened avidly as the hierophant reaffirmed our goals, his voice echoing through the sound system. Even though the Alchemists' religion had loose connections to Christianity there was very little mention of God or Jesus or even Christmas. Most of his sermon was about how we had to help protect humanity from the temptation of following Strigoi who offered unholy immortality. That warning, at least, wasn't exaggerated. I'd heard stories and even seen for myself what happened when humans decided to serve Strigoi. Those Strigoi promised to turn their servants as a reward. Those humans helped Strigoi spread their evil and became monsters themselves, no turning needed. Keeping those dark vampires hidden was for the good of weak humans who couldn't protect themselves. I paid especially close attention when the hierophant mentioned the Moroi offhandedly in his sermon, as a means to an end in defeating the Strigoi. He didn't exactly inspire warm and fuzzy feelings about them, but at least he wasn't calling for Moroi and dhampir destruction either. I agreed with a good part of the message, but it no longer filled me with the fire it once had. And when the hierophant started droning on and on about duty, obedience, and what was â€Å"natural,† I really began feeling disconnected. I almost wished there was more talk of the divine, like you'd find at a normal church service. With everything going on in my life, I wouldn't have minded a connection to a higher power. Sometimes, when I listened to the hierophant, I wondered if everything he was saying had just been made up by a bunch of people sitting around in the Middle Ages. No holy mandate required. I felt like a traitor when the service ended. Maybe Adrian's joke had been right: I didn't even need Marcus to break my tattoo and connection to the group. Glancing at my companions – and even the other Alchemists in the room – it was clear I was alone. All of them looked captivated by the sermon, devoted to the cause. I was again eerily reminded of the Warriors and their fanatical devotion. No, no, whatever else the Alchemists are guilty of, we have nothing to do with that kind of unhinged behavior. And yet . . . it was more complicated than that, I realized. The Alchemists didn't shoot first and ask questions later or make our members battle each other. We were civilized and logical, but we did have a tendency to just do what we were told. That was the similarity, one that could be dangerous. Zoe and my father walked out with Ian and me. â€Å"Isn't it amazing?† she asked. â€Å"Hearing that . . . well, it just makes me so glad Dad decided to raise another Alchemist in the family. It's good to boost our numbers.† Had that truly been his motivation? Or was it because he didn't trust me after I'd helped Rose? It was infuriating that the only conversation I could have with Zoe centered around Alchemist rhetoric, but I'd take it over the silence of the last few months. In my heart, I longed to talk the way we used to. I wanted it back. Even though she'd warmed up a little, that old familiarity that had once existed between us was gone. â€Å"I wish we had more time,† I told her once our groups were ready to part in the parking lot. â€Å"There's so much I want to talk to you about.† She smiled, and there was a genuineness in it that warmed me. Maybe the distance between us wasn't irreparable. â€Å"Me too. I'm sorry about . . . well, the way things were. I hope we get some time together soon. I . . . I've missed you.† That nearly broke me down, as did her hug. â€Å"We'll be together soon, I promise.† Ian – whom my father now seemed to regard as a future son-in-law – drove me back to my hotel and couldn't stop gushing about how awesome it had been to meet Jared Sage. As for me, I could still feel where Zoe had hugged me. Ian promised he'd get in touch with me in the morning about a tour of the archives. Then, weirdly, he closed his eyes and leaned forward. It took me a moment to realize that he expected a good-night kiss. Seriously? That was how he went about it? Had he ever even kissed anyone before? Even Brayden had displayed a little more passion. And, of course, neither guy measured up to Adrian. When I did nothing, Ian finally opened his eyes. I gave him another hug – with the coat on – and told him how happy I was that he'd met my dad. That seemed to satisfy him. Adrian made his nightly check-in with me once I was asleep later on. Naturally, he wanted to know about my dress. He also kept trying to find out how exactly I'd won Ian over and seemed amused at the few details I decided to give him. But mostly I couldn't stop talking about Zoe. Adrian soon gave up on the other topics and simply listened to me gush. â€Å"She spoke to me, Adrian!† I paced around the reception hall, clasping my hands in excitement. â€Å"And she wasn't mad. By the end, she was happy to see me. Do you know what that's like? I mean, I know you don't have any brothers or sisters, but to have someone you haven't seen in a while welcome you back?† â€Å"I don't know what it's like,† he said quietly. â€Å"But I can imagine.† I was too caught up in my own joy at the time, but later, I wondered if he was talking about his incarcerated mother. â€Å"It's nice to see you so happy,† he added. â€Å"Not that you've been miserable lately, but you've had a lot to worry about.† I couldn't help but laugh at that and came to a halt. â€Å"Are you saying evil witches and espionage are stressful?† â€Å"Nah.† He walked over to me. â€Å"All in a day's work for us. But I'm going to make my way to bed now. You seem like you can get by without me tonight.† He'd visited me every night since Veronica's dream. Most of the trips were short now, but I still knew it was a lot of effort and spirit for him. â€Å"Thank you. I feel like I can't say that to you enough.† â€Å"You don't have to say it at all, Sage. Good luck tomorrow.† Right. Stealing top secret info from a highly secure facility. â€Å"Thanks,† I said again. A little of my mood dimmed, but not all of it. â€Å"No matter what happens, though, patching things up with Zoe makes me feel like this mission is already a success.† â€Å"That's because you haven't been caught.† He cupped my face in his hands and leaned close. â€Å"See that you aren't. I don't want to have to dream visit you in prison . . . or wherever it is bad Alchemists go.† â€Å"Hey, at least I'd have you for company, right?† He gave me a rueful headshake, and the dream vanished around me.