Born Too Short

Thirteen year-old, five-foot one Matt Greene has one problem. He also has many talents that go unnoticed. He is very intelligent and can play the guitar. But, he does not get the respect due to him because of his height. He does not play sports, and has gotten rejected by girls he wants to date. They do not want a boyfriend who is the size of a dwarf. Unlike Matt, his best friend, Keith, was the coolest most popular guy. He is everything that Matt is not. He stands a towering six feet three inches tall and is captain of the basketball team. He does not have any problems getting dates with the girls. Matt aspires to be like him, but he just does not have the same effect as Keith. Matt became very angry one day and confessed his jealousy of Keith to himself. He wished that bad things would happen to Keith. He wanted Keith’s girlfriend to dump him. He wanted him to be bad at sports. He also wanted Shania Twain, who was going to star in Keith’s father’s movie, to look like a horse. Suddenly the next day, all of his wishes started coming true. Keith’s girlfriend cheated on him. Keith missed the last point in the championship game, thus causing his team to lose. Shania Twain had a car accident, and had to have plastic surgery on her face, and in the newspaper, she looked like a horse. Good fortune fell upon Matt. He has a scholarship to Paris for music and found himself a girlfriend, named Jose. After realizing what happened to Keith, Matt feels guilty. He feels that his secret envy has ruined his best friend’s life. He wanted to make every thing go back to normal. He had to talk to Keith to resolve the conflict. After a heartfelt conversation with Keith, Matt learns that he does not need to be like his friend. He realizes that every person is different and that is what makes people unique. He appreciates the friendships that he shares with Keith and Jose. Now, Matt is more careful in what he thinks about people without knowing how they may be feeling.

Ops 571 Final

What is the net result of reducing the duration of a task (crashing) not on the critical path? A. Decreased project overhead costs B. Reduced likelihood of liquidated damages for late delivery C. Increased slack time associated with the task D. Reduction in the project duration 12) The idea of the value density calculation is: A. finding a carrier that can handle the weight B. matching the weight of the product with an appropriate carrier C. deciding where items should be stocked geographically and how they should be shippedD. finding the minimum cost carrier 13) When designing a supply chain: A. cost vs customer service must be considered B. quality vs cost must be considered C. lead times vs payment terms must be considered D. customer service vs product customization must be considered 14) According to Hau Lee, which of the following types of products need to be delivered with efficient supply-chains? A. Custom products B. Innovative products C. Grocery products D. High technology products 5) Which of the following product promotional activities would probably help make the supply chain more efficient? A. Price promotions that expire on a specific date B. An â€Å"everyday† low price strategy where prices are not dependent on quantity delivered with a specific order C. Special packaging for a specific event that occurs one time each year D. A 2-for-1 price promotion 16) The best operating level is: A. the maximum point of the cost curve B. the level of capacity for which average unit cost is minimized C. aximum capacity D. the level of capacity for which total cost is minimized 17) Capacity utilization rate can be computed as: A. Capacity used – best operating level B. Capacity used x best operating level C. Capacity used / best operating level D. Capacity used + best operating level 18) The objective of __________ is to provide an approach for determining the overall capacity level of capital-intensive resources that best supports the company' s long-range competitive strategy. A. workforce management B. management supervision C. perations management D. strategic capacity planning 19) Lean production systems typically require A. delivery of large lots at frequent intervals B. buyer inspection of goods and materials C. multiple sources from which to purchase D. low inventory levels throughout production 20) Given that the previous forecast of 65 turned out to be four units less than the actual demand; the next forecast is 66. What would be the value of alpha if the simple exponential smoothing forecast method is being used? A. 0. 02 B. 0. 4 C. 0. 04 D. 0. 25

Choose one of the following Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 4

Choose one of the following - Assignment Example influenced not only the business performance of a company but also the ability of the company to fulfill its current and future business goals (Ravasi and Schultz, 2006; DuBrin, 2002). On the contrary, having a weak organizational culture can also lead to the development of a poor business performance. To ensure that business organizations could benefit from having a strong oranizational culture, this study will purposely examine the positive and negative features of organizational culture. Prior to conclusion, this study will discuss how a strong and weak organizational culture can affect the business performance of a company. According to Lussier and Achua (2010, p. 369), â€Å"strong corporate cultures improve performance by facilitiating internal behavioral consistancy†. It simply means that the ability of the corporate leaders to positively manipulate or influence each employee’s work-related values, attitude, norms, behavioral practices, and expectations play a significant role towards developing further improvements in the busienss performance of a company. Organizational culture can either be classified as weak or strong (Anghel, 2012, p. 135; Lussier, 2009, p. 51). In relation to having a strong and well-defined organizational culture, one of the most obvious and common features of having a strong organizational culture is one that has aligned organizational vision, mission, and goals (Hill and Jones, 2012, p. 32; Lussier and Achua, 2010, p. 370). Commonly shared by the managers and staffs, the presence of a well-defined organizational vision, mission, and goals serve as a guiding attitude and behaviour within a business organization (Lussier and Achua, 2010, p. 370). Therefore, employees within a business organization with strong culture are subconsciously sharing assumptions on how they will achieve the organizational goals (Lussier, 2009, p. 51). In the absence of any of these features, it would be more difficult on the part of the business managers

Project Management Accounting(BBAC501) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Project Management Accounting(BBAC501) - Essay Example To put this into lump light it would be good to know what constitute a cost in manufacturing process. Manufacturing Overhead Costs Stocks are normally classified as an asset in the financial statements, and it is very pertinent note that each product mentioned as en inventory includes the costs of the following: 1. Direct material 2. Direct labor 3. Manufacturing (or factory) overhead Direct material and labour costs are directly traceable to the product being produced. Manufacturing (or factory) overhead on the other hand consist of costs which indirectly relate to factory and on this regard they are divided and allocated to each unit of product. Accordingly this cost are reported in balance sheet inform of finished goods and work in progress (WIP) (GAAP). There are also other costs that would be treated as manufacturing overhead depending on the circumstances for instance, a loyalty or property tax imposed on a factory building. Although it will appear as fixed cost GAAP requires i t allocation and assignment to each unit of manufactured product during such period. Other manufacturing overheads; 1. Material handling e.g. fork lifting opera oration for moving materials and units. 2. Technical expertise for setting up manufacturing equipment which requires some specifications. 3. Work force who inspect and supervise products as they are being manufactured. In my estimates the following are the assumptions which hold in my review 1. There was virtually no beginning inventory of raw material, work in process and finished goods. 2. At the end of the month, 10% of the materials purchased remained on hand, work in process amounted to 20% of the manufacturing costs incurred during the month, and finished goods inventories were negligible. 3. The factory occupies 80% of the premises, the sales area 15% and administration 5%. 4. Most of the equipment is used for manufacturing, with only 5% of the book value being used for sales and administrative functions. 5. Almost al l of the electricity is consumed in the factory. 6. The truck is used to deliver finished goods to customers. 7. The manager spends about one-half of his time on factory management, one-third in the sales area and the rest on administration. Product Costing Cost ($) Cost ($) Â  Direct material 300,000 Direct labor 250,000 Prime Cost 550,000 550,000 Manufacturing (or factory) overhead Rent (80% of 80,000)Assp. No. 3 64,000 Production Supervisor's salary 35,000 Electricity (Assp. No. 5) 12,000 Manager's salary (80,000 x 1/2 Assp. No. 7) 40,000 Equipment depreciation (25,000x95% Assp. No. 4) 23,750 174,750 Total cost of production 724,750 Colonial Tap Company (CTC) Financial Statements for the month ended Cost ($) Cost ($) Sales 980,000 Less C.O.G. Total cost of production 724,750 Less Material at the end ( 10% of 300,000 Assp. No. 2) (30,000) Less Work in progress (20% of 174,750 Assp. No. 2 ) (34,950) 659,800 Gross Profit 320,200 Non Manufacturing Expenses Administrative Expenses Co uncil Rates 5,000 Rent (80,000 x 15% Assp. No. 3) 12,000 Manager's Salary (80,000x2/3 Assp. No. 7 ) 266,667 Equipment

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 39

Case Study Example Therefore, it created a barrier of entry to any other interested investors. This made it easy for the competitors to penetrate the market, an aspect that could have reduced its market share significantly. One of the major strength of Electra is its strong financial base. Since its inception, the company has accumulated a lot of money. This has enabled the firm to create a strong business empire despite having a shaky start. In addition, the finances have enabled the firm to stage a strong marketing campaign, thereby making it easy to expand its operations in different parts of Mexico. Moreover, the company has been using the money to develop new product lines that have enabled it to increase its sales and attract a diverse market. This has been instrumental in ensuring that the success of the business is base on different pillars. Electra has an experienced workforce. Through opening different subsidiaries, the employees have gained experience on how to deal with customers who emanates from diverse cultural, religious, and racial backgrounds. As a result, the subordinates have been playing an important role of dealing with varying challenges that affect the business in the market. This has ensured that the business remains stable even in tough economic conditions. Another major strength by Electra is its strong brand. Over the years, the company has been setting a huge budget towards marketing. This is to remind the customers of the existence of its products and services and to persuade new customers to purchase their products and services. Through the use of audio, visual, and print media, the company has created a strong brand name, an aspect that has played a significant role in attracting customer loyalty. Furthermore, this strategy has been significant in retaining the loyal customers. This continuity coupled with high products

Analysis of a Production chain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Analysis of a Production chain - Essay Example The stages are however not exhaustive. In spite of the goodness of the resultant globalisation due to spreading of the production chain across the globe, it renders labour a face-less force thus lacking in ethics and human values which are important ingredients for motivation. The objective of this paper is to examine what production chain is and how it has transformed over the years within the context of globalisation. The outline of the analysis will be definition of the supply chain, its components, and the production chain as one of them. An industry will be studied for the purpose of learning how a production chain will operate. Further, the purpose of the supply chain and how globalisation has impacted the production chain and the emerging ethical issues will also be examined. Supply chain describes or portrays the logistic flow of materials from front end to back end of a firm. At the front-end is the raw material supplier and at the back-end is the customer. In between, there are manufacturing, transportation and distribution. . The supply chain management aims at a seamless flow of materials through these links so that maximum efficiency is achieved through what is known as logistics. Supply chain has much to do with its management rather than knowing what the supply chain is since the links have been there ever since businesses started. Only it has now been scientifically stated as links mainly for the purpose of their management. As stated, it starts with raw material supplier who supplies material to the manufacturing firm which in turn transfers the manufactured product to the transporters known as logistical support who ultimately delivers it to the consumer through wholesaler and retailer. These are entities playing integral roles in supply chain of the manufacturer in the chain. For him, it is the flow of materials from front-end i.e the raw material supplier and back-end, i.e the consumer. In reality it is not as

Godfather movie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Godfather movie - Essay Example this film to be preserved in its national archives and it was noted by the American Film Institute as the second greatest film produced by Hollywood after Citizen Kane. The story of the film is quite complex but there are several themes which run throughout the film with regard to the action and the dialogue. The importance of family has been noted as a central theme even though the film does glorify crime and violence to achieve certain ends. However, considering that the film is essentially a crime drama, it is difficult to object to that being a part of the action since that defines the genre of the film itself. Of course, crime related films had been made before The Godfather came to the scene but instead of glorifying them and eventually showing their downfall to send the message that crime does not pay, this film humanizes criminals. Undoubtedly, the characters are all involved in shady dealings and are certainly not upright citizens but the manner in which they are shown to have a deep psychology and how they take interest in their own families and their wellbeing gives them a human touch. This allows the viewers to empathize with the family which appears to be struggling to keep up with changing times. The crime business moves from the hands of one generation to the other and even though there is change, some things and certain values remain the same for the family. In fact, the value of the film and appreciation for the artistic values held within has been noted by quite a few critics. Universally, the film has received positive reviews and is often at or near the top of lists made of the greatest films of all times. Not only have other critics paid their respects to The Godfather, other films, television shows and even cartoons have taken inspiration from The Godfather with parodies, satires and even remakes of the story. This homage to the film crosses cultural and international barriers as even Bollywood has made films that pay homage to The

Analyze the Oregon Health Plan- see directives below Essay

Analyze the Oregon Health Plan- see directives below - Essay Example ic and private-partnership for ensuring access to health care for all Oregonians covering Medicaid reforms, insurance for small businesses, and high risk medical insurance. During the late 1980s, millions of Americans did not qualify for public assistance or Medicaid, uninsured by their employers, and could not afford medical coverage (Department of Human Services, 2006, p. 1).Thus, â€Å"instead of seeking early preventive care, the uninsured sought emergency care when their illnesses became severe† (Department of Human Services, 2006, p. 1). The â€Å"free† emergency treatment that the uninsured receive, however, was not genuinely costless because costs are merely passed on thereby increasing the cost of insurance premiums of those who can afford the premiums (Department of Human Services, 2006, p. 1). In 1987, Oregon Governor Neil Goldschmidt created a workgroup of health care providers, businesses, labor, insurers, and lawmakers to address three fundamental questions on the Oregon Health Plan: who is covered, what is covered, and how it is financed (Department of Human Services, 2006, p. 1). The workgroup agreed that all citizens should have full access to basic levels of care and that society is responsible for caring poor people (Department of Human Services, 2006, p. 2). The workgroup also agreed on providing a basic health care package for low income groups as well as health insurance reforms to make it more available and affordable (Department of Human Services, 2006, p. 2). The Oregon Health Plan sought to lower costs by reducing cost pass-on, emphasizing early intervention and primary care, and not covering ineffective care (Department of Human Services, 2006, p. 3). From 1987 to 1993, several legislative reforms were undertaken until â€Å"Medicaid was expanded to inclu de Oregonians under 100% of Federal Poverty Level (FPL), providing a Basic health care benefit package via the Prioritized List† (Department of Human Services, 2006, pp. 3-5). Reforms were

Jet blue case study Essay Example for Free

Jet blue case study Essay The United States airline industry includes roughly 600 companies with combined annual revenue of approximately 170 billion dollars (bts.gov). The major companies include American, Delta, and United Continental (bts.gov). There are air operations of express delivery companies such as FedEx and UPS. This industry is highly concentrated with the 10 largest companies accounting for more than 75 percent of industry revenue (bts.gov). The global airline industry generates about $500 billion annually (tbs.gov). The major international companies include Air China, Deutsche Lufthansa, Air France-KLM, Japan Airlines, and British Airways (bts. gov). Discussion Questions 1. Discuss the trends in the U.S. airline industry and how these trends might impact a company’s strategy. Trends in this industry are numerous. This discussion will include the price of jet fuel, on-time performance, security, and cheaper substitutes. Oil price volatility is the leading player in airline strategy (jetblue.com). Fuel is probably the most significant element in an airline’s base cost (jetblue.com). The new fuel price average for the year 2012 is around 129.7 dollars per barrel (jetblue.com). The impact of this year’s fuel bill for the global airline industry is upwards of 32 billion dollars (jetblue.com). The causes for delays and cancellations of flights are reported monthly to The Bureau of transportation Statistics (bts.gov). On time performance has many factors; a few of these factors are air carrier delays, late arriving aircrafts, security delays, extreme weather, and equipment (bts.gov). Air carrier delays are within the airline’s control. This area includes maintenance/crew problems, aircraft cleaning, baggage loading, fueling, and such (bts.gov). A late arriving previous flight Read Full Essay View as multi-pages

Vanadium in foods and human body fluids and tissues. Science of the Total Environment Essay Example for Free

Vanadium in foods and human body fluids and tissues. Science of the Total Environment Essay The human body is made up of limitless cells as essential components of various tissues. The entire lot of these cells traces their origin from the ovum, typical cell and the egg cell. The egg cell or ovum is made up of protoplasm and contains nucleus. Immediately after the fertilization, the cell multiplies to form an embryo that differentiates to form the body tissues required to form body parts and essentially organs. Clark, (1999) defines a tissue as an aggregation compost of cells of a unique size and shape destined to perform a specialized task. The particular function of a body tissue is governed by biological functions and the nervous system. The four elementary tissues in the body are connective tissue, epithelial tissue, nervous tissue and the muscular tissue. Epithelial Tissue These tissues occur in the body as linings of the inside of organs, coverings of the outside of organs and glands. The linings and coverings of the epithelial tissue are all found on the free surface of the body. For instance, lining and dipping into the open cavities of the respiratory system and digestive track, outer skin layer, covering the walls of organs of closed central body cavity, and lining the heart and blood vessels. The high specialization of the epithelial tissues enables the accomplishment of various functions such as absorption, excretion, protection, secretion, and filtration. The epithelial cells have various traits that specializes their functions. Firstly, they are attached to one another for the formation of a protective barrier, and they have no blood vessels, however, can soak up nutrients from the blood vessels to the connective tissues that lie underneath (Byrne Kosta, 2001). Besides, the epithelial tissue can have lots of nerves and excellent regeneration. Classifications of the epithelial tissues depend on the cell arrangement and by shape. By cell arrangement, there are simple and stratified epitheliums that are made of single layer cells and stacked up call layers respectively. Connective Tissue These tissues contain various types of cells including the macrophages, adipocytes, fibroblasts, and mast cells. Chittenden and Blake, (2005) explains that the matrix of connective tissue has two materials: polysaccharides and proteins. They compost the reticular, fiber, elastic and collagen. The connective tissues are classified as dense, loose and cartilage connective tissues. Loose connective tissues are made of fibers and numerous cells in a gelatinous matrix found in the surrounding of the blood vessels, skin, organs and nerves. The dense connective tissues are formed by bundles of parallel fibroblasts, collagen fibers that are found in ligaments and tendon. Finally, the cartilage connective tissues have subtypes of elastic, hyaline and fibrous cartilage. The major functions of connective tissues are to store nutrient, wrap, protect and cushion organs, strengthens the skin and also form tendons and ligaments that attached to bone and muscle and each other. Muscle tissue The muscles tissues are responsible for body movement, mechanical digestion and moving of food, blood and waste through the organs of the body. Muscles tissues are made up of smooth tissues found in blood vessel walls, organ walls, involuntary and are spindle-shaped. The cardiac muscles fund in the heart that provides synchronization of the contractions during a heart beat (Byrne Kosta, 2001). Finally, the skeletal muscles that are voluntary striated and mainly attached to bones. Nervous Tissue The nervous tissue is composting of two types namely; peripheral nervous system (PNS) and central nervous system (CNS). The nervous tissues have neurons made up of axon, cell body and dendrites. Neurons are further classified into motor neuron that carries impulses from CNS to glands and muscles, sensory neuron that receive information from the environment and transmit to the CNS, and interneuron that interpret sensory and end responses from motor neurons. Epithelial Tissues Line body organs and is vascular has a nerve supply Closely attached to each other Has no blood vessels Has lots of nerves Very good at fixing itself Connective Tissues Has blood and nerve supply Has collagen fibers and stores nutrients Majorly form ligaments and tendons Specialized to form cartilage, born adipose, and blood walls Bind, reinforce, support and protect other tissues Muscle Tissues Generate heat, stabilize posture and provides movement Responsible for movement of blood, waste and mechanical digestion Can be voluntary or involuntary Made up of cardiac, connective and smooth muscles Nervous Tissues Convert stimuli into nerve impulses The elements are brain, spinal cord and nerves Conducts impulses to a from body organs through neurons References Byrne, A. R., Kosta, L. (January 01, 2001). Vanadium in foods and human body fluids and tissues. Science of the Total Environment, 10, 17-30. Chittenden, R. H., Blake, J. A. (January 01, 2005). The relative distribution of antimony in the organs and tissues of the body, under varying conditions. Transactions, 7.Clark, W. E. L. G. (1999). The tissues of the body. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Source document

Media Misrepresentation and Emotive Writing

Media Misrepresentation and Emotive Writing COOKING UP DRAMA When reporting on an issue as serious as methamphetamines, its important not to lose your head, writes Matt Cramb Wheres the statistician? Image: ABC AUSTRALIA IS UNDER SIEGE, or at least, thats how ABCs 2017 docu-drama series Ice Wars frames the ever-lurking issue of crystal meth; against dramatic music and flashing imagery of so called ice dens and their denizens, cooks and ice monsters. This hyperbolic name-calling helps nobody, especially not those already embroiled in the stigma surrounding methamphetamines, serving only to further polarise pundits. This leads to similarly overly-authoritative articles such as that from Harm Reduction Australia (HRA), published on February 12, five days after the first episode aired. In their Huffington Post article, titled The ABCs Ice Wars Is Exploiting Vulnerable Addicts, HRA calls for the entire series to be pulled from the network due to a segment following the life of a schizophrenic man addicted to ice. Both texts were written poised to make a positive difference in the community, but are loaded with murky pathos and blinding octane action which topples their ambitions. Information is set into the background, with emotion taking centre stage. It remains to be seen whether this appeal to emotion will propel a stronger community response against the drug, but without the armaments of solid facts to equip it, such a response cannot hold. The Riot Squad, complete with perfectly-angled dashcam. Image: ABC Ice Wars Appeal to Emotion Professor Nicole Lee summed it up when she wrote, Most of what is reported in [Ice Wars] is not incorrect, but it lacks nuance and context. For example, when Ice Wars reports a figure of 1.3 million for Australians who have tried ice, it passes this exaggeration off as a shocking revelation, following with, friends and members of your family would have to have tried ice. This is a perfect example of the shows extreme lack of effort to reconcile facts with on-screen action, over-representing the most shocking and dramatic aspects of Australias campaign (not war, mind you) against ice. Not only is the figure quoted above actually lower, as the Australian Drug Strategy Household Survey conducted in late 2015 reported closer to 850,000 Australians who had used crystal methamphetamine, it doesnt accurately represent the number of regular users at all. Per Lees figures, part of her article on the topic titled Ice Wars Message is Overblown and Unhelpful, a miniscule 0.25% of the population over 14 years uses methamphetamines regularly. Despite the evidence, Australians are prone to overestimating the scale of ice use, found an online survey conducted by the National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre (NCPIC). They reported that almost 50% of survey respondents thought 30-100% of Australians had tried ice, with only 14% correctly estimating the figure. The misinformation and misrepresentation left throughout ABCs Ice Wars can only serve to further decrease this figure. Ice Wars, in this regard, is more Highway Patrol than hard-hitting documentary. And the NCPIC, who were responsible for bringing this information to light, despite their usual focus on cannabis? Defunded in December of 2016, the Department of Health citing the release of the National Ice Action Strategy as a major contributing factor. Where is Cannabis Wars, seeing as over 8.3 million Australians have tried the drug? Surely at this figure, friends and members of your family would have to have tried cannabis? Professor Jan Copeland, the former director of the now-defunded NCPIC, said of the research; The most worrying aspect of this is that it normalises ice use in the minds of those who may be thinking of trying it. Ice Wars glosses over these vital statistics, instead foregrounding the more photogenic drug raids and silencing all the above sources. Emotional quotes such as, You lose your soul. You lose everything, are given more time and focus than all of the research conducted on this topic in recent years. Shaky and over-exposed camera angles of barred house fronts with an overlaid narrator talking about the dangers of ice addiction may be more aesthetically appealing, but when Ice Wars employs this and similar visual techniques to heighten the tension and drama and backgrounds crucial information, it does nothing to advance the cause they are championing. It definitely shows something when a hazmat-suited police officer counting numbers off while sorting evidence baggies is better television than an explanation as to what those numbers actually mean. Attempts at fearmongering fall flat trying to leap over the gaps presented in this supposedly educational series. Very interestingly, one of the visual techniques the show uses to fearmonger are several eye-in-the-sky camera angles taken via drone to present an authoritative documentary tone, a tone Harm Reduction Australia unwittingly emulates in their own article. Theres a lot of myths about methamphetamine. Image: ABC The ABCs Ice Wars Is Exploiting Vulnerable Addicts Appeal to Authority Boldly emblazoned, just underneath the catchy head- and by-line of the Huffington Post article, The ABCs Ice Wars Is Exploiting Vulnerable Addicts, are the names and qualifications of the two authors, Gino Vumbaca and Tony Trimingham, president and vice-president of Harm Reduction Australia respectively. For context, Harm Reduction Australia is an organisation dedicated to increasing practices in Australian drug policy which focus more on lessening the impact of drug use in cases where the user is unable or unwilling to stop [using]. Their article, or at least the article co-penned by their president, condemns the ABCs brief focus on an ice user and schizophrenic. When they begin their article with the phrase; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦we believe there is no option but to call for the rest of the series to be halted from broadcastingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ its unclear whether the we is Vumbaca Trimingham or HRA itself. Later, they attest that It is the policy of NSW Healthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, and end their article with a quote from Dr Marianne Jauncey, quick to point out her position as Director of the Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre. The quote itself is largely irrelevant to the rest of the article, exploring a tangent they only lightly touched upon; the issue of misrepresentation. Theres a lot of myths about methamphetamine, she is quoted as saying. Perhaps it is fitting that this quote is used to conclude an article written by people intentionally and artificially exaggerating their status, because stapling her quote to the end of the article does exactly that. This contradiction is exemplified in the following quote: The public have no reason not to believe this [information provided by the ABC] is true given the authoritative nature of the source from which it came. However, it is simply untrueà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Simultaneously rebuking the ABC for an authoritative tone while adopting that very same tone further highlights the emphasis and citations leveraged by Vumbaca Trimingham to promote their ideology. The article discredits sources which discuss statistics, such as ABC Breakfast who claims that it takes 18 months to get off methamphetamine, while heroin only takes 10 days, which while in context was appropriate to Vumbaca Triminghams point, also effectively silences all data surrounding the issue. The ABC series appears to be failing badly on reporting the evidence, posits the article, after itself claiming, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦investment in treatment and support provides far better economic, health and social outcomes than policing, courts and prisonsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ while omitting all evidence. The audience is not given baseline knowledge on the issue but is led to believe the text is an authority on said issue, only muddying the waters further. Granted, this may have been done deliberately to promote Vumbaca Triminghams organisational agenda or to draw in a more engaged audience. However, it does nothing to help their contention or the ice user whose plight they bemoan. Interviews with these people, those directly involved in the science and numbers, would have been much appreciated. Image: ABC Both texts are filled with their own flaws and misrepresentations, including Ice Wars use of emotion over reason, and Harm Reduction Australias authoritative tension, but both silence or omit important data and statistics to their detriment. By coaxing and corralling specific emotional responses from the audience, the texts hinder the change they are trying to action. While they are trying to help, without preparing their audiences with accurate facts and relevant data, the issue will become more nebulous and difficult to tackle. And its already bad enough. Bibliography: Author/s Unknown 2016, National Drug Strategy 2016-2025, Intergovernmental Committee on Drugs, accessed 22/2/17, http://www.nationaldrugstrategy.gov.au/internet/drugstrategy/Publishing.nsf/content/73E3AD4C708D5726CA257ED000050625/$File/draftnds.pdf Author/s Unknown 2017, Harm Reduction Australia, Harm Reduction Australia, accessed 20/2/17, http://www.harmreductionaustralia.org.au/ Author/s Unknown 2017, Whoops!, National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre, accessed 22/2/17, https://ncpic.org.au/ Fogarty, S 2016, Cannabis addiction support centre to close doors after government cuts funding, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, accessed 22/2/17, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-04/cannabis-support-centre-to-close-after-funding-cut/7994558 Ice Wars 2017, television program, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Sydney, 8 February Lee, N 2017, Ice Wars message is overblown and unhelpful, The Conversation, accessed 20/2/17, http://theconversation.com/ice-wars-message-is-overblown-and-unhelpful-72719 National Drug Alcohol Research Centre 2015, Australians are overestimating meth use, University of New South Wales, accessed 22/2/17, https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/news/australians-are-overestimating-meth-use Trimingham, T Vumbaca, G 2017, The ABCs Ice Wars Is Exploiting Vulnerable Addicts, Huffingon Post, accessed 20/2/17, http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/tony-trimingham/the-abcs-ice-wars-is-exploiting-vulnerable-addicts/

Types or Energy Sources :: Environment, Gas Emissions

The current UK energy supply sector constitute about 38% greenhouse gas emissions (Allen et al. 2007). Approximately 65% of the primary energy is lost as wasted heat during the production of electricity using centralised production system. (Allen et al. 2007). Renewable energy technologies have the potential to dramatically reduce these losses because when fossil fuels are used, the heat generated by localised electricity production can be captured and utilised for space and water heating. Heat and electricity can also be produced locally by renewable sources. Another great importance of renewable energy source is the fact that it is carbon neutral (Hall 2006; Allen et al. 2007). A renewable source is said to be carbon neutral if the amount of CO2 emitted during the sourcing of the energy is off-set with an equivalent amount sequestered or removed from the atmosphere. The UK government has been proactive towards the reduction of greenhouse gases such as CO2 emissions. For instance, and as discussed earlier, the nation is now legally bound to the Kyoto protocol to reduce its CO2 emissions by at least 12.5% below the 1990 levels between the 2008-2012 time frame (Stolarski et al. 2010). Furthermore, the UK Government’s Climate Change Act 2008 sets a legally binding target of 80% reduction in national CO2 emissions by 2050 compared to 1990 levels (DECC 2009). To achieve these targets, and at the same time providing affordable and clean energy to buildings, mitigation strategies including the use of renewable energy technologies is being recommended by the government (DECC 2009). Some common renewable energy technologies in the UK are combined heat and power, geothermal, hydro, tidal, wind, wave and solar energy systems. Combined heat and power (Biomass): is a community heating and electricity system that generates fuel derived from biomass or organic matter. It is important to note that combined heat and power is renewable only when dedicated crops or forest used or where replanting occurs. In this case the carbon captured during growth will be equal to the carbon emitted during combustion. Combined heat and power has a primary energy conversion of 80% compared to a normal grid supply of 30-40 % ( Allen et al. 2007). If widely used, it can lead to significant CO2 reduction. Geothermal energy systems: refer to systems that capture energy from the earth’s core. It has a potential in the UK, although it requires an electrical input which, with the current electricity mix will be only partially renewable.

The African-American Nightmare Exposed in Black Literature Essay

African-American Nightmare Exposed in Olaudah Equiano, Narrative of Frederick Douglass, Song of Solomon, and Push    The American Dream was founded on the concept that "all men are created equal"(Jefferson 729) and that everyone has the capability and resources to "pull themselves up by their bootstraps." The Declaration of Independence was written so Americans could achieve this dream, but was not written with the African slave in mind. The African slave was never intended to be a part of this American Dream, therefore, not capable of obtaining it. These slaves were beaten up and/or lynched by their massas with these bootstraps instead of being "pulled up" by them.    Even after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, Blacks still did not have access to all of the privileges of the white world. The Jim Crow laws of 1877 constantly reminded Blacks of their second-class citizenship and also limited them to certain areas and to very few resources. Signs reading "Whites Only" or "Colored" hung over restroom doors, drinking fountains and other public places.    The dominant American Dream narrative involves voluntary participation, forgetting the past, and privileging the individual while the alternative Dream narrative of American minorities involves forced participation, connecting tot the past, and privileging the group-the traditional (extended) or alternative families. So, clearly, to the African-American, there were and still are many restrictions that go along with the American Dream.    The great civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King in his famous speech, "I Have a Dream," delivered August 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington, D.C., supports these limi... ...Life of Frederick Douglass. 1845. The Classic Slave Narratives. Ed. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. New York: Penguin Group, 1987. Equiano, Olaudah. The Life of Olaudah Equiano. 1814. The Classic Slave Narratives. Ed. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. New York: Penguin Group, 1987. Hughes, Langston. "Dream Deferred". Literature, Reading Fiction, Poetry, Drama & the Essay. 4th Edition, Published by McGraw Hill, 1998. Jefferson, Thomas. The Declaration of Independence. 1776. The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 4th ed. v.1,ed. Nina Baym et al (NY: Norton, 1994), 729. King, Jr., Martin Luther. "I Have a Dream." A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings of Martin Luther King Jr., Ed. J. M. Washington. Harper & Row, 1986. 217, 219. Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York: The Penguin Group, 1977. Sapphire. Push. New York: Vintage Contemporaries, 1996.   

Feminist Anthropology

Introduction In the center of the nineteenth century the theory of feminist anthropology emerged as a reaction to a perceived androcentric prejudice within the field of anthropology ( Lamphere 1996: 488 ) . Symbolic anthropology, on the other manus, emerged during the twentieth century and formed in response to the dissatisfaction with the theory of structural linguistics that was grounded in linguistics and semiologies ( Des Chene 1996:1275 ) . The purpose of this paper is to analyze the similarities and differences between the theories of feminist anthropology and symbolic anthropology in order to better understand the impact both motions had on the societal scientific disciplines. Both of these theories, although seemingly unrelated, portion a assortment of similarities that are at the nucleus of the paradigm displacement in anthropology that continues today. Further, an scrutiny of some of the cardinal figures in anthropology who influenced the outgrowth of these theoretical tendencies, will further clarify the principle for their development.OrAdditionally, an scrutiny of some of the cardinal figures in anthropology who influenced these paradigm ‘s will further light these th eories ‘ importance. Although this paper can non supply a complete analysis of what differs and remains the same between feminist and symbolic anthropology, we can make a better apprehension of the two theoretical schools of idea and the impact they had on the field of anthropology and societal scientific discipline as a whole. However, before comparing and contrasting the theories, it is indispensable to hold a basic apprehension of what each theory entails. Basic Dogmas of Feminist Anthropology In the history of anthropology, three different moving ridges of feminist anthropology occurred with varying focal points ( Gellner and Stockett, 2006 ) . These different moving ridges did non to the full occur in chronological order and there are convergences with some of the theories of each still relevant today. The first moving ridge occurred between 1850 and 1920, and had the primary end of including adult females ‘s voices into descriptive anthropology. At the clip, there was really small ethnographic informations refering adult females, and the informations that did be was mostly the studies of male sources talking for adult females and analyzed through male ethnographers ( Pine 1996: 253 ) . The focal point of the 2nd moving ridge, which occurred between 1920 and 1980 was an effort to divide the impressions of sex and gender. Until this point, the footings had been used interchangeably and the word â€Å" Gender † referred to both the constructs of male and female, the cultural building that created these two classs and the relationship between them. ( Pine 1996:253 ) . This was debatable since the definition of gender varies from civilization to civilization and can take to false apprehensions and the creative activity of cultural false beliefs in the field of anthropology . Further, during the 2nd moving ridge, feminist anthropologists pushed for a rejection of the bing dualities between work forces and adult females that were present in Western civilization, such as the thought that work forces should work while adult females stayed at place. During the 2nd moving ridge, mercenary research into the thoughts of societal dealingss about adult females, reproduction and their productive capablenesss in the work force became popular, particularly how these factors related to other societal factors such as societal category. Therefore, in the 2nd moving ridge, feminist anthropologists argued for a move off from the wide generalisations that had plagued the field of anthropology for coevalss ( Lamphere 1996:488 ) . This is linked to the single focal point put-forth by the interpretivist motion in anthropology during the 1950s. However, it differs because it makes connexions between adult females irrespective of what civilization they belong to. Contemporary women's rightist anthropologists make up the 3rd moving ridge of feminist anthropology, which started in the 1980s and continues throughout the new millenary. Feminist anthropologists of today, are no longer entirely focused on the gender dissymmetry but instead focal point on the differences that exist between classs such as category, race and ethnicity ( Geller and Stockett, 2006 ) . This modern-day focal point therefore examines the differences that exist between adult females with differing societal backgrounds, instead than concentrating on the difference between males and females ( McGee, Warms 1996: 392 ) . Contemporary women's rightist anthropology besides examines how these assorted societal factors interact, particularly in the con text of power, which is frequently used as the chief method of analysis. However, this method has resulted in a extremely disconnected theoretical attack, which uses combined pieces of assorted theories ( Geller and Stockett, 2006 ) . Cardinal Peoples in Feminist Anthropology One of the cardinal figures in the first moving ridge of feminist anthropology was Ruth Benedict ( 1887-1948 ) . Benedict was a pupil of Franz Boas, and one of the first female anthropologists, gaining her doctor's degree from Columbia University in 1923 ( Buckner 1997: 34 ) . Most of her work focused on Native Americans and other groups which led her to develop her â€Å" configurational attack † to civilization, which views cultural systems as working to prefer certain personality types among different societies ( Buckner 1997: 34 ) . Another cardinal figure who emerged in the 2nd moving ridge of feminist anthropology was Margaret Mead ( 1901-1978 ) another pupil of Franz Boas, who was friends with Ruth Benedict. Meads feminist work centered on the separating factors between sex and gender. Many of her theories were influenced by or borrowed from Gestalt psychological science, a subfield of psychological science which focused on analysing personality as an interconnected psy chological form alternatively of a aggregation of unrelated elements ( McGee, Warms 1996:202 ) Her work attempted to divide the biological factors from the cultural factors that influence human behaviour and personality development and helped to construct a model for the emerging subject of feminist anthropology. Additionally, her work analyzed the permeant sexual dissymmetry that existed in the ethnographic literature of anthropology during the clip. ( Levinson, Ember 1996:488 ) . Basic Dogmas of Interpretive Anthropology The intent of symbolic anthropology is to analyze the different ways that people understand their milieus, every bit good as the differing readings of those who act within them. Symbolic anthropologists believe that these readings can be combined to make a shared cultural system of significance, or shared apprehensions shared between members of the same civilization. However, it is understood that non all members of a civilization will hold the exact same beliefs ( Des Chene 1996:1274 ) . One of the chief focal points of symbolic anthropology is the survey of symbols and the assorted ways that symbols are created and have their significances assigned to them. Symbolic anthropologists believe that scrutiny of these symbols and the procedures that create them ( such as myth and faith ) will light the cardinal inquiries of human societal life shared by each civilization ( Spencer 1996:535 ) . Therefore, symbolic anthropologists view civilization as an independent system of intending tha t can be deciphered by construing cardinal symbols and rites that create it ( Spencer 1996:535 ) . Overall, there are two cardinal premises in symbolic anthropology. The first of these premises provinces that the beliefs of a certain group of people, nevertheless unintelligible they may look, can ever be understood when they are examined as portion of an bing cultural system of significance ( Des Chene 1996:1274 ) . The 2nd premiss provinces that the actions of a specific group of people are guided by the reading of these symbols. These two premises allows for symbolic anthropologists to use symbolism to construe both ideal and material activities of a specific group of people. Frequently, the focal point of symbolic anthropology will be on faith, cosmology, ritual activity, and expressive imposts such as mythology and the acting humanistic disciplines ( Des Chene 1996:1274 ) . However, symbolic anthropologists besides study other signifiers of societal organisation such as affinity and political organisation, which allows research workers to analyze the function that these symbols play in the mundane life of people from different civilizations. ( Des Chene 1996:1274 ) . Cardinal Peoples in Interpretive Anthropology Overall, the field of symbolic anthropology can be divided into two major attacks, each associated with one of the cardinal figures of the theory. The first attack is associated with Clifford Geertz and the University of Chicago and the other with Victor W. Turner at Cornell University. Geertz ‘s place illustrates the interpretative attack to symbolic anthropology, while Turner ‘s illustrates the symbolic attack. Clifford Geertz ( 1926-2006 ) studied at Harvard University in the 1950s and was strongly influenced by the Hagiographas of philosophers such as Langer, Ryle, and Weber. ( Handler 1991 ; Tongs 1993 ) Geertz was influenced mostly by the sociologist Max Weber, finally utilizing different facets of their thought as cardinal elements in his theory of interpretative anthropology, and was more interested in the operations of â€Å" civilization † than the assorted ways that symbols interact within the societal procedure. In his digest of essays entitled â€Å" The Interpretation of Cultures † ( 1973c ) , Geertz argued that an analysis of civilization should â€Å" non [ be ] an experimental scientific discipline in hunt of jurisprudence but an interpretative 1 in hunt of significance † ( Geertz 1973d:5 ) . Further, Geertz believed that civilization was a societal phenomenon and a shared system of intersubjective symbols and significances ( Parker 1985 ) .` This can be seen in his ain definition of civilization, which was â€Å" an historically familial form of significances embodied in symbols, a system of familial constructs expressed in symbolic signifiers by agencies of which work forces communicate, perpetuate, and develop their cognition about and their attitudes toward life † ( Geertz 1973e:89 ) . Geertz ‘s symbolic anthropology focused on the different ways in which symbols operate within a specific civilization, particularly how persons â€Å" see, experience, and think about the universe † ( Ortner 1983:129-131 ) . He believed that civilization is expressed through the external symbols utilized by society and is non merely stored inside the heads of members of that society. Geertz, argued that adult male utilized the symbolic as â€Å" beginnings of light † in order to point himself in his ain system of significance ( Geertz 1973a:45 ) . Therefore, societies use their symbols to show their ain alone â€Å"worldview, value-orientation, ethos, [ and other facets of their civilization ] † ( Ortner 1983:129 ) . Symbols could be seen as â€Å" vehicles of ‘culture † who ‘s intending should non be studied in and of themselves, but alternatively should be studied for what they can uncover about a peculiar civilization. Geertz argued that these cultural symbols shaped the ways that societal histrions see, experience, and think about the universe ( Ortner 1983:129 ) . Victor Witter Turner ( 1920-1983 ) was the leader of the other subdivision of symbolic anthropology ( Turner 1980:143 ) . Born in Scotland, Turner was influenced by the structural-functionalist attack of British societal anthropology that had been outstanding during the clip. In peculiar, Turner was influenced by Emile Durkheim, which shaped his version of symbolic anthropology to concentrate more on the operations of â€Å" society â €  and the ways in which different symbols operate within it. ( Ortner 1983:128-129 ) . Turner, like old British anthropologists, was interested in look intoing whether symbols really functioned within the societal procedure the manner current symbolic anthropologists believed they did. Thus, Turner ‘s attack to symbols was highly different than that of his modern-day, Clifford Geertz. Alternatively of being interested in symbols as vehicles of â€Å" civilization † as Geertz was, Turner believed that symbols functioned as â€Å" operators in the societal procedure † ( Ortner 1983:131 ) and that â€Å" the symbolic look of shared significances † , non the attractive force of stuff involvements, prevarication at the centre of human relationships † ( Maning 1984:20 ) . Turner believed that symbols â€Å" instigate societal action † and exercise â€Å" determinable influences tending individuals and groups to action † ( Turner 1967:36 ) and felt that these â€Å" operators, † if placed in a certain agreement and context, would bring forth â€Å" societal transmutations † which both act to maintain the people in a society tied to the society ‘s specific societal norms every bit good as decide societal struggle and assistance in altering the societal position of the histrions involved ( Ortner 1983:131 ) . Theoretical Similarities There are several theoretical similarities between feminist and symbolic anthropology. Both Fieldss recognize the dynamic nature of societal systems. Like symbolic anthropology which views civilization in footings of symbols and mental footings, accounting for its transient and altering nature, 2nd wave feminist anthropologists rejected Durkheim’s impression of a inactive system composed of built-in dualities, and sought to demo that the societal systems are dynamic. Further, both women's rightist and symbolic anthropology believe in â€Å" actor-centric † actions, intending that actions are non separate from societal histrions but a portion of their societal model. ( Ortner 1983:136 ) . Another cardinal similarity is the focal points shared by both women's rightist and symbolic anthropology. Focus on individuality and difference is a cardinal focal point of both feminist anthropology and symbolic anthropology. This means that there is a focal point on societal classs such as age, business, faith, position, and so on. Power is besides an of import constituent of analysis for feminist anthropology, since the building and passage of individuality occurs through discourses and actions that are structured by contexts of power ( Gellner and Stockett, 2006 ) . However, this besides fits in with Turner ‘s analysis of symbols and societal action. Further, both theories challenge the construct of normality and catholicity that many old anthropological theories supported. The rejection of normality and cosmopolitan truths, every bit good as the thought that anthropology must non merely analyze on a cultural degree, but besides on an single degree, is cardinal to symbolic anthropology. This thought is chiefly seen in feminist anthropology through the thought that male point of view differs well from the female point of view, and that both must be accounted for. The rejection of normality is farther seen in feminist anthropology through fagot theory, which is the most recent reaction against the impression of â€Å"normalcy† Queer theory challenges the construct of heteronormativity, or the premise that heterosexualism and the ensuing societal establishments are the normative socio-sexual constructions in all societies ( Gellner and Stockett, 2006 ) . The theory argues that gender is non a portion of the indispensable ego and is alternatively based upon the socially constructed nature of sexual Acts of the Apostless and individualities, which consist of many varied constituents ( Warner, 1993 ; Barry, 2002 ) . Therefore, like symbolic anthropology, feminist anthropology relies to a great extent on the construct of cultural constructivism. Arguing different positions Due to cultural growing and intervention of Man and Women. The most obvious similarity between the theories is that both were a response to old anthropological theories. The symbolic and interpretative theory was a reactions to structuralism that was grounded in linguistics and semiologies and pioneered by L? vi-Strauss ( Des Chene 1996:1275 ) . The subfield of Feminist Anthropology emerged as a reaction to a perceived androcentric prejudice within the subject ( Lamphere 1996: Additionally, another cardinal similarity between the theories is that they have non been discredited position in the modern societal scientific disciplines? ? Theoretical Differences One of the chief differences between the two anthropological attacks is the catholicity found in feminist anthropology. Although the construct of catholicity is under scrutiny today, early women's rightist anthropologists believed that there was a cosmopolitan subordination of adult females to work forces, in all civilizations around the Earth. Therefore, one of the chief constituents of feminist anthropology was to seek for cosmopolitan accounts for female subordination and gender inequality. However, the thought that all adult females suffer the same subjugation merely because they are adult females does non suit within the symbolic and interpretivist model. Symbolic anthropologists argue that these historically specific Western premises about the societal differences between work forces and adult females can non be decently applied to non-Western societies ( Spencer 1996:538 ) . Another of import difference between feminist and symbolic anthropology is that feminist anthropology c hiefly focuses on the constructs of gender and gender, while symbolic anthropology examines all societal facets. Varies from civilization to civilization Muslim adult females viewed as opressed, but they view forced sexualization as opression Decision

Related Studies for Online Shopping Essay

Sulit.com.ph is a classified ads website that caters primarily to Philippine market. It is an online marketplace where people buy and sell a wide variety of goods, products, and services under different categories such as real estate, automotives, careers, business products and services, and many more among Filipino individuals and business groups all over the world.[3] Launched on September 11, 2006, the free online classified ads website was named Sulit.com.ph for 2 reasons: (1) â€Å"Sulit† is a Filipino word that means â€Å"worth it† in English, describing the affordability of items being sold by the site’s members; and (2) Sulit is an acronym for â€Å"Super Low Internet Trading.† In addition to the buy and sell platform, Sulit.com.ph also provides an online community among Filipino web users. Through the Sulit.com.ph forum, members interact with one another about various topics including business, lifestyle, current events, and health among many others. Thus, Sulit.com.ph can also be translated to â€Å"Sulit Community in the Philippines.† http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulit.com.ph AyosDito.ph is an online classified-ads website catering to the Philippine market. It is owned and operated by 701Search Pte., Ltd., which is a joint venture between media giantsSingapore Press Holdings and Schibsted. Launched in March 2009,[2] AyosDito offers free posting of ads for items such as properties, cars, computers, cellphones, electronic gadgets, food, and even jobs. The phrase â€Å"Ayos Dito† is Tagalog for â€Å"Ok here†. Despite the rather plain site layout and design, people generally find the website very fast and simple to use.[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AyosDito.ph

The Lost Symbol Chapter 76-78

CHAPTER 76 Freedom Plaza is a map. Located at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Thirteenth Street, the plaza's vast surface of inlaid stone depicts the streets of Washington as they were originally envisioned by Pierre L'Enfant. The plaza is a popular tourist destination not only because the giant map is fun to walk on, but also because Martin Luther King Jr., for whom Freedom Plaza is named, wrote much of his â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech in the nearby Willard Hotel. D.C. cabdriver Omar Amirana brought tourists to Freedom Plaza all the time, but tonight, his two passengers were obviously no ordinary sightseers. The CIA is chasing them? Omar had barely come to a stop at the curb before the man and woman had jumped out. â€Å"Stay right here!† the man in the tweed coat told Omar. â€Å"We'll be right back!† Omar watched the two people dash out onto the wide-open spaces of the enormous map, pointing and shouting as they scanned the geometry of intersecting streets. Omar grabbed his cell phone off the dashboard. â€Å"Sir, are you still there?† â€Å"Yes, Omar!† a voice shouted, barely audible over a thundering noise on his end of the line. â€Å"Where are they now?† â€Å"Out on the map. It seems like they're looking for something.† â€Å"Do not let them out of your sight,† the agent shouted. â€Å"I'm almost there!† Omar watched as the two fugitives quickly found the plaza's famous Great Seal–one of the largest bronze medallions ever cast. They stood over it a moment and quickly began pointing to the southwest. Then the man in tweed came racing back toward the cab. Omar quickly set his phone down on the dashboard as the man arrived, breathless. â€Å"Which direction is Alexandria, Virginia?† he demanded. â€Å"Alexandria?† Omar pointed southwest, the exact same direction the man and woman had just pointed toward. â€Å"I knew it!† the man whispered beneath his breath. He spun and shouted back to the woman. â€Å"You're right! Alexandria!† The woman now pointed across the plaza to an illuminated â€Å"Metro† sign nearby. â€Å"The Blue Line goes directly there. We want King Street Station!† Omar felt a surge of panic. Oh no. The man turned back to Omar and handed him entirely too many bills for the fare. â€Å"Thanks. We're all set.† He hoisted his leather bag and ran off. â€Å"Wait! I can drive you! I go there all the time!† But it was too late. The man and woman were already dashing across the plaza. They disappeared down the stairs into the Metro Center subway station. Omar grabbed his cell phone. â€Å"Sir! They ran down into the subway! I couldn't stop them! They're taking the Blue Line to Alexandria!† â€Å"Stay right there!† the agent shouted. â€Å"I'll be there in fifteen seconds!† Omar looked down at the wad of bills the man had given him. The bill on top was apparently the one they had been writing on. It had a Jewish star on top of the Great Seal of the United States. Sure enough, the star's points fell on letters that spelled MASON. Without warning, Omar felt a deafening vibration all around him, as if a tractor trailer were about to collide with his cab. He looked up, but the street was deserted. The noise increased, and suddenly a sleek black helicopter dropped down out of the night and landed hard in the middle of the plaza map. A group of black-clad men jumped out. Most ran toward the subway station, but one came dashing toward Omar's cab. He yanked open the passenger door. â€Å"Omar? Is that you?† Omar nodded, speechless. â€Å"Did they say where they were headed?† the agent demanded. â€Å"Alexandria! King Street Station,† Omar blurted. â€Å"I offered to drive, but–â€Å" â€Å"Did they say where in Alexandria they were going?† â€Å"No! They looked at the medallion of the Great Seal on the plaza, then they asked about Alexandria, and they paid me with this.† He handed the agent the dollar bill with the bizarre diagram. As the agent studied the bill, Omar suddenly put it all together. The Masons! Alexandria! One of the most famous Masonic buildings in America was in Alexandria. â€Å"That's it!† he blurted. â€Å"The George Washington Masonic Memorial! It's directly across from King Street Station!† â€Å"That it is,† the agent said, apparently having just come to the same realization as the rest of the agents came sprinting back from the station. â€Å"We missed them!† one of the men yelled. â€Å"Blue Line just left! They're not down there!† Agent Simkins checked his watch and turned back to Omar. â€Å"How long does the subway take to Alexandria?† â€Å"Ten minutes at least. Probably more.† â€Å"Omar, you've done an excellent job. Thank you.† â€Å"Sure. What's this all about?!† But Agent Simkins was already running back to the chopper, shouting as he went. â€Å"King Street Station! We'll get there before they do!† Bewildered, Omar watched the great black bird lift off. It banked hard to the south across Pennsylvania Avenue, and then thundered off into the night. Underneath the cabbie's feet, a subway train was picking up speed as it headed away from Freedom Plaza. On board, Robert Langdon and Katherine Solomon sat breathless, neither one saying a word as the train whisked them toward their destination. CHAPTER 77 The memory always began the same way. He was falling . . . plummeting backward toward an ice-covered river at the bottom of a deep ravine. Above him, the merciless gray eyes of Peter Solomon stared down over the barrel of Andros's handgun. As he fell, the world above him receded, everything disappearing as he was enveloped by the cloud of billowing mist from the waterfall upstream. For an instant, everything was white, like heaven. Then he hit the ice. Cold. Black. Pain. He was tumbling . . . being dragged by a powerful force that pounded him relentlessly across rocks in an impossibly cold void. His lungs ached for air, and yet his chest muscles had contracted so violently in the cold that he was unable even to inhale. I'm under the ice. The ice near the waterfall was apparently thin on account of the turbulent water, and Andros had broken directly through it. Now he was being washed downstream, trapped beneath a transparent ceiling. He clawed at the underside of the ice, trying to break out, but he had no leverage. The searing pain from the bullet hole in his shoulder was evaporating, as was the sting of the bird shot; both were blotted out now by the crippling throb of his body going numb. The current was accelerating, slingshotting him around a bend in the river. His body screamed for oxygen. Suddenly he was tangled in branches, lodged against a tree that had fallen into the water. Think! He groped wildly at the branch, working his way toward the surface, finding the spot where the branch pierced up through the ice. His fingertips found the tiny space of open water surrounding the branch, and he pulled at the edges, trying to break the hole wider; once, twice, the opening was growing, now several inches across. Propping himself against the branch, he tipped his head back and pressed his mouth against the small opening. The winter air that poured into his lungs felt warm. The sudden burst of oxygen fueled his hope. He planted his feet on the tree trunk and pressed his back and shoulders forcefully upward. The ice around the fallen tree, perforated by branches and debris, was weakened already, and as he drove his powerful legs into the trunk, his head and shoulders broke through the ice, crashing up into the winter night. Air poured into his lungs. Still mostly submerged, he wriggled desperately upward, pushing with his legs, pulling with his arms, until finally he was out of the water, lying breathless on the bare ice. Andros tore off his soaked ski mask and pocketed it, glancing back upstream for Peter Solomon. The bend in the river obscured his view. His chest was burning again. Quietly, he dragged a small branch over the hole in the ice in order to hide it. The hole would be frozen again by morning. As Andros staggered into the woods, it began to snow. He had no idea how far he had run when he stumbled out of the woods onto an embankment beside a small highway. He was delirious and hypothermic. The snow was falling harder now, and a single set of headlights approached in the distance. Andros waved wildly, and the lone pickup truck immediately pulled over. It had Vermont plates. An old man in a red plaid shirt jumped out. Andros staggered toward him, holding his bleeding chest. â€Å"A hunter . . . shot me! I need a . . . hospital!† Without hesitation, the old man helped Andros up into the passenger seat of the truck and turned up the heater. â€Å"Where's the nearest hospital?!† Andros had no idea, but he pointed south. â€Å"Next exit.† We're not going to a hospital. The old man from Vermont was reported missing the next day, but nobody had any idea where on his journey from Vermont he might have disappeared in the blinding snowstorm. Nor did anyone link his disappearance to the other news story that dominated the headlines the next day–the shocking murder of Isabel Solomon. When Andros awoke, he was lying in a desolate bedroom of a cheap motel that had been boarded up for the season. He recalled breaking in and binding his wounds with torn bedsheets, and then burrowing into a flimsy bed beneath a pile of musty blankets. He was famished. He limped to the bathroom and saw the pile of bloody bird-shot pellets in the sink. He vaguely recalled prying them out of his chest. Raising his eyes to the dirty mirror, he reluctantly unwrapped his bloody bandages to survey the damage. The hard muscles of his chest and abdomen had stopped the bird shot from penetrating too deep, and yet his body, once perfect, was now ruined with wounds. The single bullet fired by Peter Solomon had apparently gone cleanly through his shoulder, leaving a bloody crater. Making matters worse, Andros had failed to obtain that for which he had traveled all this distance. The pyramid. His stomach growled, and he limped outside to the man's truck, hoping maybe to find food. The pickup was now covered with heavy snow, and Andros wondered how long he had been sleeping in this old motel. Thank God I woke up. Andros found no food anywhere in the front seat, but he did find some arthritis painkillers in the glove compartment. He took a handful, washing them down with several mouthfuls of snow. I need food. A few hours later, the pickup that pulled out from behind the old motel looked nothing like the truck that had pulled in two days earlier. The cab cap was missing, as were the hubcaps, bumper stickers, and all of the trim. The Vermont plates were gone, replaced by those from an old maintenance truck Andros had found parked by the motel Dumpster, into which he had thrown all the bloody sheets, bird shot, and other evidence that he had ever been at the motel. Andros had not given up on the pyramid, but for the moment it would have to wait. He needed to hide, heal, and above all, eat. He found a roadside diner where he gorged himself on eggs, bacon, hash browns, and three glasses of orange juice. When he was done, he ordered more food to go. Back on the road, Andros listened to the truck's old radio. He had not seen a television or newspaper since his ordeal, and when he finally heard a local news station, the report stunned him. â€Å"FBI investigators,† a news announcer said, â€Å"continue their search for the armed intruder who murdered Isabel Solomon in her Potomac home two days ago. The murderer is believed to have fallen through the ice and been washed out to sea.† Andros froze. Murdered Isabel Solomon? He drove on in bewildered silence, listening to the full report. It was time to get far, far away from this place. The Upper West Side apartment offered breathtaking views of Central Park. Andros had chosen it because the sea of green outside his window reminded him of his lost view of the Adriatic. Although he knew he should be happy to be alive, he was not. The emptiness had never left him, and he found himself fixated on his failed attempt to steal Peter Solomon's pyramid. Andros had spent long hours researching the Legend of the Masonic Pyramid, and although nobody seemed to agree on whether or not the pyramid was real, they all concurred on its famous promise of vast wisdom and power. The Masonic Pyramid is real, Andros told himself. My inside information is irrefutable. Fate had placed the pyramid within Andros's reach, and he knew that ignoring it was like holding a winning lottery ticket and never cashing it in. I am the only non-Mason alive who knows the pyramid is real . . . as well as the identity of the man who guards it. Months had passed, and although his body had healed, Andros was no longer the cocky specimen he had been in Greece. He had stopped working out, and he had stopped admiring himself naked in the mirror. He felt as if his body were beginning to show signs of age. His once-perfect skin was a patchwork of scars, and this only depressed him further. He still relied on the painkillers that had nursed him through his recovery, and he felt himself slipping back to the lifestyle that had put him in Soganlik Prison. He didn't care. The body craves what the body craves. One night, he was in Greenwich Village buying drugs from a man whose forearm had been tattooed with a long, jagged lightning bolt. Andros asked him about it, and the man told him the tattoo was covering a long scar he had gotten in a car accident. â€Å"Seeing the scar every day reminded me of the accident,† the dealer said, â€Å"and so I tattooed over it with a symbol of personal power. I took back control.† That night, high on his new stash of drugs, Andros staggered into a local tattoo parlor and took off his shirt. â€Å"I want to hide these scars,† he announced. I want to take back control. â€Å"Hide them?† The tattoo artist eyed his chest. â€Å"With what?† â€Å"Tattoos.† â€Å"Yes . . . I mean tattoos of what?† Andros shrugged, wanting nothing more than to hide the ugly reminders of his past. â€Å"I don't know. You choose.† The artist shook his head and handed Andros a pamphlet on the ancient and sacred tradition of tattooing. â€Å"Come back when you're ready.† Andros discovered that the New York Public Library had in its collection fifty-three books on tattooing, and within a few weeks, he had read them all. Having rediscovered his passion for reading, he began carrying entire backpacks of books back and forth between the library and his apartment, where he voraciously devoured them while overlooking Central Park. These books on tattoos had opened a door to a strange world Andros had never known existed–a world of symbols, mysticism, mythology, and the magical arts. The more he read, the more he realized how blind he had been. He began keeping notebooks of his ideas, his sketches, and his strange dreams. When he could no longer find what he wanted at the library, he paid rare-book dealers to purchase for him some of the most esoteric texts on earth. De Praestigiis Daemonum . . . Lemegeton . . . Ars Almadel . . . Grimorium Verum . . . Ars Notoria . . . and on and on. He read them all, becoming more and more certain that the world still had many treasures yet to offer him. There are secrets out there that transcend human understanding. Then he discovered the writings of Aleister Crowley–a visionary mystic from the early 1900s– whom the church had deemed â€Å"the most evil man who ever lived.† Great minds are always feared by lesser minds. Andros learned about the power of ritual and incantation. He learned that sacred words, if properly spoken, functioned like keys that opened gateways to other worlds. There is a shadow universe beyond this one . . . a world from which I can draw power. And although Andros longed to harness that power, he knew there were rules and tasks to be completed beforehand. Become something holy, Crowley wrote. Make yourself sacred. The ancient rite of â€Å"sacred making† had once been the law of the land. From the early Hebrews who made burnt offerings at the Temple, to the Mayans who beheaded humans atop the pyramids of Chichen Itza, to Jesus Christ, who offered his body on the cross, the ancients understood God's requirement for sacrifice. Sacrifice was the original ritual by which humans drew favor from the gods and made themselves holy. Sacra–sacred. Face– make. Even though the rite of sacrifice had been abandoned eons ago, its power remained. There had been a handful of modern mystics, including Aleister Crowley, who practiced the Art, perfecting it over time, and transforming themselves gradually into something more. Andros craved to transform himself as they had. And yet he knew he would have to cross a dangerous bridge to do so. Blood is all that separates the light from the dark. One night, a crow flew through Andros's open bathroom window and got trapped in his apartment. Andros watched the bird flutter around for a while and then finally stop, apparently accepting its inability to escape. Andros had learned enough to recognize a sign. I am being urged onward. Clutching the bird in one hand, he stood at the makeshift altar in his kitchen and raised a sharp knife, speaking aloud the incantation he had memorized. â€Å"Camiach, Eomiahe, Emial, Macbal, Emoii, Zazean . . . by the most holy names of the angels in the Book of Assamaian, I conjure thee that thou assist me in this operation by the power of the One True God.† Andros now lowered the knife and carefully pierced the large vein on the right wing of the panicked bird. The crow began to bleed. As he watched the stream of red liquid flowing down into the metal cup he had placed as a receptacle, he felt an unexpected chill in the air. Nonetheless, he continued. â€Å"Almighty Adonai, Arathron, Ashai, Elohim, Elohi, Elion, Asher Eheieh, Shaddai . . . be my aid, so that this blood may have power and efficacy in all wherein I shall wish, and in all that I shall demand.† That night, he dreamed of birds . . . of a giant phoenix rising from a billowing fire. The next morning, he awoke with an energy he had not felt since childhood. He went running in the park, faster and farther than he'd imagined possible. When he could run no longer, he stopped to do pushups and sit-ups. Countless repetitions. Still he had energy. That night, again, he dreamed of the phoenix. Autumn had fallen again on Central Park, and the wildlife were scurrying about searching for food for winter. Andros despised the cold, and yet his carefully hidden traps were now overflowing with live rats and squirrels. He took them home in his backpack, performing rituals of increasing complexity. Emanual, Massiach, Yod, He, Vaud . . . please find me worthy. The blood rituals fueled his vitality. Andros felt younger every day. He continued to read day and night–ancient mystical texts, epic medieval poems, the early philosophers–and the more he learned about the true nature of things, the more he realized that all hope for mankind was lost. They are blind . . . wandering aimlessly in a world they will never understand. Andros was still a man, but he sensed he was evolving into something else. Something greater. Something sacred. His massive physique had emerged from dormancy, more powerful now than ever before. He finally understood its true purpose. My body is but a vessel for my most potent treasure . . . my mind. Andros knew his true potential had not yet been realized, and he delved deeper. What is my destiny? All the ancient texts spoke of good and evil . . . and of man's need to choose between them. I made my choice long ago, he knew, and yet he felt no remorse. What is evil, if not a natural law? Darkness followed light. Chaos followed order. Entropy was fundamental. Everything decayed. The perfectly ordered crystal eventually turned into random particles of dust. There are those who create . . . and those who destroy. It was not until Andros read John Milton's Paradise Lost that he saw his destiny materialize before him. He read of the great fallen angel . . . the warrior demon who fought against the light . . . the valiant one . . . the angel called Moloch. Moloch walked the earth as a god. The angel's name, Andros later learned, when translated to the ancient tongue, became Mal'akh. And so shall I. Like all great transformations, this one had to begin with a sacrifice . . . but not of rats, nor birds. No, this transformation required a true sacrifice. There is but one worthy sacrifice. Suddenly he had a sense of clarity unlike anything he had ever experienced in his life. His entire destiny had materialized. For three straight days he sketched on an enormous sheet of paper. When he was done, he had created a blueprint of what he would become. He hung the life-size sketch on his wall and gazed into it as if into a mirror. I am a masterpiece. The next day, he took his drawing to the tattoo parlor. He was ready. CHAPTER 78 The George Washington Masonic Memorial stands atop Shuter's Hill in Alexandria, Virginia. Built in three distinct tiers of increasing architectural complexity from bottom to top–Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian–the structure stands as a physical symbol of man's intellectual ascent. Inspired by the ancient Pharos lighthouse of Alexandria, Egypt, this soaring tower is capped by an Egyptian pyramid with a flamelike finial. Inside the spectacular marble foyer sits a massive bronze of George Washington in full Masonic regalia, along with the actual trowel he used to lay the cornerstone of the Capitol Building. Above the foyer, nine different levels bear names like the Grotto, the Crypt Room, and the Knights Templar Chapel. Among the treasures housed within these spaces are over twenty thousand volumes of Masonic writings, a dazzling replica of the Ark of the Covenant, and even a scale model of the throne room in King Solomon's Temple. CIA agent Simkins checked his watch as the modified UH-60 chopper skimmed in low over the Potomac. Six minutes until their train arrives. He exhaled and gazed out the window at the shining Masonic Memorial on the horizon. He had to admit, the brilliantly shining tower was as impressive as any building on the National Mall. Simkins had never been inside the memorial, and tonight would be no different. If all went according to plan, Robert Langdon and Katherine Solomon would never make it out of the subway station. â€Å"Over there!† Simkins shouted to the pilot, pointing down at the King Street subway station across from the memorial. The pilot banked the helicopter and set it down on a grassy area at the foot of Shuter's Hill. Pedestrians looked up in surprise as Simkins and his team piled out, dashed across the street, and ran down into King Street Station. In the stairwell, several departing passengers leaped out of the way, plastering themselves to the walls as the phalanx of armed men in black thundered past them. The King Street Station was larger than Simkins had anticipated, apparently serving several different lines–Blue, Yellow, and Amtrak. He raced over to the Metro map on the wall, found Freedom Plaza and the direct line to this location. â€Å"Blue Line, southbound platform!† Simkins shouted. â€Å"Get down there and clear everyone out!† His team dashed off. Simkins rushed over to the ticket booth, flashed his identification, and shouted to the woman inside. â€Å"The next train from Metro Center–what time is it due?!† The woman inside looked frightened. â€Å"I'm not sure. Blue Line arrives every eleven minutes. There's no set schedule.† â€Å"How long since the last train?† â€Å"Five . . . six minutes, maybe? No more than that.† Turner did the math. Perfect. The next train had to be Langdon's. Inside a fast-moving subway car, Katherine Solomon shifted uncomfortably on the hard plastic seat. The bright fluorescent lights overhead hurt her eyes, and she fought the impulse to let her eyelids close, even for a second. Langdon sat beside her in the empty car, staring blankly down at the leather bag at his feet. His eyelids looked heavy, too, as if the rhythmic sway of the moving car were lulling him into a trance. Katherine pictured the strange contents of Langdon's bag. Why does the CIA want this pyramid? Bellamy had said that Sato might be pursuing the pyramid because she knew its true potential. But even if this pyramid somehow did reveal the hiding place of ancient secrets, Katherine found it hard to believe that its promise of primeval mystical wisdom would interest the CIA. Then again, she reminded herself, the CIA had been caught several times running parapsychological or psi programs that bordered on ancient magic and mysticism. In 1995, the â€Å"Stargate/Scannate† scandal had exposed a classified CIA technology called remote viewing–a kind of telepathic mind travel that enabled a â€Å"viewer† to transport his mind's eye to any location on earth and spy there, without being physically present. Of course, the technology was nothing new. Mystics called it astral projection, and yogis called it out-of-body experience. Unfortunately, horrified American taxpayers called it absurd, and the program had been scuttled. At least publicly. Ironically, Katherine saw remarkable connections between the CIA's failed programs and her own breakthroughs in Noetic Science. Katherine felt eager to call the police and find out if they had discovered anything in Kalorama Heights, but she and Langdon were phoneless now, and making contact with the authorities would probably be a mistake anyway; there was no telling how far Sato's reach extended. Patience, Katherine. Within minutes, they would be in a safe hiding place, guests of a man who had assured them he could provide answers. Katherine hoped his answers, whatever they might be, would help her save her brother. â€Å"Robert?† she whispered, glancing up at the subway map. â€Å"Next stop is ours.† Langdon emerged slowly from his daydream. â€Å"Right, thanks.† As the train rumbled toward the station, he collected his daybag and gave Katherine an uncertain glance. â€Å"Let's just hope our arrival is uneventful.† By the time Turner Simkins dashed down to join his men, the subway platform had been entirely cleared, and his team was fanning out, taking up positions behind the support pillars that ran the length of the platform. A distant rumble echoed in the tunnel at the other end of the platform, and as it grew louder, Simkins felt the push of stale warm air billowing around him. No escape, Mr. Langdon. Simkins turned to the two agents he had told to join him on the platform. â€Å"Identification and weapons out. These trains are automated, but they all have a conductor who opens the doors. Find him.† The train's headlamp now appeared down the tunnel, and the sound of squealing brakes pierced the air. As the train burst into the station and began slowing down, Simkins and his two agents leaned out over the track, waving CIA identification badges and straining to make eye contact with the conductor before he could open the doors. The train was closing fast. In the third car, Simkins finally saw the startled face of the conductor, who was apparently trying to figure out why three men in black were all waving identification badges at him. Simkins jogged toward the train, which was now nearing a full stop. â€Å"CIA!† Simkins shouted, holding up his ID. â€Å"Do NOT open the doors!† As the train glided slowly past him, he went toward the conductor's car, shouting in at him. â€Å"Do not open your doors! Do you understand?! Do NOT open your doors!† The train came to a full stop, its wide-eyed conductor nodding repeatedly. â€Å"What's wrong?!† the man demanded through his side window. â€Å"Don't let this train move,† Simkins said. â€Å"And don't open the doors.† â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"Can you let us into the first car?† The conductor nodded. Looking fearful, he stepped out of the train, closing the door behind him. He escorted Simkins and his men to the first car, where he manually opened the door. â€Å"Lock it behind us,† Simkins said, pulling his weapon. Simkins and his men stepped quickly into the stark light of the first car. The conductor locked the door behind them. The first car contained only four passengers–three teenage boys and an old woman–all of whom looked understandably startled to see three armed men entering. Simkins held up his ID. â€Å"Everything's fine. Just stay seated.† Simkins and his men now began their sweep, pushing toward the back of the sealed train one car at a time–â€Å"squeezing toothpaste,† as it was called during his training at the Farm. Very few passengers were on this train, and halfway to the back, the agents still had seen nobody even remotely resembling the description of Robert Langdon and Katherine Solomon. Nonetheless, Simkins remained confident. There was absolutely no place to hide on a subway car. No bathrooms, no storage, and no alternative exits. Even if the targets had seen them board the train and fled to the back, there was no way out. Prying open a door was almost impossible, and Simkins had men watching the platform and both sides of the train anyway. Patience. By the time Simkins reached the second-to-last car, however, he was feeling edgy. This penultimate car had only one passenger–a Chinese man. Simkins and his agents moved through, scanning for any place to hide. There was none. â€Å"Last car,† Simkins said, raising his weapon as the threesome moved toward the threshold of the train's final section. As they stepped into the last car, all three of them immediately stopped and stared. What the . . . ?! Simkins raced to the rear of the deserted cabin, searching behind all the seats. He spun back to his men, blood boiling. â€Å"Where the hell did they go?!†

Zoonotic Diseases

Introduction Zoonotic diseases are infectious diseases which can be transmitted from animals to man. Due to frequent contact and domestication of wildlife animals, zoonotic diseases are increasingly becoming more prevalent. Public parks and gardens are home to abundant populations of birds. One of the most frequent species known to thrive in such areas are feral pigeon (Columba livia). Although there are few reports of disease transmission between pigeons and humans, their close interaction with humans and ability to carry zoonotic pathogens make them a public health risk.In fact, these birds are present at very high densities (2,000 individuals per km2) and can cover a maximum distance of 5. 29 km (Dickx et al. , 2010). This may result in the increase risk of pathogen transmission among other birds and potentially to humans. Studies have shown that most infected pigeons do not show signs of clinical disease. These birds may therefore pose a public health risk to the human population . Pigeons, like many other bird species, can harbor diseases that can be zoonotic in nature. One of the pathogens most frequently carried by pigeons is Chlamydophila psittaci. C. sittaci is an obligate intracellular bacterium that causes a disease in birds known as Psittacosis or Avian Chlamydiosis. Psittacosis is highly contagious and often causes influenza-like symptoms, severe pneumonia and non-respiratory health problems. Birds can shed this bacterium in the environment when they are either overtly ill or without any symptoms. C. psittaci occurs most frequently in psittacine birds such as parrots, macaws, parakeets. However, non-psittacine birds including pigeons, doves and mynah birds can also harbour the infectious agent (Greco, Corrente, & Martella, 2005).Therefore, pigeons are thought to be an underestimated source of human chlamydiosis. Studies have shown that pigeons pose a substantial zoonotic risk as are often shown to be naturally infected with a number of viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa that are pathogenic to humans. The potential for zoonotic infection is increased as these birds live in close contact with human beings. The aim of this overview is to present the zoonotic potential of C. psittaci in infected feral pigeon populations, in the context of its history, epidemiology and current approaches in treatment and prevention.Pigeon population in urban areas Commonly known as ‘urban’, ‘street’ or ‘city’ pigeons, the feral rock dove (C. livia) is an abundant bird species that often thrive in streets, squares and parks where they come into close contact with humans. Pigeon populations in most large cities increased worldwide after World War II. They have made contributions of considerable importance to humanity, especially in times of war. Feral pigeons have been domesticated and were put to use by making them messengers due to their homing abilities (Dickx et al. , 2010).Pigeons are one of the few animal species able to survive in our noisy and hectic cities. They are extremely adaptable, which also enables them to accept breeding places that are unnatural to them, e. g. on trees or over running ventilation systems (Magnino et al, 2009). They are also a valuable enrichment to the urban environment as they have a cleaning up function by eating discarded food. In addition, they may represent as a tourist attraction as feeding and care of feral pigeons may be rewarding spare-time activities for many people who enjoy the company of animals (Magnino et al, 2009).The extensive food supply and minimal predator population has indeed provided the ecological basis for the large populations that occur in most cities of the world. Chlamydophila psittaci in pigeons The increase of feral pigeon populations in many cities is a major cause of concern as they are a source of a large number of zoonotic agents. The most important pathogenic organism transmissible from feral pigeons to humans is Chlamydophila psittaci. In fact, studies in Europe have shown as high as 95. 6% seropositivity values for C. psittaci in feral pigeon populations (Magnino et al. 2009). C. psittaci an obligate intracellular bacterium causes avian chlamydiosis in birds and psittacosis in humans.The bacterium is commonly recognised in psittacine birds such as parrots, macaws, cockatoos and parakeets. It is also indentified in non-psittacine birds such as pigeons, doves and mynah birds (Greco, Corrente, & Martella, 2005). There are at least six distinct serovars (A to F) of C. psittaci considered endemic in birds (Seth-Smith et al. , 2011). Each serovar appears to be associated, though not exclusively, with a different group or order of irds, from which it is most commonly isolated. Genotype B is the most prevalent in pigeons, but the more virulent genotypes A and D have also been discovered (Seth-Smith et al. , 2011). All serovars should be considered to be readily transmissible to humans. The av ian strains can infect humans and other mammals, and may cause severe disease and even death. In contrast to the devastating explosive outbreaks in the first half of the 20th century, the present outbreaks are characterized by respiratory signs and low mortality (Harkinezhad, Geens & Vanrompay, 2009).Chlamydophila psittaci has been demonstrated in about 465 bird species comprising 30 different bird orders (Greco, Corrente, & Martella, 2005). The highest infection rates are found in psittacine birds and pigeons. The first case of C. psittaci zoonotic transmission from pigeons was described in 1941. A mother and her daughter had picked up a sick feral pigeon in the street in New York City. The pigeon died after four days and, two weeks later, both mother and daughter developed psittacosis with fever and pneumonia (Dickx et al. , 2010).Since then, 47 zoonotic cases linked to pigeons have been reported (Dickx et al. , 2010). As a consequence, feral pigeon populations have been r epeatedly blamed as vectors for the transmission of C. psittaci infections to humans. Caution is needed, as zoonotic transmission from feral pigeons is known to be an underestimated source of infection. Psittacosis in birds Transmission of C. psittaci primarily occurs from one infected bird to another susceptible bird in close proximity. The agent is usually excreted in faeces and nasal discharges.From time to time, faecal shedding occurs and can be activated through stress caused by nutritional deficiencies, prolonged transport, overcrowding, chilling, breeding, egg laying, treatment or handling (Vanrompay et al. , 2007). Bacterial excretion periods during natural infection can vary depending on virulence of the strain, infection dose and host immune status. The most common routes of transmission of C. psittaci in nature are the inhalation and ingestion of contaminated material and, sometimes, ingestion (Vanrompay et al. , 2007). The bacterium can be also transmitted in the nest.In many species, such as columbiformes, transmission from parent to young may occur through feeding, by regurgitation, while the contamination of the nesting site with infective faeces are also important sources of infection (Vazquez et al. , 2010). Also the transmission of C. psittaci may also be facilitated by arthropod vectors in the nest environment, but its occurrence has not been assessed in the wild. Vertical transmission has been demonstrated in other types of avian species. However, occurrence appears to be fairly low. Chlamydiosis is a common chronic infection of pigeons.C. psittaci infection may result in lethargy, anorexia, ruffled feathers, ocular and nasal discharge, conjunctivitis, diarrhea and excretion of green to yellow urates (West, 2011). Most infected feral pigeons are asymptomatic and latent carriers of C. psittaci, which makes it difficult to assess the risk of transmission of the bacterium to other animals, including humans. As mentioned earlier, increased shed ding of the infectious agents may be triggered by stress factors such as other concurrent infections or infestations, lack of food, breeding and overcrowding.It is important to note that as the density of nesting and roosting pigeons increases, the quality of life in the feral pigeon population deteriorates (Dickx et al. , 2010). In fact, excessive population density activates and stimulates regulation mechanisms that decimate nestlings and juvenile pigeons with infectious and parasitic diseases (Hedemma et al. , 2006). Crowded breeding places make pigeons behave more aggressively, which again mostly affects nestlings and juveniles that are the weakest members of the population, leading to a progressive spoiling of their physical condition.Thus, it is important for feral pigeon populations to be managed carefully in the urban environment to obtain an appropriate- sized and healthy population. Psittacosis in humans Although psittacine birds are the major source of human infection, ou tbreaks due to exposure to non-psittacine birds may also occur. The more common of these are due to exposure to pigeons, both wild and domestic. Humans most often become infected by inhaling the organism when urine, respiratory secretions or dried faeces of infected birds are dispersed in the air as very fine droplets or dust particles (Smith et al. , 2011).Other sources of exposure include mouth-to-beak contact, a bite from an infected bird or handling the plumage and tissues of infected birds (Smith et al. , 2011). A study by Smith et al. (2011) suggests that more than half of the human cases were due to exposure to C. psittaci through contaminated dust, direct contact with pigeons through feeding and handling pigeons. In addition, about 40 of the cases resulted from transient contacts with feral pigeons such as eating lunch in a park frequented by pigeons, walking through a pigeon flock, and living in a neighbourhood frequented by pigeons (Vazquez et al. 2010). The disease in hum ans varies from a flu-like syndrome to a severe systemic disease with pneumonia and possibly encephalitis. The disease is rarely fatal in patients treated promptly and correctly. The incubation period is usually 5–14 days, but longer incubation periods are known (Smith et al. , 2011). Common symptoms of infection in humans include headache, chills, malaise and myalgia, with or without signs of respiratory involvement (Smith et al. , 2011). Therefore, awareness of the danger and early diagnosis are important. Transmission of psittacosis from human to human is rare but can occur.Transmission from humans to birds has not been documented. Diagnoses The diagnosis of C. psittaci infections in birds can be a problem because of the occurrence of persistent infections in non-shedding clinically healthy birds. Isolation of C. psittaci is currently regarded as the standard method for the determination of active infections of birds. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques have been al so used to detect C. psittaci in samples of tissues, feces and respiratory specimens, and were found to be quite sensitive and rapid. Diagnoses can also be established by clinical presentation and positive antibodies against C. sittaci using microimmunoflourescence (MIF) methods (Seth-Smith et al. , 2011). Conventional ELISA tests have been developed for detecting antibodies to C. psittaci in birds, however, it tends to sensitivity and specificity. Treatment No commercial vaccine is available for avian chlamydiosis. Antibiotic treatment of birds is the usual response to known infections. Tetracyclines are usually considered the drugs of choice although quinolones or macrolides have also been used (Tully, 2001). Chlortetracycline (CTC) is given on food depending on the bird species to be treated and type of food (Tully, 2001).Another drug that has also proved to be effective is doxycycline, which has been used for injecting and to treat bird food/ drinking water. Tetracycline antibio tics are the drug of choice for C. psittaci infection in humans. Mild to moderate cases can be treated with oral doxycycline or tetracycline hydrochloride (West, 2011). Severely ill patients should be treated with intravenous (IV) doxycycline hyclate. Treatment with antimicrobial drugs in humans usually lasts for 3 weeks while birds are treated for 45 days. Most C. psittaci infections are responsive to antibiotics within 1 to 2 days, however relapses can occur (Seth-Smith et al. 2011). Therefore sensible use of these drugs is very important, to prevent the development of drug-resistant bacterial strains Prevention Management of feral pigeon populations in the urban environment is a complex issue that requires careful planning. Education initiatives to communicate the health risks and recommendations for minimizing these risks should primarily be directed at susceptible groups such as the elderly, young children, immunosupressed individuals, homeless, and occupationally exposed group s (Harkinezhad, Geens & Vanrompay, 2009).Children should be warned not to handle sick or dead pigeons and immunocompromised individuals should be educated to carefully limit their contact with feral pigeons. Strict hygienic procedures should also be enforced when dealing with birds. Pigeon feeders should be encouraged to stop or limit their activity by implementing a feeding ban in defined urban areas (Harkinezhad, Geens & Vanrompay, 2009). Furthermore, preservation of urban hygiene is very important and should be included in the aims of administrators and health officials, as it will lead to a reduced and healthier feral pigeon population (Vazquez et al. , 2010).The relationship between feeding, overcrowding, and the deterioration of living conditions of pigeons, should be the main focus when educating the general public. Monitoring for C. psittaci infections over time, by direct detection of the organism and/or by specific antibody testing, should also be considered in tho se who are in frequent close contact with bird puplations (ie. occupationally exposed workers) (Smith et al. , 2011). In addition, preventive measures such as wearing protective clothes with hoods, boots, gloves and air filter face masks should be worn when removing pigeon faeces from roofs, attics and/or buildings.Finally, for the sake of animal protection, visibly sick birds should be captured and taken into veterinary care where they should be appropriately treated with effective drugs such as tetracyclines, quinolones or macrolides (Seth-Smith et al. , 2011). . Conclusion Feral pigeons, more commonly known as ‘urban’ or ‘city’ pigeons, are present in both urban and rural areas all over the world. Due to frequent and close contact with people, pigeons are a public health concern as they are a source of many zoonotic agents.In particular Chlamydophila psittaci, a bacterium known to cause psittacosis in both birds and humans (Harkinezhad, Geens & Vanro mpay, 2009). Due to the growing population of pigeons, contact with infected pigeons or pathogen transmission is greatly increased. The infectious agent can be easily transmitted to humans through inhalation of contaminated dust and aerosols from infected pigeons or their feces. Once infected, people suffer from various conditions including mild influenza-like symptoms or severe pneumonia.In addition, the huge increase of feral pigeon populations in many cities is a major cause of concern due to the detrimental effect of pigeon droppings on environmental hygiene. Therefore it is important to monitor the health of both city bird populations and humans who come in close contact with possibly infected birds. As well, awareness and preventative measures must be taken into consideration when handling infected birds or their feces. Furthermore, management of feral population and preservation of urban hygiene is very important in controlling psittacosis. Work Cited Aundria West.A brief rev iew of Chlamydophila psittaci in birds and humans. Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine. 2011. 20:18–2. 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