Liberty Theological Seminary Essay

Since church planting is a work that is mandated by the Lord Jesus Christ in the New Testament to His first disciples, Christian workers or those who do the work of church planting nowadays must follow the same directives that the Lord has given which, in turn, His apostles had passed on to their disciples. Where can one find these directives and pattern for starting a local church but in the Gospels (biographical account of Jesus’ missionary work), book of Acts (a record of Jesus’ first disciples missionary endeavors), and Epistles of the apostles? Although there are many non-biblical books available on church planting in the bookstores, all of them are just â€Å"expansions† or personal applications of the authors of those books of the Biblical strategies. Because many things have changed in the passing of time in these two millennia – like means of transportation, advances in knowledge, high-technology gadgets, etc. – Christian workers/missionaries of today are being pressured by these â€Å"changes,† and as a result, instead of simply adapting to the times, many are tempted to â€Å"bend† or adjust even the essential biblical truths and strategies. A quick comparison of two New Testament passages might help the modern-day Bible student to see and understand how to preserve essential biblical strategies in the midst of the fast-changing times. From the time of Jesus’ ascension to the writing of Paul’s first letter to Timothy, a span of roughly more than 30 years have lapsed. But looking at the inspired record of the Scriptures, one will find that as Apostle Paul was giving His last and final instructions to Timothy on how to spread the gospel message and multiply disciples, there was no bending of the â€Å"essentials. † Before Jesus ascended to heaven, the commission He gave to His disciples was, â€Å"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age† . More than thirty years after the Ascension, Paul’s words to Timothy were, â€Å"And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also† . The gist of the Great Commission was preserved in Paul’s instruction to Timothy. There still had to be a â€Å"making of disciples† and the â€Å"commissioning act. † The biblical substance of church planting is maintained. Today, as Christians and missionaries continue to uphold this church’s mandate to multiply disciples, it is of great importance that as Christians adapt to the times and employ modern-day gadgets and methods in spreading the gospel, the biblicality or the nature of the churches being formed is preserved. There has to be no compromise or slight adjustments of the biblical truths, or else, the vital character of the church will be altered in the process of time and lose its distinctives as church. Church planters must bear in mind while doing their work that the looming danger is always the losing of the church’s true identity as secular influences are ever-present. For one thing, too much adoption of secular methods will eventually get the church assimilated into the current culture rendering it ineffective while trying to be effective. It is indeed a great challenge to be relevant and biblical at the same time. This paper deals mainly with the Biblical principles of church planting. Questions dealing with the definition and nature of the church will be discussed, and also biblical principles that are still applicable until today. Discussion It’s important in dealing with anything about the church to start with its definition. The strategies and their application which is the actual work will become a lot easier when understanding of the church’s make-up is achieved. DEFINITION Although the idea of church is latent in the Old Testament, it is nevertheless there. It is even way way back before time began. â€Å"He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love† . In short, the church is God’s idea. It’s not something that was originally concocted by human mind, nor was it an apostolic modification. Because the nation of Israel was called out of Egypt, and therefore an â€Å"assembly† of God’s â€Å"called out† people, in this sense, they are called â€Å"the church in the wilderness† . In the New Testament, the idea of the church is clearly made known. One Greek word which has become very common is EKKLESIA, a compound of two Greek words (ek and kaleo) meaning â€Å"to call out from† . It is used several times in the New Testament, and at times, in a secular sense as in Acts 19:39, which imply an ordinary gathering or meeting of people as they discuss things. When applied to the gathering of believers in Christ , the idea shifts from ordinary to a special gathering/assembly of people; a people â€Å"called out† by God to be separated for Him . Another Greek word which is equally important and expands the idea of the saints’ being â€Å"called out† is KURIAKON; it means, â€Å"That which belongs to the Lord† . There are certain things in the Bible which are expressed as being of the Lord like â€Å"the Lord’s supper† , and â€Å"the Lord’s day† . In other passages, the picture given is â€Å"that over which the Lord has dominion and authority† as in Luke 22:25 and Romans 14:8-9. To state it succinctly, therefore, the church comprises people who believe in the Lord Jesus as their Redeemer who took them out of the life of darkness into God’s marvellous light, and who are now under the rule and authority of Jesus Christ. NATURE OF THE CHURCH As suggested at the introduction of this paper, it is imperative of those working as church planters that they fully grasp the nature of the thing which they endeavour to form and establish. Since church is very much unlike any earthly organizations, the tendency to pattern it to the way successful worldly institutions are run is wrong. Here is where most of church strategies being advocated today are terribly amiss, and this is enough reason that when church planting is discussed a clear distinction is drawn, so that at the very outset of the work (church planting), the very character of the church that the worker is trying to form would be in his full view – thus securing in its foundational stage, its true nature. What then is the nature of the true church? Considering its definition, and putting it in most simple terms, we can think of the church in two ways: 1. ) the church universal, and 2. ) the church local. The church universal is composed of people who are saved by virtue of Christ’s atoning death and physical resurrection, both alive and deceased. This universal nature of the church encompasses every believer in Christ since the New Testament times until He comes again at the Second Coming. The local church, however, is a body of believers/Christians (saved people) located in a specific area who do the work of God in that particular locality and worship together as one congregation in the same place. Contrary to the universal church which includes already dead believers and those who will be saved in time yet future, a local church is composed only of believers who are still alive physically . What church planting is trying to achieve is the establishment of a local congregation in an identifiable geographical position. The church is described in many meaningful ways in the Bible. It is called the â€Å"body of Christ,† â€Å"household of God,† â€Å"the temple of God,† â€Å"the kingdom of Christ,† and â€Å"the bride of Christ. † BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES OF CHURCH PLANTING The best and sure way to start a church is to follow the methods laid down in the Scriptures. There are certain principles that must guide every church planting effort. Since the very nature of the work is primarily spiritual and addresses the most fundamental need of man, the procedure must be done bearing in mind first and foremost this need. 1. ) Preach the pure Gospel. When Jesus gave the Great Commission to His disciples, He said â€Å"Go and preach the gospel. † If there is someone who knew perfectly man’s deepest need, it was Jesus. He was God in the flesh who practiced what He believed to be true. But more than this, He did not just live His life trying very hard to obey the Father in certain occasions while struggling with some feelings of uncertainty regarding what might be the best tool in securing the salvation of people. He perfectly knew everyone. Apostle John said, â€Å"He had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man. † The point is, if missionaries and Christian workers are to become effective and fruitful in reaching souls for the kingdom of God, there’s no better way than to follow Christ’s instruction to the Apostles. Twenty centuries have already passed, and yet the most effective tool in saving the lost is still the pure gospel which tells about God’s salvation in Christ. The gospel must not be changed as it was first delivered in Jesus’ time and as He outlined and modeled it to be in the first generation of disciples and believers. Just as it was, so it must be for the current and the succeeding generations, even when the pressures around seem so overwhelming that compromises as to the â€Å"tools† of evangelism are becoming widespread in the church. Despite modern breakthroughs, the pace of life in the fast lane, the complexities of life that make it more confusing, the barrage of stimuli all around the individuals’ physical senses, as well as the latest inventions that inundate people’s relationships, work and hobbies, all these have not changed the nature of man and the bible’s clear declaration of who he is and what he is like apart from the saving grace and dominion of God in his life. As elaborated by David Fisher in his seminal book The 21st Century Pastor, for as long as the church exists in its earthly setting, there will always be the pull between the â€Å"human and the spiritual. † It is in this context that the pastor and/or worker must bore through his soul, so that the very struggle that he recognizes as the negative pull that tries very hard to make him compromise or bend/adjust a little certain truths to mitigate too much pressure, might be confronted and dealt with every time it resurfaces. This had become the major problem of the Christians in Galatia. Some of them have already given in to the pressures exerted by the Judaizers of their day. And so Paul had to remind them of the necessity of sustaining the purity of the gospel even under extreme and relentless attacks. Today, probably the forms and methods of assault may have been modified, yet the aim is still the same for the church – for it to dilute and water down the gospel message. 2. ) Send the right people for the job. Another biblical principle in church planting which is uncompromisingly true today is the need for the â€Å"right man. † Along with the increasing speed nowadays in terms of doing things is the impatient attitude that it is leaving behind in everybody’s sub-consciousness. This is one of the causes in some of the major blunders in church planting. Existing problems in many established churches could actually be traced back to its beginning days. Pastors and elders are coping with much difficulty with problems which, if only dealt with early, i. e. in the church’s formation stage, would not be present in the otherwise flourishing church. If the wrong person is sent to the mission field and tasked to start a church, without the necessary knowledge on Ecclesiology and the possession of spiritual maturity, the ramifications which could have been underestimated at the time would be devastating to the church’s future. For example, one problem could be the appointment of local spiritual leaders who are actually not yet converted or have not fully grasped yet their stature and specific call in Christ and therefore not fit for the particular job of leadership. Another possible negative consequence is the employment of unbiblical methods. Because discernment comes only to people who have spent considerable time in applying fundamental truths in their lives, a newly converted missionary (which is an oxymoron in the Christian church), for lack of discernment could easily give in to the lures and temptations of adopting worldly methods – methods that are deemed effective by a worldly or secular mind. 3. ) The sending Church must be prepared for the task. While there are exceptions to this, the assumption is church planters are sent by a church who understands its mission. There are many who have proven themselves through time and by the kind of fruit that their work has yielded that they were called to church planting work. Inspite of the fact that there was no sending church or no group who sent them, these people appear to have a very keen and accurate sense that they were called to the task. And indeed, as they have gone to the respective places where they felt God had called to go, supernatural provisions were made available, thus enabling them to continue until an indigenous church is established and able to run on its own. This third principle is made clear in certain passages of the New Testament. One example is the church of Antioch who sent Barnabas and Paul for a missionary work to Seleucia, the Island of Cyprus, and around Asia Minor. Missionary work is not a cheap â€Å"enterprise. † It needs adequate financial support; no successful missionary work has ever succeeded with the support of its sending church. Crucial and prerequisite to church planting is a group of believers who believe in the urgency of the task of reaching the lost. When there is no sense of confidence that a church planter is exuding because he is sent by a group who believes in him in the first place, and regards his work to be that important to the extent that they invest financially for the cause that he is pursuing, it would become difficult for that missionary to convince anybody else. Although the endeavor of anybody who preaches the gospel for the sole sake of saving souls will definitely yield positive spiritual result, the would-be church planter who tries to do the work alone on his own will, in all likelihood, come to a halt along the way. Those whom he has reached will eventually find a more capable and stable church to fellowship in for spiritual growth. 4. ) Aim for biblical goals. As people get converted, their hunger for spiritual food increases as a consequent result. This stage is crucial as it creates more momentum on the work. The work of discipleship has to be immediately put in place teaching the newly converted ones the ABC’s of the faith, making them in turn workers in that area that will effectively reinforce the work which the missionary has started. If the worker lingers and waits instead for a more favorable time, the work’s spiritual momentum subsides, and when the awaited occasion comes for the worker, it will be too late as the time when these converts were ripe, when they had that spiritual hunger to absorb spiritual teachings had lapsed; the appropriate time for them to be discipled has expired already. Unfortunately, rudimentary work has to be done all over again. They had to be taught and preached at once again with evangelistic messages as though it is the first time they will be hearing those kind of messages. It’s not, in any way, suggested that the basics of Christianity such as teachings that deal with redemption of humankind, salvation by grace alone through faith alone, and all the foundational lessons of Christianity, are not beneficial at all to mature Christians. The point that is being emphasized, is that, all the times that were spent by the supposed church planter in laying the foundational work of salvation for the people in the mission field, were almost wasted so to speak, if the church planter would not proceed to implementation of the biblical goals to which the worker had been trained and equipped for. So, in the work of establishing the church, there has to be no room for loitering, nor hesitation. In church planting, the complete work of the Great Commission must be implemented if the work must succeed. After laying the foundational teachings of salvation clearly to the new believers, the missionary must proceed quickly to the work of discipleship. 5. ) Sustain the work with dynamic prayer and fellowship. One of the most beautiful aspects of the early church’s life is the way they are portrayed in the New Testament. The record says, â€Å"They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. † Actually, these are the features which the modern-day church has difficulty imitating. While many of the churches today have the appearance of possessing those qualities, they are yet to be realized, at least, in the dynamic sense that they were practiced by believers in the early days of the church. Some churches these days refer to fellowship as Shared Life. The rising trend on mentoring is the outcome of this missing dynamic in relationship between pastors and their parishioners. Mentoring’s emphasis is on the relationship aspect of discipleship. Because, they said, the pastoral work does not start and end in teaching and preaching alone, it is therefore expected that an open relationship be established between the mentor (pastor) and his mentee (disciple/pupil) where they not only learn from the Scriptures through Bible Study, but pray together and take time out together on a regular basis. Though, the gist of mentoring can be found in some aspects of Jesus’ style of training His twelve disciples, today’s mentoring and its origin (the word â€Å"mentor†) is unashamedly claimed by leaders who advocate it to have come from Greek mythology. Ulysses entrusted his son Telemachus to the care of a man whose name was Mentor, before he set himself on a long journey which is recorded for us in Homer’s classic story â€Å"Odyssey. † According to the story, Mentor was such a wise and trusted counselor and a tutor to Telemachus. † Being a true teacher to his newly harvested spiritual fruits, is definitely one of the emphases of church planting. â€Å"Make disciples† and â€Å"teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you† are exact words derived from the Great Commission. Conclusion In conclusion, I would admit that to truly emphasize the Biblical Principles of church planting these days (i. e. the actual methods that Jesus and the Apostles utilized and taught), is a kind of setting one’s self in for a lot of complaints and murmuring from the very people who want to be â€Å"Biblical. † If the pastor’s or the church planter’s approach or method in reaching lost souls is primarily to present them the pure gospel which according to Apostle Paul is â€Å"the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes,† many from within the ranks of those who call themselves believers will not agree that the means being used is enough to secure a large harvest of souls. The reason for this disagreement is the mind set of many Christians that believe â€Å"numbers† are what truly count in the Kingdom of God. This is a misconception of true conversion. In the eyes of God, to whom everything that we do must be measured, number is not of value. Scripture say that â€Å"wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it† and â€Å"narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. † Number is actually deceptive. That’s why, in the first part of this paper, emphasis is given to understanding the nature of the church. Unless one understands clearly what kind of people are those who comprise the church, that person is not ready for church planting. The reason why effective church planters are fruitful in the work of planting churches is mainly because they what kind of people they are dealing with. The Bible says that the people to be reached with the gospel in the mission field are to be rescued â€Å"from darkness to light. † They are not naturally inclined to spiritual things nor are easily attracted to the Word of God. Given these Biblical profiles of non-believers, the knowledgeable worker of the church is prepared for any rejection coming from these potential converts. He knows full well that the odds in church planting are that greater number of people will be resistant to the presentation of the gospel message. Nevertheless, trust in the power of God to touch those lives is what continually grips his heart. It keeps him praying and praying till his preaching of the gospel yield the fruit of genuinely converted souls. His mind is not absorbed in numbers, for quantity is misleading; instead, he is after the birth of Christ in the hearts of those whom he is seeking to win. The provision of God is with those who have answered the call to form His church in whatever geographical location, may it be in a bustling city, or the remotest region elsewhere. The most important thing in church planting is the employment of Biblical principles as revealed and preserved for us in the Scriptures. It is a sure sign that the missionary believes the prescribed weaponry and methods that our Lord has spoken two thousand years ago. Bibliography Arrington, French L. Full Life Bible Commentary to the New Testament. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Acts 13:1-3). pp. 597-599. (1999). Fisher, David. The 21st Century Pastor. Zondervan Publishing House. Grand Rapids, Michigan. Pp. 177-179. (1996) Evans, Williams. Great Doctrines of the Bible. The Moody Bible Institute, Chicago. p. 141. 1974) Nickols, Fred. Mentor, Mentors and Mentoring. 2002. Accessed June 22, 2007 < http://home. att. net/~nickols/mentor. htm> Spurgeon, Charles. The Soul Winner. Whitaker House: New Kensington, PA. pp. 11. (1995). The New King James Bible. PC Bible CD 2002.

Looking At The Term Omnidirectional Imaging Film Studies Essay

First, allow ‘s specify the term – â€Å" omnidirectional † . The term â€Å" omnidirectional † is derives from a prefix â€Å" omni † which forms the significance â€Å" all † or â€Å" every † while â€Å" directional † is bespeaking a way in infinite. Hence, this term â€Å" omnidirectional † implies an equal sensitiveness in all directional. Normally, this term is widely used in the telecommunications field such as omnidirectional mike which is a device that can pick up sound from all around it. Other than this, an omnidirectional aerial can direct or have signals every bit good in all waies and a VHF omnidirectional scope ( VOR ) is used as a wireless pilotage system for aircraft. Due to the advancing of the engineering, the use has been expanded to other field of designs. For illustration, an omnidirectional treadmill is used as a treadmill that allows a individual to walk in any way without traveling. Besides this, there is a specially design wheel that allows motion in any way and normally use into automatons which is called Mecanum Wheel. In picture taking, an omnidirectional camera is a camera that can see all 360 grades around it. All of these executions have referred to the impression of bing in every way. Omnidirectional imagination shows a 360 grades ocular position which has a similar construct with an omnidirectional camera. This sort of imagination is of import in several countries such as security force. The security force applies this construct as a ocular surveillance which can cut down the offense rates and increase the safety of the populace as shown in Figure 1. This is due to the omnidirectional vision shows a broad angle of position which has the ability to see around 360 grades. Figure 1: The camera with hemispherical FOV for big country surveillance application The omnidirectional image is round form and must be unwrapped to obtain a bird's-eye image as depicted in Figure 2. ( a ) ( B ) Figure 2: Image taken by an omnidirectional camera with a inflated mirror. Figure ( a ) indicates the omnidirectional image. Figure ( B ) indicates the corresponding bird's-eye image. Although omnidirectional images allow increasing the field of position ( FOV ) , some jobs arise. Anamorphosis in omnidirectional images introduces complexness in image processing and reading such as optical flow calculation. Optical flow is computed from images spatio-temporal derived functions in order to gauge the evident gesture in a digital image sequence. Using appropriate gesture theoretical accounts, the pels evident gesture can be related to the camera gesture. Refering omnidirectional images, a simple camera interlingual rendition implies a complex evident gesture. Indeed, a camera interlingual rendition does non bring forth an evident interlingual rendition of all the pels in the image. Figure 3 has depicted both status explained above. Figure: Pixels gesture for a classical camera interlingual rendition ( a ) and for an omnidirectional camera ( B ) Ordinary cameras used in machine vision either have a narrow field of position ( FOV ) or have a broad FOV but suffer from complex deformation. It can be hard to undo a broad FOV image to obtain perspective projection positions accurately. Based strictly on the ideal perspective projection imaging theoretical account, it has been shown that surfaces of revolution of conelike subdivision curves are the lone mirror forms that can be paired with a individual convergence projection camera to make single-viewpoint ( SVP ) , catadioptric omnidirectional position systems whose omniview image can be unwrapped to perspective projection positions without systematic deformations. By utilizing multiple normal cameras positioned decently in relation to a plane mirror pyramid, a high declaration, SVP, broad FOV system can be built. The trade-offs, though, are the high monetary value and complexnesss involved with multiple cameras. Bulky size, weight, standardization, synchronism, and addition differences are jobs associated with multi-camera systems that single-camera systems are free of. An SVP system is worthwhile if the benefits outweigh the drawbacks for a peculiar application. The advantages of the single-camera, SVP, catodioptric household of omnidirectional imaging systems come with a monetary value. The most important tradeoff is a much lower image spacial declaration compared with normal cameras, multi-camera omniview systems, or revolving normal camera scanning system because single-camera, SVP, catadioptric systems have an enlarged FOV without a corresponding addition in the figure of physical feeling units ( e.g. , pels ) .Omnidirectional Image Scree ning SystemAn omnidirectional imagination system consisting a brooding mirror for sing object within a hemisphere field of position form a individual practical position point at the local centre of said brooding mirror, a projector for projecting a light beam toward said brooding mirror, and a variable wavelength filter optically positioned between said projector and said brooding mirror for bring forthing a form holding a spatially distributed wavelength spectrum of said brooding mirror, where a generator responsive to the hemispherical image informations for bring forthing 3-dimensional image.Field of InventionThe innovation presents a set of methods and setup for omnidirectional stereo imagination. By â€Å" omnidirectional imagination system † , we mean a system that is able to get images with a field-of-view ( FOV ) covering full hemisphere ( 180 solid infinite angle ) , at the same time without any mechanical moving portion. The FOV of a conventional camera or a light p rojector can be dramatically increased by using a brooding mirror decently placed in forepart of the camera or the projector. A brace of omnidirectional cameras is able to organize a alone stereo imagination of environing scene with 360 degree position angle. A combination of an omnidirectional camera and an omnidirectional structured visible radiation projector can besides supply a agencies to obtain quantitative three dimensional measurings of the objects around the camera system. The omnidirectional three dimentional imaging methods and setup presented herein may offer alone solutions to many practical systems that need coincident 360 grade sing angle and three dimensional measuring capableness. A figure of attacks had been proposed in the yesteryear for imaging systems to accomplish broad FOV. None of them nevertheless is able to bring forth 3D omnidirectional images. In the undermentioned paragraphs, we give a briefly study on the stake-of-the-art of current imaging systems that seek to accomplish broad FOV. Before the innovation of omnidirectional camera, a camera with revolving parts is used to capture image in all way. Although it produce high declaration of image, but it takes some clip in capturing it. Hence, some attack has been proposed in the yesteryear for imaging system to accomplish a broad field-of-view ( FOV ) . However, none of them is able to bring forth 3D omnidirectional images. Presently, there are some imaging systems are produced to seek for a broad FOV: Conventional Cameras Most bing imaging systems employ electronic detector french friess or photographic movie to enter optical image collected by its optical lens system. The image projection for most camera lenses is modeled as a â€Å" pin-hole † with a individual centre of projection. Since sizes of camera lens and the imagination detector have their practical restrictions, the light beams that can be collected by a camera lens and received by the imagination device typically organize a maize with really little gap angle. Therefore, angular FOV for conventional camera is within a scope of 5 to 50 grades. For illustration, an 8.5 millimeter F/1.3 camera lens for 1/2 † CCD ( Charge Coupled Device ) bit merely has an angular FOV of 41.2 grade. Fish-Eye Lenss Optical applied scientists had designed several versions of wide-viewing-angle lens system, called the fish-eye lens. The fish-eye lens features a really short focal length which, when used in topographic point of conventional camera lens, enables the camera to see object for much wider angle ( about 180 grade of hemisphere ) . In general, the wider FOV, the more complicated design the fish-eye lens has. To obtain a hemispherical FOV, the fish-eye lens must be rather big in dimension, complex in optical design, and therefore expensive. Besides, it is really hard to plan a fish-eye lens that ensures individual position point restraint, i.e. , all incoming chief visible radiation beams intersect at a individual point to organize a fixed point of view. This is so a job with commercial fish-eye lenses, including Nikon ‘s Fisheye-Nikkor 8-mm f/2.8 lens. Although the acquired image by fish-eye lenses may turn out to be good plenty for some visual image applications, the deformation c ompensation issue has non been resolved, and the high unit-cost remain to be major hurdlings for its wide-spread applications. The fish-eye lens technique has the advantage of following a statically positioned camera to get a broad angle of position. However the nonlinear belongings resulted from the semi-spherical optical lens mapping make the declaration along the round boundary of the image really hapless, while the FOV corresponding to the round boundary of the image normally represents a land or floor where a high declaration of image is required. Multi-Camera System or Revolving Imaging Systems Large FOV of objects may be obtained by utilizing multiple cameras in the same system, each point towards a different way. However, issues on seamless integrating of multiple images is farther complicated by the fact that image produced by each camera has different centres of projection. The cost for such a system is normally high. The image processing required by multiple cameras or revolving camera method to obtain precise information on place and AZ of an object takes a long clip, which is non suited for real-time conflict field mold and reconnaissance applications. Another straightforward solution to increasing the FOV of an imagination system is to revolve the full imagination system about its centre of projection An image sequence acquired by the camera at different places are â€Å" sewed † together to obtain a bird's-eye position of the scene. Such an attack has been late proposed by several research workers. A really interesting attack developed by employs a camera with a non-frontal image sensor to scan the universe. The first disadvantage of any revolving image system is that it requires the usage of traveling parts, and preciseness placement devices. A more serious drawback is that such systems lack the capableness of at the same time an geting image with broad FOV. Although such system can get precise azimuth information in omnidirectional position, the imagination procedure is time-consuming and the method is non applicable to real-time jobs such as avoiding hit against traveling obstructions or supervising scene with nomadic objects. This restricts the usage of revolving systems to inactive and non-real-time applications. In contrast, the innovation presented herein, called the omnidirectional camera, is capable of capturing real-time omnidirectional images without utilizing any traveling parts. By â€Å" omnidirectional images † , we mean images with a FOV covering full hemisphere ( 180 solid infinite angle ) , at the same time. As one can see, a bird's-eye camera is still non omnidirectional, since it can merely supply a wide-angle of FOV at certain clip case, non in all waies. Figure: Comparison between our Omnidirectional Camera, bird's-eye camera and conventional camerasBrooding MaterialWhen visible radiation radiation passes from one medium into another holding a different index of refraction, some of the visible radiation is scattered at the interface between the two media even if both are transparent. The coefficient of reflection represents the fraction of the incident visible radiation that is reflected at the interface. In general it must be treated as a directional belongings that is a map of the reflected way, the incident way and the incident wavelength. Mirrors surely have a distinguishable brooding quality most other stuffs do non. This is due to the alone colour, composing and smoothness the mirror has. Polished, glistening metals make good mirrors because metal behaviors electricity good. Since the electronic field inside the metal is zero, negatrons at that place will ever call off out a field that is non zero ( even if the field originates outside the metal ) . Since light travels in electromagnetic moving ridges, when it hits a mirror ( most frequently made with sprayed Ag and glass ) , the lone manner to call off out the field and put it to zero is to reflect those moving ridges back out, hence a contemplation. This procedure is similar to singing a long rope attached on one terminal. If you give a hanging rope with one loose terminal one, large shingle, the rope will beckon to the top, and so back down. This is what happens when light hits a mirror. Some molecules hold light and convert some of it to heat. These stuffs are normally black. White stuffs have molecules that about instantly let go of visible radiation after absorbing it. There is an full scope of soaking up in different colourss. Metal works good for mirrors because it reflects seeable visible radiation on all parts of the surface at the same clip. While unsmooth surfaces do reflect visible radiation ( depending on colour and composing ) , they typically reflect visible radiation in all waies. You can see this in concrete, for illustration. It seems to scintillate because it reflects light, but non in one way or ordered manner. Mirrors, nevertheless, do reflect in one way. Because metal ( including metal pigment ) is smooth, it ‘s the best stuff for mirrors.Visible Spectrum WavelengthElectromagnetic Radiation Electromagnetic radiation is considered to be wave-like, dwelling of electric and magnetic field constituents that are perpendicular to each other and besides to the way of extension. Electromagnetic radiation consists of visible radiation, heat or beaming energy, radio detection and ranging, moving ridges, and X raies. Each of it has a specific scope of wavelengths. Figure: An electromagnetic moving ridge demoing electric field, magnetic field constituents and the wavelength. Figure: The spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. Visible visible radiation prevarications within a really narrow part of the spectrum with wavelengths runing between about 0.4 micron and 0.7 micron. The sensed colour is determined by the wavelength ; for illustration, radiation holding wavelength of about 0.4 micron appears to be violet, whereas green and ruddy colour occur at about 0.5 and 0.65 micron severally.CoatingMetallic elements are opaque and extremely brooding. The sensed colour is determined by the wavelength distribution of the radiation that is reflected and non absorbed. A bright silvery visual aspect when exposed to white light indicates that the metal is extremely brooding over the full scope of the seeable spectrum. Aluminum and Ag are two metals that exhibit this brooding behaviour. Copper and gilded appear red-orange and yellow severally because of the energy associated with white light photons holding short wavelength is non reemitted as seeable visible radiation. The huge bulk of optical constituents are made of assorted types of glass, and the bulk of those objects are coated with thin beds of particular stuffs. The intent of these coatings is to modify the contemplation and transmittal belongingss of the constituents ‘ surfaces. High-reflection coatings can be applied to the exterior of an object. For illustration, a level piece of glass is used to bring forth a first-surface mirror. Alternately, they can be applied to an internal surface to bring forth a second-surface mirror, which is used to build certain prisms. High-reflection coatings can be classified as either insulator or metallic coatings. Metallic coatings are used chiefly for mirrors. They do non trust on the rules of optical intervention but instead on the physical and optical belongingss of the surfacing stuff. However, metallic coatings are frequently over-coated with thin dielectric movies to increase the coefficient of reflection over a coveted scope of wavelengths or scope of incidence angles. Over-coating metallic coatings with a difficult, individual, dielectric bed of half-wave optical thickness improves scratch and tarnish opposition but merely marginally affects optical belongingss. Depending on the insulator used, such over-coated metals are referred to as lasting, protected or hard-coated metallic reflectors. The chief advantages of metallic coatings are broadband spectral public presentation, insensitiveness to angle of incidence and polarisation, and low cost. Their primary disadvantages include lower lastingness, lower coefficient of reflection and lower harm threshold. Today ‘s multilayer dielectric coatings are unusually difficult and lasting. With proper attention and handling, they can hold long life lastingness. Quarter-wave thicknesses of alternately high- and low-refractive index stuffs are applied to the substrate to organize a dielectric multilayer stack, as shown in figure. By taking stuffs of appropriate refractile indexes, the assorted reflected wave-fronts can be made to interfere constructively to bring forth a extremely efficient reflector. The extremum coefficient of reflection value is dependent upon the ration of the refractile indices of the two stuffs, every bit good as the figure of layer braces. Increasing either increases the coefficient of reflection. Over limited wavelength intervals, the coefficient of reflection of a dielectric surfacing easy can be made to transcend the highest coefficient of reflection of a metallic coating. Furthermore, the coatings are effectual for both s- and p-polarization constituents, and can be designed for a broad angle of incident scope. However, at angles that are significantly distant from the design angle, coefficient of reflection is markedly reduced. CVI Melles Griot is a taking provider of preciseness optical constituents and multielement optical system. CVI Melles Griot shows that: Our protected gold, Ag, and aluminum coatings exhibit exceeding broadband coefficient of reflection and are practical for many applications. Typical utilizations for these mirrors include single-use applications where the experiment itself amendss the mirror. A assortment of diameters and square sizes are offered, including an 8 † ten 8 † protected aluminium version.CoatingProtected GoldProtected SilverProtected AluminumSubstrate Float Glass Thickness 3.2 A ± 0.25 millimeter Coefficient of reflection Ravg & gt ; 96 % from 800 nm – 20 A µm Ravg & gt ; 97.5 % from 450 – 2 A µm Ravg & gt ; 96 % from 2 – 20 A µm Ravg & gt ; 90 % from 450 nm – 2 A µm Ravg & gt ; 95 % from 2 – 20 A µm Damage Threshold 2 J/cm2 1064 nanometer, 10 N, 10 Hertz 3 J/cm2 1064 nanometer, 10 N, 10 Hertz 0.3 J/cm2 1064 nanometer, 10 N, 10 Hertz Front Surface Flatness & lt ; 5I »/inch @ 633 nanometer Diameter Tolerance +0.0/-0.25 millimeter Clear Aperture & gt ; 90 % of Surface Surface Quality 60-40 Scratch-DigALoading†¦ Materials those are capable of conveying visible radiation with comparatively small soaking up and contemplation is transparent-one can see through them. Translucent stuffs are those through which visible radiation is transmitted diffusely ; that is, visible radiation is scattered within the inside, to the grade that objects are non clearly distinguishable when viewed through a specimen of the stuff. Materials that are imperviable to the transmittal of seeable visible radiation are termed opaque. When light returns from one medium into another, several things happen. Some of the light radiation may be transmitted through the medium, some will be absorbed and some will be reflected at the interface between the two media. Most of the captive radiation is reemitted from the surface in the signifier of seeable visible radiation of the same wavelength which appears as reflected visible radiation. The coefficient of reflection for most metals is between 0.9 – 0.95 and some little fraction of energy from electron decay procedure is dissipated as heat. Metallic elements are opaque and extremely brooding. The sensed colour is determined by the wavelength distribution of the radiation that is reflected and non absorbed. A bright silvery visual aspect when exposed to white light indicates that the metal is extremely brooding over the full scope of the seeable spectrum. Aluminum and Ag are two metals that exhibit this brooding behaviour. Copper and gilded appear red-orange and yellow severally because of the energy associated with white light photons holding short wavelength is non reemitted as seeable visible radiation. When visible radiation radiation passes from one medium into another holding a different index of refraction, some of the visible radiation is scattered at the interface between the two media even if both are transparent. The coefficient of reflection represents the fraction of the incident visible radiation that is reflected at the interface. If the visible radiation is normal or perpendicular to the interface, so Where and are the indices of refraction of the two media. If the incident visible radiation is non normal to the interface, R will depend on the angle of incidence. Since the index of refraction of air is really close to 1. Thus the higher the index of refraction of the solid, the greater is the coefficient of reflection. For typical silicate spectacless, the coefficient of reflection is about 0.05. Merely as the index of refraction of a solid depends on the wavelength of the incident visible radiation. This means that the coefficient of reflection vary with wavelength. Contemplation losingss for lenses and other optical instruments are minimized significantly by surfacing the reflecting surface with really thin beds of dielectric stuffs such as Mg fluoride. Mirror Manufacturing In modern times the mirror substrate is shaped, polished and cleaned, and is so coated. Glass mirrors are most frequently coated with non-toxic Ag or aluminum, implemented by a series of coatings: Tin ( II ) Chloride Silver Chemical activator Copper Paint The Tin ( II ) Chloride is applied because Ag will non bond with the glass. The activator causes the tin/silver to indurate. Copper is added for long-run lastingness. The pigment protects the coating on the dorsum of the mirror from abrasions and other inadvertent harm. In some applications, by and large those that are cost-sensitive or that require great lastingness, mirrors are made from a individual, bulk stuff such as polished metal. Technical mirrors may utilize Ag, aluminum or gold coating and achieve coefficient of reflection of 90 % – 95 % when new. A protective transparent greatcoat may be applied to forestall oxidization of the brooding bed. Applications necessitating higher coefficient of reflection or greater lastingness where broad bandwidth is non indispensable usage dielectric coatings, can accomplish coefficient of reflection every bit high as 99.99 % over a narrow scope of wavelength. Mirror Manufacturing Base Glass, which is a major mirror constituent, is really non a really good stuff for contemplation. In fact, it is merely able to reflect four per centum of the visible radiation it comes in contact with. What it has is a uniformity belongings that allows it to hold really few bumps, peculiarly when it is polished. The smoothness of glass makes it a good campaigner for a base of a brooding metal. Coating The base stuff, in order to go brooding, needs to be coated with a substance that reacts good to visible radiation. The most normally used stuffs are metal coatings such as Ag, gold or chrome. Mercury was used by mirror makers until it was finally abandoned in the fortiess due to jobs with toxicity. Modern mirrors now make usage of aluminium as the metallic coating. Mirrors that are used under high temperatures are frequently coated with Si oxides and Si nitrates which tend to be a protective coating applied to forestall scrape. Design Mirrors need to integrate surface regularity in their designs in order to go effectual. The glass sheets that are used demand to be level and lasting. For family usage, the thickness of the mirror is taken into consideration, with its strength increasing proportionally to its thickness. For heavy-duty mirrors, such as those used in scientific research, the surface has to be specially designed to retain uniformity while adding a curvature. This gives the mirror the ability to concentrate every bit good as reflect visible radiation. The design of the mirror besides specifies the sort of surfacing to be used. The features that are of import in the pick of the surfacing include lastingness and coefficient of reflection. Procedure To do a mirror, the first measure is to cut and determine the glass harmonizing to the formulated design. Diamond-tipped proverbs are normally used to make a all right coating. After this, the panels, called spaces, are placed in an optical grinding machine. This machine uses an scratchy liquid and a grinding home base to make a smooth texture on the glass. Finally, the brooding stuff is placed on the glass utilizing an evaporator, which has the ability to heat the metal used for surfacing until it evaporates onto the spaces ‘ surface. Integrity The quality control of mirrors is an of import portion of the fabrication procedure. The mirror ‘s surface is by and large inspected utilizing the bare oculus or a microscope in order to look into if there are any abrasions or variability. An infrared photographic procedure may besides be used to see if there is a deficiency of uniformity in the thickness of the metal. In some instances, the mirror may besides be placed under environmental proving wherein it is subjected to heat or cold to see how good it can defy assorted temperatures. Possibly you ‘ve been in a state of affairs where you have n't had a mirror on manus and have resorted to utilizing the most brooding surface around you. Depending on the colour, form and texture of the surface, it may hold sufficed, but mirrors surely have a distinguishable brooding quality most other stuffs do non. This stems from the alone colour, composing and smoothness a mirror has. Get downing With Metal Polished, glistening metals make good mirrors because metal behaviors electricity good. Since the electronic field inside the metal must be zero, negatrons at that place will ever call off out a field that is non zero ( even if the field originates outside the metal ) . Since light travels in electromagnetic moving ridges, when it hits a mirror ( most frequently made with sprayed Ag and glass ) , the lone manner to call off out the field and put it to zero is to reflect those moving ridges back out, hence a contemplation. This procedure is similar to singing a long rope attached on one terminal. If you give a hanging rope with one loose terminal one, large shingle, the rope will beckon to the top, so back down. This is what happens when light hits a mirror. How Color Affects Reflection Some molecules hold light and convert some of it to heat. These stuffs are normally black. White stuffs have molecules that about instantly let go of visible radiation after absorbing it. There is an full scope of soaking up in different colourss. Metal works good for mirrors because it reflects seeable visible radiation on all parts of the surface at the same clip. Silver works good in peculiar because it ‘s the closest to white and reflects a assortment of colourss better ( Cu and gold would non reflect blue good, for illustration ) . How Smoothness Affects Contemplation While unsmooth surfaces do reflect visible radiation ( depending on colour and composing ) , they typically reflect visible radiation in all waies. You can see this in concrete, for illustration. It seems to scintillate because it reflects light, but non in one way or ordered manner. Mirrors, nevertheless, do reflect in one way. Because metal ( including metal pigment ) is smooth, it ‘s the best stuff for mirrors. Mirrors that are warped or non wholly smooth give distorted images. Obtaining Omnidirectional View Using Reflective Mirror. To dramatically increase the FOV of an imagination system, there is an unusual attack: utilizing a brooding surface. The FOV of a picture camera can be greatly increased by utilizing brooding surface with properly designed surface forms. The rear-view mirror in a auto is a day-to-day illustration of utilizing brooding mirror to increase the FOV of a driver. There are a figure of surface profiles that can be used to bring forth omnidirectional FOV. Figure list three illustrations: conelike mirror, spherical mirror, and parabolic mirror. The optical geometry of these bulging mirrors provides a simple and effectual agencies to change over picture camera ‘s two-dimensional position into an omnidirectional position around the perpendicular axis of these mirrors, without utilizing any traveling portion. At the first glimpse, it appears that the omnidirectional imagination undertaking can be accomplished by utilizing any bulging mirror. Unfortunately, this is non the instance. In reexamining some BASIC of image formation, we know that an image is two dimensional form of brightness ( or colourss ) . A satisfactory imagination system must continue two indispensable features: Geometric correspondence: there must be a one-to-one correspondence between pels in an image and point in the scene. Single point of view restraint: each pels in the image corresponds to a peculiar sing way defined by a beam from that pel on image plane through a â€Å" pinhole † ( individual sing point ) . Notice that although the convex mirrors listed in Figure can greatly increase the FOV, and may turn out adequate for certain omnidirectional scene monitoring applications, they are non satisfactory imaging devices. These reflecting surfaces do non continue the individual point of view restraint ( SVC ) . For a high quality omnidirectional imagination system, all the light beams coming in the omni imager caput should hold a individual ( practical ) sing point. Design of the omni-mirror that meets the SVC In this subdivision, we will discourse a desirable convex mirror surface profile that satisfies the individual point of view restraint: all the ( extensions of ) visible radiation beams reflected by the mirror must go through through a individual ( practical ) point of view. We call such a brooding mirror the omni-mirror. Let us first define necessary symbols and nomenclature. As shown in the Figure, we use an off-shelf picture camera with a regular lens whose FOV covers full surface of the omni-mirror. Since the optical design of camera and lens is rotationally symmetric, all we need to find is the cross-section map zA ® that defines the mirror surface cross-section profile. The mirror is so the solid of revolution obtained by brushing the cross-section about the optical axis. The map of the omni-mirror is to reflect all viewing beams coming from picture camera ‘s screening centre ( focal point, labeled as C ) to the surface of physical objects in the FOV. The cardinal characteristic of this contemplation is that all such reflected beams must hold a projection towards a individual practical screening point at mirror ‘s focal centre, labled as O. In other words, the mirror should efficaciously maneuver sing beams such that the camera equivalently sees the objects in the universe from a i ndividual point of view O. We choose hyperboloid as the desirable form of the omni-mirrors. A well-known characteristic of a inflated curve is that: the extension of any beam reflected by the inflated curve originated from one of its focal points passes through its another focal point. If we choose the hyperbolic profile for the omni-mirror, and topographic point a picture camera at its focal point C, as shown in Figure, the imagination system will hold a individual point of view at its another focal point O, as if the picture camera were placed at the practical screening location O. The alone characteristic of the omni-mirror is that the extension of the entrance light beam sensed by the CCD camera is ever go throughing through a individual practical point of view O regardless of the location of the projection point M on the mirror surface.

Problems faced by women Essay

            Human Resources in the Recession: Managing and Representing People at Work in Ireland; William K Roche, Paul Teague, Anne Coughlan, Majella Fahy. The effects of the Irish recession on the manner in which people are managed at work and on how they are represented by trade unions is the subject of this study. This study examines how human resource managers and unions (where they are found) have faced the challenges. First of all, the impact of the international financial and economic crisis on the Irish labor market is assessed. Then, the Irish economic crisis is placed in a comparative European context to get a sense of the extent to which the public policy response in Ireland has been similar to those pursued by other EU member states. After this assessment a detailed literature review is conducted on reviews and debates concerning the impact of recessions, past and present, on the conduct of human resources in organizations. This is followed by a detailed examina tion of the type of policies and practices that are available to HR when making adjustments to difficult business conditions. The research has used a survey conducted of managers with responsibility for human resources to assess their responses to the recession. The survey firstly sought to examine the impact of the recession on firms in terms of revenue and employment change, in order to establish the commercial context for any recessionary measures adopted. The subjects of examination are then the types and incidence of measures taken by firms, ranging from pay and headcount adjustments, changes in HR systems and functions, to changes in working time arrangements. The responses of the firms reflect the severe effects and challenges experienced by the survey respondents. This is followed by an investigation into the role of the HR function in the recession. The section explores whether the operation of HR has changed as a result of the recession, the function’s level of infl uence in terms of HR strategy formulation and implementation, the business role of HR, the level of engagement with employees, types of policies and practices that have received greater or lesser attention and relationships with trade unions. Finally, the HR practices that survey respondents considered to be most effective in helping them manage the recession are investigated. Examination of the effects of the recession, as experienced by thirty HR  managers, representing a wide range of businesses, who participated in the different focus groups is entailed. It reviews, in detail, the effects on HR of acute cost, headcount and productivity pressures and the range of retrenchment measures that they were required to put in place. The research then examines HR managers’ understanding of what constitutes ‘good human resource practice’ in recent and current recessionary conditions. The main HR practices that were identified in the literature include – wage ad justment; employment adjustment; re-organization of working time; workforce stabilization; employability; voice and engagement; and process or product innovation. By and large, while most of the measures adopted were aimed at reducing pay costs in one way or another, Irish firms have been quite diverse with respect to the range of measures that have been implemented to steer their way through the recession. The survey results also show that HR mangers have been steadfast with regard to implementing the ‘softer’ side of HR practices.             Impact of the Recession on the Labor Market in the South East; Annette Cox, Terence Hogarth, Thomas Usher, David Owen, Freddie Sumption, Joy Oakley. This study focused on analyzing the impact of economic downturn on skills needs and training practices within different sectors in the South East, focusing on a mixture of sectors which were seriously affected by recession and those which might lead the recovery. The research consisted of two phases: the first involving quantitative analysis and literature review, and the second involving qualitative analysis of interviews conducted with stakeholders and employers. The research concluded that the Impact of Recession on Employers’ Current and Future Skills Needs and Training Practices is conditional. Small organizations are reported to be more likely to reduce training investment than large firms and commitment to training varies by sector, There is an increased demand for ‘short and sharp’ courses, Training opportunities are being targeted at senior staff and trainees, Employers are receiving high numbers of applications and using tighter screening criteria and Multi-skilling needs are developing as a result of expansion or contraction of business.             The impact of the economic recession on hR; Talent 2 and Ipsos MORI This study is based on a survey. Senior HR professionals were asked about how the global recession is affecting their organizations and their people management strategies and practices. 200 senior HR Directors and VPs were invited to participate in the survey, and 73 completed it. The findings of the survey were that HR is greatly affected by recession in the economy. Three in five respondents felt that the current capital markets had a direct impact on their organization, with three- quarters also feeling they have a direct impact on HR. Similarly, the vast majority of organizations (95%) were either freezing, or decreasing, their annual HR budget, in areas such as training and development, external training, the use of external consultants, recruitment and HR systems. Evidence suggests this is likely to be the case regardless of what the predicted financial performance is for their organization. The top three priorities selected were Performance management; Leadership and management development; and Employee communication and engagement.             The Impact of the Recession on Employment-Based Health Coverage ; Paul Fronstin This article focuses on the impact of the recession on employment-based health coverage. This Issue Brief examines changes in health coverage among workers during the recession that started in December 2007, including monthly changes for 2007 and May 2008−July 2009. The emphasis is on changes that occurred between September 2007 and April 2009. While health coverage through the work place is by far the most common source of health insurance among the population under age 65, the recession that started in December 2007 is associated with a change in employment- based coverage and the uninsured. Workers least likely to have employment-based coverage at the beginning of the recession were more likely than other workers to experience a decline in the percentage with such coverage one year later. Younger workers were more likely to lose coverage than older workers. Hispanic workers we re more likely to lose coverage than whites or blacks. Part-time workers were more likely than full-time workers to have lost employment-based coverage. The percentage of workers with own name employment-based coverage declined the most for those employed with  for-profit private- sector employers and those employed by the federal government. The largest declines in the percentage of workers with employment-based coverage in their own name by firm size occurred in the smallest firms, those least likely to offer coverage. Workers who were members of a union were less likely to have experienced a loss of employment- based coverage than were nonunion workers. Workers with the lowest earnings were the least likely to have employment-based coverage in their own name and experienced the largest decline in coverage.

Should the principle of party autonomy be restricted Coursework

Should the principle of party autonomy be restricted - Coursework Example Party autonomy in contracts 1. Historical Development of party autonomy – Theoretical framework 6 III. Party Autonomy: Characteristics and challenges A. How is the principle of party autonomy established in the context of the European and the US law? 1. The European law on party autonomy 8 a. Rome (I) Regulation 9 b. The Hague Choice – of – Court Convention 10 2. The US law on party autonomy 12 a. Forum selection clauses 13 b. The doctrine of forum non-convenient 13 c. Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) 13 B. Under which terms the principle of party autonomy could be restricted? 1. Approaches on the potential restriction of party autonomy 14 2. Restriction of party autonomy as promoted through the existing legislation. 16 a. Rome (I) regulation and restrictions on party autonomy a1. Public Policy 17 a2. Mandatory Rules 17 b. Restrictions on party autonomy in the US law 18 C. Would the competency of the court to apply the law chosen influence the principle of party aut onomy? 19 IV. Conclusion 20 I. ... or this reason, the specific concept has been promoted in jurisdictions worldwide, even if in come cases conflicts are developed in regard to the restrictions of party autonomy because of local statutory rules or public policy. In other words, the provision of party autonomy in the context of civil and commercial agreements serves the need for ensuring the interests and the rights of individuals, as related to these agreements, without the general rules of law to be violated. The scope of party autonomy is to promote the right of the parties to decide on the law applicable on their dispute. Rome 1 Regulation recognizes the party autonomy as being the key criterion for the choice of law in regard to contracts related to two or more jurisdictions. In any case, problems seem to exist regarding the power of party autonomy, as promoted through various legislative texts worldwide. In fact, under certain terms, restrictions to party autonomy seem to be unavoidable. In this context a critica l problem has appeared: should the restrictions on party autonomy be allowed? This issue is examined in this paper. Emphasis is given on the following issue: should the principle of party autonomy be restricted so that the law chosen by the parties to be applied only if the court considers itself as competent? The identification of the most appropriate solution to the above problem requires the careful examination of the legislative environment in which party autonomy is developed, meaning both in Europe and USA. Reference is made particularly to the 1980 Rome Convention on the Law Applicable to Contractual Obligations, as it has been incorporated in Rome 1 Regulation. At the same it is necessary to refer to certain important concepts related to contractual agreements, such as jurisdiction

INTASC Principles Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

INTASC Principles - Assignment Example They will learn the use of highlighting and annotating techniques required to prepare the final draft outline on the chart papers. A slide presentation will be shown as recapitulation for the students’ using the visual technique as well. Classroom Diversity and Differentiated Instruction: This lesson will incorporate individual work presentation of the previous assignment. The response of different students to the question: ‘What do you want to know about Walter Dean Myers?’ will be a reflection of the various and diverse ethnic, cultural and academic levels of the class. Each response will be acknowledged and encouraged to have a differentiated class room discussion environment. Students showing lack of interest would be gently encouraged and would be bound to participate in the classroom discussion, hence drawing a maximum learning incorporating Piaget’s theory. Students will be informed of the importance of being attentive to other view points. The students will participate in a classroom discussion on the author. All students will give their input. The teacher reinforces the importance of being attentive to each others’ viewpoint, and gives a brief insight into highlighting and annotating techniques to be implemented individually by each student. The students will listen and take notes carefully as the teacher reads out the biography. The students will see the presentation slide on the Biography of Walter Dean Myers. This lesson plan will inculcate the trait of attentiveness in the students.By paying attention to the responses of other students about the homework assignment each student will broaden his/her schema about Walter Dean Myers.The students will then listen carefully as the teacher reads the biography. They will take notes,highlight or annotate the respective text in order to prepare the draft of the information of interest about

Career in Dental Surgery Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Career in Dental Surgery - Personal Statement Example I go to his clinic and read his books about Dental Surgery. I have found great interest in the career of Dental Surgery. I want to be like that dentist that changed world history. "The extravagant headline "The Dentist Who Changed World History" is taken from the title of an article that appeared in Harper's Magazine, in December, 1943. The dentist referred to was Maurice William (1881-1973), who practiced in New York and who, if he didn't change world history, at least influenced the course of events in China." (4) The people in rural areas have less health resources so they are migrating to urban areas. A new report says "The year 2008 will be the first time that more than half of the earth's population-nearly 3.3 billion people-will be living in towns and cities." (5) Although people are generally afraid of approaching dentist as Taylor Caldwell, "[An] Anglo-American novelist, a prolific author of popular fiction, who used often in her works real historical events or persons"(6), says "I was never afraid of anything in the world except the dentist." (7) But I love Dental Surgery Career. I believe that if I do not love a career, I can not move forward in that career. this career. Motivation is one of the best gifts people possess in all aspects of their lives, but many of them do not even realize they have it or may not know how to use it. Motivation is a feeling that compels us to strive and succeed in all that we do or intend to do. Many people achieve success beyond their wildest dreams. It is often seen that they are not necessarily the smartest people around. Generally, it is seen that the people who succeed financially are the ones who are motivated to achieve success. Human beings have enormous

An innovative Leadership Development Programme (LPD) Coursework

An innovative Leadership Development Programme (LPD) - Coursework Example This was in line with the innovation to be practical and simple to grow into how leaders operated the business. The leadership in all the branches of GE has been included in the program. The leaders have learned how to transfer the opportunities and leadership ideas into initiatives that produce results. The launch of the new program focused on global growth in all the branches across the world. This required an assessment on what has been worked on and what is needed for improvement to achieve the expected results. LIG success had relevance and value that surpassed GE. Innovating can be taught to leaders and teams in organizations to achieve the expected outcome. For example, PwC US also launched a Genesis Park which is a development program that is unique and intensive. The program is designed to create business leaders of tomorrow. The programs help employees to integrate what they learn and how they operate in the daily activities. Govindarajan (2011) contends, â€Å"Most organizations achieve the expected outcomes by use of the new programs by developing innovations that include; keeping intact teams as one for development; leverage actionable programs; sharing best practices; create a common language; secure leadership support; and conduct extensive follow up†. Keeping intact teams as one for development; innovation requires teams to work together. This task seems easy but, it is one that differentiates many innovation programs. The leadership development programs at times fail to drive the real change expected as the leadership or managers do not go together in the course of the learning process. The effect of bringing the entire team together is significant. This helps the teams to build consensus more easily and quickly. In addition, the process fosters a greater commitment in applying the changes for the operations of the organization. Leverage actionable innovative leadership development programs;

Studying a case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Studying a - Case Study Example The paper discusses Trune’s accusation with a view of illustrating the dissenting opinion that there was no false imprisonment. The accusations of Trune that the farmer intended to confine him within fixed boundaries do not sufficiently prove the crime of false imprisonment because the farmer did not lock him in the firm house. Because the farmer did not lock the farm house, it can thus be argued that there was no false imprisonment because Trune’s freedom was not limited at all. This case can be compared with the Herbst v. Wuennenberg case in which the plaintiffs were asked by the accused to leave before the occurrence of the events which led to the legal suit. This illustrates that in the Herbst v. Wuennenberg case, the freedoms of the plaintiffs was not violated. The case led to a ruling of the appeal court that favored Wuennenberg because sufficient evidence suggested that there was no false imprisonment of the plaintiff (Supreme Court of Wisconsin 1). The actions of the farmer were motivated by the need to protect his farm from intruders and trespassers and there was no intention of leading to the confinement of the plaintiff otherwise he would have locked him in the firm yard. In the Herbst v. Wuennenberg case, the plaintiffs admitted that they were not intimidated neither threatened by the accused (Supreme Court of Wisconsin 2). On a counter argument, Trune admits that he stayed in the firm house because he feared the possible outcome of the farmer’s actions, which does not adequately substantiate the claims that his life was in immediate danger. The actions of the farmer were inn ordinary sense harmless and the plaintiff has no real evidence to prove that the farmer put him in unbearable danger. Trune’s arguments however differ with the Herbst v. Wuennenberg case on the trespass issue is compared between the two cases. Like in the case of Herbst and the other plaintiffs, Trune does not defend his reason for being on the farmer’s field.

Financial Markets and Institutions homework Assignment

Financial Markets and Institutions homework - Assignment Example The lenders earn interest as a return on the loan. However, the individuals also use bond markets to obtain loans, but it is a rare practice. The final type of financial market is the arena where currencies are swapped in order to fulfill the demand of a particular currency. The price of a currency is determined by finding out its demand curve’s interaction point with another one. The price of highly demanded currencies such as the American dollar, the English Pound, and Euro has been known to dominate others. The trick is to lower the interest in the country so that the currency does not face substantial level of devaluation, and therefore, its demand remains stable in the market. At the same time, all of the financial markets operate in order to facilitate exchange of money by bounding borrowers with contractual obligations to keep their part of the bargain. The accumulation of money into a few hand invite stagnation, and therefore, it is imperative to keep funds afloat in order to drive down the level of income disparity in the economy. The financial markets work to convert savings into investments, and as a result, the companies consistently create wealth. The network of financial markets is globally integrated, and transferring money from one economy to another is a matter of a few minutes nowadays. The financial markets create efficiency in the economie s by helping investors in shifting their financial resources into the financial system that offers higher returns. The progressive countries are always looking to make their economies suitable for foreign investors in order to have surplus monetary resources at the disposal of the local population (Alfaro, Chanda, Kalemli-Ozcanc, & Sayek, 2004). In this way, better use of money takes place. The fundamental form of a financial intermediary is packed in the shape of a bank because it brings savers and borrowers together

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Essay Example for Free

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Essay Abstract This paper will explain Maslow’s triangle and its application to interpersonal communications. An explanation will be given how the interpersonal communications, based off of Maslow’s triangle, can be used as an interview and interrogation tool. Examples will be provided of a personal experience that directly relates to the vertical progression through Maslow’s triangle. When Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Maslow’s triangle) is understood, it is easier to understand another person and have better more effective interpersonal communication. Maslow’s triangle is a set of needs that must be met and people are self-motivated to fulfil the needs. Maslow’s triangle can be used during interrogation and interview as a means to build trust a rapport. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs can be divided into two parts, basic needs and growth needs (McLeod, 2014). To elevate to a higher need, the needs at the current level must be satisfied. The basic needs are believed to be self-motivating and the longer they go unmet the greater the desire for them becomes. For instance the longer one goes without sleep then the more tired they become and soon the body will breakdown. The bottom of the triangle is physiological needs. These are the most basic needs for survival such as food, water, breathing, sex, sleep, homeostasis, and excretion. The next level is safety needs which consists of protection from elements, security, order, law, stability, and freedom from fear. Love and belongingness needs is the third rung and is comprised of friendship, intimacy, affection and love, from work group, family, friends, and romantic relationships. The final basic need is esteem needs which includes achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, prestige, self-respect, and respect from  others. The top of the triangle, and the growth need, is self-actualization needs, made up of realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, and seeking personal growth and peak experiences. Maslow believed that people have an inborn desire to be self-actualized (Cherry, n.d.). Self-actualization is when a person reaches their full potential. Understanding human needs can be a used persuade people as they are already self-motivated to fulfil their needs. This can be used by both preventing the obtainment of a current need or by providing a current need. In the later one can build rapport with the subject by providing the needs. This can further lead into security or love and belongingness where you as an interrogator or interviewer can be the stability or friendship need that is missing. By filling in the need you can passively be purvey to more information or even take a more aggressive quid pro quo stance. Furthermore you may even give an ultimatum that if the information you seek is not provided then the fulfilled need will be taken back leaving a deficiency. As this relates to my personal experiences and my progression through the hierarchy of needs, I am no different than anyone else and I must have fulfillment of one level before ascending to the next. I have been fortunate enough that air and water have always been present in my life. Sleep is sometimes lacking and can affect my health but on the whole a sufficient amount of sleep is met. Being that the lowest level needs have been generally fulfilled the next level is considered. Safety needs have generally been provided given that safety of employment was sufficient. While employed in the active duty military I had job security providing money that provided safety in resources. Safety in employment allowed the lower level item such as food to always be fulfilled as well as safety of property a need of the second tier. Employment allowed advancement into both the third and fourth levels as I was part of a family both in occupation and able to provide for one at home. I also had friendship within the employment and much respect both from self and others as well as a sense of achievement. This had much to do with the type of occupation being what it was (military). This all fed into a greater self-esteem and then into the top tier of the triangle, growth and self-actualization. The other side to  this is that when I was no longer in the active duty military and I lost the fulfilment of safety of employment I much of the fulfilment of other needs. I lost the steady monetary income and in direct correlation I lost safety of property as I was never sure if I would be able to make my house payment. Being able to provide for my family was always a question and this greatly reduced my self-respect and respect from family and relationship within the family dynamics. I was not sure if I would be able to always meet to need of food. My focus was fulfilling that unmet need, the need for safety of employment. At no time after I had a deficiency in level two of the triangle was I ever considering my self-actualization or full potential let alone even confidence or achievement from the level below that. When Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is understood, it is easier to understand another person and have better more effective interpersonal communication. The needs laid out in Maslow’s triangle can be used during interrogation and interview. They can be used as a means to build trust a rapport and or persuasion and coercion. References (n.d.). Retrieved from wikimedia,org: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Maslows_hierarchy_of_needs.svg Cherry, K. (n.d.). Hierarchy of Needs. Retrieved from About Education: http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/hierarchyneeds.htm McLeod, S. (2014). Maslows Hierarchy of Needs. Retrieved from Simply Psychology: http://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html Tay, L., Diener, E. (2011). Maslows Hierarchy. Retrieved from Changing Minds: http://changingminds.org/explanations/needs/maslow.htm

Integration of Gujarati Immigrants in Britain

Integration of Gujarati Immigrants in Britain Gujarati Immigrants Transnational RESEARCH QUESTION: How does the integration of Gujarati immigrants in Britain affect their participation in transnational activities? Introduction This proposed research aims to understand links between social and economic integration and participation in transnational activities. I will focus on Gujarati immigrants as they are widely regarded as being amongst the most affluent, successful and religious of Britain’s South Asian settlers (Dwyer, 1994). The proposed research is a case study (Marshall Rossman, 1999) exploring patterns of integration and participation in transnational activities within this particular group. The research question is important because I want to challenge both the idea that all Gujarati immigrants are rich and successful and simplistic understandings of segmented assimilation theory (Kivisto, 2001; Portes, 1995; Yu Greenman, 2005). Empirical evidence for this purpose will be gathered by a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. The results will give a detailed picture of a particular group of immigrants but will be relevant to understanding other groups as well. Literature Review As a theoretical starting point, I will refer to the work of Portes, who defines transnationalism as referring to: â€Å"†¦a growing number of persons who live dual lives; speaking two languages, having homes in two countries, and making a living through continuous regular contact across national borders. Activities within the transnational field comprise a whole gamut of economic, political and social initiatives†. (Portes et al, 1999, pp. 217-218) For Portes (1995), to understand the relationship between transnational behaviour and immigrant integration we have to understand the theory of segmented assimilation. This theory makes an effort to understand the individual and contextual factors that determine into which parts of the host society second generation immigrants become incorporated: in the case of Gujarati immigrants, these areas will be social, economic, cultural and religious. Many writers have emphasised that transnationalism is in part an adaptive strategy a reaction to the hostile reception and downward mobility that immigrants face in post-industrial nations (Basch et al 1994). However, transnational behaviour and immigrant integration is discussed differently by Kivisto (2001). Kivisto argues that contrary to the transnational view of immigrants living in two countries at the same time immigrants are located in one and the immediate concerns of the receiving country take lead in to the more distant concerns of the sending community. For Kivisto, for example, Portes’ theory of transnational immigration does not look at the variation of transnational behaviours among immigrants with comparable family and social link with the country they are from. He provides an assessment of transnationalism that is a subset of assimilation theory, rather than an alternative to it and suggests that the following factors should be considered in research on this topic: The costs associated with travel Access to communication technologies The salience of homeland political issues or economic conditions versus similar issues in the host society How institutions in the host society may limit immigrants’ access and the nature of their involvement The impact of popular culture The role of nation states (p.573). Yu and Greenman (2005) criticize segmented assimilation theory on the basis of an empirical study on immigration adolescents yielding two main findings: First, for immigrant adolescents living in non-poverty neighborhoods, they find assimilation to be positively associated with educational achievement and psychological well-being but also positively associated with at-risk behavior. Second, there is little empirical evidence supporting the theory of segmented assimilation. For these writers, future research would be more fruitful focusing on differential processes of assimilation rather than differential consequences of assimilation (http://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/pubs/abs.html?ID=3443). Bearing this in mind, the focus of my study is on Gujarati immigrants’ participation in terms of its relation to integration process. I am also drawing on Ballard’s (1994) Desh Pardesh: The South Asian Presence in Britain. The book contains a collection of essays about the diverse, multicultural South Asian communities in Britain, including Gujarati immigrants. The of the book ‘Desh Pardesh’ means home from home and at home abroad. The book attempts to look at some of the issues relating to processes of the reconstruction of social, economic, religious and cultural life in order to integrate in the new country. The case of Gujarati immigrants There are over half a million Gujaratis in Britain (Dwyer, 1994). Britain remains a popular destination for immigrants because of its strong economy. However, the jobs that immigrants generally take on are in the secondary sector and typically unskilled manual labour (Massey, 1987); I suggest that this is also the case with many Gujarati immigrants. Social networks both in Gujarat and Britain also account for a large number of migrants coming in from abroad (Boyd 1989). In the research I aim to focus on Gujarati immigrants who are in search for better employment opportunities in Britain and are wishing to settle. As for Portes (1999): â€Å"For purposes of establishing a novel area of investigation, it is preferable to delimit the concept of transnationalism to occupations and activities that require regular and sustained social contacts over time across national borders for their implementation. Thus defined, the concept encompasses, for example, the travels of a Salvadoran viajero delivering mail and supplies to immigrant kin on a monthly basis or those of a Dominican garment shop owner going to New York several times a year to sell her wares and acquire new fabrics and designs for her business. By the same token, it excludes the occasional gifts of money and kind sent by immigrants to their kin and friends (not an occupation) or the one-time purchase of a house or lot by an immigrant in his home country (not a regular activity) (p.219). I will apply this idea to immigrants from Gujarat, India who represents the latest ‘wave’ of migration. The group will consist of middle-class people with only Indian school qualification aged 18-28 years and who enter into unskilled manual labour, e.g. working in restaurants, cleaners, groceries, retail and so on. My aim is to try and understand the people who face difficulties in Gujarat, India due to unemployment. Many writers have written about different Gujarati communities abroad, for example about the success of East African Gujaratis in terms of education achievement and business (Ballard 1994; Bughart 1987; Bhachu 1985). I want to also look at the poor Gujaratis who lack educational qualifications and are struggling to find work in Gujarat. Research methods Key questions regarding the orientation to the conduct of the research are: 1) Is my strategy ‘deductive’ or ‘inductive’? 2) Is my research qualitative or quantitative? and 3) Is my epistemology positivist or interpretivist? First, deductive research strategy is concerned with the testing of theory, or a pre-given hypothesis. As a result, hypothesis is confirmed or rejected. Inductive approach is more relevant in my research because it allows categories emerge from the data (Marshall Rossman, 1999). If for example I was trying to research first generation immigrants rather then second then I would have to modify theory of segmented assimilation to apply it to the right group. If I use the inductive approach I will begin with findings and observations from which I will generate theory. Second, my research will be both quantitative and qualitative in that it will look at numeric population patterns as well as individual lived experiences (ibid). Third, my research will be interpretivist in that it is ‘guided by a set of beliefs and feelings about the world and how it should be understood and studied’ (Denzin Lincoln, 1994, p.13). Exploratory Data Collection The method I will be using to collect data will be participant observation during my field work in Britain. I will study groups of Gujarati immigrants who are either unemployed or have low-paid jobs. This approach attempts to understand ‘what is going on’ and that is why participant observation is a suitable method for this research (ibid). This method will help me in developing useful interview questions. It will also allow me evaluate data collected through other methods (Pelto and Pelto 1978). ‘Participant observation’ as a method involves observing as well as participating with those who are being studied, and it also involves social interaction as well as engaging in their way of life (Spradley 1980). The extent to which a researcher participates in a social setting ranges from non-participation to complete participation, in the latter case becoming a member of the group. I will participate moderately with the Gujaratis’ daily activities (ibid; Dewalt et al 1998). (a) I need to gain entry into the community and begin building my relations with immigrants. I will be working in two main areas which have the highest number of Gujaratis, Wembley (NW London) and Leicestershire (Midlands). I will have to find accommodation in these two regions of Britain. To gain access into the community I will also volunteer to work as a sales assistant for retail shops in these areas. By doing this I will be able to build comfortable relations with my respondents. This will also encourage informants to talk normally as they would with a friend or community member (Denzin Lincoln, 1994).

Health Promotion and Education for HIV

Health Promotion and Education for HIV Introduction The prevalence of HIV infections has increased rapidly in recent years in the UK. In 2006, it was estimated that a total of 73,000 people were infected with HIV, with a further new 6,393 cases reported in 2007 (Health Protection Agency 2007). The epidemiology of HIV infection has changed over the years. In the mid-1980s, the three groups of people considered to be at the highest risk of HIV infection were men who have sex with men, injection drug users and those who have received blood products (e.g. through blood transfusions). However, since 1999, the majority of new infections have been reported among heterosexuals (Health Protection Agency 2007). The prognosis for HIV-infected individuals has improved over the past ten years. Although there is currently no vaccine and no cure for HIV, HAART (Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy) has proven highly effective in delaying the onset of AIDS and lengthening the lifespan of infected individuals (Rutland et al. 2007).The increased preval ence of HIV infections in the UK means that healthcare professionals in all settings are more likely to care for patients with HIV than in past years. A number of studies have been conducted worldwide to examine healthcare professionals’ knowledge and/or attitudes to HIV in countries including the UK (Tierney 1995; Laraqui et al. 2002; Pisal et al. 2007). Findings showed that healthcare workers are frequently fearful, negative, ill-informed and discriminatory towards HIV-positive patients. Furthermore, fears regarding perceived risks when caring for parents with HIV may hamper quality of patient care (Pisal et al. 2007). As a result, HIV-positive patients may experience stigma and dehumanisation, together with feelings of isolation and guilt. There is an unmet need for effective education programmes to increase healthcare professionals’ knowledge about HIV, modes of transmission and precautions that should be taken when caring for HIV-positive patients. Studies have shown that education programmes to increase levels of knowledge among nurses significantly reduced fears about interacting with HIV-positive patients (Pis al et al. 2007). This paper discusses the development of an educational leaflet aimed at healthcare professionals, analyses the methodology used and evaluates the leaflet and the process of development. Leaflet development When devising health promotion and education programmes, the three main components which must be considered are planning, implementation and evaluation and it may be helpful to use a health promotion model in this process (Whitehead 2003). The Ewles and Simnett model (1992) proposes five different ways of considering health promotion which include a medical approach, behaviour change approach, educational change approach, client-centred approach and social change approach. Our health education approach best fit the educational and behavioural change approaches. By educating the target group of individuals, the knowledge they gain will empower them to make informed decisions and will act as an important influencer on their behaviour (Aghamolaei et al. 2005). In their model, Ewles and Simnett identified 9 stages which were used in the planning of the health education initiative discussed in this paper and which include: Identification of the target group Identification of the needs of the target group Establishment of the goals of education Formulation of specific objectives Identification of resources Planning of content and method Planning of methods of evaluation Implementation of education Evaluation of effectiveness. Planning The target group for this health education strategy was healthcare support workers who may come into contact with clients infected with HIV or AIDS. As discussed, there is a clear need for education programmes for healthcare professionals who may have contact with HIV-positive clients. The main goals of this strategy were to increase levels of knowledge about HIV with a view to reducing fears and stigma surrounding HIV-positive individuals, and alleviate any existing misconceptions surrounding the spread of the HIV virus in clinical practice. The approach taken in this strategy was to develop an educational information leaflet. Previous research has demonstrated that leaflets that promote knowledge of HIV are effective in reducing fear and anxiety among healthcare workers, while also increasing overall knowledge of the disease (Pisal et al. 2007). Leaflets have been shown to provide a number of benefits. For example, they can be used to re-enforce information delivered verbally and c an deliver a greater volume of information that via verbal communication alone (Secker 1997). Furthermore, leaflets may be retained for future reference and can be shared with others. However, there is evidence to suggest that health promotion leaflets needs to be carefully designed, since not all leaflets communicate their messages effectively to their target audience (Shire Hall Communications 1992). Methodology Sources of information Information on the HIV was sourced by searching the Pubmed electronic database and Department of Health websites. Up-to-date, high-quality publications were selected where possible. The Health Protection Agency websites was also search for recent UK-specific epidemiology data. Information relating to the design of the leaflet was gathered from both Pubmed and Google searches. All information sourced was read carefully, findings were accurately summarised and key points were highlighted. Leaflet design The design of educational leaflets should assist the reader’s understanding of the content within (Secker 1997). The leaflet title was chosen carefully so as to be appealing and encourage readers to want to read the entire leaflet. A design theme was chosen which was applied consistently throughout each of the pages. Black and red text was used against a yellow background which demonstrated good readability and made the leaflet stand out on the shelf among a group of other leaflets. The choice of colours was designed to reflect a ‘danger/hazard’ theme which was intended to motivate the reader. While it could be argued that the association of red with danger may actually re-enforce existing negative beliefs about HIV, we believe that our choice of a strong and positive leaflet title negates this possibility. The Times New Roman font in a 12 point size was used for the main text. Research suggests that this is one of the best fonts for educational materials, and that a 12 point font size is the minimum size for readers without visual impairment (Secker 1997). Although it is acknowledged that using a font size as large as this limits the amount of text that can be accommodated, a shortcoming of many educational leaflets is that they contain text which is too small to read comfortably (Albert and Chadwick 1992). The images used in the leaflet were relevant to the content. Research has shown that the use of illustrations is an important factor to consider in leaflet design and that illustrations should always be informative and relative to the content of the leaflet, otherwise they will detract from the information being conveyed (Rohret and Ferguson 1990; Albert and Chadwick 1992). By using ‘before’ and ‘after’ versions of similar images, we aimed to convey some of the feelings that HIV-positive clients may experience in healthcare settings and how a change in the behaviour and attitude of healthcare workers can have a positive impact on the client’s experience as well as improving the interaction between the client and care provider. Another important factor which must be considered when using images, pictures and other illustrative materials is their source and whether there are copyright issues associated with their use. Unfortunately, we did not consider the legal implications associated with our choice of illustration, which subsequently prevented the leaflet from being distributed to the target audience. A folded one third A4 size leaflet, printed on yellow paper with a gloss finish was chosen. This is a popular choice of size for educational leaflets and provides good portability, being small enough to put in a bag. The use of folding negates the need for staples which add to cost. [Client: you didn’t mention anything about leaflet size, stock of paper or finish so I’ve added in what I have found from my own experience of designing educational materials, although I’m not sure of the exact stock of paper that would be the best for a leaflet of this description and no papers discuss this] Language According to Bennett and Heller (2006), â€Å"Speaking the language of the audience is crucial in attempting to appeal to them and change their understanding of any issue†. The language in this leaflet used simple terminology that is easily understood and is jargon free, two factors which have been shown to be of importance in educational materials (Ewles and Simnett 2003). Personal and colloquial terms were used which were designed to engage the reader and encourage critical thinking and reflection of their own clinical practice. The use of personal pronouns has previously been shown to be effective in making the reader feel that the leaflet is addressing them directly, thereby making it more appealing (Glasper and Burge 1992; Albert and Chadwick 1992). The use of long words was limited and sentences were generally short and succinct, with each attempting to explain a single idea (Manning 1981). Evidence has shown that this facilitates the integration and storage of information into memory. This is an important factor since the cognitive load theory proposes that redundant forms of information may require longer processing and may prevent the reader from learning (Doak et al. 1996). Research has also demonstrated that the more long words and long sentences used, the more difficult the leaflet will be for the reader to understand (Pastore and Berg 1987; Bernier and Yasko 1991). Simplicity in both choice of language and sentence structure is also of value if the leaflet were to be translated into other languages or into Braille. While this leaflet was only designed for target groups within the UK, it could also be translated successfully if required. Readability may be assessed more accurately by performing a readability test to determine the reading age of any written material. These tests typically relate the number of long words and sentences to the reading age necessary to understand the materials. Evidence shows that the reading age of the majority of adults in many developed countries is 10-14 years (Vahabi and Ferris 1995). Although we did not employ a readability test when developing this leaflet, it is an activity that would have been helpful to confirm the readability of the material we had developed and would be particularly valuable when developing patient educational materials where reading age would be of greater importance. Content and organisation of information It is important that educational materials are accurate and up to date (Secker 1997). As previously discussed, the most recent information was selected for inclusion in our leaflet. Summarised information was discussed for suitability and then reviewed for accuracy by several members of the team as a quality control exercise. The content of this leaflet is quite specific and should be applicable for the foreseeable future, unless a vaccine or cure for HIV/AIDS is developed or there are changes to universal precautions. Nonetheless, it may have been worth including a publication date on the leaflet to enable the reader to quickly see how old the leaflet is and if a more up-to-date version may be available. The organisation of text within the leaflet is a very important factor influencing whether the material makes sense to the reader (Secker 1997). Studies have shown that educational information should be presented in a way that reflects the priorities of the reader (Bernier and Yasko 1991). Therefore, paragraphs of text were arranged so that the most important and relevant facts were discussed first. This arrangement has been shown to facilitate the assimilation of information and re-enforce learning (Manning 1981). Sequential lists of bullet points were used to present the text included in the leaflet. These have also been shown to enhance assimilation, when compared with blocks of bulk information delivered in a narrative form (Manning 1981). Key points within the text were emphasised in bold type since the use of colour has shown to be ineffective (Kitching 1990) and a number of colours were already employed in the design theme. The text in the leaflet was justified which is not in line with the recommendation of unjustified, left-aligned text using indentations for ease of readability (Kitching 1990). [Client: you don’t mention whether headings were used in the leaflet. Sentence case headings in bold type placed against the left-hand margin with plenty of space around are effective in standing out from the main text and will assist the reader in quickly locating the information they require within the leaflet (Dixon and Park, 1990) Reference: Dixon, E. Park, R. 1990, ‘Do patients understand written health information?’, Nursing Outlook, vol. 38, no. 6, pp. 278-81.] Evidence has shown that leaflets should convey only essential information and contain references to further reading in a separate section (Vahabi and Ferris 1995). In our leaflet, the name of the first author and the year were included in the text as citations for source references. For a more continuous flow, it may have been better to replace the author name with a superscript number which relates to the full reference which would be included in a reference list at the end of the leaflet. Since this leaflet is aimed at healthcare professionals who aim to use research-based evidence to inform best practice, it would be particularly important to include the sources of the reference materials to encourage further reading; however, due to space constraints, we were not able to include this reference list in our leaflet. Implementation The leaflet has not been distributed to the intended target group due to legal implications surrounding the images used. The original implementation plan included: (1) distribution of the leaflet after infection control study days held within the hospital, or at study sessions focussing on HIV/AIDS as a method of re-enforcing the verbal information already delivered; (2) inclusion of the leaflet as part of the induction package for relevant new members of staff; and (3) inclusion of leaflets on stands already located in hospital common rooms or other venues. Evaluation As discussed above, since the leaflet has not been distributed to the target audience, it has not been possible to evaluate the success of our approach. We planned to pilot our leaflet to a selected group of healthcare support workers and gain feedback both verbally and via the use of a questionnaire designed to address the quality of content, readability and use of language within the leaflet. Gaining preliminary feedback on the leaflet may have helped us to address any issues identified prior to implementation. The specific limitations identified in our leaflet have already been discussed within the relevant sections of this paper. However, when reflecting on our approach to producing this leaflet, we were able to identify a number of other areas where we feel that the process could be improved in the future: (1) experimenting with other colours may make the leaflet aesthetically more appealing; (2) including the address of the charity listed, instead of just the website, would enable those individuals without internet facilities to also access this valuable resource more easily; (3) when searching for published literature on knowledge and attitudes of healthcare professionals to HIV, although many studies were identified, there were few recent studies conducted within the UK. For this reason, it may have been worth considering designing a preliminary questionnaire to gather the attitudes and beliefs of the healthcare workers within our particular setting to ensure that we were designing a leaflet which addressed their specific needs; and (4) we believe that the use of an interactive tool, such as a quiz, would further engage the target audience, serving to re-enforce and challenge what they have learnt from the leaflet. Conclusions Our leaflet met the majority of published criteria for well-designed educational material, in terms of content, language and design. The leaflet contained up-to-date, accurate information which was relevant to the target audience. The overall look and feel of the leaflet was appealing and uncrowded with good readability, while the use of relevant images helped to convey the important messages contained within the leaflet. The major limitation of our methodology was the use of images with surrounding legal implications which prevented the leaflet from being distributed. This made is impossible to evaluate the success of our approach which was very disappointing. Nonetheless, developing this leaflet has provided valuable experience which can be applied when designing similar health promotion and education programmes in the future. Bibliography Aghamolei, T., Eftekhar, H., Mohammed, K., Nahjavani, M., Shojaeizadeh, D., Ghofranipour, F., Safa, O. 2005, ‘Effects of a health education program on behaviour, HbA1c and health-related quality of life in diabetic patients’, Acta Medica Iranica, vol. 43, no. 2, pp. 89-94. Albert, T. Chadwick, S. 1992, ‘How readable are practice leaflets?’, British Medical Journal, vol. 305, pp. 1266-8. Bennett and Heller 2006, Design studies: theory and research in graphic design, Princeton Architectural Press, New York. Bernier, M. J. 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