Radiation Protection Personal Protective Equipment

Radiation Protection Personal Protective Equipment Introduction: The assignment, consist of three parts including this introduction, which mentions how the assignment will take shape. Ideas and concepts taken from elsewhere for the preparation of this document will be cited appropriately within the work. The document which will be given to staff will address the issues pertaining to the appropriate use of personal protective equipment(PPE), legislations associated with their use, the principles of physics behind their use. The document will briefly delve in to issues pertaining to radiation hazards and protection, legislations relevant to radiation work in United Kingdom and use of personal protective equipment. Principles of physics behind radiation protection methods will be addressed in the document. Commonly used PPE in radiographic departments will be explained with their appropriate use along with personnel dosimetry. Local rules aiding radiation protection and defining PPE use will be also addressed in the document. Radiation protection methods and appropriate use of PPE will be given in a tabular format explaining where, when and why these protection methods and PPE should be used for those situations. The third section of this work will include a conclusion which will include the reasoning behind the composition of the document. It will also briefly address other important radiation protection issues and methods which are not addressed in the documents and the reasoning behind it. It will demonstrate how the assignment brief has been addressed by the document. The conclusion segment of this assignment will also emphasise as to why understanding of the work produced is important. The main factors aiding the preparation and decisions made for the preparation of the document will also be included in the conclusion. At the end of the work all references used in the preparation of this work will be laid out in the Harvard system of referencing. Radiation Protection and the use of Personal Protective Equipment. Introduction: Being at the leading edge of radiation dose delivery, a radiographer has a unique professional duty towards himself and others around him for a reduction in the hazards caused by ionising radiation (Manning, 2004). Many radiation related fatalities and injuries suffered by radiation pioneers and scientific studies of the 1950s, which implicated low level doses to stochastic effects in radiation workers and patients led to the radiation protection regulations of today (Bushong, 2003). Radiation hazards When humans are irradiated, atomic interactions results in ionisation, this can lead to chemical and biological changes which are damaging to the cells and chromosomes. This radiation induced changes can lead to two distinct types of injuries at cellular level. Deterministic effects: Above a certain threshold dose, effects show up and the severity of the effects increase with dose Stochastic effects: Probability of occurrence of effects increases with increase in dose. The effects include cancer induction and hereditary effects in future generations (Martin and Harbison, 2006). These late stochastic effects, has led to the radiation protection regulations of today (Bushong 2003). What is Radiation protection and why do it In light of the hazards that could be caused by radiation, protection from unnecessary radiation gains paramount importance. All radiation workers and patients should be protected against these hazards by various methods and equipment, this process is called radiation protection. A system of linear non threshold (LNT) model for radiation protection is applied to all radiation practices (Martin 2004). There is also increasing opinion in favour of radiation hormesis(Carver 2006), but since there is no absolute evidence to suggest a lower threshold below which no damage occurs the LNT model as required by current legislations is considered appropriate to estimate risks at low doses(Matthews and Brennan 2008) The patient should only be exposed if the clinical evidence suggests that the patient is likely to benefit from the procedures. The law requires the doses to be kept to as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP), so the requirement of radiation protection is laid out by various legislations (Graham et al.,2007). The regulations relevant to radiographic work and the use of PPE in United Kingdom (UK) Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999(IRR 1999) Ionising Radiations (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2000 (IR(ME)R) Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995(RIDDOR 1995) Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) (Messer, 2009) The recommendations of The International Commission for Radiation Protection(ICRP), that radiation exposure to radiation workers and the patient should be As Low As Reasonably Achievable(ALARA) is generally accepted(Engel-Hills,2006), The recommendations of ICRP and the European union(EU) euratom directives have all had a significant impact on British law (Whitley et al., 2005) Principles of Radiation Protection IR(ME)R requires all medical exposures in diagnostic radiology to apply the radiation protection principles of justification, optimisation and dose limitation. (Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine(IPEM), 2002). These principles ensure patient dose is kept to the ALARP principle. The cardinal principles of radiation protection will be further discussed. Minimising Time: As the dose is directly proportional to duration of exposure, minimising the time of exposure results in reduced dose. Minimising the time spent near a radiation source also reduces exposure. This protection method finds its use in fluoroscopy. Other methods used in fluoroscopy, using this protection method to reduce exposure is pulsed progressive fluoroscopy and the regular interval reset timers (Bushong, 2001). Maximising Distance: The cheapest form of radiation protection is afforded by the inverse square law, which states that the radiation intensity varies to the inverse of the square of the distance (Farr and Allisy-Roberts 1997). This law holds true for the primary beam which is considered a point source of radiation. While using mobile x-ray units a radiographer can avail this principle of physics to get maximum protection by standing as far away from the source as possible with the aid of the long cable which should be at least 2metre from the x-ray tube during exposure (Bushong 2001). Dowd (1991) considers distance to be the simplest and most effective of radiation protection measures. Maximising Shielding: Maximising shielding between the radiation source and exposed personnel reduces radiation exposure considerably. The effectiveness of the shielding material is estimated in terms of its half-value layer(HVL), which is the amount of material needed to reduce radiation exposure in to half, and tenth-value layers(TVLs); which is the amount of material needed to reduce exposure to one tenth of its original amount. The preferred material for shielding is lead (Pb). The physics behind the usage of lead for protection is its high atomic number (82). This high atomic number ensures that a majority of scatter photons gets absorbed due to its high attenuation. PPE used in radiography departments: Lead Aprons: They are made from powdered lead incorporated in a binder of rubber or vinyl. They come in various lead equivalencies. If used as a secondary barrier to absorb scattered radiation an apron with lead equivalency of at least 0.25mm should be used. Lead aprons shall be at least 0.5mm of lead equivalent for fluoroscopy but can be higher to the range of 1mm of lead equivalence. The downside of greater lead equivalent aprons is the greater weight. Now manufacturers make aprons with composite materials-a combination of lead, barium and tungsten. They have reduced weight and provide better attenuation of radiation. Lead Gloves: They provide at least 0.25mm or more of lead equivalent protection. Used mainly in fluoroscopy or by people holding patients during examination. Thyroid Shields: Mainly for use while performing fluoroscopy, these offers protection to thyroid. Mobile Shields: These could be moved around and are sometimes used in angiography. Protective Eyewear: Protective glasses are used mainly in fluoroscopy to protect against the cataractogenic effect of radiation(Dowd and Tilson 1999). The concept used for radiation-protection practices is the effective dose(E). Effective dose considers the relative radio sensitivity of various tissues and organs. Effective Dose(E) =Radiation weighting factor(Wr) x Tissue weighting factor(Wt) x Absorbed dose (Bushong, 2001) Personnel Dosimetry: All classified radiation workers are routinely monitored for radiation exposures using personnel monitors. Though they do not provide any radiation protection on their own, they offer the quantity of radiation to which the person using the monitor was exposed. The commonly used dosimeters in diagnostic radiology are film badges, Thermoluminescent dosimeters(TLD) and the pocket dosimeter (Thompson et al.,1994). Local Rules which will include working procedures and protocols for the department should be always followed for the appropriate use of PPE Protective Methods/PPE usedng 2001,Bushong 2003) Conclusion: Writing an assignment about the appropriate use of PPE for radiation protection, the need to highlight radiation hazards was considered important and so the assignment started with a brief outlook of radiation hazards and subsequently radiation protection concept was discussed with emphasis on why staff and patients must be protected. The LNT dose response model for radiation protection and new concept favouring lower doses such as radiation hormesis was briefly addressed. The justification for using the LNT model for radiation protection was also emphasised. The legal requirement for radiation protection of patients and staff was discussed and legislations relevant to radiographic work in UK and other organisations influencing British law on radiation safety was discussed. Recommendations of ICRP, as low as reasonably achievable( ALARA) concept and the IR(ME)R requirements of radiation protection of patient through the principles of justification, optimization and limitation was also addressed. These introductory explanations, was considered important as they were the basis for the subject for radiation protection and highlighted the need for radiation protection in diagnostic imaging departments. Preparing the core of the work was not possible without addressing the cardinal principles of radiation protection, hence they were all discussed briefly, where these protection principles find its application for radiation protection in radiographic departments. Time, Distance, Shielding concepts of radiation protection was discussed. Distance and Shielding concept of radiation protection was discussed in detail as they find their use quite often in imaging departments. Material commonly used for shielding with the principles of physics behind its usage was also addressed. Concepts such as half -value layer(HVL) and tenth value layers (TVLs), used to define the effectiveness of the shielding material was also detailed. Personal protective equipment generally used in imaging departments such as lead rubber aprons, lead rubber gloves, thyroid shield, protective eye wear, mobile shield was discussed. Their appropriate usage in specific areas was also considered. Concept of effective dose was also briefly discussed as this was considered an important concept in radiation dose. Personnel dosimetry was discussed with a brief on the various types of personnel dosimeters used in diagnostic imaging departments, as these dosimeters play an important role in dose regulation and monitoring radiation exposure in staff. Radiation protection methods to reduce patient dose has not been elaborated and special arrangements for pregnant radiographer such as rotating out of high exposure areas such as mobile x-ray and fluoroscopy and wearing a secondary badge under the apron at waist level when involved in such examinations to measure foetal dose(Dowd and Tilson 1994) has not been addressed in the document, so as to keep the assignment within its permissible constraints. With all this being presented, it was decided to summarize the use of PPE and protection methods in various areas of a radiographic department; x-ray room, while using mobile x-ray equipment in wards and theatres, Fluoroscopy which is a major contributor of staff dose(Bushong 2001) and CT was considered. It was decided to project these points in a tabular format within the document for simplicity and to meet the assignment brief within the imposed limitations. It also demonstrates the appropriate usage of PPE and radiation protection methods. Adequate shielding in diagnostic imaging departments both primary and secondary shielding as required by legislations, means that a radiographer is sufficiently protected from the scatter, as long as they position themselves behind the protective barrier during exposure. This point is stressed within the tabular column in the document as this is considered an important radiation protection practice. X-ray tube incorporates lead shielding to attenuate the radiation travelling in any other direction other than the useful beam. The housing of the tube have a lead equivalent of typically 2.5mm (Farr and Allisy-Roberts 1997). This greatly reduces scatter or leaked radiation exposure to staff and patient. These and other protection measures incorporated with in modern x-ray machines such as collimation, beam alignment, filtration and other manual protective measures to reduce patient dose-including specific area shielding, such as contact shields and shadow shields which provide gonadal pr otection to patients have not been discussed in the document due to the scope and constraints of the assignment. All radiation protection methods employed to reduce patient dose bring down staff exposure as well, so good radiographic practice helps achieve reduced dose to both patient and staff (Graham et al., 2007) Local rules as required by IRR 1999, to be a part of all departments which involves working with ionising radiation has been addressed in the document briefly, but they are an important resource towards radiation protection as these rules include written systems of work, including protocols and procedures for the imaging department. Details of contingency plans and the names of Radiation protection advisers(RPA) and Radiation Protection Supervisors(RPS) are contained within the rules(Graham et al.,2007) Principles of physics, pertaining to the use of lead in the preparation of shielding materials have been discussed in the assignment. Reading the document will inform the reader about the appropriate use of PPE, as to where, when and why to use these PPE. It also informs the reader the various legislations associated with radiation protection and the use of PPE in UK. It also highlights the hazards caused by ionising radiation and the need for radiation protection. Hence the assignment brief has been addressed. Radiation protection is an important subject to be considered in the diagnostic radiography department (Moores, 2006) and hence a clear understanding of radiation protection issues is important. Ionizing radiation can cause real damage to current and future generations if not dealt with carefully, hence understanding radiation protection and the correct usage of PPE in aiding radiation protection through this work is considered important. Together with a wide range of resources, the valuable experience gained during the clinical placement in a radiography department, observing the safety practices and usage of PPE in the imaging departments and critical self evaluation of methods and practices using the aid of published works has helped me arrive at the key decisions which are addressed in the document. 1

Analysis of Healthcare in California

Analysis of Healthcare in California By Team Bluefish: Brenda Benavides Liyang Hayworth Janelle Moulder Jesse Phillips Timothy Weigand Melecia Wright Introduction In recent years, United States healthcare expenditure focused on expanding health care coverage and increasing access to medical services. For example, the state of California has been grappling with the burden of cardio-metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Though billions of dollars are spent annually to treat these lifestyle diseases, the prevalence of both obesity and diabetes is still on the rise (Meng, Pickett, Babey, Davis, Goldstein, 2014; Mirzadehgan, Harrison, DiSogra, 2004). While access to basic health services is critical to maintaining health status, it is important to also acknowledge and capitalize on the roles of social, economic and/or environmental determinants contexts within which people live as they hold tremendous potential to positively influence health status. The objective of this Issues Summary is to address the current status of health care spending in California and demonstrate how an emphasis on the underlying social, economic, and environmental determinants of health may reduce financial hardship for the state while managing its most problematic chronic diseases more effectively in the long term. Background History Although health care spending in California is high, quality of care for individuals is low. Quality of care remains low because approximately 20% of California’s population is uninsured, and the majority of these individuals avoids seeing a doctor until emergency care is required (Helfand, 2011; â€Å"Emergency as normal†, 2002). This reliance on emergency care, which should act as a safety net and not a patient’s primary source of health care, leads to steep health care costs. Healthcare spending in California has come under scrutiny since the passing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010. In that year’s general elections alone, two health care spending measures were approved for the ballot. Proposition 45 would force health insurance companies to be more transparent about rate hikes and increase accountability through mandated review of requested rate changes. The other, Proposition 46, was meant to increase accountability from healthcare providers. The measure specifically required random drug testing for doctors and that those found to be impaired would face disciplinary action from the California Medical Board. Proposition 46 also proposed an increased cap on pain and suffering damages from medical negligence lawsuits. These propositions encourage increased vigilance from doctors with the aim of ultimately improving the quality of the services administered. However popular, neither of these propositions capitalized on t he potential for decreasing direct healthcare expenditures while increasing quality of care. With the increased financial cost of cardio-metabolic disease, Californians have recognized the strain that chronic disease such as diabetes and obesity-related illnesses put on the state’s health care system, as evidenced by recent policies such as Senate Bill 1000, which outlines the potential consequences of soda consumption and subsequently reduce its demand (â€Å"Warning Labels on Sugary Drinks†). Providing health education and more affordable preventative care services to vulnerable populations can significantly reduce the burden of chronic disease and its related healthcare costs. Current Status In 2011, nearly one-third of hospitalizations among Californians age 35 and older were related to diabetes; interestingly, only 8.4% of California adults had diabetes (Meng et al., 2014). According to the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) in 2009, 22.7% of California adults were obese based on their body mass index (Cook et al., 2013). Obesity is strongly associated with the incidence of chronic diseases, including coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and hypertension (Cook et al., 2013). The rising prevalence of obesity and diabetes in the United States is of particular concern among low income and minority populations (Melius, 2013). Researchers have shown that income is negatively associated with adolescent obesity: youth from low-income families were more likely to be obese than their higher income counterparts (Babey, Hastert, Wolstein, Diamant, 2010). This inverse correlation suggests that a successful intervention against obesity and its related diseases should address the conditions that drive differential behaviour and nutritional patterns in people of various socioeconomic strata (Melius, 2013). One such intervention is the proposed â€Å"soda tax† that will be on the ballot in Berkeley and San Francisco in this November’s general election. Evidence suggests that when prices of sugary drinks increase, â€Å"consumers, including low-income consumers, [make] more nutritious purchases† (Varney, 2014). The â€Å"soda tax† is estimate d to â€Å"prevent 240,000 cases of diabetes per year† according to Dr. Bibbins-Domingo, a professor of medicine at UCSF, who co-authored a study on the tax (Cook, 2014). In addition, the tax revenue generated by this measure may be utilized for programs focused on childhood nutrition (Cook, 2014). While taxes on unhealthy foods may be highly controversial, California may consider adopting other strategies that target nutritional choices and low-income populations throughout the state. Differential factors in the physical environment are also an issue. For instance, low income diets and neighbourhoods are characterized by low intake of vegetables and high consumption of fast food due to the lack of supermarkets in low-income neighborhoods (Melius, 2013). Additionally, access to public parks and other sites of recreation encourage increased physical activity, which can influence the development of obesity and diabetes (Melius, 2013). However, public parks are more likely to be absent or in a state of disrepair in low-income neighborhoods, due to limited funding or resources. Zoning regulations and incentives programs can be effective ways to produce changes in the physical environment. Finally, home environments that do not encourage healthy eating habits from an early age or encourage regular physical activity contribute to the development of obesity-related conditions (Meng et al., 2014). However, healthy eating habits and a healthy, active lifestyle is a learned behavior, which requires adequate health education, particularly early in life. Diabetes and obesity, and their comorbid conditions are expected to continue to increase in prevalence. It is absolutely essential to address the underlying factors contributing to obesity-related illnesses. With the current state of health care expenditures for acute care of largely preventable conditions, it is imperative that California consider measures that will maximize health status within the confines of a tight state health care budget (Meng et al., 2014; Helfand, 2011). These measures must include increasing access to preventative care or early intervention in the care of chronic disease. Recommendations Pandemic obesity and diabetes in the state of California and across the nation is a call to action to develop prevention strategies, rather than solely focusing and relying on providing primary health care. Both lack of physical activity and poor diet (high carbohydrate, high fat, and low fiber intake) increase the risk of developing obesity and diabetes. As such, our proposed policies are 1) establishing amicable environments encouraging physical activities 2) promoting healthy and nutritious dietary intake at a young age and 3) providing access to affordable preventive health care. The proposed policies intend to modify underlying causal determinants of disease and therefore improve the health of the general population and reduce health care related costs. Recent surveys and research on California’s population have shown that diabetes and obesity will continue to be of significant concern for the health status of the state’s population in coming years. While creating an environment where people can exercise and engage in regular physical activity and ensuring access to affordable health care are important steps to take in order to manage these diseases, we recommend prioritizing social policies aimed at improving nutrition and lifestyle choices. Californians are receptive towards policies that address social determinants of health, including early childhood nutrition, and these policies can have a tremendous impact on health outcomes in the long term at a lower cost than would be required of policies that simply increase health care services. Two policies recently approved in California that address social determinants of health are Senate Bill 402 and Assembly Bill 290. Senate Bill 402 was enacted in 2013 and requires that all hospitals with a prenatal unit adopt an infant-feeding policy that is equivalent to â€Å"Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding† (De Leà ³n, Pavley, 2013). It was adopted to manage obesity in California by addressing early life nutrition, supported by evidence that â€Å"early infant-feeding practices can affect later growth and development, particularly with regard to obesity† (De Leà ³n, Pavley, 2013). Assembly Bill 290 also aims to prevent obesity by ensuring that child care centers have an employee with â€Å"at least one hour of childhood nutrition training† as part of an already required health and safety training (California Senate, 2013). The bill targets child care centers because child care participation is at an all-time high, so they are a great space to reach a l arge number of youth at an age when â€Å"lifelong nutrition habits are formed† (California Senate, 2013). These policies have great potential to stem obesity and its associated chronic diseases and reduce healthcare costs in the future. In order to achieve our goals to positively influence health status in California, we recommend enlisting public health practitioners more frequently in the policy making process. With their background in health, social and economic determinants, and fluency in interpreting data from academically-driven research, public health practitioners are an untapped resource for policymakers. In fostering this collaboration between public health providers and our state policymakers, we will effectively bridge the data gap and provide the opportunity to maximize health status, while minimizing health care expenditures. The collaboration would promote active assessment of the impact of policy change, which can increase recognition of social determinants of health and of inter-sectoral responsibility for health (Oxford, 2013). References Author Unknown (Jun 2002). Emergency as normal. The Economist. Retrieved from  http://www.economist.com/node/1168001 Author Unknown. (n.d.). Warning Labels on Sugary Drinks. California Center for Public Health  Advocacy. Retrieved from  http://www.publichealthadvocacy.org/resources/warninglabel/WarningLabel_PressKit_FINAL.pdf Babey, S., Hastert, T., Wolstein, J., Diamant, A. (Nov 2010). Income disparities in obesity trends  among California adolescents. American Journal of Public Health, 100(11):2149-55. Retrieved from  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2951974/ Babey, S., Wolstein, J., Krumholz, S., Robertson, B., Diamant, A. (Mar 2013). Health Policy  Brief: Physical Activity, Park Access and Park Use among California Adolescents. UCLA Center for Health Policy. Research. Retrieved from  http://healthpolicy.ucla.edu/publications/Documents/PDF/parkaccesspb-mar2013.pdf California Senate. (2013). AB 290 (Alejo), Child day care: childhood nutrition training.  Retrieved from  http://leginfo.ca.gov/pub/13-14/bill/asm/ab_02510300/ab_290_bill_20131011_chaptered.pdf Cook, C. (Oct 2014). Big Soda’s false populism. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from  http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-1028-cook-soda-tax-poor-people-20141028-story.html Cook, S.N., Giddings, B.M., Parikh-Patel, A., Kizer, K.W., Kwong, S.L., Bates, J.H., Snipes,  K.P. (Dec 2013). Obesity-Linked Cancers: A California Status Report, 1988-2009. Sacramento, CA: California Department of Public Health, California Cancer Registry. Retrieved from  http://www.ccrcal.org/pdf/Reports/CA_California1988-2009_Obesity_v6.pdf DeLeon, Pavley (2013). Senate Bill No. 402: Breastfeeding. California Senate. Retrieved from  http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/13-14/bill/sen/sb_0401-0450/sb_402_bill_20130220_introduced.htm Diamant, A., Babey, S., Wolstein, J., Jones, M. (Aug 2010) . Health Policy Research Brief   Obesity and Diabetes: Two Growing Epidemics in California. UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Retrieved from  http://healthpolicy.ucla.edu/publications/Documents/PDF/Obesity%20and%20Diabetes%20Two%20Growing%20Epidemics%20in%20California.pdf Helfand, Duke (Dec 2011). California’s healthcare spending per person among lowest in U.S.  Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/07/business/la-fi-california-health-spending-20111208 Kelin, L., Ming, M. (Sep 2013). Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Leisure-time Physical  Activity in California: Patterns and Mechanisms. Race and Social Problems, 5(3):147-156. Retrieved from  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3779616/ Meng, Y.Y., Pickett, M., Babey, S., Davis, A., and Goldstein, H. (May 2014). Diabetes Tied to a  Third of California Hospital Stays, Driving Health Care Costs Higher. UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Retrieved from  http://publichealthadvocacy.org/_PDFs/1in3/DiabetesHospitalStudy_PolicyBrief_FINAL.pdf Melius J. (2013). Overweight and Obesity in Minority Children and Implications for Family and  Community Social Work. Social Work in Public Health, 28:2, 119-128, DOI:  10.1080/19371918.2011.560821 Mirzadehgan, P., Harrison, G.G., DiSogra, C. (Dec 2004). Health Policy Fact Sheet: Nearly  One in Five California Adults Obese and Most Still Gaining Weight. UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Retrieved from  http://healthpolicy.ucla.edu/publications/Documents/PDF/Nearly%20One%20in%20Five%20California%20Adults%20Obese%20and%20Most%20Still%20Gaining%20Weight.pdf Varney, S. (Oct 2014). Soda-makers Try To Take Fizz Out Of Bay Area Tax Campaigns. NPR.  Retrieved from  http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/10/27/359325115/soda-makers-try-to-take-fizz-out-of-bay-area-tax-campaigns 1

William Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream :: William Shakespeare Midsummer Dream Essays

William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream The stage production of William Arden Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by a British director Tim Supple was one in a million-that everyone talked about it and questions rode questions, on how the performance went. ‘It is the best production I have ever seen. What grapples me most, is the cast, ravaging with a rich choreography’, this was said by the British Ambassador to India in a chat with Times of India. The almighty dramatist play was sponsored for production by the British Council, India. Staged at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, on Rajendra Prasad Road, New Delhi, on the 3 of March, the old, but became-new play was performed by what Mr. Supple described as ‘an all Indian and Sri Lankan cast’, spoken in many languages, from English to Hindi and Bengali. It was free. But one has to get a pass to be admitted in. All and sundry came for this mesmerizing production-and all came and went, but only one person never went from my memory. The one and only Arundhati Roy-the world acclaimed author of The God of Small Things. She was there. She was there for good and praises poured on her. Her presence sweetened the sweet production, as well as heightened emotions. A Midsummer Night's Dream is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, written sometime in the mid-1590s. It depicts the adventures of four young lovers and a group of amateur actors in a moonlit forest, and their interactions with the fairies who inhabit it. Today, the play is one of Shakespeare's most popular and is performed across the world. When the production came to an end with a big coctail and wide applauds, I realised that I have never read this acclaimed bestseller. And so, I wobbled into a bookshop around and got a copy. It is cheap here in India. Everything is cheap. And I read this book in three days. Unbelievable? That is the truth. Because the story line is straight and sweet. But before then, the writer-activist who lives in New Delhi spoke about life as a writer. ‘You have to be yourself. No pretence. And if any pretence, that should be embedded in your characters. Think like your characters and see what this life is all about’, Ms Roy said, intoned. There is something surreal about her. Her benevolence and non-descriminative wit and candour. India has bestselling authors like Salman Rushdie (Satanic Verses), Amitav Ghosh, Jhumpa Lahiri (Interpreter of Maladies), Chetan Bhagat (One Night @ the Call Centre), the Nobel Laureates and more.

Gifts of Rain :: English Literature

Gifts of Rain Seamus Heaney's poem Gifts of Rain is divided into 4 sections. These 4 sections could symbolise the stages of life which consists of birth, childhood, adulthood and death. It could also symbolise the stages of the river in which it suggests the development of the river from it's source to where it gets strong. Or of course, it could symbolise the stages of the water cycle. Water is the symbol of life, but i can also be seen as purity, freshness or youth. In this mysterious poem, Heaney takes a simple view of life and it seems almost documentary-like. The title of the poem 'Gifts of Rain' gives it a positive feeling, but although water has it's positive aspects such as lifegiving and growth, it also has it's negative aspects, such as being dangerous or even deadly. The first section of the poem has no direction and the rhythm is irregular. This suggests that the rain may come unexpectedly and starts off somewhat jaggedly. The rest of the poem flows and has rhythm and there is regularity in each section. This mimics the movement as the rain as it comes down from the clouds. The running on in the stanzas give the sense that the rain is overflowing. Although the title of the poem gives a positive feeling, the opening line "Cloudburst and steady downpour now for days" gives the effect of a monotonous image and a depressing persistance. "He begins to sense weather by his skin" portrays nature and the sense of a survivor. The animal-like image continues for the rest of the first section and the movement of that animal continues as the animal goes "uprooting" which gives the sense of nature being destructive. Heaney may have included this deliberately to show that nature is not as angelic as people may think. The end of the section highlights the poem as "Sounding. Soundings." is what Heaney's poems are all about and more precisely, what this poem is about. "A man wading lost fields breaks the pane of flood" which starts the second section gives the effect of pain and hurt. The man survives by going along with nature and resisiting it, but it also gives the effect of danger at the same time. "Like a cut swaying" carries on the effect of being deliberate, sharp and precise and "it's red spoors" and "his hands grub" continues with the theme of the animal sort of world. The "sunken drills" give the effect of digging deep and the atlantis "he depends on" gives a hint of an insecurity of life, as if

Chronicle of a death foretold :: English Literature:

Chronicle of a death foretold Chronicle of a death foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is a fictitious novel. It was originally written in Spanish but was later translated to English. The story began on the morning of Santiago Nasar’s murder. We are being told the story in first person view by an unnamed narrator who has witness the events that occurred. I think there is a surreal and repetitive tone; I get the feeling that the narrator is investigating the murder because we are told the story years later from an omniscient point of view and all the characters’ thoughts are shared. There were two main themes that I noticed. The main theme was how unpowerful the women are in the story. This is shown when Marquez writes "The brothers were brought up to be men. The girls were brought up to be married.† This excerpt shows the severity of the lives women lead in the reserved Colombian culture of the town. A woman's worthiness as a wife was measured by her beauty in conjunction with her ability to gracefully run all aspects of a household. The idea that the woman in a marriage is expected to suffer is significant-no woman enters marriage expecting to be happiness unless she is fortunate enough to love whichever man decides to court her. In this Spanish culture, unlike Western culture, marriage is not based on love. There is also the importance of cultural traditions like honor. The twin brothers murder Santiago Nasar because he took their sister’s virginity away. Also, I became aware the there in an emphasis on the dream that Santiago had, with the trees and the weather on the day he was murdered. Some recalled that it rained and some said that it was sunny. One technique used in the story as a motif as magic realism. This is the incorporation of fantastic or mythical into realistic fiction. I noticed that Marquez keeps on repeating the murder before it occurred, this helped to build suspense. From the second chapter I understood that the narrator implies that Santiago is innocent for the crime he dies for. But if he is innocent, then who took Angela Vicario’s virginity? The brutality of the social conventions surrounding women becomes clear in this chapter. Because she was not a virgin when she married, not only is Angela abandoned by her husband, but she is beaten by her mother. The double standards of her culture are highlighted by the fact that the narrator, Santiago and some other friends are all at a whorehouse doing whatever they please. This novel reminded me of the difficulty of understanding events.

Characteristics of Orsino in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Knight

Characteristics of Orsino in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Knight Love is desirable, everyone is in search of it, but some take it too far. Some let it control you, and reveal characteristics that ought not to be revealed. Orsino, in the twelfth knight for example let’s love control him revealing aspects of his personality that reveal is obsession with love. Some Notable Characteristics of the Duke of Illyria are his moodiness, selfishness and how he is a fool for love. Orsino is a gentleman who is in search of love, and while eagerly searching; his moodiness and foolishness is revealed. Struggling to find love, Orsino’s temperamental moodiness is revealed. His moodiness is revealed early in the play when Orsino interrupts his own musicians while they are playing to satisfy his needs. Orsino has musicians playing around him in hopes that it will distract his thoughts from how bad he wants to find love. Orsino says, â€Å"Enough; no more: ‘Tis not so sweet now as it was before. (Act I, Scene I) This reveals Orsino’s moodiness because the musicians were only trying to cheer him up, and Orsino deliberately and rudely interrupts them because the music was doing no good in hopes of cheering up his lonely heart. Also, later in the play Feste even points out Orsino’s moodiness. Feste compares Orsino's erratic moods to a gemstone when he says the Duke's â€Å"mind is very opal. † (Scene II, act IV) An opal is a gemstone th at shimmers and shifts in colors. Although, this is not meant to be a compliment by Feste, Feste is rather implying that Orsino is temperamental and unstable, like an opal constantly shifting in colors. Although, for Orsino, unlike an opal constantly shifting in colors, what shifts constantly is his moods. Orsino is a man who is more fixated with the fantasy of love than the reality of love, which portrays his selfishness in just wanting to fulfill his own desires. Orsino seems to be a man who is in love with the idea of being in love. The play begins with Orsino saying, â€Å"If music be the food of love, play on; Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, The appetite may sicken, and so die. That strain again! it had a dying fall: O, it came o'er my ear like the sweet sound, That breathes upon a bank of violets, Stealing and giving odour! † (Act I, Scene I) Orsino is very fixated with love, willing to do whatever it takes to satisfy his own needs. He is so willing he even attempts to find love in a woman in which he knows doesn’t feel the same about him. Orsino fights to have Olivia love him back, in fact the more Olivia rejects him the more it seems Orsino tries t pursue her. Orsino doesn’t care that she has no love for him back, he just wants to find love, and that’s the selfishness within him. Orsino is a man in search of love, so determined to find it he makes a fool of himself. Based upon the opening scene we know Orsino is a passionate man who is out in search of the love of Olivia. Orsino says he is in love for the countess, but Orsino doesn’t truly know her, he just knows of her. When Orsino describes one of his fantasies, you can determine from it that it has nothing to do with the countess. The first time Orsino saw Olivia he describes, â€Å"That instant was I turn'd into a hart; And my desires, like fell and cruel hounds, E'er since pursue me. †(Act I, Scene I) Orsino says he was turned into a â€Å"hart† (a male deer and also a play on the word â€Å"heart†) and that he was chased or hunted by his own desires, which were like â€Å"hounds. † So, Orsino doesn't imagine his pursuit of Olivia so much as he fixates on his pursuit of himself in a fantasy that is all about him. He is a fool for love, fixated so much around it that he tries to make himself believe he is in love with someone he truly doesn’t even know. Orsino’s moodiness, selfishness, and foolishness all revolve around what means the most to Orsino, love. His moodiness flares up when dealing with the problems he faces when trying to find love. Orsino’s selfishness is revealed in the way he pursues a countess that doesn’t love him back, yet doesn’t even know him. Foremost, his foolishness is revealed by the way he tries to find love in general. Revolving so much around trying to find love, that he goes to extreme measures that makes him look foolish. In fact, anyone trying to find love as hard as Orsino should be looked at as foolish too. You cannot force love upon anyone, and you should never force it upon yourself, or you will be compelled as selfish in the fact that you want love so bad you do extraordinarily selfish things to do so. Like trying to love a woman who doesn’t love you back. Love is something that cannot be forced, that Orsino apparently doesn’t know, causing him to be moody, look selfish, and be a fool for love.

Substances and Mixture

A pure substance: †¢ contains atoms of only one kind. †¢ It has fixed  physical and chemical properties  like boiling point, melting point, valency, density   †¢ contains only one chemical identity, e. g. one element or one compound. †¢ cannot be separated into 2 or more substances by physical or mechanical means †¢ is homogeneous, ie, has uniform composition throughout the whole sample †¢ its properties are constant throughout the whole sample †¢ its properties do not depend on how it is prepared or purified †¢ has constant chemical compositionPure Substances Elements and compounds  are both examples of pure substances. Pure substances cannot be separated into simpler substances by physical or mechanical means such as sifting, filtering, crystallization, distillation, etc. eg, distilling pure water (H2O) does not separate water into hydrogen and oxygen, it only produces water vapour. Pure substances display a sharp melting and boiling point. On a graph of temperature vs time, this is shown as flat line where the temperature does not change over time until all the pure substance has melted or boiled.A mixture: †¢ can be separated into 2 or more substances by physical or mechanical means †¢ contain more than one chemical substance †¢ displays the properties of the pure substances making it up †¢ its composition can be varied by changing the proportion of pure substances making it up †¢ they do not have a fixed composition †¢ heterogeneous substances, ones with non-uniform composition throughout the sample, are always mixtures Mixtures Some examples of mixtures are given below: Type of Mixture |Example | |gas in gas |The atmosphere is a mixture of gases, mostly nitrogen and oxygen. | |[pic] | |liquid in liquid |Wine is a mixture of mostly ethanol and water. | |[pic] | |solid in solid |Alloys, such as brass, are made up of a mixture of metals. |[pic] | |gas in liquid |Soft drinks, su ch as cola, are mixtures of mainly carbon dioxide gas and water. | |[pic] | |solid in liquid |Sea Water is a mixture of salts dissolved in water. | |[pic] | |solid in gas |Smoke is mixture of tiny solid particles in atmospheric gases. |Homogeneous mixtures do not display a sharp melting point, they melt over a range of temperatures. Sharpness of the melting point is often used to determine whether a substance is pure or impure (mixture) On a temperature vs time graph there is no flat line during which the temperature remains constant over time. Instead, there will be a slope indicating that the components of the mixture are melting Mixtures can be separated into the pure substances making them up by physical or mechanical means because each pure substance retains its own properties.Separating the Components of a Mixture Most laboratory work in biology requires the use of techniques to separate the components of mixtures. This is done by exploiting some property that distinguishes the components, such as their relative †¢ size †¢ density †¢ solubility †¢ electrical charge Dialysis Dialysis is the separation of small  solute  molecules or ions (e. g. , glucose, Na+, Cl-) from macromolecules (e. g. , starch) by virtue of their differing rates of  diffusion  through a differentially permeable membrane. An example:Cellophane is perforated with tiny pores that permit ions and small molecules to pass through but exclude molecules with  molecular weights  greater than about 12,000. If we fill a piece of cellophane tubing with a mixture of starch and sugar and place it in pure water, the sugar molecules (red dots) will diffuse out into the water until equilibrium  is reached; that is, until their concentration is equal on both sides of the membrane. Because of their large size, all the starch (blue disks) will be retained within the tubing. Chromatography Chromatography is the term used for several techniques for separating the compo nents of a mixture.Follow the links below for examples. Electrophoresis Electrophoresis uses a direct electric current to separate the components of a mixture by the differing  electrical charge. Some methods for separating the components of a mixture include: |separation technique |property used for separation |example | |Sifting (sieving) |particle size |alluvial gold is separating from smaller soil particles using a sieve | |[pic] |Visual Sorting |colour, shape or size |gold nuggets can be separated from crushed rock on the basis of colour | |[pic] | |Magnetic Attraction |magnetism |magnetic iron can be separated from non-magnetic sulfur using a magnet | |[pic] | |Decanting |density or solubility |liquid water can be poured off (decanted) insoluble sand sediment | | | |less dense oil can be poured off (decanted) more dense water | |[pic] | |Separating Funnel |density of liquids |in a separating funnel, less dense oil floats on top of more dense water, when | | | |the valve i s open the water can be poured out from under the oil | |[pic] | |Filtration |solubility |insoluble calcium carbonate can be separated from soluble sodium chloride in | | | |water by filtration | |[pic] | |Evaporation |solubility and boiling point |soluble sodium chloride can be separated from water by evaporation | |[pic] | |Crystallization |solubility |slightly soluble copper sulfate can be separated from water by crystallization | |[pic] | |Distillation |boiling point |ethanol (ethyl alcohol) can be separated from water by distillation because | | | |ethanol has a lower boiling point than water | Element ? Any substance that contains only one kind of an atom ? Elements are made up of  atoms, the smallest particle that has any of the properties of the element. John Dalton, in 1803, proposed a modern theory of the atom based on the following assumptions. |1. Matter is made up of atoms that are indivisible and indestructible. | |2. All atoms of an element are identical. | |3.A toms of different elements have different weights and different chemical properties. | |4. Atoms of different elements combine in simple whole numbers to form compounds. | |5. Atoms cannot be created or destroyed. When a compound decomposes, the atoms are recovered unchanged | ? cannot be broken down into simpler substances ? is a chemical substance that is made up of a particular kind of atoms and hence cannot be broken down or transformed by a chemical reaction into a different element, though it can be transmitted into another element through a  nuclear reaction. ? all of the atoms in a sample of an element have the same number of protons, though they may be different  isotopes, with differing numbers of neutrons. elements can be divided into three categories that have characteristic properties: metals, nonmetals, and semimetals ? Some properties of an element can be observed only in a collection of atoms or molecules of the element. These properties include color, density, m elting point, boiling point, and thermal and electrical conductivity. ? While some of these properties are due chiefly to the electronic structure of the element, others are more closely related to properties of the nucleus, e. g. , mass number. Compounds †¢ The relative proportions of the elements in a compound are fixed. †¢ . Two or more elements combined into one substance through a  chemical reaction form a  chemical compound.All compounds are substances, but not all substances are compounds. †¢ The components of a compound do  not  retain their individual properties. Both sodium and chlorine are poisonous; their compound, table salt (NaCl) is absolutely essential to life. †¢ Properties of compound is different from the elements that made it up †¢ The mass of the compound is determined by the mass of the elements that made it up. †¢ Compounds cannot be separated by physical means: using magnet, filtration, etc. It takes large inputs of energ y to separate the components of a compound Compounds can be broken back into elements by chemical reaction, exposure to light, etc. When compounds are formed heat and light is given out or absorbed. †¢ Compounds  are homogeneous forms of matter. Their constituent  elements  (atoms and/or ions) are always present in fixed proportions (1:1 depicted here). The elements can be divided into three categories that have characteristic properties: 1. Metals 2. Nonmetals 3. Metalloids Most elements are metals, which are found on the left and toward the bottom of the periodic table. A handful of nonmetals are clustered in the upper right corner of the periodic table. The semimetals can be found along the dividing line between the metals and the nonmetals Properties of an element are sometimes classed as either chemical or physical.Chemical properties are usually observed in the course of a chemical reaction, while physical properties are observed by examining a sample of the pure el ement. The chemical properties of an element are due to the distribution of electrons around the atom's nucleus, particularly the outer, or valence, electrons; it is these electrons that are involved in chemical reactions. A chemical reaction does not affect the atomic nucleus; the atomic number therefore remains unchanged in a chemical reaction. Some properties of an element can be observed only in a collection of atoms or molecules of the element. These properties include color, density, melting point, boiling point, and thermal and electrical conductivity. While some of hese properties are due chiefly to the electronic structure of the element, others are more closely related to properties of the nucleus, e. g. , mass number. The elements are sometimes grouped according to their properties. One major classification of the elements is as  metals,  nonmetals, and metalloids. Elements with very similar chemical properties are often referred to as families; some families of eleme nts include the halogens, the inert gases, and the alkali metals. In the  periodic table  the elements are arranged in order of increasing atomic weight in such a way that the elements in any column have similar properties. Chemical properties Chemical properties of elements and compounds Atomic number  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Atomic mass  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Electronegativity according to Pauling  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Density  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Melting point  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Boiling point  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Vanderwaals radius  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Ionic | |radius  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Isotopes  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Electronic schell  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Energy of first ionisation  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Energy of second ionisation  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Standard potential | |Atomic number | | | |The atomic number indicates the number of protons within the core of an atom. The atomic number is an important concept of chemistry and | |quantum mechanics. An element and its place within the  periodic table  are derived from this concept. |When an atom is generally electrically neutral, the atomic number will equal the number of electrons in the atom, which can be found around | |the core. These electrons mainly determine the chemical behaviour of an atom. Atoms that carry electric charges are called ions. Ions either| |have a number of electrons larger (negatively charged) or smaller (positively charged) than the atomic number. | |Atomic mass | | | |The name indicates the mass of an atom, expressed in atomic mass units (amu). Most of the mass of an atom is concentrated in the protons and| |neutrons contained in the nucleus.Each proton or neutron weighs about 1 amu, and thus the atomic mass in always very close to the  mass (or | |nucleon) number, which indicates the number of particles within the core of an atom; this means the protons and neutrons. Each isotope of a | |chemical element can vary in mass. The atomic mass of an isotope indicates the number of neutrons that are present within the core of the | |atoms. The total atomic mass of an element is an equivalent of the mass units of its isotopes. The relative occurrence of the isotopes in | |nature is an important factor in the determination of the overall atomic mass of an element. In reference to a certain chemical element, the| |atomic mass as shown in the periodic table is the average atomic mass of all the chemical element's stable isotopes.The average is weighted| |by the relative natural abundances of the element's isotopes. | |Electronegativity according to Pauling | | | |Electro negativity measures the inclination of an atom to pull the electronic cloud in its direction during chemical bonding with another | |atom. | |Pauling's scale is a widely used method to order chemical elements according to their electro negativity. Nobel prize winner Linus Pauling | |developed this scale in 1932. | |The values of electro negativity are not calculated, based on mathematical formula or a measurement.It is more like a pragmatic range. | |Pauling gave the element with the highest possible electro negativity,  fluorine, a value of 4,0. Francium, the element with the lowest | |possible electro negativity, was given a value of 0,7. All of the remaining elements are given a value of somewhere between these two | |extremes. | |Density | | | |The density of an element indicates the number of units of mass of the element that are present in a certain volume of a medium. | |Traditionally, density is expressed through the Greek letter ro (written as r).Within the SI system of units density is expressed in | |kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m3). The density of an element is usually expressed graphically with temperatures and air pressures, because | |these two properties influence density. | |Melting point | | | |The melting point of an element or compound means the temperatures at which the solid form of the element or compound is at equilibrium with| |the liquid form. We usually presume the air pressure to be 1 atmosphere. | |For exa mple: the melting point of  water  is 0  oC, or 273 K. |Boiling point | | | |The boiling point of an element or compound means the temperature at which the liquid form of an element or compound is at equilibrium with | |the gaseous form. We usually presume the air pressure to be 1 atmosphere. | |For example: the boiling point of water is 100  oC, or 373 K. | |At the boiling point the vapor pressure of an element or compound is 1 atmosphere. | |Vanderwaals radius | | | |Even when two atoms that are near one another will not bind, they will still attract one another. This phenomenon is known as the | |Vanderwaals interaction. |The Vanderwaals forces cause a force between the two atoms. This force becomes stronger, as the atoms come closer together. However, when | |the two atoms draw too near each other a rejecting force will take action, as a consequence of the exceeding rejection between the | |negatively charged electrons of both atoms. As a result, a certain distance wil l develop between the two atoms, which is commonly known as | |the Vanderwaals radius. | |Through comparison of Vanderwaals radiuses of several different pairs of atoms, we have developed a system of Vanderwaals radiuses, through | |which we can predict the Vanderwaals radius between two atoms, through addition. |Ionic radius | | | |Ionic radius is the radius that an ion has in an ionic crystal, where the ions are packed together to a point where their outermost | |electronic orbitals are in contact with each other. An orbital is the area around an atom where, according to orbital theory, the | |probability of finding an electron is the greatest. | |Isotopes | | | |The atomic number does not determine the number of neutrons in an atomic core. As a result, the number of neutrons within an atom can vary. | |Then atoms that have the same atomic number may differ in atomic mass.Atoms of the same element that differ in atomic mass are called | |isotopes. | |Mainly with the heavier at oms that have a higher atomic number, the number of neutrons within the core may exceed the number of protons. | |Isotopes of the same element are often found in nature alternately or in mixtures. | |An example: chlorine has an atomic number of 17, which basically means that all chlorine atoms contain 17 protons within their core. There | |are two isotopes. Three-quarters of the chlorine atoms found in nature contain 18 neutrons and one quarter contains 20 neutrons. The mass | |numbers of these isotopes are 17 + 18 = 35 and 17 + 20 = 37. The isotopes are written as follows: 35Cl and 37Cl. |When isotopes are noted this way the number of protons and neutrons does not have to be mentioned separately, because the symbol | |of  chlorine  within the periodic chart (Cl) is set on the seventeenth place. This already indicates the number of protons, so that one can | |always calculate the number of neutrons easily by means of the mass number. | | | |A great number of isotopes is not sta ble. They will fall apart during radioactive decay processes. Isotopes that are radioactive are called | |radioisotopes. | |Electronic shell | | | |The electronic configuration of an atom is a description of the arrangement of electrons in circles around the core.These circles are not | |exactly round; they contain a wave-like pattern. For each circle the probability of an electron to be present on a certain location is | |described by a mathematic formula. Each one of the circles has a certain level of energy, compared to the core. Commonly the energy levels | |of electrons are higher when they are further away from the core, but because of their charges, electrons can also influence each another's | |energy levels. Usually the middle circles are filled up first, but there may be exceptions due to rejections. | |The circles are divided up in shells and sub shells, which can be numbered by means of quantities. |Energy of first ionisation | | | |The ionisation energy means the ene rgy that is required to make a free atom or molecule lose an electron in a vacuum. In other words; the | |energy of ionisation is a measure for the strength of electron bonds to molecules. This concerns only the electrons in the outer circle. | |Energy of second ionisation | | | |Besides the energy of the first ionisation, which indicates how difficult it is to remove the first electron from an atom, there is also an | |energy measure for second ionisation. This energy of second ionisation indicates the degree of difficulty to remove the second atom. | | |As such, there is also the energy of a third ionisation, and sometimes even the energy of a fourth or fifth ionisation. | |Standard potential | | | |The standard potential means the potential of a redox reaction, when it is at equilibrium, in relation to zero. When the standard potential | |exceeds zero, we are dealing with an oxidation reaction. When the standard potential is below zero, we are dealing with a reduction | |reacti on. The standard potenti |