Applications of Surface Plasmon Field

Applications of Surface Plasmon Field Introduction Surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy (SPR) represents an optical technique that is widely used in the classification of both thin films and interfaces. The underlying principles that are synonymous with this technique are widely reported in literature. Analyses that benefit from the sensitivity of this technique are those that are regarded to as bio-active in nature.Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on Applications of Surface Plasmon Field-enhanced Fluorescence specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More At this juncture, we have a reaction pair such that one partner chemically attaches itself to the biofunctional layer and the other partner carries the surface plasmon mode while maintaining contact with the analyte. As such, as the analyte molecules leave the solution they impart a corresponding change in the refractive index. This can be scrutinized in real-time and in an operation that is label-free. In a nu tshell, a quantifiable sensor signal is generated once the analyte molecules are detected. However, one setback of this technique is that the sensor signal might go unnoticed when the analyte enrichment (density) is extremely low or its molecules are tiny to generate signals. Among the techniques adopted to limit this problem is the application of a â€Å"quasi-three dimensional surface layer of a hydrogel or a polymer brush probed by surface plasmon wave leading to effective increase in binding site density† (Ford Weber, 2013). Even so, many relevant analyte concentrations go undetected. Recently, the launch of surface plasmon field-enhanced fluorescence spectroscopy (SPFS) has functioned to completely eliminate this detection limit. The underlying principle adopted in this technique is that a superior electromagnetic field emanating from a surface plasmon is used in the excitation of surface-bound fluorophores (Wolfgang Neumann, 2013). As a result, the emitted fluorescenc e is eventually analyzed to reflect the behavior of the analyte. The figure below is a schematic representation of the SPFS (Stewart Thompsons, 2008). Since its inception, SPFS technique has been used to achieve a number of milestones. It has successfully been used to: trace fluorophore-labeled molecules, analyze primer extension reaction-based studies, study interfacial hybridization analysis, perform imaging of surfaces, study antibody-antigen interaction, and perform colloids studies. However, its importance is not limited to the aforementioned applications. There are still many more areas where this technique has excelled. For the sake of this review, we limit our scope to the above mentioned applications.Advertising Looking for book review on natural sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Tracing of fluorophore-labeled molecules (Aflatoxin M1 in milk) Prior to the discovery of SPFS, the existing techniques were unable to probe miniature quantities of analytes in real-time. As a consequence, these techniques were rendered useless in analyses that required stringent measures, for instance, proteomics. Since its inception in the year 1999, SPFS has made possible these analyses giving accurate and reliable results. Apart from the conventional SPR spectroscopy probing of the thickness changes at the interface, SPFS offers â€Å"the fluorescence signal channel that can directly monitor biomolecular binding kinetics in a highly sensitive way† (Duque et al., 2012). Nonetheless, the incident fluorescence that emanate from the flourophores experience considerable quenching by metals in the order of less than 10 nm dye-to-metal distances. This limits the benefits that are achieved from the SPR field effects. Moreover, an imminent signal deviation, an undesirable effect is anticipated. This signal emanates from a combined effect of the fading â€Å"surface plasmon field and the metal-indu ced quenching† (Huang Yu, 2013). Recently, efforts have been put in place to reduce the problem posed by dye-to-metal distance. These strategies that include among others the layer-by-layer strategy are meant to optimize on the dye-to-metal allowance. For the sake of this analysis, a spatially extended matrix is adopted as a binding template vital in overcoming the aforementioned drawbacks. In order to detect aflatoxin M1 in milk, a novel biosensor that is extremely sensitive is employed. The biosensor is basically based on an already advanced SPFS courtesy â€Å"of the excitation of long range surface plasmons (LRSPs)† (Fang Bjorn, 2013). Whatever happens in the SPFS is that the flurophore-labeled elements get attached to the sensor surface. At the same time, this reaction is probed with surface plasmons (SPs) that result in fluorescence that sends signals to the detector. Like it has been mentioned before, the principle adopted utilizes the enhanced field intensity that result from the excitation of surface plasmons to amplify the ensuing fluorescence signal. In order to achieve detection effect, both the LRSP-enhanced fluorescence spectroscopy and an inhibitor immunoassay ought to be merged. At this juncture, the derivative aflatoxin M1 gets localized on the surface of the sensor. As such, the antibodies that are typically antagonistic to aflatoxin M1 come in handy as recognition elements. To this end, the aflatoxin M1 can easily be detected thanks to the biosensor.Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on Applications of Surface Plasmon Field-enhanced Fluorescence specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Primer extension reaction-based studies The enzyme DNA polymerase is one key catalyst that has been employed by biotechnologists in the in-vitro manufacture of double-stranded DNA. These enzymes come in handy in both DNA sequencing methodologies and in PCR-based procedures vital in pin pointing the occurrence of mutation. Vitally, methodologies that employ unique enzyme functions to ascertain the â€Å"identity of a base sequence, such as DNA ligation, digestion, restriction and primer extension, are generally more sensitive to base aberrations than those based on DNA hybridization reactions alone† (Giannini et al., 2012). The current procedures are aimed at improving both the operational competence and the sensitivity limits. One of the commonly used approaches analyzes DNA microarrays by exploring the fluorescence intensities. Contemporary procedures explore the surface attachment of the reacting compounds to execute their principles that are typically real-time methods. Among these procedures include quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR). These two have successfully been used to study both the RNA and DNA polymerase profiles. Basically, this procedure is more versatile visvis the previous DNA microarrays method since it pr ovides information on the enzyme kinetics. With this information one is better placed to understand the dynamics of the interaction. Even with their competences in analyzing DNA synthesis, they are short of monitoring nucleotide incorporation events. This is owed to the fact they fail to detect miniature corresponding mass changes. SPFS methodology comes in handy in detecting these negligible mass changes. For the sake of this report, we review a study that brings to light how SPFS was used to examine the catalytic action involved in the integration of â€Å"fluorescently labeled nucleotides into surface-attached oligonucleotides† (Dostlek Knoll, 2013). Of note, the catalyst that is involved in this study is DNA polymerase I. In SPFS, a brief electromagnetic field emanating from the surface plasmon mode and transmitting parallel to the gold-water interface enhances the excitation of surface-bound flourophores. The resonance of excitation is dependent on the refractive index of the interfacial layer. This can be enhanced by altering the angle of incident of the excitation light. At resonance, the resulting interfacial field is amplified two octaves higher than the incident light (when the interface ÃŽ » is set at 633 nm) (Tawa Knoll, 2013). The optimal strength that dies off exponentially to the surface is realized at the interface. The amplification of the evanescent field is what gives SPFS its great sensitivity, making it different from TIRF (total internal reflection fluorescence) spectroscopy.Advertising Looking for book review on natural sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More SPFS spectroscopy as applied in the interfacial hybridization analysis Advances made in the development of DNA biosensors that has enabled them exhibit unequalled sensitivity and selectivity is owed to the successes made in Human Genome Project (HGP). Some biosensors including acoustic waves, fiber optics and plasmon surface-based have successfully analyzed oligonucleotide, achieving immediate scrutiny of hybridization kinetics. Nonetheless, these techniques have failed to merit in the detection of PCR-amplified DNA. Ideally, oligonucleotides and PCR products are dissimilar analytes differing chiefly in two aspects (Knoll, 2012). First, the difference comes in the respective lengths of the bases forming them. Basically, oligonucleotides analytes that are utilized in biosensing analysis are normally less than 30 bases in length. This is dwarfed by the length of the PCR products that accommodate several kilo bases (kb). As such, this massive amount of bases coupled with complexity in sequencing has been a major hindrance in PCR product analysis. For example, some of the non-selective portions of the products may jeopardize the hybridization process by physically adhering to the surface-bound probes, exuding high background signals. Moreover, the existence of these non-selective pieces enhances the magnitude of steric hindrance which limits the effectiveness of binding of PCR products. Second, typically, PCR products are double-stranded in nature. This is a major setback that bars the recognition units from accessing the surface-bound probes. As a result, the sensitivity of the analysis is greatly reduced. For these techniques, only the end-point results are reported. As such, these techniques do not offer an in-depth analysis of the hybridization mechanism. This can only be offered by SPFS (Robelek et al., 2013). In this review, we analyze how SPFS can be used to inspect hybridization of PCR products using PNAs (peptide nucleic acids) probes. Here, the initial s tep was to clearly explain the importance of antisense strand as applied in hybridization. In this effect, three PCR products were developed and then distinguished by labeling. These included the sense, antisense and sense-antisense double strands. These were then subjected to heat denaturation process prior to a hybridization process with surface-bound PNA (at 10 mM NaOH). These were then monitored by SPFS in real-time. The results obtained showed that the sense-antisense strands exhibited a slightly higher hybridization signal visvis the sense strand. The lower signal as portrayed by the sense strand was caused by the antisense strands that elicited weak fluorescence. After denaturation process, the initially separated double strands re-associated courtesy of NaOH concentration (Kellis Poulose, 2012). Principally, higher salt concentration inhibits repulsion between denatured strands. As revealed by SPFS technique, only a few antisense strands were seen to have been bound on to t he surface during the entire hybridization process. This gives a glimpse of the importance of SPFS technique as used in monitoring hybridization process. This process deals with decimal components that require the sensitivity that is provided for by the aforementioned technique. SPFS-SPRM as used in surface imaging Simply put, surface plasmons are characterized by charge-density oscillations that occur at the boundary adjoining to media. The resonance that happens at the surface plasmons is achieved when two wave-vectors (p-polarized light and that of the surface plasmons) match. This result in a decrease in photon flux emanating from the media boundary. The fields generated â€Å"from the surface plasmons interact with the immediate media surrounding the interface, only to decay exponentially to the media, with the rate of decay depended on the media used† (Attridge et al., 2013). As it has clearly been explained by Attridge et al. (2013), SPRM (surface plasmon resonance mic roscopy) employs the activation of surface plasmons to concurrently inspect the near-superficial refractive index at several sites of a sample surface. The generated field can also be employed to activate flurophores as exhibited by SPFS or SPRF. The merits of this technique is that it displays high degree of sensitivity in real-time, it amplifies the intensity of the incident field up to 80 times, and the reflected field comes in handy in suppressing unwarranted background light. Previous SPRM/SPRF â€Å"quipped with lasers in their systems display excellent qualities including narrow bandwidth and enhanced power† (Huang Yu, 2013). Nonetheless, the effectiveness of SPRM/SPRF in accomplishing imaging has greatly been hampered owing to speckle artifacts that are brought about by laser illumination. This decreases the ability of the double−system to concurrently track and identify specific regions. For the sake of eliminating the aforementioned problems, the system assem bly incorporate convectional laser pointers and acoustic transducer (anti-despeckle). Notably, dark Mylar is incorporated on the flow−cell to enhance coherence of the emitted excitation light. This further goes on to enhance synchronization of measurement at specific locations on the flow−cell. This system is meant to â€Å"demonstrate a highly cost-effective system capable of simultaneously interrogating a sample under SPRM and SPRF, thus spatially discriminating between regions on the same sample† (Fort Grà ©sillon, 2013). In a synopsis, with the above adjustments done on the double−system, the two can concurrently and successfully achieve imaging of surfaces. The entire experiment demonstrating how this is achieved is available in literature. There are available instruments in the market that can individually achieve some of the above effects. Nonetheless, the SPRM/SPRF system presents the user with an opportunity to experience all the effects in a sing le application that is highly cost-efficient. The use of SPFS spectroscopy in analysis of antibody-antigen interaction The underlying principle adopted by SPFS spectroscopy technique is that a superior electromagnetic field emanating from a surface plasmon is used to enhance the excitation of surface-bound fluorophores. Whatever gives SPFS technique an upper hand in its application in surface immunoreactions analyses is that it has the capacity to concurrently inspect both the interfacial thickness variations and the incandescence signals in real-time. In view of this application, gold surfaces were activated courtesy of an admixture of self-assembled monolayer. This functioned to expose an antigen variably over a wide scale as regards its density. At this point, specific antibody-antigen reactions were registered for the anti-antigen antibody solutions traversing over the surfaces at high velocity thanks to SFPS-based immunoassays. Initial analysis investigated the significance of the â€Å"fluorophores Cy5 and Alexa Fluor 647 in SPFS-based immunoassays† (Cai Jun, 2012). The results revealed that Cy5 portrays an excellent self-quenching behavior, which negatively influence the quantitative measurements. Moreover, angular ‘detuning’ effects witnessed when taking the in−situ measurements as regards binding kinetics was confirmed to be a major hindrance. As such, they hamper with the incandescence signals at the point where huge SPR signals are recorded. In a synopsis, as it has been explained herein, SPFS-based immunoassays were vital in the analysis of the antibody-antigen interactions. SPFS as applied in colloids For this application the literature below describes the effect of merging surface plasmons and field-enhanced spectroscopy in sensor behavior. The resonance activation of PSP components at a metal/buffer boundary in flow−cell amplifies the optical field strength relative to the incident laser light. Fresnel formula co nfirmed that indeed for a gold-water boundary, the magnitude of the resulting field is enhanced 16 folds that of the incident light (Tawa Morigaki, 2013). The resulting field comes in handy in enhancing the sensitivity for inspecting binding effects of an analyte that traverses an aqueous phase at the functionalized gold-water interface to the detection sites (Liebermann Knoll, 2012). This would happen on condition that the previously fluorescent-labeled analyte particles wonder within the locus of an exponentially decaying temporal field that is generated by the PSP mode. This also bars these analyte molecules from approaching a metal, a recipe that is important in enhancing Forster quenching as regards the emitted fluorescence (Liebermann, 2012). In order to investigate the significance of SPFS, a quantitative analysis is done to investigate both the magnitude of fluorescence and the refractive index or layer thickness. The analysis answers the aforementioned questions by invest igating the binding process of fluorescently-doped latex molecules (Sonnefraud, 2012). These molecules possess extra superficial biotin-moieties that enable them to attach to a streptavidin phase at the gold-buffer boundary. The significance of SPFS technique is also echoed by its ability to detect fluorescence intensity emanating from negligible PSP resonance. To this end, this is exhibited by biotinylated chromophore which gives considerably dilute binding (Lakowicz et al., 2013). Conclusion In a conclusion, the achievements made by SPFS in optical techniques are unequalled. Since its inception, SPFS has taken the optical technique to new heights, making analyses that initially seemed difficult a success. By simply exciting the surface-bound fluorophores courtesy of a superior electromagnetic field emanating from surface plasmons, the behavior of the analyte can be determined thanks to the emitted fluorescence. One of the merits that give SPFS an edge over other optical techniques is that it exhibits unprecedented sensitivity in real-time. To this effect, major milestones have been achieved and as such one can use this technique to investigate behaviors of tiny components at the molecular level and beyond. References Attridge, J., Daniels, P., Deacon, J., Robinsons, D. (2012). â€Å"Sensitivity enhancement of optical immunosensors by the use of a surface-plasmon resonance fluoroimmunoassay.† Biosens. Bioelectron, 6 (3), 201–214. Cai, W. Jun, Y. (2012). â€Å"Plasmonics for extreme light concentration and manipulation.† Nat. Mater, 9 (3), 193–204. Dostlek, J., Knoll, W. (2013). â€Å"Biosensors based on surface plasmon-enhanced fluorescence spectroscopy.† Biointerphases, 3 (3), 12–22. Duque, L., Menges, B., Borros, S., Fà ¶rch, R. (2012). Biomacromolecules. Sydney, Australia: IDP Education Australia. Fang, Y., Bjorn, P.(2013). Attomolar Sensitivity in Bioassays Based on Surface Plasmon Fluorescence Spectroscopy . J. AM. CHEM. SOC., 9 (126), 29-30. Ford, G., Weber, W. (2013). â€Å"Electromagnetic interactions of molecules with metal surfaces.† Phys. Rep., 113 (4), 195–287. Fort, E., Grà ©sillon, S. (2013). â€Å"Surface enhanced fluorescence.† J. Phys. D Appl. Phys., 41(1), 1-13. Giannini, V., Fernndez-Domà ­nguez, A., Sonnefraud, Y., Roschuk, R. (2012). â€Å"Controlling light localization and light-matter interactions with nanoplasmonics.† Small, 6 (22), 2498–2507. Huang, B., Yu, F. (2013). Surface plasmon resonance imaging using a high numerical aperture microscope objective. Anal. Chem., 79 (1), 2979–2983. Kellis, T., Poulose, J. (2012). Surface plasmon resonance/surface plasmon enhanced fluorescence: An optical technique for the detection of multicomponent macromolecular adsorption at the solid/liquid interface. Langmuir, 18 (1), 6319– 6323. Knoll, W. (2012). Interfaces and thin films as seen by bound electromagnetic waves. Annua l Review of Physical Chemistry, 49, 569–638. Lakowicz, J., Chowdhury, M., Szmacinski, H., Fu, Y. (2013) â€Å"Plasmoncontrolled fluorescence: a new paradigm in fluorescence spectroscopy.† Chem. Rev., 133 (10), 1308–1346. Liebermann, T Knoll, W. (2012). â€Å"Surface-plasmon field-enhanced fluorescence spectroscopy,† Colloids Surf. A Physicochem. Eng. Asp., 171 (3), 115–130. Liebermann, T. (2012). Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochem. Eng. Aspects 171, (1), 115–130. Robelek, R., Niu, L., Schmid, E. L., Knoll, W. (2013). Multiplexed hybridization detection of quantum dot-conjugated DNA sequences using surface plasmon enhanced fluorescence microscopy and spectrometry. Anal. Chem., 76, 6160– 6165. Sonnefraud, Y. (2012). Surface-plasmon field-enhanced fluorescence spectroscopy. Colloids and Surfaces. Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 171, 115– 130. Stewart, M., Thompsons, B. (2013). â€Å"Nanostructured plasmonic sensors ,† Chem. Rev., 108 (2), 494–521. Tawa, K., Knoll, W. (2013). Mismatching base-pair dependence of the kinetics of DNA-DNA hybridization studied by surface plasmon fluorescence spectroscopy. Nucleic Acids Research, 32, 2372–2377. Tawa, K., Morigaki, K. (2013). Substrate-supported phospholipid membranes studied by surface plasmon resonance and surface plasmon fluorescence spectroscopy. Biophys. J., 89 (1), 2750–2758. Wolfgang, K., Neumann, T. (2013). Principles and applications of surface plasmons field-enhanced spectroscopy. New York, NY: New York University Press.

Empathize vs. Sympathize

Empathize vs. Sympathize Empathize vs. Sympathize Empathize vs. Sympathize By Maeve Maddox A reader says, Ive always been confused on how to use [the words empathize and sympathize] in proper context. For about 300 years, English speakers didn’t have to choose between sympathize and empathize to express the idea of sharing another’s feelings. Empathize hadn’t been invented yet. The first OED example of sympathize in the sense of â€Å"to share the feelings of another† is dated 1607; the first use of empathize with this meaning dates from 1916.    However, the noun empathy was introduced in 1895 by a psychologist to describe â€Å"a physical property of the nervous system analogous to electrical capacitance, believed to be correlated with feeling.† This definition of empathy did not survive, but the word has found a lasting place in the vocabulary of psychology as the English equivalent of German Einfà ¼hlung: â€Å"sympathetic understanding.† This kind of empathy is â€Å"the ability to understand and appreciate another person’s feelings and experience.† Before the psychological term empathize entered the general vocabulary, speakers did just fine with sympathize when they wished to speak of feeling the joy or pain of others. Now that we have a second word for the same concept, empathize has come to denote a stronger, more personal sense of fellow feeling than sympathize. For example, I may sympathize with the fire victim who has lost her home and all of her possessions, but I cannot empathize with her because, mercifully, I have not experienced that trauma in my own life. On the other hand, because I had to spend a day and a night in a Red Cross emergency shelter during an ice storm, I can empathize with people who must live in shelters for extended periods. The great gift of literature is that it enables readers to empathize with a wide variety of fellow creatures. They don’t even have to be human. When I read Black Beauty, I empathized with a horse. Sympathy and empathy are equally beautiful human characteristics. Sympathize is appropriate in most contexts. Empathizeis best suited to situations that you have experienced yourself, either in the real world or through the power of literature. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Punctuating â€Å"So† at the Beginning of a SentenceAmong vs. AmongstProverb vs. Adage

Analyze the Current Presidential Campaign Essay

Analyze the Current Presidential Campaign - Essay Example The USA administers general elections for its highest official post of the president of the country after every four years on 4th of November in the leap year. These elections are watched and observed with great curiosity all over the world, and people from different regions of the globe remain well informed regarding the latest developments being made during the election campaign. Problems are discussed, issues are raised and promises are made, according to the prevailing situation, with the people by the presidential candidates. There was a time, when the election campaign of the country was determined by targeting the growing Russian threat, though it has become quite a stalemate during the contemporary era, and the candidates have to set other targets in order to capture the attention of the subjects. â€Å"The United States†, Rice submits, â€Å"has found it exceedingly difficult to define its "national interest" in the absence of Soviet power. That we do not know how to think about what follows the U.S.-Soviet confrontation is clear from the continued references to the "post-Cold War period." Yet such periods of transition are important, because they offer strategic opportunities. During these fluid times, one can affect the shape of the world to come.† (Rice, 2000: retrieved in the Council of Foreign Affairs) Now terrorism, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, price hike of oil products, globalization, the unabated unemployment and widening gulf between the USA and Iran have become the moot point especially during the present campaign for the presidency of the USA. Since this year 2008 is also the election year, many candidates appeared during the election campaign to participate the elections, and arranged demonstration in order to introduce themselves in public. The public listened to the points raised by these candidates and analyzed them in the perspective of the existing uncertain state of

Inter War years (Between 1st and 2nd World War) Research Paper

Inter War years (Between 1st and 2nd World War) - Research Paper Example Overall this era set the foundation for what was to come ahead in form of Second world war and the cold war that followed afterwards. The inter war period can be termed as bridge era between the two major wars. It had its economic impacts, political, geographical and almost all important factors that determine the fate of any nation and region. This era can be stretched from the November 1918 and the most notable of those months and event was the Treaty of Versailles (Slavicek 2010), which according to many critiques and historians served as the reason towards the Second World War. The treaty of Versailles had its own importance and impact on the history. This treaty was full of many clauses and aspects which left deep animosity in the hearts of Germans. The lone clause of â€Å"war guilt† ( Ringer 2005, 72) served more severe than any. This clause had political, geographical as well as strategic repercussions. Areas of strategic importance were taken from Germany, large repar ations were imposed on them, their military might was cut to pieces and various other aspects which left bitter feeling in the hearts of Germans and made them resolve them taking revenge in upcoming years. The sick man of Europe, Turkey and the Ottoman Empire was on its last leg, and these days served its ending season. The empire officially came to an end (Al-Rasheed 2002, 2). As a result of defeat and ultimately treaty, the Ottoman Empire collapsed and Turkey was reduced to a small unit. Turkey the former Ottoman Empire had to cede many areas and areas like Cyprus and Mesopotamia were separated from the Mega Empire and United Kingdom performed the honors and over took these areas. Other event that took place in parallel was that of creation of Irish state. While revolts and unrest had erupted couple of years back, but it has to settle down only at the end of the war, when Great Britain finally gave up to the demand of Irish people and allowed it creating its own borders and state with its over sovereign government and representation. Other notable event that took place the rise of Egypt and new state development in that part. While it had remained a colony and an occupied land in the 19th century under Napoleon and remained a land of strategic importance, eventually became independent from the status of British colony. The establishment of League of Nations was another major event that took place during the inter war period (Sengupta 2008, 173). The aim of this entity was to ensure no war of similar sort takes place again, it did pass number of resolutions, made some treaties, interventions were introduced, yet it could not live up to the expectation and seeing in a longer run, League of nation could not revert the deadly war that was awaiting the world and humanity. The Russian revolution in the name of socialism came into full force as well ((Smele 2006). This was the period of 1923 to 1924. As it is being said, that the first causality of war is humanity, it was the case in this regard as well. Much was invested over the military might, and the human suffering was exposed both in from of war and the inter period where the mighty nations spent more on ensuring mighty military than helping the poor. The soviet republic was a worse example in this regard and human suffering w

Crime and Punishment in Ancient Greece Essay Example for Free

Crime and Punishment in Ancient Greece Essay Today, criminals are punished for their crimes by going to jail or prison or being on probation. But what was it like in Ancient Greece? After the Dark Ages, about 1200-900 BC, the Ancient Greeks had no official laws or punishments. Murders were settled by the victims family killing the murderer, but this was difficult if they were elderly or female. This often began endless blood feuds. It was not until the seventh century BC that the Greeks began to establish laws. Around 620 BC, Draco wrote the first law for Greece. This law said that exile was the penalty for murder and was the only one of Dracos laws that Solon kept when he became law giver in 594 BC. Foreign slaves were often employed as police men and women in Ancient Greece. After somebody reported a crime, if somebody was arrested, an informant would receive half of fine charged to the criminal. In Athens, criminals were tried before a jury of 200 or more citizens picked at random. Going to prison was not an usual punishment for the people of Greece. In cases involving rape, theft, adultery, and murder, the accused got a written summons that told them when they had to appear before the magistrate. Athenian law was divided into two things, public and private action. Public actions included the entire community. Private actions included an individual. In cases of murder, the victims family was required to prosecute the killer. Even though magistrates were at the trial, they werent judges. They neither gave advice nor did they convict the felon. They just supervised the hearing. The jury in a trial was made up of 200-600 members over the age of thirty to make sure there was no risk or bribery. After the speeches had been delivered by the prosecution and the defense, the jurors voted without deliberation. In the 5th century BC, jurors cast their vote in secret. Each juror was provided with two tokens, one for conviction and the other for acquittal. The juror put one of these in a wooden urn whose tokens were disregarded, and the other in a bronze urn whose votes were counted. Judgement was passed on a majority verdict. In the 5th century B. C. , a tie meant an acquittal. In the following century, old-numbered juries were the norm and that is the custom today. In Ancient Rome the slaves had no rights at all. They were thought of and treated like merchandise. However, slaves did cost money to buy so many of the punishments did not inflict lasting damage. The lash was the most common punishment. When slaves were beaten, they were suspended with a weight tied to their feet, so they wouldnt be able to move them. Another punishment was to be branded in the forehead. An alternative punishment included the slave being forced to carry a piece of wood around their necks wherever they went. This was called furca; and whichever slave had had been punish with this was called furcifer all the time after that. Slaves were also, by way of punishment, often kept in a work-house, or house of correction, where they had to turn a mill for grinding corn. When punished for any capital offense, they were commonly crucified; but this was eventually prohibited under the rule of the Emperor Constantine. In Rome, the punishments for death are beheading, strangling in prison, throwing a criminal from the Tarpeian rock, crucifixion, burying a person alive, or throwing a criminal in the river (patricide). Throwing a criminal in the river was inflicted for killing your father. The criminal was immediately blindfolded as unworthy of the light, and in the next place the person were taken to the field of Mars outside Rome, stripped of everything then whipped with rods. He was then sewed up in a sack, and thrown into the sea. Later in time, to add to the punishment for patricide, a serpent was put in the sack; and still later, an ape, a dog and a cock. The sack which held the criminal was called Culeus, on which account the punishment itself is often signified by the same name. There are eight kinds of punishments, fine, fetters, flogging, retaliation of kind, civil disgrace, banishment, slavery, and death. Punishments in Ancient Rome were very harsh and violent and they are unlike the laws today.

A Universe in a Pizza Box :: College Admissions Essay

A Universe in a Pizza Box In one corner of our yard, just to the right of the trash cans and behind an aging fence, there is a stack of several pizza boxes, or at least there was one until last Sunday. These pizza boxes had accumulated almost mysteriously over some weeks in a very neat stack in the dirt beside the garbage cans. They waited patiently to be put out by the curb for the Tuesday morning recycling truck. Somehow though, while the neighboring trash cans moved in and out from the curb, and various loads of glass bottles and aluminum passed through this depot, the pizza boxes remained in the dirt, alone and forgotten. The rains came and softened up the cardboard, the stack sagged in the middle, and was again stiffened by the sun. Something amazing began to happen. It was only after trying to throw out these old boxes in a fit of neatness, that I discovered the miracle that had taken place. I found when I pulled back the first layer, not just soggy cardboard, but a miniature ecosystem teeming with life. A herd of slugs meandered over the plain that read â€Å"Woodstock’s† in faded brown lettering. Suddenly exposed to light, a giant earthworm the width of my small finger writhed in the damp center. Flocks of isopod-like pill bugs dove for the corners and dodged around gleaming piles of earthworm eggs. Dashing about madly, a beetle and a confused, many-legged creature searched for a hiding place. I watched the churning scene in amazement, marveling at the microcosm that these pizza boxes had become. I couldn’t bring myself to simply toss this wealth of life in a garbage can, yet the soggy pile shouldn’t sit in the yard any longer. There were only two individuals around that would appreciate this treasure more than I, and who could actually benefit from it too. A few minutes later I watched in satisfaction as my chickens, like two stately ladies, sampled the smorgasboard I offered. This is why I study zoology, I thought, for the enjoyment of just watching life act out its strange and comedic drama. Earlier, while musing about how I came to study the animal world, I had wished I could tell of some cataclysmic event—a revelation or burning bush—that had told me that this should be my path.

Labor Productivity

Labor productivity is a key element in the explanation of how the economy works. It is especially important with regard to wages. What follows is some material about labor productivity and investment spending that is a reorganization of what is presented in your textbook. Its focus is on the connection between labor productivity and wages. Labor productivity is the value of the product or service you can produce in an hour, day, week or other unit of time. The value you can produce depends on the amount of work-product you can produce and the price at which that product can be sold. When the product is sold, the owner keeps part of that value as profit, and part of it goes to pay for other production expenses. The worker then gets the residual as the wage. (The Marxists like to talk about this as exploitation and expropriation of the surplus. ) If you want a sustained increase in your real wage, you have to have an increase in labor productivity. However, you may not get a raise just because your labor productivity rises. Labor productivity may rise, thereby raising the value of your day’s work, but the owner can keep the increase as higher profit. This raises two questions: How can you get to keep a part of increased labor productivity in a higher wage, and what contributes to systematic increases in labor productivity? First, your boss will want to keep you as a worker, assuming you are a good one. When the business cycle is at a point where actual GDP is near full employment and expanding, other firms will want to hire workers away from the company you work for. You get a raise to keep you where you are. The other way is to have a union that negotiates with the owner for a share of increased labor productivity. To answer the second question, consider the following. Systematic increases in labor productivity come from investment spending. Investment spending, in the broadest sense, refers to spending that creates more capital for workers to use. The most obvious capital is new plant and equipment and new technology. If workers have better machines (a rise in the capital to labor ratio), they can produce more value per hour. The common sense of this can be seen with a simple example: How much land can you till and plant if your capital is just a stone? How much if you have a shovel? How much if you have a shovel and a hoe? How much if you have a tractor and a plow? How about a great big tractor with four wheel drive, 8 or more wheels and huge implements to go with the tractor? The same thinking applies to service work as well. Human capital is less tangible than machines but very real. Human capital refers to skills, knowledge, analytical ability, and especially the ability to teach yourself new stuff. It is the corner stone of the modern economy. If you don’t have much human capital, the workplace will not pay you too much for your time. Human capital comes through job training, formal and informal education, and self-education. The value of a four-year college degree comes mostly from the analytical abilities you develop and the ability to teach yourself new stuff, and you can only develop these skills by practicing, which is what studying is all about. Innovation and new technology come out of the application of human capital to the problem of ever-present scarcity. The problem with acquiring human capital is that the process is expensive, and there are real financial and risk constraints faced by individuals. If individuals were left to pay the entire cost of training and education, there would be less of it than the economy needs because of these constraints. So in modern society, through government, assumes a large chunk of the risk through the subsidization of job training and education. TriCounty is a classic example. The taxpayers pay most of the expense of the services provided, and the taxpayers receive the benefits spread out over time because companies have a more productive labor force to draw from, a labor force with the human capital needed to pursue higher-valued work. This is the case throughout the industrialized world. Infrastructure is the third category of capital. Infrastructure can be public or private. Communications companies are private infrastructure. Roads, bridges, and most airports are public infrastructure. Public infrastructure exists when private companies lack an incentive to provide the needed capital. The lack of incentive comes from the lack of ability to exclude non-payers from utilizing the products or service. National defense and public fire stations are examples. When the infrastructure is private, consumers pay for the costs of producing the services in the price they pay for the services. When the infrastructure is public, consumers pay for the services with taxes and sometimes fees. If you want a sustained increase in wages, you have to have an increase in labor productivity, so you need additional capital, so you need additional investment spending, and if you want more investment spending, you need more savings. If you want more human capital and public infrastructure, you need more tax revenue. There is no way around it.

“Love in Infant Monkeys” Analysis Essay

A mother can impact lives greatly. Could you imagine growing up without a mother? You can either be very lucky with a mother that cares for you or be deprived of that sense of love from a mother figure. It is inhumane to destroy any kind of maternal bond because mothers are not people to depend on, but are people to make depending not required. In my opinion, Harry doesn’t understand the true meaning of mothers earlier in the story but does get they have some sort of value. The repercussions of this lie in the story. Many times he brings up mothers whether it’s with his sick wife or the infant monkey’s mother. Harlow must not think much of mothers in general based off of what was said in the story, â€Å"Mother’s are useful, †¦in scientific terms† (Harlow 310). A solid explanation is the fact that he obviously does not totally understand the strip down meaning of mother. Harlow is now drawing a very small part of the very big picture, â€Å"Th ey have intrinsic value, even beyond their breast milk. Call it their company† (Harlow 310). He gets that mothers naturally belong and that they are sort of important to the people they need to influence and care for, no matter if they are human or not. However, at this point in the story he doesn’t comprehend the true values of mother. Harlow later in the story conducts an experiment with an infant monkey and its mother that should give him closure about his hypothesis. Without compassion he begins tests, â€Å"Anxiety first, shown in trembling and shaking; then come the screams† (311). This examines Harlow and his lack of realization and empathy towards mothers and how they have essentials that are beyond scientific. Slowly though, he begins to show and give in to his inner feelings about mothers. It takes a few experiments for him to realize â€Å"Time after time, baby monkeys return. Bad mother is better then none† (312). It took time and cruel methods but Harlow is almost at the point where he accepts the true meaning of Mother. The turning point was the â€Å"Deep swig† (Millet 314). In his drunken self-conscience the truth was released. He began to fathom the underlying details that he couldn’t pick up from his time with the monkeys earlier. Still trying to hold on to thoughts put into his mind, â€Å"He mistook each infant monkey for a beloved soul. In that way the nightmare was confusing† (Millet 314). As you can see it is still in his conception not to believe himself that what he was doing was wrong. This is a battle between his self-conscience and what he was taught to believe. Finally, actuality kicked in, â€Å"He saw each infant in the heart of its mother, precious, unique, held so close because the mother was willing to die for it.† (314). What Harlow saw was the absolute certainty of what his inner being was desperately attempting to communicate to him. It was that he was wrong. The test subjects before him were real living things just like himself. The mother is a complex creature proven throughout the story. These actions all help express why mothers and their presence are so important. As shown, they are very crucial in the development of younger beings. The mother is a helper by nature, impacting by teaching its child to survive at life. Independence is the arch lesson that is taught by the mother. Harlow enduringly grasps the cardinal meaning of why it is inhumane to destroy any kind of maternal bond. Mothers are not people to depend on, but are people to make depending not required.

How to Write a 10 Page Research Paper

How to Write a 10 Page Research Paper A large research paper assignment can be scary and intimidating. As always, this large assignment becomes more manageable (and less scary) whenever you break it down into digestible bites. The first key to writing a good research paper is starting early. There are a few good reasons to get an early start: The best sources for your topic might be taken by other students, or they might be located in a faraway library.It will take time to read the sources and write those note cards.You will find that every re-write of your paper makes it better! You want to give yourself plenty of time to polish your paper.If you wait until the last minute, you could find that there is no information available to support your topic or thesis. You might need to find a new topic! The timeline below should help you get to the number of pages you desire. The key to writing a long research paper is writing in stages: you will need to establish a general overview first, and then identify and write about several subtopics. The second key to writing a lengthy research paper is to think of the writing process as a cycle. You will alternate researching, writing, reordering, and revising. You will need to revisit each subtopic to insert your own analysis and arrange the proper order of your paragraphs in the final stages. Be sure to cite all information that is not common knowledge. Consult a style guide to make sure you are always citing properly. Develop your own timeline with the tool below. If possible start the process four weeks before the paper is due. Research Paper Timeline Due Date Task Understand the assignment completely. Obtain general knowledge about your topic reading reputable sources from the internet and from encyclopedias. Find a good general book about your topic. Take notes from the book using index cards. Write several cards containing paraphrased information and clearly-indicated quotes. Indicate page numbers for everything you record. Write a two-page overview of your topic using the book as a source. Be sure to include page numbers for the information you use. You dont have to worry about format just yet just type page numbers and author/book name for now. Pick five interesting aspects that could serve as subtopics of your subject. Focus in on a few major points that you could write about. These could be influential people, historical background, an important event, geographical information, or anything relevant to your subject. Find good sources that address your subtopics. These could be articles or books. Read or skim those to find the most relevant and useful information. Make more note cards. Be careful to indicate your source name and the page number for all information you record. If you find these sources arent providing enough material, look at the bibliographies of those sources to see what sources they used. Do you need to obtain any of those? Visit your library to order any articles or books (from the bibliographies) that are not available in your own library. Write a page or two for every one of your subtopics. Save each page in a separate file according to the subject. Print them out. Arrange your printed pages (subtopics) in a logical order. When you find a sequence that makes sense, you can cut and paste the pages together into one big file. Dont delete your individual pages, though. You may need to come back to these. You may find it necessary to break up your original two-page overview and insert parts of it into your subtopic paragraphs. Write a few sentences or paragraphs of your analysis of each subtopic. Now you should have a clear idea of the focus of your paper. Develop a preliminary thesis statement. Fill in transitional paragraphs of your research paper. Develop a draft of your paper.

The 5 Steps to Becoming a Lawyer Complete Guide

The 5 Steps to Becoming a Lawyer Complete Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Law is one of the toughest trades to break into - there’s a lot of competition out there, and there’s a lot at stake (law school isn’t exactly cheap). If you’re interested in entering the legal profession, you should be well-informed about everything it takes to become a lawyer. Here, I’ll go through all the steps of how to become a lawyer. Before I jump into that, however, I’ll begin by touching briefly on what the job market looks like for lawyers both now and in the future. What Is the Career Outlook for Law? Before we get into exactly howto become a lawyer,I'll talk a bit about what the job is actually like before jumping into more logistical concerns (like salary and projectedjob availability). This stuff may not be particularly exciting, but it's helpful to be informed about how easy (or difficult) it'll be to find a job in the field after you're done with school. What Does a Lawyer Do? Law is a very broad profession - lawyers can do all sorts of different jobs. They may work in corporate, private, and government settings. Common responsibilities include providing legal counsel and advice, researching information or evidence, drawing up legal documents, and prosecuting/defending in court. Occupational Outlook Here's some important info about the law profession from the Bureau of Labor Statistics: 2014 Median Pay: $114,970 per year Job Outlook, 2014-2014 (i.e. the average growth in the number of jobs): 6%, which is about average across all professions The number of jobs may be projected to grow as fast as average, but there are some other important factors at play here. Namely, competition for jobs is likely to be extremely high- the number of students whograduate from law school each year is higher than the number of new jobs available. In a nutshell: the market is pretty saturated with law graduates at the moment, which means that finding and keeping a job in the field is no small feat. Even the American Bar Association started discouraging people from going to law school after the 2008 market crash - the profession is recovering very, very slowly. If you’re on the fence about law school, I’d encourage you to read this article, written by a lawyer, in the Huffington Post (fair warning, it includes plenty of colorful language). This isn’t to say that no one should become a lawyer - if you plan on pursuing this career path, however, you should be aware of all the challenges you’ll face along the way. Step 1: Excel in High School With such serious competition in the field, it’s best to take your academic performance seriously from an early age. One of the best things you can focus on is bettering your chances of getting into a great college or university. Put simply, better grades in high school → better school for your BA degree → better law school → better chances of getting a job. Law is one profession where it really matters where you go to school. Attending a top-15 law school doesn't guarantee that you'll end up with a great job, but it really helps. Attending a lower-ranked school will likely make it very difficult to find work. As such, you'll want to put yourself in the best position to succeed starting as early as high school. Follow these tips in high school to start off on the right foot: Courses There aren’t really any specific classes you can take to prep this early for law school, but you can work on developing some of those critical skills that I mentioned earlier, like writing and critical thinking. Aim to take as many advanced and/or AP courses as possible. Classes inEnglish, Government, Economics, and Math will all you well in college and law school (and will pay off even if you change your mind about becoming a lawyer). Extracurricular Activities and Leadership Extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and leadership experience all help boost your college applications. Some activities might double as a way to get a feel for the legal profession. Check out these posts for more information on these activities: Complete list of extracurriculars How to get leadership experience in your extracurriculars 9 best places to do community service If available at your school, you may want to check out Mock Trial (a club that simulates court trials),Debate, orModel UN- all of these activities help students develop writing, critical thinking, and leadership skills.If your school doesn’t have anyof these clubs, consider starting one yourself! Activities like mock trial are pretty different from what most lawyers actually do, but it's the closest you can get to legal experience in high school. Finally, high school is a good time to learn more about what being a lawyer is actually like. Here are some ways to get more hands-on experience: Shadow a lawyer. Volunteer with a local legal aid organization. Talk to any friends or family members who work in the field about how they spend their time at work, what they like/don’t like about their jobs, whether they would do anything different, etc. ACT/SAT Prep One big part of getting into a good college is doing well on your ACT or SAT. Whichever test you choose, it’s best to take it more than once - aim to take your first test fall of junior year (at the latest). Read more about: Whether to take the SAT or ACT How long you should study for the SAT or ACT Complete study guide for the SAT or ACT How to get a perfect score on the SAT or ACT College Applications If you end up at a well-ranked school, the followingsteps you’ll have to take to become a lawyer will be that much easier. Like I mentioned earlier, students at top-15 law schools have a much easier time finding a job than students at lower-ranked schools. The better your undergraduate program, the better your chances of getting into one of these top law schools. So where do you start when it comes to looking at colleges? You don’t have to look for schools with dedicated pre-law programs. In fact, some people argue that students hoping to go to law school should avoid pre-law majors altogether (I’ll talk more about this in the next section). Learn more about how and when to apply for college. Step 2: Get Involved in College You need a Bachelor’s degree at minimum in order to go on to law school, and it definitely helps if you end up at a school with a strong reputation. Once you get to college, it’s important to keep up your academic performance (your grades will be important when you apply to law school). A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required for pretty much every law school in the US, but the truth is that this probably isn’t competitive enough. Aim for 3.5+ (the higher the better). Staying on the Right Side of the Law The first thing youshould keep in mind as a college student is that any sort of criminal record may prevent you from becoming a lawyer.The American Bar Association puts aspiring lawyers through a moral character screening process (I'll speak more about this towards the end). If you’re generally honest and haven’t broken any laws, you won’t have any issues - just try to stay out of trouble as you make your way through the following steps. Choosing a Program or Major The American Bar Association (ABA) doesn’t recommend any specific major or discipline for students who hope to become lawyers.Some schools have pre-law programs, but (as I've mentioned) they’re rare and not necessary in order to get into a great law school. The most important core skills you can develop include critical thinking, logic reasoning, reading comprehension, and communication.Some majors which may prove useful for the LSAT/law school include: English Political Science Business Philosophy Psychology Math Journalism You don’t have to know exactly what kind of law you hope to go into. If you do have an idea, though, you might use that to inform your choice of major.If you're interested in corporate law, for example, you might major in Business. If you're interested in tax law, considerMath. Develop Relationships With Professors You’ll need several strong letters of recommendation from respected faculty members when you submit your law school applications - use this to motivate you to network with as many people as possible. Develop relationships with professors and mentors by going to office hours, participating in class, and taking opportunities to work on research projects. Get Involved I’ll go into more detail when I discuss law school apps, but most schools are looking for applicants whodemonstrate some sort of social and professional engagement, community service, extracurricular involvement, and/or work experience. Start by looking into volunteering with legal aid services at your university or in your neighborhood. If you'd like more ideas, check out our posts ondifferent community service opportunitiesandextracurricular activities. You can gain similar hands-on law experience by getting a student job. A position in a law firm (even in an administrative capacity) will help you get a better idea of the day-to-day work as a lawyer. A paying job also means more funds to covercollege and law school expenses. Prepare for Law School Applications You’ll have the best chances of finding a job (especially a well-paying job) after getting your J.D. if you attend a top-15 law school (remember how I talked about how competitive it is out there for new lawyers)? To optimize your chances of getting into one of these schools, start working on your apps the summer before the year you want to begin your J.D. For example,if you want to start law school right after college, start working on apps the summer before your senior year First, you should figure out whether you want to go to law school right after you graduate from college. If so, you need to plan on spending most of your senior year preparing for the LSAT and law school applications (I’ll go into more detail about the LSAT in the next section). The LSAT should be completed, and applications should be sent off the winter of your senior year if you don’t want a gap between college and law school. A small side note: there is nothing wrong with taking time off from school after college graduation. If this is what you hope to do, you can use this time to get more law experience (e.g. working as a paralegal). You'll also need to prepare those letters of recommendation - ask professors/mentors if they'd write them for you at least 12 weeks prior to application due dates. Finally, register for the LSAT, and take the exam (at the latest) in December the same year you submit your apps. Step 3: Ace the LSAT and Law School Applications The Law School Admissions Test, or LSAT, is an exam all aspiring law students must take. It’s a half-day standardized test for admission to all American Bar Association-approved law schools and serves the same purpose as the SAT and ACT when students apply to colleges. Exam scores range from 120-180 The average score is about 150 You have to score well over 160 to get into a top 25 law school The LSAT is a huge part of your law school applications - it might even be as important as your college GPA. As such, it requires that you dedicate some serious study time to the exam. The recommended study time for the LSAT is150-300 hours.This comes out to 20-25 hours a week for 2-3 months, which is obviously a serious commitment.You might want to look into a LSAT study program if you have trouble staying on track and/or motivated. The test is administered only four times a year - usually in February, June, September, and December - so plan on registering months in advance.The latest you can take the LSAT for Fall admission is December of the previous year, although it's best to take it earlier (aim for June or September). Studying for the LSAT: your new part-time job. Submitting Your Law School Applications Just like with college apps, law school apps consist of several parts. Their major components are your personal statement, LSAT score, letters of recommendation, transcripts, and resume. Let's go through what you should do to submit each of these components. I’ve already talked about the importance of preparing for the LSAT, forming relationships with profs for letters of rec, and doing well in college for a great transcript. Personal Statement Your personal statement is one of the only ways that admissions offices will get any insight into who you are and why you care about going to law school.You should write several drafts, well in advance of your application deadlines. Have a trusted prof or mentor read over your personal statement and give comments 3-4 months before the deadline. Read more about how to write a great personal statement. Resume Your personal statement may demonstrate what you think and believe, but your resume demonstrates what you actually do. According to UChicago’s Law School admissions office, schools are looking for several things in an applicant’s resume, including: Evidence of a strong work ethic Social and professional engagement Some combination of community service, extracurricular involvement, or work experience It should be polished and professional - visit your school’s career center for guidance. Submitting Your Applications All materials should be submitted by the winter before you hope to go to law school. Competition for a reputable school is tougher than it is for colleges, so you should plan on submitting more apps. Most applicants apply to at least four schools, but I would encourage you to apply to 8-10. Whatever you do, only apply to American Bar Association-approved law schools - an unapproved law school degree is basically worthless. Don’t wait until the last minute to submit all of your materials. This doesn’t leave you any extra time to fill any gaps in your application, or opportunities to fix any issues. Finally, you should be prepared for potentially uncomfortable application costs. Some applications are free, but others may cost $100 or more. It may be helpful to start budgeting for these expenses a few months before applications are due. Step 4: Earn Your JD at Law School It’ll take you three years to earn your law school degree. If you want one to find success after graduation - no matter what type of law you hope to go into - you’ve got to do well in law school. The way students are graded here is very different from how they’re graded in college. Here are some important things you should know before heading off to law school: Your first year is really important. Law firms usually hire summer associates at the beginning of the second year - at this point, only grades from your first year will be available. The type of jobs available to you as a student - and after graduation - will be heavily dependent on your grades from 1L. Your grades are mostly dependent on your exam performance. You’ll receive few (if any) graded assignments outside of your final exams. This means that it’s important to keep up with your work and your reading through the entire semester. Plan on keeping meticulous notes. You’ll be learning about a lot of cases, and it’s important that you’re able to easily access notes from class about each one. It’s not uncommon for professors to allow notes in some final exams. Many successful students form study groups to work together to share notes. Do your readings and prepare to get cold-called. Law professors are notorious for cold-calling on students in class, so you’ll want to do the reading (and take notes) prior to heading to lecture. You want to make a good impression on your profs! You'd think that acing your classes is the last big step to becoming a lawyer - but there's so much more to do. The MPRE While you’re in law school, you may have to take the MPRE (Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination), which is requiredfor admission to the bars of most states. The examination is meant to test students' knowledge and understanding of established standards related to a lawyer's professional conduct. When you need to take it, and the minimum passing score, varies based on your jurisdiction. For example, some states requireyou to pass it before you take the bar exam(sometimes months in advance). Do your research on what’s required in your jurisdiction (or where you hope to practice in the future) early on in law school. Professional Experience A big part of law school involves networking (and just plain working) in an effort to secure a job before you even graduate. You’re going to be very busy keeping up with your schoolwork, but, if possible, it’s to your advantage to work parts of possible jobs include assistant, file clerk, messenger, or intern (paid or unpaid). More importantly, you'll want to start thinking about landing those summer associate and internship positions. The best way to secure these jobs while you're in school is to network as much as possible - attend student events, communicate with your profs, and be on the lookout for recruiters. Unfortunately for students without a ton of available resources, many legal internships (even at very prestigious firms) are unpaid. Some law students take out loans, in addition to loans that they use to pay for tuition, to cover expenses associated with taking summer internships. This is important to consider as you budget for both law school and your career after you pass the bar. Be conscious of the sort of internships and associate positions you seek out for yourself. Oftentimes (if you do well), these employers will offer you a full-time job after you graduate. In fact, it’s pretty normal to have a job like this lined up in your third year of law school. To sum up: the better your grades (especially your first year), the better your summer job opportunities. The better your summer job opportunities, the more likely you are to land an awesome job after graduation. Unpaid internships are not ideal, but they may be necessary if you want to land a great job after law school. Step 5: Pass the Bar Exam In order to practice law in the US, you have to pass the Bar exam. Most students do this the summer after they graduate from law school, when information is still fresh in their minds. The exam varies by state, but some parts are standardized: MEE: Essay exam MPT: Performance Test The Bar: A separate test administered by each jurisdiction/area Mostexamslast two days total, although some states (e.g. CA) have 3-day exams. To find out more about what the exam is like in different jurisdictions, check out the National Conference of Bar Examiners’ website. Preparing for the Bar The Bar is a notoriously difficult exam. Pass rates vary by state, although some states (again, like CA) have rates as low as 46.6%. It doesn’t matter how well you do as compared to other test-takers, as long as you pass. You’ll have to prep for all areas of law that will show up on the test, even if you don’t plan on practicing in most of them. These areas include: Constitutional law Contracts Criminal law and procedure Evidence Real property Torts One expert suggested that if you’re preparing for the California Bar Exam - one of the most difficult in the country - you should study for 400 to 600 hours.If you study for 20 hours a week, that comes out to 20-30 weeks of prep time. You’ll have to start studying for the bar while you’re still a 3rd year student if you follow the traditional timeline - this may prove helpful if you’re able to form a study group with others. There are a few different ways to prep for the bar exam: Independent study. This may work for students at a well-reputed law school who are also performing well in their classes. A quality education + strong foundational knowledge are the factors that most positively affect performance on the bar, but students would still of course need to spend significant time preparing. A bar prep course. Law students commonly take prep courses when they want a solid review schedule that will keep them on track. There’s a lot of material to cover, and a good course helps you make sure there aren’t any major gaps in your knowledge of content or strategy. They can be very expensive, however - most are several thousand dollars. Check out Barbri.com, Kaptest.com, and Adaptibar.com (a less expensive, supplemental option). A private tutor. Students who attend a poorly-ranked law school, whose grades weren’t up to par, or who have failed the bar before may want to consider this option. If you choose to seek out a tutor, choose someone with glowing recommendations and years of tutoring experience - they won’t come cheap, but they’re also less likely to waste your time and money. Like I mentioned earlier, most students plan on taking the bar (in the jurisdiction they plan to practice) the summer after they graduate from law school. Read a more detailed guide onpreparing for and taking the bar exam. Final Steps: Beyond the Bar If you’ve made it this far, you know that there are so many hoops to jump through for aspiring lawyers. Once you’ve passed the bar and gotten a job, however, you should know you’re not quite done! Continuing Legal Education (CLE) is an important part of staying informed and up-to-date.Information on state-by-state requirements for CLE available through the American Bar Association. Fortunately, it’s not too big of a deal when compared to all of the education and exams you would have to endure through this point. Finally,The ABA puts aspiring lawyers through a moral character screening process. If you’re generally honest and haven’t broken any laws, you won’t have any issues.The process varies by state - see CA as an example. How to Become a Lawyer: Summary This is a ton of information to take on at once, especially if you’re at the beginning of this process (or even if you’re still unsure about becoming a lawyer). Let's review the five main steps: Do well in high school. Study hard and get involved in your community in college. Prepare for the LSAT and give careful thought to your applications. Attend law school. Pass the bar exam and become licensed to practice law. This process may feel overwhelming, but here are a few important things to keep in mind: The path to becoming a lawyer is fairly flexible until you actually have to submit law school applications. This gives you tons of time to figure out whether the path is right for you. You don’t have to think about all of these steps at the same time. Once you’re in law school, your peers will be thinking about (and worrying about) the same things - there’s no way you’ll forget any important steps. Becoming a lawyer is definitely not for everyone - it’s a particularly competitive field right now, and most lawyers’ jobs are nothing like what you see on TV. But if you decide you want to enter the legal profession, you now have the info you need to start off on the right foot. What's Next? You have a lot to think about, but remember: you just have to take it one step at a time. To give yourself a head start, think about seriously preparing to get into a great college. Read about how to get a perfect score on the ACT or the SAT, and check out our guide on how to get into an Ivy League school. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Bipolar Disorder and Substance Abuse Research Paper

Bipolar Disorder and Substance Abuse - Research Paper Example The exact reasons for the close association of bipolar disease and substance abuse are still unknown to medical science. This paper analyses bipolar disorders, substance abuse or substance use disorder and the relationship between the two. Bipolar Disease and Substance Abuse â€Å"Bipolar disorder is a chronic enduring mental illness characterised by periods of elation and depression in mood. A lifetime history of alcohol misuse is one of the more common co-morbidities occurring in about 46% of people with bipolar I disorder† (Saunders and Goodwin 2010). Bipolar disorders were earlier referred as manic depression. Constant and continuous mood swings are one of the major symptoms of bipolar disorder. Within a short period of time, a person with bipolar disorder may show extremities of mood; He can demonstrate the feeling of sadness, hopelessness and helplessness at a particular moment and in the very next moment he can feel like on top of the world. One of the major characteris tics noticed by the psychologists about Bipolar disorders is the fact that majority of these patients show substance use disorders (SUD) also. For example, alcoholism and drug abuses are seen common among people with bipolar disorders. ... Bipolar 1 is more severe than bipolar 2. People with bipolar 1 disease need hospitalization whereas bipolar 2 do not need hospitalization. â€Å"Mania is seen in bipolar 1 and hypomania is seen in bipolar 2† (Fast &Julie A Fast (Author) †º Visit Amazon's Julie A Fast Page Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author Are you an author? Learn about Author Central Preston, 2006, p.20). People with bipolar 2 may not show many changes in their normal behaviors whereas people with bipolar 1 diseases will show many changes in their normal behavior patterns and they may experience hallucinations, delusions, paranoia etc. It is possible that a person with bipolar disease may induce self harm. In many cases, these patients may attack others also. Aggression is one of the major characteristics of bipolar 1 disease. The reasons for bipolar disorders are still unknown. However, as in the cases of other psychological disorders, heredity and en vironment play an important role in causing bipolar disorders to a person. Long (2005) has pointed out the role of heredity in causing bipolar disorders; About half of all patients with Bipolar I Disorder have one parent who also has a mood disorder, usually Major Depressive Disorder. If one parent has Bipolar I Disorder, the child will have a 25% chance of developing a mood disorder. If both parents have Bipolar I Disorder, the child has a 50%-75% chance of developing a mood disorder. (Long, 2005) The above results clearly show that bipolar disorders have strong association with heredity. No studies succeeded yet in singling out a particular gene which causes bipolar diseases.