Alzheimer’s disease Free Essays

National Institute on aging talks about general information, causes, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of Alzheimer ’s disease. It gives a relatively detailed account under several subheadings to explain the pathogenesis, possible risk factors and symptoms seen, which are basically dysfunction of memory and cognition to the extent that they interfere with normal life. It provides information through the article titled ‘Causes of Alzheimer’s disease’ that genetic and environmental factors play a role in the pathogenesis although the exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease is not known. We will write a custom essay sample on Alzheimer’s disease or any similar topic only for you Order Now Its conclusion from studies indicates that enhancing social interactions, encouraging love and stable families can delay the onset of the disease in susceptible individuals. Alzheimer’s Association provides information on the history of the brain dysfunction, and in lay terms the functional and structural defects typical of Alzheimer’s disease. The beauty of the Article titled ‘What is Alzheimer’s disease? ’ is the history of the condition that it adds to the simple presentation of the disease. A lay man can easily understand the genesis of the condition and how it affects the brain, when it can be seen in an individual and where to find help for them. Is a progressive brain damage. it destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior. it worsens with age. it is the 6th leading cause of death in the United states. It is the most common form of dementia. It does not have any current cure; treatment available is targeted at presenting symptoms. There is an increasing worldwide effort to find better ways to alleviate challenges associated with the disease. In this disease condition, there is a breakdown in some of the synapses that serve the function of information storage, processing and memory; this spreads to other cells and over time, these cells die. Such affected cells are surrounded by plaques and contain characteristic tangles. No definite role of these agents has not been fully elucidated. American Psychological Association postulates that strong education delays the onset of Alzheimer’s disease through a study carried out by scientists at the Alzheimer’s disease Research Centre at Washington University School of Medicine. this opens the door to evaluate other risk factors that would help to better understand the disease, and make it easier to prevent and/or treat it. It is possible that engaging in increasing cognitive function or even social activities that improve emotional and mental events may play a significant role in how we tackle this disease in the future. As a counselor, the ability to help begins when I understand the history of the condition: this makes the disease traceable to humans like us. It makes easier for the clients to realize that they are not alone, it has been here for quite some time. Besides, statistics have also shown that millions of America also live with Alzheimer’s disease. Besides, with the knowledge of the causes and possible risk factors associated with the disease, empathy is not difficult, as I understand what I am dealing with. Emerging data has shown that education can help to prevent the condition. What is important is rely how to help those who are living with condition, information on the Geriatrics Department show that psychological help and family support are crucial in the life of clients. Since it is irreversible, it is best to prevent it and make sure that we stay healthy smart and happy! SOURCES Barlow, D. H. Durand, V. M. (2009). Abnormal Psychology: An Integrative Approach (5th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Centage Learning. http://www. alz. org/index. asp Alzheimer’s association http://www. nia. nih. gov/alzheimers http://www. geriatrics. uams. edu/research/sec http://www. apa. org/topics/topicalzheimers. html How to cite Alzheimer’s disease, Papers Alzheimer’s disease Free Essays Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a fatal and progressive brain disorder named after the German physician Alois Alzheimer who was the first person to describe it. This is an age-related and irreversible brain disorder which develops and progresses over time. It affects the part of the brain that controls the memory, language, and speech of a person. We will write a custom essay sample on Alzheimer’s disease or any similar topic only for you Order Now Early symptoms include forgetting things that just happened, and the symptoms will get worse as time passes by. For instance, people with this disorder may forget their loved ones and may have difficulty writing and reading. They may not know how to do their mundane routines such as brushing their teeth and combing their hair. In the end, this disease will lead to severe and serious loss of mental function because of the breaking down and death of the brain neurons. This is a form of dementia that affects usually people 65 years of age and older. There are approximately five million Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s, and according to surveys, this disease ranks number seven when it comes to the leading causes of death in the United States. The cure for Alzheimer’s has yet to be discovered, but there are treatments and medications that will enable to control, minimize, and slow down its advancement. Medicines for depression and hallucination that may occur as a result of the deterrence of an individual’s mental faculties are also made available. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved four types of drugs that will help regulate the signs and delay its progression as much as possible. People with Alzheimer’s suffer from a deficiency of acetylcholine, which is a chemical involved in the communication of nerve cells. Cholinesterase is an inhibitor which functions to slow down the breakdown and destruction acetylcholine. It also produces more of these chemicals for cellular communication. Regular treatment will slow down the process impairment of a person’s cognitive functions, and this is proven effective for individuals who have early symptoms of this disease. BIBLIOGRAPHY American Health Assistance Foundation. â€Å"Common Alzheimer’s Treatments. Alzheimer’s Disease Research. 2009. http://www. ahaf. org/alzheimers/treatment/common/ (accessed July 31, 2009). Alzheimer’s Association. â€Å"What is Alzheimer’s? † Alzheimer’s Association. 2009. http://www. alz. org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers. asp (accessed (July 31, 2009). National Institute on Aging. â€Å"Alzheimer’s Disease. † Medline Plus. July 31, 2009. http://www. nlm. nih. gov/medlineplus/alzheimersdisease. html (accessed July 31, 2009). â€Å"What is Alzheimer’s Disease? †. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. 2009. http://www. ninds. nih. gov/disorders/alzheimersdisease/alzheimersdisease. htm (accessed July 31, 2009) How to cite Alzheimer’s disease, Papers Alzheimer’s disease Free Essays Alzheimer’s disease is one of most prevalent medical conditions that affect the older sector of society. More and more people continue to suffer from this disease, but at present, there is still no cure available. So what causes Alzheimer’s disease? What are its effects, and are there any possible solutions for this condition? This essay would delve into the aforementioned details of Alzheimer’s disease. We will write a custom essay sample on Alzheimer’s disease or any similar topic only for you Order Now Before the nature of Alzheimer’s disease can be discussed, it is important to first define what dementia is. This is because Alzheimer’s disease is identified as the most general cause behind the dementia not only in America but also throughout the world. Dementia refers to a syndrome which generally damages a person’s daily functioning. This is because the memory is impaired, as well as other thinking capabilities, such as reasoning and thought organization. Even the capacity for language and sight is also affected. Due to the memory decline, simple activities become difficult and patients need assistance from others since they cannot take care of themselves anymore. Consequently, Alzheimer’s disease is a medical condition which affects the brain; it is a disease that slowly develops, damaging one’s memory and other mental processes. These include â€Å"reasoning, planning, language, and perception. † It is believed that the disease is caused by the overproduction or amassment of the protein called beta-amyloid; this protein is believed to result in the demise of nerve cells. The condition worsens as time goes by and can lead to death. The possibility of acquiring Alzheimer’s disease increases as one ages, especially when one reaches the age of 70. Those who are beyond 85 years of age are most likely to be affected. However, it is important to point out that though memory loss is a normal part of aging, something as severe as Alzheimer’s disease is not part of it. Alzheimer’s disease was first discovered in 1906 by a German doctor named Alois Alzheimer; in 1910, the disease was officially named after him. Five years prior, Dr. Alzheimer had 51-year-old patient named Frau Auguste D. ; the symptoms of her condition include problems of speech, memory and understanding. She even began doubting her husband’s loyalty for no reason at all. Her condition became worse and eventually, she died. When Dr. Alzheimer performed an autopsy, he found that the size of the brain had decreased. The most notable finding was that the cortex had significantly shrunk; the cortex is responsible for memory and speech, among other vital mental functions. When her brain was viewed in the microscope, Dr. Alzheimer discovered brain cells which are either dead or in the process of dying. There were also fat and other deposits found in the blood vessels and brain cells. The brain is composed of neurons, which are nerve cells. These neurons produce signals which are chemical and electrical in nature. The signals are transferred from one neuron to another, enabling the person to think and recall. The transmission between neurons is made possible by neurotransmitters. Those who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease experience the demise of neurons; eventually, neurotransmitters are also affected, and the brain functions are completely interrupted. The autopsy that Dr. Alzheimer performed on Auguste D. revealed that the brain tissues were characterized by â€Å"clumps† and â€Å"knots† of brain cells. At present, the former is recognized as plaques, while the latter is now identified as tangles. Both are acknowledged markers of Alzheimer’s disease. These two are also possible contributors in causing the brain disorder. On one hand, plaques are composed of the aforementioned beta-amyloid protein. There is still no determined reason for the death of neurons, but the said protein is believed to be responsible for it. There are three genetic mutations that are recognized as responsible for a small percentage of the early-onset type of the disease. These three are as follows: â€Å"amyloid precursor protein, presenilin 1 protein (PS1) and presenilin 2 (PS2). † The said mutations create plaques of amyloid. All three mutations are known to cause at least ten percent of all cases of Alzheimer’s disease. How to cite Alzheimer’s disease, Papers Alzheimer’s Disease Free Essays Alzheimer’s Disease does not kill instantly; it destroys the individual bit by bit, tearing away at their person-hood and self-identity. Most victims suffer for 9 to 15 years after onset of the illness. It is the most common type of dementia in the United States and Canada and after age 40, the risk of developing it doubles with aging every 5. We will write a custom essay sample on Alzheimer’s Disease or any similar topic only for you Order Now 1 years during adults’ life. A form of dementia, the DSM-IV-R’s (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) criteria for diagnosing dementia include: impairment in short- and long-term memory, at least one of the following: impairment in abstract thinking, impaired judgement, other disturbances of higher cortical functioning, personality change, significant interference with work, social activities, or relationships, in addition, symptoms do not occur exclusively during the course of delirium; and specific etiologic organic factor is evidenced or can be presumed. For an individual with this terrible disease, living with memory loss and its associated disabilities are very frightening. Alzheimer’s includes behavioral characteristics that extend beyond its cognitive explanations. These behaviors require study because of the influence on both the patient and caregiver. Treatment often looks to drugs for relief of symptoms and to slow the course of progressive decline, rather than on assisting the individual with coping mechanisms. It has been termed a â€Å"family disease†, not only because of possible genetic relation between victims, but because family members provide 80 percent or more of the care giving. Chronic and progressive mental and physical deterioration decrease the victim’s capacity for independence and increase the need for support from family members caring for the victim at home. The victim attempts to make sense of a seemingly new and hostile world, and this leads to dubious and uncharacteristic changes in behavior, personality, decision-making, function, and mood. Certain symptoms that are often associated with depression may be observed in patients who are cognitively impaired but not depressed. Professionals must be aware of all the symptoms the patient is experiencing, and reports from family members must also be taken into account. The patient usually reports fewer negative feelings or mood problems than are identified by caregivers. Patients often attempt to cover up their disease by modifying the behaviors of others, rather than identifying their own inevitable retrogression. Fears of the unknown, fears of abandonment, lowered frustration tolerance, and loss of impulse control may result in problematic behavior. Also, appropriate behavior may simply be forgotten, and faces of family members and friends unfamiliar. However, the victim of Alzheimer’s often denies these symptoms. More obvious, even to themselves are the expression of emotions such as panic and deprivation. Experiences such as early retirement and anticipated changes in the responsibilities of daily life are never realized. The inability to drive a car is especially painful and frustrating for some. Self-esteem and sense of worth plummet. Individuals with Alzheimer’s lose their capability to plan, postpone, wait, or predict the outcomes of their actions. Family members very often fail to attribute losses similar to those previously me ntioned to a disease. They tend to deny the existence of the disease. Family members may go through a period of denial in which they make excuses for the patient, attributing the problems they encounter to normal aging, stress, etc. Alzheimer’s disease creates new demands on the family, who have to adopt numerous roles. The parent, once the primary caregiver to their children, is now like a child receiving care. Each family member defines the situation differently, but display common management behaviors that will be discussed further. Within these similar stages of management, reflection of individual attitudes is obvious due to unique interpretations of the stages. The spouse is usually the primary caregiver of the patient, but when unable to provide the care necessary, an adult child is the most likely candidate. These adult children fear that the disease terrorizing their family and destroying a loved one will be hereditary. Negative behavior changes that are undergone by the victim have major effects on the caregiver. Mental health and life satisfaction of the caregiver seem to decrease rapidly, but according to Lisa Gwyther (1994), the key to minimizing these effects is to strategically change responses by the human and physical environment. Changing the responses of the outside world, rather than attempting to change the responses of the individual with the disease helps to organize difficult changes. Experienced spouses and wise families learn to distract the patient rather than confront them on their shortcomings. They should learn to enrich the victims’ pleasure in each moment, spurring preserved memories and skills to maintain the victims’ positive feelings of competence, belonging, productivity, and self-esteem. Consistent reassurance and unconditional love are vital to peace and harmony within the family. The patient experiences degeneration of short-term memory, which often results in misplacement of objects and forgetting the names of familiar people. They have irrational or imaginary fears that make them suspicious of those closest to them, and they may accuse others of theft and/or infidelity. This is a source of increased frustration, confusion, distress, and irritability on the part of both the patient and the family. As a result, those involved may rely on alcohol and drugs to alleviate the stresses of coming to terms with the disease. Many families of victims either fail to seek, or do not receive a correct medical diagnosis. They tend to become over-involved and angry, stages necessary in the process of adjustment. The family members attempt to counterweigh the losses experienced by the patient, because the deterioration is beginning to become obvious. Their anger, not necessarily with the patient, stems from the burden, embarrassment, and frustrations caused by the patient’s behavior. Burden is reported to be highest in this phase of mild dementia. When the spouse is the primary caregiver (in comparison with adult children or others), care is more complete, and less stress, conflict, and ambivalence are observed. Spouses tend to look for activities, or ways of interpreting the patients behavior, that allow for a continuing adult relationship, rather than a parent- child one, which may belittle the patient. Psychological stress results from conflict between resentment, anger, ambivalence, and guilt, self-blame, and the pain of watching a loved one deteriorate. Caregivers also report physical fatigue from providing care to their regressing loved one. Of all of these, the most difficult is performing the basic daily activities for the patient, and coping with upsetting behavior. Proactive approaches towards treatment of the disease involve the conscious decision that success is possible, both for the patient and family- unfortunately this is something that most afflicted individuals realize too late. In addition, the victims of Alzheimer’s may or may not respond to certain types of intervention. A patient may react to one type of treatment one minute and not the next. Immediate, observable changes in patient and family behavior, function, and mood were noted when caregivers learned to separate the resolution of the problem from the intention of the patient. For example, rather than confronting a patient or assigning blame when an object is lost, the caregiver replaces the item the patient claimed â€Å"stolen†. In this way, unnecessary stress and tension are eliminated for both patient and caregiver. Each family member experiences a similar process of coming to terms with the changes. This process includes three stages: describing how the victim is the same, and/or different, prior to disease onset, rewriting the individuality of the victim, and redefining the relationship with the victim. During the first stage, family members look for behaviors that still represent the victims’ â€Å"true† self, and those that the person with Alzheimer’s no longer has. In the second stage, the disease and individual with the disease must be seen as two in one. Part of the struggle in this stage is to maintain the adult identity of the victim while managing their child-like needs. Still, in the third stage of the adapting process, major problems continue to present themselves. These may include: family and social disruptions, increased marital conflicts, and employment-related difficulties. Family members are usually not aware of one-another’s viewpoints; they do not understand that they are not all seeing the victim the same way. Due to the fact that they are not all having the same type of relationship with the victim, paths towards the common goal of attaining highest level of function for the victim may be divided. As a result, the more effort individual family members put into achieving this goal, the more conflict is created. However, it individuals voice their different perspectives and encourage discussion, this may allow the family to function as a complete whole. Understanding between family members can be coupled with social support groups’ ideas about the disease. A social network may be effective in protecting individuals with terminal diseases from some of the negative effects. An active organization, The Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association (ADRDA) established a network of individuals and families affected with dementia. The speed at which this network is growing is clear evidence of the need for more groups like it. Information sharing, encouragement, and provision of social support are among the top objectives of such groups. A committee at the St. Louis Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association developed Project Esteem to provide emotional intervention for people with Alzheimer’s in the Forgetful phase. Its purpose is to provide opportunities to share thoughts and feelings with peers and professionals, and to have some fun. It came about as two separate groups, one being individuals with Alzheimer’s and the other, caregivers. Reported feelings related to dementia from both groups include: anger, anxiety, stress, acceptance, and frustration. The number of individuals who report negative feelings greatly outweigh those of acceptance. At initial meetings, bonding is established through the sharing of early memory experiences. Gradually, comfort comes from knowing that the victims are not alone; there are others with the same limitations. The realization that the victims are ordinary people with a chronic illness, rather than an uncontrollable mental illness, is comforting. Overall, the most effective coping occurs when the individual recognizes their own mental change, realizes the diagnosis, and deals with the unexpected attitudes of others. Benefits of group support in this early stage of Alzheimer’s are considerable. Individuals sharing similar situations gain insight and encouragement through verbal exchange; when real world suggestions were needed, and non- verbally; when words were simply not accessible. However, as word comprehension and creation becomes increasingly difficult, the individual enters a new stage of disease development. Short-term memory, orientation, and concentration are now severely impaired. Throughout this stage, remote memory, intellectual functioning, comprehension, and judgement decline steadily. Ability to care for one’s self also declines, and sleep patterns are altered; this is a severe blow to the patient’s independence and self-esteem. The patient then becomes suspicious and paranoid, even of those closest to them. Likelihood of involvement in accidents at home and abuse of medication increase. Behaviors may include night wandering, night shouting, and nocturnal micturition (night- time urination). Obviously, traditional family behaviors and interactive patterns realize drastic alteration. Family members begin to feel guilty for their impatience and intolerance of the patient, even though many of the demands of the patient are unrealistic and illogical. A major problem for those closest to the patient is readjusting expectations of the patient and themselves. Changes and problematic behavior become a source of stress during this phase, but overall limitation and conflict is reported to decrease, which may simply be the result of institutionalization of the victim. Use of drugs is found to be twice as high in care-givers as in community subjects, and care-givers often let their own health deteriorate. Particularly for the spouse’s caregivers, social isolation becomes an issue of psychological well being. Lack of time, energy, and interest in social activities becomes prominent as the deterioration of the patient increases. In one study, spouses of patients exhibited higher levels of stress, in comparison to adult children caregivers; but husbands, in comparison to wives, report fewer burdens, and are more willing to admit the difficulty of the tasks at hand and seek out professional help. Adult male children are as likely as women are to assist their parents, but the men appeared to have the ability to distance themselves from the aging parent. This physical and emotional separation seemed to lower the amount of guilt felt by the men. Possibly because of these differing abilities to deal with the disease, there is often conflict between family members as to how to care for the victim. Two broad coping techniques of family members of Alzheimer victims are: (1) Distancing techniques and (2) Enmeshing techniques. Distancing techniques (as discussed earlier) involve establishing distance between the patient and caregiver both emotionally and physically. Enmeshing techniques involve the intensification of the relationship, and often the exclusion of others. This option is usually observed in cases where the spouse is the primary caregiver. Apparently, it is very difficult for spouses who use the Enmeshing technique to become involved in social support groups. Social support is a proven mediator and alleviator of family stress and patient dejection. Adult day care programs provide respite for family members, and allow the patient to interact with individuals with similar conditions. Generally, the patients see the support group as being most helpful in the areas of information sharing and peer support. This information and assistance may help determine the strength of the individual in last stages of the disease. This phase is the final stage of Alzheimer’s disease. Mental deterioration is complete; many patients are completely unaware of, or unable to respond to their surroundings. The patients are totally dependent on others for all aspects of daily living. The patient will, most likely, not identify family and friends, and may not communicate at all. Paranoia, agitation, and combativeness increase significantly, if the patient is able to display these emotions at all. He/she eventually becomes extremely weak, incontinent, non-ambulatory and bedridden. It has been hypothesized that at least some of the premorbid changes in strength and weakness may be predicted from changes observed in the earlier stages. Descriptions by caregivers of premorbid personality traits of the victim are similar to symptoms of depression, hallucinations, and delusions. It is during this stage that most victims are admitted to an institution for professional care. Several behavioral problems such as aggression and wandering appear to increase as individuals are moved from the community to nursing homes. Acceptance of this disturbing disease comes very slowly to the family members. The disease’s sly onset and the original appearance by the victim of retention of regular physical vigor make acceptance increasingly difficult. As the disease progresses further and further, the changes that occur for the victim become increasingly obvious and family members tend to define the situation more similarly than in previous, seemingly inconspicuous stages. The grieving process is lengthy, because the death of the person is long before the death of the physical body. Although the loved one is long gone, their shell lives on. At some point during this stage, the spouse must undergo the final challenge of marital evaluation. Because the patient does not recognize anyone, the spouse is totally alone, but not single. Obtaining a divorce often creates many difficult legal issues. Many caregivers need assistance coping with the guilt of â€Å"abandoning† their spouse when placing them in a nursing home. Thus, financial problems come into the picture. Paying for nursing home services is difficult, as all effort in previous years has been put into caring for the patient. Relatives of deceased victims can be compared to those whose family member is still living. Wives and husbands display similar feelings of burden, but the husbands report more social limitations. On the contrary, sons and daughters are different in their descriptions of burden. Sons report less social limitations than daughters do, and less affective limitation when the demented parents had died. The sons of the deceased elderly also report less conflict with others than the daughters do. The need for individual support for the caregiver and family of the deceased is important, especially at this stage of sorrow. There may also be a sense of relief and release, as the extensive suffering of a loved one has finally ended. The empty body, which once contained a loved one, can finally be put to rest. Help and support from the staff at institutions with dealing with the grief of the final loss of a loved one is valuable and most definitely appreciated. Alzheimer’s Disease is a ceaseless debilitating disease without known cause or cure. Deterioration of mental and physical processes is inevitable, but varies between individuals- the cause for this variance has only been looked at hypothetically. It is a terrifying disease for the victim, who is constantly aware of the losses that are occurring, but can do nothing to prevent the disease from proceeding on its deadly course. Family members respond to the disease within certain guidelines, but the attitude towards the different stages differs for all involved. Social support systems have proven extremely effective for both the victim and caregiver in the Forgetful phase of the illness. From that point on, influence on patients decreases significantly, but personal gain for caregivers continues. There is an evident need for publicly funded support for Alzheimer’s disease victims and their families. The obvious lack of information concerning the symptoms and results of the disease show the necessity for incorporation of education and support into intervention strategies for caregivers. Evaluation of a patient with possible dementia requires a complete medical history, neurologic evaluation, and physical examination. At the present time, no diagnostic tests for Alzheimer’s are available in laboratories. It is simply a diagnosis based on elimination of other diseases. There is great need for a biological marker that would confirm the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s in a living patient. Rapid progress has been made in identifying a potential genetic marker that could be used to diagnose the disease without autopsy, biopsy, or extended evaluations. Potential disadvantages of this approach would be the reluctance of both patients and physicians to have lumbar punctures done, and the potential overlap of normal patients and Alzheimer sufferers. These potential markers are a glimpse of light at the end of a dark tunnel. Metaphorically, Alzheimer’s can be seen as a house that is constantly being eaten by termites, from the inside out. Although the house may look the same on the outside, the very foundation of the house, the part that makes it a home, deteriorates. Attempts to stop the decay are futile and, at best, temporary. Eventually, one will not feel comfortable at home, and will most likely leave the home- possibly for someone else to deal with. This relief is also temporary. The eating away of the house continues, until it eventually topples into an unrecognizable heap of what used to be a home. This feeling was best described by one individual in the middle stages of the disease: â€Å"†¦(J)ust a wild lost world. I’m here but I don’t know where I am†. How to cite Alzheimer’s Disease, Essay examples

The Great Gatsby Film Critique free essay sample

The Great Gatsby, 2013 Film Critique This past spring, Hollywood released the quite controversial adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgeralds great American novel, The Great Gatsby. The film is directed by Baz Luhrman, known for his extravagant, visual style, with none other than legendary Leonardo DiCaprio as title character, Gatsby, Tobey Maguire as narrator Nick Carraway, and Carey Mulligan is cast as Daisy Buchanan. Set during the summer of 1922 on Long Island, New York, Nick gets caught up in the world of millionaire neighbor, Jay Gatsby, who throws fabulous parties each weekend to capture the ttention of his first love, the old-moneyed, married Daisy, who happens to be Nicks cousin. Throughout the story, the characters are faced with discovery, betrayal, and tragedy, in both the novel and film. Of course, Luhrmans adaptation is Just that, and because the novel is so widely thought of as un-adaptable, the director has undergone heavy criticism. Amidst the film, certain techniques Luhrman adopts, as well as aspects he omits from the plotline, either develop or diminish viewers understanding of Fitzgeralds work, or affect the story as a whole. Throughout the ilm, Baz Luhrman utilizes many techniques to enhance, or in some cases detract from, the viewers understanding of the novel, most noted the contemporary soundtrack, over-the-top sets and costumes, and unorthodox adaptation of Nick as a narrator. Countless critics have questioned Luhrmans choice of soundtrack and producer, Jay-Z, which was highly distanced from the Jazz that springs into anyones mind at the sound of the words the roaring twenties. Instead, the film is teeming with pop music, from party anthems by Fergie and Kanye West, to Lana del Reys melancholy mfoung and Beautiful. Although it seems a bit off-putting with the era, Luhrman Justifies his decision by explaining how he wanted to make spectators feel similar to how Nick and other characters felt when hurled into the world of Gatsby, in the modern, fast-paced New York City of the twenties. He also identified the parallels between the Jazz of the roaring twenties with todays rap music; at the time, Jazz felt dangerous, but since then has evolved into more classical music, so instead takes rap and hip-hop to evoke a similar tone. Speaking of the Jazz age, the twenties also conjure up images of the new woman†the flapper, who brings the review to the next technique: costumes. The costumes of varying characters in the story help to reveal the novels major themes as well as the personalities of the characters themselves. The dozens of Gatsbys female partygoers, for example, don extravagant, ostentatious party gowns and dresses that suggest the extensive materialism of the time; many are seen drunkenly stumbling into the pool, partying, and the like, touching on Fitzgeralds theme of negligence within the upper class. Also toying with this theme, Daisy sports a short ball gown while lounging around in the summer heat when first introduced to her in the movie, and Daisy is exactly the type of girl who would do uch a thing: rich and careless. In addition, Toms classic suits hint at his illustrious standing, a foil to Gatsbys idiosyncratic light pink suit, white suit and gold tie, and all of his expensive shirts Daisy cries over, which give insight to his not-so-classy upbringing, and his way of hiding it. Our narrator, Nick, often sports somewhat awkward apparel, notably his quirky bow-ties. More importantly ot Nick Carraway is Luhrmans modification to his narrating: in the beginning scene, we are introduced to Nick post-Gatsby, in a sanitarium for being morbidly alcoholic. Nick is then encouraged by his doctor to write down his memories of New York, an exercise that results in The Great Gatsby as a novel. This is far from anything we absorb from the book, yet Baz Luhrman is developing a Fitzgerald-esque narrator: who was no stranger to sanitariums with his wife Zelda. Nick can provide his own thoughts and interpretations that do not seem out of place, and actually unmask underlying themes and symbols that would normally be difficult to pick up from a movie. Like all book-to-movie adaptations, some aspects had to be omitted to fit timeframes, hold he attention of the audience, etc. Particularly, the film bypasses the half-relationship between Nick and Jordan. In effect, Nick assumes a lesser role in the storyline; although he is present for all major events, he does not actually do much than unite Gatsby and Daisy. Mr. Luhrman rationalizing this change, claiming that he desired to focus on the dominating romance with Jay and Daisy, which is sensible. In addition, Luhrman changes a couple of the characters in order to better fit the film. Speaking of Jordan Baker, she, like Nick, undertakes a smaller role, more of an observer. As I dored Elizabeth Debicki as Jordan, I wish she had been a more integral part of the film. However, the most conspicuous of character changes (aside from Nick as the narrator) belongs to Daisy, who, for some, is a villain in herself, while others agree with Luhrman and Mulligans take on the character. That is, she is made to appear much more desirable to viewers in the film adaptation, in order to fill the typical damsel-in-distress role of most leading ladies in Hollywood. In truth, however, Daisy is shallow and self-centered; and chases only money†old money, at that†rather than love.

Bloodletting And Walking In London free essay sample

Concrete Blonde Bloodletting and Walking in London Concrete Blonde, until about a month ago, was one of those groups I had never heard of, but had heard songs that they had sung without realizing it. However, after seeing the video to Bloodletting (The Vampire Song) on Beevis and Butthead (Please forgive me! I dont like them, but I was watching the show I was bored! ), I picked up the tape, conveniently named after the song. Whoa. The tape blew me away from Bloodletting through Darkening of the Light and The Sky is a Poisonous Garden all the way to Tomorrow, Wendy, the tape surprised me. The song Joey reared its ugly head, a problem to me because of its overplaying by local stations, but that was the only problem with the tape. So naturally, about a week ago, when I saw another Concrete Blonde tape, Walking in London, I picked it up. We will write a custom essay sample on Bloodletting And Walking In London or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Amazing. From the tongue-in-cheek Ghost of a Texas Ladys Man (I like the line I really liked his spirit the best) down to the hyperactive I Wanna Be Your Friend Again, this album is like lightning striking twice! The only real problem I have is that this tape doesnt have Tomorrow, Wendy on it, a real shame since I loved that slow, sad song about mourning and religion so much. Not as good as Bloodletting, but better than average. This leaves two tapes for me to pick up-Concrete Blonde and (I think) Free. At only $8.95 a tape in most stores, these tapes are a real bargain. Pick them up when you can. Youll be shocked at how well they project emotion and how good the lyrics are, and youll also be thrilled by the snazzy rhythms that decorate each tune, and maybe youll find a new favorite song like I did. Each one is a sometimes fun, sometimes sad, sometimes supernatural trip that youll love every step of the way. . Review by P. C., West Buxton, ME

Comparison of Old and New Management Concepts

Comparison of Old and New Management Concepts Introduction Management today is hovering at the edge of the great divide between the old management concept, which is dying and new management concept, which is still being born. The old management concept comprises of classical theories of Henri Fayol, Mac Weber, and Frederick Taylor that was used in managing simple conditions during the industrial age (Drucker Maciariello, 2008).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Comparison of Old and New Management Concepts specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the other hand, the new management concept comprises of human and social factors. Despite the fact that the new stream of management concept has appeared, bewilderment still lingers over what the concept will comprise of when it matures. It is widely accepted that the new concept of management should present individuals with the authority to control their lives, and must ensure that they are answerable for their perf ormances. This article seeks to compare the old and new management concepts. Old verses new management concepts The organization structure of the old management concept was hierarchical in nature. Through this hierarchical model of organizations, the pyramids in Egypt, medieval churches, the great wall in China, and new industries during the industrial age were established (Halal, 2001). It should be noted that the model dominated up to the industrial age because it was an appropriate management custom task performed by uneducated workers. Currently, the information age has resulted in numerous revolutionary forces that have rendered hierarchies outdated. Under the new management concept, corporations have disbanded hierarchy form of organization structures in favor of the internal markets form of organization structures. Compared to the old model, the new model is more precise and flexible. Internal markets have enabled the growth of the power of free markets in the institutions by defining units as small internal enterprise working together within a supportive corporate infrastructure. Through this, ingenuity of small business ventures and the economic power of large corporation markets have been made possible. Another difference between the two concepts of management is that the old management concept was profit-centered model, while the new concept of management is corporate-oriented model (Halal, 2001). During the industrial age, one party gained at the loss of the other. This was realized as management was geared towards making money. In the zealous pursuit of money, managers were often encouraged to disregard social consequences. Although the new concept of management still emphasizes on the need for making profits, it is more geared towards serving the society compared to the old concept.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Curre ntly, managers have become aware that all organizations are comprised of the investors, the public, and the customers. The success of these organizations depends on the managers’ ability to support and manage these groups. It is with no surprise that with the new concept of management the roles of businesses are expanding to form a corporate community with profit being critical but limited goal. The old concept’s management system is mechanistic, while the new concept’s management system is organic (Halal, 2001). Mechanistic system is fixed, while the organic system is dynamic. The organic system comprises of growing and decaying components. In the old management concept, when the system is created the managers are required to focus their attention on the individuals rather than on the system. Concerning the new concept, managers acknowledge that a greater percentage of the output emanates from the design of the system. This implies that under the new concept mo re emphasis is laid on the system to enable the employees to perform effectively. Another difference between the two concepts of management is that the old management operated under old capitalism verses the old socialism environment, whereas the new concept operates under a democratic enterprise (Halal, 2001). In the old management concept, there has been little or no entrepreneurial freedom inside the corporations because they were traditionally managed as centrally planned hierarchies. However, in the last few years, new vitalities have been introduced into the corporate world. As smaller business units emerge, entrepreneurial freedom and accountability for economic results are being embraced. Similarly, the new management concept emphasizes empowerment, participation, collaborative working relations, human values, and other democratic ideals compared to the old concept. Conclusion As noted above, management concepts have gone through some fundamental transformations over the las t few decades. Notably, the organization structure of the old management concept was hierarchical in nature. Under the new management concept, corporations have disbanded hierarchy form of organization structures in favor of the internal markets form of organization structures. Evolving from old capitalistic and socialistic environment, the new management concept has produced bureaucrats who uphold democratic ideals. Equally, the current management concept has evolved from the old profit-centered model to the new corporate-oriented model. It should be noted that although the new concept of management still emphasizes on the need for making profits, it is more geared towards serving the society compared to the old concept. In the future, managers should ensure that new concepts of management should present individuals with the authority to control their lives, and must ensure that they are answerable for their performances.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sam ple on Comparison of Old and New Management Concepts specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More References Drucker, P. F., Maciariello, J. A. (2008). Management. New York, NY: Collins Publishers . Halal, W. E. (2001). The new management: democracy and enterprise are transforming organizations. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

Profile essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Profile - Essay Example Martin Scorsese portrayed in his epic Taxi Driver with the famous dialogue â€Å"you talking to me?† So I decided to talk to one of them and find out what it is that makes them tick. Jose is part of the 2nd generation Mexican living in Phoenix. His parents came to the USA during the 50s and have been living in Phoenix ever since. He never got to finish school but his daughter Gabriella is now in the 3rd grade and he is very proud of it. â€Å"School is important you know, I never got to complete school, but I want my daughter to finish school, get an education.† So was Jose always a cabbie? â€Å"No man, this was purely luck, the thing is that we weren’t all that well off in the beginning. We had a small store in the neighborhood but then that wasn’t doing all too well, and since I was the eldest I had to take odd jobs here and there to help out the family. I started by helping my father in the store with small things but then he wasn’t paying me anything and I wanted to make some money.† With that Jose started working in whatever capacity he could to help out his family and soon he dropped out of school so that he could work full time. Why did he drop out of school? â€Å"Hey back then I didn’t realize how important an education was for me, I mean after you learn to read and write what difference does it make, what’s the point of learning all that other stuff, and with the money I was bringing in, I could help out with my family and to me that was important.† Any regrets about dropping out back then? â€Å"Not really, back then we needed the money so in a way it was justified, but now with our situation better, I’m going to make sure that Gabriella gets nothing but the best.† Josà © worked many jobs, a sort of jack of all trades, he was a handy man for some time, he worked in a shoe shop selling shoes and so on. All small things but it was helping the family and that was all that mattered to him. When he was 20 he landed a job as a docker in a Best Buy

Effects Of Socialisation Processes On Workplace Culture And Human Essay

Effects Of Socialisation Processes On Workplace Culture And Human Resource Management - Essay Example For both humans and animals, this is typically thought to occur during the early stages of life, during which individuals develop the skills and knowledge necessary to function within their culture and environment. However, this also includes adult individuals moving into an environment significantly different from one(s) in which they have previously lived and must thus learn a new set of behaviors. For a human resource manager socialisation involves immersing the individual in the culture and practices of the organisations, where they become aware of the norms, values and attitudes which are consistent with the organisation and its strategy. It is suggested that such practices help to forge a psychological commitment by the individual to the organisation and perhaps encourage employee behaviours which are less predictable (Schuler & Jackson, 1987).Socialisation of employees in an organisation has shown a great importance in the present business scenario. In the last couple of years, attention to organisation socialisation has increased greatly; this is the learning process by which newcomers develop attitudes and behaviour that are necessary to function as a fully-fledged member of the organisation. . More effective and efficient the human resource management is in socialising its employees, the sooner a newcomer can be productive for the organisation. Socialising means to int ernalise or in simple words to make the new employees more incorporated in the culture of the organisation. This is especially true for the future managers, as they frequently point out that they are not well prepared for their tasks and their new identity as managers, but are expected to propagate the company policy. (Joost Ardts, Paul Jansen, Mandy van der Velde, 2001) Effects of Socialisation on Organisational Culture: Now let us see what effect the process of socialisation can have on the culture of an organisation. "Organizational culture is the key to organizational excellence... and the function of leadership is the creation and management of culture..." Edgar Schein (2000) Organizational Culture and Leadership To explain how socialisation works on culture, we watch an experiment. A caged group of monkeys is confronted with a bunch of bananas on bungling from the ceiling. There is a ladder placed invitingly just under the bananas. Immediately some monkeys rush to the ladder. As soon as they start to climb it they are all hosed down, not just the monkeys on the ladder but all the monkeys in the cage. As they don't like water they leave the bananas. One hussy monkey tries again but the same thing happens, all of the monkeys are hosed. Now they watch each other to make sure no one comes near the ladder. Then one monkey is replaced by a new one unaware of ladder-water misery. He sees the bananas and rushes to the ladder, but to his surprise is beaten up by the other monkeys. Now a second monkey is replaced by a new one. He approaches the ladder and is beaten up. The first new monkey who himself had been beaten up participates in the mugging because he wont permit another monkey to do something he himself was not allowed. This continues until all the monkeys are replaced by new monkeys none of them having the experience of being hosed down or even having a faint idea about it. The reason why they won't permit each other to reach for the bananas has become of a metaphysical nature, they have

Dennis Rader: The BTK Killer

Dennis Rader: The BTK Killer When you hear the words SERIAL KILLER, you instantly think about people like Jeffrey Dahmer, Ed Gein, Ted Bundy, or Charles Manson. You dont think about a family man with a wife and two children, county board member, President of the church congregation council, or a Cub Scout leader. Dennis Rader possessed all of these shining attributes. He also possessed a dark secret. This secret had festered in him from an early age and grew as he got older. Dennis Rader had fantasies about bondage, control, and torture which eventually led to murder. Raders reign of terror began in 1977 and ended with his capture in 2005; almost 30 years later. He labeled his victims as projects.3 He hunted his prey in stages he described as the trolling stage and stalking stage.3 He even called the tools used for his trade his hit kit.3 Dennis Rader was a stone cold killer who had no plans of stopping. The letters BTK stands for Bind, Torture and Kill, which was Raders mode of operation and a name he gave to himself. Throughout the years and in numerous communications with the police, he talked about his need for acknowledgment. In the 1990s BTK had disappeared from sight when, without explanation, he re-emerged in 2004. This re-emergence was more than likely due to his need for acknowledgment or public attention. In 2004, Rader started sending multiple letters, clues, and photos to the authorities that led to his capture and arrest in 2005. In the Beginning Dennis Rader was born on March 9, 1945. His parents were William and Dorothea Rader. His family moved to Wichita Kansas when Dennis was little. While growing up, Rader appeared to be a normal child. He was a member of the Boy Scouts and a church youth group member. He attended Riverview Elementary School1 and was described as a student with withdrawn tendencies.1 Rader later admitted that he developed fantasies about bondage, control and torture from an early age, while still in grade school.1 As he got older, he had fantasies about tying girls up and having his way with them.1 He also admitted to killing cats and dogs as a youth by hanging them.1 He began to perfect the art of hiding his dark secret from everyone at an early age. 1974-The Killing Begins It all started when a family of four, the Otero Family, was brutally and maliciously murdered in their home on January 15th, 1974. These four murders, along with six others, would leave the authorities, media, people of Wichita Kansas, and people around the world baffled and in fear for the next 30 years. A killer was on the loose and Bind, Torture, Kill was his mode of operation. Joseph Sr., Julie, Joseph II, and Josephine Otero were the BTK Killers first victims. Their family consisted of the husband, wife, and 5 children. Only two of the children were murdered and they were the children that were home on the day of the murders. These murders occurred in the early morning hours. Dennis Rader invaded their home at gunpoint and ordered everyone into a bedroom where he tied them up. He tried to kill Joseph Sr. first by putting a bag over his head and pulling tight, but somehow a hole was torn in the bag. He later went back and put another bag over Joseph Sr. head and strangling him with a cord. Julie Otero was the second victim to be killed by Rader. He tried to kill Julie with his hands at first but when that didnt work, he strangled her with a cord. Nine year old Joseph II was the third victim. Joseph was moved to another bedroom and suffocated with two bags placed on his head. The fourth and final victim, on this day, was Josephine Otero. She was eleven year s old. Rader took Josephine to the basement of their house and hung her from the drainage pipe. Rader admitted to having sexual fantasies after she was hung.3 He masturbated on her legs and a pipe near where she was hung. His DNA left at the scene was later matched to other killings. BTKs fifth victim was Katherine Bright. She was killed by Rader in April 1974; just four short months after the Oteros were murdered. She was 21 years old. Radar broke into her house and waited for her to come home but he didnt expect for her brother (Kevin Bright) to be with her. He made her brother tie her up first, and then he tied her brother up in another room in the house. Kathryn put up a fight for her life and was eventually stabbed several times by Rader. She later died in the hospital. Her brother escaped during Raders fight with Kathryn but was shot in the head while he fled. Kevin may be the only person to see the serial killer and live (although his description still didnt help the police capture BTK in the 70s). 1977-The Killing Continues It had been 3 years since the Otero family and Kathryn Bright was brutally murdered by the BTK Killer. His sixth victim was Shirley Vian Relford, 24. Rader admitted in court that Relfords murder was completely random.3 He actually planned on killing a particular person but when he went to knock on the door, no one answered. After continuing to troll the neighborhood, he knocked on one other door and got no response. He approached a little boy, watched what house the little boy went into and followed him. When he got inside the house, he put Shirleys three young children in the bathroom and then tied Shirley up and strangled her. He left his semen on some panties that were found next to her body. December 1977, BTK struck again. This time his victim was Nancy Fox, 25. She was victim number 7 and Rader labeled her as Project Fox Hunt5. He had apparently been watching Fox for a long time, stalking her. He would go by her house several times, rummage through her mailbox to find out what her name was, and stalked her at her job.3 On this night in December, he went by her house and knocked on her door but when no one answered, he broke in. He waited in her house in the kitchen and when she got home, he told her he was going to rape her and tied her to the bed. Afterwards, he strangled her. He left semen on a nightgown that was found next to her body. Rader later described Foxs murder as the perfect hit6(pp. 53) because he said that there was no interference in the killing. 1985-Eight Years Later Eight years after Nancy Fox was murdered, BTK was back on the scene and ready for his next victim. That victim was Marine Hedge, 53. Rader labeled her as Project Cookie.6(pp. 92) The sad part about this murder is that Hedge lived on the same street as Rader; only six doors down to be exact. He broke into her house and waited for her. When she came home, she was not alone. She had a male friend with her so Rader hid out in the house and waited for her male friend to leave. Once her male friend left, Rader strangled her in her bed with his bare hands. Hedge was the first victim where Rader moved the body from the house after killing them. He took her body to his churchs basement and posed it for photographs. Her body was later found in a ditch on the roadside. 1986-Victim #9 On September 16, 1986, Vicki Wegerle became BTKs ninth victim. She was 28 years old. Rader used trickery to get in to Wegerles house. He posed as a telephone repair man3 with a uniform and a hard hat. He called his outfit for this murder his hit clothes.3 When he got into her house, he pulled a gun on her and attacked her. She put up a fight for her life but he eventually overpowered her and strangled her with a nylon sock. He also posed her body for photographs as he had previously done to Hedge. It was later found out that Vicki was not dead when Rader left her house; he only thought she was dead. She later died when the paramedics couldnt revive her. 1991-Final Victim-5 years later BTKs last and final victim was Delores Davis, who was murdered on January 19, 1991. She was 62 years old. By this time, a decade had passed since BTK began his killing spree. Rader had previously cased the place before3 and this time she was in the house. It appears as though Rader had gotten lazy by the 10th murder because he threw a concrete cinder block through Daviss patio glass door and bombarded his way into her house. He made no attempt to conceal the noise that the shattering glass made. He pretended to be a wanted criminal and eventually strangled Davis. She was the second victim that Rader had moved from the location of the murder. Her body was dumped under a bridge. She too was posed and photographed after being killed. Raders mask was left by her face. The Investigation The BTK investigation began in the mid 1970s, spanned the length of 30 years, and concluded with the arrest and conviction of Dennis Rader in 2005. In the early 1980s, the Wichita Police Chief created a secret task force6(pp.86) of special investigators to work on the BTK case. They were the team that hunted BTK. This team was called the Ghostbusters.6(pp. 85) There were tons of calls and tips throughout the BTK investigation. Investigators came up with lists to eliminate and compare suspects. They put together a list with tens of thousands of names 6 (pp.88) This list included men who went to the local college, men who worked with any of the victims, men who were between 21 and 35 years of age in 1974 and lived in the county6(pp. 88), and mostly men with any kind of sex/torture/perverse/stalking behavior on their criminal record. Several of the detectives went door-to-door to most of these suspects houses and asked outright if they would submit to DNA testing. Suspects who were unwi llingly to be tested were placed under surveillance. In the Otero murders, police interviewed more than 1500 people6(pp. 31) to no avail. Police originally thought that organized crime families or drugs may have been involved in the family murders. Some police didnt want to accept the fact that a serial killer may have been on the loose or that there were similarities in the Otero and Bright killings. It wasnt until BTK starting sending the police clues about the murders that they put it all together and realized that a serial killer was on the loose. Three of the victims worked at the same location; Colemans. Even when Kathryns brother Kevin (who survived the attack) gave the police a description of his attacker, they never caught him. Even with all of the man hours and leg work put into the investigation, BTK was not caught back then. From 1991 until 2004, when BTK resumed communication with the police, the trail for the serial killer had gone completely cold. Search and Arrest Warrants and Subpoenas There were several search and arrest warrants issued in the BTK case in the later years. In the beginning, there was mostly list compiling and DNA tests done to eliminate suspects but no definite leads as to who BTK was. There were too many suspects and police kept hitting dead ends. In December 2004, the television station KSN reported that Roger Valadez had been arrested in connection with the BTK killings. The report was based on an anonymous tip that was inaccurate. Mr. Valadez was arrested early that morning on charges of criminal trespassing and housing code violations12 but it was somehow leaked that he was a suspect in the BTK murders. A search warrant was executed on his home. He was cleared by DNA tests of any criminal activity related to the BTK killer.6(pp. 227) Valadez later sued the television station and won. In 2005, police obtained a warrant for the medical records of Raders daughter (Kerri Rader) which was a familial match with semen collected at an earlier crime sc ene.13 His daughters DNA match and other evidence that police had accumulated while surveilling Rader gave them probable cause for a search warrant. Raders home, vehicle, church and office were also searched for evidence after the warrant was executed. Also, a search warrant for Raders DNA was executed after he was arrested. He was cheek swabbed while in police custody. Four swabs were taken; two were immediately sent to the county forensic lab and the other two went to the forensic lab in Topeka, Kansas. 6(pp. 269) Interviews Rader was interviewed by the police in 2005. He talked in the third person as though Dennis Rader was someone else. He ducked questions for many hours. Rader gave away nothing during his interview. He spoke to the detectives as equals, noting that he too was in law enforcement.6 Interrogations In September 1986, Bill Wegerle was interrogated by the police and suspected of killing his wife Vicki Wegerle. He was given two lie detector tests and he failed both.6(pp. 102) He was interrogated for hours and asked a lot of probing questions about his and his wifes relationship. Wegerle told the police that on his way home from work, he saw his own car ride right by him and he saw someone else driving it but he didnt think anything of it at the time.16 They mainly wondered how he sat in the house for forty-five minutes before he found her body.6(pp. 101) The police did not believe Bill initially but later contributed him failing both lie detector tests to the stress of a grieving husband. Dennis Rader was interrogated by FBI profiler Bob Morton and Wichita Police Lt. Ken Landwehr shortly after his arrest in 2005. He was arrested on February 25, 2005 as a suspect in the BTK killings. He was formally charged with the murders on February 28, 2005.9 It was during this interrogation that Dennis Rader confessed to being the BTK killer. His 16 hour confession was given in full and of his own free will and recorded on over 20 DVDs.9 Rader knew that he was going to kill again and he told the officers who interrogated him this. He was already in the process of stalking his next victim when he was arrested. Seizure and Analysis of Forensic Evidence There was a ton of evidence and more than enough to get a conviction once BTK was captured. Due to his sexual perversion, he left semen at most of the locations of his killings. Although BTK wasnt caught until 3 decades later, the case was never closed and police had evidence stored from all of the crime scenes. Rader stayed in contact with police through the years taunting them and sending them clues that would later be used to catch and convict him. For example, Rader was so pleased with himself after he killed Nancy Fox that he called the police the next morning to gloat about it. He spoke 15 words during a three-second span of a seven second recording. The audio quality of the call, taped at a slow speed, so was poor it was not released to the public until August 1979. The tape was sent to the Washington DC, FBI laboratory but it was too brief and distorted by background noise to make a comparison voiceprint.5 This tape was kept as evidence and more than likely presented during R aders trial. Semen was found on or near the bodies of his victims Josephine Otero, Shirley Vian and Nancy Fox; all of the semen was matched to Rader. Also, DNA obtained from fingernail scrapings of Vicki Wegerles left hand matched Raders DNA, eliminating any doubt that he was her murderer. High tech forensic computer detection was used to get evidence off of the disk Rader mailed to a Wichita television station in February 2005. This is how Rader was caught. Using this high tech computer, residual information left over on the disk identified the last person who had used the disk: someone named Dennis. It was also learned that the disk had been used on computers registered to two local organizations, Christ Lutheran Church and Park City Library. An internet search on the churchs name provided the name of the congregations president: Dennis Rader.14 Summary Its sad to say that if he had maintained his silence after his last murder in 1991, BTK would still be a free man today, writing citations and catching dogs for the city of Park City. He probably would have never been caught. But his ego was way too big for his own good, and he just had to let everyone know he was still at large. He wanted to taunt the police with the fact that BTK was still on the loose after 3 decades. His cockiness led to his downfall. Had these murders occurred today, I believe that he would have been caught before he got the chance to kill ten people. Today, we have much more advanced technologies than investigators had in the 70s and ways to gets results faster. Rader left entirely too many clues and had entirely way too much correspondence with the police over the years for them to not have caught him long ago. Some of his murders were way too sloppy and although he had a college education, he didnt appear to be intelligent enough to outsmart 3 decades worth o f police investigators. That is probably the reason why as soon as he re-emerged in 2004, he was caught. Although he planned to kill others, that same year, he never got the chance. Dennis Rader pled guilty to 10 counts of first degree murder and was found guilty and sentenced on August 18, 2005. He was sentenced to 10 consecutive life terms, which require a minimum of 175 years without a chance of parole. Because Kansas had no death penalty at the time the murders were committed, life imprisonment was the maximum penalty allowed by law. His earliest possible release date is February 26, 2180. Rader, 60, will spend the rest of his life at the maximum-security El Dorado Correctional Facility near Wichita. Other cold cases in Kansas were reopened to see if Raders DNA matched crime scenes, but Raders confession was limited to the 10 known victims and police and prosecutors do not believe there were any more victims because of the extensive records and memorabilia he kept on each of his victims.9 During Raders sentencing hearing, the families of the victims were given the chance to give victim impact statements describing how the murders have effected and continues to effect their lives. The families got a chance to speak on behalf of their loved ones who are no longer here because of BTK. C, Si, Ge Doped (6,3) Chiral BNNTs: A Computational Study C, Si, Ge Doped (6,3) Chiral BNNTs: A Computational Study The C, Si, Ge Doped (6,3) Chiral BNNTs: A Computational Study Mohammad Reza Zardoost a,*, Behnam Dehbandib , Marjan Dehbandib Abstract: Electronic structure properties including bond lengths, bond angles, dipole moments ( µ), energies, band gaps, NMR parameters of the isotropic and anisotropic chemical shielding parameters for the sites of various atoms were calculated using density functional theory for C , Si , Ge doped (6,3) Chiral BNNTs. The calculations indicated that average bond lengths were as: Ge-N > Si-N > C-N and Ge-B > Si-B > C-B. The dipole moments for C, Si, and Ge doped (6, 3) Chiral BNNTs structures show fairly large changes with respect to the pristine model. Keywords: NMR, Nanotube, DFT, Dipole moment 1. Introduction Since the early times that carbon nanotube (CNT) was discovered by Iijima [1], the physical, chemical and structural properties and applications of this material have been investigated extensively [2–4]. The properties of CNTs are mostly dependent on the tubular diameter, doped atoms in the structure and chirality, which make their synthesis for the specific purposes difficult. A lot of studies have been done in the investigation of stable structures of non-carbon based nanotubes, among them boron-nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) have a great importance [5]. The stable tubular structure of BNNT was initially found by calculations [6] and later was successfully synthesized [7]. After this time, a large growing number of experimental and theoretical studies, specifically ab initio calculations on carbon-, silicon- and germanium substituted BN nanotubes have been performed on the electronic structures of the BNNTs [8–11]. The results show that C, Si and Ge replacements can induce spontaneous magnetization with different deformation in the nanotube [12]. At the present time, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy [13-14] is the best technique to study the electronic structure properties of materials. Doping of Chiral BNNTs by C, Si, Ge atoms changes their properties and so the interactions of the nanotube and foreign atoms or molecules. (see Fig. 1). In this work we studied the electronic structure properties, including bond lengths, bond angles, dipole moments ( µ), energies, band gaps, and NMR parameters in the C, Si, Ge doped Chiral BNNTs structures. a b c d e f g 2. Computational methods All calculations were performed using Gaussian 98 computational package [15] with density functional theory (DFT) method using Becke’s three-parameter hybrid exchange functions with the correlation functions of Lee, Yang, Parr (B3LYP) [16,17] using 6-31G (d) basis set [18]. Previously it has been found that the calculated NMR parameters at the B3LYP and B3PW91 levels have a good agreement with the experiment [19]. It is shown that B3LYP gives reasonable and even accurate band gap values for nanotubes [19] so this function is chosen for band gap calculations. In the present study, we considered a pristine (6,3) chiral BNNTs of diameter 6.6 Ã… and 10.1 Ã… length. This BNNT model consists of 42 Boron, 42 Nitrogen and 18 hydrogens (B42N42H18) B and N sites of this BNNT are doped by C, Si, Ge (see Fig. 1). We have seven models, namely pristine (Fig. 1a), or with a B or N atom doped by C, i.e., the B-C-B or N-C-N model (Fig. 1b, c), doped by a Si atom, i.e., the B-Si-B or N-Si-N model (Fig. 1d, e), doped by a Ge atom, i.e., the B-Ge-B or N-Ge-N model (Fig. 1f, g). We investigated the influence of the C, Si, and Ge doping on the properties of the (6,3) Chiral BNNTs. The hydrogenated models of the pristine (6,3) Chiral BNNTs and the three atoms doped models of BNNTs consisted of 102 atoms with formulas of B42N42H18 (pristine), CB41N42H18 and CB42N41H18 (B-C-B or N-C-N model), SiB41N42H18 and SiB42N41H18 (B-Si-B or N-Si-N model), GeB41N42H18 and GeB42N41H18 (B-Ge-B or N-Ge-N model). The calculated CS tensors in the principal axis system (PAS) with the order of ÏÆ'33 > ÏÆ'22 > ÏÆ'11 [20] for C, Si, and Ge doping for the investigated models of the (6,3) Chiral BNNTs were converted into measurable NMR parameters (isotropic chemical shielding (CSI) and anisotropic chemical shielding (CSA) p arameters) using Eqs. (1) and (2) [23], summarized in Tables 3-6. CSI(ppm)= (ÏÆ'11+ ÏÆ'22+ ÏÆ'33) (1) CSA(ppm)= ÏÆ'33(ÏÆ'11+ ÏÆ'22) (2) For NQR parameters, computational calculations do not directly detect experimentally measurable NQR parameters, nuclear quadrupole coupling constant (CQ), and asymmetry parameter (). Therefore, Eqns. (3) and (4) are used to convert the calculated EFG (electric field gradient) tensors in the principal axis system (PAS) with the order of |qzz| > |qyy| > |qxx| to their proportional experimental parameters; CQ is the interaction energy of nuclear electric quadrupole moment () with the EFG tensors at the sites of quadrupole nuclei (Nuclei with nuclear spin angular momentum greater than >1/2), but the asymmetry parameter () is a measure of the EFG tensors, which describes the deviation from tubular symmetry at the sites of quadrupole nuclei. The standard Q value (Q (11B) = 40.59 mb) reported by Pyykkà ¶ [21] is used in Eq. (3). The NQR parameters of 11B nuclei for the investigated models of the (6,3) BNNTs are summarized in Table 7. (3) (4) 3. Results and discussion 3.1. Structures of the (6,3) Chiral BNNTs The structural properties consisting of the B-N bond lengths, bond angles, dipole moments ( µ), energies, and band gaps for the investigated models of the (6,3) Chiral BNNTs are given in Table 1 and Table 2. R1, R2, and R3 are B-X-B and N-X-N bond lengths (doped atom and its neighbors). ÃŽ ±, ÃŽ ², and ÃŽ ³ are B-X-B and N-X-N angles. There are Six forms of C, Si, Ge doped Chiral BNNTs for the (6,3) Chiral model. These calculations indicated that the average of the (X = C, Si, Ge) bond lengths of the B-X-B and N-X-N models is larger than those the pristine models. The reason seems to be increasing of atomic radius going from carbon to Ge. The bond angles produce some structural deformations that are responsible for deformation in structure by changing the doped atom size respect to carbon. For the B-X-B and N-X-N (X = C, Si, Ge) models, the diameter values are larger than those the pristine models. It has worth to be noted that the significant changes of geometries are just for those atoms placed in the nearest neighborhood of X atom and those of other atoms almost remained unchanged. 3.2. Energy band structure and density of states Table2. Energy, LUMO, HOMO, LUMO-HOMO gap, dipole moment ÃŽ ¼, and electronegativity (χ) of the studied structures at B3LYP/6-31G(d). The total densities of states (DOS) of these tubes are presented in Fig. 2. As can be seen from Fig. 2, the calculated HOMO-LUMO gap (band gap) of the (6,3) Chiral BNNTs is 6.2 (eV) and the calculated band gaps of the C , Si , Ge doped models molecular orbital’s are 3.5,5.8 , 5.0 , 5.0 , 5.5 and 5.0 (eV) respectively (See Table 2). Doping of C, Si, and Ge in these tubes causes significant changes in the gaps of the DOS plots. In comparison with the pristine model, the band gaps of these models are reduced that increase their electrical conductance. These results indicated that the doping of C, Si, Ge atom by B, N atoms B-X-B and N-X-N model (X=C, Si, Ge) has more influence on the band gap of the Chiral BNNTs (see Table 2). By increasing atomic number and size polarizability increases that enhances dipole moment. Dipole moments ( µ) of the C, Si, Ge doped Chiral BNNTs structures (Fig. 1) indicate slightly changes with respect to the pristine model. 3.3. NMR parameters of the (6,3) Chiral BNNTs The NMR parameters for the investigated models of the (6,3) Chiral BNNTs are tabulated in Table 3, 4, 5 and Table 6. In the pristine model of the (6,3) Chiral BNNTs, there are 42 B atoms and 42 N atoms in the considered model and the NMR parameters are separated into five layers and six Columns, which means that the CS parameters for the atoms of each layer and Column have equivalent chemical environment and electrostatic properties. In Fig. 1b,c,d,e ,f,g the B and N atoms has been replaced by the C, Si, Ge atoms. Table 3 Isotropic shielding parameters of the studied structures at B3LYP/6-31G(d) The calculated results in Table 3 indicate that doping C, Si, and Ge slightly changes the NMR parameters of the various B and N atoms in (Fig.1b–g) of the Si, Ge, C doped(6,3) Chiral SWBNNTs except for the N25 and N27 atoms for which the changes are significant. Because among the atoms of (Fig.1b–e) B–X model (X= C, Si, Ge), the N25 and N27 atoms are the nearest neighbors of the C, Si, and Ge atoms; hence, both the CSI and CSA parameters show the most significant changes due to the C, Si, Ge doping. Also, changes in the CSI parameters of the N10 and N12 atoms, which are the next nearest neighbors of the C, Si, Ge atoms, are also notable. There are differences between the properties of the electronic structures of C, Si, Ge atoms. Comparison of the calculated NMR parameters in (Fig. 1b–g) indicates that the properties of the electronic structure of the Ge doped (6,3) Chiral SWBNNTs are more influenced than those of the Si–N model, where the N atom is doped by the Si atom. We studied the electronic energies of the models. The changes in the NMR parameter due to the C, Si, and Ge doping are more significant for the N–Si, N–Ge, N-C models with the pristine model. 3.2. NQR parameters The 11B NQR parameters (ÃŽ ·Q and CQ) in the geometrically optimized SWBNNT models were calculated from the EFG tensors. The results are tabulated in Table 7. A quick look at the results reveals that the calculated NQR parameters are not similar for various nuclei; therefore, the electrostatic environment of BNNT is not equivalent in length in all BNNT models. Since, in contrast with CNTs, the ends of BNNTs are different, the NQR values decrease from each end to the opposite end of the chiral model. It was proved before that the end nuclei in the SW-BNNTs are crucial to their growth and also field emission properties [22, 23]. Since no experimental NQR data for BNNTs are available in the literature, the tables do not include any reference experimental data for the calculated results. B17 and B46 in all models have the largest CQ that states greater orientation of the EFG tensor eigenvalues along the z-axis of the electronic distribution at the sites of the 11B17 and 11B46 nuclei. The electrostatic environments of atom B17 and B46 are stronger than in the other layers along the length of the tube. The largest change in CQ is due to B46, located in the layer of doped atoms, because doping changes the geometrical parameters and hence the electronic behavior of atoms. Table 8 The 11B NQR parametersThe highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) in the pristine, and C–X (X=B, N) models are plotted in Fig. 3. For the pristine model, HOMO and LUMO are uniformly distributed throughout the B–N bonds, whereas, in the C–X model (X=B, N) models, HOMO and LUMO are highly localized at the doped regions. (see Fig. 3) In comparison with the pristine model, band gaps of the C, Si, and Ge doped models increased their electrical conductance. Conclusion We studied the electronic structure properties including bond lengths, bond angles, dipole moments (ÃŽ ¼), energies, band gaps, the NMR parameter of the six C, Si, Ge doped SWBNNTs models by means of DFT calculations. The calculated results indicated that the average Ge-B bond lengths of the Ge-N model are larger than those the pristine and the C–B, C–N, Si–B, Si-N and Ge-B models: Ge–N>Si–N>Ge–B>Si–B>C–N>Pure>C-B. The values of dipole moments (ÃŽ ¼) of the six C, Si, Ge doped SWBNNTs are Ge–N> Si–N> Ge–B> C–N> Pure> Si–B > C-B. In comparison with the pristine model, the band gaps of the six C, Si, Ge doped models are reduced and their electrical conductance increased as: C–B > Si–B = Si–N = Ge–N > Ge–B > C-N. The NMR values for the B and N atoms directly bound to the C, Si, and Ge in the C, Si, and Ge doped models are significantly changed. Comparison of the calculated NMR parameters in the X–B and X-N (X=C, Si, Ge) models shows that the properties of the electronic structure of the X-B doped (6,3) Chiral SWBNNTs are more influenced than X–N model in Fig. 1b–g. The electronic sites of the B and N atoms in X-N model have greater effects than X-B model in Fig. 1 in the C, Ge, and Si doping processes. References [1]S. Iijima, Single-shell carbon nanotubes of 1-nm diameter, Nature 354 (1991) 56. [2]H. Terrones, F. Lopez-Urias, E. Muooz-Sandoval, J.A. Rodriguez-Manzo, A. Zamudio, A.L. Elias, M. Terrones, Magnetization of carbon-doped MgO nanotube, Solid State Sci. 8 (2006) 303. [3]F. Moreau, R. Langlet, P.h. Lambin, P.P. Kuzhir, D.S. Bychanok, S.A. Maksimenko, Dielectric properties of a novel high absorbing onion-like-carbon based polymer composite, Solid State Sci. 11 (2009) 1752. [4]R. Joshi, J. Engstler, P. Haridoss, J.J. Schneider, Formation of carbon nanotubes from a silicon carbide/carbon composite,Solid State Sci. 11 (2009) 422. [5]A. Loiseau, F. Willaime, N. Demoncy, N. Schramcheko, G. Hug, C. Colliex, H. Pascard, Mathematical modeling for the simulation of heavy metal ions, Carbon 36 (1998) 743. [6]X. Blase, A. Rubio, S.G. Louie, M.L. Cohen, Stability and band gap constancy of boron-nitride nanotubes, Eur. Phys. Lett. 28(1994) 335. [7]N.G. Chopra, R.J. Luyken, K. Cherrey, V.H. Crespi, M.L. Cohen, S.G. Louie, A. Zettl, Boron-nitride nanotubes, Science 269 (1995) 966. [8]L. Guo, R.N. Singh, Catalytic growth of boron nitride nanotubes using gas precursors, Physica E 41 (2009) 448. [9]B. Fakrach, A. Rahmani, H. Chadli, K. Sbai, J.-L. Sauvajol, Raman spectrum of single-walled boron nitride nanotube, Physica E 41 (2009) 1800. [10]M. Mirzaei, An electronic structure study of O-terminated zigzag BN nanotubes, Physica E 41 (2009) 883. [11]M. Giahi, M. Mirzaei, Computational NQR study of a boron nitride nanocone, Z. Naturforsch. A 64 (2009) 251. [12]J. Wu, W. Zhang, Chem. Phys. Lett. 457 (2008) 169. [13]R. R. Zope, B.I. Dunlap, Phys. Rev. B. 72 (2005) 45439-6. [14]F.A. Bovey, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Academic Press, San Diego, 1988. [15]M.J. Frisch, G.W. Trucks, H.B. Schlegel, G.E. Scuseria, M.A. Robb, J.R. Cheese- man, V.G. Zakrzewski, J.A. Montgomery Jr., R.E. Stratmann, J.C. Burant, S. Dapprich, J.M. Millam, A.D. Daniels, K.N. Kudin, M.C. Strain, O. Farkas, J. Tomasi, V. Barone, M. Cossi, R. Cammi, B. Mennucci, C. Pomelli, C. Adamo, S. Clifford, J. Ochterski, G.A. Petersson, P.Y. Ayala, Q. Cui, K. Morokuma, D.K. Malick, A.D. Rabuck, K. Raghavachari, J.B. Foresman, J. Cioslowski, J.V. Ortiz, A.G. Baboul, B.B. Stefanov, G. Liu, A. Liashenko, P. Piskorz, I. Komaromi, R. Gomperts, R.L. Martin, D.J. Fox, T. Keith, M.A. Al-Laham, C.Y. Peng, A. Nanayakkara, C. Gonzalez, M. Challacombe, P.M.W. Gill, B. Johnson, W. Chen, M.W.Wong, J.L. Andres, C. Gonzalez, M. Head-Gordon, E.S. Replogle, J.A. Pople, GAUSSIAN 98, Gaussian, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA, 1998. [16]A.D. Becke, J. Chem. Phys. 98 (1993) 5648-5652. [17]C. Lee, W. Yang, R. G. Parr, Phys. Rev. B. 37 (1988) 785. [18]G. A. Petersson and M. A. Al-Laham, J. Chem. Phys. 94, 6081 (1991). [19]M. Mirzaei, N.L. Hadipour, J Phys Chem A. 110 (2006) 4833-4838. [20]Y. Matsuda, J. Tahir-Kheli and W. A. Goddard, The Journal of Physical Chemistry letters 1 (2010) 2946. [21]R.S.Drago,Physical Methods for Chemists,second ed. ,Saunders College, Florida, 1992. [21]P. Pyykkà ¶, Mol. Phys. 99 (2001) 1617. [22] S. Hou, Z. Shen, J. Zhang, X. Zhao, Z. Xue, Chem. Phys. Lett. 393 (2004) 179. [23] E. Bengu, L.D. Marks, Phys. Rev. Lett. 86 (2001) 2385.