The Fundamental Role Of Concrete In Roman Architecture History Essay

The Fundamental Role Of Concrete In Roman Architecture History Essay The development of concrete in Roman style architecture was of great use in producing many world famous, monumental buildings that are representative of the Roman era. Not only did concrete provide a unique scheme in the production of Roman architecture, it was also a convenient and functional tool when other raw materials were unattainable. In this essay, I will discuss the development of concrete, concretes properties, surfacing techniques, concretes ease of use and labour requirements, and the construction of the famous Pantheon as a prominent example of the immense benefits of concrete to the Romans. Concrete was not invented by the Romans, but simply an adaptation of different mortar usages in earlier construction. MacDonald describes a mortar as, materials of mixed composition in a semi-fluid state at the time of construction. Because Romans didnt possess marble quarries like the Greeks, mortar became the practical alternative. Volcanic rock was the most common building material located in the Italian region, and was therefore, the most basic tool to create mortar, which would develop into useful concrete. As early as the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C., the observation of limestone walls with rock debris between each stone was made in Pompey. From this point onward, Roman concrete and mortar use became more and more prominent and by the late 3rd century B.C., Romans had improved the recipe of mortar to include lime and clay. When combined with different types of filling elements, also known as aggregates, as well as different types of facings, Roman mortars were able to create stro ng and dense walls. By the 1st century, the use of concrete is said to have been perfected by the Romans. In order for concrete to become a useful building technology, the properties of concrete must be carefully examined. The Romans used concrete for a wide variety of purposes. Concrete has been used in Roman buildings as strong base foundations, as well as in the highest vaults. In order to give structure and substance to mortar, aggregates, or stones of different sizes mixed into the mortar, were used. Not only did aggregates give mortar structure and substance by increasing the mortars mass, but they also helped to strengthen the building material. Aggregates were an essential part of concrete construction because they work together with mortar to defy crushing that can be caused by immense weights. This is clearly important when concrete was used as a foundation. Different types of stone were used to produce aggregates dependent upon the use of the concrete. For strong solid base foundations, heavier rock materials were used. In these types of foundation, aggregate was often times two thirds of the volume of the entire fabric. For lighter concrete forms, including high vaulting, lighter rock materials (such as pumice) were used. Debris from destroyed structures was also a common form of aggregate, including buildings and sculptures. Concrete is an indefinite, nearly fluid substance from the time that it is mixed to the time that it is set. Composed of lime, clay and aggregate, dry concrete is mixed with water, and this compound (opus caementicum) will harden into a solid mass. With this property in mind, Roman concrete construction was relatively simple. Generally wooden frames were set to pour the concrete mixture into and allow it to harden. Therefore, to produce this type of Roman architecture, both a mortar substance and a frame were necessary. Until Augustan times, the concrete used by Romans was a simple lime mortar. When limestone is burned, quicklime is produced. This quicklime is then slaked to produce calcium hydroxide, which is then mixed with sand. Once evaporated, calcium carbonate crystals are formed. These crystals are the fundamental bonding element of this basic concrete. Mixing more sand with the crystals increases the mortars strength because the crystals bind to coarse surfaces. A great benefit of concrete use was fireproofing buildings. By the late 2nd century B.C., a new kind of mortar came into existence that not only aided in fire proofing the structural design, but also in waterproofing it. Romans came across a type of volcanic ash near the city of Pozzuoli, Italy, which they used to create fine cement that reacts in a different manner than the simple lime mortar. This type of mortar is called pozzolana, and is also known as hydraulic cement. Pozzolana is composed of silicates and aluminates. When combined with lime, pozzolana forms a hydrated silicate of calcium. Comparatively, this combination of chemicals does not need to lose water through an evaporative process; it actually retains water into its structure. In doing so, pozzolana mortars can set in damp areas. This new found type of concrete was of great importance in waterproofing buildings. It helped to prevent decay and corrosion to buildings, allowing them to survive longer. Pozzolana is one of the most standard features of concrete in central Italy. To further aid the waterproofing of concrete, different types of stone facings were developed. Facings were originally used to protect the surfaces of concrete. Typically, facings of stone and other material were set into wet concrete to create a strong casing when the concrete dried. Facings are of valuable importance in dating buildings, and there are several different types that evolved over the centuries. During the late 2nd Century B.C., Opus Incertum, or concrete faced with small irregular shaped stones, was commonly seen. Concrete faced with small four sided stones in a definite pattern, called Opus Reticulatum, is dated shortly after 100 B.C. Opus Testaceum, concrete faced with brick, was found throughout the early empire until the 4th century B.C. Opus Mixtum is concrete facing characterized by a combination of brick and stone in a decorative pattern, and dated from the same period as the former. Principally, concrete facings were both practical and decorative, used for prot ection as well as ornamentation. For the Romans, using concrete in constructing buildings was just as convenient as it was practical. In terms of labour, the majority of workers necessary to complete any type of Roman structure did not need to be skilled or educated. Generally, the only highly skilled workers that were involved in the projects included the architect, the master masons and master carpenters. The tasks of mixing, carrying, hauling and pouring concrete were performed by rather unskilled labourers. This same demographic also fit into the category of creating forms into which the concrete would be poured. The timetables of such workers were scheduled around the drying of the concrete. It was certainly possible for Roman architecture to be built of stone, but this type of work would require labourers to dress the stones to exact dimensions, a more challenging task than that of concrete use. Because of this fact, the ease of using concrete made it a more prevalent type of building technology. Designed by Roman Emperor Hadrian, The Pantheon is a prime example of concrete use by the early Romans. Hadrian was known for advancement in the vaulted style, and The Pantheon exemplifies this style with its impressive concrete work. Work on The Pantheon began sometime between July of 118 A.D. and July of 119 A.D., and was completed between the years of 125 and 128 A.D. During the period of construction, concrete was used vastly. The Pantheon is built on a foundation of concrete, nearly 90 percent of the intermediate block and rotunda is made of concrete, and roughly 5,000 metric tons of concrete make up The Pantheons dome. As in many concrete buildings, The Pantheons construction was completed in levels, where different strengths of aggregate were used in each plane. The Pantheon is said to have five different layers of concrete with five separate types of aggregate. Naturally, the lowest level contains the densest and most cohesive aggregate. As the levels of concrete ascend, a lighter form of aggregate is used than the previous layer. The dome of The Pantheon is made of the lightest aggregate in the entire structure, pumice. The Pantheons major features were methodically configured. Carpenters were required to construct castings used to pour concrete for foundations. The rotunda walls were created by pouring a dense concrete and aggregate mixture into short, wide trenches. Once dried, more concrete was set atop the original trench in layers, until the dome terrace was reached. At this point, the dome had to be poured. The dome is one of the greatest features of The Pantheon. Again, the concrete that was used to create the dome was poured on to a wooden form built in a half sphere shape. The dome form was held in place with wooden struts and timber to allow a light aggregate concrete mixture to dry atop it. Castings of coffers, or sunken panels, were attached to the wooden form to create the domes intricate detail. As the dome was being poured, circular brick dams in the form of step-ring buttraces formed the domes exterior. Step upon step, concrete was poured until it reached the more nearly horizontal region of the dome, where tacky concrete was used. At the top most point, vertically set horizontal tiles finished the dome. As one of the greatest achievements of concrete work, The Pantheon represents the fundamental function of concrete in Roman Architecture. It is obvious that concrete played an essential role in the construction of Roman buildings. The development and adaptation of concrete in the Roman world was the most practical means of construction. Not only was concrete an available source of building material, constructing with concrete was also an uncomplicated and efficient technique. Fire and water proofing of Roman buildings were just a few of the practical functions that concrete provided. Concretes properties allowed for Roman architecture to survive throughout the centuries; because such a useful material was discovered and widely utilized, we are still able to view and study some of the worlds most brilliant structures.

Content Of Professional Ethics For Accountants Accounting Essay

Content Of Professional Ethics For Accountants Accounting Essay Introduction Code of professional conduct for accountants, is the basic content of professional ethics for accountants, which the accountants should follow in the occupation activity and is used to adjust the behavior of accountants. Along with the economic development, the behavior standards, the working types and the social environment has had the change largely. Meanwhile, peoples ideology and value is also changing. And the code of ethics for professional accountants to engender ethical behavior is ineffective. Lovell (1995) said: Much criticism has been arisen at the accounting profession, such as the failure of accounting documents and the failure of the accountancy profession satisfactorily to take account of the public interest in the determination of the future of accounting and auditing practice. Many problems have risen, such as, accounting information untruthful, accounting actions nonstandard. It disarranges  the order of the accounting profession. So commentators have questioned t he effectiveness of the code. In this article, it will discuss why the code of professional conduct for accountants is ineffective. It refers five aspects that are important. Body There are flaw and crack existing in the system construction. Related law and code of accountants are not perfect, and the system is imperfect, which carries out it can be accommodating and is very easy to take advantage. Some accountant regulations system is obsolete, does not adapt with the present economic work activity, and needs to revise. According to Reiter (1997), there should be new paradigms for accounting practice, in order to engender ethical behavior of accountant. Also there are many kinds of accounting code at the same time, which affected the behavior of members of the accounting profession. Accounting Moreover accountant the object locates the environment of accounting is complicated and diversified, which carries it difficulty on the accurate localization and the measurement. The definition of the accountants behavior in the laws and regulations is explicit, so the enterprise is very easy to operate in advantage of the criterion crack. Social intermediary organizations have not carry out the code strictly independently, objectively, fairly. Richardson, Cullen and Richardson (1996) said accounting and the accountants behavior is influenced by the managers. Accounting firms and other social intermediaries rely heavily on the intentions of manager. with the driving of fierce market competition, appetite of interest and short-action, they go against the code of ethics for professional accountants, to earn much from the company that should be audited, turn a blind eye to the distortion of accounting information or even be an element, which damaged the independence of CPA audit services, and did not really play an role of supervision, accounting distortion information has become inevitable. According to Morgan (1996), in his research, we can see that accounting contributes to the processes of social and organizational production is a big reason that the code for accountants is ineffective. Social environment also influences the actions of accountants. Social environment means a kind of atmosphere, including a traditional habits of thought, concepts of value, manner of behavior, and the traditional attitude and view on the economy. According to Maury (Maury McCarthy 2007), he thought environment that supported these accounting and ethical. With the economic development, the behavior standards, the working types and the social environment has had the change largely. Meanwhile, peoples ideology and value is also changing. And the code of ethics for professional accountants to engender ethical behavior is ineffective. Many problems have risen, such as, accounting information untruthful, accounting actions nonstandard. It disarranges  the order of the accounting profession Low qualities of accountants result in the ineffective of the code. According to Lovell (1995), moral reasoning and moral atmosphere is key aspect to maintain the order of accounting profession. Firstly, its poor self-discipline. Since the development of competitive social market economy and the impact on values, part of the lower moral accountants are often difficult to resist temptation and adhere to the principle, so that individualism, money worship, hedonism is worse and worse. Everett and Green (2006) said that the nature of accounting virtues was changing. They earn money by not recording the income and deliberately forging, altering, concealing, destroying the accounting information. Secondly, many accounting staffs have a thin sense of law. Some members of the accounting profession do not study law and the method of accounting standards, know little about the accounting code, or even ignore the laws and regulations. They do not adjust accounts and supervise according to the regulations. Last, the accountants have a poor sense of professional ethics. Some accountants usually do not pay attention to the cultivation of professional ethics, no establish a real idea of good faith, so in practical work, when they met with conflicts of national interests, social interests, unit and individual interests, they can not stick to principles and do not act according to rules and regulations, rather from private interests, made a breach of professional ethics in the conduct of accounting. Internal oversight mechanism is not perfect and lack of self-discipline mechanism. Some leaders want to gain political advantage, and capital, so they require the enterprises accountants to work for them. Accountants are often out of self-protection, yield to pressure from the leadership and passive false accounts. Some internal control system is ineffective and not implemented. With lack of independence, the internal audit is difficult to do oversight. Effective corporate governance and internal control system is the base to carry out the code for accountants. Conclusion Code of professional conduct for accountants should be a reflection of the accounting personnels morals behavior. As a code, its used to instruct the accountancy, to restrain the behavior of accountants. Code of professional conduct for accountants is important in engender ethical behavior, which can guarantee the accounting data real and complete, and maintaining the order of the activities of accountants, and promoting the development of social market economy. This article has talked about the reasons that led the ineffective of the code of professional conduct for accountants. In face with these problems, its high time for us to take some actions to solve it, to make a good environment for accounting and engendering ethical behavior. Task 2 Introduction Accountants take the main responsibility of accounting activities, pros or cons of their ethical quality and professional quality will directly affect the quality of accounting units. There are many ethical problems about the accountants which have been inferred in the Question 1, such as untruth accounting information, making fallacious information, distorting the accounting data, forging voucher, and even disobeying the law. The code of Ethics is different from the law. Accounting law and regulations as a mandatory standard, it requires unconditional in accordance with the requirements of legal to act. And accounting ethics from faith, character, ability and that much more profound level of nature and to influence and improve the quality of accounting behavior. Next, it will talk about how to make an effective code of ethics for professional accountants and the reasons. In this part, it relates five important reasons, and explains them separately. Body Its a base to amend and improve the code of accounting to strengthen the building of the ethics for professional accountants. Development and improvement of the code of accounting is essentially a process of institutional change and innovation. This process must follow the principle of effectiveness. It is necessary to firmly lock the long-term reform of the accounting norm system of goals, but also give full consideration to the construction of the existing accounting standard model and the features; it is necessary to consider the key constraints of the code in institutional arrangements, but also to consider the influence of informal institution such as accounting environment. Effective corporate governance and internal control system is important to the implementation of code of accounting. Tisha, Emerson, Conroy and Stanley (2007) We postulate that accounting practitioners may apply a legalistic framework to their assessment of the acceptability of each vignette. So improve the system and code is important. Internal Control Systems provides a good internal environment the in the operation of the code for accountants in the enterprise. Internal control system can be divided into internal accounting control and internal management control, standard, systematic, scientific internal control system enhances the monitoring efforts of accounting standard, which can reduced the problem of not obey the code from the source. Internal accounting control is the key in the internal control. The process of establishment of sound internal accounting control itself is the implementation of the code accountants in the enterprise process; internal accounting control in bu siness operations based on standard or another is one of the basic content of the accounting standard. The strength of full range of accounting supervision system is a system protect for the smooth operation of the code for the accountants. Firstly, strengthen internal accounting control system which is based on the internal audit. The internal audit has incomparable advantages compared with the external regulation: at first, the internal audit staff can participate in the enterprise daily business activities, so the information accessed is more specific, detailed and systematic than external regulators; whats more, the internal audit belongs to the internal management of enterprises, so it can identify problems earlier and resolved internally in advance, which can earn the trust of the leaders; at last, the internal audit is aimed to ensure the smooth operation of the economic and improve economic benefit of the company, which is in agreement with the final goal of the accounting and leadership accountability goals. Secondly, establishing and improving a full range of external monito ring system is the guarantee to the smooth implementation of the code for the accountants. As Donaldson (1982) said, to make the code more effective, it should authorize more public proceedings. External supervision include civilian oversight of accounting firms as the behalf of investors; the government supervision implemented by the financial sector and other relevant departments and other forms of extensive social monitoring such as public opinion. Under certain conditions, a wide range of community supervision in particular public opinion can play role of oversight mechanisms which other machineries are difficult to do. Optimization of the action of the accountants is also a key aspect. Optimization of the accountants action means to optimize the entity  to achieving the integration effects of group behavior, to improve efficiency and to achieve and create important subject guarantee and the environment to implement the code. Provide a good social environment for it also influences the actions of accountants. In the opinion of Cohen, Pant and Sharp (1992), cultural and socioeconomic factors could impede the acceptance and implementation of a professions international code of conduct. According to Stevens (2008)Culture and effective communication are key components to a codes success. Publicity and education is important. disseminate systematically and explain accountancy professional ethics through certain means and methods then it can create a strong atmosphere of public opinion and gradually penetrate into the depths of peoples minds which can purify the inner world, improve the cognitive standa rds, establish a moral normative value. Another measure is set an example for demonstration. Influence the ethical behavior of accounting practitioners, through publicity and education on the advanced models. Examples can be inspirational and set forward goals which can result in great mental strength. à ¦Ã…“-à ¨Ã‚ ¯Ã‚ » à ¦Ã‹Å" ¾Ãƒ §Ã‚ ¤Ã‚ ºÃƒ ¥Ã‚ ¯Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ºÃ¢â‚¬ Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ­-à §Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ã‚ ¼Ãƒ ©Ã… ¸Ã‚ ³ à ¥Ã‚ ­-à ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¸ à ¦Ã… ¸Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ §Ã…“†¹Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ­-à ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¯Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ §Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ®Ã‚ ¹ To create an excellence property rights environment is important. Social environment means a kind of atmosphere, including a traditional habits of thought, concepts of value, manner of behavior, and the traditional attitude and view on the economy. Clear definition of property rights is the main factor for accountants conduct accounting activities based on the code. Conclusion The code for accountants aims to engendering ethical behaviors, and its apparent that carrying out the code for accountants and improving the ethical behavior of accountants are important in the accounting activities. From recent research, it showed that the code is not effective, as it says in the book of Dandago (2003). So its high time to take some actions, such as the five actions talked above: amending and improving the code, effective corporate governance and internal control system, full range of accounting supervision system, optimization of the action of the accountants and creating an excellence property rights environment. The code of ethics for professional accountants constitutes a guide, which restricts and regulates the ethical behavior of accounting activities. It represents the accountancy professions moral responsibility and obligation to society. Strengthen the building of the accounting code of ethics can make it effective in standardizing accounting behavior.

association of kenyan women writers :: essays research papers

The Association of Media Women in Kenya, AMWIK, is a national media association whose overall concern is to promote and represent interests of women in the media and women in general, particularly in as far as the media portrays them and in their efforts to participate equally in national development. The association was started in 1983 with the prime desire to promote the interests and advancement of women in the media. The organization is apolitical and is run on a voluntary basis by members who also work in various media houses in the country. The membership of sixty, is drawn from women professionals in the print, electronic, advertising and public relations. MISSION To use the media to promote the status of women in general, and to address the concerns of media women in particular, through various projects. OBJECTIVES To organise and unite media women professionals in fellowship and link them with other similar organizations elsewhere. To advance their interests in the profession and promote their understanding of the media profession. To promote the exchange of technical knowledge and professional expertise through the association. To promote training and job opportunities through scholarships, on-the-job guidance, lectures at girls schools and other institutions. To promote understanding of issues through the media as they affect women. OTHER PROGRAMMES Gender Training for Journalists: This has been going on since 1997 and aims at making coverage of women more gender sensitive. Response and interest generated by this training has shown the great need to continue with it. Journalists proposed both training of other journalists and editors so both men and women can get fair coverage. CIDA’s Gender Equity Support project and British Council sponsored this project. Training on Business Writing: This was necessitated by the realisation that women journalists are not involved in the coverage of business/economic issues. The objectives therefore were, to interest women journalists in the issues and encourage them to venture into this area. Women journalists proposed the need to continue the programme in order to equip them further. Nairobi Stock Exchange, NSE and British Council sponsored it. Media Monitoring: The project aims at monitoring how the media covers women in an effort to use the data for advocacy and change. The association has carried out a monitoring exercise in the coverage of violence against women. It intends to make it a regular exercise. It is supported by UN fund for women, UNIFEM.

The Apology of Socrates: Guilty or Innocent? Essay -- Philosophy essay

The Apology of Socrates: Guilty or Innocent?   Ã‚   In any case of law, when considering truth and justice, one must first look at the validity of the court and the system itself.   In Socrates' case, the situation is no different.   One may be said to be guilty or innocent of any crime, but guilt or innocence is only as valid as the court it is subjected to.   Therefore, in considering whether Socrates is guilty or not, it must be kept in mind the norms and standards of Athens at that time, and the validity of his accusers and the crimes he allegedly committed.   Is Socrates guilty or innocent of his accusations?  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What exactly is Socrates being accused of?   "Socrates is guilty of engaging in inquiries into things beneath the earth and in the heavens, of making the weaker argument appear the stronger, and of teaching others these same things" (29).   Socrates is charged with impiety, a person who does not believe in the gods of Athens.   Socrates defends this charge, claiming that he was propositioned by the gods through the Oracle of Delphi, to question people's wisdom.   He states, "...but when god stationed me, as I supposed and assumed, ordering me to live philosophizing and examining myself and others...that my whole care is to commit no unjust or impious deed."   By claiming that defense, Socrates manages to sway Meletus toward his point.   This point being that Socrates cannot both be atheistic and to believe in demons, for this would contradict his not believing in gods at all, s... ... a criminal matter nor a strain on the Athenian society, but a challenge to an oppressive and aristocracy ruling class.   Socrates became a symbol of true wisdom and knowledge, a symbol that needed to be disposed of for the elites to remain the power holders in society. Works Cited and Consulted: Plato. "The Apology of Socrates." West, Thomas G. and West, Grace Starry, eds. Plato  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   and Aristophanes: Four Texts on Socrates. Itacha, NY: Cornell University Press,   1997 "Plato." Literature of the Western World, Volume 1. 5th edition by Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 2001. 1197-1219. "Plato." The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, Volume I. 6th ed. NY: W.W. Norton and Co., 1992. 726-746.

Essay --

Children were made to work without pay and without their willingness; they were raped, beat, and sometimes killed if they did not work. The definition of child labor is the misuse of children in industries or businesses when it is consider illegal or inhumane. In the late 1900’s 18% of the American workers were under the age of 16. It didn’t matter their age the adults pushed them to their very limits. They had children at the age of 4 working long hard hours. They had the children working so young because they had really small hands and bodies unlike the adults with full grown bodies. Women and children were the ones to support their families because they were way tinier and able to do more than a man was able to in a factory. The ages ranged anywhere from 4 years to 21 and over. The starting age percentage back then was 49.9% and it is now 3.9%. Children 10-13 was 27.9% and is now 25.3%, 14-17 was 10.3% and is now 22.1%, 18-20 was 4.1% and is now 11.8%. These children would work up to 12 hours a day and had little to no breaks. They believed that they didn’t need breaks or that they weren’t doing as good as they were supposed to be doing so they gave those that got them minimal breaks. Some of the jobs they had to do were in dangerous places in the factories. They were in areas where there were toxic fumes and the machinery they had to run all of it was very dangerous and caused many injuries and deaths. The machinery ran so quickly that fingers, legs, and arms could have very easily gotten caught in them. The machines could have caused way more serious injuries if not treated could have infections set in or it could have caused deaths from serious blood loss. The environments that these children were in had fumes and toxins e... ...ent during this period. But the gaps that remained, particularly in the southern states, led to the decision to work for a federal child labor law. Congress passed such laws in 1916 and 1918, but the Supreme Court ended up declaring them unconstitutional. Congress did eventually pass such an amendment in 1924, but the conservative political climate of the 1920s, together with opposition from some church groups and farming organizations that feared the possible increase of federal power in areas related to children, prevented many states from ratifying it. They passed an act called the National Industrial Recovery Act to reduce the use of child labor. They also passed the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which in turn for the first time set national minimum wage and maximum hour standards for workers in interstate commerce, also placed limitations on child labor.

Physician And Managed Care Contracts Essay

A contract is a legal binding agreement between two parties that is aimed to execute a certain objective. It is a kind of arrangement wherein a certain action is pledged in exchange for a specific proposition or offer. In order for a contract to be valid, four essential elements must be present in a contract. Firstly, two parties should exist in the contract. One party is presenting an offer while the other party is accepting the offer as a form of return for whatever specifications are requested in the contract. Secondly, the contract should indicate that both parties give their consent or are willing to enter into such an arrangement. Such intention should show that the person giving the offer is capable of providing the offer, while the party accepting the offer should be able to clearly show his/her acceptance of the offer. In addition, both parties must be willing to enter an agreement without any other hidden conditions. Thirdly, a purpose or objective should be indicated in a contract. The purpose should be detailed enough to clearly show what is requested or expected in exchange for the specific offer. And lastly, adequate consideration or an adequate value must be indicated as offer in the contract, in the form of money or in kind. The consideration or compensation can not be given to the accepting party prior to the acceptance of the offer. The act of accepting an offer constitutes a deal. Certain offers have a limited time of availability, wherein an expiration date is indicated and the offer can not be accepted after the said date, unless the offer is renewed or stands indefinitely. In addition, the party presenting the offer has the right to withdraw its offer, but only before an acceptance is received. Once an offer is accepted, the contract may not be modified or revised. Changes in the offer may only be incorporated during the negotiation stage of the agreement, which then makes a contract some kind of a bargain. Similarly, physicians enter contracts with managed care organizations (MCOs) or health management organizations (HMOs) in order to promote their services. The four essential elements of a contract should be carefully studied before accepting any offer or signing any contract. For example, as for the element of willingness and capability to enter a contract, a physician should initially must find out the MCO/HMO’s length of operation and financial stability, because this will give the physician an idea whether the company is capable to pay him at a regular schedule. In addition, it would be good to contact some colleagues who have signed contracts with the same company, in order to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the organization and to unearth any unwritten conditions or policies. The physician should also investigate the identity of the MCO/HMO, and any other parties in the contract, should there be more than two parties indicated in the contract. The most overlooked element of a contract between a physician and an MCO/HMO is the purpose or objective of the contract, which describes a several definitions of services and people that will be covered by the health plan, both during emergency and out-patient consultation events. A comprehensive study of the contract may possibly prevent misunderstandings between the two parties and therefore provide a clear-cut description of the services that the physician is expected to deliver. Another important element of a physician-MCO/HMO contract is the obligations of each party. It is usually indicated in the contract that the physician will actively maintain his/her medical practice documents such as licenses, certifications, registrations and permits in order to provide his/her services to patients. The physician should also inform the MCO/HMO of any modifications on his/her status as a practicing physician. In turn, the MCO/HMO presents its rules and regulations to the potential physician or health care provider working under their company. All policies, guidelines, reviews and appeals should be revealed in order to have its physicians working at the standardized efficiency and competency. The physician’s compensation should be indicated in a physician-MCO/HMO contract. Details including the amount and schedule of payment should be clearly stated in the contract. Payment modes may be in form of per diem, per case, per service or a certain percentage of the premiums. The physician, in turn, should understand the protocol for filing claims and any other arrangements or coordination with the MCO/HMO, including the limited time when these documents may be filed. The MCO/HMO should also indicate in the contract that the physician will receive his/her salary on a regular basis. A physician-MCO/HMO contract may be terminated by either mutual agreement of both parties, or with sufficient cause or reason from the physician, or without cause or reason from the physician. However, a 30-day notice is usually required before any termination takes effect, to provide ample time for the physician to finalize any current patients, cases, services and/or referrals. Contracts are legally binding documents which must be carefully studied and considered before pursuing an agreement and letting the contract take full effect. Every contract has its specific details and all sections of the contract should be well understood and explained.

Beowulf and Paradise Lost’s Epic themes Essay

Epic is generally a long narrative poem on a serious and great subject, in a style that is highly important, and centers on a hero whose actions depend on the fate of a tribe, a nation, or the human race as a whole. Such epic poetries as Milton’s Paradise Lost and the famous Old English poem Beowulf, which was translated into the new English , are both somewhat different and yet similar in many ways. We are aware of the fact that Beowulf was passed down orally from generation to generation until it was written down, which follows the old style of epics, primary. Unlike Beowulf, Paradise Lost follows a little of the primary traditions but with its own twist and is in the secondary family group. Also, pastoralism was important in the Renaissance literature such as Marvell’s The Garden, which is closely related to Paradise Lost. Generally, Pastoral writers deal with the lives of shepherds in the rural life and typically compare the happiness and pureness of a simple life a nd the corruption and sadness of the city. Most characters in pastoral poetry are often used to convey the author’s social and moral believes. It is incredible, to say the least, how closely one can compare poetry that comes from such diverse and unique cultural and historical backgrounds. Also, it is very interesting how these authors change or attempt to change the genre that they are working with specially that of Milton and Marvell. In comparing and contrasting the epics of Beowulf to that of Paradise Lost, one must consider the significance of the epic characteristics and hero examples displayed, and also observe how pastoral themes can come into play with an epic such as Paradise lost in comparison to Marvell’s poem The Garden. Essentially, an epic poetry has different characteristics that any â€Å"epic† poem has to fall under; it is a long narrative poem in great style, presenting characters of high position in a sequence of events, their expansion of maturity in different episodes, and overcoming obstacles. We can see that epics first took shape from the work of various unknown poets; an example of this is Beowulf, which we don’t know much about the writer. This kind of style in poetry breaks into two different groups, the primary and the secondary. Primary is usually a folkloric style and secondary appeals more to the later generations and is more artistic; we can clearly understand that Beowulf is in the primary group while Paradise Lost in the secondary group. Furthermore, epics, primary and secondary, both share a group of common characteristics, which are: the hero has an impressive physique, is very important to an ethnic group, national or international, and is historically important. Also, the setting is greatly important as well because it covers nations, the world, or even sometimes the universe. Additionally, the action requires a heroes’ courage. Moreover, supernatural forces such as god, his angels, and the evil-doers all are caught up in the middle of the action and intervene from time to time. Last but not least, most epic characters are in high positions like kings, princes, noblemen, members of the upper classes, and sometimes godly beings or Ghosts. In the Epic of Beowulf, Beowulf himself overcomes many obstacles and tests. To briefly examine this, Beowulf and a strong warrior make a bet to see who can stay in the water the longest. However, the most important and the most interesting one is the hardship Beowulf endures is in the battle between him, Grendel and his mother, the evil-monsters. As a result, Beowulf has been declared as a great epic poem simply because of the various characteristics it clearly possesses. Additionally an epic consists of a hero who is great and larger than life, predominately. Beowulf is, without a doubt, a perfect example of this hero because of the amazing acts of heroism he accomplishes. Epic characters are very good with and give numerous speeches that bring about the past or, more importantly, the speaker’s characteristics. Beowulf does not give many, but for the little he gives, we learn a great deal about his character traits. However, Paradise Lost’s Satan, who is not the hero of the poem, but the main character, uses speech as one of the main powers he posses to overcome the obstacles that lay before him, which is to ruin mankind. Moreover, Milton’s Paradise Lost, is a retelling of the biblical story of the creation of man. Similarly, this poem has the characteristics of an epic poetry because of its very long, detailed, narration, which is the story of the origin of Satan and the fall of mankind. The poem revolves around Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden: the focus is mainly on how eve when tempted by Satan who directs her to disobey God’s rule and ate from the forbidden tree of knowledge. At first he was called Lucifer, an angel in heaven who rebelled against God, and was finally sent to hell with his followers. So basically, Paradise Lost is an epic poem, which, in fact, holds a universal human interest. Paradise Lost is obviously theological, but Beowulf, regardless of its lack of Christian references, also deals allegorically with matters of the Christian religion: the monsters symbolize evil, unleashed, surrounding the human nature to bring destruction and chaos to them. Also, by seeing epic as pastoralism, Milton integrates epic elements of Christian believes to human’s spiritual struggle. In addition, the two great pastoral poets of the Renaissance, John Milton and Andrew Marvell, both used many pastoral elements in their work. Milton used pastoral elements in several of his works, especially in Books 4 and 9 of Paradise Lost. In Paradise Lost, Milton is less concerned with pastoral landscapes and lost paradises than with a â€Å"paradise within.† Furthermore, the way Milton describes nature is that it is generally uncontrollable and that man civilize them. Milton’s description of the garden and Adam’s and Eve’s duties within it indeed proves this viewpoint. Also, Satan’s entrance into the garden shows both the ordinary and civilized characteristics of the world can be altered by evil. In comparison, Marvell’s poem The Garden, the speaker accepts the garden as a happy state to experience as a treat within. Marvell seems to turn away from society as whole in favor of nature. He particularly shuns the company of women, as he clearly favors the beauty of the trees more than the beauty of women. All in all, we see that through Beowulf, Paradise Lost, and The Garden, the authors intentionally try to change the genre that they are working with and add a style of their own, which, in general, are very interesting. Although the authors of both Beowulf and Paradise Lost follow the characteristics of an epic poem, however both their main characters are different, one is an evil-doer who brings destruction and chaos to mankind and the other being a great hero, who brings to an ends of the destructions being done to his people and land. Also, we observed that the Pastoralism in both Paradise Lost and The Garden are different in many ways as well.