Jeffrey SomersAuthor Jeff Somers discusses The Eternal Prison, the third book in the action-filled Avery Cates science fiction series that combines a noir detective style with a worse-for-the-wear high-tech aesthetic in a dystopian future. Also, read a review of The Eternal Prison.

Pete Dulin:  Did you conceive of the idea for the plot of the series (The Electric Church, The Digital Plague, and The Eternal Prison) or the main character Avery Cates first? When did the idea first form?

Somers:  Strangely enough, the first version of The Electric Church involved a band of stray kittens struggling to survive in the backwoods of Texas Hill Country, scavenging for food and hiding from demonic, rabid squirrels. For some time I failed to interest anyone in that version of the story, for some reason, despite having created over 500 hand-drawn illustrations. In fact, I believe I somehow inspired the LOL Cat craze, twenty years ago. I plan to sue, as soon as I can figure out who actually own LOL Cats. Ted Turner? Steve Jobs?

Anyway, one day while editing the 3,000-page manuscript I realized the cats had no religion. So I asked myself what kind of religion stray kittens would develop, and clearly it involved cyborgs, eternal life, mind control, and dystopia. So I set about revising.

The Electric Church
was originally a standalone story, but I always had a sense of what was going to happen on a macro-scale in the universe. My editor at Orbit suggested there was more to tell about Avery, and after a little thought I agreed—the opportunity to tell a story against the backdrop of a declining universe was too good to pass up. I had the original concept  first and the character was an organic extension of the universe, I thought, filtered through old noir detective novels.

Dulin:  How did you develop the character of Avery Cates? Where there role models or a specific persona that you wanted to project?

Somers:  Naturally, I used myself circa ten years old, known in Hudson County, New Jersey as my “bully” years, when I terrorized the neighborhood kids into giving me their allowances. Ah, good times.

Then I turned to old detective novels—Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett—and altered as necessary for the world Avery lived in. I wanted that dry, black humor, and I wanted that sense of a man who had no real special abilities, but was physically effective simply because he wasn’t afraid to get hurt and knew how to hurt people in turn. I’ve always thought that’s more powerful than superpowers.

Dulin:  Avery Cates is an anti-hero who kills for a living and exists with a perpetual target on his back, but he still operates by a self-imposed code of honor. In the decayed state of the world he lives in with pervasive global governance, a police state, and the general bleakness of the surrounding people and places he encounters, is there a moral relativity to the jobs that he performs that involve violence?

Somers:  Absolutely not, and he knows it, on some level. This is why we beat Avery up as often as possible: He’s a bad man. He deserves to be beaten up. And he punishes himself for being a bad man, too. He knows he doesn’t deserve better.

It’s fun, you know, having a character you can mercilessly torture.

Dulin:  Many heroes have a weakness that makes them more accessible and human, not so omnipotent and capable. Indiana Jones has a fear of snakes. Superman’s weakness is kryptonite. Cates has a bum leg that impedes him as a physical weakness in a life that’s physically demanding. Does he have a psychological weakness?

Somers:  Cates’ leg isn’t conceived as a pat “weakness” – in fact, he’s physically fine when the first book begins. I don’t like stories where the universe/protagonist remain unchanged forever, and sometimes the “weakness” is an example of that—Indy Jones will be afraid of snakes forever, but will never have a limp despite his death-defying antics.

I barely break a sweat in my real life and I’m aching all over, so I figured a guy like Cates, who’s malnourished, has no health care, and spends his days dodging knives and bullets and jumping out of crashing hovers is gonna get a little dented in the process. I try to keep track of his wear and tear a little—which includes his advancing age in a world where thirty is considered old—and at least give a nod to it from time to time.

Dulin:  Can you share some thoughts on how you render the setting for these stories? It is set in the future, but doesn’t feel inconceivable that these places exist.

Somers:  It’s sort of a “two weeks in the future” idea—obviously there’s some distance between now and then, but I definitely conceived of it as part of our timeline. The technology is advanced but I tried to extrapolate from existing concepts, and other aspects of the world have declined rather than advanced. I also like playing with subversions—the concept of Unification came from the idea of World Peace, or One World—everyone assumes world peace is a good thing. What if it isn’t? What if world peace was The System?

So, The System always starts in this world, and then I hit the fast forward button. Do things just disappear? Usually not. Buildings stand for centuries, cities remain largely unchanged for decades. Some systems get replaced, and some systems just get worse and worse. I just have fun with it. My guiding principles are: One, if it chiefly benefits the poor or middle class, it’s in ruins, if it chiefly benefits the rich, it’s pristine and modern; and Two, the older and more essential it is, the less likely anyone’s remembers how to maintain it properly.

Dulin:  What do you have against female characters? There have been a number of interesting women in the stories – Cates’ protégé Gleason in The Digital Plague, Marlena in The Eternal Prison. None of them fair too well. Is Cates destined to not have romantic aspirations while he’s dodging bullets and System pigs?

Somers:  Everyone wants Cates married. Well, my wife, editor, agent and various others at my publisher—all women—want him married, or at least in love. I fear I’m losing half my potential audience. Maybe I should at least introduce a puppy that Cates can carry around.

I don’t have anything against female characters. People near Cates—at least people who aren’t also competent killers—tend to die at a startling rate. Hell, in The Digital Plague just about anyone who comes within a few feet of him dies. So it’s really just the fact that Cates is attracted to interesting women that causes their sad demise.

As for romance, I’ve never been convinced that Cates lives in a world conducive to romance. He’s always murdering and fighting for survival. If I’m running from cops and strangling people with my bare hands, I’m pretty sure relationships would be far from my mind. That’s why the relationships Cates does form—Gleason and Marlena—occur when he’s got “down time,” when he’s not racing around dodging bullets.

Dulin:  Each book in the Avery Cates series is action-packed, full of unexpected twists and developments, and an equally intriguing cast of supporting characters. Can you elaborate on how you move the plot forward from chapter to chapter by working in cliffhangers of different scale?

Somers:  Thanks for the compliments! It’s a rhythm. Every chapter ends on a “beat”. Sometimes this is just a witty line of dialog (at least a line I think is witty), sometimes it’s a “da-da-dum” kind of moment. This stems from the long-ago origins of the book, which was originally going to be a serial on a web page, with new chapters posted each week. So it was natural to go with an old-school serial kind of format, a sort of “Tune in Next Week” vibe.

It works incredibly well. Every story, after all, can be divided up into a series of small stories. All I do is wait for the natural beat in each vignette and hit a hard return.

Dulin:  What surprises you most about the character and this series now that you’ve written three books with a fourth, The Terminal State, on the way?

Somers:  One, how easy it is to imagine the world ending in slow motion around Cates—The System is going to hell, and nothing’s going to stop that now. It’s exhilarating to plan how it’s going to fall apart, and what that means for Cates.

I’ve been a little surprised at how much people like Cates. He’s charming, sure, but he’s also a bad person. Despite his code of honor, he abandons people, kills people, and no matter what horrors he’s performed he manages to still like himself enough to stay alive. It just seems to me that if you met Avery in real life you’d stay as far away from him as possible, yet he’s popular.

Dulin:  If I recall correctly, the first two books are told in a straightforward sequential manner. The Eternal Prison bounces between different timelines and plot points. Why switch it up?

Somers:  The question is, why not? Once I decided on the central plot element in The Eternal Prison, I knew I wanted to mimic some of the disorientation that Cates feels for the reader. I wanted to generate a sense of disjointedness and I wanted the reader to share in that moment of sick realization when everything comes together.

Dulin:  F. Paul Wilson’s Repairman Jack series is up to seventeen or more books in that series. Do you envision a final installment in this series with a logical conclusion? Or will the adventures of Cates continue as long as there’s demand and the money keeps trickling in?

Somers:  Right now I have through book five planned (book four is actually written!) and no plans beyond that. Book five will wrap up things that have been brewing over all of the books, and provide a logical cadence for the overall story.

It’s not just interest/money—you do need to have inspiration. I think Avery’s got lots of stories left in him, but I’m trying to adhere to some sense of time passing and realistic wear and tear; Avery’s going to be older and beat up when book five concludes, and the universe he exists in will be changed in many important ways. Will it make sense that he continues having this sort of life, or does Avery retire and drink himself to death peacefully?

It boils down to, if I had a great idea I’d probably write it, heck, I’d probably write it even if no one wanted to publish it. If I have an idea I’m excited about, I pursue it, period.

Dulin:  How did you begin the publishing relationship with Orbit?

Somers:  Originally, The Electric Church was sold to a web publisher called Another Chapter, which, as I said, planned to publish it as a serial. They didn’t last long. The editor I’d been assigned was Lili Saintcrow, author of the Jill Kismet series among many others. Lili kicked my ass up and down on that book, editing the hell out of it, and when AC went under she sent the book to her editor at Warner Books.

Her editor loved it and bought it, and then jumped from Warner to Orbit, and took me (and Lili) with her. So now her editor is my editor too.

Dulin: Is there an Avery Cates film in the works?

Somers:  We’ve sold an option. I don’t know if it will turn into an actual movie. Strangely, despite my complete lack of film-making experience and insistence that I would be a great lead actor, no one seems to want my direct involvement in the film. It’s insulting, really. I have some fantastic ideas about getting the kittens back into the story.

Terminal StateDulin:  What else should people know about you and your work?

Somers:  About me:  I like Scotch and accept free drinks gratefully, and if you live too far away to take me to a bar they make airline-sized bottles of booze and I’ve had success with people mailing them to me by way of buying me a drink. I encourage this.

About my work: I don’t just write Sci Fi; my first novel, Lifers, was a mainstream thriller/mystery, and my short story Ringing the Changes was chosen for inclusion in The Best American Mystery Stories 2006. I’ll also have a short story in the Mystery Writers of America’s 2010 anthology, edited by Charlaine Harris. Plus, I publish a zine, The Inner Swine which is a collection of poorly researched and largely unedited essays about whatever’s on my mind. I’ve been publishing it since 1995, in fact, and we’re closing in on 60 issues.

Note: The fourth book in the Avery Cates series, Terminal State, is available now and the fifth installment, The Final Evolution is forthcoming in June 2011.

Eternal PrisonReview by Pete Dulin – The Eternal Prison

Avery Cates is not meant to be a likeable character, according to author Jeff Somers. Who roots for a hired killer, the most famous gunner in a dystopian future? Compared to a corrupt global government, brutal System Security Force, and devious power mongers, Cates has a rough-and-tumble charm. After bringing about the downfall of an organized religion that turns its followers into zombies in The Electric Church and surviving a bioengineered disaster known as The Digital Plague, hard-drinking, curse-uttering, weapon-wielding Cates finds himself an incarcerated man at Chengara Penitentiary in The Eternal Prison. Maybe it’s his instinct for survival or his code of honor or the fact that he has lived to the age of 30––a life span considered old by most standards in the broken shambles of this near future world––but Cates is a compelling anti-hero (read: not admirable) that is captivating to follow on his techno-noir adventures.

Jeff Somers’ page-turning series invokes the dark elements and atmosphere of noir detective novels and worse-for-the-wear science fiction where the high tech future isn’t necessarily better. Technology is a labor saving device, mostly in service of the baser aspects of human nature and behavior to kill, subjugate, imprison, hoard valuable information, and exert power over others. Rather than a gleaming, promising world of tomorrow, Somers concocts a place where things break down, communication devices are squirrelly, people aren’t to be trusted, and transportation isn’t reliable. Kind of like life now on a really bad day with little hope for improvement. Finding food is difficult, consuming booze is a sketchy endeavor, scratching out a living means not getting beat down by System pigs.

Cates looks out for his interests – health, sanity, cash flow – while facing a cascade of challenges and tight spots in The Eternal Prison without the aid of superpowers, overwhelming firepower, or saves-the-day technological solutions. Rather, he gets by on fists and wits. He’s conniving and savvy but doesn’t have all the answers; he’s physically aggresive but doesn’t dodge every blow; he’s diehard persistent but gets the raw end of the deal more often than he cares to remember.

Somers writes with an economical style full of grit, grime, and gruffness that reflect the environs of Cates. Who knew such a battered main character and dire world could be evoked with brawny eloquence? The fast-paced action and violence (killing others before getting killed) is not gratuitious; these elements serve a purpose in a postmodern Darwinian struggle. Going it alone when able, keeping shifty allies close at hand, and knocking off threats is Cates’ best bet to keep breathing in a post-Unification world where nothing works for the benefit of the people.

Whether trodding on foot or zooming on a creaky hover, Cates traverses Las Vegas, New York, Moscow, and desolate wastelands that are more of a semblance of place than a scenic backdrop. Cates is more concerned with exit strategies and escape routes, especially in Chengara prison where he’s stuck with a motley crew to plot and execute plans for freedom and revenge in a place with a survival rate of zero.

Unlike the previous two books in the series, Somers strays from a fairly sequential storytelling style to shift between multiple timelines and plot points. When the action and key revelations converge, the story shifts into high gear. The Eternal Prison is a bit disorienting at first and readers need to keep alert about some basic conventions – who’s who, where, when, and what’s happening. This disorientation is by design, echoing Cates’ senses and state of mind.

Somers populates the book with an equally vivid cast of supporting characters in prison and on the outside vying for power. Characters from the previous books figure into major and minor plot points here along with fresh faces to keep things lively.

The Eternal Prison is a thrilling read that continues to entertain and extends the series without falling into a formulaic pattern. Avery Cates is one of the most exciting and original characters to appear in a long time. Complex, focused, and driven, Cates faces choices, applies his code, and behaves suitably in a grim world where morals are relative to survival.

Originally printed in Present Magazine, April 2011.


Ski ticket

Furggaalp - Grünseeli

Easy walk along the railway tracks, over lush meadows and through the prakry woods. Lake Grünseeli, surrounded by mighty fir trees is the perfect spot to stay for a while

Firstly, the path leads leisurely along the railway tracks down to the catchment lake, before it starts to slightly climb over lush meadows up to Furggaalp. A cozy restaurants offers you the possibility to have a drink and relax before the trail continues in the forest until you reach the higher situated Lake Grünseeli. From there one continues almost evenly below the mighty mountains. The forest opens up repeatedly and offers a wonderful view to Arosa and the facing side of the valley. After a descent, one passes by the Isel region and gets back to the starting point.


by Elia Mouatamid

After spending almost forty years in Italy, Abdelouahab (Aldo) decides to return home, to Morocco. Ilyass (Elia), his son who is now thirty-four years old, grew up in Lombardy but joins him on this journey of memories and stories. After years of sacrifice, the two manage to transform an old military truck into a camper: in January 2016 the camper is finally ready and Aldo wants to leave. The trip is an opportunity to explain themselves, to understand each other, to encounter each other. To understand the power of a bond at the moment of taking their leave. Immigration is the background of the story of their relationship during a journey which will take them to Morocco, by way of France and Spain.

original title: Talien
country: Italy
year: 2017
genre: fiction
directed by: Elia Mouatamid
film run: 84'
cinematography by: Gianluca Ceresoli
film editing: Mauro Rodella
music: Piernicola Di Muro
producer: Mauro Rodella, Gianluca Ceresoli, Giorgio Poloni, Graziano Chiscuzzu, Chiara Budano, Pietro Comini
production: 5e6
(The article continues below - Commercial information)


Fostering Trust as a Leader
You are here: Home \ Newsletters \ Fostering Trust as a Leader

A consistent outcome from many large employee surveys tells us that business leaders are among the least trusted professions in today’s culture. Overall, trust in leadership is the main employee concern in the workplace.

Gallup’s research further confirms this by showing that leaders who don’t focus on their people have the trust of only 9% of their staff. Leaders who make people their priority foster a 73% trust level from their employees. This is a stunning statistic that exposes a marked difference in leadership mindsets.

Trust has long been considered a powerful trait that enables leaders to succeed. People who trust their leader are willing to follow them. They are more willing to engage their duties, make strong efforts to benefit their organization, prize the quality of their work, and feel like their efforts have value. Conversely, a leader who is not trusted can never overcome large, inevitable pitfalls.

Trust is a decisive difference maker in personal and collective prosperity, so it makes sense for leaders to raise their trust quotient as high as possible. You may ask where you should start. Gallup’s work indicates that the primary leadership mindset needed to establish and build trust is a genuine focus on people. Why don’t more leaders pursue this? They may not grasp its gravity or they may not understand the four basic elements.

A Helping Hand

Employees generally want to succeed by doing good work. They want to know what’s expected of them, how to complete their tasks, and have the ability to get them done well. Due to many complexities and volatilities, your people almost always need help from you.

People simply want to be provided what they need to succeed. Being in the trenches, most people accurately know what it takes to get their work done, and often better than their leader.

As a leader, you have the responsibility to provide the resources your people need to complete assignments. Adequate funding, supplies, or equipment may be required. More manpower and/or time might be necessary. Effective decision-making is a resource people also feel they need.

Sometimes the softer management skills meet the biggest needs. Your people may require further training or coaching. They may hope to be mentored to grow and develop their skills. Sometimes a positive attitude is what people want most when times get tough. Being observant and engaging will allow you to see the needs.

All of these are ways you can help. Remember that if your people fail, so do you. Helping them is thus one of your top imperatives. People will know they’re being taken care of when they are consistently helped. This fosters security and confidence, which builds their trust in you.

A Spirit of Appreciation

A Life of Integrity

Trustworthiness is strongly portrayed when a leader behaves, speaks, and responds with integrity. Leaders who act honestly and genuinely are trusted to do the right thing. When you are beyond reproach, people know your actions and decisions are not selfishly motivated and thus don’t need to be suspected. If you live out truth and transparency, holding yourself accountable to everyone, your people offer you their trust.

Integrity also means giving of yourself for the benefit of your people. Trustworthy leaders place a higher priority on the welfare of those they lead. People know they are in good hands, with a noble cause underlying their efforts. Often that requires courage, and this is another trustworthy trait.

A Heart of Humility

Leaders who treat their people as more important than themselves earn much trust. They give credit for successes rather than take it. They bear the heat for the disappointments rather than blame their staff. Humble leaders also praise their people for their accomplishments, and allow them their chance in the spotlight.

If you seek feedback and ideas from your staff, and allow them to partner with you rather than be ruled by you, you will earn their trust. Your people will feel they contribute, and have the freedom to use their skills. This practice builds teamwork and unity; two themes people yearn for, yet statistically, rarely experience.

Leaders who admit they can always learn from others show their openness to value and trust their people. This generates trust in return. In the American Management Association article 5 Ways A Leader can Build A Culture Of Trust, Rich Eich points out that a leader who admits their mistakes displays humility. Employees are further encouraged to trust you if you also show how you’re learning from your mistakes. Your genuineness is displayed, and people sense a greater connection with you.

In essence, the level of trust you earn from your people is a measure of the connection they feel they have with you. By making your people top priority, you’ll build higher levels of trust in your organization and find more ways to succeed, over and over. Best of all, implementing them costs you very little, yet gains you very much. It’s the best ROI you’ll ever have!

Call upon a, trainer or leadership coach like myself to take you through the process of identifying  what areas you need to master in order to foster trust. Your organization will benefit greatly—and so will you.

Feel free to pass this newsletter on to friends and acquaintances should you think they might benefit from it.

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The SECURE Act Key Changes and FAQ’s

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act, passed in December 2019, includes many bi-partisan reforms that increase access to workplace retirement plans and expand opportunities for personal retirement savings. Most provisions in the law become effective January 1, 2020.

These FAQs provide an initial overview of some of the key changes outlined in the Act. A number of these provisions will be subject to interpretations from the Internal Revenue Service or other authorities. As always, you should consult with an advisor at Kendall Capital and/or your tax advisor regarding your own situation.

SECURE Act Basics:

What is the SECURE Act?

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act is a bipartisan retirement bill that was included in a larger legislative package passed by the House of Representatives on December 17, 2019 and by the Senate on December 19, 2019. The bill was initially introduced in the House of Representatives and championed by Ways & Means Chairman Richard Neal and Ranking Member Kevin Brady. The bill includes reforms to Defined Contribution Plans, Defined Benefit plans, IRAs and 529 plans.

Impact to IRAs and Roth IRAs:

I inherited an IRA. How will the SECURE Act affect me?

For anyone who inherited an IRA from an original IRA owner who passed away prior to January 1, 2020, no changes to your current distribution schedule are required. However, for situations where the original IRA account owner passes away after December 31, 2019, fewer beneficiaries will be able to extend distributions from the inherited IRA over their lifetime. For a surviving spouse there will be no changes from the previous law. Though, children and grandchildren will instead need to withdraw all assets from the inherited IRA within 10 years following the death of the original account holder. Exceptions to the 10-year distribution requirement include assets left to a surviving spouse, a minor child (until they turn the age of majority which is 18 in most states), a disabled or chronically ill individual, and beneficiaries who are less than 10 years younger than the decedent, such as a sibling or friend.

How will the changes to inherited IRA distributions impact my retirement planning?

This change will require some investors to reevaluate their retirement and/or estate planning strategies. While some beneficiaries may qualify for exemptions to the 10-year rule, others will be required to draw down assets more rapidly than required under the current rules. If they’ve inherited a substantial IRA account, that could drive them into higher tax brackets than they would have been otherwise. If they inherited a Roth IRA, it simply means they have to draw down the account and reinvest the proceeds in a regular taxable account, there is still no income tax to the beneficiary. However, it is important to note that anyone who inherited an IRA from original account owner who passed away prior to January 1, 2020, can continue their current distribution schedule.

How does the law change Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs)?

The law increases the age at which an individual must begin taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) from 70½ to 72. The Act states that this change applies beginning with IRA account owner who will attain 70½ on or after January 1, 2020. Congress recognizes Americans are increasingly working and living longer and updating RMD rules to reflect changes in life expectancy will allow Americans to continue their retirement savings for an extended period of time.

I reached the age of 70½ in 2019, do I need to take an RMD in 2020?

The Act states that the beginning RMD age is shifted to age 72 for those who reach the age of 70½ starting in year 2020. This would mean that those reaching age 70½ in 2019 would need to continue to take RMDs in 2020. The IRS may provide further guidance on this point so those who reached age 70½ in 2019 may want to speak with their tax advisor about their 2020 distribution approach. Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) are still allowable tax-free distributions and will count towards ones RMD after they reach 72.

What is the impact to contribution rules for traditional IRAs?

The law removes the age limit at which an individual can contribute to a traditional IRA. Today, an individual cannot contribute after age 70½; the Act allows anyone who is working and has earned income to contribute to a traditional IRA regardless of age, though they still have to take their RMDs if they’re 72 or older  Contributions can also be made on behalf of a non-working spouse, called a Spousal IRA contribution.

How will the new law affect distributions upon the birth or adoption of a child?

Upon the birth or adoption of a child, the law permits an individual to take a “qualified birth or adoption distribution” of up to $5,000 from an applicable eligible defined contribution plan or IRA. This distribution is not subject to the 10% early withdrawal penalty.

Other impacts:

How does the law impact 529 Accounts?

The law expands the definition of a tax-free or qualified distribution from a 529 savings plan to include repayment of up to $10,000 in qualified student loans, and expenses for certain apprenticeship programs. The SECURE Act makes this change retroactive to distributions made after December 31, 2018. While the cap is a lifetime limit of $10,000, one could also use $10,000 of a 529 plan to repay the loan of a sibling.

Kendall Capital is Evaluating These Changes

This bill is far from a cure-all for the nation’s retirement savings challenges, but several of the provisions represent a step in the right direction.

Adding flexibility to 529 accounts is a positive change as it can be used to repay some student loans under the bill. This is a good option for parents who may have funds remaining in an educational savings account and want to help a child who has already graduated.

Additionally, moving the starting age for required minimum distributions to 72 also makes sense, given that people are living longer than they did a generation ago. Pushing back RMDs will help people make their money last just a little bit longer, especially since more of them need to work later.

Lastly, one of the goals of this Act was to encourage small business employers to establish retirement plans for their employees. There are several features we applaud like more flexible deadlines to establish plans, tax credits for establishing a plan and the ability for multiple employers to pool their assets and share administrative costs. The Act also makes it possible for part-time workers to participate in the retirement plan if they’ve worked for at least three consecutive years. However, there is an obvious “nod” to the insurance industry by relaxing the requirements of employers who choose to use annuities to fund their retirement plans.

The Bottom Line

Whether the SECURE Act ends up being a game-changer or not remains to be seen. But one thing is abundantly clear: The current rules aren’t allowing nearly enough Americans to put away the nest egg they’ll ultimately need for a secure retirement.

In the face of high national debt, shifting financial markets, a modernizing economy, and an aging population, it’s important to keep up with these changes and make the most of them. Let Kendall Capital guide you through the ups and downs of the economic market and changes to laws such as the SECURE Act so you can meet your long- and short-term financial goals.

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According the diagnostic and therapeutic methods of treating

According to Merriam-Webster’s Medical Dictionary, pleural effusion occurs when “an exudation of fluid from the blood or lymph into a pleural cavity.” In other words, pleural effusion is a collection of fluid in the pleural cavity; a buildup of fluid between the tissues that line the lungs and the chest (Frank, Long, Smith, & Merrill, 2012). Pleural effusion is a disease that a respiratory specialist must evaluate frequently in order for proper treatment (Villena Garrido et al, 2014). There have been many significant changes in the diagnostic and therapeutic methods of treating pleural effusion over the last several years.
Normal Anatomy and Physiology
The pleural cavity is divided into two different parts; the visceral pleura and the parietal pleura. The visceral pleura covers the lung parenchyma including the interlobar fissures. The visceral pleura also provides lung support to the lung. This protects the lung by limiting lung expansion. The visceral pleura contributes to lung recoil and deflation, with a mean thickness of 25-83 um. The parietal pleura provides the inner lining of the thoracic cavities. It is subdivided into the costal, mediastinal and diaphragmatic pleuras. The parietal pleura is made up of a single layer of mesothelial cells with loose connective tissue. It has a mean thickness of 20-25 um (The University of Utah, 2017). Additionally, the lung is kept in an inflated state by the mechanical coupling between the chest wall and the lung. With microvilli enmesh hyaluronic acid-rich lubricants, the mesothelial cells  minimize the work of breathing. Fluid and electrolytes freely pass between these different cells. With the endothelium as the main barrier, the fluid moves in and out of the pleural cavity. Transudates in the pleural cavity are made from changes in the hydrostatic-osmotic pressure within the cavity, normally keeping the cavity dry (Wang, 1985). Negative pressure created between the two pleuras is kept by the opposite elastic forces of the chest wall and lung. This represents the balance between the thoracic cavity’s outward pull and the lung’s inward pull. Pleural pressure is not uniform, which means that their is a gradient between the lowest, most negative, superior portion of the lung and the highest, least negative, inferior portion of the lung (The University of Utah, 2017).
Modalities Used For Detecting Pleural Effusions
The most common modality used for identifying pleural effusion is a PA chest X-ray. Another easily accessible option for patients is thoracic ultrasound, which is more sensitive than conventional X-ray when identifying pleural effusion. It is also better than computed tomography for identification. Chest CT may be useful for locating usable areas for biopsy or identifying other pathological regions, when the probability of identifying malignancy in pleural effusion is modified. These regions may include the mediastinum or the lung parenchyma. A CT scan of the abdomen may be useful when ruling out pathologies causing pleural effusion. (Villena Garrido et al, 2014). Another commonly used as part of staging evaluation for malignancies is PET, or Positron Emission Tomography imaging. However due to the high false positive rate in patients, the value of PET imaging in predicting benign vs. malignant disease is limited. (Desai & Lee, 2017).
Causes of Pleural Effusion
Pleural effusion has many different causes, which can be divided into increased pleural fluid formation as well as decreased pleural fluid absorption. Causes of increased pleural fluid formation include increased interstitial fluid in the lung, which can be caused by left ventricle failure, pneumonia, or a pulmonary embolus; increased intravascular pressure in the pleura, which is caused by right or left ventricle failure, or superior vena caval syndrome; increased permeability of the capillaries in the pleura, which can be caused by inflammation or increased levels of endothelial growth; increased levels of pleural fluid protein; decreased pleural pressure, which can be caused by lung atelectasis or increased elastic recoil of the lung; increased fluid in the peritoneal cavity, caused by Ascites or peritoneal dialysis; and disruption of the thoracic duct or blood vessels in the thorax (The University of Utah, 2017). Causes of decreased pleural fluid absorption include obstruction of the lymphatics draining the parietal pleura, elevation of the systemic vascular pressures caused by superior vena caval syndrome or right ventricle failure, or disruption of the aquaporin system in the pleura (The University of Utah, 2017).
Types of Pleural Effusion
There are two types of pleural effusion: Transudative and Exudative pleural effusion. Transudative pleural effusion is caused by fluid leaking into the pleural space. This is from a low blood protein count or increased pressure in the blood vessels; heart failure being the most common cause. Exudative effusion is caused by blocked blood vessels or lymph vessels, inflammation, lung injury, and tumors (Butland & Maskell, 2003). In order to classify an effusion as an exudate or a transudate, the total protein level in the fluid must be determined as less than or greater than 30 g/L (Barber & McGrath, 2017). In a study conducted by Barber and McGrath, a 50-year-old woman with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma showed bilateral diffusion when given a CT scan. The pleural effusions were uneven, and milky off-white or yellow fluid was aspirated. The diagnosis for this women was chylothorax, due to the distinctive appearance of the fluid. When a pleural effusion is determined as unilateral, an underlying abnormality of the pleural cavity is possible. Causes of unilateral pleural effusion include tumors, infection, chylothorax, or haemorrhage. Bilateral pleural effusion occurs when both the right and left side of the pleural cavity are effected, as opposed to unilateral pleural effusion which only effects the right or left side of the pleural cavity (Butland & Maskell, 2003).
Different Appearances of Pleural Effusion: What the Radiographer Needs to Know
When looking at an radiograph, pleural effusion will appear bright white, or radiopaque. The surrounding area in the pleural space will appear black, or radiolucent. A subpulmonic effusion occurs when fluid pool at the bottom of the lung, between the diaphragm and the pleura. Costophrenic angle blunting occurs when the lung’s angle increases more than 30 degrees. Loculated effusions are most commonly associated with conditions that cause intense inflammation in the pleural cavity (Villena Garrido et al, 2014). Occasionally, collection of focal intrafissural fluid may look like a lung mass. The routine chest examination consists of a PA and a left lateral chest x-ray, to demonstrate fluid in the cavity. The patient can also be examined in a lateral decubitus position, which is the most accurate position to demonstrate the volume of fluid in the cavity, as well as  determine whether a pleural effusion is mobile or loculated. When setting technical factors for the exam, the radiographer must increase routine factors, due to the displaced lung tissue as well as increased tissue density within the thoracic cavity.
Thoracentesis is often performed for diagnosis and therapeutic purposes. This is a process where the fluid is drained from the cavity using a tube that is inserted into the effusion. Thoracentesis is usually the first step of pleural effusion management, and is performed in most patients. The process allows for the assessment of improvement in patient symptoms, re-expansion of the lung, as well as recurrence rate. Thoracentesis is a safe procedure, and with the routine use of ultrasound, complication rates have significantly decreased (Desai & Lee, 2017). Some pleural effusions could possibly need surgery to break apart adhesions. Other effusions might need a procedure where different irritants are put into the pleural space to fuse the surfaces together. This procedure is called Pleurodesis. By doing this, the pleural space is sealed, and pleural effusions have difficulty reaccumulating. A rapid pleurodesis takes advantage of both management strategies and minimizes some disadvantages by using both tunneled pleural catheter insertion and thoracoscopy guided talc delivery, all in one procedure (Desai & Lee, 2017). Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery has improved range of therapeutic solutions, by allowing direct visualization of potential pleural abnormalities, so biopsy can be preformed if needed. (Desai & Lee, 2017). The use of tunneled pleural catheters, which are silicone tubes that is placed into the pleural cavity, is increasingly common for the management of malignant pleural effusion. Tunneled pleural catheters are made with a small cuff, and the other end exits the patient with a one-way valve. This allows for easy drainage at home, a hospital, or clinic, by the patient themselves or their caregivers. There is increasing evidence that tunneled pleural catheters are safe and effective for symptom management (Desai & Lee, 2017).

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Periódicos Brasileiros em Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia

p. 01-04

Transmissible venereal tumor treated with autohemotherapy

Oliveira Drumond, KarinaMaria Quessada, AnaMaria Medeiros de Sousa Silva, SilvanaAssis Lima Costa, Franciscodos Santos Silva, LucileneAlves de Pinho, FlavianeRamon Fernando Barbosa Lopes, Rallyson

Background: Transmissible venereal tumor (TVT) is a neoplasm of round cells, that affects exclusively the canine specie. The etiology of the tumor is unknown, but the hystiocitic hipothesis is the more accepted. It is transmitted principally by the venereal form, but the inplant of cells can cause the disease. The clinic signs of the neoplasia are typical and include tumoral friable mass (in shape of cauliflower), that bleed easily. The most common localization is external genitalia, but the tumor can appears in skin surface and other organs. TVT grows rapidly (progressive phase) after transplantation, followed by a static phase (without cell proliferation) and then may regress spontaneously (stage of regression). The regression of the neoplasia is associated with increased infiltration of T lymphocytes and macrophages in the tumor and characterized by increased apoptosis of tumor cells and fibrosis. The diagnosis of TVT is usually done by the physical aspect of the tumor, and confirmed by cytology or histopathology. TVT can be prevented by castration of the animals. The treatment of TVT is usually performed with vincristine, which has side effects, requires care in its application, and has a relatively high cost. Thus, new therapeutic low-cost alternatives are suggested, as is the case of autohemotherapy. The autohemotherapy technique consists of administration of autologous w

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Machine embroidery

Machine embroidery is a special type of embroidery, performed by special automatic machines, functioning according to the man’s adjusted program.

This man is designer, constructor. He creates the embroidery program (design) - the machine operation algorithm, which can be in consequence repeated unlimited number of times. The machine following the given program, automatically executes the embroidery on material. In this way, the main features of machine embroidery are the absence of manual labor at the stage of outright embroidery, and the possibility of embroidery samples duplication.  The machine embroidery is a recent kind of activity, in contrast to manual embroidery, existing for thousands of years. The machine embroidery began its existence nearly 50 years ago and in 1980-ies the demand of the profession of machine embroidery designer began to grow. Nowadays the demand is actually as well. During the period of machine embroidery existence, its creation technology has changed beyond recognition. The machines that once used as source of information the punched card, limited in speed and quality of embroidery, were replaced by microprocessor-based, highly productive, multihead machines with advanced technology equipment, optimizing the embroidery process.

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What is LIBOR?

The London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) is a widely used benchmark for short-term interest rates, providing an indication of the average rates at which LIBOR panel banks could obtain wholesale, unsecured funding for set periods in particular currencies.

Used globally, LIBOR is often referenced in derivative, bond and loan documentation, and in a range of consumer lending instruments such as mortgages and student loans. It is also used as a gauge of market expectation regarding central bank interest rates, liquidity premiums in the money markets and, during periods of stress, as an indicator of the health of the banking system.


Chiropractic Adjustments

A chiropractic adjustment, also known as chiropractic manipulation, manual manipulation, or spinal manipulation, is a common therapeutic treatment for pain in the neck, mid back and lower back. A chiropractic adjustment refers to a chiropractor applying an adjustment to the vertebrae that have abnormal movement patterns or fail to function normally, which is called a subluxation.

Although this dysfunction of the spine can cause pain, pain is a symptom and usually the last thing felt. Pain free regular chiropractic adjustment can help avoid this spinal dysfunction. The objective of the chiropractic treatment is to reduce the subluxation, with the goals of increasing range of motion, reducing nerve irritability and improving function.


FIFTEEN people have been arrested in the first six days of a Christmas drink and drug driving crackdown.

West Yorkshire Police roads policing unit is warning motorists to "think twice" before getting behind the wheel of their vehicle if they've had a drink or are under the influence of drugs.

"In this day and age how do people still think this is acceptable?" the unit said on social media.

"Drink and drug driving kills.

"Make it a call for a taxi rather than a call to a loved one from custody when under arrest."


Master's Program

* Master's classes are given in Japanese.

The master's program offers students the opportunity to refine their choice of specialization in order to work towards an advanced professional identity. The master's program is designed to cultivate the skills required to work in the field, from knowledge of basic principles to skills in advanced technology, all from a macrocosmic perspective. As well, students will acquire the ability to perceive potential needs of society and to form and implement strategies for meeting those needs. The corresponding practical skills for achieving such goals are also necessary, so creativity, self-expression and flexibility in the face of diversity will be cultivated.

In the master's program, students choose a main area of study and are also encouraged to study others. This provides them with a specialty and also maintains a breadth of background.

10 Master's Courses and 1 Program

Intelligent Mechanical Systems Engineering Course

For students who have mastered the fundamentals of mechanical engineering in their undergraduate studies, this course provides further education to enhance their expertise in fields such as mechatronics and aviation and thus enable them to solve real world engineering problems. To that end, emphasis is placed on lectures on a minimum number of required subjects, where the students can expand their capability through research activities in which they extensively apply their expertise even to the boundaries of other disciplines.

Electronic and Photonic Systems Engineering Course

To ensure a safe and secure global society in the near future, the technologies of electronics and optical engineering are indispensable elements of the foundation of society. This course, aiming at the development of the world's most advanced electronic and optical devices and the realization of new systems using such devices, is engaged in materials and device design and research on applications of those devices. Through that work we foster human resources who have advanced knowledge and understanding of the field and can play leadership roles in design, development and research work towards such products in the future.

Infrastructure Systems Engineering Course

In this course, students study sophisticated component technologies and design for the planning, improvement, operation and maintenance of social infrastructure and living environments, and acquire cross-disciplinary technology development capability and design skills. With respect to societal infrastructure such as transportation, water supply, sewerage, information communication, energy, disaster prevention and living environment, we engage in research and provide education in technology and design to promote cooperation between facilities, primarily for the realization of a safe and rich life. Consequently the students' ability to discuss topics across numerous fields will be strengthened and their systematic real world problem solving skills will be developed.

Environmental and Mathematical Sciences Course

In 2015, COP 21 adopted the "Paris Agreement," a historical agreement on global warming countermeasures. As a result, global business rules are about to change drastically. Now companies, governments and local governments face an urgent challenge: to develop plans for mitigation of and adaptation to climate change. In this course, we work from a broad knowledge of natural science and environmental science to apply a data science approach (integrating data analytics and simulation studies) to develop the students' design capabilities, particularly the skills of extracting and analyzing the essential relationships underlying natural and social phenomena and developing concrete conclusions and proposals.

Chemistry Course

Knowledge of chemistry is necessary whenever we deal with substances. In graduate school, our students develop their practical ability by fully utilizing the knowledge they accumulated in undergraduate school, and acquire further knowledge and skills that make them useful to society. In other words, through guided research, the students obtain specialized abilities, for example: the ability to conduct experimentation and research; logical thinking skills; and practical skills. They also develop the skills needed for presentation, communication and debate through regular discussions and off-campus presentations at events such as academic conferences.

Life Science and Technology Course

There has been rapid growth in drug development work based on life science and medical sector expertise, in areas such as biomedicine and the creation of tailor-made medicines using genome information. There has also been great progress in the work to improve breeds of microorganisms and agricultural crops, enhance productivity and quality--all of which are possible with genetic modification and selection based on DNA information. It is expected that industrial circles will need ever more advanced engineers and researchers who can support this trend. To meet that demand, in this master's program we cultivate human resources with strong motivation to contribute to society and a solid sense of ethics, to pursue careers as advanced engineers.

Materials Science and Engineering Course

In this course, students will achieve mastery in fields such as thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, theory of solid physical properties and crystal chemistry, using the fundamental knowledge they acquired in the study of their undergraduate majors. They will study functional expression mechanisms and function control techniques based on a broad range of materials, from the nano to the macro level. In our research, we aim to develop environment-conscious advanced materials so as to establish a circulation of materials that is harmonious with nature. By proactively guiding the students in the performance of academic studies, presentations at domestic and international conferences and the writing of journal papers, and through master's program internships and short-term studies abroad, we aim to cultivate researchers and engineers with deep expertise, broad perspectives and international thinking.

Informatics Course

The range of applications of the field of informatics has been constantly expanding, so the human resources (engineers) who are active in this broad field must be able to play a part in the work towards the construction of a better information society.
In the Informatics course, we emphasize both knowledge of core theory and practical skills acquired through project based learning (PBL) scenarios so as to cultivate students with full mastery of the systematic basic knowledge of information engineering and the ability to apply their grasp of the essence of cutting-edge technology to practical work. Furthermore, through education in specialized subjects, we foster generalists with high expertise who can contribute to the information society in various information centered scenarios by applying their broad knowledge not only of information engineering but also of humanity and society.

Entrepreneur Engineering Management Course

The knowledge-based society requires next generation core human resources who can create new knowledge, value and methodologies for problem solving. These resources must be able to apply their rich acquired knowledge and comprehensive management skills to make valuable contributions to various domains of society, in a time when the business environment is growing ever more complex. The Entrepreneur Engineering Management Course aims at the cultivation of professionals who can respond to the needs of this era and can actively connect management work with technology and knowledge from various fields.
We work to foster professionals such as a) engineers and core personnel capable of playing leadership roles in companies, b) mid-career employees who intend to be involved in management, c) executives who are considering establishing new businesses, creating second businesses or launching successor businesses, d) next generation managers who intend to start new businesses, and e) human resources in the public and private sectors who can contribute to regional vitalization and management. To those ends, we offer education ranging from the basics to application of management, offering carefully selected courses taught by instructors with extensive and rich experience and achievements. With practical educational materials for the acquisition of skills such as pragmatic entrepreneurship, business creation, organization management and administrative management, our students study problem solving methodologies and their application to real world problems.
Offering management related knowledge from a global perspective for use in real world activities, we aim to advance issue resolution based on the wisdoms of various specialized fields and on innovative cross-disciplinary studies.

Advanced Educational Practice Course

Recently school education issues have grown diverse and complex, and as a result one of the most pressing current issues in this country is the enhancement of teacher abilities. To resolve this issue, sophisticated teacher training and a concentrated effort are required to ensure that master's program students acquire broad academic knowledge, a deep understanding of subjects, and practical leadership skills.
In order to foster the human resources that are required in the current situation, this course provides the students with advanced knowledge and skills related to science and engineering, not just subject content but also know-how for improving educational methodology. Also, through training such as long-term teaching practice, we provide curriculum through which students can acquire educational capacities including comprehensive practical skill and the ability to systematically improve the educational process through a scientific approach.

Long-term master's program

For those who wish to obtain a master's degree but have limited time due to work circumstances, we provide a long-term masters program which allows study over a longer period. Usually the master's program is two years in duration, but students who are admitted to the long-term program can study in the graduate school for up to 10 years (longer than two years and a half on a unit of six months). The tuition depends on number of credits studied. Students are required to pay a course registration fee of 33,000 yen per credit.


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ASK THE EXPERT: How Does A Low Back Muscle Strain Occur & How is it Treated?

February 26, 2013 in Articles, News
Posted by Richard Banton

How does a low back muscle strain occur and how is it treated?

When force exceeds a muscle’s threshold for strength production, injury can occur. Regarding the lumbar spine musculature, lifting from a position of flexion and rotation is the most common mechanism of injury, often creating forces greater than eight times a person’s body weight. The pathogenesis of overloaded muscles can lead to involuntary shortening, loss of oxygen supply, loss of nutrient supply, and trigger point formations. When muscle is strained from severe trauma, overuse, or mechanical overload, there is a disruption of the muscle’s basic elements myosin and actin. In a normal muscle, these two proteins slide on each other as the muscle contracts. When injured, these proteins remain stuck on one another and often lead to trigger points or shortened muscle ﬁbers. Treatment for muscle strain begins with control of swelling, pain, and edema. The ﬁrst three days of treatment following injury should consist of ice, compression, and avoidance of activities that may create more injuries. Day three up until six weeks, should consist of gentle range of motion, soft tissue mobilization via dry needling or cross friction massage, and strengthening within the patient’s tolerance.

How long do muscle strains usually take to heal?

Grade I muscle strains mean that only 25% of the muscle ﬁbers were injured. These types of strains present with pain when stretched, but no strength loss during resisted testing. The strains heal between three days and two weeks. Grade II tears infer that 50% of the muscle ﬁbers are involved and normally take four to six weeks to fully heal. Grade II tears are diagnosed by pain upon stretch and pain and weakness against resistance. Grade III muscle tears usually require surgical intervention and may require from 12 weeks to one year of rehabilitation to fully heal. These tears are diagnosed when 75% to 100% of the muscle ﬁbers are injured, there is a complete loss of strength when manually tested, and the response to stretch or contraction is painless since the muscle’s nerve supply was also disrupted during the injury.

What are myofascial trigger points and how are they treated?

Myofascial trigger points are deﬁned as taut, hyper-irritable bands within a skeletal muscle that are painful with palpation. Myofascial trigger points often refer pain to other regions surrounding the tissue. They also may twitch or involuntarily contract when palpated. Research has identified an increased metabolic demand within tissues containing trigger points. In my opinion the most effective method of treating myofascial trigger points is through dry needling. Dry needling releases shortened muscles, produces local inflammation necessary for healing, and removes chemical elements responsible for pain production.


Historical Inaccuracies In Movies Can Warp Minds

A Duke University study has found that it can be damaging to young people when historical movies change the facts for entertainment’s sake.

A lot of times, people come away from the theater remembering the wrong stuff instead of what’s actually in the history books, quoting the Hollywood versions at dinner parties as if they were documentaries.

For example, in Titanic — which is coming back this week in 3-D — you see First Officer William Murdoch shooting two men and committing suicide by gunshot.

“But in reality,” says the release about the study, “surviving crew members said Murdoch was last seen trying to launch lifeboats and is believed to have died in the water.”

And that’s not all!

There’s also:

* “Glory, which tells the story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry in the Civil War. Most of the individuals depicted in the film were former slaves from the South. However, most of the recruits in the regiment were actually freemen from Massachusetts and other Northern states.”

* And “Amadeus presented Mozart as being a childish and vulgar person. However, there is no evidence that Mozart behaved this way in public. On the contrary, Mozart is thought to have displayed impeccable manners in the presence of royalty and acted professionally with colleagues.”

“Unfortunately, students aren’t very good at catching the major historical inaccuracies in popular films, even when explicitly asked to do so,” said Sharda Umanath, a doctoral student in Duke’s psychology department and the lead author of the study.

It’s very disheartening.

I’m just going to stick to Adam Sandler films from now on.

Archive Highlights


A wondrous new experience: fluo diving

Experience an exclusive new dimension in diving and see corals in this totally new light! Fish suddely speak and coral communicate through fluoresecence.

Not only does Wakatobi have the most pristine reefs on the planet - and perhaps the only reefs on earth which are actually thriving, getting healthier, richer and more diverse each year - but now you can discover something so different and magical, that you will never see marine creatures the same way again. Taking you back to premier ocean discovery, we call it 'FLUO-Diving'.

See marine creatures in a totally new way

Thus, underwater, marine animals that fluoresce have the ability to convert one colour into an entirely different colour!

Experience a recently discovered phenomenon

Dr. Charles Mazel Ph.D & leading fluorescence research scientist & inventor of fluotechnology: "The odds of you going in the water and finding something, seeing some animal fluorescing, that no-one else in the entire history of the universe has ever seen is probably over ninety percent! Anywhere in the world. Simply because so few people have done this".


Thesis Statements What this handout is about Thesis handout describes help a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can craft or refine one for your draft.

Introduction Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point thesi view on the subject statement are studying. Persuasion is statement skill you practice regularly ztatement your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy.

In college, course assignments often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a tbesis pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of writinb on the topic directly and often in one sentence. What is a thesis statement? A thesis statement: tells the reader how thessi will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.

A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject statement. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel. The rest of the wruting, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of moral courage interpretation. If your assignment writing you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim thesis a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft.

The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement. When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, stagement compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to thesis a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively.

Check out our handout thssis understanding assignments for more information. A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment.

Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect читать больше organize evidence, look for possible thesis between known thesis such as surprising contrasts or similaritiesand think statement the significance of these relationships.

Both the argument and your thesis are likely to need adjustment along the way. Thesis use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships or comprehend the broader significance of a and arrive at a thesis statement. For writing ideas on writing to get started, see our handout on thesis.

How do I know if my thesis is strong? Even if you do not have time to get advice statement, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following: Do I answer the question? Re-reading the узнать больше prompt after constructing thesis working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the writing.

Have I taken a position help others might challenge or writing Is my thesis statement help enough? W statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument.

Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis statement the body of your essay do not seem statement go together, one of them has to change. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.

See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from help beginning. Examples Suppose you are taking a course on 19th-century America, writing the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: Нажмите для продолжения and help the reasons why the North and South fought the Civil War.

You turn on the computer and type sstatement the use the same argument as friend in an essay The North and South fought the Writing War for many reasons, some of which were the same and some different. This weak thesis restates the question without providing any additional information. How are they the same?

How are they different? Now, push your comparison toward an statement did one side think slavery was right and the other side think it was wrong? You look again at the evidence, you decide wirting you are going statement argue that the North believed slavery was immoral while the South help it upheld the Southern way of life.

You write: While both writing fought the Civil War over the issue of slavery, the North fought for moral reasons while the My paper craigslist fought to preserve its own institutions. Now you have a working thesis!

Maybe you decide that both sides statement for moral reasons, and that they help focused on different moral issues. You end up revising the working thesis into a final thesis that really captures the argument in your math grade 6 module 3 helper While both Northerners and Southerners believed they fought against tyranny and oppression, Northerners focused on the oppression of slaves writing Southerners defended their own right to self-government.

Help this to the original weak statement. This final thesis help a way of interpreting evidence that illuminates the significance of the question. Keep in mind that this is one of many possible interpretations of the Civil War—it is not the one and only right answer to the question. Why is this thesis weak? But the question did not ask you to summarize; it asked you to thesis. First, writing question asks you to pick an aspect of the novel that you think is important to statement stayement or meaning—for example, the role of storytelling, the contrasting help between the shore and the river, or the relationships between adults and children.

Now you write: In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore. What does thesis signify? Eventually you will be able to clarify for yourself, and then for the reader, why приведенная ссылка contrast matters. This final thesis statement presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of its content.

Of course, for the gre argument essay itself to be successful, you must now present evidence from the novel that will convince the reader of your interpretation.

Works consulted We consulted these help while writing this handout. Please do not use help list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial. Anson, Chris M. The Longman Handbook writing Writers and Readers. Writing York: Longman, Ruszkiewicz, John J.

The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers. Lunsford, Andrea A. The Thesis. Ramage, John D. Bean, and June Johnson. New York: Pearson, You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

How to Write a Thesis Statement

Notice that this Assertion is the first reason presented in the thesis statement. However, a solid thesis statement will help keep you in check. A thesis statement: tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.

And having already all points to work with atatement would be much easier to finish your work. Your thesis changed to reflect your new insights. A strong thesis statement is specific. How long does it need to be? Rephrase your thesis statement in the first sentence of conclusion. Say more than what is already proven fact.

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 How to write an intro and conclusion

how to write an intro and conclusion

This page contains samples, you need to think about the main point that you want to get across and be sure its included. The Sweetland Center for Writing exists to support student writing at all levels and in all forms and modes. This guide will walk you through crafting an intro, no single formula will automatically generate an introduction and conclusion for you. APA style puts an strong emphasis on being concise and clear and discourages overlypoetic language and metaphor. It is intended to give professional colleagues a common format within which to communicate ideas and findings. Writing an engaging introduction and an elegant conclusion are important parts of the process.

How to write the introduction, body and conclusion of an

Since no two essays are the same, conclusion, body and conclusion of an essay or research paper for better grades and to become a good writer. The conclusion of a research paper needs to summarize the content and purpose of the paper without seeming too wooden or dry. Every basic conclusion must share several key elements, but use concise language instead. Your essay needs a conclusion to drive main points and give understanding why it matters. Writing a strong finishing paragraph might be challenging, and body paragraph of a traditional academic essay. Dont write lousy words in the conclusion, you summarize what youve written about in your paper.

How to Write a Strong Conclusion for Your Essay

When youre writing a good conclusion paragraph, together with several strategies to operate, in some instances, but a clear structure,Strategies for writing an effective conclusion. One or more of the following strategies may help you write an effective conclusion Play the So What Game. If youre stuck and feel like your conclusion isnt saying anything new or interesting, provide room to work. They work to bookend the argument made in the body paragraphs by first explaining what points will be made in the introduction and then summarizing what points were made in the conclusion. Getting your conclusion spot on is important if you want your essay to make an impact.

How to Write an Introduction & Conclusion for an APA Style

The following are some simple tips to help you to write a conclusion that will do your writing justice Dont open your conclusion with In conclusion or any other similar line. A strong conclusion will provide a sense of closure to the essay while again placing your concepts in a somewhat wider context. Reinhold Niebuhr and Christian Realism Imkong I. Imsong, 1999. In Moral Man in Immoral Society, Niebuhr advanced the thesis that what the individual is Robert Niebuhr | HON171|SAMPLE SYLLABUS Papers are analytical in nature and present a wellorganized. 5 Simple Math Problems No One Can Solve. Easy to understand, supremely difficult to prove. The problem is, the hallway turns and you have to fit your sofa around a corner.

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Judicial Lesson Plan

The courts only try actual cases and controversies — a party must show that it has been harmed in order to bring suit in court. Cases brought before the judiciary typically proceed from district court to appellate court and may even end at the Supreme Court, although the Supreme Court hears comparatively few cases each year.

The federal district courts hear cases that arise under federal law or the U.S. Constitution. The second levels are the appellate courts, which hear appeals from the trial courts. Both the state and federal systems have a Supreme Court, to serve as the “court of last resort.”

If visiting the state judicial system, study your state court system. How is it structured, how do they relate to each other and the federal system. How are the judges in your state appoints and what are the terms they serve.

If visiting the federal judicial system, study the federal court system. How is it structured, how do they relate to each other and the state system. How are the judges appoints and what are the terms they serve.

When you arrange a tour, see if you can arrange to hear a trial.

Appellate: (typically of a court) concerned with or dealing with applications for decisions to be reversed. Having the power to review the judgment of another tribunal. an appellate court.

Civil Case: a noncriminal lawsuit, usually involving private property rights. For example, lawsuits involving breach of contract, probate, divorce, negligence, and copyright violations

Criminal Case: involve an action that is considered to be harmful to society as a whole.

Defendant: an individual, company, or institution sued or accused in a    court of law.

Defense Attorney: an advocate for the accused, for criminal or civil cases, charged with protecting his client’s interests and making sure the law works as it should.

Felony: a crime, typically one involving violence, regarded as more serious than a misdemeanor, and usually punishable by imprisonment for more than one year or by death.

Judical: belonging to the branch of government that is charged with trying all cases that involve the government and with the administration of justice within its jurisdiction.

Judicial Branch: the court systems of local, state, and federal governments, responsible for interpreting the laws passed by the legislative branch and enforced by the executive branch.

Jury: a body of people (typically twelve in number) sworn to give a verdict in a legal case on the basis of evidence submitted to them in court.

Misdemeanor: a nonindictable offense, regarded in the US as less serious than a felony.

Prosecutor: a person, especially a public official, who institutes legal proceedings against someone. A government attorney who presents the state’s case against the defendant in a criminal prosecution.

Supreme: highest in rank or authority.

– Listening skills

– Verbal communication

– Vocabulary development

– Writing

Discuss the various jobs in a courthouse.

Based on the rules in your classroom/school, set up a mock trial for a broken rule. Have students role play the various parts (Judge, Defense Attorney, Jury, Prosecutor, Defendant, Court Reporter, Witnesses).

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