How to Sort Records in Delphi DBGrid by Column Title

Delphi DBGrid is such a powerful component that youre probably using it every day if youre developing data-aware applications. Below, well take a look at how to add some more features to your database applications that your users are sure to love. Following the concepts described in the Beginners Guide to Delphi Database Programming, the examples below use ADO components (AdoQuery/AdoTable connected to ADOConnection, DBGrid connected to AdoQuery over DataSource) to display the records from a database table in a DBGrid component. All the component names were left as Delphi named them when dropped on the form (DBGrid1, ADOQuery1, AdoTable1, etc.). Mouse Moves Over DBGrid Title Area First, lets see how to change the mouse pointer while it moves over the DBGrid title area. All you have to do is add the code to the OnMouseMove event for the DBGrid component. The code below simply uses the MouseCoord property of the DBGrid component to calculate where the mouse pointer is. If its over the DGBrid title area, the pt.y equals 0, which is the first row in the DBGrid (the title area displaying column/field titles). procedure TForm1.DBGrid1MouseMove (Sender: TObject; Shift: TShiftState; X, Y: Integer);var pt: TGridcoord;begin pt: DBGrid1.MouseCoord(x, y); if pt.y0 then DBGrid1.Cursor:crHandPoint else DBGrid1.Cursor:crDefault;end; Sort on Column Click and Change the Column Title Font If youre using the ADO approach to Delphi database development, and want to sort the records in the dataset, you need to set the Sort property of your AdoDataset (ADOQuery, AdoTable). The Sort property is the widestring value indicating the ORDER BY part of the standard SQL query. Of course, you do not need to write the SQL query to be able to use the Sort property. Simply set the Sort property to the name of a single field or to a comma-separated list of fields, each following the sort order. Heres an example: ADOTable1.Sort : Year DESC, ArticleDate ASC The OnTitleClick event of the DBGrid component has a Column parameter indicating the Column the user has clicked on. Each Column (object of type TColumn) has a Field property indicating the Field (TField) represented by the Column, and the Field in its FieldName property holds the name of the field in the underlying dataset. Therefore, to sort an ADO dataset by field/column, a simple line can be used: with TCustomADODataSet(DBGrid1.DataSource.DataSet) doSort : Column.Field.FieldName; // ASC or DESC Below is the code for the OnTitleClick even handler that sorts the records by column click. The code, as always, extends the idea. First, we want to, in some way, mark the column thats currently used for sort order. Next, if we click on a column title and the dataset is already sorted by that column, we want to change the sort order from ASC (ascending) to DESC (descending), and vice versa. Finally, when we sort the dataset by another column, we want to remove the mark from the previously selected column. For the sake of simplicity, to mark the column that sorts the records, well simply change the font style of the column title to Bold, and remove it when dataset is sorted using another column. procedure TForm1.DBGrid1TitleClick(Column: TColumn);{$J}const PreviousColumnIndex : integer -1;{$J-}beginif DBGrid1.DataSource.DataSet is TCustomADODataSet thenwith TCustomADODataSet(DBGrid1.DataSource.DataSet) dobegintry DBGrid1.Columns[PreviousColumnIndex].title.Font.Style : DBGrid1.Columns[PreviousColumnIndex].title.Font.Style - [fsBold]; exceptend; Column.title.Font.Style : Column.title.Font.Style [fsBold]; PreviousColumnIndex : Column.Index; if (Pos(Column.Field.FieldName, Sort) 1) and (Pos( DESC, Sort) 0) then Sort : Column.Field.FieldName DESC else Sort : Column.Field.FieldName ASC; end;end; The above code uses typed constants to preserve the value of the previously selected column for sort order.

Stephen Hawking s Death Of The Greatest Scientist

Imagine if you could only move your left hand an inch or so, and the rest of your body was completely paralyzed. You can’t talk, and you can hardly move. This disease is called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Lou Gehrig’s disease, or ALS and this is what Stephen Hawking has. Despite the fact that he is handicapped, he has managed to become one of the greatest scientists ever. Stephen Hawking was born on January 8, 1942 (exactly 300 years after the death of Galileo Galilei) in Oxford, England. As a kid, he was fascinated with the idea of an ever-growing universe that he lives in, and would occasionally lie on his front lawn, with his family, observing the sky and taking turns looking through a telescope at the stars. On one quiet, dark†¦show more content†¦His great abilities in physics were weakened by his poor study habits. After his final exam, Stephen was on the line between first and second honors. To determine his degree, the professors decided to give him an oral exam. He passed the test with excellence, and therefore, went on to Cambridge. At Cambridge University, he was going to study cosmetology, a branch of physics. Fortunately for him he decided to study theoretical physics, not experimental physics where he would have had to set up many experiments, which he could not have done after he got ALS. By now, Stephen had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. ALS slowly destroys the nerves in the brain and spine. ALS victims usually die within 2-5 years because it destroys the muscles used for breathing which leads to suffocation. When he was diagnosed with ALS, he pretty much gave up his life. After he did not die after two years, he realized he could go on with ALS and his study of cosmetology. Although he was weak, he could still walk. After those 2 years, he decided he could not waste any time, there were things he wanted to do in his life. Hawking wanted to get married and get a Ph.D. So he was engaged to Jane Wilde in 1965. Hawking said, It [getting married to her] made me determined to live, to go on. Jane really gave me the will to live. Then he got his Ph.D. and started to work at Cambridge. He was now officially known as Professor Dr. Stephen William Hawking. His health

The Twilight Saga 5 Midnight Sun 1. First Sight Free Essays

string(21) " I kicked his chair\." This was the time of day when I wished I were able to sleep. High school. Or was purgatory the right word? If there was any way to atone for my sins, this ought to count toward the tally in some measure. We will write a custom essay sample on The Twilight Saga 5: Midnight Sun 1. First Sight or any similar topic only for you Order Now The tedium was not something I grew used to; every day seemed more impossibly monotonous than the last. I suppose this was my form of sleep – if sleep was defined as the inert state between active periods. I stared at the cracks running through the plaster in the far corner of the cafeteria, imagining patterns into them that were not there. It was one way to tune out the voices that babbled like the gush of a river inside my head. Several hundred of these voices I ignored out of boredom. When it came to the human mind, I’d heard it all before and then some. Today, all thoughts were consumed with the trivial drama of a new addition to the small student body here. It took so little to work them all up. I’d seen the new face repeated in thought after thought from every angle. Just an ordinary human girl. The excitement over her arrival was tiresomely predictable – like flashing a shiny object at a child. Half the sheep-like males were already imagining themselves in love with her, just because she was something new to look at. I tried harder to tune them out. Only four voices did I block out of courtesy rather than distaste: my family, my two brothers and two sisters, who were so used to the lack of privacy in my presence that they rarely gave it a thought. I gave them what privacy I could. I tried not to listen if I could help it. Try as I may, still†¦I knew. Rosalie was thinking, as usual, about herself. She’d caught sight of her profile in the reflection off someone’s glasses, and she was mulling over her own perfection. Rosalie’s mind was a shallow pool with few surprises. Emmett was fuming over a wrestling match he’d lost to Jasper during the night. It would take all his limited patience to make it to the end of the school day to orchestrate a rematch. I never really felt intrusive hearing Emmett’s thoughts, because he never thought one thing that he would not say aloud or put into action. Perhaps I only felt guilty reading the others’ minds because I knew there were things there that they wouldn’t want me to know. If Rosalie’s mind was a shallow pool, then Emmett’s was a lake with no shadows, glass clear. And Jasper was†¦suffering. I suppressed a sigh. Edward. Alice called my name in her head, and had my attention at once. It was just the same as having my name called aloud. I was glad my given name had fallen out of style lately – it had been annoying; anytime anyone thought of any Edward, my head would turn automatically†¦ My head didn’t turn now. Alice and I were good at these private conversations. It was rare that anyone caught us. I kept my eyes on the lines in the plaster. How is he holding up? she asked me. I frowned, just a small change in the set of my mouth. Nothing that would tip the others off. I could easily be frowning out of boredom. Alice’s mental tone was alarmed now, and I saw in her mind that she was watching Jasper in her peripheral vision. Is there any danger? She searched ahead, into the immediate future, skimming through visions of monotony for the source behind my frown. I turned my head slowly to the left, as if looking at the bricks of the wall, sighed, and then to the right, back to the cracks in the ceiling. Only Alice knew I was shaking my head. She relaxed. Let me know if it gets too bad. I moved only my eyes, up to the ceiling above, and back down. Thanks for doing this. I was glad I couldn’t answer her aloud. What would I say? ‘My pleasure’? It was hardly that. I didn’t enjoy listening to Jasper’s struggles. Was it really necessary to experiment like this? Wouldn’t the safer path be to just admit that he might never be able to handle the thirst the way the rest of us could, and not push his limits? Why flirt with disaster? It had been two weeks since our last hunting trip. That was not an immensely difficult time span for the rest of us. A little uncomfortable occasionally – if a human walked too close, if the wind blew the wrong way. But humans rarely walked too close. Their instincts told them what their conscious minds would never understand: we were dangerous. Jasper was very dangerous right now. At that moment, a small girl paused at the end of the closest table to ours,stopping to talk to a friend. She tossed her short, sandy hair, running her fingers throughit. The heaters blew her scent in our direction. I was used to the way that scent made mefeel – the dry ache in my throat, the hollow yearn in my stomach, the automatictightening of my muscles, the excess flow of venom in my mouth†¦ This was all quite normal, usually easy to ignore. It was harder just now, with thefeelings stronger, doubled, as I monitored Jasper’s reaction. Twin thirsts, rather than justmine. Jasper was letting his imagination get away from him. He was picturing it – picturing himself getting up from his seat next to Alice and going to stand beside the littlegirl. Thinking of leaning down and in, as if he were going to whisper in her ear, andletting his lips touch the arch of her throat. Imagining how the hot flow of her pulsebeneath the fine skin would feel under his mouth†¦ I kicked his chair. He met my gaze for a minute, and then looked down. I could hear shame andrebellion war in his head. â€Å"Sorry,† Jasper muttered. I shrugged. â€Å"You weren’t going to do anything,† Alice murmured to him, soothing hischagrin. â€Å"I could see that.† I fought back the grimace that would give her lie away. We had to stick together,Alice and I. It wasn’t easy, hearing voices or seeing visions of the future. Both freaksamong those who were already freaks. We protected each other’s secrets. â€Å"It helps a little if you think of them as people,† Alice suggested, her high,musical voice too fast for human ears to understand, if any had been close enough tohear. â€Å"Her name is Whitney. She has a baby sister she adores. Her mother invited Esmeto that garden party, do you remember?† â€Å"I know who she is,† Jasper said curtly. He turned away to stare out one of thesmall windows that were spaced just under the eaves around the long room. His toneended the conversation. He would have to hunt tonight. It was ridiculous to take risks like this, trying totest his strength, to build his endurance. Jasper should just accept his limitations andwork within them. His former habits were not conducive to our chosen lifestyle; heshouldn’t push himself in this way. Alice sighed silently and stood, taking her tray of food – her prop, as it were – with her and leaving him alone. She knew when he’d had enough of her encouragement.Though Rosalie and Emmett were more flagrant about their relationship, it was Alice andJasper who knew each other’s every mood as well as their own. As if they could readminds, too – only just each other’s. Edward Cullen. Reflex reaction. I turned to the sound of my name being called, though it wasn’tbeing called, just thought. My eyes locked for a small portion of a second with a pair of wide, chocolatebrownhuman eyes set in a pale, heart-shaped face. I knew the face, though I’d neverseen it myself before this moment. It had been foremost in every human head today. Thenew student, Isabella Swan. Daughter of the town’s chief of police, brought to live hereby some new custody situation. Bella. She’d corrected everyone who’d used her fullname†¦ I looked away, bored. It took me a second to realize that she had not been the oneto think my name. Of course she’s already crushing on the Cullens, I heard the first thoughtcontinue. Now I recognized the voice.’ Jessica Stanley – it had been a while since she’dbothered me with her internal chatter. What a relief it had been when she’d gotten overher misplaced infatuation. It used to be nearly impossible to escape her constant,ridiculous daydreams. I’d wished, at the time, that I could explain to her exactly whatwould have happened if my lips, and the teeth behind them, had gotten anywhere nearher. That would have silenced those annoying fantasies. The thought of her reactionalmost made me smile. Fat lot of good it will do her, Jessica went on. She’s really not even pretty. Idon’t know why Eric is staring so much†¦or Mike. She winced mentally on the last name. Her new infatuation, the genericallypopular Mike Newton, was completely oblivious to her. Apparently, he was not asoblivious to the new girl. Like the child with the shiny object again. This put a meanedge to Jessica’s thoughts, though she was outwardly cordial to the newcomer as sheexplained to her the commonly held knowledge about my family. The new student musthave asked about us. Everyone’s looking at me today, too, Jessica thought smugly in an aside. Isn’t itlucky Bella had two classes with me†¦I’ll bet Mike will want to ask me what she’s – I tried to block the inane chatter out of my head before the petty and the trivialcould drive me mad. â€Å"Jessica Stanley is giving the new Swan girl all the dirty laundry on the Cullenclan,† I murmured to Emmett as a distraction. He chuckled under his breath. I hope she’s making it good, he thought. â€Å"Rather unimaginative, actually. Just the barest hint of scandal. Not an ounce ofhorror. I’m a little disappointed.† And the new girl? Is she disappointed in the gossip as well? I listened to hear what this new girl, Bella, thought of Jessica’s story. What didshe see when she looked at the strange, chalky-skinned family that was universallyavoided? It was sort of my responsibility to know her reaction. I acted as a lookout, forlack of a better word, for my family. To protect us. If anyone ever grew suspicious, Icould give us early warning and an easy retreat. It happened occasionally – some humanwith an active imagination would see in us the characters of a book or a movie. Usuallythey got it wrong, but it was better to move on somewhere new than to risk scrutiny. Very, very rarely, someone would guess right. We didn’t give them a chance to test theirhypothesis. We simply disappeared, to become no more than a frightening memory†¦I heard nothing, though I listened close beside where Jessica’s frivolous internalmonologue continued to gush. It was as if there was no one sitting beside her. Howpeculiar, had the girl moved? That didn’t seem likely, as Jessica was still babbling to her.I looked up to check, feeling off-balance. Checking on what my extra hearing’ could tellme – it wasn’t something I ever had to do. Again, my gaze locked on those same wide brown eyes. She was sitting rightwhere she had been before, and looking at us, a natural thing to be doing, I supposed, asJessica was still regaling her with the local gossip about the Cullens.Thinking about us, too, would be natural. But I couldn’t hear a whisper. Inviting warm red stained her cheeks as she looked down, away from theembarrassing gaffe of getting caught staring at a stranger. It was good that Jasper wasstill gazing out the window. I didn’t like to imagine what that easy pooling of bloodwould do to his control. The emotions had been as clear on her face as if they were spelled out in wordsacross her forehead: surprise, as she unknowingly absorbed the signs of the subtledifferences between her kind and mine, curiosity, as she listened to Jessica’s tale, andsomething more†¦fascination? It wouldn’t be the first time. We were beautiful to them,our intended prey. Then, finally, embarrassment as I caught her staring at me. And yet, though her thoughts had been so clear in her odd eyes – odd, because ofthe depth to them; brown eyes often seemed flat in their darkness – I could hear nothingbut silence from the place she was sitting. Nothing at all. I felt a moment of unease. This was nothing I’d ever encountered before. Was there something wrong withme? I felt exactly the same as I always did. Worried, I listened harder.All the voices I’d been blocking were suddenly shouting in my head†¦.wonder what music she likes†¦maybe I could mention that new CD†¦ MikeNewton was thinking, two tables away – fixated on Bella Swan. Look at him staring at her. Isn’t it enough that he has half the girls in schoolwaiting for him to†¦ Eric Yorkie was thinking sulfurous thoughts, also revolving aroundthe girl. †¦so disgusting. You’d think she was famous or something†¦ Even Edward Cullen, staring†¦ Lauren Mallory was so jealous that her face, by all rights, should be dark jade in color. And Jessica, flaunting her new best friend. What a joke†¦ Vitriol continued to spew from the girl’s thoughts. †¦I bet everyone has asked her that. But I’d like to talk to her. I’ll think of a more original question†¦ Ashley Dowling mused. †¦maybe she’ll be in my Spanish†¦ June Richardson hoped. †¦tons left to do tonight! Trig, and the English test. I hope my mom†¦ Angela Weber, a quiet girl, whose thoughts were unusually kind, was the only one at the table who wasn’t obsessed with this Bella. I could hear them all, hear every insignificant thing they were thinking as it passed through their minds. But nothing at all from the new student with the deceptively communicative eyes. And, of course, I could hear what the girl said when she spoke to Jessica. I didn’t have to read minds to be able to hear her low, clear voice on the far side of the long room. â€Å"Which one is the boy with the reddish brown hair?† I heard her ask, sneaking a look at me from the corner of her eye, only to look quickly away when she saw that I was still staring. If I’d had time to hope that hearing the sound of her voice would help me pinpoint the tone of her thoughts, lost somewhere where I couldn’t access them, I was instantly disappointed. Usually, people’s thoughts came to them in a similar pitch as their physical voices. But this quiet, shy voice was unfamiliar, not one of the hundreds of thoughts bouncing around the room, I was sure of that. Entirely new. Oh, good luck, idiot! Jessica thought before answering the girl’s question. â€Å"That’s Edward. He’s gorgeous, of course, but don’t waste your time. He doesn’t date. Apparently none of the girls here are good-looking enough for him.† She sniffed. I turned my head away to hide my smile. Jessica and her classmates had no idea how lucky they were that none of them particularly appealed to me. Beneath the transient humor, I felt a strange impulse, one I did not clearly understand. It had something to do with the vicious edge to Jessica’s thoughts that the new girl was unaware of†¦ I felt the strangest urge to step in between them, to shield this Bella Swan from the darker workings of Jessica’s mind. What an odd thing to feel. Trying to ferret out the motivations behind the impulse, I examined the new girl one more time. Perhaps it was just some long buried protective instinct – the strong for the weak. This girl looked more fragile than her new classmates. Her skin was so translucent it was hard to believe it offered her much defense from the outside world. I could see the rhythmic pulse of blood through her veins under the clear, pale membrane†¦ But I should not concentrate on that. I was good at this life I’d chosen, but I was just as thirsty as Jasper and there was no point in inviting temptation. There was a faint crease between her eyebrows that she seemed unaware of. It was unbelievable frustrating! I could clearly see that it was a strain for her to sit there, to make conversation with strangers, to be the center of attention. I could sense her shyness from the way she held her frail-looking shoulders, slightly hunched, as if she was expecting a rebuff at any moment. And yet I could only sense, could only see, could only imagine. There was nothing but silence from the very unexceptional human girl. I could hear nothing. Why? â€Å"Shall we?† Rosalie murmured, interrupting my focus. I looked away from the girl with a sense of relief. I didn’t want to continue to fail at this – it irritated me. And I didn’t want to develop any interest in her hidden thoughts simply because they were hidden from me. No doubt, when I did decipher her thoughts – and I would find a way to do so – they would be just as petty and trivial as any human’s thoughts. Not worth the effort I would expend to reach them. â€Å"So, is the new one afraid of us yet?† Emmett asked, still waiting for my response to his question before. I shrugged. He wasn’t interested enough to press for a more information. Nor should I be interested. We got up from the table and walked out of the cafeteria. Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper were pretending to be seniors; they left for their classes. I was playing a younger role than they. I headed off for my junior level biology class, preparing my mind for the tedium. It was doubtful Mr. Banner, a man of no more than average intellect, would manage to pull out anything in his lecture that would surprise someone holding two graduate degrees in medicine. In the classroom, I settled into my chair and let my books – props, again; they held nothing I didn’t already know – spill across the table. I was the only student who had a table to himself. The humans weren’t smart enough to know that they feared me, but their survival instincts were enough to keep them away. The room slowly filled as they trickled in from lunch. I leaned back in my chair and waited for the time to pass. Again, I wished I was able to sleep. Because I’d been thinking about her, when Angela Weber escorted the new girl through the door, her name intruded on my attention. Bella seems just as shy as me. I’ll bet today is really hard for her. I wish I could say something†¦but it would probably just sound stupid†¦ Yes! Mike Newton thought, turning in his seat to watch the girls enter. Still, from the place where Bella Swan stood, nothing. The empty space where her thoughts should be irritated and unnerved me. She came closer, walking down the aisle beside me to get to the teacher’s desk. Poor girl; the seat next to me was the only one available. Automatically, I cleared what would be her side of the desk, shoving my books into a pile. I doubted she would feel very comfortable there. She was in for a long semester – in this class, at least. Perhaps, though, sitting beside her, I’d be able to flush out her secrets†¦not that I’d ever needed close proximity before†¦not that I would find anything worth listening to†¦ Bella Swan walked into the flow of the heated air that blew toward me from the vent. Her scent hit me like wrecking ball, like a battering ram. There was no image violent enough to encapsulate the force of what happened to me in that moment. In that instant, I was nothing close to the human I’d once been; no trace of the shreds of humanity I’d managed to cloak myself in remained. I was a predator. She was my prey. There was nothing else in the whole world but that truth. There was no room full of witnesses – they were already collateral damage in my head. The mystery of her thoughts was forgotten. Her thoughts meant nothing, for she would not go on thinking them much longer. I was a vampire, and she had the sweetest blood I’d smelled in eighty years. I hadn’t imagined such a scent could exist. If I’d known it did, I would have gone searching for it long ago. I would have combed the planet for her. I could imagine the taste†¦ Thirst burned through my throat like fire. My mouth was baked and desiccated. The fresh flow of venom did nothing to dispel that sensation. My stomach twisted with the hunger that was an echo of the thirst. My muscles coiled to spring. Not a full second had passed. She was still taking the same step that had put her downwind from me. As her foot touched the ground, her eyes slid toward me, a movement she clearly meant to be stealthy. Her glance met mine, and I saw myself reflected in the wide mirror of her eyes. The shock of the face I saw there saved her life for a few thorny moments. She didn’t make it easier. When she processed the expression on my face, blood flooded her cheeks again, turning her skin the most delicious color I’d ever seen. The scent was a thick haze in my brain. I could barely think through it. My thoughts raged, resisting control, incoherent. She walked more quickly now, as if she understood the need to escape. Her haste made her clumsy – she tripped and stumbled forward, almost falling into the girl seated in front of me. Vulnerable, weak. Even more than usual for a human. I tried to focus on the face I’d seen in her eyes, a face I recognized with revulsion. The face of the monster in me – the face I’d beaten back with decades of effort and uncompromising discipline. How easily it sprang to the surface now! The scent swirled around me again, scattering my thoughts and nearly propelling me out of my seat. My hand gripped under the edge of the table as I tried to hold myself in my chair. The wood was not up to the task. My hand crushed through the strut and came away with a palmful of splintered pulp, leaving the shape of my fingers carved into the remaining wood. Destroy evidence. That was a fundamental rule. I quickly pulverized the edges of the shape with my fingertips, leaving nothing but a ragged hole and a pile of shavings on the floor, which I scattered with my foot. Destroy evidence. Collateral damage†¦. I knew what had to happen now. The girl would have to come sit beside me, and I would have to kill her. The innocent bystanders in this classroom, eighteen other children and one man, could not be allowed to leave this room, having seen what they would soon see. I flinched at the thought of what I must do. Even at my very worst, I had never committed this kind of atrocity. I had never killed innocents, not in over eight decades. And now I planned to slaughter twenty of them at once. The face of the monster in the mirror mocked me. Even as part of me shuddered away from the monster, another part was planning it. If I killed the girl first, I would have only fifteen or twenty seconds with her before the humans in the room would react. Maybe a little bit longer, if at first they did not realize what I was doing. She would not have time to scream or feel pain; I would not kill her cruelly. That much I could give this stranger with her horribly desirable blood. But then I would have to stop them from escaping. I wouldn’t have to worry about the windows, too high up and small to provide an escape for anyone. Just the door – block that and they were trapped. It would be slower and more difficult, trying to take them all down when they were panicked and scrambling, moving in chaos. Not impossible, but there would be much more noise. Time for lots of screaming. Someone would hear†¦and I’d be forced to kill even more innocents in this black hour. And her blood would cool, while I murdered the others. The scent punished me, closing my throat with dry aching†¦ So the witnesses first then. I mapped it out in my head. I was in the middle of the room, the furthest row in the back. I would take my right side first. I could snap four or five of their necks per second, I estimated. It would not be noisy. The right side would be the lucky side; they would not see me coming. Moving around the front and back up the left side, it would take me, at most, five seconds to end every life in this room. Long enough for Bella Swan to see, briefly, what was coming for her. Long enough for her to feel fear. Long enough, maybe, if shock didn’t freeze her in place, for her to work up a scream. One soft scream that would not bring anyone running. I took a deep breath, and the scent was a fire that raced through my dry veins, burning out from my chest to consume every better impulse that I was capable of. She was just turning now. In a few seconds, she would sit down inches away from me. The monster in my head smiled in anticipation. Someone slammed shut a folder on my left. I didn’t look up to see which of the doomed humans it was. But the motion sent a wave of ordinary, unscented air wafting across my face. For one short second, I was able to think clearly. In that precious second, I saw two faces in my head, side by side. One was mine, or rather had been: the red-eyed monster that had killed so many people that I’d stop counting their numbers. Rationalized, justified murders. A killer of killers, a killer of other, less powerful monsters. It was a god complex, I acknowledged that – deciding who deserved a death sentence. It was a compromise with myself. I had fed on human blood, but only by the loosest definition. My victims were, in their various dark pastimes, barely more human than I was. The other face was Carlisle’s. There was no resemblance between the two faces. They were bright day and blackest night. There was no reason for there to be a resemblance. Carlisle was not my father in the basic biological sense. We shared no common features. The similarity in our coloring was a product of what we were; every vampire had the same ice pale skin. The similarity in the color of our eyes was another matter – a reflection of a mutual choice. And yet, though there was no basis for a resemblance, I’d imagined that my face had begun to reflect his, to an extent, in the last seventy-odd years that I had embraced his choice and followed in his steps. My features had not changed, but it seemed to me like some of his wisdom had marked my expression, that a little of his compassion could be traced in the shape of my mouth, and hints of his patience were evident on my brow. All those tiny improvements were lost in the face of the monster. In a few moments, there would be nothing left in me that would reflect the years I’d spent with my creator, my mentor, my father in all the ways that counted. My eyes would glow red as a devil’s; all likeness would be lost forever. In my head, Carlisle’s kind eyes did not judge me. I knew that he would forgive me for this horrible act that I would do. Because he loved me. Because he thought I was better than I was. And he would still love me, even as I now proved him wrong. Bella Swan sat down in the chair next to me, her movements stiff and awkward – with fear? – and the scent of her blood bloomed in an inexorable cloud around me. I would prove my father wrong about me. The misery of this fact hurt almost as much as the fire in my throat. I leaned away from her in revulsion – revolted by the monster aching to take her. Why did she have to come here? Why did she have to exist? Why did she have to ruin the little peace I had in this non-life of mine? Why had this aggravating human ever been born? She would ruin me. I turned my face away from her, as a sudden fierce, unreasoning hatred washed through me. Who was this creature? Why me, why now? Why did I have to lose everything just because she happened to choose this unlikely town to appear in? Why had she come here! I didn’t want to be the monster! I didn’t want to kill this room full of harmless children! I didn’t want to lose everything I’d gained in a lifetime of sacrifice and denial! I wouldn’t. She couldn’t make me. The scent was the problem, the hideously appealing scent of her blood. If there was only some way to resist†¦if only another gust of fresh air could clear my head. Bella Swan shook out her long, thick, mahogany hair in my direction. Was she insane? It was as if she were encouraging the monster! Taunting him. There was no friendly breeze to blow the smell away from me now. All would soon be lost. No, there was no helpful breeze. But I didn’t have to breathe. I stopped the flow of air through my lungs; the relief was instantaneous, but incomplete. I still had the memory of the scent in my head, the taste of it on the back of my tongue. I wouldn’t be able to resist even that for long. But perhaps I could resist for an hour. One hour. Just enough time to get out of this room full of victims, victims that maybe didn’t have to be victims. If I could resist for one short hour. It was an uncomfortable feeling, not breathing. My body did not need oxygen, but it went against my instincts. I relied on scent more than my other senses in times of stress. It led the way in the hunt, it was the first warning in case of danger. I did not often came across something as dangerous as I was, but self-preservation was just as strong in my kind as it was in the average human. Uncomfortable, but manageable. More bearable than smelling her and not sinking my teeth through that fine, thin, see-through skin to the hot, wet, pulsing – An hour! Just one hour. I must not think of the scent, the taste. The silent girl kept her hair between us, leaning forward so that it spilled across her folder. I couldn’t see her face, to try to read the emotions in her clear, deep eyes. Was this why she’d let her tresses fan out between us? To hide those eyes from me? Out of fear? Shyness? To keep her secrets from me? My former irritation at being stymied by her soundless thoughts was weak and pale in comparison to the need – and the hate – that possessed me now. For I hated this frail woman-child beside me, hated her with all the fervor with which I clung to my former self, my love of my family, my dreams of being something better than what I was†¦ Hating her, hating how she made me feel – it helped a little. Yes, the irritation I’d felt before was weak, but it, too, helped a little. I clung to any emotion that distracted me from imagining what she would taste like†¦ Hate and irritation. Impatience. Would the hour never pass? And when the hour ended†¦ Then she would walk out of this room. And I would do what? I could introduce myself. Hello, my name is Edward Cullen. May I walk you to your next class? She would say yes. It would be the polite thing to do. Even already fearing me, as I suspected she did, she would follow convention and walk beside me. It should be easy enough to lead her in the wrong direction. A spur of the forest reached out like a finger to touch the back corner of the parking lot. I could tell her I’d forgotten a book in my car†¦ Would anyone notice that I was the last person she’d been seen with? It was raining, as usual; two dark raincoats heading the wrong direction wouldn’t pique too much interest, or give me away. Except that I was not the only student who was aware of her today – though no one was as blisteringly aware as I was. Mike Newton, in particular, was conscious of every shift in her weight as she fidgeted in her chair – she was uncomfortable so close to me, just as anyone would be, just as I’d expected before her scent had destroyed all charitable concern. Mike Newton would notice if she left the classroom with me. If I could last an hour, could I last two? I flinched at the pain of the burning. She would go home to an empty house. Police Chief Swan worked a full day. I knew his house, as I knew every house in the tiny town. His home was nestled right up against thick woods, with no close neighbors. Even if she had time to scream, which she would not, there would be no one to hear. That would be the responsible way to deal with this. I’d gone seven decades without human blood. If I held my breath, I could last two hours. And when I had her alone, there would be no chance of anyone else getting hurt. And no reason to rush through the experience, the monster in my head agreed. It was sophistry to think that by saving the nineteen humans in this room with effort and patience, I would be less a monster when I killed this innocent girl. Though I hated her, I knew my hatred was unjust. I knew that what I really hated was myself. And I would hate us both so much more when she was dead. I made it through the hour in this way – imagining the best ways to kill her. I tried to avoid imagining the actual act. That might be too much for me; I might lose this battle and end up killing everyone in sight. So I planned strategy, and nothing more. It carried me through the hour. Once, toward the very end, she peeked up at me through the fluid wall of her hair. I could feel the unjustified hatred burning out of me as I met her gaze – see the reflection of it in her frightened eyes. Blood painted her cheek before she could hide in her hair again, and I was nearly undone. But the bell rang. Saved by the bell – how clich. We were both saved. She, saved from death. I, saved for just a short time from being the nightmarish creature I feared and loathed. I couldn’t walk as slowly as I should as I darted from the room. If anyone had been looking at me, they might have suspected that there was something not right about the way I moved. No one was paying attention to me. All human thoughts still swirled around the girl who was condemned to die in little more than an hour’s time. I hid in my car. I didn’t like to think of myself having to hide. How cowardly that sounded. But it was unquestionably the case now. I didn’t have enough discipline left to be around humans now. Focusing so much of my efforts on not killing one of them left me no resources to resist the others. What a waste that would be. If I were to give in to the monster, I might as well make it worth the defeat. I played a CD of music that usually calmed me, but it did little for me now. No, what helped most now was the cool, wet, clean air that drifted with the light rain through my open windows. Though I could remember the scent of Bella Swan’s blood with perfect clarity, inhaling the clean air was like washing out the inside of my body from its infection. I was sane again. I could think again. And I could fight again. I could fight against what I didn’t want to be. I didn’t have to go to her home. I didn’t have to kill her. Obviously, I was a rational, thinking creature, and I had a choice. There was always a choice. It hadn’t felt that way in the classroom†¦but I was away from her now. Perhaps, if I avoided her very, very carefully, there was no need for my life to change. I had things ordered the way I liked them now. Why should I let some aggravating and delicious nobody ruin that? I didn’t have to disappoint my father. I didn’t have to cause my mother stress, worry†¦pain. Yes, it would hurt my adopted mother, too. And Esme was so gentle, so tender and soft. Causing someone like Esme pain was truly inexcusable. How ironic that I’d wanted to protect this human girl from the paltry, toothless threat of Jessica Stanley’s snide thoughts. I was the last person who would ever stand as a protector for Isabella Swan. She would never need protection from anything more than she needed it from me. Where was Alice, I suddenly wondered? Hadn’t she seen me killing the Swan girl in a multitude of ways? Why hadn’t she come to help – to stop me or help me clean up the evidence, whichever? Was she so absorbed with watching for trouble with Jasper that she’d missed this much more horrific possibility? Was I stronger than I thought? Would I really not have done anything to the girl? No. I knew that wasn’t true. Alice must be concentrating on Jasper very hard. I searched in the direction I knew she would be, in the small building used for English classes. It did not take me long to locate her familiar voice.’ And I was right. Her every thought was turned to Jasper, watching his small choices with minute scrutiny. I wished I could ask her advice, but at the same time, I was glad she didn’t know what I was capable of. That she was unaware of the massacre I had considered in the last hour. I felt a new burn through my body – the burn of shame. I didn’t want any of them to know. If I could avoid Bella Swan, if I could manage not to kill her – even as I thought that, the monster writhed and gnashed his teeth in frustration – then no one would have to know. If I could keep away from her scent†¦ There was no reason why I shouldn’t try, at least. Make a good choice. Try to be what Carlisle thought I was. The last hour of school was almost over. I decided to put my new plan into action at once. Better than sitting here in the parking lot where she might pass me and ruin my attempt. Again, I felt the unjust hatred for the girl. I hated that she had this unconscious power over me. That she could make me be something I reviled. I walked swiftly – a little too swiftly, but there were no witnesses – across the tiny campus to the office. There was no reason for Bella Swan to cross paths with me. She would be avoided like the plague she was. The office was empty except for the secretary, the one I wanted to see. She didn’t notice my silent entrance. â€Å"Mrs. Cope?† The woman with the unnaturally red hair looked up and her eyes widened. It always caught them off guard, the little markers they didn’t understand, no matter how many times they’d seen one of us before. â€Å"Oh,† she gasped, a little flustered. She smoothed her shirt. Silly, she thought to herself. He’s almost young enough to be my son. Too young to think of that way†¦ â€Å"Hello, Edward. What can I do for you?† Her eyelashes fluttered behind her thick glasses. Uncomfortable. But I knew how to be charming when I wanted to be. It was easy, since I was able to know instantly how any tone or gesture was taken. I leaned forward, meeting her gaze as if I were staring deeply into her depthless, small brown eyes. Her thoughts were already in a flutter. This should be simple. â€Å"I was wondering if you could help me with my schedule,† I said in the soft voice I reserved for not scaring humans. I heard the tempo of her heart increase. â€Å"Of course, Edward. How can I help?† Too young, too young, she chanted to herself. Wrong, of course. I was older than her grandfather. But according to my driver’s license, she was right. â€Å"I was wondering if I could move from my biology class to a senior level science? Physics, perhaps?† â€Å"It there a problem with Mr. Banner, Edward?† â€Å"Not at all, it’s just that I’ve already studied this material†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"In that accelerated school you all went to in Alaska, right.† Her thin lips pursed as she considered this. They should all be in college. I’ve heard the teachers complain. Perfect four point ohs, never a hesitation with a response, never a wrong answer on a test – like they’ve found some way to cheat in every subject. Mr. Varner would rather believe that anyone was cheating than think a student was smarter than him†¦ I’ll bet their mother tutors them†¦ â€Å"Actually, Edward, physics is pretty much full right now. Mr. Banner hates to have more than twenty-five students in a class – â€Å" â€Å"I wouldn’t be any trouble.† Of course not. Not a perfect Cullen. â€Å"I know that, Edward. But there just aren’t enough seats as it is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Could I drop the class, then? I could use the period for independent study.† â€Å"Drop biology?† He mouth fell open. That’s crazy. How hard is it to sit through a subject you already know? There must be a problem with Mr. Banner. I wonder if I should talk to Bob about it? â€Å"You won’t have enough credits to graduate.† â€Å"I’ll catch up next year.† â€Å"Maybe you should talk to your parents about that.† The door opened behind me, but who ever it was did not think of me, so I ignored the arrival and concentrated on Mrs. Cope. I leaned slightly closer, and held my eyes a little wider. This would work better if they were gold instead of black. The blackness frightened people, as it should. â€Å"Please, Mrs. Cope?† I made my voice as smooth and compelling as it could be – and it could be considerably compelling. â€Å"Isn’t there some other section I could switch to? I’m sure there has to be an open slot somewhere? Sixth hour biology can’t be the only option†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I smiled at her, careful not to flash my teeth so widely that it would scare her, letting the expression soften my face. Her heart drummed faster. Too young, she reminded herself frantically. â€Å"Well, maybe I could talk to Bob – I mean Mr. Banner. I could see if – â€Å" A second was all it took to change everything: the atmosphere in the room, my mission here, the reason I leaned toward the red-haired woman†¦ What had been for one purpose before was now for another. A second was all it took for Samantha Wells to open the door and place a signed tardy slip in the basket by the door, and hurry out again, in a rush to be away from school. A second was all it took for the sudden gust of wind through the open door to crash into me. A second was all it took for me to realize why that first person through the door had not interrupted me with her thoughts. I turned, though I did not need to make sure. I turned slowly, fighting to control the muscles that rebelled against me. Bella Swan stood with her back pressed to the wall beside the door, a piece of paper clutched in her hands. Her eyes were even wider than usual as she took in my ferocious, inhuman glare. The smell of her blood saturated every particle of air in the tiny, hot room. My throat burst into flames. The monster glared back at me from the mirror of her eyes again, a mask of evil. My hand hesitated in the air above the counter. I would not have to look back in order to reach across it and slam Mrs. Cope’s head into her desk with enough force to kill her. Two lives, rather than twenty. A trade. The monster waited anxiously, hungrily, for me to do it. But there was always a choice – there had to be. I cut off the motion of my lungs, and fixed Carlisle’s face in front of my eyes. I turned back to face Mrs. Cope, and heard her internal surprise at the change in my expression. She shrank away from me, but her fear did not form into coherent words. Using all the control I’d mastered in my decades of self-denial, I made my voice even and smooth. There was just enough air left in my lungs to speak once more, rushing through the words. â€Å"Nevermind, then. I can see that it’s impossible. Thank you so much for your help.† I spun and launched myself from the room, trying not to feel the warm-blooded heat of the girl’s body as I passed within inches of it. I didn’t stop until I was in my car, moving too fast the entire way there. Most of the humans had cleared out already, so there weren’t a lot of witnesses. I heard a sophomore, D.J. Garrett, notice, and then disregard†¦ Where did Cullen come from – it was like he just came out of thin air†¦ There I go, with the imagination again. Mom always says†¦ When I slid into my Volvo, the others were already there. I tried to control my breathing, but I was gasping at the fresh air like I’d been suffocated. â€Å"Edward?† Alice asked, alarm in her voice. I just shook my head at her. â€Å"What the hell happened to you?† Emmett demanded, distracted, for the moment, from the fact that Jasper was not in the mood for his rematch. Instead of answering, I threw the car into reverse. I had to get out of this lot before Bella Swan could follow me here, too. My own person demon, haunting me†¦ I swung the car around and accelerated. I hit forty before I was on the road. On the road, I hit seventy before I made the corner. Without looking, I knew that Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper had all turned to stare at Alice. She shrugged. She couldn’t see what had passed, only what was coming. She looked ahead for me now. We both processed what she saw in her head, and we were both surprised. â€Å"You’re leaving?† she whispered. The others stared at me now. â€Å"Am I?† I hissed through my teeth. She saw it then, as my resolve wavered and another choice spun my future in a darker direction. â€Å"Oh.† Bella Swan, dead. My eyes, glowing crimson with fresh blood. The search that would follow. The careful time we would wait before it was safe for us to pull out and start again†¦ â€Å"Oh,† she said again. The picture grew more specific. I saw the inside of Chief Swan’s house for the first time, saw Bella in a small kitchen with the yellow cupboards, her back to me as I stalked her from the shadows†¦let the scent pull me toward her†¦ â€Å"Stop!† I groaned, not able to bear more. â€Å"Sorry,† she whispered, her eyes wide. The monster rejoiced. And the vision in her head shifted again. An empty highway at night, the trees beside it coated in snow, flashing by at almost two hundred miles per hour. â€Å"I’ll miss you,† she said. â€Å"No matter how short a time you’re gone.† Emmett and Rosalie exchanged an apprehensive glance. We were almost to the turn off onto the long drive that led to our home. â€Å"Drop us here,† Alice instructed. â€Å"You should tell Carlisle yourself.† I nodded, and the car squealed to a sudden stop. Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper got out in silence; they would make Alice explain when I was gone. Alice touched my shoulder. â€Å"You will do the right thing,† she murmured. Not a vision this time – an order. â€Å"She’s Charlie Swan’s only family. It would kill him, too.† â€Å"Yes,† I said, agreeing only with the last part. She slid out to join the others, her eyebrows pulling together in anxiety. They melted into woods, out of sight before I could turn the car around. I accelerated back toward town, and I knew the visions in Alice’s head would be flashing from dark to bright like a strobe light. As I sped back to Forks doing ninety, I wasn’t sure where I was going. To say goodbye to my father? Or to embrace the monster inside me? The road flew away beneath my tires. How to cite The Twilight Saga 5: Midnight Sun 1. First Sight, Essay examples

Big Brother and George Orwell Essay Example For Students

Big Brother and George Orwell Essay Lots of writers try to envisage the future. They usually write it as a distopian environment. It has even become a literary tradition to write from the point of view of a rebel trying to break free from his distopian world. Usually the writers imagine that the world has been taken over by technology, like in the Matrix. Some things, that writers imagine start to become eerily true- like in 1984 George Orwell thought wed be watched by telescreens, instead we are watched by Closed Circuit Television. George Orwell is the author of one of the most famed distopian books, 1984. What are writers trying to tell us about our future and more importantly our present?. George Orwells world is run by Big Brother. He is the leader of the government for Oceania, which is called the Party. The world is being seen through the eyes of Winston Smith who is in the outer party. He is inquisitive and curious about the world he lives in.  Winston works in the Ministry of Truth. One day, among his work papers he finds a photograph of three self confessed agents of Eastasia ( a country Oceania are at war with) when they were meant to be on enemy soil, but really they were with some other members of the Party. It was curious that the fact of having it in his fingers seemed to make a difference even now, when the photograph itself, as well as the event it recorded was only a memory (pg. 82) The Party keeps changing the past- The past not only changed, but changed continuously(pg. 82). To Winston it seemed that he was the only one who noticed everything was changing. There was always a war between Eastasia, Oceania and Eurasia, these are the three powers. At the start of the book Oceania are at war with Eurasia and are in alliance with Eastasia. In no public or private utterance was it ever admitted that the three powers had at any time been grouped along different lines (pg. 36)Everyone in Oceania would say that they had always been at war with Eurasia. But Winston remembers when Oceania had been in alliance with Eurasia only Four years ago(pg. 36). who controls the past ran the party slogan controls the future: who controls the present controls the past'(pg. 36).  People would know that the wars change but the lies which the party tells them they believe with the help of a process called doublethink. Doublethink is a process in which if, for example, Oceania were know at war with Eastasia in a split second you had to forget that Oceania were ever in alliance with them and think that there had never been a war with Eurasia. To be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies(pg. 37). In Goldsteins book the Theory and Practice of Oligarchial Collectivism he writes that War is waged by each ruling group against its own subjects and the object of the war is not to make or prevent conquests of territory, but to keep the structure of society intact (207). This means the wars are continual and will never end. Because when there is a war there are more jobs and less resources and citizens have less money and free time. So people wont get more educated and start thinking that the Party is wrong. Instead everyone is suffering and is on the brink of hardship. And the war makes them give up luxuries so they wont be happy. Newspeak is a language which will be the official language of Oceania in 2050. Their current language is Standard English or Oldspeak. The language doesnt include words such as honor, justice, morality, internationalism, democracy, science and religion and lots of other similar words.thisis because when Newspeak becomes the official language no one would be able to think of anything that the party doesnt want them to. So if you wanted to say in Newspeak All mans are equal in Oldspeak that would mean the same as All men are red haired. The word equal in Newspeak still means the same but it expresses a palpable untruth-i.e. that all men are of equal size weight or strength. The concept of political equality no longer existed and this secondary meaning had been purged out of the word equal(pg. 323). .uf2981df4359663e76d3ea694e60c689c , .uf2981df4359663e76d3ea694e60c689c .postImageUrl , .uf2981df4359663e76d3ea694e60c689c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf2981df4359663e76d3ea694e60c689c , .uf2981df4359663e76d3ea694e60c689c:hover , .uf2981df4359663e76d3ea694e60c689c:visited , .uf2981df4359663e76d3ea694e60c689c:active { border:0!important; } .uf2981df4359663e76d3ea694e60c689c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf2981df4359663e76d3ea694e60c689c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf2981df4359663e76d3ea694e60c689c:active , .uf2981df4359663e76d3ea694e60c689c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf2981df4359663e76d3ea694e60c689c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf2981df4359663e76d3ea694e60c689c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf2981df4359663e76d3ea694e60c689c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf2981df4359663e76d3ea694e60c689c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf2981df4359663e76d3ea694e60c689c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf2981df4359663e76d3ea694e60c689c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf2981df4359663e76d3ea694e60c689c .uf2981df4359663e76d3ea694e60c689c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf2981df4359663e76d3ea694e60c689c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: TOK Speech on Art EssaySo in the future Thoughtcrime would be practically non existent because there are no words that would be slanderous to the Party.  In every party members home is a telescreen. Proles tend not to have them as they cant afford them and they dont need to be watched. Telescreens do resemble televisions except there is only one channel and you can never turn it off. Everything on the telescreen is run by the Party. You can be watched and heard by telescreens. This is shown when Winston does his excersize in front of the telescreen in the morning and the woman on it shouts at Winston 6079 Smith W! Yes, you! Bend lower please! (pg. 39). When Winston goes to OBriens house he turned his telescreen off We have the privilege meaning inner party members. Across the hall from Winston lives a couple and their children. Winston went over to unblock a drain for Mrs. Parsons and he met their two young children aboy, nine and a girl aged seven. Winston thought their flat looked battered, trampled on and it looked like Some large violent animal (pg 23) had visited it. The two children were wearing the uniform of the spies which is red neckerchiefs, blue shorts and grey shirts.

The Case of Rice Smuggling Essay Example

The Case of Rice Smuggling Essay Smuggling seems to be rampant nowadays, as you listen the news today have you heard about the raid conducted In Appearance City? Where lots of fake products were confiscated Inside the warehouse owned by Mayor Olivarez of Appearance. Have you seen those branded shoes shown over the television those are fake products, We can compare this situation to our current Rice smuggling here in the Philippines. According to FINN Filipinos waste POP. Million Worth of rice Alone a day, this seems to be alarming because many were less fortunate to eat rice in a day while some Fullness were Just wasting Rice can you Imagine wasting food than giving your excess to the less fortunate? The Rice smuggling today were Just common to our past Philippine Government were they wasted budget importing rice from other countries which our country is named the Capital Rice of Asia way back 1995. Our country is not capable anymore supplying the demand of our people for rice thus the Government think of alternative ways to cope up with this demand by importing rice room our neighboring countries. But our corrupt and unscrupulous public politicians engage In several scams today Like the PDA scam which Involves many officials, I hope their conscience can take It even If they see some Filipino people who are poor, especially the marginalia people. If you see the news today have you heard the name Mr We will write a custom essay sample on The Case of Rice Smuggling specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Case of Rice Smuggling specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Case of Rice Smuggling specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer David Tan who is famous of becoming the lord smuggler in Dave, Mayor Deterred curse him to kill if caught because of eagerness to eliminate the smuggling in his province, if Mayor Deterred is Eke everyone else in the government do you think rice smuggling in the Philippines would exist? I heard Mayor Deterred also implements In his province shoot-to-kill policy when criminals tries to resist police force the force shall use lethal weapon to eliminate the criminal Immediately whichever the circumstances are. This policy is very helpful to our society nowadays, riding in tandems, robbery, extortion, smuggler, law invaders and others. If caught the Justice should immediately flourish by then criminals would be afraid of to cross the lines of law and order. You know excessive freewill sometimes lead us to destruction of our society but with limited freewill given on us the society may progress towards economic growth because of law abiding colleens of our nation the fear of punishment prevails. I hope the government officials would find ways to eliminate rice smuggling in the Philippines, I still believe on the motto of our government outdid an Dana but sometimes I doubt that we might end up to dead end. My hope and support to the free, All sins are equal in the eyes of god and we will be Judge by our works during our life here on earth. Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you John 20:21. So start the mission each of us has a task to do. The beginning of change starts from us, the Youth!

What Introvert and Extrovert Really Mean

What Introvert and Extrovert Really Mean Think about what an ideal evening for you might look like. Do you imagine yourself going out to dinner with a large group of friends, attending a concert, or going to a club? Or would you prefer to spend the evening catching up with a close friend or getting lost in a good book? Psychologists consider our responses to questions such as these our levels of  introversion  and  extroversion:  personality traits that relate to our preferences for how we interact with others. Below, well discuss what introversion and extroversion are and how they impact our well-being. The Five-Factor Model   Introversion and extroversion have been the subject of psychological theories for decades. Today, psychologists who study personality often see introversion and extroversion as part of what is known as the  five-factor model  of personality. According to this theory, peoples personalities can be described based on their levels of five personality traits:  extroversion  (of which introversion is the opposite),  agreeableness  (altruism and concern for others),  conscientiousness  (how organized and responsible someone is),  neuroticism  (how much someone experiences negative emotions), and  openness to experience  (which includes traits such as imagination and curiosity). In this theory, personality traits range along a spectrum. Psychologists who use the five-factor model see the trait of extroversion as having multiple components. Those who are more extroverted tend to be more social, more talkative, more assertive, more likely to seek out excitement, and are thought to experience more positive emotions. People who are more introverted, on the other hand, tend to be quieter and more reserved during social interactions. Importantly, shyness isnt the same thing as introversion: introverts can be shy or anxious in social situations, but this isnt always the case. Additionally, being an introvert doesnt mean that someone is antisocial. As Susan Cain, bestselling author and introvert herself, explains in an interview with  Scientific American, Were not anti-social; were differently social. I cant live without my family and close friends, but I also crave solitude.   The 4 Different Types of Introverts   In 2011, psychologists at  Wellesley College suggested that there may actually be several different kinds of introverts.  Since introversion and extroversion are broad categories, the authors suggested that not all extroverts and introverts are the same. The authors suggest that there are four categories of introversion:  social  introversion,  thinking  introversion,  anxious  introversion, and inhibited/restrained introversion.  In this theory, a social introvert is someone who enjoys spending time alone or in small groups. A thinking introvert is someone who tends to be introspective and thoughtful. Anxious introverts are those who tend to be shy, sensitive, and self-conscious in social situations. Inhibited/restrained introverts tend not to seek out excitement and prefer more relaxed activities.   Is it better to be an introvert or an extrovert?   Psychologists have suggested that extroversion is correlated with positive emotions; that is, people who are more extroverted tend to be happier than introverts... but is this actually the case? Psychologists who studied this question found that extroverts often do experience more positive emotions than introverts. Researchers have also found evidence that there are indeed  Ã¢â‚¬Å"happy introverts†: when researchers looked at happy participants in a study, they found that about one-third of these participants were also introverts. In other words, more extroverted people may experience positive emotions slightly more often on average, but many happy people are actually introverts. Writer Susan Cain, author  of the bestselling book Quiet: The Power of Introverts points out that, in American society, extroversion is often seen as a good thing. For example, workplaces and classrooms often encourage group work, an activity that comes more naturally to extroverts. In an interview with  Scientific American, Cain points out that we are neglecting the potential contributions of introverts when we do this. Cain explains that being an introvert actually has some advantages. For example, she suggests that introversion may be related to creativity. Additionally, she suggests that introverts can make good managers in workplaces, because they may give their employees more freedom to pursue projects independently and may be more focused on the organizations goals than their individual success. In other words, even though extroversion is often valued in our current society, being an introvert has benefits as well. That is, it isnt necessarily better to be either an introvert or an extrovert. These two ways of relating to others each have their own unique advantages, and understanding our personality traits can help us  study and work with others more effectively. Introvert  and  extrovert  are terms that psychologists have used for decades to explain personality. Most recently, psychologists have considered these traits to be part of the five-factor model, widely used to measure personality. Researchers who study introversion and extroversion have found that these categories have important consequences for our well-being and behavior. Importantly, research suggests that each way of relating to others has its own advantages; in other words, its not possible to say that one is better than the other. Sources McCrae, R. R., John, O. P. (1992). An introduction to the five†factor model and its applications. Journal of Personality, 60(2), 175-215. http://psych.colorado.edu/~carey/courses/psyc5112/readings/psnbig5_mccrae03.pdfTen-item personality inventory. https://gosling.psy.utexas.edu/scales-weve-developed/ten-item-personality-measure-tipi/ten-item-personality-inventory-tipi/Cook, Gareth (2012, January 24). The power of introverts: A manifesto for quiet brilliance. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-power-of-introverts/Grimes, J.O., Cheek, J.M., Norem, J.K. (2011, January). Four meanings of introversion: Social, thinking, anxious, and inhibited introversion. Presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, San Antonio, TX. academia.edu/7353616/Four_Meanings_of_Introversion_Social_Thinking_Anxious_and_Inhibited_IntroversionDiener, E., Oishi, S., Lucas, R. E. (2003). Personality, culture, and subjective well-being : Emotional and cognitive evaluations of life. Annual Review of Psychology, 54(1), 403-425. http://people.virginia.edu/~so5x/Diener,%20Oishi,%20%20Lucas%202003%20Ann.%20Review.pdf Hills, P., Argyle, M. (2001). Happiness, introversion–extraversion and happy introverts. Personality and Individual Differences, 30(4), 595-608. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886900000581Cain, S. (2013). Quiet: The power of introverts in a world that cant stop talking. Broadway Books. https://books.google.com/books/about/Quiet.html?idDc3T6Y7g7LQCFleming, Grace. How does personality affect study habits? ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/how-personality-affects-study-habits-1857077

The Change in Male and Female Roles Before & Today Essay

The Change in Male and Female Roles Before & Today - Essay Example Speaking of social expectations for both, males are expected to provide for the family or pay for dates at all times while females are to manage the children, the household, and provide emotional support (Jaffari, TTS Holistic Counselor Mehdi, n.d.) Looking at the male and females roles in relationships today in contrast to what I have mentioned above, there has been a lot of reversal of roles. Females today are not secluded to giving signals when showing interest in a guy. Being direct and honest about the feeling, verbally or inaction is already welcome. When it comes to courtship, males are not the only ones who does the pursuing. There are a lot of aggressive girls today who will do everything to get what she wants, and taking a guy out for dates have started to be a common thing. When it comes to male and female responsibilities, males are not the only ones expected to bring in food in the table. Instead, women today are more empowered to take on a job and a journey towards self-actualization that does not stop when she finally gets married.

Health care system Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Health care system - Research Paper Example A simple majority vote allows the bill to move to senate, and the same procedure is repeated. A simple majority vote is sufficient to pass the bill through this stage. The final stage includes an assessment of the bill by the conference committee that compares resultant bill versions from the two stages. Finally, the bill returns to the senate and the House for approval. After the approval the bill is printed and delivered to the president to veto or sign it in to law (United States House of Representatives, 2012). The passage of bills into laws does not however, only include the political class. In addition to the politicians, other special groups such as consumer groups, lobbyists and other stakeholders often take part indirectly in the legislative process. These groups often take part by engaging in advocacy processes. This involves stating and identifying issues, gathering information, mobilizing people, seeking resources, creating alliances, networking, seeking media support, co ntacting the government and coercing legislators to support the bills. In a nut shell, such teams work to ensure that the bill is passed into law (Michael, 2012). The passage of the Affordable Care Act is a good example of legislations that received considerable support from consumer groups, lobbyists and other stakeholders. ... On the other hand, republicans, insurance companies and conservatives were opposed to the bill. Notably, various advocacy groups engaged in pushing legislators to pass the bill. In addition, they engaged in various activities within the advocacy framework such as sensitizing the public and gathering research information on the effects of the bill. The supportive advocacy groups included the â€Å"American Association of Retired Persons† (AARP), â€Å"National Association for the Advancement of Colored People† (NAACP), â€Å"American Medical Association† (AMA), and the â€Å"American Osteopathic Association† (AOA) among many others (Roy, 2012; SurgiStrategies, 2012: Hughes, 2010). 2. Discuss the expanding role of public health services in today's environment in terms of wellness, prevention, and bioterrorism Primary Healthcare (PHC) denotes professional healthcare delivered by practice nurses and general practitioners. PHC covers a wide range of preventive and health services, including screening, disease prevention, counseling and education. It also concerns issues of health access enhancement, environment and lifestyle changes. Primary healthcare is important in defining the quality of life and health of a population because it intervenes in the health sustenance process earlier before the development of diseases or conditions that favor diseases (Academy Health, 2009). PHC plays a significant role in educating the public on how to develop better health within communities by educating them on environmental issues and preventive matters. The fact that PHC intervenes before the occurrence of diseases makes it important in the healthcare

Marketing Report -- Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marketing Report -- Case Study - Essay Example Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 4 Marketing Situation 4 Marketing Strategies 5 Motivation of Employees 6 Building Blocks of Internal Marketing 6 Implementation of Internal Marketing Activities 7 Current Marketing Strategies 9 Alternative Strategy and Their Impact 9 1. Centralized Strategic Planning Resource 9 2. Senior Management Participation 10 3. Performance Appraisal Criteria 10 Recommendation 11 Conclusion 12 References 13 Marketing Situation In today’s competitive market, customer satisfaction is an important factor that should be undertaken by every organization. The theoretical context of customer satisfaction was first operationalized in the year 1985. Customers can be satisfied once the organization is able to identify the expectation level of the customers. The company will be able to achieve the expectation level of the customer only if the internal employees are happy and satisfied. The employees are internal customers for the organization, thus, it is neces sary to take care of their staffs or employees because they are involved in assisting the customers. In ING Direct call centre department, the calls are answered by their employees. The employee motivation is also an important way to meet the customers’ expectation and therefore the company will be able to achieve the sustainable growth. ... ING Direct is also highly dependent on the employees’ satisfaction as the company provides financial services where the employees have the responsibility to interact with the customers for generating their faith and trust (Rafiq & Ahmed, 2000). Marketing Strategies The strategies are the plans of an organization to achieve goals and objectives which show direction to the organization. The strategies are developed at different levels such as corporate, business, divisional and departmental level. All the strategies are integrated to form a plan for the organization as a whole. The support from the other components of business unit function such as production, finance and R&D are necessary to achieve the marketing objectives. Every department is inter-related and has to combine together in an integrated manner while taking a strategic decision (Corey, 2003). Marketing strategies mainly focus on long term competitive and consumer advantages and are composed of different elements. These are the strategies related to selection of product and market, deciding the price of a product, finding out the best possible distribution system, i.e. wholesale or retail channel and creating awareness of the product to different customers through advertisement in newspaper, television and others (Corey, 2003). The strategies are driven by cost, technology, distribution, service or other competitive advantages of the firm to turn out to be successful, but the company is required to be consistent with customers’ needs, perception and preferences (Wind & Robertson, 1983). According to Mornay Roberts-Lombard (2007), internal marketing emphasizes on the teamwork of the employees in developing and retaining successful business strategies. The internal marketing means that

Protective Effects Of Fluoride Toothpastes Health And Social Care Essay

Protective Effects Of Fluoride Toothpastes Health And Social Care Essay The main aim of this report is to discuss the evidence for the protective effects of fluoride toothpastes and varnishes. In addition, I will discuss their application and mode of action. To begin with, I will give a brief history of fluoride and how it fits into the reversal of tooth decay. I will discuss fluoride varnishes namely Duraphat, Fluor Protector and Duraflor and their effect on the DMF Index and their roles in school based prevention programmes. There are other varnishes such as Lawefluor and Bifluorid but these are less commonly used and therefore, I will not be discussing them. After discussing fluoride varnishes, I will consider fluoride toothpastes. I will give a description on the composition of a typical toothpaste and the effect of fluoride toothpastes on the DMF Index. In addition, I will discuss the effects of high fluoride concentration toothpastes. Finally, I will compare both toothpastes and varnishes. Contents Pages Summary Contents Introduction Deposition of fluoride in enamel What is tooth decay? Fluoride: Mode of Action Who is at risk of decay? Optimum fluoride concentration required for remineralisation DMF Index Main Section What are fluoride varnishes? Effect on DMFT/S The effect of fluoride varnishes according to different caries risk School based prevention programmes The use of fluoride varnish in inhibiting secondary carious lesions What are fluoride toothpastes? Use of fluoride toothpastes in clinical trials High Fluoride toothpastes The use of fluoride toothpastes in advanced enamel lesions Comparison of Toothpastes and Varnishes Conclusion Acknowledgements Word Count References Introduction I have decided to carry out this report on fluoride as I realise the importance of its role in the prevention of tooth decay (dental caries). Fluoride is a negative ion of the element fluorine and is found naturally in water, foods, soil, and minerals such as fluorite (calcium fluoride) and fluorapatite. Fluoride can also be synthesised in laboratories where it can be added to oral hygiene products and to water. Fluoride utilisation has occurred in two phases: before water fluoridation in the 1950s and after the widespread use of fluoridated dentifrices in the 1980s (Cury, Tenuta 2008) when less than 10% of toothpastes contained fluoride compared with 96% at present. Fluoride is most effective post-eruptively (Oganessian, Lencova Broukal 2007) where the effects are generally topical and therefore, it is important for a constant fluoride concentration to be maintained in the oral environment. Topically applied fluoride provides high concentrations of fluoride to surfaces of the denti tion. This provides a local protective effect and prevents ingestion of large amounts of fluoride. (Marinho et al. 2004) Deposition of fluoride in enamel During apatite crystal formation, low concentrations of fluoride are incorporated into the tooth structure. This leads to supersaturation with respect to fluoridated hydroxyapatite: {{66 ten Cate,J.M. 2008) Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2+ F-= Ca10(PO4)6(F)2 + 2OH- (Fluorapatite) After calcification is complete and prior to eruption, additional fluoride is taken up by the surface enamel. After eruption, the enamel continues to take up fluoride from its oral environment leading to its profound topical effects (Kidd 2005). What is tooth decay? It is important to consider the causes of tooth decay and how fluoride can be used to reverse the carious process. Dental Caries is a multifactorial disease caused by the action of acidogenic and aciduric bacteria (Streptococcus Mutans and Lactobacilli ({{32 Featherstone,J.D. 2008}}) on fermentable carbohydrates such as sucrose. Salivary glycoproteins form a pellicle on the tooth to which these bacteria attach to forming a pathogenic biofilm and over time, acid demineralisation and proteolytic destruction of the organic component of the enamel and dentine takes place (Young, Kutsch Whitehouse 2009). Dental Caries can be classified in several ways According to location-Caries may be restricted to pits and fissures but may also progress to expose the pulp. Restorative status of the tooth- Primary caries occurs on previously unrestored teeth whereas secondary caries occurs at margins of restorations {{52 Kidd,Edwina A.M. 2005}}. Secondary caries is caused by local factors that are involved in the formation of cariogenic plaque. Most secondary carious lesions develop at the gingival margins of restorations primarily in areas of stagnation areas (Mjà ¶r, 1998). Large gaps between the restoration and the wall of the cavity preparation can create an environment that favours secondary caries formation (Mjà ¶r, 1998). Secondary caries is also known as recurrent caries. Caries can be arrested whereby a lesion which was previously active has now stopped progressing. Fluoride: Mode of Action Fig 1: Demineralisation Process and the role of fluoride (Cury, Tenuta 2008) Figure one shows how sugars such as sucrose, glucose and fructose are converted to acids in the plaque biofilm. When the pH decreases below 5.5 (critical pH of enamel), the saliva is no longer supersaturated with calcium and phosphate. Therefore, demineralisation occurs. However, in the presence of fluoride and if the pH is higher than 4.5, hydroxyapatite is converted to fluorapatite which has a lower solubility. As a result, net demineralization is reduced and the dental hard tissues are more acid resistant. Tenuta and colleagues calculated that fluorapatite would not dissolve until the pH dropped below approximately 4.4. However, researchers have found that the effect of fluoride is not only due to the decreased solubility but also due to the effect of fluoride on the rates of demineralisation and remineralisation (Stoodley et al. 2008). In order to enter bacteria, fluoride must be combined with a hydrogen ion forming hydrogen fluoride (HF), which readily diffuses into the cell. Once inside the bacterial cell, the HF dissociates into fluoride and hydrogen ions. The fluoride inhibits intracellular bacterial enzymes such as enolase. As a result, less phosphoenolpyruvate and lactate are formed. The reduced lactate formation limits the ability of bacteria to cause caries. Similarly, the uptake of glucose is also reduced by fluoride {{63 Featherstone,J.D. September 2004}}. The fluoride concentration in saliva increases after brushing with a fluoride toothpaste. After three minutes, the concentration is 100 times greater than the baseline value (normally 0.03ppm or 1.6umol/l) {{65 Murray, J.J 1991}}. Two hours later, the concentration returns to normal. It is important to avoid rinsing out the mouth as the most profound effects of fluoride are within two hours of brushing. Fluoride is spread throughout the oral cavity and is stored in compartments on the tooth surface and the remaining pellicle (Cury, Tenuta 2008). Calcium Fluoride globules are formed and are reservoirs of fluoride, releasing it as the pH falls, thereby, reducing time spent in the demineralisation phase. The main effects of fluoride can be attributed to the maintenance of constant fluoride levels in the biofilm. Overall, fluoride has multiple ways of reducing caries. It is believed that the most important of these methods is the remineralisation concept {{40 Oganessian,E. 2007}}, which requires a constant flow of fluoride. Bacterial enzyme inhibition plays a supplementary role when the concentration of fluoride is high which is achieved by topical fluoride applications and toothpastes (Murray, Rugg-Gunn Jenkins 1991). Who is at risk of decay? There are certain groups in the population who are at risk of decay and therefore, would benefit from the use of fluoridated dentifrices. These include patients with: Xerostomia, which may have resulted from the radiotherapy to the head or neck leading to salivary gland exposure. This leads to a decrease in both the resting and stimulated salivary flow rates. Xerostomia is defined as the complete absence of saliva or hyposalivation. Hyposalivation leads to decreased levels of calcium, phosphate and hydrogen bicarbonate ions. As a result, there is a longer demineralisation phase Sjà ¶grens syndrome- this is clinically defined as at least two of kerataoconjuctivitis sicca, Xerostomia(dry mouth) and rheumatoid arthritis or another connective tissue disease {{62 Newbrun,E. 1996}} A high incidence of caries in their primary dentition Hypersensitivity Root caries Removable orthodontic appliances and partial dentures A poor diet and those who regularly snack on fermentable carbohydrates {{37 Evans,R.W. 2008}}. However, this risk has decreased due to better plaque control and increased fluoride exposure. Multiple restorations suggesting a high prevalence of caries Optimum fluoride concentration required for remineralisation Bjarnason and Finnbogason (1991) found that fluoride levels in dentifrices had no effect on the progression of enamel lesions detected radiographically. However, a higher fluoride concentration (1000ppm F-) led to reduction in caries initiation compared to a dentifrice with a lower fluoride concentration (250ppm F-) {{69 Bjarnason, S. 1991}}. It is ultimately difficult to decide the optimum fluoride concentration required for remineralisation as different areas of the mouth are more at risk of caries due to unique ecological factors. However, it was thought that lesion progression in enamel was slowed down only in patients with low caries activity whereas patients with high caries activity still experienced rapid progression (Hellwig, Lussi 2001). DMF Index The DMF index is a measure of caries activity in a population and changes in the DMF index can be used to highlight the protective effects of the fluoride toothpastes and varnishes (Kidd 2005). D: decayed teeth with untreated carious lesions M: missing teeth (extracted teeth) F: filled teeth DMFT denotes decayed, missing and filled teeth DMFS denotes decayed, missing and filled surfaces in permanent teeth and therefore, the number of surfaces attacked on each tooth are accounted for. There are similar indices for deciduous tooth, which are the defs and deft scores. The e represents extracted teeth to differentiate(Johansen et al. 1987) between natural loss of teeth through exfoliation. Burt in 1998 suggested that greater emphasis has to be placed on the assessment and early diagnosis of caries {{77 Burt, B.A. 1998}}. This has been backed up by cohort studies {{83 Johansen, E. 1987}} (Axelsson, Lindhe Nystrom 1991), which found that the use of preventive strategies (fluoride application) resulted in a substantial reduction in lesion development and progression. Fluoride varnishes What is fluoride varnish? Fluoride varnish was first developed in New York in 1968 by Heuser and Schmidt in the form of sodium fluoride and was marketed under the name Duraphat. The Duraphat varnish contains 22,600 parts per million of fluoride (ppm Fˆ°) as shown in figure 2. In the 1970s, there was a switch from sodium fluoride to difluorsilane which was marketed under the name Fluor Protector (7000ppm Fˆ°) in Germany {{42 Azarpazhooh,A. 2008}}. Fluoride Varnish Type of fluoride Fluoride Concentration(ppm) Fluoride Concentration(%) Duraphat Sodium Fluoride 22,600 2.26 Duraflor Sodium Fluoride 22,600 2.26 Fluor protector Difluorsilane 7,000 0.70 Fig 2: The table above shows the fluoride varnishes that are most commonly used. Other types of fluoride varnishes include: Fluoride Varnish Type of fluoride Fluoride Concentration(ppm) Fluoride Concentration (%) Lawefluor Sodium Fluoride 22,600 2.2 Bifluorid Sodium and Calcium Fluoride 56,300 5.6 Fig 3: The table above shows other fluoride varnishes which are available but are less commonly used {{24 Davies,G.M. 2008}}. Most fluoride varnishes contain fluoride in an alcoholic solution of natural tree resin. The main advantage of the varnish is that the resin base is very adherent to the tooth prolonging contact time between the fluoride and enamel {{26 Miller,E.K. et al 2008}}. Varnishes are easy to apply and relatively safe regardless of the high fluoride concentration as the amount of varnish applied to one child is only 0.5 ml on average (Ripa 1990; Petersson 1993). Varnishes are slow-releasing reservoirs of fluoride preventing immediate release of fluoride after application (Ogaard 1994). As a result, they are most effective at protecting against primary caries. The food and drug administration centre in America has not yet accepted fluoride varnish as an anti-caries agent but considered it as a liner/desensitising agent (Mason 2005). There is some debate as to the amount of fluoride taken up by the tooth surfaces. It was found that approximately half of the fluoride taken up by sound surfaces from Fluor Protector varnish was lost after 6 months suggesting that the large amount of fluoride taken up after one week does not bind permanently to enamel and that the effects of fluoride are more short term. There has also been a debate over whether fluoride varnish should be applied to wet or dry surfaces. Koch et al found that the fluoride uptake was much greater when the varnish was applied to dry tooth surfaces (Koch, Hakeberg Petersson 1988). Fluoride varnishes can be applied professionally up to two to four times a year. Marinho et al in 2002 investigated the effectiveness of fluoride varnish in preventing dental caries in children compared to a placebo or no treatment. Over 2700 systemically healthy children aged 16 or less received fluoride varnish containing 22,600ppm sodium fluoride. There was a large caries inhibiting effect on both permanent and deciduous dentition. However, the confidence intervals were relatively wide and the variation among the results was substantial. The success of the treatment may have been over estimated, as the results of the few trials may not have been representative. As a result, it is important to carry out more trials before a definite statement can be made of the effects of the fluoride varnish (Marinho 2002). In addition, more information is required on the scale of the fluoride effect and the adverse effects of fluoride. Effect on the DMFT/dmft Primary Dentition There was a 33% decrease in the decayed, missing and filled surfaces (Marinho 2002). A two year randomised clinical trial carried out on children with a mean age of 1.8 years, found that the application of fluoride varnish once, twice and three times a year reduced the mean dmfs by 53%, 58% and 93% respectively {{67 Davies,G.M. 2009}}. This highlights the importance of frequent varnish application. (Petersson, Twetman Pakhomov 1998)Petersson et al. in 1998 found a 19% and 25% reduction in the increment of approximal caries in children with a moderate or high caries risk respectively. This shows that children with a high caries risk benefit the most from the application of fluoride varnishes (Zimmer 2001). Ages 0-3 Weintraub and colleagues carried out a two year randomised controlled trial on 376 children aged between 6-44 months (Weintraub et al. 2006). The children were split into three groups: Those who received counselling Those who received counselling and the annual application of Duraphat Those who received counselling and the twice yearly application at six monthly intervals The number of lesions only increased in children who received counselling alone highlighting the protective effects of the varnish. Those children who received no varnish application were twice as likely of developing decay as those who received the annual application of fluoride. As the frequency of fluoride varnish application increased, the number of carious lesions decreased. One drawback of this trial was that simultaneous counselling and varnish application led to some ambiguity as to whether the effects were due to varnish application or counselling although fluoride application was seen to play a key role. Ages 3-6 According to the Cochrane Review, there was an overall 38% reduction in the DMFS/dmfs (Marinho 2002). A two year randomised study of 1,275 children in Canada aged between 6 months and 5 years found that twice-yearly application of Durafluor led to an 18.3% reduction in the dmfs increment (Lawrence et al. 2006). Mixed dentition There was on average a 46% decrease in dmfs. The fluoride varnish was an effective preventive measure for partially erupted permanent molars. Equally, patients who are insufficiently co-operative benefit from fluoride varnish application (Marinho 2002). Permanent dentition A randomised clinical trial used to examine the impact of fluoride varnish on the incidence of approximal caries, detected radiographically in 13 year olds over a three year period, found that the varnish applied monthly and twice a year reduced caries by 76% and 57% respectively again highlighting the importance of frequent fluoride application{{67 Davies,G.M. 2009}}. The caries reduction in permanent teeth shown in the Cochrane review of trials was similar to that achieved in a metaanalysis carried out by Helfenstein in 1994 when Duraphat was applied 2 times a year in children aged 9-15 years (Helfenstein, Steiner 1994). There was a 38% reduction in the caries. It is likely that most of the participants benefited from the use of a fluoridated dentifrice as the majority of the studies were carried out in Scandinavian countries between 1973 and 1987. However, as both the Cochrane review and the Helfenstien study were carried out involving a different selection criteria, it is debatab le as to whether the results from both these trials can be compared. In conclusion, application of fluoride varnish two to four times a year on both permanent and deciduous teeth is associated with a reduction in the caries increment (Marinho 2002). The effect of fluoride varnish according to different caries risks Mà ¶berg Skold carried out a trial which involved the application of fluoride varnish to approximal caries in adolescents living in different caries risk areas. The trial involved 758 students aged between 13 to16 years old. The large sample size meant that the results of this study were representative. This is because as the sample size increases, the variability of the results decreases. This means that the results have a greater statistical power and smaller confidence intervals. Fig 4: (Azarpazhooh, Main 2008) The figure above shows the groups which were chosen according to their caries risk and whether they had any fluoride in their tap water. Duraphat was applied to the approximal surfaces from the distal surface of the canines to the mesial surface of the second molars. Each group had different intervals of application shown in the figure below: Group No. of participants Frequency of Duraphat application One 190 Twice yearly in six-monthly intervals ( 6 times in 3 years) Two 186 Three times a year with a one week period each year(9 times in 3 years) Three 201 Eight times a year during school terms with one month intervals ( 24 times in 3 years) Four(Control) 181 No application Fig 5: (Azarpazhooh, Main 2008) The frequency of Duraphat application The results from this trial show that the biggest difference was between group one and the control group in high caries risk area (Gà ¶teborg). However, there was no significant difference between the groups regarding filled approximal lesions and approximal enamel lesions. There was a greater incidence of caries in the control group in comparison to the fluoride varnish groups in all risk areas highlighting the protective effects of the fluoride varnish (Mà ¶berg Skold et al. 2005). Overall, it was found that the school based monthly application of fluoride varnish is the best method of preventing approximal caries in areas of medium and high caries risk (Mà ¶berg Skold et al. 2005). School based prevention programmes A cluster randomised trial was carried out by M.C Hardman and colleagues involving 2,091 school children living in a non-fluoridated area. One group of students (1,025 students) received the twice-yearly application of Colgate Duraphat varnish whilst the other group (1,066 students) served as a control. This study found that the twice-yearly application of fluoride varnish did not lead to a reduction in caries in children living in the community {{43 Hardman,M.C. 2007}}. This is contrary to what was found by Marinho and colleagues. They found that the biannual application of Duraphat in a school-based programme provided a caries inhibition of 38% in children aged 9-15 years (Marinho 2002). The study carried out by M.C Hardman and colleagues did not prove to be conclusive as the level of consent in the community was low. Approximately 110 students were lost during the study. The control group had lower caries levels than anticipated and therefore, it was difficult to tell the true eff ect of fluoride. In addition, the application of varnish was carried out under sub-optimal conditions (teeth could not be cleaned prior to application and the consumption of food and drink after application could not be controlled), which could have resulted in less profound effects. In conclusion, it was found that this type of fluoride varnish intervention is not effective in the prevention of caries in the public {{43 Hardman,M.C. 2007}}. A similar study was carried in a small town located in the American Southwest on children attending a head start nursery using Duraflor as the varnish of choice. The trial began in the head start class of 2002. Duraflor was applied during well child visits every 9, 12, 15, 18, 24 and 30 months. The class of 2003 had no fluoride application and therefore, served as the control. The mean age was 4.40 years and approximately 168 males and 189 females took part. The results showed that children who received no treatment had a mean dmfs of 23.6 with a 95% confidence interval. Those children who received 1-3 treatments had a similar dmfs to those with no treatment. Only those children who had 4 to 5 treatments showed a reduction in dmfs again suggesting the importance of frequent application. However, this study was an observational study not a randomised study and therefore, the reliability of the results can be questioned. In addition, no attempt was made to determine whether the childre n who received four or more applications of fluoride varnish differed from the other children in terms of diet and oral hygiene history {{58 Holve,S. 2008}}.. The use of fluoride varnish in inhibiting secondary carious lesions As mentioned earlier, secondary caries forms at the margins of restorations. Larger amounts of fluoride varnish may be trapped in the gap formed between the restoration and the cavity wall. This may serve as a slow releasing reservoir of fluoride, which could also provide a physical barrier against wall dissolution. In a study carried out by M. Fontana in 1996, two experiments were carried out. Experiment one involved the application of Duraflor. Experiment two involved the application of Duraphat a year after the application of Duraflor. The effects of fluoride varnish on secondary caries remineralisation and lesion progression were measured. The varnish was applied to dry tooth surfaces and rinsing after fluoride application was prevented to enhance the remineralisation potential. The varnish was applied for 24 hours to prolong the contact time between the varnish and the tooth surface. The results from these two experiments showed that fluoride application slowed down lesion progression around both amalgam and composite restorations {{48 Fontana, M. 2002}}. The placebo varnish slowed down lesion progression to a lesser extent than the fluoride varnish suggesting that the effects may not only be attributed to the fluoride in the varnish. These results matched those in a previous study carried out by Hellwig et al. in 1993. They examined the effect of Duraphat varnish on artificially created primary carious lesions and found that fluoride varnish led to remineralisation in the outer layers of enamel {{78 Hellwig, E.K. 1993}}. This slowed down lesion progression. Seppa suggested in 1988 that the benefits of fluoride varnish were attributed to their ability to enhance remineralisation of primary caries rather than their ability to increase the fluoride content of the tooth surface. This is contrary to what was previously thought that the effects of topical fluoride were due to their ability to maintain high levels of fluoride on the surface of the tooth. Seppa also found that the efficacy of the fluoride varnishes was dependent on the number of applications rather than the concentration of fluoride {{79 Seppà ¤, L. 1988}}. This backs up the results found by Marinho et al that showed that the more frequent the applicati on, the lower the incidence of new caries or the greater the decrease in mean dmfs/DMFS. Fluoride toothpaste What is fluoride toothpaste? Fluoride toothpaste is the most widely used method of fluoride application in the population due to its ease of use. Fluoride toothpastes can be incorporated into community and school based prevention programmes. Most oral health care workers recommend brushing twice a day, once just before going to bed, as this is when saliva flow is at its lowest and once at another time of day{{68 Davies,R.M. 2003}}. They recommend spitting out the toothpaste after use rather than rinsing as this dilutes the fluoride concentration in the oral cavity as previously mentioned. The widespread use of fluoride toothpastes had made it more difficult to distinguish whether a reduction in caries is due to mechanical plaque removal or due to the incorporation of fluoride. Before the widespread use of fluoride toothpastes, the importance of fluoride was illustrated in a three-year study. This study involved two groups of children aged 9 to 11 years who had benefited from supervised brushing either with or without fluoride toothpaste. Both groups showed a reduction in plaque and gingivitis but a significant reduction in caries was only seen in the group which used fluoridated toothpastes (Davies et al. 2003). A typical toothpaste contains abrasives such as calcium carbonates, which help to remove surface debris, and stains on the tooth surface. Most toothpastes contain fluoride (added to toothpastes in the 1970s) to make the tooth more resistant to acid attack and is one of the most recognised agents in toothpastes. Stannous fluoride (also known as tin fluoride) was the first fluoride to be used due to its compatibility with the abrasive, calcium phosphate. Sodium fluoride could not be used at first as the calcium in the abrasive renders it ineffective and therefore, is not compatible. Sodium Monofluorophosphate was next used as it was compatible with the abrasives used with it. Sodium Fluoride could only be used when hydrated silica and sodium bicarbonate became the abrasive of choice. Studies have shown that the sodium bicarbonate-sodium fluoride combination lead to a caries reduction of one surface per child over two years (Murray, Rugg-Gunn Jenkins 1991). Fluorides have been shown to work better in combination with detergents such as sodium lauryl sulphates, which aid the remineralisation process and create foaming whilst brushing. Toothpastes contain humectants such as glycerol, which prevent the loss of water in the toothpaste. To provide taste, saccharin and other sweeteners are added. To stabilise the toothpaste, thickening agents such as seaweed colloids are included to ensure that the toothpaste stays on the toothbrush when it is applied. The use of fluoride toothpastes in clinical trials The Cochrane review of trials found that children who used fluoridated toothpaste had fewer decayed,missing and filled permanent teeth after three years. Brushing twice a day helps to increase the benefit of fluoride (Marinho et al. 2003 England). Researchers believe that the effects of fluoridated toothpastes are underestimated in two to three year trials due to the life long used of fluoride. They also found that the use of fluoride toothpastes in areas of fluoridated water increased the protective effects. The normal concentration of fluoride in toothpastes is between 1000 and 1100 parts per million (ppm Fˆ°). Toothpastes with higher fluoride concentrations (1500ppm) and lower fluoride concentrations (500ppm) are available in many countries. Toothpastes containing higher fluoride concentrations offer greater protection against caries (Stephen 1988; OMullane 1997). Since the 1940s, more than a 100 clinical trials have been carried out and by the late 1970s, the protective effects of fluoride toothpastes were greatly accepted. As a result, many clinical trials could not have a control, as the removal of fluoride toothpaste for the trial was considered unethical. Therefore, the effectiveness of different concentrations of fluoride toothpastes have not been investigated extensively in placebo-controlled trails. The guidelines of caries trials have since been changed in order to combat this problem, by increasing the sample size so that the measurement error could be reduced (Marinho et al. 2003 England). Children or adolescents aged sixteen or less were chosen to take part in the study carried out by Marinho et al. To assess the effect of the fluoride toothpaste, the caries increment was measured as a change in the value of the DMFS Index, in all permanent teeth erupted at the start and erupting over the course of the study. Evidence from this study suggested that the use of fluoride toothpastes leads to a 24% decrease in dmfs. The confidence intervals for this reduction were 21-28%. This means that 1.6 children need to brush with fluoride toothpaste to prevent one decayed, missing or filled tooth surface in a population where the caries increment is 2.6 DMFS per year. Where the caries increment was lower (1.1 DMFS per year), 3.7 children needed to use a fluoride toothpaste in order to avoid one decayed, missing or filled tooth surface(Marinho et al. 2003 England). There was also a substantial reduction in caries increment (37%) of deciduous teeth in a trial carried out on 2008 children aged 6 to 9 years. Another aim of the Cochrane review (Marinho et al. 2003 England) was to establish whether there was any relationship between the caries-preventive effects of fluoride toothpaste and the initial level of caries, previous exposure to fluoride and the frequency of fluoride toothpaste use on the prevented fraction. The prevented fraction (PF) is the proportion of disease occurrence in a population averted due to a protective risk factor or public health intervention (Gargiullo, Rothenberg Wilson 1995). The prevented fraction was measured as the diffe