UCCs Effect On International Commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

UCCs Effect On International Commerce - Essay Example The third article provides for the transactions in commercial papers such as negotiable instruments and promissory notes (Hinkelman & Shippey, 2004). The other provisions are also important in trade since they provide guidelines on issues such as bulk transfers, secured transactions and dealings in investment securities such as stocks and bonds. The UCC applies to national trade, but would have positive effects if applied to international commerce. The UCC is designed for quick references on laws regarding formation of business contracts, expert analysis of the impact of various commercial transactions and easy handling of court decisions regarding disputes emanating from trade (Hinkelman & Shippey, 2004). The first effect of UCC on international commerce is facilitation of international transactions in the sale of goods. UCC will ensure that cross-border merchants have faith in sale of goods contracts due to the uniformity in the regulatory laws. The increase in foreign direct inves tments and growth in technology has led to emergency of new type of business transactions that require a uniform form of contractual agreements and legal protection (Hinkelman & Shippey, 2004). For instance, technology has allowed companies to sell digital products across national borders and multinational companies to list their stocks in different national stock exchange markets. In this case, uniform commercial code would be helpful in fostering international commerce (Hinkelman & Shippey, 2004). Uniform commercial code in the international commerce would be useful in curbing instances of international economic crimes such as money laundering and dumping. The UCC would be capable of offering legal guidelines that address issues relating to diversion of cargo in the high seas, counterfeiting and fraudulent insurance claims that are common in maritime trade. UCC will be useful in global tendering processes (Hinkelman & Shippey, 2004). The provisions will be important in ensuring un iformity of global tenders such as government tenders. This will ensure that contracting parties receive high quality services due to good faith requirements and transparency of the process (Hinkelman & Shippey, 2004). UCC will ease the international transfer of funds through creating uniform requirements in bank collections, settlements of financial securities and fund transfers among the international trade participants. UCC will create legal performance obligation to transactions involving a secured party. The code of business will guide the transfers of dematerialized securities. In this case, the final investors in the investment securities will have adequate security entitlement and right to receive any dividends accruing from their ownership of the security. Article 8 decomposes the security rights thus creditors are protected from the possibility of the investor of transferring such stake without informing the creditor who has some interest in the concerned security (Hinkelm an & Shippey, 2004). The impact of securing the transactions is to provide a relief to the lender through a security interest in the collateral and an assurance in the default by the borrowing party. In most states, the secured transactions use personal property, fixtures and intangible property as the collateral in the case of default. This code will facilitate bankruptcy settlements thus facilitating international trade transactions (Hinkelman & Shippey, 2004). Articles 5 of the UCC provide guidelines on the issuance of letters of credit by financial institutions. The letters of credit

Great Expectations Essay Example for Free

Great Expectations Essay Task: How does the novel present Pips relationship with Magwitch, when he meets him in the graveyard and later when Magwitch returns form abroad to see Pip?  Great Expectations is a novel that is set in the late 1860s, in Victorian society, during the start up of the industrial revolution, which was speedily changing society. In chapter 1 of Great Expectations, the reader meets a young boy, Phillip Pirrip, although he is known as Pip, due to the reason that he cant pronounce his full name. The fact that this issue is introduced to the reader right at the beginning of the story, and that the story is narrated by Pip and his own voice, is attention grabbing; his youthful innocence and naivety is interesting, and immediately gets the reader close to the character. Dickens introduces Pip at a graveyard, where he sets the scene. Pip is visiting the graves of his deceased family, trying to find his identity as well as remind himself and imagine what his parents looked like. Pip is an image of vulnerability, and this is a target for ambiguity to come. Dickens does not state that Pip is an orphan; instead he allows his powerful use of words to demonstrate this. My first fancies regarding what they were like, were reasonably derived from their tombstones. The shape of the letters on my fathers, gave me an odd idea that he was a square, stout, dark man, with curly black hair Also Georgina wife of above, I drew a childish conclusion that my mother was freckled and sickly. Dickens introduces Pips childish imagination into the sequence. Dickens implies that Victorian life and society was like this; there were masses of orphans, like Pip, due to numerous epidemics sweeping the nation, diseases like cholera and smallpox which were rife, and regarded as a universal struggle, this resulted in high mortality rates. You were generally considered lucky if you survived the high mortality rates. The involvement of this fact early on shows that death, and poverty was an everyday occurrence; it wasnt an unusual nature, hence the matter of fact writing. The weather in this scene creates a solemn yet dramatic tone. A negative pattern exhibiting raging storms, adding to the bleak and cold winters day atmosphere is vividly painted. It is a gloomy Christmas Eves day. Pip ventures out into these eerie unknowns, which later on prove to be a symbol that his life is going to change drastically too, where peril and ambiguity await. This also reinforces Pips perception on his situation. While Pip is attempting to bring up recollections at the graveyard, he is surprised by an escaped convict who jumps out rather cynically, from a savage lair, among the looming mists and graves, scaring Pip. The opposite usage of some comedy, at the beginning, and a sharp dramatic twist is attention grabbing. A contrasting backdrop, on to which the messages of the tale can unfold, is created. The reader can tell that the mysterious man is a convict because of the way he is described. His condition is in disarray because of the poor living conditions in the hulks. They were overcrowded, leading to diseases that ended up killing many of the prisoners, and there was malnutrition from poor food. Hard labour was primed everyday too. He has escaped from prison and the hulks (old ships moored on the coast), whilst awaiting exile (to penal colonies in Australia) for 14 years hard labour. (Returning before the end of his term he will face execution). A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, and with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied round his head. This gives us an insight into the harsh conditions that were faced by prisoners during these times. This plight is shown further more; by the way this convict- Abel Magwitch is portrayed ferociously and pathetically. The harsh and unjust judicial system at the time was the cause of this. Forging banknotes (like Magwitch had done) carried the same penalty as murder! Criminals were brutalised. They were not given chances to reform, instead faced beatings, as forms of punishment. At least 10 hours of daily hard labour was forced on prisoners. Soaked in water, and smothered in mud, and lamed by stones, and cut by flints, and stung by nettles, and torn by briarsand glared and growled. Dickens gives Magwitch with animal like qualities, and so we are provided with a greater understanding that he is at the end of his tether. He is a human that has literally been weathered, like a mere object. A man with no hat and with broken shoessoaked in water, smothered by mud, and lamedlimped and shivered. Magwitch is desperate. This is shown by the way he speaks to Pip aggressively, and threatens him keep still you little devil, and also by the way he roughly handles Pip. The man, after looking at me for a moment, turned me upside down and emptied my pockets. When he tips Pip upside down a piece of bread falls out of his pockets. Magwitch scurries towards this. He ate the bread ravenously. The reader is reminded of his desperate, animal like status, and his plight. The tentative weather mirrors Magwitchs character-a vast wilderness in the vein of a storm, which rushes into Pips life, suddenly, causing an upheaval of ambiguity like disturbance. Dickens tries to connect the characters with a descriptive background, to create a realistic character, building up a reinforced feeling to the passage, which ties in with characters personalities. Upon discovering that Pip lives with Joe- who is a black smith, Magwitch continues to act aggressively towards Pip, as he is useful to him. He makes a threatening demand. You get me a fileYou get me wittlesYou bring them both to meor Ill have your heart and liver out. He continues to threaten Pip, telling him that he can even be hurt in his own home if he betrays the convict. He tells Pip that he is not alone, and if he gets caught then the man along side Magwitch will attack him. A boy may lock his door, may be warm in bed but that young man will softly creep and creep his way to him and tear him openin comparison with which I am a angel. Pip is petrified. The prospect of this occurring (made worse by his youthful innocence), has given way to the sensation of helplessness that clearly covers him. His eyes looked most powerfully into mine, and mine looked most powerfully up into his. This highlights a key detail of status/position that will be seen in depth throughout the story; its a running thread for which it is a major theme. This is the first landmark of Magwitch and Pips relationship. It is one of intimidation, and fear.

Impact of the Land Registration Act 2002

Impact of the Land Registration Act 2002 A registration scheme far more comprehensive than land charges is found today in the Land Registration Act 2002. The principle significance of this is that the register tells the purchaser who owns the legal estate. The system moreover is not limited to legal estates. Subject to some exceptions (overriding interest), all legal and equitable interest must be entered on the register if they are to bind a purchaser.[1] The first thing to ascertain when dealing with any piece of land is which system of conveyancing is to be applied. And it is clear in the scenario that the land is registered.[2]The purchaser will want to know whether any third parties have rights to the land which might interfere with the intended use of it. Concern about these matters will lead the purchaser to make extensive enquiries before the purchase of the estate is finally concluded.[3] A. Legal leases not exceeding seven years constitute overriding interest and this falls under schedule 3, Para 1 of LRA 2002. Short legal leases are specifically excluded by Para 1 from the category of short leases which override registered disposition. That includes leases which are to take effect in possession more than three months after the date of grant.[4] Polly comes to the cottage after Alisha brought it but Polly was given the lease the previous year. And since Alisha didn’t find any belongings in the cottage before buying we can assume that Polly returned after a year to take possession. In that case Sec.4 (1) (d) applies which makes the lease not an overriding interest. Because such leases mean that there is a real risk that the purchaser might buy the estate without discovering that it is subjected to a lease when the tenant is not necessarily in possession of the land. In such scenarios we can conclude that only the facts matters. And if Polly wants her legal lease to be protected knowing that she won’t be in possession of the cottage for some time she should have made a notice[5] in the register about her lease. But certain interests cannot be protected by notice[6] , one such case is when the lease doesn’t exceed more than three years, interest under a trust of land or restrictive covenants. Since Polly’s lease is for four years it can be entered into the charges register. The fact that an interest is the subject of a notice doesn’t mean that the interest is valid. However, if the interest is valid, the notice ensures both that it binds any purchaser for valuable consideration[7] , and he knows about it before he takes the estate.[8] It is therefore much safer to protect such interests by notice. Once such an entry has been made the interest losses its overriding status[9] , but of course binds a disponee for valuable consideration. B. It is essential to remember that, it is the rights of the occupiers that bind purchasers and not the occupation itself. The claimant must always prove two elements: actual occupation and an interest in land. In National Provincial Bank v Ainsworth[10] it was held that deserted wife’s equity to be a mere personal right against her husband; her occupation made no difference.[11] Judges have regularly emphasized that the question of whether a party is in actual occupation is essentially a question of fact. Lord Wilberforce stated that[12], ‘It is the fact that matters and what is required is physical presence on the land and not some entitlement in law’ this was stated in Abbey National v Cann. In LRA 2002 Schedule 3 , Para 2 if occupation is established but the interest claimed was not known to the purchaser , the question will then be whether the occupation was obvious on reasonable inspection of the land.[13] Wilma daily comes home even for a short while and it is very much unclear whether Alisha didn’t notice that. And the wedding photograph is good evidence to the fact that Wilma may have a share in the land. A thorough search should have taken place in such risky matters which Alisha didn’t. The question is Wilma not being present permanently in the cottage because she was looking after her sick mother which was clearly defined by the case of Chhokar v Chhokar[14]in relation to LRA 1925 were a similar situation has being dealt with. The court of appeal said that it had no difficulty in holding that she was in occupation at the date, and went on to describe her right in the property as an overriding interest. The effect of temporary absence is now being considered by the courts in Link Lending Ltd v Bustard.[15] Occupation of Wilma was obvious enough through the inspection even if Alisha didn’t know about it. This means that provided the occupation is discoverable, the disponee may still be bound by an interest of which she doesn’t know ( Malory Enterprises Ltd v Cheshire [2002] )[16]Nevertheless in Kingsnorth Finance Co Ltd v Tizard[17] provide that there was actual occupation even when the wife was divorced she visited every day to look after her children. Although she was not living there her daily activities might be regarded as sufficient to justify the result. The facts are all important in such a case.[18] The result in Chhokar seems clear, but what if the seller had removed all evidence of the wife. Like in the scenario it is unclear whether Alisha sees possessions of Wilma other than the wedding photograph before sale. And since Bob lies about a divorce Wilma’s claim might be stronger in such a circumstance. The purchaser has a statutory defence to an overriding interest if inquiry is made of the occupier, but the rights are not disclosed.[19] This is a clear hint to a purchaser as to what should be done. Those in actual occupation must be discovered and then asked what their interests are. In practice and in the scenario they tend to rely on the seller’s information. This might be convenient but gives no protection. And when Alisha identified the wedding photograph she should have been careful enough to ask the occupier what their interests are rather than whether she is present or not. This is because there is no need for overriding interest to be the source of the actual occupation.[20] The scenario doesn’t state that Wilma and Bob are divorced so this matter can be taken under Family Law Act 1996, s31 (10), that where one spouse or civil partner owns the family home, the other spouse has a right not to be evicted if already in occupation and a right with a leave of the court to enter and occupy if not already in occupation. And this lasts as long as the marriage continues. Under Sec.31 Wilma’s home rights constitute a charge on the estate or interest of Bob and will bind Alisha in the property for valuable consideration if they are protected by a notice on the register of the title. This acts as an exception to overriding interests and thus binds Alisha. C. Easements and profits can be created expressly or impliedly by granting another person a right over one’s land or by reserving a right over land which one is transferring to another person.[21]Only legal easements are now capable of overriding the register. The LRA 2002 effectively reversed the controversial case of Celsteel Ltd v Alton House Holdings Ltd[22] which held that both legal and equitable easements were overriding within 1925 scheme. But if somehow the deed is registered it loses its overriding status. We can assume that Maxwell’s claim satisfy the requirement for a valid easement as laid down in Re Ellenborough Park.[23]A valid easement can be created by prescription which is long use of land and under Sec 2 of the Prescription Act 1832. The use for many years of a right which is capable of being an easement can create a legal easement by prescription.[24] Prescription arises if an easement has been used openly, as of right, without permission and continuously by one fee simple owner against another, provided that the right could have legitimately been granted by the landowner.[25] Maxwell does use the path openly and even notify Alisha of his right and say he has been using it for any years. It is somewhat unclear whether the prescription is by lost modern grant. Finally, we can come to a conclusion which interests bind Alisha and which does not. The legal lease of Polly doesn’t bind Alisha since there’s lack of physical presence and notice as explained. But the share of Wilma does bind Alisha since she has some equitable rights towards her share of the property. And finally the easement will also bind Alisha through the Prescription Act 1832. Critically examine the rationale for the continued existence of interests which override. â€Å"Overriding interests are important and controversial because they contravene the most basic registration principle: they bind purchasers despite not being entered on the Register† Roger Smith, Elements of Land Law (Pearson Longman 2007) In a sense overriding interests are rather like ‘trump cards’ of the registered land system, taking automatic priority to any rights which are subsequently acquired by a person in the land. Not only that, but they can also lead to alteration of the register with no compensation being payable to the purchase. Little wonder then that a former Chief Land Register referred to them as ‘a stumbling block’.[26] When compulsory title registration was introduced, the aim of its creators was to simplify conveyance by placing all the essential information about an estate in land on a register. Thereafter a purchaser intending to buy the land will only have to look up at the register in order to discover all what he needed to know about the property.[27] A major difficulty arose from the category of ‘overriding interest’. The original notion of land registration was that the register would provide a complete record of the title, so that the purchaser will be able to buy it with minimum or other enquiries or inspections.[28] The fundamental principle behind registered land is the mirror principle, which is to reflect accurately and completely and beyond all argument the current facts that are material to a mans title. Overriding interests represents the greatest breach in the mirror principle. They were not accidentally created but rather deliberately done by the legislature and given automatic effect precisely because they should be obvious to any prospective purchaser or their enforcement is too important to depend on registration.[29] On the other hand the curtain principle is perhaps the most ambitious motive behind the origin 1925 Act and it remains a key principle under 2002 Act. The aim is to keep certain types of equitable interests off the register completely. As Williams and Glyn’s Bank v Boland shows, if the curtain is not raised the purchaser can easily be bound by such equitable interests. This problem clearly involves striking a balance between protection of the purchaser and protection for the occupier of land and it arose largely due to social and judicial changes.[30] Paragraphs 1 to 3 of Schedule 3 cover three types of interests which were overriding under LRA 1925. They are short leases, rights of persons in actual occupation and easements and profits. Schedule 3, Para 1 shortens the length of a lease from not exceeding 21 years to not exceeding 7 years. And in the future it can reduce to 3 years with the effect of e-conveyancing[31]. The reason why these leases override is that it would be unreasonable to expect short leases to be registered and if they were the register would be cluttered up by them. Under the 1925 Act anyone with proprietary right in property and also in actual occupation could claim an overriding interest. In Williams Glyn’s Bank v Boland in 1981 defined actual occupation as â€Å"It is the fact of occupation that matters and what is required is the physical presence in the land and not some entitlement in law†. However, Schedule 3 of LRA 2002 has reduced the extent to which these interests can bind a purchaser on subsequent registration of title so that a purchaser will not be bound if the occupation would not have been obvious on a reasonable inspection of the land at the time of the disposition. Under LRA 1925 s.70 (1) (a) all legal easements and profits and certain equitable easements[32] were overriding. But this wide category was reduced by LRA 2002 under Schedule 3, Para 3 where only legal easements by prescription or implied easements and profits were overriding. The LRA 2002 effectively reversed the controversial case of Celsteel Ltd v Alton House Holdings Ltd[33] which held that both legal and equitable easements were overriding interests within the 1925 scheme. Under LRA 1925 Sec. 70 (1) (f) a squatter could obtain title after 12 years adverse possession.[34] The new rules introduced by LRA 2002 apply to any squatter who had not completed the 12 year imitation period before the Act came into force on 13th October 2003. The rules are designed to protect the rights of the registered proprietor, and as a result the squatter’s chances of acquiring title to land are greatly reduced by the new scheme.[35] Finally local land charges override but they should be discovered by a local land charges search carried out before purchase. Moreover other interests, such as chancel repair liability will cease to override on 13 October 2013. Thus the ‘snap shot’ is becoming more accurate.[36] Why do we have them? At one time it was argued that the register replaces the title deeds and that the registration system should not protect purchasers in respect of interests not generally found in title deeds. Although this seems correct as historical explanation[37], the law commission has rejected it as an approach fit for the modern law. Their view is that, â€Å"In the interest of certainty and of simplifying conveyancing, the class of right which may bind a purchaser otherwise than as the result of an entry in the register should be as narrow as possible but †¦ interests should be overriding where protection against purchasers is needed, yet it is either not reasonable to expect or not sensible to require any entry on the register.†[38] They are also difficult to discover on an inspection of the land.[39] Not surprisingly the 2002 Act is working towards either minimizing or abolishing some overriding interests but has not yet worked out a strategy to eradicate them once and for all.[40] To make them lose their rights would contravene Article 1 of the First Protocol of ECHR. Active promotion of the advantages of registering interests could work in favor of both the purchaser and the beneficiaries of these rights. Times have changed and the importance of moving on cannot be underestimated.[41] This surely illustrates the deepening of the crack in the mirror principle of registered land. In order to narrow the crack, the class of overriding interests may be made more certain by narrowing the class. On the grounds of public policy, there will perhaps always be interests which will need protection against the purchaser, where it will be unreasonable to register the interests. Therefore, the extent of the crack can never really get away from third- party interests, which is just as important as having quicker and cheaper conveyancing. Until legislation makes clear specifications on what particular interests can qualify, the concerns of overriding interests will remain. Bibliography Textbooks Judith-Anne MacKenzie,Textbook on Land Law(15th, Oxford University Press, 2014) Roger J Smith,Property Law(7th, Pearson Education Limited, 2011) Martin Dixon , Gerwyn LL H Griffiths and Emma Lees, QA Land Law (8th, Routledge, 2013) Journal Articles Matthew Roach, the end is nigh for Overriding interests -Or is it? [Summer 2013 ] 2 Stewart-Wallace , principles of land registration, p 32 Online resources Mangala Murali, Overriding Interests –a conundrum of English Land Law (Law Brief Update October 10, 2012 ) http://www.lawbriefupdate.com/2012/10/10/overriding-interests-a-conundrum-of-english-land-law/> accessed 1/12/2015 Statues Land Registration Act 1925 Land Registration Act 2002 Prescription Act 1832 Limitation Act 1980 Cases Bakewell Management Ltd v Brandwood Celsteel Ltd v Alton House Holdings [1985] Celsteel Ltd v Alton House Holdings Ltd [1985] 1 WLR 204 Dewan v Lewis [2010] EWCA Civ 1382 Kingsnorth Finance Co Ltd v Tizard [1986] 1 WLR 783 (Ch D) Link Lending Ltd v Bustard [2010] EWCA Civ 424 Malory Enterprises Ltd v Cheshire [2002] National Provincial Bank v Ainsworth [1965] AC 1175 Re Ellenborough Park [1955] 3 All ER 667 Williams Glyn’s Bank Ltd v Boland [1981] 1 [1] Roger J Smith,Property Law(7th, Pearson Education Limited, 2011) 53 [2]If one is not sure whether a registration has been made it can be found out by making an ‘index map search’ which will tell you whether the estate has been registered. Further details may be obtained by making a full search of the register, which since 3 December 1990, can be done without the consent of the estate owner. [3] Judith-Anne MacKenzie,Textbook on Land Law(15th, Oxford University Press, 2014) 38 [4] S.4 (1) (d) [5] The Act defines a notice as ‘ an entry in the register in respect of the burden of an interest affecting a registered estate or charge’ S.32(1) [6] S.33 [7] S 32(3) [8] Judith-Anne MacKenzie,Textbook on Land Law(15th, Oxford University Press, 2014) 106 [9] S 29(3) [10][1965] AC 1175 [11] Roger J Smith,Property Law(7th, Pearson Education Limited, 2011) 254 [12] Williams Glyn’s Bank Ltd v Boland [1981] [13] Judith-Anne MacKenzie,Textbook on Land Law(15th, Oxford University Press, 2014) 118-119 [14] [15] [2010] EWCA Civ 424 [16] Judith-Anne MacKenzie,Textbook on Land Law(15th, Oxford University Press, 2014) 115 [17] [1986] 1 WLR 783 (Ch D) [18] Judith-Anne MacKenzie,Textbook on Land Law(15th, Oxford University Press, 2014) 115 [19] Sch3 Para 2b [20] Roger J Smith,Property Law(7th, Pearson Education Limited, 2011) 264 [21] Judith-Anne MacKenzie,Textbook on Land Law(15th, Oxford University Press, 2014) 111 [22] [1985] 1 WLR 204 [23] [1955] 3 All ER 667 [24] The role of this doctrine was summarized in Dewan v Lewis [2010] EWCA Civ 1382 [25] Bakewell Management Ltd v Brandwood [26] Roger J Smith,Property Law(7th, Pearson Education Limited, 2011) 251 [27] Judith-Anne MacKenzie,Textbook on Land Law(15th, Oxford University Press, 2014) 86 [28] Judith-Anne MacKenzie,Textbook on Land Law(15th, Oxford University Press, 2014) 86 [29] Martin Dixon , Gerwyn LL H Griffiths and Emma Lees, QA Land Law (8th, Routledge, 2013) 10 [30] ibid [31] The introduction of e-conveyancing will have tremendous significance for the operation of the registered title system. It will only remove the gap between execution and registration which , as we have seen , can cause problems , but will also reduce very considerably the number of interests which can be created ‘off the register’. [32] Celsteel ltd v Alton House Holdings [1985] [33] [1986] 1 WLR 512 [34] Even if the squatter is no longer in possession at the date of disposition. [35] Judith-Anne MacKenzie,Textbook on Land Law(15th, Oxford University Press, 2014) 141 [36] Martin Dixon , Gerwyn LL H Griffiths and Emma Lees, QA Land Law (8th, Routledge, 2013) 21 [37] Stewart-Wallace , principles of land registration, p 32 [38] Another important factor permeating the changes introduced by LRA 2002 is the extent to which a purchaser may be expected to discover these interests without making extensive inquiries. â€Å"Because overriding interests bind transferees of the land even though they are by definition, not protected on the register, they are widely acknowledged to be potential source of difficulty in registered conveyancing† The law commission report no254 1998 [39] Examples include rights of an occupier of land, a lease for a term of less than seven years, profits a prendre (fishing rights or shooting or hunting rights). [40] The rights of persons in actual occupation present formidable challenges for reformists and it is this area of law that professionals must work on to find a conducive solution. [41] Mangala Murali, Overriding Interests –a conundrum of English Land Law (Law Brief Update October 10, 2012 ) http://www.lawbriefupdate.com/2012/10/10/overriding-interests-a-conundrum-of-english-land-law/> accessed 1/12/2015

Robert J. Graves, MD and Graves Disease Essay -- Disease, Disorders

Graves’ disease was named after Robert J. Graves, MD, around the 1830’s. It is an autoimmune disease indicated by hyperthyroidism due to circulating autoantibodies, which is an antibody that attacks the person’s own body. The immune system attacks the thyroid gland, which causes it to produce too much thyroxine. Thyroxine is a hormone that helps control growth and also regulates metabolism in the body. While the thyroxine levels are high the patient’s metabolic rate increases, which can have an effect on their physical appearance as well as their frame of mind. Graves’ disease is the number one cause of hyperthyroidism in the U.S. There are many signs and symptoms of Graves’ disease. Symptoms of Graves’ disease include anxiety, irritability, insomnia, tiredness, irregular or accelerated heart rate, and sensitivity to heat. Sign of Graves’ disease are tremors in the hands and fingers, weight loss, brittle hair, goiter, menstrual cycle changes, and more frequent bowel movements. People with Graves’ disease also report having symptoms of Graves’ opthalmopathy, also known as thyroid eye disease. This can include bulging of the eyes, itchy eyes, red eyes, sensitivity to light, and swelling around the eyelids. More severe cases of opthalmopathy include corneal ulcers, double vision, blurred vision, and restricted eye movements. According to a journal published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, â€Å"Smoking greatly increases the risk for Graves’ opthalmopathy. Among patients with Graves’ opthalmopathy, smokers had more severe eye disease than nonsm okers. Smoking also appears to be one of the multiple factors inducing Graves’ disease in genetically predisposed individuals.† One more sign of Graves’ disease, though it is no... ...t it is not known what causes Graves’ disease to occur, the fact that there are so many treatment options is astonishing. Works Cited Christian Nordqvist. â€Å"What Is Graves’ Disease? What Causes Graves’ Disease?† Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Int., 6 Nov. 2009. Web 10 Mar. 2012. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170005.php Sai-Ching Jim Yeung, MD, PhD, FACP. â€Å"Graves’ Disease† emedicine.medscape. 30 Sep. 2011. Web 10 Mar. 2012 http://www.emedicine.medscape.com/article/120619-overview#showall Dr. Asha Thomas. â€Å"Treatment of Graves’ Disease† Baltimore Sun. 19 Oct. 2009 10 Mar. 2012. http://www.baltimoresun.com/2009-10-19/news/0910180070_1_graves-disease-underactive-thyroid-thyroid-disease Mark F. Prummel, Wilmar M. Wiersinga. â€Å"Smoking and Risk of Graves’ Disease† The Journal of the American Medical Association. 1993 10 Mar. 2012

How does Arthur Miller make passions and desires so memorable Essay

Given that Eddie Carbone only ever explicitly expresses his passions and desires once in the play, how does Arthur Miller make them so memorable? Much of Arthur Miller’s play A View from the Bridge works to create the impression that Eddie Carbone is disgusted by Rodolpho’s effeminate appearance and supposed homosexuality. He uses this as an argument against Rodolpho’s suitability as a husband for Catherine. When Eddie’s own homosexual desires are revealed, then, they strike us as completely antithetical to these sentiments. It is this irresolvable and perplexing contradiction that makes his repressed homosexuality, rather than his incestuous desire for Catherine, so memorable for the audience. Eddie lives in a community where intolerance greets any man who does not conform to the most parochial definition of masculinity, an intolerance that Miller clearly articulates through the minor characters Mike and Louis. While Mike and Louis reverently point out Marco’s physical strength when working at the docks, Rodolpho, â€Å"that blond one,† is instead said to have â€Å"a sense of humour.† This remark isn’t obviously pejorative, but Mike and Louis â€Å"grin,† â€Å"snicker,† and become â€Å"hysterical† as they voice it. The discrepancy between their speech and behaviour points to an underlying and unspoken insinuation. Of course, â€Å"a sense of humour† is a stand-in for what they see as Rodolpho’s difference compared to Marco. Marco conforms to their definition of masculinity: he is physically strong, and works quietly and diligently. Rodolpho does not, and they mock this difference, revealing their intolerance . Eddie is similarly appalled by what he sees as Rodolpho’s effeminate appearance, giving voice to both this and his belief that Rodolpho is a homosexual in his conversation with Beatrice. Eddie remarks on Rodolpho’s â€Å"wacky hair,† declaring he’s â€Å"like a chorus girl or sump’m.† Similar to Mike and Louis, Eddie calls attention to Rodolpho’s hair, implying that Rodolpho bleaches it. According to Eddie, a preoccupation with his appearance is a strictly feminine trait and therefore casts doubt over his masculinity. The simile that compares Rodolpho to a â€Å"chorus girl† makes this all the more clear. The intolerance and resentment this provokes in Eddie is revealed through Eddie’s reference to Rodolpho as â€Å"that† and the assertion that he’s â€Å"like a weird.† By â€Å"weird,† Eddie means homosexual. Eddie uses Rodolpho’s alleged femininity and homosexuality to argue against his suitability as Catherine’s husband. Seeking legal counsel from Alfieri, Eddie claims that Rodolpho â€Å"ain’t right.† Again he calls attention to Rodolpho’s â€Å"platinum blond† hair, as well as the â€Å"high† notes he hits when he sings. The thought of such an effeminate man with Catherine seems to deeply disturb him as he admits that â€Å"when I think of that guy layin’ his hands on her I could – I mean it’s eatin’ me out.† Eddie struggles for words, his incomplete and incoherent sentences revealing his intense anger. He’s disgusted by the idea of an effeminate homosexual touching the niece he says he seeks to protect. Given Eddie’s sentiments, how, then, are we to respond to him kissing Rodolpho? The kiss is deeply unsettling because it is so antithetical to everything Eddie has said and done leading up to it. Miller’s stage directions vividly call to mind the moment when Eddie kisses Rodolpho: â€Å"Eddie pins his arms, laughing, and suddenly kisses him.† The use of the verb â€Å"pins† underscores the violence and brutality of this sexual act. It’s likely that the ferocity of this expression of homosexual desire corresponds with the ferocity of Eddie’s suppression of that desire leading up to this moment. Furthermore, his â€Å"laughing† suggests a frantic sense of relief. The aggressive expression of homosexual desire is incompatible with every impression we might have formed about Eddie before this moment, and we are left struggling to reconcile these two wildly disparate sides of his character. In summation, the homosexual passions and desires of Eddie Carbone are an astonishing revelation in Miller’s play, making them both unfathomable and memorable. Their eventual and painful expression leaves us wondering how well we know Eddie, despite having formed what appeared to be an accurate impression of him. It encourages us to consider more generally the extent to which any person’s true nature is knowable when we can only observe them from the outside.

Introduction to Holography

Introduction to Holography If youre carrying money, a drivers license, or credit cards, youre carrying around holograms. The dove hologram on a Visa card may be the most familiar. The rainbow-colored bird changes colors and appears to move as you tilt the card. Unlike a bird in a traditional photograph, a holographic bird is a three-dimensional image. Holograms are formed by interference of light beams from a laser. How Lasers Make Holograms Holograms are made using lasers because laser light is coherent. What this means is that all of the photons of laser light have exactly the same frequency and phase difference. Splitting a laser beam produces two beams that are the same color as each other (monochromatic). In contrast, regular white light consists of many different frequencies of light. When white light is diffracted, the frequencies split to form a rainbow of colors. In conventional photography, the light reflected off an object strikes a strip of film that contains a chemical (i.e., silver bromide) that reacts to light. This produces a two-dimensional representation of the subject. A hologram forms a three-dimensional image because light interference patterns are recorded, not just reflected light. To make this happen, a laser beam is split into two beams that pass through lenses to expand them. One beam (the reference beam) is directed onto high-contrast film. The other beam is aimed at the object (the object beam). Light from the object beam gets scattered by the holograms subject. Some of this scattered light goes toward the photographic film. The scattered light from the object beam is out of phase with the reference beam, so when the two beams interact they form an interference pattern. The interference pattern recorded by the film encodes a three-dimensional pattern because the distance from any point on the object affects the phase of the scattered light. However, there is a limit to how three-dimensional a hologram can appear. This is because the object beam only hits its target from a single direction. In other words, the hologram only displays the perspective from the object beams point of view. So, while a hologram changes depending on the viewing angle, you cant see behind the object. Viewing a Hologram A hologram image is an interference pattern that looks like random noise unless viewed under the right lighting. The magic happens when a holographic plate is illuminated with the same laser beam light that was used to record it. If a different laser frequency or another type of light is used, the reconstructed image wont exactly match the original. Yet, the most common holograms are visible in white light. These are reflection-type volume holograms and rainbow holograms. Holograms that can be viewed in ordinary light require special processing. In the case of a rainbow hologram, a standard transmission hologram is copied using a horizontal slit. This preserves parallax in one direction (so the perspective can move), but produces a color shift in the other direction. Uses of Holograms The 1971 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to the Hungarian-British scientist Dennis Gabor for  his invention and development of the holographic method. Originally, holography was a technique used to improve electron microscopes. Optical holography didnt take off until the invention of the laser in 1960. Although holograms were immediately popular for art, practical applications of optical holography lagged until the 1980s. Today, holograms are used for data storage, optical communications, interferometry in engineering and microscopy, security, and holographic scanning. Interesting Hologram Facts If you cut a hologram in half, each piece still contains an image of the entire object. In contrast, if you cut a photograph in half, half of the information is lost.One way to copy a hologram is to illuminate it with a laser beam and place a new photographic plate such that it receives light from the hologram and from the original beam. Essentially, the hologram acts like the original object.Another way to copy a hologram is to emboss it using the original image. This works much the same way records are made from audio recordings. The embossing process is used for mass production.