Miseducation of Filipino Essay

Prof. Renato Constantino, in his essay entitled â€Å"The Miseducation of the Filipino†, writes about the coming about of the miseducation and the consequences of such action in the lives of the Filipinos, then, now, and perhaps the future. Promoting and imposing the â€Å"unFilipino† identity in Filipinos was the miseducation that Americans pursued during the time when they â€Å"posed† as a benevolent ally to the Philippines, and they proved victorious indeed because they had completely subjugated the Filipinos, both in minds and in hearts. Education is a very vital factor for one’s development. And as we all know, through education, one’s mind is molded because of the teachings, ideas, and values taught to him. Due to this fact, it’s only either of the two that will happen: the person will become productive provided that he was taught with the right things, or, the person will become otherwise since he acquired negative things. Personally, I learned and realized many things about the history and relationship between the Americans and the Filipinos upon reading this paper. It is quite intriguing what the main reasons really were the Americans in taking power over the Philippines. Was it for the good of the Filipinos or the Americans’ good? Whatever it was, they succeeded in almost every aspect of conquering the land because they knew the most effective way to subjugate Filipinos minds: by controlling our education. They created a new generation of good colonials, the â€Å"unFilipino† Filipinos. The indigenous ways of life of Filipinos had been changed to the American way of life. That was ridiculous because certainly, America and Philippines vastly differed from each other in so many ways, and therefore, their ways of life based on their differing needs should be entirely different. But the Americans insisted on creating a â€Å"carbon-copy† of themselves in Filipinos through the imposition of their language in their education. I went to elementary and high school in the Philippines, and I know for a fact they used both English and Tagalog as the media of teaching. In the long run, I think this resulted in both positive and negative ways — positively, because I was uprooted to the U. S. and I was able to use the â€Å"smattering† English I know to communicate with others, and negatively, because as I have just realized, I feel the â€Å"impediment† in my thought process because I cannot think consistently in one language. All in all, I liked this piece because it reiterates the importance of education to not only produce literate people but also to produce people who would use that education to better their nation.

Improve Own Practice in Learning and Development Essay

Why L&D practitioners must engage in reflective practice and continue CPD. Analyse own values, beliefs and attitudes and the impact on their practice. Engaging in Reflective practice is associated with the improvement of the quality of care, stimulating personal, professional growth and the closing gap between theory between theory and practice. J Dewey was among the first to consider the questions of psychology and the theory of knowledge, I liked Brookfield (1998) as his concept explained discussing and talking and contemplating through the learner’s eyes. The appeal of the use of reflective practice is that as teaching and learning are complex, and there is not one right approach, reflecting on different versions of teaching, and reshaping past and current experiences will lead to improvement. Schà ¶n’s (1983) reflection–in-action assists practitioners in making the professional knowledge that they will gain from their experience in the classroom an explicit part of their decision-making. Research base practices strongly supports the importance of the teacher/ facilitator being a highly trained, reflective professional. The importance of reflecting on what you are doing, as part of the learning process, has also been empathised by many investigators, for example the second stage of Kolb’s (1984) learning cycle, reflective observation. Reflective observation can be an important tool in practice based professional learning settings where individuals learning from their own professional experiences, rather than from formal teaching or knowledge transfer, maybe the most important source of personal professional development and improvement. Another way to look at it is through Lewin/Kolb’s single-loop learning, and the Argyris and Schà ¶n concept double-loop learning which were mapped from the works of Ashby (1960) while working on cybernetics. Single-loop learning is like a thermostat that learns when it is too hot or too cold and turns the heat on or off. The thermostat can perform this task because it can receive information (the temperature of the room) and take  corrective action. Double-loop learning occurs when an error is detected and corrected in ways that involve the modification of an organization’s underlying norms, policies and objectives. Double loop learning uses feedback from past actions to question assumptions underlying current views. Davies (2012) explained the benefits to reflective practice Increased learning from an experience for situation Promotion of deep learning Identification of personal and professional strengths and areas for improvement Identification of educational needs Acquisition of new knowledge and skills Further understanding of own beliefs, attitudes and values Encouragement of self-motivation and self-directed learning Could act as a source of feedback Possible improvements of personal and clinical confidence . There are a number of ways to monitor your performance regularly, capturing incidental/experienced learning by keeping a self-reflective journal, by reading it over and over again I can begin to analyse achievements however small they seem and develop a greater level of self-awareness. This is where I try to recognise the needs to enhance my own learning so that a bigger benefit for the learner to progress and achieve something in their future. Firstly I identified my own preferred learning style as everyone learns in different ways. There are many ways to establish your preferred way of learning and as supported by Reece and Walker (2009), â€Å"All students are individuals and no two students learn the same way†. To move forward in life, we all need to improve our ideas, broaden relevant knowledge and skills. Getting constructive feedback (for example, learners, peers, mentors and colleagues) are important aspects of reflection. Performance indicators of the organisation are identified, it shows whether I am current with the ways of facilitating and is it having an impact on learners. It will also show how I am performing, what is going well and where I need training or guidance i.e.  learning Microsoft office at college, enabling me to have computing vocational skills. Utilising the S.W.O.T analysis where I am able to identify my strengths: Supportive Judicious Communication skills Imaginative and observant I am able to identify my weaknesses: Inability to refrain from helping Being too talkative Too altruistic This ensures me I am performing to the best that I can and that I am meeting all the standards and expectations within the organisations policies and procedures. The guidance of a mentor is an advantage for they have had similar experiences and understanding of their issues with self-development. There will be times when I will need support and advice to move my career forward and achieve life goals, so it is best to have an effective relationship. Some factors that help to build an effective relationship; Mutual respect Honesty and direct communication Acceptance and flexibility Commitment Trust Some shared values Willingness, to work through obstacles â€Å"Mentoring is to support and encourage people to manage their own learning in order that they may maximise their potential, develop their skills,  improve their performance and become the person they want to be† (E Parsole, The oxford school of coaching & mentoring) I believe that all individuals are created equally, thus all have the ability to learn equally. Resisting from a classroom culture of control, with the correct amount of care and tutoring, learners would be able to participate in classes with simplified understanding. Providing adequate feedback is an important aspect, I always try to rephrase a question with learners so not only do they understand and try to answer correctly, they feel great when they receive feedback which motivates them to learn. When I provide learners with time and space to be aware of their own knowledge and their own thinking, student ownership increases. Research shows that metacognition can be taught (Visible Learning, 2009). Using reflective practice I am able to instil values that the learner can use in their life and work.

Going Back to School Essay

Returning to school was something I alway intended to do in my life. I knew there would be some obstacles and hurdles i would have to overcome to make my dream come true. Here are some obstacles I had to overcome in my past with previous school experinces I have had to return back to school. When I was younger, I remember my mom waking my older brother up and sending him off to school. I would get so mad, because I wanted to go. Than finally my day came, I got up and off to school I went. Elementary school was the great. I loved playing with the other kids. Kindergarten through fifth grade made me feel like school was a game. Yeah, we learned our basic studies, but we had fun doing it. Than came time for moving on up to middle school. My first couple of weeks were okay, but the work started getting harder, the other kids weren’t very nice and we didn’t have much free time. I didn’t like it, but it was something I got used too and I stuck it out. Finally, my ninth year came, I was a freshman in high school. I hated it, I was always getting pushed around and made fun of because my family didn’t have much money. I didn’t have name brand shoes or clothes. Everybody kept telling me I needed an eduacation to get anywhere in this world. Well I tried, finally when I was seventeen, only six months before graduation, I got so fed up, I dropped out. Once I turned eighteen, I realized it was time to make a life of my own. My family shouldn’t have to support me. So I went out and found me a job. I was so proud of this job. I was doing good, or so I thought. After a few years of working for this company, I figured out I was already at the top of the ladder, I couldn’t go up anymore. I had to better my life. I needed a higher education. I got it in my head and went and got my GED. Than once again my learning process stopped right there. Out of the blue one day, my mom calls and tells me about these online college courses. She knew I didn’t I didn’t want to go sit in a classroom. This struck some interest in me. It took me a few days, but I called and got enrolled. When I started my first class, I was a bit nervous, it took sometime to get back into the swing of things. I’m still somewhat nervous but it gets better with each class. Going back to school was the hardest decision I have ever had to make. Well, it took the longest time anyway. I am so glad I decided to go back. Being back at school makes me feel so much better about myself. This is one thing I won’t quit again.

Marriage and Relationship Annotated Bibliography

Marriage and Relationship - Annotated Bibliography Example Conversely, couples who did indulge themselves into premarital sex, normally report of having poor sex quality. Primarily, this is due to the deprivation of one’s innocence coupled with mistrust that an individual suffered before where he or she extends it into the marriage. Since, the partners in terms of matters of sex seem to generalize their spouses with the numerous sexual partners, which they had before.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hawkins, A. J., & Ooms, T. (2012). Can Marriage and Relationship Education Be an Effective   Policy Tool to Help Low-Income Couples Form and Sustain Healthy Marriages and   Relationships? A Review of Lessons Learned. Marriage & Family Review, 48(6), 524-  554. doi:10.1080/01494929.2012.677751.  Hawkins and Ooms have synthesized diverse researchers’ findings regarding marriages’ support by public through Marriage and Relationship Education (MRE) (Hawkins & Ooms, 2012). The aim is to enable individuals and couples who are low-income ea rners to have satisfaction and stable marriages. Mainly, this is despite challenging economic predicaments that they may encounter and threaten their union. The article also reports how the involved couples and individuals seem to enjoy the mode of education besides preferring its continuance due to the support that they normally get from the program. However, Hawkins and Ooms have observed how the pioneers of the programs are facing challenges in addressing specific and varying predicaments affecting marriages. This is to ensure effective handling of marriage issues.

British Airways PLC Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

British Airways PLC - Research Paper Example Likewise, The current ratio above shows that the total assets for the year 2006 was 1.18 times the total liabilities of the year. This means that the company will be able to pay all their current liabilities as well as long term liabilities when the maturing date for their payments arrive. In addition, the 2007 current ratio is better than the 2006 current ratio. The Debt to Equity ratio above shows that the total liabilities for the year 2007 was 4.15 times the total equity of the year. This means that the company has four and 15/100 times resources coming from the creditors than the stockholders. The Debt to Equity ratio above shows that the total liabilities for the year 2006 was 5.54 times the total equity of the year. This means that the company has five and 54/100 times resources coming from the creditors than the stockholders. In addition, the 2007 debt to equity ratio is better than the 2006 debt to equity ratio. The Gross Profit ratio above shows that the gross profit for the year 2007 was twenty eight percent of the net sales. This means that the company was profitable this year in terms of cost of sales alone. The Gross Profit ratio above shows that the gross profit for the year 2006 was twenty nine percent of the net sales. This means that the company was profitable this year in terms of cost of sales alone. The Gross Profit ratio above shows that the gross profit for the year 2006 was twenty nine percent of the net sales. This means that the company was profitable this year in terms of cost of sales alone. Sadly, the gross profit ratio for 2006 shows a better picture of the company when compared to the 2007 gross profit ratio. The Net Profit ratio above shows that the Net profit for the year 2007 was three percent of the net revenues. This means that the company was profitable this year in terms of cost of sales plus marketing and administrative expense. The Net Profit ratio above shows that the Net profit for the year 2006 was five percent of the net revenues. This means that the company was profitable this year in terms of cost of sales plus marketing and administrative expense. Sadly, the net profit ratio for 2006 shows a better picture of the company when compared to the 2007 gross profit ratio. Further, British Airways Chief Executive Willie Walsh was fair in stating "This is another good set of results despite soaring fuel costs and difficulties in the market. Revenue up some one percent and a strong cost performance has led to an operating profit up 28.5 percent. While fuel costs in the first six months were down 36 million, they have soared 72 million in the third quarter." on February, 2008. This is based on the above computations done in excel format and copy -pasted to this document. Reference: http://stocks.us.reuters.com/stocks/ratios.aspsymt B. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION British Airways PLC is engaged in the operation of international and domestic ferrying of air passengers, freight and other non -human cargo both locally or internationally like the member states of the European Union. The company's flight one hundred forty seven destinations are located in seventy five countries as of March, 2007 yet. As of March 31, 2007, it had fulfilled the air travel needs of over thirty three million passengers. The company had two hundred forty two airplanes flying the European skyline. In terms of strategic management, the company

UPS and TNT Express Business Model Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

UPS and TNT Express Business Model - Assignment Example Its market positioning among its competitors and the pricing criteria on the services and goods it trades on are the important factors of this element. United Parcel Services incorporation on this element regard on its business model can be contributed by its type of business and how it implements its business strategy.UPS incorporation is a business entity that engages primarily in delivering of packages and documents (Fairburn and Kay 1989). Also, in the recent periods, the firm has extended its service business to supply chain solutions that involves freight forwarding, customs brokerage, fulfillment, returns, financial transactions and even repairing services. The firm also, in extension offers less than truck transportation services where it is the leading provider in U.S market. The firm delivers to 6.1 million consignee worldwide, packages to 1.8 million shipping customers each day. Its supply chain services also, extend to clients in 175 countries (Libert and Samek 1997). The firm has invested in both ground and air network worldwide to offer its service deliveries to its customers under a single integrated pickup and delivery service structure. The firm has positioned itself in the market as the leading company by leading in technology development in order to improve service delivery among the global package delivery and supply chain management companies (Hubbard, 2001). The firm has a flexible scale of services and integrated solution that allows clients have an opportunity to choose the delivery service that will fulfill their intended requirement and the price they can afford from the variety of the services offered (Henry, 2002). The firm has invested a lot in equity branding by delivering quality services that are reliable and innovative products (Damodaran, 1997). This has been made successful through investing in employees by enabling them to have stock ownership in the firm. Thus, the employees dedicate their efforts in making the firm the best among the rest because they view the company as one of their own. TNT Express is involved in the service business of transferring documents and goods globally (Porter,1985). Service delivery is customer oriented because the clients are the one who selects the time and day when to pick up an order and when it should be delivered (Gropelli, 2006). The firms culture on being a robust and strong attitude and spirit of ‘can do’, has helped the employees in solving problems to carry out daily duties and responding to shareholders and the outside world of TNT Express. TNT Express positions itself in the market as the most admired delivery company by working on the core values of being a passionate company to its customers, people caring, keeping promises and working on mentality of I can do attitude. In order to achieve its values, the company has developed and implemented a TNT Express Integrity Program and an Introduced TNT Express Business Principles structures (Reish, 198 8). Thus, the acquisition of TNT express will raise the new firm performance in the parcel and document transfer industry competitively because of the combined synergy that will be realized by the merger idea. Synergy of the new firm will be realized due to the market competitive each of the firm have in their respective domestic markets. UPS Incorporation as the leading industry player in North America will enable TNT Express services to be implemented in North America as it has rich information on how to penetrate the domestic

Architectural acoustics Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Architectural acoustics - Lab Report Example As far as the engineering is concerned, sound production has far-reaching implications on the environment. Sounds are pressure vibrations that travel in mediums such as gases, liquids and solids. The most common type of sound perceived by human ear is that which travels through air. Sound could be constructive or unconstructive. However noise is generally regarded as unwanted and destructive sound. In work environments or even in home setting, it is preferred that noise should be reduced effectively since it can affect the ability to work, concentration and rest. These noises range from loud music, traffic and building services (air ducts, pumps etc.) to neighbor activity. Noise production is still rated as one of the serious rampant forms of environmental pollution. Noise pollution continues to affect human health, as well as behaviors. Noise pollution has the can trigger annoyance, as well as aggression. Noise is also associated with high stress levels, disturbance of sleep, hypertension and tinnitus. It is worth noting that stress and hypertension are among the current serious threats to human health. Loud noise can also trigger cardiovascular diseases, resulting from increased blood pressure caused by noise. Noise does not only affect human beings, but also other organisms. For example, noise can affect wildlife by increasing the death risks by triggering an incapability of the predators to detect the prey. Introduction of noise in the new ecosystem can also reduce the portion of a usable habitat by either scaring away organisms or threatening them to extinction through the harmful consequences. Thus, process of curbing noise pollution is critical In this regard, curbing the amount of noise has been one critical area for engineers in their quest for sustainable development and production processes. Environmental engineers have defined the ability to control sound in a closed environment as Architectural Acoustics. Designers and engineers have studied

Can grading systems influence the motivation of students in further Essay

Can grading systems influence the motivation of students in further eductaion - Essay Example It is hard therefore to determine the extent of the effect of the grades on the student’s motivation. Grades are positive reinforcers that could increase the probability of the behaviour that produced the consequence of reoccurring. He sees grades as powerful judges of students’ success or failure. But he also suggests that grades have limitations as motivators. He discusses research that suggests that grades can interfere with the learning process and the quality of learning when students are only working to get the grade and therefore decrease intrinsic motivation. He even cited research that showed that â€Å"good† grades could also create unmotivated students. Since grades have variable effects on student motivations, Docan suggests that the way the grades are offered may determine the effect on student motivation. The common systems used include competency-based or criterion based grading where students are graded on achieving a certain competency in skills, and the point systems where students earn points for completing work. He cites Bressette (2002) who found that the use of a plus/minus system serves as an â€Å"excellent motivator for students to continue strong efforts on all assignments and examinations right up to the last day of classes†. It was also reported that fear of moving to a lower grade from lack of effort might also motivate the student. The debate of whether grades and any grading system can act as motivators for students continues with Chulkov (2006) who posits that the design of the grading system is not important in motivating the student. Part of his argument is connected to intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. He believes that though grades may provide some extrinsic motivation, they have no power over students who are intrinsically motivated. In this study where grades were used to motivate students to complete coursework, it was found that

Fourth Estate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fourth Estate - Essay Example The news media can also alert the nation to events that may otherwise not have been public, and may perhaps alter the social style of the day. The press are absolutely instrumental in advocacy and the presentation of political (and social) issues (Powe, 1992). One of the most important examples of the power of the Fourth Estate can be seen in the coverage of the Middle East. Every newspaper or TV news channel will present at least one article on the Middle East daily, with much (if not all) of the coverage being negative. Although the press generally try to maintain some form of neutrality to preserve their integrity (Schultz, 1998), there are some areas in which this cannot be upheld in full, and the Fourth Estate has to ensure that it refers to issues in the way that the readers and viewers can understand. The coverage of the Middle East is a perfect example of this. The recent troubles in Libya, for example, have been presented by the media in the Western world almost exclusively from a Westocentric perspective, ensuring that the people of Libya are almost constantly referred to as victims with Gadaffi being portrayed as an evil dictator (e.g. Cobain, 2011). Whatever the personal perspective on this issue is, it is almost impossible to find any news sources that describe the troubles in any other manner; the role of the Fourth Estate here is to uphold the view of the area in this possibly over-simplistic manner. The Fourth Estate has shaped society in this manner, and the majority of people in the Western world would agree with the general principles of this matter. From the description of the concept of the Fourth Estate given above and the example of Libya, it is easy to see that the press easily fills this role and holds an immense social and political power in these first world countries, who usually have an established democracy and a large

The Nuer Tribe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

The Nuer Tribe - Essay Example Central Sudan, where the capital Khartoum is located, is the urban region where most of the population resides. Speaking 300 different languages, the different tribes have a history of infighting since time immemorial. Famine and the almost incessant fighting between the tribes have always been catalysts for the social and economic deterioration of Sudan (Sharp 147). The main ethnic tribes are the Dinka (12%), Nuba (8%), Beja (6%), Nuer (5%) and Azande (3%) (Lye 294). Probably the most important of these is the Nuer tribe not only because its habitat, the swamps of Sudd, might contain vast oil deposits that is currently being explored by Chevron Oil Company (Luciani 88) but it is 'the largest political segment of a people defined by a common language and a sense of common identity" and "the tribe was the largest population who not only claims a common territory but acknowledge the right of their members to compensation for injury" (Bhushan & Malik 106). southern Sudan in the region called the Sudd, which is a Nile-fed swamp as large as the US state of Maine. The Nuer tribe habitat is therefore the flood-plains of the White Nile and its tributaries and extends southwards to Abyssinia (Wellcome Tropical Research Laboratories 325). The Nuer habitat is about 500 kilometers south of Khartoum. The Nuer tri The Nuer tribe is part of the 3 major Nilotic tribes in southern Sudan, the other two being the Dinka and the Shilluk tribes, which physically bear resemblance to each other but each speak different languages and has its own customs and traditions. As a people, the Nuer tribe is divided into clans that in the 1930 census were identified to have numbered to 17 clans with a total population of 247,000 and which are scattered throughout southern Sudan in their own villages. Each clan averages about 14,529 Nuers in the 1930 census which had grown to 35,351 Nuers per clan in the 1955 census (Kelly 161). Recent years have placed the Nuer population at 1.5 million. The different Nuer clans are predatory and are very successful in their belligerent activities because albeit scattered, they are unified, manifesting capacity to unite on a large scale and to organize swift large-scale raids. The Nuer internal unity and its organizational skills are impressive unlike its main warfare victim, th e Dinka tribe groups which are "politically autonomous and do not unite in warfare or for any other purpose". A chink in the Nuer unity and kinship however shows, when a few Nuer clans i.e. the Jagei, the Western Jikany and Eastern Jikany oftentimes clash not only with the Dinka enemy but also with fellow Nuer clans (Kelly 160). The Nuer clans always fight for territorial expansion and this expansionism and predisposition to territorial appropriation had been rooted in the Nuer sociocultural system (Kelly 226). Since early times, the Nuer tribes

Recreation and Sports Essay Example for Free

Recreation and Sports Essay While it may be true that the Mason City government ought to devote more money to riverside recreational facilities, this authors argument does not make a cogent case for increased resources based on river use. It is easy to understand why city residents would want a cleaner river, but this argument is rife with holes and assumptions, and thus, not strong enough to lead to increased funding. Citing surveys of city residents, the author reports city residents love of water sports. It is not clear, however, the scope and validity of that survey. For example, the survey could have asked residents if they prefer using the river for water sports or would like to see a hydroelectric dam built, which may have swayed residents toward river sports. The sample may not have been representative of city residents, asking only those residents who live upon the river. The survey may have been 10 pages long, with 2 questions dedicated to river sports. We just do not know. Unless the survey is fully representative, valid, and reliable, it can not be used to effectively back the authors argument. Additionally, the author implies that residents do not use the river for swimming, boating, and fishing, despite their professed interest, because the water is polluted and smelly. While a polluted, smelly river would likely cut down on river sports, a concrete connection between the residents lack of river use and the rivers current state is not effectively made. Though there have been complaints, we do not know if there have been numerous complaints from a wide range of people, or perhaps from one or two individuals who made numerous complaints. To strengthen his/her argument, the author would benefit from implementing a normed survey asking a wide range of residents why they do not currently use the river. Building upon the implication that residents do not use the river due to the quality of the rivers water and the smell, the author suggests that a river clean up will result in increased river usage. If the rivers water quality and smell result from problems which can be cleaned, this may be true. For example, if the decreased water quality and aroma is caused by pollution by factories along the river, this conceivably could be remedied. But if the quality and aroma results from the natural mineral deposits in the water or surrounding rock, this may not be true. There are some bodies of water which emit a strong smell of sulphur due to the geography of the area. This is not something likely to be afffected by a clean-up. Consequently, a river clean up may have no impact upon river usage. Regardless of whether the rivers quality is able to be improved or not, the author does not effectively show a connection between water quality and river usage. A clean, beautiful, safe river often adds to a citys property values, leads to increased tourism and revenue from those who come to take advantage of the river, and a better overall quality of life for residents. For these reasons, city government may decide to invest in improving riverside recreational facilities. However, this authors argument is not likely significantly persuade the city goverment to allocate increased funding. Reader Commentary for Essay Response — Score 6 This insightful response identifies important assumptions and thoroughly examines their implications. The proposal to spend more on riverside recreational facilities rests on three questionable assumptions, namely: †¢THAT THE SURVEY PROVIDES A RELIABLE BASIS FOR BUDGET PLANNING †¢THAT THE RIVER’S POLLUTION AND ODOR ARE THE ONLY REASONS FOR ITS LIMITED RECREATIONAL USE. †¢THAT EFFORTS TO CLEAN THE WATER AND REMOVE THE ODOR WILL BE SUCCESSFUL By showing that each assumption is highly suspect, this essay demonstrates the weakness of the entire argument. For example, paragraph 2 points out that the survey might not have used a representative sample, might have offered limited choices, and might have contained very few questions on water sports. Paragraph 3 examines the tenuous connection between complaints and limited use of the river for recreation. Complaints about water quality and odor may be coming from only a few people and, even if such complaints are numerous, other completely different factors may be much more significant in reducing river usage. Finally, paragraph 4 explains that certain geologic features may prevent effective river clean-up. Details such as these provide compelling support. In addition, careful organization ensures that each new point builds upon the previous ones. For example, note the clear transitions at the beginning of paragraphs 3 and 4, as well as the logical sequence of sentences within paragraphs (specifically paragraph 4). Although this essay does contain minor errors, it still conveys ideas fluently. Note the effective word choices (e. g. , rife with . . . assumptions and may have swayed residents). In addition, sentences are not merely varied; they also display skillful embedding of subordinate elements. For example, note the sustained parallelism in the first sentence of the concluding paragraph. Since this response offers cogent examination of the argument and conveys meaning skillfully, it earns a score of 6. Essay Response — Score 5 The author of this proposal to increase the budget for Mason City riverside recreational facilities offers aninteresting argument but to move forward on the proposal would definitely   require more information and thought. While the correlations stated are logical and probable, there may be hidden factors that prevent the City from diverting resources to this project. For example, consider the survey rankings among Mason City residents. The thought is that such high regard for water sports will translate into usage. But, survey responses can hardly be used as indicators of actual behavior. Many surveys conducted after the winter holidays reveal people who list exercise and weight loss as a top priority. Yet every profession does not equal a new gym membership. Even the wording of the survey results remain ambiguous and vague. While water sports may be among the residents favorite activities, this allows for many other favorites. What remains unknown is the priorities of the general public. Do they favor these water sports above a softball field or soccer field? Are they willing to sacrifice the municipal golf course for better riverside facilities? Indeed the survey hardly provides enough information to discern future use of improved facilities. Closely linked to the surveys is the bold assumption that a cleaner river will result in increased usage. While it is not illogical to expect some increase, at what level will people begin to use the river? The answer to this question requires a survey to find out the reasons our residents use or do not use the river. Is river water quality the primary limiting factor to usage or the lack of docks and piers? Are people more interested in water sports than the recreational activities that they are already engaged in? These questions will help the city government forecast how much river usage will increase and to assign a proportional increase to the budget. Likewise, the author is optimistic regarding the state promise to clean the river. We need to hear the source of the voices and consider any ulterior motives. Is this a campaign year and the plans a campaign promise from the state representative? What is the timeline for the clean-up effort? Will the state fully fund this project? We can imagine the misuse of funds in renovating the riverside facilities only to watch the new buildings fall into dilapidation while the state drags the river clean-up. Last, the author does not consider where these additional funds will be diverted from. The current budget situation must be assessed to determine if this increase can be afforded. In a sense, the City may not be willing to draw money away from other key projects from road improvements to schools and education. The author naively assumes that the money can simply appear without forethought on where it will come from. Examining all the various angles and factors involved with improving riverside recreational facilities, the argument does not justify increasing the budget. While the proposal does highlight a possibility, more information is required to warrant any action. Reader Commentary for Essay Response — Score 5 Each paragraph in the body of this perceptive essay identifies and examines an unstated assumption that is crucial to the argument. The major assumptions discussed are: †¢THAT A SURVEY CAN ACCURATELY PREDICT BEHAVIOR †¢THAT CLEANING THE RIVER WILL, IN ITSELF, INCREASE RECREATIONAL USAGE †¢THAT STATE PLANS TO CLEAN THE RIVER WILL ACTUALLY BE REALIZED †¢THAT MASON CITY CAN AFFORD TO SPEND MORE ON RIVERSIDE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES. Support within each paragraph is both thoughtful and thorough. For example, paragraph 2 points out vagueness in the wording of the survey: Even if water sports rank among the favorite recreational activities of Mason City residents, other sports may still be much more popular. Thus, if the first assumption proves unwarranted, the argument to fund riverside facilities — rather than soccer fields or golf courses — becomes much weaker. Paragraph 4 considers several reasons why river clean-up plans may not be successful (the plans may be nothing more than campaign promises or funding may not be adequate). Thus, the weakness of the third assumption undermines the argument that river recreation will increase and riverside improvements will be needed at all. Instead of dismissing each assumption in isolation, this response places them in a logical order and considers their connections. Note the appropriate transitions between and within paragraphs, clarifying the links among the assumptions (e. g. , Closely linked to the surveys †¦ or The answer to this question requires ). Along with strong development, this response also displays facility with language. Minor errors in punctuation are present, but word choices are apt and sentences suitably varied in pattern and length. The response uses a number of rhetorical questions, but the implied answers are always clear enough to support the points being made. Thus, the response satisfies all requirements for a score of 5, but its development is not thorough or compelling enough for a 6. Essay Response — Score 4 The problem with the arguement is the assumption that if the Mason River were cleaned up, that people would use it for water sports and recreation. This is not necessarily true, as people may rank water sports among their favorite recreational activities, but that does not mean that those same people have the financial ability, time or equipment to pursue those interests. However, even if the writer of the arguement is correct in assuming that the Mason River will be used more by the citys residents, the arguement does not say why the recreational facilities need more money. If recreational facilities already exist along the Mason River, why should the city allot more money to fund them? If the recreational facilities already in existence will be used more in the coming years, then they will be making more money for themselves, eliminating the need for the city government to devote more money to them. According to the arguement, the reason people are not using the Mason River for water sports is because of the smell and the quality of water, not because the recreational facilities are unacceptable. If the city government alloted more money to the recreational facilities, then the budget is being cut from some other important city project. Also, if the assumptions proved unwarranted, and more people did not use the river for recreation, then much money has been wasted, not only the money for the recreational facilities, but also the money that was used to clean up the river to attract more people in the first place. Reader Commentary for Essay Response — Score 4 This competent response identifies two unstated assumptions: †¢THAT CLEANING UP THE MASON RIVER WILL LEAD TO INCREASED RECREATIONAL USE †¢THAT EXISTING FACILITIES ALONG THE RIVER NEED MORE FUNDING Paragraph 1 offers reasons why the first assumption is questionable (e. g. , residents may not have the necessary time or money for water sports). Similarly, paragraphs 2 and 3 explain that riverside recreational facilities may already be adequate and may, in fact, produce additional income if usage increases. Thus, the response is adequately developed and satisfactorily organized to show how the argument depends on questionable assumptions. However, this essay does not rise to a score of 5 because it fails to consider several other unstated assumptions (e. g. , that the survey is reliable or that the efforts to clean the river will be successful). Furthermore, the final paragraph makes some extraneous, unsupported assertions of its own. Mason City may actually have a budget surplus so that cuts to other projects will not be necessary, and cleaning the river may provide other real benefits even if it is not used more for water sports. This response is generally free of errors in grammar and usage and displays sufficient control of language to support a score of 4. Essay Response — Score 3 Surveys are created to speak for the people; however, surveys do not always speak for the whole community. A survey completed by Mason City residents concluded that the residents enjoy water sports as a form of recreation. If that is so evident, why has the river not been used? The blame can not be soley be placed on the city park department. The city park department can only do as much as they observe. The real issue is not the residents use of the river, but their desire for a more pleasant smell and a more pleasant sight. If the city government cleans the river, it might take years for the smell to go away. If the budget is changed to accomodate the clean up of the Mason River, other problems will arise. The residents will then begin to complain about other issues in their city that will be ignored because of the great emphasis being placed on Mason River. If more money is taken out of the budget to clean the river an assumption can be made. This assumption is that the budget for another part of cit maintenance or building will be tapped into to. In addition, to the budget being used to clean up Mason River, it will also be allocated in increasing riverside recreational facilites. The government is trying to appease its residents, and one can warrant that the role of the government is to please the people. There are many assumptions being made; however, the government can not make the assumption that people want the river to be cleaned so that they can use it for recreational water activities. The government has to realize the long term effects that their decision will have on the monetary value of their budget. Reader Commentary for Essay Response — Score 3 Even though much of this essay is tangential, it offers some relevant examination of the argument’s assumptions. The early sentences mention a questionable assumption (that the survey results are reliable) but do not explain how the survey might have been flawed. Then the response drifts to irrelevant matters — a defense of the city park department, a prediction of budget problems and the problem of pleasing city residents. Some statements even introduce unwarranted assumptions that are not part of the original argument (e. g. ,The residents will then begin to complain about other issues and This assumption is that the budget for another part of city maintenance or building will be tapped into). Near the end, the response does correctly note that city government should not assume that residents want to use the river for recreation. Hence, the proposal to increase funding for riverside recreational facilities may not be justified. In summary, the language in this response is reasonably clear, but its examination of unstated assumptions remains limited and therefore earns a score of 3. Essay Response — Score 2. This statement looks like logical, but there are some wrong sentences in it which is not logical. First, this statement mentions raking water sports as their favorite recreational activities at the first sentence. However, it seems to have a ralation between the first sentence and the setence which mentions that increase the quality of the rivers water and the rivers smell. This is a wrong cause and result to solve the problem. Second, as a reponse to the complaints from residents, the state plan to clean up the river. As a result, the state expects that water sports will increase. When you look at two sentences, the result is not appropriate for the cause. Third, the last statement is the conclusion. However, even though residents rank water sports, the city government might devote the budget to another issue. This statement is also a wrong cause and result. In summary, the statement is not logical because there are some errors in it. The supporting setences are not strong enough to support this issue. Reader Commentary for Essay Response — Score 2 Although this essay appears to be carefully organized, it does not follow the directions for the assigned task. In his/her vague references to causal fallacies, the writer attempts logical analysis but never refers to any unstated assumptions. Furthermore, several errors in grammar and sentence structure interfere with meaning (e. g. , This statement looks like logical, but there are some wrong sentences in it which is not logical). Because this response does not follow the directions for the assigned task and contains errors in sentence structure and logical development, it earns a score of 2. Essay Response — Score 1 The statement assumes that everyone in Mason City enjoys some sort of recreational activity, which may not be necessarily true. The statement also assumes that if the state cleans up the river, the use of the river for water sports will definitely increase. Reader Commentary for Essay Response — Score 1 The brevity of this two-sentence response makes it fundamentally deficient. Sentence 1 states an assumption that is actually not present in the argument, and sentence 2 correctly states an assumption but provides no discussion of its implications. Although the response may begin to address the assigned task, it offers no development. As such, it is clearly extremely brief providing little evidence of an organized response and should earn a score of 1.

Rig Veda Study Questions Essay Example for Free

Rig Veda Study Questions Essay Study Questions As you read the mantras in the Chapters Creation and Agni, consider these questions. Write down your thoughts and bring your notes to class on Thursday. We will meet in small groups to compare notes and help each other work out the meaning of the verses. 1. What is your initial response to the Creation Hymn? What parts of it make sense to you? What parts of it do you find confusing? As you read, make notes of these parts. 2. What is your interpretation of the line, â€Å"There was neither existence nor non-existence then?† 3. What is the role of water in creation? 4. What does the Creation Hymn say about desire? What is the role of desire in creation? 5. The Creation Hymn ends with an open question about the role of an ultimate creator. What is this question? What is the significance of this question? 6. What is the Golden Embryo? What is its role in creation? 7. In Purusha, Hymn of Man, why do the gods dismember Purusha? What is Purusha? What is the meaning of the sacrifice? What is the result of it? 8. In The Birth Of The Gods, only two gods are actually mentioned by name. Who are they? How were they â€Å"born?† Agni: 1. Agni is the god of what? What is his role? What benefits does he bring his worshippers? (note: the verses are a bit obscure and riddle-like. You may need to do some internet searching for this.) 2. Agni and The Gods, (Page 99 verses five through nine) describe the meaning of which important Hindu Ceremony? What is happening during this ceremony? What is meant by the statement that whether the sacrifice is offered to this god or that god, the oblation is always to Agni? 3. In The Birth Of Agni, what does the first verse mean in which it is said that the mother concealed the birth from the father? 4. In The Child Of The Waters, (a pseudonym for Agni), the god born in the water manifests as a fire that â€Å"burns without fuel† and â€Å"shines forever with undarkened flames.† Yet in the final verses, women bring him butter (ghee) as his food, and offer him oblation. What is meant here by Agni being both inexhaustible and yet also in need of being brought food?

The Factors That Affect The Prescription Behavior

The Factors That Affect The Prescription Behavior The aim of the study is to investigate the factors that affect the prescription behavior of doctors. As generic medicines are taking the market share of big branded one, the latter is trying to review their strategies in order to get back their market share. Mauritians are price conscious nowadays, they will look for better prices for the purchase of their needs and wants and even doctors would prefer to prescribe cheaper medicines in order to attract more of their customers. But what innovator firms are trying to do, is to eliminate generic firms from the market by hook or by crook. So this study will be more focus on the possible alternative Marketing mix strategies that can be adopted by generic firms in Mauritius in order to survive in this fierce pharmaceutical market. The research objectives were to analyze the factors that influence prescription behavior of doctors and to identify if mobile marketing and digital platforms (social media) are means for staying in this competitio n. Conceptual frameworks will be used. Both exploratory and descriptive studies will be used. The population would be consisted of general practitioners and some pharmacists. The sampling method would be stratified sampling. Data analysis would be done using SPSS 20 statistical software. Descriptive statistics, cross-tabulation, hypothesis testing will be done. 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction of the study The pharmaceutical industry is an important sector in the worldwide economy. Indeed, it is considered as one of the most dynamic and fast growing industries. The pharmaceutical industry consists of numerous players, all of whom hold only a small market share of the industry. The 2009 global 500 lists 12 international pharmaceutical companies (table 1.1). The fortune global 500 report also shows that Milan is the highest profit achiever with 48.4 % profit change from 2009. Eli Lilly was ranked as the second highest with 17.1% followed by Johnson Johnson with 8.7% and Biogen Idec with 3.6% and so on. Consequently, big firms Pfizer and Merck had encountered a decreased in the percentage change from 2009. The Pharmaceutical industry is now facing a lot of serious challenges. Patents on major drugs continue to expire while companies struggle to produce innovative break through to offset the impact of generic substitutes. The regulative environment is becoming more intense as the food and drug administration (FDA) looks to impose more effective safety standards in approving new drugs. In addition, rising anger over the price of prescription drugs and calls for lower prices may lead to further reduction in revenue growth. These challenges facing the brand name pharmaceuticals are considered as promising opportunities to grow for another sector in the pharmaceutical industry, the generics. Patents expiration means the ability of generics to produce and sell more and more pharmaceutical products at lower prices. The increased focus on generic drugs as cost effective alternatives to the expensive brand name drugs along with the very high growth rates of generics have made the Federal Trade Commission in cooperation with the FDA to put new rules that ensure timely access of consumers to generic pharmaceutical products and to ensure that consumers are protected from potentially anti-competitive arrangements between brand name and generic drug makers. These rules are widely known as the Hatch Waxman act. Lately, in the pharmaceutical industry, there are many trends taking place. One of them is the generic drugs and the other being the globalization of generic medicine. Generic Medicines are taking the market share of branded medicines around the world, so big Pharmaceutical companies have turned to underhanded practices to get these cheaper drugs out of the market 1.2 Background of the study The Pharmaceutical industry plays an important role in the worlds economy, as well as in ensuring the welfare of its citizens. It is apart from other industries since it offers the world population cure and alleviation from disease and contributes to the economies of many nations. In Mauritius, the pharmaceutical industry consists of a public sector as well as a private sector. The Public sector comprises of hospitals, dispensaries, area heath sectors and medi-clinics. The latter is free of charge and accessible to the public. Moreover the medication is free of charge for the patients. Doctors working in the public sector do not have the right to do private practices expect specialist doctors who are authorized to do so after working hours (4 p.m). The public sectors buys all drugs through tenders and the doctors working there cannot prescribe drugs other than that available in the hospital. Hospitals usually look forward to have business with generic pharmaceutical companies because of cheaper quotations. On the contrary, in the private sector, the patients have to pay to consult a doctor, whether it is a specialist of a general practitioner. These doctors are free to prescribe drugs of their choice that the patient can buy in any drug house. Most Pharmaceuti cal companies focus their marketing mix on these doctors for prescription drugs and on pharmacies of OTC products so as to conquer the maximum market share as well to be more profitable. POM and OTC drugs are the two major types of pharmaceutical products. POMs are licensed medicines regulated by legislation, and requiring a prescription for purchase. On the other hand, OTC drugs are medicines directly sold to patients without any prescription from doctors. The study will be focused mainly on prescription drugs where the market involves a complex buying and decision making process. So, private doctors will be my main focus since they are the ones to prescribe drugs and followed by Pharmacists who are also responsible for the success of some generic pharmaceutical firms. Moreover, this study will mainly focused on the marketing mixed strategies used by Generic pharmaceutical firms and how they influence the prescription behavior of doctors in Mauritius. 1.3 Statement of problem Since Generic pharmaceutical market is getting bigger day by day, they will be more competitors in the pharmaceutical market. This in turn resulted in very tough competition both against brand name manufacturers and within the generic industry itself. Of course, this highly competitive environment relies mainly on price differences and will definitely lead to price wars among all Generic Pharmaceutical Companies. The problem is that for generics to rely on cost leadership and hence lower selling prices as a sole competitive strategy will lead definitely to industry exit by many companies due to low profitability. Moreover, physicians and pharmacists prefer to dispense generic medicines and this has a great negative impact on the innovators companies where their sales, profits and market share were affected. Consequently the innovator companies will decrease their expenditure, budget, reduce headcounts and spend a lot of money in implementing new strategies and conduct various promotional activities in order to keep their market share and maintain their profits. So, Generic Companies must find other competitive marketing mixed strategies to differentiate themselves if they are to survive in this highly competitive environment. 1.4 Significance of the study 1.4.1 Objectives To study some of the various marketing activities related to the pharmaceutical market in Mauritius and in particular Branding strategies Pricing strategies Promotion strategies (sponsorship, gifts etc) Analyze the appropriate marketing mix strategies for generic companies working in Mauritius. To study the cost leadership as a generic strategy and its effectiveness for generic companies working in Mauritius. From the doctors responses, identify if the use of mobile marketing and other social Medias (Facebook, msn, yahoo, Skypeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) will be a competitive advantage. From the doctors responses, formulate other generic strategies that can be adopted by generic Pharmaceutical companies working in Mauritius. 1.4.2 Research Questions To serve the purpose of this study we shall address the following research questions: What are the possible marketing mix tools that can be used by the Generic Pharmaceuticals? Is the cost leadership as a competitive strategy sufficient alone for generics to survive in this highly competitive industry in Mauritius? What other Marketing mix strategies that can be adopted by generic pharmaceuticals working in Mauritian Market? 1.5 Hypothesis (Assumptions) The following hypotheses based on the objectives of the study have been formulated: Hypothesis I Ho: Prescription behavior is not affected by distribution Characteristics HA: Prescription behavior of doctors is affected by characteristics Hypothesis II Ho: Prescription behavior of doctors is not affected by promotion HA: Prescription behavior of doctors is affected by promotion Hypothesis III Ho: Prescription behavior of doctors is not affected by medical representative skills and relationship characteristics. HA: Prescription behavior of doctors is affected by medical representative skills and relationship characteristics Hypothesis IV Ho: Prescription behavior of doctors is not affected by product characteristics HA: Prescription behavior of doctors is affected by product characteristics Hypothesis V Ho: Prescription behavior of doctors is not affected by drug cost HA: Prescription behavior of doctors is affected by drug cost. Hypothesis VI Ho: Prescription behavior of doctors is not affected by sampling HA: Prescription behavior of doctors is affected by sampling Hypothesis VII Ho: Prescription behavior of doctors is not affected by frequency of visit of medical representative HA: Prescription behavior of doctors is affected by frequency of visit of medical representative Hypothesis VIII Ho: It is not important to implement mobile marketing in the pharmaceutical marketing mix strategy HA: It is important to implement mobile marketing in the pharmaceutical marketing mix strategy. Hypothesis IX Ho: It is not important to implement social platform and other digital platforms in the marketing mix strategy. HA: It is important to implement social platform and other digital platforms in the marketing mix strategy. 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter presents theories pertaining to the stated research questions. The theories will cover the most important elements of the marketing mix and their implication on the generic pharmaceutical industry. This chapter will also discuss the different competitive strategies and the possibility to adopt them to the generic pharmaceutical industry. 2.1 Introduction The pharmaceutical industry is a large and important industry worldwide, where its practices have direct impact on the welfare of patients in specific and the society in general (Manchanda Honka, 2005). The pharmaceutical market is characterized by the phenomena of derived demand, where the end consumer of the product is not necessarily the decision maker in the purchase process. The process is controlled by the patientsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ physicians, where physicians act as gatekeepers or intermediaries who decide whether or not a purchase will be made and if so, which drug will be purchased through prescriptions (Zelnio, 1982). Thus, the pharmaceutical industry is characterized by multiplicity of market players including physicians, medical representatives, patients, insurance companies, government, health organizations etc. Moreover, the industry is highly regulated and monitored by various institutions including health organizations on a national and international level (Carter Chi tturi, 2009). There are two major types of pharmaceutical products, prescription only medicines (POM) and over-the-counter drugs (OTC). POMs are licensed medicine regulated by legislation, and requiring a prescription for purchase. On the contrary, OTC drugs are medicines directly sold to patients and not requiring a prescription from a healthcare professional, i.e. physician. This paper will solely study marketing techniques tailored for POMs. The researcher chose to study the POM market because it constitutes the main sector of the international pharmaceutical industry; and it is challenging for research because it involves a complex buying and decision making process where patients can only dispense POMs with a physiciansà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ prescription (British Medical Association, 2006). The pharmaceutical industry is characterized by multiplicity of market players including physicians, medical representatives, patients, insurance companies, government, health organizations etc. Since physicians are a key determinant for the prescription of POMs (Huh Langteau, 2007); hence the literature review will discuss all the marketing mix strategies used by pharmaceutical firms to influence the Doctors prescription behavior. 2.2 The followings are some of the findings done by researchers on the traditional marketing mix strategies used by pharmaceutical firms: Irin P. et al (2009) emphasized the need for continuous marketing research .There is a real need of continuous pharmaceutical analysis, because it is essential for success to understand the uniqueness of the pharmaceutical industry benefiting of the complex and iterative process that carefully builds a pharmaceutical data warehouse, this being considered a necessity to the strategic direction of any pharmaceutical company facing increased competition and external pressure. The study done by Morgan M.A. et al (2006) shows that Acceptance of drug samples was judged to be ethical by almost all respondents and acceptance of a lucrative consultant ship by just over a half. Respondent s seem to believe that the average doctor is more likely to accept most items and is more likely to be influenced in his or her prescribing practices by accepting an item than they are. A useful study by Gonul et al. (2001) explored the impact of visits by sales representatives and samples, on prescribing. However, the study also showed that excessive detailing or samples did not increase sales further, and that doctors who saw a high proportion of Medicare or Health Maintenance Organization patients were less influenced by promotion. Garima Malik (2011) Said in their study of sales promotion of Dabur India Limited in Indian rural market that the success of business in India will be decided in the future by its success in the heart of India that is the rural market. Harris G., (2009) said that Overall, there is clearly a substantial, though variable, effect from one-to-one drug information delivery. This study adds to our knowledge of the subject and reminds us that there is no such thing as a free lunch; these visits really do result in increased sales. Dr Rajan T. D. believes that the regular visit by a medical representative as per him, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Name is not all what it takes to get into the mind space of a busy doctor. Every product, old or new, requires extensive marketing. Any busy consultant will vouch that if a particular companys medical representative (MR) fails to show up for over a month, he suspects the availability of the products of that manufacturer. Charlene Prounis (2003) has excellently expressed that the relationship between pharma field force and doctors is very important and crucial part Major changes are in the works for sales force and pharma company relations with doctors. If companies fail to address sales repsnegative image, physicians-and possibly governments-are likely to further restrict, or even terminate, the doctor- rep relationship. But companies can take steps to strengthen that bond. Doctors may be unhappy about pharmas huge field force, but they understand that reps have a job to do. Better pharma marketing will make doctors and reps happier. And both sides will benefit. As per Jayakumar, (2008) usual marketing practices followed by most of the large and mid-sized companies include valuable gifts, arranging foreign trips with family and complimentary tickets and memberships for social activities to doctors. Verma (2004) has highlighted one of the important points of give and take relationship as per study, Social scientists describe and the pharmaceutical industry follows the, norm of reciprocity i.e., the obligation to help those who have helped you, as one of the fundamental guiding principle of human interactions. It is not surprising, therefore, that pharmaceutical companies rely on this principle of human nature by giving gifts to doctors in hope that they will prescribe their firms product in return. 2.3 Digital Plateform Pharmaceutical companies need to employ a multichannel approach to fulfill their Physician marketing objective in 2012. Digital in this scenario is becoming the big trend with innovative and integrated solutions. The vast majority of physicians today are digitally active, accessing multiple devices and networks as part of their day-to-day activities. Physicians are increasingly interested in video and social media for personal and professional usage. According to Manhattan Research, 81% of Physicians are expected to own a smart phone by 2012, 79% of Physicians have watched Video clips online and 72% of the Physicians engage in social media, either for personal purposes, professional or both.(UBM Medica-HCPs and social media) (Source: Manhattan Research, 2012) 3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This section describes the methodology that will be followed to address the hypotheses or research questions. It includes the research design, sampling method, data collection procedures, research instrumentation and related data analysis 3.1 Research Design Research design provides the basic direction for carrying out a research project so as to obtain answers to research questions. A descriptive research design will be adopted for this study as it involves a collection of quantitative information by conducting a survey. The descriptive research design will thus make predictions and analyse the behaviour of Mauritian consumers with respect to the survey. 3.2 Population and Sample 3.2.1 Target population A research population is a well-defined collection of individuals or objects known to have similar characteristics. All individuals or objects within a certain population usually have a common, binding characteristic or trait. (http://www.experiment-resources.com/research-population.html) The target population for the study will include a representative sample of the Mauritian population. This sample will include Mauritian consumers within different age groups, different locality and different professional backgrounds. 3.2.2 Sampling Method A sample is simply a subset of the population. The concept of sample arises from the inability of the researchers to test all the individuals in a given population. The sample must be representative of the population from which it was drawn and it must have good size to warrant statistical analysis. (http://www.experiment-resources.com/research-population.html) Thus, it is of great importance of ensuring that the appropriate sampling techniques and to design the sampling method to minimize any error or response bias. The appropriate sampling technique that will be adopted for this study will be a quota sampling so as to be able to achieve surveys with consumers of different age groups, different regions and professional backgrounds. 3.2.3 Sample Size To determine the sample size we will need to calculate the necessary sample size for a different combination of levels of precision, confidence level (95%), and variability. The confidence level tells you how sure you can be. It is expressed as a percentage and represents how often the true percentage of the population who would pick an answer lies within the confidence interval. The level of precision also known as the sampling error is the range in which the true value of the population is estimated to be. The 95% confidence level means you can be 95% certain. This range is often expressed in percentage points, (e.g.,  ±5 percent). A proportion of 0.5 indicates the maximum variability in a population. Slovins formula is used to calculate the sample size (n) given the population size (N) and a margin of error (e).Therefore the Solvins formula, as described below, will be used to calculate the sample size at 5% level of precision. n = N / (1 + Ne^2) Hence the sample size for this study will be 200. 3.3 The research Instrument The research instrument for this research study will consist of a structured questionnaire so as to prompt relevant information from the respondents, which will constitute primary and secondary sources of data. Through the means of structured questionnaires, responses can be gathered in a standardized way and furthermore it is quicker to collect information using a questionnaire; potentially useful information can be collected from a large portion of a group. Its cost-effective, easy to analyse, reduces bias and is less intrusive than other survey methods. People participating in surveys can complete them whenever they want. Theyre also more likely to respond honestly to questions if they know their answers are anonymous. An open-ended question will encourage the respondents to give a full, meaningful answer while using his knowledge and/or feelings. Whereas, a closed-ended question provides the respondents with a list of answer choices from which they must choice to answer the question. For this particular study, the questionnaire will include both open ended and closed ended questions. The close ended will comprise of dichotomous, multiple choice response, as well as likert scaled information and ratings. The questionnaire will consist of four main sections where: Section A will illustrate the about the factors affecting the Prescription behaviour. (Promotional sources, relationship, price, product characteristics and distribution channels) Section B will illustrate the traditional detailing, skill of detailing of medical representative and the promotional incentives offered by pharmaceutical firm Section C will be focused only if whether or not doctors use digital platforms for medical research. (I-pad, smart phone and social media) Section D will be mainly on Demographic characteristics of the respondents. 3.4 Data Collection Method The choice of data collection mode influences the extent to which the data are affected by each type of non-sampling error and is influenced by the data collection strategy, the type of variables involved, the accuracy required and the data collection points. (http://eprints.ncrm.ac.uk/418/1/MethodsReviewPaperNCRM-008.pdf) Therefore, a survey method will be adopted for the data collection as this particular research will involve a quantitative phase which will involve the use of a structured questionnaire. Coverage error (also known as sampling frame bias) occurs when not all members of a target population have an equal chance of being selected in the survey sample. This type of error tends to be lower for survey methods that are able to make use of more comprehensive lists for sampling purposes. Data will be collected by scheduling meetings with the different targeted persons identified for the quota based sampling where the questionnaires will be either distributed to the targeted respondents, to be ultimately collected a few days later or will be filled on the spot by the respondents with the help of the interviewer. 3.5 Validity and Reliability Validity is the extent to which a test measures what it claims to measure. It is vital for a test to be valid in order for the results to be accurately applied and interpreted, whereas Reliability has to do with the quality of measurement. In its everyday sense, reliability is the consistency or repeatability of your measures. Validity and Reality will be taken into serious consideration for this study 3.5.1 Pre Testing For a pilot test for many surveys is done for the purpose of testing the full implementation procedures. Pilot tests are usually conducted well in advance of when the survey will be fielded so as to identify and eliminate problems prior to the field phase. 10% of the sample size will be used for pilot testing prior to the data collection phase. The pilot testing will be used for pilot testing prior to the data collection phase. The pilot test will be used to check questions relevancy, by that respondent understands all questions and its rationale behind. 3.5.2 Reliability of data Reliability of data is used to check for internal consistency of data which is measured using coefficient alpha. A reliability coefficient of .70 or higher is considered acceptable for research study. Therefore, for the purpose of this study a Cronbachs alpha of 0.7 or higher will be considered acceptable, and that below 0.75 was regarded as multidimensional. The standardized Cronbachs alpha is as follows: 3.6 Data analysis and interpretation The data file will then be organized and analysed employing the SPSS software version 16.0. Both descriptive and inferential statistics will be used for analysis where descriptive statistics will include frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation. Inferential statistics will include regression analysis, correlation, chi square, T-test, ANOVA. Significant tests will be conducted at 5% level using p-value as indicator for both significance and hypothesis testing where; Indicator for significance: P-value less than 0.05 = statistical significance P-value greater than 0.05 = no significance Indicators to be used for hypothesis testing: P-value less or equal to 0.05 = reject Null hypothesis (H0) P-value greater than 0.05 = do not reject Null hypothesis (H0) 4.0 EXPECTED OUTPUTS The following results might be expected: Personal selling through medical representative visits and detailing as a powerful tool do influence doctors prescription behaviour. Factors like packaging, availability, stock and expiry date of products also influence doctors dispensing behaviour. Product characteristics (efficacy, side effect, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) do influence the prescription behaviour of doctors. The frequencies of visit of medical representatives do influence the doctors prescription behaviour. Sampling has a great impact on doctors prescription behaviour Tools like clinical trials and studies regarding a certain medicine do have a great impact on doctors; prescription behaviour. Doctors are interested in the publication of generic medicines in medical journals. Building close relations with doctors through public relations activities like table meetings, seminars and presentations are considered as an effective promotional activity. The use of ipad for detailing is an innovative tool to grab doctors attention and is much appreciated by doctors. Doctors prefer to dispense cheaper medicines to Mauritians. Nowadays, Most of the doctors are using smart phones and ipad for medical updates. Many doctors use social media for queries and update about medicines. 5.0 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS In order to protect confidentiality, the data collected will not be revealed to others expect in the form of processed data/information without detailing the identity of the individual responses. Relevant permission will be sought from the concerned authorities prior to administering the questionnaires. 6.0 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY The limitation of the study is that not all the targeted doctors will respond due to time constraints. However, the data collected from respondents will be analysed and interpreted within the limited framework allowed. 7.0 CONCLUSION This study will try to identify the key factors of the marketing mix that really has a great impact on doctors prescription behaviour. It will also help generic companies to identify the main influencing factors which might make them be competitive. Personal questions concerning the type of mobile phone used and for which purpose, will try to find out if mobile marketing could be implemented as an important tool for the marketing mix strategies.

brave new world :: essays research papers

In Brave New World, by Alduous Huxley, a new and controversial society is presented to its audience. A world of artificial intelligence where humans are cultivated in test tubes and social class is predetermined by the chemical mix they receive in vitro leads John Savage into corruption. He is torn between a world in which people’s fates were placed upon themselves and a world in which Alphas and Betas ruled a society with n identity. Thomas Mavin gives thorough insight into the classification of the two societies and favors the world of Malpais, a society that allows people to have control over their lives and experience true feelings instead of fake happiness. Between these two worlds with different positions on free will, the only way for people to live a truly meaningful life would be to live in Malpais.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Brave New World, Huxley created a society in which people acted upon the cast they were born in. There was no such thing as free will and happiness could be purchased in a pill, soma. In fact, Arthur Cross wrote in A Shorter History of England and Greater Britain that â€Å"In Brave New World, there’s pleasure as a substitute for freedom.† In this world, people would rather become blind to the truth of life by forcing themselves into a â€Å"high† instead of dealing with the facts of life. With this pill, people are able to take themselves away from stressful, depressing, or uncomfortable moments of life. They become oblivious to true life. In fact, to many of they characters who constantly use the pill, their lives become dreams because often they are not truly living in it. Cross also points out that the Brave New World was more stable and well maintained because of conformity and single points of views. In the society today, there is the constant threat of wars and altercations with different people or countries. With a uniform society, comes uniform ideas and peace. With this in mind, countries save millions of dollars because there is no need for weapons of mass destruction. This new society becomes thoroughly efficient. There is only one leader, the World Leader, and the people live under his iron- clad fist. With the Democratic Party and Republican Party in today’s society comes constant conflict and there is always one side that will be unpleased with certain decisions and laws.

Philosophy of Education :: Philosophy of Teaching Statement

Philosophy of Education â€Å"Be all that you can be. Find your future- as a teacher.† No, joining the army is not what Madeline Fuchs Holzer had in mind when she said this quote. Being all you can be in life requires dedication, responsibility and a desire to do what you love. Teaching is a profession that requires 110% from a person. I have the drive and ability to be the best that I can be as a teacher. There is not anything else I would want to do with my life besides teaching. I want to be a reflection to my students that they can be all that they can be. Another quote by Henry Adams, â€Å"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.† To be that type of teacher has been a lifelong goal for me. I want to make my mark in the world and this is my way of doing it. To have the ability to affect a child’s life for an eternity is something that not everyone can say they have accomplished. Teaching definitely is a profession that will affect eternit y. The main reasons for wanting to become a teacher would be my love for children, my family inspirations; God’s calling for me, and my love for learning. All my life I have enjoyed being around children. They have great spirits about them that makes me feel free spirited. Their innocence, undying energy and their love for life makes me take these characteristics and apply them to my own life. Another motivation for me is the inspirations of my grandfather and my father. My grandfather died when I was very young and the one thing everyone has always said about him is his love of flying and teaching. His life was spent on teaching others and when he passed away he was remembered as being a great teacher devoting himself entirely to his family and his students. My father spent the first thirty years of his life going form job to job since he had not finished his schooling younger in life. At middle age he decided to go back to college and earned his degree in education. He felt that becoming a teacher he would be a testimony to children to continue their education to better their future.

In Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte created a novel of social protest. :: Free Essay Writer

In Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte created a novel of social protest. Discuss why and how she did this. Step one -------- Social protest is †¦ Mainly Charlotte Bronte was protesting against the position of middle class women, social inequality between the rich and the poor and marrying above or below your status. These issues were very important in the Victorian times. Step Two -------- Charlotte Bronte was very critical of the Victorian society. To her every thing was not right (fair). The book ‘Jane Eyre’ is based on a true-life story. It is like a reflection of Charlotte Bronte’s life and the way she was treated. In the book, Jane Eyre is treated very badly because she is an orphan which means she has no money or savings. Jane Eyre lives with her aunt but because Jane Eyre is poor she is treated differently from her cousins. Her aunt feels that she or her children, who are wealthy, can’t be around Jane Eyre because she is a poor child. This is like the life Charlotte Bronte was living. Charlotte Bronte was born 1816 on April the 21st in Thornton, Yorkshire, England. Her father was Patrick Bronte (1777-1861), an Anglican clergyman. Irish-born, he had changed his name from the more commonplace Brunty. Charlotte Bronte’s mother was Maria Branwell Bronte; altogether she had six children including charlotte. Mrs. Bronte was awarded a rectorship in Yorkshire 1820. Soon after, Mrs. Bronte and the two eldest children (Maria and Elizabeth) died, leaving the father to care for the remaining three girls, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne. Also a boy, Patrick Branwell. An aunt, Elizabeth Branwell, aided their upbringing. She left her native Cornwall and took up residence with the family at Haworth. In 1824 Charlotte and Emily, together with their elder sisters attended Clergy Daughters' School at Cowan Bridge, near Kirkby Lonsdale, Lancashire. The fees were low, the food unattractive, and the discipline harsh. They did not like it one bit. Charlotte always complained and made a fuss. Charlotte and Emily returned home in June 1825, and for more than five years the Bronte children learned and played there, writing and telling romantic tales for one another and inventing imaginative games played out at home or on the desolate moors. In 1831 Charlotte was sent to Miss Wooler's school at Roe Head, near Huddersfield, where she stayed a year and made some lasting friendships. In 1839 Charlotte declined a proposal from the Rev. Henry Nussey, her friend's brother, and some months later one from another young clergyman. At the same time Charlotte's ambition to make the practical best of her talents and the need to pay Branwell's debts urged her to spend some months as governess with the Whites at Upper wood House,

Cu1520: Promote Child and Young Person Development.

CU1520: PROMOTE CHILD AND YOUNG PERSON DEVELOPMENT. 1. 1 Explain the factors that need to be taken into account when assessing development. When assessing a child you must be careful to take into account confidentiality before carrying out an observation you must have parents and the settings permission and not to leave confidential material lying around they must be secured in a locked cabinet. Only talk to authorized personal about confidential material. This confidentially can only be broken when a child is at real risk.When carrying out observations you must take account of the child’s wishes and feelings if a child is upset or wants you to stop then you must stop. Ethnic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds when we asses a child we must take account of their ethnic, cultural and linguistic back ground as these can play important roles in how the children acts and the understanding of the words being used. Disability or specific requirements need to be taken in account whe n carrying out any assessment /observation or a child can be underestimated and the observation will be unreliable. Also read: Pros and Cons of Having Children While YoungReliability of information no one can get an accurate picture of development if the information is not accurate this can harm the child’s development and the underestimating of their potential. With observation we must understand the limitations of each type of observation method. Avoiding bias when observing children we must remain completely objective also having 2 people observing the child at the same time can produce a more accurate account. 1. 3 Explain the selection of the assessment methods used. There are various methods used to assess a child’s development. Free description- this is to record the behaviour of a child over a very short period of time. The observer notes down what he or she is seeing. This is a good method for looking at several areas of development. Advantage: observer can be unobtrusive and record children without them being aware. It’s a flexible method allowing the observer to car ry out frequent observation. Dis advantage: observer can show bias and find it hard to record every thing a child says or do * Checklists and tick charts-Here specific activities are looked for either during a structured assessment or by observing children over a period of time.Advantage: observer is focused on developmental skills to be observed and so less biased. Disadvantage: observer may not record child’s attitude or how they socialise. The observer might alter the child’s performance once they know they are being observed. * Time sample- this method is used to look at children’s activity over a predetermined length of time. Advantage: the observer can see what a child is doing over a period of time and pick up on many different areas of development, attitudes, friendship and confidence.Disadvantage: interesting behaviours might fall of the sample time and open method of recording may allow for observer bias. * Event sample- this looks at the frequency at which an aspect of development or behaviour is performed. It is recorded in a prepared sheet. For example how often the child talks with adults or other children. Advantages: the observer focuses on one thing. Disadvantage: it does not explain why the child shows the type of behaviour. * Target child- this is used to record one child’s activity over a long period without any gap in the recording process.It gives information about several areas of development. Advantage: observer gains overall picture of what the child is doing. Disadvantage: The observer may not choose the period of time the child is showing their usual behaviour. * Standardised tests-used on older children to consider their skills in literacy, maths and over all cognitive development. Advantage: The observer bias is less. Disadvantage: children know they are being tested hence they do not show usual behaviour. They would have rehearsed and may show better performance. Filming- this provides you information a bout several areas of development. And you are able to watch it over again to see if you missed anything unlike the paperwork. More information is gained. Disadvantage: observer chooses what to record and the child is aware he is being recorded and this may change their usual behaviour. * Information from parents and colleagues- parents and colleagues see children in different situations and so may have a different view of the child’s development. However they may show observer bias. CU1520 PROMOTE CHILD AND YOUNG PERSON DEVELOPMENT 2. 3Explain the importance of a person centred and inclusive approach and give example of how this is implemented in own work. Any plan that involves supporting an individual should be focused on their needs and interest and wherever possible the children should be involved in the planning process. A child centred planning takes into consideration what is best for the child as well as how it might engage and involve the child. It is also important in planning that a child is not segregated from others but consider ways in which other children can become involved in the activity too.CU1520 PROMOTE CHILD AND YOUNG PERSON DEVELOPMENT 3. 1 Explain the features of an environment or service that promotes the development of children and young people. The physical and emotional environment that we create for children has a huge impact on their development. Features to consider while planning the environment includes the following. * Stimulating and attractive: the environment for the children must be interesting and visually attractive. * Well planned and organised: Working with children requires great organisational abilities because every child will have their needs, interest and personality.To accommodate this early years setting have to plan effectively and everyone within the setting needs to be organised. * Personalised and inclusive: it is required that early years settings to personalise the activities and play opportunities for children in ways that are inclusive. * Regulatory requirement met: all settings must meet the requirement of legislation. This will include compliance with the statutory framework of EYFS, health and safety legislation and also other legislation involving the safeguarding of children and their right. Varied environment: the setting should be varied in the provision to as to maintain the children’s interest. * High quality policies in place and followed: the need for policies and procedures follows on from the need of settings to follow legislative requirements. Policies must be reviewed, updated and evaluated to check for effectiveness. 4. 1 Explain how own working practice can affect children and young people’s development. * The adults in my own setting are aware of the development needs of the child. Activities are specifically planned to support every child’s development. * There is always a balance of activity to engage children’s interest. * Th ere is a balance between child initiated and adult initiated activities. * The balance of activity covers each of the aspects of learning in the curriculum and also builds on each of the developmental areas. * It is ensured that the adults have sufficient time to work with individual or small groups of children * All the children were engaged or participated during part or all of the sessions. 4. 2Explain how institutions, agencies and services can affect children and young people’s development. Children in their early years may have a range of needs and the way that practitioners work together can have a positive impact on their health, development and learning. Once parents/carers involved with the child have identified that a child needs additional support, a multi agency approach may be used. The parents visit the GP who makes the appropriate referral. Once they have ruled out the hearing or visual impairments, the GP may refer directly to the speech and language service. Once it is established what type of support a child requires, a collaborative approach is required in order that all professional, the parent and the setting work together. CU1520 PROMOTE CHILD AND YOUNG PERSON DEVELOPMENT 5. 2 Evaluate different approaches to supporting positive behaviour There are many different strategies and approaches when it comes to supporting children’s behaviour. Below is some of positive behaviour support. * Least restrictive principle * Reinforcing positive behaviour. This is about sending signals and rewards to children and young people so that they become inclined to repeat behaviours that are appropriate. Modelling. Children learn some of their behaviours from others especially those around them. * Positive culture. Expectations adults have about children and their attitude towards them will influence their behaviour. * Looking for reasons for inappropriate behaviour and adapting responses. Understanding the needs of children and thinking about what might be influencing their behaviour is the heart of helping to promote positive behaviour. * Speech, language and communication difficulties. Children’s behaviour is linked to their language acquisition.Children who have difficulties expressing their needs or who are not using a language fluently often find it harder to manage their behaviour. * Individual behaviour planning, when a child is showing inappropriate behaviour a plan to manage it is drawn up. * Phased stages * Planning interventions to reduce inappropriate behaviour * Deescalate and diversion * Containment. This is about preventing children from getting themselves further in trouble. * Following management plans. Here every staff would follow the settings behaviour policy. Boundary setting and negotiation. Here the young children must know the boundary in the setting and what is expected of them. * Supporting children and young people’s reflection on and management of own behaviour 6. 1 Explain how t o support children and young people experiencing different types of transitions. Different types of transitions e. g. : * emotional, affected by personal experience e. g. bereavement, entering/ leaving care * physical e. g. moving to a new educational establishment, a new home/locality, from one activity to another * physiological e. . puberty, long term medical conditions * intellectual e. g. moving from pre school to primary to post primary When child go though transitions they need people they have built up positive relationships with to help support them through the changes in their lives. We use circle time to explain to the children what is going to happen and they can talk about their feelings children will make a better transition if they know what is going on. We take are cues from the children on how much information is given and how much an explanation is required.We allow time for the information to be processed some children might have delayed reaction and might want to talk later at a more quieter time. We are always to be truthful in all our answers so we keep their trust. We listen and acknowledge how the children are feeling and we reassure the children that what they are feeling is normal and other children have been through this. The children can express their anxieties and we can help reassure them. This covers emotional transitions like bereavement, physical moving homes or locality, physiological puberty, intellectual when moving up from pre school to school.

Chapter 19 The Servant of Lord Voldemort

Hermione screamed. Black leapt to his feet. Harry felt as though he'd received a huge electric shock. â€Å"I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow,† said Snape, throwing the cloak aside, careful to keep this wand pointing directly at Lupin's chest. â€Å"Very useful, Potter, I thank you†¦.† Snape was slightly breathless, but his face was full of suppressed triumph. â€Å"You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here?† he said, his eyes glittering. â€Å"I've just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your potion tonight, so I took a gobletful along. And very lucky I did†¦lucky for me, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map. One glance at it told me all I needed to know. I saw you running along this passageway and out of sight.† â€Å"Severus –† Lupin began, but Snape overrode him. â€Å"I've told the headmaster again and again that you're helping your old friend Black into the castle, Lupin, and here's the proof. Not even I dreamed you would have the nerve to use this old place as your hideout –â€Å" â€Å"Severus, you're making a mistake,† said Lupin urgently. â€Å"You haven't heard everything — I can explain — Sirius is not here to kill Harry –â€Å" â€Å"Two more for Azkaban tonight,† said Snape, his eyes now gleaming fanatically. â€Å"I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this†¦He was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin†¦a tame werewolf –â€Å" â€Å"You fool,† said Lupin softly. â€Å"Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?† BANG! Thin, snakelike cords burst from the end of Snape's wand and twisted themselves around Lupin's mouth, wrists, and ankles; he overbalanced and fell to the floor, unable to move. With a roar of rage, Black started toward Snape, but Snape pointed his wand straight between Black's eyes. â€Å"Give me a reason,† he whispered. â€Å"Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will.† Black stopped dead. It would have been impossible to say which face showed more hatred. Harry stood there, paralyzed, not knowing what to do or whom to believe. He glanced around at Ron and Hermione. Ron looked just as confused as he did, still fighting to keep hold on the struggling Scabbers. Hermione, however, took an uncertain step toward Snape and said, in a very breathless voice, â€Å"Professor Snape — it wouldn't hurt to hear what they've got to say, w-would it?† â€Å"Miss Granger, you are already facing suspension from this school,† Snape spat. â€Å"You, Potter, and Weasley are out-of-bounds, in the company of a convicted murderer and a werewolf. For once in your life, hold your tongue.† â€Å"But if — if there was a mistake –â€Å" â€Å"KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!† Snape shouted, looking suddenly quite deranged. â€Å"DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!† A few sparks shot out of the end of his wand, which was still pointed at Black's face. Hermione fell silent. â€Å"Vengeance is very sweet,† Snape breathed at Black. â€Å"How I hoped I would be the one to catch you†¦.† â€Å"The joke's on you again, Severus,† Black snarled. â€Å"As long as this boy brings his rat up to the castle† — he jerked his head at Ron — â€Å"I'll come quietly†¦.† â€Å"Up to the castle?† said Snape silkily. â€Å"I don't think we need to go that far. All I have to do is call the Dementors once we get out of the Willow. They'll be very pleased to see you, Black†¦pleased enough to give you a little kiss, I daresay†¦I –â€Å" What little color there was in Black's face left it. â€Å"You -you've got to hear me out,† he croaked. â€Å"The rat — look at the rat –â€Å" But there was a mad glint in Snape's eyes that Harry had never seen before. He seemed beyond reason. â€Å"Come on, all of you,† he said. He clicked his fingers, and the ends of the cords that bound Lupin flew to his hands. â€Å"I'll drag the werewolf. Perhaps the Dementors will have a kiss for him too –â€Å" Before he knew what he was doing, Harry had crossed the room in three strides and blocked the door. â€Å"Get out of the way, Potter, you're in enough trouble already,† snarled Snape. â€Å"If I hadn't been here to save your skin –â€Å" â€Å"Professor Lupin could have killed me about a hundred times this year,† Harry said. â€Å"I've been alone with him loads of times, having defense lessons against the Dementors. If he was helping Black, why didn't he just finish me off then?† â€Å"Don't ask me to fathom the way a werewolf's mind works,† hissed Snape. â€Å"Get out of the way, Potter.† â€Å"YOU'RE PATHETIC!† Harry yelled. â€Å"JUST BECAUSE THEY MADE A FOOL OF YOU AT SCHOOL YOU WON'T EVEN LISTEN –â€Å" â€Å"SILENCE! I WILL NOT BE SPOKEN TO LIKE THAT!† Snape shrieked, looking madder than ever. â€Å"Like father, like son, Potter! I have just saved your neck; you should be thanking me on bended knee! You would have been well served if he'd killed you! You'd have died like your father, too arrogant to believe you might be mistaken in Black — now get out of the way, or I will make you. GET OUT OF THE WAY, POTTER!† Harry made up his mind in a split second. Before Snape could take even one step toward him, he had raised his wand. â€Å"Expelliarmus!† he yelled — except that his wasn't the only voice that shouted. There was a blast that made the door rattle on its hinges; Snape was lifted off his feet and slammed into the wall, then slid down it to the floor, a trickle of blood oozing from under his hair. He had been knocked out. Harry looked around. Both Ron and Hermione had tried to disarm Snape at exactly the same moment. Snape's wand soared in a high arc and landed on the bed next to Crookshanks. â€Å"You shouldn't have done that,† said Black, looking at Harry. â€Å"You should have left him to me†¦.† Harry avoided Black's eyes. He wasn't sure, even now, that he'd done the right thing. â€Å"We attacked a teacher†¦We attacked a teacher†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Hermione whimpered, staring at the lifeless Snape with frightened eyes. â€Å"Oh, we're going to be in so much trouble –â€Å" Lupin was struggling against his bonds. Black bent down quickly and untied him. Lupin straightened up, rubbing his arms where the ropes had cut into them. â€Å"Thank you, Harry,† he said. â€Å"I'm still not saying I believe you,† he told Lupin. â€Å"Then it's time we offered you some proof,† said Lupin. â€Å"You, boy — give me Peter, please. Now.† Ron clutched Scabbers closer to his chest. â€Å"Come off it,† he said weakly. â€Å"Are you trying to say he broke out of Azkaban just to get his hands on Scabbers? I mean†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He looked up at Harry and Hermione for support, â€Å"Okay, say Pettigrew could turn into a rat — there are millions of rats — how's he supposed to know which one he is after if he was locked up in Azkaban?† â€Å"You know, Sirius, that's a fair question,† said Lupin, turning to Black and frowning slightly. â€Å"How did you find out where he was?† Black put one of his claw-like hands inside his robes and took out a crumpled piece of paper, which he smoothed flat and held out to show the others. It was the photograph of Ron and his family that had appeared in the Daily Prophet the previous summer, and there, on Ron's shoulder, was Scabbers. â€Å"How did you get this?† Lupin asked Black, thunderstruck. â€Å"Fudge,† said Black. â€Å"When he came to inspect Azkaban last year, he gave me his paper. And there was Peter, on the front page on this boy's shoulder†¦I knew him at once†¦how many times had I seen him transform? And the caption said the boy would be going back to Hogwarts†¦to where Harry was†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"My God,† said Lupin softly, staring from Scabbers to the picture in the paper and back again. â€Å"His front paw†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What about it?† said Ron defiantly. â€Å"He's got a toe missing,† said Black. â€Å"Of course,† Lupin breathed. â€Å"So simple†¦so brilliant†¦he cut it off himself?† â€Å"Just before he transformed,† said Black. â€Å"When I cornered him, he yelled for the whole street to hear that I'd betrayed Lily and James. Then, before I could curse him, he blew apart the street with the wand behind his back, killed everyone within twenty feet of himself — and sped down into the sewer with the other rats†¦.† â€Å"Didn't you ever hear, Ron?† said Lupin. â€Å"The biggest bit of Peter they found was his finger.† â€Å"Look, Scabbers probably had a fight with another rat or something! He's been in my family for ages, right –â€Å" â€Å"Twelve years, in fact,† said Lupin. â€Å"Didn't you ever wonder why he was living so long?† â€Å"We — we've been taking good care of him!† said Ron. â€Å"Not looking too good at the moment, though, is he?† said Lupin. â€Å"I'd guess he's been losing weight ever since he heard Sirius was on the loose again†¦.† â€Å"He's been scared of that mad cat!† said Ron, nodding toward Crookshanks, who was still purring on the bed. But that wasn't right, Harry thought suddenly†¦Scabbers had been looking ill before he met Crookshanks†¦ ever since Ron's return from Egypt†¦since the time when Black had escaped†¦. â€Å"This cat isn't mad,† said Black hoarsely. He reached out a bony hand and stroked Crookshanks's fluffy head. â€Å"He's the most intelligent of his kind I've ever met. He recognized Peter for what he was right away. And when he met me, he knew I was no dog. It was a while before he trusted me†¦Finally, I managed to communicate to him what I was after, and he's been helping me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What do you mean?† breathed Hermione. â€Å"He tried to bring Peter to me, but couldn't†¦so he stole the passwords into Gryffindor Tower for me†¦As I understand it, he took them from a boy's bedside table†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harry's brain seemed to be sagging under the weight of what he was hearing. It was absurd†¦and yet†¦ â€Å"But Peter got wind of what was going on and ran for it.† croaked Black. â€Å"This cat — Crookshanks, did you call him? — told me Peter had left blood on the sheets†¦I supposed he bit himself†¦Well, faking his own death had worked once.† These words jolted Harry to his senses. â€Å"And why did he fake his death?† he said furiously. â€Å"Because he knew you were about to kill him like you killed my parents!† â€Å"No,† said Lupin, â€Å"Harry–â€Å" â€Å"And now you've come to finish him off!† â€Å"Yes, I have,† said Black, with an evil look at Scabbers. â€Å"Then I should've let Snape take you!† Harry shouted. â€Å"Harry,† said Lupin hurriedly, â€Å"don't you see? All this time we've thought Sirius betrayed your parents, and Peter tracked him down — but it was the other way around, don't you see? Peter betrayed your mother and father — Sirius tracked Peter down –â€Å" â€Å"THAT'S NOT TRUE!† Harry yelled. â€Å"HE WAS THEIR SECRET-KEEPER! HE SAID SO BEFORE YOU TURNED UP. HE SAID HE KILLED THEM!† He was pointing at Black, who shook his head slowly; the sunken eyes were suddenly over bright. â€Å"Harry†¦I as good as killed them,† he croaked. â€Å"I persuaded Lily and James to change to Peter at the last moment, persuaded them to use him as Secret-Keeper instead of me†¦I'm to blame, I know it†¦The night they died, I'd arranged to check on Peter, make sure he was still safe, but when I arrived at his hiding place, he'd gone. Yet there was no sign of a struggle. It didn't feel right. I was scared. I set out for your parents' house straight away. And when I saw their house, destroyed, and their bodies†¦I realized what Peter must've done†¦what I'd done†¦.† His voice broke. He turned away. â€Å"Enough of this,† said Lupin, and there was a steely note in his voice Harry had never heard before. â€Å"There's one certain way to prove what really happened. Ron, give me that rat.† â€Å"What are you going to do with him if I give him to you?† Ron asked Lupin tensely. â€Å"Force him to show himself,† said Lupin. â€Å"If he really is a rat, it won't hurt him.† Ron hesitated. Then at long last, he held out Scabbers and Lupin took him. Scabbers began to squeak without stopping, twisting and turning, his tiny black eyes bulging in his head. â€Å"Ready, Sirius?† said Lupin. Black had already retrieved Snape's wand from the bed. He approached Lupin and the struggling rat, and his wet eyes suddenly seemed to be burning in his face. â€Å"Together?† he said quietly. â€Å"I think so†, said Lupin, holding Scabbers tightly in one hand and his wand in the other. â€Å"On the count of three. One — two — THREE!† A flash of blue-white light erupted from both wands; for a moment, Scabbers was frozen in midair, his small gray form twisting madly — Ron yelled — the rat fell and hit the floor. There was another blinding flash of light and then — It was like watching a speeded-up film of a growing tree. A head was shooting upward from the ground; limbs were sprouting; a moment later, a man was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wringing his hands. Crookshanks was spitting and snarling on the bed; the hair on his back was standing up. He was a very short man, hardly taller than Harry and Hermione. His thin, colorless hair was unkempt and there was a large bald patch on top. He had the shrunken appearance of a plump man who has lost a lot of weight in a short time. His skin looked grubby, almost like Scabbers's fur, and something of the rat lingered around his pointed nose and his very small, watery eyes. He looked around at them all, his breathing fast and shallow. Harry saw his eyes dart to the door and back again. â€Å"Well, hello, Peter,† said Lupin pleasantly, as though rats frequently erupted into old school friends around him. â€Å"Long time, no see.† â€Å"S–Sirius†¦R–Remus†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Even Pettigrew's voice was squeaky. Again, his eyes darted toward the door. â€Å"My friends†¦my old friends†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Black's wand arm rose, but Lupin seized him around the wrist, gave him a warning took, then turned again to Pettigrew, his voice light and casual. â€Å"We've been having a little chat, Peter, about what happened the night Lily and James died. You might have missed the finer points while you were squeaking around down there on the bed –â€Å" â€Å"Remus,† gasped Pettigrew, and Harry could see beads of sweat breaking out over his pasty face, â€Å"you don't believe him, do you†¦? He tried to kill me, Remus†¦.† â€Å"So we've heard,† said Lupin, more coldly. â€Å"I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you'll be so –â€Å" â€Å"He's come to try and kill me again!† Pettigrew squeaked suddenly, pointing at Black, and Harry saw that he used his middle finger, because his index was missing. â€Å"He killed Lily and James and now he's going to kill me too†¦You've got to help me, Remus†¦.† Black's face looked more skull-like than ever as he stared at Pettigrew with his fathomless eyes. â€Å"No one's going to try and kill you until we've sorted a few things out,† said Lupin. â€Å"Sorted things out?† squealed Pettigrew, looking wildly about him once more, eyes taking in the boarded windows and, again, the only door. â€Å"I knew he'd come after me! I knew he'd be back for me! I've been waiting for this for twelve years!† â€Å"You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban?† said Lupin, his brow furrowed. â€Å"When nobody has ever done it before?† â€Å"He's got dark powers the rest of us can only dream of!† Pettigrew shouted shrilly. â€Å"How else did he get out of there? I suppose He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named taught him a few tricks!† Black started to laugh, a horrible, mirthless laugh that filled the whole room. â€Å"Voldemort, teach me tricks?† he said. Pettigrew flinched as though Black had brandished a whip at him. â€Å"What, scared to hear your old master's name?† said Black. â€Å"I don't blame you, Peter. His lot aren't very happy with you, are they?† â€Å"Don't know what you mean, Sirius –† muttered Pettigrew, his breathing faster than ever. His whole face was shining with sweat now. â€Å"You haven't been hiding from me for twelve years,† said Black. â€Å"You've been hiding from Voldemort's old supporters. I heard things in Azkaban, Peter†¦They all think you're dead, or you'd have to answer to them†¦I've heard them screaming all sorts of things in their sleep. Sounds like they think the double-crosser double-crossed them. Voldemort went to the Potters' on your information†¦and Voldemort met his downfall there. And not all Voldemort's supporters ended up in Azkaban, did they? There are still plenty out here, biding their time, pretending they've seen the error of their ways. If they ever got wind that you were still alive, Peter –â€Å" â€Å"Don't know†¦what you're talking about†¦Ã¢â‚¬  said Pettigrew again, more shrilly than ever. He wiped his face on his sleeve and looked up at Lupin. â€Å"You don't believe this — this madness, Remus –â€Å" â€Å"I must admit, Peter, I have difficulty in understanding why an innocent man would want to spend twelve years as a rat,† said Lupin evenly. â€Å"Innocent, but scared!† squealed Pettigrew. â€Å"If Voldemort's supporters were after me, it was because I put one of their best men in Azkaban — the spy, Sirius Black!† Black's face contorted. â€Å"How dare you,† he growled, sounding suddenly like the bearsized dog he had been. â€Å"I, a spy for Voldemort? When did I ever sneak around people who were stronger and more powerful than myself? But you, Peter — I'll never understand why I didn't see you were the spy from the start. You always liked big friends who'd look after you, didn't you? It used to be us†¦me and Remus†¦and James†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Pettigrew wiped his face again; he was almost panting for breath. â€Å"Me, a spy†¦must be out of your mind†¦never†¦don't know how you can say such a –â€Å" â€Å"Lily and James only made you Secret-Keeper because I suggested it,† Black hissed, so venomously that Pettigrew took a step backward. â€Å"I thought it was the perfect plan†¦a bluff†¦Voldemort would be sure to come after me, would never dream they'd use a weak, talentless thing like you†¦It must have been the finest moment of your miserable life, telling Voldemort you could hand him the Potters.† Pettigrew was muttering distractedly; Harry caught words like â€Å"far-fetched† and â€Å"lunacy,† but he couldn't help paying more attention to the ashen color of Pettigrew's face and the way his eyes continued to dart toward the windows and door. â€Å"Professor Lupin?† said Hermione timidly. â€Å"Can — can I say something?† â€Å"Certainly, Hermione,† said Lupin courteously. â€Å"Well — Scabbers — I mean, this — this man — he's been sleeping in Harry's dormitory for three years. If he's working for You-Know-Who, how come he never tried to hurt Harry before now?† â€Å"There!† said Pettigrew shrilly, pointing at Ron with his maimed hand. â€Å"Thank you! You see, Remus? I have never hurt a hair of Harry's head! Why should I?† â€Å"I'll tell you why,† said Black. â€Å"Because you never did anything for anyone unless you could see what was in it for you. Voldemort's been in hiding for fifteen years, they say he's half dead. You weren't about to commit murder right under Albus Dumbledore's nose, for a wreck of a wizard who'd lost all of his power, were you? You'd want to be quite sure he was the biggest bully in the playground before you went back to him, wouldn't you? Why else did you find a wizard family to take you in? Keeping an ear out for news, weren't you, Peter? Just in case your old protector regained strength, and it was safe to rejoin him†¦.† Pettigrew opened his mouth and closed it several times. He seemed to have lost the ability to talk. â€Å"Er — Mr. Black — Sirius?† said Hermione. Black jumped at being addressed like this and stared at Hermione as though he had never seen anything quite like her. â€Å"If you don't mind me asking, how — how did you get out of Azkaban, if you didn't use Dark Magic?† â€Å"Thank you!† gasped Pettigrew, nodding frantically at her. â€Å"Exactly! Precisely what I –â€Å" But Lupin silenced him with a look. Black was frowning slightly at Hermione, but not as though he were annoyed with her. He seemed to be pondering his answer. â€Å"I don't know how I did it,† he said slowly. â€Å"I think the only reason I never lost my mind is that I knew I was innocent. That wasn't a happy thought, so the Dementors couldn't suck it out of me†¦but it kept me sane and knowing who I am†¦helped me keep my powers†¦so when it all became†¦too much†¦I could transform in my cell†¦become a dog. Dementors can't see, you know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He swallowed. â€Å"They feel their way toward people by feeding off their emotions†¦They could tell that my feelings were less — less human, less complex when I was a dog†¦but they thought, of course, that I was losing my mind like everyone else in there, so it didn't trouble them. But I was weak, very weak, and I had no hope of driving them away from me without a wand†¦.† â€Å"But then I saw Peter in that picture†¦I realized he was at Hogwarts with Harry†¦perfectly positioned to act, if one hint reached his ears that the Dark Side was gathering strength again†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Pettigrew was shaking his head, mouthing noiselessly, but staring all the while at Black as though hypnotized. â€Å"†¦ready to strike at the moment he could be sure of allies†¦and to deliver the last Potter to them. if he gave them Harry, who'd dare say he'd betrayed Lord Voldemort? He'd be welcomed back with honors†¦.† â€Å"So you see, I had to do something. I was the only one who knew Peter was still alive†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harry remembered what Mr. Weasley had told Mrs. Wealsey. ‘The guards say he's been talking in his sleep†¦ always the same words†¦ ‘He's at Hogwarts.† â€Å"It was as if someone had lit a fire In my head, and the Dementors couldn't destroy it†¦It wasn't a happy feeling†¦it was an obsession†¦but it gave me strength, it cleared my mind. So, one night when they opened my door to bring food, I slipped past them as a dog†¦It's so much harder for them to sense animal emotions that they were confused†¦I was thin, very thin†¦thin enough to slip through the bars†¦I swam as a dog back to the mainland †¦I journeyed north and slipped into the Hogwarts grounds as a dog. I've been living in the forest ever since, except when I came to watch the Quidditch, of course. You fly as well as your father did, Harry†¦.† He looked at Harry, who did not look away. â€Å"Believe me,† croaked Black. â€Å"Believe me, Harry. I never betrayed James and Lily. I would have died before I betrayed them.† And at long last, Harry believed him. Throat too tight to speak, he nodded. â€Å"No!† Pettigrew had fallen to his knees as though Harry's nod had been his own death sentence. He shuffled forward on his knees, groveling, his hands clasped in front of him as though praying. â€Å"Sirius — it's me†¦it's Peter†¦your friend†¦you wouldn't –â€Å" Black kicked out and Pettigrew recoiled. â€Å"There's enough filth on my robes without you touching them,† said Black. â€Å"Remus!† Pettigrew squeaked, turning to Lupin instead, writhing imploringly in front of him. â€Å"You don't believe this — wouldn't Sirius have told you they'd changed the plan?† â€Å"Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter,† said Lupin. â€Å"I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Sirius?† he said casually over Pettigrew's head. â€Å"Forgive me, Remus,† said Black. â€Å"Not at all, Padfoot, old friend,† said Lupin, who was now rolling up his sleeves. â€Å"And will you, in turn, forgive me for believing you were the spy?† â€Å"Of course,† said Black, and the ghost of a grin flitted across his gaunt face. He, too, began rolling up his sleeves. â€Å"Shall we kill him together?† â€Å"Yes, I think so,† said Lupin grimly. â€Å"You wouldn't†¦you won't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  gasped Pettigrew. And he scrambled around to Ron. â€Å"Ron†¦haven't I been a good friend†¦a good pet? You won't let them kill me, Ron, will you†¦you're on my side, aren't you?† But Ron was staring at Pettigrew with the utmost revulsion. â€Å"I let you sleep in my bed!† he said. â€Å"Kind boy†¦kind master†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Pettigrew crawled toward Ron â€Å"You won't let them do it†¦I was your rat†¦I was a good pet†¦.† â€Å"If you made a better rat than a human, it's not much to boast about, Peter,† said Black harshly. Ron, going still paler with pain, wrenched his broken leg out of Pettigrew's reach. Pettigrew turned on his knees, staggered forward, and seized the hem of Hermione's robes. â€Å"Sweet girl†¦clever girl†¦you — you won't let them†¦Help me†¦.† Hermione pulled her robes out of Pettigrew's clutching hands and backed away against the wall, looking horrified. Pettigrew knelt, trembling uncontrollably, and turned his head slowly toward Harry. â€Å"Harry†¦Harry†¦you look just like your father†¦just like him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO HARRY?† roared Black. â€Å"HOW DARE YOU FACE HIM? HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT JAMES IN FRONT OF HIM?† â€Å"Harry,† whispered Pettigrew, shuffling toward him, hands outstretched. â€Å"Harry, James wouldn't have wanted me killed†¦James would have understood, Harry†¦he would have shown me mercy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Both Black and Lupin strode forward, seized Pettigrew's shoulders, and threw him backward onto the floor. He sat there, twitching with terror, staring up at them. â€Å"You sold Lily and James to Voldemort,† said Black, who was shaking too. â€Å"Do you deny it?† Pettigrew burst into tears. It was horrible to watch, like an oversized, balding baby, cowering on the floor. â€Å"Sirius, Sirius, what could I have done? The Dark Lord†¦you have no idea†¦he has weapons you can't imagine †¦I was scared, Sirius, I was never brave like you and Remus and James. I never meant it to happen†¦He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named forced me –â€Å" â€Å"DON'T LIE!† bellowed Black. â€Å"YOU'D BEEN PASSING INFORMATION TO HIM FOR A YEAR BEFORE LILY AND JAMES DIED! YOU WERE HIS SPY!† â€Å"He — he was taking over everywhere!† gasped Pettigrew. â€Å"Wh-what was there to be gained by refusing him?† â€Å"What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard who has ever existed?† said Black, with a terrible fury in his face. â€Å"Only innocent lives, Peter!† â€Å"You don't understand!† whined Pettigrew. â€Å"He would have killed me, Sirius!† â€Å"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!† roared Black. â€Å"DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!† Black and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder, wands raised. â€Å"You should have realized,† said Lupin quietly, â€Å"if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Good-bye, Peter.† Hermione covered her face with her hands and turned to the wall. â€Å"NO!† Harry yelled. He ran forward, placing himself in front Pettigrew, facing the wands. â€Å"You can't kill him,† he said breathlessly. â€Å"You can't.† Black and Lupin both looked staggered. â€Å"Harry, this piece of vermin is the reason you have no parents,† Black snarled. â€Å"This cringing bit of filth would have seen you die too, without turning a hair. You heard him. His own stinking skin meant more to him than your whole family.† â€Å"I know,† Harry panted. â€Å"We'll take him up to the castle. We'll hand him over to the Dementors†¦He can go to Azkaban†¦but don't kill him.† â€Å"Harry!† gasped Pettigrew, and he flung his arms around Harry's knees. â€Å"You — thank you — it's more than I deserve — thank you –â€Å" â€Å"Get off me,† Harry spat, throwing Pettigrew's hands off him in disgust. â€Å"I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it because — I don't reckon my dad would've wanted them to become killers — just for you.† No one moved or made a sound except Pettigrew, whose breath was coming in wheezes as he clutched his chest. Black and Lupin were looking at each other. Then, with one movement, they lowered their wands. â€Å"You're the only person who has the right to decide, Harry,† said Black. â€Å"But think†¦ think what he did†¦.† â€Å"He can go to Azkaban,† Harry repeated. â€Å"If anyone deserves that place, he does†¦.† Pettigrew was still wheezing behind him. â€Å"Very well,† said Lupin. â€Å"Stand aside, Harry.† Harry hesitated. â€Å"I'm going to tie him up,† said Lupin. â€Å"That's all, I swear.† Harry stepped out of the way. Thin cords shot from Lupin's wand this time, and next moment, Pettigrew was wriggling on the floor, bound and gagged. â€Å"But if you transform, Peter,† growled Black, his own wand pointing at Pettigrew too, â€Å"we will kill you. You agree, Harry?† Harry looked down at the pitiful figure on the floor and nodded so that Pettigrew could see him. â€Å"Right,† said Lupin, suddenly businesslike. â€Å"Ron, I can't mend bones nearly as well as Madam Pomfrey, so I think it's best if we just strap your leg up until we can get you to the hospital wing.† He hurried over to Ron, bent down, tapped Ron's leg with his wand, and muttered, â€Å"Ferula.† Bandages spun up Ron's leg, strapping it tightly to a splint. Lupin helped him to his feet; Ron put his weight gingerly on the leg and didn't wince. â€Å"That's better,† he said. â€Å"Thanks.† â€Å"What about Professor Snape?† said Hermione in a small voice, looking down at Snape's prone figure. â€Å"There's nothing seriously wrong with him,† said Lupin, bending over Snape and checking his pulse. â€Å"You were just a little — overenthusiastic. Still out cold. Er — perhaps it will be best if we don't revive him until we're safety back in the castle. We can take him like this†¦.† He muttered, â€Å"Mobilicorpus.† As though invisible strings were tied to Snape's wrists, neck, and knees, he was pulled into a standing position, head still lolling unpleasantly, like a grotesque puppet. He hung a few inches above the ground, his limp feet dangling. Lupin picked up the Invisibility Cloak and tucked it safely into his pocket. â€Å"And two of us should be chained to this,† said Black, nudging Pettigrew with his toe. â€Å"Just to make sure.† â€Å"I'll do it,† said Lupin. â€Å"And me,† said Ron savagely, limping forward. Black conjured heavy manacles from thin air; soon Pettigrew was upright again, left arm chained to Lupin's right, right arm to Ron's left. Ron's face was set. He seemed to have taken Scabbers's true identity as a personal insult. Crookshanks leapt lightly off the bed and led the way out of the room, his bottlebrush tail held jauntily high.