Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Free Essays on The Effects Of The U.S. Supreme Court On Todays Sociopolitical Structure

The United States Supreme Court has been endowed by the Constitution the duty to ensure that each American receives "the blessings of liberty." Through the years, the Court has both honored and broken that promise. The reason for this seems to be that the High Court may view some legislation as being "necessary and proper" functions of the government so long as it does not violate individual rights expressly stated within the Constitution. The few previously chosen as Justices have been accosted with the responsibility to assess requests for changes within the American social political structure. There seem to be reemerging issues which the Court must refine due to a recent demand of the American people to do so, these issues including relations among races, the right to privacy, and the freedom of expression. With each decision passed down by the High Court, a bit of America's civic and societal culture is altered. The status of today's social world has vastly been affected by the r ulings of the Supreme Court and America owes in part what it is today because of the rulings and their affects of cases to be later mentioned. When the Constitution was instituted in 1789, the Supreme Court's role was not fully understood. In the case of Marbury v. Madison (1803), the Court declared the Judiciary Act of 1789, which allots them the power to order officials to carry out their duties, unconstitutional (Irons 105). Therefore, this case is largely credited with setting the precedent of judicial review. But according to Peter Irons, in his book A People's History of the Supreme Court, this principle was not groundbreaking: " The doctrine of judicial review had been stated by several Framers of the Constitution in 1787, was refined in The Federalist Papers during the ratification debates, and was forcefully restated by Justice Paterson in 1795, when he wrote in a circuit court decision that 'every act of the legislature repugnant to the Consti... Free Essays on The Effects Of The U.S. Supreme Court On Today's Sociopolitical Structure Free Essays on The Effects Of The U.S. Supreme Court On Today's Sociopolitical Structure The United States Supreme Court has been endowed by the Constitution the duty to ensure that each American receives "the blessings of liberty." Through the years, the Court has both honored and broken that promise. The reason for this seems to be that the High Court may view some legislation as being "necessary and proper" functions of the government so long as it does not violate individual rights expressly stated within the Constitution. The few previously chosen as Justices have been accosted with the responsibility to assess requests for changes within the American social political structure. There seem to be reemerging issues which the Court must refine due to a recent demand of the American people to do so, these issues including relations among races, the right to privacy, and the freedom of expression. With each decision passed down by the High Court, a bit of America's civic and societal culture is altered. The status of today's social world has vastly been affected by the r ulings of the Supreme Court and America owes in part what it is today because of the rulings and their affects of cases to be later mentioned. When the Constitution was instituted in 1789, the Supreme Court's role was not fully understood. In the case of Marbury v. Madison (1803), the Court declared the Judiciary Act of 1789, which allots them the power to order officials to carry out their duties, unconstitutional (Irons 105). Therefore, this case is largely credited with setting the precedent of judicial review. But according to Peter Irons, in his book A People's History of the Supreme Court, this principle was not groundbreaking: " The doctrine of judicial review had been stated by several Framers of the Constitution in 1787, was refined in The Federalist Papers during the ratification debates, and was forcefully restated by Justice Paterson in 1795, when he wrote in a circuit court decision that 'every act of the legislature repugnant to the Consti...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Microsoft to improve buying experience at retail. (Thats shopping to you and me.) - Emphasis

Microsoft to improve buying experience at retail. (Thats shopping to you and me.) Microsoft to improve buying experience at retail. (Thats shopping to you and me.) Microsoft has announced its to open its own shops, in a clear bid to grab a slice of the Apple retail action. Apple trades on its image as the quintessence of cool: all innovative design and sleek lines. Microsoft may face an uphill battle in this respect, at least if its press release announcing the move is anything to go by. It quotes Kevin Turner, Microsofts chief operating officer, as saying: Were working hard to transform the PC and Microsoft buying experience at retail by improving the articulation and demonstration of the Microsoft innovation and value proposition so that its clear, simple and straightforward for consumers everywhere. What? you may ask. Good question. I was going to offer a translation, but Im afraid its stumped me. Some clear, simple and straightforward language might be a good start, Mr Turner.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Critical Infrastructure Identification Research Paper

Critical Infrastructure Identification - Research Paper Example The infrastructures that are most critical to protect in New York City (NYC) are the transport infrastructure (including the major bridges and highways), the medical infrastructure, the communication infrastructure, the fire and safety infrastructure, the power, water and other utilities infrastructure, prisons, high occupancy buildings, national monuments and schools. These are essential in any defense or natural disaster mitigation operations and the necessary steps should be taken to ensure that they are protected from terrorist attacks. The increasing threat of international terrorism has resulted in a renewal of the federal government’s interest in issues related to infrastructure. The focus has changed from the adequacy of infrastructure to the protection of infrastructure. One of the problems seems to relate to the identification of critical infrastructure. This has been very important especially in the NYC area which was the scene of the most devastating terrorist atta ck on September 11, 2001. The act defines critical infrastructure as â€Å"systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that the incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have a debilitating impact on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination of those matters† (Moteff and Parfomak, 2004) Description and Analysis of Best Practice Used In Critical Infrastructure Identification The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has drafted a list of key assets. No real basis was established to determine what is key and so the departments’ listings are often somewhat different. An assets criticality depends on the assets operational or business value and is also a function of both time and situation. The value of the critical infrastructure in New York City (NYC) relates to the key operations military and otherwise that depend on these assets and how these dependencies change over ti me. It also depends on the sensitivity of the City’s operations and services to the loss of the asset. That means if the asset is affected by any natural disasters or other acts of terrorism, the maximum time for which it can be out of use before it results in serious implications for the normal operations of the City. It also depends on whether asset restoration or other backup measures can occur within the time allocated as the asset’s maximum allowable down time. These critical assets will include assets that require special protection because of their potential for destruction and or the value that they provide for the City. They may include symbols and icons that represent the heritage of the nation. The concept surrounding their identification is a means by which the government can place emphasis on high priority assets in its critical infrastructure protection program. All the federal departments and agencies have been given the task of identifying their critica l infrastructure. The heads of these departments and agencies report to the Secretary on an annual basis on their efforts to identify; prioritize and coordinate the protection of critical infrastructure and key resources in their respective sectors (DHS, 2008). The DHS and sector-specific agencies collaborate with the private sector which owns and operates most

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Ginevra de Benci Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ginevra de Benci - Research Paper Example Ginevra de Benci is one of the most beautiful portraits which depict a young woman created in the year 1474. She was a Florentine woman who was married at the tender age of sixteen to Luigi Niccolini in year 1474. The Portrait seems to have been on a wedding photo and on its backside it bore the inscriptions written in the Latin which translates to â€Å"beauty Adorns Virtue†. Looking at the photo background, the appearance of trees and skies is evident which leads to a dreamlike atmosphere which is also evident in other of his works. The young woman in the portrait is seen as looking past which gives her image of being sulky and unforgiving. The Ginevra series was made up of fifty two oil paintings which produced this great work piece. Looking at Leonardo piece of work, Ginevra de Benci which is a Florentine portrait, a lot about art is portrayed. The portrait can be used to tell a lot about the painter, the sitter as well as the way in which people lived during the time. The oil on wood paintings was one of Leonardo’s first works in his career. At this time, there was no other painter who could match Leonardo’s work of art due to his exceptional skills. Through a keen look on the portrait, the simplistic details can be captured; one of these is the place in which the portrait was created. At this period, women were displayed with their husbands in the portraits but here the lady is seen alone. The portraits of women were mostly done during their betrothal as well as during their wedding .In the portrait the lady. seem to face the right side which would imply that it symbolized her engagement this is due to fact that the right side was where the husband was supposed to stand during the wedding portraits but she seems to be staring at it. This would also imply that the work was done in the Italy where Leonardo resided as preparations for the lady’s wedding. Traditions of the time concerning marriage are portrayed by just looking at t he portrait and its history. Looking also at another minor detail, the portrait was done on wood and painted with oil. This would imply that the era was developing and the traditional means of painting were being replaced by better methods. The aesthetic perfection can be seen but more to it, there seems to be a lot which can be partially deciphered from the portrait. Through scrutiny, a lot about the lady in the portrait can be deciphered. Her expression on her face seems to tell more about what is in her mind especially her thought about her future. From the fact that she was preparing for

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Hand Asepsis Essay Example for Free

Hand Asepsis Essay While the majority of germs play vital role in the human body, some of them can be harmful. Those germs can be virus, bacteria and fungi, which can be acquired from direct contact with inanimate objects we touch, such as door handles, stair railing and from person to person. Hand is the most potential way to spread the harmful germs; they enter our body by us touching our eyes, mouth and nose after being in contact with them. They can lead to serious bacterial infectious diseases such as the common cold, flu, and foodborne illnesses. Hand washing is the primary, simplest and most effective way to limit the spread of germs and infectious diseases. People clean their hands by using regular soap, antimicrobial soap and alcohol based hand rubs or sanitizers. Regular soap are detergent based product, in the form of bar, leaflet, tissue and liquid. They do not kill the germs; they clean by physically removing dirt, organic substances and contaminating organisms. Soap is mostly effective against loose transient organisms. Antimicrobial soaps are detergent based products with antiseptic agents which are intended to mechanically and chemically kill all transient and resident bacteria that can cause illnesses by their long term lasting action. They inhibit the growth of virus. Alcohol based hand sanitizers come in the form of gel or rub cloth. They contain 60%–95% ethanol or isopropanol. Alcohol based hand sanitizers have a broad spectrum activity; they inhibit the growth of most clinically important viruses, yeasts, and fungi. According to the CDC, in vitro testing proved that Alcohol sanitizers are effective even against some resistant bacteria such as mycobacterium tuberculosis and certain envelop virus such as herpes simplex virus, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). My hypothesis is that Alcohol based hand sanitizers are more effective than regular soap and antimicrobial soap. The regular soap do not kill the bacteria it only physically remove the loose transient bacteria, therefore there can still be a chance for the resident bacteria to cause illnesses. Even though the antimicrobial soaps kill both the transient and the resident bacteria, the frequent exposure of those bacteria to the antimicrobial agents may cause them to become resistant to them. It will give rise to more resistant microorganism strains. Alcohol sanitizers have the fastest bactericidal effect. It is effective against gram positive and negative bacteria even some of the most resistant ones.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Secondhand Smoking Essay -- Tobacco Nicotine Smoking Cigarettes

â€Å"A blockbuster study published in the January issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) examined the impact of exposure to ETS on the progression of athersclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and concluded, in part, that the arteries of non-smokers exposed to ETS thickened 20% faster than non-smokers with no second-hand exposure† (JAMA). Another study published in Pediatrics in January estimated that, â€Å"about half of the cases of early childhood cases of asthma, chronic bronchitis and wheezing are attributable to exposure to secondhand smoke† (JAMA). Smoking in public areas such as bars and restaurants can be harmful to the health of not only the smoker himself, but everybody around him. Recent studies on the number of deaths as a result of smoking confirmed that eight out of ten people affected with diseases affiliated with smoking were a cause of second hand smoke. Laws are in the process of being passed to make certain places completely non-smoking. Why should a person who has been careful about their health be subject to smoker’s health problems? Why should a family going out to dinner have to smell the smoke from someone else when the family has just as much right to be there as the smoker does? Isn’t there some way to compromise between the two? Won’t someone be unhappy no matter what the decision about banning smoking is? The fact is that everyone has the right to smoke if they want to; but there is no way that a non-smoker should be forced to inhale smoke that isn’t theirs. Although, won’t a restaurant lose a lot of business if they cut out the smoking sections? The Institute for Social Research at York University for the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit at the University of Toronto performed a study on smoking attitudes and behaviors. First of all, â€Å"only 19% of Toronto adults smoke, 15% daily† (institute). The study proved that, â€Å"eight out of 10 smokers in To ronto say they would follow the rules if there were more restrictions on smoking, even without the threat of a fine. Only one in 10 smokers say they would ignore new restrictions† (institute). Half of the adults who go out to eat don’t go to the smoky restaurants or bars for that matter, but somewhere else. Only a quarter of all the non-smokers replied that they would not take a smoking table even if it was the last one in the restaurant (institute). This information was provid... ...eness Coalition formed in upstate New York and the Tobacco-Free Tri-Counties including Washington Counties and Oregon. The fact is that many groups are strongly against public smoking because of the effect it has on innocent bystanders. The tobacco companies are afraid of what all these organizations will do to their profits and, as a result, are bringing forth lawsuits against some select organizations because the organizations are so effective in making new laws. The many new non-smoking laws in bars and restaurants have proved many times profitable to these public places. Therefore, the bars and restaurants, along with many other public places of employment are becoming much safer because of the no smoking rules. This includes less second hand smoking diseases as well as something as drastic as a fire. These new regulations naturally make the non-smoking community very happy; some smokers even believe in the new safety rules. Those smokers who believe they have the right to do whatever they want when they want will have to learn to cope with the new ways. Eventually, these laws will be very common and it won’t be such a big deal to the smoking society once it gets used to it.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Music Video Proposal Essay

The track I’m going to use to make a music video has a genre of a mix between indie and very chill out music this has made me think about what video will suit the music. My idea for the music video will be a narrative based , and the story will between a girl and boy in a relationship and they have split up and they cant see the love they have for each other anymore based on this the story will also involve them getting back together. Reason I have chosen this is because the track that was mixed has a somewhat depressing feel to it when you listen to it and the lyrics also explain this story well (referring to different parts of the lyrics) My video will promote the track, as it is not a piece of music you can listen to on the radio and sing to it. That would get plaid on the radio. Therefore, it needs something to make it viewable and push the viewing of the music. By using a video, that’s video to go with the track will really help also I think using the video it will appeal to a wider range audience. With the story of a break up I think it will stereotypically appeal to older teenagers to around the age of mid 30s, because often in this age a girl would have been through a relationship and then broke up and maybe been upset then it could appeal to them as a target audience. My music video will be relatively simple and include animation at the start of the music video and the end. The animation will consist of a boy and girl sitting at a bench and they have sad expressions on their face, in between them will be an animated heart which will split as they get up and walk separate directions to each other. And then animation at the end will have the bench with this time another man on the bench with half a heart then the girl also with half a heart joins him on the bench and the heart makes one. This will be in a style of narrative because its telling the story of the lyrics in the song. From narrative animation to concept real life my music video will carry on from the animation to a shot of the girl filmed in Ipswich town centre she will be moving very slow and the rest of the people around her will be moving very quick. With this effect it will be given the proposed reading that everyone is moving on and she is not. I will achieve this effect by filming the shot with the girl moving very very slowly and then in the editing stage I will speed up the pace so it gives the effect she is moving very slow and everyone else is moving fast. My video will use this shot when the girl sings but I will use different angles and cuts so it does not look boring. in the song there is also the boy singing he is very much in the same mood and cannot move on but wants to and he is very much sad. My idea for this shot will be that he is in the underground where he is alone and he can be sitting on the floor not really knowing what he is doing there giving the audience a picture that he is very much confused and upset. Also I will be using the graffiti wall in Ipswich close to the train station , the man in the video will be walking along this wall. Close to the end of the track both the male and female are singing for this I will use footage from the graffiti wall and the girl walking slowly but showing both on screen so we get a view of both persons point of view and then when the music stops is comes to the animation showing the girl has moved on .

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Lord of the Flies: Symbols And Conflicts Essay

In Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding, deals a lot with characterization. Each character symbolizes certain personality traits. Ralph, Jack and Simon and their symbolic importance are characters with the most symbolism for their characters. Ralph, the impression of being a tall boy with fair hair, was chosen as the chief by the other boys, which shows the natural civilized instinct within humans. He possesses the leadership qualities of man, but does not have the initiative that is needed when being a leader. For example, when Jack says â€Å"You shut up,† Ralph does nothing to stop Jack from insulting Piggy or from hitting him. Ralph does not have the initiative to protect his friend or punish Jack for his misbehaviour. Ralph was deeply troubled by the murder of Simon, which symbolized the humanity left in them. When Jack and his hunters were supposed to be watching the fire, they instead went off to hunt. They did successfully kill a pig, however this sparked conflict between Jack and Ralph, as there was a ship and Jack may have destroyed their rescue. This kill not only symbolized the start of their savagery, but it also caused the first conflict. The next hunt was not just the kill of a pig, but a mother pig. This is much worse, as when you kill the mother pig you also kill the piglets. Those piglets have no one to rely on and will die shortly. Unfortunately the savagery did not stop there. Although it could be argued that it was an accident, Simon was murdered by the hunters. The real symbolism of savagery in this situation is the complete lack of remorse felt by Jack and his group. Simon is one of the younger boys and he stands out from the rest. Simon seems calmer than the other boys and doesn’t jump to conclusions. He represents the â€Å"Christ figure† in Lord of the Flies. Simon represents the recognition of good and evil. Simon is the one who finds out that the beast does not exist, and is the one who finds out that evil lives among all the boys. Once Simon died, all evidence of good left with him. The only thing left on the island is the boys’ evil instincts. It is quite amazing how Golding added many different symbols to describe the story that may not be noticed. Golding achieves his goal of expressing the story in an in-depth manner with the use of symbols.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The Cultural Revolution in China essays

The Cultural Revolution in China essays The Cultural Revolution that took place in China can be considered to be one of the most important experiences of the 20th century. It represented the result of a series of contextual events that marked the emergence of the phenomenon, and in its turn, it influenced the future evolution of events, to this day. In order to proper understand the complexity of the issue, it is important to analyze the event from a historical perspective. At the same time however, although the approach is chronological, there are essential issues that must be stressed out. Therefore, the events that took place in the late 1960s and the first half of the 1970s had important internal and external causes that should be pointed out for a comprehensive perception of the historical context. Next, the logical evolution of the paper focuses on the actual manifestations of what became known as the Great Cultural Revolution. Finally, aiming to offer a complex image of the entire political, economic, social and cultural of this phenomenon, the focus is on the actual effects of the revolution on all walks of life. As a conclusion, it is important to point out the necessity of an overview from multiple perspectives. The historical context of the revolution had in fact deep rooted components that defined the historical atmosphere both after the end of the war, and prior to the May16th 1966 manifesto. There are two different perspectives that must be taken into account. On the one hand there is the matter of internal factors, and on the other, the elements that determined the phenomenon to emerge and develop from the exterior. According to some scholars, the totalitarian regime in China emerged as a reaction against the countrys political disintegration during the early part of the twentieth century. This response followed the failure of the Nationalists to build up a unified party and a reintegrated polity soon enough to withstand t...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Free People Search Databases and Strategies

Free People Search Databases and Strategies Are you looking for someone? A former classmate? Old friend? Military buddy? Birth parent? Lost relative? If so, then youre not alone. Thousands of people head online every day in search of details on missing people. And more and more of these people are finding success with their search, using the Internet to find names, addresses, phone numbers, occupations, and other current data on missing people. If youre in search of a missing person, try the following people search strategies: Obituaries This may seem morbid, but because obituary and death notices often list multiple family members and friends, they can help to confirm that you have located the correct individual, and also possibly provide a current location for your missing person, or his/her family members. Other types of newspaper notices can be equally helpful, including marriage announcements and stories about family reunions or anniversary parties. If you dont know the town where your target individual is located, then search newspaper or obituary archives across multiple locations and use combinations of search terms to narrow your search. If you know the name of another family member, for example, search for instances of that name (a sisters first name, mothers maiden name, etc.) in conjunction with the name of your target individual. Or include search terms such as an old street address, the town where they were born, the school they graduated from, their occupation - anything that helps to identify them fr om others with the same name. Online Phone Directories If you suspect the person lives in a particular area check for him or her in a variety of online phone directories. If you arent able to locate them, try searching for an old address which can provide a listing of neighbors and/or the name of the person currently residing in the home all of whom may know more about the present whereabouts of your missing person. You may also want to try a reverse-lookup by telephone number or email address. City Directories Another excellent resource for locating addresses is a city directory, a surprising number of which can now be found online. These have been published for over 150 years, in most U.S. cities. City directories are similar to telephone directories except that they include much more detailed information such as the name, address, and place of employment for every adult within a household. City directories also have sections similar to yellow pages which list area businesses, churches, schools, and even cemeteries. Most city directories can only be researched through libraries, though many more are making their way into Internet databases. School or Alumni Association If you know where the person went to high school or college, then check with the school or alumni association to see if he/she is a member. If you cant find information for the alumni association, then contact the school directly - most schools have Web sites online - or try one of the many school social networks or groups. Contact Professional Associations If you know what types of work or hobbies the person is involved with, then try contacting interest groups or professional associations for that field to learn whether he/she is a member. The ASAE Gateway to Associations Directory is a good place to learn what associations are active for various interests. Former Church If you know the individuals religious affiliation, churches or synagogues in the area where he/she last lived may be willing to confirm if he/she is a member, or whether the membership has been transferred to another house of worship. Free SSA Letter Forwarding Service If you know the missing persons social security number, the both the IRS and SSA offer a Letter Forwarding program whereby they will forward a letter to a missing individual on behalf of a private individual or government agency if this action is for a humane purpose or emergency situation, and there is no other way to relay the information to the individual. If you think the person may be deceased, then try a search in the free online Social Security Death Index which will provide information such as date of death and the address (zip code) where the lump sum death benefit was sent. If you are successful in finding the person you seek, it is time to take the next step - contacting him or her. Keep in mind as you approach this possible reunion that the person may resent the intrusion, so please tread with care. Hopefully, your reunion will be a joyous occasion, and you will never lose touch again.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Telecommuting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Telecommuting - Essay Example While the new concept has many specific advantages and at the same time certain inherent limitations over conventional work places and can be implemented only in limited spheres of work, the concept is gaining immense popularity both among employers and employees due to tremendous flexibility available to them while working at home and also sufficiently meeting company deadlines. The aim of this paper is to study and bring out various advantages and disadvantages of telecommuting and their effects on organizational work culture and certain behavioral aspects in the present era. Hidden inside our advance to a new production system is a potential for social change so breathtaking in scope that few among us have been willing to face its meaning. For we are about to revolutionize our homes as well. Telecommuting is the trend which has grown fast since 1975 when just about 3% people worked from home and they were mostly farmers. Today, a much greater number of people are telecommuting and working from home. Telecommuting essentially implies that employees are using means of computers and telephones for work rather than using normal transportation channels. This has helped them save commuting time wasted on roads or rail, which in many cases can be up to 2-3 hours a day or 25-30% of time spent outside homes. This work culture saves money for employers as well in terms of reduced infrastructural requirements for employees and added benefits of improved productivity, better motivation for people in need as well as personal satisfaction for the employees who cannot move out of homes but want to work nevertheless. However, this aspect has had a considerable effect of lasting nature on the prevalent office culture. In succeeding paragraphs, we shall discuss the advantages and disadva ntages of telecommuting Telecommuting: Benefits Saved Time and Effort. As per a recent research, 10 minutes commuting time one-way amounts to two 40 hrs weeks a year. A similar 40 min one way commuting time consumes eight working weeks every year. (Telework, 2006) For those of us not understanding the gravity of the situation, this commuting time which is actually wasted doing nothing productive is actually equivalent to our whole entitlement of leave and holidays every year. Imagine having double number of off-duty days without any effect on your salary! Improved Productivity. Direct fallout of telecommuting has been improved productivity of an individual. While working from office, many good employees have serious reservations owing to their personal requirements at home. This is especially so in cases of working mothers, single parents or individuals with similar responsibilities. Such people, despite their good employability, cannot work and thus choose part time working or staying at homes. Even if they choose to work, they are pre-occupied with their personal requirements directly or indirectly affecting their work quality and as well as company's output. If such people have an opportunity to work from home than commute to office

Friday, November 1, 2019

Obstructive Jaundice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Obstructive Jaundice - Essay Example Here most of the bilirubin combines with glucuronide to form conjugated or direct bilirubin, then is absorbed in bile, and excreted in the feces. If a disorder prevents this process from completing itself, the yellow-colored bilirubin builds up in the system until it becomes remarkable in the mucous membranes and skin (What is Jaundice 2006). The discoloration usually is detected clinically once the serum bilirubin level rises above 3 mg per dL (51.3 mol per L) (Roche and Kabos, 2004). Jaundice in an adult patient can be due to a wide array of benign or deadly disorders. Organizing the differential diagnosis by prehepatic, intrahepatic, and posthepatic causes may help make the work-up more manageable. Prehepatic causes of jaundice include hemolysis and hematoma resorption, which lead to elevated levels of unconjugated (indirect) bilirubin. Intrahepatic disorders can result to unconjugated or conjugated hyperbilirubinemia. The conjugated (direct) bilirubin level is often elevated by alcohol, infectious hepatitis, drug reactions, and autoimmune disorders. Posthepatic disorders also can cause conjugated hyperbilirubinemia (qtd. from Roche and Kobos, 2004). ... Hepatic jaundice causes range from acute viral hepatitis to liver disease caused alcoholism. Neonatal jaundice, common in newborns, is usually brief lasting only a week or so and is thought to be a result of the still-developing physiology. Though it is usually harmless and in most cases passes on its own, any infant displaying signs of jaundice should be seen by a pediatrician. (In newborns the liver sometimes requires a week or so to adjust and jaundice may be present during this time. Though this is not due to disease, it is still considered hepatic because liver function is at the root of the condition (What is Jaundice 2006). Post-hepatic (obstructive) jaundice, occurs when bile cannot discharge properly to the feces. Gallstones obstructing the bile duct, other ductal obstructions and certain cancers can cause post-hepatic jaundice marked by pale stools lacking the normal pigment contained in bile (What is Jaundice 2006). Obstructive jaundice Obstructive jaundice caused by obstruction of the bile ducts, as with gallstones. The liver normally produces about 1 litre of bile each day, which is secreted (passed) into the bile duct system and stored in the gallbladder. The bile duct empties into the upper intestine (duodenum) to help in digestion. Obstruction anywhere in this drainage system causes the blood levels of bilirubin to increase, resulting in "obstructive jaundice (What is obstructive Jaundice 2005)." Causes of obstructive jaundice Jaundice is not critical by itself however could indicate a more serious underlying conditions that should be diagnosed and treated as early as possible (What is Jaundice 2006). A thoroughly investigated is needed so that the underlying cause can be