The Importance of Career Planning in Industry

the importance of Career Planning in industry. Career planning involves efforts on the part of the organizations to provide avenues for growth to its employees. Certainly this growth should be accompanied by development. The other side of the coin is the role of employees in career planning. It involves effort on the part of employees to clearly think through and decided areas in which they would like to make a career for themselves. When employees have assessed their career needs and have become aware of organizational career opportunities, the problem is one of alignment. The crucial role has to be played by HRD in ensuring this alignment to build up morale in the organization. A systematic choice of development techniques like training, special assignment, counseling and rotational assignments should be made to ensure this alignment. Employees are often uncertain as to the type of work that would suit them best. There are a number of evaluation instruments available to determine basic aptitudes. Human Resource Development Managers should be able to guide employees by administering these instruments on them. Employees should also find out whether they are loners or socially active. These exercises with some assistance from HRD Managers should help in career need assessment. At certain stage the upward mobility stops for many employees. This is inescapable in view of pyramid organizations structure. This phenomenon is called plateauing. It takes place around the age f 40. Some suggested measures to deal with such employees are: ? Mentors should be assigned measures to deal with such employees. Depending on the maturity of such mentors, good results can be achieved in assuaging the hurt feelings of plateaued employees ? Additional career ladders could be established to retain some valuable resource. Giving them importance by assigning them to some important task force or committee. ? Assisting them to choose a new career. Some organizations assist their plateau executives to start their own business. Career path models developed by a large public sector undertaking: This organization has developed career paths models for the major discipline †¢ Sales †¢ Technical services †¢ Operations †¢ Engineering †¢ Aviation †¢ LPG †¢ Finance †¢ Personnel Career path models have not been drawn for the disciplines like materials, public relations, training, etc. areer path models have been evolved to provide direction to career progression of officers. It forms the basis for placement, transfer, rotation etc. so that the officers are prepared for higher responsibilities progressively and the experience they gain becomes cumulative rather than respective. The most distinguishing feature of these career path model are the stress on jib rotation and testing the incumbent in a different environment to enhance his coping capability before giving him a higher position in the hierarchy.

Human and divine Essay

A fixed code of behaviour developed which all Muslim were to follow. And â€Å"unlike any other system in the world today the Shari’a embraces every details of human life, from the prohibition of crime to the use of the toothpick. It is â€Å"the science of all things, human and divine†, and divides all actions into what is compulsory or enjoined, what is praiseworthy or recommended what is permitted or legally indifferent, what is dislike or disapproved of and what is forbidden. For the Muslim there is no distinction between personal and communal, religious and spiritually, sacred and material. This often makes it difficult for the West to understand and appreciate the Islamic and Arab worlds, and vice versa. Muslims believe overwhelmingly in a Creator, whose purpose for the worlds is all-embracing; men take part in his creative activity as his representatives on Earth â€Å"O believers, believe in God and His messenger and the book He has sent down on His messenger and the Book which He sent down before, Who so disbelieves in God and His angels, and His Books, and His Messengers and the Last Day, Has surely gone astray into far error† (Qur’an IV. 135) There has been some disbelief on if God is real or not? However there are some signs that have occurred lately al around the world, which prove the existence of Allah. So if Allah exists then we are clearly made by him. These Pictures are real and no one has edited it one of them as even appeared on BBC News. WHAT IS EVOLUTION? AND WHO DISCOVERED IT ? Evolution is biology’s â€Å"big idea. † According to the latest estimates, there may be as many as 30 million species- different kinds of living things- on earth. Life permeates our planet. But how did life start in the first place? And how did all these different living things come to be as they are today? For the huge majority scientist, there is only one satisfactory explanation: they have evolved! Evolution is a gradual process of chemical and physical change that seemed to begin before life even started, and it still continues now. And had left its imprint in everything that is or was once alive, including our distant ancestors or/ourselves. It is responsible for the way we look, the way we reproduce, and -some would argue- even the way we behave. A young English naturalist named Charles Darwin. Who completed a round-the world-voyage aboard the naval ship: HMS Beagle. By the end of the five-year trip, Darwin had collected a wealth of evidence for evolution, although he had not yet known why it took place. Darwin’s great breakthrough came in 1838, when he read an essay on the growth of the human population. Its writer was: Thomas Malthus argued that humans have a natural tendency to outstrip their food supply, creating competition for scarce resources. Darwin immediately grapes the idea: competition constantly takes place in nature as well, giving rise to a permanent struggle for survival. From the observations he made on his travels, Darwin knew that living things show a host of inherited variations. He realized that in any struggle for resources, some variations- or characteristics- must prove more useful than others. The owners of these â€Å"winners† features would leave larger numbers of offspring, and as a result, their characteristics would gradually become more widespread in the population as a whole. The end result is change, driven by a passive process he called: Natural Selection. Unlike Lamarck’s* version of evolution (Lamarckism), Darwin’s involves no planning or preset goals. In any species- from bacteria to elephants- individuals are â€Å"judged† by one simple criterion: their ability to leave the most young that survive to reproduce. Darwin was a fussy worker, and he spent the following two decades preparing his extensive research for eventual publication. But in 1858, he discovered that he was about to be scooped. Another English naturalist- Alfred Russell Wallace- had also hit on the idea of natural selection; although he had much less research to back it up. This motivated Darwin to begin writing a book. The result, one year later, was On the Origin of Species. However when he wrote On the Origin Species, Darwin had no idea how features were passed from one generation to the next. Plant breeding studies carried out by Gregor Mendel, who showed that characteristics are carried by separate â€Å"factors† which are copied from one parent or the other. In 1909, these basic units of inherited materials were named â€Å"gene†, and 20th century scientist devoted much energy to reveal their physical nature. Today, we know that genes are sequences of four chemical bases (abbreviated to C, G, A and T) that are â€Å"written into† the lengths of molecules of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), contained within the chromosomes of every cell. When an organism reproduces, DNA copies itself, and parental genes are passed on. The copying process is accurate, but mistakes, or mutation, do sometimes occur. However Darwin did not ‘discovered’ evolution, nor was he the only person to come up with the idea of natural selection. His achieve was to collect the evidence for both in a conclusive and comprehensive way. Most of the observations that informed his theories were made during that five-year voyage.

Team Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Team Paper - Essay Example As the fields of criminal justice and drug offenders’ treatment are getting a lot of help from the drug courts, the number of drug courts all over the world is significantly increasing. Drug courts are improving the judicial system because they provide leadership for the treatment of offenders, provide supervision as a vital component of the drug courts and it also helps in improving communication between the offenders and the drug court teams. Apart from the cons related to drug courts, drug courts are not only helping those people who are brought to such places by their relatives for the purpose of drug addiction treatment, but also it has proved to be a great place for such people who really want to get treatment, not a forced one by their relatives. Bewley-Taylor (1999) found that drug courts are important for drug offenders because they provide the offenders with such treatment programs which may result in dismissal of the charges and lesser penalties. A model drug court includes incorporation of drug testing into case processing, creation of an association between a defendant and the court, sending the defendants for treatment soon after identification, providing access to a range of not only treatment but also rehabilitation services and observing self-denial through drug testing. Nolan (2001) found that a single agency can’t alone tackle drug and crime offenders, so drug courts work in cooperation with judge s, court personnel and treatment providers. A large number of drug court evaluations have been done over a decade mainly focusing on two outcomes; criminal recidivism and rates of retention and completion. After discussing pros and cons of drug courts, it is recommended for the county to create an operational drug court which will not only help the government and the tax payers in saving money but also will help in reducing case load of judicial courts. Use of

You can choose the topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

You can choose the topic - Essay Example These finding are alarming and it is a clear call to revisiting safety and health measures at work places. However, work related risks are different in the various sectors with some holding higher risks than others are. This implies that some of the safety and health measures and conditions may differ and hence all organizations should ensure that safety and health measures provided are in line with the risks related to the specific sectors. Therefore, it is the responsibility of every organization to ensure the safety and health of its entire workforce at all times. For instance taking a scenario of a company manufacturing high tech composite components for the US defense department, there are a number of measures that can be taken to ensure safety and health of its workforce. Such companies as the one in reference require significantly many safety and health measures due to the nature of activities carried out in the organization. For starters, the company should ensure to have a well written safety program addressing all the common accidents in relation to the company’s activities. Additionally, the safety program should address all necessary steps that should follow in case of an accident. In manufacturing industries, accidents are prone to happen from time to time therefore it is important to identify some of the most common accidents prone to happen. In a bid to ensure accessibility and frequent revision of these particular accidents, the company can produce some printed copies and attach them on various appropriate sites within the company. Furthermore, it is necessary that the company keeps on updating the written safety program as new accidents occur. With such a program, the entire workforce including new recruits can be alerted on these a ccidents thereby becoming more cautious in dealing with equipment or events attributed to these accidents. In line with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety and health

Blackberry outperform iphone in features and users Research Proposal

Blackberry outperform iphone in features and users - Research Proposal Example Objectives Some people say that iphone is far more superior to blackberry whereas others say that blackberry is superior to iphone in features and users. I strongly believe that blackberry has definite edge over iphone in number of users and better features and the major objective of this research is to establish my claims. Introduction/Background Apple Company’s iphone and Research In Motion (RIM)’s blackberry were the most popular mobile phones in the world currently. These products are currently engaged in fierce battle for supremacy across global markets. For example, Chinese and Indian markets are believed to be the most promising emerging markets in the world now because of the rapid economic growth happening there. Both blackberry and iphone are currently trying to establish in these markets. Both the products have its merits as well as demerits. BlackBerry functions as a personal digital assistant with address book, calendar, memopad, and task list capabilities whereas iphone has features like touch screen, enhanced internet browsing capacities, superior audio and video playing and capturing abilities etc. Bbalckberry can also functions as a portable media player and it is capable of sending and receiving Internet e-mail wherever mobile network service coverage is present, or through Wi-Fi connectivity. Methodology This research is intended to be conducted based on secondary data alone. Internet, printed articles, books etc will be used for collecting secondary data about iphone and blackberry. Both qualitative and quantitative data will be used in this research in order to establish my claims. This research will be completed within two weeks. The first 10 days will be used for collecting data and the last five days will be used for writing the final paper. It can be tentatively conclude that blackberry is superior to iphone. Literature review Black Berry phones have superior messaging features. Auto-text, auto-correct, text prediction, su pport for many languages, keyboard shortcuts, push notifications for email etc are some of the messaging features which are superior to iphone. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, etc can be easily accessed through blackberries. Berry Messenger, Google Talk, ICQ, Windows Live Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger and Yahoo Messenger are the instant message services available in blackberries. Even though, iphone has some of these features, it cannot work as smoothly as blackberries. Blackberries have superior browsing speed and superior message handling facilities compared to iphones. Perhaps even more significantly, the iPhone fails to synchronize as well as the BlackBerry. When a BlackBerry user changes a calendar event or some contact information on his or her desktop computer in Exchange, the changes automatically appear on the BlackBerry. This makes keeping track of basic business information a snap because one never has to worry about acting on outdated data or manually updating one’s handheld. In contrast, the iPhone does not synchronize calendar and contact information wirelessly, which makes it less dependable for information ultimately stored on a server (Hendrickson, 2007) The iPhone’s functions can be easily accessed through a touch screen display using mainly by the finger commands. Moreover the picture quality (25,000 pixels per inch) of iphone is one of the bests among the new generation mobile phones. However, current blackberries have all these

Letter Writing Exercise Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Letter Writing Exercise - Assignment Example Additionally, Felicia is the main contributor of the success of E&Y in terms of clients. However, I would like to draw your attention to some of the challenges that happen at the work place and requires your attention. Despite Felicia being a very successive leader, her reaction towards Curt, the client we visited today, was not that promising. The negative perception she had towards Curt made her to take control of all the talks without taking into consideration of Curl’s requests. Her emotions to clients may lead to the loss of potential clients such as Curl. In connection to the above claim, I think it is recommendable for all accountants to regard all clients we interact with very important to our organization. It is also advisable for us employees to ensure that we control our emotions when talking with clients. Additionally, it is recommendable for us employees to keep the differences we have with clients out of our assigned duties. Otherwise, I affirm that everything is in control despite the little challenge. As one of the accountants, I look forward to ensuring E&Y has achieved its

Enron and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Enron and Ethics - Essay Example Arthur Anderson was recognized by the industry as one of the most prestigious accounting firms in the world. Even though the accounting scam Enron was running was a bit complex, a top accounting firm such as Arthur Anderson should have been able to recognize the accounting irregularities. The accounting firm turned a blind eye and they let the accounting scam continue for years. The Securities and Exchange Commission also did not do a good job of recognizing the scam in time. The SEC failed to perform its job of protecting the investors since they had at their disposal every annual report of the company with its financial statements and they fail to notice the scam the firm was running. The ethical meltdown the firm endured occurred because the executive managerial staff of the company was greedy and extremely unethical. They envision the company as the market leader in its industry when in reality the company had a business model that was completely flawed. At the end of the debacle when things were going down and the scam was revealed the top executives sold their shares fast before they completely lost all their value. The scam was such a secret that even president George Bush was a big backer of the company (Lashinsky, 2001). 2.

The support of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Case Study

The support of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises - Case Study Example Furthermore, Marjolein and Henny (2005) indicated that SMEs Support in most countries has been motivated by the belief that this support generates much employment, encourages people, and is widely provide good opportunities to develop new business, and to enhance its competitiveness within effectiveness performance. In the same manner as varied definitions have been given to small and medium enterprises throughout the entire globe, the researcher has also discovered the different ways by which governments support them. According to Sissenich (2007), the extent of the support given to SMEs in different countries have been a very popular area for research as this has been considered to be of paramount importance to the success of the SMEs which could in turn, bring about positive benefits for the economic growth and development of these countries. For instance, the Chinese Central Bank has adopted several measures by which they could help in lessening the difficulties being experienced by the Small and Medium Enterprises in the country. In general, the said support is firmly anchored on four specific policies that are friendly and of paramount importance to the Small and Medium Enterprises. ... he other hand, shows that governments in Africa does not provide any support for the Small and Medium Enterprises for the country thereby contributing to the failure of such in their country. According to the said author, the absence of the said support has been relatively detrimental to the country's economic growth and development. The report entitled Saudis give priority for developing SME sector (2005) showed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been giving paramount importance to the SME sector since 2005. According to the said report, the country has placed top priority on the said development as a result of their accession to the World Trade Organization. For the authorities in the country, much effort must be given to the reinvigoration and strengthening of the base of the Small and Medium Enterprises as they are the backbone of their economy thus illustrating their importance for the economic growth and development of the kingdom (Saudis give priority for developing SME Sector, 2005). However, there are some aspects of efforts and decisions have been made by the government and private sectors in Saudi Arabia to encourage citizens to establish small to medium- sized businesses. One of these significant decision and extension of support for SMEs in the mentioned state has recently been announced by Human Resources Development Fund (2009) that the (HRDF) decided to provide the applicants, who have already passed the phases of establishing small or medium business and have already received the loan, SR three thousand per month during the first tow years, in order to supply the essential requirements during establishment stage away from the prejudice to the capital. Also the same report listed several organizations that support SMEs, such as Technical and

Reading notes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Reading notes - Essay Example All he wants is to lure Florinda so that he can bed her. However, Florinda is not ready for that. He then tries to rape her, but Belvile appears. That stops the sexual abuse, but Willmore discourages Florinda from reporting the matter to the police. He blames the beauty of Florinda for his sexual arousal and provocation (Scene 3, ln 42-44). Some of the other characters think of Willmore as a rapist and a liar. Florinda and Belvile think that he is a pretender and a rapist when he attempts to rape Florinda. He is an opportunist. He takes the advantage of the serene environ at the garden when Florinda is alone. He is like Blunt in that Blunt vows to rape and defile Florinda. He argues that it will be revenge for the charm that the women use to the men through their irresistible beauties (Scene 4.5, ln 48-51). He is a contrast to other characters such as Pedro, who believe in equality and the fight against violence on

The History and Business of Apple Inc Assignment

The History and Business of Apple Inc - Assignment Example The History and Business of Apple Inc. In 1985, Steve Jobs had to leave Apple because of a management shakeup. After that, Apple’s started turning up as a failure. In 1994, Macintosh line was released but Apple still could not turn up to be profitable and continuing taking huge losses. By the time, Steve Jobs had founded NeXt and Apple decided to acquire NeXT in 1996, and this way Steve Jobs brought back to Apple as a special advisor, who later became CEO of Apple. In 1998, iMac released from where Apple started leading the computer industry. Over the last decade, Apple has redefined the cellphone business through the iPhone, the music business through the iPod, and the entertainment and media world through the iPad. On Oct. 5, 2011, the company announced the death of Mr. Jobs, due to pancreatic cancer. In August 2011, Timothy D. Cook became the company’s chief executive. Company Description Incorporated in 1977, Apple is a California based corporation that designs, manufactures and markets personal computers, mobile communication and media devices, and portable digital music players, and sells a variety of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications. Apple has introduced a wide portfolio of brands including iPhone, iPod, MacBook Air and iPad and operates through 317 retail stores (including 233 retail stores in the US and 84 in other parts of the world). The Company has appr

Covent Garden Essay Example for Free

Covent Garden Essay In this quadrangle the Abbey or Convent of St. Peter, Westminster, maintained a large kitchen garden throughout the Middle Ages to provide its daily food. Over the next three centuries, the monks old convent garden became a major source of fruit and vegetables in London and was managed by a succession of leaseholders by grant from the Abbot of Westminster. This type of lease eventually led to property disputes throughout the kingdom, which King Henry VIII solved in 1540 by the stroke of a pen when he dissolved the monasteries and appropriated their land. King Henry VIII granted part of the land to John Russell, Baron Russell, Lord High Admiral, and later Earl of Bedford. In fulfilment of his fathers dying wish, King Edward VI bestowed the remainder of the convent garden in 1547 to his maternal uncle, Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset who began building Somerset House on the south side of The Strand the next year. When Seymour was beheaded for treason in 1552, the land once again came into royal gift, and was awarded four months later to one of those who had contributed to Seymours downfall. Forty acres (160,000 m? ), known as le Covent Garden plus the long acre, were granted by royal patent in perpetuity to the Earl of Bedford. [edit] 1600s to 1800s The modern-day Covent Garden has its roots in the early seventeenth century when land (the Convents Garden) was redeveloped by Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford. The area was designed by Inigo Jones, the first and greatest of English Renaissance architects. He was inspired by late 15th Century and early 16th century planned market towns known as bastides (themselves modelled on Roman colonial towns by way of nearby monasteries, of which Convent Garden was one). The area rapidly became a base for market traders, and following the Great Fire of London of 1666 which destroyed rival markets towards the east of the city, the market became the most important in the country. Exotic items from around the world were carried on boats up the River Thames and sold on from Covent Garden. The first mention of a Punch and Judy show in Britain was recorded by diarist Samuel Pepys, who saw such a show in the square in May 1662. Today Covent Garden is the only part of London licensed for street entertainment. In 1830 a grand building reminiscent of the Roman baths such as those found in Bath was built to provide a more permanent trading centre. [edit] Modern day period By the end of the 1960s, traffic congestion in the surrounding area had reached such a level that the use of the square as a market, which required increasingly large lorries for deliveries and distribution, was becoming unsustainable. The whole area was threatened with complete redevelopment. Following a public outcry, in 1973 the Home Secretary, Robert Carr, gave dozens of buildings around the square listed building status, preventing redevelopment. The following year the market finally moved to a new site (called the New Covent Garden Market) about three miles south-west at Nine Elms. The square languished until its central building re-opened as a shopping centre and tourist attraction in 1980. Today the shops largely sell novelty items. More serious shoppers gravitate to Long Acre, which has a range of clothes shops and boutiques, and Neal Street, noted for its large number of shoe shops. Londons Transport Museum and the rear entrance to the Royal Opera House are also located on the Piazza. The marketplace and Royal Opera House were memorably brought together in the opening of George Bernard Shaws play, Pygmalion, where Professor Higgins is waiting for a cab to take him home from the opera when he comes across Eliza Doolittle selling flowers in the market. In the mid 1950s, before he directed such films as If and O Lucky Man, Lindsay Anderson directed a short film about the daily activities of the Covent Garden market called Every Day Except Christmas. It shows 12 hours in the life of the market and market people, now long gone from the area, but it also reflects three centuries of tradition in the operation of the daily fruit and vegetable market. Alfred Hitchcocks 1972 film, Frenzy, likewise takes place amongst the pubs and fruit markets of Covent Garden. The serial sex killer in Frenzy is a local fruit vendor, and the film features several blackly comic moments suggesting a metaphorical correlation between the consumption of food and the act of rape-murder. Hitchcock was the son of a Covent Garden merchant and grew up in the area; and so, the film was partly conceived (and marketed) as a semi-nostalgic return to the neighbourhood of the directors childhood. Supermodel Naomi Campbell was also discovered by a model scout at the age of 15 whilst walking through the streets of Covent Garden.

Giotto Di Bondone: Art Style Analysis

Giotto Di Bondone: Art Style Analysis Giotto di Bondone (c. 1277-1337) was a Florentine painter who is widely celebrated as one of the most revolutionary and influential artists in the Trecento Italy. The 16th century art historian Giorgio Vasari praises Giottos gifted artistic talent, intellectual acumen, and pictorial precision: He became such an excellent imitator of Nature that he completely banished that crude Greek style and revived the modern and excellent art of painting. Giotto transformed the flat Byzantine approach by pursuing the naturalistic style that had been neglected by his artistic predecessors. Through close observation of nature, Giotto gave life to forms on a two-dimensional surface. Arguably, his most renowned work is the fresco cycle in Arena Chapel, Padua. Completed around 1305, the fresco paintings in the interior of Arena Chapel were commissioned by Enrico Scrovegni, who dedicated the chapel to the Virgin of Charity in order to repent his and his father Reginaldos sins of usury. In the thirty-ei ght scenes of the cycle, Giotto employed a dramatic narrative program. The episodes not only serve as a visual language showing the lives of the Virgin and Christ, but also reveal a sense of drama and display human interiority that demand the viewers intellectual and psycholocial engagment. How was Giotto able to convey drama and achieve communicative potential? This paper attempts to answer the question by analyzing his artistic style. Before embarking on our discussion of how Giottos artistic elements are dictated in Arena Chapel, we should first look at the organization of the fresco cycle. The thirty-eight episodes are arranged in three registers; the lives of Mary and her parents, Joachim and Anna, begin on the top level, the life and the mission of Christ are depicted on the middle level, and the Passion, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of Christ are on the lower level. The base level below has grisaille paintings alternating with the Virtues and Vices, which are painted in shades of gray in order to mimic marble and sculpture. The Last Judgment, perhaps the climax of the narrative cycle, fills up the majority of the west entrance wall. The barrel-vaulted nave of the chapel is executed in blue-the color that is echoed in all of the backgrounds of the panels, thus enhancing coherence. Each fresco section is surrounded has ornamental borders that not only function as dividing frames but also serve to heighten the realisitc quality of the painted scenes. Emotionalism in Giottos narrative is strengthened by his technique of averting some of his figures from the viewers eyes. He does this consciously by positioning his figures on their backs to the viewers or showing figures only in their profiles. His treatment of figures shows his interest in revealing stories and portraying emotions by concealing some forms. Lamentation in the lower register of the left wall from the chapels entrance shows the essence of his technique. The two mourners who are seen from their backs are not incidental in their positions but play an important role in communicating human drama. The mourning figure in the left corner is holding the head of Christ while the other is holding his right hand. Although we as viewers are not able to witness their facial expressions, we are able to feel the presence of their grief in absence. Through inexplicit images, Giotto is allowing the viewers to internally create an image and feel their silent mournings. Perhaps the rea son that the seated mourners are so simple and voluminous is that Giotto expects the viewers to add details through our own imagining. A similar technique can be seen in Giottos Kiss of Judas, where a relatively small sized figure in a hooded cloak is turning his back to the viewers. Right in front of the figure is Peter stretching his right hand to cut Malchus ear. Giotto included the anonymous figure to let the viewers contemplate and imagine the face of a tormentor who participates in the atrocity. In this way, onlookers can experience deeper emotional responses and relate to the biblical narrative in a much more empathetic way. Baxandall calls such experience a visualizing meditation and states that by omitting details, an artist complements the beholders interior vision. Giotto renders psychological drama through striking gestures and facial expressions on his figures. These elements are the most evident in Lamentation. The ten angels above the body of Christ are frantically flying and thrusting their bodies toward the viewers. They are moving with such great speed and energy that their robes seem to melt into the sky as they dart through the air. Their ghastly expressions of grief allow viewers to empathize. It is also crucial to note that none of them looks the same; each is individualistic in his or her poses and expressions. The angel on the lower right side is wrenching her hair with her two hands while another has her arms outstretched. The one in the middle is dashing toward the viewers with his mouth half open while another covers his face with his drapery. The motions, contortions, and foreshortening of their bodies are so powerfully depicted that their agony and despair are almost palpable. The movement of Saint John the Evangelist is also dramatically represented. He is standing up and bending his body to look down at Christ while throwing his arms back as if in utter shock and disbelief. The pain is apparent in his contorted face. His posture is evocative of the cross, which symbolizes the suffering of Christ. The gesture of Saint John the Evangelist not only heightens the psychological drama but also tells us that he has the room to do it. Thus, it creates an illusionistic space, depth and perspective that make the narrative panel much more true to life. Through a combination of different gestures and expressions, Giotto offers a range of sadness that provokes a powerful emotional response. Giottos narrative is much more dramatized by its sensory impact. Giotto is successful in not only communicating emotions visuallly but also is effective in appealing to the tactile and olfactory senses. In Giottos Meeting at the Golden Gate, viewers can feel the affinity through the touch of Joachim and Anna at the bridge in front of the Golden Gate. Anna is wrapping her hand around the neck of Joachim and her other hand is embracing his cheek while Joachim is drawing Anna toward him. Giotto positioned them so close to each other that their bodies and faces seem to merge in to one flesh. It is the touch that intensifies the old couples blissful emotion. By stimulating the tactile perception of the viewers, Giotto is able to communicate with the psychology of the viewers minds. As Gombrich writes, it is touch that enable[s] us to reconstitute the three-dimensional form in our minds. Giotto has also captured the drama of human interaction in Raising of Lazarus. Here, Giotto included tw o figures on the right who stand directly beside Lazarus. Both have covered their mouths and noses with their cloaks and one of them is even turning away from the scene as if the odor emanating from the decayed body of Lazarus was too sickening to tolerate. Their reactions to the smell add a depth of reality and signal the interaction among the characters portrayed. Through the presence of the two covered figures, Giotto has captured the feeling of unpleasantness. In fact, by appealing to the olfactory senses, Giotto allowed the viewers to become active participants rather than passive observers. Giottos series of fresco paintings in Arena Chapel are the culmination of his artistic skills. Various techniques are combined to communicate with the viewers. Through the concealment, gestures, expressions and tactility of his figures, Giotto provokes a strong emotional response from the viewers who are led to meditate upon his paintings. He has consciously employed his intelligence, ability and precision to suffuse his narrative scenes with human drama, interaction and emotions. Indeed, they are not merely well crafted mural paintings to be passively enjoyed but are combinations of powerful narratives to be actively interpreted. Ultimately, Giottos interest in human experience and naturalism has made the narrative cycle in Arena Chapel so profound and communicative.

Encoding RIP from Elaeis Guaneensis Jacq

Encoding RIP from Elaeis Guaneensis Jacq Detection and expression profiling of two novel transcripts encoding RIP from Elaeis guaneensis Jacq. in Ganoderma boninense interaction 1. Introduction Among several oil-producing plants, oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is a tropical crop which is exclusively grown for oil production. Its high oil yield is extracted from oil palm’s thick fleshy mesocarp which is extremely rich in oil (80% of dry mass). Furthermore, oil palm has the highest oil production (oil per unit land) compared to other oil-producing plants. The extracted oil has been used widely for several applications including, food, cosmetics, and bio-fuel (Paterson 2007; Murphy 2009; Alizadeh et al. 2013). Among various diseases , the basal stem rot (BSR) is known to be the most serious disease in oil palm (Ho and Nawawi 1985). Furthermore, the BSR is caused by Ganoderma boninense which is considered specifically as a â€Å"white rot fungus†. The lignin is broken by the fungus leaving whitish cellulose exposed (Paterson 2007). The infection process is initiated when the oil palm roots are penetrated by fungal mycelia, which is spread out to the stem bole, after which the trunk eventually collapses (Rees et al. 2009). Malaysia and Indonesia have suffered the most severe losses from the BSR; furthermore, the diseases has been identified in Malaysia several decades ago (Ho and Nawawi 1985; Idris et al. 2004; Rees et al. 2007). Oil palms of different genetic origins have shown to have resistance to BSR. However, the genes involved in the resistance of oil palms against G. Boninense were unknown (Idris et al. 2004; Durand-Gasselin et al. 2005). Recently, few defence related genes were identified in oil palm. The major pathogen on oil palm in Malaysia has been identified as G. boninense Pat. Stem rots of oil palm caused by species of Ganoderma are a major threat to the sustainability of the oil palm production. In this study, we have isolated one cDNA encoding RIP’s EST, from oil palm. Its expression in oil palm root infected by G. boninese; was investigated to shed light on its potential involvement during early disease development. 2. Materials and methods 2.1 Sample preparation A total of 24 six-month-old oil palm seedlings (Elaeis guineensis Jacq., DxP, GH500 series) were purchased from Sime Darby Plantation Sdn. Bhd. (Banting Malaysia) and divided into two groups with 12 seedlings in each group, one of these groups were treated with Ganoderma boninense Pat. Strain PER71, while the remaining group served as controls. Seedlings treated with G.boninense were inoculated by sitting each seedling on rubber woodblock fully grown with G.boninense PER71 while the other group of seedlings were inoculated with fungal surface mulch as described by (Alizadeh et al., 2011). Three biological replicates of the seedlings were harvested from each treatment at 4, 8, 12 wpi, respectively. The leaves, roots and stem cell were frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -80 °C (Tan et al., 2013). 2.2 RNA extraction Total RNA was extracted from treated and untreated oil palm root tissues using a modified CTAB method briefly, 0.1 g tissue was ground in liquid nitrogen into a very find powder. The powder was immediately transferred into 1.5 ml extraction CTAB buffer [ 2% (w/v) cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide, CTAB; 100mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0; 2M NaCl; 25 mM ethylenediamineteraacetic acid, EDTA; pH 8.0; 2% (w/v) polyvinylpyrrolidone, PVP; and 2% (v/v) ÃŽ ²-mercaptoethanool]. Equal volume of chloroform/isoamylalcohol (24:1, v/v) was added into the tube and centrifuged at 12,857 g for 15 min at 4 °C. The upper layer was transferred into a new tube and equal volume of phenol/chloroform/isoamylalcohol (25:24:1, v/v/v) was added and centrifuged. This step was repeated until a clear supernatant was obtained. The supernatant was adjusted to a final concentration of 2M LiCl, and incubated at 4 °C for overnight, and then centrifuged. The RNA was dissolved in 5ml diethypyrocarbonate (DEPC) – treated water. An equal volume of chloroform/isoamylalcohol was added, mixed, and centrifuged at 12,857 for 30 min at 4 °C. Precipitation of RNA was performed by adding 0.1 vol of 3M sodium acetate (pH 5.2), 2 vol 100% ethanol and incubated at -80 °C for overnight. After centrifugation, the pellet was washed using 70% ethanol and dissolved in 20ul DEPC-treated water. The quality of RNA was examined by using a Nanodrop( BioRad) at 230, 260 and 280 nm. The RNA integrity was examined using 1.5% agarose gel electrophoresis. The RNA was treated with DNase I (Qiagen, USA) following the manufacturer’s instructions. Figure : Total RNA from various treated and untreated oil palm tissues. Lane A: Untreated control seedling. Lane B: Treated seedlings. 1) Leaf. 2) Basal stem. 3) Root 3. Semi-quantitative Reverse transcriptase (RT-) PCR 3.1 Isolation of cDNA Omniscript â„ ¢ Reverse Transcriptase kit (Qiagen Kit) was used for cDNA synthesis by the following kit manuscript. To obtain the sequence of cDNA from oil palm, gene specific primers were designed based on oil palm expressed sequence tag (EST) (Ho, 2010) and RIP’s type I alignments, using primer 3 version 0.4.0(frodo.wi.mit.edu). 3.2 Sequence analysis of cDNA Semi-quantitative Reverse transcriptase (RT-) PCR was performed on EST using PCR machine with Reverse transcriptase enzyme. Equal amounts of RNA (1ug) extracted from control and treated oil palm root samples were converted into cDNA by using the Omniscript two step Reverse Transcription Kit for cDNA Synthesis (Qiagen, USA) following the manufacturer’s instructions. The resulted sequences shown significant similarities to RIP (Naher et al., 2011). 3.3 Expression profiling Expression levels were calculated by Quantity One 1-D Analysis software 4.6.5 (Bio-Rad) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. PCR products were resolved on 1.5%(w/v) agarose gel (1xTAE) with a DNA mass standard marker (MassRuler TM DNA Ladder, Fermentas). The density of the DNA mass standard dilution series was used to generate calibration curve for absolute quantisation of sample bands by linear regression with extrapolation to zero for each experiment. The density of each sample band was then converted to an absolute quantity using the calibration curve. For each sample band was then converted to an absolute quantity using the calibration curve. For each experiment, the relative band quantity obtained by densitometrric analysis was normalized to the value of the internal control (house-keeping gene) bands which were run in parallel. Identification of differentially expressed genes was based on consistent ford-change across experimental replicates relative to untreate d negative control. Fold changes of ≠¥2- fold or ≠¤0.5-fold were considered as significant. 3.4 Statistical analysis A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine statistical differences (SPSS version 17;SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). When the ANOVA was significant at P 0.05 the Duncan’s multiple range test was used for means comparison. The t-test was used to compare between group means.(Alizadeh et al., 2011) 4. Results 4.1 sequence analysis EgRIP-1b The partial cDNA of EgRIP-1b (Dr. Ho personal comment) encodes a putative type I ribosome inactivating protein. The partial sequence consists 167 nucleotide residues. (Fig. 2). This sequence has the highest identity with RIP type I from Populus trichocarpa (98%, XP_002328056.1), Hordeum vulgare (90%, AAA32951.1) and Chain A, Structure Of Mutant Rip From Barley Seeds (90%, 4FBA_A). The NODE_77734GT was classified in a RIP-like superfamily. A putative conserved domain of catalytic residues and some RIP family domain were in this sequence, including that it is a member of the RIP superfamily.(Fig. 5) (Naher et al., 2011) M I C E S I R F E R I S E F L A T E F P G S S K P P K TGATGATCTGCGAGTCGATTAGATTCGAACGCATCTCCGAATTTCTTGCTACCGAATTCCCCGGCAGTTCGAAACCCCCTAAA W M P A L E H G W G D L S A A L L R A D A N P D R P F TGGATGCCGGCACTCGAGCACGGCTGGGGAGATCTCTTTGCCGCGTTGCTGCGCGCCGATGCCAATCCCGACCGTCCCTTCA Fig. 2. The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of NODE_77734GT. 4.2 sequence analysis EgRIP-1a The partial cDNA sequence EgRIP-1a (GenBank ID: ) encodes a protein of 17 amino acid. The sequence consists 178 nucleotides (Fig. 3). This sequences has the highest identity with other type I RIPs from Nicotiana tabacum (47%, ABY71831.1), Musa acuminate (47%, ABY71832.1), Alocasia macrorrhizos (47%, ABY71829.1), Agave sisalana (47%, ABY71828.1) (Fig. 6.a) and (Fig. 6.b) M R P T P N F H Y E W S A CAGGATTCCAGCCGAGCTCCTGCGATAGCCGAACTTCTACCACATGCGACCTACTCCAAACTTCCACTACGAGTGGTCTGCTC L S K Q TCTCCAAACAA Fig. 3. The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of EgRIP-1a. Fig. 4: multiple alignment of NODE with other type I RIPs. Amino acid residues that are identical in all sequences are highlighted in black while amino acid residues that are highly conserved are highlighted in gray; dashes represent gaps introduced to maximize the alignment. (a) (b) Fig. 5: Multiple alignment of EgRIP-1a with other RIPs. The protein sequences and their accession numbers used for analysis of detected sequence. a) Nucleotide residues that are highly conserved are highlighted in gray; dashes represent gaps introduced to maximize the alignment. b) Amino acid residues that are identical in all sequences are highlighted in black with amino acid residues that are highly conserved are highlighted in gray; dashes represent gaps introduced to maximize the alignment. 4.3 Expression profiles (of RIP) in oil palm root upon Ganoderma inoculation A total of 2 cDNA sequences encoding putative defence-related proteins from oil palm were chosen for gene expression profiling in this study. A relative semi-quantification of EgRIP-1b and EgRIP-1b transcripts were performed by calibrating the expression of each gene with an endogenous control, actin. Fig.6 Shows the relative expression level of EgRIP-1b in roots and basal stems in response to the inoculation of G. boninense at different time points compared with that of negative control plants. In G. boninense-treated plants, the gene expression of EgRIP-1b in oil palm roots at 2 wpi was induced. The expression level were n- and n-fold of the uninfected root tissues at 8 and 12 wpi, respectively.(Naher et al., 2011) The expression level was studied in 3 replication of each sample, there were no significant (P>0.05) differences in expression levels in inoculated plants (Alizadeh et al., 2011). EgRIP-1a was up-regulated n-fold and n-fold at X wpi, respectively; before the transcript level decrease at Y wpi in oil palm root tissue following G.boninense infection (Fig). EgRIP-1a expression level were m-, m- and m-fold of the uninfected basal stem tissues at 2,4, 8 and 12 wpi, respectively. EgRIP-1b and EgRIP-1a were not expressed in time zero, untreated samples and leaf tissues. (I) diseased (II) healthy (a) (b) (c) Fig. 6. Differential expression of EgRIP-1b in variety tissues in response to I) G.boninese treatment compare to those in II )control.. a) root tissue, b) stem cell tissue, c) standard (Rippmann et al., 1997) a) b) Fig. 7. Expression level mean in each biological replicate a) in root; b) in stem (I) diseased (II) healthy (a) (b) (c) Fig. 8. Differential expression of EgRIP-1a in variety tissues in response to I) G.boninese treatment compare to those in II) control.. a) root tissue, b) stem cell tissue, c) leaf tissue d)control (Rippmann et al., 1997) a) b) Fig. 9. Expression level mean in each biological replicate a) in root; b) in stem Fig. 10. Semi-quantification of oil palm EgRIP-1a and EgRIP-1b expression levels in root tissues at 2-12 week after inoculation with G.boninense. Significant up-regulation of gene expression compared to untreated negative control. References Alizadeh F, Abdullah SNA, Chong PP, Selamat A Bin (2013) Expression Analysis of Fatty Acid Biosynthetic Pathway Genes during Interactions of Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) with the Pathogenic Ganoderma boninense and Symbiotic Trichoderma harzianum Fungal Organisms. Plant Molecular Biology Reporter. doi: 10.1007/s11105-013-0595-y Durand-Gasselin T, Asmady H, Flori a, et al. (2005) Possible sources of genetic resistance in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) to basal stem rot caused by Ganoderma boninenseprospects for future breeding. Mycopathologia 159:93–100. doi: 10.1007/s11046-004-4429-1 Ho YW, Nawawi A (1985) Ganoderma boninense Pat . from Basal Stem Rot of Oil Palm ( Elaeis guineensis ) in Peninsular Malaysia. Pertanika 8:425–428. Idris AS, Kushairi A, Ismail S, Ariffin D (2004) SELECTION FOR PARTIAL RESISTANCE IN OIL PALM PROGENIES TO Ganoderma BASAL STEM ROT. Journal of Oil Palm Research 16:12–18. Murphy DJ (2009) Oil palm: future prospects for yield and quality improvements. Lipid Technology 21:257–260. doi: 10.1002/lite.200900067 Paterson R (2007) Ganoderma disease of oil palm—A white rot perspective necessary for integrated control. Crop Protection. doi: 10.1016/j.cropro.2006.11.009 pilotti CA (2005) Stem rots of oil palm caused by Ganoderma boninense: Pathogen biology and epidemiology. Mycopathologia 159:129–137. Rees RW, Flood J, Hasan Y, et al. (2009) Basal stem rot of oil palm ( Elaeis guineensis ); mode of root infection and lower stem invasion by Ganoderma boninense. Plant Pathology 58:982–989. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3059.2009.02100.x Rees RW, Flood J, Hasan Y, Cooper RM (2007) Effects of inoculum potential, shading and soil temperature on root infection of oil palm seedlings by the basal stem rot pathogen Ganoderma boninense. Plant Pathology. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3059.2007.01621.x Tan Y-C, Yeoh K-A, Wong M-Y, Ho C-L (2013) Expression profiles of putative defence-related proteins in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) colonized by Ganoderma boninense. Journal of plant physiology. doi: 10.1016/j.jplph.2013.05.009

Grapes Of Wrath :: essays research papers

The Grapes of Wrath   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath, is a story that takes place during America’s dreadful period of depression. Due to misunderstanding the nature of the entire situation, Steinbeck writes this novel to shine some light on the people about the great migration westward. This novel portrays the life of the Joad family who go through the harsh struggles of poverty and migration. They are forced to leave their drought stricken land in Oklahoma, hoping to find work in California, which to them is the land of opportunity, but soon they find out the horrors behind the picturesque mask. In their quest to reach the promise land, the women play a very special role in which they are distinct and contribute something to the Joad family and to the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most authoritative figure is Ma Joad. She is a very strong southern woman whom the whole family looks upon for support. Ma is a lady who is both strong mentally and physically. Her understanding is acknowledged by the rest of the family to be supreme. Of her emotional strength Tom says. “Her hazel eyes seemed to know, to accept, to welcome her position, the citadel of the family, the strong place that could not be taken.'; (95)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The family felt what Ma felt and let her emotions be in control. “And since, when a joyful thing happened, they looked to see whether joy was on her.'; (95) Because of this she kept strong. She always wants happiness for everyone in the family, that’s why she stays strong. Ma knew that if she were to weak the whole family would fall apart.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  She realizes that they have no home and that the only value and meaning in life is that which they derive from being a family. She keeps the two cars together so they will not be separated and she forces decisions to be made for the benefit of the family. She understands the inner need of each individual member. Ma is to the family as pillars are to a building; if the pillar is weak, the building will soon collapse when anything afflicts it. Even until the end the whole family eventually does fall apart, she still stays strong. It is not because of her weakness that the family falls apart, it is because she allows them to live their own lives according to the way they want to and does not restrict them.

Of Pirate Ships and Silver Steeds :: Personal Narrative Jobs Working Papers

Of Pirate Ships and Silver Steeds We poured the foundation yesterday, and now we were pulling the forms off the cement and hauling them out--back onto Ralph, our two-ton truck. The sun beat down. As I bent over to pick up another eight incher I glanced towards the pit. First, came a black bandanna. Next, came protruding straggles of curly blond hair. Then, a grimace and a roll of the eyes--Danny's trademark--appeared as the young man hauled himself out of the hole. Following the head, came a tattered shirt and matching shorts. The holes in the shorts were normal, but when Danny turned imploringly toward me I discovered the cause of the shredded shirt. Aaron had just hopped off the top of the foundation, and he said as he walked towards the truck, "I'll be back. Tell the other guys. Just do the fillers on the outside, and then you can start on the inside. I should be back by then." Then came the usual, "Take your time. Be careful. Take lunch in a while." Dan raised his arm and asked, "Do I have one back here too? It feels like there is something there, but I can't see it." I swallowed and nodded. "Hop on in Dan," Aaron called as he started the truck. Gingerly Danny responded. They were heading for the hospital where he would receive fifty-three stitches to close up the two holes in his side. "Well, another exciting day working cement," I thought as the F-250 pulled away. Dan had slipped on his first attempt to get out of the hole, and he fell against two flat-ties protruding from the newly created foundation. Flat-ties are those thin pieces of silver metal that stick out from the walls in your basement before it gets finished. As the forms for the walls are being set in place on top of the footings, flat-ties are sent through the wall so that the inside form can be connected to the outside form. Although this whole idea about flat-ties may seem intriguing, the important thing to learn is that if one flat-tie is left out, however insignificant this may seem, the pressure of the cement is sufficient to cause a 'blowout' in the wall. Many times I think that people forget to enjoy the details in their lives, and so events turn into 'blowouts' instead of grand adventures. Mylan, my boss, has a wife and seven girls to worry about.

Decision Support Systems :: essays research papers

Decision Support Systems (DSS) A Decision Support System (DSS) is an information system at the management level of an organization that combines data, analytical tools, and models to support semistructured and unstructured decision-making. A DSS can handle low volume or massive databases optimized for data analysis. DSS has more power than other systems. They are built explicitly with a variety of models to analyze data or they condense large amounts of data into a form where they can be analyzed by decision-makers. DSS are designed so that the user can work with them directly. In the proceeding paragraphs I will give examples of some decision support systems and how they are being used. Integrated Decision Support Corporation (IDSC) is a company that provides decision support software to the truckload transportation industry. IDSC focuses on providing superior decision making software by creating state of the art optimization algorithms. IDSC released a product called NETWISE 3.0 in response to shippers requesting packaged and conditional bids, carriers having a difficult time selecting the lanes that compliment their current network, and determining the dedicated opportunities within a bid. NETWISE 3.0 are a decision support tool used in the analysis of profitability, pricing, and network balance. Companies were having a problem of having their carriers spend countless hours of manpower responding to single bid. NETWISE 3.0 addresses this issue by providing them with an enterprise software package that provides the with the same opportunities as the shipper. IDSC solved the problem of having the carrier determine how to price a lane so that it appears attractive to the shipper and yet still be profitable. During the bid preparation process, NETWISE utilizes a data correction engine that provides an intelligent search for city names and postal codes. Overall NETWISE provides users with a tool that significantly reduces the amount of time required to process a shipper bid. This allows item to be spent on the strategic issues instead of the monotonous details. NETWISE provides an intelligently discipline to the pricing process, resulting in a excellent solution for responding to shippers bids, or determining appropriate annual or daily pricing action. Innovative Systems Techniques (Insyte) designs and installs database management and decision support systems using Vision, their object oriented database technology. As both a technology developer and systems implementers, they uniquely offer clients access to their Vision technology and the direct involvement of their Vision TECNOLOGY and the direct involvement of their Vision Vision TECNOLOGY nad of their highly capable staff.

Argumentative Essay Abortion Essay

Our world today is full of unsolved and controversial issues. Most of them relate to our morals, ethics and religion, thus creating a very strong yes and no, or good and bad side. Abortion has a very outstanding black and white side but also contains traces of each in the alternating colour. This shows that if you were to come to any kind of conclusion on abortion, there would still be a downside to it, and that is primarily why the world cannot agree on this sensitive and emotional issue. An abortion is when the pregnancy is ended so that it does not result in the birth of a child. It allows women to put an end to their pregnancies, but involves killing the undeveloped embryo or fetus. For this reason, it is a very controversial subject. Being pregnant and wishing you weren’t is probably the worst feeling a woman can have. Knowing that if you brought a child into the world and you didn’t want it, or you would have to give it up for adoption is such a disheartening way to start off, and you and the un-born child would be so much better off if you were to terminate the pregnancy and wait for a more appropriate time, or in the case of rape, put the past behind you and move on. When we hear of women having abortions, we seem to automatically think that she wasn’t careful enough, or she didn’t use contraception. We forget to stop and think about the other possible reasons, she may have accidentally become pregnant. Just forgetting to take one pill per packet can reduce it’s effectiveness. Condoms can tear or be forgotten, and emergency contraceptives like the morning after pill are not easily obtainable. 50% of women getting an abortion in Britain used some form of contraception when they got pregnant. This obviously shows that women are having huge problems with using contraception, and something needs to be done about it. This also means that we can’t judge people immediately. Women are still getting pregnant even though they use contraceptives. I think that women have the right to get an abortion if they tried to prevent the pregnacy. My thesis is: Abortion should be legalized. Arguments: 1. Personhood begins at birth, not at fertilization,. 2. Fetuses are incapable of feeling pain when an abortion is performed. 3. An association between abortion and breast cancer is unsubstantiated. Counter arguments: 1. Abortion involves killing a human being 2. Fetuses feel pain during the abortion procedure 3. Abortion increases the likelihood that women will develop breast cancer Refutation of the counter argument: 1. A lot of people have the counter argument â€Å"abortion is murder†. That’s not true, abortion is the termination of a pregnancy, not a baby. Personhood at fertilization, is not a proven biological fact. To think that personhood starts at fertilization is a religious belief, nor a provable fact. 2. According to Stuart W. G. Derbyshire, PhD, Senior Lecturer at the University of Birmingham (England), â€Å"not only has the biological development not yet occurred to support pain experience, but the environment after birth, so necessary to the development of pain experience, is also yet to occur.† 3. The National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have all refuted the reliability of studies claiming abortion can lead to a higher probability of developing breast cancer. 1. Stuart W. G. Derbyshire, PhD, â€Å"Can Fetuses Feel Pain?,† British Medical Journal, Apr. 29, 2006 2. Planned Parenthood of New Jersey, â€Å"Anti-choice Claims About Abortion and Breast Cancer,† Sources used in this report: http://www.bmj.com/content/332/7546/909 http://www.debate.org/abortion-debate/ http://www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereolson/2013/07/questions-about-both-sides-of-the-abortion-debate/ http://www.rfsu.se/Sex-och-politik/Fokus-SRHR/Ratten-till-abort/ www.plannedparenthoodnj.org

Questions on Short-Term Finance

What can managers do to control the cash cycle? What are the tradeoffs In shortening the cash cycle? Know how to calculate: Elements of the cash cycle and the operating cycle Managing the Working Capital Cycle (Chi. L) For what aspects of working capital does financial management have responsibility? What are the two key areas of working capital policy set by financial management? What are the objectives In setting working capital asset policy? What Is the difference between temporary current assets and permanent current assets? In what ways can working capital assets be balanced? What is spontaneous financing of working capital assets?How is the amount to be used determined? What should be considered in choosing between short-term and permanent financing sources for funding working capital assets? What are the tradeoffs? How can the lifetime of assets be matched to the maturity of funding sources (I. E. , what Is a restrictive working capital financing strategy)? How can working cap ital assets be financed more flexibly than with a restrictive strategy? How can they be financed more aggressively? Cash Management (Chi. L & Chi. 2) What is the focus of short-term financial planning? What are the steps of the short-term financial planning process?How are cash collections forecast? How are cash disbursements forecast? What are the elements of a typical cash budget? Why is short-term debt appropriate for covering short-term cash deficits? What are the typical sources of short-term funds? What Is a line of credit? What are the tradeoffs in cash? What is â€Å"cash†? How are borrowing reserves and marketable securities like cash? What is float? What types of float exist? Why do we care about float? How do we deal with float? What tools can we use to manage float? What is a locker arrangement? How do we compare costs and benefits of a locker?How does using a locker help us to manage risk? Elements of a cash budget Float time, float balances; Costs and benefits o f lockers Credit and Inventory Management Managing Accounts Receivable/Setting Credit Policy (Chi. 3) What are the elements of a receivables management program? What are the components of a credit policy? What are the tradeoffs in setting credit policy terms? How does competition affect the optimization of credit policy terms? How can a vendor have a lending cost advantage over other banks and finance companies? Why might a vendor be able to charge a higher price for goods and services by offering reedit?When might a vendor find it necessary to offer credit in order to establish reputation? What are the advantages/disadvantages of open account billing over invoice billing? What factors affect the ideal credit period? What factors determine whether or not credit (early payment) discounts should be offered? What are the five Co's of credit? What tools are used to monitor receivables? How is the impersonal nature of collection agencies both good and bad? In what forms can credit be off ered to customers? How does a firm offering credit to customers finance its own receivables? What is acting of receivables?What are the advantages/disadvantages of factoring? What elements of a credit policy decision can be quantified? How may a change in credit policy affect the costs associated with inventories? How may a change in credit policy affect the costs associated with receivables? In what two ways can projected bad debt losses be affected by a change in credit policy? What are the costs/benefits of offering discounts? Annual percentage costs of credit discounts Costs, benefits, and net benefit of a change in credit policy Break-even probabilities and percentages for a change in credit policy

Gap Model in Services Marketing

The GAP MODEL in SERVICES MARKETING GAP 1 The gap between the customer expected service and company perception of customer expectation. |Inadequate market research. |Design, conduct and implement appropriate market research. | |Poor communication between customers and management and between|Design and implement an upward communications programme. | |front line employees and managers. | | |Lack of, or poor marker segmentation. Build customer relationships through market segmentation | | |techniques and customer retention strategies | |Focus on transactions rather than relationships. | | | | | |Focus on new customers rather than existing customers. | | GAP 2 The gap between company perception of customer expectations and development of customer driven service designs and standards. |Lack of standardization of Service behavior &|Reengineering | |actions. | | | | | |Lack of formal process for setting service |Establish the Service Encounter sequence | |quality goals. | | | | |Lack of customer defined standards. |Identify existing or desired service encounter sequence. | | | | | |Translate customer expectations into behaviors and actions. | | | | |Select behavior and actions for standards | | | | | |Select appropriate ‘Hard’ and ‘Soft’ standards | | | | | |Enable feedback mechanisms for measurement to standards | | | | | |Establish measures and target levels | | | | | |Track measures vs. tandards | | | | | |Give performance to employees | | | | |Inadequate service Leadership |Synthesizing, articulating, promoting commitment and implementing the service | | |vision. (The leadership model). | | | |Lack o f understanding that that quality |PIMS research. | |service is indeed a profit strategy | | | | | |Incomplete performance appraisal system |In addition to financial measures include, the customer perspective, the | | |operational perspective and the innovative perspective to performance appraisal. | GAP 3 The Gap between Customer driven service designs and standards and service delivery. The Employees’ roles in service delivery |Human Resources Strategies | | | | |Ineffective recruitment |Hire the right people | |Role ambiguity and role conflict | | |Poor employee-technology-job fit |Develop people to deliver service quality | |Inappropriate evaluation and compensation systems| | |Lack of empowerment and teamwork |Provide needed support systems | | | | | |Retain the best people | | | | | |(Details in the human resource strategies wheel pg 312 Zeithaml) | |Key factors related to Intermediaries |Strategies for effective service delivery through intermediaries | | | |Channe l conflict over objectives and performance |Develop and implement: | |Channel conflict over costs and rewards |Control strategies | |Difficulty controlling quality and consistency |Empowerment strategies | |across outlets |Partnering Strategies | |Tension between empowerment and control | | |Channel ambiguity | | |Key factors related to Customers |Strategies for enhancing customer participation | | | | |Customers lack understanding of their roles |Define customers job | |Customers unwilling or unable to perform their |Recruit, Educate and reward customers | |roles |Manage the customer mix | |Customers are not rewarded for good performance | | |Other customers interfere | | |Market segments are incomplete | | |Key factors related to demand and capacity |Strategies for matching supply and demand | | | | |Failure to smooth peaks and valleys of demand |Match supply and demand through (i) shifting demand to match capacity or | |Overuse of capacity |(ii) flexing capacity to meet demand | |Attracting inappropriate customer segments to |Demonstrate the benefits and risks of yield management strategies in | |build demand |establishing balances mong the service variables | |Relying too much on price to smooth demand |Manage waiting lines for time when capacity and demand cannot be aligned | |Legal and Cultural barriers in International |Opportunities in International services | |marketing |Adapting the service | | |Adapting promotion and distribution | | |Adapting entry modes | | |Adapting communications | | |Adapting workforce management | | |Adapting service employees incentives | | |Adapting service standards | | |Adapting market research internationally | GAP 4 The Gap between Service Delivery and External communications to Customers Factors relating to communications |Strategies to match service promise with delivery | | | | |Inadequate management of service promises |Manage service promises | |Over promising in advertising and personal selling|Reset custom er expectations | |Insufficient customer education |Improve customer education | |Inadequate horizontal communication |Manage horizontal communications | |Differences in policies and procedures across | | departments | | |Key factors relating to pricing |Pricing Strategies | | | | |Assuming customers have reference price for | | |services |Match customer perception of value with appropriate pricing strategy that | |Narrowly defining price as monetary cost |match each customer definition | |Signaling wrong quality level with inappropriate |Cost based | |price |Demand based | |Not understanding customer value definitions |Competition based | |Not matching price strategy to customer value |Value based | |definitions | | |Key factors related to Physical Evidence |Physical evidence strategy | | | | |Incompatible or inconsistent physical evidence | | |Over promising through physical evidence |Recognize the strategic impact of physical evidence | |Lack of physical evidence strate gy |Map the physical evidence of services | | |Clarify roles of the services cape | | |Assess and identify physical evidence opportunities | | |Be ready to update and modernize the evidence | | |Work cross-functionally |

Analysis on Things Fall Apart

Antonio Church March 21, 2013 Things Fall Apart Analysis The purpose of this paper is to provide the audience with my analysis of Chinua Achebe’s â€Å"Things Fall Apart. † I am going to start off by explaining the setting of the book. I feel that these types of facts are important to the story in making it readable to the audience. If you understand where and when the story is taking place, you will get a good understanding of what the story is actually symbolizing. Once I finish that, I am going to discuss some of the key characters in the book along with some of the problems they faced.After that, I plan to fully analyze Chinua Achebe’s book that includes key themes, maybe some important symbols that make you dig deeper into the point of the book itself. This also includes the decisions of the main character that lead to rising action and/or falling action in the book. This is pretty much the meaning behind the book and helps the reader understand what the aut hor wanted us, as readers, to know as far as the main point of writing about the subject he or she chose. Then I am going to end it off with an ending statement of what I actually thought about the book summarizing what was talked about previously.Chinua Achebe’s, â€Å"Things Fall Apart†, take place in the lower villages of Nigeria, Africa. Further reading states these could possibly be the villages of Mbanta, Iguedo, and Umuofia (where it is most of the time) in the time period of the 1890s. The setting shows that the story could be about an African successor of some sort before even starting to read. The setting also sets the narrator’s tone for the story. It seems, by reading on, that the narrator is or was possibly a native of the villages by the way he talked and discussed 1 the actions of the characters.The narrator’s tone also show signs of sympathy for the characters which makes the reader believe he was once or still is a native of the village. Now I am going to discuss some of the key characters of the story and their significance in the story. After reading a couple chapters of the book, the reader can catch on to who the protagonist (main character) could be. I believe the main character is Okonkwo, a native of the village Iguedo. It was said that Okonkwo was a great warrior and he proved those words were correct by defeating the once undefeated Amalinze the Cat in a wrestling match.The Cat was undefeated for seven years before going down to Okonkwo. Okonkwo was trying everything he could not to be anything like his deceased father, Unoka. I remind you that Okonkwo was considered a warrior in his village because his father was the exact opposite. In the reading, the narrator states that Unoka didn’t like blood or the sight of blood so there was no warrior type qualities in him. Okonkwo prided on being active and being what he calls, â€Å"manly. † He always wanted to prove that laziness got you nowhere and he really despised lazy men because his father was nothing but a lazy man.His father would always borrow money and eventually lose any money he had. As a kid, Okonkwo remembered his father being unable to feed his family because he was so lazy and made them starve of hunger. So Okonkwo set the standards of a man to be everything his father wasn’t rejecting anything his father stood for. Okonkwo was married three times to three different wives and with that brought many children. While trying not to be like his father, Okonkwo eventually started having a hard time adjusting to the lifestyle he had. He started having trouble being a father and remaining relevant in the village he resided.As he started to realize that he cannot keep up, the reader was left wondering if he’d ever get it together. 2 The major conflict in this story has something to do with change. A change in tradition causes Okonkwo to become more irrelevant and his decision-making is weighed heavily to b e negative. The renovations in tradition of Umuofia, brought about by the whites, were eventually followed by most of the villagers that caused the tradition of the village to take a sudden change; a change that Okonkwo could not keep up with.The theme for this conflict could possibly be the struggle between tradition and change. I think this theme fits because it describes that there was a change from traditional (original) to something new, which would be tough for anyone at any time. Another conflict would be the obvious of Okonkwo trying not to be anything like his father. I don’t blame him by the way he described his father. No strong willed man wants to be a lazy, weak individual who can’t provide for his family. Every man wants to be strong, stand on his own two feet and succeed both financial and physically.Things take a abruptly negative turn when Okonkwo is eventually exiled for unintentionally killing a member of the clan. To my understanding, Okonkwo believ ed that it was a court messenger. Okonkwo then starts to feel weak because of this. He starts to think he has no power, no respect, or support from the fellow villagers. Of course, when your own all take a stand to turn against you, one will feel betrayed and ashamed. This led to Okonkwo believing that not only he has become weak, but his clan has become weak as well.So what does he do? He separates himself from the trouble; the anguish of depression and the thought of becoming anything like his father was something he simply could not take. So like any coward that cannot take the pressure of becoming a failure, he commits suicide by hanging himself. For someone who doesn’t want to be a disgrace, failure, and weak individual, he sure went out like one. 3 This was a good book to me. I believe that it had much significance to the Nigerian villages in which were discussed in the book.The author wanted us to know about Okonkwo and his struggle to accept change in a traditional en vironment. He wanted us to see how failure could eventually lead to depression and downfall. I feel that the author was trying to tell us that Okonkwo ended up trying not to be anything like his father but, in some cases, ended up to be just like him. By reading, I can say I feel that Okonkwo went out like a coward because anyone who commits suicide is nowhere near a strong willed â€Å"manly† man. His whole life, Okonkwo was trying to set an example for his deceased father by being everything he couldn’t be.This eventually led to his downfall because he was so strung on being this dominant individual; he lost sight of what was really going on, which was change. Change was the main reason life was eventually hard for him. But overall, I believe the book to be a great read. In conclusion, â€Å"Things Fall Apart,† by Chinua Achebe was a book about nothing less than a traditional man struggling to change. The setting was said to be in about the 1890s in the villag es in Nigeria. One village in particular, Umuofia was where most of the story took place.I’ve explained to you that Okonkwo was a native of Iguedo and was this great warrior of the Umuofia clan. His father, Unoka, was considered a weak, poor, and cowardly man. Okonkwo set out in his life to be everything his father couldn’t be. He later became a victim of change and found himself becoming weak and unable to provide just like his father. Unable to deal with the agony of becoming any split image of his father and realizing his clan was becoming weak, he decided to hang himself and commit suicide. The perfect story of how success plus anger and violence brings a strong willed man to become weak. 4

The production and the sales of cigarettes should be made illegal Research Paper

The production and the sales of cigarettes should be made illegal - Research Paper Example It is harmful is many different ways. There is nothing positive and healthy about smoking cigarettes. A lot of people around the world are now strongly addicted to smoking and considering the side-effects and long term impacts of cigarette smoking, many people want to quit their habit. Everybody has learned from the very early stage of their life that smoking is injurious to health but not everyone knows the gravity of its effects. People who smoke are not even well-aware of the damage they are causing to their health. According to Casey Holley, â€Å"Smoking cigarettes affects almost every aspect of a smoker's life. Every internal organ is affected by smoking. Many of the effects of smoking are at least partially reversible if the smoker quits smoking†. According to a report published by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it has been estimated that 443,000 each year are caused due to the side effects of smoking. According to the report, â€Å"Smoking causes an estim ated 90% of all lung cancer deaths in men and 80% of all lung cancer deaths in women.† As a result, it should be understood by the smokers that how much loss they are causing to their health. Still we cannot impose a ban on the production and sales of cigarettes because the choice of smoking is solely an individual’s choice for his own health. ... On the other hand, comparing the adverse effects of smoking with alcohol addiction, it can be analyzed that alcohol has been found with more grave and intense side-effects. It not only affects the health but it also causes threat to the lives of many innocent people around. A cigarette smoker may cause harm to its environment, his own health and also, he may effects the health of the other person but at the same time, while smoking in an open environment may restrict him from causing damage to the other person’s health. But alcohol can directly affect the lives of many people. For example, individuals who drink and drive are risking the lives of other people than those who smoke and drive. Alcohol consumers have an unstable family life than those who are intensely addicted to smoking. Similarly, no cigarette smoker can sexually abuse or harass and even, kill a person under the influence of cigarette; however, many cases have been observed where the person has killed, raped or physically abused a person under the influence of alcohol. According to Chris Hawkey (2009), thousands of people die annually due to alcohol-related diseases as compared to cigarettes. Alcohol not only destroys an individual’s health but it also dismantles his self-esteem and dignity. If restricting or banning advertising of cigarettes can be banned then a same rule should be applied on the advertising of alcohol. In some parts of the world including France, a strict ban has been imposed on alcohol advertising. However, in other parts of the world, advertising of cigarettes is considered as an impending threat which can influence the young teenagers and other people to smoke but no one, considers the compelling ads of

Discuss the prospects for a peaceful resolution to the Essay

Discuss the prospects for a peaceful resolution to the isreali-palestinian conflict.What are the core issues that need to be resolved for lasting peace to occur - Essay Example decades in order to bring about lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians but all of these attempts have ended up in failure mainly because of the unwillingness of either side to make concessions that are deemed to be advantageous to their rivals. The result has been that the conflict has remained intense and this to such an extent that it has become common for both sides to level accusations and counter accusations towards each other over their unwillingness to bring about lasting peace. It is essential to note that there are many issues that have to be resolved in order for lasting peace to be brought about in this region, some of which will be discussed in this paper. Among the issues to be resolved are the following; the conflict of identity, socio-psychological barriers, religion, justice and fairness as a barrier, and finally, the strategic decisions taken during the peace process. One of the biggest issues that have to be resolved in order to bring the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to an end is the conflict of identity. This is a situation which developed as a result of the forced removal of Palestinians from their land during the war of 1947 to 1949 which brought about the Palestinian refugee crisis (Flapan 1987, p.4; Morris 2004, p.48). This crisis has become one of the major issues of contention during the peace process because it has brought about a situation where among the points made by Palestinian authorities is that the refugees have a right to return to their ancestral lands. The argument for return is one which is normally bitterly opposed by Israel because it would essentially mean the invalidation of the Jewish state and recognition that it has settled Palestinian land illegally. This is a concession that Israel is unwilling to make because it would essentially bring its development over the last six decades to a halt. Furthermore, most Israelis b elieve that the land that was occupied starting from 1948 is their ancestral land and that

Gambling in Cyberspace the Ethical Dilemma Essay

Gambling in Cyberspace the Ethical Dilemma - Essay Example With the technological advancements, it has become increasingly important to understand ethics related to this phenomenon such as concerning privacy and security issues (Lim, 2007). Online gambling has emerged as one of the most debated issues when the ethics of information technology is discussed. This can be attributed to the fact that gaming industry has started to sweep across the American nation, and as such, a flood of ethical issues has been in tandem with it (Ho?rnle and Zammit, 2010). This paper will discuss the ethical dilemma of gambling in cyberspace. Introduction Online gambling is officially considered to have started on 18 August 1995 when Internet Casinos Inc. put the first virtual casino upon the internet. This site offered 18 different online gambling games. The online gambling industry gained prominence and in less than four years, it had exploded. It is estimated that in 1996 alone, about $1.2 million had been wagered online. It was estimated that this amount had increased to $10 billion annually by 2000 (Dunnington, 2003). Online gambling has grown over the years to have an effect on many people and spheres of the American society. For example, a number of states in recent years have taken it upon themselves in implementing commercial casinos in order to generate takes, as well as provide monetary relief for state governments facing budget deficits. It has however been observed that gambling has led to addiction thus raising ethical issues in the society (Spapens, Littler and Fijnaut, 2008). It is argued that it has led to increase in crime, as well as social and psychological problems associated directly with losing. Nonetheless, from an economic point of view, online gambling help to create jobs and generate taxes for state governments. It is estimated that gambling industry influences about one million are directly or indirectly. As such, while it presents some ethical issues, there are economic benefits to justify it. It is because of t his reason that there has been ethical dilemma regarding gambling, and more particularly about online gaming (Gainsbury, 2012). Primarily, there are two main standpoints for the ethical dilemma of gambling in cyberspace: the arguments against online gambling and arguments made for online gambling. The opponents of online gaming argue that it further confuses the legality issue, as it blurs the line between illegal and legal gambling. Different states have varying position on gambling and therefore confusion reigns from one state to another on varying extent (Ho?rnle and Zammit, 2010). According to available data, 48 states have certain forms of legalized gambling such as casino games, racetracks, and lotteries. However, they lack or have little consistency in gambling laws. Some states have outlawed casino gambling but have made them legal based on reservations. The critics of online gambling further argue that it breeds addiction. In some cases, online gaming has been criticized of giving access to millions of people who would otherwise not have access to such amount of money. Therefore, it has led the society to have more gamblers and so more addicts of gambling (Harrison, 2000). The consequence of this has been that some people have even sacrificed their homes and jobs over the need of paying off gambling debts. This has caused depression and stress on the affected individuals

Forensic Medicine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Forensic Medicine - Essay Example It entails relation with the observations and the doctors are the primary witnesses and they are required to give their opinions based on truth and without any bias towards the side they are representing. Medical confidentiality can raise conflicts between law and medicine (Forensic-Medecine.info, n.d.). Forensic medicine is an important area of forensic science and it involves the application of medical knowledge to civil and criminal law. The areas of medicine that are used in forensic medicine are pathology, psychiatry, and anatomy. Forensic medicine is involved in cases such as those concerning mental illness, blood relationship, death resulting from violence, and injury. Autopsy is basically used in the determination of the cause of death (such as poison or gunshot wound) specifically in situations where it is suspected there was foul play. Post-mortem examination can also provide important information such as the length of time a person has been dead (the information can assist in tracing the killing) (Forensic-Medecine.info, n.d.). Every minute a number of people are either injured in a crime or are killed under unknown circumstances. The determination of the cause of the injury or death is sometimes very difficult especially when a foul play is suspected to have happened. Forensic medicine has come in handy to assist in the investigation of the type of crime and manner used in inflicting injury and the cause of death. Forensic medicine is an exhilarating subject since it offers the investigator in this case a forensic pathologist to explore the mechanisms and manner of death of the victim in question. It has also assisted in solving rape cases and a number of court cases that involved the death of the victim in question. In simple times, forensic medicine can be equated to the application of medicine in the legal field. The relationship between law and medicine started in the early periods and the bonds which united

Microeconomics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Microeconomics - Term Paper Example However, since the buying and selling is common to all participants of economy, therefore microeconomics plays an important role in determining the supply and demand of goods. As this factor is responsible for price fixation of goods and services, the change in supply vs. demand position can lead to change in price. As resources become limited, microeconomics tries to analyze the relationship between market conditions, product prices, as well as the market mechanism which establishes this relationship. Such mechanism has a great role to play in the allocation of resources, in such scenario. Therefore, microeconomics has a significant role in determining the conditions required for a perfect competition. It also studies the conditions which may have led to market failure, when results are not produced efficiently. However, microeconomics can only establish the theoretical conditions, while actually market behavior may be different, sometimes. Accordingly, studies in this field of econ omy would include decision making ability under uncertain market condition. It also includes the study of market, which may not follow any pattern. This term paper would discuss about the principles of microeconomics, along with its fundamentals, in the following pages. Principles of microeconomics As there is a great relationship between a household and economy; Greek ancestors have correctly named the manager of a household as ‘economy’. Looking at the wider scenario, the household is an economic entity within a larger society. The society must ensure the allocation of funds and jobs to different members, while managing the available limited resources. Therefore the decisions need to be taken, keeping in view certain fundamentals, which are considered as the principles of microeconomics, which help people in making their decisions. Supply and demand In economic terms, demand means willingness, need and ability to purchase certain goods or services. However, desire to purchase may meet the requirement of willingness, but same only cannot generate demand. The purchaser must be able to pay for the specific good or service. The payment method can vary, as sellers except cash, credit cards, deferred payment or lease payments, nowadays. The capacity to purchase the good determines the ability for generating the demand. Readiness to purchase the good, right now, comes after the above two requirements of demand have been met. Once the immediate purchase willingness is confirmed the demand gets generated. (beggs 1) Supply relates to the available quantity of a particular good or service at a point in time, in a particular location. Supply would primarily comprise of two elements. One is the quantity of goods produced by a firm, while other is the combined quantity of same goods produced and offered for sale by different firms, involved in manufacture and trading of that particular item. However, total availability of such goods in market refers to the su pply of the same. Supply would relate with the profit to be generated by offering such goods for sale. As companies prefer to sell their products at maximum profit level, this would determine the quantity and quality of goods that the firm can offer at any particular point. Maximum profit is calculated, based on the cost inputs, production costs, marketing costs and other variables. Therefore, all these factors would ultimately determine the supply position a

Employee Appraisals Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Employee Appraisals - Assignment Example Concerning communication, informal discussions may take place on a daily basis. This method is very crucial in providing immediate feedback and help steer changes more easily and at times more conveniently. Formal appraisals are more detailed and properly laid down. They are known to provide the management and the employees the opportunities they need to review prior performance, discuss, or communicate expectations of each party, and make plans for the future development of the company. If the employees have their weaknesses pointed out, there is no doubt they will want to improve. As mentioned above, performance appraisals are helpful in communicating the expectations of a job. If the employees are continually informed on what is required of them, they will not be acting blindly but will be having the goals of the company on mind. The understanding on the roles they are supposed to play in the business that makes it possible to increase their performance. In other words, the system helps the employee prioritize on their duties. Most employees may feel detached from their jobs if the relationship between them and their supervisors is a master-servant one. The performance appraisals work effectively in opening the lines of communication between the two parties thus making the employees feel like they are business partners. The strategic advantage created in this case is one that sees a system foster its employees’ performance and in turn boost the prospects of success for the business.

How does adult movies affect our lives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

How does adult movies affect our lives - Essay Example But interestingly, such reactions are not pronounced in response to violence and profanity, although these are equally harmful influences. Nevertheless, while people hesitate to talk about indulgence in pornography in the public space, it continues to be a part of their private lives. (Nutt, 2010, p.91) This is not a universal rule, of course, but applies to a majority of adult male population. The degree of patronage of adult women is lesser compared to that of men. Also, adolescents of both genders watch pornography on a regular basis. Uncontested as these facts may be, they are not openly acknowledged or discussed. This essay will argue that despite muted mention of adult movies in public lives of people, it does affect them deeply in many aspects. One of the problems thrown open by the Internet is the increased chances of inadvertent exposure to pornography. Peer-to-peer networking software, which facilitates easy and quick transfer of movie files among Internet users, is proving to be the chief mode of pornography consumption among adolescents and adults alike. But the issue arises when pre-teens get accidental exposure to advertisements and landing sites for pornographic material. Considering that pornography accounts for a majority of Internet traffic, it is near impossible for a regular user of the Internet to evade this deluge. In unfortunate cases where children get exposed to it, they can become adversely affected both psychologically and physiologically, leading to problems in their family, social and academic lives. (Nutt, 2010, p.91) Psychologist Patricia Greenfield has done extensive research on the influence of adult movies on the behavior and attitudes of children and adolescents. Her findings are consistent with the stated thesis of this essay, as there is hardly anything benign about this influence. For example, in her testimony to the Congressional Committee on Government Reform, she notes that inadvertent exposure to pornography when childr en and adolescents utilize peer-to-peer file sharing networks on the Internet, can lead to a range of adverse consequences. In her assessment, pornography and related sexual media such as music videos and R-rated movies available in the Internet does influence "sexual violence, sexual attitudes, moral values, and sexual activity of children and youth." (Greenfield, 2004, p.743) For example, "A number of surveys, from junior high to college, indicate that exposure to MTV (MTV-style music video files are very common on peer-to-peer networks) and R-rated films are correlated with premarital sexual permissiveness. Experimental studies confirm that exposure to music videos such as those seen on MTV can actually liberalize attitudes toward premarital sex, and this is particularly true for girls." (Greenfield, 2004, p.743) Further, a field experiment study revealed that those adolescents (males) who viewed adult movies that hinted at positive effects of sexual aggression such as the sexual arousal of the woman, made them more accepting of aggression in sexual and non-sexual contexts. Similarly, video depictions of "sexual relations between unmarried partners - in all-pervasive characteristic of pornography—affected 13- and 14-year-olds’ moral judgments concerning premarital and extramarital sex: Their judgments became more

Feminist Movement in the 1960's Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Feminist Movement in the 1960's - Research Paper Example The first wave was less radical and dealt with issues such as women’s voting rights and gender equality. The second however broadened the spectrum and agitated for issues such as sexual liberation, workplace inequalities and legal inequalities. One of the factors that propelled this movement was feminist publications. In Betty Friedman’s book; The Feminine Mystique, she put’s forward among other things, that woman should not be relegated to the home as it is a waste of her potential (Helium: Understanding the 60s' women's liberation, par 4 Sept. 2008). It was a bestseller world over and influenced many feminists after its publication in 1965. Women attempted to empower themselves through the law through steps in the legal arena one such being the 1963 bill by Esther Saperstein introduced into state legislature meant to create a Commission on the Status of Women in conjunction with relevant national legislation. . (Encyclopedia of Chicago: Feminist movements 2004) .They also formed feminist movements. It is in these period movements such as that the women’s liberation movement, which argued that women suffered both personal and political oppression in a male-dominated society and Chicago women’s liberation movements (1965) were formed (Encyclopedia of Chicago: Feminist movements, 2004). ... Feminists also agitated for freedom in sexual reproduction; they demanded access to abortion services, rape clinics and family planning services. They even went as far as to; through a movement named â€Å"Jane† to provide abortions in Illinois despite its being illegal there. Several landmark legislations for the feminist movement were passed at this time. Such included the Equal Pay Act of 1963 which disallowed sex based discrimination between men and women working under similar conditions. (Helium: Understanding the 60s' women's liberation, par 7 Sept. 2008) The civil rights amendment of 1964 also guarded against discrimination based on gender, race color or creed. This however did not always guarantee that the discrimination would stop and even while they were in place Betty Friedman in 1966 formed now an organization that interrogated the discriminative practices in work place. This showed that despite changing the laws, it would take a lot more to change the minds of peo ple (Helium: understanding the 60s' women's liberation, par 7 Sept. 2008). During the Miss America pageant in 1968, a group of feminists protested the move and claimed that through such pageants, they were being viewed as sex objects. They demonstrated and in what were popularly known as bra burnings; they removed their bras and called for a bra ban. Such action did raise criticism in some quarters where it was said that their actions to fight the view as sex objects made them the same thing. This however is just an opinion. Through these actions, women were showing the world that they could not and would not be ignored and they were willing to do whatever needed doing to get on equal footing with men and