HBCU Timeline 1837 to 1870

Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education established with the purpose of providing training and education to African-Americans.  When the Institute for Colored Youth was established in 1837, its purpose was to teach  African-Americans skills necessary to be competitive in the 19th Century job market. Students learned to read, write, basic math skills, mechanics and agriculture. In later years, the Institute for Colored Youth was a training ground for educators.Other institutions followed with the mission of training freed African-American men and women. It is important to note that several religious institutions such as the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), United Church of Christ, Presbyterian and American Baptist provided funding to establish many schools.   Timeline 1837: Cheyney University of Pennsylvania opens its doors. Established by Quaker Richard Humphreys as the â€Å"Institute for Colored Youth,† Cheyney University is the oldest historically black school of higher education. Famous alumni includes educator and civil rights activist Josephine Silone Yates.   1851: The University of the District of Columbia is established. Known as the â€Å"Miner Normal School,† as a school to educate African-American women. 1854: The Ashnum Institute is founded in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Today, it is Lincoln University. 1856: Wilberforce University was established by the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. Named for abolitionist William Wilberforce, it is the first school owned and operated by African-Americans. 1862: LeMoyne-Owen College is established in Memphis by the United Church of Christ. Originally founded as the LeMoyne Normal and Commercial School, the institution operated as an elementary school until 1870.   1864: Wayland Seminary opens its doors. By 1889, the school merges with Richmond Institute to become Virginia Union University. 1865: Bowie State University is founded as Baltimore Normal School. Clark Atlanta University is established by the United Methodist Church. Originally two separate schools—Clark College and Atlanta University—the schools merged. The National Baptist Convention opens Shaw University in Raleigh, NC. 1866: The Brown Theological Institute is opened in Jacksonville, Fl. By the AME Church. Today, the school is known as Edward Waters College. Fisk University is founded in Nashville, Tenn. The Fisk Jubilee Singers will soon begin touring to raise money for the institution. Lincoln Institute is established in Jefferson City, Mo. Today, it is known as Lincoln University of Missouri. Rust College in Holly Springs, Miss. opens. It is known as Shaw University until 1882. One of Rust College’s most famous alumna is Ida B. Wells. 1867: Alabama State University opens as Lincoln Normal School of Marion. Barber-Scotia College opens in Concord, NC. Founded by the Presbyterian Church, Barber-Scotia College was once two schools—Scotia Seminary and Barber Memorial College. Fayetteville State University is founded as Howard School. The Howard Normal and Theological School for the Education of Teachers and Preachers opens its doors. Today, it is known as Howard University. Johnson C. Smith University is established as the Biddle Memorial Institute. The American Baptist Home Mission Society founds the Augusta Institute which is later renamed Morehouse College. Morgan State University is founded as Centenary Biblical Institute. The Episcopal Church provides funding for the establishment of St. Augustine’s University. The United Church of Christ opens Talladega College. Known as Swayne School until 1869, it is Alabama’s oldest private black liberal arts college. 1868: Hampton University is founded as Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute. One of Hampton’s most famous graduates, Booker T. Washington, later helped to expand the school before establishing Tuskegee Institute. 1869: Claflin University is founded in Orangeburg, SC. The United Church of Christ and United Methodist Church provide funding for Straight University and Union Normal School. These two institutions will merge to become Dillard University. The American Missionary Association establishes Tougaloo College. 1870: Allen University is founded by the AME Church. Established as Payne Institute, the school’s mission was to train ministers and teachers. The institution was renamed Allen University after Richard Allen, founder of the AME Church. Benedict College is established by the American Baptist Churches USA as Benedict Institute.

Lead Time Management at Littlefield Labs - 642 Words

Lead Time Management at Littlefield Labs Background Littlefield Laboratories has opened a new blood testing lab. This laboratory uses the same process as the lab encountered in your prior assignment, Capacity Management at Littlefield Labs—neither the process sequence nor the process time distributions have changed. The lab began operations with a raw materials inventory of 160 kits and $1,000,000 cash. Customer demand continues to be random, but the expected daily demand will not change during the lab’s life span. Expert advisors know that demand will end abruptly on Day 268 and the lab will no longer be necessary. Any remaining machinery or inventory will be useless after Day 268, and thus have no residual value. Management would like†¦show more content†¦Deliverables Your team will write a three-page executive summary of the actions taken during your tenure. This report will explain your reasoning for the decisions made and it will provide a retrospective assessment of their effectiveness. You must show analysis to justify your conclusions and make recommendations that would improve laboratory performance in similarShow MoreRelatedCase1046 Words   |  5 PagesAfter having a very successful performance and getting second place on the first Littlefield simulation game we knew what we needed to do to win the second simulation game. We were very eager to outperform our competition and we almost did so, but ended up in second place again with a cash balance of $2,660,393. 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Adult Learning Theory on Healthcare Organizations Free Essays

Healthcare organizations need regular updates on their instructional designs on their employees and staff. This instructional designs or curriculums are much needed to inform the manpower of the organization on recent developments on technologies and applications on cases and situations, new regulations needed to be implemented or any other pertinent information for the organization’s and its staff’s needs to know. However, the method of educating the staff, whom majority are already on their adult stage, should be effective for them, and for the company. We will write a custom essay sample on Adult Learning Theory on Healthcare Organizations or any similar topic only for you Order Now One applicable theory on educating the adult is Malcolm Knowles’ theory of andragogy. Â  It outlines effective methodologies for adult learning. On his theory, adults need to know why they should learn. On this case, the educator or administrator of the organization should make it a point that the staff understood the importance of the new information they should learn. Moreover, adults tend to ask when and where they will be able to use their new learning on real-life situations. Again, the educator should explain that the series of discussions to be made is for their self-improvement inside the organization towards the company’s goal and vision. Finally, adult learners should be well motivated on their new experience and learning. Incentives such as increased, self-esteem, job satisfaction and quality of life are significant in giving adults a basis to learn. Â  The various methodologies on adult learning and adult education are important for every educator. They should be also be knowledgeable on different approaches and techniques on educating an adult. Knowles’ theory is imperative for an educator developing an educational program so that we can address the consistent growing demands of adult education. Reference Holton, E. F., Swanson, D. A., Knowles, M. S. (2005). The Adult Learner. Butterworth-Heinemann How to cite Adult Learning Theory on Healthcare Organizations, Essays

Leadership and Organizational Studies

Question: Discuss about the Leadership and Organizational Studies. Answer: Introduction The given report highlights the importance of strategic analysis for the modern organizations. The current business environment has witnessed a higher level of competition among business firms. Internal analysis is the process of reviewing the strength, weakness, threat and opportunities of an organization. It is the process by which the specific characteristics of the organization such as capabilities, resources and the core competencies can be identified. Identification of Resources and Competencies of Telstra Corporation limited The sustainable competitive advantages of Telstra are it is the largest telecommunication provider in Australia, it has huge and continuously growing customer base, it provides latest technologies like cloud computing and it provides high quality and excellent customer services (Telstra.com.au, 2017). These capabilities of the firm are considered as competitive advantages as these factors help the organization to retain the existing customers and to earn new potential customers by providing them with advanced technologies and satisfactory customer services. Therefore, this results into increased revenue as well as increased profit of the firm. The capabilities of the firm Telstra Corporation Limited are whether capable or not to create business advantages can be better understood through VRIO analysis and Value chain analysis. VRIO Analysis of Telstra Corporation Limited Resource or Capability Valuable Rare Inimitable and Non-substitutable Organized to Exploit Impact on Competitive Advantage Largest Telecommunication provider in Australia Yes Yes Yes Yes Realized sustainable competitive advantage Huge and Continuously Growing Customer Base Yes No No Yes Realized Competitive Parity Provides Latest Technologies (Cloud Technology) Yes Yes Yes Yes Realized sustainable competitive advantage High-quality and Excellent Customer Service Yes No Yes Yes Realized Temporary Competitive Advantage Value Chain Analysis of Telstra Corporation Limited The above figure indicates that the infrastructure of Telstra Corporation Limited is well developed and has good human resource management. Thus, the employees provide satisfactory customer services to its clients. Moreover, the company plays a leading role in the market of Australia, thus, it is eligible for providing modern or latest technologies to its clients. Therefore, it can be said that the modern technologies help the firm to attract more customers and to retain the existing ones. All these mentioned factors are considered as support activities as these support the firm to run systematically and accurately. On the other hand, the primary activities of Telstra Corporation Limited are inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, sales and marketing and service and support. The inbound logistics of Telstra Corporation Limited include collection service and self return, operations of the firm include customer visit, product quality, order fulfilment and quality expectatio ns. The outbound logistics of Telstra Corporation include ordering, fulfilment of order, emergency load, delivery on time, pick up of customers, management of transaction and management of inventory of the firm (Telstra.com.au, 2017). The marketing and sales of the firm include proper management of account, proper pricing strategy and structure, invoicing and understanding the demand of the customers. Moreover, the firm Telstra provides satisfactory services to its customers and thus customer survey is performed in order to meet the demand of the customers. Justification of the Competitive Advantages On the basis of the VRIO analysis, it can be said that the capabilities of Telstra like largest telecommunication provider in the world and providing latest technologies are considered as sustainable competitive advantage, whereas, the capability like Huge and Continuously Growing Customer Base is considered as competitive parity. On the other hand, the capability of Telstra likes high quality and excellent customer service acts as temporary competitive advantage of the firm. The reason behind this can be better understood from the above-mentioned VRIO Analysis. On the other hand, based on the value chain analysis, it can be said that the particular firm meets the customer demand and provides value to the customers; moreover, both the support as well as primary activities indicate that the mentioned capabilities act as sustainable competitive advantages of Telstra Corporation Limited (Telstra.com.au, 2017). Internal analysis: While conducting the internal analysis, it is essential to look at the elements such as the visions, mission and strategic objectives of the Telstra Corporation limited. Internal analysis of Telstra Corporation limited is performed by conducting the SWOT analysis, which makes the systematic evaluation of internal key features of the company. The internal analysis of Telstra Corporation limited helps in analysing the strategic factors, which is company specific. Conducting internal analysis helps in evaluating core competencies (Barney Hesterly, 2015). SWOT analysis of Telstra Corporation Limited: Strength: Telstra is one of the leading telecommunication and information service provider in Australia (Rothschild et al., 2012). It has an expanding operating margin and has a wide range of portfolio of service. Telstra enjoys a strong customer service base. The reduced labour cost is another strength. Although, Telstra is experiencing a slower growth, Telstra has made record in the retail business board. It enjoys a strong market position and the company is improving its competitive position by launching new services in the market (Dess et al., 2013). Weakness: Liquidity position of the company is limited and its market segment is extremely tough, which is indicative of the fact that it has limited market share. Telstra has higher price for its broadband and mobile phones, relative to its competitors such as Optus. The growth prospects of Telstra is limited due to its lack of initiative to diversify internationally. Telstra has been focusing on the post-paid mobile phone plans rather than on the pre-paid. The reduction of the expenses on the fixed line advertising is another weakness of the company (Hill et al., 2014). Opportunities: The demand for telecom services is ever rising and the market of IT service is growing at faster pace. This would provide Telstra with the opportunity to grow and prosper. Investment opportunity is provided by the Telstra venture in the breakthrough companies. The strategies of Telstra would provide it with high growth opportunities. This venturing would provide investment leadership to the future of Telstra (Hitt et al., 2012). The customers are provided with new products and services with the help of its leveraged assets. Threat: The increased competition and rapid changes in technology pose threat to the existence of Telstra Corporation. In the near term, the regulatory environment can affect the operating performance of Telstra. The declining profitability and the growing competition in the telecom market is likely to influence the performance of the company. Due to the changing behaviour of the customers, Telstra has found it increasingly difficult to cope up with new customers. The regulations have been a threat to the company such as the mandated access of ACCC to the local network of Telstra by the issuance of the local loop unbundling has been responsible for making the competition fierce in the telecom market of Australia (Mellahi Frynas, 2015). Issues in internal environment of Telstra: The company has been distinguished by highly competitive market and it is struggling with increasing cost of operation, development and mature market and production as well. Concerning the decision-making in the company, it faces the management issues. The issue relates to the recognition of different strategies that would enable the company to help in maintaining the competitive position. The issues concerning the strategic analysis is in relation to the identified weakness, strength and opportunities. Issues are regarding the recapturing of the customers who have switch to other service providers. The customers needs to be provided with the lower priced products (Morden, 2016). Adaption of the company to the newly advanced technology has been slow, and because of which the customers are not provided with the best products and services. The internal customers that are employees influence the performance of the business. Culture of the business is not supporting the ongoing trend in the telecommunication business. Considering all the issues in the internal environment of Telstra, it should facilitate deployment of networks of next generation mobile. It should also ensures that customers have continued access to the services provided (Rothaermel, 2015). Issues in external environment of Telstra: There is lack of flexibility in terms of adapting what the company in the evolving market conditions offers. The company has not been able to keep pace with the developing trends. The external environment has affected the networking of the Telstra. There is lack of services provided to the customers. The competitors of Telstra have been offering the same products and services at the price, which is lower than Telstra. The issues are related to the Telstra external environment. Moreover, there is a lack of effective strategies regarding the business process of telecommunication. Telstra has been facing the sustainability issues, which is relevant to the existence of the business. There is the growing issues of e waste, which needs to be handled in a coordinated and holistic manner. It also has been facing the compliance issues with the legislations that affected the local network of the company. This has made fierce competition in the telecommunication market. Telstra lacks internatio nal harmonization, which acts as hindrance to the development and growth of Telstra. The support tools of the company has faced the common problems. The service interruptions is complex and this affects the large events and localised events (Stead Stead, 2013). Recommendations: Telstra needs to widen its brand portfolio. It should offer more plans in terms of mobile plans. This is so because it will help in catering the different demographics of their customers. It is recommended that Telstra should come up with the personalize application, which would enable the customers to get all the latest updates, news and promotion. Telstra should come up with plan that will offer better value to the customers. In order to implement the effective marketing strategies, Telstra should transform its corporate culture. It should also improve the public relations by serving the customers in a better way. The information about the new products should be updated and the broadband capabilities should be developed. There is also need on part of company to realize the benefits of harmonization, when it intends to expand internationally. Conclusion: The SWOT analysis of Telstra has provided a comprehensive insight into the internal factures of company. It can be concluded from the above analysis that Telstra has few direct competitors. It is likely in the future that the untapped market of Telstra would introduce Telstra to its core competitors. The market growth of the company would be enhanced due to the growing technological innovations. Nonetheless, this trend is consider as the major input to the business continuity. Telstra needs to provide the customers with the better products and services. For this, the company needs to continue research and development. Reference: Barney, J. B., Hesterly, W. (2015).Strategic management and competitive advantage concepts and cases. Pearson. Dess, G. G., Peng, M. W., Lei, D. (2013). Strategic Management Current Issues and Future Directions.Journal of Leadership Organizational Studies,20(4), 373-374. Eden, C., Ackermann, F. (2013).Making strategy: The journey of strategic management. Sage. Hill, C. W., Jones, G. R., Schilling, M. A. (2014).Strategic management: theory: an integrated approach. Cengage Learning. Hitt, M. A., Ireland, R. D., Hoskisson, R. E. (2012).Strategic management cases: competitiveness and globalization. Cengage Learning. Mellahi, K., Frynas, G. (2015).Global strategic management. Oxford University Press. Morden, T. (2016).Principles of strategic management. Routledge. Rothaermel, F. T. (2015).Strategic management. McGraw-Hill. Rothschild, A. A., JBWere, G. S., Bank, U. I. (2012). Telstra Corporation Limited. Stead, J. G., Stead, W. E. (2013).Sustainable strategic management. ME Sharpe. Telstra.com.au. (2017).Telstra.com.au. Retrieved 4 January 2017, from https://www.telstra.com.au

Average ACT Scores by State (Most Recent)

Average ACT Scores by State (Most Recent) SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Did you recently get your ACT scores back and are now wondering how your score compares with those of other test takers in your state? Or perhaps you're curious as to how your state’s average ACT score stacks up against other state averages. For this article, we compiled the average ACT scores by state, as well as the average in each subject area, using the latest data from ACT, Inc. Read on to learn how your state's SAT data- and your ACT score- compares with the averages in the rest of the country. What's the National Average ACT Score? Nearly two million students nationwide took the ACT in 2017/18- 1.91 million, to be precise. Out of all of those tests, the national average scores came out as follows: ACT Section Average Score English 20.2 Math 20.5 Reading 21.3 Science 20.7 Composite 20.8 Source: ACT National Profile Report 2018 Remember that each ACT section, and the overall composite score, are scored between 1 and 36. This means that if you get a composite score of 21 or higher, you will beat half the other high school students in the country.If you get significantly higher than 21, you will have beaten out a majority of test takers. Likewise, if you get lower than 21, a majority of test takers will have beaten out you. But what about the ACT averages in your state specifically? Read on to learn how well you have to do on the exam to be considered above average in your home state. All Average ACT Scores by State (2017) The following table containsall ACT state averages for the class of2017(the most recent data available). We've also included state participation rates to give you an idea of the reach of the ACT in each state and the size of the population being tested. State Participation English Math Reading Science Composite Alabama 100% 18.9 18.4 19.7 19.4 19.2 Alaska 65% 18.7 19.8 20.4 19.9 19.8 Arizona 62% 18.6 19.8 20.1 19.8 19.7 Arkansas 100% 18.9 19.0 19.7 19.5 19.4 California 31% 22.5 22.7 23.1 22.2 22.8 Colorado 100% 20.1 20.3 21.2 20.9 20.8 Connecticut 31% 25.5 24.6 25.6 24.6 25.2 Delaware 18% 24.1 23.4 24.8 23.6 24.1 District of Columbia 32% 24.4 23.5 24.9 23.5 24.2 Florida 73% 19.0 19.4 21.0 19.4 19.8 Georgia 55% 21.0 20.9 22.0 21.3 21.4 Hawaii 90% 17.8 19.2 19.2 19.3 19.0 Idaho 38% 21.9 21.8 23.0 22.1 22.3 Illinois 93% 21.0 21.2 21.6 21.3 21.4 Indiana 35% 22.0 22.4 23.2 22.3 22.6 Iowa 67% 21.2 21.3 22.6 22.1 21.9 Kansas 73% 21.1 21.3 22.3 21.7 21.7 Kentucky 100% 19.6 19.4 20.5 20.1 20.0 Louisiana 100% 19.4 18.8 19.8 19.6 19.5 Maine 8% 24.2 24.0 24.8 23.7 24.3 Maryland 28% 23.3 23.1 24.2 23.2 23.6 Massachusetts 29% 25.4 25.3 25.9 24.7 25.4 Michigan 29% 24.1 23.7 24.5 23.8 24.1 Minnesota 100% 20.4 21.5 21.8 21.6 21.5 Mississippi 100% 18.2 18.1 18.8 18.8 18.6 Missouri 100% 19.8 19.9 20.8 20.5 20.4 Montana 100% 19.0 20.2 21.0 20.5 20.3 Nebraska 84% 20.9 20.9 21.9 21.5 21.4 Nevada 100% 16.3 18.0 18.1 18.2 17.8 New Hampshire 18% 25.4 25.1 26.0 24.9 25.5 New Jersey 34% 23.8 23.8 24.1 23.2 23.9 New Mexico 66% 18.6 19.4 20.4 20.0 19.7 New York 31% 23.8 24.0 24.6 23.9 24.2 North Carolina 100% 17.8 19.3 19.6 19.3 19.1 North Dakota 98% 19.0 20.4 20.5 20.6 20.3 Ohio 75% 21.2 21.6 22.5 22.0 22.0 Oklahoma 100% 18.5 18.8 20.1 19.6 19.4 Oregon 40% 21.2 21.5 22.4 21.7 21.8 Pennsylvania 23% 23.4 23.4 24.2 23.3 23.7 Rhode Island 21% 24.0 23.3 24.7 23.4 24.0 South Carolina 100% 17.5 18.6 19.1 18.9 18.7 South Dakota 80% 20.7 21.5 22.3 22.0 21.8 Tennessee 100% 19.5 19.2 20.1 19.9 19.8 Texas 45% 19.5 20.7 21.1 20.9 20.7 Utah 100% 19.5 19.9 20.8 20.6 20.3 Vermont 29% 23.3 23.1 24.4 23.2 23.6 Virginia 29% 23.5 23.3 24.6 23.5 23.8 Washington 29% 20.9 21.9 22.1 22.0 21.9 West Virginia 69% 20.0 19.4 21.2 20.5 20.4 Wisconsin 100% 19.7 20.4 20.6 20.9 20.5 Wyoming 100% 19.4 19.8 20.8 20.6 20.2 National 60% 20.3 20.7 21.4 21.0 21.0 Source:ACT College Career Readiness 2017 ACT Averages by State: Hall of Fame Now that you've had a chance to skim the list of state ACT averages, we thought it would be fun to highlight the highs and lows of the United States' ACT performance. See if your state made the cut below! Highest ACT State Score: New Hampshire New Hampshire narrowly achieved the highest score in the country, with an average composite of 25.5, just above Massachusetts (25.4) and Connecticut (25.2). †¦ and your high ACT score! However, it should be noted thatthese three states have relatively low ACT participation: 18% for New Hampshire, 29% for Massachusetts, and 31% for Connecticut. This is because the SAT is more popular in these states. So what does this data mean? Ultimately, it suggests that those taking the ACT in these states are ambitious, college-bound students looking to improve their applications, which would make for a higher average ACT score. Team Players: 100% ACT Participation There are 17 states with 100% ACT participation- that's 34% of the country! These states have made the ACT a mandatory part of their statewide testing regimens, helping high school students be better prepared for their college applications. Alabama Arkansas Colorado Kentucky Louisiana Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nevada North Carolina Oklahoma South Carolina Tennessee Utah Wisconsin Wyoming Highest ACT State Score With 100% Participation: Minnesota As you know, 17 states currently have 100% ACT participation. The state with the highest average score out of this group has a lot to be proud of because that average represents the entire high school population of that state. So who wins? Minnesota, with a 21.5 average composite score. The runner-up is Colorado with a 20.8 average composite, and Wisconsin is inthird with a 20.5 composite average. Lowest Participation: Maine Maine wins this one by a landslide, with just 8% of its students taking the ACT. This is likely because the SAT is still the test of choice in that northeastern state. However, the SAT, which was once required in Maine, is now optional as well. ACT-free, it would appear. Lowest ACT State Score: Nevada Nevada earns the dubious honor of getting the lowest average ACT score, with an average composite of 17.8. This low average is likely due to the fact that Nevada only recently began to mandate statewide ACT testing starting in 2016. In general, big jumps in test takers often result in lower averages. As such, this new average is noticeably lower thanNevada's 2015 average of 21, back when just some students took the ACT. As the ACT becomes a staple of Nevada's state testing regimen, averages will likely increase. Key Takeaways: Average ACT Scores by State As you can see, the average ACT score can change pretty dramatically depending on which state you're looking at. Nationally, the average composite ACT score is21- but many states' averages are higher or lower than this. In general, states with 100% participation rates (i.e., states that require the ACT) tend to havelower averages,whereas states with low participation rates tend to havehigher averages. In terms of notable states, here's a quick wrap-up of the ACT "awards" we gave above: Highest ACT State Score: New Hampshire (25.5 average) Team Players: 100% ACT Participation Alabama Arkansas Colorado Kentucky Louisiana Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nevada North Carolina Oklahoma South Carolina Tennessee Utah Wisconsin Wyoming Highest ACT State Score With 100% Participation: Minnesota (21.5 average) Lowest ACT State Score: Nevada (17.8 average) If you're ever curious what ACT score you need to aim for to be considered above average for your state, simply come back to this page, check the chart, and see whether your state made our Hall of Fame! What’s Next? Want more context for your ACT score? Learn more about the national ACT average score and ACT score percentiles. What ACT scores are considered good by various colleges?Check out our guide to developing a target ACT score based on the schools you want to apply to. Wondering about what your composite ACT score represents in terms of right and wrong answers?Learn the ins and outs of ACT scoringand get tips to help you use this info to your advantage. Trying to maximize your ACT score? Avoid this common ACT mistake to improve your composite. Also,check out our top strategies to raise your ACT essay score. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

Loanwords From French, German, Latin, and Spanish

Loanwords From French, German, Latin, and Spanish On the eve of the First World War, an editorial in the Berlin Deutsche Tageszeitung argued that the German language, coming direct from the hand of God, should be imposed on men of all colors and nationalities. The alternative, the newspaper said, was unthinkable: Should the English language be victorious and become the world language the culture of mankind will stand before a closed door and the death knell will sound for civilization. . . .English, the bastard tongue of the canting island pirates, must be swept from the place it has usurped and forced back into the remotest corners of Britain until it has returned to its original elements of an insignificant pirate dialect.(quoted by James William White in A Primer of the War for Americans. John C. Winston Company, 1914) This sabre-rattling reference to English as the bastard tongue was hardly original. Three centuries earlier, the headmaster of St. Pauls School in London, Alexander Gil, wrote that since the time of Chaucer the English language had been defiled and corrupted by the importation of Latin and French words: [T]oday we are, for the most part, Englishmen not speaking English and not understood by English ears. Nor are we satisfied with having begotten this illegitimate progeny, nourished this monster, but we have exiled that which was legitimateour birthrightpleasant in expression, and acknowledged by our forefathers. O cruel country!(from Logonomia Anglica, 1619, quoted by Seth Lerer in Inventing English: A Portable History of the Language. Columbia University Press, 2007) Not everyone agreed. Thomas De Quincey, for example, regarded such efforts to malign the English language as the blindest of human follies: The peculiar, and without exaggeration we may say the providential, felicity of the English language has been made its capital reproachthat, whilst yet ductile and capable of new impressions, it received a fresh and large infusion of alien wealth. It is, say the imbecile, a bastard language, a hybrid language, and so forth. . . . It is time to have done with these follies. Let us open our eyes to our own advantages.(The English Language, Blackwoods Edinburgh Magazine, April 1839) In our own time, as suggested by the title of John McWhorters recently published linguistic history*, were more likely to boast about our magnificent bastard tongue. English has unashamedly borrowed words from more than 300 other languages, and (to shift metaphors) theres no sign that it plans to close its lexical borders any time soon. French Loan Words Over the years, the English language has borrowed a great number of French words and expressions. Some of this vocabulary has been so completely absorbed by English that speakers might not realize its origins. Other words and expressions have retained their Frenchnessa certain je ne sais quoi which speakers tend to be much more aware of (although this awareness does not usually extend to actually pronouncing the word in French).   German Loan Words in English English has borrowed many words from German. Some of those words have become a natural part of everyday English vocabulary (angst, kindergarten, sauerkraut), while others are primarily intellectual, literary, scientific (Waldsterben, Weltanschauung, Zeitgeist), or used in special areas, such as gestalt in psychology, or aufeis and loess in geology. Some of these German words are used in English because there is no true English equivalent: gemà ¼tlich, schadenfreude. Latin Words and Expressions in English Just because our English language doesnt come from Latin doesnt mean all our words have a Germanic origin. Clearly, some words and expressions are Latin, like ad hoc. Others, e.g., habitat, circulate so freely that were not aware theyre Latin. Some came into English when Francophone Normans invaded Britain in 1066. Others, borrowed from Latin, have been modified. Spanish Words Become Our Own Many Spanish loanwords have entered the English vocabulary. As noted, some of them were adopted into the Spanish language from elsewhere before they were passed on to English. Although most of them retain the spelling and even (more or less) the pronunciation of Spanish, they are all recognized as English words by at least one reference source.

Mysterious mythology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mysterious mythology - Essay Example According to the myth, the brave hero Marduk kills a human embodiment of Tiamat and builds a new Universe. "First, he splits Tiamat's fallen body into two parts. With one half of her body, he creates the visible heavens; the other half he secures in the Underworld with a bolt, so that her waters cannot escape" (Alford, 2005). Then, Marduk constructs Heaven and organizes new constellations. Thus, the main scenario is following : 'The Order struggled the Chaos and won the right to possess Unviverse". The personification of the Order is an immortal hero, who is able to construct as well as destruct, so on the ruins of Chaotic Universe he builds a new one, which follows his strict rules and fits his scheme. It is important to mention that the myth also refers to an archetype of rebirth, since the body of fallen Apsu-Tiamat was used to create a new universe. Egyptian creation myth has many similarities, even though it is geocentric and narrates about the 'old Earth' which turned to chaotic state, since it existed between death and living. The character of the Great God frees the Earth from its body - and takes up, to the skies. "At the same time, the proto-earth gathers itself together, rises up from the watery abyss, splits open, and ejects the primeval matter from which the sky-ocean, the stars, the Sun, and the Moon will be born. This is the myth of the separation of the heavens from the earth" (Alford, 2005). The separation is followed by creation of upper and underworlds, heaven and stars. That is to say, the myth is connected with cataclysm, and the creation provides an understanding that ancient Egyptians adored Sun and prayed for its 'rebirth' (sunrise) to the Great God daily. Furthermore, the myth reflects the belief of supernatural power of Moon (which changes its position and size), starts and the Nile River, which influenced agriculture a lot. All of these usual, frequent events of nature were a continuous reminder of the power of new beginning which follows the death. The embodiment of Chaos in Egyptian mythology is a 'proto-Earth' which was destructed by the new order and renewed by the constructive power of Highest Deity.Ancient Greeks worshipped the Sun, the Moon and Olympic gods who easily controlled natural powers. While the adoration of the Sun and the Moon is traditional for ancient religions, the adoration of a special Olymplic race of gods has great meaning for the whole system of religion. The Greek creation also starts with cataclysms, which follow one another as well as generations of the proto-gods, and new gods had been replacing older deities until the world was created. Olympian gods represented natural forces in Greek mythology and there were gods of light, darkness, fertility, life, death, who participated in the creation of mankind. Thus, in ancient Greeks as an agricultural civiliz ation, focused on the natural forces as the main determinants of creation. Furthermore, the element of 'Chaos vs. Order struggle' is presented in an idea of chaotically changing generations of gods and titans, who finally came to a certain consent and constructed our planet.To my view, these three myths explain global cataclysm, which lead

TPP-Pacific Trade Partnership and International Business Research Paper - 1

TPP-Pacific Trade Partnership and International Business - Research Paper Example Trans-Pacific Partnership is also of great interest because of its ambition to extend well beyond the limits of trade and trade policy including other different issues that affects trade agreements. The common issues that are likely to affect TPP are linked to the ambition of TPP to go beyond the limits of trade and its policies including trade in services, intellectual property, and technical barriers to trade. Supply chain complication has been cited as a major challenge likely to face Trans-Pacific partnership especially in this era of global business and cross enterprise collaboration. As stated by Inkyo et al (145), the Supply chain conference held in 2003 had cited development in the digital economy such as cloud computing, green growth and inadequate approaches to ensuring competitive business environment as some of the major challenges that are likely to face TPP. However, according to Deardorff (5), TPP is creating a framework to deal with all concerns and that could be the reason for the long time negotiations. The areas of negations in the Trans-Pacific Partnership include services and investments and other barriers to trade include in services, goods and investments, capacity building, government procurement, custom rules, labor, phytosanitary standards, e-commerce, telecommunications, intellectual property and technical barriers to trade. Researchers and economists have cited a lot of implications of what has been described as â€Å"spaghetti or noodle bowl† problem of overlapping preferential trade agreements (PTA) at the beginning of the year 2012, the world trade organization had reported more than 319 agreements that were already on force. According to Inkyo et al (147), each agreement signed between two or more countries continue to complicate and increases the complexity of the global trading system. The new PTA, Trans-Pacific Partnership that is currently under

Market-Led Strategic Change at Tesco plc Research Paper

Market-Led Strategic Change at Tesco plc - Research Paper Example The second applies the analysis to Tesco plc, providing relevant examples. Companies develop marketing plans to know how it should direct its efforts towards bringing a particular product or brand to market. The plan acts as a roadmap, a set of guidelines to ensure success, and contains an analysis of the target market, the marketing objectives, and the marketing mix, which explains in detail the selected strategy for the product, its promotion, distribution, and price (Cohen, 1995). The quality of a marketing plan depends on the assumptions it makes about the customers and the basis for those assumptions, how the marketing objectives are defined, and how the marketing mix are analysed; above all, how it is put into action (Shark, 1994). Traditional literature on marketing programmes and actions such as by Wind and Claycamp (1976) identified the development of product policies (brand, quality, and value) as the most critical element of a marketing plan because this is how companies can engage customers and meet their needs. As Peter and Donnelly (1997, p. 127) observed: "developing new products is the lifeblood of successful business firms". Crawford (1994, p.9-11) categorised "new products" as follows: new to the world (inventions), new for the firm, additions to product lines, product improvements, and repositioning (retargeting for new use or application). Major changes in the marketplace, media and communications, ... elopment of product policies (brand, quality, and value) as the most critical element of a marketing plan because this is how companies can engage customers and meet their needs. As Peter and Donnelly (1997, p. 127) observed: "developing new products is the lifeblood of successful business firms". Crawford (1994, p.9-11) categorised "new products" as follows: new to the world (inventions), new for the firm, additions to product lines, product improvements, and repositioning (retargeting for new use or application). Total Integration Major changes in the marketplace, media and communications, and in consumers were the key drivers in the development of integrated marketing communications or IMC as a new paradigm for marketing professionals for the 21st century (Schultz and Schultz, 1998). Schultz and Kitchen (2000, p.3) identified four elements that pushed these changes in the practice of marketing: digitalisation, information technology, intellectual property, and communication systems, with the result that consumers have become more fragmented and converged into smaller, more targeted and specialised groups. Levitt (1975, p.10) was amongst the first to note the need for changes in the traditional methods, practices, and ways of thinking prevalent in the era of mass marketing and communications in the 1960s and 1970s, arguing that "management should not see itself as merely producing products but as providing customer-creating value satisfaction and pushing this idea to every nook and cranny of the organisationcontinuously, and with enough flair to excite employees". He warned that if this is not done, the company would have no consolidating sense of purpose or direction. The earliest formal definition of integrated marketing was formulated in 1989 by the American

Experiment on Changes in Serum Levels of Irisin

Experiment on Changes in Serum Levels of Irisin Khaled Abdelfattah Abdelhamid Abulfadle, MD   Serum irisin level changes after propylthiouracil treatment of L-thyroxine induced hyperthyroidism in rats ABSTRACT Background: Thyroid hormones play an essential role in lipid, protein and carbohydrate metabolism; and they regulate thermogenesis and basal metabolic rate. Irisin is a myokine that is secreted as a product of fibronectin type III domain containing 5 (FNDC5) was shown to be present in many tissues, including the thyroid tissue. Objective: To investigate the possible changes in serum levels of irisin that occurred in a rat model of hyperthyroidism and the effects of use of propylthiouracil (PTU) in its treatment. Design: 18 male albino rats were divided into 3 groups. Group I was the intact control. Rats of group II and III received daily 0.3 mg/kg subcutaneous injection of L-thyroxine (LT4) for 12 consecutive days. On the thirteenth day, animals of group III (Hyperthyroid PTU treated) received 5 ml/kg i.p. injection of propylthiouracil (PTU) along with an equivalent amount of LT4 as administered to group II animals for more 15 days. Animals of group II (Hyperthyroid control) continued to receive LT4. On the day of termination (28th day of starting LT4 treatment), overnight (12hrs) fasted animals were sacrificed by decapitation under ether anesthesia. Results: In the hyperthyroid control group, there was a significant decrease in serum level of TSH (P0.05) in serum levels of TSH, T4, T3 irisin, and, BMI in hyperthyroid PTU group in comparison to that in the intact control group. In the hyperthyroid control group, there was a significant increase in the serum level of both glucose (P0.05) in the hyperthyroid PTU treated group in comparison to that in the intact control group. In the hyperthyroid control group, there was a significant decrease in serum levels of both TC (P0.05) in serum levels of both TG and LDL-C in comparison to that in the intact control group. Conclusion: This study showed a significant increase in serum levels of irisin in L-thyroxine induced hyperthyroidism in rats. On using PTU, serum levels of irisin, thyroid hormones, metabolic parameters and BMI were significantly changed in comparison to the hyperthyroid control group. Keywords: Irisin, T3, T4, TSH, Propylthiouracil, Hyperthyroidism. Introduction: Irisin is a myokine that is secreted as a product of fibronectin type III domain containing 5 (FNDC5) in the skeletal muscle (Samy, Ismail et al. 2015, Jin Zhang 2017, Nathan C. Winn 2017). FNDC5, which is the precursor of irisin was shown to be present in many tissues, including the thyroid tissue (Huh, Panagiotou et al. 2012). It is secreted by a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ÃŽÂ ³ (PPARÃŽÂ ³) coactivator 1ÃŽÂ ± (PGC1-ÃŽÂ ±) after an exercise (Aydin 2014). Irisin was found to have an anti-obesity effect as it replaces the white fatty tissue with brown fatty tissue by the increase of uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1) resulting in oxygen consumption and stimulation of thermogenesis (Bostrà ¶m, Wu et al. 2012, Castillo-Quan 2012, Roca-Rivada, Castelao et al. 2013, Jin Zhang 2017, Nathan C. Winn 2017). Stengel, Hofmann et al. (2013) found that irisin level was identified to be high in obesity and to be low in anorexia nervosa. On the other hand, thyroid hormones pla y an essential role in lipid, protein and carbohydrate metabolism; and they regulate thermogenesis and basal metabolic rate (Hulbert 2000). Also, hyperfunction of thyroid gland is a common endocrine disorder which is accompanied by metabolic imbalance, oxidative stress and abnormal energy homeostasis (Erdamar, Demirci et al. 2008). There were some controversies in the results of studying the effect of thyroid hormone level changes on serum levels of irisin as Yalcin, Akturk et al. (2016) found an increase in serum irisin levels in hyperthyroidism and they suggested that it might contribute to altered energy metabolism. Also, Samy, Ismail et al. (2015) stated that hyperthyroidism was associated with up-regulation of serum irisin in male rats, probably as a response to myopathy and/or oxidative damage observed in both conditions. Moreover, Ruchala, Zybek et al. (2014) reported a borderline elevation of serum irisin in hyperthyroid versus hypothyroid patients. On the contrary, Panagiot ou, Pazaitou-Panayiotou et al. (2016) stated that changes in thyroid hormone levels did not affect circulating irisin levels in humans. Also, Stengel, Hofmann et al. (2013), Ellefsen, Vikmoen et al. (2014) and Gouni-Berthold, Berthold et al. (2013) reported lack of associations between levels of irisin, TSH and/or thyroid hormones. On the other hand, Zybek-Kocik, Sawicka-Gutaj et al. (2016) stated that irisin concentration was changed during prolonged thyroid function impairment. Also, AteÃ…Å ¸, Altay et al. (2016) found that, in hypothyroidism, there was a positive correlation between serum irisin levels and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) while a negative correlation was found between irisin levels and thyroxine (T4). Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the possible changes in serum levels of irisin that occurred in a rat model of hyperthyroidism and the effects of use of propylthiouracil (PTU) in its treatment. Materials and Methods: Animals preparations and experimental protocol: In the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, this experimental study was done from 6th of November 2016 to 28th of December 2016. 18 adult male albino rats, age and weight matched (170-195 gm), were purchased from the animal house of Zagazig University and were housed at 20-22 °C on a 12-h light-dark cycle and for 5 days, to achieve acclimatization, they were supplied with tap water and a standard chow diet. Rats were divided into 3 groups of 6 each. Group I animals served as the intact control, whereas those of group II and III received daily subcutaneous injection of L-thyroxine (LT4) (Sigma, MO, USA) at a dose of 0.3 mg/kg for 12 consecutive days (Panda and Kar 2007). On the thirteenth day, animals of group III received propylthiouracil (PTU) (Sigma, MO, USA) 10 mg/kg intraperitoneally (Panda and Kar 2007) along with an equivalent amount of LT4 as administered to group II animals. PTU was intraperitoneally (i.p.) injected, in a volume of 5 ml/kg, dis solved in saline (Kim, Kim et al. 2012). Experiment was continued for more 15 consecutive days (from 13th LT4 treatment). Animals of group II continued to receive LT4 and acted as hyperthyroid control. Intact control rats were injected with 5 ml/kg/day subcutaneously with saline. On the day of termination (28th day of starting LT4 treatment), overnight (12hrs) fasted animals were sacrificed by decapitation under ether anesthesia. Blood from each animal was collected and by its centrifugation at 3000 rpm for 15 minutes, serum was separated and stored -20oc till the time of assay of different biochemical parameters (Kumar, Kar et al. 2014). PTU was used to treat hyperthyroidism by decreasing the amount of thyroid hormone produced by the thyroid gland (Nakamura, Noh et al. 2007), and it also inhibited the enzyme 5-deiodinase, which converts thyroxine (T4) to the active form triiodothyronine (T3) (Bahn, Burch et al. 2009). Also, it inhibited LT4-induced hyperthyroidisms in rats (Panda a nd Kar 2007). Body mass index (BMI) changes: BMI in gm/cm2 was calculated in the different groups, just before rats were sacrificed (under ether anesthesia), by dividing Body weight (gm) on Length2 (cm2) (Novelli, Diniz et al. 2007). A graduated (in centimeters) metal ruler was used for measuring the rat length by putting the zero end at the rat anus and recorded the reading which reached by the nose. BMI was used as a measure for the change in body weight of rats (Novelli, Diniz et al. 2007). Figure-1: Experimental design. Rats were divided into 3 groups. Group I was the intact control. Rats of group II and III received daily subcutaneous injection of levothyroxine (LT4) for 12 consecutive days. On the thirteenth day, animals of group III (Hyperthyroid PTU treated) received i.p. injection of propylthiouracil (PTU) along with an equivalent amount of LT4 as administered to group II animals for more 15 days. Animals of group II (Hyperthyroid control) continued to receive LT4. On the day of termination (28th day of starting LT4 treatment), overnight (12hrs) fasted animals were sacrificed by decapitation under ether anesthesia. Measurement of serum parameters: Serum level of irisin was estimated (in ng/ml) using an irisin rat ELISA assay kit following the manufacturers instructions (Catalog# EK-067-52; Phoenix Pharmaceuticals Inc., Burlingame, California, USA) with a detection range of 0.1-1000 ng/ml. Quantitative immunoassaying of T3, T4 and TSH using commercially available kits as recommended by the manufacturer (cat#SE120091, SE120090, SE120135, ELISA Kits, Sigma-Aldrich). Both serum levels of total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) were estimated using enzymatic colorimetric methods. Serum high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) was assayed using NS Biotec HDL-precipitating reagent. Serum low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) was calculated using the Friedewald formula: LDL-C (mg/dl) = [(TC) (HDL-C) ( (Friedewald, Levy et al. 1972) Estimation of both serum glucose levels, using an automated analyzer (YSI 2300; YSI Life Sciences, Yellow Springs, OH), and serum insulin levels, using ELISA kits (RD Systems, Minneapolis, MN), were done. For assessing insulin resistance (IR), the homeostasis model assessment-IR (HOMA-IR) index was calculated by: HOMA-IR = (Nayak, Hillemane et al. 2014). There is a direct relation between insulin resistance and the value of HOMA-IR (Bonora, Targher et al. 2000). Statistical analysis: By the use of IBM SPSS Statistics for windows package version (24), data were analyzed and described as Mean ± SEM. For calculation of the statistical significance, One-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD post hoc test for multiple group comparison were used. P†°Ã‚ ¤0.05 indicated significance. Results: Table-1: Changes in serum levels of TSH, T4, T3 irisin, and, BMI among different groups Intact control Hyperthyroid control Hyperthyroid PTU treated TSH (à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­IU/L) 2.82 ±0.12 0.81 ±0.05a 2.68 ±0.14bc T4 (à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­g/dl) 5.33 ±0.14 16.2 ±0.2a 5.36 ±0.18bc T3 (ng/ml) 1.29 ±0.04 3.52 ±0.11a 1.36 ±0.04bc Irisin (ng/ml) 401.67 ±5.65 599.17 ±6.82a 409.5 ±6bc BMI (gm/cm2) 0.54 ±0.01 0.44 ±0.01a 0.51 ±0.01bc Data was expressed as Mean ±SEM. a P0.05 in comparison to the intact control group. c P Table-2: Changes in metabolic parameters among different groups Intact control Hyperthyroid control Hyperthyroid PTU treated Glucose (mg/dl) 91.5 ±0.92 113 ±2.33a 91.33 ±1.2bc Insulin (à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­IU/ml) 2.95 ±0.12 4.86 ±0.16a 2.88 ±0.13bc HOMA-IR 0.67 ±0.02 1.36 ±0.05a 0.65 ±0.03bc TC (mg/dl) 106.5 ±2.51 89.83 ±2.52a 103.33 ±1.63bd TG (mg/dl) 55.17 ±1.22 52.33 ±0.67b 53.17 ±0.95be HDL-C (mg/dl) 54 ±1.15 43.33 ±0.88a 51.33 ±0.99bc LDL-C (mg/dl) 41.47 ±3.27 36.03 ±3.07b 41.37 ±1.92be Data was expressed as Mean ±SEM. a P0.05 in comparison to the intact control group. c P0.05 in comparison to the hyperthyroid control group. HOMA-IR, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index; TC, total cholesterol; TG, triglycerides; HDL-C, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol; LDL-C, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol. Figure-2: Correlations between serum irisin levels and: TSH, T4 T3 in, the intact control group (A), hyperthyroid control group (B) and hyperthyroid PTU treated group (C); glucose in the intact control group (D); insulin HOMA-IR in the intact control group (E); glucose in the hyperthyroid control group (F); insulin HOMA-IR in the hyperthyroid PTU treated group (G); TC HDL-C in the hyperthyroid control group (H). r is the correlation coefficient. Table-1 showed changes in serum levels of TSH, T4, T3 irisin, and, BMI among different groups. In the hyperthyroid control group, there was a significant decrease in serum level of TSH (0.81 ±0.05, P group (2.82 ±0.12), (0.54 ±0.01) (5.33 ±0.14), (1.29 ±0.04) and (401.67 ±5.65) respectively. On the other hand, there were insignificant changes (P>0.05) in serum levels of TSH, T4, T3 irisin, and, BMI in hyperthyroid PTU group in comparison to that in the intact control group. Also, there was a significant increase in both serum level of TSH (2.68 ±0.14, P0.05) in the hyperthyroid PTU treated group in comparison to that in the intact control group. Moreover, there was a significant decrease in the serum levels of both glucose (91.33 ±1.2, P0.05) in serum levels of both TG (52.33 ±0.67) and LDL-C (36.03 ±3.07) in comparison to that in the intact control group (106.5 ±2.51), (54 ±1.15), (55.17 ±1.22) and (41.47 ±3.27) respectively. In the hyperthyroid PTU treated group, there was a significant increase in serum levels of both TC (103.33 ±1.63, P0.05) in serum levels of both TG (53.17 ±0.95) and LDL-C (41.37 ±1.92) in comparison to that in the intact co ntrol group (89.83 ±2.52), (43.33 ±0.88), (52.33 ±0.67) and (36.03 ±3.07) respectively. Also, there were no significant changes (P>0.05) in serum levels of TC, TG, HDL-C and LDL-C in the hyperthyroid PTU treated group in comparison to that in the intact control group. Figure-2A showed a significant positive correlation between serum irisin levels and that of T4 (r=0.97, P Discussion: This study was done to declare changes in irisin serum levels in a rat model of hyperthyroidism and the effect of PTU therapy on it. Also, to identify the association between serum irisin level changes in such conditions and some metabolic parameters including insulin resistance and lipid profile. The results of this study showed a significant decrease in serum level of TSH and BMI, but, a significant increase in serum levels of T4, T3, and irisin in the hyperthyroid control group, in comparison to that in the intact control group. Also, there was a significant positive correlation between serum irisin levels and that of T4 T3 but a significant negative correlation with serum TSH in the hyperthyroid control group. These results were supported by Huh, Panagiotou et al. (2012) who stated that FNDC5, irisin precursor, was present in the thyroid tissue. Also, the present study results were supported by Irrcher, Adhihetty et al. (2003), Ruchala, Zybek et al. (2014), Sanchis-Gomar and Per ez-Quilis (2014), Samy, Ismail et al. (2015) and Yalcin, Akturk et al. (2016) who found an increase in serum irisin levels in hyperthyroidism and they suggested that it might contribute to altered energy metabolism. Moreover, Irrcher, Adhihetty et al. (2003) reported that T3 increased the irisin precursor, PGC-1ÃŽÂ ±, expression in muscle. Furthermore, Sanchis-Gomar and Perez-Quilis (2014) stated that serum irisin was increased in hyperthyroidism as a compensatory response to oxidative stress as it had an antioxidant effect. On the contrary, Gouni-Berthold, Berthold et al. (2013), Stengel, Hofmann et al. (2013) and Panagiotou, Pazaitou-Panayiotou et al. (2016) stated that changes in levels of thyroid hormones did not affect circulating irisin levels in humans. This discrepancy between their results and that of this study could be explained by species difference. Regarding the negative correlation between both irisin and TSH hormones which was present in this study, it was support ed by Ruchala, Zybek et al. (2014). On the contrary, Stengel, Hofmann et al. (2013) and Ellefsen, Vikmoen et al. (2014) reported lack of correlation between serum levels of irisin and that of TSH and thyroid hormones. Regarding body weight changes with hyperthyroidism, the result of this study was supported by Janson, Karlsson et al. (1995), Voldstedlund, Tranum-Jensen et al. (1995) and Loeb (1996) who found a decrease in body weight with hyperthyroidism. Also, this study results were supported by Bostrà ¶m, Wu et al. (2012), Castillo-Quan (2012) and Roca-Rivada, Castelao et al. (2013) who found that irisin had an anti-obesity effect as it replaced the white adipose tissue with brown adipose tissue and increased oxygen consumption and thermogenesis. On the contrary, Stengel, Hofmann et al. (2013) and Saleh, et al. (2014) found that irisin level was high in obesity and low in anorexia nervosa. This discrepancy between their results and that of this study can be explained by species difference. On the other hand, this study results showed insignificant changes in serum levels of TSH, T4, T3 irisin, and, BMI in hyperthyroid PTU group in comparison to that in the intact control group. This indicated the improvement that occurred with PTU therapy in cases of hyperthyroidism which was supported by Nakamura, Noh et al. (2007), Panda and Kar (2007) and Bahn, Burch et al. (2009). Also, the results of this study showed a significant increase in both serum level of TSH and BMI, but, a significant decrease in serum levels of T4, T3, and irisin in the hyperthyroid PTU treated group in comparison to that in the hyperthyroid control group. These results were supported by Park, Lee et al. (2016) who found that PTU administration ameliorated hyperthyroidism, reducing T4 and T3, and, increasing both TSH and BMI. Moreover, the results of this study showed a significant increase in the serum level of both glucose and insulin, and, the value of HOMA-IR in the hyperthyroid contro l group in comparison to that of the intact control group. Also, there was a significant positive correlation between serum irisin levels and that of glucose in the hyperthyroid control group. These results indicated occurrence of insulin resistance with hyperthyroidism which was supported by Loeb (1996). This was supported also by Saleh, et al. (2014) who stated that hyperglycemia gradually up regulated FNDC5/irisin expression in the skeletal muscles non-diabetic persons. Also, this study results were supported by Hee Park, Zaichenko et al. (2013), Liu, Wong et al. (2013) and Mehrabian, Taheri et al. (2016) who found a positive correlation between serum irisin and that of glucose. On the contrary, Mehrabian, Taheri et al. (2016) found that serum irisin was negatively correlated with serum glucose level. Opposite to the results of this study, Huh, Panagiotou et al. (2012), Choi, Kim et al. (2013) and Sanchis-Gomar and Perez-Quilis (2014) found that decreased blood irisin level was a ccompanied by insulin resistance development. Sanchis-Gomar and Perez-Quilis (2014) stated also, that irisin ameliorated insulin resistance by increasing betatrophin hormone expression which stimulated ÃŽÂ ²-cell regeneration. Furthermore, the results of this study showed no significant changes in the serum level of both glucose and insulin, and, the value of HOMA-IR in the hyperthyroid PTU treated group in comparison to that in the intact control group. Also, there was a significant decrease in the serum levels of both glucose and insulin, and, the value of HOMA-IR in the hyperthyroid PTU treated group in comparison to that of the hyperthyroid control group which means improvement of insulin resistance with PTU treatment. On the other hand, Huh, Panagiotou et al. (2012) found that exposure to high blood glucose for a long time was associated with a significant decrease in irisin serum level. The discrepancy between their results and the result of this study could be explained by the difference in species and duration of the study. In the hyperthyroid control group, there was a significant decrease in serum levels of both TC and HDL-C but, there were insignificant changes in serum levels of both TG and LDL-C in comparison to that in the intact control group. Also, there were significant negative correlations between serum irisin levels and that of both TC and HDL-C in the hyperthyroid control group. On the other hand, in the hyperthyroid PTU treated group, there was a significant increase in serum levels of both TC and HDL-C but, there were insignificant changes in serum levels of both TG and LDL-C in comparison to that in the intact control group. Also, there were no significant changes in serum levels of TC, TG, HDL-C and LDL-C in the hyperthyroid PTU treated group in comparison to that in the intact control group. The results of this study was partly supported by Mehrabian, Taheri et al. (2016) found a negative correlation between irisin and TC but, a po sitive correlation with HDL-C in normal weight obesity. On the other hand, Liu, Wong et al. (2013) found a positive correlation between serum irisin level and TC in non- obese, non- diabetic persons. Also, Sanchis-Gomar, Alis et al. (2014) reported insignificant correlation between irisin and TC. Conclusion   Ã‚   This study showed a significant increase in serum levels of irisin in L-thyroxine induced hyperthyroidism in rats and this could be related to changes in thyroid hormones, body weight and metabolic parameters. On using PTU, serum levels of irisin, thyroid hormones, metabolic parameters and BMI were significantly changed in comparison to the hyperthyroid control group and insignificantly changed in comparison to the intact control group which confirmed the improvement of the hyperthyroidism. Future studies are needed to confirm these results and to ensure the possible use of irisin as a biomarker for proper treatment of hyperthyroidism.

Fashion and Semiotics Essay -- Sociology Semiology Symbolism

Ever since their invention many centuries ago, clothes have been used as a way of communicating. The message communicated relies on a number of factors including the social background of both the communicator and the receiver, and the context in which the message is communicated. Although at times the exact message or symbolism one is trying to portray may not be clear, it is evident that clothing has long been embraced as one of the best ways to project one’s desired personal image to those around them. For many centuries clothing was used namely as a form of symbolising one’s ascribed class and social honour. A good example of this was evident in Feudal European times when sumptuary laws were created in order to regulate and specify the clothing that could be worn by certain classes. In 1463 Edward IV went so far as to ‘[declare] that purple silk was to be the prerogative of the aristocracy’ (Finkelstein 1991, pg. 137). As purple dye and silk were both very expensive and sought after this declaration demonstrated quite simply that those who were in possession of such materials should command respect and were of high social standing. Eventually these laws were abolished as, instead of ‘confining people to their designated rank, the laws provoked an intense interest in fashion and a desire to transgress the codes, both in the process of prestigious emulation and as an act of rebellion’ (Craik, 1994, pg. 205). This abolition allowed groups and individu als to establish their own chosen style or ‘marker’ in order to indicate their place within society. By allowing such freedom, ascribed social status gave way to that which was achieved. This not only meant that many more people were able to engage in the ever-expanding culture of ‘Haute couture’ but also that honour was no longer perceived as a birth right but rather as something that could to be obtained. Such a shift in symbolism provided a way for those of not so noble a birth to portray themselves as the latter through a variety of means such as renting or stealing clothes and buying counterfeit copies (a common occurrence in today’s society also). In the late 18th century the Industrial Revolution occurred causing a huge shift in the ways in which clothing was produced and subsequently altering the ways in which clothing was perceived. For decades preceding industrialisation men and women of high so... ...o contextual influences and past experiences. Therefore it is almost impossible to pre-empt the ways in which others will perceive you. Over time ideas will change and therefore alter the ways in which we look back on past clothing choices. Whilst symbolism in fashion may no longer be subject to laws as it was in the 14th century or defined by strict social rules in the 17th century, the clothes we wear are still today subject to imposed social ideals. Apart from distinguishing one status group from another, a style of dress may also aid group cohesiveness, provide the individual with an identity and a feeling of belonging, and communicate the wearer’s attitudes and interests. The ways in which we interpret others and present ourselves for interpretation is the only true way that we can be individual. Symbolism in clothing may not seem as obvious or important nowadays as it was in times of extreme social bigotry, but it is still highly prevalent and has remained one of the most effective ways to project our desired image to those around us. ‘The state of a person’s clothes is synonymous with self respect and is a sign of responsibility’ (www. Pemberley.com/janeinfo/vebleis7.html)

Communications and Information Technology and Legislation

Aistear is the curriculum framework for children from birth to six years. The Framework helps children grow and develop as confident and competent learners through fun, interesting and challenging experiences. The Aistear Toolkit is the place where you can access lots of practical resources online to help you get started with using Aistear. One of the topics discussed on the Aistear toolkit is learning through play. Children love to play and these resources will help a teacher to support children to learn through their play as suggested throughout the curriculum. We will now review one of the Aistear videos named Planning and Organising Play. The video is produced by an infant teacher. The teacher looks at pedagogical framing and her experiences of planning and organising her own classroom. There are many excellent suggestions as to how to set up play in a class room environment which I will explain next, however there are one or two weaknesses that if I was given the opportunity I would change to this video. Overall the video is very helpful and it does give excellent advice from an experienced infant teacher that would be like gold dust to an inexperienced teacher new to this profession. We will name the teacher Mary for the purpose of this critique as Aistear does not state the name of the presenter. Mary looks at pedagogical framing which she states lays the foundations for play. She calls it behind the scene work. According to Mary it includes the provision of resources, arrangement of space, and the establishment of daily routines, thematic planning and assessment. Mary communicates her message across in an orderly and mannerly tone. She is easy to listen to and reminds me of a teacher that I had many years ago wise and well experienced. I would be confident to implement her suggestions just by the tone of her voice. If I had one negative point in relation to the speaker that would be that she does not appear at any point throughout the video. It would be nice to be able to connect with her as she explains her view. The video has many strengths and I found many parts very helpful for planning play activities in the past. Mary uses her past experiences to help give advice with planning and organising a class room. The video starts by recommending different play areas that could be introduced into the classroom, Mary recommends that the teacher should choose five or six areas for the academic year. Such as sand area, water area, block area, small world, creative and social dramatic areas. Mary takes each play area that she recommends and explains the benefits of using these for the children’s learning and development. Using her experience she explains that the sand area works very well in her classroom, she goes on to explain that sand areas are excellent for small group play and that it encourages the children to use their imagination. Her advice is very helpful when she suggests that the children should select other resources from other types of play e. g. small world. I found her suggestions very helpful when planning my own activities and my learning goals were achieved when using the ideas from this video. The video explains the learning goals that can be achieved using these play areas such as having a sand area in the class room creates a learning environment, children learn sorting, counting and learn mathematical questions naturally. When I was planning activities and trying to introduce the Aistear themes such as Exploring and Thinking I introduced the sand activity to help the children understand concepts such as matching, ordering, counting, sorting, and capacity in an enjoyable and meaningful way. Mary explains that by using a water area for play it arouses the children’s curiosity and that whilst children play in the water area they are verbally interacting together. Asking questions and making comments bring forward ideas and suggestions and helps groups agree on solutions. She talks about real life or imaginative experiences using the blocks area. That play must be purposeful. This is very relevant to Aistear as throughout the Aistear curriculum it is suggested that play must have meaning so that the children will achieve there learning goals. Mary explains all the areas of play in great detail and links are evident throughout that the Aistear Curriculum is at the heart of this video, however if you as a viewer were not familiar with the curriculum and were using this video to help you to create your activity plans your plans would not meet the level that the curriculum would expect because the video does not make any distinct links to the actual layout of the Aistear curriculum. She does not mention the themes such as Well-being, Identity and Belonging, Communicating or Exploring and Thinking. The play areas that are mentioned do cover the learning goals for the themes and for an inexperienced person training to be a teacher they would not make this connection. If the video had captions throughout of the themes it would link the curriculum and the video perfectly. The Curriculum is designed around different age groups (birth to six years). The video does not mention the age groups or how each play area could be used for the different age categories. Throughout the Aistear Curriculum examples are given for babies, toddlers and young children and Mary does not implement this important distinction in the video once. The video suggests types of play that are low cost for materials and easy to set up using everyday items. The teacher recommends that the play areas be changed annually to prevent boredom for the teacher and the children. However the teacher recommends that the socio dramatic area should always be present in the classroom but does not explain why. Mary talks about the physical layout of the classroom finally which I feel was not necessary as there is a separate video in the toolkit which explores this topic in great detail. The video in my opinion is not long enough for this topic to be mentioned. This time could have been allocated to the Aistear themes and how they were achieved using the play areas discussed throughout the video. Overall the video has many useful ideas that can easily be taken and used to create a playful environment but I feel from all the information available to me that there is not a strong enough connection between the actually hard copy of Aistear and the video. References: Aistear Curriculum www.ncca.ie Aistear Toolkit www.ncca.ie/aisteartoolkit‎ Video: Planning and Organising Play http://vimeo.com/21112275

The Throw-Away Society

The throw-away society From lumpish walkman to handy ipod, from family traditional wedding dress to one-time use paper gown, our society witnesses the globally social revolution of throwing away. Quantity replaces quality and hence becomes the buzzword of the new world. But looking forward and in retrospect, do we really should flood in the throw-away fashion upon which our attitude towards man-made things has altered so much? And what on earth do we throw away? When we throw away the no-more-need things and replenish our refrigerators and wardrobes, we throw away resources. No matter they are patches of fabric to make a new scarf or tons of steel to produce new cars, all of them come from the valuable resources of which the stock depletes severely day by day. News and reports broadcast how scarce our natural resources are becoming, but people still throw away. Few of them have realized that the process of throwing away is the exact procedure to turn resources towards garbages. Furthermore, it is also sometimes too obscure to be noticed that throwing away products also incurs throwing away good memories. A doll you had when you were a little girl would always prompt you the innocent and sweet childhood; an umbrella you used for 4 years in the campus would always remind you of the fresh and brisk university life. When all these similar reminders become less and less, that particular period of life would be more likely to be locked somewhere in your mind, not so easy to be touched again any more. Admittedly, the throw-away society gives us so many choices among which we are prone to be less picky but also more emotionless. We seldom keep a dress for 10 years like our mothers do since all the new styles have emerged and we have so many chances to choose a more delicate one. When we discard the old one, we don’t feel a tiny bit mercy; when we welcome the new one, we don’t sense the joy that much either. It’s believed today that the whole world, material or non-material, is formulated this way, easy and convenient; thus we tend to be less reminiscent of the unforgettable birthday party while we were attired with that particular dress. The dress is still the original one, but the connotation of the dress has changed through your life, for it has been a witness to your growth, your maturity, tear and laughter, ups and downs. The longer you keep it, the more it becomes part of yourself. So many people nowadays complain that they are lost somewhere in their life and they feel onfused and puzzled to forge ahead. It’s a paradox that people want to sustain a whole self but still discard part of himself. Living in the throw-away society, what people eventually throw away is the real self, subconsciously and accidentally. It’s a trend that we will continue throwing away, as it seems to be destined. But during this inexorable process, more reflections are bound to elaborat e and expand on it since we all despise to see a world with complete trash but desperate ourselves.

Alone Together Professor Ramos Blog

Alone Together Have you ever felt alone, even for just a split second? If you ever read any of Sandra Cisneros’ work, you can constantly see the theme of loneliness throughout many of her short stories. Perhaps this theme stems from her life of always being alone. During an interview with Pilar E. Aranda Rodriguez for The Americas Review, Mr. Rodriguez asked Cisneros why she has never married. Cisneros replies, â€Å"Ive never seen a marriage that is as happy as my living alone. My writing is my child and I dont want anything to come between us† (Rodriguez). She seems very comfortable with being alone, yet in the stories she portrays how loneliness is actually supposed to feel like. In the stories â€Å"There is a Man, There is a Woman,† â€Å"Woman Hollering Creek,† and â€Å"Never Marry a Mexican,† one can see how they are all connected through the theme of loneliness, but each character hides their feelings with their actions. The way loneliness is portrayed in the short story â€Å"There is a man, There is a woman† can be expressed through the characters’ everyday life. The man and the woman’s friends cannot see how they truly feel and how hurt they are. For example, when the man and the woman drink with their friends on Friday’s, they drink hoping they would say something but never say it (Cisneros). Maybe they are trying to express how lonely they feel, yet they can never open up to close friends. Its hard to believe how people could be doing the same thing right at the same moment, in the same place but they will most likely never meet. Although the man and woman share the same actions whenever there doing something, it seems very cruel that they will never know about each other. The theme of this story revolves around the idea that being alone doesnt always mean that you are really alone because someone out there can be feeling the same thing you are feeling. In other words , your connected through the sense of loneliness.   In the story titled â€Å"Woman Hollering Creek,† loneliness is hidden through the violence of Cleofà ­las marriage. Being alone seems to be growing upon the main character, Cleofà ­las, as the story goes on. In the beginning of â€Å"Woman Hollering Creek,† it is as if Cleofà ­las is living that great way of life as all other great marriages. She was getting married, having a child, moving to another country, and everything seems to be going well. That is until her husband started to beat her. When he first hits her, she thought that the next time he did, she would do something about it. Yet, she never had it in her to defend herself. Then every time she gets hit, she progressively feels lonely as if her happiness was just what you feel in the start of the marriage. Than her true emotions begin to overwhelm her. Even after having one child and being pregnant with another, Cleofà ­las can feel less and less close to the man she married as if he just a fake lover. Al one with her kids she would push herself to do the unthinkable and would finally leave her husband. In spite of Cleofà ­las’ feeling of happiness and gratitude toward her children, she cannot hide how truly lonely she has become through her marriage. It’s clear how this story also shares the theme of loneliness, but is hidden with the characters actions.   Finally, the last story that takes part in the theme of loneliness is â€Å"Never Marry a Mexican.† This is a complicated story that is nevertheless a sad or appalling one, depending on your point of view. The writing is basically about a woman named Clemencia who enjoyed sleeping with married men. Although you could argue that she picked this up from her mother since the mother cheated on her dying husband when Clemencia was young, yet Clemencia is still an adult and has the option to say â€Å"no† to every situation. You can also argue that she was targeted by married men, but could have rejected them. Perhaps she feels like she needs to make bad decisions in order to feel less alone. Her first affair occurred while she was in college with a Professor who was married. Clemencia would grow to love this Professor but she knew that she would never truly be happy with him because as a young child, she saw from her mom that there was no such thing as true love. So, after d enying the Professor of his offer to leave his wife for her, she would later regret her decision and try to fix her mistake but it was already too late because the Professor would never see her the same way again. Clemencia would then want revenge so she waited years to sleep with the Professors son. Throughout the whole story, Clemencia constantly enjoys her way of her life yet, she’s also trying to find love but was not able to. Even at the end of the story she said â€Å"I just want to reach out and stroke someone, and say There, there it’s all right, honey. There, there, there† (Cisneros). Clearly, she wanted to be with some but was truly alone. As if her purpose was just to create holes in marriages because she had no way of actually dealing with being lonely. As you can see, loneliness is a significant theme in this story but Clemencia covers this feeling up with her terrible deeds.   Being alone can be a very brutal thing. It is as if you were born just to be born and to never know a person that is close to you, without you even knowing. In other words, you feel like you have no purpose but there is someone out there that feels exactly the same way, you just might never meet because of the path you are in. You could say that its fate or just bad luck. In the end you still feel that empty spot in which someone is going to fulfill one day, but has not fulfilled yet. The thought of never understanding why you still feel lonely builds more and more whenever you think of your state of being alone. Almost as if the wound that was created by your past actions makes you more careless yet, scares you at the same time. That unwanted thought of being alone fills your mind and changes the way you look at life. In the stories â€Å"There is a Man, There is a Woman,† â€Å"Woman Hollering Creek,† and â€Å"Never Marry a Mexican,† each main character has a way of covering up their loneliness through their actions such as drinking with friends, pretending to think ones marriage will change, or sleeping with married men. Which concludes that loneliness plays a great deal on how people act in certain situations. Perhaps the only way of stopping this feeling of loneliness is through companionship, which each character is seeking. Bibliography Cisneros, Sandra. Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories. First Vintage Contemporaries Edition, March 1992, Kindle Cloud Reader, read.amazon.com. Rodrà ­guez Aranda, Pilar E. â€Å"On the Solitary Fate of Being Mexican, Female, Wicked and Thirty-Three: An Interview with Writer Sandra Cisneros.† The Americas Review, 1990, pp. 65–80.

The case study 1-1 lincon Electric Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The case study 1-1 lincon Electric - Essay Example 33) Use module theory and evidence from the firm’s past experience to explore the advantages and disadvantages of these entry modes. Which would you recommend for use in Lincoln’s entry to India, and why†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.......................................................................................................................7 How far and in what ways have Lincoln Electric developed dynamic capabilities through learning form experience in Japan, South Korea and China? Apply your analysis to explain what changes the firm will need to make to its resource management strategy in order to succeed in India†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.....12 Appendix 1- Bibliographyâ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...16 Section A Identify and appraise the key strategic issues confronting John Stropki as he leads the expansion of Lincoln Electric’s international Business in 2006. ... John Stropki, the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and the President of the company, has played a key role in expanding the company’s business globally, and now he is planning to expand the operation in India in 2006, after covering the markets in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific. The company has expanded its operation worldwide through joint ventures, acquisitions and establishing its own plants through out the globe as a major part of its strategy. In its present strategy the company has set a range of financial goals which are not likely to be satisfied only by its operations in the home market of United States. The company’s revenue are still derived mostly form North America; where as the market of welding industry is growing fast all over the globe. Company’s latest goals include double sales growth as compared to the worldwide industrial production, operational margins of over 15% earnings growth of 10% annually, and return on equity of more than 20%. In order to achieve these goals the company had spent approximately two thirds of its free cash flow on global expansion. Now the CEO/Chairman and also the President of the company is focusing on its experience in China and how he can use it so that the same mistakes are not repeated. According to Kendizor, there are a certain kinds of factors that a company should consider when it’s set on the course of expanding its operations globally. Business Risk: The Business risk is high as the stability of the business overall structure depends on how the results would turn up. We have seen in the case of Lincoln Electric in the year 1999, that whenever it entered a global market unprepared it has suffered huge losses, not only internationally but locally as well. Financial Risk: Though

The Social Contract Theory and Animals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Social Contract Theory and Animals - Essay Example This essay stresses that human beings have no known form of direct duty to the animals. Only an individual who has a moral duty cannot be able to have a moral obligation. From the above understanding, animals have no moral duty and hence, no moral obligation. Both human beings and animals would have interest but the interests of human beings in the social contract theory override those of the animals. As such, if the human beings have an interest to kill and eat animals, that interest would be morally justified and it would override the interests that animals have to stay alive. No morals would have been broken in this case. This paper makes a conclusion that only rational beings can be in a position to enter into a social contract. Those beings that are not rational, that is the animals, lack this standing. The rational beings have moral duties and responsibilities that they are required to adhere to. On the contract, animals lack these moral duties and responsibilities. It would, therefore, be proper to argued that animals have no moral standing whatsoever and they cannot take part in a social contract. The form of protection given to human beings under the social contract by the government cannot possibly be given to the animals as well. The animals are still in a state of nature and they have no moral values guiding their day to day activities.

Leadership of Steve Jobs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leadership of Steve Jobs - Essay Example The researcher states that over the years it has been found that the business world has faced significant turbulent events. The stock market went through topsy-turvy situations. The cold war ended but the new issue of global terrorism has raised its ugly heads. Energy prices have increased. Economic power has been shifted towards the emerging economies like India and China. Due to the increase in the raw material prices profit margins have lowered. With his visionary leadership style, Steve Jobs was able to predict the hyper-competition and turbulent nature of the industry. The situational leadership style of Steve Jobs made the Apple one of the most successful business organizations in the world. His leadership style has provided Apple the similar outlook of a Canopy tree in the Rainforest. Under his leadership, the organization was able to dodge different difficulties and absorbed considerable sunlight of success and recognition. Innovative and entrepreneurial mindset are the impor tant characteristics of the leaders. Innovations like iPhone, iPod, and iPad have made the business leadership style of Steve Jobs immortal in the minds of global followers. All these products are the indicators of his supreme innovative capacity. Leadership skills of Steve Jobs can be analyzed with the help of L.E.A.D.S. model which represent Learning, Executing, Analyzing, Designing and Strategizing. Steve Jobs made Apple a learning-based innovative organization. He always encouraged its followers to innovate and learn continuously. Under his leadership style learning rate of the organization was always higher than the rate of change in the industry. Due to his leadership of continuous learning, the organization has succeeded to change itself according to the needs of the hour. Very often his leadership style forced the whole industry to change. His leadership style gave significant focus towards strategic learning.

GE case study Essay Example for Free

GE case study Essay GE Oil Gas was established in 2012 when GE Energy was divided into three new business units of General Electric. Prompted by poor financial performance, GE Oil Gas was created in an effort to simplify business and also make General Electric more visible to its shareholders (Working Environment | GE. com, n. d. , p. 1). GE Oil Gas has grown to become one of the key players in the energy sector. Operating in more than 100 countries and employing 43,000 people, GE Oil Gas delivers equipment and services that enable its customers to access and make more efficient use of the world’s energy resources. With a variety of extremely complex technologies fueling numerous industry-milestone projects, GE Oil Gas has helped make it possible to extract reserves in the most remote and extreme locations. One example, the Gorgan Project, is one of the world’s largest natural gas projects and provides energy to most of Western Australia. The Gorgan Project provides insight to some of the staffing challenges facing GE in today’s global and complex energy industry(Introduction Workforce planning in the global oil and gas environment GE Oil Gas | GE Oil Gas case studies, videos, social media and information | Business Case Studies, n.d. , p. 1) . GE Mission and Values Unlike most Fortune 500 companies, GE does not have an official mission statement, rather they represent their mission with the â€Å"GE Works Equation†. As explained by GE, â€Å"We have a relentless drive to invent things that matter: innovations that build, power, move and help cure the world. We make things that very few in the world can, but that everyone needs. This is a source of pride. To our employees and customers, it defines GE. † (General Electric (GE) mission statement 2013 | SM Insight, p. 1). As environmental regulations shift and force the energy sector to evolve, GE is forced to place a large emphasis on environmental standards. The following statement represents GE’s commitment to sound environmental practices. â€Å"GEs unstinted commitment to Environment, Health Safety is a paramount consideration in all its procedural aspects. For, at GE we realize that when it comes to EHS, a clean bill of health is more than a corporate asset; it is a fundamental responsibility to employees and to the environment that we all share,† (Environment Industries | GE Energy, n.d. , p. 1) S. W. O. T. Analysis1 With regards to adequately staffing each position within GE’s complex organization, the following strengths are key to maintaining market share and a competitive edge. †¢Alliances with other strong businesses that are viewed favorably among the masses †¢As a market leader, GE is capable of obtaining the most experienced employees which continue to help GE be a leader in innovation †¢Strong organizational structure and culture †¢Employee base of 323,000 (All of GE) †¢Strong reputation and popular with consumers. †¢Respected Brand Despite having a high market share, GE still faces weaknesses that must be recognized and understood for them to improve their position. They are as follows: †¢GE is 4th highest producer of air and water pollution. †¢History of misleading investors for high returns †¢GE not performing well in Asian Markets †¢Charged by Department of Defense on corrupt practices for jet engine sales to Israel With the energy sector in full speed and booming in most of the world, GE Oil Gas has a vast number of opportunities to improve performance. With an aging workforce, it is critical that GE also capitalize on current opportunities with personnel and training. The following are current opportunities for GE with regards to their workforce. †¢Pursue governmental support (grants/allowances) for training and hiring new employees †¢Focus on corporate social responsibility to gain favor with consumers, potential employees †¢Takeover/Merger opportunities to enter new markets †¢Further utilize RD projects †¢Improve customer service Being such a highly regulated industry, there are a vast number of external threats that face a company such as GE. These external factors need to be recognized and planned for to avoid a disruption in operations. †¢Increased Labor Cost, shortage of skilled workers, and aging workforce †¢Global recession †¢Currency fluctuations due to the number of counties GE is doing business †¢Intense competition in the industry †¢As the 4th largest producer of pollutants, the biggest threat for GE is government regulation on environmental issues Strategy and Organizational Drivers. Workforce planning is becoming more critical for companies such as GE. Workforce planning is essentially a company planning for future labor needs Because operations span across 100+ companies, GE has developed global training centers offering a broad training curriculum to ensure its workforce is abreast to the latest challenges in the energy industry. Despite the shortage of STEM graduates worldwide, GE offers customized leadership programs to younger generations in hopes of developing the next generation of technical experts and managers. Additionally, leadership teams are implemented on most all big projects and are tasked with making key strategic decisions for the organization. At all levels of the organization, those who demonstrate passion and commitment to both high performance and the GE brand can expect to be rewarded with higher positions and more responsibility, Whether it is an HR employee, a scientist, or an engineer, GE seems committed to building and empowering employees(Introduction Workforce planning in the global oil and gas environment GE Oil Gas | GE Oil Gas case studies, videos, social media and information | Business Case Studies, n.d. , p. 2). Improving. The most pressing issues facing GE Oil Gas are the risks of environmental regulation and employing an adequate labor force to cope with the demands of technology advancements. Because of the shortage of skilled professionals, GE should focus heavily on building relationships with the best universities, worldwide, and establishing a presence in the minds of young people interested in STEM careers. GE could begin at even the grade school level by sponsoring science fairs, math and engineering competitions, or any other related activity and provide scholarships to winners. Begin a marketing campaign nationwide that focuses on growing the interest of math and science at a young age. With regards to the environmental issues, strict compliance should be a zero tolerance policy. Bad press can destroy years of good work and potentially cost a company everything. It is vital that companies such as GE are able to adapt to their continually changing landscape, and implement new strategies conducive to growth. In a markets such as oil and gas, it seems like the company that is not growing, is dying. GE has the resources to help ensure they have a future in energy. They must continue to look for initiatives to encourage students to learn about oil and gas. Skilled people are the lifeline of GE.