Article analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Article analysis - Essay Example The assumption of the author in this case is that the failure to attend morning shows by the candidates is due to their preference for late night shows. This illustrates that the assumptions of the author are not effective because there is no due consideration of other factors which would cause the politicians to attend the late night shows as compared to the morning shows. The author would have made his argument effective by considering the fact that the candidates could be having a tight schedule in the morning hours which would not allow them to afford time for the morning shows. It is notable that the evidence that Scott provides to argue his point is effective as revealed by the examples that he uses of Ricky Perry’s famous memory lapse in Letterman’s late night show. This style of writing illustrates the author’s ability to involve emotional components into the article so that the memory of the audience is triggered and make them notice that the candidates are in favor of late night shows. The description of the issue by the author uses comparative analysis of the current political talk shows with the situation four years ago when the morning talk shows were mandatory for political candidates. The use of metaphors by the author emphasizes his point effectively as shown by the description of the 2007 morning talk shows when each candidate had to face the â€Å"gantlet† (Collins 1). The organization of the article is interesting because the author first gives his argument at the beginning of the article with examples to support his point but the explanation of the late night talk show preference is given later in the article. The language of the author in describing the late night shows as compared to the morning shows is full of emotion. This is illustrated by the description of the late night shows as more welcoming with its questions branded

Strategies to become successful adult learners Essay Example for Free

Strategies to become successful adult learners Essay Weve spent more than two decades of our life in a classroom, learning the basics of  mathematics, science, language and the arts. Now we are mature, responsible adults. But somewhere along the way, something goes wrong. We get fired, we lose our job, and we arent able to provide for our family. What are we to do now? Most if not all adult learners partake in adult courses seeking out new things to learn in order to cope with specific life changing events such as getting married, getting a job, being fired, or losing a loved one. They are attracted to new information that is usually related to the events in their personal life, and because they know they can use it in their own jobs or interests. (Zemke, 1984) Considering these then makes becoming successful learners as easy as 1-2-3. First thing you have to remember is that you are learning as a means to an end, not as the end itself. There is a finish line waiting for you at the end of the really long, sometimes strenuous road. Motivate yourself to learn new things. A good source of motivation is active participation. Dialogue between student to teacher and student to peers  is crucial in a good classroom environment, so make practical use of it. (Lieb, 1991) My final tip in becoming a successful adult learner is to enjoy every second of it. Don’t stress yourself if you haven’t grasped the topic yet. Try again. We only spend more than two decades of our lives in a school classroom we spend the rest in a much more competitive world the classroom of life. References: Lieb, R. (1991). Principles of Adult Learning. VISION. Retrieved on February 1, 2008 from http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/adults-2.htm   Zemke, R. and Zemke, S. (1984). 30 Things we know for sure about Adult Learning. Innovation Abstracts Vol. VI, No. 8. Retrieved on February 1, 2008 from http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/adults-3.htm

The Biology of the Venom of Hapalochlaena Maculosa :: Poisonous Australia Wildlife Essays

The Biology of the Venom of Hapalochlaena maculosa Hapalochlaena maculosa, commonly known as the blue-ringed octopus, is a golf ball-sized cephalopod inhabiting the waters around Tasmania and southeastern Australia with a highly potent neurotoxin that it uses as a predatory and defensive mechanism. H. maculosa does not actually synthesize its venom, but rather, the neurotoxin (known as maculotoxin) is produced by a bacterial symbiont of the octopus that lives in its salivary glands. While not overly aggressive, H. maculosa has been known to bite humans when they disturb the usually reclusive octopus. Tetrodotoxin (TTX), the principle component of maculotoxin, inhibits the nervous system by binding to sodium channels on nerve cells to prevent the flow of sodium and release of neurotransmitters. Recent findings have shown that there are sodium channel variants that are either immune or resistant to tetrodotoxin. In most humans, however, victims of the blue-ringed octopus’s neurotoxin will enter into increasingly dangerous s tages of paralysis, which will often end in death of the victim without medical assistance. Sustained medical care for the duration of the toxin’s effects will improve the likelihood of a victim’s survival, but mortality rates are still staggeringly high despite current medical efforts and attempts to find an antidote. Introduction Australia is home to many of the most venomous animals in the world. Many people know that the bites from many of Australia’s snakes and spiders or the stings from its jellyfish and scorpions can be lethal, and oftentimes images of a person writhing in agony as a toxin courses through his or her body come to mind. However, one of Australia’s deadliest creatures has a toxin that works in a very different way. The venom of Hapalochlaena maculosa, or the blue-ringed octopus, causes relatively little pain, but its effects are much more terrifying for the victim. This venom, known as maculotoxin, is an unusual venom both in how it has come to be the weapon of the blue-ringed octopus and in how it works. Physical Biology H. maculosa is a member of Class Cephalopoda and Family Octopodidae. The octopus is made up of a main body, or head, in which there is a well-developed brain, a mouth region that houses the beak, and a pair of eyes. Surrounding the mouth are eight or ten tentacles which are lined with suckers. Within the mantle cavity are the visceral organs, including the venom apparatus (Halstead et al.

The History of African Americans in Film Essay -- essays research pape

Minstrel shows were developed in the 1840's and reached its peak after the Civil War. They managed to remain popular into the early 1900s. The Minstrel shows were shows in which white performers would paint their faces black and act the role of an African American. This was called black facing. The minstrel show evolved from two types of entertainment popular in America before 1830: the impersonation of blacks given by white actors between acts of plays or during circuses, and the performances of black musicians who sang, with banjo accompaniment, in city streets. The 'father of American minstrelsy' was Thomas Dartmouth 'Daddy' Rice, who between 1828 and 1831 developed a song-and-dance routine in which he impersonated an old, crippled black slave, dubbed Jim Crow. Jim Crow was a fool who just spent his whole day slacking off, dancing the day away with an occasional mischievous prank such as stealing a watermelon from a farm. Most of the skits performed on the Minstrel shows symboliz ed the life of the African American plantations slaves. This routine achieved immediate popularity, and Rice performed it with great success in the United States and Britain, where he introduced it in 1836. Throughout the 1830s, up to the founding of the minstrel show proper, Rice had many imitators. In 1842, in New York City, the songwriter Daniel Decatur Emmett and three companions devised a program of singing and dancing in blackface to the accompaniment of bone castanets, violin, banjo, and tambourine. Calling themselves the Virginia Minstrels, they made their first public appearance in February 1843 in a New York City theater. Another group called the Christy Minstrels, headed by the actor Edwin P. Christy, began appearing a few years later and ... ... which he received universal praise. Other films included The Long Kiss Goodnight, Deep Blue Sea, The Negotiator, Unbreakable, and Shaft. Despite his fame as a great Hollywood actor, Jackson has made time for stage work and independent films in order to stay close to his acting roots. Samuel L Jackson has then came to appear in many great movies such as Jurassic Park, Pulp Fiction, A Time To Kill, One Eight Seven, Shaft, Coach Carter, Star Wars and many others. He has also been nominated for many of these and has received many awards for a lot of these films. He is still acting and does not seem to be thinking of retirement any time soon. He truly is a great example of a great actor who rose to fame in the time of blaxploitation and also an inspiration to all those with addiction problems as someone who was able to overcome his problem and make something of himself.

When i grow up

Like many toddlers, I was fascinated by building blocks. They held me spellbound for hours on end and pushed me to make some imaginative, if not structurally unsafe buildings. I thus grew up with a great passion for architecture, and was very certain I would one day be an architect. But as I drifted into Secondary school, my interests changed. History, among all subjects captivated me the most. I grew very much interested in the past, and as I went from â€Å"Ancient Egypt† to â€Å"Communist Russia† I ound myself captivated by the running of the world.Current affairs became my interest and I deviated from the cartoons in the newspapers to ground-breaking articles on the front page. As years passed, however, Diplomacy as a career seemed more interesting and engaging to me†mostly due to the many sensational events that took place (the Iraq War, the Chernobyl disaster, and the like). Gone were the dreams of building a sky- scraper or discovering a lost civilization; I had a burning passion to be something ther than the usual doctor lawyer or businessman†being a diplomat would fit the bill perfectly.A career as a diplomat would be ideal for me because it involves so many great opportunities: travelling around the world; learning how other countries function; getting a chance to interact with people of different cultures. Most of all, it means I can do what I love, that is, immerse myself in the current affairs of the world, and get paid for it. Most people see a diplomat as person who simply enjoys life abroad on taxpayer's money. I completely disagree with this view.Diplomats are often involved in handling issues could mean war or peace. It is this kind of challenge that makes feel even more inclined towards thus career. I also would like to be a diplomat because it would give me the opportunity to meet world leaders who I have grown up reading books about Would you like a career that is different, active, fresh and can fulfill some of y our real reams? Being a diplomat is more than an ideal career for me, it's a Job that will help to help others.More than that, it is a chance to make the world a safer place. Imagine peace in the Middle East, an America with more humility and peace treaties that do what they set out to do†all this can be achieved through the diplomat's skill of perception, knowledge of the past and the ability to listen. Look out for my name in the future†I do hope you will come to know and respect it. when i grow up By abdulgolden When I Grow Up When I grow up I would like to be a nice and caring Pediatrician (Physician). A pediatrician is a child's physician. I chose this wonderful job because I love children and I want to help them. The one thing I like most about kids is their creativity. They generally have a really open mind and are able to come up with some very interesting solutions to things that older people, would never come up with.I loved being a small kid, I had a lot of attention from my family, did not have to stress out about anything, and most importantly I did not have to go to school. To be honest, I am still a little scared about going to the doctor. When I went once to get the flu shot I was really scared, but before I knew it, it was over. The doctor made me feel so good about myself, she made me feel strong. Then, I looked up at my dad and said this â€Å"daddy, I want to be a nice and caring pediatrician like her†.Duties/Obligation(s)A pediatrician has a lot of duties /obligations even if they are general pediatrician. He/she supervises their support staff to see that the office runs professionally and efficiently. They also need to make sure they provide care for infants, children, teenagers, and young adults. They diagnose and treat infections, injuries, genetic defects, malignancies, organic diseases, and dysfunctions.Large part of a pediatrician's job involves treating illnesses. These can be everything from everyday illnesses such as colds and strep throat, to milestone childhood diseases such as measles, mumps and chicken pox. A pediatrician examines the patient first, next orders tests if needed, and then analyzes test results, last diagnoses the illness and decides on a treatment plan.Education/Special Skills RequiredTo become a Pediatrician you first need to pass the General Education Development. Classes like biology, physics, and chemistry will prepare you for the type of coursework you will be studying in medical school. Then you graduate from a four year univ ersity (collage). Next you take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). The MCAT is a standardized multiple-choice test that is required for admission to medical school. Finally finish medical school. Most medical school programs are four years long. Once you have graduated from medical school, you will need to complete a three year pediatric training program at a hospital before you can start your own practice.Last you need to get board certified, which means you can be a pediatrician now. But there are some important qualities you must have. Like communication skills, Pediatricians need to be excellent communicators. They must be able to communicate effectively with their patients and other Healthcare support staff. They also need patience. Pediatricians may work for long periods with patients who need special attention. Children and patients with a fear of medical treatment (like me) may require more patience.But most importantly problem solving skills, they need to evaluate p atient’s symptoms and administer the appropriate treatments. They often need to do this quickly in order to save a patient’s life. Before you go into all these you need to have demanding education and training requirements.Salary ExpectationsAnother thing of why I want to be a pediatrician is because of how much salary I get. Though the average salary of a pediatrician is around $142,585 per year, that is only a range .Now 10% of pediatricians get $41.78 every hour they work, but on the other hand 25% of pediatricians get $59.18 every hour they work. What I am really happy about is that 50% of pediatricians get $74.34 every hour they work. In the future 4.2% of pediatricians will get $80.59 hourly, which means when I grow up I have chance of getting that much money.Depending on the country and place you live will change or maybe stay the same of your salary. Like if I live in Baton Rouge, LA I would earn $118.81 hourly. But if I live in San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, C A I would get $76.40. Since I am hoping to be the manger I will have to spend some of my salary on stickers toys and stuff  like that to make my patients happy and make sure they come back to me whenever they get sick or ill. Also I would need to give salary to my employments. This means, I need to work a lot of hours and be a great doctor/ manager.

Free Essays on Anne Bradstreet

Anne Bradstreet â€Å"Gender† The Struggles and Fears of being a Puritan mother and a puritan woman, Bradstreet had trouble writing poetry in a patriarchal, unimaginative world. Although Bradstreet grew up in affluence with the luxury of an excellent education, she was expected to behave as a normal Puritan woman. She was the wife and child of colonial governor, but her status could not save her from the maltreatment and contempt of women stepping over the line. The Puritan belief that a woman’s place is in the home perturbed Bradstreet. She did not agree with the cultural bias toward women in her time. Bradstreet was criticized harshly for her role as a female writer; nevertheless, she wrote more and more about being a woman. She showed the world that being a woman was to her advantage in the realm of her poetry. As Perry Miller explains, in an era that subordinated women to men and men to God â€Å"women who stepped beyond their domestic defines through literature- by reading or writing- were co nsidered dangerous to themselves and to society†¦Puritans expressed considerable scorn for women who wrote or published† (360-61). On the other hand, Elaine Showalter offers the remark that â€Å"Bradstreet’s writings [i.e. her important later writings] is more inflected by gender than by nationality; it is not American.† Alvin H. Rosenfeld states that â€Å"There is the primary fact the [Anne Bradstreet] was a woman poet, and we look to her accordingly for that special point of view that belongs to the feminine sensitivity and which, we hope, will provide certain details of life in early America missing in the writings of her Puritan brothers.† (Rosenfeld 1970, 79). In fact, many critics believe that Anne Dudley Bradstreet’s feminine sensibility has always attracted scholars searching for details of early American life absent from the writings of her male contemporaries. Some Critics make a range of claims about... Free Essays on Anne Bradstreet Free Essays on Anne Bradstreet Anne Bradstreet â€Å"Gender† The Struggles and Fears of being a Puritan mother and a puritan woman, Bradstreet had trouble writing poetry in a patriarchal, unimaginative world. Although Bradstreet grew up in affluence with the luxury of an excellent education, she was expected to behave as a normal Puritan woman. She was the wife and child of colonial governor, but her status could not save her from the maltreatment and contempt of women stepping over the line. The Puritan belief that a woman’s place is in the home perturbed Bradstreet. She did not agree with the cultural bias toward women in her time. Bradstreet was criticized harshly for her role as a female writer; nevertheless, she wrote more and more about being a woman. She showed the world that being a woman was to her advantage in the realm of her poetry. As Perry Miller explains, in an era that subordinated women to men and men to God â€Å"women who stepped beyond their domestic defines through literature- by reading or writing- were co nsidered dangerous to themselves and to society†¦Puritans expressed considerable scorn for women who wrote or published† (360-61). On the other hand, Elaine Showalter offers the remark that â€Å"Bradstreet’s writings [i.e. her important later writings] is more inflected by gender than by nationality; it is not American.† Alvin H. Rosenfeld states that â€Å"There is the primary fact the [Anne Bradstreet] was a woman poet, and we look to her accordingly for that special point of view that belongs to the feminine sensitivity and which, we hope, will provide certain details of life in early America missing in the writings of her Puritan brothers.† (Rosenfeld 1970, 79). In fact, many critics believe that Anne Dudley Bradstreet’s feminine sensibility has always attracted scholars searching for details of early American life absent from the writings of her male contemporaries. Some Critics make a range of claims about...

Worst Cover Letter Advice Use a Quotation in Your Cover Letter

Worst Cover Letter Advice Use a Quotation in Your Cover Letter I came across an article in my travels, Season Your Cover Letter with a Great Quote, that recommended to job seekers that they use an inspiring quotation in their cover letter. In case any of you encounter the same cover letter advice, I want to warn you now NOT to follow it. I strongly discourage anyone from including a quotation in their cover letter, unless that quotation comes from you, a client or supervisor. Examples of Vapid Quotations in Cover Letters Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others; it is the only means. (Albert Einstein) The sample cover letter in the article above included the above quote and stated, You can count on me to live these inspiring words. I know the importance of influencing people for good and that is what I want to be known for. Id welcome the opportunity to meet with you in person so you can judge for yourself. My reaction: Barf. Some other suggested (and I believe empty) quotations from this article: Plan your work for today and every day, then work your plan. Norman Vincent Peale Real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love. David McCullough Success depends on your backbone, not your wishbone. Unknown Author The problem with using these borrowed words is that just because you like a quotation does not mean you will live up to it! In your cover letter, give inspiring examples of what you have done and then say you will live up to your own examples. Hard facts always speak louder than flowery language. When it’s Okay to Use a Quotation in Your Cover Letter When I was a hiring manager I never received a cover letter containing a quotation, but if I had I would have mistrusted it immediately. Anyone can do a Google search for inspiring quotations. Not very many people truly meet the high standards set by those words, so I would caution you to avoid this type of quotation in your cover letter. The exception to this rule is if you have a quote that you wrote yourself, and that you can back up with examples. Also, it’s a great strategy to put some testimonials from other people in your cover letter – either at the top or in the margin. You can get creative with carefully chosen quotations like these. Another option is to use a tagline on both your resume and cover letter. For example, one of my clients says under her name, â€Å"Leading Teams to Performance When the Game is On the Line.† Isn’t that better than some quote by Benjamin Franklin? If you need help developing a cover letter that will help you get interviews, contact us for more information, or view our Resume and Cover Letter Writing Services.

Book Review of the Killer Angels essays

Book Review of the Killer Angels essays Between the days of July 1, 1863 and July 4, 1863, the Civil Wars outcome was decided. These four days have been known as the Battle of Gettysburg, the turning point of the war. In The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara brings us a vivid image of what the battle was like. Shaaras work is very impressive. He is able to capture how things were during the Civil War. The fate of the country was resting on that war so the novel adds a great deal to the readers mind. Shaara was able to bring to the reader a little of the war. The book also gives you a feel for some of the important characters of the battle, including Lee, Longstreet, Pickett, Buford, and Hancock. The most inspiring figure in the book, however, is Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. He led the 20th Maine regiment of volunteers who held the Union's left flank on the second day of the battle. The Killer Angels gives us an idea on how war affects people. The characters could have been anyone. The author focuses in on universal emotions, not great figures. For example, everyone has always heard of Grant and Lee because of their importance. But few have heard stories about the common soldier. The book centralizes on the actions of the common soldier, even though it is from the leaders point o view. Emotion in the story affects even generals. Several times in the book you can see that they feel for those lost in battle. Usually, generals are often portrayed as being larger than life. Shaara adds a human touch to them. One conclusion that could be drawn from the book is that the Confederates quick start had some effect. Outnumbered, the Union forces managed to hold until afternoon when they were overpowered and driven back. In the confusion, thousands of Union soldiers were captured before they could rally on Cemetery Hill. The Confederates had captured the town. Picketts charge was the Confederates last chance to change the outcome of th...

Criminal justice issues Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Criminal justice issues - Annotated Bibliography Example Criminologists believe that this is a strong predictor of criminal outcomes in youth. Early educational experiences, the negative labeling influence by teachers and peers in school, has been sited as having direct connections to later criminal behavior. Some studies have identified a peer effect on delinquency, where the peer group influences individual participation in delinquent behavior, which influences the later onset of delinquency. While doing poorly in school may present other factors, certainly the reaction from teachers and peers and the discouragement or encouragement by those in power has a direct impact on the way the student comprehends him or herself. This has been found to have not only current societal but far reaching life consequences as well. On the other hand, positive labeling at an early age and continued positive support by peers and caregivers and other authority figures has an enormous influence in the further prevention of violence and other criminally associated behavior. . Succinctly put, labeling theory looks at differing labeling sources and specific relationships over time and makes an attempt to predict the onset of deviant behavior in juveniles. Juveniles are routinely bombarded with different prompts and signals as to how they are being perceived by others. Through the act of role taking and other defining situations Adams, Robertson, Gray-Ray & Ray believe that juveniles are able to â€Å"accurately interpret the meanings of symbols and gestures used to project labels upon them† (2003, p. 172). This allows a projection of self into the role of an authority figure or significant other and allows the youth to make a self-appraisal or assessment through the eyes of another. The all too common response, â€Å"I wonder what they are thinking about me,† is a familiar refrain to us all. In some sense the self then becomes an object

A Curriculum Development Issue Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Curriculum Development Issue - Research Paper Example A social policy statement which was established in 1980 and amended in 1995. The statement explains the meaning of nursing, diagnosis requirement of a nurse and the main purpose of nursing activities. It clearly explains the requirement of a competent nurse in the health sector. It talks about the basic knowledge which is required of a qualified nurse. The statement specifies the main components required in the definition of nursing role and competent in the health sector. As observed by Fasoli (2006), nurses’ schools and faculties are supposed to comply fully with the Nursing: A social policy statement. The policy does not give room for immediate advancement of the training methodology. The strictness of the policy statement limits the advancement of the nursing curriculum. The curriculum is delimited by the policy to act immediately to the emerging technological and health changes. On the other hand, the policy restricts the nursing training schools from advancing the circular without the approval of the concerned health body. Health schools are expected to train what is speculated in the policy. Health policy on the other hand, is very useful in the nursing profession and most specifically in the training process. It clarifies the requirement for a credible nurse. It provides a guideline of what should be taught in the healthcare school. Its strictness is very essential in maintaining the quality of nurse activities in the health sector. ... The policy does not give room for immediate advancement of the training methodology. The strictness of the policy statement limits the advancement of the nursing curriculum. The curriculum is delimited by the policy to act immediately to the emerging technological and health changes. On the other hand, the policy restricts the nursing training schools from advancing the circular without the approval of the concerned health body. Health schools are expected to train what is speculated in the policy. Health policy on the other hand, is very useful in the nursing profession and most specifically in the training process. It clarifies the requirement for a credible nurse. It provides a guideline of what should be taught in the healthcare school. Its strictness is very essential in maintaining the quality of nurse activities in the health sector. Nursing school are limited the power of including irrelevant contents in their curriculum. Any additional in the curriculum must be approved by t he entire health sector. Nurses have the capability of working everywhere in the world due to the universality of the health policy. The policy has also helped nurses in specifying their position in the health sector. The role of the nurse in health sector is clearly explained in the policy. This reduces role confusion in health sector. Curriculum Development Strategies Development of nursing curriculum as a process has neither beginning nor an end. Once it has been developed, the curriculum undergoes modifications and refinements as it becomes evaluated and implemented. This modifications and refinements are performed because a nursing curriculum that is perfect cannot be finalized and achieved when the context within which the

Geotechnical Properties & Construction Methods Coursework

Geotechnical Properties & Construction Methods - Coursework Example At this stage, Engineer will be collecting data from Geological survey, topographic maps, photogeology (aerial) , digital data, borehole records, national survey, mining records in order to understand the geology, compressive soils, drift thickness, landslides, soluble rocks, made ground, etc.†¦ The main importance of the desk study is to understand the geological condition of the site in order to analyse its implication during any stage of the planned engineering activity. This means that for a difficult ground condition, either the foundation design has to be adequate or a reduction of the actual superstructure loads has to be considered. In the given site, the points below can be listed as evidence of desk study as an element of site investigation: Borehole data: the presence of made ground and building debris with patches of old oil spillages; this has been found at a thickness of 1m above the ground level. Soft silt up to a depth of 10m then compacted sand and gravel at 18m . This is the exact composition of the soil beneath and will allow for adequate selection of foundation design. Knowing that up to a depth of1m below the ground level, the soil has almost no strength. This layer will have no importance in the overall bearing capacity of the soil. The Borehole data will enable Engineers to be aware of possible soil contamination of the top soil, weak soil up to a depth of 10m and that strong strata can be seen only after 18m below the ground level. One can argue that Strip foundation; defined as shallow foundation (Maheshwari, 2009) will never be ideal for this type of soil. Topographic map. For the considered site, a topographic map has been obtained. This gives the large-scale detail as well as the relief of the site. It consists of measuring the ground level with respect to a benchmark (Mellow, 2010). On map has shown latitude, which is the level of a given point on site with respect to the ground level. For the fact that two points of the same si te are not always at the same level with respect to the sea level, while a building requires a level terrain, topographic map will be important to give the ground profile, and enable engineers to quantity earthwork; this is the volume of cutting and filling in order to level the site before construction begins. Ground water table: as an element of the site investigation, the desk study will give enable to locate the ground water. For the proposed site, this is 1.5m below the ground level. McLean and Rible (1985) explained that the water table is a very important factor influencing the overall strength of the soil. In an undrained condition, where the water pressure has been taken into account, the total strength of the soil is much higher than the drained condition, without water; keeping in mind that the latter will give the actual strength parameters of the soil. Overestimating the strength of the soil can lead to structural failure as the foundation will not be under-designed the refore will not be able to support the imposed load from the superstructure. Also, as the required construction has taken into account a basement, deep excavation will be required. Knowing the ground water level, will be very important for the fact that, if it is above the required depth of excavation, flooding will occur and the exaction, representing the working environment will be against the health and safety. It can be seen that the desk study wi

Orginzation change in puplic sector Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Orginzation change in puplic sector - Essay Example According to the research, it is evident that, the organizations in public sector required more sustained and deeper change process (Bell, 2008, p.22). It is identical from the case that, due to several reasons, such as inadequate attention to several organization systems, absence of change management competence and flawed guiding theory of change; the organizations within the public sector is failing to implement successful change process. Inadequate independent variable understanding within the management is affecting the change process in the public sector organizations. Kurt Lewin’s organizational change theory can be applied in this study to propose an effective change process to the public sector organizations. The objective of the study is to evaluate the opinions of the authors regarding the change process and theories in the public sector organizations. Critical Evaluation Several authors have presented different views about the implementation of the organizational ch ange process. This part will critically evaluate the opinions of hose authors and will find out strengths, weakness and negative and positive points on the opinions. Lau, Osborne and Gaebler have argued that, due to lack of focus of government leaders, the organizations of public sector are not able to implement the change process effectively. ... Change management is a key competitive strategy that needs to be implemented for a specific period of time. Moreover, it is true that lack of understanding of independent variable within the management can affect the change process. Implementation of Change process Before applying organizational change process, it is important to understand the reason behind change and effectiveness of the change process (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2010, p.86). Depending upon the present situation of the organization in the public sectors, application of the Kurt Lewin’s organizational change process can be effective. Kurt Lewin’s organizational change process This process includes three stages, such as unfreezing, refreezing and change. Unfreeze process refers as the preparation of organization change process. Refreeze stands for shaping up the change process. Move or change includes the effectiveness of the organizational communication process (Appendix). Unfreezing In this stage the pub lic sector organizations need to determine and understand the change process. An in-depth research work is necessary by the consultants in order to implement the change process (Buelens, Sinding, Waldstrom, Krietner and Kinicki, 2010, p.98). The organization should implement this change process in the domain of manufacturing procedure, domain of training programmes and development. Effective unfreezing process will help the public sector organizations to develop overall communication system and organizational structure. The top level management of the organizations should involve in this change process along with the appointed consultants. Refreezing In this stage, the appointed consultant should anchor the change process into the culture of public

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT 4 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

INDIVIDUAL 4 - Assignment Example ly with the source or directly with the customer as opposed to prior models of integration that focused almost exclusively on middle men and the roles of corporate meet and greets with the representative shareholders within the process. In much the same way, things similar to webinars have the capacity to drastically reshape the landscape of traditional sales channels. Although this may seem as a bit of a bold statement, the fact of the matter is that something like a webinar is exponentially cheaper than flying company representatives to a given location, catering a meal, and providing hotel accommodations for the shareholders while there (LaGarde & Whitehead 4). As a function of this factor, along with many others that have not been mentioned, the company, firm, or organization is able to integrate with a far higher level of potential clientele and at a far cheaper rate. This necessarily compounds the percentage likelihood that the firm’s endeavors will result in an overall increase in the bottom line; thereby benefiting the profitability and the business model of the firm in

Orginzation change in puplic sector Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Orginzation change in puplic sector - Essay Example According to the research, it is evident that, the organizations in public sector required more sustained and deeper change process (Bell, 2008, p.22). It is identical from the case that, due to several reasons, such as inadequate attention to several organization systems, absence of change management competence and flawed guiding theory of change; the organizations within the public sector is failing to implement successful change process. Inadequate independent variable understanding within the management is affecting the change process in the public sector organizations. Kurt Lewin’s organizational change theory can be applied in this study to propose an effective change process to the public sector organizations. The objective of the study is to evaluate the opinions of the authors regarding the change process and theories in the public sector organizations. Critical Evaluation Several authors have presented different views about the implementation of the organizational ch ange process. This part will critically evaluate the opinions of hose authors and will find out strengths, weakness and negative and positive points on the opinions. Lau, Osborne and Gaebler have argued that, due to lack of focus of government leaders, the organizations of public sector are not able to implement the change process effectively. ... Change management is a key competitive strategy that needs to be implemented for a specific period of time. Moreover, it is true that lack of understanding of independent variable within the management can affect the change process. Implementation of Change process Before applying organizational change process, it is important to understand the reason behind change and effectiveness of the change process (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2010, p.86). Depending upon the present situation of the organization in the public sectors, application of the Kurt Lewin’s organizational change process can be effective. Kurt Lewin’s organizational change process This process includes three stages, such as unfreezing, refreezing and change. Unfreeze process refers as the preparation of organization change process. Refreeze stands for shaping up the change process. Move or change includes the effectiveness of the organizational communication process (Appendix). Unfreezing In this stage the pub lic sector organizations need to determine and understand the change process. An in-depth research work is necessary by the consultants in order to implement the change process (Buelens, Sinding, Waldstrom, Krietner and Kinicki, 2010, p.98). The organization should implement this change process in the domain of manufacturing procedure, domain of training programmes and development. Effective unfreezing process will help the public sector organizations to develop overall communication system and organizational structure. The top level management of the organizations should involve in this change process along with the appointed consultants. Refreezing In this stage, the appointed consultant should anchor the change process into the culture of public

Trafficking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Trafficking - Essay Example (Outshoorn, J., 2005) As the years progressed, sex workers have found points in trafficking regulations, existing or newly-implemented, which do not serve to alleviate their working conditions, which sometimes even cause more emotional and psychological damage and, which prevents them from having a better life. On the other hand, whenever in a trafficking debate, advocates of anti-prostitution measures stress the importance of human rights, morality and the need for implementation of stricter regulation on prostitution or the abolishment of such, if possible. Anti-prostitution followers insist that consent is irrelevant in trafficking of persons, specifically women, for sexual exploitation. When the human being is reduced to a body, objectified to sexually service another, whether or not there is consent, violation of the human being has taken place. (Barry, K., 1995) Prostitution, â€Å"consensual† or not, supports and is supported by social, economic, and political inequalities. (Balos, B., 2004) Consent shouldn’t be used as an excuse to mitigate the crime of trafficking or prostitution. It violates women’s human rights. Trafficked women are beaten, raped and sexually abused. They are â€Å"subject to starvation, forced use of drugs and alcohol, burning with cigarettes, isolation in dark rooms, being beaten and threats to themselves or their families.† (Balos, B., 2004) Because they lack the proper documents, trafficked women live in fear of authorities who have also been known to abuse their position by for cing themselves on the women. UN peacekeeping operations were rocked by a sex abuse scandal in the Congo that caused the organization to reexamine current training policy. (Trafficking in Persons Report, 2006) Apparently, refugees, including many minors, were victims of sex abuse crimes by dozens of peacekeepers on a mission in Congo. Changes in the training policy should be done to keep the peacekeepers in line. In addition, the women are

Owning a car when one turns 16 Essay Example for Free

Owning a car when one turns 16 Essay There are many advantages and disadvantages to owning a vehicle. A life style change can occur or an empty wallet or purse I can almost expect someone will have when they first start driving a vehicle of their own. This impact in ones life can not only change their life style and their money situation but also there grades, sports, social life, and most of all their physical health. These advantages and disadvantages can be for the better but most of all the worst. In my opinion, owning a vehicle at a young age develops a good source of financial planning, responsibility, and awareness of what can happen to them if they become an uncontrolled driver. Next, with the purchase of a car there can be a life style change and also a huge financial decrease. If one owns a car, especially a teenager, they become cocky and act like a hot shot because they have a vehicle. With this problem a teen may start to develop a new driving style. They will drive with only one arm and will constantly change the CD player to different compact discs and radio station. With having them do this they will increase the chances of not paying attention to the rode and will cause an accident. So, a driver needs to keep their eyes on the rode to not only protect to their own life but the lives of others. Then, the new driver has already developed the bad habits of driving and this will lead them into a having bad grades, missing practices for sports, and lose a social life. The bad grades can come from driving too much, but if one drives, they will need a job. A job is where a loss in a social life comes together. If they are working to drive, they will not have enough time to spend with their friends. Now that they are trying to find time out of work to drive, hang out with friends, and play sports. Sports are after school each day. I dont expect a driver to play sports all week and only work two days and still have enough money to pay for their vehicle. Finally, the most difficult sacrifice to give up is their physical health being tampered with. By working all the time and constantly trying to join sports and hang out with friends this will affect their health. Where is their time to sleep? One will be doing it all but; they do need time to sleep. All of these advantages and disadvantages will change their entire  life style. I believe owning a vehicle will do that but in some cases a change is a good thing so there is always something to look out for. Change can be good but the time will keep ticking away. So, do what makes one happy and make it how you want it.

Impacts Of Tourism In Cyprus

Impacts Of Tourism In Cyprus List and describe the potential positive and negative socio-cultural impacts of tourism in an area of your choice. Tourism is a product that is produced and consumed at the same time. Tourism affects the economy and lives of communities and has proven to be a lifesaver for many destinations. Impacts occur when tourism changes the value systems/ behavior, threatening native identity and that changes occur in community structure, family relationships, ceremonies, collective traditional styles and morality. Tourism can also cause positive impacts as it can serve as a helpful force for peace, help avoid urban relocation by creating local jobs and foster pride in cultural traditions. The type of tourist will have a differing effect on the host community. The mass tourist is less likely to adapt to the local cultures and will seek amenities and standards found in his home community. On the other hand the independent tourist will adapt more readily. The process of tourism development is very important because the speed and nature of development can be a major influence on the magnitude and direction of socio-cultural changes. The term socio-cultural impacts refer to changes to residents everyday experiences, as well as to their values, way of life, and intellectual and artistic products. NEGATIVE SOCIO-CULTURAL IMPACTS OF TOURISM Tourism can cause change / loss of local identity and values by: Commodification Standardisation Loss of authenticity / staged authenticity Adaptation to tourist demands POSITIVE SOCIO-CULTURAL IMPACTS OF TOURISM The promotion of cross-cultural understanding The incentive value of tourism in preserving local culture and heritage The promotion of social stability through positive economic outcomes The potential positive and negative socio-cultural impacts in Cyprus The positive and negative impacts of tourism on the Cyprus socio-cultural structure has been an issue for a long time. Social impacts can be considered as changes in the lives of people who live in destination communities, which are connected with tourist actions in regard to moral conduct, creative expressions. Cultural impacts can be the changes in the arts, traditional ceremonies, customs and rituals and architecture of people that result from tourism activity. Witt (1991) claims that, â€Å"the greater the difference between the host community and the tourists the greater will be the affect of tourism on society†. This presents a challenge to decision makers in regard to the type of tourism that a destination is trying to attract. Thus, for example, at the national level a specific development might be justified on the grounds that it is positive for the society as a whole even if on average it is not positive for the host community. All travelers seek tourism experience, yet very different goals and objectives are required through different roles and behaviors. This occurs because in Cyprus are many different types of tourists. Each type of tourist can be expected to behave differently while visiting a destination. Certain groups can be seen as more exploitive and less sensitive to social and cultural values. Explorers blend into the Cyprus life as local people do and stay longer but they have contact with fewer people than members of a charter tour that moves through Cyprus for shopping or sightseeing. In the case of Cyprus, the tourist policy of the Cyprus Tourism Organization aims to attract middle and high-income class tourists in order to minimize possible resentment between locals and tourists. According to statistics by ‘Eurostat, Cypriots enjoy a higher standard of living than other regions and the type of tourist that visits the island is not the typical high and middle class income tourist but mostly youngsters who tend to reach their limits once they are abroad. The effects of tourists behavior and activities on young people in the area are very noticeable. The increase in drug trafficking and crime are the two major effects of tourism on the local community. Young people tend to spend a lot of their free time away from their families and from community activities since they spend more time in the tourist areas going out clubbing or at bars. As a result, we have an increase in the number of school dropouts and in the number of people smoking at early stages of their age. Cyprus is considered to be one of the few destinations that have controlled tourism well, and it is now repaying the benefits. Cyprus is still an up market destination offering a friendly atmosphere and high quality service. Cyprus has always marketed itself as a prestige resort. Surveys show that many residents see the tourists as a breath of fresh air into the society, economy and life of the locals. The Cyprus Tourism Organization is aiming to keep its high quality and consequently its up market clientele by offering excellent facilities and different types of tourism activities such as Agro Tourism, Bird Watching and Cycling. To achieve this selective advertising and promotion are adopted in order to attract this type of customer. The development of the Tourist Industry led to an improvement in the standard of living for the local people in several areas as tourism expenditure increases the income and improve the standard of living and the quality of life for the locals. Tourism also contributes to the development of infrastructure with the building of airports, new roads, restaurants and hospitals, attraction to enable greatest number of citizens to benefit from the cultural, recreational and leisure activities of the tourism sector. Tourism has also aided in arising the interest for art festivals and crafts, for example weaving, embroidery, wood crafting, pottery etc that have been practiced in small villages for hundreds of years. The impact of tourism on the conservation of old buildings is also both positive and negative. Cyprus residents claim that tourists look for and appreciate local architecture and authentic traditional style, so a lot of buildings are being renovated or conserved as mainly tourist attractions, which would have been destroyed by eager owner. On the other hand, old buildings do not have enough capacity to provide accommodation for the growing number of tourists, so they are destroyed to give room to new and large guest houses with appropriate capacity and tourist facilities. The media have described Paralimni and Agia Napa as â€Å"a round-the clock neon-lit cosmopolitan mini-metropolis and topless sex capital of Cyprus†. The majority state that tourists have a negative effect on the Cypriot way of life and that tourism changes the traditional culture, also it decreases the lifestyle quality of Cypriots who live in tourist areas. The extreme concentration of tourists resulted in the modification of social attitudes among young people, particularly towards sexual behavior. The European way of living has altered the Cypriot society as younger generations are seeking different values than their families, and thus resulting in weaker family bonds. A number of researchers examined the link between the perception that tourism contributes to increase in crime and the support for its development. The crime is related to resident perceptions of tourism development. There is also an increase in prostitution and rise in criminal activity and possible anger b etween local and tourists. Rural population, long term residents, farmers, and younger segments perceive tourism as contributing to an increase in crime especially in the area of Agia Napa. Agia Napa is advertised as a place of great consumption of alcohol, sex, drugs and crime and a great damage caused by thousands of topless beach goers. Moreover the massive arrival of youngsters changed the image of the area from a fun relaxing atmosphere to more of a nightlife entertainment with many nightclubs and discos. As a result, there is an increase in drug trafficking and crime as well as the young generation in Cyprus has started to adopt different set of values on morality and style of dressing which is not acceptable by the older generations. Tourists have altered the Cypriot values and beliefs especially among the young generation and as mentioned before the dress code has changed and nudity is much more acceptable now. In spite of all negative and positive impacts of tourism on the socio-cultural structure of Cyprus it is not yet clear whether the benefits outweigh the costs. In general, the residents of Cyprus have a positive attitude toward tourism. Since the success of tourism depends very much on the human attitudes and behavior of the residents of a destination towards tourists, this seems to be an encouraging result for the future of tourism development. Residents recognize a range of potential positive and negative impacts of tourism however, current attitudes are generally quite positive and there is support for future modest increase in tourism. The tourism development strategy should aim to protect local culture, respect local traditions and promote local ownership and management of programs and projects so as to foster community stewardship of the natural resource base. As integrated processes take time, tourism umbrella organizations should start with voluntary self-restraint, until loc ally adapted objectives have been reached. REFERENCES Witt, S.F. (1991). Tourism in Cyprus, Balancing the benefits and costs. Travel Management. Elena Spanou (2007), The impact of Tourism in Cyprus. Internet: www.srcosmos.gr/srcosmos/showpub.aspx?aa=10216 Assessed on 25/02/10 21:00pm

World Trade Center Attack :: 9/11 september 11 patriotism essays

World Trade Center Attack Reactions to the events of September 11, 2001 run the gamut of human emotion and cognition. There cannot be any doubt of the crime's horrendous nature. Disgust and revulsion might be the best way to describe the sense one feels at the calculated murder of innocent thousands. What more, this was not an attack by another sovereign state. It was an attack by an organization in the shadows. In its aim, no one is sure. What does a terrorist organization gain by committing such acts anyway? In the confiscated tapes depicting Osama bin Laden, the violence surpassed his vision. The expected damage was to be far less worse. But it seemed as if the scale and scope of the onslaught did not faze him in the least bit. The martyrs were going to heaven. And the United States had a lot to say about that. Most denounced the terrorists as cowards, but there were a few, such as Susan Sontag and Bill Maher, who did not feel the same way. There was a sense of overwhelming patriotism, and to say anything otherwise, was foolhardy. And the American flag was everywhere. Even shoes came in the red, white, and blue. Defiling the flag seemed to become downright patriotic. Courage became debatabe, heroism standard. Soon both Sontag and Maher were denounced, even called traitors. What kind of new war was this? Albert Camus states that: By attributing too much importance to admirable actions, one ends up paying indirect homage to evil. For one leads others to assume that such admirable actions are so valuable only because they are rare, and that human activity is far more frequently motivated by nastiness and indifference. (The Plague) These words are full of implication. But to hone in on the media treatment of the events of 9/11 and the war on terrorism in general, one sees the role mass media plays in shaping today's heroism. It is difficult to turn to media and find information without some moral connotation. This after all, is not the proper role of mass media. Or is it? The over-saturation of images and commentary regarding the terrorist actions in the United States is potentially dangerous. This is not to say the issue be taken lightly. That would be delusional. But with recent news of a documentary detailing the events to air on network television, one is left to ponder the merits of this. World Trade Center Attack :: 9/11 september 11 patriotism essays World Trade Center Attack Reactions to the events of September 11, 2001 run the gamut of human emotion and cognition. There cannot be any doubt of the crime's horrendous nature. Disgust and revulsion might be the best way to describe the sense one feels at the calculated murder of innocent thousands. What more, this was not an attack by another sovereign state. It was an attack by an organization in the shadows. In its aim, no one is sure. What does a terrorist organization gain by committing such acts anyway? In the confiscated tapes depicting Osama bin Laden, the violence surpassed his vision. The expected damage was to be far less worse. But it seemed as if the scale and scope of the onslaught did not faze him in the least bit. The martyrs were going to heaven. And the United States had a lot to say about that. Most denounced the terrorists as cowards, but there were a few, such as Susan Sontag and Bill Maher, who did not feel the same way. There was a sense of overwhelming patriotism, and to say anything otherwise, was foolhardy. And the American flag was everywhere. Even shoes came in the red, white, and blue. Defiling the flag seemed to become downright patriotic. Courage became debatabe, heroism standard. Soon both Sontag and Maher were denounced, even called traitors. What kind of new war was this? Albert Camus states that: By attributing too much importance to admirable actions, one ends up paying indirect homage to evil. For one leads others to assume that such admirable actions are so valuable only because they are rare, and that human activity is far more frequently motivated by nastiness and indifference. (The Plague) These words are full of implication. But to hone in on the media treatment of the events of 9/11 and the war on terrorism in general, one sees the role mass media plays in shaping today's heroism. It is difficult to turn to media and find information without some moral connotation. This after all, is not the proper role of mass media. Or is it? The over-saturation of images and commentary regarding the terrorist actions in the United States is potentially dangerous. This is not to say the issue be taken lightly. That would be delusional. But with recent news of a documentary detailing the events to air on network television, one is left to ponder the merits of this.

Women’s Influence in Medicine :: Essays Papers

Women’s Influence in Medicine There are many women who had huge influences in the advancement of heath and medicine. Many people don’t realize how much women do and how much they have contributed to the medical world and its advancements. From Lillian D. Wald, who worked with the less fortunate and children in schools, to Virginia Apgar, who worked with mothers and their newborns and also came up with the â€Å"Apgar Score,† and Eku Esu-Williams who is an immunologist and an AIDS Educator. Even though women did so much, many people were sexist and didn’t want to acknowledge what they did or give them the chance to do things, such as become doctors. I want to inform people on how much these women have contributed to the world of healthcare and medicine so that people won’t be so sexist towards women. There are too many times that the nurses are taken for granted as a part of the school system. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, the school nurse was completely unknown, even though diphtheria, measles, scarlet fever, chickenpox, and many other eye and skin conditions affected thousands of school children, and not to mention all of the injuries that could occur from day to day at school, in class or during recess. But, thanks to Lillian D. Wald and her visions, efforts, dreams, companions, and her hard work, the situation in most schools changed. In 1902, the school-nurse program began to succeed, and it was one of the very first steps in the development of the public-health nursing system in the United States. Lillian Wald was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on March 10, 1867 into a cultured Jewish family. Both of her parents were immigrants, her mother was from Germany and her father was from Poland. The Walds’ moved from Cincinnati to New York where Lillian’s father, Max, dealt in optical wares in Rochester. She had the advantage of a very good education; not only did she know Latin, but she also spoke German and French as well as English. By the time she reached the age of 21, Lillian felt that she needed secure work because she didn’t have any plans for marriage. To try to fill the need she had felt, Lillian chose nursing. She enrolled into the New York Hospital Training School for Nurses, and after finishing the two-year program at the Nursing School in 1891, she took a position at the New York Juvenile Asylum. Women’s Influence in Medicine :: Essays Papers Women’s Influence in Medicine There are many women who had huge influences in the advancement of heath and medicine. Many people don’t realize how much women do and how much they have contributed to the medical world and its advancements. From Lillian D. Wald, who worked with the less fortunate and children in schools, to Virginia Apgar, who worked with mothers and their newborns and also came up with the â€Å"Apgar Score,† and Eku Esu-Williams who is an immunologist and an AIDS Educator. Even though women did so much, many people were sexist and didn’t want to acknowledge what they did or give them the chance to do things, such as become doctors. I want to inform people on how much these women have contributed to the world of healthcare and medicine so that people won’t be so sexist towards women. There are too many times that the nurses are taken for granted as a part of the school system. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, the school nurse was completely unknown, even though diphtheria, measles, scarlet fever, chickenpox, and many other eye and skin conditions affected thousands of school children, and not to mention all of the injuries that could occur from day to day at school, in class or during recess. But, thanks to Lillian D. Wald and her visions, efforts, dreams, companions, and her hard work, the situation in most schools changed. In 1902, the school-nurse program began to succeed, and it was one of the very first steps in the development of the public-health nursing system in the United States. Lillian Wald was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on March 10, 1867 into a cultured Jewish family. Both of her parents were immigrants, her mother was from Germany and her father was from Poland. The Walds’ moved from Cincinnati to New York where Lillian’s father, Max, dealt in optical wares in Rochester. She had the advantage of a very good education; not only did she know Latin, but she also spoke German and French as well as English. By the time she reached the age of 21, Lillian felt that she needed secure work because she didn’t have any plans for marriage. To try to fill the need she had felt, Lillian chose nursing. She enrolled into the New York Hospital Training School for Nurses, and after finishing the two-year program at the Nursing School in 1891, she took a position at the New York Juvenile Asylum.

Absorbance and Spectrophotometry

Experiment 2: Absorbance and Spectrophotometry ABSTRACT: This was an investigation into the effects of different wavelengths of light on methylene blue and carmine red on the absorbance value on a spectrophotometer. A spectrophotometer is used to measure light intensity by emitting a single light source through a cuvette of coloured solution. The particles in the solution, which are coloured, absorb the light depending on how concentrated it is and this produces an electronic reading from the photometer which is the absorbance value.The maximum absorption was found for both solutions and was used to calculate the molar extinction coefficient of methylene blue. An unknown concentration of methylene blue was calculated by using graphs produced in the dilution experiments prior. The results produced supported Beer’s Law because the absorbance was directly proportional to the concentration, and so, we can be assured that the concentration of the unknown methylene blue solution cal culated is relatively accurate. INTRODUCTION: A spectrophotometer is used to measure the absorbance of light by coloured solutions.The absorbance value is produced by a photometer that compares the light detected with a blank cuvette (a cuvette containing just water/clear colourless solvent, which should be 0), with the amount of light detected with a test solution – in this case, methylene blue or carmine red. Using Beer’s Law, we know that the absorbance is directly proportional to the concentration, therefore, knowing the absorbance of a solution can be very useful as the concentration of the solution can be find by substituting known values into the equation: Absorbance = k c t Where: k = constant c = concentration of absorbing molecules = thickness of absorbing layer The aims of this experiment were to use solutions methylene blue and carmine red to confirm that Beer’s Law is true by finding the maximum absorption value for each solution, and then using thi s, find the absorption of methylene blue solution at various dilutions. By plotting these results on a calibration curve (concentration against absorbance), this allows the experimenter to read the concentration at a particular absorbance directly, such as the unknown concentration of methylene blue. METHOD: A spectrophotometer was used throughout this experiment. RESULTS: After finding the absorption for 0. 005% methylene blue solution and 0. 0005% carmine red solution at different wavelengths of light, we plotted a graph to show our findings to make it easier to see what region of wavelength the maximum absorption would occur at. Please refer to figure 1. From this graph, we can see that the maximum absorption for methylene blue is around 650nm-675nm as the peak on the line for methylene is around these values; for carmine red, we can see that the maximum absorption for carmine red is 500-550nm. To obtain a more accurate wavelength value, I placed more cuvettes of methylene blue a nd carmine red around their regions of maximum absorption.After finding the absorption values around each region, I plotted the findings of each solution on separate graphs to show the maximum absorption value. Figure 2 shows that the maximum absorption of methylene blue is 665nm because this has the peak absorption of 0. 965. However, this is not as accurate a value as it could be because the spectrophotometer did not go to more accuracy than 5nm. From Figure 3, we can see that the maximum absorption of carmine red is 0. 207 at wavelength 520nm as this is the peak on the graph. |Maximum Absorption at 0. 0005% | Methylene Blue |Carmine Red | |0. 965 |0. 207 | After we found the maximum absorption for methylene blue, 0. 965, at 665nm, we made up various dilutions of methylene blue and put each solution through the spectrophotometer at wavelength 665nm to find the molar extinction coefficient. I plotted these results on a graph (figure 6) and did the line of best fit through the point s to find the gradient, which is the molar extinction coefficient. Figure 4. Graph showing dilutions of methylene blue and the absorptions each solution givesThe black line on figure 4 represents the regression line. We can use this to find the concentration of the unknown concentration of methylene blue solution by drawing a tangent to the regression line at absorbance 0. 262 (where the unknown absorbed) and reading down from that point on the graph to the concentration. The concentration of the unknown methylene blue is 4. 4 x 10-6 mol dm-3. We can find the molar extinction coefficient by substituting values of absorbance and the concentration of the unknown concentration of methylene blue into Beer’s laws equation.Absorbance = k c t k = absorbance / c t k = 0. 262 / 4. 4 x 10-6 x 1 k = 59545 mol dm-3 cm-3 Therefore, k, the molar extinction coefficient is 59545 mol dm-3 cm-3. DISCUSSION: The main objectives of this experiment was to find the unknown concentration of methyle ne blue by using a spectrophotometer. I found the maximum absorption for methylene blue and carmine red (please refer to figure 1) and using this I determined a more accurate maximum absorption value for each solution by taking further readings around the peak of each line to determine the maximum.However, the findings of maximum absorption for methylene blue and carmine red may not be as accurate as we think because there are extraneous variables that we can not necessarily control. One is that the outside of the cuvette may have been dirty (however, this was controlled to an extent as I wiped each side down of the cuvette with a paper towel before placing it in the spectrophotometer); another variable is that the dial on the spectrophotometer only measured in wavelength intervals of 5nm, and so, we could not get more accurate readings than the ones we concluded with.From figure 1, we can also see that high (maximum) absorptions for carmine red occurs at around 475nm-550nm. This is because the light absorbs most light at this wavelength, and therefore, reflects light at approximately 675nm-725nm which are the wavelengths of the colour red, so we see red solution. The same can be applied to methylene blue solution because we can see from figure 1 that high absorptions for methylene blue occurs around 600nm-675nm – the light absorbs most colours at this wavelength and reflects light at approximately 400nm-450nm which are the wavelengths of the colour blue, so we see blue solution.We could use the maximum absorption of methylene blue found to make dilutions of methylene blue with water to plot a graph proving that Beers Law is true – that the absorbance is directly proportional to the concentration. This is confirmed by the graph produced as the line of best fit is accurate and goes through the origin. APPENDIX: Finding the maximum absorbance: |Wavelength/nm |Absorption | | |Methylene Blue |Carmine Red | |350 |0. 33 |0. 156 | |375 |0. 015 |0. 018 | |400 |0. 015 |0. 046 | |425 |0. 018 |0. 048 | |450 |0. 006 |0. 127 | |475 |0. 029 |0. 093 | |500 |0. 041 |0. 65 | |525 |0. 040 |0. 186 | |550 |0. 077 |0. 144 | |575 |0. 186 |0. 068 | |600 |0. 476 |0. 039 | |625 |0. 622 |0. 028 | |650 |0. 800 |0. 005 | |675 |0. 95 |0. 013 | |700 |0. 102 |0. 004 | More accurate values of methylene blue: More accurate values of carmine red: |Methylene Blue | |Wavelength/nm |Absorption | | 630 |0. 623 | |640 |0. 679 | |655 |0. 885 | |660 |0. 929 | 665 |0. 965 | |670 |0. 913 | |Carmine Red | |Wavelength/nm |Absorption | |510 |0. 205 | |515 |0. 204 | |520 |0. 207 | |530 |0. 191 | |540 |0. 169 | Table below shows the dilutions and the absorbance values of methylene blue at 665nm: Tube |Water : Methylene Blue (ml) |Absorption |Concentration of methylene blue in | | | | |water/mol dm-3 | |1 |4:1 |0. 171 |3. 13 x 10-6 | |2 |3:2 |0. 376 |6. 26 x 10-6 | |3 |2:3 |0. 595 |9. 9 x 10-6 | |4 |1:4 |0. 762 |12. 51 x 10-6 | |5 |0:5 |0. 963 |15. 64 x 10-6 | |Blank |5:0 |0. 000 |0 | Unknown solution absorbance: 0. 262 Formula mass of methylene blue: 319. 6 Working out concentration of methylene blue from %: 1. 0. 0001% methylene blue so, 100/0. 001 = 1000000 so, 1/1000000 = 1 x 10-6 g cm-3 so, conc. = 1 x 10-6 g cm-3 / 319. 6 g mol-1 = 3. 13 x 10-6 mol dm-3 2. (3. 13 x 10-6) x 2 = 6. 26 x 10-6 mol dm-3 3. (3. 13 x 10-6) x 3 = 9. 39 x 10-6 mol dm-3 4. (3. 13 x 10-6) x 4 = 12. 51 x 10-6 mol dm-3 5. (3. 13 x 10-6) x 5 = 15. 64 x 10-6 mol dm-3 ———————– Figure 1. Methylene blue and carmine red’s absorption at regular intervals of wavelengths Figure 2. More accurate wavelengths to find the max. absorption for methylene blue Figure 3. More accurate wavelengths to find the max. absorption for carmine red

Conflient

In the text, the authors state, â€Å"collusion occurs when two or more people ‘agree’ subconsciously to ignore or deny some existing state of affairs or situation† (p. 44). This is somewhat different than another definition of collusion from the investments industry (where collusion signifies insider trading between parties, which is illegal and immoral). In our â€Å"conflict† definition of collusion, we are signifying a state of affairs where people do not recognize a reality that is readily apparent to other people.This can take an unlimited amount of forms. For example, in a family setting, the larger family may â€Å"subconsciously agree† to avoid discussing or helping another family member with a substance abuse problem. In a workplace setting, a top-performing employee may have an infectiously negative attitude and regularly degrade co-workers through verbal aggressiveness. In these scenarios, the reality that is obvious is overlooked because it is either perceived as â€Å"easier† to ignore the real problem or because of power or status issues.When collusion occurs, a conflict (which may have begun as a relatively minor issue) can grow into a â€Å"life of its own†. The conflict then becomes part of a person’s identity and is continued subconsciously to benefit that identity. So for instance, the negative and verbally aggressive co-worker may develop some type of â€Å"accepted identity†. For example, people may say, â€Å"oh, that is Pat just being Pat†. This type of identity is then used to hide away the problem that is subconsciously avoided. QUESTION #2 Staw, Sandelands, and Dutton's threat-rigidity cycle is explored in the text on pp. 6-70. The cycle works in this order. First, when individuals feel threatened, they experience and increase in stress and anxiety. Second, this increased stress and anxiety fosters emotional reactions like fear, anger, and physiological arousal. Thir d, these emotional reactions result in restricted information processing (i. e. , an inability to view the situation at hand in a composed manner) and constriction of behavior (i. e. , we are unable to process a full range of appropriate behaviors mentally due to our emotions taking over).As we discussed in Chapter 2, we are essentially   â€Å"flooded† with emotion, often leading to some type of knee-jerk reaction that in turn leads us to rely on our hastily made (and often incorrect) attributions. Now, the threat-rigidity cycle can take two different routes. First, if habitual responses (e. g. , verbally attacking the other person, avoiding the situation, stonewalling in silence, etc. ) do happen to be appropriate, the results will be positive and we are more prone to rely on this habitual response in the future.Conversely, if the habitual response is inappropriate, the situation will consequently worsen and the perception of threat, stress, and anxiety cycles back all ov er again (i. e. , we return to the first stage, thus the â€Å"cycle†). Because the threat-rigidity cycle underscores our tendency to fall back on habitual responses and attributions when confronted with a threatening situation we do consider these as â€Å"trained incapacities† (see pp. 68-69). Trained incapacities are important because we become so well trained (subconsciously) in our knee-jerk reactions that we believe we understand what is coming next in the conflict.Human beings famously believe that we can â€Å"predict† others behavior, but in reality, we are really bad at it. So what happens is that we become â€Å"blind† to the nuances of a particular conflict situation (often due to the emotional flooding cited above) and then rely on our â€Å"standard reaction† (i. e. , our trained incapacity) that we apply it whenever we are upset. This makes trained incapacities hard to detect, and in turn makes trained incapacities a very important a spect of behavior to understand, both for ourselves and for others. QUESTION #3The confrontation episodes theory outlined on pp. 29-31 is a good guide in many situations for us to go through a â€Å"sense making† process regarding conflicts. Of course, if it was fail-proof, we wouldn’t need the rest of this course. The theory, in general, explores co-created rules of conduct that are implied in relationships (i. e. , our generally agreed upon â€Å"rules of engagement†). My hope here is that you are able to frame a conflict that you have had in a meaningful way with this guide. Naturally, it will be enlightening for many of you or give you a new perspective.Conversely, it may already inform some of you as to what you already know or may serve as reinforcement that you â€Å" did things right† in a conflict. I won’t rehash the terms that were in the guide in each step, but I do want to acknowledge the vital importance of understanding the options we are left with at the end. First, reaffirmation is a good outcome because the parties reaffirm importance of rule being questioned (but as a side note, may simply do this to â€Å"avoid conflicts†. On the other hand, an outcome with no resolution leads us toward a path where conflict is continued and may expand.Legislation and reaffirmation may serve as the two most positive outcomes, in my estimation. I say this because in legislation, parties rework or reinterpret the rule in question, coming to a shared, agreed upon meaning for the rule. Also, in reaffirmation the parties reaffirm importance of rule that is being challenged. This then provides a clear understanding (hopefully) of what that rule entails. This is a classic example of why conflict is often good, as it serves as an opportunity to clear the air about simple misunderstandings that can fester into giant problems rapidly. QUESTION #4Central to this question are attribution processes; my overall goal with this ques tion was to see how well you could explain the interactions of these processes as they relate to conflict. Overall, these processes included how dispositional or situational factors are used by people to draw conclusions about their own behaviors and the behaviors of others, the fundamental attribution error, and the self-serving bias (beginning on p. 61 through the middle of p. 62). Then, beginning at the bottom of p. 62, Sillars notes that attributions influence conflict in at least three major ways.First, due to the self-serving bias, people are more likely to attribute negative effects of conflict to partners rather than to themselves. This heightens resentment of others as negative effects increase, leading to distributive strategies that are damaging to conflicts. Second, again because of the use of a self-serving bias, people often think they use integrative strategies while others use distributive or avoidance tactics. This leads people to believe they are doing more to reso lve the conflict than others are, while this may not actually be true in reality.Third, the fundamental attribution error heightens conflict by encouraging people to see others behavior as planned and intentional (negative attribute) and their own behavior as driven by the situation at hand (positive attribute). In short, we believe act socially desirable in conflict and others act in more negative ways, based on these attribution concepts. It is also vital to note that the self-serving bias and fundamental attribution error are impacted by perceptions of other people’s gender, ethnicity, or other demographic traits and that these two elements are also evident in our relationships with people we already know well (i. . , like the adage that suggests people are often â€Å"well informed and well biased†). Lastly, on p. 64, the authors summarize three propositions in this area of research regarding conflict: (1) people choose conflict strategies based on the attributions they make regarding the cause of the conflict, (2) biases in attribution processes tend to lead to noncooperative modes of conflict, and (3) the choice of conflict strategies influences the likelihood of conflict resolution and the degree of satisfaction with the overall relationship.The correct answer here is really more of a judgment of how well I felt you described the associated concepts and findings above more so than a judgment of whether or not each and every piece of information above was provided in your response. QUESTION #5 This response is fairly cut-and-dried, if you will. The procedure I was looking at here is in Exhibit 4. 1 (pp. 128-131). In your response, I was hoping to see a full discussion each of the 5 â€Å"questions† as they related to your example than a quick rundown of the selections you made.The answer to each question then guides you along the model, ultimately leading to a â€Å"recommended† or â€Å"prescribed† conflict style. So i n reality, this response had dozens of â€Å"correct responses† based on where the style selection tree led you to. Lastly, I was looking for you to evaluate the quality of the style (or styles for some of you) that you were guided to in your example. Would it have worked out in your estimation? Did you try that style (without knowing this information, of course)? QUESTION #6After a fairly thorough discussion of conflict styles in Chapter 4 of the text, the authors describe pairings of conflict styles and how they interact with one another (section 4. 5 on pp. 123-124). They noted, that some conflict style pairings are â€Å" asymmetrical patterns† that did not match each other, such as a demand (compete) / withdraw (avoidance) pattern,   a supervisor / subordinate pattern at work, or a competing / collaborating pattern (which interestingly has great potential to work well together).While at first many of these styles seem â€Å"unhealthy†, leading us to belie ve they are unstable, some are actually quite stable in the short term (e. g. , one dominant role/one submissive role). Although it is noted that these roles may not always be stable in long run due to unhappiness among the submissive individual. Likewise, examples of â€Å"asymmetrical patterns† were also noted, which we often believe are stable because of â€Å"agreement† among the individuals.For instance, a relationship often has two â€Å" avoiders† that facilitate conflict denial/collusion, two collaborators that are more productive, but are not perfect, or two â€Å"competers† that often reinforce a cycle of escalating conflict or reach a stalemate. What we can see from both symmetrical and asymmetrical patterns is that both types of patterns can be either healthy or unhealthy based on the context in which they occur or the type of pattern being used; in other words, the pairing of styles is not a way to determine the health of a relationship.Symme trical patterns of two competers may be great as workout partners, but bad as romantic partners. As many of us know, a competer and an avoider often work poorly because of the attack/withdrawal pattern, but a competer and a collaborator may work out wonderfully because the book notes how competers (that openly air out concerns) give collaborators tools to work with to find a â€Å"win/win† solution in many cases. QUESTION #7 This final question provided an applied conflict management scenario that revolved around the use of reframing/issue framing tactics in the textbook (p. 9 through p. 92). Just to be clear, the discussion of framing in Ch. 2 (pp. 57-59) is secondary for this question and was not the intended area of focus. In other words, I am seeking explicit reframing/issue framing tactics that would help to resolve the issue at hand (pp. 91-92). That is not to say the definition and discussion of framing in Ch. 2 is not important; in fact it is vital to acknowledge that conflict frames are a â€Å"cognitive structure based on previous experience, which guides our interpretation of an interaction or event† (p. 57).So in other words, framing provides the perceptual framework for how we view the conflict itself and the people involved. This is precisely why I created two groups of people in this fictional question that are affiliated with very different â€Å"organizational in-groups†; so it is expected that the accountant and sales person will have very (or use) different â€Å"frames†, based on what is happening. So this creates a scenario where we must â€Å"reframe† to be able to get anywhere in a conflict setting, otherwise we will constantly run into the issue of two people working in two different frames.Reframing/issue framing tactics are then a part of a â€Å"dance† (p. 90 – top). Because each reframing/issue framing tactic will likely produce a different outcome, there is more than one â€Å"right answer† here. To be clearer, a correct answer here is one that explains a reframing/issue framing tactic and reasonably explains why that tactic would make sense to use to manage the conflict in the hypothetical scenario. With that being said, here a few thoughts that I had regarding each reframing approach.Umbrellas: This approach would seem to work poorly here, as the sales staff member already believes the accountant is using this tactic (i. e. , sales person believes the accountant is jealous and is using this â€Å"petty† thing to air jealousy) Issue Expansion: This is an interesting approach overall; it is high-risk, high-reward in nature. Given the status of the growing in-group nature of the conflict, I would think the issue expansion approach may actually serve to drive a deeper wedge between the sales staff and the accounting department.I am open to different interpretations, but this appears to be the most likely outcome. Negative Inquiry: This may provide s ome traction toward conflict resolution. For example, if the sales staff member is convinced the accountant is jealous of their success, perhaps they need to expand on that thought as it is very vague. Also, it could be asked why the sales staff avoided phone and email communication. It may have simply been a case of having a viable excuse for not replying rapidly, instead of the accounting departments’ perception of ignorance/avoidance.Likewise, the sales staff could ask why did you â€Å"call out† someone in a face-damaging way? The answers here may get the two groups and the two main conflict parties on the right path. Fogging: On one hand, fogging may be dysfunctional as it opens up the door for avoidance issues. However, it also may create a situation where the two parties and the two in-groups can simply work towards the issues that relate to company policy here. Conflict is rarely â€Å"forgotten†, but if the accounting department and sales staff find a w ay to change the protocol to allow for a smooth work environment, time may heal some of the wounds.Fractionation: Although more than one approach can be right here, as I care more about the way you apply a solution to the problem, fractionation jumps out as the most helpful tactic at first glance. Here, both the accountant and the sales person (or their entire departments) may be able to break down the larger issues into fractioned pieces to address individually. So this means instead of looking at the big issue (inter-group conflict between sales staff and accounting department), the parties would look at each component.One thing the book does not mention, and this is generally true of all â€Å" textbook† conflict resolution tactics, is that fractionation would probably be very time consuming (especially if you are talking about long-standing, deeply ingrained conflicts). However, this is sometimes the only way to put conflicts to rest; which is something that should be ver y appealing for two departments in an organization that really need to cooperate with each other. The long term gains would seem to outweigh the short-term productivity losses.

Islam and Secularism in Turkey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Islam and Secularism in Turkey - Essay Example The provision which declared that the religion of the state was Islam was removed through the constitutional amendment. A great percentage of the citizens in Turkey subscribe to Islam. However, the current constitution which came into effect in 1982 does not recognize or promote an official state religion, including Islam (Kuru 28). Secularism in Turkey did not strictly advocate that the state and religion be separated. It simply describes the stance of the state as one that supports dynamic neutrality. Turkish position on religion and its relationship with the European Union has caused some issues with how it relates to the West and the East. Turkey’s history of secularism can be traced back to the Ottoman Empire (Kuru 56). During this period, the toleration of diversity was a major issue for country’s the administration. The beginning of secularism in Turkey is said to have been very dramatic as it negated the Islamic system of the Ottoman Empire. Islamists spent the entire 20th century opposing

Compare and Contrast Liberal and Realist Views of International Law Essay

Compare and Contrast Liberal and Realist Views of International Law - Essay Example This view led to creation of international law which provides a framework that guide international relationship. International relations theories address various concerns of countries. This paper intends to compare and contrast realist and liberalist views of international law. Political realists argue in favor of their nation in terms of its security, social reconstructions, and moral concern while political liberalists argue in favor of international cooperation (Claude & Weston, 2006:122). Security concern is a factor that affects national interests and international interests. It is apparent that political stability of a nation depends on the security measures in place. An instant of insecurity drag political gains and economic endeavors of a country. However, debate on security drags both realists and liberalists into explaining their views to international laws. Realists believe that a state has to strive to achieve state security through all possible means (Claude & Weston, 20 06:126). For instance, during the 9/11 bombing realists gave their response to international terrorism by arguing that the state should refocus on probable sources of its insecurity and that the state should handle non-state actors who are violent as proxies for national interest (Portmann, 2010:70). In this view, high state organs believed that non-state sponsors had a role in creating the infamous attack. In response to the attack, the realists focused their security actions to states they perceived as rogues i.e. nations that supported the actions of the insurgent groups (Portmann, 2010:69). Realists felt the threat posed by these countries and decided to wage war on terrorism in these countries. This justified the move made by United States to wage war on Iraq and Afghanistan. Liberalist contrasts the realist view of international law by favoring the interest of non-state actors (D’Aspremont, 2011:6). It is evident that liberals endow non-state players with agency and aut onomy. For instance, liberals believe that distribution of power does not only remain at state level, but also embeds it to entities such as NGO and international institutions (D’Aspremont, 2011:12). Liberals have taken a centre stage role in advocating for independent groups as forces that need recognition in the international politics. At the international scene, liberals argue that power is a multidimensional tool in which emphasis should be on soft power in addition to economic and military power. This argument makes the liberalist support international activities in contrasts to the interests of the realists. The use of soft power intends to eliminate conflicts, which drag international politics. For instance, the adoption of dialogue as a means of seeking a lasting solution to conflicts is a manifestation of using soft power in brokering interest of various countries. In the international politics, recognition of political realism is a concept of interest vested in term s of power (Neack, 2003:77). The motive behind each state behavior is power, which is either military power or potential power (assets). The means used by states to seek power vary because some states are weak while others are strong. However, power change from time to time. For instance, French military power dominated continent Europe in the early 1800s, but shifted in 1814 following the defeat of French military (Neack, 2003:78). Largely, realist perspective looks at state as

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Western civilization.The rise of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin. Rise of Islamic Fundamentalism - Essay Example The study of history can be tedious and cumbersome to most people but provides many of the important lessons and insights that learning from the past offers to anyone interested in it. This is because knowledge of the various social, economic and political events in the past gives and also provides a guide for the future events as well which prevents committing or repeating the same mistakes or errors. Interpretation of the past is a requisite to have a better grasp of today's events, putting them in the right perspective, context, or understanding enabled with the benefit of hindsight. This paper presents four major historical events which still influenced present events despite the passage of several years. Discussion The four major events were the rise of radical totalitarian dictatorships out of the chaotic political and economic conditions at the turn of the twentieth century, which in turn produced important political figures like Hitler and Stalin who took advantage of those c onditions to change the course of world history, the women's movement (sometimes termed as feminism) that originally grew out of the black American civil rights movement and aimed to improve the lot of women like the right of suffrage and lastly, the rise of Islamic fundamentalism or extremism that saw its culmination in the September 11 terrorist attacks and the war in Afghanistan today. The Rise of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin Totalitarian dictatorships are political systems in which only one person or a small group of just a few persons control the levers of political machinery and the government. Radical totalitarian dictatorships in this regard are political systems in which the government or the state controls all aspects of the life of its citizens, including their private lives, hence the term totality is a reference to state control of all sectors of society, everything for the state and nothing is against the state (as the saying goes). A dictatorship is a form of author itarianism, in which only a junta, a committee or a small group composed of members of the political elites, hold power by virtue of their authority but implies not all social institutions are totally under state control. The radical term as used here denotes only one person holds all the powers, like Stalin was in Russia. Adolf Hitler was a German politician who was born in Austria (1889-1945) and he rose to power through the Nazi Party of Germany (NSDAP). He was a decorated World War I hero; he was imprisoned briefly in 1923 for a failed coup d'etat but once released the next year, quickly rose in the party ranks due to his populist ideas of pan-Germanism (extreme nationalism), anti-semitism (hatred of Jews) and strong anti-communism views. He was also a terrific orator and is able to convince the German population of his ideas, especially those repudiating the terms of the Treaty of Versailles (peace treaty in WWI) as pretty onerous to the German economy. He went on re-arming Ger many in violation of this peace treaty and seized adjoining territories in pursuit of his Lebensraum policy (expanding the living space of Germans), with Germany becoming one party dictatorship under Nazism (nationalist socialism). Germany was able to control most of the European continent and North Africa during the height of its military successes, but Hitler and his wife committed suicide in April 1945 to avoid capture by Red Army forces prior to defeat. Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was one of the original Bolshevik revolutionaries who had fought in the Russian Revolution of 1917 that brought down the Russian monarchy and considers himself as the rightful heir of Vladimir Lenin by eliminating most of his serious rivals, primarily Leon Trotsky who was assassinated in Mexico City in 1940 as a threat to Stalin's own ambitions. Stalin was

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Business Risks in the Pharmaceutical Industry - Essay Example Manufacturers of generic pharmaceutical products in countries like Asia and Latin America are challenging the company's patents and trademark protection. 2. Exchange rate fluctuations are a major concern for a company with headquarters in the U.K., operations in 45 countries, 64,200 employees of whom 60% are based in Europe (AstraZeneca, 2005, p. 16), 49% of sales from the U.S. and Canada, and 30 manufacturing sites in 20 countries buying and selling raw materials from different sources using a variety of currencies (AstraZeneca, 2005, p. 14), although they are minimizing this to avoid currency fluctuation effects. The company reports in U.S. dollars, so a stronger dollar will have a negative effect on its bottom line due to lower dollar revenues on sales in foreign currencies. Although AstraZeneca mitigates currency risk, it does not "seek to remove all such risks (AstraZeneca, 2005, p. 155)." The company, with a $1.1b fixed interest rate debt, is exposed to interest rate risk due to fluctuations in market interest rates. By converting fixed interest debt to floating rate (AstraZeneca, 2005, p. 91), every one hundred basis point (on e percent) rise in interest rates means the company pays $11m more. 3. Uncertainties of developing new products from the Research and Development (R&D) pipeline affects not only AstraZeneca but the whole pharmaceutical industry, which spends an estimated $1 billion over at least ten years to launch a new drug (KPMG, 2005, p.6), which includes losses incurred in developing drugs that do not even reach the market. Companies need to launch new drugs to replace those with expiring patents, marketing exclusivity or trademarks (Bate, 1997, p. 230-231). 4. AstraZeneca is the 9th largest pharmaceutical company in the world (Fortune, 2005) and competes with bigger companies with more resources for R&D and marketing. It also competes with biotechnology companies developing similar products. Increasing regulations in Europe, the Americas, and Asia (Clifford and Flochel, 2005) that put caps on drug prices directly or indirectly lead to low revenues and margins. 5. The company is at risk of paying higher taxes if existing U.K.-recognized double tax treaties are revoked for any reason. Fortunately, these treaties are holding but the risk of being taxed more than once for the same revenue is real. 6. AstraZeneca had a product liability scare in 2004 with Crestor, an anti-cholesterol drug. As the recent experience of Merck with Vioxx has shown, adverse publicity depresses the stock price and wipes out a portion of potential revenues (Bate, 1997, p. 287-288). 7. AstraZeneca's reliance on other companies for raw materials and services expose it to supply chain risks. If these third parties do not deliver, the company suffers stoppages in production, late deliveries, and lost revenues as the market switches to similar drugs. 8. The pharmaceutical i