Thursday, October 31, 2019

Cultural Event Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Cultural Event Report - Essay Example This exhibition is still in progress, having been scheduled to start from March 1st, 2012 to July 13th, 2012. The exhibition itself featured pieces titled, The Star-Sequined Banner: the Flag Which Inspired the US National Anthem and New Acquisition: The BMI Archives Confederate Music Collection. Â  The attendees of the exhibition are me and my friends who are my classmates as well. My initial-most reaction while in the museum was amazement as I got acquainted with the fact that museums could also serve as a vast repository of valuable historical, cultural, political and academic material culture, artifacts and points of references. This shifted my inchoately formed previous opinion of libraries being the main source of these data. The first object of the exhibition is a 30 by 34 ft flag that is almost 200 years old. It is the first item that one encounters upon entering the exhibition hall and is valued because it is reminiscent of the Battle of Baltimore. It is this battle that ins pired and emboldened one of the fighters and statesmen Francis Scott Key to write the lyrics to the American Anthem. This exhibit is located on an interactive table and is presented in a tactile image that gives visitors the chance to analyze key details on the flag, and relevant details such as how it was made. Â  In light of these details, it is clear that the exhibition mainly aims at reiterating the values of the flag as a family souvenir of the 19th century, the harbinger of patriotic ideals and national cohesion and as a legitimate symbol of national unity, having been preserved from as early as 1907 by this Smithsonian Institution. Alongside the viewing of these details, visitors are also helped by an instructor who recounts the history of the flag in four phases. The other item, The New Acquisition: the BMI Archives Confederate Music Collection features a compendium of musical materials that were published during the Civil War by the Confederacy. The relevance of this piece is that by analyzing these sheets of music lyrics, documentaries and imagery, one is able to glean into the values, beliefs and mindsets that their creators and consumers had embraced. Interestingly, a keen observer will note that most of the songs and sentiments expressed in these sheets are similar to those that had been embraced by the Union. The import of this is that both the Union and the Confederacy agreed ideally on almost everything, except slavery. In summation, the exhibition will for a long time serve as a stark reminder of America’s historical heritage, given that the exhibits presented serve as reminders and teachers of America’s history. The same event also challenged me to reconsider the depth of my patriotism, having realized that American fathers paid a heavy price for America’s freedom. Â  

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

The Melody of the Nightingale - an Existential Pathway for Finding Essay

The Melody of the Nightingale - an Existential Pathway for Finding Peace - Essay Example With that said, a close look will be taken into John Keats’ â€Å"Ode to a Nightingale† to highlight his version of transcendent beauty and define how he struck out against the oppression of the aristocracy. The wind blows softly in the distance, rustling autumn leaves across the dirt path. Small, broken branches are strewn about, as if from a recent storm, but the dirt is dry and blows little dust tunnels at the slightest provocation. In eight stanzas, the â€Å"Ode to a Nightingale† by John Keats sets a reader up in this little moment in time to exhibit the pristine beauty of the nightingale in contrast with the harsh reality of his world. Using the power of poetry, Keats is able to become one with the nightingale, to cast off his world of death and despair and enjoy the beauty of the melody for its enchanting quality of escape. In fact, the very â€Å"act of writing the poem has already allowed him to join the nightingale† (Minahan 173). But, by the fin al stanza, his imagination is such that he is struck by a newfound despair when the object of his words takes flight and leaves him. To understand the speaker of the poem’s true despair and the beauty he finds from the melody of the nightingale, an explication will be taken into the words of Keats’ poem as he takes his reader on an emotional journey while highlighting the enchanting power that nature has in enabling the foundation of inner peace. It’s painful, so beautiful a melody that the speaker of the poem is struck by a profound pang upon hearing the nightingale’s song. It’s as though he is experiencing a â€Å"drowsy numbness [that] pains/[his] sense† (lines 1-2). He compares the sound to drinking hemlock (line 2) or taking opiates (line 3) and gives his reader a vision of him staring up at the beautiful nightingale, cursing it for its unendurable ability to be outside his current reality and at peace in some transcendent dimension. By the middle of the stanza, the speaker of the poem is studying the nightingale with solicitous eyes, noting that it must be through â€Å"some melodious plot† (line 8) that the aria can achieve such divine beauty. For the speaker, such a carefree attitude seems an impossibility—an incongruous aspect shining inconceivably in a futile and oppressive world. By the second stanza, the speaker is searching for an intoxicant to escape into the world of the nightingale and enjoy a similar untroubled life. He calls for a â€Å"beaker full of the warm South† (line 15) to immerse himself in a figurative and literal sense, into the song of the nightingale. His mind lingers over the â€Å"beaded bubbles winking at the brim† (line 17) that he could become one with nature, allowing him to â€Å"fade away into the forest dim† (line 20). In the third stanza, he is taken over by the promise of his intoxicant, waiting to leave behind â€Å"what thou among the leaves has never known† (line 22). In words tainted by despair, he defines this world as one full of sorrow and strife, with â€Å"weariness†¦fever†¦and fret† (line 23), one in which man endures the suffering of illness, hardship, and worry until, in the end, his life culminates in a thankless death. It is a world that beauty cannot even see, where the nightingale â€Å"cannot keep her lustrous eyes† (line 29). It is a world only glimpsed through the melodious chimes of the

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Strategies To Maintain Building Efficiently Construction Essay

The Strategies To Maintain Building Efficiently Construction Essay Introduction Building maintenance management has always been seen as the Cinderella activity in the construction industry where we shall be continuously done the maintenance work. The maintenance work has always been seen and carried out by the architects, surveyors, engineers or facilities managers in term of function or discipline (Allen, 1993). The maintenance has been required starting from the construction work at the first stage, where the significance of maintenance was not recognized because most early structures were massive, overdesigned, made from natural materials, in an unpolluted atmosphere and wore out very slowly (Allen, 1993). When the maintenance was required, the individual owner was carried out and the maintenance was executed but in term of management is not properly done. The maintenance management was necessary when the advent of landlord-tenant relationships and together with the growth and spread of the population (Allen, 1993). Normally, property owners always endeavor to keep their building maintenance expenditure in the minimum cost but the building must be in good condition and well-maintained (Seeley, 1976). The building maintenance is highly desired but hardly achievable to produce where the maintenance-free, although many work can be done during design stage to minimize the cost of maintenance work. According to the Building Maintenance by Seeley, the building deteriorates at a greater or lesser rate depending on the materials and methods of construction, environments and the use of the building (Seeley, 1976). 2.0 Definition of efficiency and building maintenance The word of efficiency can be defined as an important quality because all ideas are scarce such as time, money and raw material, so they try to keep them while maintaining an acceptable level of output or a general production level. The efficiency would be reducing the amount of waste inputs (n.n. 2012). There many definition of maintenance can be defined. British Standard (BS 3811: 1964) defines maintenance as work undertaken to keep or reinstate every facility that is every part of a site, building and contents to an acceptable standard (British Standards Institution 1964) . Besides that, maintenance can be defined as the improvement of any facilities including every part of a building, services and surrounding according to an adequate standard in order to sustain the value of building facility (Allen, 1993). 3.0 Types of maintenance According to British Standard Institution, maintenance divided into planned and unplanned maintenance where there have preventive and corrective in planned maintenance and unplanned same as an ad-hoc basis because uses when necessary. Planned preventive maintenance is working direct in order to prevent the failure of facility where the maintenance done within the expected life of facility to ensure the facility can be operation continuously (Seeley, 1976) . Planned corrective maintenance where the work performs in order to restore any facility to operation or acceptable standard and unplanned maintenance where we were unpredicted the unforeseen breakdowns or damage occurred by external causes (Seeley, 1976). 4.0 Strategies to maintain building efficiently Building maintenance is an important thing where to preserve the building in its initial stage of the construction. Furthermore, the execution of building maintenance allows the building to operate effectively. The building shall be maintain in order to make sure the building can be retain investment value, an acceptable condition and required standard, looking good appearance of building, generate income for building owner and conserve historical and architectural values of building (Ali et al. 2010). There are some strategies to ensuring the efficiency in building maintenance practices which is; Work schedule Computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) Involvement of Building Maintenance Profession during Design Stage Outsourcing 4.1 Work Schedule In future, more people are demanding in term of building care where they are wants their building facility always in good condition and well-maintain. For more efficiency in building maintenance, any property management shall be having work schedule for contractor to maintain each of equipment or building facility. In the building maintenance management process, every organization has their objective in order to success in maintenance work and they were determines the effectiveness of implementation in term of maintenance plans, schedules, controls and improvements (MÃ ¡rquez et al. 2009) Besides that, any organization also can produced checklist for building maintenance such as checklist for air-conditioner, mechanical and electrical, water supply and others. So, when there have several checklists at the particular area, the maintenance workers are easy to do their job where they were just going to the particular area and check any equipment through the checklist whether there have equipment breakdown or not. With have a checklist, the maintenance workers will know when the next checking for that building to do maintenance. Checklist schedule can be done in daily, weekly and monthly based on type of maintenance facility or equipment. It will be more efficiently to the maintenance workers to do their job. 4.2 Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Next, strategies to maintain the building efficiently is using the computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) where this system is software that contains the information about companys maintenance operations. This system is useful to the company because it will help their maintenance worker to handle the maintenance job become more efficiently (Herbert W. Stanford III, 2010). Other than that, CMMS also can help them to saving the data about maintenance operations where the maintenance worker will alert on the schedule for their inspection on the building maintenance area such as mechanical and electrical equipment, air conditioner, water supply and others. They are also will know when there have some equipment were breakdown or who the maintenance worker was responsible for the job (Ruud, 2009). Normally, CMMS used by companies which have high standard for their maintenance work. In CMMS, there have some package offer included which are a work orders, preventive maintenance, asset management and inventory control. All programs will be easily for maintenance workers to do their job such as scheduling maintenance procedures, tracking relevant information, keeping track of preventive maintenance components and procedures, recording data about equipment, management of tools, materials and others (Herbert W. Stanford III, 2010). 4.3 Involvement of Building Maintenance Profession during Design Stage The design of building structures is an important thing because at initial stage of the construction, the building maintenance profession shall be involved in order to make sure the suitable building design to be designed by architect. The building maintenance profession is not only involved during the construction completed but they shall be involved before the construction start. So, they can consult with the architect to do the suitable design in term of long-term planning and a long-term maintenance on which are predicted by them (Allen, 1993). After the construction is completed, the building maintenance profession is easily to do their maintenance works because the architect are design the building structure according to their planning. When the design of structure is an efficiently, its required to be understands the way how to be used and maintained the building structure. 4.4 Outsourcing Any organizations in the world try looking for new approaches in outsourcing to maintain the building facility or equipment or develop competitive advantage (Campbell, 1995). By outsourcing a particular area of building maintenance to other organization, the in-house organization can maximize their return because their management will be more efficient. Outsourcing also will be an effective way in order to reduce costs, free-up capital and improve quality and service, but outsourcing cannot be seen as an automatic way to be success (Campbell, 1995). Outsourcing also known as contract maintenance where there have a survey done by FM Link, the contracting for unskilled or semi-skilled services such as landscape services and housekeeping was very high which is 65-75%, the use of outsourcing for preventative maintenance was much lower which is 50% or less and for public owners, public schools, universities and others the use preventive maintenance was below 20% (Herbert W. Stanford III, 2010). There are some benefits of outsourcing because these benefits are related to the quality of the products and services provided to the customers (Campbell, 1995). There are some benefits enjoy by organizations which are: Contractors will be performed a good services where they were might be has more specialized the equipment and allowed the contractor to provide a good quality and service at a lower price. When do the outsourcing, the organization may provide a greater flexibility because the outsourced organization are able to operate their maintenance works according to their own plan. The supplier will enjoy personnel depth and sophistication in technical knowledge in particular area and support more specialized proficiencies. When the outsourcing strategy in well-planned, the approaches which can deliver a competitive advantage by allowed company to focus its resources on their business. 5.0 Conclusion As a conclusion, to ensuring the efficiency in building maintenance practices, the approaches will be used in this building maintenance management is expected to reduce the building maintenance costs, to improve the health, safety and satisfaction by the users. All strategy or approaches in building maintenance are easily to the maintenance workers do their job and become more efficiently. When they are doing their maintenance works according to the schedule, then the works become more save the time, the equipment always in good condition, the checklists will be done by the maintenance workers and others. Other than that, the strategy will be used in building maintenance management to ensure the performance of the maintenance works is well-maintained. The maintenance works must be effective and the most important thing is efficient.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Outlaw Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone Now Essay example -- Argument

Outlaw Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone Now    For a moment, put yourself in John Elway's shoes. Imagine getting paid thousands of dollars to do a milk promotion. Now, would you still do the promotion if you knew the milk had come from a cow injected with hormones? The use of rBGH, Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone, has become a concern in the dairy industry. The controversy is over whether or not the hormone is harmful to the cows and people. In animals and humans, there is a growth hormone produced. This protein hormone, produced in the pituitary gland, is fundamental for normal growth, development, and health maintenance. It was discovered sixty years ago that by injecting cows with GH, the growth hormone extracted from cattles' pituitary glands, milk production was increased. Using recombinant DNA processes, it became technically possible and economically feasible to produce an abundance of rBGH, which is essentially the same as pituitary derived bGH (Rachel. "Report..."). On November 5, 1993, the United States Food and Drug Administration, FDA, announced rBGH safe for use in milk cows. In February 1994, Monsanto, a chemical company, began selling its version of the drug to dairy farmers. Their form of the drug was to increase milk production by 5% to 20% (Rachel. "Hormones..."). The Consumers Union, an independent, nonprofit testing and information organization serving only consumers, made claims and presented evidence that byproducts of the hormone treatment are weighable in milk and are not safe for humans or the cow ("About..."). Today, the Consumers Union wants genetically engineered milk to be labeled so that milk consumers are able to make an informed choice about the milk they are purchasing (Rachel. "Ho... ...tp://www.enviroweb.org/issues/biotech/bgh/nogood.html, December 12, 2000. "Monsanto." Monsanto.com. [online], Available: http://www.monsanto.com/, December 13, 2000. Rachel. "Hormones in Milk: No Right to Know". RACHEL'S Hazardous Waste News #381. [online], Available: http://rachel.enviroweb.org/rhwn381.htm, March 17, 1994. Rachel. "Trouble with Milk." Milk. [online] Available: http://www.gn.apc.org/inquirer/milk.html, February 29, 1996. "Report on the Food and Drug Administration's Review of the Safety of Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin." Report on the Food and Drug Administration's Review of the Safety of Recombinant BGH. [online], Available: http://www.biotechknowledge.com/showlib_us.php3?1308, January 21, 1999. "We're Starting a Food Fight!" Ben & Jerry's rBGH. [online], Available: http://www.benjerry.com/bgh/index.html#what, January 7, 1997.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

It301 Unit 5

Jason Combs Unit 5: Comparison of Quality Philosophies IT301: Project Management I Professor Cyntia Glenn Cotton October 23, 2012 Unit 5: Comparison of Quality Philosophies Philosophy Matrix Dimension| Deming| Juran| Crosby| PMI|Quality Definition| Needs of customers| Fitness for use| Comply to the requirements| Conformance to requirements| Quality System| 14-pt Philosphy-A recipe for total quality| Trilogy-Optimize the process| Plan the quality| Prevention| Performance Standard| PDCA/PDSA Deming Wheel| SuccessFormula| Quality assurance| Zero Defects| Quality Measurement| Kaizen| Excellence to Process Perato Principles| Cost of quality| Cost of non-conformance| Role of Top Management| Consistently improve quality| Speaks in the language of dollars| Leadership| Leadership and participation| Role of the Worker| Self improvement| Speak in the language of things| Participation| High level involvement| In the world of quality, there are three great contributors that helped revolutionize a nd evolve the quality movement. These three gentlemen were W. Edwards Deming, Joseph Juran, and Philip Bayard Crosby. All three of them concentrated on quality in the manufacturing and industrial businesses, yet each of their philosophies are dissimilar.Their contributions to the quality movement can also be applied to other business sectors, such as the information technology field. In order to discuss quality, we will need to explore each of their philosophies and how they relate to one another and additionally, how they contrast with one another. While there are indeed three great contributors, this paper will focus primarily on Philip B. Crosby's philosophies, and thus, be biased towards him. Quality Defined One of the contributors, Joseph Juran, wrote a publication called Quality Control Handbook. Juran's definition of quality is â€Å"fitness for purpose† (Juran, 2010). Fit for purpose means every service and/or product from a company must satisfy the customer’s need with little to no failure.Juran’s vision on quality was based on the concept of implementing quality initiatives and quality management being defined by the consumer. This philosophy is similar to W. Edwards Deming's point of view as organizational â€Å"transformation† for quality. This process led to Juran dividing this concept into two categories: Product features that meet customer needs and freedom from deficiencies, which defines quality as reducing costs and improving standards. Therefore, Juran defines quality by implementing continuous improvement workers need to have training in proper methods of a regular basis, being understood from the perspective of the customer.Similar to Juran, Deming emphasized on prevention rather than fixing as the key to quality. Quality System Similar the philosophies of Juran and Deming, Philip B. Crosby utilized a principle he called DIRTFT (Doing It Right The First Time). Just like Juran and Deming's prevention philosophies , DIRTFT prevented problems by simply doing it right to begin with. Crosby defined quality as conformance to requirements (which are both the product requirements and the customer's requirements). This was a part of the quality system that Crosby developed, which had four parts. The first part is described above, which is how he defined quality. The second part is that the system of quality is prevention.The third part is that the performance standard is zero defects, as is related to the requirements. The fourth and last part is the measurement of quality is the price of nonconformance. Crosby's belief was that a business that had a quality system in place would see savings returns that paid off the cost of the system itself, or more simply, â€Å"quality is free. † The system that Juran came up with consisted of the Quality Trilogy, which involved three main parts. These parts are quality planning, quality control, and quality improvement. In these three areas, the system i nvolved identifying, developing and optimizing, and demonstrating continuous improvements.Deming, on the other hand, had a system he established using a fourteen point formula which recognized the purpose toward improvement, leadership, and training, as well as taking actions to ensure a successful process improvement. Standards of Performance Crosby's performance standard consisted of having a zero defect approach, which meant everyone involved (supplier and customer included) must understand. Crosby defined zero defect as not being a literal zero defect (as that is not always possible), but rather producing goods or services within agreed upon tolerances and requirements for quality and costs. Juran had a four step formula when it came to performance standards: establish goals to be reached, establish plans for these goals, meet the goals, and rewards based on results achieved.Deming had a process called the Deming Wheel, which was an adaptation of the PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, and A ct) Problem Solving Cycle. To break it down, Plan involved designing components to improve results, Do employed the plan, Check evaluated the measurements, and Act made decisions based on the changes needed to improve the process. Quality Measurements Juran's perspective on quality was based on five general measures, the measures being the cost of poor quality, defects, product/process features, customer needs, and customer behavior. Deming's measurements were based on the Kaizen approach, which involved the evaluation of each operation including performance, the raw materials used, processes (manual and machine) and the output(s).Kaizen is an objective to attain improvement continuously. Cosby's philosophy of do it right the first time enforces consumers to spend more money on preventing failure and less on fixing failures. His quality measurements are based on the Cost of Quality, which has just two components: the cost of good quality versus the cost of poor quality. While it cos ts money to achieve quality, it costs even more money when that quality is not achieved. Management's Role Juran viewed the role of management to encompass all processes, especially in services versus products. His focus on quality improvement was in three parts, the first being a program to address random problems.The second part was a program to address chronic or reoccurring issues, and the third part was an emphasis on annual quality programs. Deming's philosophy was that all employees within a business are responsible for quality management and improvements. The management must adapt to quality, and lead the company towards improvement as well as be involved in all aspects of the quality improvement processes. Crosby, meanwhile, viewed the role of management at the top, and had a strong emphasis on increasing profits through quality improvement. His concept reflected in his fourteen step quality improvement program, which begins with Step One: Management Commitment. Therefore, management must be commited towards quality from the top down. Workers' RoleJuran believes that the role of the workforce is to be involved in quality improvement teams. Deming believes that all workers need to be educated on quality techniques, and they need to have responsibility to prevent defects. Crosby's concept in the workers' role deals with just a small amount of responsibility. However, workers should take pride in having quality workmanship and still assume responsibility for their quality. Conclusion Juran's quality philosophy falls in line with the Project Management Institute, which involves similar actions in regards to planning, assurance, and control (PMBOK, 2008). Deming emphasizes quality through statistical process control.Crosby's model of quality was always directed at creating a zero defect mentality which establishes an atmosphere of pride in workmanship while assuming responsibility for quality. References Institute, P. M. (2008). A Guide to the Project Mana gement Body of Knowledge. (4th edition). Newtown Square: Project Management Institute Project Management Institute. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge(PMBOK-Guide)– Fourth Edition (2008). Juran, Defeo â€Å"Quality Control Handbook. † (2010). Retrieved 10/23/2012 from http://books. google. com/books? id=JPCz0LoMnLsC&pg=PA5&lpg=PA5&dq=joseph+M+Juran+-+%22fit+for+use%22&source=bl&ots=968XivvXtO&sig=eNbFuq-Ztkn8ULZwK7bfJw5y7aM&hl=en&ei=ubul

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

First Amendment to the United States Constitution Essay

We live in a society where we pride individuality and staying true to who we are, but contradictingly enough we have large numbers of minorities being discriminated for being who they are. Racism being a strongly relevant issue, even in our day and time, doesn’t get dealt with as seriously as it should. Charles R. Lawrence III takes a firm stand addressing this issue arguing that racist speech should be regulated in universities rather than be protected by the first amendment. He claims that universities need to regulate racist speech in order for their students to really receive the equal educational opportunity they deserve. Getting rid of racist speech would be the only way to give all students the equal opportunity to learn and participate in their university. Lawrence makes strong claims in his argument; however, a lot of his argument is supported through his writing techniques. Charles Lawrence in his argumentative essay â€Å"On Racist Speech,† implements emotion-provoking diction, subtle figurative language and a thoughtful use of detail in order to effectively dispute the need for the regulation of racist speech. In his essay, â€Å"On Racist Speech,† Lawrence argues that universities should regulate racist speech. He points out that when racist speech involves insults, catcalls or assaultive speech, it becomes â€Å"fighting words,† which have been declared by the Supreme Court to not be protected under the first amendment of free speech. Lawrnence argues that racial insults shouldn’t be protected by the first amendment anyway because, the speakers intentions aren’t to â€Å"discover the truth or to initiate dialogue, but to injure the victim†. He also says that the need for regulations on racism advocated under the university’s responsibility to offer equal educational opportunity. Students don’t have the equal opportunity to learn and participate when they are crippled by the fact that at any time they could be struck with verbal harassment or assault. Lawrence offers a counterargument saying how free speech is the lifehood of our democratic system and that it is impossible to outlaw racist speech without suppressing other kinds of speech necessary for our democratic society Using certain words with specific emotional appeal, Lawrence effectively draws emotion out of the reader and strengthens his argument putting the reader at an emotional, personal level with the argument. For example, he first mentions how â€Å"we will be forced to combat [bad speech]† (51). He specifically chooses to use â€Å"combat,† a word with a far more aggressiveconnotation and weight, rather than a more passive word such as address. By doing so Lawrence expresses to the reader the urgency and grave seriousness of the situation; how racist speech is an actual, reckonable force that nees to be contended with. Also, he depicts the matter to be a â€Å"cry† from â€Å"victims† with â€Å"injuries† and â€Å"burdens,† all words with implied emotional context (51, 54). Just by picking certain words, Lawrence successfully uses pathos, pulling the emotions out of the reader and making them feel pity for the minorities. Ultimately with the right words, Lawrence makes the minorities more than just demographics; they become a group of people pressed under injustice and in need of help. He essentially, uses diction to play the readers heartstrings in a manner to make them feel sympathy for the minorities and further sway the reader to support his argument. Lawrence implements figurative language providing material from which the reader can mentally draw an image or feeling from, by which he further intensifies his argument, and ultimately making it more real and relatable. For example, he describes racism to have â€Å"rising flames† in the beginning of his essay (51). He draws a parallel between the situation of racist speech and an out of control fire. By painting such a strong image, he expresses the severity of the issue as well as how it must be addressed urgently. Rising flames aren’t something to shilly shally around with; likewise, neither is the problem of racist speech. Another example is when he describes the â€Å"use of words as assault weapons† (54). By comparing words, simple means of expressions, to assault weapons, firearms meant to hurt, he suggests the brutality of the issue. By putting racist speech next to weapons of destruction, Lawrence effectively shows how racist speech has actual ramifications that hurt and damage others. Also by giving this comparison, he’s able to put a nasty, cruel feeling in the reader’s mind, a feeling that would really stick with them. Lawrence’s use of figurative language proves to be very effective in getting to the reader, because it puts images, and consequently feelings, in the readers mind. He manages to give actual substance to the argument, substance the reader can see or feel. Lawrence sensibly avoids expounding upon the particulars of â€Å"racist speech,† which would have added smaller, more complicated arguments, and ultimately added extra baggage that could turn away readers. Touching upon sensitive issues of racism and free speech, he already packs a heavy load of content for the reader to digest and reflect upon. If he were to add more with what he believes racist speech should be defined as, he would risk losing readers, and not just to an overload of content. By providing a set definition, Lawrence would basically just be throwing out one more thing for the reader to possibly disagree with. Would his definition be too strict, he’d lose some rather more lenient readers and vice versa. Asserting more of his opinion would have created more room for disagreement with the reader, especially when discussing such touchy subjects. Drawing boundaries of racist speech would have just made his controversial essay more controversial. Lawrence having already sensitized the reader talking about â€Å"racial violence† on â€Å"victims† with â€Å"injuries† and whatnot, portrays his argument to be more than just a cold expression of his opinion. Having evoked the reader’s emotions, he had to consider them, making sure not to say something too sensitive that would really strike the reader. By leaving the definition open to the reader, not only does he allow the reader to create their own stand on the issue, where they could personalize it and make it relatable to their lives, but he avoids coming off as overbearing which would have been a clear turn off to readers. Also, by steering clear of precarious details, Lawrence is able to really stick the nitty gritty to the reader and just get his argument out there and heard to a wider array of audiences. Lawrence effectively uses rhetorical devices such as diction, figurative language and details in favor of his argument to regulate racist speech. As serious and urgent Lawrence calls for the regulation of racist speech is, realistically it seems impossible. â€Å"Racist speech† is far too subjective of a matter to have any form of regulation. Plus, it would be impossible to outlaw racist speech without suppressing other speech. That however, does not dismiss the issue. We should rather confront the issue on smaller levels and address it from the source—ourselves. Simply if we were all to simply just stop making or encouraging racist remarks, whether that be indirectly or just for laughs, there would no need for racism to be regulated. If we all were to progress to be accepting of all races, racism would just plainly be a thing of the past.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Effect of Ethnocentrism on an Individual and Society

Effect of Ethnocentrism on an Individual and Society Defined as a universal syndrome of attitude and behaviour that entails the tendency to view the world from the perspective of one’s culture (Brown, 2003), ethnocentrism has profound impact on individuals, society and multinational corporations.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Effect of Ethnocentrism on an Individual and Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is because an entrenched belief in one’s cultural superiority over the others determines the forms of relationship an individual extends towards people of different cultures. However, research abides in the fact that everyone is ethnocentric and it is almost impossible to avoid being ethnocentric. After watching Dream keepers: A Spirit Journey into Aboriginal Australia by Harvey Arden, what rings into the mind is the effect of ethnocentrism on an individual and society. Total neglect and marginalization encompass the daily lives of the aborig ines because of the ethnocentric belief that their culture are not only inferior, but they are not fit enough to join the Australian mainstream society. The effect of ethnocentrism on an individual is precipitated by false assumptions about cultural differences. It reinforces wrong assumptions and premature judgements on people of different cultures and therefore gives a vague feeling of superiority. Through such a wrong evaluation, an individual misses important aspects of life because ethnocentrism tends to evaluate others by what we are best at. According to Sanders (2002), â€Å"membership in an ethnic group is typically evaluated in terms of one or more observable characteristics (such as language, accent, physical features, or religion) that are regarded as indicating common descent.† Furthermore, it affects interpersonal relationship an individual develops with a person of a different culture. At the society levels, ethnocentrism deters the interaction among people of different cultures, ethnic groups, gender and age. Chirot and Seligman (2001) indicate that ethnocentrism has impacted largely on ethnic conflicts, wars and patterns of voting. It is pointed out as a major impediment to societal cohesion and peaceful co-existence among people of different cultures. According to Rogers and Laitin (1998), â€Å"ethnocentrism can be in-group favouritism or out-group hostility.† This is a pointer to the fact that societal problems such as ethnic cleansing, colonialism and racism are products of ethnocentrism of out-group hostility. Multiple forms of discrimination against members of different societies have denied people their human rights and fundamental freedoms. Furthermore, governmental neglect and group marginalization are directly linked to ethnocentrism.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In multinational corporations, ethnocent rism presents the biggest challenge in diversity management and is a determinant to consumer choice. In the understanding that appreciating diversity in organizations demand that each individual form a bigger part of the business entity and must work together knowing that their objectives and goals are far greater than their differences, ethnocentrism deters collective appreciation and the sharing of common purpose. Despite being a major component of an organization’s life and forms the very foundation of organization’s stability, diversity management remains a challenge to multinational firms because of the premature judgment of an individual’s or group’s superiority. Furthermore, it negatively effects communication, which is as a key success factor in organizational climate and it has been directly linked to job satisfaction, performance, and overall organizational effectiveness. Consumers have become complex the choices of their products. Driven by cul tural beliefs and ethnocentrism, consumers would easily shun a product because of perceived cultural inferiority of country of origin. A car manufactured in China would definitely not expect good reviews in the United States. In summary, it can be discerned from the above discussions that knowingly or unknowingly, ethnocentrism plays a critical role in the relationship we develop and the choices we make. References Brown, D.E. (2003). Ethnicity and ethnocentrism; Are they natural? In Race and ethnicity: An anthropological focus on the United States and the world (ed.) R. Scupin. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Chirot, D. and Seligman, M.E.P. (2001). Ethno political Warfare: Causes, Consequences, and Possible Solutions. Washington DC: American psychological Association Rogers, R. and Laitin, D.D. (1998). Ethnic and National Violence. Annual Review of Sociology. 24:423-452. Sanders, J. M. (2002). Ethnic Boundaries and Identity in Plural Societies. Annual Review of Sociol ogy. 28:327-57.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Effect of Ethnocentrism on an Individual and Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More

Monday, October 21, 2019

Things Fall Apart and Ibo Community Essays

Things Fall Apart and Ibo Community Essays Things Fall Apart and Ibo Community Paper Things Fall Apart and Ibo Community Paper Essay Topic: Things Fall apart Describe the marriage and family system of the Ibo, using as many terms discussed in class as possible. In the Ibo community, polygamy is an accepted practice. Okonkwo is a prime example of the typical male in the tribe. He has three wives total and many children. In the Ibo community, the more wives a man has the more masculine he is considered. The people of the community worship their ancestors very often. 2. Why did â€Å"things fall apart? † Things fell apart in the Ibo community because of the outside influences coming into their village and changing their culture. The Ibo had a lack of communication with the Christian missionaries. The religions of the two sides differed vastly and they could not truly agree on God or how to worship. The Ibo could not understand the Holy Trinity and they were being told that the statues of their gods that they believed were made by their one supreme god were fake gods. To prevent the community from falling apart, the missionaries could have accepted that the Ibo would not want to change their religion and left the community alone. 3. Was Mr. Brown (the initial missionary) ethnocentric? Why or why not? Mr. Brown was extremely ethnocentric. When he arrived to Umuofia he immediately told the people of the Ibo community that they were worshipping false gods and they must accept Christianity. He says that the gods of the village are incapable of causing any harm to him for the way he speaks about them. He accepted everyone into the church, even those who were outcasts of the community and did not pay attention to the rules of the villagers. 4. What, in your opinion, is the most important message in this novel? I think the most important message in this novel is that some things and some people just aren’t meant to change. There are some people that are so set in their ways that when others intervene, it causes extreme problems. When the messenger at the meeting near the end of the novel says that the meeting is over, Okonkwo kills him immediately because he is so frustrated with the way his people have handled the missionaries since they arrived.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Juvenal - Roman Writer of Satire

Juvenal - Roman Writer of Satire Satura tota nostra est.Satire is all ours. Some of our favorite television shows and movies are satires. This usually biting form of entertainment owes its creation not to the artistic Greeks, who developed comedy, tragedy, lyric poetry, and more, but to the usually thought of as more practical Romans. Roman verse satire, a literary genre created by the Romans, is personal and subjective, providing insight into the poet and a look (albeit, warped) at social mores. Invective and obscenities, dining habits, corruption, and personal flaws all have a place in it. Juvenal was a master of exposing the foibles of society, with elegance. Roots of Satire What We Dont Know About Juvenal While we must always be leery of assuming the persona (the speaker in the poem) speaks for the poet, in the case of the last and greatest of the Roman satirists, Juvenal, we dont have much choice. He wasnt mentioned by most contemporary poets and is not included in Quintilians history of satire. It wasnt until Servius, in the late 4th century, that Juvenal received recognition. We think Juvenals full name was Decimus Iunius Iuvenalis. Juvenal may have come from near Monte Cassino. His father may have been a rich freedman and rhetorician. This deduction is based on the lack of a dedication in Juvenals satires. Since Juvenal didnt dedicate his work, he probably didnt have a patron, and so may have been independently wealthy, but he may have been very poor. We dont know Juvenals birth or death date. Even the period at which he flourished is debatable. It is possible he outlived Hadrian. What is clear is that he endured the reign of Domitian and was still alive under Hadrian. Topics of Juvenals Satires Juvenal wrote 16 satires the last unfinished varying in length from (xvi) 60 lines to (vi) 660. Topics, as stated in his opening programmatic satire, include all aspects of real life, past and present. In reality, the topics center on all aspects of vice. Book 1 Satire 1 (In English)Programmatic satire in which Juvenal states that his purpose is to write satire in a world where sinners are men of power.Satire 2 (In English)Satire on homosexuality and the betrayal of traditional Roman values.Satire 3 (In English)Contrasts corruption of modern Rome with the older simple way of life still found in the country.Satire 4Farcical political satire about the meeting of an imperial council to determine how to cook an outlandish fish.Satire 5Dinner party at which the patron continually humiliates his guest client. Book 2 Satire 6A wonder of misogyny, a catalogue of evil, eccentric, and depraved women. Book 3 Satire 7Without patronage in high places, intellectual pursuits suffer privations.Satire 8Aristocratic birth should be accompanied by noble behavior.Satire 9A dialogue in which the author assures Naevolus, a male prostitute, there will always be work for him in Rome. Book 4 Satire 10What should be prayed for is a healthy mind and body ( mens sana in corpore sano)Satire 11Epistolary invitation to a simple dinner.Satire 12Description of sacrifice to be made for the safe escape of a man named Catullus from a storm at sea because he jettisoned his treasures. Book 5 Satire 13Consoles Calvinus on his loss of money.Satire 14Parents teach their children the vice of greed by their example.Satire 15Mankind has a tendency towards cannibalism and should follow Pythagoras dietary recommendations.Satire 16Civilians have no redress against military assaults. Sources Michael Coffey: Roman SatireWilliam J. Dominik and William T. Wehrle: Roman Verse Satire   Silver Age Roman Satire Review: Roman Verse Satire Satires Origins E-text of J.W. Mackails Latin Literature Part III. Chapter IV. Juvenal Juvenal Net Links

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Mozart Effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mozart Effect - Essay Example Participants who listened to a piece of Mozart music 10 minutes before completing a spatial ability assignment requiring mental concentration improved drastically than those who had 10 minutes of silence or those who had 10 minutes of verbal relaxation tape. The effect occurred when the participants were tested immediately and the improved ability disappeared within an hour. This brought another aspect of Mozart effect that it was temporal. The size of the effect when measured was an equivalent of 8 to 9 IQ points. Mozart effect can be described as the effect felt after listening to particular pieces of Mozart music. From the experiment, it is interesting to see how music can have effect on the reasoning of a human being. An improvement in the ability to contain mental images from physical objects within a short time is quite tremendous. During my listening experiment, I choose one of the Mozart’s compositions called Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major. The sonata is a melody and it consists of three movements; allegro con spirito, andante and molto allegro. The first movement allegro con spirito begins in a D major which sets the tone with a strong introduction. Both pianos set the theme simultaneously. In the second movement andante the pace is very relaxed and the melody played by both pianos. In this movement there is no strong climax. The third movement molto allegro begins with a racing theme. The reason for this choice is that the music is a melody. I wanted to feel the same effect felt during the Rauscher experiment. It is one of the Mozart’s piano compositions and it reflects the intelligence of the composer. It has no verbal phrases and it is quite fascinating when listening to it. Mozart music can be effectively used in improving learning abilities. Its ability to improve spatial and temporal reasoning tasks will be helpful in providing therapy. It can be used as a therapy for children with learning

Friday, October 18, 2019

Toyota. Background and Company History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Toyota. Background and Company History - Essay Example It enjoys a market share of about 45% in Japan alone. Cho was the executive officer who catapulted Toyota into its current state due to his hard work and determination. Cho derived management experience and skills from Taichi Ohno who was the founder of legendary Toyota Production System. Toyota is known to be producing numerous models of cars that ranging from Corolla, Lexus to the Scion xB (Bremner & Dawson, 2003). Toyota enjoys huge revenues and profits from various parts of the world. The company has thousands of employees across the world. The company’s success is attributed to the fact that they build on every challenge and maximize on every opportunity that comes across. Toyota has relaxed her flexes by being able to adapt to any positive change without being too rigid (Bremner & Dawson, 2003). The company has had booming sales across the globe especially in areas where they have bigger market shares. Toyota’s share in the U.S market is 11.2% where they made sale s of 1.94million and 756, 000 sales in Europe where they have market share of 4.4%. Toyota’s model leaders in North America are Lexus while in Europe the leading models are Yaris and new Avensis. In Southwest Asia, Toyota made sales of 268, 000 where their durable Qualis suv was a big hit in India. In Southeast Asia the company made sales 455, 000 where they assemble cars in seven countries with an intention of expanding their operations in Thailand and Indonesia. Some other markets where Toyota is doing exceptionally well are South America, Africa, China and Japan where they made sales of 97, 000, 140,000, 58, 000 and 1.68 million respectively (Bremner & Dawson, 2003). Cho’s positive attitude towards the company has seen it surviving amid fierce competition from other companies such as General Motors. He initiated adaptation of cost competitiveness in the 21st century that is currently used in the company. Frugality is an important aspect that has contributed to the s uccess of Toyota (Bremner & Dawson, 2003). Toyota usually minimizes cost of production in various ways such as reducing of prices on the major constituents of the new models by around 30%. The company concentrates on how to reduce wastage of time and money as much as possible. Also Toyota pays close attention to the customers’ demand as a way of coming up with car models that are consistent with what the customers want (Bremner & Dawson, 2003). Customer/Target market Toyota Company is working on better ways of enhancing their economy, market share and maintaining a sustainable and stable world market. As a tool of global expansion the company creates and invests in various strategies. The company tirelessly works on a number of strategies to enable it reach her set goals and objectives over a given period of time (Bremner & Dawson, 2003). Toyota enjoys a wide range of expertise assisting it in carrying out research and development which are essential in the growth of the glob al market. R&D has ensured high class delivery of products and services. The company also has an extensive array of distribution network globally that enables it to reach a bigger share of the market. Toyota’s customers are really diverse and they comprise of low income earners as well as high income earners who are widespread globally. The company successfully caters for the needs and wants of their customers by creating a wide range of motor vehicles stretching from small sports cars, vans, large family vehicles and trucks. The high class customers are provided with classy and elegance cars while the low income earners also enjoy an opportunity of having a basic mode of transportation which sufficiently satisfy their needs and income (Capon & Hulbert, 2007).Toyota enjoys a good share of North

Collage and photomontage and hanna hoch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Collage and photomontage and hanna hoch - Essay Example By understanding the historical context of Modern art, it is possible to trace how Hanna Hoch developed her own artistic approach and made her ideas known. An analysis of one of her artworks demonstrates the ideas she was attempting to convey. This investigation further illustrates how Hoch’s artwork served to influence future artists who also used the medium of photomontage and collage to convey their ideas. Because of Hoch, this particular artistic approach took on a greater cultural and social importance because of the way in which it directly spoke to the major political issues of the day, focusing upon the major hopes and aspirations of the community as Germany underwent profound political change in a short space of time. Although Hoch’s artwork was little understood at the time in which she was working, later audiences who were much more informed regarding the artistic theories and ideas being expressed and not as influenced by the fear of Jewish inferiority and i nsanity were more able to appreciate the intelligence and sensitivity this artist portrays within her work. Because of this, Hoch was able to inspire numerous other artists working with the medium to continue exploring the political issues of the day by placing images in similar unusual juxtaposition. Thus, the following paper attempts to demonstrate how Hanna Hoch’s artwork grew out of the social and political climate of her time, illustrate how it became a unique expression of her thoughts and ideas and then trace these ideas as they influenced further artists into the future. Understanding an individual’s artwork as well as their influence on future artists is often more difficult than one might at first imagine. Before artwork such as that created by Hanna Hoch can be fully appreciated, one must have some idea of the artistic theories the artist was building off of, such as the Modernist

Thursday, October 17, 2019

How the UK universities' tuition fees has effect on foreign students Literature review

How the UK universities' tuition fees has effect on foreign students - Literature review Example This research is an exploratory because it seeks to address the problems, which have not received serious attention. The society knows little concerning the effects of charging high tuition fees on the international students, which the research seeks to obtain an explanatory relationship. Its reliance on the qualitative methods shows that it is an exploratory research. The researcher will take a qualitative approach to collect relevant data that will help analyse the questions. It will mainly use official documents such as statistics, and the researcher will treat them with care in order to obtain credible information. Online discussion forums and blogs will be useful in the process because they contain first-hand information, which will enable the researcher to understand the views of the public concerning the UK universities’ tuition fees. The researcher will also use newspaper articles and interviews contained in the newspapers that will help to analyse the research topic. The literature review will also contribute crucial information to analyse the research topic. Sample size influences research findings that can affect conclusion derived from a research. It is important to use a representative sample in order to prevent bias that may arise, thus affecting research quality (Kotrlik & Higgins, 2001, p. 43). The researcher will use a sample size of twelve, which will comprise mainly of online discussion forums, blogs, and newspapers articles. It is important to obtain permission before carrying out research on a given topic. The researcher will also seek permission from the university before embarking on the activity. The research process will observe all the required ethical standards in order to enhance credibility of the study. The researcher will analyse data based on the credibility of the sources. The sources that contain bias will not be used

Singapore Airlines External Factor Analysis Essay

Singapore Airlines External Factor Analysis - Essay Example Singapore Airlines, initially the Malaysia-Singapore Airlines, started operations as an independent airlines company in 1972. The company has gained a strong position in the airline industry and the route network now has expanded to over 90 destinations in more than 40 countries. The company has been able to achieve competitive advantage through product and experience based differentiation as it pioneered the concept of entertainment and innovation in flight. It was the first airline to introduce hot meals, alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks, fragranced towels, and video on demand for the cabin crew members. The crew members are youngest in any airline industry in South Asia and they use the â€Å"Singapore Girl† as the symbolic representation of the company’s commitment to quality excellence and service delivery (Singapore Tourism Report, 2011). Further, the airline keeps the youngest fleet of aircrafts in order to minimize its fuel costs and has an impressive business model which is responsible for its astounding success. It has an efficient financial infrastructure developed and incorporates innovation and strategic management to adapt to the rapidly changing external environment of the industry. As it is the national airline, it is present in the markets of South Asia, East Asia, Europe and America. Therefore, Singapore Airline operates in a highly competitive market thus external environment is of particular importance to its strategic management and leadership. The External environment has an important impact on the airline industries in Asia especially after the augmentation of terrorism across the world. With the changing external trends globally Singapore Airlines is faced by many micro and macroeconomic pressures, socio-cultural changes, political and legal factors and also the technological pressures to constantly innovate. Below is an analysis of the four external factors affecting Singapore Airlines. Political This refers to the political set up and government intervention in the business sector. The government usually discourages private monopolies and hence would encourage competition. This means Singapore Airlines has to watch for political barriers in host countries for example it withdrew the stake in Air India because of the privatization programme of Indian government (BBC News, 2001). The government’s lobbying activities or policies regarding privatization, protection of domestic industry, contracts or subsidies can al l affect the international firms like Singapore Airlines. In politically unstable countries like India and Pakistan, the Airlines will be subject to much uncertainity in operations and will have to incur additional security costs. Even in Singapore, it does not receive any government subsidies despite the fact that it is a national airline (John, 2010) Social Factors Social factors pertain to the societal changes in tastes, preferences and consumption patterns of the consumers. A change in income levels of the society means more people can afford to travel by air rather than by rail or car hence, there can be an increase in the sales of Singapore Airlines domestic and international flights (Hill, 2008). Moreover, changes in social habits like increased preference of entertainment on flights poses a greater pressure on Singapore Airlines to provide such features to the travellers. The crash of Singapore Airline flight SQ006, at the Chiang Kai Shek International Airport in Taipei, mea nt that the company had to compensate the agitated families of victims with a total amount of $400,000 (BBC News, 2001). Moreover, the increased trend of online shopping also requires Singapore Airlines to regularly update its website and offer online selling and booking of airline tickets in Asia. The increase in terrorist activities however, has a

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Problems of philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Problems of philosophy - Essay Example Therefore, it can be deduced that philosophical problems do not exist far from the mere lay sense. These serious philosophical problems are compounded together and assigned either questions or names in line with the reasoning behind every method. This synthesis has afforded, the would be untenable, categories of philosophy to be managed easily and vividly in their respective assigned topics. These topics, among others, are; logic, epistemology, metaphysics, theology, aesthetics and ethics and in this paper I am going to shown how each of the readings of units 8 though unit 12 has dealt with at least each of these problems. Unit 8A is Interview with Spinoza/ David Brahinsky In this interview we get the opportunity to list to an interview between David Brahinsky and Spinoza. Baruch Benedictus Spinoza is counted among the greatest rationalists of the west. The discussion starts by Spinoza being given an opportunity to talk about his religion and he is categorical in stating that he beca me non-religious when such an idea was rare in the society. Although later in the discussion we see him stating that reasoning can be boosted by the understanding of the divine itself and for that case the divinity of God. His rationalism as a topic of philosophy is expounded by his strong belief in the power of reason, thought and logic. According to Spinoza reason can impact our thinking and lives and these include also our emotions and spirituality. This is where his metaphysics meets with his rationalism and we see even his interviewer being interested in the way Spinoza’s ideas have been incorporated in the constitution of the current United States. What also strikes is his disbelieve in duality and he holds hat there is nothing like body and mind, just like there is no superior mind which watches over us. In this speech the writer tries to expose all what Spinoza held dear in his philosophy although there is a leading voice in the way he conducts the conversation and mo st of the ideas discussed are in line with the writer’s right wing in philosophy. Unit 8 Dialogues Of Philonous and Hylas Readings: Gill, 257-275 In this dialogue, Berkeley launched a discussion through a dialogue between two men; Hylas and Philonous. The idea of epistemology kicks off the dialogue with both men discussing critically their nature of experiences on how things come to be known. The argument is hinged on metaphysics, specifically seeking to explain the ultimate nature of reality; immaterial and material. As a branch of philosophy, metaphysics seeks to examine the world and the basic tenets of being and in its rudimentary form; it seeks to answer two fundamental questions: what is there and what is it like. Therefore, the way we define object is the import and subject matter of this problematic branch of philosophy. Back to our conversation between Philonous and Hylas, another problematic topic is deployed as a means of justifying metaphysics. This is none other than epistemology which seeks to define knowledge, the way it is acquired and the way we know that we possess such knowledge. Both men in this dialogue, therefore, attempted to justify their metaphysics epistemologically, an approach which could be the easiest for these two intertwined topics. This use of epistemology becomes therefore an approach to trying to solve the problem of answering the questions; what is there and what it is like. It is agreeable that Philonous represents a wise philosopher and teacher because of his clear reasoning and authoritative assertions. Hylas is as if being treated to a lecture which is evident in the way his questions are being responded to by Philonous and the way he is taken through a logical

Singapore Airlines External Factor Analysis Essay

Singapore Airlines External Factor Analysis - Essay Example Singapore Airlines, initially the Malaysia-Singapore Airlines, started operations as an independent airlines company in 1972. The company has gained a strong position in the airline industry and the route network now has expanded to over 90 destinations in more than 40 countries. The company has been able to achieve competitive advantage through product and experience based differentiation as it pioneered the concept of entertainment and innovation in flight. It was the first airline to introduce hot meals, alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks, fragranced towels, and video on demand for the cabin crew members. The crew members are youngest in any airline industry in South Asia and they use the â€Å"Singapore Girl† as the symbolic representation of the company’s commitment to quality excellence and service delivery (Singapore Tourism Report, 2011). Further, the airline keeps the youngest fleet of aircrafts in order to minimize its fuel costs and has an impressive business model which is responsible for its astounding success. It has an efficient financial infrastructure developed and incorporates innovation and strategic management to adapt to the rapidly changing external environment of the industry. As it is the national airline, it is present in the markets of South Asia, East Asia, Europe and America. Therefore, Singapore Airline operates in a highly competitive market thus external environment is of particular importance to its strategic management and leadership. The External environment has an important impact on the airline industries in Asia especially after the augmentation of terrorism across the world. With the changing external trends globally Singapore Airlines is faced by many micro and macroeconomic pressures, socio-cultural changes, political and legal factors and also the technological pressures to constantly innovate. Below is an analysis of the four external factors affecting Singapore Airlines. Political This refers to the political set up and government intervention in the business sector. The government usually discourages private monopolies and hence would encourage competition. This means Singapore Airlines has to watch for political barriers in host countries for example it withdrew the stake in Air India because of the privatization programme of Indian government (BBC News, 2001). The government’s lobbying activities or policies regarding privatization, protection of domestic industry, contracts or subsidies can al l affect the international firms like Singapore Airlines. In politically unstable countries like India and Pakistan, the Airlines will be subject to much uncertainity in operations and will have to incur additional security costs. Even in Singapore, it does not receive any government subsidies despite the fact that it is a national airline (John, 2010) Social Factors Social factors pertain to the societal changes in tastes, preferences and consumption patterns of the consumers. A change in income levels of the society means more people can afford to travel by air rather than by rail or car hence, there can be an increase in the sales of Singapore Airlines domestic and international flights (Hill, 2008). Moreover, changes in social habits like increased preference of entertainment on flights poses a greater pressure on Singapore Airlines to provide such features to the travellers. The crash of Singapore Airline flight SQ006, at the Chiang Kai Shek International Airport in Taipei, mea nt that the company had to compensate the agitated families of victims with a total amount of $400,000 (BBC News, 2001). Moreover, the increased trend of online shopping also requires Singapore Airlines to regularly update its website and offer online selling and booking of airline tickets in Asia. The increase in terrorist activities however, has a

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

International Monetary Fund Essay Example for Free

International Monetary Fund Essay The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a central organization in the world whose mandate of establishment in 1945 revolves around world economic and monetary cooperation (imf. org, 2006). By following microeconomic policies of the member countries, this intergovernmental organization manages or oversees the global financial system. In this organization, almost all the countries in the world work together in cooperation for the common good. The primary purpose of IMF is to propagate and stabilize international monetary system which is key in ensuring and maintaining stable international payments and exchange rates that are critical in promoting trade between countries. In its efforts to ensure stability of the international monetary system, IMF has the responsibility of reviewing the financial developments in the national, regional, and global arena. The major purpose for which International Monetary Fund was established can be explained in three points. First is to promote stable exchange rates while at the same time ensuring that order is maintained in the exchange arrangements between its member countries and to prevent competitive exchange from depreciating. Secondly, IMF was established to enhance the expansion of international trade in a balanced manner so that all the member countries can benefit from increased levels of employment and real income in addition to better development and utilization of economic resources of these member countries. Thirdly, IMF has the mandate to contribute in the establishment of a new system of payment which is multilateral in nature and which functions to eliminate the many restrictions imposed by foreign exchange and which impedes the blossoming of world trade (munfw. org, n. d). The 184 member countries are required to adopt policies which protect them from financial and economic crises, promote economic stability and policies which have the capacity to raise the living standards of the citizens (imf. rg, 2006). In any given organization, the mission and the set goals are very important since they form the basis for the strategies and management of different affairs in the organization including the critical area of decision making which determines whether the goals will be achieved or not. It is therefore the objective of this paper to describe the mission and the goals of International Monetary Fund and also analyse the process of decision making in the orgaization so as to achieve these goals. One of the mission of IMF is to offer financial assistance to various countries which have faced crises of balance-of-payments as a result of domestic policies. The governments of such countries do not have a choice other than to borrow from the IMF so as to propagate various economic activities in their countries. On the part of IMF, it has to safeguard the interest of the shareholders and therefore it requires that the countries borrowing the funds put in place stringent policy adjustments which will facilitate repayment. Another mission of the IMF is to function as a reserve pool for global economies. This is in light of the fact that various countries especially in the developed world have accumulated colosal amounts of resources and money which act to insure them against shocks. On the other hand, many countries especially in the developing world lack the capacity to accumulate resources for insurance purposes but rather would use them for consumption and investments. The IMF therefore in this case acts as reserve pool which can manage these reserves so that even poor countries can access financial assistance in times of economic crises (Eichengreen, 2009). The third mission of the IMF is to act as a supervisor with regard to macroeconomic activities and trends. This means that it has to be very prudent in keeping an eye on the prevaling financial conditions or trends in the whole globe and in case of any signs of financial instability, provide warnings on the same so that appropriate actions can be taken. However, it has only played a supporting role since most of these activities have been undertaken by the Financial Stability Board (FSB) following the suggestions by the G-20. The goals of the International Monetary Fund are in line with the goals set by the international community in 2000 popularly known as the UN Millennium Development Goals. These goals focus on fundamental aspects of human existence and are geared toward ensuring improved living standards by curbing poverty and improving the health of world populations. The time frame for the achievement of these goals is set to be by the year 2015 and therefore decision making and actions taken are done systematically and resources managed carefully to meet the set deadline. The areas of focus of the first seven goals are on eradication of extreme hunger and poverty, ensuring that primary education is accessible by all children, empowerment of women and promotion of gender equality, improvement of maternal health and reduction of child mortality. The sixth goal is with regard to HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases which have been wrecking havoc in many developing countries. The seventh goal focus on issues of environment in that IMF intends to achieve environmental sustainability by the year 2015 (imf. org, 2010). The last goal requires that a global partnership for development be formed to address issues of debt relief, aid and trade. Decisions made by the IMF are meant to ensure that the resources available are managed carefully so that the organization can meet its goals without having problems caused by lack good management of available resources in many organizations. From the goals described, it is clear that IMF targets to offer assistance to poor countries in order to overcome some of the most common challenges facing them such as disease, poverty and illiteracy. However, the organization is not a development institution like the World Bank and regional development banks. This implies that it has no mandate to provide funds for building physical infrastructure in the poor countries rather it only offers loans to the low-income countries on concessional terms in an effort to ease the pain which these countries have to endure when making critical adjustments in terms of their spending (imf. org, 2006). The purpose for making these adjustments is to bring the levels of spending to the right levels which are commensurate with their income. Consequently, this promotes important reforms which enhance much stronger and sustainable economic growth which results in poverty eradication in the affected. In addition, following streamlining of a country’s economic policies, the IMF loan given to a particular country may attract other donors who are encouraged to provide more financial support. Therefore, this organization has well elucidated approaches which are used to fight poverty and achieve the rest of the goals which it has set to accomplish by the year 2015. Decision making at the IMF revolves around two major aspects one of them being on membership of countries which may want to join the organization and on the other hand on the internal operations of the organization. Both of these areas are quite important in ensuring the sustainability of the operations within IMF. For instance, bearing in mind that the major source of money of the organization is the quotas which are contributed by different countries upon joining the organization, decision making at this stage is critical since it impacts directly on the financial stability of this organization. Quotas are basically a reflection of the size of the economies of the member countries so that a country with a broad economy in terms of variability of trade, national income, monetary reserves and output is required to deposit more into the IMF kit than a country whose size of the economy is small and whose trade variability is not great. The decisions made on the amount of quota a particular country is required to deposit also affect the voting power of that country as a member of the IMF. This means that, the larger the quota of a member country, the more decision making power or voting power it possesses. For instance, the US contributes the largest quota into the IMF kit and therefore has the highest decision-making power at nearly 18%. On the other hand the whole African continent due to its small quota in the IMF possesses only a 5% decision-making power (munfw. org, n. d). The Board of Governors can review these quotas periodically and increase them when deemed necessary. The IMF staff and management comprise of different bodies which govern and manage the affairs of the organization to facilitate the realization of the laid down goals by 2015. These include the Board of Governors, International monetary and financial committee, the Executive board, and the standing committees. However, the important decisions are made by the Board of governors. The whole IMF staff and the management are accountable to the managing director of this organization who is appointed by the executive board to whom he is also accountable. The supreme decision-making body of the IMF is the Board of governors which is made of one governor and one alternate governor from each member country who is appointed to represent the interests of the country at the organization. The alternate governor of each member country is usually the governor of the central bank or the minister of finance. The board of governors is bestowed with the responsibility of making decisions concerning membership and also internal operational activities of the organization such as changes that might be required to the Fund’s structure. Decision making process requires ample time and therefore the Board of governors usually meets twice every year to deliberate on critical issues. The Executive board has the responsibility of carrying out the day-to-day activities of the organization. The board is chaired by the managing director who is assisted by three deputy managing directors. The member countries or groups of countries elect or appoint 24 executive directors make the bulk of the board. To ease the decision making process at the board level, most member countries are grouped into constituencies but the largest shareholders that is US, Germany, Japan, UK, France are not grouped but instead each has one chair. The decision making with regard to appointment of executive directors is in some countries based on the number of votes that a particular country has so that a country with the highest number of votes appoints the executive director. Good decision making process is characterized by consensus and this is adequately embraced in the organization whereby the board relies on consensus in making decisions. The nature of this consensus is determined by the number of executive directors who agree or disagree with a certain issue. In the light of the principle that a good decision making process gives room for opinions and views from all members involved, IMF is keen to allow for a voting exercise to take place in case different opinions crop up in the initial stages of the decision making process. In this voting approach, a needed majority is established in order to give a direction on decision making. However, the percentage majority required will be determined by the nature of the decision which is being made so that a 51%, 66% or 85% majority may be required (brettonwoodsproject. rg, 2005). During this process, the managing director of the IMF who chairs the executive board is required to advice the board to consider matters arising and be patient until that time when a broad majority has made a clear decision on the issue under discussion. Decision making process is characterized by the presence of options or alternatives so that if one fails, the other alternative can be employed to see whether the anticipated results will be achieved. This is exactly what happens at IMF when the majority still fails to precipitate consensus. The alternative is to go by the simple majority of the voting power in which a decision can be quickly made through a collective agreement involving G-7 chairs and a few directors (brettonwoodsproject. org, 2005). The IMF as a firmly rooted organization is therefore a good example of an organization whose excellent management strategy is reflected by its ability to facilitate many poor countries especially in Africa overcome common challenges such as poverty and disease. The mission and the goals set by this organization go hand in hand with the Millennium Development Goals and therefore consistent management of all the resources available to the organization is critical to meet the 2015 time target. The decision making process employed by the IMF also points to one of the key reasons for successful operations since it offers alternatives, democracy and dialogue in addition to the well organized management staff.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Risk factors in Coronary Artery Bypass Graft

Risk factors in Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Association of selected risk factors and the number of grafts at Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgery: A preliminary study E M S Bandara1, S Ekanayake1*, A D Kapuruge2 and C A Wanigatunge3 Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is associated with multi-factorial risk factors; i.e. family history, hyperlipidemia, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, environmental and life style variables. The study attempted to find the association of some selected risk factors (family history, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and diabetic) and the number of grafts (> 3 or à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ £ 3 by considering the middle point as the maximum number of grafts bypassed at surgery is five) of the patients (n=73) who underwent CABG at Cardiothoracic unit of Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital (Ethical Approval No.635/12). Data on family history, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and diabetes were gathered by using an interviewer administrated questionnaire. The patients were categorized into two groups depending on the number of coronary artery bypass grafts as those who have hadà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ £ 3 grafts (n=38) and > 3 grafts (n=35) irrespective of the gender. The prevalence of family history, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and diabetesof patients with à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ £ 3 grafts were 63%, 71%, 79% and 50% respectively. The prevalence of above risk factors in patients who had > 3 grafts was40%, 51%, 62%, and 54%respectively. From the total group 4% of patients did not have any of the above risk factors.The results indicate that hypertension was the most prevailing risk factor in both the groups. However, a significant difference was seen only between family history and number of grafts (p 2 = 3.9).The odds ratio of >3 grafts being bypassed at surgery for patients with any of the four risk factors were 2.6 (95% C I: 0.96-6.88), 0.4 (95% CI: 0.16-1.23), 2.0 (95% CI: 0.67-6.0), 1.2 (95% CI: 0.67-6.05) respectively compared to those without above risk factors. Even though not significant, those who have a family history of CAD and hypertension as risk factors are more likely to (2.6 times and twice respectively) have > 3 grafts bypassed at CABG irrespective of the gender or age. According to the above results contribution of hyperlipidemia to augment the number of grafts is less. Early detection and treatment for hypertension thus may contribute to reduce the number of grafts being performed at CABG. Therefore, CAD patients should be made aware of the contribution of above risk factors to contribute to increase the number of grafts at surgery. Keywords: Coronary Artery Diseases, Risk factors, Grafts Association of selected risk factors and the number of grafts at Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgery: A preliminary study Introduction A high incidence of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) has been observed in South Asian countries including Sri Lanka. According to a recent estimation 524 deaths from 100 000 in Sri Lanka were from cardio- and cerebro-vascular diseases. Hospitalization due to non communicable diseases and ischemic heart disease has increased significantly over the past 10 years. Hypertension, smoking, diabetes, obesity and hyperlipidemia, age and family history are established risk factors for cardiovascular disease. According to previous studies prevalence of hypertension was 63.7% in, over 70 years and it was 28.4% in over 20 yrs [1]. High prevalence of dyslipidemia is also reported in a study of Sri Lankan individuals > 18 years [2]. No data were found on the prevalence of above risk factors in patients with confirmed CAD or number of grafts performed and their association to the CAD risk factors. The study attempted to find the association of some selected risk factors (family history, hyperlipidemia , hypertension and diabetic) and the number of grafts (> 3 or à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ £ 3 by considering the middle point as the maximum number of grafts bypassed at surgery is five) of the patients who underwent CABG at Cardio-Thoracic unit of Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital. Methodology This descriptive study was carried out with patients (n=73, male- 48, female 25) who underwent CABG at Cardio-Thoracic unit of Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital (Ethical Approval No.635/12). An interviewer administrated questionnaire was used for gathering data on family history, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and diabetes. Patients were categorized in to two groups, considering the middle point (03 grafts as the maximum number of grafts bypassed at surgery is five) and those who have had à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ £ 3 grafts (n=38) and > 3 grafts (n=35) irrespective of the gender and age. Data were analysed using SPSS version 16 statistical package. Result and Discussion The prevalence of family history, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and diabetes of the study population is summarized in table 01. Table 1. Prevalence of risk factors Hypertension was the most common risk factor among both groups. Hyperlipidemia and diabetes were second common risk factors among groups of à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ £ 3 and > 3 grafts respectively. Prevalence of diabetes is comparatively low in the patients that have had à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ £ 3 grafts. According to Wijewardene et al (2005) the total prevalence of hypertension in Western, North central, Uva and Southern provinces of Sri Lanka was 18.8% for males and 19.3 % for females among age group of 30 – 65 yrs [3]. Katulanda et al (2010) reported the prevalence of hypertension as 28.4 % for males and 27.7 % for females of > 20 yrs among adults from seven provinces in Sri Lanka [1]. In the current study the patient’s age ranged from 38 to 80 years and also all of them were confirmed as having CAD. Sri Lanka diabetes and cardiovascular study, carried out in 2005 – 2006 period have concluded that high prevalence of dyslipidemia among Sri Lankan adults (> 18 years) [2]. In this study among confirmed patients of CAD hyperlipidemia was the second common risk factor among patient who had à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ £ 3 grafts (71 %) and 51 % in patients who had > 3 grafts. According to Fernando et al (1994) prevalence of diabetes and hypertension was 15% and 61% for males and 18% and 41% for females in suburban community of age range 30 – 64 years respectively [4] which agrees with present data among CAD patients. A significant difference was observed between the family history and number of grafts bypassed (à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ £2 = 3.9, p Table 2. The odds ratios related to risk factors According to Veeranna et al (2010) diabetes mellitus was the only predictor of obstructive CAD in elderly (> 65 years) and lipid levels had no correlation or a weak correlation with obstructive CAD [5]. According to present data hyperlidemia had the lowest odds ratio while diabetics had 1.2 time risk of having > 3 grafts. However, those who have family history and hypertension are twice likely to have > 3 grafts performed at the surgery irrespective of the gender or age. However, according to this study contribution of hyperlipidemia to increase the number of grafts is comparatively less. Early detection and treatment for hypertension thus may contribute to reduce the number of grafts being performed at surgery (CABG). Therefore, CAD patients should be made aware of the contribution of above risk factors to contribute to increase the number of grafts at surgery. Referances Katulanda, P., De Vas Gunawardena, A.N.P., Constantine, G.R., Sheriff M.H.R., Matthews, D.R.: Prevalence and correlates of hypertension in Sri Lanka. In: 42nd Anual Academic Sessions of College of Physicians, pp. 43 (2009) Herath, H.R.I.S., Katulanda, P., Matthews, D.R., Sheriff, M.H.R., Constantine, G.R., De Vas Gunawardena, A.N.P., Katulanda, G.W.:Prevalence and patterns of dyslipidaemia among adult Sri Lankans. In: 123rd Anual Scientific Sessions of Sri Lanka Medical Association, pp. 15 (2010) Wijewardene, K., Mohideen, M.R., Mendis, S., Fernando, D.S., Kulathilaka T., Weerasekara, D., and Uluwitta, P.: Prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and obesity: baseline findings of a population based survey in four provinces in Sri Lanka. Ceylon Medical Journal. 62–70 (2004) Fernando, D.J.S., Siribaddana, S.H., De Silva D.R., Perera S.D.,: The prevalence of obesity and other coronary risk factors in a suburban Sri Lankan community. Asia Pacific J Clin Nutri, pp. 155–159 (1994) Veeranna, V., Pradhan, J., Niraj, A., Fakhry H.,and Afonso, L.,: Traditional Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Severity of Angiographic Coronary Artery Disease in the Elderly. Preventive Cardiology, pp. 135-140 (2010)

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Lost Illusions, Bitter Wisdom and Fragile Hope in The Tempest Essay

Lost Illusions, Bitter Wisdom and Fragile Hope in The Tempest   Ã‚   Is Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest, a drama of lost illusions, bitter wisdom and fragile hope? Before this question can be considered, one first has to interpret these terms. Perhaps "bitter wisdom" and "fragile hope" are fairly simple concepts to understand, "lost illusions" is somewhat less clear, particularly in the case of The Tempest.    There are three main interpretations of "lost illusions" that could be made. The first is that of a revelation of the mind; the discarding of an 'illusion' to reveal the truth of one's feelings. The second is similar but with a subtle difference; the lifting of an illusion to disclose the truth about something physical (instead of emotional, as in the first case). The last interpretation could not be applied to every use of the word 'illusion,' but suits The Tempest extremely well; this third analysis revolves around magic and the supernatural world.    There are several clear examples from the text to illustrate these various points of view. For the first case we have the character of Prospero who, by the end of the play, has realised that he requires more in his life than his Art of magic. He comes to acknowledge that he needs a change of environment, however much he will miss his old life on the island. For the second interpretation, we have the circumstances surrounding Antonio's usurpation of Prospero's title (told only in flashbacks); the true events that occurred then only come to light at the end of the play, when Prospero reveals the entire story to the assembled characters. The third interpretation, that of magic, is present throughout the play, as Prospero exerts his supernatural talents upon the... ...ased to be a problem, whereas Alonso has the future of his son to contemplate; a future that is by no means certain.    From all this, it is clear that, in a general sense, Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest, is a drama of lost illusions, bitter wisdom and fragile hope, as many characters go through that cycle (lost illusions, leading to bitter wisdom and ending with fragile hope), or various parts of it. Also, this description can be used in a more precise manner, when dealing solely with individual characters, particularly Prospero, Miranda, Alonso and Ferdinand.    Works Cited and Consulted Cesaire, Aime. A Tempest. Trans. Richard Miller. New York: UBU, 1992. Kermode, Frank. "Introduction," in The Tempest(Arden Edition), (London: Methuen, 1962), xlvii-xlviii. West, Robert. Shakespeare and the Outer Mystery. Lexington: UP of Kentucky, 1968.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

The Impact of Romanticism, Realism, Naturalism, and Local Color on The

     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Four major literary movements can claim some aspect of The Awakening, for in this "small compass . . . [is illustrated] virtually all the major American intellectual and literary trends of the nineteenth century" (Skaggs, 80).  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Romantic movement marked a profound shift in sensibilities away from the Enlightenment. It was inspired by reaction to that period's concepts of clarity, order, and balance, and by the revolutions in America, France, Poland, and Greece. It expressed the assertion of the self, the power of the individual, a sense of the infinite, and transcendental nature of the universe. Major themes included the sublime, terror, and passion. The writing extolled the primal power of nature and the spiritual link between nature and man, and was often emotional, marked by a sense of liberty, filled with dreamy inner contemplations, exotic settings, memories of childhood, scenes of unrequited love, and exiled heroes.    In America, Romanticism coalesced into a distinctly "American" ideal: making success from failure, the immensity of the American landscape, the power of man to conquer the land, and "Yankee" individualism. The writing was also marked by a type of xenophobia. Protestant America was faced with an influx of Catholic refugees from the Napoleonic Wars, of Asian workers who constructed the railroads, and the lingering issue of Native Americans. An insular attitude developed, the "us and them" in Whitman. The major writers of the period were Irving, Cooper, Emerson, Poe, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Whitman, Dickinson, and Melville.    There are various romantic elements in The Awakening. Perhaps the most obvious and elemental are the exotic locale, use of color, and heavy emphasis on nature (cl... ...cause Robert to leave.    Works Cited and Consulted Chopin, Kate, The Awakening; A Solitary Soul. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1992 Delbanco, Andrew. "The Half-Life of Edna Pontellier." New Essays on The Awakening. Ed. Wendy Martin. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1988. 89-106. Koloski, Bernard, ed. Preface. Approaches to Teaching Chopin's The Awakening. By Koloski. New York: MLA, 1988. Martin, Wendy, ed. New Essays on the Awakening. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1988. May, John R. "Local Color in The Awakening." Culley, 189-95. Seyersted, Per. Kate Chopin: A Critical Biography. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 1969.   - - -. "Kate Chopin and the American Realists." Culley 180-6. Skaggs, Peggy. "Three Tragic Figures in Kate Chopin's The Awakening." Louisiana Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal of the South 4 (1974): 345-64.  Ã‚     

Friday, October 11, 2019

Cell Energetics Study Guide

Cellular Energetics Study Guide 1. Overall Metabolism a. Oxidation – a molecule LOSSES hydrogen, energy is RELEASED b. Reduction – a molecule GAINS hydrogen, energy is GAINED and stored (the more reduced a molecule is, the more energy is stored in its COVALENT BONDS) *** Always occur in a coupled pair (RED-OX)*** c. Electron Carriers i. Oxidizing Agents: are REDUCED to OXIDIZE another molecule 1. NAD+ – oxidizes glucose to 2 pyruvate in glycolysis, oxidizes pyruvate to CO2 in the Kreb’s cycle (gets reduced to NADH) 2.NADP+- oxidizes H2O to O2 during the Light Dependent Reactions of photosynthesis, final electron acceptor from chlorophyll (PSI) (gets reduced to NADPH) 3. FAD+- oxidizes NADH to NAD during glycolysis and transported to the mitochondrion (gets reduced to FADHs) ii. Reducing Agents: are OXIDIZED to REDUCE another molecule 4. NADH- reduces 2 pyruvate to 2 lactic acid in fermentation, reduces O2 during the respiratory chain (gets oxidized to NAD) *CANNOT pass through the mitochondrion* 5.NADPH- reduces CO2 to form carbohydrates (Calvin Cycle) in the Dark Reactions of photosynthesis (gets oxidized to NADP) 6. FADH2- reduces O2 during the respiratory chain (gets oxidized to FAD) *CAN pass through the mitochondrion* 2. Phosphorylation: Formation of ATP (ADP + P ATP) d. Substrate-level: direct enzymatic transfer of a phosphate to ADP * Only occurs during glycolysis when O2 is not needed to function * Only a small amount of ATP is produced this way e.Electron Transfer /Chemiosmosis: the movement of protons (H+) down a concentration gradient through ATP synthase that can HARNESS THE ENERGY OF THAT GRADIENT (proton-motive force) to bond ADP and phosphate to create ATP through oxidative phosphorylation * Occurs during the Light Dependent Reaction * 90% of ATP is produced this way 3. Photosynthesis f. Balanced Net Reaction: light 6CO2 + 6H2O C6H12O6 + 6O2 g. Light Dependent Reaction – occurs on the thylakoid lumen iii. Photol ysis – oxidation of H2O to release electrons used to return PSII to ground state iv.NADP Reduction – NADP receives an electron from PSI as it passes through electron transfer chains, reducing it to NADPH+. Electrons are passed from excited atoms that gain energy from a photon. v. ATP Synthesis – ATP is produced by chemiosmotic phosphorylation. Proton gradient (within the thylakoid interior) is made as electrons from photosystems are passed through proton pumps. h. Light Independent Reaction – occurs in the stroma vi. CO2 fixation: RuBP + CO2 2 PGA (a form that can be easily reduced).The reaction is catalyzed by RUBISCO. 7. In the presence of oxygen, RuBP + O2 Bad Sugar; process is called photorespiration. Plants overcome this by keeping a HIGH concentration of CO2. Land plants must compromise opening the stroma to maintain high CO2 concentration with loss of H2O. There are 2 additional adaptations that evolved: a. C-4 Pathway – formation of Oxaloac etate (C-4) from CO2 + PEP (C-3). Occurs in outer cells (mesophyll). Calvin cycle occurs in inner cells only (closer to supply of CO2, bundle sheath). b.CAM Pathway – like C-4, but fixation only occurs at night, when water loss is minimal. Found in desert plants, like cacti. vii. Calvin Cycle 8. PGA is reduced to PGAL using the products of the light dependent reaction, NADPH (oxidized) and ATP (provides energy) 9. One-sixth of the PGAL produced is used to create glucose for the cell to grow and repair. 10. Five-sixths of the PGAL is used to produce RuBP, completing the cycle (energy requiring). 4. Cellular Respiration i. Balanced Net Reaction: C6H12O6 + 6O2 6CO2 + 6H2O j.Glycolysis – occurs in the cytoplasm. All organisms carry out this process. viii. Glucose is double phosphorylated by 2 ATP and broken up into two three carbon phosphorylated molecules called PGAL ix. Each PGAL is phosphorylated by a free phosphate and ADP to form Biphosphoglycerate (BPG) while NAD is reduced to NADH. x. Each BPG aides in Substrate Level Phosphorylation of two ADP’s to form 2 ATP’s. Water is released. The remaining 3 carbon molecule is pyruvate. k. Fermentation – when pyruvate is used to oxidize NADH to replenish NAD+.Only produces 2 ATP per glucose through glycolysis. Some organisms (anaerobic) do it exclusively. Occurs regularly in all cells, but products can build up when NAD supplied through reduction of pyruvate is not available. 2 Forms: xi. Alcoholic – produces ethanol and CO2 from reduction of pyruvate. xii. Lactic acid – produces lactic acid from the reduction of pyruvate. l. Kreb’s Cycle – NAD required to begin. Takes place in the matrix of the mitochondria or in the cytoplasm of prokaryotes. xiii. Pyruvate is oxidized to Acetyl CoA, Reduced by _______, Releases 1 NADH. iv. Acetyl CoA is added to Oxaloacetate to form Citrate. xv. Citrate is broken down releasing 2 H2O and is oxidized 4x: by NAD+ thrice an d once by FAD+. One Substrate Level phosphorylation occurs producing ATP. Oxaloacetate is the product and continues the cycle by being added to the next available acetyl CoA. m. Electron Transport and Oxidative Phosphorylation – takes place on the cristae (inner mitochondrial) membrane. xvi. NADH and FADH2, products of Glycolysis and Krebs are oxidized by Q (molecule embedded in the membrane).Electrons are passed to cytochrome and protons are pumped into the proton pumps. xvii. The protons diffuse back through ATP synthase in a process called chemiosmosis. The energy harnessed allows an oxidative phosphorylation of ATP. (3 for each NADH, 2 for each FADH2) xviii. Free protons in the matrix and the electrons accepted by E. T. C are passed to O2, which is reduced to water. Stomata Allows gas exchange; since a lot of water can be lost, plants only open stomata for photosynthesis in daylight; at night they close to reduce loss of water. **CAM plants keep their stomates closed duri ng day and open at night*** Mesophyll C-3 Plants: Calvin Cycle during day C-4 Plants: CO2 combines with 3 carbon molecule PEP to form C-4 acid CAM Plants: stores CO2 in organic compounds that are synthesized at night Bundle sheath C-4 Plants: Calvin Cycle during day CAM Plants: Calvin Cycle during day Thylakoid lumen Light dependent reactions Stroma Calvin Cycle/Light independent reactions Inner membrane E. T. C. Cytoplasm Glycolysis & Fermentaion Matrix Kreb’s Cycle Diagrams (know following structures and what takes place there)