Characteristics of pastors Essay

Crucial role is played by the minister in youth programming, which is quite similar with the other church-sponsored programs. Awareness of the crucial role was received by the senior author of this paper, when a black clergyman from fifty miles away approached this graduate student in the year 1968. The college students were suggested by the minister to provide youth programs in the rural town. Reading tutorials, sewing classes, sex education, health tips, and current events were included in this project. A major study of black youth development was also led during the project. A small Northeastern town of Rubin was selected for the conduction of the abovementioned study. In the present study, the characteristics of ministers have been highlighted with the help of several findings. The sponsorship of the youth programs has also been associated with these characteristics. In general, youth was most favored by the younger clergy during the study. Some of the most prominent issues are being confronted by the African-American youth, which have been indicated by the Black Church Family Project. It has also been observed the black churches are not addressing these issues adequately. Health-related services and AIDS support programs are some of these problems of the African-American youth. Only twenty-seven churches reported the existence of substance abuse programs. Twenty-seven churches also reported the parenting and sexuality programs in their communities. College students’ financial support was awarded by twenty-nine churches. Twenty-five churches reported youth at-risk programs, in which, delinquency was focused during the programs. Role modeling was provided by fifteen churches. Foster grandparents are some of the examples of role modeling in these churches. Employment and job readiness issues were offered by thirteen churches. Discussions which were the greatest efforts of about fifty-five churches across the country are helpful. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS This survey of Black n White churches resulted in gaps between Clergy and formal providers and the gaps grew wider with time. If we compare the Black churches with White churches, we will come to a conclusion that Black Churches proved to be more supportive because it came up with new programs than White churches, it proved to be supportive not only in terms of quantity but it also created some awareness amongst people. They also had a tight budget but always managed to offer strong programs. They managed to control large congregations and large differences in budgets between urban and rural churches. There was some lacking in the linkage between specialty mental health provider and churches. There was a very little interaction with Clergy and the formal mental health service delivery system. Mental health care system was never interested in holding meetings with Clergy or any professional groups. History says that mental health care system has already experienced some mistrust or betrayal from Clergy. Future actions should include building strong associations between providers of health and mental health service and faith communities. They should also pay prior attention to best communication channels and should not ignore apparent absence of communication. Furthermore, they should also work to fill the gaps between cultures and promote free exchange between groups. It is not possible to draw up a clear path but from the study above we can say that urban pastors have more knowledge of mental health detection and are educationally stronger than rural counterparts. Including the fact that Blacks provide more prams than White does not mean that the programs are only for Blacks or it may be not accessible to Black congregations at large. There is a possibility that Blacks may think they are service providers. Or communities that are served are not accepted by the Blacks. This clearly shows that both Blacks and White perceive their missions in a dissimilar manner. Pastors and formal delivery system can benefit from the gaps between mental health service providers and Clergy. Rural individuals are ready to seek general health care help from primary care providers. But they are not ready to seek specialized mental health care. By creating a link between pastors and other church leaders to primary care providers can improve the mental health services for Blacks; by this Blacks can get an effective and strengthened capacity of network. Effective measures should be taken into account to create a strong link between informal and formal networks. This is important to assure the effectiveness of accessible, appropriate mental health care. Joining up the knowledge and matching the capacities and capabilities of churches can prove to be beneficial for the communities and can be healthy in crucial times. â€Å"Most significant for us today, these African American church leaders recognized the importance of what they were doing for future generations of Americans. They wrote histories, biographies, memoirs, and other accounts of religious life in the South during this era. It is through these written texts that we still have access to the many voices that comprise the first century of the black church in the United States. † (2001, np) Churches in other parts of the region like South are well organized; they are very strong to community and cultures resulting in congregational commitment. They respect each others attitudes and behaviors. Mental health care problems in rural areas are due to the lack of stigma and available services associated with mental health. To come up to a healthy solution, creative partnerships between social organizations are essential. For instance, combines churches and informal care will result in providing informal care.

Quality Service Literature

a. ) Local Literature b. ) Foreign |Literature Parasuraman et al. (1985) argued that evaluation of service quality is difficult as compared to physical goods. Physical existence of goods facilitates the customers to buy them due to its aesthetic characteristics. Services are considered as intangible because we are unable to see, touch or feel them (Hoffman and Bateson, 2002). Hanson (2000) suggested that service quality shows the organization's ability to meet customers' desires and needs.So organization must improve their services to meet the customers' wants and requirements. It is found that customers' perception of service quality is very important for managers to compete in the market (Hoffman and Bateson, 2002). Morre (1987) identified that concentration on service quality leads to differentiation that enhance the competitive position of the organization for long term benefits. Service quality and customer satisfaction became core issues for the successful survival of any servi ce organization.Service quality is considered very important indicator towards customer satisfaction (Spreng and Machoy, 1996). Service quality got popularity among professionals and academia due to increased competition. It contributes a lot to gain competitive advantage to maintain long-term relationship with customers (Zeithmal et al. 2000) Asubonteng et al. (1996) defined service quality as the difference between customers' expectations about the service before its use and their perceptions after receiving the service.Quality factors vary from one to another in reference to the importance and their impact on the satisfaction level of the customers. It was found that specific activities like increasing the speed of processing information have resulted in delighted customers. Similarly, improvement in the reliability of equipment lessened dissatisfaction (Johnston, 1997). However, it was reported that service quality is the subjective comparison between what the customers require and what they actually get (Gefan, 2002). . ) Local studies d. ) Foreign studies There are two perspectives regarding service quality i. e. one is European and other is Americans. European researchers concentrate on functional and technical aspects of services having a keen analysis of organization's image (Gronroos, 1982, 1984; Lehthinen and Lehthinen, 1982). They focus on three dimensions of service quality to measure the performance of any product by considering functional quality, technical quality and corporate image.Service quality is defined as a discrepancy between expected and perceived service. It is said that service quality is the outcome of customers' comparison between expectations and performance (Gronroos, 1982). The Americans' perspective is concentration on functional quality to measure the performance of services (Parasuraman et al. 1985, 1988, 1991; Kang and James, 2004). They investigated the service quality of different industries by dividing the service qualit y into five dimensions: tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy.Firstly, they identified ten dimensions but finally service quality is refined to five dimensions (Parasuraman et al. 1985, 1991). Ibanez et al. (2006) investigated service quality dimensions and found a significant effect of service quality on satisfaction in Spain. In another study, a conceptual framework to measure service quality from the customer's perspective is empirically tested for convergent validity, uni-dimensionality and reliability (Saravanan and Rao, 2007). e. ) Relevance of the presence

Major Real Estate Development Risk management and Insurance from the Research Paper - 1

Major Real Estate Development Risk management and Insurance from the developers position - Research Paper Example I will also look at the insurance factors that affect a real estate developer’s position. Various literatures offer a different understanding of the concept of real estate development with some looking at it as being similar to property development, while others looking at them differently. Basically, real estate development refers to a process that makes it possible for land use to be intensified for the purpose of coming up with housing structures for occupation. Real estate is also looked at as a concept that makes it possible for construction and necessary access of infrastructure, and at the same time allows legal subdivision of property for the purpose of vertical construction. Real estate itself is looked at as a projection that takes in the aspect of money, space and time. Through real estate, creation and management of time and space is enabled with the aim of generating specific estimated cash flows over a particular period of time. A developer refers to and individual or a corporate organization that develops land and buildings to increase their value to specified amounts over time. Developers in the real estate industry are therefore individuals or organizations who bring together land, labor and capital and plan how to manage and facilitate the market in a way that the requirements of the users are sufficiently met. In addition to this basic definition, the real estate industry is characterized by various types of developers who may be classified on the basis of their strategic capital role, geographic scope and ownership structure or the type of products they deal with (Davis 89). Real estate developers may therefore be classified in three most common categories: trader developer refers to the type of a developer who assumes the entire risk of the project until it’s completed. A trader developer then makes a complete sale of the land and property which results to the main goals as being exploitation of

Overpopulation affects the environment Research Paper - 1

Overpopulation affects the environment - Research Paper Example he population has effected the environment through two agents: the increasing population itself, and the advances in technology that this population has brought with itself (Stancheva). However, currently both the problems have little hope of being tackled, so that the environment continues to be adversely effected. For this purpose, and in this paper, it is assumed that the problem of overpopulation is a fixed entity, and the only variable that can be modified is the way the environment is handled through lifestyle and habits of the general population. This paper, therefore, purports to present some of the problems that are inflicted on the environment, and the way they can be properly handled by appropriate changes in the lifestyle. The most dire issue related to overpopulation is that of fresh water supply (Stancheva). According to the United Nations, the supply per capita has decreased by one third in the past year (Stancheva). It is the worst in the developing and the underdeveloped countries of Asia, Africa, and South America, coinciding with the increase in the population in these areas (Stancheva). Nevertheless, the developed countries and the urban areas are also not prevented from this crisis (Stancheva); with the increase in population in the urban areas due to migration, the demand for fresh water has increased while the supplies either remain constant or have decreased. A case in point is Beijing (Stancheva). Another problem related to water is its pollution. Again, it is worst in the underdeveloped countries, where 95% of the sewage, especially from factories, is dumped into the water system untreated, which ultimately makes its way into the ocean (Stancheva). Combined with over-fishing, which results in the

Learning & Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Learning & Development - Essay Example ave become increasingly varied, fluid and emergent as people make career decisions within a highly dynamic organizational, societal and global economic milieu’ Carter, Cook and Dorsey’s (2009, p. 12). As such, learning and development should be an integrative part in planning my career path to place me in the right track and to keep me always a valuable asset to my industry. In fact in the hospitality industry, hotels, themselves, aim to become learning organizations through constant coaching and self-development at all levels that one of the essential job descriptions of hotel employees is no other than for them to ensure their own learning and development; more than that, employees should ensure that what they learn is of high quality standards (Andrews 2009, p. 179). In short, employees are responsible for their own learning and development. They owe it first and foremost to their selves because today learning and development defines the future of employees in the or ganization; perhaps, this is true not only to employees but to organizations, themselves. Clearly so, learning and development is essential in defining one’s career path. Why this is so is the heart of this paper. To put matters in the right perspective, important terms, such as career, career path, career planning and development, and learning and development need to be defined. Career is viewed differently by many people. In fact according to Adams (1991, p. 3-5) since the 1960s defining this term has been a topic of many researches, yet until today, no single definition has been agreed upon. Nonetheless, Adams cited four basic definitions from which the term career can be understood. First, a career is viewed in relation to advancement. Meaning, a career is perceived as a sequence of upward or broadened movements in an employment’s hierarchical ladder during the time of one’s work life. Second, career is perceived in relation to a profession that allows promotions and advancements.

The death of the sun and the philosophical implications for humanity Research Paper

The death of the sun and the philosophical implications for humanity - Research Paper Example But just like any other forms of life or entities that exist in the universe, the Sun will eventually die. Scientists have pointed out that in a billion years, our Sun will run out of energy and die. That one important detail draws questions, let alone fear, about what could be the implications after the death of our sun. Every life form on our planet, as we know it, depends on our Sun. Humans, plants, animals, and even non-living objects need the Sun. For us, humans, almost all of our daily activities are associated with the energy that we get from the Sun. It enables us to function properly. Every morning when we wake up, the rising of the sun signals to start our day. It sheds light for us to see our surroundings. It emits heat to keep ourselves warm. It can help produce electricity especially in areas that cannot be reached by power lines. It can make our physical bodies healthy. It can be used to cook food for us to eat. These are just some of the many examples on how our Sun af fects and helps our daily lives. Though you can enumerate a lot of things how the Sun is beneficial to mankind, there are also hazards that come with it. Though the Sun can beneficial with regards to our health, it can also do harm to our bodies. Worse, it can also take away lives of people and other forms of life. The Sun also has the capacity to destroy buildings, houses, even forests and habitats of animals. Not only was the Sun valuable to mankind as a source of energy, it also played a part on affecting people’s way of thinking and belief. The light that the Sun emits symbolizes hope, truth, or renewal to some people (Stanford.edu). Anything that has a beginning also has an end. And so it goes with the Sun. Eventually, it will use up all its energy and die. There had been a lot of speculations regarding what will happen to mankind when the sun dies and science tells us that our species nor any life on earth will not be able to witness this astronomical even because all l ife on earth will have already died a hundred thousand years before the sun stops shining. But it is not possible to imagine life without light from the sun and the circumstances that mankind may face after the sun stops shining. Almost all of us are accustomed to see everything around us thanks to the light that our Sun provides. But what if there’s no Sun? It’s as almost as we’re putting ourselves in the shoes of a totally blind person. Imagine a world engulfed with darkness because of the absence of our Sun. When you go home at night, the first thing that you do is to instinctively look for the switch to turn on the lights. Now imagine a world where there’s no switch to turn on the lights at your home. Even when you go outside, there’s nothing to see but the little bright dots at the sky that we call â€Å"stars†. Our moon would not even be there because no other light source would make it shine. Without the Sun, the plants in our planet would cease to exist. The light that the Sun emits is essential for the plants to create food to be able to survive. Let’s not forget the important fact that the plants are responsible for producing oxygen in our environment. So, without the sun, there would be no plants to generate oxygen and that means humans, and animals would not be able to survive (Gamow 2). Not having a Sun also means our planet would travel across the universe aimlessly because of the gravitational pull of the sun that keeps the Earth on its orbit (Appell). These

Policy and Politics in Nursing and Health Care Research Paper

Policy and Politics in Nursing and Health Care - Research Paper Example The present research has identified that the Obamacare act was introduced for the purpose of reducing the uninsured number of Americans; thus introducing universal healthcare that benefits everyone. The government wanted to reduce the total healthcare costs and provide a mechanism for increasing the healthcare coverage rate such as through subsidies and tax credit cards. However, the health care reform act has posed significant challenges; thus, it has become a political debate in America. This is because the rich feel that the Obamacare act is not fair because they will be paying for the lazy workers. Therefore, instead of putting control over the health care reform decisions, the government will mandate families, individuals or employees to be the key decision makers in the healthcare issues. The government will mandate families, individuals or employees to make decisions on the health care issues. This is because the problem of health care reform has been a significant problem for a long time in the U.S. Therefore,  providing employees or individuals to make their own decisions and provide their own opinions on the policy reform. This will enable the government to get the sense of direction. The healthcare services have become expensive in the contemporary society. Many people are dying especially the poor because they are unable to afford the Medicare services. Moreover, many Americans especially those suffering from acute diseases are unable to meet the cost of medicine because some diseases such as cancer are expensive to treat; thus the new health care act will benefit people suffering from such disease that are too costly to maintain. Therefore, including employees or individuals to offer their opinions over the issues of health care reform will enable the government to implement an effective policy that benefits everyone. Mason, Leavitt, and Chaffee reveal that the big threat in America is the rising costs for healthcare services. Healthcare costs ha ve become one of the driving forces for economic assets more than even oil and food crisis.

Fifteen Questions on Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Fifteen Questions on Nursing - Essay Example Hospitals also report that they have had to turn away patients to other health facilities because they did not have enough staff to care for these patients (Hunt, 2009, p. 4). Hospitals have also been forced to consider contract nurses to fill in nursing shortages caused by turnovers; this often costs twice as much as nurses employed by the hospitals. Nurse turnover has also been known to increase shortage in staff which has then led to increases in the workload of the remaining nurses. This has then created high levels of stress and exhaustion during work and in turn, an increase in the probability of medical errors (Hunt, 2009, p. 4). Eventually, many nurses end up quitting and choosing other careers in order to get away from these difficult work conditions. High levels of nurse turnover have also created an unstable workplace which then has negatively affected the retention of other health professionals. The cost of recruiting, hiring, and training new nurses has been increased by high turnover rates. The hospitals have also found themselves hard up in trying to recruit new nurses because of the unfavourable stories shared by other nurses regarding the work conditions of the nursing profession (Hunt, 2009, p. 3). Accidents and absenteeism have also increased in incidence in the workplace. Accidents are caused by work stress and exhaustion. Reduced work enjoyment and fulfilment have also caused frequent absences. 2) Providing privacy for patients is an important consideration for health service planners and providers. What factors should be considered in regard to privacy when providing nursing care? There are various factors which must be considered with regard to privacy of patients in the provision of nursing care. First and foremost, nurses and patients sometimes do not clearly understand the difference between privacy and confidentiality. Not knowing what privacy and confidentiality makes a health provider likely to abuse such practices. Nurses sometimes do not know that privacy refers to the right of individuals to control access to their information; on the other hand, confidentiality refers to how nurses treat private information once it has been revealed to other people, including themselves (Erikson and Millar, 2005). This privacy is now difficult to protect because of the current practices of digital and electronic technology, including electronic health records. These forms of technology are more difficult to secure and as such securing the privacy of patients is also more difficult. Nurses and other health professionals may sometimes be careless in accessing information about their patients that they allow such information open to other health professionals who are not part of the patient’s care team, and to other individuals in the hospital (Erikson and Millar, 2005). The current practice of using electronic mails and charting is also vulnerable to errors with mails and messages being sent to the wrong party or bein g read by the wrong party, thereby violating the privacy of the patient. Electronic information can also be sent easily to other care providers and this limits the privacy of the patient, limiting his ability to prevent his personal and medical information from being shared to other health professionals (Erikson and Millar, 2005). Health professionals themselves have become complacent in their duty in securing their patient’

Human Resources Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Human Resources - Case Study Example Managers can use this form to review the performance level of accountants in creating a trust work environment. Cipolla (102) reveals that feedback can be demoralizing in case they are negative. Therefore, when completing the evaluation, human resource managers should create an employee development plan that will lead employees towards achieving developmental goals. Organization leaders in the company can use the 360-degree management tool in determining the behavior of accountants and their competency skills, work requirements and performance objectives. These among the essential issues addressed in a company because they are beneficial issues in the performance evaluation process. Organization management would use the 360-degree tool in evaluating the way accountants perceive their engineering work. They can also examine the competency skills such as project planning, object settings, and effective teamwork or leadership. This is crucial because it will enable the HR managers to im plement effective strategies for improving the overall performance level.

History of Industrial Design Final Questions Essay

History of Industrial Design Final Questions - Essay Example Historically, design has been extensively used to address social, environmental concerns. Eco-design projects began in the 1960s and 1970s. Geodesic domes are an example of environmentally responsible designs. Environmental conscious designs promote the development of projects that are eco-friendly. After its arousal in the 1950s; Pop design gained prominence and significantly influenced industrial design in the 1960s and 1970s. The pop movement inspired many designers particularly in fashion, fine arts and furniture industries. For example, pop furniture featured bright primary colours, oversized scale and basic geometries. Bocca or Marilyn sofa is an example a piece of furniture that is designed in an oversized shape of bold red lips. In the 20th century, politics influenced design in numerous ways. In the second half of the 20th century, social unrest led to environmental damage particularly because of pollution and depletion of world resources. Political bodies influenced ‘green design’ to facilitate environmental conservation. In 1970s and 1980s, feminist movements influenced industrial design by fighting for the incorporation of designs for minorities and other larger groups that had been ignored. Designers respond to new socio-cultural, environmental and political trends by creating new designs that meet the needs of consumers. Additionally, they use designs to express their views on various issues and trends. Consumerism and replaceability are the major themes that have been mainly expressed in the contemporary practise of industrial design. Contemporary designers have been focusing on innovation and packaging and appearance of their products. Technology is a trend that has enormously influenced industrial design since the 1980s. The era of consumerism is characterized by production electronic products and focus on consumption. Companies that advocated diversity and experience like Studio Alchymia

How to Create a Smash Book Essay Example for Free

How to Create a Smash Book Essay How to create a smash book, not a scrapbook. A smash book is a place where you can place the little things in life’ ticket stubs, magazine clips, recipes, snapshots, love letters, design ideas, pictures, and notes to self. It is faster than scrap booking and is portable too. A smash book can be made from a ringed binder or a note book or you can buy a book from k and company at a craft store or online. They are personal on each page with picture design on each that makes it unique. Before creating your smash book, know the different styles of smash books. There are twelve: simple orange, cutesy, pretty pink, retro, and smart, couture, tasty, nostalgia, doodle red, mod, 360 folio, and eco green. The simple orange smash book pages are not like the others, there a lot more plain, and simple. You can do a lot more with the pages. You can chose your â€Å"theme† easier because of the graphic pages chosen for this book in particular. The Cutesy is as described, very cute looking pages. Each page is filled with cute simple little girly things. Such as flowers or pinks and innocent looking pictures. The pretty pink is very floral and girly almost like the cutesy but different in a way because it has a lot more flower prints in it. The retro blue is designed for a retro look. If you like typography you will love this one. If you can’t help to tap your foot to the beat you will love this one because that is what this smash book is all about. It has a sense of humor to it, and it is my personal favorite. The smart smash book is covered with school inspired images and graphics. In comes in a studious style. It is great for school related things. However, the couture smash book is fun, shiny and very fashion like, with lots of color. It is a lot of girl’s favorites. The Tasty smash book is covered with food inspired pages. Original illustrations and hand lettering design, you can make this in a snap. The nostalgia style is also filled with school filled original illustrations and hand lettering designs. However not as a clean slate of a look as the smart smash book. The Doodle red smash book is filled with an artsy enthusiasm. Mod smash book is a hip style. This smash book is covered with clean lines and patterns. The 360 folio is filled with pages for everyday of the year. Lastly, the Eco green smash book is filled with easy breezy graphics, and nature loving images. Nonetheless you can’t forget when you buy your book, you need to get things/accessories to decorate it. Next, you’ll need to have simple things to decorate your smash book, such as: decorative tape, chipboard pieces, letters, stickers, souvenirs, ribbon, sequins, pockets, envelopes, brads, scissors, glue, scrapbook paper, color pencils, and pens. None the less you will want to use 3d embellishments, alphabet stickers, glitter, stickers maybe by big ideas, paper studio, and k and company. Gemstone are great to use. Border punch, ink pad by color box, distressed ink, and stamp by stampabilities, and patterned paper. After you get the smash book accessories, decorate the cover- it is the best way to decorate the cover by putting your favorite saying on the front using chipboard pieces. You could put what your smash book â€Å"theme† is about if you have one. Or you can just decorate the front cover by doodling on it, if you desire just to do that instead. If you made your own smash book out of a three ring binder, add scrapbook paper to your book on every page. Make it creative. You don’t need to just have one color or design per page. Mix it up and use different sizes and different colors. Don’t worry about this if you bought your smash book though. Meanwhile, you will want to sort out all your stuff into desired categories. You might want to sort them out into categories such as: concerts, journals, notes, travel, friends, family, school, ideas, pictures, clips, whatever it may be, categorizing them will help you when smashing them in your book. Add photos to your page. Use decorative tape and then add your souvenirs. Pockets and envelopes are great for holding big things. Next you want to decorate the page. Don’t over decorate too much. Then it will look overwhelming. But if you under decorate it will look very boring. Very un-creative. Since smash products are the best thing when decorating your smash book; sometimes it’s all you need. Smash captions are ready to stick, all you have to do is write your caption in. Smash flag clips, clips to attach photos, notes and more. Smash pads allow you to voice your opinion or jot something down, then smash it in. Smash date stamp, is exactly what it says a date stamp but with sayings like â€Å"I’m a hot mess†, or â€Å"today is†, â€Å"I love this†! With the date next to it. Smash tape is tape with a design on it, so you can be creative. Smash tape can hold your photos in place or even a feather? Who knows? Next is smash pockets, which are great for holding the bigger things like brochures and things like that. Smash bands, hold your smash book together. And your pens even closer. Now take your desired category you want to smash, your glue and pen and smash it in. Use your date stamp and date it if you would like. Add a smash caption too, some smash tape to hold in a picture that is a memory you want to keep! Some stickers, and writings of your own even drawings will work too if your artistic. Remember, this smash book isn’t a scrapbook. It doesn’t have to be all clean and neat. It’s not just about the pictures. It about the thought, a jot a feather that’s caught, it’s the idea that matters! Everything you have been keeping in that junk drawer for years, let it come out. Have fun with it. Don’t let it hide, and smash it! . It is easy to take along, anywhere you go. It has to time limit. It doesn’t take hours. So smash away and have fun, just remember those steps . Just choose your smash book style, or create your own, have the simple things to create your own, get the smash accessories, sort out all your stuff into categories and then smash it in and decorate your page to your desire.

Francisella Tularensis Gene Sequencing

Francisella Tularensis Gene Sequencing Francisella tularensis, a pathogenic gram-negative bacteria and the only bacteria recognized under the genus Francisellaceae of the gammaproteobacteria family, was isolated by George Walter McCoy from ground squirrels in 1912. There are four subspecies of F. tularensis: biovar tularensis (type A), biovar holartica (type B), subspecies novicida, and biovar mediasiatica. Type A, most commonly found within North America, is the most virulent subspecies and includes the fully sequenced laboratory strain, SCH4U. Type B is most commonly found within Europe and Asia but is rarely linked to fatal disease while subspecies novicida and biovar mediasiatica, found within North America and central Asia respectively, are non-virulent strains in human hosts, however, little is known about the latter. F. tularensis is non-motile , aerobic and rod shaped with an approximate size of 0.2  µm. Despite F. tularensis having been categorized as a Class A Select Agent by the U.S. government as a prospective instrument of bioterrorism, human-to-human transmission of the bacteria has not been observed. F. tularensis is most commonly spread through vectors such as ticks or deer flies, with aquatic rodents, deer and lagomorphs being common reservoir hosts. F. tularensis has the ability to infect a host via skin contact and inhalation, leading to ulceroglandular forms of tularemia and pneumonic tularemia. Without treatment, pneumonic tularemia has been shown to be fatal (mortality rate of 30-60% if left untreated), causing symptoms such as fever, anorexia, and septicemia within approximately three to four days after infection. Although human-to-human transmission has not been identified, F. tularensis’ ability to infect human hosts is not hindered. F. tularensis requires a low infectious dose (approximately 10-50 bacteria), contributing to its high virulence. Being an intrac ellular bacterium requiring cysteine for growth can be limiting, however F. tularensis is capable of surviving outside of a host for weeks at a time. This characteristic leads to its easy spread when one comes in contact with water and grasslands, particularly during activities like brushcutting or lawn mowing in which the carcasses of dead reservoir animals may be present within the environment, leading to what is commonly known as â€Å"lawnmower disease† or â€Å"rabbit disease†. Tularemia is endemic in North America, Europe and Asia with 5-10% of cases being waterborne infection opposed to the most common method, via contact with reservoir animals. At risk groups include those who are immunosuppressed. The life cycle of this intracellular pathogen is important in determining which aspects are of main focus when dealing with potential virulence factors. There are approximately five steps of this pathogens life cycle: entry (associated with type IV pili), phagosomal escape, cytoplasmic multiplication (associated with biofilms and ppGpp), lysis and release (associated with MglA). The entry of this pathogen is dependent on complement factor C3, mannose receptors and cell surface-expressed nucleolin (encoded by the ncl gene). Within the cell, the bacterium colocalizes within arrested, late endosomal phagosomes. Within 15-30 minutes, the phagosomes are destroyed and the bacteria escape into the cytoplasm of the host cell. After multiplication, two distinct mechanisms for host cell lysis occur: Type 1-induced apoptosis and caspase 1-mediated pyropoptosis (in which immune cells that recognize signals of infection within themselves, go through programmed cell death via production of cytokin es). The pathogens response to innate immunity within the host cell also plays a role in it’s virulence as evading innate responses (such as production of cytokines) is crucial when infecting host cells, macrophages in particular. Being able to detect environmental changes through use of two-component systems help the pathogen survive in different conditions within or outside of host cells, which can have a huge impact on its virulence as well. Biofilms also play a significant role in the virulence of F. tularensis. Biofilms are a community of microbes attached to a surface, encased in a matrix. Biofilms help provide protection from antimicrobial agents as well as protection from the immune system of the host. Biofilms play a role in chronic infections as they protect the bacteria which are most resistant to antibiotics or antimicrobials that may be administered to the host. In the case of F. tularensis, biofilm formation is increased when the relA gene is inactivated. Production of hyperphosphorylated guanosine diphosphate and triphosphate analogs or (p)ppGpp, is used to combat limited nutrient conditions. Uncharged tRNA molecules bind the ribosome resulting in stalling of translation and activation of ribosome associated RelA. This causes the production of (p)ppGpp which is then converted to ppGpp. ppGpp molecules bind RNA polymerase to alter gene expression under certain conditions. Inactivation of the relA gene causes d efective production of (p)ppGpp which leads to increased biofilm formation and increased resistance to stress. These biofilms make it hard to treat infections resulting from this pathogen as eliminating the pathogen from the body becomes more difficult with increased production of biofilms and increased resistance. The ability for this pathogen to survive without a host is due, in part, to its ability to adapt to different environments by activation and repression of genes, some of which are found within what are known as pathogenicity islands. In the case of F. tularensis, the pathogenicity island FP1, contains 17 highly controlled genes that are crucial to its survival. In the laboratory strain of Type A alone, the expression of approximately 658 genes are up regulated and/or down regulated during infection within macrophages. The change in expression of these genes has helped researchers understand F. tularensis’ reactions to specific environmental stimuli such as temperature, limited iron source and oxidative stress. In terms of temperature as an environmental stimuli, F. tularensis is able is to alter its outer surface when growing in temperatures of 25 °C as opposed to 37 °C in a human host, by modifying the lipid A of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). This pathogen is capable of tempe rature changes through involvement of alternative sigma factors as well as heat-shock proteins. In F. tularensis, the only alternative sigma factor that is encoded is RpoH. In terms of iron acquisition, intracellular pathogens require the ability to acquire iron because of the limited availability within mammalian host cells, as intracellular replication is iron-dependent. F. tularensis contains siderophores. These small molecules grow under iron-limiting conditions and bind iron from inorganic and host sources. Studies show that iron-starved F. tularensis expresses an additional 80 genes, including some within FP1, and that F. novidica growth in broth and macrophages is inhibited as well as it virulence in regards to causing pneumonic tularemia in mouse models. In addition to temperature and iron acquisition, the detection of oxidative stress is important as oxidative stress is hugely involved in innate antimicrobial responses by macrophages in the host. Reactive oxygen species (RO S) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) have the ability to produce superoxide and hydrogen peroxide molecules which cause damage to biological molecules within bacterial cells, such as DNA, as well as important enzymes which lead to metabolic defects. F. tularensis has the ability to inactivate these reactive species by inactivation of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase which is found within the phagolysosome and is required to reduce oxygen to superoxide anions. Environmental stimulus is important when studying the virulence of this pathogen as it is directly related to regulation of virulence gene expression. In fact, the gene MglA (or macrophage growth locus) has been linked with responses to oxidative stress. MglA in particular, is required for replication within macrophages. MglA is highly up-regulated during infection and mutant strains are unable to escape macrophage phagosomes. MglA binds with SspA (a transcription factor that responds to nutrient limitation) as well as RNA polymerase in a heterodimer which is required for FP1 gene activation. In order for the pathogen to detect these environmental stimuli, however, two component regulatory systems composed of membrane-bound sensor kinases and cytoplasmic response regulators are essential. The F. tularensis genome codes for two of these systems, one of which is of major importance and contains a response regulator that resembles PmrA of E. coli bacteria, involved in LPS modification. Inactivation of this gene increases susceptibility to killing through antimicrobial actions, decreased growth and inability to escape macrophages. PmrA is described as a DNA binding protein that allows for binding of the MglA and SspA complex bound to RNA polymerase to initiate FP1 gene transcription. Aside from gene expression relating to virulence, genes within F. tularensis’ genome have also been shown to produce structures that aid with its life cycle and its virulence. One structure in particular is type IV pili. Multifunctional and flexible, these appendages are capable of adhesion, motility, biofilm formation and conjugation, all of which are important aspects of colonization of pathogens. In human strains of the virus, type IV pili have been shown to be essential for virulence, specifically in type A. In type B strains (which have relatively low virulence), however, pseudogenes of genes encoding type IV pili have been found which further support the idea that virulence is somehow connected to type IV pili. In the case of F. tularensis, type IV pili are essential for the binding of the bacterial cell to host cells to allow phagocytosis to occur. Mutant strains lacking the genes responsible for the production of pili (mainly pilA, pilB, pilC, pilD, pilT, and pilQ) are considerably attenuated in pathogenicity. Another structural virulence determinant is the ability of Francisella tularensis to suppress and avoid early innate immune responses (which slows progression of infection and allows for adaptive immunity to develop) by modifying its LPS, as mentioned previously in regards to PmrA and temperature as an environmental stimulus. Through removal of Kdo (3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid) saccharide, F. tularensis is able to kill the host before adaptive immunity matures. Mutant strains with the inability to modify its LPS are shown to be attenuated in mice models, inducing an early innate immune response. The O-antigen present within the LPS of F. tularensis is also important for multiplication. O-antigen is a repetitive glycan polymer, composing the outermost domain of the LPS. Mutant strains lacking O-antigen show susceptibility to killing by serum. F. tularensis also produces AcpA (burst-inhibiting acid phosphatase) which inhibits respiratory bursts (release of neutrophils by macrophag es when they encounter bacteria) in order to help evade host immune system responses. Though the genome of F. tularensis has been sequenced, not many genes have been shown to be identical or even similar to those currently within bioinformatics databases. This makes it challenging to determine what genes are responsible for what functions. As described above, the major factors that determine F. tularensis’ virulence are mainly two-component systems which detect environmental stimuli, helping the bacteria adapt to environmental change (including temperature, iron limitation and oxidative stress), which leads to expression of important regulatory genes such as MgIA, PmrA, and relA, all of which are associated with specific stages of its life cycle. MglA is of major importance because of its role in initiating transcription of another virulence factor, the FP1 pathogenicity island. Biofilms, LPS modification and type IV pili also influence virulence through their ability to aid in multiplication, resistance, and evasion of innate immunity as well as entry into hos t cells. Even though the functions of many genes within the genome of F. tularensis are unknown, this pathogen is still very important to the world of biotechnology because of its ability to be used as a biological weapon. This is due to several characteristics of F. tularensis including being: easy to aerosolize, highly infective (requiring only a small dose of 10-50 bacteria for infection) highly incapacitating to infected hosts (with a relatively high mortality rate if its associated disease is left untreated). WHO estimated, in 1969, that 50kg of aerosolized virulent F. tularensis could result in 250,000 illnesses and 19,000 deaths if dispersed over a population of approximately 5 million people. This has led to production of a live vaccine as well as an attenuated; however the live vaccine has not yet been approved within the United States and the attenuated vaccine is only available in special cases. Disease associated with this pathogen is currently treated with antibiotics, the drug choice being streptomycin or tetracycline-class drugs. The best way to prevent an infection by F. tularensis is through proper protection when skinning wild animals, particularly lagomorphs (rabbits), avoiding ingestion of uncooked reservoir animals and untreated water sources in which these animals inhabit as well as wearing repellent to prevent tick bites.

Establishing an ECL culture in China

Establishing an ECL culture in China Electronic Communications Ltd. (ECL) had decided to start business in China and to form a relationship of common prosperity with Chinese people. The company knew that there was major progress to be made, but there were also risks and challenges. One of these was the management of cultural differences. An issue the management was whether it should adapt ECLs management practice to the Chinese culture or to establish ECLs global management policies in China. Successful cultural alignment is an important element for multinational organizations. Electronic Communications Ltd (ECL), like many other companies entering foreign markets, is faced with how to adequately incorporate their corporate culture with the Chinese national culture. Situational analysis Cultural issues were a basic problem to overcome and the must important because it will create the daily operations environment and it is a critical success factor for multinational organizations. Electronic Communications Ltd (ECL), like many other companies entering foreign markets, is faced with this situation. ECL management must determine if it is more prudent to adapt to the Chinese culture or to apply their western-centric management practices to ECL China. ECLs management must explore if they should adapt or assimilate the culture, they needed to find that they need to develop a reliable management plan to attract, develop and retain leaders within the company. One of the key issues for ECL is learning how to effectively integrate managers from a different culture. According to Lewiki people from different cultures appear to negotiate differently. For this reason cultural relations are also important to be established. Lewiki mentions that in addition of people behaving differently, people form different cultures may also interpret the fundamental processes of negotiations differently. This particular issue came up when expatriate managers provided feedback to Chinese employees who saw the feedback as a critic to their culture. Perhaps ECL management should focus on creating tasks that will contribute to building relationships with ECL China associates. It is known that that managing personal relationships is essential for conflict resolution. Lewiki mentions that according to Phatak and Habib the relations developed among the principal negotiating parties before the actual negotiations will also have an important impact on the negotiation process and outcome. A personal relation was perceived by the Chinese as it could promote a more open flank and communication between managers and their subordinates and colleagues. The business style presented within ECL is demonstrated as expatriate managers expect associates to be more proactive. The high power orientation within ECL China seems to be contradicted by the Chinese staff style to find short-cuts to solve problems. ECL management has created systems to predict the proper steps to solving problems to a given situation. However, many Chinese staff thought the systems went wrong and delayed the decision making process. This contradiction shows that in some instances Chinese staff did in fact want an opportunity to be proactive. ECL should be create a more flexible solving structure that encourages Chinese staff to be more proactive without forgetting the issues which can rise during conflict resolution. Also ECL management claims that the Chinese staff lacked the expected teamwork capability. This problem was attributed by some expatriates to the education system in China, because e the system encourages a more individualist culture. The face issue in the Chinese society was a combination of dignity, self-respect, prestige and social standing, as perceived by others, an example of face is when a manager criticize his employee could cause the person to lose face especially in from of others. This so called losing, face is detrimental to a working relationship in certain cultures. However we can conclude that ECL has a very strong cultural adaptation with its employees. ECL had a successful combination of training and systems to form the technical skills in the Chinese workplace. There were doubt as to the replacement of the expatriates could be completed on time and the Chinese employees were given the opportunity to get promoted within the company the senior management positions were still dominated by the expatriates. This represented another challenge for ECL that the expatriates did not have the full respect from their staff. Chinese staff had difficulty accepting that many expatriate managers do not have the same level of technical expertise that is expected of the staff. Further, expatriates were often viewed as not fully committed to China and would relegate decision making responsibility to the home office. This would often cause a delay in productivity. However, China has a very productive and the coaching program that was developed to pair Chinese staff with experienced expatriates was implemented to create a formal mechanism to transfer knowledge and cultural information. This lowered the level of animosity growing towards ECL management; it was a better decision for ECL to promote expatriate managers to China with a high level of technical experience who are able of making decisions in a short amount of time. An additional challenge that ECL had was attracting and keeping local talent. ECL wanted to replace expatriates in a short period time but they are having a difficult time hiring competent Chinese managers. The demand for competent personnel was growing and more skilled personnel were needed. A critical issue encountered was the emigration impeding success is that many talented potential hires leave the country. Those that remain receive handsome compensation packages from Chinese owned firms. A lot of well prepared personnel were getting better offers; ECL also has to compete for the remaining individuals amongst other firms that are beginning to enter the Chinese market. ECL must remember when seeking out talent that respect for elders plays a significant role in high power orientation countries and young managers may not receive the respect or support that they need to be effective. An additional issue was the competition added by China entering the World Trade Organization. This caused a lot of investors to China and start investing creates an environment of intense competition. Perhaps, ECL could use current employees to recruit younger family members that can be groomed within the country. G ECL must assimilate their management practices into Chinese culture. Regardless of how hard ECL works to indoctrinate employees into the ECL culture, their future talent pool will be generated from the Chinese culture. For this reason is important for the management to determine how the cultural issues may be faced within ECL. The Chinese work force will be a key factor to ECL success. The company needs to get more involved in to how to handle a direct dialogue and completely adapt to the Chinese culture in order to earn their trust respect and be successful. Another solution for the companys recruiting effort is recruit family members and groom them into the ECL culture. And finally, the ECL can continue the training from ECL University which will demonstrate the ECL culture while familiarizing it to ECL China. Summary of Issues The Chinese culture shows a significant degree of collectivism- The Chinese cultures have group oriented vision. Expatriates failed to develop the relations that are prerequisites for creating a harmonious and respectful working environment that would allow the cultural integration. The action to be taken by ECL is that management should focus on creating tasks that will contribute to building relationships with ECL China. Expatriate managers expect associates to be more proactive- ECL should adopt a more flexible problem solving structure that encourages Chinese staff to be more proactive while considering the issues of the conflict resolution process. Expatriate managers want results and Chinese staff wants to build relationships to get to the results. Chinese staff wants to develop a trust based relationship prior to executing a contract while the US approach is to finalize details and clarify. ECL manager should acknowledge that the Chinese work ethics correlates directly to the Chinese national culture and thus must be embraced within ECL practices. Expatriate managers provided feedback to Chinese employees who perceived the feedback to be a direct criticism. Management need to negotiation and regular meetings and encourage the dialogue. Expatriates did not receive the full respect from their staff. For the Chinese staff was hard accepting that expatriates because they were viewed as not fully committed to China because they would relegate decision responsibility the company and that they did not have the same level of expertise. The coaching program was developed to pair Chinese staff with experienced expatriates was implemented to create a formal mechanism to transfer knowledge and culture. A solution could to promote expatriate managers to the China with a high level of technical experience who are comfortable making critical decisions in a short amount of time. ECL is having trouble attracting and securing local talent. The issues impeding success are that many talented potential acquisitions leave the country, the Chinese owned firms offer good compensation packages and more competing firms are beginning to enter the Chinese market. Continue the training from ECL University which will demonstrate the ECL culture while acculturating it to ECL China and is a system that if managed properly it will work and will provide the desired results. Conclusion To conclude, ECL must assimilate their management practices into Chinese culture. Regardless of how hard ECL works to involves employees into the ECL culture, their future leaders will be generated from the Chinese culture. Thus, it is important for management to determine how the cultural attributes may be faced, refined and indoctrinated into ECL to achieve success. References: Lewicki, R. J., Barry, B., Saunders, D. M. (2010). Essentials of negotiation. United States: McGraw-Hill Companies. Ho, M. (2001, November 9). Establishing an ECL culture in china: organisational difference or national difference? Centre for Asian Business Cases , 11.

Analysis of key Recruitment Documents :: Business and Management Studies

Analysis of key Recruitment Documents The two main recruitment documents at Sainsbury's are the job description and the person specification. A job description lists the main tasks required in a job. Sainsbury's have job descriptions for every job they have from the caretaker to the managing director. The job description describes two types of information: it describes the tasks of the job and it describes the behaviour necessary to actually do these tasks satisfactorily. In drawing up a job description the personnel department at Sainsbury's has a number of alternatives. These are: * The line manager can draw up a description of what the job entails * The existing job holder can do it * The Human Resources Manager can interview the job holder and the line manager to find out what the job involves. I It is better to combine these approaches. The list of tasks and the relative importance of each one, is vitally important for a number of reasons: * In carrying out appraisals of employees as the manager cannot appraise employees if the employees do not know what the job involves * When analysing the job for training needs the manager must be able to see what tasks a job involves so that s/he can determine ehat training may be required When Sainsbury's draft the job description, the main features are: * The job title * The location of the job * A brief outline of what Sainsbury's does * The main purpose of the job * A detailed list of the main tasks required in the job * Pay and other benefits * Promotion aspects Sainsbury's expect employees to more flexible and to do a wider range of work. The presentation of a job description is important and Sainsbury's job description is always neatly presented. A person specification sets out the qualities of an ideal candidate whereas a job description defines the duties and responsibilities of the job. It describes the characteristics and attributes which a person needs to be able to do the job to the required standards. A person specification is normally set out under these headings: * Physical make up- what should the job holder look and sound like * Achievements- what education, qualifications and experience does the applicant need * Specific skills- what special skills and talents are needed by the applicant * Interests- hobbies * Personality- what motivation and temperament and attitude should the applicant have * Personal circumstances- what personal and domestic arrangements might the ideal person have? The selection documents used at Sainsbury's have many advantages and

Is Justice Profitable? Essay -- Glaucon Philosophy Philosophical Essay

Is Justice Profitable? Glaucon attempted to prove that injustice is preferable to justice. At first, Glacon agreed with Socrates that justice is a good thing, but implored on the nature of its goodness? He listed three types of â€Å"good†; that which is good for its own sake (such as playing games), that which is good is good in itself and has useful consequences (such as reading), and that which is painful but has good consequences (such as surgery). Socrates replied that justice "belongs in the fairest class, that which a man who is to be happy must love both for its own sake and for the results." (45d) Glaucon then reaffirmed Thrasymachus’s position that unjust people lead a better life than just people. He started that being just is simply a formality for maintaining a good reputation and for achieving one’s goals. He claimed that the only reason why a person would choose to be unjust rather than just due to the fear of punishment. This is supported by the story of the shepherd w ho became corrupted as a result of finding a ring which made him invisible. He took over the kingdom through murder and intrigue since he knew there could be no repercussions for his unjust actions. In addition, Adiamantus stated that unjust people did not need to fear divine punishment since appeals could be made to Gods’ egos via sacrifices. Finally, Glaucon gave an example of the extreme unjust person who has accumulated great wealth and power which he juxtaposed with an extreme moral man who is being punished unjustly for his crimes. Clearly, injustice is preferable to justice since it provides for a more fruitful life. â€Å"Is justice profitable?† Glacon’s argument to Socrates may appear very convincing at first glance. People who succeed in li... ...s less likely. Last but not least, injustice does not provide the most good for the most number of people. Just acts spawn other just acts just like unjust acts spawn other unjust acts. If everyone behaved unjustly, mankind would return to a state of nature (everyone is for themselves) which would be very unprofitable for the unjust individual due to a decreased likelihood of survival. An action is clearly unprofitable for the unjust individual if it would eventually create a hostile environment for him. Hence, one should set an example for others by living a just life which would create a better environment for him as well as for others. To sum up, justice is more profitable than injustice because it does not lead to true happiness, it gives way to possibility of punishment, and it creates a pattern of behavior which if universalized would lead to disaster.

Impacts of Artificial Climate Modification Essay -- Meteorology Weathe

Impacts of Artificial Climate Modification Controlling the weather. The very idea of it sounds enthralling and, yet, terrifying. Take a moment and think about the endless possibilities. Imagine the scenario: Hurricane Katrina is headed straight for Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. The loss of life is unthinkable and the amount of damage is insurmountable. However, scientists have discovered a way to seed the hurricane, not only lessening its power but potentially redirecting its path. Hundreds of lives are saved and billions of dollars in damage are prevented. While extreme storm manipulation is a far reach into the future, the possibility to increase rain and snow fall and to suppress hail storms is a reality. However exciting the possibilities, there are still great concerns on how this awesome power will affect the world. Weather Modification (WM) began in the mid 1940s with three scientists at the General Electric Laboratory. Vincent Schaefer, Bernard Vonnegut, and Irving Langmuir conducted various experiments in precipitation management. Their studies showed that the use of dry ice and silver iodide in supercooled stratus clouds acted as â€Å"seeds† for rain and snow making. Simply put, seeding is the introduction of crystalline particles into a cloud to create ice crystals and water droplets that will become precipitation (Bridget, 51). These first series of experiments encouraged new rain enhancement and hail prevention projects throughout the world (List, 51). With the introduction of any new finding, there is a need for guidelines. In order to create a more universal, uniform, and organized method of researching weather modification, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) establish... ...cy Statement: â€Å"Planned and Inadvertent Weather Modification,†. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 73, 337. Bridget, C. (May/Jun 2005). Changing the Weather. Weatherwise, 58(3), 51, 53. Howell, W.E. (1977). Environmental Impacts of Precipitation Management: Results and Inferences from Project Skywater. Bureau of Reclamation Department of the Interior, 58(6), 491-492. Solak, M.E., Yorty, D.P., & Griffith, D.A. (2003). Estimations of Downwind Cloud Seeding Effects in Utah. Report: North American Weather Consultants, Inc., 35(1), 1, 2, 4. Weaver, T. & Collins, D. (Nov 1977). Possible Effects of Weather Modification (Increased Snowpack) on Festuca Idahoensis Meadows. Journal of Range Management, 30(6), 451. List, R. (Jan 2004). Weather Modification- A Scenario for the Future. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 85(1), 52, 56-57.

Analyse an Example of Propaganda Essay

The use of propaganda has been practiced since early historical times. This is a form of communication aimed at influencing the attitude and view about a given issue in the larger population. This form of communication is meant for some cause or position (Taylor 2006, pp57-78).The information that is given in propaganda is usually not impartial as it is used to influence a given audience and in so doing further a given agenda. The facts used in propaganda are presented in a selective manner usually omitting bits in order to encourage some certain synthesis. Propaganda usually contains loaded messages which are meant to produce emotional response to the given information presented (Sommerville 2012, pp187-193). These being the characteristics of propaganda, the document will evaluate a video â€Å"Russia without Putin† produced in Russia during the 2012 election. The paper will examine the various aspects in the video which makes it qualify to be labeled as propaganda. The supp orting material will be evaluated as well as textual analysis. Discussion                      The release time of Russia Without Putin (2013) video was a calculated move-one day before the 2012 general election. Though there had been a long campaign period by which time such a video could have been released, the same was not carried out until the last minute. Such is the craftiness that can be associated with propaganda material. To the society the video was released to, they were meant to see it as the â€Å"savior† card before they committed political suicide by electing anyone other than Putin. Such is meant to be the power of propaganda (Silverblatt & Zlobin 2004, pp314-323). The timing of the video is also a characteristic of a propaganda video in that it was released late into the campaigns and precisely one day before the election. This did not give the voters enough time to deeply analyze the video and see the misleading presentation of facts. The people were not in a position to judge whether what they were being given was tr ue or not. With the devastating effects that were presented in the video of what would happen if they did not elects Putin, then the people were bound to be influenced to believe the video and vote Putin. In most times, any information that is meant to have the good of the people at heart should be presented in such a timely manner that there will be the full evaluation of the same and countering of facts which may not be true. However, with the video, there was no chance or the time to counter the content (Seidman 2008, pp177-184). In most times as highlighted in the introduction, propaganda material is meant to sway the people’s take in a given aspect. For this case, those rooting for Putin re-election would have wanted to influence most if not all of the voting population. The best option for this group to do this successfully was thus in form of a propaganda video (Reeves 2003, pp164-176). The Russia Without Putin (2013) video was released by Putin’s party channels and pro-Kremlin TV. The loyalty of the two groups is not hard to miss as they are known Putin’s campaign avenues. For the two groups to have released a video indicating what would happen to Russia if their preferred candidate was not elected is propaganda. They two pro-Putin groups were presenting their facts to the people without support of their source of their information or the truth in the same. Objective information should be delivered in such a manner that the reader or consumer is given accurate background with the ana lysis of the same being at hand. Missing the same is bound to be propaganda as the news will be subjective and often misleading. The same will be done with the intention to mislead. All the pro-Putin groups showed was the bad that would result if their candidate was not elected. They did not give the people the analysis of their subject thus the use of propaganda in the video (O’sahughnessy 2004, pp321-325). The channel of release of the video by the two Pro-Putin groups also makes the same qualify as propaganda. In most times, for news to reach most of the people, those who are in need of using a communication channel will utilize the most famous and the most effective channel. In the case of â€Å"Russia without Putin† video, the channel of choice was YouTube. This is a social media site where the pro-Putin groups targeted the larger audience the aim being to influence and sway the people into voting Putin back (Moore 2010, pp163-172). The groups knew that the release of the video on such a channel as you tube was bound to generate interest as it would reach many in the society especially the youth who are the majority group in consuming and using social media channels. For the video to have not qualified as propaganda and to show its impartiality, the same should have been released through Russia news channels. The same would have enabled the concerned group, in this case the R ussia society to see the authenticity and having the plight of the people at heart. However, release of â€Å"critical† information on what Russia would turn into without Putin with the use of social media channel affects the credibility and makes the video qualify as propaganda (Marlin 2002, pp97-124). The content in the video is segmented in such a way that there is a month to month account of Putin-less Russia. The video creators do an impressive job with a specification of the doomsday scenario of how Russia apocalypse will take place after without Putin. The clever crafting of scenes is meant to invoke the memories of the Russians to the past days marked by suffering (Kamalipour 2004, pp238-312). The Russian people are being led or manipulated to believe the calamities that will befall their nation. The specific scenes and accompanying propaganda are as follows: March 2012- The first month of a â€Å"Russia† without Putin is depicted as being marred by the struggle for political power by the various groups that may have had an interest in the same like in the past. The dissolving of the state duma will take Russia back to the dark days when the same was not in place. The various groups in the society who have been struggling to get to power will finally have their way. The video is meant to corrupt the minds of the people as to what will happen with the state when political power in politics is not held by Putin. Such issues as the formation of 200 parties within a month are not factual. The same may be a feat that is hard to occur which can also be read as propaganda (Herpen 2014, pp178-187). With the likes of the USA having been bitter rivals with the Russian, the same are shown to celebrate the fall of Putin where they declare the same as democracy. However, in real sense, such enemies will be celebrating the fall of Russia. The Ma rch section part of the video is to persuade the people not to make such a mistake as eliminate Putin from political power. May 2012                      Business is a big aspect in Russia. The same drives the economy. When such a critical channel is threatened, the people of Russia are bound to rally all the efforts in fighting for the same. Russia without Putin will see the same critical channel (business) face threats from the enemy. After two months without Putin in power, critical business such as oil, the banking sector and the transport sector will be doomed. Such critical amenities will end up in the hands of Russia society enemies. The fact that the video has examples of the same and who happen to be Putin’s political enemies is no surprise. Propaganda dictates that one portray the best case as they would want their audience to believe. In this case, those who have had their voices raised in public in opposition to Putin’s rule such as Eveginia Shirikova, Aleksei Navalnyi and Boris Nemtsov are shown to take over the major businesses (Gillespie 2000, pp 127-137). The Russia peop le are thus being led to oppose such a move. The fact that the same are Putin’s competitors is meant to show how they cannot be entrusted with such public amenities as banks, transport and oil business. However, as is the case with propaganda, the facts are not supported with people such as Boris Nemtsov being depicted as developing a sudden interest in business whereas he has been renowned for politics rather than his business prowess. With the nuclear aspect being a crucial matter in the whole world the fact that Russia’s enemy in this case the USA will be put in control of such weapons is something many in the Russian population would not be ready to allow. Propaganda in this section is meant to rally the Russian people behind protecting their amenities (Gessen 2013, pp98-112). September 2012                      The economy is a central part of any state. Russia without Putin will see the country face downfall in this section. The same should not be allowed to take place which is the message and call to the Russian people. The closure of huge companies such as Avto Vaz, the fall of the Russia stock exchange, the depreciation of the rubles against the dollar, highest rates of inflation, and unemployment are all economic problems that have plagued Russia in the past and left many suffering. This section of the video thus plays with the fear aspect in the society. The same would not want to go back to such times. Thus, the people are being reminded that failure to have Putin in power will result in their greatest fear coming to pass- suffering. Russia without Putin will see the society go back to the days when bread, an important commodity during hard times, becomes unavailable. The fact that this part of the video reminds the people of the past is a character istic of propaganda; relieving past failures in order to make the people think in the opposite direction (Freeze 2009, pp232-235). Going hungry is not something any society would want thus Putin should be allowed to stay in power to make sure that the same does not happen. November 2012                      If Putin is not in power, by this time as shown in the video, Russia will have degenerated into a violent society with civilians being the causalities. The plight of the needy such as the pensioners will have no one to take care of. This part of the video also relies on rekindling past bad memories in order to make people believe what is on offer to be the best. This is a major characteristic of propaganda (Cunningham 2002, pp128-154). March 2013                      This part of the video shows the degeneration of Russia just as it has been in the past with many regions wanting their independence from their mother country. Such a scene is reminiscent of the past times such as the end of the Second World War. Pro-Putin activists who made the video are aware of some of the emotional attachment the Russian people have with the motherland. They thus make sure that this part of the video depicts the fall-out within the same as it has happened in the past. In order to avoid the same, the people are made to believe that voting Putin will prevent such a scenario from emerging (Cull et al. 2003, pp157-163). June 2013                      Occupation of one’s country by foreigners is an aspect that many nations condemn and do not entertain. This is what the society in Russia is made to believe will happen if they fail to retain Putin in power. In the pretense of peace keeping, Russia will be invaded by other nations such as China and Japan occupying the different parts of Russia, for example, Chita, Khabarovsk, Blagoveshensk and Irkutsk and Vladivostok. With their nation’s sovereignty at risk, the Russian society is bound to resist such a move by all means in this case the best option being to retain Putin in power (Chomsky & Barsamian 2001, pp178-183). August 2013                      This section depicts the woes that will befall the society in this case human suffering. Failure to elect Putin will lead to continued occupation and invasion of Russia by the outside world with a human crisis such as the wiping out of entire societies such as Cossack militia. This is a move the society is being urged by this section of the video to desist from (Brady 2010, pp156-162). December 2013                      This section of the video is meant to convince the Russian society that failure to elect Putin will lead to the continued triumph of Russian enemies such as Alex Navalny. The same will receive international accreditation with people such as Navalny being awarded the Nobel peace prize. Navalny is a renowned Putin critic and political opponent thus international celebration of the same will mean Russia’s failure (Baker & Glasser 2007, pp231). February 2014                      International events such as the Olympics are a source of pride and prestige to the hosting nations. The fact that this section of the video depicts the upcoming winter games characterized by violence with Russia as the designated host is bound to touch each and everyone in the Russia society. The people will fight to see that the same does not occur. As per the planned propaganda in the video, the only way they can do so is by retaining Putin in power. The chaos from the games will also affect the rest of the society in that such amenities as communication channels and electricity will be interrupted. This section thus urges the people to protect the pride of their nation in hosting a successful international event by retaining Putin in power (Arutunyan 2009, pp132). Conclusion                      There was a timely release of the â€Å"Russia without Putin† video to the masses specifically one day before the election. The content as presented in the video relied on the influencing power of propaganda material. The target audience in this case the Russian voters were bound to be moved by the graphic portrayal of the doom that would befall their mother-land without Putin. The same would trigger an emotional cord within the voters in such a way that would enhance Putin’s re-election to power. Thus, the â€Å"Russia without Putin† video has all the characteristics of a propaganda material. References ARUTUNYAN, A. (2009).  The media in Russia. Maidenhead, England, Open University Press. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=480619. BAKER, P., & GLASSER, S. (2007).  Kremlin rising. Washington, D.C., Potomac Books. BRADY, A.-M. (2010).  Marketing dictatorship: propaganda and thought work in contemporary China. Lanham, Md, Rowman & Littlefield. CHOMSKY, N., & BARSAMIAN, D. (2001).  Propaganda and the public mind: conversations with Noam Chomsky. London, Pluto. CULL, N. J., CULBERT, D. H., & WELCH, D. (2003).  Propaganda and mass persuasion: a historical encyclopedia, 1500 to the present. Santa Barbara, Calif, ABC-CLIO. CUNNINGHAM, S. B. (2002).  The idea of propaganda: a reconstruction. Westport, Conn, Praeger. FREEZE, G. L. (2009).  Russia: a history. Oxford, Oxford University Press. GESSEN, M. (2013).  The man without a face: the unlikely rise of Vladimir Putin. London, Granta. GILLESPIE, D. C. (2000).  Early Soviet cinema: innovation, ideology and propaganda. London, Wallflower Press. HERPEN, M. H. V. (2014).  Putin’s war: a history of the rise of russia’s new imperialism. Lanham, Rowman & Littlefield. KAMALIPOUR, Y. R. (2004).  War, media, and propaganda: a global perspective. Lanham, MD [u.a.], Rowman & Littlefield. MARLIN, R. (2002).  Propaganda and the ethics of persuasion. Peterborough, Ont, Broadview Press. MOORE, C. (2010).  Propaganda prints. London, A & C Black Publishers. O’SHAUGHNESSY, N. J. (2004).  Politics and propaganda: weapons of mass seduction. Ann Arbor, Manchester University Press. REEVES, N. (2003).  The power of film propaganda myth or reality?  London, Continuum. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=436842. Reveal. (2013).  Russia Without Putin?. [Online Video]. 08 August. Available from:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAqqJ-uQRZQ. [Accessed: 25 February 2015]. SEIDMAN, S. A. (2008).  Posters, propaganda, & persuasion in election campaigns around the world and through history. New York, P. Lang. SILVERBLATT, A., & ZLOBIN, N. (2004).  International communications: a media literacy approach. Armonk, N.Y., M.E. Sharpe. SOMERVILLE, K. (2012).  Radio propaganda and the broadcasting of hatred: historical development and definitions. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire, Palgrave Macmillan. TAYLOR, R. (2006).  Film propaganda: Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany. London, I.B. Tauris. Source document

Benefits of a College Degree Essay

After high school, a choice that many students have to make is whether to go to college or not. There are many factors that go into one’s decision. There are pros and cons to going to college and also there are pros and cons for not going to college. But the decision that will give someone the better opportunity to have a more successful life is to go to college. The money that one will earn after getting a college degree will be more than the money a person will make without getting a college degree. As our society has continued to evolve, education has become the optimal route to professional success: pursuing a degree is the best way to receive training, to gain expertise in a given field, and even to guide you and help you make choices about your career (Value†¦). Money is one of the most important reasons that a person goes to college. On average, a person that has just a high-school diploma earns $30,400 per year while a person that gets a bachelor’s degree will earn on average $52,200 per year (Value†¦). A master’s degree on average will get a person a yearly salary of $62,300 (Value†¦). Based on the numbers, a formal education is an essential ingredient in today’s society. Going to college and getting four more years of schooling may not be the fun thing to do, but it is a wise choice to help lead one to a more successful life. Some people may say that even though that someone will earn more money by getting a college degree, the cost of college does not equal out the amount of money one will make. While the cost of college is expensive, the difference in money made from a college degree will be able to cover the cost of college over time. The average cost of college tuition plus expenses per year is between $20,000 and $35,000 (U. S. News Staff). Of course that is quite a bit of money that would go into paying for college, but even if a person cannot pay for it at the time or did not get a scholarship, someone could always get a student loan so they can pay for college in that way. While if a person chooses to not go to college, that person can get a full-time job that one may focus heavily on. Although a person in college can have a job, that person cannot work as much as someone who is not in college. At first this is a positive for not going to college because that would mean more money for the people not going to college. That is true but over years; the people with a college degree will end up with more money because of the higher annual salaries. The benefits of a college degree are not just for money, but also a college degree will also give a person more career options. A person with a college degree will have more career options than someone without a college degree because employers will see that one has a college degree and think that person knows what to do and can do the job well. Employers want the best person for the job and a college degree looks really good on a person’s resume (Ten Great†¦). In a survey that was casted to see what employers look for, those employers said that they wanted people that have dependability, reliability, a good attitude, the ability to read comfortably, the ability to think more consciously, computer skills, and the ability to communicate clearly whether it be spoken or in writing (Knowledge and†¦). Along the path of getting a college degree, one will also learn these skills and attributes. Not only does a college degree increase one’s chances of getting a job, but it can also get a person employer-paid health insurance and pension plans. That is great considering that the amount of employers that are offering health insurance and pension plans are going down. Also, if in the town or state that a person lives in hits a recession, if one has a college degree, then that person is more likely to keep their job. Plus, even if that person does get fired, that person will still be more likely to find a job somewhere else because of the college degree (Ten Great†¦). College is not just a place to get a degree, but it is also a place to make connections and lifelong friends. Making connections is creating relationships with those that are further along in their career. One’s professors will enjoy helping out their students because they would not be professors if they did not care about helping out others. In college, a person will meet many people from many different places. The people that someone is with can listen to people’s stories about their backgrounds, experiences, and cultures. This will be an advantage because meeting a diverse range of people will give one a broader view on the world and cultural understanding (The Benefits†¦). Being in college will help one learn more about themselves. While one is in college, a person will figure out more about their likes and dislikes (The Benefit†¦). College is a time when one is starting to prepare for a career that one will enjoy doing that job for the rest of their life. Hopefully a person in college will find a career that one will enjoy and also be able to perform that job well. The time spent in college will help one become more satisfied with their career choice later on in life. Of course, the obvious benefit of going to college is the education and the knowledge that one will learn. In whatever major that a person takes while in college, one will get a higher understanding of what the class is about. Having the knowledge in a certain area will make a person better at their job. The knowledge that one will gain in college will help that person doing what is needed to get done every day. Plus, with a college degree, one will not need as much training as someone who did not get a degree. The benefits of going to college outweigh the possible negatives of going to college. While there is a chance of someone being very successful in life with only a high school diploma, the odds are just better if one has a college degree. There are many benefits of going to college so that one can earn a college degree. One can get a higher annual salary than someone that does not go to college. Having a college degree with give a person more career choices and also improve their chances of being hired by an employer. One will learn the skills that employers are looking for like knowledge, dependability, computer skills, and much more. A person that goes to college will develop great friendships and make a real connection with people. While in college, one will learn more about themselves, find out more about oneself, and hopefully be able to realize their dreams. There is no correct way to live life, but when someone is trying to figure what path to take so that one can fulfill their dreams and be as happy as possible, the signs point that going to college and getting a college degree is the smarter choice. Works Cited Gill, Deanna. â€Å"Negative Effects of Not Exercising. † n. p. HubPages Inc. 22 Mar. 2011. Web. 3Nov. 2012. Wiley, Blackwell. â€Å"Regular Exercise Reduces Large Number of Health Risks Including Dementia and Some Cancers, Study Finds. † ScienceDaily, 16 Nov. 2010. Web. 3 Nov. 2012. CourseAdvisor. â€Å"Benefits of a College Degree. † Washington Post Company. CourseAdvisor Inc. 2010. Web. 6 Dec. 2012. â€Å"Knowledge and Skills Needed to Succeed in the 21st Century Workplace,† National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, June 2000. â€Å"Ten Great Reasons to Get a College Degree. † n. p. Yellow Page College Directory. 2011. Web. 6 Dec. 2012. â€Å"The Benefits of a College Degree. † n. p. Hobsons. Web. 6 Dec. 2012. â€Å"The Real Benefits of a College Degree. † n. p. RightFitDegrees. com, Inc. 2009-2012. Web. 7 Dec. 2012. U. S. News Staff. â€Å"The Average Cost of a U. S. College Education. † n. p. U. S. News & World Report. 24 Aug. 2010. Web. 6 Dec. 2012. â€Å"Value of Education. † n. p. 2003-2010. Web. 6 Dec. 2012.

Euroland Foods SA Case Analysis

I. Introduction Euroland Foods Company was a publicly traded company since 1979. Theo Verdin founded the company in 1924 as a result in developing his dairy business. Euroland Foods Company saw itself as a multinational producer. The four products were high-quality ice cream, yogurt, bottled water, and fruit juices. Each product accounted for 60%, 20%, 10%, and 10% of the company’s revenue respectively. The company’s headquarters was in Brussels, Belgium. Since the day the company was founded, it has experienced steadily development. II. Background of Firm The board of directors of Euroland Foods Company had 12members. Three of them were the Verdin family, four of them were from the management, and the left five members came from outside. The combined Verdin family, the combined company executive, Venus Asset Management, and Banque du Bruges et des Pays Bas were the four biggest stockholders. Each had 20%, 10%, 12%, and 9% of the company’s shares outstanding respectively. Senior Management Committee was responsible for the capital budgeting and presenting it to the board of directors every year. Seven members, including five managing directors, one PDG, and one finance director, were on the committee. III. Statement of Situation Euroland Foods Company had two major problems comparing with its peers. One was the high debt-to-equity ratio, another one was the low price-to-earnings ratio. The debt-to-equity ratio was 125%, which made the Banque du Bruges, Euroland’s bank, could not keep silence. Banque du Bruges strongly pushed a debt reduction program to Euroland. No project could be financed if the leverage level was beyond the current debt-to-equity ratio. The lower the price-to-earnings ratio, the lower the stock price was. In this case, the Euroland’s stock price was lower than average of peers. At the current ratio 14, Euroland’s market value was below its book value. Euroland Foods Company failed in the trying of new product introduction. Its sales had been stopped since 1998. The creditor, Banque du Bruges, was worrying about the Euroland’s ability to pay its debt back. The one of the biggest stockholder, Venus Asset Management, was worrying about cutting off the dividends. IV. Constraints on Solution Due to the high debt-to-equity ratio, the board of directors decided to limit capital spending to EUR 120 million. There were eleven projects on the table, and up to total EUR 316 million. There was estimated minimum acceptable IRR and maximum acceptable payback years. (Table 1) V. Possible Solutions In order to increase the sales, Euroland Company has to choose projects wisely under the EUR 120 million budget limitation, minimum IRR limitation, and maximum payback period limitation. Net present value, internal rate of return, and payback period are the main measures Euroland Company used to analyze each project. According to Exhibit 3, project 1 replacement and expansion of the truck fleet, project 2 a new plant, project 3 expansion of a plant, project 4 development and roll-out of snack foods, and project 5plant automation and conveyor systems are eliminated for the over maximum acceptable payback period. The left projects are all considerable. The special project in this case is the effluent-water treatment at four plants. Because it belongs to the safety or environments category, there is no measurement yet. Euroland Company could see it as a future expenditure, and if Leyden was right, we can spend EUR 6 million today instead of EUR 15 million four year later. This project will save Euroland a lot in the future. (the saving amount equals to the net present value of EUR 15 million minus EUR 6 million) The project is going to be mandatory four year later. VI. Recommended Solution If I was on the board of directors, I would approve project 11, Acquisition of a leading schnapps brand and associated facilities, which is analyzed as project 10 on the Exhibit 3; project 7, Market expansion southward, which is analyzed as project 6 on the exhibit 3; and project 9, Development and introduction of new artificially sweetened yogurt and ice cream, which is analyzed as project 8 on the exhibit 3. The capital budget for the three projects are EUR 60 million, EUR 30 million, and EUR 27 million respectively, which give us the total EUR 117 million. We still have EUR 3 million can use, and I will propose to use it in the effluent-water treatment at four plants project. Although the project estimated cost is EUR 6 million, companies barely pay such a huge amount in one day. We can negotiate with the seller to come up a payment plan; in addition we need to make a deal which the first payment is not greater than EUR 3 million. Project 7 market expansions southward and project 8 market expansions eastward are similar, but I decided to approve project market expansions southward instead. Besides the higher net present value and internal of rate of return, the purchasing power is stronger and competition is less intense.

Love Medicine Study Guide Questions

Note: You should also write at least four of your own questions about the book as you read. These can be either things that confused you or aspects of the text that you would like to see us explore in class. HINT: HERE IS YOUR CHANCE TO AFFECT THE FINAL EXAM. You can list more on the reverse if they occur to you while reading. Love Medicine YOUR QUESTIONS: 1. 2. 3. 4.Use this space to connect any relevant cultural information you find to aspects of the text:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Discussion Questions 1. The novel deals extensively with the love-hate relationships between family members. What are some of the different kinds of familial bonds, positive and negative? What themes are explored through these relationships? What does this novel suggest about the nature of families? 2.One theme of the novel is the unavoidable impact of the non-Indian world (for instance, Catholicism, alcohol, intermarriages, the Vietnam War, capitalism, the legal system) on the Chippewa. How does the interaction with outsiders affect specific characters? What does the novel suggest about the difficulties and consequences of dealing with a mixed world? 3. Why do you thin k Erdrich chose to write her novel in the way she did, using time leaps and a series of different narrators to recount their own tales? What do you think is gained by this form of narrative? How might the form's emphasis on individual storytelling relate to the novel's larger themes? 4. Why do you think the section â€Å"Love Medicine† was chosen as the title story of the novel?Would you have chosen another section on the basis of a strength or unifying theme? (Above questions from http://www. harpercollins. com/authors/2905/Louise_Erdrich/index. aspx) 5. Analyze the family relationships in Louise Erdrich’s novel. What does this novel suggest about relationships between parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, siblings, extended relatives, etc.? Pay attention to both blood relations and those that are â€Å"taken† or adoptive, such as Nanapush and Lulu or Marie and Lipsha. 6. Analyze the depictions of gender in Love Medicine, giving at least some at tention to differences in gender concepts and gender relations in traditional Native and mainstream colonizing culture. 7.Analyze the romantic relationships in the novel, both within the institution of Catholic marriage, within traditional culture, and those outside of both. What do these relationships suggest about the concept of romantic love? 8. Compare and contrast the depictions of traditional Ojibwe spirituality and Catholicism within the novel. 9. Examine how the novel depicts the effects of colonization on the Ojibwe people and their world. 10. Analyze relatedness and relationships between Native and non-Native people in this novel, both community and familial. In other words, in responding to this question, you might include the relationship between King