Leadership Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Leadership - Coursework Example The key techniques used for developing / improving leadership using theatre and improvisational exercises (for improving and enhancing communication styles); improving and ensuring greater presence (such as increased focus during business presentations, meetings with clients and /or colleagues etc.); using expressive capabilities; and developing and enhancing the art of communicating with the audience (both individuals as well as groups). The article "Choosing strategies for change" presented by Sharon Hill, on the other hand stresses on the significance of managing change within organizations and the various issues faced while initiating new order of things. The article suggests that in order to ensure successful change management within organizations it is imperative to ensure involvement of all employees in the key activities or planning process, since they are the most likely to resist change. Secondly, the article emphasizes on developing strategies specially centered on the type of challenges / resistance likely to be encountered while initiating the change, such as offer training workshops for skill development to the employees. Lastly, one of the most effective ways of initiating the process of change within organizations is taking into consideration the situational factors. This can be achieved by responding to imminent crises situations quickly (Kotter & Schlesinger, 2008). Key techniques used for successful change management include: education (educating the employees), participation (ensuring greater participation of those most likely to resist change), facilitation (offer skills training and workshop), negotiation (offer incentives to influence them to change), and coercion (use threats such as loss of job, promotion or transfer to those resisting the change). 2. Managing change is one of the most difficult and

Hebrew Covenant Essay Example for Free

Hebrew Covenant Essay The most insightful and genuinely inspired notion of the Hebrew world view is the concept of the berit involving God and His chosen people. Interpreted into English as covenant, the term denotes a little closer to promise, or pledge. In the promise to Abraham, God picks Abraham and his offspring as a particular people, in fact, as the only people of God. He assures Abraham that his progeny will inhabit and possess the lands of Palestine, that they will be immeasurable, and that they will benefit from the security and attention of God over all their enemies. It is this promise and the relationship it entails concerning Yahweh, the one and only God, and His people that characterize the Hebrew cultural and historical distinctiveness. The bond implied by the word berit is the relationship involving a lord and his servants, for in Hebrew, a berit is a pledge that is made unilaterally by a lord to his servants that he will defend and provide for those servants. The promise is not compelled by law nor affected on the lord by his servants—it is utterly voluntary. The term covenant stands for business deal, or contract, and suggests a promise to provide one end of the contract if the other end is met. But a covenant is a two-sided arrangement; it obtains the participation of both parties and they are obligated only by the stipulations of the covenant or agreement. Gods berit, on the other hand, is carried out unilaterally exclusive of the involvement of Abraham or his people in the agreement. Abraham is merely chosen. As implied in the word, the relationship of God to his chosen people is a connection of a lord to his servants; the chosen people, as servants, owe to God first and foremost obedience. In this sense, the Abrahamic berit is open-ended; by picking Abrahams offspring, God is requiring of that offspring absolute submission and deference for all the rules to come in the future. For God has not bared His regulations to His chosen people in the time of Abraham; that will appear centuries later when the Hebrews are set free from Egypt. Reference: 1. Hooker, Richard, World Civilizations, 1996.

Laidlaw by William McIlvanney :: Laidlaw William McIlvanney

Laidlaw  by William McIlvanney Laidlaw is a novel written by the famous Scottish born author William McIlvanney. His inspirational style of writing has delivered him prestigious awards for all his high quality novels.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Laidlaw is set in the urban city of Glasgow in the 90's and delivers a cutting insight to big industries and crime in society. McIlvanney creates a stunning atmosphere and examines the fascinating issues of why people commit murder and the devastating results of violence. One of the reasons I selected this novel wasn't just because of the quality and origin of the author and the setting , it was because of the infuriating character of Cheif Detective Inspector Jack Laidlaw , he is the main character and the most memorable one.   He is the spearhead of the investigations into the murder of a teenage girl , he has to do this in a city of hard men, villains and fat cat businessmen.   To look more deeper into the mysterious character of Laidlaw and his personality , we need to look at his interests and prejudices , Laidlaw is the main focus , in this novel and he captures everyone’s imagination and thoughts . He is an unorthodox det ective who is always wondering about the nature of society , threading his way through pubs and clubs trying to find the murderer of an apparently innocent girl. Laidlaw is such a memorable character who requires to be looked at and examined closely.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jack Laidlaw is a universe apart from other examples of detectives , he examines the more intriguing issues of how and why people can commit the reprehensible crime of murder and the harrowing aftermath of crime and violence. Jack Laidlaw can deeply understand people more than anyone could ever imagine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jack Laidlaw is an odd sort detective, and this is an odd sort of novel. He lives and works in the gloomy, cheerless heart of urban Glasgow; and he keeps the works of "Camus"," Unamuno" and "Kierkegaard"in his top desk drawer, "where other detectives would normally rather keep their secret stashes of liquor." Unlike many other detectives with uppity tastes in literature, no one congratulates him for this or encourages him in any way; the whole world tells him that he thinks too much to be a good detective . However, he persists in trying to understand crimes as well as solve them : "You want to live as if the rest of the world was just a necessary evil and that you have to be a monster to be a criminal ,it's fucking not true , it's all in peoples concealed heads.

Outline Three Problems to Plato’s Theory of the Forms Essay

Aristotle thought that Plato’s theory of forms with its two separate realms failed to explain what it was meant to. That is, it failed to explain how there could be permanence and order in this world and how we could have objective knowledge of this world. By separating the realm of forms so radically from the material realm, Plato made it impossible to explain how the realm of forms made objectivity and permanence possible in the material realm. The objectivity and permanence of the realm of forms does not help to explain the material world because the connection between the two worlds is so hard to understand. The theory of forms, therefore, is an unnecessary proposal. There is no need to split the world up into two separate realms in order to explain objectivity and permanence in our experience. Aristotle elaborated this general criticism into two more particular objections: First, according to Plato material objects participate in or imitate the forms. It is in virtue of this relation to the realm of forms that material objects are knowable and have order. Yet, Aristotle argues it is nearly impossible to explain what exactly this participation or imitation is. The properties that the forms have are all incompatible with material objects. How, for example, can a red object be said to participate in or copy the form of redness? Is the form of redness red itself? How can there be red without anything that is red? It seems that the metaphor of imitation or participation seems to break down in these cases because of the special properties that Plato ascribes to the forms. The only link between the realm of forms and the material world, then, breaks down. The forms cannot explain anything in the material world. The second argument was first given by Plato himself in his later dialogues. It is related to the first objection, but is a more technical way of getting at the main problem with the theory of forms. Plato explains the resemblance between any two material objects in terms of their joint participation in a common form. A red book and a red flower, for example, resemble each other in virtue of being copies of the form of redness. Since they are copies of this form, they also resemble the form. But this resemblance between the red object and the form of redness must also be explained in terms of another form. What form does a red object and the form of redness both copy to account for their similarity? One can see that this will lead to an infinite regress. Whenever someone proposes another form that two similar things copy, you can always ask them to explain the similarity between the form and the objects. This will always require another form. The notion of imitation or copying used in the theory of forms, then, runs into logical difficulties. The theory of forms really explains nothing about the similarity of objects; another form is always needed beyond the one proposed. Thus to explain the similarity between a man and the form of man, one needs a third form of man, and this always requires another form. The explanation of the original similarity is never given; it is only put off to the next level. Wittgenstein also criticised Plato’s theory with his language games. He argued that for meaning in language it must define the concepts. Concepts therefore do not gain meaning from the objects to which they refer but from the way we use them in language. This is governed by a series of formal and informal rules that control the games. Wittgenstein observed from games that it is impossible to offer a simple explanation of the word game because not all the uses of it include the same concepts. The games have a family resemblance but no defining set feature. The use of the word game gains its meaning from the way in which it is used. Therefore those who understand how to use it will understand what it means. This is a problem for Plato because he has already told us that the Forms are simple, yet Wittgenstein suggests that some concepts are so complex that there cannot be a simple blueprint or pattern that ties them all together.

Cloning an Instinct Species in “Jurassic Park”

Roger Lee Propes PHI-240 Katherine Allison, Professor April 6, 2012 Cloning an Instinct Species in â€Å"Jurassic Park† When we hear about cloning in the media, they are usually referring to reproductive cloning, human cloning in particular, and it’s scientific and ethical implications. In Jurassic Park, John Hammand, who is a rich entrepreneur, hires a group of scientists to clone dinosaurs from the Jurassic Period. The ethical dilemma presented in Jurassic Park is whether we should use our knowledge of cloning to revive an extinct species that ceased to exist through natural processes.I believe John Hammand used ethical relativism (Van Camp, Olen, and Barry page 4) because he coordinated this project based on moral truths that were true to him. However, several of the experts he hired to sponsor the park disagreed with the ethical judgments he made while developing the park. I will briefly describe two types of cloning that were combined to successfully engineer the d inosaurs in the movie, and give an example of cloning that has been successful. Then I will give reasons why it is unethical to resurrect species that became instinct through natural processes.The words recombinant DNA technology, DNA cloning, molecular cloning, and gene cloning all refer to the same process: the transfer of a DNA fragment or interest from one organism to a self-replicating genetic element such as a bacterial plasmid. The DNA of interest can then be developed in a foreign host cell. This technology has been around since the 1970’s, and it has become a common practice in molecular biology labs today. â€Å"In 1977 scientists at the Asilomar Conference proposed sweeping regulation on so-called recombinant DNA, technologies which recombine DNA from different species in the test tube† (biology. enyon. edu). Their concerns were by combining DNA of different species disastrous monsters would result. Reproductive cloning is a technology used to generate an an imal that has the same nuclear DNA as another currently or previously existing animal. The best and most publicized example of this is the sheep named Dolly. She was the first mammal to be cloned from adult DNA. â€Å"Ian Wilmut, the scientist whose team at Scotland’s Roslin Institute cloned Dolly who was born July 5, 1996, and euthanized in 2003 because of lung disease† (usatoday. om). This successful clone was produced 3 years after the film was produced. â€Å"Dolly, or any other animal created using nuclear transfer technology, is not truly an identical clone of the donor animal. Only the clone’s chromosomal or nuclear DNA is the same as the donor, some of the clone’s genetic materials come from the mitochondria in the cytoplasm of the enucleated egg† (ornl. gov). In the film, the dinosaurs weren’t exact replicas and had mutations caused by the frog DNA that was used.In the film, they discovered dinosaur DNA trapped in the amber of a tre e and extracted the DNA. They DNA sequence was not complete so they decided to combine frog DNA in an attempt to complete the sequence. The scientists also manipulated the sequence to ensure that all of the cloned specimens would be female thinking it would be the more docile than the male. Even though females tend to have less strength than their male counterparts, they are usually the one left to tend for the offspring. Dr. Malcolm made the statement that, â€Å"nature always finds a way†.There are many species that have proven that reproduction is a possibility in a single sex environment. Some species, such as anemone fishes, are born all male and when they mature change sex and become female. â€Å"This is very strange life histories in species whose individuals may change sex at some time in their life. They may change from being males to females, protandry, or females to males, protogyny. † (marinebiology. org) Dr. Alan Grant and the children find a nest of eggs that has hatched while they were evading the T-Rex, proving nature found a way.Human beings, in general, are very naive when it comes to the power they actually hold over our world and nature. If we are to consider resurrection instinct species, we should also consider whether they became instinct through natural causes or the human intervention. Also, we should make sure we consider all of the possible mutations that may occur due to the genetic makeup of the DNA used to complete the sequence. Those which became instinct because of being destroy by humans may still be able to survive in the world as it is today.In addition, we should enter the cloning process with the knowledge that nature will eventually find a way and begin to sustain without future interference of human beings. Those which became instinct through natural causes shouldn’t be revived because the world isn’t suitable for their survival, and reviving these species could cause catastrophic changes in t he environment, which is evident in the movie â€Å"Jurassic Park†. Works Cited Buchheim, Jason. A Quick Course in Ichthyology. n. d. . Department, Biology.KAP Recombinant DNA Technology. n. d. . Energy, US Department of. Human Genome Project Information. 11 May 2009. 15 03 2012 . Julie C. Van Camp, Jeffrey Olen, and Vincent Barry. Applying Ethics: A Text with Readings. Ed. Ian Lague. Tenth Edition. Boston: Clark Baxter, 2011. Jurassic Park. By Michael Crichton. Dir. Steven Spielberg. Perf. Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum Sam Neil. 1993. Wise, Elizabeth. USA Today. 4 July 2006. 15 March 2012 .

It Isnt Easy, No Matter How Easy It Looks

It Isnt Easy, No Matter How Easy It Looks â€Å"Just because I made it here doesn’t mean it was easy. And just because I don’t seem overwhelmed doesn’t mean I’m not.† - Jen Wilde, Queens of Geek Writing is damn hard work. Nobody is a natural. When you see an author who makes it look easy, understand that that author worked their butt off learning grammar, plot, characterization, and flow then how to weave it all together to work. They might not have looked up the word SYNTAX and studied it, but they read enough good books until they could identify and emulate it. Most of writing block is bunk, and most of writing is a struggle. The writing that flows is the oddity, not the norm. Thats why you edit at least once or twice more after you think the story is perfect. The more difficult the writing task, the stronger you build your writing muscle. Your first book should take way longer than your sixth. Yes, youll edit less the more books you write, but you cannot edit No two writers are alike in how they write, how they structure their writing time, or how they come up with ideas. No two writers write with the same pace. Neither is right or wrong. When Im asked how I come up with ideas, how long does it take me to write a book, or when does writing become easier, I am at a loss for words. My answer is: I sit in a chair and write until the writing is done. When you leave the chair before youve accomplished a good days work, youve shortchanged yourself. Youve shirked your responsibility. You write until the writing is done. Until someone asks you how you made it look so easy.

What is Brain Cancer and How Does it Spread †Biology Essay

What is Brain Cancer and How Does it Spread – Biology Essay Free Online Research Papers What is Brain Cancer and How Does it Spread Biology Essay Brain cancer is one of the most dangerous because nearly all tumors that arise in the brain are malignant. Although it is less likely that a primary tumor in the brain will metastasize and spread to other parts of the body, the brain is such a sensitive and vital organ that surgery is usually very dangerous or impossible. Brain cancer is also harder to treat than other types of cancer because of the blood-brain barrier that doesn’t allow many types of drugs to pass into the brain. Because of this, new methods of treating this type of cancer are being developed such as the use of nanoparticles. Brain cancer, like any other type of cancer, develops because of gene mutations. There are two main types of genes that if mutated can cause cancer. Proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressant genes are both involved in regulation of cell growth. Proto-oncogenes code for the proteins that are involved promoting cell growth and division. When a mutation occurs, these proto-oncogenes become oncogenes. Oncogenes cause too many of the growth stimulating factors to be produced, thus causing excessive cell growth and division. Tumor suppressant genes normally facilitate the sending of inhibitory and promoting messages to cells, but mutations can cause underproduction of the proteins that send inhibiting messages. As with oncogenes, this causes uncontrollable cell growth and division. There are a many different classifications of primary brain tumors. They are first classified as glial or non-glial tumors. The glial tumors, which make up the majority of primary brain tumors, are called gliomas. The most frequently occurring type of glioma is an astrocytoma. Astrocytomas develop in the astrocytes and can arise anywhere in the brain. The most common place they occur is in the frontal lobe. After being identified an astrocytoma is given a grade of I through IV. A higher grade indicates faster growth. The worst of these is IV, or a Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM). Because of something called the blood brain barrier, tumors in the brain are much harder to treat. The blood-brain barrier is a membrane that controls various chemicals from being able to pass from the blood into the central nervous system. Unfortunately, this applies to many of the drugs that are used to treat cancer. This had made it necessary to develop new ways to treat tumors in the brain. One of these new developments is the use of nanoparicles in targeting and destroying cancer cells. These particles have the abilty to pass through the blood-brain barrier because they very small and often coated with a polymer of surfactant. These coatings make the particle more like other particles that are allowed to pass through the barrier. These tiny particles have been named PEBBLEs (Probes Encapsulated by Biologically Localized Embedding). These nanoparticles can be used to locate cancerous cells and then destroy them. When introduced into the blood stream the particles eventually enter the brain and because of the targeting agent in them they will all attach to the tumor. The MRI contrasting element that these particles also have attached to them allows the tumor to be seen because of the location of the particles. The amazing thing about these particles is that they are inactive until in the light. The chemical which makes this possible is called a photocatalyst. When whoever is treating the patient wants to activate the PEBBLEs an optic probe is inserted and reaction of the PEBBLEs destroys the surrounding cancerous cells. This technology is still in the clinical stages, but is very promising. Brain cancer is one of the most dangerous forms of cancer and also one of the most difficult to treat. But with the amazing new technology that being developed its fair to say that this will not be the case for long. Research Papers on What is Brain Cancer and How Does it Spread - Biology EssayGenetic EngineeringIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalDefinition of Export QuotasMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfStandardized TestingThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males

Try These Spooky Halloween Science Projects

Try These Spooky Halloween Science Projects Are you ready for some spooky science? These projects and experiments are just right for Halloween. Make your holiday educational as well as fun! Mad Scientist Party - Are you throwing a Halloween bash? Why not give it a mad science theme? Make Spooky Fog - Fog is a great spooky effect. Find it naturally while trick-or-treating or make your own for a party.Creepy Halloween Jack-o-Lantern - Creepy tendrils of fog flow from the carvings of this jack-o-lantern.Green Fire Halloween Jack-o-Lantern - This Halloween jack-o-lantern is filled with green fire.Glowing Pumpkin - A glowing pumpkin is a little more ghastly and creepy than your typical orange pumpkin. This is an easy project that yields a great result.Glowing Hand of Doom Punch - A glowing hand rises from the fog of this bubbling punch. Its the perfect party drink!Glowing Slime - Make glowing slime for a haunted house, a Halloween party, or just because glowing slime is cool.Water into Blood Demonstration - Learn about pH indicators or just use this as a cool trick.Laundry Detergent Glowing Skull - Make a glowing skull decoration using laundry detergent.Homemade Face Paint - Make your own non-toxic Halloween face paint. The base paint is white, though you can customi ze it to be any color you like. Make Fake Blood ... or fake snot, vomit, wounds, or glass.Fake Blue or Green Blood - Blood isnt always red. Spiders, for example, have blue blood. If your Halloween adventure includes blood from another species, you might like this edible blue or green fake blood.Glowing Ink can be used to write eerie glowing messages.Make Colored Fire - Fire is fun, but colored fire can be spooky. Try adding a bit of color to your jack-o-lantern flame.Make a Fizzy Potion - Halloween drinks can bubble and fizz like something a mad scientist might drink.Dry Ice Crystal Ball - All you need is dry ice and bubble solution to create an eerie, long-lasting bubble that resembles a cloudy crystal ball.Halloween Reaction - This clock reaction makes a spectacular Halloween demonstration since the colors change from orange to black. This demo is for the chemistry lab rather than home.Smoke Bomb Jack-o-Lantern - Lighting a homemade smoke bomb inside of a jack-o-lantern is a lot of fun, plus it produces a ton of smoke. Glowing Ice Crystal Ball - This glowing crystal ball is the perfect addition to any Halloween punchbowl, especially if you add a little dry ice, too.

Summery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 14

Summery - Essay Example This is because crime is not spread evenly across the maps. Therefore, the NIJs have to come up with a formula to map the crimes depending on the concentration of crimes (National Institute of Justice). However, different types of crime hot spots areas require different types of maps because each area has different types of crime. The report further explains the different types of crime theories, as well as, how they can be depicted on the maps. It further gives the techniques and methods used in understanding crime hot spots, as well as, spatial analysis tools that are used for identifying such hot spots. The report concludes by giving an approach to hot spot analysis. The most interesting thing about the report is that it informs the reader on how crime mapping can be used to understand patterns of recidivism and incarceration. This helps target programs and resources in evaluating crime reduction or prevention in reduction programs, as well as, understanding the causes of crime. The approach of crime mapping is important because it ensures that the NIJs understands the issues the crimes that are committed in every community and methods to go about how to resolve and reduce

Course reveiw Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Course reveiw - Coursework Example The three objectives are, to increase brand loyalty, this targets customer’s interests in the produced product, and can increase customer’s reliability where they are able to purchase the same product over and over. For branding to be successful, it must assist in promotion, by conducting adverts, personal selling, this works like sales and marketing, they are all done by the use of the brand name. The two mentioned objectives help increase status and prestige of the producer, distributors to the customers and this flourishes the business. Introduction Stage  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ a company or business comes up with ways of attracting customers either through adverts or sales and must be committed so as to outdo their competitors. Growth Stage  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ this stage targets expansion of sales and pricing with an aim of making profits, with time, the businesses invest more money in the promotion activities to increase the potential of this stage. Maturity Stage  Ã¢â‚¬â€œthis is the most competitive time for most products and businesses need to invest in any marketing they undertake. There is need to consider any product modifications or improvements to the production process that might give bring a competitive advantage. Decline Stage  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ this stage is inevitable to any type of business and reflects shrinking due to the market becoming saturated or because the consumers are changing to different types of products, but it is possible that companies will make profits by lowering their prices (Mohr, Sengupta & Slater, 2010 ). Bundle pricing common in supermarkets, where promotions are given, if one buys something, they are given another for free. Competition pricing some firms offers a price services that resembles service to what their competitors are offering so as to beat the competition in terms of customers. Skimming pricing a company tends to reduce the price for over 5 years,

The Performance of the Global Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Performance of the Global Marketing - Essay Example In this regard, studies that serve the purpose of linking marketing activities to firm performance and stock value are exceedingly necessary. Undoubtedly these have been reasons for the Marketing Science Institute to list Marketing Metrics among top research priorities. The organization of this proposal is the following. Firstly, a description of the project is presented. Secondly, the methodology is proposed. Thirdly, an approximated time schedule of research is developed. Finally, a provisional table of contents is suggested. In reference to academic relevance, this research pretends to support empirical evidence to the field of marketing metrics in a global context. The suggestion of Rust et al. (2004) about search for empirical support to the chain of marketing activities has been taken into account. According to Holmstrom and Tirole's (1989:65) definition, a theory of the firm must address two central questions: (a) why firms exist, and (b) what determines their scale and scope. In the case of this thesis proposal, there are two theoretical perspectives central to explaining the relationship between Marketing Strategy and firm's performance in a global context: the Industrial Organization (IO) Theory and the Resource-Based View (RBV) Theory. Both of them postulate that the purpose of the firm is to maximize profits. Having fulfilled the first question of Holmstrom and Tirole (1989:65), the logic of this theoretical framework is to connect the drivers of the two theories to the relationship between marketing strategy and firm's performance. 2.1.1. Industrial Organization Theory The IO theory focuses on the external market to identify drivers of a firm's strategy which will consequently affect its performance (Zou and Cavusgil 2002). According to the IO framework, external market and industry environment (structure) determines a firm's strategy (conduct), which in turn determines its performance (Porter 1980). Under IO theory, the development of the marketing strategy has to allow for the structure of the external market and industry, hence being coaligment to environment for getting positive effects on performance (Venkatraman and Prescott 1990) and survive and prosper (Collis 1991). 2.1.2. Resource-Based View

Euro-Definition, History, & Facts Research Paper

Euro-Definition, History, & Facts - Research Paper Example Part II presents the effects of the euro in international business and trade as the second largest currency in the world economy. It also looks into the use of the euro outside the euro area and the Iranian Oil Bourse. Part III presents differing views on the effects of the euro on the economies of the member states in the euro area. It also presents the effects of the euro on the different stock markets of the member states. Empirical data on the effects of the euro are discussed in Part IV, presenting data from 2002 to June of 2006. Parts VI and VII look into the stand of the United Kingdom (UK) on the adoption of the euro. It discusses the criteria set by the UK which the euro has to pass before its adoption. Also discussed are the possible effects should the UK adopt the euro, presenting the different sides of the issue. The European single currency may trace its origins back to the vision of an even more united Europe enjoying economic prosperity, where the people, services, capital, and goods move freely across member countries. This was first translated into words in the Treaty of Rome in 1957. The Marjolin Memorandum, a European Commission document, issued in 1962, was the first Memorandum to open possibilities toward Community level "economic and monetary union". The idea of a distinct monetary identity once again surfaced in the Barre Plan submitted by the European Commission in 1969. Taking this vision a step further, the Single European Act (1986) and the Treaty on European Union (1992) introduced the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), the third phase of which begun with the setting of the exchange rates of the different currencies (European Central Bank, 2004). Also, the proponents of the Single European Act introduced the Single Market which is seen to promote greater economic integration among member states. However, it is seen that this can only be fully achieved with a single currency. A single currency is expected to ensure price transparency, eradicate exchange rate risks, reduce transaction costs and ultimately increase the economic development of the euro area. (European Central Bank, 2006) Also, having been beset with poor economic growth since the 1970s, the launch of the euro as the single currency of the EMU member states was expected to address the causes of the problems of high inflation, high interest rates, and unsustainable public finances which are characteristics of exceedingly regulated and fragmented markets. The EMU was expected to pave the way for greater macroeconomic stability and improved economic efficiency in the euro area. (European Commission DG-EFA, 2004). On 01 January 1999, the common currency is adopted by Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, and Finland, with Greece subsequently joining on 01 January 2001Two years hence, on 01 January 2002, euro notes and coins were introduced.  Ã‚  

Cahapter 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 11000 words

Cahapter 6 - Essay Example Steel being the choice of material, this geometric form adopted with few change by architects of different era and became a distinctive feature of Modern Architecture (Arnold 1996). Besides architectural factor, several steel building, rising up with architectural setback, is outcome of the zoning and planning regulation mandated for the region. Geometric form with architectural setback mandated by urban planning and zoning regulations for high-rise building and skyscraper located in medium and higher density district. First zoning laws in New York first mandated this building form, in 1916 to reduce the shadow of the high-rise building at street and sidewalk (Naeim 1989). According to New York zoning law, the buildings established between 1916 and 1960 raised up to certain height. The height of lower part defined with respect to the width of the street on which building established. Hence, in narrow streets, the setback started at lower story. Starting from that level, they had to s et back until the plan area of one fourth of whole site reached. (New York Skyscrapers 1996) In early years, the effect of setback on seismic performance of steel frames was not main concerns of architects and engineers, especially, if they were constructed in medium or low seismicity region. Although, few steel frames experienced severe damage during past earthquake, no direct correlation between the damage and vertical irregularity found (Youssef, Bonowitz & Gross 1995). In several regions, restrictions set for different building, believed unnecessary for buildings designed with steel frames. (Arnold 1996) and (Naeim 1989) Earthquake resistant design provisions and guidelines, addresses the vertical geometric irregularity as an issue related with the accuracy and reliability of analytical methods, used to define elastic and inelastic seismic demands. Once the

Project Manager Work Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Project Manager Work - Assignment Example On top of that, the electrical system also has to be installed in the newly constructed house before hand over to signal the end of the project. When installing a water system in the newly built house, the major considerations that ought to be taken into account include the following: connecting the water supply into the house from the main supply often provided by the municipality as well as connecting the sewer and drainage systems to the municipality source. The trenches to lay the pipes that would supply the water system ought to be strategically dug such that they do not obstruct the movement of traffic as well as people. This also helps to prevent the pipes from damage. Cast iron pipes are suitable for the water supply into the house given that they will also serve a purpose in as far as the electrical system is concerned. The electrical system is earthed on the cast iron water pipes to prevent unprecedented electrical faults that may occur within the building. These pipes are also suitable for cooling and heating of water since they can sustain extremely high temperatures as well as cold temperatures. This goes along with the HVAC system which involves things like â€Å"electrical wiring, refrigerant and combustion systems, and airflow through heating ducts which all work together to add heating or cooling comfort to a home,† (Angie’s, 2014). With regard to the drainage and sewer system, PVC pipes are suitable since they are specifically designed for that purpose. These come in different sizes and shapes and they are flexible such that they can be heated to take the desired form. The other important aspect that ought to be taken into account in this particular project is related to the installation of the electrical system. The electrical system has to be connected from the main supply and proper breakers have

Cahapter 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 11000 words

Cahapter 6 - Essay Example Steel being the choice of material, this geometric form adopted with few change by architects of different era and became a distinctive feature of Modern Architecture (Arnold 1996). Besides architectural factor, several steel building, rising up with architectural setback, is outcome of the zoning and planning regulation mandated for the region. Geometric form with architectural setback mandated by urban planning and zoning regulations for high-rise building and skyscraper located in medium and higher density district. First zoning laws in New York first mandated this building form, in 1916 to reduce the shadow of the high-rise building at street and sidewalk (Naeim 1989). According to New York zoning law, the buildings established between 1916 and 1960 raised up to certain height. The height of lower part defined with respect to the width of the street on which building established. Hence, in narrow streets, the setback started at lower story. Starting from that level, they had to s et back until the plan area of one fourth of whole site reached. (New York Skyscrapers 1996) In early years, the effect of setback on seismic performance of steel frames was not main concerns of architects and engineers, especially, if they were constructed in medium or low seismicity region. Although, few steel frames experienced severe damage during past earthquake, no direct correlation between the damage and vertical irregularity found (Youssef, Bonowitz & Gross 1995). In several regions, restrictions set for different building, believed unnecessary for buildings designed with steel frames. (Arnold 1996) and (Naeim 1989) Earthquake resistant design provisions and guidelines, addresses the vertical geometric irregularity as an issue related with the accuracy and reliability of analytical methods, used to define elastic and inelastic seismic demands. Once the

REFLECTION ON TRANSITION ACTIVITIES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

REFLECTION ON TRANSITION ACTIVITIES - Essay Example The program aims to improve lifestyle of diabetic patients and learn the various perspectives on the management of diabetes more effectively. In this regard, the essay aims to proffer my personal reflection on the specific transition activity focusing on diabetic management. In the process, an examination of the learning modules would provide ample information on areas where evidence contradicts reality. As such, the discourse would reveal how the transition activities have contributed towards the honing of personal and professional skills. An assessment of these skills through the transition activity would enable me to gauge specific areas which need to be improved and enhanced. Finally, the reflection would reveal specific scenarios to support the contentions in the essay. The diabetes management program at Lakeside Medical Center clearly outlined the following learning objectives, to wit: classification of Diabetes Mellitus, Insulin Therapy, Management of Newly Diagnosed, and the Science of Nutrition, among others. I attended four (4) sessions specifically detailed as follows: The first session was learning about â€Å"What is Diabetes (exploring diabetes, lifestyle, etc.). The second session focused on carbohydrates (CARB) awareness including the amount and types of carbohydrates. The third session detailed reading and understanding food labels. Finally, the fourth session discussed possible short term and long term complications of diabetes and understanding medication and health profile. From the modules, I learned that nursing care for diabetes encompasses a combination of glucose monitoring, specialized diet, regular exercise and proper medications. Since diabetes is considered a chronic illness, patients diagnosed with the disease must be made aware that the responsibility and accountability of daily management of one’s illness is the patient himself. The

Customer service Essay Example for Free

Customer service Essay This company operates globally in more than 100 countries and territories throughout the world. Their marketing objectives are realistic, measurable, and time specific. In the mission statement it says that every customer will be back, which is true because every family has eaten Pizza Hut more than once or twice. Pizza Hut is the leading pizza delivery group that has Dine-In restaurants. The restaurant has good customer service. In researching this company notes were taken on how good the customer service for this company really is. Create a pizza thats custom made just for you. Start with your favorite crust; add your toppings, and just the right amount of cheese and sauce. This is one way of service Pizza Hut gives and is known for being the best, because you get your pizza just the way you ordered it. Whether youre gathering for a game or making it a lunch meeting, feeding a large group is easy when you order from Pizza Hut, where its affordable, easy to order and assessable to many others to order. They are considered to have lower prices to be able to feed a lot of people for just a little of money. They have a very different variety of products on their menu one to please all types of individuals. Their mission statement says we take pride in making a perfect pizza and providing courteous and helpful service on time, all the time. Every customer says, I’ll be back! The definition that for good customer service that I have is that every customer can get everything they want as in pizza regardless of what they want on it. This is called pleasing the customer with what the customer has ordered. The basic customer Common needs are whatever the customer wants in prospected to what they ordered from the menu. The rapport and customer relations are established by giving the customer everything they prefer on the order when it is ordered. In other words giving the customer what they want. The basic common needs of the customer are given them what they want as a customer and make them happy. This is why I chose to write about Pizza Hut. (American Psychological Assoc. ) References Kramer, L. (1997). Pizza Huts Gier looking beyond boom for growth. Advertising Age, 68(42), 40. (American Psychological Assoc. ) References PIZZA HUT: PAN PIZZA ANNIVERSARY. (2005). Advertising Age, 76(39), 81. (American Psychological Assoc. ) References MacArthur, K. (2000). Pizza Hut brings back its Edge: $25 mil supports new version. Advertising Age, 71(18), 4. (Source: Northwestern University Center for Media Management www. mediainfocenter. org). (Sources: Pizzahut. com, and Yum. com).

The Analysis of Antonio’s Character :: Antonio Sebastian Essays

The Analysis of Antonio’s Character The lines selected for analysis are Act II, Scene I, lines 277-291, when Antonio is trying to reassure Sebastian that killing his brother—the King of Naples—is a good idea and well worth the effort. As the reader knows, Antonio usurped his brother, Prospero, and became the Duke of Milan. This sets the stage for his attitude towards Sebastian’s wanting to kill his brother, King Alonso. Because of Antonio’s past actions he sees nothing wrong with getting rid of a family member for personal gain, but his reasons for doing so began at a young age and have been etched into his brain. Antonio’s psychological depth reveals that he is a man jealous of his brother’s rightful power, and stemming from that is his insecurity and lust for power wherever he may find it (in this case, having power over Sebastian). Antonio is not a good person, has few conscientious thoughts, and is now trying to convince his companion to follow his lead. If An tonio’s brother, Prospero, was to hear the selected lines, he would say that the only time Antonio thinks about performing acts that will get him power, by eliminating those who currently have it, is when it is to his advantage. He would say that Antonio devises plans to get rid of leaders when they are at a disadvantage, and he at an advantage, because he doesn’t feel that he could succeed otherwise—his insecurities kicking in. I don’t think Shakespeare agrees with Antonio, and there are two examples in the play to support that. In response to Sebastian’s question about whether his conscience would bother him after committing fratricide, Antonio replies, â€Å"Ay, sir, where lies that? If `twere a kibe / `Twould put me to my slipper†¦Ã¢â‚¬  meaning that if his conscience was a small sore on the heel of his foot (a kibe), it would drive him to wear comfortable shoes but it would certainly not disrupt his life or stop him from doing what he’s doing. This shows Antonio to be a cold-hearted man, one who is able to quiet that little voice inside his head and push it to the back of his brain and continue with his terrible acts. In the next thought, he says, â€Å"†¦but I feel not this deity in my bosom,† admitting he doesn’t feel the tug of a conscience in his heart. The Analysis of Antonio’s Character :: Antonio Sebastian Essays The Analysis of Antonio’s Character The lines selected for analysis are Act II, Scene I, lines 277-291, when Antonio is trying to reassure Sebastian that killing his brother—the King of Naples—is a good idea and well worth the effort. As the reader knows, Antonio usurped his brother, Prospero, and became the Duke of Milan. This sets the stage for his attitude towards Sebastian’s wanting to kill his brother, King Alonso. Because of Antonio’s past actions he sees nothing wrong with getting rid of a family member for personal gain, but his reasons for doing so began at a young age and have been etched into his brain. Antonio’s psychological depth reveals that he is a man jealous of his brother’s rightful power, and stemming from that is his insecurity and lust for power wherever he may find it (in this case, having power over Sebastian). Antonio is not a good person, has few conscientious thoughts, and is now trying to convince his companion to follow his lead. If An tonio’s brother, Prospero, was to hear the selected lines, he would say that the only time Antonio thinks about performing acts that will get him power, by eliminating those who currently have it, is when it is to his advantage. He would say that Antonio devises plans to get rid of leaders when they are at a disadvantage, and he at an advantage, because he doesn’t feel that he could succeed otherwise—his insecurities kicking in. I don’t think Shakespeare agrees with Antonio, and there are two examples in the play to support that. In response to Sebastian’s question about whether his conscience would bother him after committing fratricide, Antonio replies, â€Å"Ay, sir, where lies that? If `twere a kibe / `Twould put me to my slipper†¦Ã¢â‚¬  meaning that if his conscience was a small sore on the heel of his foot (a kibe), it would drive him to wear comfortable shoes but it would certainly not disrupt his life or stop him from doing what he’s doing. This shows Antonio to be a cold-hearted man, one who is able to quiet that little voice inside his head and push it to the back of his brain and continue with his terrible acts. In the next thought, he says, â€Å"†¦but I feel not this deity in my bosom,† admitting he doesn’t feel the tug of a conscience in his heart.

Essays --

Cloud seeding is a branch of geoengineering and weather modification that deals with the precipitation that occurs from clouds. Practitioners of cloud seeding techniques attempt to directly affect the levels of precipitation that will occur from a cloud in hopes to either cause more precipitation or alter the behavior and effects of clouds and storm systems. Cloud seeding works by lacing clouds with particles that promote condensation of water molecules. Precipitation will only occur if water molecules become large enough to escape the force of updraft building the cloud. The water molecules condense around solid and liquid particles known as nuclei. (1-WSText7CldF) which are abundant in the atmosphere. Nuclei are grouped into two categories, cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and ice forming nuclei (IN). CCNs will cause water vapor condensation both above and below the freezing point of water, while INs only create ice crystals at temperatures below the freezing point. (1-WSText) Clouds with temperatures above the freezing point of water, known as warm clouds, form precipitation through the collision-coalescence process (2-WSText7Precip) Droplets of water collide with each other and coalesce to form larger droplets of water which in turn collide with other water droplets. Once they get large enough, the water droplets become rain. Clouds that have temperatures below the freezing point are considered cold clouds and produce precipitation through the Bergeron-Findeisen process (2-WSText7Precip). The Bergeron-Findeisen process says that ice crystals form at the expense of supercooled water. Ice crystals grow because the supercooled water vapor are attracted to the crystals. The Ice crystals have a lower saturation vapor pressure tha... ...ium chloride. The salts attract water vapor and droplets to coalesce and collide, forming larger particles that eventually become precipitation. Instead of spraying the nucleating agent into the cloud like with the static seeding method, researchers fire off flares with salts in them. This method is used to seed clouds in South Africa and Mexico, both of which have shown positive results. Analyzed results of experiments in South Africa shown that hygroscopic seeded clouds developed larger rain masses than those that were not seeded and they kept the total level of rain for longer than non seeded clouds (4-WMODCol). Researchers from the National Center for Atmospheric Research claimed there to be a significant enhancment in precipitation over a 3 year experiemnt in Northern Mexico ((6-WSText7RainM) The final method of cloud seeding is the dynamic method of seeding.

Legal Defenses Checkpoint

Legal Defenses Checkpoint Elizabeth Stebbins 220 March 1, 2013 David McNees Legal Defenses Checkpoint Three legal defenses that could be used in court to excuse behavior are insanity, self-defense, and entrapment. Insanity is when the defendant did not know what he or she was doing at the time of the crime, or did not know that it was wrong. It is when the individual is not in their right mind because of mental illness or such.Usually they are sent to psychiatric facilities for treatment and if treated, they are transferred to prisons to complete their terms. Self-defense is when the victim of a potentially deadly attack kills another because it is the only reasonable thing to do to protect them from bodily harm and they are unable to get away. Those who use the self-defense plea are saying that they acted appropriately for the situation and not doing so would have resulted in their own death or serious injury. Entrapment is a situation in which the government takes actions that lead to or ‘create an opportunity’ for crime to happen† (Meyer & Grant, 2003, p. 41). For example, a government agent convincing someone to commit a crime, who would otherwise not commit a crime. Entrapment is rarely a successful defense and not valid unless it was a government agent persuading or planting the idea in an individual. Meyer & Grant (2003) state that, â€Å"to be a crime, an act requires three important elements: actus reus, mens rea, and concordance between the two† (p. 8). The act must be a guilty act or omission (actus reus), meaning voluntary and breaking an existing criminal statute, and have a guilty state of mind (mens rea). However, there is an exception, say when one is convicted of a crime like vehicular homicides with no intend to harm anyone. References Meyer, J. & Grant, D. (2003). The Courts in our Criminal Justice System. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Investigating Stoichiometry Essay

Quantitative Data: The table shows the mass of reactants potassium iodide and lead(II) nitrate, and the mass of the precipitate from the reaction between KI(aq) and Pb(NO3)2(aq). Mass of precipitate from reaction between KI(aq) and Pb(NO3)2(aq) Mass of potassium iodide (à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.001g) 1.701 Mass of lead(II) nitrate (à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.001g) 1.280 Mass of filter paper (à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.001g) 0.798 Mass of precipitate + filter paper (à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.001g) 2.525 Mass of precipitate (à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.001g) 1.727 Qualitative Data: 1) After pouring the KI(aq) and Pb(NO3)2(aq) solution together into the beaker, a glass rod was used to stir the solution so as to make sure it was mixed properly. However, after stirring, when the glass rod was taken out, there were small amounts of precipitate (PbI2(s)) stuck onto the glass rod, and could not be removed. 2) While pouring the remaining mixture into the filter paper, not all the mixture was poured into the filter funnel and paper. Some of the mixture was stuck in the beaker even after trying to wash it down water and scooping it out with the glass rod. 3) After filtrating the mixture, it was observed that there were some parts of the filtrate that was still yellow in colour, with some PbI2 crystals floating around, which meant that some of the residue (PbI2) passed through the filter paper. Even so, another round of filtration was not carried out. The chemical equation obtained from the reaction above: 2KI(aq) + Pb(NO3)2(aq) –> 2KNO3(aq) + PbI2(s) Step 1) Using stoichiometry, predict the mass of PbI2(s) formed when a solution containing 1.701g of KI(aq) is mixed with a solution containing 1.280g of Pb(NO3)2(aq): First, the limiting reagent is determined by finding out which reagent produces lesser moles of PbI2. Using Pb(NO3)2: Moles of Pb(NO3)2 = 1.280g Pb(NO3)2 x = 0.0038646176mol Pb(NO3)2 Moles of PbI2 = 0.0038646176mol Pb(NO3)2 x = 0.0038646176mol PbI2 Using KI: Moles of KI = 1.701g KI x = 0.010246988mol KI Moles of PbI2 = 0.010246988mol KI x = 0.005123494 mol PbI2 ?Pb(NO3)2 is the limiting reagent. Second, we predict the mass of PbI2 formed. Mass of PbI2 = 0.0038646176mol PbI2 x = 1.781550067g PbI2 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 1.782g PbI2 Step 2) Now we calculate the actual mass of PbI2 formed. Mass of filter paper = 0.798g Mass of precipitate (PbI2) + filter paper = 2.525g Mass of PbI2 produced = 2.525g – 0.798g = 1.727g Step 3) Now we calculate the percent yield. Percent yield of PbI2 = PbI2 x 100% = 96.91358025% à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 96.9% Analysis of Results After conducting the experiment, it is found that the percent yield of PbI2 produced was 96.9%, which was rather accurate. However, it was lower than the predicted mass by 3.1%, which could be due to the qualitative results shown above, random errors and inaccuracy of the experiment. When stirring the KI(aq) and Pb(NO3)2(aq) solution, some of the PbI2 precipitate was stuck onto the glass rod used for stirring, and could not be removed without using fingers, which would have contaminated the solution. This resulted in the decrease in the actual mass of PbI2 precipitate measured, causing the percent yield to be slightly lower than the predicted yield. When pouring the mixture into the filter funnel, not all of the mixture was poured into the filter paper as some of it was stuck inside the beaker. Even though water was used to wash some of the mixture stuck in the beaker into the filter paper, not all of the mixture was filtered. The mixture stuck in the beaker and was not filtered would have decreased the percent yield. Finally, when the mixture was being filtered, some of the PbI2 precipitate passed through the filter paper and went into the filtrate. The filtrate was not filtered again, so some of the PbI2 was not calculated into the final mass of PbI2 produced. This would have decreased the percent yield as well. All the above would have contributed to the fact that the percent yield was 3.1% lower than the predicted yield. Conclusion The results from the experiment showed that the percent yield of PbI2 is 96.9%, which is rather accurate. However, due to random errors and the qualitative results shown above, the percent yield is 3.1% lower than the predicted yield. Limitations and Improvements If I could do the experiment again, –> As some of the precipitate was stuck onto the glass rod and could not be removed by using my fingers, I could have just used a little bit of water to wash it down back into the mixture. This would have decrease the difference in the percentage between the predicted yield and the percentage yield. –> Even though water was used to wash some of the mixture into the filter funnel, there was still some mixture stuck in the beaker. The process of using water to wash down the mixture could have been repeated over and over until all the mixture is in the filter funnel. –> After filtrating the mixture once, some of the PbI2 crystals went through the filter paper and into the filtrate in the conical flask. To make sure all the PbI2 precipitate is counted towards the percent yield, the filtrate could have been filtrated again at least 2 more times. This would have increased the mass of PbI2, which would have made the percent yield closer to 100%.

Pedestrian Essay

Pedestrian Task: Unusual setting, interesting characterisation, vivid description, throughout-provoking themes show in detail how each of these aspects contributes to your understanding of â€Å"The Pedestrian† By Roy Bradbury. In the story â€Å"The pedestrian†, Bradbury uses unusual setting, interesting characterisation, vivid description and throughout-provoking themes, to capture the reader and presenting an interesting insight on a future society. Throughout the story, Bradbury introduces characters in a specific strange setting through imaginary techniques such as: simile, metaphor and personality.This essay targets to analyse how Bradbury’s choice of setting, characters, themes and his vivid descriptions help us to picture/understand the story. Plot outline â€Å"The Pedestrian† by Ray Bradbury, pictures a story of a lone man in an empty city were streets have been abandoned, at 8’oclok on a November evening. The story imagines how technology has affected society in the future. The story is set in 2052 on a November dark evening in a city of 3 million people. The main character Leonard Mead is made out to be a loner when in actual fact he’s a normal one, that gets accused for being a strange person.The city is taken over by technology however Mr Leonard is different. Mini essay. In â€Å"The Pedestrian† Ray Bradbury presents a unusual setting with an abundance of great imaginary writing and interesting description’s which gives us the upper hand to imagine it our own way and this is what Bradbury is trying to achieve: â€Å"And on his way he would see the cottages and houses with their dark windows† This is strange as its only 8pm and people should at least have the lights on if there not out or walking about the house.This helps me understand that Bradbury wanted to hint over a strange city. He also compares the city to a desert: â€Å"He could imagine himself upon the centre of a plain Ari zonian desert with no house within a thousand miles†. This is especially strange as it’s a city of 3 million. This helps me to picture what Bradbury is trying to set across. Invisible â€Å"people are there but not really there â€Å"Bradbury means by this that people are there but not as if would be in 2012 there hypnotised and as if drugged by TV etc.This helps us understand and picture what life must be like. Appealing characterisation is another key point Bradbury’s â€Å"The Pedestrian† The pedestrian sisplays this appealing characterisation on the form of Bradbury’s description of his main character as a loner and a strange man while presenting other society as â€Å"Ghosts†, hypnotised by technology. Plus he presented the car as evil, threatening and suspicious. Leonard Mead is categorised as a ‘lone’, â€Å"In ten years of walking, by night or day for thousands of miles.He had never met another person walking, not on i n all time. † This indicates he’s the only person that walks.. â€Å"There was a good crystal frost like invisible snow†. He enjoys the cold weather. The word good indicates he enjoys it. â€Å"The light held him fired, like a small specimen needle thrust through his chest. † This simile implies there’s light, other mankind out the house. â€Å"What is it now? † he asked horses . He hates the way other beings are brainwashed by Tv around the city except him. Other people are described as ‘phantoms’ as they are practically lifeless.

Post 16 Education in the United Kingdom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Post 16 Education in the United Kingdom - Essay Example Simultaneously, the organizational structure of the post 16 education is rather complex and can be delivered through several different means: (Lea, 2003) According to Walkin (2000), 'young adults must realize their full potential as active and effective members of society at large, and at all kinds of public and voluntary bodies, thus it is the state responsibility to provide the necessary models for young adults' action and participation'. To follow this task and to provide effective and efficient post 16 education, there has been developed a national and local system of post 16 educational establishments. On the national level, the main organization responsible for the post 16 education is the national Learning and Skills Council. Its main responsibilities lie in 'funding and planning education and training for over 16-year-olds in England'. (Learning and Skills Council, 2003) The strategic aim of the organization is to give the young 16-year-old adults in England the best skills for further education and work in the world. The work of the LSC is made more efficient through the well developed operating structure, which has its offices in 47 local areas. The LSC is not responsible for the post 16 education in the Universities. ... prise Councils and the knowledge of the Further Education Funding Council, together with making the cooperation with employers, community groups and learning providers closer and more effective. From the critical viewpoint, the LSC should be also involved into the area of University education for 16-year-old, as the centralization of functions will bring the desired high control over the whole system of post-16 education and the realization of the most urgent needs and means of achieving the strategic goals. The LSC is divided into the four different groups which are learning, skills, resources and strategy and communications. The 47 local offices represent the local structure responsible for the post 16 education, together with the following local institutions, being integral of the state educational system in the country. Sixth Form Colleges There are 103 sixth form colleges in England, some of them are related to secondary schools, and some are absolutely independent. To make the organizational structure close to perfect, in some local areas all post 16 provisions, related to different secondary schools, have been merged into one local college. These kinds of colleges usually offer wider ranges of options and curriculums for the students, than it is in usual secondary schools during the two last years of education. (Huddleston, 1997) Further education colleges The main similarity of the further education colleges and the sixth form colleges lies in the fact that they provide programs, which are much alike, but in addition also offer a range of vocational training programs and opportunities for their students. The critical role of these entities is in attracting students from secondary schools, who didn't wish to continue their study in the same environment and

Comprehensive Examination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comprehensive Examination - Essay Example People used to have very less material for entertainment and people found or referred there life as boring due to less activities and social life, that part of time was when there was no social soft wares or very less soft wares with very limited options in it like MSN and Yahoo messenger which allowed it's users to interact with different people by finding there email identities and adding them in their messenger software to interact or share different utilities, but this was limited only from one to one user until soft wares like Face book came into being. Face book is advertised as "an online directory that connects people through social networks at schools, collages, universities and region." Started in 2004 by students of Harvard University. About 85% of students in supported colleges have a profile up on FaceBook.75% of students sign in at least once every 24 hours. 9th most visited site on the internet. 250 million hits every day. It is a type of social software which helps its users to interact with each other with the help of different built in applications with help of which its users can connect directly to each other when they are online or leave important and cute messages when they are not online. Face book even comprises of an option in which people can make different social and educational groups and communities, people can join these groups and can interact with different people in the group to gain ideas, or can share their own opinion, this software also contain options like video sharing, music sharing, photo sharing and online gaming for all age groups so people and users of Facebook around the globe can keep them selves busy and entertained. Facebook even gives an option in the face of market place application where buyers and sellers can advertise there goods and services for free. Facebook allows it's users to make a photo profile for them selves in which they can enter information about themselves for others to view and one might be lucky to be selected for a job or as a life partner. Facebook even acts as matrimonial software which helps its user to find a perfect soul mate for him or her self. Facebook is like an internet store but the difference is that almost every thing is without any cost. One of the greatest benefits of using face book is that it doesn't allow explicit stuff at a wide range and who so ever exploits the condition is banned and it also gives privacy to its user which is very well protected. My experience on Facebook tells that it is one of the best social software eve r made and it has been able to destroy the market of all its competitors like Hi5, Orkut etc, as it provides the most options a user would want in a social software. Conclusion Social software as we all now know is a way of communication, interaction, sharing and learning, it has changed and is affecting the traditional ways of teaching, learning and communicating. In olden days students had to contact there friends for any information they required which was costly and time consuming but now blogs a type of social software allows students from around the globe to post there data and information they have on any subject so other students can use that

Self-Learning and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Self-Learning and Development - Essay Example To acquire these skills and abilities and succeed in the 21st century the youth should dedicated to learn new skills and improve their efficiency and performance. These skills and abilities cannot be learned form the classroom studies, they need to learn from the environment and circumstance where they live or work. There are wide range of answers to the question of what are the skills and abilities required for the students to succeed in the future. This mainly depend on the characteristics of the individual and the education what they are acquiring from the studies. The four major categories where the students should improve are the communication skills, abilities to apply new technologies, critical thinking and multicultural awareness. The students learn the formal education from the classroom and informal learning from the world where thy live and work. (Walsh & Paul, 1986) The current scenario in the professional world is more competitive. Those who have the skills and ability will be move ahead and survive in the industry. The people need to learn themselves from the work environment and improve their skills and ability. The people should take responsibility to learn and develop themselves. The self-learning and development will enhance the individual performance as well as the organization performance. The Human resource department in the organization make arrangement for the self learning infrastructure to the employees, so that they can improve them selves and indirectly it will help to improve the performance of the organization. The people are learning one or another in their entire life in every situation or circumstance, which they faced in the everyday life. The continuous learners are always founds and successful persons. The continuous learners are considered more responsible and they can remain employable and marketable by themselves. The 21st century is the period of more challenges, global competition and advanced technology. So those who have resource of skills and ability will move ahead. More than educational qualification the employer will look into the skills and qualities of a person before taking him for the employment. The organization will look into the cost efficiency and effectiveness. (Arnold, 1997) The students need to develop the communication skills through which they can exchange the thoughts and ideas by speech or writing. Multicultural awareness will help them to understand and work with diversity. They should have the management skill to guide or organize the people and implement the ideas and policies. The ability to work in-group and adapt to the situation are the major qualities, which a students should develop in his college days. The work ethics, self-discipline and responsibility are the major factor through which a person will be judged and appraised in the organization. The discriminative thinking and analytical reasoning will enchance the performance of the person. (Hoare, 2006) These skills and abilities you cannot find the curriculum, but to be successful in the future the students should develop themselves by self-learning. Those who self-learners and improve their efficiency will move ahead in not only in his professional career but also in his life. So the self-learning is an art, every body should develop this by their own to succeed in life. In this century, the competition are higher in every

Create easy story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Create easy story - Essay Example President Bush quoted President Dwight Eisenhower who said that Thanksgiving is a time when Americans should celebrate ‘the plentiful yield of our soil †¦ the beauty of our land †¦ the preservation of those ideals of liberty and justice that form the basis of our national life†. (Bush, 2001) Thanksgiving is a time when many American families gather together to celebrate. In cities like New York, millions celebrate even in the streets, the harbor is full of ships also joining the celebration, and everyone is as happy like they are celebrating a joyous Christmas Day. Tourists and migrants who have co-celebrated with the Americans need not wonder what’s so special about Thanksgiving. Young Americans today just alter tradition a bit and go for modernity. (Three children are playing in front of an oak barrel; the mother, in traditional American dress, is beside them, also joyfully watching; there are sacks of wheat, and in the background is a farm; the father hoisting a sack of wheat on back of a horse.) Americans celebrate film day to watch Hollywood movies and their favourite stars. Most of the young are star struck; they watch movies to see their stars. Traditionally, Americans watch films with celebrations of food and cowboy films of old, the likes of John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, or the â€Å"The Good, The Bad and The Ugly† of yesteryears. Nowadays, there are varieties of adventure, sci-fi, or maybe high-tech movies such as The Star Wars, or The Transformer, and many entertaining ones which are applied with powerful special effects. Like many families around the world, Americans celebrate Christmas with gift-giving and parties. The United States is predominantly Christian; Americans worship Jesus Christ and celebrate his birth. Christmas is one of the joyous days of American holiday celebration. Everyone, young and old, celebrate it with gift-giving, while many go to places for relaxation or reuniting with old family ties.

Bad marketing, bad budgeting, and bad customer service can lead to the Research Paper

Bad marketing, bad budgeting, and bad customer service can lead to the failure of a business - Research Paper Example (Mercer, David. 1996; Shim, Jae. K, Siegel, Joel.G, Shim, Allison.I. 2011) A good and healthy business needs a perfect alignment and coordination of these components in order to be profitable. Organization can not exist without its market; all its strategies are based on winning the market. Marketing focuses and revolves around customer’s needs and demands. To any organization customer- i.e. the consumers of its product are everything. They are revenue generating and are the reason for which the organization exists. Marketing emphasizes on a long term perspective of building strong and long term relationships with the customers. The aims of marketing is to reduce down the dissatisfied customers, identify reasons for their dissatisfaction and work on strategies and products that fulfill their demand and needs, keep them satisfied and brings customer loyalty as increased customers lead to increased revenues and profitability. (Mercer, David. 1996) Market research and advertisement are important aspects of marketing. Market research helps the organization to gain an understanding about the environment it operates in and gives an in-depth knowledge about the opportunities and risks which helps the organization in formulating its future strategies for success. Advertisement and promotion on the other hand are other tools to develop or increase brand recognition and increase market share. Other strategies of marketing like after sales services, promotional offers etc. are all ways to win customers for growing revenues and profitability. (Mercer, David. 1996) Budgeting is a tool and technique used for systematic and productive management. Budgeting allocate funds and set targets to achieve a desired outcome. Budgets are created after determining the over all strategies of the company, then these strategies are translated into long tem and short term goals and objectives which provides the basis of budgeting and allocating resources.

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Essay Example for Free

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Essay Stability in the Arabian Peninsula region has been a concern for the United States for some time now. AQAP poses a direct threat against the U.S. and U.S. interests of Stability and Security in the Arabian Peninsula. This instability and threat is why I have chosen the AQAP as the FTO to research making the next attack. The AQAP comes from the merging of the al Qaeda cells from Yemen and in Saudi Arabia. There are approximately one –two hundred members, with thousands of supporters. The merger took place in January 2009, due to the success of the Saudi Arabian government in destroying al Qaeda’s infrastructure in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. AQAP is a subsidiary of the al Qaeda, whose center of gravity is in Pakistan and Afghanistan, but works independently of its parent organization. Since formation occurred, they are responsible for a number of attacks on the â€Å"West† and are considered responsible parties of the â€Å"UPS and FEDEX cargo bombing attempts† (Kurczy, 2010). They were deemed a terrorist organization on December 14, 2009, by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. (Gerstein, 2010). Prior to the formation of AQAP, al Qaeda claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Those attacks include: the 1993 attack on World Trade Center, 1998 suicide bombings of Embassies, the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, and the 2008 car bombing outside the U.S. Embassy in Sana’ killing 19 people including 6 of the terrorists (Poland, 2005 ). AQAP has claimed to plan on targeting oil facilities, tourists, and security forces in the future. It is believed though that AQAP provided spiritual guidance by U.S. Citizen Anwar al Awlaki to U.S. Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who was the gunman behind the 2009 Ft. Hood killings and the December 2009 attempt to down a passenger airline to Detroit. Responsible parties to these terroristic events are said to be that of the top five â€Å"key leaders† of AQAP. These men include are in order of their rank from the top spot of leaders to the last. 1. Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, aka the bomb maker. He is believed to be the creator of the bombs intercepted in October last year on cargo planes. 2. Anwar al-Awlaki, aka the chief ideologue. He is suspected of being part of three unsuccessful terrorist attacks to include the Fort Hood Shootings (Bryant, C., Kasinof, L., 2010), bombing attempt on airliner jet on Christmas, and the Times Square bombing on May 2. 3. Said Ali al-Shihri, deputy chief of AQAP. He is suspected of participation in  September 2008 US Embassy attack and the kidnapping of nine missionaries in June 2009 according to Fox News. 4. Qasim al-Raymi, military commander. He followed Osama bin Laden’s lead on media releases â€Å"building an ever-more sophisticated propaganda arm for al Qaeda in Arabian Penin sula† (Kurczy, 2010). 5. Nasir al Wuhayshi, head of AQAP. Known as the personal secretary of Osama bin Laden (Kurczy, 2010). Most of AQAP is made up of fighters that returned from Afghanistan during the Russian invasion and fighters that have been serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. They lure new recruits who are sympathetic to al Qaeda and have animosity towards the U.S. and western nations. The recruiting pool is vast in the region with fighters fleeing Iraq and Afghanistan and relocating to Yemen and Somalia. Both countries have weak central governments that are conducive for lawlessness in the region and have vast ungoverned territory. Government cooperation with American counter-terrorism efforts has historically been spotty and portions of both populations are hostile to the United States. (Kerry, 2010) AQAP aims to overthrow the Yemeni government for its support to the U.S. and its offensive operations against al Qaeda. The group also emphasizes its global ambitions and desire to target western interests within the region. Additionally, AQAP has stated it will focus on cutting supply lines of western nations supporting Israel and looks to expand its influence throughout the region (Boucek, 2010). The animosity against the western nations continues to grow, as does the technology and ideas for new weapons. The newest information is that a poisoned perfume plot against religious and government officials was prevented due to arrest of 149 al Qaeda suspects. This is just an example of the creativity AQAP has come up with. Last summer the country’s Deputy Interior Minister had been attempted to be assassinated by a bomber with the weapon in his anus (Rawnsley, 2010). These weapons are just the newest form used by AQAP. Yemen has emerged as a major staging base for al Qaeda and other likeminded groups for attacking American targets within Yemen as well as to reach targets outside of Yemen including the United States. U.S. officials have warned that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was a growing threat even before the failed 2009, Christmas Day airline bombing attempt (Kerry, 2010). In February 2009, Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair stated that, â€Å"Yemen is reemerging as a jihadist battleground and potential regional base of operations for Al Qaeda  to plan internal and external attacks, train terrorists, and facilitate the movement of operatives.† (Rollins, 2010). The threat coming from AQAP is greater than the threat coming from al Qaeda’s central leadership located in Pakistan. AQAP is increasingly a more pressing concern for U.S. national security. AQAP has relative freedom of movement in the Arabian Peninsula and region which allows for its ability to increase its ranks through recruitment as well as its ability to train new recruits. Additionally, AQAP has also shown its ability to influence other like-minded individuals to conduct attacks to our homeland with little to no warning. AQAP has proven it has the means and capability to attempt to conduct attacks globally although it has yet to be successful. It is only a matter of time before they possess the ability and trained personnel that are able to conduct something equal to or greater than the attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. AQAP poses a direct threat to the U.S. and U.S. interest of stability and security in the Arabian Peninsula. AQAP is capable of every threat that has been uttered against the US and western countries. The US as well as the other western territories that are considered allies against AQAP, can end or at least moderate the terroristic threat by â€Å"interdicting terrorists, disrupt their planning, restrict their travel, reduce the flow of financial (EO 13224 signed 9/23/01) and material support to terrorist groups, and enable partner governments to assert control over weakly governed territory where terrorists find sanctuary† (US Department of State, 2005). The Antiterrorism Assistance program is a well used deterrent against FTO’s such as AQAP. The AQAP became a bigger threat than al Qaeda, and the instability and security issues within the Arabian Peninsula are threats we must contend with. With the knowledge and training gained since the imperative attacks on American soil in 2001, we can deter and detain these terrorists and protect our homeland and allies. The ideologies and animosity against the US and other western nations are targeted towards the recruiting of others who sympathize with al Qaeda. Preemptive and retaliatory methods are other forces to use to impede the AQAP’s threats and/or attacks. It is also noted in the Country Reports that by American’s helping partner nations in the quest for improving their abilities to detect and prevent terrorist activities this will clearly enhance the overall security of all nations (US Department of State, 2005). References Boucek, Christopher (2010). Terrorism out of Yemen. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Retrieved from http://carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=viewid=41705 References Bryant, C., Kasinof, L. (2010, October 29). Suspicious UPS, FedEx packages raise new concerns about Al Qaeda in Yemen. Christian Science Monitor. p. N.PAG. Retrieved from EBSCOhost CPJ. (2008, April 15). Iraq: Journalists Abducted 2003-09. Retrieved March 15, 2011, from Committee to Protect Journalists: Defending Journalists Worldwide: http://cpj.org/reports/2008/04/abducted.php. Gerstein, Josh (2010). Clinton named Al Qaeda Yemen as terror group. Politico. Retrieved from http://www.politico.com/blogs/joshgerstein/0110/Clinton_named_AlQaeda_Yemen_as_terror_group_a_month_ago.html Kerry, John (2010). Al Qaeda in Yemen and Somalia: A ticking Time Bomb. Committee on foreign relations United States Senate. Retrieved from http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2010_rpt/sfrc-aq.pdf Kurczy, S. (2010, November 2). Five key members of Al Qaeda in Yemen (AQAP). Christian Science Monitor. p. N.PAG. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Poland, J. (2005 ). Understanding terrorism: Groups, strategies, and responses 2nd edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson. Rawnsley, A. (2010, December 7). Danger Room Whats Next in National Security. Retrieved March 15, 2011, from Wired: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/12/al-qaedas-latest-weapon-poison-perfume/ Rollins, John (2010). Al Qaeda and Affiliates: Historical Perspective, Global Presence, and Implications for U.S. Policy. Congressional research Service. Retrieved from http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/terror/R41070.pdf US Department of National Security. (2006). The National Security Strategy of the United States of America. Washington DC: USDOS. US Department of State. (2005). Country Reports on Terrorism 2004. Washington DC: US Government.

Etiology of Parkinsons Disease

Etiology of Parkinsons Disease Parkinson’s Disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, after Alzheimer’s. Onset typically occurs late in life, affecting approximately 1% of 65 year olds, with the prevalence increasing to 4-5% by age 85 (Dawson Dawson 2003). There are also rare cases of early-onset Parkinson’s, which are usually familial. Research into the gene mutations discovered in such hereditary cases has also contributed to the understanding of the aetiology of the spontaneous, late onset form of the disease. Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is characterized clinically by tremors at rest, bradykinesia (slowness of voluntary movement), muscle rigidity, decrease in postural reflex and facial expression and an altered gait (Kumar et al. 2005). A subset of patients (10-15%) also develop dementia. Symptoms are progressive and result in decreased mobility and eventually severe disability. The symptomatic motor disturbances arise from the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of the brain. This results in a decrease in the dopaminergic content of the striatum. These areas play an important role in modulating feedback from the thalamus to the motor cortex. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES This report aims to investigate the current knowledge of the aetiology of PD, by examining evidence in the literature. It is crucial to understand the pathological mechanisms underlying the selective destruction of dopaminergic neurons in PD so that effective treatments and prophylaxis can be developed. PROPOSED STRATEGY Researchers have studied the molecular mechanisms of PD pathogenesis using a number of techniques: in vitro tissue cultures of human and animal neurons, post-mortem human brain tissue, mouse models of the disease, genetic studies and more novel techniques such as the use of ‘cybrids’. Evidence from all of these will be amalgamated and conclusions drawn. MOLECULAR PATHOGENESIS OF PD That PD is generally associated with old age must be considered an important clue when trying to elucidate the causal mechanism of PD. The same is also true of the most common neurodegenerative disease, Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Both are also characterised by an accumulation of protein aggregates resulting in progressive neuronal loss, suggesting a common underlying pathology. Histological brain sections of PD patients shows characteristic, large inclusion bodies in the cytosol of surviving neurons of the substantia nigra, as well as locus ceruleus and surrounding brainstem nuclei, called Lewy bodies (Kumar et al. 2005). These are aggregates of à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡-synuclein (Spillantini et al. 1997), a protein whose gene (SYN, aka PARK 1) has been linked to familial PD (Athanassiadou et al. 1999), as well as other proteins such as ubiquitin and synphilin-1. It is unclear whether these aggregates contribute to the pathogenesis, are a simple by-product or even part of an attempted protective mechanism, described as the aggresome theory (McNaught et al. 2002). Some evidence has recently been produced by Setsuie and colleagues (2005), using a PD rat model in which proteasome inhibitors caused inclusion formation, which resulted in decreased dopaminergic neuronal death that normally follows 6-hydroxyl dopamine (6-OHDA) administration. Lewy bodies are also found in low numbers in normal aging and AD (Jellinger 2001). However, Lewy bodies are not found in some cases of juvenile onset PD, which suggests that the inclusions are not crucial for neuronal death in the substantia nigra (Fahn Salzer 2004). Animal models of the disease, created using neurotoxins such as rotenone or 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), or transgenic mice that overexpress human SYN gene (for à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡-synuclein) mutations, do not faithfully replicate the structure and antigenicity of the Lewy bodies found in PD (Dickson 2001). This highlights the problems associated with designing and producing an accurate animal model of human disease, which can be valuable tools, despite some limitations. Role of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) Although the precise role of Lewy bodies in the pathogenesis of PD is still unclear, the accumulation and aggregation of proteins suggests that there is a deficit in the cellular systems that normally remove and degrade abnormal proteins. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is one such pathway, and there is growing evidence that implicates this system in PD. In conjunction with the enzymes E1, E2 and E3, ubiquitin is activated and attaches to abnormal proteins to form a polyubiquitin chain. The proteasome recognises this complex and degrades the unwanted protein. The ubiquitin polymer is released from the targeted protein and digested by ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydroxylases (UCHs), to release ubiquitin monomers back into the system (Alberts et al. 2002). Ubiquitination and recognition of proteins to be degraded are ATP-dependent processes. If the activity of this clearance pathway decreases, misfolded or oxidatively damaged proteins will accumulate rather than being recycled (Sherman Goldberg 2001). Studies of the rarer, familial cases of PD have revealed evidence that this system is involved in PD aetiology, which has aided the understanding of the pathogenesis of sporadic PD. Gene mutations for two proteins that are involved in the UPS are of particular significance. Kitada and colleagues (1998) demonstrated a link between mutations in the parkin gene (aka PARK 2) and familial incidence of autosomal recessive juvenile parkinsonism (AR-JP) in Japanese families. Parkin is an E3 ligase within the UPS, and has been shown to have a neuroprotective role (Petrucelli et al. 2002). Despite this, parkin null-mutant mice exhibited normal behaviour and brain morphology, with no loss of dopaminergic neurons. Dopamine levels were altered, suggesting a possible role in dopamine regulation (Goldberg et al. 2003). Drosophila parkin null-mutants showed a consistent pattern of pathology, with locomotor deficits, sterility and decreased lifespan (Greene et al. 2003). These were attributed to mito chondrial dysfunction, which is also a feature of PD (see below). Research into the potential toxic effects of accumulation of parkin substrates has been inconclusive (Betarbet et al. 2005). Evidence points to parkin involvement in the pathogenesis of PD, but mutations of this protein are not sufficient alone to cause the disease. A missense mutation for the gene encoding the protein UCH-L1 has been detected in autosomal dominant familial cases of PD in Germany (Leroy et al. 1998). In sporadic cases of PD, UCH-L1 is downregulated and oxidized in the cerebral cortex (Choi et al. 2004), the significance of this is unknown. UCH-L1 mutations in mice produce neuromotor signs that are not typical of PD, and are characterised as Gracile Axonal Dystrophy mice (GAD). As for parkin, the evidence confirms some involvement in PD pathogenesis of these elements of the UPS, but points to the need for further research to fully deduce their role. Other genetic mutations have been identified, such as LRRK2 (a kinase;Zimprich et al. 2004) and DJ-1 (aka PARK 7), which is involved in a similar protein degradation pathway (SUMO; Bonifati et al. 2003). It is tempting to attribute the accumulation of à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡-synuclein to a decrease in activity of the UPS, but evidence that à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡-synuclein is a substrate of this system is contradictory (Paxinou et al. 2001), with results differing between in vitro cell lines and conditions. Some studies suggest that à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡-synuclein accumulation may inhibit the UPS, resulting in further protein accumulation (Liu et al. 2005). Role of mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress A significant amount of evidence supports the hypothesis of involvement of the UPS in PD aetiology. In familial cases genetic mutations have been discovered that account for a portion of the susceptibility to, and pathogenesis of PD; but other factors are obviously required for both early onset and sporadic cases to develop. UPS activity has been found to be lowered in sporadic PD patients, with impaired proteasomal activity and reduced expression of subunits in the substantia nigra (McNaught et al. 2003). Whether UPS impairment is a primary cause or secondary to another event is not yet clear. Some researchers believe that the mechanism underlying the dysfunctional UPS may involve mitochondrial dysfunction, which has also been implicated in other neurodegenerative diseases (Hashimoto et al. 2003). During energy production by respiration in the mitochondria, there is a continuous leakage of free radicals, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are also released by inflammatory cells. Antioxidant mechanisms exist to mop these up before they can cause oxidative damage to surrounding molecules, such as proteins, lipids and DNA, but these are not 100% efficient. This results in a gradual increase in damaged cellular components with aging (Vigoroux et al. 2004). Higher levels of oxidization products have been found in brain tissue of patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as PD (Dexter et al. 1994) and suggest an important role for free radicals in its aetiology. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage has been hypothesised to accumulate, leading eventually to mitochondrial dysfunction, which further increases free radical leakage. Mitochondrial complex I, in particular, has been implicated. Induced parkinsonism in animal models using the pesticide rotenone has been shown to inhibit mitochondrial complex I (Sherer et al. 2002). Administration of MPTP also induces PD symptoms and inclusion body formation, via the complex I inhibition of its metabolite MPP+ (Ram say et al. 1986). This has been recorded in human subjects following the use of illicitly manufactured narcotics, in which MPTP is produced as a contaminant, but has now been used to reliably induce disease in rodents to further knowledge of the pathogenesis of this disease. As well as providing valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying PD, the ability of chemicals to produce the symptoms and pathology of PD has also raised concerns about the role of environmental factors in the aetiology of the sporadic disease. Some epidemiological studies have linked pesticide exposure to an increased risk of developing PD (Park et al. 2005), as well as suggestions that increased coffee/caffeine consumption and smoking (Wirdefeldt et al. 2005) may have some protective benefits. Exposure to heavy metals, such as manganese has also shown a correlation with PD in some studies, but not all. Heavy metals are known to accelerate free radical formation and hence increase oxidative stress, so it w ould not be unexpected if higher levels were involved in PD aetiology. Results of epidemiological studies that claim to prove these positive and negative correlations with PD are contradictory, and further research is required, which could also take diet into account (particularly ingested antioxidant levels and lifestyle). Mitochondrial dysfunction may cause a decrease in UPS activity, either by reduced ATP production, which is essential for many processes of the pathway, and/or by increasing oxidative stress and damaging vital components of the system (Fahn Salzer 2004). The pivotal role of mitochondria has been elegantly demonstrated by the use of cytoplasmic hybrids. These ‘cybrids’ are formed by taking mtDNA from platelets of patients with PD and inserting it into cultured human neuroblastoma cells that have been depleted of their endogenous mtDNA. These neuronal cells faithfully recapitulate the structure and antigenicity of Lewy bodies (Trimmer et al. 2004), and similar studies have reported other pathogenic features consistent with a role for mitochondria and oxidative stress in PD. It is now widely accepted that oxidative stress is a contributory factor to PD aetiology, with markers of oxidative damage found to be higher than in non-PD controls. Antioxidants have been administered in a number of studies to further explore the impact of free radicals and therapeutic/prophylactic options. Transgenic mice that overexpress the endogenous antioxidant Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase did not show any symptoms or DA neuron loss following exposure to paraquat (herbicide)-maneb (fungicide), compared to non-transgenic controls (Thiruchelvam et al. 2005). Studies involving exogenous antioxidants have produced inconclusive results, and more research is required in this area. The specificity of dopaminergic neuronal loss, mainly in the substantia nigra pars compacta, in PD is replicated in chemically induced animal models of disease. The reason for this consistent and specific pattern of neuropathology may be due to the oxidation properties of DA, with highly reactive DA-quinones being generated. These are able to form complexes with à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡-synuclein and may inhibit mitochondrial complex I (Asanuma et al. 2003). This has important implications for the commonly used L-DOPA therapy, which may also contribute to neurodegeneration. Some researchers also believe that inflammation may play a role in PD, as microglial cells proliferate in affected brain regions (McGeer McGeer 2004). CONCLUSION The aetiology of Parkinson’s Disease is multifactorial, with a combination of genetic, environmental and possibly immunological factors, many of which are still unknown or poorly understood. There is growing evidence from a variety of research techniques that oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and deficits in protein degradation pathways, such as the UPS are interlinked. The aetiological factors initiate a process that culminates in the accumulation and aggregation of proteins, mainly à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡-synuclein, in dopaminergic neurons of the nigrostriatal system, which leads to cell-death. Further research is required to fully elucidate the precise molecular mechanisms that underlie the neuropathology of PD, so that effective treatments or prophylactic advice can be established. REFERENCES Alberts, B., Johnson, A., Lewis, J., Raff, M., Roberts, K., Walter, Molecular Biology of the Cell. 4th Ed. New York: Garland Publishing. pp.359-363. Asanuma, M., Miyazaki, I. Ogawa, N. 2003 Dopamine- or L-DOPA-induced neurotoxicity: the role of dopamine quinone formation and tyrosinase in a model of Parkinsons disease. Neurotox Res 5, 165-76. Athanassiadou, A., Voutsinas, G., Psiouri, L., Leroy, E., Polymeropoulos, M. H., Ilias, A., Maniatis, G. M. Papapetropoulos, T. 1999 Genetic analysis of families with Parkinson disease that carry the Ala53Thr mutation in the gene encoding alpha-synuclein. Am J Hum Genet 65, 555-8. Betarbet, R., Sherer, T. B. Greenamyre, J. T. 2005 Ubiquitin-proteasome system and Parkinsons diseases. Exp Neurol 191 Suppl 1, S17-27. Choi, J., Levey, A. I., Weintraub, S. T., Rees, H. D., Gearing, M., Chin, L. S. Li, L. 2004 Oxidative modifications and down-regulation of ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1 associated with idiopathic Parkinsons and Alzheimers diseases. J Biol Chem 279, 13256-64. Dawson, T. M. Dawson, V. L. 2003 Rare genetic mutations shed light on the pathogenesis of Parkinson disease. J Clin Invest 111, 145-51. Dexter, D. T., Holley, A. E., Flitter, W. D., Slater, T. F., Wells, F. R., Daniel, S. E., Lees, A. J., Jenner, P. Marsden, C. 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