A Mir Kiss Essay

1. Evaluate simple and complex concepts of organizational behavior (OB); including the theoretical and practical elements. 2. Identify basic managerial functions, roles, and skills and how they relate to the field of OB, including implications of environmental challenges. 3. Understand the elements of diversity within a global organization and environment. 4. Discuss the foundations of individual behavior through exploration in psychology; including personality, perception, and interpersonal differences. 5. Illustrate understanding of need-based perspectives in motivation including; Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Alderfer’s ERG theory, and Hertzberg’s dual-structure theory. 6. Illustrate understanding of process-based perspectives in motivation through the equity, expectancy, and reinforcement theories. 7. Explain how job design, work arrangements, and employee participation affect individual performance and job satisfaction. 8. Explain goal setting, performance management, and reward systems as they relate to total quality management efforts. 9. Discuss the nature of stress, managing stress and balancing work-life. 10. Demonstrate the understanding of how individuals make up teams and teams create an organization, and organizational effectiveness is reliant on each level. COURSE CONTENT: Topical areas of study include: Individual behaviors Individual characteristics Group behaviors Personality differences Organizational behaviorsTeam diversity Needs-based motivational modelsOrganizational success Process-based motivational models REQUIRED TEXT & MATERIALS Title: Organizational Behavior Author: Steven McShane and Mary Ann Von Glinow Edition: 2nd edition Publisher: McGraw Hill-Primis ISBN: 978-0-07-338122-0 How to Order Textbook/Materials All books and materials, unless otherwise noted, should be purchased from the Ivy Tech online bookstore. To order the texts required for this class or any other course, go to http[->2]://[->3]www[->4]. [->5]ivytech[->6]. [->7]bkstr[->8]. [->9]com[->10]. Students can order all books and materials for all courses from this site – regardless of whether it is an online or on-campus course. In the future, it is advised that students order textbooks and materials before the start of the semester. Students should use a copy of their course schedule to accurately order books and materials. Schedules can print a copy of their course schedule from Campus Connect at http://cc. ivytech. edu. Students who live in Indiana and surrounding states will normally receive their book order within one day from the time the book is shipped from the warehouse. Paying for overnight shipping on textbook orders from the bookstore is normally not a good use of money as it does not ensure overnight processing of the order – it only ensures that once the book order has been processed, it will be shipped out overnight. Technology Needs & Resources Because this is a web-based course, it is expected that all students who enroll in the course have Internet access and a basic understanding of computer use (e. g. , using e-mail, sending attachments via e-mail, using web browsers, using word processing software such as Microsoft Word). Also, it is expected that all students will regularly check their Ivy Tech e-mail accounts (located in Campus Connect) and/or Blackboard messages as indicated below. Within 48 hours is recommended. This is the PRIMARY method that the college will utilize to contact students. Visit the Distance Learning Web site at: http[->11]://[->12]www[->13]. [->14]ivytech[->15]. [->16]edu[->17]/[->18]distance[->19]/[->20] for more information related to technology requirements for online courses. Check with the nearest campus bookstore for educational pricing if additional software is required for this course. COLLEGE POLICIES Academic Honesty Statement The College is committed to academic integrity in all its practices. The faculty value intellectual integrity and a high standard of academic conduct. Activities that violate academic integrity undermine the quality and diminish the value of educational achievement. Cheating on papers, tests, or other academic works is a violation of College rules. No student shall engage in behavior that, in the judgment of the instructor of the class, may be construed as cheating. This may include, but is not limited to, plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty such as the acquisition without permission of tests or other academic materials and/or distribution of these materials and other academic work. This includes students who aid and abet as well as those who attempt such behavior. Copyright Statement Students shall adhere to the laws governing the use of copyrighted materials. They must insure that their activities comply with fair use and in no way infringe on the copyright or other proprietary rights of others and that the materials used and developed at Ivy Tech Community College contain nothing unlawful, unethical, or libelous and do not constitute any violation of any right of privacy. ADA Statement Ivy Tech Community College seeks to provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with documented disabilities. If students need an accommodation because of a documented disability, please contact the Office of Disability Support Services. COURSE POLICIES & PROCEDURES Due Dates & Deadlines The Syllabus and Course Calendar are 2 important tools to help students understand the course, student and instructor expectations, and deadlines. Both documents can be found under the â€Å"Start Here† button in the course within Blackboard. Students are required to submit work on time for a chance to receive credit. Deadlines for each week/assignment are summarized on the course calendar. Students should check the calendar frequently for deadlines and to be aware of what to expect next. Deadlines are subject to change. Students are responsible for timely assignment submission. Should a computer system or network go down, students must still turn in work in a timely manner. Don’t wait until the last minute. Plan ahead by seeking alternative means for submitting work before needed. Local libraries and all Ivy Tech Community College campuses can serve as alternative resources. Contact the closest/most convenient campus or other public lab for schedules and Internet availability. Not having access to the required software on a home or work computer is not a legitimate excuse for turning in homework late. Attendance Policy – Don’t Get Dropped from Class! While it is important to be timely and on-schedule throughout any course, students need to be aware of an important college policy. Ivy Tech performs administrative drops for students who do not â€Å"attend† class early in the semester. Attendance in an online course is determined by whether a student has submitted work or not. Assignments may actually be due on another day (see course calendar), but students need to turn in something worth points before the NSW deadline in order to avoid being dropped for non-attendance. To avoid being dropped for non-attendance, students must submit some assignment from the course calendar no later than 11:59 p. m. Friday, March 22, EST. Am I Required to Come to a Campus for this Class? No, students do not have to come to campus for this course. There are no activities, labs, or assessments that require students to come to campus. Instructional Method This is an online distance-learning course. Each week’s assignments and readings are summarized on the Course Calendar, accessed from the â€Å"Start Here† button in Blackboard. It takes a great deal of discipline, self-motivation and effective time management skills to successfully complete an online course. Many students find it helpful to set aside specific times each week to work on course assignments. Grades All grades will be maintained in Blackboard’s online grade book. Students are responsible to track their progress by referring to the online grade book. Make-Up Policy Late work (tests, case study reviews, discussion board postings, group discussions, marketing project sections, etc. ) will not be accepted, except for the following circumstances. If you have a SERIOUS problem that can be documented/verified and that keeps you from submitting class work on time, please contact your Instructor immediately. The Instructor will determine if the seriousness of your problem warrants an exception to the late assignment rule. Late assignments will be assigned a grade of â€Å"0† unless you have received prior approval from the Instructor. There are no make-ups for any class discussion boards. If you have planned events (vacation, wedding, birth of a child, surgery, etc. ), you can work ahead on assignments with prior approval of the professor. In all cases, communication with the professor in advance is required. You are responsible for timely assignment submission. Should your personal computer system or network go down, you must still turn in your work in a timely manner. Don’t wait until the last minute; plan ahead by seeking alternative means for submitting your work before you need to. Local libraries and all Ivy Tech Community College campuses can serve as alternative resources. Contact your campus or other public lab for schedules and Internet availability. Not having access to the required software on your home or work computer is NOT a legitimate excuse for turning in homework late. Technical problems are NOT an excuse for late or missed assignments or exams. If you experience difficulty with email, posting on the discussion boards, attaching files, finding/submitting assignments, or exam administration on Blackboard, the problem can be readily resolved by contacting your instructor or technical support at Ivy Tech prior to the assignment’s due date. Plan ahead by seeking alternative means for submitting your work before the situation arises. Local libraries and all Ivy Tech Community College campuses can serve as alternative resources. Contact your campus or other public lab for schedules and Internet availability. There will not be any extra credit offered in this course, so it is very important to plan ahead and not miss any assignments. Last Day to Withdraw If a student wishes to withdraw from this course, students are responsible for completing an official withdrawal form with the registrar. The last day to withdraw from this course is April 27, 2013. Right of Revision. The college reserves the right to change any statements, policies or scheduling as necessary. Students will be informed promptly of any and all changes. COURSE COMMUNICATION Instructor Commitment Ivy Tech Community College instructors are committed to responding to students within two business days. If a student sends communication, but does not receive a response, they should double-check that the correct communication method was used and that the correct location is being checked for a reply. Students can contact their local Distance Education Support with questions. NOTE: Messages are very different from Email. Students should carefully review the information below to ensure they are sending and receiving course communication properly. Messages: all students must use the messages function of the course for course-related communications. Using messages, students can send and receive information from within the course. Messages can only be sent and received from within the course in Blackboard. Please check messages frequently. To access messages (send and receive): 1. Log into Blackboard & enter the course. 2. Click on ‘Communication & Tools’, then Messages. 3. There are two folders: Inbox and Sent. The Inbox folder will contain all received messages (so look there for messages from the instructor or other students). The Sent folder will contain sent. 4. At the top left corner, above the folders, is the button to start a Create Message. 5. After clicking on Create Message, clicking on the â€Å"To† button students can select the name of the person to write. Use the right-facing arrow to move the person into the â€Å"recipient† box. 6. Then, type a message and click on the Submit button when ready to send it. ASSIGNMENTS & GRADING. Methods of Evaluation Case Study Assignments (200 points 2 @ 100 points each): Two case study exercises will be required. The case study assignments are designed to introduce, review, and further explore issues in the class. Discussion Boards (250 points 10 @ 25 points each): During the course, an online discussion forum will be developed to further explore topics addressed in the assigned readings.  ·Students will be required to post one response to the instructor posted question. As a student, you will be required to respond to one additional comment to one of your fellow classmates. Responses are required to be grounded in academic material, especially the required readings. Each discussion board session is worth a total of 25 points.  ·Answers are required to be grounded in academic material, especially the required readings. All postings are graded, based on academic merit. Posts that do not refer to the course/lesson material or do not provide academic support will not receive any credit.  ·Discussion Board Rubric and Guidelines are posted under the Resources button. Quizzes (400 points 10 @ 40 points each): Students will be required to complete brief chapter quizzes that are objective in nature. The quizzes are designed to assist students in learning and reviewing chapter objectives. How is my grade calculated? Discussion Boards(8 at 25 points each)|200 (25%)| Case Study Exercises(2 at 100 points each)|200 (25%)| Quizzes(10 at 40 points each) |400 (50%)| TOTAL|800 (100%)| [*NO make-up or extra credit will be available at any time during the course. ] Grades will be calculated as total points earned according to the following scale. It is highly recommend that you monitor your own progress throughout the semester. Grades will be available weekly on Blackboard. Grading Scale  90% – 100%A 80% – 89%B 70% – 79%C 60% – 69%D Below 60%F **Assignment/discussion grades will be posted one week after the due date. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT Optional Campus Support Students are welcome to use the services and equipment available at the most convenient Ivy Tech Campus. Services include academic advising, equipment, libraries, and tutoring. Please locate the most convenient Ivy Tech campus by reviewing the information at http[->21]://[->22]ivytech[->23]. [->24]edu[->25]/[->26]campuses[->27]/[->28]. Library The Ivy Tech Library is available to students on- and off-campus, offering  full text journals, books, and other resources essential for course assignments. The Library can be accessed from the â€Å"Library† tab in Blackboard or from the â€Å"Library† tab in Campus Connect. Click for Help Log into Blackboard at http://online. ivytech. edu and visit the â€Å"Click for Help† tab for information about computer downloads. This tab provides students with important computer information, including security software, viewer software for users without Microsoft products, adobe reader, flash player, java, and more. Disabilities Services  Students with questions or needs for disabilities support services should contact their local Disabilities Support Services director/coordinator. In the future, it is recommended that students contact Disabilities Support Services at least 30 days before the start of the semester. The contact information listed here is for the disabilities support director/coordinator at the instructor’s local campus. For information about disabilities support services at another campus, please visit: http://ivytech. edu/dss/ or Campus Connect (http://cc.  ivytech. edu). Disabilities Support Contact: First Name:Michelle Last Name:Lehman Phone Number:765-269-5421 Email (Ivy Tech Email):mlehman16@ivytech. edu Blackboard IM ID:mlehman16 Office/Campus Location:Ivy Hall Room 1323 Office Hours:Mon- Thurs. 8am-5pm Fri 9am-5pm Course Calendar| |Readings|Assignments/Assessments|Due Date| Week 1: 3/18 – 3/24Session1 and 2|Chapter 1 – Introduction to the Field of Organizational Behavior|- Discussion Board Introduction|Initial Post3/18Responses3/19Quizzes 1 & 2 3/24, 11 pm| |Chapter 2 – Individual. Behavior, Personality and Values|Discussion Board 2 – READ ONLY – Chapter 1 & 2 Quiz|Quizzes 1 & 2 3/24, 11 pm| Week 2:3/25- 3/31Session3 and 4|Chapter 3 -Perception and Learning in Organizations|- Discussion Board 3- Chapter 3 Quiz |Initial Post3/25Responses 3/27 Quiz 3/31, 11 pmCase Study3/31, 11 pm| ||Discussion Board 4 – READ ONLYCase Study #1| Case Study 13/31, 11 pm | Week 3: 4/1 – 4/7Session5 and 6|Chapter 4 – Workplace Emotions, Attitudes and Stress| Discussion Board 5- Chapter 4 Quiz-Chapter 5 Quiz |Initial Post4/01Responses 4/4 Quiz 4 4/7, 11 pmQuiz 5 4/7, 11 pm | |Chapter 5 – Employee Motivation: Foundations and Practices|Discussion Board 6 – READ ONLY- Chapter 5 Quiz|Quiz 5 4/7, 11 pm| Week 4:4/8 – 4/14Session7 and 8|Chapter 6 – Decision Making and Creativity|Discussion Board 7- Chapter 6 Quiz-Chapter 7 Quiz|Initial Post4/8Responses 4/11 Quiz 6 4/14, 11 pmQuiz 7 4/14, 11 pm| |Chapter 7 – Team Dynamics|Discussion Board 8 – READ ONLY|Quiz 7 4/14, 11 pm| Week 5:4/15 – 4/21Session 9 and 10|Chapter 8 – Communicating in Teams and Organizations|- Chapter 8 & 9 QuizDiscussion Board 9|Initial Post4/15Responses 4/19Quiz 8 4/21, 11 pmQuiz 9 4/21, 11 pm| |Chapter 9 – Power and Influence in the Workplace|- Discussion Board 10 – READ ONLY- Chapter 9 Quiz|Quiz 9 4/21, 11 pm| Week 6:4/22 – 4/28Session11 and 12|Chapter 10 – Conflict Management |- Discussion Board 11- Chapter 10 QuizCase Study #2|Initial Post4/22Responses 4/25Quiz 10 4/28, 11 pmCase Study 4/28, 11 pm| ||Discussion Board 12 – READ ONLYCase Study #2||  Week 7:4/29 – 5/05Session13 and 14|Chapter 11 –Leadership in OrganizationalChapter 12 – Organizational Structure |Discussion Board 13Chapter 11 & 12 Quiz|Initial Post4/29Responses 5/02Quizzes 11 and 12 5/05, 11 pm| |Chapter 13 – Organizational Culture|Discussion Board 14 – READ ONLY| Quiz 12 5/05| Week 8:5/06 – 5/10Session15 and 16|Chapter 14- Organizational Change|- Discussion Board 15 – READ ONLY- Discussion Board 16 – Chapter 13& 14 Quiz |Board 16: Initial Post5/06Responses 5/10, 11 pmQuizzes 13 & 14 5/10, 11 pm | Session16||Discussion Board 16|5/10| [->0] – https://online. ivytech. edu/webapps/blackboard/execute/courseMain? course_id=_340751_1 [->1] – mailto:laf-distance-ed@lists. ivytech. edu.

Procurement Strategies Review

Competition is fierce in today’s world and a business must work smarter versus harder. Many big name chain stores have achieved success but none like that of Wal-Mart. The following is a review of the Wal-Mart customer and his or her expectations of its procurement process. An additional review of how these expectations affect Wal-Mart’s strategies, policies, and procedures at both the domestic and global level is also included. Customers Internal An internal customer is anyone you count on or rely upon to complete a task or a function or to provide you with information so that you can get your job done†¦ and anyone who counts on you to complete a task or function or to provide them with information so that they can get their job done† (Earl, 2004, para. 3). In Wal-Mart’s distribution centers, the individual stores are the internal customer. Each department within a store counts on store management to make certain orders are places and received timely. Store management counts on the employees to keep the individual department in order for the external customers. Wal-Mart’s external customers are almost exclusively the public. Through Wal-Mart’s three operating branches, Wal-Mart stores, Sam’s Club, and Wal-Mart International, the organization focuses on supplying its customers with merchandise ranging from produce to tires at a bargain price. This is the expectation of the customer, to receive the best product at the lowest possible price. Wal-Mart is capable of procuring material at reduced costs and passing these savings to its customers. Wal-Mart’s unique ability to force concessions from suppliers further reduces costs and delivers the demands of their customers, more products for less cost. Procurement expectations Wal-Mart’s procurement expectations from suppliers are some of the strictest among retailers. The Global Procurement division was created to manage Wal-Mart’s global suppliers by creating supplier partnerships, sourcing new products, and managing the supply chain. As Wal-Mart continues to grow, the sustainability of the company and the environmental issues are important to the current and future criteria suppliers must follow. Suppliers are expected to follow Wal-Mart’s move in reducing waste and potential harmful products on the environment. Suppliers are also expected to be knowledgeable of their industry to meet customer quality and price expectations. Influence on strategies and policies Domestic The customers are the biggest influence Wal-Mart faces when developing its strategies, policies, and procedures domestically. Wal-Mart brings these low prices to customers in two main ways. If a supplier cannot meet Wal-Mart’s expectations, Wal-Mart then finds another supplier that will. The second method Wal-Mart uses to keep its prices low is through the low wages of its employees. When Wal-Mart opened its doors in the 1970s, 70% of its workforce was made up of women (Kaufman, 2009). Wal-Mart knew loyalty of its employees was important to the longevity of the organization. To reach that loyalty Wal-Mart replaced benefits such as health care, pensions, and higher wages for fancy titles like associate and broadcasted an open door policy (Kaufman, 2009). Global The retailing giant has declared its desire to give the customer products at the lowest cost possible, with the fastest lead times, and best quality. Wal-Mart has not wavered in its determination to do exactly what it envisioned. The company is using the Global Merchandising Centers (GMC) to promote sourcing of Wal-Mart brands, and aligning of merchandising efficiencies. â€Å"By realigning our resources, leveraging our scale and restructuring our relationship with suppliers, we will enable our businesses around the world to offer even more competitive pricing on merchandise and to provide our customers a clear and compelling assortment of better quality products at lower prices† (Purchasing b2b, 2010, para. 5). Wal-Mart’s process Wal-Mart has a very large procurement operation as the leading retailer in the world. Wal-Mart had a contract with a third party procurement firm in Asia. The firm used suppliers that would mark-up merchandise and resell that merchandise to Wal-Mart. The company has reduced costs, lead times, and eliminated the middleman mark-ups. In 2002, Wal-Mart began to buy directly from the manufacturer to procure a better price. According to Stundza, (2006), â€Å" Wal-Mart has global procurement and supplier alignment teams responsible for identifying new suppliers, sourcing new products, building partnerships with existing suppliers, and managing the global supply chain of Wal-Mart’s direct imports. Figure 1: Wal-Mart’s Procurement Process Conclusion Wal-Mart is the leader in its industry and continues to grow in popularity among the consumer. The reason for its growth in popularity is its promise to deliver quality products at low prices. Wal-Mart can influence its suppliers in a way that ensures a low price on the products it sells. Wal-Mart expects its suppli ers to follow its lead in giving the customer what he or she expects and will continue to grow in consumer popularity as a result. References Earl, D., (2004). What is internal customer service? Donna Earl Training, Retrieved from http://www.donnaearltraining.com/Articles/internalCustomerService Kaufman, L. (2009, August 11). Wal-Mart's Backward Business Revolution. Forbes.com. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/2009/08/10/wal-mart-business-strategy-labor-opinions-book-review-wal-mart.html Purchasing B2B (2010). Walmart revamps global sourcing strategy. Retrieved March 13, 2010, from http://www.canadianmanufacturing.com/purchasingb2b/news/industrynews/article.jsp?content=20100201_085202_9480 Stundza, T., (2006, Nov). Wal-Mart goes green BIG TIME. Purchasing. Retrieved on March 13, 2010 from http://www.purchasing.com/article/218384-Wal_Mart_goes_green_BIG_TIME.php

Brazil World Cup

The relationship between the FIFFA president Sepp Blatter and Brazil president Dilma Rousseff has been rocky, especially when the realization hit that Brazil is facing some alarming delays when it comes to the hosting of the 2014 world cup. Jerome Valcke (the general secretary of FIFFA) however has not helped to improve the overall relationship between not only Brazil and Blatter, but had made conflict, mostly initialized threw messages, envelope. The FIFFA president had asked for talks with Rousseff concerning the collapse of the relationship of organization and the world cup of 2014 hosts.The troubled partnership hit an all-time low at the weekend following Valcke’s criticism towards the hosts. The majority of the conflict that Valcke had made clear rather rudely, was focusing on the delays and the trouble it has a possibility to cause. An exert of the message includes â€Å"to push yourself, kick your arse and just deliver this World Cup†. The Brazilian government re sponded by saying they no longer desired to work with him, causing a stronger tension that came to the point of almost breaking the alliance they non-formally had.On Tuesday March 6 2012 ( 48 hours after his comments ) Valcke issued an apology followed up by another apology from Blatter that made clear his disapproval of Valcke’s words but also made clear that indeed time is running out. Blatter's letter states: â€Å"Please allow me to express my deepest regret for the present situation. I am gravely concerned about the deterioration in the relationship between FIFFA and the Brazilian government, a relationship that has always been characterized by mutual respect. He also includes: â€Å"Brazil deserves to host the World Cup and the entire world is looking forward to it. However, the sands of time have been running since 2007. † Brazil chose to accept the apology and at the current time FIFFA and Brazil our working to meet the deadlines of the world cup in time, and in peace.Bibliography Sepp Blatter Requests Talks with Brazilian President. † The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, n. d. Web. 04 Nov. 2012. <http://www. independent. co. uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/sepp-blatter-requests-talks-with-brazilian-president-7543288. html>.

IKEA IN CHINA ( international business) Research Paper

IKEA IN CHINA ( international business) - Research Paper Example Moreover, there are also possibilities of a Free Trade Agreement. Also, the currency in Qatar is stable and no foreign exchange controls are imposed (Zahra, 2014). IKEA in Qatar has to go through a detailed political insight before establishing their business. Qatar is open to the foreign businesses and the political factors will help IKEA to prevail their policies. The stable currency allows IKEA to carry out their strategy of good quality products in affordable prices. Reduced tariffs and no unnecessary trade restrictions would allow IKEA to carry out their sales without hindrance (Fromherz 112). However, there are certain tender bond requirements and joint venture requirements for international businesses that may hinder IKEA’s smooth growing in Qatar. Moreover, there is an increasing tax on corporate income which may threaten IKEA’s future profitability (Healy 53). Qatar’s socio-cultural factors are highly important in considering the market for international businesses. Qatar has a small population of about 1 million and out of those only one-fifth of the population is Qataris while four-fifths are foreign workers. The resources, stable government and political system, and the strong economic system are leading to a population growth gradually. Qatar has a diversified culture with many locals and foreigners from South Asia, Iran, Jordan, Egypt, and other countries. The reform minded government is currently spending heavily on the infrastructure and construction sectors to improve the lifestyle and standards of living of the people (Algethami, 2013). The affect of socio-cultural factors on IKEA’s strategy will be notable. These are important as they would determine the acceptance of IKEA and their products in the local market. IKEA will face challenges as they will have to fulfil the demands and expectations of locals who belong to different cultures rather

Ecology and Diversity of Cambrian Faunas Lab Report

Ecology and Diversity of Cambrian Faunas - Lab Report Example It was required to compare the results with information on modern faunas and normal Cambrian faunas. Also, it was required to discuss the representativeness of the former and the differences between the latter and Cambrian faunas.   It represents most of the deep marine but not shallow or tropical one. The reason for this is that Cambrian rocks only have marine fossils, mainly for species that lived on hard substrates on the sea floor and this includes Burgess Shale fauna   6. How does fauna of Burgess Shale compare with that of Cambrian deposits exhibiting normal (mineralized hard part-only) preservation, in terms of higher taxa represented and their relative proportion? How representative therefore are normal faunas?   In terms of higher taxa representation, Cambrian deposits exhibiting normal (mineralized hard part-only) preservation accounts for only a minor component of the total diversity. Similarly, in most Burgess Shale-types deposits, the Shelly assemblage normally represents a small proportion of the collected specimen. In this case, soft-bodied organisms fossilized remains especially from Burgess Shale the Cambrian ecosystem knowledge could be totally limited   Burgess fauna consists of many soft-bodied animals’ fossils as well as those with hard parts. A completely soft-bodied animal normally rot away before it is fossilized. Hard parts are crucial because they are more easily preserved; they are seen to help an organism last for a longer time to become fossilized. Burgess Shale is rich in life most of the fauna in it are soft bodies while it contains only 0.89% of mineralized hard parts.   Burgess Shale, organisms lived in underwater mud banks, the moving water buried living organism in moving sediment. They are therefore found in random orientation. Modern muddy marine invertebrates usually curl up upon dying but fossils of the Burgess Shale locality never exhibit such coiling and there is evidence that this organism died instantly.   

Accounting and finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Accounting and finance - Essay Example f the organization which will help them in making better and informed decisions; increase their job effectiveness and improve organizational performance (Needles et al., 2010). Management accountants play a role in all stages of a decision making process which involves planning, performing, evaluating and communicating. Their expertise in financial reporting will allow them assist in decision making process. Any business decision has to be based on sound financial knowledge and this is where management accountants are vital. The various areas of business that management accountants play a role are: designing of business strategy, resource usage, internal control, corporate governance, safeguard tangible/intangible assets, decision making, planning and controlling activities, value enhancement, performance improvement, etc (Collier et al., 2006). The role of the management accountants is limited to only serve the internal decision makes of an organization. The focus of management accountants is forward thinking. Management accountants use the financial information and design models that predict the future financial projections. Financial accountants also play an equally important role in effective business management. The role of financial accountants is to assist all stakeholders of an organization by preparing financial statements which summarises and indicates the financial health of the organization. Financial accountants are required to prepare financial statements that assist not only internal but also external decision makers such as shareholders, owners, lenders, banks, suppliers, etc (Loughran, 2011). Unlike management accountants, financial accountants are not seen as business consultants or advisors. The role of the financial accountants is to make the financial information of an organization available in a user friendly way to the stakeholders. Financial accountants are required to look analyse the past performance of an organization and prepare

Bullying. Types of bullying. Age and gender differences in Bullying Research Paper

Bullying. Types of bullying. Age and gender differences in Bullying - Research Paper Example According to a recent statistics, â€Å"1 in 2 students experience occasional bullying during any school term. Moreover, 1 in 4 students in primary school are bullied more than once or twice at least in any term†(Statistics on Bullying, n. d.). According to Dune et al. (2010), â€Å"Bullying, aggression and other forms of violence in schools can blight student experiences of formal education and their abilities to make the best of the opportunities they have† (Dune et al, 2010, p.1). There are many cases in which school bullying cased not only psychological problems such as depression but also suicide tendency as well. In short, bullying should be prohibited in school compounds at any cost. This paper reviews the available literature to find out what intervention can a Case planner use with 12 grade students in a Long Island, Commack- New York day program classroom to discourage the issue of bullying with students. In order to formulate an intervention plan against bull ying a case planner should have ideas about things like; Types of bullying, Age and gender differences in Bullying, characteristics of victims, Participant’s role in bullying, Reporting of bullying etc Types of bullying Bullying occurs in many forms such as physical, verbal, social, and cyber. ... Physical bullying can be prevented up to certain extent by taking actions against unnecessary gang formation in schools. â€Å"Verbal bullying is name-calling, making offensive remarks, or joking about a person's religion, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or the way they look† (Types of bullying, n. d.). It is an act of teasing. It is normally performed by a group of people upon an individual. Verbal bullying can lead towards physical assaults or physical bullying. Verbal bullying usually develops psychological problems such as depression, anxiety etc. to the victim. It can cause loss of interest in studies and other daily activities. Schools should implement a code of conduct for in order to avoid verbal bullying. â€Å"Social alienation is when a bully excludes someone from a group on purpose. It also includes a bully spreading rumours, and also making fun of someone by pointing out their differences† (Types of bullying, n. d.). It is an act of isolation. In s ocial bullying, the offenders will prevent the victim from interacting with others. Offenders normally spread fabricated stories about the victim so that nobody will try to mingle with the victim. Schools should take stern actions against those who try to isolate somebody from the main streams of school life. â€Å"92 students aged 11-16 from 14 London schools completed a survey on bullying. 22% had experienced cyber bullying at least once. 6.6% had experienced being bullied in this way in the previous two months† (International Network, 2010). Cyber bullying is an act of spreading rumors or false stories against the victim with the help of internet. Electronic devices such as mobile

MIS case Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MIS case - Research Paper Example It can produce a working schedule for every store in a matter of hours. The employees at Wal-Mart are facing an ethical dilemma by the Kronos system. The new scheduling is favored by Wal-Mart as it increases the profit margin and reduces the cost but on the other hands it is unfavorable to the employees. As scheduling for employees requires personal judgment and takes in to consideration the needs of the employees, the new software is unable to do so. The ethical dilemma that Wal-Mart will face after the complete installation of Kronos will be beyond control. This system urges the management to hire fewer numbers of employees as needed according to the number of customers at the store. This conflicting condition where employees will be asked to visit at different hours will result in an ethical dilemma as the new system will decrease the job stability of the employees. The minimum wage staff will be highly affected and may leave the company and the reputation of Wal-Mart will be badly influenced. As the employees need to fill a form for informing the hours they can be available at so that a computerized scheduling system will make a shift schedule accordingly. The ethical issue of misinforming the employee may arise if the employees fill wrong information in the form to have a shift schedule with longer hours. The high paid associated feel that the new computerized system makes them quit their job as they are unable to meet the shift requirements asked by the company which comprises of some hours in day time and late hours. If these associates quit, they will be replaced by inexperienced lower staff as this may result in poor customer service (Walmart, 2013). The ethical principle that applies in this situation is â€Å"Do unto others as you may have them do unto you.† After the computerized scheduling system, we see that the employees of Wal-Mart are dissatisfied and some are relying on opportunities where they can depend on false

Postal Contract and Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Postal Contract and Law - Essay Example P. 71). According to Lord Denning, there is vast difference between the rule of instantaneous communication and the postal rule. The offeror must receive acceptance of his offer for the contract to be complete. In instantaneous mode of communication of acceptance, the place of formation of the contract is the place at which the acceptance is received by the offeror (Davies, 2005. P. 158). In the present day corporate world, communication is chiefly by means of teleprinter, facsimile or electronic mail. Electronic communication is still surrounded by controversy with regard to its legality. The advanced technology utilised in such communication modes enables easy transmission of communications. Thus, electronic communication can be sent at any time to a destination, even after working hours. This raises the question about the point of time when the electronic communication had been legally effectual. The postal rule does not apply to instantaneous forms of communication (Brinkibon Ltd v Stahag Stahl und Stahlwarenhandels GmbH). This was the ruling in Entores Ltd v Miles Far East Corp (Entores Ltd v Miles Far East Corp). Electronic mail is transmitted much faster than the mail sent by post. However, electronic mail cannot be deemed to be instantaneous communication between the parties. The reason for this is that the sending and receipt of electronic mail may take anything between a few hours to several days. Hence, it does not constitute instantaneous communication. Consequently, the postal rule applies to electronic mail. An offer is deemed to be properly communicated in instantaneous communication, if the addressee has notice of the offer. In non – instantaneous modes of communication, the offer is communicated through letters, telegrams or other methods. Such communication has to be dispatched to the addressee and received by the

Psychological Factors of the Issue Essay Example for Free

Psychological Factors of the Issue Essay Psychological factors include motivation, perception, learning, beliefs and attitudes. These factors are largely unconscious and that a person cannot fully understand his own motivations. People decide based on what h perceives as dictated by his environment that serves as the stimulus and not necessarily that which is real. In marketing, perceptions are more important than reality. Characteristics of Adolescence Adolescence is often a period of stress and conflict, particularly in Western society. The adolescent confronts a host of new, varied and difficult problems of adjustment within a brief period of time. The adolescent attempts to acquire a sense of identity, a sense of who one is and where one is going. Every adolescent wants to be popular. They commonly think, †What can I do to have all the kids at school like me? † â€Å"What can I do to feel I belong to a group? † â€Å"How can I be popular with both girls and boys? † â€Å"What kinds of clothes will make me feel like I am one of them? † Sometimes adolescents go to great lengths to be popular. In some cases, parents go to even greater lengths to try to insulate their adolescents from the rejection and to increase the likelihood that they will be popular. Students show off because it gets attention and makes their peers laugh. Parents set up elaborate parties, buy clothes for their teens and drive adolescents and their friends all over in the hope that their sons and daughters will be popular (Santrock, John). Dr. Riesman in his study of the basic changes taking place in the American characters during the twentieth century (that is, from inner-directed to outer-directed) found that our growing pre-occupation with acts of consumption reflects the change. This pre-occupation, he noted, was particularly intense (and intensively encouraged by product makers). He characterized the children of America as ‘consumer trainees. ’ (Santrock, John). The adolescent confronts a host of new, varied and difficult problems of adjustment within a brief period of time. Physiological changes – rapid body growth, sexual maturity, increases in sex hormonesoften precipitate special conflicts and self-doubts. Almost simultaneously, the adolescent is expected to achieve independence from the family, establish satisfying relationships with peers of both sexes, decide on – and prepare for – a set of consistent moral principles to guide decisions and actions. Fashion, therefore, lures the adolescents to try something new and not get stuck with the traditional ways of dressing and doing things. Back then in the 60s, the clothes that the â€Å"old school† hip hop artists donned were expressions of individuality but they even carried a purpose which was a functional one. The Puma branded sneakers that sported fat-laces and sweatsuits were all the rave back then. The colorful clothing which also had resemblance to the beautiful graffitis on the walls were also very popular back then. The dress-code of being loose and comfortable became a style of dressing which identified all those people as exceptional and unpretentious. Because the people in the ghettos had limited resources, they made the most out of what they had. The style and the fashion sense that they sported spoke of a willingness to create a style of their own despite several constraints (Wikipedia 2004). In the hip-hop culture today, fashion has undoubtedly become more stylish, more pronounced and more accessible in this day and age. It has indeed come a long way in the past twenty or so years. Ever since its inception, it has been proven to be a driving force in the fashion scene. From its modest beginnings in the â€Å"ghettos† of the African-American suburbs of New York, the hip hop fashion has transcended race, culture, gender as well as international borders as you will now see different ethnicities and races who have adopted their own hip hop style. The one thing that will immediately identify a person if he listens to hip hop or not is by the way they dress and what they put on themselves. Today, the hip hop clothing and apparel industry grosses over a billion dollars but despite its popularity among people who have the money to spend for the type of look they are sporting, it is still accessible by even the youngest boy in hopes of making it big in the future as an advocate of the hip hop music and fashion (Wikipedia 2004)

14-3-3 Protein Analysis | Essay

14-3-3 Protein Analysis | Essay INTRODUCTION 14-3-3 represents a family of highly conserved, 28-33 kDa, acidic dimeric proteins. [B, H1] These proteins were first identified and isolated by Moore and Perez during their systematic study of protein fractions from mammalian brain tissue. [B1] Their nomenclature reflects the system used by the researchers to classify the various protein fractions, based on their migration pattern on starch gel electrophoresis and two-dimensional DEAE chromatography. [D1] Initially it was thought that the occurrence of these proteins was confined to neuronal tissue, where they were found to be present in concentrations as high as 13.3 ÃŽ ¼g/ml. [B19] However, subsequent studies showed that they are in fact widely distributed and ubiquitously expressed in most mammalian tissues. [B] Apart from mammalian tissue, orthologous proteins with a high degree of similarity have also been identified in other organisms including plants, yeast, insects and amphibians. [B] Interestingly, though no prokaryotic ancestor has been identified for the 14-3-3 gene, eukaryotes are known to express multiple isotypes, encoded by highly similar gene sequences. [A, G13] Drosophila and yeast each contain two 14-3-3 genes, Arabidopsis species have 15, while the human genome contains seven closely related 14-3-3 genes. [G13-G16] These genes encode the seven different 14-3-3 isotypes found in human cells – namely ÃŽ ², ÃŽ ³, ÏÆ', ÃŽ µ, ÃŽ ·, Ï„, and ÃŽ ¶. Two additional isoforms – ÃŽ ± and ÃŽ ´, represent the phosphorylated varieties of ÃŽ ² and ÃŽ ¶ respectively. [D7] By virtue of their conserved sequences, the different 14-3-3 isoforms display a similar tertiary structure. Crystallographic studies show that each subunit is made up of nine anti-parallel ÃŽ ± helices, which are able to self-assemble into dimers [F1]; with four of the nine helices participating in this process of dimerization. [A] While certain isoforms such as ÏÆ' and ÃŽ ³ show propensity towards the formation of homodimers, other isoforms like ÃŽ µ prefer to heterodimerize. [H] Structural analyses have also revealed that each monomer contains an amphipathic concave channel through which it interacts with its target proteins. [F13] Since each of the subunits of the dimer contain an independent ligand-binding groove, these proteins can interact with two different binding sites present on the same or different target proteins [H3] The targets of 14-3-3 proteins were first studied by Muslin et. al. in 1995, who determined that these proteins interact with phosphorylated serine-containing binding partners in a sequence specific manner. [A2] Thus, this came about to be the first family of proteins discovered to have an affinity for phosphoserine-specific targets. More specifically, Yaffe et. al. in 1997 identified two putative high-affinity motifs, bearing the sequences RSXpSXP and RXXXpSXP, where pS stands for phosphoserine, R stands for Arginine, P is proline and X is any amino acid. [] These were found to be the consensus sequences for 14-3-3 binding, and were called the mode I and mode II binding motifs respectively. [A21] However not all the 14-3-3 binding partners conform to these motifs and neither are all 14-3-3-target interactions found to be phosphorylation-dependent. [H] Though, a small percentage of 14-3-3 targets do not conform, in general it can be said that, proteins that interact with the 14-3-3 family are usually found to be globular proteins that contain either the mode I or mode II binding motifs within an unstructured region of the peptide. [PG] Interestingly, despite the fact that the different isotypes share a similar structure and show complete conservation of sequence in the ligand-binding region, not all the isotypes of 14-3-3 bind equivalently to their ligands in vivo and the pathways in which the individual isoforms participate have diverged considerably. This isoform specificity cannot be explained solely on the basis of 14-3-3 binding to the consensus sequence. [A, PA] It has hence been speculated that this isoform-specificity may be attributed either to differences in subcellular localization and/or tissue-specific transcriptional regulation rather than inherent differences in their ligand-binding ability. [D] Consequently, the various isoforms of the protein are found to bind different ligands and hence influence distinct cellular pathways and processes. Some of the ligands postulated on the basis of database searches include Raf1, CDC25C, polyoma middle T antigen, BAD, 5’AMP Kinase and PLC ÃŽ ³. [PA] Studies conducted in the late 1990’s demonstrated the ability of 14-3-3 proteins to interact with a number of different protein phosphatases and kinases in the cell, thus influencing multiple signalling pathways within the cell. [D] The mechanism of action of the 14-3-3 family of proteins is based on their ability to alter the stability, the catalytic activity or the subcellular localization of their targets. [H] 14-3-3 dimers being highly rigid, they are able to induce conformational changes in their target proteins as well as generate steric hindrance upon binding. Together, these forces can prevent molecular interactions by modulating the accessibility of the ligand to enzymes; and they can also serve to expose or hide localization motifs such as NES and NLS. [H] The first cellular activity to be attributed to 14-3-3 was that of an activator of tryptophan and tyrosine hydroxylases, rate-limiting enzymes that regulate the biosynthesis of catecholamine and serotonin neurotransmitter, as reported by Ichimura and co-workers. [B20] Subsequently it was discovered that 14-3-3 proteins could regulate the activity of signal transduction molecule protein kinase C. [D3,D4] This and other findings led to the implication that 14-3-3 proteins could act as novel chaperone proteins that are able to modulate the interactions between the different constituents of signal transduction pathways. [D5] Today it is known that 14-3-3 protein dimers are able to interact with a wide array of proteins within the cell including signalling molecules, apoptosis factors, tumor supressors, transcription factors, biosynthetic enzymes as well as cytoskeletal proteins; as a result of which they play crucial roles in the regulation of multiple cellular process such as the onset of cellular differentiation, and senescence, DNA repair and the maintenance of cell cycle check point, co-ordination of motility and adhesion and the prevention of apoptosis [A,H] REVIEW OF LITERATURE 14-3-3 proteins are crucial in the regulation of many cellular functions. An implication of their involvement in this multitude of processes is that any mutation, loss of regulation or altered expression of these proteins can lead them to be associated with major diseases. Through their involvement in the regulation of various tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes, 14-3-3 proteins are thought to be potentially involved in cancerous transformation and the development of malignancies. [Z11] They are also known to be associated with neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, ataxia and Parkinson’s disease. [MT1, MT2, MT3, MT4] The causes of these diseases are poorly understood and hence this family of proteins has been the focus of study of several research groups around the world, leading to numerous publications investigating all the different aspects. This section summarizes the literature elucidating the properties and functions of 14-3-3 proteins that have helped shape the rationale behind this project. A special focus is maintained on current literature that highlights role of 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ in the cell cycle and in desmosome assembly, as well as its recently discovered ATPase activity. Human 14-3-3 isoforms The members of the 14-3-3 family are among the most abundant proteins in the cell. It has been established that owing to their interaction with diverse targets, 14-3-3 proteins are known to be involved in a multitude of processes, including the control of gene transcription, metabolism, cell cycle regulation, and apoptosis. [C] However, not all 14-3-3 proteins carry out the same functions. The table below provides an overview of the properties of the various human 14-3-3 isoforms: 14-3-3 isoform Official symbol Official full name Chrom-osome location No. of amino acids Mol.Wt. (kDa) Interactions, functions and disorders 14-3-3 ÃŽ ² YWHAB Tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein, beta 20 q13.1 246 27.95 shown to interact with CDC25 phosphatases and RAF1 may play a role in relaying mitogenic signaling to the cell cycle machinery 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ YWHAG Tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein, gamma 7 q11.23 247 28.12 interacts with RAF1, CDC25C and protein kinase C induced by growth factors in human vascular smooth muscle cells also expressed significantly in heart and skeletal muscles 14-3-3 ÏÆ' YWHAS, SFN Stratifin 1 p36.11 248 27.64 known to interact with PLK4, ERRFI1, MARK3, JUB expressed in epithelial cells 14-3-3 ÃŽ µ YWHAE Tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein, epsilon 17 p13.3 255 29.03 interacts with RAF1, CDC25 phosphatases, and IRS1 proteins plays a role in pathways related to signal transduction, cell division and regulation of insulin sensitivity implicated in the pathogenesis of small-cell lung cancer 14-3-3 ÃŽ · YWHAH Tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein, eta 22 q12.3 246 28.09 contains a repeating sequence, 7 bp in length, in its 5 UTR changes in the number of repeats are associated with conditions such as psychotic bipolar disorder and schizophrenia 14-3-3 Ï„/ÃŽ ¸ YWHAQ Tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein, theta 2 p25.1 245 27.63 found to be over-expressed in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis also expressed in T cells 14-3-3 ÃŽ ¶ YWHAZ Tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein, zeta 8 q23.1 245 27.61 interacts with IRS1 protein may play a role in regulating insulin sensitivity 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ is an adapter protein that is known to be involved in the regulation of a wide range of signalling pathways, both general and specialized. This protein is encoded by a gene designated YWHAG, which was mapped to the chromosome 7q11.23 by Horie et. al. in 1999 [Z2] A study of its binding partners in a yeast two-hybrid study revealed that 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ may have as many as 130 potential ligands. [PG 4] There are reports which link the overexpression of 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ and its high titres in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with certain neurodegenerative disorders such as Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s. [A129, A131] This protein is also thought to to be involved in the process of carcinogenesis. Although 14-3-3 ÏÆ' is the isoform that has been most extensively studied for its association with human cancers, there are also several ongoing studies which attempt to establish a correlation between 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ expression and the development of tumours. This includes the work of Jieqiang Lv. et. al. which was able to demonstrate through proteomic analysis that a reduced expression of 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ is observed in patients with uterine tumours. [Z10] The role of 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ in cancer can be better appreciated by understanding its role in the cell cycle and its regulation. Role of 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ in the cell cycle 14-3-3 proteins play a major role in the regulation of cell cycle through the interaction with various cell cycle proteins. The main targets for 14-3-3 regulation are the Cdc25 proteins. Cdc25 is a family of protein phosphatases comprising the members Cdc25A, Cdc25B and Cdc25C, which are active during different phases of the cell cycle. Cdc25A participates in the regulation of G1/S transition, whereas Cdc25B and Cdc25C regulate G2/M transition. [z3] Cdc25c has been specifically implicated in the activation of the CDK1-cyclinB1 complex by removing inhibitory phosphorylations at T14 and Y15, which advances the cell cycle from G2 to M phase. The overexpression of this protein has been seen to result in mitotic catastrophe in the cell due to premature mitosis. [E28] Therefore the expression and function of Cdc25C needs to be tightly regulated; and 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ plays a crucial role in this regulation. [E29] During the interphase, 14-3-3 proteins bind to Cdc25C and sequester it in the cytoplasm by occluding the NLS, preventing it from accessing the CDK1-cyclinB1 complex in the nucleus and thus in essence inactivating it. [E28] Dalal et. al. showed that though all the 14-3-3 proteins were able to carry out this function in vitro, only 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ and ÃŽ µ were found to bind to and thus inhibit Cdc25C in vivo. [] This binding however was found to require the phosphorylation of a specific serine residue at position 216 in human cells, usually carried out by TAK1 and other similar kinases. [E30, z4] Cdc25C is also known to be a target of the DNA replication and DNA damage checkpoints that exert their effects through the phosphorylation of S216 by kinases like Chk1 and Chk2. [z5, z6, z7] This phosphorylation thus generates a high-affinity motif that is able to bind to 14-3-3 proteins present in the cytosol. A schematic representation of this process is provided in the figure below. In the absence of 14-3-3 proteins, this regulation of Cdc25C is disrupted and a result, cells lose their ability to stop cycling upon loss of integrity of their DNA. To this effect, a study conducted by Hosing et. al. in 2008 showed that cells require 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ in order to maintain their ability to arrest cells in the S phase and the G2 phase checkpoint. [] This was proven by generating 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ knockdown cells, and studying their response to DNA damage. It was found that these cells were unable to arrest in G2, thus leading to an increase in premature chromatin condensation (PCC) as compared to the vector control. [] This was the first report suggesting that 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ modulates the cell cycle checkpoint response, through its negative regulation of cdc25C function. Role of 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ in desmosome assembly 14-3-3 isoforms were also not known to have any role to play in the assembly of desmosomes, until a serendipitous observation led to a study conducted by Sehgal et. al. This study demonstrated for the first time that 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ is required for desmosome formation. [] They showed that 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ is able to form complexes with the desmosomal proteins plakoglobin, desmoplakin and plakophilin 3. Their work led to the conclusion that 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ is essential for the recruitment of plakoglobin to the cell border; and that the loss of 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ leads to a decrease in desmosome formation. This translates to defective cell-cell adhesion in HCT 116 cells and sterility in male mice when this loss is manifested in the testis. [] These results are in agreement with the fact that 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ plays a role in the transport of proteins from the Golgi complex to the cell border, as previously reported by Valente et al. in 2012. [Z1] ATPase activity of 14-3-3 proteins The notion that 14-3-3 proteins may possess an ATPase function evolved through a series of studies. The first of these was reported in a paper in 1993 by Hachiya et. al., who had isolated a protein from the rat liver cell cytosol, called the mitochondrial import stimulation factor (MSF). [] This factor was found to modulate the conformation of aggregated proteins and stimulate their import into the mitochondria in an ATP-dependent manner, much like the Hsp70 chaperone molecule. Ensuing studies by the same group led to the cloning of cDNA sequences encoding the large and small rat MSF subunits; and based on these cDNA sequences, it was deduced that the MSF peptides belong to the 14-3-3 family. [] This was thus the first time the ability to hydrolyse ATP was attributed to a 14-3-3 protein. In 1997, Yano et. al. probed further and asked whether the 14-3-3 family of proteins were also capable of the reverse reaction i.e. ATP synthesis; and found that native 14-3-3 proteins isolated from human lymphoblastoma cells as well as recombinant 14-3-3 Ï„ exhibited the ability to generate ATP from ADP. [] This activity resembled that of the enzyme nucleoside diphosphate-kinase. It was then speculated that ATP synthesis and hydrolysis may play a role in regulating the interaction of 14-3-3 proteins with their substrates. Subsequently, in 2006, Yano et. al. also showed that 14-3-3 ÃŽ ¶ acts as a molecular chaperone under heat shock conditions, dissolving thermally-aggregated proteins, also in an ATP-dependent manner. [] This stress-related function is said to differ from the role of MSF as previously described, since in that case, the protein activity is limited to the transport of newly synthesized proteins into the mitochondria. This finding thus represented another part of the puzzle that is the multi-functional nature of 14-3-3 proteins. Despite these reports however, the ATPase activity of 14-3-3 proteins had not commanded much attention from researchers, until recently Ramteke et. al. in 2014 demonstrated unequivocally, using 14-3-3 ÃŽ ¶ as a model, that these proteins possess an intrinsic ATP-hydrolysing function. [] They also studied the putative residues essential to this activity and found that in their model, the mutation of the Asp at residue 124 to Ala (D124A) resulted in a significant increase in the rate of ATP hydrolysis, while the mutation of Arg 55 to Ala caused a partial loss of function. ATPase activity of 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ As a part of the same study, Ramteke et. al. decided to test whether the other 14-3-3 isoforms also displayed similar properties; and they found that with the exception of 14-3-3 ÏÆ', all the other isoforms, including 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³, showed intrinsic ATPase activity. [] Interestingly, it was found that in case of the ÃŽ ³ isoform, the mutation of the conserved Asp, found at position 129 to Ala (D129A) led to an over two-fold gain in ATPase function, reflecting that the binding of this mutant to ATP is probably either more energetically or sterically favourable. [] The authors of this paper were however unable to comment on the functional relevance of the ATPase activity of 14-3-3 proteins. These results however provide an impetus to further studies on physiological significance of ATP hydrolysis, with respect to individual 14-3-3 isoforms.

Theories Of Punishment Understanding Deviance

Theories Of Punishment Understanding Deviance The classical school represented by the works of Jeremy Bentham and Cesare Beccaria assumes that the rational decision is always the decision that will maximise gain and minimise pain for each individual: the felicitation principle that lies behind the penal policy of deterrence. Hence, if the actor is rational, the state can influence any given decision by ensuring that the system of investigating criminal activity will swiftly detect the person responsible and the system of law enforcement through courts will dispense sufficient pain to each offender so that there will be both specific deterrence (i.e. that a particular offender will never choose to break the law again), and general deterrence (other potential criminals, observing the punishment of the one offender, will be deterred from following in his or her footsteps.  [1]  ) The Neoclassical School continues to adopt the traditional view that the punishment imposed by the state for the crime should reflect deterrence. However, they depart from the original theory by increasing the severity of sentences and limiting judicial discretion. This emphasises the social value of punishment rather than seeing punishment as an offenders just deserts in a system of retributive justice. It uses the offender as a symbol through which to send a message to society, rather than as a human being who should be judged on his or her own merits. It abandons the idea of proportionality between severity of punishment with the gravity of offence committed by the offender. This view has certain moral implications and high costs in maintaining a prison system for an increased number of prisoners. (Something which a third world country like ours could not certainly afford). Research has consistently shown that certainty of arrest rather than severity of punishment is the major det errent. According to Clarke crime is a purposive behaviour designed to meet the offenders common place needs for such things as money, status, sex, excitement, and that meeting these needs involves the making of (sometimes quite rudimentary) decisions and choices, constrained as they are by limits of time and ability and the availability of relevant information. i.e. offenders make decisions that appear rational to themselves, and they can be persuaded not to engage in crime. Through Rational Choice Theory, Cornish and Clarke  [2]  describe crime as an event that occurs when an offender decides to take risk by breaking the law after considering his or her own need for money, personal values or learning experiences and how well a target is protected, how affluent the neighbourhood is or how efficient the local police are. Before committing a crime, the reasoning criminal weighs the chances of getting caught, the severity of the expected penalty, the values to be gained by committing the act, and his or her immediate need for that value. The intention is to increase the perceived risks of apprehension, or reduce the anticipated rewards for a crime, or remove the excuses to compliance with the law. The intention would be to design out crime, i.e. to make the disincentives to the commission of crime consistently outweigh the potential benefits. This would involve concerted efforts by the manufacturers of standard equipment less prone to theft, to design b etter security systems so that stolen goods cannot be used without a PIN or can be otherwise tracked. It also involves the adoption of surveillance technology to tag goods in stores electronically, install camera systems to monitor behaviour, improve street lighting, have more police officers on patrol, assist householders to improve their home security, etc. A co-ordinated strategy would potentially prevent more crime and so be more cost effective than imprisoning the few offenders that are currently apprehended. This theory is predicated on the assumption that humans have set of hierarchically ordered preferences, or utilities. By reducing the opportunities for the commission of crimes and target hardening, i.e. making it more difficult to break into houses or to steal from shops, and encouraging more authority figures to assume responsibility, potential offenders will be deterred. There is, however, some criticism that better protecting one area will simply displace crime into a less protected area but the evidence is yet equivocal on whether such displacement does occur. The main problem, still remains in re-ordering the political priorities away from a penal-orientation and in favour of a prevention strategy. At present many states have invested heavily in the former and see no immediate need to change their policies. To further understand the concept of deviance, the differential association theory is probably the best known Interactionist theory of deviance. This theory focuses on how people learn to be criminals, but does not concern itself with why they become criminals. Sutherland was following the tradition of Gabriel Tarde who argued that criminals were ordinary people who learned criminal behaviour through imitation of those with whom they interacted. Sutherland refined this proposition by requiring that the interaction occur in intimate groups, where the level of communication is more personal. They learn how to commit the crime; they learn motives, drives, rationalisations, and attitudes. George Herbert Mead had developed the idea of the self as a social construct, i.e. a persons self-image is continuously being constructed and reconstructed in interaction with other people. People define their lives by reference to their experiences, and then generalize those definitions to provide a framework of reference for deciding on future action. From a researchers perspective, a subject might view the world very differently if employed rather than unemployed, if in a supportive family or abused by parents. Hence, individual might respond differently to the same situation depending on how their experience predisposes them to define their current surroundings. A wallet might be found on the street. One individual might see an opportunity for altruism, returning missing property to its owner. The other might see an opportunity for self-enrichment. Differential association predicts that an individual will choose the criminal path when the balance of definitions for law-breaking exceeds those for law-abiding. This tendency will be reinforced if social association provides role models of significance to the actor. This does not deny that there may be practical motives for crime. If a person is hungry but has no money, there is a temptation to steal. However, needs and values are equivocal. To a greater or lesser extent, both non-criminal and criminal are motivated by the need for money and social status. Frustration and boredom may be felt by all. Edward Sutherland and his students, Donald Cressey in particular, became the tenacious champions of the arguments that deviance is a way of life passed from generation to generation. First advanced in 1924, his theory of differential association attempted to make systematic the thesis that crime and deviation are culturally transmitted in social groups. It holds that criminal behaviour is learned in interaction with other people, especially in personal intimate settings, in a process of communication. Learning is held to embrace techniques of committing the crime and the direction of drives, motives, attitudes, and definitions of law. It was argued that a person will become criminal if he or she is exposed to an excess of definitions favourable to the violation of law over definitions unfavourable to violation of law, the process itself being described as differential association. Such differential association will be affected by variations in frequency, duration, priority, and inten sity. Sutherland supposed the learning of criminal behaviour to involve all the social and psychological mechanisms at work in other learning. Finally he claimed that although criminal behaviour is an expression of general needs and values, it is not explained by those general needs and values because non-criminal behaviour is also an expression of those same needs and values.  [3]   Finally the social disorganization theory(Chicago school) will clear the whole concept of deviance and delinquencies. Anthropology, the science of man has been mainly concerned with the study of primitive peoples. But civilized man is quite as interesting an object of investigation, and at the same time his life is more open to observation and study. Urban life and culture are more varied, subtle and complicated, but the fundamental motives are in both instances the same. Most sociology departments are inattentive to the physical and social contexts in which they exist. But the Chicago sociology was to become the sociology of Chicago itself, a detailed anthropological mapping of the social territories that made the city.  [4]  Urban life resembled a phantasmagoria, a welter of shifting scenes and identities; where everything is in a state of agitation everything seems to be undergoing a change. Society is, apparently, not much more than a congeries and constellation of social at oms. They maintained that knowledge resided neither in properties of the world alone nor in properties of the observer alone. Facts, it was held, not self-evident. They are selected and interpreted by the mind that surveys them. People with different perspectives and different problems will not see exactly the same phenomena. Thus the meaning of food will not be identical for the chef, the waiter, and the guest at meal. It will shift in response to the peculiar dealings which one has with the object. But that shift is not wholly dependent on the whim of the contemplating intelligence. The imagination is not free to create anything which it may choose to devise. It is constrained by the capacity of the world to answer back and impose itself upon thought.  [5]  Hence it came about that pragmatism placed effective knowledge in a transaction between the observer and the environment which he observed: the knowledge was no longer defined as a state or as a condition but as a process, an action. It proceeded from experiences in the world. Experience was to become elevated to a pre-eminent position: it was a guarantee of valid knowledge. Formal speculation was regarded as a pallid and misleading substitute for personal acquaintance with phenomena. It is the personal experience of those best qualified in our circle of knowledge to have experience, to tell us what is. Now what does thinking about the experience of those persons come to, compared to directly and personally feeling it as they feel it? The philosophers are dealing in shades, while those who live and feel know truth.  [6]  The real world was the experience of actual man and women and not abbreviated and shorthand descriptions of it that we call knowledge. The business of research is to understand the social world, and the social world is itself manufactured by the practical experience of those who live in it. Practical experiences themselves are responses to situations and problems, and they change as those problems change. Sociology is not devoted to the study of states but of process, of things and people in change. It must be so organized that it can observe and report processes over time. It must also be so organized that it can reach those processes practically and not by surmise and logic alone. The most effective research strategy is one that requires sociologists to participate personally in the world which they would analyse. Without such participation, knowledge is not experience but an uncertain commentary on experience. City life and urbanization were analysed by a collection of master forms which had been borrowed from biology. They were represented as the workings of an ecological order. Ecology is an emphasis on the patterns and organized changes which are produced by different species living together in the same physical territory. Whatever else men are, they are also animals, and as such they exhibit the effects of physical aggregation and of their habitat.  [7]  People are quite capable of detaching themselves from their own territories; they display rational behaviour; they can organise themselves into institutions which impose a distinct order; their works are modified by an elaborate technology; their activities are shaped by conscious planning; and they are governed by a symbolism which interprets and changes what they do. The city is not merely an artefact, but an organism. Its growth is, fundamentally and as a whole, natural, i.e. uncontrolled and un-designed. The forms it tends to a ssume are those which represent and correspond to the functions it is called upon to perform. The emergence of Chicago itself was explained by what came to be known as the zonal hypothesis, the contention that cities evolve in a series of concentric zones of activity and life. At the very centre is the business district which is typified by a small residential population and high property values. About it is a zone of transition whose population is fluid and poor, whose housing is deteriorating and whose stability is threatened by the encroaching business district. About that zone, in turn, are areas of working-class housing, middle-class housing, and, on the fringes, suburbia. Each zone is itself composed of diverse natural areas which abut on one another. They are natural because they are not entirely intended, because they manifest a rough correspondence to the territorial division of species in nature. It was found that there was massive concentration of pathological behaviour in the zone in transition. Partly because of its great visibility, such behaviour appeared to be confined to a limited territorial belt. Within that belt there was a piling-up of all those phenomena that are conventionally identified as social problems: mental disorder, prostitution, suicide, alcoholism, infant mortality, juvenile delinquency, crime, disease and poverty. The incidence of pathology could be plotted with data collected from court records, census reports, and special surveys. Deviance may have been present elsewhere but it was hugely conspicuous in the transitional zone. The Zone in transition was taken to be unruly. It housed people who were unaccustomed to one another, to city life, and to America. Lacking substantial resources and deserting much that had been familiar, they were required to establish a way of life in a difficult and shifting environment. One of the prime problems which they faced was the sheer array of different worlds around them. When the inner composition and external relations of those worlds appeared unstable, the whole invited the descri ption of social disorganisation. Disorganization was a face of moral dissensus: the degree to which the members of a society lose their common understandings, i.e. the degree to which consensus is undermined, is the measure of a societys state of disorganization.  [8]  Disorganization also characterized the fragmented, the fluid, and the anonymous elements of urban life: contacts are extended, heterogeneous groups mingle, neighbourhoods disappear, and people, deprived of local and family ties, are forced to live under loose, transient and impersonal relations.  [9]   Integral to the conception of disorganization was the companion idea of weak social control. Those who stressed internal disorder could cite numerous obstructions to social control. Moral habits could not be properly implanted. People were neither effectively curbed, nor could they curb one another. They did not know each other well, formed few commitments to the area or to its population, were confused by moral diversity, and were loath to intervene in the affairs of their fellows. Morality could not be taken for granted. It became relativistic and circumstantial, readily adapted for selfish purposes, permitted the evolution of extenuating accounts. More particularly, its influence could not extend very far. Those entitled to exercise moral claims were confined to the family and immediate neighbours, all other becoming moral strangers.  [10]  Their lives had been punctuated by cultural discontinuities which became especially taxing for the second generation. Morally displaced, e conomically and politically peripheral, they might innovate new modes of social organization. Most typically they created a social order which corresponded to neither the old world nor the new but was a shifting amalgam of both.  [11]  They also improvised new styles of behaviour and morality which could well embrace delinquency as a possible solution to the dilemmas of exclusion and impotence.  [12]  Crime and delinquency were, thus, explained principally by the effects of the isolation of certain natural areas. They became a kind of surrogate social order, an alternative pattern, which replaced the workings of conventional institutions.  [13]  Their forms were themselves explained as a functional response to deprivation, to the social and moral structures imported by immigrants, and to the experience of growing up in the inner city. Deprived of political control and economic resources, first and second generation immigrants produced their own shadow politics and shadow economy. Children raised in the crowded zone in transition led an intensely public life, playing with others on the street, forming into small groups which eventually crystallized into gangs. Such exposure placed the child under constant surveillance from others. From an early age he was awarded a communal identity and reputation. In an insecure social environment, the preservation of reputation acquired strategic importance. What is significant is the persistence of tradition in the zone in transition. Ideas of conduct are passed on from generation to generation of boys living the public lives of the street; traditions of delinquency are preserved and transmitted through the medium of social contact with the unsupervised play group and the more highly organized delinquent and criminal gangs.  [14]   Theories of punishment Each society has its own way of social control for which it frames certain laws and also mentions the sanctions with them. These sanctions are nothing but the punishments. In primitive society punishment was left to the individuals wronged or their families, and was vindictive or retributive: in quantity and quality it would bear no special relation to the character or gravity of the offence. Ordinarily there would arise the idea of proportionate punishment, of which the characteristic type is an eye for an eye. The second stage was punishment by individuals under the control of the state, or community; in the third stage, with the growth of law, the state took over the primitive function and provided itself with the machinery of justice for the maintenance of public order. Henceforward crimes are against the state, and the exaction of punishment by the wronged individual is illegal (compared to the earlier lynch law). Even at this stage the vindictive or retributive character of punishment remains, but gradually, and especially after the humanist government under thinkers like Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham, new theories began to emerge. Two chief trains of thought have combined in the condemnation of primitive theory and practice. On the one hand the retributive principle itself has been very largely superseded by the protective and the reformative; on the other punishment s involving bodily pain have become objectional to the general sense of society. Consequently corporal and even capital punishment occupy a far less prominent position, and tend everywhere to disappear. It began to be recognized also that stereotyped punishments, such as belonging to penal codes, fail to take due account of the particular condition of an offence and the character and circumstances of the offender. A fixed fine, for example, operates very unequally on rich and poor. With new criminological developments, particularly in the field of penology, it has been generally accepted that punishment must be in proportion to the gravity of the offence. It has been further suggested that reformation of criminal rather than his expulsion from society is more purposeful for his rehabilitation. With this aim in view, the modern penologists have focused their attention on individualization of offender through treatment methods. Today, old barbarous methods of punishment such as mutilation, branding, hanging, burning, stoning, flogging, amputation, starving the criminal to death or subjecting him to pillory or poetic punishment, etc. are completely abandoned  [15]  . Pillory was a method of corporal punishment under which the offender was subjected to public ridicule by exposing him to punishment in public places. Different poetic punishments were provided for different crimes. For example, cutting off hands for theft, taking off tongue for the offence of perjury, emasculation for rape, shaving off the head of a woman in case she committed a sex-crime or whipping her in public street and similar other modes were common forms of poetic punishment during the middle ages. Modern penologists have substituted new forms of penal sanctions for the old methods of sentencing. The present modes of punishment commonly include imposition of monetary fines, segregation of the offender temporarily or permanently through imprisonment or externment or compensation by way of damages from the wrong-doer in case of civil injury. The credit for introducing these penological changes goes to eminent criminologists, like Beccaria, Garofalo, Ferri, Tarde, Bentham, and o thers who formulated sound principles of punishment and made all out efforts to ensure rehabilitation of offenders so as to make them useful member of society once again. Garofalo strongly recommended transportation or banishment of certain types of offenders who had to be segregated from society. Modern penal systems, however, limit the punishment of transportation within the homeland so that potentiality of prisoners is utilized within the country itself. Of late, open jails, parole or probation are being intensively used for long-termers so that they can earn their livelihood while in the institution.  [16]   Though opinions have differed, as regards punishment of offenders varying from age-old traditionalism to recent modernism, broadly speaking four types of views can be distinctly found to prevail. Modern penologists prefer to call them theories of punishment, which are, The Deterrent theory; The Retributive theory; The Reformative theory; and The Preventive theory. Off late however, there has been the re-emergence of the Retributive theory in a diluted form and this is called as the Expiatory theory which was mainly in vogue in Ancient India and erstwhile Europe. Deterrent theory Earlier modes of punishment were, deterrent in nature. This kind of punishment presupposes infliction of severe penalties on offenders with a view to deterring them from committing crime. The founder of this theory, Jeremy Bentham, based his theory of determine on the principle of hedonism which said that a man would be deterred from committing a crime if the punishment applied was swift, certain and severe. This theory considers punishment as an evil, but is necessary to maintain order in the society. The deterrent theory also seeks to create some kind of fear in the mind of others by providing adequate penalty and exemplary punishment to offenders which keeps them away from criminality. Thus the rigor of penal discipline acts as a sufficient warning to offenders as also others. Therefore, deterrence is undoubtedly one of the effective policies which almost every penal system accepts despite the fact that it invariably fails in its practical application. Deterrence, as a measure of punishment particularly fails in case hardened criminals because the severity of punishment hardly has any effect on them. It also fails to deter ordinary criminals because many crimes are committed on the spur of the moment without any prior intention or design. The futility of deterrent punishment is evinced from the fact that quite a large number of hardened criminals return to prison soon after their release. They prefer to remain in prison rather than leading a free life in society. Thus the object underlying deterrent punishment is unquestionably defeated. This view finds support from the fact that when capital punishment was being publicly awarded by hanging the person to death in public places, many persons committed crimes of pick-pocketing, theft, assault or even murder in those men-packed gatherings despite the ghastly scene. Suffice it to say that the doctrine concerning deterrent punishment has been closely associated with the primitive theories of crime and criminal responsibility. In earlier times, crime was attributed to the influence of evil spirit or free-will of the offender. So the society preferred severe and deterrent punishment for the offender for his act of voluntary perversity which was believed to be a challenge to God or religion.  [17]   The punishment ought to be a terror to evil-doers and an awful warning to all others who might be tempted to imitate them. This contention finds support in Benthams observation, who said:- General prevention ought to be the chief end of punishment. An unpunished crime leaves the path of crime open, not only to the same delinquent but also to all those who may have some motives and opportunities for entering upon ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ we perceive that punishment inflicted on the individual becomes source of security for allà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Punishment is not to be regarded as an act of wrath or vengeance against a guilty individual who has given way to mischievous inclinations, but as an indispensable sacrifice to the society. Bentham, however, believed that offenders must be provided an opportunity for reformation by the process of rehabilitation. From this point of view, his theory may be considered forward looking as it was more concerned with the consequences of punishment rather than the wrong done, which being a post, cannot be altered.  [18]   Retributive Theory Retribution is the practice of getting even with a wrongdoer-the suffering of the wrongdoer is seen as good in itself, even if it has no other benefits. One reason for societies to include this judicial element is to diminish the perceived need for street justice, blood revenge and vigilantism. Retribution sets an important standard on punishment the transgressor must get what he deserves, but no more. Therefore, a thief put to death is not retribution; a murderer put to death is. In old times when a man injured another, it was considered to be the right of the injured person to take revenge on the person causing injury. Since the formulation of the Hammurabis Code, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth has been accepted by the general public that is the criminal deserves to suffer. Later this stance changed, Adam Smith, who is credited as the father of Welfare Economics, wrote extensively about punishment. In his view, an important reason for punishment is not only deterrence, b ut also satisfying the resentment of the victim. Moreover, in the case of the death penalty, the retribution goes to the dead victim, not his family. One great difficulty of this approach is that of judging exactly what it is that the transgressor deserves. For instance, it may be retribution to put a thief to death if he steals a familys only means of livelihood; conversely, mitigating circumstances may lead to the conclusion that the execution of a murderer is not retribution. The adherents of retributive theory, that punishment satisfies the feeling of revenge, are few in number. As has been observed by Lee, An act which is described as a crime today was looked upon as a private wrong previously. The wronged party and not the State or that which stood for the State brought suit. Professor Gillin  [19]  quotes many illustrations of the working of private vengeance. Citing an instance of punishment for adultery in ancient Germany he observers: Its punishment is instant and at the pleasure of the husband. He cuts off the hair of the offender, strips her and in the presence of her relations expels her from the house and pursues her with strips though the whole village. Salmond as regards the theory observes: Conception of retributive justice still retains a prominent place in popular thought. It flourishes also in the writings of the theologians and of those imbued with theological modes of thought and even among the philosophers it does not lack advocates. Kant, for example, expresses the opinion that punishment cannot rightly be inflicted for the sake or any benefit to be derived from it either by the criminal himself or by the society and that the sole and sufficient reasons and justification of it lies in the fact that evil has been done to him who suffers it. The death sentence has been used as an effective weapon of retributive justice for centuries. The justification advanced is that it is lawful to forfeit the life of a person who takes away anothers life. A person who kills another must be eliminated from the society and, therefore, fully merits his execution.  [20]  On the same lines, in the case of the Chopra children murder case where the Honble Supreme Court while upholding the death sentence observed as follows: The survival of an orderly society demands the extinction of the life of persons like Ranga and Billa who are a menace to social order and security. They are professional murderers and deserve no sympathy even in terms of the evolving standards of decency of a maturing soc

Outsourcing Jobs To Foreign Countries Essay -- Outsourcing Globalizati

Outsourcing Jobs to Foreign Countries Due to the lack of employment in foreign countries, companies that outsource work overseas are not only beneficial to themselves but also to the service providers being employed. The initial benefit that catches the public’s eye from outsourcing is a cost reduction on the company’s part. But that is not the only benefit from outsourcing or even the key benefit that causes companies to outsource, on the other hand, outsourcing has its disadvantages as well. Outsourcing, like every developing idea being implemented into our economy, has its pitfalls and drawbacks such as staff cuts and information leaks, there are also cases of breach of contract. Despite all the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing, it is a wheel in motion and is becoming more than just a question of whether or not a company will outsource but it is a question of how much or how little of the company’s work will be outsourced offshore. This having been said; let us discuss the benefits an d pitfalls of offshore outsourcing. Companies not only benefit from cost reductions overseas or the ability of the company to specialize in one area of expertise but also outsourcing certain work lets designers and engineers focus on more important tasks. To illustrate, â€Å"In Calcutta, India, a team of engineers is designing bottle caps ... Back home in Indiana, a team of engineers that used to design the same bottle caps now focuses on more value-added engineering work since some of their design responsibilities have been taken away.† (Katz, J., 2006). Outsourcing from the start was initiated to reduce non-core tasks, such as inventory management and logistics from the already full list of tasks appointed to company heads, â€Å"not an ... ...g. There is an undeniable fact here, that outsourcing is no longer just a strategy to succeed but a tactic used in everyday business. References Carnevale, Dan. "Technology Companies Bring Outsourcing Home.(Rural Sourcing Inc.)." The Chronicle of Higher Education 52.31 (April 7, 2006): NA. InfoTrac OneFile. Thomson Gale. Apollo Group. 9 July 2006. Katz, J. (2006). LEARNING TO LET GO. Industry Week/IW, 255(7), 31-34. Retrieved Sunday, July 09, 2006 from the Academic Search Premier database. Panchak, P. (2006). Next-Generation Outsourcing. Industry Week/IW, 255(7), 11-11. Retrieved Sunday, July 09, 2006 from the Academic Search Premier database. "The outsourcing source book. (the pros and cons of outsourcing) (Productivity in the '90s)." Journal of Business Strategy 14.n3 (May-June 1993): 52(5). InfoTrac OneFile. Thomson Gale. Apollo Group. 9 July 2006

Essay --

Introduction We are experiencing unprecedented rates of biodiversity loss. 60% of the ecosystem services (such as freshwater, fisheries, pollination and climate regulation) which biodiversity underpins are either degraded or in decline. Predictions are that this trend will worsen. It is clear that it has severe economic implications, not only for society but also for business as most industries depend on ecosystem services to function. The pharmaceutical sector is both dependent on and impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services or BES. Approximately 25% to 50% of the pharmaceutical market is derived from active ingredients from nature. The sector’s dependence on the BES stems from the use of active ingredients from nature in drug discovery and manufacture, the use of water and a reliance on inert raw materials such as fish oils, soya and palm oil in drug manufacturer. Impacts include water pollution from drug manufacturing and use, overexploitation of active ingredients from nature that can’t readily be synthesized and use of inert ingredients linked with environmental degradation. For the pharmaceutical sector, this may pose reputational, operational, regulatory and market risks as well as new opportunities linked to new drug discovery. Pharmaceutical industry investors may also face reputational and financial risks if the companies in which they invest do not adequately manage their own BES risks. All companies reviewed have started to consider the business implications of declining BES. However, none are managing the BES in a comprehensive manner. The focus of corporate activity has been on understanding site-level impacts on biodiversity such as risks associated with potential impacts on protected areas or water consump... ...e to determine company risk exposure in relation to BES. Lack of information on how companies are managing their risks and opportunities leads to decreased investor confidence. Companies should be encouraged to disclose more information on volume, nature and provenance of raw materials sourced, the outcomes of products and issue risk assessments and the activities underway to address them, if that assessment shows them to be material. References †¢ http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/index.html †¢ file:///C:/Users/De/Desktop/Media_release_-_pharmaceutical_companies_face_biodiversity_risk.pdf †¢ http://www.naturalvalueinitiative.org/content/010/102.php †¢ http://www.cefic.org/Documents/IndustrySupport/RC%20tools%20for%20SMEs/Document%20Tool%20Box/Biodiversity-and-Ecosystem-services_What-are-they-all-about.pdf †¢ Biodiversity and Human Health By Jensa Bell

Master’s Degree and Medical Science Essay

I am writing to you because I want you to know that I admire your school and your teachings. I am seeking admission to your Master Degree Program in Medical Science, which is provided by the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. My passion and dedication for helping others in our community has strongly influenced my decision to gain admission to your university. Another reason why I want to attend your university is my grandpa. He is the one person who inspired me the most to apply to your school because he wants me to achieve the highest education possible at one of the top schools in North Carolina. My main goals are to help and provide care for our community in North Carolina. I feel that your program in Medical Science at the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill is an excellent institution for the career skills I seek. The major I want to complete is Masters in Science (medical) in becoming a Physician Assistant. I looked into your program deeper and the university has six programs that can assist me in becoming a Physician Assistant. I truly feel that my calling in life is to help people in the medical field. I understand that in order to achieve my goal of a Master’s Degree requires hard work and being focused. That is why I choose to take the transfer program before applying to a university such as yours. I wanted to make sure that this is the course I wanted to pursue before diving into the fast pace life of a big university. If I had to describe myself in word it would be focused; because I want to achieve my Master’s in Medical science. I am a moldable person and my quest of learning all that can be taught would aid any professor’s in teaching and  helping me achieve my major. I am a student that wants to learn the lecture. Hard working is another good skill of mine because I have to work hard if I want to excel in my classes and in my career. Professors would want to teach me because they are helping me further my education and helping me in following my dreams. Plus I am excited to learn about new subjects and knowledge that will help out in the real world. Student life on campus would be new to me. I currently stay at home and attend Sandhills Community College transfer program. I am eager to spread my wings and soak in the â€Å"campus life.† I am not a disruptive individual in the classroom or outside of class. I would enjoy the atmosphere of the classes and the diverse group that attend these classes with me. I am very respectful of other people and would not treat anyone how I would not want to be treated. My mom installed in me years earlier the saying â€Å"Don’t start nothing and there won’t be nothing.† I understand that in some courses that you just have a need for study groups. These groups are beneficial to everyone that attends them. A different prospective on subjects are important to realizing all there is to that particular subject. I understand that when you attend this level of school the hand holding by teachers is over. It is your job to attend classes, pay attention and do the material that is required by that professor. If accepted into the master’s program at UNC I fully intend to participate in school functions that are asked of me. Also, attend those that have special meaning to me. I am fully prepared to give a 100% effort in making UNC better in any way possible. Being able to say that I achieved my master’s degree from UNC is a source of great pride and I wouldn’t do anything to tarnish that or the school. I am looking forward to the day when I look out over the crowd, while being handed my degree, and seeing the smiles of my family. That would be a proud moment for me, my family and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. The fact that you help prepare another student by teaching and securing the most up to date knowledge provided in that field of study; then in turn that student working, studying and passing the curriculum. The reward being a Master’s Degree in Medical Science, I can’t wait!