Evolution of Computer Technology

Several centuries have been taken toward the development of inventions made by different people into modern forms. Single inventors rarely bring out modern invention. What we have now as electronic devices (the computers) are inventions of several scientists, mathematicians and engineers from different centuries. For the purpose of this mini research key terms like evolution, technology and computer shall be considered, not forgetting to take a careful look at the evolution of these inventions from different centuries/years to our present generation starting from the earliest known device.The characteristics of these devices from generation to generation and their classification according to sizes, functions and uses shall also be discussed. DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS Evolution: Evolution is a gradual development that occurs in a particular place or thing. Technology: This is the use of mechanical arts and applied science. Technology here refers to systems, methods of organization and t echniques. Computer:A computer is a programmable mechanical device that accepts information or inputs, stores and manipulates data and brings out the result or output in numerical format.COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM A general purpose computer has four major components namely: arithmetic and logic unit (ALU), control unit, memory and input/output devices. These parts are interconnected by buses often made of groups of wires. ARITHMETIC AND LOGIC UNIT (ALU) This unit carries out arithmetic and logic operations. According to Stokes (2007), the set of arithmetic operations that a particular arithmetic and logic unit supports may be limited to adding and subtracting or might include multiplying or dividing functions ( sine, cosine, etc) and square roots.While others represent real numbers with the use of floating point, some can only operate on whole numbers (integers) albeit, with limited precision. Arithmetic operation could be carried out by any programmed computer. Logic operation can be useful both for creating complicated conditional statements and processing Boolean logic. THE CONTROL UNIT The control unit which is often called a control system or central controller, manages the computer’s various components. It reads and interprets (decodes) the program instructions, transforming them into a series of control signals which activate other parts of the computer.In order to improve performance, the control system in advanced computer may change the order of some instructions. FUNCTION OF THE CONTROL SYSTEM It reads the codes for the next instruction from the cell indicated by the program counters. It decodes the numerical code for the instruction into a set of commands or signals for each of the other systems. Whatever data the instruction requires from cells in memory are read by the control system. Necessary data to an arithmetic and logic unit or register is also provided by the control system.If the instruction requires an ALU or specialized hard ware to complete, it instructs the hardware to perform the requested operation. It writes the results from the ALU back to a memory location or to a register or perhaps an output device. It could be observed that the sequence of operations gone through by the control unit to process an instruction is in itself like a short computer program. MEMORY The memory of a computer is seen as a list of cells into which numbers can be placed or read. Each cell has a numbered address and can store a single number.Anything such as numbers, letters can be represented by the information stored into the memory with equal ease. Software gives significance to what the memory sees as series of numbers. In almost all modern computers, each memory cell is set up to store binary numbers in gaps of 8bits or bytes. Each byte representing 256 different numbers (Stokes 2007). Several consecutive numbers may be used to store larger numbers. Computer memory is of two types or principal varieties: The Random Ac cess Memory (RAM) and Read Only Memory (ROM).Random Access Memory according to Inyang and Umoh (2003), is a part of primary memory that holds the programs being executed and the data to be worked upon. RAM also stores the result of a processed data, waiting to be transferred to output device or secondary storage device. It is a temporary memory and the content of RAM is erased when a computer is turned off and data stored in it can instantly be accessed. The storage of RAM is expressed in megabytes and its capacity or size limited. An area of RAM set aside for storage of most frequently accessed information is the CACHE memory.It is a temporary high speed data holding area between the memory and the central processing unit. RAM has four parts: the conventional memory which consist of the first 640KB of RAM, used by operating system and device drivers; Upper Memory Bound (UMB) located between 640KB and 1MB of RAM, used by device drivers: extended memory (XMS) which include direct acc ess memory above 1MB; and Expended memory: a special part of ram that is up to 32MB and exists outside the conventional memory. Read only memory (ROM) is preloaded with data and software that never changes, so the central processing unit (CPU) can only read it.ROM is typically used to store the computer’s initial start up instructions. It retains its data indefinitely. In a personal computer (PC), ROM contains a specialized program called the BIOS that orchestrates loading the computer’s operating system from the hard disc drive into RAM whenever the computer is turn on or reset. All of the required software may be stored in ROM in embedded computers which frequently do not have disc drives. Software stored in ROM is referred to as firmware because it is more like hardware than software. INPUT/OUTPUT DEVICEMeans by which information between the computer and outside world is exchanged is known as input/output. Peripheral includes input devices like keyboard and mouse, a nd output devices such as the display and printer. Hard disc drives, floppy disc drives and optical disc drives serve as both input and output devices. HISTORY OF COMPUTER Computer technology has changed today world to a global village. Since the field of computer is a vast sea, there are many options and benefits one can get from it. Internet is constant and rapidly growing source of information.People can get information or piece of required knowledge from any part of the world by just a few clicks on the websites. There is a rise in the need of more websites and knowledgeable sources as information is much easier to access. The early men counted by means of matching one set of object with another set. The history of modern computer begins with two separate technologies: automated calculation and programmability. The earliest known computing device was called ABACUS. It is the first counting device that was developed about 500BC (Umoh and Inyang, 2003).It is made up of wood and be ads. It has a role of any number of parallel wires, rods or grooves on or in slide of small beads or blocks. Strung beads which have different values were manually used to operate abacus. Bars were used in dividing the Abacus into two parts perpendicular to the rods. Bits moved in active position towards the bars and the ones towards the frame are ignored. Each bar signifies digits and least significant digits were on the right. Abacus was used in calculating (i. e. adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing) numbers by moving the bit complex.In the 9th century, the Persian Mathematician Abu, Abdullah Muhammad Bin Musa Al-Khwarizni developed the concept of a written process followed to achieve some goals, and published a book on the subject that gave us its modern name Algorithm. In 1623, Wilhelm Schikard, a German Scientist invented a machine that used eleven complete and six incomplete sprocketed wheels that could add and with the aid of logarithm tables, multiply and divide. M any inventions have taken several centuries to develop into the modern forms and modern inventions are rarely the product of a single inventor’s effort.Many people each added a small contribution towards the development of the bits and pieces of a computer (including the software). Each person in this work contributed a part towards the development of computers. In 1642, a 19year old French boy, a philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal invented a mechanical adding machine called a Mechanical Calculator. It is like a modern desk calculator and contains numbers of wheel and uses gear system to perform arithmetic operations. Computations are carried out by a process of integer counting.In 1801, Punch cards were invented by a French Weaver called Joseph Marie Jacquard. These Punch Cards allowed his loom to automatically weave intricate patterns. Different parts were used in storing different patterns of holes that produced different designs. Punch Cards are used in processin g information in computers. The fusion of automatic calculation with programmability produced the first recognized computers. Charles Babbage, British Mathematician and inventor, invented mechanical computing machine – Babbage’s Analytical Engine.In 1820, it carried out complex arithmetic operations and made decisions based on its own computations. It was self-controlled and had two important parts which are the storage unit with memory device and arithmetic unit known as the Mill. It was the world’s first digital computer. Babbage’s contributed the idea of conditional transfer which gave way to comparison of quantities and modification of programs. The idea of a sequence of punch cards to produce a more flexible design was borrowed from the Jacquard’s pattern weaving loom. It performed functions like additions, subtraction, division and multiplication.

Cola Wars Continue: Coke and Pepsi in 2010 Essay

Analysis of the US carbonated soft drinks (CSD) industry (a) Strategic issues The CSD market in the US (approx. $74 billion) is dominated by two concentrate manufacturers – namely Coke and Pepsi –. Both companies have been competing intensely since the 1970s, yet have thrived from this competition and have grown the business very profitably, as both have benefitted from the CSD market growth rates of around 10% p.a. until the early 2000s, when domestic consumption started to decline and in 2009 fell back to levels of 19901: U.S. Liquid consumption Trends (gallons/capita): 1970 Carbonated soft drinks 1990 2000 2009 22.7 46.9 53.0 46.0 U.S. Soft Drink Market Share (Unit Case Volume %): 1970 Coca-Cola Company PepsiCo, Inc 1990 2000 2009e 34.7 19.8 41.1 32.4 44.1 31.4 41.9 29.9 In order to understand the strategic issues of the concentrate manufacturers in the US market, an analysis of the CSD industry structure appears necessary. A practical tool for assessing strategic issues is Porter’s Five Forces, as this tool supports analyses of competition, as strategy is fundamentally about competition2. The model of Porter is an outside-in business unit strategy tool that analyses the attractiveness (value) of an industry structure, capturing the key elements of industry competition. Source: HBS case study ‘Cola Wars Continue: Coke and Pepsi in 2010’ May 26, 2011, Exhibit 1 Source: Porter, ‘Competitive Strategy’ Figure 1: Porter’s Five Forces Analysis Summary on figure 1 Barriers to entry are very high due to the following key factors: (1) anybody trying to break into the CSD market must compete with Coke’s and Pepsi’s combined market share of >75%; (2) the market leaders have – over decades – built up strategically critical supply, production and sales channels, which would require enormous investments for followers to copy and (3) the strong brand recognition in the market mainly developed via the cumulative effect of long-time advertising and the geographical availability of their products. Understanding the CSD industry and its competitive landscape and – given that the overarching goal of the concentrate manufacturers is to secure profitable growth – the primary strategic issue (central problem) for the concentrate manufacturers is the declining demand for CSDs, as these manufacturers have built their strategy over the decades on large volume production and distribution involving high amounts of investments (fixed assets) which are now (1) underutilized and (2) are not designed for alternative products (‘non-carb’). (b) Macro-environmental factors shaping the US CSD industry Since the early 2000s several macro-environmental factors have started re-shaping the US CSD industry. To obtain a full picture of the potential macro-environmental impact on this industry, I used the PESTLE framework. PESTLE stands for – Political, Economic, Sociological, Technological, Legal and Environmental. This framework is a tool for identifying, tracking, projecting and assessing macro-environmental trends and patterns which helps decision-making and to plan for future events. Figure 2: PESTLE Analysis Summary on figure 2 Based on the PESTLE analysis, 4 major trends that have already shaped respectively will continue to shape the current US CSD industry and influence the attractiveness of this industry are: (1) Shift in consumption  patterns towards healthier nutrition (non-carbs such as juices and juice drinks, sports and energy drinks and tea-based drinks but also bottled water) causing the CSD to fizzle (2) US Government fighting the US #1 health problem obesity by tightened nutrition guidelines and imposing taxes on CSDs (3) Increasing pricing power of emerging mass-merchandisers (e.g. Wal-Mart) posing a new threat to profitability for Coke, Pepsi and their bottlers (4) Non-carb market is open to new market entrants, as it is a stronger fragmented market not dominated by the ‘classical’ CSD companies (Coke, Pepsi, DPS, etc.) The PESTLE analysis also reveals that the change in the US CSD industry is not a one-timeimpact but rather an ongoing process: 2000s (early): start of a declining domestic consumption of CSDs 2005: new federal guidelines to fight obesity 2010: already 29 states introduced a ‘soda tax’ (c) Future attractiveness of the US CSD industry The US CSD industry will continue to be a very attractive market for the established players alone considering the size of the market and the strong position in the market of these players. The 3 A’s (Advertising, Addiction, Availability) continue to be the main purchasing criteria for consumers. Still these players will have to adapt their strategies to maintain market levels for CSDs. Possible strategic moves to act / react on the trends stated above should be based on the findings of the Five Forces Analysis and the PESTLE Analysis and could include: (1) Development of (approved by the US F&D Admin.) alternative sweeteners to reduce obesitycausing sugars (2) Compete on availability (through their impressive geographical reach) (3) Create a fragmented bottling network but give territorial exclusivity to bottlers as incentive to ‘grow the pie’ and use the bottling network as a competitive firewall (especially against massmerchandisers) (4) Escalate advertising sp ending to keep out entry Further market analysis can be carried out by using proven tools such as ’Ansoff’s Growth Strategy Matrix’ (market present vs. market future / product present vs. product future) or the brand analysis (brand strength = differentiation + relevance vs. brand stature = knowledge + esteem) but which I have not described in this report. The competition in the CSD industry is a stronghold between Coke and Pepsi with a few minor players together holding approx. 25% market share. Coke and Pepsi leverage their strong market position and build on economies of scale crowding out smaller players or – if necessary – acquire them. Competition between Coke and Pepsi is reciprocal, with both responding to each other’s strategy shifts. Most prominent were the development of diet and flavored varieties of CSDs. To further support the analysis of the future attractiveness of the US CSD industry, the following Force Field Analysis is useful, as it also reveals potential ‘restraining forces’ of change. As figure 3 shows, especially the market disruptions coming from domestic consumption of CSDs continuously declining have caught – to a certain extent – the ‘classical’ CSD companies by surprise, as they cannot respond to this development by standard measures – such as increasing advertisement or bringing new CSDs to the market – but are now facing a structural change in the beverage market with an uncertain outcome. Figure 3: Force Field Analysis The Force Field Analysis – as described in literature – is especially useful to identify â€Å"resistance to change†, providing a systematized framework that supports identify factors that hinder change (restraining forces) and factors that support change (driving forces). Kurt Lewin developed the principle, which is a significant contribution to the fields of social science, organizational development, process management, and change  management. (d) Potential impact of the four pressures (industry dynamics, globalization, risk and ethics) on the future attractiveness of the US CSD industry The insights gained from the analyses carried out under 1(a), 1(b) and 1(c) summarize the potential impact of the four pressures as follows: (1) Industry dynamics (defined as understanding how industries and companies change over time and understand their drivers of these changes): The environment in which CSD companies have been operating until the early 2000s was 5  characterized by competition but the industry dynamics tended to be ‘evolutionary’. The PESTLE analysis has shown, that since that time, market dynamics have dramatically picked up and several lasting disruptive changes (e.g. introduction of a ‘soda tax’) have happened. Subsequently this has had an impact on top and bottom line of the CSD industry (‘Cola Wars’ business case, Exhibit 3a). (2) Globalization (defined as when an industry globalizes, it undergoes structural shifts, so that the organizations within it find that their position in one country is significantly affected by their position in another country): Even if the aforementioned analyses are aimed to the US CSD industry, the data provided by the case study reveals that Coke’s share of US business in % of total global business is around 20% while Pepsi’s share is around 50%. The international business – in contrast to the US market – has been growing nicely given the strong population growth in emerging countries and the establishment of a ‘middle class’ in large nations such as India and China that can now afford CSDs. Coke has stronger benefitted from this growth as Pepsi has. This should give Coke further potential for economies of scale which should benefit bottom line considerably. (3) Risk (defined as the evaluation of levels of risk and reward attached to each potential business opportunity): The exposure of risk in the CSD industry – given that especially Coke and Pepsi (a) have a significant share of business in the single largest CSD market worldwide, which is the US and (b) rely on the success of a single type of product (carbonated soft drink) – is high. Impacts coming from macro-environmental factors – as shown in the PESTLE analysis – can be game changing for this industry, as already happening since the early 2000s. (4) Ethics (defined as a set of values and beliefs that do transcend cultures, time and economic conditions): Again stressing PESTLE, environmental protection has become one of these values that have affected the CSD industry and have at least forced the CSD companies to re-think their packaging strategy and in consequence potential changes in the production and bottling process. From the aforementioned I would draw, that industry dynamics has the major impact on the future attractiveness of the US CSD industry. General observations on using module concepts Engaging with theory and applying this to day-to-day business life has many advantages of which I would highlight: best quality: proven concepts efficiency: not to â€Å"re-invent the wheel† for free: applying theory in daily business life is – from an intellectual property stand point – basically not linked to any cost [except costs for implementation] The challenge left for every corporation is to understand, select and implement the theories, methods and tools that best suit their purpose. This requires experienced managers and experts that are capable of making use of theory to change practice. 1. Module concept I: Porter’s Five Forces Strategy is fundamentally about competition. Competition comes from many places. Therefore it is essential to carry out an ‘environmental scan’ in a systematic way. Porter Five Forces model is a proven outside-in business unit strategy tool that analyses the attractiveness (value) of an industry structure, capturing the key elements of industry competition. (a) Strengths of the framework Porter refers to these forces as the micro environment or line-of-business industry level (those forces that are close to the company and that drive the business). If changes happen in one of these forces, the company should re-assess their strategic position and – if required – take corrective action. Also it provides useful input for performing a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis. (b) Limitations of the framework The framework does not look at strategy from the inside-out. Consequently the view on core competencies on a company are ignored. I would have found it useful to understand where Coke has developed a competitive advantage vs. Pepsi and vice-versa. Therefore a SWOT analysis should always complement the Five Forces Analysis. Another critique I would make to the framework is the fact, that the 4 forces (1) entrants, (2) substitutes, (3) customers and (4) suppliers only relate to the center (competitors) but do not ‘interact’ among themselves. In the ‘Cola Wars’ e.g. the interaction between substitutes and customers would have been of interest. Last I would criticize the framework is not very useful for environments that are characterized by rapid, systemic and radical change which requires more flexible or emergent approaches to strategy formulation (this often happening with industries where disruptive innovation is foreseeable). This is also true for disruptions that give the possibility to create completely new markets (how to create uncontested market space and make the competition irrelevant)3. 2. Module concept II: PESTLE framework The PESTLE framework is a powerful tool and I used it to weigh up the wide range of factors in an organization’s environment that will impact on its strategy. Reading through the ‘Cola Wars’ business case it quickly became evident, that it is not one but several factors that are influencing the US CSD industry. PESTLE very much serves as a checklist of macro-environmental factors that can influence strategy. I personally prefer using the PESTLE framework in combination with the Force Field Analysis as I believe that PESTLE covers well the ‘driving forces’ of change but does not address the ‘restraining forces’. This becomes particularly evident in the analysis carried out under 1(c). (a) Strengths of the framework Similar to the Risk Management System, PESTLE provides a comprehensive ‘checklist’ of macro-environmental factors to make sure, that all ‘dimensions’ have been thought of and have been documented systematically. Also these factors can be classified as opportunities  and risks in the SWOT analysis as well as a risk register. Last but not least, PESTLE is easy to use and adaptable to any business. (b) Limitations of the framework Except for the stated under 2., I have not identified any major limitations of the framework, making it a tool I prefer working with. 3. Module concept III: Lewin’s Forces Field Analysis Lewin’s Force Field Analysis belongs to the great change management tools. He saw the drivers for and against change as a moving equilibrium and developed a way to analyse these drivers, giving birth to what he called a ‘force field analysis’. By knowing the driving and restraining forces of change, strategies can be developed to reduce the impact of the restraining forces and strengthen the driving forces. Even if the Force Field Analysis looks simple at a first glance, the following benefits are built into the system: Dynamics on action vs. reaction Allows different perspectives Highlights most critical matters (size of the arrow) (a) Strengths of the framework The Force Field Analysis complements the PESTLE framework as PESTLE covers well the ‘driving forces’ of change but does not address the ‘restraining forces’ in a structured or transparent manner. It is easy to use and adaptable to many situations in business. Especially I would like to highlight, that one has to put himself in the shoes of the other to understand drivers and restrainers for change. This can make a difference in outlining a strategy. (b) Limitations of the framework The Force Field Analysis is – different to e.g. a Risk Management System – by far not so sophistically developed. One generally starts the analysis on a white piece of paper with only very few supporting guidelines. ‘Checklists’ to avoid omissions of major drivers / restrainers are not known to me.

Human development the three domains Essay

They begin to form their own views such as which sports to play, which groups of friends to be included in, and what personal appearances are attractive. The development in thinking that happens during adolescence needs nurturing in order for it to develop. If an adolescent is not exposed to abstract concepts and ideas at home and in school, then this ability atrophies, and the teenager may grow up to be an adult who is a concrete thinker in most aspects of life (Huitt, W., & Hummel, J. 2003). The adolescent would not be able to make intelligent decisions about life in a modern society. Emotional and social domain states the changes in emotional communication, self -understanding, knowledge about other people, interpersonal skills, friendships, intimate relationships, and moral reasoning and behaviour. During adolescence, the changes of friendship occur, moving in the direction of intimacy and loyalty. Girl’s friendships place greater emphasis on emotional closeness, boys on status and mastery (Berk, 2003). Throughout adolescence the amount of time spent with friends increases. Teenagers enjoy spending time with their friends. They feel more understood and accepted by their friends. Less time is spent with parents. Female adolescent tend to place importance on attractiveness. Often causes of poor self-esteem are when teens do not perceive themselves as attractive. Typically, self-esteem increases during late adolescence as teens develop a better sense of who they are (University of Michigan Health System) (UMHS). A general example that clearly identifies all three domains including social/emotional, cognitive and physical is an adolescent who is playing a soccer tournament. Physically he is kicking the ball and running also he feels the pain on his leg when he kicks the ball. Cognitively he is thinking what if he misses the goal. In other words his full concentration is just on the ball. In terms of his emotional feeling he is feeling pressured and nervous. Socially he is communicating with the other players in his team. Therefore these examples clearly identifies the three domains are interrelated. The environment influences such as peers, family and education have shaped my life and have shaped my unique development. Peers have had a greater influence on shaping my life. The peer group is important because it helps a child learn social, friendship, loyalty, and values with other peers. Peers do have greater influence over matters of immediate lifestyle, such as musical tastes or leisure activities (Troll and Bengston, 1982 and Davies and Kandel, as cited in Robertson, 1989, p.84). Through out my life peers have always been important to me. As I grew older I spent more and more time in the company of my peers. Spending time with my peers I felt more connected. I chose peers who accept me and whom I share my attitudes and interests. I can trust my friends and we help each other out when we have problems. Friendship provides adolescents with a warm, close and trusting relationship (Santrock 2002). My peers have helped me to be more independent and confident. I was shy, quite, but by making friends I felt more comfortable and independent around them and around others. The family has the greatest impact on people’s life. From the moment of birth, children have and ascribed status in a subculture of race, class, ethnicity, religion, and region-all of which may strongly influence the nature of later social interaction and socialization. For example, the values and expectations that children learn depend very much on the social class of their parents (Robertson, 1989). I believe my family has had a lot of influence on shaping my development. In my relationships with my family we show respect for each other and we have values in our house. Most values that I hold have been my beliefs in religion. It was my parents who taught me the beliefs that god exists and today I am a strong believer of god. We have Hindu traditions that we celebrate together including Diwali (festival of lights). Through out high school I didn’t smoke, drink or get into drugs this is because of my close relationship with my family, healthy open communication and parental support. Research shows teens who have positive relationships with their parents are less likely to engage in various risk behaviours, including smoking, fighting and drinking (Santrock 2002). My family has also had a lot of influence on my dietary behaviour within my home environment. My parents are vegetarian and this has had a huge impact on my diet today. They have strongly emphasized no killing of animals. Education is another environmental influence that has shaped my development. Education is the systematic, formalized transmission of knowledge, skill, and values (Robertson, 1989). Through education I have learnt how to speak English which is my second language. Language has helped me to communicate with others and has helped me to introduce my self to a wider community of people. By going to school I have learnt a variety of facts and skills such as interacting with others. Through involvement in academic programs and campus life, students engaged in exploration that produces gains in knowledge and reasoning ability, revised attitudes and values, enhanced self-esteem and self knowledge, and preparation for a high-status career (Berk, 2007). Schools have also taught me habits of punctuality and obedience to authority, this has helped me through out my life. Through my education I have started to eat healthy food and exercise regularly as before I would eat a lot of processed and unhealthy food. (REF). Education has been an important opportunity to occupational and financial success. It has given me the ability to attend university and finish my certificate programme which will lead me to bachelor of nursing degree. To conclude its contextual influences that drives these three domains which are physical, cognitive and emotional/social domains, for example responsibility, environment, food, education, family, relationships and culture. These are used in everyday life. Berk, L.E. (2007). Development through the lifespan (4th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Robertson, I. (1989). Soialization. In society: A brief introduction. (pp. 69-93). New York: Worth. Santrock, J., (2002). Life-span development. (8th ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill.

Organizational behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Organizational behavior - Essay Example suffering from any negative experiences depression started to dominate the entire aspects of life. It is therefore, reflected on the scenarios of everyday activities. It can cause drastic changes in the daily activities such as eating, working, and even in sleeping. It feels so helpless and hopeless; and there are lack of confidence and focus on the daily activities, if mentally and physically weak. But it would be more advantageous if you work out on it with boost of happiness, and can be prevented by letting yourself busy with working in the daily endeavors. .Definitely positive feelings correspond to positive work. Conclusion In conclusion to this topic, feelings, emotions, and moods affect the whole system of our body, physical and emotional aspects of our behavior. Some of our great philosophers like Aristotle, Plato and other philosophers are best examples of achievers who definitely known for their works because they have positive emotions that lead them to motivation, strengt hs and desire to succeed. Reference Psychology Information Online, (1993). What is a depressive order? Retrieved from http://www.psychologyinfo.com/depression/description.html

Improve of technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Improve of technology - Essay Example ngth premeditated to identify hair, body fluids, and fiber at felony sites, these lights consent to crime landscape to be processed systematically and faster. Sites previously out-of-the-way for authoritative fluorescence assessment are now easy to get . The portability of today’s crime landscape assessment light sources makes the outmost of rural site or the peak floor of a city construction greatly easy to get to for search. Crime mapping; the ability to show graphically where crime has taken place and to some degree guess future crime locations enables field senior officers to direct perambulation through intelligence-led watching. The days when officers tour random areas eager to catch the bad people are giving way to a new era in which agencies use crime maps of every patrol district to assign officers to patrols in a realistic and logical manner. Evidence management: photo enforcement scheme routinely produce red breach and speeding directive and as a result greatly perk up safety for checking the civic. There are a number of upright vendors of photo enforcement scheme available to societies. Graffiti cameras, structure exist nowadays that can obtain photograph of suspects who are damaging goods and even inform the law enforcement organizations that destruction is in movement. There are also â€Å"talking’ observation cameras cautioning intruders that it is prohibited to spray graffiti, commanding the trespasser to leave the vicinity and notifying them that their photograph has been taken for assessment.   Evidence and deterrence, felony site exploration   also aided by these systems in scrutinizing for bodily evidence. Imagers can spot troubled surfaces for graves or other areas that have been dug up in an effort to cover up bodies, evidence, and objects. The machine can also scan roadways for tire tracks or oth er marks that are not visible to the naked eye.   Police patrol: the in-car camera scheme has turn out to be a appreciated apparatus to verify

QUESTIONS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

QUESTIONS - Essay Example Organizational system can be termed as a machine since it entails certain inputs such as capital, raw materials and labor. Accordingly, the inputs undergo processing stage in order to provide the outputs that include products and services (Morgan, 2007). The outputs entail preferred organisational culture and employee behaviour. I believe organizational system is a machine since it relies on strict rules, guidelines and procedures and allows for no flexibility in the changes of the processes (Burke, 2011. I have experienced a system breakdown in the past. The breakdown entailed breakdown in communication in the organisation between the management and employees. The scenario entailed high employee grievances, anxiety and stress due to fear of job losses due to changes in the economic operating environment. The slowdown in economic growth and decline in consumption incomes led to a decline in the product demand in the market thus creating a need for restructuring the jobs in the organi sation. In this case, the management proposed layoffs of some employees thus creating anxiety and aggression among the employees. Organizational system provides certain outcomes and circumstances to both the internal and external environment. ... On the other hand, open systems interact with the external environment and adjusts to changes in the external environment such as economic changes, technological innovations, demographic changes and legal changes. Open systems factor the external environment in the planning, resource allocation and evaluation processes. In this regard, open systems will consider the needs of the customers, creditors, trade unions and government in the business activities (Burke, 2011). Organizational system ignores the needs of an individual and focuses on attainment of group goals. In this case, the employees are expected to work in harmony through following standardized practices in order to attain the group objectives. Accordingly, systems ignore the diversity and personality of individual employees and focus efforts on group goals. Conclusion ‘Machine† can be used to describe organizational system since machines have many interrelated parts that work using certain processes to attain standardized and predetermined outputs. Organizational systems follow strict organizational rules and procedures in order to attain the specified outputs. Open systems interact with external environment and attain certain outcomes that satisfy the external stakeholders such as high product quality, adherence to the regulatory environment, technological innovations and better customer service. On the other hand, closed systems only meet the needs of internal stakeholders such as better salaries for employees and stable management practices. References: Burke, W.W. (2011). Organization change: theory and practice. New York: Sage Publications. Morgan, G. (2007). Images of

Activity Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Activity Report - Essay Example From the cooperation, portrayed by all members of the team, all plans indicated in the work plan were achieved as planned. During the first month of the project, the group held a meeting, whose agenda was to outline all the requirements required for successful of the project. All members of the group attended the meeting held at the conference centre and the online meeting. Upon successful completion of the meetings, e-mails containing minutes and roles of each member in the project, were sent to all members to avoid future miscommunications. With the assistance of Sheehan book on ‘Technical communication’, my group has opted for the use of computer skills to make the team’s work easier. Computers have aided in fast and effective communication between members of the group as well as conducting comprehensive research on the requirements of the project. Majority of the members of the group are optimistic that with the use of computers, they will be in an easier position to research on their work, edit and present in a more fashionable manner. Thanks to Sheehan (pp.45) on his work, my group has portrayed the best skills and virtues of team work. We were able to prepare documents as well as print them, thus having an easier time while making the team’s presentations to the

Supplier Evaluation Processes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Supplier Evaluation Processes - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that in order to improve the management of wider supply chains, academic writers have suggested a number of new and modified managerial practices and tools, which a multitude of practitioners are implementing. Further suggestions by numerous authors point out that previous performance measurements which solely focused on internal factors now need broad and drastic changes otherwise they might limit the possibility of optimizing dyadic relations or rather the supply chain of every organization. Ideally, investigating how performance information travels between the evaluating supplier and the evaluated buyer and how the shaping, as well as reshaping of information in the evaluation process, is imperative. Relying on longitudinal and multiple case researches as the methodology to obtain findings, this essay will bring out the practical implications, originality, and value of evaluation of performance measurement in a supply chain. Several studie s brought forward that studies based on the development of systems aimed at addressing performance measurement outside legal company boundaries are three in classification. They are supply chain evaluation, buyer-supplier relationship evaluation, and supplier evaluation. Technical rationale particularly applied by econometrics tends to dominate in cases where improved systems and measures align with the strategies set by an organization. Additionally, this dominance goes ahead to appear in other areas where the set systems align strategically with optimum performance measurement as well as in areas where it results in improved performance especially in the activities measured.

European Aviation Safety Agency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

European Aviation Safety Agency - Essay Example It is tasked with promoting the highest possible safety standards, as well as environmental protection in the aviation industry, both in the EU member states, and the world in general. EASA assumed full responsibility in 2008 and took over the functions of JAA (Joint Aviation Authorities). The agency is mandated to undertake the following activities: There are several differences between EASA and JAA. JAA had its head office in Hoofddorp, Amsterdam, while EASA, has its headquarters in Cologne, Germany. In addition, EASA has the legislative mandate within the European Union (EU) by enacting regulations through the European Commission, Council of the European Union and European Parliament. On the other hand, JAA operated products without direct force of law. This means that JAA was not recognized as a legal body; but rather, it was a â€Å"mere cooperation of JAA member countries in the field of civil aviation† (Cristiansen, 2009, p. 61). Moreover, some countries under JAA such as Turkey operated outside the EU, whereas, by definition, EASA is an agency that operates under the EU and other countries adopt its rules and regulations without being forced. The fundamental basis for the formulation of EASA is to ensure mandatory standardization. The agency is the one that gives certification. It also â€Å"acts as the authority in the field of airworthiness and continuing airworthiness† (Cristiansen, 2009, p. 62). EASA has authority over new types of certificates and other designs that pertain to airworthiness approvals for aircrafts, engine, propellers and components. The agency works hand in hand with the National Aviation Authorities (NAAs) of the European Union members. However, EASA has virtually taken over most functions from NAAs so as to ensure uniformity of standards across the EU. EASA also has an important part in helping the European Commission negotiate and

Film and music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Film and music - Essay Example In this essay "Film and music", the author compares and contrast the two film Noir films The Lost Weekend and Spellbound. The idea here is to bring out the relationship between the two films. They highly emphasize on the influence of the Theremin and experimental music for the scores. The composers of â€Å"The lost weekend† and â€Å"Spellbound† have made use of theremin all through the film from the start to the end. Rà ³zsa has made use of theremin as a way of integrating boldness and creativity in the recording. The composer has also used the two films to emphasize on the psychological impacts on the characters. Spellbound is an American Thriller which tells a story of the new mental asylum head who later turns out to be what he does not claim to be. The purpose of the film is to highlight psychoanalysis virtues which come with the banishing of restoring reason and mental illness. The lost weekend film shows the life of an alcoholic writer and particularly on a wee kend alcoholic binge. The use of theremin by Rà ³zsa showed just how bold and creative he was in integrating novel approaches. He wanted to use it in The Lost Weekend because he had successfully used it in Spellbound and he thought that the two somehow related. This is alcoholism, which [the character] cannot resist†. The theremin is cued every time Don gets the urge to drink alcohol and is overwhelmed by his longing. As we can see at the start of the film, Don is silent, but he does not have to say anything silence all we need to know we can read from the look on his face. We can tell from the expression on his face that he is absorbed as he stares at the bottle that is hanging from the window of his dwelling. The â€Å"Alcohol Theme† is cued as he looks down at the alcohol bottle and the theremin has the melody. Music starts to fade as he and his brother Wick begin to talk and is later heard once again as Dons’ brother and Hellen leave the apartment after disc overing the alcohol bottle hanging by the window. When Don goes to the bar and asks for a drink, he is given, but he hesitates to take it knowing that once he does he will not stop. The â€Å"Alcohol theme† plays once more, but it stops when he takes the shot. A

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in Breast Tumors Coursework

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in Breast Tumors - Coursework Example Thus, there is still an ongoing debate as to whether HPV causes breast cancer, and whether HPV vaccines can be used against it as well. Let’s look at two journal articles, published in year 2011, to exemplify such issue. Different Findings In the study of Antonsson et al. (2011), the prevalence of HPV in breast cancer tissue was determined through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis and sequencing. Briefly, tissue samples were obtained from each of the fifty-four different fresh frozen breast cancer tissues obtained from surgeries at Wesley Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia between 2003 and 2007. The median age of these patients were 57 years old, with the age range of 31-88 years. 59% were post-menopausal, 63% were node-negative, and their mean tumour size was 24.3mm. According to the authors, this meant that HPV infection of breast cancer or HPV as an etiological agent decrease the metastatic potential of the tumour. To detect HPV, each sample was mixed with HPV general and type 18-specific primer pairs FAP59/FAP 64. After PCR, amplified products were analyzed using 1.5% agarose gel electrophoresis. 50% of the samples were found to be HPV-positive, specifically of HPV type 18, although the strains were different. Upon analyzing further, HPV-positive breast cancer patients (mean age = 50 y. o.) were found to be younger than the whole group, and HPV positive tumours were also found to be smaller than the others. Histologically, HPV positive samples (96.3%) were more likely to be ductal than HPV negative ones (85.2%). Aside from PCR, an in situ hybridization was also performed using INFORMÂ ® HPV III Family 16 Probe (B) (Roche Ventana Medical System, Tucson, Arizona) that can detect 16 different cancer-causing HPV types (HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, 68, 73, and 82). However, no HPV were found in the samples using this method. The authors attributed this to the lower sensitivity of in situ hybridization as compared to PCR. Despite the results, the authors however recognized that their findings failed to determine whether the virus actually caused the breast cancer or it was just a chance passage for all 27 cases. As well, the potential mechanism behind the presence of HPV in the breast was still unanswered. A similar study was also conducted in India by Hedau et al. (2011). Breast tissue and blood samples from two hundred fifty two (252) breast cancer patients were analyzed through PCR using the general MY09/11, GP5+/GP6+ and type 16 specific E6/E7 as primers. The age of the participants were 51.5 Â ± 16.7, with a range of 25-80 years. 38% were postmenopausal. However, unlike that of Antonnson, the results of Hedau’s experiments showed absence of HPV DNA in breast cancer tissues. Social Implications In comparing the results of other similar studies conducted in different countries, Hedau et al. (2011) found that the breast tissue samples of a portion of breast cancer patients from Ital y, Sweden, China, Brazil, Austria, USA, Greece, Australia, Turkey, Japan, and Mexico were positive in HPV, with China and Mexico having more established results as more than one study have arrived at the same outcome of some breast cancer tissues being HPV-positive. On the other hand, studies in UK, India, Switzerland and France did not find HPV in breast

Fat Tax brings Fat Benefits Essay Example for Free

Fat Tax brings Fat Benefits Essay Junk food. Do any of us know the meaning of the term? Do the consequences of developing lethal diseases not concern us? Apparently, todays society is well aware of what it is, (food with a low nutrition value and is usually processed or ready-prepared (Junk Food)) and what it can do, yet they prefer not to have truth repeatedly slapped in their face by the media. The way I see it, thats exactly what these individuals are asking for. They say diets are productive, but its based off of self-encouragement which can only take you so far. According to an article composed by William Dietz, Obesity is a matter of personal responsibility. Poor dietary decisions cost individuals the expansion of their waist lines. What many do not realize is that as they continue to visit fast food restaurants for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, they develop an addiction. Sooner or later, they find themselves wrapped around junk foods salty fingers and havent bothered to notice that they no longer can see their toes standing upright. Higher taxes should be imposed on processed goods because it could lower death rates and medical bills that tie into obesity, encourage the consumption of healthy products, and educate Americans about adapting correct eating habits. Americans today are consuming 20% more calories than they did in the early 1980s, (Would Imposing par. 3). Also, during that time period, only one third of Americans populace were identified as obese which is equivalent to 13%. However, over the past 25 years, America has exceeded to about 60% of the population being fat (Oliver par. 8). Due to the continuous establishments of fast food restaurants, Americans have noticed that their waist lines have expanded substantially. Hundreds of years ago, McDonalds, Jack in the Box, Wendys, and Burger King were non-existant. With McDonalds Big Mac meal containing approximately 1,300 calories, its no wonder America has been suffering an obesity epidemic. Its because of these successful  companies that we have to pay for the over flowing stacks of health expenses theyve created for us. Comparing Americans then with Americans now, you could literally see the difference without the need of any statistical information from surveys, documents, and whatnot. One of the many reasons why the government is taking this fat tax into consideration is due to the overwhelming figures of premature deaths and medical bills occuring across the nation. According to studies, officials are hoping that taxation on junk food could avert 2,600 deaths, 9,600 heart attacks, 240,000 new cases of diabetes every year, (Chan par. 2). Thats not the end of it. These numbers are ascending as I we carry on with our normal daily lives. For all I know, 2013s statistics for premature deaths due to obesity could escalate to 3,500! Almost every year, Americas government is burdened by the stunning $117 million in debt they have to pay because of people becoming diagnosed with multiple heart diseases thanks to the consumption of fast food. With that being said, the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) informed the public that too much of todays society relies on the cheap and convenient take outs our restaurants provide us. They encounter at least 400,000 individuals with health problems, charging them almost $100 million a year (Lewis par. 4). For this reason, it is why unhealthy grubs are purchased regularly. If people were to choose between a $2 cheeseburger and a $10 salad wrap, what are the chances of them picking the $10 salad wrap? Thats what I thought. Its disappointing knowing that profits made from fast foods are used to assist our nations debt. Why cant the money derive from potent nourishments? Why do we allow the selling of unsalutary meals, knowing we are feeding them death munchies? In Addition, America has judgement skills that are completely frail and incompetent. Here we are placing exorbitant prices on healthy products when it should be the life-threatening comestibles that should be prohibited. A hand full of officials in the country have required several fast food restaurants to display calorie-count labels to drive individuals taste buds from convenience food. But even that wont prevent obesity (Mozes par. 7). Nevertheless, even a simple a simple label couldnt stop the hungry beasts of America from  gobbling down chunks of blubber. Due to these astonishing numbers, Americans are looking towards taxing junk food similarly to sin taxes. Its a tax on harmful items (such as alcohol, tobacco, etc.) that could reduce its consumption. Officials have been pushing for states to insitute a fat tax and consider it as a sin tax. According to several smokers in New York, they discovered that paying a total of $14.50 for one pack of cigarette wasnt worth their money. Some of them knew that complaining wouldnt get them anywhere, so they eventually ditched the dependency (Sutherland par. 2). With the assistance of this sin tax, smoking rates dropped by 12%, (Would Imposingpar. 3). This specifically proves to opponents that bomming junk food tariffs can depreciate premature death percentages and medical expenses as well. Obviously, pricey items attract less customers nowadays; so the higher the taxes, the lower the consumption. Plus, our government could distribute these taxes to health services and programs that illustrate the essence of corpulence. Also, whether the populace continues to ignore the governments warning through tariffs, either way the tariff generated $30 million in new revenue, tax records show. Basically if fast food customers wish to pursue their daily routine visiting McDonalds, itll still bring the economy extra dough to support the country. Even if our main focus is to sever societys tongue from higher cholestrol levels, we can only succor those who wish for assistance. Moreover, authorizing taxes on fast foods could subsidize the nutritional products that actually supply our physiques with the appropriate energy it naturally pines for. Knowing that the poorest in the country rely on cheap junk food, (Lewis par. 5), automatically discloses that this necessitates more natural resources. However, in America its vise-versa. The more nutrition an item contains, the more you have to pay. With higher taxes on junk food, there would be no need for the federal to tax our fruits and vegetables. Society will eventually quit their whining and chase cheaper alternatives. Representatives throughout the country have calculated that an 18% tax  on junk food would result in a 56-calorie decline in total daily intakealong with significant reductions in the risks of most obesity-related chronic diseases, (Fiore par. 12). Doctors have stressed that the recommended calorie consumed should be in the range of 2,000 calories. By the looks of it, Americans today are exceeding these limits. And they wonder why they are experiencing strokes, heart attacks, and becoming diagnosed with diabetes. Lastly, more health education could influence the populations mindset about the need to eat sugary items. Media has played a huge role in advertising greasy items. Instead, we could use this strategy to discourage our customers from purchasing fast foods, stressing our concerns of obesity. Our targets would be the same audience that was exposed to fattening commercials. Raising awareness within our communities, and then our country is what the U.S. lacks today. It has been said that You are what you eat, but are any of us aware of exactly what we are putting in our mouths? They may display what supplies make that particular meal, but do they show how much butter they use to cook steaks? Apparently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says hamburgers have been growing from 1 ounce in 1957 to 6 ounces in 1997, (Oliver par. 11). If 1997 was sixteen years ago, just imagine how hefty burgers are today? Notifying our customers about junk food should be our leaders priority. It would be irresponsible not to try everything we can to save livesPeople are dying everyday due to sugary products, (Bloomberg qtd. in Heaton par. 5). I couldnt agree more with Mayor Bloomberg of New York. He is probably the only official that wants to institute a fat tax to give back to the people he represents. Americans are self-centered, and their main focus is money. No one cares if theyre putting ones life in jeoparady by creating harmful grubs. If one was to take a stand against these fast food companies, itll have to start with our leaders. On the other hand, controversies have made society equivocal about the implementation of taxation on packaged foods. As expected, citizens of America claim that the government is becoming too controling, and their freedom of choice is being stripped from them. While our officials  intensions are to perpetuate the corpulence widespread, others feel provoked because they believe the government is trying to dictate their intellect (Lewis par. 3). Our leaders stress that taking care of the well-being of our internal organs should be our priority. However, the public refuses admit to the valuable advice they articulate. Many feel as if they were to say, Who are you to tell me what I can eat and not eat? Its only fair that the people have the last say. After all, this country was established fighting For the people, by the people (Star Spangled Banner). On top of that, as stated in an article by Jen Kalaidis, tax also costs [the] country an estimated 1,300 jobs because employees would no longer be needed in food retail sectors. Although an collection of occupations would be lost, many tend to give in and develop the mindset of a pessimistic. As Alexander Graham Bell, (an eminent scientist, engineer, innovator, etc.), proclaimed, When one door closes, another door opens. The message he speaks of is about preserverence and circulating nothing but positive thought within your mind. Americans who fear losing their jobs should realize that plantation fields and factories will demand more and more employees once the fat tax is instituted. The fields will require more man power for labor work, and for manufacturing purposes as well. You will soon after notice that grocery markets will have job oppertunites. Its actually a ripple effect, and once the economy is back to the way it was before the nation debt came about, the unemployement will be no more. Therefore, it is essential to communicate the outweighing benefits of a fat tax to the public now, before America begins to hit a downfall in the next five years. Junk food should not be outlawed, nor should it be cheap. If Americans want to continue this portliness evolvement, they can expect to see excessive aftermath in death rates. These unhealthy eats are about to rebuild our countrys values soon enough. However, with the assistance of this Twinkie Tax, I believe we could expect a tangible decline in Americas death progression and health expenses, a promotion of organic products, as well as more programs raising awareness of corpulence. Works Cited Chan, Amanda L. â€Å"Raising Junk Food Prices Could Spur People to Consume Less: Study.† The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post.com, 12 Dec. 2012. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. Dietz, William. â€Å"Obesity ProCon.org† Obesity ProCon.org. Search Engine Optimization, 19 Apr. 2013. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. Elder, Larry. â€Å"Just How Fat Are We?† WSJ: World Stream. WND Commentary, 1997-2013. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. Fiore, Kristina. â€Å"Junk Food Tax Could Improve Health.† ABC News. ABC News Network, 10 Mar. 2010. Web. 06 May 2013. Heaton, Richard. â€Å"NYC Soda Ban Overturned then Appealed.† Digital Journal (2013): n.pag. Print. â€Å"Junk Food.† Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com. n.d. Web.05 May 2013. Kalaidis, Jen. Should the U.S. Adopt a Fat Tax? The Week [New York] 25 Feb. 2013: n.p. Print. Lewis, Catherine. â€Å"The Junk Food Tax: How Much are We Willing to pay to get America Healthy?† Your Health Information Center. Insiders Health, 2011. Web. 5 May 2013. Medical Weight Loss Resources. Top 10 Obesity-Related Diseases. American Heart Association, Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health, 23 Apr. 2013. Web. 16 May 2013. Mozes, Alan. â€Å"The Fat Tax.† A Controversial Tool in War Against Obesity. (23 May 2005): 2-3 Print. Oliver, J. Eric. â€Å"A Big, Fat Problem.† Fat Politics: The Real Story Behind Americas Obesity Epidemic. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2006. 1-4. Print. Sutherland, Amber. Smokers Huff Puff Over New Cigarette Tax. New York Post. New York. 3 July 2010: 1-2. Print â€Å"Would Imposing a High Tax on Fast Foods and other Unhealthy Foods Help Combat Obesity Issues in U.S.?† Debate.org. Centers for Disease Control Prevention, 22 Nov. 2010. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.

National Business Systems Variations

National Business Systems Variations In this essay I will explore how Porters diamond model explains the variations in national business systems and comparative economic performance and to what extent other ideas and approaches will be required. Porter introduced the diamond model of national competitive advantage (1990) to explain why a number of countries are more competitive than others and why a number of businesses within the countries are more competitive. The model proposes that the national home base of an industry plays an important role in achieving an advantage on a universal scale. This home base contributes the essential factors that will support the organisations in building advantages in global competition. Japans automobile industry and US semiconductor industry have both been linked to Porters diamond model in creating unique business systems and gaining competitive advantage over other industries. Porter (1990) identified four determinants in attaining a national competitive advantage he concludes that a combination of the four determinates within a nation has an enormous influence on the competitive strength of the firms located there. Porter (1990) argues that competitive industries take the form of specialised clusters of home based firms. Clusters are correlated through vertical relations such as buyers integrating with suppliers or through horizontal relations through customers, technology, skills, distribution channels etc (Chen et al 2008). These specialised clusters will enable a nation to create business systems which will lead to competitive advantage and economic success. Factor condition is the nations position on factors of production that is necessary to compete in a given industry, for example skilled labour or infrastructure. These national factors often provide initial advantages for the nation. Each nation possesses particular factor conditions that are more favourable. For example, Japans large pool of engineers is reflected by the number of engineering graduates. These engineering graduates have been essential to Japans success in variety of manufacturing industries. Porter (1990) points out that these factors dont have to be nature made or inherited. Home demand conditions can influence the creating of specific factor conditions which can affect the direction of the innovation and advancement of product development. Porter argues (1990) that home demand rests upon three major characteristics. First the mixture of customers needs and wants. Second the demanding buyers in the home base will pressure companies into meeting high standards. For example Japanese consumers value space-saving gave the nation a lead in compact products and Americas long distances have led to competitive strength in very large truck engines. Third, an industry will have an advantage in market segments which are more important at home than elsewhere. In each of these instances, it is not the size of the home market that is important, but the extent to which it encourages firms to innovate. A large home market which meets all three conditions will be highly supportive of international competitiveness (Davies and Ellis 2000). A related and supporting industry is when one globally successful manufacturing company can create advantages in other similar manufacturing companies. A nation industries will be better able to compete internationally if there are clusters of industries in the home base economy which are linked to each other through vertical or horizontal relationships amongst suppliers, customers and distribution channels. For example Germany has a cluster in chemicals and USA in the semi-conductor industry. Dyer (1994) found in his research that the Japanese network relationships with their suppliers can enable the company to send their workers to assist customers with the work, position the factory near the customers or even invest in physical assets that are customised. This will therefore allow the Japaneses auto businesses to keep up with the inventory and transportation costs low enabling them to improve the product development. For example Toyota was able to benefit from their production net works as they created assembly factories that are geographically close with their suppliers. The firm structure, strategy, and rivalry are the conditions governing how businesses are shaped, managed and deal with domestic rivalry in a nation. The cultural factors are important for each nation. For example each country will have different cultural traits in which the business is structured. This will create benefits for each nation and industry. In Japan the automobile industry rivalry is strong, has seven major companies: Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Mazda, and Subaru which all fight for the market share. These seven businesses compete intensely in the home nation, and within other nations and markets. Strong domestic competition demands all these businesses to have superior technologies, products, and management practices to compete and survive, for example there is high number of engineers in management that emphasis on improving manufacturing processes. The US has only two main businesses in automobile industry which are Ford and General Motors. The US manuf actures have stated that the quality of the automobiles of Japanese cars is better than the US cars. Toyota and other automakers in Japan were able to grab 25% of the US auto market industry while the US home producers for the cars were unable to compete with the Japanese price and on the quality of the product (Buffa 1984). In addition to the four conditions, Porter (1990) points out two important components which are the role of chance which are important as it allows nations to shift their competitive position and alter the conditions of the diamond model. Chance events have different impacts on nations for example the oil shock helped to upgrade Japanese industry (Porter 1990). The role of the government is an important influence on modern international competition. The governments can put forward the policies a nation should follow to create advantages, enabling the industries in a nation to develop a strong competitive position globally. For example the government policy for Japan and US has created success for these nations. According to Porter (1990) governments can progress the advantages by ensuring there is high potential of product performance, ethical standards, or encouraging reasonability and negotiation between the suppliers and buyers on a domestic level. For example the US governments g ave large support in semiconductor industry in focusing on specific products that meet consumer demand for example the missile system in the US national security. Nations can use Porters (1990) diamond model to identify which businesses systems they can build to generate a competitive advantage and compete with others nations globally. The Japanese have considerable advantages in Porters diamond factors. The semiconductor manufacturing and software services are key industries that have contributed greatly to US growth and productivity in the 1970s. Okimoto, Sugana and Weinstein (1984) research found that the US businesses were able to obtain competitive advantage in key industries such as steel, automobiles and consumer electronics. These businesses had the ability to set the standards of each industry, create new technology and control shares of the world market. The markets and industries that Japan have chosen or created a competitive advantage are the autos, steel, motorcycles, cameras and small appliances. The success of Japanese automobile industry is due to the close relationships with their suppliers. For example both Toyota and Nissan are able to work closely with their supply production network to produce high quality cars; this gives the Japanese manufacturers an advantage over the US automakers (Dyer 1994). Research found on Numakura (2004) article has shown that the Japanese automobile companies have greater higher profit margins than the American companies. This is because the Japanese production systems such as Just in time (JIT) and Kaizen have enabled the industry to increase their productivity and cost reduction. Compared to US, rather than having a close relationship, the businesses are more likely to influence their supplier by a number of strategic polices (Buffa 1987). In the 1970s the Japanese had labour cost advantages, strong networks of suppliers, very demanding consumers which enabled them to gain competitive advantage over other nations. However Porter (1990) underplays the role of history, late development theory, globalisation, culture and managerial enterprise in determining the competitive advantage. As a result of defining the problem incompletely, he offers an incomplete solution (O Shaughnessy 1997). This shows other approaches are required to explain various business systems and comparative economic performance in nations. Gerschenkron (1962) theory on late industrialisation could be another approach to Porters theory to explain the economic performance of a nation. The theory shows how Japan as a nation was able to go through a period of rapid growth during 1951-1990 that helped them to compete globally. Japans economy boosted after the US declined as in the 1970s the Japanese companies was able to replace the US leaders in key industries. The production and operation management enabled the Japanese industries to become a competitive nation. This was done through their production systems and manufacturing products at a low cost. The Japanese companies were able to do this by offering the consumers good quality products at cheap prices. Table 1 (Capdevielle Alvarez 1981) shows a comparative evidence of how US companies productivity averaged at 2.7% in 1960 and decreased at -0.3% at 1980. While at the same time Japan averaged a productivity increase of 9.4%, Germany and France productivity also increased at 5.6% and 5.4% (Buffa 1987). The reasons for US decreasing in their productivity growth in industries and their capability to compete globally are due to many reasons. One factor could be the difference of the work ethics values between US and Japan or Germany showing us how culture can also have an effect on the nations competitive advantage on various business systems. Bosch and Prooijen (1992) have paid attention to the role of national culture and impact it has on Porters diamond. Porter agrees in that national culture is an important determinant in the competitive advantage of nations, but does not include national culture in his descriptive framework of the diamond. National culture has an important impact o n relations between related and supporting industries (Bosch and Prooijen 1992) therefore to an extent Porters theory doesnt account how culture is another explanation for the variations in national business systems and comparative economic performance for a nation. For example, Hofstede (1980) found Japan compared to Western and Northern Europe, is a very strong uncertainty avoider. Hofstede (1980) argues that the variations in values between cultures will require the difference organisational responses. The economic environment of a nation can be determined by the cultural values. Gerschenkron (1962) theory also states that history is important in measuring economic success and performance for a nation. Porter (1990) neglects the role of historical cause in his diamond model. In the case of Germany and Japan for example, there is probably a direct connection between past militarism and the present industrial domination. Militarism has contributed to industrial excellence by creating a tradition of discipline in the labour force for both of these nations. Germanys and Japans competitiveness owes a great deal to its amoral military past (O Shaughnessy 1997). Particular historical events can be unique to a country which can determine its character (Saunders et al 1986). The occurrence of invasion and revolution is a shared experience amongst many successful nations in history. O Shaughnessy (1997) argues that there are limitations to Porters (1990) methods. For example the diamond conditions emerged from examining the history of 100 industries, but to do this tho roughly histories would have to be written in the form that would allow such analysis. The detail would require the company histories. Neither the references nor the acknowledgements suggest any such documented histories of 100 industries. The four histories quoted from Porters are just sketches that illustrate rather than test the theory (O Shaughnessy 1997). Chandler (1992) also agrees that the history is important for any organisation and industry. He argues that significant analysis of a business or nation today must be based on the understanding of its past. Reich (1991) agrees on the concept that Porter theory on national competitiveness (1990) to an extent doesnt account for various business systems and comparative economic performance. He argues that economic success or performance is due to national purpose rather than national competitiveness. Nation competitiveness depends on globalisation and the skills, training and knowledge commanded by its workforce, the key to success is the people of the nation. Reich argues that national industries dont exist in any meaningful sense, as it is global corporate networks rather than national industries that now dominate economic activity. Resources are placed in those nations offering the best production and marketing advantages. For example Reich (1991) points that US decline in productivity is due to the changes of the world competition structure as by 1980s more than 70% of the products consumed in US had to be competed with similar goods that were produced abroad with standardised producti on systems. Chandler (1977) stated that a globalised firm can allow other nations to learn and benefit from the same sources of their national competitive advantage. For example in the 1960s, America and other western countries were amazed by the rapid speed of Japans growth and how it was able to manage its economy to become a successful competitor in the globe. America and other European nations started to learn from Japanese management structure and operation. However Porter (1990) makes a strong case of the importance of the home country in todays global economy. Porter argues that by providing a favourable environment for the successful organisations, home countries can play a vital role in wealth creation in the context of international competition. Chandler (1992) looks at a different perspective to explain the economic performance in nations and the development of business systems. His theory argues that large managerial enterprise had a significant contribution on national competitive advantage through exploitation of economies of scale and scope. Chandler states that in order for large managerial enterprises to gain and keep competitive advantages, top managers must commit to the three-pronged investment. This is because these large enterprises have a large market to sell their products to. These large enterprises can create a competitive advantage by producing more at a lower cost with the same outputs. The cost per product is decreased due to mass production and the diversification of the production line. Chandler (1992) explains how the US lost their competitive advantage to the Japanese companies in the semiconductor industry. Chandler (1992) states that many of the US companies in the semiconductor industry such as Inte l and Silicon Valley failed to make long term investments in production, distribution and management that was important for them to become the first movers in the industry. Chandler (1992) therefore explains how the Japanese companies were able to make the investment that was required from them to become a first mover in the semiconductor industry. This enabled the Japanese companies to develop their organisation ability to quickly demolish the American competitive advantage. Overall Porters model (1990) of national competitive advantage to an extent does account for the variations in national business systems and comparative economic performance across different nations and industries. However the model doesnt consider and explain how culture, history, late industrialisation and globalisation can have an impact on the economic success of a nation and the variations of business systems.

Kawasaki Disease: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Kawasaki Disease: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment Background Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic vasculitis syndrome which may involve many organs, such as myocardium and the conduction system, and may cause inflammation in other organs such as pericarditis, endocarditis, cholecystitis etc. Etiology There is only little information of the etiology of KD. It is suspected as an infectious disease with an unknown pathogen (KatoSuda, 2012) or autoimmune disease (Starkebaum, 2013) that has an acute systemic vasculitis syndrome. Prevalence KD is a prevalent cardiac disease in Asia, North America, South America, Europe and Australia. Nakamura and Yanagawa (2004) stated that Asians were approximately 5-10 times more susceptible than white persons. (cited in KatoSuda, 2012) II. Clinical understanding of Kawasaki’s Disease Medical diagnostic criteria The principal diagnostic criteria of KD are presence of at least five of the major features: persistent fever for at least 5 days, conjunctival injection, changes in the mucosa of the oropharynx(such as strawberry tongue), changes in the peripheral extremities, erythematous rash over extremities or/and trunk, and cervical lymphadenopathy. If clients do not fulfill the classic criteria, they are considered as having incomplete KD. (Kato Suda, 2012) Difference between Roseola disease and Kawasaki disease Both Roseola and Kawasaki disease begin with sudden high fever, but their treatments are very different. The fever of KD is not very responsive to acetaminophen or ibuprofen which can be used to treat the fever of Roseola. After the fever, KD and Roseola cases both develop rash but their onsets of rash are not the same. Roseola case develops rash at the time of fever resolution, while KD case develops rash within two to three weeks after the onset of fever which may not be resolved.(Wang et al., 2009) Also, KD presents with some oral manifestations, like erythema, edema, fissuring of lips and a strawberry tongue which cannot be found in Roseola cases. (Ely Seabury, 2010) II. Clinical understanding of Kawasaki’s Disease Potential Complications Children with Kawasakis disease can develop vasculitis that causes weakening of the blood vessels and leads to aneurysms. Without treatment in time, 1 in 5 children with Kawasaki disease will develop coronary aneurysms. (Suzuki et. al., 1986) Either formation of blood clot in a coronary artery aneurysm or rupture of a large coronary artery aneurysm would lead to myocardial infarction which may cause death. Besides the coronary arteries, the myocardium, valves, and pericardium can become inflammatory. Arrhythmias or abnormal functioning of some heart valves, myocardial infarction and heart failure may also occur. Standard Treatments in Hong Kong Guided by the Hospital Authority in Hong Kong, intravenous gamma-globulin (IVGG) and aspirin are the treatment protocols for all KD clients admitted to hospital. (Yung et. al., 2002) For evaluating the coronary artery lesions, echocardiography are done for all patients and coronary angiography and heart catheterization are performed for selective clients. III. Case study and its nursing assessment Peter, a 1-yerar old baby, has been diagnosed as having Kawasaki Disease after admission. Peter is now suspected at the acute phase (Stage I) of the disease since he shows irritability, persistent fever for 4 days and erythematous rash over his extremities. For subjective data, he has high fever and diarrhoea for few days; fever was lower after treating with antipyretics and diarrhoea was subsided and rashes developed over his entire hands, arms, feet and legs, stated by his mother. For objective data, he is irritable, has a bright red tongue; his palms and soles had erythematous rash. In most of the cases, clients also have conjunctivitis, swollen cervical lymph nodes, inflammation of the pharynx and the oral mucosa develops with red and cracked lips and swollen joints. Beside of developing erythematous rash, skin on the extremities may be edema and peeling. Mostly, clients suffer from cardiac problems, such as myocarditis and tachycardia. (Starkebaum, 2013) These should be assessed after admission. IV. Plan for care Nursing diagnosis for the case study Hyperthemia related to inflammatory disease process, increased metabolic rate and dehydration as evidenced by body temperature greater than normal range Risk for decreased cardiac tissue perfusion related to vasculitis Impaired oral mucous membrane related to inflammatory process, dehydration, and mouth breathing as evidenced by presence of bright red tongue Impaired skin integrity related to inflammatory process, altered circulation as evidenced by having erythematous rash over palms and soles and his mum’s verbalization of presence of rash over extremities Risk for imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements related to inflammation and swollen of oral mucous membrane and tongue Ineffective family therapeutic regimen management related to knowledge deficit to Kawasaki disease as evidence by wrongly distinguishing Roseola and Kawasaki Disease Nursing Managements Management for Hyperthermia To treat hyperthermia, cooling should be promoted by wearing lightweight and loose-fitting clothing. This can encourage heat loss by radiation and conduction. Ice bags can be put on the forehead or around neck of client. Adequate water intake is also encouraged. In order to prevent complications and promote comfort, before administering aspirin, nurses should monitor temperature every 4 hours until client becomes afebrile for a day. Administer antipyretic medication if prescribed. Peter, in the case study, was treated with antipyretics before so his fever was lower. Continuous temperature monitoring is required. Also, increasing his fluid intake promotes recovery and prevents dehydration. Peter will be afebrile, checked with thermometer, and free of complications due to high-grade fever within 3 days. Management for Risk of complications and infection At the acute phase of KD, nurses should monitor client’s cardiac condition closely by assessing client’s cardiac status regularly, i.e. once a day, including measuring the apical rate, along with assessing any symptoms of shortness of breath and SaO2 level of client. Continuous monitoring is still suggested even though no S/S has shown up. The goal is that Peter will not develop any complications before discharge. Assessing any worsening condition is for evaluating nursing interventions in preventing complications. Once cardiac complications start to develop keep strict I/O and monitor SaO2 Q4H. Administer supplementary oxygen as prescribed. If client continues irritable and shows cyanosis, administer sedation as prescribed to reduce oxygen consumption and cardiac workload. Long term FU is required. In addition, note the presence of compromised vision of patient. Bilateral conjunctival inflammation was reported to be the most common symptom of Kawasaki disease after fever. (Yun et al., 2011) Note for any redness and assess the visual ability at regular time intervals. If Peter is suspected having compromised vision, assessed by providing vision stimuli to see any respond, consult ophthalmologist if possible. Management for Impaired skin integrity and oral mucous membrane Most of the KD clients will have erythematous rash over body, altered mucous membrane condition and ‘strawberry’ tongue, as mentioned. Client’s skin condition is assessed at regular time intervals. Also, nurse can apply emollients to affected area as ordered, and educate parents and help client to wear soft and loose clothing. Promoting nutritional status and encourage fluid intake are important in healing of rash. For the mucosal conditions, we should provide client mouth care, lubricate his lips and provide adequate clear liquid if not contraindicated. In Peter’s case, the aims are preventing lesion and promoting healing of the rash of his extremities and inflammated tongue within two weeks. Also, maintaining intact and moist oral mucous membrane that are free of inflammation, ulceration and infection before discharge. The oral condition will not affect his appetite, so as the nutritional status, evaluated by assessing his body weight daily. Management for Altered comfort Client suffered from KD often shows irritability due to pain and fever. (To deal with fever, please refer to Management for hyperthermia) Administer analgesia as prescribed to reduce the pain. A quiet environment may calm client, nurses can talk softly and avoid bright light if possible. James et al.(2013) suggested that line the bed with soft blanket from home can promote client’s sleeping quality. Encourage parents’ to bring client’s favourite toys and nipple may also help in comforting client. Nurse should manage the procedure systematically, in order to minimize disrupting client’s rest period. These actions can apply in Peter’s case. Peter will have adequate rest and show clam immediately after having these nursing actions. Family Education Some parents may not know what Kawasaki disease is. Nurses should provide information to client’s family and answer the inquiries. Client’s parents are often anxious of clients’ condition. Assessing the parent’s anxiety level and explaining procedure clearly are necessary. Nurse should also comfort parents by assuring them the fever, pain and irritability of the child will resolve eventually. Focusing on the case scenario, nurse should help his mother to differentiate the differences between KD and Roseola, including the etiology and S/S, after Peter’s admission. To reduce the chances of developing complications, nurse can teach his mother to monitor and assess early signs of complications of heart at the routine time, such as abnormal heart rate, arrhythmia, cyanosis and lower extremities edema. Provide pamphlet about KD for his mother to read. Asking for any inquiry and let her to verbalize at least two significant signs of having complications can evaluate her understanding. To prevent further infection, client’s carer should be educated to provide proper hand hygiene before touching client. It is also encouraged if we can invite her in planning the treatment regimen, which can reduce her anxiety and promote her compliance to client’s treatment regimen. Besides, since Peter is 1-year old, before Peter discharges, we should educate the mother that after IVGG treatment, vaccinations with live vaccine (e.g. MMR) should be delayed for 6 months. It is because antibodies may interfere with the immune responses to the vaccines (Salisbury Begg, 1996, as cited in Cheng, Wong So, 2003). We should make sure his mum remembers the specific dates of FU in order to detect abnormalities showing signs of potential complications. V. Conclusion Kawasaki Disease is a common paediatric disease, and it is different from Roseola. With early diagnosis, treatment and continuous follow-ups, it is a manageable and curative disease. Mimicry in Butterflies | Experiment Mimicry in Butterflies | Experiment Introduction The experiment will be testing mimicry in butterflies. Mimicry is the similarity between two organisms that evolved to protect a species from its predators. The similarity can be appearance, behaviour, sound or scent. Mimicry can be mutually beneficial for both organisms, or it can be damaging to one of the organisms involved. Batesian mimicry is when a harmless species imitates the warning signals of a harmful species, it is an antipredator adaptation. The wings of the Monarch butterfly are made up of a black, orange and white pattern. They are aposematic in both caterpillar and butterfly form, warning off predators with their bright coloured wings as a warning of their undesirable taste. Cardenolide aglycones is responsible for the undesirable taste of the Monarch butterflies, which the caterpillars ingest while feeding on milkweed. The Viceroy butterfly is distinguishable from the Monarch butterfly from its post median black line on the vein of its hindwing and it is smaller in si ze. Its defence against predators is mimicry of the Monarch butterfly. Hypothesis and Predictions The hypothesis is that mimicry in the butterflies does not have an effect on preference from the birds. Our predictions are that the birds will not choose the model butterfly because of the bright colour of the model butterfly. This means that the birds will more likely choose the mimic butterfly because it is less brightly coloured. Aims To see which butterfly the birds chooses first and to test mimicry in the viceroy butterfly and to see what effect mimicry has on preference from the birds. Pilot study A pilot study was undertook at Treborth Botanical gardens. The study was designed to emulate the mimicry of the monarch butterfly by the viceroy butterfly. This was done using different colour suet pellets. Yellow suet pellets and red suet pellets were used. They both had the same flavour. This was designed so that the birds would be choosing primarily on the colour and not the taste. Five sites of study were chosen. One pile of red suet pellets and one pile of yellow suet pellets were left at each test location. The piles of suet were placed on tree branches and in bird feeders were possible, but some had to be left on the ground. This possibly could corrupt results as ground-based rodents could consume suet pellets and these are not the subject of the experiment. Of the five sites of study four piles of red pellets were fully consumed, compared to only two sites in which the yellow suets were completely consumed. We took this as indication that the birds on site had a preference be tween the two colours of suet. However, the results may have been corrupted by herbivorous birds and small mammals which may have consumed the suet pellets instead of the target bird species. Methods Eggs would be collected from the area to be surveyed to ensure successful polymorphs are obtained from both species, and breeding age adult butterflies are not removed from the environment. The eggs would then be reared to adulthood (as only adult viceroys use mimicry). The butterflies would then be freeze-dried to preserve their colour and any unpalatable compounds in their tissues. This would also lower water activity and thus lower the chance of introducing bacteria and other pathogens to bird populations. The area to be surveyed would be divided into quadrats with equal and random treatments across varying habitats (as literature suggests predator density and diversity affects the success of mimicry). Per treatment a Viceroy and a Monarch butterfly would be pinned in close proximity to each other on a tree. First preference of prey would be recorded in the case of a butterfly being eaten by a predator. Predator species could also be recorded to discover if any species (such as di fferent Passeriform species) show a preference for either butterfly. Statistics A chi-squared test is used as data to be generated is frequency count data on which butterfly was chosen first which certifies that the data matches the requirements for a one-way chi-squared test. Discussion After analysing the weaknesses from the pilot study, the method was modified in the hope that it would make the plan stronger. With the issue of other predators, the ability to discount them attacking the butterfly was overcome by monitoring all test species. What was shown in our pilot study that in fact all the brightly colour suet pellet was gone contradicts what we believe should occur but the flaw in the pilot study design may account for that. The expected outcome for this experiment would be that batesian mimicry is shown. References Chai, P. (1986). Field observations and feeding experiments on the responses of rufous-tailed jacamars (Galbula ruficauda) to free-flying butterflies in a tropical rainforest. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 29(3), pp.161-189. DellAglio, D., Stevens, M. and Jiggins, C. (2016). Avoidance of an aposematically coloured butterfly by wild birds in a tropical forest. Ecological Entomology, 41(5), pp.627-632. Flickr, (2011). Viceroy Caterpillar. [image] Available at: https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6185/6068401472_e8d8be1611_b.jpg [Accessed 28 Feb. 2017]. Guenther, L. (n.d.). Photo of a monarch caterpillar. [image] Available at: http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/monarc1.jpg [Accessed 28 Feb. 2017]. King, R., Stansfield, W. and Mulligan, P. (2007). A Dictionary of Genetics. 7th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, p.278. Lindstedt, C., Eager, H., Ihalainen, E., Kahilainen, A., Stevens, M. and Mappes, J. (2011). Direction and strength of selection by predators for the color of the aposematic wood tiger moth. Behavioral Ecology, 22(3), pp.580-587. Parsons, J. (1965). A digitalis-like toxin in the monarch butterfly,Danaus plexippusL. The Journal of Physiology, 178(2), pp.290-304. Pfennig, D., Harcombe, W. and Pfennig, K. (2001). Frequency-dependent Batesian mimicry. Nature, 410(6826), pp.323-323. Ritland, D. (1998). Mimicry-related Predation on Two Viceroy Butterfly (Limenitis archippus) Phenotypes. The American Midland Naturalist, 140(1), pp.1-20. Sutherland, W. (2006). Ecological census techniques. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp.1-446. van Zandt Brower, J. (1958). Experimental Studies of Mimicry in Some North American Butterflies: Part I. The Monarch, Danaus plexippus, and Viceroy, Limenitis archippus archippus. Evolution, 12(1), pp.32-47. Wickler, W. (1965). Mimicry and the Evolution of Animal Communication. Nature, 208(5010), pp.519-521.

A lEsson Befor dying Essay -- essays research papers

A Lesson Before Dying For my final book review I read the novel A Lesson Before Dying By Ernest J. Gains. The book took place in the 1940 right after the great depression. A society stricken by poverty is depicted early in the book. The atmosphere in the first chapter is leading us into the idea of: how can justice prevail in a society dominated by a single group of people? If this story took place in modern day I believe that question would not be as relevant as it is in the forty’s.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Grant Wiggins, one of the main characters is a teacher at an elementary school, Grant is a very bitter man for being so young, maybe it is because he has known nothing but segregation and racisms his whole life, growing up in Louisiana. Over the course of the novel, he learns to accept responsibility for his own life, for his relations with other people, and for the condition of Southern society. Jefferson is another one of the main characters; Jefferson is a black man who is described as being sensitive and kind of stupid. Jefferson is accused for a murder and faces the death penalty, he becomes very depressed waiting on death row because he feel so worthless in a white dominate world, but Grant befriends him and helps him out before he dies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jefferson is convicted of murder, while in his cell the hears his own lawyer call him a hog, this upsets him very much and he realizes how the white dominate the world and that justice can no...

John Miltons Paradise Lost as Christian Epic Essay example -- Milton

Paradise Lost as Christian Epic John Milton's great epic poem, Paradise Lost, was written between the 1640's and 1665 in England, at a time of rapid change in the western world. Milton, a Puritan, clung to traditional Christian beliefs throughout his epic, but he also combined signs of the changing modern era with ancient epic style to craft a masterpiece. He chose as the subject of his great work the fall of man, from Genesis, which was a very popular story to discuss and retell at the time. His whole life had led up to the completion of this greatest work; he put over twenty years of time and almost as many years of study and travel to build a timeless classic. The success of his poem lies in the fact that he skillfully combined classic epic tradition with strongly held Puritan Christian beliefs. In Paradise Lost, Milton uses many conventions of the classic epic, including an invocation of the Muse, love, wa, a solitary voyage, heroism, the supernatural and mythical allusion. Milton writes, "Sing, Heavenly Muse, that on the secret top of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire that shepard who first taught the chosen seed in the beginning how the heavens and earth rose out of Chaos." Here he invokes the traditional muse of the epic, yet in the same sentence he identifies the muse as a Christian being and asks him to sing of Christian tales. A central theme of Paradise Lost is that of the deep and true love between Adam and Eve. This follows both traditonal Christianity and conventional epic style. Adam and Eve are created and placed on earth as "our first two parents, yet the only two of mankind, in the happy garden placed, reaping immortal fruits of joy and love, uninterrupted joy, unrivaled love, in blissful solitude."(... ...le in one sentence. Thus, he successfully completes the tapestry which he has created, weaving the Bible and the genre of the epic closely together to create a work of art. Throughout Paradise Lost, Milton uses various tools of the epic to convey a traditional and very popular Biblical story. He adds his own touches to make it more of an epic and to set forth new insights into God's ways and the temptations we all face. Through his uses of love, war, heroism, and allusion, Milton crafted an epic; through his references to the Bible and his selection of Christ as the hero, he set forth a beautifully religious Renaissance work. He masterfully combined these two techniques to create a beautiful story capable of withstanding the test of time and touching its readers for centuries. Works Cited Scott Elledge, ed., Paradise Lost, second edn. (NY: Norton, 1993).