Review a Range of Assessments Methods Essay

Without some kind of assessment then you will find it difficult to measure whether learning has taken place or not. The reasons for assessing is to find out if someone is capable of doing a course at a particular level or to see if they are ready to go on to the next level due to the higher level of work required. â€Å"Assessment is the process of obtaining information about how much the student knows and evaluation involves using that information to form judgements which, in turn, are to be used in decision making† (Ian Reece, Stephen Walker chapter 6) There are a number of assessment methods used and used in different contexts. Different types of courses require different types of assessments. Initial/ Diagnostic Assessment; this is usually done at the start, before someone is about to undertake a course or qualification. As you need to know what they know already about the chosen subject to learn. This then gives you an idea of what level you can place them at. It is an evaluation of a person’s strengths and weaknesses, knowledge and skills. Independent Assessment is an objective view by someone who is from outside the organisation (Independent governing body), who comes into the course (usually towards the end) and makes a decision on the students achievement. Formative Assessment- as a Business and Enterprise Manager this on going assessment is used and allows the student to improve and I can monitor and observe them in practical’s on a regular basis. Allowing regular feedback on what they need to improve on. The main use of assessments for teachers is the on going or formative assessment†( Geoffrey Petty 1998 p401). Summative Assessments are usually done at the end of the course of learning. Students will then know if they have passed or failed in their bid to gain the qualification or referred to re-do part of the course. Observational assessment allows the tutor to see if the student can perform a certain skill that has already been demonstrated or taught. This also allows me to step in if the student is making any mistakes. Questions and Answers are usually used to see if a student has gained the understanding and assess their knowledge of a chosen subject. You may need to re-phrase questions as some students can be put off by the way a question is being asked. Simple explanations and clarity for a simple response and answer. This area would also cover written reports, assignments, projects, portfolios and tests as well as oral questioning with regards to past experience and achievements. Log Books/ Learning journals are a useful way of seeing if a student has transferred the theory into practice. Practical assessments allow you to see if the student can put the theory based learning into practice. Possibly by doing role play and demonstrations. In my teaching role I use a range of assessment methods that include Practical observation , this involves role play, It allows me to see what the students are like within a group setting but also how they work on their own and to see if they are reaching the targets that have been set. I also use questions and answers. This process is used at the end of the session but before the recap to identify that the students have understood. This involves asking the students questions related to the task or activity so they can give me a critical answer of what and why they are doing a particular thing. I am then able to make a record of this by a simple â€Å" thumbs up if understood† or â€Å" thumbs down† if not. I am then able to make an evaluation of my teaching sessions.

Qualities of a Good Book Essay

Personally, I think the qualities of a good book are many, and diverse. To be good, I think a book should relate to life experiences, give the audience something they can relate to and empathize with, to help them learn something that will help them in their life. Yet, the book should do this in such a way that not only does it act as a window into the human world, yet also offer escapism. It should have a character that the readers can identify with, in a way that they imagine what it is like to be the character themselves. Though, the character should be normal enough to identify with, yet special enough to go on adventures (in fictional books) and unique in their own ways. Another factor that comes into play in the qualities of a good book is the fact that it should captivate the reader; should be wholly absorbing and keep the readers not only reading the first few pages but reading till the very end. I myself have left many books through the middle, seeing as they had lost my interest. A good book should have a very unique original plot and story line. The readers should be able to enjoy what they are reading; and to do that the story must be original, since I (and presumably many others) find no pleasure in reading books with similar or identical plots of situations. Not only that, but the plot must have twists and tensions to make the book more appealing to the human minds analyzing it. A good plot never comes without tensions in my point of view- it should be a whole package. The book should keep the readers on edge, reading and turning page after page wanting to know what will happen next. That, for me, is the post important quality a book should have. It is quite easy to get the interest of many people into reading a book, but to have the readers finish it anxiously till the very last page is something that takes skill, talent and quality, and not all have those critical traits. Thus, tensions to say the least, are a must, since the book should give you something to think about. A good book is unpredictable. What’s the point in reading a book where one can easily predict the ending, or the future events that were to happen? The book should keep your mind flooded with options, keep the reader pondering, yet at the same time throw the reader completely off guard when the time comes. It should be exciting, surprising, flabbergasting and memorable; the reader should absentmindedly be able to causally cross a situation and remember and think of the book. A great book is inexhaustible, so no reading of it is a final reading, and no discussion ever runs it dry. You can never say you’re done with it except in a provisional sense. If you take a break and come back to it, you’ll find more in it. Good grammar and style are also very important- A great book is well crafted. For me, I like to read the best which has been thought and said. For us, the two have to go together. It needs to be clear and straight to the point- the reader must understand it with undying clarity. What if somebody had a great idea but wrote about it badly? We need to be able to lean on every sentence, and not have it suddenly give way and crumble beneath the weight of our analysis. The style is also important, as well as the meaning behind the words. I should be clear, yet with a twinge of mysterious in it, yet not confuse and baffle the reader with bad grammar or sequencing. â€Å"Well, he said this, but maybe he meant something else. † Last but not least, I think a good book should always have romance and drama. If not, even a little romantic twist always fills in the empty gaps, don’t you think?

Discussion# 3 Nu461 Community Health Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion# 3 Nu461 Community Health - Assignment Example It is the purpose of this brief paper to discuss an â€Å"I† recommendation or an insufficient study. One such â€Å"I† recommendation concerns the use of fluoride supplementation for kids of preschool age of six months or older. What this means is that dentists have the option of making this recommendation based on their best judgment, which in turn is based on the best available option instead of using the best possible option (Duggan, Watkins & Walker, 2008, p. 468) or a case of making do with what you have. Primary clinicians will have to do individual assessments in each childs case rather than making generalized conclusions on the desirability of fluoride as most children at this stage in their lives still have temporary teeth and not permanent adult teeth. The task force was not able to determine the wisdom of recommending use of fluorides in preschool children by primary care clinicians although it gave a B grade to fluoride use in case where the primary water source of the family is deficient in fluoride. What this means is that the task force found fair evidence wherein the potential benefits outweigh any possible harm for use (USPSTK, 2004, p. 1) and what Dr. Moyer recommends in her video is that parents are informed of this fact by primary care givers and dentists for an informed decision (Moyer, 2008, p. 1). United States Preventive Services Task Force (2004, April). Prevention of dental caries in preschool children [Topic page]. Retrieved from

Did the British public opinion about the Iraq War changed during the Essay - 1

Did the British public opinion about the Iraq War changed during the war - Essay Example However, the public support for the military actions which are government led in Britain plays an important role in foreign and defense policies. Public opinion establishes the political mission legitimacy, maintains the effectiveness of the military, sustains the morale of the deployed troops in war, and justices the required budget for resourcing military. There is no robust evidence of what the public of British thinks about the mission of British involvement in Iraq. There is also a difference of opinion among them. Despite the length of involvement of United Kingdom in the Iraq war, the public opinion is difficult to be entirely determined about the mission. The public opinions data in the Iraq war area have been collected through opinion polls. The opinion polls provided evidences which are relatively timely and quick about the public perceptions and opinions. Nevertheless, there exist potential issues which regard the sample representatives related to some social groups like those people without the landline or internet access. Representative and independent surveys of UK about the public opinion towards the Iraq war mission have shown a contrast in public attitudes. The surveys however have not always included the comparisons of formal statistics on how the public opinion may differ. The UK’s public opinion on the war in Iraq has no relation to the estimations of UK about the military casualties’ tolerance. UK studies have drawn on the theories that are suggesting on public opinion on war. The theory suggests that the public opinion about objectives, moral justifications and success of the military campaign is related to the military death acceptability by the public. There are other theories also which suggest that absolute number of death is of large irrelevance. The accurate estimates of military deaths are associated with the public attitudes

EDU 636 Team project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

EDU 636 Team project - Research Paper Example If this kind of learning environment is achieved, the adult learners would be surely in their optimal state to learn (Materna, 2007). The facilitator could then expect an interactive population of learners. In light of the aforementioned facts, for the adult learners who are the subject of the study, they will be subjected to an e-learning environment. This type of learning environment will primarily utilize computers and the internet. It is to be expected that each of the learners will have both of them at home or anywhere. The adult learners will have to log on to a designated website to be formally recognized by the facilitator. The website wherein the discussion will transpire will have to be user-friendly and complete with the needed accessories such as the discussion board. Unlike in a typical classroom discussion, wherein the teacher and the students will have a face to face interaction, in an e-learning environment, the participants will experience the so called virtual commu nication. What connects the teacher to the adult learners is the internet. All the educational materials will be available on the website wherein the adult learners could easily access and download. Explanation of whether the learning environment is primarily synchronous, asynchronous, or a blend.

Strategic Analysis of Regent Hotel Singapore Research Paper

Strategic Analysis of Regent Hotel Singapore - Research Paper Example Strategic Analysis of Regent Hotel Singapore For example, the firms that existed before Regent Hotel were a major threat. Major potential factors that expose an industry or a company to overcome such challenges may include; a sustainable competitive advantage through innovation. For this case, Regent Hotel established renewable sources of energy, which indeed was a great challenge to existing industries. However, Porter argues that competition between offline and online companies is also a factor need for consideration Secondly, Porter comments profitable markets that yield good profits will attract new industries. This results in many new competitors, which eventually will decrease profitability for all firms in the industry. The following factors can have an effect on how much of a threat new competitors may pose: the existence of barriers to entry for example patents, rights, etc. The most attractive segment is one in which entry barriers are high and exit barriers are low. Here, new firms can enter and non-performing firms can exit easily due to high competition. The following factors have indeed helped Regent Hotel, as a company to sail through government policy not affects Regent Hotel to expand its business. All suppliers of raw materials, components, labor, and services to the firm can be a cause of power over the firm when there are few substitutes. For example if you are making loaves of breads and there is only one person who sells flour, then you have no substitute but to buy it from them.

The Pros and Cons of Search and Seizure Laws Research Paper

The Pros and Cons of Search and Seizure Laws - Research Paper Example The paper tells that sometimes, government representatives can search individual’s property usually regarded as private for constitutional reasons. Normally, the search happens when the person possesses or permanently lives in the area of search. When a representative of the government uses control over a person so he feels he cannot liberally leave or end the interaction with the representative there is occurrence of a seizure. However, a seizure occurs only when an individual yields to the government but in case the individual avoids detention or escapes, there is no occurrence of seizure. In the police department, Search and Seizure process is a famous occurrence. Since the process is legal, any official from the law enforcement department can carry out a search on one's individual property in case there is some kind of suspicion on the individual about involvement in any kind of criminal activity. However, several rules to observe when executing a search and seizure proced ure. In the United States Constitution, the search and seizure procedure is in the fourth amendment act. However, the society regularly violates this act because it additionally offers the affected citizens the assurance to ask for security against the seizure idea. The main reason for the Fourth Amendment was to shield the personal privacy and rights of American citizens. It states that every person has the right to be safe in their persons, papers, houses, and effects against insensible searches and seizures. In addition, this amendment explains the making and execution of specific warrants. This law is very important when tackling drug cases because the way the police discover and seize the drugs is important in any drug crime case. In addition, after a thorough investigation the search and seizure can be valid admissible evidence in court (California Criminal lawyers, 2010). It is evident that the African Americans experience an uneven share of arrests and prison sentences. Alth ough this could be because of differences in the disparity flows in crime rates across population groups, it could also be because of the discrepancy being an outcome of discriminatory targeting of suspects by the police. Since the fourth Amendment law says nothing about their exercise of enforcement judgment about the pool of potential suspects, the police can target whomever they desire. Consequently, the black drivers have no legal claim in case the police officers stop large numbers of black drivers allegedly for speeding but mainly examine the presence of drugs while stopping few whites (Law.jrank, 2011). The main reason why the courts invalidated vagrancy and loitering is the acts of racism together with broad police judgment. In order to fight these two vices, the modern government is turning its focus on suspects' privacy interests and taking on a fictive view of agreement that permits a good deal of informal coercion to happen. However, this method is not effective because the police have no authority like the one present in the old regime to help them carry out effective community policing (Stuntz, 1999). The major focus of the search and seizure law is to protect privacy. "Privacy" in this case does not mean the generalized right for exclusion but rather, the interest of being free from observation. Additionally, this law helps protect the community from the evil acts in which only the police can reveal and see but the ordinary citizen cannot hence the police are able to incriminate the criminals (Law.jrank, 2011). As Agarwal (2008) affirms, the major purpose of the enforcement of search and seizure laws is to protect the society against all insecurity and delinquency. The law of search and seizure helps to respect and protect the privacy of community members. In this regard, it helps in

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 23

Marketing - Essay Example In the past, the 4Ps (product, price, place and promotion) of marketing strategy were highly relevant mainly because of the three main reasons. They were lack of variety within the products, people were exposed to limited means of publicity and lastly promotional activities were more localised. The strategy therefore, was viable in the given restrained parameters and yielded results that satisfied both the customers and the retailers of the time (Shultz, 2001). Unilever had realized early that technological advancements have brought forth an explosion of information that is easily accessible to public through the internet and other media like television, radio, mobile phones etc. The internet has made it easy for the customers to become aware of the product details including its availability at competitive prices which has precipitated the need to develop a whole new perspective for a new marketing technique. One needs to be more open when Shultz say that it is the end-users who now control the markets rather than the marketers. Unilever understood the compulsions of the contemporary times and has adopted innovative and mix market strategy for its Axe products to meet the challenges from its rival companies in the global market. It is true that increased awareness among the customers has put more pressure on the marketers. Even though the customer base is increasing, it is becoming difficult not only to attract more customers but also to retain them. So, one need to add something ‘more’ on the existing products to make it more attractive without compromising much on the price. In fact, the more innovative the product and fancier the promotional techniques, the higher are its chances of capturing market space. Thereby, asserting that brands, advertising, and promotional techniques are very important tools of marketing. The Axe products have incorporated this marketing mantra in their strategy and maintained an edge over their

Politics of the Free Soil Party Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Politics of the Free Soil Party - Essay Example Thus, the parties are in a position of changing the voting patterns in the country since they express the sentiments shared by a particular proportion of the country’s population. On the other hand, most of these third parties do not last for a long period of time since their agenda might be adopted or fail to stand the test of time. One such short-lived party is the Free Soil Party active in the 1848 and 1952 presidential elections of the United States.1 William Leggett, George Henry Evans, and Thomas Morris, part of the group known as â€Å"Dissident Democrats,† were instrumental in the party’s formation by contributing certain arguments crucial in shaping the party’s ideologies. This expose elucidates the role each man played in the formation of the party and effectively identifies the man who greatly influenced the formation of the party and the role he played. Since the formation of the Free Soil Party is synonymous with the Dissident Democrats, it is important to understand the origin of this group. Andrew Jackson is one of the greatest presidents in the history of this country. During his era, commonly referred as the Jacksonian era, Americans felt that there were equal economic opportunities to all citizens. However, prior to his 1837 farewell speech, the president expressed his dissatisfaction with the Bank of the United States saying that it was mainly for the rich people in the country and foreign governments instead of focusing on every citizen of the country.2 Towards the end of his career, support for the outgoing president was high and consequently too was support for his handpicked successor illustrating a scenario that Democrats were one united front. However, discontent simmered across a section of Democrats with some questions some policies by Jackson. Nevertheless, the most surprising disquiet was the loud objection of a few Democrats on the party’s position towards slavery.3 The discontent arose from the p arties policies meant to curtail debate on abolitionism effectively robbing the crusaders of antislavery and its expansion of the most fundamental freedom of expression. While a section of the Democratic leadership lauded the mobs attacking abolitionists in their meetings and in newspapers, general disquiet simmered and effectively solidified support to counter the expansion of slavery.4 In effect, the counter movement to expansion of slavery has been crucial to the history of this country since their efforts led to the current American society that accepts and appreciates diversity. Three antislavery Democrats who broke away from their party in the 1930s were crucial to the formation of the Free Party, a splinter party of the Democratic Party. In this regard, these dissidents provided lines of arguments towards which the party would galvanize its ideals and use them to defend its stance. Of all the Jacksonian politicians, William Leggett was the most eloquent in arguing coherently against the centralized authority embodied by the monopolies, the Money Power, and the fanatical reformers.5 In this case, Leggett focused on arguing against concentrated power that was against the concepts that guide natural law and liberty. Thus, Leggett became the champion and hero to the class of producers that was against capitalism. Effectively, he applied this same ideal in his support for abolitionism after undergoing some form of conversion from being a supporter of abolition, to a firm and committed

How sociological perspective contribute to the relationship between Essay

How sociological perspective contribute to the relationship between the education and the society - Essay Example of opportunity, the democracy and economy (Department of Education, 2004) and it has been well known that schools could help individuals to be socialized (Meyer, 1977). Therefore, this essay would like to discuss how the sociological perspective might explain the relationship between the education and the society. Particularly, this essay will illustrate this point from these three levels: the social contribution of the physical education, the development of students’ socialization process and the importance of the education to the social equity and development. This essay will be structured as follows: it starts by talking about the social effect of the physical education followed by the effect on students’ socialization process. After that, this essay will look at the impact on the social equity together with the discussion about the interaction of these three topics. At last, this essay will conclude by illustrating how these three factors work with the relationship between the society and the education. Physical education deals with the exercise and development of students’ bodies (Kirk et al, 2006). Moreover, it makes students realize the importance of their bodies and the fact that they should take care of their condition in order to maintain clean habits in society. The naturalistic view of the body says that the study of the body could be fully explained by the scientific studies (Shilling, 1993). Thus, the functions of our body and our activity could be understood by biological science thoroughly. In comparison, the sociological perspective argues that the biology could not fully explain the behavior of the body as some activities were determined by the society and the social behavior is a combination of both nature and culture (Evans, 1993; Kirk et al, 2006). Particularly, Giddens (1993) stated that our body is influenced ‘by our social experience as well as the norms and values of the groups to which we belong’. This means that our body is

International finance manager Essay Example for Free

International finance manager Essay Bob Swan is the International Finance Officer to eBay Inc. He is also the senior vice president to the company. He is responsible for eBay’s finance function including controllership, tax, treasury, financial planning and analysis, audit, mergers and acquisitions, and investors relations. He has worked for Electronic Data Systems Corporation (EDS) as an executive vice president. He has also served as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and executive vice president at TRW, Inc. , held an executive-level position at Webvan Group, Inc. His career started with General Electric in 1985 where he spent 15 years while serving at different positions such as corporate audit staff and CFO at GE Medical Systems-Europe and GE transportation Systems. Bob holds a bachelor of science in business administration from State University of New York at Buffalo. He also has a master of Business Administration from SUNY Binghamton. (eBayExecutiveTeam 2010). Risks management eBay as an online marketplace faces a number of risks. It list millions of items across thousands of diverse categories, including antiques, books, toys, sports, computers, photography and electronics and others. It has to manage operational risks and regulatory and legal issues. The company focuses on building trust and safety for trade to its customers. This is ensured through rules and policies, trust building programmes, various educational resources which help in maintaining general marketplace security and prevent fraud. The company also works with law enforcers and government agencies in the world so as to enforce its policies. Its trading policies are rooted in the values of the eBay market place. It seeks to encourage open, honest, and accountable transactions. It also seeks for feedback from the customers so as to ensure good services. The company also has an eBay safety Center to ensure buying and selling safety. (About eBay 2010; Philippe 2009).

Comparative Education Research: Approaches and Methods

Comparative Education Research: Approaches and Methods Comparative Education:Â  Some Reflections As we started discussing deep topics in our class, I came to analyze the need for comparative education in research and the practical use of it in schools. How do different cultures and countries deal with educational policy, issues, and curriculum? Can policy be borrowed and implemented the same way in a completely different context? Is educational research essential for policy making? We know that people in different cultures and nations behave different in many aspects. Is it unknown what aspects of humanity can be considered homogenous, therefore the questions of comparison and the need to sample data from a wide variety of nations and cultures becomes crucial. People in different cultures learn to learn differently, so if one wants to establish a proposition with a specific group of children, this is where an experiment should be performed with a different group of children from another culture and compare the results. There must always be compared data, since comparison now ent ers into the study of human behavior at this point (Farrell, 1979). If we want to take this position as valid, there is a need now for cross-national research, however, one must understand a single country first before comparing it to a second one. How can we compare the United States to New Zealand, if we do not provide an adequate explanation or research for the United States first? Comparative data can also explain single country findings and it is fundamental for the consequent comparisons of two countries. Now, who is to perform this job? A need for people engaged in educational research involving comparison arises since it would bring expertise from different fields into the field of comparative education. The term comparativist was created for this type of research, although, there is no concrete and specific field that must be acquired to be a comparativist. Researchers contribute their multi-disciplinary origins in different fields to inform their approaches and enrich the field of comparative education. Some requirements are needed though: intimate and expert knowledge of another society and its historical development, an acquired foreign language, they must be generalist scholars, well-traveled, and they must work within broader parameters, to have a wider perspective. Considerable knowledge of systems and different approaches and disciplines are necessary qualifications to be a comparativist and engage in studying education (Phillips, 2014). What is it that comparativists are trying to compare? It is simple to state that these researchers want to study education, but what is education? As Bereday (1964) says, education is nothing else than an aspect of life, education includes the training of the body and the training of the intellect, it is something greater and deeper than physical and intellectual training, and a moral influence as well. Education is not a matter of schools and book-learning only, so in order to study foreign systems of education, our attention should not only be focused on the classrooms, teachers, and students only, we should go outside into the streets and homes of people, and engage into the intangible, spiritual force that holds the school system. Comparativists should remember that the things outside the schools matter even more than the things inside of schools, and govern and interpret the things inside. Once that is done, the work of foreign systems of education will result in our being better fitted to study and understand our own (Bereday, 1964). However, not only comparativists can engage in studying comparative education. Any person who has worked in education before has some wise words to say, therefore it would be dangerous to just have the words of the specialist alone. We can all contribute to the field of education. What are some practical ways to engage on comparative education as a teacher or school administrator? An experienced teacher can learn significantly by visiting another school and watch another teacher at work. A very good way to improve this learning is if groups of experienced teachers could be sent abroad to see and to judge other systems of education. This way they would return home and inform thei r schools if what is been currently done is been executed correctly or needs improvement. Travel is important for educational researchers as well. Travel is one of the characteristics that most unites the work of contemporary comparative and international education researchers. The movement of educational policies, pedagogies, and curricula is much of what comparativists study as researchers and often engage in as practitioners (Sobe, 2002). This travel would create a view from the outside which is relevant for the social sciences, and also have the inside perspective that is already acquired and implemented. As Sobe states, these two components (the outside and the inside) should work in concert, integrally and mutually constituting one another to improve the study of comparative education. In conclusion, a wide approach and perspectives of research should be taken into account in comparative education. One approach adds to another and would consequently enrich the systems of education. Comparative studies should not become trapped in one single tradition and we should explore the outside world to benefit ours. Consequently, we should also compare objects that are more than the observable. More than just the sex, color, and school attendance of pupils, but also the factors of social status and other sources of social power and prestige in societies where observable traces are not important (Farrel, 1979). If somehow we can unite these ideas of the inside, outside, and external factors, comparativists and educators would create an effective system of comparative research and improve our systems of education. REFERENCES Bereday, G. Z. F. (1964). Sir Michael Sadlers Study of foreign systems of education. Comparative Education Review, 307-314. Farrell, J., P. (1979). The necessity of comparisons in the study of education: The salience of science and the problem of comparability. Comparative Education Review, 23(1). 3-16. Phillips, D. (2014). Comparatography, history and policy quotation: some reflections. Comparative Education, 50(1), 73-83. Sobe, N. W. (2002). Travel, social science and the making of nations in early 19th century comparative education. (141-166).

Anticancer Efficacy of Curcumin Analysis

Anticancer Efficacy of Curcumin Analysis Nuclear factor-ÃŽ ºB (NF-ÃŽ ºB) is a transcription factor that is essential in the regulation of immune and inflammatory responses.1 It influences a diverse target of gene expressions that regulate apoptosis, facilitate cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation.1,2 Before cell stimulation, NF-ÃŽ ºB dimers that are located in the cytoplasm are inactive.3 Prior to activation, NF-ÃŽ ºB dimers consisting of RelA, c-REL, and p50 are held in the cytoplasm by inhibitory ÃŽ ºB (IÃŽ ºB) proteins.3,8 The IÃŽ ºB kinase (IKK) complex is activated by various extracellular signals such as proinflammatory cytokines and viral infections.3,4 This IKK complex phosphorylates two conserved serine residues and targets NF-ÃŽ ºB-bound IÃŽ ºBs, which results in ubiquitin-mediated dissociation of IÃŽ ºB from NF-ÃŽ ºB, thus leading to translocation of activated NF-ÃŽ ºB into the nucleus.2,7 The activation of NF-ÃŽ ºB promotes tumor invasion, metastasis, and allows malignant cells to escape apoptosis. Consequently, many chemotherapeutic drugs have been found to activate NF-ÃŽ ºB, thus contributing to chemoresistance and chemotherapy failure.3 Increasing evidence suggests that, the inhibition of NF-ÃŽ ºB activation can reduce chemoresistance and improve the effectiveness of chemotherapeutic agents.3 Among the compounds that have been reported, curcumin was found to inhibit the activation of NF-ÃŽ ºB and thus, induce apoptosis in tumor cells.6 Unfortunately, its clinical applications remains limited due to its poor bioavailability and low potency6, these prompted researchers to chemically modify curcumin in order to increase its potency against NF-ÃŽ ºB and cancerous cells.8 In this issue, Qui et al.8 reports progress in the synthesis and identification of new 4-arylidene curcumin analogues as a potential chemotherapeutic agent. Different kinds of 4-arylidene curcumin analogues were synthesized by coupling 1, 3-diketones curcumin analogues with various aromatic aldehydes in toluene with acetic acid, using piperidine as a catalyst (figure 1). The chemotherapeutic activities of the synthesized compounds were tested on the growth of A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells with curcumin used as control. The authors reported that majority of the 4-arylidene curcumin analogues exhibited potent anticancer activities against A549 growth with GI50 in the range of 0.23 – 0.93 ÃŽ ¼M, while very poor antiproliferation activities of curcumin was observed at 15.23 ÃŽ ¼M. This shows a 10- to 60-fold increase in the potency of 4-arylidene curcumin analogues over the parent compound, curcumin. Remarkably, the cytotoxic activities of these newly designed curcumin analogues were not limited to A549 cells. The growth of other carcinoma cells H1944, squamous cells H157, and large carcinoma cells H460, were effectively inhibited by selected 4-acrylidene curcumin analogues, with GI50 values at micromolar concentrations low to 0.07 ÃŽ ¼M. Likewise, in a related study, Zambre et al.9 reported that copper(II) conjugates of Knoevenagel condensates o f curcumin analogue showed inhibitory activities against human leukemic KBM-5 cells. Taken together, these two forms of curcumin analogues offer new possibilities at both ends as potential anticancer agents. One of the key curcumin targets that is important for the survival of cancer is IÃŽ ºB kinase (IKK), which regulates NF-ÃŽ ºB activation.6 Activated NF-ÃŽ ºB is situated in the nucleus to promote transcription that is triggered by tumor-necrosis factor (TNFÃŽ ±).1,5 Thus, Qiu et al.8 used nuclear translocation of NF-ÃŽ ºB in response to TNFÃŽ ± as the main indicator to examine the mode of action of curcumin in comparison to 4-arylidene curcumin analogue. A549 cells were treated in a 384-well plate format with curcumin and its new analogue respectively, before the addition of TNFÃŽ ± to trigger nuclear translocation of NF-ÃŽ ºB p65 subunit. As a result, curcumin inhibited TNFÃŽ ±-induced nuclear translocation of NF-ÃŽ ºB with a mean IC50 of 9.5 ÃŽ ¼M, which is consistent with the work of Kasinski et al.4 Interestingly, most of the synthesized 4-arylidene curcumin analogue showed improved inhibitory activities against NF-ÃŽ ºB translocation with mean IC50 values in the range of 1.0 â⠂¬â€œ 4.9 ÃŽ ¼ÃŽÅ". This finding proved the superiority of the newly designed curcumin analogue over curcumin in blocking nuclear translocation of NF-ÃŽ ºB. Consequently, in a related paper, Zambre et al.9 developed novel curcumin analogues that were synthesized using Knoevenagel condensation to convert enolic diketones of curcumin into non-enolizable ones. The synthesized compounds were examined for their potential in blocking TNFÃŽ ±-induced NF-ÃŽ ºB activation. It was reported that copper(II) conjugates of Knoevenagel condensates of curcumin showed greater potentials in blocking TNFÃŽ ±-induced NF-ÃŽ ºB activation than curcumin, confirming the potency superiority of curcumin analogues over the parental curcumin. NF-ÃŽ ºB is principally activated by IKKÃŽ ² in its well organized signaling pathways.2,7 As a result, Qiu et al.8 choose three potent newly synthesized 4-arylidene curcumin analogues A, B and C to directly investigate their effect on IKK enzymatic activity, with curcumin used as control. Report was given that upon stimulation of A549 cells with TNFÃŽ ±, TNFÃŽ ± induced considerable IÃŽ ºB phosphorylation followed by degradation of the phosphorylated IÃŽ ºB. However, following the treatment of the cells with curcumin and its newly designed analogue, respectively, curcumin inhibited IÃŽ ºB phosphorylation and degradation at high concentrations, while the selected potent newly synthesized curcumin analogues significantly inhibited IÃŽ ºB phosphorylation and degradation at a lower concentration with IC50 values in micromolar range of 2.2 5.0 ÃŽ ¼ÃŽÅ". Again, this showed that the 4-arylidene curcumin analogues exhibited greater inhibitory activities against IÃŽ ºB than curcumin. In anot her study, Kasinski et al.4 proposed that the inhibitory activities of curcumin and its analogues may be a result of direct inhibition of IKKÃŽ ² kinase. To examine this model, the authors performed a reconstituted IKK inhibition assay with recombinant IKKÃŽ ², report showed that the addition of curcumin in various tested concentrations had no significant effect in inhibiting IKKÃŽ ².4 However, in this issue8, the selected newly synthesized curcumin analogues induced a dose dependent inhibition of IKKÃŽ ². Thus, the structural modification of these curcumin analogues results to improved inhibitory activities over curcumin in the in vitro IKK kinase assay. Furthermore, they compared the anticancer efficacy of curcumin and its newly designed analogues. The authors reported that the synthesized 4-arylidene curcumin analogues inhibited colony formation of lung cancer cells at low concentrations in the micromolar range of less than 0.2 0.4 ÃŽ ¼M.8 However, curcumin also inhibited colony formation of cancer cells at higher concentration (4 ÃŽ ¼M). Again, this finding showed the superiority in potency of 4-arylidene curcumin analogues over the parent compound as an anticancer agent. Thus, the chemical modification of the parental curcumin has led to identification of new 4-arylidene curcumin analogues as potential anticancer agents targeting NF-ÃŽ ºB signaling pathway. REFERENCES 1 Baud V, Karin M. (2009) Is NF-kB a good target for cancer therapy? Hopes and pitfalls. Nature reviews drug discovery. 8, 33-40 2 Bonizzi G, Karin M. (2004) The two NF-ÃŽ ºB activation pathways and their role in innate and adaptive immunity. Trends in immunology. 25(6), 280 – 288 3 Karin M. (2006) Nuclear factor-kappaB in cancer development and progression. Nature. 441, 431 – 436 4 Kasinski A, Du Y, Thomas S, Zhao J, Sun S, Khuri F, Wang C, Shoji M, Sun A, Snyder J, Liotta D, Fu H. (2008) Inhibition of IÃŽ ºB kinase-nuclear factor-ÃŽ ºB signaling pathway by 3,5-bis(2-flurobenzylidene)piperidine-4-one (EF24), a novel monoketone analog of curcumin. Molecular Pharmacology. 74(3), 654-661 5 Lee C, Jeon Y, Kim S, Song Y. (2007) NF-kappaB as a potential molecular target for cancer therapy. Biofactors. 29 (1), 19 -35 6 Leu T, Maa M. (2002) The molecular mechanisms for the antitumorigenic effect of curcumin. Current medical chemistry. 2(3), 357 – 370 7 Perkins N. (2007) Integrating cell-signalling pathways with NF-ÃŽ ºB and IKK function. Nature reviews molecular cell biology. 8, 49 62. 8 Qiu X, Du Y, Lou B, Zuo Y, Shao W, Huo Y, Huang J, Yu Y, Zhou B, Du J, Fu H, Bu X. (2010) Synthesis and identification of new 4-arylidene curcumin analogues as potential anticancer agents targeting nuclear factor-ÃŽ ºB signaling pathway. Journal of medicinal chemistry. 53, 8260 – 8273 9 Zambre A, Kulkarni V, Padhye S, Sandur S, Aggarwal B. (2006) Novel curcumin analogs targeting TNF-induced NF-kB activation and proliferation in human leukemic KBM-5 cells. Bioorganic and medicinal chemistry. 14, 7196 – 7204

The Science and the Laws Impacting Human Cloning Essay -- Human Clonin

The Science and the Laws Impacting Human Cloning Human cloning, long the subject of science fiction, is today a practical reality. Recent breakthroughs, most renowned the cloning of a sheep from an adult cell in Scotland in 1997, have caused the world to acknowledge that human cloning is indeed possible. Governments around the world immediately attempted to address the issue of human cloning, with varying levels of success. At the same time the pace of cloning technology continued to accelerate. This paper will first examine the development of the technology that makes human cloning possible and the scientific uncertainties surrounding it. While this paper does not intend to take a stand on either side of the human cloning issue, a brief discussion of the human cloning controversy will be presented to help frame the legal debate. United States and international law then will be presented and analyzed. This paper argues that while there is a general consensus domestically and abroad that human cloning should be prohibited, the current legal paradigm is insufficient and unsuited to stop the proliferation of cloning technology and effectively prevent the occurance of human cloning. Finally, an this paper will examine the actors who may have an interest in cloning humans, and argue that a human being will likely be cloned in our time. The Science Cloning is a rather ambiguous term, and may refer to molecular cloning, cellular cloning, embryo twinning, and nuclear somatic transfer1. It is nuclear somatic transfer that is the concern of this paper and relevant to the subject of human cloning. Any competent discussion of the science that may make human cloning possible begins with the c... ...st horrifying visions of a future world of clones produced in human factories will prove unfounded, being dismissed by existing child abuse laws. The end product of somatic human cell nuclear transfer is nothing more than a baby, one that despite its genetic make-up, will have to chart its own path through life. 1 Gregory E. Pence. Who’s Afraid of Human Cloning? Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. New York: 1998, p. 11 2 National Bioethics Association Commission (NBAC) Cloning Human Beings- Report and Recommendations. vol. II, p. B6 3 Heagle, 4 4 Marie A. DiBerardino & Robert G. McKinnell, Backward Compatible, The Sciences, Sept./Oct. 97, p. 32 5 Heagle, 5 6 Susan Greenlee. Dolly’s Legacy to Human Cloning: International Legal Responses and Potential Human Rights Violations. 18 Wisconsin University Law Journal 537. Spring 2000, Lexis-Nexis Version p. 5 The Science and the Laws Impacting Human Cloning Essay -- Human Clonin The Science and the Laws Impacting Human Cloning Human cloning, long the subject of science fiction, is today a practical reality. Recent breakthroughs, most renowned the cloning of a sheep from an adult cell in Scotland in 1997, have caused the world to acknowledge that human cloning is indeed possible. Governments around the world immediately attempted to address the issue of human cloning, with varying levels of success. At the same time the pace of cloning technology continued to accelerate. This paper will first examine the development of the technology that makes human cloning possible and the scientific uncertainties surrounding it. While this paper does not intend to take a stand on either side of the human cloning issue, a brief discussion of the human cloning controversy will be presented to help frame the legal debate. United States and international law then will be presented and analyzed. This paper argues that while there is a general consensus domestically and abroad that human cloning should be prohibited, the current legal paradigm is insufficient and unsuited to stop the proliferation of cloning technology and effectively prevent the occurance of human cloning. Finally, an this paper will examine the actors who may have an interest in cloning humans, and argue that a human being will likely be cloned in our time. The Science Cloning is a rather ambiguous term, and may refer to molecular cloning, cellular cloning, embryo twinning, and nuclear somatic transfer1. It is nuclear somatic transfer that is the concern of this paper and relevant to the subject of human cloning. Any competent discussion of the science that may make human cloning possible begins with the c... ...st horrifying visions of a future world of clones produced in human factories will prove unfounded, being dismissed by existing child abuse laws. The end product of somatic human cell nuclear transfer is nothing more than a baby, one that despite its genetic make-up, will have to chart its own path through life. 1 Gregory E. Pence. Who’s Afraid of Human Cloning? Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. New York: 1998, p. 11 2 National Bioethics Association Commission (NBAC) Cloning Human Beings- Report and Recommendations. vol. II, p. B6 3 Heagle, 4 4 Marie A. DiBerardino & Robert G. McKinnell, Backward Compatible, The Sciences, Sept./Oct. 97, p. 32 5 Heagle, 5 6 Susan Greenlee. Dolly’s Legacy to Human Cloning: International Legal Responses and Potential Human Rights Violations. 18 Wisconsin University Law Journal 537. Spring 2000, Lexis-Nexis Version p. 5

Penicillin Essay -- essays research papers fc

Penicillin was accidentally discovered at St. Mary's Hospital, London in 1929 by Dr. Alexander Fleming. As test continued, Fleming began to realize that he was on the verge of a great discovery. However, he still did not know the identity of the fungus, and had little knowledge of fungi. His crude extracts could be diluted 1,000 times and still be effective in killing bacteria. After years of working on penicillin and going nowhere, many of his co-workers grew tired of hearing about it. The first real test for penicillin came when a 48-year-old police officer nicked himself shaving. After a time, Alexander's face became infected and he developed a temperature. When he was rushed to the hospital, the doctors believed that he had only hours to live. Then Dr Fleming and his crew started to treat this patient. This was the first person that penicillin was used on. After five days, he was getting better. Unfortunately, because it was in such short supply, it had to be extracted from his urine, and the penicillin had been used up. The police officer died five days l ater. Their next attempt was successful. It involved a punctured eye. The stone was still in the eye, and normally the eye would have been amputated, but penicillin allowed the man to make a full recovery. By this time, it was now 1941, it was now acknowledged that penicillin was indeed a worthwhile drug and could save thousands of lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During World War I, death rate from pneumonia in th...

The Politics of Humor :: essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   THE POLITICS OF COMEDY   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is this thing on?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In efforts to promote voter education, laughter is perhaps the best strategery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Comedy and tragedy prove one in the same, as the saying goes. The variability of the twosome, however, substantiates rather inconsistently in politics, an arena overflowing with participants who take themselves too seriously. And where a potential candidate attempts to utilize comic relief, one often discovers the result to be rather tragic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In lieu of the consequences politicians may endure with the mere utterance of a poor joke, most tend to stray from the possibility of Meet the Press turned comedy hour. Especially when their reputations are at stake; politicians are well aware, according to Mark Katz, humorist and speechwriter for Bill Clinton, that â€Å"a good joke will last about a week†, whereas a â€Å"bad joke will be reprinted in you obituary.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perhaps responsibility lies within the confines of a narrow-minded media, exhibited as a threat to be avoided rather than a tool to be implemented. But certainly with just cause; â€Å"the news media are poorly suited to their role as the principal intermediary between candidates and voters,† rooted in the conception of politics as â€Å"game† and a â€Å"business† rather than a â€Å"struggle† over national policy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The aforementioned incidents occur frequently, but not absolutely, should candidates appropriately utilize humor. The war on terror provides unavoidable roadblocks on an already-tumultuous campaign trail, and even primitive technology such as television suffices in establishing the general 9/11 ‘fear climate’. The presumption of a candidate’s entrepreneurial priorities over his public relationship undermines the use of humor as the candidate’s ultimate weapon.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The primarily noticeable aspect of political campaign humor pertains to its absence. Undoubtedly humor â€Å"is used more sparingly than songs in political commercials† ; the commodity appears even more so in the early campaign efforts of the mid-nineteenth century than recent endeavors. Humor’s effectiveness originates from its multilevel success in the campaigning process. Involuntarily proliferated by an ever-expanding press, the ideal candidate would employ comedy because of its effervescent facility of concurrent humanization and advertisement. Moreover humorous politicians formulate an equally comical and less aggressive response within the entertainment realm, successfully intertwining the sphere of pop culture with the relatively unscathed territory of political science. The general consensus regarding the benefits of humor relates to its malleability; it can â€Å"be employed to attack the opposition, or it can serve to enhance a campaign.à ¢â‚¬    Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While it can be argued that humor refers to a conscious campaign maneuver on the part of its source, as a tool it only succeeds with regard to the respective candidate.

Forrest Gump Essay

Forrest Gump is one of my favorite movie of all times. It stars Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump, very innocent minded man going through many difficult situations and overcoming them. The story isn’t about a hero, a ticking clock or a villain. It is just a remarkable story of a young man going through his amazing life. Metacritic.com says that it is one of the movies you must see before you die and I must agree! It has won six Academy Awards which includes best picture. The cinematography and mise en scene play major roles in grasping the viewer, making the main character feel relatable and helped the viewers understand the time and place Forrest is in. The first shot the cinematographer uses, which is my favorite scene, is the long shots used when following the feather in the open scenes of the movie. The feather flows from way up high in the sky to and lands on the bench Forrest sits on. An example of very long shots in the film are when Forrest is running (all throughout the movie) and also during the war scenes. Cinematographer Don Burgess recalls, â€Å"With Forrest Gump, I felt very strongly about shooting anamorphic: it depicted the character’s relationship to the world and how he saw the world. I thought anamorphic lens worked so well, compositionally. With the character of Forrest Gump, I short-sighted him a lot to put him out of context, so he always felt odd with things around him. The anamorphic format has a tendency to short-sight better anyway, and we used really wide lenses focused on him; I think it creates that feeling of his relationship to everything else.† I believe that the making Forrest stand out and not really fit in to his surroundings, yet effortlessly moving through the motions is captured by the use of anamorphic shooting. It also helps the viewer understand the time and place in which the story takes place and how the character relates to that period of time. However, the cinematography isn’t the only aspect of the filmmaking process that helps the viewer know the time and place; mise en scene also has plays an important role. Mise en scene is French for â€Å"place on set.† It is the way props or objects are placed on the set in order to bring out the theme of a movie and make it  more realistic for the time and place. Mise en scene can be like entering a time machine when done correctly and that’s exactly how I felt while watching Forrest Gump. From the beginning of the film, at the center of attention is the bench. The placement of the bench lets us know that it is at a bus stop as opposed to a park because a bus stops in front of it, people walk behind and in front of the bench, and also the bus stop sign placed near it. Mise en scene can also be symbolic. There are many examples throughout the film but my favorite is the signed Marilyn Monroe picture behind the picture of the Kennedy Brothers at the Watergate Hotel. Its a bit scandalous and fun since Marilyn was rumored to having affairs with both brother and it also brings out a little bit of history, which I love. Also, in one of the scenes where Forrest is running, there’s a confederate flag on the car. Since they’re in the south and many people believe Forrest symbolizes America, it can be presumed that America is running or moving past its racists history. That’s just one theory. There are so many more examples of mise en scene but that would turn this journal into a ten page paper. Forrest Gump has won an Oscar for Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Director, Best Writing, Best Film Editing and Best Editing and nominated for six more Oscars, Best Cinematography among them. I believe that all the elements that go into making a film made this movie great but the cinematography and use of mise en scene really made it outstanding.

If I Could Meet Any Historical Figure Essay

If I could meet any historical figure I would chose to meet Rosa Parks. She is an  unbelievable inspiration and a great role model. She is also a great example for everyone that no matter what race you are, you should stand up for what you believe in. Rosa Parks is not only one of the most important people in Black History; she is also a great role model for women everywhere. If I was ever blessed to sit down and meet with her; I would ask her how long it took her to get up enough courage to refuse to move. I’ve often wondered if she planned that out or if she did it as an adrenaline rush, spur of the moment kind of thing. If she had planned it out, I would ask her if she tried to get people to do it with her or if she wanted to do it by herself. What made her finally want to stand up for herself and do it? Next I would want to know if she had any role models her self and what she valued most in life. These characteristics are extremely important to me and in my opinion they show stability and strong sense of character. It’s interesting to think about if she valued the same type of things like me because she seems so much more courageous. Then would be a good time to inform her on how much of a role model she is and how much of an impact she made in the world today. On the topic of black people who made great impacts, she would probably wonder who else was big in black history. It would be my pleasure to tell her about many the great names in black history such as: Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, Angela Davis, Wilma Rudolph, Sojourner Truth, Madam C.J. Walker and Malcolm X. Hopefully she would find this information interesting. I would have loved to have gotten the chance to meet her and discuss all my questions with her. I’m proud of her and I hope she can still see today what an impact she has made in American Black History.

Competition in Energy Drinks, Sports Drinks, and Vitamin-Enhanced Beverages

Case Study: Competition in Energy Drinks, Sports Drinks, and Vitamin-Enhanced Beverages ————————————————- [email  protected] com 1. What are the strategically relevant components of the global and U. S. beverage industry macro-environment? How do the economic characteristics of the alternative beverage segment of the industry differ from that of other beverage categories? Explain. Demographics: The total sale for beverages in 2009 in the US was about 458. 3 billion gallons and it is one of the largest markets with dollar value of 1,581. billion in 2009 and with a forecast of $1,775. 3 billion for 2014. 48. 2 percent of industry sales were from carbonated soft drinks and 29. 2 percent of bottle water industry sales. In 2009,The Alternative beverage industry included sports drinks, flavored or enhanced water and energy drinks made up 4%, 1. 6%, and 1. 2% of industry sales r espectively. The global market for alternative beverages in 2009 was $40. 2 billion, while it was $17 billion for alternative beverages in US market. It was $ 12. 7 billion and $9. billion for Asia pacific and European markets respectively. Market growth: The market growth has huge potential with the dollar value of the global market for alternative beverages grew at a 9. 8% annually between 2005 and 2009, but was expected to slow down to 5. 7% annually between 2010 and 2014. US is the country which has strongest growth internationally in term of alternative beverage sales with an annual growth rate of 16. 6% between 2005 and 2009 and a forecasted growth rate of 6. 7% between 2010 and 2014.Europe and Asia-Pacific grew at annual rates of 5. 3% and 5. 6% between 2005 and 2009 and were expected to grow at a rate of 4. 4% and 5. 1% respectively between 2010 and 2014. However poor economic conditions in the US in 2008 and 2009 led to a 12. 3% decline in sports drink sales and a 12. 5% de cline in flavored and vitamin waters sales. It was also the reason why energy drinks sales increased only 0. 2% between those years. Rivalry between competitors: Coca Cola, Pepsico and Redbull are the three big players that made the industry rivalry become global.However, there were hundreds of brands like Otsuko which were specialty yet regional brands that did not have a foot print internationally but were doing well in their own terms. Beverage producers had made various attempts at increasing the size of the market for alternative beverages by extending existing product lines and developing altogether new products. Social Forces: * Global beverage companies such as Coca Cola and PepsiCo had relied on such beverages to sustain in volume growth in mature markets where consumers were reducing their consumption of carbonated soft drinks. Expanding the market for alternatives beverages and increasing sales and market share, beverage producers also were forced to content with criticis m from some that energy drinks, energy shots, and relaxation drinks presented health risks for consumers and that some producers’ strategies promoted reckless behavior, the primary concern of most producers of energy drinks, sports drinks, and vitamin-enhanced beverages was how to best improve their competitive standing in the market place. Driving Forces for this industry: * Expanding Market share Desire to reach out to Consumer needs and meet the demand * Personalization of the Market Segments* Branding * Market Size * Maximization of Growth Potential General Economic Conditions: * Global growth is projected to grow at 3. 5 percent in 2012, then accelerate somewhat to 3. 6 percent from 2013-2014. In 2012 It is expected that emerging economies will be slow in growth by 0. 7 percentage points on average, going from 6. 3 percent growth in 2011 to 5. 6 percent in 2012, partly as a result of slower export growth and partly because several of them have been growing above trend an d the GDP Growth for the world is predicted to be at 3. . Things look a little slow but are picking up slowly and there is no recession in sight so far. This could really help the industries like Food, Beverages, Health surge ahead like they already are into the market with more percentage of market share and consumer usage based on the increasing numbers in the trend. Impact of Economic Factors: * Demand on beverages and alternative beverages should remain incremental or stable * Branded alternative beverages with national and international presence should do well * Business opportunities should be encouraged with fair and encouraging interest rates 2.What is competition like in the alternative beverage industry? Which of the five competitive forces is strongest? Which is weakest? What competitive forces seem to have the greatest effect on industry attractiveness and the potential profitability of new entrants? The Beverage industry is highly competitive and the segments that come into picture when it comes to competition are Distribution, Shelf management, Licenses, Brand name and Image, Pricing, Labeling and Packaging, Marketing and Advertising, Quality and taste, Trade and Consumer promotions and Branding. Competition with non-alcoholic beverages * Competition with Carbonated beverages * Competition with regional beverage producers and private label soft drink suppliers * Competition in maintenance of distribution network * Competition on quality and pricing* Competition on Branding, Labeling, Marketing, Packaging and Promotions. Bargaining power of Buyers: Strong * Convenience store, grocery store, and wholesale buyers had considerable leverage in negotiating pricing and slotting fees with alternative beverage producers because of their bulk purchases. New entrants with comparatively lower market shares are most affected with this like how it is mentioned in the case where the shelf space is limited to top brands like Coke, PepsiCo and Red bull for that p articular market segment. The larger brands like coke and Pepsi also already have spaces worked out with them for their other products and this makes it easier for the bigger brands to get their newer products in the shelf’s too. * Delis and restaurants have low switching costs to other brands but they have less volumes compared to stores and less space, shelfs etc. nd also will not have the same bargaining power that a store enjoys. * Demand is highly dynamic Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Weak * Suppliers for alternative beverages do exist in huge numbers and the competition is high * The producers of alternative beverages are important customers of suppliers and buy in large quantities. * Packaging is readily available Threat of Substitutes: Medium* Many substitutes like tea, bottled water, juices, nutrition water etc. have surfaced but the market is not as big as alternative beverages and this customer preference had weakened the competitive power of substitute beverages. Many substitutes that can quench the thirst of the consumers * Price point of substitutes is less compared to alternative beverages Threat of New entrants: Weak * Brand leaders already exist in the industry with competitive prices and well established distribution system * Convenience stores and Shelves across the stores are already in partnership with existing big-wigs * Customer loyalty towards branded products is high * Need for large financial resources and funds * High Brand equity for already existing and successful brands Threat of Rivalry: Strong Competition centers among major brands based on brand image, appealing taste, packaging, R&D, Marketing and Distribution capabilities * Attempts by all the brands to increase the number and types of products in their product line * Low switching costs for the consumers of the industry * Strong marketing campaigns by each brand to gain customer loyalty The Bargaining power of consumers and rivalry that exists between the competi tions in this industry contributes to the attractiveness of the industry.The numbers are promising, the industry is dynamic and increase in demand each year. The factors that affect the potential profitability of the new entrants are the Brand image, Distribution network and Product line breadth. 3) How is the market for energy drinks, sports drinks and vitamin-enhanced beverages changing? What are the underlying drivers of change and how might those forces individually or collectively make the industry more or less attractive? * Driving forces of the alternative everage industry are dependent on the creating/sustaining market demand, dynamics of the growth rate and product innovation. * Industry leaders established: Segments within the alternative beverage industry have consolidated as markets have matured and leaders have been established. Red Bull GmbH and Hansen Natural Corporation remained independent in 2010, Coca-Cola controlled such brands as Powerade sports drink, Fuze vita min-enhanced beverages, glaceau vitamin water and NOS.In addition, Coca-Cola distributed Hansen’s Monster energy drink in parts of the United States, Canada, and six European countries. * Changes in Long term Growth Rate: The recession had an impact on sales of sports drinks and flavored or enhanced water and has stalled growth in the market for energy drinks; there was also growing market maturity for most categories of alternative beverages. The annual rate of growth for the dollar value of the global market for alternative beverages was forecasted to decline from the 9. percent annual rate occurring between 2005 and 2009 to an anticipated annual rate of 5. 7 percent for 2010 through 2014. While dollar value growth rates were expected to decline only slightly in Europe and Asia-Pacific, the annual rate of growth in the U. S. was projected to decline from 16. 6 percent during 2005 – 2009 to 6. 7 percent between 2010 and 2014 * Product Innovation: The industry is conti nuing to evolve with introduction of new products that enable rise of new category of products.The recent introduction of energy shots is an example of how an innovation that has given rise to an altogether new sub-segment in the industry. * The creation of new product segments, the increasing positive trends in growth rate and increasing market share for each product are a good indication and good drivers of change that increase the attractiveness of the market for an emergent industry. 4) What does your strategic group map of the energy drink, sports drink, and vitamin-enhanced beverage industry look like?Which strategic groups do you think are in the best positions? The worst positions? The strategic group maps show the industry participants competing with axes of Geographic foot print and Brand. The Map shows that Industry giants like Coke and Pepsico are positioned strongest in the industry due to already existing contracts, supply chain, distribution network and shelf spaces i n retail spaces. * Red Bull is seeing a successful brand in Europe and the U. S. Hansen's Monster is also doing good standing up to the other market giants with distribution partnership with coke giving it the required space and opportunity to grab the market and hence can be considered at a favorable position. * Rock star has also been at a favorable position due to the same reason of distribution network partnership with PepsiCo* Companies with a single brand and regional distribution like Otsuko, Vitamin water etc. appeared to be at an unfavorable place with chances of competition gulping the market share of the small players very soon. ) What key factors determine the success of alternative beverage producers? The Key success factors for Alternative Beverage producers are * Constant Product Innovation: A company must be able to identify what a consumer is looking for and also maintain the ability to adapt with the changing market trends. They must be able to keep up and not lag behind. * Price: Price is always a factors in many cases and in this case consumers with a low brand preference will buy a product based on its competitive pricing * Brand Loyalty: Consumers are particular about what brand they purchase and they stick to it in most of the cases.This stresses for a superior brand image and quality * Distribution system: Probably one of the most important, Effective distribution channels will not only help reduce costs but also helps a company remain competitive. * Size and Scale: Successful alternative beverage producers were required to have sufficient sales volumes to keep marketing expenses at an acceptable cost per unit basis. 6) What recommendations would you make to Coca-Cola to improve its competitiveness in the global alternative beverage industry? To PepsiCo? To Red Bull GmbH? Recommendations to Pepsi Pepsico have to launch a major image building campaign for the most promising products it has. * Pepsico also needs to develop its own energy shot brand try to convince Rockstar to add an energy shot to its distribution agreement. * In addition, Pepsi should negotiate for distribution rights to European and Asia-Pacific market with Rockstar or launch its energy drink brands in attractive international markets. * PepsiCo can expand its foot print and focus on other international markets in energy drinks for more international presence and to utilize the demand of a branded and standard product.Red Bull is currently the number in the energy drinks category and they should really take advantage of that and come up with more product line extensions and more products so people can identify with that brand and try other products too. They should focus more on product innovation and product line extensions. Recommendations to Coca Cola * Coca cola should improve its product by innovating and building up good image to recapture the market share it lost in energy drinks category. * Coca cola should also try to create more rapid gr owth in vitamin-enhanced beverages and energy shots product. Coke should focus on products and Branding efforts to gain market and regain lost market share in energy drinks * It should build up its strength in term of alternative beverage sales in by pursuing acquisitions and focus on building its strength of sales in Asia and react quickly to solve the problem of lacking competitiveness in the European market for alternative beverages. * Coca cola can use a combination of new flavors and formulations, brands, line extensions, improved image building, and distribution capabilities to increase sales of alternative beverages internationally.Recommendations to Red Bull GmbH * Redbull should improve the performance of its recently introduced energy shots and continue to expand into rapidly growing country markets for energy drinks. * It is necessary for the company to maintain its lead in the U. S. and European energy drink market with additional product line extensions based upon produ ct innovation. * It should develop sports drinks or vitamin-enhanced beverages that can further exploit the appeal of the Red Bull brand 7. Using the data in Ex. 11, 12, 13 compare Pepsi, Coke, and Hansen.Who has been the most profitable? Who has better managed their expenses? Which business has shown the most growth? Which of the three would you give the strongest grade for their performance? * Using the data from Exhibit 11,12 and 13 for Coke, Pepsi and Hansen, Hansen seems to be the most profitable so far as it became the largest seller of energy drink in the US by leading most of alternative beverage categories. PepsiCo’s global market share in 2009 was 26. 5 percent, overcome by 11. 5 percent to Coca-Cola.The Coca Cola has better managed their expenses it was the third-largest seller of alternative beverage and in the top five best-selling non-alcoholic beverages worldwide in 2009. But they have lot of catching up to do. I would give the strongest grade for performance t o Hansen for its market share, range of products, product innovation and distribution strategies. Hansen also managed to have higher revenue growth and higher cash flow growth. Net Revenue| 2007| 2008| 2009| CAGR| Pepsi| 39374| 43251| 43232| 3. 17%| Coca Cola| 28857| 31944| 30990| 3. 40%| Hansen| 904465| 1033780| 1143299| 4. 50%| | | | | | | | | | Net Income| 2007| 2008| 2009| CAGR| Pepsi  5674| 5166| 5979| 1. 76%| Coca Cola| 5981| 5807| 6824| 4. 49%| Hansen| 149,406| 108032| 208716| 11. 70%| | | | | | | | | | | Operating profit| 2007| 2008| 2009| CAGR| Pepsi| 7182| 6959| 8044| 3. 85%| Coca Cola| 18451| 20570| 19902| 2. 55%| Hansen| 230986| 163591| 337309| 13. 40%| The company growth rate analysis of the three companies in terms of revenue, income and profit show that Hansen has higher percentage of growth rate well above the industry average. Hansen has greater revenues in the industry segment and higher customer demand and financial success.

MOTORBUS Company: Que Sera Sera Essay

I. Point of View This study should be observed in the perspective of Engr. Hermogenes Ancheta. His situation is very critical since all of the burdens of the Maintenance Department are lying on his shoulders. Therefore, the researcher should specifically view themselves as Engr. Hermogenes Ancheta in considering some solutions and recommendation and finally offer the proper, distinct and probable plan of action. II. Time Context Since the company will be fielding an additional 50 new buses in a month, Engr. Hermogenes Ancheta should settle all misfits and do the recommended plan of action within 30 days. That timeframe will give Engr. Hermogenes Ancheta the perfect decision that he can get to come up with a perfect solution. This problem needs a lot of thinking and analyzing. III. Statement of the Problem The MOTORBUS Company: Que Sera Sera is a route of bus from Manila via Isabela. Que Sera Sera means â€Å"What will be, will be†. Engineer Hermogenes Ancheta has just received his appointment papers from his new immediate superior, the Vice-President for Operations, he has been promoted from Assistant Manager to Manager of the Maintenance Department. After congratulating him from his promotion, his boss gave him a verbal directive that he should put some order in his department and make and make it work in the most effective and efficient manner as possible without incertitude. Engineer Ancheta has just passed the board examination for Mechanical Engineering when he joined Motorbus Company in 1993. By June 1995, he informed his former classmates at the University of Santo Tomas that he has promoted as Assistant Manager for Maintenance. He had promoted from Assistant Manager to Manager when Engineer Gaudencio Inductivo, who in turn to be at 62 years old. After the approval from VP for operations, the next day after the approval of Engineer Inductivo retirement, Engineer Ancheta received an appointment papers promoting him to be a Manager. By the time on his duty as a manager he inspect the storage room and he found the uneven supply of parts. Some parts were in excessive quantities and some important ones were inadequately stocked and the corner room contains a big volume of obsolete parts. The problem now is that how he handle the operation most effectively when he’s just new to his job, while there are 50 more buses added in the route for 100 buses will servicing the various routes assigned to Motorbus Company. IV. Statement of the Objectives To settle the disputes with the maintenance personnel To convince the maintenance personnel to not quit their jobs To innovate and improve the old method of purchasing To fix problems regarding inadequate, excessive and obsolete parts in the stock room V. Areas of Consideration Engineer Hermogenes Ancheta as a Mechanical Engineering Graduate he then work in a Motorbus Company as Assistant Manager of Maintenance Department. By the year 1993 when he joined the Motorbus Company, he passed the Board Examination for Mechanical Engineering course. He then informed his former classmate from University of Santo Tomas by year 1995 as he promoted Assistant Manager for Maintenance. The former Manager of the Department Engineer Gaudencio Inductivo, joined the company since it started the operations in 1989. A total of ten buses began plying the Manila-Isabela route. A maintenance unit was put up the Manila in Sampaloc. Another unit serves the Ilagan, Isabela terminal. Each unit has a full-time mechanic and one assistant. When a company bus comes in for repair, the mechanic diagnoses the various automotive systems in the bus and later produces a list of parts needing replacement. The mechanic sends the list to Engineer Inductivo, who, in turn, forwards the same to the company accountant for approval of the purchase request. Often times, Engineer Inductivo performs the actual purchasing himself. Later, he sends the purchased items to the mechanic who made the request. The maintenance units were operating normally until 40 new buses were procured by the company in 1993. Since then, every maintenance was so busy that they threatened to quit their jobs unless additional mechanics and assistants were recruited. By the end of 1993, each unit has a personnel complement of 5 mechanics and 5 assistants. But with current developments, the old method of purchasing was not improved. Purchase request started to embroiled, the file endorsed become discreet. Mechanic and drivers began complaining to the VP for Operations about the delays in the delivery of needed parts. The VP (Vice-President) for Operations immediately sent a note to Engineer Inductivo ordering that the problem should be resolved immediately. Engineer Inductivo was hard pressed and he could not offer an immediate solution. The next day, Engineer Inductivo informed the VP for Operations that he is requesting for the approval of his application for retirement as he is already 62 years old. The VP forwarded the request to the President with an endorsement justifying the request. On the same day, the request for retirement was approved. The next day, Engineer Ancheta received his appointment papers promoting him to Manager. During his first appointment as a Manager the first thing Engineer Ancheta did was to inspect the storage room for parts. He found out that the room was full of uneven supply of parts. Some parts were of excessive quantities, while some important ones were inadequately stocked. A corner of the room  contains a big volume of obsolete parts. At the end of the day, Engineer Ancheta was informed by the VP that the company will be fielding an additional 50 new buses within 30 days. This will mean that by next month about 100 buses will be servicing the various routes assigned to Motorbus Company. Engineer Ancheta is now mulling over how he will make the operations of his department as efficient and effective as possible. The areas of consideration are the ongoing disagreement with the maintenance personnel, the old system of purchasing applied in the company and the mountain of problems about the inventory of parts. VI. Assumptions â€Å"What will be, will be†, this is the meaning of Que Sera Sera was derived from a Spanish song. So, this is the word that really bind in his mind with the luck that came up with Engineer Hermogenes Ancheta that he became appointed Assistant Manager to Manager. For that case it will happen someday in advance that Engineer Ancheta will become the Manager of the Motorbus Company and that what will be happened after the retirement of Engineer Gaudencio Inductivo. For what happened to Engineer Ancheta is a time of luck that he knew someday he will become a Manager for he work a good Assistant Manager so the company President trusted him so much that he will be the next to be appointed as a Manager of Maintenance Department because he already knew how to run and operate the business pertaining to Motorbus Company most effectively in good service. As a new appointed Manager Engineer Ancheta work literally honest in his field of work so that the VP for Operations trusted him and for that time, the company will be fielding of 50 new additional buses. This means that the business was keep on growing for the President put the trust on Engineer Ancheta to handle the operations to make efficient and good service for the various routes using 100 buses assigned to Motorbus Company. This is what really the analysis that Engineer Ancheta is a successful upon doing his Job. VII. Alternative Courses of Action (ACA) For Engineer Ancheta since he’s just new on the job as appointed Manager, he must pondered on focusing in the operations of the Motorbus Company to be adequate enough to work with it efficient and more effective bus servicing through the Philippines. As a manager he must need to know the employee under his supervision like mechanic, asistant that they might work with no other reasons for them to give their support to the company. This is just giving him the idea that he need a better employee which has no other alternatives just to work with the company with their full time basis. For that reason they may work efficiently if they work together in helping each other in the company to support their needs to have a better foundation of Motorbus business infrastructure. They must conduct an additional training for the new employee that they may hire, just to make sure that the bus route will do a better service in travelling back to back to its destinations. The mechanic should had their support as a maintenance that every unit must be checked before they move on to their destinations. What will be, will be, that’s the theme that this company appparently symbolized. The determination of continous focus on the job is the best thing to do. VIII. Conclusion/Recommendation There you can see to it that the business shown an increase in numbers of buses and same as usual with the profit they will also gain a better than what they had recently when Engineer Inductivo’s in charge with the Management of the Motorbus Company. Aside from that, when Engineer Ancheta is appointed as a new Manager he’s now on his way to make a decision like a real boss of the company, for that case his order is the way that the President of Operations will be respected. For the President knew that he is  an honest manager to be appointed to handle the operations pertaining with the Maintenance Department. Furthermore, I recommend that they must need another hired of new employee since the addition of a 40 new buses to be added on the route assigned to Motorbus company. No one should be able to quit, that he must need to convince his employee under his supervision as a result of a good performance in the part of a workforce. IX. Plan of Action The first step for Engr. Hermogenes Ancheta is to set up a meeting on his department. In this meeting, he will lay all of his proposition for the problems present in the department. To settle the dispute on maintenance personnel, Engr. Hermogenes Ancheta must hire additional personnel and staff since the company needs more manpower in 30 days. For the improvement of the old method of purchasing, Engr. Hermogenes Ancheta Mallari is to ask his sons and to influence them and ask Lastly, to fix problems regarding inadequate, excessive and obsolete parts in the stock room, Engr. Hermogenes Ancheta must perform an inventory. If there isn’t enough supply, the department must list all of the inadequate tools. If there is an excess, there is choice of just putting it in the stock room or the department can also sell it to retailers. And for the obsolete parts, they must be sold to junk shops.

The money Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The money - Essay Example As I never witnessed any struggle for money, I thought money comes easily and could not understand why people keep pondering over the thoughts to be rich and wealthy, when it is so easy to get money! As any child of the similar status I also framed the impression that money is happiness and if I have money I am able to do anything to accomplish my aspirations. As time passed, my understanding changed. I was quite aware about myself, started perceiving things from a different outlook. My thoughts started shaping my psychology. My domain enhanced, I started meeting people belonging to different economical spheres. I met individuals not from a similar background and status but those who have witnessed the true struggle of life and have come up. They seem to be relatively mature, adaptable, full of empathy and human values. They were quite efficient and never wasted money on ineffective and worthless deeds. I discerned, their psychology was different, could be because they are being brought up in an environment where life did not show much mercy and procuring money was tough. There was another group of people who enjoyed harassing people and used to draw pleasure out of this. Money and power corrupts that I heard but this group made me an onlooker for the same. With time my knowledge about the world, circumstances and situations is enhancing and it is a continuous process, I believe this is what we call maturity. My family atmosphere never inculcated the notion and concept to misuse money for power. I observed every aspect of life from happiness to suffering of people. Watch the happenings around the world on television, read in the newspaper, what a chaos! Where are we heading? People are wealthy but do not have empathy, everyone seems to be in some rush, a haste to be wealthy, a haste to own all materialistic objects, people are obsessed. Today, inhabitants want to earn and

Medicine in islam Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Medicine in islam - Research Paper Example Through such an analysis is the hope of this author that the reader will be able to gain a more informed and rational understanding with regard to the many different developments within different fields that Islam was able to contribute to the world at large. Moreover, as a direct result of the fact that the early Islamic Empire was able to engage different ethnic groups of different cultures and backgrounds, many of the â€Å"developments† that will be referenced will in fact be the result of syncretic adaptation and borrowing that took place within the early Islamic community. Firstly, it is oftentimes incorrectly attributed that it was early Islamic philosophers that first determined that blood circulated throughout the body. However, this myth has widely been dispelled as it is now understood that it was in fact Greeks who put forward this hypothesis several centuries prior to Islamic civilization existing. However, with that being said, it was Islamic civilization and philosophy that presented the world of medicine a greater understanding with regard to the way in which blood circulated through the body as a result of ventricles and movements of the aorta. Such a level of understanding was of course profound with respect to the manner through which it helped healthcare professionals to understand how to treat a patient (Ghaly 106). As a direct result of the way in which knowledge increases and individuals come to integrate with new technology, cauterize nation and bloodletting were substantial further developments to this particular breakthrough that w ere also engaged by the early Islamic world. Whereas it is true that bloodletting is no longer utilized, broadly speaking, within the current world of medicine, it is most certainly the case that cauterizing wounds is utilized within almost every type of surgical procedure that exists within the current era. As a means of singeing the flesh and immediately encouraging blood

Family concept Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Family concept - Essay Example Even today, a large number of sick people choose to recuperate from their illnesses at home. It is only when they develop severe symptoms that they feel compelled to visit hospitals. According to Berbiglia (2011) only 5% of all the elderly people are permanent members of institutions. Families are also in the best position to nurse their sick. This is because most people live with at least one family member. This means that family members are in the best position to provide care since there is no cost involved. Families readily accept responsibilities for realizing the self-care of different family members who may fall ill (Casida, Peters and Magnan, 2009). Governmental as well as non-governmental organizations also realize the significance of families in dispensing healthcare services as they often invest resources in them that allow for the family members to be able to conduct self-care responsibilities. A family in any community is responsible for supplying its individual members with certain resources that are necessary for healthy living such as security, clothing, food, shelter, and the right to medical care. Additionally, family-centered health care is based on the notion that the family is the sick person’s main source of support as well as strength. ... Is it the most helpful concept for considering family in nursing practice? Why? Nurses can utilize family strengths as a basic system to encourage the formation of healthy and strong relationships between family care takers and patients. Some of the strong family –related attributes include appreciation and affection, communication, strong spiritual counseling and support, and psychological support when dealing with mental or physical illnesses. With these types of family strengths, nurses can assist a family’s members to identify their hopes and visions for the future and concentrate on them instead of pondering over the issues that likely led to family problems (Casida, Peters and Magnan, 2009). Orem’s theory of self care is a theory that addresses the different types of care that can be provided for a sick person by his or her family. Which of the theories presented in your readings this week is conducive to your area of practice and why? There are three syste ms that are found in the Orem theory: the compensatory structure, in which the nurse is completely in charge of all the care activities associated with the patient, the partial compensatory model, where the patient is able to be responsible for self-administering some care options, and the educative-development model, in which the whole responsibility of overseeing care options falls on the patient and the nurse merely acts in the capacity of a consultant. In Orem's theory of nursing, the family is conceptualized from three perspectives: a) as a dynamic that conditions a person's need for care and capacity to provide care for him or herself b) as a dependent unit of care c) as a service unit. In this theory, nurses recognize that the

Roman Games and their Role in Ancient Rome Research Paper

Roman Games and their Role in Ancient Rome - Research Paper Example While the different types of games including horse racing, gladiatorial combat and so on, all emerged from different origins, each had two important functions: to provide entertainment and titillation to the population, keeping them happy to be part of the Pax Romana and establishing aspects of Roman culture and rule across the breadth of the giant Empire, and as a commercial venture for those involved. There were two major types of games held during the Roman era: chariot racing and gladiatorial combat. Both were immensely popular, but chariot racing was one somewhat more common than gladiatorial games (Romano 387), partly because of the cost of the gladiatorial games, which could often end with an incredibly expensive and well trained slave being wounded or even killed. It is estimated that at their height, there were twenty-four races a day on sixty-six days of the year, meaning that races were relatively common but still rare enough to be of great entertainment value (Bennet 42). Chariot races would consist of several competitors racing in an oval around central pier in a building called a circus or, after the Greek fashion, a hippodrome. Roman chariot racing evolved from the Greek practice, which had been ongoing for centuries, with a recorded history dating back to the first Panhellenic games (Levick 117). Though the Roman one was probably adapted from the Etruscan adaption of Greek racing, it was also probably directly influenced by the Greek practice (Matz 33). While the evolution of Roman chariot racing evolved slowly over many centuries, and has distinctive origins that are somewhat difficult to trace, the origins of gladiatorial games, which involved two slaves fighting each other for public entertainment, are a bit clearer. It seems that it was an Etruscan religious practice amongst the wealthiest people in society to hold funerary games to send off the dead: perhaps to give them a companion to accompany them to the underworld (Minowa 89). These the n began to be a part of traditional religious practices during the Roman ludi (games), which were massive week long festivals that would also include dramatic performances, religious festivities honoring Jupiter, music, and other activities (including chariot racing) (Plecket 160). Gladiatorial combats were also held by various wealthy and/or powerful Romans (people were rarely one without being the other) for various reasons, including celebrating an event like a military victory, ascension to a position and so on (Tataki 369). While the origins of both chariot racing and gladiatorial games are somewhat obscure and debated, their role in Roman society is relatively clear. The Roman state, and the people who ran it, saw games as part of their patrician obligation to their populace (Boatwright 190). They would keep the population happy and entertained as well as thankful to the Roman state. This was true of games that were held as a part of ludi, which also had religious significance , as well as one-off games that were often more explicitly designed for entertainment. Furthermore, amphitheaters and circi were often installed in smaller cities in Roman provinces, making their connection with the Roman state strong and centralizing the importance of Roman culture that might be quite distant from its centre, Rome (Carter 300). This all plays a central part of the Roman character, the idea

Effects of divorce on the mother - child relationship Term Paper

Effects of divorce on the mother - child relationship - Term Paper Example However, another striking finding is that it is possible to look at the effect of divorce on a more positive perspective such that mothers may actually develop certain strategies that would help them cope with the present situation, allowing them to experience a better relationship with their children. Introduction With the growing rates of divorce all over the world, it seems that the ceremony of marriage has lost its essence. Celebrities changing spouses almost as frequently as they change clothes become a part of everyday entertainment. In a highly liberated society, it does not come as a surprise when a couple separates even after years of marriage – in fact, it is almost anticipated. Several reasons have been identified, most of which, centered on the desire for freedom. As such, it appears as though freedom has become more valuable than love and stability. Indeed, in this modernized, less conservative world, marriage being a life-long commitment is already passe. However , it seems that many have overlooked the fact that more than just a ceremony, marriage is an institution which serves as a foundation of the family; hence, divorce not only breaks the marital bond but the family as well. The effect of divorce on children has become the focus of attention especially since their social and psychological development, in line with the socio-cultural learning theory of Vygotsky, is determined largely by their relationship with their parents, who serve as guides that shape their identity. When children grow up in the presence of both parents, they acquire traits and develop social skills that would equip them as they interact outside the home. As such, when a parent has to leave after divorce, the foundation is destabilized; thus, affecting the way that children interact with others. Nevertheless, perhaps, the most affected relationship in children’s life after divorce is that with their mother since most often than not, children are left in the cu stody of the mother after the couple separated. For this reason, many studies have been conducted on knowing the effects of divorce in mother-child relationship. These researches explored various facets of the relationship being influenced by the separation. Summary of Related Articles I. Brenner, J & Hyde, J. (2006). Parental divorce and mother-child interaction. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 45(3), 93-108. The study was conducted due to the predominance of researches which only focused on the negative effects of divorce in the interaction of mother and child, without adequate consideration of the perspectives of both individuals. Brenner & Hyde (2006) attempted to assess the behavior of both mother and child after divorce but unlike other studies on this matter they analyzed using a positive perspective. The previous research that led to their study is that of Gately and Schwebel, whose findings indicate that children of divorced parents actually improve in terms of maturity, c onfidence, empathy and sexual identity. This research gave them the idea that it is possible that divorce may be beneficial to mother-child relationship. Moreover, the researchers also utilize the concept of Vygotsky which serve as the theoretical framework in the analysis of results. The study made use of quasi-experimental design consisting of two groups of subjects: intact and broken families. The subjects consist of one hundred sixty pairs of