Monday, September 30, 2019

Non thermal food preservation methods Essay

Food deteriorate in quality due to a wide range of chemical and enzymatic reactions, added to this the consumer demands faster production rate for high quality food with â€Å"fresh-like† characteristics and long shelf life, leading to the application of thermal processes for food preservation. However this thermal treatments cause undesirable effects on food flavor, color and nutritional attributes such as protein and vitamin destruction. These market conditions together with the disadvantages of the traditional food preservation technologies forced the food products manufacturers to seek for improvements in existing methods and the development of new preservation technologies. Called non-thermal food preservation methods, this new and emerging preservation techniques work by killing the microorganisms and inhibiting its enzymatic activity exerting a minimal impact on the nutritional and sensory properties of foods for an extended shelf life. Additionally non-thermal methods allow the processing of foods below temperatures traditionally used during thermal control processes, so flavors, vitamins and essential nutrients undergo minimal or no change. â€Å"They are also considered to be more energy efficient and to preserve better quality attributes than conventional thermally based processes. Non-thermal processes also meet industry needs by offering value-added products, new market opportunities and added safety margins (Morris et al., 2007)†. Foods can be non-thermally processed by high hydrostatic pressure, ultrasound, filtration, irradiation, hurdle technologies and electric methods such as pulsed electric fields, oscillating magnetic fields and high-voltage discharge. â€Å"Due to technological developments, high pressure processing and high electric field pulse processing have received increased attention during the last decade (Butz & Tauscher, 2002)  ¨. The main purpose of this assignment is to give a detailed review and approach to the non-thermal preservation technologies of pulsed electric field processing and high hydrostatic pressure processing by individually analyzing the objectives, equipment and process employed, effects in the food components and properties, and comparing and contrasting the advantages and disadvantages of each method to conclude which process can preserve in longer and in better shape the characteristics that define a â€Å"commercially† high quality product. PULSED ELECTRIC FIELD (PEF) Constituting a non-thermal treatment for food preservation which has a variety of uses in the field of food conservation, ranging from microorganism or enzyme inactivation and deceleration in liquid food to mass transfer process in plant materials (Wang et al., 2013). The application of PEF includes the implementation of short repeated high voltage pulses to form cell membranes and develops an alternative to the traditional pasteurization process in the food industry based on thermal processing (Janositz et al., 2011). Liquid, semi-liquid and solid food can undergo pulsed electric field processing. Objective Pulsed electric field processing use a strong defined system that rarely changes its foundations allowing it to keep the general objective of the non-thermal preservation technologies, inhibiting the enzymatic activation of that causes food decomposition using continuous intensive electrical pulses between electrodes to treat foods that consequently, inactivate microorganisms Equipment The food products that will be treated is a critical factor in design and equip with the adequate machinery the PEF system chamber, its hygienic design is also determining for the quality and safety of foods that will be treated and produced. The commonly used equipment for the pulsed electric field system consists of a high-voltage power source, and energy storage capacitor bank, a charging current limiting resistor, a switch to discharge energy from the capacitor across the food, and a treatment chamber (Ortega-Rivas, 2012). Treatment systems used in the pulsed electric field treatment can be classified as batch or continuous (Zhang et all., 2010). Batch or static system chamber consist in two parallel plates that provide the most uniform electric field area. Continuous have the same equipment for the high voltage pulse generator but also incorporate a pumping continuous system that allows the nonstop processing, necessary for the industrial application. Process Development The bank of capacitors is charged by a direct current power source from the amplified current main source. An electrical switch is used to discharge energy stored in the capacitor bank across the food held in the preservation/treatment chamber Mechanism of Action Pulsed electric field manages different types of voltages that cause different implications in the processed food, generating a short burst of high voltage to a food placed between two electrodes. When subjected to a higher electric voltage, a large flux of electric current flows through food surface acting a conductors because of the present of charge carriers like ions (Ortega-Rivas, 2012). Although the detailed mechanism that pulsed electric field uses to inactivate the enzymes and microorganism has not been fully clarified, two theories have been proposed: the dielectric breakdown theory and the electroporation theory (Zhang et all., 2010). In the dielectric breakdown mechanism a cell membrane with induced potential starts to compress from reversible pores to irreversible on the membrane, on the other hand the electroporation theory mechanism on a cell membrane makes a osmotic unbalance that swells and leads to a the membrane rupture. HIGH HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE (HHP) High hydrostatic pressure alters the equilibrium between protein-protein and protein-solvent interactions at different levels of pressure and time combinations causing minimal loss of vitamins and flavor compounds maintaining the sensory and nutritional quality attributes of food products. Known for its versatility in its applications, HHP provides new alternatives in food products such as cakes, jams, sauces and fruit juices making the further investigation of high hydrostatic pressure is necessary for seeking more advantages in other food processing products (Yang et all., 2012). Like pulsed electric field process, high hydrostatic pressure is an alternative to conventional thermal pasteurization for food preservation (Yang et all., 2012). Objective Using up to 600 MPa of high pressure, high hydrostatic pressure objective is to achieve microbial inactivation or to alter the food attributes in order to obtain consumer-desired qualities maintaining its natural freshness and extending its shelf life, causing minimal changes in the original characteristics of food by eliminating thermal degradation. Equipment Although the equipment used for high hydrostatic pressure is expensive and specialized, due to its popularity is available in a variety of types and quality. Every high hydrostatic pressure system consist of multiple components, its main constituents are the pressure vessel and its enclosure, the pressure generator system, the temperature control device and materials handling adaptation (Ortega-Rivas, 2012). The main factors food producers must consider when building the main components of an HHC system like pressure vessels are stress endurance, resistance and corrosion. High-pressure vessel is usually made of low-alloy steel (Bhat, 2011). Process Development Place the food package in a sterilized container and load it in the pressure chamber. Fill the pressure chamber with water and hold under pressure for the time required to pressurize the vessel. Depressurize the chamber and remove processed food. . After pressurization, the food is kept under high pressure for the required process time. Depressurization can be done faster. Mechanism of Action HHP removes air from the food packaging the products. During the pressurizing process the time required to pressurize the vessel is influenced by the compressibility and the nature of the food material but independent to the quantity of food placed in the pressure vessel (Ortega-Rivas, 2012). There are two types of pressurization systems, direct and indirect (Ortega-Rivas, 2012). The indirect pressurization system is pumped through a high-pressure intensifier into the pressure vessel, the intensifier is used to increase the pressure to desired levels. This system requires high-pressure tubing and appropriate fittings to convey the medium into the pressure vessel. In direct system, the pressure intensifier and the pressure vessel worked as a large single unit, so a piston is used to deliver the high pressure to the product. The limitations of this system are that it requires heavy duty seals that can withstand the repeated opening or closure and the need of a large number of seals between the pressure vessel and the piston. EFFECTS The wide field of application that both PEF and HHP have led to find in the literature many of experiments where the positives effects of this two process are observed in any kind of food products. Their most common effects are the inactivation of microorganisms and the enhance of biological compounds. Pulsed Electric Field Extension of shelf life produced by PEF has been reported. Antioxidant components such as anthocyanins, carotenoids, phenolic compounds and vitamin C are very sensitive to heat, effects of PEF is very low making it an excellent alternative to the thermal processes that lead to the loss of antioxidant and bioactive compounds (Bhat,2011). PEF effects in important parameters that determine the â€Å"commercial† quality of a final product have been demonstrated. Food parameters like drying, extraction and pression of solid texture can improve if using the suitable electrical load (Zhang et all., 2010). Enzyme inactivation after a PEF treatment is the secondary most important effect. High Hydrostatic Pressure By enabling the enzyme activation HHC prevents the rapidly and uniform propagation of microorganism throughout the food, making this the main effect in benefit of the product quality. APPLICATIONS As established at different points throughout the text, the applications of this two methods are used in all the food industry fields. Vegetable and meat product industries use these technologies to maintain fresh-like sensory qualities on its products. Sea food and juices and beverages focus more in increasing the water uptake and water holding properties (Klonowski et all.,2006). ADVANTAGES The main advantages of PEF and HHP in comparison with the thermal preservation process is the fact that their quality has been proved in products that globe all the types of food industries. Competition between the various types of processes makes companies optimize everyday technologies to deliver better quality products. DISADVANTAGES Due to the difficulty that represents obtaining the materials to build the machinery and the time that it takes, makes using PEF and HHP a privilege for those companies that can afford the high cost of manufacturing and maintenance. CONCLUSION HHP has a clear advantage over PEF due to the effects that water pressure have against inactivation of microorganisms, more effective than the electric pulses. REFERENCES Bhat, R., Alias, A.K., & Paliyath, G. (2011). Progress inf Food Preservation (1st ed). Wiley. Butz, P. & Tauscher B. (2002). Emerging technologies: chemical aspects. Food Research International, 32(2-3), 279-284. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0963-9969(01)00197-1 Janositz, A., Noack, A.K., & Knorr, D. (2011). Pulsed electric fields and their impact on the diffusion characteristics of potato slices. LWT- Food Science and Technology, 44(9), 1939-1945. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2011.04.006 Klonowski, I., Heinz, V., Toepfl, S., Gunnarsson, G., & Porkelsson, G. (2006). Applications of Pulsed Electric Field Technologies for the Food Industry. Icelandic Fisheries Laboratories. http://www.avs.is/media/avs/Skyrsla_06-06.pdf Morris, C., Brady, A., & Wicker, L. (2007). Non-Thermal Food Processing/Preservation Technologies: A Review with Packaging Implications. Packaging Technology and Science, 20(4), 275-286. doi/10.1002/pts.789/pdf Ortega-Rivas, E. (2012). Non-thermal Food Engineering Operations (1st ed). Washington State University, USA. Saldaà ±a, G., Puà ©rtolas, E., Monfort, S., Raso, J., & Alvarez, I. (2011). Defining treatment conditions for pulsed electric field pasteurization of apple juice. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 151(1), 29-35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2011.07.033 Wang, Z., Wang, J., Guo, S., Ma, S., & Yu, S.J. (2013). Kinetic modeling of Maillard reaction system subjected to pulsed electric field. Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ifset.2013.06.007 Yang, B., Shi, Y., Xia, X., Xi, M., Wang, X., Ji, B.,& Meng, J. (2012). Inactivation of foodborne pathogens in raw milk using high hydrostatic pressure. Food Control, 28(2). 273-278. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2012.04.030 Zhang, H., Barbosa-Canovas, G., Balasubramaniam, V., Bala, M., Dunne, C., Farkas, D., & Yuan, J.(2010). Nonthermal Processing Technologies for Food (1st ed). Wiley.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

J.M Coetzee Foe Paper

Then adds, â€Å"But perhaps it is the doing ot Providence that Friday tinds himselt on an island under a lenient master, rather than in Brazil, under the planter's lash, or in Africa, where the forests teem with cannibals† (24). Here, Cruso defends Friday and highlights the unfair ways of the slavery that removed Friday from his homeland. Cruso even calls himself a â€Å"lenient† master, demonstrating that he does care for Friday. This affection corroborates the idea that Cruso and Friday have a father-son relationship, but there is also strong evidence to prove that Cruso sees Friday as a lave.Coetzee portrays this relationship in a multifaceted way, that leads to the speculation of two conclusions; one conclusion being that Friday is like a slave to Cruso, another conclusion is that Friday is like a son to Crusoe. Coetzee creates Friday as a key narrative tool, which Coetzee uses to hammer home a broader motif: a connection between Fridays relationship with Cruso and apartheid. However, little is known about this central character except for his slave identity and speech deficiency.The reader is told that when Friday was a child, he was taken by the lavers, and that they cut off his tongue to â€Å"prevent him from ever telling his story: who he was, where his home lay, how it came about that he was taken† (23). Thus the mutilation of Friday's tongue ensures that his story remains buried within himself. The relationship between Cruso and Friday seems to strongly resemble the relationship between the oppressors and the oppressed in South Africa during apartheid.Friday, silenced by an unknown entity, represents the people that have no opportunity to speak out, but hold the stories that tell the tale of apartheid from a ifferent viewpoint. But these people cannot speak. They, like Friday, are silenced. They are the ones that need to be heard. Struck by the urgency of Friday's silence, Susan admits, â€Å"To tell my story and be silent on F riday's tongue is no better than offering a book for sale with pages in it quietly left empty† (67).Susan believes that her story is useless without input from Friday. This directly correlates to the story of South Africa, and it being useless without the moving stories of the oppressed people. Friday shows some sign of rebellion when Cruso becomes ill with the fever. Here, Friday makes no effort to help Susan take care of Cruso. Fridays motives are unclear here, but it could very well be his remorse finally rearing its ugly head, finding a way to fght the oppression that has chained him all of his life.Nevertheless, immediately after Cruso recovers, Friday is restored to being a servant mindlessly serving a master. In South Africa, the oppressed people were afraid to take a stand against the government, Just like how Friday is tentative to take a stand gainst Cruso. Friday waits until Cruso is week with the flu, and then makes a sly, seemingly accidental attempt at revenge. C oetzee views this inability to act out and stand up as a major detriment to both Friday and the oppressed people of South Africa.Fridays conformity and silence runs in tandem with the oppressed society of South Africa at the time that Coetzee wrote Foe. Cruso represents the oppressor, only teaching Friday what he needs to know, never more. The lack of disclosure and freedom that Friday experiences throughout the novel is characteristic of apartheid. Coetzee uses this relationship as a vessel to deliver the subtle yet powerful comparison of slavery to South Africa.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Outline and assess the different uses of strategy Essay

Outline and assess the different uses of strategy - Essay Example Rivals can have the same goals and objectives like ours. The nature of goals and objectives may be such that their realisation can accommodate only one individual or organisation or only a few individuals and organisations. Thus, strategy must have something to say on how several rivals should be dealt with so an organisation or individual can outsmart rivals. Resources are only available in limited states of abundance and scarcities. Individuals and organisations must therefore took stock of the most relevant resources for meeting goals and objectives and must establish a resource use policy or resource use combinations consistent with the resources that are available in terms of quantity, profile, and abundance. There are also rivals that can be competing for the same resources as well as in the realisation of the same objectives and goals. Goals and objectives are often pursued wherein there are obstacles to their realisation. The obstacle can be apparent or may only emerge in the course of pursuing the goals and objectives. Thus, strategy must be able to identify obstacles and anticipate the possible emergence of obstacles as goals and objectives are pursued. In the pursuit of goals and objectives, there are stakeholders involved. ... It can involve the combination of various forms of organisations, activities, and tools. III. Use of strategy by firms and non-firms Strategies are used by military organisations, businesses, and non-profit organisations. According to MacMillan and Tampoe (2000, p. 170), a business strategy defines the following: the scope of a business the consumer’s current and future needs that it wants to address within its scope of business the specific capabilities that will give its business a competitive advantage and the general conduct that will allow a business to gain territory within its area of business. Earlier, Porter (1996, p. 64) asserted that the essence of strategy is to choose of activities that are different from what rivals do. It can involve cost leadership, differentiation and focus (1996, p. 67). According to Porter (1996, p. 68), at the core, strategy is â€Å"the creation of unique and valuable position, involving a different set of activities†. It involves p ositioning, positioning trade-off, as well as operational effectiveness (Porter 1996, p. 67-68). Alone, however, operational effectiveness is not strategy (Porter 1996, p. 78). Strategy covers what not to do, making trade-offs in competing, and combining activities (Porter 1996, p. 70). It is about a whole system of activities and not just a collection of activities (Porter 1996, p. 70). Strategy also involves forging a fit among activities (Porter 1996, p. 77). Mintzberg (1987, p. 11) described that strategy have two essential characteristics: they are planned in advance and are developed consciously and purposefully (1987, p. 11). At the same time, however, Mintzberg (1987, p. 11) stressed that the field

Mergers and Acquisitions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Mergers and Acquisitions - Essay Example Man has always tried to conquer the unconquerable and do the undo able this is the same factor that drives the companies into the abyss of the unknown (Allan and Michael, 2010). In a bid to outdo and outsmart the competitors and get the upper hand of strategic advantages, companies cannibalise other companies or in some cases form understanding relationship. It is done either through merger and acquisition where one company either devours another one or decides to merge together and form a new entity (Andrews and Smith, 2006). A significant number of these mergers and acquisitions either goes smoothly whether the companies emerge victorious and successful in the process, while in other case the deal fails to get through, and the companies suffer massive financial damages (Debbage, 2004). a) Increased globalisation across the world has increased the number of across borders mergers and acquisitions around the world. The authors of the article named 'Dubious Logic of Global Mega-Merger s’, argue that most of the time the megamergers that take place, does not substantiate into something extra ordinary, as was thought to be. The article represents how the mega companies are still living under the shadows of the age old theory of the capitalists (Benner and Sandstrom, 2012). Most of the mighty and strong companies in and around the world strongly believe that the prevalence of one can only be guaranteed, if the prevalence of the others can be weakened. For example most of the big companies resort to constant and innumerable number of mergers and acquisitions in order to stay big and strong. The mergers and acquisitions have increased transfer of knowledge, transfer of resources, transfer of economy and even transfer of culture (Caoello and Gillesaie, 2003). This have helped to bridge the gap between the nations, between the companies and the between the various industrial sectors as well. So it can be argued that globalisation has led to concentration of compa nies (Chiefele, 2012). As companies engage in innumerable cases of mergers and acquisitions the length and breadth of the industry begins to get shortened. Thus slowly the industry begins to shrink and thus there remains only limited number of players. These players happen to call the shots. This argument is favoured by various researchers. Although the authors Cravens (2010) state that in reality there is no cause and effect relationship between globalisation and mergers and acquisitions. In fact globalisations after the World War II has lead to decreased concentration in certain industrial sectors. Companies engage in engage in merger and acquisition to take advantage of the economy of scale. Apart from that the other advantages are transfer of technical know-how, sharing of intellectual resources and other strategic advantages (Xu, 2000). The authors are right in their view that the history of merger and acquisitions is strewn with numerous failures but close review of the failur es will indicate that the failures were partly due to the management incompetency (David, James and Arthur, 2011). Due to incompetency, the management of the acquiring companies could not evaluate the exact economic value and the subsequent risks. Despite the fact that the history of mergers and acquisitions are riddled with innumerable failures but there are various successes stories also. The following table

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Management. Business function and processes (Tourism) Research Paper

Management. Business function and processes (Tourism) - Research Paper Example During next few years, TUI developed and changed its production from industrial segment to a modern tourism and shipping company. The general credibility of the TUI is quite excellent. Strategically today TUI is the largest and leading tourism and shipping organization of the world, operationally active mainly in Central, Northern and Western Europe while it has the networks across the Europe as well. The inventory of TUI is decorated with hotels, restaurants, retail stores, container ships, travel agencies and airlines. TUI has â‚ ¬14,917.5 million current and non-current net assets and liabilities (Interim Annual Report, 2009). On December 2008, TUI had 70,200 employees (TUI Annual Report, 2008), 285 hotels with 163,000 beds in 28 different countries including 84% four or five star hotels, 79 tour operators in 18 countries, 120 aircraft, 10 cruise liners, and 443 subsidiary companies (http://www.tui.com). At present, TUI AG has 43.3% shares in Hapag-Lloyd AG. During the fiscal y ear 2008, TUI had revenue about â‚ ¬759 million. One of the unmatchable entrepreneurial landmarks of TUI is its continuous structural progress and upgrading services offered to worldwide customers. Contrary to its rivalries, TUI is very successful in both the tourism and shipping divisions because of its advanced attractive products and services as well as the expansion of new and strong brands. However, the performance of TUI has been affected badly due to ongoing war against terrorism, natural calamities, global recession and lack of customer confidence. Prior to 9/11, TUI had more dynamic growth from 1995 to 2001. Post 9/11 affects really restricted the TUI’s expansion strategy especially in various countries of Asia. Since China is an emerging market, therefore TUI had planned a broad strategy but war in Afghanistan and its further affects in Pakistan kept TUI to hold up its venture in China (http://www.tui.com). In such political and military situations, TUI decided to launch its new segment in the form of a network of fast food outlets in major cities of UK and Greece instead of Asia. The long term success of TUI in Europe also forced its top management to expand the company’s growth into competitive markets of Eastern Europe. With the intention of mounting its potential, developing activities, and to attain a sustainable lead against its rivalries, TUI has decided to launch its tourism network in the markets of UK and Greece. In the first phase of its new project, 10 fast food units

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Tax in general Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tax in general - Essay Example There are many forms of tax, and they vary in the tax rates. This difference in the types and rates of tax is for the distribution of the tax burden among many individuals and classes that exist in the population. These individuals are involved in various businesses and taxable activities in history the noble people were supported by the taxes that were imposed on the poor people, in the modern social settings, the taxes are intended for the support of the poor people, the retired and the disabled people, this is managed through the taxation of the working class individuals. Some countries use tax to fund military and foreign aid, and influencing the macroeconomic performance of the economy (Smith et al 56). The taxation system of any country or nation is a reflection of the communal values and the value of those in power. The government in determining the distribution of the taxes must make a critical choice and who is eligible for taxation. The government also has to determine how the tax collected will be utilized. In most democratic nations, the people elect members of the tax system who are in charge of the system. The choices made reflect the community, which the public wishes to create (Smith et al 90). The public is often dissatisfied with the way the government utilizes the funds collected fro taxation. Taxes that levied for the funding of government projects and programs are deviated later to the general government funds. In the other case, the taxes are collected using inefficient methodologies that leave the public dissatisfied (Hopkins 37). Taxation creates distortion in the market and these results in economic inefficiency. Other individuals argue that most, if not all, forms of taxations are immoral. This is because they are involuntary in nature and an individual does not have the option of forfeiting taxation. This is considered tax fraud and can lead to imprisonment

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

The War of 1812 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The War of 1812 - Essay Example At the same time, these military campaigns are considered to have had serious influence on the development trajectories of both Russia and USA: whereas Russia had proved to be the ruler of destinies in Europe, USA began expansion westwards. The set of causes and preconditions that had triggered the outbreak of war between United States and its former metropolis, British Empire, is rather rich. These were primarily maritime and commercial reasons related to the Napoleonic War in Europe (Tucker). Americans treated Britain with contempt, while the British disapproved their former fellow citizens for betraying the king and didn’t take the new state seriously. The period preceding the warfare was marked by the military campaign between France and British Empire, and USA keeping neutrality got between two fires. America had commercial relations with many countries including the two warring parties at that time; and American merchants got into trouble finding themselves between the Napoleonic Continental System and the British Orders in Council that did their best to prohibit the trade with the enemies (i.e. they tried to damage trade systems of each other) (Tucker). British Empire blocked French ports and demanded an additional fee from the American merchants to enter them (America’s Library). The escalation of the conflict was triggered by the search of American commercial ships and impressment of the sailors by the British Navy (McNamara). In 1807, British hostility went as far as to attacking the naval frigate Chesapeake in the coastal waters of Virginia with the intention to capture â€Å"deserters†: three sailors were killed and eighteen were wounded in this attack (Heidler). This incident triggered the outburst of cries for vengeance in the United States, and the majority demanded to declare the war to British Empire.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Site Field Visit and Essay Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Site Field Visit and Essay - Research Paper Example I had already witnessed the rituals of some other religions, and I was sure that experience inside the church would be much different from other worship places. I collected some preliminary knowledge about church and Christianity from my Christian friends. I also made a bit of internet research on the religion and the common rules to follow while visiting a church. From what Slick Matt describes in Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry website, Christianity is a religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. According to Christianity, God is ‘Trinity’ which includes Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ, the Son is the second person in trinity. Christianity believes that one can attain salvation and save oneself from righteous judgment of God only through the faith in Jesus. According to the Orthodox point of view, as described in the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America website by Conciliar Press, an orthodox church is the church founded by Jesus, and it is described in the New Testament. It is the church which could be traced back historically by all other Christian sections and churches. When visiting an orthodox church which is considered as the God’s house one should cross oneself and prepare for prayer. Everyone is supposed to be reserved and modest within the church, and must wear proper attires that suits God’s house. Women usually cover their heads and men do not wear any caps. Everyone stands in an orthodox church and there are separate sections for both men and women. But weak or old age people can make use of seats if they need. I visited the church on a Sunday morning with two of my orthodox Christian friends. As I reached the place, I saw the beautiful huge white church building with a golden dome on the top. Since it was a Sunday, there were several men and women who came for the Sunday observance. Church building is oriented west to east with the

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Visual Representation for Meeting Challenges Essay Example for Free

Visual Representation for Meeting Challenges Essay My visual representation is based around the theme ‘meeting challenges’ and how this relates to the movie ‘Shawshank Redemption’. Some of the challenges faced by the characters in this movie were isolation, false imprisonment, loneliness, and rejection. I used black cardboard for my visual representation to show the loneliness and fear the main character, Andy Dufresne, must have endured during his time in Shawshank prison. I also used a gaol cell door to represent the isolation and sadness of his situation. Andy was a very smart man who was sentenced to prison for a crime he did not commit. I used a picture of a young man covering his eyes with his hands to show the hardship Andy faced whilst in prison this was a big challenge for him to overcome. Andy kept to himself for a long time when he started at Shawshank, not knowing anyone or having anyone to talk to. Andy must have felt lonely at night being locked up in a small cell. One of the images I used to represent this loneliness was a man curled up by himself in a dark room. In the movie Andy is a very determined man and he does almost anything to feel like a ‘free man’. For example, Andy took great courage to confront one of the guards, almost getting himself pushed off the edge of a building, in the scene when the prisoners are tarring the roof of the prison. At the end of this scene he is able to feel like a ‘free man’ when he gets to drink a cold beer with the other prisoners as a reward for helping the guards with their tax problems. It is hope and inner strength that keeps Andy going and helps him meet the challenges he faces. To represent this hope and strength I used the image of a white dove and a young boy praying by candlelight. Apart from Andy, another character I related to as facing challenges was ‘Red’, the prisoner who became a good friend of Andy’s, who is rejected more than once for parole. The image I used to represent rejection was a young girl asking a boy on a date and the boy saying no. Until Andy came along, Red had given up hope. Andy helped him find a way to face his challenges again. Another friend of Andy’s within the prison was an old man known as brooks, brooks was granted parole after 50 or so years and fear overwhelmed this man as all his life was spent inside the walls of Shawshank prison. Brooks challenge was becoming a ‘free man’ as all his life he was told what to do. Freedom was too much for brooks and this caused him to commit suicide. brooks met his challenge but didn’t overcome it. The movie Shawshank Redemption shows how people can be facing more challenges than they can handle but one ray of hope or one person, like Andy, can make all the difference. I feel I have shown this in my visual representation by the use of words and images I have chosen to represent the challenges that were faced.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Anatomy and Physiology Essay Example for Free

Anatomy and Physiology Essay Activity 1: Tissue Types 1-1: List the four types of tissue found in the human body and give an example of each. 1. Epithelial example: Skin 2. Connective example: Tendons 3. Muscle example: Muscles of heart 4. Nervous example: Brain Activity 2: Epithelial tissue 2-1: What are the characteristics of epithelial tissue? Polarity, Specialized contacts, Supported of connective tissue, Avascular but innervated, Regeneration 2-2: What is the function of epithelial tissue? protection, absorption, filtration, secretion, excretion, sensory reception 2-3: Where is epithelial tissue found? Outer layer of skin, lines the open cavities of the cardiovascular, digestive, and respiratory system, also covers the walls and organs of the closed ventral body cavity 2-4: This is a cross section of the esophagus. Number 1 represents the lumen of the esophagus. Identify the tissue types indicated by 2 and 3. 2. Stratified squamous epithel 3. Dense irregular connective tissue 2-5: Below is a picture of intestinal villi. Identify the tissue type at 1 and the cell type at 3. 1. Simple columnar epithelium 3. Goblet cells 2-6: Below is a photo of the trachea. Identify the cell modifications at 1, and the tissue types at 2 and 3. 1. cillia 2. Pseudostratified epithelial layer 3. Pseudostratified columnar epithelium 2-7: Identify the tissue type at 1 below: Simple columnar epithelium 2-8: The picture below shows kidney tubules. Identify the tissue type at 1 and 3: 1. Outer wall composed of simple cuboidal epithelium 3. Nucleus of a simple cuboidal epithelial cell 2-9: The picture below shows a cross-section of a lung. The areas labeled 2 are alveoli, the air sacs of the lungs. What type tissue is 1? Simple squamous epithelium 2-10: Identify the tissue or cell types or component below. 1. (tissue type) Epithelium 2. (tissue type) Lamina Propia 3. Cillia 4. Mucin in globlet cell 5. Cilliated cells of pseudostratified epithelium Activity 3: Connective tissue 3-1: What are the characteristics of connective tissue? Common origin, Degrees of vascularity, Extracelluar matrix 3-2: What are the functions of connective tissue? binding and support, protection, insulation, transportation of substances within the body 3-3: Where would you find connective tissue? everywhere in the body, mostly in the primary tissue 3-4: The slide below is a section of the small intestine. In this tissue, the collagen fibers are interwoven and irregularly arranged (i.e. they run in more than one direction), which provides great structural strength. The tissue is well suited for areas where tension is exerted from many different directions, such as the dermis of the skin, submucosa of the gastrointestinal tract and fibrous capsules of organs and joints. It also forms fascia, the tough, white material that surrounds muscles. What classification of connective tissue is the area marked by 1? Dense irregular 3-5: The tissue below is a loose connective tissue comprised of a semi-fluid ground substance containing several kinds of loosely-arranged fibers and cells. This is the most widespread type of connective tissue. It is found in every microscopic section of the body, fastening down the skin, membranes, vessels and nerves as well as binding muscles and other parts  together. There are two types of fibers, the most numerous of which are thicker, lightly-staining collagenous fibers that crisscross the matrix in a random fashion. Thinner, more darkly stained elastic fibers composed of the protein elastin can also be seen. The principal type of cells seen are lightly-staining fibroblasts that secrete the matrix materials. Identify: 1. Fibroblast nuclei 2. Collagen Fiber 3. Elastic Fibers 3-6: This slide shows a section of a tendon with regularly arranged closely packed collagen fibers running in the same direction. This results in a flexible tissue with great resistance to pulling forces. With its enormous tensile strength, this tissue forms cord like tendons, which join muscles to bones, sheet-like aponeuroses, which attach muscles to muscles or muscles to bones, and ligaments, which bind bones together at joints. What classification of connective tissue is this? Dense regular The nuclei of the cells that secrete the collagen fibers are indicated by the number 1. What type cells are these? Collagen Fibers 3-7: The cells of the connective tissue pictured below in a cross section from the trachea are specialized for fat storage and do not form ground substance or fibers. On prepared slides, this type tissue appears somewhat like a fish net with white spaces connected together in a network. The cytoplasm and nucleus have been pushed to one side by a single, large, fat-filled vacuole that occupies the center of the cell. Identify: 1. Cell membrane 2. Cell nucleus 3. Fat Vacuoles 3-8: The slide below shows a section of the trachea (windpipe). Rings of hyaline cartilage embedded within the walls of the trachea provide support and help to maintain an open airway. Hyaline cartilage is the most common form of cartilage in the body, making up part of the nose, connecting ribs to the sternum and covering the articulating surfaces of bones. When sectioned and stained, the matrix of hyaline cartilage takes on a light purple color. Cartilage-forming cells called chondroblasts produce this matrix, which consists of an amorphous ground substance heavily invested with collagen fibers. Chondrocytes (mature cartilage cells) can be seen singly or in groups within spaces in the matrix called lacunae. The surface of all cartilage (except for articular cartilage) is covered by a membrane of connective tissue fibers called the perichondrium. Although the perichondrium is well-vascularized, cartilage tissue proper is avascular, which means that oxygen and nutrients have to diffu se from blood vessels in the perichondrium to the chondrocytes within the cartilage proper. Identify: 1. Cartilage matrix 2. Chondrocytes 3. Perichondrium 4. Adipose cells (Hint for 4: see previous slide) 3-9: This image shows a dried section of compact bone. Like cartilage, bone cells (osteocytes) occupy spaces (lacunae) found within the dense matrix. A major difference, however, is that the matrix is calcified in bone, which endows bone with the property of hardness and the ability to resist compressive forces. This calcified matrix is deposited in layers called lamellae (singular = lamella) approximately 3-7 microns thick. The most common unit of structure in compact bone is the Haversian system or osteon. In each Haversian system, the lamellae are arranged concentrically around a central Haversian canal which houses nerves and blood vessels (unlike cartilage, bone is well supplied with blood vessels). The lacunae that house  mature osteocytes in living bone appear as tapered, black spaces arranged around the concentric lamellae. Slender, branching tubules called canaliculi (little canals) radiate out from the lacunae to form an extensive network of passageways that connect the b one cells to each other and to the blood supply in the Haversian canal. Identify: 1. Lacunae 2. Haversian canal 3. Lamellae 3-10: What type connective tissue is pictured below? Blood 3-11: What is the matrix of this connective tissue? plasma, no fibers 3-12: What are the living cells of this connective tissue? Erythocytes, Leukocytes, Platelets 3-13: What is the function of this connective tissue? Carry O2, CO2, nutrients, wastes, and other substances 3-14: Identify: 1. platelets 2. neutrophils 3. lymphocytes 4. erthocytes 5. monocytes Activity 4: Muscle tissue 4-1: What are the characteristics of muscle tissue? Conductivity, Contractility, Extensibility, Elasticity The image below shows a longitudinal view of a type of muscle. Note the multiple nuclei that lie at the periphery of the muscle fibers as well as the striations (thin lines) formed by the arrangement of the thick and thin  myofilaments. It is the arrangement of these myofilaments that results in the A bands, I bands and Z lines that run perpendicular to the long axis of the myofibrils. 4-2: What type muscle tissue is this? Skeletal 4-3: Is this type muscle voluntary or involuntary? Voluntary 4-4: What is its function? locomotion, manipulation of the enviroment, facial expression, voluntary control 4-5: Identify: 1. Muscle cell nuclei 2. Muscle fiber Although the muscle below is striated, the striations are not so readily apparent as in the muscle above. These muscle cells are short, branched and interconnected. Each cell usually contains one centrally located nucleus. These muscle cells are joined end-to-end at specialized junctional zones called intercalated discs [pointed to by the blue arrows]. These discs allow force to be transmitted from one cell to another. Additionally, they contain gap junctions that allow an action potential in one cell to pass directly to an adjoining cell through these electrical synapses. 4-6: What type muscle tissue is this? Cardiac 4-7: Is it voluntary, or involuntary? involuntary 4-8: Where is it found? in the walls of the heart 4-9: This slide shows a longitudinal section of muscle that has been teased apart to reveal the individual muscle cells. Note the spindle shaped muscle fibers, each of which has a single, elongated nucleus. This type muscle is the simplest of the three types of muscle tissue. It is found where slow, sustained contractions are needed such as in the digestive tract, uterus and other internal organs. Involuntary in nature, its actions are under control of the autonomic nervous system. What type muscle is this? Smooth 4-10: The picture below is a close-up view of a single cell from above. Identify 1: Nuclei 4-11: This slide shows a cross section of the duodenum (a portion of the small intestine). Note that there are two relatively thick layers of smooth muscle cells that run perpendicular to one another, an outer (thinner) longitudinal layer and an inner (much thicker) circular layer of smooth muscle. Peristaltic contractions of these two opposing layers of muscle keep food moving through the gut. 1. Submucosal connective tissue 2. Circular smooth muscle layer 3. Longitudinal smooth muscle layer Activity 5: Nervous tissue 5-1: Name the functional cell of nervous tissue. Neurons 5-2: The slide below shows a magnified view of a multipolar neuron from the spinal cord. Note the cell body with its prominent nucleus and nucleolus and the origin of cell processes called axons and dendrites. The numerous small, darkly stained dots are the nuclei of glial cells, primarily astrocytes.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Hereditary Component Analysis for MS

Hereditary Component Analysis for MS The family and twin studies provide evidence of the presence of an important hereditary component in the etiology of MS, with percentages of heritability ranging from 24% to 31.6% (Bellia et al., 2009; Lin et al. ., 2005; Oneill et al., 2015). Among the etiopathogenic models to explain the origin of MS, partial lipodystrophy, which results from mutations in the LAMINA A / C (LMNA) genes or the peroxisomal proliferator activated receptor (PPARg) gene, is a paradigm of genetic processes Involved (Hegele and Pollex, 2005). The PPARg gene, which is involved in the processes of differentiation and functioning of adipocytes, is believed to be related to the etiopathogenesis of obesity (Ristow et al., 1998; Moustafa and Froguel, 2013). Specifically, the ÃŽ ±-form of PPAR is believed to play an essential role in the origin of MS, since it regulates the oxidation and transport of fatty acids and the generation of lipoproteins (Guan and Breyer 2001, Tan, Zhuang and Wahli, 2017). PPARÃŽ ³ is a key regulator in the process of adipogenesis and its increased function results in increased body mass, whereas decreased activity induces weight loss and the development of IR ( Deeb et al., 1998, Majid et al., 2016). The adiponectin regulatory gene (APN gene), a hormone involved in the regulation of energy homeostasis, and glucose and lipid metabolism, could induce IR by reducing the synthesis of this hormone (Maeda et al. , 2002; Yamauchi et al., 2003). Plasma adiponectin levels are inversely related to body mass and may have an important protective role against MS because of its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiatherogenic effects (Esfahani et al., 2015). In addition, certain genetic polymorphisms have been identified for this gene that are related to the synthesis of insulin, IR and DM (Filippi et al., 2004). The CD36 receptor gene for thrombospondin, whose function is to bind and capture fatty acids to be used by other tissues, is also a candidate in the etiopathogenesis of MS (Love-Gregory et al., 2008; Zhou et al., 2016 ), Since we know that fatty acids induce IR, obesity and inflammation (Roden, 2007). It is described that CD36 deficiency causes an imbalance in glucose levels in response to insulin, as well as higher levels of fatty acids, TR, fasting glucose and blood pressure (MA) (Ma et al., 2004: Pioltine et al. Al., 2017). The enzyme 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11ÃŽ ²-HSD1), whose function is to interconvert 11-inert ketosteroids, cortisone and 11-dehydrocorticosterone (11-DHC), to its 11-hydroxy active forms, cortisol and corticosterone. 11ÃŽ ²-HSD1 is considered to have an important etiological factor in obesity. Although circulating concentrations of glucocorticoids are not elevated in prevalent forms of human obesity, locally enhanced glucocorticoid response in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue has been implicated in MS (Walker, 2007; Cai et al., 2016) . Clinically, RI and HT are associated with increased messenger RNA alpha glucocorticoid receptors (GRÃŽ ±) and the number of receptors in skeletal muscle, and a positive association between messenger RNA levels for both GR Such as 11ÃŽ ²-HSD1 in skeletal muscle for the condition of insulin resistance (Seckl, Morton and Chapman 2004; Freude et al., 2016). Î’-adrenergic receptors regulate the lipolysis and metabolism of free fatty acids. The ÃŽ ²3-adrenergic receptor (ÃŽ ²3AR) is a candidate gene for abdominal obesity and is related to visceral fat (Krief et al., 1993; Chen et al., 2015). Increased ÃŽ ²3AR function leads to increased catecholamine-induced lipolysis in the visceral fat of subjects with abdominal obesity, as well as to a lower metabolic rate and a lower activity of the resting sympathetic nervous system, all of them characteristics of MS (Shihara et al. Groop and Orho-Melander, 2001, Luglio, Sulistyoningrum and Susilowati, 2015) The Calpain-10 gene (CAPN10), which encodes the corresponding protein, has been associated with an increased risk of DM and RI becoming a strong candidate in the pathogenesis of MS (Orho-Melander et al., 2002; Loya Mà ©ndez Et al., 2014). It is also related to hypertension (Chen et al., 2007), overweight and obesity (Orozco et al., 2014), high cholesterol (Wu et al., 2005) and elevated triglyceride levels (Carlsson, Fredriksson et al. Groop, 2004), all components of the syndrome being analyzed. Another scientific work found in a haplotype of the polymorphism of this gene a risk factor for MS in patients with DM (Kang et al., 2006). It also establishes association with two indicators of the presence of IR, such as high glucose levels after a tolerance test and with HOMA values of RI (Saez et al., 2008). Other genes possibly implicated are those that encode the C-reactive protein, the best inflammatory biomarker, a characteristic of MS and also a predictor of CVR (Devaraj, Singh and Jialal, 2009), as well as the encoder of substrate 1 Of the insulin receptor (IRS1), whose mutations are associated with DM and IR (Kubota et al., 2000). In any case, the genetic ethiopatology leaves unresolved the controversy regarding the predisposing causative factor of MS, since in the scientific community there are defenders of the IR as the main factor involved, while others are inclined to obesity and metabolic dysfunction Of lipids as the most important agent (Alberti et al., 2009; Dragsbà ¦k et al., 2016; Gluvic et al., 2017).

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Hepatitis B 2 Essay -- essays research papers

Hepatitis B can be prevented with a highly effective vaccine, but this year ten to thirty million people will become infected with the hepatitis B virus. I feel that because this disease is preventable, only knowledge can help reduce the number of people infected.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hepatitis B is a serious liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus. This virus is a blood-borne pathogen. It is one hundred times more infectious than HIV. “Hepatitis B is one of the most frequently reported vaccine preventable diseases in the United States,'; according to the Centers for Disease Control. This disease is transmitted through oral, vaginal, and anal sex. You can also acquire the disease through sharing needles, toothbrushes, and razors, or if you come in contact with infected blood. For these reasons, the people at the highest risk of contracting the disease are: anyone who is sexually active; health, dental, and emergency workers; adoptive families with children form Asia, Africa, South America, Eastern and Mediterranean Europe (as these areas have a high number of people infected); drug users; and anyone in close contact with someone infected. This is not as scary as it seems, for you cannot contract the virus through sneezing, coughing, or holding hands. A surprising fact about hepatitis B, considering it is preventable, is that one in twenty people are or will be infected in their lifetime. There are one million people infected in the United Stat...

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The Maturity of Men :: Media Movies Maturing Essays

The Maturity of Men It has been said that men mature slower than women and often become the joke of many conversations. Even Hollywood can sell movies based on this humor. Is it fair to say that all men are immature for their age? Of course it is not, but it seems that it is a growing epidemic among American jokes and allows a reasonable explanation as to why men are so different from women. Men take a little longer to process information and may need to make a few mistakes along the way in order to view the world as it exists. It is almost easier to say that men are immature than going into depth of how their mind works, and why they do the things they do. Although sometimes it may seem impossible for men to finally grow up, they eventually do because they realize from their own experiences what is proper and what is not. Many Hollywood films, including American Wedding and School of Rock, view men with an immature mentality but are able to explore a plot where they grow through their expe riences. In the film American Wedding, directed by Jesse Dylan, the plot follows the same theme as the first two in the American Pie trilogy. It has most of the same characters except now Michelle and Jim are getting married. The last person they would ever plan on inviting would be Steve Stifler because of his immature personality and obsession for sex. As the movie continues Stifler pretends to be sophisticated so that Jim’s future mother-in-law will invite him to the wedding. Of course there are other motives involved; but the tables turn quickly when Stifler realizes how important growing up is in order to finally settle down in life. Although in American Wedding the man characterized as immature is much younger than the one in School of Rock, it still follows the same path. This just proves that men can mature at all ages. This film, directed by Richard Linklater, has the famous Jack Black who is stereotyped as the immature male. Jack Black’s character is in his thirties but still lives in the dream that he will become a famous rock star.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Methadone Maintenance Treatment

Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) has been in place for over 30 years.   Initially used as an analgesic before the Second World War, it was used to rectify the heroine epidemic in the post-World War II era.   At present, MMT is used as a harm-reduction strategy – a tool to help withdrawing heroine addicts, reduce crime and deaths associated with opiate use and to reduce incidences of HIV/AIDS that results from heroin injection and needle use.   There is still however a controversy surrounding the treatment basically because of the misconception associated with MMT.   Health officials believe that MMT should be kept in a short duration as possible while researchers contend that higher doses and longer treatment duration may lead to lower cases of relapse. Heroin addiction is a persistent problem in the United States especially in New York City where heroin abuse, replacing opium smoking, started in the early 20th century (Frank, 2000).   The post-World War II era saw an epidemic rise in the number of heroin addicts such that between 1950 and 1961, heroin injection became one of the leading causes of death among young adults in New York City (Joseph, Stancliff & Langrod, 2000).   The average age of heroin-related deaths was 29 years old, both for men and women. Initially used as an analgesic in Germany before the Second World War, methadone was considered as an answer to the prevalence of the illicit drug and the consequent criminal offenses and deaths associated with its use.   This started in 1949 when Isbell and Vogel demonstrated methadone to be effective in helping addicts withdraw from heroin (Joseph et. al, 2000).   In 1964, methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) was launched as a research program in Rockefeller Institute under the direction of Dr. Vincent P. Dole and Dr. Marie E. Nyswander. At present, methadone maintenance treatment is one of the common medications used to treat heroin and other opiate addiction.   Judging from the number of researches and assessments on MMT, it is evidently the drug abuse treatment that has received the most thorough evaluation and has been shown to be effective in reducing opioid use, HIV incidences, criminal activity and mortality (â€Å"Literature Review – Methadone Maintenance Treatment†, 2007).   Consequently, it has also been demonstrated to improve physical and mental health and a person’s ability to regain normal social functioning. Despite the staggering number of studies associated with MMT and the scientific data resulting from these studies showing that the treatment is an effective medication for withdrawing opiate addicts, controversies still surround the treatment.   There seem to be  conflicting views between scientists/researchers and health officials as to how the treatment must be dispensed.   Aside from discussing those controversies, this paper will also: a) present methadone facts b) present the advantages and disadvantages of MMT and determine the people that can benefit from such a treatment; and c) assess whether MMT is an effective harm-reduction strategy. Methadone Facts Methadone, initially used as an analgesic, is a synthetic narcotic that has been used to treat opiate addiction for more than 3 decades (Office of National Drug Control Policy [ONDCP], 2000).   Heroin and opioid addicts feel the need to continually take in these substances because opiates occupy a receptor in the brain which sends a signal to the body when opiate levels are low.   Methadone works by â€Å"occupying† these receptor sites and consequently hinders the euphoria caused by heroin use, relieves the craving for opiate and reduces the withdrawal symptoms associated with abrupt cessation of opiate use (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2002). Taken orally once a day, the effect of methadone can last from 24 to 36 hours. As with any medication, there is the risk of abuse and dependency.   In a controlled and supervised treatment, a former heroine addict may remain physically dependent on methadone but does not experience the highs and lows resulting from the increase and decrease of heroine in blood levels (ONDCP, 2000). A person on methadone treatment can therefore be integrated into the society and become a functional citizen. Who Benefits From MMT Methadone will only be effective for those recovering from opiate addiction and will have no effect for those who are taking other mood-altering substances apart from opiates  (Stimmel & Kreek, 2000).   In the past, admission to MMT was limited only to applicants between the ages of 21 and 40 with a minimum of 4 years narcotic addiction.   Joseph, et. al. (2000) noticed that the admission criteria is much more liberal now as rehabilitation clinics now admit patients younger than 21 and older than 40. Because the link between heroin abuse and alcoholism has long been acknowledged, the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) changed its former rules of separating treatment for heroin addicts and alcoholics and instead ordered that Addiction Treatment Centers (ATCs) admit methadone patients into alcoholism rehabilitation programs and vice versa (Kipnis, Herron, Perez & Joseph, 2001). Even pregnant women can be treated using methadone as long as the mother is closely monitored and has to be enrolled in a comprehensive program that not only includes MMT but also prenatal care, nutritional counseling and other medical services that the pregnant woman may need (Joseph, et. al, 2000).   Ward (1998) as cited in â€Å"Literature Review – Methadone Maintenance Treatment† (2207) asserted that nobody should be excluded from the treatment (in the context of heroin and opiate use) because no reliable criteria exist that has determined a group of people that will not respond to treatment. Key Issues in MMT The guiding principle of most rehabilitation centers is that an addict is â€Å"cured† if he is able to abstain from the use of an illicit drug.   Critics of MMT claim that the treatment is just a substitute for the stronger opiate (heroin) addiction.   This is viewed as the major disadvantage of MMT, especially by health officials.   Kipnis, et. al. (2001), Stimmel and Kreek (2000), Joseph, et. al. (2000) and a host of other researchers contend that there is a misconception and misunderstanding between health officials and researchers of MMT.   Even at present, there is a stigma associated with MMT because it still viewed as a physical dependence on a drug. This explains why most patients in rehabilitation clinics receive  insufficient doses which would lead to a likely relapse. A lot of health care officials believe that therapy using methadone has to be ceased as soon as possible.   Researchers disagree, arguing that there should not be a limit as to the duration of the treatment because patients may respond well to a short treatment while others may respond better to a longer treatment, possibly even a lifetime treatment.   Joseph et. al. (2000) also noted that higher doses lead to a higher treatment retention rate.   Even with increasing evidence pointing to the effectiveness of MMT as a therapy for heroin and opiate withdrawal, there is still only partial acceptance for the treatment by the public.   The media has also distorted the public’s view on MMT which resulted to a stigma associated to the treatment. MMT as a Harm-Reduction Strategy Drug Policy Alliance (2007) cited dozens of authors that supported MMT as a tool used to reduce crime, death and disease.   Researchers agree that methadone is the most effective treatment for heroin addiction.   Furthermore, methadone reduces criminal offenders because those who are in MMT are able to lead stable lives and can acquire legitimate employment. Cases of HIV and other diseases caused by needle-sharing are also reduced by the treatment.   Methadone treatment is also a point of contact between the patient and the health official and an opportunity for the patient to learn about the techniques to prevent HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and other diseases that may inflict drug users. MMT is also cost-effective, costing only $13 per day and is a better alternative than incarceration (ONDCP, 2000).   Kipnis, et. al. (2001) however believes that there must be an organizational overhaul in order for MMT to be more effective.   The staff of ATCs must lose their held principles that MMT does not work or that it is a form of addiction.   Discrimination for MMT patients must have no place in the 12-step rehabilitation programs and the public also needs to be educated of the proper and real function of MMT in the community. Conclusion MMT has been proven to be effective in more than 3 decades of its use.   Social factors however prevent it from being used properly.   Misconceptions that health officials have regarding the treatment, its use and the dosage to be dispensed lead to a great number of relapses.   Staff culture and beliefs have to be changed in order for methadone maintenance treatment to be fully accepted in the community and for its effectivity to be optimized. References Drug Policy Alliance (2007). Methadone Maintenance Treatment. Drug Policy Alliance. Retrieved September 1, 2007 from http://www.lindesmith.org/library/ research/methadone.cfm Frank. B. (2000). An Overview of Heroin Trends in New York City: Past, Present and Future. The Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine, 67 (5-6). Kipnis, S., Herron, A., Perez, J. & Joseph, H. (2001 January). Integrating the Methadone Patient In the Traditional Addiction Inpatient Rehabilitation Program – Problems and Solutions [electronic version]. The Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine, 68 (1). Retrieved August 31, 2007 from http://www.mssm.edu/msjournal/68/PAGE28_32.pdf Joseph, H., Stancliff, S. & Langrod J. (2000). Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT): A Review of Historical and Clinical Issues. The Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine, 67 (5). 347-364. Retrieved August 31, 2007 from http://www.mssm.edu/msjournal/67/page347_364.pdf Literature Review – Methadone Maintenance Treatment (2007). Health Canada. Retrieved August 31, 2007 from   http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/pubs/adp-apd/methadone/policy-politique_e.html#adm Stimmel, B & Kreek, M.J. (2000). Neurobiology of Addictive Behaviors and Its Relationship to Methadone Maintenance [electronic version]. The Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine, 67, (5-6). 375-380. Retrieved September 1, 2007 from http://www.mssm.edu/msjournal/67/page375_380.pdf U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] (2002 February). Methadone Maintenance Treatment. IDU HIV Prevention. Retrieved August 30, 2007 from http://www.cdc.gov/idu/facts/MethadoneFin.pdf         

Monday, September 16, 2019

Delinquency Deterrence Response Essay

It is said that the human mind can be a very complex web of thoughts. Thoughts that can sometimes lead to good or bad actions. Does the actual threat of punishment deter or does it encourage juvenile delinquency? This question happens to hold two answers one being yes and the other no. Juvenile delinquency has existed for years but as we all know it is not a problem that blooms overnight. Juvenile delinquency is a manifested state that is learned and its causes are manifested from in the home (dysfunctional or broken), school (pressure to succeed), friends (peer pressure) and family (need to scape for some reason or another). According to Thomson Learning Inc. Juvenile Delinquency: The Core (2005), for some children and teenagers the threat of punishment is so realistic that this method provides an opportunity for those individuals to do right. This may be because the individuals rational thought process and the enforcement of punishment either has been already enforced or the fear of being caught is too high of a price for the individual to accept. On the other hand there are children and teenagers who do not ear punishment or any other consequences that may come from their bad actions. Furthermore, for some individuals the thought of being punished only enrages and encourages some individuals to continue their bad ways. It s said that in order for a plant to grow and bloom it has to be fed and nurtured. This process is no different when it comes to raising children and teenagers. When children or teenagers are raised in dysfunctional homes with parents that encourage bad behavior and no discipline enable these individuals to do wrong. Living in a home ith parents that consume alcohol, do drugs, steal and party on a regular basis encourages these individuals to become delinquent. A child or teen being raised in that type of environment may assume and be encouraged to think that it is okay to live that way. Being encouraged by peers to do wrong is not right but to be encouraged by ones own parent is considered an act that deems detrimental to any child or teenagers life. The reason for this is because consequences and correction for their bad actions does not exist (Thomson Learning Inc. 005). Some examples of general deterrence, specific deterrence and situational crime prevention strategies are as followed. General deterrence basically is if an individual believes that they will be caught in an act for example like holding up a convenience store and their punishment will be executed to the fullest for that crime. There is the possibility that the crime will not be committed because the punishment far outweighs the crime. Specific deterrence is used to lessen the probability of having a repeat offender. An example of specific deterrence is the three strike law. This method plainly states that a person who is tried for the same offense will go to jail for committing the same crime on a third offense. There are no breaks or excuses due to the fact that the three strike laws were implemented from a previous offense. Situational crime prevention is the ability to reduce and curb the tendencies of criminals by making their actions harder to commit. This can be done by having neighborhood watch groups in conjunction with police patrol at simulated times of the day. Store owners can have cameras placed in inconspicuous areas of their stores along with having tampered proof glass or window bars on their stores. The key in situational awareness is to make the offender thinks twice about their actions and how will it benefit them if they are caught (Thomson Learning Inc. , 2005). As kids growing up we were always told that prevention was always better than a cure. We were also told that for our bad choices made there will always be consequences for those actions. Knowing our boundaries we always stayed within them. My parents taught us right from wrong and they guided us through our childhood right into our teenage and adolescent years. It is in my observation through their hands on ways and always being active in our lives we stayed away from trouble. It is my belief that crime prevention strategies are always the best to start with. When an individual realizes that it is harder to commit a crime whether it is through parental involvement or because of the elements that are in place they may find something that will be more beneficial than getting into trouble. .

Sunday, September 15, 2019

I Am Ot Esther

In the novel â€Å"I am not Esther†, by Fleur Beale, a character I admired was Kirby. I admired her because she kept strong after her mum abandoned her, she helped Maggie and developed a strong relationship with her, and she left The Fellowship to find her mum and get her life back again. Firstly, I admired Kirby because she stayed strong when her mother abandoned her. Kirby was a complete mess about what happened, but she stayed strong as best as she could and tried get on with the change of lifestyle that was made to her.Kirby did find it hard, but she found a way to deal with it and not be so depressed. Maggie and Daniel helped with this, as Kirby felt less alone with their kindness. â€Å"I'm Kirby, I yelled. I'm not Esther for God's Sake! â€Å". This shows that Kirby is staying true to herself and staying strong with who she really is and that she will not let them change her identity completely. Another reason why I admired Kirby is because she helped Maggie become a happier child and she developed a strong relationship with her.The first time Kirby observed the Pilgrim family praying, Maggie stood out to Kirby because of how young she was, also by seeing how upset it made Maggie when they prayed, and Kirby knew it was wrong and felt sorry for her. Kirby then started to spend more time with Maggie and develop a bond between them, which made the two of them happier and stronger together. â€Å"Come along princess. Come and show me how to get into these funny clothes. This is showing that Kirby is wanting to start a good relationship with Maggie, and that she wants Maggie to be a happier child living with their religious ways. Lastly, I admired Kirby because she left The Fellowship to go find her mum because she knew that living with the Pilgrim family was not what she wanted, and she knew that she needed to be with her mother. Kirby was happy to announce that she would be leaving The Fellowship to return to her mother.She knew it was the right t hing to do, but that meant she was expelled from The Church and that Kirby would be dead to them all. Kirby knew that she would not become Esther Pilgrim, and that she knew deep down inside that she was Kirby Greenland. â€Å"Let's get out of here! † This is what Kirby says to Daniel when The Church kick them both out after they both decide to leave The Fellowship. This is showing that Kirby is eager to escape from The Fellowship, and get her old life back with her mother and other family me†¦

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Four aspects in leadership Essay

Leadership: Leadership is defined as senior executives who support the creation of processes (Hammer, 2007). There are four aspects in leadership including awareness, alignment, behavior, and style. According to Hammer’s PEMM and the analysis of evidence in this case, four perspectives including awareness, alignment, behavior, and style are scored from E-1 to E-4. Awareness: Leadership awareness is defined as the recognition of business process and understanding the value of the process-oriented enterprise for senior management. Bharat Dave, who is vice president of industry sales in Siemens ROLM Communication Incorporation, recognizes that they need a restructuring program to improve profitability and market share in their four disparate companies (P1). Also, ROLM senior management understands that they need to reengineer new processes and guarantee the execution of those new processes based on appropriate information technology (P4). Moreover, ROLM senior management seeks for global strategies through integrating ROLM into Siemens Private Communication Systems (P4). Finally, ROLM senior management seeks to create one company spirit, identity, and culture by establishing and reengineering processes and a new attitude that accepts innovation and continuous improvement (P4). According to Hammer’s PEMM and case evidence above, leadership awareness at Siemens ROLM Communication incorporation is at the E-4 level where â€Å"the senior executive team sees its own work in process terms and perceives process management not as a project but as a way of managing the business†. In conclusion, this program involves in one company spirit, identity, culture, and management as a total company plan to establish and sustain world-class performance as recognized by customers, not only as a project. Alignment: The alignment of leadership concerns the coordination between management and  employees in the company. A â€Å"project office† was established to manage ROLM 1 in January 1992 and was made up three senior executives and led by Dave who was vice president of logistics form ROLM (P5). It means that the senior executives are responsible for this project. Also, 60% of the field offices have accepted the new process and tools (P2). Dave reflects that 80% of approximately 6,000 person work force has been impacted by ROLM 1 in the company (P1). However, senior management still has three concerns for this project. Firstly, whether the new processes and tools cannot be refrozen but continue to implement further changes (P2). Secondly, whether senior management continues to measure specified processes or emphasizes more traditional revenue and cost performance measures (P2). Thirdly, senior management should be how to motivate those field offices that is laggards to accept the new process (P2). According to Hammer’s PEMM and case evidence above, the alignment of leadership is at the E-3 level where â€Å"there is strong alignment in the senior executive team regarding the process program. There is also a network of people throughout the enterprise helping to promote process efforts†. In conclusion, there is a good alignment in this project between management and employees. Behavior: Leadership behavior is whether management performs their own work as processes and strategies in order to achieve their goals. Karl Geng, who was chief operating officer at ROLM, said that the project had enjoyed relentless support from president and the president fully trusted us (P12). It means that senior management endorses in operational improvement and insures removing roadblocks in order to achieve goals including 30%-50% improvement in cost, quality, and cycle time (P6). Moreover, ten managers from field offices across United States were comprised the ILCPR design team into headquarters (P6). These managers involved in various areas in the company, including sales, service, order administration, pricing, manufacturing and distribution, installation, MIS, and business administration (P6). These managers were brought to focus on three areas in  this project: order fulfillment, inventory, and IS systems (P6). These leadership behaviors from senior management primarily assure that the project can achieve a high performance to improve profitability and market share. According to Hammer’s PEMM and case evidence above, leadership behavior is at the E-3 level where â€Å"senior executives operate as a team, manage the enterprise through its processes, and are actively engaged in the process program†. In conclusion, senior management attaches great importance on this reengineering project. Style: Leadership style is a style for leader or senior management. This case does not provide much evident of leadership style for the project at ROLM Communication incorporation. In fact, senior management makes an open and free environment for communication in company, such as making frequent presentations to various audiences including training classes and meetings (P11). In addition, small group interactions also impact employees’ efforts for enterprise innovation (P11). Geng said â€Å"middle management does a lot of filtering that can only be remedied via more communication† (P12). According to Hammer’s PEMM and case evidence above, leadership style is at the E-2 level where â€Å"the senior executive team leading the process program is passionate about the need to change and about process as the key tool for change†. In conclusion, the senior management provides a good communication to make more employees to accept the new process. In conclusion, as analyzed each of perspective evidence above, awareness is at E-4 level, alignment is at E-3 level, behavior is at E-3 level, and style is at E-2 level. Consequently, total score of leadership is E-3 level. Culture: According to Hammer (2007), enterprise’s organizational culture must  focus on the teamwork, customer, responsibility and attitude toward change. According to Hammer’s PEMM and the analysis of evidence in this case, four perspectives including teamwork, customer, responsibility, and attitude toward change are scored from E-1 to E-4. Teamwork: ROLM 1 is a project as functional, cross-functional, and field impact projects (P6). There are ten managers brought to establish a professional team to manage three areas for this project into headquarters, including order fulfillment, inventory, and IS systems (P6). This project emphasizes on the customer and install what customers want, when customers want, and no matter what the cost (P7). It shows that ROLM’s employees and customers have an optimal relationship as teamwork. Moreover, Dave and three senior executives established a â€Å"project office† to manage ROLM 1 in January 1992 (P5). As evident showed above, teamwork is commonplace among senior management, field manager, employee, and customer. According to Hammer’s PEMM and case evidence above, teamwork is at E-3 level where â€Å"teamwork is the norm among process performers and is commonplace among managers†. In conclusion, the enterprise has a optimal teamwork to focus on the project. Customer Focus: Customer focus is a customer-oriented strategy for a company. Karl Geng said that â€Å" our strength has always been our customer focus† and â€Å" it is easy to implement the project because customer is focused from start to end† (P2). Also, Dataquest and Datapro ranked ROLM as the number one PBX vendor for customer satisfaction (P1). ROLM allows customer a great deal of flexibility for making the installation happen, no matter what the cost (P7). As the case said, the goal of ROLM is to install what the customer wants, when the customer wants, and no matter what the cost (P7). According to Hammer’s PEMM and case evidence above, customer focus is at E-3  level where â€Å"employees understand that customers demand uniform excellence and a seamless experience†. In conclusion, the employees of ROLM understand the importance of customer. Responsibility: Responsibility is a duty or obligation to satisfactorily perform or complete a task. In this case, Dave and three senior executives establish a â€Å"project office† to be responsible for the process in three ways: to coordinate the various ROLM 1 activities, to help projects overcome barriers, and to identify cross-functional and cross project opportunities (P5). Senior management has three responsibilities to manage the project. Also, the project office organizes meeting every 4-6 weeks for deciding whether to start a project, to review project status, to redirect priorities and resources, or to create policy decisions by the design team (P5). Moreover, 60% of the field offices have accepted the new processes and tools and most offices and customers agree that this project creates a much better way of doing business (P2). According to Hammer’s PEMM and case evidence above, responsibility is at E-3 level where â€Å"employees feel accountable for enterprise results†. In conclusion, the responsibility of senior management makes accountability for employees and customers. Attitude Toward Change: Attitude toward change means that employees are willing to accept the development of project in a company. 60% of the field offices have accepted the new processes and tools (P2). Also, installation personnel feel that design-early is an outstanding innovation and makes easier for them to complete a quality â€Å"on time† installation, as like â€Å"a breath of fresh air† (P8). However, some employees are growing tired of change because they are required to accomplish their goals (P2). Moreover, one key difference for employees’ attitude toward change is whether they see the change to help them to attain a world-class status in the eyes of their customers (P2). According to Hammer’s PEMM and case evidence above, attitude toward change is at E-2 level where â€Å"employees are prepared for significant change in how work is performed†. In conclusion, attitude toward change has a huge impact on whether the project succeeds or not for the company. In conclusion, according to the analysis of teamwork, customer focus, responsibility, and attitude toward change from culture, teamwork is at E-3 level, customer focus is at E-3 level, responsibility is at E-3 level, and attitude toward change is at E-2 level. Consequently, the total score of culture is E-3 level. Expertise: Expertise consists of the skill and methodology to redesign the process. People and methodology are the subcategories of expertise (Hammer, 2007). According to Hammer’s PEMM and the analysis of evidence in this case, two aspects including people and methodology are scored from E-1 to E-4. People: Dave, who is vice president of industry sales in ROLM Communication Incorporation, understands that ROLM 1 can improve profitability and market share for company (P1). Ten managers with different skills are brought from field offices across the United States to establish the ILCPR design team (P6). These managers involve in diverse areas of the company, including sales, service, order administration, pricing, manufacturing and distribution, installation, MIS, and business administration (P6). They have their own skills to make a large-scale change and enterprise transformation for the company. Furthermore, Dave and three senior executives create a â€Å"project office† to manage the program (P5). They also have their own skills to make an impact on the process. According to Hammer’s PEMM and case evidence above, people is at E-3 level where â€Å"a cadre of experts has skills in large-scale change management and  enterprise transformation†. In conclusion, people with skills are significant for the reengineering process. Methodology: Methodology is the use of one or more methodologies for company to solve problem and improve process. In this case, ROLM implements a new parts distribution methodology that allows the company to cut the field parts inventory by over 60% (P10). Moreover, the senior management of ROLM uses 80/20 rule, as showed in this case â€Å" if a package existed for 80% of the requirements, we would buy it and ROLM would change to make the remaining 20% work† (P10). These two methodologies provide assistance for the company to solve execution problems and improve the fluency of the process. According to Hammer’s PEMM and case evidence above, methodology is at E-1 level where â€Å"the enterprise uses one or more methodologies for solving execution problems and making incremental process improvement†. In conclusion, the part of methodology is required to get better for the program. In conclusion, expertise includes two aspects: people and methodology. As analyzed two aspects evidence above, people is at E-3 level and methodology is E-1 level. Consequently, the total of expertise is E-2 level. Governance: According to Hammer (2007), governance is a mechanism that manages complex projects and changes plans. According to Hammer’s PEMM and the analysis of evidence in this case, three aspects including process model, accountability, and integration are scored from E-1 to E-4. Process Model: Process model is process of the same nature that is classified together into a model. Ten managers were brought from field offices across the United  State, then they implement three process models: order fulfillment, inventory, IS systems (P6). The order fulfillment includes two projects: design-early and standard design, both of them result in significant cost savings (P6). Inventory model can reduce inventory at manufacturing locations and in the field (P10). IS system can decrease costs and simplify business processes (P10). These process models have been accepted to implement in the reengineering program and have made business value for the company. However, these process models are not connected to enterprise-level technologies and data architecture and are not extended to customers and suppliers for the company. According to Hammer’s PEMM and case evidence above, process model is at E-2 level where â€Å"the enterprise has developed a complete enterprise process model, and the senior executive team has accepted it†. In conclusion, although senior executives accept these process models, it is not linked to enterprise-level technologies or data architectures. E-2 is the best on the evaluation of process model. Accountability: Accountability is the responsibility of performers for enterprise performance. In this case, the reengineering team members as steering committee members set up many presentations for training classes and meeting at headquarters and field offices (P11). These presentations share accountability for the enterprise’s performance. Geng said middle management makes more communication with employees to share accountability during the reengineering time of the program (P12). Geng also said he spent 1/3 of each day on listening and talking (P12). The accountability of senior executives reflects the company emphasizes on this program. According to Hammer’s PEMM and case evidence above, accountability is at E-2 level where â€Å"process owners have accountability for individual processes, and a steering committee is responsible for the enterprise’s overall progress with processes†. In conclusion, E-2 level is best at accountability because the company has not established steering committees with customers  and suppliers to drive enterprise process change. Integration: Dave, who is the vice president of logistics, established a â€Å"project office† with three senior executives to manage ROLM 1 (P5). This is a formal program management office to administer the reengineering process. Moreover, ten managers are brought into headquarters from different field offices and they are responsible for three areas: order fulfillment, inventory, and IS systems (P6). These managers allocate most processes improvement techniques and tools and coordinate and integrate all process projects. According to Hammer’s PEMM and case evidence above, integration is at E-3 level because the vice president of logistics establishes a formal program management office and the project office endorses and supports the operational improvement techniques for the enterprise. The company uses an integrated manner to improve all processes techniques. In conclusion, governance is involved in process model, accountability, and integration. As analyzed these three perspectives above, process model is at E-2, accountability is at E-2 level, and integration is at E-3 level. Consequently, the total score of governance is E-2 level.

Friday, September 13, 2019

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

European Law - Essay Example "It can, and frequently is, argued that the Court has emerged as the most dynamic and purposeful of all Community institutions in furtherance of the idea of European integration,"3 observes Ian Ward, an expert in European law. Another scholar claims that by establishing several legal doctrines and setting important legal precedents in a series of preliminary rulings, the ECJ has essentially 'constitutionised' the EC laws and successfully laid "the [legal] foundation for a federal Europe."4 According to Kwan, today the ECJ "stands at the pinnacle of [the European] Community legal order with its rights to judicial review and to sanction European states for non-compliance with EU laws." 5 The present research is an attempt to understand the constitutional nature of the European Union and the role and significance of European law and the ECJ in establishing a legal order among member states and facilitating the legal integration of the European Union, thereby strengthening the politico-e conomic integration. While many political theories - ranging from functionalism, neo-functionalism, neo-realism and neo-rationalism- have been applied in explaining the different phases of the integration process,6 the first significant step towards European integration can be traced back to the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) Treaty of 1951, for the establishment of a common market in coal and steel products. A Court of Justice, which was created as part of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) agreements for adjudicating disputes and observing compliance by the member states, has over the years transformed into the "supranational" and powerful European Court of Justice.7 The 1957 Treaty of Rome was the next significant step towards integration, when the ECSC was expanded to form the European Economic Community (EEC), later called the European Community (EC), constituting five key community institutions - the European Commission, the Council of Ministers, the European Council, the European Parliament and the European Court of Justice.8 The establishment of EC represented a further step in economic integration by providing for the free movement of services, capital and labour in addition to the free movement of goods; however, for many political and economic reasons the 'single market' programme became effective only by 1992.9 Nonetheless, the jurisdiction and mandate of the ECJ was expanded by the 1957 Treaty - the ECJ was granted the right to judicial review, empowering the Court to hear cases raised by national governments or EC institutions regarding the validity of the EC laws. The national courts, which alone had access to the EC legal system cou ld seek clarification from the ECJ, through a preliminary ruling procedure, in interpreting the meanings of EC laws in relation to the cases decided by them.10 While the Single European Act of 1986 provided an impetus to integration, the Maastricht Treaty of 1992 creating the European Union was perhaps the most significant step, facilitating economic, political and legal integration of the member states.

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Decision Making in Hospitality Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Decision Making in Hospitality Industry - Essay Example According to Kolb (1983, p109) the central characteristics of an organisation is that they are problem solving systems, the success is measured by how efficiently they solve routine problems associated with survival and growth in a changing world. A hard problem is one which is well defined and structured and one where an outcome is normally predictive. Hard problems can be described as simple, well-defined, bounded and tame. Hard problems are where; the problem is known, objectives are clear, priorities are clear, knowledge base exists, limited people involved and can be treated as a separate matter, none or choice of clear solutions available, easy to measure success, often short term issues are involved and are of limited time scale. Examples of Hard Problems: data Analysis (trend, regression, distribution etc. Queue Modelling, Line balancing (Bottleneck analysis), Decision analysis and decision trees, Project Management techniques, Business modelling and forecasting, Route scheduling and location analysis, Production scheduling, staff scheduling. A soft problem is a problem which is complex in terms of structure, is not well defined, involve the social system: interaction of people and the outcome cannot be predicted. (After Hicks 1991). Soft problems can be described as Complex, unbounded, ill-defined and messy. ... Queue Modelling, Line balancing (Bottleneck analysis), Decision analysis and decision trees, Project Management techniques, Business modelling and forecasting, Route scheduling and location analysis, Production scheduling, staff scheduling. A soft problem is a problem which is complex in terms of structure, is not well defined, involve the social system: interaction of people and the outcome cannot be predicted. (After Hicks 1991). Soft problems can be described as Complex, unbounded, ill-defined and messy. Soft problems are where the problems are not clear, objectives are not clear, priorities are not clear, many people involved, affects other areas / departments, what to do is not known, difficult to measure success, often medium to long term issues, longer uncertain time scale. Problem solving: O' Loughlin and Mc Fadzeam (1999) suggest several approaches to problem solving: Cognitive Processing Individual Traits - theorists believe that individual perception may influence problem solving performance. Reasoned action perspective - focuses on the relationship between the intended behaviour during the problem solving process and the actual behaviour being observed Decision theory - a process whereby management chooses a solution to the problem from a range of alternatives using quantitative data analysis. Organisational trait - an attempt is made to explain organisational problem solving terms of an organisations physical attributes Group problem solving - in companies problems are solved in groups the result of group thinking. The process of solving hard problems: 1) Data Gathering: Data needs to be gathered on activities, resources, costs and constraints. 2) Generation of Ideas/ Plans: Activities needs to be prioritized. While

Assignment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Assignment - Case Study Example They can manage their products from one area to the next and capitalize on the most viable opportunities present in the industry. When doing the feasibility study, it found out that the retail business was growing at an exponential rate (Hill and Jones, 2013). This means it has a chance to capitalize on it and use the acquired knowledge over the years to meet its goals. Despite the financial crisis that triggered a price discount for its products, the expansion after the recovery of the economy will be a good way of dealing with an increased demand that will open up new markets both at the retail and wholesale sections. If the company escapes from continued need to expand, it will miss out on opportunities that would have cemented its position in the market. As such, it should proceed with its plans and capitalize on the expected vibrancy of the market. This will also streamline its efficacy in dealing with its supply chain management process in whichever area they operate in. the expansion, therefore, was a good economic and strategic opening for the

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

How would Virtue Ethics be used to solve moral controversies What Essay

How would Virtue Ethics be used to solve moral controversies What would Virtue Ethics say is the right action in regards to abortion - Essay Example Contextually, moral controversies and its impact on the society is vital and hence, the effect of virtue ethics is an important considerate in this regard. The discussion henceforth also stresses on the fact that the impact of social issues like abortion may lead to the death of several lives in the society and create a moral controversy. Virtue ethics, in its simplest form, implies the good character of individuals and their awareness of the moral rights they have. According to virtue ethics, a virtuous person will have his attention towards avoiding social moral controversies, as they focus towards the nature of the issue. In this context, it can be stated that virtue ethics focuses more upon the aspect to how an individual should live and portray his/her characteristics and express wisdom towards solving issues. Accordingly, these aspects and positive traits of the people minimize the risk of moral controversies to a considerable extent (British Philosophical Association, n.d.). Virtue ethics is based upon three tenets to avoid the moral controversies, which includes ‘agent-based theories, Eudaimonism, and the ethics of care’. In other words, virtue ethics is a form of â€Å"Modern Moral Philosophy†, which implies that every individual living in a society needs to have rational thoughts to avoid controversies. Hence, virtue implies towards the right action of an individual guided by their moral obligations (British Philosophical Association, n.d.). Concerning abortion, the right attitude or virtue depends upon the relevance of action, based on correct information. As virtue ethics refers fetus to be a life, and because killing a life is against the moral consideration, virtue ethics refers abortion as a wrong action. However, the action of abortion can be referred as virtuous, if the decision is based on accurate information, independence and self-determination by the expecting mother and the pregnancy may be a

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Medications for treatment T2 DM Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Medications for treatment T2 DM - Term Paper Example Thus the medications for type 2 diabetes mellitus are aimed at administering insulin to combat tissue resistance and adjusting the lipid profile back to normal. Different preparations of insulin and a number of oral hypoglycemic drugs are used to treat diabetes mellitus type 2. The oral hypoglycemic drugs are further divided into sulfonylureas, biguanides, thiazolidinediones and alpha glucosidase inhibitors (Trevor et al 2008). Insulin is a protein molecule so it is not given orally to avoid degradation in the gastrointestinal tract; instead it is administered subcutaneously to the patients to lower the blood glucose levels (Finkel et al 2009). The available preparations of Insulin can be categorized as rapid acting, short acting, intermediate and long acting insulin. The rapid acting insulin preparations are insulin lispro and insulin aspart. Due to their rapid onset of action, they mimic the natural prandial insulin secretion. Lispro Insulin was the first insulin analogue developed by recombinant DNA technology. The lysine and proline amino acids at its carboxyl end are reversed. This structure has no effect on binding to insulin receptor, immunogenecity or the half life, as these all are similar to the natural human insulin. The advantage of this structural alignment is that it decreases the propensity of insulin to form dimers, thus more amount of insulin is available in monomer form. It starts working within 15 minutes and achieves peak activity within one hour. The effect lasts for 3 to 5 hours. Insulin aspart has B28 proline in its structure replaced by negative aspartic acid, this modification inhibits insulin self aggregation. The regular insulin comes in the short acting insulin category. It is a soluble crystalline zinc insulin molecule. When injected subcutaneously in substantial amount (a vial), the molecules aggregate antiparallel and create dimers which stabilize around zinc to form insulin hexamers. This structural configuration renders the regu lar insulin the ability of delayed onset of action, so the peak action is achieved slowly. The involved mechanism of slow prolonged action is that initially, the hexamers are too large for the vascular transport, but as the interstitial fluid dilutes them, their concentration begins to decrease locally. The hexamers break and slowly change into mononers. This insulin is administered 30 to 45 minutes before meals. This is the only insulin type that can be given intravenously as well (Trevor et al 2008). Neutral protamine hagedron (NPH) or isophane insulin is the intermediate acting insulin formed by combining protamine and insulin in 1 ratio 10, in the form of isophane complex. In the complex form, insulin and protamine, both lose all their free binding sites. When injected, protamine is degraded by proteolytic enzymes and insulin is then absorbed. It starts acting after 4 to 5 hours of administration. Insulin glargine and insulin detemir are the types of long acting insulin. Insulin glargine, also called as peak-less insulin has the isoelectric point lower than that of human insulin, so it precipitates at the injection site, allowing slow prolonged hypoglycemic effect and provides a background insulin replacement. Insulin detemir has a fatty acid side chain in its structure. It binds with tissue albumin at the site of injection and then dissociates