Bright and Morning Star Essay

There are certain prevailing themes evident through the duration of the story, like race versus class, and religion versus faith; through these we can see the violence and terror that tear through Sue’s and Johnny Boy’s life and how they confront it. From the start of the story, it is evident that Sue loves her family and even though her and her sons have different beliefs she would do anything to protect them. Sue is a Christian woman, and has been since she was a little girl living and working on a farm learning the songs and meaning of the Lord through her mom. Her sons, however, are not swayed by her religious ideals and instead turn to the Communist Party as their faith, â€Å"She had sought to fill their eyes with her vision, but they would have none of it. And she had wept when they began to boast of the strength shed by a new and terrible vision,† (814). If they had listened to their mom and stuck with Christianity instead of Communism then none of the violence and terror would have been upon them, Sug would not be in jail, Johnny Boy would not have been tortured to death, and Sue need not have watched her sons be imprisoned and tortured then be killed herself. Over time though her beliefs start to change and she sees her sons’ point of view, â€Å"The past and the present would become mixed in her; while toiling under a strange star for a new freedom the old songs would slip from her lips with their beguiling sweetness,† (814). She too wants equality and is proud of her sons for standing up for what they believe in, but is also afraid for them, especially Johnny Boy who is willing to die to protect the Party and its members. During this time period, violence toward black people was common and terribly nasty especially in the South where lynching was common and often a group sport. Like many black people of this time, Sue distrusts most white people, and when hearing there is a leak in the Party she automatically points her finger at the white members. Johnny Boy on the other hand does not, â€Å"Mah, Ah done tol yuh a hundred times Ah can’t see white an Ah can’t see Black. Ah sees rich men an Ah sees po men,† (822). They are both somewhat naive, it is not white versus black and rich versus poor, but rather a combination of the two with shades of gray mixed in, like Reva demonstrates when she sneaks out to warn Sue of the danger coming after Johnny Boy. Of course during this time, almost all southern white folks saw themselves superior to blacks and had no problem distributing harsh punishments, like breaking Johnny Boy’s kneecaps with a crow bar and deafening him. The violence described is so real that their terror is tangible off the paper. By the end of the story, the violence and terror Sue and Johnny Boy had to endure is terribly surreal. Even though they may not believe wholly in the same things, the horror they both confronted came from a combination of race and their beliefs. Wright’s depiction of violence in his use of language is what constellates race, violence, and terror.

Toyota Quality Management

Name of organization Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), commonly known as Toyota in the stock markets. Japanese Toyota is multinational automaker headquartered in Toyota, Aichi, Japan. The company was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda, as a spinoff from his father's company, Toyota Industries, to create automobiles. In July 2012 the company reported that it had manufactured its 200 millionth vehicle. Background/overview of organization Size of company – 300,734 employees worldwide as of 2012 Type of industry Automotive Manufacturing Product or service – Largest automobile manufacturer in the world. Brief synopsis of Quality management processes Toyota quality control, in the strict business sense, with monitoring the means of production to ensure that the finished product meets a certain standard. There are number of different elements that are important for the control quality that which includes the skilled management, knowledge of the production process, and the motivation and eagerness of the workers at all levels. In general, Toyota makes sure that the quality of automobile remains the standard across the board in the manufacturing that involves the assembly line. Quality control is the general process that seeks out to bring together a wide variety of factors which helped to meet the standard set by Toyota. Introduction to the Problem Identify the Quality Issues that need to be addressed Vehicle recalls, November 2009 through 2010, Toyota recalled more than 9 million cars and trucks worldwide in several recall campaigns, and briefly halted production and sales. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regarding the defective accelerator pedals issues in which in early 2010, Toyota paid the fines without an admission of wrong doing. The U. S. NHTSA, and Japanese Ministry of Transport have been involved in the investigations with the driver error or pedal misapplication was found responsible for most of the incidents. This included sticking accelerator pedals, and pedals caught under floor mats. Through the years Toyota Motor Corporation has seen major growth throughout their timeline hierarchy. Toyotas growth can be attributed to Toyotas company orientation and that is recognizing the consumers demands, having the right products in place to meet these demands. Opportunities Since Toyotas massive vehicle recalls, Toyotas management implemented new initiatives that included equipping all 2011 and future vehicles with Smart Stop Technology, and enhanced event data recorders. Toyota also launched a training center that will be utilized just for quality training, and training team members in customer first practices. These initiatives and training will evolve Toyota Motor Corporation back on top as the leading quality car manufacturer. Toyota is taking an approach to what it calls performance-based facilities management (PBFM). PBFM is facility management with a twist, were the focus will be on more what needs to be done, then leaving the decisions to the employees that are doing the work. This will allow Toyota to spend more time looking at the strategic planning as opposed to the micro-managing what the company has done in the past. Throughout the years Toyotas Total Quality Management (TQM) has been its strength year after year, winning numerous quality awards. Along with quality, Toyota pioneered their own lean system called Toyota Production System (TPS) which identifies and reduces/eliminates waste and variance in processes. Managing product quality was Toyota Motor Corporations claim to gaining market share over other U. S. car manufacturers but recently, during the last few years, Toyotas product quality has been somewhat dismal with over 5. 3 million vehicles recalled since 2009 and 2010 due to safety issues. Possible Quality Management Initiative Lean Principles – Today, Toyota is not so much focused on automobile production like it was back in the 1970s. Instead Toyota is focused on creating a continuous and uninterrupted flow in operations. Thus, for many of their processes, they are continually striving toward a target condition of a single or one-piece flow, sometimes known as make one, move one. Where this can be achieved, work-in process are naturally reduced and velocity is drastically increased as a result of the single-piece transfer batch size. Managing Quality – Quality is an integral focus of operations management. Quality offers companies a way of enhancing their competiveness and strategic position in the marketplace. Recently, with more and more companies accepting the importance of quality, it has become both an order qualifier and, if lacking, an order loser. Product quality was Toyota Motor Corporations claim to gaining market share over other U. S. car manufacturer but recently in the last few years the product quality Toyota hung their hat on, shattered like broken glass, and in order for Toyota Motor Corporation to regain 75 plus years of quality excellence, that was shattered these last few years, Toyota needs to recognize that it once again need to qualitatively improve on its supply chain management processes.

Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 30

Though Damon wanted to die alone, I had unfinished business to attend to. I made my way from the quarry and began to walk back to the estate. The woods smelled like smoke, and the leaves were starting to turn. They crunched under the worn boots I had on my feet, and I remembered all the times Damon and I had played hide-and-seek as children. I wondered if he had any regrets, or if he felt as empty as I did. I wondered if we'd see each other in Heaven, being as we were. I walked toward the house. The carriage house was charred and burned, its beams exposed like a skeleton. Several of the statues around the labyrinth were broken, and torches and debris littered the once-lush lawn. But the porch light at the main house was on, and a buggy stood at attention beneath the portico. I walked around the back and heard voices coming from the porch. Immediately, I dove under the hedges. Hidden by the leaves, I crawled on my hands and knees against the wall until I came to the bay window that looked into the porch. Peering in, I made out the shadow of my father. A single candle cast weak beams of light around the room, and I noticed that Alfred wasn't in his normal spot sitting at the door, ready to instantly greet guests. I wondered if any of the servants had been killed. â€Å"More brandy, Jonathan? Laced with vervain. Not that we need to worry anymore,† Father said, his words floating out the door. â€Å"Thank you, Giuseppe. And thank you for having me here. I realize you have much on your mind,† answered Jonathan somberly, as he accepted the tumbler. I saw the concern etched on Jonathan's face, and my heart went out to him for the terrible truth he'd had to learn about Pearl. â€Å"Y Thank you,† Father said, waving off the es. thought. â€Å"But it's important that we end this sad chapter of our town's history. It is the one thing I want to do for my sons. After all, I do not want the Salvatore legacy to be that of demon sympathizers.† Father cleared his throat. â€Å"So the battle of Willow Creek happened when a group of Union insurgents mounted an attack on the Confederate camp,† he began in his sonorous baritone voice, as if telling a story. â€Å"And Stefan and Damon hid out in the woods to see if they could find any rogue soldiers, and at that point †¦,† Jonathan continued. â€Å"At that point they were tragically killed, just like the twenty-three other civilians who died for their country and their beliefs. It was a Confederate victory, but it came at the cost of innocent lives,† Father said, raising his voice as if to make himself believe the story he was weaving. â€Å"Y And I'll speak with the Hagertys about es. creating a monument. Something to acknowledge this terrible period in our town's history,† Jonathan murmured. I raised myself up on my knees, peeking through a spot at the corner of the window. I saw Father nodding in satisfaction, and cold seeped through my veins. So this was the legacy of my death–that I was killed by a band of degenerate soldiers. Now I knew I needed to speak to Father more than ever. He needed to hear the whole truth, to know that Damon and I weren't sympathizers, to know that the problem could have been cured without so much bloodshed and violence. â€Å"But Giuseppe †¦ ?† Jonathan asked, taking a long drink from his tumbler. â€Å"Y Jonathan?† es, â€Å"It is a triumphant moment in our town's history. The vampires are destroyed, and their bodies will turn to dust. We rid the town of the scourge, and thanks to the burning of the church, it will never come back. There were hard choices and heroism, but we won. That is your legacy,† Jonathan said as he slammed his ledger closed with a definitive thump. Father nodded and drained his own tumbler, then stood up. â€Å"Thank you,† he said, holding out his hand. I watched as the two men shook hands, then watched as Jonathan disappeared into the shadows of the house. A moment later, I heard his carriage being hitched and the horses riding away. I crawled to the edge of the hedgerow. I stood up, my knees creaking, and walked through the door and into the house that was once mine.

Conflict Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Conflict Management - Essay Example Conflict management is the key strategy utilized to battle conflict. It involves acquiring skills related to conflict resolution, self-awareness about conflict modes, conflict communication skills, and establishing guidelines for managing conflict in the person’s environment (Foundationcoalition). Conflict in itself typically is an occurrence that disrupts the flow of work and lowers the productivity of the workers. The best approach is to find ways minimize conflicts in the workless, since eliminating is practically impossible since conflict is associated with uncontrollable factors such as human emotions. There are two types of conflicts: substantive conflict and emotional conflict. Substantive conflicts occur when there is a disagreement over the best of action that should be pursued to accomplish a specific goal. An emotional conflict is associated with circumstance in which interpersonal difficulties such as anger, fear or mistrust manifest themselves. A conflict provides positive consequences when there is constructive conflict involved. Constructive conflict brings positive benefits to the people involved in the ordeal. For example conflict is good if the event allowed an unforeseen issue to surface which may have remained undiscovered otherwise. A constructive conflict also provides added information that can be utilized for decision making purposes. During the resolution process a conflict can provide an opportunity to apply creativity, problem solving skills and develop the human resources of the company as well as organizational processes. for a company. Such a conflict diverts energies, hurts group cohesion, promotes personal hostilities, and creates a negative environment for the employees of a firm (Schermerhorn, et al. 2003). Other factors that are directly and indirectly associated with conflict are increase in employee absenteeism, decrease in

Answer both parts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Answer both parts - Essay Example is worthwhile to bring in some free press which would completely rely on the happenings in the society rather than some business news and health updates which can be worthless to the American public. According to ( Hegdon 70 ) â€Å"Abusing a human being is not easy to do; consenting to do it is not something that comes naturally†. Now the issue here is not easy to understand .The author is trying to justify the reason for the harassing among criminals in Guantanamo and it is not easy to defy the author. We know that the prisoners in Guantanamo are not innocent people and bringing out the truth from these vicious criminals is not an easy task. The interrogation and abusing is a part of prison life and it is the way to bring justice to the countrymen. It is shocking to know that these prisoners deserve such abuses but this is the only way the truth will come to surface. Human right is not an aspect which is alien to people of the 21st century .We are humans and we do have the right to live on earth like any other person. Human rights have been a controversial issue since man has civilized. Generally speaking, the human rights issue covers many subjects and it is still an evolving phenomenon. Why is human right a crucial subject? It is because human have varied culture, race, sexual orientation and religion and all these factors need to be considered when one talks about human rights issue. The human right law in American and Africa is not same and to understand the differences it is important to understand what it means to be a human. Human rights give freedom to individual as he has free will and with human rights alone can one nurture a democratic nation. (Thesis) a) Human rights mean no discrimination and this means there is freedom for people to live on their planet which they own. Frankly speaking, human beings have free will and he can only conduct his life on earth with ample freedom. Everyone, despite of their color, gender or race has complete right to

Developmental Influences in the Prenatal Eveironment Essay

Developmental Influences in the Prenatal Eveironment - Essay Example Regardless of the conditions, it is a well-known fact among health care professionals that those women bearing a child are always exposed to factors may it be genetic predispositions, teratogenic agents or even stresses levels. Throughout the course of the gestational period, the woman as well as her partner and family support must be sufficiently equipped with the appropriate knowledge and latest information regarding childbirth. With a huge number of factors to consider, the only weapon that will effectively combat any hazards is knowledge. It is imperative that people have the correct understanding of the determined elements that greatly influence this miraculous bearing of a life inside one’s womb. Developmental Influences in Prenatal Environment Fortunately, in a specialized study and field of medicine, there have been already extensive researches and study about the most significant determinants whether for the worse or better effects on the process. Among the vast array of agents that bear bad effects, prescription drugs, caffeine, use of tobacco and alcohol are the worst because it is associated with a person’s lifestyle. Furthermore, some pregnant women are skeptical about the accuracy of such advices as these habits do not really cause harm to the health of the mother. However, once the baby is born, the effects become more apparent on the neonate and it might already be too late. First and foremost, prescription drugs, particularly thalidomide which was the earliest detected harmful drug, have been proven to cause congenital defects such as absence of limbs. This caused such an alarm and elicited immediate and subsequent researches on other drugs that would otherwise be therapeutic in normal conditions. The results conclude the detrimental effects that anticoagulants, anticonvulsants, selected antibiotics and artificial hormones bear on the fetus. Moreover, drinking caffeinated beverages are declared to be harmful despite the lack of em pirical basis. While it is still unclear of the possible outcomes of coffee or tea as well as some carbonated soda intake, it would be wise to stay away from them or at least limit the amount. The expecting mother should stay on the safe side and not risk the spontaneous abortion or low birth weight infant that often results with caffeine. Smoking and alcoholism are considerations that have tremendous significance. Even when not pregnant, these two lifestyle choices already have a questionable effect on the health of an individual; what more with pregnant women who have heightened sensitivity to a number of environmental factors? Based on the previous cases, there are many possible ill outcomes on the smoking mother’s developing fetus. Neonates with low birth weight or congenital defects are the most prevalent reactions but the worst possibility is death of the infant. The nicotine’s degree of effect is also dependent on the dosage. Alcoholism during pregnancy is carri es along with it the serious, ill consequences. They have even established the fetal alcohol syndrome which equals a group of anomalies and malformations in the brain, eyes, hearts, head, joints and face. The connection between the amount of alcohol allowable to the detrimental effect is still a blur. Therefore, to guarantee the absence of such physical and cognitive deformities, it will be wise to maintain sobriety as well as stay away from the occasional drinking throughout the whole gestational period.

Why The US Has Higher Crime Rates Than Other Nations Case Study

Why The US Has Higher Crime Rates Than Other Nations - Case Study Example As an aspect of an individual’s personality, self-control reflects the ability to control and set up boundaries on oneself internally in response to a certain stimulus in the environment. Myers (1995) believed that behavior and actions are affected by whether people perceive the control as internal or external in which the individual is at the mercy of the outside world. Studies have made evaluative comparisons between internal and external control which showed to a great extent that internal control subjects achieve better in a social structure and act more independently in Bennassi, et al (1998). Human behavior has shown control that is often perceived as an external force that triggers feelings of depression giving out an opportunity for avoidance. However, individuals who have learned and experience self-control can easily avoid the emergence of disruptive behavior. Self-control helps a person to resist the momentary temptations of socially unacceptable behavior. Basically, through social learning man learns to exercise personal restraints through positive and negative reinforcements through normal cognitive processing. A greater degree of self-control helps a person to resist the momentary temptations of antisocial behavior in Gottfredson and Hirschi(1990:97). Further, they showed in the General Theory of Crime, that the development of criminal behavior in individuals points out that both the elements of ‘prudent and criminal behavior’ can be predicted through the evaluation and assessment of the lack of self-control alone. They argued that self-control does not necessarily require the presence of a crime but the trait itself can be changed according to the opportunities afforded and constraints affected. Although a relatively new theory in relation to criminology their theory adapts to the idea that criminal activity is gratifying and the key to understanding crime is discovering what prevents people from the errant behavior. In effect, the authors grandstand on the idea that levels of self-control may predispose criminality.

Marketing transportation homework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Marketing transportation homework - Essay Example The prime motive behind such an effort is mainly to present a refreshing and energetic drink to the customers. However, Mr. Bradham became successful in develop such type of a stimulating drink that is preferred by a wide extent of individual of all age-groups, income-groups, living standards and lie styles. Due o which, the reputation and brand image of the drink of Pepsi enhanced with a rapid pace that amplified is total sale and competitive position in the market among other rival brands. Other than this, in order to promote it, Mr. Bradham offered it to his customers with a unique mixture comprising of Kola nut extract, vanilla and rare oils. Maximum extent of the customers preferred it and named it as; Brad’s drink. However, Caleb Bradham introduced it with the name, Pepsi-Cola, thereby amplifying its loyalty and reliability in the market among others (Pepsico, 2014). In the year 1902, Mr. Bradham use to mix the syrup and sell it by his own. Later on, he analyzed the benefit and advantages of selling the product of Pepsi in a bottle as the interested customers might drink it, at any place and at any time. This strategy acted as a boon for the drink that improved its total sale and reputation and in 1993, it is officially registered in U.S. patent office. In that year, Mr. Bradham sold approximately 7.968 gallons of the drink and almost 15 gallons in the year 1905. However, by the year 1910, almost 25 franchises came into existence in numerous countries in the entire globe. Thus, a very less-advanced engineering created a remarkable impact within the minds of the customers that amplified its consistency and market share to a considerable extent among other rival contenders. Then in the year 1909, Mr. Bradham developed an office in New Bern with a promotional advertisement in the newspaper with the reputed racer Barney Oldfield, as a Bully drink. This means, a drink that refreshes the temperament of the racers

The Impact of Capital Structure on the Firms Performance Essay

The Impact of Capital Structure on the Firms Performance - Essay Example The authors of this paper are professors Murray Frank and Vidnan Goyal. Frank is one of the faculties of commerce in the University of British Columbia, Canada. While Goyal is in the department of finance in Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. They empirically tested 39 factors that affect leverage decisions of publicly traded companies in the U.S. One of the major findings is that the bankruptcy risk and profitability are negatively related to leverage. Their findings support tax-bankruptcy trade-off theory and stakeholder co-investment theory. On the other hand, it conflicts with the studies that are based on the pecking order theory and market timing theory. The authors are reliable and present good knowledge of the topic. Although theories are conflicting with some other research this is the good scholarly source. This source contributed more than enough in research work and target audience of the source is financial institutions, professionals, students, and stockhol ders. Bas, T., Muradoglu, G. & Phylaktis, K. (2009). Determinants of Capital Structure in Developing Countries. Retrieved March 15, 2011, from European Financial Management Association: http://efmaefm.org/0EFMSYMPOSIUM/China-2010/papers/determinants%20of%20capital%20structure%20in%20developing%20countries.pdf The authors of this paper are the faculty of Cass Business School in London. ... This paper is different than previous studies since it focuses on the large firms of developing countries. This paper contributed to research to some extent because it helped in understanding the fact that how different markets react differently. The audience of the paper is financial associations and foreign companies. This paper is included because it’s a scholarly and popular work and facts of the paper are well documented. Although my topic I too focused and this research is on a different topic this paper helped me to support my ideas. Titman, S., & Wessels, R. (1988). The Determinants of Capital Structure Choice. The Journal of Finance, 43 (1). The authors of this paper are professors at the University of California, Los Angeles. Both writers presented their research in a well-documented manner and this research is reliable and good to include when someone is working on the topic of capital structure. The study examined capital structure theories that have not tested bef ore based on a factor analytic technique. They analyzed the data using six measures of financial leverage including short-term debt, long-term debt, and convertible debt. The study findings show that the transaction cost is one of the major determinants of capital structure choice. In fact, the results do not support the effect of volatility, collateral value or future growth. This journal is very much related to my topic although it's too broad and not scholarly enough it helped a lot to narrow down my topic. The audience of the paper is students, teachers, and people who are seeking basic knowledge about the determinants of capital structure. Sbeiti, W. (2010).  

Critically Thinking About Ethics and Assessment Essay Example for Free

Critically Thinking About Ethics and Assessment Essay 1. The four critical areas that are addressed in these standards include developing and selecting appropriate tests, administering and scoring tests, reporting and interpreting test results, and informing test takers. The two focus groups are the test developers and test users. Test developers are people and organizations that construct tests and set policies for testing programs while test users are those who select and administer tests, commission test development services, and make decisions based on the test scores. As a future teacher, counselor, or social worker, I think that I would fit the definition of test users because I would be conducting tests and making decisions from the results of the tests. 2. I believe that the most important issue among the guidelines for appropriate psychological assessment when it comes to children and adolescents would be 9. 03-b. It states, â€Å"Psychologists inform persons with questionable capacity to consent or for whom testing is mandated by law or governmental regulations about the nature and purpose of the proposed assessment services, using language that is reasonably understandable to the person being assessed. † This is important because young people who would undergo testing need to understand clearly what they are about to go through, as well as the reasons as to why they need to be assessed. They need to be talked to in a language and level where they can make a decision whether or not to give consent to the assessment. 3. The first guideline, which is â€Å"Protection Against High-Stakes Decisions Based on a Single Test† is important because it states that students should have the protection of not being judged based on a single test score. A single test score does not prove that much and students should be evaluated based on a series of tests. It is only fair that they be given multiple chances to prove what they are capable of as students. 4. In the â€Å"Screening and Assessment of Young English-Language Learners,† it is stated that the role of the family in the assessment of young English-language learners is important. Young students need the support that they can get from their families so that they can become confident in learning the language. Aside from this, it is also important for professionals to inform the families of the students’ improvements.

Stimuli Sensitive Polymers Types and Applications

Stimuli Sensitive Polymers Types and Applications The stimuli sensitive polymers have proved its applicability in forming hydro-gels [1], drug delivery[2] and target specificity[3]. Some stimuli sensitive polymers occur in nature likeeg, chitosan, cellulose, xyloglucan and many of them are routinely synthesized like, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) and co-polymers of PNIPAAm[4]. Nature has designed complex structures in response to various external stimuli. For example, the nano-composite structure of collagen fibrils in sea cucumber alters stiffness of its inner dermis[5]. This alteration of connective tissue is reversible, which acts as a defense mechanism[6, 7]. Capadona etal.,synthesized a chemo-responsive polymeric nano-composite structure, which mimics the response of collagen fibrils when exposed to similar physiological conditions. This polymeric nano-composite is based on ethylene oxide-epichlorohydrin copolymer on to which rigid nanofiber network of cellulose was assimilated [8]. Structure of cellulose whiskers, ethylene oxide-epichlorohydrin and polyvinyl acetate matrix polymer. Cellulose whiskers was isolated from tunicate cellulose pulp by sulfuric acid hydrolysis[9].Study of nanocompositeisbased on a rubber like ethylene oxide–epichlorohydrin (1:1) copolymer (EO-EPI) into which arigid cellulose nanofiber network was assimilated [9]. Naturally derived stimuli sensitive polymers have inherent properties like biocompatibility, efficient degradation of byproducts and specific biological interactions, these polymers have limitations like limited availability, batch to batch variation resulting in composition, poor mechanical strength as compared to synthetic stimuli sensitive polymers. Naturally derived stimuli sensitive polymers like chitosan, a polysaccharide, which is not stimuli sensitive but could be made stimuli sensitive by mixing with glycerophosphate, other examples are cellulose derivatives like methyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose[10]. A list of naturally derived stimuli sensitive polymers along with chemical structures is mention in table 1. 1.1 Stimuli responsive polymers Synthetic polymers have proved there applicability as therapeutic agent in drug delivery. These polymers showbetter pharmacokinetic property with greater ability for tissue targeting. The synthetic polymershows response when stimulated by external stimuli hence, they are called smart polymer or stimuli responsive polymer [15]. The stimuli-responsive polymer works on the principle of identification, evaluation of external signal and then by changing its structural conformation[16].These stimuli are classified as physical (temperature, light, electrical field), chemical (pH,ion, redox)[17], and biological responses.This results in change in a conformation, alteration in partition coefficient or solubility, drug release or more than one change at same time[18]. Physical responsive polymers Some polymers respond to physical stimuli like temperature, light, electrical field, magnetic field,etc.Polymers which become insoluble on heating, have lower critical solution temperature (LCST) like, PNIPAM [19], and those which become soluble on heating have upper critical solution temperature (UCST) like, poly (2-phenyl-2-oxazoline) (PPhOx) [20]. Temperature sensitive polymers Thermo-responsive polymers utilize small changein temperature to cause macroscopic alteration in polymer material [21]. Various types of thermo-responsive fluorescent polymers like a) PNIPAAmb) PNIPAAm-fluorescent labeled c)PNIPAAm-co-butyl methacrylate-fluorescent labeled, a hydrophobic co-polymer butyl methacrylate (BMA) was used to lower LCST to a precise temperature d) PNIPAAm-co-DMAPAAm-fluorescent labeled] (Figure. 2), N,N-dimethylaminopropylacrylamide(DMAPAAm) causes increase in LCST throughhydrophilization of polymeric chain,where synthesized, which shows thermo selective cellular uptake, enables determination of normal and pathological cell[21]. Light sensitive polymers The light sensitive polymers undergo photochromism, in which, an reversible chemical transformation occurs between two isomeric forms of same structure after absorption of light[22]. Absorption of light leads to photochromism which results alteration in absorption spectra[23]. Pericyclic reaction, dissociation process, cis-trans isomerization, electron transfer(oxidation-reduction) and intramolecular hydrogen transfer or group transfer are the mechanisms involved in it[24]. A reversible contraction and expansions in shape and volumes of photochromic light crystal elastomers (LCE) in response to light stimulation.These LCE filmscontainpoly(siloxane) as main chain and cross-linkedchromo-thermicazobenzene, this film was placed on solid support, which helps maintaining temperature to 85Â °c. 1.1.2 Chemical responsive polymers Polymer which exhibits change in configuration or which responds to chemical stimuli like pH, ion and other stimuli are known as chemical responsive polymers like, poly(methylacrylate)[25]. 1.1.2.1 pH responsive polymers pH responsive polymers contain pendant reactive groups which when are cross-linked with other polymer forming hydrogel shows response to stimulus like pH [25]. In recent years, muchwork has been exploredon co-polymerization of pH and temperature sensitive monomers[17, 26]. Graft co-polymers were synthesized to show temperature and pH sensitivity. A side chain temperature sensitive polymer (Figure 4.), the amino terminal ofNIPAAm was graftedon a carboxyl group of pH sensitive backbone polymer, like poly(acetic acid) (PAAc), in the presence of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) and methanol byusing coupling method[26]. Stimuli sensitive polymer-dye conjugation Dyes or indicatorsare used to sense or react to particular stimuli like pH and temperature [27]. Some indicator changes color in H+ and OH ion solution due to which they are use as pH sensitive dyes and those which changes color by deflection in temperature are use as temperature sensitive dyes [27]. A list of thermo-chromic polymer-dye conjugations are shown in table 2. The novel chromogenic polymer gel network was synthesized by mixing poly(alkoxy) derivative with bromothymol blue, which yields transparent green gel (Figure 5.), at 33Â °c, green gel turns intolight yellow gel with gradual increase in temperature[29]. In table 2, list of different chromogenic polymer gel networks arementioned.Poly(alkoxy) gel network was used to form complex with other dyes like, nitrazin yellow, where, color of gel network changes from blue to green. Similarly, for chlorophenol red, where color changes from red to yellow PVA-borax-cresol, phenol substituted dye (cresol) was conjugated with PVA-borax complex to obtain thermochromic hydrogel. Other example, PVA-borax-2,6-diphenyl-4-(2,4,6-triphenylpyridinio)phenolate (DTPP) forms reversible thermochromic hydrogel. Such system shows color change and increase in absorption by a gradual increase of temperature. The absorption spectrum of DTPP explains dependency of absorbance on temperature causes bathochromic shift of absorption maximum [28]. InBorax-PVA-DTPP network,DTPP was embedded in PVA-borax gel matrix, boric acid is cross linked to PVA polymer that is, borate ions reacts with hydroxyl group present on PVA to form monodiol-borate complex and didiol-borate complex [30]. Another example of gel containing dye composed of two polymers (PVA and polyether) includes addition of zwitterionicsurfactant, which is a dipolar surfactant,was selected to avoid strong ionic interaction with anionic dye. This surfactant, like, sulfobetain forms aggregates above its critical micelle concentration therefore, it can influence U.V-absorption spectra of a water soluble dye like phenol red as shown in [31]. The dye can also be conjugated with dendrimer to enhance imaging applications and for metal ion probing[32]. For example, generation 5 poly(amidoamine) [G5(PAMAM)] dendrimercontaining 128 surface sites which can incorporate 0 to7 dyes like, 6-carboxytetramethylrhodamine succinimdyl ester (TAMRA), fluorescein. Acetylation yields complete conjugate of dendrimer and dye [33]. nano sized stimuli sensitive polymers have been proved to show response to external signaling [34]. pH sensitive system was prepared by the combination of two modified pH sensitive indicator dyes like, N-fluoresceinylacrylamide (FA), and N-acrylamide-NÂ ´-rhodamine B thiourea (Rh B) (Figure. 11).These two functional monomeric dyes were copolymerized with acrylamide and methylenebis(acrylamide) in w/o micro-emulsion to form dye conjugated poly(acrylamide nanoparticles [35]. Synthesis ofN-fluoresceinylacrylamide- N-acrylamide-Nˈ-rhodamine B thiourea (FA-Rh B)copolymerized nanoparticles. The two functional monomeric dyes FA and Rh Bwere co-polymerized with acrylamide and methylenebis acrylamide in w/o micro-emulsion [35]. Fluorescence emission spectra of polyacrylamide nanoparticle conjugated with fluorescein and rhodamine dye. The fluorescence emission intensity of Rh B remains unchanged with increasing pH whereas that of FA increases. An amine functionalized RAFT co-polymer poly {N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide-bN-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl] methacrylate} {poly (HPMA258b-DMAPMA13)} was labeled by fluorescent dye like, 6-(fluorescein-5-carboxamido)hexanoic acid, succinimidyl ester (5-SFX) using anhydrous DMF along with triethanolamine which catalysis the reaction [36]. The primary amine of poly(HPMA258-b-DMAPMA13) is more reactive than tertiary thiol group this allows conjugation of 5-SFX with poly(HPMA258-b-DMAPMA13Â ­). ÃŽ ²-cyclodextrinis cyclic oligosaccharide [37], which has been proved for large number of applications like, increasing solubility [38], detection of compounds [39], immobilization of toxic compounds [40], drug release [41] etc. Some dyes were conjugated in complexing agent like an azo dye inside ÃŽ ²-cyclodextrincavity.Azo dye like methyl red indicator shows color change from yellow to red as pH decreases, this is because of the protonation of azo group (Figure 14.). Methyl red (MR) shows yellow color when complexes with ÃŽ ²-CD even in acidic pH 4.The complex was formed in dimethylacetoamide by using an condensing agent like, dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, it becomes useful in detection of neutral species which will act as guest inside MR-ÃŽ ²-CD complex and will replace MR, which changes its color to red [42]. Role of polymer-dye conjugation in cellular uptake Cellular uptake consist of endocytosis process in which extracellular compounds are captured by plasma membrane forming vesicles. Along with endocytosis there are other methods like, receptor mediated pathway, phagocytosis and micro-pinocytosis[43]. The plasma membrane of a eukaryotic cell has a barrier which allows small and uncharged molecules to pass through it[44].The nano sized polymers, despiteplasma membrane barrier, can irreversibly interact with lipid membraneby insertion of dangling side chains into the hydrophobic region of cell, which can be explained by molecular dynamics[45].Polymer like 2-methcryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) was copolymerized with n-butyl methacrylate (BMA) forming poly(MPC-co-BMA)[46],thecovalentlylabeledrhodamine Btopoly(MPC-co-BMA) (rhoPMB)was synthesized using free radical polymerization method with perbutyl-ND as an initiator.RhoPMB30 was distributed inside live HepG2 cell (a human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cell line). Natural polymer is applicable in biomedical, environmental science and agricultural field like, hydrophobically modified glycol chitosan (HGC) that can form stable nanoparticles. HGC shows prolonged blood circulation period when the particle size is controlled. It accumulates selectively inside tumor cell when administered systemically [47] and applicable in delivering various therapeutic agents like, peptides, genes and small anticancer drugs [43]. The polymer conjugate probes are applicable for penetration inside the membrane of tumor cell for treatment[48], detection[49] or diagnosis[50, 51]. Further study for the conjugation ofpolymer and pH sensitive dye to form a reusable system which will sense or exhibit color change at different pH ranges.

Physiological and Psychological Effects of Abortion on Women Essay

Physiological and Psychological Effects of Abortion on Women    1.0 Introduction  Ã‚   There are many arguments surrounding the abortion debate. An issue dealing with abortion that has not been explored very thoroughly is the issue of Post-Abortion-Syndrome. This paper will examine the psychological and physiological effects of abortion, on the women who had them, later in life. This paper dealing with abortion will not explore either side of the abortion debate because to do so would introduce biases. This paper will examine physical complications and problems resulting from abortions. This paper will also examine this mystery of Post Abortion Syndrome and outline the symptoms, causes, criteria and treatments, for the disorder itself. In a recent study in Buffalo more than 400 women were poled two years after they had an abortion, and it was found that only seven out of ten were glad for their decision, 12% were unsure, and 19% regretted it. (Western Report 1998, 29) In the past there has been debate as to the mere existence of Post-Abortion-Stress disorder, this paper will dispel that confusion. 2.0 Review of Literature 2.1 psychological Effects of Abortion It has been discovered that there are many emotional aspects that can effect the psychological well being of women who undergo an abortion. These emotions include guilty feelings, anxiety, depression, loss, anger, and even suicide. Clinical research has found that when women are in trusting, sharing relationships, they report deep seated feelings of exploitation over their abortion experience. (Alliance Action Inc 1993, 1) A woman reports, "I was unprepared for the maze of emotions that hit me after I had the procedure. Instead of feeling relieved, I w... ...t, 12/01/98: 25 7. M.Rue, Vincint. Post Abortion Syndrone; Diagnostic Criteria, 1989 8. Michelle C. "Don't Make My Mistakes". She's a Child, 1996 9. The National Office of Post-Abortion Reconciliation and Healing Impact of Abortion on the Family; IRLF Newsletter, 1993 10. Ranalli, Paul. "Abortion and Breast Cancer:Why dismiss the link?". 11. The Globe and Mail, April 1, 1996    Outline 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Review of Literature 2.1 Psychological Effects of Abortion 2.1.1 Symptoms of Post Abortion Syndrome 2.1.2 Causes of Post Abortion Syndrome 2.1.3 Diagnostic Criteria for Post Abortion Syndrome 2.1.4 Treatments for Post Abortive Stress Disorder 2.2 Physiological Effects of Abortion 2.2.1 Miscarriages 2.2.2 Infertility/Ectopic Pregnancies 2.2.3 Breast Cancer 2.3 Conclusion

The Voice of Billie Holiday Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Paper

The Voice of Billie Holiday      Ã‚  Ã‚   A woman stands before you, and although she isn't a politician, she expresses her moving thoughts on issues that affect all Americans. Her voice isn't harsh or demanding in tone. Her stature is slender and traced in a shimmer of light that reflects from her dress. A southern magnolia is lying comfortably above her ear. She sings. She sings of incomprehension, of hate, and of a race's pain. She sings low and confused. She sings as "Our Lady of Sorrow"(Davis 1), a representation of a whole people torn and discriminated against.   And though her speech is not spoken, she moves a crowd, one that gathers into many. Billie Holiday comes to prove that one woman's voice, singing one song, that calls awareness to one issue of society, can change the world.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Music has come to shape our views of society, love, race, and creed. We can all remember a time when a song evoked an emotion. The song seemed to express every feeling within us. The artist sang the words we longed to say, and the music expressed all the things we couldn't speak. At the same time, music can help express the things we don't understand in life, creating a bridge between differences. Music of a different artist can represent the point of view of someone that you don't understand, that looks at you funny, dresses different, speaks oddly, and believes something you don't. Music can express the emotions you feel, and the emotions that someone else feels.. Ray Charles once said, "Thank God for music, it was a salvation"(Keep on Pushing). Music is emotion: whether rage, love, lust, hate or confusion, music teaches us that our views fall within the same staff as the views of those we don't understand. ... ... <www.nytimes.com/books/98/03/08/reviews/980.08davist.html.>. Davis, Francis. "Our Lady of Sorrows." 2000. 9 Nov. 2001. <www.theatlantic.com/issues/2001/11/davis.htm>. Ellis, James. "Black Female Jazz Artists and Race and Gender Conscious Protest: Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald." 12 Nov 2001. <www.wam.edu/~ellisj/news_femalejazz.htm>. Foley, Jack. David Marolick, Strange Fruit: Billy Holiday, Cafà © Society, and an Early Cry for Civil Rights. The Alsop Review. Running Press. 9 Nov. 2001.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   <www.alsopreview.com/foley/jfmargolick.html>. Keep on Pushing: Say it Loud. VH1 Productions, 2001. Margolick, David. "Strange Fruit: A Song that Reverberates in the American Soul." 14 Nov. 2001. <www.qkw.com/racematters/nytarchjb218.htm>.                                 

Emerging :: Personal Narratives Death Suicide Papers

Emerging The world where goals and success are of sole importance is not a reality, it is an illusion. Phone calls at three a.m. rarely bring good news. One call shattered my world and changed my life forever. Reality blurred. My emotions took a violent grip on my mind, body, and ultimately my spirit. I began my sophomore year of high school standing at the very edge of my reality. I saw my life crumble around me and seemed to plummet into a dark abyss of disbelief. Suicide. After only 35 short years of life, my aunt Sue took her own life. My rational, upper-middle class reality vanished. The idea that everything happens for a reason, and that things always had an answer no longer held true. All the truths, all the certainty, all the normality, all the security embellished in my family and my reality were destroyed. Things like this aren't supposed to happen to me. This happens to other people. My emotions rushed through me as though on a race track, each trying to dominate. Yet, ultimately they were on a collision course. They exploded and blurred into a fiery inferno. Why did this h appen? How am I supposed to feel now? How do I begin to piece together and construct a new reality? All I had was questions, and the world I had searched for answers in so many times before no longer existed for me. My search for answers led me inward as I was forced to construct a new reality. "Oh my God, oh my God," the words rang through my ears and seemed to shake my very soul. I was jolted from my bed after an already sleepless night to Dad's horrified cry. The sheer terror that seemed to strangle his words seemed to pierce my heart with each syllable. Even from three rooms away, it echoed. A small beam of light crept under my door as the light in my parents' room was turned on. Even as I reached to open my door and investigate the commotion, I felt a heavy horror fall over me. Something was terribly wrong, and my heart raced as my sweaty palm turned the door knob. The scene in my parents' room was one I had never seen before. The expressions, the actions, were foreign and frightening. They both sat erect in their bed. Mom leaned close to Dad and held his arm tight, waiting herself to hear the terrible news. Emerging :: Personal Narratives Death Suicide Papers Emerging The world where goals and success are of sole importance is not a reality, it is an illusion. Phone calls at three a.m. rarely bring good news. One call shattered my world and changed my life forever. Reality blurred. My emotions took a violent grip on my mind, body, and ultimately my spirit. I began my sophomore year of high school standing at the very edge of my reality. I saw my life crumble around me and seemed to plummet into a dark abyss of disbelief. Suicide. After only 35 short years of life, my aunt Sue took her own life. My rational, upper-middle class reality vanished. The idea that everything happens for a reason, and that things always had an answer no longer held true. All the truths, all the certainty, all the normality, all the security embellished in my family and my reality were destroyed. Things like this aren't supposed to happen to me. This happens to other people. My emotions rushed through me as though on a race track, each trying to dominate. Yet, ultimately they were on a collision course. They exploded and blurred into a fiery inferno. Why did this h appen? How am I supposed to feel now? How do I begin to piece together and construct a new reality? All I had was questions, and the world I had searched for answers in so many times before no longer existed for me. My search for answers led me inward as I was forced to construct a new reality. "Oh my God, oh my God," the words rang through my ears and seemed to shake my very soul. I was jolted from my bed after an already sleepless night to Dad's horrified cry. The sheer terror that seemed to strangle his words seemed to pierce my heart with each syllable. Even from three rooms away, it echoed. A small beam of light crept under my door as the light in my parents' room was turned on. Even as I reached to open my door and investigate the commotion, I felt a heavy horror fall over me. Something was terribly wrong, and my heart raced as my sweaty palm turned the door knob. The scene in my parents' room was one I had never seen before. The expressions, the actions, were foreign and frightening. They both sat erect in their bed. Mom leaned close to Dad and held his arm tight, waiting herself to hear the terrible news.

Consider the poems Dreaming Black Boy and Epitaph Essay

a) Compare the ways in which these two poems deal with the experience of oppression and racism. b) State which of the two poems you find more disturbing, and give reasons to support your answer. c) Identify and comment on TWO poetic devices used in each poem to highlight the workings of oppression or racism. â€Å"Dreaming Black Boy† and â€Å"Epitaph† are two poems which address the issues of oppression and racism. though they both deal with the same problem, it is handled and discussed differently. In † Dreaming Black Boy†, the persona, a young black boy in school, talks about his aspirations and dreams. He hopes for an end to racism. The persona tries to use his education to try to escape the harsh reality of racism. He not only mentions what is going on around him now, but also the past and even how he would like things to be in the future. He longs for acceptance, a good education, success, to travel and a break from mental slavery. He fails to grasp that despite his intelligence and physical maturity, the racist treatment will continue. Thinking that what he experiences as a young boy is the worst, he has yet to find out how it is in the future. On the other hand, â€Å"Epitaph†, a significantly shorter poem, is about a black slave who was hanged. People stop what they are doing to watch the sight, yet the rest of the world continues to go on. the sugar cane continues to grow. Unlike in â€Å"Dreaming Black Boy†, the persona in â€Å"Epitaph† is an adult, looking on a past occurrence and commenting on how these types of events have impacted on our lives today. â€Å"Epitaph† appears to be the most disturbing as it suggests that many of these slaves’ deaths are forgotten. The idea or notion that life goes on after you die and all you are awarded is a â€Å"pause†. The images in â€Å"Epitaph† are also more graphic. In â€Å"Dreaming Black Boy†, the poet uses euphemism to down play the harsh reality of the young black boy. For example, â€Å"plotters in pajamas† is used to refer to the klu klux klan, a group infamous for the terror they caused on the black race. The main literary device used in â€Å"Dreaming Black Boy† is allusion. The persona alludes to white supremacy groups, a famous singer etcetera, to express the things he would like to change about his reality. â€Å"Epitaph† uses the â€Å"apostrophe† to give a visual image of the black slave hanging and swinging as he is hanged. This metaphor is effective in showing also how the slave has taken on the problems of the black race as his own. And his death belongs to the blacks. It is their history. Racism and slavery are two of the most controversial and oppressive elements in human history. Though both poems differ in style and technique, both successfully describe the physical and emotional effects of racism and oppression (slavery). This success is achieved through the use of allusions, vivid images, symbolic language and even euphemism.

Human Aggression In The Social Context: An Analysis Of The Reasons Why Human Beings Fight

Human aggression has been consistently blamed for the growing incidence of violence all over the world. The link between aggression and violence is clear when we are to consider factors other than biological and psychological factors. This paper aims to establish a clear evidence of the direct influence of social factors in human aggression. Further, this paper aimed at establishing the fact that suppressing violence is possible when social factors are controlled.For the purpose of initial discussion, this paper preferred to briefly discuss the definition of human aggression using official definitions for the purpose of establishing a common ground. Biological and psychological factors are no more discussed, aside from comparison some part of the paper for the reason that this paper focuses on the role of social factors in human aggression.Bulk of this paper discusses and investigates the role of social factors and the social responsibility towards human aggression. A conclusion and a number of recommendations are offered by the writer for the readers’ consideration.The United Nations, an international organization of countries in the world aimed at 1maintaining international peace and security, had in its 2319th Plenary Meeting adopted a board resolution for the official definition of aggression.UN addressed aggression in a global concept as â€Å"the most serious and dangerous form of the illegal use of force, being fraught, in the conditions created by the existence of all types of weapons of mass destruction, with the possible threat of a world conflict and all its catastrophic consequences† (Resolution 3314, Annex).For the purpose of a broader discussion of the subject, this writer finds it important to present the qualifications of aggression outlined and approved by the UN Board (Article 3):1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The invasion, attack or occupation by the armed forces of a State of the terr itory of another State by the use of force.2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Bombardment by the armed forces of a State against the territory of another State or the use of any weapons.3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The blockade of the ports or coasts of a State by the armed forces of another State.4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An attack by the armed forces of a State on the land, sea or air forces, or marine and air fleets of another State.5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The use of armed forces of one State which are within the territory of another State in contravention of the conditions provided for in the agreement or any extension of their presence in such territory beyond the termination of the agreement.6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The action of a State in allowing its territory to be used by that other State for perpetrating an act of aggression against a third State.7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The sending by or on behalf of a State of armed bands, groups, irregulars or mercenaries, which carry out acts of armed force against another State.In consideration of the above qualifications, we can draw out just one general idea of how UN regard aggression and that is any act that will harm other countries or state. Needed to be stressed, the Board Resolution also qualified that such acts are considered as aggression regardless of the declaration of war.The etymology of the word will also lead us to the same element as with that of the United Nation’s official definition. Merriam-Webster defines aggression as(1) a forceful action or procedure (as an unprovoked attack) especially when intended to dominate or master,(2) the practice of making attacks or encroachments; especially unprovoked violation by one country of the territorial integrity of another (3) hostile, injurious, or destructive behavior or outlook especially when caused by frustration. It is a derivation of the Latin word aggressio which means â€Å"attack† (Merriam-Webster Online).Sarah Mc Cawley has adapted a more direct and simple definition: 2â€Å"Aggression is an action. It is intended to harm someone.† Mc Cawley stressed that aggression as an action can be in a verbal or physical manner. The main point of the above definitions is the presence and intention of producing harm.Prominent personalities in related fields of sciences seem to agree on the said definition. But when it comes to the analysis of the caused of aggression, biologists, psychologists and even social psychologists differ in their views and interpretations of study results.The debate between and the natural (innate) and socio-cultural (learned) causes of aggression had been an international issue for many years. Desp ite the long list of studies and experiments done on the subject, violence, as a result of aggression still continues to dominate over peace. It is therefore important to find out why while biological factors of aggression have been proven to be valid not all persons resort to violence.There must be something else that provokes human aggression as suggested by the difference in crime rates or incidents of violence in different areas and regions of the world. There must be something outside the human nature of aggressiveness that induces him to fight. This paper asserts that â€Å"social conditions also contribute to the expression of aggression† (J. Taylor & J. Nellist).Bandura is well-known for his 4Social Learning Theory which he developed using his experiment on kids and bo-bo dolls. This theory holds that humans are not innately aggressive (S. Mc Cawley). Bandura asserts that children to be aggressive in two ways:   by observation and from receiving rewards for the aggr essive behavior. Mc Cawley offered a logical example of the observation process.A child for example is a witness of how his father beats his wife after some sort of heated argument. After showing such aggressive behavior, the father obviously had successfully dominated the situation and because of beating his wife, the argument then stopped.In the child’s eyes, his father’s aggressive behavior (beating his wife) is a way of resolving the problem (wife arguing with the husband). The reward then for the aggressive behavior is that the argument had been stopped. This is an example of observational learning (J. Liu).Rewards may also come in different ways: 5getting control of the situation, getting praise/ positive reinforcement for the aggressive behavior or by stopping aggression by others or the negative reinforcement.For example, the father has to beat his wife in order to stop nagging so the reward for being aggressive is of having the goal of stopping the wifeâ€℠¢s nagging. If a child tries to bully another child in force him to lend him a toy, the aggressive behavior is rewarded when the other child gave up his toy because the other tries to hurt him.Negative reinforcement happens when a child tries to threaten other child that he sees as a potential threat to his toys or food. For example, child A will warn child B not to get his toys otherwise child A will no more let him in their house ever again.If child B being threatened will not in turn get the toys, child A is being rewarded for his aggressive behavior. Having been either positively rewarded or successful by negative reinforcement, the child gets to repeat the aggressive behavior over and over again.An individual who had experienced or is currently experiencing some sort of violence are believed to be more aggressive than those who are not exposed to it. This is maintained by the concept of 3victim association as asserted by Nathanson and Cantor. In their experiment, two sets of ch ildren were asked to watch a violent movie.One set were advised to feel the emotions of the victims in the movie they are to watch. The other set watched the movie without any sort of advice. It turned out that those children who were asked to empathize with the victims in the violent movie were less likely to exhibit violent behavior than those who just watched the movie.

Healthy Eating Plan Comparison Essay

When I first started this class I had a bad eating habit, I was always on the go, so grabbing a quick lunch or a snack fit right into my schedule. In the first week of class I did the healthy eating plan and it shocked me at the results. I was doing major damage to my body. I never thought about the consequences that my food choices had on my body. Since finding about my eating I have tried tremendously to eat healthier. In this essay I will discuss my past eating habits and my current eating habits as well as what I plan on doing about my current circumstances. As a child I was taught how to eat correctly and how to have vegetables with every meal. My mother could not stress enough not to be eating junk food all the time and how to brush our teeth after every meal. As I grew up and had children of my own I tried to teach them the same thing. The thing is I do not practice what I preach. I am on the go every day, and have a very strict schedule. While I am at work on my lunch break I have thirty minutes to eat, smoke, and relax. I do what every other person would do when it is food already cooked, I grab a quick hot or cold lunch eat and clock back in to work. I noticed that I gained a great deal of pounds within a short period of time, but I always made excuses for it. Come to find out it was all because of my eating habit. When I did the healthy eating plan I noticed that I have the same routine each and every day. I go to Dunkin Donuts every morning grab me a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. I eat a candy bar on every break and something hot on every lunch. I did some research on the coffee and it shows that it is not bad for you at all. It actually helps lower the risks of many diseases by 20-25%. The diseases it helps with are type 2 diabetes, cirrhosis, and colorectal cancer. I also found out that eating sugary foods is not only bad for my health but my teeth and it is a majority of the reason I am overweight. My last Healthy Eating Plan paper shows my old eating habits. Day 1CoffeeCinnamon pretzel, with sodaDouble cheeseburger, medium onion rings, soda, and two apple piesCinnamon twistBaked chicken, greens, cornbread, and corn Cake, Kool-Aid, cinnamon twist, and sour candy Day 2Large Hot chocolate with whipped cream, and a donutCinnamon pretzel, large soda, and candy barWhopper sandwich, large French fries, and larger sodaIce cream drumstick, candy, and potato chipsFried pork chops smothered in gravy, mashed potatoes, macaroni, green eans, and Kool-AidBowl of ice cream Day 3Bowl of cereal, flavored waterThree cookiesHamburger, with fried onion ringsCandy, ice cream coneTwo bowls of cereal, Domino’s pizza, cinnamon bread with icing soda My new eating habits are basically the same as my old eating habits. It is very hard for me to change up my routine with me being a full time mom to three children and I am constantly on the go. I am very well aware of the damage that I am doing to my body. I decided to try to eat healthy and see how long it wa s going to last me. I did a three day analysis before I did this assignment. Here are my results. Day 1 Bottle Water, and grapesBananaPlain PringlesBaked chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, and a slice of cake and grape Kool-aid for dinnerBowl of ice creamSlice of cake Day 2 Flavored Water BottleGrapesCandy Bar, Cheese PringlesPizza for dinner, with a sodaIce creamcandy Day 3 Bowl of cereal, Dunkin Donuts coffeebananaCheese burger and fries, and a apple pie from McDonaldsSour candy, butter finger candy barGyros and cheese fries and a sodacandy As you can see I tried to keep up with a healthy diet but my schedule and me having a sweet tooth it’s not going to always work. I started off every day correct but by the middle of the day I have to have them sweets. I know eating bad is not good for my health. It also makes my body vulnerable for many diseases such as obesity, and diabetes. On an average day, I will cook a healthy meal for my children, but not always. When I do cook a meal, I will most of the time cook a meat, starch, and have a choice of two vegetables. Sometimes, I cannot always do that though because of my work schedule, household duties, and schoolwork that I have to keep up with everyday. I think that after completing the first exercise I learned how to mix it up. I try to mix up my eating, so if I cook or eat something that is not good for me, I will follow up with something that I know is. For example if I eat pancakes with maple syrup in the morning for breakfast, I will also eat a bowl of fruit to balance out my eating. If I eat some cake or snacks before eating dinner I learned to also have some healthy vegetables or what I am trying now a salad in between there to help balance it out. Eating healthy is something hard to try especially after a person has been one way their entire life. Change cannot happen overnight, but I learned my problem and I am working on it. I still have many problems in my eating habits that are not healthy but I made that will help me balance it out. I try to choose wisely from the main food groups, but eating on the go most of your day will not always allow for me to do that. I think the most important part of this assignment was to learn my bad problems, and I have. It might take a little bit of time to change my whole eating pattern but I know it can be fixed.

You Tube Llc: Going Global by Acting Local

Case 2: YouTube Case Questions 1. Do a SWOT analysis of YouTube in India.Internal| Strengths * The site is very user-friendly and video uploads are easy * Launching a localized YouTube site that contained local promoted videos, featured videos, localized user interface * Using digital hash technology for copyrighting protection | Weaknesses * User created content is not really that popular or well crafted * Copyrighted material is not allowed to be uploaded onto the site * Only including some Indian languages and not all Indian languages on the site| External| Opportunities * Expand viewer content to include a larger age range of viewers * Customizing to local preference to attract more users * Entered into various partnerships with Indian TV networks and film produces that would suit the local taste| Threats * Competition from Google’s social networking site Orkut and local Indian portals offering local content * Local music labels in India suing YouTube * Receiving criticism from fundamentalist groups regarding its contents * Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr| 2. Assess YouTube’s growth through alliances and partnerships. YouTube has grown by forging partnerships with various companies and providing entertainment that suit the local taste and preferences of the host county. 3. Assess the company’s localizing strategy.Do you recommend that YouTube â€Å"localize† when entering other countries? YouTube India provides users with relevant content and a platform to share its unique and diverse culture and lifestyle. India was the 20th country that YouTube had launched a localized site for. I recommend that YouTube â€Å"localize† when entering other countries, because India has benefited from an entirely local experience highlighting content and functionality most desired by the Indian users. 4. What are the problems YouTube is experiencing in India? Local music labels in India had sued YouTube for hosting its product. In addition, t he site received criticism from fundamentalist groups regarding its contents.

Continental Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Continental Philosophy - Essay Example k are to explore some of the different conceptions of imagination that can be found in western philosophical thought and to introduce and elucidate some of the philosophical issues that arise concerning imagination and creativity. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, imagination is â€Å"the ability of the mind to be creative or resourceful.† Thus, it is traditionally believed that creativity is the manifestation of the imagination. From the way in which we use the term "imagination," it appears that it is thought that the two can be equated; that telling someone to "be more creative" is exactly the same as saying, "use the imagination." That the imagination can be associated to creativity is clearly indubitable, but it is the type of association that is questionable. Before the discussion link between creativity and the imagination, it must be stated first what constitutes creativity and secondly what we mean by the term "imagination." According to Gaut there are three conditions of creativity. First, creativity must be original. There would be no point in creating a sonnet in which one can compare his love to a summers day, as it would not be original. Even if one did, the sonnet would be of no value - the second condition of creativity. Kant has pointed out that even the most nonsensical work of art can be original, but it is not creative unless it is exemplary i.e. of value. The third condition of creativity is that it has to have flair; an artist must have the intention to create the work in that way. If one splatter link across a page, it may be original, but since the end product is arrived at inadvertently, one must have had no style or flair and thus it is not creative. Subsequently, in Gauts words, â€Å"Originality, value and flair ar e the vital ingredients in creative making.† There are a number of different uses of the term "imagination." First, "imagine" can mean, "falsely believe" such as in a situation whereby a person is told that he is

State of the current economy (Economics) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

State of the current economy (Economics) - Essay Example rici declares "we are in a depression (Shinkle, p1)."   He signifies a recession as an economic decline from which an economy can eventually recover but poses that the state the American economy is in today is much worse and can’t be resolved with a quick fix. "My feeling is that . . . if (the president) doesnt fix whats structurally broken, what caused this, well be back into this after the federal stimulus has had its effect," says Morici (Shinkle, p1).   Many different aspects of the American economy have come under fire as the cause of this financial crisis, most infamous of these methods to date are credit default swap contracts and short selling. The very first credit default swap contract was constructed in 1997 by JP Morgan and it is given credit for what initiated the market to balloon up to a $45 trillion value in 2007 (Pinsent, p1). In a CDS contract, credit risk from emerging market bonds, mortgage-backed securities, municipal bonds or corporate debt is transferred between two parties.   It is a bilateral contract in that both parties are obligated to carryout their end of the contract.   CDS contracts were designed because as Stephan Teak puts it in his article Did Credit Default Swaps Cause the Financial Market Meltdown?, lenders were encountered with a problem they needed solved.   He best describes the factors leading up to this revelation by lenders when he says, â€Å"When a lender provides financing in the form of a loan, it has to keep a certain amount of cash, called capital, on hand to cover any problems with the loans such as defaults. For larger financial institutions like JP Morgan, this meant havin g huge amounts of money tied up and doing nothing. The credit default swap was designed to deal with this problem (Teak, p1).†Ã‚   The basic goal of the credit default swap is to free up the unused ‘safety-net capital by selling off the risk of the loan to a third party for a premium.   Once the capital was freed-up it would be available for

Stanford-Binet Fifth Edition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Stanford-Binet Fifth Edition - Essay Example The Fifth Edition of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales (SB5) is a relatively new revised method, but has a unique history (figure 1). In 1905, Binet and Simon developed the first formal intelligence test, and Louis Terman created the Stanford-Binet Scale in 1916; this final scale was revised in 1937, 1960, 1986, and 2003. The first versions used items to address functional abilities, and were arranged by levels. The Fifth Edition is a standardized intelligence battery that can be administered to people from ages 2 to 85 years. According to Strauss (2006) the main purpose of the revision was â€Å"to expand the range of the test, to allow assessment of very low and very high levels of cognitive ability†, and to increase its clinical applications (see table 1).The SB5 is based on the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory of cognitive functioning, which is considered â€Å"one of the well-validated, comprehensive models of cognitive functioning† (Fiorello and Primerano, 2 005). Johnson (2007) describes the Stanford-Binet as â€Å"a comprehensive, norm-referenced individually administered test of intelligence and cognitive abilities†. The test is consists of five factors, which include Fluid Reasoning, Knowledge, Quantitative Reasoning, Visual-Spatial Processing, and Working Memory; each factor is further divided in verbal and non-verbal subtests (table 2). The Abbreviated Battery IQ scale consists of two routing subtests: one nonverbal (Object Series/Matrices) and one verbal (Vocabulary) (Coolican, J. et al, 2008).... Johnson (2007) describes the Stanford-Binet as "a comprehensive, norm-referenced individually administered test of intelligence and cognitive abilities". The test is consists of five factors, which include Fluid Reasoning, Knowledge, Quantitative Reasoning, Visual-Spatial Processing, and Working Memory; each factor is further divided in verbal and non-verbal subtests (table 2). The Abbreviated Battery IQ scale consists of two routing subtests: one nonverbal (Object Series/Matrices) and one verbal (Vocabulary) (Coolican, J. et al, 2008). The fifth revision retains the routing subtest technique, and routing subsets and functional levels were redesigned. Johnson (2007) further states that a Working Memory factor was added "because it has been shown to be related to both reading and math achievement". Table 1. Main goals of the Fifth Revision. Restoring the original toys and manipulatives for assessing preschoolers that had been removed in recent versions Increasing clinical utility. Updating materials Increasing non verbal items Increasing the range of domains measured by the test Source: Strauss, E. et al. 2006. Table 2. The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, 5th ed. Factor Measures Fluid Reasoning The ability to solve nonverbal and verbal problems using reasoning skills Knowledge Fund of general information Quantitative Reasoning Ability to work with numbers and solve numerical problems Visual Spatial Processing Ability to see patterns, relationships, and spatial orientations Working Memory Ability to store, sort and transform information in short-term memory. Source: Coolican, J. et al, 2008. How well a test is standardized provides information

Britain Fights EU's 'Big Brother' Bid Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Britain Fights EU's 'Big Brother' Bid - Article Example The aim of the Intelligent Speed Adaptation technology (ISA) is reducing accident death tolls by a third but according to Mr. McLoughlin, UK Transport Secretary, comparing UK road deaths of 1754 deaths to 3,645, and 3,657 deaths in France and Germany respectively, UK has lowest death rates from road carnage in Europe. After being briefed that newly, designed vehicles will have camera and satellite systems allowing for the easy and cheap addition of speed limiters, Mr. McLoughlin instructed his officials to block the move terming it as a violation of British motorist’s freedom. According to AA, the new technology is poised to create dangers at lower speeds especially when there is a requirement to accelerate and the speed is limited resulting in an avoidable collision but believes audible speed alerts would work (Owen, 31 August 2013). EC reports that ISA and other issues will be published by the commission in a document in the autumn according to its mandate by member states and that there is ongoing consultation on the speed limiters. The research in the article is exemplary done owing to the reporting of the views of the different stakeholders on the introduction of ISA and this has a relation to the course material since it deals with a transportation policy issue aimed at implementation in the UK and Europe limiting driving beyond set speeds. The exemplary sections in the article are the workings of the Intelligent Speed Adaptation technology (ISA) that is well explained in the article allowing for a clear concise understanding by the reader.  

Penguin And Random House Sign Merger Deal Term Paper

Penguin And Random House Sign Merger Deal - Term Paper Example Penguin had revolutionised the publishing industry during the 1930s when it introduced inexpensive and high quality paperbacks. They were sold through various street stores like Woolworths (Penguin Books, 2012). Pearson Plc., which is a global media organisation, is the owner of Penguin Group. Apart from Penguin, Financial Times and Pearson are also included as different business segments of Pearson Plc. It is headquartered at London and was founded in the year 1844 (Yahoo Finance, 2012a). On the other hand, Random House is a privately owned digital publishing house. Various imprints and publishing groups are run by the company worldwide. Random House is actually a subsidiary company of Bertelsmann AG. The company operates its business in various geographical regions of the world like Europe, America, South Africa, and Asia Pacific. The company is headquartered at New York, United States and its employee strength is around 5,343 (Bertelsmann AG, 2012a). The present study entails abou t the detailed analysis of the merger decision between the two global leaders in the books publishing industry, Penguin and Random House. ... also provides financial and business news, analysis, comments and data. Pearson Plc. operates its business activities worldwide through five different business segments. Penguin is one of those five business segments operated by Pearson Plc. Penguin group is responsible for publishing around 4,000 non-fiction and fiction books every year. The books are offered to the consumers in different formats like on screens, paper, and even in audio formats and are meant for readers of all age groups. The range of front list and backlist titles of Penguin group is huge and includes classics, children, literary prize winners, and reference volumes titles. Its business operations are carried out worldwide with the help of many publishing houses located in different nations of the world. Penguin group publishes under some of the reputed imprints of the world like Putnam, Allen Lane, Viking, Berkley, Ladybird, Puffin, Dorling Kindersley, and Harmish Hamilton (Pearson plc, 2012). On the other hand, Random House is a US based multinational organisation which is engaged in the business of publishing general trade books in English language. On an average around 10,000 paperbacks, electronic and audio books are published by Random House annually and they come in 15 different local languages of various countries worldwide. It has been estimated that around 400 million books are sold by the company every year. It is one of the wholly owned subsidiary company of Bertelsmann AG. The imprints of the Random House Publishing Group of Bertelsmann AG includes Bantam, Dell, Delacorte, Ballantine books, Trade Paperbacks of Random House, One World, The Modern Library, Presidio Press, Triumph books, Spiegel, Spectra, Villard Books, and Grau. Ballantine Books is considered to be one of

Smoking in public places should be banned Essay

Smoking in public places should be banned - Essay Example Thus, they become passive smokers. This argumentative paper tends to persuade the reader that smoking in public should be banned by throwing light upon the hazards of passive smoking. Just like active smokers are apt to acquire many diseases, same is the case with passive smokers especially those who are actually living with the smokers. When in public, smoking does not only irritate others but tends to impart many illnesses to those around like sore eyes, sore throat causing smoker’s cough, nausea, headache, and trouble to people with asthma. This is not fair to the non-smokers because they are inhaling smoke and impure air for no reason of their own. This smoke is of two types: side-stream smoke and mainstream smoke. Side-stream smoke is one which rises from the tip of the cigarette while mainstream smoke is that which the smoker exhales. There are around 4000 toxic chemicals and gases present in both types of smoke which when inhaled by others in public cause many illnesses . â€Å"Non-smokers can get affected by breathing in cigarette smoke at home, at work, in bars and other smoky environments outside the home†¦About 2.2 million people in UK are exposed to passive smoking in their places of work†, states Gardezi (2005, p.30). ... Those children are at increased risk of SIDS, sudden infant death syndrome; lung infections such as pneumonia; ear infections; and more severe asthma.† The 2006 U.S. Surgeon General’s report also states that second hand smoke is a major cause of sudden death in children and chances of SIDS is greater for children who are exposed to second hand smoke either at homes or in public (American Cancer Society, Inc., 2010). This is because some children are born with weak immune system while in others the immune system may become weakened due to diseases, infections and medications, states Young (2009, p.32). Toxic gases in the polluted air weigh heavily on the poor immune systems of young kids thus making them ill quite rapidly. Another hazard connected to public smoking is that it tends to inspire other immature minds like those of young kids and youngsters. Their frail minds accept public smoking as pop culture and they also start following the same trend. Mature people under stand the hazards related to smoking but young minds are not familiar with the hazardous nature of smoking. Children tend to have less-developed ability of decision-making or critical thinking so they cannot realize what is wrong with what they are watching and their minds learn or absorb every act they see. Wishik (1963) state in their research that, â€Å"As one looks around to see 18 and 19 year old boys and girls smoking, one is impressed with the number of them who have already become heavy smokers.† This increase in the number of young smokers is due to the pop culture that is imparted by their elders to them. Public smoking is an important example of pop culture that tends to destroy young minds

Career Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Career Management - Essay Example Being an international student, I have been exposed to diverse and dynamic experiences that have subsequently changed the way I perceive my life and the world in general. I have countered my home country life context to embrace the larger world. In the process, I have learnt to define the study of hotel management from a global perspective. Defining myself as an open-minded person has allowed me to dream big in the hotel management context. Although I am still in the process of building my career in hotel management, I believe my future is bright and prospective. My goal is to build a strong career portfolio as a general manager in a U.S hotel. My open-mindedness will essentially influence the pursuit towards the realization of this goal. In terms of global diversity, cultural, social, economic, and political differences observed across the world cannot be ignored. These differences are vital sources of opportunities which I can move swiftly to exploit as I build and manage my career. For this reason, my life continues to become more and more oriented towards personal and global differences that ultimately make the world a unique place for all of us. Most importantly, the plan is to combine the two aspects (open-mindedness and global diversity) to create a strategy mix that enhances my personal and professional competitiveness. It is important to note that the path to a successful career is rough and one characterized by many challenges. The ability to think critically and creatively is, therefore, fundamental. In this respect, the plan is to try and identify opportunities from a basket of challenges. In other words, the objective is to rise above academic, career, and professional challenges to become a globally competitive individual. Success is not achieved or realized overnight. Rather, it is the outcome of a progressive process that

Unmet needs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Unmet needs - Essay Example HSV-2 has a higher bracket since it incorporates those between 20% and 80%. HSV-2 is common between women than in men. In the USA, the HSV-2 viruses are prevalent among black people than the whites and the Latinos. This virus only affects the humans. This is through close personal contact. The infections occur through inoculation of the virus into susceptible mucosal surfaces. This will cause the viruses to thrive under room temperatures thereby causing drying. The unmet need associated with the disease is that the medical practitioners have not been able to identify a cure and a permanent way to eradicate the disease. This has caused continued suffering from infected people. In this disease state presentation, I have an idea that can help the society eradicate the disease completely. The idea is to encourage the society to use the product that we are going to develop. This is the mass production of latex condoms. Latex condoms have been proven scientifically to minimize the exposure of the genital organs during sexual activities. Sexual activities are the main cause of herpes. Secondly, I have devised a specific glove, the latex glove. This will be used when inserting the hand in an oral cavity. Thirdly, I have developed another idea of anti-viral therapy that is going to be used to reduce episodes of asymptomatic viral shedding (Leslie and Robbins 8). The second disease state that am going to look at is arthritis. This is a disease state with minimal disease action during ant rheumatic treatment or a disease state with tenacious nonappearance of medical and radiological ciphers of disease activity deprived of being pickled for a precise time. The causative agent for second factor is the absence of autoantibodies. The factors that cause this disease are many. They include heredity. Arthritis is a disease that is normally inherited from

Black Rook in Rainy Weather Essay Example for Free

Black Rook in Rainy Weather Essay I an infrequently lost for words. I like to think of myself as quite an eloquent and articulate speaker and writer, but there are times when I feel neither. It is ironic that the very subject of this poem, a lack of words, or rather a lack of inspiration, is exactly what is holding me back from writing the things I would like to write. Although I know how this poem makes me feel and I know the emotions it conveys, I cannot bring myself to write about them or to speak about them, I simply cannot find the words. Each time I read the poem a rush of thoughts dash through my mind, so quickly that I cannot recollect them in time to consider them in the detail they deserve. This poem deserves consideration, thought, analysis, it deserves appreciation and admiration, because it describes exactly how even the most expressive and eloquent writers are sometimes at a loss for words. Although the poem is a metaphor and is about many things that lie deep beneath the surface of the words, it is beautifully written even in the most literal terms. Plath uses adjectives to describe every object, every movement of the poem, ‘stiff twig’, ‘spotted leaves’. She uses many other poetic devices, such as alliteration in the lines ‘rare, random’, ‘walk wary’, ‘so shine as to seize my senses’ and personification in the lines ‘mute sky’ , ‘minor light may still lean incandescent’. The poet also uses short phrases broken by commas to increase the tempo of the poem and to give it a rushed feeling. However, these poetic devices are not simply used to embellish a purely literal piece of writing. They are used to demonstrate the beauty of the mundane, the magnificence of the ordinary. The poet says ‘I do not expect a miracle or an accident’ which suggests that she is content with the mundane and can see it’s splendour. But as the poem progresses we see that she could not survive on the ordinary, but needed to express herself in her poetry and needed inspiration to do so. Though Plath tries to persuade herself she survive on the ordinary and the imple, it is obvious that desire for inspiration, ‘the angel’, are the only things that can make these mundane situations bearable. She contradicts herself when she states that ‘miracles occur. ’ She contradicts her previous idea that there is beauty in the ordinary and instead describes moments without inspiration being similar to ‘trekking stubborn through this season of fatigue’ . This suggests that during these periods of time she is not living, but barely surviving. Her entire life depends on the moments of inspiration, ‘for that rare, random descent. ’ She is a poet, and her survival depends on her writing. She can only express herself through her writing, and without it, without her inspiration, she feels nothing. This nothingness, this lack of inspiration is to her far worse than the feelings of depression she felt constantly throughout her life. Her ‘fear of total neutrality’ consumes her and scares her. This ‘fear of neutrality’ refers not only to writing, but also to life in general. If one feels nothing, if life is constantly similar to ‘trekking stubborn through this season of fatigue’ then there is no reason to live in the first place. Life is a constant wait for inspiration, for meaning, for purpose, and often this purpose does not appear. Plath realises, unlike many others, that without purpose, without inspiration, there is no beauty in the mundane. Without ‘that rare, random descent’ of an ‘angel’ there is little reason for life at all.

Corporate Governance on the Capital Investment Decision

Corporate Governance on the Capital Investment Decision ABSTRACT This paper investigates the factors that determine the sensitivity of the investment-cash flow relationship. The Q model assumption is used to relate the investment opportunities available to the managers with its liquidity constraints due to asymmetric information and managerial discretion of internally sourced free cash flow. The result purports that there is a positive relationship between the degree of the Investment-Cash flow relationship and Q, found in low or no dividend paying firms. It is evident that the results are in support of Myers Maljuf (Myers Maljuf, 1984) pecking order theory of the investment-cash flow relationship. Introduction Overview Through various studies over the years, different scholars and financial analysts have been able to establish a relationship of cash flow on firms investment spending. It was significantly proven by (Modigliani Miller, 1958) that a firms financial status is irrelevant for real investment decisions in a world of perfect and complete capital markets, after controlling for the cost of capital. In case of managerial discretion, based on (Jensen, 1986) free cash flow theory, firms increase investment (including projects with negative present value) based on the availability of cash flows with incentive of increasing firms value beyond level of optimal investment. Moreover, an agency costs also appreciate the borrower net worth by charging a premium on the external financing. The discussion above explains that the firms investment decisions are dependent on the availability of internal funds, as cost advantage over external fund is evident. While choosing an appropriate capital structure, there are certain trade-offs which affects the decision. These trade-offs include tax advantage through acquiring debt against the bankruptcy cost which advocates the use of equity. Keeping this in view, various different models have been supported to explain this corporate capital structure behavior. Pecking Order Theory, initially mitigated by (Donaldson, 1961) describes the financing practice as prioritizing the means of financing, which is necessary for the management to counter against asymmetric information. Either they should generate the funds internally or acquire funds externally through debt rather than equity. Implications to the pecking order theory involves the positive impact of leveraging on the market price, which means, financing through debt sends a positive signal into the market about the firms future prospects. Furthermore, intermediaries also undermine the role of management as the financial intermediaries such as investment banks function as the insider to the firm. Consequently, keeping an eye on the firms operations and influencing the firms capital financing decision. However, Pecking order theory of (Myers Maljuf, 1984) argues that the firms operating in imperfect or incomplete capital markets where the cost of external capital exceeds that of internal funds, the financial structure may be appropriate to the investment decisions of companies facing uncertain prospects. Gauging the level of corporate investment in any firm is based on the corporate governance; market position of a firms asset against its book value can be termed as Tobins q ratio. Identified by (Chung Pruitt, 1994), Tobins q as proportion of firms market value to replacement cost of its assets. Tobins q can be considered an effective tool for determining financial performance as the data can be collected readily from a balance sheet. When calculating Tobins q ratio, the replacement cost can be determined approximately by the book value of firms plant and equipment. Approximate q can be replaced with the actual Tobins q to make the calculations unproblematic and data can be readily available without any discrepancies. Problem Statement To study the impact of corporate governance on the capital investment decision through cash flow and Tobins q interaction in relation with Capital Investment HypothesEs H0: Firms cash flow having a significant impact on its capital investment will be linked with high Q values. (FCF Theory) HA: Firms being liquidity constrained due to least payout will have significant investment-cash flow sensitivity, and will be linked with high Q values in the market. (PO Theory) Outline of the study The report contains the contemplation of research data that will study the phenomenon of cash flows and investment discussed earlier in this paragraph. The study categorizes firms according to characteristics (such as dividend payout, size) which will help measure the level of constraints faced by firms. The study will help readers to understand the complexities of Pecking order theory and Free Cash Flows concept with regard to asymmetric information available and corporate governance which influences decision of the firms. To measure the effect that cash flow-financed (internally sourced) capital spending and Q has on firms investment, Ordinary Least Square Regression model will be used to estimate the function. To compute the influence on the Investment, instruments used are: (1) Cash Flow, (2) Approximate q, and (3) an interaction of both variables are created. Through studying the parameter estimates of interaction variable, positive influence on investment will support the Pecking Order hypothesis and negative influence will govern the Free Cash Flow hypothesis. The equation hypothesized in the next part is linear. Definitions Pecking Order Theory: (Myers Maljuf, 1984): à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“A firm is said to follow a pecking order if it prefers internal to external financing and debt to equity if external financing is used.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Free Cash Flow Theory According to (Jensen, 1986), à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“free cash flow theory, high cash flow and low debt create agency costs associated with conflicts between manager and share holder over the payout of this free cash, which is the cash left after the firm has invested in all available positive net present value projects.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Capital Structure à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“A careful and systematic analysis of how claims against a corporations assets can or should be determined, assessed, and accounted for.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Riahi-Belkaoui, 1999) Capital Investment Decision à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Capital Investment decisions are those decisions that involve current outlay in return for a stream of benefit in future years.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Drury, 2006) Tobins q à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Tobins q is a measure of investors expectations concerning a firms future profit potential. It is defined as the ratio of the market value of a firm to the replacement cost of its assets.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Strecker, 2009) Literature Review Vogt (Vogt, 1994) explained the capital spending behavior of companies with respect to change in dividend cash paid, cash flows, sales, and market value of assets. The regression equation models the variables to proportion of fixed assets, and distributes the firms data in segments of Dividend Payout Groups and Asset Groups. Primarily, Dividend Cash has a strong negative impact on capital spending; it explains that in order to finance additional fixed investment firm needs to sock cash by reducing their dividend. Cash flow, Sales, and Q Ratio having a positive coefficient demonstrates that with an increase in future cash flows, the firm will improve its capital spending. A relationship has been developed between the firms investment decision and the firms financial status by Cleary (Cleary, 1999), financial status has been studied with respect to the liquidity constraints. The data is classified into groups through a discriminant analysis on basis of dividend payout policy. Groups taken into study have made possible to identify firms which are more financially constrained more likely to be investment-cash flow sensitive, furthermore, availability of internal sources of funds have a greater impact on firms with high credit worthiness, and vice versa. It has been proposed that the various ownership structures make managerial decision based on the interaction between investment and the firms liquidity constraints. The study conducted by Dedoussis Papadaki (Dedoussis Papadaki, 2010) mentioned that the management can be held separate from its ownership, even on basis of the nationality of the company. On the other hand, it also explained that the relative shareholding of CEO and the controlling shareholders can also be the basis of separation. The sample used in the study was separated and grouped on basis of dividend payout, asset size of the firm, age of the firm, source of control, and kind of ownership. On the given sampling criterion; greater asset size firms, older firms, lower Q (high investment opportunity), and high dividend payout firms showed higher cash flow sensitivity towards investment. Findings support that the Low Q, small, and new firms under the generalized model are facing asymmetric information problems. Indeed these firms are expected a priori to face financing problems that affect the cost of their external financing. On the other hand, low Q, old and low dividend firms are more likely to face managerial discretion problems that result to over-investment. The impact of Tobins Q is mainly used to determine the investment opportunity of the firm. In this article, marginal Tobins Q has been taken to evaluate the firms investment and Research Development expenditures. The asymmetric information (AI) hypothesis proposed that firms provided with a profitable investment-project may not be able to source it through internal cash flows and the high financial cost of borrowing funds externally due to lack of awareness of firms investment opportunity in the capital market. On the other hand, agency or managerial discretion (MD) hypothesis constructs the investment-cash flow relationship on the assumption that managers are well qualified in context with proficiency they obtain from managing a huge and fast paced firm and thus exceeding the wealth shareholders beyond their expectations. (Gugler, Mueller, Yurtoglu, 2004) Taking in viewpoint the impact of capital structure on the capital investment decision, firms investment demands is the more susceptible towards cost-of-capital or tax-based capital incentive. Whereas, capital structure seems irrelevant as against internal sources of funds can be effectively substituted with sources of funds generated externally. The size of the investment project can be a deterministic factor towards it. Fazzari, Hubbard, Peterson, Blinder, Poterba (Fazzari, Hubbard, Peterson, Blinder, Poterba, 1988) explicates that cash flow/investment relationship is more sensitive when taken in reference with firms dividend behavior. Comparison based on firms having more or less liquidity constraints can be further improved when compared on a division based on the scale of the firms, i.e. young or small firms versus large ones. This way the researchers can address the problem of firms lacking the asymmetric information. Under the impression where capital investments decisions mainly pertains to the capital structure or choosing the appropriate source of investment, Schaller (Schaller, 1993) conducted three different empirical tests to determine that information asymmetries have a huge influence on the firms investment behavior. Differences among the informational base of investors and creditors was also considered a capital market imperfection. Ownership status and age of the firms has an impact on the cost of equity financing, mature firms pay comparatively less price for it than young firms. Same aspect goes for the firms with concentrated with comparison to dispersed ownership. Borrowing is considered a more rational source for investment-projects. Pledgeable assets generate greater borrowing capacity, which afterwards makes firms invest more in pledgeable assets. As suggested by Almeida Campello (Almeida Campello, 2007), such a phenomenon can be termed as a credit multiplier. In case of financially constrained firms, a multiplier relates to the sensitivity of firms investment-cash flow relationship that is reflected as the increase in the tangible assets of the firm. Therefore, it is proposed that with fewer tangible assets firms are more likely to be financially constrained. The sensitivity of investment-cash flow relationship is evidently influenced by the tangibility of a firm, as latter discussed. Managers while making capital investment decision considers externally-sourced funds costlier, therefore, overconfident managers over assessing the profitability of an investment-project invests more when having abundant internal funds to utilize. However, deciding not to source externally in case where they are short of internal funds to generate. There has been an evidence of significant relationship between the managerial discretion and investment-cash flow sensitivity. Equity concentrated firms are more likely to be influenced by overconfident managers, unless compensation tools can be used to reduce the effects of managerial overconfidence. (Malmendier Tate, 2005) Goyal Yamada (Goyal Yamada, 2004) have explained the impact of asset pricing in the stock market against investment-cash flow sensitivity. Overvalued stock prices triggers an increased in investment spending and are cut back when stock are being undervalued, consequently, inflated prices collateral assets attract higher level of external financing. Inflationary pressures primarily determined by the economic monetary policy impacts on the variation of cost on external financing, though it reflects highly on cost of external financing, marginally impacts less on the investment-cash flow sensitivity. It has been observable that less financially constrained firms have significantly higher investment-cash flow sensitivity. Characterizations of firms based on financial constraint can sometimes create confusion. Firms having unusually high cash holdings can either be characterized as unconstrained based on the opportunities it has to invest or constrained based on the assumption that it needs to have a precautionary savings to invest in future investment projects. Therefore, financial constraints cannot be used as an influential determinant for investment-cash flow sensitivity. (Kaplan Zingales, 1997) Hu Schiantrlli (Hu Schiantarelli, 1998) put into picture the effect of general economic factors and various firms characteristics on the value of the firms net worth. Mainly financial status is the most important determinant for the level of asymmetric information problem that managers face. A strong balance sheet position can reflect good sign of firms performance which enhances the market value of the firms asset to its stake holders, mainly investors and creditors. Q models assumption also assists in determining the sensitivity of the investment-cash flow relationship, where the indicators determine the investment opportunity and the sources of funds to choose from. Understanding the market influence in proxy of q can also give a clear picture to the movements in the firms investment over a period. Net worth of firms helps manager determine if the sourcing of funds externally is a viable option in contrast to the investment opportunity which underlies. (Hubbard, 1998) Research conducted on the investment-cash flow sensitivity addresses many aspects of the firms financial strength. Further study by Calomiris Hubbard (Calomiris Hubbard, 1995) shows that when firms tax taken under investigation also reflected a significant influence on the volume of spending on investment-projects. They explored the impact of surtax margin, as a tax experiment, on the cost of internal and external funds. Surtax when levied on undistributed profits, obligate the firms to incur certain cost on the internal funds. This effects the managers decision to invest and is also reflected on the investment-cash flow sensitivity against the surtax margin. As a result to evade burden of higher cost on internal funds, firms with high surtax-margin exhibits elevated sensitivity in investment-cash flow relationship. Quan (Quan, 2002) discusses the Pecking Order theory with reference to the Modigliana-Miller proposition that works under the assumption of perfect market. Here it is stated that value of the firm is irrelevant and based on a few limitations the choice of financing can be determined via gauging the strength of the firm. These factors pertain to the imperfect market and influence the managers to make their capital investment decision. Once the assumptions are released the financing structure shows a clear picture. The association between Free Cash Flow theory and Agency theory has always been under the limelight when there is a question of retaining the undistributed profits. FCF Theory taken under consideration gives out an option to the management to hold on to excess cash sacrificing the shareholders opportunity cost. These excess funds can be generated to better internal operational efficiency or at managers discrepancy to source its investment-projects. (Wang, 2010) Research Methods The chapter explains the model used in the given research study. The study focuses on analyzing the influence of Cash Flows and Tobins q on Corporate Investment. The equation represented by a dependent variable as a ratio of capital spending to the beginning net fixed asset (I/K) predicted by independent variables: (1) ratio of cash flow to the beginning gross fixed asset (CF/K), and (2) beginning Tobins q (Q). Method of Data Collection Main source of collecting the required data is from secondary sources. It includes the Balance Sheet Analysis of Joint Stock Company listed in Karachi Stock Exchange provided by State Bank of Pakistan consisting of data of our relevant variables. The data was taken in annual terms to conduct this research. Sampling Technique The Convenience sampling or grab or opportunity sampling would be use in this research. Sample population selected because it is readily available and convenient. Sample Size The sample period taken under study covers 8-years period beginning at the start of 2000 and ending at the close of 2008. The data was taken from a sample of 70 (non-banking and non-financial) companies which are listed on Karachi Stock Exchange and included in KSE-100 index. Research Model Statistical technique Ordinary Least Square Regression technique is used to study the impact of variables included in the study. It helps studies the relationship between a dependent variable and several independent variable. It also assumes the relationship to be linear or à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“straight line,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? where the values of predictors lies directly proportional to Criterion variable. SPSS Software is used to develop the regression model and evaluate the influence of predictors on dependent variable. Results Findings and interpretation of results Aggregate Sample: Table : Represents the model summary of regression estimates for the full sample of 69 firms The predictors, i.e. main effects of Cash Flow and Tobins q and an interaction variable of both combined, included in the model explains 78.5% of Investment (Table 1) shown mentioned as R Square. Least variation in Adjusted R Square suggests that the variable to observation ratio in the given model is sufficient. Casewise diagnostic was also conducted to eliminate the outliers in the data to improve the results. Table : Studies the F-statistics to test whether the model predicts the dependent variable significantly The F-statistics (Table 2) is significant and it determines the regression model with the given predictors can significantly predict the outcomes at a 0.05 significance level. Table : The parameter estimation for full sample of 69 firms with respect to dependent variable, t-statistics is used to test the null hypothesis ÃŽÂ ²1 = ÃŽÂ ²2 = ÃŽÂ ²3 = 0 The coefficient values of all predators included in the test are significant at a 0.05 significant level (Table 3), which shows that they have a strong influence on the investment of the firm. The standard coefficient shows that Cash Flows have a much greater impact on Investment than market value on the firm, which is exemplified through Tobins q. Dividend Payout groups: Table : Presents the sample statistics for 69 KSE listed (non-banking and non-financial) companies which are included in the KSE-100 index. The three rows distribute the statistics into High, Medium, and Low payout policies. Average dividend-to-income ratios of greater than 0.35, between 0.35 and 0.10, and less than 0.10 define High, Low, and Medium dividend-payout firms, respectively. While studying the dividend-payout groups (Table 4), the descriptive helps to identify characteristics to confirm whether the data being studied has the authenticity and the behavior pattern which commonly related to the groups assigned. The values of Investment, Cash Flow, and Tobins q associated with the groups are in complete correspondence with the hypothetical occurrence. Firms having a higher (lower) dividend payout have greater (lower) market value, and lower(higher) level of cash flows and investments. Table : Represents the model summary of regression estimates of 69 firms split by High, Medium, and Low dividend-payout policies. The model helps explains 81.9%, 66.7%, and 80% data in High, Medium, and Low dividend-payout firms (Table 5), shown in R Square. Least variation in Adjusted R Square suggests that the number of observations is sufficient with respect to variables in each group separately. Table : Studies the F-statistics to test the null hypothesis of ÃŽÂ ²1, H = ÃŽÂ ²1, M = ÃŽÂ ²1, L The F-statistics (Table 6) in each dividend payout group is significant and it determines that each regression model with the given predictors can significantly predict the outcomes at a 0.05 significance level. Table : Shows the parameter estimation for each payout groups with respect to dependent variable, t-statistics is used to test the null hypothesis ÃŽÂ ²1 = ÃŽÂ ²2 = ÃŽÂ ²3 = 0 The coefficient values of predators in High and Low dividend payout groups are all significant at a 0.05 significant level (Table 7), which shows that they have a strong influence on the investment of the firm. Except for Medium dividend payout group, which has insignificant coefficient values of Tobins q, showing no impact on the investment. The standard coefficient shows that Cash Flows have a much greater impact on Investment than market value on the firm, which is exemplified through Tobins q. Hypothesis Assessment Summary Hypothesis Independent Variables B t Sig. Comments Firms cash flow having a significant impact on its capital investment will be linked with high Q values. (FCF Theory) Cash Flow ÃÆ'— Q H0: ÃŽÂ ²3 ÃŽÂ ²3,H = .135 5.295 .000 Rejected ÃŽÂ ² 3,M = .072 .991 .324 ÃŽÂ ² 3,L = .140 5.482 .000 Firms being liquidity constrained due to least payout will have significant investment-cash flow sensitivity, and will be linked with high Q values in the market. (PO Theory) Cash Flow ÃÆ'— Q HA: ÃŽÂ ²3 >0 ÃŽÂ ² 3,H = .135 5.295 .000 Accepted ÃŽÂ ² 3,M = .072 .991 .324 ÃŽÂ ² 3,L = .140 5.482 .000 Dependent Variable: Investment (I/K) Table : Summarizes the results and explains that the hypothesis accepted is directly in correspondence with the aggregate hypothesis. As illustrated (Table 8) capital spending of low payout firms is positively and strongly influenced by the interaction term, consistent with the PO hypothesis, the parameter estimate for the high payout firms are also positive but marginally significant. Conclusion, Discussions, Implications And Future Research Conclusion The results illustrated above demonstrates that the positive relationship between the degree of the Investment-Cash flow relationship and Q represented latter in the aggregate data (Table 3) is concentrated in low or no dividend paying firms. This finding is in further support with the PO hypothesis. Discussions The objective was to study and test the causes of universal relationship between Cash Flow and Investment Spending. Hence, two hypotheses were included in the research to study the source of this relationship: the free cash flow hypothesis (FCF) hypothesis, which works on the assumption that managers prefer investing its free cash flow excessively into investment projects that are not profitable, and the pecking order hypothesis (PO) purports that managers are prone to investment comparatively less than the opportunity provided due asymmetric information-induced liquidity constraint. As advocated in favor of Pecking Order Theory by (Fazzari, Hubbard, Peterson, Blinder, Poterba, 1988) and many others, for groups which consists of small firms with low-dividend payout to fund capital spending, exhibits heavy reliance on cash flow and cash changes. The relationship can be more significantly studied when the impact of larger q value is associated with this group. Evaluating the impact of corporate governance on investment-cash flow relation requires a critical judgment as to how do the firms cash flow and the existing market value influence the investment decision. Financially constraint firms may have a larger impact on liquidity associated matters and managers might take discretion in choosing the right sources to tap. Agency cost may be involved in making such a decision where managers may consider paying dividend as a higher opportunity cost as it reduces the firms free cash flow to exploit new profitable investment projects. Implications and Recommendations In the current market situation where external pressures existing can also be taken into proxy. When managers making a capital investment decision they need to take in view other non-financial aspects that also influences the decisions to a certain extent. Furthermore, financial intermediaries having a certain level of involvement and sharing information sensitive to the market can also be a major factor that might be giving a varying result against Investment. Investing in profitable-investment projects can bring in greater resources to the firm in future and it entails a huge decision burden upon the shoulders of the managers. Shareholders expecting to earn a greater return through investing in them can also be undermined when manager decided to have a low payout policy. Funds generated internally is a possibility where there is a healthy cash flow, but it is also preferable if this free cash is invested into marketable security for allocating the resources into a profitable venture for a time being to make it a positive impression. Future Research In future studies there may be more aspects of cash flow-investment relationship which can be studied for assessing the degree impact it has on this relationship, i.e. sales, debt performance, capital structure, firm size, etc. The research study may also be improved if the observation of firms are increased that will in turn reflect a more clear picture about the relationship in the current scenario.