Crucible Study Question Essay

1. What happens when people criticize the court proceedings? a. People are unfairly accused when they criticize the court proceedings. For instance, when Proctor comes to the court with Mary Warren to criticize the court for his wife unfairly with a petition, Parris exclaims that† ‘they’ve come to overthrow the court’ † (88). Proctor is merely attempting to show his evidence to protect his wife from being hung . Parris is unfairly accusing them for what they weren’t doing. 2. What role does Parris play in this scene? a. Parris portrays a flippant tone against the people at court during his role. Mainly, Parris plays as an informant for the judge but informs them in a biased way, which can be seen when he tells the judge to † ‘Beware [John Proctor], You Excellency, this man is mischief† (88). His remark brings unfair bias against Proctor due to diction. Diction such as mischief makes Proctor seem like a person who would undermine the court to free his wife. 3. Why does Proctor refuse to give up his story about the girls lying even though Judge Danforth would allow Elizabeth to go free for a year? a. Proctor carries an ambivalent tone. Incidentally, even though he first said he only was there to † ‘free [his] wife’ â€Å", he refuses to drop the charges against Abigail since his friend’s † ‘wives are also accused’ â€Å"(90 & 92). Ambivalence is portrayed with diction since he was first there to free his wife but then decides to not drop charges so that he can attempt to free his friend’s wives. This shows that he undecided from saving his wife. 4. Why does Mary Warren change her testimony about Proctor and about pretending? a. Mary Warren changes her testimony from supporting Proctor to going against Proctor. For instance, as Abigail and the girls are â€Å"pretending† that Mary Warren’s spirit is attacking them, she starts out by saying that â€Å"they’re sporting†, but soon she accuses Proctor, saying that he came to † ‘overthrow the court’ â€Å"(118 & 119). It seems that she knew that  Abigail and the girls would not stop acting until she went against Proctor. Also, she changes her testimony so that she could get out and join the â€Å"stronger† side. 5. How does Elizabeth attempt to save her husband’s reputation? What was the result? a. Elizabeth attempts to protect her husband but made it worse. For instance, Proctor takes a risk, saying that he had an affair with Abigail, but when Elizabeth is called out for supporting evidence, she denies that † ‘her husband [is] a lecher’ â€Å"(113). She was only attempting to protect her husband for being accused as a lecher but he needed her to say that he was a lecher. This resulted in Proctor losing any upper hand he had in court and losing reliability. 6. Why does Reverend Hale change his story about witchcraft? a. Reverend Hale changes his story after witnessing Abigail lie in court. For example, when Hale witnesses Mary Warren changing her story so that Proctor is in trouble, he exclaims that † ‘[Abigail] has gone wild’ † and eventually he † ‘[denounces] these proceedings’ â€Å"(119). His words carry a disgusted tone directed towards Abigail. His views has changed after that trial.

Home And Home Office Computers Essay

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) deals with computer technology, offering both products and consulting services. It offers a range of hardware and software products. It also offers infrastructure services. IBM is a high performance organization and this is very evident from its operation and performance. IBM is a multinational corporation with its headquarters at Armonk, New York but spreading to all parts of the world. It is the largest computer company and the most profitable. It have 370, 000 employees in different parts of the world representing the largest information technology employer. IBM controls a big share of its market and has expanded to many parts of the world. These factors show that IBM is one of the high performance organizations of the world. The results of IBM show clearly its leadership role in the computer technology sector. Its operations of the recent past have produced results that show its high performance and its ability to continue performing well. The financial report for the year ended December 31 2006, posted in the company’s website (http://www. ibm. com/investor/financials/index. phtml), showed that the company had a net income of $9,492 million as compared to $7,934 million the previous years. There was growth in total revenue from $91,134 million in 2005 to $91,424 million in 2006. The earnings per share for the year 2006 were $6. 11 compared with $4. 87 the previous year. Using revenue, net income and the earnings per share as the performance indicators we can clearly see that IBM posted very good results and indicated growth. IBM has been expanding its operation to all parts of the world. IBM provides technology solutions to businesses, organization to all parts of the world with an aim of helping the users to achieve increased productivity and success. The company’s values of â€Å"dedication to every client’s success, Innovation that matters-for our company and for the world and trust and personal responsibility in all relationships† (http://www. ibm. com/investor/corpgovernance/cgbcg. phtml) have enabled the company to establish relationship all over the world thus resulting to gaining of a big share of the market. IBM is the largest computer company and the most profitable. Thus using the market share as the performance indicator we see that IBM is a high performance company. Besides that IBM have in the recent past made many notable acquisition meaning it’s aimed at growing. IBM is very concerned with the satisfaction of its customers. IBM uses tools, processes, procedures and mechanisms of generating feedback aimed at making sure the customer is satisfied. The company monitors and responds to problems of customer so as to achieve customer satisfaction. It also provides expertise assistance all the time to its customers. According to CRM today website (http://www. crm2day. com/news. crm/EpZuVZFUZaMbMinnv. php) a research carried out by Technology Business Research Inc showed that IBM had topped its competitors in customer satisfaction. This was attributed to the IBM’s PC Hardware quality and reliability. On March 2007 IBM was awarded the Genesys Gold Certification. This was for IBM’s expertise, innovation and customer satisfaction (Http://www. genesyslab. com/news. archives/2007/march/ibm-gold-certication. asp IBM values its employees and puts efforts to see that their employees are treated well. IBM does not discriminate employees on any ground be it physical attributes or genetics. IBM has been helped by its employees to become a high performance organization. Through good human resource management the company allows its employees from all over the world to participate in core decision making. IBM involved its employees in the formulation of the company’s values in 2003. The company has also facilitated discussion among its employees on key business issues. This has helped the company to brainstorm on new ideas that have contributed to improvement of the performance of the company. IBM also involved its employees in brainstorming on innovation ideas. All these efforts were aiming at involvement of the employees on the key issues affecting IBM operations. This issues ranging from employee relationship as expressed in the company values to various practices in the company and innovation (http://www. research. ibm. com/journal/sj/404/gongla. html). IBM’s good treatment of its employees has led to great benefits to the companies. Employees are more dedicated to the values of the company and to offering quality services to the customers. These have led to more satisfied customers translating to good sales. Good human resource management has led to great benefit to the company through innovation of the employees hence leading to more productivity and innovation. The human resources best practices by IBM include involvement of the employees in key issues affecting the company. The employees were involved in the formulation and rewriting of the company values. In this all the employees from all parts of the world contributed their ideas and were summarized to produce the three care values of IBM Corporation. IBM also involved its employees in contributing ideas on practices that can bring success to the company. Another best practice is good treatment of the employees. IBM do not discriminate any employee on any ground and offers employment to all. These practices have contributed much to making IBM one of the High performance corporations. Reference: CRM Today. IBM Tops Competitors in Customer Satisfaction. Retrieved on February 06, 2008from http://www. crm2day. com/news/crm/EplZuVZFuVaMbBlnnv. php GENESYS. IBM Awarded Genesys Gold Certification for Expertise, innovation and customer satisfaction. Retrieved on February 06, 2008from http://www. genesyslab. com/news/archives/2007/march/ibm_gold_certification. asp Gongla P. and Rizzuto C. R. Evolving communities of practice: IBM Global Services experience. IBM Systems Journal. Retrieved on February 06, 2008from http://www. research. ibm. com/journal/sj/404/gongla. html IBM. Financial Information. Retrieved on February 06, 2008 from http://www. ibm. com/investor/financials/index. phtml IBM. Corporate governance. Retrieved on February 06, 2008 from http://www. ibm. com/investor/corpgovernance/cgbcg. phtml)

Evolution of lactase gene in homo sapiens Term Paper

Evolution of lactase gene in homo sapiens - Term Paper Example Genetics and molecular studies of genes presently and in the past are pointing towards an evolutionary cause behind its persistence in adults. In order to prove that something is a product of evolution, one must demonstrate that a favourable trait mutated. Additionally, one must show that the trait was transmittable to offspring and the environment favoured that trait. This may necessitate genital analysis of pre-historical data as well as present ones. Furthermore, these patterns ought to be analysed in relation to the behavioural or cultural patterns of the subjects as it could affect the adoption of the trait. The paper will look into these dimensions in order to illustrate the evolution of the lactase gene. Advantages and disadvantages in a population Lactase-phlorizin hydrolase (LPH) is the enzyme responsible for the digestion of lactose in Homo sapiens. Lactase activity in the intestines depends on the maturity of the person under consideration. Infants between two to eleven mo nths old have some of the highest activity levels. As a child reaches the age of five, lactase activity reduces, and this may continue in subsequent times. Therefore, the amount of the LPH enzyme will reduce because a person stops suckling or consuming lactose. Conversely, some adult populations continue to maintain high level of lactase activity, especially those with North European descent. This persistence of activity is an evolutionary development that coincides with the development of the dairy industry in most parts of the world (Grand et. al. 618). It is thus advantageous to ingest lactose in adulthood because this will not limit the person’s dietary intake. They will have the freedom to consume milk without dealing with health challenges. Prior to the domestication of animals, adult populations did not need the lactase enzyme. Therefore non persistence was the available state. However, this dramatically changed when animals started providing milk to the human populati on. It became genetically advantageous to retain the lactase enzyme in adulthood. Since only persons with this enzyme can enjoy the nutritional benefits of milk, then lactase persistence is beneficial. Culture dictated gene adaptability and advanced evolution (Hollox 267). Milk is nutritionally beneficial to the human body because it a rich source of calcium. Therefore, consumption of the beverage would protect one from bone-related diseases such as osteoporosis (Swallow 208). Rickets is an undesirable condition that also emanates from the lack of calcium. It is a selective force that favoured the ingestion of milk. The lack of the lactase enzyme in adults leads to a number of difficulties when dealing with the digestion of milk. Once such individuals consume milk, the lactose in milk will stay undigested. No alteration in blood glucose will be detected if a test is done. Instead, the product will enter the colon and be fermented. Fermentation causes the production of gases such as hydrogen and fatty acids. This is possible through the action of bacteria in the gut. Usually, persons who are lactose intolerant will suffer from bloating or gaseousness, diarrhoea, nausea, cramps and discomfort after taking milk. The gases that are produced after fermentation can be detected through portable hydrogen analysers (Itan et. al. 8). Therefore, it is highly desirable to be lactase persistent. All the complications that emanate from fermentation would be absent. Swallow (207) highlights some potential risks of having

Mini Persuasive Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mini Persuasive Research Paper - Essay Example In 2006, however, the ban was lifted and the United States government allowed two companies to produce silicone for medical purposes (Agadoni, 2012). In 2012, the number of breast augmentation procedures carried out within United States was 286,274. The year saw an increase in breast augmentation procedure by 35% from 2000 in which only 212,500 cases of breast augmentation were reported (Surgeons, 2012). Many believe that these procedures are injurious to women’s health and in many cases are unnecessary. Some on the other hand argue that these procedures may not be necessary for women’s physical health but are an integral part to their mental and moral health. This paper is going to examine the arguments made by those arguing in favor and against breast augmentation and suggest solution that might help address the issue. Arguments supporting breast augmentation: The most compelling argument that is presented in favor of breast augmentation is that it helps women boost t heir confidence. A large portion of women who opt for breast implants is to increase their confidence. These women get implants because they feel that the way they view their body would have a significant impact not only on their confidence but also on their self-esteem (Bejra Medical Institute, 2013). Some women get breast implants to reshape their breasts after pregnancy. In most cases women’s breasts tend to lose their natural shape and can sometimes become saggy after their pregnancy. This is especially seen in women that breastfeed their children. Through breast implants women are able to get the shape of their breasts back a factor that appeals to majority of women (Bejra Medical Institute, 2013). Age is another factor that drives women towards the procedure. The fear of losing their looks as they age women turns to breast augmentation to have their breasts reconstructed by doctors. Through the procedure of breast augmentation women tend to feel as though they have rega ined their youth (Bejra Medical Institute, 2013). Some women undergo the procedure to obtain clothes that fit them better. Most clothes available in the market are designed to fit women that have large breasts. Women with flat chests are unable to purchase these clothes which can lead to these women developing a complex. By getting breast implants the variety of clothing that is available to them significantly increases. Moreover since their clothes fit them better after their procedure they feel a lot more confident in their clothing than they do before the procedure (Bejra Medical Institute, 2013). Arguments against breast augmentation: One of the most compelling arguments that is put against the procedure of breast augmentation is that research has proven time and time again that the procedure in itself and the silicone implants are dangerous to women’s health in a number of ways (Food Drug Assosiation, 2011). In 2011, the U.S food and drug administration stated that there is a possible link between Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL) and breast implantation. The study stated that the risk of women with breast implants developing ALCL maybe low but there is a definite relationship between the two (Food Drug Assosiation, 2011). The research identified more than 34 cases of ALCL in which the patient had undergone breast augmentation around the world that were unique. Moreover, FDA obtained data from a number of sources showing that there were 60 confirmed cases of

Recycling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Recycling - Essay Example For example, there are several similarities and differences of recycling between China and Australia when viewed in the lines of legislations guiding recycling, recycling of e-wastes, and water recycling. Chinaview.cn reports that the Chinese government passed legislations that intended to scrap progressive pricing of water since the consumption level of each household was unknown. Chinese law also proposed to boost sustainable development through energy saving and reducing discharge of waste products (Chinaview.cn). Similar legislations apply to the Australian laws that help the country to manage environmental pollution. According to Recycling International, the government of China formulated a law to govern the recycling of e-wastes. Australia does not only have laws governing the recycling of e-wastes but also regulates the amount of e-waste exports to China. The law commands for license and taxes to the individual manufactures of the electrical appliances. This move was to address the problem of increased destruction of electrical appliances by specific companies and individuals. The Chinese government established laws that regulate the pricing of water to consumers to avoid undu e exploitation of consumers. In addition, China formulated laws that enable the government to regulate the use of energy and pollutant emissions. China legislations on recycling encourage innovation in recycling technology through fund allocations to such projects. In addition, Chinese legislation on recycling provides tax relief to enterprises that use energy conserving technologies in their recycling processes. The Australian government passed a legislation that worked to regulate the exportation and importation of hazardous wastes as well as to ensure safe disposal for the protection of human life. The Australian law also advocated for issuance of certificates to individuals who intend to import or export hazardous wastes. The

The Link between Education and Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Link between Education and Health - Essay Example According to Michael Grossman, increase in personal knowledge is normally directly proportional to the market’s economical productivity. Although a number of writers claim that health is similar to human capital, there has been no solid proof for these theories. According to Grossman (1972), there is a difference between health capital and human capital. He goes ahead to state that market productivity and non-productivity is normally affected by a person’s stock of knowledge (1972). Many medical economics students have come to realize that customers that are constantly in search for medical services are actually on the right track because they have a right to access good health (Grossman, 1972). Although traditional demand theory states that purchase of goods and services be allowed for utility functions, on their part, economists claim that medical care demands be at the expense of the health section. Traditional theory states that consumers are assigned utilities that enable that rank a variety of goods and services bought in the market (Grossman, 1992). Effects of education on health can be either direct or indirect. The direct effects are evident on how it influences both productive and allocative efficiencies. Conversely, indirect effects include educated people working in safe and clean environments in addition to holding higher ranks in the society(Clark & Royer, 2010). Through education, there is usually a change in the way people communicate, their behavior and the type of choices that they make (Feinstein et al., 2006).The production function is responsible for the creation of Gross investment especially in health capital. The direct inputs of these functions comprise of the right to housing, medical care, recreation and exercise (Grossman, 1972).

Write an annotation entry consisting of a Citation, a brief Summary, Essay - 1

Write an annotation entry consisting of a Citation, a brief Summary, and a short paragraph Evaluation of the text below - Essay Example According to Melissa, Obama does bear responsibility because he is a black in whom the African-American’s triumph is embodied. Therefore, the successes that are associated with his election can be accomplished if the blacks come out to protest the discrimination they are still subjected to by the whites. Indeed, this article can be a very invaluable resource. First, it was written by a reputable scholar who is so credible and has authored lots of books and articles and made imminent contributions to the field of journalism. Besides, it provides a lot of detailed information about the cases of alleged racism by the US police in different parts of the country. Indeed, it sensitizes me about the plight of the African-Americans who, despite constantly fighting race-based discrimination, still suffer in the hands of law enforcers. At the same time, the manner in which the author associates President Obama is challenging and thought-provoking. Since it provides all the necessary information about the plight of the blacks, the article becomes authoritative, valid and enjoyable to read. After all, the credibility of its author is not doubted at

Outline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Outline - Essay Example A romance begins with flirtation, and is initiated by verbal contact. When the attracted individuals have initiated contact and decide to pursue the romance they get into a deeper relationship characterized by support and commitment, more personal communication, more expressions of affection like giving of tokens, enhancement of personal appearance, social involvement with the partner’s family and friends, sexual intimacy, and behavioral adaptation. The researcher is aware that such concepts are not easily measurable; hence, the information/data for this research would come from research literature and experiences shared by couples in romantic relationships. A set of questions related to the research questions posted shall be drawn up to be asked of the couples via questionnaires or interviews. A qualitative comparative analysis shall be done using the data gathered. III. Constructs: The following constructs are the base understanding of the researcher. It is one goal of this paper to gain more clarification of these constructs as culled from research and information from the interviews and questionnaires. Dating- the coming together of two people to spend time with one another for the purpose of getting to know each other and to gauge if a relationship might possibly develop from the time spent one-on-one with each other. Dating is part of romance. Romantic Relationship – A relationship involving two people attracted to each other and bonded by love, intimacy and commitment. Each partner does things for the other to make him or her more attracted and amorous to each other and to deepen the relationship further. Intimacy -This study will adopt Moss and Schwebel’s (1993) definition of intimacy: â€Å"Intimacy in enduring romantic relationships is determined by the level of commitment and positive affective, cognitive and physical closeness one

Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder Essay Example for Free

Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder Essay One of the great things about being a human is having the sexual desire to be intimate with another person. Many consider having the passion for sexuality is the driving force behind human behavior, but for some, this passion is non-existent. The purpose of this essay is to examine sexual dysfunction, particularly a disorder called Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD). HSDD is the deficiency or the absence of sexual fantasies or the desire for sexual activity, which ultimately lead to distress or interpersonal difficulty amongst a person† (Maserejian et al. , 2010). Communication problems, anger, a lack of trust, connection and intimacy can all adversely affect a woman’s sexual response and interest (Burman 2001).† It is said sexual dysfunction is due to infrequent orgasms, low levels of arousal and sexual excitement (Basson 2006). In a relationship, it is normal behavior for women to engage in sex and to crave emotional closeness with their partner. In a study by Women’s Health across the Nation (SWAN), 6 cities in 6 countries were surveyed. It was found 40 percent of women reported they infrequently or never felt sexual desire (Basson 2006). It is evident there are many ways to look at the potential causes of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD). Throughout this paper, the following sources will be conversed; specifically the psychosocial state, which refers to the mind’s capability to develop and interrelate with a social environment. Traumatic incidents and emotional issues are two factors that can also be linked to sexual dysfunctions throughout adulthood. Studies show child abuse is one of the biggest factors that lead up to sexual dysfunction in adulthood. This abuse can be linked to dysfunctions physically, emotionally and intellectually to oneself. Along with child abuse, depression and anxiety most often become the outcome of such act, which are other factors that lead up to HSDD. Today, HSDD is under thorough research to conclude more defined answers for this disorder. Nonetheless, the purpose of this paper is to examine Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) specifically the psychosocial causes such as anxiety, child abuse and depression. Having the lack of desire for intimacy can be caused by a person’s emotional state of mind. When a person has a negative view towards sex due to previous experiences, it heavily affects their outlook on sex in the long run. Anxiety occurs when a person is triggered by stress and those who are anxious usually â€Å"negative self-talk†, a habit of telling oneself the worst-case scenario. One who has HSDD feels a high form of anxiety towards sex due to insecurities or dysfunctions they feel anxious about. When one carries heavy anxiety towards sexuality and intimacy, it weakens their desire for sex. Self-esteem can be related to the development of anxiety. Moreover, traumatic incidents, sexual abuse and depression can also lead to the cause of HSDD. In a study done at a University at the Sexual Behavioral Clinics, several answers were found. In this case study, the sample size was 145 adults without sexual dysfunctions and 198 adults with sexual dysfunctions. All of these individuals were married heterosexual couples between the ages of 25-68 years of age (McCabe 2005). Researchers were able to categorize adults with sexual dysfunction into six groupings, these include: premature ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, male lack sexual desire, female inorgasmia, female lack of arousal, and female lack of sexual desire (McCabe 2005). Researchers hypothesize coital anxiety is the main result of sexual dysfunction with their partners. It is believed anxiety causes a damper on most spouses’ relationships due to constant fear on inability to perform sexually, which inevitably causes tension between couples due to anxiety (McCabe 2005). Throughout this study, it was also found that anxiety created depressive symptoms between sexuall y dysfunctional adults. A potential effect for the depressive symptoms lead to less satisfying sexual activities with a partner, causing individuals to turn to a more reliable way of pleasure, masturbation (McCabe 2005). All in all, high levels of anxiety can affect the intimacy of a relationship. More specifically, the constant fear focused on the inability to perform sexually or fear caused by past events causes strong tension between couples, which allows anxiety to grow. There is always room for research and McCabe (2005) believes more investigation on the effects of anxiety and HSDD can be done in order to fully understand the disorder. The events that take place during childhood inevitably shape a person in adulthood. One of the main causes for Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder can be linked to a previous history of child abuse. Traumatic experiences as a child can strongly affect the psychosocial development of an individual. According to Webster Dictionary, Psychosocial is the relation between social conditions and mental health (Webster). Traumatic events during childhood can lead to a dysfunction called sexual desire disorder. Flashbacks of the event in childhood can occur for several years and continuously stay with the individual long term. A sexual desire disorder can frighten an individual in having any desire to be intimate or sexually active with anyone. A study conducted by Myriam S Denov (2004) examines individuals who were previous victims of sexual abuse as a child. This study involves a sample size of 14 victims, 7 male and 7 female. However, this sample size could potentially pose a threat to the external validity of this study because it represents individuals would only face female-perpetrated sexual abuse. The data was collected by several questions and interviews throughout a six-month period. Victims were consulted before screening in order to find the most precise answers. The aim of the study displays the long-term negative effects these victims carried after their traumatic experiences. Denov (2004) found that victims of childhood abuse were in less satisfying relationships with their partner sexually and emotionally. Respondents also reported long-term difficulties with substance abuse, self-injury, depression, strained relationships with partners and discomfort with sex (Denov 2004). Specifically with male respondents, common results for the study include arousal dysfunctions and fear of sex with women. Specifically for females, those who experienced childhood sexual abuse demonstrated lack of pleasure or satisfaction from sexual encounters (Denov 2004). It is evident childhood sexual abuse strongly effects adulthood developing a fear of sex, arousal dysfunctions, sexual inhibition and lack of pleasures by sexual encounters (Denov 2004). All in all, all these factors can strongly lead to a dissatisfying sexual relationship with a partner. Depression adversely affects every aspect of an individual’s life, including our relationships. When depression occurs between sexual encounters, it can heavily affect the relationship negatively (Lykins 2006). When one suffers depression, a lost of inte rest in sexual activities can occur and evidently minimizes a couple’s desire for intimacy (Lykins 2006). This can be shameful because intimacy, closeness and support can be therapeutic for an individual suffering depression. Some studies have linked depression with a decrease in sexual activity but others have reported an increase. In Lykins’ (2006) study, 663 females college-aged students answered questions regarding the effects of anxious and depressed mood on sexual interest and arousal. These respondents completed trait measures of sexual excitation and depression. It was discovered depressive symptoms tend to possess a greater desire in sexual activities for these women, mostly gearing towards masturbation (Lykins 2006). It was found that depressive symptoms lead to less satisfying sexual activities with an encounter. Moreover, respondents turned to masturbation because it was more reliable then pleasure. In this study, a variable discovered was that propensity for sexual excitation was the strongest predictor for women between depression and sex (Lykins 2006). Furthermore, depressive woman had the strongest tendency to perform risky and compulsive sexual behavior or develops sexual dysfunction. Along with this study, another sample were 339 college-aged men where some also developed depression throughout their adolescents. When men were compared to woman for those suffering in depression, men carried much stronger desires for sexual interest during these mood states. Unfortunately, there are a number of factors that limit the accuracy of this study. One of which those with clinical depression were not considered. Furthermore, to ensure reliability of the study, these issues can be looked further to ensure accuracy for this topic. As mentioned through this paper, there are numerous factors that could be linked to Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD). HSDD is the deficiency or the absence of sexual fantasies or the desire for sexual activity, which ultimately lead to distress or interpersonal difficulty among a person (Maserejian et al., 2010). This disorder can most certainly be a damper on relationships with a partner. Anxiety correlates to HSDD when the individual develops a fear of sexual relations and insecurities towards their sexual performance (McCabe, 2005). It is apparent child abuse is a huge factor which causes one to develop HSDD. Denov (2006) had found that traumatic events as a childhood can lead to dysfunctions and can lack sexual desires for any encounters. Additional research is needed to answer all questions between HSDD and depression. This evidently can help complete analysis and fill the gap between the two factors. An improvement that could be made within all the studies is bigger sample sizes in order to achieve more accurate information. A final suggestion for future and more precise research would be the effects of sexual desire in relation to males, as many of the studies are geared towards female participants. References: Basson, R. (2006). Sexual desire and arousal disorders in women. The new england journal o f medicine, 354, 1497-1506. Retrieved from http://www.obgyn.uab.edu/medicalstudents/obgyn/uasom/documents/September/SEX DYSF.pdf Berman , J. (2001). For women only: A revolutionary guide to reclaiming your sex life [. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Co. Denov, M. (2004). The long-term effects of child sexual abuse by female perpetrators. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 19(10), 1137-1156. Retrieved from http://jiv.sagepub.com/content/19/10/1137.full.pdf html Maserejian, N. (2010). The presentation of hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women. International Society for Sexual Medicine, 7(10), 3438-3448. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20646184 McCabe, M. (2005). The role of performance anxiety in the development and maintenance of sexual dysfunction in men and women. International journal of stress management, 12(4), 379-388. Retrieved from http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/str/12/4/379.pdf Psychosocial. 2013. In Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved Feb 4, 2011, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psychosocial

Analysis of the salient features of Beck’s cognitive theory Essay Example for Free

Analysis of the salient features of Beck’s cognitive theory Essay Beck’s cognitive theory assumes that most psychological problems arise from faulty thinking processes. The theory is centred on three factors that form what can be illustrated as a triad. Beck (1976) noted that the three factors that affect the human mind’s capabilities are thoughts, antecedent events and behavior (Figure 1). Figure 1: The foundation of Beck’s (1976) concept of the cognitive theory Source: Created from the description by Bandura (1976) A point worth noting is that these factors cannot act on their own as they do so in synergy with other factors. For instance, behavior is affected by the environment; thoughts are affected by the self (individual); and antecedent events are influenced by the current events. Beck’s cognitive theory perceives antecedent events, thoughts and behavior to be dynamic. In addition, according to (1998), each of the three constituents of the triad is capable of affecting others. However, Beck (1976) notes that in evaluating the triad, cognition or thoughts require more emphasis. This is because it is through thoughts that human beings are able to change their beliefs, attitudes, interpretation and perceptions in different instances. Moreover, thoughts or cognitive factors serve as a platform for filtering or appraising events. In line with this, if the human mind is biased towards one event at the expense of another, the thinking process would elicit some form of emotional and behavioral responses that would imply some problems in life. Therefore, according to this theory, the way human beings think could actually change the way they feel and behave. The cognitive theory serves as a way of understanding and treating depression due to the approach it takes in addressing the various faculties of the mind. In addition, since it highlights issues related to mental capabilities, it is appropriate for addressing mental health issues and other instances of disorders that arise due to depression or factors such as substance use. In postulating the theory, Beck was of the opinion that depressed people often have low opinion of themselves. Precisely, Beck suggested that depressed people believe that the world, their future, and they themselves were the causes of their depression. In addition, Beck (1998) noted that people might be faced with psychological difficulties due to occurrence of automatic thoughts, negative self-assessments and dysfunctional assumptions. Moreover, Beck connoted that automatic thoughts usually pave the way for emotions but occur considerably fast with the affected individual’s little awareness. As a result, such individuals do not view themselves with high esteem. As an example, people affected by stress may address themselves in considerably high critical tones; they also blame themselves for every mishap that befalls them. Beck’s theory and depression Beck (1987) noted that depressed people, apart from having a low opinion of themselves, also develop schemas in their minds such as â€Å"if many people hate me then I am worthless. † Nevertheless, such beliefs are usually primitive, overstated and rigid. It is worthy noting that the self schemas developed in the minds pf distressed people are usually stable but latent and only discernible when they are stimulated by social stressors (for instance when a person provokes the distressed individual) (Beck, 1987). Once the distressed person is provoked, the depressive diagram in the mind of the individual becomes activated by the stress of the event (provocation) and results into a two-fold consequence (Beck, 1976). The first effect is that the content of the distressed person becomes negative. This is characterized by a cognitive triad and the person develops negative beliefs about himself or herself, the world and the future (i. e. every aspect of the cognitive triad becomes negative). In the second phase, there is a systematic bias in the mind that characterized by distortion of information processing capability and being prone to committing errors. Although not all forms of depression are caused by stimulation of the self-schemas, Beck viewed the negative cognitive triad and negative processing of information as the intrinsic features of all depressions (Beck, 1987). The result of the negative schema is fear for all activities by the individual. This is in spite of the fact that some activities could be easily accomplished. For instance, a negative evaluation of self worth may be â€Å"I am unworthy, I just can’t do this†; and a negative evaluation of the world or daily events may be â€Å"Everything that happens to me is just enough evidence that my world is crumbling, this world does not need me. † On the other hand, a distressed person’s evaluation of the future may be â€Å"It seems that nothing will ever get better for me even in future. † From the above illustration, Becks Cognitive Model of Depression clearly shows how early experiences in life can lead to the development of dysfunctional beliefs, which in turn cause individuals to have negative self-views, which in turn result into depression (Beck, 1987).

Significance of Pharmacovigilance for Drug Safety

Significance of Pharmacovigilance for Drug Safety AIM: To present an overview on the pharmacovigilance practice and realize the significance of pharmacovigilance in envisaging drug safety and efficacy To decisively appraise the pharmacovigilance findings of the anti-diabetic drug Avandia INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The World Health Organization defines pharmacovigilance as â€Å"The science and activities relating to the detection, assessment, understanding and prevention of adverse effects or any other drug-related problem†.9 THE NEED FOR PHARMACOVIGILANCE: Primarily let us understand the need for pharmacovigilance. It has been long debated that the data from animal experiments is not completely worth of extrapolation. The differences in their metabolic pathways, resistance to drugs and various other factors, the pharmacokinetics and dynamics of drugs tend to vary within species to species as well. Extrapolating such statistics from animals to humans though necessary is not foolproof. Additionally, the clinical trial environment is extremely controlled. The patient population, however large, is not a good representative of the general global population. The number of patients is limited. Owing to these facts, an adverse effect, which would occur in one in ten thousand or so, is very unlikely to arise within the restrictions of the clinical trial atmosphere. Moreover, in a real life situation the patients using the drug are likely to have other diseases, consuming other drugs and with different genetic make-ups. Accordingly arises the urgent need for better pharmacovigilance practices. The importance of identifying rare and serious adverse effects of drugs that have remained secret during the course of the clinical trial cannot be ignored. THE STEPS IN PHARMACOVIGILANCE: Spontaneous reporting and prescription event monitoring: Spontaneous reports and prescription event monitoring include reports of adverse effects of drugs to sponsors, CROs or regulatory authorities, reported by patients, nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals and consumers. The above process is streamlined with the help of global and countrywide structured programs to accelerate the practice and facilitate consumers to testify an adverse effect. Example: the National Pharmacovigilance Program in India. All events that are serious (as defined in ICH-GCP), unexpected, unlabeled, additional efficacy and lack of efficacy should be promptly reported. An incoming report is called as a case report. FDA has defined certain characteristics of a good case report. They are as follows: â€Å"1. Description of the adverse events or disease experience, including time to onset of signs or symptoms; 2. Suspected and concomitant product therapy details (i.e., dose, lot number, schedule, dates, duration), including over-the-counter medications, dietary supplements, and recently discontinued medications; 3. Patient characteristics, including demographic information (e.g., age, race, sex), baseline medical condition prior to product therapy, co-morbid conditions, use of concomitant medications, relevant family history of disease, and presence of other risk factors; 4. Documentation of the diagnosis of the events, including methods used to make the diagnosis; 5. Clinical course of the event and patient outcomes (e.g., hospitalization or death);5 6. Relevant therapeutic measures and laboratory data at baseline, during therapy, and subsequent to therapy, including blood levels, as appropriate; 7. Information about response to dechallenge and rechallenge; and 8. Any other relevant information (e.g., other details relating to the event or information on benefits received by the patient, if important to the assessment of the event).†6 Signal generation: A signal is reported information of the possible causal relationship between an adverse event and the drug, which has been reported more than once. The frequency of reports to generate a signal depends on the seriousness of the event, drug class, disease status, authenticity of the reporter etc. Signal follow-up and strengthening: Signal follow-up and strengthening consists of identifying similar cases in different countries, mining the literature for evidence to support the hypothesis, pre-clinical information and patient follow-up. The prospective analysis of reports of interests is crucial for a signal to generate any action. Careful scrutiny has to be done in order to assess the ingenuity of the signal. The report could have been due to the patients illness history, concomitant medication, disease state or any other reason not related to the use of drug. Even then, such confounded reports should be analyzed promptly. Signal follow-up ensures authenticity of the reports. Causality assessment: Determining whether the adverse event has a causal relationship with the drug or not, and if it has, the degree to which the association exists is called as causality assessment. The WHO has defined six degrees of relationship, namely: certain, probable, possible, unlikely, conditional/unclassified and unassessable/unclassifiable with lowering intensity of causality. Action: Action is taken once it is well established that there exists a causal relationship in between the drug and the adverse event. Depending on the severity of the adverse event, action taken can be in the form of withdrawal of marketing approval, change in package insert, additional trials to confirm causality and dissemination of information globally. THE PRACTICAL ASPECT: Consider the story of the blockbuster drug Avandia (rosiglitazone), used to treat patients with type II diabetes mellitus. â€Å"Rosiglitazone (Avandia ®) is a thiazolidinedione indicated in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus: as monotherapy in patients (particularly overweight patients) inadequately controlled by diet and exercise for whom metformin is inappropriate because of contraindications or intolerance as dual oral therapy in combination with metformin, in patients (particularly overweight patients) with insufficient glycaemic control despite maximal tolerated dose of monotherapy with metformin a sulphonylurea, only in patients who show intolerance to metformin or for whom metformin is contraindicated, with insufficient glycaemic control despite monotherapy with a sulphonylurea as triple oral therapy in combination with metformin and a sulphonylurea, in patients (particularly overweight patients) with insufficient glycaemic control despite dual oral therapy†4 Little did the world know that a boon was in fact a bane for a certain group of people with a history of cardiovascular illnesses. A meta-analysis by Nissen and Wolski et al. provided evidence that â€Å"rosiglitazone was associated with a significant increase in the risk of (MI)myocardial infarction (odds ratio, 1.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03 to 1.98; P = 0.03) and a borderline-significant finding for death from cardiovascular causes (odds ratio, 1.64; 95% CI, 0.98 to 2.74; P = 0.06).†2 Though the meta-analysis study had quite a few numbers of weaknesses, the increased risk of MI in patients consuming rosiglitazone has come as a rude shock to the sponsors as well as the patient community. Something, which could not be unveiled during the clinical trial process. Another study (called Antipsychotic drugs and heart muscle disorder in international pharmacovigilance: data mining study) by David Coulter et al. used a Bayesian confidence propagation network to analyze the correlation between anti-psychotic drugs and occurrences of cardiomyopathy and myocarditis. Though the study did not prove much, it did bring up an association between use of clozapine and incidences of heart disorders. It also scanned the WHO database and concluded that as compared to other anti-psychotic drugs, clozapine is more widely reported. A French pharmacovigilance study (called Reports of hypoglycemia associated with the use ACE inhibitors and other drugs: a case/non-case study in the French pharmacovigilance system database) by Nicholas Moore et al. set out to find any association between use of ACE inhibitors and incidences of hypoglycemia. The results attested that in fact there was no significant increase in the occurrences of hypoglycemia in patients on ACE inhibi tors. Such pharmacovigilance approaches add to the knowledge base of drugs and related Adverse Drug Reactions. Pharmacovigilance is a vital tool. There are various advances and approaches to good pharmacovigilance practices ranging from data mining studies to conducting global clinical trials. What approach is deemed best to yield the right results, only time will tell. CASE STUDY: THE CHRONICLE OF DIABETES MELLITUS TYPE II, AVANDIA, HOPE AND DEATH! Early in august 2006, Vivians mother had gone to the hospital for some routine cancer tests. However, what was supposed to be routine, did not turn out to be. The doctors found the left side of the patients body swollen. She was admitted immediately. On admission, the doctors found her heart swollen as well. Her heart was racing. Every trick in the trade was tried to get Vivians mother under control, but nothing seemed to work. Just a few days into her admission, she died, of cardiac arrest. Till the end, the doctors failed to find out the root cause for her death. However strange it may seem, the drug which she was taking for the past eight years, to control her blood sugar level has been the prime suspect and the causative agent of edema and myocardial infarction. The name, Avandia; generically known as Rosiglitazone. Vivians mother was put on Avandia since 1999, the drugs approval year. Her death occurred in august 2006. Precisely eight years of Avandia, took her life. Then in May 2007, came to light a stunning NEJM study which spilled the beans for GlaxoSmithKline. They found â€Å"a significant increase 43 percentin the risk for myocardial infarction -with rosiglitazone. They also found a 64 percent increased risk for death from other cardiovascular causes in people taking the drug. These findings were based on analyses of 42 clinical trials of the drug.†10 As a response to this, but probably too late for Vivian and her mother, FDA issued a public warning about the findings of the Avandia pharmacovigilance study. Patients with a bad cardiovascular history were now said to revise their use of Avandia. Either stop it, or lower the dose. The information directly applies to Vivians mother death. Vivian said â€Å"At the time I didnt realize that she had any cardiac problems. But there is a history of heart problems in my mothers family, including a history of heart murmurs. And my brother has a congenital heart defect, my mother was also on at least 13 drugs at the time she went to hospital.†10 A CRITICAL ANALYSIS Thats the tale of one drug and one death. But there have been many. And no noise is being made about it. What approach is the right approach for pharmacovigilance is still to be stereotyped. But so far, the structured ADR reporting systems and data mining seems to have turned the fortunes for Avandia. But for the time being lets spare Avandia, and concentrate our resources towards analyzing the situation of global pharmacovigilance. Does it really happen? What constitutes good pharmacovigilance practice? But one things for sure, the mindsets of sponsors and regulatory authorities needs to change. Things need to get crystallized. Vigilance should be policed. Conditional approval to market the drug should follow stringent laws. The two core issues surrounding pharmacovigilance are drug safety and the reputation of pharmaceuticals. Which one of those needs to be sacrificed does the time arise, is a million dollar question. The reputation, it should be. Compromising drug safety puts millions of patients at risk. Reputation can be back, but life, once gone, never returns, and so is Vivians mother. Even then, the reputation of GSK seems to be untouched. Vivians mother did have a history of cardiovascular illnesses, but still she was on the death drug for over eight years. Such an issue was never raised during any of the trials of Avandia. It is thanks to pharmacovigilance that the root cause analysis was performed and the association between Avandia and edema and myocardial infarction was established. If not completely, at least it has rung the bells at the FDA. It was no doubt too late for Vivians mother, but the information has the potential to save millions of life, now that the correlation has been ascertai ned. However, some issues in the meta-analysis also need to be addressed. The study combined data of 42 different clinical trials. Trials with different outcomes, disease states, patients, duration and many other differentiating factors have been combined to pool in the data. The data from varying trials can be sometimes conflicting. GSK argues, the most reliable way to assess the long-term safety of the trial is to conduct a long-term safety trial. Three long-term safety trials of Avandia have been conducted by GSK. Namely; ADOPT (A Diabetes Outcome Progression Trial), DREAM and RECORD. The studies back Avandias safety profile. No more than a minimalist increase in risk has been noted in one of the studies. Again, as Avandia is known to control the blood sugar level for a longer time, it said to have benefits outweighing the risks. The conflict will always remain. However, in such a scenario, the safety of patients should not in any way take a back seat. Sponsors and regulatory authorities along with consumers and healthcare professionals equal should take serious and committed steps to improve pharmacovigilance. The authenticity of the safety profile of Avandia will be demonstrated over time. But in any case, the death of Vivians mother cannot be reversed, not by me, nor by GSK nor by the FDA. CONCLUSION The coming years are bound to be very interesting on the pharmacovigilance front. The techniques regulatory agencies mandate to make PV more stringent will be worth waiting for. Sponsors will have to invest more money to establish the safety profile of the drug. Awareness among patients has to be created for better reporting of ADRs. The current approach to drug development focuses an intensive, strong and time-consuming pre approval process, but a similar standing is required post approval also. The transition from research to marketing has to be more governed with the research step not stopping at the marketing juncture. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Dhruv Kazi, Rosiglitazone and implications for pharmacovigilance, BMJ 2007;334:1233-1234 (16 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.39245.502546.BE Steven E. Nissen, M.D., and Kathy Wolski, M.P.H., Effect of Rosiglitazone on the Risk of Myocardial Infarction and Death from Cardiovascular Causes, n engl j med 356;24, vol. 356 no. 24 Bruce M. Psaty, M.D., Ph.D., and Curt D. Furberg, M.D., Ph.D., Rosiglitazone and Cardiovascular Risk, n engl j med 356;24 Overview of cardiac adverse drug reactions reported in association with rosiglitazone, Nederlands Bijwerkingen Centrum Lareb November 2007 V. Thawani1, S. Sharma2, K. Gharpure1, Pharmacovigilance: Is it possible if bannable medicines are available over the counter?, Indian J Pharmacol | June 2005 | Vol 37 | Issue 3 Guidance for Industry, Good Pharmacovigilance Practices and Pharmacoepidemiologic Assessment, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), March 2005, Clinical Medical David M Coulter, Andrew Bate, Ronald H B Meyboom, Marie Lindquist, I Ralph Edwards, Antipsychotic drugs and heart muscle disorder in international pharmacovigilance: data mining study, BMJ VOLUME 322 19 MAY 2001, BMJ 2001;322:1207-9 Nicholas Moore et al., Reports of hypoglycemia associated with the use of ACE inhibitors and other drugs: a case/non-case study in French pharmacovigilance sysyem database, Br J Clin Pharmacol1997;44: 513-518, 1997 Blackwell Science Ltd. Data Assessment in Pharmacovigilance (powerpoint presentation), R.H.B. Meyboom Avandia: Meant to Help but Killed Instead March 30, 2008. By Lucy Campbell, Seed Newsvine

Transformation in Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now Essay -- Movie

Transformation in Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since Francis Ford Coppola’s   Apocalypse Now was based on Joseph Conrad's novel, Heart of Darkness, it is possible to draw many parallels between the two works. Both can be interpreted as metaphors for a journey through the inner self, and each has its own particular message to convey. In many ways they also appear to have similarities to Arthurian Legend, in particular the quest for the holy grail, and other allegorical journey narratives. The sum of the experiences of the protagonists, Marlow in Heart of Darkness and Willard in Apocalypse Now, reveal to them how the horrors and effects of war or conquest, can lead some people to madness, while other persons may discover the light and find absolute truth.    Traveling on a river is often used as a symbol for a journey of self-discovery in numerous literary works. For example, in works such as Dante's Inferno and Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, the protagonists journey down the River Styx, and the Mississippi, respectively;   encounter many challenges which provide them with opportunities to reach an understanding of themselves. In Heart of Darkness Marlow accepts his quest to journey up the long and dangerous Congo River to transport ivory from Kurtz's Inner Station back to the Outer Station. In Apocalypse Now Benjamin Willard who began as a special military recruit is sent on a mission up the Nung River to "exterminate with extreme prejudice, (Apocalypse Now)" Kurtz. In each work the protagonists witness and endure unspeakable hostilities along their journeys and in order to survive and accomplish their ultimate goals, both push themselves beyond their physical, spiritual, and mental limits to the point o... ...ard takes the role of a father and leads a young military away from the jungle, and Marlow returns to the pristine waters of the ocean.    Works Cited    Conrad, Joseph. Apocalypse Now. New York: Norton and Company, Inc. ,1988.  Ã‚      Heart of Darkness. Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. with Marlon Brandon, Robert Duvall, and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Martin Sheen. Paramount, 2000.    Topic: Heart of Darkness vs Apocalypse Now. http://grassroots.mediacentre.com/csdsescalb1/unit5/heart_vs_apocalypse.htm. (19 May 2002).    Baxter, Gisà ¨le. "Notes on Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness." The G.M. Baxter Page.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   28 October, 1999. http://www.interchange.ubc.ca/gmb/conrad.html. (20 May 2002).    Krall, Aaron, Aimee Lanoue, and Matthew Pavesich. What is the Heart of Darkness? http://www.stfrancis.edu/en/student/kurtzweb/darkness.htm. (19 May 2002).   

Awakening Vs. Greenleaf :: essays research papers

A strong critique by existentialist writers of modern society is the way in which humans live unexamined, meaningless lives with no true concept of what it is to be an unique individuals. In Kate Chopin’s novel The Awakening and in Flannery O’Connor’s short story â€Å"Greenleaf† the characters Edna and Mrs. May, respectively, begin almost as common, stock characters living unfulfilled lives. They eventually converge, however, upon an elevated life and death filled with new meaning through their struggle with their role as individuals surrounded by other important beings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jesuit philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1948) believed that humankind follows a certain evolution of mind and body. This process involves a beginning (komogenese), a development (biogenese), and then a peak (noogenese) in which humans reach an Omega Point of higher being. Though his ideas were actually applied on a much broader scale of humanity over a large timespan, the theory can be applied to the individual’s process of human development. Single humans begin as common clones of one another. From this commonality many examine their lives and develop the things within them that make them uniquely them. This development of the self only can be ended at death when the individual converges upon an Omega Point in which he has an elevated understanding of and meaning for life. The characters Edna from The Awakening and Mrs. May from †Greenleaf† encounter a similar human development in which an individual is formed with an understanding of life. The means by which they achieve this differ greatly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the novel The Awakening opens, the reader sees Edna Pontellier as one who might seem to be a happy married woman living a secure, fulfilled life. It is quickly revealed, though, that she is deeply oppressed by a male dominated society, evident through her marriage to Leonce. Edna lives a controlled life in which there is no outlet for her to develop herself as the individual who she is. Her marriage to Leonce was more an act of rebellion from her parents than an act of love for Leonce. She cares for him and is fond of him, but had no real love for him. Edna’s inability to awaken the person inside her is also shown through her role as a â€Å"mother-woman†. She loves and cares for her children a great deal, but does not fit into the Creole mother-society in which other women baby and over protect their children.

Mini Case Ch

What appears to be the problem areas in the Hobby Horse Company? The problem with Hobby Horse Company is that they were having a tough year throughout 2011. The company has $45 million loan that is due at the end of September, however the company does not have the means to cover the cost of the loan. Looking at the financial statement the company has fairly high leverage where their equity is not as strong. In addition, their current assets don't cover current liabilities-?meaning that the company is not as liquid.For the year 201 1, shareholders would not be better off in terms of investing in his company due to low return on capital for that year. For shareholders to actually benefit from this, earning a higher return would allow them to invest on their own in financial markets. Shareholders want the companies to invest only in projects for which the return on capital is at least as great as the cost Of capital. 2. What questions do the financial ratios Suggest that Ms.Plant and Mr .. Green need to address during their meeting with H Management. Some questions Ms. Plant and Mr.. Green need to address during their meeting with H management is the asset turnover in order to measure the efficiency of he entire asset base in order to turn them over more quickly. Looking at the operating profit margin would allow the company to measure the proportion of the sales that are in the profits and create plans to increase them each year.In analyzing the debt ratio, the managers need to take a deeper look into measuring the financial leverage due to their debt situation with the 545 million dollar loan being due at the end of September. This would put the company at risk for future borrowing since debt increases returns to shareholders in good times and reduces them in bad times. When Hobby Horse borrows money it makes a promise to make a series of interest payments and then to repay the amount that it has borrowed.If profits rise, the debt holders continue to receive only the fixed interest payments creating a gain for the shareholders. For 2011, since their profits were falling, the shareholders received most of the negative impact. Because they borrowed such a large sum of money, they are unable to pay off their debts for that year creating the dilemma of them finding more financing the next year or for extending their current loan. . Should the bank renew Hobby Horse's Agreement?If so what conditions should they place on the renewal. Yes, the bank would be wise in renewing the financial agreement with Hobby Horse. Although 201 1 was a troublesome year for the company the past financial records can show the beneficial growth that H has exemplified. Looking at previous years the company still has room for growth and judging at a single year would not be wise for banks to deny renewal.

Hitler Slept Late: And Other Blunders That Cost Him the War

For those who subscribe to the theory that Hitler quite literally lost World War II through his own actions, or even inactions, will discover from the beginning some substantial flaws in the very composition of Hitler’s plan of the domination of other nations.While many sources- including the introduction of this research- glibly state that Hitler was seeking to take over the world, the practical reality of such a goal is that it could not happen at the hands of any army that has ever picked up a weapon.With this simple, indisputable fact in mind, the point comes to the forefront that Hitler lacked a strategic focus in his plans of domination.   Hitler himself surely envisioned a scenario whereby he controlled the entire planet and placed everyone under Nazi rule, but realistically, beyond the nations of Europe which Hitler occupied, he simply could not have maintained any sense of control over, for example, Asia, the British Empire, and the like, not to mention North Americ a.Any type of hold that he would have on these additional territories would likely be short-lived, for Germany itself was a nation that was recovering from the brink of economic, military and political disaster when Hitler came to power and began his quest to overtake the rest of â€Å"the world†.Another key factor that supports the sheer impossibility of Hitler’s occupation and domination of the world, at the time of World War II, lay in the form of the Empire of Japan.  It cannot be forgotten that one of the key reasons that Japan attacked the United States military installations at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, which was not part of the US at that time, was in retaliation for increased American involvement in the Philippines and other lands which Japan considered as their own.Judging from the challenge that Japan threw at what was then the most powerful military machine in the world- the American military machine- it is highly probable, if not definite, that Japan eventua lly would have gone to war with Germany if Hitler had enjoyed any substantial level of success in World War II, for Hitler most certainly would have turned against Japan in a quest for total control of every nation of the world.Perhaps, World War III would have come out of such a conflict, or perhaps the two powers would have literally destroyed each other, creating yet another power vacuum in the world stage.   While all of this is theoretical, an important point is to be derived from the theory- Hitler’s grand plan, because of its lack of focus and resources, in hindsight appears to have been doomed from the start.Hitler as His Own Worst EnemyIn April of 1945, as Hitler cowered in his underground bunker, occasionally enveloped in darkness as the bombs of his enemies knocked out the artificial power generators which gave Hitler a lifeline to the outside world, the thought surely must have occurred to him that he was to blame for much of what had come to pass.  The theory that Hitler may have been his own worst enemy is actually a fact, based upon research into writings that look into the psyche and personality of Hitler, as well as his leadership skills.A fact that cannot be ignored is that by the mid 1930s, Hitler had already begun to lose some grip on the power that he held over the German people; this is proven by his defeats in the mid 1930s at the hands of the Poles and Czechs when he attempted to occupy the Rhineland (Duffy).   It would not be until 1939 that Hitler would occupy Poland, and even in that, the seeds of his eventual demise were planted.The reason for this can be found in a treaty which Hitler signed with Stalin of Russia, agreeing to share control of Poland with the Russians.   Once Hitler took over Poland in 1939, he essentially pushed the Russians out of the picture, claimed all of Poland for Germany, and basically lit the fuse that began the process leading to a total European war some 2 years later (Duffy).The negligence of the treaty with Russia on the part of Hitler not only makes the point that he was in fact his own worst enemy, but also presents another fascinating â€Å"what if†, which have become so popular among historians of late.The â€Å"what if† concerns a possible outcome if Hitler had chosen to listen to others who counseled him to honor the treaty with Russia and share occupation of Poland.   For the cost of a relatively small nation like Poland, Hitler would have gained, or retained to be more precise, the favor of Stalin and the Russian army, also a major military force to be reckoned with in the 1940s.Therefore, if Russia were on the side of Germany once World War II came into full swing, it is a strong possibility that Hitler would have had the powerful ally that he so desperately needed in order to swing the outcome of the war to his favor.   At the very least, it can be theorized; Hitler would not have found himself hiding underground from the explosions of Ru ssian bombs and the bullets fired by Russian soldiers.Earlier, it was eluded that Hitler, as part of being his own worst enemy, neglected in many cases to heed the advice of his staff, such as in the case of the occupation of Poland and the subsequent entanglements with Russia.Hitler in fact had a second chance to avert war after his occupation of Poland, when he was given a deadline by Britain and the United States to vacate Poland or face possible military intervention.   Hitler was counseled on the advantages of less involvement in Poland, yet even in the face of many consequences and few tangible benefits to be gained, he still stood on the insistence that he was right and that his approach to the issue of Poland was in fact the best course of action.What can be said of a man who has a great deal of responsibility, the potential to change the course of world history, and will not seek the advice, or heed the advice, of others?This is indicative, many would argue, of serious pe rsonality flaws, and this is something that is hard to argue.   Perhaps one of the most shocking, almost to the point of being funny reasons that Hitler likely defeated himself is the fact that during the most pivotal moments of World War II, he slept- literally.Hitler Slept LateThe title of the book which formed the thesis for this research actually has its basis in fact-Hitler did sleep late.   While this in itself does not sound like much to discuss, it is when the fact that Hitler slept late is placed in the context of some of the most important, pivotal moments in the German war effort.The most glaring of these exists in the June 6, 1944 Allied invasion of the beaches of Normandy- D-Day, as it has come to be known.   On that day, as the German war machine sustained major damage, Hitler was nowhere to be found, as he had given explicit orders that he needed sleep and not to disturb him.Additionally, once Hitler awoke and was told of the situation, accounts say that he was more concerned with entertaining visiting dignitaries than he was in responding to the attack; all of this occurred in the midst of additional information which indicates that Hitler knew the attacks were coming, and did very little to prepare for them or to respond once they came (Duffy).ConclusionThe analysis of Hitler’s actions, inactions, attitude and skills make a compelling case for the defeat of Hitler by no other than Hitler himself.   The old adage of those who do not learn from history being condemned to repeat it is highly fitting when one looks at Adolf Hitler; for he had at his disposal experienced leaders and resources, but he chose to, ultimately, defeat him.While it is impossible to know what would have happened if Hitler triumphed, we now know, in conclusion, what happened because he did not.Works CitedDuffy, James P. Hitler Slept Late: And Other Blunders That Cost Him the War. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1991.

Operation Management Essay

To be able produce specialized managers capable of fulfilling strategic tasks within business and government enterprises the need for the practice of operations management cannot be forgone. Operations management is very significant in business operations since it forms the heart of the organisation by controlling the system of operation. Operations management deals with the design, operation, and enhancement of the systems that generate and deliver a firm’s primary products and services. Like marketing and finance, operations management is a well-designed field of business with clear management responsibilities. Panasonic Corp. is a company in which produces various electronic components such as Audio, Video, Televisions, Information and Communication, Semi-conductors and other Electronic Components. In a business entity like Panasonic Corp. the use of operations management is very essential in every framework of the company’s activities. Panasonic Corp. uses operations management to ensure and maintain competence and effectiveness in the organisation. Efficiency in Panasonic Corp. s concerned with how well resources such as individual expertise and inputs are put in use irrespective of the reason for which they were deployed in the organization. The company through its performance ensures that the main objective for its establishment to generate profits and maximize shareholders value is realized. The company reduces its cost of production by ensuring that tangible and intangible possessions are not over stretched or wasted in the organisation. This is a situation where the company carries out effectively its goals to be the market leader using minimum resources to attain maximum output. The methods of effectiveness and competence in Panasonic Corp. leads to labour efficiency, yield, and capability fill working capital utilization and the efficiency of production systems. Panasonic Corp. also makes fine use of its products and services management through operations management. Product (or service) management includes a broad range of management activities, ranging from the time that there’s a new idea for a product to ultimately provide ongoing support to consumers who have purchased the fresh and innovative product. Every organization conducts product supervision, whether it’s done deliberately or not deliberately. Panasonic Corp. through this module provides a wide idea of considerations in producing and managing its goods. Panasonic Corp. uses it hub competences in the areas of manufacturing, branding, promoting through wholesale and retail outlets to achieve competitive benefits in the market place. Quality management is also a very essential aspect of operations management in every organisation. Panasonic Corp. s very crucial about its products developed for the consumer in the market place. Quality management is vital to effective operations management, particularly ongoing perfection to match the consumers taste and preference at all times. Management Control and Coordinating Function cannot be forgone in operations management particularly in a company like Panasonic Corp. Management control and coordination includes a wide series of activities to make certain that the company’s objectives are consistently being met in an effective and efficient style. Key approaches to the company’s organizational control and coordination contain product assessment, product allocation, marketing and promotion, sales and service and product advancement. The company also uses advertisements as a major tool to reach the customer. In this increasingly expanding and competitive marketplace, the company make sure its products and services are notably in the minds of their customers and clients. This occurs as a consequence of ongoing promotion and advertising by the company. Facilities management is also an essential task and its importance on operations management for Panasonic Corp. s required. Effective operations management in the company’s activities depends on a big deal of effective management of facilities, such as buildings, computer system, plants and machinery etc. Facilities management in Panasonic corp. is very important since the company may be busy in a batch or mass production depending on the demand conditions on the market. In this case facilities need to be managed in producing large quantities of products which must be consistent to meet the market demand at definite period. Well managed facilities help in production speed, lower per unit cost, manage and control the efficiency in the company’s production process. Inventory control and management is one important factor of operations management that Panasonic Corp. uses in its operations. Managing and controlling the inventory of the company is very critical and essential. Innovative methods, such as Just-in-Time inventory control, are some of the most important instruments used by the company to cut costs and move products and services to consumers more rapidly. Generally the significance of operations management on business is urrounded in every aspect of the organizations activities and therefore has vital role to play in ensuring that organizations attain their objectives and goals. Every organization, whether it produces goods or provides services furnishes customers with worthy products. Thus, to compete with other organizations, a company must transform resources (materials, labour, money, information) into goods or services as efficiently as possible. The upper-level manager who directs this transformation process is called an operations manager. The job of operations management (OM) is to transform resources into products which consist of all the activities involved in transforming a product idea into finished and final products. In other words, operations managers manage the process that transforms inputs into outputs. Like Panasonic Corp. all manufacturers set out to execute the same basic roles: to transform resources into finished goods. To perform this function in today’s business surroundings, manufacturers must constantly struggle to improve operational effectiveness. They must focus on quality, the costs of materials and labour and all costs that add no value to the finished product. Making the decisions in the effort to achieve these objectives is the job of the operations manager. That person’s responsibilities can be grouped as follows: * Production planning. During production planning, managers determine how goods will be produced, where production will be carried out, and how manufacturing facilities will be done. * Production control. Once the production process is started, managers must repetitively schedule and monitor the activities that make up that process. They must respond to feedback and make adjustments where required. At this stage, they also supervise the purchasing of raw materials and the usage of inventories. * Quality control. Finally, the operations manager is directly concerned in efforts to make sure that goods are produced according to terms and that quality values are maintained. Planning the Production Process Managers in Panasonic Corp. believe that the decisions made in the planning phase have long-range implications and are vital to a firm’s achievement. Before making decisions about the operations process, managers must consider the goals set by marketing managers. Does the company aim to be a low-cost producer and to struggle on the basis of price? Or does it plan to focus on quality and go after the high end of the market? Perhaps it wants to build a standard of consistency. What if it intends to offer a wide range of products? To make things even more complicated, all these decisions involve trade-offs. Upholding a reputation for reliability isn’t necessarily compatible with offering a wide range of products. Low cost doesn’t normally go hand in hand with high quality. With these factors in mind, let’s look at the specific types of decisions that have to be made in the production planning process. We’ve divided these decisions into those dealing with production methods, site selection, facility layout, and components and materials management. Production-Method Decisions The first step in production planning is deciding which type of production process is best for making the goods that your company intends to manufacture. In reaching this decision, you should answer such questions as the following: * How much input do I receive from a particular customer before producing my goods? * Am I making a one-of-a-kind good based solely on customer specifications, or am I producing high-volume standardized goods to be sold later? * Do I offer customers the option of â€Å"customizing† an otherwise standardized good to meet their specific needs? One way to appreciate the nature of this decision is by comparing three basic types of processes or methods: make-to-order, mass production, and mass customization. The task of the operations manager is to work with other managers, particularly marketers, to select the process that best serves the needs of the company’s customers. Make-to-Order At one time, most consumer goods, such as furniture and clothing, were made by individuals practicing various crafts. By their very nature, products were customized to meet the needs of the buyers who ordered them. This process, which is called a make-to-order strategymake-to-order strategyProduction method in which products are made to customer specification. is still commonly used by such businesses as print or sign shops that produce low-volume, high-variety goods according to customer specifications. Mass Production Automakers produce a high volume of cars in anticipation of future demand. By the early twentieth century, however, a new concept of producing goods had been introduced: mass production (or make-to-stock strategy)mass production (or make-to-stock strategy)Production method in which high volumes of products are made at low cost and held in inventory in anticipation of future demand. s the practice of producing high volumes of identical goods at a cost low enough to price them for large numbers of customers. Goods are made in anticipation of future demand (based on forecasts) and kept in inventory for later sale. This approach is particularly appropriate for standardized goods ranging from processed foods to electronic appliances. Mass Customization But there’s a disadvantage to mass production: customers, as one contemporary advertising slogan puts it, can’t â€Å"have it their way. They have to accept standardized products as they come off assembly lines. Increasingly, however, customers are looking for products that are designed to accommodate individual tastes or needs but can still be bought at reasonable prices. To meet the demands of these consumers, many companies have turned to an approach called mass customizationmass customizationProduction method in which fairly high volumes of customized products are made at fairly low prices. , which (as the term suggests) combines the advantages of customized products with those of mass production. This approach requires that a company interact with the customer to find out exactly what the customer wants and then manufacture the good, using efficient production methods to hold down costs. One efficient method is to mass-produce a product up to a certain cut-off point and then to customize it to satisfy different customers. The list of companies devoting at least a portion of their operations to mass customization is growing steadily. Perhaps the best-known mass customizer is Dell, which has achieved phenomenal success by allowing customers to configure their own personal computers. The Web has a lot to do with the growth of mass customization. Nike, for instance, now lets customers design their own athletic shoes on the firm’s Web site. Procter & Gamble offers made-to-order, personal-care products, such as shampoos and fragrances, while Mars, Inc. can make M&M’s in any color the customer wants (say, school colors). Naturally, mass customization doesn’t work for all types of goods. Most people don’t care about customized detergents or paper products. And while many of us like the idea of customized clothes from Levi’s or Lands’ End, we often aren’t willing to pay the higher prices they command.

Portfolio Management and Its Influences on Project Management Essay

In a project based organization, project management is directly controlled by strategic portfolio managers and a portfolio management department. This type of organization focuses on project development, progress and successful completion in relation to the strategic goals determined by top management. Multiple project proposals are constantly evaluated in terms of value, alignment to corporate strategies, and availability of resources to complete a project. In order for a project to proceed, portfolio managers must decide if a project is worthwhile and if it contributes to the goals of corporate strategies, and make the more difficult decision of which projects are more valuable to the organization in terms of achieving strategic goals (H. Kerzner, 2009). A large part of this process involves balancing short term projects with long term projects, assessing risk factors, and resource allocation. If a project is approved, then a project manager is assigned to oversee the project. The project manager has little influence on the resources and financing assigned to the project; that is determined by the portfolio manager and sponsor. The project manager is given a finite level of resources for a project and is expected to complete the project utilizing the allotted resources in an efficient manner. The portfolio manager assigns a project and the resources for the project to a project manager, and it is the responsibility of the project manager to complete the project without incurring the need to use added resources or financing. The project manager also is responsible for ongoing status reports of the progress to the portfolio manager and along with details regarding the efficient use of resources. If a project changes in scope or value, the portfolio manager has the authority to update resource availability to the project manager to fulfill the new requirements. Reference Kerzner, H. (2009). Project Management: A systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling (10th edition). John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken NJ.

A Review On Nelson Mandela History Essay

A Review On Nelson Mandela History Essay Nelson Mandela, the first democratic South Africa president was not just a great leader due to her leadership skills and traits, but also because he was a leader with a vision, persistence and courage. He is considered one of the greatest leaders of 21st century and a hero to many for his actions and personality. Nelson is a great leader, a leader other modern leaders need to emulate, if they need to fight corruption and provide the best leadership to those below them. Nelson Mandela aka Madiba was a leader by birth and a leader to the end as until today many people see him as a leader although retired. In his first year in Fort Hare University, he started involving himself in the council representing students, called SRC, which was opposing harsh and unfair policies in the University. After retiring in 1999, he went ahead and formed organizations to help other people mostly those with HIV in South Africa. Mandela was a leader with a vision that he ensured it was fulfilled no matter the hindrances. During his trial, he said that he had fought the dominion of white and that of black people and he was ready to die to ensure that all people had the same rights, irrespective of their race. During his 27 years in jail, he continued to influence and fight apartheid through his wife Winnie Mandela. He even studied a bachelor in law from London External Program University while still in the prison with no hope of when he was to be released. In all times, Mandela was a leader who sacrificed himself for the benefit of other. He sacrificed his youth and life to fight against racialism. At age of 20, he was still involved in fighting apartheid. He even went to jail for 27 years just because of his stand of equal rights to white, black and colored people. After being in jail for 27 years for his country, he became the president for only four years and then retired in order to give chance for another leader to lead South Africa (Klerk, 2). Moreover, he even sacrificed his g ood peaceful retirement just to cater for those people with HIV and AIDs and those poor. These are great sacrifices that not all leaders mostly todayà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s leaders can be able to do just for the sake of those under them. An influential characteristic was one of his traits. To support this, when he was in first year, he was ordered to leave the University due to his involvement in boycotts and his great influence which the university saw as a threat. They even black mailed him by asking him to be elected in SRC if he wanted to remain a student in the university. Another indication that he is an influential person is that still when in prison, he was able to gain supporters both inside and outside the prison with the help of his wife Winnie. When he came out of prison, all people with one voice wanted him to become the president even the former president, as he was able to convince all that he was indeed the leader they were looking for.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE - Essay Example The pilot group will usually undergo the clinical trial, while the control group is barely affected. By using the confidence interval function, the researcher will possibly avoid erroneous conclusions that the pilot and control group have the same result in case non-significant results are reported. Furthermore, the pilot study in this case measured the Critical Reading of Research Journals Plus teachings with nurses in intensive care units. The purpose for the study was to determine whether the experience of improved education, from published research, would improve nurses’ research self-efficiency. Swenson-Britt and Reineck (2009) show that, the statistical significance from the pilot study by conducting a paired t-test, there is an increase on three out of the four subscales in research self-efficiency. However, the clinical significance from this study reveals that using a course may or may not improve research self-efficacy of nurses under practice (Swenson-Britt & Reineck, 2009, p. 460-461). While including a mentor would most probably improve the result, the clinical significance conclusion seems weaker. In conclusion, researcher may rely on one of the two contrasting approaches to decision making-the clinical significance or statistical significance. The former seems to hinge on the researcher’s judgmental interpretation and accuracy, while the latter seems to be robust in my opinion. This is because statistical significance over a long time has proved to be uncorrelated to research findings and has exhibited greater accuracy in its approach. Swenson-Britt, E., & Reineck, C. (January 01, 2009). Research education for clinical nurses: a pilot study to determine research self-efficacy in critical care nurses. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 40, 10,

The Five Pillars of Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Five Pillars of - Essay Example ncerely reciting the Muslim profession of faith, Salat: performing ritual prayers in the proper way five times each day, Zakat: paying an alms (or charity) tax to benefit the poor and the needy, Sawm: fasting during the month of Ramadan, Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca†. (bbc.co.uk, 2009) The first pillar, Shahadah requires that Muslims recite â€Å"There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger† (bbc.co.uk, 2009). This is an important requirement, a breach of which might amount to blasphemy and even apostasy. This rule ensures that an individual member of the faith completely and unconditionally submits himself to Allah and his messenger Prophet Muhammad. The Salat, the second pillar of Islam is a way to discipline the mind and body by offering prayers five times a day. The ideal times to perform these prayers are dawn, midday, late afternoon, after sunset and before midnight. This habit is inculcated into children as young as seven years of age, so that they will continue it in their adult lives. Since Islam was founded in the Middle-East, which is close to the equator, the Salat helped organize a day into different parts. There is evidence to suggest that the Salat has been practiced by Muslims since the time of Prophet Mohammad in 7th Century A.D. (Fareed, 2008, p.60) The third pillar, called the Zakat serves a social and economic function in that it ensures that the meek and the poor get their basic needs fulfilled. Zakat serves a function, which in modern nation-states would be termed a social welfare mechanism. What is remarkable about this observance is that it offers a practical solution to the problem of poverty among Islamic communities. The fourth pillar is the Sawm, which stands for fasting. The most devout expression of this pillar of Islam is during the month of Ramadan. During this month, Muslims do not take food or drink of any kind during day time. They also abstain from smoking and sexual intercourse. While all Muslims aspire

The Accounting Cycle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Accounting Cycle - Essay Example 5) Preparation of an adjusted trial balance. 6) Using the information given in the adjusted trial balance, preparation of the financial statements. 7) Entering closing entries into the general journal and then to the general ledger. 8) Preparation of the post closing trial balance. The transaction must be identified from an authentic or original source. These sources can include deposit slips, invoices, purchase orders etc. This steps provides important information about the date on which the transaction took place, the amount of transaction, description and, if it is possible, the name and contact information of the party with which the dealings took place. In this step, the accounts that are being affected because of the transaction are determined. The effect includes either an increase or a decrease. The amount by which they are being affected must also be determined. The transaction must be then entered into the journal. This must be done on both, the credit and the debit sides of the journal. There are some important facts that must be considered. A general journal is always maintained in the chronological order. Journal may refer to the general journal, the sales journal, cash receipts journal and so on. Entries are posted in the trial balance. A trial balance presents a list of all accounts (transactions) and their balances. The purpose of this step is to verify whether or not the sum of the credit and debit sides is equal. If they are unequal, the trial balance must be adjusted. The trial balance that has unequal sides can mean that there is a problem. This step involves preparation and posting of deferred and accrued transactions to the T- ledger accounts journals. Adjusting entries are usually made on the last day of the given accounting period. The reason for this is to ensure that the financial statements reflect the revenue earned during the given period

Framework for conflict analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Framework for conflict analysis - Essay Example During the late 90s, a transfer of power in the Kremlin saw the emergence of Vladimir Putin as the head of the State. At about the same time, the tension in Chechnya began to simmer with the repeated skirmishes involving Chechen militants, who had now begun to target people in the neighboring Russian republics (John Russell, 2007). The Situation in Chechnya can be attributed to a similar situation in Africa, where smaller states have been trying to break off from bigger powers. Russia on the other hand, has always resorted to mass bombings and oppressive techniques to keep the region under its control. In doing so, Russia has violated several international conventions in areas such as Human rights, which has added to the animosity within the Chechen population (Bruno Coppieters, 2002). Additionally, it it is the Chechen civilians who have borne the brunt of this long period of oppression and it is thus quite natural for them to rebel any perceived occupation. Since the inception of the Soviet Union, Stalin was of the view that western powers were colluding to overthrow the communists. In doing so, he always viewed the Chechens as collaborators and deported them to Kazakhstan in order to prevent any mass uprising. With Stalin’s death, the Chechens were allowed to return to their homeland. This has been one of the main contribution that has helped keep Chechen nationalism active. Russia began to offensive in 1999 through a massive air campaign which began with the eviction of separatists from the neighboring republic of Dagestan. This was followed by a massive land offensive that consisted of shelling and ground troops. The Chechen rebels launched their fight from the mountains and resorted to Guerilla warfare. They mingled in the local population and carried out surprise attacks on the advancing Russian troops. However, this made

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 28

History - Essay Example Since these pieces serve as the most powerful, reliable and authentic sources of exploring the social norms, cultural values, religious rituals, taboos, mores, traditions, conventions, folklore and festivals, the historians, archeologists, cultural anthropologists and intellectuals declare them as the most dynamic donation one has granted to his culture (Walton, 2006). The same is applied to the given passages and pictures representing the Tang and Song dynasties of Medieval China. The given literature endorses the very notion that the elite stratum of the then Chinese society used to enjoy leisure hours after the completion of the tasks and professional obligations of the stratum. Hence, it ratifies Theory of Leisure Class articulated by Thorstein Veblen in 1899 that the elite or leisure class consumes its free hours after work in gossiping, arranging parties and embarking upon literary pursuits (Veblen, 2007). Since this class contained time, resources and opportunities in plenty, it did not have to get worried regarding their income and expenditures etc. Consequently, the class was expected to consume money, take food, drink wine, make fun and rejoice itself through amusement and recreational activities. Renowned English poet of Classical Era Alexander Pope has also elucidated the revelry-making activities of the elite stratum by portraying the everlasting character of the protagonist Belinda in his illustrious Rape of the Lock. The history of ancient cultures of Greece and Rome portray the kings and queen as habitual to dissipation and immoral activities while enjoying their leisure hours (Blond, 2000). The same was the position of the ruling class of Ottoman Empire, India and France. The French Revolution 1789 was actually the thunderous reaction to the dissipation made by the royalty and courtiers at the expense of the poor and downtrodden masses, who paid heavy taxes and thus underwent hunger and starvation for many days for the