Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Stress in Pushing Tin Film Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Stress in Pushing Tin Film - Case Study Example Further, stress can also make reference to a part of life which is ubiquitous in which researchers have intimated that there are different types of stress. Essentially, acute stress is one type of stress, which denotes the one in which an individual is excited, hence becoming an exciting stress where this type of stress keeps a person alert and also active. Chronic stress is the other type of stress whereby it affects the body by causing health problems in which this reaction may result from the body experiencing tension or when it senses danger. Based on this, the process in which the body reacts to these stimuli is known as fight or flight where the hormones react to the surge all through the body. Drawing from this, the Pushing Tin film outlines stress at the workplace clearly as portrayed by the characters in the same (Dewe et. al 1). For one, Nick Falzone together with his colleagues, where their job is to ensure that there is no traffic in the air, become proud and start to brag about the way they are capable of coping with extreme stress found in their job. These workmates go to the extent of comparing themselves with half of the new employees who have quit the job because they lacked the ability to manage the work-related stress. However, it does not take long before Nick and his fellow colleagues are joined by a confident man known as Russell Bell, who challenges them with his ability for coping with the work-related stress despite him applying difficult and dangerous techniques. Therefore, Nick becomes very stressed and even stubs Russell at the back by making false claims to their director, that include Russells being a reckless cannon, by saying that he had seen him daring an aircraft to be propelled violently making Nick even more stressful. Work stress is also experienced by  the members of the Tracon when they are threatened that there would is a bomb scheduled to destroy them together with the facility hence leading to physiological stress.

Econ Article Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Econ Article Analysis - Assignment Example This left them with options of either to cut back on farming sharply or to buy water up to four times the regular price. Therefore, this excerpt summarizes various economic theories that are highlighted on the article by fortune Tech. Notably, supply and demand is a critical in economics; essentially, demand refers to the desire of a product or services by buyers whereas supply refers to the extent to which the market can offer. In other words, demand is the price that people are willing to purchase the demand quantity and this relationship forms a demand relationship. On the other hand, the amount that suppliers will be willing to supply given a certain offer is the quantity supplied and this correlation is termed as supply relationship. For instance, there comes a time that supply outstrips the demand and an example would be the case of a third generation farmer â€Å"Woolf† who grows onions garlic and tomatoes. Her intentions were to cultivate on half of her farm since customers were asking more of their product. They cannot deliver because water is still the problem3. Experts have said that an estimate of 500 000 acres of rich land will be left fallow this year and keeping in line with the laws of demand and supply food prices will rise. Most of the things with high demand are very limited. Since we live in a world where wants are unlimited, the available resources to satisfy our wants are limited too. Demand and supply explain how prices are determined in a market system. This is reflected by the demand curve and a demanding schedule. The law of demand has a negative correlation between quantity of goods that consumers need and the price they are ready and able to pay, when other factors are held constant. The factors that affect demand other than price include price of related goods that are substitutes and compliments, income, tastes and preference, population and demographics, and expected future prices. Therefore, changes in any of these

Monday, October 28, 2019

English as a Second Language Essay Example for Free

English as a Second Language Essay Originally, England’s linguistic changes made English the second language and over the years, second language teaching has undergone a lot of erratic changes. Religious schools have greatly influenced the moral and cultural framing of English at this point in time. UK was also the center of developmental English teaching during World War II. Pioneers such as Harold Palmer, Michael West and Lawrence Fawcett triumphed in founding principled basis for teaching English as a second language. These strategies and methodologies derived from teaching of English on Great Britain were adjoined with other existing forms from overseas settings. In general, English is the first and widely taught foreign or second language and is considered as a medium language for education. Today, it is a common context to learn or study more than two languages. Pope stated, â€Å"English represents access to specific knowledge and skills and tends to be identified with the technology and science as well as the economic and cultural models of the modern 32). Different approaches such as communication, vocabulary and grammar are used in teaching English as a second language. Learning also depends on the fluency level aim, if it is purposely learnt for specific tasks or if the learner wants to achieve a native speaking tongue. English and other foreign languages can be mastered through live encounters or cross-cultural communication and study or technical translation. Early introduction of English in schools poses an academic advantage when it comes to learning the language. Basically, background knowledge of English and other foreign language is one of the most important things to consider. Reading is a cardinal skill in learning. It enhances metalinguistic awareness but for some reason, it can become a hindrance and a false knowledge. Students tend to enjoy meaningful conversation more than teachers’ theoretical strategies of detailed vocabulary and grammar lessons and this causes the problem in comprehension. Since some students do not deliberately concentrate on their reading skills and focus more on conversing, complete understanding is not achieved and it is merely viewed as a plain reading. Children at a very young age study two or more foreign languages and sometimes, English is rather a third language. Schools and educators sometimes forget to pay attention over the verity that it could be too much for young children to learn multiple languages all at the same time. For universities that use English for substantial academic paper works and materials, reading is crucial. But every teacher and learner should focus on the remaining language skills: listening, speaking, writing, and assessment, even if these are all adjunct to the capital skill that is reading. It is important for the teacher to have a considerable degree of attention towards the native language of the learner because native language plays a vital role in understanding a foreign language. English is the universal language. In some instances, teachers also experience difficulty expressing thoughts in English and this indicates that it is hard to achieve proficiency even if an individual has the basic and complex knowledge of the language. Teachers and educators’ goal should not be for the learners to achieve a native speaking tongue that flawlessly pronounces tones and speaks vocabulary and grammar perfectly. The ultimate goal is for students to learn how to listen, speak, write and read in English in a manner of complete comprehension and not necessarily to acquire a native speaking tongue. Works Cited Pope, Rob. â€Å"The English studies book: an introduction to language, literature and culture. † 2002). Routledge. 420 Smith, Richard C. â€Å"Wren and Wyatt†. 2003). Routledge.

Pervious concrete and traditional concrete

Pervious concrete and traditional concrete CHAPTER 1 Introduction Background to Research Problem Once it has been established that a car park or driveway is required, it is then very important to ensure the client assesses which material of surfacing is required. The client needs to prioritise what is most important to them regarding time, cost, and availability and how sustainable the material may be. Majority of contractors within the UK construction industry will use traditional concrete with regular drainage systems unaware that pervious concrete is available (Offenburg 2008). Therefore, it is important to examine and perform a comparison between traditional and pervious concrete regarding cost, availability, durability, maintenance and sustainability. Pervious concrete is fairly easy to define; it is concrete that allows water to flow through it. Where traditional concrete is a very solid material, pervious concrete leaves void spaces throughout, allowing water to flow through it. Pervious concrete has a low water to cement ratio and contains none, or very little sand. It typically has a void content of 15% to 25% creating a structure resembling a Rice Krispies ® treat, allowing as much as eight gallons of water per square foot to pass through per minute (McMillan 2007). This type of concrete is traditionally used in driveways, car parks, greenhouses, pedestrian walkways and roads with light traffic. However, it can also be utilised for a variety of different paving projects. Pervious concrete has been around for approximately 20 years but has only recently started to expand further into the market due to the material meeting Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) storm water regulations. The increase in demand for pervious concrete used on projects has increased extensively in the US within the last three to four years, which during the last year has caught on here in the UK construction industry. The reason as to why the material has caught the eye of the UK construction industry may be due to the tremendous potential the material has had on scaling back the negative impact that traditional concrete has had on the environment, by eliminating storm water runoff, removing pollutants and even recycling the storm water captured. However, many developers fail to see beyond costs of impervious implementations and therefore adoption has been slow. Traditional concrete has been around for decades and has been the most popular type of concrete used in the UK, however a reform was needed as traditional concrete has many negative impacts such its negative effect on the climate and its ineffective drainage issues. Pervious concrete can be used in most situations as an alternative to traditional concrete. (Buller 2006). However the there are many issues which The core purpose of this research report aims to identify how pervious concrete compares to traditional concrete in relation to costs, availability, durability, maintenance and sustainability in the UK. Strategic Aim To conduct a survey to investigate how the pervious concrete has impacted the UK construction industry and how it compares to the already established traditional concrete in terms of cost, availability, durability, maintenance and sustainability. Tactical Objectives 1. To determine if pervious concrete is just as strong and durable as traditional concrete. 2. To analyse the costs involved in producing and constructing both materials. 3. To examine the available certified skilled contractors who are available to lay the products. 4. To critically analyse future outcomes of the pervious product and see if it measures up to traditional concrete in the long run in aspects of durability, maintenance and overall long term savings 5. To evaluate the sustainable properties between pervious and traditional concrete. Research Hypothesis The use of pervious concrete over the world has been on the increase over the past few years. While pervious concrete has become more and more popular, there are still many questions to be answered regarding the application of it before it becomes a widely accepted material. This dissertation will now go on with a critical review of the literature to investigate the real differences between pervious and traditional concrete. The methodology which has been used and the reasoning behind this will follow in a chapter. The final chapter of the dissertation will draw a conclusion from in depth information and results gathered subsequently recommendations will be made. CHAPTER 2 Literature Review Critical Review This section of the dissertation will look at the literature relating to pervious concrete and traditional concrete. It will review both materials in terms of terms of cost, availability, durability, maintenance and sustainability in the UK. Finally, this section seeks to understand if pervious concrete is just as good as traditional concrete and understand the subsequent attainments and problems with both materials. There has been a lot written on traditional concrete worldwide as its such a popular material however pervious concrete has little information available in the UK and most information is based from the USA where pervious concrete has been tried and tested and put into use. Concrete plays an essential part in civil engineering with most structures using it in one way or the other. Its evolution dates back to the Roman Empire as it was widely used in most Roman structures, thereby moving from stone and brick construction. However, since then the face of construction has radically changed with buildings built over tens of floors regularly and tunnels built underwater using pre-cast concrete. Hence, the array of construction materials available, including concrete, have evolved significantly since and improved. Concrete plays a very important role in the UK economy. It contributes to almost 10% of the overall economic growth and employs a significant amount of labour. According to Sustainable Concrete (2010), the UK exported 535,000 tonnes of ready-mixed concrete, which was worth  £9million to the economy. Traditional concrete is the most basic form of concrete and is very easily available for consumers. According to Popovics, S. (1992, pp. 1), concrete is composed of three to four basic ingredients. These include: * Hydraulic cement, otherwise known as Portland cement * Mineral aggregates * Water * Admixtures Hydraulic cement is one of the key constituents to forming concrete and greatly impacts the strength of the resulting mixture. Schwartz (1993, pp. 91) states ratio of Portland cement in concrete directly affects the strength and cost of the concrete. The more cement in a mix, the stronger and more expensive it is. Mineral aggregates typically consist of gravelled stones or stone-like solids. The purpose of aggregates is to significantly reduce the required content of cement, the costliest component within concrete. Additionally, it helps a constructor minimise the creep, or deformation caused over a long time, caused by the resulting mixture. Popovics, S. (1992, pp. 275) state that aggregates occupies roughly three-fourths of the total concrete volume. By adding water to this mix, the loose mixture of cement and mineral aggregates gel into a thicker and more solid mix. Schwartz (1993, pp. 91) states water/cement ratios may go from high-strength concrete, to 8.5 to 1 for a low-strength mix. By adding too little of the water, one can risk making the concrete too weak. Thus, based on the concretes usage and cost constraints the mixture of the underlying constituents can be varied. It is possible to engineer the mixtures property based on its intended use by adding admixtures. Perkins (1997, pp. 22) defines admixtures as a chemical compound that is added in small proportion to the concrete mixture to produce a desired characteristic. The types of admixtures used are accelerators, set retarders and water reducers. For example, the purpose of accelerators is to increase the initial reaction between the cement and the water, whereas the set retarders do the exact reverse. According to Perkins (1997, pp. 22), UK is well behind Continental Europe, USA and other developed markets in terms of extent of usage of admixtures within concrete. For decades, concrete has been one of the preferred construction materials owing to its excellent technical properties. One of its main traits is its high compressive strength due to which it is used in applications such as columns. However, its tensile strength is roughly one-tenths of its compressive strength. Thus, in order to improve its tensile strength it is reinforced with steel, which creates a strong bond with concrete. When loaded over a long period, traditional concrete can prove to be susceptible failure and in some case even eventual failure. From a UK context, concretes performance against cold and wet weather would be crucial. Pigeon et al (1995, pp 33) state that concrete can freeze in its saturated state and cause tensile stress within the material due to the formation of ice crystals in the pores of the concrete. However, if the concrete is not cured or reinforced effectively then it could cause its performance to weaken and, under worst cases, eventual failure. Typically, the strength of concrete is measured by its compressive strength, which is its strongest feature. According to Abeles et al (2003, pp. 21), strength of concrete increases with age, with the rate of increase dependent on the quality of cement and aggregates used. The content and cost of the concrete can be varied depending on its application. Commercially, the strength of concrete is quoted based on its weight and the compressive strength it would attain after 28 days. For example, C20 concrete would stand for a normal weight concrete and a compressive strength of 20 N/mm2. NRMCA (2003) quote that concretes compressive strength can be varied from 2500 psi, or 17 Mpa, for residential concrete to 4000 psi, or 28 Mpa, upwards for commercial structures. The variation in strength is primarily due to water-cement ratio, admixtures and curing process among others. Availability of concrete for commercial purposes typically depends on the constituents and the location of the building works. For example, admixtures work best when introduced immediately after the wetting of the cement and might require the mixing to be done on-site rather than in a factory. Additionally, the location of quarries and sourcing of materials (Contract Journal, 2008) is crucial in understanding availability and the distribution pipeline. Most UK concrete companies are fully capable of sourcing all components of concrete themselves. For example, Brett Group, one of UKs leading construction groups, provides customers with a wide range of options from type of aggregates to the type of job. However, it is even more dependent on its usage. For use in residential repairs, it is usually procured from local stores by components and mixed on-site, whereas if it is for a larger project then it would be pre-cast and delivered by the manufacturers. For example, the construction of Eurotunnel was made possible by use of pre-cast concrete supports embedded on a concrete track. Maintenance of traditional concrete is crucial to provide long-term serviceability for users. Failure to implement an adequate control process can result in expensive repairs. In some cases, cracks can start to appear on the concrete as load starts to increase over time. This would necessitate usage of sealants, which act to bridge the cracks with an adhesive material. In the UK, some of the common failures of concrete (St. Astier, 2009) are due to: * Poor maintenance incorrect diagnosis * Inefficient waterproofing capabilities causing excessive penetration of moisture * Excessive carbonation or chloride levels Traditional concrete is a resource and energy dependent material, as it requires material from large quarries and factories to prepare the concrete. The UK construction industry currently uses 400 million tonnes of resources per year, of which 10% are unused product going straight to a landfill (Sustainable Concrete, 2010). Additionally, each year structures that are beyond repair are demolished and taken to the landfills. All this combined, yield a large wastage of resources. However, instead of letting this waste go unused it is possible to re-cycle them by crushing them and using them as aggregates within the concrete mixture. According to the Concrete Centre (2010), it is their vision to ensure that by 2012, the UK concrete industry will be recognized as the leader in sustainable construction, by taking a dynamic role in delivering a sustainable built environment in a manner that is profitable, socially responsible and functions within environmental limits. Traditional concrete, despite its many advantages, does not perform well in precipitous environment. Pervious concrete allows for air and water to flow freely through the mixture. This limits the runoff from its surface and enhances drainage features. SE Cement (2008) defines pervious concrete as a mixture of Portland cement, water, coarse aggregate and almost no sand. The key feature of this mixture is that it has 15-25% void within its volume. The air pockets within the concrete allow for water to seep through the structure and perform as normal. It is also necessary to ensure that the coarse aggregates are not too loose and get carried away with water. Thus, the mixing and placing process has to be carefully carried out such that the water and Portland cement are coagulated well to form a thick paste around the aggregates. This is crucial to maintain a well-connected system of voids to ensure effective drainage of water. Pervious concrete is particularly useful in parking lots, riverbanks and areas that are highly precipitous as it limits the interference of water and easy drainage of water. According to Limbachiya (2009, pp.554), the use of pervious concrete dates back to 1852. Its use became further widespread following the Second World War and increased construction activity. According to Brandt (2009, pp. 63), the porous nature of pervious concrete makes it less strong than traditional concrete. Even then, compressive strength of 50 MPa can be reached with small size aggregates and usage of the right admixtures. The reduced compressive strength has led to its restrictive use such as roadways with low to medium traffic. However, SE Cement (2010) estimates that for most applications compressive strengths of 3.5 to 27.5 MPa will suffice. Despite its strong performance in precipitous climate, there are questions that remain to be answered regarding its durability in colder climates. Traditional concrete is subject to cracking through the normal thaw and freeze cycle that occurs in colder areas of the country. Such conditions have been simulated to test the performance of pervious concrete and it was found by Delatte (2008, pp. 118) that the durability of pervious concrete was poor when the void system was filled with water. They have also indicated that the durability was improved when the moisture in the voids was drained and the cement paste air-entrained. The mixing process and labour costs for pervious concrete are far more involved than that of traditional concrete. Thus, Limbachiya (2009, pp. 556) expects the initial costs of pervious concrete to be higher than those for traditional concrete because of the thicker installed size of pervious concrete. However, it is worth noting that the additional investment made is for a particular purpose, i.e. the porous structure of the concrete. Thus, the extra cost should be weighed against this advantage gained over its lifetime. Since pervious concrete would need to be customised for the region and application by customers, most manufacturing companies use a large distribution system to minimize delays in batching for customers. Limbachiya (2009, pp. 556) states that maintenance of pervious concrete pavements is a highly debatable subject. They proceed to state that structures not maintained well continue to perform well, although not at the initial infiltration rates which is its key objective. However, one key concern within pervious concrete is to prevent any clogging of void structures within it, as this would fail one of its objectives, i.e. to be porous. Typically, proper maintenance of pervious concrete pavements includes vacuum sweeping or power washing. Pressure washing of a clogged pervious concrete pavement has restored it to 80-90% of its original permeability (Pervious Concrete, 2009). Structures such as shopping malls and buildings have roadways and parking lots around for vehicle use. If these pavements are built using traditional concrete, then they risk flooding under heavy rain. Thus, zoning regulations necessitate controls such as retention ponds, which essentially collect the excess water on the pavements from the rain. This requires extra capital investment and resources for setting up. However, if instead of traditional concrete, pervious concrete is used to create the pavements, then the excess water on the surface percolates through the voids in the concrete into the soil underneath. This eliminates ponding on the pavement and preserves more land, capital and resources for alternate use. However, the basic configuration of pervious concrete allows all liquids to go through the voids. A more environment friendly version of pervious concrete was developed in the UK, in 1999, where in surface water is allowed to pass through to a specially engineered sub-base while oils and other water pollutants are retained (Concrete Products, 1999). This ensures that the water table under the pavement does not get contaminated. Within the UK, a unique standard for drainage technology called Concrete Block Permeable Paving (CBPP) has been set-up. According to Paving (2010), this code has been championed by all the major pre-cast concrete paving manufacturers in the UK. Such developments will be positive for the progress of the sustainability within UKs pavement community and minimise damage to the environment from constructions. Critical Appraisal This literature review has analysed the features of two popular variants of concrete traditional and pervious. In particular, it has discussed the basic composition, durability, availability costs, and finally sustainability. It has been identified that both types of concrete have their advantages and drawbacks. Sustainability remains a very important subject within the construction industry in the UK, with the government imposing landfill and aggregate taxes to discourage resource-intensive manufacturers. Additionally, manufacturers are paying increasing attention towards climate change in order to provide protection to the pavements over the life cycle rather than repairing or replacing the structure frequently. Concrete repairs have been a major issue for the UK economy. This has been further accentuated by the rapid expansion of the UK construction industry, which contributes to roughly 10% of the GDP. According to Mays (1992, pp XI), approximately  £500 million is being spent annual on concrete repairs in the UK. This clearly stresses the fact that it is essential to understand the context of concretes application, as it is better to install the right type of concrete rather than to repair and re-install at a later stage. Product Design and Methodology Scope of the Chapter In order to investigate pervious and traditional concrete a suitable and relevant methodology had to be adopted to collect information required. For this procedure the most appropriate procedures seen were a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches. This allowed quantitative information to be collected on the respondents individual experiences with both pervious and traditional concrete together with their qualitative views on its effectiveness. The data collected was from a primary source. Rationale of the Research Questionnaire To investigate pervious and traditional concrete a number of different groups within the UK Construction industry could have been sampled such as contractors, clients and designers. A poor targeting of questionnaires would have revealed a lower response rate. A person with a limited knowledge of pervious and traditional concrete could have completed the questionnaire but this would have given misleading set of results. The best solution to overcome this would be to go straight to the correct References Popovics, S. (1992), Concrete materials: properties, specifications, and testing, 2nd Edition, Noyes Publication, New Jersey Schwartz, M. (1993), Basic Engineering for Builders, Craftsman Book Company, USA Perkins, P.H., (1997), Repair, protection and waterproofing of concrete structures, 3rd Edition, Chapman Hall, UK Pigeon, M., Pleau, R., (1995), Durability of concrete in cold climates, 1st Edition, Chapman Hall, UK St. Astier (2009), Concrete Repairs FAQs, http://www.st-astier.co.uk/concrete-repair-coatings/concrete-repair-faqs (Date viewed, 24 Jan 2010) Contract Journal (2008), The market for concrete products is ever-changing, 9 July 2008, http://www.contractjournal.com/Articles/2008/07/09/60162/the-market-for-concrete-products-is-ever-changing.html (Date viewed, 27 Jan 2010) Sustainable Concrete (2009), Sustainable Concrete, http://www.sustainableconcrete.org.uk/main.asp?page=4 (Date viewed, 26 Jan 2010) Abeles, P.W., Bardhan-Roy, B.K., (2003), Prestressed concrete designers handbook, 3rd Edition, Spon Press, London Brandt, A. M., (2009), Cement Based Composites: Materials, Mechanical Properties, and Performance, 2nd Edition, Taylor Francis, UK Mays, G., (2001), Durability of concrete structures: investigation, repair, protection,2nd Edition, Spon Press, London Southeast Cement (2010), What is pervious concrete?, Portland Cement Association, Concrete Products (1999), Porous concrete promotes greener water system, 1 December 1999, http://concreteproducts.com/mag/concrete_porous_concrete_promotes/ Pervious Pavements (2009), Inspection and Maintenance, 2009, http://www.perviouspavement.org/inspection%20and%20maintenance.htm (Date viewed, 26 Jan 2010) Limbachiya, M.C., (2009), Excellence in Concrete Construction Through Innovation, Taylor Francis Group, UK Delatte, N., (2008), Concrete Pavement, Design, Construction and Performance, 1st Edition, Taylor Francis Group, UK Paving (2009), Block Paving, http://www.paving.org.uk/block_paving.php (Date viewed, 27 Jan 2010) Offenburg, M. (2008, March). Producing Pervious Pavement. Concrete International. March, 2005, p 50, Retrieved 1 November, 2009 from proqest database, p 50. Schueler, T. R, (1994). The importance of imperviousness. Watershed Protection Techniques 1(3):100-111, pp 100-105 Ready mixed concrete (n.d), Retrieved 1 November 2007 from the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association Web Site: http://nrmca.org/aboutconcrete/types.asp Naoum, S G (2006), Dissertation research and writing for construction students, 2nd Edition. EPA Storm water technology fact sheet porous pavement (1999). Retrieved 5 December, 2009 from http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/porouspa.pdf Natural approaches to storm water management permeable pavement. (n.d.) Puget Sound Action Team Publications. Retrieved October 2009 from the Puget Sound Action Team Online Website: http://www.psat.wa.gov/Publications/LID_studies/permeable_pavement.htm McMillian, T (2007), Comparing Traditional Concrete to Permeable Concrete for a Community College Pavement Application. 8.0 Further Reading Richard Kirkham. (2007), Ferry and Brandons Cost Planning of Buildings, Blackwell Publishing, London Chudley, R. (2002), Building Construction Handbook: Incorporating Current Building and Construction Regulations. Spons Press, London Construction News (2008), Pervious Pavements : 1st October, p32. Stenmark, C. 1995. An Alternative Road Construction for Stormwater Management. Water Science and Technology, 32(1): 79-84.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard Essay -- Literary Analysis, Gray

The Declaration of Independence contains a snippet about the equality of men; a topic interesting to 18th century authors. The speakers in Gray’s â€Å"Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard† and in Goldsmith’s â€Å"The Deserted Village† utilize the themes of death and isolation in order to represent the different social classes. Goldsmith’s speaker idealizes and mourns the decay of rural life, while Gray’s speaker equalizes the different classes. . This essay examines the difference between these two depictions and shows how Gray’s use of stylistic features creates a more convincing argument. Goldsmith’s speaker begins nostalgically for the â€Å"loveliest village of the plain,† (1) by listing the town’s virtues which include â€Å"The never-failing brook, the busy mill, The decent church [.]† (11-12) Goldsmith uses this imagery to contrast the current state of the village, he goes on to say that â€Å"These were thy charms—But all these charms are fled.† (34) Here, the speaker urges readers to admonish the loss of the village’s charms by destroying the imagery created by the first 33 lines. He continues the description of the land as â€Å"forlorn† (76), but while the villagers were forced to abandon the area, the speaker’s nostalgia implies that he chose to leave. This nostalgia implies that the speaker’s depiction of the village could be highly romanticized. The speaker likens the loss of the village with a much greater problem, â€Å"The country blooms—a garden, and a grave.† (302) He suggests that this is not an isolated problem, but an epidemic that is happening all over the country. The village is lost to make room for a garden and a grave; the first belongs to the nobility and the later to the peasant. His portrayal of the New World supports th... ...dsmith seems to associate with the nobility. He goes on to speak of wealth saying â€Å"This wealth is but a name That leaves our useful products still the same.† (273-274) The use of enjambment forces the reader to quickly read over wealth, the effect makes wealth seem less important which mimics the actual words themselves, thus Goldsmith suggests that wealth is of very little importance in life. Both speakers advocate a respect for the rural class, while Gray’s speaker does it by likening the greats to the common men; Goldsmith uses hyperbole to lessen the appeal of the upper class. Gray’s work is succinct and contains many stylistic elements that encourage readers to see social classes as transparent and not as limiting. Goldsmith portrays the upper class as the death of rural life, whereas Gray’s speaker portrays the classes as not being mutually exclusive.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Female Deception in Hippolytus: The Ruin of Men Essay examples -- Gree

Female Deception in Hippolytus: The Ruin of Men Works Cited Missing In Ancient Greece, deceit was considered to be part of a woman's nature and an inherent female characteristic. It was generally believed that a good woman was the result of the careful cultivation of her morals by her guardians, and if left to her own devices, a woman was apt to be wicked. The deceit of women is a theme that shows up often in Ancient Greek literature, and many Ancient Greek authors portray women as jealous, plotting, deceitful, and vengeful creatures capable of destroying the men affiliated with them. Hippolytus, a tragedy by Euripides, is an excellent example of the Greek notion of the deception of women because it involves the deceit of a goddess as well as two women. In the beginning of the tragedy a very jealous Aphrodite delivers a self-serving justification of her actions as she prepares to punish the virgin Hippolytus. Aphrodite's reason for wanting to castigate Hippolytus is really quite selfish. She is extremely angry with him because he has sworn off physical love and he honors Artemis, the goddess of chastity rather than her, Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Scheming Aphrodite who made Phaedra, Hippolytus' step-mother, Phaedra, fall in love with Hippolytus, decides to reveal Phaedra's love because she knows that if Theseus, Hippolytus' father, discovers Phaedra's secret, "all shall come out," the truth will be revealed, "father shall slay son with curses," and Hippolytus will be ruined (line 43 and line44). As Aphrodite, who appears to be so hateful and cold, plots his demise she vengefully says, "He [Hippolytus] does not know that the doors of death are upon him, ... ...ent son. Although Theseus, unlike Hippolytus who was killed, still has his life, his life is now miserably filled with regret and guilt. The deception of women leads one man to his bitter death and another man to a life filled with remorse. Ultimately, the men's lives are ruined. In Hippolytus, three women, a goddess, a nurse, and a wife, each exemplify the Greek idea of the deceitful woman. Even though two of the women are from different social classes and positions and one of the women is an immortal goddess, they share something in common; none of them can evade their inescapable, natural female inclination toward trickery and deception. All of these women surrender to their cunning, duplicitous sides, and the people who pay the price for their deceitful deeds are the men connected to them whose lives are completely shattered.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Analysis of Durkheim’s “The Elementary Forms of Religious Essay

As described in Durkheim’s The Elementary Forms of Religious Life, a totem is apparent in every society. A totem is a symbolic figure of some creature, being, or thing that represents the sanctity and principle of god. Essentially, a totem is a profane, ordinary object that has been deemed by society to have some holy, sacred characteristics. With this being said, the object itself does not have any holy or sacred qualities; rather it is merely the representation of the totem that holds these characteristics. For example, if a society’s totem is a turtle then an actual turtle would merely be a turtle, but when the turtle is presented as a totemic emblem then this symbolic representation of the turtle is sacred. Durkheim argues that, because the totem is a socially constructed representation of god then the totem itself represents society as well. Durkheim makes this assumption evidently clear by stating that â€Å"the god of the clan, the totemic principle, can therefore be nothing else than the clan itself, personified and represented to the imagination under the visible form of the animal or vegetable which serves as totem. From this, one can conclude that Durkheim viewed the worship of totem as worshipping society. Durkheim goes on to make the argument that god and society are â€Å"equivalent. † God is an outside, figurative force that holds the people worshiping it to certain manners and actions. The act of worshipping said god or totem is an indication that the follow ers, believers, or worshipers are dependent upon this force to determine the actions they partake in, the behaviors they exhibit and so on. God and religion exist in order to keep people â€Å"in line† via ritualized activities and setting moral and ethical guidelines that people abide by. Society, in and of itself, possesses the same qualities. The norms and values of a society, which for the most part have been incorporated into the moral and ethical guidelines laid out in the society’s religion, are followed whether or not they are in line with the individuals intrinsic nature. Because of this characteristic, society is itself an outside force that people are dependent on, whether or not they acknowledge it. Lastly, Durkheim acknowledges that these ritualized activities and shared moral values foster the social solidarity and cohesion of society. By partaking in shared activities, whether it be the Islamic ritual of praying to Allah multiple times a day, the American tradition of singing of the national anthem before the first pitch of a baseball game, or the Catholic ritual of aking communion, we are acknowledging that we belong to a group or society. Common activities help establish what Durkheim refers to as â€Å"collective consciousness†, that is a specified set of beliefs and values that are common to members of a given society or group. Praying to the same god or praising the same society, which according to Durkheim are one in the same, encourages the development and maintenance of a collectively held set of morals, values, ethics, and belief s.

In What Ways Do Atticus Finch and Robert Ewell Differ and What Do They Have in Common Essay

Atticus Finch and Robert Ewell are two very different characters, but are similar in some ways. They both live in Maycomb, Alabama, but are respected differently in their communities as Atticus is seen as a brave and courageous man, while Robert Ewell is seen as a drunken coward. Atticus ‘lives on the main residential street in town’, and Robert Ewell lives in ‘what was once a negro cabin’, but it is falling apart. The cabin’s plank walls were supplemented with sheets of corrugated iron, its roof shingled with tin cans hammered flat, so only its general shape suggested its original design: square, with four tiny rooms opening on to a shotgun hall uneasily upon four irregular lumps of limestone. ’ The Ewell’s scavenge a lot in the county dump they live behind to find bits and pieces for their house. Atticus Finch is a lawyer and has fought many battles in the court room, and has mostly won them. He is one of a handful of members in his community who can see the inequality and racism towards black people. Robert Ewell doesn’t have a job, and ‘lives off county cheques, but spends them on green bottle whisky’. He doesn’t even make an effort to try and provide for his family, and is also prejudice and racist. The men’s jobs, or lack of them, reflect their social status in Maycomb. The Ewell’s have lived and behaved in this manner for generations, while the Finches have been successful. Both the men have lost their wives, so have single-handedly raised their children. Atticus sets a good example, and ‘plays with them, reads to them and treats them with courteous detachment’. Atticus also has a maid called Calpurnia, who ‘treats the children like she’s their mother, not their maid’, unlike other maids who favour and are never strict with children. She has been with the family since Jeremy was born. His children are always well kept and polite, and have many friends at school. In contrast, Robert Ewell’s children are dirty, rude and ‘disease ridden’. They all attend school on the first day of every term, but always get sent home for having lice, or being extremely rude to the teacher and fellow classmates. Robert Ewell neglects his children, and it has now become clear that he abuses them, when it is proven that Tom Robinson didn’t harm Mayella Ewell. ‘Nobody is ever sure how many children there are, as there are always several dirty children’s faces peering out the window’. By Harper Lee describing how poor and unfortunate the children are, where they live, and how they behave, shows how neglected they are by their father and the community, and how poverty can seriously affect a family. When the case is first spoken about, people automatically favour Mayella Ewell, due to racism and prejudice, and are rude to Atticus for representing Tom Robinson. He gets called many names such as ‘nigger-lover’, and his children also get a hard time at school, but Atticus continues to defend Tom and ignores the rude remarks and names. By doing so, he still gets basic respect from the people of Maycomb, and still presents himself in a courteous manner. In the trials, he is fair to every person he defends, and always tries his best to make the jury believe that they are not guilty. He also abides by the law, making sure his children attend school; he’s not racist and wanting Jem to speak about the incident where Robert Ewell is murdered, in court. Meanwhile, Robert Ewell is a law breaker, and gets away with it. He lets his children truant from school, and goes out hunting, even though it is illegal in Maycomb. He lies a lot too, like in court he makes up which side Mayella was beat up on, and denies doing it himself. His language in the courtroom is also very bad, as he uses slang and behaves in an uncourteous manner, and his appearance is scruffy, and he doesn’t make an effort to be smart. On the other hand, Atticus looks smart and speaks properly, making sure what he says is true and says it in a clever way, so it means one thing, but implies something else. This is how he proves Tom Robinsons innocence to the spectators, even though the jury think he’s guilty. At the end of the book, Atticus decides to break the law on one occasion, and go along with Heck Tate’s version of the event, as he doesn’t want Jem growing up being told he was let off innocent, as his dad’s a lawyer. It was also easier, as Tom Robinson was dead for no reason, because of Robert Ewell, so it was fair to ‘let the dead bury the dead’. With Atticus being a polite, fair, hardworking and a responsible man, he and Robert Ewell are nothing alike. However, neither fit into their communities perfectly, but none of them are ‘normal’. So, with their being some credible similarities, Robert Ewell is a rude drunk and Atticus is courageous, so therefore Harper Lee has portrayed them to be two different completely characters.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Land of the Aryans: The Persian Culture Essay

Iran is formerly known as Persia until 1935. It is a country in Central Eurasia located in the northeastern shore of the Persian Gulf. Iran is the cognate of the name Aryan, which means â€Å"Land of the Aryans†. Iran is home to one of the world’s oldest continuous major civilizations, with historical and urban settlements dating back to 4000 BC. The Culture of Iran is a mix of ancient pre-Islamic culture and Islamic culture. Iranian culture probably originated in Central Asia and is strongly suggested as the predecessor of Iranian culture ca. 2000 BC. Iranian culture has long been a predominant culture of the Middle East and Central Asia, with Persian considered the language of intellectuals during much of the 2nd millennium, and the language of religion and the populace before that. Persian Philosophy to Major Religions The Iranian plateau has contributed ideas and techniques for sixty known centuries which have helped to continue and civilize mankind. Writing, numbers, the arts of agriculture and of working metals, the sciences of astronomy and mathematics, and the beginnings of religious and philosophical thinking — these all come from the Near East, and the fountain head of much of Near Eastern culture was on the Iranian plateau (Nasr & Razavi, 1999, p. 3). The three Wise Men from the East whom at the birth of Jesus brought gold, frankincense and myrrh were probably Zoroastrian priests from Persia. Their gifts symbolized essential beliefs which wee contributed by Zoroastrianism to Christianity, such as: the concepts of the Evil One as a positive force; the notion of the angels, of the Last judgment, or paradise, of the resurrection of the dead; and of the ultimate victory of good over evil (Pope, Ackerman & Schroeder, 1945, p. 2). There are also two other influential religions that came out of Persia. One is Mithraism, which unsuccessfully competed with Christianity for the first three centuries of our era. And the other is Manichaeism of which St. Augustine was a devotee before he converted to Christianity (Pope, Ackerman & Schroeder, 1945, p. 2). Moreover, according to Pope, Ackerman & Schroeder (1945): Buddhism was also partially influenced by Persian philosophy when Buddha passed through the Far East on its mission of enlightenment. (p. 2) No important religion would now be what it is were the Persian contributions to be taken from it (Nasr & Razavi, 1999, p. ). Persian Pottery Early ancient painted pottery, which had begun in Western Asia by 4000 B. C. , was man’s first â€Å"manuscript†; for the blueprints, useful though they be as ornament, were much more than that to those who made and used the vessels. Persian potteries were the expressions and evidences of fears and hopes, symbols for evoking supernatural forces to aid in the constantly anxious struggle of living (Pope, Ackerman & Schroeder, 1945, p. 7). All of the images in Persian pots symbolize the harmonious relationships of man to nature and the divine aid of a god watching over and guiding them. Metal Arts Western civilizations considered pottery, ceramics or paintings as major work of art. But for Persian and Middle Eastern civilizations, it is the metal works that is considered as the prime of the art works. Bronze is considered as a most important medium on metal arts, even comparable to silver and gold in terms of its value, because it is far more durable than the said metals. The artistic talents of the smiths were preserved and learned for thousand of years for the Persian, and adds to the artistic value of the metal arts (Ghirshman, 1962, p. 12). Simplicity and strength were the artistic ideals. Tradition dictated symbolic shapes like the bull’s head ewer and other animals to present the vitality of these animals such as lions and birds, believing that it will be passed on the metal arts (Ghirshman, 1962, p. 14) All sorts of handsome objects were fashioned by the Seljuq metal workers. A mirror back illustrates the famous and much loved story of Bahram Gur and his sweetheart Azada, whom in a rage he was fated to slay. Pictorially it is unimpressive; as a work of decoration and judged by the modeling of its animals it is superb (Pope, Ackerman & Schroeder, 1945, p. 64). The active figures in the center evenly and ingeniously fill the space between the cusped arches of the framing zone which, with the intervening spaces, almost forms a reciprocal. Within this are falcons, foxes, and peacocks that repay careful examination. Carpets According to Pope (1931), it is by her carpets that the art of Persia has been most widely known (p120). Their fame has been abroad in the world these many centuries. The most priced Persian carpets are those made for the kings and princes of the Persian society. They are usually made from fabrics and other raw materials especially and exclusively for the royalty’s use (Pope, 1931, p. 121). They also commission the best painters and architects in town to make a unique and personalized design. The brilliant and sophisticated Persian color sense finds its perfect embodiment in the carpets. Their size permits of a far greater variety of colors than is appropriate in the smaller, lighter textiles or than is possible in a painted page. There is practically no limit to the range of colors the Persian dyers could command, and yet with all this wealth available, the rug designers chose a relatively limited number; twelve to fourteen tones is the average for the great sixteenth century carpets (Pope, 1931, p. 23). The Death of the Persian Culture The decline of the Persian art started in the rise of Europe. Because of various social problems such as societal depression, poverty, Afghan invasion and governmental incompetence are fatal to the preservation and development of the Persian culture. Yet, even if the Persian culture is considered stagnant nowadays, but the Iranian movies and contemporary music and literature, the influence and appreciation of humankind on Persian culture can no longer be disregarded.

Adidas Sustainable Development Strategy Essay

The textile and the apparel industries face nowadays a lot of evolution due, first to macroeconomic consequences and then because of the growing eco-friendly influence. To understand the key challenges of the sustainable development in the textile and the apparel industries, we, first, need to get the whole picture of the situation. The global textile industry is getting through a struggling time for the global economy due to crisis. This situation increases the price volatility of raw materials and energy resources. We can also add-up to this trend, the rising labor cost that contributes to amplify the negative effects on the industry. This uncertainty in the marketplace leads to lack of projection for years to come. At a worldwide stage, the textile market knows different situations. Europe is facing a recession while North American market is struggling. This current trends leads to reduced worldwide sale perspective. In Asia, the situation is more complex. China is the major actor in the market. More and more, price rises in China due to a higher domestic demand and higher wages. See more: Distinguish between problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping Essay This economic trend creates opportunities for other Asian countries to become new sourcing targets (Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia). However, new countries doesn’t have necessary quality and quantity requirement, which put companies in a huge dilemma in 2012 and for years to come†¦ Concerning sustainable development in the textile and apparel industries, many challenges are expected. For years and years, consumers have wanted cheap and trendy clothes, no matter where they came, who produced it and the material composition of the purchase. Now, they have changed their mind in many aspects. Consumers expect more and more socially acceptable workplaces to employees in production. They want companies to focus on improving human being, which includes better work conditions and better salary. However, this desire is problematic and contradictory for the industry. Indeed, this change will imply higher price that only a minority of consumers are up to pay. Key actors on this market need also to be responsible and active in the society and towards communities. Apart from this, consumers also require that companies produce in environmentally friendly way, which represent the main key challenge. Consumers care more and more to let enough raw materials for future generations and avoid global over consumption. The Chemistry industry brings solution to replace these raw materials. However, it can’t replace every material: water, which is an essential factor for production of textile, energy (it concerns mainly non-sustainable sources, except solar and other sustainable energies) and raw materials (real organic cultivations are insignificant in the industry). However, instead of raw materials, regenerative raw materials are more and more used. There is line and hemp that are resistant and doesn’t need pesticides. However, it can be only use for particular textiles. Besides, we can find chemical fibers, which represent 60% of the current market. They are better than natural fibers but are dependent on petroleum. This problem is a bit compensated by the fact it can be recyclable in PET bottle for instance. Cotton represents only 38% of the market in volume and wool, 2%. For dyestuffing, Chemistry has also played a huge role. Now the synthetic process replace natural because it turns out to be more ecological and with a better quality. Moreover, we can also save resources like energy and chemicals by using sustainable development energies like solar, wind or hydroelectric energies. We have to consider fossil energy and try to replace them by renewable energies to avoid price pressure and volatility. Companies want also to develop environment-friendly production technologies for textile industry. Most of the time, Chemistry helps to save resources because they are less demanding in water for finishing and dyestuffs and in energy for washing. They clean fibers better, reduce amount of defective goods and preserve machines. However, huge tests and controls are required to avoid toxic and harmful component to spread into our daily life through our clothes Another key challenge for the industry is to develop the recycling economy. A model called 3R illustrates this targeted economy: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. It follows this chain: â€Å"resources-products-consumer-renewable resources† to implement the closed-cycle logistics. Moreover, this cycle allows controlling the process of contamination in this cycle. The second-hand purchases can optimize purchases and sustainability by creating a new business out of the current one. Besides, improving quality of final can be seen as a key challenge. It prolongs life cycle and also improve reuse value. Eco-tax on new materials could be set up to allow development of material re-use technology and business. After seeing the global situation of the current market, actors that want to play a major role in the future have to turn these challenges and strains into opportunities to differentiate and bring new standards in the textile and apparel industries. What are the stakeholders’ expectations? Employees of the Group  The employees of Adidas have the expectation that we can expect from different workers. They expect to have good working conditions to properly conduct they everyday job. Thus, some flexible hours, good working environment, ergonomic machinery are some expectations that Adidas employees might have. Of course, the salaries needs to be fair and the possibility of career evolution should be interesting too. They would prefer a merit-based rewarding system and a fair policy. Then, working in an ethical company can make them proud to work for Adidas and avoid internal conflict of interest. Also, they expect to have the freedom of joining a work council or any other unions. Finally, having the guaranty to have their health and safety assured during their working hours, with proper social protection. All these aspects are employee’s expectations that can be encountered worldwide. Authorizes government, trade associations, shareholders, Board of Directors All those stakeholders have different expectations. The government aims to see their citizen rights preserved, the legislation respected and the economy supported. A government needs to be objective and act for the benefits of â€Å"its people†. Thus they can on one side wants to impose restrictions on companies to prevent abuses but also want to support them financially or administratively to attract them and push them to invest in their country, and supporting the economy. The trade associations expect Adidas to respect international treaties on trade and to act in respect of the International regulations. On the other side, board of directors wants to see Adidas following the strategy they established to be sustainable. They want the company to be profitable but in a sustainable way. The board of directors wants the company have a better image and increase its sustainable development reputation. Finally Shareholders expect the company to be profitable and to have a direct result from its sustainable development strategy. They want Adidas to be sustainably profitable. Business partners unions, suppliers, service providers Business partners unions wants Adidas to respect the labor rights for the workers. They want working conditions to be assured and health & safety policy respected. They expect Adidas to secure the job of employees and avoid economic firing. The suppliers expect Adidas to respect their contract and fulfill their contractual obligations toward sustainable development. Also, they want Adidas to have fair practices and have equitable deals with them. On their own sides, service providers also wants Adidas to have fair practices and to involve them in their sustainable strategy by training them and providing them the means to be real partners. Workers in our suppliers’ factories These stakeholders are those who have the highest expectations toward Adidas. They expect Adidas to treat them equitably and to have fair practices with them. They want to have the same working conditions and the same rights than the Adidas employees. They want to have a decent wages, without child labor, with the acceptable health and safety benefits. They want Adidas to train them and to help them to evolve without remaining simple second-hand workers. They want to be fully integrated in the sustainable strategy of Adidas and in the future of the company. Opinion-formers journalists, community members, special interest groups Opinion formers such as journalists, expect Adidas to respect its engagement toward sustainable development. They want to be assured that the sustainable strategy of the company is a real commitment and not a simple â€Å"faire-valoir†. Community members on their own side, expect Adidas to respect their community and its environment but also to serve its interest. They want Adidas to offer them employment, to support education and to help the community to benefit from Adidas activities. Special interest group will push Adidas to respect their own interest. For instance, Greenpeace will push Adidas to respect environment, â€Å"SOS racisme† will expect Adidas to have non-discriminatory human resource policy, etc. Customers: Professional sports people, distributors, retailers, consumer Customers are the final people to satisfy. They are lat but not least. Customers expect Adidas to have fair prices, to respect their engagement in terms of sustainable development while maintaining the quality of their product. They also expect that the new sustainable development strategy will not impact their buying power by tremendously increase the price of Adidas products. Sports people want to be sure that the various Adidas products are ethical, with low impact on the environment and that are made by factories that respect sustainable working conditions. Distributors and retailers want Adidas to respect its positioning and identity but expect that Adidas will continuously improve its sustainable development policy. How does the company meet the challenges of the industry? Being a global business: This involves a strong and worldwide suppliers network. To be sure that suppliers rules are respectful of Adidas engagement, Adidas is fully transparent on its activities.  « We seek to be open about our operations, for example, by disclosing our global factory list to the public or submitting our global supplier compliance programme to evaluation and accreditation by the fair Labor Association. (Adidas,5) Beyond all contractual regulations that we will see below, transparency is an essential way to enable external organizations, such as the Fair Labor Association, to check the working conditions in Adidas suppliers. However, there is always information’s that kept secrets and not disclosed. It is important to keep a strong control on it. Being competitive: According to Adidas, the response to this challenge is: not at any price. â€Å"The adidas group Workplace Standards are fundamental to our relationships with our suppliers and are contractual obligations. While we have our own team that assesses how well our suppliers are complying with our supply chain code, we also work with external monitors to complement our measures. † (adidas, 5) Adidas apply strict rules and regulations that are contractually based in order to respect the company regulations on health, safety, labour rights and environmental conditions. On all these aspects, Adidas provides training and detailed guidelines to its suppliers. It has also involved a strong information system such as Fair Factory Clearinghouse platform, to monitor the conduct of its supplier. Apparently Adidas has done everything possible in this sector. However, it is essential to keep a strong control on supplier to avoid some â€Å"under-the-radar† issues such as the ones in Indonesia: (http://www. peuples-solidaires. org/suite317-indonesie-adidas/). Being environmentally responsible: Adidas is fully engaged in reducing its footprint. Adidas aims to: Save energy and reduce carbon emissions, save water, reduce the use of raw materials, using more environmentally friendly materials, reduce waste, reduce toxicity, for example through using less toxic chemicals and through fforts to reduce the pollutants in waste water at supplier factories, improve the environmental footprint of raw materials, improve the environmental footprint of products, manage supplier performance through auditing, measuring and reporting against key performance indicators, use management systems to drive continuous improvement (Adidas, 9). Adidas is acting in every step of its value chain and also by controlling its suppliers. However, this is useless if the distributors are not committed. For example distributing an eco-friendly product by using trucks that will strongly pollutes during the transportation is not coherent. Adidas is so powerful that it can make pressure on distributors to be committed in its environmental program. Being an employer of choice: This objective passes through managing people in a sustainable way. Adidas has developed an entire Human Resources Strategy based on three pillars: â€Å"create a working environment that stimulates team spirit, passion and engagement, instill a performance culture based upon strong leadership, be an employer of choice†(Adidas, 5). To do so, Adidas has developed a performance-based rewarding system throughout bonus program, profit sharing and additional compensation components. Moreover the training of employees is emphasized with different talent management programs (Adidas, 59). This enables people to enhance their perspectives. The whole working environment is made to be attractive with health and safety policy, respect of labor rights and liberty to join work council. Nonetheless, in the 2012 sustainable report, Adidas focus on Germany and USA. There are few words on the working environment offshore. We are not sure that those conditions are respected worldwide as it was in Indonesia. Moreover if the rewarding system is performance-based, we do not know anything about the career evolution system.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Democratic leadership is the best leadership style for today essays

Democratic leadership is the best leadership style for today essays Democratic leadership style is the advisable leadership style which encourages participation in decision-making and it can be persuasive or consultative. However, there is no best leadership style because nothing can be absolute right and comprehensive. In this assignment, I will illustrate the successful case about GLANZ GROUP which adopted autocratic leadership style in the beginning of its foundation. Furthermore, I will also show the successful cases by adopting democratic leadership or combination the different leadership styles in their company in order to support to my opinion. The cases from the books and from internet will also be illustrated. Strong leadership, no matter how well intentioned and benevolent, can foster dependency and subvert democracy. Yet absence of any leadership will lead to confusion, drift, and tension. As many progressive activists have remarked, there can be a "tyranny of structurelessness" as well as of autocracy. Mr. Qinde leung, Chairman of the board of directors and CEO of GLANZ GROUP who built up his own factory using 300 thousand RMB in 1978: Guizhou Feather and Down Factory, the former one of GLANZ GROUP. Soon after, he quickly realized that it was more beneficial for these down stream enterprises which used their products for further dress business. He decides to do the same business without any techniques and any skillful persons at that time. It was a big risk so that a lot of employees were against this plan. But Mr. Leung insisted on his own schedule and finally he got complete success depending on his own experience and special views. It cant be denied that at the developing stage of the company, facing the complicated situation and unbalanced quality of employees, Mr. Leung had to mange his company in autarchy. With the revolution of modern enterprises system in 1990, Mr. Leung became the CEO of GLANZ GROUP, his decision was un-challenged, but luckily, he has the spe...

Assignment 14 Essay

Assignment 14 Essay Assignment 14 Essay Deanna Zito Dr. Reilly ECON 152 October 11, 2014 Assignment 14.1 Is poverty on the rise or on the decline? Go to the U.S. Census Bureau Web site, www.census.gov/, and select "Poverty" (under People). Use the data provided to answer the following questions: a. Is the number of people living below the official government poverty level higher or lower than it was in the preceding year? Than it was a decade earlier? b. Is the poverty rate (in percent) higher or lower than it was in the preceding year for the general population, children under 18, blacks, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and whites? c. How many states had increases in the poverty rate compared to the preceding year? The number of people living in the poverty rate in 2010 was around 46.2 (15.1 percent of population) million. This is a rise from the 2009 figure of around 44.8 (14.6 percent of the population) million people living in the poverty rate. The 2010 figure is also greater then the 2000 figure which is around 31(11.5 percent of the population) million people. For the general population the percent in poverty for 2010 was 15.1 percent and increase from the preceding year by 0.5 percent. 2009 figure is 14.6 percent poverty. For children under 18 in 2010 the rate was 22.0 percent and increase of around 1.5 percent from the preceding year. 2009 rate was around 20.5 percent. For Blacks the poverty rate in 2010 was 27.4 percent an increase of 1.6 from the 2009 figure of 25.8. For Asians the poverty rate in

Monday, October 21, 2019

Left Brain Right Brain and Its Effect on Study Habits

Left Brain Right Brain and Its Effect on Study Habits What does it mean to be left-brain dominant or right-brain dominant? Scientists have explored theories about the two hemispheres of the brain and the ways that they differ in function and control of the body. According to recent research, people who are right-brain dominant and those who are left-brain dominant process information and respond in different ways. Most theories suggest that right-brain dominant people are guided by the more emotional, intuitive right hemisphere, while left-brain people respond in sequential, logical ways, guided by the left hemisphere. To a great degree, your personality is shaped by your brain type. Your dominant brain type has a very significant effect on your study skills, homework habits, and grades. For instance, some students may struggle with specific assignment types or test questions, based on their specific brain types. By understanding your dominant brain type, you may be able to adjust your study methods, and perhaps shape your schedule and coursework, to suit your own personality type. What's Your Brain Game? Do you watch the clock constantly, or does the bell surprise you at the end of class? Have you ever been accused of being too analytical or do people say youre dreamy? These characteristics can be attributed to brain types. Typically, dominant left-brain students will be more organized, theyll watch the clock, and theyll analyze information and process it sequentially. They are often cautious, and they follow rules and schedules. Left-brain students are strong in math and science, and can answer questions quickly. Left-brain students would make great Jeopardy contestants. On the other hand, right-brain students are the dreamers. They can be very intelligent and very deep thinkers- so much so that they can get lost in their own little worlds. They make great students of the social sciences and the arts. They are more spontaneous than the cautious left-brainers, and they are likely to follow their own gut feelings. Right-brainers are very intuitive and have great skill when it comes to seeing through lies or tricks. They would make great Survivor contestants. What about people who are right in the middle? Everyone is different, and everyone has characteristics from both types. Some people are equal when it comes to characteristics. Those students are middle-brain oriented, and they might do well on The Apprentice.   Students who are middle-brain oriented can have strong qualities from either hemisphere. Those students can benefit from logic from the left and intuition from the right. That sounds like a great recipe for success in business, doesnt it?

Smoking Is a Silent Killer Essays

Smoking  Is a Silent Killer Essays Smoking  Is a Silent Killer Essay Smoking  Is a Silent Killer Essay Smoking  Is a Silent Killer Researchers claim that smoking is detrimental to memory . Prolonged heavy nicotine use has a negative effect on day-to-day memory, according to research. Researchers from five universities asked smokers and non-smokers to rate their long-term memory, for example remembering to send birthday cards. They found that smoking significantly impaired memory, with heavy smokers reporting the most errors. The survey was carried out by teams from Newcastle, Wales, North Umbria, Westminster and Teesside universities. The survey nvolved more than 700 people. Researcher Dr Tom Heffernan, of the human cognitive neuroscience unit at North Umbria University, also tested everyday memory including remembering where people had put things. The teams also took into consideration how much people smoked a heavy smoker was classed as having more than 15 cigarettes a week and alight smoker between one and four cigarettes a week. Dr Heffernan said: The result of the study reveal ed that smokers reported more errors in their long-term memory than non-smokers with an additional ifference between non-smokers and heavy smokers. There was also a significant detrimental effect of cigarette use on everyday memory function. For example a typical heavy smoker reported 22% more memory-related problems than a non smoker and around 12% more problems than those who smoked only relatively a small number of cigarettes It is concluded that chronic, heavy smoking is associated with impairments in everyday memory, although the precise nature of the deficits are as yet unknown.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

What to Know About Presidential Appointments

What to Know About Presidential Appointments Presidential appointments come in two forms: those that require the approval of the Senate and those that do not. Aside from Cabinet secretaries and Supreme Court justices, whose nominations require the approval of the Senate, the President of the United States currently has the authority to appoint people to high-level positions within the federal government unilaterally. According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), most of these positions appointed directly by the president come with salaries of from $99,628 to about $180,000 per year and include full federal employee benefits. How Many and Where? In its report to Congress, the GAO identified 321 presidentially appointed (PA) positions governmentwide that do not require Senate confirmation. PA positions fall into one of three categories: 67% of the positions serve on federal commissions, councils, committees, boards or foundations; 29% of the positions are within the Executive Office of the President, and the remaining 4% are in other federal agencies or departments.Of those 321 PA positions, 163 were created on August 10, 2012, when President Obama signed the Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act. The act converted 163 presidential nominations, all of which had previously required Senate hearings and approval, to positions appointed directly by the president. According to the GAO, most PA positions were created between 1970 and 2000. What the PAs Do PAs appointed to commissions, councils, committees, boards, or foundations and typically serve as advisors. However, they may be assigned some degree of responsibility for evaluating or even creating the organizations policy and direction.PAs in the Executive Office of the President (EOP) often directly support the president by providing advisory and administrative assistance. They might be expected to advise the president on a wide range of areas, including foreign relations, US and international economic policy, and homeland security. Also, PAs in the EOP assist in maintaining relationships between the White House and Congress, the executive branch agencies, and state and local governments.Responsibilities of PAs serving directly in federal agencies and departments are the most diverse. They may be assigned to assist presidential appointees in positions that require Senate approval. Others may serve as US representatives to United Nations organizations. Others may be assigned leade rship roles at highly visible non-agency organizations, such as the National Cancer Institute or the National Institutes of Health. In most cases, there are no specific qualifications for PA positions, and since the appointments do not come under Senate scrutiny, they are subject to being used as political favors. However, PA positions on commissions, councils, committees, boards or foundations often have legally required qualifications. How Much the PAs Make First of all, most PAs are not paid a salary. According to the GAO, 99% of all PAs- those serving as advisors to commissions, councils, committees, boards or foundations- are either not compensated at all or are paid a daily rate of $634 or less only while serving.The remaining 1% of PAs- those in the EOP and those serving in federal agencies and departments- are paid salaries ranging from $99,628 to $180,000. However, there are notable exceptions. For example, the Director of the National Cancer Institute is a PA position within the Department of Health and Human Services that receives a salary of $350,000, according to the GAO.PA positions in the EOP and the federal departments and agencies are mostly full-time jobs and have no term limits. PAs appointed to commissions, councils, committees, boards or foundations serve intermittently during terms typically lasting from 3 to 6 years. Other Types of Politically Appointed Positions Overall, there are four main categories of politically appointed positions: Presidential Appointments with Senate confirmation (PAS), Presidential Appointments without Senate confirmation (PSs), political appointees to the Senior Executive Service (SES), and Schedule C political appointees. Persons in SES and Schedule C positions are typically appointed by PAS and PA appointees, rather than the President. However, all appointments to SES and Schedule C posts must be reviewed and approved by the Executive Office of the President. As of 2012, the GAO reported a total of 3,799 politically appointed federal positions, including 321 PA positions, 1,217 PAS positions, 789 SES positions, and 1,392 Schedule C positions. Presidential Appointments with Senate confirmation (PAS) positions are the top of the federal personnel food chain, and include positions such as cabinet agency secretaries and top administrators and deputy administrators of the non-cabinet agencies. Holders of PAS positions have direct responsibility for implementing the presidents goals and policies. During  the fiscal year 2013, salaries for PAS positions ranged from $145,700 to $199,700, the current salary of cabinet secretaries. PAs, while significantly responsible for implementing White House goals and policies, often serve under PAS appointees. Senior Executive Service (SES) appointees serve in positions just below PAS appointees. According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, they are the major link between these appointees and the rest of the Federal workforce. They operate and oversee nearly every government activity in approximately 75 Federal agencies. In the fiscal year 2013, salaries for Senior Executive Service appointees ranged from $119,554 to $179,700. Schedule C appointments are typically non-career assignments to positions ranging from regional directors of agencies to staff assistants and speech writers. Schedule C appointees are typically changed with each new incoming presidential administration, making them the category of presidential appointments most likely to be handed out as political favors. Salaries for Schedule C appointees range from $67,114 to $155,500. SES and Schedule C appointees typically serve in subordinate roles to PAS and PA appointees. At the Pleasure of the President By their very nature, presidential political appointments are not for people looking for a stable, long-term career. To be appointed in the first place, political appointees are expected to support the policies and goals of the presidents administration. As the GAO puts it, Individuals serving in political appointments generally serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority and do not have the job protections afforded to those in career-type appointments.

How to Work Full-Time and Fit in Vacations

How to Work Full-Time and Fit in Vacations Joanna Niles, a lifestyle and travel blogger, wrote about traveling while working full time over at the HuffingtonPost this week. I thought her tips were great- practical and strategic- and my husband and I used many of the same approaches when we plan travel a few  times a year. Look at the calendarSince I teach workshops and college-level courses, my schedule is bound by the academic calendar. This means I can travel a lot in early and late summer, I have a lot of time in January, and I always have a few 3- and 4-day weekends during the fall and spring.Chances are if you work for a corporate or government employer, you have a variety of paid and national holidays to make the most of, too. Not every trip is a week-long extravaganza- we’ve done weekend jaunts to San Francisco, Philadelphia, Portland, Maine, and have a trip to New Orleans coming up at the end of the month. It’s surprising how refreshing and enjoyable a brief visit can be. You can also be more efficient with your vacation days by adding on one before or after a long weekend.TelecommuteNormally, you’d be working during the day and perhaps socializing at night. Maybe you can work out an arrangement where you can take that format on vacation with you, too. Another option is to work after the family goes to bed or before they’re up in the morning.This tip has the potential to backfire since you can also be pursued by work long after you’re ready to unplug, but if you’re disciplined about allowing and restricting access (yours, and your coworkers!), a vacation where you spend an hour or two emailing and coordinating in the morning and then go about your day can be great for making your getaway productive.This summer I had to take a pile of grading to the beach, and the first two days of our trip were divided between lounging on the sand and marking up papers on the balcony. Sure, I wanted to be spending more of my time on the boardwalk, but the alternative w as postponing our much-anticipated vacation just for a deadline, so it turned out to be a worthwhile compromise.Plan AheadWhen my husband and I first got together, he hated the way I liked to plan six months or a year out, but now he appreciates that if you don’t get a head start on planning trips, you can miss out on awesome seasonal opportunities or experiences that sell out as soon as they become available to the public.Don’t forget to set aside some vacation time around the holidays! My first year of working full-time, I didn’t anticipate that my company wouldn’t just automatically close on important â€Å"eves.† If my boss hadn’t been generous about commuting my sick time, I would have had a sad solitary holiday weekend alone in my apartment instead of back in my hometown.Be FlexibleThat said, sometimes you have to just get that price alert in your inbox, click through, reserve your flight and grab a weekend bag. If budget is the most i mportant factor in your ability to travel, get yourself on the mailing list of sites like The Flight Deal and Airfare Watch Dog and stay tuned as rates rise and fall during the various tourist seasons.Where you go is more important than when you go anyway, and remember how nice a quick weekend can be- fly out Friday after work, enjoy Saturday and part of Sunday, and maybe go in a little late on Monday.How to Travel with a Full-Time JobRead More at Huffington Post

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Personal statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

Personal Statement Example Nevertheless, according to the constitution, the most important right that Kurdistan region had was the right to exploit its own natural resources. This right led to Kurdistan region being a place where major energy companies wanted to explore and invest in the region’s natural resources such as oil and gas. The energy business became large and had high demand therefore there arose the need for professionals such as lawyers to help with the formulation of contracts and for setting out various laws regarding energy. In my work experience at a law firm, I realized that I have to improve certain skills. These skills include acquiring knowledge on English as a language, legal writing skills, ability to do legal research based on international standards and communication skills with international lawyers and managers. I can only acquire these skills academically. This is mainly the chief reason why I desire an LL.M. degree in a country that uses English as its national language. I chose to do law because I have a passion for this profession. According to me, it as a method to lend a hand to people in their legal matters and become a legal adviser to many people as well. In my country, there is lack of adequate information and legal knowledge regarding energy. An LL.M. in energy degree will equip me with the right information that I can use to help my country with when it comes to legal matters concerning energy. I will have the ability to assist my nation expand its international market by formulating the correct legal contracts required, advising the government on legal matters concerning energy, and ensuring that my country is not exploited by other countries that want to invest in the energy business. In a this realm, I will be able to help the country understand the Iraqi people due to my acquired communication skills. I look forward to to acquiring skills that will aid me improve my ability as a professional. These

GENETIC VARIATION IN B-TYPE NATRIURETIC PEPTIDE PATHWAY AFFECTS BNP Research Proposal

GENETIC VARIATION IN B-TYPE NATRIURETIC PEPTIDE PATHWAY AFFECTS BNP LEVEL in the diagnosis of Heart failure - Research Proposal Example To help establish the outcomes, the study will be embedded on extracting DNA samples from 80 patients undergoing elective cardiac catheterization and analyzing with exclusion done on patients with elevated troponin. This will be driven by a detailed data collection including laboratory, standard demographic, catheterization and echocardiographic data. The Genotype will be evaluated at 19 loci on five BNP’s pathway relevant genes (Knowles, Erickson, Guy et al, 2003). To access the incremental influence of the genetic variants, the researcher will employ the Multivariate linear regression of logBNP model adjusted for clinical variables. The proposal will thus try to help properly incorporate the use of NPs to improve the levels of accuracy with respect to decisions made in an emergency setting to curb the missed incidence of diagnostic failures for HF. This will be measured by reduced cases of fatigue, dyspnea, and fluid retention that are all predisposing factors to HF based on cardiac dysfunction hence presenting difficulties in diagnosing HF. The missed incidence are hence strongly correlate to highly significant mortality increases, presenting the need for designing effective diagnostic tools with higher degrees of specification and sensitivity that if employed, can help weed out the increased cases of HF missed diagnose s and particularly, in the busy Heart failure is characterized by its typical but non-specific symptoms like fatigue, dyspnea and fluid retention caused by dysfunction of cardiac which present daunting challenges for diagnosis of HF culminating into increased missed incidence hence higher mortality rates. For this reason, the topic has captured the attention of various researchers to help design effective mechanism and approaches that can be used during diagnosis to detect this catastrophic cardiovascular disease quickly and accurately. For instance, to gauge the potentiality of NPs in augmenting the clinical judgment and/or standard

Friday, October 18, 2019

Create Research Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Create Research Questions - Essay Example The research questions that will be looked at in this article will focus on the proposals that were produced by Padgett with more emphasis on what should be expected in future research studies in this field. One of the research proposals focused on a study of treatment related and substance related outcomes based on the 48 month study conducted on the housing first and treatment first program for the homeless people suffering from severe mental illness (Padget, 2006). The main aim of the study was to determine whether the findings of the previous studies can be sustained or they may end up changing after some period of time. In order to look at what should be expected in the future, the following research questions will be addressed: The research questions above reflect on some aspects that were discussed by Padget (2004) in her proposals based on the studies that were conducted. In order for a research methodology to be selected there is need to carefully check up on the research questions so as to ascertain the nature of the methodology to be used. In this case a qualitative methodology will be more appropriate based on the fact that empirical materials will be collected to in order to carry out the study. With regards to the case study on the homeless people suffering with severe mental illness the appropriate method of collecting data for the this study will be through sampling and recruitment. Participants will be chosen based on selected criteria after which interviews will be conducted on each respective participant in order to collect their findings. It is well noted that the approval of each participant greatly considered before pushing forward with the research study. A structured interview will be best suited in carrying out the research study and thus the research questions will be analysed in detail based on the response of

Why I want to work for Washington County Regional Correctional Essay

Why I want to work for Washington County Regional Correctional Facility as a office Clerk - Essay Example One of my friends had got into bad company of drug addicts but timely intervention by the correctional facility was able to successfully rehabilitate him. Since then, I wanted to work within the organization. The corrective facility addresses the needs and requirements of various inmates and runs programs like de-addiction, educational programs etc. The organization uses the unique management philosophy of ‘direct supervision’ that encourages inmates to improve behavior and inculcate social skills. The organization addresses the root problems of the offenders. It helps to provide them with effective solutions that serve as fresh incentives for them to lead a better and purposeful life. As an employee of the corrective facility, I would be able to make positive contribution to the society. I have always been inclined towards social work and working in the corrective facility would provide me with the opportunity to serve the needs of people who have been ostracized from mainstream society. (words:

WASHINGTON MUTUAL BANKRUPTCY CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT Research Paper - 1

WASHINGTON MUTUAL BANKRUPTCY CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT - Research Paper Example The total collapse of WaMu would have been disastrous for the Government. Besides, the FDIC is not in the banking business and a last minute deal was brokered between the Government and JP Morgan Chase. The same day as the takeover, Chase purchased the bank from the FDIC for a little less than two billion and agreed to assume all secured debts, minus equity shareholders. With that Chase became the one of the largest banking firms in the country (Dash). WaMu’s parent company, Washington Mutual, Inc., was left with just twenty-five billion dollars in assets minus liabilities and filed a voluntary petition for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection the very next day, September 26 in its home state of Delaware. The Bankruptcy itself has been an ongoing issue for three years now and is still in litigation. With the FDIC and Chase agreeing with WaMu in principal, the company’s proposal was that seven billion dollars was to be distributed to its creditors. However, the plan was rejected on September 14, 2011 by US Bankruptcy Judge Mary Walrath in Wilmington. Siding with the plaintiffs, she ordered the two sides into mediation. As such the company’s stock plummeted more than seventy per cent in the days following the judge’s ruling. Why then did a bank formerly known as the â€Å"Wal Mart of banking† fail so completely? It was for the same reasons a lot of financial firms fell during the summer and fall of 2008. During most of the first decade of the twenty-first century, credit was cheap and easy to come by. The so-called â€Å"sub-prime† consumers, those with far less than stellar credit, were able to obtain credit cards and home mortgages when they would have probably been turned down any other time. WaMu was almost leading the charge, with its Providian credit card division. It also controlled a likewise now

Memo Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Memo - Case Study Example Some methodological issues of CBA have not been entirely resolved even now, but the essential presented in the subsequent are well proven. One of the shortcomings of CBA is that the evaluation of many components of benefits and costs are intuitively obvious but that there exist other methods for which intuition fails to suggest methods of measurement. Therefore, some important principles are needed as a guide (Pohl & Mihaljek, 1992). Since the enactment of the devolution agenda, Arapahoe County has been experiencing problems in the personnel based expenditures. The assessment of this Countys expenditure would lead the ease in the distribution of these given expenditures. However, inevitably would to otherwise but difficulties in the distribution of the expenditure. According to reports the escalation rate of health is 8% but without the heath personnel in place it is 3.5%. In the cost benefit computation area, the one-time costs differ in the relation to the description and the quantity. As for the HR charges set up pilot, each person gets a unit cost of 7500 and the participants retirement is 10000 each. The recurring costs: The base stipend differs from year to year, and it is always growing from year one to year 5. As the base stipend, the ACA penalty also increases consistently from tear one to year five with its transaction year unit cost being $ 2,000 and the operational year unit cost being $3000. The recurring saving: the retirement benefit’s transition year unit saving is $ 2,664 and operational year unit saving is $ 5,327 and the development increases yearly. The health care savings transition year saving is $ 3,411 and the operational year unit savings is $ 6,821 and the development increases year after year. The cost /benefits adjusted for the time value of money has a discount factor growth that is

Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana, Cocaine and Heroin Research Paper

Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana, Cocaine and Heroin - Research Paper Example Currently the largest problem facing Florida is cocaine followed by marijuana. The use of heroin remains low except for Boca Raton and Miami-Dade. The greatest numbers of people turning to drug rehabilitation centers do so due to marijuana addiction. In 2007 alone more than 13,000 people entered treatment facilities in Florida to deal with marijuana addiction. Around 47% of these people were aged between 12 and 17 years of age. Similarly the number of cocaine addicts seeking help was some 10,000 in 2007. It has also been estimated that some 380,000 people in Florida are addicted to illicit drugs but did not seek any help (Narconon, 2011). When the Florida drug scene is considered, it is noticeable that the abuse of legal drugs is much higher in Florida than the abuse of illegal drugs. In 2006 alone some 1,400 people in Florida died from overdoses of benzodiazepines such as Xanax or from overdoses of a narcotic such as OxyContin. On the other hand some 633 people died in Florida in 2006 from cocaine overdose. Moreover most of the marijuana that is found in Florida is grown locally rather than imported. Between 2006 and 2008 the number of indoor marijuana plants eradicated shot up from 36,000 to 78,000. (Narconon, 2011) All in all the Florida legal and illegal drugs scenario presents a grim picture that needs further support from the government in order to deal with this menace at large. Drugs such as marijuana, cocaine and heroin have been legalized in certain parts of the world such as the Netherlands but the impact of these policies is often underplayed or overplayed in order to make an argument. In order to realize the true impacts of such policies, it is pertinent to consider the peculiar socio-economic circumstances that surround the legalization of drugs in these nations. Portugal decriminalized the possession of drugs for personal use in 2001. By law anyone caught with such drugs was subject to therapy and

Thursday, October 17, 2019

GASTRO ESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

GASTRO ESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE - Essay Example GERD is a risk factor for Barrett’s esophageal (BE), which also predisposes patients to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Patients diagnosed with GERD require proton pump inhibitors therapy as a mechanism to prevent the occurrence of BE and EAC. This paper is a research of the current studies on GERD and a review of a case study for a child suffering from GERD. Case Study The case study is of an 8 year old boy who experienced headaches and neck pain. The child had started complaining of the pain four years before the mother consulted a chiropractic doctor. The child had developed pain after riding in a â€Å"dodge ‘em† car. An emergency stop worsened the pain, which forced the mother to seek medical assistance. The severity of the neck pain had reduced before consultation, but the intensity of headaches had remained constant. Other symptoms included bouts of dizziness and nausea caused by neck rotation, heavy nausea in the morning, and severe neck pain and vomiting after meals. The child also experienced abdominal pain over the stomach, recurring bronchitis and migraine as a result of the family history. The doctor performed a physical examination that showed normal growth and development. Neurological, abdominal, cardiovascular, and respiratory examinations did not exhibit abnormal findings. Restrictions on segmental motion on upper cervical spine and sacral dysfunction were observed after a chiropractic spinal evaluation. The doctor also observed Shimizu reflex on the upper right hand side indicating an upper cervical problem (Jonasson, and Knaap, 2006). Using the above information, the doctor made a diagnosis of cervicogenic headache and abdominal pain. The doctor believed the pain had a somatovisceral origin. The diagnosed problem was believed to be as a result of upper cervical complex subluxation and milk allergy. The doctor proposed treatment involving a combination of chiropractic manipulation of upper cervical complex and cranial tre atment. This led to a temporary reduction in headaches and unchanged abdominal pain. The mother sought another opinion from a children doctor after seven treatments. The second consultation revealed regular colic, constant reflux, and periodic regurgitation of undigested food. These symptoms aggravated when the child assumed a recumbent posture. Abdominal pain on the stomach and lower chest made the doctor alter the initial diagnosis to GERD. The patient was referred to his general practitioner for GERD treatment and follow-up contacts revealed that the condition had improved immensely (Jonasson, and Knaap, 2006). Current Research History of the disease The prevalence of the disease has increased worldwide due to rising obesity and medicines that affect LES functions. Studies have indicated that approximately one third of the US population complain of GERD symptoms monthly (Narmeen and Woodward, 2013). Women have a higher rate of experiencing GERD symptoms than men. Western countrie s have a high prevalence ranging from 38 percent in Northern Europe to 9 percent in Italy. Annually, over 100 million proton pump inhibitors are prescribed to GERD patients in the western world. The high prevalence in western countries can be attributed to lifestyle, which is a major predisposing factor. The condition is a predisposing factor for esophageal cancer, which affects about 400, 000 people worldwide (Vats et al, 2006). Patients experience loss of appetite and damages to the lungs, throat, and ears due to excess