Huck Finn Character Analysis Essay

Is â€Å"Huck† in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, a good literary character for young readers today? He is seen at the outset of the novel as a troublesome young child who needs to be taught how to act in a civilized manner and Widow Douglas and Miss Watson, models of conventional society take him in, attempting to educate him. His father however kidnaps him, and Huck is no longer trapped by the conformity of society, but rather by the harsh treatment of his abusive father. Still seen as a misfit child, his character gains some respect from the reader when he is able to fake his own death and escape from his father’s jail. When Huck and Jim, Miss Watson’s runaway slave, first encounter one another after both of them have escaped from society, Huck views Jim as property, but decides to help him anyway. At this point Huck’s character is developing along with the reader’s respect for him as a young adult. His important decision to help Jim escape from slavery foreshadows Huck’s moral change that will eventually occur in the novel. As the story progresses, Huck and Jim spend significant time together traveling down the Mississippi River, where Jim’s individual character begins to develop along with the two fugitives’ personal relationship. By the end of the novel Huck sees Jim as an equal, believing deep down in his heart that Jim is a free man. Due to his departure from conventional society as well as his personal relationship with Jim, Huck is able to undergo extensive moral development as the novel progresses. Although by the end of the novel Huck has become an individual with his own opinions and morals, throughout the first section of the story he is still a radical young boy being trapped by the conformity of conventional society. Prior to being taken in by Miss Watson and Widow Douglas, Huck lived a rugged life with his abusive, alcoholic â€Å"Pap†. Huck was happy with this lifestyle of not going to school, and stealing to get by day to day. His introduction to society and the normal lifestyle it brings with it, strangles the adventurous nature of Huck’s character and he becomes unhappy. After getting used to attending school regularly, using table manners, and being taught to believe in God, Huck makes an important observation by saying, â€Å"I liked the old ways best, but I was getting so I liked the new ones too, a little bit. The widow said I was coming along slow but sure, and doing satisfactory. She said she warn’t ashamed of me† (Twain 15). At this  point it is apparent that Huck has not yet developed a mind of his own. He is letting society influence the way he acts and thinks, not showing any of his true character. By conforming and adopting the ideals of conventional society, Huck is not thinking or living to his full potential. The reader does, however, see a slight change when Huck and Jim meet at Jackson’s Island where Huck admits that â€Å"people could call me a low-down Abolitionist and despise me for keeping mum- but that don’t make no difference† (Twain 36). Even though he knows society would not agree with his decision, Huck has agreed to help Jim escape. Huck’s personal choices, as well as morally challenging decisions made while traveling the Mississippi with Jim, are crucial to the development of his character. Although Huck did decide to help Jim escape from Miss Watson, he was originally only in it for the adventure and planned on turning Jim in further down the river. However, Jim turns out to be a caring man who treats Huck with immense respect and attention. Had Huck still been under the influence of conventional society, his decision probably would have been different, because slaves were considered nothing more than property and Huck had been taught to believe that fallacy. The two runaways form a relationship while traveling down the Mississippi River in which they help and protect each other. Huck begins to think of Jim as a friend and the father he never had. This change is made when Huck admits that â€Å"it was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger; but I done it, and I warn’t ever sorry for it afterward, neither† (Twain 86). Along with Huck’s feelings of some form of racial equality came feelings of guilt. Huck is still feeling guilty for stealing another person’s property, someone who had never done anything to harm him. One literary critic says that, â€Å"No more devastating comment has ever been made on the fraudulent pretensions of civilization then the great scene in which Huck struggles with himself over the question of whether to turn Jim back to Miss Watson† (Podhoretz 2). At this crucial point in the story it can be noticed that the influence of society is still hovering over Huck in some way, but he is attempting to create his own moral opinion on the subject. In his struggle, Huck writes a letter to Miss Watson telling her where she can find and recapture her runaway slave, but before sending the letter, he  thinks about his relationship with him and the positive influence Jim has had on him, thinking, â€Å"all right, then, I’ll go to hell’- and tore it up. It was thoughts and awful words but they was said. And I let them stay said; and never thought no more about reforming† (Twain 214). Here Huck has reached his greatest self accomplishment; he figures out the morally correct thing to do, without the influence of society. No sooner did Huck reach his paramount decision, than his convictions are challenged when Jim is sold to the Phelps’s plantation and he comes into contact with his old friend Tom Sawyer. The plantation belongs to Tom’s Aunt and Uncle, who are expecting a visit from Tom. Huck arrives at the plantation with the intent of finding Jim and setting him free once again, but the couple mistakes him for Tom, he goes along with it. Tom arrives at the plantation and Huck living there with him, begins to regress from his newly found moral achievement. The introduction of Tom into the story is symbolic of the introduction of conventional society back into Huck’s life. He has always seen Tom as being the more intelligent half of the twosome, and when they team up to free Jim, Huck returns to the lower position. Huck allows Tom’s elaborate escape plan and foolish games to influence his actions. He is focused on achieving freedom for his friend, and is willing to do anyth ing to accomplish that goal. Huck passionately proclaims his true feelings to Tom when he states that, â€Å"What I want is my nigger; and if a pick’s the handiest thing, that’s the thing I’m a-going to dig that nigger out with; and I don’t give a dead rat what the authorities thinks about it nuther† (Twain 246). Seeing Jim being held captive on the plantation reminds Huck to stay true to his self-proclaimed values, and not lose sight of a promise to Jim to gain him his freedom. Achieving this goal and freeing Jim from slavery would enable Huck to remain an individual and overcome the influence of society that had entered back into his life. At the end of the story Huck is able to talk to Jim with a feeling of accomplishment as he tells him that he’s, â€Å"a free man again, and you won’t ever be a slave no more† (Twain 275). How is Huck able to achieve this accomplishment? It is his departure from conventional society as well as his relationship with Jim that allows Huck  to develop considerable moral character. At the start of the story Huck is restricted by society and forced to believe what they tell him to believe, so he does not feel any personal connection with Jim. Once Huck leaves society he starts to form his own opinions and moral values based upon the way Jim acts towards him. His relationship with Jim makes Huck realize the equality of blacks and he thinks of Jim as a trusted and respected person and friend. On the Phelps Plantation the introduction of Tom acts as the entrance of society back into Huck’s life, and causes him to regress, but he is able to overcome its influence by the constant reminder of Jim’s captivity. Huck, in the end, demonstrates the importance of establishing a mind of your own, outside that of conventional society.

“Australian Rules” essay Essay

Australian rules is set in a small rural town, where the relationships between the white townspeople and the Aboriginal people on the mission are complex, conflicted and marred by deeply entrenched racism. The local football team in many ways serves to represent the town, it reflects the conflicted relationship between the white people and the Aboriginal people- we begin to understand this as the film unfolds. Other themes inherent in the film are themes of family, love, loyalty and violence- the secrecy of domestic violence and the more overt forms of racial violence that spill out onto the public spheres of the football field and the pub. The opening narration informs us that half the football team is Aboriginal and that there would not be a football team without the Aboriginal players, therefore we understand how the town team relies on the talent and number of the Aboriginal players. We then witness the contradiction of the white and Aboriginal boys playing side by side as team members followed by the social segregation between the members after the match. This segregation is highlighted by Blacky (a white boy from town) and Dumby (an Aboriginal boy who is the best player on the team) whose friendship transcends these borders and we also witness ways that this segregation between the white teenager and Aboriginal teenagers is culturally imposed by certain adults. In one of the beginning scenes, just after a football match, Dumby and Blacky want to ‘hang out’ together, but Dumby is taken back to the mission by an older friend and Blacky cannot follow. Blacky, Clarence and Dumby all call out to each other ‘Nukkin ya’ and this use of Aboriginal language between two Aboriginal teenagers and Blacky the white boy signifies the level of their friendship and mutual acceptance. Pickles’ comment to Blacky that ‘now he even talks like one’, symbolises the town’s disapproval of such respect for Aboriginal culture and Aboriginal people. The character of Pretty, Dumby’s older friend from the mission, plays an important role in the film. He was once a talented football player himself but no longer ‘kicks goals for whitefellas’ and he is significant because he is the main character to verbalise that Aboriginal people are treated  differently and unfairly. He is somewhat aggressive in his approach, expressing bitterness and resentment, yet it is implied that his approach is reactionary to the way he has been treated, and his statementsoverlooked by the white coach- are significant examples of changing responses to uneven power dynamics. For example the white coach tells Dumby to make sure all the Aboriginal team players turn up to the next match and Pretty interjects stating that it doesn’t work that way anymore, his metaphor of ‘yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir’, clearly refers to the history of Aboriginal people being used as servants and points out that the coach’s approach of ordering Dumby around is no longer appropriate. Unfortunately the coach does not take this message on and rather than acknowledging the Aboriginal boys as talented, valuable and indeed essential team players, he nervously treats them as unreliable boys who may destroy the team’s chances by not turning up. This attitude of relying on Aboriginal talent, whilst refusing to appropriately acknowledge this talent is made explicitly clear during the award giving ceremony that takes place after the team win the finals. Pretty is made to leave the ceremony after he disputes the truth of a speech about the egalitarian nature of football ‘where you can be anyone, from anywhere, and receive the recognition you deserve’. Pretty is immediately proved to be right when the awards are given only to white boys, and Dumby, who is obviously the most talented player on the team is left completely unacknowledged. There is a direct shift in Dumby’s response and he becomes more like Pretty, demonstrating anger and resentment, rather than his normal cheerful, co operative self. This gives us insight into Pretty’s character and how he may have developed the attitude that he has towards white people. Pretty and Dumby’s break-in to the pub that very night can be interpreted as a direct response to the unfairness of the award ceremony- although there are characters, such as the coach, who are not willing to see the connection. The fact that Dumby is then murdered by Blacky’s father is a complicated event with many layers of meaning. The insights we have been given about Blacky’s father prior to the shooting is that of a man who dominates his family, puts down his sons for showing vulnerability and who physically abuses his wife. There are  instances in which we can see links between the violence he demonstrates towards his family and the verbal and physical violence he feels justified in displaying towards Dumby, and then later towards Dumby’s sister, Clarence. There is a scene in which the father physically attacks Blacky and forces Blacky to declare loyalty to him (regarding the shooting), meanwhile verbally abusing Clarence with racial slurs and ordering her to get out of his house. During this scene the camera pans onto the faces of the Blacky’s mother and siblings and we see how domestic and racial violence become enmeshed, that the father’s attack on Blacky for being with Clarence is an act of violence that hurts his whole family. Interestingly it is Clarence who is the least cowed in this scene, she does not show fear and walks out with dignity. In this way we can see how control and domination is a particular pattern in this family, but is not taken on by Clarence. In many ways, the shooting, and the following events, are catalysts for great changes, both in the town, and more specifically in Blacky’s family. Blacky rejects his parent’s demands to maintain loyalty to his father and instead Blacky remains loyal to his friendship with Dumby. Blacky’s rejection of his father’s authority instigates other members of the family, such as his mother and next youngest brother who subtly take Blacky’s side. The scene where his brother urges him to get up and face his father, (when his father beat him to the ground), symbolises the request of his family for Blacky to represent them all and challenge the father’s authority. The resolution of the film sees the father gone, leaving Clarence and Blacky happily together but planning to this town ‘that has nothing for them’. The fate of the town is not so happy, the boys from the mission won’t come to town and there is no longer a football team. In many ways we can see how Australian rules reflects the complexities of human relationships- of love and loyalty and hatred and violence, and clearly demonstrates how deeply entrenched racism hurts everyone. The town, through its racism has destroyed the tentative trust of the Aboriginal people and has lost its ‘glory’- its winning football team. Its seems empty, a place only good for leaving.

10 Herbal Medicine

The  Philippine Department of Health (DOH)  has endorsed ten (10) medicinal plants to be used as herbal medicine in Philippines due to its beneficial effects. These herbal medicines have underwent clinical studies through the Philippine Department of Health's  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Traditional Health Program†Ã‚  to offer as alternative to conventioanl medicines. Below is the list of these medicinal plants: 1. Akapulko (Cassia alata)  Common names include â€Å"bayabas-bayabasan† in tagalog, â€Å"ringworm bush or schrub† and â€Å"acapulco† in English, this Philippine herbal medicine is used to treat tinea infections, insect bites, ringworms, eczema, scabies and itchiness. . Ampalaya (Momordica charantia)  Common names include â€Å"bitter melon † or â€Å"bitter gourd † in English. This Philippine herbal medicine has been found to be effective in the treatment of diabetes (diabetes mellitus), hemofrhoids, coughs, burns and scalds, and being studie d for anti-cancer properties. 3. Bawang (Allium sativum)  Common name in english is â€Å"Garlic†. Bawang is a used in Philippine herbal medicine to treat infection with antibacterial, antiinflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-hypertensive properties. It is widely used to reduce cholesterol level in blood. . Bayabas (Psidium guajava)  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ â€Å"Guava† in English. A Philippine herbal medicine used as antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, antioxidant hepatoprotective, anti-allergy, antimicrobial, anti-plasmodial, anti-cough, antidiabetic, and antigenotoxic in folkloric medicine. 5. Lagundi (Vitex negundo)  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ known as â€Å"5-leaved chaste tree† in english is used in Philippine herbal medicine to treat  cough, colds and fever. It is also used as a relief for asthma & pharyngitis, rheumatism, dyspepsia, boils, and diarrhea. 6. Niyog-niyogan (Quisqualis indica L.   Ã¢â‚¬â€œ is a vine known as â€Å"Chinese honey suckle†. This Philip pine herbal medicine is used to eliminate intestinal parasites. 7. Sambong (Blumea balsamifera)- English name: â€Å"Ngai camphor or Blumea camphor† is a Philippine herbal medicine used to treat  kidney stones, wounds and cuts, rheumatism, anti-diarrhea, anti spasms, colds and coughs and hypertension 8. Tsaang Gubat (Ehretia microphylla Lam. )  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ English :†Wild tea† is a Philippine herbal medicine taken as tea to treat skin allergies including eczema, scabies and itchiness wounds in child birth 9. Ulasimang Bato | Pansit-Pansitan  (Peperomia pellucida) is a Phillipine herbal medicine known for its effectivity in treating arthritis and gout. 10. Yerba Buena  (Clinopodium douglasii)  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ commonly known as Peppermint, is used in Philippine herbal medicine as analgesic to relive body aches and pain due to rheumatism and gout. It is also used to treat coughs, colds and insect bites Types Of Herbal Medicine Medicinal plants can be used by anyone, for example as part of a salad, an herbal tea or supplement. Many herbalists, both professional and amateur, often grow or wildcraft their own herbs. Making your own herbal medicine preparation is not only fun, but can be cost-effective. In using the above mentioned herbal medicines, some may require some degree of skill, you have to use your own judgement if you decide to use one. Below is a list of general ways on how to prepare your own herbal medicine. The list is not all inclusive and you have to see individual articles for the herb you use so that you will know how to prepare them. Herbal Teas There are two methods of making herbal teas, infusion and decoction. Infusion is steeping lighter parts of the plant (leaves, flowers, light stems) in boiled water for several minutes. Decoction is boiling tougher parts, such as roots or bark for a longer period of time. Herbal teas are often used as a home remedy, and as an alternative to tea and coffee. As a general rule unless recommended by a herbalist, Prepare 1 teaspoon of dried herb for every 1 cup of water. Let it steep in boiling water for 10 to 20 minutes. Strain the herbs out and drink 3 to 4 times a day. Herbal Tinctures Steeping a medicinal plant in alcohol extracts the alcohol-soluble principles into a liquid form that can be stored for long periods. Herbalists may mix several herbal tinctures to form an individualized prescription for each patient. Plant tinctures are also the basis for many homeopathic medicines. To prepare your herbal tincture you will need: 8 ounces of finely cut dried herbs, 1 large glass jar that can hold 4 cups of liquid 2 cups of vodka Instructions: Put the dried herb into a large, glass jar and pour in equal amount of liquid, making sure the herbs are completely covered (this is very important). Store the jar in a cool, dark place for at least two weeks, preferably 4. Make sure to shake the mixture every day. When ready to use, filter the mixture using a cheesecloth bag, coffee filter, or fine cloth, capturing the tincture liquid below in another container. Store the tincture in clean, dark glass containers, out of the sun. If stored properly the tincture will be preserved for two or more years. Vinegar tinctures should be refrigerated. Note: A drop of tincture is equal to 1 tsp of herb juice. For Vinegar Tinctures, use 1 ounce of herb per 5 ounces of vinegar. Fluid Extracts Fluid extracts are stronger than herbal tinctures, and can be made with alcohol or glycerin. Herbal Poultices Poultices are a solid, vegetable fat based mixture used externally. They have the shortest life span of any herbal remedy and must be made fresh for every use. Powdered Herbs And Tablets Herbs that are dried and (sometimes) certain parts are separated out then diced to powder fine consistency. Powered matter can then be compressed or put in an empty pill coating to form a tablet Herbal Creams And Ointments An ointment usually is mixed with beeswax (or something similar) to make it more applicable to outside the body, such as on a cut or scrape. Essential Oils Extraction of volatile liquid plant materials and other aromatic compounds from plants gives essential oils. These plant oils may be used internally in some forms of herbal medicine as well as in aromatherapy and generally for their perfume, although their medicinal use as a natural treatment (alternative medicine) has proved highly efficacious in the treatment of headache and muscle pain, joint pain and certain skin diseases Herbal Supplements Herbal supplements tend to be commercial products in tablet or capsule form manufactured and marketed by the health food industry for sale in retail outlets to the general public, although there are some types that are sold only to healthcare practitioners for prescription. Herbal supplements are often standardized to contain stated levels of active phytochemicals. Some herbalists may not agree with the standardization of active ingredients, preferring instead to use the whole plant.

Argue that hunting among the Bushman is not merely a physical act, but Essay - 1

Argue that hunting among the Bushman is not merely a physical act, but one that touches, often deeply, every domain of Bushman society and thus promotes social solidarity - Essay Example This paper argues that, in terms of Durkheim’s theory of solidarity, the Bushmen utilize hunting not just for obtaining food, but also for deeper domains of their life, specifically marital, religious, and economic customs and rites. Hunting in the Bushmen society influences social status, determines the rituals of religious traditions, and forms duty within extended family units, uniting the people in what Emile Durkheim refers to as ‘social solidarity’. As stated by Peter Kropotkin (Hann 1993, 27): But still we know that when the Europeans came, the Bushmen lived in small tribes (or clans), sometimes federated together; that they used to hunt in common, and divided the spoil without quarrelling; that they never abandoned their wounded, and displayed strong affection to their comrades. Emile Durkheim claims that traditional societies are bonded together by a type of social cohesion that is rooted in the commonalities of the members, or referred to as ‘mechanical solidarity’ (Komter 2004). The common values within these traditional societies, which are mostly religious in character, create a ‘collective consciousness’ for the society, a group of ideas, beliefs, and norms common to everybody (Komter 2004). There is modest individuality because individuals view themselves mainly in connection with their membership in the group. Hunting is still deeply embedded in the culture of Bushmen, even in instances where bands take care of their own cattle and grow their own food. The Bushmen are essentially hunters on the peripheries of the bigger non-Bushman culture. Bushmen are hunters in numerous ways. Gift-giving and kin relations include social ‘hunting’, for family connections and for bonds of exchange. Their spiritual or religious principle is distinguished as ‘hunting’ for knowledge (Hann 1993). It is factual that personal ties and hunting in Bushmen culture are

Risk of Nuclear Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Risk of Nuclear Power - Essay Example For power generation, nuclear reactors use radioactive materials as fuel. From fuel enrichment stage its waste and even after that the radioactive materials remain active in emitting radiation. During fuel enrichment, transportations, handling, reactors operation and waste storage process a minor leakage of nuclear radiation brings sever health and environmental issues. The exposure from low to medium radiation badly damages the biological cells resulting different types of cancer and genetic diseases in progeny. Very high radiation exposer severely damages the most of human body systems stopping all functions that leads to an immediate death (Cohen n. d). A major risk associated with nuclear power generation is nuclear reactors core or fuel meltdown due to extremely high temperature. Though they are very few incidents of nuclear reactor meltdown yet they result number of casualties along with sever environmental consequences. Also, in case of natural calamity, the issues to control and shut down of nuclear reactors also impart another risk associated with nuclear power. Additionally, improper storage and handling of used reactors fuels also pose a threat both to humans and environment (Cohen n. d). The information given in article is relevant to the information presented by Trfil and Hazen in their book; The Sciences: An Integrated Approach in many respects. Both the works highlighted the radiation, its types, applications and the risks associated with radiation. Also detail discussion about the nuclear reactors, their structure and construction and types of nuclear reactions has been given in article just similar to the course work given in above mentioned book written by Trefil and Hazen (2007). The importance of above cited article is attributed due to fact that it gives detail information about nuclear radiation, the nuclear power generation and

Operation management Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Operation management - Dissertation Example In order to achieve sustainable competitive advantage, the organization will have to set benchmark by comparing its operational management strategies with those of industry’s best it was found that management skills and competencies are as important as the technical competencies. It was also found that in order to successfully complete a project, management as well as leadership skills of a project manager is an essential trait. Contents Contents 3 Introduction 4 OrganizationBackground: 4 The Assignment Objective 4 Approach and Methodology 4 Literature Review 5 Application to the organization 8 Analysis and Conclusion 9 Recommendation 9 Potential costs and benefits 9 Timescales and Resources 10 Risks or potential barriers to implementation 11 Appendix 14 Introduction OrganizationBackground: Occidental Petroleum Corporation is an oil and gas exploration and production company. It is an international company and it has two oil fields within Oman in both south and north areas. Ox y mukhaizna filed recorded high progress interm of production. In 2012 the gross daily oil production was 120,000 barrels per day which is 15 times higher than the production in 2005. There are some competitors companies in the same sector working in Oman such as Daleel petrolum, Petrogas, Oman Oil Company Exploration & Production and CCED. However, the Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) is the major competitor to OxyOman. The Assignment Objective The objective if the assignment is to evaluate an operational management theory of Oxy Corporation and application of the theory to provide solutions for the specific issue. The report will help in evaluating the current trends and issues pertaining to operations management and what are the reliable strategies through which operational enhancement can be achieved. Approach and Methodology Aqualitative as well asd quantitative approach has been used for the completion of the project. The report is an extensive application based review of the operational theory encompassing topics such as project management, quality management, skills and competency management and their various uses pertaining to oil and gas sector. The various sources used for getting information will include primary observations as well as secondary data from the company at study and extensive literature review of journals and articles. Some fundamental information about the organisation is as followed; Founded in the year 1920 (Oxy Corporation, 2013a). International gas and oil production and gas exploration organisation. Operates in United States, Latin America and Middle East Region (Oxy Corporation, 2013b). Headquarters in Wilshire, Los Angeles. Literature Review Operational management is one of the critical aspects influencing the successful competitiveness of any service or manufacturing organisation. Multiple queries and organisational issues such as product choice, manufacturing technology, capacity utilization, quality maintenance and material sourcing and costing and customer management are associated with operational management theories. Operational management can be defined as â€Å"a management systems in which several activities are performed to transform a set of inputs into a useful output using a transformation process† (Turner, 1999). Operational management of an organisation covers various aspects. Few of the important aspects include inventory management, supply chain and logistics management, facilities and

Explain and analyze how our Founding Fathers meant for the president Essay

Explain and analyze how our Founding Fathers meant for the president to be chosen, what has changed, and your own analysis - Essay Example The constitution stipulates on the process of electing the president of the US, and the key factors necessary to establish the contestant who is eligible for the office. As outlined below, the script establishes the elections process and the various amendments to the constitution that America’s presidential elections (The Constitution 36). America is a federal state comprising of 52 states with the mandate to elect the president. However, the presidential candidate should win the party ticket of one the two parties, namely, the Democrat and the Republican, with all other state parties being affiliates to these two major parties. The first constitution implemented on stringent measures on who was to vie for the presidency (The Constitution 46). For example, stipulations were that for one to eligible to the position, citizenship would be a determining factor. The need was that he would declare his citizenship by birth and lived in the US for at least 14 years prior to bid for th e presidency. The constitution further stipulated on the age restriction of 35 years implying that no aspirant would crave for presidency whilst below the maximum age (The Constitution 55). As a tradition, the United States holds presidential elections at a four-year interval thus 2012 becoming the current presidential elections year. ... votes on the desired presidential candidate from either the democrats or the republicans with each choice of balloting dictating on the next president and vice-president of the America. However, after voting, the Electoral College casts the determinant votes which are the most critical as they tend to shelf those of the citizens (Brady 43). Initially, the constitution implied on a different protocol of appointing the president until the 19th century, when the constitutional amendments resolved the controversy over the second article of the American constitution towards the power of the voter and the electors. The constitution implemented that voters would elect their electors who would simultaneously elect the president through the majority college votes (The Constitution 45). In accordance to the constitution, the electors should be neutral, holding no significant office in the federal government as this would imply on the probability of democracy. Further, different states elect di fferent numbers of electors to coincide with the eligible number of representatives and senators outlined by the congress in relevance to the individual state population. The first constitution stipulated that the president would come from the majority count of the people; however, controversies arose on what would be the course of action whenever the voters could not elect a candidate with a majority count (The Constitution 49). Therefore, amendments presided to the current second article of the constitution that vests power over the electors to choose the president and [if they happen to fail, the constitution expressly allows the House of Representatives to cast votes. Amendments to the constitution and the presidential election process The congress dictates on the election date upon

Basal ganglia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Basal ganglia - Research Paper Example Parkinsons’s disorder is treated with dopamine replacement therapy. In the study of Diaz and Walters (2009), they explained that Parkinson is treated with levodopa, carbidopa, dopamine agonists, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and amantadine. All drugs are known to relive motor symptoms. L-Dopa increases the level of dopamine in the brain thereby relieves muscle tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia. Dopamine depletion results in the degeneration of the basal ganglia which may lead to excessive excitatory signals that affects the voluntary muscles in the different part of the body. Carbidopa prevents the breakdown of dopamine in the periphery thus causes fewer side effects. Amantadine has the same effect with L-Dopa. The study further provided an overview of other medications believe to treat non motor features of Parkinson disease like mood disorder, gastrointestinal, cognitive impairment, and autonomic dysfunction. Hilker and company (2010) in their similar study suggested that t he use of continuous dopaminergic drug delivery (CDD) may also provide a reduction in dopaminergic dyskinesias. CDD is based on the idea of continuous stimulation of striate dopamine receptors by infusing L-Dopa through a portable mini pump. While there are many researches and studies on the positive effects of these drugs on the signs and symptoms of Parkinson, medication is not the only treatment addressing this basal ganglia disorder. Understanding the underlying mechanism of the disorder had played a role in the interest of experts in expanding their search for other treatments to include surgical intervention in the form of pallidotomy and thalamotomy. These surgical procedures involve making lesions in the damaged tissues of the brain. In fact, the study of Krauss and Jankovic (1996) revealed that small lesion may disrupt the abnormal activity in the circuitry of basal ganglia. The operation involves treating the overly active brain cells thus signs and symptoms of the disease like dyskinesias, freezing movement, and stiffness are improved. In 1992, dramatic results among patients who had undergone pallidotomy were revealed (http://neurosurgery.mgh.harvard.edu). Treatment of basal ganglia disorder has been complicated. Treatment with drugs could cause another major symptom which is slowness in movement. Patient may still manifest the same major symptoms of the disorder despite undergoing surgery. This prompted experts to consider another option such as transplantation of fetal mesencephalic tissue. However, this treatment is still in its experimental stage. In the same study of Krauss and Jankovic, they noted that fetal stem transplantation has the potential to restore the lost nigrostriatal pathway. The stems when introduced into the substantia nigra would act as dopamine producing cells. This treatment is supported with the findings of Tran,Ho and Jandial ( 2010) where they explained that stem cells are the choice because of their ability to maintain a nd differentiate themselves and could develop into different new cells throughout the life of mammals. Furthermore, they reiterated that the preliminary use of stem cells has a therapeutic promise in treating neurodegenerative disorders that are characterized by neuronal and glialloss. Other studies found out that implanted stem cells migrate to lesion site and restore deficits in brain function. The data provided in the treatment of basal

Violating Norms and Food Wastage Personal Statement

Violating Norms and Food Wastage - Personal Statement Example The manager of a cafeteria, kind of knows me since I am her regular visitor. I went to the restaurant with my friend, who too did not have any clues of my purpose that day. We chatted for about 40 minutes, and then thought to grab something. I ordered a plate of pasta. Had no more than three spoons from the content available to me in my dish. More, I did not ask for a separate plate that I could serve myself some in that different plate. I very much started from that bowl only. Just to make a humor out of a whole thing. Then, we finished and I asked for the bill. It was $60 that we were supposed to pay. $20 for a sandwich that my friend had ordered, and $40 for my pasta. I paid $40, for a complete bill. The boy came to me and said it wasn't $40 but $60 that we were supposed to pay. The boys were in the process of collecting the leftovers on our table. I stopped them to keep the evidence that it indeed was half a plate pasta that I consumed, and the other half I was sending back to them. Poor boy said, "Sir, irrespective of what you eat, you are charged for a complete dish." "And you know that, don't you" "Why would I pay for a full plate when I ate only half of it. There still is some food, which I am sending back. You are not going to throw it off, are you This food is supposed to be consumed by somebody else, isn't it" I said. And by the time, it was a scene created in a restaurant. My friend was not able to believe what was happening. Neither were the boys around. The manager smelt the noise and came to the floor too. I threw a big laughter. A very big laughter. And then took a serious position. With everybody's attention towards me, I started, "a management can be judged with its wastage percentage, lesser the wastage percentage efficient is the management: it is applicable for cafeteria, restaurant, family, organization as well as state. There are many types of wastage among which food wastage is on the top as it has great impact on the family expenditure as well as national economy. By saving food wastage we can save billions of dollars in developed countries, which may help us to make hunger free world." I continued, "In the USA alone, 30% of prepared, baked, canned and fresh food is pitched into landfills daily. The estimated loss to the U.S. economy is over $48 billion a year. British government statistics show that, per person, their citizens throw out 378 pounds (171 kg) of food a year. The Australians pitch 145 kilos per person annually." "Elsewhere in the food processing chain, problems that cause food poisoning cost hundreds of millions in recalls and food waste happen more often than we realize. Listeria bacteria in one company's processed meats caused several deaths and made hundreds ill, due to incomplete cleaning of meat slicers. The loss of the public's trust in their products reduced that company's annual income even further." "Food wastage may occurs in many ways: the frozen food stored in the freezer last year that is now rock-hard and stripped of nutrients; the 50 kilos of potatoes the restaurant

E-commerce Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

E-commerce Marketing Plan - Essay Example Market Summary â€Å"FISH FIELD LLC is a fishing tackle manufacturer, importer and wholesaler in Oregon.† (Fish Field, 2011) The company is a specialist in fishing equipments. Fish Field focuses more on ocean fishing though the company has significant presence in fresh water fishing too. What started as just a small company is now an established fishing equipment brand in the region. Being located in Oregon, the major market of the company is Oregon itself. But the company also has reasonable sales from other major states through its online sales of the equipments. The current customer groups of the company include both professional fishermen as well as hobbyists. But the larger portion consists of professional fishermen. The company has a huge portfolio of products that cater to the various needs of the customers. The products of the company are currently classified under categories such as fly fishing, general fishing, sea fishing, centerpin fishing and outdoor sport. The co mpany sells around sixty three products through these categories. Fish Field is planning to expand its market by targeting more customer groups. In order to increase the sales of the products, the company will have to expand to other markets outside Oregon through its online presence. ... This marketing plan is also intended to target more of students of the age group 10 – 20. This is a very lucrative market segment for the company. Competition Some of the major fishing equipment suppliers in Oregon are Anglers Manufacturing Inc, Bandon Bait & Tackle Sea Food, Caddis Fly Angling Shop, Cascade Anglers, Cascade Crest Tools, Charlton Deep Sea Charters, Dan Craft Enterprises, Englund Marine Supply Company, Fish Rite Inc Boats, and Glenn Struble MFG. Most of these players have fishing boats in their product portfolio compared to that of Fish Filed. Though Fish Field does not have boat among its product categories, the fishing equipment portfolio of Fish Field is very large than most of these players. This is where the company differentiates itself from other major players in the market. Fish Filed also differentiates from its competitors through its sophisticated online sales presence. Most of the products of Fish Field are sold through its online portal. Most of th e competitors maintain their own websites. Some of the competitors’ websites are just informative in nature. Such companies don’t sell products online. Caddis Fly, Bandon Bait, Cascade Anglers, Englund Marine and Fish Rite are the companies that just maintain informative websites. All other players listed above sells their merchandise online. If Fish Field is able to leverage more on its existing online presence, it can generate more sales than that of its competitors. Most of the competitors are not established brands in fishing equipments though there are few companies that have years of experience. Therefore, to generate better sales, Fish Field should first establish its brand name or make its brand name visible to the prospective customers. Since Fish Field

Program Planning, Research, and Evaluation Essay

Program Planning, Research, and Evaluation - Essay Example Since the children cannot access most of the health check-ups and treatments due to lack of resources. This health promotion program will be developed in conjunction with Everett Community Health Partnership (ECHP). The mission of ECHP is to enhance health and the standard of life of the community of Everett. This is done by generating chances for the organizations, individuals, and families to work together and strategically in solving essential difficulties in the community (Cambridge Health Alliance, 2014). 3 The basic community health care assessment provides an evaluation of the general health status by the community members. However, this assessment has been difficult to be determined in the Everett, MA Public School System due to community violence. This research is important in establishing the effect of the persistent community violence on their (community members, that is, children) academic ability, substance use, as well as behavioral and emotional factors. This is because the African American girls are from an ethnic minority group that is prone to persistent community violence (Cooley-Strickland et al., 2009). 3 The city of Everett is in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, close to Boston. At the time of the United States Census in 2011, the total population estimate of the city was 41,079. The Everett, MA Public School is located at 100 Elm St, Everett, MA 02149 (Everett Public Schools, 2014). 4 However, MA Everett public school has a drop-out rate of 3.3%, which exceeds the state’s rate of 2.2%, but performs better than the state in regard to in-school suspensions with 1.4% as compared to 2.2% (Cambridge Health Alliance, 2014). The Everett High School graduation rate is 86.5%, which is in accordance with 85% state graduation rate (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2014). Hospitalization as a result of mental disorder is high in Everett in all age groups (Cambridge Health Alliance, 2014). 5 The

Blast Report Essay Example for Free

Blast Report Essay Blast Report The case study I received was about a family of four that was experiencing symptoms of fever, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea. The children were affected more severely than the adults. It seems that the family consumed spoiled food considering that their fridge broke early in the day and they ate the food that was in there later on. My blast came up with a 99. 6% match with Salmonella typhimurium. This seems to be an accurate match considering the symptoms related with a Salmonella typhimurium infection. Salmonella causes gastroenteritis with symptoms f diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and abdominal pain with elderly people, children and pregnant women being at greatest risk of developing infection. This is consistent with the familys children having more severe symptoms. Symptoms typically last two to five days. S. typhimurium causes infection by invading the intestinal mucosa and multiplying in specialized vacuoles and then invading the liver and spleen where it causes systematic disease. S. typhimurium enters the host orally through spoiled or undercooked meat and the incubation period is about 12 to 24 hours. It can also be transmitted through the fecal matter or contaminated water which can easily happen in poorly developed countries with poor waste management. Infection of S. typhimurium is highest in countries with poor sanitation but it can occur in any part of the world. The infection should clear up on its own for healthy individuals with access to clean water and food but if the infection spreads to the bloodstream, antibiotics will need to be taken. Transmission can be easily prevented by properly handling and cooking food, and by washing hands often. Since this family is therwise healthy and has access to clean food and water, they should be fine within a few days with no need for antibiotics. S. typhimurium is a rod shaped gram-negative bacterium. It is a facultative anaerobe so it does not require oxygen to survive. It is also motile via use of flagella. Unlike most Salmonella species, S. typhimurium does not ferment lactose. The citation I selected discusses the effect of the addition of nisin to current Salmonella antibiotics. Overuse and abuse of antibiotics has lead to a serious ongoing problem of antibiotic resistance.

English Literature Essays Witchcraft Goodman Brown

English Literature Essays Witchcraft Goodman Brown Witchcraft Goodman Brown Young Goodman Brown The setting of the story is in the 17th century in Salem, Massachusetts where the center of witchcraft occurred in history. As a backgrounder, during those times, most people believed in witchcraft. The belief originated from Europe where 500,000 people were executed for it between 15th and 17th centuries. Before the outbreak of witchcraft, nearly 300 people had been indicted of witchcraft and more than 30 have been hanged. Both men and women have been jailed and executed those times. Almost everyone who was accused of witchcraft were older women who were likely to be independent and eccentric. This hysteria was believed by historians essential because it was the last time in the history of America that allegations of witchcraft would lead to execution. The experience and its aftershocks also marked the conclusion of Puritan authority in New England. During those times, the leaders of the community of Salem, including those young innocent people like Goodman Brown were easily allured by wicked figures to join cults. The story starts in motion with young Brown leaves his three-month wife, Faith home, and meets a stranger, with a staff resembling a snake, in a forest to join undetermined, but evidently unholy ceremony. It is being discussed in the story that his wife, Faith, wears a hat with pink ribbons on it. Hawthorne explains the character of the wife by the symbol of pink ribbons which entails daintiness, fragility and innocence. He also supports the wife’s vulnerable character when Brown tries to hide the purpose of leaving from his wife with the reason that it might break her fragile heart. At the time of meeting of Brown and the man with a staff, the author also gives a briefing of the stranger’s character. He makes the stranger carry a staff which resembles a snake. It is being associated to the rod thrown by Aaron, a biblical character, before the Pharaoh. It also symbolizes lies and deceit which explains the character of the one who uses it. Hence, the staff of Brown’s companion is being linked to evil. As Brown goes on with the journey with his companion deep in the forest, Hawthorne inserts credibility to the character of the stranger. Credibility so to confuse the readers whether the stranger is good or bad†¦whether he is wicked or not. It sets the mood of confusion when the author explains that the stranger’s looks could be mistaken for a father of Brown. He pictures out that the two resembles each other. The author stops not there for the purpose of confusing the readers more. He also tries to puzzle the readers when the stranger utters to the main character that he once, worked with Brown’s parents which gains the stranger credibility so Brown will be comfortable journeying with him. Hawthorne is successful in building the mysterious character of the stranger. At one point of their journey, the stranger offers his staff to Brown to help the main character on their way to the unexplained ceremony. Brown refuses to take it which could be a symbol of the author that the main character is not fully convinced to wickedness yet. As the two moves on, the story shows that Brown begins to realize that a lot of his townsfolk are traveling towards the ceremony which surprises him particularly when he sees the Deacon, the Minister and the woman who taught him catechism whom he considers models of the Christian community. On that note, the author is leading the readers to think about two things; either those people familiar to Brown are really heading towards the ceremony or the stranger, who plays the devil role to those who Hawthorne isn’t able to confuse, just makes a mere imagination for Brown, but both serves the same purpose, to lure him to the ceremony. The ideas are applicable to the story and Hawthorne uses figures like those people whom Brown looks up to like the Deacon, the Minister and the woman who taught him catechism. Noticing all these, he understands that not everyone, who seems to do good things, shows holiness and preaches the good word is sincere to what they do. This realization makes him want to turn back at some point but for some reason, he decides to proceed. Hawthorne could be showing that the main character’s step to wickedness progresses. At some point of Brown’s journey, he is traveling alone when he sees his wife also heading towards the ceremony. That scene gives him mixed emotions. Excitement captures his being because at one point of his journey, he wanted to just go back to his loving Faith, but disappointment overrules his soul. He is disappointed knowing that his wife is to be initiated at the ceremony. He never imagined that his three-month wife, fragile and loving, whom he tried to protect from his own evil, will be corrupted too. Hawthorne is able to support his description of Brown’s three-month marriage with Faith. Being married to someone for such a short time illustrates that there are lots of things to be discovered from each other. There could be lots of surprises. On that note, Brown understands more that even his wife, whom he trusts so much, who seems to be not capable of doing anything immoral, could be wicked too. The author must also have used the word innocent as a hint that this character could easily be deceived by anyone. As the story goes on, Brown stops for a moment, being in deep pain of the knowledge that his wife will also be at the ceremony. He calls the witches and devils and says â€Å"fear this Brown as he fears you.† Hawthorne makes a terrifyingly great scene here. He adds strong winds, sounds coming not from a single man and shadows waving coming from the trees. He pictures the scene well. And as Brown accepts that his wife is also attending the ceremony, he considers just going on. A scene in the story, when Brown sees a pink ribbon falling from the sky that leads him to losing his Faith in two aspects. Brown still goes on to the ceremony. It was shown by the author by his incredible picture-painting talent that Brown was determined to continue his journey in the woods to the ceremony but dragging his feet at the same time. The actor in the motion picture should be very good at doing this, tag with an excellent director in order to show what the author is trying to picture. A trophy for Hawthorne. During the ceremony, Brown sees a lot of newly converted members. Hawthorne paints a clear picture of the ceremony. A fire-lit place in the deepest of a forest, a rocky altar at the middle where a minister preaches and the converts who are being called to come forth the altar to be anointed by blood to seal their souls with wickedness which complete the ceremony picture. Basing the review of the story in old English language, it doesn’t state there if the couple, Brown and Faith, comes forth the altar together. On the other hand, considering the other versions of the story, in modern English language, it states that Brown, behind the tress, sees his wife approaching the altar for the anointing and sobs to her not to accept the communion and look to the heavens. On that note, Hawthorne’s original masterpiece, not the translated one, is vague. Either it is intentional or he overlooks at it. As per the other critics, Hawthorne is inexperienced and lacks at so many areas as a writer. Some writers call it a â€Å"License†, like a poet’s license. But whatever that is, it should be discussed well. If Hawthorne does it intentionally, it should be supported with explanation, not necessarily through words but a mere correlation to the plot. In this case, Hawthorne is not able to supply the missing information. As the story proceeds to the ceremony, it shows there that Brown is definitely not amazed with what is happening. He sees familiar faces like his neighbors and other not mentioned characters but clearly refer to people who never crossed his innocent young mind could be there. One instance there is he sees a figure who has the likeness of his mom trying to stop him from being one with them. Hawthorne at this part, again, wins a trophy for â€Å"imaginational† effects. If the motion picture of this story follows the concepts of the author, it would be a great success. He uses terms likes â€Å"figures† and â€Å"unclear images† to make his readers understand that those people described as figures are those who have been anointed and became wicked. In the story, it shows that these people are imprisoned by the anointing. They are living but unfree, somebody but dead. Imagine what they look like†¦living-dead beings which make the ceremony scarier. Hawthorne’s description of the scene is very essential to make the ceremony spooky. After the scene at the ceremony, Brown finds himself standing beside a big, cold and damp rock. This surely confused the readers. A teleportation from the ceremony back to the woods. He is thinking if the experience at the ceremony is a dream or a reality. Either of the two, it’s a nightmare. Hawthorne is letting his readers think what really transpired. While I was at the ceremony part, I thought I was at the climax of the story. I realized I was wrong. This is the peak. Hawthorne leaves us a question if it really happened, just like Brown’s question to himself. The next morning, back in Salem, Goodman’s view about his neighbors, the leaders of the Christian community, everyone who seems to practice good conduct and even his wife is attached with skepticism. Did the journey really happen or it was a dram in slumber? The author doesn’t tell us and it doesn’t matter. Brown goes back to Salem a changed man. He is never able to see his neighbors the same way like before, and becomes a sour hermit. He never able to see his wife the same way again and becomes an isolated husband. As per a source, Brown despises these people because he sees that same traits in himself. Like the people in his journey, he questions his own religion. However, he projects his own fears onto those around him. The dream is a manifestation of all of the insecurities he has about himself and the choices he has made in life. However, he is too proud to acknowledge his own faults. His life ends alone and miserable because he was never able to look at himself and realize that what he believed were everyone elses faults were his as well. He is completely isolated from his society. Thus, he begins to become jaded and cynical about the things happening around him. The troubled Goodman lives his life with disbelief, uncertainty and doubt. Brown is a changed man after his journey. Hawthorne demonstrates how he, a Puritan, fails the test of his honest and religious being. Hawthorne uses cold drops from the hanging twig which is not a typical baptism in most Christians because they don’t sprinkle on the head. This means that Brown cannot be a true Christian himself. The beginning of the story represents immaturity, goodness and ever man. Brown is a very religious in nature. Not knowing the hurdles lie ahead, he journey to the dark uncertainly forest. Brown is said to be nave because he went to the evil forest in spite of his wife’s warning of the danger that could be encountered. It demonstrates the prototype of the innocent. He becomes irrational optimistic towards his wife’s cautioning him to go to the forester. The use of symbolism in Young Goodman Brown shows that evil is everywhere, which becomes evident in the conclusion of this story. He feels like his father and grandfather committed great sins. We take a journey with him into the awful forest. There is always an association between forests and evil. As per the other critics of the story, the name Goodman refers to everyone. But actually, it perfectly explains the main character Goodman, who happens to be a good guy but also has tendencies to be enticed by wickedness. The name is also accompanied by the word â€Å"Young† which simply explains the word itself†¦young. In the story, it shows that he, Goodman, tries to turn back a couple of times because of his Faith in two aspects, his wife and faith itself. But realizing that his wife is to be initiated at the ceremony, disappointment lives on his face and resumes to his original plan. With uncertainty and anxiety, he declines to be anointed and looks to the heavens above. This simply clarifies the statement above that he has tendencies to be enticed by wickedness. All men can be drawn to such horrifying acts but can also decline the temptation. This typical form of a biblical story shows Browns efforts in grasping the nature of good and evil. He has his communal society and religious values but those were not enough for him. He went on a journey to search and found the answers from the dark side. He then changed into a pessimistic man from an optimistic one. He was once innocent from the reality, and due to his curiosity, he was faced squarely to it. Brown looked for the nature of good and evil and found the answer. The story shows where the line is drawn between good and evil and who are in danger crossing it. Hawthorne skillfully reveals the shadowy area between Good and Evil, where it is hard to determine if something is good or evil. Through his questioning of one moment in his life, his journey, he begins to question the validity of everything and everyone around him. References Hawthorne, Nathaniel Young Goodman Brown. The modern library of the worlds best books. Charlottesville, VA, University of Virginia Library, 1996. Bloom, Harold. Nathaniel Hawthorne. Modern critical views. New York: Chelsea House, 1986. Hawthorne, Nathaniel, Peter George, and Robert Tinnell. Nathaniel Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown. Princeton, NJ: Films for the Humanities Sciences, 2000. Fox, Donald, William Phelps, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Young Goodman Brown. Santa Monica, CA: Pyramid Media [distributor], 1990s. Young Goodman Brown. Perfection Learning, 1979.

Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment One of the diseases that has severely impacted the lives of people these days is Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) which is a condition that is fatal and rare which has impact on the brain of human being. CJD causes damage to the brain that gets worsened with the passage of time. The patients diagnosed with the disease die within one year as people become immobile (Solassol et al., 2006). CJD is usually caused by an abnormal protein known as prion. Before prion is understood, proteins function for body must be clarified. For every human being, proteins are important for life and are present in body of all living things. Every part of humans body has good composition of protein such as muscles, hair, fingernails, bones, skin, blood, body organs and eyes. After water, protein is the second most important constituent of body (Belay et al., 2003). According to LiveScience Staff (2012), protein is mainly used for building, maintenance and repairing of body tissues; it is present in various forms which perform many jobs in human body and the structure of each protein determine its function. The building blocks of proteins are long strings of amino acids which get folded and curled into complex three dimensional shapes which allow proteins to perform their job. Dr. Stanley B. Prusiner from University of California i.e. San Francisco purified an agent which was infectious made of unique kind of protein and referred to it as prion in 1982; Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to him in 1997 for discovery of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) that was mainly caused by prions. Prions get accumulated in brain at much higher levels that cause permanent damage to the nerve cells which cause various neurological symptoms. These infectious particles are different in behavior from conventional bacteria and viruses which cannot be destroyed by exposing to heat and radiation. Even antiviral and antibacterial medicines have no effects on prions; hence, presently, there is lack of valuable treatment for CJD (Belay et al., 2003). Understanding Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) Basically, CJD is a very rare form of deadly form of dementia which can spread fastly in the body from brain. Prions are mostly found in brain and are harmless; when they are not given proper shapes, they may have effects that can be devastating which can even attack brain, kill its cells and create holes or gaps in tissue of brain (Ironside, 2009). Prion diseases have been found in both animals and humans; such diseases were in news of mid 1980s along with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) epidemic which was referred to as Mad Cow disease, it is a cattle disease. In humans, it is known as CJD. The disease is found in about one to two people among million people worldwide. Types of CJD There are basically two types of CJD i.e. Classic CJD and Variant CJD (vCJD). The three types of classic CJD are Sporadic CJD, Familial or genetic CJD and Iatrogenic or Acquired CJD. Sporadic CJD More than 90% of people diagnosed with CJD are suffering from this type of CJD and it is mainly found in people aged in between 45 to 75. There are no specific symptoms for this CJD (Shah et al., 2009); however, some early symptoms such as depression may be present but it can quickly progress into confusion and problems of memory which is commonly observed in dementia, followed by loss of balance and coordination along with progressive blindness (Piouti et al., 2012). Familial or genetic CJD Familial or genetic CJD is one of the rare genetic condition in which the persons genes are inherited from one parent who causes the protein to get mutated into a prion in later stages of life that trigger the symptoms of CJD. In other words, it appears in families that have abnormal gene. About 7% of cases have this type of CJD. In order to diagnose it, blood test is done; person having this abnormal gene has 50% chance of transmitting it to children. The other rare form of this CJD are Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI) and Gerstmann-Strà ¤ussler-Scheinker (GSS); both of these are rarely found in people (Brand et al., 2006). It occurs in people who have age of 50 years. Iatrogenic or Acquired CJD This type of CJD is rarely found in people as it is found in those people who get CJD while accidental transmission that takes place during a medical procedure like corneal grafts, instruments in neurosurgery, human pituitary hormone therapy or human dura-mater grafts (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2010). Variant CJD People having average age of 28 years are found to be suffering from Variant CJD. It is usually developed from eating of beef that was infected with BSE. It can even occur with blood transfusion in which variant CJD is transmitted from one person to other. Once the symptoms are identified, the disease spreads quickly in the body (Tattum et al., 2010). Signs and Symptoms of CJD In many of the cases, classic CJD looks similar to various other dementias; the disease comes on fastly and then declines the ability of thinking as symptoms start appearing. Some of the most commonly found symptoms are that the person may have swings in mood, problems related to memory, interest absence and not behaving like oneself, having difficulty while walking such as keeping balance, dementia rapid progressions such as loss of memory and other thinking capabilities, problems in vision such as blindness, stiffening of limbs, twitching or jerks in muscles, feeling of clumsiness, speaking problem such as slurred speech, difficulty in swallowing and akinetic mutism in which person can move eyes and appear to be alert but can neither move voluntarily or speak (Espinosa, Bensalem-Owen, Fee, 2010; Sikorska et al., 2004). However, people who are in CJDs later stages face problems such as losing awareness as it can be seen in various neurological examinations. While the disease in the early stages, CJD patients are scared and it can be a distressing situation for them; it is usually associated with hallucinations that are visual which means seeing things that are not present there which might develop uncomfortable feeling in them (Andrews, 2012). People who are suffering from sporadic CJD usually live than twelve months after the appearance of signs and symptoms; the maximum life is two years. Before death, some people fall into condition of coma; the main reasons of death are heart failure, pneumonia or respiratory failure such as breathing problem (Rossetti Dunand, 2007). Among the most common symptoms found in Variant CJD people are changes in behavior, depression, withdrawal from social gatherings, difficulty in walking, dementia that is progressive, unable to do movement or speak and pain and odd kind of sensation in limbs or face (LiveScience Staff, 2012). Causes of CJD According to studies of Ironside (2009) and Tattum et al. (2010), CJD is caused by slow virus or other small organisms. The agent that causes this disease has several characteristics which are different from viruses and bacterias. The organisms are difficult to kill as they dont have genetic information on them in the form Nucleic acids such as DNA or RNA and has long period of incubation before symptoms are made visible. However, it has been found that it is mostly caused by prion proteins that can occur in both normal and infectious form. The normal forms have same shapes as that of amino acids but infectious ones differ in their shapes from normal proteins. Once they appear, abnormal ones start to get aggregated which start affecting the brain. Only 5-10% cases are inherited ones that arise either from mutation or changes in gene which are responsible for controlling the formation of normal prion proteins. Diagnosis of CJD CJD is difficult to diagnose especially when it is in its initial stages; there is no specific test available for diagnosing in living person. Only way to make sure that person had CJD is by examining the tissue of brain after his death. However, there are some other tests and procedures can be used for diagnosis of the disease such as medical history examination as it will help doctors in learning the persons symptoms and signs when they get started as CJD gets spread quickly; Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in which brains picture is taken to identify the difference between various types of CJD; Computerized Tomography (CT) scan in which brains picture will be taken to diagnose the disease; Puncture of Lumbar which means taking fluid form the spine of a person by using syringe and a needle, it is done to identify the infections of brain; blood tests to identify if there is any chance of genetic CJD; Electroencephalogram (ECG) in which electrical activity of brain is measured and b rain autopsy in which tissue of brain is examined after persons death (Puoti et al., 2012; Shah et al., 2009). Treatment for CJD Up till now, there has been no success in developing right treatment for CJD. The researchers have done numerous tests with many drugs such as steroids, antiviral agents, antibiotics, amantadine, acyclovir and many more but they have not been able to find perfect cure for this disease (Puoti et al., 2012). Some studies are still in progression to develop appropriate treatment for patients but none of them have been successful in benefiting the human beings. The treatment for CJD that is being followed by various doctors is aimed at alleviation of symptoms and trying to make the individuals as comfortable as the experts can do so that they have the will power of fighting against the disease. Some of the opiate drugs can relieve pain when people suffer from it but the drugs such as Sodium Valproate and Clonzaepam definitely help in relieving of myoclonus. When the disease is in later stages, position of person is changed frequently so that he gets comfortable and bedsores can be prevented. For draining urine, a catheter can be used as it helps in controlling the function of bladder and artificial feeding can also be used. Precautions for CJD Although there are chances that CJD gets transmitted by being careless during medical procedures but still people need to take care of various things that can help them in remain protected from this disease. CJD is not a contagious disease that can be transmitted either by social or sexual contact or via air or feeding, touching or even taking care of person suffering from CJD at home. some of the basic precautionary measures that need to be followed are washing hands either before eating or drinking, covering wounds or cuts with bandages that are waterproof, protecting face and hands from being exposes to blood or fluids of body of person who is affected by this disease and taking special care in blood transfusions so that CJD infected person does not give his blood. In order to avoid variant CJD, beef from selected countries should be eaten; countries that have high risk of TSE are more vulnerable to risk. The only options available for avoiding this type of CJD are either to eat beef from countries that emphasize on strict regulations on its quality and avoid eating parts of cattle that have high risks such as spinal cord, intestines, brain and eyes. Conclusion Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (CJD) is among the fastest growing disease that is being faced by many people worldwide. It has become important for researchers to identify right course of treatment for this disease so that patients can get full recovery. In order to make sure that people who have genetic CJD are given appropriate treatment before symptoms start to become visible, it is important that people get their blood tests done at regular intervals. When any of the signs and symptoms is observed in people, it is advised that they contact a doctor immediately who can ensure that right tests are done for identification of this disease. Still, the researchers have to do extensive work for identifying the main causes of CJD along with developing a remedial solution. Among all the available options, the best one is to contact any well-known doctors who are specialist in neurology who will take the patient in right treatment method. Hence, everyone needs to make sure that they have complete information about this disease so that they can face it with determination and strong will power. Palliative Care for Cancer Patients | Literature Review Palliative Care for Cancer Patients | Literature Review Gretha Cabral Literature Review Cancer has become a global concern in the recent decades and various researches have raised the need for palliative care for cancer patients besides the treatment that they receive from their respective hospitals. Researches show that palliative care prolongs the life of patients more as compared on relying the treatments alone. According to research conducted by Julia Medew, patients who are suffering from lung cancer could enjoy longer, quality life and low depression where they bestowed palliative care immediately after they are diagnosed with lung cancer, as opposed to starting at the late stages of the disease. According to this study, Medew aimed that; the findings would change the views of both the patients and the doctors on the quality of palliative care (Medew, 2011). The care aims at improving the quality of life of the for patients with progressive, serious illnesses through paying high attention to the control of their symptoms and pain, recognizing their spiritual and p sychological needs and providing the necessary support to the patients and their families. Medew`s study divided 151 patients with lung cancer into two groups in order to clearly outline the quality of palliative care (Medew, 2011). The first group of lung cancer patients was to solely rely on the standard treatment that the patients would receive from the health facilities while the second group was to receive the same treatment that would be accompanied by immediate referral to palliative care within a time range of twelve weeks after diagnose. Consequently, the findings showed that, the average survival period of patients in the second group was around three months longer and those patients reported living a high quality life and far much better moods as compared to the first group. Moreover, this American study was seconded by Ian Haines, who was a Melbourne cancer specialist who recommended that, palliative care should be administered by doctors to cancer patients. This suggestion was made because most health professionals, cancer patients and many other individuals realized that palliative care can serve as the only default measure of managing cancer when all other measures have been exhausted. He also suggested that, if early referral of cancer patients to professional palliative care can be an expensive measure, the governments should subsidize by increasing the allocation of more funds to the ministry of health since its value outweighs the costs that may be associated with it (Medew, 2011). Professor Haines also gave another case study that recently followed 333 cancer patients up to their death. The study also divided the patients into groups where one involved patients who were hospitalized to receive cancer treatments while the other group was treated and discharged in order to receive additional palliative care at their respective homes. The study findings showed that, patients in the first group died within a short time interval than those in the second group. In addition, those patients in the first group also experienced emotional and physical distress than those patients in the second group who died while receiving palliative care at their homes. The study concluded that, faster occurrence of deaths in patients who are admitted in health facilities was highly contributed by high extents of grief and more post-traumatic stress that arose from the family members and friends of those patients (Medew, 2011). His study also established that early referral of patients to palliative care helps caregivers and patients to understand their treatment options better especially at the end of their life. Furthermore, this early referral helps to reduce debilitating expensive treatments such as chemotherapy and excessive utilization of limited medical resources. In addition, most cancer patients are not used to palliative care in most countries and this unfamiliarity calls for the need for providing information to patients, their family members and friends sensitizing to them the quality of palliative care. According to research conducted by Ms. Etheredge, one of the officials of hospice palliative care society, she found that, palliative care frightens most individuals including cancer patients since most people are used to the tradition of patients being admitted to hospitals for treatment. Therefore, discharging cancer patients after treating them and then requiring them to seek palliative care at their respective homes elevate stress to patients since the latter concludes that they are being sent to meet their deaths at home. She suggested that, the governments should construct a cancer hospice in a strategic point since according to her, the environment where palliative care is provided matters most (Furse, 1999). She further suggested that, any other hospice to be constructed near to water and bus route since these are the two primary necessities that assist the caregivers and the families. Moreover, she also seconded the decision of the health minister of Australia in launching the national palliative care awareness week that would inform people about the equity and access of this care (Brigid, 2011). During the launching of this palliative care awareness campaign, the health minister also outlined the palliative strategic plan to inform the services that palliative care offers. In addition, brochures printed in Greek, Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian and polishes were distributed to different people during that week outlining palliative care services. This distribution of brochures was to enhance the reach of palliative care information to more people especially those who both don’t speak English and are not aware of the services provided by palliative care. In addition, according to Mark Colvin, most of the cancer patients in Australia are not aware of the existence, quality and the services that are provided by palliative care centers because most doctors do not sensitize and refer these patients to palliative services. According to study that surveyed a sample of one thousand doctors all over the country and within the duration of one year, more than eight hundred doctors do not refer cancer patients to palliative care. Merrilyn stone, for example, was not referred to palliative care when she was initially diagnosed with breast cancer in 1990 (Barrett, 2004). This lack of referent made her to still firm her believe that palliative care is intended for the dying people and this made it harder for her to understand the value of palliative care when her condition came back eleven years later. Moreover, according to Afaf Girgis, this lack of referring patients to palliative care during the early stages of cancer development enhances the perception of the community and the patients that palliative care is intended for individuals who are at the death`s door and this is much untrue. Girgis further outlines this lack of referring cancer patients to palliative care predisposes the patient to more and severe consequences when the disease progresses to its advanced stages. In the long run, the particular patients live less additional days, as opposed to when they would have been early referred to palliative care services (Barrett, 2004). However, according to Rebecca Barrett, the study found that, very few health professionals who used to refer their patients to palliative care. In addition, in case these health professionals happen to refer cancer patients to palliative care, the latter was mostly intended to control pain but not for emotional or psychological support or legal and financial support. Consecutively, according to Dr. Sundquist, most health professionals concentrate more on curing the cancer patients and most are unaware of the quality of palliative care. He further challenges this doctors` works and suggests that, the latter needs to understand more is needed to cancer patients besides treatment services (Barrett, 2004). Moreover, cancer patients need additional services that include practical and emotional support that involves palliative care. Moreover, in Australia, Whyalla hospital developed project of constructing Whyalla cancer treatment Centre that would cancer services almost at par with the same treatment services that were offered in Adelaide. Initially, many cancer patients were forced to travel long distances in order to access cancer services at Adelaide hospital (Bruce, 2012). The construction of Whyalla cancer Centre aimed at reducing the transportation burden of cancer patients to long distances. According to whale news, the cancer center would offer a wide range of palliative services to the cancer patients especially those who were recently diagnosed with cancer. According to the chairman of his cancer project Mr. champion, the cancer Centre would offer services such as creating space for training activities and research, counseling of cancer patients, chemotherapy, outpatient care services among others. Additionally, the Whyalla cancer Centre would operate in cooperation with the already established Adelai de health facility in order to share health professionals and other technical equipments. This cooperation statement was echoed by Mr. Champion who said â€Å"the specialists will determine if the complexity of the cancer requires the patient to receive treatment in Adelaide or if they can remain in Whyalla.† (Bruce, 2012) However, the recent researches show that most patients suffering from cancer would prefer to meet their deaths at their homes rather than at the health facilities. These researches recommend that health professionals should follow the wishes of cancer patients on where the latter wants to receive palliative care. In connection to this, Eurobodalla health services have provided ambulance protocols that would facilitate doctors to respond to the emergency calls from the homes of cancer patients (Oconnor, 2014). These services would enable cancer patients to receive palliative care at their homes as they wish. References Barrett, R. (2004). Cancer patients missing out on palliative care; palliative support. Sydney, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. ABC Premium News Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/458087832? Brigid, O. (2011). Palliative care boosted. Melbourne, News Digital Media. Vic.Sunday Herald Sun Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/867896592? Bruce, K. (2012). Good news for cancer patients. Whyalla, S. Aust, Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited. Whyalla News Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1081480966? Furse, L. (1999). Strategy for better palliative care. Canberra, A.C.T, Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1012751431? Medew, J. (2011). Early palliative care could prolong life. Canberra, A.C.T, Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1020447587? Medew, J. (2011). Palliative care extends length and quality of life. Sydney, N.S.W., Fairfax Digital. Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/854392582? Oconnor, K. (2014). Treatment available closer to home for palliative patients. Batemans Bay, N.S.W, Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited. Bay Post Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1516592167? Gretha Cabral s3483440

Middle East Paper -- essays research papers

The conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis erupted after the partition made by Great Britain on November 29, 1947. Immediately after the decision to make Israel a separate, independent state, there were massive attacks on both sides. Upon reading the first set of articles, I felt that the Palestine's unnecessarily attacked the Jews and that they deserved the land being given to them. But the first set of articles I read were incredibly biased toward the Jewish perspective and, I think that because of this, I presented a distorted view of the situation. Now that I have read the second packet, I understand that many of the Arabs must have felt helpless about the situation, and even startled by the numerous attacks and massacres by the Israelis. I now believe that the reason that the fighting started was because both sides felt that they had an obligation to uphold their religious beliefs and, also, justification to do what they did. Both the Arabs and the Jews felt that it was their sacred duty to keep or regain their land. The Arabs thought of the partition as an automatic declaration of war against them. Therefore, they thought that they had to counter-attack the Jews in order to keep their land. One of the biggest massacres that the Jews waged on the Arabs was the attack on Deir Yassin on April 9, 1948, when 250 men, women, and children where killed. The first set of articles that we read did not mention anything about the ruthlessness of t...

TQM in Accounting Essays -- essays research papers

Accounting 43 Cost Accounting Costs of Total Quality Management Submitted By: August 4, 2004 Morris De Rosa Total Quality Management or TQM is a management strategy to embed awareness of quality in all organizational processes. The philosophy of TQM goes back to the 1940’s when Dr. Deming started his quality endeavors in Japan. TQM is an approach for continuously improving the quality of goods and services delivered through the participation of all levels and functions of the organization. TQM aims to do things right the first time, rather fix problems after they emerge or fester. ‘TQM is a management philosophy which seeks to integrate all organizational functions (marketing, finance, design, engineering, production and customer service†¦) to focus on meeting customers’ needs and organizational objectives)’ (Hammett 1). TQM may operate within quality circles which encourage the meeting of minds of the workforce to improve production and reduce waste. In a manufacturing organization, TQM generally starts by sampling a random selection of the product. The sam ple is then tested for things that matter to the real customers. The causes of any failures are isolated, secondary measures of the production process are designed, and then the causes of the failure are corrected. The statistical distributions of important measurements are tracked. When parts' measures drift out of the error band, the process is fixed. The error band is usually tighter than the failure band. The production process is thereby fixed before failing parts can be produced. It's important to record not just the measurement ranges, but what failures caused them to be chosen (Barfield 306). In that way, cheaper fixes can be substituted later, (say, when the product is redesigned), with no loss of quality. After TQM has been in use, it's very common for parts to be redesigned so that critical measurements either cease to exist, or become much wider. It took a while to develop tests to find emergent problems. One popular test is a "life test" in which the sample pr oduct is operated until a part fails. Another po... ...ld 318). The costs of a quality system must be managed so a reasonable value-to-price-relationship can be achieved. High quality will help a company increase profits through lower costs. It is critical that management focus on long term objectives instead of taking a limited outlook on growth and market share. The strategy of focusing on the customer and quality will equate to greater market share and higher profits. Reducing costs should be part of the continuous improvement process. Strategic cost management is the process of utilizing cost information to formulate and communicate strategies to all levels of the organization. A balance must be obtained to provide the customer with a quality product at a cost that provides for a profit for the company. The potential customer is becoming more and more conscious of quality. It makes sense for a business to cut their costs by improving the quality of the product thereby enhancing the appeal of a product or service in the market pla ce. The challenge is for each business to strive for the kind of business culture that will succeed in spite of the unknown and the unknowable. The quality management philosophy searches for this culture. TQM in Accounting Essays -- essays research papers Accounting 43 Cost Accounting Costs of Total Quality Management Submitted By: August 4, 2004 Morris De Rosa Total Quality Management or TQM is a management strategy to embed awareness of quality in all organizational processes. The philosophy of TQM goes back to the 1940’s when Dr. Deming started his quality endeavors in Japan. TQM is an approach for continuously improving the quality of goods and services delivered through the participation of all levels and functions of the organization. TQM aims to do things right the first time, rather fix problems after they emerge or fester. ‘TQM is a management philosophy which seeks to integrate all organizational functions (marketing, finance, design, engineering, production and customer service†¦) to focus on meeting customers’ needs and organizational objectives)’ (Hammett 1). TQM may operate within quality circles which encourage the meeting of minds of the workforce to improve production and reduce waste. In a manufacturing organization, TQM generally starts by sampling a random selection of the product. The sam ple is then tested for things that matter to the real customers. The causes of any failures are isolated, secondary measures of the production process are designed, and then the causes of the failure are corrected. The statistical distributions of important measurements are tracked. When parts' measures drift out of the error band, the process is fixed. The error band is usually tighter than the failure band. The production process is thereby fixed before failing parts can be produced. It's important to record not just the measurement ranges, but what failures caused them to be chosen (Barfield 306). In that way, cheaper fixes can be substituted later, (say, when the product is redesigned), with no loss of quality. After TQM has been in use, it's very common for parts to be redesigned so that critical measurements either cease to exist, or become much wider. It took a while to develop tests to find emergent problems. One popular test is a "life test" in which the sample pr oduct is operated until a part fails. Another po... ...ld 318). The costs of a quality system must be managed so a reasonable value-to-price-relationship can be achieved. High quality will help a company increase profits through lower costs. It is critical that management focus on long term objectives instead of taking a limited outlook on growth and market share. The strategy of focusing on the customer and quality will equate to greater market share and higher profits. Reducing costs should be part of the continuous improvement process. Strategic cost management is the process of utilizing cost information to formulate and communicate strategies to all levels of the organization. A balance must be obtained to provide the customer with a quality product at a cost that provides for a profit for the company. The potential customer is becoming more and more conscious of quality. It makes sense for a business to cut their costs by improving the quality of the product thereby enhancing the appeal of a product or service in the market pla ce. The challenge is for each business to strive for the kind of business culture that will succeed in spite of the unknown and the unknowable. The quality management philosophy searches for this culture.

How I’Ve Changed over the Past Year

How I Have changed over the past year? Humans are as changeable as the weather. Or perhaps a more frequent changer. And being one myself I’m no different. Every night when I look back to the previous day I see no change. But when I look back to the year that has just passed, I do see the difference. The experiences I went through changed me to a better or may be something close to a reformation. Nevertheless I’m not the same anymore I was always known to be short-tempered and egoistic. But last year one incident really changed the way I was and thought. My sudden fluctuations in temper made me lose a lot of friends and the loneliness I was in taught me to be more friendly and patient. My friends always knew how to react to my rudeness but unfortunately I forgot my new friends were not accustomed to it. I met some buddies in a friend’s birthday party, last year, who were more than just casual acquaintances. One of them dropped coke over my new silk dress and that did it! I started yelling at her without noticing I am ruining the party. To my surprise the girl started crying and ran away while I was left standing clueless. The birthday boy came up and said â€Å"I think you better go wash yourself, Sunnu, before the spots get dry. I’ll call you later. † He never called and probably would not have if I had not met him in a mall a few days later. â€Å"Yes, I didn’t. But neither did you. † He answered when I asked why he did not call. â€Å"But you said ‘you’ will call. â€Å"Yes, but don’t you think you were at fault and should have taken the first step and said sorry? † I was very confused. I did not know what he meant. Why should ‘I’ be sorry? It was ‘her’ fault, not mines. But now I know why he did not. I was too egoistic to even think of being sorry, let alone saying it. She did a mistake unintentionally, but I did a bigger mistake by not doing what I should have done – forgive and forget. I realized this when one day one of my friends told me â€Å"Sunnu, you never accept the fact that even ‘you’ can make mistakes. You are always too angry to even think what other people might feel at your choice of words. † I was lonely. My friends had left me trying every possible ways to make me realize. But this lone feeling gave me time to think over everything and that is when I realized how wrong I was. One day, one week, one month and in a year I changed myself. I was a reformed Sunayna. I was better and the proof is all the old friends and many new ones happily smiling on the pictures in my â€Å"My Friends† album on Facebook.

Animal Feed Industry in India Essay

The Indian feed industry is about 35 years old. It is mainly restricted to dairy and poultry feed manufacturing. The quality standards of Indian feeds are high and up to international levels. Raw materials for feed are adequately available in India. The industry’s poultry feed production is about 3.0 million tonnes, which represents only 5 percent of the total potential and feed exports are not very high. The Indian animal feed industry is undergoing a very exciting phase of growth for the next decade. Production area The regions of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and coastal areas are rich in the production of animal feed due to high crop cultivation and industrial setups that give animal feed as the by product. Growth promotional activities The indian animal feed industry has modern computerized plants and the latest equipment for analytical procedures and least-cost ration formulation and it employs the latest manufacturing technology. In India, most research work on animal feeds is practical and focuses on the use of by-products, the upgrading of ingredients and the enhancing of productivity. The country has entered into a period of liberalization and this is bound to influence the livestock industry. There is no shortage of compound animal feeds anywhere in the country. The organized sector of the compound feed industry is facing serious problems resulting from a huge idle capacity, to the extent of 50 percent or more. New capacities are being added by global participants of the feed business and by national as well as multinational integrators. The nature of animal feed and the poultry feed industry has completely changed. Types Meat-meal, fishmeal, bone- meal and dicalcium phosphate of bone origin are the common raw materials available for animal feeding. Fishmeal and meat-meal were popularly used in poultry feed, but the increased production improved availability and better awareness of soybean meal that led to replacing fishmeal and meat-meal in most poultry rations. Tags:- Animal Feed, Animal Feed Industry In India, Animal Feed Manufacturers In India, Animal Feed Suppliers, Poultry Feed

Case Analysis: Staffing Wal-Mart Stores Essay

Wal-Mart has been ranked in the Fortune’s list of the top 100 companies to work for in the United States (Mark, 2003). Wal-Mart had increased their workforce from 1996 to 2001 by almost 50 percent, of which the percentage of women decreased from 67 percent to 64 percent during this time. Wal- Mart had used a hierarchical human resources (HR) structure that consisted of several levels of management, divisions, and regions. â€Å"In 2001, management employees earned about $50,000 on average while hourly employees earned $18,000† (Mark, 2003). Wal-Mart’s â€Å"Division One† had over 2,600 stores which were organized in five or six divisions, with five or six regions within their given area, and 80 to 85 stores within each region (Mark, 2003). Policies were set on a computer-based information system that employees could access at any time, along with watching videos on the company’s history, and reading the associate handbook. Promotions were given based on performance evaluations and requirements. Certain allegations were made that Wal-Mart was more male oriented in higher-level positions, and overall hiring more men than women. Wal-Mart created a goal to make the percentage of women employees 50 percent of the workforce. A problem exists in that Wal-Mart has fought off any organizing attempts of unions by their employees, which limits employees’ influence on policies and company process’s. This problem filters down to the hiring and promotional process that occurs within the company. As stated in the case study, â€Å"†¦from date of hire until first being promoted to an assistant manager was 4.38 years for women and 2.86 years for men. For store managers, the times were 10.12 years and 8.64 years respectively† (Mark, 2003). From the numbers, men were promoted faster than women, but Wal-Mart states that promotions were given based on performance evaluations. Furthermore, it was stated store managers filled positions with lateral moves and waiving minimum requirements as a way of bypassing the process (Mark, 2003). Wal-Mart published documents to reflect how committed they are to fair practices. On the flip side, the public can now scrutinize Wal-Mart by using their public reports against them. A public article stated, â€Å"women associates had stated that Wal-Mart supervisors told them that men were paid more because they had families† (Mark, 2003). Included in the same article was a Wal-Mart official that admitted to writing that customers should feel as if they can trust Wal-Mart employees â€Å"with their wife and their wallet† (Mark, 2003). Additional information would have to be offered pertaining to the required practices and process’s Wal-Mart has in place for the hiring of employees and promoting employees from within the company. Does Wal-Mart have a policy where an entry-level employee can be hired, and managers and supervisors are promoted from within the company? Surveys and reports taken from current employees for their thoughts on the numbers of men to women in various positions will help with determining where and how severe the problem is. Why is Wal-Mart continuously voted one of the best company’s to work for if there was a serious problem internally? Possible solutions to the problem can range from having more People Division (HR) employees to oversee a smaller number of stores, to filtering public reports that may potentially create a negative perception of the company. Implementing more People Division employees within each region will allow more attention to be given for each store. Wal-Mart looks to move towards making their employment equity record balanced. This is apparent when taking into consideration the numerous letters to managers to push for making the numbers of men to women more equal. Wal-Mart can filter applications submitted and have them separated and reviewed on an as needed basis on what gender is needed more at a specific store. Rank the applications per region based on specific qualifications and gender. Then rank the region and the stores within this region on which store needs more women or men employees. For promoting employees, a minimum requirements list should be associated with each job position. A series of events should happen for each promotion beginning with the supervising manager and ending with the People Division Executive Vice President. Possible candidates are nominated and then screened by higher-level management along with those that apply. Only employees that meet all the requirements should be considered. Regional management will have the biggest influence on the hiring or promotion of an employee since they are ultimately responsible for that region. To be equal to all candidates applying for a given promotion, a test or jeopardy style game should be played and the winner is given first chance to take job. The test and game questions will pertain to company policies, job duties, and associate handbook information. Another solution would be for the employees to form a union. This would give the employees some power to fight for their working rights. Unionizing the employees would give them some power to make sure all employees were treated fairly within their workplace. Adding more people to the People Division will increase employee expenses for the company. Also, the addition of more People Division employees will create more training to be done and could take People Division employees away from their daily responsibilities. On the other hand, the addition of more People Division employees could help with balancing out a gender issue and hiring more of one gender than the other. More People Division employee’s means that you can have more HR employees present at more stores at one time. This will help with moving towards employment equity faster and mitigating any problems quicker. This may be the best solution for Wal-Mart and maintaining their reputation for being one the best companies to work for. As for the filtering of applications, having minimum requirements set for each job, and regional management having a large influence on the decision for who gets promoted, this would all cause more attention for them. Filtering applications may already be done, but this can lead to being accused of discrimination. Wal-Mart stating that they â€Å"urge† their supervisors to correct any inequalities in the store that pertain to gender is already a basis for being accused of gender discrimination. A store has fewer women than men and the store hires women to balance it out. The men are being discriminated now. An employee of a specific gender is promoted to balance out the men to women ratio amongst regional and store managers. That is still discrimination towards the opposing gender. It would be a lose-lose situation for Wal-Mart. Holding a test and a jeopardy style game could be a viable screening act to allow the most knowledgeable, company savvy person to be first in line for the promotion. The questions will pertain to specific company policies, job duties and responsibilities, and associate handbook. The negative part of this would be creating a competitive environment that can distract employees from their job. Also, time would have to be taken to allow for the taking of the test and the playing of the game, and the possibility of several promotions at the same time would pose a problem. The formation of a union for the Wal-Mart employees would have great benefits for them, but possible negative aspects at the workplace. Being unionized means that the employees would make less money due to union dues, but could have better benefits and more job security. Wal-Mart holds the power by keeping unions out and keeping the power to make decisions without possible employee strikes. Hiring or implementing more People Division employees would play as the best solution for the problem. Increasing the amount of â€Å"eyes† the People Division have in the stores will help with the hiring and promoting of employees to be done quicker. Having more People Division employees means more time at stores and with employees educating them on issues at the workplace, company culture, and the process’s that the company has in place. Rather than regional and area managers visiting every few weeks, there would be a People Division employee visiting a few times a week. The new People Division employees could put more policies in place due to the familiarity of the stores. These policies will be enforced more having the HR employee present more often. This could also alleviate the perception of customers and employees that think men are promoted more based on their gender. Specific requirements are present with each job position and the best candidate for that position would get it. Performance evaluations can help validate a manager’s decision on which he/she nominates to be promoted. A man or woman who are both in the running for the same position, and they both meet the requirements and have similar performance evaluation reports, the person that has been with the company the longest will then be chosen. The article mainly pertains to the employment equity goal within Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart’s constant push against the employees unionizing has allowed them to expand, become the low price leader, and keep company costs low. References Mark, K. (2003). Staffing Wal-Mart Stores, INC. (A) [case study]. Ivey Management Services. Mark, K. (2003). Staffing Wal-Mart Stores, INC. (B) [case study]. Ivey Management Services.