Personal Development Plan Essay

1. Introduction The aim of this assessment is to build a Personal Development Plan and evaluate my current skills and knowledge. The primary objective of PDP is to improve my knowledge and plan my educational development according to my background and personal experience so far. 2. What is PDP According to the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in UK (QAA 2004) defined PDP as: ‘a structured and supported process undertaken by an individual to reflect upon their own learning, performance and/or achievement and to plan for their personal, educational and career development. The primary objective for PDP is to improve the capacity of individuals to understand what and how they are learning, and to review, plan and take responsibility for their own learning.’ 2.1 The benefits of PDP The theoretical benefits of PDP can be summarizes as follow according to Quality Assurance Agency (QAA 2009): ï‚ · plan, integrate and take responsibility for their personal development, identifying learning opportunities ï‚ · recognise, value and evidence their learning and development both inside and outside the curriculum ï‚ · be more effective in monitoring and reviewing their own progress ï‚ · evaluate and recognise their own strengths and weaknesses and identify ways in which perceived weaknesses might be improved and strengths enhanced Page | ii 3. Skill Audit The personal development plan for me is a chance to know myself better. Using the SWOT and SKA analysis in my PDP report will help me realize what I want to achieve, my short term and long term aspirations. I am going to focus on what my strengths and weaknesses are and how to use my strengths to develop my weaknesses to become strengths. After completing my postgraduate degree in Informatics and Communications I started teaching computers in a private institute and a local college. Working in the field of education help me to improve my leadership skills and become more responsible as a person. After almost 5 years of teaching I decided to change my career direction in accounting field and that helps me to improve my skills in other areas. I  become more adaptable and able to work as a team member and improved time management as I have to meet deadlines in my current job. When I become a member of the company I work for, I start thinking that an undergraduate degree alone is not enough in today’s competitive environment with so many graduates competing for the same job. I study the different master courses around in local universities and I decided to make the application for the MA in Management from University of Wolverhampton and got accepted. I believe that the combination gained in undergraduate degree and the valuable business knowledge and management skills I will be able to gain from this postgraduate degree will help me improve my career expectations. With the assistant of SWOT and SKA analysis I will understand better my strengths and weaknesses and based on my knowledge so far I will try to improve the most I can. 3.1 SWOT analysis SWOT analysis is one of the most popular strategic planning tools used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats involved in any situation that needs a decision. According to Cowan (2000), a SWOT analysis may be used by individuals to recognize their strengths and weaknesses and ultimately their opportunities and threats. Based on this, below is a summary of my personal SWOT analysis. 3.2 SKA model The ingredients of SKA came from Vinke’s (2002) definition of the competency as â€Å"the ability of an individual to select and use the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are necessary for effective behaviour in a specific professional, social or learning situation.† 3.2.1 What are skills, knowledge and attitude? ï‚ · According to Winterton (et al., 2005) Knowledge is sometimes viewed as if it was a concrete manifestation of abstract intelligence, but it is actually the result of an interaction between intelligence and situation. Proctor and Dutta (1995) define skills as goal-directed, well-organized behaviour that is acquired through practice and performed with economy of effort. Attitude can be defined as a â€Å"learned tendency to act in a consistent way to a particular object or situation† (Fishbein). Attitudes have affective, cognitive and behavioural intention components. Skills Know how Attitude Know why Knowledge Know what Page | v 3.3 My SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS Patient Sense of humour Outgoing and competitive Friendly and approachable Hardworking and committed Responsible High technological skills Leadership skills Good presentation skills WEAKNESSES Sensitivity Perfectionist Poor time management Poor organisational skills in personal life Team work OPPORTUNITIES New challenges Wider career prospects Starting a new business – self employment Show off the skills i have learned throughout the Master course THREATS No management experience Competition – other students graduating with the same degree globally Strengths Working as a teacher help me improve my leadership skills and my ability to encourage and motivate my students to pass their exams and gain good grades. Moreover, I become more responsible and patient as a person because of my work. Also according to my working experience I demonstrated good presentation skills as I had made lots of lectures to small audience. Weaknesses My weaknesses I believe are part of my character. I would call myself  perfectionist, as I spend much time to make everything perfect and I stuck in details so I lose valuable time. As I had many things to do at the same time I lost my time control and is difficult to control and combined my personal and professional life. Before i enrol to this Master’s Degree program i wasn’t sure if i could handle to study and work together, as i am not the most organise person. Starting lessons help me manage my time and realise that if we want something very much we can achieve the best of it. Opportunities After completing my Master Degree I strongly believe I will be able to approach new challenges in my career and in my life. Based on the knowledge I gained from the course I will be able to use my managerial skills, marketing, business and strategic planning to build my own business and be my own boss. Threats Upon completion of my MA degree I will be theoretical capable to use my knowledge and skills I learned from my master degree, hence I won’t be full able to use it in practise as I have no managerial experience yet. Another negative aspect is the competition that grows from the fact that other students graduating with the same degree globally. 4. Setting my goals According to Denis Watley Quotation ‘The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them.’ Some goals are short term and others are long term. Some goals are easy and others are difficult. The whole point is our goals to be effective. Effective goals are set in a SMART way. A goal is SMART if it’s Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time related. 4.2 Short term and Long term goals Master Degree is very demanding course and i have to study very hard to achieve my short term goal, which is to finish my studies and gain high grades in my assignments. I will spend more time on reading articles and make research on field of management. On the issue of time management I am planning to make a daily schedule to make sure I am not behind the time and at the same time I will improve my organizational skills as well. Also my team working skills have improved, because of the group activities and assignments we have in classroom. My long term goal is to cultivate skills that will develop and improve my experience in business and management world so I could fulfil my dream to make my own business in few years. 5. Conclusion In the end of this assignment, I feel that I have identified my strengths so I have to focus on them and develop them even more. My personal SWOT analysis helps me evaluate and recognize my strengths and weaknesses. By knowing my strengths I can focus my efforts on the things I am good at and by understanding my weaknesses I can realize what I have to avoid and what I have to improve. To conclude, by the end of my Master in Management course I hope to be prepared for the difficulties of continuing professional and personal development. References Chapman, A. (2007). SWOT analysis. Retrieved 25 March 2012, from http://www.businessballs.com/swotanalysisfreetemplate.htm Cowan, J. (2005) Reflections-Wise and Otherwise- Learning as Much from what went wrong as what went well. Seda Seminar: London. D. Vinke, Industrial design at TU/e: the student as a junior employee, Interim report, retrieved 25 March 2012 from the website: www.industrialdesign.tue.nl/education/downloadableFiles/theStudentAsAJuniorEm ployee.doc Denis Waitley quotes (American motivational Speaker and Author of self-help books. b.1933) http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Denis_Watley, 1 April 2012 Fishbein, M. and Ajzan,I., Belief Attitude Intention and Behavior: and Introduction to Theory and Research, Addison-Wesley, Reading, Ma. Meyer, Paul J (2003). â€Å"What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals†. Attitude Is Everything: If You Want to Succeed Above and Beyond. Meyer Resource Group, Incorporated, The. ISBN 9780898113044 Proctor, R.W. and Dutta, A. (1995) Skill Acquisition and Human Performance, London: Sage. http://www.uk.ecorys.com/europeaninventory/publications/method/cedefop_typology.pdf Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), 2009, Publications: Personal development planning: guidance for institutional policy and practice in higher education (Second edition) http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Documents/PDPguide.pdf, accessed 30 March 2012 Page | x Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), 2011, Publications: A toolkit for enhancing personal development planning strategy, policy and practice in higher education institutions (Second edition) http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Documents/PDP%20Toolkit%20revised%202011.pdf, accessed 30 March 2012 The Higher Education Academy at http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ Winterton, J., Delamare-Le Deist, F. and Stringfellow, E. (2005) Typology of knowledge, skills and competences: clarification of the concept and prototype (Thessaloniki: CEDEFOP). http://www.uk.ecorys.com/europeaninventory/publications/method/cedefop_typology.pdf

Eating Disorders (the Black Swan)

The main character Nina Sayers has a sever eating disorder. In her attempts to be the perfect ballerina, she is both anorexic and bulimic. She does not eat anything and if she does she later throws it up. For example, for breakfast she was forced to eat a grapefruit but is later shown in the bathroom throwing it up. When she gets the part in the play she worked so hard for, her mother buys a cake in celebration – only to be put to waste since Nina refuses to eat it. In the movie, she provides an example of what can happen when an eating disorder completely takes over.She becomes so pleased with the positive feelings she feels when she looks at herself in the mirror, that she only tries to love her image more. This habit begins a downward spiral into eating less and less. In The Black Swan, Nina is portrayed as the best dancer of her company. Until some competition, Lily arrives and Nina views her as a huge threat. This causes Nina extreme stress and she develops the idea that Lily is out to get her and take her position as best dancer. Since extreme starvation of the body leads to cognitive distortions, threats are commonly amplified.Nina feels extremely threated and like her spot as best dancer is at risk. She then feels even more of a need to have the perfect body and to be a perfect dancer. Since she does not eat enough, her brain and body do not receive appropriate amounts of nutrients. The lack of nutrients puts her in a state of high stress and her brain does not think clearly or logically. It distorts her surroundings giving her a warped image of herself when looking in the mirror. She sees herself as much larger than she actually is. She compares herself to everything and everyone around her.Not only does her eating disorder hurt her mentally but also it physically affects other parts of her body. When feeling the urge to eat, she claws at her skin on her back where it can be covered by clothes. Nina’s fingers are also covered with bandage s to conceal her skin she carelessly peals away. The thought of becoming a perfect ballerina literally begins to kill her. Although Nina never sought help, there are plenty of ways she could have. Cognitive-behavioral therapy or group therapy would both have been very helpful for her situation.Cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses on current behavior rather than childhood or past experiences. The therapists typically address ways their patients should change the way they think and behave, assign homework, and offer strategies of how to change them for the better. Group therapy also would have been an effective way to treat Nina’s eating disorder. If she went to group therapy and saw that other people were going through the same thing as her and got better, it would have encouraged her that she could do the same.

Much Ado About Nothing Report

To start this report I am going to explain a little about the Elizabethan theatre and the plays that were performed, like this one, and also a little on what it would have been like. For example the lighting, sound and costumes as these played a very large role in these times. Firstly a little about the theatre itself, the Elizabethan was named after Queen Elizabeth I and was built for Shakespeare and many other play writers. The theatre itself was very different back then from theatres today. Nowadays you can go and pay an affordable price and sit in a good seat in a comfortable theatre and have perfect lighting and great sound to illuminate the actors and have complicated background and scenery to give impressions of indoor and outdoor scenes, but back then they were very different. The centre of the theatre  had no roof. And since there was no powerful lighting they  had to depend on sunlight. The centre, open part, contained a stage and a courtyard. Unlike today, many people had to stand in the yard in front of the stage and the stage was raised so everyone could see. Only wealthy people could sit in the high storeys which were covered by a roof. There was no scenery back then so Shakespeare's actors could move freely across the stage. Costumes were often rich and impressive but were not always historically correct. Back then without scenery or costumes the play had to rely on words to show the audience when, where and what was happening. Back then the audience had to use their imagination far more than we do today in theatres or in movies, almost like a Childs show on ABC, especially in one way: there were no actresses! The theatre was not considered a good place for a woman to be; instead the women were played by young men whose voices had not broken. So as you can see everything was much more different than it is today, from the setting of the theatre to the actors and what they wear on their body. Next is the report  about the play and everything, after that is the play that we  as a group re-wrote in modern English language. Pg.1 Much Ado about Nothing Plot: Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon, has just returned from a victorious military campaign and they have come to visit Leonato – Governor of Messina. Meanwhile Claudio, a young Lord accompanying Don Pedro falls in love with Hero, the daughter of Leonato. At the same time, Don John, Don Pedro's evil brother is planning to destroy the proposed marriage between Claudio and Hero. Whilst all of this is happening Beatrice and Benedick have a supposed love for each other, after a while the friends find out and rather than breaking them apart, they want to bring them together. Which leads into the main storyline. Towards the end Claudio sees Hero cheating on him (but it was one of Don John's servants, Borachio – planned) and insults Hero at the wedding for what he saw and killed her verbally. The story ends with the news of the capture of Don John who had run away after his evil planning, and the marriages of Claudio and Hero, Beatrice and Benedick who secretly loved each other. Characters: there are a lot of characters in this play but I have chosen the main 10, so here they are. Leonato: is the Governor of Messina and is the father of hero. He is an old wise man and cares for many people, is brave and was once a soldier. He has a lot of caution for things and other people and their ways. Don Pedro: is the brave, young, strong and smart prince of Aragon he is a great soldier, he is a very mature bachelor and also can sometimes be very cunning and witty, he likes everyone except for his evil brother don john, or as we call him, the bastard. Claudio: he is a young, brave and handsome soldier accompanying Don Pedro he can also be immature and sometimes jealous. He is also the one whom is in love with hero. Hero: is the daughter of Leonato, and what's not to like, She is young, pretty, smart and is also madly in love with Claudio, she is the one to marry him. Benedick: he is also a young, brave and handsome soldier accompanying don Pedro. He is smart, witty and also has a little thing for Beatrice which comes after all the name calling as he thinks as her as the devil himself. He also thinks he can have any girl he wants and all the girls like him except for Beatrice. Beatrice: she's bright, pretty, witty and sometimes annoying; she is a bit fussy with men, she doesn't want one with a beard or without, they are either too young or too old. She does her best to make benedicks life a living hell; she also secretly has a soft heart for him, as you can tell (later on). She is leonatos niece and Heros cousin. Don John: is bitter, antisocial, and jealous of the love and friendship everyone has for each other. He lacks of manners and social graces, he also can not get a woman because of his mannerisms. Don John is the mastermind behind the evil plan of wrecking Claudio and Heros wedding. Pg.2 Dogberry & Verges: he is one of the most memorable comic creations from this play. He is keenly aware of his position and enjoys explaining to every one, in his own English, full of long misused words, what his and their duties are. Even with his very amusing malapropisms, he is valued by high importance, by Leonato especially, for his services. Verges on the other hand, is wiser and is their to accompany Dogberry and give him able support whilst examining prisoners. Conrade & Borachio: they are the followers of don john and are also the master minds behind the wedding. Borachio is the smarter, more cunning one out of the two, and is also the more dominant one. Conrade, however, not as cunning as Borachio, and does not show it, but helps his master in any way he might profit from it. Setting: the setting of the play is set-in Italy and in little towns such as Messina. Scenes and Acts are mainly set in Leonatos house and are set in gardens and courtyards, during the day. At night it is mainly set inside the hose in room and in apartments. In one scene it is set in a hall and in a courtyard where they are all dancing and celebrating. Lighting outside was probably natural and at night it was artificial so it would capture the light and effect of lamps and candles. Theme: the plays title is a very important clue to its theme, and Shakespeare has done a very good job at this, for the word nothing means noting, and the plot is based on noting-on eavesdropping, observing, taking notes on people's behaviour and coming to conclusions about other people, conclusions that are sometimes wrong. The title ‘much ado about nothing' basically means ‘making a big fuss of nothing'. As you will see this in the movie, as it is basically what the whole story is about, making a fuss of nothing. So that brings us to the end of my report. Overall I thought the play was interesting, and fun. The main plot with benedick and Beatrice grabbed my full attention, and the wedding I really wanted to know what would happen. There was so many great characters, my favourite character who knew what he was going to say next. To sum it up in 4 words would be†¦Shakespeare is a genius. Pg.3 Next is the play we as a group wrote up ourself in modern English. Which was very hard to do. Much Ado About Nothing Our own version. ACT THREE, Scene 5 Leonato: Jack Dogberry: Russell Verges: Eddie Leonato: Yes Dogberry. What would you like? Dogberry: I would like a quick word with you that may concern you. Leonato: please make it quick, I'm a little busy. Dogberry: marriage, it is, sir. Verges: yes, really, truly it is. Leonato: What is it guys. Dogberry: thankyou verges, sir, a little bit off the topic: some one of your age, sir, is not as cunning and smart as, well, I thought he would be, but is very honest and wise in his ways. Verges: I agree, thankyou god that there is some man as old as him as smart as me in his ways. Dogberry: comparisons are terrible, Verges. Leonato: guys, you are boring. Dogberry: if it pleases you to say so, we are unfortunately under the control of the duke, but truly on my own behalf, if I were as boring as you, would simply out of my heart give my worship to you. Leonato: all of your boredom on me, huh? Dogberry: yes and a thousand pound more, for I hear good praise to you, if I was not a poor man, but I am glad to hear it. Verges: I am too. Leonato: I would really like to know what is so important you want to tell me. Verges: sir on our watch tonight, before meeting you, had taken a couple of wicked villains in Messina. Dogberry: a good man, sir, verges, two men ride on a horse and one must ride behind him in front, neighbour verges. Leonato: indeed, verges comes short of you dogberry. Dogberry: thankyou sir, it is a gift from god. Leonato: I must be going now. Dogberry: one more thing, sir, we have caught two men and will have them examined by yourself in the morning. Exit Leonato

Presentation,Practice and Production approach to language teaching Dissertation

Presentation,Practice and Production approach to language teaching between the critiques and the proposed alternative methods - Dissertation Example Cook (2011) maintained that the term foreign language refers to â€Å"a language acquired in a milieu where it is normally in use† (p. 140). Meanwhile, a second language may be defined as â€Å"one that becomes another tool of communication alongside the first language †¦ [and] is typically acquired in a social environment in which it is actually spoken† (Cook, 2011, p. 140). The aforementioned distinction, therefore, is grounded on two dimensions: social and location. The social dimension deals with meeting the communicative need of the learner whereas the location dimension has something to do with the usage of the language in the native locale of the learner (Cook, 2011). Richards and Rodgers (2001) emphasized that current issues in language teaching has been around for centuries and has remained unchanged. Throughout the centuries, the study of foreign languages has shifted importance from one language to the next. In a world where six out of ten individuals sp eak a language which is different from their mother tongue, speaking two or more languages has become the norm rather than an exception. Five hundred years ago, Latin was the prominent language used for education, commerce, religion, and government, particularly in the Western World. During the 16th century, other languages rose to prominence such as French, Italian, and English. These languages eventually supplanted Latin as the language of choice for verbal and written communication (Richards and Rodgers, 2001). Though Latin was relegated as a subject of study in schools, it has become a model for instruction for foreign languages. Instruction was composed of grammar rules, declensions and conjugations, translation, and writing sample sentences. In addition, parallel bilingual texts and dialogues are utilized in teaching. For modern languages, the mode of instruction remained the same in most aspects. Students are provided textbooks on abstract grammar rules, vocabulary lists, and sentences for translation. However, this approach was grounded on the grammatical system of the language, limiting its ability to facilitate genuine communication. This traditional approach to foreign language instruction was referred to as the grammar-translation method (Richards and Rodgers, 2001). In the United States, the grammar-translation method was known as the Prussian method, due to its German scholarly origins. This method has seven characteristics: (1) the goal of foreign language study is grounded on mental discipline and intellectual development; (2) reading and writing is prioritized over speaking or listening; (3) vocabulary instruction is confined to reading bilingual word lists, dictionary study, and memorization; (4) the sentence is the basic unit of teaching and practice; (5) accuracy is prioritized; (6) grammar instruction is deductive in nature; and (7) the speakers native language is utilized as the medium of instruction (Richards and Rodgers, 2001). The gram mar-translation method was widely used for European and foreign language instruction until the 1940s. However, it has been subject to much criticism, mainly on the grounds that its approach to teaching foreign languages mostly involved pointless memorization of vague grammar rules and vocabulary, and translation of stilted or literary prose, much to the frustration of countless students. Mounting opposition to this approach led to the development of new methods of

Strategy illustration on External Analysis Essay

Strategy illustration on External Analysis - Essay Example The direct investments in Facebook have valued the company up to $50 billion. The company raised this money for making a further bolster its cash reserves. By this move, the company aimed to strengthen its reserves and surplus thereby increasing financial stability and limiting any liquidity risk by the company in the short term. The company also took care about the limited dilution factor of its shareholders. Macro Environment The investment thereby generated many questions among the shareholders of the company and the investor class as it was against their speculations. The company disclosed no immediate plans to invest the money rose by them and clarified that the money was raised to strengthen the cash position of the company. By this move, the company aimed to strengthen its reserves and surplus thereby increasing financial stability and limiting any liquidity risk by the company in the short term. The company also took care about the limited dilution factor of its shareholders. The company disclosed that under the transaction terms, it had option to accept between $375 million and $1.5 billion to receive from Goldman Sachs by the way of overseas offering. ... Facebook is incorporated in US through Macro-Economic forces in the country have a little impact of the company. Facebook is social networking build on a global platform where factors like inflation rates, interest rate and current exchange rates in bear some impact, but such impact can’t be considered influential. As the interest rates are slashed as a result of recession in the economy, the company could borrow money at a cheaper interest rate. Same is the case with changes in current exchange rates. Global Forces Barriers of trade and information sharing impact the company’s business in a primary way. Removal of such barriers helps the company to expand its operations in other countries. These also help in raising funds globally thereby giving advantage of cheaper funds. Growth in countries like India and China are posing increased opportunities of doing business in these countries. Technological Forces Being a social network company, technological forces impacts the company in a big way. Technology sector in the US includes more than 140,000 companies with combined annual revenue of about $900 billion. AT&T, IBM, Intel, Adobe, Apple, and Microsoft are the major companies (US Technolgy Sector Analysis, 2010). â€Å"Industry concentration is high in many segments with the largest 50 participants generating more than 60% of the segment revenue† (US Technolgy Sector Analysis, 2010). Scientific discoveries and new product developments form the basis of profitability in this industry. Both large and small companies can compete successfully – the mammoths have access to capital and marketing and the miniatures have domain-specific expertise. In the period Aug-10 to Jan-11, the Application Software industry has been on a bullish trend before being thrust

College - Is it Worth it Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

College - Is it Worth it - Essay Example Shipley is very educated with a doctorate degree, which explains his urge to make people have a wide understanding of the essence of college education in life. This argumentative essay explores college education from both its positive and negative sides (Goldman, 2011). Shipley does not impose a decision on the readers of his article, but advises them to use their time wisely while in college. He says that college can build people or leave them with extreme resentment for the rest of their lives. Moreover, he argues that many people proceed to college just to fulfill the societal expectations. He proceeds to say that though sometimes one may feel wasted after college, she/he may focus on socialization, time management and decision making skills gained while in college (Rampell, 2011). Looking at the whole idea of college education logically, Shipley can be credited for his presentation. He not only looks at education bit of it but also incorporates the social aspect of college experience. Life does not only revolve around education, in fact, it requires one to have very good social skills. College experience gives people a chance to know how to control their lives. Rampell (2011) argues that for an individual to be successful in life, he/she needs both the technical knowledge related to his/her career, as well as decision making and managerial skills. This is mainly gained in college, however to only those who manage this experience wisely. I truly support Shipley’s arguments because they seem very objective. Rampell (2011) concurs that it is true that many students who regret their experience in college are likely those who never set their priorities right while in college. They end up completing their college education without anything much to show of it. As much as you can join college and pursue a field not of your interest, you can always learn to make something good out of it.

Mycobacterium Leprae and Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Essay

Mycobacterium Leprae and Mycobacterium Tuberculosis - Essay Example An estimate of 1.7 million deaths were reported by WHO caused by tuberculosis (TB) in the year 2004 (St Georgiev, 2009, p. 103). This highlights the destructive and intensely pathogenic nature of M. tuberculosis and the need to study it thoroughly. M. leprae, discovered in 1874, causes a chronic infectious disease leprosy which is found throughout the world. However, the highest prevalence rates are found in India, China and Africa. In India 3.2 million people are suffering from leprosy (Sehgal, 2004, p.5). The considerably higher estimates in the above mentioned states makes this pathogen quite intriguing and worth research. The devastating nature of the M. tuberculosis and M. leprae and the increasing frequency of the infectious diseases caused by them, necessitates further study and awareness about these pathogens. The paper will discuss general characteristics of mycobacterium and the following features of the specific pathogens in the given sequence- nutritional requirements, gr owth rate, general features of pathogen, transmission of disease, disease progression, skin testing, treatment and immunization. The general characteristics of Mycobacterium are applicable to all the members included in this genus. Mycobacteria are strictly aerobic acid-fast bacilli and are neither gram-negative nor gram positive. The reason for this property is the high lipid content in their cell walls. This unusual characteristic of their cell walls make them resistant to many disinfectants, drying and corrosive chemicals. However, they are not resistant to heat or ultraviolent radiation. They mostly cause diseases that lead to the formation of slowly progressing granulomatous lesions (Harvey et al 2007, p. 185; Levinson 2008, p. 161). The highly resistant nature of mycobacterium explains the easy transmission and difficult prevention of the infectious diseases. Mycobacterium tuberculosis The general features about the M. tuberculosis highlight the growth rate of the pathogen, nu tritional requirements, strains of the bacterium which are helpful in assessing the treatment plans and diagnostic therapies. M. tuberculosis grows at a very slow pace and it takes 18 hours to get doubled. Thus, in comparison to other bacteria it has a slower growth rate. As mentioned earlier, M. tuberculosis is an obligate aerobic, hence it requires oxygen majorly for its growth. The media used for its growth is Lowenstein-Jensen medium that uses complex nutrients to support its growth. These include egg yolk and some dyes like malachite green. The dyes are used to inhibit the growth of other bacteria present in the sputum samples (Levinson 2008, p. 161). Although the M. tuberculosis has a very slow doubling rate, it can be grown quite favorably in the laboratory environment by providing supporting nutrients. The important properties of M. tuberculosis include the appearance and dimensions, the virulent strains and the chemical compositions. M. tuberculosis appears as curved slende r rods that are 2 to 4 um long and 0.2to 0.5 um wide. The bacterium possesses a particular â€Å"cord factor† that causes its virulence. The virulent strains grow in a serpentine fashion while the avirulent strains lack this property. The high lipid content in cell wall constituting of mycolic acids and phosphatides are the factors for causing acid-fact property and caseation necrosis, respectively (Levinson 2008, p. 161; St Georgiev 2009, p.106). M. tuberculosis is

Security Analysis and Portfolio Management Assignment - 1

Security Analysis and Portfolio Management - Assignment Example 358). For the stock market perspective, the absolute investment returns are gaining more fame lately due to the start of mutual funds aiming at absolute return objectives. In contrast, traditional mutual fund aims at producing smart relative investment returns as compared to the suitable benchmark. Absolute returns facilitate profitability in most periods and acts over an extensive range of market conditions. Beta measure reduces the risks during the determination of return and risk on stocks and portfolios. Use of beta coefficient in stock selection requires comparison with the market. The investor, therefore, construct the portfolio by drawing the relationship between beta coefficient and the prevailing market prices. Betas carry with them high risks, and markets with negative betas may withstand the fluctuations in market prices. Despite betas helping in stock selection, its effectiveness assumes that movement in the market requires careful analysis of positive and negative direct ions. Also, beta approach assumes analysis of historical considerations for future prediction. As a result, when portfolio selection fails in accurate reading of the market movements, the resulting portfolio selection is incorrect. This method requires a high degree of precision. On the other hand, the alpha parameter indicates the return on security at zero market return. Positive alpha indicates bonus return while negative alpha indicates an undesirable penalty to the investor (Carter & Howard 1990, p. 81-85). Absolute return investing pursues the returns independent of the traditional benchmark and is unconstrained. This means that it uses the modern tools like the hedging strategies in reducing the investors’ risk. Absolute return acts as the modern strategy that pursues the target returns with reduced volatility than relative performances. This enhances the diversification of portfolios for all types of investors (Edwards & Alfons 2004, p. 143). Benchmark Indexes Investo rs establish a long term wealth in stocks due to historical tract record of their positive performance. Most traditional mutual funds constrain the manager to invest in domestic markets. However, the absolute return strategies are less constrained. The objective of absolute return removes constraints on managers and allow for the implementation of more strategies to address the market volatility. For instance, the relative performance may allow for investment in all sectors, but have a high likelihood of influence by benchmark index weightings of other sectors. This is because any divergent can result into risk. This compels the traditional funds take on a market exposure. On the other hand, the pursuit of absolute returns reduces the risks by managers when undertaking a full market exposure (Fornell 2006, p. 3). Traditional Benchmarks When compared to relative performances, absolute returns are independent of the traditional benchmarks. The measurement of funds in absolute returns does not involve the market indexes. Rather, their measurement takes place alongside their return goals. This enhances the removal of constraints on investment managers. The absolute return does not involve any incentive of making the funds appear similar to securities index. This provides greater incentive to prevent risk caused by negative returns (Fornell 2006, p. 4). Inflation The absolute return objective focuses on the elementary concerns of an investor to help achieve a

International Marketing Feasibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6250 words

International Marketing Feasibility - Essay Example The government’s encouragement of foreign investment would fast tract legal actions that may enhance the speed of operation. However, the country’s unstable political system may affect the implementation process. Not so much problem with to whom should accept the program since there is a remarkable number of urban elite who can afford for such academic service. However, it is a good marketing proposition to tie up with Thailand’s government when it comes to educating its people since it is clear that the government has to start maximizing its subsidy on education. Not only that, Thailand would be a good venue and strategic place for the neighboring and developing countries to access the service of ANOVA Education Center considering that the cost of leaving is definitely not that high. The company is ANOVA Education Centre. It is situated solely in Singapore since it has not expanded to anywhere else yet. All from its website ANOVA Education Centre (2009), the company has promoted itself as the one that provides preparatory courses for foreign students who have interest to study in Singapore. Among of its many objectives, the main is to give students preparation for entrance examinations to Singapore’s local schools. The company was able to promise of courses that are in line with the recent syllabus of Ministry of Education. The company also ensures that its students will have a conducive environment as well as competent and highly-trained teachers as they receive their trainings. To give much more focus to every student, each teacher has 10 to 15 students. With all of these, the ANOVA Education Center is simply trying to provide opportunity for each individual willing to enter in the international language where the medium of speech is English. A message from the principal of ANOVA Education Center, David Sum, simply states the company’s commitment to provide their students a high standard of service.

How does Steinbeck use characters in the novel Essay Example for Free

How does Steinbeck use characters in the novel Essay Of Mice and Men is a novel about two migrant workers, George and Lennie and their travels to a ranch and their time spent there. The novel is set in Soledad during the 1930s Depression. Steinbeck presents the theme loneliness through the use of the characters. The men at the ranch are lonely because they spend the majority of their time travelling from one ranch to another therefore they dont have time to settle and build friendships. At the time the novel was set the US was suffering from the Great Depression, this was caused by the Stock Market crash in 1929 and this crippled that nations economy. These economic problems aggravated a host of social problems, including, unemployment, poverty; Breakdown of families and homelessness, resulting in an increase in loneliness. George one of the novels main protagonist travels around with Lennie as his companion, George is still lonely because Lennie is mentally handicapped therefore George cannot have conversation and devotes the majority of his energy in looking after Lennie and keeping him out of trouble, But he gets into trouble alla time because hes so God damn dumb.. This clearly shows Georges frustration towards Lennie for continually getting into trouble. George fell silent. He wanted to talk. Slim neither encouraged or discouraged him. This displays Georges desperation to talk to someone as he as gone so long without a normal conversation. Candy is an old swamper with one hand; he has an old blind dog which is his last possession and only companion. This shows that Candy was dependent on the dog for company and the dog was dependent on Candy to survive as the dog was unable to do anything for itself. Candy was already lonely and on his own and he knew that as soon as he became unable to clean the ranch he would be sacked because he would have become useless. Jus as soon as I cant swamp out no bunk houses theyll put me on the county. This explains what he feels will happen to him when he can no longer clean and he believes that he will be sacked and kicked out. He feels this way before his dog is killed, once his dog has been shot his whole world crashed down in front of him, and he wants to be shot just like his dog. When they can me here I wisht somebodyd shoot me. He believes that he no longer has a purpose in life. I think Steinbeck included the shooting of candys dog in the novel because it shows how candys life deteriorates after the painful loss of his only companion. The shooting symbolises how people during that time became dependent on possessions such as dogs for companionship, and how when these things are taken away peoples lives are destroyed, because they have become reliant on their dogs for such a long time, due to the depression they have been unable to build friendships because of the endless travelling from job to job. And this is reflected in the novel because George and Lennie have been moving from job to job. Crooks is a black stable-buck, he is extremely lonely because he is segregated from the other workers and has no choice but to live alone in the stable. Cause Im black. They play cards in there, but I cant play because Im black. This shows his loneliness, because he is not allowed to interact with the white workers because he is black. Steinbeck has presented Crooks as a character with a crooked back. His body was bent down to the left. This makes him appear as if he is bowing to every one else in the play, this shows his lower status which could suggest a lower class, which increases his loneliness. At the time the novel was written black people were segregated from white members of society and could be arrested for insignificant things, also the KKK (Klu Klux Klan) were known to kill black people frequently, for no reasons at all. I believe that Steinbeck has used characters effectively to explore how migrant workers in this time were lonely and desperate for companionship. He incorporates cultural factors in the novel through the different characters to explore loneliness from different perspectives.

Speaker Driver: Comparison of Options

Speaker Driver: Comparison of Options Speaker driver choice is a very important consideration, since the transducers themselves are of course the most fundamental part of the speaker. Regardless of other factors, one can never expect inferior drivers (and hence the system as a whole) to perform well. There are two main options when choosing drivers; electrostatic or conventional voice-coil designs. Although many seem under the impression that electrostatic loudspeakers are a modern invention this is not the case; Janszen was granted the first U.S. patent for such a device in 1953[1]. Considering the relatively small market penetration of electrostatic transducers and the fact that they tend to appear largely in high-end designs, one might be led to assume that electrostatic panels are superior to conventional drivers. This however is only partially true. One advantage of electrostatic panels is that full-range designs are possible, eliminating the need for crossovers and hence the associated problems with frequency and phase response in the crossover band. Another advantage is that the electrostatic panel is generally very light and hence offers excellent transient response, whilst also offering very good directionality and imaging. The latter may also be seen as disadvantage, since it effectively makes the ideal listening position rather narrow. In terms of disadvantages, the chief problem with electrostatic designs is a difficulty in reproducing bass frequencies at high SPLs. Generally the panel excursion is small, which makes it hard for electrostatic transducers to move the required volume of air at low frequencies. Furthermore, since electrostatic transducers are not meant for use with an enclosure, phase cancellation is an issue, again resulting in reduced bass performance. Audiostatic, a company that manufactures audiophile full-range electrostatic speakers, admit of their own devices with regard to bass that â€Å"Obviously because of the limited membrane excursion they wont produce ear shattering levels at that frequency†[2]. As a result of the aforementioned bass performance, many high-end electrostatic speakers are in fact hybrids, using voice-coil woofers for low frequencies with electrostatic panels covering the mid and high range. One example is the Martin Logan Summit[3], which whilst described as â€Å"our most advanced and sophisticated full-range loudspeaker† nevertheless makes use of two 10† woofers for low-end reproduction. Of course in this situation a crossover is still required, so the advantage of the possibility of a full-range design is often nullified in practice. Still, electrostatics may prove very attractive as high quality mid to high frequency drivers, although they are certainly not cheap. In choosing conventional voice-coil drivers, there are many factors to consider. In terms of quality, it is certainly true that one does indeed get what one pays for. Whilst high quality manufacturers such as SEAS[4] are happy to provide detailed frequency response plots and Thiele-Small parameters for their transducers, many cheaper manufacturers are less transparent about their devices. One common trick to beware of, often used by less scrupulous manufacturers, is the quoting of a recommended frequency range without stating the variation in output (in dB) across this range. A recommended operating range without any indication of the actual performance within the frequency band is virtually meaningless. Many assume a  ±3dB range is implied when reading such data; it is unwise to make such assumptions. Furthermore, even if frequency response across a range is qualified with the variation in output in dB, this is still not ideal. Obviously one desires that any variation in output magnitude will be a smooth variation; one still has no idea of how â€Å"lumpy† the response might be. For these reasons it is best to choose drivers that are accompanied by frequency plots, since this gives a far more accurate representation of true performance. Another important consideration in choosing a driver is the application for which it is intended. For example, a woofer with a high maximum cone excursion and low Fs may perform very well in a large sealed cabinet but be totally unsuited to a ported implementation (Dickason, 2000). One can make use of the quoted Thiele-Small parameters to ascertain whether the driver is suitable for its intended purpose. Construction materials also give an indication of how the driver may sound. In terms of woofer and midrange drivers, for example, an aluminium cone may indicate greater bass precision than an otherwise equivalent transducer with a paper cone; softer cones are associated with greater distortion than their stiffer counterparts. However, as Larsen (2003) notes â€Å"cone break-up behaviour and frequency response was shown to be strongly dependant on the Geometrical Stiffness of the Cone†. Hence the geometry of the design may be more important than the material used. Diameter of the driver is also a hugely important factor for woofers, although of minor importance for tweeters. To reproduce bass frequencies at good SPLs, a large volume of air must be moved by the driver. To this end, there is absolutely no way a 6† driver can compete with a 12† driver of similar quality in terms of bass extension; it is simply not physically possible. Power handling is another consideration that must be given thought when choosing a driver; the peak short-term power dissipated by a transducer can easily be double its long-term rating. Naturally for the best performance it is desirable to ensure that the driver is not operating too close to its quoted limits. One should think carefully about how hard the driver is likely to be driven and ensure its power handling is adequate; overdriving a unit at best will result in distortion and at worst may cause irreversible damage. In many cases users overdrive and damage units in an attempt to achieve a higher SPL, particularly in the bass region. If the system requirements are adequately specified and designed for, this should not happen. For the high-budget client, the best solution will either be high-quality voice-coil drivers carefully selected to complement each other, or a hybrid electrostatic implementation. It is difficult to recommend a fully electrostatic solution due to the associated problems with low frequency performance, although for some clients this may be acceptable. For the low-budget client, standard voice-coil drivers are the only solution. The quality of the drivers used will largely be influenced by pricing; one should carefully consider all factors and attempt to find the best solution within budget. Datasheets should be closely scrutinised to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each option before a solution is chosen. In conclusion, notwithstanding the electrostatic debate, driver choice is largely influenced by price and performance. In general, the better specified the driver, the more expensive it is likely to be. If working with a high budget, one is likely to simply choose the best specified drivers. Conversely, with a limited amount of capital, one must make the best compromise that can be reached within budget. Sources Larsen, Peter. (2003). Geometrical Stiffness of Loudspeaker Cones, Loudsoft. Borwick, John. (2001). Loudspeaker and Headphone Handbook, Focal Press. Dickason, V. (1995). The Loudspeaker Design Cookbook, Audio Amateur Publications. Rossing, T. (1990). The Science of Sound, Addison-Wesley. 1 Footnotes [1] United States Patent 2,631,196 [2] http://www.audiostatic.com/faq.html [3] http://www.uk.martinlogan.com/speaker_intro/summit.html [4] http://www.seas.no Effect of Globalisation on Culture: Annotated Bibliography Effect of Globalisation on Culture: Annotated Bibliography John Tomlinson Globalization and Culture John Tomlinson analyses the globalization and the culture relationship, Globalization is in the center of modern culture; cultural practices are in the globalization center.  In John Tomlinson view, globalization and culture could be interpreted as relationship that they complement each other. John Tomlinson thinks that researching Globalization from the fields of political science, economics, sociology and communication to lead the field of culture, cultural practices are designed to reveal the meaning of globalization On globalization, John Tomlinson thinks the point of view from the daily life experience and to analyze the sense of intimacy, uniqueness.  On culture, John Tomlinson reflect on the cultural and political and economic relationship between the practice to clarify the complex cultural purposes, that is what makes life full of meaningful experience. John Tomlinson focused on the Deterritorialization of the concept that deterritorialization of our current globalization and cultural conditions, it exists in everyday experience among the grasp of many aspects of cultural globalization. Globalization fundamentally is the place we live, it makes our cultural practices, cultural identity and cultural experience and the relationship between the occurrences of the transition, it reduces or removes the daily dynamic between cultural and territorial positioning Contact; This culture, the opportunities and pitfalls. So, John Tomlinson called for world unity. Hardt, Michael; Negri, Antonio, (2000) Extract from Hardt, Michael; Negri, Antonio, Empire pp.xi-xvi,3-21, Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press Hardt, Michael; Negri, Antonio, hardt criticize the globalization, their bookempire could be considered as the representative of the anti-globalization works. They argue that the globalization is the capitalist production and economic relations have become more autonomous from political controls ,But with the traditional left to some of the different anti-globalization, this book address the global changes in an attempt to put forward in the context of globalization, new practice ideas. Hardt, Michael; Negri, Antonio books argument can be roughly simplified as follows: Globalization has led to changes in capitalism, the nation-state boundaries disappear, the new Empire has been formed, showing a new form of sovereignty, is composed of many countries and a joint supranational organizations  . Empire does not establish a power center, nor rely on fixed boundaries or barriers. Empire is a decentralized to the regions with the tools of the rule, and gradually  areas into the global expansion of its open and whole. Such an abstract rather than concrete empire how to rule? Finally, Hardt, Michael; Negri, Antonio called the masses are a utopian construct. Sociology of knowledge that, in the absence of any organized sports, leadership, and the dominant ideology, even if there is no amount of suffering, it will only submit to humiliation.  The authors argue that the masses is the seed of the revolution, they need international links to change the empire, but these people in todays nation-states under the barrier, how could the international links, how to overcome language differences Saskia Sassen (2008), Neither global nor national: novel assemblages of territory,  Authority and rights Columbia University, USA,  Ethics Global Politics, Vol. 1, No. 1 2, 2008, pp. 61 79 Saskia Sassen is the Professor of Sociology, Columbia Universityà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’the globalization leads the Unequal distribution of material resources, cultural colonialism and the depletion of non-renewable raw materials, the source of political conflict between North and South. Consequences of this phenomenon, such as global climate change to all social classes and the widening between the poor countries  gap between the rich have led to greater social crisis. Sassen thinks that the world only about 40 nodes in a transnational influence in the city, most of them located in the North Atlantic global subsystem; Globalization and World Cities Study Group believes that the world only 50 World City  , and another 60 to 70 cities to show the world the city part of the evidence Saskia Sassen states that Economic globalization not look at the globalization of capital accumulation, but also the production process of globalization.  If the economic globalization, the globalization of the production process as we see more than just capital, capital is only one aspect of economic globalization, it is another aspect of the globalization of labor, especially in the international movement of labor.  In the process of economic globalization, the cities, especially global cities, a place of convergence of capital and labor, the coordination center of the world economy, and thus become the problem of inequality in the globalization process of strategic intervention  place.  Specifically, how interventions, A Brief History of Neoliberalism, David Harvey, Oxford University Press David Harvey Examine the new liberalism in the past few decades to stir up trouble, and largely reshaped the pattern of international politics, not only for our understanding of the financial crisis, but also for understanding the development of global capitalism. With the new round of financial crisis sweeping the world and impact on all walks of life, people have tried from all aspects, directly or indirectly, to discuss the origin and development of the crisis, including the re-study of world history over the past few decades in the political  and economic theory and practice.  In this context, there is a scholar claim that the capitalist world have long been in crisis for a long time.  People who make this assertion is David â‚ ¬Ã‚ ¢ Harvey At the beginning, David Harvey analyze the U.S. war in Iraq, the United States in the implementation of the new Chilean liberal reform, pointed out that neo-liberal reforms, but at outside the United States once again in the experiment, then it could be the sample as their internal reform Of course, we should not forget the teachings of Marx In the past philosophers only interpret the world, but the important thing is to change the world. For understanding the status of our world today and the new liberalism of the context, although this small book may be many areas for improvement, but still occupies an important position. Arjun Appadurai, Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Economy, 1990 7: 295 Theory Culture Society, DOI: 10.1177/026327690007002017. Arjun Appadurai thinks that disjuncture and difference are normally in the global cultural economy, today, the central issue is the tense relationship between global interaction heterogeneity and cultural homogeneity. Homogenization is globalization and the universal, heterogeneous, that the pursuit of ethnic, indigenous rights and the maintenance of cultural identity.  As mentioned earlier, the key is, homogeneity of the substance at the expense of heterogeneity as the price, The basic efforts are to discuss the disadvantaged and marginalized groups in the cultural status quo from the inequality freed.  From an academic perspective, the demands of cultural heterogeneity consist of the following reasons: First, the cultural standpoint, it has a position of cultural relativism.  The need for different cultures to maintain their autonomy, because whether it is strong or weak culture, are equal in rights, no one culture is superior to other cultures, nature.  Therefore, there is no one culture can be for other cultural legislation, and its own advantages and disadvantages of other cultures for the evaluation criteria.   Thus in Arjun Appadurai thinks that which derived from the resistance of a strong culture means that it is not for the emphasis on their own than any other culture their own special appeal, but in Europe or the male-centered center of power has become a universal rule in the context of intercultural  the pursuit of equal status. Ulrich Beck, the Terrorist Threat: World Risk Society Revisited, 2002 19: 39 Theory Culture Society, DOI: 10.1177/0263276402019004003 the British sociologist Ulrich Beck, with his point of view, representation of contemporary social structures and life patterns generated by the many changes in availability of a second modern the character, and different from the traditional modern / post-modern painting points.   In this book, the second modern and cosmopolitanism, points out the first modern over-development, will turn off the collapse of global market and the nation-state patterns, and will generate reflection type of cultural development.  Cultural development in the reflection type, the modern rational and the Universe would have been a powerful challenge of all; society will also be the inner self to begin conversion.  Peoples cultural experience and experience in space, including the cultivation of various degree of recognition, diversity of life forms of the cross, the Political Action Without Borders, etc., will have a more diversified development. Risk society has the global common foundation, because in the second modernity, whether political, economic or ecological crisis, the risk of the spread is no national boundaries; so modern risk society, must put in the context of globalization down interpretation.  However, Baker on the second modern in the description of the world, the globalization of the past simply is not the same.  In order to interpret more in line with the concept of global development community, and puts forward a cosmopolitan, containing the words all men are brothers, David held Anthony McGrew, David Goldblatt Jonathan Perraton, Global Transformation Early in the 20th century, David held and the famous sociologist Anthony Giddens, Professor, who put together the relevant risk society of the concepts and theories Ecological, financial, military, terrorists, biochemical and information, and other risks in our contemporary world in a way there is overwhelming.  To the risk we experience everywhere; we could only make the following three types of reaction: denial, indifference and transformation.  The first approach is largely rooted in modern culture, but it ignored this attitude has denied that the political risks; second approach succumb to the kind of postmodern nihilism which type of argument;  The third approach led to my theory of world risk society issues raised: the future of man and the diversity of the expected consequences with the risk of changes in how the impact and awareness of modern society, survival  conditions and the system? Global default is a rational increase in demand uncertainty.  Caused by industrial society because of the uncertainty does not necessarily lead to confusion or disaster.  Rather, the uncertainty can not be calculated can also a source of creativity, which is a contingency to allow reason and experiment new things.  Thus, the current end of a pervasive sense of the kind of odds Mike Featherstone, Global Culture: Nationalism, Globalization, and Modernity Mike Featherstone is currently Britains consumer culture theorists.  In this book, consumer culture, as his object of study, reviews the theory of consumer culture Featherstone three main aspects: first by an aesthetic theory of everyday life, this is the theory of consumer culture Featherstone core and foundation.  While the previous practice of daily life and consumption has some research, and creation of daily life for the Featherstone laid the foundation of aesthetic theory, but he did not think life is a tool that strict control of rational consumer space, but also  do not think life is a fragment of a fragmentation.   Featherstone believes that everyday life is consumer spending the main field of practice, and in this field, the emergence of consumer practice of aesthetic tendencies. Featherstone follows the performance of the control and resistance theory. practice in the analysis of consumption during the fight right to speak, on the one hand explains how to control the ideology of everyday life cultural practices of consumers, but also pointed out how consumers the possibility of a boycott., on the whole, daily control of the consumer ideology is growing, but from specific consumer practice, consumers have been symbols of consumer culture transformation and substitution.  Mike Featherstone lamented that some disorder of literature, Michael Gurevitch, Culture, Society and the Media Michael Gurevitch based on the world, from an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspective of globalization and democratization of the media between the complex and sometimes mutually reinforcing and sometimes conflicting multi-faceted relationship.   This book proposed a new theory about generalities, but not to provide a description of the micro, but the relevant proposition was different theoretical and historical sort, from which new problems.   firstly discusses the theory of globalization and the globalization of media organizations in the media, marketing, form, movement, effects and management aspects of change, and the media bottom-up globalization process and practice.  Then, the article in English literature of the existing market liberals, liberals in the public domain, and the radical democrats of different concepts of democracy and the spread of globalization and its significance for the different media analysis were reviewed, Finally, the book was put forward, including media ownership diversity, multi-directional flow of the global media in the political and theoretical significance, the Western model and views the adequacy or relevance media for political information than the broader identity  role during the formation of macro issues such as 7, to promote the breadth and depth of study.  The globalization and democratization of media there are complex interactions between the relationships between two, which is far from even a discussion of two books could come to an end.   Oliver Boyd-Barrett, Terhi Rantanen. The Globalization of News   Oliver Boyd-Barrett, Terhi Rantanen research from the social perspective ,and emphasizes the role of government era of globalization, and the Government can play a complementary effect and the market potential to give more attention. Using of statistical methods proved that external risks can not be ignored, but the state is playing an important integral role in providing social security and protection of social justice. Government maintains economic openness and balance between domestic needs of the community as a crucial and irreplaceable role.  The implication is: If the Government is up to the role that globalization will be able to smooth the contrary, this process will be reversed.     Oliver Boyd-Barrett,Terhi find some latest new which find the process of globalization, which in many ways is very different.  For example, todays international financial system from the conclusions of historical research in analysis and interpretation should be applied to contemporary events, there will be quite limited indeed.  But the basic values of the market mechanism and social hundred years did not occur in a large change fundamentally.  Since the markets expansion on a global scale in fact has brought individuals and the income gap between countries and the widening gap of economic welfare, just as happened 80 years ago as; it will be useful to draw lessons from history. How is Hamlet Character Influenced by Greek Philosophy? How is Hamlet Character Influenced by Greek Philosophy? Hamlet, protagonist of Shakespeares tragedy of the same name, is one of the most ambiguous and enigmatic characters of the history of literature. He is a thinker, and extremely philosophical, meditative and suspicious, indeed, he is always pondering about question with no answer. His monologues are very contemporary, because they are about psychological struggles that are still unresolved. His character is strongly influenced by philosophy and, particularly, by Greek philosophy. We can understand that Hamlet was interested in Greek culture by his numerous references to Greek mythology, and by the main topics of his soliloquies: the conflicts between right and wrong, thought and action, life and death, and the importance of the mind and thoughts of an individual. They all refer to important philosophical concepts of Greek philosophy, such as relativism, skepticism and humanism, which are rooted in ancient Greek philosophers thoughts and studies. About the references to Greek mythology, we can observe citations about many characters belonging to myths. Hyperion, Satyr, Niobe, Hercules (Act I, Scene II, 140-153), where Hyperion is a Titan or a byname of Helios, God of the sun; a Satyr is a lecherous creature, half-man and half-goat; Niobe was the Queen of   Thebes, who wept for her dead children even when she was turned to stone; and Hercules is a mythical Greek hero, notorious for his strength. Nemean lion (Act I, Scene IV, 83), which was a vicious monster who lived at Nemea. Priam, Hecuba (Act II, Scene II, 422-459), where Priam was the King of Troy during the Trojan War, and Hecuba was his wife. From this analysis, we can observe that not only was he interested in Greek mythology, but also on Greek literature, indeed, he probably read Homeric poems, Iliad and The Odyssey. Another evidence that Greek philosophy influenced Hamlet is that he often refers to Relativism. For example, when he says to Rosencrantz: there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so (Act II, Scene II, 240), he is referring to the Sophist theory that the truth or justification of moral judgments is not absolute, but relative to the moral standard of some person or group of persons1[1]. Another example is the most iconic monologue of the tragedy: To be, or not to be: that is the question: / Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer / The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, / Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, / And by opposing end them?. Hamlet is struggling whether is more noble to kill himself or to continue living though the problems he is facing. We can consider this as a form of moral relativism because, from Hamlets perspective, even something collectively thought as so morally incorrect like suicide can become correct, noble. According to Protagoras , a pre-sophist philosopher, The human being is the measure of all things, of those that are, that they are, and of those that are not, that they are not. By this, Protagoras apparently meant that each individual person is the measure of how things are to that person: things are or are not, to me, according as they appear to me to be or not be. Briefly stated, moral relativism is the view that moral judgments, beliefs about right and wrong, good and bad, not only vary greatly across time and contexts, but that their correctness is dependent on or relative to individual or cultural perspectives and frameworks.2[2] We can also consider the same monologue as an example of skepticism, because Hamlet is fond of pointing out questions that cannot be answered because they concern supernatural and metaphysical matters. Hamlets monologue What a piece of work is a man! / How noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in form and moving how / express and admirable! in action how like an angel! / in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the / world! is an evidence of another philosophical trend: Humanism. Even if the word Humanism was invented by Latins (Humanitas), we can observe Humanist thoughts in Sophist philosophers, Socrates and Plato. In that period, indeed, the subject of the philosophical speculation changed from transcendental topics, like Gods or the origin of the universe, to the human being. They became interested in human mind and experiences, and related topics such as ethic and ideas. To understand Hamlets tragedy deeply, first we have to understand its historic, religious and philosophical context. From the philosophical point of view, I found evidence of many philosophical trends influences, to both Hamlets character and Shakespeare, but I can state that most of them are related to the most important Greek philosophical trends.

Assembly of Functional Cellulolytic Enzymes

Assembly of Functional Cellulolytic Enzymes In the present study, we reported the assembly of functional cellulolytic enzymes using a synthetic, cell-surface engineered yeast consortium. Trichoderma reesei endoglucanase II (EGII) and cellobiohydrolase II (CBHII) and Aspergillus aculeatus ÃŽ ²-glucosidase I (BGLI) were displayed as fusion proteins with the AGA2p C-terminus of a-agglutinin on the cell surface of the diploid yeast strain Saccharomyces. cerevisiae Y5. The immobilization of each enzyme on the cell surface was confirmed by immunofluorescence microscopy. This type of yeast consortium allowed convenient optimization of ethanol production by adjusting the combination ratios of each cell type for inducing synergy in cellulose hydrolysis. Next, the direct ethanol fermentation from steam-exploded corn stover was investigated. The optimized cellulase-displaying consortium produced 20.4 g/l ethanol from 48.4 g cellulose per liter after 72 h in the presence of a small amount of cellulase reagent (0.9 FPU/ml). These findings suggested the feasibility of the cellulase-displaying yeast consortium for simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. Currently, many technological barriers exist with respect to the economical production of ethanol from lignocellulosic biomasses [1]. In the process of hydrolyzing cellulose into soluble sugars, multiple cellulases including endoglucanase (EG), cellobiohydrolase (CBH), and ÃŽ ²-glucosidase (BGL) are required [2]. Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP), which combines enzyme production, hydrolysis, and fermentation in one step, is a promising strategy for effective ethanol production from lignocellulosic materials. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the traditional microorganism used for ethanol production, but it is unable to utilize cellulosic materials and a saccharification process is required prior to fermentation to produce glucose [3-4]. Numerous attempts have been made to engineer S. cerevisiae strains to express cellulases by cell surface engineering for direct ethanol production from cellulose, and although various bifunctional or trifunctional cellulose-degrading strains have been const ructed, the efficiency of cellulose degradation has not been sufficiently improved [5-9]. It would appear that co-expression of all cellulolytic enzymes in a single cell resulted in relatively low expression levels of cellulases, which may have been due to the heavy metabolic burden and potential jamming of the secretion machinery [6,7,10]. Therefore, in this study, we adapted a new strategy of performing simultaneous saccharification and fermentation with a synthetically engineered yeast consortium having the desired properties of cellulolytic ability and ethanol production to reduce the metabolic burden. The development of a diploid yeast strain is another promising strategy for improving expression levels of heterologous genes and enhancing the fermentation performance of S. cerevisiae. Because diploid strains have better growth ability as well as stress tolerances compared with haploid strains, they are particularly suited for industrial applications. Previously, our group reported on the construction of an à Ã‚ °-agglutinin expression system for genetic immobilization ÃŽ ²-glucosidase I on the cell surface of S. cerevisiae Y5 (Patent No: ZL200810222897.7, CGMCC2660). This diploid robust yeast strain possessed many advantages, such as higher ethanol yield, higher resistance to ethanol, and higher physiological tolerance to inhibitors present in lignocellulosic hydrolysates. Here, we report on our efforts to demonstrate the assembly of functional cellulolytic enzymes using a synthetic yeast consortium. In this study, we demonstrated the feasibility of constructing a novel cell surface engineered diploid yeast consortium for direct ethanol production from phosphoric acid swollen cellulose (PASC) and steam-exploded corn stover (CS), an important step toward direct ethanol production from insoluble cellulosic materials. The strains and plasmids used in this study are summarized in Table S1. Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y5 used for the yeast cell surface display of the cellulolytic enzymes was a newly developed diploid strain in our laboratory. E. coli Top 10 was used as the host strain for recombinant DNA manipulation. T. reesei was purchased from CICC (China Center of Industrial Culture Collection). E. coli transformants were grown in Luria-Bertani medium (1% tryptone, 0.5% yeast extract and 1% NaCl, pH 7.0) supplemented with 100 ug/ml of ampicillin. S. cerevisiae Y5 transformants were selected and maintained on Geneticin plates (1% yeast extract, 2% peptone and 2% glucose supplemented with 600 ug/ml Geneticin) at 30 °C , were induced in YPG (1% yeast extract, 2% peptone, and 2% galactose) at 20 °C. The fermentation medium was composed of 10 g/l yeast extract, 20 g/l polypeptone and 10 g/l PASC as the sole carbon source. The à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ lamentous fungus T. reesei was cultured in potato dextrose aga r medium (2% potato extract, 2% glucose) at 27 °C. The cDNA was synthesized from mRNA by using the First-Strand cDNA synthesis kit (Fermentas). Unless otherwise indicated, all chemicals, media components and supplements were of analytical grade standard and obtained from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, MO, USA). All restriction enzymes were purchased from New England BioLabs (Ltd. Beijing). Primers used for plasmid construction are provided in Table S2. Plasmid pAGA1 for over-expression of the AGA1 gene and plasmid pBGLI for cell surface display BGLI were constructed previously [11]. Plasmid pEGII for cell surface expression of the EGII (egl2) was constructed as follows. The 1194 bp DNA fragment encoding the egl2 gene without its native secretion signal was amplià ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ed with the à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ rst-strand cDNA prepared from T. reesei as the template using primer pairs egl2-For/Rev, this DNA fragment was introduced into the yeast display vector pYD1(Invitrogen) with Kpn I/BamH I. MAT terminator was amplified from pYD1 by using primer pairs MAT-For/Rev and then digested with BamH I/EcoR I to create plasmid pYD1-egl2MAT. The KanR fragment was obtained from plasmid YIP5-KanR by two-step cloning. First, the DNA fragment containing ADH promoter and KanR ORF was amplified from YIP5-KanR by PCR using the KanR-For/Rev primers and inserted into EcoR I/Apa I site of plasmid pYD1-egl2MAT; next, the ADH terminator digested with Bgl II/Nde I was also introduced into pYD1-egl2MAT. The resulting plasmid was named pEGII. For displaying the T. reesei CBHII gene (cbh2) in S. cer evisiae Y5, plasmid pCBHII was created. A 1344 bp gene fragment coding for the mature region of the CBHII was amplià ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ed using primers cbh2-For/Rev-KT and introduced into plasmid pEGII digested with Kpn I/BamH I for replacing egl2 to form pCBHII (Figure 1). Transformation of S. cerevisiae Y5 was carried out using the lithium acetate method [12]. The plasmid pAGA1 was linearized by Apa I for chromosome integration. The plasmid pYD1 was transformed into S. cerevisiae Y5 as a negative control. S. cerevisiae Y5 clones transformed with different plasmids (strain Y5/pYD1 contained plasmids pAGA1 and pYD1, strain Y5/EGII contained plasmids pAGA1 and pEGII, strain Y5/CBHII contained plasmids pAGA1 and pCBHII) were selected and maintained on Geneticin(G418) plates. Immunofluorescence microscopy was performed as described previously [13]. Immunostaining was performed as follows. Induced recombinant yeast cells expressing cellulases were harvested by centrifugation at 6000 rpm for 5 min and washed with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). As the primary antibody, mouse anti-Xpress tag antibody (Invitrogen, R910-25) for EGII and CBHII was used at dilution rates of 1:1000. As the second antibody, Fuorescein (FITC)-conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG(H+L) (Jackson, 115-095-003) was used at dilution rate 1:200. Cells and the anti-body were incubated at room temperature. After washing the cell–antibody complex with PBS twice, cellular localizations of the cellulases were observed under a fluorescence microscope. Yeast strains Y5 and Y5/pYD1were used as control. Yeast cells were induced in YPG medium for 48 h at 20 ºC and harvested by centrifugation for 5 min at 6000 rpm, washed with distilled water. BGLI activity of strain Y5/BGLI was measured using à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ²-nitrophenyl-ÃŽ ²-D-glucopyranoside as the substrate according to a previously described method [14]. Endoglucanase and cellobiohydrolase activities were determined by hydrolysis of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and phosphoric acid swollen cellulose (PASC), respectively. PASC was prepared from Avicel PH-101 (Fluka Chemie GmbH, Buchs, Switzerland) as amorphous cellulose. The cell pellet was resuspended in a reaction mixture of 1% CMC or 1% PASC in 50 mM sodium acetate buffer (pH 5.0) with the optical density at 600 nm adjusted to 1.0. After a reaction at 50 ºC for 30 min, the activities were determined by DNS method [15]. One unit of enzyme activity was defined as the amount of enzyme released 1 ÃŽ ¼mol reducing sugar from the substrate per minute. The abilities of the engineered yeast consortium (Y5/EGII + Y5/CBHII + Y5/BGLI) to fermentation ethanol from PASC and steam-exploded corn stover were investigated. The steam-exploded corn stover used in this study was provided by Henan Tian Guan Group Co., Ltd (Nanyang, Henan, China). The raw material was chopped to 2-3 cm size and treated in a steam-exploded vessel at 2.0 MPa for 5 min. The pretreated feedstock was dried at room temperature and directly used as a substrate without washing. The moisture content of the substrate was 8%. The composition of materials was quantitatively analyzed following the NREL Laboratory Analytical Procedure NREL/TP-510-42618 (Structural carbohydrates and lignin) (Sluiter et al., 2008)[16], as shown in Table 3. An enzyme mixture composed of equal amounts of cellulase (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO) and ÃŽ ²-glucosidase (Sigma-Aldrich) was used. Yeast cells harboring different surface-display plasmid for EGII, CBHII, or BGLI, were grown in YPD medium a nd then transferred to YPG medium for 48 h at 20 ºC to express cellulase. Cells collected by centrifugation at 5000 rpm for 5 min at 4 ºC, washed with distilled water twice, and mixed in the adjustable ratio to a total initial cell concentration of 30 g/l wet weight to form the functional consortium. Ethanol fermentation proceeded at 30 ºC with 90 rpm in 250 ml Erlenmeyer flasks. 1ml samples of the fermentation broth were taken periodically and stored at -4 ºC until they were analyzed for sugar and ethanol content. The total sugar was determined by the phenol-sulfuric acid method [17]. Glucose was measured by HPLC (model 1260, Agilent Technologies) equipped with a Hi-Plex H column 300 mm Ãâ€" 7.7 mm) and a refractory index (RI) detector. Samples were run at a temperature of 60 ºC and a mobile phase of 5 mM sulfuric acid at a flow rate of 0.6 ml/min. Ethanol analysis was carried out using GC (model 7890A, Agilent Technologies) equipped with a flame ionization detector and a HJ-PEG column. Samples were run under the following conditions: column oven at 120 ºC, front injection port at 200 ºC, with N2 as the carrier gas at a flow rate of 4 ml/min. The expression plasmids pEGII and pCBHII (Fig. 1) were transformed into the yeast S.cerevisiae Y5 strains, respectively. All of recombinant yeast strains had a pAGA1 plasmid for integrating AGA1 into the chromosome, and the resultant transformants were designated strains Y5/EGII and Y5/CBHII (Table S1). Upon galactose induction, the proteins were expected to be secreted and interact with the Aga1p and Aga2p anchor system by using the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor linked to the cell surface. To confirm displaying of EGII and CBHII on the yeast cell surface, immunofluorescence labeling of the cells was carried out using mouse anti-Xpress IgG antibody as the primary antibody. The green fluorescence of Fuorescein (FITC)-conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG was observed for strains Y5/EGII and Y5/CBHII (Fig. 2), indicating that EGII and CBHII were displayed on the cell surface, respectively. The cells harboring the control plasmids were hardly labeled with mouse anti-Xpress IgG(Fig. 2). These results suggested that two types of cellulase were successfully expressed on the cell surface of S. cerevisiae Y5 strain. As shown in Table 1, EGII, CBHII and BGLI activities were detected in the pellet fraction of strain Y5/EGII, Y5/CBHII and Y5/BGLI, respectively. The strain Y5/CBHII and strain Y5/EGII showed moderate CBHII and EGII activity (1.14 U/OD600 and 1.27 U/OD600, respectively). The BGLI activity of strain Y5/BGLI cells was relatively low, which was only 0.72 U/OD600. No enzyme activity was detected in the culture supernatant (data not shown), and the control strain without displayed enzymes exhibited less than 0.1 U/OD600 of enzyme activity. These results clearly indicated that active enzymes were displayed on the cell surface without leakage into the culture medium. Ethanol fermentation from 10 g amorphous cellulose per liter was performed using a cell combination system consisted of three cellulase-displaying yeast populations. Cells displaying EGII, CBHII and BGLI were mixed in various ratios and the produced ethanol from PASC were measured. S.cerevisiae Y5 without displayed enzymes was the control strain. A mixture of cells with EGII: CBHII: BGLI ratio of 2:1:1 produced the highest amount of ethanol (1.76 g/l) after 84 h; the yield (in grams of ethanol produced per gram of consumed reducing sugar) was 0.42 g/g (Fig. 3). A mixture of cells composed of an equal amount of each cell type produced 0.68 g/l ethanol after 84 h (Figure 3), indicating about 1.6-fold improvement of ethanol production by optimizing the cell ratio. However, a large portion of the substrate (the amount of residual sugar after 84 h hydrolysis of 10 g/l PASC was 5.5 g/l, and the sugar consumption rate was 43.3%) remained after 96 h without being hydrolyzed because the cellu lase activities displaying on cell surface were not enough for complete cellulose digestion. Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of steam-exploded corn stover (CS) as a sole carbon source was conducted for the cellulase-displaying yeast consortium of the optimized ratio 2:1:1 in the presence of commercial cellulase (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO) with different enzyme loadings (0, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2, 1.5 FPU/ml). A mixture of cells was incubated in 100 ml of YP medium (20 g/l peptone, 10 g/l yeast extract) for 1 h to remove residual carbon source, and then resuspended in YP-CS medium (YP medium containing 100 g/l steam-exploded corn stover, corresponding to 48.4g cellulose per liter). As shown in Fig. 4, in the presence of 0, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2 and 1.5 FPU/ml cellulase, 34.49, 18.71, 7.03, 2.11, 1.98, and 1.23 g/l of residual cellulose remained after 84h, respectively. Addition of 0.9 FPU/ml cellulase enabled utilization of 92.3% of the initial cellulose (Figure 4). The cellulose hydrolyzed by cellulase-displaying yeast consortium with an additional 0.9 FPU/ml cellulase was nearly the same as that by control strain S.cerevisiae Y5 with an additional 1.5 FPU/ml. These results indicate that cellulases displayed on the yeast cell surface improve hydrolysis of cellulose, although their activities were lower than commercial enzymes. Furthermore, using the optimized cell combination system, the relationship between the amount of added cellulase and final ethanol concentration was investigated. As shown in Fig. 5, in the presence of 0.9 FPU/ml cellulase, the cellulase-displaying consortium produced 20.4 g/l ethanol after 72 h, which was similar to the value (20.9 g/l) obtained by control strain in the presence of 1.5 FPU/ml cellulase (Table 2). Notably, as the ethanol yield reached 86% of the theoretical yield with 0.9 FPU/ml cellulase, the cell-surface engineered system enabled a reduction in the amount of added commercial cellulase. Hydrolysis of crystalline cellulose to glucose requires the sequential reactions of three groups of cellulases: endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase, and ÃŽ ²-glucosidase. CBP is a one-step process where all steps occur in a single reactor and a single microorganism or microbial consortium converts pretreated biomass to ethanol with no additional commercial enzymes. The key challenge of CBP lies in choosing the optimal host to directly convert lignocellulosic materials to ethanol. In recent years, several researchers have been engaged in co-displaying multiple cellulases in a single cell for direct conversion of cellulose to ethanol [18-21]. However, the enzyme activity can be limited because of the metabolic burden [22]. Furthermore, it is difficult to control the surface expression level of each enzyme for optimal ethanol fermentation. Apiwatanapiwat et al., constructed the engineered yeast strain NBRC-5Es that co-displayed two types of amylolytic enzymes, two types of cellulolytic enz ymes (T. reesei EGII and CBHII), and A. aculeatus BGLI on the cell surface. The NBRC-5Es strain produced 1.04 g/l ethanol from 8.44 g/l of the acid-treated Avicel after 48 h of fermentation and resulted in a large portion of the substrate remaining without being hydrolyzed by the enzymes. In this study, instead of co-displaying all the enzymes in one cell, we developed a cellulase-displaying yeast consortium consisting of three types of yeast cells, each displaying different cellulases. This method allows for convenient optimization of ethanol production by adjusting the combination ratio of each cell type for inducing a synergy in cellulose hydrolysis. Diploidization is also a promising strategy for enhancing the fermentation ability of S. cerevisiae. Because polyploid yeast strains, including diploid strains, have higher cell growth rates, cell yields, and tolerances to various stresses compared with haploid strains, they are particularly suited for industrial application. Therefore, to generate an efficient â€Å"whole-cell biocatalyst† yeast strain related to cellulosic ethanol production, we selected S. cerevisiae Y5, a robust diploid strain, as the host cell based on its fermentation and inhibitor tolerance properties [23-24]. We first explored the possibility of ethanol fermentation from PASC by using the surface-immobilized yeast consortium (Y5/EGII+Y5/CBHII+Y5/BGLI). A mixture of cells at the optimized EGII: CBHII: BGLI ratio of 2:1:1 produced 1.6-fold more ethanol (1.76 g/l) than cells composed of an equal amount of each cell type. Next, the fermentation performance of yeast consortium using steam-exploded CS as the sole carbon source was further investigated. The optimized cellulase-displaying consortium produced 20.4 g/l ethanol from 48.4 g cellulose per liter after 72 h in the presence of a small amount of cellulase reagent (0.9 FPU/ml), suggesting the feasibility of the cellulase-displaying yeast consortium for simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. Although several studies have been carried out on establishing a cell-displaying yeast consortium [25-27], few reports of direct ethanol fermentation from pretreated lignocellulosic material have been published. The combined cell system describ ed here could become the basis for the eventual direct ethanol production from insoluble cellulosic materials.

Emily Bradstreets Poem The Author to Her Book :: Emily Bradstreet Author Her Book Poetry Essays

Emily Bradstreet's Poem "The Author to Her Book" The Author to Her Book, by Emily Bradstreet is a poem in which Bradstreet is laments about the publishing of her writings without her permission. The purpose of the piece is for Bradstreet to express the love, pride and remorse she feels toward her new book and is displayed elegantly through the metaphor of a mother and child. Lines eleven and twelve contribute to the poem’s purpose; they show that Bradstreet is unsatisfied with her work, and desires to fix it. Unfortunately, the book has already been published, and it is too late for her â€Å"child† to attain perfection in its mother’s eyes. The first part of line eleven illustrates the pride Bradstreet takes in her work. â€Å"Yet being mine own†¦Ã¢â‚¬  is Bradstreet’s way of taking ownership of her work, regardless of how misshapen it may seem. Through this line, Bradstreet is saying that because the book is hers, she is the only one with the right and ability to fix it. This is much like when a child gets hurt; only a mother’s kiss can make a â€Å"boo-boo† feel better. There may even be a hint of Bradstreet’s book being like the child whose face only a mother can love. While Bradstreet takes ownership of her book at the beginning of line eleven, by the end of that line, and the beginning of twelve, she is criticizing her work, saying that â€Å"at length affection would thy blemishes amend...† Through this, Bradstreet makes a connection to the beginning of the line, as only her love, care and attention can make the piece beautiful. If she gives enough attention to her â€Å"child† and corrects it enough, perhaps the book would not be such a shame to her. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so ugly. By the end of the twelfth line, Bradstreet has taken pride in her work, and has also criticized it. The last bit of line twelve is where the author shows her remorse. â€Å"If so I could† is the author’s way of lamenting her inability to rearrange the parts of her ill-formed offspring. Bradstreet is saying that her â€Å"child† has already been branded, and there is nothing more she can do to make it perfect.

The Scottsboro Trials Essay -- Racial Relations, Segregation

March 25, 1931, nine men hopped on to a freight train of no return (Uschan 10). Unjust, prejudice, and racist the Scottsboro Trials, were definitely not just another ordinary case. The Scottsboro Trials changed how America viewed segregation. The nine young men, who hopped onto that train that day, were innocent and harmless. The Scottsboro Trials revealed the unjust treatment that African Americans faced outside of the Harlem Renaissance and changed views on segregation. Boarding the train from Chattanooga to Memphis seems like an innocent thing to do (â€Å"UMKC† par. 2). For the Scottsboro boys, boarding that train was one of the worst things they could have done. Two dozen whites and black road the train that day, and within the first 2 hours a fist fight broke out between the two races. The blacks won the fight, and the white men were thrown off the train and ran to the station master and reported that they had been assaulted by a gang of blacks on the train. Alabama stopped the train and dozens of men showed up and surrounded the train with guns in their hands. They took the nine African Americans aboard the train and put them into the Scottsboro jail (UMKC par. 2-5). Two other people were on the train at that time too. Victoria Price and Ruby Bates were found on the train unexpectedly while the search men were looking for any more black citizens. The women identified themselves and then Ruby Bates told the search men â€Å"We’ve been raped. All those colored boys raped us.†(Uschan 14).This caused an uproar throughout America not because rape was a horrible crime, but because back then a white woman having sexual relations with a black man was considered one of the worst things a person could do. The act was considered so terr... ... thing of the past. Racism is a very harsh and dangerous thing to participate in. Being racist can cause a person’s life to be in danger and it can ruin their life too. Helping African Americans understand that these racist people are sick and will be punished is just one way we can help the fight against racism. And so, the Scottsboro Trials ended up being victorious. It changed how America felt about discrimination and segregation and opened up many opportunities for blacks. America has changed as a whole because of the Scottsboro Trials and racism is slowly fading away. Segregation has caused many hardships throughout history and finally, it ended partially because of the Scottsboro Trials. Soon, America will be a place where it is as if seclusion against African Americans never existed. African Americans are one of us and together we are America.

The Effect of Smoking

In today’s civilization, tobacco smoking has always been discouraged by communities and organizations due to its lethal effects on human health, but its impact on the environment has not been taken into account. Even though people are aware of all the side-effects, that are associated with smoking, they still tend to try it anyways. Not only is tobacco bad for the user, but it can be a danger to the planet itself. This results because of deforestation, a polluted ecosystem, and unfertile soil. Tobacco smoking is an addictive habit that is becoming increasingly common. As the number of people smoking tobacco grows, farmers figure out ways to make more of it. Unfortunately, they result to clearing land reserved for forests. Before the tobacco plant can be used to make cigarettes, it has to be dried or cured. The main approach farmers take to cure the crop is usually coal, natural gas or oil. Since tobacco farmers come from poor countries, they must use the most economically suitable option, firewood. In order to provide this wood, large amounts of trees are dislodged. Trees have much importance and use in our ecosystem that most people don’t understand. As stated by the Tree and Shrub Company, they play their role in the environment by providing oxygen, improving air quality, climate amelioration, conserving water, preserving soil, and supporting wildlife (â€Å"Importance and Value of Trees†). Even though deforestation helps in producing tobacco, its negative impacts overweigh the positive and as a result, it will lead to a damaged environment. Tobacco smoke’s indirect effect on the environment does not end there. Another major issue that smoking tobacco brings is that it pollutes the water. This can be brought back to the farms in which the tobacco seeds are planted. These plants are vulnerable to thousands of insects that may bring sickness to the plant, causing death. Consequently, plants are sprayed regularly and heavily with pesticide to prevent pests and disease. This in turn brings rise to other problems such as a danger to the health of the farmer and these chemicals have a risk of leaking into the community water. This will cause the water to become contaminated, and affect not only the community but most species in that environment. As pesticides move from our lawn to nearby rivers and streams, they bring harmful chemicals along the way. This not only pollutes the water, but it also risks the lives of the animals in that environment. Not only will these pesticides risk animal lives, but it will also decrease water quality by huge amounts making the community at risk from getting sick from the water. Another major issue people don’t consider while smoking tobacco is it’s impact on the soil. Ground pollution is one of the main concerns for the environment. Tobacco plants demand high concentrations of fertilizer for optimal growth. Since these plants are grown in poor countries, farmers cannot afford fertilizers. Consequently, the plants absorb nutrients from the soil until infertility occurs. This may seem simple, but the effect on the environment is huge. Due to lack of nutrients in the soil, plants that depended on it will usually be denied the nutrients they so badly need. As a result, most plants will become either very weak or they will die. This not only decreases wildlife species, but it endangers other animals as well. This is because animals that depend on those plants will most likely lose their source of food, leading to the extinction of those species.