DSS (Information-Technology) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

DSS (Information-Technology) - Essay Example DSS is usually designed as an interactive tool which receives input from the user end to compile, assist and guide in the decision making process. The reliability and accuracy of the DSS have been proved in various occasions (Shortliffe, 1987). This present research work deals with various applications of DSS in medical informatics. There is a growing interest in adopting decision support systems in health care. The application of information technology can improve the process quality by automation and minimizing errors drastically. It can rectify the problems associated with the existing technologies. A study was conducted to evaluate the impact of CDSS on the prescription costs (S.Troy McMullin et al 2004). The CDSS provides clinicians with adequate recommendations for the prescription process. The promotional activities of pharmaceutical companies influence the physicians in the drug prescription. They culminate in prescription of inappropriate drugs with high cost. These kinds of consequences can be overcome by the utilization of the automated systems since they provide guidelines based on preset facts and literature providing a cost effective solution. The CDSS WELLINX is one such example for this. The developed system guides the clinicians to choose a specific diagnosis and displays prescription relating to the condition. It works effectively in the decision making process cost effectively. DSS have been widely used and has also shown significant results in the patient outcomes. Studies carried out by shows CDSS improves quality of healthcare by providing accurate and timely diagnostic information. Once a system is derived taking into consideration all the requirements including the knowledge base it will prove good in the decision making process. Minimizing errors It was reported in a survey the prescribers had an error rate of 1.5%, a quarter of which may lead to serious effects (Dean B, 2002). Computerized systems for medicine or decision support system evolved as a result of repeated encountered errors; the UK and US government reformed the medical policy by depending on the information technological support and applications to minimize these errors. DSS improving decision quality In a study conducted (Vitali Sintchenko et al, 2004) on the impact of computerized decision support systems (CBSS) on antibiotic prescribing decisions, it was found CBSS improved the decision quality significantly. They graded the clinical impact score based on adoption rate and decision effectiveness and it was revealed from their work that DSS along with the microbiology report showed a high clinical impact score than the electronic guideline and electronic medical reports. Treatment guidelines Madhukar H. Trived et al, 2004 in his work describes the outlines the present use of computerized systems for implementing treatment guidelines and early use of a computerized decision support system for treating depression. It was found that the physicians'

Strategy and Planning Essay Essay Example for Free

Strategy and Planning Essay Essay The maximum exploitation of our resources is the key to advantage over the competitors. Marketing is one of the main areas in which a well versed strategic plan can make the organisation to attract customers here the way in which we describe the organizations motives, goals and the dedication to the customers reflect in our adverts. So, cleverly placing the right factors in the right place is a challenge in the strategic planning decision making. In this ever changing business environment the only way of survival of an organisation depends upon the decisions it makes. Thus strategic planning is the key factor to success. In this research we will briefly discuss about the tools of strategy and the outcomes of implementing these tools in an organisation. We will discuss about SWOT analysis, PESTEL analysis and Potters Five Force. 3 (b). SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is one of the tools in strategic planning and decision making. This tool helps us to judge the organizations position in the business environment. SWOT stands for Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats. Strength The organizations factors which are most influential with respect to customers, market share, and brand value and so on. The strength of an organisation maybe its good will, an excellent customer relationship management and many other sensitive factors which lies on the organizations side. Weakness The things which are an advantage of the competitor and a disadvantage to our organisation. The weakness factor may depend upon our organizations own business policies and or work ethics which binds us to a corner, the competitors takes advantage of this issue and exploit the opportunity but fine tuning our strategy and decision making will bring in a drastic change. Opportunities The chance in which all the things fall in line for our organisation to exploit and to make a profit of it is the definition for opportunities. Opportunities can occur due to a change in trend of customers, brand switching an so on. It is wise for an organisation to make use of such opportunities. Threats The main and most important factor is the threats from rivals and competitors. If an organisation fails to with stand the threats from the competitors then it will surely end up in bankruptcy, the competition may come up with innovative ways of marketing and attracting customers so it is our bounded duty to over come the competitors by creating innovative ways of marketing through strategic planning. Example for SWOT analysis Soft drink giant: Coca-Cola Strengths One of the most successful organisations of all time. The brand value of Coca-Cola is worth more than $68 million in 2009. the company manages its products over 200 countries with over 700 products which is a gigantic goal to achieve but maintaining it as the leader of its kind is still another battle. People tend to be faithful to the Coca-Cola brand because of its one main product the cola drink. So a wide variety of different products from the company with the same brand name tends to market the products for itself. (www. interbrand. com) Weaknesses The Coca-ColaCompany products are beverages so the main weakness for them is that they have this lobby of beverage segment and this is might be their weakness because in the long run they might hit the ground if any other company produces a better beverage. And nowadays people tend to make choices more often than in the past so it is a vulnerable area to be looked upon! Opportunities People are concerned about their health now more than ever so the introduction of Coke Zero a new product from the Coca-ColaCompany is catching up a considerable amount of market share because of its new distinct taste without added sugar in some countries but basically its a new drink with zero calories, the company claims!. The company is exploiting the current trend of health criteria. Threats The main competitor of Coca-ColaCompany is the PepsiCo Inc, the Pepsi Cola Company introduces new products in response to the Coca-ColaCompany. The Coca-ColaCompany is trying very hard to cope up with the situation. During 998 the PepsiCo Inc managed to out smart the company. So without the proper strategic planning PepsiCo will soon go beyond the Cokes victory 3(c). The PESTLE Analysis The most important tool of strategic planning is the PESTEL analysis. The PESTEL analysis is a tool which helps us to judge our position in the market with respect to the macro environment. PESTLE stands for P Political Forces, E Economical Forces, S -Social Forces, T -Technological Forces, L Legislative Forces and E Environmental Forces. These forces influence the overall performance, market value, finance and customer relationship of the company. We will briefly discuss about the PESTEL forces one by one by implementing into an organisation. Example : Integrated Electronics (INTEL) Semiconductors. The Intel Semiconductors are the producers of the famous Intel microchips which literally runs the computer industry but with some rivals such as AMD Inc (Advanced Micro devices). Here we will apply the PESTEL analysis to know the factors that are influencing the Intel semiconductors. Political : The implementation of new taxes and the internationalism of the products tends to make the company to adhere to strict rules in each country which the company is ventured on. So Intel is focusing upon its new products onto buyers and not on further research and development because of the political pressure around the organisation. Economic: The semiconductor industry is in rise. So, the financial status of the company is rising due to a smaller amount of competitors there is lower amount of threats so the economic factor of the company is in concrete position as of now. Social: The company is present in an ever changing dynamic business environment so it has to be sensitive to changes that occur in the environment and then adapt to the changes that takes place. Technological: The semiconductor industry is ever growing in rapidly increasing speed. So, the technological advancements of the industry must be up to date due to high growth ratio of processors which are used in computers across the globe. The research and development team comes up with new innovative ideas to integrate the previous processing unit into the new one with advanced technology so the computation power increases more than double the time the predecessor microchip used to compute. Legislative: The legal factors are important factors of the company because every country that the company venture into must strictly adhere to that particular countrys rules and regulations. Environment: Being a semiconductor company the company must look after environmental issues which affect the world so the semiconductor devices must be environmentally friendly and recycling of the devices plays a vital role in the environmental factor. The company has a good background of making environmentally friendly chips and recycling units so the environmental issue is under control. (http://ivythesis. typepad. com) 3(d). Porters Five Forces: The porters five forces is a business strategy tool which is used to analyse the position of a company and assessing its strength with respect to the competitors in this case new entrants and their impact in this ever changing environment. The porters five forces are: Existing rivalry among firms Threat of new entrants determinants of supplier power Determinants of buyer power Threat of substitute products Example: AIRBUS The porters five applied to the Airbus aviation company who have been the most influential carriers of all time apart from Boeing. These two major aircraft companies were literally in a fight for gaining the considerable mount of market share. Since the introduction of Airbus A380 the Boeing Company has lost lot of customers. The new entrant in our case the A380 is so much advanced than the legendary Boeing 747 which literally ruled the skies. The Boeing 747 was a fuel efficient and economically well versed passenger and good carrier aircraft but the major flaw in t he Boeing decision making is that it was not concentrating on the future of the aircraft but it produced a wide variant of Boeing 700 series but the cleverly devised strategic plan of Airbus was a nightmare to the Boeing corporation. The A380 has an excellent performance with regardless of its massive size the jumbo jet can people double the time the Boeing 747 used to carry. Since the aviation industry has only fewer concentrations of rivals the market share is huge compared to other industries. So with the new A380, Airbus has a considerable amount of stake in the airline industry. But Boeings answer to A380 is the new 787 dreamliner. Which is more fuel efficient but in the case of size the A380 outsmarts the Boeing. Importance of Change: The change management in an organisation is the most important factor which influences the future of an organisation. It describes an strategic approach in modifying or altering an organizations internal factors such as teams, individuals etc. there are different ways to achieve the change in an organisation by collaborative which is done by providing workshops and seminars explaining about the change to the people working in the organization. Consultative the people are informed about the change and the feedback of the change is taken into consideration. Directive the members of the staff are informed about the details of the change and the sensitivity of the change. Coercive the members are forced to follow the change. Example of Change: The acquisition of Iberia by British Airways The British Airways acquired the Iberia for $7 billion and it made the third largest airline in the world. The member of the staff was quickly adapted to the change in different management team. The Iberia staff members were given a change management session on order to cope up with the new acquisition. The acquisition made the stock holders value to increase and they were given a 55 percent of the new airlines share. 4. Conclusion: We have so far discussed about some of the Strategic planning tools and the ways in which they can be exploited. And in conclusion we can say that the way in which we approach the organisation with the necessary tools and strategic planning will make a gigantic impact on the organisation in the present and in the future. In this ever changing business environment the challenge for each organisation is to identify the needs of the customers and to create an appropriate strategic plan to approach the problem which will provide the optimum results which can benefit the customers as well as the organisation. . References SWOT Analysis, [online], Available http://www. marketingteacher. com/Lessons/lesson_swot. htm PESTLE Analysis, [online], Available http://rapidbi. com/pestle/Introduction-to-the-PESTLE-analysis-tool. html Coca-Cola Case Study, [Online], Available http://www. interbrand. com/best_global_brands. aspx http://finance. mapsofworld. com/brand/value/coca-cola. html Intel case S tudy, [Online], Available http://ivythesis. typepad. com/term_paper_topics/2009/09/intel-case-study. html Read more: http://www. americanessays. com/study-aids/free-essays/management/strategy-and-planning. php#ixzz2OPwRLxoO

Sub-Saharan Civilizations Essay -- History, African Civilizations

The textbook has defined a civilization as a â€Å"sophistication of a peoples intellectual, cultural, and artistic traditions† (149). It continues to describe characteristics such as writing, the development of cities, as well as a state bureaucracy as a means of recognizing civilizations (149). These, while a general guide, do not and should not solely determine whether or not a society is a civilization as there are many other factors to take into account. Africa, for example, differed from Europe and Asia tremendously in organization, among many other ways (149). While many African societies did not consist of all these characteristics, many were literate and developed urban populations (149). The lack of state bureaucracy within an African society, or an absence of another characteristic alone, should not solely determine whether or not a society is a civilization (149). One must take other factors into consideration because the civilizations of one region, do not mimic that of others. The geographic location and make up of the African continent hindered Sub Saharan contact with the...

Internet Security Enforced Essay

The advent of computers and their related technologies has greatly impacted on everyday personal, academic, and professional lives. The internet has become one of the leading sources of information as many people prefer to access and analyze the information they need from the World Wide Web. The internet has so much information which is very accessible to anyone who has a connected computer, and this includes small children. Teachers, students, and educational institutions have increasingly relied on the internet for learning both inside and outside the context of the classroom. How these technologies are implemented however determines if their application is good (ethical) or not good (unethical). In this essay, the author seeks to explain how technology might be in use to cause good benefits to the society and bad benefits. One major benefit of technology is that it has created efficiency in everyday life. Computers can process large amounts of data with minute precision, and this application is in use by business organizations all over the world (Cohen, 1995). However, the information in the World Wide Web is accessible to many people, and if sufficient security measures are not put in place, this benefit could end up being abused. There is thus a need for software developers, organizations, schools and governments to work together in ensuring that technological systems that protect the integrity, confidentiality and privacy of information posted on the internet is ensured. Many unscrupulous individuals like hackers, cybercriminals and cyber-terrorists are always lurking to seize personal information from the internet with the purpose of orchestrating several types of crime. With the amount of money being paid in the black market for private information, hackers are always on the prowl waiting for an opportunity to cause havoc on academic institutional, governmental and corporate websites (Guangrong, 1998). The information they obtain ends up being used to commit crimes like online fraud, identity theft and espionage. With this unethical usage being a very probable occurrence, very robust security software applications like anti-spyware and anti-viruses must be made so that the integrity of information stored in the internet can be protected. As I stated earlier, as long as the computers available in schools and libraries are connected to the internet, there is no limit to the diversity of information school children can gain access to. Any implementation of technology must be made with the objective of serving the community it targets with benefits. The objective of information technology services in schools is not that school children can access adult material or any other information that can be of bad influence. This is where technology steps in. ffective technologies of combating unethical sites (that is the ones with pornographic material, hate campaigns as well as a variety of other unsuitable content) should be implemented in schools and at homes to protect the innocence of children (Guangrong, 1998) The more the internet technology penetrates, the more teachers and students are finding it a useful tool for teaching and learning (Fung, 1998). The internet sounds and looks pretty simple to anyone who does not reall y understand the technicalities behind it. The use of persuasive technology on the internet is one example of technologies that could lure both teachers and students in orchestrating the practice of unethical activities. Persuasive technology as used in the internet poses a very serious challenge to educational instructors who choose to deliver their services through the internet. There is a very high risk of persuasive technologies being used to intentionally or unintentionally make children submit sensitive information about themselves or their families without knowing the risks they are exposing themselves and their families to. By definition, persuasive technologies are those interactive technologies which are intended to change an individual’s behaviors or attitudes towards specific issues including social, sexual and political beliefs and practices (Ellison, Steinfied, & Lampe, 2007). They can also be used to promote healthy eating habits and awareness on environmental conservation. These are examples of technologies which can be used to promote good use of technology and also bad use as explained below. Intelligence systems designed to monitor the activities of employees as they log in and out of the systems in the workplace constitute a healthy of ethical use of technology since it ensures they effectively use the resources at their disposal for the benefit of their employer and themselves (Cohen, 1995). With social networking sites and chat rooms increasing by the day, employees are developing the tendency to waste a lot of man hours on these sites. Their productivity therefore goes down and the effect is finally transmitted to the economy. Additionally, employees can use office systems to do illegal things like spy on their employers or other entities. If persuasive technologies are put in place to monitor their activities, then there will be less breakage of law and ethics. The same persuasive technologies can be put in place to monitor the movement of employees in service provision stores like supermarkets, restaurants and bars. This could end up ensuring that they stick to etiquette like washing their hands after visiting the washrooms or after getting into contact with other unhygienic practices, but it is unethical since it undermines their dignity and creates distrust. The same applies to companies who require visitors to their websites to submit their personal information before utilizing certain services before using a certain utility, for example downloading a software package or accessing a certain article. Legally, technology can be used to ensure adherence to laws especially those formulated to control the process of conducting or dissipating information on the web. If monitoring software can be installed at internet gateways to track any illegal undertakings being conducted in the web, the culprits can be tracked down and stopped to promote the safety of other internet users. However, this in itself has ethical implications in that every bit of content will have to be checked, and the privacy of information will be compromised albeit by a law enforcing agency. The motive of monitoring agencies may be good, but it may be used to conduct morally unacceptable activities by all or interested parties. Finally, there has been widespread condemnation of censorship, particularly in the case of Google Corporation and the government of the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese government stipulates strict censorship of the media including the internet. Not every type of information can be accessed, and this is achieved by the use of inhibitors to the various protocols used to search for and access information. This directly violates the people’s right to information and is therefore not only unethical but also illegal. From these examples, it is evident that the internet and other tools provided for by technology can be used to constitute good and bad use.

I Hope You Dance

I hope you dance â€Å"And when you get the chance to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance. † (Sillers,2010, ll. 8. &9. ) If you had the chance to sit it out or dance, would you dance? This amazingly, inspirational song was written by Tia Sillers when she was at her breaking point, sitting on the beach just after going through a heart wrenching divorce. It really is peculiar that such an inspirational and beautiful song such as â€Å"I hope you dance† was written at such a devastating time.As she sat beside the ocean, pondering on all that she been through, she realized, things aren’t so bad. She interprets this in her lyrics by saying â€Å"I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean. † (Sillers,2010, l. 5) â€Å"I hope you dance† is unmistakabley pulled from deep within Siller’s soul. Anyone who hears this song, and truly takes these lyrics to heart could undoubtedly pull themselves out of whatever strife they may be go ing through at any given time. With Mrs.Siller’s inspirational words, she truly has created the most breath taking song of our time. I have a very deep understanding of this song because â€Å"I hope you dance† has helped me through some extremely difficult times. I was homeless at the age of sixteen and ready to give up on the world when I first heard this song playing over the radio. With the help of Sillers words I was able to find the inspiration inside myself and keep going to school even if it meant sacrificing a day of pay from missing work.I knew that although things would be extremely difficult to attempt to be able to work enough hours to get my own place and attend high school on a regular basis, but with the help of her words I found the motivation within myself to give it my all. After three months I had saved enough money for the deposit and first month’s rent and my grades we’re decent enough for me to graduate on time with the rest of my p eer’s. Now that I am more stable things have become less difficult, but whenever I am having a hard time, I simply go to you tube and listen to Siller’s song. I hope you dance† has undoubtedly shed light on an endless number of suffering souls.â€Å"Don’t let some Hellbent heart leave you bitter, when you come close to selling out reconsider. † (Sillers, 2010, ll. 15. 16. )Those lyrics convey the struggle life can throw at a person, but they are also telling them to never give up. Tia was trying to reach into the hearts of all the suffering souls out there, and try to get them to look at the bigger picture. â€Å"May you never take one single breath for granted. (Sillers, 2010, l. 3) Tia was trying to get the point across that life is a gift, and to simply sit it out and let it pass you by could be a tremendous mistake that no one can ever take back. She also indicates this in like thirteen: â€Å"Livin might mean takin chances, but they’re worth takin. † (Sillers, 2010, l. 13. ) Throughout life there are many obstacles to overcome, and not every road you take will be a smooth one, but the bumpiest road, will often lead you to the greenest field.Siller’s showed an understanding for this by writing â€Å"I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance. Never settle for the path of least resistance. † (Sillers, 2010, ll. 11. 12. ) Every successful person has had to struggle in life, but with struggle, comes satisfaction. If every person was able to listen to this song, but not just listen, understand this song, I feel as though statistics such as the high school drop-out rate, or the college drop-out rate would decrease.Giving up would simply not be an option. Sometimes we all need a little inspiration, something to get us motivated and focused on the bigger picture. Life is about making mistakes, Siller’s portrays this perfectly by saying â€Å"Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens. † (Sillers, 2010, l. 6. ) Although doors may close, and devastation may take a toll on a person’s life, one needs to be able to pick themselves back up, and open another door, but not just for the sake of moving, but for their own satisfaction.If â€Å"I hope you dance† was listened by everyone at least once a day, people would be able to find it in themselves to pick themselves up and keep moving forward, for with every step one takes forward is another step closer to their ultimate goal of success. No one would drown themselves in their own self-pity, for they could find the inspiration in themselves through the understanding of the lyrics of â€Å"I hope you dance. †References Kawashima, D (2010) â€Å"I hope you dance† Retrieved August 28, 2012 from Song Writer Universe: http://www. songwriteruniverse. com/sillers. htm

History of Personality Measurement

History of Personality Measurement Free Online Research Papers Psychometrics is primarily concerned with the study of differences between individuals and between groups of individuals. It involves two major research tasks, namely: (i) the construction of instruments and procedures for measurement; and (ii) the development and refinement of theoretical approaches to measurement. Personality has been defined as the â€Å"dynamic organisation within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his characteristic behaviour and thought† and throughout history has been a subject of intensive investigation and interest. Personality theory can trace its roots back to the days of the Greek physician Hippocrates (450 BC) rates who transferred thought away from the spiritual side of human behaviour and theorized that every body has four fluids or humors (blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile) that fundamentally affected behaviour or personality. Galen (190 AD) added to this theory, believing that predominance of any one humor as outlined by Hippocrates would cause specific temperaments. He also believed that a healthy body was the direct result of a balance in the ratio of these four body temperaments. While this school of thought proceeded to influence both psychology and medicine for centuries, it was Wilhelm Wundt (1879) who first made the clear distinction between human body and personality. Wundt stated that the four temperaments represented the four dimensions of the human personality, paving the way for the development of the numerous personality assessment methods that were to follow. These included: Name Approach Types Adicke, 1879 four different view points to look at the world innovative traditional doctrinaire sceptical Eduard Spranger, 1905 four attitudes towards ethical values artistic religious theoretic economic Hugo Munsterberg, 1913 Devised survey for executives of different organizations, researching qualities they wanted to see in their employees. These were listed as the first personality test to help employers make the best hiring decisions Henry C. Link, 1919 Defines ideal personality testing machine – data received and sorts candidates for suitable jobs Ernst Kretchmer, 1920 Theory of four character styles hypomanic, depressive hyperesthetic anaesthetic Erich Fromm Four human orientations exploitative hoarding receptive marketing Carl Jung, 1922 Four personality types based on human preferences Myers Briggs /Katherine Briggs, 1958 Application of Jung’s theory, based on four questions a. Preferred source of your energy? (Internal or external) b. Preferred source of perception? (Senses or Intuition) c. Preferred decision making system? (On logics or feelings) d. Preferred life style? (ordered or adaptable) Since the development of these initial personality theories much work has been undertaken by psychometricians to develop characteristic selection approaches that are used to explore the correlation between responses to questions about typical behaviours and statements concerning the trait or characteristic being examined. The methodology used to extract this information from the individual has inevitably led to the increase in popularity of the personality trait or psychometric questionnaire which is now in widespread use across various industries to support ongoing training and development as well as the initial recruitment and selection of staff. PERSONALITY TRAIT QUESTIONNAIRES The construction of personality trait questionnaires begins initially with the understanding that there are a pre-defined set of personality traits that can be measured and scored on a recognised scale. While Eysenck’s research identified three major underlying personality factors, the more recent studies agree that that Costa McCrae’s â€Å"big five framework† are appropriate for describing the majority of human personality. By subdividing the big 5 into intermediary variables composed of differing personality traits it is possible to see how individual traits will produce commonality in responses to differing situations. FIGURE 1: THE BIG FIVE FRAMEWORK Extroversion: the extent to which a person is outgoing Neuroticism: the extent to which a person is emotionally unstable Openness to experience: the extent to which a person is imaginative flexible Conscientiousness: the extent to which a person is well-organised Agreeableness: the extent to which a person is good-natured This trait theory measurement attempts to avoid all subjective measurement of personality and move towards and objective measurement based on a generalised response or behaviour to a certain situation, known as a nomothetic approach. This may involve single-trait or multiple trait scales within an individual questionnaire. Factor analysis is then used to determine the minimum number of factors that account for variance and could contribute to a higher level factor within the individual questionnaire. Cattell’s personality type model developed in 1957 seeks to identify the relatively few dimensions that account for all differences in personality, reducing the trait list of over 4500 labels developed by Allport into 35 trait –name-clusters and eventually into 16 high order factors. These 16 source traits are deemed to be the origin or result in the interaction of all traits and habitual responses. Critics of Cattell state that the inter-correlation between the model’s dimensions would suggest that there are fewer than the minimum dimensions that Cattell stated. ISSUES WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF QUESTIONNAIRES The reliability (extent to which measurement procedure is free from unsystematic error) of any questionnaire will be based upon the process by which it was constructed and depends heavily upon the accurate selection of appropriate traits and factors. In addition, the validity (the extent to which the measurement tool actually assesses what it was designed to measure) of any personality profiling questionnaire will be highly dependent upon the accuracy of research and the quality of the administration of the assessment. There is also the business of defining what a trait or competency is Further to this, there is criticism, captured by David McClellan that â€Å"the trouble with psychometric tests is that they tell you what a person can do if asked to do it but they dont tell you what he does do† This lack of practical application, coupled with the hugely negative impacts of a poorly designed or administered test have led to a number of critics voicing opinion around some of he major company, career and business decisions founded on the basis of a single assessment. PERSONALITY TRAIT QUESTIONNAIRES RECRUITMENT The psychological personality trait profile provides an overview of the preferred behaviour that comes almost unconsciously to most people. This is the behaviour that they are comfortable with and can sustain without consciously or actively applying it and it is key to understand this behaviour, especially when considering an individual for a senior position within an organisation. Behavioural flexibility and its measurement is equally important as the ability to be able to adapt to situations that the individual may not naturally be comfortable in may will be a frequent occurrence in a commercial environment. The recruitment process in every organisation is a costly process – to fill a typical  £30,000 position can take up to 16 weeks and cost in the region of  £5000 , in addition, once in position ability to perform with a certain role can dramatically impact the profitability of an organisation. Personality profiling improves the efficiency of the recruitment process identifying the most suitable candidates early on in the recruitment process thereby reducing the time and money spent on unsuitable candidates. In addition, by having further, objective information about a candidate, the employer is able to make a more complete and informed decision regarding selection, benchmarking candidates consistently and objectively with a deeper knowledge of the individual’s general propensity to act in a particular way in a given situation. Personality profiling and the use of trait-based questionnaires can provide valuable insight into the most likely behavioural responses of an individual to external stimuli and a range of situations, determining the most appropriate candidate for a particular position in a recruitment situation. CONCLUSION In summary, while profiling will never provide the definitive answer to how an individual will react in a given situation it can provide a prediction based on â€Å"signs or indicators of likely behaviour† . By utilising this information effectively it is possible to identify a more likely ‘fit’ between individual and role, thereby reducing the likelihood of staff turnover and incongruence between candidate and role. When used in conjunction with other selection and recruitment methods (interviews, aptitude tests, group situational analysis), personality profiling can provide a useful and effective complement to support the costly and time consuming process of personnel selection within an organisation. Therefore, with the assurance design and administration is both professional and effective, personality trait questionnaires can add significant value and provide additional insight to assist businesses in developing and retaining their most important and influent ial asset – their people. Research Papers on History of Personality MeasurementThree Concepts of PsychodynamicResearch Process Part OneEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductOpen Architechture a white paper

Brahman Is The Highest And Most Supreme Religion Essay Essay Example

Brahman Is The Highest And Most Supreme Religion Essay Essay Example Brahman Is The Highest And Most Supreme Religion Essay Paper Brahman Is The Highest And Most Supreme Religion Essay Paper Brahman is the highest and most supreme of all Hindu Gods. It is the transcendent, immanent, infinite, unchanging, ageless world. The Divine Ground that sums up all the being, infinite, clip energy, affair and all within and beyond this existence. Braham s nature is described as impersonal, personal and transpersonal. Brahman, conceived from the Hindu verb brh, means eternity and illustriousness. Brahman was born from Brahma who is the Godhead, the beginning and the seed of all that is in this universe. Brahman, due to his maps as the Godhead of all, is non allowed to hold a batch of fans and is therefore unpopular among the Hindu pantheon since his wok demands attending, concentration and invagination. As there is no more creative activity, he lost his importance to other Gods ; Vishnu and Siva, of the Hindu three. He is said to be father of Manu, from whom all Hindus descended from. Brahman is the cosmopolitan substrate or the absolute world and should non be confused with Brahma, God and the Godhead. They say that Brahman can non be known through stuff agencies, and we can non be made to be witting of it as he is our really ain being and consciousness. Atman on the other manus refers to the true ego of a individual. Philosophically it is the psyche either separately or globally. It could besides b defined as the beginning o all the single psyches. It is the identical, unchanging and ageless kernel. Harmonizing to Hinduism, any mortal being has an immortal facet and this is ever hidden within every created object and this includes adult male. Atman provides experience of the pleasances and hurting of earthly life therefore giving us ground to populate and imparts Godhead possibilities and qualities. Atman being the soundless spouse and inhabitant within us and all our experiences and workss, can merely be felt when no other centripetal activities impact the head. This is attained through yoga. In Buddhism nevertheless, the cause of wretchedness is ignorance which is a premier effect of the belief that there exists an atman that is unchanging. Our psyche or atman is identifiable readily with Brahman s greater psyche. Buddhism In Buddhism, Anatta is the altruistic thought of non-self. It means that everything perceived is non in the I or mine sense and therefore one should non cleaving on to. It encourages people o develop a sense of willingness to allow travel at any clip as these sensed objects become unneeded to one s ego. The rebirth philosophy should be good differentiated from the reincarnation theory which refers to the psyche transmigration and its material metempsychosis invariable. Buddhism does non acknowledge the being of an ageless or unchanging psyche that emanates from godly kernel. It is in crisp contrast to Hinduism s ego consciousness political orientation of atman. Harmonizing to Buddhism there is nil that is fixed or permanent in our being. Everything is capable to devastation and decay. No adult male should place himself with any signifier or name but instead be cognizant of the uninterrupted alteration procedure of going. In Nipponese Buddhism, Satori means enlightenment. It is a rush O sudden single enlightenment and/or consciousness. It is coined from the Zen Buddhist civilization and considered as the boarding or earlier measure towards nirvana. Satori can and is frequently juxtaposed to the term kensho intending viewing one s nature and character . Satori nevertheless, is a deeper religious province than kensho. Bing an intuitive experience, It has been described as a state of affairs like waking up one twenty-four hours to happen yourself with an excess brace of weaponries to subsequently larn how to utilize them. Satori is normally attained from personal experiences by the traditional usage of koans like the aggregation found in the Gateless Gate. They are theoretical mystifiers pupils use in aid of Satori realisation. It does non happen to persons but instead all construct realisation persons included therein. The Zen Buddhist pupil demand to fix their heads foremost with strict survey with ko ans and so speculation which clears their heads from all fond regards to the physical being. In many Nipponese folk tales, Satori was referred to as a mountain brooding animal with the rare ability to read the human head and ideas. Thus the lone manner to get the better of a Satori was to empty one s head wholly. This manner it will run in fright, leave due to boredom or decease. Confucianism Confucianism put much accent on filial piousness. I is on of the most of import virtuousnesss and should be held extremely. It is defined as the regard for one s parents and ascendants. The Classic of Xiao, a Confucian book written during the 400 B.C. period in a conversation between Zeng Shen, a pupil and Confucius. Filial piousness, in Chinese civilization, is the fist and foremost virtuousness. These spiritual traditions were until recent old ages, been enforced by jurisprudence at times. It is a signifier of hereditary worship and its turning away was punishable by jurisprudence. This virtuousness should be shown to both the dead and the life alike and is a regard that has over the old ages bee extended to cover other five signifiers ; friend to friend, elder brother to younger brother, hubby to married woman, male parent to boy and swayer to govern. The regard for seniors was held in high fear in all these signifiers of relationships and the life stood as boies of the dead. This filial piousness thought adversely influenced the legal system in China. The book of filial piousness written in the 3rd century is the major beginning of filial piousness importance and it was attributed to Confucius every bit good as hello boy. Li is a Chinese word that is extensively used in Confucianism. It intending is instead obscure but in most instances it is attached to the word rite. I is merely an abstract thought and non and object of unequivocal nature. It has besides been described and translated s the ethical motives, etiquette or imposts. It is by and large a aggregation of regulations of proper and good behaviour. It broadly trades with the wholly whole spectrum of the contacts and interaction with nature, material objects and other human existences. Confucius, in his treatments, encompasses diverse subjects like administration, mourning, rubrics, imbibing tea, and acquisition among other things. Li entails the norms of proper behaviour socially taught to us by authorities functionaries, small town seniors or parents. The instructions encourage trueness, God religion, righteousness, brotherliness and filial entry. The Li influence has guided public outlooks and has enhanced the trueness to the community highe r-ups and seniors. Religious urge. Religion has ever been there possibly even longer than human existences. There was an apprehension of a supernatural force showed by Neanderthals 1000000s of old ages ago. The most common and eldritch yarn among the assorted faiths in the universe is the impulse to idolize a supernatural being or merely by and large something at that affair. Therefore, spiritual urge can be defined universally as the impulse to set religion in a signifier that is ever beyond our perceptual experience and apprehension. Even in our epoch, a clip of technological and scientific promotions, a batch of people believe in the unknown. Religion therefore is the belief in supernatural powers that control our destiny that is entitled to our obeisance, regard and worship. In every great faith, three facets are paramount ; charity, religion and hope. These are the moralss, ritual and divinity severally. It should imply preservation of values and be a system that involves a universe position, a doctrine and a cod ification of moralss. Different faiths have different features nevertheless most characteristics are similar in different faiths and these are ; specific regulations of behavior, sense of community and household, moralss system, establishments that are good organized, supernatural belief and life after decease, psyche being and sacred Bibles and Hagiographas. The factors and root causes that may take people towards spiritual urges are the fright of decease and whatever is lying in delay beyond that. Besides worlds are a funny clump and the enigma of their being pushes them towards a religious angle. Since we are incapable of replying most of life s inquiries, like the intent of our lives and the immaterial or the religious portion of us, it creates a belief towards faith as the best signifier of account. Finally one merely experience the demand of a religious scruples to the philistinism of modern life. The nature of the Godhead varies in different spiritual scenes. Hindus for illustration, frequently thi nk of themselves as monotheists idolizing assorted godly facets and no assorted deities. However, foreigners ever see Hinduism as similar to religions inclined to traditional polytheistic. Ideal Religion Among the above faiths, Confucianism is the most appealing while I find Hinduism the least appealing. Hinduism consists of so many beliefs with a batch of intertwined Gods and goddesses. The caste system of categories is besides unrealistic as all human bins should be equal and receive equal chances. For a really long clip his has bee the factor that has served most disservice to he Hindu faith. The thought of acknowledging inequalities based on the line of descent, household and birth and saying it as the will of God is dismaying. Though Confucianism has shortcomings every bit good, its moralss and ethical motives have positive influence on the society as a whole. The instructions of Li and filial piousness are greatly of import particularly to kids turning up. It is common sense to esteem and obey one s seniors and seting that into jurisprudence is a great manner of guaranting a society with good and polite ethical motives. It involved action internalisation leting one to be unfastened to the esthesiss panoply of the experience. It maintains a healthy altruism patterns to oneself and as an illustration set to others. Personal attacks every bit good as the attacks of the at big demonstrates how these values are utilized in everything, the good and the bad, the elaborate and the wide, the formlessness and the signifier. The rites and patterns in Confucianism are dynamic. These patterns have been modified and revised in conformity to emerging social beliefs. Though the patterns are bound to alter, the cardinal p olitical orientation remains the nucleus of the spiritual beliefs.

Summer Jobs Might be Harder to Find This Summer

Summer Jobs Might be Harder to Find This Summer From lifeguarding at the local pool to mowing lawns, most adults have fond memories of the summer jobs of their youth. But is this generations-old tradition going the way of the dinosaur? A recent report from JPMorgan Chase (JPM) indicates that it may be. Let’s take a closer look at this phenomenon, along with what it means for this year’s crop of employment-seeking teens and young adults. The 411 on Youth EmploymentJPM’s January 2015 report, â€Å"Building Skills Through Summer Jobs: Lessons From the Field,† reveals some unhappy statistics: less than half (46 percent) of young people who sought out summer employment in 2014 ended up landing jobs. This decline was consistent across nearly all industries.But it’s not just lack of jobs that’s the problem. It’s also a decline in youth employment in general. Over the past 12 years, there has been a near 40 percent drop in summer youth employment, with just over a quarter of young adults ho lding paid summer jobs in recent years.The outlook grows even more grim based on findings that economically disadvantaged youth, in particular, are even more impacted by the employment shortage.It’s no surprise that these less-than-optimistic figures led JPM’s Head of Workforce Initiatives Chauncy Lennon to conclude, â€Å"Young people are facing an employment crisis.†More Than a Loss Of JobsWhile the loss of jobs in itself is concerning, another factor is equally unsettling: the loss of skills which would otherwise be acquired on the job. After all, the expression goes that the â€Å"best way to get a job is to have a job.† And with the American workforce already facing a shortage of qualified workers, this decline in opportunities will only further slow the pipeline of trained employees into the workforce.Unfortunately, the situation is something of a vicious cycle. While some of the job cuts may pertain to the replacement of workers by technology and t he hiring of older works, a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, â€Å"Uncertain Futures: Youth Attachment to the Labor Market in the United States and New England,† yields another reason: a shift toward job openings which require more experience and skill than the typical high schooler brings to the table. But how can they be expected to develop these experiences and skills without a job market willing to take a chance on them?Searching for SolutionsWhile in the past the government has funded skills training programs, growth of these initiatives has stagnated in recent years. According to JPM, the solution is for employers to begin designing summer jobs focused on helping American teens and young adults gain the skills they need to succeed. To that end, JPM is in the process of investing $5 million over the next two years in summer youth programs within several American cities to support the growth of youth talent.But in the meantime what should teens do who are l ooking for work? Lennon recommends the importance of networking - from friends and family members to online job boards. And while finding these jobs may not be as simple a matter as opening up the â€Å"Help Wanted† section of the newspaper, perseverance offers significant payoffs - both for young adults and the economy their talent and experience will fuel.

Company assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Company assignment - Essay Example These statutory provisions applied in conjunction with established principles of common law and equity in relation to directors duties2. However, in the consultation phase leading to the implementation of the CA 2006, the Government expressed dissatisfaction at the inherent uncertainty of these provisions and have attempted to codify both the common law and statutory provisions pertaining to directors duties under the CA 20063. In turn this has lead to some commentators arguing that the CA 2006 codification of directors’ duties has resulted in tighter controls on the exercise of director’s duties. This paper critically evaluates this argument with a comparative analysis of the previous legal position and how far this has been changed by the CA 2006 provisions. If we firstly consider the previous position under common law and equity, the issue of fiduciary duty has commonly arisen in constructive trust and tracing cases. Additionally, issues have arisen regarding the int errelationship between director’s duties and the abuse of the corporate structure as exemplified by phoenix company syndrome4. The term â€Å"phoenix† company is utilised to define a corporate structure where assets of one limited company are moved to another legal entity5. Commonly, some or all of the directors and management will remain directors in the successor company and in some instances the successor company will have the same or similar name to the failed business6. In simple terms, a phoenix company is a limited liability company: â€Å"housing individuals, or the directors by name or otherwise, who abuse the corporate form by dissolving one company and creating another to avoid payment of debt†7. Furthermore, it has been commented that the Register of Companies is â€Å"littered with cases involving phoenix companies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ones which fail and then seemingly reappear overnight in substantially the same form and with substantially the same mana gement8†. Typically, a phoenix company will use all or some of the assets of the insolvent company and will trade in the same industry and similar manner to the failed predecessor9. Whilst it is perfectly legal to form a new company from the debris of a failed company, â€Å"phoenix syndrome† has repeatedly been criticised as a means of abusing the statutory provisions implemented to protect against wrongful trading and abuse of position10. For example, a director of a failed company can become a director of a new company unless they are bankrupt or subject to a disqualification11. One the hand, it is clear that not all legitimate businesses will succeed on first attempt and the Small Business Service12 estimates that one in three businesses shuts down within three years13. Nevertheless, it is submitted that reasons for failure are multifarious and it would be undesirable for the law to penalise honest individuals from acting as directors simply due to difficulties in r unning a business. Accordingly, it is propounded that in such circumstances, the phoenix company arrangement is beneficial in allowing a business to start again14. Moreover, the phoenix arrangement enables profitable aspects of the failed business to survive into the successor company, thereby preserving an element of continuity for both suppliers and employees15. Conversely however, in the

Mise en scene in Juno (Jason Reitman, 2007) Essay

Mise en scene in Juno (Jason Reitman, 2007) - Essay Example this girl Juno finds a way to get out of this sticky situation not by resorting to abortion but by instead going through with the pregnancy and finding good adoptive parents and securing a better future for her child. The film is, first of all, divided into the 4 seasons starting with autumn and so on. Somehow, this division of the film by season assisted in the transition of the whole story from Juno realizing her problem up to the time she gives birth and after. The movie starts with a long shot of Juno looking at a living room lounging chair, with a gallon of orange juice on her right hand, a closer shot of the same scene and then Juno’s face in close-up showing the actress’ face as reminiscent, sad and worried all at the same time. Juno narrates the cause of her mood then a flashback is shown and the viewers begin to understand the importance of the chair to the story – it was where Juno had sex with her boyfriend and the reason she got pregnant. The scenes are set in the local village where Juno resides, her home, her school, the local store, etc. Some scenes are shown of the house where the adoptive parents of Juno’s baby lived which left a good impression on Juno and her plans to give her baby to a good couple who love each other and who are capable of raising an equally good family. Narratives by the lead actress are used all throughout the film to shorten parts of the story which would otherwise draw attention from the main character to the other sub-plots. Although the main topic of the film is sex and teenage pregnancy, the presentation of the shots was tastefully done and only suggestive scenes were shown especially in the part when Juno and her boyfriend did the act. Scenes significant to the pregnancy like the ultrasound and the actual delivery of the child were also included which rendered more credence to the film since it seemed like the actress really got pregnant and gave birth. The costumes were also r ealistic with the lead

Southeast Asian in the US Ques 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Southeast Asian in the US Ques 2 - Essay Example Louis says that his father had access to the port and the fishermen there because his job took him there often. The first part of the plan to emigrate from Vietnam included lots of secrecy. Louis says his father made it a point to be very friendly with all of the fishermen for a long time. He made friends with one of these men and they became close. Because of this close friendship, Louis says his father knew that the fisherman was someone that could be trusted. He started to ask him to take him on a trip that would enable him to escape from Vietnam. It took a long time to convince the fisherman to agree to do this. Louis’ father had to pay the man money little by little over the course of an entire year to convince him. It was difficult to convince him because he knew that there was lots of danger involved for him as well. After a year, the fisherman agreed to take on the job. He actually worked to organize a group of people that all wanted to go. This helped to defray the co st of the fuel and the risk for the fisherman. Once the group was ready and had paid, the fisherman took them on a two-week boat journey from Vietnam to Malaysia. The trip was very difficult but it was worth it. Once the Vietnamese immigrants were in Malaysia, things got much easier. The Malaysian government worked quickly to issue visas to the Vietnamese. This allowed movement within the country and the ability to work. Louis said that his father had no desire to stay in Malaysia because opportunities were limited, so he almost immediately caught a boat headed for the Philippines. Upon arrival in the Philippines, he was placed in a refugee camp. It sounds worse than it was. He was given enough food and a clean place to sleep. Moat importantly, he was taught English for six months, so he could get along once he arrived in America. After the six months was up, he moved to California and then on to Boston, which is were he still resides today. My classmate Louis’ father had a v ery different experience immigrating to America than a member of my neighborhood did. Mr. Milanovic emigrated from Bosnia with his wife and two daughters. His decision to immigrate was caused by more urgent circumstances that Louis’ father. The war in Bosnia and Mr. Milanovic’s ethnicity were factors in his immigration. He did not immigrate to America just for a better life. He came to America because his life was not safe in his homeland anymore. Mr. Milanovic saw his nieces, nephews and two of his brothers killed in a raid by Serbs. He says that it is a miracle that his entire family was able to escape intact and alive. Mr. Milanovic knew a friend with a truck that routinely traveled past safe areas where the UN was gathering Bosnian refugees. After the visit to his Brother’s home and the raid by the Serbs, he decided that he needed to get his family out of Bosnia. They packed almost nothing and went to the UN refugee camp to wait. They waited a very long time . He recalls boredom being the real enemy. People would grow tense because there was nothing to do except worry about missing family members. After nearly a full year in the refugee camp, the Milanovic family arrived in the United States. They arrived in Lincoln, Nebraska because that is where the organization that had arranged for sponsors was located. All the Milanovic family knew is that they were going to be taken care of for the first few months in America by

Case study(memo detailing) Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

(memo detailing) - Case Study Example It already has an approval from the legislature but the company is torn on what creative strategy to use to implement the solution. Putting up a nuclear reactor is controversial since it will require increasing the present charges which the customers are already complaining and that there are sectors which are against nuclear plants. As it is however, energy cost will remain high and will continue to increase since power has to be imported from California and other states. Building a reactor will bring down the cost and will make Arizona self-sufficient in energy making supply more stable thus contributing to a lowered cost. Before this proposal becomes a reality, there must be a market acceptance first about the building of a nuclear reactor. This is necessary because the present market base will be paying part of the cost of the reactor since they will be the one who will benefit from it. In addition, it will also be necessary to communicate that the nuclear reactor is safe to allay fears about its presence. In order mitigate market resistance on the proposal of building a nuclear reactor and to facilitate market acceptance of the necessary cost associated in building it, the company must launch an information campaign about the benefits of putting up the reactor. The message must address the consumer base concerns which are cost and safety. To help consumers accept the necessary price hike and to understand why it is necessary, the computation of the energy cost that will be saved once the nuclear reactor is operational must be communicated. This will enable consumers to understand that they will save money on the long run once the reactor is built and that the price increase is temporary and necessary. The safety features of the reactor must also be included in the campaign to avoid protests in the construction of the nuclear reactor. The information campaign must use multimedia to reach the various sectors of society in Phoenix, Arizona.

Has Reality Television Made Voyeurism Another Form of Entertainment Essay

Has Reality Television Made Voyeurism Another Form of Entertainment - Essay Example Although earlier forms of this type of entertainment have been seen as early as 1948 with Candid Camera, it gained more notoriety and a wider genre by the end of 1990s with the introduction of the shows like Survivor, Big Brother, and American Idol (Caudle, 2011). These shows portray various situations and activities, with some featuring contests between ordinary people competing for money and other prizes, others portraying ordinary people living their lives while raising their children, and some others featuring celebrities carrying out daily activities. All in all, these shows seem to share common themes – taking ordinary people and placing them in extraordinary situations or presenting the reality of celebrities’ lives to an audience who would likely be engaged in the fascinating and magical lives that these celebrities are living. Reality shows seem to portray the magical and the ordinary, the reality and the ‘non-reality’ of celebrity or non-celebrity lives. For some shows, an element of voyeurism seems to be one of the common elements, especially as these allow the viewers a peek into the lives of celebrities and non-celebrities. The voyeur element also seems to lend entertainment value for viewers as melodramatic events like weddings, dates, births, and arguments often draw in high ratings. This paper shall explore reality television and how it engages the magical and the real. It will also discuss how reality television has made voyeurism a form of entertainment. Initially, a brief overview of popular reality television shows will be discussed, indicating reasons for their popularity. Secondly, this paper will present the negative and the positive impact of reality television. Thirdly, a deeper analysis of the reasons for the popularity of reality television shall be considered. Lastly, this essay shall be summarized and its themes clearly established in order to answer its primary goals and research issue. This article is be ing carried out in order to establish a clear understanding of reality television, its general impact, and what it implies about current TV behaviors as well as preferences. Body Overview of reality television shows When the shows Big Brother and Survivor became major successes in 2000, reality television suddenly gained widespread popularity. Specifically, the shows Survivor and American Idol consistently topped the television ratings since their inception (Hill, 2005). Other shows like America’s Next Top Model, Dancing with the Stars, The Apprentice, Fear Factor, and Big Brother were soon able to gain a global audience in the years that followed. Some television companies have also set aside networks, including Fox Reality, Global Reality Channel in Canada and Zone Reality in the UK to cater specifically to these reality shows (DeVolld, 2011). Other networks like Bravo, VH1 and MTV have also numerous reality shows in their line-up. Other successful shows like COPS have beco me major successes and the profit generation for TV networks and producers has also been very significant (Hill, 2005). Reality show celebrities have also made millions of dollars in profit for their TV contracts and product endorsements (Hill, 2005). This genre has also spawned new singers, dancers, models, chefs, actors, directors, and celebrities like the Kardashians who have been known as

Case study(memo detailing) Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

(memo detailing) - Case Study Example It already has an approval from the legislature but the company is torn on what creative strategy to use to implement the solution. Putting up a nuclear reactor is controversial since it will require increasing the present charges which the customers are already complaining and that there are sectors which are against nuclear plants. As it is however, energy cost will remain high and will continue to increase since power has to be imported from California and other states. Building a reactor will bring down the cost and will make Arizona self-sufficient in energy making supply more stable thus contributing to a lowered cost. Before this proposal becomes a reality, there must be a market acceptance first about the building of a nuclear reactor. This is necessary because the present market base will be paying part of the cost of the reactor since they will be the one who will benefit from it. In addition, it will also be necessary to communicate that the nuclear reactor is safe to allay fears about its presence. In order mitigate market resistance on the proposal of building a nuclear reactor and to facilitate market acceptance of the necessary cost associated in building it, the company must launch an information campaign about the benefits of putting up the reactor. The message must address the consumer base concerns which are cost and safety. To help consumers accept the necessary price hike and to understand why it is necessary, the computation of the energy cost that will be saved once the nuclear reactor is operational must be communicated. This will enable consumers to understand that they will save money on the long run once the reactor is built and that the price increase is temporary and necessary. The safety features of the reactor must also be included in the campaign to avoid protests in the construction of the nuclear reactor. The information campaign must use multimedia to reach the various sectors of society in Phoenix, Arizona.

Music concord Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Music concord - Essay Example The people were in an excited mood as the performance of the first song came to an end (Murph n.pag). The conductor stood still holding the baton, as he beckoned the band to start on the next song. â€Å"Autumn† by John Stevens was an upbeat standard of the original tune. A saxophone and piano alternately played the song’s melody like they were two lovers under the moon light. The melody was overwhelming and everybody in the hall seemed to be nodding to the tunes rhythmically. The second part of the concert featured songs written by Christian Gouinguene. The allegro format of the songs made them sound nothing like the original versions. This made the mood of the concert hall even more jubilant because everybody seemed to be enjoying the vibrant sounding new versions of the songs (Murph n.pag). One can actually say the presto, or fast tempo, was just the correct one for young people to enjoy this composer’s songs to the fullest. The rhythm, of the music was continuously getting steadier and faster like a heartbeat of an exhilarated individual, as the songs reached their climax. The dynamics of the song were increasingly getting louder until all instruments reached peak and then rhythmically changed to a moderate level till the series of songs ended. After the intermission, the people were quiet again ready to be taken for another exhilarating journey of tunes and harmonious melodies. â€Å"Naked as a Jaybird† by J.J. Johnson started the session. The inspiring melodies set an amorous mood at the start of the concert session (Murph n.pag). As the passion of the song got more elaborate and heated up, the feeling changed as the lead violinist and other instruments in the ensemble got into the musical accompaniment. However, there was no big change in the melodic feel of the piece and the 1, 2, 3 pattern was noticeable throughout the entire song. After just a short while, one could also hear

Arthur Miller Essay Example for Free

Arthur Miller Essay Between 1949 and 1953, Arthur Miller wrote two of his most famous plays. Both plays dealt with major problems in society. The main characters of the plays were similar. Also, the supporting characters of both plays were alike. Arthur Millers plays Death of a Salesman and The Crucible are similar in many ways. The main purpose of both Death of a Salesman and The Crucible was to show major problems in American society. In Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller was trying to show the impossibilities of the American Dream. In The Crucible, he was trying to show how society is intolerant toward others and is prone to hysteria. Both plays dealt with society defeating the average, hard-working man. Each play showed a society that was full of deceit and liars. In both of these plays, society was depicted as an evil thing that would overpower the average person and create an unjust world. The main characters of Death of a Salesman and The Crucible, Willy Loman and John Proctor, were alike in many ways. Both of these men had extramarital affairs, and in both cases, the affairs ended up destroying their lives. Both of these men were hard-working, average men who were just trying to make a good life for themselves and their families. Names were important to both men, and they both took pride in their names. In both cases, many decisions the two made were because of their family members. One large similarity between Willy and John was the fact that they both eventually died, and the death was partly their choice. Both men could have avoided death, but instead, they chose to die because they believed it was the correct thing to do. In these two plays, there were also many similarities between the supporting characters. In both plays, children had much more power than they normally do. In Death of a Salesman, Willys son controlled much of his life. In The Crucible, the girls, led primarily by Abigail Williams, caused many people to be hanged, and even more to be imprisoned. Also, both John and Willy had wives that were very loyal to them throughout their lives and supported them until the end. Both plays showed a figure of power, seen as Howard in one play and Judge Danforth in the other. In both plays, the main character had a friend who stood up for them at the end. Willy had Charley, who had been his best friend for a long time, and John had Reverend Hale, who tried to prevent Johns death. There are many similarities between characters in the two plays. Death of a Salesman and The Crucible are alike in many ways. Arthur Miller created similar characters in both plays. He used both to show the many things wrong in America. These two plays are both powerful pieces of literature that should be read and appreciated by all people.Sources: Death of a Salesman and The Crucible by Arthur Miller

The Effects of Underage Drinking on the Brain

The Effects of Underage Drinking on the Brain Corey Negin, Devin Glim, Aman Gill, Helen Marzec, Kimberly Dias Keywords: Alcohol, Brain, Development, Hippocampus, Frontal areas, Cerebellum, Neuroplasticity, Addiction, Deleterious behaviour and Chronic consumption. Rational/Goal: This video will fixate on alcohol, but will explore the effects of underage drinking on the brain, targeted to teenagers. Underage drinking is widespread as adolescents undergo stressful developmental transitional periods rendering them vulnerable to alcohol consumption. Research indicates that adolescents consume a lot of their alcohol intake by binge drinking, which has detrimental effects upon brain development, as brain maturity and refinement is not finalized until an individual reaches their mid-twenties. Subsequently, the brain development compromised by chronic alcohol consumption can promote deleterious behaviours that persist into adulthood and future functioning. Description/Summary: We will first describe the regions in the brain affected by alcohol consumption. Early in development, the brain creates as many synaptic connections as possible. However, development then shifts to creating efficient neural pathways. Our video will delve into the heightened neuroplasticity that occurs within adolescence. This is a duration by which the prefrontal cortex undergoes myelination and extensive synaptic pruning. The prefrontal cortex governs decision-making and concentration. However, periods of binge drinking have been shown to cause significant white matter loss and myelin damage within the prefrontal cortex. Our video will describe the importance of myelination and how myelin sheath aids in increasing nerve impulse speed. Thereafter, we will denote that a compromise within the nerves ability to conduct impulses would result in cognitive impairment. We will then continue onto the structural and functional changes that the hippocampus incurs due to u nderage drinking; specifically, an increase in immature dendritic spines whereby the branches off the nerve cells appear long and thin. The hippocampus is crucial for learning and memory. This therefore cultivates alcohol-induced memory deficits. Furthermore, the altered brain functioning appears to be irreversible. Additional evidence exhibits a thinner prefrontal cortex and smaller hippocampus within adolescent drinking individuals, relative to the age the alcohol consumption began. Script: (Skit beginning)-45secs (Start of party scene; incoherent speaking) (Sees person two stammering, falling over the table, and trying to stand properly) 1: Are you okay? 2: Ye aaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Im more than okay! Im gr e aaa t! (Swinging an alcoholic beverage around) Heyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ heyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. (Points towards friend and walks over to them struggling, falling over) Dont you feel great too? 3: Yeah, I feel awesome man! Heyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ eve ee ryo on e! Le ts taake shoots s! Everyone: Yeah! (Shots by LMFAO playing) 1: Dont you think youve had enough? 2: You can never have enough! (Takes 3 shots in a row) (Continues dancing to the music [Shots by lmfao]) 1: Sure, but dont you also have a paper due on Friday? 2: Do I? I forgot Its okay, I still have a day to do it 1: Its 10 pages 2: What was on again? 1: You dont remember? 2: More relevant things are on my mind, like how great this alcohol is 3: (Nodding in agreement, 3 1 toast with their shot glasses) (Continues to dance, however, while dancing backwards, 2 hits the 3, and both fall face forward, blacking out) [Cut to dream-like scene when 2 is older in university, conducting thesis on underage drinking] Main: 1. Describe brain regions affected by alcohol consumption (eg. prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum) [Both structural functional changes) Hippocampus: learning memory (learning new information would become difficult; transfer from short term to long term memory [propagating blackouts]) -Kim- 30secs Many regions of the brain, including the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, are actively developing throughout ones adolescence, and are therefore more susceptible to damage due to alcohol consumption. The hippocampus is a small part of your brain that processes and stores memories. Drinking excessive alcohol can affects ones ability to form new memories, and hold on to new information. This is because alcohol can impair your brains ability to transfer new learned information from your short term to your long term memory (Hiller-Sturmhà ¶fel, Swartzwelder, 2004). As a result, you may be able to remember whats happening in the moment during a night of drinking, but may find it hard to recall the events that occurred that night the following day. Alcohol can also affect your ability to form new explicit memories, which are memories of facts such as names and phone numbers, or events, like what you did last night. Excessive drinking can cause excessive damage to the hippocampus, resul ting in blackouts: periods of time that you cannot remember what happened at all. (Anderson et al., 2009). Finally, studies have shown a correlation between excessive drinking and a decrease in hippocampus size in the brain. (Debellis et al., 2000). Frontal areas: impulses, thinking through consequences (poor decision making, lack of self control)- Aman -30secsAs soon as we take that shot of vodka, one of the first parts of the brain the alcohol will affect is the frontal lobe, specifically the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex involves planning complex cognitive behaviour, attention, and decision making (Abernathy, Chandler, Woodward, 2010). Therefore, it should come to no surprise that alcohols profound effects on the prefrontal cortex, ultimately impair our ability to make rational decisions, as well as our reasoning and judgement! In fact, George, Rogers Duka, conducted a study among social drinkers to assess the decisions they made through various gambling tasks. They concluded that acute alcohol intake lead them to make significantly more risky decisions (George, Rogers, Duka, 2005). To add, another study conducted on the effects of adolescent binge drinking and decision making showed a high association between r elatively more disadvantageous decisions and those who started binge drinking at an early age (Goudriaan, Grekin, Sher, 2007). So how exactly does alcohol lead us to tell our crush how obsessed we are with them? The prefrontal cortex inhibits cortical and subcortical structures, which help prevent us from the urges to say something socially unacceptable (Munakata et al., 2011). Alcohol affects the NMDA glutamate receptors by inhibiting these same inhibitory effects of the prefrontal cortex, essentially making us disinhibited (Tu et al., 2007)! Cerebellum: motor control (balance; difficulties standing or walking)- Devin 20secsAlong with the hippocampus and frontal areas, the cerebellum may also be affected by heavy adolescent alcohol consumption. The cerebellums main functions are to control motor function while also participating in cognitive learning related to spatial awareness (Doya, 2000). This is why we have difficulties walking, standing, or even preventing our drink from accidentally spilling on our crush as we tell them how much we like them! Unfortunately, these difficulties can become long-lasting as alcohol can change the biochemical function of the cerebellum (Ward et al., 2009). Microglia levels (the brains immune cells) also increase in response to alcohol exposure, resulting in an increase in the inflammation of the surrounding brain tissue, leading to eventual long term neuronal death (Riikonen et al., 2002) 2. Heightened neuroplasticity that occurs during adolescent brain development (myelination, synaptic pruning; see letter of intent for more)- 30secs 3. The brain isnt fully developed until 25 years old thereby critical development is interrupted [Explain the long term lasting consequences]- 30secs Adolescence is a time between childhood and adulthood whereby neural development is composed by physical, psychological and social changes marking this a period of vulnerability and adjustment (Bourque et al., 2016). It also marks a time of increased emotional reactivity and sensitivity which contributes to a greater degree of addiction during the developmental period (Bourque et al., 2016; Case, Jones, Hare, 2008). Indeed, neuroplasticity, the ability to form new neural connections, is influenced by the environment, and particularly within adolescence when the brain is still within development (Hiller-Sturmhà ¶fel Swartzwelder, 2004). The cognitive development that occurs during adolescence is linked to greater cognitive control and modulation whereby increased activation in the prefrontal regions is indicative of maturity (Bourque et al., 2016; Case, Jones, Hare, 2008). However, adolescents indulge in deleterious and high-risk behaviour such as binge drinking which significant ly impair the neuroplasticity of the brain, involving the myelination of the prefrontal fiber tracts (Clark, Thatcher, Tapert, 2008). As myelin sheath aids in increasing nerve impulse speed, a compromise within the nerves ability to conduct impulses results in cognitive impairment. The rational portion of an adolescents brain isnt fully developed until 25 years old therefore obstructing connections in the prefrontal cortex hinders the adolescents social and mental health trajectories for years to come. 4. Susceptibility to addiction (Underage drinkers are 4x more likely to develop an addiction to alcohol, as opposed to an individual who waits until legal drinking age) [Basically the conclusion? Can also do a bit of an introduction about binge drinking in general to lead into the portion about the structural/functional changes that occur]-30secs Corey To wrap things up, underage drinkers are 4x more likely to develop an addiction to alcohol as opposed to an individual who waits until legal drinking age to start consuming! As a result, binge drinking can start to develop, which is the consumption of excess amounts of alcohol in a short period of time. Binge drinking can lead to many structural and functional changes such as difficulty walking, blurred vision, slurred speech, slowed reaction times and impaired memory. It is important to note that maturational changes in brain anatomy, connectivity, and function continue well into late adolescence. To date, imaging studies using different modalities have consistently reported that alcohol use during adolescence is associated with abnormalities in brain structure, function and connectivity. Furthermore, the altered brain functioning appears to be irreversible. Additional evidence exhibits a thinner prefrontal cortex and smaller hippocampus within adolescent drinking individuals, relat ive to the age the alcohol consumption began.So is it really worth it? I dont think so! Yes you are a teenager but I promise you, you dont need alcohol to have fun! (Skit ending)-20secs 2 wakes up to people looking over him 3: Hey man, are you okay? 2: Yeah, I think so 3: Are you down to take another shot? The alcohol is almost finished, and I saved the best for last 2: (Thinks back to what has happened) 2: No, its okay I have a paper to doà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Scratches head; zooming in on face) 2: (Face expression displayed is sort of like this: https://media.giphy.com/media/pai7N0iFj01CU/giphy.gif) Camera zooms out; scene fades to black) Examples of videos with alike infrastructure relative to alcohol the developing brain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY37BFmVxwQ (Animation) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2gVzVIBc_g (Animation) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_Pe4R9Myu4 (Animation; brain scans shown) Member Contributions: All 5 group members equally contributed to the research and writing of the script for this video. Helen is the facilitator for the knowledge translation video, and is responsible for the part of the video pertaining to the heightened neuroplasticity that occurs during development. Aman is responsible for the portion that covers the effects of alcohol on the prefrontal cortex, and Kimberly is responsible for the effects of alcohol on the hippocampus and memory. Devin is responsible for alcohols effect on the cerebellum and motor control, and Corey for Conclusion and take home messages. Helen will also be narrating the audio for the video, while we all will be involved in the production of the skit, and editing of the video cuts and final video. Finally, all 5 group members will be equally contributing to the production and editing of this video. References Abernathy, K., Chandler, L. J., Woodward, J. J. (2010). Alcohol and the prefrontal cortex. International review of neurobiology, 91, 289-320. Anderson, P., De Bruijn, A., Angus, K., Gordon, R., Hastings, G. (2009). Impact of alcohol advertising and media exposure on adolescent alcohol use: a systematic review of longitudinal studies. Alcohol and alcoholism, 44(3), 229-243. Bourque, J., Baker, T., Dagher, A., Evans, A., Garavan, H., Leyton, M. et al. (2016). Effects of delaying binge drinking on adolescent brain development: a longitudinal neuroimaging study. BMC Psychiatry, 16(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12888-016-1148-3 Casey, B. J., Jones, R. M., Hare, T. A. (2008). The adolescent brain. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1124(1), 111-126. Clark, D. B., Thatcher, D. L., Tapert, S. F. (2008). Alcohol, psychological dysregulation, and adolescent brain development. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 32(3), 375-385. De Bellis, M. D., Clark, D. B., Beers, S. R., Soloff, P. H., Boring, A. M., Hall, J., Keshavan, M. S. (2000). Hippocampal volume in adolescent-onset alcohol use disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 157(5), 737-744. Doya, K. (2000). Complementary roles of basal ganglia and cerebellum in learning and motor control. Current opinion in neurobiology, 10(6), 732-739. George, S., Rogers, R. D., Duka, T. (2005). The acute effect of alcohol on decision making in social drinkers. Psychopharmacology, 182(1), 160-169. Goudriaan, A. E., Grekin, E. R., Sher, K. J. (2007). Decision making and binge drinking: a longitudinal study. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 31(6), 928-938. Hiller-Sturmhà ¶fel, S., Swartzwelder, H.S. (2004). Alcohols Effects on the Adolescent Brain-What Can Be Learned From Animal Models. Alcohol Research and Health, 28(4), 213-221 Munakata, Y., Herd, S. A., Chatham, C. H., Depue, B. E., Banich, M. T., OReilly, R. C. (2011). A unified framework for inhibitory control. Trends in cognitive sciences, 15(10), 453-459. Riikonen, J., Jaatinen, P., Rintala, J., Pà ¶rsti, I., Karjala, K., Hervonen, A. (2002). Intermittent ethanol exposure increases the number of cerebellar microglia. Alcohol and alcoholism, 37(5), 421-426. Squeglia, L. M., Jacobus, J., Tapert, S. F. (2009). The influence of substance use on adolescent brain development. Clinical EEG and neuroscience, 40(1), 31-38. Tu, Y., Kroener, S., Abernathy, K., Lapish, C., Seamans, J., Chandler, L. J., Woodward, J. J. (2007). Ethanol inhibits persistent activity in prefrontal cortical neurons. Journal of Neuroscience, 27(17), 4765-4775. Ward, R. J., Lallemand, F., De Witte, P. (2009). Biochemical and neurotransmitter changes implicated in alcohol-induced brain damage in chronic or binge drinking alcohol abuse. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 44(2), 128-135.

Adventures at a Jamily Gathering :: Personal Narrative Writing

Adventures at a Jamily Gathering â€Å"This is a little ridiculous,† my brother sneers, shivering. It’s three o’clock in the afternoon, 30 degrees and dropping; we’re about 40 people from the entrance gate, and the concert doesn’t start until 7:30 pm. At this point, I’d have to agree with him. This concert is the last to be held this year at the Alpine Valley Amphitheater, and rightfully so—by the time Pearl Jam takes the stage, the temperature’s dropped to 15 degrees, and the band walk out doused heavily with stocking caps and scarves, and Eddie Vedder, the band’s frontman, welcomes the audience to â€Å"The Ice Bowl.† The crowd erupts in a roar that is part â€Å"Damn straight!† and part, â€Å"Yeah, and your asses have been sitting cozy in the tour bus all afternoon!† Wait, maybe that last part was just me†¦ This is my third time seeing Pearl Jam in concert since I discovered the band in 1994, and though I am still dedicated enough to endure the cold in order to ensure a decent spot on the general admission hill, my enthusiasm for the band and its music has waned a bit since my first show. As I wander up and down the line of fans waiting somewhat patiently to be admitted into the amphitheater, I see myself circa 1995 in several of the people I meet: their fierce protectiveness of the band, suspicion of half-assed fans, and the competitive nature of their devotion aren’t foreign to me. The Jamily is strictly members only, and the fans that comprise Pearl Jam family will let you know quickly if you’re in or out. Thanks to my obsessive-pursuit-of-Pearl-Jam-related-information phase, I was able to get most of the hardcore fans to trust my credentials enough to talk to me about their fandom—but it wasn’t always easy. Some of the fans’ interrogation of me was much more thorough than mine of them. I was assaulted with a variety of questions covering everything from the distance I’d traveled to see a Pearl Jam concert, how many shows I’d been to, the duration of my fanhood, and obscure facts I was able to recognize about the band. Usually, I passed these credibility tests with flying colors; I think I may have even made a few people nervous. This resulted in the initiation of phase two in which the fan asserts the superiority of his/her fandom over that of any other living being.

Genetically Modified Food and Gm Foods Essay

It’s been said that humans are what they eat. The relationship humans have with food is unappreciated. Food is the fuel that keeps humans going, gives them the energy needed to be creative and productive; it is the building block of society, after all, it wasn’t until the Neolithic Era, when humans figured out a way to domesticate plants and animals, that any form of organized society formed. Even during the previous hunter-gatherer foraging era, humans were very connected to the food they ate; understanding where it came and having an idea of how it came to be was crucial to knowing what was vital to survive. In this time, food sources like grains, fruits, and vegetables were naturally abundant, whole. Humans could choose between many different types of nutritious food because there were thousands of varieties of species. Unfortunately, as populations grew and more civilized societies formed, various farming techniques were created, and a vast majority of these species became extinct to make way for the harvesting of a select few (Pringle). In the industrial era, societies around the world, especially western ones, emphasized the importance of technological advancements. With this pursuit of technology, nature became something to control rather than live with; an attempt at making life simpler, better. Breaching the gap between nature and technology is optimization. It is this obsession with optimization that most accurately characterizes contemporary America. Undoubtedly, it comes with great costs. As it turns out, optimization is a business, and a profitable one. Thus, the costs and effects of optimization are often hidden from the public by industrial leaders in an effort to maintain profits. They control the businesses they run and protect themselves by dumping millions of dollars into politics. Today, it seems that the gap between nature and technology has been breached with the propagation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The aliens that now fill supermarkets nationwide represent the ultimate disconnect from natural, whole foods necessary for a healthy lifestyle. People are relatively uninformed about GM foods, issues include: their benefits, the testing and safety, the harmful effects they can have on the body and environment, the government’s role as overseer, the labeling controversy, and the â€Å"substantially equivalent† principle; all of these issues are conveniently hidden vitalities in understanding the danger, the deleterious effects, and the risks of GM foods. In tackling these issues, an additional understanding of the historic background of how GMOs came to be is equally important. Advocates for the rapid advance of technology will cite the numerous positive breakthroughs, the internet, healthcare, the numerous inventions; it’s hard to argue with, which is why when addressing GM foods, the emphasis should be placed on the relationship between technology and nature, specifically within the food industry, and how this relationship has become too intimate, to the point where it’s difficult to differentiate between technology and nature. The courtship leading to the marriage between technology and nature is exemplified in Peter Pringle’s book, Food, Inc. , in which he discusses the 1960’s Green Revolution, a turning point in agriculture during which producers moved from traditional to monoculture methods of farming. This vastly increased crop yields. But how? Farmers had high yields because they started to use fertilizers and pesticides containing chemicals like nitrogen, left over from World War II explosives. New irrigation systems were introduced and animals replaced some human labor in order to handle the large crop fields and monoculture agriculture provided food relief to starving nations post-war (Pringle). Farmers experienced a rude awakening when yields started to decline due to a number of unforeseen or unaddressed consequences. Although the Green Revolution saved or improved millions of lives during the 1960’s, little consideration was given to the future effects it could have on environmental sustainability. The lack of food plant diversity eventually led to multiple problems, like the mass destruction of crops that had contracted disease or succumbed to pesticide-resistant insects, chemically saturated and overly watered soils, and an inevitable decline in production yields (Pringle). Obviously, the United States needed to find a solution to this problem. By the late 1900s, many scientists and biotechnologists approved and advocated genetic engineering as the most viable solution. This process is best described by Lauren and Robin Ticciati in their book, Genetically Modified Foods: Are They Safe? You Decide. According to the Ticciati’s, scientists planned to take a gene from one completely different organism and insert it into the plant in order to make it yield a desired outcome (Ticciati). The goal was to create food plants that could grow and withstand harsh conditions like pesticides, infertile soil, unfavorable climates, and geographical locations. Despite wariness from skeptical environmentalists about the unknown future effects of genetic food engineering, the companies who profit from this new food technology proclaimed it to be the wave of the future. As the Ticciati’s evidenced, in 1996, when the FDA approved the use of genetically engineered foods with no special label requirements, the GM foods were introduced on grocery market shelves with relatively no consumer awareness. This is just another example of how society is not clueless by choice. If this seems a harsh diagnosis, take into context what Kathleen Hart exemplified in her book, Eating in the Dark; a survey which took place just a couple years after GM foods were released revealed about two-thirds of the American adult population had no idea that supermarkets were carrying such items (Hart). Since then, GMOs have become part of the staple food products in the diets of the everyday consumer. Part of the problem is that nobody is exactly sure how harmful GM foods are, but there is substantial evidence to show that they can have a devastating effect on the economy, the human body, and the environment. In Food, Inc. , Pringle discusses the farming method of artificial hybrid breeding which became a huge success in the mid-1900s and attracted a lot of commercial attention, spawning the term â€Å"agribusiness. † Scientists found that by crossing-breeding â€Å"two varieties [of a species of plant] that had been inbred, [and] fertilized by their own pollen for three or four generations showed a tremendous leap in hybrid vigor, with grain yields up to 50 percent higher [than the natural bred variety]† (Pringle). Unfortunately, when naturally crossed in the farmers’ fields, the hybrids’ strength did not withstand, so farmers had to rely on industry-produced super seeds. An economic boom occurred within the seed and fertilizer industries, with businesses rapidly sprouting up like the crops they helped produce. A few decades later â€Å"the early warnings of genetic uniformity suddenly became a reality,† (Pringle). One alarming discovery was the fact that since only one type of species was being harvested in a given area, if a crop contracted a disease, the entire field was wiped out, which meant no income that season for many farmers (Pringle). The companies who were invested in this new agricultural era and had seen the enormous profit potential in having a hand in controlling the food chain were not going to just quit. They pushed further into science, seeking ways to alter a species’ genetic make-up in order for it to conform to optimization, instead of considering natural solutions to these problems (Pringle). Today, there are GM super foods that are so genetically modified that they differ starkly from their ancestors. It is a teeter-totter industry; either profits are extremely high (like they have been for so long) or the industry fails and profits cease to exist. The latter doesn’t look like it’s going to occur any time soon because the government is firmly grasped by the biotech food companies that control the GM food industry. The most prominent of these companies, Monsanto, falsely advocates the necessity for GM foods, with the real motive the preservation of profits. Monsanto executive Hugh Grant claims â€Å"they [GM foods] can help feed the world and preserve the environment by reducing the need for pesticides,† (Harvest of Fear). Others advocate the hope that GM technology can save lives, like scientist Charles Arntzen, who is working on GM techniques to make edible vaccines to combat viruses in developing countries, (Harvest of Fear). More recently, companies like AquaBounty Technologies are working to develop genetically engineered animals. AquaBounty’s AquAdvantage salmon has been touted as â€Å"as safe as food from conventional Atlantic salmon,† by the FDA, but is still being met with numerous opposition (Pollack). The salmon â€Å"contain a growth hormone gene from the Chinook salmon and a genetic switch from the ocean pout that turns on an antifreeze gene,† which allows the salmon to make growth hormone in cold weather, whereas they usually produce it only in warm weather,† (Pollack). Genetic manipulation is causing drastic changes in the natural behavior of the organisms it’s implemented on, and it is believed that this could have multiple adverse effects on the environment and society. Those who have similar concerns, these cautious enemies to GM foods, can find strength in recent studies that are beginning to expose the numerous harmful effects of GM foods. In a study done by Gilles-Eric Seralini at the University of Caen in France, 200 rats were fed either genetically engineered corn or the herbicide Roundup and observed for two years, their entire life cycle and not just the normal ninety day period. It was found that they had an increased risk of developing tumors, suffering organ damage, and dying prematurely (Pollack, GMO Global Alert). Additional animal studies have shown other serious health risks associated with GM food consumption: infertility, immune dysregulation, accelerated aging, and changes in the liver, kidney, spleen, and gastrointestinal system (Genetic Roulette). To exemplify how this is portrayed in humans, statistical evidence shows that after 1996, when GMOs increased in the American diet, disorders like inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, chronic constipation, gastrointestinal infections, Crohn’s disease, and gastroephageal reflux have all risen dramatically and consistently (Genetic Roulette). Further evidence indicates that GMOs cause food allergies, have increased toxicity, decreased nutritional value, and promote antibiotic resistance (UMN). Not only do GM foods have a great potential for negatively effecting humans, they are harmful to the environment. Companies like Monsanto claim that genetically modifying foods is environmentally friendly, but this has been proven wrong on a multitude of levels. There is lack of nutrients found in soil in which GM crops are planted (Ticciati). These crops hurt the soil and the food chain. The chemicals found in pesticides were not only killing pests but also small animals, especially birds, were also facing extinction (Robbins). Tampering with natural selection creates a domino effect and damages the entire ecosystem. Imposing an unnatural element in the form of GM foods changes the equation and disrupts natural balance, even if things balance out, they will be forever different, even this is dangerous. Although GM foods are responsible for massive crop yields and the increased food supply, the industry is precariously perched given the increasing amount of deleterious effects that are being exposed more and more each day. For this reason, the government needs to take action. This is another dilemma; it is easy to wonder how the government can do anything when it has such close relationships with the companies that all the fingers are being pointed at. The primary antagonist in this story is the company Monsanto, the inventor of saccharin, an artificial sweetener, and many additional products. Monsanto accounts for over two-thirds of genetically engineered soy, corn, and canola crops worldwide (Robbins). Hendrik Verfaillie, Monsanto’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, described the company’s aggressive strategy with, â€Å"The biggest mistake that anyone can make is moving slowly, because the game is going to be over before you start,† (Robbins). It is understandable that a company this big has a profoundly large impact on government rulings regarding its industry. With Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide bringing in billions of dollars, the industry convinced the Supreme Court to allow the patenting of genetically engineered seeds so that the offspring would become the property of the seed manufacturer. In Genetic Engineering, Food and Our Environment, Luke Anderson exemplifies the impact of this ruling by stressing the profound repercussions it will have on the future of living organisms; â€Å"This extraordinary decision by the U. S. Supreme Court heralded a new era. Once a shared heritage, the gene pool of plants, animals, and humans was now a commodity waiting to be bought and sold† (Anderson). What appears to be mainly a business venture is an extremely important political issue, with companies pouring millions into politics to stay afloat. This is exemplified by the following quote, from the documentary The Future of Food. Here, director D. K. Garcia focuses on the 2000 Presidential Election and the biotechnology issue: â€Å"Agricultural biotechnology will find a support occupying the White House next year, regardless of which candidate wins the election in November† (Garcia). The Future of Food reveals top ranking officials from the Supreme Court, such as Justice Clarence Thomas who previously represented Monsanto as their Lawyer for Regulatory Affairs, to Donald Rumsfeld, The Secretary of Defense, who was previously the President of Searle, a Monsanto subsidiary. Given their backgrounds, it is difficult to ignore the likelihood that their political stances would not be swayed. Even worse is Linda Fisher, who has switched roles between the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and Monsanto a number of times; she was Monsanto’s Executive Vice President for nearly a decade and Deputy Administrator for the EPA as well as Commissioner for George Bush’s administration (Garcia). It’s frightening that the EPA, which acknowledges and regulates pesticides emitted into the environment, is likely to be biased in regards to the approval of genetically modified organisms into the environment. Needless to say, it’s shocking to see the connections that pose how much of an apparent influence Monsanto and the other leading biotech companies have on government regulations of GMOs. Evidence of this influence is presented in Seeds of Deception, in which Micah Sifry states, â€Å"the four leaders of the biotech industry Monsanto, Dow, DuPont, and Novartis gave more than $3. 5 million in PAC, soft-money, and large individual contributions between 1995 and 2000, three-quarters of it to Republicans† (Smith). Stricter guidelines and extensive testing are not required because the companies have such strong political ties that they can influence the policy that is implemented upon them. In 1992, former U. S. Vice President, Dan Quayle, exemplifies this in his speech on behalf of the Council of Competitiveness, â€Å"We will ensure that biotech products will receive the same oversight as other products, instead of being hampered by unnecessary regulation† (Garcia). The FDA approved genetically modified foods with a high sense of hesitant reluctance. Consumers are supposed to rely on the FDA to determine if food is safe for consumption; the agency is supposed to be a protective one. This was a landmark decision for the FDA, a decision which required strong political influence for the agency to decide against its own principles. This is evidenced in The Future of Food; Dan Quayle and the Bush administration appointed Michael Taylor as Deputy Commissioner for Policy, which Andrew Kimbrell divulges in an interview, noting that Taylor was formerly Monsanto’s Senior Counsel at the King and Spaulding law firm. Taylor instituted a no-regulation policy and left it to the biotech companies to determine whether or not genetically modified food was deemed safe for human consumption (Garcia). As the examples presented indicate, the successful clearance of GM foods has been engineered by companies like Monsanto and politicians, almost as much as the foods themselves. With the FDA swept out of the way, the companies that dominated the biotech industry were free to roam as they pleased, testing at their fingertips. How can the consumers trust Monsanto to act in their best interest, especially when the company’s Director of Corporate Communication, Phil Angell, says things like â€Å"Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food. Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the FDA’s job,† (Robbins). Without extensive testing, which would almost certainly yield new truths about the harmful effects of GM foods, Monsanto can achieve its goal of selling as much as possible while disregarding the consequences this has on society and the environment. Testing is probably the biggest grey area of them all. The FDA has a persona of an overseer and protector, meaning that people generally believe that all food undergoes tests by the FDA to ensure their safety. Unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Testing genetically modified foods is dependent on the words of the companies that develop them. According to Consumer Union’s Jean Halloran, â€Å"When a company comes in with data, the FDA looks at it and writes a letter saying, â€Å"Dear Monsanto, you supplied information regarding the safety of corn variety X and we are confident about what you’ve shown,† â€Å"It is your responsibility,† (CBS). The FDA is in a difficult position. It is presented with its initial objective of protecting the American people but now, with biotechnology and GM foods, it is faced with a decision of whether or not to promote the biotech industry. The FDA regulates GM foods as part of the â€Å"coordinated framework† of federal agencies that also includes the EPA and the United States Department of Agriculture (Bashshur). The problem is that this framework has been the subject of critical analysis and calls for redesign; it is outdated, with the FDA policy unchanged since 1992. It is available online and contains a searchable database that covers â€Å"genetically engineered crop plants intended for food or feed that have completed all recommended or required reviews,† (Bashshur). The policy places responsibility on the producer or manufacturer to assure the safety of the food, explicitly relying on the producer or manufacturer to do so: â€Å"Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the producer of a new food to evaluate the safety of the food and assure that the safety requirement of section 402(a)(1) of the act is met,† (Bashshur). It is also this policy that establishes that the â€Å"substantially equivalent† concept, with which the FDA judges most GM crops as â€Å"substantially equivalent† to non-GM crops. In these cases, GM crops are â€Å"designated as â€Å"Generally Recognized as Safe† under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) and do not require pre-market approval,† (Federation of American Scientists). Although these products are described as substantially equivalent, their manufacturers stress that they are different so that they can patent them and continue to profit. In this situation, the consumer must take the producer’s angle. Their products are dramatically different; their genetic composition is very different in comparison with that of their ancestral forms. In deciding whether or not to ingest these products, the consumer must realize that if the companies that produce them stress they are dramatically different, and there is minimal testing done on them, these GM food products could be extremely dangerous. Currently, there is no regulatory scheme requiring GM foods to be tested to see if it is safe for humans to eat or not. FDA guidance to the industry issued in 1997 covered voluntary â€Å"consultation procedures,† but â€Å"still relied on the developer of the product to provide safety data,† (Bashshur). There are numerous pieces of evidence that indicate that GM food testing is completely unregulated. The FDA’s policy is outdated and weak, â€Å"substantially equivalent† cannot be justified when such a small level of testing has been done. The fact that this policy has remained unchanged for two decades is staggering; there’s probably a lot of money keeping it that way. In tackling what Ramona Bashshur describes as the FDA’s â€Å"dual mission,† rational thought is vital. Although the FDA cannot ignore the opportunity to make scientific advances with the potential to better society, it must reflect on its original role, as a protector. While scientific advances with GMOs are rapidly continuing, there hasn’t been enough testing on them to determine how dangerous they are. If testing was done and the foods proved safe, which they probably wouldn’t, there would be nothing wrong with promoting it. In the meantime, as more and more harmful aspects of GM foods come to the surface, it would be smart for the FDA to revise its policy, improve the extent of testing done on these foods, so that America can move forward in science with the assurance that it won’t hurt its citizens. This is a difficult task; there is so much political influence on the industry that it may never occur. If the policy for testing cannot be amended, there is action that can be taken that could have a similar outcome. Specialized labeling for GM foods would set them apart from normal foods and make it easier for consumers to make healthy choices. In the United States, they aren’t labeled, while in Europe, Russia, China, and other countries, they are. This is an extremely popular movement in the United States. An example is California’s Proposition 37, which would’ve required â€Å"labeling on raw or processed food offered for sale to consumers if made from plants or animals with genetic material changed in specified ways. † And it would prohibit marketing â€Å"such food, or other processed food, as ‘natural,’† (Bittman). The numbers don’t lie; people supported Proposition 37; roughly 65% for to 20% against, with 15% undecided. From a national perspective on the labeling issue, 91% of voters believe that the FDA should require that â€Å"foods which have been genetically engineered or containing genetically engineered ingredients to be labeled to indicate that,† (Bittman). With these numbers as a reference for the support that Proposition 37 had, it’s hard to believe that it was struck down. Again, this is an instance of money having the loudest voice in the room. Money flew in from both sides, but the food companies that stood to lose in the situation, like Monsanto and The Hershey Co., contributed to what was â€Å"eventually a $44 million windfall for â€Å"No on Prop 37,† while proponents were only able to raise $7. 3 million,† (Almendrala). According to MapLight, an organization that tracks campaign contributions, biotech companies amassed $46 million to defeat the measure, with Monsanto contributing $8. 1 million and Kraft Foods, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola each contributing at least $1. 7 million (Pollack). In contrast, those who backed Proposition 37 were only able to contribute $9. 2 million; money made the difference. Proposition 37 was close, garnering 47% of the vote, with campaigns like the online based â€Å"Just Label It† collecting signatures and comments on a petition to the FDA, requesting rules â€Å"similar to those in the European Union, Japan, China, India and Australia, stating what transgenic food is in the package,† (Moskin). The biggest thing about Proposition 37 is that it had national implications; it wasn’t just California that the food conglomerates were worried about. If it passed, it could’ve been the beginning of a national labeling revolution, potentially the beginning of an even greater revolution. Throughout history, organisms have developed through a recurrence of genetic mutations that have naturally selected the organisms that are most fit for survival. The rise of GMOs can be viewed through the same lens. GMOs arose from the conditions following the monoculture agricultural shift in the 1960’s Green Revolution. The key here is that they are not natural. The â€Å"mutations† that have aided the rise of GMOs are manmade, manufactured, and abnormal. GMOs are a result of the American obsession with optimization, which manifests itself in technology. After World War II and throughout the Green Revolution, America sought numerous technological advancements as it relished its role as a world power. With GMOs, America breached the gap between technology and nature in an effort to optimize food. Companies like Monsanto, with their growing number of political connections, began using their funds to pave the way for GMOs to become and remain a staple contingent of the American diet. Today, GM foods are still privately and minimally tested and they remain unlabeled in the United States. While the FDA stands by its outdated 1992 policy, claiming that GM foods are â€Å"substantially equivalent,† the producers stress that they are different in an effort to obtain patents. America cannot trust the sources it looks to for accurate information because there has been little testing but there is hope on the horizon after California nearly passed a law forcing GM foods to be labeled. As concerned parties seek an answer, they must first look towards labeling these foods, sparking a chain reaction that causes uninformed consumers to ask questions like, â€Å"Why are these foods specially labeled?† and â€Å"What makes these foods different? † Labeling could prove to be the beginning of a further revolution to enhance regulation of GM foods. This revolution, though currently nonexistent, must occur before this problem mutates even further, before not just the American people, but the entire world, reaps the consequences for playing the role of Creator. Anderson, L. (1999). 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