New paradigms for health care delivery

Changes occurring in Health care delivery and Medicine are the result of social, economical, technological, scientific forces that have evolved in the 21st century. Among the most significant changes are shift in disease patterns, advanced technology, increased consumer expectations and high costs of health care. These factors have redefined medical practices to fit into the changing health delivery system. Many health care professionals have come to the conclusion and belief that they will be compelled to explore new paradigms for health care delivery in the future like electronic medical record keeping, telemedicine, computer-based diagnostics and health monitoring to keep pace with the changing scenario. This is due to the accountability of the medical profession today and changing disease patterns. Doctors are under increasing pressure to keep up to date and to base their decisions more firmly on evidences as opposed to anecdotal information of the past. Patients are much more informed than they were 10 years ago. No doctor can tell a patient what to do without being questioned today. Further, with the advent of concepts like informed consent and advance directives, such scientific changes gain relevance. ELEMENTS OF THE NEW PARADIGM The use of electronic documentation is becoming increasingly prevalent in terms of convenience. The National Academy of Sciences report states that the US health care industry spent between $10 and $15 billion on information technology in 1996. Much of this expenditure is attributed to creating electronic records systems and converting conventionally stored data to electronic formats.   There are many software programs specially developed for electronic record keeping. This includes ‘Doctors partner’, an advanced Electronic Medical Records (EMR) System with Integrated Appointment Scheduling Billing, Prescription Writer, Transcription Module, Document Management and Workflow Management built to meet HIPAA standards. ‘Practice Partner Patient Records’ is an award winning electronic medical records (EMR) system, allowing practices to store and retrieve patient charts electronically. There are innumerable such branded medical record softwares available today. The standards in practice for EMR include ASTM International Continuity of Care Record , ANSI X12 (EDI) CEN , EN13606, HISA, DICOM , HL7 ,ISO   and openEHR . (Ringold et.al.,2000). The American Medical Association and 13 other medical groups representing 500,000 physicians have signaled their intention to go electronic with the AMA formed   Physicians' â€Å"Electronic Health Record Coalition† to recommend affordable, standards-based technology to their constituents. President Bush has also promoted a nationwide computerized medical records system in a recent visit to a children's hospital at Vanderbilt University. Scientific innovations have found a niche in complicated medical procedures as well. A recent study successfully has evaluated a bar code patient identification system, which involves a hand-held computer for sample collection and for compatibility testing administration of blood. (Turner et.al, 2003). A recent research article (Sandler et.al, 2000) reports of a solid phase and micro titer plate hemagglutination method for pretransfusion compatibility tests. This I-TRAC is an automated process of blood matching with improved serological sensitivity and standardized compatibility testing supporting electronic record keeping and linking to a bar code identification system. San Raffale Hospital in Milan, Italy, has recently collaborated with Intel and CISCO systems to use wireless-enabled infrastructures and Radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies. The system uses RFID-radio frequency identification technology to address the sources of   human and systems error in blood transfusion supply chain. This pilot programme has been   implemented at the 1,100 bed San Raffale hospital where more than 15000 blood transfusions are done every year. The CAT (Computer Aided Tomography) is yet another revolution in medicine which combines the X-ray technology with computer signal processing to generate images of tissues of the body obscured by other organs. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a common technique used to scan pathological or physiological status of living tissues. Much is known about the computer aided continuous ECG monitoring with a play back facility for assessing the cardiac status of the patient. Today we are in a wonderful situation where we will be able to develop a drug based on computer analysis skipping a few phases of clinical testing. PERSPECTIVES ON THE PARADIGM SHIFT Thus, scientific innovations are part of the evolutionary process of the medical science. The basic instrument of a physician, the Stethoscope, the Sphygmomanometer used for monitoring the patient blood pressure, the Catheter, Radiotherapy, Chemotherapy, the EEG, ECG, EMG, Echocardiogram, Ultrasonic scan, to name a few were nothing but such scientific innovations integrated into the field of medicine in the nineteenth and twentieth century. Thus, Computer based telemedicine, medical record system, and diagnostic procedures are scientific innovations of the twenty-first century. Hence, it is nothing but a natural and moral obligation of the health care sector to integrate them into the field of medicine. Changes in financial incentives and health care delivery structures are producing new threats to health care quality (A.Brennan, 1991). The retributive measures are cumbersome and expensive. Hence, there is a need for more accountable health delivery system, which will enable application of modern scientific approaches to quality health care system. In this context, quality of the medical care depends on promotion of quality medical care by managed care organizations. REFERENCE Brennan, T, et.al, â€Å"Incidence of adverse events and negligence in hospitalized patients: the results of the Harvard Medical Practice Study†, New England Journal of Medicine 324: 370-76, 1991. Là ¦rum Hallvard, MD, Tom H. Karlsen, MD, and Arild Faxvaag, MD, PhD . â€Å"Effects of Scanning and Eliminating Paper-based Medical Records on Hospital Physicians' Clinical Work Practice†. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association 10: 588-595.2003. Ringold DJ , JP Santell, and PJ Schneider , â€Å"ASHP national survey of pharmacy practice in acute care settings: dispensing and administration–1999†. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy 57 (19): 1759-75. 2000. Sauer et.al, â€Å"Errors in transfusion medicine† Lab Med. 32(4): 205-207, 2001. Turner et.al, â€Å"Bar code technology: its role in increasing the safety of blood transfusion†, Transfusion, 43(9): 1200:2003.

Harmful Algal Blooms and Aquaculture

Harmful Algal Blooms and how they are Linked to Aquaculture Abstract Harmful algal blooms cause a wide range of negative effects on aquaculture. These effects are come from the complexity of harmful algal species; the toxins they create and morphology they have adapted. Science still lacks a full understanding of factors that are envolved in blooms formation. Aquaculture and harmful algal blooms are directly related because it is one of many anthropogenic factors that unintentionally produce the conditions that promote harmful algal blooms.The methods of production, feeds used, waste produced can lead to nutrient loading and eutrophic conditions by releasing essential nutrients into water that are necessary for algal growth. Phosphorus and nitrogen compounds are two of the main byproducts or aquaculture that are associated with bloom formation. To minimize the effects of harmful algal blooms on aquaculture you must understand the diversity and complexity of harmful algal blooms and t heir relationship with aquaculture. Abstract Harmful algal blooms cause a wide range of negative effects on aquaculture.These effects are come from the complexity of harmful algal species; the toxins they create and morphology they have adapted. Science still lacks a full understanding of factors that are envolved in blooms formation. Aquaculture and harmful algal blooms are directly related because it is one of many anthropogenic factors that unintentionally produce the conditions that promote harmful algal blooms. The methods of production, feeds used, waste produced can lead to nutrient loading and eutrophic conditions by releasing essential nutrients into water that are necessary for algal growth.Phosphorus and nitrogen compounds are two of the main byproducts or aquaculture that are associated with bloom formation. To minimize the effects of harmful algal blooms on aquaculture you must understand the diversity and complexity of harmful algal blooms and their relationship with a quaculture. Andrew Blajda Introduction Over the last several decades harmful algal blooms events or HABs are believed to be increasing in frequency and geographic range. The reported increase is a major concern because of the wide scale impact they have on he environment and human activities. The effect of HABs on aquaculture can be very damaging with reduced growth, mortalities or accumulation of toxins. If aquaculture operations take place in the open bodies of water they have little or no way of avoiding incoming blooms. Harmful algal bloom events that come in contact with aquaculture operations often have negative effects that can include student growth, weakened immunity, mortalities, and on economic losses.One of the bigger concerns today is the apparent increase in harmful bloom events. Researchers have linked this increase with anthropogenic activities, aquaculture being one of them. Aquaculture operations adds additional nutrients to the system, this lowers nutrients that l imits algal growth. A better understand of the dynamics and characters the form and make up a bloom combined with the a better understanding of nutrient loading of aquaculture could potentially help reduce the negative effects harmful algal blooms have on aquaculture.Single celled microscopic algae like phytoplankton are the most globally abundant species and one of the oceans’ most important resources. These autotrophic primary producers form the bottom of the food pyramid, acting as the primary source of food for larval finfish, crustaceans, filter feeding bivalves, and other species (Hallengraeff, 1995). In normal concentrations, these single celled algae work in balance with the ocean and its inhabitants, filling important roles in chemical and nutrient cycles. They act as primary producers, providing nutrients and food for variety of different species.These simple microscopic species are vitally important to the success of both fisheries and aquaculture, but in some situ ations they can also have detrimental effects on the marine and coastal environment and numerous terrestrial and marine species. A combination of physical, chemical, biological, hydrological, and meteorological events can generate appropriate conditions that allow these simple single celled microalgae can exhibit exponential growth and reproduction. These natural events create the opportunity for algal bloom formation with potential large scale negative effects throughout the area they cover (Graham, 2007).Algal blooms can be very diverse and differ from one another in many ways . How they form, the algal specie of causation, characteristics and dynamics of a blooms, the species they affect, and impacts they cause are some of the complex factors that are found in blooms (Zingone & Enevoldsen, 2000). The specific characteristics used to define a harmful bloom vary by sources. Hans Paerl, among others, defined harmful blooms by using several characteristics. Paerl also defined harmful blooms at their most basic level by classifying them as having nuisance conditions, meaning ecological and/or economic impacts (Paerl, 1988).As harmful algal blooms move across the ocean, the observable effects they cause go beyond the ocean and marine species it covers. These events will also have wide spread negative impacts on costal terrestrial organism and both human health and activities. Algal species produce sevral different toxins that are detrimental effects to human health, causing various illnesses and mortalities. About 10% of foodborne disease in the United States results from algal toxins; worldwide they cause more than 60,000 intoxications a year. Van Dolah, 2000) Economic losses due harmful algal blooms have been estimated in the tens of millions of dollars, from costs of beach clean ups, decreased tourism, and closing or stopping sales of commercial fisheries and aquaculture (Van Dolah et al. , 2001). Over the past several decades there has been an apparent increa se in the frequency and geographic range of harmful algal blooms. This apparent increase has been attributed to both increased observations and focus on harmful algal blooms and increased inputs from anthropogenic sources.Aquaculture is one of many anthropogenic activities that is believed to be hypernutrification and eutrophic conditions in surrounding bodies of water. This paper will attempt to gain a better understanding of diversity of harmful algal blooms and also the effect aquaculture has on the environment in adding in formation of harmful algal blooms. Algal Blooms Historically algal blooms are a naturally occurring phenomenon in earth’s oceans and have been observed throughout recorded history (Hallegraeff, 1993).These events are often beneficial to bivalves by supplying an abundant food supply to these filters feeding that relay on microalgae for their source of nutrients. Algal blooms can quickly turn into detrimental to the environment and its inhabitants are var ious ways (Leverone, 2007). Sources from human history including the bible may contain the first documented cases of algal blooms. In Exodus 7: 20-21 referring to one of the plaques on Egypt â€Å"all the waters that were in the river turned to blood, and the fish that was in the river died†.Some historians and scientist now believe this biblical reference from 1,000BC could be the first written record of an algal bloom. (Hallegraeff, 1993) Other historical sources may have unknowing recorded written evidence on algal blooms, in China around 200AD general Zhu Ge-Ling documented sicknesses and losses of military personnel after drinking from a river that was stained green. (Chorus & Bartram, 1999) Examination of fossil algal specimens and historical reference compounding evidence that these event are not a new phenomenon and have been occurring in earth’s oceans for thousands if not millions of years.Recent finding from numerous long term studies conducted around the wo rld has brought a strong belief in the scientific community that algal blooms have been increasing in their frequency and geographic distribution. Even though most scientiest support the idea of a global increase of blooms and twith strong evidence supporting this theroy there is still a major dissagreement about what is causing the increase (Pelley, 1998). The apparent increase of algal blooms, along with the global impacts on aquatic organisms, the environment, human health, and activities has increased interest and research being done on these events (Li et al. 2002; Van Dolah et al. , 2001). The exact characteristics and descriptions that define an algal bloom are fairly broad and very from source to source. I was unable to find a universal definition of algal blooms. The description and definition I came across were similar but differed in many aspects; this included sizes, formation factors, impacts, and algal species. Overall algal blooms are generally defined significant inc rease in biomass due to a rapid reproduction of a single microalgal species.The problem with this source is there can also be macroalgal blooms. Others described them as forming high density populations, with some species creating visible discoloration of the water. (Carstensen, Henriksen, & Heiskanen, 2007; Diersing, 2009) Others define blooms by impacts they cause; displacing indigenes species, destroy habitat, oxygen depletion, and alter biochemical cycles. (Hoagland et al. , 2002) A more generalized definition was given by Hallegraeff, adding that a bloom must have at least million cells per liter (Hallegraeff, 1993).The defining characteristic that differentiates a bloom from a harmful algal bloom is when they takes on a destructive roll and causes environment impacts. The term harmful is defined more specifically as causing negative impacts on the environment and adverse effects on both aquatic and terrestrial organisms. This is due to factors such as toxins they produce, spec ie specific cell physical structure causing damage to aquatic organisms or by accumulation of biomass affect naturally occurring organisms causing alterations food web dynamics and biochemical cycles (Anderson et al. 2002). Depending on the species, some algae produce toxins that can affect crustaceans, fish, shellfish, birds and mammals including humans; nontoxic species can still causes damage by blocking light from penetrating the water column, clogging or damaging gills, and creating anoxic conditions from accelerated decomposition as they die off (Silver et al. , 2006; Sellner et al. , 2003) Harmful alga can also have impacts on shoreline coastal habitats, toxins can be transported onto the shore by sea spray (Hoagland et al. , 2002).There are over 5,000 know photoplanktonic algal species that inhabit the marine waters only a small portion, about 300 species are known to have blooming capabilities and even fewer, about 40-80 species or 2-3% of all photoplantonic algal species a re known to have toxic chemicals producing capabilities; this includes members that form red tides (Hallegraeff, 1993; Smayda, 1997). Nontoxic red tides are not uncommon, today people often incorrectly or mistakenly refer to toxic algal blooms as red tides even when brown, green or colorless (Anderson, 1994).Toxic and other harmful algal species are ubiquitous throughout the marine and freshwater environment; the majority of the time they present at low population densities that cause few, if any and only minor impacts on the environment and its local inhabitants (Van Dolah, 2000). There are a variety of different phycotoxins algal species are able to synthesize; individual species will only produce one type of toxin. The evolutionary advantages of these toxins are not fully understood; they are believed to play a role in bloom formation and predator protecting (Nehring, 1993).The different phycotoxins vary from one another in terms of the impacts and degree of damage they have on m arine and terrestrial organisms, depending on the toxicity, the concentration, and the organisms. Toxicity vary among algal species Dinophysis is one example, they have the ability to produce toxins that have negative effects at densities as low as 100 cells per L-1 (Sellner et al. , 2003). The most toxic algal species are mainly found in dinoflagellets (Table 1) with some having toxicity greater than venomous snakes. Table 1.Toxicity of several phycotoxins created different organisms including algae. (Van Dolah, 2000) The taxonomic algal groups’ dinoflagellets, raphidophyetes, cynobactria, and some diatoms are known to have the capabilities of phycotoxins production; these species are often the culprit behind harmful algal blooms. Phycotoxins are toxic chemicals created biologically by photosynthetic organisms. Dinoflagellets are one of the predominate species that forms red tides; members of this group also produce toxin that lead to foodborne illness and human mortalities (Li et al. , 2002; Hallegraeff et al. 1995). Human induced illnesses are not an uncommon result from consumption of seafood. Many algal toxins are potentially dangerous and even deadly to humans. Toxins accumulate in tissues of organisms like shellfish, finfish, and crustaceans that come in contact with a toxic bloom. These species are usually far less affected by algal toxins having adaptive mechanisms that lower the effects on the organisms associated with toxic blooms. However toxins still accumulate within the tissues and detoxification can take weeks before they reach levels safe for human consumption.Algal toxins cause for concerns for humans not only because they maintain their toxicity long after the bloom but more importantly because they can withstanding heat from cooking. Algal toxin foodborne diseases are caused by various species or toxins and come from different vectors. Bivalve vectors can induce human illness that include (Table 2) paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) , neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP), amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP), diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP); other vectors can lead to various other diseases as well (Van Dolah, 2000).The popular term of red tide given to harmful algal bloom comes from compact, high densities of algal cells that containing red photosynthetic pigments, causing the water to appear red (Carstensen et al. , 2007). These toxic species can normally be found in low concentrations have no impacts on organisms and environment. The adverse effects on organism often deepened on cell concentration; in blooms toxic algae aggregate and are more dangerous (Van Dolah, 2000).Some toxic algal species have developed unique life cycles and morphological characteristics that allow them to occupy a specific niche that will be further examined. Table 2. Foodborne and environmental disease caused by harmful algal species, the toxin produced and the primary vector they inhabit. (Van Dolah, 2000) Harmful algal species ha ve many adverse impacts on bivalves’ this includes a wide range of sub-lethal and lethal effects; some algal species are more detrimental than others (Leverone, 2007). It is believed that increase frequency of blooms is partially due to the introduction of non-indigenous algal species.Non-indigenous species potentially will create a specific niche, and/or out compete native species. Indigenous naturally occurring harmful algal species are far less direct effects on bivalves; this is because they have been able to naturally adapt to their presence over time. Native algal species in most case do not have as bad direct, detrimental impacts on shellfish and are usually not associated with large scale bivalve die off. The exception to this is in cases of intense blooms (Matsuyama & Shumway, 2009; Nehring, 1993; Zingone & Enevoldsen, 2000).It’s still hard to truly say many large scale die-offs and increase sub-lethal impacts are directly due to non-indigenous algal species b ecause identification is sometimes difficult, longer term data individual algal species geographic ranges are limited combined, and the theory anthropogenic factors are causing an overall increase in blooms. In many circumstance of HAB mortalities it’s difficult to differentiate whether they resulted from the algal specie or unfavorable water quality that coincide with blooms (Anderson et al. , 2002; Leverone, 2007).Complex morphology are found in many harmful algal species that helps protect them from predation and the environment and help obtain nutrients. Diatom algae are members of the Bacillariophyceae class; they have been around for over 180 million years helping to create earth’s atmosphere and also play a major role in nutrient and chemical cycles. Over their evolutionary history diatoms have developed a variety of different exterior cellular morphology for protection from the environment and predation. They have a range of cell shapes and sizes and also form unique frustule cell walls made from silica.The frustule cell wall is made up of two over lapping overlapping silica bands forming a protective shell. The 100,000 diatom species have developed â€Å"seeming infinite variations† of cell wall micropatterns and structures; including ridges, spines and plates (Kroger & Poulsen, 2008) These cellular morphological characteristics help protect them under adverse environmental conditions and restrict or prevent predation. Some species of diatoms have developed such strong cell walls with structural properties that enable them to survive ingestion and escape after passing through the digestive system. (Merkel, et al. 2003) The benefits of these structures do have negative effects and come at the expense of motile abilities, limits growth, and makes the cell very dense; motile restorations and high cell densities make diatoms much more likely to sink out of the high nutrient water column. Bloom Formation The intricacy of bloom formatio n is due to both the abiotic(environmental and anthropogenic factors) and biotic factors; these being the algae themselves. Adaptations of life cycle, morphology, and environmental conditions enable rapid reproduction of certain algal species that have developed specific niches (Sellner et al. 2003; Zingone & Enevoldsen, 2000). Algal blooms formation driven by the complex relation between the environmental factors and algal species; although we understand the basics of formation there are still many unknowns. There are seemingly endless amounts of variables and factors that play a role in creating of a bloom. The main driving factors of when and where a bloom forms are a combination of environmental/anthropogenic factors (nutrient cycles and inputs) and algal morphology (Pinckney et al. , 1997; Sellner et al. ,2003).As simple as it sounds, there are countless variables including natural condition, anthropogenic effects, algal physiological and morphological characteristics that lead to the unpredictability and overall misunderstanding we still have on blooms. (Sellner et al. , 2003; Anderson, 1994) The belief that algal blooms are increasing in frequency and geographic range is a popular belief that is backed by numerous studies. The cause of this apparent increase has been attributed to the expanding human population (anthropogenic effects).Some still argue that the increase in blooms is due to the increase in observations from studies worldwide, a better understanding of blooms and better record keeping; but with overwhelming evidence supporting the lateral it’s hard to believe the human race is not playing a major roll. (Sellner et al. , 2003) Looking at the numer of literary reference to harmful algal bloom over 70 years(figure 1) shows a dramitic increase algal blooms from the 1920’s through late 1990’s (Hallegraeff, 1993). This also give arguments that increase research and technology contriubute to the increase ovserevd.Figure 1. Li terary references of harmful algal blooms from Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstract (AFSA) publications over about 70 years. The increase can be attributed to a combination of anthropogenic factors or increased observations and present arguments for both sides. (Hallegraeff, 1993) Today we have an understanding of the natural environmental processes and factors that lead to bloom formation; but the effects humans apply to the environment alter the natural cycles making it more difficult to predict blooms (Paerl, 1988).Blooms occur under irregular conditions that promote growth and reproduction allowing some species to flourish. The conditions found in blooms broad and often species’ specific adding to the complexity and unpredictability of blooms. In general the conditions associated with blooms are abundance (eutrophic), or an imbalance of nutrients, along with favorable water conditions (temperature, DO, salinity, etc. ). Natural processes like atmospheric deposition, wa ter column turnover, upwelling, oceanic currents, storms, and anomalous weather events (El Nino) work together and fluctuate over time effecting mixing rates, water quality.Nutrients pools build up over time from organic decomposition in benthic sediment. Mixing of the sediment perelapses the nutrient pools and bring about eutrophic conditions or alter the water chemistry that enable specific species of algae to flourish (Sellner et al. , 2003; Van Dolah, 2000; Paerl, 1988). Natural mixing rates occur during regularly during temporal or seasonal with environmental fluxes or randomly from disturbances (natural anthropogenic). Sediment mixing are very important environment processes, releasing nutrients back into the water column allowing for increased primary producer growth.Seasonal and temporal sediment mixing produce lead to the specific conditions that form blooms. Eutrophication has been defined as â€Å"an increase in supply of organic matter to the ecosystem; in terms of alga l bloom this refers to an increase in nutrients that allows an increase of primary production† (Bonsdorff et al. , 1997). Three key nutrients, nitrates ammonia and phosphates are associated with eutrophication and considered the driving forces behind bloom (Sheng, Jinghong, Shiqiang, Jixi, Dingyong, & Ke, 2006). The levels found in marine waters are driven naturally based on natural events discussed above.Studies have found a correlation between anthropogenic actives leading to nitrogen and phosphorus nutrient loading and the apparent increase in frequency of algal blooms along with alteration of natural nitrogen/phosphorus ratio (Bonsdorff et al. , 1997; Paerl, 2009). There are various anthropogenic activities that have led to the both local and global increase of nutrients in fresh and marine waters. Aquaculture is just one of many of these activities. Many studies have shown that aquaculture operations have byproducts that can cause eutrophic conditions.Nutrient loading fro m aquaculture only has local effects and the amount of effects it causes is size dependent (Anderson et al. , 2002). Aquaculture and Nutrient Loading It is important to understand the relationship between aquaculture and harmful algal blooms. Additional nutrients from the feed used, effluent discharge, and waste products are some of the source that lead to nutrient loading (Tacon & Forster, 2003). The amount of additional nutrients added to a system increases based on how intensive the operation is.HABs have wide spread negative impacts on aquaculture, the hope of significantly minimizing these impacts are still years away. To minimize the effects on aquaculture you must understand characteristics and dynamics of blooms, this includes the diversity of species involved and the factors associated with bloom formation. The apparent increase frequency and geographic range of harmful algal blooms is very important to aquaculture because aquaculture plays a role in helping create the cond itions necessary for bloom formation.Aquaculture operations provided year round nutrient inputs in a local aspect, this eliminates nutrient limitations in those areas (Bonsdorff et al. , 1997). This section will discuss and review the relationship aquaculture has with nutrient loading and eutrophication of the surrounding water. Nitrogen and phosphors are to key elements that take on various forms necessary for bloom formation. Both nitrogen and phosphors in the forms of nitrates, ammonia, phosphates and other compounds are byproducts of aquaculture.Algal growth is limited by nutrient availability, mainly based on availability of nitrogen and phosphors in the environment. Nitrogen in the forms of nitrates and ammonia are water soluble and enter the system from either dissolved feeds, effluent discharge, or from waste produced by fish. Phosphates often accumulate mainly in the sediment and during mixing events are released into the water in high quantities (Karakassis, Pitta, & Krom, 2005). Nutrient loading from aquaculture that leads to eutrophic conditions come from several sources. The amount and source of the nutrients depends on the operation.Location of farm (open ocean, ponds, raceways etc. ), what is being cultured (shrimp, finfish, bivalves), what are the inputs (feeds, fertilizer, etc. ) and how intensive the operation is. The source of local nutrient loading from aquaculture can be traced back to where the operation is taking place. Open ocean farming of finfish for instance causes eutrophic conditions right around the cages. On the other hand inland facilities such as pond systems and other flow through systems release effluent discharge causing nutrient in the and around the bodies of water they run into.The species being cultured also plays a major role. Bivalves for instance play a role in limiting algal growth by filter feeding, while finfish inputs and excreting essential nutrients in their waste is a major source of nutrients (Soto & Mena, 199 1). How intensive an operation is and the actual inputs into the system are directly related. The more intensive an operation the more inputs and the more inputs the greater chance of hypernutrification and eutrophic conditions. Different operations require different inputs and these inputs have different nutrient atios. Culture of some juvenile finfish require fertilization to promote phytoplankton growth for feed this puts the essential nutrients for algal growth directly into the system. The feeds used in aquaculture vary on the nutrients they are made up of, how stable they are and whether they float or sink. These factors are all in play in nutrient loading that come directly from aquaculture (Islam, 2005). The effects of aquaculture feeds on nutrient loading depend on several factors. There are three main factors these include; 1) the amount of wasted feed.This is due to poor farming and management practice and floating Vs. sinking feeds. Poor management practices means over o r an improper feeding technique that puts more feed in the water. Floating and sinking feed choices is also important. Sinking feeds may not be eaten by finfish if they go through the bottom of a net or cage, or if they sit on the bottom. On the other hand floating feeds may be less stable or uneaten if they are transported out of a system or to a place where they are unable to be eaten. 2) The actual quality of the feed.This poor stability and high solubility of feed pellets in water mean that once they are in the water they will be broken down and release more and nutrients and in less time. The final factor is deals is loosely related to the previous two. 3) Once the feed is ingested factors such as limitations of absorption and retention of the nutrients from the feed. This factor deals mainly with poor digestibility or metabolism of the species being culture to the feed they are given. The nutrients in the feeds many not be utilized to their full potential once ingested fish wi ll excrete the excess nutrients (Soto & Mena, 1991).Feed and nutrient inputs play a major role in nutrient loading and creating the conditions that promote algal growth either directly in the form of uneaten feeds or nutrients leaching or dissolving from the feeds, or indirectly from the digestion, metabolism and waste products from the species being cultured (Tacon & Forster, 2003). The important of feeds in nutrient loading must not be overlooked one study estimated that 70% of phosphorus and 30-50% of nitrogen in feeds is not utilized by fish and is released into the environment (Soto & Mena, 1991).This only shows two of the most essential nutrients associated with bloom formation and not the various other nutrients that are also released and are important for algal growth. This also shows the significance of feeds based on the large amount of nutrients that are not utilized and instead entering the environment, promoting algal growth. Over all aquaculture farm operations lead to excessive amounts of inorganic and organic fertilizer, feeds, and wastes that are put into local water bodies with high concentrations nutrient, that lead to nutrient loading and eutrophic conditions.Discussion and Conclusions Aquaculture over the last several decades has grown globally in both its production and popularity. In the future aquaculture will continue to grow in its importance to the human population as alternative food source to agriculture and wild fisheries, as well as helping with the depleted ocean stocks. As of now it appear that we will be seeing an increase in aquaculture around the world in the years to come. Although there are many benefits to aquaculture and the potential of increased production may have we must measure the benefits against the environment impacts they cause.Nutrient loading is just one of the environmental impacts associated with aquaculture and the effects of nutrient loading go beyond promotion of algal blooms. The global increase in aqua culture coincides with the apparent increase in harmful algal. Although there are many other anthropogenic factors that are at play in global nutrient loading aquaculture is a major local point-source form. We must understand the specific conditions that are associated blooms and the role aquaculture plays along with how complex and diverse blooms can if we hope to develop mechanisms that can significantly reduce the impacts on aquaculture.I choose the topic of harmful algal blooms and aquaculture effects of nutrient loading because it fits in perfect with our class: aquaculture and the environment. The purpose of this paper was to gain a general understanding of harmful algal blooms, and also to review the factors of aquaculture that lead to nutrient loading, eutrophic conditions, and the aid in bloom formation. This topic caught my attention because of similar topics I’ve cover and work I’ve done this semester in this class and others classes.Harmful algal blooms in general are very interesting because of the diversity of blooms, the range of effects they have, how unique the species involved are, and because of the complexity and over all lack of understanding have in factors of bloom formation. The purpose of this class included reviewing the impact of aquaculture on the environment and methods of reducing or eliminating those impacts. This paper focuses on harmful algal blooms and how aquaculture creates conditions that promoted bloom formation.I focused a great deal of this paper on harmful algal blooms because if you hope to minimize the impacts they cause you must appreciate and understand their complexity and also understand the relation they have with aquaculture. The purpose of this paper was not to examine direct ways in which to minimize nutrient inputs of harmful algal blooms but the information given on harmful algal blooms and the role aquaculture plays in promoting bloom formation is useful to future studies and reviews focusing on ways to minimize the impacts of HABs on aquaculture and help reduce the factors of aquaculture that promote harmful bloom formation.Bibliography Anderson, D. M. (1994). Red Tides. Scientific American Vol. 271, No. 2, 52-58. Anderson, D. M. , Glibert, P. M. , & Burkholder, J. M. (2002). Harmful Algal Blooms and Eutrophication: Nutrient Sources, Composition, and Consequences . Estuaries Vol. 25, No. 4b, 704-726. Anderson, D. , Andersen , P. , Bricelj, V. , Cullen, J. , & Rensel, J. (2001). Monitoring and Management Strategies for Harmful Algal Blooms in Coastal Waters. Paris: UNESCO. Bonsdorff, E. , Blomqvist, E. M. , Mattila, J. , & Norkko, A. (1997).Coastal Eutrophication: Causes, Consequences and Perspectives in the Archipelago Areas of the Northern Baltic Sea. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science Vol. 44, Sup. A, 63-72. Bonsdorff, E. , Blomqvist, E. , Mattila, J. , & Norkko, A. (1997). Coastal Eutrophication: Causes, Consequences and Perspectives in the Archipelago Areas of the Northern Baltic Sea. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science Vol. 44. Burkholder, J. , & Glasgow, H. (1997). Trophic Controls on Stage Transformation of a Toxic Ambush-Predatior Dinoflagellate. Journal of Eukaryotic and Microbiology Vol. 44, Issue 3, 200-205.Carstensen, J. , Henriksen, P. , & Heiskanen, A. -S. (2007). Algal Blooms in Shallow Estuaries: Definition, Mechanisms, and Link to Eutrophication. Limnology and Oceanography, Vol. 52, No. 1, 370-384. Chorus , I. , & Bartram, J. (1999). Toxic Cyanobacteria in Water: A guide to their public health consequences, . London: E & FN spon . Diersing, N. (2009). Phytoplankton Blooms: The Basics. Florida keys: NOAA. Gerssen, A. , Pol-Hofstad, I. E. , Poelman, M. , Mulder, P. P. , Van Den Top, H. J. , & Boer, J. (2010). Marine Toxins: Chemistry, Toxicity, Occurrence and Detection,.Toxins Vol. 2, 878-904. Gilbert , P. M. , & Burkholder, J. M. (2006). The Complex Relationships Between Increases in Fertilization of the Earth, Coastal Eutrophic ation and Proliferation of Harmful Algal Blooms. Ecological Studies Vol. 189, 331-354. Hallegraeff, G. M. (1993). A Review of Harmful Algal Blooms and their Apparent Global Increase*. Phycologia Vol. 32 No. 2, 79-99. Hallegraeff, G. M. (1993). Global Increase of Harmful Algal Blooms. Phycologia 32(2). Hallegraeff, G. M. , Anderson, D. M. , & Cembella, A. D. (1995). Manual on Harmful Marnie. Paris: UNESCO. Hallengraeff, G.M. (1995). Harmful Algal Blooms: A Global Overview. In G. M. Hallegraeff , D. M. Anderson , & A. D. Cembella, Manual on Harmful Marine Microalgae. Paris: UNESCO. Hegaret, H. , Mirella da Silva, P. , Wikfors, G. H. , Haberkorn, H. , Shumway, S. E. , & Soudant, P. (2011). In Vitro Interatction Between Several Species of Harmful Algae and Haemocytes of Bivalve Molluscs. Cell Biology and Toxicology Vol. 27 No. 4, 249-266. Hegaret, H. , Shumway, S. , Wikfors, G. , Pate, S. , & Burkholder, J. (2008). Potential Transport of Harmful Algae via Relocation of Bivavle Molluscs. Marine Ecology Progress Series Vol. 361 , 169-179. Hoagland, P. , Anderson, D. M. , Kaoru, Y. , & White, A. M. (2002). The Economic Effects of Harmful Algal Blooms in the United . Estuaries Vol. 25, No. 4b, 819-837. Islam, S. (2005). Nitrogen and Phosphorus Budget in Coastal and Marine Cage Aquaculture and Impacts of Efflent Loading on Ecosytem: Review and Analysis towards Model Development. Marine Pollution Bulletin Vol. 50. Karakassis, I. , Pitta, P. , & Krom, M. (2005). Contribution of Fish Farming to the Nutrient Loading of the Mediterranean. Science Maria Vol. 9. Keyhani, N. , & Roseman, S. (1998). Physiological Aspects of Chitin Catabolism in Marine Bactria. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) General Subjects Vol. 1473 Issue 1, 108-122. Kroger, N. , & Poulsen, N. (2008). Diatoms—From Cell Wall Biogenesis to Nanotechnology. Annual Review of Genetics Vol. 42, 83-107. Lansberg, J. (2002). The Effects of Harmful Algal Blooms on Aquatic Organisms . Reviews in Fisheries Scie nce Vol. 10, No. 2, 113-390. Leverone, J. R. (2007). Comparative Effects of the Toxic Dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis, on Bivalve Molluscs from Florida.Graduate School These and Dissertation , University of South Florida, Biological and Oceanography. Lewitus, A. , Horner, R. , Caron, D. , Garcia-Mendoza, E. , Hickey, B. , Hunter, M. , et al. (2012). Harmful algal blooms along the North American west coast region:. Harmful Algae 19, 133-159. Li, S. -C. , Wang, W. -X. , & Hsieh, D. P. (2002). E? ects of toxic dino? agellate Alexandrium. Marine Environmental Research Vo. 53, 145-160. Matsuyama, Y. , & Shumway, S. (2009). Impacts of Harmful Algal Blooms on Shellfish Aquaculture. Cambridge: Woodhead Publishing . Merkel, R. Hamm, C. E. , Springer, O. , Jurkojc, P. , Maire, C. , Prechtel, K. , et al. (2003). Architecture and Material Properties of Diatom Shells Provide Effective Mechanical Protection. Nature Vol 421, 841-843. Nehring, S. (1993). Mechanisms for Recurrent Nuisance Algal Bloom s in Coastal Zones: Resting Cycst Formation as Life-Strategy of Dinoflagellates. Proceedings of the International Coastal Congress ICC Kiel 192. (pp. 454-467). Berlin: Peter Lang Publishing. Paerl, H. W. (1988). Nuisance Phytoplankton Blooms in Coastal, estuarine, and Inland Waters. Limnology and Oceanography, Vol. 3, No. 4, Part 2, 823-847. Paerl, H. W. (2009). Controlling Eutrophication alng the Freshwater-Marine Continuum: Dual Nutrient (N and P) Reduction are Essential. Estuaries and Coasts Vol. 32, 593-601. Pelley, J. (1998). What is causing Toxic Algal Bloom? Anvironmental Science & technology Vol. 32, No. 1, 26-30. Pinckney, J. L. , Millie, D. F. , Vinyard, B. T. , & Paerl, H. W. (1997). Environmental Controls of Phytoplankton Bloom Dynamics in the Neuse River Estuary, North Carolina, U. S. A. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Vol. 54, 2491-2501. Sellner, K. G. Doucette, G. J. , & Kirkpatrick, G. J. (2003). Harmful Algal Blooms: Causes, Impacts and Detection. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol Vol. 30, 383-406. Sheng, Z. , Jinghong, L. , Shiqiang, W. , Jixi, G. , Dingyong, W. , & Ke, Z. (2006). Impact of Aquaculture on Eutrophication in Changshou Reservoir. Chinese Journal of Geochemistry. Silver, M. , Kudela, R. , & Roberts, K. (2006). Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). California: Center for Integrated Marine Technologies (CeNCOOS). Smayda, T. J. (1997). Harmful Algal Blooms: Their Ecophysiology and General Relevance to Phytoplankton Blooms.Limnology and Oceanography Vol. 42 No. 5, 1136-1153. Smayda, T. J. , & Reynolds, C. S. (2001). Community Assmbly in Marine Phytoplankto: Application of Recent Models to Harmful Dinoflagellate Blooms. Journal of Plankton Research Vol. 23, No. 5, 447-461. Soto, D. , & Mena, G. (1991). Filter Feeding by Freshwater Mussel, Diplodon Chilensis, as a Biocontrol of Salmon Farming Eutrophication. Aquaculture Vol. 171, 65-81. Tacon, A. , & Forster, I. (2003). Aquafeeds and the Environment: Policy Implications. Aquaculture Vol. 226. Thouzeau, G. Chauvaud, L. , & Paulet, Y. -M. (1998). Effects of Environmental Factors on the Daily Growthrate of Pecten maximus Juveniles in the Bay of Brest (France). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology Vol. 227 Isu. 1, 83-111. Tran, D. , Haberkorn, H. , Soudant, P. , Ciret, P. , & Massabuau, J. -C. (2010). Behavioral Responses of Crassostrea gigas Exposed to the Harmful Algal Alexandrium minutum. Aquaculture Vol. 298 Issues 3-4, 338-345. Van Dolah, F. M. , RoeIke, D. , & Greene, R. M. (2001). Health and Ecological Impacts of Harmful Algal.Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: Vol. 7, No. 5, pp, 1329-1345. Van Dolah, F. M. (2000). Marine Algal Toxins: Origins, Health Effects, and Their Increased Occurrence. Environmental Health Perspectives Vo. 108, No. 1, 133-141. Villareal, T. (1988). Positive Bouyancy in the Ocean Diatom Rhizosoenia debyana H. Peragallo. Deep-Sea Research. Part A. Oceanographic Research Papers Vol. 35, No. 6, 1037-1045. Walsby, A. , & B leything, A. (1988). The Bimensions of Cyanobacterial Gas Vesicles in Relation to their Efficiency in Providing Buoyancy and Withstanding Pressure. ournal of General Microbiology Vol. 134, No. 10, 2635-2645. Wayne, L. , Vandersea, M. , Kibler, S. , Madden, V. , Noga, E. , & Tester, P. (2002). Life Cyle of the Heterotrophic Dinoflagellate Pfiesteria piscicida (Dinophyceae). Journal of Phycology Vol. 38, No. 3, 442-463. Xie, Y. , Hu, B. , Wen, C. , & Mu, S. (2011). Morphology and Phagocytic Ability of Hemocytes from Cristaria plicata. Aquaculture Vol. 310 Issues 3-4, 245-251. Zingone, A. , & Enevoldsen, H. O. (2000). The diversity of harmful algal blooms: a challenge. Ocean & Coastal Management.

Evaluation of the Company's Strategy Coursework

Evaluation of the Company's Strategy - Coursework Example This report assesses the current strategy of the business in the light of the Ansoff Matrix, the BCG Matrix and the SAFS Framework. The discussion also provides pertinent recommendations regarding the development of future business strategy with special focus on emerging markets and the impact of diversification. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 4 Analysis and Critical Evaluation of the Organisation's Strategic Position 5 Analysis of the Organisation's Strategic Direction 6 Ansoff Matrix 6 BCG Matrix 9 SAFS Framework 11 Conclusions and Recommendations 12 List of References 14 Introduction Headquartered in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, Tesco PLC stands as one of the country’s premier supermarket retail chains while, maintaining its global standing in the category of top three multinational retailers (Henry 2008: 77). Presently, the extensive operations of the organization serve 14 nations and provide employment to around 520,000 dedicated members of the workf orce, additionally, the global sales of the business amount to a staggering ?72 billion with a reported increase of 5.3% in the group’s pretax profit from the previous year (Tesco PLC Annual Report 2012). Tesco’s evolution as one of the leading supermarket retail chain of the UK has been documented by strategic analysts for the purposes of assessing the progress of the public limited company in a dynamic and highly competitive business environment. Over the years, Tesco PLC’s adaptation to the changing economic conditions has been marked the initiation and implementation of various strategies. As stated by Hensmans, Johnson and Yip (2013: 5) to ensure that an organization’s future plans yield successfully or desired results, a business must modify or advance its strategic framework in a manner that is compatible with the extent of change in the environment in which its operates, as a failure to abide by this rationale may lead to the creation of a â€Å" strategic drift†. Assessing the strategic planning and implementation of Tesco PLC Hensmans, Johnson and Yip (2013: 5) comment that the organization’s process of continuous change did not surface within a specific timeframe; it was in fact a gradual and ongoing process which was characterized by Tesco PLC’s entrance into the non-food market after building a strong presence in the foods category. Additionally, establishment of appropriate distribution channels and development of the company’s supply chain also comprised of this effort of modification to effectively address the market dynamics (Hensmans, Johnson and Yip 2013: 5). The preceding discussion postulates that strategic planning and implementation is a comprehensive concept that must be examined through a multidimensional perspective. In the light of this understanding this report presents an analysis and evaluation of the existing strategy of Tesco PLC by incorporating the assistance of pertinent tools and techniques of strategic management. In conclusion the report also presents recommendations to the Board of Directors to assist the development of future business’ strategy. Analysis and Critical Evaluation of the Organisation's Strategic Position The critical analysis and evaluation of Tesco PLC can be conducted effectively by integrating the factors which exist in the

Vivendi Universal Case Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Vivendi Universal Case - Assignment Example In the case of EBITDA, deprecation and amortization which does not involve the payment of cash but represents estimated annual charges for tangible and intangible assets respectively are not taken into account. These charges relate to the portion of assets used up during the period. Operating free cash flow which is seen as a more useful measure is the net operating capital after tax with a deduction for expenditures on operating capital during the period (Brigham and Ehrhardt 2010). Increasing free cash flow (FCF) is seen as the means by which managers seek to improve their company’s valuation (Brigham and Ehrhardt 2010). FCF takes into consideration interest and taxes as well as the company’s gross investment in operating capital in order to determine what is available to be distributed to investors. EBITDA does not differ from accrual earnings as it takes into consideration revenue earned during the current period but not yet received as well as expenses incurred but not yet paid. However, it does not take into consideration interest and taxes which relates to the net income earned during the period. Additionally, depreciation charges which seek to allocate the cost of operating assets over their estimated useful life and amortization charges on tangible assets for which amounts are capitalized in the accounts. Operating free cash flow differs from accrual earnings because it not only focus on expenses incurred during the period and revenue earned during the period but also investments in operating capital – fixed or non-current assets and current assets. Earnings accrual does not take gross investment in operating capital into account. I believe that auditors should be held responsible for auditing such information since the income statement and the cash flow statement form part of the financial statements that they provide opinion on in there audit report. They state whether these and

Weaning from a ventilator (early extubation) post CABG Essay

Weaning from a ventilator (early extubation) post CABG - Essay Example The ventilator is one such equipment that is it in great demand and so I decided to explore if there was a possibility to wean the post-operative Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) patients from the ventilators to reduce the time patients spend in the intensive care unit, cutting down on costs and pressure on the demand for these medical units. I found that on one side there was support for the early extubation of post CABG surgery patients, but there was also opposition to it. This created in me the desire to learn more on this subject, in an effort to provide better care to the patients in this intensive care unit and in that create the possibility of extending it to post CABG surgery patients in other critical care units. The plan of action in this endeavour would be to make use of the best available research to provide evidence on the subject of early extubation of post CABG surgery patients and then link it to the clinical expertise of the management of these patients and the preferences of these patients, to arrive at the best solution to early extubation in post CABG surgery patients. This would enable providing the most appropriate healthcare to these patients and would remain embedded in the tenets of evidence based learning in providing healthcare to patients. The study would aim at collecting available evidence on the subject of early extubation of post CABG surgery patients, by studying articles in available journals in libraries and also to use medical databases like MedScape in an attempt to collect evidence that would lead to the right conclusion on the possibility of early extubation in post CABG surgery patients and should the evidence provide that it is possible, locate evidence that provides the right protocol and systems that need to be utilised when employing early extubation in post CABG surgery patients. It would also be necessary to analyse the implication that such a change would bring about among the post

Social Disorganization Qeustion and Answer Essay

Social Disorganization Qeustion and Answer - Essay Example A city develops when people gather together at a particular place with a wide range of activities. The resultant is concentration that forms the city centre which is characterized by high population. The theory argues that due to the high population at the city centre, people and their activities will tend to disperse to the suburbs. This suburbs display distinctive characteristics as well as class. However, they all face similar ecological pressures. In such a society competition is not an option since once a particular suburb becomes prosperous it is invaded by people seeking job opportunities. From there on the former society setup is disorganized. This disorganization makes it hard for the current administration to govern because somewhere in the bureaucratic administration a disruption occurred and led to a breakdown of normative structures of the society. Therefore, social disorganization refers to the failure of the society in stages. First, the economic organizations fail to satisfy the whole population leading to competition for basic requirements such as food, security and housing. Next, social institutions fail. Then, people take upon themselves to provide what the societal structures were meant for. The different social groups in different suburbs define own ways for resource distribution. This leads to the formation of informal structures in the society and in this effort criminals are also involved in this process. The class disparity in this kind of society aggravates the crime aspect as the lower class seeks redistribution of wealth through informal means. To understand this effect of social disorganization, gang theory approaches this problem by identifying cultural deviance or subcultural theories as factors contributing to social disorganization (Lander, 1954). Basically, whenever social institutions fail

SAGE and the LGBT Elderly Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

SAGE and the LGBT Elderly - Essay Example The images in the campaign are often of gays and lesbians in the prime of their lives, enjoying and celebrating their sexual choices and the freedoms to exercise these choices. But while campaigns such as these surface important and urgent issues that society needs to know about, it also obscures an important narrative: that of the aging homosexual, rendered forgotten and made invisible by a youth-obsessed society that refuses to see and acknowledge the sexual agency of its more elderly members. This where the organization SAGE (Service and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders) comes in. It is the largest and oldest organization in America devoted to promoting the welfare of LGBT senior citizens and make sure that their voices do not get lost in a cacophony of voices. It seeks as well to address the particular vulnerabilities that affect the LGBT elders, who are often socially isolated and find themselves at the hands of culturally-insensitive medical practitioners. To quote their website, â€Å"With LGBT older adults twice as likely to live alone than heterosexual older adults, more than four times as likely to have no children, the informal caregiving support we assume is in place for older adults may not be there for LGBT elders.† Seeking to address this need, SAGE formed itself in 1978. It delivers services to LGBT elders in New York City but also pushes for policy reforms at the national level, and provides technical assistance to similarly-minded groups all over the country. It is not however a simple issue of sterile technical assistance. ... ceptibility to the hate agenda of conservative groups, SAGE employs a radical organizing component as well (Reisch, 2005: 288) – that is to say, â€Å"the replacement of oppressive institutions, conditions, systems and practices with ones that reflect principles of justice, equity and respect for human diversity.† (ibid.) How does anthropology come into the picture? Anthropology is a useful tool by which we study how the concepts and constructs of homosexuality evolve over time. To quote Weston (1993: 339), The same socio-historical conditions that facilitated the development of a gay movement in the United States, combined with the efforts of a hardy few who risked not only censure but their careers, allowed homosexuality to move to the center of scholarly attention. Though the field of lesbian/gay studies in anthropology has been slower to develop than its counterparts in literary studies or history, by the 1990s ethnographic analysis of homosexual behavior and identi ty, ‘gender bending’, lesbian and gay male communities, transgressive sexual practices and homosexuality were flourishing. It is also helpful here to discuss the notion of intersectionality – that which looks at the multiple, socially-constructed categories that interact in complex and multidimensional ways to produce and reproduce structures of inequality. It is hinged in the idea that themes of gender, race, class, and indeed age, should be perceived not as independent from each other, but as overlapping structures of oppression and exploitation that must be addressed and resisted together as it â€Å"shapes those upon whom it bestows privilege as well as those it oppresses.† (Frankenberg: 1993: 131).† In their website, SAGE enumerated three specific fundamental problems that they wish to

Security Concerns for America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Security Concerns for America - Essay Example Terrorist threats against US interests may be domestic or international in scope. International terrorism is generally conducted to protest US foreign policy, or draw international attention to a social cause. Al-Qaeda was formed as an organization that was protesting the US military presence in the Middle East, which they viewed as a threat to Islam (Pape, 2003, p.7). When a US group conducts a terrorist act on US soil, it is considered to be domestic terrorism. Domestic terrorists are generally extremists that have radicalized views on social programs and policies. Until recently, domestic terrorism was classed as a criminal act, and was investigated and prosecuted as a crime. More recent legislation has differentiated the criminal act from the terrorist act, and the law has made special investigation and prosecuting provisions available to law enforcement. Law enforcement has expanded powers to gather intelligence, collect evidence, and the labeling of an act as terrorism carries stiffer penalties than a simple crime. International terrorists can be labeled as 'enemy combatants' and forfeit certain rights to due process, and may be held without being charged or tried. In addition, their residences may be searched, personal records seized, and bank accounts frozen with fewer restrictions on obtaining a warrant. 3.) Surveillance The combination of technology and our nation's need for security has changed the way surveillance is conducted, as well as the ease with which it is justified. Surveillance has moved from a manual task that involved eyes and ears, to a much more automated system of recorders and cameras. In addition, modern electronic communications, and the Internet, is readily available to law enforcement to monitor. Local and federal courts are more willing to engage in high-tech surveillance due to the grave threats that are present in society. There is little debate in regards to the fact that the increase in intelligence gathering and surveillance has eroded our nation's fundamental rights. The debate has become; how many of our civil rights are we willing to sacrifice The American Bar Association (n.d.) contends that, "the government must have the tools necessary to do everything possible to prevent another attack on our nation", and goes on to warn that there is a "significant risk of excessive use of government surveillance authority without adequate oversight" (p.12). The expanded powers, and the technology available, greatly increases the possibility of abuse or misuse for personal or private gain. There should be no restrictions on the technology made available to law enforcement. If it can be used prudently to protect Americans and their interests, then it should be. There is an increased need for self-regulation by departments and organizations to use it sparingly and only when necessary. 4.) FISA Court Any time intelligence gathering, or suspects, involves a foreign country, the case is processed through the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Court. The FISA court "establishes a legal regime for "foreign intelligence" surveillance separate from ordinary law enforcement surveillance" (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, n.d.). The FISA Court, which makes it easier to obtain a warrant, gives law

Ways of Seeing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Ways of Seeing - Essay Example This paper outlines that ways of seeing has seven essays that have been divided into two major forms. This includes; four essays that use words, images, and the remaining three that uses only images to illustrate given information or an idea. This book /video categorically illustrates that ‘seeing comes before words’. The way the child looks and recognizes before he or she can speak is an example that justifies the illustration that states that seeing comes before words. In another scenario, ways of seeing establishes the place in the surrounding world. We usually see the sun set in the evening and justify that the earth is turning away and this shows that explanation behind the scenario never quite fits the vista within our eyes. According to Fuery and Kelli, the key of dreams painting presentation shows how a gap exists between words and seeing.   From this essay it is clear that various scenarios have been portrayed in this book in regards to ways of seeing. The method of seeing however, encounters changes on an image perception. As established by various scholars, an image either can be recreated or reproduced to represent a set of appearance hence; suggesting that we use the word since all images are man-made. In regards to valuation of an image, it is therefore known that an image gives a value in response to its representation. In regards to the national gallery, the firm has reproduced several Leonardo’s cartoons like the Virgin and Child with St Anne and St.  

American Government and Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

American Government and Politics - Essay Example These commissions were responsible for weighing and assessing the policies formed by politicians before proposing or opposing them based on the existing human rights. They used a laid procedure for accountability to promote reconciliation between different parties, opinions present with the country. Politicians during reconstruction, ensured that the policies they formulated were in accordance and protected the various rights of individuals regardless of the race, gender of class of the citizens living within the country. The implications of the control over the criminal rights within a democracy was that it raised hopes of citizens, since as they existed to protect the citizens against such things like poverished political possibilities that had occurred before the process of reconstruction (Foner, 2009). In addition, it brought to an end the impoverished political possibilities that had been witnessed by citizens at an earlier date before reconstruction. An example is that citizens were at the mercy of impoverished political possibilities during the cold war and this made them to pass through unknown misery and sufferings. Question 2 As the Commander of the Continental Army, George Washington was a classic example of a bureaucratic actor. Â  Like many members of the bureaucracy, Washington had to balance the requirements of his job with the political concerns of his bosses in Congress. Â  Discuss how Washington was able to successfully manage these competing concerns, while maintaining both the support of his men as well as the support of Congress. Â  What does his experience suggest about the relationship between politics and the functioning of the bureaucracy more generally? 250 words It was not easy for George Washington to accept the appointment being that he just came from managing his family plantation and serving in the Virginia house of bourgeoisies when he was voted by the second continental congress. With the offer of the role of commander in chi ef of the continental army and having accepted, it was difficult to accept and had to write to his wife to tell the story. He managed to succeed in satisfying both interests because they had faith in him as a friend in the bureaucratic bourgeoisies and as a member of the congress. Similarly, the successful battles he had for the American under his command gave him respect from the members of congress hence did not get much pressure from them. Because of this, he maintained his interest with them leading to his successful resignation. Through his relationship with both bureaucratic and the congress, he was able to balance the competing concerns as he knew of how to go about them in every aspect as they arose (Ward 100). His experiences have a lot of suggestion as politics in related to bureaucracy. They both related because in each of them comes with influence. Bureaucrats and politicians looks for certain aspects in which they can use towards influencing the mass to give them suppor t. This may imply that even if one goes wrong in the political or bureaucratic arena, one will still get support. As a result, Washington was able to serve both interests in order to remain relevant to the people he worked with. Question 3 The issues surrounding the relationship between congressional representatives and their constituents are overspending. Majority of the representatives were using public constituency finances to make themselves rich

Business Management of Owning a Construction Company Essay Example for Free

Business Management of Owning a Construction Company Essay Owning a construction company requires good planning whereby the management puts several measures in place to ensure that a company performs well to generate enough money that aids it run its operations. Availability of surplus raw materials is one of the important factors to consider while managing a construction company. A construction firm should have enough laborers who offer services to customers and who work at the production stage. Running a construction company requires that the management come up with a good marketing strategy that allows the company to attract as many clients as possible to allow the organization generate enough income to carry out its activities effectively. Keeping records in an organized manner makes it easy for a construction company to make references and also to avoid loss of data. Managers who plan their activities wisely and accordingly in a construction company are in a better position of elevating the profit that the company generates and to improve the quality of goods and services that the firm offers. Definition of Important Concepts Management is a common term that this paper uses and it means to adopt effective measures as a leader that help to run an organization in an effective manner. The term construction is also common in this analysis and it means to come up with projects such as buildings, bridges and roads using qualified personnel. Counterarguments Even though raw materials are essential in the running of a construction company, some companies lack them due to poor management which in most cases leads to the fall of a business. Other construction companies lack enough laborers and this makes the available workers to strain with their work which in most cases lowers the outcome of construction companies. Lack of effective marketing strategy and lack of proper ways of record keeping also in many instances lead to the downfall of many construction companies because they are not able to generate sufficient income from different customers and they experience confusion respectively.This report makes use of an imaginary company by the name of Davis Construction firm to expound on the management of owning a construction company. As part of its activities, this construction firm produces building bricks from clay soil, produces celling boards that builders fit inside houses, and also hires professional masons and other construction desi gners to people or organizations that want to come up with buildings. To attain its goals, the management of Davis Construction firm must take into account several measure that will help it run its activities. Availability of Raw Materials First of all, the manager of this organization must ensure that there is a continuous flow of raw materials to enable the firm continue with its production. In this case, the essential raw materials that Davis Construction firm needs are clay soil to manufacture bricks, wood chips to manufacture celling board, and sufficient water to carry out the mixing process. Other raw materials that this organization needs to produce its goods include chemicals that it uses to carry out its production. A good manager will carry out a research on the best places to acquire the raw materials so that the firms does not experience delays in its production process. To ensure a steady supply of raw materials in a construction firm, managers should have more than one source of suppliers who deliver raw materials to the company. Having more than one source of supplier who supply the same product is important because this allows a company to carry out its activities continuously not to inconvenience customers. In many instances, unreliable suppliers make business managers to consider alternative ways getting raw materials to carry out an organization’s activities (Alonso, 2007, p. 3). Another way in which the manager of this company and any other construction company can ensure constant availability of raw materials is by establishing nearby sites that generate enough raw materials to run the activities of an organization. For example, to have a constant supply of water, the manager can hire professionals to come and dig boreholes that will provide surplus water to the firm at a much cheaper cost. Availability of Workers Effective management of a construction company calls for hiring enough laborers who help in running the organization’s activities. A wise manager will therefore, put measures to ensure that the laborers share work equally and that they do not strain while carrying out their activities. The laborers in a construction firm should fall into several sections where each worker partakes in the activity of his specialization. By each worker taking part in the activities of his specialization, a construction firm will attain accuracy in all the goods it produces and all the services it offers. To get laborers of sufficient knowledge to carry out their activities, the management of Davis Construction Firm should carry out a test while recruiting laborers after ascertaining their credentials. Even though it is a common occurrence in many countries that construction activities attract workers with low educational level (ILO, 2001, p. 12), it is important for managers to hire workers with high qualification to do their job perfectly so as to come up with products and services that satisfy customers’ needs. The management should ensure that workers get sufficient training to enable them carry out their duties with preciseness. As a way of improving the technical skills of their workers, managers should organize educative seminars where other professionals offer theoretical and practical knowledge to the workers. Good managers take the initiative of helping technicians who show great ability in their duties attain further training and also to serve as motivation to the co ntractors. Managers in a construction company should also take their workers to tour different construction firms because if they fail to do this, it will be impossible to compete favorably with other construction firms. Marketing Strategies A construction company should adopt effective marketing strategies that allows it to reach customers from different geographical regions. After intense research about marketing strategies, managers in construction companies such as Davies Construction Firm should come up with a suitable way of marketing the goods and services that the firm offers. To effectively reach customers from different regions, managers who run construction firms should adopt reliable channels such as the internet and publications because these two are able to carry so much information about a company and are also able to transmit information within a very short time. Enhanced technology has improved communication and marketing which has positive effect on inter-organizational relationship and communication (Avlonitis Karayanni, 2000, p. 442). Managers in a construction firms should appoint certain people with the right qualification to manage the company’s website and to attend to customers’ ne eds. In a business organization, it is important for managers to create a customers’ department wing to improve the quality of services and to build a long-term relationship with the customers (Rust, Moorman, Bhalla, 2010, p. 5). Record Keeping Managers who run construction companies should adopt better ways of storing vital information. Good forms of record keeping enable construction companies to make necessary reference whenever conflicts or discrepancies occur. For example, Davis Construction Firm can adopt better ways of record keeping by using computers that are able to store large amount of data for a very long time. People in charge of electronically storing data must be very keen in their activities to ensure that the information stays for a long time without getting lost (Trace, 2002, p. 138). Managers in a construction firm should also adopt a way of keeping records that is easy to retrieve information. Some of the advisable ways of keeping records in a manner that is easy to retrieve include using alphabetical orders, storing records according to the subject and keeping records in accordance to urgency. Conclusion Managers who run construction firms should take the initiative of helping the company attain its goals. As part of their management duties, managers should be able to come up with ways that ensures a constant and sufficient supply of raw materials to enable the firm carry out production of goods and services continuously. A manager should also be able to ensure that a construction firm has enough workers who help in carrying out the activities of a company in accordance to their area of specialty. Coming up with an effective marketing strategy helps to reach customers from different regions and therefore, be able to generate enough money for the construction firm. Above all, a manager in a construction firm needs to device effective methods of storing vital information about past and current operations of a construction firm. References Alonso, E., et al. (2007). Material availability and the supply chain: Risks, effects, and responses. Massachusetts Institute of Technology.Avlonitis, G., Karayanni, D. (2000). The impact of internet use on business-to-business marketing: Examples from American and European companies. Industrial marketing management 29(4) 441-459. International Labor Organization, ILO. (2001). The construction industry in the twenty-first century: Its image, employment prospects and skill requirements. Geneva. Rust, R., Moorman, C., Bhalla, G. (2010). Rethinking marketing. Harvard Business Review. Trace, B., C. (2002). What is recorded is never simply ‘what happened’: Record keeping in Modern organizational culture. Archival Science 2(7), 137-159.at is Recorded is Never Simply What Happened: Record Keeping in Modern Organizational Culture Source document

Apple game Console Essay Example for Free

Apple game Console Essay Apple is planning to enter the intensely competitive gaming industry, dominated by three large competitors, Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. Apple’s has success with providing quality products and, has already established markets for Mac computers, notebooks, TV, iPad’s, iPhone’s and iPod’s. As Apple has a reputation being high quality, stylish and, luxurious brand, the new game console will be perceived to have the same qualities. Step 1 Idea Generation With the new technology and changing consumer preferences the gaming industry is continuously evolving. With the right product catered to the market, differentiation can bring market share, profits and, growth. Using marketing research Apple needs to identify what is already in the market, the demand for them, how they could be improved and differentiated. Step 2: Screening Strength †¢Already established successful brand name †¢Loyal customers †¢Apple perceived as innovative, superior quality and, stylish products †¢Ability to generate higher profits due to premium price charged Weakness. †¢Failure in the launch of the first gaming system †¢Inexperience in the video game industry †¢Short life span on game consoles Opportunities †¢Apple caters to the premium market which has less competition †¢Continuously expanding market. †¢Consumer demand for new innovative products Threats †¢Intense competition from already established competitors †¢Challenges caused by the continuously evolving market to regularly release new innovative products to stay competitive. †¢Risk of reputation if the new launch fails. Step 3 – Idea evaluation At the evaluation stage Apple needs obtain an understanding about the consumer reaction towards the product using concept testing. It is important that the target market, the size of the market and potential opportunities are identified when deciding whether to enter the market. Consumer needs should also be identified and the console should be developed to satisfy their needs. Rough estimates of costs, revenue and profitability should be made to determine product feasibility. Step 4: Development As the product development requires substantial financial commitments, extensive research and development should be carried out before building a prototype. Apple should use innovation and creativity when designing the product ensuring target markets needs are met. Market testing should be carried out to identify the consumer responses and revisions should be done to avoid failures. Step 5 – Commercialization. Before the roll out, extensive advertising and promotion should be carried out to introduce and, to promote the product. As Apple has its own stores, consoles can be initially offered to the market without having to deal with dealers and middlemen. This allows Apple to gradually roll out product to the market. As Apple has already established brand name, the new console would surely thrive. However, they need to ensure that its operating capacity is not at a maximum point and can be increased if required.

Impossible To Have Objective Knowledge Philosophy Essay

Impossible To Have Objective Knowledge Philosophy Essay As humans we live with the inescapable notion of our own consciousness, burdened with the endless pursuit of knowledge, we eternally accumulate a careful conglomeration of facts and experiences that shape our very being. Imprisoned within our own cultural paradigms we fear our own subjectivities, entirely aware that our language, values and beliefs impact our every choice. We do not live in a social vacuum; instead, we roam free in a stimulating and subjective society. The acquisition of knowledge, or justified true belief as here defined, is learned through our tainted sensory experiences; whether auditory, visually or kinaesthetically. However, there remains the belief that certain areas of knowledge can remain immune to our polluting paradigms, areas of knowledge that do not evoke truth in their subjectivity but tell the truth in their objectivity. We often deem subjective knowledge hot and impulsive, wrought with emotion and bias, its validity tarnished by its opinionated and unb alanced nature. Objective knowledge is logical, considered, proven and factual, based in the realms of reasoning; science and maths. But to what extent is mathematical and scientific knowledge actually objective? And does subjective knowledge really hold any lesser value than its idolised counterpart or are we just afraid of own cultural paradigms? What can be less open to interpretation and more immutable than maths? Mathematics is the science of rigorous proof and the art of drawing coherent conclusions entirely independent of interpretation; we assume this to be the epitome of objective knowledge. Maths indubitable nature affords it enormous practical value, we are certain that 2 + 2 = 4 and that any circles circumference, no matter how big, when divided by its diameter equates to pi. Such facts rest undeniable and eternal, maths gives us non-trivial, substantial knowledge that rests true outside of experience. However, a question remains as to where maths exists? Is it, discovered or invented? The discovery theorem indicates a Platonic view of maths, somewhere in a metaphysical realm, the perfect forms of a circle and pi reside and mathematicians, by solving problems, are discovering an entity that already exists separate from our reality. If humans werent actively doing maths would maths exist at all? And can discoveries a ctually be made about mental fictions or is maths a human construction? J. S. Mill argues that mathematics exists in the eye of the beholder and that mathematical truths are empirical generalisations based on a vast number of experiences  [1]  . It does appear that Maths is not a universal language; mathematicians struggle to talk to non-specialists about their work because maths like all other knowledge can be culturally variable, subject to correction and change. Mathematicians form epistemic communities; the Romans, for example, had no concept of zero, Egyptian multiplication involved repeated doubling of numbers and in West Africa only subtraction was used to express numbers (not 2+2 but 6 -2 = 4). Hence, maths, as a human endeavour is susceptible to varying mental interpretation, so to what extent are we mentally selecting particular kinds of experience and deeming them to be important? We reached our modern, established perspective of maths through communication and collaboration, so it seems that although the numbers and patterns themselves ar e objective, the learning and advancement of maths is more inter-subjective; common ideas shared and amalgamated. Science too, provides us with a framework for objective knowledge; science appears indisputable because it is based on observation and fact. Culturally, we deem something scientifically proven to equate to the absolute truth. We believe our scientific account of the universe to be true and dismiss the hocus pocus of alternative medicine, creationism and the paranormal. Science is about how the world works; there being only once correct explanation for any phenomenon. Simultaneous discovery, like the discovery of DNA initially by Watson and Crick shortly followed by Franklin and Klug demonstrate the solidity and objectivity of science. If we could rewind the history of science, developments and discoveries may have occurred differently and by different scientists but the outcomes would be very similar. Gravity would still give weight to objects, causing them to fall towards the ground and cells would still be the smallest unit of life. However, the practice of science, as a human endeavour is founded in uncertainty, each time we learn something new with the astonishment comes the realisation that we were wrong before, David Bohm said, The notion of the absolute truth is shown to be in poor correspondence with the actual development of science. Scientific truths are better regarded as relationships that hold in some limited domain. Hence, the indisputability of science is based in observation and fact but observation and fact are dependent on the theory we choose to believe. What we see depends on how we choose to look at it and as humans we cannot observe the world purely and unhindered. Instead we see and structure things around our own cultural paradigms. Our science is based on a Westernised view that progress and objectivity are best reached through classification and explanation but does this render it useless? Of course not, science is there to be used but it is not there to tell us how things are. Science is not powerful because it is true: it is true because it is powerful  [2]  . But is truth synonymous with objectivity? Or can we harness our subjective and emotional human natures to further enhance our knowledge? Montaigne claimed, to understand via the heart is not to understand and through our quest to objectify knowledge we ignore our most basic emotional instincts. A scientific definition of emotion is the modification of neural activity that animates and focuses mental activity but is this not missing the vital essence of what it is to feel an emotion? This description of emotion is like describing art as a collection of blobs on canvas or defining poetry as words in short lines. Some knowledge demands subjectivity and complexity, notions of good and beauty, for example. In many ways formal knowledge of maths, philosophy and geography are a means to satisfy the highest and noblest human impulse and self-actualisation; the arts. Often human truths cannot be expressed using the language of rationality; it seems the artist attempt to address these truths w hile embracing their own creative process. Indeed art is a personal creation and contains the opinions of the artist but with science the feelings of the scientist are neglected from the final understanding of the process. Does this make science better than the arts? It would if science and the arts were investigating the same truths; science is obsessed with knowledge of the universe whereas art lends itself to knowledge of humanity. Iris Murdoch famously in The Sovereignity of the Good suggests that appreciation of the arts allows us to transcend the problems of rationality and empiricism that plague the human condition. Murdoch believes there to be some sort of objective good but sees that the means of achieving this end is to open our consciousness towards art thus directing our being towards unselfishness, objectivity and realism. The very nature of art as an ephemeral entity; forever transforming and evolving, transports us away from the comfort of our own subjectivities and plunges us into alternative human truths. No one is suggesting the lines and colours reveal truths in themselves; as Margaret Atwood said, context is all. To read WH Audens Sonnets entitled, In Time of War, is not to gain facts or objective truths about the Japanese occupation of China in 1938 but instead to bask in the literature, meaning and beauty of poetry. Audens words speak a deep and vitally human truth so by trying to reduce this art to a series of concrete facts are we not diminishing it? Of course the sky didnt throb like a feverish forehead and obviously the Japanese soldiers were not bound like the heiress in her mothers womb. It is more the penetrating insights, the deep sense of social awareness and contextual relevance that afford poetry and the arts as a whole the ability to bestow knowledge about humanity during the most turbulent and controversial eras. If anything, art is a continuous cultural narrative, evolving and translating the daily events that form our history. The search for certainty, objectivity and absolute truth lends itself to the study of history, for what could be more certain than that which has already happened? As G.R Elton suggests, the study of history is concerned with a subject matter more objective and independent than that of the natural sciences, and we often acknowledge the apparent immutability and un-changeability of the past. But as Napoleon argued, what is history but a fable agreed upon? From the age of eleven, during history classes we are indoctrinated into the significance of bias and the vigilance required to exercise caution around historical opinion. It is almost impossible to expect any human historian to escape their own paradigms and write free from influence. We are forever imposing our own values and moralities onto the past; my own essay on the reputation of Queen Marie-Antoinette during the French Revolution was largely angled around my own prejudices against misogyny and patriarchy. Perhaps more than an ything, history is a social construct, facts about the past that are interpreted in the present. However, the selective and human nature of history does not deem it twisted or useless or fabricated, by removing the judgemental and interpretational aspects of history we are left with fragmented and scattered etchings of the past. The historian herself is aware of her bias and thus seeks a convergence of evidence in a hope that further analysis and reasoning will transform such etchings into an original, insightful and beautiful picture.

Cuba Essay -- essays papers

Cuba Cuba has been under a dictator named Fidel Castro since 1959 when his army took over the communist party that was running the country. Cuba’s main source of economic growth comes from agriculture and exports to and from Europe. Since America has had an embargo on Cuba since 1962 neither countries trade with each other because of many disagreements about governing techniques and Fidel's unwillingness to comply with U.S. instructions. Cuba’s long history and culture has contributed to many economic and social growth through out the world, but Cuba is still struggling to try to stable their economy. Cuba is located by the Atlantic Ocean, and is directly located in the Carribean Sea. It is South of the tropic of Cancer and is on the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico. Jamaica and Florida are Cuba’s closest neighbors. Cuba is an island with irregular coastlines and many bays. Three quarters of the continent are flat plains, but there are rugged cliffs and coral reefs where many foreigners travel to see. Swamps and mangroves also are included in the plethora of Cuba’s surface features. The highest mountain in Cuba is in Guantanamo bay and it is called Sierra Maestra, there are three other large mountains, but the Sierra Maetra is the most significant of them all. Cuba’s capital is Havana and Cuba’s national language is Spanish. Cuba is made up of fourteen provinces. Each province pays taxes to Fidel Castro. The major cash crops are: sugarcane, tobacco, rice, co...

To Be, or Be Two Essay -- Essays Papers

To Be, or Be Two Imagine walking down the street, or seeing someone on the television and think they look just like you, or someone you know. As much as they may look like you, you pretty much know there is no relationship between you and the look-alike. However, in today's day and age, it is nearly possible that the look-alike is really a clone of you. Now of course, it is not this simple, but the point is, with science today, cells, and eventually people, are being cloned. These actions of cloning are for both human and therapeutic purposes. Cells are being cloned for the sake of fertility reasons, and to grow cells for new organs. Is this right? I personally disagree with the fact of cloning human embryos for the purpose of creating new people. I feel it is morally wrong, as well as a disadvantage for the clone of the person. Supporting my argument is research from Gary McCuens' Cloning: Science and Society, and an article from The Ithaca Journal, "Stem Cells Grow from Clones, Contro versial Reports Show." While reading Gary McCuens' Cloning: Science and Society, I came across points both for and against cloning human embryos. No matter how hard I tried to read his points with an open mind, I was not able to bring myself to terms with the reasons for cloning human embryos. A major reason some people feel it is acceptable to clone human embryos is for the benefits of infertile couples (13). These embryos would be transported through the process of in vitro fertilization, but they would not be like typical in vitro fertilization processes. Since many in vitro births do not succeed, researchers have found that it may be possible to clone the in vitro embryos and allow the couple to have more chances a... ...ve no benefit to anyone. I feel it leads to a child feeling like they are not good enough because they are not who they are expected to be. I also feel it leads to guilt within the child, and a feeling of failure. The child is always going to feel like they were not able to live up to the standards predetermined by society. A child has the right to be their own person. I feel cloning the human embryo is not necessary because society has managed to survive thus far without it, why not continue that way? I feel every child has the right to be who they want to be, they should not have to duplicate the life of someone who already lived it. Works Cited McCuen, Gary E. Cloning: Science and Society. Wisconsin: Gary McCuen Publications, 1998. Neus, Elizabeth. "Stem Cells Grow From Clones, Controversial Report Shows." The Ithaca Journal 27 April 2001.

Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown and its Author Essay -- Young Goodman

     Ã‚   Initially, of course, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s literary works went unranked among those of other American and British writers. But his reputation grew gradually even among contemporary critics, until he was recognized as a â€Å"man of genius.† Edgar Allen Poe, in a review of Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† which had been written 12 years prior, said in Godey's Lady's Book, November, 1847, no. 35, pp. 252-6: It was never the fashion (until lately) to speak of him in any summary of our best authors. . . . The "peculiarity" or sameness, or monotone of Hawthorne, would, in its mere character of "peculiarity," and without reference to what is the peculiarity, suffice to deprive him of all chance of popular appreciation. But at his failure to be appreciated, we can, of course, no longer wonder, when we find him monotonous at decidedly the worst of all possible points--at that point which, having the least concern with Nature, is the farthest removed from the popular intellect, from the popular sentiment and from the popular taste. I allude to the strain of allegory which completely overwhelms the greater number of his subjects. So literary critic Edgar Allan Poe thinks that Hawthorne’s heavy reliance on allegory is the cause of his lack of popularity during the 1830’s and 40’s. In 1848 James Russell Lowell wrote a piece of poetry entitled â€Å"Hawthorne† for the periodical A Fable for Critics:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "There is Hawthorne, with genius so shrinking and rare   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   That you hardly at first see the strength that is there;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A frame so robust, with a nature so sweeet,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   So earnest, so graceful, so lithe and so fleet,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Is worth a descent from Olympus to meet;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   'Tis as if a rough oak that for ages ha... ..... Yesterdays With Authors. 1871. http://eldred.ne.mediaone.net/nh/ywa3.html    â€Å"Hawthorne and His Mosses.† The Norton Anthology: American Literature, edited by Baym et al.   New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 1995.    Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Complete Short Stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York: Doubleday and Co., Inc.,1959.    James, Henry. Hawthorne. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1997.    James, Henry. â€Å"Nathaniel Hawthorne,† Nation, March 14, 1872. http://eldred.ne.mediaone.net/nh/hjnat.html    Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. â€Å"Hawthorne- 1804-1864.† 1864. http://eldred.ne.mediaone.net/nh/nhlong.html    Lowell, James Russell. â€Å"Hawthorne.† In A Fable For Critics. 1848. http://eldred.ne.mediaone.net/nh/fable.html    Melville, Herman. â€Å"Hawthorne and His Mosses,† The Literary World August 17, 24, 1850.      

“Piano and Drums” poem by Gabriel Okara Essay

Commentary – Piano and Drums by Gabriel Okara In Gabriel Okara’s poem, â€Å"Piano and Drums†, Okara expresses his feelings and thoughts of a primitive society in contrast to a western society. Being an African himself, and having studied in a western society, the poem reflects the confusion in his emotions as well as the loss of self-identity. The title of the poem itself, â€Å"Piano and Drums† displays a sense of dissimilarity and contrast as the instruments are so unalike in terms of sophistication. Throughout the entire poem, Okara incorporates the instruments to further express, through music, how the speaker is feeling. By using well-structured stanzas and poetic devices such as imagery, symbolism, sensory detail, personification, and diction, Okara is able to immerse the readers into the difficulties of cultural conflict and the confusion of a person in the midst of the two contrasting societies. Throughout the progression of the poem, there is a constant use of images to assist in displaying Okara’s conflicting emotions about the two separate worlds. Poetic devices Some of the most important poetic devices utilized in this poem by Okara are imagery, symbolism, sensory detail, personification, and diction Figures of speech The themes Piano and Drums is a poem which basically themed and created by two different and opposing culture in the poem, the piano culture and drums culture which suggested by the poet whenThe culture of drums is straight forward, and direct, and this just like the world and culture in the ancient years which before civilization. People do not hide their real selves, showing and communicate without pretending as well as showing what they really are in the wordings, ‘raw’, ‘primal’, and ‘rugged’. They call out for danger by beating drums as to warn others, although the world is competitive.