Monday, September 30, 2019

How has chemistry made your life better? Essay

Chemistry is one branch of knowledge that grew from human curiosity about the world and has played a central role in the development of the modern world. Chemistry is the study of the composition of matter, the stuff things are made of, and the changes that matter undergoes. Now, we may not think chemistry plays such a big role in our life but it perhaps more than any other branch of science has bettered our lives. Almost anything we touch today has benefited from chemical technology, and there for chemistry has had a huge influence on human life. Chemistry is truly a powerful tool. It can create a better future for us, or if misdirected, can lead to our doom. It’s important that we study chemistry everyday and understand its principles. Chemistry helps us understand ourselves and the world we live in better. Chemistry has played a major part of helping agriculture. Agriculture has been made several times more efficient by the development of man-made fertilizers and pesticides. Not only has chemistry done that for agriculture but it has done much more. Everyday chemists develop hardier and more productive then ever plants. Advances in plants and the understanding of plant hormones will strengthen the number of plants in the world and increase the world’s food supply. Agriculture belongs to the branch called organic chemistry. Chemistry plays major parts in medicine and biotechnology. Each year because of chemistry more and more medically important substances such as vitamin C, penicillin, and asprin are produced. Not only does chemistry help produce all different types of medicine but also every day medicines are being improved and discovered for different types of reasons. Medicine and biotechnology belong to the branch called biochemistry. Almost forever people have used chemistry to create amazing materials. A long time ago early chemists would create iron from iron ore by heating the ore with carbon. Chemistry has not only helped to develop iron, but it has also played major roles in developing many different mixtures of metals and other materials. Plastic today plays a huge part in our lives and was developed with the use of chemistry! Plastics have incredible properties and  characteristics which include being light weight and extremely strong. Plastic has helped lead to the development of automobiles, making them safer, lighter, sturdier, and even more energy-efficient. Materials belong to the Analytical branch of chemistry. As I have shown in my mini essay chemistry plays a major part in our lives. Chemistry has not only made one persons life better but every ones. The advances in chemistry everyday not only promise to improve human health but also to give man understanding and control of the process of life. It is essential that we study chemistry and understand its principles. Without chemistry the world may never have been like it is today!

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Outline How Material Things Essay

This essay will outline how material things on City Road favour the activities of some groups of people over others by looking at Ethnicity, Class and Gender. City Road is a big road filled with lots of different cultures, gender, class, age and history. When walking down the road it can be seen that the belonging and not belonging in the society. It opens your eyes as to what exactly goes on in different societies and City Road is a big street with a lot of demands and structures in it. Over the years society changed and so did the street. It goes by what is in demand, how society changes and by the vast majority of different cultures coming into the area. You see a lot of people trying to conform to the society and many trying to hold onto their own identities. First of all I’m going to talk about the Ethnicity on the street. We are going to the Xquisite Africa shop. Janet, the lady that owns the shop originates from Africa and moved to the UK over ten years ago. When she came to the UK she thought that she had to change her identity and conform to the society. She sells a lot of things from Africa and by doing this she gets to hold onto her identity of the African culture and also appeals to customers from the same ethnic background. She felt after being in the UK for ten years that she had lost her identity and so she decided to take a trip back home to Africa to re-charge her batteries as she puts it. She wanted to re-gain her culture that she so desperately lost. This aspect could help her re-gain her culture and identity and allows her to share this with the right clientele from a multi-racial background. She can share a state of belonging to a social group that has in common a national or cultural background, whilst negotiating with people on the complex of different identities. She contributes to the African social life and society as well as on City Road. Therefore promoting her African background and understanding there is no need to conform to the society and changing her identity. We then move onto class in the Municipal Club. A social stratum, whose members share a certain economic, social or cultural characteristics. For this instance the working class. It is aimed at the local residents and has over 100 years of history. A group containing members regarded as having certain attributes of traits in common has slowly disappeared and they long for the society to change back to what they believed it was. Whilst in the (DVD, Making social lives on City Road, 2009, scene 5) Lloyd Robson talks to couple of residents in the club and gets their insight of what is going on. He asked them if they thought the club had a future. They said no. no-one wants to know it anymore and even the members have started to lose interest. But because the society has changed it meant that they described city road as being dangerous and rough. They long for the past. They want it to go back to what they say it used to be or imagined it. The inequalities and differences that has changed and also the traditions has been lost. They lack the sense of belonging they used to have when City Road used to be theirs. Then we come across the Sanna Silk shop. This is where the female is favoured over the male. It’s a family business orientated around females as they sell and make dresses of different materials. They get to choose their type of material and their patterns. It is mainly focused at Asian women. In the (DVD, Making social lives on City Road, 2009, scene 6 by Raghuran) she says â€Å"it is a very different way of portraying Asian women than I often seen in the media. † They also have a section for jewellery. Most of their jewellery is 22 carat gold and is mainly aimed at the women. They also have a selection for their wedding day. So it has an Asian culture that is even though yes men go in to buy but is very female orientated. Conclusion Therefore in City Road, my examples favour female gender activities over male, is a very multi-racial area and favours specific class over others. Therefore explaining that society changes all of the time and conforms to whatever is more in demand in that specific time of era.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Constitutionalism vs Absolutism

Constitutionalism vs AbsolutismIn the following paragraphs I’m going to explain what constitutionalism is, and how it differs from absolutism. Constitutionalism is the way a state or country governs it’s people based off of laws set forth to protect the people’s rights and liberties. These laws are called constitutions, for example the Constitution of the United States. There are two types of constitutional governments, republican and monarchy. Within a constitutional republic the sovereign is elected by the people to govern according to the constitutional laws.Constitutional monarchy is almost the same, except a king or queen rules according to the constitutional laws, but is given some political authority. As with constitutional republic a constitutional monarchy’s powers rest in the electorates. The best example of constitutionalism is John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government. He states, â€Å"liberty to follow one’s own will in anythin g that isn’t forbidden by the rule, and not to be subject to the inconstant, uncertain, unknown, arbitrary will of another man. † (John Locke)The difference between constitutionalism and absolutism is that the king or sovereign is believed to be ordained by God. There are no rules or regulations for the sovereign to run his state. This gives him the ultimate power to rule over his subjects as he sees fit. No one can challenge his authority because his word is God’s word, to question the king, would be questioning God, and this would be considered treason. (Mike Cox) The infamous Louis XIV, other wise known as the â€Å"Sun King†, governed by this mentality. He has been heard saying, â€Å"I am the State! You also have Thomas Hobbe’s Leviathan, which goes on to describe how people need an absolute ruler to keep the peace and discourage civil war. To conclude, I have given you a descriptive explanation on constitutionalism, and described how it diffe rs from absolutism. As you see it is a matter of how much power a sovereign has over his people, and how much power the people have over him. http://www. earlymoderntexts. com/pdf/lockseco. pdf http://www. sparknotes. com/philosophy/hobbes/themes. html A History of Western Society Vol II

Friday, September 27, 2019

Henry Ford at Highland Park and Toyota during the 1980s and 1990s Essay

Henry Ford at Highland Park and Toyota during the 1980s and 1990s demonstrate that a growing car market is the necessary prec - Essay Example In the context of an automobile industry, higher productivity is one of the key drivers of this industry. The automobile industry is one of the largest industries of the world. In Europe, it accounts for around 7 % of the total manufacturing output. According to several author’s, the reason behind the colossal growth of automobile industry is the increasing productivity (Heneric, Licht and Sofka, 2005). Companies nowadays employ different techniques and methods to improve the overall productivity of the company. This report will shed light on the methods of improving productivity in automobile industry and will also discuss about how growing car market is the necessary precondition for achieving superior productivity. In addition, it will also provide examples of how the conveyor belt production technique affects and help a company with the growing market. Methods of Improving Productivity There are several methods by which the productivity of an automobile company can be incr eased. Some of the techniques are discussed below: - Value Engineering: - Value engineering can be defined as a process by which the value of a product is improved at every phase of the product life cycle. In the development stage, value engineering improves product value by diminishing the total cost and maintaining the quality. In the maturity stage of the product, value engineering reduces the overall cost by substituting the costly constituents by inexpensive components. With the help of this process, companies try to provide maximum value at a lower rate. Hence value engineering improves the productivity by increasing the value of the products. Operations Research: - The operations research method employs scientific and mathematical methods, to resolve issues pertaining to management. In addition, it also solves problems related to productivity. A company develops several alternatives to improve its productivity, but the productivity actually increases if the most appropriate c ourse of action has been selected. Now to increase the productivity companies use scientific methodologies which help them to select the best alternative course of action. Some of the common techniques used are game theory and linear programming among others. Quality Circles: - The concept of quality circles was developed in Japan in the year 1960. Quality circles in general are small group of employees who meet regularly to enhance identify and solve management issues. Apart from that, this group also recommends strategies to improve the operations and productivity of the company. There are also some general ways by which the productivity of a company can be increased. Although they are not scientific methods, but general ways by employing which the companies can gain higher productivity levels. Accountability: - All the employees of an organization need to be aware of the fact that he or she is responsible for the decisions and actions taken. Follow up: - In many cases it has been found that employers set the target and feels that the job is done. However in reality, it is important that managers follow up with the progress of work. This will ensure higher productivity. Manage the work force but avoid micromanagement: - It is a well established fact that employees have to be guided,

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Describe the history of the Federal Reserve Bank. Include an Essay

Describe the history of the Federal Reserve Bank. Include an explanation of all the tools the Fed uses to contract and expand the economy using money supply and interest rates - Essay Example history of banking in United States suggest that during its nascent stage, Banking runs were common as many banks opened and faltered during small period of time. Based on the increase failures of financial institutions, Congress set up National Monetary Commission to look into it. Commission presented its first monetary reform plan to the Congress in year 1912. This plan recommended the establishment of National Reservations Association which would hold the reserves of commercial banks and could make short-term loans to banks to ensure credit availability. United States Congress responded to the situation by enacting Federal Reserves Act thus creating Federal Reserve System. President Woodrow Wilson endorsed these recommendations and Federal Reserves Act became a law on Dec 23, 1913 and FED was created (Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas). The primary responsibility of FED is to manage the enough money supply and credit to sustain the economic growth of the country by containing inflation. The contraction and expansion of economy is thus achieved with the help of following two economic variables: 1) Money Supply: Expanding or contracting the economy through the money supply is the most frequent method used by FED to exercise its powers to make changes in the economy. Traditionally called Open market operations, these are the activities through which FED either purchase or mope up the excess liquidity from the economic system by issuing securities called T-Bills or Treasury Bills. Similarly when FED wants to expand the economy through money supply, it will purchase the issued T-Bills thus off loading hard currency in the market. This is done primarily for one purpose and that is that through this, FED wants to control the flow of money in the economy. The easy availability to the excess money may create inflation in the economy hence have the potential to impact the real growth in the economy. 2) Interest rates: FED controls the expansion or contraction in the

Methodology and appendix for How to successfully Market Sport Research Paper

Methodology and appendix for How to successfully Market Sport Nuitrition for Females in London - Research Paper Example In order to maintain good health status of children and adolescent youths in school based programs, strategies such as integration of school food services and nutrition education, regular training of the staff, family and community on matters related to importance of nutrition need to be followed to the later. The school based programs in most occasions contributes a lot in promoting lifelong healthy eating internationally. A recommended nutritional strategy contributes to prevention of pre-mature deaths in United States of America. The national health promotion and disease prevention objective in U.S.A encourages schools to provide nutrition learning from preschool to higher level. Various methods have been used to promote nutrition for females in U.S.A to improve the health status of the children and the adolescent youths (Levine & Zahradnik 2012, p.30) The purpose is to examine food advertising and marketing stations used to target U.S.A children and adolescent youths. Generally, the fundamental movement skills such as jumping, striking, catching among others forms the basis for future sports services growth and for life long enjoyment of physical activities among the females and the adolescents youths (Marcelo & Pihdo 2006). FMS identifies various stages of improvement of the fundamental movement skills. On the other hand, FMS provides safe games among the youths where they learn various important skills that help in improvement of the physical system nature of the youths in order to promote the nutritional nature. Ethical decisions within the communities varies with the varying in ethical believes. The community involved need to contribute to the nutritional status of their young ones. MED also involves in determining the challenges of the moral situations. US in the past decade have used most of the public schools as the venues of advertising and

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Supply & Distribution Chain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Supply & Distribution Chain - Essay Example Logistic plan of Tim-Tam biscuits is not an easy task, since product is distributed to different channels and in different countries. We will use different channels to reach our target market. We will follow traditional chain but with innovative strategy and use of technology. Food manufacturers normally sell directly to sole distributors, wholesalers and super or mega markets. Many companies have their own distribution channel and they reach retailers and wholesalers through this network. We will also acquire our own network and we will distribute our products through two main channels, one with our existing network and second through joint venture or strategic alliance we will work with partners. This plan needs to focus on different elements and in this plan we will focus three elements; Information Technology, Demand Management and Procurement. Information Technology: To make sure all the processes are going smoothly and forecasting is accurate and productivity is efficient. Comp any will hire outside companies or partner with companies offers ERP solutions and supply chain solutions. These automations allow company to; identifies seasonal profiles automatically, Best Fit Forecast recast weekly for all items and Calculates sales volatility to optimize safety stock needs. Inventory Intelligence, purchase needs and buyers (retailers) need.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Report on Marks and Spencer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Report on Marks and Spencer - Essay Example The current liabilities includes trade payables and other payables, borrowings and other financial liabilities, partnership liability to the pension scheme, derivative financial instruments, provisions and current tax liabilities. The company had Interest bearing debts from external sources of ?2,760.9 million and loans from partners to fund the pension scheme of ?71.9 million. Both consist of a mix of a long term portion and a short term portion which is due within the next 12 months. The table below provides that information for interest bearing or fixed interest debt.. Interest Bearing Debts Period Partnership loans ? Other Interest Bearing Loans ? Total Current 0 482.9 482.9 Non-current 71.9 2,278.0 2349.9 Total 71.9 2,760.9 2832.8 Marks and Spencer’s Financial Structure The following ratios in the table below will assist in the assessment of Marks and Spencer. Ratio Formulae 2010 2009 Debt Management Debt ratio (Total liabilities/Total assets) x 100% (4,967.3/7,153.2)x100 % = 69.4% (5,157.5/7,258.1) x 100 = 71% Gearing Ratio Interest Bearing Debts (IBD)/Equity + IBD 2,832.8/5,018.7 = 56.4% 3,200.6/5,301.2 = 60.38% Interest Cover Profit Before Interest and Tax (PBIT)/Interest Expense 852/162.2 = 5 times 870.7/214.5 = 4 times Liquidity Ratio Current ratio Current assets/current liabilities 0.80 0.60 Acid Test Ratio Current assets - inventory)/current liabilities 0.47 0.37 Debt Management The debt management ratios indicate how the company’s management has managed the debts of the company. According to Brigham (2005) the extent to which debt financing, which is also referred to as financial leverage is used by a firm has three implications. Firstly, financing the business using debt will allow share holders to maintain control of the company without increasing their investment in it. Secondly, shareholders returns can be substantially increased if the company earns more on investments that are financed with borrowed funds. However, financial risk increases as debt increases. Thirdly, creditors depend on shareholders to provide a margin of safety. Therefore the more funds supplied by shareholders the more comfortable they are in doing business with the company. Additionally, the interest expense which relates to interest charged on borrowed funds is allowable as a deduction for tax purposes. Dividend is not so allowed and is a distribution after tax is deducted. The Debt Ratio The debt ratio is the ratio of total liabilities to total assets and provides information on how much of the funds are provided by sources other than equity. The company’s debt ratio is 69.4% for the year ended April 3, 2010. Although this is an improvement over the previous year’s figure of 71%,. the guideline indicates that a percentage over 50% percent does not augur well. Marks and Spencer’s debt ratio is unfavourable and indicate problems with its financial structure. However, a comparison with the average in the industry in w hich Marks and Spencer operates is important. The gearing ratio below will provide additional information. The Gearing Ratio The gearing ratio is the portion of interest bearing debts to equity and interest bearing debt. The gearing ratio of 56% suggests that the company has a significant amount of interest bearing debt in its capital structure. The normal threshold of 50% has been exceeded. However, whether the ratio is favourable or not depends on the industry. The ratio for the year ende

Monday, September 23, 2019

Bandura's theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Bandura's theory - Essay Example In fact, several studies have shown a high correlation between mastery of these behaviours and high achievement in school. Observation has been demonstrated as having a significant impact on learning in several areas of psychology (Bandura, 1986; Rosenthal & Zimmerman, 1978). These researchers have documented evidence that shows children responding to behaviours observed in adults. The children then learn and subsequently emulate the behaviours. Specifically within the education context, this theory has been found to have merit in that students who observe a model (parent or teacher) depicting positive study attitudes and habits and then emulate that model generally demonstrate a higher level of academic success than those who do not engage in observational learning (Bird et al., 2005; Martinez-Pons, 2002). One of the problems with observation in the educational context is that physical processes are much easier to observe than mental processes. The child who learns how to assemble a toy by watching an adult or older sibling is at an advantage compared to the student who must acquire skills for studying. A model's retreat to a quiet area is visible enough, but self monitoring and regulatory skills generally take place within the mind of the studier and can often only be passed on to an observer through conscious effort on the part of the modeller to get the idea across. Studies have shown that behaviours of students to whom the meta-cognitive strategies have been purposively modelled have demonstrated high levels of achievement than those who are generally left on their own to figure it out (Martinez-Pons, 2002). In a study done by Zimmerman and Kitsantas (1999) students given a writing task were separated into groups in which the necessary strategies for successfully completing the task were either modelled for emulation, verbally described, or directly practised (as distinct from modelling in which mental as well as physical processes are exposed). The result of the experiment was that students who received support in the form of adult modelling of the behaviours necessary for success were better able to independently display skills that led to success in the academic task (Martinez-Pons, 2002). The observation of parents in situations that can be related to learning has also been seen to have an effect on students' ability to perform academically. It is often the case that students who grow up in an environment that encourages learning do better academically than those who have not that privilege. This phenomenon has been described by Martinez-Pons (2002) as a "hidden curriculum." The students exposed to such a curriculum are often able to watch parents in behaviours that are self-regulatory and that lead to learning. A study carried out by Martinez-Pons demonstrated that "parental modeling and support for self-regulatory processes precede students' development of these skills" which lead to positive and high levels of academic achievement. Self Efficacy Self efficacy has been defined as a person's perception of his or her ability to perform a given task. It is distinct from self esteem and self concept in that it is closely tied to a given context, so that a person's self efficacy might vary with different

Sunday, September 22, 2019

An analysis on the sudden decline of Enron in 2001 Essay Example for Free

An analysis on the sudden decline of Enron in 2001 Essay Enron was company that was formed to the Northern Natural Gas Company which traces its existence to the early 1932 in Nebraska. The company was reorganized back in 1979 and formed as the leading subsidiary company of Internorth. In 1985 the company acquired the smaller Houston Natural Gas and in the process it formed its name to Enron. (Haney 2001, p. 28) Originally the company was involved in the transmitting and distributing electricity and gas in the United States. It was also involved in the development and building of power plants and pipelines. The company extended its services to the rule of law and in other infrastructures in the world. The company owned large had a large network of natural gas pipelines stretching from ocean to ocean and from border to border.   Its holding included Northern Natural Gas, Florida Gas Transition, Trans-western Pipeline Company and a strategic alliance with Northern Border Pipeline from Canada. These holding were real cash woes the kept investors coming to the company. It expanded its ventures and investment in every corner of the country.  Ã‚   These investments helped the company to make huge profits. By 1998 the company had entered the water sector and created the Azurix Corporation. The company floated its shares in the New York Stock Exchange but it failed to make a mark in the market.   It did not break in the water utility market  Ã‚   and ended up as a major money-loser. (Andrew 2001, p. 9) In 2001, Enron announced that it continued to grow wealthier. Due to its pioneering spirit in marketing and promotion of power and communication bandwidth commodities and other related derivatives including exotic items like weather derivatives. The company was named as the most innovative company by the Fortune magazine for 6 consecutive years spinning form 1996-2001. In 2000 it was listed among the Fortunes 100 best companies to work for in America.   It was hailed for its labour and  Ã‚   workforce policies including the long-term pensions and other benefits.   It was one of the well managed companies in America. (Krugman 2001, p. 8) But this fame was not to live long.  Ã‚   The effective management policies that had been associated with the company were at the end exposed to be fraud. It turned out to be the worst corporate fraud ever experienced on American soil. This research will look the rise and the sudden fall of Enron which was famed as one of the greatest companies in American history. Aims and objectives   The main aim for carrying out the study was to have a full understanding of the sudden fall of the great company and the factors that contributed to the fall. This is important as it can provide future guideline in management  Ã‚   as it gives an insight on how effective management can turn and destroy all the good work that it has achieved. The following were the objectives for carrying out the study; †¢ To asses the operation climate of Enron and how the company was able to prosper in the market †¢ To assess the management of the company and how it contributed to the sudden fall of the company. †¢ To asses the corporate fraud that led to the fall of the company Literature review Cases of business scandals are not new in the business world.   It has become the same as being told the that two great companies are merging in a deal worth billions of   dollars and the same story surfaces tomorrow informing you of how the same company have been implicated in a major scandal and financial rip-off.   The business press these days has more stories on business scandals than it has on prosperity of mergers.   It has been shown that although the stock market boom is over, the boom of business scandals is still on. According to Ledbetter (2002)  Ã‚   it has not been a wonder at any moment in life to hear of companies coming together to expand their operations, but it has become more  Ã‚   stunning to hear of prosperous companies involved in all manners of scandals.  Ã‚   It is like the business scandals have become the order of the day. Jayne and Greg (2004) concur that there are many factor that have been contributing to the increased business scandals in the world but some of the factors that have really contributed to the increase is  Ã‚   the effect that they have on the personal lives.   Most of those who have been implicated in business scandal have not been punished in a way that other are likely to learn from them.   For example when Nathan   Chapman   was sent to   jail for 7 ½Ã‚   years   for defrauding the   Maryland state pension fund   system   and for looting  Ã‚   three public trade companies which he owned,   he only thanked  Ã‚   the testimony that was given by   three of   her former mistresses   as they helped to put him behind bars. This shows the many of those who have been implicated in these scandals do not only defraud their trusted shareholders but they also  Ã‚   betray themselves and their families.   Greg shows that these individuals may be suffering from some kind of social or mental deficiencies and they are led by greed, ego, and corrupt ideals. Most of the business scandals do not arise because there are no strong institutions to deter their occurrence but they are caused by individual who are more interested in serving their own interest rather than the interest of their own shareholders.   In this case it has been shown that it is a faulty management that can be  Ã‚   attributed to the rise of business scandals.  Ã‚   It is due to lack of ethics in business scandals continued to hamper the trust of shareholders on corporate leaders. For   example while   Enron   was shown to have strong institution that   were even praised and helped it to  Ã‚   be classified as one of the Fortune 100 companies,   there was not   practice of business ethics   in the company which eventually led to the scandal. (Brewer 2002, p.7) Business ethics are important practices that have been recognised in the business world as them most acceptable ways that helps to have fairness in the practices. Business ethics is a form of applied ethics in business operation which inculcate the ethical principles and the moral and ethical issues and the way they are to be addressed as they arise in the course of operation of the business.   Business ethics is an important cooperate practice that ensure that the business keep to the normative and descriptive factors in the course of its operation. Business ethics  Ã‚   requires a company to do what it is supposed to do and in the right way. Business ethics are the same the social and moral ethics but  Ã‚   as applied in business.  Ã‚   There are ethics that are applicable to all the sectors of business operation.  Ã‚   There are ethics in accounting information, human resource management, sales and marketing production, intellectual property, and in other business areas. Most of the business scandal usually occurs due to lack of practice of business ethics in one of those areas.   In some companies there may be scandals that many occur due to breach of more than one area as listed above. For example in case of Enron in America it had breached ethic in production and distribution of power, human resource, accounting practices, and in other areas. Methodology The study mainly collected data from the secondary sources.   The study used qualitative research using a case study. In this case Enron Company was used as the main sample. The study decided to use qualitative research in order to collect detailed data about enron. By concentrating on Enron, the study was able to gather as much data as possible that was used for the study. The study chose to use qualitative research instead of quantitative research since it wanted to collected detailed data about the operation of the company that would give an insight on what happened and the overall fall of the company. The study was not interested in the quantitative data but it was interested on whom, when and how things happened.   Most the data was collected from secondary source. The study used various sources of data that gave any information regarding the operation of Enron Company. It also looked at various case studies that had been done before regarding Enron and the ethical issue r4egarign the operation of the economy.   The following were used as the main sources of information for the study; †¢ Websites †¢ Periodicals and journals †¢ Magazines †¢ Books †¢ Company reports The data collected was analysed in comparison with the studies that have been done before. The practice that led to the fall of the company was benchmarked on the required ethical practice in the corporate world in America. The research was conducted for one week through the analysis of the above mentioned sources. There were a number of ethical issues that were taken into consideration in the collection of the data. In the process of the correcting data the research visited several  Ã‚   libraries and other sources that could help to get information on the operation of the company.   The researcher ensured that the information that was requested was only the one that pertained to the operation of Enron and its eventual fall. The research also ensured that it reduced the amount of bias in the collection of data as much as possible.   Although it considered personal views that had been expressed by different writers about the operation of the company, it did not bank on their opinion which could have been biased.   Instead it  Ã‚   concentrated on collecting facts. Results   In the 1990s, Enron was   universally accepted as one of   the most innovative companies   that had   made crucial step to adopt to the new market that   and the new economy to record success in an old industry that had remained unattractive due to   the high risk that was involved.   The  Ã‚   company had growth to success very fast and in the same way it coma crumbling down. (Floyd 2001, p. 4) The eventual fall of the company has been attributed to the scandals that ware perpetrated by individual persons  Ã‚   and the whole organization in general.   From the 1990 to1998, Enron’s stock had recorded a rise of 311 percent  Ã‚   and which was considered to be one of the  Ã‚   highest growths in the country. The stock had just soared in a short period in the stock market.   In 1999 the stock further rose by 56% and 87% by 2000. It was rated the most innovative company at the same by the Fortune magazine owing to the success it had made. But his image was to change in a short period of less than one year.   In less than a year the company was in tatter and stock price fall nearly to zero.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The main question that was asked by many people not only the shareholders was what was the main reason behind the fall of Enron once a successful company in period of less than one year? (Bryce 2002, p. 4) Though there were a number of activities that led to the eventual fall of Enron, the unfolding events from 2001 have been earmarked as the final blow that drove the nail in.   The following events that happened in a period of one year were responsible for the fall of the company On August 14 2001 Skilling resigned from the company after heading it for just 6 mothers. He cited the need to  Ã‚   have more time with the family although there was a factor the sagging share price. He was succeeded by Lay as the CEO. On august 22 the vice president Sherron Watking met with Lay in order to discuss a memo she had written citing looming accounting problems. On 12th October, An Arthur Anderson lawyer contacted a senior partner in Houston to remind him that  Ã‚   the company did not uphold a polity of   retaining documents that  Ã‚   were no longer   needed   which prompted the shredding of the   documents., On 16th October the same year Enron which had been posting huge profits before  Ã‚   reported a quarter loss of $638 milling loss and it also disclosed a $1.2 billion reduction in the shareholders equity. This was actually attributed to the  Ã‚   partnership that was run the chief financial office Andrew Fastow. (Gilpin 2001, p. 8) On 22nd October Enron acknowledged Securities and Exchange Commission inquire in the probability of the a conflict of interest which was related to the dealings and partnerships at the company On 23rd October Lay who had assumed the CEO passion expressed his support for Fastow. Fastow was eventually ousted in Oct. 24   On October 31st Enron accused the SEC inquires that had been upgraded into a forma investigation On November 8th Enron restated plans to consolidate partnerships arrangement retroactively.  Ã‚   The profit from 1997 to 2000 had declined by more that $591 million and the debt had increased by more $658 million. (Swartz 2003, p. 3) In November 9th it entered tin a merger with Dynergy In November 28 major credit rating  Ã‚   agencies now downgraded Enron’s debt to junk bond status which made the liability to retire its $4biono f its $13 billion debt. At the same time Dynergy pulled out of the proposed merge. (Berenson 2001, p, 23) On December 2 the company led for bankruptcy in New York and at the same time it sued Dynergy for breach of contract.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Human Rights In A Democratic South Africa

Human Rights In A Democratic South Africa In the South African Constitution, citizens are given many different rights. The right to education is specifically important because it builds and largely determines the future of the next generation. Since I am in a privileged position regarding education, attending a private school, I have decided to research the right to education of all South Africans. My aim is to find whether the right to education which are guaranteed in our constitution to both children and adults are realised in the daily lives of all South Africans. My research is focused on high school education (i.e. Grade 8 to Grade 12). This is the phase which forms the foundation for Matric results. Analysing the Grade 12 results across all sectors of our population along with other primary and secondary sources will give a good indication of whether the right to Education is realised in South Africa. I predict that the rights to education are not fulfilled across all races and income groups in South Africa. Review of Literature The research done on existing information regarding the right to Education in South Africa has been studied and is discussed below. The following secondary sources include a combination of angles ranging from the Bill of Rights, the Popular Media (focusing on the recent Limpopo textbook crisis) and Education Statistics of the last few years. There are many different viewpoints regarding Education in South Africa, some highlighting the corruption and inefficiency, some focusing on the transitional phase we seem to be in, and others looking only at the successes. Education is perceived in such different ways because different audiences look at different aspects of the whole, i.e. the teachers, the pass rates or governmental management. Looking holistically at the entire situation will produce a clearer and more objective result. Source 1: The Constitution of South Africa, 4 February 1997, Chapter 2 Bill of rights, Section 29 Education When a careful study is made of the rights to education as stipulated by the South African Constitution, one finds that every child and adult has the right to basic education as well as further education. The state is primarily responsible to provide the infra-structure in which its citizens could be educated. This implies that the state should provide sufficient school buildings, enough capable teaching staff to ensure a healthy teacher-learner ratio, textbooks and other educational materials. The education system should be free from discrimination on the basis of race, gender and language. Education should be made available in all the official languages where at all practically possible. The education system should also make room for independent institutions which are registered with the state and provide standards comparable to that of public educational institutions. Source 2: Articles by Greg Nicolson from the Daily Maverick 2.1 Limpopos education crisis: The price of incompetence and corruption It is vitally important to have an education system which can be trusted. This article deals with explaining the politics behind the Limpopo textbook crisis. During a tender process advertised by the Limpopo education department there were 23 possible tenders of which 22 were immediately disqualified on the basis of technicalities. From this there was later found that the one which was accepted, EduSolutions, had been pocketing money from the government throughout the process and has left the Limpopo schools without the necessary textbooks and learning materials. 2.2 SAs education crisis: Limpopo STILL without books A recent discrepancy in the Limpopo education department has exposed the education system as corrupt and incompetent. However while the issue is being investigated and addressed a large amount of Limpopo students were left without textbooks and were unable to continue any learning. The seriousness of this situation lies not only in the fraud but the inadequacy of the manner in which students were left without any means to education until the middle of the school year. While the whole event has become a political issue there is still no answer to the problems which the students face in their battle for proper education. Source 3: Is South Africa fulfilling right to free education for all right? April 10, 2011  · by Akanyang Merementsi  · in Media, Society This article discusses education in the world and in South Africa and compares the standard of education between South Africa and the world. Not only is focus put on the importance of education as a human right but it also makes the reader aware of the large high school dropout rates and the negative effects thereof. The article discusses A4 as a model of assessment which the education department needs to adopt in order to function effectively. A4 is Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability and Adaptability. These four traits are vital in the department of education in South Africa. Source 4: The South African Department of Education Action plan 14 June 2003 and Strategic Plan 9 March 2011 In 2003 the South African education department confessed to a failing education system and set up a plan of action in order to rectify and improve the education system. It set guidelines in order to help in areas which through community debate and school statistics had been found wanting. However, it is now almost 10 years later and this Action Plan is still needed. Similarly a Strategic Plan has recently been drawn up for education in 2011 to 2014 (published on 9 March 2011). The need for both of these plans highlights the shortcomings in the South African education system; fortunately there is a plan to fix them. For this plan to be effectively deployed, the basic education system needs more than paperwork. What ultimately happens to the children in South African schools is that they are left without means to further education while administrative issues are being addressed. The plans are there, but they are simply not being carried through. Source 5: Reinvent local education now by Jon Tullett, Editor: News analysis, 11 Jul 2012 This source uses several points ranging from the Limpopo textbook crisis to our educational world rankings to discuss the importance of a reinvented education system and the current lack of basic education in South Africa. Certain issues are addressed and possible solutions mentioned in order to move South Africa forward in education using its resources and technology. Recently South Africa was ranked out of 142 countries In the World Economic Forums Global Competitiveness 2011-2012 report. South Africa is in position133 regarding the quality of the education system and in position138 for the quality of maths and science education. These are not good statistics and clearly show a fault in the education system. As we are behind countries such as Zimbabwe this quote from the article relates to many South Africans: When you think of some of the poverty-stricken, war-ravaged, desolate countries in the world, it is sobering to think they are all better than us. Source 6: Education statistics 2010 Published by the Department of Basic Education February 2012 6.1 Ratios, indicators, page 6 Statistics can be used to deduce several facts; in this case ratios are presented to show the effectiveness in numbers of the education department in South Africa. Specifically the ratios are the learner-educator ratio (LER), learner-school ratio (LSR) and educator-school ratio (ESR). The LER in 2010 was 29.3:1 and unfortunately increased to 32.2:1 in 2011. In 2010 the LSR was 474:1 which then also increased to a ratio of 484.5:1 in 2011. In 2011 the ESR had decreased to 16:1 from 2010s 16.2:1. These ratios (The LER, LSR and ESR) are that of the Public and Independent schools throughout South Africa. 6.2 National Senior Certificate (NSC) pass rates When considering whether the right to education is fulfilled in South African high schools it is vitally important to look at the level of education provided from the beginning and throughout the course of Grade 8 to Grade 12. Nonetheless, the level of education can only really be clearly seen through studying the Grade 12 National Senior Certificate pass rates and related statistics. The overall national pass rate in 2010 in the NSC examination was 67.8%. Although throughout the country more females than males wrote the NSC examination, the pass rate for males was higher than that for females. There has been an increase from 62.5% (2008) to 70.2% (2011) in Grade 12 final results in the last 4 years which is a good statistic but considering the level of education it is debatable that pass rates are higher due to a lowering in education standards as will be discussed below. Source 7: Rippling effect of the lowering of standards of basic education 18 July 2012, Varsity SA The main purpose of the South African education department should not be merely educating students but to equip learners with that which is necessary to not only pass Grade 12 but also to be educated enough for further studies. This is important because it is these students who will be responsible for carrying the country and taking over the South African economy thus students need further education and they need to be well enough equipped for further education. This article from Varsity SA raises concerns about the lowered NSC standards which have led to an increase in pass rates. It is currently required that a student only receive 30% (thus knowing only 30% of the syllabus) in order to pass the NSC. Universities have become very unhappy with the large gap in standard between Grade 12 and first year of University studies. This has a large impact on the country as a whole. According to Statistics South Africa there are 4.24 million unemployed people in South Africa. If the standard of basic education continues decreasing it will result in unemployment increasing and not decreasing as expected by government. Unless the education standards are raised the target set by government will not be achieved. Methodology When referring to the topic of Basic Education as a human right in South Africa at high school level, it is clear that research should range across all provinces and schools. Results obtained from a few questionnaires would not clearly and honestly propose a result to the hypothesis of education as a Human Right. Therefore, other means of information, specifically secondary sources, needed to be collected and analysed. The secondary sources collected provide a wide range of ideas and opinions about the education system as well as facts and statistics from a variety of sources. The secondary research conducted was from newspaper articles and internet research. South African education has been the focus of many newspapers, magazines and of the community as a whole, especially with the Limpopo textbook crisis and statistics which were released this year. Gathering research thus became a daily job of listening to news reports, social debates and community discussions. Most of the research ideas come from discussing the topic with people, be it teachers, students, parents or any other South African citizen. Education touches every single South African in one way or another thus it is vitally important to hear what South Africa has to say about education and how it impacts their lives. Articles seen online and in newspapers were recorded and every time a new issue about education was raised the topic was recorded. Then internet research was done on the list of information and the articles found. More online research was done in order to gather other sources and specifically statistics from done surveys and from Statistics South Africa. Both quantitive and qualitive data is used; quantitive data such as statistics and ratios and the qualitive data include reports, articles, opinions, interviews and other literature. Considering the large gap between high school education and university education it was important to have first hand research of the level of students entering university. A senior accounting lecturer of the University of Witwatersrand, Mrs. Belinda Breytenbach, was contacted and an interview set up. Here further insight into the shortcomings of the education system was revealed. Interview questions: Do you believe that the right to education in South Africa for high school students is being fulfilled? Why or why not? Is it true that there is a growing concern regarding the cognitive abilities of first year students who have completed the NSC? Could you describe the academic level of the first year accounting students in general? What would you say is the single biggest need among students academically? How high are the university dropout rates and do you believe that they are increased due to the education students receive in high school? Is there cause for concern about the lowered standards which increase the pass rates of learners writing the NSC? With English being the medium of instruction how would you rate the proficiency of the average first year student? What do you believe are the main areas of concern in the basic education system of South Africa? Do you encounter difficulties in your field of work which is due to the lack of proper education for high school student? Do you believe that education in South Africa is viewed more negatively due to stereotypes? Are there enough opportunities for students who do not receive university acceptance? Do you think that the large amounts of students who after receiving the NSC do not receive university acceptance directly increase the unemployment rate and affect the South African economy? If so, why? What would you suggest the South African Department of Education do to further the education system? Processing of findings The majority of research material is secondary sources. Therefore conclusions and results need to be taken from the literature, graphs and ratios used. From this graph it is clear that by far the majority of learners in South Africa attend Public Schools. For this reason it is vitally important that the South African Education System is successfully fulfilling the basic right to Education as set out in the Bill of Rights. Below all the sources from the Literature Review are analyzed and interpreted in order to determine whether this right is fulfilled throughout the country. Studying the Limpopo textbook crisis, it is quite clear that corruption and a lack of integrity caused learners to suffer great loss in terms of learning materials and eventually in terms of time wasted. There is still no clear plan of action for the successful delivery of learning materials for 2014. Ultimately both articles prove the point that government officials are more concerned about playing politics than about the actual education of learners, who in turn become the victims of dishonesty. The Education Department should have a careful look at their priorities and put the learners first. When comparing South African Education to the rest of the World, South Africa has the fifth worst education system of all the countries reviewed. This puts us behind a country such as Zimbabwe, which in itself should raise grave concern. The current education system disappoints in terms of delivery of results as well as in terms of development. It is quite clear that the academic discussion of the problem has been done and the answers are on the table, however, the implementation of the Strategic Plan calls for responsible individuals to be monitored by the system. The SA Education Department has the tights ideas but has not succeeded in bringing them into action. This in itself might be a result of inferior teacher training procedures and highlights the need for proper education on a secondary and a tertiary level. Too much time is spent on the administration and discussion of the problem, and too little on the actual implementation and monitoring of the system. When analyzing the current education situation it is important to interpret ratios and statistics. Between 2009 and 2010 the Learner Educator ratio increased which means that teachers had bigger classes and more learners had less individual attention from the teacher. The Learner School ratio also increased, highlighting the need for more school buildings. The Educator School ratio decreased, showing that although learner numbers increased, the amount of teachers decreased. These ratios are an indication of the negative development of the entire system, adding unnecessary stress and workload to teachers. The Grade 12 results of 2009 and 2010 are displayed below. At first glance the increase in pass rate looks positive. However, the actual number of students who performed better did not increase, but the requirement to pass decreased to a lower standard and therefore the pass rate increased. In an interview with a senior accounting lecturer from the University of the Witwatersrand, Mrs. Belinda Breytenbach, the following information emerged: High School education is not adequate and many learners are taught by unqualified teachers. Lecturers sit with the problem of students not having the necessary language or mathematical skills to understand the work content. This makes teaching very difficult and emphasizes the need for better education on a higher standard. One of the biggest problems is a lack of English proficiency. When looking at the university dropout rate and the level of comprehension of these students, it is certainly cause for concern. Dropout rates are high and pass rates are low among first year students. When looking at Mrs Breytenbachs answers to the questionnaire, the deduction is made that Education on a tertiary level is severely hampered by inferior teaching on a secondary level. Interview Response: Do you believe that the right to education in South Africa for high school students is being fulfilled? No. Why or why not? Several factors contribute but among them is the inadequacy of education, the need for schools and qualified educators. The textbook crisis is another example. Is it true that there is a growing concern regarding the cognitive abilities of first year students who have completed the NSC? Yes, First year accounting pass rates are low. The mathematic and english skills of the students are below the required standard. Could you describe the academic level of the first year accounting students in general? It is definitely below the expected level at University. We find that most students are on about a Grade 10 and 11 standard and this makes teaching more difficult. What would you say is the single biggest need among students academically? English reading and writing skills. Students struggle with writing and have extreme difficulty with their comprehension skills. How high are the university dropout rates and do you believe that they are increased due to the education students receive in high school? Yes I do, the dropout rate is relatively high for university (+ 30 40%). Is there cause for concern about the lowered standards which increase the pass rates of learners writing the NSC? Yes, people are less equipped to pass at University. With English being the medium of instruction how would you rate the proficiency of the average first year student? English is poor. The majority of students are not first language English speakers. What do you believe are the main areas of concern in the basic education system of South Africa? The education and qualifications of the teachers themselves along with the fact that many learners are passing to the next grade/level without actually having the required knowledge. Do you encounter difficulties in your field of work which is due to the lack of proper education for high school student? Yes, they cannot grasp the accounting concepts due to a lack of English skills along with basic mathematical and accounting knowledge which although required is not actually present. Do you believe that education in South Africa is viewed more negatively due to stereotypes? Yes, but it is not only due to stereotypes. The lack of proper education is a problem I deal with on a daily basis at the University. Are there enough opportunities for students who do not receive university acceptance? Yes, the opportunities exist but students are not equipped well enough and simply do not always use the chances they are given. Do you think that the large amounts of students who after receiving the NSC do not receive university acceptance directly increase the unemployment rate and affect the South African economy? Yes If so why? Many students have passed grade 12 and have received the NSC but the level is too low and thus students cant get university acceptance and are not well enough prepared to be able to work as part of a growing economy. What would you suggest the South African Department of Education do to further the education system? Ensure that teachers are properly qualified. Try to focus on separating politics and education in all aspects. Provide more schools and opportunities. One way of doing this is by joining in on projects similar to one we run at the University of Witwatersrand, it is called the Wits Soweto schools project and it is where university lecturers go to help tutor school children in rural or underprivileged areas. Conclusion Having studied the education system in South Africa over a period of month and with the help of primary and secondary sources, a conclusion has been reached. As predicted in the hypothesis the human right to basic education in South Africa is not fulfilled on a satisfactory level nationally. There are not enough school buildings, there are not enough qualified teachers, learning materials do not always reach the learners and ultimately the level of education is too low to prepare learners for tertiary studies. There are many different reasons for the current problems within the Education System, and one of the biggest reasons is that unqualified teachers teach, which perpetuates the problem. This national problem needs to be addressed with a long term view, creating opportunities for staff development, improved teacher training and careful administration of resources and programs. The strategic plan should be actively enforced and the priority of the South African Education Department should be the learners. The system needs to be constantly reviewed and adjusted in the light of international standards. It is imperative that weak learners should be supported and helped to achieve, rather than to lower standards in an effort to increase pass rates. The biggest limitation of the above discussion is that there is no reference to children who are not even part of any schooling system and not accounted for in any statistics. Several of the secondary sources could be biased as it is written from an individuals perspective although facts and statistics were used. Doing this research project has opened my eyes to the complexity of the South African situation with particular reference to the education system. It does not have a simple solution; neither does it have a single contributing factor. There are numerous problems interlinking causing even bigger problems and one would need great wisdom, huge resources and a lot of determination to even begin addressing these problems. Great leadership is needed in this regard. Reference List Newspaper articles: Nicolson, Greg. 2012. Limpopos education crisis: The price of incompetence and corruption. The Daily Maverick. 18 July 2012 Nicolson, Greg. 2012. SAs education crisis: Limpopo STILL without books. The Daily Maverick. 17 July 2012 Websites: Merementsi, Akanyang. 10 April 2011. Is South Africa fulfilling right to free education for all right?. Media Society. http://akanyangafrica.wordpress.com/2011/04/10/is-south-africa-fulfilling-right-to-free-education-for-all-right/. 6 July 2012. Nicolson, Greg.17 July 2012.SAs education crisis: Limpopo STILL without books. The Daily Maverick.http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2012-07-17-sas-education-crisis-limpopo-still-without-books. 1 September 2012. Nicolson, Greg. 18 July 2012. Limpopos education crisis: The price of incompetence and corruption. The Daily Maverick. http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2012-07-18-limpopos-education-crisis-the-price-of-incompetence-and-corruption. 1 September 2012 Right to education project © 2008. The Constitution of South Africa. Right to education project.http://www.right-to-education.org/country-node/522/country-constitutional. 22 June 2012 The South African Department of Education. 14 June 2003. Action plan. The South African Department of Education. http://www.education.gov.za/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket =IBMz%2FjGelkc%3Dtabid=390mid=1124. 4 September 2012. The South African Department of Education. 9 March 2011. Strategic Plan. The South African Department of Education.http://www.education.gov.za/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket= %2F%2BBILaBJ7ak%3Dtabid=80mid=585. 4 September 2012. The South African Department of Education. Feb 2012. Education statistics 2010. The South African Department of Education. http://www.education.gov.za/EMISSTATISTICS /StatisticalPublications/tabid/462/Default.aspx. 22 June 2012. Tullett, Jon. 11 Jul 2012. Reinvent local education now. It web. http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option =com_contentview =articleid=56651. 13 August 2012. 18 July 2012.Rippling effect of the lowering of standards of basic education. Varsity SA. http://varsitysa.co.za/fun-stuff/articles/rippling-effect-of-the-lowering-of-standards-of-basic-education/.7 September 2012. Interview: Senior lecturer of Accounting from the University of the Witwatersrand Belinda Breytenbach. Tel:0832934350

Friday, September 20, 2019

Biosensors Development for Hydrogen Peroxide Detection

Biosensors Development for Hydrogen Peroxide Detection An approach towards clinical diagnosis. 1. Introduction: The molecular oxygen is the basic source of energy for aerobic systems. Its consumption by the living systems produces the radical such as superoxide anion (O2). This is a highly reactive toxic radical and is implicated in numerous pathologies. The toxicity of the triplet oxygen is prevented by the involvement of enzymes. A real paradox is that hydrogen peroxide and superoxide ion have to be present in the living systems but their concentrations have to be controlled precisely so that they persist only for a short period in cells. Hydrogen peroxide belongs to a class of non-radicals reactive oxygen species [1, 2]. It is an important intermediate species in many biological and environmental processes. Moreover, H2O2 which is known as a cell killer due to its oxidizing power is required as a substrate for many enzymes. It has been shown to be present in the atmospheric and hydrospheric environments [3, 4]. H2O2 is a major reactive oxygen species in living organisms, better known for its cytotoxic effects and it also plays an important role as a second messenger in cellular signal transduction. Oxidative damages resulting from the cellular imbalance of H2O2 and other reactive oxygen species are related to aging and severe human diseases such as cancers and cardiovascular disorders. [5, 6] Furthermore, H2O2 is one of the products of reactions mediated by almost all oxidases. [7] H2O2 is generated in response to various stimuli, including cytokines and growth factors and is also involved in regulating diverse biolo gical processes from immune cell activation and vascular remodeling in mammals [8] to stomatal closure and root growth in plants[9]. In unicellular organisms an important response to the increased levels of H2O2 is the increased production of antioxidants and repair proteins to allow adaptation to these oxidative conditions[10]. Most biological sources of H2O2 involve in the spontaneous or catalytic breakdown of superoxide anions, produced by the partial reduction of oxygen during aerobic respiration and following the exposure of cells to a variety of physical, chemical and biological agents. As for example, activation of NADPH oxidase complexes generate superoxide and hence the H2O2. 2. A brief outlook of the hydrogen peroxide assays Unlike other reactive oxygen species H2O2 (a mild reducing and oxidizing agent) needs an initiator for the activation by the transitional metal or enzymes. This robust chemical characteristic of H2O2 made the assay rather difficult in the quantification compared to its other reactive oxygen species such as superoxide, hydroxyl radical, singlet oxygen, peroxyl radical, and such others. Methods useful for its assay include ultra-violet, infrared, Raman scattering, ESR, electro analytical techniques, metal-H2O2 complexes, enzyme mediated reactions, nanotechnogy, flow injection analysis, and biosensors. 2.1 Analytical methods based on the physical properties Numerous methods have been reported in the literature for the quantification of H2O2 based on its physical properties. These include electrochemical, optical thermal, ultrasonic, chromatographic methods and mass spectra [11]. The analytical methods based on its physical properties are rather restricted due to its relatively poor robustness and sensitivity for biomedical application. Methods assessible for the enzyme assay techniques include Synthetic labeled substrates including fluorogenic and chromogenic substrates Isotopically labeled substrates Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) substrates Substrates with fluorescent labels with indirect detection Electrochemical assays Chemiluminiscence assays Bioluminescent assays Mass spectroscopy Nanotechnology Enzyme immobilization techniques For the development of analytical techniques and methods for the hydrogen peroxide assays, analytical chemists play a crucial role as they are mainly devoted to the development of methodologies or have been too much concerned with the analysis of isolated targeted material. 2.2 Quantification based on the electrochemical biosensor The modern concept of biosensors is a rapidly expanding field of instruments to determine the concentration of substances and other parameters of biological interest since the invention by Clark and lyons in 1962. Electrochemical biosensors are the analytical devices that detect biochemical and physiological changes. Early techniques of biosensors in the analysis of chemical and biological species involved reactions that took place in a solution in addition to catalysts and samples. In recent years, however the biosensor techniques have provided alternative systems that allowed the reactions without reagents to take place at a surface of an electrode. The immobilization techniques include physical adsorption, cross-linking, entrapment, covalent-bond or sometimes combination of all the techniques. International Status As it has been mentioned in the introduction of the proposal, a tremendous burst in research activities in the field of hydrogen peroxide measurement has increased over understanding about its role. Over the last few years, studies have suggested that oxidative stress plays a role in the regulation of hematopoietic cell homeostasis.[12] The generation of H2O2 is increased in response to various stresses, in which previous exposure to one stress can induce tolerance of subsequent exposure to the same or different stresses. [13] Oxidative stress is an important cause of cell damage associated with the initiation of many diseases.[14] It is also investigated that tissue injury due to free radical liberated by H2O2 during oxidative stress is the heart of periodontal diseases. [15] Many research papers describes that high levels of H2O2 is cytotoxic to a wide range of animal, plant and bacterial cells. Hydrogen peroxide has the ability to penetrate the cell membrane and form the hydroxyl radical OH. which is capable of causing high levels of DNA damage. [16] Evidences show that increase in the cellular levels of H2O2 play a major role directly or indirectly in sensitizing cancer cells to H2O2-induced cell death. Indeed, there is a growing literature showing that H2O2 can be used as an inter- and intra-cellular signalling molecule. [17] National status: A tremendous growth is taking place in developing hydrogen peroxide biosensor all over the world and also in India. As per the Indian scenario, different national research institutes and private companies have been working in this field. NPL, CEERI Pilani, IISC, IIT, Bengal Engineering and Science University and many more national institutes are working on this. Many of the private sectors like Biosensor Interventional technologies (India) Pvt. Ltd, Clearly a major obstacles in studying the roles of hydrogen peroxide has been the lack of widely available specific tools and methodologies Objectives The whole idea of the project is to develop a new ultrasensitive reagent, versatile, non-carcinogenic easily available so that there are no earlier reports. The proposal of new reagents for enzyme peroxidase based hydrogen peroxide assay. Principal investigator is interested to have an extensive catch over the kinetic assay by developing new kinetic equations by controlling different parameters such as pH, effect of co-substrate concentration etc., (iv) Methodology: The simple oxidative reaction of the H2O2 in the presence of enzyme can be explored by converting the co-substrates into optically detectable product. This includes a variety of oxidizing reagents based on the oxidative property of metals such as Co(II), Fe(II), Cu(II), and other metal ion catalysts. The assay based on simple oxidation comprises the optical methods such as spectrophotometry, spectroflurimetry, and chemiluminiscence. To overcome the relatively poor sensitivity and selectivity of the optical methods described below, peroxidase or metal porphyrins can be introduced to enhance the sensitivity of specific H2O2 detection. It is based on the specific H2O2 reaction with hydrogen donors on the catalysis of peroxidase or metal porphyrins, instead of oxidizing reagents. These optical methods of analysis are sensitive to the extent of micromolar and nanomolar H2O2 concentrations. As one of the most sensitive optical methods, chemiluminiscence is based on the reaction of luminol with H2O2 in basic solution in the presence of metal ions such as Fe(II), Cu(II), Co(II) and other metal ion catalysts [7]. Further chemiluminiscent methods were developed by the use of different oxidizing agents such as KIO4-K2CO3 [8]. Also attempts were made for the enhancement of chemuminiscent reaction by the use of p-iodopenol [9], gold nanoparticles [10], chitosan [11], resin [12] and DNAzyme [13]. Alternatively, fluorescent quantification has been applied to H2O2 based on the oxidation [14]. The generation of oxidized form can be measured by the fluorescent probes such as p-(hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid [15], ÃŽ ²- Cyclodextrin (CD)–hemin [16], N,N’-dicyanomethyl-o-phenylenediamine- hemin [17], Rhodamine B hydrazide-iron(III)-tetrasulfonatophthalocyanine [18], Fluorescein hydrazide [19], Haemin-L-tyrosine [20], Fluorescin [21], and ninhydrin [22]. Another approach was mainly based on the ROS fluorogenic reaction, which generally involves formation of oxidized forms which are highly fluorescent products [23-26]. There are also many spectrophotometric methods for the assay of H2O2 which are based on the oxidation and formation of the colored product. The spectrophotometry involves the methods based on guaiacol [27], 4-amino-5-(p-aminophenyl)-1-methyl-2-phenyl-pyrazol-3-one (DAP) N-ethyl-N-sulpho- propylaniline sodium salt (ALPS) [28], Phenol-AAP [29], Photofenton reaction-metavanadate [30], Fenton reaction [31], Pyrocatecol-aniline [32], H2O2-molybdate [33], Naphthalene-Agrocybe aegerita peroxidase [34], and phenol red-HRP [35]. The sensitivity of these optical methods can be further enhanced by the involvement of sequential flow injection analysis system. Principal investigator is interested to carry out modest research for the development of newer analytical procedures for the enzyme based substrate assay. Implementation of the project proposal involves of developing new reagents for the assay of peroxidase involving the use of amine, phenol related co-substrate assay for peroxidase. The main proposal of the research work will be dealt with alternative reagents to guaiacol, benzidine which are having it own disadvantages such as solubility in water, carcinogenic, economic viability. References: [1] C.L. Murrant, M.B. Reid, Detection of reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species in skeletal muscle, Microscopy Research and Technique, 55 (2001) 236-248. [2] M.P. Fink, Role of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in acute respiratory distress syndrome, Current Opinion in Critical Care, 8 (2002) 6-11. [3] D. Price, P.J. Worsfold, R.F. C. Mantoura, Hydrogen peroxide in the marine environment: cycling and methods of analysis, TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 11 (1992) 379-384. [4] J.M. Anglada, P. Aplincourt, J.M. Bofill, D. Cremer, Atmospheric Formation of OH Radicals and H2O2 from Alkene Ozonolysis under Humid Conditions, ChemPhysChem, 3 (2002) 215-221. [5] M.C.Y. Chang, A. Pralle, E.Y. Isacoff, C.J. Chang, A Selective, Cell-Permeable Optical Probe for Hydrogen Peroxide in Living Cells, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 126 (2004) 15392-15393. [6] E.W. Miller, A.E. Albers, A. Pralle, E.Y. Isacoff, C.J. Chang, Boronate-Based Fluorescent Probes for Imaging Cellular Hydrogen Peroxide, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 127 (2005) 16652-16659. [7] D.A. Abramowicz, C.R. Keese, Enzyme-catalyzed reactions involving diphenyl carbonate, in, Google Patents, 1990. [8] M. Geiszt, T.L. Leto, The Nox Family of NAD(P)H Oxidases: Host Defense and Beyond, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 279 (2004) 51715-51718. [9] C. Laloi, K. Apel, A. Danon, Reactive oxygen signalling: the latest news, Current Opinion in Plant Biology, 7 (2004) 323-328. [10] D.J. Jamieson, Oxidative stress responses of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Yeast, 14 (1998) 1511-1527. [11] D. Harms, H. Luftmann, F.K. Muller, B. Krebs, U. Karst, Selective determination of hydrogen peroxide by adduct formation with a dinuclear iron(iii) complex and flow injection analysis/tandem mass spectrometry, Analyst, 127 (2002) 1410-1412. [12] A. Nogueira-Pedro, T.A.M. Cesario, C. Dias, C.S.T. Origassa, L.P.M. Eca, E. Paredes-Gamero, A. Ferreira, Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) induces leukemic but not normal hematopoietic cell death in a dose-dependent manner, Cancer Cell International, 13 (2013) 123. [13] B. Halliwell, M.V. Clement, L.H. Long, Hydrogen peroxide in the human body, FEBS Letters, 486 (2000) 10-13. [14] E.A. Veal, A.M. Day, B.A. Morgan, Hydrogen Peroxide Sensing and Signaling, Molecular Cell, 26 (2007) 1-14. [15] A. Mendi, B. AslÄÂ ±m, Antioxidant Lactobacilli Could Protect Gingival Fibroblasts Against Hydrogen Peroxide: A Preliminary In Vitro Study, Probiotics Antimicro. Prot., (2014) 1-8. [16] B. Halliwell, J.M.C. Gutteridge, Oxygen free radicals and iron in relation to biology and medicine: Some problems and concepts, Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 246 (1986) 501-514. [17] S. Neill, R. Desikan, J. Hancock, Hydrogen peroxide signalling, Current Opinion in Plant Biology, 5 (2002) 388-395.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Hospital Pharmacy Essay -- Medicine

The subspecialty in pharmacy I choose is hospital pharmacy. As a current employee at the University of Utah inpatient pharmacy, I see the implementation of the concepts of pharmacy informatics discussed in class. Pharmacy informatics enables me to practice pharmacy quickly, safely, and in the best interests of the patient. The computerized physician order entry allows for less error and requires less interpretation by the pharmacy staff. This saves the pharmacists time which they can allocate to verifying more orders. Having a computer system with the ability to verify a drug ordered via the NDC number and implementing a final check by a pharmacist is a great contributor to patient safety. Pharmacy informatics provides us with the computer systems, databases, and interfaces to ensure the patient is getting the correct drug in the correct strength at the correct time for the disease. The medication use cycle consists of prescribing, dispensing, administration, and monitoring.(1) As mentioned previously, the computerized physician order entry communicates the order to the pharmacy. This order absolutely cannot be dispensed until a pharmacist verifies the order, whereby it is sent to the work path to be pulled. The interface between these two systems is crucial to the retrieval of the drug for administration. The next step is administration to the patient by the nurse. The nurse relies on the electronic medical record to indicate what drug is needed for a patient and the time of administration. This again relies on a crucial interface between the system in which the pharmacist verifies the order and its subsequent appearance on the electronic medical record. Depending on whether the medicine cabinet has the drug or th... ...le of standards and vocabulary is crucial for clinical decision support (CDS) to function properly. The basis of the â€Å"knowledge† possessed by the CDS is the ontology programmed within it. It lacks the ability to critically think and only possesses the knowledge programmed within it via standards. If one system is using one vocabulary and trying to communicate with another system which is using a different vocabulary, the system will not understand. This can result in medication errors or lack of proper medication therapy and management. References 1. Lombardi, P.T. (2000). â€Å"Closing the Loop – Implementing Quality Improvement Processes and Advances in Technology to Decrease Medication Error.† MedScape Today. 2. Van der Maas, A.F. et al. (2001). â€Å"Requirements for Medical Modeling Languages.† J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2001 Mar-Apr; 8(2): 146–162.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Virginia Woolfs Jacobs Room - Jacob Flanders, Many Things to Many Rea

Virginia Woolf's Jacob's Room - Jacob Flanders, Many Things to Many Readers Listless is the air in an empty room, just swelling the curtain; the flowers in the jar shift. One fibre in the wicker arm- chair creaks, though no one sits there. - Jacob's Room The year 1922 marks the beginning of High Modernism with the publications of T. S. Eliot's The Wasteland, James Joyce's Ulysses, and Virginia Woolf's Jacob's Room. Woolf's novel, only her third, is not generally afforded the iconic worship and critical praise so often attached to those works of her most famous male contemporaries. Jacob's Room is seldom suggested as one of Woolf's best fiction; the novel has not generated the same encomia as her recognized masterpieces Mrs. Dalloway, Between the Acts, and The Waves. But Jacob's Room is indeed a revolutionary work in its original technical mastery, its mournful historicity, and its evocative tone. The novel is Woolf's manifesto in fiction of her unique enterprise to create character beyond the one-to-one mimetic method of conventional Victorian and Edwardian realism. Uniquely self-conscious and conscious of self, Woolf was attracted to exploring new modes of characterization, fictional consciousness, and epistemology. She is especiall y interested in exploring the nature, communication, and limits of fictional knowledge. Woolf's idiosyncratic mode of characterization in Jacob's Room is the epistemological complement in fiction to Eliot's formula for emotional expression in poetry, the objective correlative. While Eliot's description of the ideal artistic technique tries to be concise and formulaic, a direct mimetic correspondence, Woolf's technique is symbolic and metaphoric, collective, indefinite, and infinitely more ... ...Merry. "Virginia Woolf's Between the Acts: Fascism in the Heart of England." Virginia Woolf Miscellanies: Proceedings of the First Annual Conference on Virginia Woolf. Ed. by Mark Hussey and Vara Neverow-Turk. Lanham, MD: Pace University Press, 1992. pp. 188-191. Ruddick, Sara. "Private Brother, Public World." New Feminist Essays on Virginia Woolf. Ed. by Jane Marcus. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1981. pp. 185-215. Schug, Charles. The Romantic Genesis of the Modern Novel. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1979. Woolf, Virginia. The Essays of Virginia Woolf. Volume III. 1919-1924. Ed. by Andrew McNeillie. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1988. -----. Jacob's Room. New York: The Penguin Group, 1998. -----. The Letters of Virginia Woolf. Volume II. 1912-1922. Ed. by Nigel Nicholson. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1976.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Martyrs Day

MARTYRS DAY The Nation pays homage to the martyrs who suffered and died for the freedom, welfare, and progress of the country, on January 30 every year. It was on January 30, 1948 that Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated a little before the sunset when he was going to attend his evening prayers. Gandhiji was the greatest among the lakhs and lakhs of martyrs and freedom fighters who sacrificed everything for the country’s Independence, welfare andprogress. Since Gandhiji’s martyrdom on January 30, 1948 this day was declared as the Martyrs’ Day. Since then every year the Nation pays homage to the Mahatma and other martyrs on this day.On Martyr’s Day, the President, the Vice President, the Prime Minister, the Defence Minister, and the three service Chiefs gather at the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat and lay wreaths on the Samadhi decorated with multi-colour flowers. The armed forces personnel blow the bugles sounding the Last Post. The inter-services contin gent reverse arms as a mark of respect to the martyrs. A two-minutes silence in memory of the Father of the Nation and other martyrs is observed throughout the country at 11 a. m. At Rajghat, in front of the Samadhi of Gandhiji, all-religion prayers are held and bhajans dear to him sung.January 30, 1948 is the saddest and most poignant day in our history. For on this day, 78-year old Mahatma Gandhi was killed in Birla House (now known as Gandhi Smriti) when he was going to join his evening prayers. This was the biggest tragedy that the Nation faced after we achieved our hard-won Independence under the leadership of Gandhiji. I was a few yards away when this tragedy occurred. Like other days, I was slowly walking behind the Mahatma towards the prayer ground. I saw a well-built, tall young man, clad in khaki, rushing from the peaceful crowd of men, women and children, who came to attend the prayers, towards Gandhiji.Gandhiji was then ascending the steps to the prayer ground. The restl ess young man tried to touch Gandhiji’s feet. Gandhiji’s grand daughters, Manu and Ava, told him that Gandhiji did not like people touching his feet. They both tried to stop the man and told him not to delay the Mahatma who was already late for the prayers. But the man pushed them aside and the prayer books and other things which they were carrying fell on the ground. The young man, who had a pistol, suddenly fired three shots from close range at Gandhiji. The Mahatma fell on the ground, his white khadi dress soaked in blood.A man of prayer, Gandhiji remembered God and said, â€Å"Hey Ram : Hey Ram. † It was 5. 17 p. m. Men, women and children, who came to join the prayers, were shocked and wept aloud to see the Father of the Nation being killed in front of their eyes. A bleeding Gandhiji was rushed to the room where he was staying. The news of his assassination spread like a fire. Despite one of the coldest nights in India’s capital, thousands of people crowded in front of Birla House and wanted to have Gandhiji’s darshan. Inside the room there were tragic scenes. Pandit Nehru, our first Prime Minister, wept like a child.Sardar Patel was seen consoling him. Doctors rushed into the room. They examined Gandhiji. They remained dumb. Slowly, they signified that the Mahatma was dead. This was my worst and saddest reporting of the Mahatma after about four years’ tour as the United Press of India correspondent with him in various parts of the country. I wept but I had to do my duty. After flashing the news to my office, I rushed to the room where Gandhiji’s body was lying. Recitations from the Gita and other scriptures were going on. I remained whole night in that room. Lights in the room were switched off. An oil lamp was lit.There was darkness everywhere. Sitting in the room, I wrote an article titled â€Å"That Darkest Night† which was well published. Outside the room, there was a huge waiting and weeping cr owd. The people were shouting in choked voice â€Å"Allow us to have last darshan of our beloved Bapuji†. The entire area rent with repeated cries of â€Å"Mahatma Gandhi ki Jai†. In order to allow the people to have darshan of the Mahatma, his body was placed on the high table in the adjacent room. A powerful lamp was lit so that the people could have an easy darshan. As the doors of the room were opened, there was a huge rush.Everybody wanted to touch Gandhiji’s feet. An old woman fell down in the rush and fainted. There was so much confusion that the doors of the room had to be closed. Then Gandhiji’s body was taken to the roof of the house and placed under powerful light to enable the vast multitude of people have a last glimpse of him. In bitter cold, Gandhiji was given a bath at 1 a. m. The blood-soaked clothes were then removed from his body. I then saw three bullet wounds on his body. Two bullets had pierced through his body. The third bullet rema ined in his body. The wounds were still bleeding. The scene was tragic.After the bath, Gandhiji was dressed in khaddar loin cloth presented to him on his last birthday. He was garlanded with a hank of hand-spun thread. He was decorated with flowers and garlands. Gandhiji’s favourite Ram Dhun and bhajans were recited. Gandhiji’s watch then struck 3. 30 a. m. Everyday, he was used to hold his morning prayers at that time. All-religion prayers were held that day as well. His grand daughters, Ava and Manu, sang a Hindi bhajan befitting the occasion. This bhajan is as follows: â€Å"Karle Sringar, Chatur Albele, (Tujhe) Sajan ke Ghar Jana Hoga, Miitti Orhawan, Mitti Bichawan, Mitti me hi Mil Jana Hoga. Karle Sringar†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Nahale Dhole Shish Gothale Phir Wahan-se Nahi Ana Hoga Karle Sringar †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  As the prayers were going on, the first rays of the sun entered the room. That dreadful night, which the whole nation passed in anguish and tears, came to an end. Preparations for Gandhiji’s last journey to Rajghat were being made. A mass of humanity had crowded in Delhi on that occasion. The cremation at Rajghat was attended by world dignitaries. Gandhiji, alongwith lakhs of men and women who sacrified for the country’s cause, became a martyr. The cellular dark jails of the Andaman Islands, where the freedom fighters were kept, are full of stories of the martyrs.The stone walls of the jail echoe the sufferings and torture of the freedom fighters, many of whom were killed inside the jail. The Martyrs’ Day is an occasion to remember all our martyrs and work for the country’s peace, unity, progress and welfare. During the last eventful phase of his life, Gandhiji worked for establishing peace, amity and brotherhood among people and died while working for this mission. Let us remember his work for peace, amity and brotherhood. (PIB) *Journalist and freedom fighter who was eye witness to Gandhiji’s assassination

Monday, September 16, 2019

Hanson Industry HPL

Abstract Hansson Private Label (HPL) is a manufacturer of personal care products. The company was purchased by Mr Hanson in 1992. The investment represented significant risk for Hanson because a significant portion of his wealth was tied up is a single investment. Over the past sixteen years Hanson has grown the company at a conservative but persistent fashion. He is now faced with an investment opportunity that promises swift growth but also accompanies significant amount of risk. The sales of the private labels are dependent on few larger customers and customer retention is very important to a company like HPL. Recently HPL’s largest customer has approach the company for a large order. The company will need to invest in expanding its facilities in order to meet the order requirements. This is an excellent opportunity for HPL but the downside is that the customer would only commit to a three year contract and the company can bear significant losses if the customer refuses to buy the product after the contract expires. Therefore Hansson needs to accurately calculate the cash flows related to the investment and account for the risk inherent in the investment before he can make decision on the expansion project. Excel Sheet Projections for Expansion Project Investment Appraisal for Expansion Project 2009-2018 Free Cash Flows, NPV, IRR, MIRR Calculation of Cost of Capital Riskfree Rate, Market Risk Premium, EquityBeta, Cost of Equity, Cost of Debt, WACC Sensitivity Analysis of Key Projections Decrease of 10% Current Increase of 10% Capacity Utlilization, Selling Price, WACC, Production Cost Page 1 HPL. tx. txt Questions Covered 1. There are two main parts to any valuation analysis: Projection of cash-flows and discounting them by the appropriate discount rate. Your main objective is to analyze the appropriateness of both these parts. Are the cash-flow projections reasonable? Does the discount rate make sense? 2. Estimate appropriate incremental after-tax cash-flows. Make sure that you explain the appropriateness of your cash-flow projections. 3. What should the discount rate depend on? Discuss. 4. Finally, offer your conclusions including an analysis of strategic implications of the proposal. You are not expected to know as much as the insiders of the firm. They will certainly know more. But, do the best you can.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

A Day in the Life of Project Manager

A Day in the Life of a Project Manager 1. How effectively do you think Rachel spent her day? Project is a complex, non-routine, one time effort that is limited by time, budget, resources and performance specifications and it’s implemented to meet the customer requirements. The following activities performed by Rachel are project related: a. Review project reports and prepare for the weekly status meeting – 25 min b. Participate in the progress review meeting – 45 min c. Reviewing project assignments – 30 min d. Listening to team mates – 20 min e.Discussing the problem with John – 30 min f. Exploring and getting the necessary equipments for the project – 30 min g. Exchanging information about technical requirements – 60 min h. Discussion with Mary (marketing manager), where she agreed to talk to her team members – 40 min i. Reviewing the impact the client’s requests could have on project schedule – 30 min j. Reviewing emails and project documents – 30 min A few things are ordinary daily work that requires doing the same work repetitively. Time spent on these routine activities: a. Reviewing her schedule – 15 min . Discussing the project with her boss – 20 min c. Updating boss on the key events of the day – 20 min Time spent on non-project activities: a. Socializing and catching up on personal news – 10 min b. Getting to her office and settling in – 10 min c. Project status meeting delayed – 15 min d. Gossiping with Edie – 30 min e. Everyone getting on conference call and checking emails – 15 min f. Waiting in Mary’s office – 10 min g. Going home – 30 min Her efficiency would be calculated as:- Total spend time Efficiency = Direct project related work * 100 = 340/515 * 100 = 66. 02%She has an efficiency of 66. 02% on the project. She is an efficient project manager to some extent. She has spent only 23. 3 % of her time on non project activities. 2. What does the case tell you about what it is like to be a project manager? A project manager provides direction, coordination and integration to the project team * Solve out the problems and direct the team members for the solution. * Discuss with the team members whenever there is an issue and get their ideas involved in the project * Keep regular project status meetings, small discussions to coordinate and integrate.This will provide all the team members an insight on how the project is progressing Involved in organization planning * Good relationship with managers, team members and other individuals. * Coordinating with the boss and updating him/her on daily tasks * Maintains great integration with other managers when solving an issue, e. g. integration with senior marketing manager Improving the project’s success rate with better leadership * Leading courageously * Influencing others * Act with resilienceManaging the overall sch edule to ensure work is assigned and completed on time and within budget * She has been helping Victoria on her project as it was behind the projected time Project Managers have a huge responsibility and authority over a project, it involves identifying, tracking, managing and resolving project issues * She attended a meeting in order to fix a project issue and tried to fix them * Also she found that several clients are requesting features that are not on the project, and she conveyed to her team members that she will get on this issue right away Communication skills One good example is where Rachel goes and talks to the purchasing agent assigned to her project on getting necessary equipments to the project site earlier than planned. * She also walks down to the marketing manager’s office to clarify on the problem they came up with.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Participative Leadership Essay

In taking the online quiz required for this assignment I found myself to be a participative leader. This type of leader fits me perfectly and I was not surprised to see the answer. I try to engage each team member in identifying necessary goals and developing procedures or strategies for reaching those goals . Nursing management is a challenging and difficult task. The style of the manager can be important for employees’ as well as other members of the healthcare team’s acceptance of change and in motivating them to achieve a high quality of care. From this view, participative leadership can be seen as a leadership approach that relies greatly on the leader functioning as a facilitator and mentor rather than simply issue orders or make assignments. Participative leadership theories recommend that the model guidance approach is one that takes the involvement of each member of the team concerned into consideration. I encourage participation and contribution from members of the group. This helps them feel more significant and committed to the decision-making process. In participative leadership, however, the leader retains the right to allow the participation of others and eventually has the final say for the best interest of the group and entice teamwork. Teamwork is established through effective communication and a shared vision that reinforces an environment of collaboration with a constant free-flow of ideas. The leader must communicate a clear vision of where the organization is headed and how the team is going to attain this goal. I find myself trying to take complete control and responsibility for the team. I have a hard time letting go and giving in to new ideas. I need to develop better listening and compromising skills. I am not a shy or quiet spoken person/leader. I do think I am fair, honest and take pride in maintain integrity. Taking a different approach and keeping an open mind would be a good place for me to start. I most definitely will be watching for the leadership skills needed for advanced practice nurses in my clinical phase of courses. I am open to suggestions now as a leader in management in my current role. I feel it is always most important to do what is safe for the patients, the team and the organization. I am always watching the leaders of my organization and picking up skills I see as note worthy. Unfortunately, each organizations has leaders with attributes that should not be a part of leadership qualities. The most important quality that a leader can possess is honesty. The process of becoming a leader starts with honesty and builds into a trusting relationship between leader and followers. If this quality is lacking no amount of team building will be successful. Honesty is the building block of any healthy relationship. â€Å"Honesty is the most powerful weapon in business† (Fralic, 2011, p. 447). â€Å"Leaders must have a sense of one’s own character and be able to accept no less than what is beneficial for the whole group†(Fralic, 2011, p. 447) In order to function with total honesty and integrity each leader must have the mind set of what is beneficial for the whole group not just the select few or the leader (Fowler, 2010).