Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Similarities Between Julius Caesar And Gaius Marius

â€Å"I came, I saw, I conquered.† These words embody both Caesar’s demeanor towards his triumph at the Battle of Zela (47 B.C) as well as Gaius Marius demeanor towards his triumph at the Battle of Aquae Sextiae (102 B.C). Andrew Jackson, the 7th President of the United States, will later embody the spirit of Julius Caesar and Gaius Marius throughout his military campaign in the War of 1812 as well as his presidency (1829 -1837). President Jackson’s unprecedented imprint upon American politics and the presidency has exposed viewers to analyze few similarities portrayed from both Julius Caesar and Gaius Marius. Although the similarities portrayed between President Jackson and Gaius Marius were immense, based on their executive power, the similarity between Julius Caesar and Andrew Jackson were substantially greater. To illustrate, Jackson’s rise to sovereignty, like Caesar and Marius, began in the military where he was positioned as a war General and gradually rose to a politician, stimulating innovation and reform. Throughout his rise to politics, he advanced a new vision of the President as the direct representative of the people make him the Consul Caesar of his time. Andrew Jackson became the advocate of the people, and was commonly considered by historians to have been one of the nation’s most vigorous and powerful chief executives. During the 1800’s, America directed towards, â€Å"Suffrage [expanding allowing] all white men with the abolition of property ownership and taxShow MoreRelatedHow Caesar s Political Career1836 Words   |  8 Pagespolitical divisions between the optimates and the populares. A supporter of the optimates, Lucius Cornelius Sulla led a life, which was marked with many military successes in the Jugurthine and Mithridatic Wars, a prominent role in a series of civil wars against Gaius Marius, and his ultimate rise to the office of dictator following a final coup. Julius Caesar, a nephew of Marius, descended from a noble family who were ardent supporters of the populares. Like Sulla, Caesar was greatly renownedRead More Civil War on Pompey Essay3695 Words   |  15 PagesIn 49 B.C., Gaius Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon with his army, declaring civil war on Pompey and his supporters in the Senate. In this paper, I will explore the political and legal issues that pushed Caesar to the brink. Looking at Rome’s political struggles at the dawn of the first century B.C., it becomes apparent that the groundwork for Caesar’s Republic shattering revolt was lain down by Marius and Sulla. To be more specific, the stage was set by the class struggles between the AristocracyRead MoreTelevision Show Keeping Up With The Kardashians3868 Words   |  16 Pageseither defended or prosecuted important cases. Julius Caesar also gained his fame in the court system. Caesar was prosecuting two men that were followers of Sulla, who was an influential leader. This is not the only connection that can be distinguished between the Kardashians and Julius Caesar. Kim Kardashian, although she was already well known at the time, increased her fame even more by marrying Kanye West in May of 2014 (Stephens). Julius Caesar, similarly, married Cornelia, who was the daughterRead MoreComparision of Alexander the Great and Augustus Ceasar2530 Words   |  10 PagesAlexander thought of himsel f as the son of Greek god Zeus. Augustus was the first emperor of Rome who brought peace and stability to the Roman Empire. He was the grandson of the sister of Julius Caesar. His original name was Caius Octavius, but when he was adopted by the Julian gens (44 B.C.) he became Caius Julius Caesar Octavianus (Octavian). He was named (given the title) Augustus later when he became the First Emperor or Rome by the senate. Augustus was seen as both a military leader as well as a religious

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Interview With George Phillips, A Professor At The...

I conducted an interview with George Phillips, a sociology professor at the University of Central Florida. I held the interview on Tuesday, April 12, 2016 at Noon. I chose to interview him because my topic deals with the interactions of people and studying their social behaviors which is a sociology topic. I emailed him to ask him for a time to interview and then set up the interview for a time while I wasn’t working and that he said would work for him. I made sure I had permission to record the interview and then sat down with him to get his responses. I asked 5 questions on his opinions of student’s social habits in relation to video streaming. We discussed how he has seen student’s social lives change because of the availability of†¦show more content†¦The Class of 2019 page has over 9,000 members and since it requires a knights mail account it guarantees these participants are students. The Greek life groups also are all students which gave me even m ore results that I needed. I received 99 responses but 2 responses were from outside my target demographic so I used the tool Survey Monkey offers to delete their responses. I had ten questions that I asked. I asked their age so that I could decide if they were the right demographic for my study. I asked what video streaming websites they belonged to or used. I also asked the hours a day they spend on television and the hours they spend with friends, as well as if they watched television alone or with a friend. I asked if they watched similar television shows to their friends, as well as if they would prefer to go out with a friend or to watch Netflix. Finally I asked what device they use to watch Netflix along with how many episodes in a row they usually watch. I wanted easy quick questions so that I didn’t take up too much of my respondent’s time. I included an â€Å"Other† option because some of the questions I knew could have answers I was unaware of. The in formation I gathered in the survey was to see what college student’s television streaming habits were like so that I could analyze them. Strengths and Limitations I had a few limitations with my survey. For a while I struggled to get responses until I asked my friends to post the link in their Greek

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Working During Holidays Free Essays

Holiday season is here again and retail hours for many businesses both big and small are being extended. stores for â€Å"dragging millions of workers away from family and friends. † The hard truth is that, whether any of us is working on Thanksgiving or not, business is tight these days and the pressures to get work done with fewer resources continue to mount. We will write a custom essay sample on Working During Holidays or any similar topic only for you Order Now ethics or a lack of them isn’t always easy to see. Two people might undertake the exact same course of action and attain the exact same result. One had fully honorable intentions, while the other had a devious plan from the start. It’s not easy, and maybe impossible, to see into the mind of another person and evaluate his true goals and motivations. Exploiting Employees When stores open, they are taking their employees away from their families. I personally feel that the stores are putting the dollar ahead of the welfare of their employees. When stores open, they are taking their employees away from their families no matter what day it is. If this is a problem in itself, any employment outside the home (and sometimes inside) is an ethical issue. And if â€Å"taking employees away from their families† is equivalent to â€Å"putting the dollar ahead of the welfare of their employees,† then it’s always doing so, whether or not it happens to be the fourth Thursday in November or the Friday after that. People who choose not to work on Thanksgiving will be hurt if they lose their jobs or miss some of the biggest commissions/tips of the year by not going. If working on Thanksgiving is a deal breaker to you, get a different job. If it’s not, then just get on with it and stop griping about it. It’s like moaning and groaning every time a baby needs a diaper change. It’s just part of the deal. Common Good While most agree that businesses need to make a profit, the concept that businesses exist to increase shareholder value is not unanimous. It has been claimed that businesses exist to serve the common good. This is a foundation of socialism, where profit is seen as exploitation of the workers. In America, there has been a push by people such as Ralph Nader, to establish a charter for corporations that would allow government oversight to confirm that corporations are indeed serving the common good. Under this system, if a corporation is determined to be detrimental to the common good, its charter could revoked and the corporation would be forced to stop operating. The problem thus far is that we have two seemingly opposite theories for the role of a business. Using our operating definition of ethics, the ethics for an organization whose role is to make profit are different from the ethics of an organization whose role is to serve the common goal. For a solution, we need a method that combines these conflicting goals into a single (although possibly complex) role. opinions are going to vary on the pros and cons of extended business hours. How strapped for cash are you? Where does your family live? What’s your relationship with them like? How sentimental are you about specific holiday rituals? People will differ. This Thanksgiving there are going to be people with jobs at the Gap who wish they weren’t working Thanksgiving but feel that they’d lose their jobs if they weren’t willing to take an extra shift. There are also going to be people with jobs at Radio Shack who wish they could earn some extra cash and get out from under that credit card debt. How to cite Working During Holidays, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Decision Making Under Uncertainty and Risky †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Decision Making Under Uncertainty and Risky. Answer: Introduction: The said report discusses about Boltt, an Indian company founded recently by a brother sister duo from the capital city of the country i.e. Delhi. The world is running behind staying fit and thereby are seen spending huge amount in the gyms, yoga and such other fitness centres. The siblings joined together to manufacture technology by the name of Boltt which makes such a technology which is wearable and have the ability of tracking ones fitness status along with the facility of AI (artificial intelligence). The technology is so different that it gives the user real time guidance on health and such other fitness choices (CNBC. 2016). Even though the technology is different and attractive, yet it needs to reach many people across the globe and not only nationally. Thereby the starters had certain objectives in mind while floating the said business. The report details those objectives which are a part of most of the start up companies, specially one like this which supplies such unique products. Every start up company first and foremost aims at surviving in the competition. As per renowned statistics, it is concluded that many companies tend to shut down within a span of a year, thereby it can rightly be said that Boltts first and foremost aim as a start up would have been to ensure its sustainability in the market. The only solution for a business to exist and survive is to achieve break even i.e. a situation of a no profit no loss. Thus the sales a business makes and the revenue it earns is able to at least suffice the expenditure it has to make. Thereby growth and profitability depends upon whether a business is being able to survive successfully in the short term. Boltt Sports Technologies being a private company has one of the major objectives as maximisation of profits like all such other companies. Further to this the biggest competition it has is with the gyms and yoga centres. Thereby it needs to hit that part of the crowd who are a diehard fitness fan. The kind of technology it uses definitely calls for a lot of investment and thereby the cost of the product would also be high, Hence it is clear that the company mainly caters to a very niche segment and hence may not be able to reach all the houses. The owners main aim would be to make maximum profit out of the same since it is first of its kind and before any other company starts to supply such a kind of a product at a cheaper rate, they should do differential pricing and earn the maximum out of it. Before the product becomes common and available and supplied by many vendors, the actual founder has the opportunity to make maximum profits out of it, thereby reducing the prices as per the demand in the market. Further they would need money to re-invest and produce better products day in and day out, therefore one of the most crucial objective is maximisation of profits for the re-investment purpose as well. Only profit maximisation is not the sole aim for any company. Profit can be maximised by selling a combination of products wherein some would yield higher percentage of profit as compared to some other which would yield a lower profit. Quantification of the sales is also important for any start up company as they cannot afford to stock up their products for long. Thereby in order to achieve greater profits, a company will have to ensure to achieve higher sales on a year on year basis. Hence if the sales are maximised then it would help to keep the competitors also away. Making profit maximisation as the sole aim or objective of the business may not help a new business venture survive for long. There another major objective as is discussed above is to gain maximum share in the market. Turnover is a major survival strategy and to grab a major share in the market is a must else the start up companies would attain stagnancy once the old players come into the competition even if the product supplied by Boltt is unique. It may happen that initially in order to gain a huge share in the market and increase the sales, the company may have to compromise with regards its goal of profit maximisation, however the same would be only for a short duration. Revenue maximisation as a goal would help Boltt gain a huge customer base and build up loyalty, enable to keep away competition, achieve economies of scale by keeping the price low but ensuring the sales is high quantity wise and if they look towards pursuing revenue maximisation, then it would automatically lead to greater profits in the near future (Pettinger 2012). Thus on a concluding note, it is understood that every company has various objectives which it fulfils in order to achieve maximum profit and increase its sales to the highest numbers. These objectives undergo changes as and when a company grows but however, when it comes for a start up company the goals and objectives are no different. Most of them are established with the main objectives of maximising profit, sales and revenue and to ensure to develop such strategies so as to survive. Boltt is also adopting the same methodologies for increasing its share in the market, thereby maximising profits. Financial modelling is an important part of the financial theory. These models helps various economists and theorists reasonably and rationally segregate and sort out complex manacles of cause and effect and manipulate among the several intermingling essentials in an economy. Thereby it can be said that economic models are nothing else but a cut down portrayal of truth, intended to yield theory about the financial performance that can be experienced. The past years have made the economists formulate various models of the economy, however there are a range of deviations also associated with it, however two of the most basic ones are Classical and Keynesian model. He former one as the name connotes is an age old theory and the latter one is the latest one named after the renowned economist, John Maynard Keynes. The second model came into existence after the great depression of 2008. The Classical Model, was there into existence and most renowned pre great depression period. As per the said model, the economy is a free flowing one and the price, cost and wages of people are freely adjustable with regards the ups and downs of the demand over a period of time. Thus it can be said that the theory spells out the fact that when the economy is at a boom, the prices and wages shoot up also and when the economy is not performing well, then the wages and prices fall down freely adjusting themselves to the downfall. The said model assumes that in an economy there lies no unemployment thereby all the resources are being used at its full power. The economists mainly conclude that if the competition is given a free hand to work, then the economy will robotically incline in the direction of full employment (study.com. 2016). As per this model, which came into being after the Great Depression, the renowned economist John Maynard Keynes concluded that the economy does not always provide employment to all those who are eligible to work. Thus the economy can never be at equilibrium and it can be less or above its full capacity. At the time of the Great Depression, many people lost their jobs, business houses had to shut down and the economy was working at a capacity which was much below its actual potential. Then the economist Keynes noticed that the economy was not correcting itself by self and the government and other monetary bodies should join hands to lift up the economy. Thus as epr this model it is clear that the economy can be strong as well as weak at times. One of the most sought after real life example of the said model is that it had inspired the former President of USA, Barack Obama for saving the falling economy of the country by ding a lot of government expenditure (Davidson Blumberg, 2009). Although his ideas were criticised by many, but he was the one behind contemplating the fact that for any economy to grow, the support of the government is a must. The talent of the management comes to light at the time of depression or when the business is not doing well and how they make strategic decisions under such unwarranted scenarios and ensure maximum utilisation of resources. In the particular scenario, Nakheel had been able to reap in considerable profits even if the real estate market conditions were not at a boom simply because the management had taken adequate decisions under such bad scenarios as well which led to the maximisation of the available resources. Decision making is an integral part of every step a person takes, be it personal or professional. Thereby how and in what conditions decisions are behind made is very important to understand. When the economy is turbulent, then the business houses lack availability of various data which would help them take decisions in an informed manner, thereby concluding that the scenario is risky and uncertain as well. When asked how they could manage the same, the managers replied that they used certain decision analysis tools which helped them to deal with the risks and the uncertainties. When a decision maker does not possess exact data or there lies a risk in the data revealed, this is the condition when he has incomplete data about the available resources but at the same time has a decent idea of the likelihood of results for every substitute. Thus under such a condition, the managers must calculate various probabilities attached with every substitute available basis the data and the experience of the manager (Taghavifard et.al. 2009). However, the complexity of the economic environment has increased to such an extent that many of the decisions are taken in a state of uncertainty. The decision maker is not well versed of the data, the attached risks and the outcome of various substitutes. During such a scenario, various decision making tools help the managers to take decisions under risk and u ncertainty. The management in the particular scenario would have done various analysis before arriving at a particular decision. The size and nature of the risk associated with a decision should be analysed in detail. It takes into account both quantitative as well as qualitative risk measurement, supervision and communication and there extend to the managers with a tool which helps in better accepting of the threat and the reimbursement associated with the proposed course of action. The resolution is a clear representation of trade-off between the risk and the payback connected with a specific way of achievement under circumstances of ambiguity. Another very successful method is that by making a decision tree. It calls for drawing the various solutions graphically and the expected results and risks attached to it. This methodology of making decisions during times of risk and uncertainty helps the management take the most apt decision thereby enabling them to maximise profits during law seasons as well (Rawat, 2017). Thereby it can be rightly said that the decision analysis tools are of great help during the time of risk and uncertainty as it was to Nakheel who even when the real estate business was at its low, earned huge profits. In the said approach of making decisions, the various substitutes to a particular situation are plotted in detail and the analysis of the same would help arriving at a decision which is best for both the up-front as well as the downstream decisions. References: CNBC. (2016). Boltt Sports Technologies, India. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2016/11/17/10-of-the-worlds-hottest-start-ups-in-2016.html#slide=10 Pettinger,T. (2012). Profit V Revenue Objectives for firms. Retrieved from https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/5318/economics/profit-v-revenue-objectives-for-firms/ Davidson,A. Blumberg,A. (2009). Obama Gives Keynes His First Real-World Test. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100018973 Study.com. (2016). The Keynesian Model and the Classical Model of the Economy. Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-keynesian-model-and-the-classical-model-of-the-economy.html Rawat,S. (2017). Decision-Making under Certainty, Risk and Uncertainty. Retrieved from https://www.businessmanagementideas.com/decision-making/decision-making-under-certainty-risk-and-uncertainty/3371 Taghavifard, M.T., Damghani,K.K., Moghaddam,R.T. (2009). Decision making Under Uncertainty and Risky Situations. Retrieved from https://www.soa.org/library/monographs/other-monographs/2009/april/mono-2009-m-as09-1-damghani.pdf

Friday, November 29, 2019

Book Review Freakonomics

Introduction When one hears of a winner of the John Bates Clark Medal, the first thought that comes to mind is that of someone that came up with a new economics theory or a formulae that has helps economists solve a problem that has been in great economist minds long enough to make him deserve the medal.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Book Review: Freakonomics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Contrary to this, and unexpected of such a decorated economist, Steven Levitt represents a new form of economist. Though armed with economics honors in form of an undergraduate degree from Harvard and a Doctorate of Philosophy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Levitt admits to knowing very little as far as economic theories and monetary equations are concerned. The only thing that has propelled him to such a status in the economics world is the fact that he does not look at the world from the same perspective as everyone else. Levitt’s third eye has allowed him to spot economic anomalies and strategize from such experiences. This third eye of his led to his getting requests from economically established individuals to solve anomalies, and even from non-economic individuals and groups that know they are missing a certain view of the duties they claim responsibility for. The Excellent Science that is Economics Economics is the science that defines the sequential processes involved from the production of utility goods and services to the end consumer. â€Å"Levitt considers economics a science with excellent tools for gaining answers, but has a shortage of interesting questions† (Levitt Dubner 6). The whole economics fraternity is more than glad to have him present all the interesting questions entailed in economics. Economics as a science breaks down market phenomenon in order to explain what triggers certain reactions in the market, and how to get the best out of these rea ctions. Economists do not need all the interesting questions in the world, as even simple questions can help solve the biggest of problems (52). The Hidden Side of Everything Steven Levitt has used this phrase to refer to the basic things that go on around people, but ignorance or a bad situation has redirected their view to things that seem to be the bigger picture, but are insignificant to their causes. They find themselves looking away and slowly letting go of their dreams as they brace themselves to survive the reality that is life. This leads the reader to a short story narrated by the author. Consider Paul Feldman, a successful agricultural economist who always wanted to liberate the world from hunger, but ended up working for the US Navy (51). Mr. Feldman had a very well paying job but ended up quitting it to follow his ‘destiny’; and it paid off. His brand new supply chain around Washington DC ended up with him earning as much as he made during his tenure at the white-collar job that he was not supposed to quit.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The book could therefore be advocating for all those with their inner voices pointing towards a different direction in life to go against all odds and engage in what they think will reveal the best of their abilities. Like Paul Feldman, they should be cautious and take their time to analyze the venture they are going to undertake, identify challenges and strategies that will manage them before giving up what they have, lest they find themselves chasing after the wind. Skepticism Freakonomics as a guide was a book designed to encourage skepticism in economics as a whole. This, backed by claim that it is human nature to cheat, raises questions on the integrity of economics, the science. The author goes ahead to give the example of sumo-wrestlers, schoolteachers and day-care parents who engage in cheating as a day-to-day vice (51). Sadly, the rest of the world does not follow with this. The algorithm used to detect this cheating, though perfect, did not result in likewise ‘perfect’ outcomes (DiNardo 30). If everyone turns into a skeptic of all concepts that run the procedures involved in economics, arts or even in medicine, the world would then run out of the individuals that take passion in the work they do. There would be no more believers left of the earth as everyone will be positioned to ask questions instead of addressing the faults they see in humanity. Enron presents another form of skepticism in form of white-collar crime. According to Levitt Dubner, this is a form of silent crime with no direct victim, and hence the reason why the day ends with a richer employee, but no suspect (53). Yet another form of cheating that goes overlooked if left unchecked. The problem here is that the system becomes a victim of its own perfection as the experts who desi gn it and run it reap off its loopholes in broad daylight. Incentives It is true that incentives play a major role in motivation. The new generation presents with it major and unique economic constraints. These new breed of challenges have led to people stretching every available opportunity of making an extra buck. This involves coming up with new forms of business, hence the taking root of such services as mortgage and stock brokerage, real estate agents and even escort services. These individuals have specialized and mastered the relevant activities involved in the industries in that they know how to maximize the value for your money so to speak (13). Unfortunately, Levitt does not share the sentiment. He goes ahead to tag them as humans like everyone else who respond to incentives (14). This may be true, though their expertise has helped in saving time taken in the hustle of looking for a buyer and without experience in the field.Advertising We will write a custom report sa mple on Book Review: Freakonomics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It plays out as a strategy that catches two fish with single bait. This is because the owner goes ahead to conduct his/her other side business, while the broker/agent finds the buyer. Realistically, compared to that made within the same period by the seller, the money used to pay up the agent/broker may be significantly low. Economists, among other experts should, and in fact do recognize and appreciate the challenges brokers and agents go through in order to come to terms with clients who already have in them the mindset that all brokers are just out to rip them off of their money. Levitt actually does acknowledge that these experts are human (14). The authors should give the reasons why they expected to respond in a different style to the same challenges faced by other workers in other fields. Freakonomics versus Economics The author clearly lacks the scholarly enthu siasm associated with the products of the higher education institutions he attended. For a graduate from Harvard and a doctor of Philosophy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he does not represent the honors as expected. He views the economic world of economics with utter skepticism and his wish is for the world to follow behind his steps loyally. In a world rigged with, among other economic forces, inflation and diversity from competition, it demands a keen view of the trends the market takes on every product. It may be unclear to him when he points out that the economic boom in the late 1990s did not help in reducing the rate of murders being committed across the States (11). As much as it reduced the number of potential criminals being born, abortion also reduced the number of great achievers and potential leaders who would have influenced positively and jolted this world to greater heights in all fields. As much as Levitt views this as a success as much as criminolo gy is concerned, it has done more harm than good as compared to crime retention and the good that is humanity. Conclusion After a complete analysis of the ideology behind the book, a reasonable and crucial point to be noted, is that â€Å"Levitt’s only real message is to encourage confrontational questions† (Berg 2005) as these nee d not economist answers, but endless arguments that lead to outright criticism of what economics stands for as a science. It has reached a point that whether we embrace it or not, economics and everything that it comes with plays a major role in the everyday life of the average citizen, regardless of social class or age.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Works Cited Berg, Chris. Why do drug dealers live with their mums? IPA (Institute of Public Affairs) Review, June 2005, 57 2): 46. Print. DiNardo, John. A Review of Freakonomics. New York: New York Times, 2005. Print. Levitt, Steven. Dubner, Stephen. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 2005. Print. This report on Book Review: Freakonomics was written and submitted by user Milania Bartlett to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Critical Summary The time course of semantic and syntactic processing in Chinese sentence comprehension Evidence from eye movements by Yang, Suiping, Hsuan

Critical Summary The time course of semantic and syntactic processing in Chinese sentence comprehension Evidence from eye movements by Yang, Suiping, Hsuan Introduction Language is said to be a system that tries to place meaning to a word, but for people to agree on a word in relation to the intended meaning, then there must be the universal acceptance of the intended meaning (Hu, 2001, cited in Yang, Suiping, Hsuan-Chih Rayner, 2009). Semantics is the study of signifiers in relation to their denotation. It forms the basis of communication and language in totality.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Critical Summary: â€Å"The time course of semantic and syntactic processing in Chinese sentence comprehension: Evidence from eye movements† by Yang, Suiping, Hsuan-Chih and Rayner specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Traditionally, semantics ware meant to express sense, but through the development and metamorphosis of language, it has developed to inculcate different linguistic units like synonym, metonym, hyponym and other compounds. In linguistic terms, semant ics try to define and explain how meaning is able to attach itself within the smaller units to form chunks of sentences that have a logical meaning. On the other hand, syntax is defined as the study of the structure, arrangement and the principle that governs the sentence structure of any particular language. With respect to semantic and syntactic use in aid of communication through language, it is prudent to understand that in sentence comprehension, there are two basic formats. This includes modular or syntax -first model which constitute psycholinguistic model. In syntactic-first model, it is assumed that people base their language on a syntactic structure that is built around word category, which is independent of their thematic role. Comparing the early Indo-European languages in terms of word processing, what comes out significantly is the presence of event related potential (ERP). This comes out as a result of the study undertaken to identify between semantics and syntactic w hich comes first in their integration to form a temporal structure (Friederuici Kotz, 2003 cited in Yang, Suiping, Hsuan-Chih Rayner, 2009). In Chinese, the EPR is non existent in the mandarin language. Comparison between Chinese language and Anglo-Germanic languages To be better placed to understand the difference in semantic and syntactic in the Chinese language as compared to other Aglo-Germanic languages, the survey conducted by Friederuici and Kotz gave significant disparities in the mandarin construction of words.Advertising Looking for critical writing on linguistics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to the survey, it was established that through ERP experiments where a table was constructed, ba was the construction with regard to ending a sentence with a verb acting as the aspect marker. Under normal schematics, a sentence would adhere to the SVO construction, but this order defied this structure t o form S ab OV structure.s In the sentence, the ba† comprises of a subject, thus making it to be a noun phrase (NP1). If the ba is accompanied by an obligatory noun, phase NP and an article, then it forms what is regarded as the NP2. In an ideal sentence structure, this is followed by a verb phrase which consists of a verb and any constitute that may be said to be X, which is based on the experiment aspect marker. In the above paragraph, it is crucial to mention that the article under review allowed for the experiment to showcase an error which was in itself overt because it had violated the syntactic structure. A good example was when looking at a verb semantic condition like cai. Normally, a verb in any indo-European and some Anglo-Germanic languages would be easily integrated semantically to the auxiliary sentence structure or what may be referred to as the first clause. However, the Chinese verb cai fails to integrate as it already breaks the semantic and syntactic rule in the selection requirement. Taking another angle in semantic and syntactic role in understanding the comprehension of Chinese, the Chinese alphabetic is of keen interest in relation to its orthography in a distinctive and different manner. Unlike most languages where their alphabets are characterized by words and letters, the Chinese language alphabets are generally characterized by symbols, which are characters. Thus, in the Chinese language an alphabet may have either a single character or multiple characters. In the case of an alphabet having more than one character, then it is considered a morpheme. This means that the intended meaning of a word in a sentence in Chinese is not precise, and thus open for interpretation based on the context. Earlier on, in the discussion based on the EPR experiment, it was realized that the Chinese language in terms of verbs structure lacks inflectional markers or indicators. The effect of this is that in a Chinese sentence, it is difficult to tel l whether the verb matter is in the present or past tense.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Critical Summary: â€Å"The time course of semantic and syntactic processing in Chinese sentence comprehension: Evidence from eye movements† by Yang, Suiping, Hsuan-Chih and Rayner specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Also, for a sentence to be complete, there must be a subject-verb agreement to give it congruency, but since the Chinese language lacks the inflectional markers, then for a reader to be able to comprehend the meaning of a word, then he/she has to rely on morphological aspects or cues. The above findings have brought about a lot of debate on the ability of comprehending the Chinese language, both oral and written, with some scholars arguing that since meaning in the Chinese language is not precise as explained above, comprehension of the Chinese language cannot be immediate as in other languages. The refore, a slower model should be adopted while reading to reduce the ambiguity of the words in the context. These scholars have gone further to say that the Chinese language in regard to relative timing lacks a well-defined semantic and syntactic process through which readers can be able to understand the idea of syntactic properties unlike English readers who basically have the idea (Aaronson Ferres, 1986, cited in Yang, Suiping, Hsuan-Chih Rayner, 2009). The other school of thought argues that the Chinese language has its own syntactic rules that are independent of the semantic, but unlike other languages are flexible. Effects of syntactic and semantic positioning In recent studies on syntactic and semantic in relation to the Chinese language, researchers have diversified their focus to applying the violation paradigm to understand the comprehension process of the Chinese language (Chen 1999, cited in Yang, Suiping, Hsuan-Chih Rayner, 2009). According to Chen, understanding Chi nese will always be difficult as syntactic violation will always be a hindrance to semantic processing. The violation paradigm was later revised to come up with a new standard referred to as pure syntactic violation (Ye, Luo, Friederici, Zhou, 2006; Yu Zhang, 2008, cited in Yang, Suiping, Hsuan-Chih Rayner, 2009). The essence of these new standards was arrived at through the elimination from a noun phrase, a noun object. This altered the structure of a propositional-object phrase from Chen model. As a result of this attraction, the new model comes up with four sets of sentences that were correct, incorrect, semantically incorrect, or syntactically incorrect. In terms of timing and position, the study came up with findings that suggested that between syntactic and semantic processes, syntactic appeared earlier.Advertising Looking for critical writing on linguistics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Although this study shed a lot of light into the study of semantic and syntactic role in the comprehension of the Chinese language, there are demerits to it, especially in regard to the syntactically incorrect sentence. For instance, in the sentence, the study had omitted a noun from the prepositional object-phrase structure which resulted to semantic disruption. There are a lot of effects in semantic and syntactic violation. These effects are as a result of the use of the ERP technique that in itself gives a high resolution in terms of temporal details. However, it is worth noting that although the ERP technique can reveal a lot of information in regard to the brain activities with relation to semantic and syntactic manipulation, it offers very little information about brain activity in terms of information uptake (comprehension) of written language. This has resulted to analyst raising two questions. First, is it possible for syntactic and semantic processing to occur concurrently ? Secondly, can syntactic and semantics processes be separated while reading online? At the present time, no clear-cut answers can be given in regard to the two questions. Conclusion In conclusion, it is worth noting that the various violations mentioned in this paper in regard to Chinese in terms of eye movement can only be placed squarely as being attributed by syntactic processing rather than the divergent degree of semantic violation. In this sense, if the violation effect is as a result of SEM+SYN, then the effects are bound to appear in different positions of the sentence. In case the effect is as a result of SEM+SYN, the effect may be characterized by it appearing either prior to or after the position. Reference Yang, J., Suiping, W., Hsuan-Chih, C., Rayner, K., (2009). The time course of semantic and syntactic processing in Chinese sentence comprehension: Evidence from eye movements. Memory and Cognition. 37 (8), Pp.1-13

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Would the anti-smoking ban affect the strategies of a restaurant Essay

Would the anti-smoking ban affect the strategies of a restaurant - Essay Example Bans on smoking in restaurants and bars are appearing increasingly in many European countries, like Ireland (2004), Italy (2005), Sweden (2005), Norway (2004), and introduction is expected in many more in the near future (Rosted, 2006, p.34-9). In the U.S. many states have enacted a complete smoking ban in all restaurants and bars including: California, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Montana. Proponents of smoke-free restaurants cite a number of reasons to bar smoking in dining establishments. First, reduction of carbon monoxide, a contaminant present in tobacco smoke. An increased level of carbon monoxide has been shown to cause headache, chest pain, alteration of blood pressure and nausea (Steenland, 1992, p.48-54). Medical research demonstrates that second-hand tobacco smoke causes 35,000 to 40,000 excess deaths from heart disease per year in the U.S. alone. As a Gallup Poll shows, 52 percent of Americans believe second-hand smoke is "very harmful." The New York Department of Health found in a 2004 study that air pollution levels had decreased sixfold in bars and restaurants after the ban went into effect. The study also found that 97 percent of the more than 22,000 establishments inspected by the city from April 2003 through February were found in compliance with the new law and that 150,000 New Yorkers reported less exposure to second-hand smoke in their workplaces since the ban took effect (Zagat, 2004, p.43-6).Citizens of Helena, Mont. voted to ban smoking in all public places. Six months later the state Legislature rescinded the ban. During the six month ban, heart attack rates dropped by 58 percent. Once the ban was lifted, the heart-attack rate went back to previous levels (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2000, p.132). Another example: a study of Norway's 2004 smoke-free workplace law in bars, restaurants and night clubs has proven the law to be a huge success with staff breathing improved, nicotine in their urine eliminated and air quality has been cleaned up (Rosted, 2006, p.88-96). The thought of more smoke-free restaurants seems to be attracting patrons. A study in New York reports that 96 percent of those surveyed are dining out "as often" or "more often" since a smoke-free dining ban was established. What's more, restaurant openings outnumbered closings by a 2-1 ratio (Zagat, 2004, p.52-6). Second, the smoking ban results in a multitude of benefits for the management and safety of the restaurant, including decreasing the sick time of employees, limited liability of harm to employees, and decreased risk of fire hazards. It provides a healthier environment in the restaurant and decreases sick time of employees bothered by colds, sinus problems, asthma, and other respiratory problems triggered by second-hand smoke exposure. The law cuts the maintenance costs by eliminating burns to carpets, booths, tables and other furnishings. Smoking ban gets rid of dirty ashtrays and ashes and butts on the floor. It keeps the restaurant's owners from worrying that bread and pastries will pick up smoke odour. The law does away with complaints from non-smokers bothered by the smoke in the establishment. It makes seating easier: the restaurant's employees won't have to worry about putting customers in the

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Assignment 4 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

4 - Assignment Example So far, the quantities have lagged behind the quantities expected. Meeting the cellulosic mandate faces considerable challenges (O.E.C.D et al, 2012). The fuel consumption increased by 28.63% in 15 years. This was because the population in 15 years increased. In addition, the number of people owning vehicles increased thus increasing the amount of fuel consumed. Even though the prices of fuel increased, people cannot stop fuelling their cars. The increased percentage is insignificant. The consumption of gasoline does not decrease with an increase in price. Other factors affect the reduction in consumption. This is because from 2005-2007, the consumption increased with a higher price but in 2008, the consumption decreased while the price was the same like the one in 2005-2007. Thus, other factors must have affected the decrease in consumption. Bullis, K. (2007). Will Cellulosic Ethanol Take Off? Fuel from grass and wood chips could be big in the next 10 years–if the government helps. Retrieved from http://www.technologyreview.com/news/407365/will-cellulosic-ethanol-take-off/Bottom of

Monday, November 18, 2019

Global Promotion Event of a Toothpaste Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global Promotion Event of a Toothpaste - Essay Example nature of this product therefore calls for certain convincing power that must be attained during promotion in order to ensure that the consumers are feeling safe and satisfied with the product. There are specific issues that surround dental health that must be tackled as well to enhance consumer trust, such as tooth decay (plague), bleeding gums and tooth sensitivity. The promotion of the product would require relevant specific guests and since it is set on a global stage, the presence of health and business expertise from different countries is indispensible. There are other tools provided by modern technology that must be adopted to guarantee success in the promotion. The information about Mediplus is intended to reach all the corners of the world, its presence and effectiveness must be felt around the globe before effecting sales. At the beginning of the event, the product should be introduced. Promoting a toothpatse entails promoting its active ingredients (Saxena 2006). Mediplus is a toothpaste brand that is rapidly gaining positive reputation for its effectiveness and healthy attributes. It has not been in the market and is currently in the market that only covers a single nation. The current market has tested it and has approved of its worth. It is a product manufactured under high health standards to guarantee its consumers of healthy teeth and gums. A part from its medical attributes, it is also manufactured to give its consumers a very elegant smile. It contains micro granules that whiten the teeth. Everyone needs a lovely smile. And this is what Mediplus provides without a doubt. For this reason, a Mediplus consumer is easily acceptable and socially presentable in a large scope of life. However, regardless of all the successes that Mediplus has gained in the local scenario, the company intends to pass this beautiful experience to the rest of the world: continent to continent. The presence of Mediplus to be felt in North and South America, Europe,

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Secretors and Non-secretors Disease Susceptibility

Secretors and Non-secretors Disease Susceptibility Human population can be categorized into secretors and non-secretors based on A, B and H antigen on basis of presence or absence of these blood group antigens in the body fluids and secretions, such as saliva, sweat, tears, semen, serum, mucus present in the digestive tract or respiratory cavities etc. Secretors are individuals that secrete blood group antigens in their body fluids while non-secretors are the individuals that do not secrete them in their body fluids and secretions. It is a known fact that ABO blood type is controlled by blood type coding genes present on the chromosome 9q34 but the secretor status of an individual is decided by interaction of a separate gene (called secreting gene) with these blood type genes. The presence of the secreting gene in a persons genome makes him a secretor and absence makes him a non secretor. The gene is designated as (Se) for Secretors and (se) for Non-secretors and it is entirely independent of the blood type A, B, AB or O. The individuals secreting antigens in the body fluid are designated as ABH secretors in blood banks. Individuals having O blood group secrete antigen H, A blood group secrete A and H antigens, B blood group secrete B and H antigens in the fluids. A secretor gene helps a person to gain a degree of protection against different environmental conditions especially the micro flora of a particular environment and also the lectins present in them. It helps them in promoting the growth of friendly, stable blood type intestinal bacterial ecosystem which depends on the blood type antigens present in the mucus of an individual. Secretor status does modify carbohydrates in the fluids present in the body and their secretions and it also affects and influences the attachment and persistence of the micro flora present in the body. Secretors are at a higher advantage than non-secretors. Non-secretors have a potential health disadvantage. They possess many metabolic traits such as carbohydrate intolerance, immune susceptibilities. Different tests are available for determining an individuals secretor status. Most common test uses saliva or other body fluids of an individual for testing the secretor status. These tests are based on the principl e of Agglutination Inhibition where the antigens are neutralized by the corresponding antibodies so that these antibodies will not be further be available to neutralize or agglutinate the same antigens residing on the red blood cells. ELISA could also be used for determining the presence of the secreted Lewis antigens in the saliva or other body fluids. The alleles Se and se differ in the frequency and have an anthropological value. They occur in different frequency in different populations. They have a high frequency in the American Indiana and a low frequency in the southern Indians. In US 20% of the population is secretors whereas 80% of the population consist of non-secretors. The fusion allele of the FUT2 (secretor type alpha(1,2)-fucosyltransferase) gene at a high frequency and a new se385 allele in a Korean population SECRETOR AND NON-SECRETOR A person secreting blood group antigens into the body fluids and other secretions like saliva, semen, tear, mucous in the digestive tract and respiratory cavities are named as secretors. In similar terms they put their blood type antigens in the body fluids. They secrete antigens according to their blood type, A secrete antigen A and H, B secret antigen B and H, O secrete antigen O and AB secrete A, B and H antigen. Secretors expresses Lewis b (Leb) antigens on the RBC where as non-secretor expresses Lewis a (Le a) on their RBC.These antigens in the body fluids give additional protection to the individual against the various microorganisms and the lectins present all around us. 15- 20% of the population consists of non-secretor. These individual fail to secrete the blood group antigens in their body fluids hence they become susceptible to bacterial and superficial yeast infections. A large no of them sometimes also suffer from the autoimmune disorder. This could also be correlated with the secretor and non-secretor phenotype. The body secretions of secretors and non-secretors differ quantitatively and also qualitatively. The type and quantity of the antigens present in it differ among different individuals. In some cases the non-secretors may contain the A and B antigens in the saliva but the quantity is less and even quality is very low hence they have similar functional problem. There are certain properties which are specific for secretors and differ in non-secretors. Some are listed below: Intestinal alkaline phosphatase activity ABH secretor correlates the activity of alkaline phosphatase and serum alkaline phosphatase present in the intestine. Non-secretors have low activity of alkaline phosphatase and serum alkaline phosphatase which is responsible for the breakdown of fat and assimilate calcium. Low molecular weight alkaline is present in both secretors and non-secretors and high molecular weight alkaline phosphatase is present only is secretors. Bacterial flora The ABH blood types influence the population of bacteria residing in the local vicinity of the gut mucin glycoproteins. Bacteria produce enzymes that have the capability to degrade the end sugar of A, B, and H blood antigens and which are consumed as food by them. The B antigen degrading bacteria produce enzyme to remove the end alpha-D-galactose and A antigen degrading bacteria produce enzyme to detach N-acetylgalactosamine which are used as a source of food by them. Blood clotting The secretor and the ABO genetics influence each other and effect upto 60% of the vWf concentration variation in plasma. Raised levels of factor VIII and vWf may cause thrombotic and heart disease in future. Secretors have the slowest clotting time, thinnest blood, least tendency of platelet aggregation, low amount of factor VIII and von Willebrand factor (vWf). The non-secretors have highest clotting time, thick blood, high amount of factor VIII and von Willebrand factor (vWf) and low bleeding time. The blood viscosity is also influenced by the secretor status of that individual. Phenotype Lewis Characteristics of Clotting Le (a- b-) maximum action of factor VIII and vWf Very Low bleeding times (seen in A, B and AB) Le (a+ b-) intermediary action Low bleeding times (seen in O) Le (a- b+) minimum action of factor VIII and vWf Very Long bleeding times (seen in O) Blood Type Lewis and Factors effect Blood Clotting Immunoglobulin Variations ABH non-secretors express low concentration of IgG immunoglobulin. The secretion of varying concentration of diverse constituents of the blood group is controlled by the secretor gene and it also affects the phagocytic activity of the leucocytes which provides an added advantage to the non-secretors. The leucocytes of the non-secretors possess a greater ingestion power when compared to the secretors. The O and B blood group non-secretors have the highest phagocytic activity. The presence of different concentration of anti-I in the an individuals serum is affected by the ABO group, secretor status and sex of the individual. The secretors females have a high level of anti-I in the serum as compared to the males. The non-secretor have low levels of IgA and IgG antibodies and hence have frequent problems with the heart valve. Genetics and Biochemical pathways The secretion of the blood group antigens in the body fluids and other secretions are genetically influenced by certain allelomorphic genes. Secretor gene contains two alleles (Se) and (se). The dominant gene Se is present in the homozygous or heterozygous condition in the secretors which lead to the secretion of antigens into the body fluids. se is recessive allele and is present in non-secretors in the homozygous condition. SeSe and seSe produces a dominant secretor phenotype and sese produces a recessive non-secretor phenotype. Basically three genes are responsible for the formation of the A and B antigens. They are namely ABO, Hh, and Sese genes encoding glycosyltransferases which produces the A and B antigens. H antigen present in the individual with O blood group is the precursor for the formation of A and B antigens. H antigen act as a backbone for A and B antigens. The O gene is considered as amorphic. The allele Hh and Sese reside on each locus and are closely linked together. It is also suggested that one of the allele has arisen by the gene duplication of the other. The second allele on the same locus is really rare. The product related to this allele hasnt been discovered yet and hence it is considered as amorph. The oligosaccharide responsible for the formation of the A and B antigen can exist in a simple linear fashion or a complex branched fashion. Infants A, B and H antigens contain high amount of linear chained oligosaccharide whereas oligosaccharides present in an adult contain high amount of branched chained oligosaccharides The A and B antigen is synthesized from a common intermediate known as substance H. The conversion is carried out by the addition of a sugar molecule to the non reducing end of the H oligosaccharide chains. This addition affects the reactivity of H antigen. The ABH substances are secreted in the Urinary respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract by mucous glands residing there. The secretor gene regulates the synthesis of blood group antigens in the glands of small intestinal mucosa. The secretors and non-secretors produce A and B substances which are basically glycoproteins in pylorus and Brunners glands and produce A and B substances those are soluble in alcohol and glycosphingolipids in nature. The secretors also produce ABH substances in the prostate and lactating mammary glands. The secretion of breast is rich in H substance but poor in substance A and virtually absent in substance B. The synthesis of these constituents in the pancreas and secretory cells of sweat gland is not controlled by the secretor gene. The blood groups substances were also found in the calyxes and collecting tubules of the secretors (Se) but it could not be concluded that whether they are produced by the kidneys or are generally excreted. These secretions were noticed in the eight to nine weeks old salivary glands and stomach and later it appears throughout the gastrointestinal tract. Glycosphingolipids carrying the A or B oligosaccharides are present on the membranes of RBCs, epithelial and endothelial cells and are also present in the plasma in the soluble form. The glycoproteins carrying the similar A and B oligosaccharides are responsible for their activity in the body fluids. In the body fluids they are present in the secreted form. The A and B oligosaccharides which do not contain the carrier proteins are present in the milk and urine. The chromosome 19 containsFUT 1 and FUT 2 genes which code for fucosyltransferase. FUT genes numbered from 1-7 and form clusters which are responsible for the production of enzymes called as fucosyltranferases. The cluster is located on chromosome 19q13.3. Fucosyltranferase helps in the formation of fucose moiety which is added to the H antigen and further gylcosylate the A or/and B antigens. H antigen is a basic blood group antigen present in each and every human being but the content varies in different individuals of the same ABO group. A general pattern indicates that its strength varies as O>A2>A2B>B>A1>A1B. Water soluble H antigen has been demonstrated in the saliva and the body fluids of the individuals.H antigens are fucose containing glycan units which are present on the glycolipids or glycoproteins residing on the erythrocytes membrane or in the secretions. The fucosylatedglycans are the substrate for the enzyme glycosytransferases that are responsible for the formation of the Lewis and A, B blood group antigen epitopes. Secretors contain both the alleles whereas non secretor contains the null allele for FUT2 gene. The FUT 2 gene codes for fucosyltranferaseenzyme in the exocrine tissues which lead to formation of antigens in the body secretions and body fluids. The A and B genes produce glycosyltranferase that add sugar to oligosaccharide chains that is converted to H antigen. The H antigen are constructed on the oligosaccharide chain. The oligosaccharide chains could be of two type : Type 1 and type 2. The glycosphingolipids present in the plasma and on the membranes of glandular and parenchymal cells and glycoproteins present on the cell surfaces or body fluids carry either the type 1 or type 2 chains. The glycolipids antigens present on the RBC contain type 2 chains. A gene encodes N-acetyl-galactosaminyl-transferase and B gene-encodes galactosaminyl-transferase and add   GalNAc   and  Gal   in alpha (1-3) linkages which is acts on the H gene transferase. The H gene produces fucosyltransferase that add fucose to the terminal Galactose molecule of type 2 chain. It forms an alpha (1-2) linkage. A and B antigens are constructed when the A and B transferases attach respective sugars to the type 1 or type 2 chain substituted with Fucose. The secretor gene FUT2 located at 19q13.3 and codes for the activity of the glycosyltransferasesin concert with the FUT1 gene coding for H antigen, needed to assemble both the ABO and Lewis blood group and are active in mucous gland and goblet cells which interact with each other and lead to secretions of antigens in the fluids. The expression patterns of both the genes are different. The FUT1 (H) gene is dominantly expressed in the erythroid tissues which lead to the formation of the H enzyme whereas the FUT2 (secretor) gene is expressed in the secretory tissues and lead to the formation of secretor enzyme. The product of the H enzyme or H gene resides on the erythrocytes and product of secretor gene resides on mucins in secretions. If an individual lack these alleles, he/she will not be able to express the above active enzymes therefore they would be deficient of the substrates which are required by the A or B glycosyltransferases. Therefore they would not express the A and B epitopes. Correlation between Lewis Phenotype and ABH Secretor status The Lewis typing also helps in finding the ABH secretor status. The production of Lewis antigens is genetically controlled. Individuals possessing the Lewis (Le) gene would produce the Lewis antigens which are carried in the plasma by different substances and are absorbed onto the Red blood Cells present in ones blood. The ABO determinants and H/h blood groups factors seem to show structurally corelation to Lewis blood determinants. FUT1 provide the glycans for glycosyltransferases which convert Lewis antigen to ABH antigens. FUT2 allele is expressed in the secretor and is responsible for the expression of type1 H determinant. The secretors convert their Lewis a antigen to Lewis b therefore they are (a-b+) and the non-secretor are (a+b-) as they lack the FUT2 responsible for glycosyltransferase which could convert Lewis a antigen to Lewis b antigen. Lewis (Le) gene and Secreting (Se) gene interact with each other. Initially Lewisais formed and if Se gene is absent in an individual the Lewisa substance is absorbed on the RBC and the individual is typed as Lewisa but in secretors the Se gene controls the activation of the H gene which causes addition of an additional sugar to Lewisa which convert it to Lewisb. Secretors contain both Lewisa and Lewisb in their plasma but absorb Lewisb preferentially on the red blood cells and the individual is typed as Lewisb. Hence we could interpret that presence of Lewis gene would type an individual as Lewisa positive or Lewisb negative or vice versa. An individual could not be positive for both. A person containing both Lewis gene and Secreting gene are typed as Lewisa negative and Lewisb positive whereas a person having the Lewis gene but not the secretor gene is typed as Lewisa positive and Lewisb negative. Individual who does not have Lewis gene regardless of secretor gene is typed as Lewisa negative and Lewisb negative. Note: Lewis Double Negative (LDN) is a sub type of non secretors but Lewis typing cannot be used for them to determine the ABH secretor status. Detection methods The presence and absence of the antigens in the body fluids could be detected by Agglutination Inhibition and Lewis typing. Agglutination Inhibition test could be divided into two parts:- Part I Antibody Neutralization: To determining ones secretor status, the saliva of the individual is mixed by the antiserum (Anti-A, Anti-B or Anti-H) available commercially. In secretors the soluble substances i.e. blood group antigens will react with the antibodies present in the antiserum and will get neutralized. Part II Agglutination Inhibition: The bed blood cells obtained commercially are added to the test mixture. In secretors agglutination of the RBC do not take place as no free antibodies are available to agglutinate them. All the antibodies have reacted with the soluble antigens present in the saliva whereas in non-secretors agglutination would occur upon addition of the RBC as no blood group antigens are present in the saliva so antibodies present in the antiserum are not neutralized and hence would be free to react with the test RBC cells which are added to the test mixture. Hence agglutination is a negative test for secretor status and positive test for the non-secretor status. Note: Anti-H lectin containing phytohaemagglutinin virtually specific for human RBC. Thirteen Cucurbitaceaespecies have been investigated for the anti-H activity present in their seed lectins. Lectins has been extracted and purified from Ulexeuropaeus seeds. It could be used to demonstrate the H secretor status of blood group O individual and also for subgrouping the blood group A individuals. Lewis typing: Individuals carrying the Lewis gene produce Lewis antigens that are carried by the plasma and are also adsorbed on the red blood cells. Lewis antigens do not reside only on the red blood cells. Initially the gene gives rise to Lewisa. If Se gene is present it activates H gene which interact with the Lewisa and add a sugar to Lewisa and hence get converted it to Lewisb. Both Lewisa and Lewisb in present in the plasma of the secretors. If the Se gene is not present then the Lewisa substance is adsorbed on the red cells and individuals are typed as Lewisa. The secretor status of an individual could be determined with help of Lewisa and Lewisb antibodies mixed with an individuals saliva and observing the agglutination macroscopically. Disease Susceptibility among Secretors and Non-secretors Digestive system Non-secretors are more prone to the diseases caused by the oral bacteria in the digestive system of an individual. It includes ulcers, celiac diseases gastric carcinoma pernicious anemia etc. It could lead to dysplasia or increase in the number of cavities present in the digestive tract. Non-secretors are less resistant to the infection caused by Helicobacter pylori which could lead to the formation of peptic and duodenal ulcers. It could easily colonize and cause inflammation in the non-secretors. The non-secretors lack the blood group antigens in the mucus secretions therefore H.pylori attach to the walls of the digestive tract and cause infection. The secretors have a tendency to secrete free ABH antigens in their intestinal secretions which effect the bacterial and lectins adherence to the microvilli present in the gut. The secretors produce these antigens and prevent H.pylori attachment. These antigens act as a decoy in the secretors which prevent them from attaching with the ho st tissues. The non-secretors also show a lower IgG immune response to the H.pylori. They have extreme rate of bleeding and stomach ulcers but correlation between these complications and the secretor status have not been documented yet. The non-secretors are not able to turn off the digestive enzymes and hence they produce large amount of enzyme pepsin and hence are more prone to duodenal ulcers. 50% of the duodenal ulcers are present in non-secretors. 30-40% of group O individuals are affected by the duodenal ulcers and 15- 20 % are affected by the gastric ulcers. They show a high risk factor along with the gene coding for hyperpepsinogenemia I which impact in the risk of duodenal ulcers. Group A individuals have a higher tendency of having gastric cancer and pernicious anemia. Statistics shows that 20% of the group A individuals are affected by gastric cancers and 25% are affected by the pernicious anemia. Oral pathology The non-secretors are more prone to oral diseases like mouth and esophagus cancer, epithelial dysplasia etc. They have more cavities than secretors. Diabetes The ABH non-secretors and Lewis negative (Le a-b-) individuals have a high risk of developing insulin dependent diabetes or complications arising from diabetes. Secretors with juvenile diabetes have a low chance of developing retinopathy. The ABH non secretors which are affected by insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, they show mean levels of C3c and C4 is lower as compared to ABH secretors. Metabolic Syndrome X The Lewis negative men are predisposing to syndrome X and prothrombic metabolism. They have high levels of BMI, SBP, triglycerides and low levels of insulin in serum and plasma glucose while fasting. This relationship is not true for women and is only applicable for the men. Respiratory System   Secretors have an added protection against the harmful environmental assaults directed towards our lungs and as usual non-secretors have a health disadvantage. They are over represented among the people suffering from influenza viruses A and B, rhinoviruses, respiratory synsytial virus and echinoviruses. The secretors who are miners or smokers do receive a protection against the disastrous effects of the cigarette smoking. Asthma is very common among the individuals working in the coal mines. Upon research it was concluded that asthma among them is also related to the non-secretor phenotype present in them. The non-secretor has a tendency to snore and are more prone to COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). Heart disease The ABH non-secretor phenotype have a high risk of developing myocardial infarction and Lewis negative individuals have a high risk of developing chronic heart disease (CHD) and also ischemic heart disease (IHD). They contain high levels of triglycerides. Alcoholism has a positive interaction with the Lewis negative individuals. Alcohol consumption is protective in these individuals. Autoimmune Disease   Autoimmune disorders such as Sjogrens syndrome, spondylitis, sclerosis, arthropathy, arthritis, and Graves disease are more prone in non-secretors. The ABH non-secretors affected with graves disease produces high levels of antitubulin antibodies as compared to secretors and are unable to produce the water soluble glycoproteins in the saliva. Fetal Loss and Infertility ABO antigens are also found on the sperm of the secretors. These are obtained from the seminal secretions present in them. ABO incompatibility could exist between the wife and husband if could affect the fertility of an individual. This issue has not been properly studied and is therefore under research. Rheumatic Fever The secretors and group O individuals are resistant to Rheumatic fever and more number of cases have been recorded in the non-secretors. Secretor status could also determine whether the rheumatic fever would be followed by streptococcal pharyngitis or not. Neisseria species The non-secretors who do not produce water soluble antigens in the saliva are at the risk of getting infected by Neisseria meningcococcal disease. The immune capabilities of the secretor provide a relative protection in the secretors. The ABH non-secretors produce low level of anti-meningococcal salivary IgM antibodies which provide protection to the secretors against the microorganism. Candida species Non-secretors are barriers of candida species and therefore are frequently affected by the candida infections. The glycocompounds secreted by secretors in the body fluids inhibit adhesins present on the yeast which are responsible for their adhesion with the body tissues. This leads to the development of the chronic hyperplastic Candidiasis. Statistics shows that 68% on the non-secretors are affected by chronic hyperplastic candidiasis. Non-secretor women are affected by recurrent idiopathic vulvovaginal Candidiasis. An individual with a combination of non-secretors and absence of Lewis gene are at relative risk of developing recurrent idiopathic vulvovaginal Candidiasis. Tumor Markers The individuals with homozygous active Le alleles (Le/Le) and inactive (se/se) alleles shows a highest mean value of CA19-9 tumor marker. The Lewis negative individuals irrespective of Se genotype have negative values for CA19-9. The Lewis negative individuals have higher mean value for DU PAN-2 as compared to Le-positive individuals. We can conclude that CA 19-9 marker is not an appropriate tumor marker for Le-negative individuals but DU-PAN-9 is an appropriate tumor marker. UTI Non-secretors show a higher risk of getting recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) and renal scars as compared to secretors. This susceptibility is higher among negative Lewis subset. Statistics of a study done on women affected with recurrent urinary tract infection stated that 29% of the non-secretor women were affected by UTI and 26% of Lewis (a-b-) women were affected by the UTI. The non-secretor phenotype and blood group B and AB phenotype work together to increase the risk of UTI among women. Women and children suffering from renal scarring with and without the antibiotic treatment for UTI are prone to UTI and pyelonephritis. 55-60% of non-secretors develop renal scars and 16% on secretors develop renal scars. C-reactive protein levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and body temperature are higher in the non-secretors that in secretors with recurrent UTI. Conclusion It concludes that there exist a statistical association between the individuals blood-group secretor phenotype and the diseases they are susceptible to. So knowing your secretor status is advantageous as we can use the nutritional supplements more intelligently and effectively. It also makes us aware of the diseases, illness and metabolic dysfunction we are prone to, difference in the levels of intestinal alkaline phosphatase activity, propensities towards blood clotting, tumor markers and different ingredients of breast milk so that we can manage them before hand and would be prepared for them in the near future.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Martial Arts Essay -- essays research papers

Martial Arts When you think of martial arts, what comes to mind? The slow, calm movements of Tai-Chi Chuan or maybe the faster, hard movements of Karate or Tae Kwon Do. No matter what you think of it always contains practiced movements of the body and a lot of concentration. These two elements combined with spirit and patience is basically what martial arts consists of. Martial arts is so great because it strengthens each of these aspects of body and mind to make a beautiful display of movement. This has attracted many people to all kinds of martial arts and with the help of the movies made it very popular among Americans. Today, many Americans prefer martial arts as an exercise to help them stay in shape. Tai-Chi, as an example, is a great martial art because of its use of both the body and mind. Tai-Chi can’t be done correctly if the person is not relaxed and doesn’t know the movements being done very well. The basis of Tai-Chi Chuan derives from the idea of being constantly round when performing it. If you are attacked on a straight line and you resist on a straight line, the stronger force will win, but if the incoming force is neutralized by circularity, then it becomes easier to defeat your opponent, no matter how strong they might be. That’s what Tai-Chi is based on, but It takes years of practice to get any good at it and decades to master. Another example of martial arts is Korea’s Tae Kwon Do. The main differences between Tai-Chi and Tae Kwon Do is the uni...

Monday, November 11, 2019

J.P. Morgan’s Latin America M&A department Essay

Juan Lopez, a new associate in J.P. Morgan’s Latin America M&A department, was assigned the task of valuing the telephone directory operation subsidiary of a large Brazilian industrial conglomerate. The subsidiary is Paginas Amarelas, which operates in three Latin countries such as Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. All cash flows have been converted to U.S. dollars, and present values computed for various discount rates. In order to the present value properly, he should determine the appropriate target rate of returns for dollar flows originating in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. Q1.What is the valuation problem here? In what currency are the cash flows denominated? In what currency should the discount rate denominated? Be sure you understand Exhibits 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the case. Juan chose DCF model to determine fair value of those subsidiaries. To properly apply DCF model WACC is a key underlying assumption. WACC composes of cost of debt and cost of equity. For cost of equity, Juan has some obstacles to determine it using CAPM model because following factors cannot be reasonably valued; 1. Risk-free rate is difficult to be determined because government bonds of those countries are not actually free of risk. Given that those governments had defaulted on principal and interest payments in the recent past. 2. Equity-risk premium cannot be reliably estimated. Equity market of each country has inadequate historical data e.g. historical stock prices, trading volume, dividend yield etc. This is because majority of companies are privately owned. 3. Beta cannot be ap propriately calculated. There is no competitor of the subsidiary in each local market. Potential competitors are either doing many kind of businesses or too small to be compared. For cost of debt, each local operation does not significantly issue debt security independently in an international market. As a result, Juan has to use an estimate of the U.S. dollar rates as if each operation borrow from the bank. Furthermore, each country has high inflation rate which causes valuation on each local currency become less accurate and less reliable. Cash flows are denominated in each local currency i.e. Argentina pesos,  Brazil reals, and Chile pesos. However, given that there are number of drawbacks in valuation on each local currency, as discussed earlier, discount rate should also be denominated in US Dollar. Q2.In this case, why doesn’t J.P. Morgan discount local cash flows at a local required rate of return? In fact, why not use that approach in general? -Firstly, J. P. Morgan is requested to value the business in U.S. dollars by the client, a Brazilian industrial conglomerate.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Vietnams affects on American s essays

Vietnams affects on American s essays The Things They Carried, document supports the textbooks view of both the wars effects on American soldiers as well as how and why they fought the war. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, one of the soldiers fighting in the Vietnam War, was forced to undergo a transformation in order better cope with the struggles and events he incurred during the war. The soldiers of the Vietnam War carried both physical and emotional baggage which affected the way they fought in the war. Lieutenant Cross carried many objects with him during the war. The most important of these objects were letters from a girl back home named Martha he was just a kid at war, in love. He used these letters to daydream and to escape the realities of war and the horrible situation he was in. Cross loved her more than he loved the lives of his men even though he knew that Martha didnt love him. He loved her so much, that he would find himself daydreaming at crucial times during the war when his men needed his guidance the most. Because of his love for Martha, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross abandoned the needs of his men and put them in danger. The death of one of Crosses men Ted Lavender put a deep sense of guilt on Cross who was daydreaming when Lavender died he felt shame and a hatred for him-self. The other men were so desensitized by the war that they hid their true feelings by making jokes and retelling how they saw him die, a Christian of all people said the poor bastard just flat-fuck fell reemphasizing the demoralizing effects on the soldiers during the war. Cross not only blamed him-self, but also Martha. The death of Lavender left him with a love-hate feeling for Martha. She was in another world that was not quite real to him and completely uninvolved with his world and he realized that she did not love him and never would. The death of Lavender forced Cross to face reality and become a responsible uncaring...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Global CNC Solutions Market Essays

Global CNC Solutions Market Essays Global CNC Solutions Market Paper Global CNC Solutions Market Paper These solutions are adopted by companies in various sectors such as Aerospace and Defense, Automotive. Industrial Machinery, Healthcare, Electrical and Electronics, and Consumer Products. These industries use solutions for applications such as turning, milling, stamping, forming grinding, polishing, woodworking, punching and other cutting operations. Covered in this Report This report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the Global CNN Solutions market for the period 20142018. It presents the vendor landscape ND a corresponding detailed analysis of the top three vendors in the Global CNN Solutions market. The report considers the revenue generated trot sales and services of CNN solutions such as CNN servo motors, CNN servo drives, and CNN controllers. View our full TOCK here Key Regions MEME OPAC Americas Key Vendors Fauna Corp.. Mediumistic Electric Corp.. Siemens GAG Other Prominent Vendors Busch Rexroth Figaro Automation ASK CNN Equipment Headings Siebel 8 Meyer Soft Servo Key Market Driver Demand for Multi-tasking Machines For a full, detailed list, view our report. Key Market Challenge Technology. Induced unemployment Key Market Trend Steady Demand from Retrofit Segment Key Questions Answered in this Report What will the market size be in 2018 and what will the growth rate be? What are the key market trends? What is driving this market? What are the challenges to market growth? Who are the key vendors in this market space? What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors? :

Monday, November 4, 2019

Empirical Paper Assignment Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Empirical Assignment - Research Paper Example The rate however increased in five states and remained constant in 11 other states. Kentucky recorded the most significant percentage decrement, though the state’s unemployment rate remained above the nation’s average value. There were additional job opportunities in the state in October but some people also left their jobs, with retirees as examples of those who left their jobs. The lost jobs in Kentucky were however filled with new employees and not really lost from the economy. Kentucky recorded the greatest fall in unemployment rate with a deviation of 0.5 percent while four other states realized a decrease of 0.4 percent in their unemployment rates. Unemployment rates per state remained lower that national statistics in Rocky Mountain States. On the national level, unemployment rate reduced by 0.1 percent, from 5.9 percent in September and this resulted from creation of 214000 new jobs. The report includes states’ unemployment rates for September and October of the year 2014 and for the month of October 2013 (Sparshott 1). The author’s statistics are reliable because data and generated graphs from FRED support them. Below are graphs of two indicators of employment rates, as retrieved from FRED databases that support the author’s report. The graphs, inteprated together, offers information that is consistent with Sspartshott’s report and therefofe support the author’s viewpoint. From graph 1, it is evident that employment rates have been increasing, steadily, over the past one year. Consistency in the increament can be used to forecast further increament to october and the rest of the months in the year 2014. Consequently, it can be concluded that the number of employments in the private sector improved from its value in September 2014 into October 2014. The graph of number of employment in the public sector is however unstable and suggests a decrease in employment rate from September 2014 to October 2014. Rate of

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Critically assess the attractions of commodities as an asset class Essay

Critically assess the attractions of commodities as an asset class over the short and long-term - Essay Example The ever-expanding list now also includes products such as financial instruments and stock indexes that trade on a commodity exchange. Commodities can be considered to be an asset class in their own right and long-term investments in the same have resulted in equity-like returns to investors. An investment can generally be considered a separate asset class when its returns are independent of other asset classes; its returns are both positive and significantly different from cash; its return cannot be replicated with a combination of other asset classes. Commodities have all these characteristics and therefore provide considerable investment portfolio diversification opportunities. It provides return and risk opportunities beyond that of simple inflation hedging and has sources of risk and return that are significantly different from and independent of traditional assets such as stocks and bonds. Moreover, its advantage lies primarily in that its risk and return trade-offs cannot be easily replicated through other investment alternatives. Thus commodity investment has enormous growth potential and poses some unique attraction for investors who understand its unique characteristics, benefits and challenges. For instance, commodities generally outperform other asset classes in an expansionary phase and deliver extra-ordinary returns within short periods. Like property, commodities offer low to negative correlation with equities and bonds and fixed income instruments and, therefore, provide a natural balancing and sobering effect on the portfolio. A correlation coefficient is a number between -1 and 1 that measures the degree to which two variables are linearly related. A positive correlative coefficient means that the two variables are directly related, i.e. the value of one will increase or decrease along with the increase or decrease in the other. A negative correlation means that the variables are inversely related and when one

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Informal report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Informal report - Assignment Example As a point of departure, the procedures for the survey process were agreed between the company management team and the union, which represents the workers. For instance, the issue of testing employees at mid-contract was ruled out since it undermined the workers’ rights in terms of initial appointment regulations. However, the 63% of the production and 82% of the white-collar workers agreed to have workers tested during hiring time. On the other hand, the 62% of the production and 72% of the white-collar workers agreed the workers to be tested when they appear to be under the influence of drugs. This is an indication that, the policy drafting should be flexible to accommodate the wishes of the majority workers in order to avoid the crash with the worker’s union. The survey was done using questionnaires that were distributed between the two categories of workers because they were perceived to offer lucid and reliable information (Employee Drug Testing, 26). The data coll ected was then analyzed and percentages calculated. Some of the primary areas investigated include the production and transport sections. These areas serve a fundamental role in the company in its bid to achieve the corporate citizenship. Some of the instances investigated and considered in the drafting of this policy include non-violent and physical approach to workers in convincing them to take up the drug testing exercise. In case a worker refuses to undergo a drug test, he/she should not be forced to avoid the risk of civil and criminal complaints that involves assault. Procedural consultative avenues were considered to greater extent in removing the excesses that may come along with this process of drug testing (Cresce, 23). Another factor considered during this survey is the circumstances, in which the testing should take place. In case of Random and cause, they should be clearly spelled out in the policy such that the employees can be able to know when they can be called for such

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Sport and Society in Ancient Greece Essay Example for Free

Sport and Society in Ancient Greece Essay Ancient Greece is one of the most ancient civilizations in history and some historians say it is one of the greatest. They have survived many invasions and attacks from barbarians and Persians as well. The Greeks those times were divided into city states and they don’t have any form of alliance with each other. They don’t help each other on wars they except for times that they don’t have a choice. The Greek society is basically unique. Greece had never been united under one sole ruler. And even the city states are fought among each other on whom or which city-state should rule Greece. These qualities of the Greece made the Greek history interesting. Mark Golden’s book, Sport and Society in Ancient Greece, had elaborated the key points of the Greek society subjected on common theme. The book uses the Greek sport and games to give very good description of the Greek society. It expressively explained the sport as very important part of the society of Greece. In addition to this, he related the Greek sport to religion, social status, gender, age and other things that constitute to study of its society. Golden uses the sports arena to surface the differences among individuals and groups of the Greek society. The fact that it is theme-oriented made the book readers friendly. Most history professor uses this book as a very good guide to teach history. The themes use in the Golden’s book made it reader friendly. Identifying the themes of the book would be relatively easy. One of the themes he used is the Greek sport. In fact, it unites all ideas in the book. He used the Greek sport as a standpoint of the differences of the Greeks. He explained it using various events in the competitions and its competitors. He explained why most explained that in every event there is a kind of group that can participate. He also expressly give emphasize the difference of participants in the athletic events to the equestrian events. In virtue of this, he elaborated the tension between to the two types of contest. He explained that he sees the difference on the participants of the said events reflect on how the Greek society was comprised. Another theme he used in his book was the stories of Iliad and Odyssey. He uses explain the start of the games and the religious beliefs of the Greek society. The stories of Iliad and Odyssey was widely use in their religious activities. The fact that most of the games was done in tribute to the Gods of Greece. They do this by reliving the great stories of both Homer’s epic novel. They believe that Homer’s epic novel were very accurate about the Gods activities. They had lived with this belief with so many years. The next theme which Mark Golden used in the book was the historical background of Greece. He stated several historical events in Greece that influences the Greek culture and the games. He had explained briefly how some games had started and the changes that the Greeks had implemented to the games. He had emphasized the importance of these historical events to the Greek society. The last theme that I will list here is the relation of the social status to events a Greek can participate. He uses this theme through out the book. He basically discusses the social hierarchy the Greek have in their society as times came by. The book clearly differentiated the differences on how a group of Greeks or an individual can participate in the sport or the games. Golden stated that in the equestrian events slaves can only win as jockeys and other rules they applied in this event. The social discrimination in the Greek society was highlighted in the book. The themes he uses simply put the book in position that it is easy to read, can be use as teaching material because of its reliability, and its distinct use of other literatures of other historians. With this book, I could relive the moment the games had begun and gone on until today. I lived in Athens during the time Olympics had been established. It was a glorious moment for the Greeks. Everyone believed that these games can unite the whole of Greece where it could fight and function as one whole country. The start of the game signaled a turn in the history of the Greeks. The feeling of this glorious moment is very pleasing to me and to other Greeks as well. Imagine that a Greek won’t face another Greek in the battlefield again. I would join the games to prove the dominance of Athens over other city states. Joining the games as an Athenian is a privilege and a great honor for me. And befriending other Greek is as not bad as it looks in the past. Being at war with other Greek is pain that a soldier must overcome. Being a soldier, killing other Greeks is the most painful thing to do. It is as if it was killing your own brother. Nowadays that pain is nothing but a pigment of the past. I’m glad that my sons would not feel that pain that anymore. They will not go up against other Greeks except at the games. And it is for the gods after all. They had blessed us of something great. I thank our Gods that they found a way to stop the quarreling between city states of great Greece. After reading the book, I’ve come to think that the Greek games and sports are done to unify Greece and for entertainment. The world had mimic the Greek games and created Olympics. It symbolizes the unity of the nations participating in the Olympic Games. The fact that culture of Greek is carry out by the nations in the Olympics. It raises a sense of pride among the Greeks. Another thing is a realization that sports does come from religion. The games were held in religious festival in ancient times. The sports today are said to have a purpose of camaraderie, enjoyment, and battle of skills. It is shocking to know that it came from religion. The showing of facts in the book of Mark Golden had convinced me that sports started as tribute to the Gods. And that the relation of the religion and sports is undeniable. He presented reliable evidences that strengthened a claim made by a priest. The idea of classifying the participants that participate in an event was a shocking revelation. I thought at first that the classification of participants was done only to make the games fair. And that is invented after the world wars. It is shocking to know that these classifications were really done due to social status in ancient Greece. The structure of the games from those times to these days is very different. But to know that they have the same purpose is quite a relief. The most important idea that occurred to after reading Mark Golden’s book is that literature has something to do with sports. If you look at sports and literature at plain logic, they are very different because literature uses mental capabilities while the sports and games use physical abilities. The connection of literature and sports was established clearly in Mark Golden’s book. He clearly stated the relation of the two. The realization of the relation between the two is quite interesting and mind bugling. Mark Golden’s book clearly is one of a kind. Historians who read his book were very enthusiastic to discuss Greek history to his class. The reliability of the book make more convincing to historians or even to non-historians. The book is really a must read to people to who likes Greek history. Works Cited Golden, Mark. Sport and Society in Ancient Greece. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Discrimination laws: An analysis

Discrimination laws: An analysis What are the strengths and weaknesses of the law relating to either race discrimination, sex discrimination or disability discrimination? Relating to disability discrimination: Disability discrimination is legally prohibited and controlled in the UK via two main statutory instruments, the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 (DDA) (previously the Disability Discrimination Act 1995) and the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) Act 1999. Further legislation extends the scope of coverage; for example, the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 providing children equal access to education regardless of their ‘ability’. The main aims of these legislative pieces is to effectively end discrimination towards disabled people and provide them an egalitarianism in society mainly reflected through equal rights in employment; access to goods, services, facilities, products and places; buying, selling and renting land and/or properties and to maximize ease of use of the public transport system (to be implemented by the government). The law in this area remains rather unclear, however, despite the limited and rather straightforward statutory coverage p rovided. This opacity has generated a collection of strengths and weaknesses in the law relating specifically to disability discrimination, some of which will be discussed and explored below. These strengths and weaknesses demonstrate how the law is virtually ineffective in attacking such a concept as discrimination because of enforceability. For the purposes of this essay, focus will reside with anti-discrimination in employment. The greatest weakness in the law in relation to disability discrimination is, as touched upon above, it’s recondite ness. The legislation suffers from the proof problem, qualifying for protection under the Acts. How is a does one define who is and who is not disabled? What is and what is not discrimination? How can you be sure you are being discriminated against as these tests are all a matter of perception, excepting of course when there is clear-cut objective discrimination like a dismissal or non-accommodation of physical ability (Corker, 1999). With regard to defining who is and who is not disabled the DDA states: those who have a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term effect on his ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities are disabled (DDA 1995 s1.1). The DDA was further extended on April 7th 2005 to include those with some mental illnesses and those suffering from cancer, HIV and MS (multiple sclerosis), yet it did not encapsulate th ose suffering from depression. The reason given by the Commons for this exclusion was because the illness was re-occurring rather than fundamentally long-term and the DDA only covers those illnesses which are long-term (BBC 2005). Depression may be a severely debilitating disorder and much research has attributed depression with biological roots, therefore being an effect of a physical long-term disability which merely manifests sporadically. Yet the purpose of the DDA, to render those with disabilities equally amongst society by removing the constraints their disability places on them, is lost with depressed persons. Many argue however, that a line must be drawn somewhere in order to prevent the floodgates from opening and every even minor disability, from scraped knees to headaches, to fall subject to the anti-discrimination legislation.   This lack of definition within definition is supplemented with a series of guidance notes, issued by the DRC, on interpreting the various terms. Yet, as would be perceived, these notes are merely guidance and not fundamental law and therefore have no enforceable effect. Only a judge could make the decisions as to whether or not a person qualifies as disabled. To activate the process of filing and issuing proceedings, paying court fees and actually going to court while waiting for a potentially adverse outcome is not a walk in the park. Of course this is all providing the perpetrator is difficult. This discrepancy between legal theory and practical application is an obvious flaw in the anti-discrimination regulation and will be touched upon again later. The greatest strength in the law relating to discrimination is its generation of awareness. A simple effect, but a nonetheless extremely important one. Awareness is the first step in a winning battle against discriminating, changing the mind-set of the population en masse. Employers are focused on accommodating the disabled, businesses think more about how effective a disabled person remains. Colleagues are alerted to the fact that a disabled person functions equally well as one who is fully abled if given the right environmental conditions. Yet this legislation may also suffer from institutionalization. When a person is diagnosed as being depressed, checked into an institute and treated by all being depressed then the disorder is perpetuated. On a simpler note, a child who is told they are mentally slow at a young age may begin to live up to that expectation, having been ‘institutionalized’ into stupidity (Cohen, 2002). With physical disabilities this concept applies le ss but with mental disorders it may have some side effects. Further, even with physical disabilities, many disabled persons attempt to integrate themselves into society as much as possible. This legislation, when implemented as intended may instead cause it to be more difficult for the person to move beyond their ‘pigeon-holing’.  Ã‚   A further strength in the law regarding disability discrimination is the provisions it makes for those who defend the disabled. It falls under the term victimisation in the statute and covers both disabled and able people who have either provided evidence or information in a case of discrimination or brought proceedings of discrimination under the DDA, regardless of whether these proceedings were followed through or not (Corker, 1999 and Halsburys, 2005). This applies particularly in the scope of employment, where colleagues may become involved. This provision enhances fair justice as the witness, in this instance the colleague, will know they are protected from being discriminated from by statute and can speak up.   However. The case is never that straightforward. A fundamental weakness with this facet is also the proof problem. What is discrimination, who is being discriminated, who is disabled and so on. Further, a point must be made on the incompatibility (often) between theory and practice. It is fine for a business to change the working area of a disabled person, allowing them greater benefits than other workers, but it doesn’t often follow that the abled workers will not continue to socially discriminate against those who are disabled who are now, due to the anti-discrimination legislation even bigger targets through their labeled, identification parade like treatment. Students suffering from dyslexia often receive special treatment through time extensions during exams and even the possibility to take exams on a computer versus writing. Many have argued that this should be abolished as ultimately they will have learned the same amount than others and just because they have a learnin g disability does not mean that they should receive special treatment over others, especially not those who are of lower than average intelligence. Ultimately could this also not be classed as a disability? Conceptually the anti-discrimination regulations would work well to enhance egalitarianism but how individual people react to it, thereby shaping the environment in which we work, is questionable. The silent treatment, passing work on to others, not being invited to travel and to particular meetings can all feel like discrimination but an abled person can equally be passed over due to lower performance ratings (Butler and Drakeford, 2003). How to find the link between corporate behaviour and discrimination is a problem. The behaviour is also often a matter of perception and some people may be more sensitive than others, reading everything against a backdrop of disability.  Ã‚   The anti-discrimination legislation has another side to it too. The party who is to accommodate the disabled and implement the regulations. This area of law is effective in so far as it clearly lays out for an employer, or other persons who interact with disabled people, what it is that they must do to comply. It also imposes limitations. Employers with 20 or less employees do not need to comply (DDA 1995 s7.1). This prevents the regulation from causing a financial hindrance to those businesses which are smaller and potentially therefore generate less turnover. This is important so as not to become a cause of possible financial and economical ruin. There is a fine balance to be met between protecting the discriminated and imposing rules on the discriminator.   Acceptance and equality within society are fundamental facets, and at that perhaps even the most important ones, that define and shape our society (here in the UK) yet capitalism, consumerism, competition and entrepreneurship ultimately generate the economical and fiscal foundations upon which our high standard of living is based. The weaknesses this area of law experiences are perhaps rather just reflections of a balancing act, attempting to maintain the core backdrop to our standard of life while dabbling at moving the concept of total egalitarianism from ideology to reality. References: BBC, April 7 2005. Peers back down on Disability Law. London: BBC News.   Berlins, M. and Dyer, C. (1994) The Law Machine (4th Edition). Harmondsworth: Penguin.   Butler, I. and Drakeford, M. (2003) Social Policy, Social Welfare and Scandal. Basingstoke: Palgrave. Cohen, S. (2002) Folk Devils and Moral Panics (3rd Edition). London: Routledge. Corker, M. (1999). The UK Disability Discrimination Act – disabling language, justifying inequitable   social participation. In Silvers, A. and Francis, L. (2000). 10th Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities. New York: Routledge. Disability Discrimination Act 1995, Disability Discrimination Act 2005. Queens Printer of Act of Parliament (internet version). The Stationery Office Limited (hardcopy). London. Halsburys Laws: Disability Discrimination. Butterworths Legal Series, 2005. www.butterworths.co.uk/halsburys Slapper, G. and Kelly, D. (2003) The English Legal System (6th Edition). London: Cavendish. Smith, O. (2000) Challenging the Closed Class Concept of Disability under Disability Discrimination Legislation. Liverpool: University of Liverpool, School of Law