Biology Pearson Textbook Homework Questions Essay

a.There are several differences between RNA and DNA is that are key. DNA has deoxyribose sugar while RNA has ribose sugar. Secondly b.RNA is generally single stranded and not double stranded. Lastly RNA contains uracil in place of thymine. c.The three types of RNA are messenger RNA, transfer RNA, and ribosomal RNA. Messenger RNA is the â€Å"mirror image† of the DNA that encodes the amino acid sequence for the protein specified by the gene. The Transfer RNA transfers the amino acids to the ribosomes from coded messages. Ribosomal RNA helps build the proteins on the ribosome. d.The reason that so many RNA molecules are produced more than DNA molecules because you only have two copies of DNA in one cell. If only two proteins could be produced at a time it would take the cell a much longer time to do the functions that it needs to perform. 2. a.During transcription segments of DNA serve as templates to produce complementary RNA molecules. b.I think that the mRNA would not code properly for the correct protein so none of the functions could occur properly. No proteins could be made without the mRNA. 3.RNA George a.I am unspecialized and am very willing and capable to do any job. I can be used in the messenger, transfer, and building proteins areas of work. As a messenger I can encode the protein sequence that is given to me from the genes. As a â€Å"transferist† I can transfer the amino acids to the ribosomes. Finally as an rRNA I can assemble proteins. Please consider my application.

Internet Security Breaches

The world has been undergoing persistent transformation which some have been attributed to the changing developments in science and technology. In particular, information and communication technology is one of the most celebrated developments. Indeed, information technology has changed the lives of people across the globe. Information technology has reduced the world to a global village through fostering advanced communicationforms. However, with the advancements in information technology, especially the internet, insecurity issues have emerged.Insecurity issues have, in turn, sparked far reaching implications to the users. The most rampant security breaches that have been evidenced within the last six months include cyber bullying, network intrusion, cyber fraud, virus launching and data breaches. Cyber Fraud Cyber fraud can be defined as the use of software or internet services to defraud victims or taking advantage of them. This includes stealing information that is considered per sonal, in what constitutes identity theft. One of the most common forms of internet fraud entails distributing rogue security software.Internet technology has created the allowance for criminals to carry out fraudulent transactions, as well as transmit the proceeds of the frauds to other institutions. Cyber frauds occur in message boards, websites, emails and even chat rooms (Messner, 2012). Purchase fraud is an example of cyber fraud and occurs when a perpetrator proposes a business transaction to a merchant, only to use fraudulent mechanisms, such as a fake or stolen credit card, to pay for it. The eventuality is that the merchant does not receive the payment and may even be charged back for accepting credit cards.Another example of fraud is whereby theperpetrators post information about goods that they intend to sell. Interested buyers are asked to make payments for the purchase and delivery of the goods. However, it later turns out that the goods were non-existent and they had o nly been conned. The third example of cyber fraud is phishing, which is the act of masquerading as a person that can be trusted, such as bank agents or consultants, to acquire information that is sensitive, such as details of credit cards and passwords, among other details that victims may be convinced to share.Subsequently, the information offered is used for fraudulent transactions. It is argued that cyber frauds makeheadlines each day. In October 2012, Barners & Noble Inc. made announcements that several PIN keypads had been hacked in as many as its 63 outlets, leaking the card information and PIN numbers of its customers. Easy Solution is one of the companies with evolving techniques of curbing cyber frauds. The company claims to be the only one that is well placed to curb various forms of electronic fraud, clouds and premises.The company has introduced an updated version of the Detect Monitoring Services, which entails timely fraud protection, enhanced monitoring capabilities a nd enhanced fraud protection. Detect Monitoring Service software effectively monitors the behaviors and patterns associated with phishing scams. Thus, it stops the threats before they cause damage. The software comprises of a relatively simple interface that can effectively function for all forms of clouds and even premises. It is argued that of over 800, 000 phishing attacks, the service enabled the company to detect as many as 76% on timely basis, exhibiting 3.6 hours of average deactivation time. Online transactions services have been particularly affected by cyber frauds.More often than not, customers often get cautious when asked to give personal information. Online transaction service providers have only resorted to instilling confidence in the customers as a way of encouraging them. This entails displaying policies, security badges and trust certificates, as well as the contact information. Online retailers should highlight security around the websites’ secured areas t o assure customers that their confidential information is safe.This should be done, regardless of whether some browsers have security indicators built in them. Some online retailing companies, such as Amazon, display this through the use of the sign-in button. Others opt to use padlock symbols that are located in the sign-in areas. This is advisable, even when it is not needed by the customers. Online retailing companies are advised to give alternative contact options. Indeed, some companies are offering customer care support by using call backs, e-mails, and chats to enable users report suspicious activities.Data breachesData breaches includeall those cyber activities characterized by unauthorized access, use and disclosure of individuals’ or organization information over or from the internet. Malicious attacks are considered to constitute the most expensive data breach, yet they are increasing. Malicious attacks account for as significant as 40% of the data breaches where n egligence account for about 32% (In Defense of Data, 2013)Computer software companies, healthcare records and companies have been the most targeted and have accounted for as significant as 93% of the global data breaches (In Defense of Data, 2013).Network security is a necessity for every company. A company’s network cannot be said to be effective if it consists of security lapses. Threats to company's network can be considered as a subject of various activities. However, former employees who leave the company due to downsizing can be considered as a significant threat. Other activities such as a daily courier dropping packages at the company’s premises, employees travelling on company business to other cities, or building management company installing a fire extinguisher system in company’s premises are not a serious threat.It can be argued that individuals with the potential of hacking, sabotaging and damaging systems are those with familiarity to nature and f orm of network system. Therefore, an employee that left the company has the capability of hacking the company’s network since they are familiar about the loopholes in the company’s network system. What increases the possibility of hacking is,if the employees left the company due to retrenchment, the attempts of network hacking could be fueled by the whims of revenge.It is argued that all former employees that worked in the company, accessing sensitive data bases and financial documents pose a threat to the company’s security. The fact that information technology does not respond to the altering of access points act as a fueling factor. Therefore, a person with information about the company’s network system has the potential of causing more harm than a hacker. According to the 2005 CERT survey, a significant number of former employees are increasingly utilizing the opportunity.The survey indicates that about 59% of the security intrusion is done by former company’s contractors;48% of those involved in hacking had been sacked;38% had left the company due to downsizing while 7% had been retrenched. The survey also notes that former IT professionals are particularly a significant threat to data security(Hazelden Foundation, 2012). Data breaches caused by negligence could be resolved by addressing the factors associated with negligence. On the other hand, data breaches caused by malicious software could be prevented by using appropriate network intrusion, detection techniques and anti-spyware software.Technological mechanisms would include updating and altering passwords for security purposes. Network intrusion/ Hacking Network intrusion or hacking refers to the unauthorized entry into a network, often characterized by malicious ambition of intercepting information from the network or website. The information can be used for other criminal activities such as fraud or espionage. Telvent Company hacking is considered as one of the r ecent hacking events that occurred in September 2012.The company has learned that its firewall and security systems have been compromised by the attackers who installed malicious software that enabled them steal project files. Telvent, a company whose services and software are applied in monitoring energy industry reported that it has been hacked which affected its operation in United States, Spain and Canada. The incident was blamed on Chinese hacking groups opposed to Western interests (Thiel, 2012). Lately, US officials have blamed Russia and China for staging intrusion attacks against United States for espionage, economic gains and other selfish motives.In November 2012, Leon Panetta, the US Secretary of Defense, had warned that United States was about to experience a cyber-attack comparable to Pearl Harbor, blaming hacking incidents that had been linked to the Middle East and United States Oil producers (Messner, 2012). The technological intervention to network intrusion is the development of Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs). IDSs refer to application of device or software that aims at monitoring either networks or activities of systems against activities that are either malicious or that violate policies in place.Types of IDSs include Network Intrusion Detection Systems (NIDSs) and Hot-based Intrusion Detection System (HIDS). Network Intrusion Detection System is considered as one of the most popular approaches. Network Intrusion Detection System refers to a system that is designed to detect activities that are considered malicious such as service denial attacks, port scans, as well as cracking into computers via Network Security Monitoring. NID senses the packets coming through the network and scans them in order to identify patterns that are suspected to be malicious.Such patterns can be referred to as rules or signatures. Not only NIDSis limited to scanning of the network traffic that comes into the system but, one can also find a lot of important i nformation concerning network intrusion from both local traffic and outgoing networks. More so, through NIDS, it is possible to stage attacks from the inside the network under monitoring and even a segment of the network. In this regard, such attacks are not in any way considered as incoming traffic. Usually, other various systems are incorporated to function with NIDS.The other network systems could, for instance, deal with updating the blacklists of firewalls using IP address of the computers under the use of real or suspected network crackers. NIDS consist of documentation (DISA) that utilizes ‘NID’ as a terminology with a target of distinguishing IDS that are internal from external. Just like any other IDS, NIDS comprises sensors and management console as its essential components. While management console deals with management and reporting, sensors deal with monitoring of networks. NIDS senses network intrusions through examination of network traffic.The system has the capability of monitoring multiple hosts. Usually, the access to the network traffic is gained through connection to a hub of networks, port-mirroring configured networks or even through the network taps. The NIDS sensors are situated at checkpoints of networks under monitoring. This are more often than not located in demilitarized areas or at the boarders of the network so as to increase effectiveness. All the network traffic is captured by the sensors before each of the packets’ contents are eventually analyzed for malicious network traffic.There are various examples of NIDS such as commercial products (such as ISS Realsecure, NFR Network Intrusion Detection System, Sourcefire and Computer Associates e Trust IDS) and freeware products (such as Ethereal, Snort and Tcpdump). Snort is the most common of all. NIDS should be considered as the most appropriate for organization securitybecause it ensures the greatest impact on the security of the network, takes shorter time to deploy compared to HIDS, yet it is relatively cheaper.Additionally, as long as it is placed on the outside of firewall or demilitarized zones to ensure for effectiveness, NIDS is capable of monitoring all forms of internet traffic and relays immediate feedback on the nature of network security. NIDS is very important to the general internet security. But particularly concerning the network security, NIDS is farther important to organizations in the following ways: first, NIDS has the capability of detecting attacks that HIDS cannot, for instance, fort scan and denial-of-service.Second, NIDS quickly detects and alerts on incidents of intrusion to avert maximum damage. This is particularly suited t o the demilitarized zones, considering the fact that internet providers usually situated at the zones are major computer attack targets. Third, NIDS is capable of reporting successful as well as unsuccessful attacks which is particularly essential as it offers a chance to better understand the network and hence, a key to network security enhancement. Fourth, NIDS equips organizations with knowledge regarding the environment of their network.Fifth, but for application of NIDS, it is difficult to identify network hacking. Lastly, NIDS is very important for organizations’ forensic evidence tool (Thiel, 2007). In this regard, it is not easy to tamper with the evidence unless the aggressors interfered with IDS. Launching worms Launching worms is a cybercrime that involves development of worms, also referred to as viruses, then releasing them on the internet domains. The worms slow down the internet connectivity or infect computers to stop them from functioning effectively.In 2000, FBI suspected incidents of cybercrimes being committed by the Russian citizens namely Alexey Ivanov and VasiliyGorshkov. It sought to track the suspected cyber criminals, luring them to come to United States with a ruse of a job promise (Quinlan, 2012). Activities of concocting worms and launching them on the internet are illegal in some parts of the world. As such, a person found to engage in cybercrime activities that spreads worms is likely to be prosecuted in various courts of countries affected by the worms. In some cases, the prosecution can be consecutive.However, in practice, few countries are in the position of claiming jurisdictions partly because some assume other countries would have incurred serious damages to consider it a priority to prosecute. These reflect how tricky dealing with cybercrimes across the borders is. Certain actions that are done on the internet may be legal in countries where they are initiated, but illegal in other countries that have access to the internet content. There are various recent incidents that entail virus launching. In October 2012, reports were made that FBI was to shut down a DNS as a way of containing viruses.Users were required to check their computers for virus and clean them before they could be allowed to access. These steps had been taken following the launching of the internet infestation by the DNS changer virus. The virus had cost the world billions of dollars (Quinlan, 2012). There are various technological approaches to worm problems. The most common approach is through installing anti-virus software. The antivirus software could be installed remotely on the computers, creating the allowance for all the information that streams in to be scanned for viruses.Malicious files and viruses are either blocked or repaired. Anti-virus could also be installed on the internet to scan the information that is sent over it. Websites, such as Google, are now offering such services. There are various antivirus software products on the market, including Avira, Norton and Kaspersky, which are effective in detecting and blocking malware (Nnap, 2011). Cyber bullying Cyber bullying has been cited as one of the areas that constitute internet security breaches. It entails transferring of abusesor information aimed at intimidating other people.Cyber bullying has turned out as the newest platform for which the people, especially the youth, are increasingly abusing each other. The more concerning issue is that there are currently no new appropriate techniques that intervene for cyber bullying despite the large numbers of children who have access to information and technologies. Internet and cell phone communications have been cited as tools of cyber bullying. Even more intriguing is that cyber bullying occurs during class time. Various incidents of cyber bullying have been witnessed recently.One of the cases that conspicuously featured on news headlines was of Alexis Henkel, a high school student. Henkel was charged with posting a number of anonymous and threatening messages on the internet account of one of her former classmates, who she accused of engaging in a flirt with his boyfriend (HazeldenFoundation, 2012). It has been argued that cyber bullying is particularly rampant because mos t cases are not reported. The most appropriate technological approach to addressing cyber bullying entails the application of safety tools, which facilitates content monitoring, as well as blocking.Indeed, various social sites now offer safety tools that enable users and administrators to report and block forms of communication that amount to bullying. These go hand-in-hand with the approach of instilling of ethical morals among the users, as well as enlightening the society on online safety, including ways of using online safety tools. Category of internet security Breaches Information leakageIntegrity ViolationDenial of ServiceIllegitimate use Data breaches; information stored in a website is accessed and released without authorityCyber bullying; entails sending abuses and information that undermines the integrity of other peopleWorm Launching; worms or viruses block internet access, denying the victims access to the internet. Additionally, some worms infect computers, making them malfunction. This also denies the victims access to computer services1. Internet intrusion and Hacking Hacking enables the perpetrators to access websites and use services illegitimately. 2. Cyber fraud Cyber fraud constitutes the motives of illegitimate use of internet resources

Laziness caused by Technology

More and more in this time, all I can see is people being lazy. Children do not want to play outside. Instead of playing outside children sit inside all day playing on their videogame systems, tablets, computers, and phones. Adults are just as bad sitting around glued to whatever tech toy they have. Technology is making people lazy. People hardly have to leave their homes to do anything anymore. Technology has made it so easy for people to get virtually anything and everything they could possibly want or need at the touch of a few buttons. No longer do people have to walk around a store and haul their own things in and out of their cars. All people have to do is go online and those things will be delivered right to their front door. When people do leave their homes to go to work, a lot of them are going to jobs where they sit behind computers all day. Even students staring in elementary school do a lot of school work, tests, and school projects behind a computer or tablet now. Many college students are picking careers to do with technology and can even get their education all online. Don’t get me wrong, technology is not all bad. Technology has helped our culture in the fields of medicine and science greatly, but our society is letting technology take over. People are not being active enough anymore. Laziness is spreading like a disease. Being so lazy and depending so much on technology is causing health issues of its own. Technology is ok in moderation. People need to stop letting technology take over their lives. Sitting at home in their pajamas ordering what they want and need instead of getting out and being active is just plain lazy. With everything so readily available with a few clicks of a button technology is winning. Technology is definitely making people lazy.

Romanticism was a cultural movement that was based upon reactions to Essay

Romanticism was a cultural movement that was based upon reactions to the onset of the new Industrial Age. Explain the growth of romanticism, its basic ideas, a - Essay Example In order to be able to truly understand how and why all of this took place, we need to first understand a bit more about romanticism itself and what it is all about, as well as all of the key and related issues in regards to how it changed and how it was grown. By doing this, we will not only be able to better understand the term romanticism, but as well we will be able to understand the reasons why and how it has grown and altered. This is what will be dissertated in the following. Romanticism is considered as being "A movement in art and literature in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in revolt against the Neoclassicism of the previous centuriesThe German poet Friedrich Schlegel, who is given credit for first using the term romantic to describe literature, defined it as 'literature depicting emotional matter in an imaginative form'Any list of particular characteristics of the literature of romanticism includes subjectivity and an emphasis on individualism; spontaneity; freedom from rules; solitary life rather than life in society; the beliefs that imagination is superior to reason and devotion to beauty; love and worship of nature; and fascination with the past, especially the myths and mysticism of the middle ages".1 There are many different

A Small Community Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A Small Community Business - Essay Example A Small Community Business The local stores, farms, and their cooperatives in our location greatly benefit from the existence of Ice Cream Heaven because Mr. Haynes sources his milk, dairy products, and other restaurant and cooking needs directly from the local business suppliers. Ice Cream heaven gives off that American vibe that can only see in Pop Tate's ice cream parlor in the Archie comic books. Just as our community evolved over time, so did the menu and other offerings of the restaurant. Having started out as purely an ice cream scooping station, these days it boasts of meal menus and sandwich snacks for those quick fix meals that the busy parents and students in our neighborhood requires. What is even more admirable about the business is that it hires workers from within our community. Ice Cream Heaven has 20 high school part time job type of employees that admirably helps our local families from lower income brackets survive and boosts our local economy. The annual sales of Ice Cream Heaven should be around $250,000 or more a year because of the combined income from their ice cream scooping station, ice cream gallon sales, and sit down clients. Mr Haynes told me that the taxes he pays the community has helped maintain the local park and kept the community library in business by adding computer systems for the benefit of the local public school. Ice Cream Heaven has been an integral part of my childhood and continues to be a memorable place for me as I mature into an adult. This is the place where my parents and I often had my birthday dessert when I was a child.

Semiotics(symbolism) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Semiotics(symbolism) - Essay Example David stood up to the Philistine giant, Goliath, as Cuba stood up to the imperialist giant, America. The girl with the wooden doll is a symbol of proletariat simplicity and innocence (supporting the David metaphor), standing up to all that threatens and embracing the seed of the future. African dance and the Beatles were seen as potential distractions from revolutionary focus, just as they are seen by various religious groups today as sinful distractions from Christian focus. The absolute present of the material images that engulfed Edmundo, separating him from the hustle and bustle of New York City, might suggest the way a church acts as sanctuary and a place set apart, an embassy of God and spiritual presence. His reference to patriotic hymns and his repeated use of the term redemption also support this. To see the dream and the nightmare is to encounter Kali (creation and destruction), or the Father and the Son (wrathful vengeance and sacrificial love). Haydee and Celia, political leaders in the struggle against Batista, were not in the exhibit, solidifying this revolution as a patriarchal religion. ... I therefore see a patriarchal religious system unifying the various metaphors used. Edmundo: Photo Changes Photos are not static, if you know how to look at them. They change with time because images are like zucchini, taking on the flavor of what surrounds them. Photographs sustain relativity to socio-historical climate, culture, current events, observer perspective and attitude. As an example, consider a photograph by Ansel Adams, Moon and Half Dome, taken in Yosemite National Park, 1958. Until quite recently, anyone who looks at this photograph would see the majesty and timeless, natural beauty of Yosemite. The moon joins the powerful mountain to the heavens, emphasizing the verticality of Half Dome, The black and white medium, and juxtaposition of shadow and light, speaks of nature’s exquisite simplicity and honesty. That perspective of this photograph has probably been a typical one until this year, when this very mountain claimed the life of a hiker. The media described the horror of witnesses, who had to be airlifted out because they were too traumatized to hike back down themselves. The media has continued to report on more than a dozen deaths in Yosemite, this year. Now, when I look at this photo, I see malevolence, the interplay of life and death, the danger of nature, and the coldness of the moon. My childhood hiking memories are now threatened by a nagging suspicion of parental negligence. What was lovely and quietly evocative has become haunted and threatening, â€Å"Context of viewing is meaning (Desnoes).† Edmundo: Photograph as Metaphor A photograph may look, to some, like a static recording of a single fragment of life, bounded by subject, immediate context, background, and single mark upon linear time, In truth,

Critical Commentary on a video clip-400-500 word Essay

Critical Commentary on a video clip-400-500 word - Essay Example Global media includes the following channels to provide information to the world. The channels are; through television, cinema, music industry, newspapers, magazines, the internet, books, advertising, video games and even through the use of mobile phones. Let’s pick up the industry of music as a means of global media. The most basic quality or characteristic of music is that, whatever your location, whatever your mood, whatever the work your doing, as soon as you hear any kind of music it catches your attention. When a product uses a song as a form of advertisement to the masses it actually creates an audio form of recognition for that particular product because when you hear that product’s specific music you instantly realize what product it is being talked about. (Music: Its roles, qualities and influence) Another quality of using music is that one song is used for one region or maybe even more thus bringing the concept of globalization into the world. When the same thing or the same music is being used throughout the world it brings a sense of harmony through that product and brings the realization that where ever you are in the world that product that you have in your homeland is also over there. When China conducted its first Olympics in Beijing 2008, it used a theme song called â€Å"You and Me†. China used this song to create a sense of harmony through the athletes of the world regardless of color, religion, creed, sex, and culture. The song has in itself a sense of bringing the world together on one common ground for a common goal. The words â€Å"You and Me† as the title states gives the listener a sense of friendship where ever or who they might be. When a person listens to this song he or she will feel that all the feelings regarding hatred for each other will disappear and in return it will leave behind a sense of beauty, peace, harmony and being one. This song also emphasizes on one world and one dream, which means that

Business Planning and Feasibility Assessment Essay

Business Planning and Feasibility Assessment - Essay Example The primary target market of the clothing store will be the tourists of Dammam city. As Dammam is a prime tourist spot and many tourists from across the world come to Dammam to visit or for business purposes, thus it will prove to be a large customer base for clothing store.The secondary target customers will be the residents of Dammam. The population in Dammam city is growing rapidly and the people tend to follow the western culture and fashion. Therefore, soon there will be much demand for fashionable clothes in Dammam city. As there is limited number of clothing store in Dammam, it will be easy to attract large number of customers. In the first operating year, it is estimated that the growth of clothing store will be moderate and cash in hand/bank will be positive. The clothing store will not sell on credit rather it will accept cash and all kinds of cheques and credit cards. The initial investment will be 150000000 SR (Saudi Riyal). The cost of land and building is estimated as 9 0000000 SR and Machinery will be bought about 30000000 SR. The estimated cost of Furniture is 15000000 SR. Depreciation will be charged on machinery and furniture to 8% and 2% per annum. In the first operating year it is estimated that the forecasted sales is 30000000 SR. The Gross Margin is accounted as 30% of the total sales. The cost of insurance is estimated as 9% of total gross margin and the selling & distribution expenses are calculated as 70000 SR (estimated figure). According to Saudi Arabia’s tax rate the income tax is charged as 20% on revenue. Fig: 1 Shows Estimated Income Statement of the Clothing Store Income Income (SR) Expenditure (SR) Sales 30000000 Gross Margin (30% of Sales) 9000000 Expenditure Payroll (9 ? 10000 ? 12) 1080000 Insurance (9% of Gross Margin) 810000 Depreciation on Machinery (8%) 2400000 Depreciation on Furniture (2%) 300000 Selling & Distribution Expenses 70000 Profit Before Tax 4640000 Income tax (20%) 928000 Profit After Tax/Net Profit 371 2000 Fig: 2 Shows Estimated Financial Statement of One Year of the Clothing Store Liabilities Asset Capital Investment 150000000 Land & Building

Summarizing experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summarizing experience - Essay Example For example, my personality profile is 42 percent extroverted and 58 percent introverted. Here, I was able to pinpoint useful information such as my ability to concentrate for long periods of time, my independence and ability to pursue self-guided projects. Then, I was also classified as Intuitive and Perceiver and was given several pointers in regard to maximizing such nature. Another important feature of the assessment test was the comprehensive outline of careers that matched my personality - from the job description, related occupations, job requirements, salaries, video presentation, to important pointers. These variables were specifically tailored not only on my educational background, but also on my temperaments, motivation, interest and character. All in all, the website was straightforward and easy to use. I was able to peruse the content I was given and I was satisfied. The experience was helpful in the sense that I learned more about myself in the context of embarking on a career, which was my objective in using the

Curtis Cobbins Essay Example for Free

Curtis Cobbins Essay Dear Ms. Robbins: Im writing to thank you for the December 4th interview for the District Manager position. I am still very much interested in the position and it was especially useful to meet with you and discuss the saes and marketing processes you have in place. As District Manager on the team, I look forward to forming optimal alliances with customers, investors, franchisees and vendors as well as your internal teams. I came away from our discussion with ideas I look forward to applying at Deen Companies. Specifically, I would like to get your reaction on my thinking regarding marketing research methods in your company. I am confident you will find my comments useful in this crucial area. You evaluate many people in the course of hiring, so let me recap my qualifications: †¢ Over five years record as Top Sales Producer, generating approximately $1. 5 million in annual sales †¢ Proven experience developing and managing major commercial accounts †¢ Extensive experience in sales management, contract negotiation and account administration †¢ Positive work ethic and deep commitment to providing excellent results †¢ Excellent management and communication skills If I can further substantiate my ability to meet your needs at Deen Companies, please email me at [emailprotected] com Thank you again for your time. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Curtis Cobbins Enclosure

Global Rise Of Oil Prices Economics Essay

Global Rise Of Oil Prices Economics Essay Energy and Oil is a strategic commodity and very valuable to everyday life. Millions around the world are affected if there is a significant change in the price of oil, especially if the prices increases. The price is affected by two factors, supply and demand. If the supply is steady, stable and adequate to meet up with world demand there wouldnt be an issue. But this isnt the case, to say the least World prices of energy sources began to rise as early as 2005 and showed no sign of stopping, By march 2005 OPEC had admitted to losing control on prices and immediately sought to pump additional barrels but wasnt sufficient. In 2007 the price of oil nearly doubled and continued to rise into early 2008, leading on to the economic crisis. Gas, coal, nuclear energy and in particular oil reached soaring prices as high as $160 a barrel like someone had lost a grip on it somewhere. This price spike in oil prices is due to a combination of factors, first the Kyoto protocol that finally came into effect in 2007, the rising demand from India and china, the neglect from oil companies and investors as they search and research on other alternative source of energy. Political struggles, corruption and attacks on oil pipe lines in one of OPECs member country Nigeria. Where unrest in the African oil region has resulted to a lost in 175,000 barrels per day.  [1]  The fall in value of the US currency played a major role and is partly responsible, since the price for these commodities is typically quoted in US dollars. The financial crisis and recessions in the global economy also appears to have contributed to a substantial increase in speculative interest in energy future markets, helping to boost prices. World oil demand is expected to increase substantially until 2020 according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA , 2006) while in the IEO (Independent Evaluation Office) 2009 projections total world consumption of energy is projected to increase by 44 percent until 2030 with most of its demand from non-OECD economies. . Although the price of a barrel has gone down in recent times and settled, the question is what happens in the event of another decline in supply or demand continues to persist, with failing and short term policies by the institutes involved, policies that fail to come together, correlate and aline with each other, ignoring the fact that the issue at hand if neglected again or not carefully managed can cause devastating effect to the world economies. Today oil has proved to be a powerful economic tool it has also proved to be a capable political weapon. In other words, oil contributes directly and indirectly to the production of all goods and services. For example, in 2003 oil as a source of energy accounted for about 37% of total energy sources. There is compelling body of evidence that oil production is determined by the interplay of institutional and economic forces. The issue is the policies that the key players implement from the U.S. to the EU and OPEC itself. Statement of the Issue/Problem: What policies energy institutes and oil producing countries including government bodies have to stabilize and control the market? There is pressure on the industry and oil market, with concerns about CO2 emissions and global warming since the time of Kyoto and increasing environmental awareness but no adequate policies to resolve the issue or at least one that works in the competitive and challenging industry. Background (of the problem): Oil, coal and gas currently provide more than two-thirds of the worlds energy and electricity, but also produce the greenhouse gases largely responsible for global warming. A number of models suggest that implementation of the Protocol will affect energy markets and oil revenues. At the same time, world energy demand is expected to rise sharply in the coming years, presenting all societies worldwide with a real challenge see appendix (1). Several factors as mentioned earlier has caused the previous drastic rise in price and decline supply. Presently as the prices continues to remain low the demand from Asia for oil is increasing by more than two million barrels per day  [2]  if demands from Asia grow significantly at such a rapid rate when prices are at a stable range then there are no doubts that prices would not and cannot stay low for too long ( Merlin Flower 2010) . Another issue is that of pegging, many oil producing countries like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait peg their currency to stronger currencies like the U.S. dollar. When we experienced the decline of the dollar during the recession their economies are relatively affected there after they let their currency float. A classic example is in 2006 when other countries with Kuwait leading the way unpegged their currency from the dollar following suit was the expected rise in energy prices. Speculations and uncertainty affect businesses and stock value not to say the least oil field services companies (Giuseppe Marconi 2008). Many oil-exporting economies argue that they peg to the dollar because oil is priced in dollars. Pegging their currency to the dollar eliminates the apparent mismatch between the governments dollar-denominated oil revenues and its local currency spending. The IMF after undertaken research indicates that a significant increase in price of oil on average leads to real appreciation of the currencies of oil exporting economies therefore might have been another reasons for their actions. This logic, however, fails to accurately diagnose the real fiscal problem of oil-exporting economies. Appendix (2) shows a list of major exporting economies and those that peg or float their currency. There is a growing view that, if nothing is done to cut the growing demand on world consumption of oil , there is likely to be an oil supply crunch within the next 10 years, Because oil consumption is responsible for some 25% of greenhouse gas emissions, efforts to reduce emissions would seem likely to affect the market for oil According to the economist in 2004 global consumption of oil increased by 3.4% , with nearly a third from growing nations like china where its demand is predicted to be about 16%. Supporting that is a chart from the European Commission in Appendix (3). Upon that there is insufficient investment by the international and oil companies many multinational oil companies are or have spent time buying their own shares rather than developing the society they present.  [3]  Although with the exception of a few whom participate in the development of their local economies but how adequate is this? If this is to happen, there is no doubt it might trigger another econo mic crisis and causing a global impact. Oil export revenues account for between 9% and 40% of GDP in OPEC economies, so reduced oil revenues means reduced economic growth. For most of its members which are developing nations a decline in economic growth has implications for their relative economies most especially unemployment for those with high population growth rate. So far all parties involved with significant influence in the market have policies of their own different interest. Policies tried have been short term policies and have proved no effect so far. A typical example of short term policy was in 2001 the U.S under introductions from the president, the U.S. announced it would release 30m of barrels from the Strategic petroleum Reserve (SPR) rather than selling the oil. Between August and November the department of Energy (DOE) requested offers for oil to be replaced back. These efforts proved to have back fired increasing the cost of crude oil having been handled in a clumsy and old fashion way. The U.S policy whether short-term or long term can have the long term negative effect of increasing the cost of crude oil. This showed the importance of set policies and reform in the energy market especially oil which the world depends on. If there isnt no change in policies the by 2015, then there is likely to be a future crash in the energy oil market affecting individuals across the globe either in little ways from transportation or domestic energy consumption. Critique of Pre-existing Policies: When it comes to policies either set by OPEC or the U.S. Energy policymaking in the past 35 years has been neither decisive nor strategic. The world can no longer afford to forward oil policies which we fail to implement. (Thomas D. May 2006). Previously OPEC adopted the quota system to limit its oil supplies to keep oil prices at certain levels. According to this system each OPEC country is allocated a specific level of oil production to limit total OPEC oil supply and thereby influence oil prices in the international market. In the late 19s around 1986, this system did not help OPEC to avoid the oil price collapse because most OPEC countries did not respect their quotas, Angola, Venezuela, Iran and Nigeria named the biggest cheaters. Bearing in mind These OPEC short term policies affect international affairs. It is thought that implementing the Kyoto Protocol will require a carbon tax (or equivalent) in Annex B countries, and this will raise the price of oil to consumers and therefore reduce demand there. Because these Annex B countries account for more than 60% of world oil consumption any significant reduction in demand there may well cause a decline in the producers price of oil on the global market. Further, if the principal mechanism by which Annex B countries reduce emissions is through a carbon tax, then this tax wedge may increase the rent that governments in energy importing countries have in the oil market, transferring wealth from oil producers to consumers (Mabey et al., 1997, p. 274). To put this in perspective, the G7 countries (US, Canada, Japan, Germany, Italy, Britain and France) already earn some 70% more income from oil taxes than OPEC members earn from petroleum exports (OPEC, 2001). So, through reduced demand, reduced price and reduced market rent it is thought that implementation of the Kyoto Protocol will reduce oil export revenues. Other concerns expressed by OPEC countries include the potential increase in renewable subsides, which they perceive to be given at the expense of other energy forms (e.g. oil) and discriminatory in nature (WTO, 2002. Problem is that everyone seems to have or develop their own policies from the Arab council to the European Union, all different policies different directions and interests. In the last few years OPEC agreed on a range of oil prices (ie between $22-28/B) and used its quota system to keep its oil prices within these limits. However, OPEC did not give any scientific rationale for this range or explain whether or not it was based on any scientific study. Nor did it say such a study took certain factors into consideration. In other words this price range seems to be arbitrary. On October 2007 in London the EU proposed new energy policies to come into place in other to tackle the challenging industry . The EU has clearly recognised that the internal energy market is the policy line that ensures fair prices to citizens and industries. At the same time, it guarantees that even smaller companies, for instance those that invest in renewable energy, have access to the energy market. Absent from this section of the initiative are measures to directly address the current peaking of internal Natural Gas production. Although put forward as so, market liberalization wont secure the increasing Natural Gas imports needed in the following years to meet internal demand. Lines of action to substitute Natural Gas or to secure other foreign sources simply do not exist. The main energy problem in Europe is not mentioned even less dealt with. These policies have a unique flexibility in that they can be used as a cure or as a weapon, but commonly their primary purpose is to promote or protect economic interests. Policy options and recommendations: As regards to reform of the oil or energy sector, in order to meet the requirements concerning the opening up of the market, an appropriate legislative and regulatory framework is necessary, in particular as regards regulation, and implementation of energy policy. Apart from the formulation and implementation of an energy policy, work should be concentrated on two aspects: opening up production, distribution, pricing and restructure of economic development plans by adopting efficient policies and procedures. There are several policy measures and recommendation that might minimise any possible losses to OPEC countries. One, assistance from developing countries to exporting economies to diversify sources of income, as models results show that economies with a diverse pattern of production and exports will be least affected by the Kyoto Protocol (Polidano et al., 2000). Two, OPECs share of oil market and cartel power would increase if there are measures to discourage the production of fossil fuels within developed countries Third, measures to abandon nuclear power generation would also favour oil exporters as more primary energy needs would presumably be met by oil. Fourth creating a situation where by countries wouldnt be able to peg theirs with another and jumping off once the market changes rather look to creating fiscal policy and finally the issue to sell essential and vulnerable commodity in a more stable currency like the euro, as the U.S. is unpredictable the least to say. However, this does not mean that all policies are going to be successful; they need to be well managed within a sustainable balance of power from global institutes. Appendices Appendix (1) Table 1. World Marketed Energy Consumption by Country Grouping, 2006-2030 (Quadrillion Btu) Region 2006 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 Average Annual Percent Change, 2006-2030 OECD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241.7 242.8 252.4 261.3 269.5 278.2 0.6 North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121.3 121.1 125.9 130.3 135.6 141.7 0.6 Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81.6 82.2 84.8 87.9 90.0 91.8 0.5 Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38.7 39.5 41.8 43.1 43.9 44.6 0.6 Non-OECD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230.8 265.4 299.1 334.4 367.8 400.1 2.3 Europe and Eurasia . . . . . . . . . . 50.7 54.0 57.6 60.3 62.0 63.3 0.9 Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117.6 139.2 163.2 190.3 215.4 239.6 3.0 Middle East . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23.8 27.7 30.3 32.2 34.6 37.7 1.9 Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.5 16.2 17.7 19.1 20.6 21.8 1.7 Central and South America . . . . 24.2 28.3 30.3 32.5 35.2 37.7 1.9 Total World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472.4 508.3 551.5 595.7 637.3 678.3 1.5 Note: Totals may not equal sum of components due to independent rounding. Sources: 2006: Energy Information Administration (EIA), International Energy Annual 2006 (June-December 2008). Summary data on major oil-exporting economies Appendix (2) Country Oil and gas export revenues, 2006 (billions of dollars) Average oil exports, 2006 (millions of barrels a day) Population (millions) Exchange rate regime Change in REER, end 2001 to end 2006 (percent) Saudi Arabia 195.6 8.8 21.4 Fixed (to dollar) -22.2 Russia 190.8 7.4 142.9 Managed float (euro-dollar basket) 39.6 Norway 75.7 2.3 4.6 Floating 6.2 United Arab Emirates 70.2 2.2 2.6 Fixed (to dollar) -18.9 Venezuela 60.3 2.4 25.7 Fixed -25.6 Iran 60.1 2.4 68.7 Managed float 22.3 Kuwait 55.9 2.3 2.4 Fixed (to basket) n.a. Algeria 53.3 1.7 32.9 Managed float (to dollar) -22.0 Nigeria 48.5 1.9 131.9 Managed float (plans to float 2009) 12.8 Libya 38.3 1.3 5.7 Fixed (to special drawing rights) n.a. Kazakhstan 24.6 1.5 15.2 Managed float n.a. Qatar 21.9 1.0 0.9 Fixed (to dollar) n.a. Oman 16.4 0.7 3.1 Fixed (to dollar) -18.4 Bahrain 9.4 0.0 0.7 Fixed (to dollar) -25.4 n.a. = not available Note: Oman and UAE real effective exchange rate (REER) estimates are based on International Monetary Fund annual data, which end with 2005. For Nigeria, it reflects revenues of net oil and gas exports. Irans exports reflect its fiscal year 2005-06. Sources: IMF, International Financial Statistics ; IMF Country Reports; BP Global (for energy data); national central banks; CIA, World Factbook (for population). Appendix (3)

The Drawbacks of Standardized Testing Essay -- High-Stakes Standardized

â€Å"†¦.American schools administer more than one hundred million tests per year† (â€Å"Facts† 125). Standardized tests are used frequently across the country in many schools to evaluate students on certain subjects. Usually, students are hammered with test prep by their teachers, as well as stressed to learn everything on time. Teachers worry about teaching to the test so they can have successful students as well not worry about bad test scores jeoprodizing their jobs. But the fact of the matter is that a lot more than studying can go into testing. From scoring/writing errors, to improper handling, the mistakes that can happen in standardized testing are wide. This isn’t a good thing when future classes as well as scholarship eligibility is determined by these tests. But, from causing student stress to scoring errors, standardized tests are causing people to rethink their significance to education. And what many parents and students are finding out, is t hat these tests are not as good as everyone once thought. As most people may assume, the preparation for standardized tests is long and time consuming, for both the teacher and the student. For the students, they must be constantly making sure they are on task for their normal schoolwork for the subject, as well as studying outside of class extra time. In some cases, students may have to give up activities they normally love to do (like sports, for example) to study hard for these tests that can dictate their future. This isn’t good for students either, even though they are trying to improve their grades. Since most colleges look for a well-rounded student, a people who quit an activity to focus on a test will be losing the well-rounded advantage on a college application. The student... ...e time to do what they enjoy. This will lead to more successful schools and students. Works Cited "Facts About Standardized Testing." Standardized Testing. Ed. Cynthia A. Bily. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2011. 125-128. Print. Landau, Elizabeth. "Standardized Tests Are Overemphasized In College Admissions." Standardized Testing. Ed. Cynthia A. Bily. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2011. 93-98. Print. Layton, Lyndsey. "As High-Stakes Tests Spread, Some Students Drop the Pencil." Washington Post. 15 Apr. 2013: A.12. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 04 Feb. 2014. Strauss, Valerie. "Massachusetts Professors Protest High-Stakes Standardized Tests." Washington Post. 22 Feb. 2013: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 04 Feb. 2014 Vogell, Heather. "Scoring Errors Jeopardize Tests." Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 22 Sep. 2013: A.1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 04 Feb. 2014.

Cultures Essay -- essays research papers

A Christmas Season in Poland In today’s society, it is very important to have knowledge of the different cultures that surround us. Most individuals that are born and raised in America practice the beliefs and social life of Americans. Most Americans tend to forget there are other cultures that surround us in our everyday life. However being born and raised as Americans, it is easy to ignore our descendents and our ancestors’ cultural background. In my case, my ancestors were Polish and have a very different cultural background than I do as an American. For instance, the Christmas season, which one would believe is celebrated the same way throughout the world, is in fact celebrated in various different ways. In Poland, there is no Thanksgiving like in the USA. Therefore, there is not any special designated shopping day to start the Christmas season. The Polish Christmas season begins November 30th with a celebration called St. Andrew’s Day. There is a long tradition of fortune telling especially for non-married girls on the November 30th in Poland. Since November 30th is under a patronage of St. Andrew the habit of fortune telling is called St. Andrew’s Day. The main purpose of St. Andrew Day celebrations is to predict the future of unmarried girls, especially their prospects for a good marriage. St. Andrew’s Day is a night of magic for young girls (Urban-Klaehn, 2005). The next day of celebration during the Christmas season is St. Barbara's Day. One of the most celebrated days associated with workers group is St. Barbara's Day on December 4th. St. Barbara is a patron of coal miners. Miners' profession was always considered dangerous, but prestigious, therefore, this day called "Barbà ³rka" or Barburka" was celebrated for centuries in a spectacular way. The name of the feast originates from St. Barbara as a patron (Pace, 1996). On St. Barbara’s Day, miners are dressed in the special uniforms. The uniform consists of a black suit and hat with a feather. The color of the feather, white, red, or black, depends on the rank of the miner. Miners wear their decorative uniforms not only during Barborka, but also for weddings, funerals, and other important political or social ceremonies (Urban-Klaehn, 2005). Christmas and St. Nicolas Days are not celebrated at the same time in Poland, but th... ...n Christmas season. However some practices are close to the same, the actions and the beliefs of Poles vary tremendously from those of Americans. How can the same holiday be celebrated in so many different ways by so two different cultures? Although my ancestors are Polish, being born and raised in America, I practice the beliefs and practices of the American people. Is this a good thing or is it a bad thing? I do not have the answer to that question, but I know that it has to be a good thing to for every individual to have knowledge of his or her ancestors and cultural background. References Houston, S. (2004). Christmas in Poland - Christmas Eve (Wigilia). News and Observer, pp. E1. Retrieved May 31, 2005, from Proquest database. Urban-Klaehn, J. (2005). Christmas in Poland; St. Nicolaus Day (Dec. 6). Retrieved May 31, 2005, from http://www.bellaonline.com/about/polishculture Urban-Klaehn, J. (2005). Christmas in Poland - Christmas Eve (Wigilia). Retrieved May 31, 2005, from http://www.bellaonline.com/about/polishculture Pace R. (1996). Polish holidays are rich in old customs and tradition. Business America, 117 (12), 2-6. Retrieved May 31, 2005, from Proquest database.

The Unnecessary Death of Jessica Hathawaye :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Unnecessary Death of Jessica Hathawaye When will the day come when parents realize children are not possessions to be manipulated!? Children are people, too, and need guidance - don't we all? - but is it necessary to force our beliefs and practices upon them, demanding they emulate only the lifestyle we lead? It sickens me to see the tragic waste of human life, specifically the lives of children. Going one step further, it sickens me to see parents who lack the common sense that God gave a dog! One can't drive an automobile without passing a test, but any idiot can have a child. It wasn't bad weather that killed Jessica Hathaway. It was the effects of her mother's non-conformist lifestyle and preaching. Imagine a small seven year old girl, living in a quiet town on the coast of northern California. One would envision the child playing with dolls, serving tea from her Barbie play-time tea set to her mom or dad, maybe even showing off her schoolwork from the day's lessons in grammar school. A very believable childhood scenario. Not for Jessica Hathaway. Jessica wasn't allowed to play with dolls or teddy bears. Jessica Hathaway wasn't allowed to go to grammar school with the other children. Jessica wasn't even allowed to read children's books. Introducing New Age mother and self-acclaimed spiritual healer, Lisa Hathaway, Jessica's mother. Lisa has her own ideas about how to raise her children, as do we all, but Lisa's ideas ride the fence between extreme New Age philosophy and 60s idealism. Lisa encouraged Jessica to follow her bliss, though it seems obvious the real encouragement was to follow her mother's bliss. A seven year old child finds bliss in a chocolate candy bar, or in playing house with friends, but certainly not in reading technical material from an equestrian magazine or flying a plane across the country. Jessica Hathaway never watched television; there wasn't one in her house and she wasn't allowed to watch anyone else's. Truthfully, we all could use a little less television. Jessica didn't go to school, Lisa felt the children should forge their own way in life. Real life the best tutor, experience the best preparation. That could apply to an eighteen year old, but a seven year old? Lisa failed to file a home-schooling plan with local authorities, another display of her anti-conformist attitude. School is an unfit place for my children, Lisa has said.

The Gym

As I stroll up to the two giant doors I reach out and grasp one of the pairs of handles, my fingers smudging its shimmering, chrome profile. As I enter the gym, the smells of stale sweat and cleaner mingle with my nose, creating flashbacks of prior experiences. I flash my ID card to the employee working at the front desk and continue on through until I reach my ultimate destination; the basketball court.When I enter the court the first thing I notice are the baskets. They stand over the court like sentinels; opposing each other on opposite sides like guards on the border of North and South Korea. The padding on the backboards, now a bland blue from wear and tear, is falling apart like an old sofa, while the backboard itself, once crystal clear, is streaked with white blotches and scratches. The rims, connected to the backboard, are a rusty orange that blisters whoever is foolish enough to hand on it. While the baskets are needed to play the sport, the most important component of a ba sketball court is the floor.The basketball court’s floor is springy and seems to assist in your jumping ability. They are made of a hard wood that is a tinged yellow, similar in color to an old desk. When the floor is clean, you can nearly see your reflection, but don’t let its shiny surface fool you though; landing on it may prove to be more painful than you think. However, when the floor is dirty it is unforgiving; your shoes slip and slide across the surface, like a scene out of a comic book. Even though the floor of a basketball court is important, there is something else needed to play the sport.In order to play the sport of basketball you need, quite simply put, a basketball. Employees working in the front of the complex will provide you with a basketball, but you have to leave your ID card with them. The basketballs are made out of bright, orange leather that is firm, yet soft to the touch. They bounce easily, allowing you to perform whatever dribbling technique your heart desires. Every player handles a basketball differently though and there are many different types of players that play at the gym.The people that hoop at the gym can be put into different categories. Most players fall into the stereotypical role of the player that just plays for fun: he wears ankles socks and cheap shoes, and usually isn’t that great of a player. Other people include the buff guy that relies on his strength rather than his fundamentals, the shooter with his reliable ability to spread the floor with his range, the slasher who is able to get to the hoop and create open shots for the shooters, and finally the ballhawk who annoys you with his intense defense and his knack of getting loose balls. All of these people are different but they mesh because their strengths compliment other people’s weaknesses.Whenever I go to the gym all of the sights, smells, and sounds help create images in my head that make me want to go back again and again. But pr obably the most memorable experiences are leaving; my slow, fatigued steps finally leading myself back through the giant doors and out into the world.

Language, Identity and Cultural Difference Essay

According to Hall (1997a), enunciation theories suggest that even though we may talk of ourselves from our experiences, the person who speaks and the subject being spoken of are never identical. Identity in this regard is to be conceived as a production which is never complete- â€Å"always in process, and always constituted within, not outside, representation†- (Hall, 1997a) as opposed to viewing it as a complete fact which is then represented by the new cultural practices. However, this view shakes the legitimacy and authority upon which the term cultural identity bases its claim. There are two ways in which cultural identity can be thought of. The first view sees it in terms of a single shared culture, some kind of a collective ‘one true self’ that is hiding inside many other more artificially imposed selves that people with a shared history and ancestry hold in common (Hall, 1997b). Within this view of description of cultural identity, our cultural identities mirrors those historical experiences that we hold in common and the shared cultural codes which offer us as a people, a stable, immutable and continuous frames of reference and meaning, under the shifting classes and fluctuations of our actual history (Hall, 1997a). Singapore was envisioned by her leaders as a multiethnic society in which the constituent ethnic groups shared participation in common institutions while at the same time retaining their distinct languages, customs and religions. The ethnic categories represented self-evident, natural groups that would continue their existence into the indefinite future. Singaporean identity therefore implies being an Indian, a Chinese, or a Malay but in relation to other groups. This model of ethnicity demands the denial of important internal variations for each ethnic group and the recognition of differences between the categories (Tsui & Tollefson, 2007). The second view of cultural identity recognizes that there are similarities and important differences which make up what we really are. We cannot persistently refer with exactness to one experience and one identity without recognizing the other dimension. This other dimension represents the rifts and discontinuities that comprise cultural uniqueness. In this second sense, cultural identity is viewed as an issue of both â€Å"becoming† and â€Å"being†, something that belongs to the future as much as it belongs to the past. Cultural identities in this regard have histories and therefore changes constantly. In other words, cultural identities are subject to the uninterrupted play of history, culture and power (Hall, 1997a). Identity is the name given to the different ways we are placed, and put ourselves within the tale of the past. This second conception of cultural identity is more disturbing and less familiar. How can the formation of identity be understood if does not proceed from a straight line or a fixed origin? The Singaporean identity can be thought of as composed of two vectors that operate simultaneously. These are the vectors of rift and difference, and similarity and continuity. The Singaporean identity can be seen with regard to the relationship between the two vectors.   Similarity and continuity brings to fore the realization that it is the experience of fundamental discontinuity that the Indians, Malays and Chinese share and among these are immigration, colonization and Asian origin. It is therefore interesting to look at how the concept of identity, language and cultural differences were created and how these concepts are related within the context of Singapore. The analysis herein presented will be based in Hall’s view of the link between language, identity and cultural difference. Relationship between Language, Identity and Cultural Difference The relationship between language, culture and identity has emerged to be a hotly contested topic in social sciences. The questions that mainly arise concern the apparent difference between cultural and ethnic identity. Are these types of identities similar or should they be differentiated conceptually. Various scholars hold varying views on the role of language in the definition of one’s identity. A major question that one may be compelled to ask is whether a culture or ethnic group can be considered to be unique if it does not have its own language or in the least its own rendition of a common tongue. Cultural identity is universal whether it is expressed with regard to humanity or otherwise since people from every part of the world are conscious of some kind of specificity that sets them apart from others. In contrast, ethnic identity only appear to take place within complex societies when it seems functional to separate individuals into categories founded upon something other than age, gender or occupation. Ethnicity is associated with cultural identity since one must make reference to cultural, linguistic or religious particularities in order to categorize individuals. According to Hall (1997b), culture is produced by representation. Culture concerns shared meaning and the medium through which we make sense out of things is through the use of language. It is through language that meaning is produced and exchanged. The only mechanism of sharing meaning is through a common access to language. In this regard, language is fundamental to meaning and culture and has always been conceived as the major bank of cultural values and meanings. However, one may be compelled to ask how meaning is constructed through language. According to Hall (1997b), language constructs meaning via its operation as a representational system. Language is one of the mechanisms through which ideas, thoughts and feelings are represented in culture. In this regard, representation through language is fundamental to the processes through which meaning is produced. Our sense of identity is derived from meaning and therefore meaning is linked with questions about how we use culture to define and maintain identity and difference within and between groups. In every social and personal relationship in which we participate, meaning is constantly being produced. Meaning is also produced through our expression in and consumption of relevant cultural materials. Our conducts and practices are also regulated and organized by meaning which help in the setting of rules, norms and conventions upon which social life is ordered and governed. The question of identity therefore emerges in relation to various other divergent moments or practices within the cultural circuits; in our construction of identity and the defining of difference, in the production and consumption and in the regulation of social conduct. In all these instances, language is one of the most important medium through which we produce and circulate meaning.

Pizza! the Best Party Food Essay

Ding! Dong! â€Å"The pizza’s here everybody†. What do you mostly always eat when there is a party? What do you expect to eat at a party? That’s right! It’s pizza. A party without pizza is like a store without anything to sell. Some reasons that it is the best party food is that everybody eats it and is easy to get. Another reason is that everyone loves it. So why not get pizza the next time you decide to throw a party. First of all, lactose intolerant people aside, who doesn’t love when the pizza guy arrives at the door with, boxes of that deliciousness. Also it is the easiest thing to get for a party is pizza. Its so hard to cook for anywhere from 50-100 people. That would take hours of work and make the house smell bad. Why not just spend 60 dollars and get about seven whole boxes of Pizza Hut, Domino’s, DiGiorno’s, or anything else. Its saves so much time and the trouble of cooking. Also who knows if they will honestly even like the food you cook. When getting pizza you know everybody will eat it because the hosts of parties know people love pizza. Do you want to be remembered as a good host or party thrower? Then go buy pizza. You will probably spend that much on whatever you are cooking any way. So take the easy way out, and also the smart way. Next, everyone enjoys pizza, name one person that just doesn’t enjoy pizza. The perfect blend of cheese, tomato, and bread gets everyone’s mouths watering. Everyone just can’t resist from taking a slice. On the other hand it also tastes very good with drinks such as sodas. You can have all the wings and breadsticks you want but no matter what it won’t be a party without pizza. If I ever met someone who doesn’t like pizza I would interrogate him with questions. Did you ever even try it? Are you crazy? What’s wrong with you? What planet have you come from? Good thing I have never met anyone like that. Pizza is also rated the peoples’ most favorite food worldwide. So at a party you know it’s pretty demanding. If people don’t get pizza then it will make the guests unhappy and unsatisfied in their stomach. Overall there is no way around it. Pizza is the king of the party. It is the stomach filler. It is the most essential ingredient to making a successful party.

Scarlett Letter Sin Essay

The Different Shades of Sins An Irish Proverb states â€Å"All Sins cast long shadows. † Throughout the novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne viewed the sins as a spectrum of many colors. The novel revolves around Hester Prynne, who is convicted of adultery in colonial Salem by the Puritan society. For her punishment, she is condemned to wear the red scarlet letter â€Å"A† on her chest as a permanent sign of her sin.Exposing to sin and the temptation of its concealment in capricious degrees, Nathaniel Hawthorne demonstrated the different shades of sins through the actions of several main characters, Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth. In the beginning of the book, we learn Hester Prynne committed the sin of adultery. Although meant to crush Hester’s spirit, she is proud of her sin and becomes a strong, tough minded character. While the author Hawthorne has Puritan heritage, he portrays Hester as one of the most â€Å"able† of people in Salem because she confessed her sin.While the religious and high ranking citizens of Salem continue to ridicule her for being and adulteress, â€Å"many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification† (168). The product of this sin was Hester’s daughter Pearl. Unlike the way of the Puritans, Hester creates â€Å"beauty, shining through the gorgeous robes† (87) of Pearl, and thus Pearl stands out in crowds. To Hester, her sin was marrying someone she did not love, Roger Chillingworth. In the eyes of Hester and Dimmesdale, they are not â€Å"the worst sinners in the world.There is one worse than even the polluted priest! That old man's revenge has been blacker than my sin. He has violated, in cold blood, the sanctity of a human heart. Thou and I, Hester, never did so! † (225) Going against the heart is the greatest sin possible to Hester and Dimmesdale and their â€Å"sin† was between two people who truly loved e ach other. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is the father of Pearl and the one who committed the sin of adultery with Hester. As a man of high power in Salem, he does not confess the sin and the mental guilt would slowly kill him.Eventually, â€Å"his moral force was abased into more than childish weakness† (105) Through the ability Hester has shown and the miserable state of Dimmesdale, Hawthorne shows the power of confessing a sin. In an attempt to escape for their pasts, Hester, Pearl, and Dimmesdale plan to leave Salem. However, Roger Chillingworth, Hester’s legal husband, also catches a ride on the same boat. Returning to Salem, Hester, Dimmesdale, and Pearl go the scaffold, the place where Hester is originally condemned. In his dieing moments, Dimmesdale confesses his sin in front of the townspeople while also revealing a self inflicted â€Å"A† on his chest.Of all the sinners, Roger Chillingworth was the biggest. First, his sin of marrying a younger women and s ending her over sees causes the adultery claim. When he arrives in Salem and learns of this, he commits his biggest sin†¦ violating the human heart. Rather than Hester’s adultery being her sin, Hawthorne goes against Puritan values by making violating the heart Hester’s true sin. At first, Chillingworth asks Hester to â€Å"speak out the name of thy fellow-sinner and fellow-sufferer! † (56) When she refuses, Chillingworth becomes an evil man, becoming uglier by the day.This shows that an unconfessed sin will kill you. Eventually, he becomes aware of the adultery with Hester and becomes Dimmesdale’s â€Å"leech. † After Dimmesdale dies, Chillingworth dies because he has no reason to live anymore. Based on Puritan beliefs, sin is an inescapable aspect of life. Hawthorne shows that Dimmesdale and Chillingworth both die because of their hidden sin. Contrary to this Hester, who confessed, lives a long, happy life. Since sin is inescapable, the only way to make up for it is by confessing or else the sin swill shadow you forever.

Legal issues for managers - ILAC assignment Essay

Legal issues for managers - ILAC assignment - Essay Example This was even with the fact that Security One Pty Ltd was not well prepared to carry out the task. After his suggestion was accepted and SIL agreed to use Security One Pty Ltd for the consultation, he informed his wife, thus making it possible for his wife to have privileged information which allowed her to buy more shares in the Security One Pty Ltd and use this as a way to enrich herself. Yet, in all this, Paul never informed the other members about the possible conflict of interest. Paul also hired employees from an informal organization which led to the firm incurring huge losses after the employees form the informal organization stole property and hard cash from SIL. In hiring the employees, he did not carry out a due diligence and only did a simple web search fro the organization. This lack of delicate care led to him not being able to know that the organization was not a formal one and that it was run by criminals. Kim gave her sister in law privileged information about the proposal to create the new power plant. Using this information, the sister in law, Judy was able to buy purchased $50,000 worth of shares in the company. Karen, despite warning by the CEO, went ahead and made decision to invest more money even after the CEO had warned that an increase in the price of coal would reduce SIL’s market competitiveness and would lead to losses. Even after the CEO’s perditions of the price of coal going up came to be true, she still went on and continued to invest more money. This led to many losses. Conclusion Under the Corporations act 2001, an officer of a firm is supposed to act in the best inters of the firm. In cases where the officer has a conflicting interest in the firm, he or she should be able to look at this issue and be able to refrain from making company decisions. Paul was in a position where he had conflicting interests with the firm he was working for. He should have told

Qualitative method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Qualitative method - Essay Example Broadly, there are two approaches in collection of information for research purposes in social sciences: qualitative research and quantitative research. Quantitative research originated in the natural sciences such as chemistry, physics, biology, geology and others, and focused on investigating things the researcher could observe and measure in some way. Evidently, applicability of this approach to social science research was rather limited: social world is impossible to objectively measure in the same way as natural world. Researchers working in the social sciences such as psychology, sociology, anthropology and others were interested in studying behaviour of human beings and various aspects of the social world inhabited by people. Attempts to explain human behaviour in simply measurable terms had only partial success: although measurements obtained with the help of quantitative research told researchers how often human beings demonstrate some or other type of behaviour or how often certain social phenomenon occur, no quantitative research could determine why people demonstrate such behaviour or why things in social world occurred in some specific way. Qualitative research is an effective alternative to find the answer to this question. Qualitative research is defined as "multimethod in focus, involving an interpretive, naturalistic approach to its subject matter" (Denzin and Lincoln, 1994: 2). Qualitative research is based upon a solid philosophical basis which includes a number of paradigms. Theorists outline four major philosophical paradigms that formed the basis of qualitative approach in social sciences: positivism, postpositivism, critical theory, and constructivism (Guba and Lincoln, 1994). Positivist philosophy founded by a famous French theorist A. Konte played exceptionally important role in development of qualitative research. Positivists argued that the objective reality did not depend upon the perspectives of taken by researchers. Consequently, there is no difference between reality and perception of reality, and the primary task of researchers is to disclose facts of the objective world. This paradigm is present in a diluted form in some qualitative research. Postpositivist philosophy is a contemporary modification of Konte's positivism. Adherents of this paradigm claim that human being is not capable of perfect and comprehensive understanding of reality admitting that serious analysis and accurate collection of information can bring the researcher close to such understanding. Postpositivism exerts substantial influence on qualitative research (Shaw, 1999: 45-47). Critical paradigm emerged in the second half of the last century in Germany. Proponents of this paradigm argued that reality could not be grasped without researcher's bias that is caused by historical, political, societal, ethnic, or gender conditions. Consequently, realisation of social conditions and values should be the primary purpose of research (Harvey, 1990). Critical ethnography, feminist research and participatory action research are the best known methods within qualitative approach which rely upon the critical paradigm. And finally representatives of constructivist paradigm claimed that reality was not possible to study and understand 'in pieces', but only holistically and in context. Therefore, the traditional relationship between researcher and subject of research was labelled

Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey Brand Project Research Paper

Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey Brand Project - Research Paper Example Taking account of the possible challenges that may befall an entrant company in a new market, this paper will propose plan that will enable Brown Forman Corporation to make stylistic entrance into the Brazilian market using their Jack Daniel’s Whiskey. The paper will also propose and rationalize practical staffing policy that will be used to ensure appropriate staffing methods for grading the top-level managers. Introduction It is never an easy move for foreign alcohol manufacturing company to make successful entrance into Brazilian economy. In order to make successful venture in the Brazilian economy by alcohol manufacturing company requires critical and thoughtful scrutiny and steps. This is because most Brazilian civilians start consuming alcohol at very tender ages. Another reason insightful scrutiny before venturing into Brazilian alcohol industry is due to the fact Brazilian legislation to prohibit sales of alcohol to young members of the society. In addition, Brazilian legislation forbids sales of alcohol to already drunk members of the society. From the above three observation on the Brazilian legislation with regard to alcohol, it is clearly evident that great challenges couple with decision making on the appropriate plans to be adopted by Brown Forman Corporation in introducing Jack Daniel’s Whiskey in Brazil. Brown Forman Corporation should employ export technique in introducing Jack Daniel’s alcohol brand into the Brazilian market. In its first attempt to sell the alcohol brand into the Brazilian market, Brown Forman Corporation should adopt the indirect exporting strategies that involve dealing with independent intermediaries. Adopting indirect export method will relieve Brown Forman Corporation the cost that could be incurred constructing or establishing export base in Brazil. The method of indirect export will be a contemporary strategy employed familiarizes Jack Daniel’s Whiskey of the Brown Forman Corporation with th e alcohol consumers in the Brazilian economy (Caragin & Balu, 2008). Export method of entering into a market will enable Brown Forman Corporation to perform market test on Jack Daniel’s Whisky before resorting to establishing stable market. Furthermore, employing export method by Brown Forman Corporation in selling Jack Daniel’s Whiskey in Brazil, will enable the company enjoy economies of scale due to the use of existing facilities in the Brazilian economy. Export system of entering Brazilian alcohol market will facilitate the speed at which Brown Forman Corporation get public recognition of the of its Jack Daniel’s Whisky brand. Bearing in mind the stringent alcoholic laws operated in Brazilian economy, export technique of entering Brazilian economy will ensure direct sale of the Jack Daniel’s Whiskey to the respective consumers without breaching the laws by selling to the underage consumers of alcohol. This method of sales will raise the trust of gover nment on the loyalty of Brown Forman Corporation thereby allowing easy entrance of the company into the Brazilian market. Furthermore, entering into the Brazilian market by export method will enable Brown Forman Corporation an opportunity to exercise total control of prices and profits by vexing participation of intermediaries. Adoption of export entrant method into the Brazilian economy by the Brown Forman Corporation will enable the company exercise maximum utilization of the domestic production plant and resources

Diagnosis And Treatment Of Melanoma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Diagnosis And Treatment Of Melanoma - Essay Example Melanoma is extraordinarily dangerous, but if detected early, it is one of the most preventable forms of cancer (Ingraffea 35). As with many diseases, both environmental and hereditary factors have a profound effect upon the exhibition of melanoma. Until recently, it was assumed that overall exposure level to the sun and/or the number of severe sunburns that an individual received during their lifetime or the ultimate culprits to whether or not melanoma was exhibited. However, further analysis and discussion by researchers has revealed the fact that the overall number of sunburns and/or the overall amount of time of exposure that individual has a son is not necessarily a determining factor with respect to whether or not melanoma will be exhibited within the individual or not. As can readily be understood, genetic factors also play a powerful role in determining whether or not an individual will be particularly susceptible to this form of skin cancer. However, the genetic factors that contribute to the overall susceptibility and likelihood of developing melanoma at any one point in life are not the same as the genetic factors that contribute to issues such as heart disease, high blood pressure, or a litany of other health problems. What is meant by this is the fact that the genetic issues that contribute to the prevalence of melanoma within specific individuals are predicated upon the skin construction, hair color, eyes, and other unique genetic indicators? For instance, an individual that is born with a naturally darker complexion as compared to an individual that has blonde hair blue eyes and relatively pale or light skin is at a distinctly lower likelihood of developing melanoma within their lifetime (Gogas et al. 883). By means of comparison and contra st, an individual that has white features and relatively pale skin is at a much higher genetic risk of developing melanoma throughout their life.

Personal and Organizational Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Personal and Organizational Ethics - Essay Example Values can range from the ordinary places, such as the belief in hard work and  punctuality, to the more psychological, such as self-reliance,  concern for others, and harmony of purpose (Velasquez, 2002). Every human being has personal values that they uphold and maintain as they grow up. These values are quite important in the life cycle of human beings as they define who we grow up to become and they define our future. They also help us develop a relationship with the people around us and in our places of work. The values that we uphold define our character and other people’s perception of who we are. I uphold various personal values which I believed have shaped me to be the person I am today. To start with, respect is my number one value. I believe one need to respect others to be respected. Respect begins with oneself, if you show no respect to yourself, no one will respect you. Secondly, I uphold the value of truthfulness/ honesty. The wise men said that honesty is the best policy and I totally agree with them. I believe if one is truthful and honest in their endeavors, they will always succeed in life. Integrity is another value I maintain, people with integrity are peop le who are respected in the society. They are people who are focused in life with a huge desire in success. I also believe in hard work which is the root of all the best things in life. I also uphold self-reliance and self thinking which form strong driving forces towards attaining my goals. Other values I uphold include selflessness, justice, creativity, discipline, team work, tolerance, trust, kindness, goodness, humility and many others. Every one of us is aggravated to move our lives in certain guidelines. That motivation is determined by the values we pledge to. Our values are thus the creations and ideas of the thought, the distinct formulations of understanding that express what we perceive to be important truths about life. These ideals are then toughened by our

This house believes that.International Business will have to manage Essay

This house believes that.International Business will have to manage significant shifts in global power over the next few decad - Essay Example These developed nations hold the key to production while the emerging economies provide mainly the labor and infrastructure necessary for the investment. Technological upgradation has been a key to economic growth and the developed nations have proven this. Technology aims to create objects which are vital for human living. With new developments in research and owing to globalization, these economies like China and India have also realized the importance of technological development (Johnson & Turner, 2009, pp. 1-3). On the grounds of progress in technology it can be inferred that US reigns supreme though India and China have been investing constant efforts towards the same with China a few steps ahead. Technology is usually purchased and sold in the form of capital products incorporating machines and other systems of production. Information regarding technical and commercial aspects is subject to property related rights. In fact there are six elements connected to technology. These are â€Å"geography, culture, economy, people, business, and government† (Li-Hua, 2004, p.28). China has one of the most composite legislative and political systems and this creates hindrances for businesses. The government takes a clear role in issuing licenses and in spite of the loose ends in legislation China is encouraging towards foreign investments. Government has also issued the intellectual property rights in order to protect the â€Å"copycat reputation† of the nation. The business houses need to safeguard against â€Å"confidentiality, corruption and conflict of interest† (Ripard, 2010). India despite her colonial history has higher level of acceptance towards foreign investments. India’s regulations have been loosened and the economy opened when the country faced sudden crisis in balance of payments (Kochanek, 1974, pp. 118-119). Recently both America and India have shown their doubts regarding the products of the telecommunications sector fro m China. Experts suspect that, â€Å"India’s move to obstruct the orders from the Chinese telecommunications has kicked off a sequence of events that resulted in billions of dollars of lost revenue for global telecom market vendors and significant project delays for India’s telecom service providers† (Petrou, 2010). Chinese equipments involve a risk of security, according to Indian buyers and this might risk important information which might lead a firm to ethical problems. Even United States have raised security related issues and the senators from US requested the Obama administration to go through a submission of quotation from Huawei Technologies in China. The crucial causal factors behind the success of Chinese vendors are cheap labor, â€Å"a home-field advantage in China’s hot telecom market† and â€Å"access to an almost unlimited line of credit through government banks†. These facilities are likely to persist. (Petrou, 2010) China, especially Beijing has future plans for forming an environment which facilitates â€Å"homegrown next-generation mobile technology and electric cars†. When assistance was provided to the Chinese local producers in the form of energy resources and technologies at subsidies Beijing received the accusation of breaking free trade principles. This led to filing of a case in the WTO by Washington. China is working fast to create self reliance in the field of

Customization Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Customization - Assignment Example From this study ity is clear that service industry occupies an important position in the economy of the developing as well as the developed nations. Several studies related to the hospitality industry suggest that the gap between the customer expectation and customer perception can be closed by implementing new innovation in the quality of service. Most of the operating systems available in the travel, tourism and hospitality sector have a direct and immediate impact on the customer. The operations functions of hospitality sector include timely service, quality products and extremely good behaviour with customers. The service design and delivery of hospitality sector is broadly classified into standardization and customization of services. In the contemporary era, customization of products and services are highly valued by customers. In order to enhance the quality of service in hospitality sector, it is essential that customer judgments, outcomes, delivery and customer panels are gi ven importance. Proper marketing of brand is very important regarding hospitality sector. From this paper it is clear that the customers prefer to visit places that have high quality brand image as well as reputation in the hospitality market. The existing customer-base of hospitality sectors expects standardized quality regarding products and services. But, the consumers in the modern and contemporary era expect customized service design and service delivery process. This essay will argue for customized service design and service delivery processes are more demanding comparing to the standardized process. With respect to commercial hospitality, it is important that both standardization and customization factors of service design and delivery are enhanced. Travel, tourism and hospitality have several implications towards the management of operations. For standardizing design and delivery of hospitality services, the key factor is to deliver on the promise made to customers.  

International Human Rights and Islamic Law Essay

International Human Rights and Islamic Law - Essay Example Almost all the nations that are either Islamic in nature, or have a strong Islamic presence within their population, have at some point of time entered reservations. Amongst these, some states have entered their reservations by citing the Sharia law, while other states have based these reservations by categorising the Sharia as ‘domestic family law’. Such high number of reservations portrays the existence of a contention that relates directly to the women’s laws pertaining to human rights, while also indirectly relating to the theory and practice of the international human rights law. This conflict thus showcases a direct confrontation between the idea of universalism of human rights; and the so called ‘cultural relativism.’ Even a casual glance at the reservations will show us that some of them that cite the Islamic Sharia laws, are completely at oddity with the very nature and objective of the Convention, and often undermines the primary goal that a ims to the remove all kinds gender bias and bring in equal status for all human beings, irrespective of whether he is a male or a female. In my article I will examine the tension that arises from the certain state parties’ reservations to CEDA

Convenience Store and Causeway Bay Essay Example for Free

Convenience Store and Causeway Bay Essay My favourite shopping centre is Times Square. It’s in Causeway Bay. I usually go there with my family on the weekends. I like to go with my family because I like to spend time with them, so we can know each other even better, make our love and care deeper too. Weekends are the best time to go because we don’t have to go to school and neither does our father need to go to work. It has a lot of facilities like a cinema, 4 floors of restaurants and photo sticker machines to remember that beautiful moment!! It also has shops with the newest and trendy brands like clothes, jeans, mobile phones and even toys. The also have some jewellery and bag shops which I like to buy. They have some convenience stores, like 7-eleven and circle k. Where we can find snacks after shopping because you do get tired holding those bags. I usually take the 8P bus because it’s convenient and cheap. They also hold some concerts or parties for special occasions like: Halloween, Christmas or Easter. I think it opens around 8 or 9 in the morning and closes at about 12 or 1 at night. I like it because it’s fun to shop although it could be expensive! Or just come to watch the movies and have dinner with your family or friends. I remember I was around 3 years old when I first went there, because at that time I lived in Causeway Bay, just next to the Times Square!

Etiology of Parkinsons Disease

Etiology of Parkinsons Disease Parkinson’s Disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, after Alzheimer’s. Onset typically occurs late in life, affecting approximately 1% of 65 year olds, with the prevalence increasing to 4-5% by age 85 (Dawson Dawson 2003). There are also rare cases of early-onset Parkinson’s, which are usually familial. Research into the gene mutations discovered in such hereditary cases has also contributed to the understanding of the aetiology of the spontaneous, late onset form of the disease. Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is characterized clinically by tremors at rest, bradykinesia (slowness of voluntary movement), muscle rigidity, decrease in postural reflex and facial expression and an altered gait (Kumar et al. 2005). A subset of patients (10-15%) also develop dementia. Symptoms are progressive and result in decreased mobility and eventually severe disability. The symptomatic motor disturbances arise from the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of the brain. This results in a decrease in the dopaminergic content of the striatum. These areas play an important role in modulating feedback from the thalamus to the motor cortex. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES This report aims to investigate the current knowledge of the aetiology of PD, by examining evidence in the literature. It is crucial to understand the pathological mechanisms underlying the selective destruction of dopaminergic neurons in PD so that effective treatments and prophylaxis can be developed. PROPOSED STRATEGY Researchers have studied the molecular mechanisms of PD pathogenesis using a number of techniques: in vitro tissue cultures of human and animal neurons, post-mortem human brain tissue, mouse models of the disease, genetic studies and more novel techniques such as the use of ‘cybrids’. Evidence from all of these will be amalgamated and conclusions drawn. MOLECULAR PATHOGENESIS OF PD That PD is generally associated with old age must be considered an important clue when trying to elucidate the causal mechanism of PD. The same is also true of the most common neurodegenerative disease, Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Both are also characterised by an accumulation of protein aggregates resulting in progressive neuronal loss, suggesting a common underlying pathology. Histological brain sections of PD patients shows characteristic, large inclusion bodies in the cytosol of surviving neurons of the substantia nigra, as well as locus ceruleus and surrounding brainstem nuclei, called Lewy bodies (Kumar et al. 2005). These are aggregates of à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡-synuclein (Spillantini et al. 1997), a protein whose gene (SYN, aka PARK 1) has been linked to familial PD (Athanassiadou et al. 1999), as well as other proteins such as ubiquitin and synphilin-1. It is unclear whether these aggregates contribute to the pathogenesis, are a simple by-product or even part of an attempted protective mechanism, described as the aggresome theory (McNaught et al. 2002). Some evidence has recently been produced by Setsuie and colleagues (2005), using a PD rat model in which proteasome inhibitors caused inclusion formation, which resulted in decreased dopaminergic neuronal death that normally follows 6-hydroxyl dopamine (6-OHDA) administration. Lewy bodies are also found in low numbers in normal aging and AD (Jellinger 2001). However, Lewy bodies are not found in some cases of juvenile onset PD, which suggests that the inclusions are not crucial for neuronal death in the substantia nigra (Fahn Salzer 2004). Animal models of the disease, created using neurotoxins such as rotenone or 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), or transgenic mice that overexpress human SYN gene (for à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡-synuclein) mutations, do not faithfully replicate the structure and antigenicity of the Lewy bodies found in PD (Dickson 2001). This highlights the problems associated with designing and producing an accurate animal model of human disease, which can be valuable tools, despite some limitations. Role of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) Although the precise role of Lewy bodies in the pathogenesis of PD is still unclear, the accumulation and aggregation of proteins suggests that there is a deficit in the cellular systems that normally remove and degrade abnormal proteins. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is one such pathway, and there is growing evidence that implicates this system in PD. In conjunction with the enzymes E1, E2 and E3, ubiquitin is activated and attaches to abnormal proteins to form a polyubiquitin chain. The proteasome recognises this complex and degrades the unwanted protein. The ubiquitin polymer is released from the targeted protein and digested by ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydroxylases (UCHs), to release ubiquitin monomers back into the system (Alberts et al. 2002). Ubiquitination and recognition of proteins to be degraded are ATP-dependent processes. If the activity of this clearance pathway decreases, misfolded or oxidatively damaged proteins will accumulate rather than being recycled (Sherman Goldberg 2001). Studies of the rarer, familial cases of PD have revealed evidence that this system is involved in PD aetiology, which has aided the understanding of the pathogenesis of sporadic PD. Gene mutations for two proteins that are involved in the UPS are of particular significance. Kitada and colleagues (1998) demonstrated a link between mutations in the parkin gene (aka PARK 2) and familial incidence of autosomal recessive juvenile parkinsonism (AR-JP) in Japanese families. Parkin is an E3 ligase within the UPS, and has been shown to have a neuroprotective role (Petrucelli et al. 2002). Despite this, parkin null-mutant mice exhibited normal behaviour and brain morphology, with no loss of dopaminergic neurons. Dopamine levels were altered, suggesting a possible role in dopamine regulation (Goldberg et al. 2003). Drosophila parkin null-mutants showed a consistent pattern of pathology, with locomotor deficits, sterility and decreased lifespan (Greene et al. 2003). These were attributed to mito chondrial dysfunction, which is also a feature of PD (see below). Research into the potential toxic effects of accumulation of parkin substrates has been inconclusive (Betarbet et al. 2005). Evidence points to parkin involvement in the pathogenesis of PD, but mutations of this protein are not sufficient alone to cause the disease. A missense mutation for the gene encoding the protein UCH-L1 has been detected in autosomal dominant familial cases of PD in Germany (Leroy et al. 1998). In sporadic cases of PD, UCH-L1 is downregulated and oxidized in the cerebral cortex (Choi et al. 2004), the significance of this is unknown. UCH-L1 mutations in mice produce neuromotor signs that are not typical of PD, and are characterised as Gracile Axonal Dystrophy mice (GAD). As for parkin, the evidence confirms some involvement in PD pathogenesis of these elements of the UPS, but points to the need for further research to fully deduce their role. Other genetic mutations have been identified, such as LRRK2 (a kinase;Zimprich et al. 2004) and DJ-1 (aka PARK 7), which is involved in a similar protein degradation pathway (SUMO; Bonifati et al. 2003). It is tempting to attribute the accumulation of à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡-synuclein to a decrease in activity of the UPS, but evidence that à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡-synuclein is a substrate of this system is contradictory (Paxinou et al. 2001), with results differing between in vitro cell lines and conditions. Some studies suggest that à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡-synuclein accumulation may inhibit the UPS, resulting in further protein accumulation (Liu et al. 2005). Role of mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress A significant amount of evidence supports the hypothesis of involvement of the UPS in PD aetiology. In familial cases genetic mutations have been discovered that account for a portion of the susceptibility to, and pathogenesis of PD; but other factors are obviously required for both early onset and sporadic cases to develop. UPS activity has been found to be lowered in sporadic PD patients, with impaired proteasomal activity and reduced expression of subunits in the substantia nigra (McNaught et al. 2003). Whether UPS impairment is a primary cause or secondary to another event is not yet clear. Some researchers believe that the mechanism underlying the dysfunctional UPS may involve mitochondrial dysfunction, which has also been implicated in other neurodegenerative diseases (Hashimoto et al. 2003). During energy production by respiration in the mitochondria, there is a continuous leakage of free radicals, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are also released by inflammatory cells. Antioxidant mechanisms exist to mop these up before they can cause oxidative damage to surrounding molecules, such as proteins, lipids and DNA, but these are not 100% efficient. This results in a gradual increase in damaged cellular components with aging (Vigoroux et al. 2004). Higher levels of oxidization products have been found in brain tissue of patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as PD (Dexter et al. 1994) and suggest an important role for free radicals in its aetiology. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage has been hypothesised to accumulate, leading eventually to mitochondrial dysfunction, which further increases free radical leakage. Mitochondrial complex I, in particular, has been implicated. Induced parkinsonism in animal models using the pesticide rotenone has been shown to inhibit mitochondrial complex I (Sherer et al. 2002). Administration of MPTP also induces PD symptoms and inclusion body formation, via the complex I inhibition of its metabolite MPP+ (Ram say et al. 1986). This has been recorded in human subjects following the use of illicitly manufactured narcotics, in which MPTP is produced as a contaminant, but has now been used to reliably induce disease in rodents to further knowledge of the pathogenesis of this disease. As well as providing valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying PD, the ability of chemicals to produce the symptoms and pathology of PD has also raised concerns about the role of environmental factors in the aetiology of the sporadic disease. Some epidemiological studies have linked pesticide exposure to an increased risk of developing PD (Park et al. 2005), as well as suggestions that increased coffee/caffeine consumption and smoking (Wirdefeldt et al. 2005) may have some protective benefits. Exposure to heavy metals, such as manganese has also shown a correlation with PD in some studies, but not all. Heavy metals are known to accelerate free radical formation and hence increase oxidative stress, so it w ould not be unexpected if higher levels were involved in PD aetiology. Results of epidemiological studies that claim to prove these positive and negative correlations with PD are contradictory, and further research is required, which could also take diet into account (particularly ingested antioxidant levels and lifestyle). Mitochondrial dysfunction may cause a decrease in UPS activity, either by reduced ATP production, which is essential for many processes of the pathway, and/or by increasing oxidative stress and damaging vital components of the system (Fahn Salzer 2004). The pivotal role of mitochondria has been elegantly demonstrated by the use of cytoplasmic hybrids. These ‘cybrids’ are formed by taking mtDNA from platelets of patients with PD and inserting it into cultured human neuroblastoma cells that have been depleted of their endogenous mtDNA. These neuronal cells faithfully recapitulate the structure and antigenicity of Lewy bodies (Trimmer et al. 2004), and similar studies have reported other pathogenic features consistent with a role for mitochondria and oxidative stress in PD. It is now widely accepted that oxidative stress is a contributory factor to PD aetiology, with markers of oxidative damage found to be higher than in non-PD controls. Antioxidants have been administered in a number of studies to further explore the impact of free radicals and therapeutic/prophylactic options. Transgenic mice that overexpress the endogenous antioxidant Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase did not show any symptoms or DA neuron loss following exposure to paraquat (herbicide)-maneb (fungicide), compared to non-transgenic controls (Thiruchelvam et al. 2005). Studies involving exogenous antioxidants have produced inconclusive results, and more research is required in this area. The specificity of dopaminergic neuronal loss, mainly in the substantia nigra pars compacta, in PD is replicated in chemically induced animal models of disease. The reason for this consistent and specific pattern of neuropathology may be due to the oxidation properties of DA, with highly reactive DA-quinones being generated. These are able to form complexes with à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡-synuclein and may inhibit mitochondrial complex I (Asanuma et al. 2003). This has important implications for the commonly used L-DOPA therapy, which may also contribute to neurodegeneration. Some researchers also believe that inflammation may play a role in PD, as microglial cells proliferate in affected brain regions (McGeer McGeer 2004). CONCLUSION The aetiology of Parkinson’s Disease is multifactorial, with a combination of genetic, environmental and possibly immunological factors, many of which are still unknown or poorly understood. There is growing evidence from a variety of research techniques that oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and deficits in protein degradation pathways, such as the UPS are interlinked. The aetiological factors initiate a process that culminates in the accumulation and aggregation of proteins, mainly à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡-synuclein, in dopaminergic neurons of the nigrostriatal system, which leads to cell-death. Further research is required to fully elucidate the precise molecular mechanisms that underlie the neuropathology of PD, so that effective treatments or prophylactic advice can be established. REFERENCES Alberts, B., Johnson, A., Lewis, J., Raff, M., Roberts, K., Walter, Molecular Biology of the Cell. 4th Ed. New York: Garland Publishing. pp.359-363. Asanuma, M., Miyazaki, I. Ogawa, N. 2003 Dopamine- or L-DOPA-induced neurotoxicity: the role of dopamine quinone formation and tyrosinase in a model of Parkinsons disease. Neurotox Res 5, 165-76. 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