The Role of Investment Bankers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Role of Investment Bankers - Essay Example As far as the role of investment banker is concerned, it encompasses three major activities: origination, risk bearing, and distribution. Origination requires decisions about the type (e.g., debt, equity), quantity, price, timing, and other features of the new securities issue and the determination of the method of distribution. Risk bearing comes into play when the issue is a firm-commitment offering, in which the underwriter buys the securities from the issuer at a fixed price and resells them to the public. It is by far the most common form of underwriting. If the price of the securities falls before they can be resold, the underwriter will suffer a loss, thus the risk associated with this activity. Occasionally, underwriters suffer substantial losses due to abrupt declines in some underwritten offerings. The investment bankers have been the subject of more industry analysis than has the overall broker-dealer industry. Pugel and White ( 210-14) studied the investment-banking industry using the structure-conduct-performance paradigm in a consideration of allowing commercial bank affiliates to underwrite corporate securities. Rogowski and Sorensen Investment banking has always been a highly profitable but risky business for securities firms. Before Rule 415 was enacted, underwriting was very profitable, especially for the leading firms. Some of the profits were the result of entry barriers into the ranks of the top underwriters. But with Rule 415, the profitability of underwriting traditional corporate issues has declined. Now, the high-profit lines are not quite as profitable, although, there are always opportunities for securities firms, because of the ever-changing market conditions. For example, the opening of Eastern Europe may provide an area in which the ability of Wall Street firms to develop new products might be put to good use. As the Eastern European countries introduce more market-oriented approaches to economic management, there may be a need for unique securities instruments that would be compatible with the types of ownership that will emerge in these countries. (Mandelker, 683-94) The riskier economic environment and the importance of innovations and diversifications for securities firms call for a new regulatory approach. The central focus of federal securities regulation has been to provide investors with sufficient material information to make informed investment decisions, to prohibit fraud in connection with the sale of securities, and to provide a safe and sound securities industry environment. (Dale, 3-13) The broad regulatory charge of protecting investors and maintaining fair and orderly markets grew out of the stock market crash of 1929 and the fraud, securities price manipulation, and other practices that took place before the crash. In the current, more volatile environment for securities firms, regulators must be more responsive to the needs of the regulated firms. Important new financial instruments have helped securities firms manage the increasing risks they face, and the regulators should facilitate the development of these instruments. Entry into the basic

Psychological theory of development phase Essay Example for Free

Psychological theory of development phase Essay Juniad is ten, he is currently experiencing constant developmental phase through his life experience, the nature of his current developed behavior problems are: aggressiveness, defiantness, disobedient and incompetence in class activities. His challenges are reading disorder, school insufficient resources, failure, bullying and dysfunctional parenting. Using the Erik Erikson psychological theory of developmental phase I will be looking at Junaid’s current developmental stage, and I will also be analyzing the factors playing a role in junaid’s developmental stage and also how efficient he will be able to handle the current crisis he is experiencing. Furthermore I will be suggesting options available to facilitate a successful resolution of Junaid’s current developmental stage bolstering his chances of exiting this stage with confidence and competence. With the Erik Erikson psychological theory of development phase Juniad is currently in Industry vs Inferiority. Junaid is ten this stage begins at the age of 6 to puberty, the challenge is mastering of certain basic skills required for success in adult life while avoiding feelings of inferiority. In this stage children develops ability to work with others, success becomes very important to the child the Synthesis when this psychological crisis is resolved successfully. Children develop a sense of competency at useful skills and tasks. More and new demands are imposed upon children and children in turn are generally ready to meet these demands. The danger at this stage, is, inferiority this is reflected in sad pessimism of children who have little have little confidence in their ability to do things well. This sense of inadequacy may develop when parental attitudes are negative towards the child’s developing competency, when family life has not prepared children for school life or when experiences with teachers and peers are so negative that they destroy children’s feeling of competence and mastery (Louw Louw, 2007). Junaid is not successfully resolving the crisis faced by him, because factors like reading disorder, school insufficient resources, failure, bullyi ng and dysfunctional parenting are challenges that are interfering with his current stage in Erikson’s psychological theory of development. All this factors leads to his developed behaviour problems of aggressiveness, defiantness, disobedient and incompetence in class activities; this is an interpretation that he couldn’t acquire the basic  skills in life for the next developmental stage, his incompetence around this areas lead to behavioral problems, because this is the best way he knows how through his life experiences and the factors around him. Problems like aggressiveness looking into Instrumental aggression; it refers to aggression as a means to an end (Louw Louw, 2007). Junaid could be aggressive just to pass a message to the parent or the social environment, that is emotional needs are not meet. According to Louw and Louw (2007) Erikson’s basic trust vs. mistrust; from Basic trust infants develops the necessary self-confidence, mistrusting infants are usually subjected to erratic or harsh care and cannot depend on the goodness and compassion of others. They therefore tend to protect themselves by withdrawing from others around them and it is carried into later relationship. Juaid lacks self-confidence in himself and his abilities, his non-participation in class activities shows he is unable to meet up with the teacher’s expectation. Looking into self-confidence in terms of Erik’s basic trust vs mistrust, it is necessary to develop self-confidence this only shows that Junaid’s was subjected to harsh care and he is trying to protect himself from his parents’ behaviour towards him and the social environment. He feels there is no goodness or compassion and these basic mistrust issues can also be added with the crisis he faces in his current live as he lacks self- confidence in everything he does. Children developmental stages is a process that still relies on pass encounters or experience to predict or understand present behaviour. Children development is a continues process, the behavior of every individual’s is unique, children generally have these unique way in which they cognitively and emotionally interpret and proces s their experiences this plays a significant influence on their development. Looking into developmental areas; aggressiveness, defiantness, disobedient and incompetent with class activities are all related to â€Å"social development â€Å" It is the development of an individual’s interaction and relationships with other people. Furthermore it also refers to the influence of society and significant other persons on the individuals, one importance aspect of social development is â€Å"moral development† (Louw Louw, 2007). Being aggressive, defiant, disobedient and incompetent with class activities shows there is also a problem in the moral development. Going back into social development, society and significant other person’s plays an important role  in the individual’s life. Some of Juniad’s challenges like Bullying and dysfunctional parenting style, Reading disorder and failure, we could clearly see how social factors have an effect on his current developed behavior problems. Bullying it is destructive form of peer interaction in which children become frequent targets of verbal and physical attacks or other forms of abuse (Louw Louw, 2007). Bullying has influence on the child’s psychical, emotional, social and educational wellbeing. Reading disorder which leads to failure can be associated as a result of bullying since Juan’s first grade. Parent and educators have an important role to play in eradicating bullying. Dysfunctional parenting style and aggression, social factors of aggressive behavior parents play a vital role in their children’s aggressive behavior, the type of nurturance a child receives and the disciplinary strategies that parents follow. Children whose parents are cold, negative, hostile and rejecting towards them tend to be more aggressive. Parents negative behavior may cause frustration in the children because their emotional needs are not being meet; they react with aggressive behaviour (Louw Louw, 2007). Juniad’s father wants him to be involved in sport. As a result of his lack of competency in sports due to physical nature his father criticized him. Recalling back to social factors of aggressive behaviour and parents, we could actually see one or more reasons why junaid is aggressive how the negative behaviour of his dad causes frustration in his life. Parents need to know children developmental phrase and the developmental stages each developmental characterizes and crisis, the opposing poles according to which individuals must orientate. The positive and negative poles of a crisis in children development and also find the necessary solution to remedy the current crisis, because the earlier stage of psychological development provide the foundation for the later stage (Louw Louw, 2007). Parents should take the development of their children seriously by acquiring the right information from the right source like local medical practitioner, psychologist. Etc. If they can’t make time they can watch related narrative videos online; on how to raise children into successful adult. Mankind has developed through ages and currentl y in the era of information technology (Elliott Jacebson 1991). Internet can be as a source for helpful information which is uploaded out there, parent can make internet research and also view helpful videos  like; About Child Development, Child Development Stages, Infant Developmental Milestones (Youtube 2014). Parent should understand what developmental miles stone stands for and what they should expect from their children at certain ages, just an insight to understand that children are fragile and they shouldn’t be forced in development. Parent should know what to expect from their children when they know more about developmental miles stones. They should be informed on things to do so they don’t hurt their child emotionally and psychically. According to UniCef South Africa (2008) parents/family have roles to play in the life of their kids, they are supporting guards giving to assist parent to know their roles and how to assist their children. Aggressive behaviour sometimes is as a result of low self-esteem treatment to improve low self-esteem emphasis on encouraging the patient to examine their beliefs and the evidence to support them and to acknowledge their positive qualities and also method to enhance self-esteem which is focused on eliciting statement about positive qualities that the patient may have and then investigating evidence to support these positive statements. (Pauline Nicholas 2003). People with low self-esteem need positive activities to strengthen the already positive form of action helping them to get through their behavioral problems. They need to realize well power. Phonologically driven instructional Treatment can be of help with patient suffering from dyslexia, a phonological driven instructional treatment has to do with motivation of the patients with general phenomenon that they engage in or interact with that makes them happy like stories, cartoons, depending on the age of the patients and what generally appease or interest them. Understanding dyslexia involves a lot of combinations like, the current patient’s situation with the characters of the stories or the cartoons or the hero, making them understand they can be more. This encourages or convinces dyslexia patient that despite a slow start in learning to read, they could finish the race as skilled readers. The using of a systems approach in which instruction will be aimed at all levels of lan guage (subword, word, and text). Create instructional session, where by each session begins with a sound games to remediate the deficits in phonologic processing. Present polysyllabic words from texts present them orally, allow Junaid to count the number of syllables in the spoken word and use colored counters to represent each phoneme in the syllables. Only after  he analyzed the phonologic structure of each word will he see the same words in written form. Teach him how to decode the words by using syllabic patterns of written english and correspondences between one and two-letter spelling units and phonemes. Be Patient give him more time in analyzing and utilizing the complexity of syllabic patterns and spelling-phoneme of English. Present reading materials for reading then, enlighten Junaid more about the brain and functions of the brain. Repeat treatment from time to time. Phonologically driven treatment suggests that the brain is not only an independent variable that can cause a language disorder, such as dyslexia, but is also a dependent variable that can be modified by instructional intervention from the environment (Richards Corinaa Serafinia Steurya, Echelarda Dagera Berningera 2000). In conclusion: A child development is a gradual process, social factors plays an important role in children’s development. It is important to note that developmental stages in children are important, unsuccessful developmental stage can be a problem in the next stage of development creating behavioral problems. Parents should understand children behaviour is unique, in a sense that pass experience creates present situation in behaviour. Parents should lookup data in this technology era that will assist them in raising their children. Aggressive behaviour or other unable acceptable social behaviour is mostly driving by unmeet emotional needs. Dyslexia patient sometimes end up using â€Å"drugs† one of the most common results of the limitation is the response of aggression (Hall Tarrier 2003). It is important remedy behavioral problems in time. Reference List.Elliott, R. K., Jacebson, P. D. (1991). ACCOUNTING A NATIONAL EMERGENCY. Journal of Accountancy, 55. Chicago Hall, P. L., Tarrier, N. (2003). The cognitive-behavioural treatment of low self-esteem in psychotic patients: a pilot study. Behaviour research and therapy, 41(3), 317-332. Chicago Louw, D., Louw, A. (2007). Child and adolescent development. South Africa. Richards, T. L., Corina, D., Serafini, S., Steury, K., Echelard, D. R., Dager, S. R., Berninger, V. W. (2000). Effects of a phonologically driven treatment for dyslexia on lactate levels measured by proton MR spectroscopic imaging. American Journal of Neuroradiology, 21(5), 916-922. Unicef South Africa. (2008). Nation Building From The Start Early Childhood Development. Unicef, August 26. [On-line].Available: http://www.unicef.org/southafrica/SAF_resources_kbsreport.pdfYoutube. (2014). Child Development Stages. Child development, August 26. [On-line]. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7f5TggIVLgYoutube. (2014). Infant Developmental Milestones [UndergroundMed]. UndergroudMed, August 26. [On-line]. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0fnBTUuRIAYoutube. (2014). About Child Development. Child development, August 26. [On-line]. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0fnBTUuRIA

Essay --

Heat Transfer Through Extended Surface 1. Objective To determine the temperature distribution and heat flow along the extended surface and comparing the data with theoretical analysis 2. Equipment Required Heat transfer service unit Extended surface heat transfer accessory Data logging accessory 3. Theory The term extended surface is commonly used to depict an important special case involving heat transfer by conduction within a solid and heat transfer by convection (and/or radiation) from the boundaries of the solid. Extended surfaces are used to increase the surface area and to increase the total rate of heat transfer. A temperature gradient exist between two different temperature surfaces for heat transfer. The temperature distribution along the fin or pin must be known to determine the heat transfer from the surface to its surroundings. Plate fins are mostly used in aircrafts, cryogenic and other industries. By considering the insulated tip extended surface the temperature distribution in terms of hyperbolic function expressed as ÃŽ ¸/ÃŽ ¸Ã¢â€šâ€™ = Cosh[m(b-x)]/ Cosh(mb) (1) Where, ÃŽ ¸ = T(x) - T∞ (⠁ °C) ÃŽ ¸Ã¢â€šâ€™ = To - T∞ (⠁ °C) To = fin base temperature (⠁ ° C) T∞= free stream fluid temperature (⠁ °C) b = fin height (m) x = coordinate (m) m = (4h /k d) ½ (1/m) h = heat transfer coefficient (W/m ² ⠁ °C) k = thermal conductivity of fin (W/m ⠁ °C) d = fin diameter (m) The heat transfer, Q, for a pin fin is found using the relation Q = (h P k A) ½ tanh(m b) (2) Wh... ... 4.5In = 0.1125m Tx = 45.56 ⠁ °C At x = 6In = 0.15m Tx = 44.17 ⠁ °C 5. At 16V, To = 47.2 ⠁ °C , T∞ = 22.78 ⠁ °C Heat Transfer Q = √(hPKA) (To - T∞) tanh(mb) Q = √0.0422 Ã'… (47.2 – 22.78) tanh( 9.01 Ã'… 0.1524) Q = 4.413 W At 25V, To = 67.7 ⠁ °C , T∞ = 22.78 ⠁ °C Heat Transfer Q = √(hPKA) (To - T∞) tanh(mb) Q = √0.0422 Ã'… (67.7 – 22.78) tanh( 9.01 Ã'… 0.1524) Q = 8.1178 W Result 1.The Heat transfer through the fin at supply voltage 25V is approximate double to the heat transfer at supply voltage 16V. 2.As the value of x increases value of Tx decreases continuously. For 16V, For 25V, Conclusion From the experimental result it is shown that as the distance increase from the heat source temperature decreases. Graphs also shows the continuous temperature decrement in the positive x direction.

Skin Grafting :: essays research papers fc

Skin Grafting Skin grafting, or, the transplanting of skin and other underlying tissues types to another location has been used for almost three thousand years. It originally began with the Hindu Tilemaker Caste System where skin grafting was used to reconstruct noses that had been amputated as punishment. Over time, it evolved, and in this contemporary age we possess two major means by which to transplant skin: split-thickness skin grafting and full-thickness skin grafting. In split-thickness skin grafts, the skin graft includes only the epidermis and a portion of the dermis. The thickness of the slice can be broken down further into a thin layer (.008-.012 mm), a medium layer (.012-.018 mm), and a thick layer (.018-.030 mm). This type of skin grafting is used primarily when cosmesis, or, the concern for the appearance of the patient, is not a key concern, or when the defect is too large for the use of a full-thickness skin graft. Split-thickness skin grafts are employed in various situations including: chronic non healing cutaneous ulcers, temporary coverage to allow for the observation of a possible tumor reoccurrence, surgical correction of depigmenting disorders, and coverage of burn areas to accelerate wound healing and reduce the loss of fluids. The procedure for harvesting and transplanting split-thickness grafts begins with the measurement of the skin defect. A purse-string placed around the defect reduces its size and thus also the size of the graft that must be harvested from the donor. Effective donor sites include thighs, buttocks, and upper arms. Then the donor site is lubricated with sodium chloride and a sterile tongue depressor is placed across the donor site to create a flat surface. The surgeon then applies the dermatome to the donor site and slices off the necessary layer of skin. The newly harvested skin is placed in a sodium chloride solution and is prepared to be meshed. Meshing is advantageous when one wants to increase the ratio of the skin graft. By placing it in the mesher, the graft becomes flatter and obtains a diamond plate appearance. Keep in mind that while it is acceptable to trim the graft to fit the recipient site, it is better to have some overlapping between the donor tissue and the recipient bed. The slight-thickness skin graft is secured by staples and a bolster may be applied to encourage graft apposition to the recipient bed, to decrease shearing forces, and to maintain a moist environment f or the graft.

Frederick Herzberg came up with his finding

Frederick Herzberg came up with his findings on satisfaction, which he published in his book â€Å"The Motivation to Work,† in 1959 (NetMBA [no date]). He conducted series of interviews where â€Å"employees were asked what pleased and displeased them about their work† (NetMBA [no date]). After analyzing the gathered data, he came up with the six top factors in the work environment that cause dissatisfaction, or the hygiene factors, and the top six factors that cause satisfaction, or the motivation factors.When the following factors are absent, there is dissatisfaction: (a) Company policy, (b) Supervision, (c) Relationship with Boss, (d) Work Conditions, (e) Salary, and (f) Relationship with peers (NetMBA [no date]). However, it is to be noted that the presence or maintenance of these factors does not necessarily mean satisfaction but would only mean that there is no dissatisfaction (NetMBA [no date]). If supervision will be maintained at the minimum level, it does not necessarily mean that the employee will gain satisfaction in his job. Furthermore, it could be noticed that these factors are external to the job itself and to the worker. These are things which are dependent on a lot of other things aside from the worker and the job.The factors that lead to satisfaction are as follows: (a) Achievement, (b) Recognition, (c) Work itself, (d) Responsibility, (e) Advancement, and (f) Growth (NetMBA [no date]). Similar to the factors that lead to dissatisfaction, the absence of one of these six factors does not necessarily lead to dissatisfaction but would only mean that there is no satisfaction felt.It is to be noted that Herzberg does not meant these two sets of factors to be of the opposite poles but he meant it to live on two different sticks. It is best to make an illustration of this for better understanding.Here, it is easy to pinpoint what happens when the two set of factors are present and absent or maintained and not maintained. Reading the se cond column downwards, motivating factors bring satisfaction when these are present. With their absence, no satisfaction is felt but this does not necessarily mean that the employee is dissatisfied. On the third column, when the hygiene factors are not maintained to a desired level or are absent, this leads to dissatisfaction. Their presence or maintenance, on the other hand, would bring no dissatisfaction but does not necessarily mean that satisfaction is achieved.Somehow, it gives much sense that this theory provides certain implications for management of human resources. This theory pinpoints how the level of confidence or satisfaction of employees can be boosted or how their morale, for that matter, can be placed at a higher level. The human resources manager, aided with this theory, may at the very least, be able to identify soft spots where improvements could be made for the employees to feel satisfied with their jobs.The sets of factors mentioned above could be a starting poi nt for bringing in satisfaction and for boosting the morale of the employees. More specifically, the manager could concentrate on addressing the hygiene factors and keeping it at a level that leaves no dissatisfaction for the employees and raising up the motivation factors to bring in satisfaction. This way, it could also be a precursor for higher levels of morale for the employees.Further, Herzberg did not leave the study without strategies for bringing in the much-desired satisfaction for employees. One of his suggestions was job enlargement for employees. Job enlargement, in human resource management, may be taken as the horizontal expansion of a certain job. For example, a secretary who has the job duties of answering phone calls and making appointments to clients may be given a new task of organizing the incoming and outgoing files. Giving more tasks of the same nature and would fit the job title would fall under the category of job enlargement. It is like adding more chocolate to the chocolate. This is not the same as job enrichment, which is adding the almonds and fruits to the chocolate.To this, the technique that leads to job satisfaction can be identified and is through the combination of high hygiene and high motivation (Anon. [no date]). This means eliminating the causes of dissatisfaction to a point where there is â€Å"no dissatisfaction† felt by the employees (Anon. [no date]). Subsequently, the company can inject the motivation factors to lead the people to become highly-motivated employees (Anon. [no date]).The two-factor theory of job satisfaction may have took off from and have similarities with the Hierarchy of Needs by Abraham Maslow as it also pertains to (a) physiological, (b) security and safety, (c) love and feelings of belonging, (d) competence, prestige, and esteem, (e) self-fulfillment, and (f) curiosity and the need to understand (Anon. 2005).This theory does not escape the criticisms because there are loopholes or gaps that are left unfilled. This theory does not take into consideration the fact that people may not consider the same set of hygiene and motivation factors because they might have different needs and achievements. Moreover, it does not take into consideration the nature of corporations because the motivation factors can not be introduced such as the call centers where the hierarchy is vey flat and job enlargement is not very much possible because of the high division of labor.ReferencesAnonymous. (no date). Two Factor Theory – Herzberg, Frederick. Available from: http://www.valuebasedmanagement.net/methods_herzberg_two_factor_theory.html [Accessed 29 December 2007].Anonymous. 2005. Motivation. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2006 [CD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation. [Accessed 29 December 2007].NetMBA. (no date). Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory (Two Factor Theory). Available from: http://www.netmba.com/mgmt/ob/motivation/herzberg/ [Accessed: 29 December 2007].

Modernist Art in Europe essays

Modernist Art in Europe essays Modernist Art in Europe 1910-25 by Robert l. Herbert Herberts thesis of his essay is to investigate the arrival of the machine and modern art and its complexities. During WWI, modernist painting and sculpture paid major attention to machinery, science and industry. Modern art during that time has become a central factor in our culture due to its dominance in public art, museums, media and literature. Herbert brings in background information and stated the avant-garde of Pisarro, van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, etc. The industrial revolution had a stronger grip on society during the 19th century, and during this time, modern art was associated with primitive nature. During the rise of industrial art their was a rise of landscapes and paintings of rural everyday life. Also, the new technique and style which became the handcraft to modern art was so avant-garde from the academic art. Modern art was involved with cubism, futurism and vorticism. He explains that all of these arts consisted of the importance of handcraft, creativity, individuali ty, and original expression. Herbert keeps bringing in the fact the machine was the leading sign of modernity. There was no more of a gap between handwork and the machine. Also, that the machine became so important in modern art because it was now a part of daily urban life, due to subways, telephones, automobiles, sewing machines, bicycles, televisions, cinema, and more advanced photographic and advertising developments. Herbert states that although the machine became a large factor in art that it was not incorporated in the work of all modernists, such as Picasso and Braque. The author then describes the modern art in epic cubism, and how it focused on geometric architecture and structures of mechanical parts with organic rhythm of daily life. And how Italian futurism dealt with modern city life, but with more immediacy, more implied movement. It was similar to cubist but with more calc ...

The Persian Achaemenid Dynasty

The Persian Achaemenid Dynasty The Achaemenids were the ruling dynasty of Cyrus the Great and his family over the Persian empire, (550-330 BC). The first of the Persian Empire Achaemenids was Cyrus the Great (aka Cyrus II), who wrested control of the area from its Median ruler, Astyages. Its last ruler was Darius III, who lost the empire to Alexander the Great. By the time of Alexander, the Persian Empire had become the largest empire so far in history, stretching from the Indus River in the East to Libya and Egypt, from the Aral Sea to the northern coast of the Aegean Sea and the Persian (Arabian) Gulf. The Achaemenids Cyrus I (ruled at Anshan)Cambyses I, Cyrus son (ruled at Anshan) Achaemenid Empire Kings Cyrus II (the Great) [550-530 BC] (ruled from Pasargadae)Cambyses II [530-522 BC]Bardiya [522 BC] (possibly, a pretender)Darius I [522-486 BC] (ruled from Persepolis)Xerxes I (the Great) [486-465 BC]Artaxerxes I [465-424 BC]Xerxes II [424-423 BC]Darius II (Ochus) [423-404 BC]Artaxerxes II (Arsaces) [404-359 BC]Artaxerxes III (Ochus) [359-338 BC]Artaxerxes IV (Arses) [338-336 BC]Darius III [336-330 BC) The vast region conquered by Cyrus II and his descendants could not, obviously, be controlled from Cyrus administrative capital at Ecbatana or Darius center at Susa, and so each region had a regional governor/protector called a satrap (responsible to and representatives of the great king), rather than a sub-king, even if the satraps were often princes wielding kingly power. Cyrus and his son Cambyses started expanding the empire and the developing an effective administrative system, but Darius I the Great perfected it. Darius boasted of his accomplishments through multi-lingual inscriptions on a limestone cliffside at Mount Behistun, in western Iran. Architectural styles common throughout the Achaemenid empire included distinctive columned buildings called apadanas, extensive rock carvings and stone reliefs, climbing staircases and the earliest version of the Persian Garden, divided into four quadrants. Luxury items identified as Achaemenid in flavor were jewelry with polychrome inlay, animal-headed bracelets and carinated bowls of gold and silver. The Royal Road The Royal Road was a major intercontinental thoroughfare probably built by the Achaemenids to allow access to their conquered cities. The road ran from Susa to Sardis and thence to the Mediterranean coast at Ephesus. Intact sections of the road are cobble pavements atop a low embankment from 5-7 meters in width and, in places, faced with a curbing of dressed stone. Achaemenid Languages Because the Achaemenid empire was so extensive, many languages were required for the administration. Several inscriptions, such as the Behistun Inscription, were repeated in several languages. The image on this page is of a trilingual inscription on a pillar in Palace P of Pasargadae, to Cyrus II, probably added during the reign of Darius II. The primary languages used by the Achaemenids included Old Persian (what the rulers spoke), Elamite (that of the original peoples of central Iraq) and Akkadian (the ancient language of the Assyrians and Babylonians). Old Persian had its own script, developed by the Achaemenid rulers and based partly on cuneiform wedges, while Elamite and Akkadian were typically written in cuneiform. Egyptian inscriptions are also known to a lesser degree, and one translation of the Behistun inscription has been found in Aramaic. Updated by  N.S. Gill Sources Aminzadeh B, and Samani F. 2006. Identifying the boundaries of the historical site of Persepolis using remote sensing. Remote Sensing of Environment 102(1-2):52-62. Curtis JE, and Tallis N. 2005. Forgotten Empire: The World of Ancient Persia. University of California Press, Berkeley. Dutz WF and Matheson SA. 2001. Persepolis. Yassavoli Publications, Tehran. Encyclopedia Iranica Hanfmann GMA and Mierse WE. (eds) 1983. Sardis from Prehistoric to Roman Times: Results of the Archaeological Exploration of Sardis 1958-1975. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Sumner, WM. 1986 Achaemenid Settlement in the Persepolis Plain. American Journal of Archaeology 90(1):3-31.

1 Essays - Ancient Athenians, Ancient Greeks, Philaidae, Free Essays

1 Essays - Ancient Athenians, Ancient Greeks, Philaidae, Free Essays Reflective essay Student's name Institution affiliation Instructor's name Course date of submission Thucydides Thucydides was a Greek philosopher and an author of the Peloponnesian war, there i s an aspect of war. In his work the "Peloponnesian war" Thucydides have highlighted some aspects that are critical even in modern world concerning effects of war and its impact on human race Morley, N. D. G. (2018) . His work rotates on the impacts of the war and the negative effects that resulted from the war. The aspect of war is vividly portrayed in Thucydides work. A lot of people lost their lives in the Peloponnesian war, this is also witnessed in modern world. In his work he tries to show how this war created great rift between Athens and Sparta. Thucydides say, "beginning at the moment that it broke out, and believing that it would be a great war and more worthy of relation than any that had preceded it . This clearly shows the impact that Peloponnesian war had (Wu, 2018) . Another feature that is evident in Thucydides work is use of direct prose, he achie ved this through compelling numerous sources into a single persuasive voice. The aspect of revenge is also apparent in his work, after the outbreak of the Peloponnesian war there was increased political instability thus forcing Athens and Sparta to revenge against each other. Thucydides says, " At the time, Athens was a high sea power with a democratic political system and innovative leadership that made it a formidable force.'' Many lives were lost during this time, thus making Thucydides work to show vividly the effects of war (Tsakmakis, and Tamiolaki, 2013) . Machiavelli Power and Control Machiavelli was an Italian philosopher, one aspect of his work is on power and control. According to Machiavelli's his view of politics, philosophy, and the human person would enable a prince who adopted them to acquire power and keep it for a substantial period. Machiavelli was a realist rather than a moralist (Lucchese, 2017) . His perception of human beings was as they are and not as they should be. Subsequently, he recognized that human beings are predisposed not to follow the advice that philosophers give. Machiavelli, therefore, chose to provide people with practical information rather than idealistic advice. Machiavelli's description of politics and human behavior was it was as opposed to a visionar y perspective ( Nederman, and Bogiaris, 2018 ). Machiavelli's philosophy was therefore feasible on the basis that is identified the flaws in human character that made them unable to take general advice. His advice was formulated on the knowledge that practicalit y was essential for information to be useful to human beings. Machiavelli's strategy would be feasible at this time because it was necessary for the state to be in control of its subjects by giving them incentives such as peaceful coexistence and protection to remain part of the country. Machiavelli's philosophy would create enduring political philosophy because it would be built on visionary leadership that appreciates and understands the importance of the power of leadership (Hoipkemier, 2018) . Machiavelli's political philosophy observes that the leader in the state and the state is the leader. The leader, therefore, has to be visionary and needs to be on the same level as the state for the leadership to be effective. The virtues, vision, and mission of the leader will set a precedent for the state to follow. An enduring political state will, therefore, require leadership that recognizes the role of leadership in directing the state towards stability and prosperity . References Wu, C. X. (2018). The Thucydides' Trap, Rationalist Theories of War, and China-US Relations. Rationalist Theories of War, and China-US Relations (August 23, 2018) . Nederman, C. J., Bogiaris, G. (2018). Niccolo Machiavelli. In The History of Evil in the Early Modern Age (pp. 63-78). Routledge. Hoipkemier, M. (2018). Machiavelli and the Double Politics of Ambition. Political Studies , 66 (1), 245-260. Lucchese, F. D. (2017). Machiavelli and constituent power: The revolutionary foundation of modern political thought. European Journal of Political Theory , 16 (1), 3-23. Morley, N. D. G. (2018). Thucydides: origins of realism ?. Edinburgh University Press. Tsakmakis, A., Tamiolaki, M. (Eds.).

Fraud And Cyber Terrorism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fraud And Cyber Terrorism - Research Paper Example Fraud prevention includes acts such as scheming corporate fraud policies, introducing internal audit departments, implementing internal controls and whistle-blower systems. The strategic method of fraud is an efficient technique to detect and illustrate both known and unidentified frauds. When implemented proactively to identify unknown fraud, it depicts laser-like precision that allows for much more efficient investigation. (Sanjay Goel. 2010). Cyber terrorism threat Cyber terrorism is the act of illegally accessing computers and information chiefly via the internet to create physical harm or severe disturbance of infrastructure. Cyber terrorism could scholarly be defined as â€Å"The premeditated use of disruptive activities, or the threat thereof, against computers and/or networks, with the intention to cause harm or further social, ideological, religious, political or similar objectives or to intimidate any person in furtherance of such objectives.† Efforts of dealing with cyber terrorism Agencies that deal with fraud such as Interpol and the FBI are doing a great job in fighting against cyber terrorism. Interpol in its part is assisting all the member countries and training their personnel to equip themselves with the current trends and forms of fighting cyber terrorism. The Council of Europe Convention on Cyber Crime, which is the first international treaty for fighting against computer crime, is the product of a 4 years work by experts from the 45 member and non-member states that include Japan, USA and Canada. The treaty has already imposed after its endorsement by Lithuania on 21st of March 2004. (Achkoski, J., & Dojchinovski, M. 2011) How to try to avoid cyber terrorism With the ever changing trends in the cyber technology sector, there are no foolproof methods to protect a system. To say that you have a completely secure system, then it means that it can never be accessed by anyone. Even in most military set up, top secret information is kept on servers with no outside connection as a form of deterrence of cyber terrorism. Another common way that cyber terrorism can be avoided apart from such isolation is encryption. The wide spread use of encryption is repressed by most states ban on its exportation thus its intercontinental communication is left somewhat unsecured. (Kapodistria, H., & Christos D. 2011) Other internet users tend to encourage the use of firewalls to screen all communications to a system including e-mail messages, which may carry â€Å"logic bombs.† Firewall is a somewhat generic phrase for methods of filtering admittance to a network. Firewalls tend to define the services and access that is allowed to each user. Judicial repercussions on cyber threats   Since the Internet "is a cooperative venture not owned by a single entity or government, there are no centralized rules or laws governing its use?† The lack of geographical restrictions may give rise to a state of affairs where an act that may be deemed legal in one country turns out to be illegal in the other. (Jewkes, Y., & Yar, M. 2010). In general, most internet users tend to relate to the following "theories" under which a country may assert regulatory jurisdiction: (a) A country may assert jurisdiction based on "objective territoriality" when an illegal activity occurs within the country. (b) A country may assert jurisdiction based on the nationality of the wrong doer. (c) A country may assert jurisdiction based on the right to defend the nation's sovereignty when faced with terrorization acknowledged as serious in the international community. Conclusion The predicament of cyber terrorism and fraud is involves many

Classicism in The Titanic Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Classicism in The Titanic - Movie Review Example On its first voyage however, it crushed into the ice of the Atlantic Ocean, causing it to sink. The film however evolved around the story of Jack (DiCaprio), a commoner and Rose (Winslet) a woman engaged to be married to a wealthy and powerful Duke. The film was heavy on the meeting and the love story that transpired between Jack and Rose but it also showed the class struggle between the rich and the poor and how power can be one-sided. The film ended with only one of the two surviving, thus ending a beautiful love story. The Titanic however, will forever be remembered. Classicism is an "aesthetic attitudes and principles based on culture, art and literature of ancient Greece and Rome, and characterized by emphasis on form, simplicity, proportion, and restrained emotion" (Baigent, 2003). Classicism can be seen as specific philosophical genre expressed in literature, architecture, art and music which has ancient Greek and Roman sources (Wikimedia Foundations, Inc, 2009). "Classical art encompasses antiquity and later works inspired by it, the latter normally referred to as Neoclassical. Adherence to traditional aesthetic formalities was favored over expressionism and individuality. Classic art is distinguished by clarity, order, balance, unity, symmetry and dignity" (World Wide Arts Resources, 2009). Classicism is made up of many concepts: proportion, symmetry, humanism, realism, idealism and Aristotle's theory of the "unities," among others. In this paper, we take a particular look at the concepts of symmetry, humanism and realism in our analysis of the movie Titanic. A Proportion in the Depiction of Characters "Proportion is the relationship of one part of a whole to other parts. In art it has usually meant a preoccupation of artists with finding a mathematical formula for the perfect human body" (Mimi.hu). My own understanding of proportion is the attempt to create a balance in an art so that it is necessary that the correct weight of each part is employed. In the whole of the film, The Titanic, proportion was observed when two classes were featured- the elite and the poor. There was a considerable portion allotted to describe these two classes where the leading characters came from. There was a description of the life of the commoner Jack as he was featured gambling just before the ship left so as to have something for fare. On the other hand, the elite were given especial seats in the ship plus especial treatment during the rescue. There was a proper proportion between the two male characters. Most of Jack was shown un the movie as he was the leading man, but the character of the Duke was also revealed such as heartless, dangerous but seemingly refined. The latter is in contrast with Jack's carelessness and roughness. The Reality of Class Struggle and sinfulness Realism as expressed in visual arts and literature is a depiction of subjects as they live and appear in their ordinary lives, "without embellishment or interpretation", thus in revealing the reality, may actually be ugly or sordid (Wikimedia Foundations, Inc, 2009). "The achievement of realism in theatre was to direct attention to the physical and philosophic problems of ordinary existence, both socially and psychologically. In plays of this mode people emerge as victims of forces larger than themselves, as individuals

Risks and Optimal Capital Structure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Risks and Optimal Capital Structure - Essay Example USA being a relatively efficient and informed market environment. Risks tend to be closely correlated with returns expected. The components of risks that are unique to US alone include: 1. Inflation risk._ inflation can provide a way to keep up with or stay ahead of inflation. It is defined as the rise in general levels of prices. During high period of inflation, there is a risk that the financial return of an investment will not keep pace with the inflation rate. It reduces the purchasing power, besides; this risk varies form one investment to the other. Small businesses can be seriously affected because this risk can not be insulated against such risk. 2. Market risk: _ the prices of stocks, bonds, mutual funds and various commodities and even services may fluctuate because of the behaviour of investors in the market place. As a result, economic growth is not as systematic and predictable as most investors might believe. Periods of rapid expansion are followed by periods of recession; it may be quite difficult to sell investments like real estate. Fluctuations in the market price for stocks and bonds may have nothing to do with the fundamental changes in the financial health of small businesses. Common causes of such fluctuations can be caused by political or social conditions. 3. 3. Interest rate risk _ this risk is associated with a fixed return investment in preferred stocks or government bonds. It is the result of changes in the interest rates in the economy. The value of these fixed investment securities and borrowed investment funds decreases when overall interest rates increase. 4. Global investment risk__Nowadays small businesses have become global hubs, as the world has become increasingly interconnected into a global village. Small traders keep their investments in foreign companies and other global players and this creates additional risks due to exchange rate in international currencies as exchange rates directly affect returns. 5. Business failure risk_ this is associated with the possibility of bad management, unsuccessful products, competition, or many other factors that can cause the business to be less profitable than originally anticipated. Lower profits would mean lower dividends or no dividends at all. Businesses can also close down due to bankruptcy too. Optimal capital structure means that businesses decide on what the best ratio is, between equity or owners capital and borrowed or debt should be. When such is carefully done, businesses should minimize borrowings as much as to avoid paying high interest on them. Incases from capital contributed from outsiders, corporations should first pay them (obligatorily) before paying themselves .this posses the question of maintaining an optimal capital structure to businesses regardless of their magnitude. REFERNCES 1. Financial management journal vol.33, 2004. 2. www.fma, 2007 3. Geoffrey A.Hirt and Stanley block, fundamentals of investment management 2003. 4. Kapoor Dlabay, personal finance 6th edition 2001. 5. Richard loth, www.investopedia.com, evaluating a company's capital structure, Oct

What methods are used to identify patterns and trends in crime in the Essay

What methods are used to identify patterns and trends in crime in the UK - Essay Example Identification of spatial patterns of crime has seen the promotion of several theories and has been the subject of many philosophical debates in an attempt to help explain their manifestation. According to some crime analysts, models drawn from studying animal behaviour may even help predict human behaviour. Crime analysts are borrowing from game hunting and the study of predatory movement. Crime maps are used to record the locations of incidents in order to help predict where criminals are going to strike next, are used by police throughout the world. This paper discusses some of the methods used to identify patterns and trends in crime in the United Kingdom. According to Cole (1995) the tools of the disciplined futurists are a sound methodology, a sense of history and theory, knowledge of key factual data, and the ability to examine crime in the contexts of broader social, political, technological, and economic trends. The data sources and methods used to guide forecasting include crime statistics; surveys of experts, practitioners, and the general public; literature reviews; scenario writing; and statistical (time series) models that extrapolate crime trends into the future. Mathematical models that explain the behaviour of observed past values can be used to forecast future crime trends by projecting a time series analysis of crime trends into the future. In general, the source of quantitative time-series forecasting is police- and victim-reported crime statistics. Modelling consists of describing the causal sequence of variables and the prediction of their interactions. Any predictive model endeavours to show a relationship between certain independent (predictor) variables and a dependent variable (i.e., the criterion to be predicted). The principal strength of quantitative models, in relation to qualitative forecasts, is that descriptions of future crime rates are much more specific and precise, although not

Criminal Justice - Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Criminal Justice - - Essay Example In Shawshank Redemption, Andy was imprisoned after killing his wife and her lover despite his claims of innocence. After the prison warder had realized that Andy was an accountant by profession, he began protecting him. This is because he knew that he would assist him in his money laundering scam (Cole, Christopher and Christina 95). Conover’s depiction of prison guards is different from that of Shawshank Redemption. This is because Conover condemned the bad picture, which portrays the correctional officers as bad people, mindlessly authoritarian, and inherently sadistic. For example, Conover demonstrated this by acting as an example in Sing Sing Prison. He interacted with prison wardens and inmates closely unlike at first where there was a greater gap between the correctional officers, prison wardens, and inmates. Conover described this portrayal as unsympathetic and inaccurate image of the guards. Conover portrayed prison guards as multidimensional characters. This is because they are neither good nor bad, but they are simply struggling in difficult circumstances. Conover recommended that the prison guards should be given full support since they have critical roles in administering justice. This is in terms of working environment, remuneration, and housing. It has been obvious that inmates are the most brutalized in the prisons. This is because guards are mistreating them by denying them their rights in the prison. For example, they might be bitten to an extent that they are injured. Others go for some days without food and even taking bath. The brutal exercise might even extend to other people who are not in prison. These are, for example, the relatives of the inmates. The relatives are coming to the prison to visit their people, but they are sometimes denied to talk or even greet the inmates. Though they are not physically brutalized, they are psychologically disturbed

What methods are used to identify patterns and trends in crime in the Essay

What methods are used to identify patterns and trends in crime in the UK - Essay Example Identification of spatial patterns of crime has seen the promotion of several theories and has been the subject of many philosophical debates in an attempt to help explain their manifestation. According to some crime analysts, models drawn from studying animal behaviour may even help predict human behaviour. Crime analysts are borrowing from game hunting and the study of predatory movement. Crime maps are used to record the locations of incidents in order to help predict where criminals are going to strike next, are used by police throughout the world. This paper discusses some of the methods used to identify patterns and trends in crime in the United Kingdom. According to Cole (1995) the tools of the disciplined futurists are a sound methodology, a sense of history and theory, knowledge of key factual data, and the ability to examine crime in the contexts of broader social, political, technological, and economic trends. The data sources and methods used to guide forecasting include crime statistics; surveys of experts, practitioners, and the general public; literature reviews; scenario writing; and statistical (time series) models that extrapolate crime trends into the future. Mathematical models that explain the behaviour of observed past values can be used to forecast future crime trends by projecting a time series analysis of crime trends into the future. In general, the source of quantitative time-series forecasting is police- and victim-reported crime statistics. Modelling consists of describing the causal sequence of variables and the prediction of their interactions. Any predictive model endeavours to show a relationship between certain independent (predictor) variables and a dependent variable (i.e., the criterion to be predicted). The principal strength of quantitative models, in relation to qualitative forecasts, is that descriptions of future crime rates are much more specific and precise, although not

Wine production and tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Wine production and tourism - Essay Example This study makes an attempt of a context and critical review of the study â€Å"Wine Production and Tourism: Adding Service to a Perfect Partnership†. The study focused in Western Australia and used a modified SERVQUAL methodology.The findings of the study are three folds. The study first of all found out that, Operators are on balance, performing on the most important product and service attributes based on a sample of 353 visitors to two wineries. Secondly, the researchers stressed the importance of the cellar-door concept and corresponding service levels to the future success of wine-tourism operations. The study further found out that, success depends not only on the quality of the wine being offered but also on the way it is offered for sale within the cellar-door environment the by emphasizing the concept of service delivery and augmentation.From the findings, the cellar-door concept now means that the quality of service received during a visit is as likely as the wine i tself to drive future wine sales. However, the study in itself failed to explain the complexity of factors that led visitors to place such high importance on this attribute.Of Late, wine tourism has not only proven as a growing area of special-interest through out the world but has attracted the attention of researchers. According to the researchers Palmer & Neil (2004), the sector has been largely applauded for its wide range of benefits, including foreign-exchange earnings, the creation of full- and part time jobs, the generation of secondary economic activity and the ability to generate substantial long-term wealth and sustain steady tourism growth for these regions. The work of Palmer & Neil (2004), attempts to bridge the knowledge gap by adding to the existing literature. 2.0 Problem Statement and Research Questions In the study, Palmer & Neil (2004) argued that, the fact that wine tourism is confronted by a range of critical development issues that have the potential to interfere with its sustainability and long-term profitability. Visitors' perceptions of the service received at the cellar door have become a focal point. The main research question investigated in the study is stated below. The study investigated the quality of the wine being offered, the way it is offered for sale within the cellar-door environment. Thus, what are the attributes of service quality as applied to Visit wineries What are the implications for marketing for studying repeat behaviour Issues such as what motivates repeat caravanning behaviours are addressed further. 2.1 Objectives and Purpose of Study According to the researchers, the study was conducted to identify the attributes of service quality as they apply to visits to wineries through a survey of visitors to wineries in Western Australia. Another objective was "to find out the emergence and significance of wine tourism as a new growth sector of truly global proportions. At the same time, the study further finds out the scope and characteristics of repeat behaviour. 2.2 Research Structure The research is divided in to four main areas. Section one introduces the research and the subject matter, highlighting the main themes and problem statement of the work. Section two reviewed previous literature on wine tourism emphasizing the importance. Focus is on the work of Johnson (1997). Section three provides the methods used to gather

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Free Allegory of the Cave Essays and Papers Essay The transition from ignorance into knowledge in the pursuit of truth is neither a simple nor easy process. Both Sophocles’ tragedy, Oedipus Rex, and Plato’s philosophical dialogue, â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave,† use dark and light imagery to explore man’s struggle to leave an illusory life of comfort in search of absolute truth. Although Oedipus and the prisoner parallel in their challenges to seek reality, they differ in their reactions to it. Where Oedipus is unable to handle the harshness of the truth, the prisoner accepts it. By associating dark with benightedness and falsehood, and light with sight and truth, both narratives depict that man must not only discern illusion and reality in his quest for knowledge but recognize his own ignorance before he can acquire insight of the world around him. Both Oedipus and the prisoner begin in a state of ignorance, one that is falsely believed to be the reality. Thinking he has avoided fate, Oedipus firmly believes that he is in control of his life, though the reader knows that he is indeed, not. The darkness in his life is represented by his inability to see and understand the truth, as Oedipus’ hubris makes him unaware of the true circumstances of his life. He is a man so self-assured that he is not able to accept the truth when told by Teiresias. Oedipus, blind to the illusion that he is living, \ can not see the evil\(Sophocles, 354) of the crimes he has committed, and cannot view the truth for what it actually is. Teiresias, though blind in both eyes, has true knowledge and understanding of the truth, yet he is mocked by the ignorant king for his lack of sight. In Plato’s Allegory, the prisoner too, lacks knowledge and understanding of the world around him, albeit in a different matter. Where Oedipus is prevented fr om seeing the truth by his own hamartia, the prisoner is restricted by chains that hold him captive within the cave. Plato theorizes that since the cave setting is all the prisoner knows, he would believe and accept that there are no â€Å"realities† other than the â€Å"shadows of handmade things† (2). The absence of light in the cave represents the boundaries of the prisoner’s ability to see; he is unable to achieve true knowledge, as doing so would require him to â€Å"perceive the forms themselves†(1) instead of illusions cast by an artificial light. Dark symbolism clearly demonstrates the parallels between falsehood and illusion in both works, but to achieve true insight, one must pursue a state of knowledge through a strenuous application of insight and reason. The journey to leave the shadows to follow the light is not as favorable as one may be, as true knowledge is harsher and more difficult to accept that the comfort of darkness. Oedipus is relentless in his pursuit of truth in order to catch Laios’ murderer and save his city of Thebes from the plague. Still stuck in his life of illusion, he is determined to â€Å"bring what is light to dark† (135), unaware that his persistence will only cause more problems. He curses the murderer of Laios in his ignorance, wishing the culprit’s life to be consumed in â€Å"evil and wretchedness† (Sophocles, 235). Unbeknownst to him, the sufferings he wishes for do come true, though not in the way he believes. In contrast, The prisoner, having spent his whole life in imprisonment, does not wish to look at what is bright. Too â€Å"dazzled† by the light of the fire to see clearly, he has to be dragged out â€Å"by forceinto the light of the sun† (Plato, 2). He sl owly adjusts to his new environment, and once turned to what is more â€Å"real,† the prisoner realizes that the shadows in the cave were only images of â€Å"foolery,† cast by real objects (2). It is here that the prisoner is seen transitioning from illusion to reality Absolute truth is harsh, and both Oedipus and the prisoner struggle to accept it. Though he strived to do good by himself and his city, Oedipus, unfortunately, brings about his own tragic end by relentlessly pursuing the truth and ignoring warnings of how â€Å"dreadful† (Sophocles, 305) knowledge can be. His quest to find answers does eventually lead him to the absolute truth, but at a heavy cost. Finally realizing the consequences of his actions, and unable to face the evil and horror of his â€Å"blind wrongs† (404), Oedipus looks upon the â€Å"Light†(1037) one final time before gouging out his eyes. Here, light imagery represents truth and knowledge, and although the truth is what Oedipus has so relentlessly pursued, in the end, it is too harsh and he instead chooses to return to the dark. To him, The prisoner, though initially reluctant to explore reality, ultimately achieves enlightenment, represented by his ability to â€Å" look on the sun itself† (Plato, 2). There is a great divide between reality and falsehood. Through the use of contrasting imagery, both Sophocles and Plato illustrate the plights of humanity in the journey to achieve enlightenment and explore the trials man must go through to achieve a similar goal. Through the journeys of Oedipus and the prisoner, the reader understands that however easy one may believe the quest for truth to be, it is often not so, as to achieve absolute truth, man must realize his own unenlightenment before he can perceive things in their true forms.

Estimation of Desloratidine and Montelukast by UV

Estimation of Desloratidine and Montelukast by UV SIMULTANEOUS ESTIMATION OF DESLORATIDINE AND MONTELUKAST IN COMBINED PHARMACEUTICAL DOSAGE FORM BY UV SPECTROSCOPY ETTA.NAVEEN KUMAR*, D.SIREESHA, VASUDHA BAKSHI. ABSTRACT: A simple, accurate,precise and economical procedure for simultaneous estimation of Desloratidine and Montelukast in combined tablet dosage form has been developed utilizing concept of simultaneous equation method. The method is based upon determination of Desloratidine at 269nm and Montelukast at 283nm in methanol. Different analytical parameters such as linearity, precision, accuracy and ruggedness were determined according to ICH guidelines. Deslortidine and Montelukast at their respective wavelength shows linearity in the concentration range of 5-30 mcg/ml and 2-22mcg/ml.respectively.The method was validated statistically. The results of analysis formulation given as percentage of label claim were found to be 100.4% and 101.% for Desloratidine and Montelukast respectively. Therefore, the proposed method can be used for the routine analysis of both drugs simultaneously in quality control laboratories. Keywords : Desloratidine, Montelukast,simultaneous estimation, methanol INTRODUCTION: Desloratidine(DES) is chemically 8- chloro-6, 11-dihydro-11-(4-piperdinylidene)- 5H benzo[5,6]cyclohepta[1,2-b]pyridine.Desloratidine is a anti- histamine clinically effective drug in the treatment of Asthama. It is soluble in methanol, ethanol, water and practically insoluble in acetonitrile. Montelukast (MON),is2-[1-({[(1R)-1-{03-[(E)-2-(7-chloroquinolin-2-yl)ethenyl]phenyl}-3-[2-(2-hydroxypropan-2-)phenyl]propyl]sulfanyl}methyl)cyclopropyl]acetic acid is a widely used as Anti-arrhythmatic and Anti-asthamatic agents. Montelukast and Desloratidine is available in combined dosage forms as film coated tablets (MONDESLOR). Each tablet contains 10mg of Montelukast and 5 mg of Desloratidine. It is used for the treatment of Asthma. For this combination derivative spectroscopic methods and reverse phase liquid chromatographic methods are reported. However ,there is no work reported on combination of these drugs by simultaneous equation method. Hence fast, simple, and accurate spectrophotometric method was developed by applying simultaneous equation method, for the simultaneous estimation of both the drugs in tablet dosage form by uv spectrophotometry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: INSTRUMENT SPECIFICATIONS: UV Spectrophotometer, Shimadzu, model 1800 CHEMICALS AND REAGENTS: Methanol obtained from local market, manufactured Pure Deslortadine and Montelukast were obtained as gift sample from Gujarat organics Ltd,Gujarat;The tablet dosage form MONDESLOR( claim: 10mg Montelukast and 5mg Desloratidine) was procured from local market. PREPARATION OF STANDARD STOCK SOLUTIONS: The 10 mg of standard Montelukast and Desloratidinewere weighed accurately and transferred into 100 ml volumetric flasks seperately. They were dissolved in methanol and diluted up to the mark by using the solvent methanol to obtain a final concentration of 100ÃŽ ¼g/ml. The resulting solutions were used as a working standard solutions. The aliquot portion of stock solutions of Montelukast and Desloratidine were diluted approximately with methanol to obtain concentration of 10 mcg/ml of each drugs.These solutions were scanned in the range of 200-400 nm in 1cm cell against blank .From the overlain spectra the wavelength selected for the estimation are 269 nm and 283nm for montelukast and desloratidine respectively. PREPARATION OF SAMPLE SOLUTIONS For analysis of commercial formulations 20 tablets (MONDESLOR) each cantaining 10mg of montelukast and 5mg of desloratidine were accurately weighed and the average weight was calculated and finely powdered.A quantity equivalent to 10mg of montelukast dissolved in methanol in 100ml volumetric flask and to it 5mg of desloratidine was added(standard addition method). sonicated to dissolve it completely and volume was made to the mark with methanol .mixed well and filtered through 0.45Â µm filter to get the final concentration of 100Â µg/ml. finally 10mcg/ml working concentration of each desloratidine and montelukast was prepared. This solution was scanned over the range of 200-400 nm ,using two sampling wavelengths 269nm and 283nm determined the concentration of these drugs in tablet formulation Using the formula. CDES = A2ay1-A1ay2/ax2 ay1-ax1ay2 CMON = A1ay2 A2ax1/ax2ay1-ax1ay2 A1 = absorbance of formulation at 269nm. A2 = absorbance of formulation at 283 nm. ax1 = absorptivity of Desloratidine at 269 nm. ax2 = absorptivity of Desloratidine at 283 nm. ay1 = absorptivity of Montelukast at 269 nm. ay2 = absorptivity of Montelukast at 283 nm. CDES = concentration of Desloratidine. CMON = concentration of Montelukast. VALIDATION OF THE METHOD: 1) LINEARITY: Standard stock solution of Montelukast and Desloratidine: 10 mg of montelukast and desloratidine were accurately weighed and transferred into a clean and dry 100 ml volumetric flasks, dissolved with sufficient volume of methanol seperately .The volume was then made up to 100 ml with methanol to obtain the concentration of 100 ÃŽ ¼g/ml. Working standard solution: The aliquot portion of the stock solution was diluted approximately with methanol to get a concentration of 2-22 mcg/ml of montelukast and 5-30mcg/ml of desloratidine. Serial dilutions of concentration range were prepared from the working standard solution. These dilutions were scanned at the detection wavelength of 269 nm and 283nm using methanol as blank. The regression equation, Y- intercept and correlation coefficient were calculated. The linearity was thus determined and the concentration range was selected. 2) LIMIT OF DETECTION AND LIMIT OF QUANTITATION: The LOD and LOQ were separately determined based on calibration curve. The residual standard deviation of a regression line or the standard deviation of y- intercepts of regression lines were used to calculate the LOD and LOQ. I. Formula for LOD (ÃŽ ¼g/ml); LOD = 3.3 x SD / S Where, SD = The standard deviation of the response S = The slope of the calibration curve (mean) II. Formula for LOQ (ÃŽ ¼g/ml); LOQ = 10 x SD / S Where, SD = The standard deviation of the response S = The slope of the calibration curve (mean) 3) ACCURACY: The accuracy of the method was ascertained by carrying out recovery studies using standard addition method. The recovery studies are performed to determine if there was any positive or negative interference from excipients present in the formulation. The percentage recovery results revealed that the values were near to 100%, which indicates that the proposed method is accurate as the results are within the official limits. It also reveals that the commonly used excipients and additives in the formulation were not interfering with the proposed method (Table no:4) 4) PRECISION: Precision was found by carrying out the analysis of the standard drugs at two different concentrations in the linearity range of drugs for three times on the same day. Each concentration was applied in duplicate and % RSD was calculated (Table no :5) RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Montelukast and Desloratidine showed maximum absorbance in Methanol at 269 and 283 nm.The proposed method for simultaneous estimation of both the drugs was validated as per the ICH guidelines The linearity was observed in the concentration range of 2-22 mcg/ml for montelukast and 5-50mcg/ml for Desloratidine with regression co-efficient of 0.998 and 0.998.Amount of drugs estimated by the proposed method was in good agreement with the label claim.The accuracy of the method was assessed by recovery experiments . Recovery was close to 100% for both the drugs. CONCLUSION: The present study comprises a UV spectroscopic method of analysis for the simultaneous estimation of montelukast and Desloratidine in tablet dosage form.From the study of validation parameters,itwas observed that the method is specific,accurate,precise,reproducible .The proposed method could be applied to routine analysis in quality control laboratories. Table No.1 Calibration data of deslortadine. Concentration (Â µg/ml) Absorbance at 269nm Absorbance at 283nm 5 0.187 0.111 10 0.386 0.212 15 0.559 0.309 20 0.772 0.423 25 0.960 0.520 30 1.12 0.650 Table No.2 calibration data of montelukast. Concentration (Â µg/ml) Absorbance at 269nm Absorbance at 283nm 2 0.075 0.088 6 0.204 0.248 10 0.347 0.418 14 0.512 0.618 18 0.675 0.817 22 0.798 0.971 Table No:3 Results of analysis of tablet formulation. BRAND LABEL CLAIM(mg/tablet) %LABELCLAIM Mondeslor Montelukast(10mg) 100.4% Deslortadine(5mg) 101.% Table no:4 Results of recovery studies Drug Amount added (mcg/ml) Amount recovered (mcg/ml) % Recovery DES 80( 8) 7.96 99.5 100(10) 9.8 98 120(12) 12.2 101.6 MONT 80(8) 8.1 101.2 100(10) 9.9 99 120(12) 11.8 98.5 Table No:5 Results of precision studies. Drug Concentration (Â µg/ml) wavelength Absorbance %* RSD DES 10 269nm 0.382 0.385 0.387 0.65 10 283nm 0.214 0.218 0.216 0.92 15 269nm 0.560 0.565 0.569 0.79 15 283nm 0.303 0.308 0.304 0.86 Drug Concentration (Â µg/ml) wavelength Absorbance %* RSD MON 10 283nm 0.413 0.415 0.418 0.60 10 269nm 0.348 0.346 0.349 0.43 14 269nm 0.510 0.509 0.512 0.29 14 283nm 0.613 0.616 0.618 0.40 * mean of three observations Fig-1 Selection of wavelength Fig-2 Calibration curve of montelukast: Fig 3:calibration curve of deslortadine REFERENCES: FDA Guidance for Industry. Analytical Procedures and Methods Validation (draft guidance), August 2000. ICH guidelines Q1A (R2). Stability Testing of New Drug Substances and Products (revision 2), November 2003. ICH Q2 (R1). Validation of Analytical Procedures: Text and Methodology. International Conference on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for the Registration of Pharmaceutical for Human Use, Geneva, Switzerland. (2005). International Conference on Harmonization. Photo stability testing of new drug substance and products Q1B. International Conference on Harmonization, IFPMA, Geneva, 1996. ICH Guidance on Analytical Method Validation, in: Proceedings of the International Convention on Quality for the Pharmaceutical Industry, Toronto, Canada, and September, 2002. Konam K, Hariprasad P, Lukaraju PS, Sirajudeen MA, Fareedullah MD, Ahmed I. Determination of Montelukast sodium and Levocetrizine hydrochloride by using HPTLC method. Elixir Online J. 2012 Feb; 16. Kumar BVVS, Mathur P, Rajesh N, Rao ND, Satyanarayana P. Analytical method development and validation of Levocetirizine hydrochloride and Montelukast sodium in combined tablet dosage form by RP-HPLC. Int J Adv Pharm Res. 2011 July; 2(7): 380-96. Choudhari V, Kale A, Abnawe A, Kuchekar B, Gawli A, Patil N. Simultaneous determination of Montelukast sodium and Levocetirizine dihydrochloride in pharmaceutical preparation by derivative spectroscopy. Int J Pharm Tech Res. 2010 Jan-Mar; 2(1) Radhakrishna T, Narsaraju A, Ramakrishna M, Satyanarayna A, (2002) simultaneous determination of Montelukast and Loratadine by HPLC and derivative spectrophotometric pharmaceutical formulation. J Pharm Bio Anal.2003;31:359-68 Bondili S, Reddy SP. Spectroscopic method for determination of Desloratadine in bulk and its tablet dosage forms. Int J Pharm Res. 2011; 1(2): 131-4. Mallapu Rani E, Ahad HA, Sreenivasulu R, Rani M, Mandava G, Reddy B. KK, Kranthi G. Spectrophotometric determination of Desloratadine in pharmaceuticals by using difference spectrophotometric method. J Pharm Res. 2011; 4(3): 730-1.

Cathedral of Marble Strands :: Creative Writing Examples

   Cathedral of Marble Strands    Richard Stewart lay stretched out on the cool stone. His handsome, youthful face was relaxed into a slight smile, eyes closed lazily. Richard's hand played unconsciously with his long black hair lying on the reddish surface . . . "Four slices of lemon . . . four cubes of sugar. . . and a straw," thought Richard, and pictured the glass in his mind. Without opening his eyes, he reached out and felt it in his hand. It was cool, and the droplets that condensed from the morning mist made it slippery. He raised his head off the ground and brought the straw to his lips. He took a long, slow draft, letting the taste settle in. It was slightly too sour to be perfect, but Richard didn't mind. One day he would discover the ultimate lemonade, but he was in no hurry. He lay there drinking it for a long time. Lemonade doesn't have to run out in heaven. Richard lay on a narrow ledge about five hundred feet up the face of a cliff. Above him, just under the low hanging clouds, a pair of eagles circled, wings motionless. Beneath, a green valley lay shrouded in the morning fog. The clouds concealed the sun and gave the valley the cool gray feel Richard wanted. Near the foot of the cliff, the valley was grassy, with an occasional shrub clinging to the rocky soil here and there. Blue flowers growing in sparse islands shone dimly where the easy wind blew away patches of fog. A wide stream slid from around the base of the cliff. It began somewhere in the mountains behind Richard and disappeared in the denser fog at the deeper part of the valley. There, where not even the tops of the trees were visible, an airy structure of white marble stretched its spires almost as high as the cliff Richard lay on. Four great arches rose, flanked a spiderweb of smaller ones, and met in a cluster of domes, towers and spires. Richard liked to call it the Cat hedral. Beyond, the valley lost itself where the whiteness of the sky met the fog on the ground. Richard stretched the hand that held the glass of lemonade over the edge and let it slip away. He listened for it's fall, but it went too far down to hear. He relaxed his mind, waiting for some idea to come to him.

The Importance of Music Education Essay -- Music

Music, an extremely broad concept, is playing an increasingly vital role in the modern society, and most people today are experiencing music subconsciously. For instance, when walking in the street, not only will we see people listening to their music through all kinds of portable music players, but also hear people humming their favorite songs. When nightfall comes, young people usually go to concerts, whereas middle-aged people tend to choose symphony and opera. All the things mentioned above seem like nothing but entertainment. Does music exist just to please people? Apparently, the answer is no. In fact, music also brings people many significant benefits. Hence, music education is crucial to us, especially in our early development, and it should be a part of every child’s education. I think that music education can bring three benefits to us: enhance children’s memory, enrich their imagination, and improve academic performance. Human beings begin to learn many basic skills in order to survive after they are born. This requires people to grasp strong, stable, and rapid memory skills. Hence, babies’ expanding ability to memorize is an indispensable part of their cognitive development. Research shows that the development of memory in children becomes apparent within the first 2 to 3 years of a child’s life as they show significant advances in memory, and this enhancement continues into adolescence (Siegler). Therefore, we need to find out a way to help children develop appropriate memory skills. Music education is a terrific choice, and scientists do have evidence to support the hypothesis that music can improve human memory skills. Based on the findings of a study led by Dr. Agnes Chan, a psychologist at Chinese University of ... ...org/pdf/music-training-improves-verbal-but-not-visual-memory-cross-sectional-and- longitudinal-explorations-in-children> Graziano, A.B., Peterson M., and Shaw G.L. "Enhanced learning of proportional math through music training and spatial-temporal training." Neurological Research 21.Web. 15 Mar. 2012.139-152. Web. Siegler, R. S. (1998). Children's Thinking. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Electronic book. â€Å"Sound.† Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 5 Feb. 2012. Web. 15 Mar. 2012 The College Board. Profile of College-Bound Seniors National Report for 2000, 2001, and 2002. Web. Yeung, Ka-ching. â€Å"The Mozart Effect.† n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. Notes/The%20Mozart%20Effect.htm>

Position Paper Essay

I had chosen the topic for the response paper about the choice of Sarah Palin as the running mate for John McCain. In this position paper, I try to develop my position around the same topic and I would develop the paper around the choice and how it is affecting the presidential campaign. I use the response paper for the topic but only to that extent that I use it as a base. My main thrust in this paper would be on putting the nomination of Sarah Palin in perspective. Choice of Sarah Palin There was universal surprise when Sarah Palin was picked as the vice presidential nominee. When everyone was expecting Joe Lieberman or someone else to be picked as the vice presidential nominee, the McCain camp pulled a rabbit from the hat in the form of Sarah Palin. This left many observers stumped and people were left wondering about the real reasons. There was intense speculation that this was part of a move to counter the Democratic campaign and the appeal of Hillary Clinton. With Hillary no longer in the reckoning, the perception was that Sarah Palin could draw away some of Hillary’s supporters into the Republican fold. Others saw it as a kind of maverick stunt that could upstage the rock star appeal of Barack Obama. What no one could have anticipated is the electrifying effect that Sarah Palin had on the electorate immediately following her nomination. The entire campaign was energized by the â€Å"Palin Effect† and suddenly the Republicans were back in the reckoning. Her go-getter image along with her stylish attire has caught the imagination of the public. However, there is a sneaking suspicion that she is all glamour and not substance. She has the charm of a â€Å"Kennedy, Clinton or a Reagan† (Mayer, 2). She also can draw crowds and hold their attention. It was this very ability that made the McCain camp plump for her to get the star appeal to the voters. Media Management Sarah Palin looks good on TV and she is the favorite of the right wing media. Though her appearances in the public rallies have been highlighted, what is also glaring is the fact that she has not given too many interviews and has not appeared on the popular talk shows like Larry King Live. And whatever chances she had with other networks, she turned in a less than favorable performance. In recent days, much has been made of her $150,000 attire and the way in which she has been â€Å"made up† with lot of effort. However much this has been played up for the benefit of the voters, there are some who see this as mere gloss and unlikely to have an effect on the larger electorate. The Insider’s Choice? While there have been several articles in the media about how Sarah Palin has been a wild card, Jane Mayer of The New Yorker thinks otherwise. As I pointed out in my response paper about the article that she had written, where she had laid out the case for Sarah Palin being backed by influential members of the Republican Party, there is no conclusive point about Sarah Palin being an outsider. But there are enough indications to indicate that she has been favored by the Republican insiders who wanted someone to counter the charismatic appeal of Obama. While the point of this position paper is not to contest the claim of Sarah Palin being selected or not by a power group, nonetheless it throws light on the happenings of the Republican Party as they went into election mode. It is indeed a powerful choice as reflected in the approval ratings after her nomination. Her â€Å"Star Power† is sure bound to get the ticket some badly needed swing votes in the upcoming election. As we see in the next section, Sarah Palin has become what some commentators have been calling the â€Å"Attack Dog† of the Republican camp. Attack Dog In recent weeks, Sarah Palin has taken the attack to the Democratic camp. First, by portraying Obama as someone who is â€Å"palling around with terrorists† an apparent reference to his earlier friendships with Bill Ayers, a sixties left wing radical and then by proclaiming that Obama wants to turn America into a â€Å"socialist paradise†. These have left the Democrats seething with anger and the hard core among the Republican camp egging her on. Of course, this has led to resentment among moderate Republicans and as the title of this article says Palin is diving more than uniting the faithful. Pro-life and family matters Sarah Palin’s pro-life stance has drawn attention towards her own family and her daughter in particular who is single and pregnant. This has provided ammunition for the Democrats though there was enough damage control exercise done. This raised the question of how much of vetting the McCain camp did before zeroing on her. And this left many wondering whether the McCain camp had done their homework particularly after she was found to have used her position as Governor of Alaska to influence some decisions in her family’s favor. Economic Policies Even on the subject of the tax breaks or the other proposals to shore up the economy, Sarah Palin comes across as a shrill voice adding to the clamor on Capitol Hill. There is no fresh approach to the vexed question of how far and how much should the government intervene in bailing out Wall Street. My way politics Most pertinently, Sarah Palin is practicing what can be called the â€Å"My Way† politics. In the words of one critic, Celtic Diva (17), â€Å"Palin is transforming her base into a lynch mob†. What she is effectively saying is that her way is the only way and her supporters are the true supporters and the like. Though this may appeal to the radical right, there are nonetheless large swathes of Republican voters who would not be comfortable with this kind of rhetoric. And it is leaving an overall sense of polarization in the country. This makes for hardly good news for a country that is deeply divided in the aftermath of the presidential elections of 2000 and 2004. Liability for McCain? While the first sections of this paper examined how Palin became a star in the initial stages of the campaign, it is now apparent that unless she comes up with some new ideas, she would become a liability instead of the trump card that the McCain camp was hoping for. Conclusion As I mentioned in the title of the article, Sarah Palin has increasingly come to divide the electorate rather than unite them. As Basu states, â€Å"Palin should aim to Unify rather than polarize†. Her strident approach towards Obama’s proposed policies and the trenchant criticism that she reserves for her opponents are just indications of a personality that thrives on divisive politics. While this would have been tolerable in times gone by, what this country needs now, with all the economic crises and a war that has no end in sight, is a healing figure that can re-energize the country and make Americans look forward to their place in the world. As we head into the last days of the campaign, we can expect more of the rhetoric from Palin and an increasingly strident stance. It remains to be seen how the electorate would respond to this ticket as well as the Democratic ticket on Nov 4, 2008.

Johannes Vermeer: Girl with a Pearl Earring Essay

Johannes Vermeer’s, â€Å"Girl with a Pearl Earring† was painted in 1665-66. It is oil on canvas painting of an ordinary girl that is turned sideways and appears that she is glancing over her left shoulder. Not too much is known about the girl, but there are speculations that it could be one of three people. Some think it is his daughter Maria; while others are torn between the daughter of Vermeer’s benefactor, Magdalena and a maiden he hired to help with his masterpieces. The servant girl speculation was derived from a novel that was written by Tracy Chevalier and a film starring Scarlet Johansson, which was depicting a more romanticized theory of the story behind the â€Å"Girl with the Pearl Earring†. Personally speaking, I think it is a toss-up between his daughter or a servant girl like the movie depicts†¦ One reason for my belief of the servant girl mentality is because of the significance of the pearl itself. Not only is it a piece of jewelry b ut it symbolizes the virginity of the protagonist. The fact that Vermeer put so much emphasis on the earring could signify the he was emphasizing an expectant virgin. Her eccentric attire with a pale, muddy brown turban, which was not a regular custom for that period, eludes me to feel that it could be his daughter. Why? Well simply because the dress and the rest of the attire were considered â€Å"special garments† that were worn and loved by children during that time. Vermeer Also known as â€Å"The Mona Lisa of the North† or the â€Å"Dutch Mona Lisa† this figurative theme has been intriguing spectators from around the world for many, many years. The highlighting of the earring and the light illuminating the girls face is one of the strengths of this painting. This naturalistic style creates a realistic view. Dark space (background) surrounding the woman creates depth and makes the other colors in the paining more vivid. The intensity of the white, teardrop shape of the earring is the emphasis of the painting. Folds and shadows on her garment give heaviness and texture to the fabric. There is contrast between the brightness of her white blouse meeting up with the tone of the yellow fabric. The shadows from the light and the dark background help to bring out the 3 dimensional form of the girl. The blue part of the turban, painted with ultramarine. Ultramarine is a highly expensive pigment made out of crushed semi-precious stone. These, along with the yellow hues complement one another and go along with the flesh tone of the face. The  casting of the light creates a symmetrical balance. Vermeer’s masterstroke with the collaboration of background light brings life to the entire color scheme. One of Vermeer’s main characteristics, a speckled methodology of applying paint, is known as pointille. Pointillism is a method of painting with dots to achieve various affects. You can see the use of this technique in this painting. One of the best examples of this technique would be the corner of her mouth that is highlighted with light colored points. Overall, Johannes’ â€Å"Girl with a Pearl Earring† is a wonderful masterpiece that represents unequivocal expressions in a profound way. It inspired things like a bestselling novel, a successful movie, and a play; all with the same title. Mauritshuis, The Royal Picture Gallery. Web. 5 Novemeber 2012

Challenges faced by non profit organisations in developing performance Essay

Challenges faced by non profit organisations in developing performance measurement systems - Essay Example profits, and the metrics that measure the efficiency, such as revenue, productivity, rejection, manpower costs, and marketing costs are known and measuring these parameters is possible (Emerson, 2009). Non-profit organisations (NPOs) are organisations that have a social impact mission; they take up charity work, and some are cooperatives, created for the mutual benefit of a community. Such organisations may earn profits from their activities, but these profits are redistributed among people they serve (Drucker, 2005). In the case of NPOs, implementing PMS is different since the objectives are not to make profits but to increase social benefits or help community members, served by the NPO. Implementing PMS in NPOs therefore becomes a challenge since the standard metrics of revenue, cost, market share, productivity, etc., have different values (Poister, 2003). This paper critically reviews the literature on effective PMS, examines the differences in PMS requirements of for profit and NPOs and discusses the implications to ensure that PMS are made effective for NPOs. An important aspect of NPOs is that they need to be efficient, since they operate with a limited budget, and many of them hire people, who must be paid wages. Performance management systems are different for profit oriented and NPOs, and the systems depend on products, and markets addressed, objectives of the organisation, and nature of operations. However, certain common elements are observed in both types of organisations. Differences are seen in the manner in which metrics are identified and evaluated (Bradach, et al, 2008). This section critically examines the literature on PMS and tools used to implement the practice. While the objectives of for profit and NPOs are different, both must be effective, utilise resources efficiently and meet their goals. A very important aspect of PMS is that it is a comparative tool, and this means that performance is measured with reference to a benchmark; else, the

Laughing stock Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Laughing stock - Movie Review Example This essay is a response on the performance of the â€Å"Laughing stock† play. Laughing stock, directed by Charles Morey, is an energetic backstage farce and affectionate view into the world of theatre with an appealing story about the bonds that form among actors at a minor, underfunded summer stock theatre. This play is about a group, which is trying to accomplish a certain goal against all odds. In the play, Business manager, Craig, is amazed with the high rise in number of pencils the actors are using. The technical director, Henry, is establishing sets, lighting and special effects for three shows without a budget while the funny and softhearted stage manager, Sarah, is a reality check when things get out of control (Bannon, 2012). In the acting company, there was Ditzy Mary, who is not bright and Tyler who wants venture into Dracula and wonders what it means by being Undead. Vernon always has a comment about everything while Richfield who is always absent minded and cannot remember the names of the characters in â€Å"Dracule, The Prince of the Undead† and keeps forgetting the props. Jack who is young, talented and hardworking is ready to abandon theater for law school while Daisy is knitting at the backstage and wishing everyone well on their opening. Braun, neophyte actor and prop master, forgets which play he is involved in and loses Yorick’s skull for â€Å"Hamlet† (Bannon, 2012). The actors’ performance was perfect, and the audience really enjoyed it as they laughed their hearts out. The whole audience was keen and attentive, and this proves that the play was interesting and entertaining throughout the whole session. The whole audience clearly heard and understood the actors who were energetic in the presentation of the play. The play was delivered in a professional manner including the way the actors utilized the stage in their movements. The standing ovation they kept receiving from the audience, further encouraged

Contingency Theories of Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Contingency Theories of Leadership - Essay Example Fiedler's contingency theory states that the manner in which a leader can be effective is dependent on what he calls as 'situational contingency', or the resultant product arising out of the interspatiality or interaction of leadership style and situational favourableness (or situational control). Fiedler holds that in situations of extreme importance, as during floods, tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, a task-orientated style of leadership would be more beneficial than a considerate (relationship-orientated) style. This is so, as because in such an uncertain situation the leader-member relations get strained, due to fear or anxiety, the task becomes haphazard or unstructured, and the subject position of power becomes weak. In such a situation, the task-orientated leader who gets things accomplished proves to be the most successful. On the other hand, Fiedler emphasises that the considerate style of leadership is appropriate when the leader-member relations are good, the task is unstructured, and the locus of power is weak. ... For instance, there is some doubt whether the LPC is a true measure of leadership style. In 1986, Fiedler proposed another contingency model. This was called the Cognitive Resource Theory and attempted to analyse the conditions whereby intelligence, experience, and expertise are predictive indicators of leadership effectiveness. Fiedler stated that the effects of cognitive resources shall be significant only when the leader is able to be direct, when he/ she suffers from little stress, and when the leader has some unique expertise that cannot be performed by other subordinates. The theory formulates the idea that in low-stress situations, the intelligence of the leader has a great impact on the effectivity of the workers, and in high-stress conditions, the leader's expertise gets important. Interestingly, this assumption is not supported by Fiedler's research. An participatory discourse of the contingency theory is Vroom and Yetton's concept of Normative decision theory. Going by this variation, effectiveness of a decision procedure in an organisation is dependent upon various parts of a situation. It emphasises on the significance of the decision quality and acceptance by the people. What is interestingly is the fact that it values the criteria such as the amount of relevant information possessed by the leader and subordinates; under what circumstances would the subordinates accept a decision or try and co-operate in following a decision and the amount of disagreement among subordinates with respect to their preferred alternatives. This variation is definitely preferred over Fiedler's assumptions simple because it takes into account a thorough circumference of problems that the idea of decision making may face. The sheer flexibility, at times

Health Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Health Financial Management - Essay Example The goal that becomes the end in the health financial matters involves the creation of an operational knowledge network. Various opportunities arises that help in the application of a real life situations in matters relating to healthcare. It is also important to note a complete usage of spreadsheet. This knowledge system helps in the compilation of data in the most efficient way (McLean, 2003). Introduction Financial management of the health sector provides an easy approach that streamlines the labor health care intensively. The system of management helps to ensure an increase in the efficiency level, accuracy and reduced labor cost in the entire life of an enterprise. The implementation level provides the best solution if the optimal way is applied in the course of the operation of the business (Latimer, 2012). The National Case mix Scenario The National case under study is an Australian based program that ensures development of the Refined Diagnosis and the related groups. The cla ssification of this form of diagnosis includes the statistical body and the diagnosis centre. The statistical body is involved in the dealing and classification of disease related problems and other bodies. These include the coding standards, classification and intervention body and the modification segment (France, 2001). The model applied at the funding level created an alarming effect with senior members of the health department. This case was felt in the New South Wales with great magnitude. The magnitude emanated from the opposition in the funding process. The hospital association in Australia accepted the idea of funding. Believe in the ideology of better performance evolved from the existence of favorable arrangements at the time. Later, a committee for case mix evolved. It performed the work of determination of clinical changes as per the US regulations. This gave rise to the creation of Australian National and Australian Refined. The entire national case system gets fund fr om the Australian health department. The seventh edition of Australian modification happens to take place at the end of June 2013. Another event will also unfold on first of July 2013. This event will feature under the seventh edition partnership program. The seventh edition will ensure that planning and implementation takes place in the entire phase of the heath management (Willis, Reynolds & Helen, 2008). National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission (NHHRC) Report The birth of COAG is a signaling factor to the NHHRC. The COAG had a meeting that raised important agendas to focus on the NHHRC (Appleby & Aroney, 2012). Some of the recommendations included the requirement on the address of peculiar issues of regulation as a rule in the commonwealth. The Council of Australian Government (COAG) body had an agreement to increase the funding requirements of the state aimed to increase health issues. The funding initiative had a focus on capacity improvement as a main goal. It is impera tively important to appreciate work performed by the COAG (Crase, 2008). The body comprises of on dignitaries including the prime minister and other state dignitaries. The body schedules to have a meeting on April 13 2012 at Canberra. The main agendas at any meeting must revolve at some of the most important issues like the major reforms, delivery of Medicaid and the funding level aimed at the sustainability of the